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 EU tariffs on Chinese EVs may lead to loss of Chinese investment Xinhua) 09:35, August 17, 2024 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. (Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Wu Chaolan) Ronin Rhoades, 24, of Georgetown, and Tristan Banda, 42, of Pflugerville, have been indicted on charges of engaging in dealing firearms. Dave Thompson - PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images A federal grand jury in San Antonio has indicted two Texas men accused of dealing firearms without a license. According to a news release, Ronin Michael Rhoades, 24, of Georgetown, and Tristan James Banda, 42, of Pflugerville, were allegedly engaging in dealing firearms without being licensed firearms dealers. Rhoades also allegedly conspired to traffic and straw purchase a variety of firearms, including AR- and AK-style rifles, FN SCAR rifles, pistols, and a .50 caliber rifle. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The 24-year-old was arrested on Aug. 1 and charged with conspiracy to traffic firearms, conspiracy to straw purchase firearms and dealing firearms without a license. He faces up to 45 years in prison if convicted on all three charges. Banda was arrested on Aug. 14 and charged with dealing firearms without a license. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosive is investigating the cases. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Wednesday, August 14, 2024 at 7:38PM Photo: Microsoft Microsoft is discontinuing Paint 3D, the enhanced version of the classic Paint app, later this year. Originally introduced with Windows 10 as a part of Microsoft's focus on creators, Paint 3D is set to be removed from the Microsoft Store on November 4, 2024. To replace Paint 3D, Microsoft is now heavily investing in the original Paint app within Windows 11. The updated Paint app incorporates popular features from Photoshop and even leverages AI for enhanced capabilities. This marks the latest in a series of discontinued Windows features and apps. Last year, Microsoft also ended support for Windows Mixed Reality and removed Microsoft Teams integration from Windows 11. Additionally, the company plans to discontinue Android app support for Windows 11 next year. Source Joshua Albert Joseph, 27, faces a murder charge in connection to the death of Sonic Drive-In manager, Daniel Shrewsbury, 33. Raul Trey Lopez U.S. marshals arrested a man accused of being the driver in the shooting death of a 33-year-old fast-food manager. Joshua Albert Joseph, 27, was arrested Friday around 10:45 a.m. at his North Side home in connection to the death of Daniel Shrewsbury. Joshua Albert Joseph, 27, faces a murder charge in the death of Sonic Drive-In manager Daniel Shrewsbury. He was arrested Friday. Raul Trey Lopez, San Antonio Express News On July 7, Joseph drove the alleged shooter, Adiah Roberson, and another woman to the Sonic Drive-In in the 5500 block of Babcock Road. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Ximena Alvarez, San Antonio Police Department spokesperson, said the three individuals were trying to buy food with counterfeit money. Shrewsbury, who was the manager, did not allow them to make the purchase. After a verbal altercation ensued between the two women and Shrewsbury, Roberson took money from a tip jar inside the restaurant and returned to the vehicle, police said. Shrewsbury followed the individuals outside and took a photo of the license plate. Joseph told Shrewsbury he was going to get shot, SAPD said. Shortly after the confrontation in the drive-thru lane, Roberson exited the passenger side of the vehicle and shot Shrewsbury, according to police. He was later pronounced dead at the scene. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Joseph faces a murder charge because he threatened Shrewsbury during the incident, according to SAPD. The other unidentified woman is considered a witness in the case. Joseph spoke to the media shortly before being placed into an SAPD patrol car on Friday. I apologize for the actions of somebody who happened to be with me. None of that shouldnt have happened. I dont wish death on nobody, Joseph said. SAPD is still searching for Roberson, who is believed to be the alleged shooter in this case. Advertisement Article continues below this ad San Antonio police have identified Adiah Damir Roberson as the suspect who shot and killed Daniel Shrewsbury at the Sonic Drive-In on July 7. San Antonio Police Department James Owen Jim Rice, 91, died on August 11, 2024. He was born in Bogalusa, La., on March 9, 1933. His parents moved to Red Bank, Tennessee a few years later. In 1953, during the Korean War, Jim enlisted in the Navy, where he served for four years before returning to Chattanooga. Here he married Sandra Smith in 1966 and saw his sons born. He spent many years as an insurance claims adjuster and was a longtime volunteer with the Boy Scouts as assistant scoutmaster and scoutmaster, receiving the Silver Beaver award in 1995. In retirement, he took up amateur radio, and held an extra class license KG4SHY. Among many dogs, he took in a Boston Terrier named Java, and a Tibetan Spaniel named Fast Eddie. He was preceded in death by his parents, Jesse and Hubbie; and his brothers, Kenneth and Quentin. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Sandra; children, Jim (Barbara) and Matt (Lindsay); nephews: Richard, Ken, and Garry; and many cousins. He was a longtime member of First Cumberland Presbyterian Church and served there in many roles. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to First Cumberland Presbyterian Church, or McKamey Animal Center. Visitation is from 11 a.m.12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 20, at First Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Funeral services will be at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday at First Cumberland Presbyterian Church with Bruce Clark officiating. Interment will follow in Chattanooga National Cemetery. Arrangements are entrusted to Lane Funeral Home, 601 Ashland Terrace, Chattanooga, Tn. 37415, 423 877-3524, lanefh.com. Two Soddy Daisy Police officers who were fired after going to the District Attorney with concerns about actions of police officials there have filed suit. Lt. Jake Elrod and Capt. Eric Jenkins filed suit in Federal Court. The action was brought against the city of Soddy Daisy, City Manager Burt Johnson, current Police Chief Billy Petty and former Police Chief Mike Sneed. The suit asks front and back pay with benefits, $1 million each, and treble damages. The suit, filed by the law firm of Davis & Hoss, says the city "terminated the Plaintiffs in retaliation for exercising their constitutional rights to freedom of speech, exercising their duties to enforce the laws of the state of Tennessee, for communicating with elected officials in Hamilton County about public concerns, and for testifying about those concerns in a court of law in Hamilton County Criminal Court after the Soddy-Daisy Police Department covered up and intentionally refused to disclose the untruthfulness of an arresting Soddy-Daisy Police officer during an internal affairs investigation in a criminal proceeding in State of Tennessee v. Justin Whaley.." Attorney Janie Varnell said at the time of the firing, "Three months ago, two long-time Soddy Daisy police officers, Lt. Elrod and Capt. Jenkins, came forward with evidence that another Soddy Daisy Officer, Jeremy Wright, had lied in a previous internal affairs investigation. "Legal experts explain that such allegations of untruthfulness must be disclosed in criminal proceedings. However, while both Lt. Elrod and Capt. Jenkins testified in Hamilton County Criminal Court that they were threatened with their jobs by Soddy Daisy officials if they came forward and told the truth, the two persisted and brought the evidence to the Hamilton County District Attorneys office who promptly turned it over to defense attorneys. "Hamilton County Judge Boyd Patterson, after a hearing, found both Lt. Elrod and Capt. Jenkins to be credible witnesses in their testimony in the case of State v. Justin Whaley and ordered a new trial for Whaley based upon their testimony of Wrights untruthfulness. "Yesterday, Soddy Daisy terminated Lt. Elrod and Capt. Jenkins in clear retaliation for them bringing forward the evidence about Wright. Shame on Soddy Daisy for terminating these two long-time officers, Lt. Elrod and Captain Jenkins. This is the most blatant act of retaliation I have seen. These officers brought information to our local District Attorney about the truthfulness of an arresting police officer. Even the DA said in open court that this evidence should have been given to the defense before trial. "Soddy Daisy tried to hide it and now they are punishing the officers who morally and legally did the right thing. The message that this sends to our community is that the Soddy Daisy Police Department wants to hide and cover up all of the bad deeds of their officers. Click here to read the suit. Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti issued a statement after the U.S. Supreme Court held that the entirety of the U.S. Department of Educations new Title IX rule should not take effect while Tennessees case proceeds. Tennessee has argued that the rule is unlawful and previously persuaded two lower courts to stop the rule from taking effect. Attorney General Skrmetti said, I am grateful that the Supreme Court of the United States agreed that no part of the Biden administrations Title IX rule should go into effect while the case proceeds. This is a win for student privacy, free speech, and the rule of law. You can read the opinion here. Here is the latest Hamilton County arrest report. (If your case is dismissed, just email us your name and date we ran it and we will promptly take off. Email to news@chattanoogan.com) BARKSDALE, MICHAEL DEANGELO 1214 GROVE ST CT CHATTANOOGA, 37402 Age at Arrest: 27 years old Arresting Agency: Chatt Housing Auth CHILD NEGLECT BRADFORD, JAIME NICOLE 902 BOMAR ST LAFAYETTE, 307283113 Age at Arrest: 37 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff VIOLATION OF PROBATION AGGRAVATED BURGLARY VIOLATION OF PROBATION ASSAULT BROWN, RONNIE LEE 1208 POPLAR ST CHATTANOOGA, 374023830 Age at Arrest: 32 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) BRYANT, RICARDO DAQUAN 118 BELL ROAD CHATTANOOGA, 374033104 Age at Arrest: 30 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD PUBLIC INTOXICATION CAL, ERVIN L 1960 ACER CIR Chattanooga, 374061569 Age at Arrest: 19 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD RESISTING ARREST OR OBSTRUCTION OF LEGAL PROCESS EVADING ARREST CASTLE, TAYLOR DANIELLE 5501 FRANCIS SPRING ROAD WHITWELL, 37397 Age at Arrest: 28 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff VIOLATION OF PROBATION(ESCAPE) CASTLEBERRY, CRYSTAL ELAINE 2603 EAST 45TH ST OOLTEWAH, 37363 Age at Arrest: 44 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD THEFT OF PROPERTY (CONDUCT INVOLV.MERCHANDISE) BURGLARY EVADING ARREST CHRISTOPHER, MARCELL DWHITE 730 GERMANTOWN CIRCLE CHATTANOOGA, 37402 Age at Arrest: 27 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD POSSESSING A FIREARM WITH INTENT TO GO ARMED CONNER, LAUREL BRITTANY 5540 HERMAN LANE HIXSON, 37343 Age at Arrest: 37 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff NONSUPPORT AND FLAGRANT NONSUPPORT NONSUPPORT AND FLAGRANT NONSUPPORT FOSTER, HOBERT LAMAR HOMELESS , Age at Arrest: 45 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff (VOP) POSSESSION OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE FRITTS, CHRISTINA 3082 PORCH ROCK RD PIKEVILLE, 37367 Age at Arrest: 39 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT AGGRAVATED ROBERRY CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT AGGRAVATED BURGLARY AGGRAVATED BURGLARY AGGRAVATED BURGLARY THEFT OF A FIREARM GONZALEZ, OLIVIA MAE 20 MASON DRIVE APT 1113 CHATTANOOGA, 374156669 Age at Arrest: 19 years old Arresting Agency: Red Bank AGGRAVATED ASSAULT DOMESTIC GREEN, MIKE ANTONAY 1508 ROANOKE AVE CHATTANOOGA, 37406 Age at Arrest: 22 years old Arresting Agency: Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) HARRILL, CARSON AARON 5731 SCOTT ST CHATTANOOGA, 37412 Age at Arrest: 22 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff FUGITIVE (ARREST FOR CRIME IN ANOTHER STATE) HERNANDEZ, JOSE ANGEL NELHM ROAD CHATTANOOGA, Age at Arrest: 41 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff FIRST DEGREE PREMEDITATED MURDER HEUSEN, RONALD JAMES 201 BRYANT AVE DALTON, 30720 Age at Arrest: 46 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff FAILURE TO APPEAR HICKS, WESLEY LEBRON 2002 HARDY ST CHATTANOOGA, 374064517 Age at Arrest: 45 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD DOMESTIC ASSAULT HILL, MARK DANIEL 411 HOLLYWOOD DR ROSSVILLE, 30741 Age at Arrest: 44 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff FAILURE TO APPEAR HOANG, LOI DAI HOMELESS Chattanooga, 37421 Age at Arrest: 48 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD CRIMINAL TRESPASSING DISORDERLY CONDUCT PUBLIC INTOXICATION HUGHES, BRANDON LEE ALEXANDER 310 CHICKAMAUGA ROAD CHATTANOOGA, 37421 Age at Arrest: 24 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff SCHEDULE II DRUG VIOLATION POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA JONES, QUINCY JERMAINE 4030 DORRIS STREET CHATTANOOGA, 37410 Age at Arrest: 31 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) KIRKWOOD, SYLVESTER CLIFTON 1315 BRADT ST CHATTANOOGA, 37406 Age at Arrest: 34 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff VIOLATION OF PROBATION (ATTEMPT POSSESSION OF A FI LONG, DEREK ALEXANDER 703 SNOW STREET CHATANOOGA, 37405 Age at Arrest: 25 years old Arresting Agency: DRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSE SPEEDING MCCULLOUGH, DEMAURIS PERRY 2445 5th Ave Chattanooga, 374071104 Age at Arrest: 18 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD VIOLATION OF ORDER OF PROTECTION OR RESTRAINING OR TAMPERING WITH OR FABRICATING EVIDENCE TAMPERING WITH OR FABRICATING EVIDENCE RESISTING ARREST OR OBSTRUCTION OF LEGAL PROCESS EVADING ARREST POSSESSING A FIREARM WITH INTENT TO GO ARMED POSSESSION OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE MCDOWELL, TYRONE DENZELL 1508 ALTON DR CHATTANOOGA, 374032612 Age at Arrest: 31 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD (VOP) FAILURE TO APPEAR MINSHEW, CAMERON JEREL 4803 GENERAL THOMAS APT B CHATTANOOGA, 37407 Age at Arrest: 36 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) MOORE, ERVYON J 200 S SAINT MARKS AVE CHATTANOOGA, 374114861 Age at Arrest: 18 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) MORGAN, ZACKARY JOEL 8506 WOODRIDGE LANE OOLTEWAH, 37363 Age at Arrest: 35 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff DOMESTIC ASSAULT DOMESTIC ASSAULT POSSESSION OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE NAIL, JOHN THOMAS COMMMUNITY KITCHEN CHATTANOOGA, 37421 Age at Arrest: 34 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) NOWMAN, BRANDON CHAD 200 POWDER PORT BALDKINOB, 72101 Age at Arrest: 42 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff FUGITIVE (ARREST FOR CRIME IN ANOTHER STATE) PALACIOS, ESTEBAN JOSE 550 COUNTY ROAD 804 ETOWAH, 37311 Age at Arrest: 34 years old Arresting Agency: Collegedale Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) PASLEY, WILLIAM 6213 TALLEDGA AVE CHATTANOOGA, 37421 Age at Arrest: 44 years old Arresting Agency: FUGITIVE (CATOOSA COUNTY) RAYMOND, TRENT A 145 IVY ROW LANE #19 RED BANK, 37415 Age at Arrest: 25 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD PUBLIC INTOXICATION REDDEN, MICKEL DWIGHT 1103 HOTWATER ROAD SODDY DAISY, 37379 Age at Arrest: 46 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff AGGRAVATED ASSAULT DRUGS GENERAL CATEGORY FOR RESALE POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA RICHARDSON, COREYUN D 4716 TARPONTRAIL CHATTANOOGA, 37416 Age at Arrest: 18 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff BURGLARY THEFT OF PROPERTY ROSS, DERRICK 3708 CARL WHITE PLACE CHATTANOOGA, 37410 Age at Arrest: 26 years old Arresting Agency: DRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSE REGISTRATION, EXPIRED FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY SCEALF, JOSEPH ADAM 11231 MCGILL RD. SODDY DAISY, 37379Age at Arrest: 42 years oldArresting Agency: HC SheriffTHEFT OF PROPERTYSEM, JOE SANGHA1901 PRIGMORE ROAD EAST RIDGE, 37410Age at Arrest: 41 years oldArresting Agency: HC SheriffPOSSESSION OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE(VOP)SINCLAIR, KODI LILITH1312 17TH ST APT 1099 DENVER, 80202Age at Arrest: 29 years oldArresting Agency: East RidgeDRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCEDOMESTIC ASSAULTDISORDERLY CONDUCTDRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSESIZEMORE, CODY RYAN375 VIRGINIA ST DAYTON, 37321Age at Arrest: 28 years oldArresting Agency: Chattanooga PDDISORDERLY CONDUCTPUBLIC INTOXICATIONSMALLEY, PARRISH ROYAL41 FARMDALE COURT JONESBORO, 30238Age at Arrest: 62 years oldArresting Agency: HC SheriffEVADING ARRESTRECKLESS ENDANGERMENTUNL. CARRYING OR POSSESSING WEAPONSMITH, SAMUEL EUGENEHOMELESS DAYTON, 37321Age at Arrest: 51 years oldArresting Agency: HC SheriffSEXUAL BATTERY BY AUTHORITY FIGURESEXUAL BATTERY BY AUTHORITY FIGURESEXUAL BATTERY BY AUTHORITY FIGURESTATUTORY RAPE BY AUTHORITY FIGURESEXUAL BATTERY BY AUTHORITY FIGUREESPECIALLY AGRAVATED SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF A MINOESPECIALLY AGRAVATED SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF A MINOESPECIALLY AGRAVATED SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF A MINOESPECIALLY AGRAVATED SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF A MINOSEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF A MINORSEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF A MINORSEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF A MINORSEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF A MINORSEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF A MINORTARPKIN, JERMAINE LEDALE1706 JACKSON ST CHATTANOOGA, 374063911Age at Arrest: 51 years oldArresting Agency: Chattanooga PDTAMPERING WITH OR FABRICATING EVIDENCEPOSSESSION OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCEFOLLOWING TOO CLOSELYDRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSEWHITE, AMANDA ROSE1880 COLBERT HOLLARD RD ROCK SPRING, 37390Age at Arrest: 30 years oldArresting Agency: Chattanooga PDTHEFT OF PROPERTYTHEFT OF PROPERTYWIMBERLY, WILSON LYNN200 JAMES ST ROSSVILLE, 30741Age at Arrest: 56 years oldArresting Agency: Tenn Hwy PatrolDRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE (3RD)FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITYFOLLOWING TOO CLOSELYREGISTRATION, EXPIREDIMPLIED CONSENT LAW - DRIVERSWOLFE, DEREK WILLIAM121 SHADOW GLENN DRIVE NASHVILLE, 37211Age at Arrest: 49 years oldArresting Agency: HC SheriffBooked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) Here are the mug shots: AKRIDGE, JOEY DAWONE Age at Arrest: 38 Date of Birth: 12/26/1985 Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD Last Date of Arrest: 08/16/2024 Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) BRADFORD, JAIME NICOLE Age at Arrest: 37 Date of Birth: 06/20/1987 Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Last Date of Arrest: 08/16/2024 Charge(s): VIOLATION OF PROBATION AGGRAVATED BURGLARY VIOLATION OF PROBATION ASSAULT CASTLE, TAYLOR DANIELLE Age at Arrest: 28 Date of Birth: 03/10/1995 Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Last Date of Arrest: 08/16/2024 Charge(s): VIOLATION OF PROBATION(ESCAPE) CASTLEBERRY, CRYSTAL ELAINE Age at Arrest: 44 Date of Birth: 08/16/1980 Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD Last Date of Arrest: 08/16/2024 Charge(s): THEFT OF PROPERTY (CONDUCT INVOLV.MERCHANDISE) BURGLARY EVADING ARREST CONNER, LAUREL BRITTANY Age at Arrest: 37 Date of Birth: 04/16/1987 Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Last Date of Arrest: 08/16/2024 Charge(s): NONSUPPORT AND FLAGRANT NONSUPPORT NONSUPPORT AND FLAGRANT NONSUPPORT DISMUKE, MICHAEL DEWAYNE Age at Arrest: 47 Date of Birth: 08/30/1976 Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD Last Date of Arrest: 08/16/2024 Charge(s): FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY DRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSE FOSTER, HOBERT LAMAR Age at Arrest: 45 Date of Birth: 02/04/1977 Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Last Date of Arrest: 08/16/2024 Charge(s): (VOP) POSSESSION OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE FRITTS, CHRISTINA Age at Arrest: 39 Date of Birth: 06/06/1985 Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Last Date of Arrest: 08/16/2024 Charge(s): CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT AGGRAVATED ROBERRY CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT AGGRAVATED BURGLARY AGGRAVATED BURGLARY AGGRAVATED BURGLARY THEFT OF A FIREARM GONZALEZ, OLIVIA MAE Age at Arrest: 19 Date of Birth: 01/03/2005 Arresting Agency: Red Bank Last Date of Arrest: 08/16/2024 Charge(s): AGGRAVATED ASSAULT DOMESTIC GREEN, KA YUN MARKUL Age at Arrest: 18 Date of Birth: 12/10/2005 Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD Last Date of Arrest: 08/16/2024 Charge(s): AGGRAVATED ASSAULT POSSESSING A FIREARM WITH INTENT TO GO ARMED GREEN, MIKE ANTONAY Age at Arrest: 22 Date of Birth: 02/28/2002 Arresting Agency: Last Date of Arrest: 08/16/2024 Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) HARRILL, CARSON AARON Age at Arrest: 22 Date of Birth: 10/25/2001 Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Last Date of Arrest: 08/16/2024 Charge(s): FUGITIVE (ARREST FOR CRIME IN ANOTHER STATE) HERNANDEZ, JOSE ANGEL Age at Arrest: 41 Date of Birth: 04/04/1978 Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Last Date of Arrest: 08/16/2024 Charge(s): FIRST DEGREE PREMEDITATED MURDER HILL, MARK DANIEL Age at Arrest: 44 Date of Birth: 10/29/1979 Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Last Date of Arrest: 08/16/2024 Charge(s): FAILURE TO APPEAR HOANG, LOI DAI Age at Arrest: 48 Date of Birth: 03/28/1972 Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD Last Date of Arrest: 08/16/2024 Charge(s): CRIMINAL TRESPASSING DISORDERLY CONDUCT PUBLIC INTOXICATION HUGHES, BRANDON LEE ALEXANDER Age at Arrest: 24 Date of Birth: 01/12/2000 Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Last Date of Arrest: 08/16/2024 Charge(s): SCHEDULE II DRUG VIOLATION POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA KIRKWOOD, SYLVESTER CLIFTON Age at Arrest: 34 Date of Birth: 06/17/1990 Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Last Date of Arrest: 08/16/2024 Charge(s): VIOLATION OF PROBATION (ATTEMPT POSSESSION OF A FI LONG, DEREK ALEXANDER Age at Arrest: 25 Date of Birth: 11/11/1998 Arresting Agency: Last Date of Arrest: 08/16/2024 Charge(s): DRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSE SPEEDING MCDOWELL, TYRONE DENZELL Age at Arrest: 31 Date of Birth: 07/23/1993 Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD Last Date of Arrest: 08/16/2024 Charge(s): RESISTING ARREST OR OBSTRUCTION OF LEGAL PROCESS POSSESSING A FIREARM WITH INTENT TO GO ARMED POSSESSING A FIREARM WITH INTENT TO GO ARMED MINSHEW, CAMERON JEREL Age at Arrest: 36 Date of Birth: 10/20/1987 Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Last Date of Arrest: 08/16/2024 Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) MOORE, ERVYON J Age at Arrest: 18 Date of Birth: 08/29/2005 Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Last Date of Arrest: 08/16/2024 Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) MORGAN, ZACKARY JOEL Age at Arrest: 35 Date of Birth: 10/31/1988 Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Last Date of Arrest: 08/16/2024 Charge(s): DOMESTIC ASSAULT DOMESTIC ASSAULT POSSESSION OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE NAIL, JOHN THOMAS Age at Arrest: 34 Date of Birth: 01/20/1990 Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Last Date of Arrest: 08/16/2024 Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) NOWMAN, BRANDON CHAD Age at Arrest: 42 Date of Birth: 03/25/1982 Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Last Date of Arrest: 08/16/2024 Charge(s): FUGITIVE (ARREST FOR CRIME IN ANOTHER STATE) PARKER, COREY BLANE Age at Arrest: 28 Date of Birth: 03/21/1996 Arresting Agency: East Ridge Last Date of Arrest: 08/16/2024 Charge(s): DISORDERLY CONDUCT PASLEY, WILLIAM Age at Arrest: 44 Date of Birth: 02/24/1980 Arresting Agency: Last Date of Arrest: 08/16/2024 Charge(s): FUGITIVE (CATOOSA COUNTY) RAYMOND, TRENT A Age at Arrest: 25 Date of Birth: 09/30/1998 Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD Last Date of Arrest: 08/16/2024 Charge(s): PUBLIC INTOXICATION RICHARDSON, COREYUN D Age at Arrest: 18 Date of Birth: 05/11/2006 Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Last Date of Arrest: 08/16/2024 Charge(s): BURGLARY THEFT OF PROPERTY ROSS, DERRICK Age at Arrest: 26 Date of Birth: 03/05/1998 Arresting Agency: Last Date of Arrest: 08/16/2024 Charge(s): DRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSE REGISTRATION, EXPIRED FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY SCEALF, JOSEPH ADAM Age at Arrest: 42 Date of Birth: 11/02/1981 Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Last Date of Arrest: 08/16/2024 Charge(s): THEFT OF PROPERTY SEM, JOE SANGHA Age at Arrest: 41 Date of Birth: 07/09/1983 Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Last Date of Arrest: 08/16/2024 Charge(s): POSSESSION OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE(VOP) SHOLTZ, WILLIAM DALE Age at Arrest: 43 Date of Birth: 01/10/1981 Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Last Date of Arrest: 08/16/2024 Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) SHOWERS, CAMERON ALEXANDER Age at Arrest: 26 Date of Birth: 08/22/1997 Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD Last Date of Arrest: 08/16/2024 Charge(s): AGGRAVATED ASSAULT SINCLAIR, KODI LILITH Age at Arrest: 29 Date of Birth: 05/09/1995 Arresting Agency: East Ridge Last Date of Arrest: 08/16/2024 Charge(s): DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE DOMESTIC ASSAULT DISORDERLY CONDUCT DRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSE SIZEMORE, CODY RYAN Age at Arrest: 28 Date of Birth: 09/20/1995 Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD Last Date of Arrest: 08/16/2024 Charge(s): DISORDERLY CONDUCT PUBLIC INTOXICATION TARPKIN, JERMAINE LEDALE Age at Arrest: 51 Date of Birth: 06/15/1973 Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD Last Date of Arrest: 08/16/2024 Charge(s): TAMPERING WITH OR FABRICATING EVIDENCE POSSESSION OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE FOLLOWING TOO CLOSELY DRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSE WHITE, AMANDA ROSE Age at Arrest: 30 Date of Birth: 04/14/1994 Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD Last Date of Arrest: 08/16/2024 Charge(s): THEFT OF PROPERTY THEFT OF PROPERTY WIMBERLY, WILSON LYNN Age at Arrest: 56 Date of Birth: 04/08/1968 Arresting Agency: Tenn Hwy Patrol Last Date of Arrest: 08/16/2024 Charge(s): DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE (3RD) FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOLLOWING TOO CLOSELY REGISTRATION, EXPIRED IMPLIED CONSENT LAW - DRIVERS WOLFE, DEREK WILLIAM Age at Arrest: 49 Date of Birth: 12/26/1974 Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Last Date of Arrest: 08/16/2024 Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) Sig Christenson is a senior reporter for the Express-News covering the military and has been with the news organization since 1997. He can be reached at sigc@express-news.net. He embedded with the 3rd Infantry Division during the Iraq invasion, and reported from Baghdad and Afghanistan seven times since. A University of Houston graduate, he covered the Branch Davidian siege, the 2003 space shuttle breakup, the 2009 Fort Hood shooting and its subsequent legal proceedings, as well as hurricanes, tropical storms and floods. He's won awards from Hearst Newspapers and the Associated Press, was named "Reporter of the Year" by his peers in 2004 and is a co-founder and former president and board member of Military Reporters & Editors, established in 2002. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived in Colombia for their visit, but some locals are questioning why they decided to go there. Three months after their trip to Nigeria, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle traveled to another country for a visit and thats Colombia. The South American countrys Vice President Francia Marquez announced weeks earlier that the Duke and Duchess will join me in visiting Bogota, as well as the Caribbean and Pacific regions of Cartagena and Cali. The purpose of their visit is to promote mental health for young people and raise awareness about cyberbullying. But some locals are confused and wondering exactly what the Sussexes are doing there since the burden of this visit may fall on Colombias residents. Harry and Meghans visit raised questions among locals about whos paying for what After Meghan and Harrys visit was announced, there were reports that some Colombians were urging the Vice President to cancel the trip. That didnt happen but many still had questions about it, especially considering all the special accommodations the couple required during their four-day visit. And others wanted to know why the pair chose to travel to a place with such a high crime rate (it has a Level 3 travel advisory from the U.S. State Department) when Harry believes Meghans life is at risk in the U.K. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry a show during a visit to the National Centre for the Arts in Bogota, Colombia | RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP via Getty Images Author and royal expert, Robert Jobson told Express that confused Colombian locals want to know what benefit the country is getting from hosting the duo and asking: Are they here to help? He added: When Harry and Meghan touched down, it wasnt just the Colombian sun that made people squint. It was the blinding glare of their celebrity a shiny distraction to keep the people from looking too closely at the cracks in the walls, wondering who is paying for their security, flights, and luxury accommodations. The Independent noted that according to Nick Pisa, a reporter covering their trip, the duke and duchess were assigned an immense security presence with 14 cars and police van convoys. Its not known yet who will cover the cost of their visit the Colombian government, its residents, or both. Anthony Cawdron, a former royal butler who served at Blenheim Palace, told Daily Express US: I think each of these trips that they take seems to have the effect that people question them more. They are putting a burden on a country that may have a limited amount of methods of keeping them safe. Locals in Nigeria were also confused about the Sussexes unofficial tour there Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visit the Lagos State Governors Office in Nigeria | Ibrahim Mansur/Anadolu via Getty Images Colombians questioning what Meghan and Harry went there for arent alone in asking about that. Nigerians wondered the same thing when the Sussexes traveled there in May, and some had very strong opinions about that visit given the countrys economic situation. A video posted on Reddit featured Nigerian locals who expressed their dissatisfaction with the duke and duchesss trip. One person explained: What effect does it have on our economy? Harrys coming and Nigeria is going to spend billions. Look Nigerians are dying. Everybodys frustrated over economic hardships Let me tell you, if you seek my opinion and other peoples opinions, in fact conduct an opinion poll, its wasting resources. And another local said the prince and former Suits stars tour was Not a welcome idea. Thats the truth. Whether the wife claims that shes part of Nigeria or not, its not a welcome idea. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Four Ws of Cherokee National Holiday: When, What, Where, Why In 1911, the socialite Madeleine Force got engaged to one of Americas richest men, John Jacob Astor IV. When news of their engagement hit the stands, it caused quite a scandal. At the time, Madeleine was only 18-years-old, and John Astor was 47 with a son just one year older than his future wife. By being a part of such a controversial couple, Madeleine had a long and difficult road ahead of her. However, nobody could anticipate the tragedy and challenges she would face in the following year on the Titanic. When the ship sunk in 1912, she became the most famous widow in America. John Astor and Madeleine met in 1910 at Bar Harbor, where they were both summering. By the time they met, John was one of the wealthiest men in America. He had a fortune of around $100 million, which he earned from delving into the fur and real estate industries. He was behind several major development projects, such as the Waldorf Astoria. On the other hand, Madeleine was relatively unknown. She was born in June 1893 in Brooklyn as the second daughter of William Force, who was the owner of a shipping company. The New York Times described her as a rather tall, graceful girl with brown hair and strong, clean-cut features. She ran into John after attending an exclusive girls school in New York and traveling across Europe. Their engagement received a lot of criticism from the press. According to rumors, the couple had to pay a pastor $2,000 to officiate their wedding. They married in September 1911. Afterward, they spent several months in Egypt and France for their honeymoon. They decided to return to New York via the RMS Titanic. On April 10, the Astors boarded the Titanic in Cherbourg, France. Madeleine was five months pregnant. They were accompanied by a servant, maid, private nurse, and Madeleines dog named Kitty. The Astors were the richest people on the ship they shared a cabin on the C-deck. The first few days of the trip passed without incident. But on April 14, 1912, the vessel struck an iceberg. John left their cabin to ask the captain what had happened. Soon, he returned and reassured Madeleine that everything was okay, believing that only slight damage had been done. Before long, women and children were called to evacuate the ship in lifeboats. Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox. About 100,000 to 200,000 years ago, great white sharks split into three different groups that have rarely interacted with each other ever since. These groups are located in the northern Pacific Ocean, the southern Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and the North Atlantic and Mediterranean. It appeared that ocean currents kept them separated. At the end of the Penultimate Ice Age between 100,000 to 200,000 years ago white shark populations appear to have divided into three discrete lineages which seldom interbreed, Catherine Jones, a co-author of the study and a researcher at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, said. Great white sharks can grow up to 20 feet long and weigh more than 4,000 pounds. Their status on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is listed as vulnerable. In Europe, they are considered to be critically endangered. Their populations worldwide have decreased to around 63 percent of their numbers in the 1970s due to several threats. The sharks are often caught on accident by commercial fishers targeting other species, which can result in their injury or death. In addition, marine pollution, including chemical contaminants and plastic waste, affects the health of the sharks and their prey. Furthermore, overfishing reduces the food supply for great whites. It doesnt help that these sharks have a slow reproductive rate. They reach reproductive maturity at about 15 years old, and then they produce few offspring. So, when their populations are experiencing declines, they are unable to bounce back very quickly. According to the new paper, the populations cannot be replaced if one of them goes extinct. Now we understand that if you wipe out sharks in a particular area, theyre not going to be repopulated by sharks from another lineage, said co-author Leslie Noble, a molecular evolutionary ecologist at Nord University in Norway. The so-called global population of white sharks has now shrunk to these three very discreet units. And its really quite concerning. Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox. Home News Bible translator butchered to death in Cameroon, wife's arm chopped off Corrections Appended A Bible translator in Cameroon was butchered to death on Sunday morning during an overnight attack while his wifes arm was cut off, according to a ministry source. Bible translator Angus Abraham Fung was among seven people said to have been killed during an attack carried out by suspected Fulani herdsmen sometime during the early hours of Sunday morning in the town of Wum, according to Efi Tembon, who leads a ministry called Oasis Network for Community Transformation. 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 Located in Cameroons violence-ridden Anglophone region where separatists are fighting for independence, Wum is among several localities where youth from the nomadic Fulani herding community are being encouraged by government actors to carry out attacks against local farming communities that support the separatist rebels, Tembon said. Tembon, who at times worked on projects in Wum before he was forced to flee the country after speaking to the U.S. Congress about the conflict in June 2018, said he was told by sources in the town that Fulani herders stormed five homes Saturday night into Sunday morning. They went into houses and pulled out the people, Tembon explained to The Christian Post. They attacked in the night and nobody was expecting. They just went into the home, pulled them out and slaughtered them. Tembon said that he was not informed as to how many people were injured in the attack, but only that Fungs wife, Eveline Fung, had her arm cut off and is receiving a blood transfusion at a local hospital. As for the Bible translator, Tembon was told that Fung was cut to death with a machete. I dont know what prompted the attack. They just came in and killed people at the home, Tembon added, stating that most of the victims were older men. Fung was in his 60s and served for years with the Aghem Bible translation project in Cameroon, working on a New Testament translation in the Aghem language, which was completed in 2016. He was one of the key community leaders in the whole tribe and he was part of the translation services and also coordinated literacy efforts, Tembon explained. So, he was a huge part of the literacy work because their language had never been written before. So, he was the one coordinating it and teaching the language. So many people now can read and write the language as a result of Angus work. Although the New Testament translation for the Aghem language was completed and over 3,000 copies have been published, Tembon said that distribution has not happened because of the war in the region. This war is a complete disruption of what has been going on, Tembon stated. We havent been able to dedicate it because of the war. We are doing what we call listening groups. We have done the recording and started listening groups where people come and listen to scriptures together in the community. According to Tembon, Wum is a rural town of no more than 5,000 people. About 90 percent of the towns people consider themselves to be Christian but also practice traditional religions. While the local people live and farm in the town, Muslim Fulani herders live and graze their cattle on a hill outside the town. But because the area is controlled by separatists, he claimed the government has encouraged and even armed Fulani to carry out attacks against the separatist-supporting communities as a way of pushing a religious twist to the conflict. The government knows that the local people are supporting the local forces, he explained. The Fulani are Muslim and they are a minority in the area. And they always have a farmer-grazer problem between the local people and the Fulani. The government uses that now to get the Fulani on their side as an ally to fight the local people. So they have been armed and protected by the government and terrorize the local people. Tembon noted that not all Fulanis are a party to such attacks, adding that some Fulani have even joined the separatist rebels and some Fulani live in the town with the rest of the local community. Tembon stressed that Sundays attack is not the first to have happened in Wum. In June, villagers in Wum were reportedly attacked and several homes were burned down, including the palace of the local chief. They have burned churches and have killed people in several areas, he said. The local people have killed their cows as revenge. In May, Pastor Keloh Elijah, a graduate of Cameroon Baptist Theological Seminary in Ndu and served at Bitu Baptist Church, was reported to have been among many people killed during a military invasion in the Mfumte area. Many other people were killed in the area, Tembon said at the time. The military has search and lotted homes and burnt down several houses. The Anglophone conflict began in 2016 as separatists began protesting for autonomy because they felt underrepresented in the majority-French-speaking central government. Since then, tens of thousands of people have fled from their homes as a result of the violence. As many as 50,000 people have fled from Cameroon in Nigeria, Ghana, and other neighboring countries while as many 700,000 are internally displaced, according to Tembon. The international community puts the number of those killed at 2,000. But I believe they are intentionally keeping the numbers low so as not to be accused of looking away, he contended. Personally, I do think the number of those killed cannot be lower than 7,000 people during the last three years. A previous version of this article said Tembon spoke to Congress in 2016. It was 2018. It also reported that Fung worked with Wycliffe Bible Translators. He did not work with Wycliffe Bible Translators, but he did work with the Aghem Bible translation project in Cameroon. Home News Montana Supreme Court rules parental notification for abortion law unconstitutional The Montana Supreme Court has struck down a law requiring parental notification before minors can have an abortion as the debate about the legality of abortion is expected to continue in the state and nationwide. In a decision Wednesday, the Montana Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling invalidating the Parental Consent for Abortion Act of 2013. The law never took effect, as it has been involved in litigation for over a decade. A district court ruled that the law, which would prohibit the performance of abortions on minors without parental consent as provided on a form that also informs the parent and the minor about possible risks posed by an abortion, violated a right to privacy guaranteed by Article II, Section 10 of the Montana Constitution. The Montana Supreme Court opinion, written by Justice Laurie McKinnon, agreed with the lower court's analysis. 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 acknowledging that "the State has a substantial interest in preserving the family, protecting minors, and protecting the rights of parents to raise their children," McKinnon concluded that such concerns do not outweigh "the right of a minor to make the most intimate and personal decision of whether to carry a child to term." "Because a minor's right to control her reproductive decisions is among the most fundamental of the rights she possesses, and because the State has failed to demonstrate a real and significant relationship between the statutory classification and the ends asserted, we hold that the Consent Act violates the Constitution of the State of Montana," she added. Montana's Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte slammed the decision in a statement. "As a strong defender of parental rights, I'm deeply disappointed by today's ruling from the Montana Supreme Court, which states parents do not have a fundamental right to oversee the medical care of their young daughters," he said. "In its ruling, the Court has wielded its gavel like a hammer against one of the most fundamental rights in history: the right of parents to consent to the medical care of their children." Planned Parenthood of Montana, the state's affiliate of the nation's largest abortion provider that sued to block the law from taking effect, celebrated the decision. "We are pleased that the Court upheld the fundamental rights of Montanans today," Planned Parenthood of Montana CEO Martha Fuller said in a statement Wednesday. "Montanans deserve the ability to make private medical decisions and have the ability to access abortion care if that is what is best for patients and families." The ruling comes as Montana voters will likely weigh in on a ballot measure that would formally establish a right to abortion in the state constitution. According to the Montana Secretary of State's Office, Ballot Issue 14 is gathering signatures to appear on the ballot in this fall's general election. The submitter of the bill, Dr. Samuel Dickman, is one of the plaintiffs in the case that successfully sought to invalidate the state law requiring parental notification for abortion. The text of Ballot Issue 14 states, "There is a right to make and carry out decisions about one's own pregnancy, including the right to abortion." The proposed constitutional amendment clarifies, "This right shall not be denied or burdened unless justified by a compelling government interest achieved by the least restrictive means." To secure a place on the ballot, the proposal must obtain signatures from 10% of the total number of registered voters in Montana, including 10% of registered voters in at least 40 of the state's legislative house districts. The most recent statistics compiled by the Montana Secretary of State's Office show 762,944 registered voters in the state. Montanans for Reproductive Freedom, the group behind the ballot measure, released a statement on X late last month indicating that it had "met the valid signature threshold and the House District threshold required to qualify this critical initiative for the ballot." A subsequent X post noted, "Over 500 volunteers collected 117,000 signatures from every corner of the state." The current Montana Supreme Court precedent makes abortion legal in the state. Montana is one of more than a dozen states where an abortion-related ballot measure will possibly or definitely go before voters later this year. After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide in 2022, voters in four states have supported referendums establishing rights to abortion in their respective state constitutions in both 2022 and 2023: California, Michigan, Vermont and Ohio. Home News Spanish judge halts assisted suicide of 23 year old after father's request A judge has agreed to suspend the assisted suicide 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 recognized in Oct. 2022 from a spinal cord injury after a self-harming incident. Yet, lawyers highlighted flaws in the woman's request for euthanasia, according to El Diario, because she wrote a letter on July 29, expressing doubts that she wanted help to die. 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 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. 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, 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. This article was originally published by Christian Daily International. The Womans Pavilion at the time of HemisFair 68. Courtesy Sherry Kafka Wagner Second of two columns Last Sunday we looked at the origins of the Womans Pavilion at HemisFair 68, the worlds fair held April 6-Oct. 3, 1968, in the former downtown neighborhood that has been known since as Hemisfair Plaza, then HemisFair Park, and now is being redeveloped as Hemisfair. Reader Betsy Gerhardt Pasley asked about the still-extant building in connection with the tile Wall of Hands, representing pavilion organizers, that was incorporated into the brick exterior wall near the entrance to the Womans Pavilion, in an inset to the exterior brick wall. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Those handprints were made by women who had helped raise the pavilion, without much support from HemisFairs directors. Women including some of the directors wives who believed in the need for the pavilion raised funds for it, and many of them are represented on the Wall of Hands. From efforts by local womens organizations to failed attempts to involve national media, celebrities and corporate donors, the pavilion corporation formed in 1966 raised less than $100,000, says Nancy Baker Jones in The Way We Were: Gender and the Womans Pavilion, HemisFair 68, published in the Southwestern Historical Quarterly, April 2016. One of the most substantial donations from a local womens group was a $10,000 contribution from the Junior League of San Antonio, as reported in the Leagues 1968-69 yearbook. The organization also took on the responsibility to obtain and train 200 (female) volunteers to work as guides for four hours once a week at our (Womans) Pavilion. To become Fair Lady Guides, these volunteers including Junior Leaguers for whom it was a community placement purchased a $15 uniform and attended a four-session course planned by the leagues HemisFair representative, Shirley Fitch English. An inscription at the base of Hemisfairs Wall of Hands says in part, These are the handprints of women responsible for the creation of the Womans Pavilion for HemisFair 1968. The creativity of woman is everywhere, molding each of us and shaping our world. Courtesy Betsy Gerhardt Pasley Many of the handprints on the wall are from Junior League members, said current Junior League member Whitney McCarthy, who with Shelley Weber, managing director of the Junior League of San Antonio, researched the groups participation in HemisFair 68. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The walls design was supervised by Ethel Wilson Harris, in a much more subdued, utilitarian style than the colorful murals made by her decorative tile art businesses over the years. Harris was in a huge rush doing other installations, said Susan Toomey Frost, author of Colors on Clay: The San Jose Tile Workshops of San Antonio, and turned the project over to artisan Mamie Sandoval. Harris herself went to Austin to get a handprint from Texas first lady Nellie Connally. The wall was unveiled and dedicated July 29, 1968, months after the opening of the fair. One of the other handprints was that of Sherry Kafka Wagner, founding executive director of the Womans Pavilion, who was married to pavilion architect Cyrus Cy Wagner. As I recall, the women wanted to remember those who worked to start and develop the project, so the building committee worked with the architect to come up with this idea. Sherry Kafka Wagner, left, founding director of the Womans Pavilion at HemisFair 68, is shown with Nellie Connally, then the first lady of Texas and an early supporter of the Womans Pavilion. sb/Courtesy Sherry Kafka Wagner Organizers, she recalls, intended the building to be the student center for UTSA, since the official reuse concept for the HemisFair site was that it would become (the University of Texas at San Antonio campus). The Womans Pavilion was constructed as a permanent building, says Christopher Medina, curator of HemisFair 68 Online at www.worldsfair68.info. That was done to meet both the BIE (Bureau de International des Expositions) requirement that a percentage of the buildings be part of the post-fair exit strategy and the U.S. Urban Renewal Agency requirement that a percentage of the site redevelopment be for new economic activity. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Created in 1969 by the Legislature, UTSA established its first administrative offices on the former fairgrounds (covered here July 11, 2015) the following year. The offices were located in the historic Solomon Halff House, home during HemisFair to Maison Blanche, a French restaurant. As the universitys staff grew, UTSA also moved into the Eagar House, the former Southern Baptist Pavilion. Unfortunately, the regents of UT decided to place the new university 16 miles (on donated land) out of town to the north, creating urban sprawl and causing the HemisFair site to languish in neglect, said Wagner, now an author and urban designer. A recent photo shows the Wall of Hands intact to the right of the entrance to the currently unused Womans Pavilion at Hemisfair. Courtesy Christopher Medina In 1972, UTSAs provisional headquarters moved to the Koger Executive Center at Northwest Loop 410 off Babcock Road, closer to the planned campus. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Meanwhile, the Womans Pavilion remained empty for three years after the fair closed. Like the older buildings on what became HemisFair Plaza, it was city property. In 1971, it was leased for $1 a year to the South Texas Health Education Center, a project of what was then the University of Texas Medical School at San Antonio. Planned since 1970, the new center was set to direct its efforts toward preventing disease through educational programs for all consumers of health services, according to the Express, Jan. 30, 1972. On Oct. 19, 1971, Winifred Hamlin, president of the group that built the pavilion, turned its keys over to Dr. Bernard Bloom, president of the Health Education Center. For a few years, the center offered programs of particular interest to women, such as a course based on the book Our Bodies, Ourselves, another on male-female relationships and a Pro-life Seminar on Abortion. Later in the decade, there was some interest in reopening the facility as a San Antonio Womens Center, an idea that had been considered several times from 1969 through 2009 but still hasnt been realized. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A view of the exhibitions inside the Womans Pavilion in 1968. Courtesy Sherry Kafka Wagner The exhibitions inside the Womans Pavilion during HemisFair 68 paid tribute to women in the areas of fashion, art, science and education. Courtesy Sherry Kafka Wagner A mosaic of the handprints of 80 women who supported the Womans Pavilion for HemisFair 68 still remains on the exterior wall of the building. Steve Bennett / San Antonio Express-News The dynamic modernist design featured multiple levels connected by wide concrete staircases. Courtesy Sherry Kafka Wagner An architectural model of the Womans Pavilion for HemisFair 68, designed by San Antonio architect Cyrus Wagner. Courtesy Sherry Kafka Wagner A sketch of the Womans Pavilion, built for HemisFair 68 to pay tribute to the contributions of women all over the world. Courtesy Sherry Kafka Wagner Taken from the Tower of the Americas observation deck in 1968, this photo shows the Wall of Hands near the entrance to the Womans Pavilion. Courtesy Christopher Medina During the 1990s, Medina said, the building was used by the Institute of Texan Cultures for storage. At this time, the ornate entry doors designed by Lynn Ford architect ONeil Fords craftsman brother were removed and replaced with a roll-up door. When a group including Wagner was trying to restore the Womans Pavilion, she said, we made some new ceramics of womens hands that have since been given to the San Antonio Parks Foundation. We have offered them to the Hemisfair group to use on the site. The original tile and imprints of the hands that helped build the pavilion are well-protected, as is the structure, and should survive any reuse of the building, said Andres Andujar, CEO of Hemisfair Park Area Redevelopment Corp. Although the women represented on the Wall of Hands were arguably the citys most influential, the Womans Pavilion they built stands in stark contrast to the celebration of Texas that the rest of HemisFair represented, says Jones. While the massive Texas Pavilion/Institute of Texan Cultures and the United States Pavilion/John H. Wood Jr. Federal Courthouse remained in use for decades, the Womans Pavilion became a shell tucked in the shadow of the Tower of the Americas and largely forgotten. At present, there are no current plans or funding for the restoration and reuse of the Womans Pavilion, but there are often interested parties, and we are confident a reuse is possible in due time, Andujar said. This structure is in Phase III of the Hemisfair master plan (currently in Phase II), and we are studying the options for use and funding of that final phase of the Hemisfair transformation. Home News States sue over Biden's Title IX rule changes forcing schools to affirm transgender identity At least five Republican-led states have filed lawsuits against the Biden administration for expanding the definition of sex in Title IX civil rights law to include "gender identity," a move state leaders fear will force schools to deprive women of protections or risk losing their federal funding. On Monday, attorneys general in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana and Idaho filed two separate lawsuits against the U.S. Department of Education's new Title IX regulations, slated to go into effect in August. Title IX is a federal civil rights law that prohibits schools that receive federal funding from discriminating against women based on their sex. Critics say the rule change will require schools to allow trans-identifying students or teachers to use the restroom that aligns with their gender identity. In addition, the revised Title IX requires teachers to use the pronouns that align with a trans-identifying student's self-expressed gender identity. The new regulations come as several Republican-controlled states have laws prohibiting trans-identified students from using bathrooms that correspond with their stated gender identity. 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 Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a standalone lawsuit against the Biden administration, with America First Legal serving as co-counsel. The lawsuit argues that the Department of Education's new Title IX regulations rely on misinterpreting the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County. The 2000 ruling found that an employer cannot discriminate against a worker for identifying as gay or transgender. "Bostock held only that terminating an employee 'simply for being homosexual or transgender' constitutes discrimination 'because of sex' under Title VII," the Texas lawsuit states. "The Court 'assum[ed]' that the term 'sex' means 'biological distinctions between male and female,' and it made clear that its decision did not 'sweep beyond Title VII to other federal or state laws that prohibit sex discrimination' or address other issues not before the Court, such as 'sex-segregated bathrooms, locker rooms, and dress codes." Texas contends that the Title IX revision "exceeds" the department's authority and stresses that the "correct interpretation" of Title IX's definition of "on the basis of sex" does not include gender identity or sexual orientation. "Texas will not allow Joe Biden to rewrite Title IX at whim, destroying legal protections for women in furtherance of his radical obsession with gender ideology," Attorney General Paxton said in the Monday statement. "This attempt to subvert federal law is plainly illegal, undemocratic, and divorced from reality. Texas will always take the lead to oppose Biden's extremist, destructive policies that put women at risk." Another issue addressed in the lawsuit is the rolling back of Trump-era policies that Paxton's office said helped ensure students accused of sexual harassment received a "fair hearing." The new rules have also redefined "harassment" to include activities like calling someone by the pronouns that don't align with their gender identity, according to the lawsuit. The Republican attorneys general in Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana and Idaho filed a separate lawsuit against the Title IX rule expansion. Louisiana's State Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley informed The Christian Post last week that he was working with the Louisiana governor's and attorney general's offices to "explore every option available to challenge the Biden administration on this new rule." In their lawsuit, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill and her colleagues argued that the department is attempting to "remake" the country's educational system by expanding the definition of "sex" in Title IX to include "gender identity." They assert that the term "gender identity" does not have a clear and accepted meaning. "This is all for a political agenda, ignoring significant safety concerns for young women students in pre-schools, elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, colleges and universities across Louisiana and the entire country," Murrill stated. "These schools now have to change the way they behave and the way they speak, and whether they can have private spaces for little girls or women," she added. "It is enormously invasive, and it is much more than a suggestion; it is a mandate that well exceeds their statutory authority. This all coming from the people who don't even know how to define the word' woman.' I'll always stand up for children and families across this state." Other states, such as Florida, have already indicated they will not abide by the new Title IX rules. Florida rejects Joe Bidens attempt to rewrite Title IX, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a social media video. We will not comply, and we will fight back. Home News Wycliffe Bible Translators missionary died by suicide at Chicago airport, police say Wycliffe Bible Translators is mourning the passing of 57-year-old missionary mother of two Virginia Vinton, who authorities say died by apparent suicide at Chicago O'Hare International Airport earlier this month. "We are heartbroken by the tragic passing of Virginia," a spokesperson for the Orlando-based interdenominational nonprofit told The Christian Post in a statement. "Our heartfelt condolences, thoughts, and prayers are with her family during this difficult time. We respectfully ask that the family'sfamily's privacy be honored as they grieve." 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 Vinton and her husband, Jim, served for 12 years, working on two Bible translation projects in Mozambique, East Africa. Jim Vinton became a translation consultant in 2011, authorized to do the final check of translated scriptures before they are printed, according to the couple's biography page. He served as the main consultant for the New Testament translation into the Nyungwe language beginning in 2020. He is currently listed as working remotely in North Carolina with some global travel as the Seed Company's director of translation consulting. The Seed Company seeks to accelerate Bible translation efforts by connecting local field partners with investors, resources and training. Virginia Vinton's Aug. 8 death was ruled a suicide, The Daily Mail reported Thursday, citing a Chicago Police Department incident report. A Delta Airlines employee discovered Vinton's body as he began to unload luggage from a recent arrival at Carousel 11 in the morning hours. The Chicago Fire Department had previously said Vinton got tangled in the luggage conveyor belt system. According to the police report, the employee didn't realize that Vinton was unresponsive when he first noticed her and asked if she needed assistance. But when he got closer, the employee noticed she had an electrical cord around her neck, and it wasn't responding. Despite attempts by the local fire department to save Vinton, she was declared dead at 7:55 a.m. The police report noted "possible strangulation" and labeled it a "non-criminal death." Believed to be staying at the airport overnight, Vinton was seen on camera seated in Terminal 5. A little after 2 a.m., she walked to Carousel 11 and entered the chute. Vinton was not seen on camera again until she was discovered by the airport employee. Around 11:45 a.m., her body was transported to the medical examiner's office. Home News YWAM founder says ministry grieving globally for 11 missionaries killed in crash Youth With a Mission elder, Darlene Cunningham, who co-founded the interdenominational Christian training organization with her late-husband Loren Cunningham in 1960, said the 11 missionaries killed and eight others injured in a grisly crash near Arusha, Tanzania, on Saturday, is a historic loss for the ministry and tears are falling around the world over the event. In these days, tears are being poured out across the world by individuals, families and YWAMers worldwide. I am personally reeling from the weight of this news, as I knew and loved many of these individuals personally. But I am leaning into the character of God for what I know to be true about who He is! said Cunningham in a statement to The Christian Post that was also published on the ministrys website Monday. The missionaries were participants in a University of the Nations Executive Masters course intensive based in Arusha and had traveled to Maasai land in two buses where they observed the ministrys thriving community development program, she 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 They had a very good day together, Cunningham recalled. Video shared online from one of the buses as the group traveled to Maasai land shows participants singing This Is The Day the Lord Has Made. Tragedy disrupted the success of the trip on their way back to Arusha, however, when a truck that had lost its brakes smashed into our 2nd bus, literally crushing it from top to bottom Cunningham said. Eleven of our beloved friends were killed and eight others are severely wounded, battling for their lives. We have not seen a tragedy of this magnitude in all of YWAMs history and we are all devastated, she said. "Not only have husbands and wives, friends and co-workers been lost, but also YWAM ministry leaders. The individuals involved in running the Executive Masters were key YWAM leaders in the region some leading flourishing YWAM bases; others giving leadership in the field of education and other spheres; others ministering in restricted-access locations where no one else would dare to go and seeing the hand of God upon their ministries in amazing ways, she said. The students attracted to the Executive Masters were the same caliber of people life-long committed YWAM missionary pioneers. So their deaths create a massive vacuum in this part of the world for YWAM as a missionary movement. Cunninghams statement comes as prayers continued to go up for the victims of the crash and the ministry. Missionary and activist Sean Feucht was among the first outside the East African nation to publicize the crash Saturday in an appeal for prayers on X. Please pray for the families, loved ones and those currently injured and in critical condition right now! Feucht said in an appeal to his followers. YWAM previously released only partial names of the 11 missionaries killed and others injured online for security reasons. The dead were noted as: Claire M., Zabulon T., Emmanuel D., Vicent K., John M., Blaise G., Ime E., Andrew D., Chimene D., Lova R., and Lordienne N. The injured were listed as: Mathurin B. and Joelle Z. are in critical condition, and Paul Dav., Isaac B., Janet F., Cyrille A., Benjamin N., and Paulo M. Isaac B. has since been released from hospital to return home. Despite the ministry sharing only partial names of the victims, their family members and friends, like Gracelynn Mataia of Kansas City, Missouri, have been publicly providing photos of their full portraits online. Mataia said her father, Paulo Mataia, who is shown singing in video, was traveling in the second of the two buses. He survived the crash but his wife, Claire, to whom he had been married for less than a year, did not. Yesterday we received word that Claire, beloved wife to our Dad, has gone to be with Jesus. Claire was a long-time YWAMer and proud Kansan, who served as a teacher across Africa and the Middle East. And when she married our father in May of last year, her heart for our people in the Pacific was one that was filled with daily prayers. We have no words that can describe such a loss to our family, so please continue to pray for us as well as our Kueffer Ohana." Home Opinion The ongoing war on Western civilization Columbia University is in the news again. Last week, in the New York City college named after Christopher Columbus (the arch-villain to todays anti-Western civilization), there were calls for the destruction of Western civilization. Of course, the United States represents a major player in the West. Adams Sabes, Deputy Editor of Campusreform.org, reported that anti-Israel groups at Columbia posted on Instagram: We are Westerners fighting for the total eradication of Western civilization. We stand in full solidarity with every movement for liberation in the Global South. Our Intifada is an internationalist one we are fighting for nothing less than the liberation of all people. We reject every genocidal, eugenicist regime that seeks to undermine the personhood of the colonized. These revolutionaries continue: As the fascism ingrained in the American consciousness becomes ever more explicit and irrefutable, we seek community and instruction from militants in the Global South, who have been on the frontlines in the fight against tyranny and domination which undergird the imperialist world order. 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 Here again, we see students in one of our most expensive and elite schools of higher learning articulating Marxist goals to tear down Western society. What is Western civilization? Even more important than the Greco-Roman contributions is the Judeo-Christian strand of influence. Take Winston Churchill, a hero to millions but a villain to the left. He did so much to rally his beleaguered countrymen during World War II to stave off the Nazi barbarians from taking over the British Isles. In 1940, he gave a rousing speech to the Royal Air Force pilots at the outset of hostilities with the Nazis over the skies of England. He declared, I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin. Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilization. He saw the link between Christianity and civility versus the Nazi regression into paganism and totalitarianism. Thankfully, by Gods grace, freedom won. Later, when America joined the war, Churchill and American President Franklin Delano Roosevelt met onboard a battleship and participated in singing together, Onward, Christian Soldiers. Fighting the Nazi barbarians to preserve Christian civilization was worth it. For our Providence Forum series of documentary films on Americas Judeo-Christian roots, I had the privilege of interviewing commentator Dennis Prager, founder of PragerU. He told our viewers: We are completely losing our heritage. We were founded to be a one nation under God In God we trust is central to American history. Franklin Roosevelt is the ideal of the left, he is an iconic figure. Franklin Roosevelt spoke regularly during World War II about protecting Christian civilization against the Nazis. Can you imagine a president today saying we have to protect Christian civilization? Its inconceivable. What are they teaching these days in the universities? It reminds me of the misguided youth that rail against the evils of capitalism as they sip their coffeehouse lattes and consult their cell phones. Products produced and distributed by the so-called evils of capitalism. Consider the thoughts of Rabbi Daniel Lapin of the American Alliance of Jews and Christians. I interviewed him for our Coral Ridge Ministries television special, What If Jesus Had Never Been Born?This program was based on a book by the same title I wrote with Dr. D. James Kennedy. The rabbi observed, The easiest way to answer whether life on planet earth is better because Jesus walked Jerusalem or not is very simple. And that is, just watch the way people vote with their feet ...Watch where the net flow of immigration is in the world today. Is it from Christian countries to non-Christian countries or the other way around? It is so obvious. Generally, people from America are not clamoring to move to the Middle East while many move from the Middle East to America. What are some of the great ideas that helped our nations founders create the United States of America, a beacon to Western civilization? When they were both no longer presidents, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, former political rivals, began to correspond. Here is what John Adams penned to Jefferson in 1813: The general principles, on which the Fathers achieved independence, were the only Principles in which that beautiful Assembly of young Gentlemen could Unite ... And what were these general Principles? I answer, the general Principles of Christianity, in which all these Sects were United ... Now I will avow, that I then believe, and now believe, that those general Principles of Christianity, are as eternal and immutable, as the Existence and Attributes of God; and that those Principles of Liberty, are as unalterable as human Nature and our terrestrial, mundane System. Like Adams and Jefferson (who said the moral teachings of Jesus are the best ever articulated), and other great Americans past and present, I believe Western civilization is absolutely worth preserving. Home News Gospel for Asia founder KP Yohannan dies of cardiac arrest after being struck by car K.P. Yohannan, the founder and director of Gospel for Asia and the metropolitan of the Believers Eastern Church, has died of a cardiac arrest at the age of 74. Gospel for Asia announced Yohannan's death in a statement, noting that the influential Indian Christian leader died on Wednesday morning at a hospital in Dallas, Texas. Yohannan was struck by a car while taking a walk the day before. While at the hospital recovering from the accident, he suffered a sudden cardiac arrest. 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 "We praise God for allowing His servant the strength to run his race faithfully and with much endurance to the very end," GFA stated in the announcement. "Millions of lives are forever transformed because of his tireless passion and service unto his Savior. May God receive him into the embrace of the saints. Christ is risen! May his memory be eternal!" Yohannan is survived by his wife, Gisela; his son Daniel, daughter Sarah and seven grandchildren: David, Esther, Jonah, Hannah, Lydia, Naomi and Noah. Yohannan was born in Southern India in 1950 as the youngest of six sons, reportedly in a village where St. Thomas the Apostle had planted a church in the first century, according to his online obituary. Inspired by the example and friendship of missionary George Verwer, Yohannan entered the ministry and received a theological education at Criswell College in the 1970s. Yohannan founded Gospel for Asia in 1979. He became metropolitan of the Believers Eastern Church in February 2003. BEC identifies as Evangelical, however it adopts more high church worship practices and attire. A prolific writer, according to GFA World, Yohannan has had around 250 books published in Asia and 12 books in the United States. From 2008 to 2022, Yohannan contributed a few opinion columns to The Christian Post, the last of which was published in May 2022 and titled "How do we reclaim this 'vanishing generation'?" "I believe we've left a whole generation floundering because despite all our teaching materials, church programs, and activities they've never had a genuine encounter with the living Christ. Instead, we've been led to believe the smartphone generation needs constant media bombardment," he wrote at the time. "Our misplaced emphasis on fast-moving media and rock-concert volume has replaced the much-needed timeless discipline of seeking God in quiet meditation and reverent silence. As a consequence, our worship services have focused on performance rather than coming before God." In recent years, Yohannan and Gospel for Asia have faced legal battles amid allegations of financial misconduct regarding their handling of donations. In one lawsuit, the plaintiffs alleged that millions in donations earmarked for charitable purposes were instead used to run for-profit businesses and build personal residences and a headquarters in Texas. In 2019, the ministry reached a $37 million settlement over the allegations, with Yohannan and GFA's Chief Operating Officer David Carroll denying any wrongdoing. Among those who have come to Yohannan's defense after the settlement was announced is popular Crazy Love preacher Francis Chan, who served as a GFA board member. Chan said he hired a financial expert and went to GFA's Texas headquarters to investigate the claims of misappropriation. "After careful research, our conclusion was that there was no money misappropriated and that all funds were channeled to the intended areas," Chan said in 2019. However, GFA was expelled from the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability in 2015 and from the National Religious Broadcasters in 2016 over the controversy. In November 2020, the Indian government, which over the last several years has cracked down on foreign-funded Christian mission organizations amid a rise of Hindu nationalism within the country, accused BEC and Yohannan of "siphoning out" tax-exempted funds for "personal and other illegal expenses." BEC spokesperson Fr. Sijo Pandapallil told CP at the time that the matter was being misrepresented and "wildly mischaracterized on social media." In 2021, Greg Zentner of Nova Scotia filed a $170 million class-action lawsuit against GFA, accusing the ministry of defrauding thousands of Canadians and churches by using funds for "improper purposes." In 2022, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice dismissed a motion to certify the complaint, concluding that the plaintiff "failed to show some basis in fact for his allegation that the defendants intentionally misappropriated donor funds in a manner that had no connection to any purported charitable purpose." 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 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. Attack on army chaplain 'deeply shocking and upsetting', say bishops Prayers are being said for an army chaplain stabbed in a knife attack in County Galway on Friday. Fr Paul Murphy, a chaplain with the Irish Defence Forces, sustained injuries described as serious but not life-threatening in the attack at Renmore Barracks. He said in a Facebook post that he was to receive surgery and thanked people for their prayers. A teenage boy has been arrested in connection with the attack, and the Gardai (Irish police) are investigating whether it was terrorism-related. Bishop of Galway, Michael Duignan, said the attack was "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," he said. The Bishop of Waterford & Lismore, Alphonsus Cullinan, said the incident "serves as a stark reminder of the fragility of life and the importance of unity within our community". "We must come together not only to support our injured priest but also to foster an environment where such acts do not occur again. Let us engage in dialogue about how we can promote peace, understanding, and respect among all individuals, regardless of their backgrounds or beliefs," he said. "I encourage everyone to join me in prayer - not only for our wounded priest but also for the individual responsible for this act. May they find redemption and may we all work towards healing the wounds that divide us. As we gather in prayer, let us remember that forgiveness is a powerful tool that can lead us toward reconciliation." Calls for international action on mpox to protect children and families Christian aid agency World Vision is calling for urgent international action after a new deadly strain of mpox was declared a global health emergency. The virus has killed hundreds in Central and West Africa, and the World Health Organization fears that it will cross into other continents. The first case outside Africa was reported in Sweden on Thursday. World Vision said that children in poorer nations are particularly at risk. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, over a third of the 7,851 reported cases (39%) are children. Some 240 children have died from the virus in the DRC, amounting to 62% of the total death toll from mpox in the country. World Vision said that children in DRC face a "grave" risk of dying and there was a "pressing need" for "swift intervention", including the distribution of vaccines, clean water, sanitation and hygiene facilities to prevent more deaths. National Director of World Vision DR Congo, Aline Napon said, "Children are particularly vulnerable to mpox, especially in low and middle-income countries, including those suffering humanitarian crises and where health and social services are weak or non-existent. "Children are especially at risk where they are living in refugee camps, overcrowded urban settlements, and where malnutrition, a lack of clean water and sanitation, and poor health services exist." She is calling for a rapid response from the international community to support the roll-out of vaccinations and public education programmes, and step up treatment for those already infected. "World Vision's experience in tackling Ebola and COVID in humanitarian situations tells us that there is no time to waste," she said. "People in DR Congo and other impacted countries need immediate free treatment for mpox. There must also be an immediate immunisation programme set up to prevent further infection and mortality. We cannot stand by while children die from this deadly but preventable disease." Mayor John Whitmire, center, speaks during a press conference with Noe Diaz, left, and interim Houston Police Chief Larry Satterwhite, right, on Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, at Houston City Hall in Houston. Whitmire announced that Diaz will be the new HPD chief. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer Amjad Abusara, 17, joins thousands of people outside of the Israeli Embassy to protest Isreals ongoing attacks on Gaza in the Isreal-Hamas war on Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023, in Houston. Abusara shares Ive experienced Zionist oppression, I saw my 9 year old cousin get shot when I was in Palestine. These protests are important because we need to do more than just social media posts, we need to use our voice. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer A coalition of pro-Palestinian advocates criticized Houston Mayor John Whitmire on Friday after he publicly accused them of being financed by Iran without providing any evidence. In recent weeks, Whitmire has floated the idea that the pro-Palestinian activists who have been demonstrating outside his home are professional, paid protesters funded by questionable sources. He doubled down on his accusation on Wednesday, again without offering proof. PROTEST BAN: Houston Mayor Whitmire puts brakes on proposal to ban some protests amid concerns over free speech Advertisement Article continues below this ad Im just going by the advice of Homeland Security, other departments, some higher than city government, that there is a connection to Iran, Whitmire said during a Wednesday news conference. Its dangerous if its true. The mayors office has declined to provide proof or details of his claim. Mary Benton, Whitmires spokesperson, told the Chronicle the mayor often receives security briefings from law enforcement and intelligence agencies but cannot share that information publicly. That explanation failed to quell advocates concerns. Nishu Siddique, an organizer with Houston For Palestinian Liberation, denied payments by outside forces. She questioned why Whitmire would make the accusation during a televised news conference if it pertained to sensitive security information that he could not reveal. For him to make this vague conjecture its reckless. Its dangerous. And I would argue that its actually intentional on his part, Siddique said. Noorain Maliki, 19, joins activists and community members in support of Palestine for the All out for Rafa protest at City Hall on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Houston. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer Advertisement Article continues below this ad On Friday, Siddiques group and a number of other local organizations published a statement demanding that Whitmire issue a formal apology. The letter was signed by Rice Students for Justice in Palestine, Houston Jews for Palestine and the Houston Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a national Muslim civil rights organization, among others. Since October 2023, there has been a surge in anti-Arab sentiments and hate crime against the Middle East, North African and South Asia community, the letter reads. Serious accusations without evidentiary support made by a public official are irresponsible and place MENASA communities at risk, contributing to further detriment. The groups also denounced Whitmire for exhibiting what they considered a documented history of discrimination against vulnerable communities. They cited a recent incident where Whitmire, when discussing his approach to METRO, said undocumented immigrants from Gulfton would not be welcomed in the Galleria, which sparked criticisms. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Benton previously said the mayors comment was made in the context of broader travel patterns and was based on feedback his team gathered from local residents. The letter also referenced Whitmires speech at a June event at the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center, in which he referred to local pro-Palestinian advocates as some of your enemies and touted his refusal to respond to their request for a ceasefire resolution, as chron.com reported. Benton responded at the time that the mayor understands the Jewish community refers to Hamas and its supporters that way and his remarks were in line with the words and sentiments expressed by other speakers that evening. Hanah S., 4, joins thousands of people outside of the Israeli Embassy to protest Isreals ongoing attacks on Gaza in the Isreal-Hamas war on Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023, in Houston. I love Palestine, a free Palestine Hanah said. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer On Friday, Benton refuted the letters claim that Whitmire has made discriminatory remarks and said these other incidents are not germane to this current issue regarding paid protesters. She also said that Whitmire has only been informed that some of the pro-Palestinian demonstrators, rather than the entire coalition, are paid. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The controversy came amid heated discussions over a proposed ordinance that would ban demonstrations within 200 feet of a targeted residence. City Council delayed voting on the measure this week at the mayors suggestion after some council members and experts expressed concerns over its impact on constitutionally protected free speech. Whitmire has defended his proposal, saying the pro-Palestinian groups repeated demonstrations outside his own residence have been disruptive and caused safety concerns. Several council members, on the other hand, said they worry the proposed ordinance appears to single out a particular group of demonstrators. Nigeria continues to tolerate terrorism, USCIRF States Nigeria's government at federal and state levels continues to tolerate attacks by non-state assailants who justify violence on religious grounds, according to a report by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). "Islamist and some Fulani militant groups have expressed a goal of overthrowing secular governance with the intention of enforcing a singular interpretation of Islam," states the report, released on Friday (Aug. 9). About 30,000 "Fulani bandits" operate in several groups in northwest Nigeria in groups of 10 to 1,000 members, engaging in "violence and banditry targeting predominantly Christian communities in Nigeria and generally pose the greatest security threat in northwest Nigeria," the report states. Their crimes include kidnapping, rape, property and cattle theft, illegal possession of weapons and murder. "The specific perpetrators of and motivation behind individual attacks can be difficult to verify," USCIRF states. "Regardless of motivation, however, attacks in the northwest, northeast and central regions of Nigeria significantly restrict freedom of religion or belief, particularly for the predominantly Christian communities that live there." Fulani-associated criminality has been occurring for years but has evolved into a transnational security dilemma, the report notes, adding that crimes are magnified by competition for natural resources between predominantly Christian farmers and predominantly Muslim Fulani herders. The conflict this year has drastically affected food production and regional trade and fomented illegal taxation of primarily Christian farmers, the report states. "Violence between herders (mostly Muslims) and farmers (predominantly Christian) sometimes results in the destruction of religious sites, even when nonreligious factors like resource competition and ethnic animosity are the drivers of conflict," the report states. "This competition often manifests along religious divides between Christians and Muslims, particularly in areas like Plateau state, where both communities reside." In January, skirmishes between Fulanis and ethnic Mwagaful farmers killed at least 30 people in Plateau state, and assailants also burned churches and mosques. "Fulani bandits also carry out kidnappings to extort ransom money from middle- or working-class families," USCIRF states. "In several cases, they have kidnapped students from Christian schools or from buses taking children to these schools." Gangs generally release hostages unharmed if families meet ransom demands, but victims' families have criticized the government for being slow in responding to and rescuing those abducted; the report also notes that they criticize the government for failing to prevent kidnappings. Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has requested victims' families refrain from paying ransom demands to discourage abductions. Tinubu has also promised the government will utilize more "detailed strategies" to curtail kidnappings, though he has not elaborated on them, according to the report. USCIRF states that government policies are discriminatory, infringe on religious liberty, lead to abuse of human rights and subtly aid terrorist activities in the country. The government has not undertaken spirited efforts to check escalating terrorist attacks, it notes. The government uses blasphemy laws to prosecute and imprison individuals perceived to have insulted religion, including Christians, Muslims and humanists, USCIRF states. "It also continues to tolerate egregious violence by nonstate actors, including JAS/Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), and other extremist groups," the report states. "This violence affects large numbers of Christians and Muslims in several states across Nigeria and targets both religious sites and individuals from religious minority communities." Nigeria's constitution declares the country as secular and democratic, but blasphemy laws and sharia (Islamic law) codes lead to subjugation of non-Muslims who are forced to abide by tenets of Islam, the report states. The 1999 constitution states that the federal and state governments cannot adopt an official religion, but it permits the use of sharia and traditional law courts for noncriminal proceedings at the state level, though it does not compel all citizens to abide by them. At present 12 states in northern Nigeria, as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), have implemented sharia legal frameworks, and some are applying it in criminal cases, the report states. "The Nigerian government continues to imprison individuals accused of blasphemy and often fails to pursue perpetrators of violence related to blasphemy allegations," the report states. Several people remain incarcerated with long prison sentences due to blasphemy convictions, it states. "On the other hand, there appears to be a willingness on the part of the Nigerian government, including state governors, to discuss the country's security situation more openly," the report states. "Nigeria's government is becoming more active in pursuing violent non-state actors who continue to attack or threaten religious communities." Over the spring, the government resolved two major kidnapping events: criminals in March released more than 130 school students in Kaduna state unharmed, and in May, army troops and police units rescued hundreds of JAS (Jama'at Ahl al-Sunna lid-Dawah wa'al-Jihad)/ Boko Haram-held women and children in the Sambisa forest in northeastern Nigeria. Most of the hostages had been held there for months or even years, the report states. In its 2024 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended the U.S. Department of State designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) due to the government's engagement in and toleration of particularly severe violations of religious freedom. "The report also outlines several steps the U.S. government can take to address religious freedom issues in Nigeria, including emphasizing the importance of religious freedom considerations in the provision of U.S. foreign assistance funds," the report states. "This would not only advance FoRB in Nigeria by helping to create a more sustainable security situation but would also position Nigeria as a stronger bulwark against broader regional conflict affecting religious communities across the Lake Chad basin." In Open Doors' 2024 World Watch List (WWL) of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, Nigeria was ranked No. 6, as it was in the previous year. Nigeria remained the deadliest place in the world to follow Christ, with 4,118 people killed for their faith from Oct. 1, 2022 to Sept. 30, 2023, according to the WWL. More kidnappings of Christians than in any other country also took place in Nigeria, with 3,300. Nigeria was also the third highest country in number of attacks on churches and other Christian buildings such as hospitals, schools, and cemeteries, with 750, according to the report. 2024 Christian Daily International-Morning Star News We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form U.S. Rep Colin Allred, D-Dallas, visits with oil workers and METRO union members on his stance on energy and workforce issues at IBEW Union Hall, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Houston. Allred is challenging incumbent Senator Ted Cruz for his position in the U.S. Senate. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Texas doesn't have any statewide Democrats or obvious future presidential contenders, but that doesnt mean Texans wont play a key role in and around the Democratic National Convention, which starts on Monday in Chicago. While primetime speeches get most of the attention during the four-day event, just as important for the more than 50,000 attendees is what is happening off that stage. The movers and shakers in the party will all be at the national convention, said Matthew Wilson, a political scientist at Southern Methodist University. What happens in the formal sessions is only half the story. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Former San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro knows all about that buzz. He was in Denver in 2008 when Barack Obama was nominated, and he gave a keynote speech in 2012 in North Carolina. He said each state's delegation will be holding events in hotel ballrooms, where up-and-coming politicians can make contacts. And all over town, there are policy-centric meetings on issues like climate change, criminal justice or health care. Its sort of a politics and policy-lovers dream during these four days, Castro said. While the DNC has not released a list of all of their official speakers, here are some of the key Texas Democrats to watch during the week whether or not they are on stage. U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar Rep. Veronica Escobar wants Marcelino Serna Cedar Attanasio, STF / Associated Press The third-term congresswoman from El Paso clearly has a great line of communication to the White House. When Joe Biden was still on the ticket, he tapped Escobar to be one of his national campaign co-chairs a key advisory role to help guide the national message. Harris has since asked Escobar to stay on. Escobar and U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia in 2018 became the first Latinas ever elected to Congress from Texas. Advertisement Article continues below this ad U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett speaks on behalf of Lauren Ashley Simmons, running for the state representative of district 146 during a campaign event at the Texas State Employees Union Local 6186 on Saturday, May 11, 2024, in Houston. Karen Warren/Staff photographer The first-term congresswoman has become an in-demand speaker for the Democratic Party, and not just on Capitol Hill. Case in point: Crockett was in Atlanta earlier this month leading a counter-event to former President Donald Trump, who was campaigning just miles away. And it didnt take long for her to show why she is firing up Democrats. Let me tell you, November will forever be known as Roe-vember, because we are coming for them, Crockett said in reference to the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v Wade, which Trump's three appointed justices helped decide. U.S. Rep. Colin Allred U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, D-Dallas poses for a portrait at The Houston Chronicle in Houston, TX on Wednesday January 24, 2024. Sharon Steinmann/Staff Photographer Allred, who is running for the U.S. Senate, spoke at the 2020 Democratic National Convention and is expected to be in Chicago during the week, though it's unclear if he'll address the full convention. For Allred, the week is less about building a national brand and more about staying close to the state's 273 influential delegates, who are activists, donors and other elected officials and can help him in his battle against U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz. Advertisement Article continues below this ad U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro Congressman Joaquin Castro, TX-D, speaks as he joins Jesus Saenz, San Antonio Airport System, Director of Airports to discuss federal funding for the San Antonio International Airport for renovations and future expansion efforts on Monday, Mar. 21, 2022. Kin Man Hui/Staff photographer First elected in 2012, the San Antonio Congressman is tied for the fourth longest-serving Democrat from Texas and could be in a prime position to climb into leadership ranks if Democrats retake control of the House in November. Castro is an official delegate and has built up an important foreign affairs resume serving on the House Intelligence Committee and on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo announces Beryl Recovery Fund, a fund aiming to raise financial support for those impacted by Hurricane Beryl, during a press conference on Monday, July 15, 2024 in Houston. The Greater Houston Disaster Alliance, a joint effort by the Greater Houston Community Foundation and United Way of Greater Houston, has organized this initiative to provide low-to-moderate income families with emergency financial assistance, home repairs, and help accessing resources. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer Its not just that Hidalgo has been a regular at the White House and has helped get both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to Houston. Shes also built up a personal relationship with Harris in which the vice president called her at a treatment facility to check in on her when she was being treated for depression. More recently, Hidalgo greeted Harris during her visit to Houston earlier this month. Advertisement Article continues below this ad San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg Mayor Ron Nirenberg gives his annual state of the city address inside the new Tech Port Center + Arena in San Antonio, Texas, Tuesday, April 26, 2022. Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News The term-limited mayor has had a great relationship with the White House. Hes been on the guest lists for official state dinners, participated in White House events on protecting workers from extreme heat, and earlier this year was invited to be with Biden when he visited Brownsville. Nirenberg is an official delegate, and it's worth wondering if he could use the convention to put himself in line for an appointment in a potential Harris administration or set himself up for another campaign in the future. Sima Ladjevardian Sima Ladjevardian, candidate for US Rep 2 (D). Jill Karnicki/Staff photographer The Houston attorney and Democratic activist lost her campaign for Congress in 2020, but shes hardly faded away. Ladjevardian has become a key player in Kamala Harris campaign. In November, she hosted a fundraiser for Harris, and then again last month hosted one of Harris' first fundraisers in her new presidential campaign. Where this all leads is uncertain, but she clearly has a strong relationship with the Harris campaign and will be in Chicago for the convention. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Kate Cox This image provided by Kate Cox shows Kate Cox. A Texas judge has given the pregnant woman whose fetus had a fatal diagnosis permission to get an abortion in an unprecedented challenge to the states ban that took effect after Roe v. Wade was overturned last year. It was unclear Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023 how quickly or whether Kate Cox, a 31-year-old mother of two from the Dallas area, will be able to obtain an abortion. State District Judge Maya Guerra Gamble says she will grant a temporary restraining order that will allow Cox to have an abortion. (Kate Cox via AP) Associated Press The Dallas mother, who had to leave the state to get an emergency abortion, is expected to speak at the convention, according to Reuters. Cox has already been featured in television ads, and she attended Joe Bidens State of the Union address earlier this year as an official guest of the White House. Cox left the state after her fetus was diagnosed with a typically fatal disorder. Texas now bans almost all abortions. Beto ORourke Texas governor candidate Beto O'Rourke speaks during the National Education Association Strong Public Schools Presidential Forum on Friday, July 5, 2019, in Houston. Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Doctors hold a poster to protest the rape and murder of a young medic from Kolkata, at the Government General Hospital in Vijayawada on August 14, 2024. Indian doctors in government hospitals across several states halted elective services "indefinitely" on August 12, to protest the rape and murder of a young medic. Hospitals and clinics across India turned away patients except for emergency cases on Saturday as medical professionals started a 24-hour shutdown in protest against the brutal rape and murder of a doctor in the eastern city of Kolkata. More than one million doctors were expected to join the strike, paralysing medical services across the world's most populous nation. Hospitals said faculty staff from medical colleges had been pressed into service for emergency cases. The strike, which began at 6 a.m. (00:30 London time), cut off access to elective medical procedures and out-patient consultations, according to a statement by the Indian Medical Association. A 31-year old trainee doctor was raped and murdered last week inside the medical college in Kolkata where she worked, triggering nationwide protests among doctors and drawing parallels to the notorious gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old student on a moving bus in New Delhi in 2012. Outside the RG Kar Medical College, where the crime took place, a heavy police presence was seen on Saturday while the hospital premises were deserted, according to the ANI news agency. Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal, which includes Kolkata, has backed the protests across the state, demanding the investigation be fast-tracked and the guilty be punished in the strongest way possible. A large number of private clinics and diagnostic centres remained closed in Kolkata on Saturday. Dr Sandip Saha, a private paediatrician in the city, told Reuters he would not attend to patients except in emergencies. Hospitals and clinics in Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh, Ahmedabad in Gujarat, Guwahati in Assam and Chennai in Tamil Nadu and other cities joined the strike, set to be one of the largest shutdown of hospital services in recent memory. In Odisha state, patients were queuing up and senior doctors were trying to manage the rush, Dr Prabhas Ranjan Tripathy, additional medical superintendent of All India Institute of Medical Sciences in the city of Bhubaneswar, told Reuters, "Resident doctors are on full strike, and because of that, the pressure is mounting on all faculty members, which means senior doctors," he said. A photograph taken on March 12, 2018 shows the Kremlin complex (Rear) and the Bolshoy Kamenny bridge crossing the river Moskva in Moscow. Mladen Antonov | Afp | Getty Images Russia's foreign ministry said Ukraine had used Western rockets, likely U.S.-made HIMARS, to destroy a bridge over the Seym river in the Kursk region, killing volunteers trying to evacuate civilians. "For the first time, the Kursk region was hit by Western-made rocket launchers, probably American HIMARS," Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, said late on Friday on the Telegram messaging app. "As a result of the attack on the bridge over the Seym River in the Glushkovo district, it was completely destroyed, and volunteers who were assisting the evacuated civilian population were killed." Ukrainian army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Friday that Kyiv's forces were advancing between 1 and 3 kilometres (0.6 to 1.9 miles) in some areas in the Kursk region, 11 days since beginning an incursion into Russia. This photograph taken on 16 August, 2024, during a media tour organised by Ukraine, shows a damaged statue of the founder of the Soviet Union Vladimir Lenin in the Ukrainian-controlled Russian town of Sudzha, Kursk region, amid the Russian invasion in Ukraine. Kyiv said August 16, 2024, its incursion into Russian territory had advanced, claiming it aimed to force Russia to negotiate on "fair" terms, as Moscow's troops announced new gains in eastern Ukraine. Yan Dobronosov | Afp | Getty Images Kyiv has claimed to have taken control of 82 settlements over an area of 1,150 square kilometres (440 square miles) in the region since Aug. 6. Reuters could not independently verify either side's battlefield accounts. Russia has accused the West of supporting and encouraging Ukraine's first ground offensive on Russian territory and said Kyiv's "terrorist invasion" would not change the course of the war. The United States, which has said it cannot allow Russian President Vladimir Putin to win the war he launched in February 2022, so far deems the surprise incursion a protective move that justifies the use of U.S. weaponry, officials in Washington said. Russia has called the incursion a "major provocation" and vowed to retaliate with a "worthy response," more than 2-1/2 years since it launched a full-scale invasion of its smaller neighbour. Russia's Defence Ministry said on Friday its troops 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 defence. "It concerns the destruction of the Russian army logistics and the draining of their reserves," he said in an evening address. Ukrainian servicemen operate a tank on a road near the border with Russia, in the Sumy region of Ukraine, on August 14, 2024. The Ukrainian army entered Russia's Kursk region on August 6, capturing dozens of settlements in the biggest offensive by a foreign army on Russian soil since World War II. Roman Pilipey | Afp | Getty Images Kyiv Air Force commander Mykola Oleshchuk added on Telegram that aviation was an active part of the operation, targeting the enemy's supply routes and logistics centres. 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 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: 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. 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 Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery? Easy to say until youre the one Saturday Night Live is mocking. What happens when SNL impressionists are forced to reckon with the consequences of their comedy? Lucky for the comics, most spoofed celebrities enjoy being in on the joke. But as youll see in these five examples, that isnt always the case 1 Jim Breuer and Joe Pesci Don't Miss If you dont count Goat Boy and who does, really? Joe Pesci was Breuers most popular character. Breuer played him nine times as host of the fictional Joe Pesci Show, portraying the actor as the Mafia goon he played in movies like Goodfellas. I grew up with some characters so I know that world exists, Breuer explained on the Opie & Anthony Show. And when Pesci showed up for a cameo on SNL, he lived up to that reputation during a backstage visit with Breuer. He got dead serious, the comic remembered. Are you Italian? No, Im not Italian, but I grew up in Long Island and I I didnt ask where you grew up, growled Pesci. I said, Are you Italian? Are you fucking Italian? No, Im not Italian. Where do you get off saying (Italian slurs) d***, w**, g*****? It got worse from there, with Breuer trying to blame his writers (Pesci had already talked to the writers, who blamed Breuer) and the comic promising never to do the sketch again. He was practically in tears when Pesci revealed, Im just busting your chops. 2 Norm Macdonald and Bob Dole Advertisement Macdonald hated doing Dole, mainly because he wanted to focus on Weekend Update. All of a sudden hes the candidate, and then I have to appear in peoples fucking sketches every week on some lame premise, Macdonald said in SNL oral history Live From New York. Advertisement Advertisement Dole was a good sport about Macdonalds impression, appearing alongside Macdonald in an SNL cold open. While Macdonald died in the fall of 2021 (just a few months before Dole passed away at age 98), Dole tweeted: Norm @normmacdonald was a great talent, and I loved laughing with him on SNL. *Bob Dole* will miss Norm Macdonald. 3 Dana Carvey and George H.W. Bush After Bush lost his re-election bid in 1992, he reached out to Carvey for the first time, the comic remembered in the New York Times. Well Dana, wondering if you would consider coming out to the White House and help cheer up the staff. Folks are a little down. Could use a laugh. Advertisement Advertisement Carvey agreed, showing up at the Oval Office to lighten the mood. Bush even had Carvey try to fool the Secret Service with his impression. The two continued their unlikely friendship for 25 years. My wife and I happily received Christmas cards every year, as well as other postcards and letters, Carvey remembered. When I had a health scare in 1998, President Bush wrote to me to ask: Can I do anything Dana? Weve got great doctors right here in Houston. When we did charity events together, I did my Ross Perot impression for him, and he would always laugh. 4 Will Ferrell and Janet Reno Advertisement @huggyattack I originally wanted to do this thing where she was almost like a bodyguard for President Clinton, Ferrell told the Washington Post Magazine, and theyd be in Cabinet meetings and she wouldnt say anything, and then if Clinton didnt like the person, shed be like, Bill, do you want me to get rid of him? Advertisement Advertisement Reno was a good sport, showing up after her last day as U.S. Attorney General to dance alongside Ferrell. I thought it was just kind of a spoof of this 6-foot-1 big old girl, she told Washington Post. I cant figure out why anybodys that interested in me. Deadly Israeli strikes hit Lebanon and Gaza on Saturday as the U.S. secretary of state headed back to Israel aiming to finalize a Gaza truce agreement, which diplomats say could help avert a wider regional conflagration. Lebanon's health ministry said an Israeli air strike in southern Lebanon killed 10 people including a Syrian woman and her two children. The strike was among the deadliest in southern Lebanon since the onset of near-daily exchanges of fire between Israel and Hezbollah following the start of the Gaza war in October. Israel's military said it struck a Hezbollah weapons storage facility. In Hamas-run Gaza, civil defense rescuers said an Israeli air strike killed 15 people from a single Palestinian family. The deaths in Al-Zawaida, central Gaza, added to a toll that the territory's health ministry says exceeds 40,000. "We are in the morgue seeing indescribable scenes of limbs and severed heads and children who are dismembered," said relative Omar al-Dreemli. The Gaza war between Israel and Hamas Palestinian militants has displaced most of the territory's population, destroyed much of the housing and other infrastructure, and triggered the spread of disease. The United Nations on Friday appealed for seven-day pauses in the fighting so it could vaccinate children against polio after the Palestinian health ministry reported Gaza's first polio case in 25 years. "We are closer than we have ever been" to a ceasefire in the Gaza war, President Joe Biden said on Friday, though previous optimism during months of on-off talks has so far proven futile. On Saturday a senior Hamas official, Sami Abu Zuhri, said Biden's comment is an "illusion." The stakes have significantly risen since the killings in quick succession in late July of Fuad Shukr, a top operations chief of Hezbollah in south Lebanon, and Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh. Their deaths led to vows of vengeance from Hezbollah, Iran and other Tehran-backed groups in the region which blamed Israel. On Friday Hezbollah released a polished video appearing to show its fighters trucking large missiles through tunnels at an underground facility. Israel claimed the killing of Shukr, in a strike on south Beirut, but has not commented directly on the killing of Haniyeh while he visited Tehran. Hamas's unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel that triggered the war 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. More than 100 were freed during a one-week truce in November. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is leaving Saturday for Israel and seek to "conclude the agreement for a ceasefire and release of hostages and detainees," the State Department said. With a deal "now in sight, no one in the region should take actions to undermine this process," Biden said. Egyptian, Qatari and American mediators are working to finalize details of a framework ceasefire and hostage-release deal initially outlined by Biden in May. He said Israel had proposed it. In a joint statement after two days of talks in Qatar, the mediators said they presented both sides with a proposal that "bridges remaining gaps." Talks aiming to secure a deal are to resume in Cairo "before the end of next week," they said. Hamas did not attend the Doha talks. An official of the Islamist movement, Osama Hamdan, told AFP on Thursday the group would join if the meeting set a timetable for implementing what Hamas had already agreed to. A prospective cessation of hostilities has centered around a phased deal beginning with an initial truce. On Friday, officials told AFP that Hamas will not accept "new conditions" from Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office on Tuesday had detailed its conditions for a truce, including a "veto on certain prisoners" being released from its jails. Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi of Jordan, a Western ally, blamed Netanyahu for "impeding attempts to finalize" a deal and urged pressure on him. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty on Saturday met his French counterpart Stephane Sejourne in Cairo for talks on "containing the escalation and efforts to reach a ceasefire," Egypt's foreign ministry spokesman said. Netanyahu has denied being the obstacle to a deal, blaming Hamas. On Friday, the Palestinian health ministry reported an unvaccinated 10-month-old child in Gaza had been diagnosed with highly infectious polio. The announcement came hours after UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for two seven-day breaks in the Gaza war to vaccinate more than 640,000 children against type 2 poliovirus, which was first detected in the territory's wastewater in June. As truce talks took place, thousands of civilians were on the move again after the Israeli military issued fresh evacuation orders ahead of imminent military action in central-southern Gaza. "During each round of negotiations, they exert pressure by forcing evacuations and committing massacres," said Issa Murad, a Palestinian displaced to Deir el-Balah. Over the past day troops expanded their operations in the Khan Yunis area of Gaza's south, including by "eliminating" militants who had fired munitions toward Nirim, just outside Gaza, Israel's military said on Saturday. SADC leaders to gather for annual meeting at China-aided building in Zimbabwe Xinhua) 09:58, August 17, 2024 HARARE, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), a regional bloc, will gather at the new parliament building aided by China in the Zimbabwean capital of Harare Saturday for the 44th Ordinary Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government. Sitting on the historical Mount Hampden, about 18 km from Harare, the imposing structure has a combined floor space of 33,000 square meters, with two main sections, a six-story office building, and a four-story parliament building. Last October, the Chinese government officially handed the new parliament building to Zimbabwe. The SADC summit will be the first high-profile event ever hosted by Zimbabwe in the building. The summit will be a momentous occasion for Zimbabwe, as Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa will assume the rotating chairmanship of the 16-member group. The Zimbabwean parliament said on Friday that it is an extremely proud moment for them to host the annual SADC summit. The parliament expressed the hope that through the stewardship of Mnangagwa, the SADC will achieve greater heights in promoting innovation that unlocks opportunities for sustained economic growth and development toward an industrialized SADC region. The Zimbabwean government has undertaken various upgrading and renovation works of infrastructure around the venue of the SADC summit. It said on Wednesday that all is set for the summit, with necessary preparations, including beautification of Harare and the refurbishment of key venues, now complete. The upcoming SADC summit will have a theme featuring "Promoting Innovation to Unlock Opportunities for Sustained Economic Growth and Development Towards an Industrialized SADC." (Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Wu Chaolan) Hurricane Ernesto slammed into Bermuda Saturday as a weakened Category 1 storm, but still lashed the British territory with strong winds and coastal flooding, according to reports. Ernesto carried maximum winds of about 85 mph, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said, warning that hazardous conditions would continue on the small island in the Atlantic through Saturday evening. It said the storm was expected to drop up to nine inches of rain on Bermuda and "will likely result in considerable life-threatening flash flooding, especially in low-lying areas on the island." Ernesto, moving north-northwest, crashed into Puerto Rico on Wednesday, knocking out power to about half of the residents. The effects of Ernesto have been felt along the U.S. East Coast with the threat of deadly rip currents. Bermuda's power utility, BELCO, told the Associated Press that more than three-quarters of its customers were without power. "Our crews are no longer out in the field working as it is no longer safe for them. They will now rest until it is deemed safe for them to begin restoration efforts," BELCO said. Bermuda suspended public transportation and closed the airport Friday night in advance of the storm. "Hurricane Ernesto seriously threatens our community," National Security Minister Michael Weeks said. "This is not a storm to be taken lightly." Jimmy Glotfelty, a commissioner with the Public Utility Commission of Texas, speaks to CenterPoint executives during a meeting of the Texas PUC on Thursday, July 25, 2024. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer An administrative law judge has denied CenterPoint Energys motion to withdraw its pending request to increase rates, a win for consumer advocacy groups and cities that want the Houston-area utility to continue with its application and to possibly see regulators order its rates to decline. CenterPoint filed an application in March to increase its portion of the average residential customer's monthly electricity bill by $1.25. The company filed a notice to withdraw the request in August after withering criticism over its preparation and response to Hurricane Beryl, which left a record 2.26 million of the utilitys customers without power. When CenterPoint first filed its withdrawal notice, CEO Jason Wells said the company wanted to focus instead on immediately improving its operations during this hurricane season. Representatives for consumer advocacy groups and municipalities, including the city of Houston, countered that if approved the withdrawal would deny them the chance to claw back certain expenditures. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The judges ruling is final unless it is appealed to the Public Utility Commission of Texas, which has its next open meeting Aug. 29, according to Thomas Brocato, a lawyer representing the Gulf Coast Coalition of Cities. The group is seeking a rate reduction for CenterPoint and is supported by the Texas Consumer Association, the Houston Coalition of Cities and the Texas Coast Utilities Coalition. For CenterPoint to say we're withdrawing, it probably made many people feel like it was an act of kindness, said Sandie Haverlah, president of the Texas Consumer Association. But when you dig deeper into the details, it's better for the customers to continue this case so they could see a rate decrease sooner rather than later. In a statement, CenterPoint spokesperson John Sousa didnt answer whether the company planned to appeal the decision, only that it was reviewing the ruling and assessing potential next steps. In the meantime, we remain focused on completing the key resiliency actions that are part of an accelerated phase of our Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative and re-earning the trust of the customers and communities we are privileged to serve, Sousa wrote. The Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative is CenterPoints plan to better prepare for the next major storm under pressure from Gov. Greg Abbott. It includes doubling CenterPoints vegetation management workforce, removing trees that could be a threat along 2,000 miles of power lines and replacing approximately 1,000 wooden poles with poles made of stronger materials. Advertisement Article continues below this ad CenterPoint and other transmission and distribution utilities are required to file an application to adjust rates 48 months after their previous rate case was approved so the PUC can comprehensively review their spending. For CenterPoint, that meant it was required to file its application by March 9. The PUC can grant an exception to the regular rate schedule when a utility has demonstrated good reason for needing an extension, according to Christiaan Siano, an administrative law judge with the State Office of Administrative Hearings. However, CenterPoint has given no explanation for how pursuit of its Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative launched four days after its notice of withdrawal was filed interferes in any way with its ability to proceed in this matter, Siano wrote in his decision denying CenterPoints request to withdraw its rate case. Without a withdrawal, CenterPoints pending rate increase application is paused as it engages in settlement discussions with cities and consumer advocacy groups. CenterPoint initially requested a rate hike of $60 million, as well as the ability to earn a 10.4% profit on its capital investments, up from the current 9.4%. Advertisement Article continues below this ad If CenterPoint were allowed to withdraw its rate case, it promised to file another one in 2025, using 2024 instead of 2023 as the model year to calculate its rates. Haverlah said that if CenterPoint used 2024 as its model year, it could result in an even higher rate increase because of the expensive upgrades the company is making after Beryl. Both the Gulf Coast Coalition of Cities and the Houston Coalition of Cities filed recommendations for a CenterPoint rate reduction even before Hurricane Beryl struck Texas in early July. The former is seeking a rate that would result in $147 million less than CenterPoints proposal and a rate of return of 9.5%, Brocato said. We know they are over-earning at this moment, and every day that goes by is a day that you can't get those dollars back, Brocato said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Have you ever wondered what the most popular designers and brands are in each state? In the South, shoppers love preppy vacation brands like Lilly Pulitzer, while in the Northeast, women often opt for workwear brands like J. Crew. To find out the most popular designers, FEMAIL received data from Poshmark and Afterpay - and looked at analytics from Google Trends state by state - to discover where women are shopping as well as what they're searching for and buying. 'The state you reside in strongly dictates your exposure to brands and what is trending in your region,' Chloe Baffert, the head of merchandising and curation at Poshmark consumers, told DailyMail.com. Chloe explained that 'whether consciously or not' people 'look to those around them for what brands to wear,' which 'becomes all the more apparent when visiting a new state.' 'The state you reside in strongly dictates your exposure to brands and what's trending in your region,' Chloe Baffert, the head of merchandising and curation at Poshmark consumers, said The South 'Each state has poster child brands that represent the style of its residents - Lilly Pulitzer is synonymous with Palm Beach and southern resort wear style, and is one of the top purchased brands among Poshmark shoppers in Florida, and both North and South Carolina,' Chloe said. And when it comes to Washington, D.C., which is technically in the South although it does defy categorization, there's a focus on sustainability. 'In social and politically-centric states like the nation's capital, we see a direct correlation between sustainably focused brands being purchased like Reformation, and brands with a meaningful mission, like Chantecaille, a luxury beauty brand with strong philanthropic ethos,' Chloe explained. Athleisure is also on the rise in southern states - Lululemon is the most popular brand in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, and Maryland. In North Carolina, female shoppers are currently perusing Tuckernuck, the preppy website that sells a variety of designers, like colorful sundresses from Alexis and classic denim from Agolde, as well as its own brand. People in Alabama also love shopping at Gus Mayer, a local women's clothing store, according to data from financial services firm Digg, which looked at Twitter to see what brands people in each state talked about most. Alabama women are also shopping online at fast-fashion retailer Fashion Nova, per Google Trends. According to data about top stores from Yelp, people in Arkansas are also big Target shoppers and in Kentucky, they adore Marshall's. 'Lilly Pulitzer is synonymous with Palm Beach and southern resort wear style and is one of the top brands among Poshmark shoppers in Florida, and North and South Carolina,' Chloe said In North Carolina, female shoppers are currently perusing Tuckernuck, the preppy website that sells a variety of designers, like Alexis and Agolde, as well as their own brand The Northeast If you're spending time in the Northeast, expect to see people embracing quiet luxury. 'Quintessential preppy style, before it was dubbed the trendy quiet luxury, and the East Coast go hand in hand,' Chloe said. 'J. Crew is among the top purchased brands of Poshmark shoppers in New York, Maine, Virginia, and Connecticut,' Chloe continued. But it's not all about preppy style - in Connecticut and Rhode Island, boho-chic brand Free People reigns supreme on Poshmark, and in New York and Pennsylvania, shoppers are buying up Lululemon secondhand. In New York and Pennsylvania, shoppers are buying up Lululemon secondhand on Poshmark But it's not all about preppy style - in Connecticut and Rhode Island, Free People reigns supreme on Poshmark 'J. Crew is among the top purchased brands of Poshmark shoppers in New York, Maine, Virginia, and Connecticut,' Chloe said Over the last year, New Yorkers' top searches have been Old Navy and Bloomingdale's According to Google Trends, New Yorkers are also interested in the high-low combination - FEMAIL looked at the analytics for shopping, women's clothing, and fashion and style. Over the last year, New Yorkers' top searches have been Old Navy and Bloomingdale's. New England, Vermonters and Rhode Islanders adore the discount designer chain Marshalls, according to Yelp's list highlighting the most beloved brands state by state. Mainers can't stop searching Louis Vuitton and Dior, according to Google Trends, showing a real love of luxury. The West In Arizona, they stay trend with Forever 21's inexpensive designs, like the ones shown above Montana is full of billionaires, which makes sense as the top Googled designer over the last year is Louis Vuitton Folks in California and Nevada love their athleisure - with Lululemon being the top selling brand on Poshmark. According to data from the buy now, pay later financial technology company Afterpay, women in California are shopping for the basics, as well as dresses, skirts, sandals, and shorts for the warmer weather. Unsurprisingly, in Nevada, wedding and bridal party dresses are another major purchase on Afterpay - just think about all of those Las Vegas weddings. Free People is popular in Oregon and shoppers also peruse Nordstrom Rack for discounts on designer duds. Montana is chock full of millionaires, which makes sense as the top Googled designer over the last year is Louis Vuitton. In Arizona, they stay on trend with Forever 21's inexpensive designs, which makes sense as the fast-fashion retailer has 10 stores across the state. The Midwest Google Trends shows Minnesota women looking for workwear at the classic womenswear store Ann Taylor, as pictured above For South Dakota residents, Lands' End is the online shopping destination they turn to for everything from sweaters to polo shirts Ladies in the Midwest adore simple, preppy options and classic womenswear work designs. In Indiana, Yelp said Marshall's reigns supreme, while Digg explained women in Indiana adore Vera Bradley's quilted, colorful designs - which are making a comeback with Gen Z on TikTok. In Iowa, Lululemon is the top choice - and according to Afterpay, it's all about the basics in the Hawkeye state. Shoppers are looking for outerwear for the colder temperatures, underwear and socks, and hats. For Minnesotans, women's clothing store Maurices is their go-to shop according to Digg, while Google Trends shows them looking for the basics at the classic womenswear store Ann Taylor. Afterpay data shows that women in Minnesota are looking for the basics, like outerwear and outfit sets, but also hunting down wedding and bridal party dresses. In Ohio, women are searching Hot Topic's sister store Torrid's edgy plus-size offerings. For South Dakota residents, Lands' End is the online shopping destination they turn to for everything from sweaters to polo shirts. Whether you're searching for preppy workwear in the Northeast or colorful sundresses in the Southeast, there's a brand for every state and everyone. Despite their differing fashion styles, Crown Queen Mary of Denmark and megastar Taylor Swift have a mutual love for a bohemian designer brand. The superstar musician, 34, and Danish Queen, 52, have both been spotted holidaying in beachwear from Zimmermans 2023 Summer Swim collection this year. Before heading to the Paris Olympics, Queen Mary was snapped taking a relaxing dip in the ocean at Nikki Beach in Sardinia - wearing a Devi Plunge V Wire One Piece, which retails at around 160, by the Australian label. And back in April, Swift shared a montage of clips of personal moments from her life to social media when she released her 11th studio album Tortured Poets Departments. In a blink-and-youll-miss-it shot; the 34-year-old was seen on a balmy holiday donning a Zimmerman bikini top from the same line. Taylor Swift was spotted earlier this year wearing a bikini top from Aussie designer Zimmermann... while her shorts were by another Australian company, Bondi label Venroy And Queen Mary of Denmark, 52, is a fan too of Zimmermann; she wore this elegant patchwork one-piece while on holiday in Sardinia last month Taylors bikini top and Marys one-piece have the same colourful paisley patchwork print, wired plunging neck and thin spaghetti straps. Marys swimsuit features more coverage and a stylish removable belt with a chain-embellished detail. The mum-of-four usually sticks with Danish designers including Birgid Hallstein who was behind her 2004 wedding dress and many of the royals favourite ball gowns, however, she often pays homage to her Australian roots by donning a range of clothing by brands from Down Under. She paired the swimsuit and protected herself from the sun with a Canopy Bay 76 Hutton Malibu hat by Australian TV personality and skin cancer survivor Deborah Hutton. While enjoying her downtime in Sardinia, Mary went boating in another Zimmermann piece, the 593 Tiggy Paisley Print Mini Dress. The beachwear designer has gained a celebrity following in recent years thanks to its stylish patchwork designs Zimmerman has showcased collections at both Australian and New York fashion weeks and while its pieces are not cheap, the swimwear doesnt come with an eyewatering designer price tag. Taylors 165 Devi Plunge V Wire bikini top is out of stock on the Zimmermann website and with most retailers. However, some online vendors not only have a small supply but have even slashed its price to less than 50. The Aussie-born royals swimsuit is much easier to come by and ranges between 162 and 235. This isnt the first time Mary and Swifts style has overlapped. They are also big fans of New York designer Ellen Hunter who is best known for her ornate handcrafted jewellery hair accessories which have become a celebrity favourite over the years. The life of a superstar musician and Danish queen may seem like worlds apart but Mary of Denmark and Taylor Swift share one interesting similarity: New York designer Ellen Hunter Queen Mary was photographed wearing the Daphne comb ($113 AUD) at the dome hall at Fredensborg Castle Queen Mary wore the Jane comb ($248) from Ellen Hunter during the Danish state visit to Norway in May 2024 (pictured left with Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway) Queen Mary has been photographed wearing Hunters 57 Daphne comb at the dome hall at Fredensborg Castle, the Danish royal family's spring and autumn residence. The queen wore the hair accessory for the Armed Forces' Badge of Honour dinner in September 2023, three years after Swift debuted the famous comb in her Cardigan (cabin in the candlelight) music video back in 2020. Swift paired the delicate gold comb with a velvet Ralph Lauren dress, while Queen Mary styled the accessory with a sleek black suit and her medals. Most recently, Queen Mary wore the Jane comb ($248) from Ellen Hunter during the Danish state visit to Norway in May 2024. The Jane comb uses filigree - a method where the maker twists gold wire together and solders it - which makes its design more intricate. During the same visit in Norway, Queen Mary also dazzled in the Amanda comb ($338) as she posed next to her husband King Frederik X of Denmark and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr. The sparkly comb is adorned with European crystals and pacific opals set atop gold leaves similar to the Daphne comb. Other celebrities including Beyonce, Ariana Grande, and Paris Hilton have also previously been spotted sporting Ellen Hunter's popular designs since Swift first donned the gorgeous piece. Meghan Markle appeared to pay tribute to her mother-in-law Diana, Princess of Wales, while on a four-day tour to Colombia. The Duchess of Sussex, 43, was invited to the country by vice president Francia Marquez after the politician saw the couple's two-part Netflix documentary. She, alongside husband Prince Harry, 39, arrived in the country on Thursday, where they were greeted by Ms Marquez and her partner, Rafael Yerney Pinillo, before undertaking a number of further engagements that day. The following day, the couple visited La Giralda School in Bogota, with Meghan donning a pair of butterfly-shaped gold earrings previously owned by the late royal for the appearance. Eagle-eyed royal watchers noticed that Meghan was sporting the jewellery, which was first worn by the late Diana, Princess of Wales on her 1986 royal tour to Canada. On Friday, while visiting a school in Colombia, Meghan Markle wore a pair of butterfly-shaped earrings that previously belonged to her late mother-in-law Diana, Princess of Wales The then-Princess of Wales was seen wearing the jewels during the trip with then-Prince Charles in May that year. The appearance occurred a year-and-a-half after Diana gave birth to Prince Harry. During their trip to La Giralda School, Harry and Meghan took part in an art session and planted trees. They also visited the school's 'social and emotional gym' which teaches students mental and physical exercises to balance their mental health and personal wellbeing. Students demonstrated for the couple their personal meditation techniques, and presented them with gifts and handwritten letters. Harry and Meghan posed for photos alongside the youngsters as they wore traditional dress. The school is in the Bogota district of Santa Fe which is seen as a particularly dangerous and violent suburb. Described as Bogota's red-light district, it is reportedly known for its deadly mix of prostitution, drugs and violence and is best avoided at night, according to locals. Diana, Princess of Wales is pictured wearing the earrings during a royal tour to Canada in May 1986 It featured on Apple TV series No Go Zones - The World's Toughest Places - and was described as an area of 'Colombian gangsters and pimps in charge and all manner of homeless people and addicts find their way to the wasteland of Bogota.' The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were escorted to a school amid tight security with at least 16 armoured police vehicles, as well as armed officers and soldiers, seen on patrol before their arrival. The visit to the school, which is overlooked by rundown apartment blocks and several rundown favelas which cling to the nearby hillsides, comes despite Harry's raising concerns over his security arrangements when visiting the UK. Friday's engagement wasn't the first time Meghan wore the earrings: In 2018, she was seen sporting them during her and Harry's tour of Australia. Diana left much of her jewellery collection to her sons' future wives. She conveyed her wishes in a letter, which read: 'I would like you to allocate all my jewellery to the share to be held by my sons, so that their wives may, in due course, have it or use it.' Edna Swart and Reid Stephen welcomed their 'little angel' Astyn into the world on April 19 - but the birth was 'the polar opposite' to what they expected as mum and baby both could've died. The 34-year-old mum from New Zealand told FEMAIL she envisioned a 'beautiful, tranquil natural birth' and despite having an 'easy pregnancy', problems began to surface four days out from labour when the baby flipped on his back. Edna, the founder of skincare brand Ed&i Body, said the gruelling 24-hour labour was excruciating and the traumatic ordeal was difficult to talk about months later. In hospital it took a turn when Astyn passed meconium - baby poo - which can be dangerous for infants if inhaled and can cause health problems or death in some cases. During labour the baby's heartrate decreased, Edna had an infection, and the umbilical cord wrapped around the baby's neck. Despite doctors' best efforts, an emergency C-section was required and within five minutes Astyn was born. 'It was the most pain I've ever felt. I only had back pain from contractions and no pain in my belly,' she said. 'A lot of people say C-sections are the "easy way" out of childbirth - it's absolutely not.' New Zealand couple Edna Swart and Reid Stephen had their first son Astyn in April - but their childbirth experience was horrific. Edna, the founder of skincare brand Ed&i Body, said the gruelling 24-hour labour was excruciating and the traumatic ordeal was difficult to talk about months later During labour the baby's heart rate started decreasing, Edna came down with an infection, and the umbilical cord wrapped around the baby's neck. Despite the best from doctors, an emergency C-section was required and within five minutes Astyn was born A doctor was monitoring both Edna and baby every minute to see - and hope - he would flip back into the right position. But he didn't. 'I had an epidural but I couldn't sleep the whole night. I just laid on my side listening to my baby's heartbeat just to make sure he was okay,' she said. 'I really wanted to have a natural birth. I didn't want to have to go through the recovery from a C-section when I just had a newborn baby. I said to my doctor to please do everything you can to deliver a natural birth. 'Lying in the hospital bed.. weirdly, I felt embarrassed that I couldn't give birth naturally. I don't know why. I was really disappointed, I thought "Why can't my body give birth normally?"' By the next morning Edna was distressed when the baby's heartbeat started to slow down. 'A lot of people say C-sections are the 'easy way' out of childbirth - it's absolutely not,' Edna said At 8:30am she had dilated enough to start pushing to try give birth naturally. She tried for an hour but only the infant's faeces was pushed out. 'The doctors said, "We can't do this - we're going to have to try something different",' Edna recalled. She was also being prepped for the C-section as a precaution then doctors and midwives tried their best to pull the baby out. 'I didn't realise how urgent it became because baby's heartbeat was dropping and dropping. I remember looking down while pushing and they were pulling at my baby so hard that I thought his can't be good for him,' she said. At this point it was a race against time that could mean life or death as doctor's realised the umbilical cord was also wrapped around his neck. By the next morning Edna was distressed when the baby's heartbeat started to slow down. They then decided to perform surgery with several doctors in the room - including three paediatricians - and within five minutes the baby was born They then decided to perform surgery with several doctors in the room - including three paediatricians - and within five minutes the baby was born. 'It was so intense, I couldn't feel anything from the neck down (because of the C-section), I was so drugged up that I don't remember holding him for the first time,' Edna said. 'I couldn't hold him and all I ever wanted was that moment of the first skin on skin contact - but I didn't get that.' Thankfully, Astyn wasn't born with any health issues and didn't inhale any of the meconium. Rather than staying in hospital she went into birth care where she had 24/7 support from nurses. They stayed there for four nights. Edna opted for this paid service because the hospital brought back 'bad memories' from when her mum passed away. After arriving back home with Astyn she knew she had to tell her family what happened and spoke about it a lot through tears. By talking about it often with family she now feels comfortable looking back at the traumatic experience After arriving back home with Astyn she knew she had to tell her family what happened and spoke about it a lot through tears. But it wasn't over yet because she had to overcome another challenge. Looking at herself in the mirror was something she struggled with immensely because she didn't recognise her reflection. 'It's a shocking state to see yourself in. Imagine you've just given birth, you can't hold your baby, can barely move, your body has a lot of fluid retention so you're puffy and your hands look like sausages,' she said. 'My husband had to help me shower and I couldn't look at myself in the mirror. I had to remember this is not who I am.' Following the horrific ordeal Edna wasted no time getting back to work and was answering emails 10 days later. She recovered and took it easy for six weeks. Following the horrific ordeal Edna wasted no time getting back to work and was answering emails 10 days later. But she was still recovering and taking it easy for six weeks While Edna wanted to stay in her 'baby bubble' for ask long as possible, the harsh reality of running a business meant she had to juggle both business and personal life. The time since has been marked by remarkable business success. Three months after the birth, the brand recently turned over $264,000 in five hours - largely thanks to the launch of a new moisturiser, known as Day Hydrate. That was largely thanks to the launch of a new moisturiser, known as Day Hydrate. Now the Kiwi brand has a loyal following of thousands of people who boast about the buys on social media. But the memories of Edna's birth experience continues to influence her in other ways. She doesn't think she will have any more children. 'I've always been a "one and done" kind of person, and I think I'm definitely done,' Edna said. This decision wasn't just shaped by the traumatic birth experience but because of other factors too - including stress, finances, and how the world is a 'messed up place' to bring children into. 'Our beautiful son is perfect and I don't see us expanding our family - but who knows what will happen in the future.' Edna shared her story in hope to help other women who also may have traumatic births, as she believes the experience isn't spoken about enough and can be quite isolating. A new guide for doctors is recommending they use terms such as 'chestfeeding' and 'pregnant person' to be more accommodating. Midwives and gynecologists should swap out 'breastfeeding' and 'mom' and use terms like 'gestational parent' or 'pregnant person,' according to the guidelines, revealed in a new report. Additionally, 'father' should instead be 'a member of your support team.' And instead of breast milk, the group recommends 'human milk' or 'milk from the feeding parent.' That is according to a progressive group of midwives and academics from the US, UK, and Australia, who claim that dozens of terms related to parenting and childbirth should be substituted for more 'inclusive' words. A new guide suggests swapping breastfeeding for 'chestfeeding' to be more inclusive The guide, released in May and published in the journal Birth: Issues in Perinatal Care, is not a legally binding set of rules, but a recommendation for health care providers. The group wrote: 'We highlight that midwifery instead has an opportunity to be effective in its advocacy of human and reproductive rights for all by embracing inclusive language to reflect its intersectional commitment to reproductive justice. 'Ultimately, midwifery has an ethical duty and opportunity to lead in gender decolonization and reproductive justice through the use of inclusive language.' Midwives and gynecologists are both prenatal care experts, however, midwives are not medical doctors, and the scope of their duties varies by state. This guide is far from the only one that has proposed gender-neutral changes like these. Others published in the last several years have recommended terms like 'chesticles' for breasts and 'd*cklets' for clitoris. However, medical experts have argued that language like this could do more harm than good, 'dehumanizing' mothers and creating unrealistic expectations for trans parents. How do trans women lactate? Trans women can make themselves lactate by taking a combination of medicines called the Newman-Goldfarb protocol. It tricks the body into making milk. It was originally developed for biological women who adopted or had a child via surrogacy and wanted to breastfeed. The method involves taking hormone boosting medications, including the pill. Other drugs that are used include anti-sickness medicine metoclopramide, heart medication digitalis and anti-psychotic chlorpromazine and sedative medications which are known to increase prolactin, the hormone responsible for milk production. Domperidone, an anti-nausea drug, is the preferred option for the protocol as it has fewer potentially dangerous side effects. The drug regime is used in conjunction with a breast pump to mimic the changes a women's body undergoes during the late stages of pregnancy and shortly after the birth of a child. Experts have urged caution about transwomen using the Newman-Goldfarb protocol to lactate. They have warned that long term health implications from using the treatment, for both adult and baby, are unknown. There have been separate rare cases of biological men undergoing lactation in the past without deliberately setting out to do so. These are usually the result of a rare medication side effect influencing hormone production, or from a hormone-disorder. Advertisement To make their case for the more 'inclusive' language, the group cited a case study of a patient named Sam, a trans man with abdominal pain who tested positive on a home pregnancy test. Sam told hospital staff he was a trans man, but providers did not recognize that he had gone into early labor 'because of systems, biases, and stereotypes related to his gender presentation and identity,' such as assuming he was not pregnant or could not carry a pregnancy. Sam's baby died of a prolapsed umbilical cord, which happens when the umbilical cord falls out of the uterus before the fetus, cutting off blood flow to the fetus. The researchers argued that if Sam's care had focused on the fact that he still had female sex organs and was capable of sustaining a pregnancy, doctors may have found the prolapsed cord in time to prevent the fetus' death. However, assuming that only 'women' could carry a pregnancy caused harm to Sam and his fetus. The authors concluded in institutions where traditional gender roles are reinforced and no thought is given to alternative possibilities, health outcomes for patients are worse. Meanwhile, a 2022 study published in the journal Frontiers in Global Women's Health claimed 'sexed' language like 'mother' is crucial for avoiding confusion during situations like childbirth. The researchers wrote: 'Desexing the language of female reproduction has been done with a view to being sensitive to individual needs and as beneficial, kind, and inclusive. 'Yet, this kindness has delivered unintended consequences that have serious implications for women and children. 'Women have unique experiences, needs and rights in relation to pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding that are not shared with others. It cannot be assumed that a womans interests will align with those of her husband or partner.' The team opposing the new guide argued nearly 4million infants die every year worldwide - and the US has the highest maternal mortality rate in the developed world - therefore, 'the best interests of the child are paramount' and using clear language is essential for decreasing those deaths. The midwives, however, argued that as midwifery is a traditionally feminine profession, it is their duty to promote language as 'a manifestation of feminism in action.' To be more inclusive, one of their suggestions is replacing the term 'gynecologist' with 'reproductive health specialists,' as the former is derived from 'gyneco,' which means 'woman' in Greek. Last year trans woman Mika Minio-Paluello came under fire after she posted a picture appearing to show her breastfeeding her baby on a bus In 2018, the editors of the journal Advances in Neonatal Care proposed similar changes. Namely, they said they would no longer publish articles using the words 'breast milk.' Instead, the words 'human milk,' 'mother's own milk,' 'father's own milk' or 'donor human milk' are 'now preferred.' And, the editors continued: 'The use of the word "lactation" over "breastfeeding" is also preferred whenever possible.' However, while the NIH's style guide says that 'chestfeeding' should be an option when discussing lactation, it adds that 'chestfeeding will not replace the word breastfeeding.' Critics have expressed that replacing 'breastfeeding' with 'chestfeeding' or 'breast milk' with 'human milk' could create unrealistic expectations for trans women who may not physically be able to breastfeed. In other proposals for more inclusive language, Dr Ilana Sherer, a pediatrician from California, proposed doctors call the vagina a 'front hole' and the penis an 'outie.' During a presentation at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition in October, she proposed calling breasts 'chest' or 'chesticles.' For male anatomy, Dr Sherer recommended pediatricians call the penis 'outie,' 'junk,' 'strapless,' or 'bits.' Her suggestions, given during a workshop entitled 'Discussing Gender and Sexuality in the Primary Care Office,' also included referring to the vagina as an 'innie,' 'front hole,' or 'T-penis' and the clitoris as 'd*ck' or 'd*cklet.' Despite a push, doctors have previously warned against politicizing medical language because it could confuse public health messaging, especially for people for whom English is not their first language. Fans of the late, great Dr Michael Mosley will be graced with one last fantastical documentary fronted by the health guru. Filmed last year, the three-part Channel 5 programme sees the former Mail columnist decode the marvels of the human body - and discover everything from why bones break as we age, to pioneering cancer treatments. Dr Mosley, who died from heat exhaustion aged 67 while on holiday in Greece, puts his own body under the microscope, undergoing experiments to test his heart health, saliva production and how his body copes with a dip in freezing waters. In the first installment, to be broadcast at 8pm on Thursday, Dr Mosley heads to Fife to meet Thomas, who suffers a common neurological condition, and is about to undergo pioneering brain surgery. The 71-year-old suffers essential tremor, which affects roughly a million Brits and causes involuntary shaking or trembling. Michael Mosley, who died this summer while on holiday in Greece , puts his own body to the test in the three-part series, testing his heart health, his saliva production and even taking a freezing dip himself To test out a new heart disease predictor, the former Mail columnist steps forward for the procedure - which sees him have dye injected into his bloodstream so that his blood vessels show up on the CT scan. Essential tremor is nearly ten times more common than Parkinson's and tends to affect people over the age of 65. But for Thomas, symptoms began in his forties, when he first noticed his right hand shaking. By his mid-fifties, both hands, as well as his head, were shaking - and it just continued to worsen. But now, Thomas is off to Dundee to receive a potentially life-changing surgery. The innovative procedure uses a beam of ultrasound waves to zap a tiny cluster of cells in a part of his brain called the thalamus, which is involved with movement. Doctors hope this will create a circuit breaker that will stop Thomas's brain from sending out too many confusing messages that cause his uncontrollable tremor. Fitted with a head brace to help keep him still, Thomas is kept awake throughout the surgery to ensure the beam doesn't impact the parts of his brain that control his speech. If it strays even a fraction, he could be left unable to speak - or paralysed. To test his brain function after each round of the ultrasound, Thomas' doctors have him draw a spiral on a piece of paper. The three-part series sets out to decode the marvel of design and engineering that is the human body, inviting viewers to see our bodies in new ways and understand how they work and how the body changes as we age In the first episode, Dr Mosley heads to Dundee to meet tremors sufferer Thomas who is about to undergo pioneering brain surgery At first, he's barely able to make a mark on the page. But after seven rounds, his hand has stopped shaking enough that he is able to make a full spiral. 'I'm so grateful,' Thomas says - 'I noticed a change right away. I've improved way more than I thought I would.' 'It'll make a life-changing difference.' Later in the episode, Dr Mosley meets 76-year-old Allen, who is about to learn if his experimental cancer treatment has been a success. Allen was diagnosed with stage 4 lymphoma - a type of blood cancer - a few years prior. 'They said that there wasn't really much they could do to cure me,' he explained. Prior to his diagnosis, Allen was a policeman in London, and spent nine years as Princess Diana's personal protection officer. He started noticing symptoms of his cancer once he'd retired to Dorset, around the same time a family of Ukrainian refugees came to live with him. After his diagnosis, they decided to stay and help care for their host. 'I'd already planned and paid for my funeral,' Allen said. 'I didn't think I'd be around much longer.' But then, Allen was thrown a lifeline by his medical team in Southampton; a treatment known as CAR T-cell therapy. Throughout the episodes, the doctor continues to track down answers to burning questions such as why do we get creaky joints? What happens when we catch the flu? Can we help our brains stay fit as we age? How do doctors replace a hip? The revolutionary new cancer treatment works by boosting the body's immune system, helping it to spot and fight cancer. T-cells - the body's fighter cells - are removed, modified in the lab and re-injected into the bloodstream. These genetically edited cells now have a turbo-charged ability to track down and eradicate cancer cells. The approach doesn't work for everyone, but Allen luckily receives brilliant news at his check-up; he's in complete remission. Previously littered with cancerous tumours, his scans are now showing up clean. Thanks to breakthrough treatments like this, Dr Mosley explains, we're now six times more likely to survive cancer than we were 40 years ago - although one in two of us will be diagnosed with it in our lifetimes. Similarly astonishing technologies have emerged in recent years that tackle another major health concern for Brits - heart disease. Almost a quarter of all deaths in the UK are due to cardiovascular problems. But a new test developed by researchers at the University of Oxford claims to be able to detect heart problems long before you have any symptoms. By looking at the fat that surrounds the heart vessels, scientists are able to spot early signs of infammation in the arteries, which could indicate a heart attack later down the line. To test it out, Dr Mosley steps forward for the procedure - which sees him have dye injected into his bloodstream so that his arteries show up on the CT scan. The episode also sees the doctor bravely sign up to a slightly more bracing experiment - a cold water swim. Speaking to cold water devotees - as well as trying it out himself - Dr Mosley reveals that when you swim in cold water, your arteries narrow - making your heart work harder to pump blood, strengthening its muscles. The plunge also releases hormones that are said to increase the body's metabolic rate and boost your mood. Some regular swimmers even claim it helps with immune function as well - stopping them, ironically, from catching common colds. Finally, Dr Mosley examines why our bones become more brittle as we age. To investigate bone health, he travels back to the University of Oxford - this time to meet with Professor Sue Black. She explains that bones - while they may look solid from the outside - are actually very much alive and moving on the inside. As we age, the hormones such as estrogen that feed these bone cells begin to lessen. After menopause, however, estrogen levels drop - causing the bones to become rapidly weaker. Microfractures begin to form, which often fail to heal themselves. The condition - known as osteoporosis - is incredibly common: affecting one in five women and one in 20 men. To protect our bones as we age, we need to consume plenty of calcium and vitamin C - as well as continuing to do weight-bearing exercises like running and dancing. The episode concludes with Dr Mosley agreeing to have a camera inserted through his nose to look at his voicebox - and revealing the shocking fact that humans produce enough saliva each month to fill an entire bathtub. In the next installment of the docuseries, he'll look at hip replacements, stress and three things you can do at home to reduce blood pressure without joining a gym. Health officials have ordered doctors to look out for cases of mpox as a deadly strain was confirmed to have reached Europe. The World Health Organisation declared a global health emergency its highest alert after an outbreak in Africa. The first case outside the continent was detected in Sweden, prompting the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control to raise its risk level. Experts said the new strain is 'more severe' with 'higher mortality' than the one that sparked panic in 2022. The UK Health Security Agency said no cases have yet been detected and the risk to the population is 'low'. Rapid testing is being made available and GPs and hospitals have been told to isolate those with symptoms. The Government is said to have enough vaccines and treatments to deal with an outbreak. Christian Musema, a laboratory nurse, takes a sample from a child declared a suspected case of Mpox at the treatment centre in Munigi, Democratic Republic of the Congo The first case outside the continent was detected in Sweden , prompting the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control to raise its risk level. Pictured: Test tubes labelled 'Monkeypox virus positive and negative' Swedish state epidemiologist Magnus Gisslen, acting Director General of the Public Health Agency Olivia Wigzell and Minister for Social Affairs and Public Health Jakob Forssmed give a press conference to inform about the situation regarding mpox in Stockholm on August 15 An NHS England spokesman said it is 'prepared to respond' if the strain, which has killed 537 people, emerges here. The deadly variant emerged this month and is crossing borders with a reported mortality rate of 10 per cent in children, threatening to decimate populations with authorities powerless to curtail the spread. Researchers warn that the new 'Clade 1b' variant of the disease has already been able to cross through the DRC's 'porous' borders, causing dozens of people to die in recent weeks between Burundi, South Africa and DR Congo, with many thousands displaced by conflicts in the region. Typically found in central and east Africa, mpox has blighted populations since the early 1970s. While a vaccine now exists for the disease, uptake has been slow in nations lacking the resources and infrastructure for a coordinated programme. Nearly 100,000 people were infected in 2022 during a global outbreak of the disease, caused mostly by the Clade IIb virus. The variant was less deadly than the emerging Clade Ib variant, but killed some 183 people, according to the CDC. The United States reported as many as 32,063 cases, with 58 deaths during the period as cases were reported in significant numbers in North, Central and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australasia. Christian Musema, a lab nurse, takes a sample from a child declared a suspected case Mpox A child with skin lesions receives treatment at the treatment centre in Munigi, DRC, on July 19 Mpox virions shown under a microscope. Experts warn the new 1b Clade is harder to detect An image from 1997 shows symptoms of mpox on a sufferer in DRC, formerly Zaire The Africa CDC previously said that mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, has been detected in 13 countries this year, and that more than 96% of all cases and deaths are in Congo. Cases are up 160% and deaths are up 19% compared with the same period last year. So far, there have been more than 14,000 cases and 524 people have died. Mpox FAQ What is mpox? Mpox, or Monkeypox, is a rare viral infection which people usually pick up in the tropical areas of west and central Africa. It is usually spread 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. Mpox was first discovered when an outbreak of a pox-like disease occurred in monkeys kept for research in 1958. The first human case was recorded in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the infection has been reported in a number of central and western African countries since then. Only a handful of cases have been reported outside of Africa and they were confined to people with travel links to the continent. How deadly is it? Mpox is usually mild, with most patients recovering within a few weeks without treatment. Yet, the disease can prove fatal. Mpox can kill up to 10 per cent of people it infects. However, with milder strains the fatality rate is closer to one in 100 similar to when Covid first hit. Is there a cure? Because Mpox is closely related to the virus that causes smallpox, jabs for smallpox can also protect people from getting it. One vaccine, Jynneos, also known as Imvamune or Imvanex, has been licensed in the US, but it's not approved in the UK. The vaccine was shown to be around 85 per cent effective in preventing Mpox infection. Antivirals and pooled blood from individuals vaccinated against smallpox can be used to treat severe cases. Advertisement Now, experts following recent trends warn a more deadly variant is showing both a propensity to travel across borders with a five per cent mortality rate in adults and ten per cent in children. While the 2022 strain was largely driven by male-to-male sexual contact, according to The Economist, the Clade Ib variant appears to be transmissible through close non-sexual contact, and exacerbated by heterosexual sexual contact, 'particularly among sex workers, who account for about 30 per cent of recorded cases'. Authorities in the DR Congo desperately approved mpox vaccines to try to contain the outbreak in June, passing 1,000 deaths from 20,000 cases within the past year, but many worry the affected nations lack the resources to effectively stop the spread in its tracks. Zeil Rosenberg MD, executive Vice President of Tonix Pharmaceuticals, a company currently developing an mpox vaccine, told MailOnline earlier this month that the disease is now spreading to regions where historically it has not been endemic. 'The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) remains the centre of an unchecked explosion of cases with 11,000 cases reported this year alone and showing no signs of slowing,' he warned. 'There are a number of challenges in controlling this outbreak,' Brian Labus, Assistant Professor at the University of Nevada Las Vegas' Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, told MailOnline. 'We have seen spread in camps for displaced persons, where high population density increases the risk of infectious disease spread.' He warned that the virus has mutated and now spreads more easily between people. 'While we can prevent the disease with vaccines, none are currently available in the affected areas. 'When you add these problems to the routine challenges of controlling disease in remote, low-resource environments, it has been very difficult to get the outbreak under control.' Michael Marks, a professor of medicine at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said declaring the mpox outbreaks in Africa an emergency is warranted if that might lead to more support to contain them. 'It's a failure of the global community that things had to get this bad to release the resources needed,' he said. 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. Jacques Alonda, an epidemiologist working in Congo with international charities, said he and other experts were particularly worried about the spread of mpox in camps for refugees in the country's conflict-ridden east. 'The worst case I've seen is that of a six-week-old baby who was just two weeks old when he contracted mpox,' Alonda said, adding the baby has been in their care for a month. 'He got infected because hospital overcrowding meant he and his mother were forced to share a room with someone else who had the virus, which was undiagnosed.' Before the 7am flight to Stockholm leaves London, the pilot says over the tannoy: Cabin crew prepare for Swift-off. Most of the women there are a lot of women on this plane laugh. When we land, and the border control officer stamps my passport, he says: Are you here for the concert? I say yes, I am. Then he asks if Im looking forward to it, and I say yes, I am. I first listened to Taylor Swift in 2008, aged 12. She was 18 and had released her second album, Fearless, the one that made her massive. A year later, she became the youngest person to win an Album of the Year Grammy. Now shes won 14, made ten more albums and written 274 songs and I have listened to every single one of them. Of those 274, I would say I know the words to this is a conservative guess 250. I really, really love Taylor Swift. In May, two friends and I spent 190 each on tickets to see Swift perform on The Eras Tour in Stockholm. Actually, if Im being frank, I spent 190 on the ticket, 90 on flights and 200 to stay in a grim hotel 40 minutes from the city centre. And, if Im being truly frank, I then spent a further 190 to see her for a second time in Edinburgh. And then to be frank just once more last month, when my sister said shed got resale tickets and did I want to go for a third time in London, I wondered briefly if I was being greedy (maybe) or if I could afford this (no) before saying yes please and transferring a final, ridiculous 190. You can do the maths on how much that totals yourself; I cant bear to. In Stockholm, the morning of the concert, Swift songs play at the hotel breakfast. Women march down the corporate-looking corridors in sparkly jackets. Thats the thing about The Eras Tour: people dress up. The show is divided, as the name suggests, into eras one for each of Swifts albums and each has a look. Evermore is witchy (floaty dresses, capes), Fearless is country (cowboy hats, sequins), Reputation is moody (silver jewellery, snakes). I wear a long pink dress with puff sleeves. The colour scheme fits the Lover era but the shape is princessy and so belongs to the Speak Now era. Real fans will appreciate this nuance. She sings every song like its the last one she might sing ever, in her life At Stockholms Friends Arena, there is one brave father he must be a father in a Joy Division T-shirt. Otherwise, everyone has embraced the dress code. In the enormous queues to enter, fans swap homemade beaded friendship bracelets that bear Swifts lyrics. The mood is giddy but peaceful. Inside I see a teenage girl dressed in a green velvet cape for the Evermore era standing alone. She looks nervous, but then another teenage girl, this one wearing a brown velvet cape, runs up and hugs her. They are friends who had arrived at separate times and have only just found each other in the crowd. As they hug, the green cape girl starts crying. She sees me and says, wiping her eyes: Im sorry, Im just so excited. I understand. The Eras Tour began in 2023, in Glendale, Arizona, and by its end there will have been 152 shows across five continents, 22 countries and 54 cities. On the US leg alone, it became the first concert tour to gross $1 billion. Swifts last European gig takes place at Wembley on Tuesday and Ill be there with my sister. We will be wearing cowboy hats to represent the Fearless era the first Taylor Swift CD we owned. Theres so much to say about the concert itself: how Swift enters the stage under a parade of gigantic pink butterfly wings; how her blonde hair becomes endearingly frizzy throughout the three-and-a-half-hour performance; how she sings every song, all 46 of them, like its not just the last song of the show but the last song she might sing ever, in her life; how the two caped teenagers in Stockholm barely look at Swift, but instead sing, every word of every song to each other; how the girl in front of me in Edinburgh takes off her pink diamante cowboy boots because theyre giving her blisters and she wants to dance; and how its not the sad songs that make you cry, but the songs you first listened to as a 12-year-old girl, and that the sight of Swift, now 34, skipping across the stage and singing them, once in Stockholm and then again in Edinburgh and maybe for a third time in London, will somehow make you, now 28, loudly and involuntarily sob. But, mostly, what I will say is that I dont think I have ever seen such a big group of people so totally happy as I have on The Eras Tour. That may sound obvious, but it seemed astonishing at the time. When she finishes the song Champagne Problems, Swift has a routine where she stands up from her piano and surveys the crowd. Then she takes out her earpiece, so she can hear the tens of thousands of screams in full. Her face becomes shocked and delighted. Cynics will say its contrived, but fans know that Swift cannot act honestly, we watched her performance as Bombalurina in Cats so the joy must be genuine. Theres a bit in Bruce Springsteens 2016 memoir Born to Run where he talks about his most famous bandmate, saxophonist Clarence Clemons. The secret to Clemonss appeal on stage, says Springsteen, was this: He wasnt playing something hard, but he was doing something hard and singular. He was meaning it. There are lots of theories as to why Taylor Swift is so special. A recent piece in The New Statesman said her lyrics represented a Nabokovian genius; last year The New York Times hypothesised that she had validated girlhood for a generation of women. Maybe. But I think that the reason I like Taylor Swift is this: when she sings, you can tell she means it. Of course men and women can be friends, says Anna. No question, Eden agrees. Men make the best friends, Jenny stresses. They dont judge, Alice points out. Or bitch, Eden again. Or have an agenda when you ask for clothing advice, I offer. With a jarring combination of yesses, exactlys and a single so true, all five women around the pub table celebrate this niche fact. Its a sunny Saturday; a long, lazy girls lunch. But an awkward silence follows, and I think I know why. Celia with her friend Dylan Jones, editor of the Evening Standard Im not actually sure I have many male friends. Jennys the first to come out with it. Not really. I dont have any, admits Eden. Not one. The floodgates open and suddenly Im realising that even I, who used to pride myself on having more male friends than female, dont see them half as much as I used to. Earlier this year I also found myself uncharacteristically flummoxed when I realised that a man I kept meeting socially and desperately wanted to be my new gay best friend wasnt, in fact, gay so perhaps a little too much to ask of him. Id already got his number by this point, still look at it sometimes, finger hovering over the message button. But five months on, I havent contacted him. Why? Id be willing to bet that if you surveyed a whole swathe of British women, youd find that male friends just arent really a Thing. Not being a betting woman, however, I contacted the authority on friendship for some statistics: world-renowned psychologist Robin Dunbar, author of Friends: Understanding the Power of our Most Important Relationships. He confirms that when it comes to British womens best friends forever, 85 per cent are female and only 15 per cent male, but these are usually either gay men or men at the feminised end of the male distribution, ie they are good listeners and not too domineering. And how weird, how wrong, is that? Where are all our domineering straight male friends who never let us finish an anecdote? In the month since that Saturday lunchtime epiphany occurred (well call it a pub-piphany because those are a Thing), Ive conducted my own investigation into this overlooked and under-discussed cultural blind spot. What Ive discovered has been surprising, amusing and occasionally downright sad. Most alarming has been the initial debate over what counts as a male friend, with conversations generally following these lines. Male friends? Sure, Ive got loads. What do you mean brothers-in-law dont count? What about my husbands friends? The guy who sits across from me at work? He sometimes invites me to the pub with the rest of the team if its someones birthday. Celia's husband Piers Morgan To be clear on our definitions here: a proper male friend is someone you regularly meet up with alone. Hes someone who despises the same people real and famous as you (nothing bonds like mutual hate) and is prone to sending you uncaptioned WhatsApp images of particularly cretinous things those people have said, done or worn. Like good female friends, a male friend will know exactly how you take your martinis, that you like a booth in a restaurant but prefer to sit at the bar in a bar, and that you shouldnt bother watching the latest water cooler TV drama because its not up your street. So, basically, its husbands, minus the sex or the resentment. Unlike female friends, they will never ask about your kids (hallelujah!) or need to get home early for their own. Owing to male blindness, they dont tend to notice if youve gone through what I call an ageing cluster (a series of increasingly inventive forms of physical deterioration), which is always a boon. They may load dishwashers like raccoons on meth, but my god men make great friends. So why are we excluding 49.45 per cent of the UK population from our inner circles? When I ask Professor Dunbar whether the dominance of single-sex friendships is partly down to same-sex schools and the single-sex mentality that always feels more widespread in Britain than elsewhere in Europe, he assures me the issue is much deeper. We do see it elsewhere: 75 per cent of womens social networks consist of women, 75 per cent of mens are male, he says. There is a strong homophily effect (we prefer friends who are similar to us). However, close cultural similarities (shared interests, moral or political views, etc) can override biological dissimilarities (mainly sex, personality, age and ethnicity). We see the same in social monkeys and apes. If they can override these things, how come the monkeys in my stratosphere arent doing that? Are we back to the whole When Harry Met Sally conundrum, where once even the possibility of sex is out there the friendship is ultimately doomed from the outset? After attending an all-girls school until she was 18, it took Jessica Fellowes, author of The Best Friend, a long time to learn how to be friends with someone of the opposite sex, she admits. I pretty much assumed that if you liked them, then you snogged them. I did eventually have a few male friends in my 20s, but a combination of my boyfriends and their girlfriends tended to snuff these out, especially if one of us was single when the other one was coupled up. The theory that coupledom prohibits close friends of the opposite sex is confirmed by a number of my female friends and I cant help but find it depressing that beneath our forward-thinking, post-post-post-feminist facades, we seem to be stuck in a 1950s housecoat on this thing. Two friends came out with the following sentences: My husband wouldnt like it if I said I was going out for dinner with a guy, even if it was platonic. I stopped seeing my best male friend a few years ago. My husband kept asking why I needed a male friend when I had him. Full disclosure: my husband doesnt like me having friends of the opposite sex either. Like throw pillows, Ive had to fight for every one I possess. Hes convinced (like so many men) that any straight man is only using the old friendship ruse to try to sleep with me. If you are going to have male friends when youre in any kind of established couple, everyone Ive spoken to agrees there are unspoken rules to be observed. A sort of boy-friend code. If the friendship predates your relationship or marriage youre allowed to keep it, but if you meet a man tomorrow that youd like to have supper with, thats pretty much out. If you went out with the man centuries ago and both parties simply tired of one another, go on then: be friends. Youve probably sapped any sexual tension from that relationship; its probably safe. If the man in question is currently dating Gisele Bundchen, that friendship is also allowed. I dont like these rules. They feel like social corsets uncivilised. I think the boy-friend code needs to be rewritten so that we can all expand our friendship horizons. Hell, there should probably even be a national meet a random man and make him a friend day. Because arent we missing out on some of the most enriching relationships of our lives? My daughter had a best male friend. Once, when she was five, I walked into the loo to find him sitting next to her on the cold, tiled floor, nattering away as she peed. It made me sad, in the moment, that we cant continue to have those kinds of friendships as we grow up. The ones that are so strong they override even the basic rules of etiquette, and certainly gender. Although a male bathroom-buddy? I cant ever see my husband agreeing to that. Celias latest novel, The Square, is published by Sphere, 9.99. To order a copy for 8.99 until 1 September, go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937. Free UK delivery on orders over 25. People hold their hand on their hearts as they participate in the first Slavery Remembrance Day commemorative ceremony at Greater Grace Houston, Friday, Aug. 20, 2021, in Houston. Houston Chronicle The Heritage Society at Sam Houston Park has an exhibit which opened on Tuesday'Agatha Babinos Story: A Narrative of the Formerly Enslaved', by Dionne Babineaux, a graduate student at Rice University. The Heritage Society The International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition will be observed Friday. The observance was designated by UNESCO to honor the memory of the victims of the transatlantic slave trade and to raise awareness about the need to continue fighting against all forms of slavery. The date marks the anniversary of a key event in the fight against slavery, an uprising in Haiti, which began Aug. 23, 1791. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Haiti, then known as San Domingue, was a French settlement and the center of the slave trade across Europe. The day was first celebrated in Haiti on Aug. 23, 1998, and Goree Island in Senegal on Aug. 23, 1999. UNESCO made it official in 1998. Some Houston churches will focus on slavery remembrance during their upcoming Sunday services. We are incorporating slavery remembrance into the fabric of our worship experience on Sunday in such a way that it will engage our children, teens and our young adults, while connecting it to the memory of our elders, whore not that far removed from slavery," said Bishop James Dixon, pastor of the Community of Faith Church in Houston, in a phone interview. "Many of our senior members can say, my grandmother or grandfather or great grandparents were enslaved people. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Dixon, who also serves as the president of the NAACP Houston, said that many senior congregants came from rural towns where remnants of slavery were still visible and had experienced life under segregation. What is Slavery Remembrance Day, on Aug. 20? Aug. 20 is the day recognized in 1619 when the first 20 enslaved Africans were brought to America. In 2021, Texas U.S. Rep. Al Green introduced the Original Slavery Day Resolution to establish Aug. 20 as Slavery Remembrance Day across the country. The U.S. House passed the resolution 218-207. The measure did not pass the U.S. Senate. Then-Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner signed a resolution in support of the measure. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Tying our present reality to the history of slavery is what Slavery Remembrance Day does for us, and helping us to recognize that only God could have brought people through that kind of atrocity, enabling us to still maintain a sense of family, dignity and self-respect, which, of course, slavery was designed to eliminate," said Dixon. The Heritage Society at Sam Houston Park has an exhibit which opened on Tuesday'Agatha Babinos Story: A Narrative of the Formerly Enslaved', by Dionne Babineaux, a graduate student at Rice University. The Heritage Society Green, who has been holding events since 2021 in honor of Slavery Remembrance Day, said that this year's theme is "We are the dream and the hope of the enslaved." It is the last line, slightly reworked, from Maya Angelou's poem Still I Rise, instead of "I am the dream and the hope of the slave." Because people were enslaved, they did not in any way want to participate in this ugly part of our history," Green said in a phone interview. "For 246 years, they provided free labor that became the foundation of America's economic success. So, we wanted to use this theme, because we want to accentuate the fact that they had hopes and they had dreams, that one day, their descendants would walk the earth as free people." Advertisement Article continues below this ad FORT BEND INSIDER: Never miss a story with our bi-weekly newsletter "I fully support the quest to honor the enslaved Africans whose lives were sacrificed for 246 years to make America great," said Robin Cole from Society of Justice and Equality for the People of Sugar Land. "Although it is written that slavery was ended on Dec. 6, 1865, that fact is not true because of the loophole that is still in the 13th Amendment to the Constitution." The Houston-area churches holding special services in honor of slavery remembrance include the Community of Faith Church, the Greater True Light Baptist Church, the Historic Mount Sinai Missionary Baptist Church and Green House International Church. Greens 2024 Slavery Remembrance Legislative Update Breakfast Meeting starts at 8.30 a.m. on Saturday, at Wyndham Houston near NRG Park, 8686 Kirby Drive Houston. The Heritage Society at Sam Houston Park has a new exhibitAgatha Babinos Story: A Narrative of the Formerly Enslaved, by Dionne Babineaux, a Rice graduate student. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "We also want families to get involved in finding their roots, so we have programs that complement the whole family tree research," said Ana Trejo, communications manager for the Heritage Society. "The land that the Heritage Society is on used to be a plantation, so we have three UNESCO-designated houses that are sites of that memory." On a restaurant terrace overlooking Brighton beach, one of the UKs bestselling male authors is sipping a non-alcoholic cocktail. In jeans, T-shirt and trainers, bearded and with his balding hair cropped, Matt Haig looks the very definition of an ordinary bloke you probably wouldnt glance twice at him sitting there enjoying the sunshine. I bet you know his books though. Hes written 23, sold ten million copies in 58 languages and has several film and TV series in production, including The Midnight Library and How to Stop Time, the latter starring Benedict Cumberbatch. His hit childrens book, A Boy Called Christmas, was made into a film for Sky and The Radleys, based on an early book about a bunch of middle-class, Radio 4-listening vampires, hits cinema screens in November, starring Damian Lewis and Kelly Macdonald. The 49-year-old shot to fame reluctantly in 2015, when his memoir-meets-self-help book, Reasons to Stay Alive (the story of his experience of coping with depression and anxiety disorder after a breakdown and attempting suicide aged 24, while living in Ibiza) was published to unexpected acclaim. He followed it up with The Midnight Library, a novel in which 30-something Nora Seed discovers that if she goes to the Midnight Library she can experience lives she might have led if she had made different decisions. It was published in 2020, during lockdown, and spent 50 weeks in the bestseller lists on both sides of the Atlantic. Matt with his family, in Tokyo, this summer But success was a double-edged sword, catapulting Haig into the realm of authors who find themselves on the receiving end of abuse simply for existing. There are few authors who get written about in a way thats beyond a bad review, it was a bad review of me! he says, of the 2021 piece in The Spectator that pilloried his banality. On X, where he has 425k followers (there are a further 700k on Instagram), things got out of control. I stupidly spent too long on the internet looking at what everyone said about me, he admits. I was the very worst combination for social media: highly opinionated and highly sensitive. I watched YouTube videos about me that went viral, I got cancelled in Brazil for reasons I didnt understand. A sane person in that position would switch everything off Born in Sheffield, Haig moved with his parents to Newark-on-Trent (where they still live) when he and his sister Phoebe, two-and-a-half years younger, were small. His mum was a teacher and his dad worked in the town planning department, which qualified Haig as posh at his state school. The relocation compounded a sense of not belonging that hed had since he was little, something he puts down in part to his mum being adopted. I think both my sister and I inherited a sense of uncertainty about where we belonged because my mum never felt she belonged. She still to this day doesnt know who her parents were. I was a contradiction, he continues. Shy, nervous and bookish on one side; on the other I was drinking, petrol-sniffing behind Blockbuster, going to raves, getting arrested for shoplifting at 16 Ive always felt like I didnt fit in. Imposter syndrome loomed large after the success of The Midnight Library and Haig began to descend into a spiral he recognised from his previous breakdown two decades earlier. Its hard to talk about because you look so ungrateful, he says. I would not change it for the world; its amazing to have what you always wanted. But things you really want can come with a load of c**p, too. His confidence plummeted, his depression returned, and he could not step away from the social media that fed his insecurity. He turned to alcohol. If youre someone like me who struggled with self-esteem for a long time, you use it as your crutch, as something that you dont have inside you. In 2021 Haig decided to step away from writing. I didnt like the public side of publication. I thought if that level of success couldnt make me happy then no writing was going to make me happy. Matt's 2015 breakthrough book For a year he underwent therapy and looked for other things to do, considering opening a bookshop or a sober bar in Brighton, where he and his wife Andrea live with their two children Lucas, 16, and Pearl, 15. It was his therapist who asked if hed considered whether he might be autistic. Haig hadnt, but ironically, he and Andrea had often wondered if Lucas was. Several months later, at 46, Haig was diagnosed with autism and ADHD. Shortly afterwards so was Lucas. Things fell into place. I always struggled with jobs, he says. I never managed a full month. It was the same with driving tests. I dont drive. Not in a hippy eco sort of way. I want to but I always get six lessons in then have a panic attack and cant do it. Haig and Andrea have been together for 30 years and married for 17 (they werent fussed about tying the knot, but did so in Las Vegas because they wanted children and her family are old-fashioned). The pair met at university in Hull when they were both 19, and Andrea has been his centre ever since. The first time I had a breakdown, I couldnt leave the house. Andrea was my carer, but intermittently, for over a decade after that, I would slip into three weeks here, three weeks there of not being able to do anything. The challenge is to keep it as a proper relationship rather than a parent-child one. Its a miracle that somehow weve kept it together. I think you get to a certain point where nothing can be as bad as what youve been through. Youre beyond boyfriend, girlfriend; you kind of are each other in a family sense. I cant remember before Andrea. We grew up together. I was late to grow up, not that Im really grown up now, but she was there for all of it. Its not like shes this perfect person, he says hurriedly. She cringes that in Reasons to Stay Alive I almost present her as some sort of angel. By most peoples standards, Andrea comes close, having seen him through breakdown, attempted suicide, depression, panic attacks and agoraphobia. He hasnt drunk since his diagnosis. Its not the first time Haig has given up drinking after his breakdown in 1999 he abstained for eight years. I was scared of everything, including alcohol, he says. It wasnt so much a conscious decision, more if I drink, it will give me a panic attack. But when I got better it was more challenging. His therapist also suggested he return to Ibiza where the couple had lived from 1997 to 1999. Andrea was office manager at a superclub and Haig was, by his own admission, Mr Hedonist. They hadnt been back since his suicide attempt in September 1999 but decided he was well enough to try. So in April 2022 we went for a weekend. It was almost exposure therapy, to go back to the places where I was suicidal and had so many horrific memories. It felt like going to a completely different place. While he was there he had the idea for The Life Impossible, in which 70-something bereaved maths teacher Grace is left a house on the island. It is both a voyage of self-discovery and what it means to be human (a recurring theme for Haig), as well as a love letter to the island he once thought would be the death of him. Joanna Lumley will read the audiobook; she says the novel seized me and wouldnt let me go. As Haig finishes his mocktail he tells me that, before The Life Impossible hits the bookshops, he and Andrea are taking Pearl and Lucas, along with the family dogs Betsy, a Maltese terrier, and Bruce, a golden retriever, to Ibiza for a family holiday. Its the place where he experienced the worst moments of his life. Now hes hoping to make it the happiest. The Life Impossible by Matt Haig will be published by Canongate on 29 August, 20.To order a copy for 17 until 1 September, go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937. Free UK delivery on orders over 25. I believe that all colours are amazing, says award-winning textile artist and designer Margo Selby, 46. Theres no hierarchy to me. Its all about how you organise and put them together. Selbys love of colour is evident in her work. She champions a unique blend of art, crafts and mathematics to create geometric, three-dimensional textiles for interiors, flooring and fashion. An alumnus of Chelsea College of Arts, the Royal College of Art and Atelier dArt in Paris, she established her weaving studio in 2003. GEO WITH THE FLOW Selby recently created this installation for Blackburn Cathedral. It is inspired by how cloth travels in waves and folds through machinery during the weaving process. The colour palette was chosen by employees from Standfast & Barracks in Lancaster, the factory that printed the fabric As a child I loved textiles and weaving little bracelets, she says. My granny taught me to cross-stitch, crochet and knit. Making things was a tradition for the women in my family, but it wasnt until I went to art college that I realised you can make a career out of textiles. FINE LINES Selbys signature textiles are colourful and geometric I was a naughty child at school, she says. My reports always said that I was easily distracted. Working with textiles from an early age gave me a focus. I found I could concentrate and absorb myself in them. Selby fell in love with weaving while studying it for her MA at the Royal College of Art in 2001. For my degree at Chelsea, Id studied graphic design, sculpture and fine art, but I loved the constructive nature of weaving and the discipline of the craft. She then spent a term in Paris at Atelier dArt, where she learned the economics of running a craft business, before setting up her eponymous studio, which is now based in Whitstable, Kent. Selbys work blends ancient weaving techniques with industrial loom production, and she describes working with colour in her pieces as instinctive. When Im designing or making, Ill add loads of colours because Im getting a lovely experience they make me feel good. A LIFE IN THREAD My work involves creating compositions through drawings and calculations, exploring the relationship between mathematics and colour, Selby says In 2021 she was awarded the Turner Medal for Britains greatest colourist. It was a huge honour and getting that award made me think more deeply about how I use colour and the theory behind it. It also helped me to analyse the physical experience colour can bring: how it can affect our moods, uplift an environment and bring joyfulness to the world in different ways, she says. ON A ROLL Selbys 16-metre Moon Landing installation was a standout feature at Londons Somerset House during the Collect craft and design fair earlier this year Selby is one of several designers, including Sebastian Conran, Felix Conran and Tord Boontje, who have been selected to create collections to celebrate Habitats 60th anniversary this year. Her vibrant range reimagines the brands iconic 1970s aesthetic. Drawing inspiration from Habitats archives, it is infused with her signature bold geometric patterns and colours. It also marks a circular moment for Selby, as Habitat was one of the first brands she worked with after setting up her studio. LOOM SERVICE The looms in Selbys Whitstable studio combine modern, computer-controlled technology with centuries-old techniques Im proud of the collection and the quality, she says. I love the practicality of textiles and the fact that you can design something beautiful that can be part of peoples everyday lives. Selbys Habitat collection is available at habitat.co.uk 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.' Teachers are quitting in droves as a new generation of appallingly behaved students push their patience to the limit. Born between roughly 2010 and the end of 2024, Generation Alpha will make up the largest cohort of children ever to live on planet earth. However, the two billion-plus toddlers and pre-teens are already being cited for their illiteracy, unruly behavior and an uncontrollable addiction to screens. Many blame lockdowns and school closures during the pandemic for the rise in bad behavior, while some are pointing the finger at Millennial parents who are opting to distract children with technology rather than properly discipline them. Now a new bombshell study has revealed the devastating impact this has had on school life, with 26 percent of public schools reporting that a lack of focus among 'iPad' students has had a 'severe negative impact' on teacher morale. On top of low morale, a separate April study revealed that 92 percent of leadership at public schools were concerned that students were not meeting academic standards, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Teachers are quitting in droves as ' iPad ' students push educators to their limits - with a bombshell study revealing 26 percent of public schools reported that lack of focus among pupils was having a 'severe negative impact' on teacher morale Born between roughly 2010 and the end of 2024, Generation Alpha will make up the larges cohort of children ever to live on planet earth Two years earlier, NCES reported that 44 percent of all public schools were operating without a full teaching staff. That year also featured the lowest job satisfaction levels among teachers of all time - only 12 percent - according to 2022 research published by Brown University. In May of this year alone, 59,000 teachers and other educational staff quit their jobs in the United States according to a poll by Statista, leaving their thankless job in favor of a more 'fulfilling' career. 'It's chaos right now,' a special education teacher who works in San Diego County told DailyMail.com, adding that she teaches 'kids with severe ADHD who are also iPad babies and [their course load] is so difficult for their attention span.' Meanwhile, Mitchell Rutherford, a 35-year-old teacher who has taught for more than a decade, was one of those educators pushed to leave. He quit his job as a biology teacher at Sahuaro High School in Tuscon, Arizona, in May after becoming frustrated by his student's cell phone addiction - even after he went to great lengths to encourage less screen time. Mitchell Rutherford, a biology teacher at Sahuaro High School in Tucson, said the cellphone problem in classrooms got worse as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic 'Part of me feels like I'm abandoning these kids,' Rutherford said. 'I tell kids to do hard things all the time and now I'm leaving? But I decided I'm going to try something else that doesn't completely consume me and drain me.' He tried setting up a 'phone jail' in the classroom and even offered extra credit for those who limited screen time, but was met with apathy. 'I was beginning to think I was the problem,' Rutherford told the Wall Street Journal. Rutherford said that before the pandemic, students were more willing to listen to authority, have since told him they do not care about their grades. 'Part of me feels like I'm abandoning these kids,' he said. 'I tell kids to do hard things all the time and now I'm leaving? But I decided I'm going to try something else that doesn't completely consume me and drain me.' Many educators are flocking to TikTok to complain about the unchecked behavior of Generation Alpha kids in the classroom. 'I need to ask Millennials, why are your kids so awful? And more importantly, why do you think it's so funny. Your kids cannot read, they cannot write, they're ill mannered,' said one woman Alanna Dinh. Meanwhile, teacher Teresa Newman, who boasts 117,000 followers on the social media app, said students these days are 'missing the mark' on education standards, literacy and socialization. Teacher Teresa Newman, who boasts 117,000 followers on the app, agreed saying students these days are 'missing the mark' on education standards, literacy and socialization 'I need to ask Millennials, why are your kids so awful? And more importantly, why do you think it's so funny. Your kids cannot read, they cannot write, they're ill mannered,' user Alanna Dinh said @teresakayenewman Lets talk about Gen Alpha kids. Young teachers and Gen Z are recognizing their poor behavior and social/academic deficits why are we still trying to pretend like this is not a problem we should discuss? #teacher original sound - Newman Music Academy Gina Brillon, 44, a stand up comedian from the South Bronx, is seriously considering homeschooling her four-year-old son to circumvent the broken American school system. 'He couldve been put in preschool, but he was doing such a great job of having a thirst for knowledge on his own, and we have been taking it into our own hands to teach him things like music and math,' she told DailyMail.com. Brillon's conviction to homeschool grew even stronger after talking to a former New York Board of Education teacher who had chosen to homeschool her own children. 'She told me her homeschooled kids were further ahead than any of her students,' Brillon said. 'With homeschooling, you have the opportunity to choose courses and help your children and I just feel like its a better system because not all children learn at the same level and standardized testing is unfair for children who are not neurotypical.' Teachers are also noting the differences in learning styles, and some feel that it can be attributed to the pandemic. Gina Brillon, 44, a stand up comedian from the South Bronx, is seriously considering homeschooling her four-year-old son to circumvent the broken American school system 'He couldve been put in preschool, but he was doing such a great job of having a thirst for knowledge on his own, and we have been taking it into our own hands to teach him things like music and math,' Brillon told DailyMail.com Angelique Schoorens, a special education teacher who goes by the name Finally an EdED on TikTok, has taught for 14 years and studied teacher attrition, or turnover before educators reach the age of retirement, as part of her doctoral research at the University of New England. The Connecticut-based teacher said that throughout her research she has found the increase in negative student behavior directly correlated with the 'huge' student learning gaps caused by Covid lockdowns. 'You can't separate behavior from the academic when you're talking about middle schoolers, especially,' she said. 'A kid in a classroom who doesn't know what's going on, 10 out of 10 times they'd rather look bad than dumb.' 'Kids are acting out because they don't know what's going on in the classroom, and it's harder for them to be in the classroom than it is to be kicked out. Schoorens said the skills gaps between Gen Alpha and Gen Z 'are worse than I've ever seen before.' 'We have seventh-graders who don't know what town they live in and they've lived in the town their entire life. They don't know they live in the state of Connecticut. She continued: 'We have several students who couldn't identify incomplete versus complete sentences, and they weren't special ed students, they were regular students, ages 12 and 13.' She said the biggest difference between Gen Z and Gen Alpha, besides reliance on screens, is their inability to use technology for research. Angelique Schoorens (pictured), a special education teacher who goes by the name Finally an EdED on TikTok, has taught for 14 years. She said the skills gap between Gen Alpha and Gen Z is the worst she's ever seen Schoorens (pictured) said the biggest difference between Gen Z and Gen Alpha, besides reliance on screens, is their inability to use technology to research '[Gen Alpha] will just ask somebody, a lot of kids don't know how to find information even on their phones, which is very different from Gen Z,' she said. 'We had a really long stretch of around 12 years where you had students who were really proficient with technology tools. They might have been slightly prone to being distracted by them, but they could find a balance because they were able to use their tools for learning. 'I am not, seeing that in the last two years with the groups of students that I have. They are not able to use Google in a way to find information. They don't even know what questions to ask the search engine.' Other social media users were quick to agree. One anonymous Redditor wrote that of his class of 38 fifth-graders, 'only two were at reading level.' 'And we tested every three months. Many of them can't read most words and simply guess from context clues. Give them a brand new word, and they can't sound it out,' he added. Lou Haze, 26, has been a middle school teacher for the past four years - two in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and two in Belton, Texas. In an interview with DailyMail.com, she details the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to teaching Gen Alpha in the classroom. For example, Haze purposefully uses a fake name while teaching and keeps her face out of the yearbook so students cannot 'troll' her online. 'I haven't ever come across a student that has dreadfully hated me, but I have seen troll videos of teachers in our school,' she said. 'But I don't ever want to be that teacher that goes viral on TikTok by just a screenshot or something. 'It's very scary world, and it's just getting worse.' With the onset of artificial intelligence and the ever-changing technological landscape, Haze said Gen Alpha students are questioning whether or not the lessons their learning are relevant or have real-life applications. For example, they'll wonder whether there is any point learning how to spell if a voice-to-text application exists on their phones. 'The self-helplessness is atrocious,' said Haze. 'They don't know how to do for themselves because there is technology that can do for them.' As the first generation to have full unbridled access to revamped technology, Generation Alpha has become the scapegoat for what happens to students when their parents, mostly Millennials, replace discipline with distraction (Pictured: Angelique Schoorens and her students) On top of low morale, another April study revealed that 92 percent of leadership at public schools were concerned that their students were not meeting academic standards according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) (Pictured: Angelique Schoorens with her students) Adding that her students 'don't have critical thinking skills anymore,' Haze said that they could talk about their favorite superhero 'for hours,' but couldn't 'make a Powerpoint... write me a paragraph... write me a story.' 'They can't do that. It's so disconnected.' And with Gen Alpha's very real screen addiction and reliance on technology for dopamine, Haze said she has seen her students actively experience withdrawal symptoms. 'They will have tantrums and they will fight you for it,' said Haze. 'They'd rather accept the zero than do their work on paper, because there's no consequences - they'll go to the next grade regardless.' Gen Alpha students who are well below where they should be in reading, writing and arithmetic and don't pass their end-of-the-year state exams still move on to the next grade. And the classrooms are overpacked as it is, with some seeing more than 30 students per class. 'The sad truth is, most schools can't afford to retain children,' said Haze. 'I don't have anymore desk space in my classroom.' Haze said some of her Gen Alpha students lack enthusiasm, cut corners and do their assignments as quickly as possible so they can get back to their tablets. 'There's no incentive anymore for students because they know they're going to get passed on [to the next grade],' said Haze. 'There's no higher push to make them want more in life. 'When we were kids. It was like, you're going to college. You're gonna get your degree. You're gonna get a really high paying job. And you're gonna be successful. These kids are not surrounded by that anymore.' She continued: 'They can see what's around them, which is the internet. And they're like, 'I can make a video for 30 seconds and get money for that. I don't have to put in work and still get paid - that's a loophole.' The two billion-plus toddlers and pre-teens are already being cited for their illiteracy, unruly behavior, and an uncontrollable addiction to screens, raising fears over what is to come for the future leaders of the US Haze believes the reason so many veteran teachers are leaving is because they don't know how to adapt to new ways Gen Alpha learn information. 'There are veteran teachers that have been teaching for 20 or 30 years that are still using their old-school methods of teaching Gen Alpha - those are the teachers that are leaving because they refuse to adjust their standards to what is currently going on in the world.' Across social media, content creators often refer to Gen Alpha as the 'doomed' generation. But Haze remains hopeful. 'I definitely think we can save them but we need to figure out the best way to assist them,' she said. A former cop has left the internet stunned by accusing his late grandfather of being the notorious Zodiac killer. In a four-part series of TikTok videos, Jeremy Foy, 35, listed all the reasons he believes his grandad Richard Hoffman may have been behind the killings that rocked the Bay Area in the late 1960s - and remain unsolved to this day. The videos, which have since received over 11 million views, detail childhood anecdotes, physical similarities, and suspicious 'evidence' Foy claims to have uncovered. Foy explains how internet sleuths have been throwing his grandfather's name around as a potential suspect for years, fueling his belief in Hoffman's potential involvement. The most eerie example of alleged suspicious behavior Foy shared was an interview given by his grandad, also a police officer, for a documentary about the murders where he bizarrely describes one of the victim's bra 'fluttering' as she received CPR. Jeremy Foy , 35, has garnered over 11 million views with his four-part series alleging that his grandfather, Richard Hoffman, is the notorious Zodiac Killer Although the Zodiac serial killer claimed in letters to newspapers to have committed 37 murders, investigators believe there were seven confirmed victims - five who were killed and two who survived. The bodies of high school sweethearts, Betty Lou Jensen, 16, and David Arthur Faraday, 17, were found riddled with bullets on notorious lovers' lane roughly 40 miles northeast of San Francisco in Solano County on December 20, 1968. Just over six months later on July 4, 1969, Michael Renault Mageau, 19, and popular Vallejo waitress Darlene Ferrin, 22, were viciously attacked while parked in her car at Blue Rock Springs Park - another 'Lover's Lane' for local teens four miles away from the first murder site. Mageau survived the attack, providing crucial details to cops. On September 27, 1969, a masked assailant brutally stabbed college students Bryan Hartnell and Cecelia Shepard picnicking at Lake Berryessa. Then on October 11 of that same year, taxi driver Paul Lee Stine was fatally shot after picking up a passenger near Union Square in San Francisco. Unlike the previous killings, which occurred in Solano County, this crime took place in the city. The connection between Stine's murder and the earlier attacks wasn't established until the Zodiac Killer sent a letter to the San Francisco Chronicle containing a piece of Stine's blood-stained shirt. The case has also been connected, though speculatively, to dozens of other unsolved homicides - including the brutal killing of 18-year-old Cheri Jo Bates, who was found stabbed to death in an alleyway on the Riverside Community College campus on October 30, 1966. Police have investigated scores of potential suspects over the years but the string of murder cases remain unsolved - sending true crime fanatics into a frenzy. Now Foy has entered the fray with a new theory of his own. Betti Lou Jensen (left), David Faraday (center), and Darlene Ferrin (right) are three of the Zodiac killer's victims Cecelia Ann Shepard, 22, (left) and Bryan Calvin Hartnell, 20, (right) were relaxing on a blanket at a remote location by Lake Berryessa in Napa County on September 27, 1969 when attacked MAP: Zodiac murder map and possible new "clues" The Zodiac's final known victim was taxi driver Paul Stine (pictured). On October 11, 1969, in the Presidio Heights neighborhood of San Francisco, Stine unknowingly picked the killer up as a passenger He explained in his TikTok videos that his grandfather worked as a Vallejo police officer in California where the Zodiac killings occurred. When comparing physical appearances, Foy noted that his grandfather shared physical similarities with the forensic illustrations of the killer created using eye witness accounts. Foy goes on to describe watching a 2008 documentary, This Is The Zodiac Speaking, which showcases a series of interviews with surviving victims and the original investigators - including his grandfather. Hoffman was first to arrive at the crime scene where Darlene Ferrin was found murdered. He was wearing plain clothes and patrolling in an unmarked car near where the attack happened. Foy said he found it suspicious that Hoffman had claimed there were no cars in the area shortly before the shooting. He also alleged his grandfather had sent other responding officers away while he was tending to the scene. Meanwhile, he pointed out that Darlene's family received a call from a payphone outside of Vallejo police station revealing she was shot before cops were even informed of the murder. Foy then draws attention to his grandfather's alleged suspicious behavior when he discussed accompanying Darlene in the ambulance in the documentary. Hoffman said: 'During the ride to the hospital, and of course, her shirt or sweater, whatever she was wearing, was off. And each time that ambulance attendant blew air into her chest, there was a little piece of material from her bra that I could see - fluttered. With every breath he blew in into that girl, this piece of material would flutter.' Foy said he watched the 2008 documentary, This Is The Zodiac Speaking, which including interviews with the original investigators, his grandfather, and surviving victims, and found Hoffman's behavior to be suspicious San Francisco police circulated this composite of the Bay Area's "Zodiac" killer. At left is a drawing from witnesses to slaying of a cab driver in San Francisco. The amended drawing on the right was based on further questioning of the witnesses Foy also claimed Hoffman knew Darlene, who had rumored relationships with multiple Vallejo police officers, and had attended a 'house painting party' In the documentary, Hoffman acknowledged the rumors that were swirling around his connection to Darlene. While he said he knew of her and that she was a well-known waitress in the area, he said he had 'never laid eyes on her' prior to finding her body in the car. Darlene's sisters, Pam and Linda, told police they both remembered a "painting party" at Darlene's house months before her murder, during which a mysterious, well-dressed man caused Darlene significant fear. Foy claimed that Hoffman's appearance at Darlene's party coincided with her declaration of being "scared to death" of him. Meanwhile, survivor Mike Mageau, who accompanied Darlene on the ride to Blue Rocks Spring Park, said the pair had been followed all night by another car. In an interview, Mike said when he asked Darlene if she knew the driver, he claimed she told him the man's name was Richard and that if he ever found out she was talking to another man 'he would kill me.' In the original crime report, police wrote that the killer's potential motive was 'jealousy' and 'revenge,' based on the recollection Mike provided. Mike also recalled how he originally thought he was being stopped by cops at the time of the shooting as a police-like flashlight was shown into the back window of his vehicle. Meanwhile, Foy alleged that his grandfather was 'known to be abusive, controlling, manipulating, and also unfaithful to my grandmother'. He added that he had not spoken to Hoffman, who was his maternal grandfather, since his father gained full custody of him aged nine. Up until then, he said he spent every Christmas at his house. The "Zodiac" killer broke his silence Nov. 11 to boast in letters and cryptograms that he has now murdered seven persons. Two letters and a cryptogram were sent to the San Francisco Chronicle. Pictured: A photocopy of the cryptogram sent to the San Francisco Chronicle in 1969 by the Zodiac Killer Foy also suggests his grandfather's police reports included similarities with the Zodiac killer's letters - such as similar spelling mistakes. 'Something else about my grandpa, he was really horrible at spelling,' Foy said in the third installment of his TikTok videos. He claimed Hoffman and the killer both spelt the word until with a double L - 'untill'. And he suggests that the Zodiac killer's signature symbol, a crossed circle, corresponds to the letter D when deciphered which he believes could represent the first letter of his grandfather's nickname - Dick. He also notes similarities in the poetic language used by both the Zodiac Killer and his grandfather. The murderer's letters refer to a song titled 'Tit Willow' - which Foy claims includes lyrics that mirror how his grandad described the crime scenes. '[The song] states, when describing a man who's passing away, that he gargled out blood. If you watch this clip here from my grandfather giving a description of the scene, he uses the same type of statement - 'he was moaning and gargled out blood',' said Foy. In the documentary, Hoffman described Mike's state at the scene: 'I look down there. There was a young guy down there. Laying on his back. Obviously had been shot. He was reaching up towards me or the flashlight I was holding, kind of gurgling, obviously in pain.' Meanwhile Hoffman's police report he stated: 'I found [Mike Mageau] outside on the ground on his back...he lifted his arms upward as if imploring me for help...when he opened his mouth the call for aid, blood gurgled out.' Additionally, Foy points out the use of the word 'Dicky Bird' in the song, which he connects to his grandfather's nickname 'Dick.' Foy also notes similarities in the poetic language used by both the Zodiac Killer and his grandfather in the murderer's letters, his grandfather's police report, and his grandfather's interview in the documentary Foy recognized that there were common misspellings in my Hoffman's police reports as was in the Zodiac writings, notably, the word 'until' was spelled 'untill' in both the letter and the police report Investigators believe that the Zodiac Killer was linked to the murder of Cheri Jo Bates in 1966, two years before the killing spree had began Foy also draws attention to the case of Cheri Jo Bates, who was murdered following a study session at Riverside City College. A poem was scratched on the underside of a desk in the library that included graphic descriptions of violence against women and was titled 'Sick of living/unwilling to die'. It was signed with the lower-case initials 'rh,' fueling Foy's speculation that his grandfather, Richard Hoffman, was responsible. Meanwhile, a month after Bates' death, two identical letters were sent to local authorities graphically describing the crime. The anonymous author claimed to have known Bates beforehand. He wrote: 'Only one thing was on my mind: Making her pay for the brush-offs that she had given me during the years prior.' Foy then provides context for his theory that his points to Hoffman, claiming Bates had just moved to Riverside from Nebraska, where his grandfather allegedly lived previously. He added that both his grandfather and Bates' brother were in the navy. Since posting his TikTok videos, fans have begged for further updates, claiming they are 'so invested' in his tale. However, others are far more skeptical over his theory holding weight, with other more likely suspects previously named by case experts. A disabled Aussie nearing the end of a lifelong fight with a genetic disorder has asked for help to fulfil his final wish. Jake Vance, 33, has been wheelchair-bound since the age of 12 and more recently lost his sight and ability to speak clearly due to Friedreich's ataxia. His doctors only expected him to live until the age of 27 before succumbing to the rare, inherited disorder slowly destroying his nervous system. Mr Vance's carer for the past three years, Tuva Renholt, said that while he's a 'fighter', the loss of his sight has left him dejected. 'He doesn't like going out because he can't see, he doesn't like talking to new people because they can't really understand him,' Ms Renholt told Daily Mail Australia. 'So he's mostly just at home being super depressed, he's kind of hit rock bottom at the moment.' She said Mr Vance has a final wish to go on a road trip across Western Australia and Northern Territory to the places he lived and holidayed at with family as a kid. However, the carer revealed he receives barely enough financial support from the NDIS to cover 24-hour care let alone save for a trip, and has asked Aussies for help. West Australian man Jake Vance (pictured) has asked Aussies to help him go on one last road trip to retrace places he visited during his childhood before succumbing to a rare genetic disorder Ms Renholt said Mr Vance often lives vicariously through the lives of his team of carers. 'He just loves hearing stories from all of his carers' lives because he can't do much himself,' she said. 'After every weekend, he's like: "Tell me, what do you do? Did you go out?".' She added that Mr Vance is 'the strongest person I've ever met in my life' and doesn't know how he refrains from complaining despite being 'totally trapped in his own body and life'. The carer also noted that he often reminisces about the life he had before the disorder took hold. 'He's always spoken about going on a road trip back to all the places that he used to live,' Ms Renholt said. Mr Vance (right) has been confined to a wheelchair since 12-years-old with Friedreich's ataxia, which has in more recent times caused his sight and ability to speak deteriorate 'He has lots of mates that still live up there, so he's always wanted to go. 'But it's the money side of things, his family doesn't really have much money.' Keen for Mr Vance to experience one more trip, Ms Renolt helped launch a GoFundMe to help pay for a 'car and also expenses on the way'. She said his list of destinations included Canarvon, Gnaraloo Station, Keep River National Park, Coral Bay, Karratha, Humpty Doo and Broome. Ideally, Mr Vance wants to deck out a ute with camping gear so he can re-live the memorable parts of his childhood. Images from the time show Mr Vance as a kid standing and smiling while fishing in the ocean, before being confined to sit on the banks of the water in a wheelchair. The young man (pictured as a kid) wishes to go on one last road trip so he can re-live his childhood experience in some of the most pristine areas of WA and the NT Mr Vance's carer has appealed for help from Aussies as he's unable to work, only earns enough from the NDIS to cover 24-hour care and doesn't know how long he has left to live Ms Renholt said another reason for the trip is so Mr Vance can try and remember what they once looked like and revive memories from his childhood. 'He says that "If I go to all those places then I can kind of visualise what it looks like because I've been there before",' she said. A post to the fundraiser page by Mr Vance - with the help of Ms Renholt - said the trip is the 'one dream that I've always had'. 'Every weekend growing up was spent camping, it would be so epic reliving those memories,' Mr Vance said. 'But it's been challenging with the cost of living crisis and the limited disability pension. I'm struggling to reach my goal and I feel like time is running out. 'I dont know how long I have left to accomplish my dream, with my body deteriorating every day.' The fundraiser has so far received more than $2,000 in 10 days. The government's proposed new digital ID where a mobile phone will replace physical documents has sparked widespread concerns from security experts and non-Labor MPs. Government Services Minister Bill Shorten announced on Tuesday a $11.4million trial of a QR code mobile phone application that would replace a driver's licence card or passport to verify a person's identity. The Trust Exchange, or TEx program, will link to a person's myGov wallet, or the upcoming digital ID, to verify who a person is and provide requested information, such as proof of age to gain entry to a pub or club. Mr Shorten said TEx could be used to confirm a hotel reservation without the customer having to hand over a licence or other form of ID, and such uses could reduce the amount of information private businesses collect. In the case of someone needing to prove their age, the TEx could show the user was over 18 without revealing details like a home address. The technology could store and divulge information such as someone's date of birth, address, citizenship, visa status, qualifications, occupational licences or working with children check, and any other information held by the government. While Mr Shorten hailed it as a 'world-leading' means of identification when he addressed the National Press Club address in Canberra, others have fears over a person's entire identity being accessible on one device. Cyber-security expert Shara Evans said it could be risky putting 'all eggs into one basket'. Cyber-security expert Shara Evans issued a number of warning about putting too much data in one place 'I do like the idea of making it easy to verify identify without giving away personal sensitive details and having this sensitive data stored all over the place,' she said. 'However, this needs to be thought out very carefully with plans in place for full rapid identity renewal in the event of a data breach/compromise/lost consumer device.' 'I am always a bit concerned whenever a great deal of sensitive information is stored in a single place, irrespective of who is doing the collecting and monitoring, because there are just so many nefarious ways that information can be compromised.' Others raised privacy concerns, the relative ease of creating fake credentials on a screen versus a physical document, and what happens to those who want to opt out. However Mr Shorten was very positive about the new digital IDs. 'An ID as a Verifiable Credential would be a secure and very efficient way for a business to be certain of someone's ID,' she said. 'It will save businesses money as it will significantly reduce their customer on-boarding procedures and their data storage requirements.' Mr Shorten assured his audience it would be an 'opt-in' system where 'you choose what is shared, you consent to what is being shared and you can trust it is shared safely'. Government Services Minister Bill Shorten is trialling a new Government app that will verify identity without handing over a driver's licence or other such documents 'Whatever the case, online or in person, you choose what is shared, you consent to it being shared and you can trust it is safe,' he said. He said the proof-of-concept trial had already been approved with 'in principle support' by the Tech Council of Australia, the Commonwealth Bank, and employment platform, SEEK. 'Once it is in place, TEx will have countless applications,' Mr Shorten said. 'It has the potential to unleash innovation across our economy, creating opportunities in all sectors as well as for small businesses.' 'We're getting this moving and it is on track to happen by the end of 2024. Liberal backbencher Russell Broadbent, who was a vocal critic of the Albanese government's digital ID legislation, which was rammed through parliament earlier this year, said he feared an invasion of privacy. The Trust Exchange, or TEx program, will link to a person's myGov wallet, or by year's end the upcoming digital ID, 'His advisors would be telling him this is the future, this is the way to go,' Mr Broadbent said. 'Is he checking for unintended consequences? Issues around freedom of choice, freedom of information, freedom of association?' Mr Broadbent worried that using QR codes to enter venues, as was used by governments that issued Covid vaccine passports during the pandemic, could lead to people being tracked against their will. 'We are being subject to an invasion into our privacy that is unprecedented,' he said. 'It will be a further invasion into our privacy because they connecting all the information around an individual into one spot, which is acknowledged in his press release. 'If they are holding it all in one space then you've only got to crack that one space from a scammer or a hacker's point of view and you're into everything.' Mr Broadbent pointed out that despite giving assurance all information from the Covid apps would not be used for anything but tracking cases Western Australian police on two occasions used QR check-in data in their investigations. 'It's a complete violation of human rights,' Mr Broadbent said. Liberal MP raised concerns over whether the government's new tool could be used to track movements One Nation leader Senator Pauline Hanson said she was opposed to the new verification tool, which she called a 'dumb idea' 'Has Bill Shorten taken into account the full ramifications of human rights in this new process? 'We are not even in a pressure cooker at the moment. 'What if we went into a war situation, wouldn't they be allowed to check under wartime conditions anything? Any data that's available?' One Nation leader Senator Pauline Hanson also told Daily Mail Australia she opposed the move. 'One Nation has always opposed a national digital ID system and I'm also against this latest idea,' she told Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday. 'There's no guarantee about the security of this data. There have been countless data breaches this year alone, including the Medisecure data breach involving the personal details of almost 13 million people. 'What's stopping a clever person from creating a convincing QR code loaded with false data? 'What's stopping someone using someone else's phone? I don't see how this protects hospitality venues from fake IDs or from prosecution from serving alcohol to an under-age patron.' Senator Hanson said handing over a driver's licence was 'no less convenient to show a venue than holding a phone up to a QR code reader'. 'I think this is just another dumb idea putting Australians' personal data at risk, and another unnecessary cost to the taxpayer,' she said. Daniel Lewkovitz, who runs Sydney security business Calamity, said he was 'very cynical' toward any government claim that the measure will remain 'voluntary'. 'The government will keep talking about safety and protecting people but I would prefer they did a better job of enforcing our existing laws before introducing more legislation that will impact law-abiding citizens.' Mr Lewkovitz was also very sceptical about some of the measures claimed benefits. 'The funniest part of this is the suggestion it will prevent underage drinking,' he said. 'It's much easier to fake an image on your phone than it is to fake a plastic ID card and whilst security mechanisms may be built in to prevent this (as is the case with the already existing Service NSW Digital Driver Licence) I have observed that neither private security or police use these tools to verify the authenticity of the licence.' Mr Shorten in a Wednesday interview on ABC Radio National said that in order to build confidence in the took he asked the agency to use 'open source' coding. 'We will allow people to see what is the code that we've used to produce the software,' he said. 'Services Australia will still do the coding, I want to be clear about that, but I think it's important if we're building trust and that the consumer or the citizen feels they have control. 'It's about them that it'll be open source and that people can, with technical understanding, will be able to look under the hood and clarify that the system is working as we're describing.' A woman who went to the opticians after suffering from dry eyes has revealed how she has been left with just months to live. Rachael Burns, 22, from Northern Ireland, had been suffering from from migraines for several years, but noticed that her symptoms worsened after giving birth to her daughter Raeya, now aged one. Ms Burns was sent home from an opticians appointment with a 'dry eye' and given eye drops and glasses but noticed her condition worsened dramatically to the point that her face became lopsided. When she was unable to open one eye, Rachael was eventually referred to Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast. She shared how her 'world fell apart' after she was diagnosed with a brain tumour and given just one year left to live. A woman who went to the opticians after suffering from dry eyes has revealed how she has been left with just months to live Rachael Burns, 22, from Northern Ireland , had been suffering from from migraines for several years, but noticed that her symptoms worsened after giving birth to her daughter Raeya, now aged one Rachael said: 'I was told that the life expectancy of someone with my diagnosis was 12 months, and I had already been showing symptoms for eight. 'I just didn't expect to receive news that awful. I'd hoped to maybe have at least a year or two. This hugely affected me mentally. I just sort of crumbled.' After first experiencing painful symptoms in March 2023, Rachael had to spend a number of days in bed to ease the pressure in her head. She continued: 'Specsavers said I had ''dry eye'' and was doubly short sighted. I was sent home with eyedrops and glasses which just made me feel dizzier. 'My eyesight worsened, leading to me walk in front of cars due to the blind spot on my right side. I could no longer take my daughter out of the house on my own as I was so worried I would put her in danger. 'I felt like I was being dramatic, and this led to me waiting even longer to get help.' Rachael was finally diagnosed with a brain tumour in May 2024 following a referral to urgent care, but because the tumour is located on Rachael's brainstem, doctors are unable to operate to remove it. The 22-year-old is now undertaking 58 sessions of radiotherapy, consisting of 30 sessions on her brain and 28 sessions on her spinal cord. Rachael added: 'Some days I'll wake up and my legs won't work, and I'll be crying in agony for hours at a time with the pain. Rachael was diagnosed with a brain tumour in May 2024 following a referral to urgent care. Pictured with her younger brother Ryan Rachael and her family are now in the process of fundraising via GoFundMe to pay for potentially life-extending treatment. Rachael is seen here with her family 'My partner Robert has had to take over most of our daughter's care and it makes me feel so useless, like I'm already being stripped of a lot of my motherhood. 'Some days I can walk unassisted and I'm able to lift Raeya. All I can do is hope that I get as many good days like that as possible because memories with my family are all that matter to me now. 'I am not ready to leave my family and my baby. One year is not anywhere near enough time to get to experience the gift of motherhood and have it stripped from you. 'I'll never see Raeya walk down the aisle and for what? Just bad luck? It isn't fair. I may not get to take her to her first day of school but any extra days with her will be a blessing so I will fight with everything in me to wake up to her each morning. Rachael and her family are now in the process of fundraising via GoFundMe to pay for potentially life-extending treatment - and are already halfway to their goal of raising 150,000 to cover medical costs, travel expenses and accommodation. The ONC201 drug - which is given privately in Germany - has previously prolonged patients' lives by almost two years. She said: 'Something needs to be done to help people in situations similar to mine. 'There is not enough awareness and not enough funding put into brain tumour research when it is killing innocent children and young adults every single day and the world is going on as normal. 'If more people knew just how devastating the effects of brain tumours are on not just the person diagnosed but their entire family and everyone around them who loves them, maybe we could push for more options and more treatments as nobody deserves a fate this cruel.' Water flows out of one of the five gates into the San Jacinto River on Tuesday, June 22, 2021, at the San Jacinto River Authority spillway of the Lake Conroe Dam in Conroe. Before construction of the Lake Conroe Dam began in the 1970s, the area was considered pasture land. The lake, which turned 50 this year, was built as an additional water source for Houston. Mark Mulligan/Staff photographer Boaters traverse Lake Conroe, Thursday, July 13, 2023, in Conroe. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Boaters traverse Lake Conroe, Thursday, July 13, 2023, in Conroe. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Lake Conroe manager Blake Kellum walks on the new riprap installed on the dam by construction company Serco. All the riprap has been installed and the machine will be removed. Engineers completed the bulk of repairs March 10. The San Jacinto River Authority soon will be able to raise lake levels. Seasonal rains should help raise the water level in time for summer activities on the lake. David Hopper/For the Chronicle (For the Chronicle/Gary Fountain, September 14, 2007) Ryan Gordon, from left, and Scott Gordon of Gordon Partners, and Jim Winkler of Winkler and Associates, Inc., review construction plans for Waterpoint at Lake Conroe, a project that is under construction. Gary Fountain/For the Chronicle (For the Chronicle/Gary Fountain, September 14, 2007) Developer Scott Morgan at the location of his new project on Lake Conroe, called Playa Vista, which will break ground soon. Gary Fountain/For the Chronicle Workers construct two large water tanks which can hold 5 million gallons each as part of the water purification process at the Lake Conroe Surface Water Pilot Plant on Monday. The site is part of Montgomery County's Groundwater Reduction Plan, which will bring water usage in Montgomery county down to 70 percent of the 2009 levels. The plan is part of a state program mandated by the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District, which will require the state to reduce water usage to 70 percent of its 2009 levels. Jason Fochtman/AP Receding water levels expose shoreline pushing the water well back from lakeside boat docks as a prolonged drought takes a toll on Lake Conroe, Saturday, Sept. 10, 2011, in Conroe, Texas. ( Smiley N. Pool / Houston Chronicle ) Smiley N. Pool/Houston Chronicle Receding water levels expose shoreline pushing the water well back from a small island as a prolonged drought takes a toll on Lake Conroe, Saturday, Sept. 10, 2011, in Conroe, Texas. ( Smiley N. Pool / Houston Chronicle ) Smiley N. Pool/Houston Chronicle Works build a filtration station as part of the water purification process at the Lake Conroe Surface Water Pilot Plant on Monday. The site is part of Montgomery County's Groundwater Reduction Plan, which will bring water usage in Montgomery county down to 70 percent of the 2009 levels. The plan is part of a state program mandated by the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District, which will require the state to reduce water usage to 70 percent of its 2009 levels. Jason Fochtman Water flows from the Lake Conroe spillway after heavy rain from Tropical Storm Harvey caused the lake to rise on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in Conroe. ( Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle ) Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle The San Jacinto River Authority is releasing record amounts of water from Lake Conroe following heavy rains from Tropical Storm Harvey. Jason Fochtman at Waterpoint the new mixed-use real estate development on Lake Conroe. Waterpoint will have condos and retail space with shops and restaurants. The development is at Highway 105 and Tejas Boulevard.Boat docks are available for future residents and businesses at Waterpoint the new mixed-use real estate development on Lake Conroe. Waterpoint will have condos and retail space with shops and restaurants. The development is at Highway 105 and Tejas Boulevard. David Hopper/for the Chronicle The Waterpoint Shopping Center is seen along Lake Conroe, Friday, June 12, 2020, in Conroe. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Amaya Avarado enjoys play in a hamek during a visit to Lake Conroe Park, Saturday, July 6, 2019, in Conroe. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Chris Wallace, of Cold Spring, steers his boat onto its trailer at the public boat launch at the end of County Road 830 on Lake Conroe, Wednesday, June 13, 2018, in Willis. Wallace comes to Lake Conroe to fish twice a week during the summer time. ( Mark Mulligan / Houston Chronicle ) Mark Mulligan/Houston Chronicle Danni Smartini plays with her daughter Tristen, 2, during a visit to Lake Conroe Park, Saturday, July 6, 2019, in Conroe. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Boaters are docked along Waterpoint Marina on Lake Conroe ahead of Memorial Day weekend, Thursday, May 26, 2022, in Conroe. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer In his cowboy hat and boots, Carl Strong demonstrates how a redneck cools off. On a dare from friends, Strong waded into the water of Lake Conroe, about 40 miles north of Houston, to show how it's done. Texas is experiencing its worst summer heat wave since 1980, when the state had 42 consecutive days of 100-degree temperatures. Today's temperatures are expected to top 100 degrees for the 15th straight day. Ben DeSoto/Houston Chronicle The lighthouse at Harbour Town on Lake Conroe is a landmark for boaters using the lake. The lighthouse marks the entrance into the Harbour Town Marina. David Hopper/For the Chronicle Water flows out of one of the five gates into the San Jacinto River on Tuesday, June 22, 2021, at the San Jacinto River Authority spillway of the Lake Conroe Dam in Conroe. Mark Mulligan/Staff photographer Before construction of the Lake Conroe Dam began in the 1970s, the area was considered pasture land. "People ran cattle down here," said Harold "Ikey" Barrett, the former surface water operations manager for the San Jacinto River Authority. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The 90-year-old from Dobbin started working for the agency in 1958 and was referred to as the dam manager during the construction of the lake surveying the roughly 20,000-acre land that would soon be occupied by residents year-round. The lake, which turned 50 this year, was built as an additional water source for Houston. After a record-breaking seven-year drought during the 1950s, officials began making plans to build the lake as part of a reservoir-building boom. Texas decided to build several reservoirs to prevent water shortages, including Lake Houston, which was also built during this time. Lake Conroe was going to serve as an additional water supply to Houston, managed by the the river authority. SJRA, Houston and the Texas Water Development Board entered into an agreement to build the lake in 1968. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Only a few people owned property around where the lake was expected to be built, Barrett said. "We knew there was going to be development around here, but not to the extent of what has happened," Barrett said. Trees covered the surrounding area, said Jim Snyder, who was the project manager for the lake construction. "It was woods on this side and the other side," the 89-year-old from Lufkin said. "But down where the (San Jacinto) river...was just a big plateau, nothing but grass and palmetto plants...and water pockets all over." Advertisement Article continues below this ad A house that was vacated by previous owners was left untouched before the lake was filled with water, he said. "It was still there when we started the construction," Snyder said. "The people had moved out, the river authority owned it. And there was no intention of tearing it down." Both Snyder and Barrett agree that area has changed drastically. "It's just a thrill for me to be able to see it 50 years later," Barrett said. A historic Southwestern town once known for its wine festival and dramatic sunsets has been named America's most dangerous suburb by a new study. Bernalillo, New Mexico, established as a center for trade and agriculture during the Spanish colonial period, was given the unwanted title by SmartAsset as it grapples with sky high crime rates and excessive drinking. The personal finance website ranked 360 satellite towns to help property hunters find the best neighborhood, with safety a key factor for many families seeking their dream suburban home. Bernalillo, around 15 miles north of Albuquerque, scored particularly poorly on violent and property crime rates. Using data from the FBI and neighborhoodscout.com, SmartAsset found that the town of around 9,000 residents has a violent crime rate more than triple that of any of the other 360 suburbs included in the study. The town of Bernalillo, set against the Sandia Mountains of New Mexico, is the most dangerous suburb in the U.S., according to a new study by personal finance website SmartAsset Its property crime rate per capita was also almost twice as bad as the next worst, Capitola in California. The rankings also factored in road traffic deaths, excessive drinking among adults, and drug poisonings from County Health Rankings. The report defined a suburb as a community within a 15 to 45-minute drive from one of America's 100 largest cities, and with a population of at least 5,000. The safest suburbs were found primarily in the Mountain West, Midwest, and East Coast, while the most dangerous areas were predominantly in the South, according to SmartAsset's analysis. Rounding out the five worst suburbs were: Lumberton, North Carolina; Scottsburg, Indiana; Petersburg, Virginia; and Asheboro, North Carolina. New Mexico has long struggled with high crime. In 2022, the rate of violent crimes reported per 100,000 people was 781, compared to the U.S. average of 381, according to FBI data. It is a similar story for property crimes, where the state averages almost 3,000, compared to a national average around 2,000. The City of Albuquerque has recognized the problem, adding $13 million to its police department budget this year. A recent report by the New Mexico Legislative Finance Committee, however, found that city police were 'not effectively deterring or solving crime'. The issue has seemingly spilled over into its suburbs, with neighborhoods such as Bernalillo blighted by rising crime. Bernalillo is the historical center of New Mexico, with occupation reaching back almost a thousand years. Its Historic Railroad Depot is a standout cultural landmarks It was named as one of the seven 'most charming river towns' in the state by WorldAtlas.com this year, which cited the 'iconic' Our Lady of Sorrows Church as a top attraction House prices in Bernalillo have plunged by a quarter to below $300,000 in the last year. But its history and nature still attract wealthy homebuyers, with this luxury 3-bed property currently listed for close to $2million But the town may feel it still has something to offer, given its history and dramatic surroundings. Bernalillo is set at the northwest slope of the Sandia Mountains and hugs the bank of the state's major river, the Rio Grande. It is the historical center of New Mexico, with occupation reaching back almost a thousand years. It was named as one of the seven 'most charming river towns' in the state by WorldAtlas.com this year, which cited the 'iconic' Our Lady of Sorrows Church and the Historic Railroad Depot as standout cultural landmarks. For 27 years, it hosted the celebrated New Mexico Wine Festival during Labor Day weekend. But the event was corked in 2014 following dwindling attendances. It continues to hold the annual Las Fiestas de San Lorenzo every August, a celebration of the Mexican Matachines Dance. Despite its cultural attractions, high crime levels appear to have taken their toll on the local housing market. The median sale price of a home dipping below $300,000 last month, down almost a quarter on the same time last year, according to property website RedFin. The FBI crime data for Bernalillo only goes up to 2020, with SmartAsset relying on recent data from neighborhoodscout.com for its report. Lumberton, NC, is the second most dangerous suburb in the U.S., according to SmartAsset The rankings factored in violent and property crime rates as well as road traffic deaths and drug poisonings from County Health Rankings. Petersburg, Virginia, (pictured) was ranked fourth most dangerous The website, which analyzes crime and security data in communities across the U.S., found that Bernalillo was in the top 10 percent most dangerous cities in the country. It says the chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime in Bernalillo is 1 in 33 - one of the highest in the nation. Even in crime-ridden New Mexico, it has a crime rate higher than 87 percent of the state's other cities and towns. DailyMail.com contacted the town's mayor, Jack Torres, and its chief of police, Chris Stoyell, for comment. SmartAsset declared Lehi, Utah, as the safest suburb in the U.S. Located roughly 30 miles south of Salt Lake City, it had the lowest rate of excessive drinking as well as low rates of violent and property crimes. The other safest suburbs were: Bethesda, Maryland; Layton, Utah; Rockville, Maryland; and Great Falls, Virginia. Florida condo owners are slashing prices by up to 40 percent as they strive to dodge massive incoming repair costs. Some units have had almost half a million wiped off their asking price as safety fears trigger a wave of sell offs in what realtors have described as the worst real estate crisis in decades. One three-bedroom, two-bathroom condo in Saint Petersburg was listed at around $1.2million at the start of the year. But still without a buyer, the owner slashed the asking price first to $898,000 and last week to $715,000. State legislation brought in following the 2021 collapse of the Champlain Tower South in Surfside, Miame-Dade County, which killed 98 people, means hundreds of thousands of condo owners must now fork out hefty sums for previously neglected maintenance. This two-bed condo in Saint Petersburg, Florida, has been reduced from $1.2million to $715,000 amid a mass market sell off sparked by safety fears and rising owner fees Many could face fees greater than their mortgage payments, sparking a wave of distressed sales in the Sunshine State. Karen Shipman, who bought a second-story condo in Venice, Florida, with her husband for their retirement in 2021, said she was no longer sure they could afford to keep their home. 'I feel like it's paradise lost now,' she told ABC Action News. ISG World recently reported that there were 20,293 condo listings in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade in the second quarter of the year, up from 8,353 in the same time frame in 2023. Now DailyMail.com can reveal an estimated 360,000 property owners in south Florida alone - the home of the condo boom - may not be able to afford the repairs required by the new law. Joseph Hernandez, a property lawyer and partner at Bilzin Sumberg in the state, said many of these are already looking to sell their units at a loss before they are hit with huge repair bills. The problem they face, however, is whether anyone will want to buy them even at massive discounts given the strings attached. The Champlain Tower disaster lifted the lid on the widespread neglect of old condominiums, with associations postponing crucial repairs to save cash. It prompted lawmakers to introduce the SB 4-D Bill in May 2022, which requires all Florida condos aged 30 years and older to undergo an inspection by the end of the year. Condo owners and associations must start repairs and maintenance works flagged in the report within a year of receiving it. There were 20,293 condo listings in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade in the second quarter of the year, including this one in Surfside, which first appeared on Zillow for $699,000 in 2022 is now available for $545,000, a reduction of 22 percent This two-bed, 2-bath condo in Tampa has seen its price slashed from $515,000 to $449,900 since May, a 12 percent cut And in Naples, a two-bed, two-bath condo, also built in 1981, has seen its asking price cut by 21 percent from $439,000 to $345,000 since it was first listed last year Nearly 90 percent of the 20,000-plus units listed for sale in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade are in buildings aged 30 years and above. Last week, there were a total of 45,890 condos listed for sale on Zillow in Florida. Of these, 9,546 had a price reduction, according to Newsweek. Most of those cut price sales were in Saint Petersburg, Sarasota and Venice on the west coast and Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton and West Palm Beach on the south and east coast. The Saint Petersburg property that has slashed its price by 40 percent was built in 1975. It was highlighted on X by real estate expert Nick Gerli, who pointed out that the owner was selling their unit for less than they bought it for in 2020. 'Worst of all: check out the HOA [homeowner association] fee. $2,300/month. Ouch,' he added. Fees have surged by nearly 60 percent over the past five years in South Florida, according to RedFin data obtained by The Miami Herald. The rise is partly to cover the special assessment requirements under the new safety law. State legislation brought in following the 2021 collapse of the Champlain Tower South in Surfside, (pictured) which killed 98 people, means hundreds of thousands of condo owners must now fork out hefty sums for previously neglected maintenance With insurance premiums also soaring, the eye watering extra costs have prompted warnings of a 'mass exodus' from the market. Hernandez told DailyMail.com he expected there to be 'severe consequences' for thousands of condo owners, many of whom are retirees on fixed incomes. 'They are suddenly going to be in a position where they can't pay what is required of them by law,' he said. 'Condo associations will fall into distress because owners can't afford to pay.' He said many are already trying to flog their properties at huge discounts, adding: 'If you wanted to have a real cheap place to live for a few years you could probably come to Florida, but I don't know if I would do that.' Hernandez said it was unlikely condo owners would find individual buyers willing to take on the risk, but their saving grace could be developers who want to buy the underlying land - which in many cases is more valuable than the dilapidated units themselves. This, however, could also prove tricky as developers would be required by law to convince at least 80 percent - and more often closer to 95 percent - of unit owners in a building to sell in order to buy the land. But condo owners are seemingly still keen to try their luck on the regular market, with several listings on Zillow offering discounts of around 20 percent. The increased safety checks are pushing up Homeowners' Association fees, prompting many to sell A 1981 one-bedroom, two-bathroom condo in Surfside that was listed on Zillow for $699,000 in 2022 is now available for $545,000, a drop of 22 percent. In Naples, a two-bed, two-bath condo, also built in 1981, has seen its asking price cut by 21 percent from $439,000 to $345,000 since it was first listed last year. And in Tampa, a 1991 two-bed, 2-bath condo has seen its price slashed from $515,000 to $449,900 since May, a 12 percent cut. There are 1.5 million condo units in Florida, according to data from the division of condominiums. Around 925,000 of those are 30 years or older, of which around half are in south Florida. Of those, Hernandez estimates around 80 percent are in buildings that he describes as 'functionally obsolete' - in other words its owners have not built up sufficient reserves to pay for the repairs now required by law. That works out at about 360,000 units in south Florida alone. There is talk of intervention by Governor Ron DeSantis, although what form that will take is unclear. A years-long investigation into the Champlain Towers collapse revealed that faulty support columns in the tenant garage and adjoining pool deck caused the devastating destruction. Investigators determined that there was 'strong evidence' that pointed to the pool deck causing the collapse by destabilizing a support beam's base in the tower's lower level. After the structural failure of the beam, the tower section fell before a neighboring part of the condo tower collapsed onto that, the March 2024 report found. But the trip was marred by 'third-world country' scenes of 'smelly' toilet waste A family's day out at one of Britain's cleanest beaches took a grim turn after they were forced to wade through a 'waterfall' of urine. Broadstairs' Botany Bay in Kent is famed for its golden sands and striking white chalk cliffs. The holiday hotspot, located in Thanet, even holds the prestigious Blue Flag status for meeting high environmental and safety standards. But for Angela Abrahams who visited the beach with her two young grandchildren - it was far from summer fun. She described the experience as 'appalling' and said it left her vowing never to return. A family's day out at one of Kent's most beloved beaches took a nightmarish turn after they were forced to wade through a 'waterfall' of urine leaking from nearby toilets Angela told KentLive: 'We spent about four hours on the beach having the most fantastic time. 'Just before lunch, we decided to head off, intending to come back down after, but as we started to climb the stairs, we could see a cascade of urine coming down.' The family tried to avoid the worst of it, attempting to walk on nearby shrubs, but the deluge left them no choice. 'The smell was unbelievable,' Mrs Abrahams said, 'We had no option, and I cannot tell you how awful that was - it's appalling in this day and age.' The stream of urine came from public toilets at the top of the stairs which were overflowing on one of the busiest weekends of the summer. Botany Bay's Blue Flag status, one of the world's most recognised awards for clean and safe beaches, has been called into question by the state of the toilet facilities, which are located just off Marine Drive. Mrs Abrahams, likening the situation to 'a third-world country,' criticised the lack of investment in the beach's facilities. She added: 'It's all very well the council promoting and celebrating a Blue Flag beach, which is just amazing, but if you can't go to the toilet or even walk past the toilets, it's like a third-world country. 'You can't just have a beach, you've got to have facilities, and that toilet block is not fit for purpose. I wouldn't be surprised if people went away with something nasty.' Local resident Tina Hubbard, 71, echoed these concerns, fearing that the beach might lose its Blue Flag status if the issues persist. Angela Abrahams, who had travelled from Sutton with her family, described the experience as 'appalling' and said it left her vowing never to return Local resident Tina Hubbard (pictured), 71, echoed these concerns, fearing that the beach might lose its Blue Flag status if the issues persist The loos are often found in a poor state, with rubbish left on sinks and waste overflowing onto the floor Recounting a scene she'd witnessed while walking her dog, she said: 'It was a Saturday in the summer holidays; it wasn't actually that busy, but it's still too busy for two toilets that don't operate properly. 'I saw a mother trying to get down to the beach with her young children and she was carrying the baby and the little boy - he slipped and fell at one point in it.' She added: 'Thanet District Council made funds available for the renovation or restoration of toilet blocks on its beaches but Botany Bay didn't get anything.' Thanet District Council (TDC), which manages the beach, has faced criticism for failing to maintain the toilet facilities, which are only open from late March to September. However, even when open, the loos are often found in a poor state, with rubbish left on sinks and waste overflowing onto the floor. Thanet District Council (TDC), which manages the beach, has faced criticism for failing to maintain the toilet facilities In response, TDC acknowledged the issue and stated that a review has been conducted, leading to a 1.25 million investment to improve public toilets across the district. A council spokesperson said: 'There are plans to put forward a proposal to improve the public toilets at Botany Bay. If these plans are approved and funding secured, new accessible toilets will be installed, with work expected to start in 2025.' Despite these assurances, the incident has left a sour taste for visitors such as Mrs Abrahams, who concluded: 'I'm quite a frequent visitor, but I'm not going back again. 'The most important bit, the health and safety of people visiting, doesn't seem to be considered.' It comes after a school in Adelaide, Australia, has been forced to improve the conditions of 'dirty toilets' after its students launched a social media campaign to shame the school. Locals in Cornwall's poorest town are pleading with council chiefs to remove homeless pods they say have turned the town into a no-go zone. Residents and business owners in Camborne say large groups of street drinkers and drug addicts gathering have scared off visitors and given it a bad reputation. The 18-person site was opened in a town centre car park three years ago to reduce the number of homeless people occupying hotels and B&Bs. When MailOnline visited the town, which is just 20 minutes drive from wealthy holiday destination St Ives, this week several empty buildings in the town centre have been boarded up to prevent squatting and daubed with rude graffiti. Cafe owner Sharron Lipscombe-Manley said: 'The anti-social behaviour has escalated in the years the pods have been down there. Locals in Cornwall's poorest town are pleading with council chiefs to remove homeless pods They claim that since they have been installed they have turned the town into a no-go zone Residents and business owners in Camborne say large groups of street drinkers and drug addicts gathering have scared off visitors Camborne is just 20 minutes drive from wealthy holiday destination St Ives Private security staff have been brought in to walk the streets of Camborne in Cornwall 'People say the pods aren't the problem but it is bringing more alcoholics and substance abusers to the town. It's too much for a town of this size. 'The whole atmosphere has changed, it feels unsafe, there's lots of shouting and undesirables congregating in groups. People feel intimidated. 'It's 100% chasing customers off, people don't want to come around an atmosphere like that. 'Camborne has already got a bad name so they just think 'a few more won't hurt' but it's too many for this size of town. It needs sharing out.' Scott Manley called for wealthier Cornish holiday destinations such as Rock to open their doors to more of the homeless population He added: 'We feel like we are losing our town. 'They are more than happy to put these pods and rehab centres in Camborne but I bet you there are none in Rock, why don't they share it around? 'We're not against the pods anywhere but we're against the pods in the centre of town.' In a sign of decline, several empty buildings in the town centre have been boarded up to prevent squatting and daubed with rude graffiti Scott Manley has called for wealthier Cornish holiday destinations such as Rock to open their doors to more of the homeless population Camborne is now one of the most deprived areas of the UK with almost one in three children living in poverty In its heyday, Camborne was once the world's richest mining town but is now one of the most deprived areas of the UK with almost one in three children living in poverty. In 2012 a report to the government, external said: 'Following the collapse of the mining and associated industries in the 19th and 20th centuries the area went into a period of prolonged decline.' Earlier this year the town council was forced to recruit an army of bouncers and door staff to walk the streets as 'street marshalls' after residents complained police weren't doing enough to tackle the problems. A homeless tent city that was set up in the town's church yard has also since been removed. Lifelong Camborne resident Jo, 57, who was afraid to give her full name for fear of reprisals, said many of those causing trouble weren't genuine homeless people. She said: 'Camborne is a lovely town and the businesses are doing really well but they are just making it really uncomfortable for people so they are staying away. 'The genuinely homeless people you don't see them out and about, the people causing trouble don't want to be helped.' Earlier this year the town council was forced to recruit an army of bouncers and door staff to walk the streets as 'street marshalls' after residents complained police weren't doing enough to tackle the problems A homeless tent city that was set up in the town's church yard has also since been removed Cornwall Council has claimed there is no evidence linking the pods to problems in the town. But Jo described that as 'a load of rubbish'. Adding: 'We didn't have this trouble before this lot were brought in, it's encouraging others from outside to come in and socialise, you can't say they're not causing an issue. 'You see the graffiti going on in this town, I wouldn't have a business without shutters on it. I wouldn't get money from a cash machine outside because I've had it so many times people asking for money I just say 'no, you get more money than I have'. 'The system is wrong, they are getting so much and giving nothing back. They are untouchable, they're not afraid of being caught breaking the law because they have nothing to lose and they know it.' The pods are leased from specialist company Bunkabin and offer residents a bed, desk space, a microwave, shower room and television without the fear of short-notice eviction. However, one former resident 'Julie' described her 11 months there as a 'living hell'. She told CornwallLive: 'There were drug dealers sat outside in the car park a few weeks ago. It's all going on the police are constantly there, ambulances are constantly there. 'They're queuing up at 8am in the morning to buy their drink in town. I saw one guy covered in faeces for four days nothing was done about it. You couldn't walk past the pod for the stench.' Ferdy van Meurs has said a lot of people fall through the cracks in the area and are left homeless Some believe homeless residents are victims of a surge in house prices Similar pod schemes are also operating in Penzance, Newquay, Penryn and Truro. Other people in the town believe homeless residents were victims of a surge in house prices fuelled by second homes and losing out on rental properties was just the 'first domino to fall'. Ferdy van Meurs who is originally from the Netherlands but moved to Cornwall five years ago. He has been living in a budget hotel since losing his rented property in January and described the local housing situation as a 'clusterf***'. He said: 'There are a lot of people who fall between the cracks. A lot of people get into trouble because there is not enough housing. 'The council is doing what it can to help people. 'There is not enough support, when you are homeless you are in your own world and you are not capable of taking care of yourself. Somebody needs to be there to help them. Camborne resident Samantha Hussey, organised the petition because she is concerned about the safety of the town centre. She wrote on the site: 'I am concerned about the safety of our town centre. Rosewarne car park, once a regular car park, has become a hosting ground for homeless pods. Cornwall Council said there was no evidence anti-social behaviour in the town was linked to the pods 'This has significantly impacted the sense of security, discouraging people from visiting the town centre due to fear. 'Unquestionably, supporting the homeless is a crucial commitment, but there has to be an alternative solution which suits the interest of the homeless community without disadvantaging the residents. 'Our shared objective is a safer Camborne where residents and visitors can feel secure around the clock. For this reason, we call upon the local council to remove the homeless pods from the Rosewarne car park and consider alternative solutions like adequate housing facilities or established local shelters.' But Cornwall Council said there was no evidence anti-social behaviour in the town was linked to the pods and added the site is managed 24/7 and residents are risk assessed before moving into the accommodation and receive support with moving on from homelessness into long term homes. A spokesman said: 'Where evidence is available we will investigate any tenancy breaches and take appropriate action including eviction. 'There is a lot of work ongoing to tackle anti-social behaviour in Camborne through the Safer Cornwall partnership, including 340k of investment from the Safer Streets scheme.' A Canadian woman living in the UK has come under fire after expressing her distaste for some of our much-loved sandwich fillings. Keyona, 29, originally from Montreal, moved to London last year and has been documenting her experiences as she adjusts to British life on social media. In a recent TikTok video, uploaded to her account @overseaswithkey, Keyona explored the variety of pre-made sandwiches available at her local Tesco supermarket. But she was left unimpressed by what she described as 'strange' and 'weird' flavour combinations. The video, titled 'England's weirdest flavour combinations,' has since garnered over 8,000 views and attracted comments from Brits eager to defend our classic sandwich fillings. Keyona, 29, originally from Montreal, Canada , moved to London last year and has been documenting her experiences adjusting to British life on social media Keyona has been left unimpressed by what she described as 'strange' and 'weird' sandwich flavour combinations in the UK, including bacon and ketchup (pictured) Under the clip, the content creator added, 'Are these flavour combinations a bit off or is it just me?' but did not elaborate further on why she dislikes the fillings mentioned. Among the sandwiches that Keyona found unappealing was the tuna & egg Salad, with Tesco's variation including sliced egg, tuna, spinach, tomato, cucumber, and a butter bean crush. She also expressed confusion over the popular cheese & pickle sandwich, questioning why it didn't include mayonnaise and finding the upgraded 'Deli Style' version - with gherkins, pickled slaw, and mustard mayo - even more perplexing. Keyona was also baffled by the classic cheese & onion sandwich and the triple cheese option, exclaiming: 'This is a lot of cheese.' The smoked bacon & ketchup sandwich was another combination she found odd, but it was the prawn mayonnaise sandwich that she declared the 'weirdest one' of all, asking her viewers: 'Prawn and mayonnaise - someone explain?!' With over 8000 views on the video since its upload, dozens of Brits flocked to the comments to defend quintessentially British flavour combinations. One person wrote: 'Literally nothing strange about any of them. Tuna and egg like a nicoise and prawn mayo utterly delicious and totally normal.' Another fumed, 'Don't knock it until you've tried it,' as a third commented, 'Perfectly normal, I don't see anything irregular here.' Keyona expressed confusion over the popular cheese & pickle sandwich, questioning why it didn't include mayonnaise However, it was the prawn mayonnaise sandwich that she declared the 'weirdest one' of all, asking her viewers: 'Prawn and mayonnaise - someone explain?!' With over 8000 views on the video since its upload, dozens of Brits flocked to the comments to defend quintessentially British flavour combinations One Brit said: 'Cheese & pickle is one of the most common combinations you can get. I think you may believe it's pickled gherkins rather than sandwich pickle. Try it.' Another wrote: 'Cheese an onion is pretty common I grew up having it at home.' A third hit back by - incorrectly - poking fun at American cuisine, writing: 'This is coming from a country that puts cheese in a spray can? And marshmallows and sweet potatoes together in a pie? Pffft.' However, one American viewer also joined in on defending British sarnies, writing: 'As an American who has lived in the UK for 15 years, I can confirm that these flavours only seem weird for a minute before you realise they are [good].' It comes after another American living in the UK sparked a transatlantic divide among foodies after criticising how Brits prepare a classic lunch and dinnertime staple. Fly on the wall series Airline documented the goings on at one of Britain's newest budget airlines Easyjet. The now iconic show, which first aired in 1998, followed staff and often disgruntled passengers in both Luton and Liverpool's John Lennon Airport. Now, 17 years after ITV axed the show, it is enjoying a new lease of life on social media with excited millenials resdicovering the trials, tribulations and truimphs of popular staff members - as well as the outright despair of some passengers. We've all had frustrating situations at airports and some of us have had arguments with airline staff, but the beauty of Airline UK was there a camera there to document it. The show captured some of the most memorable British meltdowns in the pre Come Dine with Me era and many are as relatable now as they were then. And this week one clip has gone viral showcasing the lunacy of the show in all its glory. In the clip, a lady claims that she has been made homeless as she packed her car and door keys into a suitcase which is now lost The camera then panned to a member of EastJet staff who is unaccountably wearing tiger facepaint Just as youre digesting the lunacy of someone packing their car and home keys in their luggage the greatest thing thats ever happened on TV comes roaring around the corner. https://t.co/SDKgeDKZh3 Sachin Nakrani (@SachinNakrani) August 14, 2024 In the clip, a lady claims that she has been made homeless as she packed her car and door keys into a suitcase which is now lost. The camera then panned to a member of EastJet staff who is unaccountably wearing tiger facepaint. 'Just as youre digesting the lunacy of someone packing their car and home keys in their luggage the greatest thing thats ever happened on TV comes roaring around the corner', laughed one fan. 'I'm assuming there's some context to this but I kind of hope it was just never explained', said another. Although it has been off the air for the decades the show is still adored by legions of fans who periodically share clips. So, stripped of all their dignity and in all their glory, these are the best Airline UK passenger meltdowns of all time. The now iconic show, which first aired in 1998, followed staff and often disgruntled passengers in both Luton and Liverpool's John Lennon Airport In one of the clips, a scuffle for information emerges at the front of the desk and at the forefront is the bowler hat wearing Steven Williams who has a lot to say The 'agreement' It's New Years Eve but bad weather means there'll be no flights to Barcelona tonight. It's devastating news for the passengers, not helped by Easy Jet's nonsensical suggestion of booking them onto flights for January 1. A scuffle for information emerges at the front of the desk and at the forefront is the bowler hat wearing Steven Williams who has a lot to say. Williams, who sounds like he eats the dictionary of cockney rythming slang for breakfast demands to know who he can scrawl his complaint too. 'Who?', he bellows, 'Stelios? That prat!' After going round the houses for what seems like hours (and most likely was) Williams pulls out his trump card: his boarding pass. 'Excuse me mate, what's that?', he drawls, clasping the sheet of paper so tightly it begins to shake, 'it's an agreement mate, YOU GONNA HONOUR IT?' The EasyJet employee tells Mr Williams he is unable to honour it prompting another barrage of cockney insults and moans. Eventually, Mr Williams is transferred to the next days Madrid flight. His parting words? 'Adios amigo, Prat!' One French lady tried to foil Border Force by sneaking a very alive cat into her hand luggage Amazingly the woman had already flown from Paris to the UK with the cat in the bag The cat terrorist In the UK it's well known you can't take animals into the cabin with you, but perhaps rules are different in France? This can after all be the only explanation as to why one French lady tried to foil Border Force by sneaking a very alive cat into her hand luggage. 'EasyJet doesn't like cats', she explains, as she pulls the animal out of a zipped up bag, 'I prefer to laugh.' Amazingly the woman had already flown from Paris to the UK with the cat in the bag. She claimed that nobody had told her it was illegal in Paris but things get serious when EastJet informs her the cat will now have to go into quarantine. Fearing the worst, the woman attempts to flee the airport but is soon cornered by security and escorted back to the airport. 'Look at this! I am a big terrorist with my cat!' she shrieks, before muttering some absurdities in French. After a few phone calls, it is revealed that there was a problem with the security in France and the woman and her cat are returned to Paris. Another famous confrontation the EasyJet staff had to endure on the show was being berated by two Northern Irish people who were adamant it was the airline's fault they had turned up a day late to their flight 'Who's at fault here?' Another famous confrontation the EasyJet staff had to endure on the show was being berated by two Northern Irish people who were adamant it was the airline's fault they had turned up a day late to their flight. 'Get down off your high horse and listen to me', growls the woman, as the EasyJet check in member patiently explains she has made a mistake. 'Now who's at fault', the man intones truimphantly, 'the professional or the ordinary traveller.' 'The ordinary traveller.' 'Good! Lovely customer relations', he scoffs, aiming a sideways glance at the camera to express how unreasonable EasyJet's demand of turning up on the correct day is. After an excruitaing exchange in which the woman is repeatedly told she is at fault for not turning up for her flight she finally relents and agrees to pay 55 to fly the next day. 'There was no argument there' explains the EasyJet staff member, 'she's had the confirmation for months.' Well yes, quite. In Luton airport, it is bad news for one couple who claim they have been stuck in parking causing them to miss boarding for their flight to Nice 'You're supposed to make it easy, it says EasyJet!' In Luton airport, it is bad news for one couple who claim they have been stuck in parking causing them to miss boarding for their flight to Nice. Adamant they are being hindered by the airline, the furious and entitled couple demand to be boarded late arguing that if they aren't they'll lose a day of holiday. The EasyJet manager explains that it is too late to board them as the captain can't change his load sheet this late on. 'We could have been here had they ran a more effiecent service up their', the woman roars. 'You're supposed to make it easy, it says EasyJet!' begs the man, gesticulating at the logo wildly. 'It is easy if you get here on time', the manager snaps. The couple did not board the flight to Nice. After being told she was going to miss her flight this woman began madly squeaking The stunned EasyJet staff member can't help herself and mutters 'Christ' as the squeaking continues in an almost musical arrangment Squeak, squeak, squeak Missing a flight is one of the most frustrating things that can happen to anyone, but there are worse things that can happen so some perspective is needed. This perspective is certainly lacking in Luton airport when one teacher trainer is told she has missed her flight to Barcelona. When the woman is told she will not be boarding she begins to immediately scratch her head nervously. Then it happens. In the woman's mad grief she emits a sound, a high-pitched rythmic ejaculation. It rises higher and grows louder registering as an intermittent squeaky blip. She has become a human sonar machine. The stunned EasyJet staff member can't help herself and mutters 'Christ' as the squeaking continues in an almost musical arrangment. 'Please don't do this to me', she squeaks. They do it to her. It's Christmas time in Luton airport but one group of very important businessman have turned up too late for their flight to Amsterdam After ten minutes of arguing the men attempt to barge past security The storming of Luton airport It's Christmas time in Luton airport but one group of very important businessman have turned up too late for their flight to Amsterdam. Now if you know anything about very important businessman, you'll know their time is money, so little things like rules and regulations won't get in their way. The men claim that they have been told they can get on the flight even if they're late however an EasyJet manager quickly confirms this isn't the case. 'We are going to be on the flight!', roars the man, pointing his chubby fingers directly into the face of the mannager. After ten minutes of arguing the men attempt to barge past security. They are of course quickly stopped. 'We will be arrested', the man says, looking more shocked than he should be. Amazingly the men actually ended up boarding a plane to Amsterdam that night. Huw Edwards sexually assaulted a man in the toilets of an exclusive private members club - and then bragged that he liked the danger of getting caught when urged to stop, MailOnline can reveal. The shamed BBC star faces a possible jail sentence after pleading guilty to making indecent images of children, which included two sexual videos of a boy under nine. But before details of his vile crimes emerged, leading to his dramatic fall from grace, Edwards, 62, met up with a man behind his wifes back and aggressively groped his penis while he went to the toilet during a lunch date. Father-of-five Huw befriended the man on Instagram and before their second lunch date text him: You are getting assaulted later Im so f****** horny its indecent. A man has revealed that Huw Edwards sexually assaulted him in the toilet of the Ivy Members Club in the West End of London in 2022. Pictured, Edwards leaving Westminster Magistrates' Court in July Edwards sent a WhatsApp message to the man saying 'you're getting assaulted in the Ivy' In an exclusive interview, the man told MailOnline about the sex attack he suffered in the high-profile Ivy Members Club in the West End of London as they had lunch there in January 2022. The man started following Edwards, who earned 475,000-a-year as one of the most recognisable faces on British television, anchoring national events like the general election and the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, on Instagram in early 2021. He was aged 27 at the time and almost immediately got a direct message back from the BBC star saying Welcome. Huw Edwards stripped of ambassador role at top Welsh synagogue By Jon Brady Huw Edwards has been stripped of his ambassadorial role at an historic Jewish synagogue as the fallout from his conviction continues. Edwards was only installed as patron of the Welsh Jewish Heritage Centre, a restored grade II-listed building in Merthyr Tydfil, two years ago. The organisation said: 'Huw Edwards is no longer a patron of the Merthyr Tydfil synagogue project and therefore no longer has an association with our organisation.' Edwards gave his backing to the project after spending years as an advocate for the upkeep of places of worship in Wales. Michael Mail, chief executive of the foundation, said in 2022 Edwards' backing had been a 'major boost' to the conservation scheme. Since being convicted of making indecent images on July 31, Edwards has lost positions with the National Churches Trust and the Gorsedd of the Bards - one of Wales' greatest public accolades. Cardiff and Bangor Universities have said they are reviewing honours granted to him in the past, while Cardiff Castle has removed a plaque bearing his name and has removed him from its audio tour guide. He was also removed from a mural in his hometown of Llangennech by painter Steve Jenkins, who said the news of Edwards' conviction had been a 'bitter pill to swallow'. Advertisement After a few weeks of exchanging Instagram messages, the two then swapped phone numbers and started using WhatsApp to communicate. Speaking about his encounter, the man said: Huw followed me into the toilets of the Ivy Club where we were eating and while I was standing at the urinals, he grabbed my penis and attempted to masturbate me. I backed away. I was very shocked because this was not in a cubicle, it was in the open urinals area. Anybody could have walked in. I asked him: What are you doing? Please stop. But he just kept on saying: I like the danger of getting caught. And then he said: I love you. He went on: One of the most shocking things was how brazenly aggressive he was. I think he got off on the fact that he was a powerful figure and that he could get away with grabbing me in the toilets like that. MailOnline has also seen a series of WhatsApp exchanges in which Edwards, once considered a national treasure, sends the man raunchy messages and explicit pictures of his private parts as well as other photographs of himself. Astonishingly, a brazen Edwards boasted about what he planned to do during the Ivy lunch date. As they made arrangements for their meeting, Edwards bragged: Youre getting assaulted in the Ivy. He then added: Im so f***ing horny its indecent. The man said he still agreed to go to lunch because he was in awe of the BBC star and was star-struck by his fame. Other messages underline the sexually-charged communication between the two men with Edwards in one exchange urging his younger companion not to wear any underpants for their date - but joking that he must wear them because he is on BBC news later that night. Edwards wrote: See you at 1pm beautiful boy xxx. The man responded: See you then xxxx. Ivy club is just smart casual and not shirt and tie right? He then joked: No pants policy x. Edwards replied: Yes but I have to wear some or tonights Ten could be my last. As for you its non-negotiable. In another message, he asked: And when do I get you in my bed. In another series of messages Edwards wrote: Sorry to say this...ButIts unavoidableI f**king love you *** Edwards also revealed his obsession with the man in other messages, writing: Anyone eying you up Ill kill them. Youre mine. Seriously feel very possessive about you. In other Whatsapp messages Edwards declared his love for the man, then 27 Disgraced BBC star Edwards admitted three counts of making indecent pictures of children between 2020 and 2022. Pictured, arriving at Westminster Magistrates' Court in July In court last month, the disgraced veteran broadcaster was found to have received 377 pictures and video clips, including 41 of children. They included seven category A images, the most serious, two of which showed abuse involving a child aged about seven and nine. He kept seven category 'A' images on his phone after being sent them on WhatsApp by a paedophile called Alex Williams. The man said: When I heard the news hed pleaded guilty to having images of underage children on his phone, I felt physically sick. Any modicum of sympathy I once had for Edwards is long gone and I feel ashamed to have ever met him. Recalling further details of his lunch with Edwards at the Ivy, the man claimed that prior to being aggressively groped in the toilets the newsreader had been overly tactile and that he constantly had to fight him off as they ate. He said: As we were eating, he was being very touchy, feely. He was touching my arm, legs and getting very close. I kept on batting his hand away. It was quite embarrassing because it was Huw Edwards, and everyone was looking over. I kept on asking him: What are you doing? And he would reply: I like the danger of getting caught. His tone was playful, but it was also quite aggressive. He added that over that lunch Edwards also offered to regularly pay him money or his rent and that the two also discussed hiring a room for the night. The man said: I felt as if he wanted a toy boy, but I wasnt interested in that. During the lunch he said things like: Im in love with you; Im your boyfriend now; Anyone looks at you, I will kill them. Following the incident in the toilets, the man said that he returned to his table with Edwards as if nothing had happened but after they left the Ivy, he decided that he no longer wanted to meet him. Their first date took place in May 2021 at the Langham Hotel, close to BBC headquarters in the West End of London where they had drinks for two hours in its plush bar. It ended amicably and the two men continued to maintain contact via WhatsApp. They had also spent the weeks leading up to their first meeting exchanging WhatsApp messages. The man said Edwards groped his penis when he went into the toilet at The Ivy in the West End of London (Pictured, The Ivy) Edwards was arrested on November 8 last year and charged on June 26. Pictured, he arrives at Westminster Magistrates' Court in July The man said: In the messages, it was clear that Edwards was trying to introduce a flirtatious tone. One of the first messages he sent me was accompanied by a love heart. After a while, we arranged to meet in the bar of the Langham. The man, who is gay, admitted that he fell for Edwards false charm and quite fancied him. He added: I was looking to have a normal relationship with him. I fancied him all the way until I met him. I was excited to meet someone I looked up to which is why I went on those first two dates. I have a thing for older guys. Hes very charismatic and someone I really liked as a journalist and TV presenter. The main continued: Naively, I just wanted to go on a date with him. I was single at the time, and I was excited to meet him, it felt quite surreal that he messaged me on Insta and that we were meeting. We ended the first date on a positive note. I would not hear from him for several weeks and then he would contact me out of the blue and eventually we met for a second time. Edwards spectacular fall from grace started in July 2023 when a mother claimed in the national media that a BBC presenter, who was not named, had paid her child 30,000 for explicit photos which he used to fund a serious drug problem. She claimed that this went on for over three years, beginning in 2020 when the boy was 17. With speculation increasing over the identity of the BBC presenter, just days later, Edwards wife, Vicky Flind astonishingly named him as the person at the centre of the allegations. Five other people, including three BBC employees then came forward claiming they had received inappropriate messages and pictures from Edwards, signalling the beginning of the end for one of the corporations leading names. He was arrested on November 8 last year and charged on June 26. He resigned from his role at BBC three months ago having kept news of his arrest a 'secret' from pals, according to former colleagues. The father-of-five moved out of the family home in Dulwich after separating from his TV producer wife following his arrest. Edwards is due to be sentenced at Westminster Magistrates Court on 16 September. In his defence at last months hearing, Philip Evans KC told the court that Edwards did not keep any images, did not send any to anyone else and did not and has not sought similar images from anywhere else.' He added the broadcaster had 'both mental and physical' health issues after pleading guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children. But the man who was targeted by him at the Ivy insisted that he has also been left mentally distraught by the incident and regrets not reporting it to the authorities at the time. He said: The whole thing messed with my head and left me very upset. But I believe that was his intention. It was overwhelmingly predatory. After that incident, I realised that I didnt want to engage with him anymore. He added: The whole thing was very overwhelming, and I was uncomfortable speaking about it, although I did share what happened with close friends. I should have contacted the BBC or the police at the time-that was my mistake. I got on with my life but seeing all this stuff come out now, I know what hes like. Thats why I feel comfortable speaking about this. Edwards was approached for comment. A journal that could hold vital clues to the final weeks of a teacher's life before she was found with 20 stab wounds has not been returned to her parents 13 years later. Ellen Greenberg, 27, was found dead on the kitchen floor of her apartment in Philadelphia in the middle of a blizzard on January 26, 2011. She had 10 stab wounds to her neck and the back of the head, and 10 to her stomach, abdomen and chest with a 10-inch knife still plunged into her heart. Assistant Philadelphia Medical Examiner Marlon Osbourne initially ruled her death a homicide, but changed it to suicide after a meeting with police and prosecutors. Greenberg's parents, Joshua and Sandee, said authorities still hadn't returned her possessions, including a journal she kept in the final weeks of her life. 'We've never even seen it, we have no idea what's in it,' Sandee told DailyMail.com. Ellen Greenberg was 27 years old when her fiance Sam Goldberg found her dead in the kitchen of her Philadelphia apartment on January 26, 2011 Greenberg's parents Joshua and Sandee have spent the 13 years since, and hundreds of thousands of dollars, trying to reverse the death certificate change to suicide 'They're convinced it's a suicide, and suicide is not a crime. Why are they holding property that doesn't belong to them?' Joshua and Sandee have spent the decade since Greenberg's death, and hundreds of thousands of dollars, trying to reverse the suicide ruling and last month had a major victory in that effort. The grieving mother said she tried many times to get Philadelphia police and the medical examiner's office to give the journal back, but was refused. 'I've run into a dead end with the police, I've asked for it many times but they don't answer me, so I've kind of given up a long time ago,' she said. Sandee said she only knew the journal existed because one of the employees at the medical examiner's office told her about it on the night of her death as he was recounting how many anxiety pills Greenberg had left. She explained Greenberg was told to keep a journal by her therapist to 'explain how she was feeling', so it only covered the last few weeks of her life 'but the most critical'. Greenberg's fiance Sam Goldberg told police he broke down the door, which was locked from the inside, found her, and attempted CPR while on the phone with 911 Greenberg's parents said authorities were also yet to give back many of her other possessions such as her clothes, boots, glasses and devices. The case was handed over to the Chester County District Attorney's Office in 2022 after then-governor Josh Shapiro recused himself. But it is not known if Greenberg's possessions were moved and which agency now has possession of them. DailyMail.com contacted all of them to find out where the journal is and why Greenberg's parents don't have it. Greenberg's parents also said someone cashed her tax return, which Joshua and Sandee filed after her death, but they were unsure who. The journal existed because Greenberg began feeling nervous and anxious in the months before her death. Friends told her parents that they too noticed a change, and that she increasingly deferred to fiance Sam Goldberg on decisions she would once have made for herself. Goldberg told police he broke down the door, which was locked from the inside, found her in a pool of blood, and attempted CPR while on the phone with 911. Joshua earlier explained to DailyMail.com that his daughter wanted to quit her job, leave Goldberg and move back to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, with her parents. Her parents made her a deal that she could come home if she saw a psychiatrist about what was troubling her, and she agreed. Psychiatrist Ellen Berman saw Greenberg three times, diagnosed her with anxiety, and prescribed her Ambien and Klonopin - but was very clear that she wasn't suicidal. 'Sandy and I both believe Ellen was going to go home that day,' he said. 'She had taken off the engagement ring, had packed up her makeup, which was very valuable to her, and she was planning to leave. 'And I think things didn't work out well, and she never made it home.' Ellen's parents Sandee and Joshua Greenberg tell DailyMail.com they have 'a mountain of evidence' to prove their daughter was murdered Greenberg's parents have fought for years to get her manner of death in the autopsy report and death certificate changed from suicide to homicide or undetermined. After amassing a wealth of evidence pointing to homicide, they sued the ME's office and Osborne in 2019 but were rejected by the Commonwealth Court last September. But the Pennsylvania Supreme Court last month granted their request to hear an appeal as a 'matter of statewide importance'. The couple filed a second lawsuit in October 2022 claiming a coverup by police and the medical examiner's office amounted to intentional infliction of emotional distress. They claimed police committed major blunders in the first days after Greenberg's death that 'embarrassingly botched their investigation'. Instead of continuing with the homicide investigation, they instead conspired to cover it up by having her death ruled a suicide, the lawsuit claimed. New documents filed in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas on Thursday were in response to motions by the defendants to dismiss the case. They accused the defendants of asking the court to 'whitewash their conduct and perpetuate the concealment of their criminal misdeeds without taking responsibility for their abhorrent wrongdoing or the severe harm attributable to their unspeakable criminal actions' by dismissing the case. The alleged cover-up was 'orchestrated' by Sam Gulino, Philadelphia's then-Chief Medical Examiner, and police including Sergeant Tim Cooney and Detective John McNamee. Then-assistant ME Marlon Osbourne, who performed the autopsy, and pathologist Lyndsey Emery were 'drawn willingly into the conspiracy', the document claimed. 'We're smiling, we're very optimistic... I hope we're making our daughter proud. There's been a lot of frustration, but we haven't given up,' Sandee said The documents accused them of 'heinous acts' and 'unforgivable misconduct', and claimed the case had cost Greenberg's parents $600,000 and counting. Their lawyer Joseph Podraza wrote in the filing that the cover up spanned years, and was only discovered during depositions for their other lawsuit in 2021. '[Her parents] believed Ellen's manner of death was predicated on a misunderstanding by the Medical Examiner's Office or, at worse, a difference of opinion,' he wrote. The lawsuit explained how police failed to properly secure the crime scene, and did not take Goldberg's clothes or photograph him despite the blood on his hands. Goldberg previously told authorities he broke down the door, which was locked from the inside, found her and attempted CPR while on the phone with 911. However, the interview with Goldberg was delegated to non-homicide detectives with the assumption her death was a suicide. Then on January 27, police let Goldberg's family into the apartment unsupervised to take property, and had a crime scene cleanup crew sanitize it before they arrived. Osborne did not find the 10 stab wounds in Greenberg's neck and back of her head and realize it was a homicide until later that day, by which time CSU had little to work with. Soon after Osborne called Greenberg's death a homicide, police 'spread misinformation' in the press to 'perpetuate the myth of Ellen's death as a suicide'. The documents claimed this was to 'deflect attention away from PPD's grossly substandard work, which they never disclosed'. Gulino said he and Osborne were then summoned to an 'unusual' meeting with the police and DA's office. '[It's] clear that they were presenting information because they felt that the manner of death was different from what had been ruled,' he said in depositions. Joshua said the family would change a longstanding precedent if it won, and hoped Greenberg's cause of death would at least be changed to 'undetermined' The documents claimed police gave the pair information they knew to be false to pressure Osbourne into changing his homicide determination. 'Gulino supported changing the manner of death from homicide, warning Osbourne that "if it remains homicide, someone could be unduly incarcerated and/or wrongful charges adjudicated against them",' they claimed. The lie, the documents claimed, was police claiming they confirmed a doorman was with Goldberg when he broke the door down - despite him never saying so. This became a pivotal moment in the case and was a key factor in the manner of death being changed to suicide. '[It] was important to find out if it was broken, if anyone was there to see it be broken, or is it just the story we're getting from the decedent's boyfriend that it was broken by him,' Osbourne said in depositions. '[It] doesn't seem like anyone else could have been in the room to inflict those injuries other than Ms. Greenberg herself, and that is how I came to the conclusion of suicide.' But the doorman, Phil Hanton, submitted a signed statement saying he wasn't there and never left his post as he was the only one on duty. Cameras in the building also showed Hanton did not go upstairs with Goldberg. Goldberg told police he had gone to the gym downstairs about 4.45pm and couldn't get back inside the apartment when he returned half an hour later Goldberg is now a married father-of-two working as a film and TV producer in Manhattan. He married Caroline Fay Shnay, the daughter of well-off real estate agents, at the Plaza in New York City on January 11, 2014 The documents also claimed Osborne fabricated a story about taking a section of Greenberg's spinal column to renowned neuropathologist Lucy Rorke-Adams. Bizarrely, he claimed he put it in a jar and walked it through heavy snow to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, where Rorke-Adams worked. Osborne claimed she looked at it and could see the spinal cord itself wasn't cut, so Greenberg wasn't paralyzed and could have kept stabbing herself. However, Rorke-Adams never billed for the consultation or wrote a report, and years later said she had no memory of the entire episode. 'Osbourne's claims about Rorke-Adams are phony, as a jury could reasonably conclude,' the documents argued. 'Even Gulino knows this and, at different times over the years, expressed skepticism to others about Osbourne's claims of Rorke-Adams' involvement.' 'Without the lies, Osbourne could not walk back his determination Ellen was murdered based on the overwhelming medical evidence of homicide obtained at her autopsy.' Gulino was so skeptical of Osborne's story that he secretly had Emery examine the section of Greenberg's spinal column kept in storage. Emery told the deposition that the wounds on the spinal column and the dura didn't have any hemorrhaging around them. 'Lack of hemorrhage means no pulse,' she said. 'There is no hemorrhage. There is no tissue injury, which I know, then, by looking at it under the microscope. 'So I have all of this evidence that says there is no - there's no hemorrhage or reaction to any of these changes in the spinal cord.' Podraza replied: 'So what you're saying is, Ellen would have been dead when this was administered?' Emery confirmed, 'Yeah'. Greenberg's body was also covered in 11 bruises on her arm, abdomen, and leg at varying stages of healing, which her father claimed had to be from abuse over a long period of time The documents explained she told Gulino about her findings and told the deposition 'he ordered her not to write a report or otherwise record the findings from her examination'. 'They instead concealed Emery's findings, content with misleading the world and Ellen's family into believing Ellen's death was a suicide,' it claimed. 'Allowing a murderer(s) to remain free, and without a thought about the severe emotional consequences they were inflicting on Josh and Sandee, parents who were and are desperate to know why their only child died so gruesomely.' Gulino claimed he intended to record Emery's findings in a written report shortly after Emery shared them, the documents stated. But he didn't because he was 'specifically instructed by a Philadelphia solicitor not to prepare anything in writing' because the Greenbergs had filed a lawsuit. Gulino also 'does not deny telling the officers that he was inclined to amend Ellen's manner of death to something other than suicide but was instructed not to by a City's Solicitor'. A month after Emery's deposition, she made a written declaration saying she didn't fully grasp the scope of the question and there were three more reasons there could have been no hemorrhaging. Podraza and Greenberg's parents don't buy it, with the documents calling it 'a sham, a fabrication contrary to Emery's sworn testimony'. 'The declaration is merely a poor attempt at subterfuge to cloud Emery's unambiguous May 11 testimony on the 1.1cm wound,' it claimed. A crime scene analyst hired by the family noted that Ellen had been moved. She was found seated on the floor, propped up against kitchen cabinets, yet a streak of coagulated blood ran in a horizontal line from her nose to her ear This graphic shows knife wounds Ellen suffered to her neck and chest, that pierced her brain and severed her spinal cord The documents explained Emery's deposition was the first time the Greenbergs realized there was a cover up, a decade after her death. '[They] learned that no matter how compelling or conclusive their evidence, these officials would never allow Ellen's manner of death to be changed,' it claimed. Joshua vented his frustration at the city sending an army of lawyers to block them at every turn. 'We have had to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars and 13 years trying to get justice for our daughter,' he told DailyMail.com. 'And it could have been handled right away without spending a hell of a lot of money and a lot of time. 'How much is the city spent on this? How much is the city wasted, time wise, where they could be doing more beneficial things to the citizens of Philadelphia and the state of Pennsylvania? 'What they're covering up, I don't know. Are they covering up police inadequacy and mistakes? Are they covering up some other personality or person? 'I don't know, but it's a cover up. There's a mistake somewhere here, a big f**king mistake.' Another graphic show's Ellen's spinal cord had actually been severed and her brain pierced in two forceful stabs to the neck. She could have neither defended nor harmed herself after those blows Greenberg's parents spent years conducting their own investigation with private detectives, several pathologists, and photogrammetry recreating each of the 20 stab wounds. 'This is not something we thought, in a million years, we would ever be doing or would ever happen. We thought there was a very bright future. We were planning for future generations never expecting her life to end like this,' Sandee said. 'It took years for us to piece this together. At the beginning I was sitting up at night looking at reports with a centimeter ruler trying to figure out how that really translated into how shallow or deep the incisions were on my child's body. 'We realized we needed to get experts to help us do this so that's what we did.' DailyMail.com conducted its own investigation in 2020, speaking with the experts the Greenbergs employed along with others - all of whom agreed the case wasn't as open and shut as authorities insisted. Much of the suspicion has fallen on Goldberg, who is now a married father-of-two working as a film and TV producer in Manhattan. He has never spoken publicly about his fiancee's death, and never been outright accused of causing it. 'Police murder investigations usually start with the people who are closer in relation to the victim,' Joshua said. He added that given the number of wounds, there could have been a second attacker with a murder weapon that was never found. Ellen had been stabbed ten times in the back of her neck and head and ten in her stomach, abdomen and chest and a knife was still plunged in her heart Greenberg's body was also covered in 11 bruises on her arm, abdomen, and leg at varying stages of healing, which her father claimed had to be from abuse over a long period of time. 'I think those those injuries are crucial to the whole thing,' he said, adding that covering up the abuse could be a motive for murdering her. Joshua said his daughter's behavior changed and she wanted to quit her job, leave Goldberg and move back home with her parents, and they had agreed to take her in. 'Sandy and I both believe Ellen was gonna go home that day,' he said. 'She had taken off the engagement ring, had packed up her makeup, which was very valuable to her, and she was planning to leave. 'And I think things didn't work out well, and she never made it home.' Police claimed the bruises were likely from playing contact sports, or doing yoga or pilates - none of which Greenberg did. 'The whole thing is baloney,' Joshua said. Greenberg's parents also insisted she was not suicidal, but she was nervous and anxious in the weeks leading up to her death. The door had a swing lock that Greenberg's family said was barely damaged and not in the right way for it being kicked in Sam Goldberg (right) is seen with friends and family in a 2009 Facebook photo posted by his sister Friends told her parents that they too noticed a change, and that increasingly she deferred to Goldberg on decisions she would once have made for herself. Her parents made her a deal that she could come home if she saw a psychiatrist about what was troubling her, and she agreed. 'Ellen's behavior had changed, and the police tried to say that she was crazy and suicidal. Well, she wasn't,' Joshua said. 'I made an agreement because she wanted to come home and I wanted to take care of her, but I didn't want her to lose her job if she didn't have to.' Podraza also said the FBI searched her computer and didn't find any suicide-related searches. Urban explorers have uncovered what could be the UK's creepiest house - a bungalow filled from floor to ceiling with cuddly toys despite being uninhabited for years. Mitch Johnson and Jake Parr claimed to have unearthed the remote house in Selkirk, Scotland, after four days of searching on Google Maps and before they even crawled in through a hole in the door, the astonishing array of stuffed animals was in full view. The property was apparently owned by a woman who hoarded the toys after her husband passed away, before dying herself years later. Footage filmed by the duo showed them stepping over cuddly toys just to get into the bungalow, before panning to a room with walls entirely covered by soft toys in all shapes and sizes. Mitch said: 'This was the creepiest place I've ever been to. I just could not wait to get out.' This bungalow was apparently owned by a woman who hoarded cuddly toys after her husband passed away in the 1980s, and could be Britain's creepiest house Urban explorers Mitch Johnson (40, right) and Jake Parr (37, left) claimed to have uncovered the home - a bungalow filled from floor to ceiling with cuddly toys despite being uninhabited for years - in Selkirk, Scotland Footage filmed by the duo showed them stepping over cuddly toys just to get into the bungalow, before panning to a room with walls entirely covered by soft toys in all shapes and sizes The duo drove six and a half hours from Manchester to Selkirk, Scotland, to find the bungalow earlier this summer and had to walk for almost an hour through the woods to find the property. They never break into properties they think are abandoned, but fortunately on this occasion there was a panel missing from the back door to squeeze through. But once he was in, Mitch was not hanging around, and 'sacrificed some pictures because I just didn't want to be in there'. 'We were going through all this pine forest and we were hearing all sorts of noises and branches were snapping everywhere,' he continued. 'It was just the most bizarre place I've ever seen and I've been all around the world doing this.' He and Jake met through urban exploring in 2015 and have become best friends. A video shared by Mitch on Facebook shows each room inside the property, without exception, is stuffed to the brim with tons of teddy bears and similar plushies. Mitch said there were so many he was even anxious about the possibility of someone jumping out from one of the piles. In some rooms, these toys were guarded by cobwebs which had been cultivated in the home's empty years. 'I've been to asylums and loads of places around the world on my own and this was the most scary place I have ever been in and there was just a weird vibe about it that didn't sit right at all,' Mitch added. The duo supposedly unearthed the remote house in Selkirk, Scotland, after four days of searching on Google Maps and crawled in through a hole in the back door Mitch said there were so many he was even anxious about the possibility of someone jumping out from one of the piles All rooms in the bungalow are filled from floor to ceiling with soft toys in all shapes and sizes The 40-year-old said he thought the collection of toys must have been a 'coping mechanism' for the woman who reportedly lived there after her husband died in the 1980s. Her husband's workshop also remained intact and his tools appeared to have been unmoved since his death. Mitch continued: 'There were some real collectables in there, some really rare dolls. There were like 200 or 300 Cabbage Patch Dolls. Some of them are a grand each. 'All the Care Bear teddies, all the Monsters Inc teddies. All the teddies you could imagine. It was just like a plethora of teddies. 'It was dusty as well when you were in there you could taste how damp the place was so I don't know how she lived in there. 'It was a little unnerving as well because I kept thinking at any moment someone's going to pop out here. 'You can only just walk into the bedroom, the rest of it was just teddies so it's like six feet deep.' Mitch pointed out a collection of hundreds or valuable Cabbage Patch Dolls, seen stuffed onto a shelf Other valuable plushies included Disney-inspired toys such as this depiction of Sulley from Monsters Inc Toys were seen stuffed around the kitchen fittings and appliances The photographer's interest in urban exploring was born out of an interest in history and he decided to share his finds on social media The photographer's love for urban exploring was born out of his interest in history and after showing his friends some of the things he saw, he decided to share his finds on social media. Now his Facebook page, which he started in 2018, has 51,000 followers alongside his YouTube channel and an Instagram account. The father-of-one's urban exploring has taken him to places all over the world and he has seen everything from palaces in Portugal to mansions in Marbella, but sometimes the things he sees can take a toll on him. Mitch said: 'It can be a bit of an emotional burden because I see that much, it just makes you realise that life is extremely short and the things you accumulate mean absolutely nothing. 'It's your memories that mean something.' One of Britain's worst rapists who repeatedly stabbed a young woman and left her 'millimeters from death' has been released from prison. Haydn Prager launched what a judge described as a 'murderous attack' and was jailed for life in 2012. He burst into a property and subjected a brother and sister aged 15 and 20 to a sustained knife attack and rape. Prager - then aged 22 - smashed through the victim's front door in the early hours as they slept. He stabbed the woman and locked her in a bathroom and raped her. She was 'five minutes from death', a court heard. Haydn Prager launched what a judge described as a 'murderous attack' and was jailed for life in 2012 The brother charged at him to protect his sister but was stabbed 11 times. The woman, who cannot be named, was said to have been 'humiliated and tormented' throughout her ordeal - much of which was overheard by police after she made a desperate 999 call for help at the Kent property. A knife used in the attack was bent, while another broke above the hilt. The woman was brutally raped and her hair tied to a sink unit handle. The Parole Board confirmed to Mail Online a hearing was held last year in which his release was directed. A source said: 'I am sure the victims of this case would question whether justice has been served. 'There is always an argument that life should mean life. 'It clearly has not been the case here.' Her injuries included a 6cm cut to her neck, which was within millimetres of severing a major artery, a cut to her tongue, and a fracture to a spinal bone. She spent six weeks in hospital and now has difficulties with speech, swallowing, gripping with her hands and walking. Doctors have said it is unlikely she will ever be able to run again. The boy suffered knife wounds to his neck, chest, arm and shoulder, as well as an inverted 'J' shape cut to his cheek, which penetrated his mouth. Several victim impact statements were read out in court, in which the female victim described herself as 'ugly and ruined' - and like the monster Frankenstein. In one, she said: 'I'd rather die than struggle for the rest of my life,' and in another she said: 'I just wish for the day when I am back to normal. But I know it will be a long journey until I'm back.' In his victim impact statement, the boy spoke of his anger and mental anguish and how he had missed out on both education and sporting opportunities. 'This should be the time of my life,' he added. Prager, of Tunbridge Wells, Kent, admitted two offences of attempted murder and one of rape. An offence of aggravated burglary was left on file. Prager was jailed at Maidstone Crown Court. Passing sentence, Judge Statman told Prager, who is said to have a borderline personality disorder with psychopathic traits, he had broken into the house and subjected both his victims to 'vicious and sustained' attacks. CenterPoint CEO Jason Wells, center, chats with Kishore Kumar and Suma Rani Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, during a CenterPoint Energy community open house at Tom Bass Community Center in Pearland. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer CenterPoint held its first community open house, a new initiative to receive feedback and explain services following Hurricane Beryl last month, Saturday at Tom Bass Community Center. The event featured different CenterPoint teams explaining information and listing to customers along with community partners providing resources. CenterPoint is hosting these community open houses over the next month in 12 different counties as it attempts to improve its service and communication after heavy criticism during and after Hurricane Beryl. Advertisement Article continues below this ad We know weve got a long road in front of us in terms of re-earning our communitys trust, CenterPoint CEO Jason Wells said. Getting our customers out to see what were doing to strengthen our system, improve our communications, hear their feedback, I think is the first of many steps on that long road. CenterPoint has faced intense scrutiny following Hurricane Beryl as nearly 2.3 million customers lost power amid the July heat, with many not receiving their power back for days. The organizations struggles with communication, along with its outage tracker not working following Mays derecho, only added more fire to the flames. Residents use sticky notes on a customer service board Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024 to leave feedback for CenterPoint Energy officials during a community open house at Tom Bass Community Center in Pearland, as to how service could be improved following wide spread service interruptions in the weeks after hurricane Beryl. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Margaret Davis applies numbered stickers to indicate her preference for communications by CenterPoint Energy Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, during a community open house at Tom Bass Community Center in Pearland, following wide spread service interruptions in the weeks after hurricane Beryl. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Residents use sticky notes on a customer service board Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024 to leave feedback for CenterPoint Energy officials during a community open house at Tom Bass Community Center in Pearland, as to how service could be improved following wide spread service interruptions in the weeks after hurricane Beryl. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer CenterPoint Energy representatives, from left, Eddie Byrd, Frank Rodriguez and Roderick Batteaux listen as Pablo Sanchez, right, shares messages that he received regarding power outages in the days after hurricane Beryl Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, during a community open house at Tom Bass Community Center in Pearland. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Brenda Baines fills out a comment card to leave feedback for CenterPoint Energy officials regarding the quality of service that she experienced in the weeks following hurricane Beryl during a CenterPoint Energy community open house Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, at Tom Bass Community Center in Pearland. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Wells said the organization knows it fell short with communication and wants to do better going forward. Advertisement Article continues below this ad One of the booths at the meeting was a demonstration of the new outage tracker, which went live Aug. 1. The demonstration showed people how to use the tracker, which is cloud-based and allows people to search their address within the system. TAKE A LOOK: Texas AG Ken Paxton will investigate CenterPoints response to Hurricane Beryl In the back of a conference room was a feedback area where customers were allowed to write feedback on Post-it notes to put on a big poster board. There were also posters where people could post stickers to indicate their top choices in terms of communication methods and which information customers want prioritized. Ill put one or two things on the board, said Tahita Doyle, a Houston business owner who lives in Pearland. Its anonymous, and I hope that encourages people to share whats on their minds. Doyle said she was impressed that CenterPoint was holding such an event and felt it was an important opportunity to learn about the companys efforts from the source. Advertisement Article continues below this ad IN THE COURTS: Consumer groups hopeful for CenterPoint rate decrease after judge denies withdrawal motion Pablo Sanchez, a native Houstonian, came to the event Saturday in part to acknowledge improvements he has seen in the system so far. When the power at his house went out Aug. 1 after a vehicle hit a pole in his neighborhood, he said he got like a dozen messages from CenterPoint providing updates. Pablo Sanchez, right, chats with a CenterPoint representative regarding his experience with power outages in the days after hurricane Beryl Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, during a community open house at Tom Bass Community Center in Pearland. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer They promised communications, and theyre doing it, Sanchez said. I even let the communications guy know. They were very, very happy. Other booths included an information on CenterPoints alerts system, vegetation management and system reliability. Advertisement Article continues below this ad TAKE A LOOK: Texas AG Ken Paxton will investigate CenterPoints response to Hurricane Beryl Including Saturdays event, there are 16 open houses scheduled through the end of September. Five of those events are in Harris County, including two more within the next week. Thursdays open house from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. is at the Pasadena Convention Center at 7902 Fairmont Parkway in Pasadena. Another open house next Saturday will take place at the Metropolitan Multi-Service Center at 1475 W Gray St. Alyssia Oshodi, CenterPoints director of communications, said that CenterPoint plans on continuing to solicit feedback once the 16 open houses are complete. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Long a hot spot for migrants who cross into the U.S. illegally, Chicago is bracing for a wave of migrants ahead of the town hosting the Democratic National Convention. In recent weeks Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson's administration floated that the city could expect up to 25,000 migrant arrivals around the time of the convention. Though that expectation has lessened dramatically, the city is still expecting to receive fresh migrant arrivals - and Texas Governor Greg Abbott's office is confirming that buses are coming. 'Until President Biden and Border Czar Harris step up and do their jobs to secure the border, Texas will continue busing migrants to sanctuary cities across the country like Chicago to provide much-needed relief to our overwhelmed border towns,' a spokesperson for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott told DailyMail.com. Busses used to warm migrants are parked in front of the 'designated landing zone', an area that the city uses for receiving migrants being bussed up from Texas, on January 30, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. The city anticipated the arrival of 25,000 migrants ahead of the DNC but that number is actually expected to be around 750 - 1,000 Speaking at a press conference recently, Mayor Johnson noted how currently Chicago is hosting roughly 5,600 migrants in local shelters. Many of these recent arrivals have been bussed into the city from busy border crossing points in Texas. Pleading directly to Abbott, Johnson said at a press conference: 'We certainly hope that Gov. Abbott finds Jesus Christ, his lord and savior, and [doesn't] do that.' However, local shelters are expecting scores to arrive ahead of the Democratic National Convention, though a far cry from the city's estimation of 25,000. 'We realistically expect 750-1,000 new arrivals next week, if that.' Andre Gordillo, Director of New Vecinos Program, a migrant support group, told DailyMail.com. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott will continue bussing migrants to sanctuary cities like Chicago, a spokesman told DailyMail.com Venezuelan migrants load onto a bus in Chicago after recently arriving to the city The Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago is expected to bring up to 50,000 visitors to the city Gordillo said the amount of new arrivals expected is 'a lot' but he does not believe the new migrant arrivals 'will impact the run-of-show for the DNC.' 'Although I know it'll be a big talking point,' he added. Over 46,500 migrants have made their way to the sanctuary city of Chicago in under two years, city data shows. As of January, Texas was responsible for bussing roughly 31,000 of those migrants to the Windy City. The Lone Star State's initiative has also sent over 10,000 migrants to other sanctuary cities like New York, Denver and Washington, D.C. The increased influx of migrants fresh from the border has also weighed heavily on Chicago's finances. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson delivers remarks at a stage unveiling ahead of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center. His administration expected up to 25,000 migrant arrivals around the time of the convention Workers set up fencing around the United Center to prepare for the DNC The city's taxpayers have dolled out just under $150 million on migrant-related expenses since August 2022, city data shows. But the amount of migrants arriving has been trending down, Gordillo told DailyMail.com. 'The reduced numbers of new arrivals are due to an Executive Order signed by President Biden in June.' 'While that order is being challenged in court, U.S. Customs and Border Protection reports encounters at the southwest border ports of entry are down 29 percent from May to June.' 'So we haven't seen the thousands crossing over the border like earlier in the year or last fall.' 1. South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace 2. Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro DeLauro shocked Congress by getting tatted at the age of 80, after one of her six grandchildren convinced her to get matching tattoos for her 18th birthday. The design depicts a rose, representing her first name, and a petal in the center forms the letter 'D' for her last name, It also includes a stylized version of Italy, an homage to the country where her father emigrated from, said Daniel Robillard, DeLauro's press assistant. Robillard said this is her first tattoo, but that she'll probably get more. 'I have four more grandkids who still havent turned 18 yet,' she said. 'So be on the lookout for more new ink!' 3. Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman Fetterman revealed to NBC that, as of 2022, he had nine tattoos on his right forearm alone. 'Each one is a day on which someone died violently in Braddock, Pennsylvania, while I was mayor,' he wrote. One of his first tattoos reads 01.06.06, the date 'Christopher Williams was shot dead while delivering pizzas.' 'This was a man about my age at the time. He had a 12-year-old daughter. I just couldnt get over the fact that he was never going home to her,' he said. Fetterman also has Braddock's zip code - 15104 - inked along on his right arm. 4. Former Pennsylvania State Rep. Brian Sims A former member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Sims has a tattoo spanning the length of his inner arm that spells out a Ben Franklin quote: 'Be civil to all; sociable to many; familiar with few; friend to one; enemy to none.' 'I represent a good chunk of Ben Franklins first district when he was Pas first Speaker of the House,' he wrote on X. 'These are some of his first words as Speaker (in the New Farmers Almanac font).' 5. Former Gov. Sarah Palin The former Alaska governor has a small tattoo on her right inner forearm, which has been captured in her Instagram posts. It is unclear what it says. The former Republican vice presidential nominee also reportedly has a tattoo of the big dipper on her ankle. 6. Former North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn 7. Virginia Sen. Danica Roem Roem Has an Equal Rights amendment tattooed on her arm, according to the Washington Post. The former journalist said she 'always wanted to get ink done at some point,' and that it was a 'very special moment' for her to get the tattoo the day before the final vote. Roem, a transgender woman, said it is her 'fundamental belief in equality for all' and that it is 'genuinely and quite literally part of me.' 8. Former California Rep. Duncan Hunter As 'It Ends With Us' star Blake Lively continues to be under fire for her controversial promotions, TikTokers have begun to reveal their true thoughts about her new hair care line. In early July, Lively, 36, launched her own brand Blake Brown that took her seven years to develop and is available exclusively at Target and her website. The hair care line includes two kinds of shampoos, a dry shampoo and a hair mask among other things. According to their description, the products leave 'hair feeling manageable, soft and noticeably shiny' and are 'not formulated with SLS/SLES, silicones or parabens'. But many reviewers have taken to the video-sharing app to share their experience of trying Blake Brown - with one revealing that the shampoo is being returned by most customers. In early July, Blak4e Lively, 36, launched her own brand Blake Brown that took her seven years to develop and is available exclusively at Target and her website A TikToker named Kate Perry recently told her followers that a 'cool teen working at the customer service desk at Target' told her that everyone was coming back with their Blake Brown products. 'This is a PSAI just want everyone to know that the cool teen working at the customer service desk at Target told me that everyone's been returning the Blake Brown haircare. 'She said that s*** is not worth 20 bucks,' she said. After the video went viral and garnered nearly two million views, Perry went into detail about what had happened moments before the teen revealed the situation in another video. 'I was returning something and I saw the bottle of shampoo on the counter and I was like oh can I smell that?? And she goes, "sure but everyone's been returning it."' A TikToker named Kate Perry recently told her followers that a 'cool teen working at the customer service desk at Target' told her that everyone was coming back with their Blake Brown products The hair care line includes two kinds of shampoos, a dry shampoo and a hair mask among other things. According to their description, the products leave 'hair feeling manageable, soft and noticeably shiny' and are 'not formulated with SLS/SLES, silicones or parabens' Other TikTokers have also showed dissatisfaction with the product - most notably with its bulky packaging. Emma Nacewicz, a reviewer and entrepreneur said that while the 'packing is gorgeous, it's not functional'. 'First of all, it takes up a lot of room. It's clunky. Then you have to use two hands to unscrew it, put the cap down, use both hands [to pour]. 'It's not just a pump-and-go or squeeze-and-go. Honestly, having this top like this is beyond obnoxious,' she told viewers while holding the shampoo in hand. She also noted that as a 'dry shampoo fan who has tried every single one', the Blake Brown dry shampoo is not what it advertises itself as but rather is a 'texturing shampoo'. 'First of all, it doesn't even make my hair un-greasy. All it does is make it tacky. It's amazing as a texturing spray. But you have to wash your hair the next day because it is just stuck. It makes your hair like sticky,' Nacewicz explained. Emma Nacewicz, a reviewer and entrepreneur said that while the 'packing is gorgeous, it's not functional' These reviews come as the Lively, who shot to fame as Serena van der Woodsen in Gossip Girl, is facing a growing backlash against apparently diva-style behavior caught on camera, as more and more toe-curling interviews surface from the internet's archives. Lively, who shares children James, Inez, Betty and Olin, with fellow A-lister Ryan Reynolds, first began to see her status as one half of Hollywood's couple tarnish during her current press tour promoting her latest film, It Ends with Us. While there's been plenty of wholesome moments during the star's recent press whirl - tearing up at meeting Spice Girl Emma Bunton at Heart FM and thanking Capital FM DJ Kemi Rodgers after she surprised her with a message from Reynolds, there have also been moments that have likely given the film's PRs sleepless nights. It Ends with Us, based on the book by Colleen Hoover, follows the story of Lily Bloom, played by Lively, who becomes embroiled in an abusive relationship with a man named Ryle Kincaid, portrayed by Justin Baldoni. However the serious subject matter seemed to be the last thing on the minds of Lively and fellow cast members Jenny Slate and Isabela Ferrer, as they sat down for a Q&A with author Hoover to discuss the film in early August. These reviews come as the Lively, who shot to fame as Serena van der Woodsen in Gossip Girl, is facing a growing backlash against apparently diva-style behaviour It Ends with Us, based on the book by Colleen Hoover, follows the story of Lily Bloom, played by Lively, who becomes embroiled in an abusive relationship with a man named Ryle Kincaid, portrayed by Justin Baldoni Branded 'tone-deaf', Lively has since faced intense scrutiny, with interviews continuing to surface showing behavior that has been branded 'mean' by some who've seen it Those watching accused the quartet of appearing 'light-hearted'; the four women giggled together as they discussed everything from their dream jobs to their zodiac signs but there was no mention of domestic violence during their chat. Social media users were quick to slam them - particularly Lively, who hosted the interview - for partaking in the breezy questionnaire given the serious nature of the film, and for failing to speak about the topic. She directed her followers to a series of links, which included a phone hotline for victims of domestic violence, as well as statistics and other information. 'Everyone deserves relationships free of domestic violence,' she wrote. Branded 'tone-deaf', Lively has since faced intense scrutiny, with interviews continuing to surface showing behavior that has been branded 'mean' by some who've seen it. A five-year-old boy has been called a 'hero' after he saved his mother's life by calling 999 as she lay unconscious in their home. When Ruby Natalie, 30, started to feel lightheaded on August 8, she decided to lie down and 'watch a bit of telly' in her central London apartment. Just under an hour later, her youngest son JJ, five, came into the bedroom to ask for a drink - but as she went to grab one for him she suddenly fainted. The mother-of-one told MailOnline: 'Obviously I jumped up straight away to get him a drink. 'And then in the hallway, that's where I don't remember anything. That's where I collapsed.' Five-year-old JJ bravely called 999 when his mother Ruby Natalie (pictured together) suddenly fell unconscious in their new home The youngster had asked his influencer mother for a drink, but as she went to grab him one she collapsed As his mother lay unconscious, brave JJ used her phone to dial 999 and speak to an operator. While most five-year-olds would have broken down in tears, the paramedics later told of how JJ remained 'chilled' and 'very calm'. With the guidance of the 999 operator, JJ carefully put his mother into recovery position and monitored her breathing. Ruby said: 'There was a point where he couldn't hear me breathing and he calmly told the operator: "I don't know if mummy has died". 'And then I took a breath again and he said: "Oh no, no! Mummy is alive! She's alive! She's alive!"' Ruby, who works as an influencer, only recently moved to central London with her sons JJ and Leo, nine. The youngsters are still getting to grips with their new environment, and as a result when the operator asked JJ for his address, he replied: 'London'. When probed for more details as to their whereabouts in the capital, JJ answered: 'A tall building.' However brave JJ was quick to phone 999 and was 'very calm' when talking to operators With the guidance of 999, JJ carefully put his mum into recovery position and monitored her breathing (pictured with his mother in hospital) Ruby said: 'Bless him. He tried to narrow it down by saying our apartment has three balconies. He's a little gem.' Later the operator asked JJ to unlock the door in preparation for the paramedics arrive to which the clever five-year-old told him he would not 'because of strangers'. 'I'm only going to unlock the door when you're here,' JJ explained. Ruby started to regain consciousness when the paramedics arrived alongside her fiance Ansis, 26, who had been fixing his new car in a nearby parking lot at the time. Nine-year-old Leo was also not in the house when Ruby collapsed, leaving young JJ to deal with the crisis alone. 'I started to wake up and my back was so numb because I had landed on it really awkwardly,' Ruby said. 'I was screaming because I thought I was paralysed.' She was rushed to St Thomas' Hospital in London where doctors saw blood around her right fallopian tube and rushed her to emergency surgery. Ruby stayed in hospital for four days to recover. JJ made sure to visit with a bouquet of flowers for his doting mother. The young mother has since returned home and JJ could not be more pleased with his new-found fame. Ruby said: 'He's really chuffed with himself. He understands he's in the newspapers and he keeps saying: "Oh, I'm famous". Having only recently moved to the apartment, JJ was only just coming to grips with the location so was unable to give 999 operators an exact address However thanks to the little boy, emergency services were able to narrow down their location (pictured: with his mother Ruby) Ruby was rushed to St Thomas' Hospital in London where doctors saw blood around her right fallopian tube and rushed her to emergency surgery (pictured: JJ with Ruby's fiance Ansis) JJ, who has been described by Ruby as 'a grown adult in a child's body' is set to join year one this coming September. 'He's the smartest in his class, and when people hear him speak they're gobsmacked,' she said. 'Because the things he comes out with is literally like a grown man in a child's body. His vocabulary is like incredible. 'He's my hero.' A web developer has been found guilty of murder after stabbing his own mother to death in front of paramedics while affected by a cocktail of drugs. Callum Cameron claims he does not remember the night of August 10, 2020 when the then 27-year-old inflicted 62 stab wounds on Carol Cameron, originally from Scotland, at their home in St James in Perth's south-east. Cameron had admitted to manslaughter and said the killing was not deliberate because he was affected by chemicals including DMT, cannabis, antipsychotics and antidepressants, but Justice Joseph McGrath found the more serious charge proved. In handing down the verdict on Friday following a WA Supreme Court judge-only trial, Justice McGrath said Cameron's actions were 'purposeful'. 'This was not a spontaneous act of picking up a knife and stabbing the victim once,' he said, reported the ABC. The court heard how Ms Cameron, a 63-year-old nurse, had called paramedics in the early hours of the morning concerned her son had overdosed. She told the operator he was 'barely awake' but not violent. Ambulance officers arrived and found Ms Cameron helping him drink water in his bed and he became agitated when they attempted to take him to hospital. Callum Cameron was high on a cocktail of drugs when his mother attempted to get him to go to hospital with paramedics and he carried out a frenzied stabbing attack on her Family friends said Ms Cameron was a 'good mother' who'd tried to help her 'troubled son' One paramedic relayed back to base that he had an 'unpredictable feel about him' but they were 'not under any direct threats'. However, when Ms Cameron further pressed him to go with the ambulance officers he went to the kitchen where he retrieved a knife and she followed him. Ambulance officer John Bowring said he lost sight of the pair, then heard Ms Cameron shouting 'he's stabbing me' before she crawled on the floor out of the kitchen and back into his line of sight where the attack continued. He immediately called in a 'code black' on his radio - a request for urgent police assistance - telling base 'mate please, he's stabbing the mum'. Ms Cameron, a cancer ward nurse, called paramedics to the house (pictured) in St James, Perth, after suspecting her son had overdosed When officers arrived they found Cameron on the couch with blood on his hands and Ms Cameron in another room. They were forced to restrain him with a taser when he again became agitated. He was taken to hospital in an ambulance in which he repeatedly asked paramedics if his mother was going to be alright. Justice McGrath found the attack was not pre-meditated and Cameron's intoxication combined with his anger contributed to his decision to attack his mother, but that he was responsible and there was intent. He will be sentenced in November. A secretive international church group that has been likened to a 'brainwashing' cult is stepping up its recruitment drive among Australian university students. The Shincheonji Church of Jesus (SCJ), which started in South Korea 40 years ago, has been accused of taking vulnerable young people away from family and friends. SCJ's tactics have been exposed by former members, who said that as well as targeting university districts, it also seeks young converts in shopping malls, train stations, and on social media and dating apps. The group, which was founded by Lee Man-Hee, now aged 92, claims to be true believers of Christianity, but is facing allegations of brainwashing vulnerable Australian children. The explosive claims were aired by locals at a heated Town of Cambridge council briefing last month in suburban Perth. Jim Spencer, who lives in Roleystone, said his daughter is among dozens who are spending an excessive amount of time at SJC's premises in the area, which presents as an education facility. 'Us parents are working hard to get our kids out. Our kids have been stolen from us,' he told the meeting. 'My daughter spends 16 hours a day at this place, six days a week, voluntarily.' A secretive international church group that has often been likened to a cult is stepping up its recruitment drive among Australian university students. Shincheonji Church of Jesus members are pictured He claimed the group targets young people and international students and lures them in through 'non-denominational Bible studies'. A former teacher at the church provided a written submission to the council and said Shincheonji practices are illegitimate. 'The church bears no recognised qualifications to be an educational organisation,' the submission read. 'There is no certifications that justify their teachings as publicly recognised. The teachers are uncertified, as was I when I was inside.' People aged from 15 to 25 were most likely to be targeted, with many of them being international students, who probably have few friends when the first arrive in Australia. 'There are a lot of (recruiters) everywhere and you don't notice it until you do,' an ex-member told the Herald Sun. 'It's like you're brainwashed It has taken some people years to get out and even longer to heal and get their lives back on track.' SCJ operates so secretively that those recruited but who later left, often say they were not aware they had been targeted until they'd spent at least six months in intensive 'bible study' classes. 'Lifestyle, uni, job, friends and even family had to be "sacrificed" if it got in the way of the church,' another ex-member said. The recruiters approach what they call new 'fruits' in pairs. A former member said they pretend to just be making friendly conversation, possibly by asking for directions, in a practice they call 'love bombing'. They ask the target questions about their age, where they live, their religion, if they're studying and their hobbies. The final and most important step in the process is to get the young person's phone number. In Victoria alone, there are more than 1,000 SCJ followers, though the Australian government does not recognise it as a church. It is, however, a recognised charity, with its listing at the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission claiming it was established 'to advance religion'. It claims to do so by 'testifying and spreading the gospel of heaven that leads to salvation promised in the Bible to all parts of the world and fulfilling its mission of evangelism to heal all nations'. SCJ claims to have more than 300,000 around the world, with its members waiting for 'Judgement Day', when 144,000 believers will become high priests, while the other adherents will be immortalised. The group's recruitment tactics have become so concerning that the Australian Catholic University's deputy vice chancellor Julie Cogin warned students the 'manipulative and coercive' SCJ was recruiting on its campus. Tore Klevjer, the president of Cult Information and Family Support, also sent a letter to all of Australia's universities, warning them about the 'insidious cult'. But he said the universities aren't doing enough to warn students. 'Awareness is particularly important because the group lies to them about who they are. 'Unless they're aware, they think they're joining another benign group that could pose as anything.' He said parents should question their children about new friends and warned that they could be taken away from their studies and work. The Shincheonji Church of Jesus, which started in South Korea 40 years ago, has been accused of taking vulnerable young people away from family and friends. It often recruits around universities But one father, whose daughter has been part of SCJ for nearly three years, said it was like she was under a 'coercive' spell. 'It's difficult to see, but on the other hand we can't do much if we're tough on her she might disappear forever and leave us for the church,' he said. The young woman's mother reported SCJ to the police, but they said that as no crime had been committed, there was nothing they could do. Daily Mail Australia has contacted the Shincheonji Church of Jesus for comment. Labour faces another 'cash for jobs' row as it has emerged that a businesswoman was handed a top civil service job after her firm donated 67,000 to the party. Emily Middleton was made a director general in the Department for Science and Technology just weeks after the money was declared. It comes after Ian Corfield, a former banker who donated more than 20,000 to Labour including a 5,000 payment to Chancellor Rachel Reeves was given a top job in the Treasury. Last night it also emerged that Haydon Etherington, a former policy advisor to Angela Rayner, is now a civil servant at the housing department. This has sparked fresh criticism from the Tories and raised questions about whether Sue Gray, Sir Keir Starmer's chief of staff and a former top mandarin, was behind the appointments. Emily Middleton was made a director general in the Department for Science and Technology just weeks after the money was declared It comes after Ian Corfield (pictured), a former banker who donated more than 20,000 to Labour including a 5,000 payment to Chancellor Rachel Reeves was given a top job in the Treasury This has sparked fresh criticism from the Tories and raised questions about whether Sue Gray (pictured), Sir Keir Starmer's chief of staff and a former top mandarin, was behind the appointments Ms Middleton was a partner at consultancy Public Digital, which made two separate donations to Labour frontbencher Peter Kyle, The Telegraph reported. She was 'on secondment to the Labour Party advising on digital public services reform' from January to July this year, according to her LinkedIn profile. Mr Kyle was the party's science spokesman at the time, and he became Science Secretary last month after Labour won the election. His register of interests shows he received two donations from Public Digital of 33,280 each. Former home secretary and Tory leadership contender James Cleverly said the appointment raised concerns about 'Labour's very questionable civil service recruitment practices'. He added: 'Funny how a senior civil servant joins Labour, then a load of Labour people get civil service appointments.' Last month it emerged Ms Middleton had been appointed director general of Digital Centre Design at Mr Kyle's department. The role is one of the most senior in the civil service and typically attracts a salary of between 125,000 and 208,100. Last night it also emerged that Haydon Etherington, a former policy advisor to Angela Rayner (pictured), is now a civil servant at the housing department Former home secretary and Tory leadership contender James Cleverly said the appointment raised concerns about 'Labour's very questionable civil service recruitment practices' She was also a policy fellow at Labour Together, a think-tank with close ties to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, while working for Public Digital. This week it was revealed that Ms Reeves's department failed to tell the civil service watchdog that Mr Corfield had donated thousands of pounds to Labour before giving him a top job. Most civil service roles must be filled through 'fair and open competition'. This includes advertising them, which did not happen in the case of Mr Corfield's job. If a department wants to break this legal requirement, it must get approval from the Civil Service Commission (CSC). It is understood that, while there was no requirement for the Treasury to do so, it did not inform the CSC about Mr Corfield's past donations to Labour. The CSC later approved the appointment, but critics say the watchdog may have blocked this were it aware of the donations. Previously, Mr Corfield held senior roles in the private sector, including at UK credit card issuer NewDay and Australian banks Aussie and Bankwest. A Government spokesman said of Ms Middleton's recruitment: 'This role was appointed in line with the civil service rules.' Government sources said the donation was not personally from Ms Middleton and her application was based on qualifications. A Public Digital spokesman said: 'We wish Emily the best in her new role.' A student nurse was yesterday cleared of attempting to kidnap a newborn baby from a neonatal ward after a jury took just 48 minutes to deliberate. Safia Ahmadei, 36, allegedly repeatedly entered the ward at the hospital where she was on placement to 'scout' for a baby. Jurors were told Mrs Ahmadei 'took vows' with a married neighbour in an Islamic ceremony - which was not legally binding - for the purpose conceiving a child for the man and his wife, who had been unable to conceive. Mrs Ahmadei told the jury of seven women and five men: 'In the Muslim religion, if the first wife cannot conceive or she doesn't have a child, the husband is allowed to get married twice.' But Mrs Ahmadei told jurors she had suffered a miscarriage at the end of January - almost a month before her arrest - and then 'lied' to her husband that she had given birth to twin boys out of fear he would leave her if he knew the truth. Student nurse Safia Ahmadei was cleared of attempting to kidnap a child from a neonatal ward The defendant bowed her head in the dock after the unanimous 'not guilty' verdict was read out, but broke down moments later when judge Simon Ward told her she would now be released. The judge added that it had been a 'difficult and unusual case'. During a two-week trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court, prosecutor Seamran Sidhu had alleged that Mrs Amadei went to the neonatal ward at the city's New Cross Hospital in search of a child 'who could pass for her own after faking a pregnancy'. Mrs Ahmadei was said to have focused her attention on a particular premature baby after quizzing the infant's mother on their racial heritage. But she told jurors she returned to the ward with blankets after the mother said the baby was cold. Mrs Ahmadei told jurors she had miscarried at the end of a nightshift, but had been too 'scared' to tell the husband because he had been left devastated when she suffered another miscarriage early last year. It was alleged Mrs Amadei went to the neonatal ward at Wolverhampton's New Cross Hospital in search of a child 'who could pass for her own after faking a pregnancy (file photo) As a result, when he asked her days later if she had given birth, she told him she had, but that one of the twins had died and the other was in a 'poor condition' in the hospital. Prosecutor Seamran Sidhu had previously told the court that by the time the trainee nurse was arrested after repeatedly entering the neonatal ward in mid-February, she had become 'increasingly desperate' and 'needed to produce a baby'. The court heard Mrs Ahmaedi travelled to the UK in 2011 on a spouse visa, after an arranged marriage with her first husband in their homeland of Afghanistan. She gained British citizenship in 2020 and graduated in business studies in 2022. She enrolled on a nursing course at the University of Wolverhampton in 2023. The patron of an LGBT+ charity that encouraged toddlers to question their gender has been charged with child sex abuse offences including rape. Stephen Ireland is accused of raping a child, multiple sexual assaults, voyeurism, making indecent photographs of youngsters as well as plotting to kidnap a child. The 40-year-old, who was listed as a director of Pride in Surrey until June, appeared in court on Thursday accused of committing the offences over a two-year period from August 2022 to last month. He was joined in court by David Sutton, 26, a fellow former Pride in Surrey volunteer who is accused of voyeurism, possession of extreme pornography, conspiracy to sexually assault a child and plotting to kidnap a youngster. The pair, both from Addlestone in Surrey, were arrested on Wednesday and have since remanded into custody to appear in court again on September 12. Stephen Ireland as been charged with 37 child sex offences including rape, sexual assault and conspiracy to kidnap a child. Pictured: Ireland at a stall for Outline Surrey, a charity which supports young LGBT+ people The Pride in Surrey director is also accused of voyeurism and making indecent images of children. Pictured: Ireland at an LGBT+ event holding a sign which reads 'Trans women are women' Ireland claims on his social media to be a patron of Educate and Celebrate, a LGBT+ charity which caused controversy after encouraging toddlers to question their gender. The non-profit, which was set up by Dr Elly Cannon, said it had hoped to 'embed gender, gender identity and sexual orientation into the fabric' of organisations including primary schools. However, it mysteriously shut down at the start of 2024 after a series of controversies including pushing to replace 'Sir' and 'Miss' with gender-neutral terms and one of its other patrons - trans comic Jordan Gray - stripping off and exposing their penis during a TV skit. When it closed in January, the charity's chair of trustees Julie Bremner told MailOnline they would 'continue our much-needed work through new projects'. There is no suggestion its closure was related to the charges faced by Ireland. Ireland had been listed as a founder and director of Pride and Surrey, a charity which organises annual Pride marches and LGBT+ events in the county. Sutton is believed to have been a volunteer for the non-profit. The organisation said it had suspended the pair after being made aware of a police probe into them in June, adding it was not aware what they were being investigated for until they were charged. A spokesperson for Pride in Surrey told Surrey Live: '[We] have been made aware of an investigation that has been conducted by involving two former volunteers, both of whom have now been charged. Ireland also claimed to be the patron of a controversial charity which encouraged toddlers to question their gender. Pictured: Ireland stands in front of a Trans Pride flag Ireland and Sutton appeared at Staines Magistrates' Court (pictured) on Thursday after being arrested on Wednesday 'On 12th June, Pride in Surrey were informed by Surrey Police of an ongoing investigation surrounding two volunteers. Both volunteers were immediately suspended from the organisation. 'Following this, a decision was made to remove them both from the organisation, as well as Stephen Ireland as a director. We were not aware of the exact nature of the crimes being investigated. '[On August 15] Pride in Surrey were made aware of the charges made against both volunteers via a social media post. We are appalled and horrified at the charges which have been brought against the two individuals. 'We will fully cooperate with Surrey Police in any way they require. Our thoughts are with the alleged victims and their families.' MailOnline has contacted Pride in Surrey separately for comment. A pair of 14-year-old girls have been arrested for first-degree murder in connection with the brutal slaying of a 93-year-old Kansas woman over Labor Day weekend last year. The teens were arrested on Thursday for the death of Joanne Johnson. Kansas Bureau of Investigation said that they are now being held at separate juvenile detention centers. 'How did something like this happen here?' the woman's grieving son Tim Johnson told KWCH. 'This is a peaceful, tree-lined street that's in a neighborhood in the middle of a 9,000-person town.' Although authorities declined to identify the suspects because they are minors, they did reveal that they were from the same town as the victim. In September 2023, Joanne Johnson was found dead at her home on Robbins St. in Augusta. A pair of 14-year-old girls have been arrested for first-degree murder in connection with the brutal slaying of a 93-year-old Kansas woman over Labor Day weekend last year In September 2023, Joanne Johnson was found dead at her home on Robbins St. in Augusta Investigators quickly ruled her death a homicide and determined that the victim, who lived alone, was killed somewhere between Saturday evening, September 2, and Sunday evening, September 3. Tim Johnson has struggled to make sense of the shocking development in the case. He described his mother's alleged murder by two fourteen-year-old girls as 'inexplicable.' Tim likened the situation to 'getting struck by lightning on a cloudless day.' 'The family has no words, or ability to understand what has happened,' the statement, reported on by KWCH, concluded. Investigators quickly ruled her death a homicide and determined that the victim, who lived alone, was killed somewhere between Saturday evening, September 2, and Sunday evening, September 3 Johnson's body was discovered by members of her family. Although her loved ones were at a loss for a motive, it was evident to them that the crime was brutal and calculated. 'To have an inexplicable, brutal, senseless murder- it's incredibly hard,' he continued, before adding: 'I don't think we still can process it.' In May, eight months after the murder, Johnson's family and Kansas Governor Laura Kelly each put up $5,000 for a total $10,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible. The recent arrests of the two teenaged girls have left Johnson's family, as well as the broader Augusta community, shocked. In May, eight months after the murder, Johnson's family and Kansas Governor Laura Kelly each put up $5,000 for a total $10,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible The victim's loved ones, however, also indicated that they are prepared to find some kind of resolution. For the past year, Johnson's family and the rest of the town has lived in a state of perpetual fear, as those responsible for the brutal murder remained at large. As a result, the arrests of the two teenage girls has brought a modicum of relief to the heartbroken community. 'We just loved her and this was the most devastating thing for our block, our neighborhood,' Holly Randol, Johnsons former neighbor, told KWCH. Randol added: 'Still heartbroken that this whole thing had to happen. It was kids, kids. My heart is just broken.' The victim's family said that they do not know the girls who have been arrested. Despite the age of the murderers, Johnson's loved ones hope that the punishment will be commensurate with the brutality of the crime. The victim's son described the street on which his mother lived as 'peaceful' and 'tree-lined' Johnson has been remember as a kind person and an exemplary member of her community Tim Johnson remembers his mother as a kind person and an exemplary member of her community. 'She was the the type of person who was always interested in other people...She would talk to you for a couple minutes and shed know where youre from, where you went to school, what you were doing and what you wanted to do,' he told KWHC. 'The next time shed talk to you shed remember every one of those things, you know, the type of person a lot of us aspire to be, I know I do.' At this time, formal charges are pending and the investigation is ongoing. Elijah Meza, 20, Maribel Medrano, 45, and Brenda Encinas Meza, 41, family of Edmundo Meza, who was shot and killed outside a gas station in north Houston last week, pray with activist and leader of the New Black Panther Nation in Houston, Quannel X on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024 in Houston. They are seeking answers about what led up to a police officers fatal shooting of their loved one. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer The police officer who shot and killed a man during an arrest outside a north Houston gas station last week had fatally shot an unarmed man early in her career who she feared was reaching for a gun that turned out to be an empty beer can. In 2012, officer Jillian McGowan shot and killed 54-year-old Rufino Lara while responding to a robbery call. McGowan told investigators she feared that Lara, who was not the suspected robber, was reaching for a gun when she shot him. But a search turned up only the empty beer can. She had been on the force two years at the time. McGowan was eventually cleared in the shooting, with a grand jury saying she wasnt criminally liable. An internal affairs investigation ruled the shooting justified but said she had acted too quickly. Police officials considered testimony from McGowan and several of her colleagues but didnt interview other eyewitnesses. Two witnesses said at the time that Lara had his hands in the air and was not reaching in his shirt, as McGowan alleged. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Elijah Meza, 20, Maribel Medrano, 45, and Brenda Encinas Meza, 41, family of Edmundo Meza, who was shot and killed outside a gas station in north Houston last week, gather with activist and leader of the New Black Panther Nation in Houston, Quannel X on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024 in Houston. They are seeking answers about what led up to a police officers fatal shooting of their loved one. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer Now more than a week after McGowan fatally shot Edmundo Meza, 42, the man's family is demanding answers about what led to his death. The family said law enforcement hasn't told them anything about what led to McGowan shooting Meza. "So far, we've had to investigate ourselves," said Maribel Medrano, Meza's sister. "I want to see the body camera video." MORE FROM HOUSTON CHRONICLE: HPD graduates smallest cadet class of year with 53, with new chief in attendance Assistant Police Chief Keith Seafous said in a news conference after Meza's death that McGowan and another officer noticed him and another man standing around in the parking lot of a gas station while the officers were on patrol about 9:40 p.m. last Wednesday. The officers asked for the men's IDs, letting one of them go before discovering that Meza had a warrant for his arrest. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Elijah Meza, 20, Maribel Medrano, 45, and Brenda Encinas Meza, 41, family of Edmundo Meza, who was shot and killed outside a gas station in north Houston last week, gather with activist and leader of the New Black Panther Nation in Houston, Quannel X on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024 in Houston. They are seeking answers about what led up to a police officers fatal shooting of their loved one. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer In the process of handcuffing Meza, they discovered he had a gun in his waistband, Seafous said. A scuffle ensued and McGowan fired a single shot that killed Meza, according to the Houston Police Department. The officers were not seriously injured, Seafous said. Meza had a lengthy criminal past, including several counts of drug possession, felon in possession of a weapon and trespassing, according to Harris County court records. But Elijah Meza said his father, despite his faults, was a good man. Advertisement Article continues below this ad He said he and his father would take regular walks along stretches of road in north Houston, talking about their future. And Medrano said he was a hard worker who was always there if his family needed help. Medrano said she first learned about her brothers death from someone in the neighborhood, not from police. She spent that night calling police and area hospitals, trying to locate her brother. Elijah Meza, 20, Maribel Medrano, 45, and Brenda Encinas Meza, 41, family of Edmundo Meza, who was shot and killed outside a gas station in north Houston last week, pray with activist and leader of the New Black Panther Nation in Houston, Quannel X on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024 in Houston. They are seeking answers about what led up to a police officers fatal shooting of their loved one. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer Meza had a twin brother, Medrano said, who was fatally shot by police two decades ago. In 2002, according to Civilians Down, a website that documents fatal police encounters, officers shot and killed Victor Meza after residents called to say he had a gun in his hands. Police said he waved the gun at officers before they shot him, though it was later discovered that Mezas gun was not loaded. HPD policy requires video of police shootings to be released 31 days after the incident. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Mezas family hopes to meet with detectives and see the video of their loved ones final moments before it is released to the public. McGowan and the other officer, whom officials have not named because that officer didnt fire any shots, are now on administrative leave, pending investigations into the shooting. Eerie new photos of Trump shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks have raised more questions about the failed assassination attempt. One of the images captures the 20-year-old Crooks perched on a wall in a grassy area on July 13 at the Butler, Pennsylvania rally - just moments before he opened fire. In the picture, Crooks can be seen holding up his cell phone - as if chatting to someone on a call. Investigators have still not determined what Crooks' motive was or whether he was indeed acting alone. The other picture captures the moment Crooks turns to look over his shoulder while sitting in the same position. It was unclear what prompted him to turn, or whether he was talking to someone behind him. Two pictures of Crooks were released to Judicial Watch along with documents that detail the local law enforcement support leading up the rally. The first photo captured 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks - who appeared to perch in a wall in a grassy area - on July 13 at the Butler, Pennsylvania rally The other picture captured the moment Crooks turned over his shoulder while sitting in the same position - though it is unclear what prompted the turn, or if he was perhaps talking to someone behind him The photos have raised questions and sparked theories relating to the attempted assassination. Crooks was killed by a Secret Service sniper after opening fire at the rally and piercing former president Donald Trump in the ear. One rally-goer was killed in the shooting and two others injured. There has been prior speculation that Crooks may have been communicating with someone else before he carried out the assassination attempt. Reports from the FBI stated that Crooks, a registered Republican who had donated to the Democratic Party, acted alone. Their investigation is ongoing. A conspiracy theory that circulated immediately after the shooting was that there was a female 'accomplice' to the shooter in the crowd. Though this theory was shut down, there is intriguing video footage to accompany the rumor. In the video, an unnamed woman appears to be shouting at the gunman, just before he launches his attack. Theorists claim she screams: Crooks. What are you doing? Get over here. Get down. The clip quickly went viral on social media, with some claiming it is clear evidence of an accomplice. But other viewers have debunked the theory, explaining that the woman is in fact shouting Ross not Crooks. There has been prior speculation that Crooks did not act alone when he carried out the shooting in Butler... which led to his own death after he was shot by a Secret Service snipe Another fringe theory posited that the 'deep state' was involved in the assassination attempt. The alleged deep state is often accused of secretly manipulating the world to its own gain. In this case, conspiracists were quick to claim the group were behind the shooting, alleging the attack was a failed attempt to eliminate Trump. The theory was shared widely, including by notorious conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, who took to X to say we are in the middle of a Deep State hot coup. Jones also claimed they will try again. Others openly pointed the finger at President Biden, with Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) sensationally posting from his personal X account that Joe Biden sent the orders. There is no evidence that Biden or any group was involved in the attack on Trump. Amongst other evidence that raised questions was a remote detonator was found on would-be assassin Thomas Crooks' body alongside his cell phone after he was shot dead. The remote detonator is seen next to Thomas Crooks' cellphone The 20-year-old would-be assassin was repeatedly seen and photographed by police officers before scaling their building and opening fire A picture first published by Pittsburgh's WPXI showed the detonator, a rectangular grey device with a keypad similar to a television remote control, alongside the gunman's cellphone. It was earlier reported that investigating FBI agents recovered explosive materials, ammo and a bullet proof vest inside of the troubled 20-year-old's car. CNN reports that the bombs were connected to the detonator. The shooter was behaving strangely around the metal detectors, at least an hour before the attempted assassination, and was later seen using a range finder. The gunfire rang out at the rally at 6:11 pm. Trump took to the stage at 6:03 pm, an hour later than advertised. Law enforcement has not commented on what they believe Crooks may have been planning to do after the shooting with the Secret Service facing increasing scrutiny for their inability to secure the event. Joe Biden has ordered the Secret Service to provide protection for its own former director after she received death threats in the wake of the Donald Trump assassination attempt. Kimberley Cheatle resigned in disgrace after would-be assassin Thomas Crooks shot the former President in the ear at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13. She refused to explain why the gunman was allowed to get a clean line of fire from less than 140 yards away when she appeared before Congress nine days later. And she was ridiculed for suggesting that agents could not have been placed on the 'sloping roof' from which he shot. Now she has sparked further outrage after becoming the first former director in the service's history to be assigned her own security detail after receiving 'numerous threats', RCP reported. 'I don't recall electing Kimberly Cheatle,' tweeted one critic. 'She can afford her own protection if she wants it that badly.' Former Secret Service Director Cheatle admitted to Congress that she was responsible for the huge lapse in security which allowed the the assassination attempt on Donald Trump Cheatle refused to step down from her post for nine days after the failures that led to Trump being struck in the ear by a bullet The former President escaped with a flesh wound but two people in his audience were critically injured, and former fire chief Corey Comperatore, 50, was shot dead while trying to protect his family. 'The Secret Service's solemn mission is to protect our nation's leaders and financial infrastructure,' Cheatle wrote in her resignation letter to colleagues. 'On July 13, we fell short on that mission. Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, was allowed within 140 yards of Trump despite repeated warnings to the Secret Service 'As your Director, I take full responsibility for the security lapse. However, I do not want my calls for resignation to be a distraction from the great work each and every one of you do.' Some of that work will now include looking after Cheatle herself after she was assigned protection from the service's Dignitary Protective Division. Two Congressional committees, the FBI and the Secret Service itself have launched inquiries into what went wrong at the rally. In her appearance on Capitol Hill she admitted that her agents at the rally had been warned up to five times about Crooks, and that the roof from which Crooks opened fire had been identified as a potential vulnerability days before the rally. But her stonewalling infuriated Congressional leaders with some suggesting that Biden only appointed her as a 'DEI hire'. 'You're full of s*** today,' South Carolina's Nancy Mace told her at one point. 'You're just being completely dishonest.' The embattled security chief faced mounting questions over why an agent was not stationed on the building from where Thomas Crooks opened fire on the former president, and why Trump was allowed to take the stage even when a threat was detected Biden thanked Cheatle for her 'decades of public service' in a statement after her resignation went public and vowed to appoint someone to replace her 'soon.' 'She has selflessly dedicated and risked her life to protect our nation throughout her career in the United States Secret Service,' the President wrote. He went on: 'As a leader, it takes honor, courage, and incredible integrity to take full responsibility for an organization tasked with one of the most challenging jobs in public service.' 'We all know what happened that day can never happen again. As we move forward, I wish Kim all the best, and I will plan to appoint a new Director soon.' News that she is being assigned protection came as it emerged that the service is ordering bulletproof glass screens to allow Trump to hold his first outdoor rallies since the attempt on his life. The former President has held nearly a dozen speaking events since July 13 but all have been indoors on the advice of the Secret Service. 'They'd prefer that we be in an arena. I don't know why,' he told a rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on July 31. 'But we're not giving up the outdoor rallies. You know, all those people that we had to turn away today, at an outdoor rally you can have.' The Service usually offers ballistic glass protection to sitting presidents but a source told ABC that it is ordering and stockpiling sheets around the country so it can be deployed for Trump's outdoor speaking events. 'The Secret Service use of UpArmored glass around former President Trump is another step to ensure the campaign is and remains secure,' former agent Don Mihalek told the channel. 'This isn't just a piece of glass but a large, bulky and heavy armored glass that will require extensive logistics capability, normally reserved for large-scale outdoor events.' But news that it is also spending public money on protecting its own former director has been slammed by critics. 'Is Kimberly Cheatle running?' demanded one. 'She will probably get more protection than Trump knowing this administration,' wrote another. 'Give her some overweight, wet-behind-the-ears fresh DEI hires,' suggested a third. 'She'll be fine.' Women hit by changes to the state pension age have warned they will not accept empty promises from the Government. Pensions minister Emma Reynolds has agreed to sit down with campaigners next month to discuss their demands for compensation. It has raised hopes for millions who were not informed about their state pension age being raised. The meeting comes six months after a ruling found women born in the 1950s could be owed up to 10.5billion. The Government has not yet committed to a payout. That is despite the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman ruling that the affected women had 'lost opportunities to make informed decisions about their finances' as a result of maladministration by the Department for Work and Pensions and deserved compensation. The Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) campaign has previously said it felt 'badly let down' by the Government's failure to respond to the watchdog's report. Women hit by changes to the state pension age have warned they will not accept empty promises from the Government. Pictured: Campaigners hold a rally in Hyde Park Pictured: Women born in the 1950s held a Day of Action to draw attention to the women affected by the rise of the state pension age on October 10, 2018 in London Pensions minister Emma Reynolds has agreed to sit down with campaigners next month to discuss their demands for compensation Some 16,000 affected women have died since the report was published. Angela Madden, of the Waspi campaign, said: 'We look forward to meeting with the pensions minister... which is an important first step in our work with the new administration to see justice delivered to all Waspi women. 'However, there is no time for complacency. We will continue to pursue all avenues to see a fair remedy delivered as quickly as possible.' Frances Neil, the campaign's coordinator for south-east Essex, said: 'We need to see details of a compensation scheme that reflects the scale of injustice women have experienced as quickly as possible.' Chancellor Rachel Reeves sparked outrage ahead of the election after saying she would not make any provisions in Labour's manifesto to compensate women affected. Members of the Cabinet, including Sir Keir Starmer, have previously supported the Waspi campaign. Up to 3.8million women born in the 1950s should have received letters informing them about changes to the state pension age made from 2010 to 2020, the ombudsman said. Police are offering zombie knife owners cash to hand over the menacing blades before they are officially banned in the UK. Any individual who has purchased a zombie knife or a machete will be able to cash in on the market value in a new scheme which is set to be put forward next week. Named after the knives that are often used by characters in zombie films, so-called zombie knives have a long, menacing blade that can span up to 25 inches. They are described by the government as a blade with 'a cutting edge, a serrated edge and images or words suggesting it is used for violence'. The number of offences linked to the lethal blades has soared by 50,000, edging closely behind a previous record high set in 2019. Police are offering zombie knife owners cash to hand over the menacing blades before they are officially banned in the UK (Pictured: some examples of different zombie knives, varying in length from a long blade to shorter styles) From August 26 until September 23 zombie knife owners can trade in their blades for money so long as they can show 'acceptable evidence of the value of the weapon' (pictured: a zombie knife) From August 26 until September 23 zombie knife owners can trade in their blades for money so long as they can show 'acceptable evidence of the value of the weapon', according to the Home Office. If they are able 'evidence' the knife's value, for example with a purchase receipt, the will get the full value for the zombie knife as they were purchased when the blades were legal to own. Home Office guidance stipulated that the deadly weapons can be relinquished after September 23, however those who do risk being prosecuted. According to The Telegraph, sources from the Home Office have said it was usual practice to offer compensation for weapons when they were bought legally. Those who are in ownership of a zombie knife have also been urged to be cautions when bringing them to police. Handling them openly can result in being charged, even if they do so at a police precinct. Ahead of surrendering the blade, guidance details that owners are instructed to contact police first and carry them 'wrapped up in a sealed bag or box'. Those who return the knife with no proof of purchase will only be able to receive 10 per blade. However to receive the compensation, they must surrender three knives or more, with the maximum payout being 30. This comes shortly after Labour vowed to get tough on crime after their loveless lanslide victory in the 2024 general election. Outlined in the King's Speech, the current government have pledged to also ban ninja swords after the previous Tory government fell short of banning them entirely. However failure to follow strict guidance when surrendering the deadly weapons can result in prosecution (stock image) Labour vowed to get tough on crime including plans to implement an outright ban on ninja swords Daniel Anjorin, 14, (pictured) was killed by a man wielding a ninja sword in Hainault, London last May A ninja sword was the weapon used to kill 14-year-old Daniel Anjorin in Hainault, London last May. Labour has also promised to introduce 'strict sanctions' on senior executives of online companies who illegally sell knives. It has made a general pledge to halve serious violence over the next decade. Labour's vow to 'take back the streets' follows worrying rises in street-level offences including knife crime and shoplifting. Official figures show that knife crime rose by 7 per cent in the year to December 2023. In the year to March 2023, 82 per cent of teenage homicide victims were killed with a knife, compared to 73 per cent in the previous year. Hamas planned to unearth buried British and Commonwealth war heroes in Gaza in a bid to blackmail the government, newly discovered documents suggest. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) led by the UK Defence Secretary has preserved the graves of over 3,000 Commonwealth veterans from World War I and II. Thousands of troops died battling with the Ottomans for power of the Gaza Strip 1917. The devastating war made way for British administration to take hold in Palestine for over three decades. The documents, supposedly found in the war-torn country and shared with the Telegraph by Israeli officials, detail an alleged scheme to dig up dead troops and hold them hostage. Hamas planned to unearth buried British and Commonwealth soldiers in Gaza in a bid to blackmail the government, newly discovered documents suggest (pictured: Smoke rising after an Israeli attack on Khan Younis in Gaza) Over 3,000 Commonwealth veterans from World War I and II are buried in Gaza following conflict with the Ottomans (pictured) Lance Corporal Robert Edward Roberts, 19, of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers was killed during the war in Gaza with the Ottomans Israeli officials claim the plot was discovered at a base linked to Hamas chiefs Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif in Khan Younis last January. They are under the assumption the plot was drawn up by an unknown official in October 2022 - and was sparked by ex-Prime Minister Liz Truss' hopes to relocate the British Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv. The seven-page alleged document had a list of demands, including the removal of buried Commonwealth troops to graves outside Gaza, backdated 'lease fees' for use of the grave sites since 1917, or a renouncement of the Jerusalem statement. '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,' the supposed Hamas document read. '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.' Israeli officials claim the document was created before the current conflict in Gaza. But as the Commonwealth grave sites are currently under Hamas control, they believe the threat of blackmail is still possible. Second Lieutenant Stanley Henry Parry Boughey, 21, of the Royal Scots Fusillers was also laid to rest in Palestine Edward Whatley, 19, a rifleman from the Hampshire Regiment who is buried in Gaza '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.' This comes shortly after Foreign Secretary David Lammy criticised a 'deliberately provocative' visit by an Israeli minister to Jerusalem's most-contested holy site. David Lammy spoke out against Itamar Ben-Gvir's actions in making a trip to the Al-Aqsa mosque compound - known to Jews as Temple Mount - yesterday. He added Britain's voice to international condemnation of the Israeli national security minister during a time of rapidly rising tensions in the Middle East. The visit also earned a rebuke from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Australia's first and last tourist monorail is set to close for good at SeaWorld on the Gold Coast after almost four decades. The beloved attraction was the first of its kind in Australia when it opened in 1986, but has been dormant since 2019. After 330,000 trips around the park, Village Roadshow Theme Parks COO Bikash Randhawa said the rail would close. 'The monorail opened at Sea World in 1986 to become Australia's first monorail system and upon its closing, the last,' he said. In 38 years of service, the monorail completed 330,000 trips around the park - equivalent to 44 trips around Australia. Despite being well loved, the rail was shuttered in 2019 amid construction of the new $50 million New Atlantis attraction. Speculation swirled about its future amid reports of deteriorating infrastructure and difficulties in sourcing needed parts. 'The supporting infrastructure we had in place was no longer available worldwide,' Mr Randhawa told 9News. Sea World's monorail is closing after 330,000 trips around the park, which is equivalent to 44 trips around Australia 'Hence, we have made the decision to close the monorail down'. Mr Randhawa said that like many families, he had 'fond memories' of the rail and that they'd 'tried very hard' to keep it going. He said demolition was expected to start along Seaworld Drive within the Sea World park by the end of the year. Sea World monorail driver of eight years, Dale Beer, told the Courier Mail the rail had been 'awesome'. 'Happy to have those memories but I welcome the future potential (at the park),' he said. Users online shared devastation at the closure, with one remarking that it was the 'end of an era'. Australia has only had four working monorails with two others in Queensland and one in Sydney but all have shut. In an act of breathtaking audacity, just two days after being awarded a backdated pay rise of nearly 15 per cent, train drivers yesterday announced new strikes. They will walk out over 11 weekends from the end of this month, said Mick Whelan, the general secretary of drivers' union Aslef, who as it happens also sits on Labour's National Executive Committee. He attempted to justify the walkouts by accusing train operator LNER, which is run by the Government, of 'boorish behaviour and bullying tactics'. Perhaps Mr Whelan could have a word with his Labour mates including Transport Secretary Louise Haigh to smooth out any issues, rather than launching yet another salvo against the travelling public. Adding to the growing sense of chaos, the RMT is demanding a 'parallel, synchronised' deal, health unions are thinking about asking for upgraded offers for hundreds of thousands of NHS workers, and Border Force workers have now announced a swathe of strikes. The unions were always going to demand payback from their Labour comrades. But even cynics could not have expected the new Government to have lost control of the militant unions after just a few weeks. DAILY MAIL COMMENT: Perhaps Mr Whelan could have a word with his Labour mates including Transport Secretary Louise Haigh to smooth out any issues, rather than launching yet another salvo against the travelling public File photo. Just two days after being awarded a backdated pay rise of nearly 15 per cent, train drivers yesterday announced new strikes Whitehall's WFH fibs THE Civil Service has again been caught in an act of chicanery that would make Sir Humphrey blush. Government mandarins have, since 2022, published figures on employee attendance and it was reasonable to assume that these measured the proportion of civil servants actually turning up at their Whitehall offices each morning. But, as this newspaper reveals today, all was not as it seemed. Right across government, the official figures simply counted the number of occupied desks instead. So, in a department with 1,000 staff but only 500 desks, the data would trumpet a 100 per cent occupancy rate if 500 people clocked into the office. It is a sleight of hand symptomatic of a deep malaise in the Civil Service which deploys duplicity, omission and obfuscation on a daily basis. We see information withheld simply on 'operational grounds' or even in the name of 'national security'. Perhaps a positive gloss is put on the latest monumental disaster through the disclosure of only some of the facts. Or the gathering of data is slightly changed from year to year, so it is impossible to understand how performance in a particular area is changing over time. All of that said, the issue at the heart of this story is how many staff are working from home and how often leading to legitimate questions about how this may affect productivity. We should expect honesty and transparency from the Civil Service about its fitness to tackle the jobs at hand and ministers should demand the same. Of the 36,613 Whitehall staffers for whom data is available, a mere 12,308 can be found at the office where they are based on a normal weekday. That equates to just a third of workers Tony Blair famously vowed that New Labour would be free of scandal and 'whiter than white'. Any attempt by Sir Keir Starmer to sing from the same song sheet is already being compromised by questions over whether his chief of staff Sue Gray was behind two cases of alleged cronyism. The allegations of 'cash for jobs' would have caused howls of protest from Labour if they had occurred under Boris Johnson. Now they are in power Labour leaders, too, must expect the unblinking eye of scrutiny to fall upon them. A high school freshman suffering from Duchenne muscular dystrophy was left awestruck after he received a gift of lifetime from his mother. Andrew Palmer, 14, lives with a progressive neuromuscular condition that causes muscle weakness, breathing difficulties and heart problems. Due to this, the young teenager is unable to walk on his own legs and requires external support as well as assistance from his mother, Katherine Palmer and stepfather, Josh Powell. But this summer, Andrew was surprised with a new power wheelchair - a donation from ICAN of Arkansas, an assistive technology program. Andrew Palmer, 14, who suffers from Duchenne muscular dystrophy was left awestruck after he received a gift of lifetime from his mother In an Instagram video, Josh is seen carrying Andrew into their Arkansas home and gently lowering him onto the new chair. As he realizes that he is sitting in a brand new wheelchair, the tearful teenager can be heard telling his mother: 'I love you so much, Mom. I can do stuff by myself now.' While talking to HelpHopeLive, he further said: 'I felt so excited and grateful. Before we got the chair, I didnt have a way to get myself around in our housemy mom and stepdad had to do everything for me. 'Now, I can do a lot more for myself. I can move room to room without asking for and waiting for help.' The video, which has garnered nearly 17 million views, was captioned: 'Somebody got a HUGE surprise today! For the first time ever, he has a power chair inside the house! Hes been in a manual and unable to move himself around at home for years.' In an Instagram video, the tearful teenager can be heard telling his mother: 'I love you so much, Mom. I can do stuff by myself now' Due to his condition, the young teenager is unable to walk on his own legs and requires external support as well as assistance from his mother, Katherine Palmer and stepfather, Josh Powell Since their duplex has a steep set of stairs leading up to the front door, it was impossible for either of the family members to bring the heavy wheelchair inside their abode - forcing Andrew to use a mechanical wheelchair despite deteriorating muscle strength Before receiving his new chair, Andrew only had a 460-pound power chair that he used outside of their duplex and in school. Since the building has a steep set of stairs leading up to the front door, it was impossible for either of the family members to bring the heavy wheelchair inside their abode - forcing Andrew to use a mechanical wheelchair despite deteriorating muscle strength. 'The smaller power chairs that are available are not covered by insurance and are several thousands of dollars out of pocket. We are not wealthy people,' Katherine told the medical fundraising publication. But with the help of an organization called I-Can of Arkansas where people can donate used medical equipment, the hopeful mother was able to buy a new powerchair. Before receiving his new chair, Andrew only had a 460-pound power chair that he used outside of their duplex and in school Andrew had been diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy when he was 19 months old 'I scan through the inventory every now and then to see if they have anything Andrew needs. I came across this power chair and wasnt sure if it would be the correct size for him or if we could even get it into the house, but I went ahead and put in a request for it. The request was accepted on the same day. 'Two days later, Andrews stepdad, Josh, and I picked it up. We spent two hours pushing, pulling, ratcheting, and sweating our way into getting the power chair inside,' she said. Andrew had been diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy when he was 19 months old. The condition is an inherited disorder of progressive muscular weakness that is most commonly seen in boys. Symptoms include frequent falls, trouble getting up or running, waddling gait, big calves and learning disabilities. There is no cure, but physical therapy and medications, such as corticosteroids, can help control symptoms and improve quality of life. A female prison officer has been jailed after engaging in a 'romantic relationship' with an inmate who she called 'Fitty McVitty' and described as her 'soulmate'. Claire Lloyd, who used to work as a prison guard at Strangeways in Manchester, has been locked up for eight months after being found guilty of misconduct in a public office. Lloyd, 47, became embroiled in an inappropriate relationship with Andrew Hall, 43, who was serving time at HMP Manchester for armed robbery. Prosecutors accepted that their relationship did not become sexual, but said the pair declared their love for each other and exchanged hundreds of text messages and phone calls - some of which took place when Lloyd was on duty. The love-struck prison officer turned a blind eye to the fact that Hall was using an illicit phone in jail. When rumours began to spread in the prison about their relationship, Lloyd claimed that the complaints were 'malicious' and that other staff had a 'vendetta' against her. But she was found out and suspended from her role. Now the mum-of-four has faced the ultimate fall from grace, and joined Hall, 43, in becoming a serving prisoner. Hall received an extra nine months in addition to his current sentence. Claire Lloyd (pictured), who used to work as a prison guard at Strangeways in Manchester, has been locked up for eight months after being found guilty of misconduct in a public office Lloyd became embroiled in an inappropriate relationship with Andrew Hall who was serving time for armed robberyat HMP Manchester (pictured) Lloyd had a long-list of pet names for her locked-up 'soulmate' including 'Fitty McVitty' and 'Mr Softy'. Indeed Hall's name was saved in her phone as 'Pete 381 Jonny', with the number representing three words with eight letters - 'I love you'. Throughout their plethora of messages, Hall would describe carrying out sex acts on Lloyd, asking her to 'take her knickers off'. She sexted back, saying she was 'getting undressed' to 'titillate' him. Manchester Crown Court heard that Lloyd received anti-corruption training as part of her role at HMP Manchester. 'Claire Lloyd would have been fully aware that any relationship with an inmate would have been breaching those rules and would have amounted to a criminal offence,' prosecutor Justin Hayhoe said. Mr Hayhoe said that rumours began to spread across the prison that the pair were in a relationship. Lloyd went 'out of her way to quell those rumours' and claimed she had been 'victimised' by other staff at the jail. Prison authorities invited Lloyd to two 'support meetings' where she was asked if she was in a relationship with an inmate. Instead she 'lied' and claimed the allegations were 'malicious', Mr Hayhoe said. The prosecutor said that two days before one such meeting in July 2022, Lloyd had texted Hall to tell him that 'she loved him'. In another message that month, Lloyd said she 'had his back'. The following month, prison officers were called to an incident in Hall's cell after the alarm was activated. Lloyd arrived after other officers. 'They told her to leave, saying the incident was her fault and that she was a corrupt b****,' Mr Hayhoe said. During a second 'support meeting', held in September 2022, Lloyd did not disclose the relationship and began to cry. Prosecutors claimed she was trying to 'gain sympathy and deflect away from her actions'. The police were called in, and Lloyd was suspended a year later in September 2023. She was arrested as she arrived for a shift at the jail, and her phone was seized. Lloyd gave officers her PIN number. The same day, officers searched Hall in prison using a handheld metal detector. The search gave a 'positive indication' that Hall had 'secreted a metal object about his person. Police did not recover the phone, and Hall was transferred to another jail. Analysis of Lloyd's phone revealed the pair had shared hundreds of phone calls and text messages between April and September 2022. Lloyd (right) arrives at Manchester Crown Court for sentencing on Friday A female officer walks through a communal area in a prison (Stock Image) When Lloyd was interviewed by police, she claimed that other prison officers had a 'vendetta' against her. She said that their 'friendship grew' after Hall had helped her with 'problem inmates'. Hall asked her for her number, and although she initially refused, she later gave it to him. Lloyd, of Warrington, pleaded guilty to misconduct in public office at an earlier hearing, while Hall admitted intentionally encouraging or assisting the commission of an indictable only offence. Hall was serving an extended prison sentence of 14 years after carrying out an armed robbery at a bank in Derbyshire in 2015. He burst into the RBS bank in Matlock armed with an imitation firearm, and was handed 1,000 after demanding cash. His earliest release date was expected to be February next year, before he was handed his latest sentence. Defending, Gerald Baxter said Hall was 'almost careless about his own position' and wanted his lawyer to highlight positive aspects of Lloyd's character. 'He clearly feels a sense of responsibility for it, he says that he is devastated that Ms Lloyd is in so much trouble,' Mr Baxter said. Hall said she assisted 'extremely depressed' prisoners and supported an inmate with suicidal thoughts. On one occasion she dragged a prisoner out of a cell which was on fire, he said. Katherine Wright, Lloyd's barrister, said the defendant had suffered stress and problems at work as well as 'traumatic family events', and said Hall had showed her 'kindness'. Ms Wright said Lloyd is a single mother-of-four who also helps to care for her parents. Lloyd has since found new work in a call centre - a job she would lose if sent to jail, Ms Wright said. The lawyer described Lloyd as an 'upstanding member of society', and told the court that the mum of a suicidal child felt that Lloyd had 'saved his life' after she spoke with the boy. Ms Wright said of Lloyd's offending: 'These incidents are clearly huge errors of judgement on her part, they are going to cost her dearly. But in my submission, they are wholly out of character for her.' She appealed for Lloyd to be spared jail, but the judge, Recorder Andrew McLoughlin, said the offending was so serious that it merited a prison sentence. Lloyd was sentenced to eight months behind bars at Manchester Crown Court (pictured) 'You knew what you were doing was wrong,' the judge told her. 'It went on for a period of five months. 'On at least two occasions you had the opportunity to share your problems and issues with colleagues at meetings, but chose not to. Save in exceptional circumstances, any offence of this nature might result in immediate custody.' Lloyd will serve half of her eight month sentence behind bars. A top police officer facing disciplinary proceedings over Scotland Yard's shambolic VIP child abuse inquiry has been awarded a 10,000 pay rise. Steve Rodhouse also received a huge boost to his near 3million pension pot, newly-published documents reveal. The pay increase makes him one of Britain's highest-paid officers despite the fact he was removed from his role as director-general of operations at the National Crime Agency (NCA) because he faces a disciplinary hearing. Last year the police watchdog said the former Met deputy assistant commissioner will face a gross misconduct charge over allegations that he lied in public at the conclusion of Operation Midland. Mr Rodhouse led the disastrous probe into the lies of a fantasist known as 'Nick' real name Carl Beech whose wild accusations of an Establishment paedophile ring were deemed 'credible and true' by the Met. Top police officer Steve Rodhouse, who is facing disciplinary proceedings over Scotland Yard's shambolic VIP child abuse inquiry, has been awarded a 10,000 pay rise The former Met deputy assistant commissioner will face a gross misconduct charge over allegations that he lied in public at the conclusion of Operation Midland Mr Rodhouse led the disastrous probe into the lies of a fantasist known as 'Nick' real name Carl Beech whose wild accusations of an Establishment paedophile ring were deemed 'credible and true' by the Met. The 2014 investigation severely damaged the reputations of innocent public figures, including ex-Armed Forces chief Lord Bramall and former home secretary Leon Brittan. The 2.5 million inquiry closed in March 2016 without any arrests or charges and Beech was later jailed for 18 years for perverting the course of justice, fraud and child sexual offences. Since the Independent Office for Police Conduct announced that Mr Rodhouse should face gross misconduct proceedings, his salary has risen by 10,000 to around 190,000-195,000 and his pension pot value has increased to 2.9 million. Former Tory MP Harvey Proctor, who was falsely accused of child murder by Beech, said the police establishment was delaying Mr Rodhouse's hearing so he can retire with the biggest pension possible. He said: 'He faces a gross misconduct hearing and the authorities decide the best thing to do is to give him a pay rise and increase his pension it is outrageous.' The IOPC has recently served gross misconduct papers on Mr Rodhouse and is awaiting a response. A chairman for the disciplinary hearing has been appointed, but no date has been set. The NCA said: 'Any salary increases are the result of agency annual pay reviews.' The bell tower on Sam Houston State University's campus in Huntsville, Texas on Saturday, July 18, 2020. Elizabeth Conley/Staff photographer Sam Houston State University plans to open a polytechnic college for short-term certificate programs as part of a broader effort to meet concerns about statewide learning gaps and job shortages in a rapidly changing workforce. The Texas State University System voted earlier this month to reinstitute and rename its Josey School of Vocational Education, which launched in 1947 as adults and veterans needed additional training to gain employment in the post-World War II era. Though the school had since dissolved, university officials say similar postsecondary challenges exist today among them learning disruptions, a retracted labor force and advances in technology that have moved faster than higher education can keep pace. Revamped as SHSUs ninth academic college, the Polytechnic College will attempt to reverse the trend and house programs that align with industry needs in real time, said Chad W. Hargrave, vice president for research and strategic partnerships. The certificates will provide immediate paths into careers and give students the option of using them toward higher-level certificates or four-year degrees at the university. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "Thats what higher ed has not been able to do over the last 100-plus years," Hargrave said. "We feel like we have a framework that allows us to be agile, and we want to be innovators." SHSU administrators are working with industry partners to determine which programs the college will house. They will align with existing academic offerings to capitalize on the school's research interests, although the programs will have to move fast as their fields continually change, Hargrave said. "Were not going to just have a bunch of technical programs that cover the gamut," he said. "Were going to be responsive to what industry is telling us they need today or in the near future." Though the programs are still in a exploratory phase, Hargrave cited medical records specialists as an example of the college's proposed structure. A student might get an initial certificate in health information technology analysis in roughly 18 credit hours that they can use to obtain a job, the administrator said. But the credential would also open the student up to another certificate in health information technology coding, which carries higher earning potential, and then to an applied associate's in health information technology or a bachelor's in biomedical or health sciences. Advertisement Article continues below this ad MORE FROM SAMANTHA KETTERER: Pro-Palestinian protesters face challenges in return to campus this fall The Polytechnic College has its first approvals through the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Texas State University System, and its programs will need to become accredited once they are selected. Officials are also working out a funding model that would come with a new set of faculty, and Hargrave said he expects virtual learning to be integrated into the college. The school's opening is likely a year down the road, he said. Trade programs are most common in two-year institutions, though four-year schools have been known to offer some certificates aligned with their existing offerings. "Upskilling" has become a buzzword increasingly used in the university space, however, and SHSU has marketed its new college as an educational model that brings more flexibility to employers as well as students. Texas higher education officials have acknowledged the need to get more credentialed people into jobs, as they also chase a goal for 60% of working-age Texans to obtain postsecondary credentials by 2030, up from 48% in 2022. Students are meanwhile looking for options that minimize their time in college, Hargrave said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad This is in line with what our modern students are looking for, he said. A father-of-six from rural NSW was told by paramedics he had food poisoning after he was unable to stop throwing up, but it was later found to be a brain aneurysm. Robert Miller, 34, from Silverton near Broken Hill had been feeling a slight headache during the day and was in the bathroom about 11pm on July 17 when it intensified and he collapsed and bumped his head. His wife Kerrieann James said he was then 'uncontrollably vomiting and shaking' so she called paramedics who suspected it was a 'stomach bug' and gave him an anti-nausea injection. Despite bouts of passing out, he declined to go to hospital and paramedics were confident enough to allow him to stay at home. However, the following morning his symptoms did not improve and so a neighbour, who is also a paramedic, insisted he go to hospital. Doctors at Broken Hill hospital suspected meningitis but after 'hours of tests and scans' he was rushed to the ICU when the brain bleed was discovered. He was then flown to Royal Adelaide Hospital where he underwent surgery and spent weeks recovering. 'Myself, my mum and four of our kids travelled to Adelaide to be with him,' Ms James said. Paramedics thought Robert Miller had food poisoning but he was later found to have had a ruptured brain aneurysm The family-of-eight are struggling to cover expenses after Mr Miller spent weeks in Royal Adelaide Hospital and can't return to work for another three months They have recently returned home but Ms James said with her husband unable to work, the family has been struggling with six school-aged children. 'We're both casual workers (rent is) $435 per week we're just managing, I pulled some money from my superannuation to cover us for a bit,' she told 7 News. Mr Miller is still experiencing some memory loss and weakness on the right-side of his body. Doctors believe stress led to the swelling of a blood vessel, known as an aneurysm, which then ruptured. 'I've got a pretty big scar on my head and everyone is staring. I lost a lot of weight in the process as well, I dropped down to 47 kilograms,' he said. 'I'm trying to go to school to pick the kids up, and you can see all the little kids are scared, so I try and cover my head.' Mr Miller is continuing rehabilitation but it will be months before he can return to work. The family has launched a fundraiser asking for financial help. According to the Mayo Clinic an aneurysm is a bulging of a blood vessel that resembles a berry on a stem. 'Most brain aneurysms aren't serious, especially if they're small, and most don't rupture,' the medical school explains. 'They usually don't cause symptoms or cause health problems. In many cases, brain aneurysms are found during tests for other conditions. 'However, a ruptured aneurysm quickly becomes life-threatening and requires medical treatment right away. 'If a brain aneurysm hasn't ruptured, treatment may be appropriate in some cases. Treatment of an unruptured brain aneurysm may prevent a rupture.' An Arkansas mother whose face was heavily bruised in her mugshot was sentenced to 40 years in connection with the death of her five-year-old son, whose body was found under her home's floorboards. Ashley Rolland, 30, pleaded guilty to two counts of permitting abuse of a minor on August 8. In December 2022, the body of her son, Blu Rolland, was discovered underneath the floorboards of their family home in the small town of Moro on what would have been the boy's sixth birthday. Blu is believed to have been murdered three months before his corpse was found. An Arkansas mother whose face was heavily bruised in her mugshot was sentenced to 40 years in connection with the death of her five-year-old son, whose body was found under her home's floorboards Blu is believed to have been murdered three months before his corpse was found Rolland's boyfriend, Nathan Bridges, 34, killed Blu after the five-year-old bit his finger. Bridges did so by savagely sticking the helpless boy's head in a 'water-filled toilet until he drowned him,' according to Rolland's affidavit. Rolland told investigators that she remained in the living room while her boyfriend was in the bathroom with her son. When Bridges left the bathroom, she 'entered the bathroom and saw [Blu] struggling to breath[e], and his body was limp.' Afterwards, Bridges 'cut a hole in their wooden floor, dug a hole in the ground, and buried [Blu] under the house.' Rolland's boyfriend, Nathan Bridges, 34, killed Blu after the five-year-old bit his finger In December 2022, the body of her son, Blu Rolland, was discovered underneath the floorboards of their family home in the small town of Moro On December 16, 2022, Rolland's parents visited the house to pick up their grandchildren. Rolland emerged from the house with her daughter, but told her parents that Blu was not at home. The grandparents observed serious scabbing on top of the girl's head, which Ashley dismissed as an 'allergic reaction,' according to a probable cause affidavit. At this point, the grandparents contacted the Lee County Sheriff's Office for assistance. When first responders arrived, they were met by Rolland's father, who told them that his daughter had informed him that Blu was 'dead inside the home.' Deputies located where Blu was reported to be buried and 'found newly nailed-down boards' Deputies then located where Blu was reported to be buried and 'found newly nailed-down boards,' the affidavit stated. When they removed the boards, 'they found disturbed earth underneath.' After sifting through the top layer of dirt, the deputies 'found a child's flip-flops' and a 'red and blue blanket.' 'Removing the top layer of the earth released the pungent odor of decay.' Upon this discovery, the Lee County Sheriff's Office called in the Arkansas State Police to complete the investigation. Ashley Rolland, 30, pleaded guilty to two counts of permitting abuse of a minor. Last month, Bridges pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and battery Detectives soon found a small human body swathed in several layers of plastic bags and a blanket. The Arkansas State Crime Lab later confirmed that the body was Blu's. Police arrested Bridges and Rolland, who was placed in the St. Francis County jail, where she appeared with a black eye and bruises on her face. Authorities also discovered that Roland's six-year-old daughter exhibited signs of injuries, saying that she had what seemed to be scalp burns, as well as other signs of abuse. The 30-year-old mother has said that Bridges is at fault for her daughter's injuries. In her affidavit, Rolland stated that her boyfriend held the girl's 'head and upper torso under hot water in the bathtub' as a 'punishment for her behavior issues.' Blu's mother originally faced a capital murder charge, but her lawyers argued that she was 'merely present' at the house when Bridges killed the boy Blu's mother originally faced a capital murder charge, but her lawyers argued that she was 'merely present' at the house when Bridges killed the boy. On August 8, she pleaded guilty to two counts of permitting abuse of a minor in Lee County Circuit Court. Last month, Bridges pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and battery. He was sentenced to 60 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections. A man has been hit with a raft of charges after his alleged drunken hooning saw him lose control of his ute, which hit another car injuring a six-year-old girl before bursting into flames. The man, 29, is accused of doing burnouts in his Ford Falcon ute on Stapylton Jacobs Well Road at Gilberton on the northern Gold Coast at 10pm on Friday before he lost control of his vehicle. This led to the ute colliding with a Holden Commodore, which was being driven by a 30-year-old man and had a six-year-old girl as a passenger. The Commodore driver was not injured while the girl sustained minor injuries. Despite the ute catching on fire the driver was not injured. He has been charged with one count each of driving whilst over the middle alcohol limit (0.104), dangerous operation of a vehicle, driving without a licence, driving an unregistered vehicle and stealing (fuel). The man is due to appear in the Beenleigh Magistrates court on Monday. A man has been charged with alleged drunken hooning at Gilberton on the northern end of the Gold Coast The man has been charged with middle alcohol limit (0.104), dangerous operation of a vehicle, driving without a licence, driving an unregistered vehicle and stealing (fuel) Anti-hoon laws were introduced last year in Queensland to crack down on dangerous driving. Under those laws, participating in any hooning event, from illegal street races to burnouts, is a criminal offence. This even includes encouraging others to watch or participate in such activities. A high-on-club-drugs Instagram model crashed her sportscar into two other cars on a Miami roadway - causing a massive wreck that claimed the lives of two other motorists including a loving husband and father, police said. And the influencer, who says she's 'dope in real life' on her Instagram bio, allegedly blamed the carnage on a trendy party drug commonly referred to as 'pink cocaine' that's recently been linked to rap mogul Diddy. Local police said they found Maecee Marie Lathers, 24, vomiting minutes after she crashed her white Mercedes into a black Range Rover and silver Suzuki - but only because bystanders stopped her from fleeing the carnage on foot. She allegedly told police the potent ketamine mix even made her believe she was from the future. According to the arrest report, the first victim had to be extricated from his mangled vehicle but later died at the hospital. The other victim was killed on the spot as Lathers and the wife of one of the victims were the only survivors. Married father Abraham Ismael was killed but his wife, Juanita Hernandez somehow survived the bloody wreckage. Maecee Marie Lathers, 24, has confessed to crashing her car into another and killing two people under the influence of party drugs, police said At the time of the crash, Lathers allegedly told Miami police that she had taken a party drug known as 'Tusi,' or 'Tuci' - also known as 'pink cocaine' - before getting behind the wheel. The accused killer and the Range Rover driver were also injured and Lathers had been taken for treatment as she awaited to appear in court. The arrest report stated bystanders had to grab her and bring her back to prevent her from running away from the scene. Officials later noted that the alleged killer model's license had been suspended since January. Miami-Dade Judge Mindy Glazer told the court during the hearing on Friday: 'If it wasn't for the citizens nearby who stopped her she would've completely fled. 'She advised she was under the influence of Tuci [2C]. A known party drug and that she was from the future and had a crystal ball. The accused killer was found vomiting minutes after she crashed her white Mercedes into a black Range Rover and silver Suzuki by officers Officials later noted that the alleged killer model's license had been suspended since January At the time of the crash, Lathers allegedly told Miami police that she had taken a a party drug known as 'pink cocaine' before getting behind the wheel 'I believe an increased bond is warranted. She's an absolute danger to the community based on killing two people while driving, which you shouldn't even have been in the car. And she's clearly impaired based on her statements.' As of now, Lathers remains in jail at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center until she can post her $140,000 bond. If she is released, the accused killer will remain under house arrest. Pink Cocaine, also known as Tuci [2C], is a pink powder that is a mix of ketamine, MDMA, methamphetamine, cocaine, opioids, and/or new psychoactive substance. Disgraced rap mogul Diddy allegedly had his on-off girlfriend Yung Miami 'transport' the drug for him. The details came to light during Diddy's sex-trafficking investigation. As of now, Lathers remains in jail at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center till she can post her $140,000 bond. If she is released, the killer will remain on house arrest 'She advised she was under the influence of Tuci [2C]. A known party drug and that she was from the future and had a crystal ball,' said Miami-Dade Judge Mindy Glazer Glazer found probable cause to charge Lathers with eight felonies, including two counts of leaving the scene of a crash causing death. Officials said they expect her to be accused of more charges, particularly DUI manslaughter, once her toxicology report is released. Since the death of her husband, Hernandez has launched a GoFundMe for her and her son. The crowdfunding page has raised $1,800 toward its $20,000 goal. New York's most notorious killer dog has struck again - a year after its owner promised to put it down. Syko the blond Golden Shepherd mauled a series of small dogs and left one dead last summer outside La Librairie des Enfants French bookshop in the Upper East Side. At the time, owner Lynda Hudson, 58, bowed to local pressure and said she would both have the dog euthanized and move her bookstore across town to a new site in the West Village. But the Beast of the Upper East was filmed in another attack on Friday morning, leaving one elderly walker lying flat on the sidewalk and clutching her terrified spaniel as Syko's handler dragged him away. 'As the woman walked up the block, the dogs jumped out of the car and attacked her dog and she was knocked to the ground,' a horrified neighbor told Dailymail.com 'The husband proceeded to hit his dogs and then drove off.' An elderly woman lays on the sidewalk desperately clutching her spaniel as Syko and his sibling are dragged away from their targets 'Syko' - second from left and pictured with his parents and siblings - mauled several smaller pups outside the quaint French bookstore La Librairie des Enfants on the Upper East Side Syko was living with at least two of its German Shepherd siblings when it began attacking smaller animals in May last year. Psychologist Julia Schafer was walking out of her building when Syko and his two siblings grabbed her small Collie mix Tarsilla on May 3. 'The white one bit her and held onto her,' Schafer told the NY Times. Hudson agreed to pay the $850 vet's bill, but it was just four days later that local tech engineer Laurie Davis found herself 'screaming at the top of her lungs' as the dogs launched themselves on her small white Cavachon named Chloe. 'My friend and I were coming back from Central Park with our dogs ... next thing I know, this white dog has Chloe in its mouth,' she said. While Syko was busying himself with Chloe, his two siblings turned their attention to the small Maltipoo belonging to Davis's friend, biting little Muppet in the face. Chloe survived but required emergency surgery and was in critical care for nearly three days, according to Davis. She said one neighbor from her building had 'got a wet towel and put pressure on her wound which is probably what saved her life.' But it was August before matters came to a head when Syko was triggered by a seven-pound toy poodle called Baby who walked past his door. Personal trainer Akiba Tripp with her seven-pound toy poodle Baby who was killed by Syko near the bookstore when the owner suddenly opened the door Psychologist Julia Schafer, another Upper East Side local, said that she was walking out of her building with her small collie mix Tarsila on May 3 last year when disaster struck Chloe and her owner Laurie Davis following Syko's brutal attack on the small Cavachon in early May last year. Davis took Hudson to small claims court over the $6,000 vet bill that came as the result of lifesaving measures for Chloe Owner Akiba Tripp said the German Shepherd grabbed her little dog 'within his mouth,' sank his teeth in, and broke her spine after Hudson had opened the door to the shop and walked out with Syko. The personal trainer said people from neighboring bars ran over and tried to drag the dogs apart on the blood-splattered sidewalk. But Baby couldn't move because she was paralyzed from the attack. The little poodle had to be put down but Hudson claimed that 'Syko did not kill anyone', telling the NY Post that it was Tripp who decided to 'put that dog to sleep'. Tripp said a veterinarian insisted her dog could not be saved and tore into Hudson's account. 'For her to continue to say that, how dare she,' she spat. 'That goes to show what an evil person this woman is. The dog's spine was broken, and the doctors said we cannot do surgery.' Davis said Hudson had blamed her 'drunk' husband for the attack, and then reneged on a promise to pay her $6,000 veterinary bills. 'She's a pathological liar,' Davis claimed. 'I have to tell you all the Upper East Side dog moms and dads up here, they don't want her here at all. 'This woman has given me such agita that I can't even begin to say.' Syko (center) the German Shepherd is known to have attacked at least five dogs His handler shoved him back in the car as his latest victim lay on the ground One of Syko's siblings also received a stiff telling off as bystanders looked on helplessly Eventually one came to the woman's aid and lifted the spaniel away from danger In an email to neighbors, Hudson apologized for Syko's behavior and said she had tried everything to tame its wild behavior. 'It's very unfortunate that this poor little dog was put to sleep and I'm so sick!' she wrote. 'I've been here for almost nine years and my adult dogs never attacked but this white German shepherd is something. 'I called my vet yesterday to ask him to put the dog to sleep and my vet refused to do it.' But she said the vet had referred her to a clinic in Brewster, and she would keep her other dogs at home in future. 'My dogs won't be in the shop anymore but the hatred, insults name calling has to stop,' she wrote. In April this year the bookshop shut its doors ahead of a planned relocation to the West Village. 'I'm just happy that (Hudson is) gone,' said Tripp at the time. 'I don't believe she's learned her lesson. She showed no remorse.' Lynda Hudson, 58, opened La Librairie des Enfants in 2016. She owns the vicious German Shepherd dog that has been mauling other animals But just when residents thought it was safe to go back in the quarter, one filmed Syko and his sidekicks attacking the elderly lady and her spaniel. 'All the dogs were in the car with her husband,' the witness told Dailymail.com. 'And as the woman walked up the block, the dogs jumped out of the car and attacked her dog and she was knocked to the ground. The husband proceeded to hit his dogs and then drove off.' The source said that a 'sister cafe' near the bookshop where Hudson offers child and adult conversation classes remains open for the time being. 'I don't believe she's learned her lesson,' said Tripp. 'She showed no remorse.' Dailymail.com has reached out to Ms Hudson for comment. A road trip to Australia's Cape York has turned to tragedy for an elderly couple after they crashed their four-wheel-drive on a remote dirt road. The silver Toyota LandCruiser was travelling along Peninsula Development Road about 30km north of the Archer River Roadhouse when it left the road and struck a tree about 2pm on Friday. Emergency crews including a rescue helicopter were called to the area, about five hours north of Cairns, where the 68-year-old male driver was declared deceased at the scene and a 65-year-old female passenger was airlifted to Cairns hospital. No other passengers were in the car and no other vehicles were involved. It is understood the pair had travelled from NSW. The Queensland Police Forensic Crash Unit is investigating how the crash happened. Anyone with information or dashcam footage is urged to contact police. A Queensland Government rescue helicopter airlifted an elderly woman to Cairns hospital following a fatal crash in Cape York (file image) The pair had been driving on the Peninsula Development Road (right) near Archer River (left) The crash followed two others in Far North Queensland on Friday. A car reportedly crashed into a barricade at Mowbray, 58km north of Cairns. 'Two patients are being treated, but it looks like the driver's suffered a medical episode,' a Queensland Ambulance spokesperson told The Courier Mail. A two-vehicle crash in Port Douglas also resulted in an elderly man being transported to Cairns Hospital in a serious condition. 'A man in his 70s was transported in a serious condition after suffering a medical episode prior to the crash,' the spokesperson said. A man has been charged with murder after the body of another man was found in a suburban unit in the early hours of Friday morning. The 61-year-old's body was found when police were called to a property on Vine St in the southern Brisbane suburb of Stones Corner at about 1am to conduct a welfare check. Police believe the man died after an alleged altercation in the unit at around 10pm a week earlier, on August 9. Following a police search, a 40-year-old man was arrested on the Sunshine Coast in the early hours of this morning, just after midnight. He has been charged with murder and will appear in the Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Monday, August 19. Police allege the two men knew each other. A crime scene investigation into the exact nature of the man's death is continuing. There has been a shocking update in the murder of a five-year-old boy who was murdered on Christmas Eve in 2019. The death of Dennis 'Boo' Vaughn Jr., 5, was ruled a homicide after he was discovered inside a two-story townhouse in Laconia, New Hampshire, with blunt force trauma to the head and neck. At the time of his death, the little boy was in the home with several other family members - but no arrests were made in the case... until now. It has been revealed that Boo's grandmother, Sherry Connor, 61, was arrested and charged for his death. Connor faces multiple counts, ranging from manslaughter for recklessly causing the death of a juvenile, to assault, witness tampering and negligent homicide, according to a joint statement from New Hampshire State Police and the Laconia Police Department. The death of Dennis 'Boo' Vaughn Jr., 5, was ruled a homicide after he was discovered inside a two-story townhouse in Laconia, New Hampshire, with blunt force trauma to the head and neck It has been revealed that Boo's grandmother, Sherry Connor, 61, was arrested and charged for his death The law enforcement agencies announced on Friday that Connor will be arraigned in Belknap County Superior Court at a later date. Her shocking arrest comes almost five years after the devastating murder that has been documented thoroughly by New Hampshire media outlets. Connor had been the prime suspect because the little boy had died in her apartment - but she allegedly said that he had died of 'natural causes,' despite the autopsy results ruling otherwise. Locals and officials were baffled by the case for years and appalled that the case had not been cracked. Locals and officials were baffled by the case for years and appalled that the case had not been cracked Locals rallied behind the Vaughan family to try and bring justice to the little boy One local woman, July Anderson, marched into the Laconia mayor's office in October 2023 with a picture of Boo to remind the mayor that the murder had not been solved. She started a GoFundMe - which raised $3,000 for the family. 'The Vaughan family had their sweet, adorable 5 year old son and brother, Dennis Vaughan, Jr., murdered in the most shocking and brutal way,' the GoFundMe said. 'His nickname was Boo. Sadly, Boo was murdered on Christmas Eve 2019, and his murder remains unsolved more than 3 years later.' Anderson spent her career investigating abuse reports at the Division for Children, Youth and Families. At the time of his death, the little boy was in the home with several other family members - but no arrests were made in the case... until now Laconia Family Court records show that in April 2018, Connor (his grandmother) was appointed the boys guardian 'Its just in my nature to say somethings wrong here. Something is not right,' she said of Boo's case. Boo's mother Danielle Vaughan, 31, said shortly after his death: 'My heart is broken. Im dying inside knowing that I did every possible thing I could do to remove him and my other children from the home, but no one listened.' At the time of the little boy's fatal injury, Danielle was in the process of trying to regain guardianship of her children from her mother, their maternal grandmother, Connor. Laconia Family Court records show that in April 2018, Connor was appointed the boys guardian. That guardianship was part of a plan for the child, who was in the custody of the Department of Health and Human Services. A man has been arrested after heavily armed police swarmed a house on a usually quiet suburban street. A segment of Anne Rd in the eastern Melbourne suburb of Knoxfield was closed off for several hours on Saturday as negotiations were reported to be underway between tactical police and someone inside a house. Special Operations Group officers in camouflage carrying automatic weapons and bullet shields were seen in attendance. A 52-year-old man was arrested at the home at about 2.30pm. He allegedly pointed a firearm at a police officer in Box Hill on Friday while in an allegedly stolen black Honda. Heavily armed officers have been seen at what is believed to be a siege taking place in a normally quiet Melbourne suburb The car had stopped at a red light before a police officer pulled up beside the Honda and got out. The driver then allegedly pointed a firearm at the officer before fleeing the scene. Nobody was injured. During his arrest on Saturday, the 52-year-old was bitten by a dog and taken to hospital with non life-threatening injuries under police guard. The man will be interviewed by detectives. Armoured vehicles and canine units had surrounded the home on Saturday. An investigation is underway after a man's body was pulled from water near a South Australian boat ramp on Saturday morning. Emergency crews were called to the boat ramp at Solomontown in Port Pirie, three hours north of Adelaide, about 6am after the man was spotted. The 50-year-old from Port Pirie West was declared deceased at the scene, with CCTV footage from a nearby business showing that man was alive just 30 minutes earlier. SA Police said the death is not being treated as suspicious at this stage of the investigation but a cause would need to be determined by the coroner. Officers were reportedly taking pictures of a pushbike near the boat ramp though it is unclear whether it belonged to the deceased. One local who was out walking her dog near the scene said while she did not know the man, she hoped his family could be 'comforted'. 'Things like this don't happen often ... We're a tight-knit community and this is going to make a big wave,' she told The Adelaide Advertiser. The area was briefly cordoned off to the public on Saturday as detectives scoured the scene and divers searched the water but was reopened by mid-afternoon. Anyone with information is asked to contact police. Chin Kim with Plumbers Local Union 68 helps clear debris at the home of Adrian Leura damaged from Hurricane Beryl shown Tuesday, July 16, 2024, in Houston. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer Hurricane Beryl left 4.1 million cubic yards of storm debris, enough to fill NRG Stadium. The city is asking Houston residents to help facilitate cleanup and has issued a new deadline for debris to be curbside. Cleaning up the storms fallout is a massive operation. The city of Houstons Solid Waste Management department has picked up 2.1 million cubic yards of the damage so far and plans to finish the first pass of debris collections on Saturday, Aug. 31. Before Beryl raged through the state, the department was already in the throes of another cleanup job and they were almost done. Advertisement Article continues below this ad SEE THE DATA: How Beryl shattered Houston-area storm records in 4 charts The May 16 derecho storm left well over 1 million cubic yards of debris across 400 miles. Crews finished their first pass of collection for derecho before Fourth of July weekend sweeping up a whopping 1.7 million cubic yards with plans to start Round 2 the following Monday. Then, Beryl hit. Storm debris consists of broken and scattered vegetation left after a storm. It is separate from bulk waste and demolition debris, which includes garbage and damaged construction, roads and roofing. According to Mark Wifal, director of the solid waste department, if debris is left uncollected after a storm it kills large patches of grass by blocking sunlight and can become an attractive home for rodents, snakes and other pests. Officials ask residents to place storm debris at the curbside in a separate pile from bulk waste and demolition debris no later than Sunday, Aug. 25. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The department aims to kick off the second round of storm debris collection on Monday, Sep. 2. Remaining Beryl debris Tree trunks need to be cut to 3 feet or less in length and diameter and branches should be 6 feet or less in length. While North Houston residents were required to call 311 to report storm debris following derecho, this time around, residents just need to keep their storm debris within 10 feet of their private property. The departments contractors will make their way to every street in all public rights of way for collection. To keep up with specific collection progress for a neighborhood, residents can check out the citys collection progress tracker which offers an interactive map and daily numbers. Wilfalk said the department has the help of three prime contractors with up to 100 subcontractors each to get the job done. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Were doing all we can to expedite it, but we know its not as fast or quick as people would like to see, Wilfalk said. We are moving at our best. To put that into perspective, if we were just using our own city forces to address the level of debris, then we wouldnt even be halfway through. Why cleanup is taking so long Following Beryl, the department has approximately 450,000 households to visit, Wilfalk said. When the city crews manage waste during regular, non-storm periods, they have to deal with 390,000 homes. Once a big storm hits, though, their responsibilities increase, as the private waste contractors that service gated communities cant provide the citys level of debris cleanup. To enter gated communities, the city department needs to first get approval from FEMA, which can make it look like the department is skipping over debris in gated communities. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The volume of Beryl debris and the sheer amount of homes in need of help with debris is a lot to bear when trucks have to visit each and every home. Utility companies can go to the main area where electricity isnt flowing and help 500 homes, but we have to service each one of those 500, Wilfalk said. In some instances, youll see trucks fill up 3 to 4 times one on street before they get done with a block. Wilfalk said while the department hears complaints from some residents, they dont make up the majority. As far as big discontent, I think people understand the magnitude of what were faced with. If you are looking for Tiny Town USA - this is it! Americans seeking an idyllic small town to take a vacation in are in luck as a new study has named this Nebraska town as the best - with only local running the show. Monowi, a small incorporated village in Boyd County ranked first on Far and Wide's 2024 list of the best towns to visit or live in across the country. The village first gained popularity after federal officials realized that the only inhabitant in the 0.21 square miles of area was 90-year-old Elsie Eiler. Apart from being the sole resident, Eiler is also the mayor, librarian and bartender of the town. Monowi, a small incorporated village in Boyd County ranked first on Far and Wide's 2024 list of the best towns to visit or live in across the country The village first gained popularity after federal officials realized that the only inhabitant in the 0.21 square miles of area was 90-year-old Elsie Eiler She runs her very own Monowi Tavern, which she has owned since June 1971, and also grants her own license for the bar. Eiler has also been filing and paying taxes to herself for over a decade. In addition to this, the sole local maintains the five-thousandvolume Rudy's Library, founded in memory of her late husband, Rudy Eiler. Located between the Niobrara River and the larger Missouri River, this village once had a population of 150 back in the 1930s. Eiler runs her very own Monowi Tavern, which she has owned since June 1971, and also grants her own license for the bar Apart from being the sole resident, Eiler is also the mayor, librarian and bartender of the town Monowi was established back in 1902 as a farming, ranching, and railroad town. During the 1930s, the village had all the trappings of a lively Great Plains village: grain elevators, schools, a post office, a church, even a jailhouse. But with the modernization of farming and the closure of the railroad in 1978, Monowi feel into a decline, forcing residents to move elsewhere in search of work. The jailhouse is now an empty rust-colored building marred by actual rust. The churchs last funeral service was in 1960, for Eilers father and it held its last Sunday service not long after. Since Eiler's story and the village's peculiarity has gained popularity, people from all across the world have visited Monowi to hear her stories. The NSW Liberal Party has made a desperate move to stop a potentially disastrous outcome in upcoming council elections after a stunning bureaucratic failure led them to miss a nomination deadline for candidates. State Liberal Party president Don Harwin has reportedly written to the NSW Electoral Commission requesting a one-week extension in the nomination period to give the party more time to submit the necessary paperwork. The ABC reports the commissioner has received the letter and is now 'considering' it. The Party missed a noon Wednesday deadline to nominate up to 140 candidates for next month's elections in a dramatic administrative blunder that has left Liberals fuming. It's understood no Liberal candidates will run in the Blue Mountains, Camden, Campbelltown, Lane Cove, Northern Beaches, Shoalhaven and Wollongong local council elections. Meanwhile only partial nominations were submitted for Canterbury-Bankstown, Georges River, Maitland, North Sydney and Penrith. State director Richard Shields was sacked on Thursday night in the fallout. Liberal strategists are also concerned the stuff-up at the local level could affect federal politics. State Liberal Party president Don Harwin has reportedly written to the NSW Electoral Commission requesting a one-week extension One senior Liberal figure said a lack of presence at the September 14 council elections would affect the party's federal chances next year. This is specially the case in marginal federal seats the Liberals must either win or retain to take power. The insider cited Georges River Council, which sits in the Banks seat and is held by Liberal MP David Coleman on a 3.2 per cent margin. The party will also be looking at winning back the Liberal-turned-Teal seat of Mackellar, which takes in the Northern Beaches Council, as well as retaining Lindsay, which includes Penrith City Council. Senior Liberals are worried the incredible blunder could hurt their party's chances in next year's federal election Gilmore, which includes the Shoalhaven City Council, is another key electorate. Labor's Fiona Phillips turned the seat red in the 2022 federal election, however, it sits on an ultra-slim 0.2 per cent margin. The seat will be contested by former NSW transport minister Andrew Constance next year. Paul Hollywood has blasted locals as 'unforgivable' after they criticised his wife's plans to close their 'beautiful' village pub. Melissa Spalding and celebrity baker Paul had put more than 80,000 of their own cash into trying to save The Chequers, near Ashford, Kent. But they said it was no longer viable as a business, so her family submitted plans to turn it into a home earlier this year. Now the TV chef says that locals should stump up the money to buy the 600-year-old boozer themselves - as he says that it cannot survive without them supporting it. Following a tense planning meeting, where locals said they had made more than one offer but had been 'unable to get them to agree or engage fully with us', The Great British Bake Off host raged against the 'vindictiveness' of villiagers. He told BBC South East: 'The vindictiveness from the locals towards the family who have been here 18 years is unforgivable. Paul Hollywood says that locals should stump up the money to buy the 600-year-old boozer themselves - as he says that it cannot survive without them supporting it The Chequers, near Ashford, Kent, is no longer viable as a business, so Mrs Hollywood's family submitted plans to turn it into a home earlier this year Melissa Spalding and celebrity baker Paul had put more than 80,000 of their own cash into trying to save The Chequers, near Ashford, Kent Hollywood reportedly met Ms Spalding at the pub four years ago, and she has been the landlady for 16 years. Pictured: In 2020 'If the villagers themselves want to get their act together and put a bid in and buy it, that's fine. 'At the end of the month it's earmarked to close because they cannot sustain the money that's coming in because there's no money coming in.' Melissa had told councillors that her parents had spent even larger sums trying to keep it afloat but said the business was 'dying on its feet'. On Wednesday, at a meeting of Ashford Borough Council planning committee, councillors voted seven to five in favour of turning it into a residential property. This was met with anger from locals who believe the village of Smarden will now be 'ruined' as a result. During the meeting, it was revealed the lengths the couple had gone to try and sell the business as a pub. This included being marketed with four different estate agents since November 2020. The Smarden Community Pub group - who are fighting to 'preserve' the boozer as a 'community asset' - claimed to have put in more than one offer to buy the establishment, but said they had been rebuffed. During the meeting, it was revealed the lengths the couple had gone to try and sell the business as a pub Slamming locals in the planning meeting (pictured), Mrs Hollywood fumed: 'Unfortunately the last six months have shown us the worst in people's behaviour' In 2021 Hollywood was pictured hard at work during a night shift in the diner's kitchen as he made pizzas for hungry diners A representative said: 'We as a group have made more than one offer to the owners to purchase the inn on a community run basis but have just been unable to get them to agree or engage fully with us so we can move forward because they seem more intent on the development potential of the site. 'We feel that if they had been on board months ago we would be a long way down the road to achieving this goal. We are eager but cannot move forward without an agreement.' Hollywood blasted this as 'a lie', and said it had only had one offer. He further claimed that many of the people in the council meeting don't drink at The Chequers - saying: 'it's that classic saying "use it or lose it"'. He added that the one offer they had received was 'not realistic'. Locals had pleaded with the Great British Bake Off star to intervene. But he told the BBC that he had already given a 'substantial amount of money' but the business was just losing money - and he is 'not a charity'. The pub's owner Glenn Spalding - Mrs Hollywood's father - had submitted plans in January to turn the 16th-century building into a single-dwelling home. The plans mean no physical work either externally or internally would be needed at the property. Hollywood blasted locals claims they had made attempts to buy the pub as 'a lie', and said it had only had one offer The TV host has previously delighted customers with appearances at the pub, judging a cake baking competition in January 2020, after spending the Christmas at the inn The baking guru was in his element as he judged the cakes while entrants and fans watched on at The Chequers Inn, Smarden It is not clear whether any of the Spalding family intend to live in the property after it is turned into a house, or whether it would be sold. Slamming locals in the planning meeting, Mrs Hollywood fumed: 'Unfortunately the last six months have shown us the worst in people's behaviour. 'The personal insults and attacks have been unforgivable. We have owned and run The Chequers Inn for nearly 17 years and put our heart and souls into it. 'Ask yourself, would you work a 12 to 16 hour shift every day just to make a loss, and would you do it if you were 80 years old with a life-threatening heart condition?' She said their hope was that a buyer would buy the pub to continue running it as a boozer, but that they should have a safety net should the business not work out. Responding to their comments, she continued: 'We have been left with no other choice than to close at the end of the month as funds have run out.' She added: 'The community pub committee has since gone quiet. We have seen no evidence of any pledges from villagers to commit their hard-earned money to a scheme that offers little or no return on their investment. Also there is no evidence of any government funding being offered towards the cost of buying the business. 'They have said that they will not be moving forward with the process until a decision is reached this evening. They have all iterated that they themselves have no desire to get involved with the every-day running of the business or the management side of things, but instead they are saying that they just want Ito remain open so they can come in for a drink occasionally. Outside, the pub boasts a pub garden overlooking the village church and a large carp pond The Chequers Inn pub has seven rooms and a large two-bedroom owner's accommodation 'Unfortunately the pub cannot survive on people drinking once or twice a week - it needs a steady flow of locals using it regularly for meals and other social activities.' Speaking after the council meeting earlier this week, one local told MailOnline: 'It is a travesty. It will ruin the village. 'I hope it makes them both very happy and a lot of money. But this will leave the village in a much worse-off position. 'What message does this send out to other places and villagers? 'What sort of importance is being placed on pubs in communities these days? None at all. 'I really hoped it could be kept as a pub and be the hub of the village. 'Instead it will be a home. I am sure it will be a lovely home but it will not benefit the rest of the village.' Hollywood reportedly met Ms Spalding at the pub four years ago, and she has been the landlady for 16 years. The TV host has previously delighted customers with appearances at the pub, judging a cake baking competition in January 2020, after spending the Christmas at the inn. Hollywood said that they had received one offer for the pub but it was 'not realistic' The boozer's website says they will be open as normal until August 31 And in 2021 he was pictured hard at work during a night shift in the diner's kitchen as he made pizzas for hungry diners. Wearing a white jacket and black striped apron he worked the production line, selling the Italian dishes for 13 each. An onlooker told The Sun: 'The restaurant was busy and Paul seemed to be a hit with customers.' With a varied menu, punters can enjoy anything from a 25 three-course set menu to a 30 rib-eye steak alongside a bijou selection of elevated pub grub. Beef burgers and fish and chips cost 17, while a fish cake costs a pricey 18 and a Sunday roast is sold for between 18.50 and 19.50. Rooms at the pub are in the 'historical style of a 14th Century Coaching Inn' - and go from 120 a night for bed and breakfast. The poshest stay - the Guinevere package - includes a king size bed, a free standing brass bath and a separate large shower room for 165 a night. Outside, it boasts a pub garden overlooking the village church and a large carp pond. The boozer's website says they will be open as normal until August 31. While the TV personality initially denied the romance when it was first revealed, the now-Mrs Hollywood's car was reportedly seen on the drive outside his nearby home, a 1million Grade II listed pile. Spalding temporarily moved into into the 18th Century four-bedroom farmhouse in April 2020, with the couple growing closer as Britain was plunged into national lockdown during the pandemic. Friends later claimed they were living together on a permanent basis at the property, originally purchased while Hollywood was dating Summer Monteys-Fullam. Spalding and Monteys-Fullam had been friends for years, having lived close to one another in rural Kent. The pair tied the knot in October 2023, in a Byzantine style chapel set in the grounds of Cyprus' most exclusive hotel. Friends said the couple started dating after Hollywood's split from Summer Monteys-Fullam in August 2019, who he had met in 2018 at another nearby pub. The chef and his former partner Alex split in 2017, with their 20-year marriage ending in divorce in 2019. A Sydney chiropractor who was jailed for sexually assaulting a female patient has lost a desperate attempt to be freed from prison, with his texts to his victim playing a key role in the state's highest court. Riaz Behi was jailed for nine years after he was found guilty of 13 sexual offences against a Japanese national who was a patient at his Sydney CBD clinic. Behi will remain in jail after the Court of Criminal Appeal on Friday dismissed his appeal in a unanimous decision. The offences were committed against the victim, who cannot be identified, over 17 appointments over a three-month period from late January until April 2019. A jury convicted him of eight counts of sexually touching without consent and five counts of sexual intercourse without consent. The woman, a Japanese citizen who spoke little English, sought treatment from Behi at The Back Guys clinic in York Street for lower back and groin pain. The court heard she used Google Translate to communicate with Behi during the sessions. During her first session, she was asked to undress and wrote in notes: 'I didn't know what to do as it is in Australia', the court was told. Riaz Behi was jailed for nine years after he was found guilty of 13 sexual offences against a Japanese national who was a patient at his Sydney CBD clinic During the third appointment in January 2019, she reported that Behi touched close to her anus. In her evidence to the court, via a translator, she said that during a subsequent session, he instructed her to remove her underwear completely. When she was on her back, he touched her groin and genital area, leaving her 'humiliated', the court was told. During another session, she told the court he massaged her clitoris and put his finger in her anus. She said that she told him 'stop' and 'no', and that when he asked her whether she wanted him to stop, she said 'yes, yes, yes'. The woman said she was shocked by his actions, adding that he had come recommended by a friend who trusted him at the time. During his evidence, Behi denied any non-consensual sexual contact taking place. 'I think you're very attractive. I don't intend to get something from you or take something from you. I apologise if I made you feel uncomfortable,' he said in a message to her. The Crown prosecution argued that he took advantage of a 'vulnerable' woman, who at first thought his offending was a mistake or that it was how things were done in Australia. Behi appealed against his conviction, arguing, in part, that the jury's verdict was not supported by the evidence. The Crown prosecution argued that Behi (left) took advantage of a 'vulnerable' woman, who at first thought his offending was a mistake or that it was how things were done in Australia Justice Julie Ward, one of three judges to oversee Behi's appeal said: 'I am not left with a reasonable doubt as to the applicant's guilt on the charges of which he was convicted.' The court was told that the woman texted him saying 'You touched my crotch in February.' In a further text message she asked him why he touched her vagina. Justice Ward wrote: '(Behi) asked if they could talk about it in person. 'Pausing here, this suggests that something of a sexual nature did occur on 14 February 2019.' The three-judge panel of Justices Ward, Stephen Campbell and Richard Button on Friday unanimously dismissed his appeal. 'I consider that the text messages of (Behi) provide significant support for the Crown proposition that the disputed occasions of sexual contact had indeed occurred,' Justice Button said. Behi was sentenced to nine years in jail, with a minimum term of five years and six months. His earliest possible release on parole will be in September 2027. The girl was rushed to hospital in stable condition A little girl has been rushed to hospital after she was attacked by a dingo on Queensland's popular K'gari island. The four-year-old girl was bitten and scratched by the wild animal on Orchid Beach, on the island formerly known as Fraser Island, just before 1pm on Saturday. She was bitten on the chest and left with scratches and bruises. She was flown to Hervey Bay Hospital in a stable condition early on Saturday afternoon. A male dingo believed to be responsible for the attack is now being monitored by rangers. K'gari was marred by a series of dingo attacks in 2023. An eight-year-old boy was attacked in early July that year and a 10-year-old boy was dragged underwater by a dingo in June. A four-year-old girl was bitten by a dingo on her chest on K'gari, formerly known as Fraser Island (pictured is high-risk dingo with a GPS collar on the island) The island has been marred by a series of dingo attacks in recent years In mid-July, a 24-year-old woman was hospitalised after she was attacked by a pack of dingoes while out jogging on the beach. A six-year-old girl was hospitalised with puncture wounds to her head and hand after a dingo attack in April. Altogether, there were more than 100 high-risk or threatening interactions between dingoes and people on the island last year. Nigel Farage is thought to be Britain's highest-paid MP after his register of interests revealed he makes almost 1.2million a year from appearing on GB News. Clacton's newly elected MP - who got to know his local community by jetting off to the United States in a bid to catch the eye of Donald Trump - earns many times more than Reform MP Lee Anderson, who is paid 100,000 a year for his presenting role. The register shows Reform leader Farage is paid 97,928.40 a month for 32 hours of work presenting his show, which airs Monday to Thursday. He also made 16,597.22 from hiring himself out for personalised videos on Cameo - where he has been duped into saying rude names and using pro-Irish Republican slogans by pranksters - and earns 4,000 a month writing for the Daily Telegraph. The register also shows he was paid 11,783.55 by the AZ Liberty Network, an American conservative civic engagement group, for a future speaking engagement. Nigel Farage makes almost 1.2million working for GB News as a presenter each year, the parliamentary register of interests shows His earnings outstrip those of Lee Anderson, who is paid 100,000 a year for his presenting role He also made 16,000 from recording videos for Cameo Farage was gifted 2,000 ringside seats for a Derek Chisora fight by the boxer against Joe Joyce at The O2 last month Chisora joined Nigel Farage on the campaign trail in Clacton during the general election in July The register notes that the payment is a deposit and that the final amount will change. Farage was also gifted 2,000 ringside seats by Derek Chisora, who joined him on the campaign trail in a gown labelled 'Nigel's Security', for a fight against Joe Joyce lats month. Farage joined GB News three years ago as the channel stuttered into life and suspended his presenting duties during the election to focus on campaigning. Following his success in Clacton - which came after he consistently denied he was planning on running, or taking up the helm as the leader of Reform UK - he returned to the channel as a presenter. He also made 1,550 through X, formerly Twitter, where as a 'verified' account he can receive a chunk of the advertising revenue from ads shown next to his posts, and 853 from Facebook parent company Meta. The list shows that investor Christopher Harborne donated 32,836 to Mr Farage to visit Donald Trump in the US, following the assassination attempt on the former president 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.' He was also given 9,253.60 by George Cottrell, UKIP's former head of fundraising who served prison time in the US after being convicted of wire fraud, to attend the National Conservatism conference in Brussels in April this year. On the visit to Brussels, Mr Farage spoke at the conference, where Conservative MP Suella Braverman and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban were also in attendance. Mr Farage has been criticised for failing to engage with his new constituents in Clacton, Essex, after beating out the Conservative candidate in a shock result with a 8,405 majority. Jo Maugham, founder of the Good Law Project, told The Guardian: 'You look at these numbers and you wonder, has Nigel Farage catapulted himself to the top of the list of highest earners in Clacton? Great for him, but it's not really public service, is it?' Farage's huge earnings from work outside of his job as an MP in Clacton mean he is likely the highest-earning member of parliament He jetted off to Milwaukee, Wisconsin last month shortly after being elected in a bid to catch the eye of Donald Trump Farage attending the state opening of parliament last month, a day before he set off for the US. He is not believed to have held a surgery in Clacton Farage has sought to shake off criticism that he bears any responsibility for the recent riots that have shamed Britain after being accused of sharing inflammatory posts on social media. Leeds MP Alex Sobel accused him of 'exacerbating' the situation in the wake of the Southport stabbings after Farage tweeted that the 'politics of the subcontinent are currently playing out on the streets of Leeds... Don't say I didn't warn you'. Farage has also denied claims that he is allied with the Kremlin after Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov's spokesperson called him 'an ally'. 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 channel's line-up. It also ruled that a programme featuring ex-prime minister Rishi Sunak broke broadcasting rules, breaching impartiality guidelines by failing to give 'due weight' to an 'appropriately wide range of significant (political) views'. The People's Forum: The Prime Minister programme, Ofcom said, had given the ex-PM - who hand to hand back the keys to No 10 following July's devastating landslide election - a 'mostly uncontested platform to promote (his) policies'. On Friday evening, the full list of MPs' registered financial interests was published. 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. Farage was contacted for comment. Dozens of sunbathing tourists watched in shock as 20 suspected migrants disembarked from a dinghy onto a packed beach in the Spanish islands. The vessel pulled into the cove and stopped on the shoreline in Cala Gran Santanyi, Mallorca, Spain, on Tuesday around 6pm. Video shared on social media shows how roughly 20 people - mostly young men - got off the boat and dodged beach towels as they walked in single file across the sand. The migrants appeared to be in good health and physical condition. But most seemed to have with them only a small rucksack or the clothes they were wearing. The boat was reportedly the fifth to arrive in the Balearic Islands on Tuesday. Dozens of sunbathing tourists watched in shock as 20 suspected migrants disembarked from a dinghy onto a packed beach in Cala Gran Santanyi, Mallorca, Spain, on Tuesday around 6pm Roughly 20 people - mostly young men - got off the boat and dodged beach towels as they walked in single file across the sand Two boats had landed in Formentera around 9am Tuesday. One has 15 people on board and the other was carrying 11. A third vessel had arrived in Formentera around 10.30am, carrying another 15 people. And at 10.50 am, 18 people had been rescued south of Cabrera from a fourth boat. It's not known how long the people spent seaborne as they made the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean Sea. More than 20,000 migrants - including 1,500 children - arrived in Spain by sea in the first quarter of 2024. Eighty per cent of arrivals were headed to the Canary Islands, Birmingham Live reported, making the journey the most heavily used migration route to Europe this year. Vicent Mari, President of the Council of Ibiza, has called for a crackdown on illegal migration, telling a Town Hall last week that the 'situation requires care services that are neither prepared nor sized to deal with this issue'. 'We need the provision of the necessary surveillance and resources to prevent and control this massive arrival,' he told the audience. The migrants appeared to be in good health and physical condition. But most seemed to have with them only a small rucksack or the clothes they were wearing The vessel pulled into the cove and stopped on the shoreline in Cala Gran Santanyi, Mallorca, Spain , on Tuesday around 6pm The boat was reportedly the fifth to arrive in the Balearic Islands on Tuesday Barbara Gonzalez del Rio, Migration Specialist at Save the Children Spain, warned that officials are anticipating a 'significant increase in crossings during the summer months'. 'As long as there is a need in the countries of origin, people will continue to move, and the migratory flow towards Europe will continue to exist,' she said, according to the newspaper. Noting how more than 5,700 migrant children are already under guardianship care in the Canary Islands, he added: 'Support systems are overwhelmed 'Urgent action is needed from other communities to alleviate this critical situation. The Spanish government and autonomous communities must swiftly find solutions.' Tesco is urgently recalling its vegan 'melt in the middle' burgers due to a 'burn risk' when eating. The Food Standards Agency have found that the Plant Chef 2 Meat-Free Burgers with Melting Middles 'may maintain a high temperature once cooked' and could 'burn customers'. Customers are urged not to eat the burgers and to return them to any Tesco store for a full refund. No receipt is required. The recall, issued on Friday, said: 'Tesco are taking the precautionary step of recalling Tesco Plant Chef 2 Meat-Free Burgers with Melting Middle because the centre of the burgers may maintain a high temperature once cooked. The Food Standards Agency have found that the Plant Chef 2 Meat-Free Burgers with Melting Middles 'may maintain a high temperature once cooked' The recall said: 'The melting middle could potentially cause a burn risk to consumers when biting into the burger' 'The melting middle could potentially cause a burn risk to consumers when biting into the burger.' It is not clear when the product first hit shelves but a vegan blog shared a photo of the burgers on Facebook in June. People were quick to comment online that the middles were like eating 'lava'. One person said on Reddit: 'I did almost burn my mouth on them. 'Inside was molten lava.' Another said: 'They are nice but careful when eating as the middle is like eating the sun!' Tesco is urging customers to return the item to the store for a full refund, no receipt is necessary (Stock photo) Tesco described the burger, made from Java bean and pea protein, as 'succulent and tangy'. Its melting middle is made of mustard and gherkins. The supermarket was one of several forced to recall sandwiches and wraps in June because of an E.coli risk. But Tesco said at the time it was just a precautionary measure. Some pastries from the supermarket were recalled in May over fears they may contain metal and plastics. A barbaric Russian soldier has claimed that his battalion has 'blown the heads off' Ukrainian servicemen - with sickening video allegedly showing a severed head impaled on a pole. The appalling footage has been reported as a war crime to the United Nations by the Kyiv authorities, and was seemingly made at a Russian border point in the Belgorod region. Ukrainian troops made a failed bid to break through the Kolotilovka checkpoint into Russia this week in an apparent effort to expand their invasion - which has already seen Kyiv's forces seize huge swathes of territory in the neighbouring Kursk region. Moscow said today that Kyiv has used Western rockets, likely US-made HIMARS, in the region for the first time to destroy a bridge over the Seym river, with dramatic video showing the devastating attack. The destruction of the key bridge is just the latest blow to Vladimir Putin - as Volodymyr Zelensky's forces aim to thwart the dictator's war supply lines and inflict 'maximum damage on all Russian positions'. A Russian soldier in the 155th Brigade of the Pacific Fleet says the 'dead men' of his unit 'salute you, Khokhols' - a derogatory word used by Russians for Ukrainians The sickening video - shared by a Russian telegram account - allegedly shows a severed head impaled on a pole As the Ukrainian invasion of Russia's Kursk region enters its twelfth day, Kyiv has claimed to have taken control of 82 settlements over an area of 440 square miles (1,150 square km). The Russian defence ministry has today claimed that Ukraine is planning to attack the Kursk nuclear power plant and blame such a 'provocation' on Moscow, Interfax news agency reports. The ministry said Russia would respond harshly in the event of such an attack, which it said would contaminate a large surrounding area. It comes after the Russian management of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in occupied Ukraine said earlier today that a Ukrainian drone dropped an explosive charge on a road outside the plant, endangering staff, according to TASS. Russia has been in control of Zaporizhzhia, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, since soon after it launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The plant is dormant as Moscow and Kyiv have repeatedly accused each other of trying to sabotage its operations and endangering safety around the plant. Russian propaganda has been in overdrive as Putin's men desperately try to save face following Ukraine's surprise incursion into Kursk. Putin's forces have been claiming the successful defence of Kolotilovka against Ukrainian marines as a victory and have attempted to use it as a warning as they continue to try to repel Ukrainian troops. In a chilling video of the aftermath of the battle earlier this week, a Russian soldier brags on camera about their supposed triumph. The soldier - thought to be from the 155th Brigade of the Pacific Fleet - says the 'dead men' of his unit 'salute you, Khokhols' - a derogatory word used by Russians for Ukrainians. People gather in the courtyard of a residential building, which according to local authorities was hit by debris from a destroyed Ukrainian missile, in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict in Kursk, Russia August 11 A Ukrainian serviceman stands on a flag of Russia's mercenary group Wagner, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near the Russian border in Sumy region, Ukraine August 13, 2024 Ukrainian servicemen hide from shelling, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near the Russian border in Sumy region, Ukraine August 13, 2024 The Russian defence ministry has today claimed that Ukraine is planning to attack the Kursk nuclear power plant and blame such a 'provocation' on Moscow 'You have made an unforgivable mistake, stepping with your filthy pig hooves on our holy land,' he threatened. 'Today some of you have had your heads blown off by our pressure.' He went on with his sinister threat: 'It will be the same every time we meet. The dead have no pity. The dead men know no fear. The dead are coming for you, Khokhol.' Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine's human rights commissioner, said he had contacted the UN and the Red Cross over the abominable footage filmed at the Kolotilovka checkpoint. 'The enemy uses such videos to intimidate and demoralise Ukrainians,' he said. 'However, this only strengthens our desire to bring everyone who commits such inhuman atrocities to inevitable accountability.' It is unclear how the Ukrainian serviceman was beheaded. The day this happened - August 12 - another video showed a daring bid by Ukrainian troops to crash through the border at high speed in a Kozak-2 armoured vehicle. The vehicle came to a halt on concrete 'dragon's teeth' barricades and then exploded after a drone strike. Some of the Ukrainian paratroopers escaped from the Kozak-2 alive and reports said they were then 'liquidated' by the Russians. The day this happened - August 12 - another video showed a daring bid by Ukrainian troops to crash through the border at high speed in a Kozak-2 armoured vehicle The armoured vehicle was attacked with a drone and explosive shells The barbarity involving the severed head is allegedly the work of the Russia's 155th separate marine brigade from the Russian Pacific Fleet. It is known they were transferred to this part of Russia. According to Ukrainian intelligence, the 155th Guards Brigade was involved in atrocities such as the killings of civilians earlier in the war in Bucha, Irpen and Hostomel in the Kyiv region. Unfazed by the latest threat and urging his armed forces to keep pressing on, Zelensky said in his latest video address: '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.' Kyiv will be heartened by its latest successful attack on Russian infrastructure - the downing of a key bridge in over the Seim River, preventing Putin from transferring personnel and supply reinforcements in the border area. Dramatic aerial footage shows a huge blast at the key crossing in the Kursk region The bridge in Glushkovsky district was blown apart in a second strike, after the first attempt holed the structure but left it intact Pictures show the completely destroyed bridge after the alleged HIMARS strike The bridge in Glushkovsky district was blown apart in a second strike, after the first attempt holed the structure but left it intact. Reports indicate this is not the only bridge to be destroyed. 'For the first time, the Kursk region was hit by Western-made rocket launchers, probably American HIMARS,' Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, said late on Friday on the Telegram messaging app. 'As a result of the attack on the bridge over the Seym River in the Glushkovo district, it was completely destroyed, and volunteers who were assisting the evacuated civilian population were killed.' A frantic post from a pro-war channel said: 'Part of the Glushkovsky district is now cut off. This is Tyotkino, Popovo-Lezhachi, Volfino and about 27 more settlements. 'The civilian population can now only be evacuated by water. The enemy is also hitting the bridge in the village of Zvannoye in the Glushkovsky district.' The blown up bridge is some 13 miles inside Russia from the border. It is yet another humiliation for Putin who has shown himself unable to control his own territory, while trying to swallow neighbour Ukraine. A student police officer will no longer be able to join the force after he allegedly slammed a door on a woman's hand. Officers were called to a home in Asquith, in Sydney's north, at about 6pm on Friday over reports of an alleged domestic violence incident. A 28-year-old man was arrested and charged with common assault (DV) and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He allegedly stopped a woman from leaving the home before slamming her hand in a door. He was granted conditional bail and is due to appear at Hornsby Local Court on September 3. NSW Police said his offer to train with the force has been revoked. Mayor John Whitmire, center, speaks during a press conference with Noe Diaz, left, and interim Houston Police Chief Larry Satterwhite, right, on Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, at Houston City Hall in Houston. Whitmire announced that Diaz will be the new HPD chief. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer Amjad Abusara, 17, joins thousands of people outside of the Israeli Embassy to protest Isreals ongoing attacks on Gaza in the Isreal-Hamas war on Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023, in Houston. Abusara shares Ive experienced Zionist oppression, I saw my 9 year old cousin get shot when I was in Palestine. These protests are important because we need to do more than just social media posts, we need to use our voice. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer A coalition of pro-Palestinian advocates criticized Houston Mayor John Whitmire on Friday after he publicly accused them of being financed by Iran without providing any evidence. In recent weeks, Whitmire has floated the idea that the pro-Palestinian activists who have been demonstrating outside his home are professional, paid protesters funded by questionable sources. He doubled down on his accusation on Wednesday, again without offering proof. PROTEST BAN: Houston Mayor Whitmire puts brakes on proposal to ban some protests amid concerns over free speech Advertisement Article continues below this ad Im just going by the advice of Homeland Security, other departments, some higher than city government, that there is a connection to Iran, Whitmire said during a Wednesday news conference. Its dangerous if its true. The mayors office has declined to provide proof or details of his claim. Mary Benton, Whitmires spokesperson, told the Chronicle the mayor often receives security briefings from law enforcement and intelligence agencies but cannot share that information publicly. That explanation failed to quell advocates concerns. Nishu Siddique, an organizer with Houston For Palestinian Liberation, denied payments by outside forces. She questioned why Whitmire would make the accusation during a televised news conference if it pertained to sensitive security information that he could not reveal. For him to make this vague conjecture its reckless. Its dangerous. And I would argue that its actually intentional on his part, Siddique said. Noorain Maliki, 19, joins activists and community members in support of Palestine for the All out for Rafa protest at City Hall on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Houston. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer Advertisement Article continues below this ad On Friday, Siddiques group and a number of other local organizations published a statement demanding that Whitmire issue a formal apology. The letter was signed by Rice Students for Justice in Palestine, Houston Jews for Palestine and the Houston Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a national Muslim civil rights organization, among others. Since October 2023, there has been a surge in anti-Arab sentiments and hate crime against the Middle East, North African and South Asia community, the letter reads. Serious accusations without evidentiary support made by a public official are irresponsible and place MENASA communities at risk, contributing to further detriment. The groups also denounced Whitmire for exhibiting what they considered a documented history of discrimination against vulnerable communities. They cited a recent incident where Whitmire, when discussing his approach to METRO, said undocumented immigrants from Gulfton would not be welcomed in the Galleria, which sparked criticisms. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Benton previously said the mayors comment was made in the context of broader travel patterns and was based on feedback his team gathered from local residents. The letter also referenced Whitmires speech at a June event at the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center, in which he referred to local pro-Palestinian advocates as some of your enemies and touted his refusal to respond to their request for a ceasefire resolution, as chron.com reported. Benton responded at the time that the mayor understands the Jewish community refers to Hamas and its supporters that way and his remarks were in line with the words and sentiments expressed by other speakers that evening. Hanah S., 4, joins thousands of people outside of the Israeli Embassy to protest Isreals ongoing attacks on Gaza in the Isreal-Hamas war on Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023, in Houston. I love Palestine, a free Palestine Hanah said. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer On Friday, Benton refuted the letters claim that Whitmire has made discriminatory remarks and said these other incidents are not germane to this current issue regarding paid protesters. She also said that Whitmire has only been informed that some of the pro-Palestinian demonstrators, rather than the entire coalition, are paid. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The controversy came amid heated discussions over a proposed ordinance that would ban demonstrations within 200 feet of a targeted residence. City Council delayed voting on the measure this week at the mayors suggestion after some council members and experts expressed concerns over its impact on constitutionally protected free speech. Whitmire has defended his proposal, saying the pro-Palestinian groups repeated demonstrations outside his own residence have been disruptive and caused safety concerns. Several council members, on the other hand, said they worry the proposed ordinance appears to single out a particular group of demonstrators. I just wish we would stop focusing or, intentionally or otherwise, accusing one group of people, Council Member Letitia Plummer said during Wednesdays City Council meeting. I think that muddies the water, and I think that it removes peoples civil rights to demonstrate and talk about whats important to them. Eight men have been charged over the gang rape of an 18-year-old British teenage tourist at a Magaluf hotel. The suspects, seven Frenchmen and a Swiss national, are all being held on remand in prison in Majorca or on the Spanish mainland and are expected to remain behind bars until their trial. More details of the horror attack on the 18-year-old in August last year emerged overnight as the charges were confirmed. Respected Majorcan newspaper Diario de Mallorca, outlining details of the female investigating judge's lengthy investigation into the sickening crime, said she had concluded at least five of the men took turns to rape their alleged victim while the other three sexually assaulted her. The tourist was also spat on, hit, insulted and bottom-whipped after her alleged rapists took advantage of her alcohol-induced 'state of semi-conscious' and stripped her naked in a room at the BH Mallorca Resort in Magaluf in the early hours of August 14 last year. Eight men have been charged over the gang rape of an 18-year-old British teenage tourist at a Magaluf hotel. Pictured: Two of the men are seen being led into court on August 16 last year The suspects are all being held on remand in prison in Majorca or on the Spanish mainland and are expected to remain behind bars until their trial. Pictured: Two suspects being led into court by a Spanish officer on August 16, 2023 During the 'half-hour' of depravity the British youngster was submitted to, she is said to have been filmed by the men on their mobile phones as they egged each other and the videos posted to a 'well-known social media network'. The investigating judge found evidence pointing to one of the suspects filming 14 videos lasting 170 seconds, and another filming five videos lasting 142 seconds, according to Diario de Mallorca. Five of the men have been charged with rape and three with sexual assault. Other charges laid include mistreatment and privacy crimes relating to the publication of the mobile phone videos. No date for the men's trial has yet been set and it was not immediately clear this morning if prosecutors or lawyers acting for the victim have already said what prison sentences they are seeking for the men if they end up being convicted as charged. Six of the suspects, five Frenchmen and a Swiss national aged 18 to 26, were taken into custody in Majorca shortly after the alleged gang-rape. Another two were subsequently held in France on a European Arrest Warrant issued by a Spanish judge and extradited. Reports at the time said three of the suspects met the British teenager hours earlier while partying in Magaluf and one had allegedly gone out into a hotel corridor after 'sexually attacking' her to encourage strangers returning from their own night out to have 'free sex' with her. After the incident involving the British teenager, the BH Mallorca Resort said it was cooperating fully with the authorities and offered its support to the unnamed holidaymaker. A spokesman said in a statement at the time: 'The BH Mallorca Resort deeply regrets what has happened and would like to manifest its firm and forceful repudiation of the alleged sexual attack that occurred in the early hours of Monday August 14 at the hotel. 'The hotel also wants to demonstrate its solidarity with the alleged victim of this aggression. 'We are co-operating fully with the Civil Guard and its investigators in everything they consider to be necessary. At least five of the men took turns to rape their alleged victim while the other three sexually assaulted her, the female investigating judge has said. Pictured is a suspect being escorted into court by police on August 16 last year No date for the men's trial has yet been set and it was not immediately clear this morning if prosecutors or lawyers acting for the victim have already said what prison sentences they are seeking for the men if they end up being convicted as charged. Pictured: A police officer walks a rape suspect into court on August 16 last year The tourist was also spat on, hit, insulted and bottom-whipped after her alleged rapists took advantage of her alcohol-induced 'state of semi-conscious' and stripped her naked in a room at the BH Mallorca Resort in Magaluf (pictured) on August 14 last year, the court heard 'This hotel ratifies through this statement its commitment to the condemnation of all types of sexual attacks that affect peoples' dignity and physical integrity. 'Behaviour that undermines those rights has no place in this establishment.' The Civil Guard in Majorca said in a statement after the last of the eight arrests: 'The Civil Guard has closed the investigation sparked by the alleged gang rape that took place in a hotel in Magaluf in the early hours of August 14 2023.' 'Officers saw early on the complexity of the investigation, as the alleged aggressors didn't form part of the same group of friends but encouraged by other participants, had allegedly joined the group action in sporadic acts, meaning no type of relationship existed between them.' Confirming the first six suspects had been held the day of the alleged sex attack and remanded in prison, a force spokesman added: 'The probe continued to identify the two young men whose arrests were pending. 'One they had been identified, officers discovered they had taken a flight to Baden-Baden in Germany so they could head to their homes in the Strasbourg area. 'The Civil Guard sought the assistance of the French authorities through the normal channels and issued European Arrest Warrants to avoid them evading justice. 'On Sunday August 20 2023 the French police confirmed they arrested one of them in the French locality of Scherwiller before subsequently confirming a second arrest at Basilea Mulhouse Freiburg Airport in France, when that suspect was trying to take a flight to Turkey to avoid detention.' It was also claimed the first of the Magaluf gang-rape suspects was held after Spanish police got him to answer the 'stolen' mobile phone of the British teenager targeted. The French youngster picked up the phone and then went with two holiday pals to the lobby of the hotel where the sex attack allegedly took place unaware they would be met by the teenager and detectives assisting her, respected Majorcan newspaper Ultima Hora reported in the days after the incident. Reports said three of the suspects met the British teen while partying in Magaluf (pictured, file photo) and one had allegedly gone out into a hotel corridor after 'sexually attacking' her to encourage strangers returning from their own night out to have 'free sex' with her All three were arrested on the spot before the other three suspects were located over the following hours after the 18-year-old gave police their descriptions. A security guard at the hotel where the incident occurred came to the rescue of the British teenager after finding her sobbing on the floor in the lobby. He had just come in for his morning shift and described the police response at the time as very quick and efficient. Bruises were found on the tourist's arm during a medical examination which were believed to have been caused by her alleged rapists holding her down. She also suffered a cut to her chest. The BBC has pulled a comment by Miriam Margolyes from the radio after the Harry Potter star said that Charles Dickens' Fagin was 'Jewish and vile' on air. The Jewish actor, 83, was speaking to Front Row about her earliest experiences with the novelist amid her Edinburgh Fringe run of Margolyes & Dickens: The Best Bits, in which she brings to life the author's most colourful characters in a one-woman show. And in a response to a question from BBC Radio 4 presenter Kirsty Wark about the character that stuck in her head as a child, she responded with the Oliver Twist villain. The broadcaster has now removed the comment from the programme - saying that it should have been challenged at the time. The eccentric grandee sparked laughter among the audience as she said: 'Oh, Fagin. Without question. Jewish and vile.' And in a response to a question from BBC Radio 4 presenter Kirsty Wark about the character that stuck in her head as a child, Miriam Margolyes responded with the Oliver Twist villain Fagin. Pictured: Ron Moody as Fagin in 1968's Oliver! The Jewish actor, 83, was speaking to Front Row about her earliest experiences with the novelist amid her Edinburgh Fringe run of Margolyes & Dickens: The Best Bits, in which she brings to life the author's most colourful characters in a one-woman show She added: 'I didn't know Jews like that then sadly, I do now.' One of English literature's most despised characters, Dickens used anti-Semitic tropes of Victorian England to create the character of Fagin, the London crime lord who ruled over a band of child pickpockets. The manipulative criminal is explicitly Jewish in the book, with Margolyes saying in another interview last month that he is 'not only extremely funny but horrible, evil, a complete a**e.' The actress has recently opened up about how she has felt 'wounded' by lost friendships and accusations of betraying her community due to her strong pro-Gaza views. Open in her critique of the Israeli government, she has called for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be jailed, branding him a 'war criminal' and a 'common corrupt politician'. A BBC Spokesperson said: 'This was an unexpected comment made during a live broadcast which should have been challenged at the time. We have taken swift action to remove it from the programme and it is no longer available.' Introduced for the first time in the 1838 novel, Fagin is described as 'a very old shriveled Jew' - and is referred to as 'the Jew' more than 250 times in the first 38 chapters. These were repeated throughout Dickens' other texts -with stereotypical and generally unflattering depictions of Jewish people appearing in Sketches by Boz, Pickwick Papers, The Old Curiosity Shop and Great Expectations among others. One of English literature's most despised characters, Dickens used anti-Semitic tropes of Victorian England to create the character of Fagin, the London crime lord who ruled over a band of child pickpockets. Pictured: Rowan Atkinson as Fagin in 2009 With waves of refugees fleeing persecution and massacres in Russia and Poland, discrimination was normalised in the capital - with 'to jew' being a verb meaning 'to swindle' and the Whitechapel murders of Jack the Ripper quickly sparking fingers to be pointed at the Jewish community. Dickens later edited his chapters as he suspended the book's republication, seeking to clarify Fagin's portrayal and saying he 'would not wilfully have given an offence or done an injustice'. He also included the saintly figure of Riah in Our Mutual Friend, who was Jewish. There has even been speculation that he may have had Dutch Jewish ancestry of his own. Last month, Margolyes further opened up about her love for Dickens, which stretches back to reading Oliver Twist at school. She enthused to The List: 'The vitality of it! It's very filmic. I came across this chap, Fagin the Jew, and that sparked my interest. It was clear that he was not only extremely funny but horrible, evil, a complete arse. I thought 'how can that be Jewish? I've never met anybody like that.'' Pressed on whether she thought the author was anti-Semitic, she continued: 'Everybody is antisemitic, darling. He was a chronicler, a journalist, and Jews couldn't earn a living. Maybe they couldn't speak the language. 'They were refugees, and he reported what he saw. But he added that extra spice of evil, which is extraordinary.' Introduced for the first time in the 1938 novel, Fagin is described as 'a very old shriveled Jew' - and is referred to as 'the Jew' more than 250 times in the first 38 chapters. PicturedL Sire Ben Kingsley as Fagin in 2005 She continued to condemn him for his treatment of his wife, Catherine, who he attempted to get locked in an asylum after she gave birth to ten children when she objected to his rumoured affair. Margolyes quipped: 'He was a b******d, no question. But he wrote like a king, like a god.' In a letter to Eliza Davis, who took over his home in Tavistock Square when he moved to Kent, Dickens explained his position alongside a donation for a convalescent home for the Jewish poor - which she had asked him to make to 'atone' for his writing. Dickens said calling Fagin Jewish was a reference to his race rather than his religion, adding: 'it unfortunately was true of the time to which that story refers, that that class of criminal invariably was a Jew.' Later responding to a gift of volumes of translated Hebrew scripture, he wrote: 'there is nothing but good will left between me and a People for whom I have a real regard, and to whom I would not wilfully have given an offence or done an injustice for any worldly consideration.' Margolyes' comments have sparked condemnation online, as the recording of her clip was shared on social media. Sarah Deech said: 'This is plain and ugly racism, from a woman who's given a pass because apparently she is a 'national treasure'. 'The fact Margolyes is herself Jewish is not the get out of jail free card you think it is.' Margolyes' comments have sparked condemnation online, as the recording of her clip was shared on social media The Campaign Against Antisemitism added that they would be writing to the BBC about the clip, calling the comments 'repugnant'. They said: 'It's a sad reflection of this era when both the host and audience of a BBC programme simply laugh along with a guest's comments about 'vile' Jews. 'Yes, the guest happens to be Jewish. No, that does not give her free reign to spew her repugnant sentiments in the guise of 'comedy'. 'We will be writing to the BBC about this.' And a third, Etan Smallman, wrote: 'Imagine turning on Radio 4 and hearing Miriam Margolyes describe a character as 'Jewish and vile' - and the phrase gets a laugh from the audience, rather than an apology from the host. 'Goes to show being Jewish doesn't make you immune from perpetuating antisemitism.' In April Margolyes was among the 151 Jewish creatives to sign an open letter backing director Jonathan Glazer and his Oscar's speech where he implied the tragedy of the Holocaust was being 'hijacked by an occupation'. But despite her steadfast beliefs, she has been left in 'agony' adding how 'the abused have become the abusers', even comparing Gaza to concentration camps during World War II. Her strong political opinions have led to clashes with several friends including Coronation Street actress Maureen Lipman. 'Jewish people regard me with loathing, as someone who betrayed my nation and aligned myself with the Devil,' the actress told Saga. 'That is also the opinion of my erstwhile friend Dame Maureen Lipman, who is horrified by my attitude.' Margolyes continued: 'I have no doubt I am right. I am convinced that killing women and children is totally wicked, does not help Israel or anybody. 'It's just vile. How it has been allowed to go on for so long, I don't know.' The actress has further revealed that she continues to work in her eighties because she fears that her future care bills are going to leave her destitute. Margolyes, who suffers with spinal stenosis, told Radio Times: : 'I'm worried that I won't have enough money for carers when I finally get paralysed or whatever it is that's going to happen to me.' Spinal stenosis occurs when space around the spinal cord becomes too narrow, compressing the nerves. Dickens later edited his chapters as he suspended the book's republication, seeking to clarify Fagin's portrayal and saying he 'would not wilfully have given an offence or done an injustice'. Pictured: Ron Moody as Fagin Margolyes main source of income is her television work. She stars as Mother Mildred in Call the Midwife, has fronted numerous documentaries, and is also regular raconteur on the chat show circuit, sharing Graham Norton's sofa with the likes of musician will.i.am and the late Friends star Matthew Perry. She also has a lucrative side hustle making videos for fans on the Cameo website, where she charges 100 for a special greeting clip from her, and estimates it has netted her a whopping 365,000 since 2020. Last year she earnt 250,000 for her memoir Oh Miriam! Discussing her financial woes, the Harry Potter star added: 'I'm saving up cash so that I can pay people to look after me and my partner. We don't have children, so I need to make sure I'm going to be looked after in the way that I've become accustomed.' Margolyes, who has been with her partner Heather since 1968, lives in Clapham, south London. Vice President Kamala Harris has now closed the gap between her and former president Donald Trump across four key swing states. New findings by The New York Times suggest that the two presidential hopefuls are now in tight races across Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and North Carolina. Trump had seemed set to run away with these states just a few weeks ago, but new polling shows Harris is gradually erasing his lead. He remains ahead in Georgia 50 percent to her 46, and in Nevada it is 48 percent for him while 47 for Harris. Harris has claimed 49 percent of voters to Trump's 47 in North Carolina, one of the core battleground states he carried in 2020. New findings by The New York Times suggest that the two presidential hopefuls are now in tight races across Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and North Carolina Trump had seemed set to run away with these states just a few weeks ago, with new findings showing Harris closing in on his lead The polls do continue to show some risk for Harris - including that 49 percent of voters see her as too liberal, while 33 percent of voters see Trump as too conservative. Democratic voters meanwhile are now excited by Harris being the nominee, with 85 percent saying they are enthusiastic about voting for her. This roughly matches voters' level of enthusiasm for Trump Harris, who would be the first Black woman to serve as president, has the support of 84 percent of Black voters, according to the polls. That is higher than President Biden's support than when he dramatically dropped out of the race just a few weeks ago. Meanwhile her backing among Latino voters sits at 54 percent, and has taken a 14 percent point lead over Trump among women in Arizona, Georgia and Nevada. Harris now leads nonwhite voters in those three states by 29 points, while Biden had led those voters in the same states by 17 points in May of this year. Trump meanwhile is maximizing his support among white voters without a college degree, taking 66 percent of support from them across the Sun Belt states. Harris also holds a 13 point advantage over Trump among TikTok users in Arizona, Georgia and Nevada, indicating her online traction with younger voters. Supporters of Trump gather ahead of a campaign rally in the Bronx borough of New York in May of this year Harris now leads nonwhite voters in those three states by 29 points, while Biden had led those voters in the same states by 17 points in May of this year Voters gave both candidates a 48 percent favorable rating. In one survey in February voters had viewed Harris more unfavorably. Despite the positives, Trump holds the advantage among voters on what are bound to be two issues integral to the race to the White House, the economy and immigration. Voters ranked those as the most important facing the nation, but the two are closely tied on the question of who would handle those issues better. Trump is still favored on the economy, the polls found, but has dropped considerably since Biden dropped out of the race. Harris meanwhile had widened the Democratic edge over Trump on the topic of abortion. Trump is more trusted by voters when dealing with immigration, leading Harris 53 percent to her 43. When third party candidates were included, the state of the race in the states was unchanged, with Robert F. Kennedy taking just 4 percent of likely voters. A significant amount of voters viewed Trump as being a stronger leader and believed that he would shake things up. When third party candidates were included, the state of the race in the states was unchanged, with Robert F. Kennedy, seen here, taking just 4 percent of likely voters When asked 'who cares about people like me', Harris had a slight advantage over Trump, 52 percent to 48 percent. Alina Szmant, 78, a Democrat and retired scientist in Wilmington, North Carolina, told the Times she was excited about the possibility of voting for the first female president. She said: 'Kamala is extremely well prepared to be an excellent president. As for Mr. Biden? She would have voted for him mostly because of her disgust for Mr. Trump. '[Biden] was not my first choice. He wasnt even my second or third or fourth choice.' While Sergio Villavicencio, a Marine veteran who lives in Arizona, told the Times he voted for Trump in 2016 and then Biden in 2020. The 40-year-old now plans to support Harris because she seems more concerned about his issues. He said: 'If that persons supposed to be representing all of us, and hes picking and choosing whos hes representing, billionaires and Elon Musk and all these kinds of corporations. Supporters of Harris and vice presidential candidate Minnesota Governor Tim Walz hold placards during campaign rally at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas 'Hes not speaking for the people. [Trump is] not talking to the people. He doesnt give a damn about the people.' Just last week, the Times published polling showing how Harris had moved ahead of Trump by four points in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Among likely voters in each state, 50 percent said they would likely vote for Harris while 46 for Trump. Based on the new figures, Harris has erased the lead Trump was building in the states before President Biden dropped out of the race. The first presidential debate between the two is set to be held in Philadelphia on September 10 and will be moderated by ABC News. The first vice presidential debate between Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota and Republican Sen. JD Vance of Ohio will take place on October 1 in New York City, and will be hosted by CBS. Are you at the scene? Email jon.brady@mailonline.co.uk Videos show flames ripping through an area of the building's rooftop Scores of firefighters rush to scene as fire breaks out in roof of iconic arts centre London firefighters have battled for hours to contain a blaze that took hold in the roof of the capital's iconic Somerset House arts centre. The London Fire Brigade (LFB) said it sent 20 fire engines - including specialist height appliances - and 125 firefighters to the 250-year-old complex after a fire broke out shortly before 12pm. Images and videos shared on social media showed smoke pouring from the building as firefighters took to the roofs and raised themselves up to 32 metres in the air on cherry pickers and deployed drones to survey and tackle the flames. The fire took place in the west wing of the building - adjacent to the north wing, which is home to famous paintings including a Van Gogh self-portrait as well as works by Edouard Manet, Claude Monet and Paul Cezanne. The director of Somerset House Trust said there are 'no artworks' in the area where the fire broke out - as security staff suggested the fire was finally being contained three hours after it was called in. Are you at the scene? Email jon.brady@mailonline.co.uk Smoke can be seen pouring from the roof of Somerset House in central London People on Waterloo Bridge look on as the fire takes hold in part of the building's western wing Early images following the fire suggest a small area of the roof has been extensively damaged Eyewitness David Wooton was at Somerset House when the courtyard filled with smoke and he was ordered to leave The fire could be seen taking hold in the roof of the building at its western edge beside Waterloo Bridge The London Ambulance Service urged people to avoid the area and told local businesses to keep their windows and doors closed. Early pictures of the area damaged by fire suggest a small area of the roof has collapsed. The cause of the fire is not yet known. A MailOnline reporter said hoses were still being used to dampen down the roof shortly after 3pm. Firefighters could be seen with axes and crowbars as they worked on the fire from the top of the building. A team of four tackled the blaze as smoke continued to pour from the historic building. As they gained access, they used hoses to blast the blaze, working in the fire as they continued to use tools to allow them to access the space. Fire wardens for the galleries have gathered around the appliances as they wait for an upcoming statement - with staff expecting to be let back in within the hour. One, who works for the Courtauld Gallery, said: 'It's in the west wing, but we don't know any more than that. We just saw smoke and had to leave. The whole courtyard was filled with smoke. You couldn't see. 'They're still dealing with it on the top. There is no more fire inside.' The venue had been due to hold London Battle, a breakdancing competition hosted by dancer Jade Hackett, before the fire broke out. One participant told MailOnline: 'We're gutted - it's been such a dramatic day.' Dance Umbrella, which organised London Battle, said in a social media statement: 'We're absolutely devastated to announce that owing to a fire in one part of Somerset House, the site is currently closed and London Battle and other events today will not take place.' Word quickly spread of the fire as images and videos were shared at pace on social media while visitors were urged to evacuate. Abisola Alli,29, from West London was set to take part in the London Battle event at with her group Afro Queens. But her excitement was dashed when the flames broke out, and they were rushed out of the changing rooms. 'It was a very exciting event - Jade poured a lot of effort into this,' she told MailOnline. 'I came to it last year just to attend and it was so good, I had such a great time that, so it was really exciting to have my group perform and just to battle as well. 'Its such a lovely day today as well - you know its going to be a good day when the weathers so nice and hot.' She added: 'We were in our changing room doing positions for the routine and then the lady said You need to evacuate. 'We didnt think anything of it - we just thought it was a fire drill. We went out into the courtyard and started doing our positions again.' However the woman quickly urged them to leave the premises entirely. 'Thats when we realised it got quite serious and all the fire engines started pulling up.' She continued: Its anticlimactic - everyones so excited for all of the events happening today. But I know Jades going to pull it out of the bag. 'Whether its this year, next year - itll be amazing regardless. We came with our stuff, our material to show people what we have. But unfortunately we didnt get to show it.' Art historian David Wooton, 61, was in Somerset House when smoke filled the courtyard and he was forced to leave. The independent art historian said: 'I came out to have lunch and was going to go back in again after. 'On the other side of the courtyard, high up, almost right on the corner of the building, there's huge amounts of smoke. 'I didn't actually see any flames but increasingly the whole courtyard was getting filled with smoke. 'At that time the whole building was evacuated and we weren't allowed to go back in. 'I don't know how much damage has been done. I think it might have been an electric fault or something because I've seen men in high visibility jackets with electric written on their backs. 'I love the building - it's a masterpiece of neoclassicism - so I hope nothing serious has been ruined.' Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus enter Somerset House's courtyard after a fire took hold earlier today Fire crews attend the fire at Somerset House in London this afternoon. Around 125 firefighters were sent to the scene The director of Somerset House Trust said the fire broke out in the west wing of the building and there are 'no artworks in that area'. Pictured are crews working to battle the blaze The London Ambulance Service urged local residents and businesses to keep their windows closed as a precaution People who were evacuated from Somerset House sit outside as the blaze is tackled on the roof Visitors having their belongings returned following the blaze at Somerset house A woman outside Somerset House today after a blaze broke out in the building James Sabin, 27, who snapped some pictures of the blaze, said there was a 'very strong smell of smoke in the air' Somerset House had been due to host a breakdancing competition (pictured: a promotional image for the same event last year) Abisola Alli, 29, (pictured) was preparing to preform with her group AfroQueens at the dance battle when the flames broke out Another visitor, who declined to be named, expressed fears over how the building might be repaired as the first signs of damage became apparent in the hours after the blaze. He told MailOnline: 'Along with the national gallery and the royal academy of art this is one of the finest collections in the city and houses - in Britain - the greatest collection of impressionist art. 'It's one of the most stunning examples of English baroque as well as a building. Any damage to the collection is enormously significant. 'We are very fortunate to have a very beautiful collection of art in a very beautiful building and I think the building complements the art and visa versa. 'My concern is for the building, particularly because of what we have seen happen in Paris with the awful awful fire in Notre Dame and the subsequent attempts to use the catastrophe as an excuse for reconstruction in a more modern vain. 'I'm very concerned the building won't to be restored back to the condition which it was this morning. 'People have lots of ideas and when you have a building that's stabled you can't actualise those. When you have a fire and you have a great big hole in the roof all sorts of things can come to mind. I think that's slightly concerning. 'One would be very upset if this were used as an excuse to try and construct something very different from what there was this morning.' As of around 5.35pm, items were being returned to visitors who had rushed away from the burning building. LFB said in a statement: 'Twenty fire engines and around 125 firefighters have been deployed to a fire at Somerset House. 'Crews are tackling flames located in part of the building's roof. A number of staff left the property safely before the Brigade arrived. 'Two 32-metre turntable ladders have been sent to the scene to support firefighting operations. 'The entire site at Somerset House is now closed to the public whilst firefighters tackle the fire. Traffic in the surrounding area will be impacted as crews respond. 'The Brigade's 999 Control Officers have taken more than 30 calls reporting the fire with the first received at 1159. Crews from Soho, Dowgate, Islington and surrounding fire stations are attending the scene. 'The cause of the fire is not yet known.' Somerset House-based art college The Courtauld has closed its galleries after a fire at the historic venue but says its collection is 'unaffected'. Professor Mark Hallett, Marit Rausing director of The Courtauld, said: 'The Courtauld, including our galleries and collection of artworks, is unaffected by the fire. 'As a precaution, we have closed the galleries for the rest of the day.' A height appliance - one of two sent to the scene - is used by firefighters to assess the damage at Somerset House The gallery says it is working with the London Fire Brigade to 'control the spread' of the flames. Firefighters are pictured working the scene on Saturday afternoon A firefighter is seen issuing an order as vehicles assemble at the entrance to Somerset House Fire engines on Victoria Embankment as 100 firefighters tackle a blaze in the roof of Somerset House Somerset House says the fire is in 'one small part' of the building but added that it had nevertheless closed the building while the blaze was tackled Dance Umbrella, which organised the London Battle event, said it was 'absolutely devastated' to cancel the breakdancing competition Police officer guards a cordoned off area as firefighters tackle a blaze at Somerset House on August 17, 2024 in London An eyewitness said on X, formerly Twitter: 'Smoke is coming from the back of the complex and filling the square, people are now being ushered out.' Michelle Birkby, 50, a London-based writer, told the PA news agency: 'I was walking along the South Bank, and could smell smoke, looked up and saw smoke coming out of the top of Somerset House. 'At first I assumed it was a barbecue in the courtyard, or some sort of event, but then I heard the fire engines, realised the smoke was billowing out of control and that Somerset House was on fire. 'It's a place I visit quite often and I know it's beautiful and I really hope they can stop the fire before it does too much damage.' A woman, who would not give her name but said she works in Somerset House, walked out of the cordon and told the PA news agency: 'It's fine, it's localised in one area.' James Sabin, 27, who took pictures of the blaze from a balcony on a nearby building, said he saw 'plumes of smoke', adding that there was a 'very strong smell of smoke in the air.' Alan Robinson, 71, a Catholic priest who works nearby and lives in Covent Garden, said he was worried about the 'irreplaceable' art collection in the Courtauld Gallery. He said: 'The Courtauld Gallery is in there, I have no idea what the value of the collection is, but it's millions (of pounds) - irreplaceable stuff.' Somerset House Trust director Jonathan Reekie said the fire broke out in the west wing of the building, which is mainly comprised of offices and 'back-of-house' facilities, and there are 'no artworks in that area'. Mr Reekie, 59, who has been director of the trust for 10 years, confirmed the fire was spotted around midday in 'one corner of west wing'. The site was 'immediately evacuated' and the London Fire Brigade were called. Mr Reekie says crews arrived on scene 'very quickly'. 'Everybody is safe and for now we want to let the London Fire Brigade get on and do their brilliant work,' he said. 'The west wing is mainly offices and back-of-house facilities, there are no artworks in that area.' Mr Reekie said he was not inside the building when the fire broke out. The London Fire Brigade is using height appliances to tackle and survey the blaze from above People sitting outside Somerset House after it was evacuated (left). The arts centre said all staff and visitors are safe as firefighters took to the roof (right) Smoke continues to pour from the building two hours after the fire was first reported. A drone (right) can be seen surveying the incident as firefighters look on from a ladder Smoke rises as firefighters work at the scene of a fire at Somerset House in London today An eyewitness said on X, formerly Twitter: 'Smoke is coming from the back of the complex and filling the square, people are now being ushered out.' Michelle Birkby, 50, a London-based writer, told the PA news agency: 'I was walking along the South Bank, and could smell smoke, looked up and saw smoke coming out of the top of Somerset House. 'At first I assumed it was a barbecue in the courtyard, or some sort of event, but then I heard the fire engines, realised the smoke was billowing out of control and that Somerset House was on fire. 'It's a place I visit quite often and I know it's beautiful and I really hope they can stop the fire before it does too much damage.' A woman, who would not give her name but said she works in Somerset House, walked out of the cordon and told the PA news agency: 'It's fine, it's localised in one area.' James Sabin, 27, who took pictures of the blaze from a balcony on a nearby building, said he saw 'plumes of smoke', adding that there was a 'very strong smell of smoke in the air.' Alan Robinson, 71, a Catholic priest who works nearby and lives in Covent Garden, said he was worried about the 'irreplaceable' art collection in the Courtauld Gallery. He said: 'The Courtauld Gallery is in there, I have no idea what the value of the collection is, but it's millions (of pounds) - irreplaceable stuff.' Somerset House Trust director Jonathan Reekie said the fire broke out in the west wing of the building, which is mainly comprised of offices and 'back-of-house' facilities, and there are 'no artworks in that area'. Mr Reekie, 59, who has been director of the trust for 10 years, confirmed the fire was spotted around midday in 'one corner of west wing'. The site was 'immediately evacuated' and the London Fire Brigade were called. Mr Reekie says crews arrived on scene 'very quickly'. 'Everybody is safe and for now we want to let the London Fire Brigade get on and do their brilliant work,' he said. 'The west wing is mainly offices and back-of-house facilities, there are no artworks in that area.' Mr Reekie said he was not inside the building when the fire broke out. A large poster of Vincent Van Gogh's Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear was displayed on the railings, which is listed as a part of the Courtauld collection on the gallery's website. Fire officers could be seen on the roof of the former stately home, which looks onto the Strand, while others used height appliances to survey and extinguish the flames from on high. Somerset House initially said the fire was 'small' and contained within part of the building - but nevertheless opted to close. It had been due to hold London Battle, a breakdancing event, today. In a statement to MailOnline, a spokesperson said: 'Following Saturdays fire in one part of Somerset House, our focus is on allowing London Fire Brigade the space to do their work. 'It is too early to comment any further on the buildings condition. "The Daytimers x RepresentAsian event will not be taking place tomorrow and Somerset House will remain closed until further notice. 'The Courtauld Gallery has not been directly impacted by the fire and it will remain open. "The safety and well-being of artists, visitors and staff is paramount to Somerset House. 'We apologise for any inconvenience this change of circumstances may cause. Once again, we would like to give our sincerest thanks to the emergency services, our staff and our visitors, who all acted so swiftly and diligently to ensure everyone was safe. 'We are also very grateful for the many messages of support we have received during this time.' Firefighters discuss an action plan within Somerset House (left) as a height appliance is sent into the building's central courtyard (right) The fire as seen from further up the river, past the Hungerford and Golden Jubilee Bridges London Fire Brigade has warned that traffic around the area will be affected (pictured: the fire as seen from Victoria Embankment, left, and seen from across the Thames, right) It also said on X, formerly Twitter: 'Somerset House is currently closed due to a fire which has broken out in one small part of the building. All staff and public are safe and the site is closed. The London Fire Brigade arrived swiftly and we're working very closely with them to control the spread of the fire.' It said earlier that the London Battle breakdancing event would not take place but has since retracted that element of its statement. The earlier statement read: 'Owing to a fire in one small part of Somerset House, the site is currently closed. London Battle and other events today will not take place. We apologise for any inconvenience.' Somerset House was originally built as a Tudor palace for the Duke of Somerset in 1547 but is now an arts centre describing itself as 'a home of cultural innovation and connects artists and designers with wider society'. The current building was designed by Sir William Chambers in 1776 with further extensions added on in the Victorian era - and now hosts a combination of free and ticketed exhibitions. A common household product has been blamed for triggering a terrifying home explosion in Maine that ripped through an entire neighborhood. Officials said a lit propane tank triggered the explosion at the home on Shore Road in Sinclair at around 7 pm on August 10. The resulting blast sent debris 300 feet in the air, with some landing in a nearby lake and other nearby properties also damaged. The male homeowner was hospitalized, WABI 5 reported. Experts have now issued a stark warning about the dangers of propane, which is commonly used in households with gas stoves. When leaks occur they can be silent or there may be a hissing sound. The smell of rotten eggs or skunk spray may also fill the area but it can go unnoticed as it typically lingers closer to the ground, North Lakes Deputy Fire Chief Derrick Ouellette told First Alert 4. A home on Shore Road in Sinclair exploded around 7 pm on August 10, sending debris 300 feet in the air and damaging multiple homes The male homeowner was hospitalized after the massive propane explosion (pictured). Neighbor Barabra Deschaine's home was also damaged in the explosion 'I heard a boom and I felt like the floor was going to cave into the cellar and the roof was going to fall in on top of me,' neighbor, Barabra Deschaine, told First Alert 4. 'I looked out the window, and there was debris flying all over.' Her home was damaged by the explosion, causing debris to rip through the walls of her garage, she told the local outlet. Other homes saw their windows blown out and another residence even caught fire. The family, who were home at the time, managed to evacuate safely. 'Were fortunate that so many fire departments came to help because it could have been a lot worse,' Deschaine said. Experts said that one way to spot any potential leak is to pay attention to your meter to see if more gas is being used than normal. 'I heard a boom and I felt like the floor was going to cave into the cellar and the roof was going to fall in on top of me,' she said (pictured: debris from the explosion) Some debris ended up landing in a nearby lake, pictured above, after the explosion 'If your consumption has gone up and you havent used any more than usual, theres a sign right there,' Ouellette said. Leaks can be dangerous and can happen for many reasons, including valves being left open, pressure changes, and using an old tank. If anyone suspects a gas leak, they should call 911 or their gas company and 'leave the area immediately,' Con Edison said. They should also avoid lighting matches, starting cars, or using electronic appliances as they could spark a fire. Homeowners should double-check that their stove burners are turned off before leaving the house, regularly check connectors to gas appliances, and avoid keeping any flammable materials such as candles near appliances, according to Con Edison. Unlike the Sinclair owner of the house that exploded, residents of a Goodhope, Missouri, home, which also suffered a gas leak were not as lucky. Four family members - Salvador Haro, Sylvia Haro, Salvador Haro Junior and a 16-year-old - died after their house exploded when their propane tank ignited. The resulting blast was heard from at least 10 miles away. Police have shared new clues they hope will nail the 'murderer' of a dog walker in a Suffolk village. Anita Rose, 57, died four days after she was found unconscious and with serious head injuries on a track in Brantham on July 5. She had left her house at around 5am to take her springer spaniel, named Bruce, for a walk. Suffolk Constabulary launched a murder investigation but still no one has been charged. Now police have released 'replicated images' of the missing pink zip-up waterproof Regatta jacket Ms Rose was wearing when she was allegedly attacked. Anita Rose, 57, died four days after she was found unconscious and with serious head injuries on a track in Brantham on July 5 Police have released 'replicated images' of the missing pink zip-up waterproof Regatta jacket Ms Rose was wearing when she was allegedly attacked Police also issued a picture of her black wallet-style phone case which has a gold crown and studs on CCTV images issued by Suffolk Police of Ms Rose before she was found in Brantham They also issued a picture of her black wallet-style phone case which has a gold crown and studs on. Officers recovered her actual Apple iPhone but are still looking for the case. They believe the missing items 'could hold key information'. The pink jacket is no longer produced and is a Calderdale II in Duchess Dark Cerise from Regatta's autumn/winter 2017 range, the force said. Detective Superintendent Mike Brown said: 'This update has come from continued work alongside Anita's family who have assisted us in identifying the make and model of the jacket as well as providing us with an image of Anita's phone case. 'We continue to believe these missing items could hold key information or evidence to the investigation and ask anyone with any information to come forward and speak with us. 'I'd like to thank Anita's family for their continued support throughout this investigation, their co-operation has been integral to this case.' The investigation continues and includes forensic work, searches, house-to-house inquiries and CCTV analysis. Anita Rose, pictured with her partner Richard Jones, was described as a 'loved mum' Ms Rose had gone on a walk with her beloved springer spaniel Bruce (pictured), who 'heroically stayed with her and alerted passers by' Anita Rose, 57, was found near to Rectory Lane, Brantham, along a footpath (above) By August 8 officers had spoken to more than 630 people during the probe, taking around 90 statements. There have been three arrests in connection with the inquiry - a man aged in his 20s and a 45-year-old man on suspicion of murder, and a 37-year-old woman on suspicion of handling stolen goods. All three were subsequently released on bail. Far-right activist Tommy Robinson was previously slammed for wrongly suggesting that two Somalian migrants had 'murdered' Ms Rose. An unfounded and false rumour began to be spread on X, formerly Twitter, earlier this month that the two suspects were refugees from the African country. Robinson, 41, repeated the lie in an online video on his X account and viewed by millions of people. Suffolk Constabulary said Ms Rose would have followed one of her usual dog walking routes - starting around 5am at Palfrey Heights, where she turned onto a track road off Brooklands Rise which she followed to Rectory Lane, before turning onto The Chase and the A137 Ipswich Road. From there she would have turned onto Newmill Lane, reaching the river before turning back and retracing her steps up to Ipswich Road. Anita Rose tragically died four days after she was found with serious head injuries Police were seen searching fields on Monday, July 29, near to where Ms Rose was found Officers on the scene where the dog walker was reportedly attacked in Brantham, Suffolk Police pictured searching for Ms Rose's pink jacket on Monday, July 29 Police have previously said they are keen to speak with anyone who may have seen Ms Rose - or anyone else - that morning. They were particularly interested in sightings between 6am and 6.30am, from the top of Newmill Lane, off Ipswich Road, to the track road between the railway line and the Anglia Water sewage treatment plant, near Rectory Lane where Ms Rose was found. Anyone with information regarding suspicious people or vehicles seen in the area is urged to get in touch with police. A new, deadly strain of mpox that has killed hundreds of people in Africa is 'very likely' already in the UK, an infectious diseases expert has warned. The Clade 1b strain of mpox - previously known as monkeypox - is 'more severe' with 'higher mortality' than the one that sparked panic in 2022, experts have said. The viral disease that can spread from animals to humans, but also human-to-human through sexual or close physical contact. Symptoms include fever, muscular aches and large boil-like skin lesions. The new variant, which has already been confirmed in Sweden and Pakistan after first being detected in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), causes skin eruptions all over the body. Previous variants caused localised lesions around the mouth, face or genitals. The World Health Organisation declared a global health emergency its highest alert this week after an outbreak in Africa where more than 15,600 suspected cases and 541 deaths have been reported. But now, as a deadly strain was confirmed to have reached Europe, Professor Paul Hunter told Sky News it is 'very likely' that someone in Britain already has the new variant of disease, although it will probably be a few weeks before that is confirmed. A deadly strain of mpox that has killed hundreds of people in Africa is 'very likely' already in the UK, an infectious diseases expert has warned. Picture: An image from 1997 shows symptoms of mpox on a sufferer in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) The viral disease that can spread from animals to humans, but also human-to-human through sexual or close physical contact. Symptoms include fever, muscular aches and large boil-like skin lesions. Pictured: Mpox virions shown under a microscope 'When someone gets an infection it typically takes several days before they develop the classic appearance that would make people think "oh, this is mpox",' Prof Hunter, a specialist in Medical Microbiology and the first professor of health protection to be appointed in the UK, told the broadcaster today. 'Then it can take longer before the samples are taken and sent to the lab, it's identified as mpox and sent for sequencing so we know which clade of mpox it is.' Despite mpox being declared an emergency for the second time in years, Prof Hunter warned that the illness is 'relatively mild' for most people. He also said infection risk is 'very low' unless people are involved in certain 'sexual networks' involving multiple partners. Infection can spread by reusing towels or through other skin-to-skin contact, but Prof Hunter says that is 'rare'. A total of 18,737 suspected or confirmed cases of mpox were reported in Africa since the beginning of the year, including 1,200 cases in one week alone, the African Union health agency said Saturday. The figure accounts for three strains of the virus, including the new more deadly and more transmissible Clade 1b. To date, 3,101 confirmed and 15,636 suspected cases have been reported from 12 African Union member states, resulting in 541 deaths - a fatality rate of 2.89 percent, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a statement. A child with skin lesions receives treatment at the treatment centre in Munigi, DRC, on July 19 Health workers monitor Mpox patients at the Mpox treatment centre at Nyiragongo General Referral Hospital, north of Goma on August 17, 2024 Prof Hunter said that although the Clade 1b mortality rate is 'quite high' in Africa, at 3 to 4 per cent, it is 'likely to be much lower if it does spread throughout Europe'. 'One of the ways you reduce the mortality rate is by providing really good supportive care - as long as you can keep people alive until they can better of their own accord... that's really effective at reducing mortality,' he added. He also noted that the Clade 2 variant, which prompted a WHO health warning in 2022, is still present in the UK. There were about 180 cases detected this year. Additionally, the existing mpox vaccine is said to be effective against Clade 1b, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), which said infection risk 'is currently considered low'. The DRC, where the new Clade 1b strain was first detected in September 2023, has been hardest hit by the variant. It reported 1,005 cases (222 confirmed, 783 suspected) and 24 deaths in one week. All 26 provinces in the DRC, home to some 100 million people, have reported cases. Neighbouring Burundi reported 173 cases - 39 confirmed and 134 suspected - which marks a rise of 75 percent in one week. More cases have been reported since the beginning of the year than all of 2023, which saw a total of 14,383 cases, according to the Africa CDC. 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 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. Pictured: Test tubes labelled 'Monkeypox virus positive and negative' The WHO will soon publish its first recommendations by its emergency committee and, along with NGOs, has also called for the ramping up of vaccine production. Typically found in central and east Africa, mpox has blighted populations since the early 1970s. While a vaccine now exists for the disease, uptake has been slow in nations lacking the resources and infrastructure for a coordinated programme. Nearly 100,000 people were infected in 2022 during a global outbreak of the disease, caused mostly by the Clade IIb virus. The variant was less deadly than the emerging Clade Ib variant, but killed some 183 people, according to the CDC. The deadlier Clade 1 has been endemic in the Congo Basin in central Africa for decades. Ranchers are furious after an armed federal agent stormed the land of a South Dakota couple, who are now facing 10 years in prison over a fence if convicted as charged. Charles and Heather Maude, both 39, of Caputa, were separately served grand jury indictments of alleged theft of government property on June 24 by Forest Service Special Agent Travis Lunders, who showed up at their door unannounced, armed, and full tactical gear, according to Cowboy State Daily. 'It's is stressful, financially and mentally,' Charles told the outlet. 'Its something nobody should have to go through.' The couple are not allowed to discuss the case with each other as they were served separately. They also have to seek their own legal services and face 10 years in prison or a $250,000 fine each. Lunders served them the indictment after the government claimed the couple put up a fence on federal grassland. There's been ongoing tension between the Forest Service and area ranchers, which have only heightened since the Maudes' indictments, according to Rachel Gabel, assistant editor of The Fence Post told The Daily. Charles and Heather Maude, both 39, of Caputa, were separately served grand jury indictments on June 24 by Forest Service Special Agent Travis Lunders, who showed up at their door unannounced, armed and full tactical gear 'It's is stressful, financially and mentally,' Charles told the outlet. 'Its something nobody should have to go through.' Lunders served them the indictment after the government claimed the couple put up a fence on federal grassland, which left them with charges of alleged theft of government property. (Pictured: some of the Maude's land) 'The Forest Service has long said they want to be good neighbors, and taking shots at easy targets isnt being good neighbors,' she said. Many in the area say the case went from 'zero to 120mph in 87 days,' and many are left angry, she said. Their dispute with the Forest Service started on March 29, when they were told to remove a 'no hunting' sign from one of the post that mark off the government's property. The Service allegedly got a complaint from a hunter about the sign, which prompted its removal, although the couple claim to have never seen documentation of the complaint. A little over a month later, the couple met with Forest Service District Ranger, Julie Wheeler, where it was decided the land needed surveyed to determine property boundaries, Gabel told The Daily. The couple is not allowed to discuss the case with each other as they were served separately. They also have to seek their own legal services and face 10 years in prison or a $250,000 fine each if convicted as charged Five days later, Lunders showed up at the couple's property with a survey crew, without informing them prior. Wheeler had told the couple, it could take up to a year before their land was surveyed. Then, on June 24 - 87 days since the first dispute - Lunders showed up again with the indictments. The couple's troubles have even made their way up to Congress' Natural Resources Committee after Senator Mike Rounds wrote a letter to US Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack. 'This action represents a direct conflict to an agreed-upon plan, wherein the landowners were working cooperatively with the USFS to resolve the issue,' he told his fellow politician, according to Western Livestock Journal (WLJ). Their dispute with the Forest Service started on March 29, when they were told to remove a 'no hunting' sign from one of the post that mark off the government's property The Maude family had a lease agreement with USFS for around 60 years, where the fence placement was acknowledged each time, according to Rounds. The fence was reportedly built in 1950, which predates their permit agreement. 'The criminal indictment appears unnecessary and conflicts with USDAs stated good neighbor practices with regard to land management practices,' Rounds wrote. He said the Forest Service's actions are an 'overzealous prosecution of a ranching family in my state.' The National Cattlemen's Beef Association and Public Lands Council (PLC) also issued a statement, saying the Forest Service and US Attorney's Office had 'maliciously targeted and prosecuted these family ranchers, and it's clear that if this can happen in South Dakota, government outreach can happen anywhere,' according to Western Livestock Journal. 'This case is a prime example of what can happen when federal agencies view ranchers as enemies, rather than partners,' PLC President Mark Roeber said, according to WLJ. 'I urge the U.S. Forest Service to rethink their plan to slap handcuffs on these hardworking ranchers and instead pursue an alternative resolution to this issue.' The Maude family had a lease agreement with USFS for around 60 years, where the fence placement was acknowledged each time Charles' family has been ranching since 1907 when Thomas Maude purchased the land, according to the family's website. Charles purchased some of the land in 2002 at the age of 17 and a year later, when his grandfather died, he purchased the rest with the help of his parents. A GoFundMe for the couple has been set up to help with their separate legal fees. 'The Maude family has owned the US Forest Service allotment in question since the Forest Service came into existence and has managed that same land since 1913. The family has never been advised it was violating any rules and to this day the family maintains its grazing agreement in good standing,' Katie Dirksen wrote on the fundraiser. The GoFundMe has raised $18,700 toward its $77,000 goal as of Saturday afternoon. A tiny Wyoming town has been embroiled in debate after an image surfaced of a dog sitting at a table inside a restaurant beside its owner. The image, captured inside Sapporo Japanese Steakhouse in Rock Springs, Wyoming, shows an elderly woman sitting at a table alongside her small dog. Local woman Ellie Croft shared the picture, and her disgust, at how restaurant staff could allow the animal inside. In her post, Croft said: 'If you've already made the entitled decision to bring your dog to a restaurant. 'DO NOT let it sit on the bench where other people will sit. Disgusting and inconsiderate', with her post now sparking a wider debate on animals in restaurants. The image, captured inside Sapporo Japanese Steakhouse in Rock Springs, Wyoming, shows an elderly woman sitting at a table alongside her small dog The image, and Croft's caption, has since ignited a deeper heated debate about allowing animals in restaurants. Some users urged her to be considerate, as she did not know the woman's full circumstances, questioning if it was possibly a service dog. Poll Should dogs be allowed inside restaurants? Yes No Should dogs be allowed inside restaurants? Yes 1268 votes No 1148 votes Now share your opinion Others agreed with her post, saying people need to stop regarding dogs as humans. One commenter posted: 'If your entitled backside is too pristine to sit in the same restaurant as a dog. You are the problem and not the dog.' Another said: 'Probably better behaved than most kids around here', but someone added: 'Agree!!! Dogs belong at home.' Another man added: 'Everyone should take a moment to actually think this through.' 'This is a food establishment, not your home kitchen. Could this be a service dog? Yes, but it would be more responsible for this person to use a designated vest or tag to express that. 'People have allergies, and unless you have a certified service animal, you have no right bringing in a pet that could disrupt someone else in public food establishments.' Croft hit back after receiving some heat for her original post, adding: 'I'm highly allergic to dogs, and they do not belong on people's seats in restaurants. The post has since sparked a wider debate on animals in restaurants. 'It would've been alright if the dog stayed on the floor. Have some common sense.' The owner of Sapporo, Jerry Zhang, told Cowboy State Daily that he leans toward the softer side of the issue for a few reasons. According to Zhang, he doesnt want to force a lonely or disabled person away from her dog and he doesnt want a dog left in a hot vehicle. Zhang also told the outlet that the restaurant is cleaned meticulously between guests anyway. He said: 'If the dog is good, no barking I say OK. From my heart, I feel sorry if I reject (them). The owner of Sapporo, Jerry Zhang, seen here, told Cowboy State Daily that he leans toward the softer side of the issue for a few reasons 'I always tell myself to put yourself in others shoes to feel how others feel Thats why Im (allowing well-behaved dogs).' According to the Wyoming Department of Agriculture, all animals, except service dogs, are not allowed inside restaurants Federal rules say that staff can only ask a person if a dog is required because of a disability, and what task the dog must perform. The guidance adds that staff should not ask for documentation or proof that the can perform a service. Brazen thieves on bikes raided three 7-Eleven stores in California in the space of half an hour, smashing their way in and taking all they could carry. About 20 robbers swarmed inside the shops in Hollywood, grabbing food, drinks, cigarettes and anything else on shelves. Staff could only stand by helplessly as their convenience stores were ransacked in the blink of an eye before the invaders moved on to the next. The raids lasted a matter of minutes each, starting at 8:02pm on Friday when the 7040 West Sunset Boulevard store was hit, police said. Brazen thieves on bikes raided three 7-Eleven stores in the space of half an hour, smashing their way in and taking all they could carry Workers clean up shattered glass in the aftermath of one of the three robberies Another near Hollywood and Highland was raided just 14 minutes later, and a shop worker was assaulted in the chaos. The third to be knocked over was 5700 Santa Monica Boulevard at 8:22 pm. Police didn't confirm that all three were related, but they were all close together with the same strategy of smashing windows and escaping on bikes. Another 7-Eleven was raided by a similar-sized mob, also on bikes, on Olympic Boulevard in Pico-Robertson, Los Angeles, the previous Friday night. Thieves also jumped over the counter to raid the good behind it, and pointlessly vandalize the shop by knocking over cash registers and screens. Staff even had random items thrown at them as they tried to avoid the chaos and couldn't intervene while so hopelessly outnumbered. California Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday signed into law 10 bipartisan bills allowing longer sentences for shoplifters, robbers, burglars, and car thieves. California Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday signed into law 10 bipartisan bills allowing longer sentences for shoplifters, robbers, burglars, and car thieves One of the laws allowed police to add up the volume of property stolen in separate robberies by the same person, even in different counties, to reach the $950 threshold for grand theft. Other laws make it easier to crack down on those reselling stolen goods. 'While some try to take us back to ineffective and costly policies of the past, these new laws present a better way forward,' Newsom said. 'Making our communities safer and providing meaningful tools to help law enforcement arrest criminals and hold them accountable.' A man spreads a large tarp over a home as thunderstorms roll into Forest Cove, Friday, July 12, 2024, in Kingwood. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer House lawmakers on Friday called for a legislative response after the states insurer of last resort voted this month to raise rates for homeowners along the Gulf Coast, signaling they may be open to broader reforms in the states insurance market. The Texas Windstorm and Insurance Associations nine-member board voted for a 10% rate increase after a staff analysis found that the insurer has for years been unable to cover expected costs, which include paying claims on damage from storms such as Hurricane Beryl. Lawmakers largely agreed that TWIAs current funding structure was unsustainable. Advertisement Article continues below this ad READ MORE: Texas Windstorm Insurance Association votes to seek rate hike despite pleas from coastal residents There's no business that I know out there that wants to keep going if they got to pay to keep the business open, said Rep. Richard Raymond, a Laredo Democrat. TWIA was created decades ago to insure homeowners who couldnt afford wind and hail coverage on the private market. It insures Texas 14 coastal counties and a corner of Harris County. David Durden, TWIAs general manager, said the cost of providing wind and hail coverage along the coast has increased, largely with the rising cost of reinsurance, a form of insurance for insurance companies that distributes risk over geography and sectors. As the number of TWIA policies has spiked 38% since 2020 it must hold more reinsurance to cover its liability, Durden said. Roughly half of premiums go to cover TWIAs reinsurance costs, he said, a dramatic increase from 2021. Reducing TWIAs reliance on reinsurance, either by using state reserves to fund the nonprofits catastrophic reserve fund or otherwise propping up a state-sponsored reinsurance fund, would help lower rates. Advertisement Article continues below this ad TWIA is funded through premiums paid by policyholders as well as assessments paid by private insurers operating in other parts of the state. That means that ratepayers throughout the state help subsidize TWIA. Rep. John Smithee, an Amarillo Republican, said the problems with TWIA were indicative of larger challenges in the insurance industry in Texas and that he was open to more fundamental changes to how insurance is regulated in the state. Texas is whats called a file-and-use state, which means that insurance companies need only to file their rate increases before they can go into effect. Other states, such as California, require prior approval before insurers can raise rates. Smithee sponsored a 2003 bill that established the Texas system. On Friday, he said he wasnt totally sold on the concept of file-and-use. I think it is time to look at it and evaluate how thats worked and whether its worked as we hoped it would, he said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Rep. Todd Hunter, a Corpus Christi Republican who chairs the State Affairs Committee, tasked his colleagues with coming up with a solution for the rising cost of insurance across the state. But Hunter also castigated Durden, as well as Cassie Brown, who heads the Texas Department of Insurance, and David Bolduc, with the Office of Public Insurance Counsel, for ignoring public opposition to the rate increase. Police are holding nearly half a BILLION pictures of Scots drivers photographed by a secretive network of spy cameras, the Mail on Sunday can reveal. The images were captured by Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras, the exact locations of which police refuse to disclose, and which were originally designed to tackle organised crime and terrorism. However, their use has now led to the accumulation of the staggering number of photos, which equates to 150 of every vehicle and its driver in Scotland - the vast majority of which have committed no crime. Campaigners and politicians say it means drivers in Scotland are among the most spied upon in the world and warned of the rapid rate at which the technology was now advancing. In addition to the sheer number of images, campaigners have also voiced concerns over the growing capabilities of the technology, which was initially designed to detect the most serious crime, but which is now understood to be able to capture behaviour not just of drivers, but vehicle occupants too. Police refuse to divulge the exact locations of roadside cameras Figures obtained by the Mail on Sunday show Police Scotland held 478,966,518 ANPR reads as of a snapshot day last month. The number is up 26million on the year before sparking further concerns over the increasing scope of the surveillance. It also comes after it was revealed this month that the names of more than half a million adults and children are now recorded on the polices Scittush Intelligence Databse, despite mosthaving comitted no crime. To illustrate the frequency with which car images are now being captured, the number of reads works out at 15 photos being taken every second across Scotland. Meanwhile, the number of cameras is also increasing, and we can reveal there are 262 positioned around Scotland, up 10% on the year before. Leading human rights solicitor Aamer Anwar said: While the ANPR cameras were originally designed to tackle extremely serious issues, such as organised crime and terrorism, the real concern for members of the public is that their use now seems to be a free-for-all, with huge amounts of material, reaching almost half a billion images, stored. You cannot reasonably suggest that half a billion images relate to potential criminality. It seems to be pretty farcical if that is the position we are now in. Police Scotland resources are hugely overstretched and people are seeing actual crimes not followed up. Instead, we see investment in super-technology such as this, when one imagines people would rather see actual officers on the beat and actual crimes investigated. Jake Hurfurt, head of investigations at campaign group Big Brother Watch, said: These figures suggest Scottish drivers are some of the most spied on in the world. Millions of innocent people have their journey captured and saved by police and other systems as a matter of course, and this level of surveillance has no place in a democratic society. ANPR being a fact of everyday life - when it started out in a counter terror context - is a prime example of mission creep in an area dangerously lacking in regulation. This shows why we need to fight to defend our privacy rights at every turn - otherwise we run the risk of quietly sliding toward a surveillance state. A report published last year by the UK Office of the Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner, stated: Technological capability means that, like other forms of surveillance, ANPR can now do far more than it was originally designed to do. Increasingly, it is able to capture non-vehicular data, monitoring people, behaviour, associations, networks and habits, not just of the driver but occupants too. Police Scotland refused to disclose even the approximate geographic locations of the cameras, citing concerns over national security. Scottish Lib Dem justice spokesman Liam McArthur MSP said of the number of ANPR reads held: This is a huge amount of data. Police Scotland are supposed to ensure that old data that doesnt relate to a crime should be destroyed. The SNPs record on civil liberties has also left much to be desired. The Surveillance Camera commissioner is right to warn that this technology is advancing at a rapid rate. Scotland should not be the test case for a more heavily-surveilled Britain. Scottish Conservative deputy justice spokesperson Sharon Dowey MSP said: Members of the public will understandably be concerned at the use of these cameras continuing to soar, and for what reasons data is being stored. The police should be upfront to give the public reassurances that the use of ANPR cameras is remaining appropriate at all times. A Home Office spokesman said: ANPR read data is deleted 12 months following its initial capture, unless it is being used in connection with an ongoing investigation. A Police Scotland spokesman said: Getting the right balance between the safety and security of people in Scotland and protecting their privacy is a key responsibility. We use ANPR technology to help detect, deter and disrupt criminality, including tackling organised crime groups and terrorists. It is also useful in tracking stolen vehicles, and helping trace those reported missing. A Florida doctor has been placed on disciplinary action by the state after he was accused by one of his patients of not hearing their 'screams' during a colonoscopy because he wasn't wearing his hearing aids. Dr. Ishwari Prasad, a Tampa-based gastroenterologist who is hearing-impaired, was placed on probation last week by the state's Board of Medicine allegedly for not wearing his hearing aids when he performed a colonoscopy, causing immeasurable pain to his patients. Another one of Prasad's patients has detailed an eerily similar experience she said she suffered through back in 2018 in a separate incident. 'I was a little panicky because I couldn't move. And I'm fully aware of what's going on. I can hear everything that's going on around me. And I can actually see the doctor,' Ingrid Rafael told Fox 13 in the wake of the lawsuit. A nine-page complaint from The Florida Department of Health details disturbing allegations that two patients, who are not Rafael, said took place at the Ambulatory Surgery Center in Tampa on June 2023. Ingrid Rafael shared a story eerily similar to the one laid out in the lawsuit against Prasad, claiming that she too woke up during a colonoscopy performed by the doctor The Tampa Ambulatory Surgery Center (pictured) is where two patients went for a routine colonoscopy that allegedly turned into a horrifying experience In the complaint, one of the patients that was partially sedated, woke up in agonizing pain during the procedure, but Prasad, who at first denied all the claims made in the filing, did not register the patient's cries. 'I just panicked because mostly I couldn't move. And the pain, the pain is what really got to me,' Rafael said of the moment she woke up in her own separate incident. After rebuking the lawsuit's claims at first, Prasad then told Fox13 he stopped continuing the procedure once he realized the patient, who he said was 'sedated by the anesthesiologist,' was awake before re-sedating them and starting the procedure again. 'I understand that it's not necessarily just the doctor. But you know, he's the one in charge at the end of the day,' Rafael said of Prasad's latest response to the suit. A stock image of a instruments used by physicians during a colonoscopy procedure 'What really angers me mostly is that he is not necessarily recognizing where he went wrong.' During the surgery, the surgical team was also allegedly unable to effectively communicate with the doctor as well, the filing claims. The complaint also alleged that Prasad 'improperly delegated' tasks to a unlicensed surgical technician. According to the complaint, the surgical tech - with no medical license - was allegedly instructed under Prasad's guidance to perform a part of the procedure 'including inserting the scope, manipulating the scope, manipulating the snare over polyps, and/or removing polyps.' Following her own procedure, Rafael said she is still shaken and traumatized. 'I feel like I'm going to wake up from every single procedure I have done now, since there's no peace,' she told the outlet. The doctor, who has never had any previous disciplinary action against him, is no longer allowed to conduct solo procedures until he is cleared by the state-approved supervised doctor, as per The Florida Board of Medicine. On top of these restrictions, he was given a fine of $7,500 and must hand over $6,301 in case costs, according to USA Today. Beyond that, he also has to complete a five-hour course on continuing medical education in laws, rules and ethics in the next year. Prasad did not immediately respond to the DailyMail.com's request for comment. The Royal family had a bit of a rumble last weekend as the Prince and Princess of Wales faced off against their children in a Nerf battle. Prince George, 11, Princes Charlotte, nine, and six-year-old Prince Louis joined in the festivities at the Gone Wild Festival at Holkham Hall, Norfolk for a high-intensity Nerf war with toy guns and smoke bombs. Excitable and 'unforgettable' Louis ran around yelling 'Nerf or nothing, let's do this!', according to Norfolk Nerf Parties boss Georgina Barron. The Princess of Wales, who has been battling cancer, even 'grabbed a Nerf gun, ran around, and played stuck in the mud with her kids', Ms Barron added, noting that hosting the family was the 'biggest honour' and 'unforgettable'. Ms Barron said the royals, who were not photographed at the event, had wanted to enjoy a 'wholesome family day like any other normal family'. Kensington Palace has been approached for comment. The Royal family had a bit of a rumble last weekend as the Prince and Princess of Wales faced off against their children in a Nerf battle. Pictured are the Waleses last year during a visit to the 3rd Upton Scouts Hut in Slough, west London The royals joined in the festivities at the Gone Wild Festival at Holkham Hall, Norfolk (pictured) for a high-intensity Nerf war with toy guns and smoke bombs The Gone Wild Festival caters to 640 children each day, but last weekend had a 'very special VIP family' join in the fun, Ms Barron said. 'I was called to the production team's office and told that a very special VIP family had requested to play Nerf wars,' Ms Barron recalled. 'The Prince and Princess of Wales, along with their three children, arrived with friends and family. They asked if we could provide a high-intensity, non-stop game of Nerf fun, and of course, Norfolk Nerf did what we do best.' She says the Waleses, alongside her own family and members of the public, were running around the premise with Nerf guns and smoke bombs. 'My sons Euan Barron, Jenson Barron, and Junior Barron had the ultimate honour of playing Nerf Wars with Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and the adorable Prince Louis,' she said. The Gone Wild Festival at Holkham Hall, Norfolk (pictured) caters to 640 children each day Last weekend's Nerf warriors, with toy guns and smoke bombs in tow, had 'face paint on' and all 'charged around together' The Waleses, (not pictured) alongside members of the public, were reportedly running around the premise with Nerf guns and smoke bombs 'The Princess of Wales grabbed a Nerf gun, ran around, and played stuck in the mud with her children. Prince Louis was shouting with glee, 'Come on, Nerf or nothing. Let's do this!' I'm still in awe of what a memorable experience we had.' Shell Lancaster, who also attended last weekend's festival, said she saw William and Kate help their children 'go down the wall'. Ms Barron added that the Nerf warriors had 'face paint on' and all 'charged around together'. They also played the children's tag game stuck in the mud. She revealed the family had 'requested no protocol' and 'just wanted a wholesome family day like any other normal family'. The small business owner says it was a day 'my boys will never forget' and has offered her 'coolest, kindest regards' to the royals. Excitable and 'unforgettable' Louis ran around yelling 'Nerf or nothing, let's do this!', according to Norfolk Nerf Parties boss Georgina Barron Shell Lancaster, who also attended last weekend's festival, said she saw William and Kate help their children 'go down the wall' Ms Barron says it was a day 'my boys will never forget' and has offered her 'coolest, kindest regards' to the royals News of the family outing comes just days after the Waleses sent a heartfelt message to British Olympians ahead of the end of the Paris Olympics last weekend. In a rare sighting of the Princess of Wales, who is undergoing cancer treatment, the royal couple enlisted a string of stars - including Snoop Dogg - for their uplifting surprise message. Kate was positively glowing in the 80-second Instagram video as William stood by her side and sported an unusually rugged look, with an unshaven appearance. In the short clip, Kate said: 'From all of us watching at home congratulations to Team GB.' The Waleses are pictured during a visit to the 3rd Upton Scouts Hut in Slough, west of London on May 8, 2023 News of the family outing comes just days after the Waleses sent a heartfelt message to British Olympians ahead of the end of the Paris Olympics last weekend The Prince of Wales, wearing an official blue Team GB top, then briefly added: 'Well done to Team GB you've been an inspiration to us all.' Kate was last seen in public in June for Trooping of the Colour. The Princess of Wales announced in March she was in the 'early stages' of preventative chemotherapy after being diagnosed with cancer. Before Trooping the Colour in June, she let it be known she was making 'good progress' but had a few months left of chemotherapy and was 'not out of the woods'. Vladimir Putin is feeling the stress from Russia's invasion of Ukraine - as he is seen wringing his hands in a meeting with his top officials after Volodymyr Zelenskyy's troops bit back and made a counter-incursion into the country. The dictator, 71, was in a security council session on the crisis he faces due to Ukraine's dramatic invasion of the border areas of Kursk region. His very public hand-wringing and fidgeting came as he was told earlier this week about how Russia had lost territory to Kyiv troops and - at the time - more than two dozen settlements, a figure far higher now. Fighting has continued within the Kursk region, where Ukrainian troops have been deployed since August 6 in a bid to divert the Kremlin's military focus away from the frontline in Ukraine. On Thursday, Ukrainian forces said they had seized the town of Sudzha, six miles from the border, blowing the face off of a statue of Vladimir Lenin in the process. Vladimir Putin cut a nervous figure in a recent broadcast of discussions with his ministers released by the Kremlin Ukrainian soldiers have made incursions into Russia in a bid to draw Putin's focus away from the frontline (pictured: troops resting at the Russian border) Once-loyal Putin propagandists such as filmmaker Karen Shakhnazarov are beginning to question the wisdom of Russia's invasion of Ukraine Ukrainian troops have pushed into Russia's Kursk region (seen here in the town of Sudzha, the biggest town to fall under Ukrainian control yet) Russia is continuing to attack Ukraine, launching a missile strike into the Ukrainian border city of Sumy With a pre-war population of roughly 5,000, it is the biggest town to fall to Ukraine's troops since the incursion began. In the cabinet meeting video, released by the Kremlin, Putin's deputy premier Denis Manturov told him how 2,000 people were missing along with 840 nurses in areas that have been surrendered to Ukraine. He was also told grim news about a dozen civilians dead, and 121 wounded, including ten children. As he was told the news, Putin was seen with a solemn expression on his face, fidgeting with a pen and absent-mindedly rubbing his wrists. He occasionally appeared to grimace as he was told the worst information. Such non-verbal gestures are seen by experts as reflecting anxiety, stress, or indecision. They may show the dictator is facing an internal conflict and a lack of confidence, or feels fear, or insecurity. He may be seeking to calm himself in an act of self-soothing. Putin is more often seen strongly gripping a table with one hand, which could also be a reflection of tension and anxiety. As such, the hand-wringing is unusual for the Russian leader. During the meeting Putin showed some strange facial movements, at several points appearing to bite his lip, appearing exasperated at what he was being told by his officials. The meeting came on Monday as Putin faced the fallout from his almost two-and-a-half year war against Ukraine, which he claimed was to make Russia safe. Instead, he has made little progress in his aim of biting off more Ukrainian territory, and in the process has lost hundreds of thousands of troops as casualties in his war. Now, he has started to lose Russian territory too, as Ukraine found the weak-spot in his defences - making him appear a loser to ordinary people in his country. And once-loyal propagandist pundits had started to question Putin. Karen Shakhnazarov, head of Mosfilm studios and a famous Russian movie director, said on state TV: 'If there are further blunders like [the strike into Russia by Ukraine], we can lose [the war]. 'And that's not defeatism. And it's not alarmism. 'It's just an absolute understanding of the price that we and our homeland will have to pay.' A statue of Vladimir Lenin was heavily damaged during gun battles between Ukrainian and Russian troops in Sudzha A border crossing point near Sudzha was destroyed amid combat as Kyiv pushed back into Russia earlier this month Russian attacks in Ukraine have continued regardless of the border conflicts (pictured: residents of Sumy surveying the damage of a Putin missile strike) Ukrainian forces have also captured a number of Russian troops as they have moved across the region. On Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked soldiers and commanders for capturing Russian military personnel and said the country's 'exchange fund' that it would use to bargain for the return of Ukrainian prisoners of war was being replenished. 'I thank all our soldiers and commanders who are capturing Russian military personnel, thereby advancing the release of our warriors and civilians held by Russia,' Mr Zelensky said in a post on X. Russian troops have allegedly exhibited barbaric practices on the frontline in retaliation - with one appearing to show a severed head of a Ukrainian soldier impaled on a pole. Kyiv has reported the video. shared on a pro-Russian telegram account, to the United Nations, accusing those responsible of committing a war crime. Meanwhile, the eccentric leader of Russia's Chechnya region, Ramzan Kadyrov, published a video on Saturday of himself driving a Tesla Cybertruck with what looked like a machine gun mounted on top. Kadyrov, known for extravagant publicity stunts, heaped praise on both the vehicle and Tesla Motors chief executive Elon Musk on the Telegram messaging app, calling him the 'strongest genius of modern times' and inviting Musk to Chechnya. 'We... await your future products that will help us finish the special military operation,' Kadyrov wrote, using the official term by which Russia describes its war in Ukraine. There was no immediate comment from Tesla. Russia has also continued with its assault on Ukraine despite the beleaguered nation's attempts to divert Putin's focus away from the former Soviet state. A Russian missile sparked a blaze in the city of Sumy that injured two people and also damaged cars and nearby buildings, said Ukraine's State Emergency Service. It said that the hit had involved an Iskander-K cruise missile and an aerial bomb. Ukraine's air force also said it had shot down 14 Russian drones overnight, including over the Kyiv region. Tourism chiefs have asked tourists to visit Wales's 'most Instagrammable' national park during off-peak seasons, as well as urging them to travel by bus. Visitors are flocking in their droves to top locations in Bannau Brycheiniog National Park, including Pen Y Fan and the picturesque Waterfall Country walk. But as the Welsh woodlands become increasingly popular on social media, tourism bosses have begged people to travel by bus to avoid travel chaos. The national park - also known as the Brecon Beacons - said it didn't want to put its four million annual visitors, whilst hoping to cash in on the tourism boom. Helen Roderick, the park sustainable development officer, told the BBC: It's about balance, we want people to come and visit the national park but to think about when they come. Tourism chiefs have asked tourists to visit Wales's 'most Instagrammable' national park during off-peak seasons, as well as urging them to travel by bus (Pictured: Pen y Fan) 'And can they travel by bus? And can they make sure they benefit the local economy by using our shops, pubs and local restaurants?' 'We want to spread the effect of the visitors. Maybe visit in September and October or early in the morning or on a weekday if you're visiting in August. 'Brecon town has the facility to welcome more visitors, we have lots of independent shops, but we want visitors to catch the bus to places like Pen y Fan. 'For every visitor that goes by bus rather than car, it will reduce emissions which affects the flora and fauna and will reduce congestion in the towns.' Currently there are several bus routes between Merthyr Tydfil, Brecon and Pen y Fan which is the second biggest Welsh peak after Yr Wyddfa, formerly known as Snowdon. More recently, the Welsh national park has been named by the New York Times as one of the top parks to visit in 2024 alongside hte likes of Maui and Singapore. The Four Waterfalls Walk near Ystradfellte in Powys had also garnered quite the bit of popularity, raking in thousands of likes on TikTok and Instagram. Although the recent social media sensation status has brought more tourism to the area, many arrive sorely unprepared for the challenging trek. As a result, the park has had to hire more staff to make sure visitors have the right gear and knowledge before making the 40-minute walk to the first waterfall. A multimillion pound investment from the UK government is also on the horizon, so the park can be better equipped with new facilities to cope with the new influx. Carys Rees, who is a member of the Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team, has advised social media fans to do their research before setting off. 'I do love that people are getting out and seeing the beauty of Wales, but I sometimes miss having it to myself. But the good outweighs the bad,' 'I understand people's concerns, but when people put out these beautiful photos of places you can visit, people see it online and think 'gosh, wow, I'd love to visit these places and go there'.' She added: 'For me it's about capturing the landscape, but people have to be prepared.' Lucie Kolarikova and Katerina Mrazkova along with their pooch Gwaii travelled all the way from the Czech Republic just to hike Pen Y Fan. But as the Welsh woodlands become increasingly popular on social media, tourism bosses have begged people to travel by bus to avoid travel chaos (Pictured: Sgwd yr Eira in the Brecon Beacons) Unfortunately for the pair they had to turn round as bad weather meant it wasn't safe to reach the summit. They confessed they hadn't really researched the hill before making their way to the steep mountain, admitting Instagram pictures taken in beautiful weather had attracted them. Helen Howarth, 44, who sells eco-friendly products, is all for the new wave of visitors but says visitors should be finding 'hidden gems' in nearby towns and not purely focusing on Pen Y Fan. 'It's about the biodiversity, it's about our dark skies, it's about the amazing people and skilled artisans we have,' she told the BBC. She believes its now a case of getting word out there about what the town has to offer as well as protecting the environment. Parents have launched a landmark legal battle to allow their daughter to take her dog to school, the Mail on Sunday can reveal. The couple believe the animal should be allowed to accompany their child at school to assist with her wellbeing. They say the girl, who has been refusing to go to classes at the school in Moray would benefit from taking her dog to school as she suffers from anxiety and other conditions. Its understood the couple have paid thousands of pounds to have the dog undergo highly-specialised assistance training in an effort to support their child. However, their request has been challenged by the school, sparking a bitter dispute between the family and education bosses at Moray Council. The pupil wants to be able to take her pet golden retriever into the classroom. Picture posed by model The matter was taken to an education tribunal earlier this year with both sides now anxiously awaiting the outcome. Sources close to the case believe if the decision goes in the parents favour it could open the floodgates for similar requests across Scotland. The Scottish Mail on Sunday understands the council has challenged the case on the grounds that other reasonable adjustments could be made to deal with the pupils health issues that fall short of having the dog in the classroom. Last night Moray Council said: Any requests for assistance animals are considered on a case-by-case basis to take into consideration the full circumstances of the request. Each school has a different ability to support such requests and the pupils own circumstances are considered as part of the individual risk assessment. Further guidance created to support all assistance dog requests remains in draft while we await national guidance. Lawyers were instructed ahead of the tribunal - the hearings for which have been held remotely. It has seen several witnesses, including council and teaching staff, and animal experts, called to give evidence. The tribunal will consider the issues surrounding having a dog in school, the dog and childs needs and impact on other pupils. One source said: There is a lot to consider and as yet theres no guidance from the Scottish Government on this. What about the risks to others in class who might be afraid of dogs or are allergic to them? So many things need to be taken into consideration before a risk assessment can be put in place. Assistance or therapy dogs are trained to work and respond to an individuals needs. For example, they will bark or make a noise when the person gets anxious and they will calm and remove the person from the situation. Proponents argue that their presence helps reduce the levels of stress hormone cortisol in the bodies of the people they work with. In a school setting, this reduction in stress is said to support greater well-being and improve memory and the ability to recall information, which in turn helps students to focus more easily during lessons. Its also argued that therapy dogs can reduce the incidence of absenteeism as they allow they allow the person they are working with to feel more comfortable at school and thus less reluctant to go. However, while there are benefits, there are also concerns around the inclusion of an animal in the classroom. The inclusion of a dog in a classroom could prove problematic for pupils with severe canine allergies. In addition, there may be pupils with a fear of dogs who could be put off coming to school or be anxious sharing the classroom with one. Some councils may also have concerns about any liability they might face if the dog bit someone or triggered a pupils allergies or fears. Schools across the country have introduced animal visits to schools but not for individual pupils to rely on pets in classrooms. Education Scotland said it is becoming more common for animals to visit schools and have published information about the benefits and practical considerations of having dogs in educational settings in the form of animals visiting schools. A spokesperson said: Interest in using dogs in educational settings for therapeutic purposes, and ultimately to enhance participation in learning, is increasing. Practitioners, educational settings, and local authorities, have made a number of enquiries to Education Scotland about the benefits of dog visits to schools and what they should be considering in practical terms if they want to introduce dog visits in their setting. It is the responsibility of local authorities to meet individual pupil needs. The Mail on Sunday approached the family who admitted they have encountered an issue with the council over the dog but werent prepared to discuss it further. More than 50 beaches along the East Coast have been shut down on Saturday due to high levels of bacteria and dangerous riptides ahead of Hurricane Ernesto. The National Park Service and NYC Parks have shut down every beach in Brooklyn and Queens due to possibly life-threatening riptides as Ernesto pulls closer to the US coastline. The hurricane moved through Bermuda as a Category 1 storm early Saturday and is not expected to make landfall in the US. The National Hurricane Center reported life-threatening surf and rip currents on the East Coast and said they would reach Canada during the day and will pass near southeastern Newfoundland late Monday. 'Our primary focus is keeping New Yorkers safe, so as the impacts of [Hurricane] Ernesto approach New York City, we are closing our ocean-facing beaches in Queens and Brooklyn this weekend to protect New Yorkers from dangerous rip currents,' New York City Mayor, Eric Adams, said last week, according to ABC 7. The National Park Service and NYC Parks have shut down every beach in Brooklyn and Queens due to possibly life-threatening riptides as Ernesto pulls closer to the US coastline (pictured: Jones Beach Field in NY) Just a few states away in Massachusetts, more than 50 beaches, including Longnook Beach in Truro, have been closed due to high bacteria levels Just a few states away in Massachusetts, more than 50 beaches have been closed mostly due to high bacteria levels, the state's dashboard shows. In 33 beaches, the bacteria amount had reached unsafe levels for swimming and could cause illness. Meanwhile, 13 additional beaches had harmful cyanobacteria blooms. Other beaches in the Commonwealth State also shut down under the category 'other,' which can be for riptides, poor visibility, or other hazards. Forecasters are also warning the public in New England to be aware of dangerous riptides due to Ernesto. 'Even if Ernesto stays well offshore of the U.S. East Coast, beachgoers should be aware of a significant risk of deadly rip currents beginning later this week,' the National Hurricane Center said this week. Thirty people have died from riptides this year alone, according to the National Weather Service. Those who risk swimming in bacteria-filled water could end up with stomach and intestinal upset, diarrhea, and vomiting, according to the National Institute of Health (NIH). The bacteria amount have reached unsafe levels for swimming and could cause illness (pictured Puffers Pond in MA) Forecasters are also warning the public in New England and New York to be aware of dangerous riptides due to Ernesto (pictured: Jones Beach Field in NY) Dangerous bacteria can also lead to lethal sepsis, coma, limb amputation and death in worst-case scenarios. (Pictured: stock image of Cyanobacteria in water) Many water-borne germs originate from human and animal feces, so the NIH recommends people avoid using the restroom in the water and to keep child and animal fecal matter away too. Algae can also infect the water. 'If there are concerns with either the bacteria or other hazards, focus on other activities to do,' University of South Carolina's Dr. Dwayne Porter told NIH. Dangerous bacteria can also lead to lethal sepsis, coma, limb amputation and death in worst-case scenarios. Massachusetts' closure of beaches for bacteria comes just two weeks after 30 beaches along the New England state's coastline were closed for the same reason. Most were shut down due to bacterial exceedance or a harmful cyanobacteria bloom, with 29 alone due to bacteria. John Swinney is appeasing China, a former Scottish Government worker who was tortured by the authoritarian regime has said. Simon Cheng, 33, worked as a trade and investment officer for quango Scottish Development International when he was abducted by Chinese state police and detained for 15 days in 2019. He last night slammed the First Minister for his cosy meeting with Zheng Zeguang, the Chinese Ambassador to the UK, which took place earlier this month at Bute House. And he warned that while the devolved government might believe it can engage with China on cultural issues, climate change and education despite the nations human rights record, it was subtly reinforcing the aggressive agenda of an authoritarian regime. Two weeks ago, Mr Swinney invited Mr Zeguang to his official residence in Scotlands capital just weeks after Beijing successfully pressured Edinburgh city council to scrap a planned friendship agreement with a Taiwanese city. First Minister John Swinney greets Chinese Ambassador Zheng Zequang The pair were joined by Chinese Consul General to Edinburgh Zhang Biao, Counsellor Kong Xiangwen from the Chinese Embassy, Fang Wenjian, General Manager of Bank of China London Branch and Chairman of China Chamber of Commerce in the UK, and Chen Xiaomeng, CEO of the Red Rock Renewables. Pictures taken of the meeting showed the men smiling and chatting as they discussed strengthening exchanges and cooperation between China and Scotland in various fields, according to the Chinese Embassys website. Meanwhile an image shared by the First Minister on social media was captioned: The Scottish Government wants to continue collaboration and strengthen links with China on trade, education, tourism and culture, in line with our values. But last night Mr Cheng, who in a soul-baring interview with the MoS today reveals how he was beaten and psychologically tortured while imprisoned by Chinese state police this time five years ago, blasted Mr Swinneys seeming naivety. He said: It reinforces the propaganda of the Chinese state media, backed in China, to justify whatever the party is doing is right - because it brings proudness to the country, and then that reinforces the narrative that they can be more suppressive, not only domestically, but overseas. He continued: Transnational oppression is happening. China may be more subtle than the Russians, in that they do not kill dissidents here, but it is happening. In particular, Mr Cheng warned that even if the Scottish Government believed it was cooperating with China on non-political sectors, it was feeding the regimes power. He said: It seems like theyre saying, because theyre the Scottish Government, a devolved administration, they are focusing on more non political sectors, which is convenient, to an extent, to have cooperation with China. But the Chinese regime sees them as vulnerable... and this bunch of politicians will pay a price if Chinese states keep being more powerful in the future and exerting its influence. With more Chinese economic support and cultural dominance on Scottish soil, its influence will become more powerful. There is a long term cost and toll. But the Scottish Government is appeasing the state. He said: What we have seen is Chinese entrepreneurs and the Chinese government trying to cooperate with universities, like University of Edinburgh, and the University of Glasgow, on robotics, AI, medicine, and a lot of other stuff. Im still feeling Scottish politicians are not aware of how serious the human rights abuses are in China and Hong Kong and what the implication is to Scotland. He added: What we expect from a state person, is that they need to care about those people being supressed who are in vulnerable groups. More importantly, they need to take care of the long term benefits of the whole country. Security is more important than their short term economic benefits. The intervention comes as China has been condemned by much of the West for its brutal treatment of Uighur Muslims in re-education camps and its attempts to squash dissident pro-democracy voices from Hong Kong. Despite that, the Scottish Government continues to court Chinese investment. In November, embattled Scottish Constitution Secretary Angus Robertson - who has recently also been blasted for meeting the deputy ambassador to Israel - failed to mention the countrys catastrophic human rights record while travelling to the area. In 2016, former first minister Nicola Sturgeon signed a 10 billion deal with two Chinese firms for unspecified projects, but kept the transaction a secret. It only came to light when the Chinese media wrote about the agreement. In the same year Ministers gave 5.3 million to a Chinese Confucius Institute teaching project in Scottish schools, despite the institute being accused of sharing Beijing propaganda. Last year, the Scottish Mail on Sunday revealed that the Scottish Government regularly uses a controversial Chinese social media platform, WeChat, to sell the benefits of Scotland abroad, despite concerns that it is being used by the countrys government to track and censor its citizens. Meanwhile, we told how Scottish Ministers were also using articles in Chinese government-owned newspapers to boast of the two countries close ties and joint energy ambitions. Disgraced ex-minister Michael Matheson was even interviewed by Beijing News, a state-owned newspaper, in 2021. A Scottish Government spokesman last night said: The horrendous treatment Mr Cheng suffered during his detention was appalling the torture of any individual is utterly abhorrent and must be condemned in the strongest terms. Ministers regularly raise concerns about human rights abuses, including actions in Xinjiang and Hong Kong, with the Chinese government. The First Minister reiterated these concerns in his meeting with Ambassador Zheng Zeguang. Our values and principles underpin our international work, this is no different in our engagement with China. Disturbing footage has emerged of men being arrested for wearing shorts amid a brutal crackdown by Iran's morality police. The officers have been seen handcuffing, insulting, and in at least one instance, beating, males who dare to break the country's strict dress code - even as summer temperatures soar. In Tehran, there have been power outages as thermometers topped 45C in recent days. Iran's parliament is currently debating a new bill around the laws that govern how men dress, after authorities announced a clampdown on the country's strict dress code. The new bill defines 'improper clothing' for men, which includes 'wearing clothing that is against public modesty, such as clothing that does not cover a part of the body lower than the chest or higher than the ankle.' Disturbing footage has emerged of men being arrested for wearing shorts amid a brutal crackdown by Iran 's morality police The officers have been seen handcuffing, insulting, and in at least one instance, beating, males who dare to break the country's strict dress code - even as summer temperatures soar The morality police line up and watch out for offenders who are breaching strict rules around what men and women can wear in Iran In a video, a teenage boy wearing bermuda-style shorts and a rucksack is seen with his hands cuffed behind his back being slowly led away by officers It also states that anyone found 'naked, semi-naked, or wearing clothing deemed improper in public' will be arrested. Those who breach the laws will be banned from leaving Iran and using social media for a period of six months to two years. Zealous police officers however appear to be enforcing the rules before they have been formally passed. In one example, Meysam, a 35-year-old software engineer from Tehran, said he was brutally hauled in by morality police while wearing shorts on a hot day, he told The Telegraph. As he went for a walk, a white van pulled up and three men jumped out, shouting and asking him what he thought he was doing. 'They grabbed me by the neck and forced me into the back of the van. They said they were taking me to the social security police.' Others were inside the van, including a man and three girls, all crying, who had also been apprehended over their clothes. 'We never imagined they would be so harsh with us simply for wearing shorts.' He was taken to a police station and made to promise never to wear shorts again, with no further action. The women however were told that a case would be filed against them and sent to the prosecutor's office. Elsewhere, in a video that has emerged online, a teenage boy wearing bermuda-style shorts and a rucksack is seen with his hands cuffed behind his back being slowly led away by officers. Footage has also emerged showing at least three police officers in Tehran beating a man who was wearing shorts at a train station. A woman wearing a full length niqab watches on as one officer says: 'You cow, you donkey. 'Do you think with a few 'woman, life, freedom' slogans, you can do whatever the f**k you want?' Another officer steps in and then slaps the man in the face. The man pleads with them that he is wearing the shorts because it is hot. 'You can't', comes the brusque response. In recent months, people have been taking to the streets of Iran to protest against the strict laws, which also govern women. The protests were triggered by the public outcry following the death of 22-year-old Masha Amini in 2022. The death of Masha Amini, 22, in police custody sparked worldwide protests in 2022 Amini died in custody after not observing Iran's ultra-conservative dress code, causing outrage across the country and beyond Ms Amini died in custody after she was detained by Iran's morality police for not wearing her hijab 'properly'. Her death ignited weeks of nationwide protests in Iran over reports she was beaten to death by police. The Iranian authorities however denied such claims, saying she died not from violent blows but from multiple organ failure caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain. Iran has witnessed its largest protests since at least 2009 in response to her death, amid a clash between a state tending towards stricter observation of inferred religious law and a more liberal Iranian community. Iranian 'morality police' have since launched sporadic campaigns to verbally or violently arrest and 're-educate' women found in breach of regulations in response to changing dress codes and norms. More recently, an Iranian mother-of-two was allegedly shot by police in her car over violations of the country's draconian hijab rules. Arezoo Badri, 31, has been left paralysed from the waist down after she was fired at while driving home in the northern city of Noor on July 22 Arezoo Badri, 31, has been left paralysed from the waist down after she was fired at while driving home in the northern city of Noor on July 22. Iranian police had attempted to pull Ms Badri over and confiscate her car, the BBC reported. The police commander told Iran's state-run news agency that the driver did not stop which prompted the officers to shoot, although they did not name Ms Badri as the woman involved. Police said Ms Badri failed to stop her car when asked to by officers Last year, police said they would use CCTV cameras to identify female drivers or passengers who were not covering their hair and confiscate their cars. Women have been required by law to wear a hijab in Iran since the Islamic Revolution in 1979 and they face fines or even imprisonment for violations of the rules. The nation also adopted its 'morality police' around this time to regulate behaviour after a period of secularisation through the mid-20th century. Ms Badri was first treated in a hospital in Sari, the provincial capital where she underwent lung surgery but she was transferred a week later to Tehran It is thought millions of women have been stopped by the police since to be 're-educated' about their dress code. Last October there was another tragedy after 17-year-old Armita Geravand died in hospital following an alleged altercation with the morality police in an underground station. The teenager spent ten days in a coma but passed away at Fajr Hospital in Tehran. It has been alleged by human rights activists that she was attacked for not covering her hair. The Iranian government denies this account. As the baton cracked at the back of his ankles, stinging the sores he had accumulated from hours of physical torture, Simon Cheng attempted to stifle a guttural howl. Blindfolded, the Scottish Development International worker could not see who was inflicting such intense, agonising pain, but he felt certain he knew who they worked for: the Chinese state police. In an exclusive interview to mark five years since his release from prison, Mr Cheng, 33, tells of the physical and psychological torment he suffered at the hands of the authoritarian regime. And in a message back home to his parents, who he has not spoken to since he fled the country after he was freed, he said: 'I love you and I am safe.' Triumphant, he added: 'My survival in itself is a victory.' Simon Cheng, proudly wearing a Saltire lapel badge, standing next to Nicola Sturgeon at the start of what he thought would be a glittering career in global trade A woman in Hong Kong holds a poster of Mr Cheng A 'tiger chair' is a metal torture device that restrains the body from any movement, and fixes the subject in painful positions Until the evening of August 8 2019, Mr Cheng had never seen himself as a hardcore freedom fighter, but had attended a handful of pro-democracy rallies as a private citizen in his home country of Hong Kong and was in favour of the cause. That summer night, as he boarded a high-speed train to return to Kong Kong from Southern China after attending a conference he thought he would likely be fine - the Chinese authorities had let him into the country for work, so why would they not let him out?' He did have some niggling concerns about his part in the recent demonstrations which had served as the largest challenge to Xi Jinping's Chinese Communist Party to date, so, for good measure, he sent a message to his then-girlfriend, which read: 'Pray for me'. The train pulled up at Hong Kong's West Kowloon station and all seemed fine. But, upon swiping his identity card and scanning his fingerprint he became increasingly nervous. He looked at the steel barrier expectantly, his heart rate rising with every second that passed, but it refused to budge. 'Standing at that gate was a critical moment,' he said. 'I knew I was in trouble. 'I immediately got my phone out and tried to delete any sensitive messages which were critical of the Chinese government.' Soon, he was swooped on by border patrol guards and taken to a small holding room off the train station his phone, bag and glasses confiscated. 'There were two guards just watching me, and then some plain clothed guards came. There was such hostility. They looked at me like I was an animal,' he told The Mail on Sunday. Despite several hours passing and many desperate attempts to find out what he was being held for - Mr Cheng was put back on a train to Shenzhen and handed over to plain clothes police. 'They were not Border Force officers anymore. They were the national security service,' he said. In August 2019, Mr Cheng was detained by Chinese authorities after attending a handful of pro-democracy rallies as a private citizen in his home country of Hong Kong Mr Cheng is pictured shortly after his 2020 release He added: 'I kept asking them for what reason I had been detained, and they wouldn't tell me, they just told me to shut up. They put me into the back of a police van and took me to Lianhua police station. I still remember the signage as we pulled up.' The young man was forced into a small metre-squared concrete cell and strapped to a 'tiger chair' a metal torture device that restrains the body from any movement, and fixes the subject in painful positions. He said: 'They asked me a series of very strange questions, like, 'what were you doing here? And what do you think about Hong Kong?' And then they started narrowing it down to three main questions. First of all, it was 'What's your job? Why are you working in a British Consulate.' The second one was: 'Did you join a protest and was it legal?' or something like that. And third one was, 'Do you know who joined the protest, and whether the UK is behind the scenes?' They also showed me records which seemed to show they were tracing me even when I was in Hong Kong.' The interview continued for hours, until officers eventually gave up and left the young man to curl up on the cold, hard floor of the musty, damp-smelling enclosure. 'It smelt of death,' he recalled. 'I went into a bit of break down. I felt such fear. I just keep talking, saying 'No, no, no, please. I didn't do anything wrong. I didn't do any illegal activities and why are you treating me like this?' I just kept talking.' Early the next morning, any hope of being freed was dashed as he was bundled into a police van and taken to another holding place. Brought up in Hong Kong, Mr Cheng had enjoyed a close relationship with his mother, father and sisters. He had always hoped to make them proud; he had worked in the European Chamber of Commerce in nearby Taiwan and even completed a year's master's degree at the London School of Economics studying the political economy of Europe. He was excited when in 2017 he was offered a job working in the British Consulate for the Scottish Government's international development arm. Pictures show him smiling delightedly as he posed next to the then First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at one of many events he attended promoting the Scottish Government in the region. He had hoped to be a star of the international relations world, and at the time the image was snapped, he was well on his way. Yet his promising professional life was far from his mind as he was ferried to the next interrogation cell on August 9, 2019. Upon arrival he was faced with people he believed were ordinary Chinese officers who were aggressive and looking to charge him. A clip released by Chinese police showed a man wearing a pink T-shirt admitting to violating the Chinese law. Police said the man was Simon Cheng and he was making confessions to an officer For what, he still didn't know, until eventually they growled that he had been going to massage parlours and soliciting prostitutes. They told him that if he didn't cooperate and confess, they would return him to the plain clothes officers and he could face more serious charges. The charge allowed them to detain him for 15 days. If he did not cooperate in detention that could be extended for two years for 'education' - a reference to Chinese encampments, where the UN believes more than one million people are held, tortured and indoctrinated about the Chinese regime. 'So I confessed,' he said, 'under duress.' Next, he was handcuffed and shackled and driven to a detention centre, where he would spend 14 days in solitary confinement. His isolation was only broken by periods of intense and terrifying interrogations - sometimes lasting for up to 48 hours at a time. Guards would remove him from his cell, blindfold him and put a hood on him and lay him down on the backseat of a car, before driving him to another location. There, he was shouted at and humiliated, and told he was a British spy. Mr Cheng would regularly be shackled into a spread-eagle position and forced to squat for hours and raise his hands above his head. If he collapsed, he was beaten with a baton causing excruciating pain - yet he was not allowed to scream or speak. At his lowest, most vulnerable points his oppressors would try to twist his thinking. 'They saw it as the perfect opportunity to brainwash me and would tell me democracy was flawed,' he said. But at 4am on August 23 2019, Mr Cheng was roused from the detention centre and led out by guards. His prayers had been answered; he was to be taken back to the Hong Kong border - he had served his time. Now, five years on, as he sits in shared accomodation in North West London having been granted political asylum by the UK Government in June 2020, a warning uttered by a plain clothes officer on that final journey to 'freedom' sticks with him: 'Maybe your life will be more difficult after being released.' For while he cherishes the freedom he prayed for in captivity, his life has changed forever. No longer can he dream of working across the globe in the profession he loved, for fear he will be recaptured and killed; he is now classed as a fugitive by Hong Kong national security, and has a HK$1million bounty on his head. He also fears he has been tailed a number of times by Chinese operatives on UK soil. Nor is he able speak to the family he left behind, for fear they will be targeted by Chinese state police. Yet in a moving message via The Mail on Sunday, he wants to reassure his mother and father. He said: 'I would like to say to them, I love you. I am safe in England and in the UK, don't worry about me. I am being well-protected. I hope you are okay. I will keep on fighting for our human rights.' Mr Cheng has now turned his hand to raising awareness for the plight of Hong Kongers and those, like himself, living in exile via his UK-wide diaspora group, Hongkongers in Britain. He also collaborated with others to launch an online advice platform, Haven Assistance, for Hong Kongers seeking asylum. 'It is like a mission,' he said. 'It is not about financial reward or how much I earn, it is about social justice.' The young man added: 'Just surviving, that is enough for me. My survival in itself is a victory over such a powerful state.' SpaceX launches Transporter-11 mission to orbit Xinhua) 09:59, August 17, 2024 NEW YORK, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- U.S. private space company SpaceX launched the Transporter-11 mission to orbit on Friday. The mission was launched aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 11:56 a.m. local time (1856 GMT). Transporter-11 was SpaceX's 11th dedicated smallsat rideshare mission, with 116 payloads on board, including CubeSats, MicroSats, and an orbital transfer vehicle carrying eight of those payloads, according to SpaceX. Friday's liftoff was part of SpaceX's Rideshare program, which significantly increases access to space for small satellite operators around the world, ranging from Earth observation satellites to in-space manufacturing, robotics, and student research projects, the company said. To date, SpaceX has launched more than 1,000 smallsats to space under the program. (Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Wu Chaolan) Epic Games has made its grand return to iOS with Fortnite and its two other games now available to install on iPhones or iPads. However, this is only applicable to European Union (EU) member regions. It has been revealed by Epic Games that its games are now accessible on Apple devices in the EU through the Epic Games Store. It is a third-party app marketplace that sideloads its applications and is only permitted via the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA). Fortnite is Now Available on iOS via Sideloading on Epic Games Store This is undoubtedly good news for Fortnite fans in the EU and Epic Games has marked this joyous occasion with an announcement of its return to iOS. According to the company, this is still exclusive to the EU as Apple has blocked the company in other regions that do not have the same regulations like the DMA. Despite this good news, the company has complained about the "poor-quality install experiences," which have required users to go through multiple steps in order to complete the installation. Sideloading has made it possible for Epic to come back as the Epic Games Store is available to download via browsers. However, it should be noted that it is not available for download on the Apple App Store. Epic Games offers its three mobile apps in its return, with the most beloved battle royale, Fortnite, leading the selection. Other games from the company that are returning to the EU are Fall Guys and Rocket League Sideswipe. Before this comeback, Epic Games' developer account was initially removed and reinstated by Apple because of alleged violations, slightly delaying the process of Fortnite's awaited return. How to Install Epic Games Store on iOS The return of Fortnite and more of Epic Games' titles to iOS is not a straightforward case as it is not technically available in the Apple App Store but would have to be sideloaded. To help out players, Epic Games has released a step-by-step video on how to install the third-party app marketplace to get access to the three games. First, go to Safari and search "epic.download." After that, tap on "Install on iOS." If this is your first time doing so, a prompt will tell you about app installation marketplace guidelines for iPhones. You will then be asked to enable this manually via Settings. Head to Settings and look for the "Allow Apps from Epic Games Inc.," and choose "Allow" when prompted. Go back to Safari and then follow the instructions to install the Epic Games Store and the marketplace app when prompted. How to Install Fortnite and Other Titles from Epic After installing the Epic Games Store, it should appear on the Home page or via the App Library, and you may now access it to download your favorite titles like Fortnite, Fall Guys, or Rocket League Sideswipe. Installing these apps will result in individual prompts from iOS, which is more of a reconfirmation for the sideloaded game to be installed on the device. A neighborhood menace who fatally shot a man in an argument over dog feces has been jailed for life almost a decade later, but not before berating the widow of his victim in court. Omar Rodriguez, now 75, gunned down Jose Rey, 52, on his son's lawn in Miami on June 21, 2015, and he died in Kendall Regional Hospital a week later. The bad neighbor was finally convicted in May of second-degree murder and aggravated assault for threatening Rey's wife Lissette Rey. 'I beg your honor, the harshest sentence imposed to the coward, the murderer,' Lissette told Judge Milton Hirsch at sentencing on Thursday. Rodriguez erupted in a rage in Miami-Dade Circuit Court, ripping off his mask and unleashing on Lissette. Rodriguez erupted in a rage in Miami-Dade Circuit Court, ripping off his mask and unleashing on Lissette Lissette speaks to the press after the sentencing was over, pleased Rodriguez would likely die in prison but wishing he was sentenced to death 'The coward was your husband. That's why I killed him He cried like a baby,' he yelled. It took seven corrections officers to drag him out of the courtroom and even when he was outside, streams of obscenity could be heard as Lissette continued. 'I pray he spends the rest of his pitiful existence in prison. He's a narcissistic piece of s**t.' Unless he lives to be more than 100, Rodriguez will die in prison as he is not eligible for parole until at least 2049. 'At the end of the day, Mr Rodriguez will continue to see his family. They'll be able to visit him and see him. I'll never get to see my husband again,' Rey's widow said. Jose Rey, 52, was shot dead in Miami on June 21, 2015, and he died in Kendall Regional Hospital a week later Rey is pictured with his wife Lissette Rey and children before his death Even before the fatal shooting, Rodriguez was considered a dangerous menace by his neighbors, who all supported Rey and his family after his death. His clashes with neighbors, from the Miami suburbs of Coral Gables to Kendall, date back to the early 1990s - including at least 140 in the seven years before 2015. One resident in desperation wrote to then-governor Lawton Chiles, complaining Rodriguez declared war on his neighbors. He was armed with guns, frequently shouted in the street, and once threatened a lawn mower with a machete, the neighbor warned. Each time, police said his actions, though deplorable, were not quite criminal and no charges were ever filed. His only known criminal history before the murder was battery on a police officer in 1994, for which he only got probation. It took seven corrections officers to drag him out of the courtroom and even when he was outside, streams of obscenity could be heard as Lissette continued Witnesses told police Rodriguez followed Rey and Lissette in his car as they walked their dog at about 9:30 pm. The couple were speaking to another neighbor at the time, and Rey decided to take the dog home before continuing the conversation with his neighbor and wife. On the way home, he crossed Rodriguez's son's lawn and his dog began to defecate on it. Rodriguez parked his car, flashed his lights and revved his engine before confronting Rey. An argument then ensued, and Rey went on his way. On his way back to speak to his wife and neighbor, he ran into Rodriguez again, who had taken off his shirt in preparation to fight. After more confrontation, he shot Rey three times as he raised his arms in the air and walked backward. When Lissette tried to comfort her mortally wounded husband, Rodriguez threatened her, too. Lissette embraces family and supporters, including neighbors, in the courtroom Rodriguez demanded the charges be dismissed under Florida's 'Stand Your Ground' law, but a judge ruled in 2021 that he wasn't acting in self-defense. He claimed as part of that defense that Rey came at him with a knife, but neighbors said they saw him plant the knife next to Rey and even tried to jam it into his hand. Rodriguez was utterly unremorseful during the entire case, and prosecutors played a recording of him declaring: ' If I had to do it all over again, I'd do it the same way.' His lawyer Bruce Lehr was still making excuses for him even after the sentencing. 'This started with a community ganging up and hating the defendant in this case. And the hatred on all sides boiled over into an unfortunate death,' he told NBC. 'The emotions continue to run deep, and they flared at sentencing I hope everyone remembers the circumstances.' Prince Harry and Meghan kicked off the third day of their quasi royal tour of Colombia with a visit to a Caribbean drumming school. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved from the capital Bogota to the coastal town of Cartagena with a usual heavy security detail. A police Black Hawk helicopter and a drone circled the sky above the venue while roads nearby were blocked off. As part of the the couple's security a black police anti terrorist, nuclear, bio terror van and an ambulance were parked outside. Harry and Meghan arrived more than an hour later than anticipated at the Tambores de Cabildo music school to meet students and staff as part of their cultural discovery of the South American country. Several of their escorts carried the now ever present ballistic briefcase - Kevlar bullet proof shields - which are part of the security detail. The pair emerged from a Toyota Land Cruiser which was circled by police and soldiers before walking in to a barn style building for a drumming welcome. Set on the beach the venue was ringed by police and security but despite the event being common knowledge there were barely any onlookers. Harry and Meghan playing the drums at La Boquilla drum school in Cartagena, Bolivar department, Colombia Harry and Meghan clapping during a performance at La Boquilla drum school Meghan shaking hands with a teacher at La Boquilla drum school in Cartagena Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on the third day of their visit to Columbia, attending a Caribbean drumming school Meghan shakes hands while visiting a local music school in Columbia Harry wore a blue linen shirt, beige trousers and sunglasses for the third day of the visit Set on the beach the venue was ringed by police and security as Harry and Meghan walked The couple arriving more than an hour later than anticipated at the Tambores de Cabildo music school (pictured) A helicopter, drone and bulletproof shield were in place to keep the Sussex's protected on day three A heavy police and army presence turned up to protect the royal couple today A large police and army presence turned up to protect the royal couple today Colombian marines patrol during security operations before the arrival of Harry and Meghan Colombian marines patrol during security operations before Harry and Meghan arrive A military vehicle drives past prior to the arrival of Prince Harry and Meghan Two women shouted out 'Harry' and he turned to wave to them before swiftly turning and walking inside. The temperate climate of Bogota was swapped for the humidity of the Caribbean as temperatures soared to 32c. Harry wore a blue linen shirt, beige trousers and sunglasses while Meghan wore black and white shoulder less dress. Ahead of their arrival local media reported how Cartagena's mayor DumekTurbay had not been invited to the event or to meet the royal couple. He told W radio: 'The vice president, Francia Marquez, did not invite me to any of the events, so I will watch on television the arrival of these illustrious figures to the city. 'I don't think I'm in the vice president's heart. They're going to be in La Boquilla, if I'm not mistaken, what I understand is that they're going to visit some of the foundations and organizations that work in La Boquilla; they'll be in the city, I'm going to find a way to send her my details. 'All distinguished guests who come to the city always take a gift from the government, on behalf of the people of Cartagena; I am looking for a way to send my gift through the Foreign Ministry. 'I have not been invited, I have been exempted from the visit .' A woman carries her toddler as Colombian marines patrol during security operations before the arrival of Prince Harry and Meghan Harry is seen surrounded by security on day three of his visit to Columbia The Duke of Sussex is seen surrounded by security on day three of his visit to Columbia Harry and Meghan on the third day of their visit to Columbia, attending a Caribbean drumming school Meghan shakes hands while visiting a local music school in Columbia Local reports said that 3,000 police were on duty for the visit to the city and a later trip the town of San Basilio de Pelanque around 90 minutes away. The anti colonial town was founded in the 17th century by freed African slaves and still maintains its cultural links to the continent through music, food and variation of Creole language. Rhythmic drumming, accompanied by singing and clapping could be heard from inside the venue, while a breeze blew across the nearby beach. While the couple were outside some soldiers took shelter from the fierce sun under palm topped cabanas. After an hour inside the couple left without being seen after security teams purposely drove vehicles in front of the entrance to block off the view. No media were allowed inside the event although footage and images were due to be released by the vice president's office and the Sussex team later. After the opening performance, the Duke and Duchess and Vice President Marquesa listened to local community members that included children, teenagers, parents, and elders, about the importance of preserving the culture of Cartagena, and specifically it's Afro-Colombian roots. Cartagena is an area specifically being impacted by gentrification and a booming tourism industry. The couple smile as they enter the Caribbean drumming school on the third day of their visit to Columbia Day three of Harry and Meghan's visit to Colombia hosted by the vice president Francia Marquez Meghan was filmed dancing enthusiastically with locals during an engagement on Thursday night The following day, Prince Harry was seen breaking out a shimmy during an engagement in Bogota The Prince bent his knees while wagging his hips, and rolling his arms and shoulders during his impromptu dance The Duke and Duchess were also gifted a small handcrafted wooden boat from a student. The Sussexes along with Ms Marquez and her husband participated in a drum lesson led by the students, followed by a performance from some of the locals which brought all the VIPs to their feet. School director Rafael Ramos was ecstatic to see the duchess's reaction to the performances and said: 'I love seeing Meghan's big, big smile I can tell she's excited!' Following the performance, Ms Marquez gave an impassioned speech about the inherent importance of tradition when it comes to preserving Colombian heritage. Speaking to the crowd, which included members of her own family who she brought along for the day, she expressed that towns like Cartegena represent the heart of Colombian culture and how the art of drumming in particular symbolizes freedom for Black communities around the world. She also acknowledged that part of her decision to invite the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to Colombia was because she views them as a joint symbol of resistance and two vital voices against injustice. 'The Duke and Duchess came to Colombiathis is Colombia. This is where the roots of our ancestors and our forefathers are from, ' said Vice President Marquez. 'A community like this cannot be displaced.' It comes after Prince Harry danced as he met with children during the second day of his trip to Colombia - a day after Meghan was filmed enthusiastically dancing while attending a special cultural event. The Duke and Duchess were welcomed by Colombia's vice-president and her husband after arriving in the country on Thursday for the start of a four-day tour. That evening, the couple attended an engagement at the Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata Olivella (CNA), highlighting the artistry of Bogota. After being greeted by Minister of Culture Juan David Correa, and the Director of CNA Xiomara Suescun, they were treated to theatre, music and dance performances. A video showing Meghan busting taking part in a dance session with locals went viral. Eerie footage shows mysterious lights in the sky above the California desert amid a huge spike in UFO sightings. The Etre Sombras y Luces podcast (Three Shadows and Lights) shared photos of the alleged paranormal activity that took place over Lancaster County on Thursday night and asking his more than 174,000 TikTok followers: 'Did anyone else see this?' In one 50-second video, a single red light can be seen flashing in the night sky. 'UFO sighting in Los Angeles area yesterday at midnight. We saw a bright red light for about 5-10 mins,' the caption read, as haunting theme music from the 'X Files' played in the background. 'It dropped off some type of capsule and then vanished.' The reported UFO sightings prompted many to flood the internet with similar tales of seeing unexplained lights in the sky. New eerie footage from multiple people shows mysterious lights in the sky above the California desert amid a huge spike in UFO sightings On X, Think Tank posted another video with the caption: 'A video from last nights mass sighting in California.' The 22-second footage appeared to show a long, lit up object. In the background a boy can heard asking his mother: 'What is that, mom? What is that? Do you see this, mom?' 'Ma - you see this?' When the boy's mother looked up and saw the foreign object blinking in the sky, she yelps: 'Holy s**t!.' 'What the hell is that?' she continued. At one point, someone can be heard running and breathless. 'OMG, what is that? What is that? What the f*** is happening? He can heard repeating the same question again: 'What is that? What is that?' Another X user JWiseKangRa claimed in a post that a number of people had reported UFO sightings in the Palmdale-Lancaster area, with at least six unidentified aerial phenomenon (UAPs) zig-zagging in the sky early Saturday morning. During the 22-second footage that seems to show a long, lit up object, a boy can heard asking his mother, 'What is that, mom? What is that? Do you see this, mom?' 'Ma - you see this?' Pictured: Another user shares a glimpse at what they believed to be a UFO over the skies of Lancaster, California He also showed a video of the red and blue-lighted orbs descending rapidly in the sky, but stated that the video was unconfirmed. 'Panic grips Palmdale and Lancaster as multiple residents report seeing UFOs darting across the night sky. Eyewitnesses claim to have spotted not one, but *six* flying saucers, defying logic and leaving the community in shock,' he wrote. 'Ring neighbor apps are flooded with chilling accountsa bright light halting mid-air, zigzagging across the sky; a hovercraft sighting during a routine dog walk; and eerie objects counted in the sky. Authorities are now scrambling to investigate these baffling reports.' His report received more than 162,000 views, with many commenting about the seemingly bizarre supernatural activity. One man, who was in the backyard with his daughter at the time of the reported sighting, wrote. 'We both thought we saw a shooting star falling east. It stopped very abruptly and zig -zagged going north. 'Checking to if anyone else saw it or are we both going crazy,' the man wrote, in part.' Another exasperated viewer, who was out walking her dog, wrote: 'You guys. You won't believe what I just saw. 'At first I was like omg what a cool plane that Northrop assembled, but to my dismay it was a hovercraft.' They continued: 'Please tell me I'm not the only one who saw it!!!' The reports of the UFOs over Lancaster and Palmdale came just days after a shocking video showing two airline pilots spotting several white orbs during a flight. This is the incredible moment two airline pilots spot several white UFO orbs on flight that did not show up on the radar The video, which was posted on YouTube by Captain Ruud Van Pangemanan, shows two pilots flying a Boeing 747 from Saudi Arabia to Nigeria. The pair described the objects as being 'extremely bright' and 'moving freely' in the sky. According to Captain Ruud, the supposed UFO orbs showed up around 30 minutes into the flight after a 'normal take off and cruising'. The video, which is titled 'UFO Intercept Captain Ruud Flight with Boeing 747' ends with the pilot convinced he has seen a UFO. He says: 'This is my experience of seeing something strange or UFO. U.S. Air Force security guards exchanged gunfire with someone who opened fire at an entrance to Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland on Saturday morning. No injuries were reported after the guards returned fire at a passing vehicle at an entrance to the Texas base at around 4:30 a.m. Spokesperson Stefanie Antosh told the San Antonio Express-News that it was not clear how many rounds were fired, how many shooters there were, or their motive. Antosh told the outlet: 'We don't know what, if anything, started it. But it wasn't an active threat to the installation, and there is no active threat to the installation.' Due to the incident, the entrance had to be closed for several hours following the shooting, but the base was not locked down. No injuries were reported after the guards returned fire at a passing vehicle at an entrance to the Texas base, seen here, at around 4:30 a.m San Antonio Police also responded to the base due to the shooting and are said to have helped collect evidence, according to the outlet. In addition to Lackland, Joint Base San Antonio includes Randolph Air Force Base, Fort Sam Houston and the Camp Bullis training camp. Lackland is home to more than 24,000 active duty members and 10,000 Department of Defense civilians, according to the base website. It includes the 37th Training Wing; 149th Fighter Wing; 59th Medical Wing; the Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency; 24th Air Force Wing, 67th Network Warfare Wing; the Cryptologic Systems Group; the National Security Agency; and 70 associated units. Airman Aaron Bushnell, who killed himself by setting himself on fire in front of the Israeli Embassy in DC earlier this year, had previously worked at the base. He had worked in the service as a cyber defense operations specialist, having joined in May 2020 The US Air Force officer cried out 'Free Palestine' while standing outside the Israeli Embassy in what he described as 'extreme act of protest'. It's the true-crime case that's gripped TV viewers: the story of a British model who was lured to a fake photo shoot in Milan before being kidnapped and held captive for a week. But one of Chloe Ayling's kidnappers has continued to claim the case is 'fiction' in his first interview since the 2017 abduction. Michal Herba was jailed along with his brother Lukasz after the pair kidnapped Ms Ayling for a sex trafficking gang and tried to sell her as a slave for 250,000. Ms Ayling, who was just 20 at the time, only managed to escape after convincing Lukasz that she would be his girlfriend if he let her go. However, after being arrested, the brothers claimed that Ms Ayling had been in a relationship with Lukasz all along and planned the abduction as a 'publicity stunt'. Chloe Ayling (pictured on This Morning earlier this week) was lured to a fake photo shoot in Milan before being kidnapped in 2017 Michal Herba (pictured in court in Milan in 2018) was jailed along with his brother Lukasz after the pair kidnapped Ms Ayling for a sex trafficking gang Michal Herba pictured, who was an accomplice to the kidnapping of Chloe Ayling in Italy in 2017 Their claims were discredited and Michal was sentenced to 16 years in an Italian prison serving five. Lukasz was also sentenced to 16 years cut to 12 on appeal. However, the Polish brothers' accusations have sparked years of speculation over whether the case was 'fake' which is now the subject of BBC drama Kidnapped. Tracked down in Poland last week, Michal continued to insist that he is innocent despite serving time for the crime. The lorry driver, 43, told The Mail on Sunday: 'I have not watched the BBC drama and, if they [the writers] did not include the statement my lawyer gave at the trial, I can guarantee it will be 100 per cent fiction.' Speaking from his mother's house, he added: 'I am sure [Ms Ayling and Lukasz] were a couple because my brother kept going to London to see her. 'He told me he has proof they met, but I can't say what. They met one or two or three times and went somewhere and, you know, she was young and pretty. 'Everybody wants to have a young and pretty girlfriend. She wanted publicity and told him, 'You do something for me and I won't tell anyone'.' His allegations have been discredited. However only last week Ms Ayling, from south London, said she still received messages from online trolls seven years after the abduction. She told The Times: 'I feel like there was no [acknowledgment] of what I went through. I was never praised for my bravery getting out of that situation. Instead I always have to defend myself.' While Lukasz, 37, remains in jail, Michal was released in 2022. He brands the Italian legal system 'the worst in the world'. He added: 'The judge believed [Ms Ayling] even though there was no proof.' In fact, forensic DNA evidence backed up her story. It placed the brothers at the scene and Michal's hair was found in the boot of the car she was taken to a remote farmhouse in. There were also emails between the brothers, who were living in the West Midlands at the time, outlining their plan as well as discussing the purchase of a gun and a bag big enough to fit her body in. The first official photo of Nadia Parkes (pictured) as kidnapped model Chloe Ayling which was released by the BBC ahead of the release of the six-part factual drama The story will shine a light behind the headlines to reveal the 'emotional truth' of her harrowing ordeal (pictured Chloe Ayling in 2017) In the image, the actress, 27, wore a white bodysuit and blue shorts, mirroring the outfit Chloe wore when she addressed the press with a statement Chloe (pictured in August 2017) was drugged and kidnapped in a six-day ordeal back in 2017 after being lured to Milan by Polish national Lukasz Herba with the promise of modelling work After being injected with horse tranquilliser Ketamine and bundled into a suitcase at a Milan photo studio, she was taken to a farmhouse near Turin in northern Italy On the key evidence, Michal claimed: 'If we were talking about a bag, we were talking about something else. Did they find something in the bag? Skin or something? No. Did they find something in the boot? No.' When our reporter pointed out that they found a strand of his hair in the boot, Michal replied: 'If the boot is open you can find my hair in my boot or in the back seat, it doesn't mean anything.' He also dismissed the emails, which included obscene language about women, saying: 'You can't translate Polish into English and understand the real meaning.' Instead, Michal insisted his brother was 'stupid and has paid a high price'. He said he did not expect he will be released from prison until 2027. 'We talk on the phone all the time and I would like to go and visit him, but I have been banned from Italy for 15 years,' he added. 'My brother has always been a very helpful person, always wanting to help people. Jail is hard, but he is a strong character. He told me that, after what happened, he would never date a model.' Asked about his victim, Michal did not show a shred of remorse. 'I don't feel anything for Chloe,' he said. 'I don't care what she said because what she said, from the beginning to the end, is b*******.' Chillingly, Michal said it was 'too bad we didn't do this somewhere like Germany because the court system is better there'. He added: 'If something happens in Italy involving a woman, it doesn't matter what the truth is, they will believe her.' Ms Ayling has been approached for comment. A Hamas spokesperson has called US President Joe Biden's recent optimism regarding progress on an Israel-Gaza ceasefire deal an 'illusion'. After two days of US-backed in Qatar discussions about the ten-month conflict between Hamas and Israel, Biden said 'We are much closer than we've ever been' later adding: 'I don't want to jinx anything. 'We may have something,' he continued at the time, 'But we're not there. We're much, much closer than we were three days ago.' However - according to the BBC - a senior Hamas official has come forward with claims that there no advancements in talks and alleged they were 'selling illusions'. The Israeli military launched a campaign against Hamas in Gaza following October 7 which saw Hamas gunmen cross the Israeli border and kill 1,200 people, among the victims were children, the elderly as well as 364 attendees at Nova music festival. A Hamas spokesperson has called US President Joe Biden 's recent optimism regarding progress on an Israel-Gaza ceasefire deal an 'illusion' (Pictured: a Palestinian among the rubble of an Israeli airstrike) After two days of US-backed in Qatar discussions about the ten-month conflict between Hamas and Israel , Joe Biden (Pictured) said 'We are much closer than we've ever been' However Dr Ahmad Abdulhadi, a Hamas representative in Lebanon, also told claims of progress were 'not true According to the Hamas-run healthy ministry, over 40,000 people have been killed in Gaza since October 7. Israel stated it 'appreciates the efforts of the US and the mediators to dissuade Hamas from its refusal to a hostage release deal'. Mr Netanyahus office said its negotiating team has expressed cautious optimism on the possibility of advancing a deal on hostages in A temporary truce in November, saw Hamas release 105 hostages in return for some 240 Palestinian protestors and a week-long ceasefire. Israel claims Hamas have 111 hostages, with 39 believed to be dead. Dr Ahmad Abdulhadi, a Hamas representative in Lebanon, also told Sky News claims of progress were 'not true'. 'The Biden administration is trying to show that the environment is positive. But the first round showed there are no improvements,' eh 'The mediators told us that the disagreed points haven't been solved and [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu added more conditions on it and made it even more complicated.' He alleged that the US President's most recent statements were to keep 'everything sounding positive' and to stop a retaliation from the Axis of Resistance following the assassination of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh last month. The Axis of Resistance is an Iranian-led military coalition between several Islamist groups - including Hamas - according to Sky. Hamas gunmen went across the Israeli border and killed 1,200 on October 7, among the victims were children, the elderly as well as 364 attendees at Nova music festival (pictured: items left scattered around the Supernova Music Festival site) Palestinians carry a casualty at the site of an Israeli airstrike on a shelter housing displaced people today A Palestinian mourns a relative killed in an Israeli strike, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict The stakes have risen significantly since the killings of Haniyeh and Fuad Shukr a top operations chief of Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah group. Their deaths led to vows of vengeance from Hezbollah, Iran and other Tehran-backed groups in the region which blamed Israel, according to AFP. In an effort to avert a broader conflict, Western and Arab diplomats have been shuttling around the Middle East to push for a Gaza deal which they say could help avert a wider regional conflagration. A recent statement form Qatar, US and Egypt said they had put forward a proposal for a ceasefire as well as a deal, which would see hostages exchanged in a bid to 'narrow the gaps' between the two sides. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is headed back to the region this weekend in a bid to help seal a deal. In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of Britain, France, Germany and Italy urged all parties to 'engage positively and flexibly' in the negotiations. 'We underline the importance of avoiding any escalatory action in the region which would undermine the prospect for peace,' they said, according to AFP. 'There is too much at stake.' Shocking footage circulated on social media showed houses and cars smouldering after being set alight by Molotov cocktails thrown by the Israeli settlers 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 This comes shortly after 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. Keeping Angus Robertson as a Scottish Government minister is now a liability, a leading SNP MSP claimed last night. In a devastating letter which threatens to open a new frontier in the SNPs civil war, Christine Grahame MSP has written to the First Minister calling on him to reconsider his support for the embattled constitution and external affairs secretary. Last week, Mr Swinney was forced to defend Mr Robertson following an enormous backlash to his meeting with an Israeli diplomat. And yesterday, the SNP top brass sensationally withdrew the whip from veteran MSP John Mason after he met with the same dignatory, Israels deputy ambassador to the UK, Daniela Grudsky. It is understood his comment in which he said: If Israel wanted to commit genocide, they would have killed ten times as many, had prompted the action. Row erupted after Angus Robertson met with Daniela Grudsky, Israels deputy ambassador to the UK Christine Grahame MSP has called on John Swinney to take action against Angus Robertson Now, the Mail on Sunday has obtained a letter written by Ms Grahame calling on the First Minister to take action against former SNP Westminster leader and serving Scottish Government minister Angus Robertson. The Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale MSP wrote that quite apart from my own dismay at Angus Robertsons meeting with an Israeli rep...I have been out and about on my Summer Surgery Tour. She said people were shocked at this apparent endorsement by the SNP. She added: I note you have supported AR but will also know of resignations from members in the party, concluding: I have long considered AR a luxury the Front Bench does not need. He is now, in my view, a liability. It is the second letter relating to Mr Robertsons engagement with Israel since the meeting took place earlier this month. The SNPs Middle East spokesman Brendan OHara wrote to Mr Robertson last week claiming that by meeting the diplomat, he had undermined the Nationalists efforts to raise awareness of the Palestinians plight. MSPs Emma Roddick, Elena Whitham and James Dornan have also expressed deep concern over the Scottish Government ministers meeting. Meanwhile former First Minister Humza Yousafs wife, Nadia El-Nakla, spoke out about Mr Robertsons engagement via the SNP Friends of Palestine group, of which Ms El-Nakla is convener. A statement released by the group said: While we know Mr Robertson called for a ceasefire, we cannot condone his statement advocating for further co-operation between Scotland and Israel, especially while Israel continues its genocide in Gaza and ongoing persecution of Palestinians in the West Bank. It continued that the party should apologise and not normalise the state of Israel again. Pressure is intensifying on the First Minister to sack Mr Robertson as a government minister after the SNP yesterday withdrew the whip from long-serving MSP Mr Mason in light of his comments about the Middle East conflict. Comparing the situation in Gaza to the Irish Troubles, he said the UK Governments role had been one of a peacemaker - something he felt should be employed when approaching the current war in Gaza. He said that Israel cannot be considered guilty of genocide, adding: Remember it is Iran/Hamas which wants Israel wiped off the map. However, the comment which caused most outrage was: If Israel wanted to commit genocide, they would have killed ten times as many. SNP chiefs believe the comments amounted to dismissing the deaths of 40,000 Palestinians. A spokesman for the SNP Chief Whip said: To flippantly dismiss the death of more than 40,000 Palestinians is completely unacceptable. There can be no room in the SNP for this kind of intolerance. The Chief Whip has today withdrawn the whip from John Mason MSP with immediate effect, pending internal Parliamentary Group due process. The SNP Group will now meet to discuss the matter, with a recommendation that the Whip be suspended from John Mason for a fixed period of time because of this utterly abhorrent comment. Former senior SNP MP Ian Blackkford, responded directly to Mr Mason and wrote: Forty thousands plus dead in Gaza and you tweet this. You are not fit for public office. You are an embarrassment and not fit to represent anyone. You glorify killing and murder with your obtuse comment. Just go and do it now. Similar moves to remove the whip have not been made against Mr Robertson. In response to concern about his meeting with the same Israeli diplomat, Mr Swinney said he had been aware of the engagement and said it had been necessary to outline our long-standing position on an immediate ceasefire directly, and explicitly, to one of Israels representatives in the UK. Ms Grahame did not respond to a request for comment. Mr Mason said he was disappointed at his suspension and added that his primary desire in relation to Israel and Gaza is that there should be peace talks, negotiations, and eventually peace. He said: Too many lives have already been lost in Israel, Gaza, and beyond and, as I said when I spoke in Parliament, many people feel that Israel has moved from a position of self-defence to seeking revenge. MSP John Mason has had the party whip removed However, I personally do not believe that Israel has tried to commit, has committed, or is committing genocide. They certainly have the ability to kill many more Palestinians than they have done. That is not to say that the loss of life already is not too many. A Scottish Government spokesman said: As the First Minister made clear earlier this week, the Scottish Government accepted a meeting request from the Israeli UK Deputy Ambassador on the basis it would provide an opportunity to convey our consistent and unwavering position on the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. This position was made directly, and explicitly, by the Cabinet Secretary for External Affairs during the meeting. The Scottish Government remains committed to an immediate ceasefire, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, an end to UK arms sales to Israel and will continue to press the UK Government to recognise a sovereign Palestinian state, as part of a two-state solution to secure lasting peace in the region. A mother's family tragically found her dead at home after they spotted something was suspiciously missing on her social media. Katy Gough's family grew concerned after she failed to comment on a picture of her daughter Lola meeting Santa on Facebook. The family became increasingly worried and had been unable to reach Katy 32, through calls and texts in the days before Christmas in 2022. They decided to break into her home in Royton, Oldham, Greater Manchester, on December 16 where their suspicions were confirmed as they found her unresponsive. Now her family have paid tribute to the 'very funny' Katy and shared of their fundraising efforts for Child Bereavement UK, a charity which is supporting Lola who is now aged four. Her mum Elaine Beech has spoken out about the tragic day and the 'wake of devastation' that resulted from her suicide. Katy Gough's family grew concerned after she failed to comment on a picture of her daughter Lola meeting Santa on Facebook Katy's family decided to break into her home in Royton, Oldham, Greater Manchester, on December 16 where their suspicions were confirmed as they found her unresponsive Elaine said: 'We went round and broke in and found her. She had the best life. For her to do what she did, she must have been so depressed. 'She had split up from her partner, but apart from that, to me she was just normal Katy. Even her sister, Ashleigh, didn't know and they were so close. It just came as a complete shock. She kept it all to herself.' Fondly known as the 'Green Diva' thanks to her love of all things green, Katy wore the colour every day and was even buried in a green coffin. Working at Revolution on Deansgate Locks in Manchester at the time of her death, the bar created a Green Goddess cocktail in her memory and sent green roses to her family home. Elaine said: 'It was just her favourite colour. Everywhere she went, she had green on. Her nails were painted green, she dressed in green, everything she wanted to do was green. I have no idea where it came from. All the accessories in her house were green. We got her a green coffin; she would have been happy with that.' A fan of raves, festivals and dancing, Katy has been described as a 'very funny' person who was loved by her family, friends and colleagues. Elaine says Katy's young daughter, Lola, who was just two at the time of her passing, is now starting to ask questions about how her mum died. Fondly known as the 'Green Diva' thanks to her love of all things green, Katy wore the colour every day and was even buried in a green coffin Working at Revolution on Deansgate Locks in Manchester (pictured) at the time of her death, the bar created a Green Goddess cocktail in her memory and sent green roses to her family home Elaine said: 'Last week she wanted to know how her mummy died. She said: "Grandma, how did my mummy die?" She says she wants her mummy whenever she sees pictures of Katy. 'We have photos all around the house. It was a devastating shock to her.' On August 10, Katy's friends decided to walk Scafell Pike to raise funds for Child Bereavement UK, which is currently supporting Lola. Among those who took part were pals Abby Morris, Lauren Lawton, Sadie Stevenson, Jannine Marsden, Emma Rowland, Michelle Bromley, Lisa Priest, Carrie McCabe, Vicky Barker, and Cara Oldham. Initially hoping to raise 1,000, the group ended up donating 3,150. Elaine said: 'They did a fantastic walk up Scafell Pike in Katy's memory. She didn't realise how loved she was. They will never forget Katy - she was a diamond. She had all her life to live.' For confidential support, call Samaritans on 116 123, visit samaritans.org or visit https://www.thecalmzone.net/get-support At least two thirds of vice chancellors at cash-strapped universities took pay rises last year, analysis reveals. Of 66 institutions known to be making redundancies or taking cost-cutting measures, 43 gave their vice chancellor a pay bump. Some were awarded pay package boosts of up to 26 per cent, with many pocketing total deals worth well over 400,000 a year. The average salary increase across these institutions between 2021/22 and 2022/23 the latest available data was 8.3 per cent. It comes as Universities UK, which represents vice chancellors, warned finances in the sector had deteriorated 'fast' and demanded Government help. Professor Adam Habib (pictured), president of London University's School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) where 34 English language and study skills support staff are at risk of losing their jobs received a total package worth 410,061, up from 324,074 a 26 per cent increase But SOAS explained that the total package in 2022/23 included Prof Habib's accommodation as a taxable benefit and a retrospective payment of 21,660 to cover tax paid, which meant his basic pay excluding these payments actually rose 4.7 per cent from 223,773 to 234,204 Consultant Public First has called for a 2.5 billion fund to provide state-backed loans for universities to avoid them going under. It warned that ministers must plan for at least one university collapsing. Last night, a spokesman for the University and College Union (UCU) said: 'The public will rightly be appalled when they see the engorged salaries vice chancellors are raking in despite presiding over a broken sector.' The figures were revealed by Daily Mail analysis of pay data compiled by Times Higher Education, and data published by UCU academics. In one example, Teesside University announced a 'university-wide voluntary severance scheme' earlier this year but its vice chancellor's total remuneration package rose by 17 per cent, from 312,139 in 2021/22 to 364,305 in 2022/23. And Professor Adam Habib, president of London University's School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) where 34 English language and study skills support staff are at risk of losing their jobs received a total package worth 410,061, up from 324,074 a 26 per cent increase. But SOAS explained that the total package in 2022/23 included Prof Habib's accommodation as a taxable benefit and a retrospective payment of 21,660 to cover tax paid, which meant his basic pay excluding these payments actually rose 4.7 per cent from 223,773 to 234,204. A Teesside University spokesman said: 'Senior management pay is set in line with UCEA (Universities & Colleges Employers Association) sector benchmarking and is determined by the remuneration committee, of which the vice chancellor is not a member.' Universities UK said vice chancellors' pay 'reflects the level of responsibility which comes with running a large organisation'. It comes as the Office for Students watchdog warned that 40 per cent of England's universities were expected to run budget deficits this year. A man in his 20s has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a woman was stabbed to death at a home in Kent. The suspect was taken into custody following reports of a disturbance at a property on Henderson Drive, Dartford, at 6.50am this morning. Officers and paramedics attended the property where a woman was found with injuries consistent with a stabbing. She was tragically pronounced dead at the scene. The suspect was known to the victim. Local residents reported hearing emergency sirens throughout the morning. An air ambulance car was among the vehicles called to the scene and forensic officers in protective clothing have been seen entering and exiting the property. One neighbour, who asked not to be named, said today: 'You do not expect this on your doorstep. This is something major. I think the police will be here all day. The suspect was taken into custody following reports of a disturbance at a property on Henderson Drive (pictured), Dartford, at 6.50am this morning 'It is more than just a disturbance.' Speaking of the forensic officers, another resident said: 'They have got the blue gloves and white suits on. There are around six forensic officers there. They added: 'I never seen so many law cars go down the hill. 'I was born in Dartford and I have never seen anything like this.' Henderson Drive has been cordoned off between the junctions with Marsh Street and Cavell Crescent, while officers continue with their enquiries. Another neighbour, living on Marsh Street, said the area had been cordoned off when she returned home at 10am. There was no cordon at 7.30am when she left her house, she said. Jim Dickson, MP for Dartford, said: 'My thoughts are with the victim and all those affected by this morning's tragic incident in Temple Hill. 'I would like to thank the police for their swift response and encourage anyone with relevant information to contact them.' A spokesman for Kent Police said: 'A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder following an incident in Dartford, Kent. 'Officers attended with colleagues from South East Coast Ambulance Service and a woman was found with injuries consistent with a stabbing. She was pronounced deceased at the scene. 'A man in his 20s, who was known to the victim, has been arrested and taken into custody. 'Officers remain at the scene making enquiries and Henderson Drive is currently closed between the junctions with Marsh Street and Cavell Crescent.' Councillor Kelly Grehan, Ward councillor for Temple Hill, said earlier today she had been made aware of a 'very serious incident' and asked people not to speculate on the circumstances. It really can be grim up North... Oldham has been named the coldest, wettest spot in Britain this summer. The town in Greater Manchester, which is 700ft above sea level, had the country's lowest daytime temperature, 7.2C (45F). It also had the most rainfall since summer began on June 20, with a daily average of 0.62mm. Other summer cold spots were Liverpool, with 8.4C, Aberdeen (8.7C) and Newcastle (9.4C). Plymouth had a daily rainfall average 0.57mm. Anne Speller, 54, of Oldham, said it was a 'grim summer'. She added: 'I got my jumpers back out on July 1 and I've been wearing them since.' Earlier this week it was revealed by the Met Office that there will be 'dry and pleasant' conditions this weekend as temperatures are expected to hit 25C. The town in Greater Manchester, pictured, which is 700ft above sea level, had the country's lowest daytime temperature, 7.2C (45F) Thousands of people flock to Bournemouth on Monday to enjoy the hottest day of the year Top UK temperatures each day this August Aug 1: 30.2C (86.4F) Wisley Aug 2: 28.3C (82.9F) Hull Aug 3: 26.3C (79.3F) Wisley Aug 4: 24.3C (75.7F) Wisley Aug 5: 27.4C (81.3F) Lossiemouth Aug 6: 26.4C (79.5F) Neatishead Aug 7: 23.9C (75.0F) Manston Aug 8: 24.8C (76.6F) Neatishead Aug 9: 25.5C (77.9F) Manston Aug 10: 26.3C (79.3F) Pershore Aug 11: 29.8C (85.6F) Wisley Aug 12: 34.8C (94.6F) Cambridge Aug 13: 29.2C (84.6F) Tibenham Aug 14: 26.4C (79.5F) Cavendish Advertisement It comes after the UK faced the hottest day of the year so far on Monday, with a temperature of 34.8C offiically recorded in Cambridge. But the Met Office has warned the upcoming weekend will be the last good weather for a while as wet and windy conditions are expected to move in next week. A yellow heat health alert was in place for the East and West Midlands, East of England, South East, South West, North West and London until Wednesday morning. Stephen Dixon, a spokesman for the Met Office, said the UK is now set for a more stable spell of weather. He told the PA news agency: 'Friday will be dry and fine with sunny spells across the country. It will be cloudy in some parts of Northern Ireland and there will be some showers in the north-west of Scotland. 'But it will likely be fine in the east and west and feel nice in the sunshine.' Saturday will also be largely dry and pleasant, he added. Some showers are expected again in the north-west of Scotland and parts of the South West, but Mr Dixon said they will likely be 'light and sporadic'. The rest of the UK is expected to see temperature highs in the mid-20s, with 25C forecast for the south of England. MONDAY: The Met Office showed temperatures has soared on the hottest day of the year Holly Mason and Hattie Chadwick, both 21, enjoy a day at Bournemouth beach in Dorset on Monday A group of people observe pedalo riders by the Serpentine in London's Hyde Park on Tuesday The beach at Weymouth in Dorset is busy with holidaymakers and sunbathers on Tuesday Sunday will continue to be settled with sunshine and temperatures in the mid-20s, though sporadic showers are forecast for some parts. Looking to next week, Mr Dixon said: 'By the time we get to Monday there will be a change. 'While Monday will start dry and fine for many, we are keeping an eye on rain from the west which has the potential to bring wet and windy conditions and more unsettled weather.' It comes after the first half of August for much of Britain has been pleasant with plenty of sunshine, mostly settled weather and a mini-heatwave bringing the hottest day in two years. But the weather seems to be moving in a more chilly direction. Met Office forecaster Tom Morgan said yesterday that there was no 'strong signal for anything hot returning for the rest of August' and it was unlikely we would see any more days getting as hot as 34.8C this month. He said the changeable weather was due to the jet stream passing over Scotland, 'making the weather particularly changeable in northern parts'. Religiously clapping the NHS during lockdown may have resulted in 'dangerous' results as it was shielded from necessary criticism, according to the health ombudsman. Rebecca Hilsenrath called for a revamping of the health service's culture as she warned treating it like a 'national religion' could contribute to complacency and failure to reform where necessary. The ombudsman's office has submitted its report as evidence for an investigation of the NHS which is due to be published in September. It also detailed a 50 per cent rise in complaints about the NHS to the ombudsman since Covid hit the UK. New Health Secretary Wes Streeting ordered the investigation, led by Professor Lord Darzi, when he took up his new role after Labour's July election victory, as he declared the NHS is 'broken'. Religiously clapping the NHS during lockdown may have resulted in 'dangerous' results as it was shielded from necessary criticism, according to the health ombudsman. Opposition leader at the time Keir Starmer is seen clapping for carers with partner Victoria Keir Starmer claps on his doorstep to honour healthcare workers during the pandemic Rebecca Hilsenrath told The Telegraph 'no organisation should be beyond constructive criticism', adding that she thinks the UK's perception of it's health service has shifted since the 'gratitude' shown during the pandemic Residents in Wattsville, Wales take part in a national 'clap for carer' during 2020 Ms Hilsenrath told The Telegraph 'no organisation should be beyond constructive criticism', adding that she thinks the UK's perception of it's health service has shifted since the 'gratitude' shown during the pandemic. She drew attention to a failure by the NHS to implement the recommendations of inquiries or listen to the grievances of those it lets down, meaning it is not learning as it should from fatal mistakes. Maternity was cited as a particular area of increasing concern, with complaints regarding it doubling in a year. In the 2023/24 period, the health ombudsman received almost 27,500 complaints about NHS England - two thirds of which were at least partially upheld - roughly double that of 2011/12, and up nearly 50 per cent on 2020/21. However, Ms Hilsenrath did push back against the Health Secretary's assertion that the NHS is broken, despite acknowledging a 'lower degree of happiness with services'. She said she did not want to detract from the 'brilliant things' happening in some areas of the NHS, whilst being able to have a mature conversation about its shortcomings. For example, two thirds of maternity units have been deemed by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to be inadequate or requiring improvement for safety. Ms Hilsenrath also emphasised that reform of the NHS should not focus on changing its funding, but the way it works, saying that changes needed are about the 'culture' rather than its financing. 'When big things go wrong and terrible things happen you get the NHS saying "never again", but actually it's just not true,' she said. The ombudsman was speaking against a backdrop of a report finding a 'series of errors, omissions and misjudgments' in the treatment of Nottingham killer Valdo Calocane - who was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia three years before stabbing Barnaby Webber, Grace O'Malley-Kumar and Ian Coates last year. Ms Hilsenrath (pictured) called for a revamping of the health service's culture as she warned treating it like a 'national religion' could contribute to complacency and failure to reform where necessary The ombudsman was speaking against a backdrop of a report finding a 'series of errors, omissions and misjudgments' in the treatment of Nottingham killer Valdo Calocane (seen) Mr Calocane was sectioned under the Mental Health Act four times amid concerns from his family, but was discharged on each occasion. Ms Hilsenrath has since urged health services to listen more to their patients and their families. After a bombshell review last month found the CQC is 'not fit for purpose', Mr Streeting has ordered a review of all safety organisations. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman commented that the NHS 'is broken', but the department is 'determined' to improve it and 'create an NHS fit for the future'. 'We will be honest about the challenges facing the health service and will work to tackle them,' they added. Authorities have issued a warning after an unoccupied beachside home plummeted into the ocean in North Carolina's Outer Banks. Footage of the home in Rodanthe shows it collapsing after being hit by a swell from Hurricane Ernesto on Friday. The two story home can be seen being pulled into the waves before it starts break apart in the rough waters. A portion of the porch can be seen falling apart as the home disintegrates in front of dozens of bystanders, who can be heard saying: 'Oh my god'. According to officials, the home was unoccupied at the time and no injuries were reported and have advised locals to stay out of the waters. The two story home can be seen being pulled into the waves before it starts break apart in the rough waters Footage of the home in Rodanthe, shows it collapsing after being hit by a swell from Hurricane Ernesto on Friday. The debris left from the home is seen here Cape Hatteras National Seashore said in a statement: 'Cape Hatteras National Seashore and the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge strongly urges all visitors to avoid the beaches and stay out of the water around all areas of the beaches and surf in Rodanthe. 'Many other homes appear to have sustained damages in the Rodanthe area. Dangerous debris may be present on the beach and in the water for more than a dozen miles. 'Prevailing currents appear to be rapidly transporting home debris to the north; however, if the wave swell and winds shift over the coming days, debris may also impact visitor safety in the villages of Waves and Salvo. 'The Seashore is in communications with the property owner. A debris removal contractor has not been obtained by the owner at this time. 'The Seashore does not expect significant debris removal efforts to occur until after the elevated sea conditions subside early next week.' Images of the aftermath show the picturesque beaches littered with debris from the house. According to the National Park Service, the collapse is the seventh house collapse on Seashore beaches over the past four years. Chicamacomico Banks Fire & Rescue have warned that it is 'going to be a rough weekend' and strongly advised against anyone entering the ocean. Images of the aftermath show the picturesque beaches littered with debris from the house According to the National Park Service, the collapse is the seventh house collapse on Seashore beaches over the past four years In a near identical incident, another beachside home collapsed and was pulled into the waters in Rodanthe in May. More than 50 beaches along the East Coast have been shut down on Saturday due in part to dangerous riptides ahead of Hurricane Ernesto. The hurricane moved through Bermuda as a Category 1 storm early Saturday and is not expected to make landfall in the US. The National Hurricane Center reported life-threatening surf and rip currents on the East Coast and said they would reach Canada during the day and will pass near southeastern Newfoundland late Monday. In New York City, officials closed ocean-facing beaches for swimming and wading in Brooklyn and Queens on Saturday and Sunday Lifeguards were still on hand, patrolling the beaches and telling people to stay out of the water. 'New Yorkers should know the ocean is more powerful than you are, particularly this weekend,' Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement. He continued: 'Do not risk your life, or the lives of first responders, by swimming while our beaches are closed.' Hurricane specialist Philippe Papin from the National Hurricane Center said Ernesto remains a 'pretty large' hurricane with a 'large footprint of seas and waves' affecting the central Florida Atlantic coastline all the way north to Long Island in New York. This satellite image shows Hurricane Ernesto in the Atlantic Ocean south-southwest of Bermuda, Friday, Aug. 16, 2024 Papin said: 'That whole entire region in the eastern U.S. coastline are expecting to have high seas and significant rip current threats along the coast'. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration describes rip currents as 'powerful, narrow channels of fast-moving water' that move at speeds of up to 8 feet (2.44 meters) per second. Forecasters are also warning the public in New England to be aware of dangerous riptides due to Ernesto. 'Even if Ernesto stays well offshore of the U.S. East Coast, beachgoers should be aware of a significant risk of deadly rip currents beginning later this week,' the National Hurricane Center said this week. Thirty people have died from riptides this year alone, according to the National Weather Service. Putin crony Ramzan Kadyrov has bragged about his new Tesla complete with a machine gun on its roof. The Head of the Chechen Republic posted a video of himself test-driving the Tesla Cybertruck - a futuristic vehicle worth around 145,000. The strongman ruler heaped praise on Tesla CEO Elon Musk, calling him the 'strongest genius of modern times' and inviting him to Chechnya. The 47-year-old warlord takes the Tesla for a spin around his 'palace-style' mansion in Chechnya's capital of Grozny. A machine gun sits comfortably on its roof as Kadyrov wears bullets around his neck. The video emerged today as Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his forces were 'strengthening' their positions in Russia's Kursk region, where Kyiv has been mounting a major ground offensive for more than 11 days. Kadyrov wears bullets around his neck as he poses with the machine gun on top of his Tesla The 47-year-old warlord takes the Tesla Cybertruck for a spin around his 'palace-style' mansion 'As of this morning, we have replenished the exchange fund for our country,' Zelensky said, referring to Russian soldiers Ukraine has captured to be used in future prisoner swaps. 'I thank all the soldiers and commanders who are taking Russian soldiers prisoner and thus bringing the release of our soldiers and civilians held by Russia closer,' Zelensky said. 'The operation is proceeding exactly as we expected,' the Ukrainian leader later said in his evening address. Kyiv claims to have taken control of more than 80 settlements including the key town of Sudzha in its lightning incursion, which caught the Kremlin off guard almost two and a half years into its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Russian defence ministry said on Saturday it had pushed back Ukrainian forces near three settlements in the Kursk region, and was searching for 'mobile enemy groups' trying to pierce deeper into the country. While the incursion has delivered a major morale boost to Kyiv, it appears to have had little impact on the larger battles raging in Russian-occupied parts of eastern Ukraine. Zelensky said on Saturday there had been 'dozens of Russian assaults' on Ukrainian positions near the towns of Pokrovsk and Toretsk, where Moscow has made a string of advances in recent weeks. 'Our soldiers and units are doing everything to destroy the occupier and repel the attacks,' Zelensky said, stressing the situation was 'under control'. Ukraine's largest direct bank Monobank has been the target of a two-day cyber-attack, reported Ukranian media. The bank's co-owner Oleh Horokhovskyi did not identify a culprit, though previous threats have been linked to Russian hackers. On Friday Russia said its forces had captured another village near Pokrovsk, a Ukrainian-held logistics hub that lies on a road supplying troops and towns across the eastern front. Russian officials on Friday accused Ukraine of striking a strategically important bridge just a couple dozen kilometres away from fighting in the Kursk region. An aerial video published by Ukrainian air force commander Mykola Oleshchuk appeared to show the bridge being hit by a projectile at high speed before collapsing in a cloud of smoke. Volodymyr Zelensky visits a training centre at an undisclosed location in Ukraine Russian officials on Friday accused Ukraine of striking a strategically important bridge just a couple dozen kilometres away from fighting in the Kursk region Smoke billows from a bridge over the Seym river in the Glushkovo district Russia also accused Ukraine Saturday of dropping an explosive charge on a road near the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine. An explosive, carried by a drone, detonated just outside of the protected area of the plant, which is the largest nuclear facility in Europe. There was no confirmation as to who was responsible. The impact site was close to the essential cooling ponds and about 100 metres from the Dniprovska power line, the only remaining 750 kilovolt line providing a power supply to the plant. Rafael Grossi, who heads up the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), expressed his alarm at the latest incident. 'I am extremely concerned and reiterate my call for maximum restraint from all sides,' he said. Russia's defence ministry said that Ukraine is planning to strike the plant and use dirty bombs to scatter radioactive waste, and then blame this on Moscow. But Kyiv dismissed the claims as 'insane' propaganda. An elderly woman waves to people inside a bus in the Sumy region of Ukraine - near the border with Russia A Ukrainian tank on a road in the Sumy region. Ukrainian troops have taken control of 1,150 square kilometers of the territory of the Russian Federation Local Sumy residents ride a horse-drawn cart while a dog follows them A tank returns from Russia to the Sumy region of Ukraine Last night, security expert Philip Ingram said: 'What Russia may try to do is create a disaster at the nuclear power plant itself, with some sort of radiation leak and then blame it on Ukraine.' General Sir Richard Shirreff, a retired British Army officer, said: 'The Russians want the Ukrainians to stop. They have been humiliated, so of course they are going to start screaming about the plant.' Meanwhile Kadyrov published the video of himself driving the Tesla with what looked like a machine gun mounted on top. Kadyrov was appointed by Putin a Colonel-General in the Russian national guard, and he also holds the Kremlin's highest award of Hero of Russia. He has boasted of having tens of thousands of troops under his control. A devout Muslim, Kadyrov is the father of at least 14 children. The 47-year-old Chechan leader is loyal to Putin and has been given more personal autonomy than any other regional leader in Russia. Ramzan Kadyrov and Vladimir Putin pictured together (undated) Ramzan Kadyrov, Head of the Chechen Republic, poses with two machine guns Strongman Kadyrov poses for a photo on a newly modernised T-72 tank The Head of the Chechen Republic has been judged Putin's closest ally and biggest liability The Russian authorities have turned a blind eye to extra-judicial killings, including some outside the country, as Kadyrov roots out opposition to his iron-fist rule. He appears to have recovered from an illness last year that was widely seen as being a kidney problem. Some reports suggested he had been poisoned. Wherever Harry and Meghan go in Colombia the same complaint always seems to follow them. You hear it in the narrow streets of La Candelaria in Bogota and within the ancient walled city of Cartagena 600 miles away on the country's Caribbean coast, where the couple touched down yesterday, the latest stop on their faux royal tour. It is that while locals are only too aware the Sussexes are in town the excess of armed police, sirens, blocked-off roads and traffic jams are perpetual reminders it irks that they never see them in the flesh. 'It's very strange, they move like ghosts,' said Arturo, a waiter, sheltering from the Andean sun under a palm frond on Avenida Jimenez de Quesada on Thursday afternoon. A few streets away the duke and duchess were shuffling their feet to a folk dancing display outside a theatre. Wherever Harry and Meghan go in Colombia the same complaint always seems to follow them - ordinary mortals can barely catch a glimpse of them While their elusiveness irritates some, others in Bogota and Cartagena remain determinedly incurious - being far more concerned with living below the poverty line Not that ordinary mortals were able to glimpse them. At each carefully selected venue, the duke and duchess arrive and depart unseen, invariably exiting at speed via an underground car park or hidden side street in a roaring phalanx of flashing Land Cruisers. 'Tell me what they look like if you catch them!' said Arturo. At least he'd heard of them. While their elusiveness irritates some, others in Bogota and Cartagena remain determinedly incurious 'they're nothing special' and 'who cares?' are common refrains. Then there are those who live in what might be called blissful ignorance. 'I know about your [late] Queen but I'm not familiar with these guys,' said a street trader with a tight shake of his head. Imagine that. Spared the entire Windsor feud. And, for that matter, spared Spare, Harry's petulant memoir. The man was selling handmade bracelets near Cartagena's main square but one imagines such innocence is common in the countryside where most live below the poverty line in fear of drug cartels and guerilla fighters and for whom Sussex-like preoccupations such as preserving 'information integrity' and 'wellness in the digital age' are low level concerns. At least Colombia's vice president, Francia Marquez, is in step with the California-based couple's thinking. Working with their Archewell Foundation, she has laid on a programme of Sussex-sanctioned events, each trailed by her office with ever more grandiose proclamations. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on the third day of their visit to Columbia, attending a Caribbean drumming school Meghan shakes hands while visiting a local music school in Columbia Set on the beach the venue was ringed by armed police, blocked off roads and tight security Typical was this: 'The visit of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex represents an alliance committed to change [and an] opportunity to understand the dimension of the social transformations necessary in Colombia... to continue building a country that respects diversity.' Touched by the couple's story as recounted on their derided Netflix documentary, it was Ms Marquez who extended the invitation. Perhaps she hoped, as some here suggest, the glamorous Sussexes, who arrived in Cartagena yesterday morning, would cast lustre her way. Heaven knows she could do with a boost. If she's not dodging assassins' bombs, Ms Marquez is facing down criticism of her reportedly lavish spending and much else besides. So what, she argues, if she commutes by chopper? People are trying to kill her! But what's the appeal for the Sussexes? Why crime-riddled Colombia? Especially when they've been unwilling to visit the UK because of security concerns. Three months ago, they visited Nigeria, which also seemed an odd choice. At least that trip's programme of events was framed around the Invictus Games, Harry's initiative for wounded, sick and injured service personnel and veterans, which recruited that African nation to the fold last year. In addition, as she repeatedly emphasised, Meghan was eager to explore her African heritage having discovered through a DNA test that she is 43 per cent Nigerian. And being well known in the West African country because of the popularity of the TV legal drama, Suits, also helped. Mention Suits to a Colombian, however, and you're liable to receive a shrug and a: 'Que?' Colombia's vice president, Francia Marquez, is in step with the California-based couple's thinking and has laid on a programme of Sussex-sanctioned events, each trailed by her office with ever more grandiose proclamations Certainly it is easy to see how the VP's story would chime with Meghan, with whom she shares a strong sense of social justice. It's not clear, though, if Harry has hit it off with Ms Marquez's partner, Rafael Yerney Pinillos, 40, a former delivery driver, who has appeared vaguely ill-at-ease during the tour, like a reluctant guest at his other half's office party A senior Opposition politician in Bogota told The Mail on Sunday: 'Perhaps the backdrop matters not. They [the Sussexes] seek cultural relevance and want to make an impact. 'They talk of being a global brand, so it doesn't really matter where they go in the world to highlight their causes.' And one of Ms Marquez's predecessors, former Colombian vice president Francisco Santos said: 'I cannot understand for the life of me why they [Meghan and Harry] are here. 'Of all the great black politicians in South America they go to her she's a laughing stock. 'Who else will she bring here on the basis of watching Netflix? She will wrongly assume it will improve her public image. 'But there is nothing in this trip for the duke and duchess.' This is a tightly-controlled tour like no other. TV and newspapers are excluded from 80 per cent of events and are asked to rely instead on coverage from a Meghan-approved magazine, which described how she arrived in Colombia 'radiating warm California energy'. Spanish-speaking Meghan, less so Harry perhaps, certainly seems to have warmed to Colombia. A source in her office reports that the duchess and Ms Marquez, the Latin American country's first black, female VP 'have quickly formed a happy bond'. Certainly it is easy to see how the VP's story would chime with Meghan, who, having just turned 43, is only a few months older than her new pal, with whom she shares a strong sense of social justice. It's not clear, though, if Harry has hit it off with Ms Marquez's partner, Rafael Yerney Pinillos, 40, a former delivery driver, who has appeared vaguely ill-at-ease during the tour, like a reluctant guest at his other half's office party. He was mocked on social media for trailing Ms Marquez on official visits to Africa. Of the criticism, the VP says: 'It's not easy for me to have a partner. It's complicated because this country is very macho. To have a powerful woman is a threat.' Growing up poor in a dangerous Colombian town, Ms Marquez, a former cleaner, clawed her way to the top, enduring racism along the way, and the sniping of Colombia's political elite, which mocked her perceived lack of social polish. And today they continue to sneer, accusing the ardent socialist of hypocrisy for rolling out the red carpet for the Sussexes, the kind of privileged couple, say her opponents, who she would normally be first to criticise. 'The problem is not that the duke and duchess are visiting Colombia,' says prominent journalist Catarina Suarez. 'The issue is this constant hypocrisy, those who talk so much about hatred of the 'oligarchy' 'white people' 'rich people', who so criticised official visits of this type in previous governments today now doing the same.' Photo opportunities on this non-royal tour are aplenty - the couple meet traditional dancers The couple met dance students from the Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata Meghan has share her thoughts at forums on AI and the dangers of the digital age There have also been photo opportunities for the couple with youngsters in Bogota Photo opportunities with children, lunches with dignitaries, forums on the dangers of the digital age, female empowerment discussions, not forgetting a dizzying number of wardrobe changes all the familiar ingredients have featured thus far on this non-royal tour. Earlier yesterday the couple visited a music school in Cartagena, dedicated to 'preserving cultural traditions through music education'. But the day also promised something different a trip to a place called a 'little corner of Africa'. Founded by former slaves four centuries ago in the jungles of Colombia, the walled community of Palenque de San Basilio, a 90-minute drive from Cartagena, became the first free town in the Americas. Finding himself in this region, there was a time when Harry, a military man to his core, might have relished the chance to explore Cartagena's martial history in particular the largely forgotten story of Britain's contribution to Colombia's wars of independence in the early 19th century. English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh soldiers supplied the winning blow to Spanish colonial rule. But these days, he follows a different path. Perhaps here more than anywhere else in Colombia, the Sussexes' passions dovetail with those of their staunchly anti-colonial host, Ms Marquez, who is leading calls for slavery reparations and trying to strengthen her country's ties to Africa. Unofficially at least, the theme of day three of the Sussexes' tour was discrimination. What better way to investigate colonialism and its legacies than a trip to the oldest African-American settlement in the New World? Most of San Basilio's 3,500 inhabitants are direct descendants of slaves and have preserved many of their African customs, including their own language, Palenquero, strongly influenced by the Kikongo language of Congo and Angola. The duke and duchess had time to admire this statue of San Basilio's founder, Benkos Bioho Harry and Meghan also met a volleyball team at the Center for Veterans Rehabilitation in Bogota Accompanied by Ms Marquez, the duke and duchess admired a statue of San Basilio's founder, Benkos Bioho. After freeing himself from his Spanish rulers, Bioho, originally from modern-day Guinea Bissau, established the town, which has Unesco heritage status, as an 'enclave of liberation' for emancipated slaves. Away from the Bogota sniping, Ms Marquez was on safe ground. She has pledged to support marginalised communities and San Basilio has been granted special status, meaning it will get its own mayor and state funding. Andris Padilla, a musician and cultural leader in the town said: 'We love her [Ms Marquez] here in this community and we want to thank her for the job that she is doing, putting forgotten communities like ours under the international spotlight.' Of Harry and Meghan he added: 'Perhaps they can bring some financial resources for the development of our community. ' If only Ms Marquez was similarly hailed in her home town. When campaigning two years ago, she had the entire support of Suarez, in the dangerous Cauca region in south-west Colombia. Now her people have turned against her, claiming she has failed to deliver on promises to help them since achieving high office. As Colombian newspaper Semana put it: 'The inhabitants of Suarez, Cauca, the land where she was born, are still waiting to stop being nobodies. 'The youth, who placed their hopes in the change proposed by President Gustavo Petro and his countrywoman choose between scraping coca or dynamiting gold mines that are slowly poisoning their lungs.' Roads in the region are in desperate need of repair and locals say the delay has cost lives. Their anger found vivid expression last year when they attacked a giant mural of a proudly posing Ms Marquez. Using rollers the locals covered it with white paint. In response to the criticisms, Ms Marquez blamed her own government for the failures. Still, when Harry and Meghan are in town she can always be relied upon to adhere to Archewell's defining slogan, the preachy exhortation: 'Show up, do good.' A Bogota lawyer told The Mail on Sunday: 'People are unhappy, particularly the poor people this government and in particularly this vice president promised to help. 'Instead the vice president is swanning around with Harry and Meghan, all of them wearing expensive clothes and all of them pretending that what they are doing has some sort of relevance to Colombia and the outside world.' Parliament's Standards Commissioner has been urged to open an investigation into Tulip Siddiq after The Mail on Sunday raised questions about her living arrangements. Last week this newspaper revealed the Treasury minister is living in a 2million house owned by a close political ally of her aunt, the ousted Bangladeshi prime minister. The economic secretary to the Treasury and City minister moved out of a flat she owns in North London two years ago into a five-bedroom home a few miles away owned by the millionaire businessman Abdul Karim. Mr Karim is an ally of her aunt, Bangladesh's deposed dictator Sheikh Hasina. Ms Siddiq refused to say how much rent she is paying Mr Karim. Just ten days ago the commissioner found Ms Siddiq in breach of MP rules after failing to correctly register income from renting out her former home. Parliament's Standards Commissioner has been urged to open an investigation into Tulip Siddiq (seen) after The Mail on Sunday raised questions about her living in a 2million house owned by an ally of her aunt - the ousted Bangladeshi prime minister The economic secretary to the Treasury and City minister moved out of a flat she owns in North London (pictured) two years ago into a five-bedroom home a few miles away owned by millionaire businessman Abdul Karim Mr Karim is an ally of Ms Siddiq's aunt, Bangladesh's deposed dictator Sheikh Hasina (seen last year) She apologised for the error and said it was an 'administrative oversight'. The new complaint to the commissioner, sent yesterday and seen by the MoS says: 'Ms Siddiq has refused to state if she is paying rent on the property, and if so, if it is a market rate. 'A market rent would be close to 5,000 a month, which is considerably more than her rental income for the smaller flat that she has declared. 'If the rent is zero or below market rent, I believe that this would need to be registered as a donation in kind.' It adds: 'It is in the public interest to undertake a further investigation into the arrangements for her occupancy, and provide advice on whether it should have been declared in the Register of Interests.' Labour sources have said Ms Siddiq had needed to move out of her flat because of security concerns and was paying rent 'consistent with market levels'. A Treasury spokesman said Ms Siddiq had disclosed her property arrangements to the department and they were being considered as part of the usual declaration of interest process. This video is no longer available This video is no longer available Britain has urgently stockpiled on mpox vaccines as an expert warned the more menacing strain of the viral virus has 'very likely' already arrived on British shores. NHS staff have also received guidance from the UK Health Security Agency to ensure they recognise symptoms of the Clade 1 mpox variant. The disease, which experts say spreads faster and has a higher mortality rate than the previous outbreak two years ago, has been detected in Sweden and Pakistan. First identified in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the latest mpox variant is thought to be the most dangerous thus far. Initial symptoms are flu-like. A rash, which often starts on the face, then spreads around the body, leading to systemic infection. Harun Tulunay spoke of his 'horrendous' symptoms with mpox in 2022 as a new wave has 'likely' arrived on British shores according to experts Britain has stockpiled mpox vaccines and treatments to prepare for a dangerous new strain of the virus that has sparked a global health emergency An image from 1997 shows symptoms of mpox on a sufferer in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, formerly Zaire A former mpox victim Harun Tulunay, who was struck down by the virus when it was last in Britain, has told of his 'horrendous' ordeal. He initially suffered from flu-like symptoms, such as muscle aches and a high fever, but his condition began to take a turn when lesions emerged, with some appearing in his throat. Reliving the 'really scary' experience, he claims it was a challenge to get medical staff to take his condition seriously, as misdiagnosis meant he was denied an ambulance several times. 'After two weeks of horrendous high fever and pain, I wasn't able to move or drink or eat anymore - at that point I was hospitalised,' he told Sky News. However the hurdles didn't stop when he finally received treatment, as it took three days for Mr Tulunay to receive an accurate diagnosis. 'After 11 days in hospital I felt better and I further isolated for two weeks at home until all the scars disappeared and I was fully healed,' he said. He is now free from the short-term virus and all that remains is a small mark on his nose, but he believes vaccines for mpox should be widely launched especially in Africa. The former mpox victim has been vaccinated against the virus due to the severity of his case in 2022. 'If there (was) a vaccine available in Africa, we wouldn't be facing a 2024 version of mpox right now,' he added. Studies suggest up to ten per cent of infected children, and five per cent of adults, have died due to the new strain in central and southern Africa, where porous borders have assisted transmission. More than 500 are thought to have died in the Democratic Republic of the Congo alone. Reliving the 'really scary' experience, Mr Tunulay (pictured in hospital) claims it was a challenge to get medical staff to take his condition seriously Jean Kakura Biyambo, a father of six from the Muja internally displaced persons camp in DRC, gestures from a general hospital where he has been receiving treatment for mpox, on July 16 The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control warned all governments to expect cases, and one patient has been identified in Sweden. Professor Paul Hunter, a specialist in medical microbiology, told Sky News that it is 'very likely' that someone in Britain already has the new variant, although it will probably be a few weeks before that is confirmed. He said infection risk was 'very low' unless people had multiple sexual partners. A Home Office spokesman declined to comment on whether Border Force strike action, due to begin on August 31, could affect the interception of potential mpox carriers seeking entry to the UK, adding: 'We are committed to continuing conversations with the union.' Typically found in central and east Africa, mpox has blighted populations since the early 1970s. While a vaccine now exists for the disease, uptake has been slow in nations lacking the resources and infrastructure for a coordinated programme. Nearly 100,000 people were infected in 2022 during a global outbreak of the disease, caused mostly by the Clade IIb virus. The variant was less deadly than the emerging Clade Ib variant, but killed some 183 people, according to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. The United States reported as many as 32,063 cases, with 58 deaths during the period as cases were reported in significant numbers in North, Central and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australasia. Now, experts following recent trends warn a more deadly variant is showing both a propensity to travel across borders with a five per cent mortality rate in adults and ten per cent in children. Vials of single doses of the Jynneos vaccine for mpox are seen from a cooler at a vaccinations site in Brooklyn, New York on August 29, 2022 as the disease swept through the United States File. Mpox causes painful pus-filled blisters. A new variant has a 10% mortality rate in children While the 2022 strain was largely driven by male-to-male sexual contact, according to The Economist, the Clade Ib variant appears to be transmissible through close non-sexual contact, and exacerbated by heterosexual sexual contact, 'particularly among sex workers, who account for about 30 per cent of recorded cases'. Authorities in the DR Congo desperately approved mpox vaccines to try to contain the outbreak in June, passing 1,000 deaths from 20,000 cases within the past year, but many worry the affected nations lack the resources to effectively stop the spread in its tracks. Zeil Rosenberg MD, executive Vice President of Tonix Pharmaceuticals, a company currently developing an mpox vaccine, told MailOnline that the disease is now spreading to regions where historically it has not been endemic, driving concern of a repeat of the deadly 2022 outbreak that infected nearly 100,000 people. 'The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) remains the centre of an unchecked explosion of cases with 11,000 cases reported this year alone and showing no signs of slowing,' he warned. Monkeypox Q&A: Everything you need to know What is monkeypox? Monkeypox is a rare viral infection which people usually pick up in the tropical areas of west and central Africa. It is usually spread 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. Monkeypox was first discovered when an outbreak of a pox-like disease occurred in monkeys kept for research in 1958. The first human case was recorded in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the infection has been reported in a number of central and western African countries since then. Only a handful of cases have been reported outside of Africa and they were confined to people with travel links to the continent. How deadly is it? Monkeypox is usually mild, with most patients recovering within a few weeks without treatment. Yet, the disease can prove fatal. Monkeypox can kill up to 10 per cent of people it infects. However, with milder strains the fatality rate is closer to one in 100 similar to when Covid first hit. Is there a cure? Because monkeypox is closely related to the virus that causes smallpox, jabs for smallpox can also protect people from getting monkeypox. One vaccine, Jynneos, also known as Imvamune or Imvanex, has been licensed in the US, but it's not approved in the UK. The vaccine was shown to be around 85 per cent effective in preventing monkeypox infection. Antivirals and pooled blood from individuals vaccinated against smallpox can be used to treat severe cases. Advertisement He explained that there are two 'clades' of mpox currently in circulation. The first carries more severe symptoms and a mortality rate of up to ten per cent. The second, responsible for the 2022 outbreak, is less lethal but has been able to thrive outside of Africa in the past. 'The most severe and lethal Clade 1 mpox, historically endemic to central Africa..., has become predominant and is now found throughout the region,' he warned. Professor David Heymann at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) told MailOnline that mpox could soon 'fill the epidemiological niche left by smallpox', with the vaccine no longer effective in preventing cases. 'Person-to-person transmission is now occurring and if persons with infection travel to other countries, the same situation regarding smallpox vaccination exists... outbreaks of person-to-person transmission could occur. 'As the infection is thought to have a fatality rate of 10 per cent, and higher in those living with HIV infection, the risk of serious impacts is high. 'Though the world joined together for mpox outside Africa, the situation in Africa continues to be neglected at a risk to persons in DRC.' Children have been the main victims of the disease in the DRC, suffering 67 per cent of the cases and 78 per cent of reported deaths. 'Clade 1b has demonstrated evidence of sexual transmission, both gay and bisexual men and in heterosexuals, and the potential for global spread is significant,' added Dr Rosenberg. Brian Labus, Assistant Professor at the University of Nevada Las Vegas' Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, said the new variant could spread through contact with infected animals, consumption of contaminated meat, and non-sexual contact between people. Sufferers of the new, more deadly strain have all presented with rashes. More than half have had fever and/or swollen lymph nodes, and 'the vast majority' had genital lesions. But the rise of asymptomatic cases has 'raised the level of concern' that the disease could cross borders unchecked without the means to identify and quarantine carriers. These cases have been 'harder' to detect in the laboratory, with testing methods proving unreliable and posing further challenges to those working to contain the outbreak. Of growing concern is the propensity for displaced persons within the DRC to move across its 'porous borders', fleeing conflict or its outcomes, and spreading the disease faster than authorities can act to curtail it. The NHS is now urging people who have travelled to west Africa in the past three months, and who display symptoms, to see a doctor urgently amid fears the virus could spread out of Africa. 'As with the global epidemic of 2022-23, travel between countries is a prime cause of cross-border transmission, Dr Rosenberg warned. 'Considering that mpox has an incubation period of 1-2 weeks, seeing a doctor if symptoms develop within 3 weeks of travel, and receiving appropriate immediate antiviral treatment, is a prudent measure both for personal and public health reasons.' As it stands, the means to stop the spread have not developed significantly since the 2022 outbreak. Vaccine availability remains 'remarkedly absent on the African continent', with little sign of improvement in the last two years, Dr Rosenberg said. 'Lack of international aid, vaccine inequality - where the developed country scoops up all the mpox vaccine at the expense of developing countries - and lack of infrastructure to support vaccine rollout efforts all play a role in the anemic response to-date.' Tonix Pharmaceuticals is among the pioneers of a hopeful next-generation vaccine, designed in one version as a single dose, thermo-stable patch that will allow self-administration and go some way to managing the spread of the disease. But two years on from an outbreak that could not be contained within central Africa, fears mount a deadlier strain, harder to detect, will test the strained resources of the DRC and its neighbours. A blaze has broken out on a ferris wheel, leaving 'more than 30 people injured' at a huge music festival in Germany. The fairground attraction caught fire at around 9pm CET this evening at the Highfield Festival in Leipzig - which attracts 30,000 people every year. There were still passengers onboard the ferris wheel as it went up in flames, according to eyewitnesses. Police spokeswoman Josephin Sader told German news outlet BILD: 'The fire broke out in one gondola for reasons still unknown and then spread to a second one. 'There are more than 30 injured, most of them slightly - including four police officers. Two people were seriously injured. There were no fatalities.' A carriage on the ferris wheel on fire at Highfield Festival in Leipzig Black smoke billows out of one of the upper-most carriages as festival-goers watch on More than 30 people have been injured in the fire and are receiving treatment in hospital A statement from the festival said: 'Those affected are receiving treatment and are doing well considering the circumstances. 'We are in close coordination with the fire brigade, the police and the rescue and medical services. 'We will cordon off the ferris wheel accordingly and then continue operations as planned.' German rapper Ski Aggu was onstage at the time of the fire. He saw black smoke billowing out of one of the upper-most carriages and commented on it before stopping his show entirely. In a statement on Instagram, he wrote of his 'dismay and shock' over what happened. He said: 'I was only told in my ear that I should not cancel the show under any circumstances but should first remain in dialogue with you so that there is no mass panic. 'For me, the priority was that the situation did not escalate further, which fortunately also worked. 'Thank you for staying so calm and possibly preventing worse. 'The decisive factor for this was above all the work of the rescue workers, who reacted so quickly and thus prevented the worse.' Aktuell brennt ein Wagon vom Riesenrad auf dem #highfield Festival! Am besten nicht mehr Richtung Gelande laufen pic.twitter.com/3jh9pGaUhG mueckenmoerder (@mueckenmoerder) August 17, 2024 The cause of the fire is still unknown. With dozens of firefighters onsite, the blaze has been extinguished and the festival has resumed. 'The show must go on,' a festival organiser announced at around 10pm CET. Highfield Festival is in its 15th year and is due to welcome 54 artists and bands over the weekend including American rapper Macklemore who is famous for the song Thrift Shop. This is a breaking news story. More to follow. David Lammy has been criticised for removing a yellow pin badge expressing solidarity with Israeli hostages when meeting the Palestinian prime minister. The Foreign Secretary and Stephane Sejourne, his French counterpart, wore the symbols on their suits as they met Israel Katz, the Israeli foreign minister, on Friday. But both men had removed their badges by the time they sat down for a meeting with Mohammed Mustafa, the Palestinian prime minister, later in the day. Eylon Levy, a former spokesman for the Israeli government, said: Imagine if they had made the tiny gesture of keeping the pin for their meeting with the Palestinian prime minister. Foreign secretary David Lammy has come under fire for removing a badge of solidarity with Israeli hostages (Pictured: Lammy wearing it next to French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne) The Labour minister later removed the badge during a meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa (Pictured: centre) Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip with large clouds of smoke rising into the air following na Israeli strike on August 17, 2024 A Palestinian woman mourning a family member killed in the bombing on Saturday. The conflict between Palestine and Israel has escalated since October 7 Hamas gunmen went across the Israeli border and killed 1,200 on October 7, among the victims were children, the elderly as well as 364 attendees at Nova music festival (pictured: items left scattered around the Supernova Music Festival site) It would have sent a message stop making excuses for Hamas. Tell it to free the hostages, now! Last night, reports in Israel claimed Mr Lammy had been snubbed by Israels PM Benjamin Netanyahu because Sir Keir Starmer had dropped the previous Tory governments objection to the International Criminal Courts request for arrest warrants against Mr Netanyahu and defence minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes. An Israeli official denied the reports. Last night, Mr Netanyahus office said its negotiating team has expressed cautious optimism on the possibility of advancing a deal on hostages in Gaza. But a Hamas spokesman said there were no improvements in the latest deal. There is a price to pay for indulging in identity politics. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Four years ago, during the Covid pandemic, the phrase Black Lives Matter was everywhere. Corporations, public and private, rushed to pledge allegiance to this slogan imported from the US. Our now Prime Minister and his deputy submitted to the social contagion, bending the knee to BLM in a notorious picture, now the butt of jokes. No one should be laughing at that picture. It is a terrifying indictment of the mindset of those who now run the country. It isnt just that they will capitulate every time a union or trendy mob turns up with demands, it is that they have no idea how to deal with the crisis of identity that has been brewing for a decade and whose latest manifestation was the riots we saw across the country. Sir Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner take the knee amid protests in 2020 Our now Prime Minister and his deputy submitted to the social contagion, bending the knee to BLM in a notorious picture Identity politics does not work. Those of us who want to build a stronger Britain should have no time for it, either explicitly or even subtly under the guise of pursuing rights for minority groups. Successful societies require high levels of trust. A trust-based society is one where people have enough commonality to know that they have shared objectives, shared values, shared beliefs, and so can trust the motives of others. That is why identity politics is so destructive. Emphasising difference under the cover of diversity is a Trojan horse that weakens the bonds of trust. Differences are inevitable. The dividing line between weak and strong societies is that the strong ones enable their adherents to live with differences, not celebrate them or use them to segregate the populace. We shouldnt be teaching our children to see what divides us. It breeds mistrust. Britain is still a strong society with high levels of trust. However, in recent years it has felt like the ties that bind us are fraying and that we are becoming more like the low-trust societies that immigrants from all over the world have been running away from. Nothing showed this change more than the protests in London last year after the October 7 terror attacks in Israel. The assault was shocking beyond comprehension. Families murdered in their beds. Women raped. Babies and children taken hostage. Yet our streets were soon filled with hordes of joyous people, not appalled at the acts of terror or demanding the perpetrators be brought to justice, but instead protesting against Jews under the guise of attacking Israel. I met three Israeli mothers whose children were stolen from them. The horror of their stories was unimaginable, but I was shaken with profound shame and disgust as they told me that posters of their missing children were being ripped down by anti-Jewish people in London. The inability to empathise with the plight of kidnapped children and murdered families is rare found only in societies where the trust has broken down so comprehensively that people are unable to see their neighbours as human beings. It is what happened in Rwanda 30 years ago, where people set about chopping up their neighbours with machetes, committing unspeakable acts of horror. Identity politics does not work. Those of us who want to build a stronger Britain should have no time for it People gather for a counter demonstration against an anti-immigration protest called by far-right activists in the Walthamstow suburb of London Police contain a small group of anti-immigration protesters as counter-protesters hold a rally in Dover The journey to this level of depravity starts when one community imposes itself on the rest, when its demand for rights suffocates the national conversation. One of the reasons why we in Britain have been able to integrate people from all over the world is because of an unwritten rule that people with roots elsewhere do not play out foreign conflicts on the streets of this country but that is starting to happen. We owe a duty of care and civility to our neighbours, whatever their ethnicity, religion or background. All of us are free to practise our faiths and celebrate our cultures, but we must do so in ways that are consistent with fundamental values, such as the rule of law, that are the bedrock of Britain. A low-trust society also makes the job of policing impossible. I do not envy the police today. Every move they make, every split-second decision or act done in self-defence is captured in social media videos and used against them by those with an agenda. The cries of two-tier policing did not start this summer. They were heard during the protests after the murder of Sarah Everard in 2021, they are heard constantly when people criticise stop and search. Almost every community now feels a grievance against the police. The cultural establishment has encouraged the belief that some groups are more favoured than others under the law. Blacks vs whites, Muslims vs Jews, womens rights protesters vs trans rights activists. Yet the law, including the Equality Act, says no such thing. Our response in government was more scrutiny of the police even as we occasionally handed them more powers. All of this has meant a reluctance by some police officers to enforce the law because of fear of endless criticism. There is no point creating new laws if those who have to enforce them are going to be vilified depending on which group they are policing. Many officers feel that they have to treat one side differently or they will get into trouble. Some have spoken to me confidentially about how hard it is to police now that mobile phones capture everything before their side of the story is out. Many are putting down their arms for fear of not being supported for trying to protect the wrong person. So what is the answer? Anti-racism activists take part in a rally ahead of a rumoured anti-immigrant protest on August 7 in Brentford Palestinian flag is waved as anti-racism counter protesters gathered ahead of a potential anti-immigration protest Of course we should condemn criminal behaviour under the cover of protest, but that is not enough. Every mass gathering can be exploited by extremists and criminals. This doesnt justify dismissing all those protesting as fanatics. This is why I know that Labour will fail. It appears to have already decided that, after prosecutions, nothing more needs to be done to improve social cohesion. I have a different view. If I am elected leader of the Conservative Party, it will be on a specific agenda of a colour-blind society based on meritocracy and true equality under the law. This must be done with a migration strategy that is clear on how many people we can successfully assimilate. The Blairite approach of outsourcing the integration of immigrants to self-appointed community leaders funded by government grants must stop. I tried to emphasise this as Equalities Minister, while being condemned as a culture warrior by many of those pushing identity politics as progressive policy. I watched as society gave difference a new name: diversity. Then too many in power talked about how diversity was good, in and of itself, rather than talking about tolerating difference and finding commonality. Unlike others, I am not afraid of speaking clearly on this. My mixed-race children should not be forced into a world where they have to pick a side. The vision I have is one where all our children will be at ease with each other and love their country and its complex history. They deserve a country where the colour of their skin is no more relevant than the colour of their hair or eyes, and that is what I have been fighting for every day and will act for if I win the Conservative Party leadership contest. The odds of Kamala Harris hitting a lucky seven and winning all the key swing states over Donald Trump in November's election are extremely long. While Trump appeared set to cruise in many purple states against Joe Biden, polling has shown Harris gaining ground in some states and leading in others. However, her chances of claiming all seven of the toughest contests - considered by experts to be Georgia, Arizona, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina and Nevada - are quite low. British oddsmakers William Hill give Harris just a 50-to-1 odds of sweeping those states, essentially a two percent chance. Biden notoriously flipped Georgia, Arizona, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan from red to blue to win in 2020, while hanging on to Nevada and losing North Carolina to beat Trump. The odds of Kamala Harris hitting a lucky seven and winning all the key swing states over Donald Trump in November's election are extremely long Harris holds decent to better than a coinflip odds on winning all of these states on their own. The current vice president has a 69.2 percent shot of flipping North Carolina, 66.7 percent in Michigan, 61.9 percent in Wisconsin and 60 percent in both Georgia and Pennsylvania. With those seven states in play, if Harris and Trump both equaled their results in the remaining races, it would leave Harris with an electoral vote lead of 226 to 219, with 270 votes needed to win. Aside from Nevada and its six electoral votes, if Harris won any four of the remaining six swing states indicated, she would have the numbers to claim victory. Based on the new figures, Harris has erased the lead Trump was building in the states before President Biden dropped out of the race. However, in a DailyMail.com poll published earlier this week, the former president still holds a two-point lead over the new Democratic nominee. Where other recent polls show the vice president surging ahead, our survey of 1001 likely voters found that 43 percent would vote for Trump if the election were tomorrow, compared with 41 percent who would vote for Harris. With a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percent it sets the stage for a nail-biter of an election in November. New findings by The New York Times suggest that the two presidential hopefuls are now in tight races across Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and North Carolina Trump had seemed set to run away with these states just a few weeks ago, with new findings showing Harris closing in on his lead A separate online survey teased out the attributes responsible for Trump's lead. It found that voters still see him as the stronger, more charismatic candidate, who is more likely to get things done. Even so, Harris scores better than Biden across the board. And it all suggests that she is shaping up to be a more formidable opponent than the 81-year-old she replaced. Harris was catapulted into the race after Biden announced last month that he was giving up his reelection campaign. Trump insiders were initially jubilant, expecting weeks of Democratic infighting. But the party quickly rallied around the vice president and will show a united front at its convention in Chicago next week. The result has been a series of polls showing that Harris has overturned, or at least reined in, Trump's clear poll lead. The first presidential debate between the two is set to be held in Philadelphia on September 10 and will be moderated by ABC News. The first vice presidential debate between Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota and Republican Sen. JD Vance of Ohio will take place on October 1 in New York City, and will be hosted by CBS. Prince Harry and Meghan kicked off the third day of their quasi royal tour of Colombia with a visit to a Caribbean drumming school. The Sussexes along with Ms Marquez and her husband participated in a drum lesson led by the students, followed by a performance from some of the locals which brought all the VIPs to their feet. School director Rafael Ramos was ecstatic to see the duchess's reaction to the performances and said: 'I love seeing Meghan's big, big smile I can tell she's excited!' Following the performance, Ms Marquez gave an impassioned speech about the inherent importance of tradition when it comes to preserving Colombian heritage. Speaking to the crowd, which included members of her own family who she brought along for the day, she expressed that towns like Cartegena represent the heart of Colombian culture and how the art of drumming in particular symbolizes freedom for Black communities around the world. She also acknowledged that part of her decision to invite the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to Colombia was because she views them as a joint symbol of resistance and two vital voices against injustice. Harry and Meghan participate in a drum lesson led by Colombian students Harry and Megan sit together at Escuela de Tambores de Cabildo Harry and Meghan clapping during a performance at La Boquilla drum school in Cartagena The Sussexes are joined by Vice President Ms Marquez. The lesson was followed by a performance from some of the locals which brought all the VIPs to their feet 'The Duke and Duchess came to Colombiathis is Colombia. This is where the roots of our ancestors and our forefathers are from, ' said Vice President Marquez. 'A community like this cannot be displaced.' The Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved from the capital Bogota to the coastal town of Cartagena with a usual heavy security detail. A police Black Hawk helicopter and a drone circled the sky above the venue while roads nearby were blocked off. As part of the the couple's security a black police anti terrorist, nuclear, bio terror van and an ambulance were parked outside. Harry and Meghan arrived more than an hour later than anticipated at the Tambores de Cabildo music school to meet students and staff as part of their cultural discovery of the South American country. Several of their escorts carried the now ever present ballistic briefcase - Kevlar bullet proof shields - which are part of the security detail. The pair emerged from a Toyota Land Cruiser which was circled by police and soldiers before walking in to a barn style building for a drumming welcome. Set on the beach the venue was ringed by police and security but despite the event being common knowledge there were barely any onlookers. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on the third day of their visit to Columbia, attending a Caribbean drumming school Meghan shakes hands while visiting a local music school in Columbia Harry wore a blue linen shirt, beige trousers and sunglasses for the third day of the visit Set on the beach the venue was ringed by police and security as Harry and Meghan walked The couple arriving more than an hour later than anticipated at the Tambores de Cabildo music school (pictured) A helicopter, drone and bulletproof shield were in place to keep the Sussex's protected on day three A heavy police and army presence turned up to protect the royal couple today A large police and army presence turned up to protect the royal couple today Colombian marines patrol during security operations before the arrival of Harry and Meghan Colombian marines patrol during security operations before Harry and Meghan arrive A military vehicle drives past prior to the arrival of Prince Harry and Meghan Two women shouted out 'Harry' and he turned to wave to them before swiftly turning and walking inside. The temperate climate of Bogota was swapped for the humidity of the Caribbean as temperatures soared to 32c. Harry wore a blue linen shirt, beige trousers and sunglasses while Meghan wore black and white shoulder less dress. Ahead of their arrival local media reported how Cartagena's mayor DumekTurbay had not been invited to the event or to meet the royal couple. He told W radio: 'The vice president, Francia Marquez, did not invite me to any of the events, so I will watch on television the arrival of these illustrious figures to the city. 'I don't think I'm in the vice president's heart. They're going to be in La Boquilla, if I'm not mistaken, what I understand is that they're going to visit some of the foundations and organizations that work in La Boquilla; they'll be in the city, I'm going to find a way to send her my details. 'All distinguished guests who come to the city always take a gift from the government, on behalf of the people of Cartagena; I am looking for a way to send my gift through the Foreign Ministry. 'I have not been invited, I have been exempted from the visit .' A woman carries her toddler as Colombian marines patrol during security operations before the arrival of Prince Harry and Meghan Harry is seen surrounded by security on day three of his visit to Columbia The Duke of Sussex is seen surrounded by security on day three of his visit to Columbia Harry and Meghan on the third day of their visit to Columbia, attending a Caribbean drumming school Meghan shakes hands while visiting a local music school in Columbia The couple smile as they enter the Caribbean drumming school on the third day of their visit to Columbia Local reports said that 3,000 police were on duty for the visit to the city and a later trip the town of San Basilio de Pelanque around 90 minutes away. The anti colonial town was founded in the 17th century by freed African slaves and still maintains its cultural links to the continent through music, food and variation of Creole language. Rhythmic drumming, accompanied by singing and clapping could be heard from inside the venue, while a breeze blew across the nearby beach. While the couple were outside some soldiers took shelter from the fierce sun under palm topped cabanas. After an hour inside the couple left without being seen after security teams purposely drove vehicles in front of the entrance to block off the view. No media were allowed inside the event although footage and images were due to be released by the vice president's office and the Sussex team later. After the opening performance, the Duke and Duchess and Vice President Marquesa listened to local community members that included children, teenagers, parents, and elders, about the importance of preserving the culture of Cartagena, and specifically it's Afro-Colombian roots. Cartagena is an area specifically being impacted by gentrification and a booming tourism industry. Harry and Meghan arrive in San Basilio de Palenque, Colombia Meghan holds Harry's arm as they walk through the anti colonial town Meghan was filmed dancing enthusiastically with locals during an engagement on Thursday night The following day, Prince Harry was seen breaking out a shimmy during an engagement in Bogota The Duke and Duchess were also gifted a small handcrafted wooden boat from a student. The Duchess of Sussex wore a 'big smile' as she and the Duke of Sussex visited THE music school during their tour. Harry and Meghan were greeted by the sound of booming drums as they arrived at the Escuela Tambores de Cabildo in Cartagena. The school's founder, Rafael Ramos, said in Spanish: 'I love seeing Meghan's big, big smile - I can tell she's excited.' Ms Marquez gave a speech about the importance of tradition and preserving Colombian heritage, saying towns such as Cartagena represent the heart of the South American country. In particular, she said, the art of drumming symbolises freedom for black communities across the world. Ms Marquez said part of her decision to invite the duke and duchess to Colombia was that she views them as a symbol of resistance and voices against injustice. She said: 'The duke and duchess came to Colombia... this is Colombia. 'This is where the roots of our ancestors and our forefathers are from. The Prince bent his knees while wagging his hips, and rolling his arms and shoulders during his impromptu dance 'A community like this cannot be displaced.' Cartagena is the fifth largest city in Colombia and is being impacted by gentrification and a booming tourism industry. The couple were given a small handcrafted wooden boat by a student, a tribute to the scenic coastal town and its beaches. It comes after Prince Harry danced as he met with children during the second day of his trip to Colombia - a day after Meghan was filmed enthusiastically dancing while attending a special cultural event. The Duke and Duchess were welcomed by Colombia's vice-president and her husband after arriving in the country on Thursday for the start of a four-day tour. That evening, the couple attended an engagement at the Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata Olivella (CNA), highlighting the artistry of Bogota. After being greeted by Minister of Culture Juan David Correa, and the Director of CNA Xiomara Suescun, they were treated to theatre, music and dance performances. A video showing Meghan busting taking part in a dance session with locals went viral. An ambulance service has suspended its accounts on social media site X for allowing the 'perpetuation of unacceptable and offensive content'. North East Ambulance Service suggested that some content on Elon Musk's site, formerly known as Twitter, was now not compatible with its values. Spokesman Mark Cotton said: 'We feel strongly that the failure to police content on X allows the perpetuation of unacceptable and offensive content, which has seen a sharp rise in hate speech and misinformation that is not consistent with our values.' 'We expect our staff to uphold our values and standards when representing our service and equally we should uphold those same values and standards when using social media.' He added: 'Social media platforms can be contentious, but we will continue to use Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn where we have a large following.' North East Ambulance Service has suspended its accounts on social media site X for allowing the 'perpetuation of unacceptable and offensive content' (file image) It suggested that some content on Elon Musk's site, formerly known as Twitter , was now not compatible with its values North East Ambulance Service posted to announce the suspension, while its bio reads: 'This account has been suspended because the X platform is no longer aligned with our values' A post on the platform announcing the suspension read: 'We have suspended this account because the X platform is no longer consistent with our values as an NHS emergency service.' North East Ambulance Service urged followers to keep up with them on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. Separately, Global, the UK's largest radio company, has told its staff not to plug Elon Musk's social media platform on-air, following the tech tycoon's incendiary posts during the recent riots. The Mail on Sunday has been told by insiders at Global - which owns Heart, Capital, LBC and Radio X - that production staff have been instructed not to ask listeners to tweet its stations or mention X when broadcasting One source, who works at Global, said: 'We were told not to plug Twitter on any of our shows.' King Charles has fired Prince Andrew's ten-man private security team in his newest bid to force the disgraced Duke out of Royal Lodge, an insider has claimed. Charles has long been trying to get his brother out of the 30-room, 30milliion property in Windsor, which Andrew lives in with ex-wife Sarah Ferguson. The monarch has been funding private guards at the mansion since Andrew's armed cops - costing 3million a year - were removed in 2022 amid the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. But now Charles has reportedly told the Duke's private security team they are no longer needed from Autumn onwards. A Palace insider told The Sun on Sunday: 'Everyone is speculating this means the Duke will have to leave the Royal Lodge because what other reason could there be to take his security away?' They added: 'It isn't a secret that the King wants him out.' King Charles has long been trying to get Prince Andrew out of Royal Lodge (pictured) King Charles has reportedly told the Duke's private security team they are no longer needed from Autumn onwards Prince Andrew (pictured) lives in the mansion with ex-wife Sarah Ferguson. Pictured: Andrew Duke Of York rides out at Windsor Castle It was previously revealed that Andrew had rejected the opportunity to move to nearby Frogmore Cottage (pictured) Earlier this year, it was revealed that Andrew had rejected the opportunity to move to Frogmore Cottage, which is nearby and used to be the UK home of Harry and Meghan. Andrew signed a 75-year lease with the Crown Estate when he moved to Royal Lodge in 2003, making a 1million initial payment. But the King is reportedly eager to generate commercial revenue from the mansion as soon as he can boot out the Duke. It was previously reported that the property was earmarked for heir to the throne Prince William and his wife Princess Catherine, but the couple said they are very happy at Adelaide Cottage. Andrew - who remains an outcast from public life amid the fallout from his relationship with peadophile Epstein - has reportedly already spent nearly 7million carrying out extensive renovations and repairs to the property. He has refused all requests by his brother to move into the smaller Frogmore Cottage. In June, it was revealed in a document that Prince Andrew has to repaint his Windsor Royal Lodge with two coats of paint every five years. The lease he signed in 2003 states he has a responsibility to 'repair, renew, uphold, clean and keep in repair and where necessary rebuild' the home. This includes repainting its external walls every five years with 'two coats of paint' from 2008 and redecorating inside every seven years from 2010. This means that the exterior decorating was due to have been completed last year, while the interior work is set to be done this year. The document - which was seen by The Times - dictated that he must 'paint with at least two coats of paint and to paper, polish, decorate and otherwise appropriately treat' the building's interior walls. Andrew signed the lease, paying 250 a week and agreeing to maintain the vast property. Royal Lodge in Windsor is surrounded by stunning grounds and scenery Situated in 98 acres in Windsor Great Park, the property was once known as King's Lodge but its name was changed by the Duke of Cumberland when he became King George IV in 1820 Andrew signed a 75-year lease with the Crown Estate when he moved to Royal Lodge in 2003 But claims emerged last year that Andrew could not meet the 400,000-a-year upkeep of Royal Lodge and it was reported that the duke was told he would have to leave the property. Situated in 98 acres in Windsor Great Park, the property was once known as King's Lodge but its name was changed by the Duke of Cumberland when he became King George IV in 1820. William IV demolished part of Royal Lodge and, for sixty years, senior members of the Royal Household used it mainly as a 'grace-and-favour' home. In 1931, King George V gave permission for his son, Prince Albert, the Duke of York, and his wife to take over the property and they moved in the following year. They used the 30-room Royal Lodge as a private country house, even after they became Duke and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1936. Princess Elizabeth and her sister Margaret spent many happy days playing in the grounds and making use of Y Bwthyn Bach - the miniature thatched cottage that was given to the future Queen by the people of Wales to mark her sixth birthday in 1932. The grounds of Royal Lodge include a gardener's cottage and the Royal Chapel of All Saints, where Princess Beatrice and Edo Mapelli Mozzi married in 2020 in a ceremony attended by the late Queen and Prince Philip. There is also a swimming pool and tennis court. MailOnline has contacted Buckingham Palace for comment. A hidden 'sun' tax slugging Aussies who have made the switch to solar has been slammed by energy advocates as 'madness' and a 'rip-off', accusing energy companies of 'wanting to charge people' making energy from sunlight. Distributors in some Australian states have moved in the sneaky tariff, known colloquially as a sun or solar tax, as households begin to embrace the shift to renewables in the hopes of power bill relief. But the new measures will result in those households being slugged for sending the solar energy they generate back to the electricity grid during peak times - something providers hope will encourage households to store their self-generated power and use it, rather than hoping for a credit if it is exported back to the grid. Renewable energy advocate Heidi Lee Douglas has been highly critical of the plan, saying it was 'not a bright idea' to penalise people for 'taking control of their power bills with cheaper, cleaner solar' during a cost of living crisis. 'Energy companies want to charge people with solar panels to make energy from sunlight, and that's simply not fair,' Ms Douglas, the chief executive of renewable advocacy organisation Solar Citizens, said. 'The new two-way tariff is a blunt instrument that charges people with solar panels for feeding their energy into the grid during the day, rather than supporting them to store their energy or feed it back into the grid at another time. 'Rather than stick people with penalties for not having batteries they can't afford in a cost of living crisis, households need more support to access the benefits of battery storage. 'People in NSW were absolutely furious, and Queenslanders will be livid when they find out more about the big tariff rip-off planned for households with solar panels.' A hidden 'sun' tax slugging Aussies who have made the switch to solar has been slammed by energy advocates as 'madness' and a 'rip-off', accusing energy companies of 'wanting to charge people' making energy from sunlight (stock image) A sun tax refers to a new export tariff for customers using solar, part of a two-way pricing structure where users are effectively penalised for exporting solar-generated energy when the network is overloaded - such as in the middle of the day. According to Canstar, the tariff also rewards people who export the energy produced by their solar panels back to the electricity grid during times of high demand. Energy providers mostly pay households for electricity fed back into the grid in the form of rates called solar feed-in tariffs (FiTs). Canstar states the tax is designed to prevent gridlock on electricity networks, encouraging households to use their own solar energy first, rather than sending it back to the grid. Ms Douglas said one of the biggest impact of the sun tax was the message it sent to households thinking about installing solar. She explained it would discourage them from doing so, saying: 'It's madness to charge people for sunlight.' 'What we really need to do in a cost of living crisis is accelerate the rate of rooftop solar installations by providing access to solar for those who have so far missed out - like renters, social housing, and apartments,' Ms Douglas said. While the tariffs came into place in mid-2022, most households and businesses won't see any major change until next year. This is due to distributors needing to submit a price proposal to the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) to demonstrate why they need it. Some distributors in NSW and the ACT have already outlined the changes and how the costs would look for the average household or small business. Ausgrid, the largest energy provider on Australia's east coast, revealed they were imposing such a two-way tariff in July - charging customers 1.2c/kWh for the electricity they produce during the peak export period of 10am-3pm. The company said customers would receive a payment of 2.3c/kWh for electricity exported to the grid during peak demand hours between 4pm-9pm each day. In a statement, Ausgrid said they wanted to encourage customers to use their self-generated electricity while providing a 'safe, reliable supply' to everyone. Solar batteries are widely viewed as a way to store the unused energy generated from solar panels - so it can be used at another time. But the measure is costly, setting households back anywhere from $8750 to more than $20,000 depending on the scale of the battery and the provider. The NSW State Government has said it will introduce a rebate starting at $1600 for battery storage systems from November 1. Queenslanders will not be slugged with a sun tax until 2025 but the state government rolled out a rebate on home solar battery systems allowing people to offset the cost of purchase and installation. However, it closed in May. 'The Queensland government must find ways of getting more households powered by solar and create the incentives to shift people into having solar and batteries,' Ms Douglas said. In a statement, Ausgrid said they wanted to encourage customers to use their self-generated electricity while providing a 'safe, reliable supply' to everyone (stock image) 'About 60 per cent of the community is currently locked out of the benefits of solar, including renters and people living in apartments or social housing, and they have among the most to gain from reduced energy bills. It comes as data from the clean energy regulator reveals many of Sydney's outer suburbs are embracing solar and battery storage. In Marsden Park, in Sydney's west, households are 87 per cent more likely to have these systems in place, followed by Tumbulgum and Tweed Heads at an uptake rate of 71 per cent. But in more established suburbs across the state, those rates were far lower. Only 2.9 per cent of dwellings in Elizabeth Bay, Potts Point, Rushcutters Bay and Woolloomooloo had solar energy and battery storage in place. In Ultimo, only 4.8 per cent of households had embraced the new technology while Darlinghurst and Surry Hills had 5.3 per cent of dwellings taking up solar. David Sedighi, chief operating officer of power solutions provider VoltX Energy, said these figures could be put down to government mandates for new home constructions. 'Energy savings aside, solar has made these new homes more energy efficient, enabling people to meet compliance for a Building Sustainability Index (BASIX) certificate,' he said. 'We know having solar makes a new home more attractive to prospective buyers in the future too, as the cost of energy increases. 'The so-called sun-tax where energy providers charge customers a tariff for rooftop solar exported to its network will also drive demand for batteries.' The Israeli military has launched strikes on Hamas and Hezbollah strongholds - despite a crucial peace talk scheduled to take place tomorrow. On Saturday an attack on a suspected rocket base in the Gazan town of Zawayda killed 17 people, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. The strike came just hours after 10 people died and a further five were injured in a raid on a suspected Hezbollah arms depot in Nabatieh, southern Lebanon. Lebanese state media said that the people who died in the incident were all Syrian nationals. The news comes as talks aimed at brokering a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas were set to reconvene in the Qatari capital, Doha. Smoke rises above Deir al-Balah following Israeli bombardment on August 17 A man reaches out his arms after 10 people died and a further five were injured in a raid on a suspected Hezbollah arms depot in Nabatieh, southern Lebanon The talks are being mediated by the host nation, Egypt, and the United States. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said Britain would 'use every diplomatic lever' to help bring about a ceasefire. He said: 'We are at a crucial moment for global stability. 'The coming hours and days could define the future of the Middle East. 'It is in the interests of both Israelis and Palestinians for a deal to be agreed, urgently.' In a joint statement with his French, German, and Italian counterparts, Mr Lammy added: 'We underline the importance of avoiding any escalatory action in the region which would undermine the prospect for peace. 'There is too much at stake.' Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden confirmed he would be sending US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to Israel to show America's 'iron-clad' support for the country's security. He added: 'With the comprehensive ceasefire and hostage release deal now in sight, no one in the region should take actions to undermine this process.' Syrian women cling to each other outside a hospital in Wadi al-Kfour, Lebanon after their loved ones were killed by an Israeli airstrike A red shoe and a teddy bear can be seen in the rubble after what Lebanon state media has described as an Israeli strike in Nabatieh French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne (left), Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa (centre) and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy (right) meet in Ramallah, West Bank on August 16 US President Joe Biden (left) confirmed he would be sending US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken (right) to Israel to show America's 'iron-clad' support for the country's security The outgoing president also said he felt that 'we are closer than we have ever been' to an end to the hostilities, which started when Hamas terrorists attacked Israel on October 7 last year, killing 1,200 people mostly civilians and taking more than 200 hostages. However, Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said reports of an agreement being close were 'deceptive'. An original member of the international hacktivist gang Anonymous has blown the lid on the highly secretive group for the first time in a newly released documentary. Gregg Housh described the organization's rise from a trolling online chat room to a vigilante group exposing neo-Nazis and taking on the Church of Scientology. What started as a small online trolling group of just 10 people in the US and grew to an international organization of thousands of members, some of whom are 'now in positions of power' from state representatives to government advisors. Anonymous is famous for their masks and secrecy when carrying out high-profile attacks that are often motivated by social or political issues. The organization started in an online chatroom in 2006 Gregg Housh, the original member of the international hacking gang Anonymous has blown the lid on the highly secretive group for the first time in a newly released documentary Anonymous is famous for their masks and secrecy when carrying out high-profile attacks that are often motivated by social or political issues. 'Given how secretive the movement has been historically, our documentary team was shocked at how much of an open book Gregg was,' Joshua Tanner Murphy, the documentary's producer told DailyMail.com. Housh started the group in an online chatroom from his basement in 2006 and intended it to be solely used as an online tech forum where every person had to be anonymous. For about a year it was just users trolling on each other, years before trolling was mainstream, until they went up against someone they believed deserved to threatened - Hal Turner. Turner was a neo-Nazi radio host who once held up a noose on a CNN interview and said: 'This is a symbol of justice and you're going to see a lot more of this in the United States.' They targeted Turner because he was the type of person you could goad into responding, but an Anonymous member broke into his emails and found out Turner was a cooperating informant for the FBI and was turning in other neo-Nazis to keep himself out of jail. At this point, more people started joining the cause. 'They didn't feel bad about joining' because this was a bad person they were going after, Housh said. In June 2009, Turner was sentenced to 33 months in jail for threatening to assault and murder three federal judges over a handgun decision. The organization's first major segue into hacktivism came in its war against the religion Scientology, after a video of Tom Cruise promoting the group was posted online in 2008 Global protests surged around the world as thousands of Anons (Anonymous members) planned to stand before Scientology buildings at 9 a.m. local time Anonymous went through its early years, trying 'to figure out what power we have, the same thing a teenager goes through in life.' This led to the cybergroup finding its way into hacktivism by using hacking techniques to support a cause or make a statement. The organization's first major segue into hacktivism came in its war against the religion Scientology, after a video of Tom Cruise promoting the group was posted online in 2008. The video was quickly taken down, but Anonymous found the video and re-posted it online. One person with the handle Dojo commented on Anonymous' site, saying that them reposting the video was costing the Scientology organization a lot of money and the media wanted to report on it. 'So we were asked to write a press release,' Housh said. Anonymous made a video message to Scientology that went live on January 21, 2009 at 10:20 p.m. Before Housh knew it, the video was spread on the news and Anonymous went from a couple hundred users to 10,000 in 42 countries and across 143 cities. Suddenly, Housh remembered thinking: 'We've got an army. What do we do with it?' Pictured: Gregg Housh leading Anonymous against Scientology in 2009 One day, Housh was watching the news and saw Tory Magoo - a former Scientology member-turned-critic - dancing and singing in front of the Scientology building in Boston and making anti-Scientology comments. He re-posted the video on the Anonymous site, writing: 'This is what it would look like if everyone went outside.' His comment sparked a global protest as thousands of Anons (Anonymous members) planned to stand before Scientology buildings all over the globe at 9 a.m. local time. Housh called costume shops to find the cheapest mask that people around the world could buy to protect their anonymity and found they all had one in common - Guy Fawkes from the film 'Fifth of November.' Thousands of people showed up in their masks to protest outside of scientology buildings and prevent the organization from recruiting members. Eventually, Scientology buildings were forced to shut down. Housh called costume shops to find the cheapest mask that people around the world could buy to protect their anonymity and found they all had one in common - Guy Fawkes from the film 'Fifth of November A year later, an Australian logged onto the Anon chat to ask for the organization's help against the local Senate which was planning to pass a censorship law to make pornography illegal on the premise that small-breasted women would cause men to become pedophiles. Within hours, Housh received a call from an unnamed senator asking him what they need to do to stop Anonymous from releasing their emails. He claimed he didn't threaten the senator when he told him that they wouldn't leak the emails as long as the bill didn't pass. The following day, the vote didn't go through and Housh received a call from the senator thanking him for not releasing the emails. But it wasn't until Aaron Barr, who worked for HB Gary Federal, claimed he had a list of Anonymous user names with names and phone numbers attached to the organization's leaders that the organization really took off. HB Gary is an IT security company which helped protect the US government, but when Anon hackers accessed the system, they realized the names weren't Anon members, but was the data of innocent people who had never been part of the group. HB Gary's emails revealed it was creating VPNs for the US Air Force to make fake social media profiles in other countries to 'sway people's views of America.' 'That's really the big start of all-out hacktivism,' Housh said. 'They're in state houses as state representatives and aides in Congress, some even running for congressional seats. 'They're in positions of power at corporations. They're journalists all over the place. '... So the answer to 'who is anonymous today' is it's anyone who says they are. We are literally everywhere.' The case of Peru's mysterious 'alien mummies' continues to deepen with new footage depicting three more apparent creatures, including a severed 'alien skull.' Recorded by the cadre of anonymous Peruvian 'huaqueros' (tomb raiders) who are alleged to have unearthed most of the now roughly dozen or so eerie specimens, the video documents two 'corpses' each about five-foot tall and apparently not human. Like the seemingly large and elongated 'alien skull,' both 'mummies' are coated in a white powder of fossilized algae, consistent with prior examples over the past year. This shaky, handheld phone video comes as lawmakers on Capitol Hill have finally vowed to investigate these Peruvian oddities, in an effort to determine their origins. Uncanny new video has emerged of two more suspected 'alien corpses' from Peru, alongside a severed 'alien skull,' as Tennessee Congressman Tim Burchett vows to investigate the oddities. Above, a close-up of the apparently decapitated 'alien skull' as it appears in the new video The new video was obtained by a former Colorado prosecutor Josh McDowell, who has assembled a team of senior American forensic experts to finally get to the ground truth behind what have come to be known as the 'Nazca mummies' of Peru. Above: the two new specimens And forensic medical examiners from the United States who inspected a trove of these 'alien mummies' this past April are now also pleading with the government of Peru to authorize the bodies' shipment to America for study in US labs. Criminal defense lawyer Josh McDowell the former prosecutor who obtained the new video helped organize this team of senior forensic experts to get to the ground truth behind what have come to be known as the 'Nazca mummies' of Peru. One member of that team, Josh's father Dr John McDowell, described a gauntlet of diplomatic, legal and scientific hurdles to DailyMail.com, which must be cleared to analyze these mummified entities in the US 'the right way from start to finish.' In an exclusive interview, Dr McDowell also detailed exactly what key procedures would ultimately confirm or deny whether the bodies are 'part of an elaborate hoax.' But Dr McDowell also marveled at the sheer number of these Nazca 'Tridactyls' so named for their three-toed feet and three-fingered hands, as seen in the new video. 'I've seen bodies with extra fingers or toes, or a finger or toe, or a finger or toe that's missing, genetically,' he told DailyMail.com, 'but never a big group like this.' 'To see these tridactyl organisms,' Dr McDowell continued, 'all of them tridactyl, I have never seen that.' The forensic odontologist has long consulted with law enforcement on dental record identifications, including the identification of victims after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York's World Trade Center. But the 'dental detective' said he had never seen anything like the Nazca mummies, which numbered between six and 10 during his April trip to Peru, plus the new 'beings' documented in this recent video, two with claw-like, long and slender toes. 'To see these tridactyl organisms,' forensic odontologist Dr John McDowell told DailyMail.com, 'all of them tridactyl, I have never seen that [...] never a big group like this.' Above, X-rays conducted on one of the apparent 'aliens' at the behest of Mexican journalist Jaime Maussan Former Colorado prosecutor Josh McDowell, who led a team of US medical examiners to investigate some of these 'alien' mummies in April, told DailyMail.com that any efforts to have these specimens studied stateside 'would need to be completed with the approval of Peru' The videographer behind the new footage is unknown, in no small measure due to the thorny legal and ethical dimensions of handling these allegedly historical and culturally priceless ancient remains. 'I don't know who exactly shot the video, but there are context clues in the longer [version],' one source, who had also been granted the tape, told DailyMail.com. One of the 'huaqueros' who has long been involved in the promotion of these Nazca mummies was convicted of assault on public monuments for taking artifacts in 2022. The man received a four-year suspended sentence and was fined about 20,000 Peruvian soles ($5,190 USD), according to Reuters: a clear example of the high-risk, extra-legal measures some have taken to seek either truth or profit from the 'aliens.' Nearly a year of international controversy has followed these peculiar specimens since September 2023, when veteran broadcast journalist and UFOlogist Jaime Maussan first presented two of the alleged 'alien' corpses to Mexico's congress. Maussan has now taken the Peruvian government to court hoping to 'negotiate with Peru,' as he put it, 'to be allowed to export the samples to be done in America.' 'The lawsuit is already in for $300 million,' Maussan told DailyMail.com this June. He explained that he is pursuing monetary damages to repair his enterprise's damaged reputation, but intends to spend the cash on a museum for the mummies. Dr McDowell himself has also recently pled with Peru's government in an open letter published in one of the country's top newspapers, La Noticia Peru, asking for official permission to study these specimens at top-flight scientific facilities in the US. Mexican journalist Jaime Maussan has pushed for wider scientific interest in the apparently alien bodies, including a presentation before Mexico's Congress last September (pictured) 'So far we have tomographies [CT scans] and fluoroscopy analysis,' Maussan told DailyMail.com describing the x-ray and ultrasound data on the mummies that he unveiled at West Hollywood's Mondrian Hotel at another press event (pictured above) on March 12, 2024 Dr McDowell, who helped his son assemble the team of forensic experts who visited Peru last April, told DailyMail.com he was 'eager to be associated with the trip.' 'There are so many things that need to be analyzed to come up with definitive answers,' he explained. 'I think that's very important.' April's trip brought Dr McDowell up close with at least half-a-dozen of the current Nazca mummies now held at Peru's San Luis Gonzaga National University of Ica (UNICA). The specimens have been given names like 'Maria,' who first debuted at a November 6, 2019 press event at UNICA, 'Wawita,' 'Albert,' 'Victoria,' and 'Montserrat.' 'It was interesting,' Dr McDowell told DailyMail.com. 'There are questions that need to be addressed, such as: Why have you got so many of them with this same external manifestation?' If the Peruvian government and its Ministry of Culture were to give their approval, Dr McDowell said the next steps would be to carefully clean the diatomaceous earth, a powdery white dirt of fossilized algae, off the mummies and cut samples for testing. 'We've talked about that a little bit,' he said, 'taking samples that could be used [for] DNA analysis on various sections of the body to be sure there isn't co-mingling of different types of personages, humans or other animals that were mixed together.' Proving that any individual mummy was not a fabricated hoax, he explained, 'would involve taking multiple samples throughout the body.' But, as a longtime consultant on criminal cases, Dr McDowell noted that maintaining 'chain of custody' throughout would be critical to reaching truly conclusive results. 'If it were me, I'd want to accompany that specimen and make sure that, at every step, it was secure and under my direct supervision and control,' he explained. 'And I firmly believe that would be the position the Ministry of Culture in Peru would take as well,' he opined. Critics of Maussan's long and winding public press tour with these 'alien mummies' have proposed two somewhat overlapping theories as to their origins. Dr Flavio Estrada, a forensic archaeologist with the Peruvian government, concluded two of the smaller bodies seized by customs were nothing more than grisly dolls, 'assembled with bones of animals from this planet, with modern synthetic glues.' But as to the larger mummies, many skeptics, including Latin American historian Christopher Heaney at Penn State, suspect that the beings were once indigenous human practitioners of ancient 'head-binding' practices. 'The Spanish, when they arrived in the 16th Century observed and commented on individuals walking around with very specifically shaped skulls,' as Heaney told DailyMail.com, 'and they recognized and saw them doing it using these bandages.' Theories and accusations of fraud aside, Dr McDowell noted that more invasive and detailed examinations of the mummies would be necessary to identify their origins. But Dr Flavio Estrada (right), a forensic archaeologist with Peru's Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences in Lima has said that the alien bodies are nothing more than grisly dolls, 'assembled with bones of animals from this planet, with modern synthetic glues' Above, one example of a deliberate deformity of the skull from a Proto-Nazca culture in Peru, dated to between 200 and 100 BC - and now stored by the Museum de Toulouse in France. Many skeptics suspect the 'beings' were once practitioners of ancient 'head-binding' practices Toward that aim, the preliminary examinations he witnessed at UNICA in Peru this past April impressed him in terms of their transparency and professionalism. 'We saw flat plane radiography, computer tomography [CT] and fluoroscopy that was done right in front of us,' Dr McDowell told DailyMail.com. 'And by "in front of us," I mean, myself, Dr Caruso and also Dr Rodriguez.' Dr McDowell was joined on this UNICA trip by Dr William Rodriguez, a forensic anthropologist with the Maryland State Medical Examiner; and Dr James Caruso, a US Navy veteran who is now the city of Denver's Chief Medical Examiner. 'Everything that we asked for,' Dr McDowell added, 'was allowed to be done.' 'I never felt at any point that anything was withheld or obfuscated or kept occult from us,' he said. Those tests included the scan of the object's chemical make-up via fluoroscopy, a method similar to hardware onboard NASA's Mars Perseverance rover. The noninvasive technique has gain prominence for examining the composition of a material without destroying or altering that material in the process, but researchers have also frequently reported on the technology's limitations. One group of environmental scientists in Arizona, for example, reported last year that their portable X-Ray fluorescence tests failed to accurately identify chromium metal content, due to high iron content drowning out the chromium's signal. Similarly noninvasive studies conducted on the bodies that Maussan brought before Mexico's Congress led the head of the Mexican Navy's Health Sciences Research Institute to declare them 'a single skeleton that has not been joined to other pieces.' But Dr McDowell noted that all of these kinds of non-surgical, scanning tests can only tell scientists so much about the true make-up of these unusual bodies. 'We have done external evaluations as best we could,' the forensic expert said. In Peru last April - as part of another event hosted by Maussan - a new 'alien' specimen named Montserrat (above) was presented. This photo was taken by Colorado attorney Josh McDowell who told DailyMail.com, one mummy's 'fingerprints weren't consistent with human prints' Above, a photo of one of the mummy's unusual fingerprints posted to social media by Jose Baizan and attributed to the Mexican Naval surgeon Dr Jose de Jesus Zalce Benitez, who has also examined the Peruvian 'alien' mummies on behalf of ufologist Jaime Maussan Any deeper analysis of the mummies, Dr McDowell emphasized, would have to be conducted 'in compliance with all international laws related to archeological finds.' 'And even going further than that, we want to be sure that we're culturally sensitive to these entities,' he noted, 'that we have respected the bodies.' For a quarter century, the US and Peruvian governments have worked in concert to reduce the illicit trafficking of priceless Peruvian historical and cultural artifacts rescuing over 2,000 'looted and stolen items now returned to Peru. 'The reality is that there are federal laws and a Memorandum of Understanding between Peru and the US about the importation of archaeological artifacts that require State approval,' Dr McDowell's son, the defense attorney, told DailyMail.com Their forensic team's April trip to UNICA culminated in a chaotic press conference that was raided by police with Peru's Ministry of Culture, who were intent on seizing one of the new mummified bodies on display, 'Montserrat.' The ordeal informed Dr McDowell's decision to pen his open letter to Peruvian officials in La Noticia Peru, where he 'respectfully requested that those in authority [...] facilitate comprehensive evaluation of all of these recovered entities.' 'Working together will certainly allow us to determine if any of these entities are unique and valuable archeological discoveries or are elaborate hoaxes ("enganos elaborados"),' he wrote. The key, he said, would be 'direct examination of specimens free of contaminants.' That April 2024 press conference which showcased the 'alien mummies' took a bizarre turn after Peruvian officials attempted to seize a 'pregnant' new specimen, dubbed 'Montserrat' Accompanied by specialized police officers, Peru's cultural officials interrupted a speech given by researcher and journalist Jois Mantilla to take control of the microphone The experience aided Dr McDowell (above right at the press event) in his decision to pen a letter to Peruvian officials in the newspaper La Noticia Peru, where he 'respectfully requested that those in authority ... facilitate comprehensive evaluation of all of these recovered entities' The issue of contamination, he noted, is a particularly high risk with respect to the carbon-dating of these mysterious mummies. As an explainer published by the University of Chicago spells out, this process which uses radioactive decay of an isotope of carbon, carbon-14, to estimate when a living thing has died can be easily undermined by carbon from other sources. 'Even a little extra carbon from contamination will throw off the results significantly,' the school's fact page noted. 'A million-year-old sample contaminated by only a tiny amount of carbon could yield an invalid age of 40,000 years, for example.' And these issues can become even more thorny in the case of a truly committed hoaxer, as physicist Dr Bente Philippsen explained it to DailyMail.com. 'If, as an example, someone fabricated fake alien mummies from ancient animal bones,' Dr Philippsen said, 'the radiocarbon date would still say "ancient," i.e., the time of death of the animal.' Worse, Dr Philippsen noted that there are even more serious issues with using the technique on suspected extraterrestrial bodies. 'Radiocarbon dating is, in fact, only applicable to samples that had lived on Earth, as other planets most probably have different production rates of 14C [the Carbon-14 isotope] in their atmosphere,' said the physicist. While a legal battle to move some of the mummies drags on, testing has continued in Mexico, where one of Maussan's collaborators, Dr Martin Achirica Ramos (pictured) of the alternative health clinic SPES in Mexico City, has worked on the team's 'alien' mummies outside Peru Tennessee Congressman Tim Burchett (left) vowed to assemble 'the most important people in the world' to finally crack the mystery of Peru's 'alien' mummies. The GOP lawmaker made the pledge to Maussan, the Mexican journalist and UFOlogist, in a segment that aired Monday 'If we wanted to radiocarbon date the remains of alien visitors, we would need to have a calibration curve from their home planet,' she added while admitting this was simply a thought experiment. Dr Philippsen, who leads the National Laboratory for Age Determination at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, studied both physics and archeology, which together inform her work improving carbon-dating techniques. In Dr McDowell's view, exactly this kind of broad, cross-discipline work, done by a diverse array of scientists, will be needed to solve the Nazca mummies mystery. 'As I said at the press conference, "None of us is as smart as all of us."' 'We want to have anybody who's taking a look at this, whether it's an anthropologist or an archeologist, or any other expert in chemical analysis, DNA analysis, carbon dating, all of those working together,' Dr McDowell told DailyMail.com. 'If we work together,' he said, 'we'll get it; we'll get a good answer.' Many commuters will know too well that the London Underground has been unbearably hot in recent weeks. And if you've got the feeling your journey is getting hotter by the year, you might just be right. MailOnline's interactive chart reveals the average summer temperatures on seven popular tube lines over the past decade. Based on data from Transport for London (TfL), it shows the Victoria line is hotter than any other, with the summer average pushing past 30C (86F) breaking the legal maximum to transport cattle. Passengers are also sweltering on the Central, Bakerloo and Northern lines, with the deepest lines among the balmiest - so, how does your commute stack up? Your browser does not support iframes. How hot is your tube line? Below are average temperatures for July and August in 2023, per tube line. Victoria - 30.6C/87F - 30.6C/87F Central - 30.0C/86F - 30.0C/86F Bakerloo - 28.7C /83.6F - 28.7C /83.6F Northern - 28.1C/82.5F - 28.1C/82.5F Piccadilly - 27.0C/80.6F - 27.0C/80.6F Jubilee - 25.3C/77.5F - 25.3C/77.5F Waterloo & City - 23.6C/74.4F Source: TfL Advertisement For each year, the graph presents temperatures as an average for July and August generally the two hottest months of the year. Over the past decade, they've mostly fluctuated between 25C and 30C, but the Victoria line in particular shows a concerning increase. The average for July and August 2014 was 26.5C, but this climbed to 31C in July-August 2022 and 30.6C in July-August 2023. In 2023, the Victoria line was the hottest line, not just in the summer but overall for the whole year just like it was in 2022. The Victoria line which runs between Brixton and Walthamstow Central may be so hot because the entire line is underground, meaning heat gets trapped in the tunnel. It is also one of the deepest lines and the deeper a line the less ventilation it receives from the world above. According to one expert, tube temperatures above 30C not only feel uncomfortable but can get 'difficult for the body'. The Victoria line - which runs between Brixton and Walthamstow Central - was the hottest line on the London Underground in summer 2023 In 2023, the Victoria line was the hottest line, not just in the summer but overall for the whole year - just like in 2022. Pictured, a woman cools off in front of a giant fan on the Victoria line, 2023 Lewis Halsey, a professor of health sciences at the University of Roehampton, said dangerous conditions depend on both temperature and humidity how much water vapour is in the surrounding air. When both humidity and temperature are high, the body finds it difficult to keep cool. That's because it's harder to remove heat via evaporation of sweat into the air, potentially leading to dangerous levels of overheating. A busier tube will make it worse because there are more people breathing and sweating meaning more humidity. 'People measure temperature and people less commonly measure humidity, but it's the two combined that affect how well we deal with the heat,' Professor Halsey told MailOnline. How dangerous a trip on the tube could be depends on both temperature and humidity. Pictured, a woman cools down on the London Underground, July 2018 'Over 30 degrees we all know its not the most pleasant temperature but it's not going to kill us off unless we're incredibly frail. 'But if it gets humid, which of course it can get it London, temperatures above 30C can get difficult for the body to "dump" heat as quickly as we're taking it on. 'If the body can't lose heat as quickly as it's taking it on, you're going to get a net gain of heat into the body and body temperature will rise. 'And if body temperature rises too much then you've had it.' If temperatures increase on the tube pushing up towards the 40C mark the most vulnerable people could potentially 'keel over' if there's high humidity, Professor Halsey warned. 'Some people will be fine with that, some people won't and of course it tends to hit the elderly and frail,' he told MailOnline. Fortunately, TfL is working on rolling out cooling and ventilation technologies to tube lines, especially the likes of Victoria, Northern and Central. These include installing air conditioning in carriages, adding more ventilation shafts and using a more efficient braking system that doesn't generate heat. A new 'spy-in-the-sky' satellite has been launched into space by the UK military to help keep an eye on the nation's enemies. Named Tyche, it is UK Space Command's first satellite that can capture daytime images and videos of the Earth's surface and will support the country's military operations. It will also help with environmental disaster monitoring, mapping information development and tracking the impact of climate change globally, the Ministry of Defence has said. The satellite was launched into space on one of Elon Musk's SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets on Friday night from a space force base in California. The first signals were received from Tyche a few hours after lift off which confirmed its successful launch. A new 'spy-in-the-sky' satellite has been launched into space by the UK military to help keep an eye on the nation's enemies Named Tyche, it is UK Space Command's first satellite that can capture daytime images and videos of the Earth's surface and will support the UK's military operations The satellite was launched into space on one of Elon Musk's SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets on Friday night from a space force base in California Tyche, which is comparable in size to a washing machine, was designed and built in the UK through a 22 million contract awarded to Surrey Satellites Technology Limited (SSTL). It is the first satellite to be fully owned by the Ministry of Defence and will be used to strengthen the UKs Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. Over a five-year life span, the 150kg satellite will provide imagery to support the UK armed forces. Maria Eagle, minister for defence procurement and industry, said: 'Tyche will provide essential intelligence for military operations as well as supporting wider tasks across government. 'Tyche also shows the UK's commitment to support innovation in science and technology, stimulating growth across the sector and supporting highly-skilled jobs in the UK.' The Ministry of Defence said the design and build of Tyche had supported about 100 high-skilled roles at SSTL since 2022. UK Space Commander Major General Paul Tedman said: 'This is a fabulous day for UK space. The satellite Tyche is around the size of a washing machine and weighs 150kg The team from UK Space Command who helped develop the satellite Britain launches new spy-in-the-sky military satellite to keep an eye on nation's enemies The first signals were received from Tyche a few hours after lift-off which confirmed its successful launch The Ministry of Defence said the design and build of Tyche had supported about 100 high-skilled roles at SSTL since 2022 'The successful launch of Tyche has shown that UK Space Command, and its essential partners across defence and industry, can rapidly take a concept through to the delivery of a satellite capability on orbit. 'Tyche represents the first of a future constellation of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance satellites that we'll launch over the coming years. 'I'd like to take this opportunity to congratulate everybody involved with Tyche and thank them for their support.' Defence equipment and support space team leader Paul Russell described the project as an 'exciting journey'. He said: 'To see Tyche - the first of a new generation of UK military capabilities - delivered into orbit is an incredibly proud moment and a tribute to everyone's commitment to this key project.' Luca Pferdmenges has visited 190 countries out of a possible 195 in the world - which means he knows a thing or two about the good, the bad and the ugly of travel destinations. And he hasn't kept his thoughts to himself. The 22-year-old German, a professional juggler and a world traveller since the age of 15, revealed which countries are his favourites, which are under- and overrated, the nations with the best and worst food and which are the cheapest and most expensive. Having already visited every country in Europe (Finland completed his conquering of the continent two years ago) he also shared the European countries he considers the most dangerous - and the one that is his least favourite. And the country that gets this last unwelcome honour? Belgium. Luca Pferdmenges has visited 190 countries out of a possible 195 in the world and revealed his top picks - and his least favourite European country: Belgium. He's pictured above at the Brussels Atomium Left: Luca in Tel Aviv, Israel, which he says has some of the best food in the world thanks to its 'vegan Middle Eastern cuisine'. Right: The traveller wearing traditional Bhutanese clothes in Paro, Bhutan, one of his favourite countries The traveller in Somaliland, which he says is one of the most dangerous countries he's visited Luca says: It just feels super unsafe at night in my opinion - and I'm talking about Brussels here. And many of the Belgian cities are pretty ugly as well. Grey and depressive, especially in winter.' When it comes to the most dangerous places in Europe, he remarks: 'Avoid Brussels North at night. But Paris, London or Frankfurt arent much better at night, either.' His top tip for tourists who want to visit the region? Luca says: 'Dont just go to France, Italy, Greece and Spain. There are 40 other countries worth being explored.' The adventurer says he was shocked by how overlooked some of these countries are, commenting: 'Its surprising how little recognition places such as Montenegro or Slovenia get. They are some of the most beautiful countries in the world - and cheap - but nobody visits them.' What about his thoughts on countries worldwide? Which nations does the performer-turned-content creator think are overrated? Luca says: 'Egypt, France, Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles, most of the Caribbean Lesser Antilles. Theyre often very touristy and often dont have much besides pretty beaches. 'Egypt is the most annoying country for tourists in my opinion. The Caribbean is super-overrated - the Lesser Antilles, at least.' And, the most underrated? 'Uzbekistan and some others in Central Asia, Baltic countries, Myanmar, North Macedonia, Bhutan, Montenegro and most countries in Latin America,' the nomad comments. Luca is seen here at Bhutan's Tiger's Nest Monastery The jet-setter is seen here (left) in Ma'aloula, Syria, with friends Philipp Buehl and Sophia Seidl and in Mexico City (right) - he says Mexico has the best food overall The Maldives is 'overrated' says Luca, pictured here in Thoddoo, noting that certain countries are 'often very touristy and often dont have much besides pretty beaches' WANT TO SEE MORE FROM LUCA? Follow his adventures on Instagram under the username @thatgermantravelguy, YouTube at @lucapferdmengesjuggler or TikTok at @thegermantravelguy. Advertisement 'People usually forget they exist, but theyre often way more exciting and more affordable than the "classic tourism destinations". Especially hidden gems like Bhutan and Myanmar. They are really unknown, but some of the prettiest countries in the world.' So which is his favourite country in the world? He finds it hard to choose, and says: 'My favourite places overall - in no particular order: Mexico, Brazil, Israel, Spain, Bhutan, UK, UAE, Portugal, Austria.' When it comes to food, he rates Mexico as the top spot among some honorable mentions. Luca explains: 'The best for food, in my opinion, are Israel, for its vegan Middle Eastern cuisine; Lebanon, also for its Middle Eastern cuisine; Ethiopia, for its Injera [a type of bread]; Germany and UK, for the supermarkets; Mexico, overall; and all Mediterranean cuisine.' And, the worst nations for food would be? He says: 'Poor countries with no options. Places like Haiti or Chad. As a vegan, the Balkan countries also suck when it comes to food. Luca with local children in Bangui, Central African Republic. He says that 'lots of African countries' are dangerous, 'especially for women' Left: Luca standing by the Poikalyan Madrasah in Bukhara, Uzbekistan, which he says is 'underrated'. Right: He strolls in Kiribati, an island in the central Pacific Ocean. He says: 'All small Pacific island nations have the worst and unhealthiest food' 'All small Pacific island nations have the worst and unhealthiest food overall since everything needs to be imported and nothing grows on the islands.' What about the cost of living? Which were the least and most expensive countries to visit? Luca notes: 'The cheapest countries: Afghanistan - but I visited before the Taliban takeover - [where] a plate of street food was 11 cents [9p/12c USD]) ; Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, and Nepal. 'The most expensive countries: Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, Israel, New Zealand. But there is so much data for this, my answers are inevitably biased.' Luca does warn that some countries and cities feel safer than others. But which felt the most dangerous? Luca in Petare, Venezuela, which he says is 'the most dangerous ghetto in Latin America' Luca at the Gates of Hell (a burning natural gas field) in Turkmenistan, one of the 190 countries he has visited since he was 15 The traveller ventured to Petare, Venezuela, which he says is 'the most dangerous ghetto in Latin America', and added that other risky places included Haiti, Yemen, Somalia, Papua New Guinea, and 'lots of African countries, especially for women'. Discussing his mega-adventure, Luca notes: 'Travelling to every country in the world is extremely challenging, time-consuming and expensive. Would I recommend it? Absolutely not. 'The first 100 or 130 countries are usually a lot of fun you can choose the places you really want to travel to. Towards the end, you are left with some of the toughest places to visit. Some are dangerous, some are expensive - most are a mix of both. 'Dont get me wrong, I enjoy my life as a content creator, otherwise I would not do it. I love it. The freedom it gives me is insane and I am very grateful to be able to travel for a living. 'But lets be honest: Has it always been my dream to visit Chad? What about Afghanistan, Djibouti or Guinea-Bissau? Some countries I only visit for the sake of literally visiting every country, not because it was always my dream to go there. 'But thats exactly what I love about it. I am always exposed to new environments and cultures.' And some, the traveller discovered, have practices that some might consider slightly alarming. Luca sits with a local in South Sudan, where he says the Mundari Tribe 'live alongside their cattle'. Here, the intrepid traveller experienced a cow-pee shower Left: Luca has spent a lot of time in the UK and says it's one of his favourite countries. Right: The traveller in Haiti, one of the countries he considers the most dangerous He reveals: 'Just one week ago, I was visiting the Mundari tribe in South Sudan. They live alongside their cattle, its the biggest resource they have. I became the first tourist to actually follow through with their morning routine of showering in cows p**s. 'Since water is scarce, the Mundari Tribe wash themselves in cow pee. You literally just spot a peeing cow, sit beneath it and enjoy a warm morning wash. 'Experiences like this one are what makes this mission so fun for me. Whether its riding the famous Iron Ore cargo train through the Sahara desert in Mauritania, staying with indigenous Kalinago people in the rainforest of Dominica, partying all night in Mexico City or attending a funeral in the least visited country in the world, Tuvalu, the world has so many different things to offer.' The final five countries the young explorer has yet to visit are Libya, Mali, Sudan, North Korea and Palau. Across the border, he discovered some rules were more lenient than expected Keen to see what Kim Jong Un has been up to over the past four years? A sleeper train into his hermit kingdom could be just the ticket, as one intrepid traveller reveals. Dictator Kim announced that he's reopening North Korea to tourists from December, after sealing off his reclusive nation from the world when the pandemic struck. The obvious way in is by plane, but adventure blogger Anthony Middleton documented an eye-opening alternative - the Pyongyang Express from China, which he said offers views of North Korea's rolling countryside and, Anthony revealed, the beer served on board is as good as anything available in Britain. The 40-year-old, who runs the Man vs Clock travel blog, set off on the eight-hour rail journey during a 'harsh winter season', when the ground was covered with thick ice and temperatures regularly dropped below freezing. Anthony Middleton travelled aboard the Pyongyang Express, pictured, from China to the North Korean capital, Pyongyang 'Its known to be the most isolated country on Earth,' said Anthony, from Durham. 'I found this fascinating, as not many people can witness it with their own eyes. 'Every hour of every day was jam-packed with places to go and things to wrap my head around.' Anthony, who lives in Thailand, said he was inspired to visit North Korea as part of a personal goal to visit every country in the world. He wanted to experience 'as much as humanly possible' in the secretive state, where tourists have restricted access and are only allowed to travel in groups organised by officials or approved travel agencies. This drew his attention to the Pyongyang Express train, which he rode from the Chinese border city of Dandong. Each section has four beds, hot water taps for tea and a 'no-nonsense lady serving snacks from a trolley', said Anthony The total distance from Dandong to Pyongyang is approximately 225km (140 miles) 'It's not possible to travel independently as a tourist to North Korea, so you have to go with one of the few DPRK-approved tour companies,' he explained. 'I went with a company called Young Pioneer Tours. I had to sort out my double-entry Chinese visa, which in my experience can be a little tricky, but I got mine with no dramas in Bangkok. 'Other than that, once I paid the company the agreed 1,245 [$1,549] fee, they took care of the sleeper train.' Before boarding the train in Dandong, Anthony went through Chinese exit customs and immigration checks at Dandong railway station. Here, he recalled being met with 'a large waving statue' of Mao Zedong, former leader of the Chinese Communist Party, which 'set the tone for what I was about to experience across the border'. Boarding the train in Dandong, pictured, Anthony recalled being met with 'a large waving statue' of Mao Zedong, former leader of the Chinese Communist Party Anthony standing by the Mao Zedong statue A tour guide handed Anthony his North Korean identity card, which he used to board the train. Shortly into its journey, the train crossed the Yalu River via the Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge and arrived in Sinuiju city, North Korea. 'Dandong is right on the border, so the portion of the journey within China is minimal,' Anthony said. 'Once the train crosses into North Korea at Sinuiju, the entire remainder of the journey is within North Korean territory. 'The total distance to Pyongyang is approximately 225km (140 miles).' At Sinuiju, all passengers disembarked the train 'for North Korean entry procedures', including immigration and customs checks, Anthony said. He added: 'The process here can be lengthy and thorough, as North Korean authorities closely scrutinise all documents, luggage, and everyone entering the country before getting back on the train. 'I had read that this takes up to four hours, but for us it was only 90 minutes.' Anthony said he felt anxious about the content on his phone, fearing the consequences of 'possessing anything that could be deemed offensive by North Korean standards'. The sleeper train, pictured, passes through the North Korean countryside on an eight-hour journey. Pictured: Local people waved at Anthony through the window of the train But he had prepared for this process with a 'thorough digital cleanse', reducing his phone usage before the trip. Tourists who have failed to follow strict North Korean rules have faced severe punishment, such as 21-year-old Otto Warmbier, who was sentenced to 15 years in prison with hard labour after admitting to trying to steal a propaganda banner from a restricted area of his hotel while visiting in 2016. The university student, from Cincinnati, Ohio, served 17 months of his sentence in North Korea before he was brought home to the US in a coma. He died six days later. Anthony said he feared 'the consequences of possessing anything that could be deemed offensive by North Korean standards' before entering the secretive state. Here, he is pictured with a soldier in the demilitarised zone Travelling on the sleeper train, Anthony was able to see some of the North Korean countryside Peering out of the train window, Anthony observed how most locals 'got around on old bicycles' and that some would 'curiously look inside the train sheepishly' A building in the demilitarised zone In Anthony's case, military personnel asked him to hand over his phone for a 'five-second' check before permitting him to continue his journey to Pyongyang. The sleeper train was 'rustic and exceptionally clean' with a 'typical old Soviet style', according to Anthony. The carriages contained first-class sections known as 'soft sleepers', which consisted of four beds in a cabin, and budget cabins with six beds. 'I knew I'd barely sleep so I took the budget cabin,' said Anthony, 'which was included in the total tour price.' There were hot water taps for tea, the traveller explained, and a 'no-nonsense lady serving snacks from a trolley'. Photographing train stations, soldiers and police officers was prohibited Foreign tourists were not allowed to disembark the train at any railway stations on the way to Pyongyang (pictured), and could only get off the train once instructed, Anthony said Statues and monuments commemorating the Kim family's leadership are a common sight throughout North Korea, said Anthony, who is pictured above at the Mansu Hill Grand Monument in Pyongyang Pictured: The Taedong River, partly covered in ice, in Pyongyang A propaganda poster on a wall in North Korea Anthony continued: 'On the sleeper train from Dandong to Pyongyang there typically isn't a proper restaurant car where you can sit down for a full meal. 'Instead, the train might have a simple dining or buffet car offering limited snacks and beverages, primarily consisting of local North Korean products such as biscuits, crisps, chocolate and noodles - which, surprisingly, weren't spicy. 'The snacks did the job, but they were pretty bland compared to a Mars bar or any other finely-tuned chocolate from global brands that have more ingredient options at their disposal.' When it came to onboard beverages, Anthony was surprised to find that alcohol was 'served regularly' and said the train trip was 'very boozy'. As a fan of soju, an alcoholic drink made from fermented white rice served in South Korea, he was 'looking forward to trying the North Korean version'. But this, he said, was 'distinctively less sweet and considerably higher in alcohol content'. There were beers, too. 'They were on par with any British beer, in all honesty,' Anthony said. 'So not bad but certainly not the best out there.' Anthony at the Arch of Reunification in Pyongyang Was it a comfortable ride? Anthony said: 'It was constantly cold and, as expected, a little rough around the edges. But I got to see some of the countryside of North Korea as I crossed over the border from China and also on the return leg.' Peering out of the window of the train, Anthony observed how most locals 'got around on old bicycles' and that some would 'curiously look inside the train sheepishly' while others would 'manage a wave'. Foreign tourists were not allowed to disembark at any railway stations on the way to Pyongyang and could only get off the train once instructed, Anthony said. 'For locals, the situation is quite different,' he added. 'Some North Korean residents can disembark at stops along the train route from Dandong to Pyongyang, provided they have the necessary permissions to travel. 'In North Korea, citizens require travel permits to go between different regions or provinces and their movement is also closely monitored and controlled by the government.' In a similar vein, there were also 'no-go areas' onboard the train, according to Anthony, who was informed of the rules by a tour guide. 'Other than the defined prohibited areas, we could wander within our carriage and get food at the small kiosk,' he explained. Another aspect that surprised Anthony was that he was allowed to take pictures of the countryside rolling past the train window. But photographing train stations, soldiers and police officers was prohibited. Anthony arrived in Pyongyang on the birthday of Kim Jong-il - the former supreme leader of North Korea. 'I knew I was in for a unique experience when I realised that my visit coincided with this,' he said. Arriving in Pyongyang, Anthony saw crowds of people gathering to celebrate the birthday of North Korea's former supreme leader, Kim Jong-il The celebrations involved a massive synchronised dance Anthony describes the dance as a 'unique experience' 'On the day, I saw mass celebrations across the capital. Most people were dressed in red and we were invited to see a massive synchronised dance for him.' Anthony also visited the 'grand' flower festival featuring the 'Kimjongilia' flower, named after the former leader shortly after his death in 2011. He compared the birthday celebrations to a 'religious festival dedicated to a deity', but with a 'markedly different' atmosphere. 'While there was admiration, the underlying sense of joy and hope that usually accompanies religious celebrations seemed absent,' he remarked. One highlight for Anthony was the flower festival featuring the 'Kimjongilia', a flower named after the former leader Here, Anthony is at Kim Il Sung Square in the Central District of Pyongyang Anthony said there is a 'force woven into the fabric of daily life' in North Korea, which he referred to as 'the cult of Kims' in relation to the Kim family. 'Everywhere you turn, larger-than-life portraits of Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il and Kim Jong-un watch over public spaces,' he said. 'While statues and monuments commemorating their leadership are a common sight throughout the country. 'Experiencing this first-hand is surreal. I have visited many places around the world where the country has been seduced by the cult-like personality of a leader or a popular proposed figurehead, but this was on a whole new level of adoration.' During Anthony's tour of Pyongyang, North Korean guides would refer to Kim-Jong-il as 'our dear leader', he recalled. Pictured: Pyongyang metro station Anthony pictured at Puhung metro station in Pyongyang Pictured: People riding the metro system through the North Korean capital HOW TO VISIT NORTH KOREA VIA THE SLEEPER TRAIN FROM CHINA We asked Anthony Middleton from Man vs Clock to break down how he reached Pyongyang. How did you get to Dandong? I flew to Shenyang and took a bullet train to Dandong. It took an hour and a half to get there. If you do have to take the train to Dandong, you need to order the ticket online first at ctrip.com and collect it at the station in Shenyang. How did you book the sleeper train? It's not possible to travel independently as a tourist to North Korea, so you have to go with one of the few DPRK-approved tour companies. I went with a company called Young Pioneer Tours. I had to sort out my double-entry Chinese visa, which in my experience can be a little tricky but I got mine with no dramas in Bangkok. Other than that - once I paid the company the agreed 1,245 fee, they took care of the sleeper train. Can you get off the train at other stops before Pyongyang? We were not allowed to disembark at any stops on the way to Pyongyang and could only get off the train once instructed when the train arrived in Pyongyang. For locals, the situation is quite different from that for tourists. Some North Korean residents can disembark at stops along the train route from Dandong to Pyongyang, provided they have the necessary permissions to travel. What is the route? The journey by sleeper train from Dandong, China, to Pyongyang, North Korea, involves crossing the Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge over the Yalu River. Dandong is right on the border, so the portion of the journey within China is minimal, primarily just the city limits of Dandong itself. Once the train crosses into North Korea at Sinuiju, the entire remainder of the journey is within North Korean territory. The total distance from Dandong to Pyongyang is approximately 225km (140 miles). Are there different classes of accommodation onboard? The tour company offered via email the possibility to upgrade to first-class sleepers, known as 'soft sleeper', which consists of four beds in a cabin as opposed to six. I knew I'd barely sleep so I didn't ask for that and so I took the budget cabin, which was included in the total tour price. How do you pass through the border? Before boarding the train in Dandong, travellers will go through Chinese exit customs and immigration checks at the Dandong railway station and get on the train with their North Korea identity card that the tour guide provides them in Dandong. Upon arriving in Sinuiju, the first city across the border in North Korea, all passengers disembark for North Korean entry procedures. This includes immigration and customs checks. The process here can be lengthy and thorough, as North Korean authorities closely scrutinise all documents, luggage, and everyone entering the country before getting back on the train. I had read this takes up to four hours, but for us it was only 90 minutes. What is it like onboard the train? On the sleeper train from Dandong to Pyongyang, there typically isn't a proper restaurant car where you can sit down for a full meal. Instead, the train might have a simple dining or buffet car offering limited snacks and beverages, primarily consisting of local North Korean products such as biscuits, crisps, chocolate and noodles - which surprisingly weren't spicy. The snacks did the job but they were pretty bland compared to a Mars bar or any other finely-tuned global chocolate from brands that have more ingredient options at their disposal. The train trip was very boozy! I'm a fan of soju from South Korea so I was looking forward to trying the North Korean version - it was very different from the one in the south as it was distinctively less sweet and considerably higher in alcohol content. The beers were on par with any British beer in all honesty - so not bad but certainly not the best out there. Source: Anthony Middleton, Man vs Clock Advertisement During a tour of Pyongyang, North Korean guides would refer to Kim-Jong-il as 'our dear leader' and praise 'the wonderful things that he had done' with a level of faith that 'echoed themes of an Orwellian novel', Anthony said. After visiting the capital, he stopped off in Sariwon, which he described as a 'newer city than Pyongyang' where people are 'even shyer'. Here, he enjoyed a short hike before tucking into local food at a booked restaurant. 'Then, the curtain suddenly went up and a stage appeared with a North Korean girl band,' he added. Anthony sat down at a booked restaurant in Sariwon, where the curtain 'suddenly went up' and a girl band appeared When the girl band appeared, Anthony said he felt 'very much ready to head back to China' Anthony said that Sariwon, above, is a 'newer city where people are even shyer' TIPS FOR VISITING NORTH KOREA 1. You can only plan so much You dont have much say in what you can and can't visit because all activities are firmly coordinated by the government and your tour company. 2. Its not as dangerous as people think If you behave well and strictly follow the rules, you will not be at risk of danger. The tightly controlled environment is strictly monitored and, so long as you arent politically provocative, you will be okay. 3. Tourist visas are not hard to obtain The largest myth surrounding travel to North Korea is that you are not allowed to visit, or that it is difficult to obtain a visa as a westerner. Obtaining a visa is possible and then your tour company arranges the rest for you. 4. All of your money will go to the government In North Korea, every single penny goes to the government. 5. Consider a Homestay Staying with a North Korean family may not show you the whole truth but it certainly gives extra insight into the country and a big part of me wishes I had done this - it is very possible with most tours. 7. Avoid patronising the locals Resist any urge to adopt a superior attitude that mocks the people rather than critiquing the regime. This trivialises the complex reasons behind the North Korean people's outward loyalty and misses the mark of compassionate understanding. The fact that we would be behaving the same, if in their unique situation, seems to be lost on many people. 8. You dont have to respect rules to abide by them North Korea is not the place to show off your rebellious side. Many rules will not make sense and you will read about things beforehand that you will not like. Conform while you are there and hold onto any conflicting thoughts until you are home. Source: Anthony Middleton, Man vs Clock Advertisement 'As I locked horns with my personal dialogue and the intense sensory overload, I realised I was very much ready to head back to China the next day.' Reflecting on the highs and lows of his 2019 trip, Anthony said the main highlight was 'undoubtedly' interacting with local people despite this being 'within the constraints imposed by the tour and government regulations'. While the least enjoyable aspect of the trip, he said, was 'grappling with the awareness that there was an entirely different reality taking place around me, one that I would never get anywhere close to'. Budget airline Wizz Air has launched a new 'all you can fly' deal for just 426-a-year with customers able to jump on unlimited flights. The subscription service, priced at 499 (426) for a short time in August, allows passengers to fly as far as the Maldives for a flat fare of 9 per hop. Wizz said it had been 'overwhelmed by the extremely positive response' for the new scheme that will be valid on flights from September 25. 'This membership will allow frequent flyers to save money, visit friends and family more regularly and spontaneously visit off-the-beaten-track destinations', a spokesperson for the airline said. But is Wizz Air's offer really such a good deal? While some customers and experts have said the scheme is insanely great - others have warned there are hidden catches. Budget airline Wizz Air has launched a new 'all you can fly' deal for just 426-a-year with customers able to jump on unlimited flights The small print One snag is that it is for last-minute trips only, and bookings must be made within 72 hours of the flight taking off. Passengers must also pay an additional fee of 9 every time they book a trip and the deal is valid for one person only. Flights do not include 'trolley bags' to be stored in the overhead lockers and crucially it depends whether there are any seats left on the aircraft at the time of booking. Another snag is that, while 426 a year sounds cheap, so are Wizz Air flights. This means customers could need to book up three to five flights a year before making their money back. Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel has advised passengers to look beyond the enticing headline price of the deal to work out if it will really save them money. He said that multiple short-notice journeys will be required to make the subscription fee worth it. Mr Boland added in his comments to the BBC: 'It is also ironic to see an airline which claims to be Europe's 'greenest' encouraging consumers to take unlimited flights.' Wizz said it has been 'overwhelmed by the extremely positive response' for the new scheme that will be valid from September 25 The subscription service, priced at 499 (426) for a short time in August, allows passengers to fly as far as the Maldives (pictured) for a flat fare of 9 per hop Pictured: Passengers board a Wizz Air plane at London Luton airport in December last year Flight delays Wizz Air was named the worst airline in the UK for flight delays in June following analysis of data by the PA news agency. The low-cost carrier's departures from UK airports were an average of 31 minutes and 36 seconds behind schedule last year, according to data from the Civil Aviation Authority. This was a reduction of nearly a third compared with 2022, but means the airline recorded the worst punctuality for UK flights for three consecutive years. Wizz Air said at the time it had made 'significant improvements' but acknowledged there is 'still work to be done'. One disgruntled customer James Glenton, 36, from York, said according to the BBC: 'You can subscribe to this scheme but you might never take off'. He is still hoping for compensation from the airline for a cancelled flight one year on. Mr Glenton's flight from Leeds Bradford Airport to Wroclaw in Poland was cancelled in July last year and he had to travel from Luton the next day. He claims the cancellation cost him two days of his holiday, money on a hotel and petrol costs travelling to and from Luton. Travel whenever you like Some customers, however, have said they will definitely be signing up for the scheme as it gives them the opportunity to travel whenever they like for a small cost. Talie Delemere, 34, who lives near Luton Airport has already paid the subscription fee. She told the BBC: 'I travel a lot anyway, between eight and 12 times a year and I mostly travel with hand luggage.' Ryanair and Wizz Air aircraft are seen at Ferenc Liszt International Airport in Budapest Pictured: Prague in the Czech Republic which is one of Wizz Air's popular destinations Travel expert Simon Calder said the scheme is great for frequent flyers such as Eastern Europeans who live in the UK and frequently travel back to visit family. Flyers will be able to use the deal to travel from 200 cities in more than 50 countries on 800 Wizz Air routes. Wizz Air's Commercial Officer, Silvia Mosquera said: 'We are thrilled to be the first to introduce this one-of-a-kind membership for travellers in Europe. The WIZZ All You Can Fly membership will give customers hundreds of spontaneous travel options for a fixed price, giving them freedom to fly whenever is convenient without paying extra. 'From the adventurous travellers, to the digital nomads, this membership will make travel easier for frequent flyers and connect people with new people and places.' The deal was priced at 499 (426) between August 13 and August 15. For those who have missed the deadline the same deal will cost 85 more and is limited to 10,000 customers. The topic of mental health has been in the spotlight this week after ABC star Nate Byrne suffered a panic attack on live TV. The News Breakfast weather presenter was forced to halt his report in the middle of Tuesday morning's broadcast after suffering a panic attack. Following the on-air attack, Jackie O Henderson shared her own past struggles with the disorder. Other high profile stars including Carrie Bickmore and Osher Gunsberg have also admitted to their own private struggles with anxiety. Women's mental health organisation the Liptember Foundation revealed this week that a quarter of Australian women are likely living with a severe disorder - a figure that has remained constant since 2022. The Australian Bureau Of Statistics' National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing has also indicated that almost one in five males had a 12-month mental disorder in 2020-2022. Celebrities are now impacting and inspiring more honest discussions about mental health and removing the stigma from these issues. Here is a look at some Australian celebrities who have spoken up about their private mental health struggles. Jackie 'O' Henderson revealed her own harrowing experience with panic attacks Wednesday morning after ABC star Nate Byrne suffered one on live TV Jackie 'O' Henderson revealed her own harrowing experience with panic attacks on Wednesday morning. The radio host, 49, expressed her deepest sympathies for ABC weather presenter Byrne when he experienced a bout of anxiety mid-report. Sharing her own past struggles with the disorder, Jackie confessed she once had a bad drug experience which led to regular panic attacks for up to two years. 'I used to get them. I don't get them anymore, thank God. It's the whole reason I don't do drugs because it happened off the back of drugs,' she said. 'I got them for a year or two and I never said anything... I didn't get them severely like other people get them, where you think you're going to die.' When co-host Kyle Sandilands asked how she got them, Jackie said: 'Remember when I had that acid trip and weed on the same day [on the Gold Coast]? 'From that it just spiralled and lasted two years.' Beloved Aussie radio and TV star Carrie Bickmore broke down in tears this week after revealing a private 20-year struggle with anxiety and panic attacks Carrie Bickmore Beloved Aussie radio and TV star Carrie Bickmore broke down in tears this week after revealing a private 20-year struggle with anxiety and panic attacks. The heartbreaking admission from the blonde radio star, 43, came during a candid discussion with Tommy Little, 39, on their Carrie and Tommy Hit Network show. 'I've suffered from anxiety and panic attacks since I was about 20,' Carrie admitted to her co-host. 'A lot of the time it makes me extremely uncomfortable,' Carrie replied. 'It's hard, actually, to describe what I felt. It was like shame, I think, [and] embarrassment.' 'I don't think I really fully understood what was going on in my own head. I think talking about it almost made me feel more anxious, so I just kept it in my own head,' she added. Carrie was then moved to tears as she recounted watching old footage of herself on Rove McManus' Rove Live, admitting that she was in a 'permanent state of panic' during her time on the hit Network Ten show from 2006 to 2009. 'I just saw in the vision of me on Rove Live, all I could see was anxiety and I was just permanently in a state of panic on that show,' Carrie tearfully revealed. 'I saw that girl in the vision, and I just wanted to reach through the phone and hug her because I was like, "Oh my God, that was terrifying". Yet, I also remember it as being such an awesome part of my life. And that's the trickiness with anxiety.' ABC News Breakfast weather presenter Nate Byrne was forced to halt his report in the middle of Tuesday morning's broadcast after suffering a panic attack live on-air Nate Byrne ABC News Breakfast weather presenter Byrne was forced to halt his report in the middle of Tuesday morning's broadcast after suffering a panic attack live on-air. Byrne cut short his broadcast just before 6.30am, telling viewers 'I'm going to need to stop for a second'. Voice quivering, he told viewers: 'Some of you may know that I occasionally get affected by some panic attacks, and actually that's happening right now. 'Lisa (Millar), maybe I could hand back to you.' Co-host Millar quickly took over the broadcast while Byrne recovered off camera. Byrne has spoken openly about his struggles with anxiety - publishing an article in 2022 where he documented his experiences of on-air panic attacks. The weather presenter was later welcomed back to the show and apologised for stepping out. 'Sorry if I gave anybody a bit of a scare,' he said. The Bachelor host Osher Gunsberg has spoken frequently about his struggles with mental health after suffering from anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder Osher Gunsberg The Bachelor host Osher Gunsberg has spoken frequently about his struggles with mental health. The 50-year-old previously revealed he suffers from anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder. In 2018, Osher's wife Audrey Griffin appeared on his podcast Better Than Yesterday and revealed that even sunshine would send the TV personality into a panic. 'I remember those days. I remember when if we walked outside and the sun was shining and you felt warmth on your skin, you'd hit the fear button,' Audrey said in a clip from the episode, which Osher shared to Instagram. She went on: 'It would be intense and it would be hard to talk you back into the room. And you would retreat yourself'. Audrey said that she pushed hard to reach the man she loved when he was having an episode, which Osher described as 'being gone for hours'. 'I don't know if I did the right hing but I used to just bully my way back into your space and try and bring you back,' Audrey said. 'I'm a make up artist, I'm not a trained professional. But I could see you could see that it was going to be hard for you to come out on your own'. Osher replied: 'I'm bloody grateful you did because I wouldn't be able to do it by myself' to which Audrey gently said, 'Sometimes we can't do things by ourselves'. Jesinta Franklin revealed in 2018 that she suffers from anxiety so severe it once stopped her leaving her house Jesinta Franklin Jesinta Franklin revealed in 2018 that she suffers from anxiety so severe it once stopped her leaving her house. The 33-year-old said her mental health battles began when she won Miss Universe in 2010. 'It was just so overwhelming. There were days where it was really hard for me to go outside because I felt like everyone was looking at me,' the model told Marie Claire. 'A few years ago, I was lying in bed and I felt like I couldn't breathe, and that my chest was caving in,' she added. After seeing a doctor the beauty was diagnosed with anxiety, and now sees a healthcare professional to help treat it. She also finds comfort in husband Lance 'Buddy' Franklin who has suffered from mental health issues himself. 'My husband can sense when I'm anxious and helps me through it. He has been through his own battles with mental health, and I think it's nice that we can talk about it together,' she told the publication. Sam Frost has spoken bravely about her mental health struggles after appearing on The Bachelor in 2014 Sam Frost Sam Frost has spoken bravely about her mental health struggles in recent years, after rising to fame as a contestant on The Bachelor in 2014. The 35-year-old has been particularly candid about her battle with anxiety, which she again discussed on Channel Seven's The Morning Show in 2018. The Home and Away star revealed that panic attacks can strike unexpectedly, like when she is going to the gym. 'It is just things like going to the gym. I can have a little freak out and burst into tears - I don't even know what is so scary about it,' she said. The former 2Day FM radio host added that she sometimes becomes so crippled with anxiety that she has to leave. Sam explained that managing her anxiety is something she is getting better at because her psychologist has taught her several helpful techniques. Speaking to the Life Uncut podcast in June this year, Sam again delved into her experiences with depression and anxiety, revealing the profound impact of her television stint and the transformative power of motherhood. 'I've grown up struggling with depression and anxiety and it was conversations that weren't being had when I was a teenager,' she explained. 'I genuinely thought something was wrong with my brain. I hated myself, I hated my brain, I hated the way I looked, I hated my thoughts, I hated everything about who I was.' Despite these hardships, Sam's tone shifted as she spoke about the transformative impact of becoming a mother to son Theodore with beau Jordie Hansen. Celebrity chef Manu Feildel candidly opened up about his private mental health struggle in July Manu Feildel Manu Feildel candidly opened up about his private mental health struggle in July. The My Kitchen Rules judge and celebrity chef addressed his personal experience with stress and anxiety and the methods he uses to ease his symptoms. In an Instagram post, the 50-year-old French-Australian restaurateur said he goes swimming in an ocean pool almost every morning as the sun rises. 'I do not share too much of my private life on my social media the last couple of years but today I felt like sharing my experience,' he began. 'I believe that most of us suffer from some type of stress, anxiety or even some mental breakdowns at time and trust me, I am not any different. I believe I found my medicine. 'Since the beginning of the year I've been swimming in the ocean pool nearly every mornings and it's changed my life in many ways. It's nothing spiritual but just simply revitalising. It clears my mind from any negativity and kick start my day in a great mood. It's giving me more energy and more focus.' 'Anyway I just thought if I can help someone finding a solution to their battles, try that,' he suggested. Manu was inundated with warm messages of encouragement from his friends in the comments. If you or anyone you know needs immediate support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or via lifeline.org.au. In an emergency, call 000. Australian victim-survivors of domestic abuse are being 'triggered' and 're-traumatised' by Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's new film, according to one prominent activist. The Gossip Girl alum, 36, has been embroiled in a firestorm of negative publicity and public outrage in response to her lighthearted and sarcastic promotion of the film in recent weeks. Netizens are in an uproar about Blake's joking response to a question posed by reporter Jake Hamilton during a virtual sit down with her co-star Brandon Sklenar. When asked how she would respond to an affected viewer approaching her with their story, the actress was sprawled on a couch with her head leaning on her bent arm and replied sarcastically: 'Maybe asking for, like, my address, or my phone number. Or, like, location share?! I could just location-share you and then we could' Laughing, she trailed off, as Sklenar sat silently and appeared as if he wished the couch would swallow him. 'It was really weird,' What Were You Wearing founder Sarah Williams exclusively told Daily Mail Australia. The 23-year-old, who founded the not-for-profit behind Australia's national No More Violence Against Women rallies, said Blake's interview was problematic, but that she's more concerned about the movie itself after having seen it. 'Blake's recent interview was very unprofessional and insensitive,' Williams said. Australian victim-survivors of domestic abuse are being 'triggered' and 're-traumatised' by Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's new film, according to one prominent activist. Blake is pictured with co-star Brandon Sklenar What Were You Wearing founder Sarah Williams (pictured) who founded the not-for-profit behind Australia's national No More Violence Against Women rallies, said she's concerned about the movie after having seen it 'I think it shows how Hollywood often takes these issues as inspiration but doesn't take them seriously.' 'People are going to potentially want to share their stories or want to open up to her because she's portrayed this character,' she continued. '[Blake] could have answered that question in a more respectful manner and said something like: 'I don't want to open up the floodgates for millions of people, where I might not be able to respond', and then urged them to go to a DV service.' It Ends With Us premiered in Australian cinemas on August 8. Since last week, Williams said What Were You Wearing has had multiple people seek their help after seeing the film adaption of Colleen Hoover's novel starring the Age of Adaline actress. 'Quite a few people have come forward, who went into the cinemas thinking it was a rom-com, but left extremely triggered and needing our support,' Williams told Daily Mail on Friday. 'There are no trigger or content warnings on the film. A Hollywood movie like that would have a big budget, and if they'd spent any of it on a trauma-informed advisory panel, I guarantee its first piece of advice would be to add a trigger warning.' Lively is pictured portraying character Lily Bloom on the set of It Ends With Us alongside her co-star and director Justin Baldoni The pair are rumoured to be feuding over the making and promotion of the film Blake Lively is known for playing leading ladies in romantic dramas and has also come under fire for lightheartedly telling women to 'wear their florals' to the cinemas for the occasion. 'The poster and the marketing is all geared towards florals and romance, so as a victim-survivor going into see that movie, you're not in a prepared mindset to see something triggering,' Williams said. 'There's nothing depicting DV in the marketing.' 'Seeing an experience that you have lived through yourself can easily be re-traumatising. People have been telling me they weren't prepared for it. That they weren't mentally safe and ready to see that.' The actress is receiving strong backlash against the 'cutesy' approach to marketing a film about domestic violence Lively has come under fire for cross-promoting It Ends With Us with her cocktail brand and husband Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool 2 Meanwhile, It Ends With Us director and actor Baldoni, has included a directive to a DV helpline on his social media On one hand, the young activist said she's happy that that It Ends With Us is getting people talking about a very important issue. 'It's great that we have a movie that is about domestic violence. It's not often that we have movies depicting these types of relationships, and often, they're bad,' Williams said. On the other: 'I definitely think that's it glamourises and romanticises domestic violence.' While she wouldn't go as far as to say the movie was 'done badly', Williams said the Hollywood ending presents a big problem. It Ends With Us follows a woman named Lily Bloom, played by Blake, who becomes embroiled in an abusive relationship with a man named Ryle Kincaid, portrayed by Justin Baldoni. Domestic violence victim-survivors like Williams are pointing out flaws with It Ends With Us, both in the movie itself, and in Blake's promotion of it that could be confused for a romantic comedy 'Spoiler, but when Lily leaves the abusive relationship, it all happens very safely and very perfectly,' Williams said. 'And that's just not how it is in real life.' The idea that ending an abusive relationship is as simple as just leaving is a harmful myth which the film perpetuates, Williams explained, because most people don't want the relationship itself to end they just want the violence to stop. 'These factors mean that, on average, it takes seven attempts for a victim to leave a domestic violence situation,' Williams said. 'When a victim-survivor is escaping their abuser, that's the time when they're most likely to be murdered or seriously hurt.' Roughly one woman dies of intimate partner violence in Australia every four days, per 2024 data. Sarah Williams founded What Were You Wearing to bring awareness to the issue Four months into 2024, 33 women in Australia had been murdered, largely by a man they knew. The data comes from Australia's Femicide Watch, a site run by journalist and researcher Sherele Moody. The figures equate to roughly one woman every four days. The Guardian detailed a new report by the Australian Institute of Criminology on April 30, which said the rate of women killed by an intimate partner in Australia increased by nearly 30 per cent in 2022-23 compared with the previous year. The previous weekend (26 to 28 April), a media blitz backing Williams' No More rallies saw more than one-hundred thousand Australians march across 17 locations chanting to end violence against women. 'Lily (Blake's character) is pretty much able to leave as soon as she decides to and everything's fine,' Williams said. 'What annoyed me the most about the movie was this perfect ending,' Williams said. 'The reality is that after leaving DV situations, people go into homelessness. Or lose their jobs. Or can't continue studying at university. They have issues with looking after their children and making sure that they're safe. They have trouble rebuilding trust in new, healthy relationships. 'The way the movie ends, with Lily living a safe, pretty, and happy life with a new guy and her child, gives off the idea that you can go through DV and escape perfectly. 'My concern is for victim-survivors who may get the courage to leave a situation after seeing a film like this and then realise all the other aspects of their life which are impacted.' However, there are a few things that Williams does think It Ends With Us got right. 'It does show little things that people wouldn't normally see or understand as being part of domestic violence,' she said, referencing the emotional and coercive elements of the relationship. 'So it's providing education and opening people's minds to understanding that DV doesn't start and end with physical abuse.' Blake and Justin have presented anything but a united front in the face of rising public outrage. The director hired veteran PR crisis manager Melissa Nathan, who represented Johnny Depp during the Amber Heard trial on Tuesday. 'Out of all the people you could hire, to pick Johnny Depp's PR person raises some doubts for me,' Williams said. Facing increasing backlash, Blake Lively has begun sharing the helplines of domestic violence organisations in the last 24 hours Meanwhile, Blake is back-tracking on refusing to address the film's themes and has been sharing domestic violence helplines to her social media accounts in earnest over the last 24 hours. As far as Williams and other domestic violence advocates are concerned: 'They're both in the wrong here,' she said. '100 per cent'. 'It shows how when you don't have the same vision between all the people who are heavily involved in a project like this, just how easily things can go wrong and become really dangerous.' Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni for comment. If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit their website. In an emergency, call 000. Jill Zarin's daughter, Ally Shapiro, excitedly revealed that she is engaged after a surprise proposal during a European getaway with her now-fiance, Jordan Bilfeld, and family. The RHONY alum, 60 - who recently reunited with her former castmate Bethenny Frankel in the Hamptons - joined her daughter, 31, on the memorable trip, as well as her partner, Gary Brody. Shapiro jumped to her Instagram stories on Friday to announce the engagement - which occurred in Spain - and also flaunted a sparkling, diamond ring on her finger. In the first snap, the businesswoman and Bilfeld - who is a director of a media agency - paused for a selfie as the couple flashed happy smiles towards the camera. Ally held up her left hand to show the diamond sparkler while a GIF appeared on the screen that read, 'OMG.' Jill Zarin's, 60, daughter, Ally Shapiro, 31, excitedly revealed that she is engaged after a surprise proposal during a European getaway with her now-fiance, Jordan Bilfeld, and family Shapiro jumped to her Instagram stories on Friday to announce the engagement - which occurred in Spain - and also flaunted a sparkling, diamond ring on her finger Another image was taken as she wore a comfy robe while a white towel was wrapped around her head. Her hand was placed over her mouth as she showcased the ring once again to her followers. She appeared to be standing on a balcony as a scenic view of rippling water and buildings could be seen in the far distance. The media personality also included a short reel that was taken only minutes before Jordan popped the big question. While sipping on a refreshing drink, she wrote, '5 min before i was getting proposed to it was pouring and i was drinking my spritz. completely clueless.' Ally quickly shared the news to her close friends and shared a screenshot of a few Facetime calls she had. In one, the lovebirds posed together as Shapiro excitedly held up her hand, while her pal wrote, 'My best friends are engaged!!!! @allyshapiro @jbilfeld.' Another picture was taken as Ally and Jordan shared a romantic kiss as the sun began to set in the horizon. She tagged her fiance followed by a red heart emoji. Shortly after, Shapiro quickly snapped a photo of her left hand to give a closer look at the diamond ring. '@celebritycruises best week ever @jbilfeld.' Her hand was placed over her mouth as she showcased the ring once again to her followers Ally quickly shared the news to her close friends and shared a screenshot of a few Facetime calls she had In one, the lovebirds posed together as Shapiro excitedly held up her hand, while her pal wrote, 'My best friends are engaged!!!! @allyshapiro @jbilfeld' The media personality also included a short reel that was taken only minutes before Jordan popped the big question Another picture was taken as Ally and Jordan shared a romantic kiss as the sun began to set in the horizon. She tagged her fiance followed by a red heart emoji Shortly after, Shapiro quickly snapped a photo of her left hand to give a closer look at the diamond ring. '@celebritycruises best week ever @jbilfeld' Although it is not known when the newly-engaged pair began dating, the two went Instagram official back in May 2022. Her mother, Jill, who is also on the trip with her boyfriend, Gary Brody, seemingly did not know of the proposal. And while being 'shocked,' the star revealed that she is 'thrilled for the couple.' The former RHONY star took to her main Instagram page to share a snippet just moments after Jordan had popped the question. Shapiro and Bilfeld could be seen embracing near a swimming pool while a photographer snapped memorable photos of the special milestone. Other people could be heard applauding as they watched the public proposal. 'I am speechless! Gary, Ally and Jordan and I have spent the last week on a Celebrity Cruise in Europe and we get off tomorrow,' she explained to her fans. 'After lunch Jordan asked Ally to go for a walk on the beach.. mind you after it poured for 30 minutes. Gary and I are just waiting for the check to come.' She revealed that they then heard, 'cheering and clapping and I started clapping and walk over to see over the railing and guess who just got engaged??? Surprise!!!!' 'Mazel Tov to my beautiful daughter and her FIANCE Jordan Bilfeld. We could not be happier to welcome him and his family to join ours. I am still in shock. We had ZERO clue.' The former RHONY star took to her main Instagram page to share a snippet just moments after Jordan had popped the question Jill also jumped to her Instagram stories to share a video as she opened up more about her daughter's engagement While sitting on a bed, she expressed, 'Okay just to update you because you just watched a video at Grand Foley, our food for lunch' Jill also jumped to her Instagram stories to share a video as she opened up more about her daughter's engagement. While sitting on a bed, she expressed, 'Okay just to update you because you just watched a video at Grand Foley, our food for lunch.' 'Like, five minutes later, Jordan said to Ally let's walk on the beach and he asked her to marry him and they got engaged and I am shocked.' 'And I have video of me going, "Oh, who's getting married?" Cause everybody was applauding and clapping and I'm clapping and I'm running over to see and who is it?' She added, 'Jordan and Ally with a photographer! I'm like, what? And someone says, "Who's that?" And I go, "That's my daughter!"' 'What the f***! Anyway, we are thrilled for the couple. Little surprised. Surprise! Mommy got surprised.' Ahead of the proposal, both Jill and Ally have been active on their social media pages to share photos from the summer getaway Jill is known for starring on the hit Bravo series, The Real Housewives Of New York City, from 2008 until her exit in 2011; seen in July in the Hamptons Ahead of the proposal, both Jill and Ally have been active on their social media pages to share photos from the summer getaway. Zarin shares her daughter - and only child - with ex-husband, Steven Shapiro, whom she was married to from 1987 until their divorce in 1998. Ally was conceived via a sperm donor during the marriage. The TV personality later tied the knot with Bobby Zarin in 2000 and the pair were married until his passing in 2018 at age 71 following a battle with cancer. Jill is known for starring on the hit Bravo series, The Real Housewives Of New York City, from 2008 until her exit in 2011. Marvel Studios is speaking out about the unexpected firing of X-Men '97 creator Beau DeMayo in March. On Thursday, the film studio, which is owned by Disney, shared a statement with Variety claiming that DeMayo who also served as the head writer on the animated series had been fired for 'egregious' misconduct at the conclusion of an investigation. The studio put out its statement not long after DeMayo took to social media to reshare a post from June's Gay Pride celebrations. In is new post, he claimed that Disney had stripped him of his writing credits on X-Men '97 season two episodes in response to his original Pride post. DailyMail.com has contacted DeMayo's attorney and Disney requesting comment. Marvel Studios, which is owned by Disney, claimed X-Men '97 creator Beau DeMayo (pictured in March 2022 in LA) was fired over the results of an investigation that found he allegedly committed 'egregious' misconduct DeMayo was fired in March, just days before the well-reviewed series premiered 'Mr. DeMayo was terminated in March 2024 following an internal investigation,' Marvel said in a statement on Thursday. 'Given the egregious nature of the findings, we severed ties with him immediately and he has no further affiliation with Marvel.' A source described as having knowledge of the investigation told Variety that evidence of sexual misconduct involving DeMayo was discovered in the course of the investigation. They also claimed that DeMayo had multiple violations of a separation agreement he signed after being fired, which led Marvel to remove his writing credits on season two episodes. Earlier on Thursday evening, DeMayo shared a fan-drawn image of a Cyclops-like X-Men character that appeared to be inspired by DeMayo himself. 'Firstly, Im so grateful to have worked on #XMen97, collaborating with some amazingly talented folks,' he captioned his post. 'Creating this revival was a dream come true and the support fans have shown is so touching. However, I felt it pressing for me to speak up in the wake of leaving the show. 'Above is #XMen fan-art I posted on Instagram for Gay Pride in June,' he wrote. 'On June 13, #Marvel sent a letter notifying me that theyd stripped my Season 2 credits due to the post. Sadly, this is the latest in a troubling pattern I suffered through while on working on #XMen97 and #Blade.' After Marvel released its statement, which didn't directly address DeMayo's credits being removed, he made another post in response. 'The truth will be revealed. After their Disney Plus disaster, Marvel wants to mislead with alleged contract breaches over tweets. Its tragic its come to this but unsurprising. Stay tuned,' he wrote while linking to an article about Marvel's statement. Prior to Marvel's statement, DeMayo claimed on social media that his season two writing credits were stripped over a Pride post from June (pictured above) But a source with knowledge of the investigation claimed he lost his credits by repeatedly violation a termination agreement. They also said the investigation was into sexual misconduct allegations; DeMayo pictured in July 22 at San Diego Comic-Con DeMayo's attorney Bryan Freedman, of Freedman Taitelman + Cooley, subsequently shared a statement with Variety on Friday in response to Marvel's statement about his client's termination. 'Having much experience with Disney, the playbook is always the same,' Freedman said. 'Family friendly on the outside, but secretly attempting to plant illegal unconscionable items in contracts that silence the truth and stop the employee/customer from asserting basic constitutional rights.' 'As we will explain through detailed examples which we will roll out in detail one by one, Disneys model is very clear and a repetitive illegal pattern,' the attorney continued. 'Once it gets challenged or exposed, the gaslighting and redirection of the blame toward anyone willing to tell the truth starts through an international well oiled publicity machine.' Freedman added: 'Beau DeMayo wants nothing from Marvel/Disney except the truth. He will bravely tell the truth.' DeMayo's series X-Men '97 is a long-awaited continuation of the popular X-Men: The Animated Series, which aired from 1992 to 1997. The new series had received stellar reviews ahead of its premiere in March of this year, and DeMayo had already served as the head writer on the first and second seasons ahead of his firing. The series had already ben renewed for the second season, and DeMayo had reportedly been in discussions with Marvel over plot points for a potential third season. DeMayo's attorney Bryan Freedman accused Disney of 'secretly attempting to plant illegal unconscionable items' in DeMayo's contract DeMayo's series X-Men '97 is a long-awaited continuation of the popular X-Men: The Animated Series, which aired from 1992 to 1997 Following his termination, Matthew Chauncey was hired as head writer for the third season. DeMayo, who is Black and identifies as gay, had previously shared how his upbringing as the son of white adoptive parents living in the South had influenced his love of the X-Men and inspired some of his storylines. He had previously written for Netflix's The Witcher, Marvel's Moon Knight and Paramount Plus' Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. He was also one of numerous writers who worked on Marvel's long-delayed Blade reboot. Valerie Bertinelli's boyfriend Mike Goodnough has opened up about how she has supported him since the start of their relationship. The writer, who turns 54 this month, detailed how Bertinelli, 64, showed immense compassion as his childhood friend was dying. In an Instagram post, Mike shared that he flew to Los Angeles to be with his friend at the end of his life. He explained, 'At that point, @wolfiesmom and I had only been together a few months. Still, she knew how overwrought I was and told me I could stay with her.' Goodnough recalled, 'That week was excruciating but also healing it helped me find peace from losses long grieved. Valeries support was the reason why.' Valerie Bertinelli's boyfriend Mike Goodnough has opened up about how she has supported him since the start of their relationship; Valerie pictured in June The writer, who turns 54 this month, detailed how Bertinelli, 64, showed immense compassion as his childhood friend was dying In his lengthy caption, he shared: 'Each night that week, when I returned from supporting my friend and his grieving mother and family, she made sure I ate. 'The first night, she made me a sandwich. I will be 54 in a few days. I dont think I remember a sandwich Ive eaten in my life as sharply as I remember that one how it made me feel, the care in it, the love.' He observed that his girlfriend 'didnt owe me that; she offered it.' Elsewhere in the caption, Mike revealed that Valerie cancelled family plans to be with him 'at a time when I really needed it.' During his visit, Goodnough said that he 'got up well before dawn every day to brace myself for a revisiting of my own worst losses from the past.' He added: 'Invariably, Valerie would find me out in the yard in the near dark, give me a hug, and then head inside to make us coffee and then wed sit and talk. Me mostly. Processing. Trying to wrestle down and manage and cope.' Imparting sage wisdom to his 50,000 followers, he shared, 'There are people who show you they care and people who only tell you the do. 'Take careful note of each. Hold close the former and give space to the latter. The former - the people who are there for you - are lifes richest blessing. Treasure them, for they are treasures.' The couple pictured in Los Angeles on June 8 The couple went 'Instagram official' in April The couple went 'Instagram official' in April. It came two days after Goodnough revealed his identity in a Substack post and confirmed their romance. Goodnough went into detail in a post titled Rumors, Rumors, Rumors... in which he explained how his romance with Valerie came to be. 'I am Valerie Bertinelli's boyfriend and that may well be among the most surreal sentences I've ever pecked out,' Goodnough wrote in an essay. 'But it's true and nothing about our actual relationship seems surreal. It just seems good lucky a gift,' he added. He continued: 'Life is crazy, kids. It just is. It'll rain hellfire down on you for years and bring you to your knees and then it'll open the skies to deep blue and love and calling someone 'Honey' because you just love the absolute hell out of her and feel so very thankful for the gift of that feeling, the gift of her.' They met for the first time in Miami, Florida, when he had no idea who she was. And Jessica Alves looked more loved-up than ever with her new partner, Dalton Phillips on Friday as the pair enjoyed a romantic date night at Sexy Fish in London. The TV personality, 41, showed off her surgically-enhanced assets for the outing, as she slipped into a plunging black dress with revealing cut-outs at the side. She teamed the daring ensemble with a black quilted handbag and a pair of black stilettos with a diamonte buckle. Opting for a glamorous palette of make-up the stunner let her luscious blonde locks tumble past her bust in a polka straight style. Jessica Alves, 41, looked more loved-up than ever with her new partner, Dalton Phillips on Friday as the pair enjoyed a romantic date night at Sexy Fish in London The TV personality showed off her surgically-enhanced assets for the outing, as she donned a plunging black dress with cut outs at the side In one sweet snap, the pair looked smitten as they planted a kiss on each others lips, with Dalton tenderly holding onto Jessica's waist Jessica has previously opened up about being 'unlucky in love' due to men using her for her riches and discriminating against her for being trans. But it appears she has found love at last, telling MailOnline that her new man is 'generous, kind, and a true gentleman'. Earlier this week Jessica shared a string of loved-up snaps of her and Dalton, who she claims is heir to a $50million company. She revealed that the pair grew a 'genuine connection naturally'. In one picture, the pair looked cosy as they relaxed by the pool in swimwear, with Dalton - who has a degree in business - kissing Jessica on the cheek. In the collection of images, the pair were seen enjoying a beach date as Jessica donned a stunning lace yellow dress. Jessica and Dalton were seen cheersing with cocktails while out for dinner in another snap, while they were also pictured sitting on the tongue of a giant mouth sculpture. She insists Dalton is different and 'genuine' to other guys she has dated, with the pair continuing to put ono a loved-up display in recent days. Jessica Alves revealed to MailOnline on Wednesday that she is 'living a fairytale' with her new boyfriend, personal trainer Dalton Phillips The pair looked cosy as they relaxed by the pool in swimwear, with Dalton - who has a degree in business - kissing Jessica on the cheek She was pictured publicly with Dalton, 31, for the first time on Tuesday - after previously admitting to being 'unlucky in love' In the collection of snaps, the pair were seen enjoying a beach date as Jessica donned a stunning lace yellow dress Jessica shared a string of loved-up snaps of her and Dalton, who she claims is heir to a $50million company, during their relationship On Tuesday they were spotted heading out to Madhu's Indian restaurant in Mayfair . Jessica put her surgically-enhanced assets on display for the date, as she wore a skin tight white sleeveless satin dress complete with a feather hem. She held onto a white quilted handbag and a pair of pointed stilettos, with her signature white-blonde locks styled straight. Meanwhile fitness model Dalton showed off his sculpted muscles in a grey patterned Cuban shirt with a pair of dark blue trousers and leather boots. The star has a reported net worth of 30million and speaking exclusively to MailOnline last year, Jessica outlined how her potential suitors have asked for financial help, as well as free holidays and other hefty expenditures. She said, 'I have been going on dates, being a single woman, and it's been very difficult to meet Mr. Right. Men are just so complicated. Jessica had previously claimed she's been 'unlucky' in her quest to find Mr. Right since most of the men she's dated have wanted to use her for her riche 'I've had some bad dates where men just wanted to take advantage of me, they just wanted my money and, yeah, they weren't looking for a relationship as such. 'They just wanted commodity so they say, "Let's travel together. Let's do this together but all on my account." 'Sometimes they would ask for things. I was dating this guy and he started asking me for financial help. I was like, "Gosh, p**s off." Anyway, I haven't been very lucky.' Being surrounded by acting royalty would leave most star-struck. But for Mary May Smith it's just another day as Pierce Brosnan's mother. The 90-year-old was again a guest of honour on Brosnan's latest film sets with the actor making up for lost time after a childhood apart. Brosnan, 71, shared a picture on social media of Ms Smith smiling in a beige jumper and matching trousers alongside his veteran co-stars Sir Ben Kingsley, 80, Dame Helen Mirren, 79, and Celia Imrie, 72. The star-studded cast has been brought together for The Thursday Murder Club, which is being produced by Steven Spielberg, and is based on the 2020 novel of the same name by Richard Osman. A film to die for: Pierce Brosnan, 71, shared a picture on social media of proud mum May Smith smiling alongside his veteran co-stars Sir Ben Kingsley, 80, Dame Helen Mirren , 79, and Celia Imrie, 72 Pierce and his mother were spotted in Madrid, Spain, earlier this year, after he filmed a commercial there Special Bond: Brosnan has previously revealed that he only formed a close relationship with his mother in his adult years Brosnan was largely raised by his grandparents after his father left and his mother went to England to provide for the family Brosnan has previously revealed that he only formed a close relationship with his mother in his adult years. His father left when he was an infant and he was raised by his grandparents in Ireland as Ms Smith, a retired nurse, worked in England to provide for the family and was only able to return to see him once a year. The pair have spent decades making up for lost time with Ms Smith attending various red carpet events and movie sets. The Netflix film has no set release date as yet. Late Australian comedian Cal Wilson will be featured as host in the upcoming series of The Great Australian Bake Off, which was filmed shortly before her death. Wilson, who died in October aged 53 after a long battle with an aggressive form of cancer, filmed episodes of the Foxtel show before her passing, set to air next month. 'Season Seven holds a special place in all our hearts. Cal's passing was a devastating shock to the Bake Off family,' said Foxtel senior staffer Wendy Moore. 'She is dearly missed by everyone who knew her. Her deep love for this show and her unique blend of charisma and kindness brightened the shed every day.' Moore added Foxtel had the 'full support' of Wilson's family to ensure her terrific final series of Bake Off was aired. It is set to premiere on Wednesday, August 18, on both Foxtel and Binge. Cal will return as host on the gripping competitive cooking series, alongside British culinary expert Rachel Khoo and renowned Aussie chef Darren Purchese. Sadly, Wilson only filmed four episodes before her passing so comedian Natalie Tran will take over hosting duties for the rest of the series. Late Australian comedian Cal Wilson (pictured) will be featured as host in the upcoming series of The Great Australian Bake Off, which was filmed shortly before her death 'This season is a tribute to her memory, the incredible talent of our bakers, and the genuine camaraderie that makes the show so special,' Tran said in a statement. New Zealand-born Wilson died on October 11 from a rare and aggressive cancer, just four weeks after taking herself to hospital with worrying lower back pain. The Melbourne-based stand up comedian is survived by her husband Chris Woods and 14-year-old son Digby. Wilson, who died in October after a long battle with an aggressive form of cancer, filmed episodes of the Foxtel show before her passing, set to air next month Wilson was filming The Great Australian Bake Off for Foxtel in Sydney in September when she began to feel ill. When she began to feel sick she checked herself into hospital, her management told Daily Mail Australia. They confirmed she had suffered a rare form of cancer but declined to discuss her symptoms. Kylie Jenner and Timothee Chalamet's true equation with each other has been revealed - as it emerges what the Kardashians really think of him. They were first linked in April 2023 and went public with their romance that September by kissing in the stands of a Beyonce concert. The pair have studiously kept their relationship out of the public eye, to the point that they ignited breakup rumors earlier this year. However the conjecture turned out to be false, and just this month Timothee joined Kylie's glamorous birthday trip to the Bahamas. Now an insider have divulged what sort of equation the lip kit mogul, 27, and the Dune star, 28, share with each other, via People magazine. Kylie Jenner and Timothee Chalamet 's true equation with each other has been revealed - as it emerges what the Kardashians really think of him; pictured at the Golden Globes in January They were first linked in April 2023 and went public with their romance that September by kissing in the stands of a Beyonce concert; pictured at the US Open in New York that month 'She's incredibly happy with him. She's never been in love like this before,' a source raved, adding that the Bahamas trip was 'a nice break' for the reality star. The insider added: 'Her family loves him. He's so discreet and always has her back. He's very much a gentleman and everything that Kylie deserves.' Kylie's family includes her mother Kris Jenner, 68, her transgender father Caitlyn Jenner, 74, her sister Kendall Jenner, 28, and her three half-sisters Kourtney Kardashian, 45, Kim Kardashian, 43, and Khloe Kardashian, 40, among others. Timothee and Kylie are said to have developed a 'very serious' relationship, according to the source, who gushed: 'He's great for her.' She joyfully posted an Instagram album of her birthday trip, which included her best friend Stassie Karanikolaou and her son Aire, two. Kylie shares Aire and her daughter Stormi, six, with her rapper ex-boyfriend Travis Scott, whom she dated on and off from 2017 to 2022. Travis was recently arrested in Paris after getting in a fight at the iconic George V hotel, where he was staying to attend the Olympics. However he was released with no charges filed, with the Paris prosecutor's office releasing a statement explaining that 'the incident was minor.' Timothee and Kylie took their romance public in the audience of a Beyonce show in early September, after being trailed by dating rumors for months. In spite of the performance below, Kylie and Timothee appeared to have eyes only for each other, kissing passionately while wrapped in one another's arms. Timothee later confessed to MTV that he found it 'hard to be present' at a Beyonce concert while indulging in the steamy make-out session. In January they set the internet ablaze by engaging in a public display of affection at the Golden Globes - but after that, they were not seen together for months However the conjecture turned out to be false, and just this month Timothee joined Kylie's glamorous birthday trip to the Bahamas, which included her son Aire, two (pictured) She joyfully posted an Instagram album of her birthday trip, which included her best friend Stassie Karanikolaou (right) as well as Aire Kylie and Timothee have been linked since April 2023, although they have both studiously refrained from discussing the relationship in public. In January they set the internet ablaze by engaging in a public display of affection at the Golden Globes - but after that, they were not seen together for months. Fans began speculating that they had broken up, and Kylie poured fuel on the fire by deflecting a question the New York Times asked her about Timothee, saying she preferred not to 'talk about personal things.' However it soon emerged that they were still going strong, and they confirmed their relationship status with their joint trip to the Bahamas this month. Millie Bobby Brown is proud of looking after her very own farm. The Stranger Things star, 21 who was recently spotted teasing her taut tummy in a crop top took to Instagram to show off her sprawling Georgia farm complete with calves, dogs, chicks, donkeys and goats on Friday. The actress walked barefoot in the pasture as she tended to the various animals, giving them head scratches and feed along the way. She admired her livestock and sat with them, giving each quality one-on-one time as the sun began to set. 'My everything,' she captioned the post as Ophelia Wilde's Slow Living played in the background. Millie Bobby Brown took to Instagram to show off her Georgia farm with husband Jake Bongiovi, 22, on Friday At one point, a bared-faced Millie flashing a smile while holding chicks with her husband Jake Bongiovi, 22. Back in March, the British actress opened up to Heart Radio about how her livestock who she calls her 'babies' ground her when she is not out 'playing movie star' in public. 'There's a bond. I bottled bed all of my babies,' she told the station. 'So all of them know me as 'mum'. 'You come from a premiere and you think you're on top of the world and then you go back home and I'm shoveling donkey poo. 'There's really not much else to it. I mean that is truly what grounds me I'm like "Oh yeah they don't know who I am nor do they care. They just want me to feed them,"' she quipped. As for getting more adorable farm content from the Damsel star, she said she is 'interested' in the concept to share her love of animals with the world. She gushed: 'I loved The Farm with Jeremy Clarkson. So for me, I really liked that. 'So I would be really interested because I do think that actually, I know, I know it sounds ridiculous but I don't think people know enough about animals and how it truly works.' She admired her livestock and sat with them, giving each quality one-on-one time as the sun began to set 'There's a bond. I bottled bed all of my babies,' she told the station. 'So all of them know me as 'mum' 'You come from a premiere and you think you're on top of the world and then you go back home and I'm shoveling donkey poo' she explained As for getting more adorable farm content from the Damsel star, she said she is 'interested' in the concept to share her love of animals with the world 'Yeah they don't know who I am nor do they care. They just want me to feed them,' she quipped The actress walked barefoot in the pasture as she tended to the various animals, giving them head scratches and feed along the way Millie's post was a hit with her 64.3million followers, racking up over 247k likes and hundreds of comments as fans went wild over her love of animals. Followers rushed to the comments to pen their support for the Enola Holmes star with one writing, 'You are a wonderful person for taking care of these animals.' Another fan chimed in, 'All the animals running towards her, awwww.' Married At First Sight relationship expert Mel Schilling took to Instagram on Friday to share a major health update amid her battle with colon cancer. The 52-year-old relationship therapist, who announced she had been diagnosed with the disease in December and later underwent successful chemotherapy, shared a beaming photo of herself and revealed she was on the mend. 'My rest and recovery time is working. My energy is returning. I'm no longer feeling sick and I'm starting to feel like ME again,' Mel began. Schilling looked absolutely radiant in the precious photo, which showed her looking healthy and upbeat while posing up a storm. The blonde beauty added that now her energy levels were back, she was once again able to do what she loved. 'Went kayaking and snorkelling with my family this morning. Sun salt and beautiful fish.' It comes after Mel told of the agony she was left in before her cancer diagnosis. Speaking to new! magazine in March, Mel recalled the severe pain she was in while at work, saying: 'I was doubled over and shouting - the pain was so intense.' MAFS expert Mel Schilling (pictured) took to Instagram on Friday to share a major health update, amid her battle with colon cancer. The relationship therapist announced she had been diagnosed with the disease in December and later underwent successful chemotherapy Her doctors originally thought her symptoms were simply constipation but she soon became concerned after losing her appetite. On a trip to Ireland with her husband Gareth, Mel said she was in 'so much pain' and struggled to hold down food or water. Knowing something was still wrong, she went to see a gastroenterologist after returning to London who was 'concerned' about her unexplained weight loss. Mel had a CT scan and returned a few days later to get her results, recalling the heart-breaking moment she was told she had cancer. It comes after Mel told of the agony she was left in before her cancer diagnosis She said: 'We were sitting in his office and the doctor had a blank look and I thought, "This doesn't seem right," and he said, "It's cancer." I think I was numb, I didn't process it and I went into work mode, that's all I could focus on.' The reality TV host revealed her shock health battle in December and underwent colon surgery just before the end of the year. She explained that her tumour - which she named 'Terry' - was removed by UK doctors - However, as the cancer spread through her colon into the muscle, Mel discovered she needed chemotherapy and began treatment at the end of February. With news of his mysterious axing sending Coronation Street fans reeling, it can be noted that Sean Wilson has previously vowed never to return to the ITV soap. Reports suggest the 59-year-old suddenly departed the show, forcing bosses to reportedly scrap his character Martin Platt's return storyline. It comes just weeks after he announced his grand return six years after his last appearance, with his now shelved scenes set to first air in October as part of Helen Worth's exit storyline. However, as his puzzling departure remains a mystery, longtime fans will recall how at one time Sean said he'll never set foot on the cobbles again, after quitting in 2005 over a storyline which involved his character Martin seducing an underage girl. The soap star bitterly fell out with bosses at the time as he refused to be involved in the plot, with Sean branding them 'rude' as he stepped away from the show. With news of his mysterious axing sending Coronation Street fans reeling, it can be noted that Sean Wilson has previously vowed never to return to the ITV soap (pictured on Coronation Street in 2005) Reports suggest the 59-year-old suddenly departed the show, forcing bosses to reportedly scrap his character Martin Platt's return storyline [pictured in July] He told the Daily Star at the time: 'I will act again but never with Coronation Street. 'They were very rude to me when I left. I would rather walk down any other street even if I had a nail in my shoe.' The actor then went on to embark on a cheesemaking career, he launched a cheese business called Artisan Farm in 2009 before going on to write a number of recipe books. He briefly reprised his role in 2018 for a handful of episodes as part of the David Platt male rape storyline, with a source telling Daily Star at the time that producers 'bent over backwards' to lure him back. They said: 'They must have bent over backwards to convince him. Most stars leave quietly no matter how embittered they might feel about their exits. But Sean didnt. 'He pulled no punches about why he left and how he would never come back.' However, in 2022 Sean once again insisted he will never return to Coronation Street as a cast member after falling in love with his new career as a cheesemaker. Referring to the underage girl storyline, Sean said soap bosses insisted his character embark on the plot that would see Martin branded a 'paedophile' in 2005 even though it made him feel 'deeply uncomfortable'. As his puzzling departure remains a mystery, longtime fans will recall how at one time Sean said he'll never set foot on the cobbles again, after quitting in 2005 over a storyline which involved his character Martin seducing an underage girl The soap star bitterly fell out with bosses at the time as he refused to be involved in the plot, with Sean branding them 'rude' as he stepped away from the show [pictured with Helen Worth] He told the Daily Star at the time: 'I will act again but never with Coronation Street. 'They were very rude to me when I left. I would rather walk down any other street even if I had a nail in my shoe' He told The Sun: 'I didn't want to do it and suggested they could bring in another actor, but the producer was insistent. 'It wasn't for me, so I told them, "No, I will not be doing that storyline and I suggest that maybe you go and have a rethink." 'They came back a couple of weeks later and said, 'No, we do feel that this storyline is going to go ahead.'' As a result, Sean told bosses he would be leaving the serial and departed in 2005, though his character did have a relationship with 16-year-old Katy Harris (played by Lucy-Jo Hudson) before his exit. Sean said it was then announced he'd been sacked, which he insisted was not the case. Elsewhere, just weeks before his latest Corrie return, it emerged that Sean had criticised the soap for 'trying to solve world issues' and ditching funny storyline - blaming this for a demise in ratings. He told the Daily Star in February: 'You could walk down the street on a Wednesday or a Friday and you could hear people laughing with their windows open because of the great writing and the great acting was really speaking to the nation. I don't think it does that so much nowadays... 'People don't have to watch it anymore. They were all segwayed together; you were five minutes from laughing and five minutes from crying. Nowadays it seems very much issue-centric, they're trying to solve the world's issues, which they're not going to do.' The TV star added that fans preferred to watch storylines about affairs and neighbourly feuds rather than being lectured to. Meanwhile, Sean's entire 2024 return storyline has now been ditched, and according to The Sun, Sean's exit came as a huge shock - with the cast unaware of the reason behind his departure. He briefly reprised his role in 2018 for a handful of episodes as part of the David Platt male rape storyline, with a source telling Daily Star at the time that producers 'bent over backwards' to lure him back However, in 2022 Sean once again insisted he will never return to Coronation Street as a cast member after falling in love with his new career as a cheesemaker Sean first departed in 2005 over his underage girl storyline, though his character did have a relationship with 16-year-old Katy Harris (played by Lucy-Jo Hudson) before his exit [pictured] 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. 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.' Meanwhile, Sean's entire 2024 return storyline has now been ditched, and according to The Sun , Sean's exit came as a huge shock - with the cast unaware of the reason behind his departure 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 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. '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. After more than two decades in the movie business Anne Hathaway is still as fresh-faced as ever, and this week she showed the care she takes to keep her porcelain skin in perfect condition. On a Mediterranean holiday, the 41-year-old actress sported a colourful tie-dyed swimsuit that covered her up completely, protecting her from the glaring Sardinian sunshine. The skin-saving suit is a favourite among the Hollywood jetset Lionel Ritchies daughter Sofia wore an identical one-piece as she holidayed with her close friend, Emily In Paris star Lily Collins, on a superyacht in Barbados. The Devil Wears Prada actress also donned a pair of flippers and goggles and launched herself off the side of the boat to paddle around. Ms Hathaway is holidaying with her husband, actor, producer and jewellery designer Adam Shulman, and their two sons Jonathan, eight, and Jack, four. After more than two decades in the movie business Anne Hathaway is still as fresh-faced as ever, and this week she showed the care she takes to keep her porcelain skin perfect On a Mediterranean holiday, the 41-year-old actress sported a colourful tie-dyed swimsuit that covered her up completely, protecting her from the glaring Sardinian sunshine To keep her sensitive skin away from the sun as much as possible, Ms Hathaway has revealed she wears Factor 30 cream every day, carries an umbrella if walking in the sunshine and resorts to a spray tan, if I need to look as if Ive been sunbathing. But Ms Hathaway insists she doesnt avoid the sun because of a fear of ageing: I dont think about age. To me, ageing is another word for living. Its been a jet-setting summer for the Hathaway clan as they were spotted late last month relaxing on the Italian designer Giancarlo Giammettis luxury yacht in Greece. A week earlier she was seen having the time of her life while dancing at Taylor Swifts Eras Tour concert in Germany. Ms Hathaway attended the three-and-a-half-hour concert with her husband and eldest son. Videos shared on X showed the siren busting a move to songs like ...Ready for It, Shake It Off and Blank Space from a VIP nook. She was clad in cream-coloured shorts, and a snug-fitting grey top layered underneath a button-up white shirt that she wore open. Anne later shared a brief video clip from the show, calling Taylor 'powerful' and 'fearless.' The Devil Wears Prada actress also donned a pair of flippers and goggles and launched herself off the side of the boat to paddle around Ms Hathaway is holidaying with her husband, actor, producer and jewellery designer Adam Shulman, and their two sons Jonathan, eight, and Jack, four To keep her sensitive skin away from the sun as much as possible, Ms Hathaway has revealed she wears Factor 30 cream every day and carries an umbrella if walking in the sunshine But Ms Hathaway insists she doesnt avoid the sun because of a fear of ageing: I dont think about age. To me, ageing is another word for living' She didn't stay out of the sunshine entirely and later enjoyed a bottle of water on the boat Its been a jet-setting summer for the Hathaway clan as they were spotted late last month relaxing on the Italian designer Giancarlo Giammettis luxury yacht in Greece A week earlier she was seen having the time of her life while dancing at Taylor Swifts Eras Tour concert in Germany 'Thank you phenomenal, moving, powerful, fearless @taylorswift!!! Huge shout out to the incredible Eras crew!!! Best picture-wrap celebration EVER,' she wrote. At the show, Anne and her older son handed out snacks to fans. 'Did not think I would be spending #GelsenkirchenTSTheErasTour in front of of Anne Hathaway and her family,' a fan named Julia wrote on X. 'She was the sweetest, taking pictures and dancing and her son came to bring us snacks from their stash and traded bracelets with us,' she recounted. Coronation Street's Sean Wilson was 'summoned to head office' before leaving for 'personal reasons', according to reports. The actor, 59, who plays Martin Platt in the soap, was pictured posing with scripts just weeks ago, with his rep announcing this week he had quit for 'personal reasons.' Sean was set to reprise his role as Martin in October as part of his ex-wife Gail's exit as actress Helen Worth, 73, prepares to retire from the cobbles. Now, none of his scenes will be aired, with Gail's entire exit storyline now being frantically rewritten by bosses. As reported by The Sun, the actor was called in for a meeting with bosses and left with 'no explanation offered' to his co-stars. Coronation Street 's Sean Wilson was 'summoned to head office' before leaving for 'personal reasons', according to reports The actor, 59, who plays Martin Platt in the soap, was pictured posing with scripts just weeks ago, with his rep announcing this week he had quit for 'personal reasons' A source told the publication: '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.' 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. Although the pair's ten-year union ended when Sean's character Martin had an affair, he is considered the most successful relationship in Gail's previous five marriages. 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 was set to reprise his role as Martin in October as part of his ex-wife Gail's exit as actress Helen Worth, 73, prepares to retire from the cobbles (pictured Gail Platt, played by Helen Worth, Martin Platt, as played by Sean, Sarah Louise Platt, played by Tina O'Brien) As reported by The Sun , the actor was called in for a meeting with bosses and left with 'no explanation offered' to his co-stars 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.' He added: 'We'll have a few months to catch up with Martin and Gail again, following the ebbs and flows of the unfolding storyline. '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.' However, this week 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. As his puzzling departure remains a mystery, longtime fans will recall how at one time Sean said he'll never set foot on the cobbles again, after quitting in 2005 over a storyline which involved his character Martin seducing an underage girl. The soap star bitterly fell out with bosses at the time as he refused to be involved in the plot, with Sean branding them 'rude' as he stepped away from the show. He told the Daily Star at the time: 'I will act again but never with Coronation Street. 'They were very rude to me when I left. I would rather walk down any other street even if I had a nail in my shoe.' The actor then went on to embark on a cheesemaking career, he launched a cheese business called Artisan Farm in 2009 before going on to write a number of recipe books. He briefly reprised his role in 2018 for a handful of episodes as part of the David Platt male rape storyline, with a source telling Daily Star at the time that producers 'bent over backwards' to lure him back. Longtime fans will recall how at one time Sean said he'll never set foot on the cobbles again, after quitting in 2005 over a storyline which involved his character seducing an underage girl The soap star bitterly fell out with bosses at the time as he refused to be involved in the plot, with Sean branding them 'rude' as he stepped away from the show [pictured with Helen Worth] His character did have a relationship with 16-year-old Katy Harris (played by Lucy-Jo Hudson) before his exit [pictured] He told the Daily Star at the time: 'I will act again but never with Coronation Street. They were very rude to me when I left. I would rather walk down any other street' Helen and Sean pictured in 1989 as Gail and Sean They said: 'They must have bent over backwards to convince him. Most stars leave quietly no matter how embittered they might feel about their exits. But Sean didnt. 'He pulled no punches about why he left and how he would never come back.' However, in 2022 Sean once again insisted he will never return to Coronation Street as a cast member after falling in love with his new career as a cheesemaker. Referring to the underage girl storyline, Sean said soap bosses insisted his character embark on the plot that would see Martin branded a 'paedophile' in 2005 even though it made him feel 'deeply uncomfortable'. He told The Sun: 'I didn't want to do it and suggested they could bring in another actor, but the producer was insistent. 'It wasn't for me, so I told them, "No, I will not be doing that storyline and I suggest that maybe you go and have a rethink." 'They came back a couple of weeks later and said, 'No, we do feel that this storyline is going to go ahead.'' As a result, Sean told bosses he would be leaving the serial and departed in 2005, though his character did have a relationship with 16-year-old Katy Harris (played by Lucy-Jo Hudson) before his exit. Sean said it was then announced he'd been sacked, which he insisted was not the case. Helen, who played his onscreen ex wife Gail, quit her role this year after starring on the cobbles for 50 years. ITV confirmed that she would start filming her exit story and the 'emotional' scenes will be on screen at the end of the year. Helen, who played his onscreen ex wife Gail, quit her role this year after starring on the cobbles for 50 years (pictured in 2019) ITV confirmed that she would start filming her exit story 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.' '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.' Jamie Lomas has announced his fiancee Jess Bell has given birth to a baby girl. The Hollyoaks star, 49, first revealed that his cosmetic dentist partner, 35, was pregnant with their first child together back in February, in a sweet post on Valentine's Day. And in a new interview and photoshoot, the couple have shared that the little girl's name is Bella Neveah, who arrived on July 29. Little Bella's arrival came as a 'surprise' to the couple as they were not planning on having children together - but they are certainly delighted that she is here. Jamie is already father to daughter Polly, 13, from his marriage to Kym Marsh and a son Billy, 18, from a previous relationship. Jamie Lomas has announced his fiancee Jess Bell has given birth to a baby girl [Jamie and Jess at their baby shower in June] The Hollyoaks star, 49, first revealed that his cosmetic dentist partner, 35, was pregnant with their first child together back in February, in a sweet post on Valentine's Day Posing for a series of stunning snaps for OK! magazine, Jamie, who is set to leave his role as Warren Fox on the Channel 4 soap, told the publication: 'She was a surprise, but a great one. Jess has always said she didnt want children and I already have two. 'Ive always said that if Jess ever changed her mind and wanted a baby, Id never deprive her of that. And then Bella just happened.' Meanwhile Jess shared: 'Im very grateful for the surprise because I would never have chosen to have one myself. Im so happy and besotted. Bella is the best thing that has ever happened. She was meant to be.' In a clip from their chat shared to Jamie's Instagram, the couple had told how they'd planned a 'really nice, zen' home birth and had setup a birthing pool in the kitchen, but plans were forced to change as the labour stretched on for two days. They told how they had initially started the birth at home, but were advised by midwives to relocate to the hospital. Jess went on to say that Jamie was the first person to see Bella, with the actor adding that he was 'blubbering like a baby' after setting eyes on his daughter. In their interview, they told how Jamie's older daughter had initially wanted to be present at the birth, but couldn't once Jess was moved to the hospital. The couple also praised Polly for being hands on with her little sister, with Jamie remarking that it makes him 'so emotional' seeing the sisters together. Little Bella's arrival came as a 'surprise' to the couple as they were not planning on having children together - but they are certainly delighted that she is here Jamie's baby news garnered plenty of congratulatory messages from fans and his fellow Hollyoaks stars Jamie said: 'She was a surprise, but a great one. Jess has always said she didnt want children and I already have two' Jamie's baby news garnered plenty of congratulatory messages from fans and his fellow Hollyoaks stars. Richard Blackwood, who played onscreen nemesis Felix Westwood, shared: 'Oiiiiiii! Congratulations to both you! Beautiful! Different gear.' While Nikki Sanderson, who plays Maxine Minniver, penned: 'Amazing! congratulations Bella snuggles are the best.' And Anthony Quinlan, who played Gilly Roach, added: 'Awwww shes the cutest! Love to you all .' Jamie first shared their pregnancy news in an Instagram post in February, where he posed alongside his bride-to-be holding a scan photo of their baby girl. He penned the caption: 'With it being valentines day and a day of love, I thought I would share with you all the wonderful news that myself and @drjessbell are expecting a beautiful little baby girl. 'I hope you all have a great day and sending love to you all.' Many of Jamie's loved ones and co-stars shared their congratulations in the comments, with his sister Charley Webb writing: 'Auntie again.' In July last year Jamie revealed that he was engaged to Jess after two years together. It was first reported that the two started dating in August of 2021 after meeting through mutual friends Jessica Fox added: 'Such beautiful news! Congratulations to you both!' In July last year, Jamie revealed that he was engaged to Jess after two years together. The actor told OK! Magazine: 'I had been planning it for a while and I wanted it to be perfect.' He explained: 'We'd been in Lake Como a few weeks earlier but we both adore Mexico and I thought, 'Where better than in our favourite restaurant in our favourite resort in our favourite country?' 'Before I knew it there was this ring there and everyone was clapping and cheering. It was amazing; so wonderful and so very emotional,' said Jess, 34. Jess added: 'I wasn't expecting it at all. It was a total shock. Before I knew it there was this ring there and everyone was clapping and cheering. It was amazing; so wonderful and so very emotional.' It was first reported that the two started dating in August of 2021 after meeting through mutual friends. They went public with their relationship when they walked the red carpet together at the Pride of Manchester awards in May, 2022. James Martin halted ITV's Saturday Morning to reassure viewers after a 'shotgun-like' noise was heard. The host, 52, was joined by chefs Claude Bosi and Jonny Lake on the show as they discussed a viewers classic Tarte Tatin recipe during a question and answer session. Sitting outside his house, where the series is filmed, the trio discussed the different ways the pastry dish can be altered when they were interrupted. James began the segment: 'They are good questions so far. We have got another one. Barbara Rogers, we loved your recipe for Tarte Tatin, it has won awards with the family apparently." 'I did a Tarte Tatin masterclass," James said while the viewer, Barbara, asked: 'I want to know is there another fruit you can use in a Tarte Tatin?' James Martin halted ITV 's Saturday Morning to reassure viewers after a 'shotgun-like' noise was heard The host, 52, was joined by chefs Claude Bosi and Jonny Lake on the show as they discussed a viewers classic Tarte Tatin recipe during a question and answer session He responded: 'But it's not just that you can use vegetables as well. You can use shallots, bits, and pieces like that.' James agreed before cutting off the conversation to address the sound issue. He reassured viewers: 'That is not a shotgun by the way, we have got a crow scarer. 'The farmer has just planted some plants out there, we are going to get a lot of this during the day really. It's to stop the pigeons going and wrecking his plants as well.' James returned to TV screens last weekend after taking a break for the summer. However things got slightly uncomfortable during the return episode after he had to issue a warning to his guest amidst the culinary chaos. The TV chef welcomed restaurateur Asma Khan to his ITV kitchen as the pair cooked together. Yet as cooking commenced the two chefs seemed to clash a bit as Asma grew worried about her crackling food in a nearby pan. Trying to reassure her, James interjected: 'Don't worry, I'm on it,' as Asma quickly hit back: 'I'm not stressing you out. I'm just kind of looking to see what's going to happen.' Sitting outside his house, where the series is filmed, the trio discussed the different ways the pastry dish can be altered when they were interrupted Last week things got slightly uncomfortable during the return episode after he had to issue a warning to his guest Asma Khan amidst the culinary chaos (pictured back in April) Diverting the chat, James then asked: 'Do you want this peeled? ' as she replied: 'No, it doesn't have to be peeled.' 'I wouldn't peel it,' agreed James as Asma added quipped: 'No, it's not worth the hassle and there's also a limit on how much I can torture you on your own show.' The return of his Saturday morning cooking show comes after it was revealed James has taken his relationship with new girlfriend Kim Johnson to the next level by enjoying a romantic holiday in France. The former Saturday Kitchen host, was pictured at bed and breakfast Le Jardin de Rose with personal trainer Kim this week, seven months after he separated from former partner Louise Davies. James started dating Kim following his split from long-term girlfriend Louise, who he was with for 12 years but never married after admitting getting hitched doesn't 'interest' him in the slightest. Kim, who's the ex-wife of millionaire tech entrepreneur Arun Nayar, 59, wore a floral dress as she hugged James during their rustic stay. Bed and breakfast owners Min and Barry were so overwhelmed by James staying at their establishment, they posted their appreciation on Facebook. It comes after it was revealed James has taken his relationship with new girlfriend Kim Johnson to the next level by enjoying a romantic holiday in France (Pictured in March) The Saturday Kitchen host was pictured at bed and breakfast seven months after he separated from former partner Louise Davies (pictured with Louise in November 2023) James went public with Kim in March as the couple were pictured shopping together in London's Mayfair. A spokesperson for James confirmed to MailOnline that he and TV producer Louise parted ways in December last year. They had met on the set of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? in 2011 but had decided not to get married during their 12-year relationship. The two physicians charged in connection with Matthew Perry's death can still prescribe 'medication to any of their patients.' The doctors, Dr. Mark Chavez and Dr. Salvador Plasencia, both still have active medical licenses after they were charged with 'conspiring to supply ketamine' to the late Friends star, who suffered a fatal overdose in October 2023. According to TMZ, the men, who are being investigated by the California State Medical Board, have 'zero restrictions' on their licenses and 'can prescribe serious medications to anyone.' The State Medical Board confirmed in a statement, obtained by the outlet, that 'both licenses are current and active and the Board has not imposed any restrictions on them.' Chavez, 54, already admitted to diverting supplies from his clinic by filling out fake prescriptions while Plascencia scrambled to fulfil Perry's orders. The two physicians charged in connection with Matthew Perry 's death can still prescribe 'medication to any of their patients' (Perry seen in 2017) 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. Earlier this week, prosecutors claimed that the doctors realized the actor could die when he saw him 'freeze up' from an overdose just days before his death. Plascencia had a license to prescribe and administer the powerful tranquilizer, but needed help from another medic to keep pace with the vast amounts Perry was consuming in the weeks before he died. Plascencia, 42, showed contempt for Perry as his dependency spiraled and allegedly texted a colleague a message that read, 'I wonder how much this moron will pay.' But he, later, realized the actor's life was hanging by a thread when Perry suffered a seizure during an overdose a mere 16 days before he died. 'Let's not do that again,' he told Perry's assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, nervously. 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 Iwamasa. His cause of death later determined to be 'the acute effects of ketamine'. The doctors, Dr. Mark Chavez and Dr. Salvador Plasencia (pictured), both still have active medical licenses after they were charged with 'conspiring to supply ketamine' to the late Friends star, who suffered a fatal overdose in October 2023 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. According to TMZ , the men, who are being investigated by the California State Medical Board, have 'zero restrictions' on their licenses and 'can prescribe serious medications to anyone; Dr, Mark Chavez pictured above 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.' This comes after prosecutors claimed that the doctors realized the actor could die when he saw him 'freeze up' from an overdose just days before his death; Perry seen in 2016 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. Perry's cause of death later determined to be 'the acute effects of ketamine' (seen in 2017) 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 '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.' Bianca Censori took a step away from her X-rated outfits and partially covered up during a shopping spree with her mother, Alexandra, and sisters Angelina and Alyssia on Friday. The Australian-born architect, 29 - who recently enjoyed dinner with her family and Kanye West's children in Malibu - visited a few shops on Melrose Avenue with her loved ones while spending time in West Hollywood. Censori has been spotted on various outings with her mother and siblings as they visit the U.S. The group was first seen together last week at the music artist's Vultures 2 listening party in Salt Lake City. Bianca put on a busty display during the latest excursion wearing a strapless, tube top as well as a pair of fitted, nude-colored leggings. She additionally slipped into a pair of open-toed, tan strappy heels to coincide with the color scheme of the ensemble. Bianca Censori, 29, took a step away from her X-rated outfits and partially covered up during a shopping spree with her mother, Alexandra, and sisters Angelina and Alyssia on Friday The Australian-born architect visited a few shops on Melrose Avenue with her loved ones while spending time in West Hollywood Censori - who tied the knot with the Heartless rapper in 2022 - chose to not add any flashy pieces of jewelry to her outfit. Her dark locks were slicked back to prevent any loose strands from falling onto her face. Her sisters, Angelina and Alyssia, were spotted wearing black dresses as they joined Bianca for the relaxing outing in Los Angeles. Their mother, Alexandra, also joined in on the fun while sporting a figure-hugging, blue dress with a small cutout on the upper portion of the ensemble. Bianca and her family stopped by the clothing store, Maxfield, and later stepped into a Tesla Cybertruck to head back to a hotel in the city. Earlier this week on Tuesday, Censori also opted to cover up while grabbing dinner at Nobu in Malibu with her mother as well as some of Kanye's children: Saint, eight, Chicago, six and Psalm, five. She wore a strapless, nude satin minidress that contained a hem that stopped inches above her knees. The rapper's wife completed the look by also donning a pair of sheer tights as well as open-toed, strappy pumps. Censori has been spotted on various outings with her mother and siblings as they visit the United States Bianca put on a busty display during the latest excursion wearing a strapless, tube top as well as a pair of fitted, nude-colored leggings Censori - who tied the knot with the Heartless rapper in 2022 - chose to not add any flashy pieces of jewelry to her outfit During her family's visit to Los Angeles, she has been spending quality time with her mother and two sisters - and made an appearance on Angelina's Instagram stories in a sultry snap Her dark locks were slicked back to prevent any loose strands from falling onto her face She easily carried her smartphone and a shopping bag in her left hand instead of carrying a heavy purse Their mother, Alexandra, also joined in on the fun while sporting a figure-hugging, blue dress with a small cutout on the upper portion of the ensemble The group was first seen together last week at the music artist's Vultures 2 listening party in Salt Lake City Her dark hair was pulled back and styled into sleek look, and also chose to not wear jewelry for the dinner outing. Upon arriving to the hotspot, Bianca stepped out of a Tesla Cybertruck with three of Kanye's children and her mother in tow. The music artist - who also goes by Ye - shares Saint, Chicago, Psalm and also North, 11, with ex-wife Kim Kardashian. Earlier this year in February, a source revealed to DailyMail.com that the SKIMS founder had asked Kanye to have his wife cover up when around their children. 'Kim instructed Kanye to never let Bianca dress like that around their kids. She is truly surprised that Kanye would let his wife leave the house like that.' The insider added, 'Kanye did the same thing he is doing with Bianca to Kim throughout their marriage. The difference is that when Kanye dressed Kim, he was respected as a person as an artist.' 'Unfortunately, Kim knows what Bianca is going through but she feels Bianca should have known what she was getting into.' During her family's visit to Los Angeles, she has been spending quality time with her mother and two sisters - and made an appearance on Angelina's Instagram stories in a sultry snap. She wore a strapless, nude satin minidress that contained a hem that stopped inches above her knees during the recent outing Her dark hair was pulled back and styled into sleek look, and also chose to not wear jewelry for the dinner outing Upon arriving to the hotspot, Bianca stepped out of a Tesla Cybertruck with three of Kanye's children and her mother in tow The music artist - who also goes by Ye - shares Saint, Chicago, Psalm and also North, 11, with ex-wife Kim Kardashian Earlier this year in February, a source revealed to DailyMail.com that the SKIMS founder had asked Kanye to have his wife cover up when around their children 'Kim instructed Kanye to never let Bianca dress like that around their kids. She is truly surprised that Kanye would let his wife leave the house like that,' the source said The insider added, 'Kanye did the same thing he is doing with Bianca to Kim throughout their marriage. The difference is that when Kanye dressed Kim, he was respected as a person as an artist' Bianca's two sisters were chic as they joined their sibling and mother to shop on Melrose Avenue In an image uploaded on Friday, Bianca could be seen leaving little to the imagination in a very skimpy, bralette top and nude bottoms as she sat in the driver's seat of a vehicle. Her left arm was draped over the steering wheel as she gazed towards the camera for the quick picture. Earlier this week, Censori was also featured on Angelina's main Instagram page as the sisters posed up a storm for memorable photos together. The architect showed off her figure wearing a satin, ruched top as well as lacy bottoms and black pumps. Her sister donned a short-sleeved, white cropped shirt which was paired with black, knee-high boots and skimpy bottoms. And last week on Friday, Bianca was joined by her sisters Angelina and Alyssia as they supported the rapper during his Vultures 2 listening party with Ty Dolla $ign. She sat near the stage with her siblings at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, TMZ reported at the time. In photos obtained by the outlet, Censori could be seen sporting a fitted, nude-colored bodysuit with a deep, plunging neckline on the front. Bianca's sibling, Angelina, also jumped to her Instagram stories the same day to give her followers a glimpse of the album release party inside the venue. Bianca and her family soaked up the warm, California sunshine and hot summer weather during the shopping spree One of her sisters was seen stepping out of the vehicle upon arriving to their next destination After stopping by a few stories, the siblings jumped into the Cybertruck Her mother, Alexandra, was also seen sitting in the backseat of the sleek car Bianca's mother donned a colorful ensemble during the outing and was seen arriving to her hotel in L.A. She made her way through a crowded parking structure after Bianca took her mother back to the hotel And last week on Friday, Bianca was joined by her sisters Angelina and Alyssia as they supported the rapper during his Vultures 2 listening party with Ty Dolla $ign One photo was shared and showed West standing on the stage as white curtains lifted up to dramatically reveal the rapper. She additionally uploaded a clip that was filmed as Kanye performed his hit track, Runaway, that is found on the 2010 album titled, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. The Heartless hitmaker could be seen performing the track in an all-black ensemble as the crowd excitedly sang along. 'Runaway from me baby,' she typed out. It also appears that Bianca and her sisters had the chance to possibly mingle with two of West's children - North and Chicago - whom he shares with ex Kim Kardashian. During the event, his daughters joined him on stage as they performed the song, Bomb, according to TMZ. North notably was featured on the track, and rapped in fluent Japanese throughout the song. Bianca's outing with her two sisters comes after her family expressed concern earlier this year over her X-rated outfits. In March, a source told DailyMail.com that her father, Leo, wanted to address her racy ensembles with his daughter and Kanye - after Bianca's mother Alexandra flew to the U.S. to 'save' her daughter over fears that she was being 'controlled' by West. And back in May, her loved ones were reportedly also worried that Censori would be 'dragged' into the rapper's Yeezy porn venture. However, in March, Bianca's sister Angelina revealed what she and her family think of West during an interview with the Herald Sun. She sat near the stage with her siblings at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, TMZ reported at the time Earlier this week, Censori was also featured on Angelina's main Instagram page as the sisters posed up a storm for memorable photos together Bianca's sibling, Angelina, also jumped to her Instagram stories the same day to give her followers a glimpse of the album release party inside the venue 'We all support him. We support his new album. We support his new clothes he's dropping,' she said at the time. Angelina told the outlet that all was well between the sisters, adding the Bianca was her 'best friend and confidante.' 'It's all just bulls**t. There was something about my dad even recently. My dad never talks. Nothing's true.' It appears that Bianca's relationship with her siblings and family is on good terms as they continue to spend quality time together. Coronation Street's Sean Wilson claimed the soap no longer had 'great acting or writing', ahead of his now axed comeback. The actor, 59, was set to reprise his role as Martin Platt in October as part of his ex-wife Gail's exit as actress Helen Worth, 73, prepares to retire from the cobbles. But reports suggest he suddenly departed the show after being 'summoned to head office' before quitting for 'personal reasons' forcing Gail's entire exit storyline to be frantically rewritten. 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. Earlier this year, he said soap storylines were now 'issue-centric' and trying and failing to solve world issues, in comparison to his own time on the show, between 1985 and 2005, when audiences watched in their droves and were left both 'laughing and crying'. Coronation Street 's Sean Wilson, 59, claimed the soap no longer had 'great acting or writing' ahead of his now axed comeback The actor was set to reprise his role as Martin Platt in October as part of his ex-wife Gail's exit as actress Helen Worth, 73, prepares to retire from the cobbles (pictured on the show) Telling The Daily Star: 'I think the world of soaps is a different vehicle nowadays. I think I was part of the British soap industry at the best time, the halcyon years when there were 18 or 21 million people watching it' 'You could walk down the street on a Wednesday or a Friday and you could hear people laughing with their windows open because of the great writing and the great acting was really speaking to the nation. I don't think it does that so much nowadays'. He continued: 'People don't have to watch it anymore. They were all segwayed together; you were five minutes from laughing and five minutes from crying. Nowadays it seems very much issue-centric, they're trying to solve the world's issues, which they're not going to do.' As reported by The Sun, Sean was called in for a meeting with bosses and left with 'no explanation offered' to his co-stars. A source told the publication: '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.' Earlier this year Sean claimed soap storylines were now 'issue-centric' and trying and failing to solve world issues, in comparison to his own time on the show (pictured on the show in 2003) He recalled a rime audiences watched in their droves and were left both 'laughing and crying' (Pictured with co-star Helen Worth and Tina O'Brien) According to reports Sean was called in for a meeting with bosses and left with 'no explanation offered' to his co-stars (pictured with scripts earlier this year) Sean's agent told the publication: 'Neither he nor I will be making any further comment or statement.' Sean played Martin for 20 years 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. Although the pair's ten-year union ended when Sean's character Martin had an affair, he is considered the most successful relationship in Gail's previous five marriages. In July, it was confirmed that Sean would be reprising his role as Martin, 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.' He added: 'We'll have a few months to catch up with Martin and Gail again, following the ebbs and flows of the unfolding storyline. '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.' However, this week 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. As his puzzling departure remains a mystery, longtime fans will recall how at one time Sean said he'll never set foot on the cobbles again, after quitting in 2005 over a storyline which involved his character Martin seducing an underage girl. The soap star bitterly fell out with bosses at the time as he refused to be involved in the plot, with Sean branding them 'rude' as he stepped away from the show. The actor then went on to embark on a cheesemaking career, he launched a cheese business called Artisan Farm in 2009 before going on to write a number of recipe books. Helen, who played his onscreen ex wife Gail, quit her role this year after starring on the cobbles for 50 years (pictured in 2019) He briefly reprised his role in 2018 for a handful of episodes as part of the David Platt male rape storyline, with a source telling Daily Star at the time that producers 'bent over backwards' to lure him back. Helen, who played his onscreen ex wife Gail, quit her role this year after starring on the cobbles for 50 years. ITV confirmed that she would start filming her exit story and the 'emotional' scenes will be on screen at the end of the year. An astrologer has broken her silence around the outcry caused by including her horoscopes in a 6pm TV news bulletin. Natasha Weber, who calls herself AstroTash, has been contributing horoscopes to be flashed onscreen following the weather on Seven's national news bulletin since last month. While the move has been condemned by those who think it reduces the seriousness of the news bulletin, Weber said her 'sun sign horoscopes and are meant to provide inspiration'. 'We are in a climate that is quite heavy with a lot of negative news, so why not introduce some light and levity,' she told the Herald Sun. She said some viewers had the misconception that she was going to elbow Melbourne anchor Peter Mitchell 'off the newsdesk' and do away with 'hardcore serious journalism' but that was 'clearly not the case'. Instead the 'quick infographic' was a suitable way to display the 'ancient wisdom of astrology', according to Weber. Weber said sun signs, the type of astrology normally presented in newspapers and magazines, were only the 'tip of the iceberg' of the study of celestial bodies, their movement in the zodiac and influence on humanity. 'Some of the greatest minds and philosophers of our time like Galileo, Plato, and Hippocrates were all astrologers,' Weber said. Astrologer Natasha Weber, who calls herself AstroTash, has defended the inclusion of her horoscopes in the Seven 6pm news bulletins 'Astrology is a tool to help guide us to make the best decisions for ourselves.' As part of a general 'refresh' of Seven News, the nightly flagship bulletin also now includes a three-minute satirical skit the '6.57 News' presented by comedian Mark Humphries. Both the comedy segment and the horoscopes have sparked a sharply divided reaction from Seven viewers, with some saying that the network was treating them like 'morons' and had lost interest in serious news. 'Channel 7 news now features a horoscope. What rubbish. Looks like they don't really care about news,' one viewer fumed on X. 'Between horoscopes and comedy skits being included in Seven News, might as well go the full hog? How about Denise Drysdale spinning a wheel and giving away prizes, too?,' another said 'Needless to say, I don't expect this (horoscopes) to last long - a very Woman's Day/New Idea concept to me!' said another sceptic. 'Seven News treating the viewers as morons with horoscopes,' another fumed. 'Seriously is this what is going to make us watch Seven News as opposed to 9, 10, 2 or SBS. Biggest turn off ever. Who are these new muppets making such infantile decisions?' another fumed. Long-time Seven News presenter in Brisbane, Sharyn Ghidella, also pointedly referred to the segment when she was recently made redundant as part of the wider changes at the network. 'Im also not one to have my evening news served up with humour and horoscopes either, so, to be honest, it is time to go,' she wrote in a Facebook post. However, some viewers defended the inclusion. Weber also now presents a weekly 'Astro tip for the week' on Seven's Morning Show 'Astrology is a science, just like meteorology and ought to be given the respect it deserves,' one wrote. Weber's horoscopes followed her appearance on Channel Seven's Morning Show in February, where she discussed the effects of five supermoons. Her appearance was applauded by her almost 80,000 followers. 'Absolutely fantastic and very insightful Natasha,' one said. 'You are shining new light into an old system,' another wrote. She now provides 'Astro tip for the week' in a short segment where she instructs viewers 'how to use your horoscope and harness the power of the stars'. Aside from her work with the Seven network, Ms Weber is a horoscope columnist for Marie Claire Australia and MamaMia. Decades-old computer systems 'paid for by the Kennedy administration' and terrible management are the reasons for poor customer service at the IRS, an insider has claimed. An IRS employee, who has worked at the agency for more than a decade, has spoken exclusively to DailyMail.com about its failings, as it comes under fire for long call wait times. The staffer, who has worked on the customer service and IT teams, said that managers pursued 'vanity projects' instead of making changes which would benefit workers and taxpayers. It comes after a bombshell report in June revealed that an inefficient use of staff means that customer service representatives were often left 'sitting around for the phone to ring.' At the same time, only 31 percent of those who tried to get in touch with the agency were actually able to get through to speak to a human. Decades-old computer systems 'paid for by the Kennedy administration' and terrible management are the reasons for poor customer service at the IRS, an insider has claimed Customer service workers were waiting for calls for 1.1 million hours during this year's seven week tax season, according to a report from the National Taxpayer Advocate, a watchdog for the IRS. Latest figures show there are around 20,000 customer service employees at the IRS. This means that this filing season each one lost an average of 55 hours, or just under seven eight-hour working days, according to DailyMail.com calculations. Customer service representatives either answer phones, or they process taxpayer letters, but they cannot do both. Even if call volume is low, staffers are stuck working on the phone lines. But this report only scratches the surface of what is really going on at the IRS, the staffer claimed. PULLING OUT STAPLES The worker claimed that an ineffective use of staff means taxpayers are left waiting hours on the phone to try to get through for help. 'There are customer service workers who are tasked with answering correspondence who will spend the whole day doing nothing but pulling staples out of papers,' they said. 'And management just turn a blind eye.' DECADES-OLD SYSTEMS 'There is an ongoing joke that some of the oldest systems were paid for by the Kennedy administration,' the worker told DailyMail.com. 'And the reality of the jokes is that I believe them to be very accurate.' While many of the computers have been updated, antiquated 'legacy' systems are still an issue, they claimed. 'For about two weeks of the year, the systems are completely unavailable as they have to be offline to make updates. 'There's not a way to update in place. A lot of companies now are able to do that. Like when Facebook updates, it does not have to be taken down for two weeks - it takes minutes. 'But because we're using legacy systems, we don't have those kinds of capabilities.' Having the systems switched off for weeks then causes a real problem with customer service, they claimed. 'We have to piecemeal together this old technology because we can't really afford to replace it, or there isn't a good option to replace it.' The worker claimed that an ineffective use of staff means taxpayers are left waiting hours on the phone to try to get through for help The IRS lost 55 hours of work per customer service representative this filing season due to its 'inefficient' systems, DailyMail.com analysis can reveal The IRS has been under fire for its long wait times (Pictured: IRS commissioner Danny Werfel) COMMUNICATION FAIL Outdated systems also mean account notes are not shared across different departments, the insider claimed. 'Collections customer service is different from examination or audit customer service. The tools and the notes that each department accesses are completely different,' they said. If someone has been audited, they explained, and they get in touch with a different department a year later, the customer service representative will not have the details as to why they were audited the year prior. 'Having those kinds of notes there would benefit the customer service agent, but the systems are all siloed, just like the different groups. 'Everybody is siloed and there is not a lot of intercommunication between systems. It's not like we have one system for all tax stuff. You've got 10 or 15 different systems, and that might be undershooting the amount of systems we have.' This can lead to taxpayers getting frustrated, they said, as they assume that the IRS staffer has the notes in front of them detailing any past communication with the agency. Instead of prioritizing critical changes, executives pursue vanity projects - such as needlessly pushing for Apple Mac computers - they claimed. 'You have executives prioritizing what they believe to be a big win, and ultimately it is going to be nothing but a headache and something that is not going to be long term supportable.' People are worried that if some processes or positions become automated, they added, then they will lose their jobs. The worker claimed that account notes are not shared across different departments, which can lead to callers becoming frustrated and abusive TOXIC WORKPLACE When employees face abuse from taxpayers on the phone, there is no clear protocol of how to report or deal with it, the insider claimed. Callers often get frustrated, they said, especially if they expect the customer service representative to be aware of their history and prior calls to the IRS and if they have been waiting a long time to get through. 'People will be cussing and yelling and screaming and threatening us. They will treat you like you're garbage. That's probably the hardest part,' they said. 'But unfortunately if you hang up you could wind up getting congressionally reviewed, because they could call their member of Congress who could then start looking into it.' Congressional offices are able to step in and help Americans if they are facing problems with federal agencies including the IRS. But the worker claimed there is no set standard between different managers for what to do if a caller is aggressive. 'Some managers will be telling you to take more abuse, and some will be telling you not to take any of it.' Many workers put up with the abuse, they claimed, for fear of losing their job if the complaint gets taken further. DailyMail.com approached the IRS for comment. A representative pointed toward a news release from April. It highlighted a variety of improvements that expanded service for millions of taxpayers during the 2024 filing season. This included improvements to the phone service, more calls answered and faster response times. India's edible oil imports declined marginally by 1.6 per cent to 119.35 lakh tonnes in the first nine months of 2023-24 marketing year ending October, according to industry body SEA. Imports of cooking oils stood at 1,19,35,227 tonnes during November 2023-July 2024 period as against 1,21,22,711 tonnes in the corresponding period of 2022-23 marketing year. Oil marketing year runs from November to October. More than 50 per cent of India's cooking oils demand is met through imports. Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA) data showed that imports of non-edible oils, however, increased to 1,88,955 tonnes from 1,32,242 tonnes. The total import of vegetable oils (edible and non-edible oils) during the first nine months of the current oil year stood at 121.24 lakh tonnes, down 1 per cent compared to 122.55 lakh tonnes in the year-ago period. In the first nine months of the 2023-24 oil year (November 2023-July 2024), India imported 15,18,671 tonnes of refined edible oil, a 7 per cent decrease from the 16,40,960 tonnes imported during the same period of preceding oil year. Imports of crude edible oils fell 1 per cent to 1,04,16,556 tonnes from 1,04,81,751 tonnes. During the first nine months of the 2023-24 oil year, the total palm oil imports decreased by 4 per cent to 68,45,097 tonnes, compared to 71,17,834 tonnes in the year-ago period. In contrast, soft oil imports increased to 50,90,131 tonnes from 50,04,877 tonnes. Indonesia and Malaysia are the primary suppliers of RBD Palmolein and crude palm oil (CPO) to India. Crude soyabean degummed oil is primarily imported from Argentina and Brazil while crude sunflower oil from Russia, Romania, Ukraine and Argentina. Was the murdered doctor from RG Kar Medical College and Hospital aware of any threats to her life? And if so, who were her tormentors? As they work to answer these questions, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials are focusing on the victims personal diary and statements from her family, including her father, regarding the events leading up to the alleged rape and murder inside the hospital premises on the night of August 8 and 9. Sources indicated that CBI officials have identified around thirty individuals of interest in their investigation, including some doctors, interns, senior nurses, and other hospital staff. According to these sources, the victims father informed investigators that his daughter had recently expressed reluctance to perform night shifts. She had also voiced suspicions about certain colleagues, fearing that they might cause her harm. The CBI is now meticulously examining her personal diary to gather as much information as possible about her concerns and the potential threats she faced. The victims father reportedly informed investigators, citing some of her colleagues, that she may have been murdered elsewhere and then her body was moved to the seminar hall of the Department of Chest Medicine, where she was a final-year postgraduate trainee. CBI officials, who interrogated Sandip Ghosh the influential former principal of the college, known for his close ties with the topmost family in the State for approximately 13 and a half hours on Friday night, resumed questioning him on Saturday. Sources suggested that Ghosh has started to crack under CBI pressure, and the interrogation was ongoing at the time of the last reports. On Saturday, a team of CBI officials visited the crime scene inside the hospital for the second time, equipped with three-dimensional cameras and other instruments to gather additional evidence. Simultaneously, another group of officials visited the Bhawanipore residence of Sanjoy Das, a civic volunteer with the Kolkata Police and the prime accused, who was arrested several days ago. A third team went to the Belgachia Police Barracks, where Das had recently been living, reportedly using his influence to secure accommodation. You put your ear to the walls of the Hospital and you will get to know who killed her even the CBI officials might have known about them by now the only thing is that they need evidence if at all that have not been destroyed by the college authorities and the police in the, an agitating nurse of the hospital said adding she had perhaps come to know about some closely guarded secret of the highly connected who have been running a multi-crore racket in the hospital ... she was paid with her life for not taking their offer and acting according to their desire. Others in the hospital said that those who raped and killed the lady doctor even sat around her corpse for some time discussing the next course of action and accordingly the family was informed about the suicide. Though they informed was initially informed about her suicide they perhaps failed to make the situation look like one because by that time juniors and other staff had started assembling around the area, a junior doctor said requesting anonymity. Meanwhile the members of third sex too joined doctors in their agitation demanding justice for the murdered lady doctor and safety for women in work place. A huge humanity including women, members of transgender community, students and doctors on Saturday took out a procession from College Square to RGKMCH and jostled with the police who tried to stop them. Members of Indian Medical Association that had called a nationwide strike on Saturday hit the streets at various places in Kolkata and districts. The doctors took part in processions at Cooch Behar, Durgapur, Malda, Kolkata, Diamond Harbour many other places demanding justice and security in work places sources said. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday ruled out his resignation, following Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot granting sanction to prosecute him, in connection with the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment scam, and said he had done no wrong to step down. He termed the Governors decision anti-Constitution and against law. The Chief Minister also said Governors decision will be questioned in court and that he will battle it out legally. It is a big conspiracy to dislodge the elected Government. They (BJP) have done this in several States including Delhi, Jharkhand. A conspiracy has been designed to destabilise the elected Government in Karnataka also. The Central Government, BJP, JD(S) and others are involved in this conspiracy, Siddaramaiah told reporters here. High command (of Congress) is with me, the entire Cabinet and the Government is with me. All Congress MLAs, MLCs, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members are with me....I have done no wrong to resign, he asserted. Accusing the Opposition of wrong doings and behaving illegally and anti-Constitutionally, he further said, They are using Raj Bhavan as a political pawn. The Governor is functioning like a puppet in the hands of the Central Government. The Governor has accorded sanction against the Chief Minister under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 for the commission of the alleged offences as mentioned in the petitions of Pradeep Kumar S P, T J Abraham and Snehamayi Krishna. Stating that such a decision by the Governor was expected, Siddaramaiah said, We had expected this, I too had expected this. When the Governor on July 26, the very day he received the petition, issued me a show cause notice. What does it mean? He said, There has been a petition seeking sanction for prosecution against JD(S) leader (now Union Minister) H D Kumaraswamy since November, also there are petitions against former BJP Ministers Shahshikala Jolle, Murugesh Nirani, and Janardhana Reddy. Leaving all of them, if the notice was issued to me, what does it mean? In November, sanction was sought against Kumaraswamy (also former CM) by Lokayukta in an alleged case regarding issue of mining licences, after an inquiry. He was not issued a notice. What does it mean -- that the notice is issued to me (by the Governor)? It is a big conspiracy, he added. Based on a petition filed by advocate-activist T J Abraham, Governor Gehlot had issued a show cause notice on July 26 directing the Chief Minister to submit his reply to the allegations against him within seven days as to why permission for prosecution should not be granted against him. The Karnataka government had on August 1 strongly advised the Governor to withdraw his show cause notice to the Chief Minister and alleged gross misuse of the Constitutional Office of the Governor. It had also advised him to reject the said application by denying prior approval and sanction as requested by the petitioner Abraham. Granting sanction for prosecution against Siddaramaiah in connection with the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment scam, Gehlot has said it is very necessary to conduct a neutral, objective, and non-partisan investigation. He said he is prima facie satisfied that the allegations and the supporting materials disclose commission of offences. The Governor also termed as irrational the decision taken by the Council of Ministers advising him to withdraw his showcause notice to the chief minister and to reject the application seeking prosecution sanction. Meanwhile, Congress workers and supporters on Saturday staged protests in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mandya and several other parts of the state against the permission granted by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to prosecute Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. In Bengaluru, a massive protest was organised by Congress workers and members of Karnataka Pradesh Kurubara Sangha at Gandhi Nagar here demanding removal of the Governor. Raising anti-Gehlot slogans, they even burnt effigies of the Governor and carried placards saying Remove Governor, Save State. Similar protests were also carried in support of Siddaramaiah in other parts of the state -- including Mandya and Davanagere. In Mysuru, raising slogans down down anti-people BJP and JD(S), down down to BJP agent governor and holding placards Go back Governor in Kannada, the Congress workers alleged conspiracy against the AHINDA (an acronym for minorities, backward classes, Dalits and Adivasis) leader. They also set tyres on fire as a mark of protest in Siddaramaiahs home district. In a huge setback to Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a US court has ruled that the Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman could be extradited to India where is wanted for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack carried out by Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists. The (India US Extradition) Treaty permits Ranas extradition, the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit said in its ruling on Thursday. Ruling on an appeal filed by 63-year-old Rana, a panel of judges of the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed the District Court in the Central District of Californias denial of his habeas corpus petition challenging a magistrate judges certification of his as extraditable to India for his alleged participation in terrorist attacks in Mumbai. Rana, currently lodged in a jail in Los Angeles, faces charges for his role in the 26/11 Mumbai attack and is known to be associated with Pakistani-American Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist David Coleman Headley, one of the main conspirators of the terror incident that hit Indias financial hub in 2008. Rana has the option of appealing against the ruling. He still has not run out of all the legal options to prevent his extradition to India. Under the limited scope of habeas review of an extradition order, the panel held that Ranas alleged offence fell within the terms of the extradition treaty between the United States and India, which included a Non Bis in Idem (double jeopardy) exception to extraditability when the person sought has been convicted or acquitted in the Requested State for the offence for which extradition is requested. Relying on the plain text of the treaty, the US State Departments technical analysis, and persuasive case law of other circuits, the panel held that the word offence refers to a charged crime, rather than underlying acts, and requires an analysis of the elements of each crime. The panel of three judges concluded that a co-conspirators plea agreement did not compel a different result. The panel held that the Non Bis in Idem exception did not apply because the Indian charges contained distinct elements from the crimes for which Rana was acquitted in the United States. In its ruling, the panel also held that India provided sufficient competent evidence to support the magistrate judges finding of probable cause that Rana committed the charged crimes. The three panel of judges were Milan D Smith, Bridget S Bade, and Sidney A Fitzwater. Rana, a Pakistani national, was tried in a US district court on charges related to his support for a terrorist organisation that carried out large-scale terrorist attacks in Mumbai. A jury convicted Rana of providing material support to a foreign terrorist organisation and conspiring to provide material support to a foiled plot to carry out terrorist attacks in Denmark. However, the jury acquitted Rana of conspiring to provide material support to terrorism-related to the attacks in India. After Rana served seven years in prison for those convictions and upon his compassionate release, India issued a request for his extradition to try him for his alleged participation in the Mumbai attacks. Before the magistrate judge who initially decided Ranas extraditability (the extradition court), Rana argued that the US extradition treaty with India protected him from extradition because of its Non Bis in Idem (double jeopardy) provision. He also argued that India did not provide sufficient evidence to demonstrate probable cause that he committed the charged crimes. The extradition court rejected Ranas arguments and certified that he was extraditable. After Rana raised the same arguments in a habeas petition in district court (the habeas court), the habeas court affirmed the extradition courts findings of facts and conclusions of law. In his appeal, Rana argued that he cannot be extradited based on conduct for which he was acquitted in the United States because the word offence refers to underlying acts. The US government argued that offence refers to a charged crime and requires an analysis of the elements of each charged crime. Thus, according to the government, the Treaty permits Ranas extradition because the Indian charges contain distinct elements from the crimes for which he was acquitted in the United States. Judge Smith said that the Treatys plain terms, the post-ratification understanding of the signatories, and persuasive precedent all support the governments interpretation. Rana argued, however, that, based on the governments interpretation of the Treaty in Headleys plea agreement, we should judicially estop the government from advocating for its current interpretation of the Treaty. We decline to do so, Judge Smith said. Because the parties do not dispute that the crimes charged in India have elements independent from those under which Rana was prosecuted in the United States, the Treaty permits Ranas extradition, Judge Smith said. A total of 166 people, including six Americans, were killed in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks in which 10 Pakistani terrorists laid a more than 60-hour siege, attacking and killing people at iconic and vital locations in Mumbai. Healthcare services across the nation were paralysed as doctors and other medical workers from the Government, private, and even corporate hospitals went on a 24-hour strike starting at 6 am on Saturday, leading to the shutdown of OPDs, elective surgeries, and IPD services. The strike called to protest rape and murder of a trainee doctor at a State-run hospital in Kolkata last week caused significant disruption, with hospitals across the national Capital turning away patients, particularly those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. While many sympathised with the cause, they struggled to receive necessary medical treatment. The Indian Medical Association (IMA), which represents over 4 lakh medical professionals nationwide, called for the strike after resident and junior doctors, along with medical students, ceased work for six consecutive days and took to the street to protest the August 9 incident. As senior doctors also joined the strike, medical services were hit hard in many States, severely impacting primarily poor patients who had traveled long distances from across the country to access care at centrally run facilities like AIIMS, Safdarjung Hospital, and Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital. A 60-year-old heart patient who had come to AIIMS for an OPD visit expressed his frustration and said, I had an appointment for a routine checkup today, but it was cancelled due to the strike. I understand the doctors concerns, but we havent done anything wrong. I hope the strike ends soon. Relatives of another patient echoed similar sentiment, acknowledging the tragedy in Kolkata but emphasising that the strike had severely affected them. They had travelled from Rajasthan to Delhi seeking treatment for their uncle, as they believed the best healthcare services were available in the Capital. In display of solidarity and demanding a Central Protection Act, doctors across the Capital also marched towards Jantar Mantar, despite resistance from Delhi Police, who tried to prevent the demonstration from disrupting public life. Nurses too joined the protest, holding a sit-in to show their solidarity and outrage over the West Bengal tragedy. Dr Arpit, a protesting doctor who participated in the march to Jantar Mantar, said, Our demands are clear. We dont want another incident like the one in West Bengal. The Government must finalise the Central Protection Act. This is not about politics; its about justice and safety. Echoing his concerns, Dr Aakansha added, We wont be able to work without the assurance of our safety. The government needs to wake up. How many more incidents will it take before they act? As the protest continued, the doctors chants for justice reverberated through the capital. Dr. S.K. Poddar, another doctor participating in the strike, remarked, The tragedy in West Bengal is deeply troubling. The main suspect has yet to be apprehended, and there is no clear update on the investigations progress. This is unacceptable. Dr. Jyoti Sharma highlighted the frustration within the medical community. The IMAs call for a 24-hour strike reflects our frustration with the lack of progress on our demands. The Central Protection Act, which was introduced in Parliament eight years ago, has been stalled. We are demanding justice for the victim and protection for all healthcare workers, she said. The nationwide demand by united modern medicine doctors, including associations of surgeons, dental, diagnostics, radiologists, and even psychologists, for a central protection act to safeguard healthcare workers from violence forced the centre to announce that they would constitute a committee to suggest all such possible measures for ensuring the safety of healthcare professions. Representatives of all stakeholders, including the state government, will be invited to share their suggestions with the committee, the Union Health Ministry said in a statement. Further, even private hospitals in Delhi joined the protest alongside government hospitals making things worse for patients who had relied on such hospitals for elective services as government shut their operation except the emergency services with hospitals like Sir Ganga Ram, Fortis and Apollo have halted their OPD, elective surgeries and IPD services. Dr Ajay Swaroop, chairman of the Board of Management at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, said, We have declared a complete shutdown of OPD, elective OTs and IPD work. Unfortunately, I believe that protests and discontinuation of duties have now become necessary to pressure the authorities and expedite the investigation process, so that justice is not delayed. We will continue to fully support the agitation until concrete changes are made to address the safety and security concerns of all cadres of workers in the health service. Fortis Hospitals, in a statement, said, We are deeply saddened and shocked by the horrific incident in Kolkata. Such acts of violence, particularly against those who dedicate their lives to healing others, are deplorable and call for swift justice. 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. Resident doctors from all major hospitals in Delhi have been protesting, taking out marches and holding candlelight vigils demanding justice for the Kolkata victim and over safety concerns. Earlier, doctors from private hospitals also protested by wearing black bands on their arms. OPDs at the Apollo Hospital are shut and only emergency services are being provided, according to sources at the facility. Apollo has also joined the protest, a source said. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath stated on Friday that Bharat Ratna and former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee laid the foundation of modern India. He noted, In addition to serving as prime minister three times, he played a crucial role in removing political instability of the country. Chief Minister Yogi paid floral tributes to the statue of former prime minister late Atal Bihari Vajpayee, at Lok Bhavan on his sixth death anniversary. Addressing reporters, he said, Atal Bihari Vajpayee had provided the country with a model for good governance, infrastructure and rural development Yogi further mentioned that the Antyodaya programmes run during Atal Bihari Vajpayees government reflect his visionary approach. He said that Atal ji, who was born on December 25, 1924, had a public life of nearly six decades that was completely unblemished and he elevated Indian politics to new heights. Chief Minister Yogi also referred to Atal ji as an ajaatshatru (a person without enemies) in Indian politics, highlighting his status as a universally respected figure. Reflecting on Atal Bihari Vajpayees legacy, Chief Minister Yogi noted that Atal Bihari Vajpayee began his public life in independent India under the guidance of Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee and Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay. In 1957, he was elected as an MP from Balrampur (now Shravasti) for the first time. He added, Atal ji had the opportunity to serve in the Lok Sabha 10 times and in the Rajya Sabha twice, with five of his Lok Sabha terms being as the elected representative from Lucknow. Chief Minister Yogi said that although Atal Bihari Vajpayee was no longer with us, his memories, poems and the values and principles he upheld in Indian politics would always continue to inspire us. He added that the nation can never forget the efforts made by Atal Bihari Vajpayee to establish India as a global superpower. Chief Minister Yogi mentioned that, in gratitude for his noble efforts, the grateful nation honoured him with the title of Bharat Ratna. Chief Minister Yogi was accompanied by Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, Bharatiya Janata Party state president Chaudhary Bhupendra Singh, Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh, former deputy chief minister and currently Rajya Sabha member Dr Dinesh Sharma, former jal shakti minister Mahendra Singh and many senior BJP leaders in the programme. BHEL, Bhopal celebrated the Independence Day with traditional gaiety. On this occasion, SM Ramanathan, Executive Director, BHEL, Bhopal hoisted the National Flag in front of the Administrative Building and wished the people a Happy Independence Day. The Jawans of Central Industrial Security Force, Bhopal saluted him at the function. Sangeeta Ramanathan, President, BHEL Ladies Club, all General Managers, Harish Sahu, Commandant, CISF, all Union representatives, BHECNIS members and employees were present on the occasion.In his address, Ramanathan said that today India is recognized as the largest democratic country in the world. The world has seen the rapid emergence of a powerful and sovereign India in recent years. Today, under the leadership of the Prime Minister, the rapidly growing economy of our country is a topic of discussion for the world. BHEL has also achieved profitability in harmony with this economic progress of the country and has entered new business areas by diversifying products under the Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India campaign of the Government of India.He told the employees that the current business scenario is very challenging and all our products are facing tough competition, but together we will establish this unit at a new height. He said that the employees of Bhopal unit are capable and ready to provide their excellent services in any situation. The present time demands that we have to maintain this kind of commitment. Our future depends on this, we have to use our today for a better tomorrow. Along with this, he motivated all the employees for success in their future action plan. Earlier on the eve of Independence Day, Sangeeta Ramanathan, President, BHEL Ladies Club distributed fruits to the patients admitted in Kasturba Hospital. Alpana Tiwari, Head of Medical Services and Dr. Pamela Sachdev, General Manager were also present on the occasion.On the occasion of Independence Day, Bharat Heavy Electricals Cultural and National Integration Committee organized All India Mushaira in BHEL Cultural Bhawan. On this occasion, all the members of the committee including BK Singh, President BHECNIS and Avinash Chandra, Vice President BHECNIS were also present. In the Mushaira, renowned poets of Hindi and Urdu world like Mahesh Aggarwal Bhopal, Azhar Iqbal Budhana, Nusrat Mehdi Bhopal, Shri Vijay Tiwari Bhopal, Akbar Taj Khandwa, Jahaaj Deobandi and Sufiyan Qazi Khandwa kept the people enthralled with their poetry. The Chhattisgarh Anti Corruption Bureau/Economic Offence Wing (ACB/EOW) on Friday launched raids on 24 premises in four states in connection with alleged disproportionate assets cases lodged against suspended IAS officers Ranu Sahu and Sameer Sahu and suspended Deputy Secretary Soumya Chaurasia. The raids were conducted in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Karnataka, ACB/EOW Additional Superintendent of Police Chandresh Thakur told The Pioneer. The raids covered one place each in Bengaluru in Karnataka and Jamshedpur in Jharkhand, two places in Rajasthan and 20 places in Chhattisgarh. Among the places in Chhattisgarh, the ACB/EOW covered one place each in Korba and Gariaband, two places in Raigarh, three places in Mahasamund, five places in Raipur and eight places in Durg district. The officials seized documents related to immovable properties including benami properties. Also, documents related to vehicles and other electronic devices with information about properties were found. On July 8, three fresh FIRs were filed against Ranu Sahu, Sameer Vishnoi and Soumya Chaurasia on charges of corruption. As per the FIR, Sahu (2010 batch IAS) purchased immovable property worth Rs 4 crore in her own name and in the name of family members between 2015 and 2022 while her total salary since joining the service till 2022 was said to be Rs 92 lakh. Similarly, Chaurasia (2008 batch), who was a part of the illegal syndicate of coal scam while posted as Deputy Secretary in the Chief Ministers Secretariat, purchased 29 immovable properties worth Rs 9.20 crore in her and familys name between 2021 and 2022. She received about Rs 85.50 lakh as salary and other allowances till October 2022. Vishnoi (2009 batch IAS) bought immovable property worth 5 crores in the name of his wife. The three bureaucrats are in jail in connection with an alleged coal levy scam unearthed during the previous Congress government in the state. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on Friday 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. Chief Minister Yogi also highlighted the accomplishments of ISROs scientists and praised their success through his social media accounts. Congratulating ISRO on his social media account X, Chief Minister Yogi wrote, 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! Bokaro Delhi Public School (DPS) Bokaro celebrated India's 78th Independence Day with vibrant festivities and patriotic fervor. The entire school community, including teachers, non-teaching staff, and students, participated enthusiastically. The campus was decorated with tricolor balloons, flags, and artwork, creating a festive and patriotic ambiance. Principal Dr. A.S. Gangwar hoisted the national flag, with attendees saluting in unison. The event featured performances by younger students, who sang patriotic songs such as "Vande Mataram" and "Saare Jahan Se Achha," filling the air with national pride. Students also presented handmade greeting cards and artworks to the Principal, enhancing the celebratory atmosphere. In his address, Dr. Gangwar emphasized the importance of Independence Day as a time to honor the sacrifices of past leaders and martyrs. He urged everyone to commit to building a developed, inclusive, and innovative India through collective effort. Governor Mangubhai Patel has said that the behavior and attitude of the police in serving the public are important. Police behavior should be sensitive towards the public. The sensitive behavior of the police increases respect for the police in the minds of the public and makes the image of the police public friendly. Governor Patel was addressing the Officers and Employees honored with the Presidents Medal meeting program. On this occasion, he extended best wishes and congratulated the medal recipients of the Madhya Pradesh Police, Jail and Home Guards and their families. It may be noted that this year, 69 police officers and employees of the state police have been awarded the Presidents Police Medal. This honor was given for gallantry, distinguished service, and meritorious service, The program was organized in the Sandipani Auditorium of Raj Bhavan. Governor Mangubhai Patel said that the state police has done commendable work in the direction of environmental protection along with the responsibilities of maintaining law and order. The police have planted 1.25 lakh saplings in a day under the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam campaign. Governor Patel thanked the Madhya Pradesh Police Force for this success. He also called upon the state police to take up the responsibility of taking care of the planted saplings in the future. Patel said that the nature of cyber crimes has changed in the era of information technology. Mostly children, women, rural people and people from deprived sections are becoming victims of cyber crimes. Police will have to play an important role in cyber awareness. The police will have to be technically and legally proficient, conduct sensitive analysis and take punitive action against cyber criminals. He said that every officer and employee of the state police should perform his duties with complete devotion and commitment. Governor Mangubhai Patel said that in a democratic system, active police are the basis of a strong and healthy society. Security is necessary for the development of society and police is necessary for security. Police will have to keep themselves updated according to time. Now there is a need for predictive policing from reactive policing. He said that in the last six months, the police have taken strict action against Naxal activities. By killing four hardcore Naxalites, Naxal activities have been controlled to a great extent. Governor Patel said that the state police have taken effective action to strictly suppress anti-social elements and anti-national forces and stop the illegal transportation of cattle. Director General of Police Sudhir Kumar Saxena welcomed Governor Mangubhai Patel with a bouquet. DGP Saxena gave the welcome address. He gave information about the medal recipients, the law and order of the state and the social concern-based work of the police. Additional Director General of Police Sajid Fareed Shapu proposed the vote of thanks. Director General Jail Govind Pratap Singh, Director General Home Guard Arvind Kumar, Principal Secretary to the Governor Mukesh Chand Gupta, senior officers of Madhya Pradesh Police, medal recipients of Madhya Pradesh Police, Home Guard and Jail Department and their families were present in the program. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said his government was committed to all-round development of the state and was busy formulating new schemes. The state government is surging on the path marked for growth and development with a clear vision of Viksit Chhattisgarh, Sai said while addressing people at the police parade ground on the occasion of Independence Day on Thursday. Sai unfurled the national flag and took salute at an impressive parade. He said Chhattisgarh was playing an effective role in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision to make India a developed country by 2047. The Chief Minister said independence from colonial rule came about due to the hard struggle and sacrifices of "our ancestors". Our ancestors fought a long struggle against British imperialism... Democratic forces have to be strengthened, he added. Crediting Atal Bihari Vajpayee with Chhattisgarh's creation, it is his dream of seeing a developed seen should be achieved. The Chief Minister expressed gratitude to security forces fighting Naxalites in the state. In the last eight months, 146 Maoists have been killed and 29 new security camps were going to open. Sai said that they have formed the State Investigation Agency (SIA) so that the investigation and prosecution action can be done more effectively to deal with Naxalite incidents. Sai said that paddy had been bought from farmers at Rs 3,100 per quintal with a cap of 21 quintals per acre. Sai said a record 145 lakh tonnes of paddy were purchased in the state. Chhattisgarh Skill Development Minister Kedar Kashyap emphasised on Friday the need to provide skill development training to youths as per the demand of local industries to connect them to employment. He said this while reviewing the works of the Chhattisgarh State Skill Development Authority and the State Project Livelihood College Society at Mantralaya Mahanadi Bhawan in Nava Raipur. He called for providing employment-oriented training to youths and women so that they become self-reliant. He sought training courses for youths in the Bastar region. Jharkhand Governor Santosh Gangwar reached Jamtara while returning to Ranchi after hoisting the tricolor in Dumka for the Independence Day celebrations. Here he participated in various programs. Talking to media persons on demographic change in Santhal of Jharkhand, he said that the change in the demography of Santhal Pargana is a matter of concern for the Government of India. The Governor has said that Jharkhand High Court has also taken cognizance of this. The Government of India is working on this matter, it will definitely be resolved in the coming time. The Governor observation on changing demography of Bangladesh assume importance as recently the Jharkhand High Court directed the states Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-led government to identify illegal Bangladeshi immigrants living in the Santhal Pargana region. The region comprises six districts: Godda, Deoghar, Dumka, Jamtara, Sahibganj and Pakur. A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad and Justice Arun Kumar Rai issued the directive on a public interest litigation filed by activist Daniel Danish. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for August 22. The Bharatiya Janata Party has in recent weeks stoked a debate over alleged demographic changes in Jharkhand by persistently alleging Bangladeshi infiltration in the state. Last month, Union home minister Amit Shah said at a rally in Ranchi that if the BJP came to power in Jharkhand it would release a white paper on the states demographics. Elections to the Jharkhand Assembly are due to be held between November and December. Governor Santosh Gangwar said that what are the problems in Jharkhand, what are the needs of the people. He is reaching out to the people to know those things. On the subject of constitutional posts like State Information Commission, Human Rights Commission, Lokayukta being vacant for a long time in Jharkhand, he said that what can he do from his level regarding this and will work. He said that elections are going to be held in the coming time. People should put their problems before their public representatives and get these problems resolved by them. Let us tell you that the Governor said many things while addressing the media after attending the program at Mohanpur Upgraded Middle School in Jamtara. During this, he directly interacted with the villagers. At the same time, assets were distributed among the beneficiaries on behalf of various departments. The Governor said that people should write letters regarding their problems and inform Raj Bhavan. The Prime Minister wants to know your opinion to improve the condition of the country and take the country forward. The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced on Friday that Haryana will hold its Assembly elections in a single phase on October 1, with counting scheduled for October 4. The current term of the Haryana Assembly is set to end on November 3, 2024. The elections will cover 90 legislative assembly constituencies, including 73 general and 17 reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs). The last Haryana Assembly elections were held on October 21, 2019. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, addressing the media in New Delhi, provided the detailed schedule for the Haryana polls, along with that of Jammu and Kashmir. The notification for the election will be issued on September 5, with the last date for nominations being September 12. Scrutiny of nominations will occur on September 13, and the deadline for withdrawal of candidatures is September 16. Date of the poll is October 1, and the date of counting is October 4, Kumar said, adding that the entire poll process will be over by October 6. Haryanas 2.01 crore voters include 1.5 lakh persons with disabilities (PwDs); 10,321 centenarians; 2.55 lakh voters above 85 years; and 459 third gender people. A total of 20,629 polling stations, including 7,132 urban and 13,497 rural stations, will be set up. Kumar assured that the election process will be inclusive and accessible, with booths set up in multistoried buildings as well as in urban areas such as Gurugram, Sonepat, and Faridabad. Political leaders welcome ECIs announcement of poll schedule Leaders of all the political parties have welcomed the announcement of poll scheduled in the State. Leader of the Opposition and former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said that the Congress party is ready and people of all sections have decided to bring Congress to power. It is not me or anybody else but the people of Haryana who are thanking the Election Commission for announcing the Assembly polls because they do not want to tolerate this non-performing BJP government even for a single day, Hooda added. Senior Congress leader further said, As far as the Congress is concerned, we are fully prepared. We shall soon be announcing our candidates. The Congress is going to form the government with absolute majority. It is going to be a direct fight between the Congress and the BJP. Union Minister and former Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said that BJP will register its victory for the third time in Haryana. Khattar expressed confidence in BJP's ability to secure a third consecutive victory in the State. Criticizing the previous Hooda-led government for engaging in caste-based politics, Khattar said: BJP will register its victory for the third time in Haryana. 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. Haryana Congress president Udai Bhan said: We welcome it and Congress is ready. Congress will form the Government with a two-third majority. State BJP president Mohan Lal Badoli, who was appointed to the post last month, said: In 2019, we won 40 seats after getting 37 percent votes and this rose to 46 percent in the Lok Sabha polls in 2024. We only need two more per cent to form the Government in Haryana once again. Senior AAP leader said: AAP party is completely ready for the Assembly polls in Haryana. We are continuously holding public rallies and addressing and a large number of people are attending them. Arvind Kejriwal is the son of Haryana, so the people of Haryana have an emotional attachment to him...AAP will strongly contest the elections in Haryana and will win it. Senior Jannayak Janata Party leader Dushyant Chautala on Friday welcomed the announcement of Assembly elections in Haryana by ECI and said that his party is fully prepared for the elections and will contest the elections with strength. Locked in Five-Way Contest; BJP Facing Litmus Test to Retain Power for Third Time This election, Haryana is likely to see a five-way contest between the BJP, the Congress, the JJP, INLD, and the AAP. For BJP, retaining the political power for the third time in a row seems to be a tight rope walk. To finalize the poll strategy, the ruling BJP will hold a crucial meeting in New Delhi on Saturday. On the other hand, the Congress, upbeat after the Lok Sabha elections, has already started its public connect programmes led by Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda and Sirsa MP Kumari Selja. Apart from them, Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda and state Congress president Udai Bhan are also leading separate outreach initiatives. AAP, whose campaign is being led by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwals wife Sunita Kejriwal, had recently announced that the party will contest all 90 seats. Abhay Chautala-led INLD and the Gopal Kanda-led Haryana Lokhit Party, which has announced its support for the BJP, are two small parties that will be in the fray. The INLD has announced its tie-up with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). In the recent Lok Sabha polls, BJP lost five of the states parliamentary seats while the Congress managed to regain five after drawing a blank five years ago. When extrapolated to the Assembly segment level, the BJP had the lead in 44 of the states 90 Assembly seats, the Congress led in 42, and the Aam Aadmi party (AAP) led in four. The Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) and the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) did not lead in any Assembly segment. In Haryana, OBCs account for about 30 per cent votes, followed by Jats 25 per cent and the Scheduled Castes (SCs) about 20 per cent. In the caste politics of Haryana, the Jat support is largely divided among the Congress, JJP and Indian National Lok Dal (INLD). The BJP will contest all 90 seats alone under the leadership of Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Home Minister Amit Shah had announced in June. 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. Bhupinder Hooda recently had said that there was no alliance between his party and the AAP two major Opposition forces that fought the Lok Sabha elections in Haryana together. In the just-concluded Lok Sabha polls, the Congress has won three Jat-dominated constituencies Rohtak by Deepender Hooda, Sonipat by Satpal Brahmchari, and Hisar by Jai Prakash; where farmers largely played a crucial role in its victory. The Congress has also won both the SC-reserved constituencies Sirsa by Kumari Selja and Ambala by Varun Chaudhary. The 78th Independence Day was celebrated with great fervour and enthusiasm across State. Jharkhand Assembly Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahto unfurl the tricolor at Assembly premises. Jharkhand High Court acting Chief Justice, Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad hoisted the flag at Jharkhand High Court premises. The 78th Independence Day was also celebrated with great pomp and show at educational institutions, Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) and at banks. Guru Nanak School The 78th Independence Day was celebrated with great fervour in the premises of Guru Nanak School. The program started with shabad and ardaas, after which the Principal of the school Dr. (Captain) Sumit Kaur welcomed the guests and the Chairman of the School Management Committee Sardar Kultar Singh hoisted the national flag and the whole atmosphere resonated with the sound of Jana-gana-mana. The children gave a beautiful presentation of the parade and sang patriotic songs. Brajkishore Netraheen Balika Vidyalaya The 78th Independence Day was great enthusiasm at the Brajkishore Netraheen Balika Vidyalaya, Bariatu. The programme started with the flag hoisting followed by the national anthem.The blind girls presented a cultural programme with patriotic songs, dance, drama and poetry. The chief guests for the occasion were Finance Officer Father Cleber Minj, Head of Human Resource Management Dr. Shyamal Gomes School Director Neelu Verma, teachers and students of XISS were also present on the occasion. Surendranath Centenary School The spirit of patriotism and unity was in full display as Surendranath Centenary School celebrated Indias 78th Independence Day through a series of spectacular dance and music performances. The celebration commenced with the flag hoisting ceremony followed by the National Anthem and NCC March Past. Principal Samita Sinha spoke about the significance of the day and the responsibilities of young citizens. The programme also featured an instrumental performance, "Dhwani", a thought-provoking Hindi speech, accompanied by a ramp walk on national symbols, dance performance, "Har Ghar Tiranga", a soulful song, an English speech, and a skit, "Bharat Ki Shaan". In the Junior Building, the inauguration of 'JOYVILLE', a kids' park, added a fun-filled dimension to the celebrations. Xavier Institute of Social Service (XISS), Ranchi Xavier Institute of Social Service (XISS), Ranchi, celebrated the 78th Independence Day amidst pride and joy. The event commenced with the hoisting of the tricolour by Director, XISS followed by the National Anthem to set the spirit of the day. Dr Joseph Marianus Kujur SJ, Director, XISS, in his address emphasised on the essence of true freedom and said, Real freedom is when the mind is free, as Rabindranath Tagore has beautifully articulated. As a society, we must rise above our differences and work together to address the challenges of social inequality, economic disparity, and political fragmentation. Our commitment to empathy, its understanding, and action will be our true contribution to nation- building. During the programme, three Institutional Scholarships worth Rs 8,10,000 was also awarded to 26 students of the programmes of Marketing Management, Human Resource Management, Rural Management and Financial Management. Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ranchi IIM Ranchi joined the nation in celebrating the 78th Independence Day with a spirit of patriotism, hope and euphoria. The institute hosted a grand event that showcased the spirit of India through a series of engaging activities. The day began with a solemn flag-hoisting ceremony by Professor Deepak Kumar Srivastava, Director of IIM Ranchi, followed by an illuminating speech where he emphasised on the importance of freedom, responsibility, and the institutes role in nation-building. Srivastava also stressed the significance of incorporating yoga and meditation into daily life for happiness and well-being. The students also organised an Azadi Mela featuring various games and activities. Additionally, the Social Impact Committee, in collaboration with Akhil Bhartiya Terapanth Yuvak Parishad organised a blood donation camp, where over 100 participants from IIM Ranchi donated blood for the noble cause. ICFAI University Ranchi The 78th Independence Day was observed at The ICFAI University Jharkhand. The chief guest was Colonel Jeevan Kumar Singh, SP STF in Jharkhand Police. Mr. Manoj Kumar Chauhan, Government registered patent attorney also graced the occasion. The day started with hoisting of the Tiranga and paying respect and tribute to our motherland. The Vice-Chancellor, Professor (Dr) Raman Kr Jha inspired the gathering by his motivational address and paying salute to our motherland and the National Flag. The chief guest Colonel Jeevan Kr Singh shared his experiences of serving in the borders and the spine-chilling journey of his career. Registrar Professor (Dr) JB Patnaik and Dean Academics Professor Arvind Kumar also shared their views on this occasion. The students presented patriotic cultural performances during the event which concluded with the vote of thanks by the DSW Dr. S Choudhury. The students, employees and the children from nearby villages participated in the event. SAIL Ranchi The 78th Independence Day at SAIL Ranchi Units was celebrated with Nationalistic Flavour and Traditional Gaiety as the Tricolour hoisted was by Ved Prakash, ED (SDTD) in the presence of Sandip Kumar Kar, ED(RDCIS). CGMs of SAIL Ranchi Units and other officers, employees and families were also present on the occasion. In his address Prakash spoke about the critical role of Digital Transformation in SAIL for Nation Building. Kar encouraged the researchers to become relentless in their pursuits for meaningful contributions for the nation. All speakers remembered with reverence the contributions of our freedom fighters. Suman Meher was the master of ceremonies. At MTI, the National Flag was hoisted by Atanu Mukherjee, GM I/C (ACAD). At SAIL funded Bal Shiksha Kendra school Tricolour was hoisted by Sumita Kar, President Ispat Mahila Samaj. At SAIL SC/ST Employees Welfare Association flag hoisting was done by Sanjay Suman with founder member Prema Tirkey. In SAIL CSR sponsored Mahatma Gandhi School at Hatia flag hoisting was done by AK Mistry, CGM(SAIL). NTPC Coal Mining Hq NTPC Coal Mining Headquarters/NTPC Mining Limited (NML), Ranchi celebrated the 78th Independence Day with great enthusiasm and patriotic fervour. Chief Guest for the occasion Animesh Jain, CEO (NML) & Regional Executive Director (Coal Mining) hoisted the tri-color flag and paid homage to the freedom fighters who contributed to India's independence. Addressing the gathering, Jain said as we reflect on our nation's journey to independence, we must also consider our path towards energy independence and Energy Atmanirbharta. On the occasion Jain shared some of the recent achievements and future plans of NTPC. Today, coal accounts for about 70% of India's electricity generation and also accounts for 55% of the country's energy needs, reflecting its critical role in our economy and daily lives. NTPC and its wholly owned subsidiary NTPC Mining Limited (NML) are working hard to make India self-reliant in the energy sector towards 'Viksit Bharat' - a developed India, said Jain. The 78th Independence Day was celebrated with great fervor and patriotism at the district-level main function organized at Gopal Maidan, Bistupur. The occasion was graced by the Minister of Health, Medical Education, Family Welfare, and Food Supply, Public Distribution, and Consumer Affairs Department, Jharkhand Government, Banna Gupta, who attended as the chief guest. In the presence of a large and enthusiastic crowd, Minister Banna Gupta hoisted the national flag, the tricolor waving proudly against the morning sky. He inspected the parade platoon and saluted the national flag, marking the commencement of the ceremony. The event was attended by key district officials, including District Magistrate-cum-Deputy Commissioner Ananya Mittal, Senior Superintendent of Police Kishore Kaushal, Deputy Development Commissioner Manish Kumar, Project Director ITDA Dipankar Chaudhary, and Rural Superintendent of Police Rishabh Garg, among others. The celebration saw the participation of numerous residents from across the district, all coming together to commemorate India's independence. During his address, Minister Banna Gupta extended heartfelt congratulations and wishes to the residents of Jharkhand and the district. He paid tribute to the countless freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives for the nations independence. We salute the brave sons who gave everything for Mother India, said Gupta. He highlighted the significant contributions of Jharkhands heroes, including Bhagwan Birsa Munda and Shaheed Tilka Manjhi, whose courageous actions played a pivotal role in Indias struggle for freedom. Reflecting on the current government's efforts, Gupta emphasized the commitment of the state government under Chief Minister Hemant Soren to accelerate development works. He outlined the various initiatives undertaken for the welfare of the people, such as the Savitribai Phule Kishori Samridhi Yojana, which promotes girl child education, and the Chief Minister Swarojgar Yojana, aimed at connecting the youth with employment opportunities. He also mentioned the Sarvajan Pension Scheme and the Jharkhand Chief Minister Maiyan Samman Yojana, which benefit a large section of society. The Minister further acknowledged the government's decisive actions during the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the states efforts to strengthen healthcare services and support the public in challenging times. In recognition of excellence across various fields, the Minister presented citations to officers and personnel who had demonstrated outstanding work in education, health, sports, election management, and policing. The commanders and participants of the parade platoon were also honored for their disciplined display during the event. The celebrations were mirrored across the district with flag hoisting ceremonies conducted at various significant locations. At the Sectoral Office and Residential Office of the Deputy Commissioner, the flag was hoisted by District Magistrate-cum-Deputy Commissioner Ananya Mittal. The Senior Superintendent of Police, Kishore Kaushal, led the flag hoisting at the SSP Office and Police Line. Similar ceremonies were conducted at the District Public Relations Office, Sub-Divisional Office, Block Headquarters, and educational institutions across the district. Punjab CM Calls for Crusade Against Environmental Pollution Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, on the occasion of Independence Day on Thursday, urged the Punjabis to launch a concerted effort to combat environmental pollution and preserve the states natural resources, drawing inspiration from the teachings of Guru Sahiban. Speaking at the state-level celebration held at Guru Gobind Singh Stadium, Jalandhar, Mann highlighted Punjabs historic role in the freedom struggle, noting that Punjabis made over 80 percent of the sacrifices during this period. Mann emphasized the need to protect Punjabs environment, stressing that the states prosperity is crucial for the countrys progress. Quoting from Gurbani, he urged the public to treat air, water, and land with reverence, advocating for a mass movement to restore Punjabs environmental glory. He assured that the State Government is committed to making Punjab clean, green, and pollution-free. The Chief Minister reiterated his governments zero-tolerance policy against drugs, revealing that over 14,000 drug peddlers have been arrested, with properties worth Rs 173 crore confiscated. Mann also highlighted significant achievements under his administration, including the revitalization of canal water systems, the construction of the Malwa Canal, and the launch of the "Bhagwant Mann Sarkar Tuhade Dwar" initiative, which brings essential services directly to citizens. Mann also celebrated the renaming of Mohali International Airport after Shaheed Bhagat Singh and announced plans for a 35-foot statue of the martyr. The Chief Minister honoured freedom fighters, distributed sewing machines and tricycles to the needy, and praised the states youth, who are increasingly opting for government jobs over migrating abroad. The event concluded with a colorful cultural program, showcasing traditional Punjabi folk arts. Hry Celebrates I-Day with Great Fervour, CM Hoists Tricolour in Kurukshetra Kurukshetra/Chandigarh: The 78th Independence Day was celebrated with enthusiasm across Haryana on Thursday. Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatraya hoisted the tricolour at Yamunanagar, while Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini did the honours in Kurukshetra. Various Cabinet Ministers and State Ministers also participated in the celebrations across the State, paying homage to the martyrs by hoisting the National Flag. Saini, in his address at the state-level program in Kurukshetra, highlighted the transformative progress Haryana has made over the past decade. He emphasized that the current government has successfully fostered harmony, goodwill, and social cohesion, leading to a more inclusive and equitable society. Saini credited the government for liberating the people from fear, corruption, nepotism, and regionalism, which previously caused inequalities in development and access to government services. Chief Minister underscored that this Independence Day is a celebration for every individual, filled with pride and glory for every Indian. He noted that the nation is once again immersed in patriotic fervor through the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign. He paid tribute to the sacrifices of freedom fighters, both known and unknown, who laid down their lives for the nations freedom. Saini proudly acknowledged Haryana's pivotal role in the freedom struggle, with the revolution of 1857 beginning in Ambala Cantt. To inspire future generations, a Savtantrta Sangram Smarak is being constructed in Ambala Cantt at a cost of Rs 538 crore, now in its final stages. He also highlighted that Haryanas brave soldiers have continued to make sacrifices in securing the nation's borders. He further announced that from July, the pension for freedom fighters and their widows has been increased to Rs 40,000 per month, and the ex-gratia amount for families of martyrs has been raised to Rs 50 lakh. Additionally, 415 dependents of martyrs have been provided government jobs, and 10 percent reservation for Agniveers in Haryana government recruitments has been approved. HP CM Announces Disbursement of Arrears to Pensioners Dharamshala: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, during the state-level Independence Day function in Dehra, highlighted the significant challenges his government has faced in just 20 months, including political, economic, and disaster-related crises. Addressing the gathering at Shaheed Bhuvnesh Dogra Ground, Sukhu alleged that conspiracies were hatched to destabilize his democratically elected government through the use of money power. The CM paid tribute to the martyrs, noting that Himachal is home to Major Somnath Sharma, the countrys first Param Vir Chakra recipient. Sukhu made several key announcements, including the immediate disbursement of arrears to pensioners and family pensioners over 75 years old, with other employees arrears to be paid in phases. He also announced that claims of Pong Dam Oustees would be settled under the Forest Rights Act and introduced the Chief Minister Sukh Shiksha Yojana, which offers monthly assistance of Rs 1,000 for children from single-woman households, destitute women, widows, and specially-abled parents. The government will also cover educational expenses for these children in premier institutions like IITs, IIMs, and medical colleges until they turn 27. Sukhu blamed the previous BJP government for the state's current economic challenges, citing decisions that added thousands of crores to the states financial burden. A function was held at Raj Bhavan to mark the national festival of Independence Day. Governor Mangubhai Patel, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and other invited guests exchanged Independence Day greetings during the event. Chief Minister Yadav paid a courtesy visit to Governor Patel at Raj Bhawan before the Independence Day celebrations. The Chief Minister greeted the Governor by presenting a bouquet. Patel appreciated the Army Band Pachmarhi for its wonderful performance at the welcome ceremony. Band leader Major D. Prabhakaran was given a trophy, medals and certificates for each member of the band. The audience at the Independence Day function at Raj Bhavan, Bhopal, was captivated by the sweet melodies performed by the Army Band from Pachmarhi. This impressive performance seamlessly blended patriotic tunes with Indian classical music, ragas, and Western music. Renowned for its remarkable performances, the Army Band Pachmarhi has showcased its talents in countries such as Sudan, Chile, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal. The band features a total of 60 artists who collaborate in three sections: woodwind, brass, and percussion. These sections work in harmony to create the band's signature sound. The woodwind section includes instruments like the flute, piccola, oboe, clarinet, saxophone, and bassoon. The brass section features horns, cornets, trumpets, trombones, euphoniums, and tubas. The percussion section brings together a diverse range of instruments, including the glockenspiel, xylophone, vibraphone, chimes, drums, timpani, and more, all working in unison to produce enchanting melodies. An exhibition showcasing portraits of unsung freedom fighters, brave women, and heroes was held during the ceremony. The event was organized by the Culture Department of the Madhya Pradesh Government in collaboration with the Swaraj Sansthan Directorate. Minister of State for Backward Classes and Minority Welfare, Independent Charge, Smt. Krishna Gaur, MP, State President BJP VD Sharma, Mayor Bhopal Malti Rai, MLA Rameshwar Sharma, MLA Bhagwan Das Sabnani, Chief Secretary Veera Rana, DGP and others were present. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has said that the Indian Language Festival is a wonderful opportunity to save and promote our rich language and cultural heritage. Hindi has had special importance among Indian languages. Hindi is related to Sanskrit. Sanskrit is prevalent in the entire Indian culture and this cultural and linguistic expansion is the basis of the form of united India. Appreciating the activities conducted by Madhavrao Sapre Museum, Chief Minister Yadav announced to increase the grant being given by the state government to the museum from of Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh. Chief Minister Yadav was addressing the gathering at the launch of the Indian Language Festival organized by Madhavrao Sapre Smriti Newspaper Museum. Sapre Museum reference book and Language Satyagraha booklets released Chief Minister Yadav was welcomed and presented with a shawl, books and a replica of a pen at Sapre Museum. Chief Minister Dr. Yadav released the Sapre Museum reference book and Language Satyagraha booklet. He honored Shri Ashish Agrawal for his special cooperation in the Sapre Museum. Narendra Dutt Gargava was honored for his contribution to Pandit Rameshwar Das Gargava Memorial e-Library and Dr. Jayaprakash Shukla for his cooperation in Krishna Gopal Vyas Science Communication Division. Dr. Veena Sinha and Dr. Hemant Singh were also honored on this occasion. The program was presided over by School Education Minister Shri Uday Pratap Singh. Apart from languages, dialects also have special importance Chief Minister Dr. Yadav said that along with languages, dialects also have special importance in Indian culture. The characteristics of dialects are also related to regional history. While Bundeli is full of bravery and valor, the Malvi dialect has its depth. It was influenced by local conditions, but the Malvi dialect maintained its identity always. Hindi is continuously enriching itself by incorporating many languages ??and dialects. Hindi has attained its present form after traveling a historical journey of almost a thousand years. During this historical period, many non-Hindi-speaking great persons also supported Hindi. Literateur Madhavrao Sapre also played an important role in this. Chief Minister Yadav said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has made special provisions in the National Education Policy to encourage all languages. Libraries have been established in the PM Excellence Colleges being developed in the state, in which books on all subjects are being made available. School Education Minister Shri Uday Pratap Singh said that under the leadership of Chief Minister Dr. Yadav, various activities are being conducted to promote Sanskrit and regional languages ??in the state. The state has been a leader in the country in implementing the National Education Policy. Indian Language Festival is being organized with linguistic harmony, coordination, and all-inclusive spirit Program coordinator Shri Vijaydutt Sridhar said that the Indian Language Festival is being organized by Sapre Museum with the idea of 'Apni Bhasha par Abhiman-Sabhi Bhashaon ka Samman, linguistic harmony, coordination and all-inclusiveness. Efforts to include the language of the people as much as possible in their daily work along with Hindi and Indian languages are the main dimensions of this event. / Protesting the alleged rape and murder of a woman doctor at Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, the Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMSA) on Friday suspended outpatient department (OPD) services at public health centers across the State. The incident has sparked widespread outrage among the medical community, with doctors demanding swift justice for the victim, the implementation of a central protection act for healthcare professionals, and improved security measures at public healthcare facilities. PCMSA president Dr Akhil Sarin said that while OPD services were halted, emergency and medico-legal services remained operational. He emphasized that the protest is a call for action to ensure the safety and protection of healthcare professionals across the state. The suspension of services affected numerous health centers, including Primary Health Centers, Community Health Centers, civil hospitals, and sub-divisional health centers. Medical professionals held sit-ins at various health centers, voicing their demands for justice and safety. The protest has also led to the suspension of elective surgeries, further disrupting healthcare services in the State. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has called for the continuation of the protest into Saturday, with private practitioners also expected to join by abstaining from attending to patients, except in emergency cases. Punjab Specialist Doctors Association claimed that over 3,000 doctors across 685 government hospitals in Punjab participated in the protest, with OPD services remaining closed from 8 am to 2 pm. He highlighted the vulnerability of doctors, especially during night shifts, when they often face aggressive behaviour from patients attendants. At Rajindra Medical College and Hospital in Patiala, doctors rallied under the banner No Safety, No Duty, underscoring the urgency of their demands. The protesting doctors called for immediate measures to prevent such incidents and ensure the safety of healthcare workers, besides urging for swift implementation of the Central Protection Act for Doctors (Prevention of Violence Against Healthcare Professionals and Clinical Establishments Bill, 2022), which would provide legal safeguards for medical professionals. The protest received solidarity from the United Nurses Association of Punjab, whose members joined doctors in the demonstrations and planned a candle march to further highlight their demands. IMA Punjab convenor Dr Manoj Sobti announced plans for rallies across the state, with memorandums to be submitted to Deputy Commissioners, calling for justice for the victim and comprehensive protection for all healthcare professionals. The doctors at Bathinda's government hospital also shut down OPD services on Friday, with the medical staff, participating in protest marches, demanded a thorough investigation and strict punishment for the culprits. Doctors expressed concern over the increasing crimes against medical professionals, criticizing the government's failure to take strict action. The strike disrupted healthcare services, leaving patients and their families distressed. The PCMS has halted services across Punjab, including Faridkot, where both government hospitals and Aam Aadmi Clinics are affected. PCMS Punjab vice president Dr Vishwadeep Goyal, condemning the horrific incident, emphasized the widespread outrage among doctors and announced a candle march in protest. On India's 78th Independence Day, the Prestige Institute of Management and Research (PIMR) in Indore expressed solidarity against the tragic rape and murder of a young female doctor in Kolkata. Led by PIMR Director Col S Raman Iyer, students and faculty organized a candlelight march to seek justice and advocate for a collective revival of moral values in society. The march began at the PIMR UG campus, passed through the Brilliant Convention Centre, and concluded back at the campus. Participants, holding candles and mourning the loss, gathered to honor the victim. The marchers carried placards demanding swift and strict action against the perpetrators, and a two-minute silence was observed in memory of the victim. Davish Jain, Chairman of the Prestige Education Foundation, strongly condemned the brutal attack on a young doctor in Kolkata, emphasizing that it is a crime that reflects poorly on our nation's conscience. He affirmed Prestige's commitment to ensuring the dignity and safety of every female student, faculty member, and staff, highlighting the institution's dedication to not only intellectual growth but also moral and ethical development of students. `The candlelight march served not only as a tribute to the victim but also as a powerful reminder of PIMRs dedication to social causes. Through this march, the institute reaffirmed its role in shaping morally conscious individuals who are prepared to stand against injustice and uphold the values of dignity and respect for all'', added Dr Jain Col Dr. S Raman Iyer also expressed deep sorrow and outrage, saying that the incident strikes at the heart of the values cherished by society. As a leading academic institution, he emphasized the responsibility to raise awareness, promote moral integrity, and create a safer environment for all. He stressed the importance of instilling strong moral values in students and called for proactive steps from educational institutions and society as a whole to prevent such tragedies. Doctors are protesting across the country against the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata on August 8. After AIIMS in Bhopal, junior doctors of Hamidia Hospital have stopped working from 12 pm on Thursday night. In Indore too, junior doctors are only attending emergency cases. It has been decided to keep OPDs closed in private hospitals in Bhopal and Indore from Saturday. Only emergency services will continue in private hospitals. Here, two PILs have been filed in Jabalpur High Court regarding the doctors' strike. In this, the doctors' strike has been termed wrong. In Jabalpur, Chhindwara, Gwalior, Ratlam, members of the Indian Medical Association are protesting by wearing black bands on their arms in support of the strike. Due to the strike, the condition of health services in most government hospitals has started deteriorating. Patients are lining up for treatment. Pathology tests could not be done. Family members also kept getting upset. To deal with the strike in Bhopal, Gandhi Medical College (GMC) Dean Dr. Kavita N Singh has cancelled the leaves of all doctors. / Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday met with senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhis former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in Delhi on Friday. The meeting, which followed Sisodias release from Tihar Jail on August 9, marked a moment of renewed optimism for the AAP as it navigates the turbulent political landscape. Mann, speaking to the media, hailed Sisodias release as a victory over what he described as the BJPs oppressive tactics. He expressed his admiration for Sisodias resilience during his 17-month incarceration, which he attributed to the BJPs attempt to destabilize the AAP. Manish Sisodia, despite enduring BJP's dictatorial approach, has emerged victorious. His release and the Supreme Courts decision to grant bail are clear indications that truth prevails, Mann stated. Also seizing the opportunity to wish Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal a happy birthday, Mann asserted that Kejriwal, currently in custody since March 21, would soon be released. He accused the BJP of fabricating charges to keep AAP leaders imprisoned, but insisted that the partys unity and commitment remain unwavering. The BJPs efforts to fracture our party have failed. We are united and stronger than ever. The people recognize the honesty and dedication of the AAP in Punjab and Delhi, Mann said. Sisodia, reflecting on the recent events, praised the progress in Punjab under Mann's leadership, particularly in the field of education. Meeting Chief Minister Mann was inspiring. The advancements in Punjab mirror the transformative work AAP is known for. I am proud to see Punjab thriving under Manns guidance, Sisodia remarked. Mann's remarks extended beyond party politics, criticizing the Central Government for withholding funds from Punjab, which he claimed were essential for various development schemes. He emphasized that despite these challenges, the Punjab Government would continue to assert its rights without succumbing to pressure. Looking ahead, Mann confirmed that the AAP is preparing to contest all upcoming elections as a national party. He hinted at potential shifts in the Delhi cabinet following Kejriwals anticipated release, underscoring the party's readiness to strengthen its leadership and policy impact. Himachal MLA Attacked by Bikers in Hoshiarpur Una: Congress MLA Vivek Sharma from Kutlehar in Himachal Pradesh was attacked by two unidentified bikers in Hoshiarpur on Thursday. Sharma was returning from Jalandhar when the assailants struck his car with a rod, shattering the rear windshield. According to Sharma, the attack occurred as he was en route to his native village. Despite a brief pursuit by his driver, the bikers managed to escape. Sharma, who was unharmed, reported the incident to the local police station in Hoshiarpur. A police case has been registered, and efforts are underway to apprehend the attackers. Sharma, who had recently won a by-election from Kutlehar, expressed his concerns and sought prompt action from the authorities to ensure justice. / Punjab Police nabbed four members of the infamous Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gang after a high-speed chase on the Jalandhar-Batala highway, recovering a significant cache of arms and two luxury SUVs, revealing an international network supplying illegal weapons to Punjab. The state Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav on Friday said that the arrested gang members, identified as Asrat Kanth alias Sabi, Kamalpreet Singh alias Komal Bajwa, Pardeep Kumar alias Gora, and Gurmeet Raj alias Juneja, were found in possession of five weapons, including a China-made 7.65 mm Glock pistol, two .30 bore pistols, a revolver, four live cartridges, and three magazines. The police also impounded a Mahindra XUV (PB-09-3039) and a Brezza (PB-09-EP-7100) used in the crimes. DGP Yadav revealed that the gang leader, Asrat Kanth alias Sabi, confessed during interrogation that the weapons were supplied by Aman alias Anda, a key operative of the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gang currently based in Germany. The arms were funneled through Sanju alias Sahil Kumar, a Batala resident currently incarcerated. These individuals are linked to several criminal cases, including attempted murder, illegal arms possession, and gang-related violence across various districts in Punjab. Jalandhar Rural Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Harkamalpreet Singh Khakh detailed the operation during a press conference, stating that the police acted on a tip-off and intercepted the suspects' vehicles near Lahdra village. While two suspects were immediately apprehended, a chase ensued, ending with the capture of the remaining two near Jinda Road in Maqsuda. However, a fifth suspect, Sajandeep alias Loda, managed to escape and remains at large. This gang had previously been involved in a deadly shootout at Batalas Gandhi Camp on July 23. SSP Khakh praised the police teams for their efforts in this successful operation. The accused will be produced before a local court for further investigation into their operations and international connections. Interstate Arms Smuggling Racket Busted with 1 Arrest In a significant breakthrough against illegal arms smuggling, Punjab Police's State Special Operation Cell (SSOC), SAS Nagar, has dismantled an interstate arms racket, arresting one individual and seizing four .32 bore pistols. The state DGP Gaurav Yadav said that one Vinod Kumar alias Rahul from Giyaspura in Ludhiana has been arrested. He has a criminal history involving theft and snatching, said DGP Yadav, revealing that the SSOC received intelligence about Vinod's plans to smuggle weapons from Madhya Pradesh to Punjab, leading to a swift operation near Gharuan Kharar Toll Plaza. The police team intercepted Vinod and recovered two .32 bore pistols, with two more pistols found at a location he disclosed during interrogation. Further investigations have uncovered Vinods involvement in supplying illegal arms to various gangs in Punjab, as well as providing logistical support. DIG Counter Intelligence J Elanchezian noted that Vinod had established connections with gangsters while in Ludhiana Jail, facilitating his role in the arms smuggling network. He had previously smuggled two heavy arms consignments from Burhanpur, Madhya Pradesh, delivering them in Mohali. A case has been registered under the Arms Act and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at Police Station SSOC, SAS Nagar. The investigation continues as authorities work to trace the network's backward and forward linkages to apprehend other involved criminals. *Bokaro | 15th August 2024* The Rotary Club of Bokaro Steel City celebrated Indias 78th Independence Day with flag hoisting, tree plantation, and a blood donation camp. The events were held at Asha Ki Kiran in Ulgoa and the Rotary Club premises at Janwrit 4. Club President Rotarian Mahesh Kumar Gupta and Secretary Rotarian Hardeep Singh led the flag hoisting ceremonies at both locations. Following the flag hoisting, children from Asha Ki Kiran and the Rotary Play Group School were treated to snacks and refreshments. The blood donation camp, organized under Rotarian Dr. Rajdeep's leadership, saw participation from nine Rotarian members and was supported by the Blood Bank at Bokaro General Hospital. President Gupta highlighted the life-saving impact of blood donation. The celebration also featured cultural programs and a tree plantation drive, where 21 fruit-bearing saplings were planted to promote environmental conservation. Gupta urged attendees to plant at least five trees in their surroundings. The successful event was supported by numerous Rotarian members, including past district governors and other distinguished guests. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has said that Madhya Pradesh will launch four Missions Yuva Shakti Mission, Garib Kalyan Mission,Nari Sashaktikaran Mission, Kisan Kalyan Mission. These Missions will start from November 1, the foundation day of Madhya Pradesh. The Chief Minister announced this while addressing the Independence Day function at Bhopal on Thursday. Yadav observed the parade after hoisting the flag took salute of ceremonial parade. Chief Minister Dr. Yadav honored police officers and personnel for excellent service, commendable service and bravery at the medal decoration ceremony. Yadav extended hearty congratulations and best wishes to the people on the 78th Independence Day. He remembered the heroes, patriots and freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives for the freedom of India. He said that government is committed to making the administration people-oriented, citizens should become partners in development and social harmony. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country is moving rapidly towards becoming the third largest economy by completing the journey of becoming the fifth economy of the world. Madhya Pradesh is committed to contributing to the accomplishment of the resolutions of Prime Minister Modi. Yadav said that the government is working towards doubling the budget of Madhya Pradesh in the next five years. In the financial year 2023-24, capital expenditure was Rs 60 thousand 689 crore. This is about 29 percent increase compared to the year 2022-23. The target of capital expenditure for the financial year 2024-25 has been set at Rs 64 thousand 738 crore. Yadav said that the youth should not be limited to traditional education only, but also have to get education in new technologies like AI, machine learning and coding. For this, an investment of Rs 485 crore has been made in higher education. One college each in 55 districts of the state has been converted into PM College of Excellence. The state government has given priority to skill development. Under the Mukhya Mantri Seekho-Kamao Yojana, a stipend of Rs 6 crore 60 lakh has been provided to 8 thousand trainees. Incubation centers have been set up in major schools to promote innovation and entrepreneurship. More than 60 new industrial units are being set up in the state at a cost of Rs 10 thousand crore. More than 17 thousand employment opportunities will be created in this. Yadav said that work has been done rapidly to fill the vacant posts of government jobs. In the last 8 months, more than 11 thousand appointment letters have been issued in government jobs. Yadav said that more than 1 crore 67 lakh registered unorganised workers in the state are getting benefit of Mukhya Mantri Jan-Kalyan Sambal Yojana. For this, a provision of Rs 600 crore has been made this year. In the second phase of the scheme, more than Rs 670 crore ex-gratia assistance was transferred to more than 30 thousand 500 worker families. The state government paid an amount of Rs 224 crore to 4 thousand 800 worker families of Indore's Hukumchand Mill. 7 lakh 50 thousand beneficiaries of the state have been benefited under Pradhan Mantri Shahri Awas Yojana (PM Urban Housing Scheme). About 7 lakh houses have been constructed in rural areas under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. Free food grains are being provided to 117 lakh eligible families every month. Yadav said that the state government has given assistance for marriage to 62 thousand 583 girls in the year 2023-24 under the Mukhya Mantri Kanya Vivah and Nikah Sahayata Yojana. Under the Ladli Behna Yojana, an amount of more than Rs 12 thousand crore has been transferred to the accounts of one crore 29 lakh sisters in the last eight months. This year, an additional amount of Rs 250 has been released in the account of every Ladli Behna on Rakshabandhan. Bokaro | 15th August, 2024 Vedanta ESL Steel Limited, a prominent integrated greenfield steel producer in India and a part of the Vedanta Group, celebrated the nation's 78th Independence Day with great patriotic zeal and joy at its Siyaljori plant in Bokaro. The event, which began at 9 AM, highlighted ESL's commitment not only to the nations economic growth but also to the social development of the communities where it operates. The celebrations commenced with an impressive Guard of Honour presented by the Security Department personnel, followed by the hoisting of the Indian tricolor. The event was graced by a motivational address from Ashish Kumar Gupta, Whole Time Director & CEO of ESL Steel Limited, who emphasized the integral relationship between community growth and business success. He proudly stated that ESL Steel Limited is not just a steel producer but also a key player in empowering local communities for a brighter future for both the state and the nation. The event saw the participation of around 100 people, including local community members and employees. Notable attendees included Ravish Sharma (Chief Operating Officer, ESL Steel Limited), Anand Dubey (Chief Finance Officer, ESL Steel Limited), Vijay Sindhu (Chief Security Officer, ESL Steel Limited), Meenakshi Sabharwal (Chief Quality Officer, ESL Steel Limited), and Divya Tripathi (Head Policy & Business Promotion). In his address, CEO Gupta also highlighted that ESL Steel Limited is poised for significant growth, with a focus on resolving legacy issues and accelerating its expansion within the year. He reaffirmed the companys ethical commitments and its dedication to community development, a commitment recognized through numerous national and international awards. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on Independence Day, announced the Mukhyamantri Yuva Udyami Vikas Yojana (MYUVY). The scheme will serve as the foundation for fostering young entrepreneurs in the state with the target to provide financial assistance to 10 lakh micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) units over the next 10 years. Under the scheme, interest-free loans up to Rs 5 lakh will be provided in the first installment, and interest-free loans up to Rs 10 lakh will be given to young entrepreneurs in the second installment. Under the scheme, financial grants will be provided to one lakh youth every year by getting loans from banks for setting up micro enterprises According to sources, the Yogi government is steadfastly progressing towards its vision of transforming Uttar Pradesh into an Enterprise State and achieving a $1-trillion economy. It is now laying out a comprehensive framework for establishing new micro enterprises across the state. The Mukhyamantri Yuva Udyami Vikas Yojana is being implemented to generate and nurture new opportunities for micro enterprises and self-employment. The chief minister announced this scheme during the 78th Independence Day celebrations with the goal of providing financial assistance to 10 lakh MSME units over the next 10 years. This initiative aims to economically empower the youth inclined towards entrepreneurship and self-employment over traditional jobs and facilitate the establishment of one lakh new micro-enterprises annually within the state. Overall, this will create employment opportunities for over 50 lakh youth, accelerating the states development of new job and entrepreneurship avenues. The state government, in the current fiscal, has made a provision of Rs 1,000 crore in the budget, for establishing, operating and promoting micro units in the Uttar Pradesh. Chief Minister Yogi described the youth as the driving force behind Indias development while unveiling the Mukhyamantri Yuva Udyami Vikas Yojana. He underscored the immense talent and energy of the youth, emphasising their crucial role in shaping a developed India. Therefore, the state government is focusing intensively on education and employment opportunities for the youth. Under this scheme, financial grants will be provided to one lakh youth annually through bank loans, facilitating the establishment of one lakh micro enterprises each year in the state. The ambitious target is to connect 10 lakh youth with micro industries and self-employment over the next decade, ultimately generating employment opportunities for more than 50 lakh young people. Residents of Uttar Pradesh aged between 21 and 40 years are eligible to benefit from the Mukhyamantri Yuva Udyami Vikas Yojana. The minimum educational requirement for the scheme is completion of the eighth grade or an equivalent qualification. Preference will be given to applicants holding skill-related certificates, diplomas or degrees. The scheme includes provisions for grants to support the establishment of enterprises by women, Divyangjan and individuals from Other Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes categories, in addition to the general category. Furthermore, the chief minister has directed that a subsidy be provided on margin money. Applications for the scheme will be submitted online and forwarded to the banks. In the second phase, there is a provision for a maximum grant of Rs 10 lakh in the industry and service sectors. The scheme will also offer loan interest subsidies and coverage under CGTMSE, with additional incentives for digital transactions. The scheme will be implemented in mission mode, with the district programme management unit overseeing it at the district level, the state programme management unit at the state level, and the state level executive committee and state level governing committee ensuring its implementation at higher levels. In the heart of Delhi, with monsoon clouds overhead, the streets burst into life for Raksha Bandhan. Amidst the lively chaos and bright colours, the festival unfolds as a touching celebration of sibling love. Each stall, filled with colourful rakhis, tells a story of pure bonds and heartfelt traditions, turning everyday moments into cherished memories, says SAKSHI PRIYA As the festive season arrives, bringing with it a time of warmth, togetherness and cherished traditions, one celebration stands out for its profound significance the bond between brothers and sisters. Raksha Bandhan, a festival that embodies untold love and silent care, is not just a ritual but a celebration of a PURE BOND. Amidst this atmosphere, the vibrant marketplaces come alive with the spirit of Raksha Bandhan and nowhere is this evident than in Delhis iconic Sadar Bazar. The festivals essence is captured not just through rituals but through the bustling, colourful preparations that fill the market, making it a focal point of the celebration. The Enchanting Festival Atmosphere Sadar Bazar, one of Delhis oldest and busiest markets, undergoes a remarkable transformation as Raksha Bandhan approaches. The market, typically known for its wide range of goods, turns into a hub of colour and excitement, with rakhis and festive decorations taking center stage. Every shop and vendor gears up for the big day, filling the air with a lively sense of excitement. The narrow lanes of Sadar Bazar, usually crowded with shoppers, become even more packed as people move from stall to stall, searching for the perfect rakhi. The market itself seems to join in the celebration, with every corner reflecting the spirit of Raksha Bandhan. Despite the unpredictable weather during the monsoon season, with sudden bursts of rain and heat, enthusiastic shoppers continue to pour into Sadar Bazar. The market remains crowded, even in the rain, as people carry umbrellas or brave the elements to get what they need. There is a shared determination among the shoppers, a sense that no amount of rain or heat can dampen the joy of preparing for Raksha Bandhan. A Market Full of Choices One of the most striking features of Sadar Bazar during Raksha Bandhan is the sheer variety of rakhis on display. The market caters to all tastes and budgets, ensuring that everyone can find something special. From simple, traditional rakhis costing as little as ` 10 for a dozen to more elaborate designs priced at ` 70 or ` 100 per dozen, the market offers something for everyone. Rakhis come in every imaginable style, from classic designs featuring beads and threads to more modern versions adorned with glitter and stones. Childrens rakhis, often featuring popular cartoon characters and superheroes, are among the most popular items. Little girls excitedly pick out rakhis for their brothers, carefully choosing ones that they know will bring a smile to their siblings faces. A young girl, for example, was overheard asking a vendor, Bhaiya, do you have a Spider-Man rakhi? This small moment beautifully encapsulates the sibling bond, a sister knowing exactly what will make her younger brother smile. a small moment that perfectly captures the thoughtfulness and love that define Raksha Bandhan. The girl knew exactly what her brother would love and she was determined to find it for him. The People Behind the Festival The vendors and artisans are integral to the Raksha Bandhan experience. Their work begins long before the festival, with many starting preparations at least a month in advance. Crafting each rakhi requires skill, patience and a deep understanding of what the festival means to people. For these artisans, Raksha Bandhan is more than just another business opportunity; its a chance to contribute to a tradition that has been passed down through generations. A shopkeeper in Sadar Bazar explained how much effort goes into preparing for Raksha Bandhan. We start getting ready about a month before, he said. Theres a lot of hard work, but its worth it when you see the market come alive like this. Even in the rain, people come. Its something we love. His words highlighted the dedication that goes into making the festival special for everyone. Despite the long hours and sometimes challenging conditions, the vendors take pride in being part of something bigger than just selling rakhis. They are part of a tradition that brings people together, year after year. The artisans also take great care in crafting each rakhi. They understand that these simple threads carry significant emotional weight. For them, its important that every rakhi reflects the love and care that siblings have for each other. They often work late into the night, ensuring that their creations are perfect. Its not just about making something that looks good, its about creating something that will be cherished. A Festival of Emotions Raksha Bandhan is a time of joy and celebration, but it can also bring about feelings of longing, especially for those who are separated from their loved ones. Not everyone is fortunate enough to be with their siblings on this special day, and for them, the festival carries a bittersweet note. A woman in Sadar Bazar, carefully choosing rakhis to send to her brother who lives far away, shared her plans to send them by post. Despite modern courier services offering faster delivery, she preferred the traditional method, finding something special in the anticipation that comes with receiving a package by postman. Her story is just one of many that highlight the emotional depth of Raksha Bandhan. The festival is not just about the physical act of tying a rakhi, its about the connection that siblings share, a connection that goes beyond time and distance. Even when miles apart, the bond remains strong and the act of sending a rakhi is a way of maintaining that bond. It serves as a reminder that, no matter where life takes people, the relationships that matter most are always worth celebrating. The Essence of Tradition As Raksha Bandhan draws near, the market becomes a living embodiment of tradition. With its rich history and vibrant atmosphere, it reflects the enduring values of family and togetherness. In a world that often moves too fast, these moments offer a chance to slow down and appreciate what truly matters. The festival is a time to reconnect with loved ones and honour the bonds that have shaped lives. During this time, the market becomes more than just a place to buy rakhis, it transforms into a space where memories are made. Every purchase, conversation and shared smile contributes to the festive atmosphere. The streets serve as a symbol of the festival, where tradition is not just remembered but actively experienced, blending the past and present in a heartfelt celebration of love and family. The Meaning Behind the Rakhi At the heart of Raksha Bandhan is the rakhi itself - a simple thread that carries profound meaning. Its more than just a decorative piece, its a symbol of a sisters love, gratitude and appreciation for her brother. Tying a rakhi is an act of trust, a way of saying, Thank you for always being there. This small thread binds not just wrists but hearts, reinforcing a bond that is as old as time. For many, the rakhi is also a reminder of the shared history that siblings have, the moments of joy and support and the times when theyve stood by each other. Its a token of the relationship that has shaped who they are. Though it may be simple in appearance, the rakhi holds a depth of meaning that goes beyond words. Its a symbol of a bond that is pure, unbreakable, and everlasting. A Celebration of Love Raksha Bandhan is more than just a date on the calendar, its a celebration of the relationships that connect people, the memories that hold them together, and the love that sustains them through lifes challenges. In todays fast-paced world, festivals like Raksha Bandhan remind everyone of the importance of family and the connections that define them. In Sadar Bazar, the spirit of Raksha Bandhan is alive and well. The market, with its history and vibrancy, captures the essence of the festival. Its a place where love is expressed through simple gestures and where the bonds between siblings are honored in all their beauty. As brothers and sisters across the country prepare to tie the rakhi this year, they are reminded of what the festival truly stands for. Its not just about the rituals, its about the love, care and unbreakable bond that siblings share. In the end, thats what makes Raksha Bandhan so special - a celebration of love that goes beyond time, distance and the challenges of life. In the wake of Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot granting permission to prosecute Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the MUDA compensatory site allotment scam, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday said the BJP appointed governors are creating trouble for the non-BJP ruled states. He, however, maintained that he had to see why Gehlot granted permission to prosecute the Karnataka CM. "I have neither seen it nor know the details of what the notice is about. I have also not seen the reasons cited for permission. I cannot say now whether the notice is right or wrong," Kharge told reporters here in Bengaluru. The Congress president said, "One more thing is that everywhere the BJP appointed governors, be it in West Bengal, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu or wherever there is a non-BJP government (in the states), they are creating more trouble." He said he would prefer to react after getting details of the case and consulting with the lawyers. In the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment 'scam', it is alleged that compensatory sites were allotted to Siddaramaiah's wife Parvathi in an upmarket area in Mysuru, which had higher property value as compared to the location of her land which had been "acquired" by the MUDA. The opposition cried foul and three activists lodged a complaint with Gehlot, accusing the CM of 'misusing' his position. Siddaramaiah has rejected the allegations and asserted that his wife deserved a fair compensation. He also called it a conspiracy against him to destabilise the Congress government by unseating him. The Union health ministry on Saturday said a committee will be formed to suggest all possible measures for ensuring the safety of healthcare professionals. Representatives of all stakeholders, including the state governments, will be invited to share their suggestions with the committee. The ministry has requested the doctors agitating across the country over the alleged rape and killing of a resident doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata to resume their duties in the larger public interest and in view of the rising number of dengue and malaria cases. Representatives of the Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA), Indian Medical Association (IMA) and resident doctors' associations of government medical colleges and hospitals of Delhi met the Union health minister in the wake of the Kolkata incident. The associations have put forth their demands regarding the safety and security of healthcare workers at their workplaces, the ministry said in a statement. The ministry has heard the demands and assured the doctors' associations of all possible efforts to ensure the security of healthcare professionals. The representatives of the associations were informed that the government is well aware of the situation and sensitive to their demands, the statement said. It was also observed that 26 states have already passed laws for the protection of healthcare workers. "In view of the concerns expressed by the associations, the ministry assured them of constituting a committee to suggest all such possible measures for ensuring the safety of healthcare professionals. "Representatives of all stakeholders, including the state governments, will be invited to share their suggestions with the committee," the statement said. A portion of an under-construction bridge in Bihar, which was being "dismantled", crashed into the river Ganges river on Saturday, officials said. The administration made it clear there were no casualties. Video footage of a slab of the bridge, connecting Bhagalpur and Khagaria districts, has gone viral on social media in which locals, beholding the sight from a distance, can be heard screaming "the structure has collapsed once again". Notably, portions of the bridge, which would be 3.16 km long once complete, had collapsed earlier in 2022 and again, a year later. However, when contacted, Khagaria District Magistrate Amit Kumar Pandey asserted that "the entire structure of the under-construction bridge has been deemed to be faulty and it is being dismantled by the contractor as per direction of the Patna High Court". The incident, which comes in the backdrop of numerous incidents of bridge collapse across the state, many of these taking place a few months back, triggered a political slugfest. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, a former deputy chief minister who held road construction portfolio till his party lost power in January this year, squarely blamed the Nitish Kumar government for the incident. "The structure was examined by a committee of experts from IIT Roorkee when I headed the department. They found flaws in the designs of the foundation and the superstructure. But Chief Minister Nitish Kumar seems least bothered and it appears the report is gathering dust". Senior BJP leader Vijay Kumar Sinha, the current Deputy CM who holds road construction department, retorted, "Things would not have come to this, had the previous government been vigilant enough". "Nonetheless, we are not happy with the performance of the contractor whom the high court has directed to carry out the dismantling work. We are monitoring it. We shall also be apprising the high court of the laxity of the contractor, against whom action needs to be taken," Sinha added. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday said here that some people in the country have put their political interest above the national interest and wished that wisdom would prevail on them. The Vice President expressed hope that such people would take counsel from the supreme sacrifices made for achieving freedom for our country. "Some people in the country for reasons which are not appropriate have put their political interest above national interest. Let us hope and pray they get wiser, said Dhankhar, addressing a Swarna Bharat Trust meeting at Venkatachalam in Nellore district. Dhankhar's remarks came a day after he expressed concern that a person holding a constitutional position is asking the Supreme Court to take suo-motu cognisance to give wings to a narrative aimed at destroying our economy. The Vice President's comments were seen as an apparent attack on Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. He noted that the freedom achieved through supreme sacrifices should be nurtured every moment so that it can blossom. Further, Dhankhar underscored that every Indian must believe in economic nationalism, calling it a reflection of being vocal for local. He highlighted that India's forex reserves are going out of the country because avoidable items are being imported, which is also impeding entrepreneurship. According to the Vice President, India is unnecessarily importing merchandise such as garments, carpets, candles, kites and others which could be easily made within the country and also avoid unnecessary strain on our forex reserves. He appealed to all Indians to stop foreign trade in avoidable imports and also called on the industry, trade and commerce bodies to take a decision on this issue. Though India abounds in natural resources, Dhankhar said it pains him to see them going out of our shores as exports, citing the example of iron ore shipments through ports. Noting that lack of value addition to resources is damaging employment potential, the Vice President said some people just want to make quick money. Stressing that India cannot afford these inefficiencies, the Vice President called for attention on all these issues. A total of 39 candidates, including three minority Tamils and two Buddhist monks, are in the fray for next months presidential election in Sri Lanka, the election commission announced here on Thursday. However, there was not a single woman candidate among the 39 presidential aspirants for the September 21 election. In the last presidential election in 2019, there were 35 candidates while there were only six candidates in the first-ever presidential election held in October 1982. On the last day to file papers on Thursday, nominations were accepted from 9 am to 11 am local time after Wednesdays closure of paying deposits to the contest. There were 40 deposits paid but one of them has chosen not to file nominations. R M A L Rathnayake, the election commission chief, said there were three objections against three candidates, which were rejected by the commission. There were more than 17 million eligible voters in the 22 electoral districts throughout the island nation. Besides incumbent President Wickremesinghe, the other prominent candidates are Namal Rajapaksa, the 38-year-old heir to the Rajapaksa dynasty, the main opposition leader Sajith Premadasa and the Marxist JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake. This will be the first election since Sri Lanka plunged into economic crisis when the island nation declared sovereign default in mid-April of 2022, its first since gaining independence from Britain in 1948. Almost civil-war-like conditions and months of public protests led to the fleeing of the then president Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Significantly, amongst the 39 is one candidate representing a faction of the public protest movement of 2022 against the Rajapaksas. Called Aragalaya or struggle is in the ring, the months-long protest was launched to hold the Rajapaksa family accountable for the unprecedented economic crisis leading to the ouster of Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Fiduciary Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 2,589 shares of the healthcare product makers stock, valued at approximately $266,000. Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Clear Harbor Asset Management LLC grew its position in Abbott Laboratories by 9.7% in the second quarter. Clear Harbor Asset Management LLC now owns 50,776 shares of the healthcare product makers stock valued at $5,276,000 after acquiring an additional 4,500 shares in the last quarter. Comprehensive Financial Consultants Institutional Inc. grew its holdings in Abbott Laboratories by 12.8% during the 2nd quarter. Comprehensive Financial Consultants Institutional Inc. now owns 11,868 shares of the healthcare product makers stock valued at $1,233,000 after purchasing an additional 1,351 shares in the last quarter. Whitener Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Abbott Laboratories by 8.3% in the 2nd quarter. Whitener Capital Management Inc. now owns 26,616 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $2,766,000 after buying an additional 2,035 shares in the last quarter. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. boosted its position in Abbott Laboratories by 46.3% in the 2nd quarter. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. now owns 3,554 shares of the healthcare product makers stock valued at $369,000 after buying an additional 1,124 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Welch Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 5.1% during the second quarter. Welch Group LLC now owns 60,571 shares of the healthcare product makers stock valued at $6,294,000 after acquiring an additional 2,945 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.18% of the companys stock. Get Abbott Laboratories alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of brokerages recently commented on ABT. Barclays increased their price target on Abbott Laboratories from $140.00 to $143.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Monday, July 29th. Evercore ISI dropped their price target on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $125.00 to $120.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 2nd. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of Abbott Laboratories in a research note on Thursday, May 30th. They set a buy rating and a $121.00 price objective on the stock. Citigroup cut their target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $128.00 to $119.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 22nd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reissued an outperform rating and issued a $125.00 price objective on shares of Abbott Laboratories in a report on Tuesday, June 4th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $121.00. Abbott Laboratories Stock Performance Shares of NYSE:ABT traded up $0.06 during trading on Friday, hitting $111.00. 4,627,433 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,033,353. The stock has a market capitalization of $193.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.61, a PEG 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. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. The businesss fifty day moving average is $105.40 and its 200-day moving average is $108.81. Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 18th. The healthcare product maker reported $1.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.10 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $10.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.37 billion. Abbott Laboratories had a net margin of 13.65% and a return on equity of 20.18%. Abbott Laboratoriess revenue was up 4.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.08 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Abbott Laboratories will post 4.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Abbott Laboratories Announces Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 15th were given a dividend of $0.55 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, July 15th. This represents a $2.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.98%. Abbott Laboratoriess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 68.54%. About Abbott Laboratories (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. Further Reading 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. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lifted its holdings in shares of Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE:ANF Free Report) by 2,036.5% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 419,560 shares of the apparel retailers stock after acquiring an additional 399,922 shares during the quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. owned approximately 0.82% of Abercrombie & Fitch worth $74,615,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its position in Abercrombie & Fitch by 45.3% during the first quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 454,550 shares of the apparel retailers stock worth $56,969,000 after purchasing an additional 141,788 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Abercrombie & Fitch during the 4th quarter worth about $37,632,000. Hennessy Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Abercrombie & Fitch by 14.1% during the 1st quarter. Hennessy Advisors Inc. now owns 425,500 shares of the apparel retailers stock worth $53,328,000 after buying an additional 52,600 shares during the period. Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. grew its stake in Abercrombie & Fitch by 613.3% in the 1st quarter. Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. now owns 356,610 shares of the apparel retailers stock valued at $44,694,000 after buying an additional 306,616 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Swiss National Bank raised its holdings in Abercrombie & Fitch by 0.3% in the 1st quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 99,500 shares of the apparel retailers stock valued at $12,470,000 after acquiring an additional 300 shares during the period. Get Abercrombie & Fitch alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on ANF shares. Argus cut Abercrombie & Fitch from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Thursday, July 11th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on Abercrombie & Fitch from $155.00 to $215.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, May 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Abercrombie & Fitch from a neutral rating to an overweight rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $167.00 to $194.00 in a report on Monday, July 22nd. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Abercrombie & Fitch from $150.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, May 30th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Abercrombie & Fitch from $112.00 to $172.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Thursday, May 30th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $178.00. Abercrombie & Fitch Price Performance Shares of ANF traded up $3.21 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $165.26. 1,066,139 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,660,253. The company has a market cap of $8.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.55 and a beta of 1.54. The firms fifty day moving average is $165.57 and its 200 day moving average is $141.49. Abercrombie & Fitch Co. has a fifty-two week low of $40.50 and a fifty-two week high of $196.99. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE:ANF Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 29th. The apparel retailer reported $2.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.66 by $0.48. Abercrombie & Fitch had a net margin of 9.53% and a return on equity of 44.83%. The firm had revenue of $1.02 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $967.37 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.39 earnings per share. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 22.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Abercrombie & Fitch Co. will post 9.35 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Insider Activity at Abercrombie & Fitch In other Abercrombie & Fitch news, CFO Scott D. Lipesky sold 9,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, May 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $176.48, for a total transaction of $1,588,320.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 115,455 shares in the company, valued at $20,375,498.40. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other Abercrombie & Fitch news, CFO Scott D. Lipesky sold 9,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $176.48, for a total transaction of $1,588,320.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 115,455 shares of the companys stock, valued at $20,375,498.40. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Kenneth B. Robinson sold 1,300 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $171.61, for a total transaction of $223,093.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 5,880 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,009,066.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 22,120 shares of company stock valued at $3,875,693 over the last three months. 3.77% of the stock is owned by insiders. Abercrombie & Fitch Company Profile (Free Report) Abercrombie & Fitch Co, through its subsidiaries, operates as an omnichannel retailer in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, the Asia-Pacific, Canada, and internationally. The company offers an assortment of apparel, personal care products, and accessories for men, women, and kids under the Abercrombie & Fitch, abercrombie kids, Hollister, and Gilly Hicks brands. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ANF? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE:ANF Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Abercrombie & Fitch Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Abercrombie & Fitch and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. increased its position in shares of Genworth Financial, Inc. (NYSE:GNW Free Report) by 138.3% during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 4,233,541 shares of the financial services providers stock after acquiring an additional 2,456,816 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A.s holdings in Genworth Financial were worth $25,571,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. raised its position in shares of Genworth Financial by 9.9% during the 1st quarter. First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. now owns 19,670 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $126,000 after purchasing an additional 1,780 shares during the period. Covestor Ltd raised its position in shares of Genworth Financial by 11.5% during the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 18,131 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $117,000 after purchasing an additional 1,868 shares during the period. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Genworth Financial by 10.2% during the 4th quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 21,640 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $145,000 after purchasing an additional 2,000 shares during the period. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in Genworth Financial by 29.9% in the 4th quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 8,700 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $58,000 after acquiring an additional 2,000 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hancock Whitney Corp increased its holdings in Genworth Financial by 1.7% in the 1st quarter. Hancock Whitney Corp now owns 134,689 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $866,000 after acquiring an additional 2,304 shares during the last quarter. 81.85% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Genworth Financial alerts: Insider Transactions at Genworth Financial In other news, CEO Thomas J. Mcinerney sold 200,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $6.27, for a total value of $1,254,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 4,361,980 shares in the company, valued at approximately $27,349,614.60. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 1.80% of the companys stock. Genworth Financial Price Performance NYSE GNW traded up $0.06 on Friday, reaching $6.70. The company had a trading volume of 2,453,712 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,847,874. The company has a quick ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 0.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.93 billion, a PE ratio of 35.26 and a beta of 0.92. The firms 50 day moving average price is $6.29 and its 200 day moving average price is $6.26. Genworth Financial, Inc. has a 12 month low of $5.32 and a 12 month high of $6.94. Genworth Financial (NYSE:GNW Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The financial services provider reported $0.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.19 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $1.77 billion for the quarter. Genworth Financial had a net margin of 0.43% and a return on equity of 0.25%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.29 earnings per share. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Separately, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Genworth Financial from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Tuesday. Read Our Latest Report on Genworth Financial Genworth Financial Profile (Free Report) Genworth Financial, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides mortgage and long-term care insurance products in the United States and internationally. It operates in three segments: Enact, Long-Term Care Insurance, and Life and Annuities. The Enact segment offers private mortgage insurance products primarily insuring prime-based, individually underwritten residential mortgage loans; and pool mortgage insurance products. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GNW? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Genworth Financial, Inc. (NYSE:GNW Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Genworth Financial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Genworth Financial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Bank of Cyprus Holdings Public (LON:BOCH Free Report) had its target price raised by Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft from GBX 563 ($7.19) to GBX 595 ($7.60) in a research report released on Wednesday, MarketBeat.com reports. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the banks stock. Bank of Cyprus Holdings Public Stock Performance BOCH opened at GBX 364 ($4.65) on Wednesday. The businesss fifty day moving average is GBX 348.04 and its two-hundred day moving average is GBX 331.65. The company has a market cap of 1.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 3,309.09 and a beta of 0.77. Bank of Cyprus Holdings Public has a one year low of GBX 236 ($3.01) and a one year high of GBX 393.91 ($5.03). Get Bank of Cyprus Holdings Public alerts: Bank of Cyprus Holdings Public Company Profile (Get Free Report) Further Reading Bank of Cyprus Holdings Public Limited Company, through its subsidiaries, engages in the provision of banking, financial, and insurance services in Cyprus, Greece, the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Israel, and internationally. The company offers current, demand, savings, sight, quick, and fixed deposits; housing, student, vehicle, mortgage, consumer, and business and business premises loans; and trade finance facilities, Escrow, and project finance services, as well as hire purchase services for car and equipment. Receive News & Ratings for Bank of Cyprus Holdings Public Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bank of Cyprus Holdings Public and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ellsworth Advisors LLC trimmed its position in Toyota Motor Co. (NYSE:TM Free Report) by 31.0% during the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 9,180 shares of the companys stock after selling 4,130 shares during the quarter. Ellsworth Advisors LLCs holdings in Toyota Motor were worth $1,882,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Fisher Asset Management LLC boosted its position in Toyota Motor by 2.9% in the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 6,213,105 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,139,359,000 after buying an additional 172,347 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its position in Toyota Motor by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 981,028 shares of the companys stock valued at $179,901,000 after buying an additional 8,197 shares during the last quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC boosted its position in shares of Toyota Motor by 385.9% in the 4th quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 934,796 shares of the companys stock worth $171,423,000 after purchasing an additional 742,409 shares during the last quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors boosted its position in shares of Toyota Motor by 109.1% in the 1st quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 437,732 shares of the companys stock worth $110,168,000 after purchasing an additional 228,434 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP boosted its position in shares of Toyota Motor by 2.4% in the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 369,849 shares of the companys stock worth $67,823,000 after purchasing an additional 8,758 shares during the last quarter. 1.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Toyota Motor alerts: Toyota Motor Trading Up 0.5 % Shares of NYSE:TM traded up $0.87 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $182.66. The company had a trading volume of 337,288 shares, compared to its average volume of 389,551. Toyota Motor Co. has a 12 month low of $159.04 and a 12 month high of $255.23. The company has a current ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The stock has a market cap of $246.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.19, a PEG ratio of 0.40 and a beta of 0.68. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $194.27 and a 200 day simple moving average of $217.73. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Toyota Motor ( NYSE:TM Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The company reported $6.35 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.01 by $2.34. The firm had revenue of $75.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $72.48 billion. Toyota Motor had a return on equity of 14.28% and a net margin of 10.70%. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $7.05 earnings per share. On average, analysts predict that Toyota Motor Co. will post 17 EPS for the current year. Separately, Erste Group Bank restated a hold rating on shares of Toyota Motor in a research report on Friday, June 14th. Get Our Latest Research Report on TM About Toyota Motor (Free Report) Toyota Motor Corporation designs, manufactures, assembles, and sells passenger vehicles, minivans and commercial vehicles, and related parts and accessories in Japan, North America, Europe, Asia, Central and South America, Oceania, Africa, and the Middle East. It operates in Automotive, Financial Services, and All Other segments. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding TM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Toyota Motor Co. (NYSE:TM Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Toyota Motor Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Toyota Motor and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Fiduciary Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS Free Report) in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 1,115 shares of the investment management companys stock, valued at approximately $504,000. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in GS. International Assets Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in The Goldman Sachs Group during the first quarter worth about $1,903,374,000. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in The Goldman Sachs Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,120,119,000. AMF Tjanstepension AB lifted its holdings in The Goldman Sachs Group by 1,102.4% during the 2nd quarter. AMF Tjanstepension AB now owns 810,836 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $366,780,000 after buying an additional 743,402 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its position in The Goldman Sachs Group by 27.0% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 2,184,196 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $842,597,000 after buying an additional 464,954 shares during the period. Finally, Verity & Verity LLC grew its stake in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group by 26,378.2% in the first quarter. Verity & Verity LLC now owns 407,764 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $170,000 after acquiring an additional 406,224 shares in the last quarter. 71.21% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get The Goldman Sachs Group alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades GS has been the topic of several analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a sector perform rating and issued a $500.00 price objective on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 30th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on The Goldman Sachs Group from $460.00 to $485.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 16th. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $360.00 to $373.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. Evercore ISI lifted their price target on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $475.00 to $520.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 16th. Finally, Oppenheimer boosted their price target on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $504.00 to $559.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Tuesday, July 16th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen 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 $495.94. The Goldman Sachs Group Stock Performance GS traded up $5.24 on Friday, hitting $504.26. 1,504,729 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,331,405. The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $289.36 and a 12-month high of $517.26. The company has a 50 day moving average of $474.07 and a 200-day moving average of $434.88. The company has a quick ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.97. The stock has a market capitalization of $162.61 billion, a PE ratio of 19.63, a PEG ratio of 0.99 and a beta of 1.37. The Goldman Sachs Group (NYSE:GS Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, July 15th. The investment management company reported $8.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $8.52 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $12.73 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.60 billion. The Goldman Sachs Group had a return on equity of 10.26% and a net margin of 9.36%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. will post 36.74 earnings per share for the current year. The Goldman Sachs Group Increases Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 27th. Investors of record on Friday, August 30th will be issued a dividend of $3.00 per share. This is a boost from The Goldman Sachs Groups previous quarterly dividend of $2.75. This represents a $12.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.38%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 30th. The Goldman Sachs Groups dividend payout ratio is currently 46.86%. Insider Activity at The Goldman Sachs Group In related news, insider Brian J. Lee sold 3,500 shares of The Goldman Sachs Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $505.99, for a total value of $1,770,965.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 12,095 shares in the company, valued at $6,119,949.05. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In other news, insider Brian J. Lee sold 3,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $505.99, for a total value of $1,770,965.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 12,095 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,119,949.05. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Thomas K. Montag sold 10,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $505.04, for a total transaction of $5,050,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 12,450 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $6,287,748. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 4,013,500 shares of company stock worth $32,181,365 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.54% of the companys stock. The Goldman Sachs Group Profile (Free Report) The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc, a financial institution, provides a range of financial services for corporations, financial institutions, governments, and individuals worldwide. It operates through Global Banking & Markets, Asset & Wealth Management, and Platform Solutions segments. The Global Banking & Markets segment provides financial advisory services, including strategic advisory assignments related to mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, corporate defense activities, restructurings, and spin-offs; and relationship lending, and acquisition financing, as well as secured lending, through structured credit and asset-backed lending and involved in financing under securities to resale agreements. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for The Goldman Sachs Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for The Goldman Sachs Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Fiduciary Financial Group LLC bought a new position in shares of iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF (NYSEARCA:EWU Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 6,314 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $226,000. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Orion Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Lynx Investment Advisory purchased a new stake in iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF during the 2nd quarter valued at $30,000. Wetzel Investment Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF during the 4th quarter valued at $79,000. CWM LLC boosted its stake in iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF by 1,442.3% during the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 2,406 shares of the companys stock valued at $80,000 after purchasing an additional 2,250 shares during the last quarter. Finally, O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF by 344.5% during the 1st quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC now owns 4,721 shares of the companys stock valued at $162,000 after purchasing an additional 3,659 shares during the last quarter. Get iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF alerts: iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF Trading Up 0.1 % EWU traded up $0.04 during trading on Friday, hitting $36.50. 723,498 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,601,748. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $35.42 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $34.59. iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF has a 12-month low of $30.14 and a 12-month high of $36.76. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.86 and a beta of 0.68. iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF Company Profile The iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF (EWU) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI United Kingdom index. The fund tracks a market cap-weighted index of British companies. It covers the top 85% of British companies by market cap. EWU was launched on Mar 12, 1996 and is managed by BlackRock. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Lloyds Banking Group plc (NYSE:LYG Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large decrease in short interest in the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 9,770,000 shares, a decrease of 21.8% from the July 15th total of 12,490,000 shares. Approximately 0.1% of the companys stock are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 9,630,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.0 days. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Patriot Financial Group Insurance Agency LLC raised its holdings in Lloyds Banking Group by 2.8% during the second quarter. Patriot Financial Group Insurance Agency LLC now owns 135,436 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $370,000 after acquiring an additional 3,752 shares during the period. AMG National Trust Bank lifted its holdings in Lloyds Banking Group by 0.4% in the 2nd quarter. AMG National Trust Bank now owns 1,001,075 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $2,733,000 after purchasing an additional 3,976 shares in the last quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC boosted its stake 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 purchasing an additional 3,986 shares during the period. Brookstone Capital Management grew its holdings in Lloyds Banking Group by 12.1% during the 1st quarter. Brookstone Capital Management now owns 38,516 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $100,000 after buying an additional 4,167 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Lloyds Banking Group by 7.3% during the second quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 61,586 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $168,000 after acquiring an additional 4,194 shares during the last quarter. 2.15% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Lloyds Banking Group alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of brokerages have weighed in on LYG. UBS Group reaffirmed a neutral rating on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 30th. Citigroup downgraded Lloyds Banking Group from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a report on Monday, August 5th. Royal Bank of Canada lowered Lloyds Banking Group from an outperform rating to a sector perform rating in a research report on Friday, July 26th. BNP Paribas raised shares of Lloyds Banking Group from a neutral rating to an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, July 5th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a research note on Thursday, May 9th. They issued a buy rating on the stock. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $32.38. Lloyds Banking Group Stock Performance LYG traded up $0.04 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $3.02. 3,542,995 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 9,296,156. The stock has a market capitalization of $47.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.84 and a beta of 1.35. Lloyds Banking Group has a 52-week low of $1.88 and a 52-week high of $3.13. The company has a quick ratio of 1.48, a current ratio of 1.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89. The companys fifty day moving average price is $2.88 and its 200-day moving average price is $2.63. Lloyds Banking Group (NYSE:LYG Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The financial services provider reported $0.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The business had revenue of $9.55 billion for the quarter. Lloyds Banking Group had a return on equity of 10.34% and a net margin of 12.40%. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Lloyds Banking Group will post 0.32 EPS for the current year. Lloyds Banking Group Increases Dividend The business also recently declared 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 yield of 4.4%. Lloyds Banking Groups dividend payout ratio is presently 26.32%. Lloyds Banking Group Company Profile (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. Featured Articles 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. Nova R Wealth Inc. acquired a new position in The Southern Company (NYSE:SO Free Report) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 2,610 shares of the utilities providers stock, valued at approximately $202,000. Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Fiduciary Financial Group LLC bought a new position in Southern during the second quarter valued at approximately $379,000. Shulman DeMeo Asset Management LLC raised its position in Southern by 1.9% during the second quarter. Shulman DeMeo Asset Management LLC now owns 8,787 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $682,000 after purchasing an additional 165 shares during the period. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. raised its position in Southern by 49.1% during the second quarter. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. now owns 3,778 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $293,000 after purchasing an additional 1,244 shares during the period. Investment Advisory Services Inc. TX ADV purchased a new stake in Southern during the second quarter valued at approximately $219,000. Finally, Red Door Wealth Management LLC raised its position in Southern by 0.9% during the second quarter. Red Door Wealth Management LLC now owns 13,926 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $1,080,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 64.10% of the companys stock. Get Southern alerts: Southern Price Performance Shares of Southern stock traded up $0.36 on Friday, hitting $87.37. 3,754,353 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,480,143. The stock has a market capitalization of $95.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 0.51. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $81.37 and a 200 day moving average price of $75.25. The Southern Company has a 1-year low of $61.56 and a 1-year high of $89.68. The company has a quick ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.66. Southern Dividend Announcement Southern ( NYSE:SO Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The utilities provider reported $1.10 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.91 by $0.19. Southern had a return on equity of 12.88% and a net margin of 17.67%. The firm had revenue of $6.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $6.10 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.79 earnings per share. The firms quarterly revenue was up 12.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that The Southern Company will post 4.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 6th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 19th will be given a dividend of $0.72 per share. This represents a $2.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.30%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 19th. Southerns dividend payout ratio is currently 74.42%. Insider Transactions at Southern In other news, EVP Sloane N. Drake sold 12,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.61, for a total transaction of $931,320.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 16,771 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,301,597.31. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In related news, EVP Sloane N. Drake sold 12,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.61, for a total transaction of $931,320.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 16,771 shares in the company, valued at $1,301,597.31. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Anthony L. Wilson sold 6,900 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, July 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.61, for a total transaction of $535,509.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 85,309 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $6,620,831.49. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 21,280 shares of company stock valued at $1,678,625. 0.18% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In SO has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on Southern from $87.00 to $94.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Bank of America increased their price target on Southern from $73.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Friday, May 31st. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on Southern from $74.00 to $71.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Monday, June 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on Southern from $80.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a report on Monday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Southern from $77.00 to $89.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Friday, August 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $82.00. Get Our Latest Report on SO About Southern (Free Report) The Southern Company, through its subsidiaries, engages in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity. The company also develops, constructs, acquires, owns, and manages power generation assets, including renewable energy projects and sells electricity in the wholesale market; and distributes natural gas in Illinois, Georgia, Virginia, and Tennessee, as well as provides gas marketing services, gas distribution operations, and gas pipeline investments operations. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Southern Company (NYSE:SO Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Southern Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Southern and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. cut its position in shares of O-I Glass, Inc. (NYSE:OI Free Report) by 40.6% in the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,570,331 shares of the industrial products companys stock after selling 1,074,029 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. owned 1.01% of O-I Glass worth $17,478,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in OI. International Assets Investment Management LLC raised its stake in shares of O-I Glass by 1,538.0% during the 4th quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 4,095 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $67,000 after purchasing an additional 3,845 shares in the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. raised its stake in shares of O-I Glass by 3.4% during the 4th quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 69,946 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $1,146,000 after purchasing an additional 2,289 shares in the last quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System purchased a new stake in shares of O-I Glass during the 4th quarter worth about $1,271,000. Everence Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of O-I Glass during the 4th quarter worth about $240,000. Finally, Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank raised its stake in shares of O-I Glass by 193.3% during the 4th quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 87,798 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $1,438,000 after purchasing an additional 57,867 shares in the last quarter. 97.24% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get O-I Glass alerts: O-I Glass Stock Performance OI remained flat at $12.25 during midday trading on Friday. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,249,400 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,802,958. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.91 billion, a PE ratio of -7.67, a P/E/G ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.24. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $11.38 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $13.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.85, a quick ratio of 0.56 and a current ratio of 1.26. O-I Glass, Inc. has a 12-month low of $10.08 and a 12-month high of $20.29. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth O-I Glass ( NYSE:OI Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The industrial products company reported $0.44 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.43 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $1.73 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.77 billion. O-I Glass had a positive return on equity of 15.64% and a negative net margin of 4.32%. The companys revenue was down 8.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.88 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that O-I Glass, Inc. will post 1.6 earnings per share for the current year. OI has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Truist Financial reissued a buy rating and set a $16.00 price objective (down previously from $17.00) on shares of O-I Glass in a report on Thursday, August 1st. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on O-I Glass from $19.00 to $18.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 17th. Citigroup lowered their price objective on O-I Glass from $14.00 to $12.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Monday, July 8th. UBS Group lowered their price objective on O-I Glass from $26.00 to $18.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 17th. Finally, StockNews.com raised O-I Glass from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Thursday, August 1st. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $16.89. Read Our Latest Research Report on O-I Glass Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, Director John Humphrey acquired 15,000 shares of O-I Glass stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 6th. The stock was bought at an average price of $11.30 per share, for a total transaction of $169,500.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 84,227 shares of the companys stock, valued at $951,765.10. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 1.49% of the companys stock. About O-I Glass (Free Report) O-I Glass, Inc, through its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of glass containers to food and beverage manufacturers primarily in the Americas, Europe, and internationally. The company produces glass containers for alcoholic beverages, including beer, flavored malt beverages, spirits, and wine. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding OI? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for O-I Glass, Inc. (NYSE:OI Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for O-I Glass Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for O-I Glass and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Palantir Technologies Inc. (NYSE:PLTR Get Free Report) saw a significant decrease in short interest in the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 63,450,000 shares, a decrease of 21.8% from the July 15th total of 81,120,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 45,980,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.4 days. Insiders Place Their Bets In related news, insider Heather A. Planishek sold 10,907 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.43, for a total value of $233,737.01. Following the sale, the insider now owns 651,099 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $13,953,051.57. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In related news, insider Heather A. Planishek sold 10,907 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.43, for a total value of $233,737.01. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 651,099 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,953,051.57. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Ryan D. Taylor sold 249,684 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $30.01, for a total transaction of $7,493,016.84. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 372,565 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $11,180,675.65. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 506,580 shares of company stock valued at $14,748,074. Company insiders own 12.93% of the companys stock. Get Palantir Technologies alerts: Institutional Trading of Palantir Technologies Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Palantir Technologies by 1.6% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 196,834,580 shares of the companys stock worth $4,529,164,000 after purchasing an additional 3,029,317 shares in the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Palantir Technologies by 15.7% during the 1st quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. now owns 14,571,224 shares of the companys stock worth $335,284,000 after purchasing an additional 1,980,495 shares in the last quarter. ARK Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Palantir Technologies by 2.2% during the 2nd quarter. ARK Investment Management LLC now owns 13,023,099 shares of the companys stock worth $329,875,000 after purchasing an additional 277,623 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc grew its holdings in shares of Palantir Technologies by 1.4% during the 2nd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 11,917,200 shares of the companys stock worth $301,871,000 after purchasing an additional 167,030 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nikko Asset Management Americas Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Palantir Technologies by 19.2% during the 1st quarter. Nikko Asset Management Americas Inc. now owns 9,829,631 shares of the companys stock worth $226,180,000 after purchasing an additional 1,580,548 shares in the last quarter. 45.65% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth PLTR has been the subject of several research reports. William Blair restated an underperform rating on shares of Palantir Technologies in a research report on Tuesday, May 7th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on shares of Palantir Technologies from $24.00 to $28.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Monday, July 29th. Wedbush reaffirmed an outperform rating and set a $35.00 price objective on shares of Palantir Technologies in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Monness Crespi & Hardt reduced their price objective on shares of Palantir Technologies from $20.00 to $18.00 and set a sell rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, August 6th. Finally, Mizuho lowered shares of Palantir Technologies from a neutral rating to an underperform rating and upped their price objective for the company from $21.00 to $22.00 in a research note on Tuesday, July 16th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Palantir Technologies presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $23.14. View Our Latest Analysis on Palantir Technologies Palantir Technologies Stock Performance PLTR traded up $0.84 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $32.07. The companys stock had a trading volume of 64,743,928 shares, compared to its average volume of 55,685,449. The companys 50-day moving average is $26.78 and its 200-day moving average is $24.09. Palantir Technologies has a 52 week low of $13.68 and a 52 week high of $32.75. The firm has a market cap of $71.41 billion, a PE ratio of 267.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.29 and a beta of 2.71. Palantir Technologies (NYSE:PLTR Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 5th. The company reported $0.09 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.08 by $0.01. Palantir Technologies had a return on equity of 8.88% and a net margin of 16.32%. The firm had revenue of $678.13 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $653.23 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.01 EPS. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 27.2% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts anticipate that Palantir Technologies will post 0.19 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. About Palantir Technologies (Get Free Report) Palantir Technologies Inc builds and deploys software platforms for the intelligence community to assist in counterterrorism investigations and operations in the United States, the United Kingdom, and internationally. The company provides Palantir Gotham, a software platform which enables users to identify patterns hidden deep within datasets, ranging from signals intelligence sources to reports from confidential informants, as well as facilitates the handoff between analysts and operational users, helping operators plan and execute real-world responses to threats that have been identified within the platform. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Palantir Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Palantir Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. China-built hydropower project achieves river closure in NW Pakistan Xinhua) 10:11, August 17, 2024 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) (Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Wu Chaolan) Professional Financial Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of iShares Latin America 40 ETF (NYSEARCA:ILF Free Report) by 22.5% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 30,452 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 5,598 shares during the period. Professional Financial Advisors LLC owned 0.05% of iShares Latin America 40 ETF worth $754,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Roman Butler Fullerton & Co. increased its position in iShares Latin America 40 ETF by 55.7% during the 2nd quarter. Roman Butler Fullerton & Co. now owns 21,663 shares of the companys stock worth $566,000 after buying an additional 7,752 shares during the period. Atwood & Palmer Inc. bought a new position in iShares Latin America 40 ETF during the 2nd quarter worth $31,000. Cetera Investment Advisers increased its position in iShares Latin America 40 ETF by 339.7% during the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 121,306 shares of the companys stock worth $3,450,000 after buying an additional 93,718 shares during the period. Adams Wealth Management increased its position in iShares Latin America 40 ETF by 19.0% during the 1st quarter. Adams Wealth Management now owns 342,075 shares of the companys stock worth $9,729,000 after buying an additional 54,607 shares during the period. Finally, Comerica Bank increased its position in iShares Latin America 40 ETF by 17.4% during the 1st quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 22,704 shares of the companys stock worth $646,000 after buying an additional 3,358 shares during the period. Get iShares Latin America 40 ETF alerts: iShares Latin America 40 ETF Trading Up 0.3 % ILF stock traded up $0.08 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $26.31. 644,093 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,261,901. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.01 and a beta of 0.92. iShares Latin America 40 ETF has a 12 month low of $22.51 and a 12 month high of $29.83. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $25.08 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $26.95. About iShares Latin America 40 ETF iShares S & P Latin America 40 Index Fund, formerly iShares Latin America 40 ETF (the Fund), is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the S&P Latin America 40 (the Index). The Index consists of selected equities trading on the exchanges of five Latin American countries. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ILF? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares Latin America 40 ETF (NYSEARCA:ILF Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for iShares Latin America 40 ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Latin America 40 ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Secom Co., Ltd. (OTCMKTS:SOMLY 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 66,000 shares, an increase of 21.3% from the July 15th total of 54,400 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 261,900 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.3 days. Secom Stock Down 0.9 % Shares of SOMLY stock traded down $0.15 on Friday, hitting $16.17. The stock had a trading volume of 19,709 shares, compared to its average volume of 61,316. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03, a current ratio of 2.46 and a quick ratio of 2.32. The stock has a market cap of $15.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.25 and a beta of 0.39. Secom has a 12-month low of $14.11 and a 12-month high of $19.85. The business has a 50 day moving average of $15.20 and a 200 day moving average of $16.77. Get Secom alerts: About Secom (Get Free Report) Further Reading SECOM CO., LTD., together with its subsidiaries, provides security services in Japan and internationally. The company operates through Security Services, Fire Protection Services, Medical Services, Insurance Services, Geospatial Information Services, BPO and ICT Services, and Other Services. The Security Services segment offers static guard, armored car, merchandise, and other services, as well as online security systems. Receive News & Ratings for Secom Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Secom and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Swedbank AB increased its stake in Trane Technologies plc (NYSE:TT Free Report) by 5.3% in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 723,394 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 36,482 shares during the quarter. Swedbank ABs holdings in Trane Technologies were worth $237,946,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. GoalVest Advisory LLC increased its holdings in Trane Technologies by 157.1% in the 1st quarter. GoalVest Advisory LLC now owns 90 shares of the companys stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Dixon Mitchell Investment Counsel Inc. purchased a new stake in Trane Technologies in the 1st quarter worth $27,000. BOK Financial Private Wealth Inc. purchased a new stake in Trane Technologies in the 1st quarter worth $30,000. Sachetta LLC purchased a new stake in Trane Technologies in the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Motco purchased a new stake in Trane Technologies in the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.97% of the companys stock. Get Trane Technologies alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of research firms have recently issued reports on TT. Mizuho upped their target price on shares of Trane Technologies from $280.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, May 1st. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Trane Technologies from $355.00 to $366.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, May 1st. TD Cowen upped their target price on shares of Trane Technologies from $325.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, May 1st. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Trane Technologies from $385.00 to $394.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, August 1st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of Trane Technologies from $247.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, May 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and six 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 price target of $323.29. Insider Buying and Selling at Trane Technologies In other Trane Technologies news, EVP Raymond D. Pittard sold 1,805 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $328.65, for a total value of $593,213.25. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 83,517 shares of the companys stock, valued at $27,447,862.05. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In other news, SVP Evan M. Turtz sold 8,988 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $321.30, for a total transaction of $2,887,844.40. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 20,758 shares of the companys stock, valued at $6,669,545.40. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Raymond D. Pittard sold 1,805 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $328.65, for a total transaction of $593,213.25. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 83,517 shares in the company, valued at approximately $27,447,862.05. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 44,243 shares of company stock valued at $14,216,550 over the last 90 days. 0.38% of the stock is owned by insiders. Trane Technologies Trading Down 1.9 % Shares of TT stock traded down $6.55 on Friday, hitting $341.30. 963,268 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,132,039. The firms 50-day moving average price is $332.94 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $310.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a current ratio of 1.17. The stock has a market capitalization of $77.25 billion, a PE ratio of 37.16, a PEG ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 1.01. Trane Technologies plc has a twelve month low of $184.02 and a twelve month high of $351.41. Trane Technologies (NYSE:TT Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The company reported $3.30 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $3.08 by $0.22. Trane Technologies had a net margin of 12.33% and a return on equity of 33.97%. The company had revenue of $5.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.13 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.68 earnings per share. Trane Technologiess revenue for the quarter was up 12.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts anticipate that Trane Technologies plc will post 10.83 EPS for the current year. Trane Technologies Dividend Announcement The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 6th will be given a $0.84 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 6th. This represents a $3.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.98%. Trane Technologiess payout ratio is currently 35.90%. About Trane Technologies (Free Report) Trane Technologies plc, together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, sells, and services of solutions for heating, ventilation, air conditioning, custom, and custom and transport refrigeration in Ireland and internationally. It offers air conditioners, exchangers, and handlers; airside and terminal devices; air sourced heat pumps, auxiliary power units; chillers; coils and condensers; gensets; dehumidifiers; ductless; furnaces; home automation products; humidifiers; indoor air quality assessments and related products; large and light commercial unitary products; refrigerant reclamation products; thermostats/controls; transport heater products; variable refrigerant flow products; and water source heat pumps. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding TT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Trane Technologies plc (NYSE:TT Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Trane Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Trane Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Swedbank AB trimmed its holdings in shares of McDonalds Co. (NYSE:MCD Free Report) by 3.4% during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,192,866 shares of the fast-food giants stock after selling 42,125 shares during the quarter. Swedbank AB owned 0.17% of McDonalds worth $303,990,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Loring Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors LLP MA grew its stake in shares of McDonalds by 0.3% in the second quarter. Loring Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors LLP MA now owns 120,015 shares of the fast-food giants stock worth $30,876,000 after purchasing an additional 409 shares during the last quarter. Atwater Malick LLC grew its position in shares of McDonalds by 1.8% in the 2nd quarter. Atwater Malick LLC now owns 38,223 shares of the fast-food giants stock valued at $9,741,000 after buying an additional 683 shares during the last quarter. Comprehensive Financial Consultants Institutional Inc. grew its position in shares of McDonalds by 9.1% in the 2nd quarter. Comprehensive Financial Consultants Institutional Inc. now owns 4,891 shares of the fast-food giants stock valued at $1,246,000 after buying an additional 407 shares during the last quarter. Mcdonald Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of McDonalds by 1.6% in the second quarter. Mcdonald Partners LLC now owns 5,794 shares of the fast-food giants stock valued at $1,477,000 after buying an additional 90 shares during the period. Finally, Community Trust & Investment Co. raised its position in shares of McDonalds by 0.8% during the second quarter. Community Trust & Investment Co. now owns 11,421 shares of the fast-food giants stock worth $2,911,000 after acquiring an additional 90 shares during the last quarter. 70.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get McDonald's alerts: McDonalds Stock Up 1.3 % NYSE MCD traded up $3.62 on Friday, reaching $278.49. The company had a trading volume of 3,200,367 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,568,595. The companys fifty day moving average is $258.26 and its 200 day moving average is $271.29. McDonalds Co. has a 52-week low of $243.53 and a 52-week high of $302.39. The stock has a market capitalization of $200.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.62, a P/E/G ratio of 3.58 and a beta of 0.71. McDonalds Dividend Announcement McDonalds ( NYSE:MCD Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Monday, July 29th. The fast-food giant reported $2.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.07 by ($0.10). McDonalds had a negative return on equity of 178.92% and a net margin of 32.25%. The firm had revenue of $6.49 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.62 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $3.17 EPS. The businesss revenue was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts expect that McDonalds Co. will post 11.71 EPS for the current year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 17th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 3rd will be paid a $1.67 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 3rd. This represents a $6.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.40%. McDonaldss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 56.71%. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of research firms have weighed in on MCD. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their target price on shares of McDonalds from $295.00 to $290.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, July 30th. Loop Capital lowered their target price on shares of McDonalds from $357.00 to $342.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 30th. Truist Financial cut their price target on shares of McDonalds from $300.00 to $295.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, July 30th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price objective on McDonalds from $320.00 to $310.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 29th. Finally, Evercore ISI dropped their price objective on McDonalds from $330.00 to $300.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 16th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $303.00. View Our Latest Stock Report on McDonalds Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 1,099 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $265.13, for a total value of $291,377.87. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 15,878 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,209,734.14. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other McDonalds news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 1,099 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $265.13, for a total value of $291,377.87. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 15,878 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,209,734.14. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 1,098 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, June 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $260.00, for a total value of $285,480.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 14,780 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,842,800. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 4,794 shares of company stock valued at $1,234,491 in the last 90 days. 0.23% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. McDonalds Company Profile (Free Report) McDonald's Corporation operates and franchises restaurants under the McDonald's brand in the United States and internationally. It offers food and beverages, including hamburgers and cheeseburgers, various chicken sandwiches, fries, shakes, desserts, sundaes, cookies, pies, soft drinks, coffee, and other beverages; and full or limited breakfast, as well as sells various other products during limited-time promotions. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MCD? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for McDonalds Co. (NYSE:MCD Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for McDonald's Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for McDonald's and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Tourmaline Oil (TSE:TOU Free Report) had its target price hoisted by National Bankshares from C$70.00 to C$72.50 in a research report sent to investors on Tuesday morning, BayStreet.CA reports. The brokerage currently has an outperform rating on the stock. TOU has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Canaccord Genuity Group boosted their target price on shares of Tourmaline Oil from C$73.50 to C$75.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday. Scotiabank boosted their price objective on Tourmaline Oil from C$90.00 to C$93.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Tuesday. Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on Tourmaline Oil from C$75.00 to C$80.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 23rd. UBS Group raised Tourmaline Oil to a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, June 20th. Finally, Desjardins upped their price objective on Tourmaline Oil from C$72.00 to C$75.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Buy and an average target price of C$79.04. Get Tourmaline Oil alerts: Get Our Latest Research Report on TOU Tourmaline Oil Trading Down 0.4 % Tourmaline Oil Cuts Dividend Shares of Tourmaline Oil stock opened at C$62.95 on Tuesday. The firms 50 day moving average is C$61.59 and its 200 day moving average is C$62.40. The firm has a market capitalization of C$22.14 billion, a PE ratio of 12.62, a price-to-earnings-growth 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 company has a current ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 9.61. 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 paid a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 13th. Tourmaline Oils dividend payout ratio is currently 25.65%. Insider Transactions at Tourmaline Oil In other Tourmaline Oil news, Senior Officer Mike Rose acquired 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 14th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of C$62.88 per share, with a total value of C$314,392.00. In other Tourmaline Oil news, Senior Officer Mike Rose purchased 5,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, June 14th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of C$62.88 per share, with a total value of C$314,392.00. Also, Director Jill Terilee Angevine purchased 1,300 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 13th. The shares were acquired at an average price of C$61.29 per share, for a total transaction of C$79,677.00. Insiders bought a total of 16,300 shares of company stock worth $1,028,162 over the last three months. 5.41% of the stock is owned by company 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. See Also 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. Triad Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:BR Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor bought 222 shares of the business services providers stock, valued at approximately $44,000. Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in Broadridge Financial Solutions by 0.3% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 13,991,206 shares of the business services providers stock worth $2,866,238,000 after purchasing an additional 39,537 shares in the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its stake in shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions by 0.7% during the first quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 4,168,197 shares of the business services providers stock worth $853,898,000 after purchasing an additional 28,180 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Investors grew its stake in shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions by 0.3% in the first quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 3,061,983 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $627,278,000 after buying an additional 7,970 shares in the last quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions by 3.0% during the 1st quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 1,496,678 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $306,609,000 after buying an additional 43,958 shares during the period. Finally, Bahl & Gaynor Inc. boosted its holdings in Broadridge Financial Solutions by 1.9% in the 1st quarter. Bahl & Gaynor Inc. now owns 1,102,233 shares of the business services providers stock worth $225,804,000 after acquiring an additional 20,023 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.03% of the companys stock. Get Broadridge Financial Solutions alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of equities analysts have commented on BR shares. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions from $239.00 to $246.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. StockNews.com downgraded Broadridge Financial Solutions from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Saturday, July 20th. DA Davidson reiterated a neutral rating and set a $185.00 price target on shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions in a research report on Tuesday, June 11th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Broadridge Financial Solutions from $213.00 to $224.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $213.17. Broadridge Financial Solutions Stock Performance BR traded down $0.28 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $208.71. The companys stock had a trading volume of 537,674 shares, compared to its average volume of 523,982. Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $166.73 and a fifty-two week high of $223.81. The company has a current ratio of 1.39, a quick ratio of 1.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.55. The firm has a market capitalization of $24.67 billion, a PE ratio of 35.62 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $204.60 and a 200 day simple moving average of $201.49. Broadridge Financial Solutions (NYSE:BR Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The business services provider reported $3.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.49 by $0.01. Broadridge Financial Solutions had a return on equity of 40.88% and a net margin of 10.92%. The company had revenue of $1.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.96 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $3.21 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 5.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. will post 7.72 EPS for the current year. Broadridge Financial Solutions Increases Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 3rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, September 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.88 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 12th. This is a positive change from Broadridge Financial Solutionss previous quarterly dividend of $0.80. This represents a $3.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.69%. Broadridge Financial Solutionss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 60.07%. Insider Transactions at Broadridge Financial Solutions In other news, President Christopher John Perry sold 31,539 shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $207.37, for a total value of $6,540,242.43. Following the transaction, the president now directly owns 67,215 shares in the company, valued at $13,938,374.55. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, President Christopher John Perry sold 31,539 shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $207.37, for a total transaction of $6,540,242.43. Following the sale, the president now directly owns 67,215 shares of the companys stock, valued at $13,938,374.55. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, VP Laura Matlin sold 673 shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $216.00, for a total value of $145,368.00. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 5,530 shares in the company, valued at $1,194,480. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 63,485 shares of company stock valued at $13,165,223 in the last three months. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Broadridge Financial Solutions Profile (Free Report) Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc provides investor communications and technology-driven solutions for the financial services industry. The company's Investor Communication Solutions segment processes and distributes proxy materials to investors in equity securities and mutual funds, as well as facilitates related vote processing services; and distributes regulatory reports, class action, and corporate action/reorganization event information, as well as tax reporting solutions. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:BR Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Broadridge Financial Solutions Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Broadridge Financial Solutions and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Triad Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 5,438 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock, valued at approximately $152,000. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. O ROURKE & COMPANY Inc raised its position in shares of Pfizer by 51.0% during the 2nd quarter. O ROURKE & COMPANY Inc now owns 16,081 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $450,000 after purchasing an additional 5,430 shares during the period. Silver Lake Advisory LLC bought a new stake in Pfizer during the second quarter valued at about $208,000. Loring Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors LLP MA lifted its position in shares of Pfizer by 43.1% in the second quarter. Loring Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors LLP MA now owns 104,897 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $3,094,000 after acquiring an additional 31,595 shares in the last quarter. Murphy Pohlad Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Pfizer by 4.7% in the second quarter. Murphy Pohlad Asset Management LLC now owns 133,624 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $3,739,000 after acquiring an additional 6,000 shares during the period. Finally, Home Federal Bank of Tennessee grew its position in shares of Pfizer by 2.4% during the second quarter. Home Federal Bank of Tennessee now owns 27,460 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $768,000 after purchasing an additional 647 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.36% of the companys stock. Get Pfizer alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several research analysts have weighed in on PFE shares. StockNews.com upgraded Pfizer from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, August 1st. Daiwa Capital Markets upgraded shares of Pfizer from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and upped their target price for the stock from $28.00 to $34.00 in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Pfizer from $28.00 to $30.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. Daiwa America raised shares of Pfizer from a moderate buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Finally, Barclays lifted their target price on Pfizer from $30.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. Eight investment 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $34.54. Pfizer Trading Down 1.5 % PFE stock traded down $0.42 during trading on Friday, hitting $28.29. The company had a trading volume of 50,299,189 shares, compared to its average volume of 39,558,848. Pfizer Inc. has a 52-week low of $25.20 and a 52-week high of $37.19. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $28.75 and a 200-day simple moving average of $27.89. The firm has a market capitalization of $160.31 billion, a P/E ratio of -471.42, a PEG ratio of 0.99 and a beta of 0.69. The company has a quick ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. Pfizer (NYSE:PFE Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.60 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.46 by $0.14. Pfizer had a negative net margin of 4.66% and a positive return on equity of 8.42%. The business had revenue of $13.28 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.96 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.67 earnings per share. The companys quarterly revenue was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts forecast that Pfizer Inc. will post 2.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Pfizer Dividend Announcement The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 26th will be given a dividend of $0.42 per share. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.94%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 26th. Pfizers payout ratio is -2,799.53%. 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 Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PFE? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE Free Report). 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. Gradient Investments LLC bought a new stake in Janus Henderson Securitized Income ETF (NYSEARCA:JSI Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 1,066,772 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $55,216,000. Janus Henderson Securitized Income ETF makes up approximately 1.2% of Gradient Investments LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 20th biggest holding. Gradient Investments LLC owned 22.22% of Janus Henderson Securitized Income ETF at the end of the most recent quarter. Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Congress Wealth Management LLC DE acquired a new stake in shares of Janus Henderson Securitized Income ETF during the 1st quarter worth about $39,373,000. Atwood & Palmer Inc. raised its holdings in Janus Henderson Securitized Income ETF by 1,689.4% during the first quarter. Atwood & Palmer Inc. now owns 239,070 shares of the companys stock worth $12,343,000 after purchasing an additional 225,710 shares in the last quarter. Financial Enhancement Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Janus Henderson Securitized Income ETF by 92.7% in the 1st quarter. Financial Enhancement Group LLC now owns 442,423 shares of the companys stock valued at $22,643,000 after buying an additional 212,778 shares in the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Janus Henderson Securitized Income ETF in the 1st quarter valued at $8,568,000. Finally, Annex Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in Janus Henderson Securitized Income ETF during the 2nd quarter worth $5,398,000. Get Janus Henderson Securitized Income ETF alerts: Janus Henderson Securitized Income ETF Stock Performance NYSEARCA JSI traded up $0.03 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $52.31. The company had a trading volume of 23,536 shares, compared to its average volume of 42,027. The business has a 50 day moving average of $51.95 and a 200-day moving average of $51.58. Janus Henderson Securitized Income ETF has a 1-year low of $49.96 and a 1-year high of $52.56. Janus Henderson Securitized Income ETF Cuts Dividend About Janus Henderson Securitized Income ETF The company also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 7th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 1st were given a dividend of $0.2809 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, August 1st. (Free Report) The Janus Henderson Securitized Income ETF (JSI) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in broad credit fixed income. The fund is an actively managed fund that provides broad exposure to the US securitized market. The fund invests predominantly in investment grade securities. JSI was launched on Nov 8, 2023 and is issued by Janus Henderson. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding JSI? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Janus Henderson Securitized Income ETF (NYSEARCA:JSI Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Janus Henderson Securitized Income ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Janus Henderson Securitized Income ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. American Shared Hospital Services (NYSEAMERICAN:AMS Get Free Report) issued its earnings results on Wednesday. The company reported $0.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.07 by $0.06, reports. The firm had revenue of $7.06 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.15 million. American Shared Hospital Services had a net margin of 2.50% and a return on equity of 4.29%. American Shared Hospital Services Stock Performance AMS traded down $0.17 during trading on Friday, hitting $2.84. 61,286 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 10,645. The stock has a market capitalization of $17.98 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.50 and a beta of 0.70. American Shared Hospital Services has a 1 year low of $2.16 and a 1 year high of $3.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49, a quick ratio of 1.98 and a current ratio of 1.98. Get American Shared Hospital Services alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Separately, StockNews.com started coverage on shares of American Shared Hospital Services in a research report on Saturday. They set a hold rating on the stock. Hedge Funds Weigh In On American Shared Hospital Services Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Renaissance Technologies LLC lifted its position in American Shared Hospital Services by 31.2% during the second quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 55,501 shares of the companys stock valued at $177,000 after purchasing an additional 13,201 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its position in American Shared Hospital Services by 4.9% during the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 179,637 shares of the companys stock valued at $574,000 after purchasing an additional 8,436 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC bought a new position in American Shared Hospital Services during the first quarter valued at $31,000. 23.16% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. American Shared Hospital Services Company Profile (Get Free Report) American Shared Hospital Services provides stereotactic radiosurgery and advanced radiation therapy equipment. It operates in two segments, Medical Equipment Leasing, and Retail. The company offers radiosurgery equipment for the Gamma Knife stereotactic radiosurgery, a non-invasive procedure to treat malignant and benign brain tumors, and arteriovenous malformations, as well as for trigeminal neuralgia. Read More Receive News & Ratings for American Shared Hospital Services Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for American Shared Hospital Services and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of KBR, Inc. (NYSE:KBR Get Free Report) have been assigned a consensus recommendation of Buy from the seven ratings firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating. The average 1-year target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $76.00. KBR has been the topic of several research reports. DA Davidson reissued a buy rating and set a $78.00 price target on shares of KBR in a research note on Tuesday, June 25th. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of KBR from $66.00 to $72.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Monday, April 22nd. UBS Group raised their price objective on KBR from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 14th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price objective on KBR from $83.00 to $84.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, May 9th. Finally, StockNews.com cut KBR from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a report on Monday, August 12th. Get KBR alerts: Read Our Latest Analysis on KBR Insider Activity at KBR Hedge Funds Weigh In On KBR In related news, EVP Sonia Galindo sold 4,660 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, May 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.00, for a total value of $307,560.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 21,409 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,412,994. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink . 1.08% of the stock is owned by company insiders. A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Fifth Third Bancorp lifted its position in KBR by 17.5% during the second quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 1,204 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $77,000 after buying an additional 179 shares during the period. CWM LLC boosted its position in shares of KBR by 39.4% in the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 817 shares of the construction companys stock worth $52,000 after purchasing an additional 231 shares in the last quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of KBR by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 20,303 shares of the construction companys stock worth $1,125,000 after purchasing an additional 260 shares in the last quarter. Harbour Capital Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of KBR by 0.5% in the 1st quarter. Harbour Capital Advisors LLC now owns 54,135 shares of the construction companys stock worth $3,412,000 after buying an additional 265 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. increased its position in KBR by 2.0% during the 4th quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 13,338 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $739,000 after buying an additional 267 shares in the last quarter. 97.02% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. KBR Stock Down 0.8 % Shares of NYSE:KBR opened at $65.45 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.79 billion, a PE ratio of -34.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 0.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.10. KBR has a 52-week low of $49.37 and a 52-week high of $69.37. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $64.90 and a 200 day moving average of $62.87. KBR (NYSE:KBR Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The construction company reported $0.83 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.79 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $1.86 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.88 billion. KBR had a return on equity of 27.92% and a net margin of 2.77%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that KBR will post 3.24 EPS for the current fiscal year. KBR Company Profile (Get Free Report KBR, Inc provides scientific, technology, and engineering solutions to governments and commercial customers worldwide. It operates through Government Solutions and Sustainable Technology Solutions segments. The Government Solutions segment offers life-cycle support solutions to defense, intelligence, space, aviation, and other programs and missions for military and other government agencies in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for KBR Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for KBR and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Azul (NYSE:AZUL Free Report) had its price target lowered by Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft from $8.00 to $6.00 in a report published on Tuesday, Benzinga reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft currently has a buy rating on the stock. Other analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Morgan Stanley began coverage on shares of Azul in a research note on Friday, May 24th. They issued an equal weight rating and a $7.40 price target for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered Azul from an overweight rating to a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of Azul from $12.00 to $10.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, May 15th. Raymond James restated an outperform rating and issued a $12.00 price objective (down from $13.00) on shares of Azul in a report on Monday, April 15th. Finally, Bank of America reiterated an underperform rating and set a $9.50 target price (down previously from $18.00) on shares of Azul in a research note on Thursday, April 18th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $10.39. Get Azul alerts: Read Our Latest Stock Report on AZUL Azul Stock Performance Shares of NYSE AZUL opened at $4.09 on Tuesday. Azul has a 1 year low of $3.70 and a 1 year high of $11.26. The companys fifty day moving average price is $4.44 and its 200 day moving average price is $6.07. The company has a market capitalization of $1.72 billion, a PE ratio of -1.67 and a beta of 2.00. Azul (NYSE:AZUL Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 12th. The company reported ($1.23) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of ($0.60) by ($0.63). The company had revenue of $800.65 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $791.43 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned ($0.81) earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect that Azul will post -1.03 EPS for the current year. Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Signaturefd LLC grew its stake in Azul by 35.9% during the 2nd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 10,649 shares of the companys stock worth $43,000 after buying an additional 2,812 shares during the last quarter. Inspire Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Azul by 20.1% during the second quarter. Inspire Advisors LLC now owns 22,463 shares of the companys stock worth $90,000 after acquiring an additional 3,764 shares during the last quarter. Coronation Fund Managers Ltd. grew its position in shares of Azul by 9.5% during the second quarter. Coronation Fund Managers Ltd. now owns 27,341 shares of the companys stock worth $109,000 after acquiring an additional 2,380 shares during the last quarter. Aigen Investment Management LP acquired a new position in shares of Azul in the 4th quarter valued at $214,000. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP raised its position in Azul by 310.0% in the 1st quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP now owns 31,813 shares of the companys stock valued at $247,000 after purchasing an additional 24,054 shares during the last quarter. 0.82% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Azul Company Profile (Get Free Report) Azul SA, together with its subsidiaries, provides air transportation services in Brazil and internationally. As of December 31, 2023, the company operated approximately 1,000 daily departures to 160 destinations through a network of 300 non-stop routes with an operating fleet of 183 aircraft and a passenger contractual fleet of 189 aircraft. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Azul Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Azul and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. increased its position in shares of BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE:BLK Free Report) by 1,077.8% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 49,657 shares of the asset managers stock after acquiring an additional 45,441 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A.s holdings in BlackRock were worth $39,096,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Carolinas Wealth Consulting LLC boosted its position in shares of BlackRock by 25.0% in the 4th quarter. Carolinas Wealth Consulting LLC now owns 200 shares of the asset managers stock valued at $163,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the period. OVERSEA CHINESE BANKING Corp Ltd bought a new position in shares of BlackRock in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $439,000. Zhang Financial LLC raised its stake in shares of BlackRock by 24.0% in the 1st quarter. Zhang Financial LLC now owns 883 shares of the asset managers stock valued at $736,000 after acquiring an additional 171 shares in the last quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System increased its position in BlackRock by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 237,740 shares of the asset managers stock worth $192,997,000 after buying an additional 1,647 shares during the period. Finally, Farrow Financial Inc. bought a new position in BlackRock in the 4th quarter worth approximately $2,228,000. 80.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get BlackRock alerts: Insider Buying and Selling In other BlackRock news, Director Pamela Daley sold 1,531 shares of BlackRock stock in a transaction on Friday, August 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $842.08, for a total value of $1,289,224.48. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 5,732 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,826,802.56. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In related news, CEO Laurence Fink sold 30,978 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, May 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $807.29, for a total transaction of $25,008,229.62. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 383,168 shares in the company, valued at approximately $309,327,694.72. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Pamela Daley sold 1,531 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $842.08, for a total value of $1,289,224.48. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 5,732 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,826,802.56. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 112,020 shares of company stock valued at $93,595,347. Insiders own 0.90% of the companys stock. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of brokerages recently commented on BLK. TD Cowen cut their target price on BlackRock from $974.00 to $969.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Monday, July 8th. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on BlackRock from $1,025.00 to $1,013.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 11th. Citigroup raised their price target on BlackRock from $920.00 to $930.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, July 16th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their target price on BlackRock from $915.00 to $934.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 16th. Finally, Evercore ISI increased their target price on BlackRock from $910.00 to $920.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 16th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $874.07. View Our Latest Research Report on BlackRock BlackRock Stock Up 0.0 % BlackRock stock traded up $0.43 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $872.49. The stock had a trading volume of 395,236 shares, compared to its average volume of 601,810. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 5.32 and a current ratio of 5.32. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $818.31 and its 200-day simple moving average is $802.19. The stock has a market capitalization of $129.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 1.32. BlackRock, Inc. has a 1-year low of $596.18 and a 1-year high of $885.10. BlackRock (NYSE:BLK Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Monday, July 15th. The asset manager reported $10.36 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $9.96 by $0.40. BlackRock had a return on equity of 15.53% and a net margin of 32.36%. The company had revenue of $4.81 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.85 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $9.28 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 7.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts expect that BlackRock, Inc. will post 41.23 EPS for the current fiscal year. BlackRock Dividend Announcement The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 23rd. Investors of record on Monday, September 9th will be issued a dividend of $5.10 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 9th. This represents a $20.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.34%. BlackRocks payout ratio is currently 51.84%. About BlackRock (Free Report) BlackRock, Inc is a publicly owned investment manager. The firm primarily provides its services to institutional, intermediary, and individual investors including corporate, public, union, and industry pension plans, insurance companies, third-party mutual funds, endowments, public institutions, governments, foundations, charities, sovereign wealth funds, corporations, official institutions, and banks. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for BlackRock Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BlackRock and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Brookstone Capital Management lifted its position in shares of Energy Transfer LP (NYSE:ET Free Report) by 8.2% during the second quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 205,620 shares of the pipeline companys stock after buying an additional 15,496 shares during the quarter. Brookstone Capital Managements holdings in Energy Transfer were worth $3,313,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in ET. Ellsworth Advisors LLC raised its stake in Energy Transfer by 13.7% in the 2nd quarter. Ellsworth Advisors LLC now owns 86,012 shares of the pipeline companys stock worth $1,395,000 after purchasing an additional 10,358 shares in the last quarter. Fiduciary Financial Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Energy Transfer during the second quarter worth approximately $372,000. Whitener Capital Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Energy Transfer by 9.3% in the second quarter. Whitener Capital Management Inc. now owns 24,658 shares of the pipeline companys stock valued at $400,000 after buying an additional 2,100 shares in the last quarter. Aurora Private Wealth Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Energy Transfer by 1.3% in the second quarter. Aurora Private Wealth Inc. now owns 173,594 shares of the pipeline companys stock valued at $2,816,000 after buying an additional 2,210 shares during the period. Finally, Redhawk Wealth Advisors Inc. grew its position in Energy Transfer by 111.0% during the second quarter. Redhawk Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 33,913 shares of the pipeline companys stock worth $550,000 after buying an additional 17,838 shares in the last quarter. 38.22% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Energy Transfer alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth ET has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Energy Transfer from $19.00 to $20.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Monday, June 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Energy Transfer from $19.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, June 20th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their target price on shares of Energy Transfer from $18.00 to $19.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday, May 9th. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Energy Transfer from $23.00 to $24.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, May 15th. Finally, Mizuho lifted their price objective on shares of Energy Transfer from $19.00 to $20.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 18th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Energy Transfer has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $19.29. Energy Transfer Price Performance Shares of ET stock traded up $0.31 on Friday, reaching $16.30. The company had a trading volume of 18,588,318 shares, compared to its average volume of 13,591,935. The businesss 50-day moving average is $15.99 and its 200 day moving average is $15.55. Energy Transfer LP has a one year low of $12.83 and a one year high of $16.50. The company has a quick ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 1.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.37. The stock has a market capitalization of $54.93 billion, a PE ratio of 14.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.42 and a beta of 1.66. Energy Transfer (NYSE:ET Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 7th. The pipeline company reported $0.35 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.36 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $20.73 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $22.01 billion. Energy Transfer had a net margin of 4.85% and a return on equity of 12.22%. Energy Transfers revenue for the quarter was up 13.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.25 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Energy Transfer LP will post 1.49 EPS for the current fiscal year. Energy Transfer Increases Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 19th. Investors of record on Friday, August 9th will be given a dividend of $0.32 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 9th. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.85%. This is a positive change from Energy Transfers previous quarterly dividend of $0.32. Energy Transfers payout ratio is currently 117.43%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, Director Kelcy L. Warren purchased 3,000,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 12th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $15.68 per share, with a total value of $47,040,000.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 123,385,650 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,934,686,992. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other Energy Transfer news, CEO Thomas E. Long acquired 20,000 shares of Energy Transfer stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 12th. The shares were bought at an average price of $15.68 per share, with a total value of $313,600.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer now directly owns 4,308,859 shares in the company, valued at approximately $67,562,909.12. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Kelcy L. Warren bought 3,000,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 12th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $15.68 per share, with a total value of $47,040,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 123,385,650 shares in the company, valued at $1,934,686,992. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders own 3.28% of the companys stock. Energy Transfer Company Profile (Free Report) Energy Transfer LP provides energy-related services. The company owns and operates natural gas transportation pipeline, and natural gas storage facilities in Texas and Oklahoma; and approximately 20,090 miles of interstate natural gas pipeline. It also sells natural gas to electric utilities, independent power plants, local distribution and other marketing companies, and industrial end-users. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ET? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Energy Transfer LP (NYSE:ET Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Energy Transfer Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Energy Transfer and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. CCL Industries Inc. (TSE:CCL.B Get Free Report) Director Tom Peddie sold 4,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$73.75, for a total value of C$295,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 500 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately C$36,875. CCL Industries Stock Performance Shares of CCL.B opened at C$78.19 on Friday. CCL Industries Inc. has a one year low of C$52.82 and a one year high of C$79.06. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of C$72.68 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of C$69.77. 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 firm has a market capitalization of C$13.10 billion, a PE ratio of 25.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.26 and a beta of 0.53. Get CCL Industries alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of equities research analysts recently commented on CCL.B shares. CIBC upped their price target on shares of CCL Industries from C$86.00 to C$88.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday. Scotiabank upped their price objective on shares of CCL Industries from C$80.00 to C$84.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Monday, August 12th. BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on CCL Industries from C$83.00 to C$84.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Monday, August 12th. Raymond James upped their price target on CCL Industries from C$84.00 to C$87.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Monday, August 12th. Finally, National Bankshares lifted their price objective on CCL Industries from C$84.00 to C$87.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Monday, August 12th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, CCL Industries has an average rating of Buy and a consensus target price of C$84.78. About CCL Industries (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. Featured Articles 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. Century Communities (NYSE:CCS Get Free Report) and Barratt Developments (OTCMKTS:BTDPF Get Free Report) are both consumer cyclical companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, institutional ownership, risk, analyst recommendations, valuation, dividends and profitability. Valuation and Earnings This table compares Century Communities and Barratt Developments gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Get Century Communities alerts: Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Century Communities $4.08 billion 0.72 $259.22 million $9.01 10.24 Barratt Developments N/A N/A N/A $0.30 21.46 Century Communities has higher revenue and earnings than Barratt Developments. Century Communities is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Barratt Developments, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Dividends Analyst Ratings Century Communities pays an annual dividend of $1.04 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.1%. Barratt Developments pays an annual dividend of $0.03 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.5%. Century Communities pays out 11.5% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Barratt Developments pays out 10.5% 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. This is a summary of current ratings and price targets for Century Communities and Barratt Developments, as reported by MarketBeat. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Century Communities 0 1 1 0 2.50 Barratt Developments 0 0 0 0 N/A Century Communities presently has a consensus target price of $101.50, suggesting a potential upside of 9.97%. Given Century Communities higher possible upside, equities research analysts clearly believe Century Communities is more favorable than Barratt Developments. Profitability This table compares Century Communities and Barratt Developments net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Century Communities 7.90% 14.00% 8.10% Barratt Developments N/A N/A N/A Insider and Institutional Ownership 99.5% of Century Communities shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 46.4% of Barratt Developments shares are owned by institutional investors. 11.9% of Century Communities shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth. Summary Century Communities beats Barratt Developments on 10 of the 12 factors compared between the two stocks. About Century Communities (Get Free Report) Century Communities, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, development, construction, marketing, and sale of single-family attached and detached homes. It is also involved in the entitlement and development of the underlying land; and provision of mortgage, title, and insurance services to its homebuyers. The company offers homes under the Century Communities and Century Complete brands. It sells homes through its sales representatives, retail studios, and internet, as well as through independent real estate brokers in 18 states in the United States. Century Communities, Inc. was founded in 2002 and is headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado. About Barratt Developments (Get Free Report) Barratt Developments plc engages in the housebuilding business in the United Kingdom. The company acquires and develops land; plans, designs, and constructs homes, apartments, penthouses, and communities, as well as undertakes mixed-use regeneration schemes; and develops retail, leisure, office, industrial, and mixed-use properties. It is also involved in the commercial development business under the Wilson Bowden Developments brand name. The company offers its homes under the Barratt Homes, David Wilson Homes, and Barratt London brands. The company was incorporated in 1958 and is headquartered in Coalville, the United Kingdom. Receive News & Ratings for Century Communities Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Century Communities and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ellsworth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of The Bank of New York Mellon Co. (NYSE:BK Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 3,463 shares of the banks stock, valued at approximately $207,000. Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Greenleaf Trust grew its position in shares of Bank of New York Mellon by 0.7% in the 1st quarter. Greenleaf Trust now owns 28,349 shares of the banks stock worth $1,633,000 after buying an additional 187 shares during the period. Semmax Financial Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in Bank of New York Mellon by 1.9% in the 1st quarter. Semmax Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 10,214 shares of the banks stock worth $591,000 after purchasing an additional 189 shares in the last quarter. Vivaldi Capital Management LP boosted its stake in Bank of New York Mellon by 3.3% in the 4th quarter. Vivaldi Capital Management LP now owns 6,015 shares of the banks stock worth $324,000 after purchasing an additional 192 shares in the last quarter. LVW Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Bank of New York Mellon by 1.4% during the 2nd quarter. LVW Advisors LLC now owns 14,058 shares of the banks stock valued at $842,000 after acquiring an additional 196 shares during the period. Finally, Certuity LLC lifted its stake in Bank of New York Mellon by 2.3% during the 4th quarter. Certuity LLC now owns 8,972 shares of the banks stock valued at $467,000 after acquiring an additional 205 shares during the period. 85.31% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Bank of New York Mellon alerts: Bank of New York Mellon Price Performance Shares of BK stock traded up $0.63 on Friday, reaching $65.61. The companys stock had a trading volume of 7,017,893 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,866,519. The company has a market capitalization of $49.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 1.09. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $61.82 and its 200-day simple moving average is $58.44. The Bank of New York Mellon Co. has a 1 year low of $39.66 and a 1 year high of $65.90. The company has a current ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85. Bank of New York Mellon Increases Dividend Bank of New York Mellon ( NYSE:BK Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 12th. The bank reported $1.51 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.43 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $4.60 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.53 billion. Bank of New York Mellon had a return on equity of 11.87% and a net margin of 9.40%. Bank of New York Mellons revenue was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.38 earnings per share. Analysts forecast that The Bank of New York Mellon Co. will post 5.6 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 2nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 22nd were paid a dividend of $0.47 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, July 22nd. This is an increase from Bank of New York Mellons previous quarterly dividend of $0.42. This represents a $1.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.87%. Bank of New York Mellons dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 43.52%. Insider Activity In other Bank of New York Mellon news, VP Hanneke Smits sold 15,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.11, for a total value of $961,650.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 173,930 shares of the companys stock, valued at $11,150,652.30. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Insiders own 0.14% of the companys stock. Analyst Ratings Changes Several equities analysts have issued reports on BK shares. Citigroup cut shares of Bank of New York Mellon from a buy rating to a neutral rating and set a $65.00 target price on the stock. in a research note on Monday, July 15th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their target price on shares of Bank of New York Mellon from $63.00 to $66.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Thursday. Evercore ISI increased their price objective on shares of Bank of New York Mellon from $61.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock an in-line rating in a research note on Monday, July 15th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Bank of New York Mellon from $65.00 to $72.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 30th. Finally, Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Bank of New York Mellon from $68.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Monday, July 15th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $66.14. Get Our Latest Report on BK Bank of New York Mellon Profile (Free Report) The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation provides a range of financial products and services in the United States and internationally. The company operates through Securities Services, Market and Wealth Services, Investment and Wealth Management, and other segments. The Securities Services segment offers custody, trust and depositary, accounting, exchange-traded funds, middle-office solutions, transfer agency, services for private equity and real estate funds, foreign exchange, securities lending, liquidity/lending services, and data analytics. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Bank of New York Mellon Co. (NYSE:BK Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Bank of New York Mellon Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bank of New York Mellon and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Smith Douglas Homes Corp. (NYSE:SDHC Free Report) Investment analysts at Wedbush dropped their FY2024 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Smith Douglas Homes in a report released on Wednesday, August 14th. Wedbush analyst J. Mccanless now anticipates that the company will post earnings per share of $1.70 for the year, down from their previous estimate of $1.77. Wedbush has a Neutral rating and a $20.00 price objective on the stock. The consensus estimate for Smith Douglas Homes current full-year earnings is $1.69 per share. Wedbush also issued estimates for Smith Douglas Homes Q4 2024 earnings at $0.52 EPS, Q2 2025 earnings at $0.41 EPS, Q3 2025 earnings at $0.44 EPS, Q4 2025 earnings at $0.61 EPS, FY2025 earnings at $1.81 EPS, Q1 2026 earnings at $0.37 EPS, Q2 2026 earnings at $0.44 EPS and FY2026 earnings at $1.90 EPS. Get Smith Douglas Homes alerts: A number of other research firms have also recently issued reports on SDHC. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Smith Douglas Homes from $25.00 to $35.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Thursday. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a sector perform rating and issued a $26.00 target price on shares of Smith Douglas Homes in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Bank of America upped their price target on shares of Smith Douglas Homes from $30.00 to $36.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $29.70. Smith Douglas Homes Trading Down 0.5 % SDHC opened at $34.30 on Thursday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $26.92 and a 200 day moving average price of $27.80. Smith Douglas Homes has a 1 year low of $20.55 and a 1 year high of $37.74. Smith Douglas Homes (NYSE:SDHC Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 14th. The company reported $0.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.37 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $220.90 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $208.02 million. Smith Douglas Homess revenue was up 21.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Smith Douglas Homes Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. SYSTM Wealth Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Smith Douglas Homes in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $76,000. RiverPark Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Smith Douglas Homes in the second quarter worth approximately $120,000. Sandia Investment Management LP acquired a new stake in Smith Douglas Homes during the first quarter worth $178,000. Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADV acquired a new stake in Smith Douglas Homes during the first quarter worth $331,000. Finally, Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky purchased a new stake in Smith Douglas Homes in the first quarter valued at $565,000. 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. See Also 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. Hamilton Insurance Group (NYSE:HG Free Report) had its target price upped by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $21.00 to $22.00 in a report released on Wednesday morning, Benzinga reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods currently has an outperform rating on the stock. Other equities analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Hamilton Insurance Group from $18.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, August 9th. JMP Securities lifted their price target on shares of Hamilton Insurance Group from $23.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock a market outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, Hamilton Insurance Group currently has an average rating of Buy and a consensus price target of $20.67. Get Hamilton Insurance Group alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Report on Hamilton Insurance Group Hamilton Insurance Group Trading Up 3.8 % Hamilton Insurance Group stock opened at $19.86 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $16.62 and a 200 day moving average of $15.32. Hamilton Insurance Group has a 12-month low of $12.44 and a 12-month high of $20.01. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.20 billion and a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.04. The company has a current ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. Hamilton Insurance Group (NYSE:HG Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The company reported $1.20 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.91 by $0.29. The company had revenue of $587.94 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $502.37 million. Hamilton Insurance Group had a return on equity of 18.53% and a net margin of 19.11%. As a group, research analysts predict that Hamilton Insurance Group will post 3.92 earnings per share for the current year. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hamilton Insurance Group A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Hamilton Insurance Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. purchased a new position in Hamilton Insurance Group in the 2nd quarter worth $34,000. American International Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Hamilton Insurance Group during the 1st quarter worth about $115,000. Rhumbline Advisers increased its holdings in shares of Hamilton Insurance Group by 52.0% in the second quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 25,068 shares of the companys stock valued at $417,000 after purchasing an additional 8,572 shares during the period. Finally, Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank purchased a new position in Hamilton Insurance Group during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $156,000. 29.17% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About Hamilton Insurance Group (Get Free Report) Hamilton Insurance Group, Ltd., through its subsidiaries, provides underwriting specialty insurance and reinsurance risks in Bermuda and internationally. The company operates Hamilton Global Specialty, Hamilton Select, and Hamilton Re underwriting platforms. The company offers casualty reinsurance products, such as commercial motor, general liability, healthcare, multiline, personal motor, professional liability, umbrella and excess casualty, and worker's compensation and employer's liability reinsurance; property reinsurance and insurance; and specialty reinsurance solutions, including accident and health, aviation and space, crisis management, mortgage, financial lines, marine and energy, and multiline specialty. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Hamilton Insurance Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hamilton Insurance Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG Free Report) had its price target boosted by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $142.00 to $144.00 in a research note released on Tuesday, Benzinga reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods currently has a market perform rating on the insurance providers stock. THG has been the topic of several other research reports. JMP Securities boosted their target price on The Hanover Insurance Group from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a market outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, August 1st. Bank of America reduced their target price 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. Piper Sandler lifted 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 research note on Friday, August 2nd. Finally, Oppenheimer increased their price objective on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $150.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, May 3rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $152.50. Get The Hanover Insurance Group alerts: Read Our Latest Analysis on The Hanover Insurance Group The Hanover Insurance Group Stock Performance Shares of THG stock opened at $134.67 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $4.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.20 and a beta of 0.68. The Hanover Insurance Group has a 52 week low of $103.82 and a 52 week high of $139.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a current ratio of 0.39. The companys 50 day moving average price is $128.67 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $130.75. The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 31st. The insurance provider reported $1.88 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.88. The Hanover Insurance Group had a net margin of 4.44% and a return on equity of 12.42%. The business had revenue of $1.54 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.49 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted ($1.91) EPS. The firms revenue was up 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that The Hanover Insurance Group will post 10.53 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The Hanover Insurance Group Announces Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 14th were paid a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, June 13th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.52%. The Hanover Insurance Groups dividend payout ratio is presently 76.23%. Insider Activity at The Hanover Insurance Group In other The Hanover Insurance Group news, Director Jane D. Carlin sold 1,119 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $132.25, for a total value of $147,987.75. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 2.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Institutional Trading of The Hanover Insurance Group A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of THG. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new position in The Hanover Insurance Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $25,000. Riverview Trust Co bought a new position in The Hanover Insurance Group during the first quarter worth about $31,000. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in The Hanover Insurance Group in the 4th quarter worth about $34,000. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in The Hanover Insurance Group in the 2nd quarter valued at about $42,000. Finally, GHP Investment Advisors Inc. grew its position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 64.9% during the 2nd quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 427 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $54,000 after purchasing an additional 168 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.61% of the companys stock. The Hanover Insurance Group Company Profile (Get 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. Recommended Stories 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. Miracle Mile Advisors LLC lessened its holdings in The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS Free Report) by 4.8% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 5,478 shares of the investment management companys stock after selling 276 shares during the period. Miracle Mile Advisors LLCs holdings in The Goldman Sachs Group were worth $2,478,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Triad Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group during the 2nd quarter valued at $31,000. Fiduciary Financial Group LLC bought a new position in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group in the second quarter worth about $504,000. W.H. Cornerstone Investments Inc. purchased a new position in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group during the 2nd quarter valued at about $211,000. Atwater Malick LLC grew its stake in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group by 0.5% during the 2nd quarter. Atwater Malick LLC now owns 25,329 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $11,457,000 after acquiring an additional 119 shares during the period. Finally, Clear Harbor Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in The Goldman Sachs Group by 3.0% in the 2nd quarter. Clear Harbor Asset Management LLC now owns 1,474 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $667,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.21% of the companys stock. Get The Goldman Sachs Group alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $460.00 to $485.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 16th. Seaport Res Ptn lowered The Goldman Sachs Group from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 2nd. Barclays lifted their target price on The Goldman Sachs Group from $493.00 to $565.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 16th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on The Goldman Sachs Group from $360.00 to $373.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. Finally, Evercore ISI lifted their price objective on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $475.00 to $520.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 16th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, The Goldman Sachs Group has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $495.94. The Goldman Sachs Group Trading Up 1.1 % Shares of NYSE:GS traded up $5.24 during trading on Friday, hitting $504.26. The company had a trading volume of 1,587,216 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,331,405. The stock has a market cap of $162.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.99 and a beta of 1.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.97, a current ratio of 1.12 and a quick ratio of 0.74. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $475.05 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $435.74. The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. has a one year low of $289.36 and a one year high of $517.26. The Goldman Sachs Group (NYSE:GS Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, July 15th. The investment management company reported $8.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $8.52 by $0.10. The Goldman Sachs Group had a return on equity of 10.26% and a net margin of 9.36%. The company had revenue of $12.73 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.60 billion. As a group, equities analysts forecast that The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. will post 36.74 earnings per share for the current year. The Goldman Sachs Group Increases Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 27th. Investors of record on Friday, August 30th will be given a $3.00 dividend. This is a positive change from The Goldman Sachs Groups previous quarterly dividend of $2.75. This represents a $12.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.38%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 30th. The Goldman Sachs Groups dividend payout ratio is 46.86%. Insiders Place Their Bets In related news, insider Brian J. Lee sold 3,500 shares of The Goldman Sachs Group stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $505.99, for a total transaction of $1,770,965.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 12,095 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,119,949.05. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In other The Goldman Sachs Group news, major shareholder Goldman Sachs Group Inc sold 4,000,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $6.34, for a total transaction of $25,360,000.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 12,981,022 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $82,299,679.48. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Brian J. Lee sold 3,500 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $505.99, for a total transaction of $1,770,965.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 12,095 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $6,119,949.05. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 4,013,500 shares of company stock valued at $32,181,365 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.54% of the companys stock. About The Goldman Sachs Group (Free Report) The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc, a financial institution, provides a range of financial services for corporations, financial institutions, governments, and individuals worldwide. It operates through Global Banking & Markets, Asset & Wealth Management, and Platform Solutions segments. The Global Banking & Markets segment provides financial advisory services, including strategic advisory assignments related to mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, corporate defense activities, restructurings, and spin-offs; and relationship lending, and acquisition financing, as well as secured lending, through structured credit and asset-backed lending and involved in financing under securities to resale agreements. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for The Goldman Sachs Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for The Goldman Sachs Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com lowered shares of Nordic American Tankers (NYSE:NAT Free Report) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday morning. Separately, Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price target on Nordic American Tankers from $5.50 to $5.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $5.17. Get Nordic American Tankers alerts: Read Our Latest Analysis on Nordic American Tankers Nordic American Tankers Trading Up 1.8 % NYSE NAT opened at $3.71 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. The firm has a market capitalization of $773.59 million, a P/E ratio of 11.58 and a beta of -0.16. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $3.80 and a 200 day simple moving average of $3.97. Nordic American Tankers has a 12 month low of $3.31 and a 12 month high of $4.83. Nordic American Tankers (NYSE:NAT Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 29th. The shipping company reported $0.07 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.11 by ($0.04). Nordic American Tankers had a net margin of 28.37% and a return on equity of 12.43%. The firm had revenue of $60.57 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $66.19 million. On average, analysts predict that Nordic American Tankers will post 0.41 EPS for the current fiscal year. Nordic American Tankers Announces Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 18th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 28th were given a dividend of $0.12 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 28th. This represents a $0.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 12.96%. Nordic American Tankerss dividend payout ratio is presently 150.00%. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Nordic American Tankers Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Magnolia Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in Nordic American Tankers in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $176,000. Millennium Management LLC raised its holdings in Nordic American Tankers by 122.8% during the 2nd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 1,291,682 shares of the shipping companys stock valued at $5,141,000 after acquiring an additional 711,973 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Nordic American Tankers by 180.9% during the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 420,727 shares of the shipping companys stock worth $1,674,000 after acquiring an additional 270,946 shares in the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. boosted its holdings in shares of Nordic American Tankers by 9.1% in the second quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 91,791 shares of the shipping companys stock worth $365,000 after acquiring an additional 7,663 shares during the period. Finally, XTX Topco Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Nordic American Tankers in the second quarter valued at $260,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 44.29% of the companys stock. About Nordic American Tankers (Get Free Report) Nordic American Tankers Limited, a tanker company, acquires and charters double-hull tankers in Bermuda and internationally. It operates a fleet of 20 Suezmax crude oil tankers. The company was incorporated in 1995 and is headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Nordic American Tankers Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Nordic American Tankers and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Old Port Advisors bought a new position in shares of Boston Scientific Co. (NYSE:BSX Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor bought 2,682 shares of the medical equipment providers stock, valued at approximately $207,000. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in BSX. Mackenzie Financial Corp boosted its position in shares of Boston Scientific by 65.1% during the 4th quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 708,833 shares of the medical equipment providers stock valued at $40,978,000 after acquiring an additional 279,513 shares during the last quarter. Keel Point LLC boosted its position in shares of Boston Scientific by 9.4% during the 4th quarter. Keel Point LLC now owns 4,692 shares of the medical equipment providers stock valued at $271,000 after acquiring an additional 405 shares during the last quarter. Flputnam Investment Management Co. boosted its position in shares of Boston Scientific by 40.9% during the 4th quarter. Flputnam Investment Management Co. now owns 9,663 shares of the medical equipment providers stock valued at $559,000 after acquiring an additional 2,806 shares during the last quarter. SVB Wealth LLC boosted its position in shares of Boston Scientific by 12.0% during the 4th quarter. SVB Wealth LLC now owns 14,051 shares of the medical equipment providers stock valued at $812,000 after acquiring an additional 1,503 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Boston Scientific by 5.2% during the 4th quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 158,722 shares of the medical equipment providers stock valued at $9,176,000 after acquiring an additional 7,796 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.07% of the companys stock. Get Boston Scientific alerts: Boston Scientific Stock Up 0.9 % Shares of BSX stock traded up $0.67 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $78.25. 4,414,404 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,225,274. The businesss fifty day moving average is $76.41 and its two-hundred day moving average is $71.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a current ratio of 1.66 and a quick ratio of 1.14. Boston Scientific Co. has a 12-month low of $48.35 and a 12-month high of $79.43. The firm has a market capitalization of $114.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 65.76, a P/E/G ratio of 2.49 and a beta of 0.78. Insider Activity at Boston Scientific Boston Scientific ( NYSE:BSX Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The medical equipment provider reported $0.62 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.58 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $4.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.02 billion. Boston Scientific had a net margin of 12.00% and a return on equity of 16.80%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 14.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.53 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts expect that Boston Scientific Co. will post 2.4 EPS for the current fiscal year. In other news, EVP Arthur C. Butcher sold 14,011 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $75.34, for a total value of $1,055,588.74. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 20,197 shares in the company, valued at $1,521,641.98. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. In related news, EVP Wendy Carruthers sold 6,983 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $74.12, for a total transaction of $517,579.96. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 40,188 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,978,734.56. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Arthur C. Butcher sold 14,011 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $75.34, for a total value of $1,055,588.74. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 20,197 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,521,641.98. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 34,960 shares of company stock valued at $2,638,984 over the last three months. 0.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada reissued an outperform rating and set a $85.00 price target on shares of Boston Scientific in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Needham & Company LLC boosted their price objective on shares of Boston Scientific from $82.00 to $86.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday, July 25th. Evercore ISI boosted their price objective on shares of Boston Scientific from $78.00 to $81.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Tuesday, July 2nd. Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on shares of Boston Scientific from $90.00 to $91.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, July 25th. Finally, Mizuho boosted their price objective on shares of Boston Scientific from $85.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, May 15th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nineteen have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $84.76. Read Our Latest Analysis on BSX About Boston Scientific (Free Report) Boston Scientific Corporation develops, manufactures, and markets medical devices for use in various interventional medical specialties worldwide. It operates through two segments, MedSurg and Cardiovascular. The company offers devices to diagnose and treat gastrointestinal and pulmonary conditions, such as resolution clips, biliary stent systems, stents and electrocautery enhanced delivery systems, direct visualization systems, digital catheters, and single-use duodenoscopes; devices to treat urological conditions, including ureteral stents, catheters, baskets, guidewires, sheaths, balloons, single-use digital flexible ureteroscopes, holmium laser systems, artificial urinary sphincter, laser system, fiber, and hydrogel systems; and devices to treat neurological movement disorders and manage chronic pain, such as spinal cord stimulator system, proprietary programming software, radiofrequency generator, indirect decompression systems, practice optimization tools, and deep brain stimulation system. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BSX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Boston Scientific Co. (NYSE:BSX Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Boston Scientific Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Boston Scientific and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Outlook Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Southern Copper Co. (NYSE:SCCO Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 2,960 shares of the basic materials companys stock, valued at approximately $319,000. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of SCCO. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its stake in Southern Copper by 18.1% in the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 7,771,332 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $827,804,000 after buying an additional 1,192,111 shares in the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in Southern Copper by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 3,349,984 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $288,333,000 after buying an additional 39,422 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors acquired a new stake in Southern Copper in the 1st quarter valued at $340,373,000. abrdn plc boosted its stake in Southern Copper by 2.3% in the 4th quarter. abrdn plc now owns 3,041,233 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $261,759,000 after buying an additional 67,930 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. boosted its stake in Southern Copper by 54.6% in the 1st quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 1,541,396 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $164,190,000 after buying an additional 544,312 shares in the last quarter. 7.94% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Southern Copper alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of research firms have commented on SCCO. CICC Research began coverage on Southern Copper in a research note on Wednesday, April 24th. They issued an outperform rating on the stock. UBS Group began coverage on Southern Copper in a research note on Friday, July 12th. They issued a neutral rating and a $120.00 price objective on the stock. HSBC lowered Southern Copper from a hold rating to a reduce rating and set a $80.00 price objective on the stock. in a research note on Monday, April 22nd. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on Southern Copper from $81.70 to $100.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research note on Friday, June 21st. Finally, StockNews.com raised Southern Copper from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 15th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $89.57. Southern Copper Trading Down 1.8 % NYSE SCCO traded down $1.91 on Friday, reaching $103.88. The company had a trading volume of 938,375 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,186,974. The stocks 50 day moving average is $107.07 and its 200-day moving average is $104.33. The stock has a market cap of $81.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.51, a PEG ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a quick ratio of 2.27, a current ratio of 2.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67. Southern Copper Co. has a 52 week low of $68.93 and a 52 week high of $129.79. Southern Copper (NYSE:SCCO Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 19th. The basic materials company reported $1.22 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.13 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $3.12 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.96 billion. Southern Copper had a return on equity of 34.98% and a net margin of 26.15%. Equities analysts predict that Southern Copper Co. will post 4.33 earnings per share for the current year. Southern Copper Dividend Announcement The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 26th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 9th will be issued a $0.60 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 9th. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.31%. Southern Coppers dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 79.73%. Southern Copper Company Profile (Free Report) Southern Copper Corporation engages in mining, exploring, smelting, and refining copper and other minerals in Peru, Mexico, Argentina, Ecuador, and Chile. The company is involved in the mining, milling, and flotation of copper ore to produce copper and molybdenum concentrates; smelting of copper concentrates to produce blister and anode copper; refining of anode copper to produce copper cathodes; production of molybdenum concentrate and sulfuric acid; production of refined silver, gold, and other materials; and mining and processing of zinc, copper, molybdenum, silver, gold, and lead. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SCCO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Southern Copper Co. (NYSE:SCCO Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Southern Copper Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Southern Copper and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. PACS Group (NYSE:PACS Free Report) had its price objective lifted by Oppenheimer from $32.00 to $40.00 in a research report released on Tuesday morning, Benzinga reports. They currently have an outperform rating on the stock. PACS has been the subject of a number of other reports. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on PACS Group from $30.00 to $32.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, May 15th. Truist Financial upped their target price on shares of PACS Group from $32.00 to $36.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Monday, July 15th. Stephens reiterated an overweight rating and set a $31.00 price target on shares of PACS Group in a research note on Tuesday, May 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of PACS Group in a research note on Monday, May 6th. They issued an overweight rating and a $27.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Citigroup began coverage on PACS Group in a research report on Monday, May 6th. They set a buy rating and a $32.00 target price on the stock. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus price target of $37.00. Get PACS Group alerts: Read Our Latest Report on PACS Group PACS Group Trading Down 3.0 % Shares of PACS Group stock opened at $38.74 on Tuesday. PACS Group has a 52-week low of $22.61 and a 52-week high of $40.32. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $32.14. The company has a quick ratio of 1.56, a current ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.75. PACS Group (NYSE:PACS Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Monday, August 12th. The company reported ($0.07) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.35 by ($0.42). The company had revenue of $981.80 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $919.22 million. PACS Groups quarterly revenue was up 29.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that PACS Group will post 1.4 EPS for the current fiscal year. Institutional Investors Weigh In On PACS Group Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Caas Capital Management LP acquired a new position in PACS Group in the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,386,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new position in shares of PACS Group in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $2,445,000. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC acquired a new position in shares of PACS Group in the second quarter valued at approximately $7,513,000. Rhumbline Advisers purchased a new stake in shares of PACS Group during the second quarter worth approximately $870,000. Finally, Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of PACS Group during the second quarter worth $552,000. PACS Group Company Profile (Get Free Report) PACS Group, Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates skilled nursing facilities and assisted living facilities in the United States. The company also provides senior care and independent facilities. It engages in the acquisition, ownership, and leasing of health care-related properties. The company was founded in 2013 and is based in Farmington, Utah. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for PACS Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for PACS Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Portside Wealth Group LLC lowered its stake in The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG Free Report) by 2.3% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 19,047 shares of the companys stock after selling 449 shares during the quarter. Portside Wealth Group LLCs holdings in Procter & Gamble were worth $3,141,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Advantage Trust Co purchased a new stake in shares of Procter & Gamble during the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Naples Money Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Procter & Gamble during the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Transcendent Capital Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Procter & Gamble during the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Ruedi Wealth Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Procter & Gamble by 64.7% during the 1st quarter. Ruedi Wealth Management Inc. now owns 196 shares of the companys stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 77 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Criterion Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in Procter & Gamble during the 4th quarter valued at about $33,000. 65.77% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other 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 that occurred on 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 sale, the chief executive officer now owns 263,158 shares of the companys stock, valued at $45,002,649.58. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, CEO Jon R. Moeller sold 72,174 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the chief executive officer now owns 263,158 shares of the companys stock, valued at $45,002,649.58. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO R. Alexandra Keith sold 3,373 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $170.00, for a total transaction of $573,410.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 21,513 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,657,210. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 116,313 shares of company stock valued at $19,703,643 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.17% of the companys stock. Procter & Gamble Stock Down 0.0 % Shares of NYSE PG traded down $0.03 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $167.89. 5,640,925 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,674,588. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $166.99 and its 200-day simple moving average is $163.22. The Procter & Gamble Company has a one year low of $141.45 and a one year high of $171.72. The company has a market cap of $396.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.43, a P/E/G ratio of 3.70 and a beta of 0.41. Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 30th. The company reported $1.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.37 by $0.03. Procter & Gamble had a net margin of 17.71% and a return on equity of 33.46%. The firm had revenue of $20.53 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $20.69 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.37 earnings per share. The companys quarterly revenue was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that The Procter & Gamble Company will post 6.97 EPS for the current fiscal year. Procter & Gamble Dividend Announcement The company also recently announced 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 was Friday, July 19th. This represents a $4.03 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.40%. Procter & Gambles payout ratio is 65.69%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth PG has been the topic of several analyst reports. Evercore ISI upped their price target on shares of Procter & Gamble from $177.00 to $183.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, July 18th. Jefferies Financial Group downgraded shares of Procter & Gamble from a buy rating to a hold rating and cut their price target for the company from $182.00 to $175.00 in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. BNP Paribas initiated coverage on shares of Procter & Gamble in a report on Monday, June 24th. They set an outperform rating and a $187.00 price target on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Procter & Gamble from $181.00 to $179.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada upped their target price on shares of Procter & Gamble from $157.00 to $164.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $173.95. Check Out Our Latest Research Report on PG Procter & Gamble 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 Stories 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. Bank of Hawaii Co. (NYSE:BOH Free Report) Analysts at Zacks Research issued their FY2024 EPS estimates for Bank of Hawaii in a note issued to investors on Monday, August 12th. Zacks Research analyst R. Department anticipates that the bank will earn $3.35 per share for the year. The consensus estimate for Bank of Hawaiis current full-year earnings is $3.42 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Bank of Hawaiis Q2 2025 earnings at $0.84 EPS. Get Bank of Hawaii alerts: Bank of Hawaii (NYSE:BOH Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, July 22nd. The bank reported $0.81 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.85 by ($0.04). The business had revenue of $255.62 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $157.12 million. Bank of Hawaii had a return on equity of 12.25% and a net margin of 14.54%. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.12 EPS. Several other research analysts have also commented on BOH. DA Davidson upped their price objective on shares of Bank of Hawaii from $63.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Monday, July 29th. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of Bank of Hawaii from $51.00 to $50.00 and set an underweight rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 23rd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price objective on Bank of Hawaii from $58.00 to $60.00 and gave the company an underperform rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on Bank of Hawaii from $53.00 to $54.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 3rd. Finally, Piper Sandler lowered Bank of Hawaii from a neutral rating to an underweight rating and dropped their price target for the company from $70.00 to $61.00 in a research report on Monday, August 12th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and two have issued a hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Bank of Hawaii presently has an average rating of Reduce and an average target price of $59.00. Check Out Our Latest Report on BOH Bank of Hawaii Price Performance Shares of Bank of Hawaii stock opened at $65.32 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $2.60 billion, a PE ratio of 16.84 and a beta of 1.06. The business has a 50 day moving average of $61.64 and a 200 day moving average of $60.43. Bank of Hawaii has a 52 week low of $45.56 and a 52 week high of $75.19. The company has a quick ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 0.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44. Bank of Hawaii Announces Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 30th will be given a $0.70 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 30th. This represents a $2.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.29%. Bank of Hawaiis dividend payout ratio is currently 72.16%. Insider Buying and Selling In other news, insider Taryn L. Salmon sold 2,364 shares of the firms stock in a transaction 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 completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 10,785 shares in the company, valued at $731,223. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 2.11% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Bank of Hawaii A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in BOH. Algert Global LLC bought a new position in Bank of Hawaii in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $229,000. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company increased its holdings in shares of Bank of Hawaii by 5.1% in the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 21,878 shares of the banks stock worth $1,252,000 after purchasing an additional 1,061 shares in the last quarter. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Bank of Hawaii in the second quarter worth $106,000. Squarepoint Ops LLC bought a new position in shares of Bank of Hawaii during the second quarter valued at $2,230,000. Finally, Point72 DIFC Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Bank of Hawaii during the second quarter valued at $119,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.18% of the companys stock. Bank of Hawaii Company Profile (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. Featured Articles 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. Rovin Capital UT ADV lifted its position in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY Free Report) by 141.7% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 12,870 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after purchasing an additional 7,546 shares during the quarter. Rovin Capital UT ADVs holdings in Bristol-Myers Squibb were worth $534,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Capital International Investors boosted its position in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 14.1% during the 1st quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 70,203,814 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $3,807,153,000 after acquiring an additional 8,675,322 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,560,524,000. Primecap Management Co. CA raised its holdings in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 14.6% in the 4th quarter. Primecap Management Co. CA now owns 23,534,378 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $1,207,549,000 after buying an additional 2,998,228 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its position in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 7.9% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 16,959,807 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $870,198,000 after buying an additional 1,246,066 shares during the period. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its position in Bristol-Myers Squibb by 77.1% in the first quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 12,547,823 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $680,469,000 after acquiring an additional 5,461,767 shares during the period. 76.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Bristol-Myers Squibb alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of research analysts have issued reports on the company. StockNews.com raised Bristol-Myers Squibb from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a report on Monday, July 29th. Barclays lowered shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating and set a $41.00 price target on the stock. in a research report on Monday, July 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their target price on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb from $53.00 to $45.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 23rd. TD Cowen increased their price target on Bristol-Myers Squibb from $45.00 to $53.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Monday, August 12th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated a neutral rating and issued a $45.00 price objective on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research report on Monday, July 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have issued a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $54.86. Bristol-Myers Squibb Stock Up 0.5 % Shares of NYSE:BMY traded up $0.25 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $49.36. 14,161,770 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 15,904,074. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $43.74 and its 200-day simple moving average is $46.60. Bristol-Myers Squibb has a one year low of $39.35 and a one year high of $63.41. The company has a market cap of $100.06 billion, a P/E ratio of -15.92, a P/E/G ratio of 12.51 and a beta of 0.44. The company has a quick ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.86. Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Friday, July 26th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $2.07 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.64 by $0.43. Bristol-Myers Squibb had a negative net margin of 14.06% and a positive return on equity of 12.51%. The business had revenue of $12.20 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.54 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.75 earnings per share. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 8.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Bristol-Myers Squibb will post 0.77 EPS for the current year. Bristol-Myers Squibb Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 5th were issued a $0.60 dividend. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.86%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 5th. Bristol-Myers Squibbs payout ratio is presently -77.42%. 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. Recommended Stories 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. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Sasol (NYSE:SSL Free Report) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note published on Tuesday. Sasol Price Performance NYSE:SSL opened at $7.61 on Tuesday. Sasol has a fifty-two week low of $6.22 and a fifty-two week high of $14.13. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $7.42 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $7.56. Get Sasol alerts: Hedge Funds Weigh In On Sasol Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Creative Planning raised its position in shares of Sasol by 61.4% in the 2nd quarter. Creative Planning now owns 118,941 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $905,000 after acquiring an additional 45,243 shares in the last quarter. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC increased its holdings in Sasol by 81,913.0% in the second quarter. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC now owns 63,150 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $481,000 after purchasing an additional 63,073 shares in the last quarter. XTX Topco Ltd acquired a new position in Sasol in the second quarter valued at approximately $110,000. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Sasol by 33.2% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 23,662 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $180,000 after buying an additional 5,898 shares in the last quarter. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. increased its stake in shares of Sasol by 7.1% in the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 542,205 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $4,126,000 after acquiring an additional 35,818 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 1.21% of the companys stock. Sasol Company Profile Sasol Limited operates as an integrated chemical and energy company in South Africa. It offers alumina, such as battery materials, catalyst supports, abrasives and polishing, and polymer additives; cobalt fischer-tropsch; carbon-based products; recarburiser; graphite electrodes; mono-ethylene glycol, ethylene, propylene, sasfroth blends, sodium cyanide, caustic soda, hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, calcium chloride, chlorine, alcohols, aromatic blends, methyl alcohol, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, cresols, xylenols, phenols, limestone ammonium nitrate, ammonium nitrate solution, and nitric acid. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Sasol Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sasol and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Webster Financial Co. (NYSE:WBS Get Free Report) saw a significant growth in short interest during the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 3,650,000 shares, a growth of 26.7% from the July 15th total of 2,880,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,360,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.7 days. Analyst Ratings Changes WBS has been the subject of several research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Webster Financial from $63.00 to $58.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, June 27th. Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of Webster Financial from $60.00 to $55.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 24th. Barclays cut their target price on shares of Webster Financial from $65.00 to $60.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Monday, June 24th. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price target on shares of Webster Financial from $54.00 to $51.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their price target on shares of Webster Financial from $58.00 to $55.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 9th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $55.36. Get Webster Financial alerts: Read Our Latest Research Report on WBS Insider Buying and Selling at Webster Financial Hedge Funds Weigh In On Webster Financial In other Webster Financial news, insider Charles L. Wilkins sold 5,000 shares of Webster Financial stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.07, for a total value of $245,350.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 45,157 shares in the company, valued at $2,215,853.99. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website . In other news, insider Charles L. Wilkins sold 5,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.07, for a total transaction of $245,350.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 45,157 shares in the company, valued at $2,215,853.99. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink . Also, CEO John R. Ciulla sold 8,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.04, for a total value of $384,320.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 237,049 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,387,833.96. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders have sold 14,650 shares of company stock worth $706,098 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.88% of the companys stock. Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Webster Financial by 0.3% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 17,926,270 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $910,117,000 after purchasing an additional 54,841 shares during the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its position in shares of Webster Financial by 1.6% during the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 6,237,482 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $316,678,000 after purchasing an additional 95,780 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its position in shares of Webster Financial by 28.0% during the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 5,522,044 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $240,687,000 after purchasing an additional 1,206,575 shares during the last quarter. Earnest Partners LLC lifted its position in Webster Financial by 0.4% in the second quarter. Earnest Partners LLC now owns 3,086,111 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $134,524,000 after acquiring an additional 13,487 shares during the last quarter. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. lifted its position in Webster Financial by 12.9% in the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 2,640,425 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $115,096,000 after acquiring an additional 301,935 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.58% of the companys stock. Webster Financial Trading Up 0.5 % Shares of NYSE WBS traded up $0.21 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $45.58. 754,929 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,263,156. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $44.38 and a 200 day simple moving average of $45.92. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.34, a PEG ratio of 0.66 and a beta of 1.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 0.85. Webster Financial has a twelve month low of $36.36 and a twelve month high of $53.39. Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 23rd. The financial services provider reported $1.26 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.34 by ($0.08). Webster Financial had a net margin of 19.81% and a return on equity of 11.81%. The company had revenue of $1.02 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $671.91 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.50 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Webster Financial will post 5.27 earnings per share for the current year. Webster Financial Announces Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 8th. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 29th were paid a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, July 29th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.51%. Webster Financials dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 32.79%. Webster Financial Company Profile (Get Free Report) Webster Financial Corporation operates as the bank holding company for Webster Bank, National Association that provides a range of financial products and services to individuals, families, and businesses in the United States. It operates through three segments: Commercial Banking, HSA Bank, and Consumer Banking. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Webster Financial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Webster Financial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Silver Lake Advisory LLC trimmed its stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT Free Report) by 93.6% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 3,540 shares of the healthcare product makers stock after selling 51,626 shares during the quarter. Silver Lake Advisory LLCs holdings in Abbott Laboratories were worth $368,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Fiduciary Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in Abbott Laboratories in the 2nd quarter valued at $266,000. Clear Harbor Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 9.7% in the second quarter. Clear Harbor Asset Management LLC now owns 50,776 shares of the healthcare product makers stock valued at $5,276,000 after acquiring an additional 4,500 shares in the last quarter. Comprehensive Financial Consultants Institutional Inc. increased its position in Abbott Laboratories by 12.8% during the second quarter. Comprehensive Financial Consultants Institutional Inc. now owns 11,868 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $1,233,000 after acquiring an additional 1,351 shares during the period. Whitener Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in Abbott Laboratories by 8.3% in the 2nd quarter. Whitener Capital Management Inc. now owns 26,616 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $2,766,000 after purchasing an additional 2,035 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. boosted its holdings in Abbott Laboratories by 46.3% in the 2nd quarter. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. now owns 3,554 shares of the healthcare product makers stock valued at $369,000 after purchasing an additional 1,124 shares during the period. 75.18% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Abbott Laboratories alerts: Abbott Laboratories Trading Up 0.1 % NYSE ABT opened at $111.00 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $193.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.58, 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. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $105.47 and a 200 day simple moving average of $108.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 1.68 and a quick ratio of 1.11. Abbott Laboratories Dividend Announcement 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, topping the consensus estimate of $1.10 by $0.04. Abbott Laboratories had a net margin of 13.65% and a return on equity of 20.18%. The business had revenue of $10.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.37 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.08 earnings per share. Abbott Laboratoriess revenue was up 4.0% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts expect that Abbott Laboratories will post 4.66 earnings per share for the current year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 15th were paid a $0.55 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, July 15th. This represents a $2.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.98%. Abbott Laboratoriess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 68.54%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In ABT has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Evercore ISI reduced their price target on Abbott Laboratories from $125.00 to $120.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, July 2nd. Barclays boosted their price target on Abbott Laboratories from $140.00 to $143.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Monday, July 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of Abbott Laboratories in a research report on Thursday, May 30th. They issued a buy rating and a $121.00 target price for the company. Edward Jones cut shares of Abbott Laboratories from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 30th. Finally, Raymond James restated a buy rating and set a $124.00 target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories in a research note on Wednesday, April 24th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Abbott Laboratories currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $121.00. View Our Latest 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 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. Stanley Laman Group Ltd. increased its position in shares of Entergy Co. (NYSE:ETR Free Report) by 3.2% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 53,752 shares of the utilities providers stock after buying an additional 1,667 shares during the quarter. Entergy accounts for 0.8% of Stanley Laman Group Ltd.s portfolio, making the stock its 29th biggest holding. Stanley Laman Group Ltd.s holdings in Entergy were worth $5,751,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Quent Capital LLC raised its position in Entergy by 21.7% in the first quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 550 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $58,000 after purchasing an additional 98 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Alliance raised its holdings in shares of Entergy by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Wealth Alliance now owns 8,201 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $830,000 after buying an additional 101 shares in the last quarter. Marino Stram & Associates LLC lifted its position in shares of Entergy by 1.7% during the 1st quarter. Marino Stram & Associates LLC now owns 5,879 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $621,000 after buying an additional 101 shares during the period. Prossimo Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Entergy by 2.5% in the 4th quarter. Prossimo Advisors LLC now owns 4,512 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $457,000 after buying an additional 110 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. grew its position in Entergy by 40.0% in the first quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 385 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 110 shares during the period. 88.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Entergy alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at Entergy In other Entergy news, CEO Andrew S. Marsh sold 3,200 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.46, for a total transaction of $388,672.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 150,731 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,307,787.26. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, CEO Andrew S. Marsh sold 3,200 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.46, for a total transaction of $388,672.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 150,731 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $18,307,787.26. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, COO Peter S. Norgeot, Jr. sold 11,472 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.16, for a total transaction of $1,321,115.52. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 37,888 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,363,182.08. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.39% of the companys stock. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In ETR has been the topic of several analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Entergy from $125.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Friday, August 2nd. KeyCorp boosted their target price on Entergy from $112.00 to $123.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Monday, May 20th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on Entergy from $124.00 to $131.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Monday, August 5th. Mizuho lifted their price target on Entergy from $107.00 to $114.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Friday, May 31st. Finally, Barclays decreased their price target on shares of Entergy from $116.00 to $115.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Entergy presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $119.73. Get Our Latest Stock Report on Entergy Entergy Trading Up 0.4 % NYSE:ETR traded up $0.50 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $117.60. The stock had a trading volume of 1,209,786 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,527,761. The businesss 50 day moving average is $110.58 and its 200-day moving average is $106.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.81, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a current ratio of 0.94. The company has a market cap of $25.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.80, a P/E/G ratio of 2.29 and a beta of 0.71. Entergy Co. has a one year low of $87.10 and a one year high of $123.61. Entergy (NYSE:ETR Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The utilities provider reported $1.92 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.16. Entergy had a return on equity of 10.10% and a net margin of 14.75%. The business had revenue of $2.95 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.98 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.84 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Entergy Co. will post 7.21 EPS for the current fiscal year. Entergy Dividend Announcement The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 3rd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 13th will be issued a dividend of $1.13 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, August 13th. This represents a $4.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.84%. Entergys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 45.34%. About Entergy (Free Report) Entergy Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the production and retail distribution of electricity in the United States. It generates, transmits, distributes, and sells electric power in portions of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, including the City of New Orleans; and distributes natural gas. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ETR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Entergy Co. (NYSE:ETR Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Entergy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Entergy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG Get Free Report) was the recipient of unusually large options trading on Thursday. Stock investors bought 120,181 call options on the company. This is an increase of 80% compared to the typical volume of 66,691 call options. Insiders Place Their Bets In other Chipotle Mexican Grill news, insider Curtis E. Garner sold 17,394 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.68, for a total transaction of $951,103.92. Following the completion of 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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.02% of the companys stock. Get Chipotle Mexican Grill alerts: Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. American Century Companies Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 4,732.3% in the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 20,177,309 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $1,264,109,000 after purchasing an additional 19,759,754 shares during the period. Legal & General Group Plc increased its stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 5,209.5% in the second quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 10,935,669 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $685,128,000 after acquiring an additional 10,729,706 shares during the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 5,930.8% in the second quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 10,310,132 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $645,930,000 after acquiring an additional 10,139,174 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 4,816.1% in the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 8,356,173 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $523,514,000 after acquiring an additional 8,186,198 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP increased its stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 76,617.6% in the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 5,904,952 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $369,945,000 after acquiring an additional 5,897,255 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 91.31% of the companys stock. Chipotle Mexican Grill Price Performance NYSE:CMG opened at $52.46 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $72.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 55.81, a P/E/G ratio of 2.23 and a beta of 1.24. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $122.52 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $80.27. Chipotle Mexican Grill has a 1 year low of $35.37 and a 1 year high of $69.26. Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The restaurant operator reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.32 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $2.97 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.94 billion. Chipotle Mexican Grill had a net margin of 13.23% and a return on equity of 44.01%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 18.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $12.65 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that Chipotle Mexican Grill will post 1.09 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of analysts have commented on CMG shares. Stifel Nicolaus reissued a buy rating and set a $70.00 price objective on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a report on Wednesday. Piper Sandler reduced their target price on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $61.00 to $56.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 25th. Guggenheim upped their target price on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $54.50 to $55.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. Barclays reduced their target price on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $58.00 to $55.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 25th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $65.70 to $66.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, April 25th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eighteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Chipotle Mexican Grill has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $62.36. View Our Latest Stock Report on CMG About Chipotle Mexican Grill (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. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded shares of Tesco (OTCMKTS:TSCDY Free Report) to a strong-buy rating in a research report report published on Tuesday, Zacks.com reports. Tesco Trading Up 0.9 % Shares of OTCMKTS:TSCDY opened at $13.50 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. Tesco has a 52-week low of $9.33 and a 52-week high of $13.50. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $12.35 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $11.62. Get Tesco alerts: Tesco Company Profile (Get Free Report) Featured Stories 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. Ur-Energy (NYSEAMERICAN:URG Free Report) (TSE:URE) had its target price lowered by HC Wainwright from $3.20 to $2.70 in a report issued on Wednesday morning, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a buy rating on the basic materials companys stock. HC Wainwright also issued estimates for Ur-Energys FY2024 earnings at ($0.09) EPS. Several other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on URG. Roth Mkm lowered their price objective on shares of 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 upgraded Ur-Energy to a strong-buy rating in a report on Monday, July 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Ur-Energy has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $2.60. Get Ur-Energy alerts: Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on Ur-Energy Ur-Energy Price Performance Insiders Place Their Bets URG opened at $1.06 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $384.01 million, a P/E ratio of -5.58 and a beta of 1.12. Ur-Energy has a 52-week low of $0.96 and a 52-week high of $2.01. In related news, Director Robby Sai Kit Chang sold 73,474 shares of Ur-Energy stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1.38, for a total transaction of $101,394.12. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 73,572 shares of the companys stock, valued at $101,529.36. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In other Ur-Energy news, Director James M. Franklin sold 56,305 shares of Ur-Energy stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1.59, for a total value of $89,524.95. Following the transaction, the director now owns 616,133 shares in the company, valued at $979,651.47. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Robby Sai Kit Chang sold 73,474 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1.38, for a total transaction of $101,394.12. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 73,572 shares of the companys stock, valued at $101,529.36. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 189,879 shares of company stock worth $279,266 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 3.29% of the companys stock. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of URG. Xponance Inc. acquired a new stake in Ur-Energy in the second quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Ur-Energy in the 2nd quarter worth $51,000. Tidal Investments LLC purchased a new position in Ur-Energy during the 1st quarter worth $65,000. Jump Financial LLC acquired a new position in Ur-Energy during the 4th quarter valued at about $109,000. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company purchased a new stake in Ur-Energy in the second quarter valued at about $150,000. Institutional investors own 57.51% of the companys stock. About Ur-Energy (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. Read More 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. Vodafone Group Public Limited (LON:VOD Get Free Report)s stock price crossed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of GBX 69.97 ($0.89) and traded as high as GBX 75.74 ($0.97). Vodafone Group Public shares last traded at GBX 74.50 ($0.95), with a volume of 57,850,470 shares trading hands. Analysts Set New Price Targets VOD has been the topic of several analyst reports. Citigroup reiterated a neutral rating and issued a GBX 70 ($0.89) target price on shares of Vodafone Group Public in a research note on Friday, July 12th. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Vodafone Group Public from GBX 80 ($1.02) to GBX 85 ($1.09) and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 15th. Get Vodafone Group Public alerts: Read Our Latest Report on VOD Vodafone Group Public Stock Up 0.3 % Insider Buying and Selling at Vodafone Group Public The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 93.42, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a current ratio of 1.31. The companys 50-day moving average price is GBX 71.27 and its 200 day moving average price is GBX 70. The stock has a market capitalization of 20.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 1,868.00, a P/E/G ratio of 0.59 and a beta of 0.49. In other Vodafone Group Public news, insider Van Boxmeer purchased 62,867 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 7th. The shares were bought at an average cost of GBX 72 ($0.92) per share, with a total value of 45,264.24 ($57,793.97). In other news, insider Luka Mucic bought 510,000 shares of Vodafone Group Public stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 3rd. The shares were purchased at an average cost of GBX 76 ($0.97) per share, with a total value of 387,600 ($494,892.75). Also, insider Van Boxmeer bought 62,867 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 7th. The stock was purchased at an average price of GBX 72 ($0.92) per share, for a total transaction of 45,264.24 ($57,793.97). Insiders have acquired a total of 899,996 shares of company stock valued at $66,839,712 over the last ninety days. 8.26% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Vodafone Group Public Company Profile (Get Free Report) Vodafone Group Public Limited Company provides telecommunication services in Europe and internationally. It offers mobile connectivity services comprising end-to-end services for mobile voice and data, messaging, device management, BYOx, and telecoms management, as well as professional and consulting services; and fixed line connectivity, such as fixed voice and data, broadband, software-defined networks, managed WAN, LAN, ethernet, and satellite; and financial services, as well as business and merchant services. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Vodafone Group Public Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Vodafone Group Public and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. 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 Thoughtcrime is a very real thing under the rule of Stasi Kommandant Starmer in Stasi Britain. What used to be the work of fiction in George Orwells 1984 is now a reality, sadly. Citizens are being arrested and jailed for thoughtcrime and any form of protest, especially if you are an indigenous Briton because of two-tiered policing and bias. We do have dedicated police officers who are scouring social media to look for this material, and then follow up with arrests. The director of public prosecutions of England and Wales warns that sharing online material of riots could be an offencehttps://t.co/PYaeP7gPAQ pic.twitter.com/kOGWDPrlyz Sky News (@SkyNews) August 7, 2024 There are active Stasi Police teams who specialise in searching social media now to identify, locate and jail thoughtcrime offenders. Even citizens who simply share certain thoughtcrimes will be prosecuted and jailed. It is thus advised that under no circumstances should anyone post or share on social media or the internet their true feelings, or any personal opinions about anything. One must remember that the situation is very fluid, and what may have been deemed as free thought or speech in the past could now be considered as dangerous by the Stasi Labour Thoughtpolice. Much like Stasi East Germany during the soviet years, they will come to your home and take you away. Its as simple as that, one elderly man said last week, who was detained indefinitely on Tuesday from his retirement home and has not been since. The Daily Squib publication only has the highest praise for Stasi Britain and its Stasi Thoughtcrime Police. Hail the Labour Party and its Supreme Comrade Starmer. 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. Vodafone has announced that it has rolled out in-person digital learning courses in the Vodafone store in Dundalk as part of its popular Hi Digital programme which is aimed at increasing levels of digital literacy among older people. The Vodafone store in the Marshes Shopping Centre in Dundalk, in addition to the Vodafone Store in West Street in Drogheda Town are encouraging older adults to visit their stores for Drop-In Fridays from 10am-1pm each Friday for free learning courses in digital learning, building confidence and skills, especially for those feeling isolated from digital society and vulnerable to being left behind. Launched in 2021, the free online Hi Digital course is divided into short lessons that teach older adults how to access the internet, use smartphones, stay safe online, and identify and avoid scams and fraud. To date, over 65,000 older adults throughout Ireland have participated in the Hi Digital programme which addresses the growing digital exclusion experienced by older adults, empowering them to use the internet in their daily lives and stay connected for the future. In 2023, the Vodafone Hi Digital programme expanded to offer in-person support for older adults in Vodafone stores nationwide with Drop-in Fridays. This service provides free practical support on using phones, tablets, and computers. Due to its popularity, Vodafone has added 13 additional stores to the programme nationwide. Hi Digital Drop-In Fridays occur every Friday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., with trained Hi Digital Ambassadors offering personalised assistance. For those unable to attend on Fridays, the free online course at hidigital.ie provides useful tips and information. The Vodafone Foundation will soon launch a new video on the Hi Digital site, demonstrating how to navigate the Transport for Ireland app, helping older adults incorporate it into their daily lives. Programme Highlights: 65,000 Participants: Since its inception, over 65,000 older adults have engaged with the Hi Digital programme through online courses, in-person training, and drop-in sessions. Diverse User Base: Approximately 60% of Hi Digital platform users are female and 40% are male, with an average age range of 65-75. The programme also regularly supports individuals in their 80s. Store Expansion: Vodafone Ireland have added an additional 13 stores which offer the Hi Digital Drop In Friday service, bringing the total to 49 locations nationwide. Popular Training Modules: The most popular modules include Introduction to Using My Smartphone, Computers and the Internet Basics, Identifying Scams and Frauds, and Introduction to Apps Using WhatsApp. Partnership with Irish Girl Guides: In 2023, Vodafone Foundation launched a partnership with the Irish Girl Guides. To date, 25 Girl Guides units across the country have been trained as Digital Champions and have trained over 2,000 older people. The programme has been transformative for many older adults, enabling them to connect more easily with family and friends, access vital services, and navigate the digital world with confidence. Liz Roche, Head of the Vodafone Foundation in Ireland, said: The Hi Digital programme has been a transformative initiative, bridging the digital divide and empowering older adults to confidently navigate the digital world. "Seeing the positive impact on participants lives, from staying connected to loved ones to safely using online services, highlights how important this programme is to our participants. We are looking forward to continuing to expand our learning modules and making it as accessible as possible to ensure that nobody gets left behind in the digital world. Plans are progressing, with a decision due from the local planning authority next month, on a major new development on a site of 7.888 hectares (19.49 acres) at the Dundalk Science and Technology Park. WuXi Biologics Ireland Limited applied to Louth County Council in April of this year, for planning permission for the construction and operation of a new Effluent Balancing and Resource Recovery Plant (EBRRP) at its plant at Dundalk Science and Technology Park, in the townland of Haynestown, Mullagharlin, Dundalk. The development will include excavation of the site to facilitate the proposed development, and reuse of excavated material as a landscaped spoil heap within the site. It would see the construction of three covered structures containing 12 process tanks, located within concrete bunds with metal stairwells and platforms for access, and connected to an odour treatment facility. It includes the installation of five covered storage tanks located within concrete bunds with metal stairwells and platforms for access, as well as the installation of a sludge dewatering facility. The plans also provide for the construction of a single-storey administration and process building with roof-mounted solar panels and rainwater harvesting tank; and the widening of an existing access on the Mullagharlin Road and associated setback of the existing hedgerow, to facilitate a temporary construction access and a permanent operational access for small vehicles. The planning application also provides for the construction of a fabricated metal access bridge and pipe and cable support structures to link the proposed development with the existing biopharmaceuticals plant; a temporary construction compound, to include double-stacked metal containers/cabins with access stairs, laydown areas, and 50 parking spaces; temporary internal road; and temporary internal construction haul road (including footpath); as well as all site development works, drainage, ancillary equipment, lighting, retaining walls, fencing, and landscaping works. WuXi said when applying for planning permission that the application relates to a development which comprises of an activity which holds an Industrial Emissions Discharge (IED) Licence; and that an Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) was prepared in respect of the proposed development and would be submitted to the planning authority with the application. A decision on the application had initially been expected in June but following a request for further information on the proposed development, this was delayed. Following the submission by WuXi of further information on 2 August, a decision is now due on the application by 26 September. As Budget 2025 approaches and many Early Years and School Age Care settings in Louth reopen next week after the summer break, Early Childhood Ireland is urging the government to increase the number of available places for young children. The latest official figures, taken from the Pobal Annual Early Years Sector Profile survey 22/23, highlight the scale of the issue, with hundreds of Louth children under the age of three on waiting lists to access the care and education they deserve. The data revealed that there are 122 children under the age of one on creche waiting lists in Louth and just one place available for them; 264 children aged 1-2 years on waiting lists and just five places available; and 398 children aged 2-3 years on waiting lists and 46 places available. Early Childhood Ireland says that it believes that every child in Ireland should have the right to access to high-quality Early Years and School Age Care, however, because of a lack of proper planning, this need is currently going unmet for children across the country. Frances Byrne, Director of Policy at Early Childhood Ireland, said, Ireland needs a system of national and local two-year and five-year planning cycles to ensure that there are enough places for children in their communities. We hear stories of parents putting their childs name down for a creche place before theyre even born. 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. Our 2024 Barometer, based on a national opinion poll, shows that an overwhelming majority (76%) of people in Ireland agree that every child should be guaranteed access to high-quality and inclusive Early Years and School Age Care in their community. Its time that the government put a plan in place to make this happen. To further support capacity planning, the organisation is asking the government to fully implement the National Action Plan for Childminding, which seeks to provide greater recognition and support for childminders, improve access to high-quality Early Years and School Age Care and offer families the chance to access financial supports. Childminding is an essential Early Years and School Age Care service for families and children. 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. Ahead of Budget 2025, Early Childhood Ireland is also calling on the government to improve Family Leave entitlements, to prioritise the pay of graduates who work in Early Years and School Age Care settings, and to publish a five-year plan with a new investment target. The organisation says its budget submission offers a radical new approach to elevate Early Years and School Age Care to the same status as primary education in Ireland. Gardai investigating a serious incident at Renmore Barracks in Galway say a "terrorism motivation" cannot be ruled out at this stage. A man, an Army chaplain, sustained a number of stab wounds in the incident which occurred at around 10.45 on Thursday evening. While serious, his injuries are not life-threatening. In addition to local garda members, 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," said a spokesperson in an update issued this Friday lunchtime. "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," they added. A teenage boy was detained by members of the Defence Forces shortly after the incident and he was later arrested by gardai at the scene. "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," confirmed a garda spokesperson. The Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris, has spoken to the Defence Forces Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Sean Clancy. While precise details remain unclear, it's believed the Army chaplain, who is aged in his 50s, was approached by a youth outside the barracks and that he then ran through the barracks gate and was followed by the youth. 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. In a statement, 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, he posted on the social network X, formerly Twitter. 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 Tanaiste, and Minister for Defence, Micheal Martin has also 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," he added. A spokesman for the Defence Forces confirmed that warning shots were fired by on-duty personnel after the chaplain was attacked. "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 statement added that the injured Defence Forces member received immediate first aid from Defence Forces personnel on duty before being transported to University Hospital Galway for further treatment. Commenting on the incident, Lieutenant General Sean Clancy, Chief of Staff of Oglaigh na hEireann, extended his best wishes to the injured 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. Lieutenant General Clancy also commended the actions of the soldiers on duty on Thursday night. 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. The Defence Forces spokesperson added that the assailant was "quickly detained and handed over to An Garda Siochana". State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, Canada Postal Code Its a sobering way to look at it, but the next general election may well be less than 100 days away. If conventional wisdom proves correct, we could be looking at a giveaway budget on October 1, followed, if the coalition parties can figure out how to handwave away all of their assurances this Dail would run its full term, by a quick gallop to the country sometime in early November. With the Electoral Commissions recommendations coming into effect, both Cork city constituencies will become five-seaters, so whether the next general election does happen in the autumn, or in the muckier, gloomier days of March, either way were in for some politically very interesting days ahead. Cork South-Central will gain 12 voting districts, including Bishopstown, and after the election, the constituency will wake up the proud owner of five TDs, three of them likely brand new to the job. Barring a truly seismic political shift between here and the election, its a safe bet that Micheal Martin will be re-elected to the seat he has held since 1989. Local politicians say privately that the general consensus is he had an excellent run as Taoiseach and will almost certainly top the poll, probably on the first count. When The Echo accompanied Mr Martin on a canvass for Fianna Fail European candidate Billy Kelleher in Douglas the weekend before the June election, two things became very apparent. The first was that Mr Martin absolutely loves canvassing, not least because hes very, very good at it. The second thing was that, even with the obvious caveat that the Fianna Fail press office chose very carefully the location of the canvass, Mr Martin is clearly extremely popular. That might seem an obvious thing about a man about to enter his 40th year as an elected representative, but his popularity seems to be way more personal than party. In the wake of Simon Coveneys announcement in early July that he would not be seeking re-election next time out, The Echo rang Mr Martin for a comment, and despite the fact that the two men have not always had the closest or the warmest of relationships was given a very generous tribute. We were political opponents, and we represent two separate parties, two separate political traditions, but in Cork South-Central, there was always a tradition of crossing the aisle, if you like, or uniting to advocate in the best interests of Cork, he said. I can remember the late Toddy OSullivan, Pearse Wyse and others, there was a tradition where youd put party positions to one side to advocate for particular projects for Cork, whether it was investment in Cork Airport, or the Port of Cork, these were issues that we were always in a position to work together on. Given Mr Coveneys announcement and given also that Leo Varadkar who was both predecessor and successor to Mr Martin in the Taoiseachs office had recently stepped aside as Fine Gael leader (and would later announce his own, not unpredicted, intention not to stand again), The Echo asked the Tanaiste if he himself might be considering early retirement. Perhaps there was a fault on the line, but he didnt seem to hear the question. When the question was repeated, Mr Martin replied, that of course he was running again and was very busy getting ready for the election. There was a pause before he added whenever that is. Baby Rory OCallaghan makes a point to Micheal Martin while the Tanaiste canvassed with Billy Kelleher, Mary Rose Desmond , and David Boyle in the Douglas Court Shopping Centre during the local and European elections earlier this year. The former Taoiseach is believed to be a shoo-in to retain his South-Central seat come the next general election, whenever that is. Picture Chani Anderson Whenever that is, Fianna Fail would seem assured of a second seat in Cork South-Central, with the departing Michael McGrath likely to be replaced by his brother Seamus, leader of the Fianna Fail group in Cork County Council. First elected to the council 17 years ago and re-elected in Junes local elections, receiving the highest number of first preferences of any local candidate in the country, getting 5,191 first preferences in the Carrigaline local electoral area, more than 3,000 above the quota of 2,057 votes. Barrister and Cork City South-Central councillor Shane OCallaghan would have to be seen as the frontrunner to replace Simon Coveney, although some Fine Gael sources claim Carrigaline county councillor Una McCarthy might be in with a shout for the seat. Ms McCarthy, a capable and popular councillor, was controversially imposed on the ticket last month for what the party insisted were geographical reasons. Few would bet against Sinn Feins Donnchadh O Laoghaire to keep his seat, and the SF Social Protection spokesperson would have to be seen as a shoo-in for a Cabinet position in any government involving Sinn Fein. Party sources declined to be drawn on whether or who the party might select as his running mate. UP FOR GRABS With that fifth seat up for grabs, former Lord Mayor Mick Finn has announced he will run as an Independent, while the Labour Party has selected first-time councillor Laura Harmon, and the Social Democrats will run first-timer Padraig Rice. Dr Monica Peres Oikeh will run for the Green Party in Cork South-Central. Across the river, Cork North-Central has become a Frankensteins Monster of a constituency, lurching from its heart in the northside of the city and Glanmire out to Ballincollig in the west and Mallow in the north-east. The expansion will bring an extra 30,000 votes into the constituency, with 22,000 of those in Ballincollig and 8,000 in Mallow. Most politicians The Echo spoke with this week thought the next election would probably see at least three of the constituencys sitting TDs returned. Sinn Feins Thomas Gould, who is rarely off duty and is almost universally popular, would seem a certainty to top the poll, while Fianna Fails Padraig OSullivan and Fine Gaels newly-minted Minister of State Colm Burke were thought assured of keeping their seats. As on the southside, Sinn Fein sources were equally tight-lipped about the partys election intentions regarding a running mate for Thomas Gould, conceding only that, rather than having a selection convention, well probably decide in-house. Few would think that Fine Gael has a chance at a second seat, although city councillor Garrett Kelleher has been tipped to run, but some in Fianna Fail believe their party may have a shot. Former Lord Mayor Colm Kelleher in Ballincollig and former First Citizen Tony Fitzgerald on the northside both believe they should be Padraig OSullivans running mate, while there appears to be little enthusiasm from Mallow-based county councillor Gearoid Murphy in that role, with the thinking being that Mallow probably doesnt have enough votes to deliver a seat. How all of that plays out at the FF convention later this month should be interesting. The fourth seat in the now-five-seater would seem very likely to be heading toward Independent Ireland Cork City North West councillor Ken OFlynn, re-elected in June with 3,134 votes against a 1,984 quota. POLITICAL FIGHT FOR FINAL SEAT The fun will likely be in the fifth seat. The consensus seems to be that sitting Solidarity TD Mick Barry will be in the political fight of his life to keep his seat, a position the veteran electoral scrapper may secretly relish. Oliver Moran will run for the Greens, while Ciaran McCarthy will represent the Social Democrats. John Maher looks likely to stand for the Labour Party. A run by some further right candidates in the general election wouldnt seem beyond the bounds of possibility. Ross Lahive of The Irish People polled 724 first preferences in Cork City North West in the local elections, only being narrowly pipped for the final seat when transfers from Mick Nugent of Sinn Fein helped Brian McCarthy of Solidarity across the line. After the dust settled, there was some muttering from Sinn Fein that, had they run only two candidates, the attendant lack of transfers would probably have cost Mr McCarthy his seat. Obviously, we will never know. Even if there are really only 100 days or fewer to the next election, thats still plenty of time for more candidates to declare, and The Echo will cover all of the twists and turns between now and then. Whenever that is. Members of the public in Cork will have the chance to visit dozens of historic buildings across the city today, free of charge. Cork Heritage Open Day is a celebration of the built heritage in the city and is a unique opportunity to explore over 40 buildings which are not usually open to the public. For one day only, historic and heritage buildings in Cork will welcome members of the public, free of charge, among them the Masonic Hall, Quaker Meeting House, Military Museum Collins Barracks, Carpenters Hall, Heineken Ireland, Cork Savings Bank, Backwater Artists Group and Riverstown House. Organised by Cork City Council in partnership with the Heritage Council, Cork Heritage Open Day takes place today, marking the start of National Heritage Week which runs in Cork until Sunday, August 25. Cork will celebrate its history in style as local historians take to the streets of Cork and deliver historical guided walking tours in locations such as Jewtown, Shandon, McCurtain Street, Douglas Street and the Middle Parish. A number of free walking tours will take place on Cork Heritage Open Day, among them an opportunity to discover the key geological locations in the city with Thomas Heising; a walking exploration of the shopping and business history of the VQ area with Danielle ODonovan; and a chance to learn about the history of Douglas Street and Red Abbey with David Ryan. Ruti Lachs will lead a musical walk through Corks Jewish history, and Michael ODonovan will offer a historic stroll through the Coal Quay. The guided tours are not just limited to the city streets as Liam O hUigin and Finbarr Barry will give a guided tour of St Josephs Cemetery on Tory Top Road, and Tadhg O Connor will deliver a walk and talk through the Gunpowder Mill in Ballincollig. To celebrate Cork Heritage Open Day, the LE Aoibhinn Naval Vessel will be docked in the Cork City Docks and it will be the ships first visit to Cork since its arrival into the Irish Naval Service. Several free talks will also take place showcasing the history and people of Cork. Adrian Mulligan who is part of the Federick Douglass Group will give a walking tour and a talk on Federick Douglass in the Imperial Hotel. Shandon Area History Group will give a talk at Bells Field on the unique views from Audley Place and the rich history of the area. Military Historian Gerry White will give a talk on the Siege of Cork in St Peters Cork. Ciara Brett and John Sunderland will give a talk on recent archaeological excavations at 92 to 96 North Main Street. Diarmuid O Drisceoil will give a talk on Cork, Blackrock and Passage Railway 1850 to 1932 in Cork City Library. This talk will also feature ISL Interpretation Services. For further information, see corkopenheritageday.ie. Some of the remaining council tenants in 60-year-old social housing flats on Noonans Road and St Finbarrs Road have claimed the area is overrun with rats. Currently 28 of the 64 flats in Noonans Road are shuttered, while nine of the 26 on St Finbarrs Road are closed, with tenants moved out to other properties. Some residents have claimed that there has been a surge in the local rat population since people began moving out, and they have blamed a combination of some former tenants leaving food and refuse in vacant flats, and a lack of council cleaning of the area. Last September, tenants on Noonan Road, St Finbarrs Road, Fort Street, and Dean Street were told by Cork City Council that it favours rehousing tenants, demolishing the dilapidated flats, and redeveloping the sites. In photographs and videos seen by The Echo, live rats are shown trapped in cages, while several more are killed in traps. In one of the flats, when the tenant moved out, they left a fridge with food and all in it, and when the contractors came in, there was a scatter of rats. They had to get Rentokil in, there was families of rats living in there, it was horrific, one resident said. And those rats are travelling through all the ceilings and the walls in the flats now. This is going on for over a year now and theyre still not answering phones, dont reply back to emails. "There doesnt seem to be anything suitable, like, were not looking for anything special, but can they not just look after us? he asked. The rehousing announcement by the council came after a campaign last summer by tenants, highlighted by The Echo, against rodent-infested, mould-ridden housing conditions later described by the councils chief executive, Ann Doherty, as shocking. VISIT In late July last year, Ms Doherty and assistant chief executive Brian Geaney visited the area for a two-hour walkabout. At the time, residents said that a major clean-up of the area had begun in the week before the chief executives visit, but that such works were stalled after the visit. Now, more than a year after the visit, over a third of the flats on Noonans Rd and St Finbarrs Rd have been shuttered, and neighbours claim the area has not been properly cleaned since and is overrun with rats. A resident said that the clean-up ahead of the visit by Ms Doherty still irritated her. We shouldnt have left them do it, it was like they were getting ready for a royal visit, the place hadnt been cleaned in years and it hasnt been cleaned since either, she claimed. Im afraid to hang out my laundry now because its all overgrown around the place and theres three or four rats in there would nearly talk to you at this stage. Another resident said he was despairing that he and his family would ever be moved out of the flats. A spokesperson for Cork City Council said an information meeting had been held for all residents on April 29, at which a dedicated project liaison officer (PLO) was present. The PLO is continuing the process of meeting with individual tenants to discuss their housing needs one on one, said the spokesperson. The nature of the engagement process takes time as the requirements and preferences of tenants need to be discussed and agreed individually and options considered as they arise. The spokesperson added that the council is assisting departing tenants with the removal and disposal of unwanted house contents. As always, Cork City Council will continue to address any service requests received in regard to rodents and clean-outs at Noonans Rd and St Finbarrs Rd and will continue to attend the area to assist with any clean-ups where necessary and appropriate. A man, a woman and a male teenager have been arrested following a the seizure of drugs worth 260,000 in East Cork. A Garda spokesperson said: "As part of the ongoing operation targeting the sale and supply of controlled drugs in the East Cork area under Operation Tara, Gardai seized 260,000 controlled drugs following searches on Friday 16th August 2024. "Members attached to Cork County Divisional Drugs Unit carried out a search of a residential premises in the Carrigtwohill area. During the course of this search suspected cannabis with an estimated street value of 140,000 and suspected cocaine with a street value of 120,000 was recovered. "A woman (40s) and two men (50s and late teens) have been arrested in connection with this seizure and all are currently detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996 at Garda Stations in Cork County." All drugs seized will be sent for forensic analysis. Recruitment for the controversial director of psychology role in HSE South West (Cork and Kerry), has been paused, the regional executive officer for the region has said in a video message to staff. The role would have had authority over all psychologists and psychiatric nurses trained as psychotherapists, with unions Siptu, Forsa and the Psychiatric Nurses Association saying they were not consulted before the role was announced and telling The Echo they were seeking a meeting with senior HSE staff to discuss it. The Psychological Society of Ireland said it was not consulted on any aspect of the recently advertised post and that its members had expressed concerns about the role. Outside Caha House in Cork yesterday, Andy Phillips, regional executive officer for HSE South West said it was moving ahead with making a number of appointments to the regional team which he hopes to be able to announce soon. He said: Of course sometimes, we move ahead very quickly with our work and I have to say, I really want to bring people with us but sometimes that hasnt been the case. "Id like to humbly apologise to colleagues where that has happened and let you know that Ive learnt some lessons about that, particularly in terms of the director of psychology role. We tried to move ahead quickly because we have very long waiting lists for psychology and Im really conscious of the children and adults waiting for their treatment, he said. Dr Philips said: Weve paused for a moment the recruitment for the role just to allow us to do some consultations with staff and unions so we can bring everybody together in that work. Clinical Psychologist and East Cork Social Democrats councillor Liam Quaide said, "It's welcome that Dr. Phillips is pausing recruitment of the Director of Psychology post pending consultation. He explained that the grade existed previously in the HSE (vacated in Leinster since that post-holder retired in 2017), and that they have the title in the Children's Health Ireland (CHI) and a Director of Counselling role in the HSE. But he continued, However, none of those posts compare to the scale of remit envisaged for this Director of Psychology post in the South West. There is real concern among psychologists and nurse therapists about how this role was developed and a lack of transparency around who authored the remarkable job description. Many colleagues also worry about an over-concentration of power within a discipline that is already struggling to retain staff in some services. A 16-year-old boy has been remanded in detention after he was charged with sexually assaulting a woman in woods near Newmarket in Co Cork earlier this year. The youth, who can't be named because of his age, faces two charges. It follows an attack on a woman in her thirties on a forest trail outside Newmarket shortly after 7.15pm on June 6 last. The attacker fled the scene when the woman fought back. A youth was arrested for questioning in relation to the incident in late June. He was held for questioning at Mallow Garda Station. He was released without charge pending a file to the DPP. The teenager was re arrested last Friday and was brought before a a special sitting of Clonakilty District Court in Co Cork. He was charged with sexual assault of the woman at the Island Wood, Newmarket on June 6 last. He was also charged with a second offence of exposing his genitals on the same date and at the same location intending to cause fear, distress or alarm to the woman. Det Garda Noelle McSweeney of Mallow Garda Station gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution. She told Judge Brendan O'Reilly that the teenager made no reply to either charge when they were put to him after caution. Judge OReilly remanded the young man in detention at Oberstown Childrens Detention Campus. He has consent to bail with certain conditions. The youth is due back before the Juvenile Court sitting at Mallow District Court on Tuesday. (Photo: Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Koreak, 2020.)Peace convocation and march at the DMZ between the North and South Korea. The World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Jerry Pillay has urged the redoubling of efforts for reunification on the Korean Peninsula, which is divided into North and South Korea. Pillay spoke at the Korea Peace night held during the 22nd World Methodist Conference meeting in Gothenburg, Sweden on Aug. 15. The World Methodist Conference was convening from Aug. 13-18, under the theme "On The Move," with sub-themes including "Migration," "Pilgrimage," and "Guiding Lights." Pillay attended and spoke at an evening in solidarity with all Koreans in their struggles and hopes. "Along with prayer, I believe we must redouble our efforts as advocates, catalysts, and mediators of peace and reconciliation," said Pillay. "This is our sacred calling as we journey together as churches, as Christiansin Korea itself, among the Korean diaspora, and around the world." Korea separated into North and South in the bitter civil war that killed millions, displacing even more, and separated many families in the early 1950s. A peace treaty has never been signed and the halt in hostilities only has an armistice agreement. Pillay said that, "The WCC itself, from the first years of its existence at the beginning of the Cold War, has also wrestled with the moral, spiritual, legal, and geopolitical dimensions of the Korean situation." Still, he noted that with recent changes in the Korean government and in the larger geopolitical context, momentum toward dialogue, cooperation, and improved relations had largely stalled. DETERIORATION OF RELATIONS Pillay lamented the deterioration of relations. "We must resist this development and stand tall for peace. Even when official contacts wither and the atmosphere becomes heated, the WCC, the Korean churches, and all of us must remain deeply committed to inter-Korean leadership for peace and reunification of the divided Korean people," he said. "I firmly believe that such prayer, especially shared prayer, can enable a breakthrough." "Prayer puts us in touch with the God of life, Pillay noted. "In prayer, we invoke God's presence and activity in the cause of peace and justice, even as it empowers us with a readiness to meet God halfway by taking risks for peace," he said. The churches must come together to cry for peace, asserted Pillay. "Now is the time for resolve, courage, and creativity," he said. "After all, we do not lack faith in God or each other." Around 33 percent of South Korea's population of 52 million are Christians, whereas they make up a tiny percentage of communist North Korea's 26 million people.. China voices against external interference with Myanmar's internal affairs Xinhua) 10:11, August 17, 2024 BANGKOK, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Friday in Chiang Mai, Thailand, that it is a bottom line that no party should interfere with Myanmar's internal affairs. Wang made the remarks when attending the Informal Discussion Between the Foreign Ministers of China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand, with the attendance of Wang himself, 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. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand live next to each other with long borderlines and a long history of interaction. The three countries hence understand Myanmar's special national conditions better than other countries, and are more capable and willing to provide assistance to Myanmar. No one wants Myanmar to restore stability and development more than its neighbors, Wang said, noting that the three countries are full of sincerity and goodwill, and hope to assist Myanmar in promoting the cooling down and stabilization of the situation. He said the current situation in Myanmar remains a cause for concern, and there are three bottom lines to be adhered to -- Myanmar should not be subject to civil strife, should not be detached from the ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) family, and should not be allowed to be infiltrated and interfered with by external forces. Wang pointed out that China's Myanmar-friendly policy is towards all Myanmar people and China has always adhered to the principle of non-interference in internal affairs, supported Myanmar in safeguarding its sovereignty and national unity, supported Myanmar in realizing domestic reconciliation through dialogue and consultation, and supported Myanmar in finding a path of development which suits its own national conditions. In this regard, Wang put forward several suggestions: Firstly, jointly support Myanmar to push forward the domestic peace and reconciliation process in an orderly manner and in accordance with the law. Secondly, jointly support Myanmar people to overcome current difficulties. Thirdly, jointly support the ASEAN approach to properly handle the Myanmar issue, support ASEAN's unity and centrality, and guard against extra forces stirring up chaos and intensifying conflicts. The Myanmar side introduced the current situation and the efforts made by the Myanmar government to maintain domestic stability, and thanked the three sides, as friendly neighbors, for lending a helping hand to Myanmar in times of difficulties. The Myanmar side also expressed willingness to make good use of the Informal Discussion to strengthen cooperation and enhance understanding so as to restore domestic stability and realize political reconciliation at an early date. The Thai side expressed its wish to see Myanmar maintain peace, unity and stability. Thailand respects Myanmar's efforts to properly handle its internal problems in its own way, insisting that Myanmar be led by the Myanmar people and owned by the Myanmar people. The Thai side is willing to maintain communication with all parties, provide assistance to Myanmar to the greatest extent possible. The Lao side said that the four countries share not only borders, but weal and woe through thick and thin. As Myanmar's neighbors and friends, they hope that Myanmar will maintain stability and development and are willing to provide assistance to Myanmar. The Lao side views that the Informal Discussion of the four countries will help them better understand the situation in Myanmar and work together to find a proper solution. The Lao side totally agrees with China's adherence to the principle of non-interference in internal affairs. Myanmar's problems can only be solved by the people of Myanmar and the intervention of external forces should be prevented. (Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Wu Chaolan) Oklahoma City, OKAugust 17, 2024WildBlue Press is proud to announce the upcoming release of LETHAL DOSES: The Story Behind 'The Godfather of Fentanyl' by award-winning author and former undercover agent John Madinger. This gripping biography delves into the life of George Erik Marquardt, the clandestine chemist whose creations have left an indelible mark on America's drug landscape. "It's "Catch Me If You Can" meets "Breaking Bad," says Madinger. The book is also the basis for the hit docuseries on FOX NATION called "THE GODFATHER OF FENTANYL." The book has already attained Amazon #1-New-Release status in both Criminology and in the Drug Law categories. The story begins on a cold afternoon in February 1991, when a synthetic narcotic labeled "Tango & Cash" hit the streets of New York City, leading to a wave of overdoses and a new era in the drug epidemic. LETHAL DOSES chronicles the rise of fentanyl, a drug now responsible for nearly 200 American deaths daily, and the man behind its proliferation. Marquardt, a high-school dropout and chemistry prodigy, used his talents to produce a range of illegal substances, from LSD to methamphetamine, and even life-saving AZT for AIDS patients. His turn to fentanyl, however, marked a deadly chapter in his career. John Madinger, with his extensive background in narcotics enforcement, provides an unparalleled look into the DEA's three-year pursuit of Marquardt aka 'Squeak', and the origins of the fentanyl crisis. Through hundreds of hours of interviews, Madinger paints a vivid portrait of a uniquely dangerous individual and the ongoing battle against this potent drug. LETHAL DOSES is set to release on October 22, 2024, and is available for preorder now on Amazon. The book is already generating buzz as a must-read for those interested in true crime, drug law, and the dark underbelly of the narcotics trade. "Madinger's prose is compelling, making the fascinating life of 'Squeak' an unfolding mystery, suffused with quotes from the prisons and courtrooms. 'LETHAL DOSES' is set to be one of the finest books of the year, successful on many levels. Very highly recommended."Grady Harp, Amazon Top 100 Hall of Fame Reviewer About the Author: John Madinger has dedicated his career to fighting the drug war, serving as a sheriff's deputy, narcotics agent, and special agent with the U.S. Department of the Treasury. His previous works include the memoir "Going Under: Kidnapping, Murder, and a Life Undercover." Visit the author's website for more information: https://johnmadinger.com/ Media Contact: For a review copy or to arrange an interview with John Madinger, contact Scott Lorenz of Westwind Book Marketing at scottlorenz@westwindcos.com or at 734-667-2090. Reach Lorenz on Twitter @abookpublicist. Brian Cox believes cinema is "in a very bad way". Brian Cox has voiced his concerns about the film industry The 76-year-old actor has hit out at the current state of the film industry, observing that it is "losing the plot". During an appearance at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, Brian told The Hollywood Reporter: "Whats happened is that television is doing what cinema used to do. "I think cinema is in a very bad way. I think its lost its place because of, partly, the grandiose element between Marvel, DC and all of that. And I think its beginning to implode, actually. Youre kind of losing the plot." Brian also observed that casting processes have changed markedly over the years. The 'Succession' star - who was born in Dundee in Scotland - said: "Now, they want every young actor or actress to make their own self-tapes. "Theyve got to make it without actually meeting anybody, and sometimes they never even get the f****** result, because they get ignored. They spend three days making a self-date, which goes nowhere. Brian thinks it's actually "disgusting" how young actors are treated. He explained: "Now, young actors are in limbo and its disgusting, quite frankly, because it actually stops what an actor can do or who an actor is." Meanwhile, Brian previously claimed that Hollywood is "a very difficult place to live". The veteran actor - who has won numerous awards during his career - observed that Hollywood is an especially difficult environment for young women, claiming that it "exacerbates" all of the issues they already face. Brian told the Daily Telegraph newspaper: "[Hollywood is] a very difficult place to live, and [it] is the worst place in the world to raise female children. "There are so many pressures on young women already, and it just exacerbates them." Tina Knowles and Richard Lawson have reached an agreement in their divorce settlement. Tina Knowles and Richard Lawson have agreed to divide their assets and part ways 'amicably' Beyonce's 70-year-old mom filed for divorce last July, after eight years of marriage to the 'Black Terror' director, 77, with court documents citing irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split. And just over a year later, the exes have agreed how they will divide their assets. There will be no spousal support, however, Lawson will receive $300,000 from Tina as a full and complete settlement of all interest that Respondent has acquired during marriage in the community property of the parties as well as his obligation on any and all community debts. PEOPLE reported that he will also acquire a 2021 Cadillac Escalade, and funds acquired by Richard Lawson Studios Inc., his SAG pension plan, royalties, creative works made during their union, and personal belongings, including clothing and jewellery." Tina, meanwhile, will keep their Los Angeles and Texas properties, plus a 2018 Tesla and a 2020 Bentley. She will also be entitled to all earnings since their separation. The pair agreed to a non-disparagement agreement" and will part ways "amicably". They also agreed to not "speak ill about their children, grandchildren, and their spouses. Tina and Richard tied the knot in April 2015. The exes have no children together. As well as Beyonce, 42, Tina has Solange, 38, with her first husband Mathew Knowles. Tina's separation came weeks after she had more than $1 million worth of cash and jewellery stolen from her home. The fashion designer was out of town when someone from her team stopped by her Los Angeles abode and discovered her entire safe and its contents had been stolen. In April, a man was arrested for causing a disturbance and damaging her property, after he was caught standing at the front of her house throwing rocks at her mailbox. While police, including a helicopter, headed for the scene, the man ran away but he was located by the chopper and, following a short foot pursuit, he was taken into custody. The suspect was said to have been behaving erratically and was placed on a 5150 psychiatric hold. Tina declined to press charges or even file a police report, despite the minor damage to her mailbox. 'Twilight' star Christian Serratos is engaged to New Politics frontman David Boyd. Christian Serratos and David Boyd are engaged The 33-year-old actress - who is best known for portraying Rosita Espinosa in AMC's 'The Walking Dead' - and her longtime love have taken their relationship to the next level after a decade together. On Friday (16.08.24), the couple - who have a daughter called Wolf together - took to Instagram to confirm the proposal by sharing a picture of the luxury ring David had custom made for his now fiancee. The 36-year-old Dane worked with the jewellery brand Brilliant Earth on the unique giant teardrop design with a pinkish red band. Christian captioned a series of pictures from the special moment: "Ive been calling my boyfriend Husband for ten years. Now its OFFICIAL. @DavidBoyd customized my DREAM RING, done to perfection by @brilliantearth." David gushed in his own post: Ive always loved you and I always feel happier and complete when Im with you and Wolfie!!!! Heres shouting it out from the rooftops and celebrating our love and continued future. I LOVE YOU." Sharing their love story, Christian told The Knot: "David was on tour with Paramore and Fall Out Boy, and I was filming The Walking Dead at the time. "I watched his performance, and when I went backstage to say hi to a friend who was on the tour, I was introduced to him. We had our first date the next night and have been together ever since." Meghan, Duchess of Sussex has urged children in Colombia to avoid becoming obsessed with technology. Meghan, Duchess of Sussex has urged children in Colombia to avoid becoming obsessed with technology The former actress, 43, is on a four-day trip to the nation with her 39-year-old husband Prince Harry with whom she has children Archie, five, and three-year-old Lilibet and made the remark while they visited the Colegio Cultura Popular school and joined a summit in collaboration with their Archewell Foundation about creating a healthier approach to tech. Meghan said during a session where kids talked about their loves and hates when it comes to technology: (You should be) self-reliant and not tech-reliant. Harry also about asked the conversations they have with their families about balancing social media and literacy. Meghan spoke to the kids as it was revealed she and Harry are being protected on their Colombia tour by an officer armed with a Kevlar shield known as a ballistic briefcase to stop a shooter targeting the couple. The couple are on their four-day tour of the nation despite it being classed as a high risk destination in parts by UK and US officials. At each event the couple have attended their shield-bearing protector, who is only part of their huge security detail, has been seen leaping out of a vehicle head of the pair holding a folding shield. Known as a ballistic briefcase, it is also used to protect Colombias vice president Francia Marquez who is hosting the visit and has been the target of several assassination attempts. The Sun reported Harry and Meghan have an immense ring-of-steel security presence. Officials have kept their itinerary a closely guarded secret due to parts of Colombia being branded best avoided by officials and travel experts due to internal conflicts raging in parts of the country. The Daily Mail has reported their security entourage includes at least 16 armoured police vehicles, as well as armed officers and soldiers, who the publication said were seen on patrol before their arrival. Partnering with EkoDoku Women Sustainable Living Cooperative, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) office for Turkiye recently launched an initiative to promote eco-friendly textiles and raise awareness about the detrimental effects of fast fashion in the country. EkoDoku, with branches in Ankara and Iskenderun, promotes circularity and sustainability in the textile industry. Partnering with EkoDoku Women Sustainable Living Cooperative, the ILO office for Turkiye recently launched an initiative to promote eco-friendly textiles and raise awareness about the detrimental effects of fast fashion. The initiative, financed by the US government, not only promotes sustainable textiles, but also aims to create formal job opportunities. Following field visits by ILO officers, and with ILOs technical and financial support, EkoDoku will produce a collection using nature-based fabrics and techniques. The initiative, financed by the US government, not only promotes sustainable textiles, but also aims to create formal job opportunities, an ILO release said. On August 3, an Eco Dyeing and Printing Workshop marked the kick-off of the initiative, offering training to cooperative members in natural dyeing techniques using pigments from various plants. Participants also learned woodblock printing, natural patterning and batik dyeing on linen and hemp fabrics. The ILO is expanding the implementation of Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) at EkoDoku to tackle issues related to decent work like informal employment, low wages and low productivity. The pilot project aims to stimulate green job creation and inclusiveness for all, including Syrians under temporary protection, international protection applicants and status holders and host communities. The HarmonyUnity collection, supported by the ILO, seeks to promote sustainable living by highlighting global harmony and unity. Nature-based solutions are essential for green jobs, fostering sustainable, resilient and inclusive employment opportunities that support environmental protection, economic diversification, and social equity. According to the Decent Work in Nature-based Solutions 2022 Report, nearly 75 million people are currently employed in NbS, and achieving goals in mitigation, biodiversity and land restoration could generate an estimated 20 million additional jobs. Recognising cooperatives as critical pathways to formalisation, the ILO Office in the country is addressing challenges faced by textile workers, many of whom are women. By ensuring decent employment and income, and improving access to essential services and social protection, cooperatives offer a vital route for transitioning workers into the formal economy, the ILO release added. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS) NEW YORK, Aug. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- LILYSILK celebrates its 14th anniversary and Brand Month this August and proudly commemorates National Nonprofit Day on August 17 by announcing two new partnerships with the World Woman Foundation and I Support The Girls. Additionally, LILYSILK continues its collaboration with longstanding partners, including National Breast Cancer Foundation, Baby2Baby, and One Tree Planted, demonstrating a sustained commitment to community support and environmental sustainability. National Nonprofit Day serves as a reminder of the collective efforts of individuals and organizations to create a more equitable and compassionate world, highlighting the critical role in addressing societal issues, promoting social justice, and providing essential services to those in need. LILYSILK is thrilled to partner with the World Woman Foundation as their sustainable fashion partner. This collaboration aims to empower women across North America and Europe by promoting sustainability and leadership through the use of sustainable silk products. "We are thrilled to partner with LILYSILK, a brand that shares our commitment to sustainability and women's empowerment," said Rupa Dash, CEO of the World Woman Foundation. "This partnership is a significant step towards creating a more sustainable future while uplifting women worldwide." LILYSILK proudly supports I Support The Girls (ISTG) by donating over US$8,000 worth of bras to promote dignity for all. Dana Marlowe, founder and Executive Director of ISTG, expressed enthusiasm for the partnership: "LILYSILK's generous donation enables us to support hundreds of individuals in need." ISTG collects and distributes essential items to women experiencing homelessness and distress, fostering dignity and confidence. Since 2022, LILYSILK has been a steadfast supporter of National Breast Cancer Foundation, contributing over US$5,000 and US$43,000 worth of eye masks to aid women undergoing breast cancer treatment. LILYSILK continues its support for Baby2Baby, helping the organization continue to provide essential items like diapers. In celebration of Mother's Day this year, LILYSILK helped Baby2Baby distribute 250,000 diapers to mothers and their babies. Additionally, in 2023, LILYSILK partnered with One Tree Planted to plant 35,000 trees in Brazil and Mexico, reaffirming their commitment to sustainability and reforestation efforts. "We express our deepest gratitude to our nonprofit partners who enable us to make a positive impact," said David Wang, CEO of LILYSILK. "By collaborating with nonprofits, we underscore our commitment to sustainability and community empowerment." Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2483553/Credit_I_Support_The_Girls.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/lilysilk-partners-with-leading-nonprofits-to-celebrate-national-nonprofit-day-empowering-communities-and-promoting-sustainability-302224164.html Madison, Wisconsin--(Newsfile Corp. - August 17, 2024) - IndaCloud, a leading innovator in the cannabis industry, is thrilled to announce the launch of its new and vibrant lineup of Delta 9 Gummies. As consumer demand for high-quality, hemp-derived products continues to surge, IndaCloud is setting the pace with these flavorful and potent offerings. The introduction of these gummies marks a significant step forward in the company's mission to provide premium, accessible, and enjoyable cannabis experiences to a growing market. Orange Funta Dispensary Grade Delta-9 THC Gummies IndaCloud proudly introduces the Orange Funta Dispensary Grade Delta-9 THC Gummies, a premium product designed to increase the edible experience for cannabis enthusiasts. Each gummy in this 200mg pack is meticulously crafted to deliver a consistent and potent dose of Delta-9 THC, ensuring both quality and satisfaction with every bite. Inspired by the classic citrus soda, these gummies offer a nostalgic flavor twist that combines tangy orange with a subtle sweetness, making them a delightful treat for both seasoned users and newcomers alike. The Orange Funta Gummies are made with top-tier ingredients and are rigorously tested to meet dispensary-grade standards, reflecting IndaCloud's commitment to safety, efficacy, and flavor. Whether you're looking for a relaxing evening or a daytime boost, these gummies provide a versatile and enjoyable option for any occasion. Scent Profile: Fresh and zesty citrus aroma with sweet undertones reminiscent of orange soda. Taste Profile: Tangy and sweet orange flavor, closely mirroring the taste of Orange Funta soda with a smooth, candy-like finish. Preferred Usage Time: Ideal for afternoon or evening use, offering relaxation without overwhelming drowsiness. Density: Firm, chewable texture that dissolves easily without being too sticky. Phenotype: Indica-dominant hybrid, providing a balanced blend of calming effects and mild euphoria. THC (Delta-9): 10mg per gummy, 200mg total per pack. THCA: Below 0.3% (compliant with federal regulations). CBGA: Trace amounts, contributing to the overall cannabinoid profile for enhanced effects. Peach Funta Dispensary Grade Delta 9-THC Gummies IndaCloud is excited to introduce the Peach Funta Dispensary Grade Delta 9-THC Gummies, a new addition to their premium lineup that promises a delicious and potent experience for cannabis consumers. Each 200mg pack contains gummies infused with 10mg of Delta 9-THC, perfectly balancing flavor and potency. The gummies capture the essence of ripe, juicy peaches, providing a sweet and tangy burst of flavor that delights the palate with every bite. Designed to meet dispensary-grade standards, these gummies undergo rigorous testing to ensure consistent quality, safety, and effectiveness. The Peach Funta Gummies are ideal for those seeking a flavorful way to enjoy the therapeutic and relaxing effects of Delta 9-THC, making them a versatile option for both daytime and evening use. Scent Profile: Sweet and fruity aroma with a strong peach fragrance that is both fresh and inviting. Taste Profile: Luscious peach flavor with a perfect balance of sweetness and a slight tang, reminiscent of fresh peach soda. Preferred Usage Time: Suitable for both daytime and evening use, providing a mellow, relaxing experience. Density: Soft and chewy texture that is easy to consume, with a satisfying consistency that is neither too soft nor too firm. Phenotype: Hybrid, offering a balanced effect that combines relaxation with gentle euphoria, without excessive sedation. THC (Delta-9): 10mg per gummy, 200mg total per pack. THCA: Below 0.3%, compliant with federal regulations. CBGA: Trace amounts, contributing to the entourage effect for a more complete cannabinoid experience. Pineapple Funta Dispensary Grade Delta-9 THC Gummies IndaCloud is delighted to present the Pineapple Funta Dispensary Grade Delta-9 THC Gummies, a tropical addition to their high-quality edible lineup. These gummies offer a delightful burst of pineapple flavor that transports your taste buds to a sunny paradise with each chew. Each 200mg pack is infused with 10mg of Delta-9 THC per gummy, ensuring a consistent and potent experience tailored to meet dispensary-grade standards. The Pineapple Funta Gummies are crafted with precision, combining top-tier ingredients with rigorous testing to guarantee both safety and efficacy. This product is perfect for those who seek a flavorful, uplifting, and relaxing experience, making it an excellent choice for any time of the day. Scent Profile: Bright and tropical aroma with a strong, natural pineapple scent that is both sweet and slightly tangy. Taste Profile: Juicy and sweet pineapple flavor that offers a refreshing and tangy taste, akin to sipping on a pineapple soda. Preferred Usage Time: Versatile for use at any time of day, providing an uplifting yet calming effect. Density: Soft, chewy texture that is easy to consume with a pleasant mouthfeel, maintaining the perfect balance between firmness and softness. Phenotype: Sativa-dominant hybrid, delivering an energizing and uplifting experience that can enhance focus and mood. THC (Delta-9): 10mg per gummy, 200mg total per pack. THCA: Below 0.3%, compliant with federal regulations. CBGA: Trace amounts, adding to the overall cannabinoid profile for a synergistic effect. Fruit Punch Funta Dispensary Grade Delta-9 THC Gummies IndaCloud is proud to unveil the Fruit Punch Funta Dispensary Grade Delta-9 THC Gummies, an exciting and flavorful addition to their premium edible selection. These gummies are crafted to deliver a nostalgic burst of fruit punch flavor, reminiscent of the classic, sweet and tangy beverage. With 10mg of Delta-9 THC per gummy, totaling 200mg per pack, each piece is designed to provide a consistent, potent, and enjoyable experience. Adhering to strict dispensary-grade standards, these gummies undergo comprehensive testing to ensure they meet the highest quality and safety benchmarks. The Fruit Punch Funta Gummies are perfect for those looking to enjoy a balanced and flavorful THC experience, suitable for a variety of occasions, whether it's a relaxing evening or a social gathering. Scent Profile: A vibrant, fruity aroma that captures the essence of mixed tropical fruits with a sweet and slightly tangy undertone. Taste Profile: A rich blend of sweet and tangy fruit flavors, reminiscent of classic fruit punch, offering a refreshing and satisfying taste. Preferred Usage Time: Best enjoyed in the afternoon or evening, providing a balanced experience that relaxes without overwhelming. Density: Soft and chewy with a smooth texture that dissolves easily, providing a satisfying mouthfeel. Phenotype: Hybrid, offering a balanced effect that combines mild euphoria with relaxation, making it versatile for various moods. THC (Delta-9): 10mg per gummy, 200mg total per pack. THCA: Below 0.3%, in full compliance with federal regulations. CBGA: Trace amounts, contributing to the overall cannabinoid profile for a more comprehensive effect. Why Choose IndaCloud for Your Delta 9 Gummies In terms of Delta 9 gummies , IndaCloud stands out as a trusted leader in the industry, known for its unwavering commitment to quality, consistency, and customer satisfaction. Each gummy is meticulously crafted using top-tier, lab-tested ingredients to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience with every bite. IndaCloud's dedication to transparency and product excellence is evident in their strict adherence to dispensary-grade standards, providing consumers with a reliable and potent product they can trust. "At IndaCloud, we prioritize quality and safety above all else," says - IndaCloud Team. "Our Delta 9 gummies are not just about delivering great flavor, but also about ensuring that our customers can enjoy a consistent and effective experience every time. We believe in creating products that our consumers can rely on, knowing they are made with the utmost care and precision." About IndaCloud IndaCloud is a pioneering brand in the cannabis industry, dedicated to crafting high-quality, hemp-derived products that cater to a diverse and growing market. With a focus on innovation, transparency, and consumer safety, IndaCloud has quickly established itself as a trusted name among both seasoned cannabis users and newcomers alike. The company prides itself on its rigorous testing processes, ensuring that every product meets stringent dispensary-grade standards for potency, purity, and consistency. IndaCloud's mission is to make premium cannabis experiences accessible to all, offering a wide range of products designed to enhance well-being, relaxation, and enjoyment. Through a commitment to excellence and a customer-first approach, IndaCloud continues to lead the way in delivering safe, effective, and flavorful cannabis products. Contact Information For more information, please contact: To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/220310 SOURCE: lucorpmedia COPENHAGEN, Denmark, August 17, 2024 - Bavarian Nordic A/S (OMX: BAVA) provides an update on plans for securing supply of vaccines to tackle the current mpox outbreak that the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) declared as a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS) on August 13, 2024 followed by the World Health Organization (WHO) that declared mpox as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on August 14, 2024. "Bavarian Nordic is working closely with all stakeholders to ensure the equitable access to our mpox vaccine during the current PHECS and PHEIC. Importantly, we have built a strong partnership with the Africa CDC, both on supply, but also expanding our manufacturing network to include Africa. We are also working with the WHO on a regulatory path to ensure access to all countries, while in parallel seeking approval for use in adolescents and conducting clinical studies in Africa to further expand the use to children. We are prepared to work with the Africa CDC and the international community to play our role in protecting and saving lives around the World and to contain the latest outbreak," said Paul Chaplin, President & CEO of Bavarian Nordic. Through partnerships with many governments and organizations like HERA and PAHO, Bavarian Nordic supplied more than 15 million doses of the mpox vaccine to more than 76 countries around the World during the mpox PHEIC in 2022/23. This equitable access to vaccine played a role in containing that outbreak and the vaccine was shown to be highly effective after 1 or 2 vaccinations and reduced the severity of the disease as judged by a reduction in hospitalizations. Since 2022, Bavarian Nordic has created a vaccine inventory to provide a surge capacity for potential outbreaks. In response to recent events, the company also plans to ramp-up vaccine manufacturing to ensure the continued equitable access to the mpox vaccine. Consequently, the company has informed the Africa CDC that it has the capacity to manufacture 10 million doses by the end of 2025, in addition to current orders, and could already supply up to 2 million doses this year. It would appear that mpox will remain a constant threat to public health, and the company is working closely with the Africa CDC to further expand the manufacturing capacity to produce the mpox vaccine in Africa though transfer of technology to selected African manufacturers. As the majority of the current mpox cases in Africa occur in individuals younger than 18 years old, Bavarian Nordic recently submitted clinical data to EMA to potentially support the use of the mpox vaccine in adolescents (12-17-year-olds). These data were generated through a collaboration with the NIAID, a division of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), on a clinical study in more than 300 individuals, 12-17 years of age (NCT05740982). Furthermore, through a collaboration with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), the company will shortly initiate a clinical trial to assess the immunogenicity and safety of MVA-BN in children from 2-12 years of age, aiming to further extend the indication of the vaccine into younger populations. ### About Bavarian Nordic Bavarian Nordic is a fully integrated vaccine company with a mission to protect and save lives through innovative vaccines. We are a global leader in smallpox and mpox vaccines, supplied to governments to enhance public health preparedness and have a strong portfolio of vaccines for travelers and endemic diseases. For more information visit www.bavarian-nordic.com . Attachment Exploring the Human Condition through Figurative Art SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA / ACCESSWIRE / August 17, 2024 / Costa Rica is emerging as a country with an innovative and thought-provoking art scene. MIRAME Fine Art, the nation's premier online gallery, is excited to spotlight a new wave of Costa Rican emerging figurative artists who are redefining the boundaries of figurative art with their unique interpretations of the human experience. https://miramefineart.com/artists/ Valiente Pastel, Untitled Acrylic on Canvas The Body as a Medium of Expression For Lucia Howell Vargas and Roberto Murillo, the human body becomes a powerful medium for exploring identity and existence. Howell Vargas, with her background in dance and performance, brings a dynamic quality to her figurative acrylic paintings. Her performances, and subsequent visual interpretations, blur the lines between physicality and abstraction, creating immersive experiences that challenge traditional audience engagement. Murillo's large-scale, monochrome charcoal drawings depict bodies in states of entanglement, exploring human relationships through chiaroscuro. His figures, captured in moments of vulnerability and strength, celebrate the raw authenticity of the human form. The Metaphysical and the Grotesque Pablo Mejias' oil paintings and works on paper explore the human psyche, delving into metaphysical themes that draw viewers into otherworldly landscapes where life and death intertwine. His dramatic use of lighting and the grisaille technique highlights the human form in states of existential turmoil, with haunting depictions of fish and birds evoking a visceral sense of mortality. Social Commentary through Neo-Academicism Jesus Mejia approaches figurative art as a vehicle for social commentary. His contemporary neo-academicism style, influenced by Baroque art, dramatizes social violence and inequality, with his figures often set against stark backdrops that reflect his Catholic heritage. Mejia's oil paintings force viewers to confront the socio-political issues of modern life through bold contrasts of light and dark. Memory, Narrative, and the Power of Images Emmanuel Rodriguez-Chaves examines the role of images in shaping and challenging our understanding of history and memory. His collage-like oil paintings blend historical and contemporary imagery, questioning the reliability of visual culture and its influence on collective memory. By manipulating these images, Rodriguez-Chaves creates a dialogue around the construction of reality, positioning himself as a critical voice in the discourse on art and memory. Subversion and Playfulness Valiente Pastel and Aire Calderon infuse their art with a unique blend of subversion and playfulness. Pastel, using digital photography and collage, reimagines advertisements and found objects with humor and irony to tackle themes like homosexuality and female empowerment. His whimsical characters and bold colors challenge societal norms and prompt a re-evaluation of sexuality and identity. Calderon, however, employs oil painting to explore the human form, particularly the female body, using light and shadow to accentuate curves and contours. Her work merges realism with an ethereal quality, offering a fresh perspective on femininity and identity. These Costa Rican emerging figurative artists are shaping a new chapter in Costa Rican art, offering insights into the human condition. Contact Information Belinda Seppings Co-Founder belinda@miramefineart.com +447821591397 SOURCE: MIRAME Fine Art View the original press release on newswire.com. Mahe, Seychelles--(Newsfile Corp. - August 17, 2024) - Payid19, a provider of payment solutions, announces an update to its technology platform. This update is designed to change digital transaction processes by modifying both efficiency and security. The new features reflect Payid19's work on payment solutions in response to industry needs. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8846/220039_541c2b8c446b6977_001full.jpg In the digital economy, transaction processing is necessary for businesses and individual users. With the use of digital payment methods, it is useful for payment solutions to function and adapt. Payid19's update addresses these requirements by changing its platform to support transactions. The technology changes include modifications to transaction speed and security. By affecting processing times, the update aims to support businesses with high transaction volumes and provide a different experience for users. The security measures are intended to handle transactions and respond to potential issues. A feature of the update is the addition of a crypto payment gateway. This addition reflects the interest in digital currencies and provides users with more payment options. The integration aims to handle payment needs and keep Payid19's platform relevant in the payment landscape. "The update to our payment technology is a change in how transactions are processed," said the Chief Technology Officer at Payid19. "We aim to provide a platform that handles modern digital payments, addressing speed and security." Payid19 will continue to monitor and adjust its platform to address trends and user needs. The company's work on technology is reflected in its efforts to change the payment experience. "The addition of the crypto payment gateway is an example of how we are responding to trends in digital payments," added John Smith, Chief Operations Officer at Payid19. "We aim to offer a payment solution that supports various transaction methods." Payid19's updated payment technology is now available to businesses and individuals seeking different transaction efficiency and security. About Payid19 Payid19 is a provider of payment solutions, offering services designed to handle digital transactions. The company works on payment technology to address the needs of businesses and consumers. Payid19 continues to develop payment solutions. Disclaimer: This press release may contain statements about potential future outcomes based on current market conditions and technological changes. Results may vary, and Payid19 does not commit to updating these statements. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/220039 SOURCE: Media Feature NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / August 17, 2024 / With a shared vision of improving lives through homeownership and improving communities, Whirlpool Corporation and Habitat for Humanity have had a relationship spanning 25 years and exceeding $140 million in funding. The work in that time has had, and continues to have, a positive impact on communities and nearly 1,000,000 individuals. Additionally, through innovative programs and efficient products, they are helping homeowners save money sustainably. Donated products are key to the success and impact of the programs Whirlpool Corp. supports through Habitat for Humanity. In the 25 year relationship, more than 241,000 home appliances have been donated to date. These product donations save homeowners money in a number of ways: Saving on major home appliance purchases Helping families save money on food expenses by reducing the need to eat out often driven by inadequate appliances Lowering their monthly utility costs with new, energy-efficient appliances In 2021, Habitat conducted a study to estimate the total energy savings and associated cost-savings resulting from Whirlpool ranges and refrigerators donated between 2018 and 2020 to Habitat homes. The study extrapolated that over the duration of the decades-long collaboration, the donated appliances generated lifetime energy savings of over 218 million kilowatt-hours and energy bill savings of more than $24 million dollars across the full network. The Whirlpool Corp. donated product program was recently enhanced with support from InSinkErator, a global manufacturer of garbage disposals and instant hot water dispensers for home and commercial use. Over the next year, InSinkErator, a Whirlpool Corporation brand, will donate a disposal for each new Habitat home construction, rehabilitation and kitchen repair project in the U.S. InSinkErator products help to reduce the amount of food waste taken to landfills and resulting methane emissions that contribute to global warming, further extending environmental benefits to homeowners. Whirlpool supports key Habitat programs with links to the company's vision. Through the BuildBetter with Whirlpool program, Habitat and Whirlpool built 260 climate resilient and energy-efficient homes across the United States with an expected 15 percent increase in energy efficiency compared to conventional homes. In global builds, Whirlpool Corp. has helped Habitat break into new countries like Italy and Colombia. In addition, the company supports some of Habitat's key advocacy programs promoting affordable housing like Cost of Home in the U.S. which helped change more than 300 policies and increase access to affordable homes for an estimated 6.6 million people. "Our global social responsibility focus is on helping to ensure everyone can have a place to live that's comfortable and nurturing so that families can really build their best life from inside those four walls, and to help build thriving communities through education programs," says Deb O'Connor, Whirlpool Corporation's director of corporate reputation and community relations. "Our vision aligns perfectly with Habitat's vision which is why this relationship has lasted 25 years and has had a profound impact for more than a million people around the world." For more information about Whirlpool Corporation's Habitat for Humanity programs, visit whirlpoolcorp.com/our-impact/social-impact/social-reponsibility/. About Whirlpool Corporation Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE: WHR) is a leading kitchen and laundry appliance company, in constant pursuit of improving life at home and inspiring generations with our brands. The company is driving meaningful innovation to meet the evolving needs of consumers through its iconic brand portfolio, including Whirlpool, KitchenAid, JennAir, Maytag, Amana, Brastemp, Consul, and InSinkErator. In 2023, the company reported approximately $19 billion in annual sales, 59,000 employees, and 55 manufacturing and technology research centers. Additional information about the company can be found at WhirlpoolCorp.com. View original content here. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Whirlpool Corporation on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Whirlpool Corporation Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/whirlpool-corporation Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Whirlpool Corporation View the original press release on accesswire.com NEW CITY, NY / ACCESSWIRE / August 17, 2024 / Manhattan Beer Distributors is thrilled to announce a strategic partnership with Ever Grand Group to distribute SNOW Beer, featuring the iconic "Brave the World". This collaboration, encompassing the full Metro New York Area, aims to introduce the world's best-selling beer to a broader audience, promising a refreshing new choice for beer enthusiasts. About SNOW Beer Brave the World Founded in 1933 in Shenyang, China, SNOW Beer has a rich history and a reputation for excellence. Since 2005, SNOW has been the best-selling beer in China and has held the title of the world's No.1 selling beer since 2008. With 62 breweries producing its unbeatable taste, SNOW Beer has become a global favorite. The first product to be distributed under this partnership is "Brave the World," one of the most successful beers in China since its inception in 2005. "Brave the World" symbolizes an active, courageous attitude towards life, encouraging consumers to celebrate their moments of bravery, triumphs with confidence and spirit. Shared Philosophy and Success The essence of "Brave the World" aligns perfectly with the core philosophy of Manhattan Beer Distributors, which is centered on hard work and dedication. This partnership is built on a foundation of shared values and commitment. As Simon Bergson (Founder and CEO of Manhattan Beer Distributors) believes, "If you love what you do and you work hard at it, you'll be successful." SNOW Beer's team in the U.S. embodies this philosophy, starting from humble beginnings and making significant inroads in the market through their dedication and passion for introducing great beer. Manhattan Beer Distributors expressed its enthusiasm for the partnership, highlighting a shared belief in the unmatched quality of SNOW Beer. Ever Grand Group shares this excitement. The importer is committed to bringing more products to the Metro New York area with the strong support of Manhattan Beer Distributors. All products are carefully selected for introduction into the U.S. Market based on their proven success in global markets and consideration of U.S. consumer tastes. A representative from Ever Grand stated, "Our mission is to ensure every consumer enjoys authentic beer with ease. With Manhattan Beer Distributors' strong distribution capabilities, we are confident that SNOW Beer will become a beloved brand in New York." Market Impact and Consumer Engagement Consumers in the Metro New York area can look forward to an increased presence of SNOW Beer through various sampling events, beer and food festivals, and pop-up events that resonate with the spirit of "Brave the World." This initiative aims to introduce SNOW Beer as not just a beverage, but a lifestyle choice that embodies free spirit and boundary-breaking. "We can't wait to see how the market reacts to our products," said a spokesperson from Ever Grand Group. "We've received thousands of positive reviews from consumers who have enjoyed our products at events, in restaurants, bars, or at home. We are excited to bring this unique beer to even more people." Looking Forward Manhattan Beer Distributors and Ever Grand Group are committed to bringing the best of SNOW Beer to consumers, offering unique and memorable experiences. The introduction of "Brave the World" is just the beginning of a fruitful partnership, promising to enrich the beer landscape of Metro New York with exceptional products and events. Stay tuned for more exciting developments as we continue to celebrate the spirit of bravery and excellence with SNOW Beer and Manhattan Beer Distributors. About Manhattan Beer Distributors Manhattan Beer Distributors, New York's leading beer and beverage distributor, operates with over 350 trucks and more than 1 million square feet of warehouse space. Their highly trained professional sales team ensures that SNOW Beer will reach scale quickly, making it available to millions of eager consumers. About Ever Grand Group Ever Grand Group is a leading importer of alcohol beverage products and the exclusive importer for Snow Beer in the U.S. market. Since its establishment in 2022, it has expanded its market coverage through partnerships and acquisitions. The team of professionals is dedicated to carefully selecting the highest quality products while providing exceptional customer service and support. Contact Information Ever Grand Group info@evergrandimports.com Manhattan Beer Distributors customerservice@manhattanbeer.net 1-800-BEER-INC SOURCE: Ever Grand Group View the original press release on newswire.com. Dallas, Texas--(Newsfile Corp. - August 17, 2024) - Industry innovator, Churchwell Insurance Agency, a rapidly growing independent agency focused on public companies is proud to announce that its founder and principal, Chaz Churchwell, has been invited to speak at the National Investment Bankers Association (NIBA) 150th investment conference. The event, which will be held on September 4-5, 2024, at The Westin Fort Lauderdale, FL, is a premier gathering for the micro-cap and small-cap investment community. Churchwell Insurance Agency is thrilled to connect with attending companies and pay for select organizations to enjoy a D&O policy language audit by one of the nation's top insurance coverage attorneys. Annual Conference Art To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10469/220340_annual_conference_art.jpg "We are thrilled to be trusted as both a keynote speaker and a Diamond sponsor at NIBA's prestigious Florida Conference! Such confidence and faith in our team further validate the work we are committed to as providers of top-shelf service and advisement to our public clients. Additionally, we hope to spend $40,000 in legal costs on the D&O audits we are giving away. CFOs need to be able to stand before their board and say with confidence they secured a best-in-class D&O program. These audits will let organizations know where they stand on." - Chaz Churchwell, founder and principal, Churchwell Insurance Agency As a Diamond sponsor, Churchwell Insurance Agency is proud to partner with NIBA, which has been a pillar in the investment industry since 1982. With a rich history of investment conferences, NIBA has showcased public and private companies seeking access to the financial industry. Their network has raised over $40 billion in capital, comprising a diverse range of industries and sectors. Chaz Churchwell, a recognized D&O Insurance expert, will speak on 'Essential Insurance Coverages and Emerging Risks for Companies.' Churchwell's expertise in the field will provide valuable insights and knowledge to attendees, helping them navigate the complexities of the insurance landscape and protect their organizations from potential risks. About Churchwell Insurance Agency: Veteran owned, Churchwell Insurance Agency is an independent boutique broker founded in 2014 with offices in Dallas, TX and Charlotte, NC dedicated to the mission work hard protecting what the client works hard building. Specializing in Directors & Officers (D&O) Liability Insurance, Cyber Liability Insurance, Errors & Omissions (E&O) Liability Insurance, and more. The agency provides comprehensive insurance solutions to public companies across various industries including AI, biotech, defense, beverage, fintech, high-tech, life science, SPAC, and EV. Churchwell Insurance Agency: We Protect - You Build For more information about Churchwell Insurance Agency and its Executive Liability Team, please visit www.ChurchwellAgency.com. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/220340 SOURCE: Churchwell Insurance Agency Ram was honoured with the prestigious title of Ambassador of Indian Arts and Culture by the Victorian government at the annual IFFM awards, which took place last night at the iconic Palais Theatre read more Indias Global star Ram Charan did the honour of hoisting the Indian national flag at Melbournes iconic Federation Square to celebrate the Indian spirit and recognise every Indian as a representative of Indian cinema. The iconic chief guest for this years festival, Charans ceremonial act marked a beautifully poignant moment in the vibrant festivities of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) 2024. Ram was honoured with the prestigious title of Ambassador of Indian Arts and Culture by the Victorian government at the annual IFFM awards, which took place last night at the iconic Palais Theatre. Advertisement His ceremonial act as a true Indian filled with pride, hoisting the flag amidst hundreds of diaspora Indians who gathered to witness the moment, was a highlight of the event. Federation Square in Melbourne was filled with joy, fervour, and pride as his fans and supporters celebrated this deeply emotional and joyful moment with their favourite star, Ram Charan. In its 15th year, the IFFM is the largest celebration of Indian cinema outside India, and it runs from August 15-25 this year. Ram Charans presence and participation underscored the festivals commitment to celebrating and promoting Indian culture on a global stage. The hoisting of the Indian tricolour was a symbol of unity and cultural pride, resonating deeply with the festivals international audience. Ram expressed on the occasion, Its such a proud moment for us all Indians to be here, hoisting the Indian flag in Australia. I have such fond memories of being here in Australia, having shot for a movie 12 years back in Melbourne and Sydney. Back in the day, there werent so many Indians, and to see so many Indians here today truly makes me so proud. We are truly going global, and international platforms are recognizing our culture and cinema. Now I feel the future is all on the young people gathered here, and that excites me to see the future is so bright. On Saturday, doctors called for a nationwide strike, disrupting all non-emergency medical services across the country following the rape and murder of junior doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has outlined five key demands from the government which focus primarily on the safety of medical professionals at work. Heres what they are read more The doctors began a 24-hour strike in protest against the harrowing rape and murder of a junior doctor at state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. PTI Hospitals across India turned away patients except for emergency cases on Saturday as doctors began a 24-hour strike in protest against the harrowing rape and murder of a junior doctor at state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The Indian Medical Association said in a statement, 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." Advertisement The strike comes after a mob of unidentified people vandalised RG Kar Medical College, which is the scene of the tragic incident, during a peaceful protest on the night of August 14. After the incident, doctors decided to call a nationwide withdrawal across all sectors and places of work. The RG Kar incident has brought to the fore the two dimensions of violence in the hospital: a crime of barbaric scale due to the lack of safe spaces for women and the hooliganism that is unleashed due to the lack of an organised security protocol. Today both the medical fraternity and the nation are victims, the IMA stated. With over a million doctors joining the strike, medical services have been paralysed across India. The nationwide strike Doctors across India are staging a series of impactful strikes. In Bengaluru, over 1,000 doctors gathered at the IMA office leading to a complete shutdown of outpatient services throughout Karnataka. IMA Karnataka unit president Srinivasa S told PTI that all branches in the state are closed, with no OPD services available. Meanwhile, the Karnataka government on Friday suspended the leaves of the medical officers and surgeons of government hospitals. VIDEO | Kolkata doctor rape and murder case: Doctors hold a protest rally in Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar, demanding justice for trainee doctor victim. (Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvqRQz)#KolkataDoctorDeath #KolkataDoctorCase #Doctors_on_strike pic.twitter.com/NgHHa6gVLJ Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 17, 2024 Advertisement In Goa, Dr Sandesh Chodankar reported that all members are striking for 24 hours, except in critical emergency wards. The protests have also spread to West Bengal, Maharashtra, Assam, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, and Karnataka, causing significant disruptions to healthcare services. After a nation wide strike request from @FordaIndia we at PGIMS organised a symbolic protest for 2 hours for the justice of our fallen soldier in Kolkata, West Bengal. I request all the journalists to look into this horrible rape case and please support the doctors and educate pic.twitter.com/AZovnwCPLj The Cancer Doctor (@DoctorHussain96) August 12, 2024 Advertisement A patient in Siliguri expressed told The Times of India: I came for a check-up and was told to return on Tuesday. We hope hospitals resume normal operations soon so we can get the treatment we need." As the strike unfolds, doctors are voicing several key demands to the government. **What are their demands? ** The Indian Medical Association (IMA), with a membership of 350,000 doctors, has outlined five key demands focused primarily on the safety of medical professionals. Firstly, they are calling for a central law to address violence against healthcare workers and ensure their safety. Advertisement They want the 2023 amendments to the Epidemic Diseases Act of 1897 incorporated into the proposed Hospital Protection Bill of 2019. This would strengthen protections across 25 states, with the IMA suggesting that an ordinance similar to those used during the COVID-19 pandemic could be effective. Secondly, the IMA demands substantial improvements in the working and living conditions for resident doctors. They highlighted issues such as 36-hour shifts and inadequate rest areas, which contributed to the tragedy at RG Kar Hospital. Dr R V Asokan told PTI, This resident doctor (the Kolkata victim) was on duty for 36 straight hours. Is this correct? For how many hours do you want a doctor to be on duty? It will be humanly possible for eight hours or 12 hours, but to deploy a doctor for 36 hours? Mistakes are bound to happen. It is neither good for the patients nor for the doctors." Advertisement Also read: 1 in 4 MBBS students suffer from mental disorders in India: What NMCs worrying survey on medicos reveal Thirdly, the IMA proposes upgrading hospital security to meet airport standards. Asokan explained, Airports are safe zones with a three-layer security, so at least in major hospitals, there has to be a security protocol and they should be declared as safe zones as that will entitle them to a mandatory security protocol. This includes installing CCTVs and deploying security personnel. Junior doctors, trainee doctors and medical students protest against the sexual assault and killing of a postgraduate trainee doctor, in Kolkata. PTI Fourth, the IMA is seeking fair and dignified compensation for the victims family, reflecting the gravity of the crime. Finally, they demand a thorough investigation, timely prosecution, and appropriate punishment for the culprits involved, as well as the identification and punishment of those responsible for vandalising RG Kar Hospital on the night of August 14. How has the government responded? In response to concerns raised by the Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA), the IMA, and the Resident Doctors Associations of Government Medical Colleges & Hospitals in Delhi, the Union Health Ministry convened a meeting with representatives from both sides on Saturday. In a statement, the Health Ministry said, The Associations have put forth their demands regarding their concern over the safety and security of healthcare workers at the workplace. The Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has heard the demands of the representatives and assured them of all possible efforts to ensure the security of healthcare professionals. It added, It was observed that 26 States have already passed legislation for protection of healthcare workers in their respective states. In view of the concerns expressed by the Associations, the Ministry assured them of constituting a Committee to suggest all such possible measures for ensuring the safety of healthcare professionals. Representatives of all stakeholders including the State Governments will be invited to share their suggestions with the Committee. Further, the ministry requested the agitating doctors to resume their duties in the larger public interest and in view of the rising cases of Dengue and Malaria. With input from agencies Two days after the World Health Organization (WHO) classified mpox as a global health emergency due to a surge in cases in Africa and Europe, India is ramping up its preparedness to handle a potential outbreak. High-level meetings are in full swing, and fresh guidelines have been rapidly issued to prevent the virus from spreading. Heres how India is preparing its front against the virus read more The latest reported mpox case in India was in March this year, originating from Kerala, PTI reported citing health ministry sources. File Image/AFP Two days after the World Health Organization (WHO) classified mpox as a global health emergency due to a surge in cases in Africa and Europe, India is pulling out all the stops to thwart the virus. In response to the WHOs alert, both central and state governments have sprung into action. High-level meetings are in full swing, and fresh guidelines have been rapidly issued to prevent the virus from spreading. This Saturday, Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda will lead a crucial meeting with officials from the Ministry of Health, the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to scrutinise the situation and reinforce precautionary measures. Advertisement As WHO sounded a global alert, is India at risk of viral outbreak? Heres a look at how India is gearing up to stand firm against the virus Has India seen mpox cases before? Indias history with mpox began with its first recorded case in Kerala in 2022, when a traveller from the UAE tested positive for the virus. Soon after, the virus spread within the country, with cases emerging in Delhi among individuals who had no recent international travel. Mpox, is a zoonotic infection that has two main clades: clade I, which is more severe, and less deadly clade II, which was responsible for the global outbreak in 2022. That year, India reported 27 confirmed cases and one death, according to WHO data. By July 24 of the previous year, the total number of confirmed cases had reached 31, with 12 in Kerala and 15 in Delhi. The latest reported case in India was in March this year, originating from Kerala, PTI reported citing health ministry sources. So far, India has not recorded any new mpox cases amid the current global spread that has so far affected over 100 countries. However, Professor Dimie Ogoina, Chair of the IHR Emergency Committee, emphasised to The Indian Express, The current upsurge of mpox in parts of Africa, along with the spread of a new sexually transmissible strain of the 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, he said. What measures India is taking this time? In response to the global mpox situation, India is enhancing its preventive measures. The health ministry is set to issue advisories to major entry points such as airports and seaports, instructing them to stay vigilant and manage suspected cases effectively. Advertisement In Tamil Nadu, the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine (DPH) has already heightened alert levels. Airport Health Officers and Port Health Officers are focusing on passengers arriving from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Central African countries. Both Hyderabad and New Delhi cities that are popular among African students pursuing higher education have also been placed on heightened alert. Director of Public Health TS Selvavinayagam has directed District Health Officers and health officers in Chennai, Tiruchi, Madurai, and Coimbatore to familiarise themselves with mpox symptoms, conduct strict thermal screenings, and verify travel histories for the past 21 days, The Hindu reported. Advertisement Meanwhile, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has been conducting a serosurvey since last year to assess mpox exposure among high-risk populations in India, a scientist familiar with the matter told Livemint. Smallpox vaccine to prevent mpox? While there are no vaccines specifically targeting mpox, existing vaccines for smallpox and chickenpox might offer protection in India. According to Dr. Satish Koul, Senior Director of Internal Medicine at Fortis Memorial Research Institute in Gurugram, these vaccines could be effective against mpox because smallpox and mpox viruses are closely related, he told the Business Standard. Heres the science behind it: Vaccines that combat mpox rely on cross-reactivity, a phenomenon where the immune system recognizes different viruses as similar due to their structural likeness. For instance, if someone has been vaccinated against smallpox, their antibodies can also help fend off mpox because both viruses belong to the same genus. Advertisement A health worker takes a sample at the Mpox treatment centre of the Nyiragongo general referral hospital, north of the town of Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo. File Image. AFP In India, children receive the varicella vaccine against chickenpox between 12 and 15 months, with a booster shot given between ages four and six. Also, Those vaccinated for smallpox are immune to mpox, so people over 44 are protected, Dr. Ishwar Gilada, President of the AIDS Society of India told The Indian Express, stressing that the countrys strength in vaccine production should be positively exploited. Following the isolation of the first monkeypox strain by ICMR researchers in 2022, there has been a call for pharmaceutical companies and diagnostic kit manufacturers to develop vaccines and testing kits for the virus. Serum Institute of India is working on an mpox vaccine, a scientist informed Livemint. Advertisement Is there a threat? The current mpox outbreak has resulted in 27,000 cases and over 1,100 deaths since January 2023, predominantly affecting children. On August 15, global health officials confirmed the presence of a new strain of mpox in Sweden, marking its first spread outside Africa. Consequently, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has raised the risk level for mpox from low to moderate. Tensions are mounting in India as three cases of the mpox virus have been reported in Pakistans Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan. However, experts indicate that the risk of a significant surge in mpox infections in India remains low. At the moment, the risk of a surge in monkeypox infection is very low in India, and there is no need to panic, a source told PTI. Echoing this sentiment, a scientist at the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune told Livemint, The new mpox strain found in eastern Congo is not present in India right now. We have monkeypox advisories in place and are taking public health measures. There is nothing to panic about at this stage. The ICMR is closely monitoring the situation and reviewing international trends. With input from agencies The rape and murder of a 31-year-old junior doctor in Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College and Hospital has triggered protests across the country. It has also snowballed into a political battle between the TMC and BJP. Heres this and more in our weekly roundup of the news from India read more Members of Maharashtra State Association of Residential Doctors (Central-MARD) stage a protest demanding justice for the woman doctor who was allegedly raped and murdered at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, at BJ Medical College in Pune. PTI This week India celebrated its 77th year of Independence. From the ramparts of Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered his 11th consecutive Independence Day speech on August 15. But this week also saw an outrage and an anger from the countrys medical professionals over the brutal rape and murder of a junior doctor at Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Apart from this, the country also saw the reprisal of the Hindenburg-Adani saga, with the US-based research firm levelling accusations that chairperson of the market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), Madhabi Puri Buchh, had a conflict of interest in the Adani matter due to previous investments. Advertisement The country welcomed back its Olympian medallists too this week, with Prime Minister Modi felicitating them on their success at the Paris Games. Heres all this and much more in our weekly wrap from India. 1) Last weekend, came the horrific news of a 31-year-old trainee doctor being raped and murdered in the wee hours inside RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. Later, the police arrested an accused, who is a civil volunteer, for the crime. However, autopsy and post-mortem investigations showed an abnormal amount of semen in the victims body. This finding led to the suggestion that the 31-year-old may have been gang-raped. Why? Read here to find out. Doctors and students protest against the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, in Kolkata. PTI 2) Since news broke of the rape of the 31-year-old trainee doctor at the RG Kar Medical College, junior doctors across the country have gone on strike, impacting patients, protesting the horrendous crime and the lack of safety measures for doctors at their workplace. However, the matter, has also spawned a political battle between the three main parties Trinamool Congress, BJP and Communist Party of India (Marxist) in the state of West Bengal. We explain how. 3) On Thursday (August 15), India celebrated its 78th Independence Day with much vigour and enthusiasm. The day began with PM Modi addressing the nation from New Delhis Red Fort for a record 98 minutes. Without making a mention of the Kolkata rape, he spoke about the prevalent outrage in the country over crimes against women. He also emphasised the need for speedy investigation and punishment to restore public trust. What else did the PM speak about in his record-breaking speech? Our explainer tells you all. Advertisement ISROs Small Satellite Launch Vehicle-03 (SSLV-D3) carrying Earth Observation Satellite (EOS-08) leaves a trail of smoke after it lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. PTI 4) On the topic of Modis Independence Day speech, the PM also highlighted how the countrys space sector is opening up new future for us. And that became even more evident on August 16 with the Indian Space Research Organisations (ISRO) successful launch of the Earth Observation Satellite (EOS-08) aboard the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV-D3). Why is this mission special? What is the significance of this launch? We explain it here. 5) Away from the news of Independence Day and the RG Kar rape horror, the country also saw the Adani-Hindenburg saga 2.0. The US-based investor-activist firm made headlines when it released a report that claimed that the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) chief Madhubi Puri Buch and her husband Dhaval Buch had investments since 2015 in offshore firms owned by Vinod Adani, Gautam Adanis brother. Hindenburg called this a conflict of interest as Sebi was tasked with investigating Gautam Adanis conglomerate on previous allegations of wrongdoing and stock price manipulation. What followed were claims and counter-claims. This explainer tells you all. Advertisement 6) The 2024 Olympic Games are over and India came in 71st with six medals five bronze and one silver. The medallists returned to the country amid much fanfare and celebrations. Most of them have also been handed hefty financial bonuses from the Centre and the state governments, thanking them for their performance. But are these cash prizes taxed? We explain. The entrance to IIM-Ahmedabad. File image/PTI 7) Planning on doing an MBA? Then this is something that may interest you. Indias top business school graduates are in for a tough time. Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) have seen a slow placement season this year, with median pay for freshers stagnating. At IIM-Kozhikode, the median salary remained Rs 27 lakh, unchanged from the previous year. IIM-Lucknow saw a drop in median pay from Rs 30 lakh in 2023 to Rs 27 lakh for the 2024 batch. However, these institutes have raised fees for future students, citing rising costs. Heres whats happening at these top-notch schools and how its affecting the youth. Advertisement Thats all for this week. Your Saturday reading list is ready. And if youd like to delve deep into the news with us, you can come back for more explainers here. A US court has ruled that Tahawwur Rana, a former Pakistan army doctor, is eligible for extradition to India under the treaty between the two countries. India has sought his extradition to face trial for his role in the 26/11 terrorist attacks in Mumbai read more US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that Tahawwur Rana is eligible for extradition under the treaty between the two countries. ANI In a significant breakthrough for justice, Tahawwur Rana, a key accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, is now on the brink of extradition from the United States to India. On August 15, the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that Rana is eligible for extradition under the treaty between the two countries. The ruling followed an appeal by Rana, with a three-judge panel upholding a California district courts rejection of his habeas corpus petition, which challenged the magistrate judges certification for his extradition to India. Advertisement The court has confirmed that India had provided sufficient evidence to support the magistrate judges finding of probable cause for Ranas involvement in one of the deadliest terror attacks in Mumbai, which resulted in 166 deaths and over 300 injuries. However, he still has the option to appeal the decision. But who is Rana and how did he help in orchestrating the 26/11 attacks? Lets take a closer look Who is Tahawwur Rana? Tahawwur Rana, now 63, studied at the Hasan Abdal Cadet School in Pakistan, where he became friends with David Headley, also known as Daood Gilani, a US citizen who was born to an American mother and a Pakistani father who was later convicted of planning the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. After serving as a doctor in the Pakistani Army for a brief period, Rana moved to Canada in 1997, establishing himself as a businessman specialising in immigration services, and eventually gaining Canadian citizenship. Rana founded First World Immigration Services, a consultancy with offices in Chicago and other locations. According to investigations, the Mumbai branch of this business provided Headley with the perfect cover to identify and survey potential targets for the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) to carry out the attacks. Rana had a childhood friend David Headley, aka Daood Gilani who was later convicted of planning the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. PTI On November 26, 2008, 10 LeT terrorists unleashed terror in Mumbai, targeting prominent sites in the heart of the city such as the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Taj Mahal Hotel, Nariman House, and Cama and Albless Hospital. The horrific attack claimed the lives of 166 people, including six Americans. Advertisement In October 2009, American authorities arrested Rana at Chicagos OHare airport on charges related to the 26/11 attacks. Based on Headleys testimony, Rana was sentenced to 14 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Additionally, in 2011, he was convicted in Chicago for supporting a plot to attack the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, which had published cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in 2005. Dubbed the Mickey Mouse Project by al-Qaeda, the plan was never executed. How is Rana linked to 26/11 attacks? After his arrest, Tahawwur Rana admitted to knowing that Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) was a terrorist organization and that his childhood friend David Headley had attended their training camps in Pakistan. According to a US document, in late 2005, Headley received instructions from LeT to travel to India and conduct surveillance. In early 2006, Headley, along with two LeT members, discussed opening an immigration office in Mumbai as a cover for his activities. Advertisement US authorities have stated that Headley informed Rana of the assignment, and they decided to use Ranas First World Immigration Services office as a cover. Rana then directed an individual associated with First World to prepare documents supporting Headleys cover story and advised Headley on how to obtain a visa for travel to India, according to Headleys testimony, as well as corroborating emails and other documents. Before the Mumbai attacks, Rana reportedly helped Headley obtain a multiple-entry business visa to India through Raymond Sanders, who ran an immigration law center in Chicago and also provided financial support. He paid Headley $500 (around 41,937) in September 2006, 67,605 in October 2006, 17,636 in November and $1,000 (83,875) in December 2006. Advertisement On November 26, 2008, 10 armed terrorists belonging to Lashkar-e-Taiba sailed to Mumbai unleashing one of the most brutal attacks in the history of India. FILE/Reuters During a cross-examination before a special court in Mumbai in March 2016, Headley informed the court that he had visited the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre to recruit people for the attacks upon instructions from Major Iqbal of Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and that Rana knew about this. He was also aware of the specifics of the attacks on the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, having discussed attack targets with Headley in great detail. Rana is wanted by the National Investigative Agency and has been charged with criminal conspiracy, waging or attempting to wage war against the Government of India, murder, forgery for the purpose of cheating, and other crimes. Advertisement Ranas extradition On December 4, 2019, India submitted a diplomatic note to the US to extradite Tahawwur Rana. Following this, on June 10, 2020, India filed a complaint seeking Ranas provisional arrest with a view towards extradition. The Biden Administration supported and approved the extradition, reinforcing the long-standing bilateral Extradition Treaty between India and the US, signed in 1997. Rana was re-arrested in the US in June 2020 after Indias extradition request. Previously, he had been in federal custody in Chicago since October 18, 2008, on charges related to an attack planned in Denmark. He was briefly released in 2020 on compassionate grounds after testing positive for COVID-19. Judge Jacqueline Chooljian, Magistrate Judge of the US District Court Central District of California, approved Indias extradition request in a 48-page order dated May 16, 2023. Rana had argued that the US extradition treaty with India protected him from extradition due to its Non Bis in Idem (double jeopardy) provision. He also claimed that India did not provide sufficient evidence to demonstrate probable cause for the crimes charged. Judge Jacqueline Chooljian, Magistrate Judge of the US District Court Central District of California, approved Indias extradition request for Rana in a 48-page order dated May 16, 2023. Image for Representation. Pixabay In his appeal, Rana contended that he couldnt be extradited based on conduct for which he was acquitted in the US, asserting that the term offence refers to underlying acts. However, the US government argued that offence refers to a charged crime and requires an analysis of each crimes elements. Thus, according to the government, the Treaty permits Ranas extradition because the Indian charges contain distinct elements from the crimes for which he was acquitted in the United States. Rana, however, still has the option to appeal against this ruling, meaning he has not exhausted all legal avenues to prevent his extradition to India. With input from agencies Regime change in Dhaka took New Delhi by surprise like it did recently in Kabul, Male, and even Nepal. The impromptu Army-backed ouster of the five-time Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, daughter of the founding father of Bangladesh, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rehman of the Awami League, has been variously described as Second Independence, Third Revolution, Redux Nepal 2006, and so on. The revolt was student-driven, and student leaders are now guiding ministries of the caretaker administration. Sheikh Hasina, who had turned authoritarian and lost touch with the people, has been given temporary asylum in New Delhi. This is an evolving situation and will have a considerable strategic impact on India-Bangladesh relations. Advertisement While the Awami League has ruled in three spells from 1972 to 1975, 1996 to 2001, and 2009 to 2024, Gen Zia ur Rehman, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), was in power from 1975 to 1981 when Gen Mohammad Ershad, creator of the Jatiyo Party, led a countercoup against Gen Rehman in 1982, declaring Bangladesh an Islamic state and ruling till 1991. In 2007, to counter countrywide violence by BNP ally Jamaat-e-Islami against the Awami League, Gen Mooen Ahmed seized power in 2007 and presided over a caretaker government to conduct elections in 2009. All Generals were Army chiefs, so these were top-down coups. In 2007, the UN decided to curtail the award of UN peacekeeping missions to the Bangladesh Army to force it to return to the democratic path. The fear of losing the very lucrative and prestigious UN Peacekeeping assignments has proved a serious deterrent to the Army from challenging governance and rule of law. Civil-military relations were stable, with the Army marking its red lines. Almost like in Pakistan, the Bangladesh Army has ruled for nearly one-third of its 53 years of existence. The first generation of Army officers was a mix of Bengali officers repatriated after 1971 from Pakistan and those who had fought the liberation war of 1971 along with Mukti Bahini. After the 1971 war, following the surrender ceremony in the north east of Bangladesh, Maj Gen Nazir Husain Shah, GoC Pakistan 16 Infantry Division, in a conversation with my commanding officer, Lt Col FN Bilimoria 2/5 GR (FF), which I secretly recorded on a Hitachi transistor, told him in response to a question on the future of the war-ravaged nation: There will be no Bangladesh.It will be a Disturbed-desh. Advertisement In the long one-hour monologue, he observed, You have taken care of the refugees, and God has rewarded you with victory. He said, Aap ne khuda ka khauf kiya hai. The officers from the division were treated to lunch in our officers mess, and soldiers were treated to Bara Khana. The officers wrote in the visitors book, Thanks for the meal. But one day we will take revenge. The revenge for India creating and helping Mukti Bahini was in the raising and unleashing of jihadist terrorist groups ravaging Jammu and Kashmir. A Bangladeshi journalist I spoke to after the present fourth, this one a soft coup detat, said: The first revolt and liberation war was never completed as nearly 30 per cent of Bangladeshis did not accept independence. Bengali Muslims have not been able to determine the nature of the Islam they wish to follow and define identity of state: secular or Islamic. Advertisement The Awami League obsession with the legacy of the liberation war and building cult of Sheikh Mujib was principally Hasinas own, not shared by some in the current generation of youth countrywide born after the year 2000. They did not favour the institutionalised and privileged treatment of the progeny of families of Mukti Jodhas from Mukti Bahinithe job quota for them. Hasina allegedly called students Razakaars; that became the worst pejorative that inflamed the movement. In addition, the BNP was always less enthusiastic about commemorating the Indian-aided liberation war, especially its ally the banned Jamat-e-Islami and other Islamists opposed to the Awami League. The Accountability Process begun by the Awami League was set up in 2010, and the International War Crimes Tribunal was institutionalised in 2014 to provide justice to the perpetrators of war crimes. Anthony Masceranhas, the Sunday Times reporter in Pakistan, noted that during the Pakistan crackdown, 300,000 to 500,000 Bangladeshis had been killed (and an estimated 50,000 women raped). The main accused consisted of Al Badr, a Bengali militia, Razakars, members of the JeI, and military officers involved in the assassination of Sheikh Mujib and 40 members of his family. A number of accused have been awarded the death sentence in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal. Ironically, it is now going to investigate Sheikh Hasinas culpability in the killings of students during the recent protests. The UN is also slated to probe human rights violations during the protests. Advertisement The Centre for Study of Genocide and Justice in the Liberation War Museum has maintained the record for all cases. The dispensation of justice to the accused did not please Pakistan and the opposition parties in Bangladesh, as did the release of 195 Pakistani PoWs incriminated in genocide who were repatriated to Pakistan. Indias liberation war connection with Bangladesh has grown immensely and is a stellar achievement of Hasina. Its likely derecognition will be a big blow to India-Bangladesh relations. Both Delhi and Kolkata, on 17 December annually, hold special ceremonies to recall the sacrifices of those who fell during the liberation war. Later this year, Prime Ministers Modi and Hasina were to inaugurate the war memorial constructed to honour the 1,670 Indian bravehearts in the liberation war at Ashuganj in southern Bangladesh. Advertisement The longevity of the caretaker regime is unknown. Foreign policy advisor in Caretaker Administration Touhid Hossein said the picture will be more clear on this by next month. In 2007, the Army announced the caretaker government would last two months but continued for two years. During Hasinas last 15 years of rule, India-Bangladesh relations developed phenomenally in trade, connectivity, people-to-people and especially defence relations. The de facto student rule gives no pointers to the direction or ideology of this administration. Besides Hasinas authoritarian hand, the crux of the crisis was economic decline following COVID-19, like in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh may default, and then who knows? Consequently, the economic logic suggests that bilateral relations could return to a new normal, but for having put all its eggs in Hasinas basket, India should be prepared for an adverse contingency. A disturbed Bangladesh that straddles Indias eastern flank bordering five Indian statesWest Bengal, Meghalaya, Assam, Mizoram, and Tripuraand Myanmar can pose serious challenges. Given the turmoil in Myanmar along India and Bangladesh borders, regime change in Thailand, continuing unrest in Manipur, and the unsettled issue of the Naga accord, China (and Pakistan) is well-poised to fish in troubled waters. The unfinished Doklam issue in Bhutan between India and China will revive the threat to the Siliguri Corridor. A destabilised Bangladesh may unhinge BIMSTEC, the regional grouping in the Bay of Bengal and the apparent alternative to SAARC. The overall instability in Indias northeast region will further debilitate Indias Neighbourhood First and Act East policies. The author is former GOC IPKF South Sri Lanka and founder member Defence Planning Staff, now Integrated Defence Staff, Ministry of Defence. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. The cultural and religious acceptability of child rape in the form of marriage is a shame on society; it shows the discrimination, disempowerment, and patriarchal mindset that our children are faced with, says child-rights activist Bhuwan Ribhu in his interview with Firstpost read more As per UNICEF, India has made remarkable progress towards ending child marriage, though it remains home to the largest number of child brides worldwide. Image cropped from Bhuwan Ribhu's book 'When Children Have Children' Even after 77 years of independence, India is yet to become free from child marriage, resulting in child rape, pregnancy, and deaths eventually. According to the World Health Organisation, complications due to pregnancy and childbirth are the second biggest cause of death for women in the age range of 1519 years globally. Adolescent mothers face higher risks of eclampsia, puerperal endometritis, and systemic infections as compared to women in the age group of 2024 years. Advertisement As per several scholarly articles, pregnancy and childbirth complications are among the leading causes of death of girls in India aged between 15 and 19 years of age. Even conservative estimates suggest 310 girls in India below the age of 18 are married off every minute. Lack of proper mechanisms and legal awareness results in the overlooking of the sexual abuse of girls particularly in the age group of 1218 years of age. As per UNICEF, as of 2023, India has made remarkable progress towards ending child marriage, though it remains home to the largest number of child brides worldwide. One in three of the worlds child brides live in India. Over half of the girls and women in India who married in childhood live in five states: Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh is home to the largest number. Nearly 23 per cent of young women in India were married or went into union before their 18th birthday. At least 40 per cent of young women were married before turning 18 in West Bengal, Bihar, and Tripura. Financial conditions and family background gravely affect child marriagesgirls living in rural areas or coming from poorer households are at greater risk, and a higher proportion of child brides are found among those with little or no educationcases of children being sold off in the name of marriage are also prevalent. Such cases also deny the opportunity for these girls to self-develop themselves and mar their means to earn a respectable livelihood, if required someday, caging them into the bond of lifelong slavery. Fewer than two out of 10 married girls remain in school. Goal 5 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) demands the end of child marriages by 2030, but as per the UNICEF 2023 report, if current trends continue, it will take the world more than 300 years to end child marriages. Also, child marriages affect the achievement of at least 9 of the 17 SDGs. Advertisement Now, as PM Narendra Modi in his 11th Independence Day speech calls for a secular Uniform Civil Code free from the discrimination on the basis of religion, it is the time India should have taken an all-out war against the menace of child marriage across the religions and the sects. In this regard, Bhuwan Ribhus book When Children Have Children deserves a special mention for bringing attention towards this silent tragedy that hardly catches our eyes but yet seeps beneath our feet. His experience as a child-right activist and the founder of Save the Childhood Foundation, India Child Protection (formerly India Child Protection Fund), Child Marriage Free India, and Just Rights for Children Alliance has allowed him to have a comprehensive outlook upon one of the greatest issues that affects our future. Here is a short interview of his with Firstpost. Advertisement When Children Have Children: Tipping point to end child marriage (Paperback) | Author: Bhuwan Ribhu Excerpts: The very title of your book is very hard hitting, but even more are the staggering facts. There is a great deal of sentimentalism in this read. To find a girl having her child on her back with least support for the survival of either of them would have been a tough sight for anyone. It would at times have been tough for you as well to manage your emotions; what were your reactions? Bhuwan Ribhu: When I first saw this child carrying another child, I was transfixed for a moment, having feelings of despair, love, and hope at the same time. Advertisement As I clicked her picture, she continued to walk. While she disappeared out of my sight, she did not leave my mind, as dozens of children have not. These girls and children are not just photos, case studies, or numbers. They are real lives with dreams and aspirations. For us, she may be just another child in the world. But for a child like her, what we choose to do may define and decide her entire world. I could not do anything to assist that child that day, but I worked to ensure education for the children of Nepal. And it was just coincidence that a few years later, as I was marching through Nepal demanding the Fundamental Right to Education, I happened to take a few photos of a happy and boisterous bunch of children who had joined the march. Advertisement A month later, while going through the photos I had taken during the march, I recognised a familiar face with a smile and twinkle in her eyes and a school bag on her shoulders. She was the same child who was now in school. I cannot say that it is easy, but the emotions that we feel when we look at these children have to translate into actions to assist them. The UN estimates that at least 12 million girls are married every year before they turn 18, with a third being from India. Still, this is a silent storm that is hardly heard; whats your take on it? Ribhu: The exploitation of children, especially in the form of marriage, has become so prevalent that society has somewhat become desensitised or has turned a blind eye to this crime. Most people are still astonished when they hear these numbers or stories of these children. While every minute, three girls are married off in India, merely three child marriage cases were registered across the nation, daily, in 2022, as per the National Crime Records Bureau data. People continue to live in the not me, not here, not now, not possible mindset. The cultural and religious acceptability of child rape in the form of marriage is a shame on society, and somewhere it also shows the discrimination, disempowerment, and patriarchal mindset that our children are faced with. Another factor contributing to the silence around child marriage is that in the absence of prosecution, people do not believe or accept child marriage as a crime. But moves such as the crackdown on child marriage by the Assam government are appreciable. Despite the governments efforts to boost the female enrolment ratio and ensure gender parity in nourishment and opportunities, do you think we somehow lag behind in developing a comprehensive strategy to counter childhood marriage and protect, particularly, girl children from the devastating fallouts of it? Is there more need for the government to collaborate? Ribhu: The world is gradually waking up to the scourge of child marriage. While India is leading the world in mass mobilisation and also in prosecutions, we must bolster our laws further. The attempt to marry a child should become a punishable offence. Trafficking for the purpose of marriage should be identified and included in the law as a separate offence under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Along with the strengthening of laws, we need political and societal will to eradicate this social evil and crime. If the government makes education free for all till 18 years, it will encourage parents to continue the schooling of girl children. Many families are compelled to discontinue the education of their daughters because they are unable to afford the school fee. A recent report by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in collaboration with WHO made a strong economic case for investment in the well-being of adolescents in India. The return on investment in areas such as adolescent health, education, and child marriage prevention is 1:33, according to this report. Multiple court decisions saying that personal laws allow child marriage have created a state of confusion regarding the implementation of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 (PCMA). A clear direction has to come from the Supreme Court of India stating that prosecution under PCMA is irrespective of religion or faith. Child welfare and protection committees at Gram Panchayat, block, and district levels can be activated to monitor the effective implementation of PCMA. Compulsory registration of all births and age verification at the time of marriage will prove helpful in curtailing the rate of child marriage. Do you think child marriage is just a diluted paraphrasing of mental and sexual exploitation of the child and, as such, misses our strictest attention? Ribhu: Children are not voters. They are dependent on adults for their well-being. It is more of our responsibility. Unfortunately, not enough attention is being given to child marriage because the perceptions and beliefs of adults are determining the future of these children. At present, these beliefs and ideas result in childrens mental and sexual exploitation. The celebration of a child marriage is an unfortunate celebration of an impending rape of a child. Further, the child is too young to realise the seriousness of the situation and how it is going to shape her future. By the time she is an adolescent, she is a mother, and when she understands how different her life is from that of her peers, it is too late. Worse, she has no support. This is why post-partum depression, suicidal thoughts, guilt, and loneliness are found as long-term consequences of adolescent pregnancies. Apart from mental abuse, the child also undergoes sexual abuse in marriage. The Supreme Court of India has ruled that sexual intercourse with a minor, even if done within marriage, is tantamount to rape. This is why in many child marriage cases, the perpetrator is arrested under both PCMA and the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO). This is precisely why India needs a policy against child marriage and a budgeted National Action Plan to implement the same. Your organisation, Child Marriage Free India, advocates child rights, which are closely linked to the economic status of the Indian families marrying off their kids early, either to have their burden of expenditure less or simply selling them off. How do you see India as a society addressing this issue? Ribhu: The society, represented by the state, needs to declare in one voice that our children are not for sale, and to ensure an India free from child marriage, which would, in turn, be a tipping point to create a child marriage-free world (India is home to one-third of the worlds child marriages). We also need behaviour change at scale. This may be achieved through awareness amongst parents brought about by our political leaders, cultural leaders, icons, and faith leaders, and also through the introduction of positive masculinity, laws, and child rights in the education curriculum. Mandatory reporting of child marriages by panchayats will further help in the reduction of child marriages. We ought to promote pledges against child marriage. A pledge is a promise by a person. Even if one among 100 people keeps to this promise, at least one child will be saved. I cant emphasise more the importance of prosecution here. Legal deterrent, especially in the ecosystem that promotes child marriage, is a must to combat this crime. Everyone directly or indirectly involved in solemnising a child marriage should be prosecuted. This includes pandit, maulana, priest, caterer, guests, transporter, and wedding card designers. In fact, a recent report by the India Child Protection research team conclusively established that there has been an 81 per cent reduction in child marriages in 21 districts of Assam where prosecutions were done. A staggering 99 per cent of respondents in the survey believed that prosecutions also contributed to increased awareness on child marriage. It is crucial for the government, corporate bodies, and civil society actors to collaborate to find solutions to fight child marriage. Childrens participation in village-level child protection committees should be enhanced to increase reporting and provide avenues for children to seek assistance. There ought to be mandatory reporting of child marriage cases at par with the crime of child sexual abuse. Lastly, please share about the idea behind conceptualising the PICKET strategy and how you think it is now the tipping point towards the end of child marriage. Ribhu: I believe that there is no point in continuing to talk about the problem without looking to address and solve it at scale. By looking at the government data, we analysed that only 257 districts account for over 23 per cent rate of child marriage (the national average of prevalence of child marriage in India). A total of 330 districts account for a rate of over 20 per cent of child marriage. By focussing all our strategies on these districts and ending child marriage in these districts, we can aim to reach the tipping point of less than six per cent prevalence rate in India. This would, in turn, have a cascading effect to end the impunity around child marriages across the nation. The PICKET strategy is a guide to reach this tipping point. The strategy requires that the governments, communities, civil society organisations, and adolescent girls vulnerable to child marriage work together on Policy, Investment, Convergence, Knowledge, Ecosystem and Technology. The PICKET strategy begins with the formulation and implementation of comprehensive policies for child protection that act as the pathway to justice for children. On one hand, policies should prevent child marriages. On the other hand, they should result in stern prosecution of perpetrators who were found involved in solemnising child marriages. The way court injunctions are used in Udaipur (Rajasthan) to prevent child marriages is an ideal example of making use of a provision existing in the law. These policies have to be supplemented with adequate investment at all levels. This includes creating and building capacity of institutions, investment in infrastructure facilities, and incentivisation. The recent announcement by the Assam government to provide financial assistance to girl students pursuing higher secondary and postgraduate degrees in government-run and aided institutions may prove instrumental in combating child marriage. The judiciary, police, enforcement agencies, and civil society have to converge to develop a child-centric community. It is a bottom-up approach. At-risk children should be constantly involved over extended periods of time in devising strategies to fight this menace because a lot of answers will come from them. If all the stakeholders are armed with the correct knowledge and aptitude to fight child marriage, we will surely see positive results. An ecosystem-level retaliation is required to change the societal perception, behaviour, and acceptance towards child marriage. In other words, multi-pronged intervention to create a society where child marriage does not thrive. Lastly, we can make optimum use of technology to extend support to girls at-risk of or affected by child marriage. For example, the Tamil Nadu government uses technology to monitor the attendance of school students. In many cases, it was discovered that the girl child stopped schooling as her marriage was scheduled. Therefore, the PICKET strategy is a blueprint to prioritise the end of child marriage, one of the gravest socially accepted crimes and depravities in the modern world. The views expressed above do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. Demanding the extradition of Sheikh Hasina will not be acceded to by India, which is set to become the third largest economy in the world. Even Bangladesh wont make it a prestige issue read more Sheikh Hasina was the elected head of the Bangladesh government, whereas the current government is nominated by the military. Her present refuge in India is based on a long history of good relations with India. Image: REUTERS While two or three murder, abduction, torture, genocide, etc, charges against Sheikh Hasina have sprouted since well after her ouster from power and safe passage to India, they hardly qualify as legal challenges. They do not, as they stand, hold up under universal burden of proof criteria. Or in terms of the much more pedestrian extradition treaty of 2013, between India and Bangladesh. Sheikh Hasina was deposed nearly a fortnight ago, on August 5, 2024. Advertisement Sheikh Hasina was air-lifted to India, along with her family, in Bangladesh military air transports. She was accompanied by an escort of Bangladesh military personnel, and set flight after permission was obtained via the Indian ambassador to Dhaka and Indias external affairs ministry. The Bangladeshi military personnel along with their aeroplane left the Hindon Airbase near the capital, after a day, leaving Sheikh Hasina and her family behind in India. The nature of Sheikh Hasinas departure from Bangladesh in a bloodless coup engineered by the Bangladesh military, suggests, as in other such circumstances, immunity from subsequent prosecution, probably in return for her immediate resignation. Sheikh Hasina was the elected head of the Bangladesh government, whereas the current government is nominated by the military. Her present refuge in India is based on a long history of good relations with India. However, she is here temporarily, and has not sought either asylum or political refugee status. Meanwhile, India is bracing for the possibility of a large influx of Bangladeshi Hindu refugees and other people from her Awami League Party that are facing hostility in Bangladesh. India is maintaining a vigil on the border and working with the current Bangladeshi government to stabilise the situation. India is already host to crores of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants that have arrived over the years. They have not been pushed back in the interest of good neighbourly relations with Sheikh Hasinas government. These include the dangerous and disruptive Rohingyas, originally from Myanmar. However, Indias attitude to harbouring all these Bangladeshi illegals could change, based on the behaviour and manifest attitude of the new government. Advertisement The murder and other charges against Sheikh Hasina were posted since her departure, mostly by affected citizens. All of them happened after she left the country, and could be interpreted as an afterthought. The Bangladeshi courts themselves are yet to admit any of these cases, let alone consider them. The erstwhile Chief Justice of Bangladesh was also ousted and replaced through the action of a revolutionary mob. The current judiciary will be struggling to maintain its autonomy in the presently charged atmosphere. The 2013 extradition treaty with Bangladesh was hardly designed to extradite former heads of state. It was a construct put together to apprehend mostly convicted criminals from India or Bangladesh who might have run away across the border. How often it has been used is another question, given the many illegals found in all parts of India including the national capital. These illegals work as domestic helpers, construction workers, and at other humble jobs. Unfortunately, they also contribute to a fifth column, from those that are radicalised, to the criminal, flesh and drug trading cohorts, and the terrorist/rioting element. They have been caught more than once engaged in such practices. Advertisement There was extensive arson, illegal destruction of government property and monuments, private property, mob-lynchings, before and after the fall of the Awami League government. Post the ouster, there was violence against Awami League personnel, and minorities, particularly Hindus who were said to be backing the Awami League. All this was largely unchecked by the Bangladesh security forces. These constitute human rights violations on the grand scale. The same sort of thing that the new mob accuses Sheikh Hasina and her people of. The interim government, cobbled together after Sheikh Hasinas departure, is unelected, inexperienced, and no deadline has been announced for fresh elections. Some reports indicate that this unelected government may continue for a prolonged period. Advertisement The head of the advisory government is 83-year-old Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel Laureate for his work with the Grameen Bank, a micro-lending institution. Yunus has come back from exile in Paris after differences with the Hasina government. He also faced a number of corruption charges. Does this largely advisory and de facto government, headed by Yunus and propped up by the Bangladesh Army, have the legitimate authority to conduct the affairs of state, let alone seek Sheikh Hasinas extradition? The de facto foreign minister Mohammed Touhid Hossain said on August 15, 2024, that his government would soon decide on the demand for Sheikh Hasinas extradition based on inputs from its home and law ministers. Advertisement The students, central to the quota stir, have already announced they will be forming a political party of their own, to get away from the bipolarity of the Awami League and the Islamist-backed BNP. So, this implies elections will be held eventually, or at least the students think so. Hindus still constitute about 8 per cent of Bangladeshs 170 million population, down from nearly 20 per cent in 1947. Their decline in numbers has been called a drip-drip genocide by a commentator. Muhammad Yunus has assured India and the community of their safety, amidst reports of blackmail and demands for extortion money to ensure their self-same safety. The Bangladesh economy which was doing well under Sheikh Hasina must be stabilised by the new government. The challenge is to not descend in chaos in the name of religious fundamentalism, or fall under the sway of foreign entities keen on dominating in Bangladesh. It is important for Bangladesh to maintain cordial relations with nuclear weaponised India next door for the sake of its very economy and security. It would be well advised not to do anything provocative vis-a-vis India at the instigation of foreign agencies. Demanding the extradition of Sheikh Hasina will not be acceded to by India, which is set to become the third largest economy in the world. India wont buckle to Bangladeshi pressure. Souring of relations with India may be music to Chinese and Pakistani ears, but is not in the best interests of Bangladesh itself. The writer is a Delhi-based political commentator. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. After Rana served seven years in prison for those convictions and upon his compassionate release, India issued a request for his extradition to try him for his alleged participation in the Mumbai attacks. read more In a major setback to Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman Tahawwur Rana, who is sought by India for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has ruled that he is extraditable to India under the extradition treaty between the two countries. The (India US Extradition) Treaty permits Ranas extradition, the court said in its ruling on August 15. Ruling on an appeal filed by Rana, a panel of judges of the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed the District Court in the Central District of Californias denial of his habeas corpus petition challenging a magistrate judges certification of his as extraditable to India for his alleged participation in terrorist attacks in Mumbai. Advertisement Under the limited scope of habeas review of an extradition order, the panel held that Ranas alleged offense fell within the terms of the extradition treaty between the United States and India, which included a Non Bis in Idem (double jeopardy) exception to extractability when the person sought has been convicted or acquitted in the Requested State for the offence for which extradition is requested. Relying on the plain text of the treaty, the State Departments technical analysis, and persuasive case law of other circuits, the panel held that the word offence refers to a charged crime, rather than underlying acts, and requires an analysis of the elements of each crime. The panel of three judges concluded that a co-conspirators plea agreement did not compel a different result. The panel held that the Non Bis in Idem exception did not apply because the Indian charges contained distinct elements from the crimes for which Rana was acquitted in the United States. In its ruling, the panel also held that India provided sufficient competent evidence to support the magistrate judges finding of probable cause that Rana committed the charged crimes. The three panel of judges were Milan D Smith, Bridget S Bade, and Sidney A Fitzwater. Rana, a Pakistani national, was tried in a US district court on charges related to his support for a terrorist organisation that carried out large scale terrorist attacks in Mumbai. Advertisement A jury convicted Rana of providing material support to a foreign terrorist organisation and conspiring to provide material support to a foiled plot to carry out terrorist attacks in Denmark. However, the jury acquitted Rana of conspiring to provide material support to terrorism related to the attacks in India. Before the magistrate judge who initially decided Ranas extraditability (the extradition court), Rana argued that the US extradition treaty with India protected him from extradition because of its Non Bis in Idem (double jeopardy) provision. He also argued that India did not provide sufficient evidence to demonstrate probable cause that he committed the charged crimes. Advertisement The extradition court rejected Ranas arguments and certified that he was extraditable. After Rana raised the same arguments in a habeas petition in district court (the habeas court), the habeas court affirmed the extradition courts findings of facts and conclusions of law. In his appeal, Rana argued that he cannot be extradited based on conduct for which he was acquitted in the United States because the word offence refers to underlying acts. The US government argued that offence refers to a charged crime and requires an analysis of the elements of each charged crime. Thus, according to the government, the Treaty permits Ranas extradition because the Indian charges contain distinct elements from the crimes for which he was acquitted in the United States. Judge Smith said that the Treatys plain terms, the post-ratification understanding of the signatories, and persuasive precedent all support the governments interpretation. Advertisement Rana argued, however, that, based on the governments interpretation of the Treaty in Headleys plea agreement, we should judicially estop the government from advocating for its current interpretation of the Treaty. We decline to do so, Judge Smith said. Because the parties do not dispute that the crimes charged in India have elements independent from those under which Rana was prosecuted in the United States, the Treaty permits Ranas extradition, Judge Smith said. Rana has the option of appealing against this ruling. He still has not run out of all the legal options to prevent his extradition to India. Nepals Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba is set to embark on a five-day visit to India starting August 18, aiming to deepen bilateral relations between the two countries. During her stay, Deuba will engage in significant talks with Indias External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, focusing on strengthening diplomatic and economic ties. This visit follows a recent diplomatic trip by Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri to Kathmandu read more Nepals Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba is scheduled to visit India from August 18 to 22 in an important diplomatic engagement between the two neighboring countries. This visit will involve key discussions with Indias External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and aims to explore opportunities for enhancing bilateral relations. Here are the 7 key details about Deubas five-day trip and the topics likely to be on the agenda. 1. Nepals Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba will be in India from August 18 to 22 for a five-day official visit. Advertisement 2. Deuba is scheduled to hold in-depth discussions with Indias External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, on Monday. 3. The visit follows a recent trip to Kathmandu by Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, indicating ongoing diplomatic engagement between the two countries. 4. The meetings will focus on exploring ways to enhance and expand the bilateral relationship between Nepal and India. 5. The visit highlights the longstanding Roti Beti relationship, reflecting the close and historically significant ties between the two nations. 6. Nepal, which shares a border of over 1,850 km with five Indian states, plays a crucial role in Indias regional strategic interests. 7. As a landlocked country, Nepal relies heavily on India for the transportation of goods and services, making this visit significant for economic discussions. 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 read more People of Maungdaw township of Myanmar are seen from the Teknaf area of Bangladesh, at the Myanmar-Bangladesh border, during the ongoing conflict in the Rakhine state of Myanmar, in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. File imahe/ 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. Advertisement 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 groups 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. Advertisement 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 nations 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. Advertisement 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, Bangladeshs 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. Advertisement 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. Looking at the colleagues rushing in, the intruder tried to run away but was eventually caught by the hotel staff. As per the report, the air hostess who was dazed after the incident suffered bruises and was taken to hospital read more Chaos ensued after an Air India hostess was assaulted by an intruder at a London hotel room earlier this week. According to The Times of India, a major tragedy was averted after the air hostesss cries for help reached her colleagues in adjacent rooms and they quickly rushed to rescue the victim. Looking at the colleagues rushing in, the intruder tried to run away but was eventually caught by the hotel staff. As per the report, the air hostess who was dazed after the incident suffered bruises and was taken to hospital. Advertisement The officials working for the Indian airlines assured that the woman is now back in India where she is being counselled. The incident took place after midnight at Radisson Hotel London Heathrow. The crew member was sleeping when an intruder attacked her in her room around 1.30 am. Startled, she woke up and screamed for help. He attacked her with a clothes hanger and dragged her on the floor as she tried to escape towards the door, a source close to the matter told TOI. She was badly bruised and the intruder tried to escape. The police were called in and she was taken to a hospital. She could not fly back on duty and a friend from the crew stayed back with her, the source furthered. The intruder was arrested and the matter is now under investigation. Air India confirms the news A spokesperson for Air India confirmed the news on Saturday in a statement which was obtained by The Times of India. We are deeply anguished by an unlawful incident of intrusion at a hotel, operated by a major international chain, that affected one of our crew members. We are providing all possible support to our colleague and their broader team, including professional counselling. Air India is also working with the local police to pursue the matter to the fullest extent of the law, and with the hotel management to ensure such incidents are not repeated," the statement obtained by the newspaper reads. Advertisement The airline requested to respect the privacy of those involved in the incident and insisted that it accords foremost priority to the safety, security and wellbeing of our crew and staff members. The former minister, Anderson Torres, was accused of political violence alongside the ex-chief of Brazils Federal Highway Police, Silvinei Vasques, and four other people, according to one of the sources. read more Brazil's former Minister of Justice and Public Security Anderson Torres walks on the day of a news conference at Headquarters of the Federal Highway Police in Brasilia, Brazil, Brazil. File image/ Reuters Brazils federal police formally accused the countrys former justice minister, who served under ex-President Jair Bolsonaro, of acting to block voters in an opposition stronghold from reaching polling stations in the 2022 presidential election, two sources told Reuters on Friday. The former minister, Anderson Torres, was accused of political violence alongside the ex-chief of Brazils Federal Highway Police, Silvinei Vasques, and four other people, according to one of the sources. Local news outlet g1 reported the political violence charges earlier on Friday. Advertisement Context President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva won the 2022 election in a tight runoff against far-right incumbent Bolsonaro. On the day of the runoff, there were widespread allegations that Brazils Federal Highway Police illegally blocked roads in the countrys poor northeast, a historic bastion of Lula support. The allegations sparked fears of potential voter suppression that could benefit Bolsonaro. Why its important The charges are the latest response to alleged efforts to impede the transfer of power both before and after the 2022 vote. After the election, both Torres and Vasques were jailed for alleged roles in an attack on the Supreme Court, Congress and presidential palace by a right-wing crowd protesting the election result. Bolsonaro was banned from holding office until 2030 for spreading election falsehoods. The response Torres legal defense said it will not comment until it gains access to the police decision. Vasques legal defense said its not concerned by the accusation, adding that Vasques case does not fit in the law that police are accusing him of breaking. The increase in youth unemployment is occurring alongside broader economic difficulties in China. The countrys heavily indebted property sector continues to weigh on the economy, while trade tensions with the West exacerbate uncertainties read more The unemployment rate among 16- to 24-year-old Chinese people, excluding students, was 17.1 percent in July. Image used for representative purpose/Reuters Chinas youth unemployment rate climbed to 17.1 percent in July, according to official data, marking the highest level recorded this year. The figure represents a significant increase from Junes revised rate of 13.2 percent among 16- to 24-year-olds, a demographic that no longer includes students following Beijings adjustments to its unemployment calculations. This surge in youth joblessness adds to the growing list of economic challenges facing the worlds second-largest economy. The youth unemployment rate had previously peaked at 21.3 percent in June of the previous year before Chinese authorities suspended the publication of the figures and subsequently altered their methodology. Advertisement The current numbers, although alarming, may not fully capture the extent of the issue, as they are based solely on urban data and exclude significant portions of the population. Wider economic struggles The increase in youth unemployment is occurring alongside broader economic difficulties in China. The countrys heavily indebted property sector continues to weigh on the economy, while trade tensions with the West exacerbate uncertainties. The overall unemployment rate in China stood at 5.2 percent in July, showing little change from the previous month. Among 25- to 29-year-olds, the jobless rate edged up slightly to 6.5 percent from 6.4 percent in June, further indicating the strain on Chinas labor market. Chinas post-pandemic recovery has been less robust than anticipated, despite the lifting of stringent Covid-19 restrictions more than a year and a half ago. Industrial production growth slowed in July, dampening hopes for a swift economic revival. These challenges, combined with rising unemployment, are eroding investor confidence and presenting new obstacles for Chinese policymakers. Government response In response to these growing concerns, Chinese leaders have emphasized the need to address youth unemployment as a top priority. President Xi Jinping highlighted the issue in May, urging swift action to mitigate the impact on the nations younger population. The problem is particularly acute as 11.8 million students graduated from university in June, intensifying competition for a limited number of available jobs. Advertisement The Chinese government has introduced a series of measures aimed at stimulating economic growth, including 20 new policies announced earlier this month focused on boosting domestic consumption. However, the efficacy of these initiatives remains uncertain, as the country grapples with persistent economic headwinds. As China confronts this rising tide of youth unemployment, the challenge of reinvigorating its economy becomes ever more pressing. The governments ability to implement effective solutions will be critical in determining the countrys economic trajectory in the coming months. With inputs from AFP This is the 26th time Chicago will be hosting the DNC. Interestingly, the first-ever US political convention was held in Chicago back in 1860. The 1968 and 1996 DNC were the last two conventions the city got the chance to host. So lets take a look at what makes these two DNC conventions so notable. read more As the stage is set for the 2024 DNC in chicago a look back at what happened the last two times the city hosted the convention. AP The stage is set for the 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC) where US Vice President Kamala Harris will be accepting the Democratic Party nomination for the upcoming presidential elections. What makes this years convention interesting is the fact that Chicago will be hosting it. The decision to host the event in Chicago, Illinois was announced in April this year, way before US President Joe Biden ended his re-election bid and endorsed his second-in-command Kamala Harris. Advertisement The event, which will start on August 19 and will go on till August 22, is expected to give big political clout to Illinois Democrats, including Governor JB Pritzker. It is pertinent to note that this is the 26th time Chicago will be hosting the DNC. Interestingly, the first-ever US political convention was held in Chicago in 1860. Two of the most notable DNC conventions were hosted by Chicago as well. The 1968 and 1996 DNC were the last two conventions the city got the chance to host. So lets take a look at what makes these two DNC conventions so notable. What happened during the 1968 Democratic National Convention The run-up to the DNC and the chaos that followed Many easily get reminded of the doomed DNC convention with the phrase Chicago 68. Before 1968, Chicago was known for hosting the most presidential nominating conventions than any city in the United States. There had been nine Democratic conventions in the centrally located and convention-friendly city and - 14 Republican ones. However, neither of the two parties came back to Chicago, until 1996, when Democrats conducted the DNC that chose former president Bill Clinton as their nominee. There were tensions within the Democrats before the DNC week started. Amid growing protests against Americas involvement in the Vietnam War, the countrys then-president Lyndon B. Johnson announced that he wouldnt be running for a re-election bid. The decision came five months before the country was heading to polls, leaving the Democrats in complete panic. The country was also shaken by the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr and Robert Kennedy, who was running for the Democratic nomination. Advertisement The hot DNC week started with the fight on the first night. There was contention over which delegations should be seated from Texas and other states. The rest of the week, the party spent feuding over who would speak at the convention and of course who would be the presidential nominee. By the third and fourth nights, the fighting became so severe that even the Democratic lawmakers were engaged in pushing and shoving. New York delegates, later joined by delegates from New Hampshire, protested against the Vietnam War during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Aug. 28, 1968. Source: AP After heated exchanges, LBJs close ally Hubert Humphrey was nominated for the Democratic ticket on the final day of the convention. However, he eventually lost the November polls to then-Republican candidate Richard Nixon, who eventually became another controversial president. Advertisement What was happening outside Much of the fighting which was happening inside the convention was a reaction to the turbulent situation outside the International Amphitheater. On the third night of the DNC, thousands of anti-Vietnam war protesters forcefully marched towards the stately Conrad Hilton Hotel where the convention had its headquarters. The protesters clashed with the police and the chaos became known as the Battle of Michigan Avenue. In this Aug. 28, 1968, file photo, a demonstrator with his hands on his head is led by Chicago Police down Michigan Avenue during a confrontation with police and National Guardsmen who battled demonstrators near the Conrad Hilton Hotel, headquarters for the Democratic National Convention. During the convention, hundreds of demonstrators waged war with police and National Guardsmen on the streets of Chicago. Source: AP The activists were taken by surprise after they witnessed the US National Guardsmen with bayonets, protesters ripped from cars or beaten with police batons, and thick clouds of tear gas wafting through crowds of thousands. The clashes eventually led to the arrest of more than 600 protesters and over 100 were left injured. Not only this, 119 police officers were also injured in the clashes. Advertisement The root cause of all evil: Mayor Richard J. Daley Another major reason for the protests in the region was the dictatorial attitude of then-Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley. Having fought hard to host the convention in the city, Daley wanted to showcase to outsiders that everything was okay, but things were not okay. Just months before the DNC, Daley issued shoot to kill orders in the wake of riots after the assassination of Martin Luther King. During the convention, he ordered the Chicago police to work 12-hour shifts and pushed for thousands of fully armed National Guardsmen and the US Army against the protesters. 1968 file photo shows Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley at the podium during the first day of the Democratic National Convention. Source: AP What was more devastating was the fact that the whole carnage was broadcast live on television and demonstrators were seen chanting The world is watching. The clash between protesters and authorities eventually ended with the infamous trial of Chicago 7 in which a group of anti-war protesters were charged with conspiracy and crossing the state lines with the intention of inciting riots at the DNC. The trial also became the main plot of Aaron Sorkins movie The Trial of Chicago 7, starring Sacha Baron Cohen and Eddie Redmayne. Advertisement The Comeback - 1996 Macarena took over After the Chicago 68 saga, neither Democrats nor Republicans conducted their convention in the city. Things changed in 1996 when the city hosted the 25th political convention with Democrats coming back again. Things were not that intense this time, in fact, a new trend made it one of the most iconic conventions hosted by either of the parties. The reason it was iconic was because of the fact that videos from the convention still managed to take the internet by storm. Obsessed with this moment in history in which the DNC dances to the Macarena...... ne'er again shall the twain meet ...... i hope pic.twitter.com/bgTONmvrh4 Willem (@jil_slander) April 18, 2020 While the presidential nominee was uncertain during the 1968 convention, the 1996 convention was essentially a re-coronation of President Bill Clinton, who was destined to defeat Bob Dole in a landslide. One of the highlights of the convention that year was a speech by the paralyzed actor Christopher Reeve on opening night, with Reeve speaking passionately about the Americans with Disabilities Act. However, what still makes the convention memorable was the moment when all the democratic delegates at the United Center danced to the song of that summer, Macarena by Los del Rio. 20 years before she herself became the Democratic Presidential nominee, former First Lady Hillary Clinton also clapped and swayed to the tunes of the song. The 1996 convention is still touted as the redemption moment for the Windy City. Overall, as the Harris-Walz campaign keeps on roaring, there will be eyes on this years convention too. With the rise of pro-Palestinian protests across the country, many are looking to avoid the demonstrations (if any) to turn violent. With inputs from agencies. Mpox is the top international health worry at the moment, with the WHO sounding alert and the disease being reported from Sweden in Europe and Pakistan in Indias neighbourhood. Firstpost brings out an experts perspective to understand the infection and stay safe read more In the world of illnesses, monkeypox or mpox is a cousin of smallpox. Mpox is, however, new compared to its more infamous sibling. Nobody knew about it before the late 1950s. But it has been a public health concern in parts of Africa for decades. The first human case was reported from Congo in 1970, and the country has had outbreaks ever since. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently declared mpox a global health emergency for the second time in two years. The last time it sounded that alert was in July 2022, when a form of the disease was reported from several countries.The WHO ended the emergency alert 10 months later as the outbreak was brought under control through an extensive awareness campaign among the affected populations. Advertisement The current outbreak has come on the back of a new and more virulent strain of the virus. We spoke to Dr Raj Kamal Choudhary, who has had over a decade-long experience with the World Health Organization (WHO) working in India, and currently is Professor of the Medicine Department at theJawaharlal Nehru Medical College in Bihars Bhagalpur, to understand the gravity of the mpox situation and what people and government can do to contain its spread. It is the second time that WHO has declared mpox a global health emergency. Its largely limited to Africa. How worried should people in India and other countries be? We should be careful as just after Covid-19, India had mpox infection in 2022 but we were able to clean it with Amphotericin injection easily available in india. Some patients who did not take it seriously lost their lives or parts of the body before surgery. Since January 2023, the DRC [Congo] has reported the largest number of yearly suspected clade I mpox cases on record. While clade I monkeypox virus (MPXV) is endemic, or naturally occurring, in the DRC, the current outbreak is more widespread than any previous DRC outbreaks and has resulted in clade I mpox transmission to some neighbouring countries. Advertisement The Republic of the Congo declared a clade I mpox outbreak in April 2024, and there have been confirmed cases in the Central African Republic. In late July 2024, Burundi, Rwanda, and Uganda reported confirmed cases of mpox. Mpox is not known to be endemic in these countries. But since mpox has been reported earlier from India and the current outbreak has reached Pakistan, which has a poorer health infrastructure and recording mechanism than Indias, it poses a significant health risk to people in the country. How does Mpox transmit and how can we prevent its spread? Despite being a serious illness, the best part of mpox compared to Covid-19 infection is that the Covid-19 is a respiratory infection and spreads through breathing, coughing and sneezing, while mpox has limited way of infecting such as contact with infectious skin or lesions on the mouth or genital, sexual contacts including kissing, direct contact with infected animals, contaminated materials including clothing, bedding and towels. Advertisement To stop the transmission we should consider banning or at least screening arrivals from affected African countries to India, especially if it starts rapidly increasing in Asian regions and even otherwise though it is largely limited to African region in the current outbreak. Another alternative can be a plan to vaccinate the target population for mpox vaccination and those planning to travel to affected countries, with two doses of JYNNEOS vaccine. Eligible patients who received one dose of the JYNNEOS vaccine more than 28 days ago should receive the second dose as soon as possible. The common symptoms of mpox overlap with other infections such as smallpox. How can we know its mpox and not other skin conditions? Advertisement Monkeypox (mpox) and smallpox are both viral diseases caused by different viruses that can cause similar symptoms, such as fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, chills, and rash. However, there are some differences between the two that can help differentiate them. Lymph node swelling is a key differentiator. Mpox causes lymph node swelling, also known as lymphadenopathy, while smallpox does not. The swelling can affect a few areas or multiple locations, such as the neck and armpit. Mpox has a much lower fatality rate than smallpox, with a case fatality rate of 1-10% depending on the clade. Smallpox is fatal in 30-50% of cases. Advertisement Is any particular population group more at risk for mpox? Who needs extra protection? Outbreaks of clade I MPXV associated with sexual contact among men who have sex with men and female sex workers and their contacts have been reported in some provinces. At some places, patients acquired the infection through contact with infected dead or live wild animals, household transmission, or patient care (transmitted in the absence of appropriate personal protective equipment); a high proportion of cases have been reported in children younger than 15 years of age. This pattern of the spread of infection makes sex workers and children more vulnerable. But a clearer pattern is yet to emerge with the new strand. An anti-mpox vaccine underwent clinical trials in Congo. Are there any preventive or curative drugs for this infection? Like I said, Amphotericin injection is easily available in India and the last time mpox was doing rounds in the country, this medicine came handy in controlling its spread. As of now, JYNNEOS (Imvamune or Imvanex) vaccine can help reduce the severity of the disease and also contain its spread. Incidentally, the same vaccine is used to prevent smallpox among adults. About the vaccine tested in Congo, it is currently out of reach for most people, especially due to its high cost. Teh MVA-BN vaccine, as we know, is an mpox vaccine that the USs Food and Drug Administration and the EUs European Medicines Agency have approved. But its large-scale production is still a question that health agencies have to decide. Tecovirimat (TPOXX) is another drug for mpox. Its available in both an oral and intravenous formulation. Although the antiviral was only approved for the treatment of smallpox, its FDA approval was based on studies in nonhuman primates infected with monkeypox virus (mpxv). Its efficacy needs to be ascertained beyond doubt on humans. With the experience of tackling Covid-19 pandemic, what kind of international cooperation is needed to effectively stop mpox in early stages? We have the experience of handling Covid-19 as the last epidemic and we can handle mpox smoothly if the government has enough vials of Amphotericin B injection for patients of mpox. One more thing, since the new variants have emerged of monkeypox, the infection has become highly infectious and virulent as we repeatedly saw in the case of Covid-19. Its this reason why mpox is now spreading to other countries. Better international coordination is required than we saw during Covid-19 to prevent the current outbreak from becoming an internal disease burden. We have to screen travellers, something we were late in enforcing during the Covid-19 pandemic and paid a huge price as the spread became virulent. Is India prepared to tackle an outbreak of mpox on a large scale? Fresh from the Covid-19 experience, we can say India is prepared to tackle mpox outbreak. By doing active surveillance for the disease, patients having fever, malaise and eruptions on any part of the body we should rule out patients for mpox. And Indian hospitals have this capability. India has the experience of working with the WHO, whose ring immunisation strategy has been quite helpful in controlling outbreaks. Ring immunisation basically is screening of population and immunising vulnerable people within a radius of five kilometres around an outbreak case. In this mpox case, if and when new infection is reported, the ring immunisation strategy can be adopted to vaccinate people. The only obstacle I see is the availability of vaccine doses. That should be in enough quantity in advance. Otherwise, I am confident that Indias healthcare is prepared to deal with an mpox outbreak. Thailands former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has received a royal pardon from King Maha Vajiralongkorn, reducing his sentence and granting him freedom. The clemency comes a day after Thaksins daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, was appointed the kingdoms youngest prime minister read more Thailands controversial former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been granted a royal pardon, his lawyer said Saturday, a day after his daughter became the kingdoms new premier. The 75-year-old billionaire is one of thousands granted amnesty by King Maha Vajiralongkorn in a gesture of clemency to mark his birthday. Thaksin was jailed for eight years on graft and abuse of power charges dating back to his time in power when he returned to the kingdom almost a year ago after 15 years of self-exile. Advertisement But his sentence was cut to one year by the king and he was later released on parole because of his age and poor health. The amnesty was announced in the official Royal Gazette, and Thaksins lawyer Winyat Chatmontree said that the two-time premier benefitted. Thaksin Shinawatra is among those granted the royal pardon, he said on his personal Facebook account. He will later receive a document from the prison saying he is a free man. The Royal Gazette published on Saturday said that the king had given opportunities for those to improve themselves and benefit their country. The pardon for prisoners with good conduct came almost a month after King Vajiralongkorn celebrated his 72th birthday in late July. The ex-PM was originally set to complete his one-year parole on August 31. Lawmakers approved on Friday Thaksins daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra as premier. At 37, she is the kingdoms youngest prime minister and the third Shinawatra to hold the job after her father and aunt Yingluck both of whom were ousted in military coups. Paetongtarns elevation to the top job came about after the kingdoms Constitutional Court sacked previous premier Srettha Thavisin for appointing a cabinet minister with a criminal conviction. President Biden issued a stern warning against actions that could undermine the ceasefire efforts. The Biden administration remains cautious of escalating tensions, particularly after a July 31 strike in Tehran, widely attributed to Israel, which killed Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh read more An Israeli tank manouvers near the Israel-Gaza border, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Israel. Reuters Negotiations aimed at securing a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas were paused in Doha on Friday (August 16), with parties agreeing to reconvene next week. United States President Joe Biden acknowledged that while we are closer than we have ever been to a ceasefire and progress has been made, were not there yet. In a joint statement, the mediating nations US, Qatar, and Egypt revealed that Washington had presented a new proposal designed to bridge existing gaps, building on points of agreement from the previous week. Advertisement The mediators said that they would keep working on the proposal, they said. The path is now set for that outcome, saving lives, bringing relief to the people of Gaza, and de-escalating regional tensions, they said in the statement. Israeli and Hamas negotiators have been engaged in these talks for months, with the conflict resulting in over 40,000 Palestinian casualties, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry that does not distinguish between militants and civilians. While Hamas was not directly involved in the latest round of talks, it has been kept informed of developments. Hamas rejects new conditions A senior Hamas official, Izzat al-Rishq, told Reuters that Israel did not abide by previously agreed-upon terms, based on feedback from mediators. Hamas also publicly rejected new conditions introduced by the US in the ceasefire plan. Blame on Israel Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for increased pressure on Hamas to adhere to the May 27 principles outlined by Biden. However, Jordans Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi placed the blame on Netanyahu for obstructing progress, urging international pressure by everyone who wishes to see this through to completion. Biden issues stern warning As US Secretary of State Antony Blinken prepares to visit the Middle East, President Biden issued a stern warning against actions that could undermine the ceasefire efforts. The Biden administration remains cautious of escalating tensions, particularly after a July 31 strike in Tehran, widely attributed to Israel, which killed Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh who was involved in ceasefire talks. The US has also cautioned Iran against retaliatory strikes on Israel, fearing further escalation in the region. Advertisement With inputs from agencies Germanys 2025 budget has been the subject of fierce discussions between the government coalition of Liberals, the Greens and the Social Democrats read more Germany, the second largest contributor of aid to Ukraine, plans to halve its military aid to Kyiv in 2025, a parliamentary source told AFP Saturday. Instead, the government of Olaf Scholz will bank on money generated from frozen Russian assets to continue supporting Kyiv, and is not planning additional aid to the 4 billion euros ($4.4 billion) set aside in next years budget. This year, aid from Berlin amounted to 8 billion euros. Advertisement To compensate, Germany is counting on the creation, within the framework of the G7 and the European Union, of a financial instrument using frozen Russian assets, said a separate source from inside the ministry of finance. German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung said in its weekend edition that the move was part of an agreement between the chancellor, the Social Democratic party (SPD) and Finance Minister Christian Lindner. Lindner is a member of junior coalition partner the Liberal party. Ukraines ambassador to Germany Oleksii Makeiev said in a posting on X, formerly Twitter, that the security of Europe depends on Germanys political will to continue to play a frontline role in supporting Ukraine. The 2025 budget has been the subject of fierce discussions between the government coalition of Liberals, the Greens and the Social Democrats. Lindner has asked other ministries to make savings in order to respect a constitutional rule that aims to prevent the state from taking on too much debt. However the budget is still subject to discussions before being adopted by the end of the year. The finance ministry said Saturday it was open to considering extra spending for Ukraine on a case-by-case basis. Ukraines allies have been working for several months on a mechanism to allow part of the $300 billion of Russian assets frozen worldwide to be used to support Kyiv in its war with Moscow. Hamas has rejected U.S. President Bidens optimism about a possible truce, accusing the U.S. of imposing unrealistic demands. Meanwhile, violence continues to escalate with deadly air strikes in Gaza and Lebanon, complicating ongoing diplomatic efforts for a ceasefire read more A senior Hamas official on Saturday dismissed optimistic talk by US President Joe Biden that a Gaza truce is nearer after negotiations in the Gulf emirate of Qatar. To say that we are getting close to a deal is an illusion, Hamas political bureau member Sami Abu Zuhri told AFP. We are not facing a deal or real negotiations, but rather the imposing of American diktats. He was responding to Bidens comment on Friday that, We are closer than we have ever been. Advertisement Biden spoke after two days of talks in Qatar where Washington tried to bridge differences between Israel and Palestinian Hamas militants. The two sides have been at war for more than 10 months in the Gaza Strip. Previous optimism during months of on-off truce talks has so far proven futile. But the stakes have significantly risen since the killings in quick succession in late July of Fuad Shukr, a top operations chief of Lebanons Iran-backed Hezbollah movement, and Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh. Their deaths led to vows of vengeance from Hezbollah, Iran and other Tehran-backed groups in the region which blamed Israel. In an effort to avert a broader conflict, Western and Arab diplomats have been shuttling around the Middle East to push for a Gaza deal which they say could help avert a wider regional conflagration. Bidens secretary of state, Antony Blinken, was to head on Saturday to Israel in a bid to finalise an agreement. As efforts towards a truce continued, so did the killing on Saturday in Gaza and Lebanon. Lebanons health ministry said an Israeli air strike in southern Lebanon killed 10 people including a Syrian woman and her two children. The strike was among the deadliest in southern Lebanon since the onset of near-daily exchanges of fire between Israel and Hezbollah following the start of the Gaza war in October. Israels military said it struck a Hezbollah weapons storage facility. In Hamas-run Gaza, civil defence rescuers said an Israeli air strike killed 15 people from a single Palestinian family. The fatalities in Al-Zawaida helped push the Gaza health ministrys war death toll to 40,074. Advertisement We are in the morgue seeing indescribable scenes of limbs and severed heads and children who are dismembered, said Omar al-Dreemli, a relative. The Gaza war has displaced most of the territorys population, destroyed much of the housing and other infrastructure, and left diseases spreading. The United Nations on Friday appealed for seven-day pauses in the fighting so it could vaccinate children against polio, after the Palestinian health ministry reported Gazas first polio case in 25 years. - Bridging gaps - Israel claimed the killing of Shukr, in a strike on south Beirut, but has not commented directly on the killing of Haniyeh while he visited Tehran. Advertisement On Friday Hezbollah released a polished video appearing to show its fighters trucking large missiles through tunnels at an underground facility. Hamass unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel that triggered the war 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. More than 100 were freed during a one-week truce in November. On his visit to Israel, Blinken will seek to conclude the agreement for a ceasefire and release of hostages and detainees, the State Department said. Advertisement Egyptian, Qatari and US mediators are working to finalise details of a framework agreement initially outlined by Biden in May. He said Israel had proposed it. In a joint statement after two days of talks in Qatar, the mediators said they presented both sides with a proposal that bridges remaining gaps. Talks aiming to secure a deal are to resume in Cairo before the end of next week, they said. Hamas did not attend the Doha talks. An official of the Islamist movement, Osama Hamdan, had told AFP the group would join if the meeting set a timetable for implementing what Hamas had already agreed to. Advertisement On Friday, officials told AFP that Hamas will not accept new conditions from Israel. A prospective cessation of hostilities has centred around a phased deal beginning with an initial truce. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office on Tuesday had detailed its conditions for a truce, including a veto on certain prisoners being released from its jails. - Netanyahu accused of impeding deal - Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who met French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne in Cairo on Saturday, emphasised the need to seize the opportunity offered by the ongoing talks and spare the region from the consequences of further escalation, Egypts presidency said. Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi of Jordan blamed Netanyahu for impeding attempts to finalise a deal and urged pressure on him. Netanyahu has denied being the obstacle to a deal, blaming Hamas. As truce talks took place, thousands of civilians were on the move again after the Israeli military issued fresh evacuation orders ahead of imminent military action in central-southern Gaza. During each round of negotiations, they exert pressure by forcing evacuations and committing massacres, said Issa Murad, a Palestinian displaced to Deir el-Balah. Over the past day troops expanded their operations in the Khan Yunis area of Gazas south, including by eliminating militants who had fired munitions toward Nirim, just outside Gaza, Israels military said on Saturday. The shutdown will cut off access to elective medical procedures and out-patient consultations in the worlds most populous nation, according to a statement by the Indian Medical Association read more A man speaks to a guard at the entrance of a hospital in Mumbai, inquiring if it is operational after a nationwide strike was declared by the Indian Medical Association to protest the rape and murder of a trainee medic at a government-run hospital in Kolkata, India. Reuters Indian medical professionals started a 24-hour shutdown of non- emergency services across the country on Saturday in protest against the brutal rape and murder of a doctor in the eastern city of Kolkata. The shutdown, which began at 6 a.m. (0030 GMT), will cut off access to elective medical procedures and out-patient consultations in the worlds most populous nation, according to a statement by the Indian Medical Association. Casualty departments at hospitals, which deal with emergencies, will continue to be staffed. Advertisement A 31-year old trainee doctor was raped and murdered last week inside a medical college in Kolkata where she worked, triggering nationwide protests among doctors and drawing parallels to the notorious gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old student on a moving bus in New Delhi in 2012. Anger at the failure of tough laws to deter a rising tide of violence against women has fuelled protests by doctors and womens groups. Women form the majority of our profession in this country. Time and again, we have asked for safety for them, IMA President R. V. Asokan told Reuters on Friday. More than a million medics were expected to join the strike. UN Human Rights chief Volker Turk on Saturday called for a comprehensive, impartial and transparent investigation into all human rights violations. He 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 read more Amid frequent reports of attacks on minorities, the Chief Adviser of the interim government Mohammad Yunus assured the international community, saying that Bangladesh is committed to ensuring a transition to inclusive and pluralistic democracy and creating an environment in which free, fair and participatory elections can be held. Bangladesh descended into chaos after Hasina fled to India on August 5. 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 following the dissolution of the Parliament, a decision prompted by a demand by the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement. Advertisement Watch Also: Hundreds Protest Bangladesh Violence, Chant Save Hindus in Houston The Bangladesh National Hindu Grand Alliance said the minority community faced attacks and threats in 278 locations across 48 districts since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government, terming 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. You all are aware that Bangladesh witnessed a Second Revolution on 5th August 2024, through a mass uprising spearheaded by our valiant students and joined by the masses, the 84-year-old Nobel laureate said, referring to the political turmoil in his country and the resignation of prime minister Sheikh Hasina on August 5. Noting that the current interim government led by him was sworn in on August 8, Yunus said, Our government is committed to ensuring a transition to inclusive and pluralistic democracy and creating an environment in which free, fair and participatory elections can be held. Yunus assumed charge of the interim government amid ongoing violence and vandalism, including against the minorities. Our task is now to carry out vital reforms in our electoral system, judiciary, local government, media, economy and education, Yunus said at the summit being attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I invite you to visit Dhaka soon. Otherwise, you may miss something important. Much of Dhaka has turned into the graffiti capital of the world. Young students and children aged as young as 12-13 have been painting the walls of this 400-year-old city with images of a New Democratic environment- friendly Bangladesh, he said. Advertisement There is no central planning or guidance for that. No budget support from anybody. It is just an outpouring of their emotions and commitment to the goals of the Second Revolution, the noted economist, said. Meanwhile, the UN Human Rights Office has said in a preliminary report said that nearly 650 people have been killed in the recent unrest in Bangladesh between July 16 and August 11. The UN suggested a thorough, impartial and transparent investigation into reports of extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests and detentions. According to the 10-page report titled Preliminary Analysis of Recent Protests and Unrest in Bangladesh, nearly 400 deaths were reported between July 16 and August 4 while around 250 people were reportedly killed following the new wave of protests between August 5 and 6, leading to the ouster of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. Advertisement With inputs from agencies. An Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon killed 10 Syrians, including a woman and her children, prompting Hezbollah to retaliate with rockets into northern Israel. The violence intensifies amid ongoing international efforts to mediate a Gaza ceasefire read more A view shows a damaged site in the aftermath of what Lebanon's state media said was an Israeli strike in al-kfour, Nabatieh, southern Lebanon August 17, 2024. REUTERS Lebanons health ministry said an Israeli air strike on Saturday in southern Lebanon killed 10 Syrians, as the Israeli military reported hitting weapons stores of the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement. The toll from the strike in the Wadi al-Kafur area of Nabatieh is one of the largest in southern Lebanon since Hezbollah and Israeli forces began exchanging near-daily fire over their border after war in the Gaza Strip began in October. International mediators have been trying to reach a Gaza ceasefire between Israel and Hamas Palestinian militants, which diplomats say could help to avert a wider war in which Lebanon would be on the front line. Advertisement The death toll from the latest strike included a woman and her two children while five other people were wounded, most of them also Syrian, Lebanons health ministry said in a statement. The official Lebanese National News Agency reported that the casualties were Syrian refugees and workers. Israels military, on its Telegram channel, said the air force had struck a weapons storage facility of Lebanons Hezbollah overnight in the area of Nabatieh, which is about 12 kilometres (seven miles) from the nearest point of the Israeli border. Following the deaths in Wadi al-Kafur, Hezbollah said it responded with a volley of Katyusha rockets on Ayelet HaShahar, a community in northern Israel. None of the roughly 55 projectiles caused any reported injuries but they sparked multiple fires, Israels military said. Earlier, around 20 kilometres to the north a projectile that crossed from Lebanon wounded two soldiers, one of them severely, in the Misgav Am area, Israels military said. The killings in quick succession in late July of Fuad Shukr, a top operations chief of Hezbollah in south Lebanon, and Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh, led to vows of vengeance from Hezbollah, Iran and other Tehran-backed groups in the region which blamed Israel. Israel claimed the killing of Shukr, in a strike on south Beirut, but has not commented directly on the killing of Haniyeh while he visited Tehran. Advertisement - Shuttle diplomacy - In an effort to avert a broader conflict, Western and Arab diplomats have been shuttling around the region. On Thursday, mediators made a new bid to push Israel and Hamas toward a ceasefire in Gaza. Talks took place in the Gulf emirate of Qatar and continued on Friday. The negotiations are set to resume in Cairo before the end of next week, the Egyptian, Qatari and United States mediators said in a joint statement. In Beirut on Friday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, after meeting his Lebanese counterpart Abdallah Bou Habib, expressed hope for good intentions and the political will to reach this urgent deal in Gaza. Advertisement The cross-border violence between Lebanon and Israel has killed 580 people in Lebanon, mostly Hezbollah fighters but including at least 128 civilians, according to an AFP tally. On the Israeli side, including in the annexed Golan Heights, 22 soldiers and 26 civilians have been killed, according to army figures. Hezbollah and Israel fought a war in 2006. The Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israeli forces have been engaged in near-daily exchanges of fire across the border since the conflict in Gaza between Palestinian Hamas militants and Israeli forces escalated last October read more Damaged vehicles are seen after an Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon July 30, 2024. Reuters Lebanons health ministry reported that an Israeli air strike on Saturday in southern Lebanon resulted in the deaths of nine people, including a woman and her two children, with five others wounded, two of them critically. The strike occurred in the Nabatieh area, approximately 12 kilometres from the Israeli border. Israels military confirmed the attack via its Telegram channel, stating that the air force targeted a weapons storage facility belonging to the Hezbollah movement. Advertisement The Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israeli forces have been engaged in near-daily exchanges of fire across the border since the conflict in Gaza between Palestinian Hamas militants and Israeli forces escalated last October. On Wednesday (August 14), Israel conducted an airstrike in Lebanon. Lebanons health ministry reported that two people were killed in the countrys south, and Hezbollah confirmed the deaths of two of its fighters. The Israeli military had said back then in a statement that its air force had struck Hezbollah military structures including in the Blida area. Ten months of cross-border violence between Hezbollah and Israeli forces has killed senior commanders and several hundred fighters from the Iran-backed group, causing destruction and displacing tens of thousands on both sides. The latest incident has heightened concerns over the potential for a broader regional conflict, which international mediators are striving to prevent through negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated Israels readiness to act both defensively and offensively, asserting the nations determination to protect itself following the killings of Shukr and Haniyeh. Amid growing international pressure, Israel faces calls to secure a truce that could prevent further escalation, while diplomatic efforts intensify in Lebanon to avoid further conflict. With inputs from agencies In 2023, Vietnam and the Philippines imported liquefied natural gas for the first time, further adding to strong demand from such existing importers as Thailand and Singapore. read more The export of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to India and Southeast Asia is constantly rising as soaring temperatures and a push towards decarbonisation has driven demand for this cleaner and cost-effective fuel. In 2023, LNG trade flows to India and South Asia grew by 9% year-over-year, reaching 33.27 million tonnes, according to data from LSEG. The pace is expected to continue in 2024, with January-July figures already at 23.06 million tonnes, it said. Advertisement In July, the figure for LNG shipments to South Asia reached 3.51 million tonnes, surpassing monthly exports to Europe for the first time since autumn 2021. Southeast Asia also saw a significant increase with LNG trade flows rising 26% in 2023 to a record 25.68 million tonnes. In 2024, the figure from January and July rose by 23% year-over-year to 17.96 million tonnes. The regions growing demand is reflected in new importers like Vietnam and the Philippines, who began importing LNG in 2023, alongside established importers such as Thailand and Singapore. New importers the Philippines and Vietnam, which started taking LNG shipments last year, have also bumped up their purchases. Vietnam received three cargoes in April and May for power generation, while buyers in the Philippines shipped nine cargoes so far this year versus 11 for all of last year. Rising demand for cooling is set to continue as Northeast Asia enters its summer. Japans meteorological agency forecast likely higher-than-average temperatures from June to August, and Chinas energy regulator warned power supply will be tight in some regions for the next few months amid growing consumption. Japan government data showed LNG stockpiles by utilities at 2.06 million tons as of May 26, below the five-year average for the period, as Tokyo is already experiencing hot weather. According to reports, South Korean power generation company Korea Midland Power Co, Thailand state-energy firm PTT, Philippines power producer First Gen and Bangladeshs state-owned Rupantarita Prakritik Gas Co Ltd have all also issued tenders seeking LNG for delivery in July. Nigel Farage also received an additional 4,000 monthly for writing articles for the Daily Telegraph besides earning 4,000 from Cameo, a platform where well-known people record personalised videos for paying customers. read more Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK was paid 97,928.40 per month for 32 hours of work to present GB news. The amount is more than that of the annual salary of a Member of Parliament (MP), which is currently set at 91,346 plus expenses. Meanwhile, Farages party colleague, Lee Anderson earns 100,000 a year from GB News for just eight hours of work per month. According to the register of members financial interests, which records MPs secondary employment, donations, gifts and other benefits, Farage also received 4,000 a month writing articles for the Daily Telegraph, the Sky news reported. Advertisement According to the register of financial interests of members, which tracks MPs secondary employment, donations and other benefits, Farage also received an additional 4,000 monthly for writing articles for the Daily Telegraph. He also earned 4,000 from Cameo, a platform where well-known people record personalised videos for paying customers. Farage, whose victory in Clacton at the election won him a parliamentary seat for the first time, also said that he had been gifted a donation of 32,836 by businessman Christopher Harborne to visit the US on 17 July, according to various media reports. Farage won a seat in Britains parliament at the eighth attempt and was as determined to be as much of a bloody nuisance there as he was to European Union leaders as a member of the European Parliament. The election of the 60-year-old former commodities trader by the English town of Clacton-on-Sea is the culmination of a political career forged from his loathing of the EUs project for closer union and hatred for the Conservative Party. Farage, a driving force behind Britains decision to leave the European Union, only entered the race at the last moment, a move that caused shockwaves in a Conservative Party that was already polling far behind centre-left Labour. Social media activists Naeem Ahmad Yasin and Arsalan Akbar, along with vlogger Aun Khosa, are reported missing in Pakistan, allegedly abducted by intelligence agencies for criticizing the government. The Lahore High Court has directed police to recover them by August 20 and 28, respectively, amidst rising international concern and calls for investigation read more Intelligence agencies in Pakistan continue to abduct social media activists and vloggers for criticising the government and the powerful military establishment in the country, their families have alleged and approached courts in Punjab province. Two social media activists of former prime minister Imran Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf: party, Naeem Ahmad Yasin and Arsalan Akbar, and Vlogger-comedian Aun Khosa, have allegedly been arrested by intelligence agencies in the Punjab province of Pakistan. They have been reported missing by their families. Advertisement The Shehbaz Sharif government and the establishment have been facing scathing criticism on social media for abducting Khosa for singing a parody song on soaring electricity bills. Days before his abduction, Khosa had sung a song Bill Bill Pakistan, a parody of the famous Pakistani song Dil Dil Pakistan and released a video on social media criticising the high prices of electricity and extra taxes added to it. Khosa also took on the worthlessness of the Pakistani passport and the cash-strapped countrys loans. The comedian has a following of 137,000 on YouTube. The families of three missing persons filed petitions in the Lahore High Court which on Friday directed the Punjab police chief to recover Khosa by August 20. Binish Iqbal, the wife of Khosa, told LHC Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi that unidentified persons barged into her house a few days ago and manhandled her husband before bundling him into a van and speeding away. Separately, LHC Justice Shakil Ahmad directed the Punjab police to recover missing PTI activist Arsalan Akbar before August 28. The PTI has expressed concern over recent forced disappearances of its political workers. Professor Mazhar-ul-Hassan and Zahoor-ul-Hassan, the brothers of PTI former social media head Azhar Mashwani, and Khans close aide Shahbaz Gills brother Ghulam Shabbir have also been missing since June last year. Whereabouts of all five individuals remain unknown despite their families efforts to locate them by approaching the police and the court. A pattern of enforced disappearance is emerging, seemingly to intimidate those living abroad, who are critical of the Pakistani government, a PTI official said on Saturday. Advertisement He urged the judiciary to ensure the safe recovery of all the missing people associated with the PTI. Amnesty International has also demanded that the Pakistan government immediately disclose their whereabouts and ensure an effective, independent, and impartial investigation into these disappearances. Authorities suspect that the patient might have gone to another district after providing samples for further testing read more According to WHO, there have been nearly 8,000 mpox cases in DRC this year, which include 384 deaths, almost half of these deaths were children under 15. File Image/Reuters Pakistan said that it is introducing a new screening process at airports after the country struggled to record the mpox cases. Earlier this week, Pakistans health department confirmed one case of mpox was detected in northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The authorities noted that this was the first case of mpox in the country this year and mentioned that the victim of infection came from a Gulf country. Hours later the Pakistani authorities issued another statement in which they stated that three cases of the viral infection were detected in the region this week on arrival from the UAE. However, that statement was withdrawn immediately, raising many questions. Advertisement The Pakistani authorities are yet to confirm whether the infected individual is suffering from the new clade 1b variant of mpox. The variant has already sparked commotion in Africa, prompting the World Health Organisation (WHO) to refer to the outbreak as a global public health emergency. The location of the confirmed mpox patient is unknown The ministry stated that the sequencing of a sample from the Khyber Pakhtunkwa patient is underway to determine the variant of mpox. Once thats done, we will be able to say what strain this is, the health ministry said, adding that the screening system at airports and entry points is being further strengthened," The Independent reported. However, what is concerning is the fact that the location of the patient confirmed with mpox is currently unknown within Pakistan. Authorities suspect that the patient might have gone to another district after providing samples for further testing. When we visited his home in Mardan, it was locked from the outside and his neighbours told us that the family has left for Dir, the district health office (DHO) said. We approached our fellow colleagues of the health department in Dir district, but they couldnt trace him even in Dir, he added. The health ministry said that it was carrying out contact tracing of the patient when they realised that the infected individual was no longer in his home. Advertisement World ramps up precautionary measures The case in Pakistan prompted China to announce that it would begin screening travellers for the virus. Amid the chaos, the UK Health Security Agency said there were no cases of the virus in the UK and the risk was considered low. However, they noted that planning was underway to prepare for any cases in the future. After detecting the first case, the Stockholm-based ECDC said more imported cases to Europe were highly likely. Due to the close links between Europe and Africa, we must be prepared for more imported clade I cases, ECDC director Pamela Rendi-Wagner said in a statement. Advertisement It is pertinent to note that this is the second time in two years that the WHO declared the virus as a global public health emergency. At least 450 people died during the initial outbreak of the new variant in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The disease has since spread to areas of central and east Africa. Mpox spreads by physical contact and causes a characteristic lumpy rash, fever, aches, and pains. Medical professionals have always raised concerns over the matter since the virus can be extremely fatal. Clade 1b appeared in DRC in September last year and is touted as the most dangerous variant yet. It has a higher mortality rate than clade 1b - said to be between 5-10 per cent compared to 0.2 per cent and has already accounted for 15,000 cases in Africa this year. Advertisement According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the symptoms usually appear 6-13 days after infection and include fevers and headaches, rashes or sores and muscle aches. Polio was eradicated in Gaza 25 years ago, but vaccinations plunged after the war began 10 months ago and the territory has become a breeding ground for the virus, aid groups say read more Palestinians displaced by the Israeli air and ground offensive on the Gaza Strip walk next a dark streak of sewage flowing into the streets of the southern town of Khan Younis, Gaza Strip. File image/ AP The threat of polio is rising fast in the Gaza Strip, prompting aid groups to call for an urgent pause in the war so they can ramp up vaccinations and head off a full-blown outbreak. At least one case has been confirmed, others are suspected and the virus was detected in wastewater in six different locations in July. Polio was eradicated in Gaza 25 years ago, but vaccinations plunged after the war began 10 months ago and the territory has become a breeding ground for the virus, aid groups say. Hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians are crowded into tent camps lacking clean water or proper disposal of sewage and garbage. Advertisement To avert a widespread outbreak, aid groups are preparing to vaccinate more than 600,000 children in the coming weeks. They say the ambitious vaccination plans are impossible, though, without a pause in the fighting between Israel and Hamas. A possible cease-fire deal couldnt come soon enough. We are anticipating and preparing for the worst-case scenario of a polio outbreak in the coming weeks or month, Francis Hughes, the Gaza Response Director at CARE International, told The Associated Press. The World Health Organization and UNICEF, the United Nations childrens agency, said in a joint statement Friday that, at a minimum, a seven-day pause is needed to carry out a mass vaccination plan. The U.N. aims to bring 1.6 million doses of polio vaccine into Gaza, where sanitation and water systems have been destroyed, leaving open pits of human waste in crowded tent camps. Families living in the camps have little clean water or even soap to maintain hygiene and sometimes use wastewater to drink or clean clothes and dishes. At least 225 informal waste disposal sites and landfills have cropped up around Gaza many close to where families are sheltering, according to a report released in July by PAX, a Netherlands-based nonprofit that used satellite imagery to track the sites. Polio, which is highly contagious and transmits mainly through contact with contaminated feces, water or food, can cause difficulty breathing and irreversible paralysis, usually in the legs. It strikes young children in particular and is sometimes fatal. Advertisement The aid group Mercy Corps estimates some 50,000 babies born since the war began have not been immunized against polio. WHO and UNICEF said Friday that three children are suspected of being infected and that their stool samples were being tested by a laboratory in Jordan. The Ministry of Health in Ramallah in the West Bank said late Friday that tests conducted in Jordan confirmed one case in a 10-month-old child in Gaza. It was not immediately clear if this was one of the cases cited by WHO. Aid workers anticipate the number of suspected cases will rise, and worry that the disease could be hard to contain without urgent intervention. Advertisement We are not optimistic because we know that doctors could also be missing the warning signs, said Hughes of CARE International. Health workers in Gaza are gearing up for a mass vaccination campaign to begin at the end of August and continue into September. The goal is to immunize 640,000 children under the age of 10 over two rounds of vaccinations, according to WHO. The Israeli military body responsible for Palestinian civilian affairs, which goes by the acronym COGAT, said it is preparing to support a comprehensive vaccination campaign. And Hamas said in a statement Friday that it would support a seven-day truce to facilitate the vaccinations. Cease-fire talks resume in Cairo next week. Advertisement The alarm over polio was first raised when the WHO announced in July that sewage samples collected from six locations in Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah, in the south and center of Gaza, tested positive for a variant of the virus used in vaccines. The weakened form of the virus used in vaccines can mutate into a stronger version and cause an outbreak in areas that lack proper immunization, according to WHO. The only countries where polio is endemic are Afghanistan and Pakistan. But outbreaks of the vaccine-derived virus have occurred in war-torn Ukraine and Yemen, where conditions arent nearly as bad as they are in Gaza. Advertisement Part of the challenge in Gaza, where polio hasnt been seen in a quarter-century, is to raise awareness so that health workers recognize symptoms, the U.N. says. The territorys health care system has been devasted by the war, where workers are overwhelmed treating the wounded, and patients sick with diarrhea and other ailments. Before the war, 99% of Gazas population was vaccinated against polio. That figure is now 86%, according to WHO. The goal is to get polio immunization levels in Gaza back above 95%. While more than 440,000 doses of polio vaccine were brought into Gaza in December, that supply has diminished to just over 86,000, according to Hamid Jafari, director of polio eradication for the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region. The 1.6 million oral doses being brought into Gaza will be a more advanced version of the vaccine that is less prone to mutating into an outbreak, the WHO said. Getting the vaccine into Gaza is just the first step. U.N. workers face difficulties retrieving medical supplies and other aid because of Israels military assaults, fighting between troops and Hamas, and increasing lawlessness that has led to the looting of convoys. Also, vaccines must be kept refrigerated, which has become difficult in Gaza, where electricity is scarce. About 15-20 refrigerated trucks serve all of Gaza, and they also must be used to transport food and other medical supplies, said a senior Israeli army official with COGAT who was not authorized to talk with media and spoke on condition of anonymity. Palestinians also face difficulties getting around. Their inability to reach health facilities will be an additional obstacle to the vaccination campaign, said Sameer Sah of Medical Aid for Palestinians. Theres no transport system. The roads have been destroyed and you have quadcopters shooting at people, said Sah, referring to Israeli drones that often carry out strikes. Israel says its strikes target Hamas militants. WHO said a pause in the fighting is vital to enabling children and families to safely reach health facilities and community outreach workers to get to children who cannot access health facilities. Only about a third of Gazas 36 hospitals and 40% of its primary health care facilities are functioning, according to the U.N. But the WHO and UNICEF say their vaccination campaign will be carried out in every municipality in Gaza, with help from 2,700 workers. The resurgence of polio also poses a significant public health threat to neighbouring countries. UN agencies stressed that only a ceasefire can ensure the safe vaccination of over 640,000 children in Gaza, preventing the virus from spreading beyond its borders read more A girl receives a polio vaccine during a three-day immunization campaign in Sanaa, Yemen. Image used for representative purpose/Reuters Gaza has recorded its first polio case in 25 years, the Palestinian health ministry said on Friday, after UN chief Antonio Guterres called for pauses in the Israel-Hamas war to vaccinate hundreds of thousands of children. Tests in Jordan confirmed the disease in an unvaccinated 10-month-old from the central Gaza Strip, the health ministry in Ramallah said. According to the United Nations, Gaza, now in its 11th month of war, has not registered a polio case for 25 years, although type 2 poliovirus was detected in samples collected from the territorys wastewater in June. Advertisement Doctors suspected the presence of symptoms consistent with polio, the health ministry said. After conducting the necessary tests in the Jordanian capital, Amman, the infection was confirmed. The case emerged shortly after Guterres called for two seven-day breaks in the Gaza war to vaccinate more than 640,000 children. READ MORE: Body as battlefield: How Israel and Hamas top brass authorised use of rape, sexual violence Poliovirus, most often spread through sewage and contaminated water, is highly infectious. It can cause deformities and paralysis, and is potentially fatal. It mainly affects children under the age of five. The UN health and childrens agencies said they had made detailed plans to reach children across the besieged Palestinian territory and could start this month. But that would require pauses in the 10-month old war between Israel and Hamas, they said. Preventing and containing the spread of polio will take a massive, coordinated and urgent effort, Guterres told reporters at UN headquarters in New York. I am appealing to all parties to provide concrete assurances right away guaranteeing humanitarian pauses for the campaign. The World Health Organization and UN childrens fund UNICEF said they were planning two seven-day vaccination drives across the Gaza Strip, starting in late August, against type 2 poliovirus (cVDPV2). Last month, it was announced that type 2 poliovirus had been detected in samples collected in Gaza on June 23. Advertisement These pauses in fighting would allow children and families to safely reach health facilities and community outreach workers to get to children who cannot access health facilities for polio vaccination, the agencies said in a statement said. Regional public health issue After 25 years without polio, its re-emergence in the Gaza Strip would threaten neighbouring countries, it added. A ceasefire is the only way to ensure public health security in the Gaza Strip and the region. During each round of the campaign, the health ministry in Gaza, alongside UN agencies, would provide two drops of novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) to more than 640,000 children under 10 years of age. Advertisement READ MORE: As Hamas rejects new Israeli demands, US floats revised Gaza ceasefire proposal to bridge gaps More than 1.6 million doses of nOPV2 were expected to transit through Israels Ben Gurion Airport by the end of August, the statement added. The war was triggered by Hamass unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel which resulted in the deaths of 1,198 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures. On Thursday, the toll from Israels retaliatory military campaign in Gaza passed 40,000, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, which does not provide a breakdown of civilian and militant casualties. The attack comes as Ukraine continues an incursion into Russia, claiming to have taken control of 82 settlements over an area of 1,150 square kilometres (444 square miles) in the Kursk region since Aug. 6. read more The Russian management of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant said on Saturday a Ukrainian drone dropped an explosive charge on a road outside the plant, endangering its staff who use the road, the TASS news agency reported. Russia has been in control of the Zaporizhzhia plant in Ukraine, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, since soon after it launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The plant is dormant as Moscow and Kyiv have repeatedly accused each other of trying to sabotage its operations and endangering safety around the plant. Advertisement Separately, Russias RIA news agency cited the acting Russian representative in Vienna, Roman Ustinov, as saying that Moscow wanted to discuss the attack on the Zaporizhzhia plant with the leadership of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Russia also wants the IAEA to warn Ukraine against repeating such attacks, Ustinov said. The plants six dormant reactors, located close to the front line of the war, rely on external power to keep their nuclear material cool and prevent a catastrophic accident. Al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab terrorists have been fighting for nearly two decades aiming to topple Somalias central government and establish their own rule based on the groups strict interpretation of Islamic sharia law. read more Somalias semi-autonomous state of Puntland executed 10 fighters from the Islamist terrorist group al Shabaab on Saturday. The Islamist terrorist group al-Shabaab, affiliated with Al Qaeda, emerged in the early 2000s to establish an Islamic state in Somalia. Somalia has been plagued by instability for over two decades, lacking a functional national government and witnessing widespread conflict. The executions, by firing squad, in Galkayo in the states Mudug region, followed a trial of the fighters in a military court where they were sentenced to death for involvement in assassinations and bombings in several locations in Galkayo. Advertisement The executed fighters were previously sentenced to death by the supreme court of the armed forces, after they were found to have committed murders in the city of Galkayo, police cited by AFP as saying. Al-Shabaab initially garnered support by promising to provide security to the population. However, its reputation suffered a significant blow when it refused Western food aid during the devastating 2011 drought and famine, which further exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in the country. Al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab insurgents have been fighting for nearly two decades aiming to topple Somalias central government and establish their own rule based on the groups strict interpretation of Islamic sharia law. An Al-Shabaab suicide bomber and gunmen attacked a busy beach in the Somali capital Mogadishu killing 37 people and wounding scores more, officials said on Saturday, in one of the deadliest strikes in the East African country in months. In June, five people were killed in a powerful car bomb blast at a cafe in the capital last month. In March, militants killed three people and wounded 27 in an hours-long siege of another Mogadishu hotel, breaking a relative lull in the fighting. With inputs from agencies. The United States and Mexico have both denied involvement in Zambadas capture, though Mexico City has alluded to conversations between Guzman Lopez and US officials read more Ismael El Mayo Zambada, a historic leader of Mexicos Sinaloa cartel, has been arrested by the US. AP The surprise capture on US soil of Mexican drug lord Ismael Mayo Zambada has all the suspense of a Netflix nailbiter and all the mystery, too. Wild claims of cross-border kidnapping, murder and political intrigue swirl around his arrest. But there are many gaps in the story, and few official details fueling mistrust, analysts say, between US and Mexican authorities. Zambada, 76, co-founded the powerful Sinaloa drug cartel with Joaquin El Chapo Guzman in the 1990s. Advertisement He escaped capture for much of his life despite a US reward of $15 million for his capture. Then, seemingly out of the blue, Zambada was detained on July 25 with El Chapos son, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, after they landed in the United States on a private plane. Zambadas lawyer and the US ambassador to Mexico have claimed he was taken against his will. In a statement issued after the arrest, Zambada said Guzman Lopez had invited him to a meeting at a ranch outside Culiacan, Mexico, on July 25. There, he claimed, he was led into a dark room and ambushed, handcuffed and bundled into a pickup truck with a hood over his head. He said he was driven to a nearby landing strip and forced onto a private plane, which landed, according to Zambada, in El Paso, Texas though a US official says it landed in Santa Teresa, New Mexico. Adding to the mystery, two of Zambadas bodyguards disappeared during the operation, Zambada said one of them the police chief of Mexicos Sinaloa state. When I read the statement it sounded like a novel, former DEA agent Mike Vigil told AFP. Politician murdered The United States and Mexico have both denied involvement in Zambadas capture, though Mexico City has alluded to conversations between Guzman Lopez and US officials. Advertisement But Zambada has sought to draw in Mexican officials, saying he had been on his way to meet the governor of Sinaloa state, Ruben Rocha a supporter of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. Guzman Lopez, Zambada said, had asked him to mediate in a conflict between Rocha and opposition lawmaker Hector Cuen. Zambada then claimed Cuen was murdered at the same place he was ambushed, while he was there. But on Monday, the Sinaloa prosecutors office released video footage allegedly showing Cuens murder on July 25, but in a robbery at a gas station in Culiacan. Rocha, for his part, has denied any links to the Sinaloa Cartel and said he was in Los Angeles on the day in question. Advertisement Lopez Obrador and Mexicos new president-elect, Claudia Sheinbaum, have backed up his claim. On Thursday, the Mexican attorney generals office said it would charge anyone involved in Zambadas illegal handover with treason. Revenge? Experts say Zambadas story could be a ploy to avoid standing trial in the United States, where he has pleaded not guilty to charges of drug trafficking and money laundering, among others. His defense could argue there was an extraterritorial application of American justice, Mexican security expert David Saucedo told AFP. But Vigil said this was unlikely to work, pointing to a Mexican national prosecuted on US soil two decades ago for the murder of a DEA agent, despite claiming he was illegally detained. Advertisement Vigil, who had served in Mexico several times, also highlighted seeming improbabilities in Zambadas version of events, finding it odd that one of the worlds most wanted men would travel with only four bodyguards to meet Guzman Lopez a rival drug lord to resolve a political matter. A likelier scenario, said Vigil, was that Guzman Lopez gave up Zambada in exchange for benefits for himself and his brother Ovidio, extradited to the United States in 2023. It could also be revenge for Zambadas relatives testifying against El Chapo at the trial that saw him sentenced in New York to life imprisonment. Advertisement Requires corruption Whatever the truth, Zambadas capture showed once again that drug trafficking does not occur independently of state actors, but rather requires corruption to exist and grow, according to Cecilia Farfan of the University of California San Diegos Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation. Mexico has a long history of drugs intersecting with politics. Genaro Garcia Luna, a former homeland security minister, was found guilty last year in New York of protecting the Sinaloa cartel. Zambadas arrest also highlights difficulties in US-Mexico anti-drug cooperation, said Saucedo, amid accusations that Mexico follows a hands off approach. The Sinaloa cartel is one of the most powerful criminal groups in Mexico along with the Jalisco New Generation. Lopez Obrador, who says the United States DEA-led drug fight has failed, insisted Monday that arresting top-level drug lords does nothing to solve the underlying problem. He accused Washington of seeking to link governments to drug trafficking in a bid to subdue them. Spiraling criminal violence, much of it linked to drug trafficking and gangs, has seen more than 450,000 people murdered in Mexico since 2006. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump remarked, If you think things are expensive now, they will get 100 times WORSE if Kamala gets four years as President. He further claimed that under her plan, Kamala will implement SOVIET Style Price Controls. She will abolish private health care read more Former US President Donald Trump has said his rival and Democrat presidential nominee Kamala Harris will ruin the economy. Reuters Former President Donald Trump has sharply criticised Vice President Kamala Harriss newly unveiled economic plan, asserting that her proposals would worsen the cost of living. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump remarked, If you think things are expensive now, they will get 100 times WORSE if Kamala gets four years as President. He further claimed that 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!!! Advertisement Competing economic visions Trump and Harris travelled to North Carolina this week to deliver what were billed as significant addresses on the economy. Each sought to articulate their economic visions, emphasising the role of federal government intervention in markets to bolster the economy. However, their approaches to when and how this power should be wielded diverged considerably. Harris began to shape her version of progressive economics, which has gained prominence within Democratic circles over the past decade. This economic philosophy advocates for robust federal action to enhance competition and rectify market distortions, New York Times reported Her approach includes significant tax hikes on corporations and high earners, designed to fund assistance programmes for low- and middle-income workers. Simultaneously, she proposed generous tax incentives for companies engaged in activities she and fellow progressives deem economically beneficial, such as developing technologies to combat climate change and constructing affordable housing. In contrast, Trumps economic message is straightforward: he contends that he revitalised the American economy during his first term and promises to do so again. Trump outlined a series of commitments on how he would leverage government power to intervene in markets and aid consumers. He pledged to lower car insurance costs within his first 100 days and vowed to slash energy prices by half. He also proposed deporting millions of immigrants as a strategy to reduce housing costs. Fiscal concerns and budgetary implications Questions remain about the broader scope of Harriss agenda, particularly regarding which tax increases she would advocate to offset the proposed tax cuts and spending initiatives. The nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, focused on deficit reduction, estimated on Friday that her plans would increase the federal deficit by $1.7 trillion over the next decade unless counterbalanced by new revenue sources, New York Times reported. Advertisement In contrast, analysis from the same committee suggests that Trumps tax reductions could add $7 trillion to the federal deficit over a decade, with only partial offsets from tariffs or the repeal of tax breaks instituted by Biden. Clashing economic philosophies In North Carolina, both Trump and Harris aimed to portray the others economic philosophy as detrimental to the nations economy and working families. Trump cautioned that Harriss policies could trigger a stock market crash reminiscent of 1929. In response, Harris argued that Trumps tariffs would effectively impose a Trump tax on petrol, a Trump tax on food, a Trump tax on clothing, a Trump tax on over-the-counter medication. Advertisement Despite their differences, both candidates expressed support for Medicare and endorsed the idea of exempting some tipped income from federal taxes. Ukrainian army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Friday that Kyivs forces were advancing between 1 and 3 kilometres (0.6 to 1.9 miles) in some areas in the Kursk region, 11 days since beginning an incursion into Russia read more Ukrainian servicemen ride a M109 Paladin self-propelled howitzer, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near the Russian border in Sumy region, Ukraine. Reuters Russias foreign ministry said Ukraine had used Western rockets, likely U.S.-made HIMARS, to destroy a bridge over the Seym river in the Kursk region, killing volunteers trying to evacuate civilians. For the first time, the Kursk region was hit by Western-made rocket launchers, probably American HIMARS, Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, said late on Friday on the Telegram messaging app. As a result of the attack on the bridge over the Seym River in the Glushkovo district, it was completely destroyed, and volunteers who were assisting the evacuated civilian population were killed. Advertisement Ukrainian army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Friday that Kyivs forces were advancing between 1 and 3 kilometres (0.6 to 1.9 miles) 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 kilometres (440 square miles) in the region since Aug. 6. Reuters could not independently verify either sides battlefield accounts. Russia has accused the West of supporting and encouraging Ukraines first ground offensive on Russian territory and said Kyivs terrorist invasion would not change the course of the war. The United States, which has said it cannot allow Russian President Vladimir Putin to win the war he launched in February 2022, so far deems the surprise incursion a protective move that justifies the use of U.S. weaponry, officials in Washington said. The bridge over the Seim river was reportedly used by the Kremlin to supply its troops. It could be a significant loss that could hamper Russian military operations in the area read more This photograph taken on 16 August, 2024, during a media tour organised by Ukraine, shows a destroyed border crossing point near the Ukrainian-controlled Russian town of Sudzha, Kursk region, amid the Russian invasion in Ukraine. File image/AFP Ukrainian forces have destroyed a strategically important bridge over the Seim River in Russias Kursk region, intensifying their incursion into Russian territory. The operation, which took place near the town of Glushkovo, has reportedly severed a critical supply line, impacting the local districts connectivity, according to Russian officials. A regional representative from one of Russias law enforcement agencies confirmed the strike, telling state news agency TASS, We confirm reports that the enemy struck a bridge across the Seim. Overland evacuation from a part of the Glushkovsky District is now cut off. Advertisement The destruction of the bridge was later confirmed by Kursk Region Interim Governor Alexey Smirnov. I am currently in touch with the local administration. Also, the task force continues its work. When its over, relevant decisions will be published, Smirnov said on Telegram. The bridge, reportedly used by the Kremlin to supply its troops, is believed to be a significant loss that could hamper Russian military operations in the area, according to the BBC. An exchange fund for Ukraine Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky noted that Ukrainian troops were fortifying their positions within the Kursk region, describing the captured territories as an exchange fund that could be leveraged in negotiations for Ukrainian regions currently under Russian occupation. Ukraine is not interested in occupying Russian territories, a senior aide to President Zelensky, Mykhailo Podolyak, reiterated on Friday (August 16). Podolyak said that the primary objective of Ukraines cross-border operation was to force Moscow into negotiations on our own terms. He added, In the Kursk region, we can clearly see how the military tool is being used objectively to persuade Russia to enter a fair negotiation process. He also noted that Kyiv had demonstrated effective means of coercion through its recent actions. Now in its second week, Ukraines surprise incursion into the Kursk region marks the deepest penetration into Russian territory since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago. The operation has already led to the displacement of over 120,000 people as civilians flee the conflict zone. Advertisement Ukraines advances The head of Ukraines military, Oleksandr Syrsky, provided an update on the operations progress on Friday. He reported that Ukrainian forces had advanced between one to three kilometers in some areas towards Russian positions. Syrsky expressed optimism about the ongoing offensive, particularly in the village of Mala Loknya, approximately 13 kilometers (8 miles) from the Russian border. He suggested that the operation could result in the capture of a significant number of Russian prisoners. Despite these developments, Kyiv has consistently maintained that it does not seek to occupy Russian territory. Russian advances As Ukraine continues to advance into western Russian territory, Russian forces are also gaining ground in Ukraines eastern region. Advertisement Moscow announced on Friday that its troops had taken control of Serhiivka, adding to a series of towns captured by Russian forces in recent weeks. These advancements bring Russian troops closer to the strategically important city of Pokrovsk, which serves as a crucial logistics hub located on a main supply route for Ukrainian troops in the eastern front. Pokrovsk is situated northwest of the Russian-held Donetsk region, which has been under Ukrainian fire since Friday morning, resulting in injuries to several civilians. Ukraine opposed the Nord Stream project that caused substantial loss of the transit fee it received for letting the Russian gas pass through its territory. Now its role in undersea bombing of the pipelines is under the scanner read more Gas bubbles from the Nord Stream 2 leak reaching surface of the Baltic Sea in the area shows disturbance of well over one kilometre diameter near Bornholm, Denmark, September 27, 2022. Source: REUTERS/Danish Defence Command Volodymyr Z, a Ukrainian national, is now wanted by Germany. Authorities have issued an arrest warrant against him after almost two years of probe. He is accused of blasting Nord Stream pipelines in September 2022. Ukraines Volodymyr Zelenskyy government denies its involvement in the act that has strained relations in Europe across the Baltic Sea. Media reports from Germany and the US say that Volodymyr Z was part of a six-person team that dived into the Baltic Sea and planted explosives on both pipes of Nord Stream 1 and one of the two pipes of Nord Stream 2. Advertisement While there is not enough clarity about the real identity of Volodymyr Z (presumably a codename of the operative), Poland officials have reportedly confirmed to Germany that the suspect was in their country in July before heading to his home country. The Wall Street Journal reported that the Nord Stream operation was planned at the top level in the Ukrainian government, with senior officials involved in it. The whole thing was born out of a night of heavy boozing and the iron determination of a handful of people who had the guts to risk their lives for their country, an officer reportedly involved in the plot was quoted as saying. Reports also say that it was President Volodymyr Zelenskyy who originally approved the plan but when it leaked to the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), it pressured the Ukrainian leader to abandon the plot. If Zelenskyy reversed course and backtracked from exploding Nord Stream pipelines, then who authorised it? Reports indicated that Zelenskyys commander in chief had already committed to the plan and went ahead with the operation despite the Ukrainian president having decided against it. In an interesting move, Zelenskyys presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak blamed the explosions on Russia in a statement on Thursday as he denied Ukraines role in the sabotage operation. Advertisement Russia, on its part, has maintained that the explosions were approved by the US, the UK and Ukraine. All three have denied any involvement. But the Nord Stream has always been a problem In the 2000s, Germany held rounds of talks with Russia to build a direct pipeline for gas supply. Its purpose was to reduce the cost to Germany and ensure long-term energy security. Before the Nord Stream pipelines, Russian gas flowed through Ukraine, which earned a handsome sum of $2 billion a year as transit fee. The cost was obviously paid by consumers, the Germans in this case. At todays rates, the construction of Nord Stream cost $8.1 billion. Advertisement When Germany and Russia were discussing an alternative route bypassing Ukraine, it offered an earning opportunity to Poland. But Germany and Russia decided to take the sea route. When Nord Streams were being formalised and operationalised, Ukraine and Poland were among those vocal in their opposition to the pipelines citing security concerns. A short timeline of North Streams 2005: Though early talks began in the 1990s, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder and Russias President Vladimir Putin signed a declaration in 2005 to build the Nord Stream 1 pipeline. 2010: The construction of Nord Stream 1, a 1,224 kilometre-long twin pipeline began on both Russia and German sides. 2012: The Nord Stream pipelines are launched, with the operator saying that the Nord Stream can supply gas to Europe for the next 50 years, if not more. 2013: Planning Nord Stream 2 gets underway two pipelines of 1,250 km to run parallel to Nord Stream 1. Advertisement Crimea and after In March 2014, Russia annexed Ukraines Crimean Peninsula, drawing flak from across Europe and America. But then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel decided not to suspend the pipeline project. The annexation of Crimea, however, made Ukraine and Poland more critical of the Nord Streams, expressing reservations over security concerns. The European Union (EU) had its own concerns about energy security and the possibility of a new diplomatic alignment. In the US after 2016, Donald Trump as president warned Germany, saying it was becoming too dependent on Russian energy supplies. Trump viewed it as Putin getting more levers than he deserved to work against the West. Advertisement Germany ignored these concerns as Nord Streams not only came up as an answer to Europes lingering energy supply concern but also as a long-term guarantee of stability as it involved huge cash flow. With the construction beginning in 2018, the US burst out in anger with its ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell, writing threatening letters to German companies involved in Nord Streams. Nord Stream 2 was completed in 2021, when incumbent Chancellor Olaf Scholz was elected to office. Scholz asserted that the gas pipelines should be viewed as a commercial private sector project and assessed independently of the Wests relation with Putins Russia. The invasion of Ukraine and explosion at Nord Streams In February, Russia invaded Ukraine, an ally of Germany. The invasion vindicated the misgivings that Ukraine had been speaking about. The invasion brought a range of sanctions against Russia while gas supplies via Nord Streams continued. Russia shut down Nord Stream 1 over July-August 2022, ostensibly for maintenance reasons but largely believed as a tool to pressure the West to ease sanctions over Ukrainian invasion. Though gas supplies resumed but earlier flow level was not restored. And amid this, a team of suspected trained Ukrainian persons dived into the Baltic Sea to attach explosives to three Nord Stream pipes, Danish island of Bornholm. Soon, Germany launched an investigation in coordination with Denmark and Sweden. Now, after two years, Germany has issued an arrest warrant against one of the six suspects identified as Volodymyr Z a name with an eerie resemblance with that of the Ukrainian president for blasting Nord Stream gas pipelines. 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. China's MSS warns public of overseas espionage threats through professional networking apps Global Times By Global Times Published: Aug 16, 2024 04:48 PM China's Ministry of State Security (MSS) warned the public on Friday to be vigilant against overseas espionage intelligence agencies using professional networking apps for recruitment and espionage activities, which pose a threat to national security. Compared to traditional social networking apps, professional ones allow the creation of user profiles. When registering for these apps, users usually use their real information, including name, contact information, and work experience. Additionally, these apps establish communities based on user information to help users expand their professional network, such as colleagues, classmates, and industry peers. Overseas espionage intelligence agencies target professional networking apps because the apps make it easy to identify specific industry professionals and infiltrate such communities to gather information, with the goal of recruiting talents in key sectors, said the MSS. Overseas intelligence agencies use professionals in specific industries as cover to approach individuals in key industries such as in the science and energy sectors, to gain access to even classified information under the excuse of "discussing industry policies," "scientific research," or "consulting on projects," the MSS said. The spies create a professional image on networking apps to attract the target, build a relationship through industry discussions, emotional manipulation, and benefits, and eventually solicit sensitive information for espionage activities, according to the MSS. The MSS reminded the public that when using professional networking apps, individuals should remain vigilant against recruitment tactics, protect personal privacy and sensitive industry data, and avoid disclosing sensitive information. China's Counter-espionage Law stipulates that state organs, people's organizations, enterprises, public institutions, and other social organizations bear entity responsibility for that unit's efforts on counter-espionage security precautions. They should implement anti-espionage security measures, educate their personnel on safeguarding national security, and mobilize and organize their personnel to prevent and stop espionage activities. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Vietnam's top leader to visit China from Sunday General Secretary To Lam will hold talks with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang. By RFA Staff 2024.08.15 -- Vietnam's top leader To Lam will visit China for three days from Sunday, the 67-year-old's first foreign trip since he was elected general secretary of the Communist Party on Aug. 3. He will meet President Xi Jinping, 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, China's foreign ministry said on Thursday. He will also meet representatives of leading Chinese corporations in Beijing, according to Vietnamese media. Lam became general secretary two weeks after the death of his 80-year-old predecessor Nguyen Phu Trong. Lam has been serving as president since May. Xi, who sent Lam a congratulatory message on his appointment, last visited Vietnam in December 2023, 14 months after Trong's final trip to China. Carl Thayer, emeritus professor at the University of New South Wales Canberra, said the visit underscored the importance of good relations between the countries' leaders and parties. "Trong's sudden death brought an end to a long-standing personal relationship with Xi," said Thayer. "Party protocol in these matters is for a new party leader to visit China as soon as practical to reaffirm the importance of intra-party relations." The neighbors, who fought a brief but bloody border war in 1979, normalized relations in 1991. In 2008, Vietnam elevated their relationship to a "comprehensive strategic partnership," the highest level of engagement. Speaking ahead of Lam's visit, Vietnam's Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son emphasized the economic benefits of warm relations. "We have been impressed by the figures such as two-way trade in the first half of 2024 rising 24.1% year-on-year to US$94.5 billion; the number of FDI projects in the six-month span remaining at the top with 447 new ones worth nearly $1.3 billion," he said in an interview with Vietnamese media, referring to foreign direct investment. Son also highlighted what he called a positive tourism recovery, adding: "Vietnam hosted 2.1 million Chinese tourist arrivals during January-July, higher than that of the whole 2023." 'Agree to disagree' Lam's talks with Xi are likely to "come under the umbrella of linking Vietnam's 'Two Corridors, One Belt' with China's 'Belt and Road Initiative'," according to Thayer. "The two leaders will focus on enhancing political trust through party-to-party exchanges and on practical cooperation for mutual benefit such as infrastructure development in the border area (rail and bridges), investment, trade, finance and currency exchange, food security, and green development." The two sides have clashed over competing territorial claims in the South China Sea, which have earned diplomatic rebukes from Hanoi and sparked widespread public protests in Vietnam. Son said Lam and Xi were likely to have "frank, sincere, and substantive," discussions on territorial issues, while claiming that the situation was "basically well controlled; and exchange and negotiation mechanisms between the two sides on the sea issues regularly maintained." The two leaders are likely to gloss over the issue by "agreeing to disagree," according to Thayer. "Trong and Xi recognised that territorial disputes in the South China Sea were a major irritant in bilateral relations. Xi and Lam are likely to reaffirm that their disputes should be resolved peacefully by better management of differences following the consensus reached by high-level leaders in the past." Vietnam has adopted a flexible approach to foreign policy, known as "bamboo diplomacy," under which it has established six other comprehensive strategic partnerships with Russia, India, South Korea, the United States, Japan and Australia. As president Lam met Russia's President Vladimir Putin while he was on a visit to Vietnam in June and spoke to him by telephone after being named general secretary. The U.S. became a comprehensive strategic partner during a visit to Hanoi by President Joe Biden in September 2023, during which the U.S. president courted Vietnamese tech executives in a push to develop new semiconductor supply chains. Vietnam's National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man was keen to stress the economic benefits of having the U.S. as a "partner of strategic importance," during a reception for Ambassador Marc Evans Knapper in Hanoi on Thursday, pointing out that bilateral trade topped US$66.1 billion in the first seven months of this year, after approaching $111 billion in 2023. Edited by Mike Firn. Updated to add comments by Carl Thayer. 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 Norway's Representative Office in Palestine is closed until further notice Government of Norway Press release | Date: 16/08/2024 As a result of the Netanyahu government's decision to no longer facilitate Norway's representation to the Palestinian Authority, our Representative Office in Al Ram in Palestine must be closed as of today. 'We consider the Netanyahu government's decision to be extreme and unreasonable. This decision seeks to target the Palestinians and the Palestinian Authority and all those who defend international law, the two-state solution and the Palestinians' legitimate right to self-determination,' says Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide. Norway's support for the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian people will continue with full force. 'We will do our utmost to ensure that this does not affect our work for Palestine and for a viable Palestinian state. Our commitment will continue with full force. We are now working to determine how best to organise our work going forward. We will continue our active work to achieve a sustainable two-state solution, which we believe is in the best interests of the security of both Israelis and Palestinians and for the other countries in the Middle East,' says Mr. Eide. For more than 30 years, Norway and the Representative Office have worked for a two-state solution, peace between Israel and Palestine and building Palestinian institutions. 'The Netanyahu government's decision obviously has consequences for our work in Palestine. It affects our locally employed staff. Many of them have worked at the representative office for several years. It also affects our diplomats and their families. We are now fully focused on how to safeguard our employees and our work in the best possible way,' says Mr. Eide. On Thursday, the Foreign Minister spoke with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa about the way forward. Norway has received strong support from many countries after the Netanyahu government effectively expelled Norwegian diplomats from Palestine. The USA, the EU, Germany, the UK and France, among others, have protested to Israel over the matter. 'We are grateful for the support we have received from a number of key countries over the past week. We look forward to continuing our cooperation for a viable Palestinian state and a sustainable two-state solution,' says the Foreign Minister. 'Norway is a friend of Israel and the Israeli people. We have strongly condemned Hamas' terrorist attack against Israel on October 7 last year. We have been clear that the hostages must be released immediately and that a ceasefire is more urgent than ever. Important negotiations on a ceasefire and the release of the hostages are currently taking place in Doha. It is high time that this agreement is reached,' says the Foreign Minister. Norwegian citizens in need of consular assistance can contact the MFA's operational center by phone +47 23 95 00 00 and email 247@mfa.no. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks with Prime Minister of Israel India - Ministry of External Affairs August 16, 2024 Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi received a telephone call today from the Prime Minister of Israel, H.E. Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu. 2. Prime Minister Netanyahu conveyed his warm wishes on the occasion of India's 78th Independence Day. 3. The two leaders discussed the prevailing situation in West Asia. 4. Prime Minister Modi emphasized the need to de-escalate the situation. Prime Minister reiterated India's call for immediate release of all hostages and the need for continued humanitarian assistance for the affected. He called for an early and peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy. 5. The two leaders also discussed various aspects of the bilateral cooperation and ways to further strengthen the India-Israel Strategic Partnership. 6. The two leaders agreed to remain in touch. New Delhi August 16, 2024 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Prime Minister receives telephone call from the Chief Adviser, Interim Government of Bangladesh India - Ministry of External Affairs August 16, 2024 Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi held a telephonic conversation today with Prof. Mohammad Yunus, the Chief Adviser of the Interim Government of Bangladesh. 2. During the call, 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. Prime Minister also underlined the importance of ensuring the safety and protection of Hindus and all other minority communities in Bangladesh. 3. Prof. Yunus, in turn, assured that the Interim Government would prioritise protection, safety and security of Hindus and all minority groups in Bangladesh. 4. The two leaders also discussed ways to take the bilateral relationship forward in line with the respective national priorities. New Delhi August 16, 2024 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hezbollah fighter martyred in southern Lebanon IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Aug 16, 2024 Tehran- IRNA -- At the same time as the Zionist regime's aggression against Lebanon continues, the Lebanese Islamic Resistance announced the martyrdom of another fighter in the south of Lebanon. Hezbollah in a statement announced that "Ibrahim Shoghi Salameh" nicknamed "Ala" was martyred. This Hezbollah fighter was born in 1984 in Blida, a town in southern Lebanon. Earlier, Al-Mayadeen reported a drone attack on a car in southern Lebanon. This car was targeted on the coastal road in the north of Tyre and near the two checkpoints of the Lebanese Army. The Ministry of Health of Lebanon also announced the martyrdom of one citizen and the wounding of another person in the Zionist regime's air attack on Aitaroun in the south of Lebanon. With the start of the "Al-Aqsa Storm" operation by the Palestinian resistance groups, Lebanon's Hezbollah carried out daily and heavy operations against the Israeli positions inside the Palestinian territory. As a result of these attacks, some of the Israeli bases in the common border with southern Lebanon have been destroyed, and military equipment such as tanks, personnel carriers and armored vehicles of the Zionists have also been targeted by the Lebanese resistance, and a large number of Zionist soldiers have also been killed. 9376**2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hezbollah renews pledge to avenge Zionist assassination of Fuad Shukr IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Aug 16, 2024 Tehran- IRNA -- Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General Naim Qassem has reiterated that the resistance group will give a response to the hostile Zionist regime for the assassination of top commander Fuad Shukr. Lebanon's Al Mayadeen TV cited Qassem as saying on Friday that Hezbollah has decided on a response which he said will be given. Fuad Shukr was assassinated in a Zionist attack in Beirut on July 30. A day later, the Tel Aviv regime launched another attack in Tehran, killing Hamas top Leader Ismail Haniyeh just hours after he attended the inauguration of President Masoud Pezeshkian in the Iranian capital. Despite messages from across the world for Hezbollah and Tehran to exercise restraint, they both have vowed retaliation. The Zionist regime has been on alert over the past two weeks to thwart an anticipated attack from Iran or its regional allies, including Hezbollah, while Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah has said that waiting is part of their punishment. 9341**2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PH presence in Escoda Shoal backed by UNCLOS: PCG Philippine News Agency By Raymond Carl Dela Cruz August 16, 2024, 4:05 pm MANILA -- The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Friday asserted that the presence of their ships in Escoda Shoal in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) is backed by international laws. In a statement, PCG spokesperson for the WPS, Commodore Jay Tarriela said the deployments of PCG vessels in Escoda Shoal are backed by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). He said claims of a Philippine forward base being built in Escoda Shoal were unfounded and "too absurd to warrant a response." "This behavior reveals the mindset and actions of [China]. Their suspicions about the Philippines engaging in such actions stem from their own pattern of unlawfully occupying maritime areas in the South China Sea, followed by illegal reclamation and provocative militarization of those features," Tarriela said. China's accusations, he said, aim to distract from "their unlawful actions and aggressive behavior" such as the deployment of Chinese vessels encroaching on the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ). "[China is] making these statements to shape perceptions among their domestic audience and the international community, asserting that they have legitimate claims over the entire South China Sea," Tarriela said. To date, he said these vessels include those from the Chinese Coast Guard, Chinese maritime militia, and a Chinese research vessel. (PNA) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Ministry Spokesperson's Remarks on the Philippine Coast Guard Vessel's Illegal Anchoring in the Lagoon of Xianbin Jiao People's Republic of China Ministry of Foreign Affairs Updated: August 16, 2024 19:42 Q: A Philippine coast guard vessel has recently been anchoring in the lagoon of Xianbin Jiao. Could the foreign ministry confirm it? Any comment on that? A: Xianbin Jiao is part of China's Nansha Qundao. The Philippine vessel entered the lagoon of the Xianbin Jiao without permission and has been there for a long time, which seriously infringes on China's sovereignty, violates the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), and threatens the peace and stability in the South China Sea. China has protested to the Philippines through diplomatic channels and asked the Philippines to stop its infringement activities and withdraw the vessel at once. China is closely monitoring the developments and will take resolute measures to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests and uphold the sanctity of the DOC. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Ministry Spokesperson's Remarks on Paetongtarn Shinawatra's Election as Thailand's New Prime Minister People's Republic of China Ministry of Foreign Affairs Updated: August 16, 2024 20:22 Q: On August 16, Leader of the Pheu Thai Party Paetongtarn Shinawatra was elected the 31st Prime Minister of Thailand. What is China's comment? What is China's expectation for its relations with Thailand? A: China congratulates Paetongtarn Shinawatra on her election as the Prime Minister of Thailand. We believe the people of Thailand will make new and greater achievements on the development path suited to Thailand's national conditions. China and Thailand are one family. The two countries are close and friendly neighbors, and will mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties next yearan occasion that 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Doha talks: Iran warns about 'deceit and dishonesty' of Israel, US Iran Press TV Friday, 16 August 2024 10:04 PM Commenting on Gaza ceasefire talks underway in Qatar, Iran has warned about "the deceit and dishonesty" of the criminal Israeli regime and its most important supporter, the United States. Iran's interim Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani issued the warning in a telephonic conversation with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on Friday. This was their second conversation in 24 hours. Kani wrote in a post published on the social media platform X on Friday evening that he and the Qatari prime minister exchanged opinions "about the developments of the second day of talks to stop the genocide of the Zionists in Gaza." "Referring to the aggression and criminal nature of the Zionists in Gaza, I warned about the deceit and dishonesty of the criminal gang ruling Tel Aviv and their most important supporter, the United States, at the negotiating table," he stated. Earlier in the day, the United States, Qatar and Egypt issued a joint statement saying they held Gaza ceasefire talks in a positive atmosphere in the Qatari capital Doha. They added that the talks were "serious, and constructive." The mediators put forward a "bridging proposal" that would allow the "swift" implementation of a deal that would end the war in Gaza and see the release of Israeli captives, the joint statement said. The mediating trio claimed that their proposal "narrows the gaps between the parties," referring to the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas and the Israeli regime. The new conditions featured in the scheme, however, involve the regime's keeping its forces inside Gaza along the coastal sliver's border with Egypt, the agency added, citing "an informed source." Hamas however reportedly said it would not accept new conditions from the Israeli regime as outlined in the new proposal. Kani said that the United States is providing weapons to Israel which makes it "an accomplice, not a neutral mediator." "So I emphasized using all capacities to force the Zionist aggressors to stop killing and crimes in Gaza," he stated. Despite the ceasefire talks, 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. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to keep up the war until, what he has called, the "elimination" of Hamas, a prospect that has been ruled out as impossible by the group and even some Israeli officials and Tel Aviv's allies. 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 Norway closes its Palestine office after Israel revokes status of diplomats Iran Press TV Friday, 16 August 2024 7:09 PM Norway has announced the closure of its Representative Office in al-Ram, Palestine, after Israel's "extreme" decision to revoke the diplomatic status of several Norwegian diplomats. Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said it was an "extreme and unreasonable" decision made by the regime. "This decision seeks to target the Palestinians and the Palestinian Authority and all those who defend international law, the two-state solution and the Palestinians' legitimate right to self-determination." The minister vowed that his country will continue to support the Palestinian people "with full force." "We will do our utmost to ensure that this does not affect our work for Palestine and for a viable Palestinian state. Our commitment will continue with full force." He noted that the Israeli decision obviously "has consequences for our work in Palestine." "It affects our locally employed staff. Many of them have worked at the representative office for several years. It also affects our diplomats and their families. We are now fully focused on how to safeguard our employees and our work in the best possible way," Eide said. Earlier this month, Israel revoked the diplomatic status of eight Norwegian diplomats who had been working in Norway's representative office to the Palestinian Authority. Ties between Oslo and Tel Aviv has been deteriorating since Norway recognized the state of Palestine in May. More than two-thirds of the United Nations, approximately 140 countries, already recognize a Palestinian state. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hamas says will not accept new truce conditions from Israel: Report Iran Press TV Friday, 16 August 2024 6:38 PM The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has reportedly said it would not accept new conditions from the Israeli regime as outlined in a new proposal put forward by mediators during truce negotiations in the Qatari capital Doha. AFP issued the report on Friday, citing "officials" after the United States, Qatar, and Egypt, which have been mediating the talks, announced coming up with the proposal. The trio alleged that the proposal "narrows the gaps between the parties," referring to Hamas and the regime. The new conditions featured in the scheme, however, involve the regime's keeping its forces inside Gaza along the coastal sliver's border with Egypt, the agency added, citing "an informed source." This is while the movement has repeatedly insisted on complete cessation of the Israeli war of aggression against Gaza, which began on October 7 following a retaliatory operation staged by the territory's resistance groups, and the regime's full withdrawal. It has also demanded the return of the displaced people, an end to the siege that has been imposed by Tel Aviv on Gaza, and initiation of the territory's reconstruction process. The group reiterated the conditions the last time in a statement that it issued on Thursday. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has, nevertheless, vowed to keep up the war until, what he has called, the "elimination" of Hamas, a prospect that has been ruled out as impossible by the group and even some Israeli officials and Tel Aviv's allies. The war has so far claimed the lives of at least 40,005 Palestinians, mostly women and children. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Indian-administered Kashmir to hold first elections in 10 years Iran Press TV Friday, 16 August 2024 6:37 PM India has announced three-phased assembly elections in the Kashmir region scheduled for next month, the first since Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government in 2019 stripped the Muslim-majority region of its semi-autonomy status. The region has remained on edge since it was downgraded to a federally-controlled territory, governed by a New Delhi-appointed administrator and run by bureaucrats with no democratic credentials. Voting for the region's assembly will be staggered over three stages between September 18 and October 1. A total of 8.7 million people will be eligible to vote, the commission said. Ballots from around the region will be counted all at once on October 4, and results are usually announced on the same day. The multi-stage voting will elect a local government, a chief minister who will serve as the state'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 India's parliament while policy decisions will be made in New Delhi. Local politicians have demanded the earliest restoration of statehood so that full legislative powers could be returned to the local assembly. The polls will also be the first for the region's assembly in a decade. The last assembly election was held in 2014 after which Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party for the first time ruled the region in a coalition with Kashmir's 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chinese FM proposes 4 suggestions for Lancang-Mekong cooperation Xinhua) 10:12, August 17, 2024 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. (Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Wu Chaolan) EU's Borrell to propose sanctions against Israel over West Bank settler attacks Iran Press TV Friday, 16 August 2024 2:48 PM The European Union's top diplomat Josep Borrell says he would propose sanctions against the "enablers" of Israeli settler violence against the Palestinians in the wake of another 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 wrote on X on Friday. "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. The Thursday attack on Jit, near Neblus, left one Palestinian dead and several others wounded. Many countries have condemned the attack, even the regime's supporters in the West, including France, UK, Germany and the US. The United Nations said the deadly attack was "horrific", adding that "by and large, we are seeing impunity" for such attacks. "It was horrific. What is striking and important to remember is that yesterday's killing in Jit is not an isolated attack, and it is the direct consequence of Israel's policy of settlement in the West Bank," UN human rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told a press briefing. Hamas has offered condolences to Palestinians over the nighttime Israeli settler attack in the occupied West Bank, saying the assault is part of Israel's "fascist extermination plans". The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said "the armed collective attack" by settlers on the village of Jit in the occupied West Bank is "organized state terrorism". The ministry condemned the brutal attack committed by "the terrorist settler gangs" on the village located in the east of the city of Qalqilya. "We demand the imposition of deterrent sanctions on the racist colonial system, the dismantling of the terrorist settler militias, and the prosecution of their members," the statement said. Violence in the West Bank has surged since the Gaza genocide started on October 7. Since then, hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by Zionist soldiers or settlers. Israeli settlement in the West Bank has also hit new records. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israel orders Gazans to leave 'safe zone' despite truce talks Iran Press TV Friday, 16 August 2024 2:38 PM The Israeli military has ordered the Palestinians to evacuate areas in southern and central Gaza, tightening the area they previously designated as a so-called "safe zone", while talks aimed at reaching a ceasefire deal is ongoing in Qatar. The orders were issued on Friday for the area north of the southern city of Khan Younis, and the eastern part of Deir Al-Balah, where tens of thousands of Palestinians have sought shelter from Israeli strikes in other parts of the besieged strip. The Israeli army claimed that the areas had been used by Hamas as a launch pad for attacks against Israel. "Once again, fear spreads as families have nowhere to go. People remain trapped in an endless nightmare of death and destruction on a staggering scale," the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said in a post on X on Friday. The latest evacuation warnings came while delegations from Israel, the US, Egypt and Qatar were due to meet for a second day of ceasefire talks in Doha. Bombs, however, have continued to fall in Gaza. "Why did (Israeli prime minister Benjamin) Netanyahu send a delegation to the talks while we are being killed here?" Mohammed al-Balwi asked, as bombs continue to fall in Gaza. Israel launched the war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas waged the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in response to the Israeli regime's decades-long campaign of bloodletting and devastation against Palestinians. The regime's bloody onslaught on Gaza has so far killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured tens of thousands others. Thousands more are also missing and presumed dead under rubble. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hezbollah unveils new missile facility, warns Israel of 'unexpected destiny' Iran Press TV Friday, 16 August 2024 2:36 PM Lebanon's Hezbollah resistance movement has unveiled a sophisticated underground missile facility at the same time as addressing a strong warning to the Israeli regime. The movement revealed the "Imad 4" facility in a video released by its Military Media outlet on Friday. The facility features a convoluted tunnel network, missile launchpads, and blast doors opening outwards that could be used for launching the projectiles towards predetermined targets. Reporting on the footage, Lebanon's al-Mayadeen television network cited sources as saying that the facility was also outfitted with a "secure communication network" linking it to the outside world. Using the network, the facility can "receive launch orders within minutes," it noted. "Imad 4" also benefits from a "comprehensive logistics team, as well as dedicated construction, security, and backup launch teams," the network added. "These teams operate based on predetermined coordinates for launching operations." The movement, meanwhile, warned the regime through caption superimposed on the video that if it brought Lebanon under yet another war, "it will face a destiny and reality it didn't expect any day." "War with us extends across all of Palestine, from the Lebanese border to the Jordanian border to the Red Sea...from Kiryat Shmona to Eilat," it added. The last two locations refer to two cities lying respectively in the northernmost and southernmost parts of the occupied Palestinian territories. The Israeli regime has been conducting near-daily attacks against the southern parts of Lebanon since October 7, when it launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip. Hezbollah has been responding with strikes aimed both at retaliating against the regime and supporting the war-hit Gazans. The regime, which waged wars against Lebanon in 2000 and 2006, has, meanwhile, been repeatedly threatening to expand its attacks into another wholesale military onslaught against the country. Hezbollah has vowed to defend the Lebanese soil with all its resources. It has also pledged to avenge the blood of Fuad Shukr, one of the group's senior commanders, and Ismail Haniyeh, the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas' former political leader, who were killed in separate assassination operations conducted by Tel Aviv in Lebanon's capital Beirut and the Iranian capital Tehran late last month. The video featured excerpts from a speech by Hezbollah's Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, in which he asserted that "the resistance is stronger than ever since its inception in the region." Still citing its sources, al-Mayadeen noted that "the resistance maintains larger, more critical facilities designed to accommodate larger and heavier projectiles, including precision missiles." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hamas, Islamic Jihad call for popular uprising after deadly Israeli settler attack on West Bank village Iran Press TV Friday, 16 August 2024 10:19 AM The Palestinian Hamas and Islamic Jihad resistance groups have condemned an attack by illegal Israeli settlers on the village of Jit in the northern West Bank, where they killed a Palestinian and set fire to homes and cars belonging to other residents. In a statement on Friday, Hamas called for a popular uprising against the gangs of settlers. "We mourn the heroic martyr Rashid Mahmoud Sada, who was killed by settler militias in the village of Jit. We affirm that this pure blood will not go in vain and will be a curse upon the occupying regime," the statement read. Earlier, Abdel Rahman Shadid, a Hamas leader, had stated that "The Nazi occupation's aggression through its armed illegal settlers on the village of Jit east of Qalqilya this evening, along with the burning and abuse, is part of a series of crimes by the occupation in the West Bank." Shadid called on Palestinians in the West Bank "to further rise up against the occupation and its settlers and to confront their brutal attacks by all possible means." For its part, the Islamic Jihad resistance movement also condemned the attack by illegal Israeli settlers on the village of Jit, terming it a declaration of war on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. "The occupation army's siege of the village during the attack is reminiscent of the massacres carried out by the Stern, Irgun, and Haganah gangs, among others, in 1948, with the aim of displacing our people from their land. "The participation of the occupation army in securing protection for these crimes proves that what is being implemented is an official plan under the sponsorship of war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu," the Gaza-based group said in a statement. The Islamic Jihad movement also urged all Palestinian residents of the West Bank to confront settler gangs and their crimes in defense of the occupied territories and the Palestinian nation. Additionally, the Palestinian Mujahideen Movement decried the attack by illegal Israeli settlers on the Palestinian village of Jit as an extension of the genocidal war led by the fascist Zionist entity against Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. "This brutal aggression, supported by the criminals [Israel's so-called national security minister Itamar] Ben-Gvir and [prime minister Benjamin] Netanyahu, where settlers besieged the village, burned properties, and shot at unarmed citizens, represents a dangerous escalation in the Zionist aggression against our people. It must be met with a qualitative escalation in resistance and confrontation," it said in a statement. "We call upon the masses of our people in the cities and villages of the West Bank for a wide-scale uprising and comprehensive intifada to forcefully confront the crimes of Zionists, and thwart their criminal plans aimed at eradication of the Palestinian presence and displacement of our people," it added. On Thursday evening, more than 100 illegal Israeli settlers attacked Jit, killed a Palestinian citizen and seriously injured another. They set fire to four homes and six vehicles owned by Palestinians during the incursion. Since Israel unleashed a war on the besieged Gaza Strip in early October 2023, casualties have been rising in the West Bank as a result of intensified near-daily Israeli raids into villages and cities in the occupied territories. At least 623 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 5,400 others injured by Israeli forces in the West Bank since the outbreak of the war on Gaza, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. At least 40,005 Palestinians, most of them women and children, have also been killed in the Israeli genocidal war against the Gaza Strip during the past 10 months. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran urges 'practical measures' to end Israeli genocide in Gaza Iran Press TV Friday, 16 August 2024 9:42 AM Iran's interim Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani has underlined the need for all-out diplomatic efforts and "practical measures" aimed at putting an end to Israel's ongoing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. In an X post early on Friday, Bagheri Kani said that he had discussed over the phone the latest developments regarding a new round of the Gaza ceasefire talks with Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani. The top Iranian diplomat added that Sheikh Mohammed described as critical the outcome of the current stage of the Gaza truce discussions. "I emphasized the need for the continuation of all-out efforts and practical measures, including diplomatic activities, to stop the genocide by the Zionists in Gaza," he added. The remarks came after the first day of the ceasefire negotiations, mediated by the US, Egypt, and Qatar, ended in Doha on Thursday. Hamas officials did not join the talks, saying Israel has been adding new demands to a previous proposal to which the Palestinian resistance group had agreed in principle. However, an Israeli delegation, led by the heads of Mossad and Shin Bet spy agencies, took part in the negotiations. An unnamed US official briefed on the discussions in Doha told Reuters that Thursday's talks were "constructive." Reports say the ceasefire negotiations are set to resume for a second day on Friday. Israel waged its genocidal war on the besieged Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023 after Hamas carried out its historic operation against the occupying entity in retaliation for the regime's intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people. So far, the Tel Aviv regime has killed at least 40,005 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 92,401 others. Successive rounds of talks have failed to broker a truce in the brutal Israeli onslaught on Gaza. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Aug 15: 'Axis of Resistance' operations against Israeli occupation Iran Press TV Friday, 16 August 2024 8:09 AM By Press TV Website Staff Amid Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, which has killed over 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 Tuesday, August 15, are as follows: Al-Qassam Brigades' operations on August 15: - Launched a suicide drone targeting a gathering of Israeli forces east of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. - Struck the main concentration of Israeli forces at the "Mars" military site using short-range "Rajoom" rockets. Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades' operations on August 15: - Targeted gatherings of Israeli soldiers and military vehicles in the "Netzarim" area with 107mm rockets. - Attacked the Israeli military's command and control headquarters in the "Netzarim" axis with two 107mm rockets. - Engaged in fierce, point-blank clashes with Israeli forces in Balata Camp, Nablus City, in the occupied West Bank, using machine guns. Al-Quds Brigades' operations on August 15: - In a joint operation with the Abdul Qader Al-Husseini groups, targeted gatherings of Israeli soldiers and military vehicles in the "Netzarim" axis with 107mm rockets. - Launched a barrage of heavy mortar shells at a group of Israeli soldiers who had infiltrated the vicinity of Al-Ma'ari School and the Al-Samiri neighborhood in northeast Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip. Hezbollah's operations on August 15: - Targeted the "Mayan Baruch" site with artillery shells. - Struck an Israeli military position at the "Malikiya" site with appropriate weapons. - Launched an aerial attack with a fleet of drones on the "Khirbet Maar" site. - Targeted the new "Shamir" settlement for the first time with a volley of Katyusha rockets. - Fired a volley of Katyusha rockets at Israeli artillery positions in "Zaoura." - Attacked the Ruwaisat Al-Alam site in the occupied Lebanese Kfar Shuba hills with appropriate weapons. - Targeted the Marj site with appropriate weapons. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hezbollah: Response to Israeli assassinations 'definite' Iran Press TV Friday, 16 August 2024 7:43 AM Lebanon's resistance movement Hezbollah has once again stressed its resolve to retaliate against the Israeli assassination of its senior commander, despite US efforts to spare its ally the consequences of its crimes. "The response is a decision and this decision will take place, God willing," Hezbollah's Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem said in an interview with Lebanon's al-Manar television network that was aired on Thursday. Qassem described the visit of US envoy Amos Hochstein to Lebanon, which was allegedly aimed at easing tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, as a "show" in a "vicious cycle", noting that he didn't present "specific American proposals." On Wednesday, Hochstein said he believed all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah could be avoided, adding that a ceasefire deal for Gaza would also help prevent an outbreak of a wider war. "We continue to believe that a diplomatic resolution is achievable because we continue to believe that no one truly wants a full-scale war between Lebanon and Israel," Hochstein said after talks with parliament speaker Nabih Berri. Elsewhere in his remarks, Naim Qassem noted that the victory of Lebanon against the Israeli enemy in the July 2006 war "is not an exceptional" incident, but "a choice that turned out to be a foundation for the future." He referred to the operations conducted by Hezbollah in support of Gazans who are subjected to an Israeli genocidal war, saying "We are confident that the outcome of confronting the July 2006 aggression, including thwarting all of Israel's goals and achieving the great divine victory, will also be achieved in this battle [al-Aqsa Storm Operation], amid all these sacrifices, all this patience, and all this time." Noting that the current battle is "tougher and harsher" one, he said it as "a battle of choices." "We have a clear choice. We have the choice of liberation, independence, pride and dignity. And that's more sophisticated than... the choice of occupation and aggression." "The issue needs patience, and... we are the people of patience and generosity," he stressed. Hezbollah and Israel have been exchanging fire since early October, shortly after the occupying regime launched its war on Gaza. The movement has vowed to keep up its retaliatory operations as long as the Tel Aviv regime continues its onslaught on Gaza that has so far killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured tens of thousands others. Israel waged its genocidal war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian Hamas resistance group carried out Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the usurping entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people. In its most daring attack against Lebanon since the beginning of the Gaza onslaught, Israel assassinated Fuad Shukr, a senior Hezbollah military commander and an advisor to the movement's Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, in a strike against a building in a suburb of Beirut late in July. Hezbollah officials have repeatedly said they do not want a war with Israel while stressing that they are prepared in case it occurs. Two Israeli wars waged against Lebanon in 2000 and 2006 were met with strong resistance from Hezbollah, resulting in the retreat of the regime in both conflicts. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israeli settlers fire on Palestinian residents in West Bank town Iran Press TV Friday, 16 August 2024 12:33 AM Israeli settlers, supported by the regime's forces, have killed a young Palestinian man in a violent attack on a town near the occupied West Bank city of Qalqilya. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said armed settlers fired on Thursday live ammunition at the town's residents, killing 23-year-old Rashid Mahmoud Sedda. Another young Palestinian was also critically injured. The new casualties came after more than 100 settlers attacked the town, shooting civilians and setting fire to four houses and six cars. The Hamas resistance movement strongly condemned the aggression against Palestinian civilians. It described the attack as a new failed attempt by Israeli forces and settlers that will not deter Palestinians from pursuing the path to freedom. Since Israel unleashed a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip in early October 2023, casualties have been rising in the West Bank as a result of intensified near-daily raids by the regime troops into Palestinian towns. At least 624 Palestinians have been killed in the occupied West Bank by Israeli forces since the beginning of Israel's Gaza onslaught. More than 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 Paetongtarn Shinawatra elected as Thailand's next PM The scion of the Shinawatra dynasty is expected to be approved by the King on Sunday. By BenarNews Staff 2024.08.16 -- Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the 37-year-old scion of one of Thailand's top political families, will serve as prime minister after a majority of MPs voted for her on Friday to succeed Srettha Thavisin, who was forced from office by a court ruling this week. Paetongtarn, the leader of the Pheu Thai Party whose nickname is "Ung Ing," will be the youngest and 31st person in Thai history to hold the office. She sailed through in Friday's parliamentary election by securing 319 votes in her favor, with 145 against, 27 abstentions and two non-voters. King Maha Vajiralongkorn (Rama X) is expected to appoint her as PM on Sunday. The vote took place a day after partners in the ruling coalition, including parties linked with the military, met to hash out who they should nominate to replace Srettha. By day's end on Thursday, they settled on Paetongtarn as their pick for PM. Although she did not attend Friday's session at Parliament House in Bangkok, Paetongtarn expressed gratitude to the MPs following the vote. "I really hope that I can make the people feel confident that we can build on the opportunity and improve the quality of life and empower all Thais," she said during a post-vote news conference at Voice TV, a channel owned by the Shinawatra family. Paetongtarn expressed support for Srettha, who was stripped of power less than 48 hours earlier. On Wednesday, the Constitutional Court ruled that he must step down as prime minister over an ethical violation because he appointed a minister to his cabinet who had been jailed in 2008 on charges of bribing an official. "I was very confused and I didn't know what to do when the result came out and I felt very bad because I didn't expect the result to be like that at all," she said of the ruling that ousted Srettha, the first civilian head of government after nearly a decade of military rule, who held power for only 11 months. Paetongtarn is the third Shinawatra to rise to Thailand's top political office. Her father, Thaksin, a divisive figure in national politics and a populist leader, was forced from office by a military coup in 2006. Her aunt, Yingluck, also served before she was forced out by a similar coup in 2014. In addition, Thaksin's brother-in-law, Somchai Wongsawat, served as prime minister in 2008 before a Constitutional Court ruling forced him out. Ahead of Friday's vote, Nattapong Ruangpanyawut, leader of the opposition People's Party, urged fellow MPs to support constitutional amendments to prevent future dissolutions of political parties and ensure that power belongs to the people. His party was formed last week out of the ashes of the former Move Forward Party, after the Constitutional Court disbanded Move Forward and barred 11 of its leaders from participating in politics for a decade. "Our critical mission in this parliament is to revise and improve the laws, including drafting a new constitution or amending specific sections to appropriately define the roles of the Constitutional Court and other independent bodies," Nattapong said. "We also need to reform the laws governing political parties to make it easier for them to form and harder for them to be dissolved." The Move Forward Party won the most seats in the 2023 general election but was unable to form a government because of opposition to its stance on reforming lese-majeste, the strict law against royal defamation. Thaksin's shadow Adisorn Piengkes, a Pheu Thai MP, echoed Nattapong's sentiment, calling for legal reforms to protect political parties and strengthen democracy. "We, especially the future government, should reform the laws and the Constitution that currently punish politicians and political parties. I agree that we need to make it easier to establish political parties and harder to dissolve them," Adisorn said. "Let's work together to amend the Constitution to make it more democratic and I hope the opposition will cooperate fully with the government." Following Paetongtarn's election, Olarn Thinbangtieo, an associate professor at Burapha University's Faculty of Political Science and Law, predicted that her father, Thaksin, would be in charge. "Thai politics will now be 100% dominated by Thaksin. Paetongtarn's strength is that she is Thaksin's daughter and her weakness is also that she is Thaksin's daughter. She will inevitably become a target for those who oppose Thaksin, leading to various controversies, while negotiations for ministerial positions are sure to take place," Olarn told BenarNews. "I believe that by aligning with the old power groups, Pheu Thai has put Paetongtarn in a 'lamb among wolves' situation. While they may rely on Pheu Thai, the party will not have much flexibility and Paetongtarn will have to navigate these conditions while also contending with the People's Party." Olarn said Srettha's digital wallet scheme must continue, adding that calls that its future depends on the new prime minister were political trickery. The digital wallet refers to last year's campaign pledge by Srettha to deliver a one-time cash handout of 10,000 baht (U.S. $275) to Thai citizens in an effort to stimulate spending and help Thailand's economy recover from ripple effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. "This policy is tied to the Pheu Thai Party and Khun Ung Ing must carry it forward. The only exception would be if the prime minister were from another party, in which case they wouldn't have to continue it as it's not their party's policy," Olarn said. Hopes for an exit from authoritarianism Writer Aiko Hamasaki, 32, said she was excited about Paetongtarn's election. "I'm thrilled that Paetongtarn has become prime minister," Aiko told BenarNews. "She speaks our language in both tone and content." "I hope all of Pheu Thai's policies will stimulate the economy and bring in foreign investments. I hope this time we can genuinely learn to coexist with different opinions," she said. Meanwhile, private sector employee Kittin Likitparinya, 28, expressed disappointment with Pheu Thai for betraying its promises by aligning with parties and politicians linked to the military, which controlled the government from 2014 until 2023.. "My only wish now is to see Paetongtarn become prime minister - not because I expect her to restore the lost faith of the youth or the ideologically driven, but because I'm tired of facing the old dictatorship. Paetongtarn might be the only way to lead us out of this whirlpool of authoritarianism," Kittin told BenarNews. This story has been updated to include reactions regarding the vote for Paetongtarn Shinawatra to serve as prime minister. Jon Preechawong and Wittayakorn Boonruang in Bangkok contributed to this report. BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated news organization. Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content 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 The Azadi Briefing: Press Freedom Sharply Declining Under The Taliban By Abubakar Siddique August 16, 2024 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. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/afghaistan- taliban-press-freedom-media/33081491.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 Hamas Not Opposed to Talks With Israel, But Demands Complete Ceasefire in Gaza - Official Sputnik News 20240816 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - 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. 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. "The [Hamas] movement does not reject the principle of negotiations as such, contrary to the statements made by Zionist [Israeli] propaganda, and demands an operational plan that will ensure the success of these efforts and lead to an effective cessation of aggression," Badran said. 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. "The movement believes that the real hurdle for a ceasefire is Israel's continued avoidance and the unconditional support that the US administration has for it, as it is indelibly linked with [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu's position," Badran said. 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. "However, the occupation force [Israel] continues refusing to make a concrete agreement and insists on continuing its crimes in the Gaza Strip, ignoring all calls to stop the war ... Any agreement must include a complete ceasefire, a complete withdrawal of troops from the Gaza Strip, the return of displaced persons and reconstruction, as well as prisoner exchange," Badran said. 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. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Joint Statement on Venezuela Election US Department of State Media Note Office of the Spokesperson August 16, 2024 The undersigned countries, meeting in Santo Domingo de Guzman make a strong appeal for wisdom and restraint in Venezuela. At this decisive juncture for Venezuela and the region, all social and political actors must exercise the utmost restraint in their public actions. Acceptance and respect for the dignity and integrity of all individuals are the essential principles upon which the peaceful coexistence in our societies is built. We urge for the respect of democratic principles, as well as the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all Venezuelans, particularly the freedom of peaceful assembly and the freedom of expression. We are concerned that this reality currently does not exist in Venezuela. Reports of arbitrary detentions of Venezuelans without due process are alarming, and therefore we urgently call for their immediate release. We express our deep condemnation of the repression of protesters and the violence that has claimed the lives of many Venezuelans in the post-election context. We urgently call on Venezuelan authorities to end the violence and release all those who have been detained, including opposition representatives. Furthermore, we request the immediate return of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to Venezuela, and call on Venezuela to ensure the necessary conditions for it to fully carry out its mandate. In addition, we call on Venezuela, as a state party to the Caracas Convention on Diplomatic Asylum of 1954, to comply with its provision by issuing the safe passage that will allow the six asylum seekers currently residing in the official residence of the Republic of Argentina to safely leave Venezuelan territory. We take note of the preliminary report by the United Nations Expert Panel on the presidential election in Venezuela which indicates that the National Electoral Council (CNE) of Venezuela has yet to present the electoral records that substantiate the validity of the results announced on August 2. It should also be noted that a digital version of more than 80% of the electoral records has been published, which shows a different outcome than that reported by the CNE. Consequently, we request the immediate publication of all original records and the impartial and independent verification of those results, preferably by an international entity, to ensure respect for the will of the Venezuelan people as expressed at the polls. Any delay in this process calls into question the August 2, 2024, official proclamation. Our nations have previously appealed for peaceful dialogue and negotiations to resolve serious conflicts. Now more than ever, Venezuela must honor that legacy to restore peaceful coexistence, public safety and political stability, which according to accounts by the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela of the UN Human Rights Council, are being threatened by the Venezuelan security authorities. The current situation calls for a broad, inclusive, and good-faith dialogue to facilitate a political agreement that fosters national reconciliation, peace, public security and democracy in Venezuela. We are committed to supporting all efforts in this direction, and always advocating for a genuinely Venezuelan solution in which democracy and justice, and peace and security will prevail. Signatory countries in alphabetical order. Republic of Argentina Canada Republic of Chile Republic of Costa Rica Czech Republic Dominican Republic Republic of Ecuador Kingdom of Espana European Union Republic of Guatemala Cooperative Republic of Guyana Italian Republic Kingdom of Morocco Kingdom of the Netherlands Republic of Panama Republic of Paraguay Republic of Peru Portuguese Republic Republic of Suriname Oriental Republic of Uruguay United States of America NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Deputy Secretary Verma's Meetings with the Government of Nepal in Kathmandu, Nepal US Department of State Readout Office of the Spokesperson August 16, 2024 The below is attributable to Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel: Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Richard Verma met with senior Nepali officials in Kathmandu on August 16 to advance shared priorities in economic development, women's empowerment, energy, and people-to-people ties. In his meetings with Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli and Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba, Deputy Secretary Verma emphasized the United States' commitment to strengthening Nepal's disaster response and air capabilities. Deputy Secretary Verma shared the United States' intention to provide $100 million in Foreign Military Finance to support Nepal's rotary wing capabilities, pending Congressional review and availability of funds. The officials also discussed continued cooperation to support sustainable economic development in Nepal, including through the Millenium Challenge Compact to increase access to clean energy and a USAID-funded Nepal Tea Collective trade promotion activity. In addition to his government meetings, the Deputy Secretary met with women entrepreneurs to discuss their work and U.S. support for women's economic empowerment. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Foreign Ministers of France and the United Kingdom gave a statement following their joint ministerial visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. 16 August 2024 Statement by the Foreign Ministers of France and the United Kingdom: We, the Foreign Ministers of France and the UK, share a common interest in the security of the State of Israel and the stability of the region as a whole. We are in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories on the first joint UK-France ministerial visit for a decade. As two UNSC permanent members, we have a specific responsibility to support ending the current escalation and securing a lasting peace to the benefit of Israelis, Palestinians and the whole region. The risk of wider conflict in the Middle East has never been higher and we must push for de-escalation now. We have urged Iran and its proxies to stand down the ongoing threats of military attack against Israel. We have also stressed to all parties that the spiral of escalating reprisals must end. We reiterate the importance of fully implementing UN Security Resolution 1701 on Lebanon. We stress our full support for the current efforts to reach a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza led by the US, Egypt and Qatar. There is no further time to lose to seize the opportunity and secure the release of the hostages. We strongly urge all parties to live up to their responsibilities. In addition, unfettered delivery and distribution of humanitarian aid is urgently needed, and civilians must be protected. We reiterate that only a two-state solution, within the framework of international law, can bring a just and lasting peace to both Israelis and Palestinians. We strongly condemn settler violence in the West Bank which threatens both Israeli and Palestinian security and could put at risk ongoing diplomatic efforts. We remain committed to supporting cooperation and normalization in the region. All actors in the region must make concrete gestures if they genuinely want to avoid war. We stand ready to engage with them to that end. UNHCR commits to sustainable solutions to Nigeria's forgotten displacement crisis UNHCR - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees 16 August 2024 ABUJA/DAKAR/GENEVA -- The UN Refugee Agency's (UNHCR) top operations and protection officials are calling attention to the plight of 3.7 million forcibly displaced people in Nigeria and the need to accelerate sustainable solutions for them. Commending the government for respecting its international legal obligations and welcoming over 100,000 asylum-seekers and refugees from almost 50 countries, Raouf Mazou, UNHCR's Assistant High Commissioner for Operations, and Ruven Menikdiwela, Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, pledged to increase the self-reliance of forcibly displaced people in Nigeria after a visit to the country that ends today. Over 3 per cent of the world's 120 million forcibly displaced people are Nigerians. More than 3.6 million are forcibly displaced within their own country by factors ranging from conflict instigated by non-state armed groups to communal clashes exacerbated by scarce resources. The number of internally displaced people (IDPs) has been gradually increasing and many continue to rely heavily on humanitarian assistance. The high-level visit focused on sustainable solutions to this forgotten crisis, emphasizing a whole-of-society approach led by the government and harnessing the expertise of diverse actors including the UN, other development partners, member states and the private sector. "We cannot watch this protracted situation endure, with families dependent on assistance year after year," said Mazou. "Refugees and IDPs have repeatedly told us that they would prefer a job rather than be given a handout. In the town of Banki, I met men and women who have returned home and are ready to rebuild their lives. We hear them and are helping to build livelihood opportunities." In practice, sustainable programming means supporting the government, helping displaced communities get back to work, ensuring they have access to government services including social safety net programmes, working closely with the private sector to create value chains, setting up innovative financial instruments to encourage investments in communities at risk, and more. This is in line with Nigeria's Renewed Hope Agenda, the Sustainable Development Goals and the UN Secretary General's Action Agenda for IDPs. UNHCR is already working with the government to help displaced communities farm thousands of hectares of land, develop irrigation systems, tackle food security and increase rural employment. During the five-day visit, the delegation travelled to Benue state in the north-central region. They also visited Borno state in the northeast, where they met returnees from Cameroon. Over 30,000 people have returned since the start of the year and the intention is for them to also benefit from social and economic inclusion activities. "Solutions are the highest form of protection," Menikdiwela said. "This requires humanitarian, development and peace partners to work together." UNHCR Representative in Nigeria, Arjun Jain added "While UNHCR in Nigeria is always prepared to respond to humanitarian emergencies, we will be catalytic in supporting the government to find solutions to forced displacement in line with our responsibility for protection and solutions." The Assistant High Commissioners were joined by UNHCR's Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Abdouraouf Gnon-Konde, who will prioritize sustainable solutions for the forcibly displaced across the region, contingent upon the protection environment, labour opportunities and conditions, and the availability of development and private-sector funding. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UN rights office calls for accountability for latest 'horrific' West Bank killing By Daniel Johnson 16 August 2024 - The perpetrators of a deadly rampage targeting a Palestinian village in the occupied West Bank must face justice to deter future attacks, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, insisted on Friday. Echoing widespread condemnation internationally and within Israel of the attack reportedly by Israeli settlers on the village of Jit on Thursday which left a Palestinian man dead and about a dozen injured, OHCHR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani described the incident as "horrific". She noted that the killing "was not an isolated attack", in reference to years of violence directed at Palestinian communities by Israeli settlers, maintaining that it was "the direct consequence" of Israel's policy of occupation. Settler impunity "We have been reporting for the past years about settlers attacking Palestinian communities in their land in the West Bank with impunity and this really is the crux of the matter, the impunity that the perpetrators of such actions have been enjoying," Ms. Shamdasani said. According to latest OHCHR monitoring, 609 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank including East Jerusalem since Hamas-led terror attacks on Israel on 7 October. This number includes 146 children, eight women and at least four people with disabilities. "Clearly this needs to stop and key to this will be accountability for the perpetrators," the OHCHR spokesperson insisted. "There have been attacks by settlers, by Israeli security forces as well against Palestinians in the West Bank and by and large we are seeing impunity", she continued. "There have been very few investigations but even in those cases, most of the times these do not conclude with justice for the victims and for the perpetrators. There are reports of Israeli security forces standing by as attacks take place. There are even reports of weapons being distributed to the settlers. So, there is clearly a State responsibility in this regard. Shrinking 'humanitarian zone' in Gaza Meanwhile in Gaza, new evacuation orders from the Israeli military on Friday threatened to uproot communities once again in eastern Deir al Balah, northern Khan Younis, western Gaza City and other areas, humanitarians warned. The Israeli Defense Forces announced the latest orders via airdropped fliers, mobile phone messages, ahead of action against Hamas activity in the areas slated for evacuation, in response to rocket attacks into Israel. Responding to the development on Friday, the UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, said that the evacuation orders applied to areas "even inside the so-called 'humanitarian zone' where people have struggled to find space to shelters. Gazans "remain trapped in an endless nightmare of death and destruction on a staggering scale", the UN agency said in an online post. Relief beyond reach As mediators prepared to meet for a second day in Doha to push for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all hostages abducted on 7 October, UN aid teams warned that Gazans continue to suffer debilitating aid shortages. "Hostilities and recurrent evacuations orders are driving a seemingly endless cycle of displacement and making it increasingly difficult for people to access the humanitarian assistance they need to survive after 10 months of war," said the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, in an update on the emergency. Echoing reports that the relatives of Gazans killed in the war have been unable to give them appropriate burial, OCHA noted that grieving families "have no time to mourn, as they are themselves facing death, pain, hunger and thirst on a daily basis. Each day has been described as being a struggle to simply survive." A report from an inter-agency team that secured access to Khan Younis on Thursday reported how displaced families struggled to get by from day to day. "They had to make their own shelter with whatever fabric, pieces of wood, carton they found. Children are attacked by rodents and insects at night due to poor shelter conditions." The same assessment team noted that in addition to the difficulty of reaching markets along with the lack of food and high prices, families said that owing to the absence of cleaning and hygiene products, "they are getting skin infections, particularly affecting their children". NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Sudan to open Adre border crossing to facilitate humanitarian aid access 16 August 2024 - 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. The vital humanitarian corridor will allow the UN World Food Programme (WFP) to scale up assistance to 14 areas facing famine in Darfur, Kordofan, Khartoum and Al Jazirah. Convoys primed to go "As we speak, two convoys with nearly 6,000 metric tons of food and nutrition supplies for around half a million people, are being loaded, destined for risk-of-famine areas in north, central and west Darfur states as soon as official Government communication and clearances are received," said Leni Kinzli, spokesperson for WFP Sudan. Just two weeks ago, famine was confirmed in Zamzam displacement camp near El Fasher, the wartorn capital of North Darfur. It shelters more than 400,000 displaced people. In total, WFP aims to support up to 8.4 million people by the end of the year, Sudan's war - which erupted 16 months ago between rival militaries the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces - has ravaged food production, destroyed essential markets and cut off communities from assistance. Along with heavy fighting, the continuing rainy season has already caused major setbacks in delivering assistance, with flooded roads halting aid convoys. "More than 50 trucks carrying an estimated 4,800 metric tons of food and nutrition assistance, enough for around half a million people, are stuck in various locations across Sudan and unable to move toward their final destinations due to flooded and impassable roads," said WFP's Ms. Kinzli, who insisted that humanitarian agencies urgently needed to "see the actual opening of (Adre) materialize and see trucks moving across the border as soon as possible". Hunger's lasting impact Echoing that message, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) highlighted the immediate and lasting effects of poor nutrition and acute food insecurity among vulnerable people. WHO spokesperson Dr. Margaret Harris told journalists in Geneva that a mild infection in a malnourished person with a weakened immune system can easily turn into a catastrophic illness. Children in particular can die very quickly from what might be a minor infection, she said, adding that after 16 months of heavy fighting, Sudan was poorly equipped to provide lifesaving medical care, with up to 80 per cent of hospitals "non-functional". She added: "People are dying simply from a lack of access to basic and essential healthcare medication. We are seeing reports of cholera, measles, malaria, dengue and meningitis from several states." Preventable tragedy The development comes amid ongoing conflict including a bombing attack on Wednesday that devastated a school and market in the city of El Obeid, leaving five girls dead and 20 children injured. The UN migration agency IOM has also warned that Sudan is at "breaking point" and that there will be tens of thousands of preventable deaths from hunger, disease, floods and violence in the coming months without a larger global response. According to IOM, more than 10.7 million people are seeking safety within the country and many have been displaced twice or more times. Almost all internally displaced persons across Sudan - 97 per cent - are in localities with acute levels of food insecurity or worse. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UNHCR officials call for 'sustainable solutions' to end displacement crisis in Nigeria 16 August 2024 - Senior UN refugee agency (UNHCR) officials on Friday highlighted the needs of forcibly displaced people in Nigeria, stressing the importance of finding sustainable, long-term solutions to improve their lives. UNHCR operations and protection officials Raouf Mazou and Ruven Menikdiwela completed a high-level visit to Nigeria, focused on establishing sustainable solutions for internally displaced people (IDPs) through Government-led and "whole-of-society" strategies based on UN and some of its partners' knowledge. Needs of the internally displaced The senior officials commended the Nigerian Government for having received more than 100,000 asylum-seekers and refugees from about 50 countries. They further promised to strengthen the self-reliance of IDPs. However they noted that more than three per cent of the world's 120 million who have been forced on the move are themselves Nigerians. Over 3.6 million of the global total are forcibly displaced in their own countries due to violence sparked by non-State armed organizations or community disputes worsened by a lack of resources. Additionally, there has been a gradual increase in IDPs who are forced to rely heavily on humanitarian aid. UNHCR's Assistant High Commissioner for Operations, Mr. Mazou said that "we cannot watch this protracted situation endure, with families dependent on assistance year after year." "Refugees and IDPs have repeatedly told us that they would prefer a job rather than be given a handout," he continued. Mr. Mazou also said he met men and women who returned home in hopes of building a better life; he said UNHCR will be assisting in building livelihood opportunities. UNHCR assistance UNHCR says it has begun working with the Nigerian Government to provide "sustainable solutions" to members of displaced communities by assisting with farming, irrigation, food security and employment needs. Regional Director for West and Central Africa Mr. Menikdiwela who was also on the high-level visit, will prioritise long-term solutions for IDPs in the region based on the "protection environment, labour opportunities and conditions, and the availability of development and private-sector funding." "Solutions are the highest form of protection," Assistant High Commissioner Menikdiwela added. "This requires humanitarian, development and peace partners to work together." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address New political era in Bangladesh provides 'historic opportunity' for reform 16 August 2024 - The political transition underway in Bangladesh represents an historic opportunity to ensure governance is anchored in human rights, inclusivity and the rule of law, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Friday. Volker Turk also stressed the need for accountability for rights violations and violence connected to anti-government protests that rocked the country in recent weeks, prompting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign and flee to India. An interim administration headed by Nobel Prize-winning economist Muhammad Yunus was sworn in on 8 August during a ceremony at the presidential palace in the capital, Dhaka. Reform, revitalize, restore "The transition ahead presents an historic opportunity to reform and revitalize the country's institutions, to restore fundamental freedoms and civic space, and to give all in Bangladesh a part in building the future," said Mr. Turk, whose office, OHCHR, has issued a preliminary report on the unrest. "Accountability for violations and justice for the victims are key for the way forward and will need to be accompanied by a national healing process," he added. "A comprehensive, impartial and transparent investigation into all human rights violations and abuses that have occurred will be a critical first step." The protests, which began in mid-June, were triggered by the reinstatement of a controversial quota system for civil service jobs. Protests met with violence University students initially took to the streets in peaceful demonstrations which were followed by violence and serious human rights violations committed by security forces. Hundreds were reportedly killed, including at least 32 children, and thousands injured. According to the report, "there are strong indications, warranting further independent investigation, that the security forces used unnecessary and disproportionate force in their response to the situation." It went on to say that additional alleged violations also warrant thorough, impartial and transparent investigations, including extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests and detention, enforced disappearances, torture and ill-treatment, and severe restrictions on the freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly. Restore law and order Following the Government's resignation on 5 August, there were also reports of looting, arson and attacks on members of religious minorities in Bangladesh, as well as reprisals against and revenge killings of members of the former ruling party and police. On 15 August, mobs armed with bamboo sticks, iron rods and pipes reportedly assaulted supporters of the former Prime Minister. Journalists were also reportedly attacked and threatened, preventing them from filming at the scenes. The report stressed the importance of rapidly restoring law and order, and the need for effective measures to prevent further loss of life, violence and acts of reprisals. Law enforcement training Recommendations include ensuring that law enforcement agencies receive clear instructions and training on the use of force, in line with international human rights standards. Officers must also protect populations at risk, including minority communities, against any retaliatory or revenge violence. The UN rights chief has welcomed the initiative by various student organisations, faith leaders and others, who are forming groups to protect minorities and religious sites belonging to minority communities. Hold perpetrators to account Mr. Turk called for all persons responsible for human rights violations, including those who used or ordered the unnecessary and disproportionate use of force, to be held to account. Victims must be provided reparations and effective remedies, he added. Additionally, he 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. The human rights report also called for a systematic approach to vetting for any appointments and dismissals to the judiciary, security sector and other institutions. Mission to Dhaka The High Commissioner also announced that a team from his Office will visit Dhaka next week to explore how it can support the transition. Discussions will also focus on the modalities for an investigation into human rights violations related to the recent violence and unrest. "As I assured the Chief Adviser to the Interim Government, Professor Muhammad Yunus in our phone call this week, we stand in solidary 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," he said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address World News in Brief: Lebanon latest, Ukraine war update, anti-LGBT law change in Bulgaria 16 August 2024 - The UN humanitarian coordination office, OCHA, said on Friday that ongoing hostilities and daily exchanges of fire across Lebanon's southern border were continuing to impact civilians on both sides of the Blue Line frontier with Israel. Around 110,000 people have been displaced inside Lebanon since October, 35 percent of them children, the agency has reported. It is estimated that almost 150,000 people remain within the 10-kilometre Blue Line. Since the Hamas-led terror attacks of 7 October there have been 16 recorded attacks on healthcare, with 21 paramedics killed during hostilities, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Nearly a quarter of south Lebanese food insecure There has been severe damage to water, electricity, telecoms infrastructure and roads in southern Lebanon leaving 23 per cent of the population food insecure - up from 19 per cent in March this year. "We, along with our partners, continue to scale up relief efforts, in support of the Government-led response. But additional funding is urgently needed. Humanitarian partners need $110 million for ongoing response for conflict-affected people until the end of the year", said UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq, briefing journalists in New York. The 2024 Lebanon Response Plan is only 25 per cent funded, with just $670 million received of the total $2.72 billion required. "We urge all parties to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law, and stress that civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected at all times", Mr. Haq underlined. Attacks continue inside Ukraine and Russia As Ukrainian troops reportedly continue their major incursion inside Russia, there have been ongoing attacks in the Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson and Sumy regions causing deaths and injuries to civilians, OCHA said on Friday. The strikes damaged homes, schools, and energy infrastructure and impacted a Government-led aid distribution point. On Thursday, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said via his Spokesperson that he "remains greatly concerned" for civilians in eastern Ukraine and along the contested border areas "including in the Kursk and Belgorod regions of the Russian Federation." Civilian protection paramount Mr. Guterres called on all combatants to act responsibly "and ensure the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure." The newly-appointed Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine Matthias Schmale expressed his condolences via X to the families of aid workers killed in Kherson, emphasising the importance of protection for humanitarians on the frontline too. Updating journalists in New York on Friday, Farhan Haq said civilians were continuing to leave frontline areas inside Ukraine. "Complementing the efforts of local authorities and first responders, aid organizations provided emergency humanitarian assistance in frontline communities and to those displaced in the Donetsk and Sumy regions and elsewhere." The UN and partners have registered 1,800 evacuees for multi-purpose cash assistance in Sumy alone during the past nine days. In July, more than $3 million in multi-purpose cash assistance was disbursed to over 10,000 people in the regions of Donetsk and Sumy. OHCHR 'deeply concerned' over anti-LGBT legal changes in Bulgaria A senior UN human rights office (OHCHR) spokesperson said on Friday she was "deeply concerned" over amendments to legislation in Bulgaria which ban the discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in schools. Liz Throssell called for the revised law to be "reconsidered" by lawmakers in line with the country's international human rights obligations. "Addressing stigma and disinformation is critical to promoting acceptance and tolerance, and to building inclusive societies that respect and uphold the human rights of all", said Ms. Throssell. The new amendment has passed at a time when 82 per cent of LGBT individuals in Bulgaria report having been bullied at school, she noted. Green light to more violations This "will only serve to deepen human rights violations against LGBT people and bullying and harassment in schools", she continued, adding that it also "flies in the face of Bulgaria's constitutional guarantees and international human rights treaty commitments to ensure equality, non-discrimination and freedom of expression." She said it was crucial for the Bulgarian Government and parliamentarians to take urgent steps to prevent any violence, discrimination and bullying - particularly against LGBT youth and within the education system as a whole. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UNRWA Situation Report #128 on the situation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. All information from 8 - 15 August 2024, is valid as of 16 August 2024 at 22:30 (local time) UNRWA 16 Aug 2024 The Gaza Strip Ongoing strikes by the Israeli Security Forces (ISF) continue, with aerial, land and maritime bombardments across the Gaza Strip, resulting in civilian casualties, displacement and the destruction of residential structures and public infrastructure. During the reporting period, additional evacuation orders were issued on 15 August warning people living in parts of southeast Khan Younis to immediately move to the so-called "humanitarian safe zone" in Al Mawasi. According to OCHA, approximately 305 square kilometres, or nearly 84 per cent of the Gaza Strip, has been placed under evacuation orders by the Israeli military. According to a FEWS NET Gaza food supply assessment, as of the end of July, an estimated 79,082 to 86,925 metric tons of food were brought into Gaza, a significant increase from the 47,443 to 61,530 metric tons estimated in June. This increase was largely attributed to a surge in commercial cargo, amid a decrease in humanitarian aid. The higher volume of commercial food shipments does not necessarily translate into the enhanced availability of, or access to, food in Gaza, especially considering the low purchasing power of many households. The report also highlighted that humanitarian food supplies entering Gaza through the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom/ south of Gaza) in July were at their lowest level since October 2023, representing only a quarter of the average volume that entered between November and May. According to the UN, up to 1.9 million people (or nine in ten people) across the Gaza Strip are internally displaced, including people who have been repeatedly displaced (some up to 10 times). Access constraints within Gaza continue due to: (i) increased hostilities; (ii) the separation of the north and south; and (iii) frequent evacuation orders (from the Israeli authorities). These continue to severely impede the delivery of life-saving humanitarian supplies and access to critical services. According to OCHA, from 1 to 11 August, the Israeli authorities facilitated only 40 per cent of humanitarian assistance missions to the north and 51 per cent to the south. The remaining missions were either denied access, impeded or cancelled due to logistical, operational or security reasons. The cumulative impacts of access constraints undermine efforts to address urgent humanitarian needs, perpetuating a continued cycle of deprivation and distress among affected people across Gaza. According to WHO and the Health Cluster, the health system remains barely functional. The latest evacuation orders continue to disrupt the functionality of health facilities, with only 12 of the 16 partially functional hospitals accessible due to insecurity or physical barriers, including from damaged roads. UNRWA remains a major actor in the health sector, providing health services across 10 primary health centres and up to 100 mobile medical points across the Gaza Strip. As of 15 August, the total number of UNRWA team members killed since 7 October is 207 . . Several challenges stand in the way of collecting much needed humanitarian supplies from the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing point in southern Gaza. These include deteriorating law and order, war and insecurity, damaged infrastructure, fuel shortages and access restrictions. The latest information on supplies entering Gaza can be found below: Gaza Supplies and Dispatch Tracking | UNRWA The West Bank, including East Jerusalem The West Bank, including East Jerusalem update is now once a week. According to OCHA, between 7 October 2023 and 5 August 2024, at least 594 Palestinians have been killed. Separately, UNICEF[1] reported that 143 children have been killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since 7 October - an average of one child every two days. Between 5 and 11 August, 182 Israeli Security Forces (ISF) search and arrest operations were recorded across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, with at least 149 Palestinians, including Palestine Refugees, being detained and extensive infrastructure damage in Balata and Jenin refugee camps. During this same period, 17 Palestinians were killed, including seven killed by ISF airstrikes. On 6 August, five were killed in drone strikes directed at two Palestinian vehicles during an ISF search operation in Jenin Camp and Jenin city in the northern West Bank, with a further two later dying of their injuries. On 5 August, an exchange of fire took place between the ISF and Palestinian armed groups during a search operation in 'Aqbaba, in the northern West Bank, with four Palestinians killed ad seven injured by live ammunition. On 6 August, two Palestinians were shot and killed by the ISF after alleged attacks against Israelis: one after stabbing an ISF personnel at the "Tunnels" Checkpoint, south of Jerusalem; and one who opened fire at the Israeli settlement of Beka'ot, in the northern West Bank. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S. Submarine Tender to Support AUKUS Pillar 1 Milestone US Navy 16 August 2024 From Courtesy Story HMAS STIRLING, Australia -- The U.S. Navy submarine tender USS Emory S. Land (AS 39) pulled into HMAS Stirling, Aug. 16, marking the seventh port visit in Australia since the ship left its homeport of Guam, May 17. The mixed crew of U.S. Navy and Royal Australian Navy personnel will take part in a Submarine Tendered Maintenance Period (STMP) over the next several weeks as Australian technicians perform maintenance on a U.S Navy nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine (SSN) scheduled to arrive for a port visit. The STMP marks a significant step toward Australia becoming sovereign-ready to operate, maintain, and support a fleet of conventionally armed SSNs, which is a central requirement in executing Pillar 1 of the AUKUS security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. "Our knowledge exchange with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Fleet Support Unit (FSU) since January has been exceptionally productive," said Capt. Brent Spillner, commanding officer of the Emory S. Land. "Within weeks they were working shoulder-to-shoulder with U.S. technicians on real submarine repairs, and for the last six weeks we've had a team of U.S. Sailors embedded in the FSU West workshops at HMAS Stirling. We're learning as much from them as they are from us, and we have Australian sailors and officers in the key management positions for the STMP." More than 30 Australian sailors will execute the majority of planned maintenance work under the supervision of U.S. personnel, which will include the replacement of a mast in the submarine's sail and a key hydraulic valve, along with the simulated removal of a large pump weighing more than 3,500 pounds from within the boat. "Both of our navies are benefiting tremendously from the interoperability we've been developing during this deployment, and are now better able to support each other's fleets around the world. This STMP marks the first time that Australian workers will perform maintenance on an American SSN in Australian waters, but it's really just the next step in a long partnership," said Spillner. "This is an important milestone and learning opportunity as we work together to establish Submarine Rotational Force - West, where both U.S. and UK submarines will regularly transit through HMAS Stirling, with maintenance and logistics assisted by Australian personnel, as they develop their own Intermediate-Level Maintenance capability for the eventual Australian SSNs." The deployment has been an opportunity for sailors from the three navies to work together. "The opportunity to have RAN sailors from FSU integrated with my repair department has been phenomenal," said Cmdr. Derek Fletcher, repair officer aboard Emory S. Land. "The ability to work side-by-side in Guam on U.S. SSNs and then continue that side-by-side work on RAN vessels and even a Royal Navy vessel while in Australia has truly demonstrated our interoperability. It's been incredible to see our Sailors working together to provide repair services to vessels from all three AUKUS partners." Since the start of the Emory S. Land's deployment, 176 U.S. Sailors have participated in 18 community relations events, investing 731 hours into the communities of Darwin, Cairns, Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide. While in port at HMAS Stirling, U.S. Sailors are planning an additional eight to 10 community relations events throughout the region, as well as having the ability to tour Western Australia. "This deployment is like none other I have ever experienced and will not easily be forgotten," said Lt. Cmdr. Mark Miller, Emory S. Land's chaplain. "The warmth and hospitality which the U.S. Sailors have received is truly heartfelt. We are grateful for the strong bond of our two nations and we look forward to our stop in Western Australia." Emory S. Land is on deployment supporting the U.S. 7th Fleet, the U.S. Navy's largest forward deployed numbered fleet, operating with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region. Emory S. Land provides expeditionary intermediate-level maintenance, services, and logistics support to deployed submarines. Guam is home to the U.S. Navy's only submarine tenders, Emory S. Land and USS Frank Cable (AS 40), as well as Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarines. The submarine tenders provide maintenance, hotel services and logistical support to submarines and surface ships in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operation. The submarines and tenders are maintained as part of the U.S. Navy's forward-deployed submarine force and are capable of meeting global operational requirements. For more information about Emory S. Land, visit us at http://www.csp.navy.mil/emorysland/ or like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/EmorySLand, or on Twitter @EmorySLand. For more news from USS Emory S. Land (AS 39), visit http://www.navy.mil/local/as39/. Are you interested in taking orders to Guam? Want to learn more about the duty station and life on our island? For more information, check out the 'Go Guam!' website at http://www.csp.navy.mil/go-guam/ and download the '1st Fifteen' checklist. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet, meets with Indonesian leaders US Navy 16 August 2024 From U.S. 7th Fleet Public Affairs JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Vice Adm. Fred Kacher, commander, U.S. 7th Fleet, met with key leaders in Jakarta, Indonesia, July 31, 2024. During his two-day visit Kacher met with the Hon. Kamala Shirin Lakhdir, U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia, as well as Adm. Muhammad Ali, chief of staff of the Indonesian Navy, and Vice Adm. Denih Hendrata, commander of the Indonesian Fleet Command, to discuss current and future cooperation between the U.S. and Indonesian navies. Kacher's visit to Indonesia underscored the shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific both the United States and Indonesia embrace through joint exercises and leadership engagements. "Indonesia and the US are both maritime nations, and we have been vital partners over the last 75 years. Engagements with our Indonesian navy counterparts like those I was able to have in Jakarta remain the cornerstone of our strong bilateral defense relationship." During this trip, discussions between the admirals were centered around building that relationship through support for a rules-based order in the maritime domain while enhancing abilities to respond to shared challenges, including short-notice at-sea engagements, humanitarian assistance/disaster response, and looking into future opportunities to operate together. This year also marked the 30th iteration of Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training Indonesia, highlighting the 75 years of diplomatic relations between the two nations. During that time, the naval partnership has grown to incorporate staff talks, joint operations, disaster relief operations, and working together to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific. 7th Fleet is the U.S. Navy's largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, and routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners to preserve a free and open Indo-Pacific. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S. Navy Investigating Incident Involving Two MH-60S Seahawk Helicopters at Naval Air Station (NAS) Fallon US Navy - Press Release 16 August 2024 FALLON, Nev. -- The U.S. Navy is investigating the cause of an incident involving two MH-60S Seahawk helicopters assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 12 on the training ranges of Naval Air Station (NAS) Fallon, Nevada, at approximately 7:25 p.m. (PDT) on Aug. 15. The two helicopters, each with a crew of five personnel, were conducting routine training at the time of the incident. All ten crew members were transported to a nearby hospital for medical treatment and have been released from the hospital following medical treatment for non-life threatening injuries. The cause of the mishap remains under investigation. Security personnel from NAS Fallon have secured the mishap site, which is on the Fallon Range Training Complex in a remote location. Assigned to Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5, HSC-12 is currently at NAS Fallon for comprehensive, integrated training in both real and simulated environments. CVW-5 is the ready, reliable and proven Forward-Deployed Naval Forces-Japan (FDNF-J) carrier air wing. CVW-5 will remain the FDNF-J air wing following the planned hull swap with Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73). NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Gaza cease-fire mediators announce new plan By VOA News August 16, 2024 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 Netanyahu's 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Al-Shabab 'bans' tree-cutting but not to save the environment By Harun Maruf August 16, 2024 The al-Shabab militant group in Somalia has been limiting the extent of tree cutting in the areas under its control for several years. The militant group has also burned down trucks carrying charcoal and arrested workers involved in the business. But the reasons behind the measures have nothing to do with the health of the planet. Since 2022 alone, the U.S. military carried out 32 airstrikes against al-Shabab, killing dozens of militants including commanders. Deforestation was exposing the group's fighting force. "Al-Shabab uses forest as a shelter," said Badal Ahmad Hassan, senior environmental adviser to Somalia's Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. Climate expert Nazanine Moshiri, a senior analyst at the International Crisis Group in Washington, agrees. Based on her conversations with people in Somalia, Moshiri said, al-Shabab "prohibits tree cutting in the areas that in controls, and in some areas, it replants trees as well. I would say, though, this is less about al-Shabab wanting to be environmentally friendly, you know, similar to its ban on plastic bags. I would say that perhaps the ban is more about protecting themselves from drone attacks." U.S. drone attacks have killed many al-Shabab leaders over the years, most notably the group's co-founder and emir, Ahmed Godane, in 2014. Most recently, U.S. strikes killed Maalim Ayman, the commander alleged involved in the preparation of the Manda Bay Airfield attack, which killed a U.S. soldier and two U.S. Defense Department contractors. Currently, al-Shabab militants have dug trenches in forests to guard against attacks from the air and to bolster their defensive positions. However, some tree cutting continues, as al-Shabab depends partially on the sale of charcoal to fund its war against Somali authorities and African Union peacekeepers. The U.S. Treasury estimated that as of 2022, the group was making $20 million per year from the charcoal business. That includes the production and sale of charcoal and taxes on charcoal collected at roadblocks and ports. Climate expert Moshiri was formerly a member of a U.N. Security Council panel of experts that monitored sanctions on Somalia, including a 2012 ban on the export of charcoal, passed to protect Somalia's rapidly declining tree cover. She said the charcoal trade boosted al-Shabab's war efforts for many years because charcoal was exported through Shabab-controlled ports such as Kismayo to states on the Arabian Peninsula. She says al-Shabab does not reap the same benefits now because it does not control any major ports although it still taxes everything that is transported through its territory. Beyond the long-running battle between al-Shabab and the Somali government, Moshiri said, conflicts in Somalia over land, cattle and water can be exacerbated by climate change, which has made the country more vulnerable to droughts and floods in recent decades. "We're not saying there's a direct link between climate change and conflict; what we're saying is that they can amplify these preexisting tensions that exist between communities," she told VOA. "When I speak to people on the ground, to herders and communities, they say, 'Well, we know that conflict is coming in that area, because there have been rains in that area, and everyone's going to move to that area with their cattle, or closer to that area, and there could be potential conflict because other communities are moving there as well.'" Moshiri said al-Shabab sometimes uses the climate situation in its efforts to exert control. "What we've seen through our research is that sometimes they offer concessions to clans and communities when, you know, it's on the back foot, when it needs those clans, when it needs support," she explained. "But then it reverts very quickly to harsher methods when it's in a stronger position ... like in the history of al-Shabab and the way that it reacted to various droughts and issues, we saw in 2011 it took a very harsh stance, which led to the famine." She said al-Shabab tactics varied again during the 2020 to 2023 drought. "We saw them delivering some aid and supplies. We actually analyzed this, and we saw around 127 deliveries of aid between April 2021 and November 2022. It did allow the delivery of food and water in some areas, it created a committee for the drought response," she said. "But at the same time, in areas of central Somalia, areas that were disproportionately affected by the drought, al-Shabaab was extremely harsh towards certain communities." She links the harsh measures to the role of clans in the military offensives against the group by the Somali government and local fighters. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Sudan opening Adre border crossing to provide humanitarian lifeline By Lisa Schlein August 16, 2024 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 Sudan's conflict hot spots for months with limited access to food, medicine and other essential relief. The decision by Sudan's 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 world's 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 Darfur's 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 Sudan's 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Thailand elects Paetongtarn Shinawatra as youngest prime minister By Tommy Walker August 16, 2024 Thailand has a new prime minister with a fresh face but a familiar name. Paetongtarn Shinawatra, backed by the ruling Pheu Thai party, was unanimously elected to the role on Friday by Thailand's parliament. She is Thailand's 31st prime minister, the youngest in history and only the second woman to take on the role. But in other respects, Thailand has been here before. Paetongtarn is the third member of the Shinawatra family to serve as prime minister since 2001, following in the footsteps of her aunt Yingluck Shinawatra, and her father, Thaksin Shinawatra. Paetongtarn received 319 votes in Thailand's House of Representatives after being nominated as the sole candidate by the MPs of her ruling Pheu Thai party coalition. Following her election, a gleeful-looking Paetongtarn spoke to reporters, expressing gratitude and insisting she can withstand any scrutiny. "I can handle the pressure. In my approach to politics, I don't view myself as the best or most talented person in the room. Instead, I focus on having a clear sense of purpose and building a strong, united team," she said. Paetongtarn still needs the endorsement of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, which is expected to come on Sunday evening. After that, she officially takes office and can appoint her Cabinet. Reactions to prime minister Anutin Charnvirakul, the leader of the Bhumjaithai Party, declared that his MPs are solidly behind Paetongtarn, and that her age should not be a concern. Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, the leader of the People's Party, the successors to the dissolved Move Forward Party, said the new prime minister must solve problems at the root of Thailand's issues. A letter of congratulations was also issued by former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, the president of Cambodia's Senate. At 37 years old, Paetongtarn may offer a new approach to Thailand's premiership. She describes herself as "socially liberal" and has supported LGBTQ+ rights and Thailand's recently passed marriage equality law. But Paetongtarn has also said she wants Thailand to take a harder stance on drugs and opposes any amendment to Thailand's lese majeste law. Her social media activity may endear her to new supporters. She posts snippets of her life with her husband and two young children, giving her followers an image of a warm, family-orientated woman who experiences everyday problems despite her powerful family. But she is the daughter of Thaksin Shinawatra. Thaksin, the billionaire founder of Pheu Thai, returned last year from 15 years of self-exile following corruption charges after having been ousted as prime minister in 2006. He remains hugely influential among his supporters and peers, and that means it will be difficult to fully determine his influence on Paetongtarn, one political scientist says. "How can we be sure that Paetongtarn, as prime minister, answers to the Thai public and not her father?" said Napon Jatusripitak, visiting fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore. "It seems inevitable that her relationship with her father, and any power asymmetry inherent in this relationship, will significantly impact the political and policy direction of this government," he told VOA by phone. Pravit Rojanaphruk, a veteran journalist at Khaosod English and political analyst in Thailand, told VOA that Thaksin's presence is too difficult to ignore. "That Paetongtarn is [a] daughter of Thaksin is both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because people know she represents Thaksin, and if you are a Thaksin supporter, you will give Paetongtarn all your support. "And a curse because people know she represents Thaksin and if you are a Thaksin hater, or anti-Thaksinnite, Paetongtarn could hardly do anything right. Thaksin is like durian [fruit], you either love or loathe him," he said. Thaksin remains under the watchful eye of the Thailand monarchy, after he was charged under the lese majeste law for anti-royalty comments made in 2015. And with Paetongtarn's aunt Yingluck in self-exile after she too was ousted as prime minister in 2014, Paetongtarn remains vulnerable to Thailand's establishment. The Constitutional Court's surprise removal of former Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin shows how brutal Thai politics can be. The court removed Srettha from his role with immediate effect on Wednesday in a 5-to-4 vote. He was accused of committing an "ethical violation" by appointing an MP to his Cabinet who had previously been imprisoned for an alleged attempt to bribe an official. Only a week earlier, Thailand's Constitutional Court dissolved the Move Forward Party. The party won the most seats in Thailand's general election in 2023 but was blocked from forming a government by the Thai Senate. The court ruled the party's pledges to reform the lese majeste law were aimed at toppling the monarchy. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Background Press Call on Ceasefire Negotiations and Joint Statement from the Leaders of the United States, Egypt, and Qatar August 16, 2024 Via Teleconference 1:50 P.M. EDT MODERATOR: Hey, good afternoon, everyone. Thanks so much for joining today's call, and apology for our delay in getting started here. Just a little housekeeping before we get started. As a reminder, this call is on background, attributable to a senior administration official, and the contents of the call are embargoed until its conclusion. For your awareness, not for your reporting, on the call today we have [senior administration official]. I'll turn it over to [senior administration official] for a few words at the top, and then we'll take over your questions. [Senior administration official], we'll turn it over to you. SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Thanks, Eduardo. And thanks, everybody, for joining. I'm calling here from Doha after a very constructive two days over two days here in Doha, which I'll talk about. But we just finished two calls with the President and President Al-Sisi of Egypt and Sheikh Amir Tamim of Qatar. I think there was a consensus between all three leaders that this process, which obviously has been ongoing for months, is now in the end game. The leaders talked about a final bridging proposal that the United States put on the table today, late in the day here in Qatar, with the full support of Egypt and Qatar as mediators. And 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. And a readout for those calls should be coming around fairly soon. The leaders also, obviously, talked about the broader regional situation and everything we are doing to ensure that any new attacks or escalations are not only deterred, but also to make very clear that, you know, should an attack occur, the consequences of it would be could be quite serious for the region and also, in particular, for Iran. So that is an ongoing backdrop to those calls. But the calls, I thought, were building on the constructive atmosphere over the last two days and, I think, set a very positive agenda over the coming week. Let me talk briefly about Doha. There's a lot of prep work that led up to these two days. I thought the two days here in Doha probably were the most constructive 48 hours that we've had in this process in many months. The Israeli team that was here was empowered clearly empowered. We made a lot of progress on a number of issues that we've been working on. Hamas officials, of course, are here in Doha, and senior officials from Qatar and Egypt were able to engage with them throughout the two days. Towards the end of today, we put down a final bridging proposal, which you have seen in the joint statement from the United States, Egypt, and Qatar which the three of us, collectively, believe basically bridge nearly all of the remaining gaps that have been under discussion for really the last six weeks. And just to put some color on that: As you know, Israel put down a proposal on May 27th, that was the basis of the President's speech on May 31st, that basically was a culmination of months of effort and that basically encapsulated the main elements of the deal that we think is a very good deal, which is why the President laid out its terms on May 31st. The President also made clear in that speech that there was still more work to do, particularly in the implementation arrangements of the deal. On July 3rd, Hamas came back with a response to that, with a number of changes, many of which were not acceptable but many of which were a basis for further discussion. And Israel, on July 27th, issued some clarifications to the text. And 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. There is still more work to do. And over the course of this week, there are working group engagements to talk about everything from the list of hostages and the sequence by which hostages would be released; the list of Palestinian prisoners, because, ultimately, this is an exchange similar to what you saw in the November ceasefire deal. And this is extremely complicated. And a large basis of the talks over the course of the last two days were about that issue, that exchange issue, which, in the nomenclature, is known as the keys. And there were some gaps there and some trade space between the parties, which I think we've now gone a long way to bridge. And again, our focus is getting the hostages out of Gaza and getting them out a lot, particularly in this first phase. I think you're all well familiar with the phasing of the deal; we talked about it so much. Also, over the course of this week, there will be further meetings here in Doha and also in Cairo to talk about some of these issues. And we will be beginning the process to stand up an implementation cell for the deal, particularly which was in the readout, or, sorry, in the joint statement we issued together with Qatar and Egypt earlier today on the extensive humanitarian provisions and making sure that those would all be implemented rapidly once the deal is concluded. And I think I want to be sure, given all the focus on some elements of the deal, that not lost in that is the significant humanitarian provisions in the deal, and not only the amount of aid, but also clearing rubble, rehabilitation of medical services, electricity, everything else. Again, this is all laid out in the deal. I think we've laid that out going all the way back to the President's speech. So we will be working through, starting earlier this week in Cairo, on the implementation arrangements in a cell to basically oversee the many areas of implementing this deal, not only the humanitarian provisions I mentioned, but also the actual exchange of detainees and hostages and how that will go, as well as other elements of the deal that require some monitoring to make sure that there's compliance, as you do in any deal like this. So, that will be ongoing through the week. And then, again, in Cairo, before the end of next week, we will gather again at this level with an aim to conclude this. That is the goal. That is something that President Al-Sisi and President Amir Tamim just confirmed with the President. And that is something we'll be driving towards. Obviously, Secretary Blinken will be traveling to the region, I think starting on Sunday, starting with meetings in Israel. And we will be engaged with this throughout the week. But the bottom line here, after two days in Doha and going back to the joint leaders' statement that came out last week between the leaders that, again, just spoke today the President and President Sisi and Sheikh Tamim we wanted to really drive this process to get it back on track. I think we very much have done that. And I think there was consensus of all the participants here over the last 48 hours that there's really a new spirit here to drive this to a conclusion. I want to be very clear: This is a very difficult, complex deal. It is wrenching because this is about getting hostages out of Gaza. There are elements of the deal that are uncomfortable, just like any deal like this. It is far from perfect, but we think what we have down here now very much reflects the principles that the President laid out, that the U.N. Security Council fully endorsed. And now, with the additional clarifications and some gaps that have been closed, we think the package is basically there. And so, we'll be working on it throughout the week. I'm sure we'll be talking to you guys probably later in the week as we gear up for Cairo next weekend. And with that, I will take some questions. MODERATOR: Thanks. Our first question will go to the line of Aamer. You should be able to unmute yourself. Q Hey. Thank you both. Where does Israel stand on the Philadelphi and Netzarim Corridors after this ceasefire is established? And, I guess, is it fair to say that Israel is more or less somewhere near that May 31st itineration of this? And then, secondly, what's the level of confidence that Iran will hold off on any action on Israel or allies until at least these Cairo talks play out? Thank you. SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Let me just take your first question or, I guess, sorry, your second question first. And I think Secretary Austin made very clear in his readout earlier this morning, after his call with Minister Gallant of Israel, that we, the United States of America, have moved a significant amount of military resources in a very coordinated fashion with partners and allies, including the French and the Brits and others, to ensure that we have everything in place for every possible contingency. And we are going to do everything that is needed to defend Israel against any attack from Iran. The President had one word for the possibility of an attack. He said, "Don't" and "We mean it." And we've demonstrated that with what we have deployed to the region. We have also been engaged in extensive diplomacy in the region, obviously, but to make clear the consequences should such an attack occur, and also, I think the driving goal to ultimately de-escalate tensions in the region. And 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 two days as we are here, that they want to see a ceasefire in Gaza, that that is their goal; they want to see a de-escalation of tensions. And of course, that very much remains to be seen. But now is an opportunity to put their money where their mouth is and to basically work towards the conclusion of this over the coming week. But these two processes are separate. The ceasefire deal is something that we've been working on for many months. We see an opportunity here to try to bring it to resolution. We're going to do that. We're also in parallel doing everything we possibly can to ensure we have everything in place for every possible contingency. And it's just ironic it was Hamas, a proxy of Iran, who started this war on October 7th, and it would be ironic if Iran were to do something to basically derail what we think is the best opportunity for a comprehensive ceasefire and hostage release deal that we have had in many months. So, we're prepared in that regard for all possible contingencies. On your first question, I'm not going to discuss the details of the negotiation for reasons I think you can understand. You asked two questions about the deal, so obviously you're very knowledgeable of it. One of them has to do with the fact that age through the deal at certain phasing. As hostages are released, Israeli forces redeploy in some areas and the population can return to their homes. It is stipulated in the deal that particularly people going from south to north, displaced persons, meaning civilians without arms that is a core provision of the deal. And obviously, the Israelis want to make sure that that provision is followed through. We believe, as do the other mediators, that that is a material principle of the deal, and that if anyone is carrying arms from south to north, that would be a violation of the deal. And that is something that was reaffirmed throughout the talks over the last two days. On the Philadelphi Corridor, we've been working very closely with Egypt and others and also, of course, Egypt through mediation with Hamas about the arrangements in the Philadelphi Corridor. I think that issue is moving the right way and, I think, very consistent with the May 27th text. Over. MODERATOR: Next up, we'll go to MJ Lee. Q Hey. Hey, can you hear me? MODERATOR: Yes, we can. SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Got you. Q Thanks. I had two questions for you. First, on the ceasefire talks, you said the aim is to conclude the talks by next week. I just I don't think we've ever heard you use that kind of language before, but please correct me if I'm wrong. Does that mean like, should we take from that that the expectation is that you think that the deal will actually come together next week? Or are you just speaking with, you know, just a renewed sense of urgency here? And then secondly, on Iran. Israel's Foreign Minister told his British and French counterparts that if Iran were to attack Israel, Israel would expect a coalition led by the U.S., Britain, and France to join Israel in attacking Iran back. I just wanted to get your response to that and whether that's correct, that the U.S. would either lead an effort to attack Iran back or actually be involved in that process. I realize it's a hypothetical, but SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Yeah, so thanks, MJ. That first that second point is very hypothetical. I'd just say we have as I said, we have deployed the military resources to the region that are needed for every possible contingency, and we're working in very close coordination with partners and allies. Again, we are ready for any possible contingency, and we're going to help defend Israel. And I'm not going to get ahead of anything else that I'll just say this attack from Iran has been predicted now I think every day over the last two and a half weeks. So, you know, let's see. I'll just say we are prepared I think you saw that in the Secretary's statement today and we are preparing for every contingency. But I'm just going to leave it at that. Our commitment to helping to defend Israel, we say it all the time: ironclad, unwavering. What does that mean? That means what you're seeing right now. It's very clear. On aim to conclude: Yeah, we aim to conclude this deal. What we put down today was different. We put down a final bridging proposal, a comprehensive text that is very familiar to all the parties, because it is basically the May 27 text with some clarifications based upon subsequent discussions and some of the details and implementation. So this 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. There are a number of reasons to do that: the lives of the hostages, in my mind, first and foremost. We want to save the lives of the hostages and get the hostages out of Gaza. And if you continue to negotiate for months and months and try to get a perfect deal, or every last drop of blood from the stone, you risk having no hostages left to save. And that is not acceptable to us. I think it's not acceptable to anybody, not acceptable to the Israelis. So we have to get the hostages out and do it in a way and I want to be clear about this that it fully ensures Israel's security interests which are also paramount in this; this deal does that and also stops the war in the first phase of a ceasefire, and brings significant, substantial, badly needed humanitarian relief to Gaza, civilians in Gaza. That's what's in this deal. And what is on the table now basically bridges every gap, and we do believe it's time to conclude it. And when we get together next weekend, the aim will very much be to do so. But as I've said all the time. whenever I talk about this, it is complicated; it is comprehensive, is what we say, because it is a very detailed arrangement of all the things that have to happen, all the moving parts. That's why we're working on the implementation cell this week. So I don't want to underscore how difficult the coming week will be and then the meetings in Cairo. There's a lot of work to do here. But we are fully behind it. The President of the United States is fully behind it. His counterparts in the region are fully behind it. And we're going to do all we can to bring this to conclusion, because the lives of the hostages really can't wait anymore, and we are quite confident that what this deal does is brings relief to the civilians of Gaza and also ensures the security interests of Israel. So, we do believe it's time to bring it to conclusion. We're going to work to do that over the course of the next week. MODERATOR: Next up, we'll go to Steve Holland. Q Hey, [senior administration official]. When you say that parts of the deal are "uncomfortable," what do you mean by that? And if you do conclude an agreement next week, when do you envision a ceasefire going into place? SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Well, parts of the deal we just did a big prisoner exchange with Russia. And so, when you're trading and here, there's an exchange here. You're exchanging and think about it from the Israeli perspective you're exchanging large numbers of Palestinian prisoners, many of whom have been convicted of very serious crimes against Israelis, for totally innocent people who were taken hostage on October 7th. So there is an exchange element to the deal that is difficult, like any deal like this. We've done them, and you have to do them to save the lives of your citizens. And there are a number of American citizens, of course, who are part of this deal. But, Steve, that's what I was getting at. And I think you know, you've been around seeing these things a number of times there's great joy in bringing people home because that's what we have to do, and that's a commitment and obligation to our citizens. But these are not easy. And sometimes I see, "Well, Israel just has to sign and do it." Well, yeah, but there's hard parts of this deal. And so, you know, it's not simple; it's not cut and dry. But the time has come, based on the work that has been done, to bring it to a resolution and get the hostages out of Gaza. MODERATOR: And we have time for one more question. We're going to go to the line of Yuna. You should be able to unmute yourself. Q Hi. Thank you for this. I hope you can hear me. Just to clarify about next week: So you think that next week there's a chance to get to the agreement with all the details, or just to get a significant advance on it? And another question. What is different this time about the motivation from Hamas and Israel to reach a deal? Do you think both sides right now are willing and want to reach a deal this time? SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Well, what's different is we now have a comprehensive bridging proposal down. So throughout this negotiation, from time to time, as mediators, we have put down bridging proposals on certain issues. We now have a bridging proposal on basically every issue. And so, this is kind of the final stage, end game of the process. What's different on Hamas? Hamas look, Hamas is under tremendous pressure. Tremendous pressure. And basically, they're holding the people of Gaza hostage by not doing this deal, because what comes with this deal is the war stops that's the first phase of the ceasefire and relief comes to the people of Gaza. Because with the war stopping, the ability to move humanitarian aid all throughout the strip, move in tens of thousands of temporary shelters, to clear rubble, to rehabilitate what is all in the deal bakeries, medical facilities, everything it's all there, and it is ready to move on day one. And so, the conditions are right to do this deal, first and foremost, to get the hostages out, as I've said, and save their lives, but also to bring relief to the people of Gaza. And the way this deal is now structured, there is really no risk to Israel's security. In fact, I think this deal is structured in a way that it enhances the security of Israel. So, the elements are really there, and we think it is time to move forward. And I think we found in the last two days in Doha that that very strong desire was held by everybody who was participating. I, of course we, as the U.S., do not meet with Hamas, but we speak with the Qataris and the Egyptians as they meet with Hamas. I know there's a lot of public statements from Hamas right now. You know, I wouldn't take anything too seriously, and we have to see kind of where we are. But at the end of the day, from what we understand, based on the principles of the May 27 agreement and some of the refinements that have now been put down, this is the time to move ahead with the deal. And should Hamas say no, think about what they're doing to the people of Gaza because this is basically now all set up and it's ready to be implemented. And so, again, we're going to do all we can, as the United States of America, not only to try to de-escalate the tension here in the region, to try to deter what Iran has been threatening. And I just want to say what I said before: I mean, these threats of a major missile attack against Israel, Iran has tried to suggest there's some legitimacy to such a course of action. There's actually there's absolutely none. A major military attack there's nothing that has happened that would justify such an act. We are prepared to counter, and defend Israel, should that come. But we also would encourage the Iranians I know many are not to move down that road because the consequences could be quite cataclysmic, particularly for Iran. So, again, I think the opportunity one path that is open now is a path towards a comprehensive ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza. There is an opportunity to get this done, and there's a very different path should Iran choose to go down that path. But I'll just say: We are prepared for all contingencies here in the Middle East, and we've been doing that over the last three weeks with all the maneuvers you've seen. I think Lloyd spoke to it in his readout of the call with Minister Gallant this morning. Of course, we are in constant contact with everybody here throughout the region, including, of course, the Israelis, as we help prepare them for defense of a potential attack, which, of course, we hope doesn't come. We don't see the need for it. There's definitely a better course that's available here. MODERATOR: That's all the time we have. Thanks, everyone, for joining. As a reminder, this call was on background to a senior administration official, and the embargo is now lifted. Feel free to reach out to us with any follow-up questions. Thanks again for joining. 2:14 P.M. EDT NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Humanitarian pauses vital for critical polio vaccination campaign in the Gaza Strip 16 August 2024 Statement Jerusalem/Cairo/Amman Two rounds of a polio vaccination campaign are expected to be launched at the end of August and September 2024 across the Gaza Strip to prevent the spread of circulating variant type 2 poliovirus (cVDPV2). WHO and UNICEF request all parties to the conflict to implement humanitarian pauses in the Gaza Strip for seven days to allow for two rounds of vaccination campaigns to take place. These pauses in fighting would allow children and families to safely reach health facilities and community outreach workers to get to children who cannot access health facilities for polio vaccination. Without the humanitarian pauses, the delivery of the campaign will not be possible. During each round of the campaign, the Palestinian Ministry of Health (MoH), in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and partners, will provide two drops of novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) to more than 640 000 children under ten years of age. The poliovirus was detected in July 2024 in environmental samples from Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah. Worryingly, three children presenting with suspected acute flaccid paralysis (AFP), a common symptom of polio, have since been reported in the Gaza Strip. Their stool samples have been sent for testing to the Jordan National Polio Laboratory. Over 1.6 million doses of nOPV2, which is used to stop cVDPV2 transmission, will be delivered to the Gaza Strip. The deliveries of the vaccines and the cold chain equipment are expected to transit through Ben Gurion Airport before arriving in the Gaza Strip by the end of August. It is essential that the transport of the vaccines and cold chain is facilitated at every step of the journey to ensure their timely reception, clearance and ultimately delivery in time for the campaign. Detailed plans to support vaccinators and social mobilizers to reach eligible children across the Gaza Strip have been finalized. Vaccination will be administered by 708 teams, including at hospitals, field hospitals, and primary health care centres in each municipality of the Gaza Strip. Around 2700 health workers, including mobile teams and community outreach workers, will support the delivery of both rounds of the campaign. This will be supported by awareness-raising efforts to mitigate the risks of polio infection. At least 95 per cent vaccination coverage during each round of the campaign is needed to prevent the spread of polio and reduce the risk of its re-emergence, given the severely disrupted health, water and sanitation systems in the Gaza Strip. Other requirements for successful campaign delivery include sufficient cash, fuel and functional telecommunication networks to reach communities with information about the campaign. Further efforts are underway to strengthen and expand poliovirus surveillance and routine immunization. The Gaza Strip has been polio-free for the last 25 years. Its reemergence, which the humanitarian community has warned about for the last ten months, represents yet another threat to the children in the Gaza Strip and neighboring countries. A ceasefire is the only way to ensure public health security in the Gaza Strip and the region. Notes for editors On 16 July 2024, wastewater test results confirmed that cVDPV2 was detected in six samples collected on 23 June 2024 from Khan Younis and Deir al Balah ES sites in the Gaza Strip. Further sequencing analysis confirmed that these cVDPV2 isolates are linked to a variant poliovirus strain last detected in Egypt in 2023. The Gaza Strip had a high level of vaccination coverage across the population before the escalation of hostilities in October 2023. However, due to the impact of the conflict, routine immunization coverage (for the second dose of inactivated polio vaccine) dropped from 99 per cent in 2022 to less than 90 per cent in the first quarter of 2024, increasing the risk of vaccine-preventable diseases to children, including polio. The risk of cVDPV2 spread, within the Gaza Strip and internationally, remains high given gaps in children's immunity due to disruptions in routine vaccination, decimation of the health system, constant population displacement, malnutrition and severely damaged water and sanitation systems. The situation has also increased the risk of the spread of other vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles as well as cases of diarrhoea, acute respiratory infections, hepatitis A and skin diseases among children. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Paetongtarn Shinawatra elected as Thailand's new PM People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 09:16, August 17, 2024 BANGKOK, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russo-Ukraine War - 16 August 2024 - Day 905 Su M Tu W Th F Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While GlobalSecurity.org takes utmost care to accurately report this news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. On 24 February 2022, Ukraine was suddenly and deliberately attacked by land, naval and air forces of Russia, igniting the largest European war since the Great Patriotic War. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" (SVO - spetsialnaya voennaya operatsiya) in Ukraine in response to the appeal of the leaders of the "Donbass republics" for help. That attack is a blatant violation of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. Putin stressed that Moscow's goal is the demilitarization and denazification of the country. The military buildup in preceeding months makes it obvious that the unprovoked and dastardly Russian attack was deliberately planned long in advance. During the intervening time, the Russian government had deliberately sought to deceive the world by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace. "To initiate a war of aggression... is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." [Judgment of the International Military Tribunal] The UK Ministry of Defence reported that since 06 August 2024 Ukrainian forces have penetrated Russia's Kursk region to a depth ranging between 10-25km over a frontage of approximately 40 km. Although Russia had established defensive lines and had border forces in the area, these were not prepared to respond to a multi-battalion assault force. After initial disarray and disorganisation, Russian forces have deployed in greater force to the region, including likely from elsewhere along the contact line. They have also begun to construct additional defensive positions in an effort to prevent Ukrainian advances. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that since the beginning of the day, there have been 99 combat clashes, Russian forces launched five missile strikes using seven missiles, 56 air strikes - dropped 69 KABs, launched 687 kamikaze drones for strikes and carried out 3371 shelling of positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements using different types of weapons. In the Kharkiv direction, the Russian occupiers during this day carried out nine attacks near Lipciv and Vovchansk. Defense Forces units have successfully repelled seven assault actions, two more clashes are ongoing. According to preliminary information, 87 Russian occupants have been killed and wounded since the beginning of the day of the Russian losses, a tank, one BBM, four cars and five special equipment units have been destroyed. In addition, six Russian artillery systems, a combat armored vehicle, three special equipment units and 4 vehicles were significantly damaged. Also, Ukrainian soldiers struck 40 blinds and other occupiers' hideouts. In the Kupyansky direction, the Defense Forces recorded 10 Russian attacks in the areas of Glushkivka, Andriyivka and Kruglyakivka, three of them are ongoing, the situation is controlled. Six times Russian forces attacked in the Lyman direction, unsuccessfully tried to advance in the areas of the settlements of Makiyivka, Torske and Nevsk. In the Sivers komu direction throughout the day, Ukrainian defenders repelled seven Russian assault actions in the areas of Verkhnyokamiansky, Pereiznogo and Spirnogo. Three combat clashes occurred in the Kramatorsky direction. The activity of the Russian occupiers showed in the area of the time yar and grigorivka. All the attempts of the Russian enemy to please Ukrainian warriors turned out to be futile. The enemy, supported by the aviation, 11 times tried to bow in Ukrainian defense in the Toretsky direction. During the day, Russian forces attacked the positions of Ukrainian soldiers near the settlements of Diliyivka, Northern, Toretsk, Zalizne, Nelipivka and New York. 10 assaults Ukrainian defenders repelled, one attack is still ongoing. In the Pokrovsky direction, from the beginning of the day, in the areas of Panteleimonivka, Vodiyany, Vozdvizhenko, Ivanivka, Zelannoy, Hrodivka, Novogrodivka, Newozelannoy, Bird and Green Field, tough fights were sharpened. 28 offensive and assault actions of the Russian enemy have been repelled. Nine more clashes are underway. Ukrainian troops are taking measures to maintain defined boundaries and positions. Today's Russian losses preliminaryly amount to 138 eliminated and 212 wounded occupants, also Ukrainian soldiers destroyed two artillery systems, 6 BPLAs, two motorcycles, two car units and two special equipment. In addition, BMP, six cars, RSZV BM-21 "Hail" and six enemy artsistem were significantly damaged. In the Kurakhiv direction at this time, there are 10 unsuccessful for Russian occupiers of combat clashes. Zagarbniki maintain the greatest activity near Krasnogorivka and Konstantinivka. In the Vremivs komu direction, there was one collision in the direction of Konstantinivka. In the Orihiv direction, Ukrainian troops repelled one Russian attack in the area of small tokmacki. In the Pridniprovsk direction, units of Ukrainian troops successfully repelled three Russian attacks on Ukrainian positions. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that from 10 to 16 August 2024, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation delivered 17 group strikes by precision weaponry and attack unmanned aerial vehicles at Ukrainian military industry enterprises, airfield infrastructure as well as storages and workshops of attack UAVs. Moreover, strikes were delivered at POL bases, AFU reserves concentration areas, temporary deployment areas of nationalist formations and foreign mercenaries. Units of the Sever Group of Forces continue to repel attempts of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to invade the territory of the Russian Federation in Kursk direction. Army Aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, and artillery strikes inflicted fire damage at the located enemy manpower and hardware clusters of two AFU mechanised brigades, one assault brigade, and one national guard brigade. The enemy's attempts to deploy reserves were thwarted. In Volchansk and Liptsy directions, losses were inflicted on manpower and hardware of two AFU mechanised brigades, two assault brigades, one marine brigade, and two territorial defence brigades. Four counter-attacks of AFU assault detachments were repelled. Over the past week, the AFU losses in the areas of the Sever Group of Forces responsibility amounted to 2,765 Ukrainian troops, 33 tanks, 221 armoured fighting vehicles, including 13 U.S.-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and eight U.S.-made Stryker armoured personnel carriers as well as 117 motor vehicles. In the course of counter-battery warfare, seven MLRS launchers and 34 field artillery guns were destroyed. Three U.S.-made Patriot SAM systems and one Buk-M1 SAM system as well as four electronic warfare stations were destroyed. Over the past week, units of the Zapad Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and positions as well as inflicted losses on formations of five AFU mechanised brigades, one airmobile brigade, one assault brigade, and two territorial defence brigades. 12 counter-attacks launched by AFU units were repelled. The AFU losses amounted to up to 3,450 Ukrainian troops, six tanks, 18 armoured fighting vehicles, including nine U.S.-made M113 armoured personnel carriers, and 34 motor vehicles. Moreover, in the course of counter-battery warfare, 36 field artillery guns, including 15 U.S.-made, German-made, and Polish-made 155-mm howitzers and self-propelled artillery systems were destroyed. Four electronic and counter-battery warfare stations as well as 23 field artillery guns were destroyed. Units of the Yug Group of Forces improved the tactical situation along the front lines and inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of four AFU mechanised brigades, one motorised infantry brigade, three assault brigades, two airmobile brigades, and one territorial defence brigade. Four counter-attacks launched by the enemy's assault detachments were repelled. The AFU losses amounted to up to 3,825 Ukrainian troops, nine armoured fighting vehicles, 29 motor vehicles, and 50 field artillery guns. Three AFU field ammunition depots were destroyed. As a result of active actions, units of the Tsentr Group of Forces liberated Lisnichnoye, Ivanovka, and Sergeyevka (Donetsk People's Republic). Losses were inflicted on formations of four AFU mechanised brigades, one infantry brigade, two assault brigades, and one territorial defence brigade. Twenty counter-attacks launched by AFU units were repelled. Over the week in this direction, the AFU losses amounted to up to 3,195 Ukrainian troops, four tanks, including two U.S.-made M1A1 Abrams tanks, 15 armoured fighting vehicles, 23 motor vehicles, and 29 field artillery guns. Units of the Vostok Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of two AFU mechanised brigades, one motorised infantry brigade, and two territorial defence brigades. Eight counter-attacks launched by AFU assault detachments were repelled. The AFU losses amounted to up to 770 Ukrainian troops, 34 motor vehicles, and 19 field artillery guns. Eight AFU ammunition depots were destroyed. Units of the Dnepr Group of Forces inflicted losses on formations of one AFU mechanised brigade, one infantry brigade, one mountain assault brigade, one marine brigade, and one territorial defence brigade. The AFU losses amounted to up to 555 Ukrainian troops, two infantry fighting vehicles, 48 motor vehicles, 14 field artillery guns, including six U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzers. Three electronic warfare stations and eight ammunition depots were destroyed. Operational-Tactical Aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, and Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces destroyed one Su-27 fighter jet of the Ukrainian Air Force at the base airfield as well as three U.S.-made HIMARS launchers. Tonight, air defence units repelled a group strike by 12 U.S.-made ATACMS operational-tactical missiles launched at the Crimean Bridge. All missiles were destroyed. Over the past week, one Mi-8 helicopter of the Ukrainian Air Force, eight Tochka-U tactical missiles, 11 French-made Hammer guided aerial bombs, one U.S.-made JDAM guided aerial bomb, four U.S.-made HIMARS and one BUK SAM systems missiles, 70 U.S.-made HIMARS and Czech-made Vampire MLRS projectiles, and 543 unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed. Units of the Black Sea Fleet and Russian Aerospace Forces destroyed three uncrewed surface vehicles and damaged one uncrewed surface vehicle of the Ukrainian Navy. Over the past week, 57 Ukrainian servicemen surrendered on the line of contact. In total, 638 airplanes and 279 helicopters, 30,050 unmanned aerial vehicles, 569 air defence missile systems, 17,307 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,406 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 13,295 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 24,833 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation also reported that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue to repel the AFU attempt to invade the territory of the Russian Federation 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. One attack launched by the enemy's assault detachment supported by five armoured fighting vehicles through the State Border in the direction of Gorgeyevka was repelled. Army Aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, and artillery fire eliminated the enemy's mobile groups attempting to get to the depth of the Russian territory 1 kilometre west of Anastasiyevka and 1.5 kilometres south east of Kauchuk. Losses were inflicted on manpower and hardware clusters of the AFU 22nd, 61st mechanised brigades, 95th Air Assault Brigade, and 129th Territorial Defence Brigade near Aleksandriya, Snagost, Mirnoye, Kazachiya Loknya, Korenevo, Plekhovo, and Pushkarnoye. Near Yunakovka and Miropolye, precision missile strikes wiped out three U.S.-made HIMARS MLRS launchers, two transport-loading vehicles, and two escort vehicles. Operational-Tactical Aviation delivered strikes at the AFU reserves, ammunition and fuel depots near Yuriyevo, Khoten, Vorozhba, Ivolzhanka, Zhuravka, and Boyaro-Lezhachi (Sumy region). Over the past 24 hours, the AFU losses have amounted to 220 Ukrainian troops and 19 units of armoured hardware, including four tanks, eight armoured personnel carriers, seven armoured fighting vehicles, seven motor vehicles, three HIMARS MLRS launchers, two transport-loading vehicles, and two field artillery guns. Since the beginning of hostilities in Kursk region, the AFU losses have amounted to up to 2,860 Ukrainian troops, 41 tanks, 40 armoured personnel carriers, 23 infantry fighting vehicles, 213 armoured fighting vehicles, 102 motor vehicles, four SAM systems, six MLRS launchers, including three HIMARS MLRS, two transport-loading vehicles, 22 field artillery guns, and three electronic warfare stations. The operation to neutralise the AFU units is in progress. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pacific security chiefs meet to advance operational cooperation Issued by Defence Media 16 August 2024 Defence, law enforcement, customs and immigration leaders from across the Pacific will come together today for the sixth annual Joint Heads of Pacific Security (JHoPS) meeting. JHoPS is an unparalleled opportunity for Pacific heads of security from more than 20 jurisdictions to connect and develop practical, Pacific-led operational responses to shared regional security challenges. Leaders will reiterate the vital importance of collective action and cooperation in response to regional challenges including natural disasters and maritime law enforcement, and the need for improved interoperability between nations. The forum shows how we are more effective in responding to common challenges when we work together. "Connecting with my Pacific counterparts is an important way to bolster the security of our shared region. To me, the spirit of JHoPS encapsulates the Pacific way; we coordinate in an open and respectful manner to develop and advance Pacific-led solutions to Pacific security challenges," Chief of the Australian Defence Force, Admiral David Johnston AC RAN, said. "A key enabler of our collective capacity is the strength of our relationships. Australia remains committed to working with our partners to advance practical security cooperation in support of a secure and resilient region." AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw said JHoPS offered an opportunity to harness security expertise from across the Pacific. a"The AFP is committed to strengthening security capability in the Pacific by sharing resources and knowledge with our regional partners," Commissioner Kershaw said. a"By working together we can collectively identify security priorities in the Pacific and discuss the best ways to respond to them." aAustralian Border Force Commissioner Michael Outram, who will chair JHoPS 2024, said the meeting will be an excellent opportunity for customs and immigration agencies from across the region to discuss their mutual interests in ensuring a safe and prosperous Pacific. a"This type of close cooperation and information exchange between our Pacific partners is incredibly valuable, and helps us all to successfully respond to security threats," Commissioner Outram said. The next JHoPS meeting will take place in Papua New Guinea in March 2025. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US approves AUKUS defense sharing deal The decision paves the way for a unified defense industrial base across the US, UK and Australia. By Alex Willemyns for RFA 2024.08.16 -- The U.S. State Department has approved exemptions from arms-export controls for Australia and the United Kingdom that will allow defense contractors in the two countries to build American military technology without undergoing a lengthy licensing process. A key part of the AUKUS security deal between the three countries known as "Pillar 2" of the pact, the move is intended to help take pressure off a backlogged U.S. defense industrial base amid concerns that America's rate of military production is falling behind China's. Australia and the United Kingdom join Canada as the only countries with exemptions under U.S. laws known as the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, or ITAR, which is intended to stop advanced U.S.-made weaponry from falling into the wrong hands. The long-awaited decision, which was initially expected in April but delayed by the White House, was unveiled after the State Department said it had assessed revamped Australian and British operational security standards as being on par with those in America. The State Department informed Congress that the "Australia and UK export control systems are comparable to those of the United States and have implemented a reciprocal export exemption for U.S. entities," it said on Thursday, paving the way for ITAR exemptions. "The changes implemented by this rule will maximize innovation and mutually strengthen our three defense industrial bases by facilitating billions of dollars in secure license-free defense trade," it said in a statement, adding that the change takes effect Sept. 1. "This effort will enable deeper cooperation among AUKUS partners to advance peace, stability, and security in the Indo-Pacific and beyond," the statement said. It explained that trilateral cooperation would also enable "innovation" in military production "at a pace of relevance." However, the statement noted that the ITAR exemptions will not be absolute and that certain technologies will still require Australian and British contractors to undergo the existing licensing processes. Espionage concerns The exemptions were opposed by some leading Democrats in Congress, who argued that Australia has had well-publicized problems with Chinese espionage and that lowering the regulatory burden could lead to leaks of designs for sensitive American weaponry. The State Department also initially opposed the exemptions, which instead suggested a streamlined licensing process that would see bulk approvals of requests made by Australian and British companies. However, their passage was spearheaded by Kurt Campbell, who was an architect of AUKUS during his time as U.S. President Joe Biden's "Asia czar" on the White House National Security Council and who earlier this year was approved as U.S. deputy secretary of state. The second pillar of AUKUS - the first covers a deal to provide Australia with nuclear-powered submarines - is part of a wider U.S. initiative to counter the growing military influence of China. Beijing, for its part, has slammed AUKUS as an aggressive alliance against it. But in Washington the trilateral pact has proved popular. Rep. Michael McCaul, a Republican from Texas who serves as chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee, welcomed the ITAR exemptions but described them as "long overdue." In a statement issued from Sydney, where McCaul was touting cooperation between the United States and Australia on producing hypersonic missiles, he said the decision would "remove significant red tape and administrative burdens" for U.S. defense companies. However, McCaul said there were still "too many items that are critical to fully implementing AUKUS that are not included in this exemption," and called for sweeping exemptions for "two of our closest allies." "Until the Excluded Technologies List is limited to only a handful of items a as Congress intended a big government regulation will continue to hamper this crucial alliance's ability to truly deter a conflict in the Indo-Pacific," McCaul said in the statement. 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 Tsikhanouskaya Vows To Continue Fight For Political Prisoners In Belarus After 30 Pardoned By RFE/RL's Belarus Service August 16, 2024 Exiled Belarusian opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya said she is pleased that 30 people have been pardoned in Belarus and released from jail but noted that the move barely makes a dent in the number of people imprisoned in the country "in politically motivated cases." "I am very happy about the release of a number of political prisoners," Tsikhanouskaya said on August 16 on Telegram. "I am glad that families will finally be reunited -- and those who have not seen each other for weeks, months, and years will finally have the opportunity to hug and talk." But she said the reality is that detentions in Belarus continue and the number of political prisoners is growing. "More than 1,400 people are still behind bars in politically motivated cases. And there are those who will decide not to agree to the terms, and those who will never be offered them," she said. "Therefore, we will continue to be their voices and do everything in our power to ensure that each of these people is released as soon as possible." A statement posted on the website of authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka's office earlier on August 16 said he signed a decree pardoning 14 women and 16 men who had been convicted of "crimes of a protest nature." Some of those pardoned have serious illnesses or are retirement age, the statement said. The Vyasna human rights center earlier this week said it had received evidence that political prisoners throughout the country were being forced to write petitions for clemency to Lukashenka. Vyasna reported last month that representatives of the Prosecutor-General's Office went to colony No. 1 in Novopolotsk every day and force political prisoners to write petitions for clemency. In addition to her message on Telegram, Tsikhanouskaya posted a statement on her website saying that she talks about political prisoners in Belarus at every international meeting she attends. "You know that this issue is particularly personal for me. The regime has kept my husband, Syarhey Tsikhanouski, out of public sight for 527 days. Our children ask about their father every day, and all I can do is comfort them with the hope that he will soon come back home," she said. Tsikhanouskaya, 41, is a former teacher who ran for president in Belarus in 2020 after her husband was barred by the regime from doing so and imprisoned. While the official results handed Lukashenka victory and his sixth consecutive term in office, the opposition and many Western governments and organizations say the poll was rigged and that Tsikhanouskaya was the actual winner. She was forced to flee to Lithuania during a brutal crackdown on a wave of pro-democracy protests that erupted after the election. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/belarus-pardon- lukashenka-political-prisoner/33081745.html Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Belarus Strengthens Border With Ukraine Following Drone Incidents Sputnik News 20240816 MINSK (Sputnik) - Belarus has increased its control over the border with Ukraine following the downing of Ukrainian drones, President Alexander Lukashenko said on Friday. "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. "I have received the necessary data and have the relevant map. I request an update not only on the current situation but also on the developments and your proposals for our next steps," the Belarusian president said. 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. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian's Remarks on August 16, 2024 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China Updated: August 16, 2024 20:15 Bloomberg: When Italy's 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 Jinping's 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address North Korean leader hails deepening ties with Russia Kim Jong Un said he believed victory was assured in Putin's "sacred war" By Taejun Kang for RFA 2024.08.16 -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un hailed his country's deepening relations with Russia in a message to President Vladimir Putin, telling the Russian leader victory was assured in his "sacred war," the North's state-run media reported. Kim's comments followed a message from Putin on the anniversary of Korea's independence from Japan's colonial rule. The Russian leader told Kim that the bond forged as Soviet soldiers fought against Japan served as the basis of their ties. In response, Kim thanked Putin, stressing the "invincible comradeship" of their countries. "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," said Kim, as cited by the Korean Central News Agency on Friday. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea, or DPRK, is North Korea's official name. Putin visited North Korea for talks with Kim in June when they announced a partnership treaty, agreeing to offer each other military assistance "without delay" if either were attacked. They also underscored their shared defiance of Western sanctions and expanded cooperation in various sectors. During the June summit, Kim assured Putin of full support for Russia's war in Ukraine. In his latest message, though not referring to Ukraine by name, Kim told Putin he was sure of Russia's victory. "I express the 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," Kim said. Russia has been cozying up to North Korea since Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The United States says that North Korea has supplied Russia with large amounts of weapons for the war in Ukraine, in particular artillery rounds and ballistic missiles, although both Russia and North Korea deny that. In exchange for its weapons, North Korea is suspected of getting Russian technological assistance for its space program. Edited by Mike Firn. Copyright 1998-2016, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content 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 Transcript of Weekly Media Briefing by the Official Spokesperson (August 16, 2024) India - Ministry of External Affairs August 16, 2024 Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. Let's begin this Press engagement. I will begin with an announcement. This is in regard to India-Japan 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministers' meeting. The third round of India-Japan 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministers' meeting is scheduled to be held in New Delhi on 20th August 2024. The first and second rounds were held in 2019 in New Delhi and in 2022 in Tokyo, respectively. From the Indian side, this round will be attended by Honorable Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh and Honorable External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar. From the Japanese side, Honorable Foreign Minister Ms. Yoko Kamikawa and Honorable Defence Minister of Japan, Mr. Minoru Kihara will attend. So this was the announcement for me to make. Now let's start with questions, so I open the floor. Manish: Sir main Manish Jha hoon TV9 Bharatvarsh se. Sheikh Hasina ke khilaaf Bangladesh mei hatya ke mukadame darj hue hain aur kai aur mukadame hone wale hain, aisa woh log keh bhi rahe hain. Jab hum log bhi Dhaka mei maujood the tab protest karnewale tamam sangathanon ne kaha ki Sheikh Hasina ko Bharat wapas kare, hum unke kiye ki unko saja dilayenge. Aisi sthiti mei woh log apni sarkar par bhi dabav daal rahe hain, toh kya Bangladesh ki nai sarkar ne Bharat sarkar se approach kiya hai Sheikh Hasina ki wapsi ke liye? Ya phir agar aane wale samay mei karti hai toh Bharat ka normal aise mamle mei kya rukh rahega? Aur isi ko Sir jodte hue, extra sawal nahi kar raha hun, Jamaat-e-Islami ke Deputy Chief ne mujhse khud kaha ki hum Bharat ke sath baatchit karna chahte hain, Bharat ke sath milkar kaam karna chahte hain, lekin agar Sheikh Hasina Bharat mei rehkar Bangladesh ke khilaaf koi activity karti hain, aur Bharat ki usse madat milti hain toh woh thik nahi hoga. Toh in donon par aapka comment chahiye. [Question in Hindi: Approximate translation] Sir, I am Manish Jha from TV9 Bharatvarsh. Cases of murder have been filed against Sheikh Hasina in Bangladesh, and more cases are likely to be filed, as they are saying. When we were in Dhaka, all the protesting organizations said that India should send Sheikh Hasina back, and they would ensure that she is punished for her actions. In such a situation, they are putting pressure on their own government as well. So has the new government of Bangladesh approached Indian government regarding Sheikh Hasina's return? Or, if they do so in the future, what will India's stance be on this issue? Additionally Sir, not an extra question, the Deputy Chief of Jamaat-e-Islami himself told me that they want to talk to India and work together with India. But, if Sheikh Hasina engages in any activities against Bangladesh while staying in India, and receives India's support, it will not be right. I would like your comment on both of these matters. Pranay: Sir Manish ke hi sawaal ka vistar hai, Pranay Upadhyaya hoon Amar Ujala se. Bangladesh mei Hinduon ki sthiti ko lekar, alpsankhyakon ki sthiti ko lekar kai jagah bahot pradarshan hue hain, aaj Bharat mei bhi pradarshan hue hain kai jagah par. Is samay wahan vartamaan mei sthiti kya hai aur Bangladesh ki jo is samay, maujooda prashasan hai usse kya hamara koi samvad, aur koi aashwasan mila hai unse is baare mei? [Question in Hindi: Approximate translation] Sir, this is an extension to Manish's question. I am Pranay Upadhyaya from Amar Ujala. There have been many protests at various places regarding the situation of Hindus, situation of minorities in Bangladesh. Today, protests have taken place at several places in India as well. What is the current situation there, and has there been any communication with or assurance from the current administration in Bangladesh on this matter? Ayushi: Sir this is Ayushi Agarwal from ANI. My question is related to the third Voice of Global South Summit that is scheduled. Do we know how many countries have confirmed their participation and also have we received any confirmation from the Bangladesh side? Suhasini: This is Suhasini Haidar from the Hindu. It's nearly two weeks now since Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina landed in Delhi. I was wondering if you could tell us exactly what her status is, in terms of... is she here on a regular visa? Has she asked for asylum? Is she under some kind of house arrest or detention? Because we seem to be getting conflicting signals. Her daughter tweeted that she's unable to meet her. At the same time, Sheikh Hasina has issued a statement via her son in the US. Instead of allowing space for all of this confusion over her exact status, I'd be grateful if the MEA could tell us exactly under what conditions she is here. Sidhant: Hi, Sir. Sidhant from WION. Sir last week, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry issued a statement. This statement basically expresses Islamabad's concern over the theft of nuclear devices in India, nuclear radioactive devices in India. If you can comment on that? Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: Okay let's begin with Manish. Dekhiye, jahan tak aapne jo baat kiya extradition ka, toh ye to bada ek hypothetical sa sawaal hai, toh ispe hamara ye kehna hoga ki, it is not a practice to answer hypothetical questions at this point in time. Regarding statements that you referred to by former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, dekhiye, Bangladesh mei ek antarim sarkar ban gayi hai, thik hai, aur hum unke sath kaam karne ke liye, donon deshon ke logon ke hit mei, unki aakankshaon ke liye kaam karne ke liye unse baatchit kar rahe hain, taaki donon deshon ke logon ki shanti, suraksha aur vikas yatra mei jod aaye, bal aaye. Toh ye mera jawab rahega aapke sawalon ka. [Answer in Hindi: Approximate translation] Look, as far as your question about extradition is concerned, this is a very hypothetical question. On this I would say that it is not our practice to answer hypothetical questions at this point in time. Regarding statements that you referred to by the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, look, an interim government has been formed in Bangladesh, and we are in talks with them to work together in the interests of both countries' people, to work towards their aspirations; so that peace, security, and development journey in both countries are strengthened. So this would be my response to your questions. Pranay, jahan tak minorities ki, alpsankhyakon ki kya sthiti hai waha uska sawal hai, jo sthiti hai usko hum lagatar monitor kar rahe hain. Hamare High Commissioner wahan ke jo Adviser hain, Foreign Affairs ke, unse unki mulakat hui. Us mulakat ke dauran unhone jitne hamare mudde hain, dwipakshiy muddon pe baatchit hui, us dauran jo wahan par Hindus hain, aur jo hamare minority warg ke log hain, unki suraksha ko lekar bhi baatchit hui. Aur hamara ye manna hai, aur hamari ye aasha bhi hai ki jaldi se jaldi wahan par normancy aaye, taaki wahan par jo hamare alpsankhyak log hain, Hindu warg ke log hain, woh log surakshit ho aur unki safety aur protection ka dhyan diya jaye. Aur hum ye bhi kehna chahte hain jo maine pichle saftah kaha tha ki ye har sarkar ki, apni unki responsibility hoti hai, unki jimmewari hoti hai, ki apne nagrikon ki suraksha woh kare. [Answer in Hindi: Approximate translation] Pranay, as far as the question of situation of minorities is concerned, we are continuously monitoring the situation. Our High Commissioner met with the Adviser on Foreign Affairs there. During that meeting, they discussed all our issues, bilateral issues. During that discussion, they also discussed about the safety of Hindus and people from other minority communities there. We believe and hope that normalcy will return there as soon as possible, so that the people from minority communities, Hindu community can be safe; and their safety and protection are ensured. We also want to emphasize, as I mentioned last week, that it is the responsibility of every government to ensure the safety of its citizens. Ayushi, regarding your question on the Voice of Global South, this is the third edition. This will be held tomorrow in virtual format, as we have done on two occasions in the past. As to the number of countries, 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 when we have a Press engagement in the evening. That is where I would leave your question to answer. Suhasini, regarding the status of former Prime Minister, we had explained last week as well, the approval for former Prime Minister 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. Sidhant, on the question regarding the Spokesperson of the Pak Foreign Ministry, yes, we have seen those reports and we have also seen some comments that were made. Relevant Indian authorities have subsequently investigated the matter and they have found no radioactive substance, as was claimed in the statement. In fact, the Department of Atomic Energy has issued a statement which I will request you, urge you to have a look at. Those making such baseless comments are advised to desist from their propaganda for which obviously there are no takers. We also want to emphasize once again, that India has a robust legal and regulatory framework for safety and security of radioactive materials. Our non-proliferation track record speaks for itself. As of those making such and these baseless allegations, the less said, the better. Rishikesh: Sir, Rishikesh from PTI. So, as you have said that we are monitoring the situation in Bangladesh. So do we have any data regarding how many Bangladeshi Hindus or minorities have approached us for shelter or anything else, especially regarding protection? And US State Department has said that they are in touch with Indian authorities to end violence in Bangladesh. So what kind of assistance or what kind of cooperation two countries are looking to end this cycle of violence in Bangladesh? Umashankar: Umashankar Singh NDTV India se. Bangladesh se medical visa lene walon ki tadad mei kya izafah hua hai, agar aisa hai toh agar number de payain ki pahle kitne medical visa diye jate the, abhi kitne diye ja rahe hain? Aur Bangladesh mei visa issuance ko lekar kya normalcy aa gayi hai ya aane mei kuch waqt lagega? [Question in Hindi: Approximate translation] Umashankar Singh from NDTV India. Has there been an increase in the number of medical visa issued to people from Bangladesh? If so, could you provide numbers on how many medical visa were issued earlier and how many are being issued now? Also, has normalcy returned regarding visa issuance in Bangladesh, or will it take some more time? Rishabh: Sir, good evening. Rishabh from Times Now. Sir, Prime Minister held a telephonic conversation with Muhammad Yunus, the interim government Chief Adviser. If I can have more clarity on that. He has just tweeted, you have re-tweeted also. Avinash: Avinash from The Asahi Shimbun. Sir, this is about India Japan 2+2. Sir, two questions, how does India look upon the significance of this third round? And what are the likely issues to come up in this round? Irina: Hello, Irina Polina from TASS news agency. Sir, could you please us some media reports that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is planning to visit Ukraine, any dates or details of his upcoming visit? And one more question on Global South Summit. Will it be open, I mean, will it be broadcasted and will there be Head of States, Ministers or what? Thank you. Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: Okay. Rishikesh, first your question regarding protection of minorities; as you are aware, yesterday the Prime Minister, when he spoke from the Red Fort, he conveyed concerns on behalf of 140 crore Indians that the status of minorities, status of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh, the government there should do more for their protection, for their safety and security. In fact, in the suo motu statement that External Affairs Minister made in the Parliament also, there again, he had mentioned his deep concerns about the safety and security of Hindus and other minorities. And he also had mentioned that we are monitoring the situation and we are deeply concerned about the safety and security of minorities. And till such time you don't have a law and order which is visibly restored, this concern will continue to remain. So, we have also taken up this issue with the interim government there and we hope that law and order will be restored and the minorities, Hindus and other minorities will be protected. Umashankar, aapka sawaal visa ko lekar hai, dekhiye, limited visa facility, Bhartiya visa facility abhi toh diya ja raha hai. Poori tarah se visa facility tabhi shuru hoga jab wahan par law and order jo hai poori tarah se wahan par sthapit ho jayega, normal life fir se shuru ho jaye. Lekin uske alawa jo hamare Ucchayog, High Commission hain, aur jo Assistant High Commissions hain, woh log jo consular services hota hai, Indian nationals ke liye aur kisi prakar ki jo madad kar sakte hain, uske liye woh service diya ja raha hai, phone ke madhyam se. Aur uske alawa kisi aur tarike ki kisiko samasya ho counsular services... jab aapke nagrik bahar rehte hain toh bahot sari unko documentation, bahot saare certificates, kagajon ki jarurat padti hai, toh ye bhi service unko muhayaa karai ja rahi hai, lekin jahan tak poore... kyuki kafi log Bangladesh se hamare yahan aate hain, full-fledged visa service hai woh tabhi shuru ho sakta hai jab wahan par kanoon vyastha poori tarah se thik ho jaye, lekin limited tarike se chal raha hai. [Answer in Hindi: Approximate translation] Umashankar, your question is about visas. Look, a limited Indian visa facility is currently operational. The full visa service will only resume once law and order is fully restored there and normal life resumes. However, apart from that, our High Commission and Assistant High Commissions are providing consular services for Indian nationals and any assistance that can be offered, being provided over the phone, and for any other issues requiring consular services... when our people live abroad, they often need documentation, various certificates and papers; these services are also being provided. But as far as the full-fledged... since a lot of people come here from Bangladesh, full-fledged visa service will only resume once law and order is fully restored there. For now, it is operating in a limited capacity. Rishabh, you asked about a question on which there is confirmation, I mean, as I came into this room. So details of the conversation, you would have gathered from the media outlets. More on it, we will convey to you after this session. Avinash, yes, 2+2 dialogue with Japan is very important for us. This is the third one that is happening. India-Japan, the relationship is of a very high level. So getting the Foreign Ministers of the two countries and also the Defence Ministers of the two countries on the same platform will give a major boost to all aspects of our relationship including political, defence, security and strong economic ties and other ties that we share with Japan. As to the likely issues to be discussed, on 20th, post the engagement, we have a Press conference. Please do attend so that you can be informed of all the issues that have been discussed. On the Prime Minister's visit to Ukraine, we will be having a Press conference shortly when we will let you know more details about it. On the Global South Summit, we have the Leaders' segment and we'll also have 10 Ministerial segments. These are in virtual format. I am sure this should be available, once we put it out, for people to see the kind of conversations that have happened, in parts may be. But, I will come back to you whether it is open session or not. I am not sure whether it is open, but some of its videos after the event will be put out. We will also have a Press conference where you will come to know of the details of each of those Ministerial segments that we have. We have Trade Minister, Foreign Minister, Education Minister, all those details we have given in the Press Release that we have issued. And in the Leaders' segment, of course, Prime Minister himself will be conducting that Session. Abhishek: Sir this is Abhishek Jha from CNN News18. My question is regarding this Russian conflict that is happening currently. There are reports that Kursk has been attacked by Ukrainian forces. So, do we have any update about the Indians who have been living there, whether they have been asked to leave or rescued? Then there are other reports also of increasing conflict between the two sides. So, have we issued or updated the advisory for Indians living in those areas? Huma: Sir I am Huma Siddiqui from the Financial Express. I have two questions. One, have we resumed our normal trade with Bangladesh? And my second question is, MoS is visiting Central America and Caribbean. So are any MoUs or big announcements expected from El Salvador and Guatemala? Siddhant: Hi, Sir. I am Siddhant from CNN News18. Sir, I want to know your position, since it has been announced by Bangladeshi side that they will go for UN-led investigation in what happened between 1st August to 5th August when Sheikh Hasina was the Prime Minister. But there is radio silence as far as the investigation which is required and even people and Hindus and other minorities are demanding after what happened after 5th August and still continuing perhaps in some part, the violence, the minorities were attacked, looted, etc. What is India's position? There has been an assurance, in fact, in the tweet also of Prime Minister Modi, he mentioned that Adviser assured him as far as the safety of minorities is concerned. But as far as the investigation part is concerned, Sir, has there been any talks between two sides and was this issue raised by the Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh when he met the Foreign Adviser? Thank you. Gautam: Sir, my question regarding the previous one relates to the US Spokesperson's... what they have said that they are in touch with India on what is happening in Bangladesh. At what level they are in touch with India and what kind of conversation, if you can give us some kind of note on that? Sudhi: Sir, on Bangladesh again, I mean, India's High Commissioner to Bangladesh, as you said, met the Interim Adviser to Government of Bangladesh and the statement that came out very clearly said the statements from Sheikh Hasina emanating from India is unlikely to help India-Bangladesh relationship. Your comments on that and also, Sir, would you like to give us any clarity on a possible visit of the Malaysian Prime Minister? Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: Abhishek, first coming to your question, yes, we have all seen reports of what is happening in that part of the world. We also have a student community in Kursk area. The Indian Embassy is in touch with them, they have issued an advisory and trying to see how best they can support them and help them. We have some students in that part, medical students, I understand. Huma, to my understanding, normal trade has begun with Bangladesh, trucks have been plying between the two countries, taking essential commodities and other products. On the question of the visit of Minister of State for External Affairs, Pabitra Margherita, we have also issued a detailed Press Release, so I would ask you to have a look at that. But just to let you know that this visit of his to Latin America covers five countries. It is rare that you are able to do five countries in one go. That itself shows you the commitment that we have, to strengthen our ties with countries in Latin America and the Caribbean region, and also it is an opportunity for us to explore and advance a partnership in several new areas. In all these countries, Minister Margherita will be meeting the Foreign Minister of the country. In addition, he will call on the Presidents in three of the countries and also meet with the Prime Minister in Trinidad and Tobago. In Dominican Republic, which is his first stop, he will be attending the formal swearing in ceremony of His Excellency Luis Abinader, the President-elect of Dominican Republic and thereafter he follows from there to Guatemala, over to El Salvador, thereafter to Panama and then to Trinidad and Tobago. So all in all, all these visits have several components, how we can strengthen our trade, how we can strengthen our technology connections, how we can strengthen our people-to-people ties, there will be community engagement as well. So we really look forward to the visit of the Minister and hopefully the outcome will be something very meaningful for both countries or between the countries, those five countries and India. Siddhant, your question regarding investigation etc, see, from our perspective, we have conveyed our issues, our High Commissioner met with the Adviser in Dhaka and he discussed all aspects of our relationship including the issues of minorities, and we have stressed that action be taken to protect Hindus and the minorities in the country and at the same time we hope that normalcy will return to the country soon, so that the minorities can lead a normal life sooner than later. Gautam ji, on India-US ties, India-US ties is a very broad based relationship that we have and both countries, we talk about global affairs, we also talk about regional affairs, issues in South Asia, developments, all the developments that impact our relationship. So, that is the context of our conversation between India and the United States; and regularly, we conduct this dialogue and conversation on several issues. Sudhi, specifically to your question about the statements being made by former Prime Minister, see, as I said earlier answering one of the questions before, an interim government has been formed in Bangladesh. We look forward to working with them to fulfill the shared aspirations of the people of our two countries for peace, security and development. So, that is where I will leave it. Also, regarding the visit of the Malaysian Prime Minister, when we announce a visit, it is done in consultation with the participating country which in this case happens to be Malaysia. So we will make the announcement, the announcement will happen tomorrow because both countries have to be on... they have certain formalities to follow. But let me tell you we eagerly look forward to the visit of the Prime Minister of Malaysia. He had visited India in 2019 as President of People's Justice Party when he had participated in Raisina Dialogue, this was in 2019, January; and that time he had also called on the Prime Minister. So we are eagerly looking forward to the visit of Prime Minister of Malaysia. I think in 2016 or so, we had also elevated this partnership...in 2015, to Enhanced Strategic Partnership when our Prime Minister had visited Malaysia in 2015. So all in all, the visit will offer an opportunity to review and intensify our engagement across a wide spectrum of areas and we all look forward to taking India-Malaysia partnership to newer heights. Manash: This is Manash from PTI. As you said, in fact, we are looking forward to have cordial relations with the interim government of Bangladesh, to ensure welfare of people on the both sides; but there have been increasing signals from Dhaka that Hasina's stay in India, continuing stay in India could put a strain on overall ties between the two countries. So, how long Hasina can actually stay in India? Is there a timeline? So, has she conveyed to India her plans? So, how long we can afford to just allow her to stay on Indian soil? Thank you. Divya: Sir, Divya from Indian Express. We've been reading reports of the Prime Minister's visit to the US next month for the UN Summit of the Future, where he's also going to address a community event. Is there also a possibility of a meeting with somebody from the US administration on the sidelines? Raghavendra: This is Raghavendra Verma from German Television, ZDF. It is about Ukraine situation, does India has any statement to make? What does India think about the invasion of Ukrainian forces in Russia? Does it affect in any way the agenda of the Prime Minister's upcoming visit? Or the situation, thus the peace becomes more harder or more sooner, what India thinks about it? Siddhant: Thank you Sir. Sir, I am Siddhant from CNN News18. Sir, I want to know the Government of India's position on Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's legacy. Why I'm asking this question is because the interim government has cancelled the holiday on the day he was assassinated. Then Sir, in fact yesterday, we got these disturbing visuals from outside his residence which has been transformed into a museum, where his followers, those who believe in his ideology and what he has done for the country, they were beaten up and in fact they were not allowed to go to the museum. I want to know, Sir, because India and Bangladesh have shared history. So I would like to know, Sir, is there a change in position of the Government of India as far as Mujibur Rahman's legacy is concerned or is it still the same? Thank you. Sarjana: Sir, main Sarjana Sharma, Sanmarg se hoon. Kya Dhaka sthith Bhartiya Ucchayog ko kuch applications mili hain ki kuch alpsankhyak wahan ke Bharat ki nagrikta jo lena chahte honge, aisa kuch hain toh sankhya kitni hai? [Question in Hindi: Approximate translation] Sir, I am Sarjana Sharma from Sanmarg. Has the Indian High Commission in Dhaka received any applications from minorities there who wish to acquire Indian citizenship? If so, what is the number of such applications? Pranay: Sir Pranay Upadhyaya, Amar Ujala se. Mera sawaal Zakir Naik ko lekar hai. Malaysia ke Pradhan Mantri Bharat aa rahe hain. Toh Zakir Naik ko lekar kya latest position hai, aur kya unki is yatra ke dauran apeksha ki ja sakti hai ki Bharat ek baar fir is mudde ko uthayega taki jald pratyarpan ho sake? [Question in Hindi: Approximate translation] Sir, Pranay Upadhyaya from Amar Ujala. My question is regarding Zakir Naik. The Prime Minister of Malaysia is coming to India, so what is the latest position regarding Zakir Naik? And during his visit, can we expect that India will raise this issue once again to expedite his extradition? Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: First, Manash to your question, I have already answered. So, I would refer you to what I had said earlier exactly, regarding the stay of former Prime Minister of Bangladesh. Divya, regarding the United States' visit, we are still a month away, so we will announce the visit at an appropriate time as also details of the visit, what lies in it. Raghavendra, on Ukraine-Russia, our position you have known, we have emphasized that dialogue and diplomacy is the way forward for both countries to sit together and decide the course forward. So that has been our position. Siddhant, your question regarding legacy of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, see, our response to your question would be that India has always been a steadfast supporter of the people of Bangladesh since independence. And we will remain so in their quest for development, progress and prosperity. These sentiments were also expressed by our Prime Minister in his Independence Day Address that he made yesterday. So that is how we look at the issue that you raised. Dhaka mei jo hamara dutawas hai, ucchayog hai, wahan par limited tarike se visa applications ko process kiya ja raha hai, kyuki bahot sara samay aisa hota hai, kisi ko medical emergency mein jana ho, wagaira wagaira. Aur abhi hamara jo poora operation hota hai, uski abhi shuruwat nahi ki gayi hai, aur isliye nahi ki gayi hai kyuki, aapko samjh mein aa raha hoga ki wahan par law and order ki sthiti kuch alag hai. Ek baar jab behtar ho jayega, shanti bahal ho jayega poore tarike se, toh fir visa ki poori operation wahan se khul jayegi, shuruaat ho jayegi. [Answer in Hindi: Approximate translation] Our High Commission in Dhaka is processing visa applications in a limited manner, because there are often situations where someone may need to travel under medical emergency, etc. However, our full operations have not yet started, and the reason for this as you can see, because the current law and order situation is different there. Once the situation improves and peace is fully restored, the full visa operations will resume there. Pranay, very specific question, dekhiye Malaysia ke sath hamare rishtey kuch saalon mei, idhar ke saalon mei behtar hue hain. Aur ye Pradhan Mantri Anwar pahle bhi Bharat aaye aur hum log unka garm-joshi se swagat karne ke liye intezar kar rahe hain. Aur jaisa ki maine bataya ki jo rishta hai Malaysia ke sath, 2015 mei usko ek alag level pe le jaya gaya tha. Toh bahot saare muddon pe charcha hogi, aur donon deshon ke beech mei jitne issues hain, uspe batchit hogi. [Answer in Hindi: Approximate translation] Pranay, very specific question, look, our relations with Malaysia have improved over the past few years. And Prime Minister Anwar has visited India earlier as well and we are eagerly waiting to warmly welcome him. As I mentioned, our relationship with Malaysia was elevated to a new level in 2015. There will be discussions on many issues, and all the matters between the two countries will be discussed. Pranay: Sir, extradition par kuch? [Question in Hindi: Approximate translation] Sir, anything on extradition? Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: Extradition aur is prakar ki chizain jo hain ye consular matters hota hai, is par lagatar batchit chalte rehti hai consular level par. Toh is par kya update hai, kya kuch naya hai, uske baare mei aapko avgat karaunga. Thik hai. [Answer in Hindi: Approximate translation] Extradition and such matters are consular issues, and they are discussed upon regularly at the consular level. I will update you on any new developments regarding this. Okay. Thank you, thank you very much. All the best. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address DRDO hands over Authority Holding Sealed Particulars of 'Nipun' munition to Directorate General of Quality Assurance India - Press Information Bureau Ministry of Defence Posted On: 16 AUG 2024 5:29PM by PIB Delhi Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has handed over the Authority Holding Sealed Particulars (AHSP) of 'Nipun' munition to Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DGQA) at Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE), Pashan, Pune. NIPUN is a Soft Target Munition designed and developed by the ARDE in association with High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL), Pune. Director, ARDE Shri A Raju handed over the AHSP to Controller CQA (A), Khadki, Pune Maj Gen J James. After the successful completion of General Staff Qualitative Requirements (GSQR)-based evaluation, NIPUN Munition has been inducted into the Indian Army. Two Indian private industries, namely Economic Explosives Ltd (EEL), Nagpur and Premier Explosives Ltd (PEL), Secunderabad have absorbed the technology from DRDO. Both the industries have currently undertaken the bulk production against a purchase order from Indian Army. More than 20 lots of munitions have been delivered to the Indian Army till now. NIPUN is highly user-friendly and deadly against the enemy. It is completely safe during handling, transportation and laying. Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO Dr Samir V Kamat congratulated the ARDE team for the successful AHSP transfer of NIPUN to DGQA and termed it as a great achievement as the munitions will further enhance the combat capabilities of the Indian Army to a great extent. **** ABB/Savvy (Release ID: 2045992) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chief of the South African Navy visits Iran's Bandar Abbas IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Aug 16, 2024 Bandar Abbas, IRNA -- Chief of the South African Navy Admiral Monde Lobese and his high-ranking delegation met with Rear Admiral Qader Vazifeh, commander of the first naval district of the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy during a trip to Bandar Abbas. Lobese attended the Iranian army large industrial complex and got to know a part of its capabilities in the field of design, construction, equipping and maintenance of naval defense and combat equipment. He also toured Dena destroyer which is equipped with anti-ship cruise missiles, torpedoes, and naval cannons. Pointing to the presence of the Iranian Navy and Dena destroyer in Cape Town port, Lobese said: "Cape Town port was a good host for the Dena destroyer, and this makes us proud, and also my presence on the deck of the Dena destroyer shows the good relations between the Iranian and South African navies." He wished success for Dena destroyer's crew on international missions. 9376**2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pakistan says Iran has right to self-defense IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Aug 16, 2024 Islamabad, IRNA -- Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch has referred to the assassination of top Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, stressing that Iran has the right to self-defense. In her weekly press briefing, the Pakistani spokeswoman condemned the continued Zionist crimes against the Palestinian people. She urged the international community to seriously react to these crimes and stop the war in Gaza. She said that Pakistan favors the establishment of sustainable peace in the region, while noting that the Zionist regime has to be tried for its anti-human crimes in the tiny besieged Palestinian area. In a predawn attack on a building in Tehran on July 31, the Zionist regime assassinated Haniyeh who had just attended the inauguration of President Masoud Pezeshkian in the Iranian capital. The Pakistani government declared one day of mourning following the assassination. 9341**2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pakistan: Iran has right to self-defense in face of Israeli terrorism Iran Press TV Friday, 16 August 2024 2:32 PM Pakistan has said Iran has a right to defend itself in the face of the Israeli regime's terrorism. Speaking at a weekly briefing in Islamabad on Friday, Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch expressed concern about the evolving situation in the West Asia region, particularly Israel's genocidal war in the Gaza Strip over the past 10 months and the regime's assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the political bureau of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas in Tehran late last in July. "Iran has every right to defend itself," she said, calling for accountability for Israel's actions. Haniyeh was assassinated on July 31, while he was in Tehran to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian. Iranian political and military leadership, including the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, and President Masoud Pezeshkian, have vowed to avenge Haniyeh's blood. The Pakistani government declared one day of mourning following the assassination. The Pakistani Foreign Office spokesperson also condemned Israel's ongoing atrocities in Gaza, noting the high civilian casualties. She emphasized that Israel should be held accountable for the genocide in Gaza. Baloch reiterated Pakistan's support for a ceasefire in Gaza, saying her country welcomes any steps towards the establishment of a ceasefire in the war-ravaged strip. Pakistan, however, is not involved in new talks on a ceasefire in Gaza, she said. More than 40,000 Palestinians, mostly children and women, have been killed in the war that Israel began on October 7, 2023 following a retaliatory operation by the Palestinian territory's resistance movements. The brutal military onslaught enjoys unreserved military and political support on the part of the Israeli regime's Western allies, including the United States and France. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran moves to exploit age-old rivalries in South Caucasus By Ani Chkhikvadze August 16, 2024 As the West remains preoccupied with the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, Iran is seizing the moment to extend its influence into the South Caucasus a a region where age-old rivalries are being revived. In late May, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze found himself at the center of controversy when he attended the funeral of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. Among those who attended the ceremony was Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas leader who was assassinated in Iran's capital Tehran on August 31. Following Raisi's death in a helicopter crash, Mohammad Mokhber was named Iran's interim president. In late July, Masoud Pezeshkian was elected Iran's president after being officially endorsed by Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. According to Janatan Sayeh, a research analyst at the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), while Kobakhidze aims to maintain basic diplomatic ties by attending events such as Raisi's funeral, he faces reputational risks by associating with figures from designated terrorist organizations such as Hamas. "The intent behind this was to maintain diplomatic ties and support Iran's new president on a very basic level," Sayeh told VOA Georgian. "However, it is questionable for them to be attending the same meeting as terrorists such as the PIJ [Palestinian Islamic Jihad] or Hamas or delegates from Hezbollah. So, it is a reputational challenge for many of these countries." The Georgian president's appearance at Raisi's funeral, which may have been in part a deliberate snub of Washington following U.S. criticism of his administration, was also an indication that Iran's ambitions are no longer solely confined to the Middle East. Indeed, Iran's increased attention to the South Caucasus reveals a strategic attempt to advance its rivalries with Turkey and Israel. "Iran has definitely escalated its presence and influence in the Caucasus," Sayeh said. "It does try its best to play a balancing act between Armenia and Azerbaijan." A complex history The South Caucasus was a battleground for the Ottoman, Persian and Russian empires and, because of the region's complex history, it remains a target of competing interests where strategic alliances are a necessity. "Armenia and Azerbaijan are doing the same thing in their own different styles, trying to manage relations with Iran, Russia and Turkey," said AslA AydAntaAYbaAY, a visiting fellow in the Center on the United States and Europe at the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank. "It's a multi-vector hedging policy," she told VOA. In this complicated web of alliances, the bitter rivalry between Iran and Israel also plays a role. For years, Israel has been a primary supplier of military equipment to Azerbaijan, alongside Turkey. In return, Azerbaijan provides Israel with 40% of its oil needs. On the other side, Iran, through its ties to certain religious institutions within Azerbaijan and its support for Armenia in the Nagorno-Karabakh war, "does pose a direct threat to Azerbaijan's borders," said FDD's Sayeh. "Azerbaijan is in a tough situation," he said. "But in case situations were to escalate, I think it is in their best interest to stay out of the direct confrontation between Iran and Israel." The relationship between Baku and Tehran is further strained by a large Azerbaijani minority in Iran. While Turkey and Azerbaijan have been accused of attempting to use this as leverage, "Iran is able to control all of its civil society, no matter the ethnicity," Sayeh said. Against this backdrop, Armenia, driven by its strained relations with Turkey and Azerbaijan, is seeking to strengthen its ties with Iran. Unconfirmed reports that Armenia has purchased $500 million in Iranian weapons a denied by both nations a may indicate Yerevan's desperate attempt to forge new alliances. Armenia's formal recognition of Palestine as an independent state further aligns Yerevan with Tehran. "Armenia is the one that has poor relations with all these three megapowers in the region, except perhaps Iran," Brookings' AydintaAYbaAY said. "And I think they don't want to lose that advantage to Azerbaijan." Armenia's quest for new alliances is a response to Russia's diminished support during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Russia did not aid Armenia when it fought Azerbaijan over the region in 2020 and 2023. "The Nagorno-Karabakh war paved the way for Iran to step up its support for Armenia," said Sayeh. "Given that Russia is so occupied with its war on its western fronts, with Ukraine, it has not had the military capacity or the funds to support Armenia like it did in the past," said Sayeh. "This presented an opportunity for Iran to enter the Southern Caucasus with more intensity." At the same time, Sayeh said, Armenia's efforts to deepen ties with the West are fraught with difficulties. "Armenia has been trying to open up its military cooperation with the West," he said. "But given that Russia has backed out and Armenia is unhappy with the reassurances from the U.S., it is likely that Armenia doesn't have a choice except to purchase Iranian weapons." Georgia's status uncertain Meanwhile, Georgia a once hailed as the most pro-Western country in the South Caucasus a now finds its status uncertain. "In the West, they don't know the direction that Georgian politics will take," said AydintaAYbaAY. "There is a reason to be cautious until the [parliamentary] elections in Georgia [in October], hoping that the direction the Georgian public chooses will be pro-Western." Iran's broader strategic goal is to diminish the influence of the United States in the Caucasus, capitalizing on the small U.S. footprint in the region. According to Sayeh, Tehran sees opportunities to expand its reach and possibly leverage its relationships with countries including Georgia and Armenia to counter Western interests. "As long as they can get any country out of the Western sphere or out of the Western orbit, it would be a win for the Iranian side," Sayeh said. "Tehran's focus is primarily on where U.S. interests lie. And now, there's an opportunity for Iran to perhaps use Georgia, use Armenia, and with the proper Russian backing, expand their access to the Caucasus front." Analysts agree that the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza will profoundly affect the evolving "great game" among regional powers in the South Caucasus, shaping the region's future dynamics. This article originated in VOA's Georgian Service. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address August 16, 2024 Release Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Call With Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder provided the following readout: Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant today. Secretary Austin and Minister Gallant discussed regional instability and the growing risk of escalation from Iran, Lebanese Hizballah, and Iran-backed terrorist groups across the Middle East. Secretary Austin informed the Minister that 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 U.S. personnel and facilities. Secretary Austin and Minister Gallant also discussed progress towards securing a ceasefire and the release of all hostages, including eight Americans, held captive by Hamas in Gaza. https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3875983/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Sans Russia: What's Behind Kazakh President's Call For Central Asian Security Cooperation? By Chris Rickleton August 16, 2024 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. In using "Mambets," Mardan was employing a slur for rural Kazakhs that is from the Soviet era. But Mardan told his some 240,000 followers on Telegram that "the idea of forming a defense union in Central Asia cannot be called viable." "Each of the republics has its own interests [and] many border issues have not been resolved," he said. Enthusiasm In Baku A "defense union" was not the exact phrase used by Toqaev, who made sure to mention in his article he backed the participation of Central Asian states in a range of groupings, including the CSTO and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. But the idea of a Central Asian NATO was seized upon in other Russian commentaries about the Kazakh president's article. In the August 12 column titled Rats And Ships: "Central Asian Defense Union" Smells Of The British Pound And Delusion, published in the Asia-focused Vostochniy ekspress, author Fedor Kirsanov insisted that the apparent proposal for a new regional bloc likely originated with the British intelligence agency MI6. "The union idea, predictably, was suggested by Toqaev, who has recently donned the toga of a political thinker," Kirsanov wrote. "To be sure, the tail of a red fox is clearly sticking out from underneath the toga, but these are details," he added. Then there was the Russian-focused YouTube channel Khod Mysley (more than 450,000 subscribers), whose author questioned whether Toqaev was following Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian, who "under the leadership of the Anglo-Saxons, is slowly but surely turning Armenia from a friend of Russia into an enemy." Kazakhstan has been accustomed to this kind of hostile Russian rhetoric since it failed to back Russia's 2022 invasion -- which occurred just a month after the historic unrest known as Bloody January. But if Toqaev's musings went down badly in Russia, they were praised in Baku by the privately owned Haqqin media outlet -- which is often viewed as having close ties to hawks in the Azerbaijani regime. An article on Toqaev's proposal by Haqqin's Zukhra Novruzova described the Kazakh leader as "a highly experienced diplomat, significantly superior in class to his colleagues from the...Russian Foreign Ministry." And Toqaev's concerns were "fully logical," argued Novruzova, given Russia's tendency toward militarism and the uncertainty of when and how the Ukraine war will end. "All developments indicate that for the Kremlin elites, Russia's peaceful development and the restoration of its economy are of no interest at all," he said. "In other words, the Kremlin will not get on a peaceful track under the current regime -- the machine of state aggression has been put in drive," Novruzova wrote. The view from Baku is even more interesting in light of both the Birlestik-2024 military drills that involved Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan in western Kazakhstan last month and the small-scale naval exercises involving Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan in Baku's section of the Caspian Sea last year. Azerbaijan -- which shares Turkic heritage with four of the five Central Asian states -- has become a source of admiration for some analysts in the region since Turkey-allied Baku reclaimed militarily the contested territory of Nagorno-Karabakh from nominal Russian partner Armenia. And Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev attended the meeting of Central Asian leaders in Astana -- the only head of state from outside the region to do so. Nevertheless, argues Fuad Shahbazov, a Baku-based political analyst, nobody is really seeking out new Eurasian military alliances at this point. "Azerbaijan believes that deepening ties with Central Asia gives it more room to maneuver," Shahbazov said, noting that Baku is pursuing a similar drive with other countries against a souring of ties with the West and its traditionally complicated ties with Russia. But in the long term, the analyst says, Azerbaijan views Central Asia through the prism of trade, specifically the Middle Corridor -- a 6,500-kilometer trade route connecting China to Europe through Central Asia and the Caucasus but bypassing Russia -- rather than security. "With Kazakhstan, [Baku's interest] is more about energy and logistics," Shahbazov told RFE/RL. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/central-asia-security-without- russia/33080927.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 Junta forcibly recruits dozens of Myanmar nationals deported by Thailand Most had served time in Thailand's Ranong Prison on immigration charges. By RFA Burmese 2024.08.16 -- Junta authorities have forcibly recruited nearly six dozen Myanmar nationals repatriated by Thailand after serving time in the country's Ranong Prison, family members said Friday. Desperate to shore up its dwindling ranks amid mounting losses to rebel groups and mass surrenders, the junta enacted a conscription law that came into effect in April, three years after the military seized power in a coup d'etat. Under the law, men aged 18-35 and women aged 18-27 must serve a minimum of two years in the military. Young people have been fleeing the country in droves since its implementation, many of whom have traveled to neighboring Thailand where they landed in prison on immigration charges. On July 30, Thai authorities deported more than 150 Myanmar nationals from Ranong Prison to Myanmar's southernmost port of Kawthoung and more than 120 others on Aug. 7. Junta authorities arrested at least 23 people from the first group and 48 from the second group upon their return, according to residents of the border town. One resident told RFA that the deportees were all men over the age of 20, many of whom were from Myanmar's wealthier northern cities such as Bago and Yangon and able to pay bribes to escape forced recruitment. "However, some people were residents of Kawthoung who couldn't afford to pay," said the resident who, like others interviewed for this report, spoke to RFA Burmese on condition of anonymity due to security concerns. Those who bribed authorities were "released immediately," he said. Myanmar's military draft has created a cottage industry of corruption as administrators across the country offer eligible citizens a way out of fighting in exchange for a price, sources told RFA in April. Sources said that bribes to avoid service typically range from 500,000 kyats (US$240) to a staggering 50 million kyats (US$23,830), depending on the area and draft quota requirements. Even the low end of the range represents several times the monthly income of the average worker in Myanmar. 'Taken like cattle' One 24-year-old undocumented migrant worker who was deported to Kawthoung after serving a prison term in Thailand was among those arrested by the junta on Aug. 7, but later released after paying more than 6,000 Thai baht (US$170), his mother-in-law told RFA. "They were being taken like cattle on a truck to a military base," said the mother-in-law. "We didn't have enough money for his release, so we asked my sister to borrow money from others." The recruits were first taken to the Kawthoung-based Infantry Battalion 262, although it was unclear which units they would be deployed to after their training. The woman said that prior to her son-in-law's arrest, her son was also arrested in Kawthoung after being deported from Ranong while the junta was recruiting in April. He was later released after paying 200,000 kyats (US$100). Thar Kyaw, a member of the Myanmar Social Welfare Association based in Ranong, told RFA that his organization frequently receives calls from family members of those who are at risk of deportation after serving time in Ranong Prison. "In the past, we could guarantee the safe return of released prisoners to their homes before they were handed over to their parents, but at present, we have no authority to do so," he said. "Thai authorities have no power to protect them from conscription [upon their return], so whether they are arrested or not is decided by the junta troops." 'Grave violation of human rights' Myanmar nationals are deported to Kawthoung every month after being held for immigration violations in Ranong, and at least 355 persons were repatriated in July, according to aid workers assisting in labor affairs. Nay Bone Latt, the spokesperson for the shadow National Unity Government's Prime Minister's Office said that the junta is committing a "grave violation of human rights" by arresting those released from prison in Thailand. "It is advised that Thai authorities handle such cases very cautiously," he said. "While [the junta] is losing battles on various frontlines, they are forcibly recruiting for their forces." An official from the chairman's office of Myanmar's Central Body for Summoning People's Military Servants in the capital Naypyidaw told RFA that he was unaware of any illegal arrests, and had instructed all township-level offices to abide by the rules and regulations for conscription under the country's military-drafted constitution. The military carried out two rounds of conscriptions in April and May, training about 9,000 new recruits in total. A third round of conscription began in late May, with draftees sent to their respective training depots by June 22. Translated by Aung Naing. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster. Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content 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 China fires into Myanmar after junta airstrike on border, group says The firing came a day after Chinese minister was in Myanmar to press for stability By RFA Burmese 2024.08.16 -- China opened fire across the border into Myanmar apparently as a warning to Myanmar military aircraft that attacked an ethnic minority insurgent base, an insurgent force spokesman and residents told Radio Free Asia. Myanmar junta forces attacked the headquarters of the Kachin Independence Army, or KIA, at Lai Zar, close to Myanmar's northern border with China on Thursday after Kachin fighters captured two junta force positions in Hpakant township earlier in the day. Chinese forces on their side of the border then opend fire across the border, said Col. Naw Bu, a KIA Information Officer. "We assume the Chinese fired shots because of their security concerns," Naw Bu said. "I don't know what they fired but the sound was quite loud. There were explosions in the sky. They fired more than 10 times from the Chinese side. They weren't firing flares." Naw Bu did not say whether the earlier junta airstrikes on the KIA headquarters caused any casualties or damage. The Chinese embassy in Myanmar did not respond to a request from Radio Free Asia for comment on the incident. The junta's spokesman for Kachin state, Moe Min Thein, did not answer telephone calls seeking comment. The KIA, one of Myanmar's most powerful insurgent groups, has made significant gains against junta forces this year, as have allied rebel groups in other parts of Myanmar. The KIA and its allies have captured more than 200 junta camps in Kachin state since the beginning of the year, Naw Bu said. China has been alarmed by the fighting on its border, in Myanmar's Kachin state and Shan state in northeast Myanmar, and the threat the turmoil poses to its economic interests in Myanmar, which include energy pipelines, ports and natural resources. China maintains close relations with the junta but also has links with ethnic minority forces, especially those that operate along its border. China has repeatedly called for Myanmar's rivals to settle their differences through dialogue and even managed to broker two short-lived ceasefires in Shan state this year. China hopes for stability A Lai Zar resident who did not want to be identified for safety reasons said Chinese planes had also been in the sky on Thursday, after the junta planes bombed the Kachin rebel base. "I don't know which side of the border the bombs fell. It was a bit far from Lai Zar," the resident said of the junta attack that triggered the Chinese response. "There were also Chinese planes and the Chinese side fired more than 10 warning shots," the resident said. Earlier on Thursday, the KIA seized control of La Mawng Kone, a strategic hill held by junta troops, along with a military camp in Taw Hmaw village, both in Hpakant, Naw Bu said. Hpakant is famous for its jade mines, and since the beginning of the year Kachin fighters have been closing in on the town and the junta forces stationed there. The Chinese fire into Myanmar came a day after its foreign minister, Wang Yi, was in Myanmar for talks with junta leaders. Wang raised China's concerns with junta leader Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing at a meeting in the capital Naypyidaw, according to China's foreign ministry. "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," the ministry said. Analysts say China is also keen to limit the influence of Western countries and India in Myanmar and is becoming increasingly frustrated with Min Aung Hlaing and the junta's failure to end the conflict. It is pressing for an "all-inclusive" election as a way to resolve the crisis, they say. Wang also had talks this week with a former Myanmar military leader, Than Shwe, who called on China to help Myanmar restore stability, the Chinese ministry said. Translated by RFA Burmese. 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 Counselor Sullivan's Meeting with Burma Pro-Democracy and Ethnic Stakeholders US Department of State Media Note Office of the Spokesperson August 16, 2024 U.S. Department of State Counselor Tom Sullivan and U.S. Agency for International Development Assistant Administrator Michael Schiffer convened a virtual meeting today with leading members of Burma's opposition movement, including the pro-democracy "National Unity Government" (NUG) and the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC), as well as key resistance organizations, the Karen National Union (KNU), Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP), and the Chin National Front (CNF). Counselor Sullivan and Assistant Administrator Schiffer commended the groups on their collaborative efforts to work on establishing a path toward an inclusive federal democratic Burma. The Counselor and Assistant Administrator Schiffer reiterated that the United States will continue to expand direct support and assistance to pro-democracy actors to help build their cohesion, improve their capability to provide vital public services and humanitarian aid to those in need, and develop concrete steps towards a full transition to civilian governance that respects the will of the people of Burma. The Counselor and the groups agreed on the importance of maintaining pressure on the military regime to change its course. The Counselor stressed that the United States will continue to promote accountability for atrocities and human rights abuses committed by any parties amid the escalating violence. The Counselor and the representatives pledged to work together with the international community, including the ASEAN and UN Special Envoys for Myanmar, to bring an end to the crisis and establish a pathway to peace and democracy in Burma. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Rights group claims Myanmar's Rohingya being targeted in ethnic cleansing By Shaikh Azizur Rahman August 16, 2024 Myanmar's Rohingya ethnic minority, victims of a brutal campaign of mass slaughter and persecution by the nation's 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 nation's 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 state's 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 Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, said that the AA is trying to "erase the Rohingya's 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China seeks to facilitate peace in Myanmar through balancing act, analysts say By William Yang August 16, 2024 China has increased high-level diplomatic engagement with Myanmar's 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 China's special envoy to Myanmar, Deng Xijun, reflect Beijing's 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. "It's 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, Myanmar's 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 Myanmar's 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 didn't include such details. Some analysts say this difference reflects how Myanmar's 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 Myanmar's 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. USIP's 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 Myanmar's military government, Wang also met with the former chairman of Myanmar's State Peace and Development Council, Than Shwe, who urged Beijing to help Myanmar "prevent external interference and maintain domestic stability." While some analysts say Myanmar's 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 Myanmar's 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 China's side," he told VOA. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address South Korea's Yoon makes rare outreach to North Koreans for unification By Young Gyo Kim August 16, 2024 South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's freedom-based approach toward unifying the two Koreas could chart a bold path signaling a departure from the policies of his predecessors, experts in Washington said. In a speech commemorating South Korea's Liberation Day on Thursday, Yoon introduced the "August 15 Doctrine," his vision for achieving a "freedom-based unification" of the Korean Peninsula. Made up of incremental strategies, the doctrine seeks a dialogue between South and North but puts much weight on addressing the North Korean human rights issue. "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 during his speech. The seven key steps under the doctrine include expanding North Koreans' rights to access information, supporting endeavors to inform the international community of North Korea's human rights situation, incorporating the roles of North Korean defectors into unification efforts, and providing humanitarian aid to North Korea. Accent on rights Sung-Yoon Lee, a fellow with the Wilson Center's Indo-Pacific Program, said Yoon broke from the South Korean presidents before him by accentuating North Koreans' human rights. "None of his predecessors made the explicit connection between freedom for all North Koreans and final liberation of the Korean Peninsula," Lee told VOA Korean on Thursday via email. Lee said Yoon was "boldly emphasizing North Korea human rights and the protection of the right to speech and information of North Koreans, while seeking talks" with Pyongyang. Evans Revere, who served as acting U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, agreed that North Korean human rights were at the core of the Yoon doctrine. "Seoul is clearly planning to make these ideas the centerpiece of its approach to North Korea going forward," Revere told VOA Korean on Thursday via email. Revere said that the new approach has "the potential to create schisms" inside North Korea and accelerate the process of political and social change if South Korea is "successful in delivering this message to the people of North Korea through its radio and television broadcasts and by other means." Andrew Yeo, the SK-Korea Foundation chair at the Brookings Institution's Center for Asia Policy Studies, said that Yoon was intently focused on the notion of freedom of people on the Korean Peninsula, noting that the words "free" or "freedom" appear over 50 times in his speech. "I don't see this as contradictory to reinforcing the idea of freedom-based unification," Yeo told VOA Korean on Thursday via email. Strong protest Yeo, however, expressed skepticism about how the North Korean regime will respond to Yoon's proposal. "The call to establish an inter-Korean working group to discuss people-to-people cooperation and humanitarian engagement will ring hollow to Kim Jong Un given the Yoon government's emphasis on freedom before unification," he said. Revere said he was "highly pessimistic" that Pyongyang will react well to the proposal. Revere explained that words such as "freedom" and "democracy," which are highlighted in the new unification vision, are "anathema to the DPRK, as is the idea that the ROK intends to boost its efforts to get information to the North Korean people." DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name, while ROK is an abbreviation of South Korea's official name, Republic of Korea. Robert Rapson, who served as chargA d'affaires and deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul from 2018 to 2021, cautioned that Yoon's vision could result in the escalation of tension. "If anything, it is bound to elicit sharp negative reactions in Pyongyang, and likely in Beijing, too, and lead to a heightening of tensions along the DMZ and across the peninsula," he told VOA Korean on Thursday via email. The United States voiced support for Yoon's proposal. "The long-standing, ironclad alliance between the United States and the Republic of Korea has contributed to peace, security and prosperity for Northeast Asia, the broader Indo-Pacific and beyond," a State Department spokesperson told VOA Korean on Friday via email. "We support President Yoon's aim to open a path for serious and sustained diplomacy with the DPRK," the spokesperson said, adding that "we are committed to working with allies and partners to promote human rights, accountability and access to information in the DPRK." China, North Korea's closest strategic partner, took a more reserved view. "DPRK and ROK are the main parties to the Korean Peninsula issue, which should ultimately be resolved through dialogue and cooperation," a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington told VOA Korean on Friday in an emailed statement. "China supports all measures that are conducive to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula," the spokesperson said. "We sincerely hope that the North-South relations will continue to improve and that the Korean Peninsula will maintain peace and stability." North Korea has not responded to Yoon's speech on its major state media outlets. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address FBI Raids Home Of Russian-American Political Analyst Dmitri Simes By RFE/RL's Russian Service August 16, 2024 Agents of the FBI have raided and searched the Virginia home of Dmitri Simes, a prominent political commentator and author who hosts a current-affairs program on Russia's state-run Channel One television, the newspaper Rappahannock News reported on August 16. The FBI told the paper the search began on August 13 but declined to comment further, RFE/RL's Russian Service reported. Simes told the paper he is currently out of the country, but was "puzzled and concerned" by the FBI's action. He told the Russian state news agency TASS on August 16 that the reports that FBI agents were at his home were true, although he had not been officially notified. Simes was born in Moscow in 1947 and emigrated to the United States in 1973. He served as an informal adviser to former U.S. President Richard Nixon and regularly traveled with Nixon to the Soviet Union and other Eastern bloc countries. In 1994, Nixon named him to head the Center for the National Interest, which at the time was called the Nixon Center for Peace and Freedom. Simes retired from the position in 2022. Simes also advised the 2016 presidential campaign of Donald Trump and arranged an important 2016 foreign-policy speech in which Trump outlined a vision for greater cooperation with Russia. Simes's name was mentioned more than 100 times in a 2019 report by U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller entitled Report On The Investigation Into Russian Interference In The 2016 Presidential Election. Simes moderated a question-and-answer session with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in 2023. Earlier this month, Fox News reported that FBI agents had raided the New York home of Scott Ritter, a former UN weapons inspector in Iraq who has been a frequent contributor to Russian government media including RT and Sputnik. An FBI spokesperson told Fox the search was part of an "ongoing" investigation. Ritter has supported Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine and in January he addressed thousands of Chechen soldiers on a central square in the Chechen capital, Grozny. In June, U.S. authorities seized Ritter's passport and prevented him from travelling to the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. With reporting by TASS Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/simes-fbi-raid-russia- interference-ritter/33081271.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 MND tries to distance itself from drone controversy ROC Central News Agency 08/16/2024 09:25 PM Taipei, Aug. 16 (CNA) A Taiwan drone prototype allegedly embedded with a Chinese-manufactured chip did not have anything to do with Taiwan's bid to build a fleet of indigenous drones for military purposes, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said Friday. In a video posted by the MND on social media Thursday to show its progress in developing compact military drones with local and overseas manufacturers, a member of the military is seen working on a chip with a soldering iron. The chip had a logo similar to that seen on flight controller stacks made by Chinese drone producer Diatone Innovations, sparking online discussion because Taiwan has tried to keep Chinese-made components out of military drones to prevent critical intelligence from being leaked to the Chinese government. In a statement released on Friday, the MND said the drone shown in the footage was a "prototype," and that it was not related to the collaborative program to develop indigenous drones. It did not comment on whether the chip stack seen in the prototype was in fact made in China, nor did it explain why the prototype, being used specifically for "proof of concept" purposes, was "not related" to the main program to develop drones in Taiwan. The military has launched an initiative to develop compact combat drones and is testing out design concepts and developing technologies to make sure they fit the needs of the armed forces, the MND said. Under a Ministry of Economic Affairs program to subsidize private drone makers to build military drones, companies could not use Chinese components to be eligible for the subsidies, the Chinese-language Liberty Times reported on Aug. 11. (By Sean Lin and Wu Shu-wei) Enditem/ls NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Taiwan condemns China's pressure on Palau to sever diplomatic ties ROC Central News Agency 08/16/2024 09:36 PM Taipei, Aug. 16 (CNA) Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) condemned Beijing on Friday for pressuring Palau to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan and threatening regional peace through similar coercive behavior in recent years. It was not the first time Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. has warned about China weaponizing tourism to pressure the Pacific nation into breaking ties with Taiwan, MOFA said in a statement, citing foreign media reports. "We have a relationship with Taiwan ... China has openly told us (that) is illegal and we should not recognize Taiwan," Whipps told reporters during an official visit by New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters. "We need economic development, but at the same time we have values, we have partnerships, and the relationship we have with Taiwan, we treasure," he said. According to Whipps, visitor numbers from China now account for only 30 percent of the total, partly due to safety concerns raised by China about its nationals traveling to the islands. However, he reaffirmed Palau's commitment to Taiwan, emphasizing that "our relationship with Taiwan should not be questioned by anyone." In response, MOFA said Taiwan will continue to support Whipps' promotion of "value-based" diplomacy, noting that bilateral exchanges -- including those in tourism, medicine and agriculture -- remain strong. China has been expanding its influence in the Pacific region in recent years through intimidation and economic coercion, undermining regional stability, the ministry said. Taiwan will work together with Palau and other like-minded countries to jointly enhance Taiwan-Palau friendship and promote peace in the Indo-Pacific region, according to MOFA. (By Wu Shu-wei and Lee Hsin-Yin) Enditem/AW NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Taiwan's new envoy to Japan vows to boost semiconductor, security cooperation ROC Central News Agency 08/16/2024 08:02 PM Taipei, Aug. 16 (CNA) Taiwan's newly-appointed representative to Japan Lee Yi-yang () said on Friday he plans to mainly focus on boosting bilateral cooperation in security, semiconductors and artificial intelligence (AI) during his term. The Presidential Office announced Lee would be Taiwan's new envoy on Friday after Frank Hsieh () left the post last week after eight years. Lee is expected to take up the post in September, a source said. Lee, 69, was vice president of the Examination Yuan and senior advisor to the president under former President Tsai Ing-wen (). He also served as minister of the interior and head of the Central Personnel Administration (now called the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration) during former President Chen Shui-bian's () term. Lee was sentenced to jail for slander in the 1980s before martial law was lifted. In an interview with CNA on Friday, Lee said that bilateral cooperation in the semiconductor and AI industries and security will be the focus of his term. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE) Inc. and Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. (PSMC) have all recently invested and set up factories in Japan, Lee noted. Taiwan, a semiconductor and AI chip manufacturing stronghold, has also welcomed Japanese enterprises, he added. Japanese companies are leading in certain technologies in the semiconductor and AI supply chain, said Lee, who cited the example of the new type of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment -- used for highly advanced chipmaking -- recently reported to have been developed in Japan. This new technology is reported to reduce power consumption by 90 percent, which Taiwan's high-tech industry urgently needs, Lee said. He also thanked the Japanese government for its numerous references to the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait following the Japan-United States 2+2 (Japan-U.S. Security Consultative Committee) meeting in 2021. Many countries have gone on to echo this stance. Lee added that the world's democracies have all agreed that the Chinese Communist Party must not use force to change the cross-strait status quo. He noted that the U.S. recently announced a plan to upgrade the U.S. Forces Japan command into a joint force headquarters for better coordination with the Japanese. Cross-strait peace and stability are also crucial to economic prosperity, given TSMC is responsible for producing 90 percent of the world's highly advanced chips, Lee said, stressing that the supply chain being at risk would damage the world economy. Exchanging information on security matters with both Japan and the U.S. is, therefore, another of his main tasks, Lee said. He noted that the relationship between Taiwan and Japan is at its strongest in decades and that building on that success will be a major challenge. The people and governments of the two countries have supported each other throughout disasters, displaying a mutual friendship rarely seen in the international community, Lee said. (By Wen Kuei-hsiang and Alison Hsiao) Enditem/kb NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China warns of 'heavy price' for Japan after lawmakers visit Taiwan By Yang An August 16, 2024 China warned Japan on Friday that it should be prepared "to pay a heavy price" if it interferes with Beijing's plans for Taiwan, the self-ruled island that Beijing considers a breakaway province that must one day reunite with the mainland, by force if necessary. China's embassy in Tokyo issued the warning after a visit to Taiwan this week by a bipartisan group of Japanese lawmakers, including former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba, a potential candidate to be Japan's next prime minister. Ishiba, a member of the Liberal Democratic Party, said Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te and Japan agree that maintaining peace in the Taiwan Strait requires increasing deterrence and resistance against China's aggression. Ishiba made the comment at a press conference Wednesday at Taiwan's Foreign Ministry at the end of the lawmakers' trip. After meeting with Lai on Tuesday, he told reporters that the two sides held extensive discussions on avoiding a conflict with China, which some fear could invade and occupy Taiwan as Russia did with Ukraine. Ishiba noted there is a saying in Japan that "today's Ukraine may be tomorrow's East Asia," which he said the world's democratic community must prevent by demonstrating the strength of deterrence. The former defense minister declined to tell the reporters how Japan would react if war broke out in the Taiwan Strait. Lai said that in the face of China's rise and threat to peace in the Indo-Pacific region, Taiwan would strengthen national defense and economic resilience, support the democratic umbrella with democratic partners, defend the values of freedom and democracy, and maintain regional peace and stability. Although no specific plan was revealed, the two sides agreed to increase the frequency of exchanges on security issues. Japan and Taiwan do not have formal diplomatic relations, in order for Tokyo to have formal relations with Beijing, and official interactions between the two remain at the lawmaker level. But Japan, like most of Taipei's allies, supports maintaining the status quo between Taiwan and China. Senator Seiji Maehara, a former foreign minister of Japan and member of the Free Education for All party, said at the Wednesday briefing that he was initially worried Lai would lean toward Taiwan's independence, but that they received assurance he would "maintain the status quo." Maehara said, "[Lai] is in line with our position, and we are willing to maintain close communication with the people we met during this visit in the future." Citing threats from China, Russia and North Korea, Japan under Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has been moving away from the pacifist constitution imposed by the U.S. after World War II and last year confirmed plans to double defense spending by 2027. The plan has unnerved some Asian countries that imperial Japan occupied during the war, such as China. Kishida announced Wednesday that he would not participate in the LDP leadership election in September, which means he will step down as Japan's prime minister. Ishiba is considered one of the favorites to become the next LDP leader and candidate for prime minister and said Wednesday that if he got the support of his peers, he would be willing to run for the post. According to a July 26-28 poll conducted by Nikkei and TV Tokyo, 28% of the public approved of Kishida's Cabinet while 64% disapproved. The poll asked Japanese people whom they approved as potential candidates for the LDP. Among them, Ishiba was first with 24% support, followed by former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi. Ishiba, Koizumi and the current minister of digital, Taro Kono, joined forces in the last LDP presidential election and were dubbed the Koishikawa alliance. Ishiba told reporters that the three were on the same side and would continue to discuss how to improve Japan's politics and regain the people's trust in the LDP. China's Friday warning to Japan on Taiwan was not its first. Its embassies in Tokyo and Washington issued similar warnings in February after Japan's Kyodo News reported that the Japanese and U.S. militaries had for the first time named China as their hypothetical enemy during joint drills. Japan's chief of the Defense Ministry's Joint Staff, General Yoshihide Yoshida, however, told a January 25 press conference the exercises "did not envision a particular country or region." Adrianna Zhang contributed to this report. 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 2024/08/17 PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan 1. Dateis 6 to 6 a.m. (UTC+8) Friday to Saturday, Aug. 16-17 2. PLA activitiesis 13 PLA aircraft, and 7 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 12 of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's northern, southwestern, and eastern ADIZ. ROC Armed Forces have monitored the situation and employed CAP aircraft, Navy vessels, and coastal missile systems in response to the detected activities. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia, Ukraine continue fighting in Kursk Global Times Likelihood of conflict spreading, becoming more brutal on the rise: experts By Zhang Yuying Published: Aug 16, 2024 11:11 PM As Russia continues to fight back against the offensive on its territory by Ukraine, a Russian parliamentary deputy said on Friday that Kiev's attack may lead to the conclusion that "the world is on the brink of a third world war," media reported. Experts said that the situation on the battlefield is now more complicated, warning of the potential for the conflict to spill over and become more brutal. According to Reuters, Russian parliamentary deputy Mikhail Sheremet said on Friday that the Ukrainian incursion has brought the world "close to an all-out global war." Ukraine's top commander Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Thursday that Kiev had set up a military commandant's office in the occupied part of Kursk region where he said his forces were still advancing, per another Reuters report. TASS reported on Thursday that the Russian Defense Ministry said it established a coordination council on issues of military security in border areas. The council is responsible for handling the military security issues covering Belgorod, Bryansk and Kursk regions. The direct invasion of Russian territory by Ukraine is considered a significant action for both sides, as it is a major military arrangement by Kiev. It is also a shock for Moscow, as it involves the safety of local civilians, Yang Jin, an associate research fellow with the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Friday. Yang noted that the current situation on the battlefield is becoming increasingly intricate, raising concerns about the potential for more severe armed conflict between both sides in the later stage. According to Yang, Ukraine's offensive may be aimed at alleviating pressure on the front lines in other directions and to gain more leverage in negotiations with Russia. Cui Heng, a research fellow from the Center for Russian Studies of East China Normal University, told the Global Times on Friday that the Kursk attack is expected to have a significant impact on possible negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. Russia may strengthen its actions in the coming time to respond to the strike on Kursk, Cui said. Amid the continuous instigation by the US, the prospects for a political solution to the Ukraine crisis have become more complex, analysts said. The likelihood of the conflict escalating, spreading, or becoming more brutal is on the rise, Yang said. When asked about Ukrainian troops launching an offensive into the Russian territory of Kursk, a spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Monday that China's position on the Ukraine issue is consistent and clear. The Chinese side calls on all parties to observe the three principles for deescalating the situation, namely no expansion of the battlefield, no escalation of fighting and no fueling the flames by any party. "We will continue to maintain communication with the international community to play a constructive role for the political settlement of the crisis," the spokesperson added. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Minister of National Defence L. Kasciunas toured fortifications and drone training centre in Ukraine Republic of Lithuania - Ministry of National Defence 2024-08-16 International cooperation | Security and defense policy Minister of National Defence Kasciunas studied Ukrainian fortifications and visited the Drone Training Centre where he met with representatives of the Lviv National Army Academy. "It is vital that we are able to fitness Ukraine's practical application of fortifications and countermobility measures, how things come together and seem. We have ongoing works installing countermobility parks in Lithuania, as well as pooling countermobility measures which would block and halt actions of hostile states. We have learned a lot at the Drone Training Centre, the Ukrainians shared their experience in drone operation on the battlefield. It is important to admit that UAV technology and capability are a vital part of modern armed forces. We cannot fall behind, we need to be at the forefront of disruptive technologies and change in warfare," said Minister of National Defence L. Kasciunas. During the visit to the drone centre the Ukrainians showcased not just aerial but also different types of drones. Ukraine also utilizes ground drones in various roles, for instance, minelaying or medical evacuation. The Ukrainians are currently working on a unified single real-time control centre for all drones on the battlefield which would integrate all robotic and unmanned ground and aerial systems. Just days ago Lithuanian manufacturers were on second testing of combat drones in the area of Kyiv in true-to-frontline environment. The trial allowed the Ukrainian side to pick the products that complied with their requirements best. Five Lithuanian companies were successful at the selection and will be invited to make the final offers and get contracts on drone manufacturing. EUR5 million have been earmarked in assistance to Ukraine for drone procurement from Lithuanian manufacturers, Lithuania will buy the same kind of equipment for the Lithuanian Armed Forces for up to EUR 3 million as well. Lithuania's enduring assistance to Ukraine has reached over a billion euros to date, while the military assistance this far amounts to over EUR 641 million. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukrainian Commander Says Troops Continue To Advance In Russia's Kursk Region By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service August 16, 2024 Ukraine's top military commander, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskiy, said on August 16 that Kyiv's forces continue to advance in the Kursk region. "The troops of the offensive group continue to fight, they have advanced in some directions from 1 to 3 kilometers toward the enemy. In general, the situation is under control. All measures are being carried out according to the plan," he said in a briefing with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy over video link. Syrskiy reported fighting in the area of Malaya Loknya, some 11.5 kilometers from Ukrainian border. The claims could not be independently verified. Ukrainian forces also destroyed a key bridge in the Kursk region on August 16, pro-Kremlin media outlets report. According to Russian security officials, the destruction of the bridge cut off part of a local district making it more difficult for civilian evacuation out of the region. Ukrainian troops launched the cross-border incursion on August 6 in an apparent attempt to divert the Russian military forces away from the front line. But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned on August 15 that Pokrovsk and other nearby towns in the Donetsk region of Ukraine were "facing the most intense Russian assaults." The General Staff of the Ukrainian military, reporting on the situation within Ukraine, said the number of clashes on the front increased to 99 by the end of the day on August 16, and many of them were in the Pokrovsk area. Military authorities in the city of Pokrovsk urged civilians to speed up their evacuation because Russian troops are "advancing at a fast pace." They said on Telegram that with every passing day "there is less and less time to collect personal belongings and leave for safer regions." Ukrainian forces fought battles in other areas, including Kupyansk, Kramatorsk, and Siverskiy, the General Staff said. In addition to Pokrovsk, the enemy attacked in nine other areas, including in Kharkiv, the General Staff said, noting that some battles there also were ongoing. Ukraine's human rights commissioner, Dmytro Lubinets, told RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service on August 16 that Kyiv will not create special camps for Russian civilians who want to evacuate amid an ongoing incursion in Russia's Kursk and Belgorod regions. The Ukrainian government said its advance was meant to establish a "security zone" inside Russia to put an end to incessant strikes by the Russian military from the two regions bordering Ukraine targeting civilian and infrastructure facilities. Lubinets said that he did not envisage any threats to the security of the civilian population from the Russian region on the territory of Ukraine and that he thinks the number of civilians willing to evacuate to Ukraine will be limited. "We do not expect that there will be a large number of people willing to come to us, if any. But I am definitely not worried about the fact that it will be dangerous for the civilian population from Kursk region.... We have offered each and every resident of Kursk the option to evacuate from this territory if they wish," Lubinets said. "Ukraine will open humanitarian corridors. Either to the territory controlled by the Russian Federation, or to the territory of independent Ukraine. It should be the personal choice of any citizen who is currently there from among the civilians. We are definitely not going to violate their rights." Lubinets has said the Ukrainian military strictly adheres to the obligations stipulated by the Geneva and Hague Conventions. Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said Ukraine has set up storage facilities in the Sumy region for humanitarian aid meant for Russian civilians. He didn't specify how many of the storage facilities had been set up or where they are, but a video on the ministry's Telegram account showed a large inflatable tent and Ukrainian military personnel carrying parcels and packing food. During a trip to the Sumy region, which borders Russia's Kursk region, Klymenko said about 150 food parcels had been sent to civilians in the area. Citizens "abandoned by Russia" are mostly elderly people, people with disabilities, and families with children, he said, adding that they need food, water, and medicine." The approach contrasts with the treatment that some Ukrainians who fled their homes said they were subjected to. They reported being forced to undergo "filtration" -- Moscow's alleged campaign to catch and punish perceived enemies or others deemed somehow unreliable from among the war's refugees. There also have been accusations that Ukrainians ensnared in the occupation forces' vetting were killed, "disappeared," or forcibly deported to Siberia and other Russian destinations. Moscow has denied committing atrocities and routinely blames Ukrainian forces for civilian deaths and other abuses in a war that Russian censorship prohibits from being described as a "war" at all. On August 15, Russian presidential aide and Security Council head Nikolai Patrushev told the Izvestia newspaper that the Ukrainian incursion into Russia's western Kursk region launched on August 6 was "planned with the help of NATO and Western special services," repeating a claim made by numerous Russian officials in recent days. Patrushev said assertions by the United States and other Western countries that they were not involved "are not true." In a reaction to the events in Kursk and Belgorod regions, the supreme commander of NATO forces in Europe, U.S. General Christopher Cavoli, said Russia's reaction to the Ukrainian advance into its territory had so far been sluggish and messy. "Russia is still trying to pull together a response to Ukraine's incursion. So far, it has only been a rather slow and scattered reaction. This is partly because Russia hasn't established who has the authority. The Ministry of Defense is responsible for military actions inside Ukraine, but not within Russia, right? So, it should be the Ministry of Internal Affairs," Cavoli said at an event at the Council on Foreign Relations on August 15. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-kursk-civilians-ukraine- camps/33081283.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 Kerch Bridge Traffic Halted Overnight As Blasts Reported Over Russian-Occupied Crimea By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service August 16, 2024 Russian authorities closed the Kerch Bridge, which links Russia with Ukraine's occupied Crimea region, for more than four hours in the early morning hours after explosions were heard in the area. A backlog of vehicles numbered about 2,000 waiting to cross the span early on August 16. The blasts caused slight damage in the city of Kerch and were believed to be the result of a Ukrainian drone attack. The pro-Russian Telegram channel Crimean Wind published single footage purporting to show an explosion and claiming it had caused "a large fire." The 19-kilometer-long Kerch Bridge, with spans for both vehicular and rail traffic, was opened in 2018 and serves as an important supply route for Russian forces occupying parts of southern Ukraine. It was damaged by Ukrainian attacks in October 2022 and July 2023 and has frequently been closed during security incidents. Russia's Defense Ministry said on August 15 that its air defenses had "repelled" an overnight attack that included 12 U.S.-provided ATACMS missiles and targeted the Kerch Bridge. All the missiles were reportedly "destroyed," the ministry said. The claim could not be independently verified. Three drones were reportedly shot down near the port city of Sevastopol, which is home to Russia's Black Sea Fleet. In all, the ministry said on August 15 it had "neutralized" 5 Ukrainian flying drones and five sea-based drones overnight. "Mi-8 and Ka-29 helicopters from the Black Sea Fleet's marine air force destroyed five unmanned boats heading toward the Crimean Peninsula," the ministry's statement said. There were social-media reports of blasts near the Chornomorsk district and the Crimean capital, Simferopol. There were no reports of serious damage, and the Ukrainian military did not comment on the reports. Elsewhere, authorities in the Siberian region of Irkutsk said that one crew member of a Tu-22M3 bomber that crashed during a training exercise on August 14 had died. Three others were rescued and have been hospitalized, Irkutsk region Governor Igor Kobzev wrote on Telegram. The cause of the crash was not reported by Russian authorities. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine-war-crimea- drones-kerch-bridge/33080939.html Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Ministry Spokesperson's comment on the shelling of the Galaktika shopping centre in Donetsk and other civilian infrastructure in the Russian territory 16 August 2024 19:56 1535-16-08-2024 In the afternoon of August 16, the Ukrainian Armed Forces shelled the Galaktika shopping centre, full of visitors, in the Petrovsky District of Donetsk. An enormous fire erupted there. According to the preliminary information, there were more than 100 visitors inside the building at the moment of the Kiev regime's terrorist attack, among them a lot of children. Right now, the fire has already covered 10,000 square metres. There is no data so far about the exact number of victims, including those killed, but even now it is clear that the numbers can be great, according to media reports and video recordings of the massive fire. The situation around the Galaktika shopping centre is aggravated by Ukrainian monsters' attempts to use attack drones against rescue teams that arrived to extinguish the fire and doctors providing assistance to the wounded. This vile attack on the shopping centre was an act of terrorism carefully planned by Ukrainian neo-Nazis and a gesture of desperation on the part of the Ukrainian Armed Forces amid the Russian troops' confident advance along the battle contact line. Its goal was to kill civilians and spread panic. In addition, it is obvious that Kiev has received a carte blanche from its Western curators to commit as many atrocities as possible against the civilian population in order to undermine stability inside our country. According to media reports and local residents, on the same day the Ukrainian Armed Forces blew up a bridge across the Seim River in the Glushkovsky District of Kursk Region. Attacks are being carried out against other civilian infrastructure. This is clearly done to complicate the evacuation of people from the combat zone. The Kiev regime makes civilian population its priority target. However, the Kiev regime's cruelty and terrorist methods have the opposite effect: our citizens are consolidating against the threat, and the number of volunteers willing to sign contracts with the Russian Defence Ministry and defend their homeland is only growing. We strongly condemn the latest barbarous terrorist attacks by the Kiev regime. The Ukrainian criminals who shelled the shopping centre in Donetsk and carried out other attacks will be identified by the investigation and severely punished for their actions. Our response will be as tough as possible. We urge the world community and international organisations not to remain indifferent and condemn the mass murder of innocent civilians in Donetsk. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine's Strike on Donetsk Mall Sparks Blaze and Leaves Eleven Injured Sputnik News 20240816 Ukrainian forces bombed the Galaktika shopping mall, starting a fire at the premises, a Sputnik correspondent reported. Ukraine's direct hit on the Galaktika shopping mall in the city's Petrovsky district, the only big store in the area, has left 11 injured. "Today starting at noon, the enemy has been carrying out targeted massive strikes on the Petrovsky district of the capital of the region [Donetsk People's Republic]. As a result of the Ukrainian attack, the Galaktika mall caught fire. [The attack] also damaged the building of the Central City Hospital a14 of Donetsk. According to preliminary information, seven civilians were injured, including a teenager," Denis Pushilin, acting head of the Donetsk People's Republic, said reported Telegram. Later data from the DPR's Ministry of Health, the number of injured has increased to 11. Pushilin clarified that the area of the fire is more than 10,000 square meters. Petrovsky district is located on the western outskirts of Donetsk, it is the most remote part of the city center. Since 2014, when the DPR declared its independence from Kiev, this area has been regularly shelled and bombed by Ukraine. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Air Defenses Destroy 12 ATACMS Missiles Trying to Attack Crimean Bridge - MoD Sputnik News 20240816 On Friday, Russian air defenses thwarted a group strike of 12 US-made ATACMS tactical missiles on the Crimean Bridge, all missiles were destroyed, the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) reported. "This night, air defenses repelled a group strike by twelve tactical US-made ATACMS missiles on the Crimean bridge. All missiles were destroyed," the ministry said in a statement. Over the past week, Ukrainian forces lost up to 3,825 soldiers in the area of operations of Russia's Battlegroup Yug, the MoD noted. In battles with Russia's Battlegroup Tsentr, Ukraine lost up to 3,195 troops and four tanks and up to 3,450 soldiers and six tanks in fights with Battlegroup Zapad, while the Russian unit also repelled 12 Ukrainian counterattacks. Russia's Battlegroup Sever is repelling Ukraine's attempts to break through into Russian territory in the Kursk area, where Kiev lost up to 2,765 soldiers. Ukraine lost up to 770 soldiers in battles with Russia's Battlegroup Vostok. Russian forces liberated the settlement of Sergeyevka in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), the MoD said. A total of 57 Ukrainian soldiers surrender to the Russian troops in the past week, the ministry concluded. Russian aviation has carried out strikes against Ukrainian military ammunition and fuel deports in the Sumy Region, the MoD added. "[Russia's] operational and tactical aircraft attacked the reserves of the armed forces of Ukraine, ammunition and fuel depots in the districts of Yurievo, Khoteni, Vorozhba, Ivolzhanka, Zhuravka and Boyar-Lezhachi of the Sumy region," the ministry said. The Ukrainian armed forces lost up to 220 soldiers and 19 armored vehicles, including four tanks, in the Kursk Region over the past day, the ministry reported. "In the past day, the losses of the armed forces of Ukraine amounted to 220 servicemen and 19 armored vehicles, including four tanks, eight armored personnel carriers and seven armored combat vehicles, as well as seven vehicles, three HIMARS multiple rocket launcher systems, two transport-loading vehicles and two field artillery guns," the statement read. Kiev lost up to 2,860 soldiers, 41 tanks, 40 armored vehicles, 23 infantry fighting vehicles, and 213 armored combat vehicles during its attack against Russia's Kursk Region, the ministry added. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The 2024 U.S.-Ukraine Cyber Dialogue US Department of State Media Note Office of the Spokesperson August 16, 2024 The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America and Ukraine on the occasion of the sixth U.S.-Ukraine Cyber Dialogue. Begin Text Senior U.S. and Ukrainian officials met on August 14, 2024, in Kyiv, Ukraine to convene the sixth round of the U.S.-Ukraine Cyber Dialogue, an annual discussion on cyber policy issues. During the dialogue, the U.S. delegation reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to supporting Ukraine's cyber defense in the face of the Kremlin's unprovoked invasion. As part of its commitment to digital solidarity in action, the United States has contributed a total of $82 million since February 2022, and over $120 million since 2016 in cyber and digital assistance. This assistance is a direct response to evolving Russian threat activity. Strong ongoing U.S. support continues to help strengthen Ukraine's capacity to detect, deter, and respond to cyber threats. Dialogue participants discussed the current cyber threat landscape, protection of sensitive data and critical infrastructure, and cyber governance. The United States and Ukraine explored deeper cooperation on cyber sanctions, cyber diplomacy, and combatting cybercrime, including in international fora. Both sides exchanged perspectives on innovation in cybersecurity and communication technology, connectivity, and the security and competitiveness of Ukrainian IT and telecommunications. They also discussed other avenues of cyber assistance to Ukraine, including through the Tallinn Mechanism, to help Ukraine uphold its right to self-defense in cyberspace and address longer-term cyber resilience needs. Ambassador at Large for Cyberspace and Digital Policy Nathaniel C. Fick and U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink led the U.S. delegation, which also included National Security Council Senior Director for Cyber Policy Matt Curtis, U.S. Coordinator of Assistance to Europe and Eurasia Maria Longi, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Executive Assistant Director Jeff Greene, National Telecommunications and Information Administration Chief of Staff Grace Abuhamad, and representatives from U.S. Embassy Kyiv, the U.S. Agency for International Development, Department of Defense, and Federal Bureau of Investigation. Deputy Foreign Minister Anton Demokhin led the Ukrainian delegation, which also included Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Deputy Head of the National Cybersecurity Coordination Center General Serhii Demediuk, Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation Valeriia Ionan, Chair of the Administration of the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection Yurii Myronenko, Deputy Chairman of the Security Service Serhii Naumiuk, Deputy Minister for Digital Development, Digital Transformations and Digitalization of the Ministry of Energy Roman Andarak, Deputy Governor of the National Bank Oleksii Shaban and the representatives from the Ministry of Defense, General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Defense Intelligence, Foreign Intelligence Service, and National Police. End Text NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address We Must Inflict Maximum Damage on All Russian Positions, and We Are Doing That - Address by the President President of Ukraine 16 August 2024 - 20:18 I wish you good health, fellow Ukrainians! The main points. There have already been several reports by Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi about the frontline situation and our operation in the Kursk region. We see that the occupier is suffering losses, and this is helpful, very helpful for our defense. 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. Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi reported on our defensive steps in the Donbas: Pokrovsk and Toretsk directions. As well as our advance in the Kursk region. We are eliminating the Russian military presence in the area of our operations there, and replenishing "the exchange fund" for our state. Second. The new Ambassadors of the partner countries - Belgium, India, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Italy, and Mexico - have arrived to work in Ukraine. I have received their letters of credence and am grateful for the clear support of our territorial integrity and international law. Also today, I held several meetings regarding our further diplomatic efforts aimed at bringing peace for Ukraine closer, a just peace, and at protecting our people. We are preparing some news. And one more thing for today, which is extremely important. I spoke with members of the Council of Churches and Religious Organizations. And I am grateful for their support of our course towards spiritual independence of Ukraine. A draft law has been submitted to the Verkhovna Rada; it can actually 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. I thank everyone who is strengthening the independence of Ukraine! Glory to Ukraine! NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Sentinel: The history of the DAF modernizing the backbone of America's national security Published Aug. 16, 2024 By Aaliyah Beverly Air Force Global Strike Command Public Affairs BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. (AFNS) -- A team of Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile equipped with a test reentry vehicle at 11:01 P.M. Pacific Time Feb. 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif. This test launch is part of routine and periodic activities intended to demonstrate that the United States' nuclear deterrent is safe, secure, reliable and effective to deter twenty-first century threats and reassure allies(U.S. Air Force Photo by Airman 1st Class Landon Gunsauls) A team of Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile equipped with a test reentry vehicle at 11:01 P.M. Pacific Time Feb. 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif. This test launch is part of routine and periodic activities intended to demonstrate that the United States' nuclear deterrent is safe, secure, reliable and effective to deter twenty-first century threats and reassure allies(U.S. Air Force Photo by Airman 1st Class Landon Gunsauls) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res The United States Air Force is replacing the 54-year-old LGM-30G Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) weapon system with the LGM-35A Sentinel ICBM. Rejuvenation of ICBMs has been under way for years despite news of this modernization effort recently ramping up due to its increased relevance and estimated budget. Nuclear deterrence is the backbone of America's national security and is supported by the U.S. Nuclear Triad. Air Force Global Strike Command's ICBMs make up the land-based leg of the Triad and are the most responsive leg, having stood around-the-clock alert since 1959. Minuteman ICBMs have been around for more than six decades, with the current model first becoming operational in the early 1970s. A number of the system's original components have been upgraded over the last 50 years, but a majority of the system's infrastructure is made up of the original equipment. While proactive maintenance, small upgrades, and routine testing techniques allow Minuteman ICBMs to continue providing responsive nuclear deterrence, upgrading to Sentinel ICBMs ensures the land-based leg of the nuclear Triad remains safe, secure and effective. As implied by the name, the Minuteman III ICBMs have a quick-launch capability, with the ability to launch within minutes of receiving a valid launch order. Before the Minuteman III, the Air Force utilized liquid-fueled rockets, which required more preparation time and posed more safety risks due to their volatile nature. Solid-fuel Minuteman missiles were simpler to maintain and easier to produce. Minuteman III ICBMs are the fourth model of Minuteman missiles (IA, IB, II and III), and many upgrades over the decades have improved their efficiency and capabilities. While this process allowed for effective strategic deterrence for over 50 years, the system needs to be modernized. In October 2006, Congress passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007, with Section 139 directing the Secretary of the Air Force to modernize the Minuteman III. From this point on, modernization of the Minuteman III became a top priority for the Department of Defense. On Sept. 8, 2020, the Department of Defense and the Secretary of the Air Force announced that the Department of the Air Force awarded an Engineering and Manufacturing Development contract of $13.3 billion for a tested and fully qualified design of the GBSD to Northrop Grumman. Sentinel page Shown is an illustration of the LGM-35A Sentinel, the Air Force's newest weapon system known as the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent. The new designation, approved by Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall, modernizes the intercontinental ballistic missile leg of the Nation's nuclear triad. (U.S. Air Force illustration) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res "Modernizing the nuclear strategic Triad is a top priority of our military," said former Defense Secretary Dr. Mark Esper. "It's key to our nation's defense. It provides that strategic nuclear deterrent that we depend on day after day - that we've depended on decade after decade." In April 2022, the Secretary of the Air Force announced that the Air Force's new GBSD ICBM was given its official weapon system name, the LGM-35A Sentinel. "The name Sentinel recognizes the mindset that thousands of Airmen, past and present, have brought to the deterrence mission, and will serve as a reminder for those who operate, secure, and maintain this system in the future about the discipline and responsibility their duty entails," said Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall. In 2023, Air Force Global Strike Command stood up a new directorate, the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Modernization Directorate (AFGSC/A10), at Barksdale Air Force Base (AFB), Louisiana. This new directorate is responsible for overseeing and coordinating the activities of the Air Force in support of the deployment of the LGM-35A Sentinel ICBM weapon system and the retirement of the LGM-30G Minuteman III ICBM weapon system. "Section 1638 of the [Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act] directed the establishment of the Sentinel Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Site Activation Task Force within Air Force Global Strike Command," said Gen. Thomas A. Bussiere, AFGSC Commander. "Brig. Gen. Colin Connor will lead the ICBM Modernization Directorate [AFGSC/A10], which organizationally consists of a Sentinel Operating Location team, a Sentinel Requirements Division, and a Sentinel Operations Division. I have absolute confidence that he and the entire A10 team will prepare the command for one of the most critical upgrades to our nation's deterrence capabilities in history." At the beginning of this past July, the Under Secretary of the Air Force Melissa Dalton, Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force David Flosi, and several other senior leaders visited F.E. Warren AFB to discuss nuclear modernization and better understand the vital role of the ICBM force with the Striker Airmen of AFGSC's Twentieth Air Force and 90th Missile Wing. "After meeting these Airmen, and learning about their creativity and innovation, I've never been more confident in our military's ability to deter threats to the U.S. and our allies," Dalton added. "We owe it our Airmen to ensure that we modernize the force." That same month, the Department of Defense announced the results of the Sentinel Nunn-McCurdy Review. In the announcement, it was reiterated that the 2022 Nuclear Posture Review concluded that a modernized Triad remains necessary to deter strategic attack, assure allies and partners, and achieve U.S. objectives if deterrence fails. The Sentinel program was established to modernize and replace the land leg of the Triad, currently comprised of the Minuteman III ICBM weapon system. "The land-leg of the Triad is an essential component of our nuclear enterprise, undergirding our national security," said Dalton. "The Air Force is committed to restructuring the Sentinel program to address the findings of this review and modernizing our ICBM force to ensure its effectiveness against future threats while ensuring no capability gaps during the transition from Minuteman III to Sentinel." Today's dynamic security environment only underscores the importance of our nation's nuclear deterrent to U.S. defense strategy and, specifically, the extended deterrence commitments we have made to allies and partners. "Our U.S. nuclear forces are ready, as they have been for decades, to deter our adversaries and respond decisively should deterrence fail," said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin. "We face an evolving and complex security environment marked by two major nuclear powers that are strategic competitors and potential adversaries. While I have confidence in our legacy systems today, it is imperative that we modernize of our nuclear Triad. A restructured Sentinel program is essential to ensure we remain best postured to address future threats." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Littleton, Aug. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Littleton, Colorado - Lost Coffee continues to make a mark in the Denver area, offering a unique coffee experience through their craft coffee cafes and a full-service roaster based in Littleton. With locations in Littleton, Aurora, Highlands Ranch, and Castle Rock, they have become a staple for coffee enthusiasts in the region. The company is dedicated to providing high-quality coffee by sourcing beans directly from farmers committed to sustainable farming practices. One of their significant contributions to the local coffee scene is their commitment to sustainability. By sourcing coffee beans from sustainable farms, they not only support environmentally friendly practices but also ensure that their coffee is of the highest quality. This commitment is evident in the rich flavors of their specialty blends like the Flat Black Espresso Blend and the Before Dawn Dark Roast. The roasting process is carried out in small batches locally at the Highlands Ranch location, ensuring the coffee maintains its freshness and unique taste profiles. Scott Gaerte, the owner of Lost Coffee, stated, "Our mission has always been to love people and love coffee. One of the ways we do this is by delivering an exceptional coffee experience. By sourcing our beans sustainably and roasting them locally, we maintain control over quality and taste, which our customers genuinely appreciate." Lost Coffee also stands out for its diverse range of services. In addition to selling coffee in their shops and online, they offer coffee subscriptions. This service allows customers to get their favorite blends delivered right to their doorsteps. It's perfect for those who want to enjoy high-quality coffee at home without making frequent trips to the store. These subscriptions can be customized to fit customer preferences and schedules, offering a level of convenience that is hard to match. The company further extends its reach through wholesale options, providing businesses with their premium coffee products. Lost Coffee's wholesale services allow other cafes and restaurants to serve the same high-quality coffee that has made the Lost Coffee cafes a favorite among Denver locals. Their commitment to quality and sustainability stands out in every bean they supply. Lost Coffee also offers various drink ware and coffee gear, from tumblers and mugs to coffee grinders. These items are available for purchase both online and in their physical locations, making it easy for customers to enjoy their favorite beverages even when they're on the go. The company's cafes, located in Littleton, Aurora, Highlands Ranch, and Castle Rock, provide an inviting atmosphere where customers can enjoy expertly brewed coffee. Each location reflects the brand's commitment to quality and community, making Lost Coffee cafes popular spots for both socializing and relaxing. Lost Coffee cafe locations offer a cozy and welcoming environment, whether one is stopping by for a quick espresso or spending the afternoon with a good book. "We believe in creating a space where people can come together and enjoy great coffee. Each of our cafes is designed to be a community hub, a place where people can connect and unwind," added Gaerte. For those interested in learning more about their coffee, Lost Coffee's website features a blog and a brew guide, offering insights into their products and tips for getting the best out of their coffee. The online ordering system is also user-friendly, providing a convenient way for customers to purchase their favorite blends and gear. In addition to serving individual customers, Lost Coffee is also looking to expand its team with passionate individuals who share their love for coffee. Potential employees are encouraged to reach out and join a team dedicated to delivering exceptional coffee experiences. Lost Coffee is more than just a coffee shop; it's a community-oriented business that prioritizes quality, sustainability, and customer satisfaction. Their commitment to these values has made them a beloved part of the Denver coffee scene. Whether one is looking for a place to unwind or a quality coffee to brew at home, Lost Coffee offers a variety of options to suit their needs. For more information about Lost Coffee and their locations, visit their official website. Detailed information about their cafes can be found at Lost Coffee cafe locations. And if one is looking to learn more about their roasting process, check out their highlands ranch coffee roaster. For those who can't visit in person, Lost Coffee provides an extensive selection of their products, gear, coffee blends, and coffee subscriptions online. ### For more information about Lost Coffee, contact the company here: Lost Coffee Scott Gaerte 720-295-1736 media@lostcoffee.com 1190 W. Littleton Blvd. Littleton, CO 80120 Wexford, Aug. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wexford, Pennsylvania - Pine Creek Plumbing, a family-owned and operated company, is making waves in Wexford, PA, and the greater Pittsburgh area as one of the top plumbing companies. Renowned for their professional, reliable, and customer-focused services, Pine Creek Plumbing is dedicated to providing top-notch plumbing solutions to homeowners and businesses alike. Founded with a commitment to excellence and community service, Pine Creek Plumbing has quickly become a household name in Wexford and surrounding areas. Their comprehensive range of plumbing services includes drain cleaning, sewer line repairs or replacements, water heater repairs or replacements, and a variety of emergency plumbing services available 24/7. The company prides itself on offering same-day professional service, ensuring that the plumbing needs of their clients are addressed promptly and efficiently. Pine Creek Plumbing's dedication to exceptional service is evident in their approach to each project. They treat every home as if it were their own, emphasizing honesty, reasonable pricing, and reliability. This customer-centric philosophy has earned them a stellar reputation and a loyal customer base. Their fast response times and around-the-clock availability make them the top choice for anyone in need of urgent plumbing assistance. Jason Palermo, owner of Pine Creek Plumbing, is deeply committed to maintaining the highest standards of service and customer satisfaction. "At Pine Creek Plumbing, our mission is to provide our customers with the most reliable and professional plumbing services possible. We understand that plumbing issues can be stressful and disruptive, which is why we strive to respond quickly and efficiently to every call," said Palermo. "We are incredibly grateful for the support and trust the Allegheny County community has shown us. It is their continued confidence that drives us to excel and deliver the best possible service." The success of Pine Creek Plumbing is not just a testament to their high-quality services but also their deep roots in the community. Jason Palermo and his team are passionate about giving back to the community that has supported them so generously. "The support from our community has been overwhelming, and we are truly thankful," Palermo added. "It's an honor to serve the people of Allegheny County, and we are committed to continuing our tradition of excellence and reliability." See the many services they provide and benefits from hiring a family-owned and operated company. 24/7 Emergency Services: Plumbing emergencies can happen at any time. Pine Creek Plumbing offers 24/7 emergency services to ensure that help is always just a phone call away. Professional and Experienced Team: Their team of skilled professionals is equipped to handle any plumbing challenge, from minor repairs to major installations. Customer-Centric Approach: Pine Creek Plumbing prioritizes customer satisfaction, providing honest assessments, transparent pricing, and reliable solutions. Local and Family-Owned: Being locally owned and operated means they have a personal stake in the community, ensuring a level of care and dedication that larger companies can't match. Wide Range of Services: From routine maintenance to emergency repairs, Pine Creek Plumbing offers a comprehensive suite of services to meet all plumbing needs. Customers rave about the exceptional service they receive from Pine Creek Plumbing. One satisfied client shared, "I had a major plumbing issue in the middle of the night, and Pine Creek Plumbing was at my door within an hour. Their professionalism and efficiency were outstanding. I can't thank them enough for their prompt response and excellent service." As Pine Creek Plumbing continues to grow and serve the Wexford and Pittsburgh areas, their commitment to excellence remains unwavering. They are dedicated to building lasting relationships with their clients, ensuring that every plumbing need is met with the highest level of care and expertise. For more information about Pine Creek Plumbing and their services, please visit their website at https://pinecreekplumbing.com or contact their office at (412) 667-2800. About Pine Creek Plumbing Pine Creek Plumbing is a family-owned and operated plumbing company based in Wexford, PA. They provide a wide range of plumbing services to homeowners and businesses in Wexford and surrounding areas of Pittsburgh. Known for their reliability, honesty, and reasonable pricing, Pine Creek Plumbing is committed to treating every home like it's their own and responding quickly to any plumbing needs. ### For more information about Pine Creek Plumbing, contact the company here: Pine Creek Plumbing Jason Palermo (412) 667-2800 info@pinecreekplumbing.com 545 Pine Creek Rd Wexford PA 15090 FSIS ISSUES PUBLIC HEALTH ALERT FOR INELIGIBLE MEAT AND POULTRY PRODUCTS ILLEGALLY IMPORTED FROM THE REPUBLIC OF THE UNION OF MYANMAR WASHINGTON, Aug. 16, 2024 The U.S. Department of Agricultures Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert for various meat and poultry products that were illegally imported from the Republic of the Union of Myanmar. Myanmar is a country ineligible to export meat and poultry products to the United States. FSIS is continuing to investigate how these products entered the country. The products and labels in the attached list are subject to the public health alert, regardless of the product date. View labels [here]. The products subject to the public health alert do not bear any import marks on the labels. These items were shipped to retail locations nationwide. The problem was discovered when FSIS was performing routine surveillance activities at a retailer and found meat and poultry products from Myanmar that are not eligible to be exported to the U.S. There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a health care provider. FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers' pantries and on retailers' shelves. Retailers who have purchased the products are urged not to sell them. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase. Media and consumers with questions regarding the public health alert can contact Pyae Phyo Thandar, Sales Manager at Hong Sar, LLC Hinthar Inc., at 317-701-4039 or kinghongsar@gmail.com. Consumers with food safety questions can call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-MPHotline (888-674-6854) or send a question via email to MPHotline@usda.gov. For consumers that need to report a problem with a meat, poultry, or egg product, the online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System can be accessed 24 hours a day at https://foodcomplaint.fsis.usda.gov/eCCF/. SAN DIEGO, Aug. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP is investigating potential violations of U.S. federal securities laws involving Endava plc (NYSE: DAVA) focused on whether Endava and certain of its top executives made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose material information to investors. If you have information that could assist in this investigation or if you are an Endava investor who suffered a loss and would like to learn more, you can provide your information here: https://www.rgrdlaw.com/cases-endava-plc-investigation-dava.html You can also contact attorneys J.C. Sanchez or Jennifer N. Caringal of Robbins Geller by calling 800/449-4900 or via e-mail at info@rgrdlaw.com. THE COMPANY: Endava characterizes itself as a software development company that provides businesses with digital transformation consulting and software development solutions. THE REVELATION: On February 29, 2024, Endava announced its financial results for the three months ended December 31, 2023, wherein Endava stated that it was running behind its recent revenue trajectory by approximately 70 million, or nearly 9% below prior projections at the midpoint. Following this news, the price of Endava American Depositary Shares fell approximately 42%. ABOUT ROBBINS GELLER: Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP is one of the worlds leading law firms representing investors in securities fraud cases. Our Firm has been #1 in the ISS Securities Class Action Services rankings for six out of the last ten years for securing the most monetary relief for investors. We recovered $6.6 billion for investors in securities-related class action cases over $2.2 billion more than any other law firm in the last four years. With 200 lawyers in 10 offices, Robbins Geller is one of the largest plaintiffs firms in the world and the Firms attorneys have obtained many of the largest securities class action recoveries in history, including the largest securities class action recovery ever $7.2 billion in In re Enron Corp. Sec. Litig. Please visit the following page for more information: https://www.rgrdlaw.com/services-litigation-securities-fraud.html Attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Services may be performed by attorneys in any of our offices. Contact: Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP J.C. Sanchez, Jennifer N. Caringal 655 W. Broadway, Suite 1900, San Diego, CA 92101 800-449-4900 info@rgrdlaw.com TORONTO, Aug. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FT Portfolios Canada Co. (First Trust Canada), announced today that the cap, buffer and dates for the next Target Outcome Period for the First Trust Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF AUG (AUGB.F) (the fund or August Buffer ETF) are as follows: TICKER CAP BUFFER OUTCOME PERIOD AUGB.F 14.54% (Gross) 10% 19/08/2024 15/08/2025 The previous Target Outcome Period for AUGB.F concluded on August 16, 2024 and the upside cap for the new Target Outcome Period has been reset to prevailing market conditions. The fund seeks an outcome that provides investors with returns (before fees, expenses and taxes) that match the price return of the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY or underlying ETF), up to a predetermined upside cap, while providing a buffer against potential SPY losses. The fund is managed and sub-advised by Vest Financial LLC (Vest) using a target outcome strategy or pre-determined target investment outcome. If an investor purchases hedged units after the first day of the Target Outcome Period, they will likely have a different return potential than an investor who purchased hedged units at the start of the Target Outcome Period and the buffer the fund seeks may not be available. First Trust Canada believes a buffer against a level of losses can help investors stay invested during volatile times. The fund offers a way to gain access to outcome-based investingspecifically to buffer against a level of downside risk while allowing growth to a maximum cap eliminating bank credit risk, in a convenient, flexible investment vehicle. Karan Sood and Howard Rubin, of Vest, serve as a portfolio managers for the fund. The portfolio managers are jointly and primarily responsible for making investment management decisions for the fund. For further information: Media Contact: Susan Johnson, FT Portfolios Canada Co., 40 King Street West, Suite 5102, Email: susanjohnson@firsttrust.ca, 1-877-622-5552. About First Trust First Trust Canada is the trustee, manager and promoter of the fund. First Trust Canada and its affiliates First Trust Advisors L.P. (FTA), portfolio advisor to the fund, an Ontario Securities Commission registered portfolio manager and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission registered investment advisor, and First Trust Portfolios L.P., a FINRA registered broker-dealer, are privately held companies that provide a variety of investment services. FTA has collective assets under management or supervision of approximately U.S.$235.63 billion as of July 31, 2024 through unit investment trusts, exchange-traded funds, closed-end funds, mutual funds and separate managed accounts. For more information, visit www.firsttrust.ca. About Vest: Vest (formerly, Cboe Vest) is the creator of Target Outcome Investments, which strive to buffer losses, amplify gains or provide consistent income to a diverse spectrum of investors. Today, Vests Target Outcome Strategies are available in mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), unit investment trusts (UITs), collective investment trusts (CITs), and customizable managed accounts / sub-advisory services. For more information about Vest and the evolution of Target Outcome Investments, visit www.vestfin.com or contact Linda Werner at lwerner@vestfin.com or 703-864-5483. There may be commissions, management fees and expenses associated with ETF investments. ETFs are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. Please read the prospectus of the fund before investing. Contact FT Portfolios Canada at 1-877-622-5552 or visit www.firsttrust.ca to obtain a copy of the prospectus and ETF Facts for the fund. Important Information The information presented is not intended to constitute an investment recommendation for, or advice to, any specific person. Financial advisors are responsible for evaluating investment risks independently and for exercising independent judgment in determining whether investments are appropriate for their clients. First Trust Advisors L.P. is the portfolio advisor to the fund. First Trust Advisors L.P. is an affiliate of FT Portfolios Canada Co., the trustee, manager and promoter of the fund. Further information about First Trust Canadas ETFs can be found at www.firsttrust.ca. BURNABY, British Columbia, Aug. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The United Steelworkers union (USW) is calling out the U.S. Department of Commerces decision to double duties on Canadian softwood lumber. The decision by the U.S. Department of Commerce to almost double the current duties and tariffs of Canadian Softwood Lumber products is nothing more than pure U.S. protectionism, said Jeff Bromley, USW Wood Council Chair. The ongoing escalation in duties and tariffs on Canadian products entering the U.S., while many other countries mainly from Europe enjoy free and unfettered access to U.S. markets, is not only unfair but also contradicts the spirit of the Canada-U.S. trade relationship, where most goods and resources between the two countries flow free of duties and tariffs. The USW asserts that these increases are nothing more than the U.S. Softwood Lumber Lobby trying to artificially raise lumber prices. The current price of the commodity is in a low cycle, so they want to hamper the Canadian supply in hopes of a price rebound. It wont work and its shallow economics, said Bromley. The baseless claim that our industry is subsidized is ridiculous. Our workers earn much more in wages and benefits than the largely non-unionized workforce in the U.S., and our fibre costs are substantially higher. In Canada, our public resources benefit workers, communities and First Nations, something I dont see in the U.S., where land barons seem more focused on artificially enriching their competitiveness. Since 2017 the Canadian Forest Industry has paid over $9 billion in duties and tariffs. At some point, the U.S. Softwood Lumber Lobby is going to want a deal to get their hands on that money, said Bromley. In the meantime, Canadian forestry workers suffer layoffs because of these unfair duties and tariffs. About the USW: The USW represents over 14,000 workers in Canadas forest industry and 225,000 members in nearly every economic sector across Canada and is the largest private-sector union in North America, with 850,000 members in Canada, the United States and the Caribbean. Each year, thousands of workers choose to join the USW because of our strong track record in creating healthier, safer and more respectful workplaces and negotiating better working conditions and fairer compensation including good wages, benefits and pensions. For more information: Jeff Bromley, USW Wood Council Chair, 250-426-9870, jbromley@usw.ca Brett Barden, USW Communications, 604-445-6956, bbarden@usw.ca CALGARY, Alberta, Aug. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Acceleware Ltd. (Acceleware or the Company) (TSX-V: AXE), a leading innovator of transformative technologies targeting the decarbonization of industrial process heat, today announced its financial and operating results for the six months ended June 30, 2024 (all figures are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise noted). Accelewares results reflect contributions from the Companys two business units, radio frequency (RF) heating for industrial applications using the Companys proprietary Clean Tech Inverter (CTI) including enhanced oil recovery (RF XL), and high-performance computing ("HPC) scientific software. This news release should be read in conjunction with the Companys unaudited interim condensed financial statements and the accompanying notes for the six months ended June 30, 2024 and managements discussion and analysis (MDA) thereto, together with the audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2023, notes and MDA thereto, all of which are available on Accelewares website at www.acceleware.com or on www.sedarplus.ca. HIGHLIGHTS Financial highlights for the three and six months ended June 30, 2024: Three Months Ended Six Months Ended Jun 30, 2024 Jun 30, 2023 Jun 30, 2024 Jun 30, 2023 Revenue 2,012,047 69,407 2,055,641 172,954 Comprehensive income/ (loss) 1,263,914 (1,135,498) 293,943 (1,391,115) Gross R&D expenditures 717,968 637,633 1,219,083 1,390,001 Government assistance 577,763 - 577,763 434,023 Based on positive results to date, Acceleware remains confident that RF XL will become viable as a critical technology in the effort to decarbonize heavy oil and oil sands production. In the six months ended June 30, 2024, the Company continued to work closely with industry partners to progress next steps in the RF XL Pilot. An output of this work is the determination that the most practical path forward involves a redeployment of all subsurface components incorporating the multiple improvements and upgrades that Acceleware has made to the RF XL downhole system. Acceleware is actively sourcing an additional $5 million of funding to complete the redeployment. The Company has been successful in securing partial non-dilutive funding for the redeployment, contingent on receiving the remainder of the $5 million. The Company has identified several potential industry and government funders and is in the process of contacting and discussing the project with them. The primary outreach message is that the redeployment is expected to enable higher power to be distributed in the reservoir for a sustained period in a second phase of heating. Please refer to the MDA for a complete RF XL Pilot update. In the three months ended June 30, 2024 (Q2 2024) the Company completed all milestones under a Project Funding Agreement with one oil-sands producer and as such recognized $1,950,000 revenue related to that performance obligation (three months ended June 30, 2023 - $nil). Subsequent to June 30, 2024, a Test Data Purchase Agreement with a second oil-sands producer was terminated and as such the Company will recognize $950,000 revenue in the third quarter of 2024. The remaining revenue of $1,950,000 from the third oil-sands producer will be recognized when all milestones have been met (which is expected in the second half of 2024), or the contract is terminated, whichever is earlier. On April 11, 2024, Acceleware announced that it had been awarded Phase 2 of a potash ore drying project by the International Minerals Innovation Institute (IMII). This Phase was structured to advance Phase 1 work and further validate the use of radio frequency energy from Acceleware's CTI for drying potash ore and other minerals. By the end of Q2 2024, Phase 2 was successfully completed, including the construction and testing of a lab-scale prototype potash dryer. The findings were presented to IMII in July 2024. A proposal for Phase 3 has been presented to IMII and is currently under review. Phase 3 of the project would include the design, construction and testing of a larger shop-scale demonstration dryer. IMII, a non-profit organization jointly funded by industry and government, is committed to developing and implementing innovative education, training, research and development partnerships to support a world-class minerals industry. IMII's minerals industry members include BHP, Cameco Corporation, Fission Uranium Corp., The Mosaic Company and Nutrien Ltd. Acceleware continued to invest in developing and protecting new intellectual property with the total number of patents issued, allowed, applied for, or in development growing to a total of 62. QUARTER IN REVIEW Revenue of $2.0 million was generated in Q2 2024 compared to $0.1 million in the three months ended June 30, 2023 (Q2 2023) and $0.04 million in the previous quarter ended March 31, 2024 (Q1 2024). Revenue in Q2 2024 included $1.95 million in revenue related to the RF XL Pilot as all milestones were completed under contract for one oil-sands producer triggering revenue recognition of previously received milestone payments. Total comprehensive income for Q2 2024 was $1.3 million compared to a comprehensive loss of $1.1 million for Q2 2023 and a comprehensive loss of $1.0 million for Q1 2024. Comprehensive income in Q2 2024 was high due to revenue related to the RF XL Pilot and receipt of government assistance from CRIN relating to costs incurred from July 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023. Finance expenses in Q2 2024 were higher as compared to Q2 2023 for interest on notes payable funding the Companys working capital. Comprehensive income or loss in all periods was impacted by changes in value of the derivative financial instruments embedded within the convertible debenture. The changes in derivative value are driven primarily by the fluctuation in the Companys share price. Gross R&D expenses incurred in Q2 2024 were $0.7 million compared to $0.6 million in Q2 2023 and $0.5 million in Q1 2024. R&D spending was higher in Q2 2024 compared to Q2 2023 and Q1 2024 due to increased spending related to development of the potash ore dryer. R&D activity in Q2 2024 was related to lab engineering, designing and testing, data analysis, and partner consultations. There was $0.6 million government assistance received in Q2 2024 and $nil in Q2 2023 and $nil in Q1 2024. The Company received the first CRIN payment in Q4 2023 of $2.1 million and a second and third payment from CRIN totalling $0.6 million in Q2 2024. The Government of Albertas Innovation Employment Grant (IEG) to support research and development was effective January 1, 2021 and provides a grant of up to 20% of eligible R&D expenses incurred in Alberta. This new grant effectively replaced Albertas 10% scientific research and experimental development refundable tax credit that was eliminated as at December 31, 2019. The Company met the eligibility criteria, claimed eligible R&D expenditures and received $0.4 million in the three months ended March 31, 2023 related to 2021 eligible expenditures and received $0.1 million in the three months ended September 30, 2023 related to 2022 eligible expenditures. Subsequent to June 30, 2024, the Company received $0.3 million related to 2023 eligible expenditures. Government assistance offsets gross R&D costs. G&A expenses incurred in Q2 2024 were $0.4 million compared to $0.5 million in Q2 2023 and $0.5 million in Q1 2024. There were lower non-cash payroll related costs incurred in Q2 2024 due to the timing of option grants and lower salaries as the Company continues to prioritize cost control given uncertain economic conditions. At June 30, 2024, Acceleware had negative working capital of $2,460,058 (December 31, 2023 negative working capital of $1,985,372) including $249,312 in cash and cash equivalents (December 31, 2023 - $951,569) and $927,696 in short-term notes payable (December 31, 2023 - $944,010). As of June 30, 2024, Acceleware also had $2,215,000 in long-term 10%, semi-annual interest, convertible debentures outstanding, the principal amount of which is owing four years from the date of issue or approximately Q1 2026. Fluctuations in non-cash working capital were attributable to the timing of receipt and recognition of government and partner funding and related R&D spending. Cash and cash equivalents decreased in Q1 2024 due to timing of payments of trade payables. Increasing the deficit is deferred revenue of $3,040,870 as at June 30, 2024 (December 31, 2022 $4,350,000). Despite receiving non-refundable cash payments for these amounts, the milestone payments have not met all requirements for revenue recognition under IFRS 15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers. These amounts will be recognized as revenue and increase shareholders equity when RF XL Pilot heating is complete or the data revenue contracts are terminated, whichever is earlier. The first data revenue related to these contracts was recognized in Q2 2024 for $1,950,000. YEAR IN REVIEW Revenue of $2.1 million was generated in the six months ended June 30, 2024 compared to $0.2 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023. Revenue for the six months ended June 30, 2024 included $1.95 million in revenue related to the RF XL Pilot and amounts for software and maintenance revenue for HPC. Revenue was higher as compared to 2023 due to revenue related to the RF XL Pilot as all milestones were completed under contract for one oil-sands producer triggering revenue recognition of previously received milestone payments. Total comprehensive income for the six months ended June 30, 2024 was $0.3 million compared to comprehensive loss of $1.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023 due to higher revenue as noted above and higher government assistance. There are fluctuations in both periods related to changes in fair value of the derivative financial instruments embedded in the convertible debentures. Gross R&D expenses for the six months ended June 30, 2024 were $1.2 million compared to $1.4 million incurred during the six months ended June 30, 2023 due to higher R&D activity in 2023 related to the final steps of the RF XL Pilot workover during the six months ended June 30, 2023. Federal and provincial government assistance of $0.6 million was recognized in the six months ended June 30, 2024 compared to $0.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023 as the RF XL Pilot nears completion. G&A expenses incurred during the six months ended June 30, 2024 were $0.9 million compared to $0.9 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023. The Company continues to prioritize cost management. ABOUT ACCELEWARE: Acceleware is an innovator of clean-tech decarbonization technologies comprised of two business units: Radio Frequency Heating Technology and Seismic Imaging Software. Acceleware is piloting RF XL, its patented low-cost, low-carbon production technology for heavy oil and oil sands that is materially different from any heavy oil recovery technique used today. Acceleware's vision is that electrification of heavy oil and oil sands production can be made possible through RF XL, supporting a transition to much cleaner energy production that can quickly bend the emissions curve downward. With clean electricity, Accelewares RF XL technology could eliminate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with heavy oil and oil sands production. RF XL uses no water, requires no solvent, has a small physical footprint, can be redeployed from site to site, and can be applied to a multitude of reservoir types. Acceleware is also working on the decarbonization of other industrial process heat applications through its EM Powered Heat technology, which uses the Companys proprietary CTI. These include a multi-phase EM Powered Heat potash dryer project currently underway with the International Minerals Innovations Institute in Saskatchewan, Canada. Acceleware and Saa Dene Group (co-founded by Jim Boucher) have created Acceleware | Kisastwew to raise the profile, adoption, and value of Acceleware technologies. The shared vision of the partnership is to improve the environmental and economic performance of the energy sector by supporting ideals that are important to Indigenous peoples, including respect for land, water, and clean air. The Companys seismic imaging software solutions are state-of-the-art for high fidelity imaging, providing the most accurate and advanced imaging available for oil exploration in complex geologies. Acceleware is a public company listed on Canadas TSX Venture Exchange under the trading symbol AXE. NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION AND OTHER ADVISORIES This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information generally means information about an issuers business, capital, or operations that are prospective in nature, and includes disclosure about the issuers prospective financial performance or financial position. The forward-looking information in this press release can be identified by terms such as believes, estimates, plans, potential, and will, and includes information about, the expected commercialization of RF XL, the expected cost of the RF XL Pilot, the timing of the execution of the RF XL Pilot and the redeployment, expected financing required for the RF XL Pilot redeployment, and the anticipated economic and societal benefits of the RF XL technology. Acceleware assumes that current cost estimates are accurate, current timelines will not be delayed by either internal or external causes, that research and development effort including the commercial-scale test plans will result in commercial-ready products, and that future capital raising efforts will be successful. Actual results may vary from the forward-looking information in this press release due to certain material risk factors. These risk factors are described in detail in Accelewares continuous disclosure documents, which are filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Acceleware assumes no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking information in this press release, unless it is required to do so under Canadian securities legislation. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described in this release 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. DISCLAIMER Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. For more information: Geoff Clark Tel: +1 (403) 249-9099 geoff.clark@acceleware.com Acceleware Ltd. 435 10th Avenue SE Calgary, AB, T2G 0W3 Canada Tel: +1 (403) 249-9099 www.acceleware.com Toronto, 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 Vancouver - Bolt Metals Corp. ("Bolt" or the "Company") (CSE: BOLT) (OTCQB: PCRCF) (XFRA: NXFE) announces its intention to complete a debt settlement with the Company's President, CEO and Director (the "Creditor") on account of accrued management fees in the aggregate amount of $218,750.00 (the "Debt"). The Debt was incurred in respect of accrued fees over a period of approximately four years. In consideration for the settlement of the Debt, the Company proposes to issue to the Creditor a total of 875,000 common shares at an issue price of $0.25 per common share (the "Debt Settlements"). Completion of the Debt Settlement is subject to the Company receiving all necessary approvals, including approval of the Canadian Securities Exchange (if required) and the approval of the Company's board of directors. Any securities issued in connection with the Debt Settlements will be subject to a hold period of four months and one day. The participation of the Creditor in the Debt Settlement constitutes a "related party transaction", as such term is defined in Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Shareholders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Company is relying on the exemption from the valuation requirement in section 5.4 of MI 61-101 and the minority shareholder approval requirement in section 5.6 of MI 61-101 in reliance on (respectively) section 5.5(g) of MI 61-101, as the Company is not listed or quoted on one of the markets specified therein, and section 5.7(1)(e) of MI 61-101, as (i) the Company is insolvent or in serious financial difficulty, (ii) the Debt Settlement is designed to improve the financial position of the Company, (iii) the Company is not currently subject to any of the proceedings contemplated by Section 5.5(f)(i) of MI 61-101, (iv) the Company has two directors independent of the Debt Settlement and (v) the completion of the Debt Settlement is subject to the approval of both of the independent directors of the Company, having determined that the foregoing criteria in (i) and (ii) are met, and that the terms of the Debt Settlement are reasonable in the circumstances of the Company. About Bolt Metals Corp. Bolt Metals Corp. is a Canadian-based exploration company focused on the acquisition and development of production-grade battery metals projects within the Asia-Pacific region, employing a vertically integrated "minerals-to-market" strategy to leverage these assets to their fullest. Visit https://boltmetals.com/ to find out more. Bolt Metals Corp. Ranjeet Sundher - President & CEO (604) 922-8272 rsundher@boltmetals.com This news 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 any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The securities being offered have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act") and may not be offered or sold to, or for the account or benefit of, persons in the United States or "U.S. persons" (as such term is defined in Regulation S under the 1933 Act) absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the 1933 Act any application state securities laws. Forward-Looking Information This news release may contain statements which constitute "forward-looking information", including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the Company, its directors, or its officers with respect to the future business activities of the Company. The words "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company, or its management, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements made in this news release include, but are not limited to, the completion of the Debt Settlements. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future business activities and involve risks and uncertainties, and that the Company's future business activities may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including but not limited to, availability of funds, personnel and other resources necessary to conduct exploration or development programs, successes of the Company's exploration efforts, availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such information will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The Company does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking information except as required under the applicable securities laws. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization has reviewed this news release nor do either of them accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES. ANY FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS RESTRICTION MAY CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF U.S. SECURITIES LAWS. Copyright (c) 2024 TheNewswire - All rights reserved. Blog Archive: Oct 2024 (45) Sep 2024 (149) Aug 2024 (155) Jul 2024 (155) Jun 2024 (150) May 2024 (153) Apr 2024 (149) Mar 2024 (155) Feb 2024 (145) Jan 2024 (156) Dec 2023 (155) Nov 2023 (150) Oct 2023 (155) Sep 2023 (150) Aug 2023 (155) Jul 2023 (155) Jun 2023 (150) May 2023 (155) Apr 2023 (150) Mar 2023 (155) Feb 2023 (140) Jan 2023 (155) Dec 2022 (156) Nov 2022 (150) Oct 2022 (155) Sep 2022 (150) Aug 2022 (155) Jul 2022 (154) Jun 2022 (150) May 2022 (155) Apr 2022 (150) Mar 2022 (155) Feb 2022 (140) Jan 2022 (156) Dec 2021 (156) Nov 2021 (150) Oct 2021 (155) Sep 2021 (150) Aug 2021 (155) Jul 2021 (155) Jun 2021 (150) May 2021 (155) Apr 2021 (150) Mar 2021 (155) Feb 2021 (140) Jan 2021 (155) Dec 2020 (155) Nov 2020 (150) Oct 2020 (158) Sep 2020 (150) Aug 2020 (130) Jul 2020 (124) Jun 2020 (120) May 2020 (124) Apr 2020 (120) Mar 2020 (124) Feb 2020 (116) Jan 2020 (125) Dec 2019 (126) Nov 2019 (120) Oct 2019 (124) Sep 2019 (120) Aug 2019 (125) Jul 2019 (124) Jun 2019 (120) May 2019 (123) Apr 2019 (121) Mar 2019 (124) Feb 2019 (112) Jan 2019 (125) Dec 2018 (126) Nov 2018 (120) Oct 2018 (124) Sep 2018 (121) Aug 2018 (124) Jul 2018 (125) Jun 2018 (120) May 2018 (124) Apr 2018 (121) Mar 2018 (124) Feb 2018 (112) Jan 2018 (123) Dec 2017 (124) Nov 2017 (124) Oct 2017 (141) Sep 2017 (135) Aug 2017 (138) Jul 2017 (137) Jun 2017 (134) May 2017 (138) Apr 2017 (135) Mar 2017 (139) Feb 2017 (129) Jan 2017 (143) Dec 2016 (135) Nov 2016 (138) Oct 2016 (142) Sep 2016 (128) Aug 2016 (133) Jul 2016 (136) Jun 2016 (138) May 2016 (164) Apr 2016 (311) Mar 2016 (348) Feb 2016 (320) Jan 2016 (348) Dec 2015 (314) Nov 2015 (338) Oct 2015 (363) Sep 2015 (358) Aug 2015 (399) Jul 2015 (374) Jun 2015 (331) May 2015 (337) Apr 2015 (319) Mar 2015 (320) Feb 2015 (271) Jan 2015 (286) Dec 2014 (254) Nov 2014 (238) Oct 2014 (287) Sep 2014 (267) Aug 2014 (259) Jul 2014 (260) Jun 2014 (238) May 2014 (241) Apr 2014 (228) Mar 2014 (240) Feb 2014 (217) Jan 2014 (263) Dec 2013 (226) Nov 2013 (254) Oct 2013 (256) Sep 2013 (252) Aug 2013 (263) Jul 2013 (261) Jun 2013 (251) May 2013 (250) Apr 2013 (221) Mar 2013 (193) Feb 2013 (164) Jan 2013 (157) Dec 2012 (155) Nov 2012 (240) Oct 2012 (526) Sep 2012 (411) Aug 2012 (394) Jul 2012 (284) Jun 2012 (229) May 2012 (213) Apr 2012 (213) Mar 2012 (253) Feb 2012 (269) Jan 2012 (298) Dec 2011 (273) Nov 2011 (219) Oct 2011 (204) Sep 2011 (201) Aug 2011 (236) Jul 2011 (217) Jun 2011 (211) May 2011 (206) Apr 2011 (215) Mar 2011 (215) Feb 2011 (186) Jan 2011 (215) Dec 2010 (107) Nov 2010 (98) Oct 2010 (55) Liberty admits US gov't Andretti F1 probe underway The CEO of Formula 1's owner, Liberty Media, has confirmed the organisation is under investigation by the United States justice department. Belgian GP 2024 Alpine In May, a group of US congress and senate members challenged F1's decision to lock American racing entity Andretti-Cadillac out of the sport, admitting their concerns with the apparent anti-competitive actions that could prevent two American companies ... from producing and competing in Formula 1 . In an earnings call, Liberty CEO Greg Maffei confirmed that there is a Department of Justice investigation now underway. We intend to fully cooperate with that investigation, including any related requests for information, he is quoted as saying by the New York Times. Maffei explained that Liberty still believes its decision did not violate applicable US anti-trust laws , and said he does not hold the view that more teams on the grid would necessarily be wrong . There is a methodology for expansion that requires approval of the FIA and the F1, and both groups have to find the criteria met, he said. We're certainly open to new entrants making applications and potentially being approved if those requirements are met. (GMM) Marko hints Vettel in running for Audi seat Two Germans are reportedly near the top of team owner Audi's list to join Nico Hulkenberg next year at Sauber. Sebastian Vettel, Monaco GP 2022 Aston Martin Racing The Sun newspaper in Britain believes Mick Schumacher is being seriously considered for the role, while Dr Helmut Marko told Osterreich newspaper this week that retired quadruple world champion Sebastian Vettel is still pushing for a return to Formula 1. Vettel harmonised perfectly with Jonathan Wheatley (at Red Bull) in the past, the newspaper explained, and he also knows Mattia Binotto from his time at Ferrari. Another obvious candidate is Sauber incumbent Valtteri Bottas, who is currently in California - and he posted a photo of himself alongside an Audi R8 emblazoned with his race number 77. Earlier, the Finn said he hoped Binotto's arrival as boss might change the course of his 2025 contract talks. It is going to reset the talks a bit, because we have previously been in communication with Andreas (Seidl) and Oliver (Hoffmann) and now it's Mattia, said Bottas. So yeah, for sure that will change some things, so we need to speak. Fellow Finn and former F1 driver Mika Salo also thinks Bottas is still in with a chance of retaining his seat, having been a part of the transition from Sauber to Audi so far. When I moved to Toyota, nothing already existed, Salo told Iltalehti newspaper. "It wasn't easy, and then I got fired in the middle of it all. I hope Valtteri will be able to reap the benefits. Alpine is still being speculated, but I don't really see any point in moving there, Salo added. "It would be better if he could continue where he is already. I saw him in Hungary, but I didn't bother to ask him about this, because I knew he wouldn't tell me anything anyway, the former Sauber driver laughed. (GMM) Newey exit not cause of Red Bull slump says Frijns Dutch racing driver Robin Frijns doubts Red Bull's recent performance decline is directly attributable to the steady departure of Adrian Newey. Max Verstappen, Belgian GP 2024 Red Bull Italy's Autosprint magazine reports that design and aerodynamics guru Newey's next destination in Formula 1 will be Aston Martin, with an announcement likely in September. We're not going to sign Adrian, McLaren CEO Zak Brown told the BBC, with Ferrari, Williams and Mercedes also having apparently missed out on signing the 65-year-old Briton. Curiously, Newey's steady departure from front-line duty at Red Bull has coincided with the evident end of the team's dominant period - but Frijns doubts it's as simple as that. People wonder whether the decline is perhaps due to the fact that Adrian Newey is leaving, the former Sauber test driver told the Dutch magazine Formule 1. "Personally, I don't think so. Newey is the most experienced man at Red Bull in terms of aerodynamics, but many people within the team have been trained by him. He certainly doesn't make the car by himself. Frijns has another theory about Red Bull's current problems. What I've heard from Spanish media is that the FIA found something, or the other teams complained about something specific on the Red Bull car that they then had to change, he said. I wouldn't be surprised if that's true. (GMM) By far the biggest launch this week was the arrival of the Google Pixel 9 series. The search giant unveiled two new flagships, a new near-flagship phone and a new foldable, all of which are currently on pre-order. Starting with the Google Pixel 9, this takes over from the Pixel 8 an FHD+ non-LTPO display and no telephoto camera keep it from earning a pro moniker. However, this phone does feature the powerful new Tensor G4 chipset and a 48MP ultra wide camera. Both the wide and ultra wide cameras are the same as on the 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL. Google has trade-in deals. Note that from what weve seen, the storage doesnt matter (i.e. a Pixel 8 128GB and 256GB trade in for the same price). A Pixel 8 in good condition is valued at $490, a Pixel 7 at $360. An iPhone 15 is worth $480, an iPhone 14 at $440. The values of Samsung phones arent great, a Galaxy S23 goes for $320, even the S24 (which isnt even a year old) is $400. Something you may have noticed there are no free storage upgrades. Instead, Google, Amazon and Best Buy are each offering store credit or a gift card and they are all the same value, e.g. the Pixel 9 comes with $100 credit/gift card. The Google Pixel 9 Pro is exactly the same size as the Pixel 9, but it is a true Pro phone with a higher resolution LTPO display (1,280 x 2,856px) and a 5x 48MP telephoto camera. The Pros get an additional upgrade a 42MP selfie camera with an ultra wide lens. The Pixel 9 Pro is not quite the petite flagship that some might have hoped for its larger and heavier than the Galaxy S24 and the iPhone 15 Pro. Its a bit larger than the Pixel 8 too. Still, youre not getting a 5x tele camera on the Samsung or Apple phones (just 3x and with a lower resolution sensor), no high resolution ultra wide or selfie cameras either. And its not like Samsung and Apple do fast charging, so Google doesnt look bad in comparison. There are trade-in offers with the values mentioned above. The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL is the follow-up to the 8 Pro (Google changed up its naming scheme, which makes things confusing). This is a larger version of the 9 Pro with a 6.8 display (vs. 6.3) and a larger 5,060mAh battery (vs. 4,700mAh). One additional difference here is that the wired charging goes up to 37W (vs. 27W), which gets the battery to 70% in 30 minutes. Its no VOOC charging, but well take it. Note that all Google Pixel 9 phones will be supported for 7 years. The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold is a major improvement over Googles first attempt at a foldable. It closes down to just 10.5mm, compared to 12.1mm on the Galaxy Z Fold6 and 11.7mm for the OnePlus Open. Its heavier than both, however, at 257g. The OnePlus phone has an excuse its a 2023 model. The Galaxy Z Fold6 is brand-spanking new, though, and we think that Google overtook Samsung in the foldable development race. Anyway, note that while the Pixel 9 Pro Fold uses all new internal and cover displays, it has more or less the same camera hardware as the original Pixel Fold. However, the original Fold launched with the old Tensor G2, so the new model with a G4 is significantly more powerful and more efficient too. Google launched a new 45W charger, which you will need to get the maximum charge speed with the Pixel 9 Pro the old 35W charger wont cut it. That said, if you have a USB-PD charger you are happy with, you can skip this one. The new Google Pixel Watch 3 comes in two sizes, 41mm and 45mm, while the Watch 2 was available only in 41mm size. The 45mm option gets you a larger 1.4 display (vs. 1.2) and a larger 420mAh battery. Weve linked the Wi-Fi watches below, but you can get an LTE version for $100 more. If you do go for the 4G version, Google will give you 2 years of free data on Google Fi. Note that while texting is supported, calling from the watch is not (at least not with this free plan). Finally, Google unveiled the new Pixel Buds Pro 2. This is the first time its custom Tensor chips venture into the TWS buds form factor, but promise massive improvements to noise cancellation (2x in the 400Hz-2kHz range). And the ANC adapts to your environment automatically. The buds have no stems (cough, Samsung, cough) and promise long battery life (8 hours for the buds with ANC on, up to 30 hours with the case). We may get a commission from qualifying sales. People on the internet don't seem to like Google's new smartphone naming scheme, even though it makes sense - there's a vanilla Pixel 9 which is the lowest-specced, two slab Pros in two sizes, and a Pro Fold because with that price tag not attaching the "Pro" moniker to it would be insane. Anyway, the same people are probably going to not like the direction Samsung is now rumored to be considering going in the future. According to a tipster over on X, the Galaxy S26 Ultra may not be called that. Instead, Samsung could go with Galaxy S26 Note, to emphasize its built-in S Pen. Samsung Galaxy S24+ But wait, that's not all! The Galaxy S26+ may be called Galaxy S26 Pro instead, we assume because Samsung has finally spotted the trend of Pro models everywhere, and that word is currently missing from its mobile portfolio. Don't take this for granted, as it's still very early days, plus even the source of the rumor is only implying that the Korean company is thinking about changing branding, not that it's something set in stone already. All of that aside, what do you think sounds better? S26 Ultra or S26 Note? S26+ or S26 Pro? Let us know in the comments. Source Astumbo Middle School passed a recent sanitary inspection with a B grade, the Guam Department of Education announced in a release. GDOE recognized the efforts of the school in passing the Department of Public Health and Social Services sanitation inspection. The school got 14 demerits, equivalent to a B grade, and has shown a proactive stance in addressing and correcting minor issues that contributed to the demerits, GDOE said. The accomplishment is a positive step forward for the school and sets a benchmark for ongoing commitment to quality education in a safe and well-maintained setting, GDOE said. Superintendent Erik Swanson acknowledged the schools hard work and dedication. AMS principal Hannah Gutierrez said the school is extremely grateful for the efforts of those involved in helping the school pass inspection. She thanked the AMS PTO, Andersen Air Force Base, 356th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Group (SMSgt Bhill Alforque), AMS Sunshine Committee, GDOE facilities and maintenance, Sean Monforte, GFS, GEFF, Sam Obina, Dededo Mayors Office, Sen. Joe San Agustin and staff. We would like to express our gratitude for our dedicated staff and faculty who volunteered beyond school hours and donated supplies to get our school ready and prepared to welcome our students, Gutierrez said. The school also thanked V.S.A. Benavente Middle School for hosting the AMS students last school year. By Curt Anderson |The Associated Press 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 hours of deliberation. 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 A.J. 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 latters 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 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. A protester holds a poster of Ajike Owens and demands the arrest of a woman who killed her during a rally at the Marion County Courthouse, June 6, 2023, in Ocala, Florida.John Raoux | The Associated Press File Weve 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 defendants 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 todays verdict cant 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 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, 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. 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 northwest of Orlando in central Florida. Marion Countys Black population is about 12%, according to census figures. Its one thing to root for your favorite team, its another to make a big bet on them. Caesars Sportsbook tweeted that a New York bettor wagered $4,000 on the New Orleans Saints winning the Super Bowl this season. If the Saints were to win, the payout is $320,000. Theres no confirmation on who placed the bet, but signs point to one specific Saints fan. Chris Kirchein is a New York native who grew to love the Saints from a young age. Kirchein quoted the Caesars tweet. Cant wait to win $320,000 come February. Thanks Caesars! Anybody could quote the Caesars tweet saying they made that bet, but Kircheins backstory checks out. Canal Street Chronicles, a Saints news outlet, spotlighted Kirchein with a Q&A in 2023. The Saints super fan mentioned that he currently lives in Rockaway Beach, NY. His uncle bought a place in the French Quarter in 2003, and he went to his first game in 2005. Kirchein eventually transferred and graduated from LSU. It was the preseason game against Seattle, and I was hooked ever since, Kirchein said, via Canal Street Chronicles. I kept going down to New Orleans at least once a year thereafter and every time I went down, I found more things I loved about the city. Kirchein mentioned the highlight of his Saints fandom was winning a Craziest Saints fan contest in 2010, which was run by former linebacker Jonathan Vilma. Kirchein went to training camp where he met Vilma, Drew Brees and other New Orleans stars. He won the contest after explaining to Vilma how he became a fan and showing him the Saints collectables and memorabilia he had in his room. Unless Kirchein is a rewards member with Caesars sportsbook, the bet wouldnt make much sense on that specific betting site. The bet had +8,000 odds, but a site such as FanDuel listed New Orleans at +10,000 to win the Super Bowl. Thats a difference of $400,000 and $320,000. But if hes a Caesars rewards member, getting the points is guaranteed while the huge payout is certainly not. Theres a reason the Saints are a long shot to win. They havent made the playoffs since 2020 and didnt make major improvements that would boost them into title contention this offseason. Not to mention that theres only been three teams who had preseason odds of +5,000 or higher and won the Super Bowl, according to NOLA.com. The 1981 San Francisco 49ers (+5,000), 1999 St. Louis Rams (+15,000) and 2001 New England Patriots (+6,000). Kirchein, or whoever made that bet, will get a huge payout if New Orleans can beat the odds and win this years Super Bowl. Ironically enough this years game is in New Orleans at the Caesars Superdome. Feature: Kenyan students shine at Chinese cultural showcase Xinhua) 10:13, August 17, 2024 Students showcase handmade fans and kites during a Chinese cultural showcase in Nairobi, Kenya, on Aug. 15, 2024. The cultural showcase, dubbed "2024 Chinese Cultural Paradise-Nairobi Camp in Kenya," was launched at the Confucius Institute at Kenyatta University on Aug. 5. During the 10-day event, students participated in a variety of cultural courses such as Erhu playing, Chinese drums, tie-dye, Chinese martial arts, paper cutting, ethnic songs and dances, and calligraphy, gaining a deeper understanding of Chinese culture. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) NAIROBI, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Amid the enchanting melodies of traditional Chinese music, Njambi Munene, an 18-year-old Kenyan girl, moved gracefully across the stage at the University of Nairobi, Kenya's oldest institution of higher learning, twirling and swaying in perfect rhythm with six other performers. As the final note of the music lingered in the air, Munene came to a graceful halt, her chest rising and falling with each breath. She held her pose momentarily, then dipped into a slight bow. The audience who had been holding their breath suddenly erupted in thunderous applause. It wasn't just a performance, but rather part of a special Chinese cultural showcase held at the Confucius Institute of the University of Nairobi, which was organized by the Shandong Chamber of Commerce in Kenya and a visiting delegation from the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the Shandong Provincial Government. Munene had spent nearly a month preparing for this moment, mastering the intricate steps and movements of traditional Chinese dance. "I have always wanted to learn a different language in addition to my native language, Swahili, so when I finished my high school studies, I was advised by a friend to enroll in a certificate course at Kenyatta University," she said in an interview with Xinhua Thursday. Aspiring to be a lawyer, Munene believed the Chinese language would give her an edge when securing corporate engagements. "I am looking for something unique and marketable because I recognize that having a global language will land me many opportunities," she added. Her interest in foreign languages began with a burgeoning love for different cultures. Now a student at the Kenyatta University Confucius Institute for six months, Munene has blossomed in her oratory and written skills in Chinese, emerging as an outstanding student. The visiting delegation of 12 teachers expressed their enthusiasm during the event, congratulating Kenyan students for their mastery of Chinese and their appetite for learning new cultures. "It is admirable and encouraging to see so many young people learning and excelling in the Chinese language. This kind of commitment will enrich the bilateral ties between the two countries greatly," said Wang Chao, deputy director at the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the Shandong Provincial Government. Wang added that efforts are being made to include foreign languages in the curriculums on Chinese campuses so that Chinese students are also exposed to other languages. He also acknowledged the strides made by Kenyatta University which successfully introduced a Bachelor of Arts degree in Chinese language -- a milestone that had been in the making for years. Mwikali Wima, a student at the Kenyatta University Confucius Institute, said that she has developed a deep affection for Chinese characters. "I have particularly loved and enjoyed learning Chinese characters, an endeavor that has given me a sense of accomplishment," Wima said right after she left the stage following the presentation of her calligraphy work. Nixon Ndegwa performed acrobatics to the delight of guests. "I am not a student of Mandarin. After interacting with my peers who are taking Chinese courses, I have been inspired to join them," he said. Coming from the outskirts of Nairobi, Ndegwa has been taking part in Chinese performances even though he has never stepped into a Mandarin class. Asked whether he might join one soon, he said: "I cannot rule that option out." The cultural showcase, dubbed "2024 Chinese Cultural Paradise-Nairobi Camp in Kenya," was launched at the Confucius Institute at Kenyatta University on Aug. 5. During the 10-day event, students participated in a variety of cultural courses such as Erhu playing, Chinese drums, tie-dye, Chinese martial arts, paper cutting, ethnic songs and dances, and calligraphy, gaining a deeper understanding of Chinese culture. A student performs Chinese martial arts during a Chinese cultural showcase in Nairobi, Kenya, on Aug. 15, 2024. The cultural showcase, dubbed "2024 Chinese Cultural Paradise-Nairobi Camp in Kenya," was launched at the Confucius Institute at Kenyatta University on Aug. 5. During the 10-day event, students participated in a variety of cultural courses such as Erhu playing, Chinese drums, tie-dye, Chinese martial arts, paper cutting, ethnic songs and dances, and calligraphy, gaining a deeper understanding of Chinese culture. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) Students showcase paper cutting works during a Chinese cultural showcase in Nairobi, Kenya, on Aug. 15, 2024. The cultural showcase, dubbed "2024 Chinese Cultural Paradise-Nairobi Camp in Kenya," was launched at the Confucius Institute at Kenyatta University on Aug. 5. During the 10-day event, students participated in a variety of cultural courses such as Erhu playing, Chinese drums, tie-dye, Chinese martial arts, paper cutting, ethnic songs and dances, and calligraphy, gaining a deeper understanding of Chinese culture. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) Students showcase tie-dye works during a Chinese cultural showcase in Nairobi, Kenya, on Aug. 15, 2024. The cultural showcase, dubbed "2024 Chinese Cultural Paradise-Nairobi Camp in Kenya," was launched at the Confucius Institute at Kenyatta University on Aug. 5. During the 10-day event, students participated in a variety of cultural courses such as Erhu playing, Chinese drums, tie-dye, Chinese martial arts, paper cutting, ethnic songs and dances, and calligraphy, gaining a deeper understanding of Chinese culture. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) (Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Wu Chaolan) Haiti - FLASH : Bloody escape at Saint-Marc prison Early Friday, August 16, 2024, following a mutiny in the Saint-Marc prison (Dept. of Artibonite), (90 km north of Port-au-Prince), which was reportedly triggered due to the deplorable conditions of detention, including starvation and health problems. 15 detainees were killed in an escape attempt and others injured, the number of which has not been specified according to prison officials. Only one police officer was injured in the foot according to Me Venson Francois, the Government Commissioner. An undetermined number of detainees are on the run. According to initial evidence and testimonies, the prisoners allegedly mutinied during the showers before 8:00 a.m., against the agents of the National Penitentiary Administration (APN) whom they disarmed before vandalizing and setting fire to, among other things, the administration offices, archives, the infirmary and the prison staff dormitory before to open cells with a sledgehammer and then loot the weapons and ammunition depot. The police forces informed of the situation quickly intervened. For several hours gunshots were heard in the prison and outside where the police were in pursuit of the escapees, several of whom were armed. Friday afternoon, Me Venson Francois confirmed that the situation was once again under the control of the police authorities, stressing that the prison, which housed approximately 505 inmates (according to the Prosecutor's Office of the Saint-Marc jurisdiction), had suffered significant damage. The national police have not yet reacted publicly to this escape... PI/ TB/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Opinion : 8th edition of the text and reporting competition The Citizen Protection Office launched the 8th edition of the Text and Reporting Human Rights Competition on the occasion of International Human Rights Day. Category A (journalist, a subject of your choice) : - How can the press contribute to improving the image of Haiti outside and also promoting national culture? - Carry out a multimedia report or write a text on a human rights issue. Formalities : - No prior registration is required for participation in the competition - Sound or visual audio media: 3 to 5 minutes - A letter of recommendation or his press card affected Category B Students (a subject to choose from) : - Demonstrate, from concrete explanations how corruption can hinder the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights. - How should we effectively support the fight against gender-based violence in Haiti ? - Present the general principles defined by the High Commissioner (UNHCR) to refugees in wartime and migratory flows aimed at the protection of human rights. Formalities : - No prior registration is required for participation in the competition - a letter of recommendation or its student card Category C (schoolchildren), a subject of choice : - "Read, young people ... Read to educate yourself to learn to become better than us" says Dr. Jean Price Mars. By relying on these words bring out the importance of reading in training, it is citizen education for young people and children. - How can children contribute to the rejection of discrimination and violence in Haitian society ? - Why should we fight everywhere and in all circumstances for respect for human dignity ? Formalities : - No prior registration is required for participation in the competition - Participants must be from 3rd secondary to philosophy or from NS1 to NS4. - A letter of recommendation from the frequented school or identification card proving its membership in the school. Instructions to be observed 1. The work of the participant must be original. The references of the quotes mentioned must be given; 2. The text must be written in French or Creole; 3. The format required for the texts is as follows: - Recto text only - Times New Roman - Police: 12 - Place: 1.5 - Sheet 8 1/2 x 11; 4. Number of pages for texts : 2 to 4 pages; 5. The content can be submitted on CD, by e-mail : concoursopchaiti@gmail.com On WhatsApp at # : (509) 2999-1212 or to one of our offices. Calendar : August 13 - October 14, 2024 : Reception of Category B and C candidates texts Reception media sound or visual audio category A Deadline : Oct 14. 2024 November 4, 2024 : Publication of the names of the preselected candidates November 6 - November 13, 2024 : Interview with preselected candidates (es) November 19, 2024 : Publication of the list of winners (es) December 6, 2024 : Official bonus award ceremony at the Montana hotel. HL/ Haitilibre Elon Musk's AI company xAI has unveiled a new version of its chatbot Grok. Grok-2 promises enhanced capabilities in the areas of chat, programming and logical thinking. In its announcement, xAI promises better results than GPT-4 Turbo and Claude 3.5 Sonnet, for example. There is now also an image generation function, which was developed together with the German start-up Black Forest Labs. "In collaboration with Black Forest Labs, we are experimenting with their Flux.1 model to extend the capabilities of Grok to X," reads the xAI announcement. Anzeige Controversy over uncensored content The images generated by Grok-2/Flux.1 caused controversy after just a few hours, as there are hardly any restrictions in contrast to the competing products from OpenAI or Google. Users could easily create controversial and potentially misleading images, such as a marijuana-smoking Donald Trump, Ronald McDonald with a machine gun in front of Burger King, burning McDonald's branches and other more or less tasteless material. Musk had also decided that his chatbot hardly needed any restrictions. The chatbot itself claims not to generate any pornographic, excessively violent or copyrighted content. In practice, however, there appear to be hardly any safety precautions. Technology from Black Forest Labs The image generator from Black Forest Labs has been attracting attention for several weeks with its particularly realistic and detailed results. According to the Artificial Analysis platform, the Flux.1 model outperforms the image generators Midjourney v6.0, Dall-E 3 from OpenAI and SD3-Ultra from Stable Diffusion in some benchmarks in terms of the quality rated by users. This includes visual quality, prompt compliance, typography and output variety. The founders of Black Forest Labs were previously involved in the development of Stability AI's Stable Diffusion models. The recently founded start-up received 31 million dollars in seed capital. In addition to image generation, Black Forest Labs is also working on a video generator. If you want to test Flux.1 in Grok-2, you need a paid premium account. Flux.1 can also be tested independently of Grok-2, as Black Forest Labs also offers its own models as open source. Anzeige Regulatory challenges Grok-2's lack of security mechanisms could lead to regulatory problems for xAI and Platform X (formerly Twitter). In the US, legislators are looking for ways to regulate AI-generated counterfeiting and disinformation. The European Commission is already investigating X for possible violations of the Digital Services Act. So far, X has not commented on the allegations. However, since the beginning of August, xAI has been looking for reinforcements to monitor and evaluate the quality problems of extensive data collections. Following controversy surrounding the results of Gemini's image generators there were "glaring historical inaccuracies", Google temporarily paused the service at the beginning of the year. The European Commission is already investigating X for possible violations of the Digital Services Act. In the UK, the regulatory authority Ofcom is also preparing to enforce the Online Safety Act, which could also affect AI-generated content. (mack) A HONEY producer has won an international award for seven of its products in the first year of trading. Honey Hills, which is based in Nettlebed, produces organic raw honey, and six flavours and a honey vinegar received one star at Great Taste, the food and drink awards. A total of nine businesses from the Henley area won a total of 34 awards for their products, which range from ice cream to rum. Four were also recognised as great producers as they have received three awards in the last five years. Products are given one, two or three stars, based on their quality. Honey Hills is owned by engaged couple Adriana Peia, 49, and Phil Claydon, 57, and they work with three beekeepers in the Carpathian Mountains, which stretch from the Czech Republic to Romania. Miss Peia grew up in Romania where her mother, Viorica, used to run health food shops and stocked organic honey from the country, which is what inspired her business. She said: I love honey and I love the bees and I think theyre fantastic, which is the main reason behind us starting this business. I wanted to bring real organic honey to the UK, which is full of real flavour, and I wanted to offer different varieties. Its really special. We really trust our honeys and they are so tasty. We looked for the best organic beekeepers and we carefully chose the right ones. We love honey and the beekeepers, and we think what they are doing is fantastic. Unlike other honeys, we dont mix our varieties, which makes it so special. Mr Claydon said: Viorica knew where to look and helped us find the beekeepers. We ordered 20 different types of honey and tasted them all and settled on the three who are fantastic and the nicest people who we can trust. The couple have different honey products that are accented with different flavours, such as wild thistle blossom, wild raspberry and cherry blossom. Mr Claydon said: Not many people know that bees are extremely interested in thistle flowers and use their nectar to make honey which is superior to many other mono-floral honeys, with a silky texture, fine aroma and healing properties. Our organic wild thistle blossom honey is recognised as one of our most valuable varieties of honey. It has a gentle sweetness that develops into a full, perfectly rounded and warmly comforting flavour with overtones of caramel, fading to a subtly vanilla-tinged finish. Mr Claydon said the beekeepers move the hives around so that they can develop a honeys flavour naturally. He said: The beekeepers put them on a special truck and take them to an area where the flowers are. Once the flower has reached the end of its blossom, the bees are moved to another place to blend the flavours naturally with the labour of the bees, with a little help from the keepers. To make the forest and wild raspberry honey, after the bees are done with the flowering raspberries early in the year, they are taken to the forest where the bees, all from the same hive, will take dew and sap from bark and leaves to create a piney flavour. The beekeepers use traditional, sustainable and ethical beekeeping practices, which the couple say is very important. Mr Claydon said: If a hive is attacked by a pathogen, our beekeepers use traditional natural remedies to strengthen the bees ability to resist and heal. They never use antibiotics, which can not only damage the colony, but will contaminate the honey, making it dangerous for people allergic to antibiotics. Our honey is tested at local Health Ministry laboratories to certify that it is 100 per cent natural, without contaminants. The couple produce raw or pure honey, which is extracted and bottled directly from the beehive. Mr Claydon said: Raw honey can be filtered or unfiltered but the bee pollen, nutrients, and medicinal benefits of honey remain part of the final product. Normal honey is generally honey that has been pasteurised, or heated to high temperatures, to make bottling it quicker and easier. This results in the loss of bee pollen, nutrients and many, if not all, of the medicinal benefits of honey. Unfortunately, large-scale producers routinely heat up and mix honey from completely different sources and dilute it with corn starch and sugars to reduce the price for consumers and make more sales. The honey flavours obtained in this way are manipulated to produce acceptable products for a mass market, and do not have the delicious subtlety of flavour or health benefits of truly natural and raw honey. The couple import the honey in large jars and it is bottled and labelled in a commercial kitchen in Wallingford. The majority of their sales are online but they also attend farmers markets and Christmas markets, such as the Spirit of Christmas Fair at Olympia in London which is held in November. The couple still work full-time in other jobs while running the business. Miss Peia previously worked as a motion graphic designer and is now working on projects with clients in America. Mr Claydon is a furniture designer and balances his projects with the honey business. Miss Peia added: To have just started our business and win these awards, this really is our big break. Henley Distillery, based near Binfield Heath, was awarded three one-star awards, for its white, spiced and coffee rums. Jacob Wilson, the founder and master distiller, said: We maintained our 100 per cent score that whenever we enter a competition, were always awarded something. Its a nice record for us to keep, because the rums are newer, but the gins have a nice catalogue so its nice to see the rums are following in their footsteps too. It also means the company has the title of great producer. Gelato Henley was awarded one two-star award for its pistachio gelato and one one-star for its coffee gelato. It also received great producer recognition. Partners Ryan Barlow and Katrina Minoletti, who use an authentic Italian recipe, recently celebrated two years on the high street at The Scoop Room, in Duke Street. Ms Minoletti said: We work really hard to develop flavours that our customers love and its just so wonderful that the specialist judges enjoyed them too. We thought it was time to put pistachio forward as it is one of our most requested flavours. We use a blend of real Sicilian pistachio pastes. What we really enjoy about Great Taste is that we get such useful feedback. With our pistachio gelato, we heard that a bit of extra salt would increase the flavour. This is definitely something we will try. Johnny HoT Stuff, which make chilli and jalapeno-based condiments, was awarded one star for its naga and lime chilli oil. Owner Johnpaul Maillard, from Middle Assendon, produces the sauces at Manor Farm in Peppard Common. He uses a variety of chillies ranging from Anaheim, which has a rating of 1,000 on the Scoville heat scale, to Caroline Reaper, which can reach 2.4 million units. He said: Its always a great feeling to get awarded for something you put so much effort into. Its like the Oscars of the food world. Amelia Christie-Miller, who grew up in Swyncombe received two two-star reviews and six one-star reviews for the range of bean products produced by her company Bold Bean Co. She said: We now have great taste awards across our whole range. For a brand like ours which is really trying to reposition the expectations of beans, its really important to share that beans can be really delicious and deserving of great taste. Ms Christie-Miller has also claimed the title of great producer. Laceys Farm, at Lane End, received four two-star reviews for its whole milk, double cream, sirloin steak and top-side beef roasting joint. A judge described the milk as beautiful, adding: The richness was just right, deeply flavoured, without being too intense just perfect. Nettlebed Creamery, which has been recognised as a great producer won two awards for its award-winning cheese products. It received one star for its Highmoor cheese, which is a wash rind cheese and two stars for Witheridge in Hay cheese, which is a semi-hard cheese aged in hay. Two stars were awarded to the Pavilion deli in Market Place, Henley, for its British strawberry preserve with Hundred Hills sparkling wine, from Pishill. Copas traditional turkeys were awarded for six of the eight products it submitted. It received five one-star and one two-star reviews and continued to be recognised as a great producer. Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah In a major development, Karnataka Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot gave sanction for prosecution against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday in connection with the irregularities in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA). The development is a major setback for Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the Congress government in Karnataka. The Karnataka Governor's Secretariat released an official order in this regard on behalf of Governor Gehlot. R Prabhushankar, Special Secretary to the Governor issued an order in this regard on Saturday. "As directed by the Hon'ble Governor, I am enclosing herewith, the copy of the decision of the Competent Authority on the request of sanction for prosecution against the Chief Minister Shri Siddaramaiah, under Section 17 of the Prevention of the Corruption Act, 1988 and Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 for the commission of the alleged offences mentioned in the petitions," the order stated. Social activists Pradeep Kumar SP, TJ Abraham and Snehamayi Krishna had filed petitions against CM Siddaramaiah in connection with the alleged MUDA land scam. They had claimed that CM Siddaramaiah had misused his office to create fraudulent documents over 3.17 acres of land near Mysuru city and got 14 sites allotted from the MUDA in the name of his wife. CM Siddaramaiah had refuted the allegations and maintained that the Congress government would fight politically and legally if the permission for prosecution against him in the case was granted by the Governor. The Karnataka Cabinet had also taken a decision and advised the Governor to reject the petitions against CM Siddaramaiah and not to accord sanction for prosecution. Starbucks has been sued for a third time by a company that accused the coffee chain of stealing its concept for coffee-flavored lipstick and lip gloss. A worker puts away patio furniture at a Starbucks Corp drive-through location in Oceanside, California, U,S. May 29, 2018 (Mike Blake/Reuters) Balmuccino, whose leaders have included a sister-in-law of TV doctor Mehmet Oz, filed its complaint on Friday in Manhattan federal court. Also Read: WhatsApp to roll out 'Like' reactions for status updates, similar to Instagram stories: Report The filing followed a Seattle federal judge's July 2023 dismissal of an earlier version of the lawsuit on procedural grounds, the second such dismissal. Starbucks, based in Seattle, had no immediate comment. Balmuccino said it began developing coffee-flavored lip balms in 2016 and pitched them at an October 2018 meeting in Starbucks' New York office, where it provided prototypes and other confidential information. The Los Angeles-based company said Dr. Oz had brokered the meeting, when he contacted Starbucks Chief Executive Howard Schultz to suggest a possible joint venture. Balmuccino said Starbucks "stole" its fully developed concept for lip balms by launching its "S'mores Frappuccino Sip Kit" in April 2019. The kits included lipstick and gloss in four shades: Campfire Spark, Chocolicious Bliss, Graham Glam and Marshmallow Glow. Also Read: Women hold only 20.8% of total money in bank accounts, rural women have more money in banks than urban woman Balmuccino said Starbucks did not compensate it for selling Sip Kits, and is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages. It said its lawsuit is not too late because New York lets some plaintiffs put statutes of limitation on hold when they sue in the wrong forum and, "as here," a court finds it lacks jurisdiction. Balmuccino originally sued Starbucks in Los Angeles in October 2019. The case is Balmuccino LLC v. Starbucks Corp, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 24-06214. Also Read: JSW Cement to raise 4,000 through IPO, files draft documents with Sebi, Rajasthan cement unit to be set up Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Saturday approved the prosecution of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over allegations related to a site allotment controversy involving the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), according to official sources, news agency PTI reported. This decision follows petitions by T J Abraham and others, despite the state government's call for the withdrawal of the Governor's notice. (AFP image) The governors decision follows three petitions filed by individuals T J Abraham, Pradeep, and Snehamayi Krishna. ALSO READ | BJP-JD(S) protest march demanding CMs resignation to end with public rally "The Governor has granted sanction for prosecution against the Chief Minister. It is based on three petitions filed by T J Abraham, one Pradeep and Snehamayi Krishna," an official from the Raj Bhavan told the agency. Earlier, on July 26, Governor Gehlot had issued a "show-cause notice" to CM Siddaramaiah, asking him to respond within seven days why he should not face prosecution. In response, the Karnataka cabinet had "strongly recommended" that the governor retract the notice issued to the chief minister, accusing him of misusing his constitutional role. ALSO READ | Demand for debate on MUDA scam: BJP holds night-long sit-in protest at Karnataka Assembly What is the MUDA scam? The MUDA scam involves exchanging valuable land in a prime area for less desirable land in a remote part of the city. Opposition parties claim the scam is worth 3,000 crore and involves Chief Minister Siddaramaiahs wife, Parvathi, as a beneficiary. ALSO READ | Basavaraj Bommai seeks CBI investigation into MUDA sites allocation scam in Karnataka Siddaramaiah has denied the allegations, asserting that MUDA illegally developed a layout on four acres of land owned by his wife in Kesarur, Mysuru, without proper acquisition. Furthermore, the BJP and JD(S) recently completed their week-long protest march earlier this month, calling for CM Siddaramaiah to resign over the alleged corruption charges in the "scam" case. The march, ending with a large rally, aimed to spotlight claims that MUDA fraudulently allotted sites, including to Siddaramaiah's wife. (With inputs from PTI) With member doctors of the Indian Medical Association going on strike on Saturday against the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata, the Karnataka government on Friday suspended the leaves of the medical officers and surgeons of government hospitals. Doctors hold placards during a protest at the Freedom Park in Bengaluru on Friday.(PTI) ALSO READ | Bangalore Weather and AQI Today: Warm start at 22.73 C, check weather forecast for August 17, 2024 In a circular, the Health and Family Welfare Department said all the district health and family welfare officers and district surgeons along with the administrative officers of all the hospitals should ensure that emergency services are not affected, causing trouble for people. ALSO READ | Karnataka govt orders closure of accounts with SBI, PNB over non-refund of deposits Meanwhile, the IMA Karnataka unit president Srinivasa S told PTI that its branches across Karnataka will remain shut and there will be no OPD services anywhere. A protest march will be taken out by doctors in several parts of Karnataka, he said. ALSO READ | Independence day flower show at Bengaluru's Lalbagh sets record with 210,000 visitors, 92.5 lakh revenue: Report In Bengaluru, the key event will take place at the IMA office in Chamarajpet where over 1,000 doctors are likely to participate, Srinivasa said. Fresh developments have come forth in the missing tech professional case, wherein 37-year-old Vipin Gupta from Bengaluru was previously reported missing and then located at a mall in Noida, Uttar Pradesh more than ten days later. Gupta was last seen on August 4, prompting his wife to file a missing persons report at the Kodigehalli Police Station in Bengaluru. To avoid detection after his wife announced his disappearance online with pictures and videos, the techie had shaved his head and altered his appearance.(X) He was located by police after he activated a new SIM card in Noida, helping authorities trace his whereabouts, The Times of India reported. Initially, the police struggled to find him despite reviewing hundreds of CCTV feeds from bus stands, railway stations, and the airport. READ | Had changed his appearance: Bengaluru techie missing for over 10 days found in Noida mall, say police On Wednesday, the techie bought a new SIM card in Noida and used it in his old phone, which allowed officers to track him down. The police approached him as he exited a mall, the report stated. According to a senior officer, When three of us surrounded him, he realised we were cops in civil clothes. He smiled and asked what next? We told him we should fly back to the city, and he strongly objected. After several hours of persuasion, the techie reluctantly agreed to return with the officers, primarily to resolve the missing person report filed by his wife. "You put me in prison, I will live there...but I won't return," Gupta told the officers repeatedly, as quoted in the publication. The techie and the police arrived at the Kempegowda International Airport on Friday morning. After a brief rest, he gave a statement to the police and was allowed to go home. During questioning, he revealed that he has been facing severe domestic issues. He described his wife's controlling behaviour, noting that he was subjected to harsh criticism over minor issues and restricted in his personal freedom. READ | I am sure he is in danger: Tech professional missing in Bengaluru for 10 days, wife pleads for help "I'm her second husband. When I met her around three years back, she was a divorcee with a daughter aged around 12. I was a bachelor and agreed to marry her. We have an eight-month-old daughter together. She curtails my freedom, she shouts even if a drop of rice or a piece of chapati falls off my plate. I should dress according to her, I cannot go out alone to enjoy tea, the techie told police. To avoid detection after his wife announced his disappearance online with pictures and videos, the techie had shaved his head and altered his appearance. He informed the police that he had travelled to Tirupati, Bhubaneswar, Delhi, and finally Noida since August 4. This is the second time in five days that NCB has detained smugglers to break the jail-based drug mafia nexus in the region Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Saturday detained two drug smugglers Akshay Chhabra and Jaspal Singh, alias Goldy, under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PIT-NDPS) Act and sent them to Dibrugarh Jail in Assam. (HT File) Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Saturday detained two drug smugglers Akshay Chhabra and Jaspal Singh, alias Goldy, under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PIT-NDPS) Act and sent them to Dibrugarh Jail in Assam. While Chhabra hails from Ludhiana, his close aide Goldy hails from Sahnewal of Ludhiana. The duo were lodged in Bathinda Central Jail and were detained after they continued their nefarious activities while inside the jail, resulting in three additional FIRs against Chhabra and an additional FIR under the NDPS Act against Goldy. The PIT-NDPS Act 1988, provides for the preventive detention of repeat offenders. With this, a total of three drug smugglers have been sent to Dibrugarh Jail in Assam, which already houses Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh and his nine aides, who have been detained under stringent National Security Act (NSA) since 2023. The Dibrugarh prison is one of the oldest and most high-security jails in the Northeast and was constructed in 1859-60. This is the second such case in less than five days in which the PIT-NDPS Act has been invoked to break the jail-based drug mafia nexus in the region. According to a senior NCB official, a person can be detained under the PIT-NDPS Act even if he is lodged in jail. If a person is deemed to be a potential threat in drug cases, he can be kept in detention. This detention will continue even if the accused gets bail in cases registered against him, the senior official said, pleading anonymity. On August 13, PIT-NDPS Act was invoked for the first time, after the Punjab police, in a joint operation with the NCB, took notorious drug smuggler Balwinder Singh, alias Billa Sarpanch, alias Billa Havellian, into preventive custody and sent him to Dibrugarh. Punjab gave nod to PIT-NDPS a year ago As per the information, the Punjab government, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, had given the go-ahead to implement the PIT-NDPS on January 24 last year after a strong perusal of the case by the Punjab DGP. NCB had also pushed for the detention of smugglers under PIT-NDPS. Though cases forwarded to the Punjab home department are still pending, NCB has got the necessary permission from the Union home ministry. Nearly 60 proposals are pending with the state home department for taking drug smugglers and their conduits into preventive custody, but so far, none have been cleared. The Narcotics Bureau too had sent three such proposals, involving big drug kingpins, around six months ago, but the home department has put these too in cold storage. Ran their drug syndicate from jail: NCB probe In a press release issued on Saturday, the NCBs Chandigarh zonal stated that both the detainees, despite being in jail, had continued their nefarious activities, resulting in three additional FIRs against Akshay Chhabra, from Ludhiana, and an additional FIR under the NDPSAct against Goldy. Both of them were being sent to Dibrugarh jail in Assam as a step to curtail their narco-smuggling activities, the release stated. According to the release, Chhabra was arrested from Jaipur airport while attempting to flee the country to Sharjah on November 24, 2022. During the investigation by the NCB, the name of Jaspal Singh, alias Goldy, also cropped up as one of the main members of Chhabras drug syndicate. During NCB investigations, it came to the fore that this international drug syndicate based in Ludhiana had smuggled close to 1,400kg of heroin from the international check post (ICP) at Attari in Punjab, Mundra seaport in Gujarat and via Jammu and Kashmir. Notably, a total of 20 people had been arrested by the NCB in this case, including the kingpin, traffickers, white-collar criminals and two Afghan nationals. To date, the NCB has recovered about 40kg of heroin, 0.557kg of opium, 23.645kg of suspected narcotics powder, four bottles of HCL, 31 bullets and a magazine from the syndicate. Two heroin processing hideouts of the group were also busted, the official release added. The Chandigarh zonal unit of the NCB has frozen more than 57 crore worth of immovable and movable properties of the drug syndicate to date. BOX What is the PIT-NDPS Act? The Section 3 of the Act empowers the government to detain people engaging in illicit trafficking of drugs and psychotropic substances Section 9 provides for the constitution of an advisory board for looking into grievances of those being taken into custody The Punjab govt had in 2023 reconstituted a 3-member advisory committee headed by justice Shabihul Hasnain (retd) with advocates Suveer Sheokand and Divanshu Jain as its members. In each case, where the advisory board reports that there is no sufficient cause for detention, the government is required to revoke the detention and release the person A key accused wanted for the 77-kg heroin haul in 2023 was arrested in Faridkot district, police said on Saturday. Gulab Singh, a key accused wanted in the 77-kg heroin haul case of 2023, was arrested in Faridkot district, police said on Saturday. (Representational photo) Financial investigations are underway to uncover the money trail and freeze assets acquired through illicit drug proceeds. In a post on X, Punjab director general of police Gaurav Yadav said, Acting on backward linkages, @FaridkotPolice achieves major breakthrough in combating cross-border narco smuggling. Gulab Singh, a key accused wanted in the 77-kg heroin recovery case of 2023, has been apprehended. He was involved in delivering 36kg of the contraband and maintaining connections with Pakistan-based smugglers. His arrest is poised to significantly disrupt the entire smuggling network and prevent future trafficking activities, Yadav said. On August 16, the state special operation cell (SSOC), Mohali, apprehended one person for running an inter-state organised arms smuggling racket. Four illegal .32 pistols were also recovered. The accused was providing logistical assistance to gangs and was supplying illegal arms in Punjab from Madhya Pradesh. The SSOC, Mohali, is working to uncover the entire network. On August 14, in a breakthrough against organised crime, the Anti-Gangster Task Force of Punjab Police arrested five people, including mastermind Sunil Bhandari alias Nata, who were wanted in cases of heinous crimes, including three recent killings in Ferozepur district. Nata was the mastermind of the sensational murder on July 31. The gang was moving in two SUVs when its members were arrested on a tip-off early in the morning near the Rajpura highway. Five pistols with 40 cartridges and two vehicles were recovered. Former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia continued his padyatra on the second day on Saturday, and interacted with the people of his assembly constituency, Patparganj. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader returned to the public after a gap of 17 months after he was jailed for alleged irregularities in the now-scrapped 2021-22 excise policy. Former deputy CM Manish Sisodia takes part in a padyatra at West Vinod Nagar in east Delhi on Saturday. (HT Photo) I am getting a lot of love and affection from the people wherever I am going. People are saying that now that you have come, soon Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal will also come out and the work of the welfare and development of the people of Delhi will proceed further, Sisodia told reporters during the march. During the two-hour march, which began from West Vinod Nagar, the local MLA walked through the inner roads, interacted with people who stood by the roadside as they waved national flags and AAPs party flag. Several patriotic songs such as mera rang de basanti chola played on a few speakers mounted on a vehicle which moved along with the AAP leader. Some women also tied rakhi on Sisodias wrists. Several people were seen greeting Sisodia with placards with a message, Manish Sisodia has come, Kejriwal will also come (out of jail). Sisodia launched his padyatra at Kalkaji in south Delhi on Friday evening. The AAP leader has planned to cover all the assembly constituencies during the march. The march will be held in Deoli assembly constituency on Sunday. 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 to be held in February. The West Bengal government on Saturday announced a programme to provide safety for women working in night shifts at various offices including medical colleges and hospitals across the state. Women protest demanding justice for the doctor who was allegedly raped and murdered at Kolkata's R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in Mumbai on Saturday. (PTI) Alapan Bandyopadhyay, chief advisor of West Bengal chef minister, told media persons at the state secretariat that the flagship programme for women safety of the state government has been named Rattirer Shaathi Helpers of the night. The programme includes separate designated restrooms with toilets for women at workplaces; women volunteers named Rattirer Shaathi would be deployed and safe zones to be identified with CCTv surveillance. A special mobile app with alarm devices would be developed which shall be compulsorily downloaded by all working women. It would be connected with the local police station and police control room, said a statement issued by the government. This comes days after a 31-year-old trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered inside a government hospital in Kolkata. The incident triggered nation-wide uproar and the state government, police and hospital authorities have come under heavy fire. The safety measures also include security checks and breathalyser tests would be carried out at all hospitals and medical colleges. It also said that organisations would be encouraged to devise schedules so that women may work in pairs or teams and know each others movements at night. The protocol also suggests a series of other steps such as night police patrolling in hospitals, medical colleges and women hostels, identity cards to be displayed by all faculty and security guards, wherever possible night duty for women may be avoided, police to post security guards in all hospitals and medical colleges among others. It is a multi-departmental flagship programme to ensure welfare of working women in these institutions get a fulcrum and specific focus. The issues were discussed in a meeting today. The orders would be issued at the earliest, he added. The shipment which caused an alarm for radioactive material in the Cargo area of the Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in Lucknow was declared safe by the National Disaster Response Force, officials said on Saturday. Terminal-3 of Chaudhry Charan Singh International Airport in Lucknow (HT FIle Photo) The Lucknow airport faced a brief scare on Saturday afternoon after a fluorine leakage was reported in the cargo area of Terminal 3. The leakage triggered an alarm for radioactive material, prompting authorities to call in the NDRF to ascertain the cause. The shipment in question contained medicines for cancer patients, which include fluorinea substance known for its potential hazards. A shipment containing medicines for cancer patients activated an alarm for radioactive material in the Cargo area of the Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, Lucknow, the chief operating officer said in a statement. Read: UN watchdog urges 'vigilance' against nuclear material theft The NDRF, alongside the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the airport's fire service, were deployed to assess and manage the situation. There was no casualty -as rumoured in the media - and there was no threat to life or injury, the official said. The Airport operations are running smooth and have not been impacted. Fluorine, a highly reactive and corrosive gas, can pose significant health risks, including severe respiratory damage and burns if mishandled. Read: Dehradun police makes sixth arrest in suspected radioactive device case How to prevent fluorine exposure: Use protective gloves, eye or face protection, and respiratory protection. Keep fluorine away from clothing, incompatible materials, and combustible materials. Ensure reduction valves are free from grease and oil. Use fluorine only outdoors or in well-ventilated areas to prevent accumulation of gas. Do not breathe in fluorine gas. Avoid eating, drinking, or smoking while handling the substance. Wash hands thoroughly after handling fluorine and store it only in a well-ventilated place. The exile and incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II devastated San Franciscos Japantown, a once-bustling enclave of residences and businesses. A Chronicle report published earlier this year that revealed just how much the neighborhood was impacted won a 2024 Online Journalism Award. Stephanie Zhu/The Chronicle photo illustration The San Francisco Chronicle received a pair of top honors in the Online News Associations 2024 Online Journalism Awards. The annual contest, which launched in 2000, celebrates the best in digital journalism, from breaking news and investigations to newsletters and AI innovation. This years judges reviewed more than 1,200 entries in 23 categories, with an eye towards work that employed cutting-edge technology in service of digital storytelling. In the visual digital storytelling category, which honors exceptional and innovative efforts in telling a story through photography, graphics, data visualization and other visual means, the Chronicle won first place for a project about the impact of Japanese incarceration on San Franciscos Japantown. The Chronicle also won top honors for reporting on race, ethnicity, gender and identity for The Killing of Richard Oakes, about the death of Native activist Richard Oakes in 1972 and its impact on the Red Power movement. The Chronicle competes in the medium size category for newsrooms with between 51 and 250 employees. Mass incarceration devastated S.F. Japantown. For the first time, we know how much, explored the extent to which San Franciscos Japantown was reshaped by the forced incarceration of its residents under Order 9066. Reporter Peter Hartlaub and data visualization developer Nami Sumida used interviews with descendants of those exiled from the city, business directories from Japanese-American newspapers, Chronicle archive stories and detailed records from the 1940 and 1950 U.S. census to reveal exactly how much the thriving residential neighborhood was altered by expulsion. Advertisement Article continues below this ad What they discovered was a neighborhood devastated: In 1940, there were 1,340 Japanese residents living in the six-block core of Japantown. Ten years later, that number had dropped by 45%. To help readers understand that story, Sumida and designer and developer Stephanie Zhu employed both animation and data visualization, including a map plotting the locations of historical Japanese-owned businesses, as well as the racial and ethnic makeup of residents in Japantown. Illustrator John Blanchard, a nisei Japanese American whose family was incarcerated at Heart Mountain, Wyo., depicted the devastation of Japantown in animated recreations of historic photos, using a style that blended Japanese manga with Western comic strips. By the animations end, the Japanese population vanishes from the map as portraits of local Japanese Americans fade away in an echo of the real expulsion. Your browser does not support the video tag. John Blanchard/The Chronicle The Chronicle also wove rigorously edited photography throughout the story, including images from the papers archive, War Relocation Authority images taken by legendary photographer Dorothea Lange and new images by Chronicle photojournalist Lea Suzuki a yonsei Japanese American whose family had roots in S.F. Japantown and were also incarcerated at Heart Mountain. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The visual storytelling in the Japantown project is the result of an extraordinary amount of collaboration across disciplines, including data analysis and visualization, photojournalism, videography, illustration, design and development, said Creative Director Alex K. Fong. One important piece of the project was explaining how we at the Chronicle were impacted by the incarceration. Those personal stories were told in a series of social videos and TikToks by Daymond Gascon. Native activist Richard Oakes led the occupation of Alcatraz Island in 1969. Three years later he was killed by a white neighbor in rural Sonoma County. A Chronicle investigation into his death was honored by the 2024 Online Journalism Awards. Bettmann Archives/Getty Images In The Killing of Richard Oakes, reporters Jason Fagone and Julie Johnson and visual journalist Bronte Wittpenn tell the story of Mohawk activist Richard Oakes, who led the iconic Alcatraz protest in 1969. On Nov. 9, 1969, Oakes sailed to Alcatraz Island alongside representatives from a number of tribes and claimed the former prison as the site of a new community belonging to all Native Americans. As the leader of the occupation, the charismatic Oakes became the face of the Red Power movement for Indigenous sovereignty, but three years later he was dead, shot by a white neighbor on a rural Sonoma County road. Angel Solano, 24, looks toward a new mural that traces over the sign originally painted by the 80 young Native activists, including Richard Oakes, who occupied Alcatraz in 1969 and can be seen during the Sunrise Ceremony on Indigenous Peoples Day in San Francisco on Nov. 24, 2022. Bronte Wittpenn/The Chronicle The full story of Oakes death and its impact on Native activism had not been told until the Chronicle embarked on an in-depth investigation and short film on Oakes killing, the acquittal of the man responsible and the lasting effects on the Native community. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Winning this award is really gratifying because we tried in so many ways to be ambitious with how we told this story, said Director of News Demian Bulwa. We thought it was a quintessential tale of politics, power, struggle and racism all wrapped up in a homicide trial. And we felt a heavy responsibility to readers, and the storys subjects, to get it right. The Killing of Richard Oakes also won second place from the National Press Photographers Association for the online visual presentation of race and identity in America and was honored for digital story page design and illustration from the Society for News Design. A documentary that accompanied the project won an award of excellence from Pictures of the Year International. Chronicle graphic artist John Blanchards series of noir-influenced black and white illustrations for the Killing of Richard Oakes were animated in collaboration with developer Stephanie Zhu and Creative Director Alex K. Fong. The result won an award of excellence from the Society for News Design. John Blanchard/The Chronicle Fast and Fatal, an investigation into the deadly impacts of high-speed police chases in the United States was a finalist in the Al Neuharth innovation in investigative journalism category. In March, the project won a Sidney Award for outstanding investigative journalism that exposes social and economic injustices. A call for 24-hour shutdown of non-emergency services severely crippled healthcare services in the southern and eastern parts of Uttar Pradesh as agitating doctors boycotted outpatient department (OPD) services and elective surgeries. Junior doctors staging a protest at SRN Hospital in Prayagraj on Saturday (HT) The strike, which began Saturday 6 am, was called by Indian Medical Association (IMA) as part of the ongoing protests against the rape and murder of a trainee woman doctor in Kolkata. OPD at SRN disrupted for 6th day OPD services at Swaroop Rani Nehru (SRN) Hospital, an associate institution of MLN Medical College and the biggest government hospital in the region, remained disrupted for sixth day in a row with its resident doctors protesting. Though senior doctors did attend to patients already admitted, those seeking admission for surgeries were not able to get in. The strike gained momentum with Allahabad Medical Association (AMA) backing the call given by IMA on Friday. Around 100 hospitals and nursing homes in the city are associated with AMA and none offered OPD services. Also, 400 private dental clinics associated with Indian Dental Association wore a deserted look. Electro Homeopathic Association also supported the protesting resident doctors. A candlelight rally was taken out from SRN Hospital to Subhash Crossing in protest against the incident on behalf of AMA on Saturday evening. A large numbers of patients, especially those from rural areas and neighbouring districts, were seen running from pillar to post to get treated. Patients even struggled to get routine medical tests and x-rays done. 200 surgeries at key hosps rescheduled A similar situation prevailed in eastern districts of Gorakhpur, Shravasti, Balrampur, Kushinagar and Deoria and in the areas bordering Bihar and Nepal. Over 200 non-emergency surgeries at Baba Raghav Das (BRD) Medical College in Gorakhpur, All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS)-Gorakhpur, Maharishi Devrahva Baba Medical College in Deoria and Basti Medical College had to be postponed due to the strike, officials said. BRD Medical College principal Raj Kumar said surgeries could not be performed in the absence of technical staff, and OPD services were also largely affected. Resident doctors, who received support from senior residents and nursing staff, wore black ribbons on their hand. The principal of Maharishi Vashishth Narayan Medical College in Basti, Dr Manoj Kumar, admitted that OPD services were largely hit as many relied on community and primary health centres. He said in-patient services were not affected as nurses were convinced to continue their duties. In Gorakhpur, over 600 private hospitals, clinics and pathology labs were shut. There, IMA office-bearers took out a candle march as part of their protest. IMAs Gorakhpur branch secretary Dr Amit Kumar Mishra demanded that hospitals should be declared protected zones. At AIIMS-Gorakhpur, many who came for OPD services were attended to in the emergency ward. Just a 30-minute spell of healthy rainfall (54.7 mm) on Saturday caused severe waterlogging in various parts of the city, affecting life and causing long traffic jams. For representation only (HT FIle Photo) In parts along the Shaheed Path, traffic congestion was primarily caused due to waterlogging in almost all the underpasses. I was driving from my house to Gomti Nagar in the afternoon. It started raining so heavily that by the time I reached Gomti Nagar extension, there was a huge traffic jam on Shaheed Path, said Abhay Singh who lives in Defence Colony. Similar traffic congestion was also reported on Kanpur Road caused by the rain. The high intensity rain choked the sewer system, leading to waterlogging in various parts of the city. In Mahipal Khera of Ahmamau, located along Shaheed Path, over 2,000 households were affected. All roads in our area have got submerged. It has become very difficult for us to travel in such conditions, Anil Verma, a resident of Arjunganj area, said. The residents of the area, affected by the chaos caused by the rain, have sought time from the Mohanlalganj MP, RK Chaudhary, for Sunday, to inform him about the issue. In Alambagh, the stretch between Alambagh bus station and City Hospital was waterlogged. This affected the traffic movement. Passengers at Charbagh railway station faced a tough time as the approach routes leading to the railway station were all submerged. Meanwhile, the forecast for Lucknow is partly cloudy sky with one or two spells of light rain/thundershowers. The maximum and minimum temperature will be around 34C and 28C degrees Celsius, respectively. The state forecast is rain/thundershowers likely at a few places over West UP and at many places over East UP. Heavy rain is very likely at isolated places over East UP. Mumbai: The Election Commission of India's recent announcement of Assembly elections for two of the four states due for polls has led ruling parties and the state election arm to anticipate that Maharashtra's Assembly polls will be held in November rather than October. The elections are expected to take place in the second or third week of November, before the five-year term of the existing 14th Assembly expires. The ruling Mahayuti alliance believes the deferment will work in their favour. The ruling Mahayuti alliance believes the deferment will work in their favour. (Photo by Anshuman Poyrekar/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times) The current Assembly's term concludes on 26 November, marking five years since the first meeting of the newly elected MLAs. Political parties had initially expected the elections to coincide with those in Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, and Jharkhand, as Maharashtra and Haryana polls were held simultaneously five years ago. However, with the Election Commission deciding to conduct elections in two separate slots and Jharkhand's term ending in January next year, Maharashtra's Assembly elections are likely to be postponed. An official from the election commission explained, "As Haryana's elections, whose term ends on 3 November, are scheduled for 1 October, there's no urgency to hold Maharashtra's polls in October. The term of the Maharashtra Assembly was extended by a month after the 2019 Assembly poll results were announced on 24 October 2019. The dissolution of the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance led to a month-long delay in government formation, during which the state experienced 20 days of president's rule and an 84-hour government led by Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar. Consequently, the ECI is obligated to complete the election process by 26 November, likely announcing the polls 40-45 days before the deadline." The postponement is expected to benefit the three-party ruling Mahayuti alliance, following their poor performance in the Lok Sabha polls held in April-May this year. The alliance leadership anticipates that an additional month will allow them to counteract negative sentiment and implement recently announced populist schemes to sway voters. A leader from the Shinde-led Shiv Sena stated, "The state government is providing 1,500 monthly under the Ladaki Bahin Yojana to over 15 million women in the state. Delaying the election by a month will enable the crediting of the fourth instalment, totalling 9,000 crore in beneficiaries' accounts. Additionally, several other schemes, including PM-Kisan Yojana, Arogya Doot, and youth stipends, offer cash benefits to recipients. This should help create a favourable atmosphere for the ruling parties." A senior BJP leader, speaking anonymously, said, "Rather than fostering a more positive atmosphere, the aim would be to minimise negativity towards our party. We'll also have more time for course correction, such as addressing disillusionment among our cadre. Post-polls, measures like appointing hardcore and loyal party leaders to key positions have already begun. Additional time will help us disseminate this message to workers and leaders at the ground level. It also means our leaders like Modi and Shah can dedicate more time to Maharashtra for rallies and planning." Another election commission official noted that the state's election machinery has nearly completed preparations and is ready to conduct polls at any time. "If not held before Diwali, which begins on 31 October, the polls will likely take place after 15 November to avoid conflicts with the festival," he added. The opposition has accused the ruling parties of fearing early elections. Jayant Patil, state chief of NCP-SP, said, "They have sensed that the tide is against them and thus want to ensure the elections are held in November." Nagpur: The Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday wondered why the upcoming state Assembly elections are not being held simultaneously with Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi pushing for one nation one election. Mumbai, India - June 4, 2018: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Sharad Pawar at his resident in Mumbai, India, on Monday, June 4, 2018. (Photo by Kunal Patil/Hindustan Times) (Kunal Patil/HT Photo) Speaking to journalists in Nagpur on the sidelines of an event on Saturday, the 82-year-old politician said there is no truth in what PM Modi says. Modi in his Independence Day speech had pitched for one nation one election and the Election Commission on Friday announced three-phase polls in J&K and a single-round voting in Haryana in September-October. It said assembly elections in Maharashtra, which were held along with Haryana in 2019, will be announced later due to security requirements for J&K. Election dates in two states have been announced but polls in Maharashtra have not been declared. Hence, there is no truth in what he (PM Modi) says. The Election Commissions decision to leave Maharashtra defeated Modis one nation one election proposal, said the NCP (SP) chief. Chief Election Commissioner Rajeev Kumar announced on Friday that Assembly elections in Maharashtra have not been announced due to Ganeshotsav, Pitrupaksha, Navratri, and Diwali. However, he added that the elections will be held before the term of the present Legislative assembly expires. Shiv Sena UBT also criticised the non-declaration of Assembly elections in Maharashtra. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former minister Aaditya Thackeray said that the EC has busted the propaganda of the Union government. The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies Shiv Sena (UBT) and the NCP (SP) had earlier criticised the Election Commission over the poll schedule and said it seemed the BJP-led Mahayuti wanted more time to fool the people of Maharashtra with its fake promises. To a query about tension in Nashik and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar over alleged objectionable remarks by Hindu religious leader Ramgiri Maharaj, Pawar said such a situation was not in the interest of society. The religious leader had justified his remarks by saying these were in reaction to the atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh. Pawar said that he never thought that what happened in Bangladesh would have consequences in Maharashtra. He was reacting to the recent violence in a few cities in protest against the atrocities on Hindus in Bangladesh. Tensions escalated in two cities in Maharashtra on Friday as protests against the atrocities faced by Hindus and minorities in Bangladesh turned violent. In Nashik, two groups clashed during a bandh organised by the Sakal Hindu Samaj. The confrontation resulted in stone-pelting, injuring 18 police officers and several others. Similar incidents of stone-pelting were reported in Jalgaon during a protest march. Today, there is a need for peace, unity and harmony among all sections of society. Pawar said that government policy, government action, and responsibility for the Home Department can be commented on. I dont want to make any comment as I feel peace and harmony are more important, he said. A two-day orientation programme for the newly elected MLAs of Odisha on Saturday courted controversy as the Opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Congress boycotted it protesting the invitation to a central minister to the event. The Odisha Legislative Assembly. (File Photo) The event named Gyan Sanskar Abhyas Karykram was inaugurated by Union parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday morning in the State Assembly premises. We got to see a lot of good things in the orientation programme. There is a mixture of experienced MLAs and young MLAs. It is a good sign for Odisha Assembly. I also see a lot of enthusiasm amongst the newly elected MLAs, said Rijiju after inaugurating the session of the first time MLAs. In the 147-member house, 82 MLAs are first timers. BJD MLA Pratap Deb said though his party would have attended and cooperated in the spirit of best legislative traditions, it has decided not to participate as all functions held within the Assemblys premises involve only those directly connected with it from Odisha Assembly or Odisha. Inviting a central minister to inaugurate the programme and address the MLAs within the Assembly premises goes against the established conventions of dignity of the Assembly, he said. Deb said his party would hold a separate orientation session for its first-time MLAs on August 25 at Sankha Bhawan, the headquarters of the party. BJD chief whip Pramila Mallik said as the chief minister is the head of the Government of Odisha and is the leader of the House, it is undignified to make him an ordinary speaker at the function within the Assembly premises. Relegating the state chief minister to a second category functionary in a function within the Assembly premises undermines the state and the pre-eminence of the state as recognised in our federal setup. The CM is supposed to be ahead of the central ministers in our established system of protocol followed by the government in all functions held within the state. This is a significant violation of protocol and undermines the dignity of the CM in his own state, she said. Congress chief whip CS Razeen Ekka said his party boycotted the session as it should have been inaugurated by chief minister and not the Union minister. As per protocol, CM is senior to the Union parliamentary affairs minister. BJP is not able to give due respect to our chief minister, he said. However, Odisha parliamentary affairs minister Mukesh Mahaling said as per protocol, Union minister takes precedence before a chief minister. The chief minister will also be present in all the sessions. The Union minister has been invited as a guest. The programme will be held by abiding with all rules and procedures of the Assembly, he said. Gurugram: Soon after the announcement of assembly elections in Haryana, scheduled for October, the district election department of Gurugram has started preparing for the democratic exercise, an official aware of the matter said. Gurugram district commissioner and election officer, Nishant Kumar Yadav on Saturday said, the tasks related to polling stations, counting centres, Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and voter lists are being swiftly executed. (HT PHOTO) Gurugram district commissioner and election officer, Nishant Kumar Yadav on Saturday said, the tasks related to polling stations, counting centres, Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and voter lists are being swiftly executed. The district has a total of 1,504 polling booths across four assembly constituencies, 259 in Pataudi, 518 in Badshahpur, 435 in Gurugram, and 292 in Sohna. For the first time, polling stations have also been set up in high-rise societies to facilitate voting among the urban population. All these booths will use EVMs for the voting process, with the election scheduled for October 1, this year, he said. Following the DCs instructions, technically proficient engineers have completed the checking of EVMs for all 1,504 polling stations. A total of 3,029 ballot units were inspected, out of which 3,008 were found to be in working condition, while 21 were rejected due to technical issues. Similarly, 1,894 control units were checked, with 1,880 deemed operational and 14 rejected. Additionally, 2,091 VVPAT machines were tested, of which 2,030 passed and 61 were rejected, officials said. The DC said that the number of functional ballot units, control units, and VVPATs is sufficient for the upcoming polls. These machines are now securely stored under police guard in the EVM storage facility, which is also monitored by CCTV cameras. Every step of the election process will be carried out in accordance with the guidelines of the Election Commission of India (ECI), ensuring transparency and fairness throughout the assembly elections, said Yadav. A suspected thief was killed in an encounter with police in Assams Kamrup district on Friday, officials said. Police said that they recovered a 9mm pistol and bullets during the search. (Representational image) Kamrup superintendent of police (SP) Ranjan Bhuyan said the person has been identified by police as Anowar Hussain. He has a long record of crimes across Kamrup and other districts. He was injured in police firing in the past but still he was out of reach, the SP said. Bhuyan said that based on specific information, an operation was launched at Nahira Satrapara in Dakhin Kamrups Palasbari area around 3pm on Friday. It is suspected that Hussain was consuming drugs in that area and on seeing police, he attacked them with guns. Since he was not in a normal state, he misfired. After repeated warnings, he kept shooting at police and in defence, officials shot him, Bhuyan said. The operation was headed by the in charge of Palasbari police station, Amarjyoti Kakati. He immediately attacked us with a gun, but it didnt harm any of the police. He tried to climb a wall but fell. Again he took the gun and started shooting when we shot him, Kakati said. According to the SP, Hussain sustained grievous injuries, and he was taken to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), where he died during treatment. We believe he received multiple bullets, but it has to be confirmed by doctors. The body has been sent for postmortem and we are waiting for the postmortem report, he added. Police said that they recovered a 9mm pistol and bullets during the search. Some empty packets of suspected drugs were found in that area, which suggests that Hussain was consuming drugs, officials said. The SP said that they are investigating the matter, and a case has been registered at Palashbari Police Station. He was a mastermind of several criminal activities, and we are investigating the entire thing, he said. Banaras Hindu University will release BHU UG 2024 Round 1 seat allotment result on August 17, 2024. Candidates who have registered themselves for the counselling round can check the seat allotment result on the official website of BHU at bhucuet.samarth.edu.in. The link to check seat allotment result will be out at 5 pm today. BHU UG 2024 Round 1 seat allotment result releasing today, heres how to check Professional Certificate Programme in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence for Managers from IIMK: Master skills now As per the official notice, the candidates who have been allotted seats can submit the requisite admission fee online up to August 20, 2024 (5 pm). Candidate need to pay the admission fee/adjust the admission fee (in case of upgradation) to secure admission. Once the merit lists-cum allotment are released, candidates are advised to check them carefully on admission portal dashboard. It is the responsibility of candidate to check CAP UG 2024 dashboard regularly after each round of seat allotment. If seat is allotted, the candidate must complete all the required admission formalities. Candidate need to pay the admission fee to secure admission. Also Read: Delhi University UG CSAS 2024 first allocation list released at du.ac.in, check details The University will utilize the scores provided by the NTA (National Testing Agency) to calculate merit according to Program-Specific Eligibility criteria. BHU UG 2024 Round 1 seat allotment result: How to check To check the seat allotment result for Round 1, candidates can follow the steps given below. Visit the official website of BHU at bhucuet.samarth.edu.in. Click on BHU UG 2024 Round 1 seat allotment result link available on the home page. Enter the login details and click on submit. Your seat allotment result will be displayed on the screen. Check the seat allotment result and download the page. Keep a hard copy of the same for further need. If a candidate fails to pay the admission fee within the specified timeframe, it will be considered a cancellation of the allotted seat. For more related details candidates can check the official website of BHU. Banaras Hindu University released the BHU UG 2024 Round 1 cut-off on August 17, 2024. Candidates who have registered for the counselling round can check the cut-off on the official website of BHU at bhu.ac.in. Candidates who have secured allotted seats in Round 1 of counselling can submit the requisite admission fee online up to August 20, 2024 (5 pm).(Bachchan Kumar/Hindustan Times/For representation only) A notice was released that the link to check the seat allotment list would be activated at 6 pm on August 17, 2024. However, no confirmation on the same is available on the official website. Candidates who have secured allotted seats in Round 1 of counselling can submit the requisite admission fee online up to August 20, 2024 (5 pm). Candidates need to pay the admission fee/adjust the admission fee (in case of upgradation) to secure admission, informed the official notice. Candidates are advised to check the allotment list carefully on the admission portal dashboard as it is the responsibility of the candidate to check the CAP UG 2024 dashboard regularly after each round of seat allotment. The University informed that the scores provided by the NTA (National Testing Agency) to calculate merit according to Program-Specific Eligibility criteria will be utilised. Candidates who wish to check the BHU UG 2024 Round 1 seat allotment result can follow the below mentioned steps. BHU UG 2024 Round 1 seat allotment result: How to check Visit the official website of BHU at bhucuet.samarth.edu.in. Click on BHU UG 2024 Round 1 seat allotment result link available on the home page. Enter the login details and click on submit. Your seat allotment result will be displayed on the screen. Check the seat allotment result and download the page. Keep a hard copy of the same for further need. Also Read: UPP Constable 2024 exam: UP Police issues important exam day guidelines for candidates Direct link to check cut-off list Celebs such as Alia Bhatt, Hrithik Roshan, Twinkle Khanna, Karan Johar and Kareena Kapoor, among many others, have expressed their outrage on the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Now, actor Randeep Hooda is sharing his feelings and how this case has left him 'speechless'. Also read | Kareena Kapoor remembers Nirbhaya after recent Kolkata rape-murder: Still waiting for change Randeep Hooda has shared a long post about the Kolkata case that has been dominating headlines for days now. The horror seems to repeat itself Randeep took to Instagram on Friday night to share a long post, wherein he spoke about 'coming from a family of doctors' and how the Kolkata doctor's rape-murder case 'sent chills down his spine'. The actor began by writing, "Been speechless and distraught about the horror that seems to repeat itself in our society... coming from a family of doctors and my sister also being one just sends chills down my spine." He wrote in his caption, Enough is Enough! 'Heinous crimes deserve more heinous punishment' Randeep demanded justice in the case and 'severe punishment'. He said, Medical professionals need to be protected no doubt... but the predators don't see profession in seems... it has to be a societal change not restricted to people who understand the language I write in and that'll take time... the first and immediate step could be swift and severe punishment given out... that punishment should be covered and propagated by the media/social media as much as the tragic incident itself if not more. Randeep concluded by writing, Heinous crimes deserve even more heinous punishment. At this trying hour I stand with family and the medical fraternity for justice and my heart goes out to the girl's family. Om Shanti! What Hrithik Roshan, Anupam Kher, Karan Johar said Recently, veteran actor Anupam Kher joined the list of celebrities raising their voice after the recent Kolkata case. He demanded capital punishment for the rapist. Filmmaker Karan Johar had also shared his disappointment and shock over the rape and murder case. "We failed our women and this failure will have karmic repercussions ... on all of US... the big massive irony of independence for every living woman in our country! This breaks my heart and makes me sick to the core..." read an excerpt from his post shared on Instagram Stories. Actor Hrithik Roshan also expressed his anger and concern on social media. On his X account, he 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 sensitising and empowering our sons and daughters. The next generations will be better." Oakland has not enforced disabled parking placard fraud since the pandemic. Lydia Sidhom/The Chronicle Oakland has not enforced disabled parking placard fraud since the pandemic. Lydia Sidhom/The Chronicle Oakland has not enforced disabled parking placard fraud since the pandemic. Lydia Sidhom/The Chronicle In Oakland, you might be caught for using someone elses Costco membership but not for displaying a disabled parking placard that was not issued to you. Oakland stopped actively enforcing disabled parking placard fraud completely after the pandemic. That means anyone who illegally uses someone elses placard or displays a counterfeit one will not get fined. Citations for the infraction dropped from 931 in 2019 to 14 in 2023, a 98% decline. Out of all types of violations with over 500 citations in 2019, disabled parking placard fraud had the most dramatic decline in percent change. Any citations since the pandemic, including in 2023, happened because parking technicians received complaints about placard fraud, and not because they were actively enforcing it. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The misuse of disabled parking placards is widespread. The California Department of Motor Vehicles found that 2,000 people were fraudulently using placards in 2019 alone, which is the last year that they investigated the offense. They cited nearly 2,500 people for fraud the year before. And theres a good reason for people to want to use a placard. In addition to access to handicapped parking spots, a person with a placard can get free parking anywhere where there is metered parking. Still, disabled parking fraud carries a fine of up to $1,000 and, in some cases, a county jail sentence of up to six months. Advertisement Article continues below this ad So why has the city turned a blind eye? According to Sean Maher, an Oakland Department of Transportation spokesperson, the city has not prioritized enforcing the violation because of a lack of staffing. At the start of the pandemic, the city layed off all temporary part-time workers, many of whom were responsible for giving parking tickets in Oakland. Parking enforcement for all kinds of violations was suspended for several weeks following Alameda Countys shelter-in-place order in March 2020. Enforcement has ramped back up slowly as OakDOT hires more parking control technicians but only certain kinds of violations are being prioritized, such as parking on red curbs and in certain residential parking areas. OakDOT suspended the units special detail dedicated to enforcing disabled parking placard abuse during the pandemic. They expect to reinstate the special detail when more technicians are hired, said Maher. When that will be, however, is unclear. Advertisement Article continues below this ad To catch disabled parking placard fraud, officers must cross-check someones placard with their ID. In California, placards are issued to individuals, not vehicles. When someone presents the DMV with medical documentation proving that they have a disability, they are issued a placard that only they, and no one else, regardless of disability status, are allowed to use. 75-year-old Oakland resident Vicki Whitman, who currently drives with a disabled placard due to knee surgery, said she sees people park illegally in accessible parking spaces all the time, adding that the city couldnt care less about punishing fraud. While Whitman did not have a disabled parking placard before the pandemic, she said that finding accessible parking in most places in the city is difficult. She believes that this is because some people have realized the city is not prioritizing enforcement and are thus taking advantage. Oaklands lack of enforcement appears to run counter to the states efforts. About a year ago, California passed a new law to crack down on the fraudulent use of placards across the state. The law, Senate Bill 611, requires that placard holders submit a free renewal form to the DMV once every six years. Previously, placards were automatically renewed every two years. In another step to reduce fraud, the DMV said they would do more to assure that applicants were still alive when they requested recertification. They plan to do this by checking social security numbers to see if the person died recently. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Some researchers dont believe the states approach gets at the crux of the problem. Fernando Torres-Gil, a professor at University of California, Los Angeles and appointee on the National Council on Disability who has published research on the economics of disabled parking, believes that only people with serious mobility issues should be able to use a placard. Right now, people with other types of disabilities, including mental disabilities, can get a placard. Torres-Gil, who uses a wheelchair himself, thinks that people without mobility issues being eligible has made it easier to fraudulently use placards. Some Californians with disabilities, while concerned about the lack of fraud enforcement, think that the suggestion to reduce the scope of eligibility for placards can be dangerous. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Eric Harris, the director of public policy at the advocacy group Disability Rights California, said that it is important for lawmakers and parking enforcement officers to understand the nuance when it comes to disability. Just because someone is not visibly physically disabled, Harris said, does not mean that they do not have a disability that warrants a placard. This includes people with, for example, chronic pain disorders. Actor Shah Rukh Khan has spoken about his lifestyle how he goes to sleep at 5am but wakes up by 9 or 10am. Speaking with The Guardian, the actor shared that after he reaches home from work at 2am he works out before going to sleep. (Also Read | Shah Rukh Khan gives details about next film King: 'It's a cool, massy, emotional film') Shah Rukh Khan talked about his life. Shah Rukh opens up about his life The actor said, I go to sleep at five in the morning. When Mark Wahlberg gets up, I go off to sleep. And then I wake up about nine or 10 if Im shooting. But then I will come home at 2am, take a bath and then work out before I go to sleep. As per the report, he eats only one meal. The actor works out for only half an hour everyday. Shah Rukh on his sabbatical Talking about his hiatus of four years, Shah Rukh added, "At the age of 55, I took a kind of sabbatical. During the pandemic, there was nothing else to do and I was telling everyone: learn Italian cooking and work out. I was working out. I built a body. After four years, people started missing me because before that I was too much in everybodys face. Actor was recently honoured in Switzerland Shah Rukh was recently honoured with a lifetime achievement award, the Pardo alla Carriera, or Career Leopard, at the 77th edition of the Locarno Film Festival. During a conversation with Giona A Nazzaro, the artistic director of the Locarno Film Festival, he discussed his career and achievements. He opened up on his preparation work for his next film, King, and his collaboration with filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh. What Shah Rukh had said about King He had said, "There are certain kinds of film that I want to do; maybe it's more age-centric, and I want to try something for 6-7 years. I've been thinking about it, and I mentioned it to Sujoy one day while we were sitting. He works with us at our office, he's made some films for us. He says, 'Sir, I have a subject'. The next film I am doing King, I have to start working on it, have to lose some weight, do some stretching." Reportedly, the film will also star Shah Rukh's daughter and actor, Suhana Khan. After more than a decade of its release, Son of Sardaar (2012) is gearing up for a sequel. Yet, the project has been facing a number of troubles. Recently, the Ajay Devgn-starrer landed in another controversy related to actor Vijay Raaz. (Also read: Sanjay Dutt breaks silence after UK visa rejection, getting dropped from Son of Sardaar 2: They have done wrong) Son Of Sardaar featured Ajay Devgn, Sonakshi Sinha and Sanjay Dutt. Salman Khan had an item song in the film. Vijay Raaz's removal Vijay Raaz was reportedly removed from Son of Sardaar 2 due to unprofessional behaviour. As per a report by Pinkvilla, two different accounts of the issue were shared, as stated by the actor and Kumar Mangat Pathak, who is co-producing the film. Kumar said that Vijay demanded bigger rooms, charged more for his spot boy and behaved rudely. On the contrary, Vijay said, I was removed from the film 30 minutes of reaching the sets, as I didnt greet Ajay Devgn. These are powerful people, and the chatter of misconduct doesnt arise at all. Sanjay Mishra has replaced Vijay in the film. Sanjay Dutts visa issue A few days ago, reports emerged that Sanjay Dutt's visa troubles have reportedly led to him being ousted from Son of Sardaar 2. The actor finally spoke about the issue in an interview with Bombay Times, where he said, "I gave you (the UK government) all the papers and everything (required). Why did you give me the Visa (in the first place)? You shouldn't have given me the visa. How come it took you one month to realise the laws?" Sanjay was replaced with Ravi Kishan in the film. Son of Sardaar 2 is directed by Vijay Kumar Arora also stars Mrunal Thakur. The first film had Sonakshi Sinha in the lead. The makers are reportedly picking up on a fresh note and not from where the first movie ended. Actor Vijay Raaz has been removed from the upcoming film Son of Sardaar 2, starring Ajay Devgn. As per a Pinkvilla report, Kumar Mangat Pathak, who is co-producing the film with Ajay, said that Vijay has been dropped because of his behaviour and demands. However Vijay said that the move was taken after he didn't greet Ajay Devgn on the set. Sanjay Mishra has replaced Vijay in the film. (Also Read | Sanjay Dutt breaks silence after UK visa rejection, getting dropped from Son of Sardaar 2) Vijay Raaz said he was removed from Son of Sardaar 2 for not greeting Ajay Devgn. What Son of Sardaar 2 co-producer said Kumar said, Yes, its true that we have removed Vijay Raaz from the film because of his behaviour on the sets. He demanded bigger rooms and a vanity van and also overcharged us for the spot boys. In fact, his spot boy was paid 20,000 per night, which is more than any big actor. UK is an expensive place, and everyone got standard rooms during the shoot, but he demanded premium suites...Even other actors and I stayed in the same category of room as him, which costs 45,000 for a night, and in one of the best hotels, it was very sizable." Vijay's demands kept on increasing? He added that he went to meet He also denied that Vijay was removed from the film for not greeting Ajay. Kumar alleged Vijay has even refused to pay back the advance he has taken. He also alleged that Vijay repeatedly time and again rudely told the film's team that Aap logo ne mujhe approach kiya, main kaunsa saamne se aya kaam mangne (you guys approached me, I didn't go to ask for work).' What Vijay has said In his defence, Vijay said that after he arrived at the shoot location, Ravi Kishan, director Vijay Arora and Kumar, among others, met him. "I stepped out of the van, and spotted Ajay Devgn standing around 25 metres away. I didnt go to greet him as he was busy, and I continued to speak to my friends around. 25 minutes later, Mr Kumar Mangat came to me and said, Aap Film Se Nikal Jaaye, Hum Aapko Nikal Rahe Hai (You quit the film, we are dropping you). The only misconduct from my end is, I didnt greet Mr Ajay Devgn. I didnt even meet the crew, and these are the only people I interacted with. I was removed from the film 30 minutes of reaching the sets, as I didnt greet Ajay Devgn. These are powerful people, and the chatter of misconduct doesnt arise at all, he said. Vijays spot boy sexually assaulted UK hotel staff? As per the report, Vijays spot boy also allegedly sexually assaulted a hotel staff after drinking. Vijay said that he was removed from the film on August 4 afternoon, while the alleged assault took place at night. He added that he has "nothing to do with it" and doesn't "encourage such behaviour". He added he is "no longer working with the spot boy". About Son of Sardaar 2 The shooting of the action comedy sequel to the 2012 film Son of Sardaar is going on in the UK. The film, helmed by Vijay Kumar Arora, also stars Mrunal Thakur. The film has an extensive shoot schedule in the UK, followed by India. Son of Sardaar, directed by Ashwani Dhir, features Ajay alongside Sonakshi Sinha. The fallout from BTS member Sugas DUI incident shows no signs of abating. From non-stop protests demanding his removal from the band to online challenges that mimic the incident, the public discourse surrounding the matter has been intense with fans rallying in defence of the rapper. BTS member Suga from the new episode of his drinking game, Suchwita. Meanwhile, addressing the ban on the artist, KBS has confirmed that it will adhere to its Broadcast Appearance Review Committee guidelines. This comes on the heels of another top K-media apologising for their misreporting of the wrong CCTV footage. KBS discusses the possibility of a ban on Suga Following the Daechwita rapper's DUI on August 7th, KBS has confirmed that they are currently considering whether to hold a Broadcast Appearance Review Committee meeting to discuss his future on the channel. Also read: BTS agency BigHit Music reportedly confirms person in new CCTV footage is Suga; HYBE responds if rapper will leave group The channels guidelines typically bar individuals involved in illegal activities or major social controversies from appearing on air. However, the decision on whether to hold such a meeting is still pending as per Ilgan Sports. We are undecided on holding such a meeting for BTSs Suga, KBS mentioned. Sugas broadcast ban yet to be discussed or addressed immediately In another statement to StarNews, the popular South Korean broadcast company mentioned that the rappers ongoing military service plays a significant role in deciding the outcome of the case, as reports surface that he might soon be summoned for investigation. Also read: BTS' Suga faces new accusations amid drunk driving case: 'Scolded by superiors, acted like a classroom bully' As per KBS, Suga is currently serving his alternative military duty, so he is not appearing on any KBS programs. [A ban on Sugas appearance] is not an issue that needs to be discussed or addressed immediately. Moreover, since his case is under police investigation, we need to wait for the results. JTBC apologises after releasing the wrong footage JTBC, a major South Korean news outlet, issued an official apology for broadcasting incorrect CCTV footage related to the incident. The controversy erupted when the network aired footage they claimed was of Suga, showing a man on an electric scooter. It was later discovered that this footage was incorrect, leading fans to bash the news network for spreading misinformation about the case. "Our newsroom reported about BTS member Suga's DUI on August 7. In the first portion of our report, we showed CCTV footage of an electric scooter passing by the main road. It was later confirmed through police investigations that the male in the video was not SUGA. We are sorry for causing confusion, the company rolled out an official statement. What is KBS Review Committee? KBS, South Korea's national broadcaster, has a strict policy regarding the appearances of individuals involved in legal or ethical controversies. Earlier, it banned Bloodohunds's actress Kim Sae Ron for a similar DUI incident, even though her blood alcohol content was significantly lower than that found in Sugas case. The broadcaster imposed a temporary suspension on her. To make sure these rules are followed, KBS has a Broadcast Appearance Review Committee. If someone's behaviour is seen as a problem by the committee, it can put different limits on them. These can be simple asks for producers to not use the person anymore, or they can be bans that last forever or just for a while. It's been over a week since BTS member Suga found himself in the middle of a drunk driving case. Now, as per Koreaboo, several protest trucks with messages asking for Suga's withdrawal from BTS were spotted on the streets of Seoul. A few of them were also seen in front of Nine One Hannam. Suga fell down from his electric scooter near this place. This also houses several BTS members. (Also Read | BTS agency BigHit Music reportedly confirms person in new CCTV footage is Suga; HYBE responds if rapper will leave group) BTS rapper Suga is involved in a drunk driving case. Protest truck seen in Seoul As per the report, some of the messages on the protest truck read, "Told his fans to be confident, came back to them with a DUI. Drunk driver Suga, D-Day to leave the group is today. 7-1=6. Armys will complete the group. Drunk driver Suga out. Kick Suga out of BTS. We do not need a criminal who deceives fans. Suga, leave the group on your own will before things get uglier." Several protest trucks were seen in Seoul. The protest trucks demanded Suga be oust from BTS. The BTS ARMY have reacted to this move. How protests will pan out An X (formerly Twitter) user, @idoitsueit, shared tweets that read, "We have reached the target amount for the fundraiser and have closed it. Thank you to everyone who participated in the campaign, even though it was kept private. Starting tomorrow, the truck and the flower wreath campaigns will take place together. During the campaigns, well have a staff managing the flower wreaths, and the trucks will be circulating around the bustling areas of Seoul even on the weekend. We appreciate your interest and support!" Where were protest trucks seen Reportedly, the routes of the trucks included the road in front of HYBE and Nine One Hannam, Yongsan Station/Seoul Station, Hongdae, Hapjeong, Sangam, Seongsu, Keonkuk University Station, Jamsil, Gangnam Station, Banpo Bus Terminal. Following this, the BTS ARMY took to X to show their support for Suga and started trending the hashtags--#SugaStaysChallenge and #SugaStays. BTS ARMY reacts to protest trucks A person wrote, "This is the most absurd thing I've seen in a while. Sending trucks is meaningless when the police is doing their investigation. Don't do something just because you want to." A comment read, "Anti fans brought the trucks with notifications to withdrawal Suga from the group!!! News said that Army did it! NOOOO!!! Rumors and lies!!!" A fan tweeted, "You dont understand, he is everything to me. He is to a lot of people. I can feel the deep pain this is causing my soul family right now. Keep fighting for him ARMY." "No one could ever touch my baby as long as I am still here for him! BTS IS SEVEN!" another person wrote. An X user said, "Stop it already. He didn't hurt anyone or himself. He fell near the door like he said. He wasn't speeding. Trolls, just stop it!" What happened with Suga The incident took place last week when Suga was returning home, drunk, on his electric scooter. The next day both Suga and BigHit Music apologised to fans with statements on Weverse. Sugas blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level was 0.227%, which is eight times the legal limit. The police began a criminal investigation. Recently, DongA Ilbo released CCTV footage which showed a person was seen riding an electric seated scooter around 11.10 pm on August 6. In the clip, he didn't drive very fast, but as he turned left near the building, he toppled and fell. However, he got up and picked up the vehicle as well. This incident took place near the main gate of the Nine One Hannam apartment. A few police officers who were walking nearby approached him. BTS agency confirmed that the man in the footage was Suga. The 31-year-old rapper is serving as a social service agent, an alternative form of military service in South Korea. Dear reader, rumours are flying around that the magical Bridgerton world is about to welcome a new star. Yerin Ha, a Korean-Australian actress, has been picked to play the stunning Sophie Beckett, who's supposed to be the perfect match for the ever-charming Benedict Bridgerton. After season 3 wrapped up the love-hate story of Luke Newton and Nicola Coughlan, it's time for the next Bridgerton sibling to take himself off the dating market. Yerin Ha, known for roles in Halo and Dune: Prophecy, is set to dazzle Bridgerton fans as Sophie Beckett in the popular Netflix series. Bridgerton 4 to cast Yerin Ha as Sophie Beckett The Bridgerton is abuzz with excitement as the show's creators, after continuous delays, are finally set to pass the leading torch to Luke Thompson. Variety reports that Yerin Ha will take on the role of Sophie Beckett in the upcoming season of the popular Netflix series. The next instalment will see Beckett being referred to as the Lady in Silver, the illegitimate daughter of an earl and one of his maids, according to the novel. An official announcement is still pending. Also read: BTS' Sugas broadcast ban possibility addressed; K-media apologises for incorrect CCTV footage Bridgerton season 4 story plot Described as a slow-burn romance by sources, Season 4, titled An Offer From a Gentleman, will focus on the second Bridgerton son, Benedict. Known for his artistic nature and reluctance to settle down, Benedicts world changes when he encounters a mysterious woman at his mothers masquerade ball. This lady, with striking features and a troubled past, was raised in her fathers house but was never publicly acknowledged as his daughter. The official synopsis for season 4 reads, The fourth season of Bridgerton turns its focus to bohemian second son Benedict. Despite his elder and younger brothers both being happily married, Benedict is loath to settle down until he meets a captivating Lady in Silver at his mothers masquerade ball. Who is Yerin Ha? Yerin Ha, the up-and-coming actress who's about to wow the Ton, is probably most famous for playing Kwan Ha in the sci-fi hit Halo. For most Americans, she is well known for her roles in shows like Reef Break, Troppo and Bad Behaviour, as well as the indie horror film Sissy. With a growing career that's got her in the Dune: Prophecy series, the 29-year-old actress is definitely someone to watch out for. Also read: Matthew Perrys death: Who is Ketamine Queen Jasveen Sangha, allegedly supplied lethal dose to FRIENDS star Coming from Sydney, Ha's love for acting started when she was just a kid, leading her to pursue training in South Korea at the tender age of fifteen. Rasika Dugal is not interested in doing the same crying scenes in every other project that is offered to her. The actor was in conversation with Indian Express, where she said that she would read a script backward, and sure enough there would be some crying scene in them. She also credited OTT space for providing her with a wider audience and reach in recent years. (Also read: Rasika Dugal: Streaming space is competitive in a healthy way) Rasika Dugal was last seen in Shekhar Home. What Rasika said During the interview, the actor shared, There was a time I could read the script backward and know that in the last ten pages, there will be at least two crying scenes definitely for me. It has [changed], a little of that femme fatale has happened and I am happy about it. The actor also talked about the rise of streaming shows and how it has given her a wider reach. "Clearly the streaming services for a lease of life for me because there were many films that I had done which hadnt seen the kind of release they deserved. There were many small films. Besides the fact that I got a lot of work, and through shows like Mirzapur I got to access a wide audience. This is when I felt that streaming services are a space for smaller films to find an audience, she added. More details Rasika has acted in a number of critically acclaimed films including Qissa, No Smoking, Hamid and Manto. The actor got widespread attention for her role in the Prime Video show Mirzapur, where she played the character of Pankaj Tripathi's wife. She was also part of shows like Made in Heaven, Delhi Crime and A Suitable Boy. She was last seen in Sekhar Home, which stars Kay Kay Menon, Ranvir Shorey. Actor Vijay Raaz, initially cast in a pivotal role in the upcoming film Son of Sardaar 2, was reportedly asked to leave the project on the very first day of shooting, according to a Pinkvilla report. Actor Vijay Raaz has been removed from Ajay Devgn's Son of Sardaar 2. When we reach out to Raaz for his side of the story and his reaction to producer Kumar Mangat Pathak's claimsthat he was removed from the film due to his behavior on set, demands for "bigger rooms, vanity van," and overcharging for spot boysthe actor responds, "It's all a lie. All these discussions are done before the actor reaches the set. Them mentioning it now in itself means there is something fishy. All this was decided, which is why I went all the way to Scotland for the film's shoot. Vahaan jaake thodi na final karenge yeh sab!" Raaz continues, "I told them that my room is congested, I do yoga so I need some space apart from the bed. Yeh main aur kisse kahunga, executive producer se hi bolunga na? Maine request kari thi, unhone kaha theek hai ispe kal baat karenge, aur main raat ko pahaunch ke so gaya." Also read: Sanjay Dutt dropped from Son of Sardaar 2 after his UK visa application was rejected over arrest in 1993: Report He adds that everything seemed fine the next morning when Pathak informed him that his shoot would begin in the next four hours. "The next morning, I went to the set, Kumar Mangat ji aur Ravi Kishan aaye aur van mein baithe. It was all going well, he told me my shoot starts in the next four hours. The discussion about the room was already done way before this. After half an hour, they told me 'aap chale jaaiye'. I told them 'aapne bulaya tha, ab aap yeh keh rahe hain'. I can't force someone to keep me on; I'm not a junior artist. I've been working for decades." Raaz speculated that his removal might be linked to him not greeting the film's lead actor, Ajay Devgn properly. "Samajh mein toh yahi aa raha hai. I was standing with people at one place, and saw Ajay ji talking to someone. I thought I would go and meet him, it was his scene being shot. Kumar Mangat ji's behaviour until that point was different. Aadhe ghante baad kya ho gaya. Kuchh toh hua hoga na? Aisa kya badal gaya?" Earlier, Kumar Mangat Pathak had confirmed Raazs removal in an interview with Pinkvilla, stating, "Its true that we have removed Vijay Raaz from the film because of his behaviour on the sets. He demanded for bigger rooms, vanity van and also overcharged us for the spot boys. In fact, his spot boy was paid 20,000 per night, which is more than any big actor. UK is an expensive place, and everyone got standard rooms during the shoot, but he demanded premium suites. When we tried explaining the costing scenario to him, he refused to understand, and spoke rudely." The foliage looses its green and the human faces acquire a new perspective as they get seen, in the woodcut world crafted by contemporary artist Chandan Bez Baruah. As part of his ongoing solo exhibition titled Elsewhere In Northeast India, 20 artworks depict how this Assam-based artist expresses everything in a darker shade. Guwahati-based artist Chandan Bez Baruah captures the saints outside Kamakhya Temple in this work, displayed as part of his ongoing solo show. "Black is the supreme colour, which has all colours in it. I'm very comfortable with black," says the 43-year-old while explaining how the Northeast landscapes and its urbananisation found a voice in his art. "I was all of three when I lost my mother, and my family shifted from Nagaon to Guwahati. It was here that the landscape forced me to see things differently. Later, I lived in Delhi for 12 to 15 years and here too my childhood stories followed me," adds Baruah, who pursued his formal education in printmaking and now polishes his skills through the medium of wood. But this isn't the first time that his "nostalgic affinities" have come into play. In fact, this art show is the "third phase in the series", for which he started working in 2021. The trees captured through the medium of woodcut acquire a dark look in the works of contemporary artist Chandan Bez Baruah. Curated by Waswo X Waswo, the exhibits speak of the moments in time that Baruah wants to share with the world as a felt experience. "When I came to Delhi from Guwahati, I again became lonely. That's when my nostalgic affinities towards landscape helped me to come out of the depressing thoughts. I started working on woodcuts to show the emotions that I was going through... I chose woodcuts because it was the demand of the subject, and this medium is a dying process. Having learned printmaking, I felt it was my duty to serve this medium in some way." Baruah's works thus comprise landscapes that got captured by his keen eye, and amid these the viewers can also find some saints outside the Kamakhya Temple, which appear in stark contrast to the bulldozers, trucks collecting garbage and chain-link fence. "Just like the trees, those saints also speak to me. One of them looked at me in a way that it seemed he's saying he knows me much more... When I see something like this, I click a photo and then come to my studio to create a large image of the photo onto the wooden surface. I like to keep it large so that its details and originality is retained. When I begin to cut it on wood, it's purely on the basis of my experience and emotional reinterpretation of what I was suffering when I clicked that photo." While all might seem serene in the garb of black, the undercurrent of chaos continues in most of Baruah's portrayal of landscapes. Is this a way to compel the viewers to see through the conflict in Nature vs urbanisation? Catch It Live What: Elsewhere In Northeast India Where: Shridharani Gallery, Triveni Kala Sangam, 205 Tansen Marg (August 12 to 20) & LATITUDE 28, 208, Lado Sarai (August 25 to September 20) Timing: 11am to 7pm Nearest Metro Station: Mandi House on the Blue and Violet Lines & Saket on the Yellow Line For more, follow @htcity.delhijunction In a major setback to Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman Tahawwur Rana, who is sought by India for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has ruled that he is extraditable to India under the extradition treaty between the two countries. US court ruled that Tahawwur Rana, accused in 26/11 attack, is extraditable to India under the extradition treaty between the two countries. (ANI) The (India US Extradition) Treaty permits Ranas extradition, the court said in its ruling on August 15. Also Read: HC orders state to provide housing to 26/11 survivor Devika Rotawan Ruling on an appeal filed by Rana, a panel of judges of the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed the District Court in the Central District of Californias denial of his habeas corpus petition challenging a magistrate judges certification of his as extraditable to India for his alleged participation in terrorist attacks in Mumbai. Also Read: They didnt retaliate because': Jaishankar slams Congress for inaction despite 26/11 Under the limited scope of habeas review of an extradition order, the panel held that Ranas alleged offense fell within the terms of the extradition treaty between the United States and India, which included a Non Bis in Idem (double jeopardy) exception to extraditability when the person sought has been convicted or acquitted in the Requested State for the offence for which extradition is requested. Also Read: India asks Pakistan to hand over 26/11 terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed Relying on the plain text of the treaty, the State Departments technical analysis, and persuasive case law of other circuits, the panel held that the word offence refers to a charged crime, rather than underlying acts, and requires an analysis of the elements of each crime. The panel of three judges concluded that a co-conspirators plea agreement did not compel a different result. The panel held that the Non Bis in Idem exception did not apply because the Indian charges contained distinct elements from the crimes for which Rana was acquitted in the United States. In its ruling, the panel also held that India provided sufficient competent evidence to support the magistrate judges finding of probable cause that Rana committed the charged crimes. The three panel of judges were Milan D Smith, Bridget S Bade, and Sidney A Fitzwater. Rana, a Pakistani national, was tried in a US district court on charges related to his support for a terrorist organisation that carried out large scale terrorist attacks in Mumbai. A jury convicted Rana of providing material support to a foreign terrorist organisation and conspiring to provide material support to a foiled plot to carry out terrorist attacks in Denmark. However, the jury acquitted Rana of conspiring to provide material support to terrorism related to the attacks in India. After Rana served seven years in prison for those convictions and upon his compassionate release, India issued a request for his extradition to try him for his alleged participation in the Mumbai attacks. Before the magistrate judge who initially decided Ranas extraditability (the extradition court), Rana argued that the US extradition treaty with India protected him from extradition because of its Non Bis in Idem (double jeopardy) provision. He also argued that India did not provide sufficient evidence to demonstrate probable cause that he committed the charged crimes. The extradition court rejected Ranas arguments and certified that he was extraditable. After Rana raised the same arguments in a habeas petition in district court (the habeas court), the habeas court affirmed the extradition courts findings of facts and conclusions of law. In his appeal, Rana argued that he cannot be extradited based on conduct for which he was acquitted in the United States because the word offence refers to underlying acts. The US government argued that offence refers to a charged crime and requires an analysis of the elements of each charged crime. Thus, according to the government, the Treaty permits Ranas extradition because the Indian charges contain distinct elements from the crimes for which he was acquitted in the United States. Judge Smith said that the Treatys plain terms, the post-ratification understanding of the signatories, and persuasive precedent all support the governments interpretation. Rana argued, however, that, based on the governments interpretation of the Treaty in Headleys plea agreement, we should judicially estop the government from advocating for its current interpretation of the Treaty. We decline to do so, Judge Smith said. Because the parties do not dispute that the crimes charged in India have elements independent from those under which Rana was prosecuted in the United States, the Treaty permits Ranas extradition, Judge Smith said. Rana has the option of appealing against this ruling. He still has not run out of all the legal options to prevent his extradition to India. Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez, second from left, with his attorney Alexandra Kazarian, makes an initial court appearance at the Santa Clara County Hall of Justice on March 2, 2022. Velasquez on Friday pleaded no contest to charges that he shot at a car containing three people. Aric Crabb/Associated Press Cain Velasquez celebrates his victory over Travis Browne during the UFC 200 event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in 2016. Velasquez, now retired from fighting, pleaded no contest in Santa Clara County to charges that he shot at a car that contained three people. Rey Del Rio/TNS Two-time UFC champion Cain Velasquez pleaded no contest to attempted murder for a 2022 vigilante shooting in which he targeted a man who is accused of molesting his relative, but instead shot and wounded the mans stepfather, prosecutors said Friday. Velasquez, 42, also pleaded no contest to felony assault and other gun-related charges, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorneys Office. The Salinas native faces an unspecified amount of prison time. A sentencing date has not been scheduled. As part of the plea deal, a previous allegation of premeditation has been dropped, according to Aaron French, a deputy district attorney for Santa Clara County. French added that a judge could still sentence Velasquez to life in prison based on the gun charges. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The shooting occurred during a high-speed chase along the streets of Morgan Hill and San Jose on Feb. 28, 2022, according to the DAs office and previous Chronicle reporting. While at an intersection in Morgan Hill, Velasquez began firing at the car carrying Paul Bender, Harry Goularte, 43, who continues to face felony child molestation charges, and his mother Patricia Goularte, the DAs office said. As the three tried to flee from Velasquez, he rammed them and continued to fire gunshots, striking Bender, Goulartes stepfather, in the arm as they drove past Charter School of Morgan Hill. Velasquez was stopped and arrested by Morgan Hill Police, the DAs office said. Prosecutors said a review of Velasquezs phone after his arrest revealed he searched for topics such as sexual assault case where victims family fights back and sexual assault cases where victims family retaliates. After the plea Friday, Bender told the Mercury News, In a case like today when he changes his plea to guilty to 10 violent felonies involving a gun, and our system allows him to go free? How in Gods name is that possible? Im looking for someone to explain that to me. Harry Goularte was uninjured during the attack. He is out of custody after a judge released him under the supervised own recognizance release program with GPS monitoring, according to the DAs office, which also said it objected to Goulartes release. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In a statement Friday, Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen emphasized that Velasquez couldve injured more bystanders. This defendant decided to become judge, jury, and executioner, said Rosen. His actions endangered innocent bystanders, including young children and their parents who could have been injured or killed as he shot at his intended victim. We have excellent law enforcement in this county. Let them do their jobs. Velasquez retired from the UFC following a bout with Francis Ngannou on Feb. 17, 2019, which Velasquez lost. External affairs minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Saturday called for the need to reform multilateralism. During his address at the third India-hosted virtual Voice of the Global South Summit, the minister said,"There is a crying need to reform multilateralism if we are to revive its credibility. No nation really differs with this assessment. But an inability to take that forward in respect of the United Nations is costing us more with each passing day." External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar during the 1st Foreign Ministers' Session on the theme - Charting a Unique Paradigm for the Global South at the 3rd Voice Of Global South Summit, in New Delhi, Saturday,(PTI) Here are top 10 things Jaishankar said in his address:- 1. Jaishankar said that access to finance and tech remained the keys to unlock the development potential of the Global South. We must encourage a more proactive and willing culture in that regard. India, for example, is sharing India Stack and Digital Public Infrastructure solutions, and undertaking development projects in almost 80 nations, many of them as grants. You will recall our contribution of vaccines to almost a 100 countries during the Covid-19 pandemic, he said. ALSO READ: Jaishankar on resolving India-China tensions: Not looking to other countries 2. Citing the International Solar Alliance, Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, Global Biofuel Alliance, Mission LIFE or International Big Cat Alliance, the minister called for greater willingness for acting on issues of common interest. 3. Referring to the increasing use of financial sanctions, Jaishankar said,"We have all experienced how our exposures and vulnerabilities are leveraged. At the same time, there has also been an increasing use of sanctions, especially financial. This will continue till we develop other options." ALSO READ: Jaishankar's veiled jab at Pakistan: Perpetrators, facilitators of terrorism 4. For us in the Global South, the lesson is to intensify our own interactions. This means more trade, investments, collaboration, training, etc. Trade settlements in our own currencies and fintech solutions are also desirable, he added. 5. Earlier in the first session, Jaishankar had referred to the Covid-19 pandemic, conflicts and climate events. He stressed on the need for reliable and resilient supply chains. 6. He also called for the need to diversify production itself in various domains to de-risk the international economy. What we earlier argued for in terms of socio-economic justice is today an equally compelling logic for the entire world in terms of predictability, Jaishankar added. 7. The risks of climate change, the cost of transition pathways and accessibility to resources are the three big issues of the ongoing debate. During our G20 Presidency, we strove to highlight Just Energy Transitions, the external affairs minister said. We must work together as a family towards facilitating the flow of low-cost financing and critical technologies to the Global South, he added. 8. Citing global critical challenges, Jaishankar said that solutions did not come from the multilateral domain. The reason is both the obsolescence and the polarization of multilateral organizations. Here too, India has argued for reformed multilateralism and sought reform of Multilateral Development Banks through the G20. As a group, we need to press home our case, the minister said. 9. Jaishankar lauded digital public infrastructure as the key driver of the transformation in India. 10. Jaishankar said some of the country's experiences will be of interest to Global South partners. They could also benefit from intra-South digital exchanges and cooperation. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has set a target of enrolling at least 100 million new members as part of its membership drive that is set to begin from September 1 across all states except in the poll-bound states and Union territory. The membership drive will be held in phases from September 1 to November 10 and will allow individuals to sign up through a missed call, the partys website and other digital platforms, said lawmaker and party spokesperson Sambit Patra. (PTI) The decision was taken at a meeting of the partys national and state office bearers on Saturday. The membership drive also sets the stage for the election of a new party chief. The meeting was attended by party president JP Nadda, Union home minister Amit Shah, presidents and office bearers of all states, except the election-bound Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Maharashtra and Jharkhand, and senior party leaders. The membership process will be overseen by national general secretary Vinod Tawde. The membership drive will be held in phases from September 1 to November 10 and will allow individuals to sign up through a missed call, the partys website and other digital platforms, said lawmaker and party spokesperson Sambit Patra. It will be held in the poll-bound states and Union territory after the elections and the overall numbers are expected to rise further. Patra said about 110 million people signed up as members of the party in 2014 and about 70 million in 2019 when the membership drive was opened for a limited period. Between 2014 to 2019 about 18 crore members signed up as members. The membership drive was due, but because of the pandemic we could not go ahead, he said. The BJP, which claims to be the largest political entity globally with 180 million members, was established on April 6, 1980. It is currently in power at the Centre for the third consecutive term with support from its allies that together make up the National Democratic Alliance. Amit Shah told the attendees that the BJP, unlike the other parties, works for the development of the country. He said since the day it was established, the party workers have not pursued rajnaitik sukh (political comforts) but followed the path of sangharsh (struggle)... we will keep struggling and work relentlessly for the county, Patra said. Addressing the media, Patra said the party despite having grown in numbers continues to adhere to the democratic process of having organisational polls and membership drives, which in turn sets it apart from 1,500 other parties. ...We are a living party. We work for our renewal, he said. The party has also deputed leaders as in-charges to oversee the drive in various states and Union territories. Tawde has the charge of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli; national general secretary Dushyant Gautam will oversee operations in West Bengal, Sikkim, Tripura, and Odisha; national vice-president Rekha Verma will handle the campaign in Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Ladakh, and Chandigarh. State president of Andhra Pradesh D Purandeshwari has the charge of Kerala, Puducherry, and Tamil Nadu; national secretary Arvind Menon of Andaman and Nicobar, Andhra Pradesh, Lakshadweep, and Telangana; former lawmaker Rajdeep Roy for Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Nagaland; national secretary, Vijaya Rahatkar will oversee Chhattisgarh and Karnataka; national secretary Rituraj Sinha will oversee the campaign in Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat and Ghaziabad MP Atul Garg will be in charge of Uttarakhand and Bihar, people aware of the details said. The process of the membership drive will lead to organisational appointments in states, which in turn will set the stage for the election of a new party chief. Naddas tenure came to an ended in January this year but he was given an extension to continue in office till the election of a new chief. The partys parliamentary board approved the extension in January. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has set a target of enrolling at least 10 crore new members as part of its membership drive that is set to begin from September 1 across all states except in the poll-bound states and Union territory. The decision was taken at a meeting of the partys national and state office bearers on Saturday. The membership drive also sets the stage for the election of a new party chief. BJP president JP Nadda and Union home minister Amit Shah attend the partys national office-bearers meeting in Delhi on Saturday. (ANI) The meeting was attended by party president and Union health minister JP Nadda, Union home Minister Amit Shah, presidents and office bearers of all states, except the election bound states of Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Maharashtra and Jharkhand, and senior party leaders. The membership process will be overseen by national general secretary Vinod Tawde. The membership drive will be held in phases from September 1 to November 10 and will allow individuals to sign up through a missed call, partys website and other digital platforms, said lawmaker and party spokesperson Sambit Patra. It will be held in the poll-bound states and Union territory post elections and the overall numbers are expected to rise further. Patra said about 11 crore people signed up as members of the party in 2014 and about 7 crore in 2019 when the membership drive was opened for a limited period. Between 2014 and 2019, about 18 crore members signed up as members. The membership drive was due, but because of the pandemic we could not go ahead, he said. The BJP, which claims to be the largest political entity globally with 18 crore members, was established on April 6 in 1980. It is currently in power at the Centre for the third consecutive term with support from its allies that together make up the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Amit Shah told the attendees that the BJP, unlike the other parties works for the development of the country. He said since the day it was established, the party workers have not pursued rajnaitik sukh (political comforts) but followed the path of sangharsh (struggle)... we will keep struggling and work relentlessly for the county, Patra said. Addressing the media, Patra said the party despite having grown in numbers continues to adhere to the democratic process of having organisational polls and membership drives, which in turn sets it apart from 1,500 other parties. ...We are a living party. We work for our renewal, he said. The party has also deputed leaders as in-charges to oversee the drive in various states and Union territories. Tawde has charge of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli; national general secretary Dushyant Gautam will oversee operations in West Bengal, Sikkim, Tripura, and Odisha; national vice-pesident Rekha Verma will handle the campaign in Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Ladakh, and Chandigarh. State president of Andhra Pradesh, D Purandeshwari, has charge of Kerala, Puducherry, and Tamil Nadu; national secretary Arvind Menon has charge of Andaman and Nicobar, Andhra Pradesh, Lakshadweep, and Telangana; former lawmaker Rajdeep Roy for Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Nagaland; national secretary, Vijaya Rahatkar will oversee Chhattisgarh and Karnataka; national secretary Rituraj Sinha will oversee the campaign in Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat and Ghaziabad MP Atul Garg will be in charge of Uttarakhand and Bihar, said people aware of the details. The process of membership drive will lead to the organisational appointments in states which in turn will set the stage for the election of a new party chief. Naddas tenure ended in January this year but was extended to continue in office till the election of a new party chief. The partys parliamentary board approved the extension in January. As per the partys constitution, the first step is to conduct the membership drive and organisational elections from the Mandal (the smallest unit) to the state level which is then followed by elections to pick the new national president. The electoral college consists of National Council and State Council members. 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. New Delhi, The Supreme Court is scheduled to pronounce on August 20 its order on the pleas against the 2023 Calcutta High Court verdict in which it acquitted an accused in a sexual assault case and made "objectionable" observations advising adolescent girls to "control sexual urges". Cal HC's "control sexual urges" advice to girls: SC to pronounce verdict on suo motu plea on Aug 20 The top court had on December 8 last year criticised the verdict and termed as "highly objectionable and completely unwarranted" some observations made by the high court. The apex court had taken cognisance of some of the observations made by a division bench of the high court and initiated a writ petition on its own, observing that judges are not expected to "preach" while writing judgements. The bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan is likely to pronounce its verdict on August 20 on the appeal filed by the West Bengal government against the October 18, 2023 verdict of the high court along with the suo motu petition. In its judgement, the high court had observed that female adolescents should "control sexual urges" as in the "eyes of the society she is the loser when she gives in to enjoy the sexual pleasure of hardly two minutes". The high court had made the observations while hearing an appeal by a man who was awarded a 20-year sentence for sexual assault. The high court had acquitted the man. While hearing the matter on January 4, the apex court had observed that certain paragraphs in the high court verdict were "problematic" and writing such judgements was "absolutely wrong". In its order passed on December 8 last year, the apex court referred to certain observations made by the high court and said, "Prima facie, the said observations are completely in violation of the rights of the adolescents guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India." It had observed the issue before the high court was about the legality and validity of the order and judgement dated September 19/20, 2022 by which a man was convicted of offences under sections 363 and 366 of the Indian Penal Code as well as section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. "As per the order of the Chief Justice of India, suo motu writ petition under Article 32 of the Constitution of India has been initiated mainly due to sweeping observations/findings recorded by the division bench of the high court of Calcutta in the impugned judgment," it had said. The apex court had said in the appeal against conviction, the high court was called upon to adjudicate only on the merits of the appeal and nothing else. "But we find that the high court has discussed so many issues which were irrelevant. Prima facie, we are of the view that while writing a judgment in such an appeal, the judges are not expected to express their personal views. They are not expected to preach," it had said. In its verdict, the high court had acquitted the man stating that it was a case of "non-exploitative consensual sexual relationship between two consenting adolescents, though consent in view of the age of the victim is immaterial". The high court had said it is the duty/obligation of every female adolescent to "protect her right to the integrity of her body; protect her dignity and self-worth; thrive for the overall development of herself transcending gender barriers; control sexual urge/urges as in the eyes of the society she is the loser when she gives in to enjoy the sexual pleasure of hardly two minutes; protect her right to autonomy of her body and her privacy". "It is the duty of a male adolescent to respect the aforesaid duties of a young girl or woman and he should train his mind to respect a woman, her self-worth, her dignity and privacy, and her right to autonomy of her body," the high court had said. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. A team of experts from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) in Delhi has been sent to Kolkata to conduct a psycho-analysis test and a layered voice analysis test of the man accused of raping and killing a 31-year-old doctor at the citys RG Kar Hospital, officials familiar with the matter said on Saturday. Doctors hold posters and shout slogans during a protest march demanding justice following the rape and murder of a trainee medic at a hospital in Kolkata, in Ahmedabad, India, August 17, 2024. REUTERS/Amit Dave(REUTERS) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), that dispatched the team to West Bengal as part of its probe into the case, is also planning to approach the court seeking permission as is mandatory to conduct lie-detection (also known as polygraph) test on the accused, Sanjay Roy, the officials said. Also read: Kolkata doctor rape-murder: What did CBI ask ex-principal during marathon interrogation? 10 points A special team from the psychological and behavioural analysis unit of CFSL has already reached Kolkata on Saturday to conduct psychoanalysis and layered voice analysis tests, said an officer, adding that such tests help investigators analyse if a person is concealing any information or not. A 25-member team from the central agency is station in Kolkata to complete its probe into the case. Separately, the agency interrogation the former principal of RG Kar Hospital, Dr Sandip Ghosh, continued for a second consecutive day on Saturday. Ghosh reached the Salt Lake CBI office at around 10.30am on Saturday, people familiar with the matter said. The body of the 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor was found inside a seminar hall of the state-run hospital on August 9. Roy, a civic volunteer, was arrested in the case a day later. Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He met the prime minister along with Union civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu and minister of state for communications and rural development Dr. Chandrashekhar Pemmasani. During the meeting, Naidu thanked PM Modi for key Union Budget announcements, including an allocation of 15,000 crore for new capital's development. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief discussed Andhra Pradesh's financial status with the prime minister in detail and sought more central government support to tackle fiscal challenges, boost economic activity and increase the state's GDP. ALSO READ: View: Why PM Modi's third term is historic, and why Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar won't dump BJP? Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. According to an official data, Andhra Pradesh's public debt has risen from 31.02 per cent of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) in 2019-20 to 33.32 per cent in 2023-24, indicating worsening fiscal health over the last five years. Naidu is likely to meet Home Minister Amit Shah and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on his second day of the visit to the national capital. Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu (extreme left) and MoS rural development Dr. Chandrashekhar Pemmasani. My govt preparing Vision 2047 for Viksit Andhra Pradesh: Naidu The Andhra CM in his Independence Day address on Thursday said that like the Centre's ambitious plan of Viksit Bharat by 2047, his government was also preparing its Vision 2047 for a developed Andhra Pradesh by 2047. The Telugu Desam Party with 16 MPs is a key ally of the Prime Minister Modi-led NDA government. In the Andhra Pradesh assembly elections, the TDP won 135 seats while Pawan Kalyan-led Jana Sena Party bagged 21 and the BJP won eight seats. Last month, Naidu had met the prime minister in the national capital. Today, I had a constructive meeting with the Hon'ble Prime Minister, Shri @narendramodi Ji, in Delhi to address important matters concerning the welfare and development of Andhra Pradesh. I am confident that under his leadership, our state will re-emerge as a powerhouse among states, Naidu had said in a post on social platform X. UPSC lateral entry notification: The Narendra Modi government's push to recruit 45 senior-level officers through the lateral entry mode has triggered a political storm, with opposition leaders accusing the government of systematically undermining the reservation system that safeguards opportunities for marginalised communities in India. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge with senior party leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav.(ANI / File) Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that the move is a deliberate attempt by the BJP to sideline Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), Other Backward Classes (OBCs), and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) from crucial government positions. In a post in Hindi on X, Kharge said, "BJP, which has ripped apart the Constitution, has made a double attack on reservation!" "Under a well-planned conspiracy, the BJP is deliberately making such recruitments in jobs so that SC, ST, OBC classes can be kept away from reservation," the Congress president alleged. Read: 57 lateral entrants at joint secretary, director, deputy secretary levels: Govt Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav, a key ally of Congress in Bihar, condemned the move as a "dirty joke" on the reservation system and the Constitution drafted by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. Yadav underscored that if these 45 posts were filled through the traditional civil services examination, nearly half of them would have been reserved for SC, ST, and OBC candidates. By opting for lateral entry, the government, according to Yadav, is effectively denying these communities their rightful share in governance. In the last election, the prime minister, his stooge parties in Bihar and their leaders used to claim with great pomp that no one can take away their rights by ending reservation, but in front of their eyes, with their support and cooperation, the rights of the deprived, neglected and poor sections are being robbed, Tejashwi Yadav posted in Hindi on X. "Wake up "Dalit-OBC-Tribal and poor general class" wake up! In the name of Hindu they are usurping your rights and dividing your rights," he added. UPSC Civil Services Main Exam 2024 schedule out at upsc.gov.in, check timetable here UPSC advertises 45 posts The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Saturday advertised 45 posts -- 10 of joint secretaries and 35 of directors/deputy secretaries -- to be filled through the lateral entry mode on contract basis. Usually, such posts are manned by the officers of all-India services -- the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Forest Service (IFoS) -- and other Group A services, among others. The lateral entry initiative, introduced by the Modi government in 2018, aims to bring specialised talent from the private sector and other non-governmental organisations into the government. The government argues that the rationale behind this move is to infuse fresh perspectives and expertise into the administration, thereby enhancing the efficiency of governance. So far, 63 appointments have been made through lateral entry out of which 35 appointments were from the private sector. At present, 57 officers are in positions in ministries/departments, according to the latest data. However, this method of recruitment has been controversial from the outset, with critics arguing that it bypasses the reservation system entrenched in the Indian Constitution. The opposition sees this as a direct affront to the principles of social justice, which mandate that a certain percentage of government jobs be reserved for historically marginalised communities to correct historical injustices. Growing up in Manipurs capital Imphal shy and reticent, Santa Khurai could have never imagined she would one day be travelling around the country, writing a book, or louding raising her voice for the rights of trangender people. In her quest to ensure a better life for Indias lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI) communities, she works with various domestic and international organisations such as the United Nations, focussing on the socio - cultural and political identity of the queer and transgender groups in northeast India, a region ravaged by militancy and heavy military presence. Santa Khurais work is focussed on getting more recognition to the lives of queer people in the Northeast. From a very early age, I felt that I was a girl and not a boy. I was in the 6th or 7th standard when I came out as a girl. The moment I did that, I started getting bullied, and faced bias and negativity both from the family and society, she said. The fourth among seven siblings, Khurai faced violence from a young age getting beaten up by boys in her neighbourhood. I was even raped by a neighbour when I was in Class 6, she said. In her family, her father was a strict disciplinarian who didnt approve of her putting on makeup or dressing up. These incidents led me to start hating men, including my father who was very against my feminine nature. My mother used to love me, and my siblings were also tolerant, but they didnt have the courage to stand up against my father, Khurai said. Education was the road to her freedom, as was exploration of her identity. I was good at studies, especially English. Slowly when I started meeting other people from the community in Imphal, I got to know about their issues. For that I would get all the backlash for being vocal against any discrimination, she added. Khurai is very particular about her gender identity and her Manipuri background, identifying herself as a Nupi Maanbi, a Meitei word for a transgender woman. People of the Northeast havent experienced what true independence is as our people still face racism when they go to other parts of their country. This is happening even after more than seven decades of Independence. We look different from other Indians and our culture and history is also very different. Its high time people accept that and let us be the narrator of our narratives, said Khurai. The author of a 2023 book, The Yellow Sparrow, Khurai is vocal against laws such as the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, which is applicable to parts of northeast and gives security forces unbridled powers to detain, arrest or even shoot at someone based on suspicion. She has also spoken out against the violence in Manipur, saying that it had destroyed lives and divided society. But her lifes work is focussed on getting more recognition to the lives of queer people in the Northeast. The community in the Northeast are very awarebut we are not able to fully participate in the national movement and mobilisation because platforms meant for the community are occupied by mainland Indians. Language and cultural disparity could be a factor for this, she said. To ensure greater freedom for these marginalised groups, she stressed on the need for legislation to ensure their and assurances that such laws would be implemented in letter and spirit. My wish on this Independence Day is for the Centre to do a good review of the existing laws regarding our community and make them more LGBTQI friendly by inclusive, instead of being narrow and divisive. The six-digit PIN (postal index number) code system of addressing letters for their speedy sorting, transporting and delivery comes into effect from August 15, 1972. Letters, parcels and money orders addressed to 14,032 out of 100,000 post offices in the country will have to bear the new delivery code number assigned to them. The six-digit PIN code system came into effect from August 15, 1972. Under the system, The country was divided into eight postal regions. (Girish Srivastava/HT archive) The country has been divided into eight postal regions. The first digit of the code indicates the geographical region of the address. The second identifies the subregion and the route. The first three digits together indicate to the postal staff a central sorting point and distribution area. The last three digits identify the location of the delivery post office served by that central sorting point. While addressing letters, the code will have to be written after the name of the town or village and state in the last line of the address. Care is to be taken to leave a little space between the first three digits and the last three digits. For example, in PIN code 110001, the figure 1, will indicate the northern region, which consists of Delhi, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir circles. The Delhi circle will be identified by combining the first and the second digits (11), while 110 will mean Delhi town delivery and 110001 will identify the New Delhi GPO. The person behind the initiative is Shriram Bhikaji Velankar, additional secretary in the Union ministry of communications and a senior member of the Posts and Telegraphs Board. Under the old system, a mail sorter had to remember over 4,000 names of post offices, sub-offices and branch offices to clear the mass of mail pouring in. Then there were problems of incomplete addresses and towns with the same names. The changeover to the new system had also become necessary because of the rising volume of mail. The Posts and Telegraphs Department handled about 6,457 million postal articles during 1970-71. This system has been adopted in 18 countries since 1961 and is imperative for the dispatch of mail from one central sorting point to another central distribution point. Individuals and business houses will have to ascertain the code for their own addresses from the nearest post office. In New Delhi, telephone calls to 384746 will dispel doubts regarding the code classification of addresses. Communications minister HN Bahuguna said Arabic numerals should be used in writing the code number so that language barriers do not delay the sorting. Inland letter forms and post cards would have a cage printed on the last line for the code to be filled in. For instance, an address in Kohima will have the code 797001. The last line of the address will be Nagaland 797001. Bahuguna said that in 10 years the main communication routes in the country would have coaxial cable and microwave links as parallel systems of telecommunication. Broadband microwave links (1,800 circuits each) would be established over 1,300km between Poona and Hyderabad, and between Bombay and Nagpur this year. About 300 new telephone exchanges will be opened next year to serve 120,000 new connections. Another 1,200 public telephones will be commissioned this year. Bahuguna said that 84 village post offices in the country, which did not yet have even one weekly mail delivery facility, would have it by August 15. In 1955, rural post offices without the weekly delivery system numbered 26,428. About 10,000 experimental post offices opened in new locations will continue to operate during the 25th anniversary year of Independence. Crowds of Indian doctors dressed in white coats came as if ready for work on Saturday but instead stood outside hospitals demanding justice after the rape and murder of a colleague. Furious Indian doctors mourn the rape and murder of a colleague "We just want to be safe while we are doing our duty," said Sapna Rani, a 27-year-old woman doctor in the capital New Delhi who took part in a 24-hour nationwide strike by medics. "The hospital is the last place where we should have to worry about our safety." The killing of the 31-year-old doctor, whose bloodied body was discovered on August 9 at a state-run hospital in the eastern city of Kolkata, has focused rage at the chronic issue of violence against women. At Delhi's Ram Manohar Lohia public hospital, usually one of the capital's busiest, Rani said the "doctor-to-patient" ratio was so abysmal that shifts often lasted 36 hours. "And after that, there is no proper place to rest," she said, describing how doctors took breaks in "wheelchairs and stretchers". The murdered doctor in Kolkata was found in the teaching hospital's seminar hall, suggesting she had gone there for a break during a 36-hour-long shift. Hospital security staff say that they regularly witness violent behaviour by angry patients and relatives who would run out of patience, waiting for hours in long queues in the heat. "Just the other day, an angry relative of a patient slapped a female guard," said Gopal Bisht, a security supervisor at Delhi's Lady Hardinge Hospital. The usual busy hubbub of patients was replaced by protest chants on Saturday. Women doctors held up placards outside hospitals, chanting slogans demanding justice. Male colleagues joined in. The gruesome nature of the attack has invoked comparisons with the horrific 2012 gang rape and murder of a young woman on a Delhi bus. It has sparked widespread outrage in a country where sexual violence against women is endemic. An average of nearly 90 rapes a day were reported in 2022 in the country of 1.4 billion people. The wider public has also marched in several cities this week, including at a candlelight midnight rally in Kolkata. Doctors say the protests are also to highlight "systemic issues" plaguing India's overstretched public healthcare infrastructure. Such issues, the protesting doctors said, compromise the "safety and security of healthcare workers". Doctors working in public institutions say that violence against healthcare workers has become so commonplace that people have become "desensitised" to it. "What happened in Kolkata was not a one-off incident," said Pankhuri Sharma, 24, a doctor-in-training at a state-run hospital in Delhi. "Violence and molestation is an everyday affair," she said. Her senior, 27-year-old gynaecologist Akanksha Tyagi, said it was "deplorable" that "it took the life of a doctor" for people to take notice. sai/pjm/pbt This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. Michael Eugene Mullen, 75, was charged with one count of murder in the Nov. 15, 1973, sexual assault and killing of Nina Nadine Fischer, 31, in Marin County. Rafe Swan/Getty Image Police arrested a man in Idaho for allegedly killing a woman in her San Rafael home, 50 years ago. Michael Eugene Mullen, 75, was charged with one count of murder in the Nov. 15, 1973, sexual assault and killing of Nina Nadine Fischer, 31, according to the Marin County Sheriffs Office. Her husband was away at work at the time. The Daily Independent Journal reported at the time that Fischer was killed in her home on Point San Pedro Road bound, gagged and shot twice on the floor of the master bedroom. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Her husband, Gunnar Fischer, 31, found her body that evening upon returning home from working in San Francisco, according to the paper. The couples 2-year-old daughter was found unharmed in another room. The case went cold due to a lack of leads, the Marin County Sheriffs Office wrote in a release. In 2021, the Marin County Sheriffs Office sought help from the California Department of Justice Familial Search Program to help with investigative leads. With DNA evidence, the Marin County Sheriffs Office identified the suspect as Mullen, an Idaho resident. He was arrested and booked on a murder charge and is awaiting extradition in California, according to the news release. Due to medical conditions, Mullen was taken to an Idaho hospital under law enforcement custody and has not been transported to the jail yet, said Marin County Sheriffs Office public information officer Sgt. Adam Schermerhorn. It was not clear if Mullen and Fischer knew one another, Schermerhorn said. The government will form a committee to suggest measures for ensuring safety of healthcare professionals, the Union health ministry said on Saturday, amid protests by several medical associations across the country over the brutal rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor at a hospital in Kolkata. A nationwide protest erupted soon after the body of a trainee doctor was found in a seminar hall of the RG Kar hospital in Kolkata on the morning of August 9. (Anshuman Poyrekar/ HT Photoi) The committee will consult with all stakeholders, including state governments, seeking suggestions for a concrete solution, the ministry said. In view of the concerns expressed by the associations, the ministry assured them of constituting a committee to suggest all such possible measures for ensuring the safety of healthcare professionals. Representatives of all stakeholders, including the state governments, will be invited to share their suggestions with the committee, a statement from the ministry said. Representatives of the Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA), Indian Medical Association (IMA) and resident doctors associations of government medical colleges and hospitals of Delhi met Union health minister JP Nadda in the wake of the Kolkata incident. The associations have put forth their demands regarding the safety and security of healthcare workers at their workplaces, the ministry said in a statement. The ministry has heard the demands and assured the doctors associations of all possible efforts to ensure the security of healthcare professionals. The representatives of the associations were informed that the government is well aware of the situation and sensitive to their demands, the statement said. According to the health ministry, 26 states have already passed legislation for protection of health care workers in their respective states. The health ministry also requested the agitating doctors to resume their duties as early as possible. The ministry requested the agitating doctors to resume their duties in the larger public interest and in view of the rising cases of dengue and malaria, the statement said. The nationwide protests erupted soon after the body of the trainee doctor was found in a seminar hall of the RG Kar hospital in Kolkata on the morning of August 9. A 31-year-old civic volunteer has been arrested in the case, while the Central Bureau of Investigation is probing the case. The response is overwhelming from every corner of the country. Doctors stand united against this injustice. The protest is there, taking care of the emergency services and the casualties. The medical profession has stood united across the country. Across all the sectors whether its private, government, or corporate doctors are in protest. We are paying international attention to this issue because this involves the issue of the safety of women, said RV Asokan, national president, Indian Medical Association. New Delhi, The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union has been staging an indefinite hunger strike, which entered its sixth day on Saturday with the health of several protestors deteriorating, according to the students body. Hunger strike at JNU enters 6th day, health of protesting students deteriorate: JNUSU The students have been protesting on the campus against purported unresponsiveness of the JNU administration over their charter of demands since August 11. When contacted, JNU Vice-Chancellor Santishree D Pandit said the varsity does not have a notified students union and that some of the demands raised by the protesting students cannot be accepted due to a funding crunch, while others require the courts intervention and are beyond her authority. "There is no officially notified students union in the JNU currently. So, they should first go and get themselves notified by the High Court ," Pandit told PTI. "Secondly, the demands that they have raised are practically impossible to accept. They want me to increase the MCM scholarship but how can I do that given the funding crunch that we are facing. For matters related to the reinstatement of gender sensitisation committee or revocation of proctorial inquiries, it is beyond my authority to do anything. I can't do contempt of court by fulfilling these demands," she added. In a statement, the JNUSU claimed that its president Dhananjay "is showing pre-jaundice symptoms and his condition is critical as the hunger strike has entered its sixth day. Ranvijay is dangerously weak and severely dehydrated. Shubham is suffering from typhoid, which has caused high fever and a dangerously low pulse rate." It complained that the vice-chancellor has not met the protesting students even as the university administration claimed that the medical staff of the university and Dean of Students have been regularly checking on the students and urging them to end the hunger strike. Responding to the VC's statement, Dhananjay told PTI, "She has on several occasions called the JNUSU in her office as an official body to talk about student issues. Her statement that there is no JNUSU is a lame excuse. Moreover, it is saddening that she's unbothered about the health of students on hunger strike since past six days. She hasn't met us once instead she is focused on delegitimizing us." The students have been demanding an increase in the Merit-cum-Means scholarship to at least 5,000, the opening of Barak Hostel, which has remained non-operational since its inauguration in February, and the revocation of the Chief Proctor's Office manual which penalises protests on campus with fines upto 20,000. Their demands also include reinstatement of the Gender Sensitisation Committee Against Sexual Harassment , and the withdrawal of proctorial inquiries initiated against the students protesting for water and gender justice issues. The 2019 JNUSU results were challenged in the High Court. After a gap of four years, the JNU held its students union elections in March with a coalition of Left groups and BSA coming to power. The results were later challenged in the court over position of the general secretary. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. Former Jharkhand chief minister and incumbent water resources minister Champai Soren on Saturday rejected rumours of him joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the assembly elections. I dont know what rumours are being spread. I dont know what news is being run so I cannot tell whether its true or not, I dont know anything about it...Hum jahan par hain vahi par hain (I am here only), Soren, who served as CM in the absence of Hemant Soren, was quoted by ANI as saying. Hemant Soren was forced to resign as chief minister on January 31 before being arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in an alleged land scam case. In his absence, Champai Soren served as the chief minister from February 2 to July 3. On June 28, Hemant Soren was granted bail by the Jharkhand high court in the case. On July 4, he was sworn in as the chief minister once again. In his cabinet, the 49-year-old leader included Champai Soren, who was allotted the Water Resources Department, besides Higher Education and Technical Education portfolios. Champai Soren served as Jharkhand's chief minister from February 2 to July 3. What was Champai Soren's fault?': BJP The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party has been critical of the JMM leadership over how Champai Soren was replaced as the CM. He is a huge personality... 3.5 crore people of Jharkhand were happy with his work... But the way he was removed from the CM post, was unfortunate. It was a setback that a good person was removed from the CM's chair. What was his fault? BJP MP Deepak Prakash told ANI, while noting that inclusion of Champai Soren in the party depends on the central leadership. ALSO READ: What was Champai Soren's fault?: Shivraj Chouhan jabs Hemant Soren on return as Jharkhand CM Earlier in the day, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is the election co-incharge for the state, had refused to give a firm indication on the speculations. "No one is in touch with us yet. I am also hearing these reports from the channels. Champai Soren is a very senior leader, I do not want to make any informal comment about him," he was quoted by ANI as saying. Later in a post on X, Sarma said, "If any work was done in the 5 years of JMM-Cong in Jharkhand, it was done only during the 6 months of Champai Soren's tenure. Now Champai ji's photo has disappeared from every advertisement." (With agency inputs) Karnataka Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot on Saturday granted permission to prosecute chief minister Siddaramaiah over alleged irregularities in land allotment by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), a decision the state government called unconstitutional and in violation of protocols. Siddaramaiah ruled out resigning and vowed to wage a legal battle against what he termed an unconstitutional move. (PTI) The allegations centre on claims that MUDA in 2021 allocated sites to the chief ministers wife in exchange for land acquired from her in Mysuru. Siddaramaiah, however, ruled out resigning and vowed to wage a legal battle against what he termed an unconstitutional move. The Governors secretariat, in a six-page communication dated August 17, informed chief secretary Shalini Rajneesh of the decision. The move was based on petitions filed by social activists from Bengaluru and Mysuru. State revenue minister Krishna Byre Gowda argued that the governors sanction is illegal, stating, The sanction can be granted if the investigating officer seeks permission when prima facie there is an actual commission of offence. The decision comes ahead of a special court hearing on August 20 on a related petition. There are allegations that Siddaramaiah misused his office to unlawfully acquire 14 plots in Vijayanagar area of Mysuru, which were of a higher value than the properties that his wife gave as part of the exchange. Citing the Madhya Pradesh police establishment case and a 2004 Supreme Court ruling, the Governor remarked: I am satisfied that sanction can be accorded against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on the allegations. In his sanction order, Governor Gehlot justified his decision, stating that the evidence supporting the allegations prima facie indicated the commission of offences. He dismissed the state cabinets advice as irrational and called for a neutral, objective, and non-partisan investigation. He added: Upon perusal of the petition along with the materials in support of the allegations in the petitions and subsequent reply of Siddaramaiah and the advice of the state cabinet along with the legal opinion, it seems to me that there are two versions in relation to the same set of facts. He further added, It is necessary that a neutral, objective, and non-partisan investigation be conducted. I am prima facie satisfied that the allegations and the supporting materials disclose the commission of offences. Siddaramaiah, a 76-year-old senior Congress leader, firmly rejected calls for his resignation. This is an unconstitutional move, and we will challenge it legally, he said. He alleged a broader conspiracy involving the BJP, JD(S), and certain Karnataka leaders to destabilise his government. Tell me why and for what reason should I resign?... the Governor has to resign because he has acted as a puppet in the hands of the Government of India, he added. Siddaramaiah also highlighted the inaction against other leaders, noting that complaints against former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy, Murugesh Nirani, Shashikala Jolle, and Janardhan Reddy had not led to any steps by the Governor. He pointed out that although permission was sought in November to investigate Kumaraswamy for unauthorised mining licenses, no action was taken. Deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar also ruled out the possibility of Siddaramaiah resigning, saying, There is a conspiracy to misuse the governors office to destabilise the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in Karnataka. Revenue minister Gowda argued that the Governors sanction can only be granted when sought by an investigation agency. Only police officers have this power Has there been any police investigation (regarding the MUDA scam)? He said that the GoIs checklist, which includes verifying whether a complaint reveals undue advantage derived by a public servant, was not satisfied. No proof was submitted against the CMs role in the alleged scam. Gowda emphasised that for a Union minister or chief minister, the checklist specifies that permission for sanction of prosecution can only be sought by the Director General of Police. The prosecution sanction is totally illegal. It is a completely illegal order issued by the Governor, he said. The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanded Siddaramaiahs resignation to ensure a transparent investigation. State BJP president BY Vijayendra said, Given the substantial evidence and serious allegations of corruption and favouritism within the Congress government, it is crucial that the chief minister steps down. Tahawwur Rana, wanted for his involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, can be extradited to India, a US court held as it rejected the Pakistani-origin Canadian nationals plea against his extradition, a significant step in the quest for justice for the deadly 2008 strikes. Tahawwur Rana (ANI) Indian authorities have accused Rana of helping co-conspirator David Coleman Headley carry out reconnaissance of targets in Mumbai and providing logistical support to the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in orchestrating the attacks, which killed 166 people, including 24 foreign nationalsfive of them Americans. He was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in 2009 for being part of conspiracies to commit terrorist acts outside the US, including in Mumbai and Copenhagen. Under the limited scope of habeas review of an extradition order, the panel held that Ranas alleged offence fell within the terms of the extradition treaty between the United States and India, the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held on Friday (India time). In a charge sheet filed last year, the Mumbai polices crime branch said that Rana was not only a co-conspirator along with Headley, but that he actively participated in the plans to carry out the attacks. In June 2020, India had sought Ranas provisional arrest for his extradition, and the Biden administration supported it. On May 16, 2023, an extradition court certified his extradition to India. The 63-year-old then moved a habeas court in California, which rejected his petition on August 10, 2023. He then approached the circuit court. The panel [of judges] affirmed the district courts denial of Tahawwur Hussain Ranas habeas corpus petition challenging a magistrate judges certification of Rana as extraditable to India for his alleged participation in terrorist attacks in Mumbai, the circuit court said. To be sure, Rana has the option of appealing against the ruling. He still has not run out of all the legal options to prevent his extradition to India. In its ruling, the court held that India provided sufficient evidence to support the magistrate judges finding of probable cause that Rana committed the charged crimes. Before the magistrate judge who initially decided Ranas extraditability (the extradition court), Rana argued that the US extradition treaty with India protected him from extradition because of its Non Bis in Idem (double jeopardy) provision. He also argued that India did not provide sufficient evidence to demonstrate probable cause that he committed the charged crimes. The extradition court rejected Ranas arguments and certified that he was extraditable. After Rana raised the same arguments in a habeas petition in district court (the habeas court), the habeas court affirmed the extradition courts findings of facts and conclusions of law. As per US law, if Rana is not extradited to India, he will be deported to his home country, Canada, after the completion of his prison term in 2027. A group of 10 LeT terrorists simultaneously targeted multiple places in Indias financial hub, in an attack that spanned four days. All but one of the 10 attackers were killed, and Ajmal Kasab, who was part of the group, was captured alive. After initially refusing to accept his nationality, Pakistan acknowledged Kasab as a citizen. He confessed about his training by the LeT and was subsequently convicted and hanged in 2012. IMA's nationwide strike on August 17: The Indian Medical Association or IMA has announced a nationwide withdrawal of non-emergency medical services for 24 hours beginning at 6am on Saturday, August 17, to protest against the brutal rape and murder of a trainee woman doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. Doctor and nurse child PGI staged a candlelight march protest at Noida Sector 30 against the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College, on Friday. (Sunil Ghosh /Hindustan Times) On Friday, the IMA put forth five demands, including a thorough overhaul of the working and living conditions of resident doctors and a central law to check violence against healthcare professionals at workplaces. All essential services will be maintained and casualties will be manned, the IMA said in a statement. What are the 5 demands of IMA? The IMA demanded a thorough overhaul of the working and living conditions of resident doctors, including the 36-hour duty shift that the RG Kar hospital victim was in and the lack of safe spaces to take a rest. The IMA pushed for a central act that would incorporate the amendments made in 2023 to the Epidemic Diseases Act of 1897 into the proposed Hospital Protection Bill of 2019. This move, it believes, would strengthen the existing legislation in 25 states. The IMA has also suggested that an ordinance similar to the one enacted during the Covid-19 pandemic would be appropriate in this situation. The doctors' body also called for meticulous and professional investigation of the crime in a specific time-frame and rendering of justice besides identifying those involved in the vandalism of the RG Kar hospital premises on night of August 14 and awarding exemplary punishment. It also said the security protocols of all hospitals should be no less than an airport. Declaring the hospitals as safe zones with mandatory security entitlements is the first step. CCTV cameras, deployment of security personnel and the protocols can follow, the IMA stated. The association sought an appropriate and dignified compensation to the bereaved family commensurate with the cruelty inflicted. Kolkata doctor's rape-murder case: Latest updates The IMA has announced a 24-hour withdrawal of services by all modern medicine doctors across the country, regardless of their sector or place of work. While emergency services and casualties will continue to function, there will be no outpatient departments (OPDs) or elective surgeries during this period. Thousands of doctors marched through various cities across the country on Friday to protest the rape and murder of the 31-year-old trainee doctor, demanding justice and better security at medical campuses and hospitals. Demonstrators held signs calling for accountability for the woman's rape and killing as they gathered near Parliament in New Delhi. Similar protests were held in Kolkata and other Indian cities like Mumbai and Hyderabad. Junior doctors Rumalika Kumar and Riya Bera from RG Kar Medical College and Hospital expressed dissatisfaction, stating that their demands for justice have not been met. They also called for the immediate arrest of all culprits with proper evidence. Speaking at a joint press conference on Friday, Rumalika Kumar said, Due to non-transparency, the investigation has been transferred from the Kolkata Police to the CBI. However, even after 48 hours, our demands for justice have not been fulfilled at all. We have no clarity regarding the ongoing investigation. Bera said, We demand the immediate arrest of all culprits, backed by proper evidence, along with an official press release from the CBI confirming the same, a written apology, and the resignation of higher authorities, including the former principal. Meanwhile, the Kolkata Police claimed to have arrested 25 people in connection with the vandalism by a mob at the RG Kar Hospital campus on August 14, causing damage to the protest site, vehicles, and public property. 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. The Bharatiya Janata Party Mahila Morcha under the leadership its national president Vanathi Srinivasan took out a silent candlelight march outside the medical college. Besides Vanathi Srinivasan, present at the march were national office bearers of Mahila Morcha and Rajya Sabha MP Darshan Singh, Sangeeta Yadav, Geeta Shakya, Indu Bala Coswami and West Bengal in-charge Pooja Kapil Mishra. (With inputs from PTI, ANI) New Delhi, The CBI will conduct a psychological assessment of Sanjay Roy, the accused in a rape-and-murder case of a doctor in Kolkata that has triggered nationwide protests, officials said on Saturday. Kolkata doctor's 'rape and killing': CBI to conduct psychological assessment of accused A team of psychological and behavioural analysts from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory in Delhi has arrived in Kolkata to conduct the necessary tests, they said. The Central Bureau of Investigation has already taken Roy into custody. The federal agency questioned Dr Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, where the incident took place, for a second consecutive day on Saturday in connection with the alleged rape and killing of the trainee doctor. The agency had taken Ghosh for questioning on Friday and it continued till 1:40 am on Saturday. The body of the 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor, who was allegedly raped and killed inside a seminar hall of the state-run hospital, was found on August 9. Roy, a civic volunteer, was arrested in this connection. The victim's parents had moved the Calcutta High Court, seeking a court-monitored investigation in the case. Several other public interest litigation pleas were also filed, demanding a CBI probe into the incident. A preliminary autopsy report suggested that the victim was sexually abused and killed. It said she was bleeding from her eyes, mouth and private parts. There were also injuries on her left leg, neck, right hand, ring finger and lips. The Kolkata Police arrested Roy , who joined the force as a civic volunteer in 2019. Police have alleged that the accused was married at least four times and was a known "womaniser". The accused, who is a trained boxer, got close to a few senior police officers over the years, following which he was moved to the Kolkata Police Welfare Board and posted at the police outpost at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday sent a team of experts from Delhi's Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) to carry out a psycho-analysis test on Sanjay Roy, the prime accused in the brutal rape and murder of a 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Roy, a civic volunteer working with the Kolkata Police, was arrested on Saturday, a day after the doctor's body was found in the seminar hall in the chest department of the state-run hospital between 3 am and 5 am. Members of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) stage a protest amid its 24-hour nationwide strike demanding justice for the woman doctor who was raped and murdered at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, in Kolkata.(PTI) Also read: Kolkata doctor rape-murder: What did CBI ask ex-principal during marathon interrogation? 10 points The accused, who is a trained boxer, got close to a few senior police officers over the years, following which he was moved to the Kolkata Police Welfare Board and posted at the police outpost at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, PTI reported. Kolkata murder case LIVE updates Here are the top updates unfolding in connection with the gruesome murder, that has triggered a massive nationwide outrage. 1. The CBI questioned Sandip Ghosh, ex-principal of the RG Kar Medical College Hospital for the second consecutive day. He was also questioned on Friday from 9:30 pm to 1:40 am. According to a PTI report, Ghosh was asked by the CBI on his first reaction on getting the news of the doctor's death, whom he instructed to inform her family and how and who contacted the police. 2. Separate teams of the CBI also reached the crime scene at the RG Kar hospital and the barrack of the Kolkata Police's Armed Forces fourth battalion in Salt Lake, where the arrested prime accused, civic volunteer Sanjay Roy, was putting up, PTI reported. 3. At RG Kar hospital, the CBI investigators collected samples and sent those to the Central Forensic Sciences Laboratory for testing, an officer said. "At the KP barrack, the team spoke to the policemen who are staying there and enquired about the accused's movements on Friday morning. They took the details of when Roy returned to the barrack and what he did after reaching there," the officer told PTI. 4. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, listing a series of demands in wake of the doctor's murder in Kolkata. The top doctors' body has sought a Central Act incorporating the amendments of 2020 in the Epidemic Diseases Act of 1897 into the draft "The Healthcare Services Personnel and Clinical Establishments (Prohibition of Violence and Damage to Property Bill 2019). 5. Opposition CPI(M) in Bengal alleged that the vandalism at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital was an attempt to cover up the truth. In a post on X, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said, "This vandalism on doctors protesting against the horrific rape and murder of a fellow doctor in RG Kar Medical College is a disgraceful attempt to silence justice and cover up the truth". 6. Protests by medical professionals continue across the length and breadth of the country against the brutal rape and murder in Kolkata. Major private hospitals in Delhi joined the protest on Saturday, shutting down their OPDs, elective surgeries and IPD services. ALSO READ: What is Bengal's Kamduni case, in spotlight amid doctor's rape-murder in Kolkata 7. The Mamata Banerjee government has introduced a new safety programme for the women working at night in the state. It includes separate designated restrooms with toilets for women at workplaces, women volunteers named Rattirer Shaathi and safe zones to be identified with CCTV surveillance. 8. Earlier in the day, the health ministry had urged the protesting doctors to resume work, assuring that it will form a panel to recommend measures for ensuring the safety of healthcare professionals. 9. Asha Devi, the mother of 2012 Delhi gangrape accused Nirbhaya, demanded Mamata Banerjee's resignation over the incident. Mamata Banerjee is protesting to divert people's attention from this issue. She herself is a woman. She should have taken strict action against the culprits while discharging her responsibility as the head of the state. She should resign because she has failed to handle the situation, Asha Devi told PTI. 10. The Kolkata Police, which is probing the large-scale vandalism at R G Kar hospital in the early hours of August 15, said that the arrest figure in connection with the violence currently stands at 30. (With agency inputs) Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College Hospital wherein a 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor was brutally raped and murdered, appeared before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for the second straight day for questioning. According to a PTI report, the probe agency made Ghosh sit in a room at Kolkata's CBI office till 9:30 pm, after which the questioning started and continued till 1:40 am on Saturday. ALSO READ: Kolkata rape-murder: 'Transfer' of 42 Bengal doctors sparks row, BJP slams CM Mamata Banerjee Doctors and interns sit on a strike for 24 hours at the entrance of a government hospital in a protest against last week's rape and killing of a trainee doctor at a government hospital, in Kolkata,(AP) On Saturday, the ex-principal reached the CBI office before 10:30 am for the second round of questioning. Kolkata murder case LIVE updates What happened on the first day of grilling? According to a PTI report, Ghosh was enquired about his first reaction on getting the news of the doctor's death, whom he instructed to inform her family and how and who contacted the police. An officer told the agency that Ghosh's certain answers were convoluted and he was grilled till early Saturday before being asked to go home and report again in the day. During the questioning, the CBI officers asked Ghosh about the weekly roster where the victim was shown to be put on duty for 36 hours or even 48 hours, the officer added. ALSO READ: Kolkata rape-murder | What NCW found at hospital: No guards, toilets in On August 13, the Calcutta high court ordered the case to be transferred to the CBI. The high court had asked Ghosh to submit a leave application, this after his appointment as the principal of Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital immediately after his resignation from RG Kar College had triggered protests. ALSO READ: Kolkata rape-murder case: Colleagues may be involved, doctor's father tells CBI Sandip Ghosh had resigned from his post of principal at RG Kar Medeical College on Monday, alleging that he was being defamed on social platforms. How can the principal - who resigned by taking moral responsibility, be appointed as the principal of another government college? The court has asked him to submit a leave application by 3 pm today or the court will pass an order for him to leave the position, the high court had said. (With PTI inputs) Kolkata: The West Bengal governments decision to transfer 42 doctors on Friday from various medical colleges and hospitals across the state amid the nationwide uproar over the Kolkata hospital rape-murder has triggered a political row. Medical students and residents protesting the Kolkata rape and murder of trainee doctor (PTI Photo) While the state health department said that these were routine transfers, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has claimed that it was a vindictive transfer as the doctors were transferred as they had supported the protest at RG Kar Hospital. Most of the doctors who were transferred were professors, associate professors, and assistant professors attached to various state-run medical colleges and hospitals. While 12 doctors have been shifted out of Kolkata to medical colleges and hospitals in the districts, at least 20 have been brought to Kolkata from other districts. Also Read: Kolkata rape-murder case: CBI grills hospital doctors, forensic experts On 16th Aug, West Bengal Govts Health Ministry has issued an 8 page long list of transfer orders, adding to the already chaotic situation. On Mamata Banerjees target is Medical College Kolkata and Calcutta National Medical College. These two are the epicentre of protests against her fascist regime. So far, five professors from these two prestigious institutes have been transferred out to colleges in Siliguri, Tamluk, Jhargram, etc. This is a desperate attempt to scare the senior doctor community into submission. What is Mamata Banerjee trying to hide? BJPs IT cell head Amit Malviya wrote on X. The state health department, however, refuted the allegations, saying that it was a routine transfer. The allegation is baseless. These are routine transfers on promotion, said a top official of the state health department. The transfer order came at a time when turmoil is going on in the state. This has raised questions. If it is a routine transfer, it could have been postponed for a few days or weeks. There seems to be an intention behind this, said Manas Gumta, former general secretary of the Association of Health Service Doctors. Hitting out at Benerjee, BJP leader Shehzad Poonawala told reports in Delhi that, This is a Talibani Fatwa. Those who raised their voices were transferred. Even the Kolkata Police are sending letters to citizens asking them to delete their accounts. This is fascism. The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), however, hit back, saying that several incidents of rape and murder have taken place in BJP-ruled states. Several incidents of rape and murder have taken place in BJP-ruled states. We havent forgotten what happened in Manipur, Unnao, Hathras, and Kathua. At least the prime accused has been arrested within 24 hours in the RG Kar case. The chief minister has sought a death sentence and has even said that she would transfer the case to the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation). Several fake audio messages are being posted on social media. Why arent these people going to the CBI? Kunal Ghosh, TMC leader, told the media. Meanwhile, the CBI, which took over the alleged rape and murder of the 31-year-old trainee doctors probe upon the directions of the Calcutta high court, questioned Dr Sandip Ghosh, former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, for the second day after he was detained by the agency on Friday. Officials said that Ghosh was grilled for several hours at the agencys office in the CGO Complex in Salt Lake. While a team of the federal agency also searched the residence of the prime accused, Sanjay Roy, in Bhowanipore, a second team went to the headquarters of the Kolkata Armed Polices 4th battalion, where Roy used to frequently visit. Roy (31), a civic volunteer working for the Kolkata police, was arrested on August 10 as the prime suspect. He is currently in judicial custody. Alaska Airlines did not immediately respond to a request for more details about the incident. Stephen Brashear/Getty Images An Alaska Airlines flight from San Francisco International Airport to Jackson Hole, Wyo., was unexpectedly diverted to Salt Lake City last week after the pilot informed passengers of his lack of qualifications to land at the intended destination. Flight 3491, operated by SkyWest on a twin-engine Embraer E175 aircraft, touched down at Salt Lake City International Airport on Aug. 8 after abandoning its approach to Jackson Hole Airport in Grand Teton National Park. Hey, Im 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. Well keep you posted on the next steps, the pilot announced, according to a passenger report posted on social media. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The flight, which departed San Francisco International Airport at 9:09 a.m., landed in Salt Lake City approximately two hours and 45 minutes later, aviation records show. Before the diversion, the flight had circled Jackson Hole in a holding pattern for several minutes. Passengers remained on board for about 90 minutes in Salt Lake City while a replacement pilot was arranged. Ultimately, the plane continued to Jackson Hole, arriving at 2:55 p.m. mountain time instead of the scheduled 11:44 a.m. Jackson Hole Airport, the only commercial airport in the United States located within a national park, sits at nearly 6,500 feet elevation and necessitates a Special Pilot-in-Command qualification due to its mountainous terrain and complex departure procedures, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. In a statement to Cowboy State Daily, regional airline SkyWest attributed the diversion to a paperwork error related to the flight crew. All pilots involved were qualified to fly and land the aircraft, the statement said. The flight diverted from Jackson Hole due to an internal administrative error and out of abundance of caution. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In the wake of the horrific rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata hospital, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Saturday sought benign intervention from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the enactment of a central law to prevent violence against healthcare personnel. Doctors demonstrating in protest against the sexual assault and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at Ruban Hospital in Patna, Bihar, India, Saturday,17, 2024. (Photo by Santosh Kumar/ Hindustan Times) The incident at R G Kar Medical College has shocked the nation and exposed the vulnerabilities within our healthcare system. Doctors, especially women, face significant risks, and it is imperative that authorities ensure their safety, the IMA said in its letter to the prime minister. The association, which is observing a 24-hour nationwide withdrawal of non-emergency services from 6 am on Saturday, put forward its five demands, including declaring hospitals as safe zones, with security measures on par with those at airports. "Security protocols at hospitals should be no less than at airports. Declaring hospitals as safe zones with mandatory security entitlements is the first step. CCTV cameras, deployment of security personnel and the protocols can follow," the IMA said. Read: Kolkata doctor rape-murder: Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government introduces new safety measures for women The letter also pointed to the harsh working conditions faced by resident doctors as the victim, who was on a 36-hour duty shift, lacked access to safe rest areas. The 36 hours duty shift that the victim was in and the lack of safe spaces to rest and adequate rest rooms warrant thorough overhaul of the working and living conditions of the resident doctors, it said. The association demanded a meticulous investigation into the crime and appropriate compensation for the victim's family. Medical services disrupted The doctors across India are staging a 24-hour strike, withdrawing non-essential services in protest. The strike has disrupted outpatient services, elective surgeries, and inpatient care at major hospitals nationwide, as healthcare workers unite in their call for justice and safer working conditions. The Union health ministry acknowledged the gravity of the situation and announced the formation of a committee to propose safety measures for healthcare professionals. The ministry also urged doctors to resume their duties, citing the increasing number of dengue and malaria cases across the country. The IMA said it will review the ministry's assurances before deciding on further action. Kolkata doctor rape-murder: The ministry of health and family welfare on Saturday asked protesting doctors to resume their duties in the larger public interest, given the rising cases of dengue and malaria. A resident doctor holds a placard during protest amid the 24-hour nationwide strike called by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) demanding justice for the woman doctor who was allegedly raped and murdered at Kolkata's R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, in Bengaluru on Saturday.(PTI) The ministry said it will form a committee to recommend measures for ensuring the safety of healthcare professionals in response to the concerns expressed by the associations. Representatives from all stakeholders including state governments will be invited to provide their suggestions to the committee, the ministry added. The ministry also said that it has heard the demands from representatives of Federation of Resident Doctors Associations (FORDA), the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and the Resident Doctors Associations of Government Medical Colleges and Hospitals in Delhi and promised to take all necessary steps to ensure the safety of healthcare professionals following the incident involving a resident doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The associations expressed their concerns about the safety and security of healthcare workers at their workplaces. However, they were assured that the government is aware of the situation and is sensitive to their concerns. The ministry also added that 26 states have already enacted legislation to protect healthcare workers in their respective areas. 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. 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. The National Commission for Women (NCW) has alleged that the site at the RG Medical College and Hospital where the 31-year-old trainee woman doctor was raped and murdered underwent sudden renovations, potentially leading to tampering with evidence. Medical students and residents protesting at the AIIMS, Bathinda, OPD on Saturday. (Sanjeev Kumar/HT) Kolkata murder case highlights: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) is holding a nationwide strike (except non-emergency medical services) for 24 hours, a protest that began at 6 am on Saturday, to protest the rape and murder of a woman doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The IMA is also demanding a thorough and timely investigation into the crime and the identification and punishment of those involved in the hospital vandalism on the night of August 15....Read More What to expect during the nationwide doctors' strike: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has called for a nationwide strike from 6 am on Saturday, August 17, until 6 a.m. on Sunday, August 18. Most hospital departments, including routine outpatient services (OPDs) and elective surgeries, will be closed over the weekend. Essential services, such as emergency care and critical treatments, will remain available and operate as usual. Casualty departments will be open to address any urgent medical situations. The strike will impact both public and private hospitals where modern medicine doctors are employed. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday targeted West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee for reportedly transferring senior doctors and professors, alleging that the move has added to the chaotic situation in the state amid protests over the rape and murder of a 31-year-old junior doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Resident doctors and medical students across the city's government hospital staged a protest against the alleged rape and killing of a woman doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Mumbai. (AP) Two of the 42 doctors who were transferred, Dr. Sangeeta Paul and Dr. Supriya Das were previously stationed at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, where the trainee doctor's semi-naked body was found on August 9. Reacting to the state government's orders, Amit Malviya, head of the BJP IT Cell, alleged that Mamata Banerjee is targeting Medical College Kolkata and Calcutta National Medical College, which he claimed are the epicenters of protests against her fascist regime. On 16th Aug, West Bengal Govts Health Ministry has issued an 8 page long list of transfer orders, adding to the already chaotic situation. On Mamata Banerjees target is Medical College Kolkata and Calcutta National Medical College. These two are the epicentre of protests against her fascist regime, Malviya wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) So far, five professors from these two prestigious institutes have been transferred out to colleges in Siliguri, Tamluk, Jhargram etc. This is a desperate attempt to scare the senior doctor community into submission. What is Mamata Banerjee trying to hide? he questioned. The reshuffle also sparked a strong reaction from doctors' associations, who labeled it a conspiracy and an effort to intimidate senior healthcare professionals. In a dig at the Trinamool Congress (TMC), BJP's national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla quipped that the party stands for Tanashahi Mujhe Chahiye. Instead of cracking down on gang rapists of Bengal RG Kar Hospital - Mamata govt is busy cracking down on those crusading for justice.. Mamata Banerjee is behaving like a real dictator Indira Gandhi or Kim Jong or Stalin would be proud of ! 43 doctors who raised their voices transferred by Talibani Fatwa. Kolkata police sending notices to Citizens & journalists raising their voices and threatening them to take down SM posts. 5000 goons sent to disrupt peaceful march and ransack crime scene and destroy evidence at RG Kar Hospital, he wrote in a post on X. He also attacked the opposition, saying those who call for saving the Constitution are silent and urged Rahul Gandhi to speak up. Meanwhile, those who say Sanvidhan Bachao are snoozing.. Rahul ji kuch toh bolo? This is happening even as HC is coming down heavily on Mamata govt & so is NCW. NCW Inquiry Committee uncovered lapses in security, infrastructure, and investigation in Kolkata rape-murder case of trainee doctor, Poonawalla added. Parents suspect doctors in daughter's murder 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. 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. LUCKNOW: A law clerk (munshi) and his friend were arrested in Pilibhit after being shot at in police encounters on Thursday and Friday respectively for throwing acid on a woman law intern on Tuesday. They had attacked the woman with acid when she was returning home from court along with a lawyer under whom she was doing internship, said senior police officials on Friday. The SP said the key accused had a criminal background with around three criminal cases related to fraud, extortion and physical assault lodged against him at Kotwali and Sungarhi police stations between 2021 and 2023. (Pic for representation) Both the intern and the lawyer suffered burn injuries in the acid attack. The woman is LLB third year student and doing internship in a Pilibhit court where the key accused also worked as law clerk with another lawyer. The intern and the lawyer are undergoing treatment at Pilibhit district hospital, and their condition is stated to be stable. The Pilibhit lawyers had boycotted the work on Wednesday in protest of the incident and had taken out a procession on the collectorate premises. Pilibhit superintendent of police (SP) Avinash Pandey said the key accused Atul Kumar, a law clerk with a senior lawyer in Pilibhit court and fourth semester student of the law course, was arrested on Thursday in an encounter during which he suffered bullet injury in his right leg in retaliatory firing by police. He said the co-accused, Satish Kumar, who assisted the key accused in the crime, was later arrested in a similar encounter on Friday early morning during which he also suffered bullet injury in his left leg. The SP said the key accused had a criminal background with around three criminal cases related to fraud, extortion and physical assault lodged against him at Kotwali and Sungarhi police stations between 2021 and 2023. He said the key accused was wearing a burqa while sitting on the rear seat of the motorcycle while the co-accused was wearing a helmet at the time of the acid attack on the deserted stretch near Pooranpur jungle when the victim was returning home from the court along with the lawyer on a motorcycle at around 5.15 pm on Thursday. Pandey said the key accused revealed that the intern earlier had proximity with him and used to have conversation on phone regularly. He said the accused misunderstood this proximity as her liking for him and proposed to her a month ago. He said the accused had even borrowed 8,000 from the woman and the latter used to ask for it in front of other lawyers after rejecting his proposal. The SP said the key accused was feeling dejected as the woman had stopped talking to him after rejecting his proposal following which he wanted to teach her a lesson. He said he arranged three bottles of acid from a Bareilly resident Wahid, whom he had befriended while pursuing the case of his cousin Kalimuddin booked under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in 2016. He said the accused purchased burqa and a plastic mug from Sungarhi market and borrowed the motorcycle from his friend Chhatrapal on the day of the incident to execute the crime. He along with the co-accused was doing recee of the victim since morning when she was going to the court along with the lawyer Om Prakash. He wore the burqa and sat on the rear seat of the motorcycle while the co-accused was driving. The duo was waiting for the victim near the petrol pump and threw acid on her after finding a deserted stretch while overtaking the lawyers motorcycle, he said, adding , Thereafter the duo sped towards the jungle area. The SP said the presence of the two accused on the spot had been established with the help of video footage of CCTV cameras installed at the petrol pump and their mobile locations retrieved through electronic surveillance. He said the duo had been sent to jail and further investigation about the role of Wahid was going on. He said Wahid would also be booked in the FIR lodged for the acid attack under Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita section 124 (1) at Gajraula police station if found involved in the crime. A 30-year-old man in Maharashtra's Thane district was taken to a hospital after a woman injured his private parts with a metal spatula, news agency PTI reported on Saturday. After the youth was caught committing the crime, people thrashed him. He has been hospitalised.(HT_PRINT) According to officials, Anil Satyanarayan Raccha, 30, allegedly made unwanted advances towards a 26-year-old woman at her her home in the Bhiwandi area on Friday. The police said the accused and the woman knew each other. On Friday, around 3.30pm, Raccha went to her house and attempted to make sexual overtures. He also allegedly flashed her. Also Read | Man held in Pune for locking wifes private parts The woman, in a bid to defend herself, ran to the kitchen and picked up a metal spatula. She attacked Raccha and injured his genitals, an unidentified official said. A badly injured Raccha was taken out of her house to seek medical help. He has been hospitalised, the official added. A first information report (FIR) against Raccha has been filed in the case based on a complaint filed by the woman. He has charged under sections related to outraging the modesty of a woman, sexual harassment and trespassing under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The accused has not been arrested as he is still in the hospital, according to the police. Last month, a woman in Bihar had reportedly attacked and cut off the private parts of a man in the Saran district after he refused to marry her. The woman was taken into custody and interrogated, and a blood-stained knife was recovered from her possession. After interrogation, the accused said she and the victim were in a relationship from the last two years, but the man refused to marry her. She attacked him after an argument after he denied her proposal. She accused him of sexually exploiting her on the pretext of marriage. All but emergency medical services came to a grinding halt across India on Saturday after tens of thousands of doctors went on a 24-hour strike in a show of anger and solidarity over the rape and murder of one of their own in Kolkata earlier this month. Health care workers during a protest at Shivaji Stadium, Delhi, on Saturday. (HT Photo) Saturdays protest, which began at 6am, marked the peaking of anger that has grown steadily in the aftermath of the August 9 killing of a 31-year-old doctor in Kolkata. Her body was found at one of the citys largest government medical facilities with signs of a brutal assault that was meted out to her as she went to rest in the middle of a 36-hour shift. I dont want to be the next victim, read placards carried by several women doctors who were part of a march in the national capitals central district. The strike extended from the countrys metropolises to its villages, with all services except for critical and emergency care particularly halted in the states of Delhi, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. Saturdays shutdown was called by the Indian Medical Association (IMA), which says it has 400,000 members. Patients were turned away at most prominent hospitals government and private as outpatient departments (OPDs), non-emergency diagnostics services, and surgeries were halted. The IMA said it was looking for a gesture from the government ensuring the safety and security of health care workers. IMA president Dr RV Asokan, said that the time is ripe for Prime Minister Narendra Modis intervention, adding that they have written to the PM. We appreciate your remarks about the safety of women in your Independence Day address. We appeal to you for your benign intervention at this stage. This will give confidence to not only women doctors but also to every woman in the workplace, read the letter signed by RV Asokan, national president, IMA, and Anilkumar J Nayak, honorary secretary general. Sixty percent of Indian doctors are women. This percentage is as high as 68% in the dental profession, 75% in physiotherapy and 85% in nursing. All health care professionals deserve a peaceful ambiance, safety, and security at workplace. We are appealing for your benign intervention to ensure appropriate measures to meet our demands, the letter added. People across the country were caught unaware by the shutdown. I am suffering from chest pain and doctors in my native district, Bahraich, referred me to Lari Cardiology Centre at King Georges Medical University, Lucknow. However, despite waiting till noon I could not see a doctor, said Sudama (single name), 55, who said he would come back to the city on Monday. Tarachand Yadav, who arrived at Government Medical College and Hospital, Purnea, Bihar, with his mother said: My mother has a serious condition, she needs blood transfusion, but I am running from pillar to post and there is no doctor. I am afraid I will lose her. Doctors put forward a list of five demands in a letter to the government earlier in the week, including putting in place airport-like security in hospitals; a central law to check violence on health care workers; a dignified compensation for the family of the victim; a detailed investigation, time-bound prosecution and appropriate punishment for the culprits; and improvement in working hours and working conditions of the resident doctors. The Union health ministry said it will form a committee to suggest possible measures to ensure the safety of health care professionals. Representatives of all stakeholders, including the state governments, will be invited to share their suggestions with the committee, it added. The ministry requested the agitating doctors to resume their duties in the larger public interest. According to the data shared by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi, nearly 80-90% of their non-emergency services OPDs, admissions, operation theatres, laboratory services, radiological investigations, etc. were impacted because of the strike. The emergency services like casualty and intensive care units functioned, said a senior official in the hospital, requesting anonymity. The 31-year-old doctor whose death and assault has become the rallying point for the show of anger was a post-graduate trainee at the RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata. In the early hours of August 9, she was raped and murdered inside the seminar hall, where she had gone to rest. Immediately after her bloodied body was discovered, the administration first told her family it was a case of suicide, one among several controversial developments that ultimately led a court to order the case to be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation. The autopsy indicated that the woman was brutalised and left with multiple broken bones. One man, Sanjay Roy, a 31-year-old civic volunteer with the police, has been arrested. The IMA said it was overwhelmed with the response. Doctors stand united against this injustice. Across all the sectors whether its private, government, or corporate doctors are in protest, said Asokan. The Association of Healthcare Providers (India) (AHPI) also expressed deep concern over the increasing instances of violence against medical professionals and said that despite repeated assurances from authorities about implementing preventive measures and legal provisions, the healthcare community continues to face threats. In Kolkata, the epicentre of the protests, the shutdown was near-complete. The OPD is closed. We are allowing only those patients who need consultation on an emergency basis, said an official of a private hospital along EM Bypass in Kolkata. In Lucknow, nearly 32,000 IMA member doctors abstained from OPD. This was one of the most successful medical shutdown calls, said Dr MM Paliwal, the president of IMAs UP chapter. Doctors at Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences and KGMU marched on the hospital premises raising slogans. In Meerut, doctors took out the Nyay Yatra. Similar scenes unfolded in medical facilities in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh at Nizams Institute Of Medical Sciences, King George Hospital, Visakhapatnam, and at Government General Hospital, Vijayawada and Guntur, among others. A section of hospitals in Delhi, however, were functioning partially. At the Fortis Escorts Heart Institute in Okhla, most doctors turned up for work and were available at the emergency as well as OPD. Patients said that they had expected that their appointments would be rescheduled, but it was not needed. (With inputs from HT Correspondents in Delhi, Lucknow, Purnea, Kolkata, and Hyderabad) Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday labelled Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot's decision to grant sanction for his prosecution in connection with the alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment scam as anti-Constitutional, saying it will be questioned in the court. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah (PTI) Siddaramaiah asserted the Governor's decision was not only contrary to the Constitution but also against the law. "The entire Cabinet, party high command, all MLAs, MLCs, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs are with me," Siddaramaiah told reporters. The controversy erupted after Governor Gehlot granted permission to prosecute Siddaramaiah based on a petition filed by advocate-activist T J Abraham, who alleged irregularities in the allotment of sites by MUDA. The Governor's decision came despite the state cabinet's earlier advice to withdraw the show-cause notice issued to Siddaramaiah, and to reject the petition seeking prosecution sanction. The cabinet had described the Governor's actions as a "gross misuse of the Constitutional Office," and advised him to deny the sanction. Deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar also condemned the Governor's decision, calling it an "overreach" and asserting that the law and democratic processes would protect the government. "We will inform the people of this country about what is going on here. We will discuss it in the Cabinet and take all legal steps available to us under the Constitution," Shivakumar said. "We will get justice, we will protect this government." BJP demands Siddaramaiah's resignation The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), however, seized upon the Governor's decision, demanding Siddaramaiah's resignation to allow for a transparent and unbiased investigation. Karnataka BJP president BY Vijayendra argued that the gravity of the allegations, coupled with what he called substantial evidence, necessitates Siddaramaiah stepping down to maintain the dignity of the Chief Minister's office and ensure justice is served. Siddaramaiah and other Karnataka Congress leaders have maintained that the Governor's decision was politically motivated. They have questioned the timing and the rationale behind the Governor's move, particularly given the ongoing investigation by a high-level committee formed under the Commission of Inquiry Act, 1952, to probe the alleged scam. Read: Amid MUDA case row, fresh complaint seeks probe against CM Siddaramaiah Governor Gehlot, in his sanction order, justified his decision by stating that the materials supporting the allegations against Siddaramaiah prima facie indicated the commission of offences. He dismissed the cabinet's advice as "irrational" and asserted that a neutral, objective, and non-partisan investigation was necessary in this case. "Upon perusal of the petition along with the materials in support of the allegations in the petitions and subsequent reply of Siddaramaiah and the advise of the state cabinet along with the legal opinion, it seems to me that there are two versions in relation to the same set of facts," the Governor said in his decision. He said, "It is very necessary that a neutral, objective and non- partisan investigation be conducted. I am prima facie satisfied that the allegations and the supporting materials disclose commission of offences." Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday appealed to the Centre to consider rescheduling of loans taken during the previous YSR Congress party government to ease the burden on the debt-ridden state. Prime Minister Narendra Modi being presented a memento by Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu, in New Delhi on Saturday. (ANI) Naidu held a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Capital for the first time since his state got a major boost in the Union Budget. The TDP, a key constituent of the BJP-led NDA government, has been vocal about the states financial distress and seeking increased central support to tide over the fiscal challenges. According to a senior TDP leader privy to the development, Naidu told Modi that a major portion of the states revenues was going towards debt servicing for the loans obtained by the previous government. If the Centre can help rescheduling the loans by the Reserve Bank of India, it would provide some relief to the state from its immediate debt repayment obligations, Naidu requested the Prime Minister. During his meeting with Modi, the TDP chief also thanked him for key budgetary allocations to Andhra Pradesh, including 15,000 crore funding for the development of new capital city Amaravati, and the Polavaram project. The chief minister also made a similar request to Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman during a meeting later in the day. The TDP chief informed Sitharaman about Andhra Pradeshs poor financial health and sought enhanced support under various schemes for rebuilding of the state. Official data shows Andhra Pradeshs public debt has risen from 31.02 per cent of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) in 2019-20 to 33.32 per cent in 2023-24, indicating worsening fiscal health over the last five years. Naidu also met Union home minister Amit Shah and discussed state issues. New Delhi: The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders met Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president JP Naddas residence in New Delhi on Friday, during which the alliance leaders were briefed about the proposed one nation, one election and the situation in the northeastern region, particularly Manipur, where violence between two tribe continues, people aware of the matter said. BJP party president JJP Nadda (File Photo) According to people privy to the details, at the meeting, Union minister Kiren Rijiju said the government is making efforts to ensure infrastructure development of the northeastern region and steps are being taken to control violence in Manipur, which has been on the boil for over a year. The minister is leant to have told the allies that the situation on the ground has improved. On the issue of simultaneous polls, referred to as one nation, one election, that has been pitched for by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the allies were told the concept was also studied during the Congress-led United Progressive Alliances (UPA) tenure. Union minister Bhupinder Yadav spoke about the recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, and Law and Justice, headed by E M Sudarsana Natchiappan in 2015, that said simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and state assemblies would reduce massive expenditure that is currently incurred for the conduct of separate elections and end the policy paralysis that results from the imposition of the Model Code of Conduct during election time. People mentioned above said that it was also decided at the meeting that leaders of the NDA will meet at least once every month to brainstorm on issues and to take stock of matters at the state level as well. There is an overall agreement that NDA leaders should meet every month to discuss issues that concern the alliesIt was also suggested by one party leader that the BJP leadership should also meet partners individually so that they can discuss issues that are relevant to a particular state, said a party official aware of the details. While Shiva Sena (Shinde) leaders were not present in the meeting, over a dozen allies, including the leaders of Apna Dal, Janata Dal (United), Janata Dal (Secular), Telegu Desam Party, Lok Janshakti Party, Hindustani Awam Morcha, and Tamil Maanila Congress, among others, were present. A Victorian house on Castro Street built by Fernando Nelson. Carl Nolte/SFC Children play at Noe Valleys Town Square. Carl Nolte/SFC The famous Noe Valley public toilet has its own Wikipedia page. Carl Nolte/SFC Noe Valley is a classic San Francisco neighborhood at its best colorful, safe, an interesting mix of old and new. It has the best weather in the city and an optimistic spirit. No doom loop here. Its a village inside a city, said Cathie Staley, who lives in Noe Valley and leads walking tours. However, Noe Valley also has a classic San Francisco problem housing prices put it out of reach for most San Franciscans. According to the Redfin real estate website, the median price of a Noe Valley house was $2.2 million in June, up 19.2% in a year. Thats more than twice the median home price for the rest of the state. By contrast, the median home price in Reno in July was $619,000. But you know what they say: The best things in life are free. I took a two-hour walking tour led by Staley and her husband, Paul, up and down the hills that define Noe Valley. The tour is part of San Franciscos City Guides program. Its free, though the guides ask for a voluntary donation at the end. The Staleys, who have lived in Noe Valley for more than 35 years, are the only husband-and-wife team in the City Guides. About 20 people went along on their midweek tour. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The guides start their walks with a huge slug of fact: Noe Valley has about 22,000 people. Its just over the hill from the Castro neighborhood and covers the area from Twin Peaks to the edge of the Mission District and south to 30th Street. It was named for Jose de Jesus Noe, who was San Franciscos alcalde or mayor in the final days of Mexican rule. It developed as a distinct city neighborhood in the 1880s. Though Ive prowled around San Francisco all my life, I always find out something new on a City Guides walk. The Staleys led our tour from the public library on Jersey Street over to Castro Street near Clipper Street where they showed us four nearly identical houses lined up in a row. All four were built in 1892 in the Victorian Eastlake style. I had passed by dozens of times but never noticed them before. These four represent the kind of wooden houses that give a distinctive classic look to many San Francisco neighborhoods: gables and bay windows, a sense of dignity of another time. They were built by Fernando Nelson, a man who was not an architect but had a sense of style. In the 1890s, he built Victorian houses all over the Mission, the Castro, Noe Valley and the Western Addition. One of the Castro Street houses had been freshly painted in black and gold; after 132 years it still had style and class. When Victorians went out of style, Nelson working with his sons moved to the Richmond District, to the Inner Sunset and West Portal and built houses in different styles. The Nelsons built more than 4,000 San Francisco houses, perhaps more than any other builder. Our City Guides group walked all over Noe Valley for hours, looking at houses and hearing stories: We saw the oldest house in the area. We heard how the Castro Street cable car began service up and over the steep hills in 1887 and started a building boom. We passed a church at the top of Sanchez Street and headed down toward 24th Street. Now we are leaving the 19th century, Paul Staley said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Twenty-fourth Street is the main commercial corridor of Noe Valley. Its lined with restaurants and shops. The biggest is Whole Foods, a high-end market. The neighborhood looked busy and prosperous in the summer sunlight. Even the present has a past. Paul Staley described how not long ago the neighborhood had a working-class background, smaller stores, fewer upscale merchants, lower prices, much lower rents. And then, about the middle 1990s, the city shifted: new people, new money, the first dot-com boom. About then the neighborhood changed: Real estate madness swamped Noe Valley, Larry Beresford wrote in the Noe Valley Voice. The critics call this gentrification. It brought many changes. For one, an old parking lot on 24th Street was turned into a Town Square, a joint city-neighborhood project. Its the only town square in the city like this, Paul Staley said. The Town Square was full of children and dogs the other afternoon. There was a slide and a climbing device for kids and even a childrens party, free cupcakes for all. Advertisement Article continues below this ad But no tour of Noe Valley is complete without a mention of the famous Noe Valley public toilet. It started when then-Chronicle columnist Heather Knight revealed that a one-seat public toilet would cost $1.7 million and take two years to build, an example of the citys dysfunctional bureaucracy. The story went viral and put Noe Valley on the international map. We are the only neighborhood in the world with our own toilet page on Wikipedia, Paul Staley said. Eventually it all worked out. The city accepted a modular toilet from the Public Restroom Co. in Nevada, and it was installed at a cost of $200,000. It was opened for business this spring at a public party called the toilet bowl. Nobody mentioned that years ago $200,000 would buy not just a toilet but a complete Noe Valley house. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Kolkata, Aug 17 (PTI) Chandra Kumar Bose, grandnephew of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring the mortal remains of the freedom fighter from Renkoji temple in Japan to India. West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party vice-president and Netaji Subhas Chandra Boses grandnephew Chandra Kumar Bose, asked PM Modi to bring back the freedom fighter's mortal remains from Japan. (ANI Photo) In a letter to the Prime Minister, Bose on Saturday said "On the eve of August 18, the death anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, I once again appeal to you to bring Netaji's remains from Renkoji to India." Netaji's grandnephew said the life of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose has passed into the realm of legend. Also Read: Dont distort history for political mileage': Netaji's grand nephew to Kangana Ranaut "His magnetic personality, brilliance of mind, extraordinary courage, selflessness, and unwavering dedication to the cause of India's freedom have made him forever a hero in the hearts and minds of not only men and women in India, but of freedom-loving people everywhere," he said. Also Read: Kolkata doctor rape-murder: Mamata Banerjee claims Oppn trying a Bangladesh against her He said that the circumstances of his (Netaji's) death from an air crash while leaving Taiwan in a Japanese military aircraft in the aftermath of Japan's surrender in August 1945, perhaps with a plan to make his way to the Soviet Union to continue the struggle, was seen by many as just another ruse to escape his enemies. "Close family members including beloved brother Sarat Chandra Bose under British detention in south India and widow Emilie in Vienna, continued to yearn for Subhas's return, but neither at any time had any definite knowledge of Subhas being alive after 18 August 1945", he said. Also Read: RG Kar hospital attack: Bengal Police's Shampa post backfires. 'playing victim card According to Netaji's grandnephew, there is no doubt of the genuine disbelief among some that Netaji perished in the manner described in a host of contemporary accounts from multiple sources. "After all here was a man who had once given the slip to the British and undertook an arduous trek from Calcutta through north India to Afghanistan, eventually reaching Berlin by air through Moscow. Only a few years later in the midst of a raging world war, he survived an even more perilous voyage by submarine from Germany to South East Asia. How could such a man die!", Bose said. The government of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1956 had set up a three-member inquiry committee with INA veteran General Shah Nawaz Khan in the chair, Bose said. "For the first time, detailed information, including from eleven direct witnesses to the crash in Taiwan and then Netaji's death some hours later, was thus recorded in the official report. It is notable that there should have been so many first-hand accounts, from fellow passengers on the aircraft, Japanese military personnel on the ground beside the runway, and Japanese and Taiwanese medical staff at the hospital. Netaji's Indian military aide from the INA Colonel Habib ur Rahman who travelled with Netaji and survived the crash and aftermath, was also one of the direct witnesses," he said. A government-appointed Khosla Commission Report of 1974 reaffirmed the 1956 Shah Nawaz findings which had been accepted by the government. The third and last government-appointed Justice Mukherjee Commission of Inquiry 2005 finding that Netaji did not die in the said air crash was found to be based on fundamental errors and the government of India thus rejected it, he said. "It is time that the Government of India, under your able leadership has taken the initiative to declassify Netaji-related files to come to a closure. After the release of all the files (10 enquiries - national and international), it is evident that Netaji perished on August 18, 1945. It is, therefore, imperative that a final statement is made from the Government of India so that false narratives about the Liberator of India is laid to rest", he said. Bose said, "Efforts must be made now to bring the mortal remains of an immortal Hero to his home country India, the land he liberated". No cases of monkeypox (mpox) have been reported in the country this year, the Union health ministry said in a statement on Saturday amid concerns over a rise in cases of the zoonotic disease in some parts of the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared Monkeypox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on August 14, the second such announcement in two years. (REUTERS) Health minister JP Nadda reviewed the situation at a high-level meeting with senior officials and measures including sensitising health units and gearing up health facilities will be put in place as a precautionary measure, the statement said. In the meeting chaired by the Union Health Minister, it was decided that as a matter of abundant caution, certain measures [such as sensitising the health units at all the airports, seaports, and ground crossings; readying the testing Laboratories (32 in no.); gearing up health facilities for detecting, isolating and managing any case, etc.] are put in place, the statement said. Although the possibility of a few imported cases being detected in the coming weeks is not entirely ruled out, it was assessed that the risk of a large outbreak with sustained transmission is presently low for India. The situation is being monitored closely by the ministry, said the health ministry. On August 14, World Health Organization (WHO) director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared Monkeypox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) the second such announcement in two years. Monkeypox is a viral zoonosis (a virus transmitted to humans from animals) with symptoms similar to those seen in the past in smallpox patients. According to WHO, it is clinically less severe than smallpox. The disease can be transmitted through direct contact with bodily fluids or the lesions of the infected person. It can also be spread through indirect contact with lesion material, such as through contaminated clothing or linen. The disease was declared a global emergency in 2022 as well when several cases were reported from outside of central and west Africa where it is typically found. Since the 2022 declaration, 30 cases have been detected in India with the last being reported in March this year. Internet services were suspended in Rajasthan's Udaipur for 24 hours on Friday following communal violence in the city. The administration also imposed prohibitory orders banning the assembly of people. Heavy police deployment has been put in place across Udaipur. (ANI) According to the police, a mob pelted stones and set three or four cars on fire. By evening , markets were shut in the city's Bapu Bazar, Hathipole, Ghanta Ghar, Chetak Circle and nearby areas. Stones were also pelted at a shopping mall in which the glass gates of shops were damaged, news agency PTI reported. Hundreds of people had also gathered outside the government hospital, but they were later dispersed by the police. What led communal violence in Udaipur? The violence in Udaipur broke out after a Class 10 student was allegedly attacked with a knife by his classmate at a government school. Udaipur district collector Arvind Poswal told news agency ANI that the administration received a complaint about a fight between two children in the morning. "This incident took place in the early hours today. We received info about a fight between two children, in which one child was attacked on his thighs with a knife. The wound was deep and the child was immediately taken to the hospital," Poswal said. I have met the child, his condition is stable now...Police are investigating the reason behind the incident...I would like to appeal the public to not to pay attention to any kind of rumours or false information...The person who attacked with a knife has been arrested, his father has also been arrested, Poswal said. Following the incident, members of some Hindu outfits had gathered at Madhuban in the city to protest over the stabbing, which later turned violent. The administration has deployed force in almost all areas of the city and all police officers are in the field and keeping an eye on every activity. Divisional commissioner Rajendra Bhatt, collector Arvind Poswal, SP Yogesh Goyal, Rajya Sabha MP Chunnilal Garasia, Lok Sabha MP Mannalal Rawat, MLAs Tarachand Jain, Phool Singh Meena and other public representatives also held a meeting regarding the situation. The West Bengal Police faced backlash on social media for allegedly playing a "victim card after posting about a female constable injured during vandalism at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The incident occurred on August 14, amid protests against the alleged rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor. Social media slams West Bengal Police for "victim card" over injured constable at Kolkata's RG Kar hospital protest A mob entered the hospital campus, vandalising the protest site, vehicles, and public property. Police had to use teargas, lathicharge to disperse the crowd and several were injured. Also Follow- Kolkata murder case LIVE Updates The West Bengal Police posted on X on Friday that a constable, Shampa Pramanik, was injured when suddenly, unprovoked, several bricks flew from the crowd toward the police, one of which hit Shampa in the face". Wasnt the night Shampas too? It was meant to be a night for women, reclaiming the streets to demand workplace safety, in memory of a young woman who suffered a horrifying tragedy at her own workplace, said the West Bengal Police, sharing a photo of the injured constable with a blood-soaked face. ALSO READ- Kolkata doctor rape-murder: IMA's 24-hour nationwide strike today, hospital OPDs shut, makes 5 demands | Top points 'Why resort to playing the victim?' Social media users quickly hit out at Bengal Police criticising the it for playing the victim card and failing in their duty to protect both protesters and security officials. Hoping for her swift recovery, but why resort to playing the victim? The police were responsible for safeguarding both the protesters and their own officers. It failed at both, an X user said. ALSO READ- IMA's nationwide strike on August 17: Whats open, what's closed as doctors protest over Kolkata rape-murder? Yes, it should have been Shampas night too, had Shampa had the better fortune of joining a sensible uniformed force where her seniors would anticipate or have intel on a mob of 7000 ! Where she wouldve been provided a helmet and basic riot gear ! Where she would be not shoved in the face of the crowd being a woman. Yes it was Shampas night too, but sadly she was part of the incompetent WB Police, another user circled West Bengal Police. The West Bengal Police said it has arrested 25 people in the case, and will try to ensure punishment for them. Bengaluru, Terming as "illegal" the sanction accorded by Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot for his prosecution in connection with Mysuru Urban Development Authority site allotment 'scam', Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday vowed to wage a legal battle and ruled out his resignation over the issue. Siddaramaiah said the entire Cabinet, the Congress high-command and MLAs have expressed their solidarity with him. Speaking to reporters after a special Cabinet meeting, held hours after the sanction, the Chief Minister said: "Tell me why and for what reason should I resign?...the Governor has to resign because he has acted as a puppet in the hands of the Government of India." He said the Cabinet termed the Governor's decision to prosecute him as "illegal" and "unconstitutional" and condemned it. Governor is the representative of the President of India. He should function as the representative of the Constitution and not as the representative of the Centre and BJP, Siddaramaiah said. He charged the Centre with trying to destabilise an elected government by "using" the Governor. According to the Chief Minister, the Standard Operating Procedures sent by the Centre on September 3, 2021 to the Chief Secretaries of all States and Union Territories pertaining to cases under section 17 under Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 were not followed by the Governor. It is very clear based on the SOPs that the Governor has illegally granted sanction. He has no jurisdiction and the sanction is against the Constitution and is illegal. He has not followed the procedure, the Chief Minister said. Asserting that he will fight it legally against this "illegal sanction" by the Governor, Siddaramaiah alleged that the move was a "politically malafide decision to destabilise an elected government." He said the BJP and its ally JD will fail in their attempts to defame him politically. They will not succeed in their attempt because me and my government have the blessings of the people of Karnataka, the Chief Minister said. Sanction for prosecution: CM vows to wage legal battle, rules out his resignation New Delhi, The Supreme Court has stayed the recent directives issued by the Allahabad High Court directing the police to seek the governments legal opinion before registering a FIR for cheating, fraud or criminal breach of trust in cases where it appears that it is a civil dispute. SC stays HC directives for legal opinion of govt before registering FIR for cheating, forgery in UP A bench of Justices CT Ravikumar and Sanjay Karol issued the notice on the plea of the Uttar Pradesh government and stayed certain paragraphs of the high court's judgement where slew of directions were issued to the authorities. "Issue notice, returnable in four weeks. Operation and implementation of paragraphs 15 to 17 of the impugned order dated April 18, 2024 passed in Criminal Misc. Writ Petition nostand stayed till the next date of listing," the bench had directed in its order dated August 14. In the apex court, the Uttar Pradesh government has challenged the high court's order as it also warned of contempt action for non-compliance of the order. The high court passed the order while hearing a civil dispute related to title and ownership of land in which the magistrate has directed the police to register an FIR for fraud, cheating and criminal breach of trust. The high court while expressing concern that civil disputes are increasingly being given colour of criminal cases issued slew of directions to the authorities and police. In paragraph 15, which was stayed by the top court, the high court had said, "Where an F.I.R. is sought to be registered under Sections 406 , 408 , 420 /467 , 471 IPC, wherein, on the face of it, it appears that there is a commercial dispute or a civil dispute or a dispute arising out of different types of agreements or partnership deeds, etc. before registration of the FIR, an opinion will be taken in all such cases from the concerned district government counsel/deputy district government counsel in their respective districts and only after obtaining a report, the FIR will be registered. Such opinion will be reproduced in the concluding part of FIR." The high court had directed the Director General of Police to issue necessary instructions to all the SSPs in the state who will further instruct all the SHOs of their respective police stations to ensure that prior to registration of the FIR where a civil/commercial dispute is apparent, the opinion of the district/ deputy government counsel should be taken at the pre-cognizance stage. It had said the director prosecution of Uttar Pradesh will also ensure necessary directions are issued to all government counsels. The high court had said, "It is made clear that in all cases where first information reports, which are to be registered after May 1, 2024, if no such legal opinion is taken by the concerned police official before registration of the FIRthey may be liable to contempt proceedings." It, however, said that court's direction will not apply where the FIRs are registered on direction of competent court under Section 156 CrPC as these directions relate to pre cognizance stage. Section 156 of CrPC empowers a magistrate to order registration of FIR and direct investigation in any cognizable case relating to offence committed within the area of his territorial jurisdiction. In its paragraph 16, of the verdict, which was also stayed by the top court, the high court had said, this court is also experiencing that the trial courts while exercising power under Section 156 CrPC are virtually acting as post office by just forwarding the complaint to concerned police officer with direction to register the FIRs. This is not the mandate of Lalita Kumari's case of the apex court, the high court had observed. In Lalita Kumari verdict, the apex court in 2014 said that the registration of FIR is mandatory under Section 154 of the CrPC, if the information discloses commission of a cognizable offence and no preliminary inquiry is permissible in such a situation. In paragraph 17 of the verdict which was also stayed by the apex court, the high court had directed all the magistrates of Uttar Pradesh to exercise power under Section 156 for registration of FIR/s only after a satisfactory note "after careful perusal of contents of the entire complaint and as per affidavit of informant/ complainant no prior civil dispute is pending inter se parties before any court of law, therefore, the court is convinced that commission of cognizable offence is made out." This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. Asha Devi, mother of Nirbhaya,' on Saturday called for the resignation of Mamata Banerjee, saying that the West Bengal chief minister had failed to handle the situation. Asha Devi (File Photo/AFP) She was speaking to PTI over the rape and murder case of a trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. As a woman, she (Banerjee) should have taken action against the culprits while discharging her responsibility as the head of the state. She should resign for failing to handle the situation, Asha Devi said. Also, Nirbhaya's mother claimed that the West Bengal CM was trying to 'mislead the public. Instead of using her authority to act against the culprits, Mamata Banerjee is protesting to divert people's attention from the issue, Asha Devi stated, referring to Friday's protest march by the Trinamool Congress supremo and her party's leaders demanding justice for the RG Kar victim and hanging of the perpetrators. Sanjoy Roy, a civic volunteer of Kolkata Police, has been arrested for the August 9 crime that has drawn parallels with December 16, 2012, when Nirbhaya was gang raped and tortured in a moving bus. Amid nationwide protests over the incident, she was airlifted to Singapore, where she died in a hospital on December 29. Of the six convicts, one was found hanging in his cell in Delhi's Tihar prison in September 2013, while another, a minor at the time of the crime, was released in December 2015 after spending the maximum three years in a reform facility. Having exercised all legal remedies, the four other convicts were hanged in March 2020. Asha Devi, meanwhile, further said that such incidents will continue to happen until the governments at both the Centre and states, get serious about seeking swift punishment from the courts for rapists. From the return of statehood five years after Jammu & Kashmir became a Union territory on the same day Article 370 was abrogated to a surge in terror in Jammu over the past 24 months, to civic issues of electricity and employment generation Jammu & Kashmirs first assembly polls in half a decade will see political parties battle it out on the electoral field on a host of key issues. The Election Commission (EC) on Friday announced the schedule for the assembly elections, to be held across three phases in late September, with results to be declared on October 4. Statehood, security, civic issues remain key concerns in Jammu & Kashmir At its core, the battle will be over two issues: the BJP, which runs the Union government, will seek to establish that since 2019, when Article 370 was effectively abrogated and the region split into two UTs, terror attacks and civilian casualties have reduced, there has been better and wider penetration of welfare schemes, and normalcy has returned even to Kashmir Valley. Regional parties as well as the national Opposition, such as the Congress, will seek to establish that nothing has changed, and that there has been a crackdown on civil liberties over the past five years. A controversial recent move to give the Lieutenant Governor a key role in important decisions, even over the elected government of the UT, is also likely to become a poll issue. The first key factor for political parties across the board, political party leaders said, will be the return of statehood for Jammu & Kashmir. Leaders of regional parties such as the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have demanded a return to full state status. On Friday, NC chairperson Farooq Abdullah said not just his party, but all regional outfits demand statehood. It is the government of Indias promise that statehood will be returned, he said. To be sure, top leaders of the BJP, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah have, in the run up to the elections, said that statehood would follow the assembly elections. On June 20, Modi, while speaking at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar, said the people of Jammu & Kashmir will now be able to elect their local representatives to get their problems addressed. The time isnt far away when, through your votes, you will be able to elect your own government in Jammu & Kashmir, he said, adding that the Union territory would soon become a state again. But the elections also come at a time when Jammu in particular has been roiled by terror attacks, especially over the last year. Only on Wednesday, Army Captain Deepak Singh was killed in an encounter in Doda district, taking the number of security personnel killed in action across Jammu to 13 this year alone. Senior police officers have said that there are a group of between 50 and 60 terrorists from Pakistan that have successfully infiltrated into Jammu between April and May. Congress general secretary Mir Iqbal said security is the main issue in Jammu region. There should be special focus on the security in the backdrop of recent attacks. The security situation is deteriorating in the region and people are very concerned about back-to-back attacks, he said. Political leaders admitted that while the security situation in Kashmir has improved in the past five years, pointing to a successful parliamentary election campaign earlier this year, there were still emotional issues of people being in jail . There are many people that have been arrested and are kept in various jails in Jammu & Kashmir or outside. Even the MP from Baramulla, Rashid Engineer, continues to be in jail despite his successful campaign behind bars. This will develop into a key issue, a senior leader of a regional party said, asking not to be named. Beyond these broader questions of political identity, key civic issues such as electricity and employment will also be central to the campaign. Multiple political parties, including NC and PDP, have claimed that the region has an increasingly erratic power supply. The government has increased rates to such an extent that a consumer who was paying 300 is being forced to pay 1,500. Many people are unable to pay their bills in Kashmir, PDP block president Mohammad Shafi said. Leaders also said that the past few years have been marred by irregularities in recruitment examinations, which the Opposition plans to use to attack the Union government that has been at the helm in the Union territory. In July 2022, the selection process for the JKSSB was cancelled after allegations of fraud. In 2023, the government cancelled the selection processes of two more recruitment exercises for recruitment to the Service Selection Board (SSB) and the financial accounts assistants and junior engineers. Naveed Bukhtiyar, advocate and social activist, said a lot of young educated youth are concerned about this issue. I think the political parties will not only highlight it but also include in their party manifesto on how they seekj to address this issue concerning the youth, Bukhtiyar said. New Delhi: Calling for unity in the Global South to tackle challenges such as health, food, and energy security, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday proposed the creation of a Global Development Compact based on priorities set by developing countries. Prime Minster Narendra Modi virtually addressed the third Voice of Global South Summit hosted virtually by India (File Photo) India will share its capabilities with the Global South to promote trade and advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Modi said while addressing the third Voice of Global South Summit. He announced an initial contribution of $25 million to the Social Impact Fund, set up to accelerate the use of Indias digital public infrastructure (DPI) in emerging economies. After listening to suggestions at the inaugural session of the virtual summit that featured heads of state and government, Modi proposed the Global Development Compact, to be based on Indias own development and experiences in development partnerships with other countries. It will also focus on development priorities set by countries in the Global South. It will be human-centric and multi-dimensional for development and will promote a multi-sectoral approach. It will not burden needy countries with debt in the name of development finance. It will help in the balanced and sustainable development of partner countries, he said, speaking in Hindi. Modis remarks appeared to position the proposed compact as an alternative to Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which has been blamed for creating debt traps in countries across Asia and Africa by pouring billions of dollars into unsustainable projects. The Global Development Compact, Modi said, will focus on trade for development, capacity building for sustainable growth, technology sharing, and concessional finance and grants for projects. India will start a special fund of $2.5 million to strengthen trade promotion activities and another fund of $1 million to provide training in trade policy and trade negotiation. India is also cooperating with the SDG Stimulus Leaders Group for financial stress and development funding in the Global South. This group includes Barbados, Brazil, Canada, France, India, Italy, Jamaica, Kenya, South Africa and Spain. We will work to make affordable and effective generic medicines available to the Global South. We will also assist in training drug regulators. We will be happy to share our experience and technology of natural farming in the agricultural sector, Modi said. Pointing to concerns related to tensions and conflicts raised by states in the Global South, Modi said this is a serious issue and the solution to these concerns depends on just and inclusive global governance and institutions that give priority to developing countries. Steps should be taken to reduce the gap between the Global North and the Global South. The Summit of the Future to be held in the UN next month can become an important milestone for all this, he said. Modi told the summits opening session that countries of the Global South should unite to tackle challenges such as health security, food security, energy security, technology divide, and terrorism amid an atmosphere of uncertainty across the world. India is ready to share its capabilities with the Global South to promote mutual trade and inclusive growth and advance the SDGs. India will make an initial contribution of $25 million to the Social Impact Fund, created to accelerate the use of the countrys digital public infrastructure (DPI) in the Global South. Agreements to share the India Stack or goods such as digital ID and payments have been reached with 12 partners from the Global South. It is the need of the hour that the countries of the Global South unite, stand together in one voice, and become each others strength. Let us learn from each others experiences and share our abilities. Together, lets take our resolutions to fruition, Modi said. The summit, he said, is being held amid an atmosphere of uncertainty, with the world still grappling with the impact of Covid-19 and new challenges to development due to wars. We are already facing the challenges of climate change...Terrorism, extremism, and separatism continue to pose serious threats to our societies, he said. The technology divide and new economic and social challenges related to technology are emerging. The global governance and financial institutions built in the last century have been unable to fight the challenges of this century. India created the Voice of Global South platform after taking over the G20 presidency in 2022 to ascertain the needs of developing countries so that they could be included in the agenda of the bloc of the 20 largest economies. India virtually hosted two such summits during its G20 presidency and incorporated suggestions from the Global South in the G20 Summit in September 2023. Modi said India led the G20 with an inclusive and development-focused approach, and this resulted in the African Union getting permanent membership in the grouping. Under the Arogya Maitri initiative, India has provided hospitals, dialysis machines, life-saving medicines, and Jan Aushadhi Centres in African and Pacific Island countries. India has helped friendly countries as a first responder during humanitarian crises and provided humanitarian aid in conflict areas such as Gaza and Ukraine. The first order of business for a newly-elected Jammu and Kashmir assembly, should be to pass a resolution against the Centre's 2019 moves cancelling Article 370, which gave J&K its special status,' and taking away the region's statehood, according to former chief minister Omar Abdullah. Omar Abdullah (File Photo) The Union territory's first assembly polls since December 2014, will be held on September 18, 25, and October 1, the Election Commission announced on Friday. Votes will be counted on October 4, as per the poll body. The first order of business of the elected assembly should be to make it known not just to the rest of India but to the world at large that the people of J&K don't agree with what happened to us on 5th August 2019, and then we start undoing what was done to us, the National Conference (NC) vice president, told NDTV. On this date, the Centre's BJP government, abrogated Article 370 from the Constitution of India and bifurcated Jammu and Kashmir into the Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. The bifurcation came into effect on October 31, 2019. Abdullah, meanwhile, also called the upcoming elections in Jammu and Kashmir's, its most significant in the last three generations. These are happening when Ladakh is not a part of us. These are taking place after both delimitation and the scrapping of our special status. The results will be far-fetching, the ex-Union minister, 54, stated. Amongst the most vocal critics of the Narendra Modi government's Article 370 move, Abdullah also spoke about facing challenges in the NC's seat-sharing talks with the Congress. Though the door is not closed for an alliance, seat-sharing has its own challenges. We haven't heard from from the Congress after a preliminary round of talks. However, it's not a closed chapter yet, he noted. Kamala Harris has gained support among certain voter demographics in California compared to Joe Biden did not, a new UC Berkeley poll showed. Cheriss May / Special to The Chronicle Even in California, Kamala Harris is performing far better than Joe Biden did, new poll data shows. Results from a poll of California voters published Wednesday show that Vice President Kamala Harris has expanded the Democratic partys lead over former President Donald Trump as she gained support from demographic groups that were hesitant to back President Joe Biden. The poll of over 3,700 likely voters, which was conducted from July 31, 2024 to August 11, 2024, found that 59% of all likely voters in the state support Harriss bid for president and 34% back Trump. That compares to 52% for Biden and 34% for Trump, in a poll of about 6,500 registered voters conducted in February. The earlier poll surveyed registered voters because it was too early in the election to predict who will and will not vote. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The polls were conducted by UC Berkeleys Institute of Governmental Studies. The poll revealed that Harris is attracting notably higher levels of support among young voters, Black voters and independents. Harris did 23-points better than Biden with voters between the ages of 18 to 29, 16-points better with Black voters, and saw a 17-point jump with independents. Vice President Harris has reversed several of the weaknesses that plagued President Biden in his campaign against former President Trump, said IGS co-director Eric Schickler in a press release. Core Democratic groups that had been lukewarm towards Biden are now showing substantially more enthusiasm for Harris. The only group that supported Harriss and Bidens candidacy equally were voters aged 65 and above. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Indian Medical Association (IMA) national president Dr RV Asokan on Saturday sought prime minister Narendra Modi's intervention in the Kolkata trainee doctor rape and murder case, saying that the time is ripe for the PM to step in. Doctors and medical students hold placards as they take part in a protest march in Amritsar on August 17, 2024, against the rape and murder of a doctor in India's West Bengal state.. (Photo by Narinder NANU / AFP) We will be writing to the PM. The time is ripe for his intervention, Asokan told ANI. The mention by prime minister Modi of women's safety in his Independence Day speech on August 15, shows that he is concerned, the IMA chief further stated. Certainly, that is one aspect that shows that he is concerned. It will be very appropriate to write to the prime minister. IMA will be doing that, Asokan said. He also noted that IMA representatives met Union health minister Jagat Prakash Nadda to discuss the matter. We did meet the health minister. Now it is for the government to respond. What we have asked for is not something beyond them. We are asking for a very a fundamental rightthe right to life, he added. On August 12, three days after the rape and murder at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, an incident that has triggered nationwide protests by the medical fraternity, IMA wrote to Nadda with a list of demands, including declaration of hospitals as safe zones, security measures, and a central law on violence against doctors. The medical profession has stood united across the country, Asokan, the IMA chief, remarked. "The response is overwhelming from every part of the country. Doctors stand united against this injustice. The protest is there, but we are taking care of the emergency services. Across all the sectors, doctors are in protest. We are praying for international attention because this involves the issue of the safety of women," he said. (With ANI inputs) Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday defended party chief Uddhav Thackerays appeal for the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies to declare their chief ministerial candidate ahead of the Maharashtra assembly elections and refuted claims of pressure politics behind it. Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray with Sanjay Raut at Gadkari Hall in Thane on, Saturday, August 10, 2024. (Praful Gangurde /HT Photo ) "Uddhav Thackeray showed largeness of heart (by extending support to anyone the MVA dims fit for the CM's post). It was not pressure politics. This stand benefits Maharashtra," the Shiv Sena (UBT) MP told reporters. He asserted that there were no differences among the MVA partners over the seat-sharing formula for the assembly elections due later this year. When questioned about whether Thackeray himself would emerge as the alliance's chief ministerial candidate, the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader said, Uddhav Thackeray does not need to come forward, he did not come forward even in 2019, everyone together made him CM. Now talking about 2024, Uddhav Thackeray never said that he would become CM, listen to yesterday's speech. If Congress and NCP have any face then bring it forward, Uddhav Thackeray is ready to support that face, but Uddhav Thackeray is in the hearts of the people of Maharashtra. Read: Tensions persist within MVA over chief ministerial candidate MVA's CM face Thackeray, addressing a meeting of Maha Vikas Aghadi on Friday, insisted the opposition alliance decide its chief ministerial face first rather than going by the logic of which party wins most seats, asserting he would back any candidate announced by the Congress and NCP (SP). Despite Thackeray's plea, NCP president Sharad Pawar remained silent on the issue, while Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole asserted that the final decision regarding the CMs post would be made by the INDIA bloc leaders. "What is wrong with Uddhav Thackeray's demand? Thackeray is a former chief minister. His face is acceptable to everyone. He didn't speak about himself. If anyone has the courage, they should declare its CM face," Raut said. MVA sounds poll bugle; Thackeray asks allies to pick name for CMs post Elections to the 288-member Maharashtra assembly are likely in October or November. Thackeray shared his experience with former ally BJP on the 'maximum seats-CM candidate' logic. "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 feel that I am fighting for myself but it is for the rights of Maharashtra," Thackeray said. Guwahati: Assam police on Friday announced Rs.5 lakh in reward to anyone providing information on the 24 bomb-like devices planted at several places in the state on Independence Day by the United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I), people aware of the matter said. Assam police chief Gyanendra Pratap Singh (File Photo) We request public support for information in the ongoing investigation on bomb-like devices planted by ULFA-I. Credible information on persons involved in making, transporting, planting of these devices is requested, Assam police chief GP Singh posted on X. The police chief urged the public to provide information on their social media platforms and telephone numbers. He also shared a WhatsApp number: 9132699735. The request added that the identity of those people who provide information would be kept secret. On August 15, the Assam police launched a massive search operation after the ULFA-I, a banned insurgent organisation, claimed they had placed 24 bombs across the state. According to the police, the outfit purportedly sent an email to several media houses informing them about the locations where the so-called bombs were placed, after which the news became public, creating panic among the people. It, however, maintained that the devices could not be operated due to technical failure and urged the public to locate and deactivate them. Police said the bomb squad had located eight devices planted in Guwahati. On Friday, five of those devices, including two in Guwahati, were located and sent for forensic analysis, said police. According to the police, searches continued through the night, leading to the recovery of two more devices on Friday. None of the devices exploded, and no one was injured. Talking to media persons on Saturday, Singh informed that four cases have been lodged in Guwahati to investigate the recovery of the devices and a special investigation team (SIT) formed to oversee the probe. Similar SITs have been formed in other districts where the bomb-like devices have been recovered. I am sure of detecting those involved in this incident. I would like to assure the people of Assam that we will finish the investigation soon and nab those who have tried to spread panic. We will not allow anyone to disturb peace in the state and ensure all those responsible for this are taken to task, Singh said. Apart from Guwahati, ULFA-I had claimed to have plated bombs at two locations each in Sibsagar and Lakhimpur, one each in Lakuwa, Dibrugarh, Laluk, Borghat, Nagaon, Nalbari, and Tamulpur. The outfit had claimed that bombs were placed at five other places in Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Golaghat, and Sarupathar but did not specify their exact locations. The June 2013 gang rape and murder of a student in West Bengal's Kamduni is in the spotlight amid protests over the August 9 rape and murder of a trainee doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, the state capital. Kolkata murder case LIVE Updates: Resident doctors and medical students across the city's government hospital stage a protest against the rape and killing of a woman doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College in Mumbai on August 16. The Kamduni case was probed by Criminal Investigation Department (CID), West Bengal; Vineet Goyal, now Kolkata's Commissioner of Police, was then the special inspector general (IG) in the CID. The Kamduni rape and murder case (1.) On June 7, 2013, a second-year undergraduate student, 20, was returning to her home in Kamduni, near Kolkata. Alone, she was abducted and dragged to a desolate farm. (2.) Next morning, her mutilated body was found, with private parts ripped apart.' (3.) Facing protests, the state's Trinamool Congress (TMC) government ordered a probe by the CID. (4.) Vineet Goyal, special IG, CID, directed inspector Anandamoy Chatterjee, to lead the investigation. Total nine men were arrested, of whom two Rafiqul Islam and Noor Ali, were acquitted due to lack of evidence, while Gopal Naskar died during trial. (5.) In January 2016, the trial court awarded death sentence to Saiful Ali, Ansar Ali, and Amin Ali, while Sheikh Imanul Islam, Aminur Islam, and Bhola Naskar, got 10 years in jail. (6.) The presiding judge described it as the rarest of the rare crime. (7.) In October 2023, the Calcutta high court turned the death sentences of Saiful and Ansar to life imprisonment, while Amin was acquitted. (8.) The three convicts who got life imprisonment, were released, having completed their jail term. (9.) The HC's division bench noted that the trial court erred in awarding the death penalty, as the state failed to prove a conspiracy beyond reasonable doubt. (10.) The West Bengal government has challenged the order in the Supreme Court. When I reflect on the India I grew up in, in the 1980s, my memories are marked by the humility of our circumstances. We grew up in what we thought was the middle class. In reality, it was closer to what might now be considered poverty. The idea of safe spaces didnt exist. As a Mumbai college principal reminded me last week, we didnt have the language to express our states of mental health. Even ideas such as good touch and bad touch were alien when I was a child. Most ambitions were shaped by the limited resources available. Yet, perhaps because of this, we emerged from our youth with a certain resilience. Between the lack of a vocabulary and lack of awareness, it was inevitable that our struggles would become internalised. While this may not have been the healthiest approach, it forged within us a kind of mental toughness that stayed. We stepped into the workforce not with the expectation of finding the perfect job or a passion project, but with the understanding that work was a means of survival and, if we were lucky, perhaps self-actualisation. We didnt wait for the world to accommodate us; we adapted to the world. Hard work, resilience and upward mobility are the traits by which my generation is defined. Each generation in a given context is defined by certain traits. This is simply (social) science. It is borne out by data. The traits themselves are often shaped by new discoveries and inventions. This has been true since the discovery of fire and the invention of the flint arrowhead. Gen Z, in many ways, is the product of a wholly different world: a world that we helped build. This world is more comfortable, more connected, and, in many ways, more accommodating. Yet it is also a world that appears to have fostered a kind of fragility that concerns me. In an overly flattened reality where everyone has a platform and every opinion is treated as valid there are times when it appears to me that speaking ones truth has tipped over into something else: a kind of dependency on being understood, accommodated, and protected from challenges. This is not to say that all of Gen Z is fragile or ineffective. In fact, this is a generation framing new vocabularies, being vocal about key issues, and doing a better job of this than my generation did. But vocabulary and outspokenness are not in themselves a solution. What I find troubling is the extent to which this fact is obscured. There has only ever been one way to solve problems and it is to get down in the trenches, thrash things out (because no one opinion will ever, or should ever, hold complete sway) and then figure out ways to collaborate, and create. The hard truth is that our complex, nuanced world often will not care what you think. It will roll on anyway. My worry, is that too many in Gen Z do not acknowledge this truth, and I fear that they may not know how to handle it. *** Again, not all of Gen Z fits into this mould far from it. The voices that rose in response to my column (Snap out of it, Gen Z; July 21) were passionate, articulate and committed. If anything, their voices demonstrate the very resilience that I still fear is too scarce. When I speak to keen observers such as Smita Krishnan, my former teacher and head of the department of zoology at Mumbais St Xaviers College until last year, they express the same sentiment: these individuals are outliers. They are the ones who, despite the comforts of modern life, embrace the spirit of hard work and perseverance. They dont represent the majority, Krishnan says. When did the needle tip? It happened. I dont know when, she says. The majority of Gen Z, I fear, has grown accustomed to a world where the rough edges are smoothed over, where discomfort is avoided rather than confronted, and where goals are too often shaped by the desire for immediate gratification. Why is this a problem, I have been asked. It is a concern, and a problem, because challenges cannot be avoided. Safety nets will fail. And it is far harder to try to build resilience in real time, than it is to do it through discipline and effort in the early years. Where does this leave us? It leaves us with the understanding that every generation has its battles to fight. For Gen Z, the battle is not against the material hardships my generation faced, but against the psychological and existential challenges of a world that is, in many ways, more uncertain and more demanding. It leaves us with the understanding that resilience is not something that can be handed down or taught in a classroom; it is something that must be developed through experience, through facing and overcoming the very challenges that, at times, seem overwhelming. I have great faith in the outliers who wrote their passionate notes to me, and in others who have already shown that they possess the strength to thrive in a world that is not always kind. But I worry for those who have yet to realise that true resilience is built not in comfort, but in adversity. The path that lies before you is more complicated than it has been in a long time. Resilience is what will make the way down it easier. God speed, and may the outcomes always be closer to what was hoped for, and better than what was feared. (Charles Assisi is co-founder of Founding Fuel. He can be reached on assisi@foundingfuel.com) . THREE YOUNG READERS HAVE THEIR SAY Who is really at fault here? Hi Charles, I am a regular reader of your weekend columns in Hindustan Times and enjoy your insights on the world of business and technology. However, your column, Snap out of it, Gen Z (July 21) filled me with rage. You began by saying that growing up in a middle-class family in the 80s made you hardworking and resilient, and that todays Gen Zs are comparatively unfamiliar with hard work and fragile. If you feel this way, it might be because you have encountered the wrong type of Gen Z, likely those born into privileged households with generational wealth. Its not that Gen Z is fragile; its that you have levelled up in life You wrote that role models dont exist in the truest sense, as if they ever existed in the first place. With the advent of the internet, we have more access to all sides of the stories of these role models; the reality versus the story projected by their PR teams. We witness their rapid rise and fall, making us disillusioned at a young age, which I feel is for the better. All the angels are fallen, if they were ever angels in the first place We have become disillusioned because the very people whom we are conditioned to look up to for inspiration have done condemnable things, from evading taxes to sexual harassment to running polluting industries, aside from providing weapons and funding countless unnecessary wars for their own profit. You wrote that our role models are influencers who have perfected the art of the selfie. Sorry, sir, we are much bigger than that. Our role models are those who make lots of money and retire early to live a peaceful life Yes, our brains have been rewired by social media and that is no good. The ever-refreshing feeds have hijacked our dopamine circuits and reduced our attention spans. The impact is even worse for those below 20 years, whose brains are yet to fully develop. But arent you also affected? I see my father always on the phone, on Facebook even at dinner or while watching TV, and even late at night. He never listens to my rants about how this is not good for his sleep because he is my father, and fathers never accept their mistakes nor listen to their children. Even my mother used to scold both me and my father for being too absorbed in our mobiles. Three years ago, I bought her a smartphone, and now she also watches Reels whenever she gets slightly free And who is really at fault here? The consumers who have become reluctant addicts of these gamified apps, or the giant corporates (run by Gen X and older millennials) who recruit the worlds best brains for the sole purpose of hooking our attention to these apps to generate revenue?... You have rightly written that our generation is more inclusive, more aware, and incredibly adaptive to a constantly changing world (as if we have a choice) and all this is despite, not because of, the influence of your generation. A certain credit also goes to the modern-day educators and content creators (who are all classed under the misleading term influencers, again by Gen X marketers), who have harnessed the power of the internet and social media to educate people about these things The world has never been more uncertain. We wont be able to cope with AIs exponential growth, no matter how fast we upskill. Our educational institutions and universities, with their 20th-century hive brain, havent even come to terms with the rapidly changing 21st century, and the inevitable AI storm will surely give them a concussion. Gen Z has lived through a global pandemic, back-to-back recessions, and wars and genocide being live-streamed to our phones. It has left them feeling helpless, desensitised to the violence and chaos in their society. The bizarre has been normalised And you call us fragile? You are right that the world needs more innovators, creators, and doers, but is that acceptable in our society? Risks are for rebels, and rebellion is looked down upon. Our public universities give a pittance of a stipend to research students. No wonder most researchers move to foreign countries. So the people who ultimately become successful in these fields are just creatures of pure passion. Yet how many of them are celebrated or even respected by society?... Our times are as difficult or perhaps more difficult than yours. I hope this mail (or rant) has somehow helped you realise that we dont have it easy. Regards, Animesh Bhattacharya, 28 (a software engineer from Navi Mumbai) . I have classmates with graying hair Hello Sir, I have spent a long time debating this, typing and then saving to drafts only to open it up again. Is it really something to email about? My reaction to an article? Its not the first time Ive heard criticism of my generation. In my opinion we are pretty flawed, but so is everyone else. But I think this is the first time Ive seen it in the papers, and the papers hold more weight than any Twitter rant I have thoughts about several lines that stood out to me. For the larger part of my life, I grew up in South Bombay. Many of my peers were the bhaya gari ley ao types. They did not know how to use public transport and nor did they have any intention to. But, this is not all my classmates. And it most certainly isnt all the young people in the world. There are people such as myself and a chunk of my friends, who adore the Bombay local trains. We, the people in the womens-only compartment, have a place to go to, work to get done, and a diem to carpe. Your criticism of Gen Z may be fair for the small population of brats like me who really do float around with little to no purpose but its not for those who work day and night preparing and planning to solidify their all but uncertain futures I have classmates with graying hair, shattered sleep schedules and chronic pains in their wrists from filling so many notebooks. Just today, a girl in my class showed up with a torn ligament and a wheelchair to write a 40-mark test. I spent most of my 10th standard throwing up each morning from a combination of stress and fatigue. My friends hair was falling out in clumps. The NEET students who have no clue about their future are Gen Z too. They look up to the greats that you mentioned and many more. They slaved away, some of them driving themselves to the brink of insanity. But thats the condition of every student now. Theres AI robbing future artists, writers and any person with a shred of creativity of a career that they might enjoy. Even tonight, as we see the news of the Bangladeshi youth, protesting not out of frivolity but for a real issue that affects them, there are still those who think that the younger generation has no mettle. I have to agree once again that we could stand to pick up a book, and while many of us do, most of the time we dont have much of a choice to pick any book other than the textbook Say that youre physically and mentally stronger than us? Valid, were definitely more fragile. But were also prioritising our own boundaries and emotions. Something which women of your generation may understand more than men would. I can help with explaining safe spaces. Do you ever want somewhere or someone that doesnt judge you? Do you have a confidant who you share your troubles with? Well, congratulations! You too have a safe space While the logic is flawed I know why we look up to influencers. They appear free, happy, perfect, and who wouldnt want to live like that? Then again, we look up to other people too. Many of them are important figures of history that were earlier forgotten, strong women and faithful men who hold our respect and set an example of the type of person we want to be. Its harder to appreciate the old achievers though, because the truth about them is revealed too easily, isnt it? So instead of the big people in the skyscrapers, many of our inspirations are the seemingly mundane creatures around us. The people that we so easily take for granted, the animals that seem to have more humanity than we do, the objects that have more meaning to us than any trend or celebrity, the photographs that we treasure of the rawest and most unfiltered moments. In your article you say you wish that Gen Z had better role models, it made me wonder whether we choose who our role models are or we just pick from what we see in front of us. Theres a lot I dont know but I do know that the only ones who can solve the issues with the younger generations are the older ones who shape the world they grow and develop into. I believe Ive said my piece and I do apologise if Ive overstepped somewhere in my adolescence-fuelled response. Thanking you, Ira Ugra, 17 (a Class 12 student from Delhi) . Grateful for your article in Hindustan Times Grateful for your article in Hindustan Times. It was an eye-opening article for me as Gen Z. Specifically your words: The world does not need more influencers. It needs more innovators, creators and doers We do have to decide what to do with the time that is given to us. Thanks. Abhi Patel, 23 (a freelance software engineer from Mahisagar, Gujarat) Isnt it strange how words become taboo? We make them up. They cant really do much harm. But, of course, words have power. They have certainly shaped my life; they shape us all, dont they? Which is perhaps why certain expressions, which strongly evoke what they suggest, become weapons in themselves. Some are felt to be intrinsically unkind, and hence disturbing. Others feel violent, shocking or arousing. One thing all taboo terms have in common: They are more evocative and memorable than the words of everyday use. That may be the only thing they have in common. Because the idea of what is taboo envelopes some truly bizarre choices around the world. Speakers of Albanian, for instance, never use the word for wolf, because of a superstition that naming a thing out loud will summon it. So instead they say mbyllizogojen, which is a contraction of the sentence May God close his mouth. It would appear they also hesitate to disturb the fairies, because in place of this word, they use shtozovalle, which means May God increase their round-dances (or keep the magical creatures happy in the woods, singing and dancing). Similarly, in the Sami language of Scandinavia and the Yakut language of Russia, the word for bear is replaced by the term Our lord or Good father. But the bear, while feared, is also symbolic of great strength. And so Medvedev, literally honey-eater, is a fairly common name. Fear clearly sparks many taboos. But in some cultures, so does grief. In the Masai language of Kenya and northern Tanzania, the name of a dead child, dead woman or dead warrior is not spoken again. Even if the name is also an everyday word, it is no longer used by the bereaved family. Their pain is so great, and considered so perennial, that alternatives must be found. In some cultures, speaking ones name is taboo. The Sakalava of Madagascar believe that knowledge of a name is a gateway to misfortune (including curses, hexes and spells), and so they will not speak their name, or that of their village, to strangers. Now for a bit of wordplay. Some cultures hinge so heavily on etiquette and courtesy that the act of cursing is taboo, and because of this, it becomes something of an art form. In Mandarin, for instance, one does not simply call someone stupid, weak or inept. One says they are wang bah dahn, or the egg of a soft-shell turtle. Which sounds almost cute, until one learns that in local lore, the male soft-shell turtle was believed to be impotent; most females were said to mate with snakes instead. Today, it is said of many Chinese politicians that they are wang bah dahn. Interestingly, in English, some of our more benign oaths contain relics of a more-religious past. Crikey, for instance, is believed to be an abbreviation of By Christs key and Bloody is said to derive from By our Lady! Meanwhile, in something that is not so much an oath as an anomaly, the words for testes and testament comes from more or less the same place. In Ancient Rome, it was customary for a man, while swearing that he spoke the truth, to grasp his testicles with his right hand. From here, we get our two words. (Adam Jacot de Boinod is the author of The Meaning of Tingo, and writes the monthly column Capital Letters for HT Wknd) Nita Ambani and Radhika Merchant celebrated the 78th Independence Day of India in London. Nita and Radhika's pictures from the celebrations were shared on Instagram. They wore simple kurta sets for the occasion. See what they wore. (Also Read | Anant Ambani-Radhika Merchant meet President of Panama) Nita Ambani and Radhika Merchant celebrated Independence Day in London. (Instagram ) Nita Ambani and Radhika Merchant celebrate 78th Independence Day in London Nita Ambani and Radhika Merchant celebrated the Indian Independence Day in London. The celebrations occurred at Stoke Park, attended by fellow Indians living in the UK. The photos shared by netizens show Nita Ambani waving the Indian National flag and clicking pictures with families attending the festivities. Radhika also got a picture clicked with a group of women attending the event. Decoding what Nita Ambani and Radhika Merchant wore Nita Ambani chose a pastel green silk kurta set for the Independence Day celebrations. The ethnic ensemble features a kurta decked in gold brocade floral embroidery, intricate embellishments on the borders, a round neckline, full-length sleeves, side slits, and a relaxed silhouette. She wore it with matching silk pants and an organza dupatta decked in sequin adornments. Nita styled the ethnic ensemble with minimal jewellery, including diamond earrings and a statement ring. Lastly, she chose centre-parted loose tresses, darkened brows, a red bindi, blush pink lip shade, kohl-lined eyes, and rouge-tinted cheeks for the glam picks. Meanwhile, Radhika Merchant wore a multi-coloured co-ord kurta set for the celebrations. Her ensemble paid tribute to the colours of the Indian national flag. It features green and orange tie-dye patterns on a white backdrop. While the kurta has a round neckline and half-length sleeves, the pants feature a straight-leg fitting. Lastly, she chose a no-makeup look and left her tresses loose in a lightly tousled side parting. About Ambani family Nita Ambani and Mukesh Ambani have three kids - Isha Ambani, Akash Ambani, and Anant Ambani. Their youngest son, Anant, recently tied the knot with Radhika Merchant in a lavish wedding. Meanwhile, Isha is married to Anand Piramal, and Akash's wife is Shloka Mehta. Raksha Bandhan 2024: The Hindu festival of Raksha Bandhan is celebrated with pomp every year. It falls on the Poornima Tithi (full moon day) of Shravan Maas (Sawan month). It honours the everlasting and special bonds shared between siblings. Know the history, city-wise shubh muhurat, significance, celebration, and more about this festival. Raksha Bandhan 2024: Before celebrating Rakhi with your siblings, know its history, significance, celebrations, and city-wise shubh muhurat. (Freepik) Raksha Bandhan 2024: When is Rakhi? City-wise shubh muhurat Raksha Bandhan 2024: The auspicious Hindu festival of Rakhi celebrates the bond between siblings. (File photo) Rakhi or Raksha Bandhan falls on Monday, August 19. Tying Rakhi on your sibling's wrist during the shubh muhurat is considered auspicious. Find out the citywise shubh muhurat to perform Rakhi rituals below. New Delhi - 1:30 pm to 9:08 pm Pune - 1:30 pm to 9:14 pm Chennai - 1:30 pm to 8:46 pm Kolkata - 1:30 pm to 8:19 pm Hyderabad - 1:30 pm to 8:55 pm Ahmedabad - 1:30 pm to 9:22 pm Noida - 1:30 pm to 9:07 pm Jaipur - 1:30 pm to 9:12 pm Mumbai - 1:30 pm to 9:19 pm Gurgaon - 1:30 pm to 9:08 pm Bengaluru - 1:30 pm to 8:56 pm Chandigarh - 1:30 pm to 9:11 pm Raksha Bandhan 2024: History and significance One of the legends associated with Raksha Bandhan originates from the Hindu epic Mahabharata. According to the mythology, Lord Krishna once accidentally cut his find on the Sudarshan Chakra. Seeing him injured, Draupadi tore a piece of cloth from her saree and tied it to stop the bleeding. Touched by her gesture, Lord Krishna promised to protect Draupadi forever. He fulfilled the promise when Draupadi faced public humiliation in the royal court of Hastinapur when the Kauravas tried to disrobe her. Raksha Bandhan 2024: Rakhi falls on the Poornima Tithi (full moon day) of Shravan Maas (Sawan month). (File photo) Another legend connects the festival's origin to Goddess Indrani and Lord Indra. According to Drik Panchang, the story narrates the power of sacred thread. Lord Indra was challenged by demons and was unable to match their strength. When he was leaving for battle, Goddes Indrani tied a sacred pouch, known as Raksha Potali, on Lord Indra's hand, which resulted in his victory over demons. Raksha Bandhan holds a lot of significance for Hindus. It honours the bond between siblings. Additionally, the festival serves as an occasion for married women to return to their parent's home for the ceremony. Raksha Bandhan 2024 Celebrations: How to celebrate Rakhi? During Raksha Bandhan, sisters tie a sacred thread (Rakhi) on their brother's hands and perform rituals like aarti and tilak ceremony. Meanwhile, to honour their sister's love and affection for them, the brothers promise to protect them from all troubles. Nowadays, even brothers tie Rakhi on their sister's wrists, and sisters also perform the ritual among each other. In the modern context, exchanging presents has also become a part of the ritual. Siblings pamper each other with gifts and meaningful surprises. You can celebrate Rakhi by taking your sibling on a trip, cooking for them, planning a movie binge-watch session, and more. Have vaccines for Mpox been developed? The short answer is yes, they have. The European Union, United States, Canada and others approved the use of the MVA-BN vaccine back in 2022 during the first declared global health emergency for Mpox. A young girl suffering from Mpox waits for treatment at a centre in Munigi, eastern Congo. (AP) The long answer is a bit more complicated. (Also Read | Is India at risk after WHO's global health emergency alert on Mpox? Report says) What are Mpox vaccines? Vaccines to protect against an Mpox infection do exist, but currently no available vaccines specifically target the monkeypox virus. How is this possible? The monkeypox virus belongs to a genus of viruses called Orthopoxvirus, which are all complex DNA viruses. Among others, viruses in this genus include the variola virus, which causes smallpox, the cowpox virus, and the vaccinia virus. Viruses from this genus have a great share of genetic similarity, which makes it possible for vaccines developed against other viruses to also be used to protect from Mpox infection. How do Mpox vaccines work? Vaccines which protect against Mpox rely on a phenomenon called cross-reactivity. Cross-reactivity happens when different antigens different species of viruses, for example appear similar to our immune system. Imagine this: As viruses from the Orthopoxvirus are structurally similar, if a person is infected by the variola virus, for example, the antibodies that their cells will produce against the virus will also be able to protect them against a monkeypox virus infection. Cross-reactivity between antibodies to Orthopoxvirus allows a vaccine developed to fight smallpox, for example, to also work with Mpox infections. So I can't get Mpox if I'm already vaccinated against smallpox? The answer currently seems to be: there is no guarantee. Smallpox was declared eradicated in 1980 after a decadeslong global mass vaccination effort. After the 1980s, mass immunization against the disease stopped, which some researchers suggest could have increased the susceptibility of people to other forms of Orthopoxvirus, including the monkeypox virus. In fact, people born after the end of the universal smallpox vaccination program have lower levels of antibodies against the monkeypox virus. This could explain why men aged 18-44 accounted for the majority of cases in the previous 2022-2023 Mpox global outbreak. But previous smallpox vaccination doesnt mean that a person is fully protected from contracting Mpox. Previous studies have suggested that the smallpox vaccine is about 85% effective in preventing monkeypox virus infection, but people who have received a smallpox vaccine seem to have milder cases of Mpox. What vaccines do we currently have? As of August 2024, there is only one vaccine approved for use against Mpox across all of the EU/EEA, United Kingdom, United States, Switzerland and Canada. This is the MVA-BN vaccine, also known as Modified Vaccinia Ankara-Bavarian Nordic. The vaccine consists of a weakened strain of the vaccinia virus one of the viruses from the Orthopoxvirus genus, which the monkeypox virus belongs to. The Modified Vaccinia Ankara vaccine was developed in the 1950s and '60s in Germany and was originally used to protect against smallpox infection. Its current form, MVA-BN, was developed by the Danish biotech company Bavarian Nordic and has been in production since 2010. It is given in two doses, usually 28 days apart. The World Health Organization lists another two vaccines approved by different regulatory agencies for the prevention of Mpox. During the 2022 Mpox outbreak, Japan approved the smallpox vaccine LC16, and Russia licensed OrthopoxVac for immunization against smallpox, Mpox and other orthopoxviruses. In the United States and Australia, ACAM2000, a vaccine which contains a live vaccinia virus, is recommended for people at risk for exposure to Orthopoxvirus infections. Are vaccines in development? Yes. One example is a new mRNA vaccine BNT166 specifically targeting antigens on the monkeypox virus, which is now under clinical evaluation. You might be familiar with mRNA vaccines from the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing global vaccination effort. Currently, the WHO doesn't recommend a mass vaccination program. It recommends that only people who are at risk or who have been in contact with the virus should be considered for vaccination. The Union Cabinet on August 16 approved three metro rail projects in Bengaluru in Karnataka, and Thane and Pune in Maharashtra, where assembly elections are due later this year. Experts said that the approved metro projects in the two cities hold significant real estate growth potential for respective cities in the long-term. The Union Cabinet on August 16 approved three metro rail projects in Bengaluru in Karnataka, and Thane and Pune in Maharashtra, (Representational photo)(X/@bykarthikreddy) Value unlocking is expected across residential, commercial office and retail segments as metro will trigger organic and inorganic growth, they said. The three Metro corridors 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 15,611 crore. The Thane Integral Ring Metro, to be built at a cost of 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 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. Also Read: Delhi Metro Phase 4 projects: Approval of two Metro corridors to enhance connectivity and impact real estate markets Vimal Nadar, Senior Director and Head of Research, Colliers India, said that with a boost to suburban urban mobility, the recently approved metro projects in Bengaluru, Pune and Thane hold significant real estate growth potential for respective cities in the long-term. Value unlocking is expected across residential, commercial office and retail segments as metro will trigger organic and inorganic growth. Impact on Bengaluru's real estate market The phase 3 of Bengaluru metro aims to connect the western peripherals of the city with ORR and key localities in the Secondary Business District such as JP Nagar and Bannerghatta Road. Apart from perceptible benefits to the industrial and warehousing segment in Western Bengaluru and commercial real estate in IT pockets along ORR, real estate investors should benefit from significant property price appreciation once metro construction work gains momentum, he said. Impact on Thane and Pune's real estate markets The Thane integral ring metro rail project is expected to significantly improve connectivity within Thane as it will connect key residential and commercial hubs including Navpada, Wagle Estate, Hiranandani Estate, Kolshet. It will ease commuting as the metro will serve as an effective internal mode of transport and decongest several areas within Thane. This metro network will act as a catalyst in the growth of established residential and office markets, thus appreciation in capital values and rentals over time, he said. Also Read: Gurugram Metro: Here are the sectors which may see the maximum price impact The extension of the Pune Phase 1 project will also aid in enhanced connectivity and thus augment overall urban infrastructure within Pune. According to Ritesh Mehta, Senior Director, and Head (North and West), residential services and developer initiative, JLL India, the Cabinet approval for the expansion of Metro from Hiranandani estate towards Naupada will give relief to at least 1 million daily commuters once its ready. Thane region has witnessed rapid infrastructure development in the recent past and has been shortlisted as one of the smart cities for development under the Smart Cities Mission. This approval further testifies the governments growth vision for Thane which has emerged as one of the hotspots for real estate investment and a sought-after housing destination for people of Mumbai, he added. Also Read: Heres how metro projects in multiple cities will impact real estate markets By investing heavily in public transportation, the government is addressing critical challenges such as traffic congestion, pollution, and accessibility. The proposed metro networks will not only provide efficient and reliable connectivity but also stimulate economic activity by unlocking the potential of underserved areas, said Vivek Rathi, National Director -Research, Knight Frank India. It is particularly encouraging to see the focus on integrating some of these projects with multimodal transport systems. This holistic approach will create a seamless travel experience for commuters, promoting the use of public transport and reducing reliance on private vehicles, he said. While the financial outlay is substantial, the long-term benefits in terms of reduced travel time, improved air quality, and job creation far outweigh the costs. It is imperative to ensure timely and efficient implementation of these projects to maximize their impact, he said. China congratulates Paetongtarn Shinawatra on her election as Thailand PM: FM spokesperson Xinhua) 10:17, August 17, 2024 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. (Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Wu Chaolan) Maliya Ellis, originally from New Haven, Conn., is a recent graduate of Harvard University, where she studied Social Studies and edited the Harvard Crimsons weekly news magazine. Her summer newsroom internships on the Pittsburgh Post-Gazettes features desk and the Boston Globes metro team have confirmed her passion for deeply reported local news. In her free time, Ellis enjoys long runs and word games. She is excited to explore a new coast and a new city. A 12-year-old girl tragically lost her life in Texas after her parents allegedly tried to treat her life-threatening injuries with smoothies and vitamins. The incident has sparked an outrage among people, with many demanding strict actions against the accused. The image shows the mugshots of a 12-year-old girls parents charged with a first-degree felony. (Facebook/Sheriff David Soward, Atascosa County, Texas ) According to a statement from the Atascosa County Sheriff's Office, the authorities received a call requesting medical assistance from a woman. Following this, the dispatchers instructed the mother to stop her vehicle, and the EMS met her. They found the victim, a cheerleader, unconscious but alive in the vehicle. She was immediately transported to the nearest hospital for treatment, and the Sheriff's office simultaneously launched an investigation to know more about the circumstances surrounding the child's injuries. Despite the hospital emergency room working vigorously to treat the victim, she was pronounced dead later the same night. What did the investigators say? Sergeant Investigator Robert Newman, who led the investigation, determined that the child received life-threatening injuries, but the parents failed to seek medical assistance for the girl, even though she was mentally and physically incapacitated and non-responsive. It is when the girl finally had respiratory distress, her mother called the emergency services. Who are the charges? The mother and the stepfather of the deceased child were charged with Injury to a Child Causing Serious Bodily Injury by Ommission. After this, the couple was arrested from their residence and taken to Atascosa County Jail. They are identified as 36-year-old Denise Balbaneda and 40-year-old Gerald Gonzales. The department added that the investigation is ongoing and the final autopsy report is pending as they concluded their post. They also shared pictures of the accused. Mugshots of the parents shared by the authorities. (Facebook/Sheriff David Soward, Atascosa County, Texas ) What did social media say about this horrific incident? People have taken to social media to express their reactions to the incident. Why is she smiling in her mugshot, posted a Facebook user. So sad, such a horrible situation, added another. A third person commented, They show no remorse. A fourth expressed, She was just a baby. A fifth wrote, This is so sad for this little girl. She suffered for days and the mom did nothing to help her child. She was not talking. She basically could flutter her eyes and move her hands a little bit over a four-day period, said Sheriff David Soward to NBC News while talking about the girls condition before her mother called the authorities. And they had her laying on a pallet in the house. Reportedly, the mother showed little to no remorse about her daughters death. The step-dad displayed some remorse. New Delhi, China and Pakistan were not among the invitees to the third Voice of Global South Summit hosted by India on Saturday on the virtual format that was joined by 123 nations across the globe. 123 countries joined Voice of Global South summit; China, Pakistan not invited External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar confirmed this at a media briefing after conclusion of the summit that focused on unitedly dealing with challenges facing the Global South or the developing countries. Jaishankar said 123 countries participated at the summit. Twenty-one countries were represented at the level of head of state and government while 34 foreign ministers joined it, according to the external affairs minister. Apart from the foreign ministers, 118 ministers also joined the summit that comprised 10 ministerial sessions. In the last few years, India has been positioning itself as a leading voice, flagging concerns, challenges and aspirations of the Global South or the developing nations, especially the African continent. As the G20 president last year, India focused on issues like inclusive growth, digital innovation, climate resilience, and equitable global health access with an aim to benefit the Global South. The countries whose heads of state and government attended the third Voice of Global South summit summit are Bangladesh, Belarus, Bhutan, Chile, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Fiji, Grenada, Guyana, Lao PDR, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mongolia, Nepal, Oman, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Tajikistan, Timor Leste, Uruguay and Vietnam. Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the Leaders' session at the summit. Sharing details of the summit, Jaishankar said challenge of climate change figured prominently at the summit while many leaders spoke about debt burden and challenges of new technologies. There was unanimous view on the need to reform the global governance architecture, he said adding the situation in Gaza also came up during the deliberations. Some of the leaders also talked about sovereignty, strategic autonomy and interference and expressed concerns in that regard, Jaishankar said. At the foreign ministerial sessions, the challenge of debt distress and slow credit growth also figured, he said. Other issues that came up at the foreign ministerial sessions were the rules based order, sovereignty, equality, mutual respect and partnership of the equals. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. NABATIEH, Lebanon An Israeli strike in southern Lebanon early Saturday killed at least 10 Syrian nationals, according to Lebanons Health Ministry. An Israeli strike in Lebanon kills 10 and triggers response from Hezbollah as tensions simmer The strike on Wadi al-Kfour in Nabatieh province is among the deadliest in Lebanon since the Hezbollah militant group and Israeli military started trading strikes on Oct. 8, a day after Hamas attacked southern Israel and sparked the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Hezbollah maintains that it will stop its attacks once a cease-fire is reached in the Gaza Strip. Among the dead were a woman and her two children, the ministry said. Five others were wounded, two of whom in critical condition. An Arabic-language spokesperson for the Israeli military, Avichay Adraee, said the strike in the southern province targeted a weapons depot belonging to Hezbollah. Mohammad Shoaib, who runs a slaughterhouse in Wadi al-Kfour, said the area struck was an industrial and civilian area that contained factories producing bricks, metal, and aluminum, as well as a dairy farm. The uncle of three of the people killed in the strike said they were factory workers who were in their housing accomodation when they were hit. He denied that there were weapons at the facility. There was nothing at all like that, Hussein Shahoud said. There was metal for construction, for building, for all kinds of purposes. Hezbollah later announced it had fired a volley of rockets at the community of Ayelet HaShahar, near Safad in northern Israel in retaliation for the strike. The statement said that all 10 victims in Lebanon were civilians. Hezbollah typically issues death notices when its members are killed. The Israeli army said 55 projectiles were identified crossing from Lebanon, some of which fell in open areas. No injuries were reported, but the strikes ignited multiple fires, it said. Earlier Saturday, two Israeli soldiers were injured, one seriously, by a strike coming from Lebanon that hit the area of Misgav Am. The Israeli military also said it had killed a Hezbollah commander Saturday in a separate strike in the area of the coastal city of Tyre. Lebanese state media reported that one person was killed in a strike on a motorcyclist near Tyre. Hezbollah identified him as its member Hussein Ibrahim Kasseb. It did not give his rank or say where he was killed. The Lebanese government and international governments have scrambled for weeks to put an end to the monthslong clashes, with the region on a knife edge since July. An Israeli strike last month in southern Beirut killed Hezbollahs top commander, whom Israel accused of leading a rocket attack on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights that killed 12 youths. Hours later, an explosion widely blamed on Israel killed Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in the Iranian capital. Both Tehran and Hezbollah vowed to retaliate, but have not yet launched strikes as diplomatic endeavors and Gaza cease-fire talks continue in Qatar. Hezbollah and Israel fought a six-week war in the summer of 2006 that ended in a draw. Hezbollahs military capabilities have developed significantly since then. More than 500 people have been killed by Israeli strikes since Oct. 8, most of them fighters with Hezbollah and other armed groups but also including around 100 civilians and noncombatants. In norther Israel, 22 soldiers and 24 civilians have been killed by strikes from Lebanon. Tens of thousands of people have been displaced on both sides of tense frontier. Also Saturday, Lebanons state utility Electricite du Liban announced that its power plants had exhausted their supply of fuel oil and would stop producing electricity until more supply is secured. Lebanon has struggled with severe electricity shortages for years, particularly since the country fell into a protracted financial crisis in 2019. Homes and businesses rely largely on generators and, increasingly, solar panels for power as the state typically supplies electricity only a few hours a day. The meagre state electricity supply relies on fuel oil provided by Iraq, but issues have arisen between the two countries due to Lebanon not having paid for the supply. Chehayeb reported from Beirut. Associated Press writers Jack Jeffery in Jerusalem and Abby Sewell in Beirut contributed to this report. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. Dhaka, A murder case was filed against Bangladesh's former prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday over the death of a college student during the quota reform protests in the country, the latest in the string of cases filed against her after her ouster. Another murder case filed against ousted Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina The case was filed against Hasina, former education minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury Nowfel, and 32 others, including several Awami League leaders, in Chandgaon, bdnews24.com portal reported. An additional 40 to 50 unidentified people have also been made accused in the case, it said. This is the seventh case filed against Hasina following her ouster amid mass protests. 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. Mohammad Parvez, the uncle of the deceased student Tanvir Siddiqui, brought the charges at Chandgaon Police Station early on Saturday morning, the report quoted the station chief Jahedul Kabir as saying. According to the case statement, Tanvir, a student at Government Ashekane Awlia Degree College, participated in the shutdown programme of the Anti-discrimination Student Movement on Aug 18. During the protest at Bahaddarhat kitchen market, unidentified attackers hurled bricks and stones and indiscriminate gunfire was opened on the students on the orders and directions of Hasina and Nowfel. Tanvir was shot and later died in the hospital. The same incident led to the deaths of two others, including a Chattogram University student, at the same location, the report said. Five other cases have been lodged against her in Dhaka in the last four days, four of which are murder cases, while one involves abduction and torture charges. On Friday, Hasina and 99 other local leaders and activists of her Awami League party were sued in a 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, Hossain joined students' protest in Bogura's Satmatha area. According to the complaint, Awami League 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. Meanwhile, former MP and ex-water resources minister, Ramesh Chandra Sen, has been arrested and sent to jail on Saturday in a case filed for hurling a crude bomb on students during the student movement on July 16. Thakurgaon Chief Judicial Magistrate Court Judge Rajib Kumar Roy gave the order after Ramesh was produced before the court on Saturday afternoon. Sen also served in the Awami League as a presidium member, an advisory council member, and most recently, a member of the Central Election Board. He held the position of Minister of Water Resources from 2009 to 2014. 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. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Ramadan Abed At least 17 Palestinians killed in Israeli strike in central Gaza, health officials say CAIRO/GAZA -At least 17 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded in an Israeli strike in the Gaza town of Zawayda on Saturday, health officials said, as Israel issued new evacuation orders, citing Hamas rocket fire nearby. Most of the people killed were from the same family and they included eight children and four women, according to health officials in the Hamas-administered enclave. Israel's military said it was aware of the reports of the strike and was looking into them. "They were asleep in their beds, kids and babies, then three missiles targeted their place," said Abu Ahmed Hassan, a neighbour. The owner of the house was a known merchant, he said. "There are no military activities here at all," he added. Israel's military spokesperson in Arabic posted instructions on X on Saturday for people in parts of central Gaza, including in Maghazi district which is near Zawayda, to evacuate to a designated humanitarian zone. He said militants were firing rockets from those locations and that the military was preparing to act against them. Reuters could not immediately verify whether any areas of Zawayda were among those ordered to evacuate and whether people there received the military's instructions. Residents said thousands were streaming out of Maghazi. On Friday, two sections of the southern city of Khan Younis within what Israel has designated as a humanitarian zone were deemed dangerous by the military, which ordered people to evacuate them saying that militants had been regularly firing rockets from there. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Friday's orders, which also included other areas of the enclave outside the humanitarian zones, had affected around 170,000 displaced people. "This is one of the largest evacuation orders affecting the zone to date and it shrinks the size of the so-called 'humanitarian area' to about 41 square kilometres, or 11 per cent of the total area of the Gaza Strip," an OCHA report said. In the central part of the enclave, residents said that Israeli tanks advanced further on Saturday into the eastern area of Deir Al-Balah, an area they had not invaded before, where hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians are sheltering. The Israeli military said that since Friday its forces had killed dozens of militants, including some who had fired rockets from central and southern Gaza. Most of Gaza's 2.3 million population has been displaced by the 10-month-old Israeli offensive, which has laid waste to much of the enclave. CEASEFIRE TALKS PAUSED Ceasefire talks in Doha, mediated by the United States, Qatar and Egypt, paused on Friday with negotiators to meet again next week seeking an agreement to end the fighting between Israel and Hamas and free remaining hostages. U.S. President Joe Biden said on Friday that no party in the Middle East should undermine efforts to reach a ceasefire and hostage release deal that he said was now in sight, while at the same time warning that negotiations were "far from over." Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said in response that reports of an agreement being close were "deceptive claims". The war was triggered on Oct. 7 when the militant Islamist group Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's subsequent military campaign has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to Gaza health authorities. Israel has lost 330 soldiers in Gaza and says at least a third of the Palestinian dead are fighters. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. Seattle/New York, Indias ingenuity, from manufacturing safe vaccines to its Digital Public Infrastructure, is helping not just Indians but the whole world, Microsoft co-founder and billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates said as he flagged off the first India Day celebrations in the Seattle area. Bill Gates flags off 1st Indian Independence Day celebration in Seattle area, describes India as 'global leader' Gates, Chairman of the Gates Foundation, flagged off the first India Day celebrations in the Greater Seattle area as the Guest of Honour of the Consulate General of India in Seattle on the occasion of the 78th Indian Independence Day. A press release issued by the Seattle Consulate Friday said that Gates, addressing over 2,000 members of the Indian-American community at the celebration, referred to India as a global leader with breakthrough innovations in areas like technology, agriculture and healthcare. Gates emphasised that from manufacturing safe low-cost vaccines to the remarkable leadership shown by the Indian diaspora to Indias Digital Public Infrastructure Indias ingenuity is helping not just Indians, but the whole world. Countries across the Global South are leveraging Indias experience to build their DPI systems. In a post on the social media site Instagram, Gates said it was an honour to participate in the first India Day celebrations at the Seattle Consulate alongside senior government officials and the Indian diaspora. India is a global leader with breakthrough innovations in areas like technology, agriculture, and healthcare that are saving and improving lives. It has been an honour to collaborate with the Indian government, philanthropists, the private sector, nonprofits, and the Indian American community. Happy Independence Day to all Indians! he said, tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in the post. Gates also posted photos from the celebration on Instagram. Wearing a scarf in hues of the Indian tricolour, Gates is flanked by the Consul General of India in Seattle Prakash Gupta and other officials. The Consulate, in a post on X, thanked Gates for flagging off the first India Day celebrations in the Greater Seattle area. Deeply appreciate the participation of Congresswomen Suzan K DelBene and Kim Schrier and Congressman Adam Smith, along with Washington Lieutenant Governor Denny Heck and Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs. Thanks also to the Mayors of Bellevue, Tacoma, Kent, Auburn, Renton, SeaTac, Snoqualmie and Mercer Island for joining in to support the Indian community, the Consulate said. The Independence Day celebration was showcased for the first time in the Greater Seattle area all states and regions of India through floats and cultural performances celebrating the theme of Unity in Diversity. Each of the floats was put together by prominent leaders of the Indian American community and reflected some of the important aspects of Indias rich cultural heritage, the release said. Further, in a special gesture, five separate official proclamations were issued by governments/city councils of King County, Bellevue City , Portland , Hillsboro , Tigard to honour the India Day celebrations. Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon also sent a separate congratulatory message on Indias 78th Independence Day. India's achievements in education, healthcare and economic development deserve celebration. The State of Wyoming has many cultural and economic ties to India, including more than 10,000 Indian-Americans living in the state, Gordon said. Gordon added that Wyoming is excited about the opening of the new Consulate General of India in Seattle. We look forward to continuing to build partnerships to advance trade, investment, tourism, education, and friendship, he said. Some iconic buildings in Seattle and Bellevue were also lit up in hues of the Indian tricolour to mark the celebrations. Other distinguished participants at the India Day celebrations included Congresswoman Suzan DelBene, Congresswoman Kim Schrier, Congressman Adam Smith, Lt. General Xavier Brunson, Commander of Americas First Corps in Pacific North West, Rear Admiral Mark Sucato, Commander of the Navy Region of North West, Washington Lieutenant Governor Denny Heck and Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs and Chief Justice from Washington Supreme Court Steve Gonzalez. From city leadership, Mayors of cities of Bellevue, Tacoma, Kent, Auburn, Renton, SeaTac, Snoqualmie and Mercer Island also joined in the India Day celebrations. The Consulate in Seattle, Indias sixth and newest mission in the US, became operational earlier this year and serves the US states of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington and Wyoming. The opening of the Indian Consulate in Seattle is a reflection of the Government of Indias strong commitment to deepen Indias relations with Pacific Northwest states of USA, the Consulate has said. Gupta, a career diplomat who has served in various capacities in Beijing, Shanghai, Indias Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York and in Jakarta, leads the Consulate as the first Consul General of India in Seattle. India also has Consulates in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, New York and San Francisco. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. By Promit Mukherjee Canada's CPKC expands freight embargoes ahead of looming work stoppage OTTAWA, - Canadian Pacific Kansas City said on Saturday it would halt any new rail shipments originating in Canada, and all new U.S. shipments destined for Canada starting on Tuesday if talks with its Canadian labour union fail to progress. North American industry groups and shippers are bracing for an unprecedented simultaneous stoppage at both of Canada's main railway companies that could disrupt the movement of commodities such as coal, potash, crude oil and grains, and manufactured goods ranging from cars to chemicals. The Teamsters union's talks with Canadian National Railway and CPKC have deadlocked, and the rail companies say they will start locking out workers on Aug. 22 if they cannot reach a labour deal. The union says it is ready to call a strike for that date. In an update on Saturday, CPKC said it was taking "prudent steps to prepare for a potential rail service interruption next week." It said bargaining talks are scheduled to continue on Sunday. Earlier this week, CPKC had already begun to halt any new shipments of hazardous chemicals or dangerous goods. Separately, CN Rail said on Friday "there has been no meaningful progress at the bargaining table," and added that it had also begun a phased and progressive shutdown of its network. CN Rail said this will culminate in a lockout, unless a deal is reached, or binding arbitration is imposed. Earlier this week, Canada's Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon rejected an appeal from CN Rail to initiate binding arbitration between the two sides, and called on the company and the unions to negotiate in good faith. Industry groups warn that a simultaneous work stoppages at both rail companies could inflict billions of dollars' worth of economic damage. It could also impact trade with both the U.S. and Mexico. The CN and CPKC networks connect key U.S. rail and shipping hubs such as Chicago, New Orleans, Minneapolis and Memphis. CPKC's network also extends further south to ports on Mexico's east and west coasts. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. Dhaka, Students at the prestigious Dhaka University in Bangladesh held a protest in solidarity with ongoing demonstrations over the rape and murder of a woman trainee doctor at R G Kar Medical College in Kolkata in the neighbouring country. Dhaka University students protest in solidarity with demonstrations over Kolkata rape incident The protest, organised under the banner "Awaaz Tolo Nari" , on Friday, took place at the Raju Sculpture in Dhaka University, Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported. "We are aware of the non-cooperative attitude of the medical college administration regarding the Moumita rape case in Upper Bengal. As women, we demand that the administration provide maximum legal assistance, strictly enforce the law, and announce the verdict promptly," Dhaka Tribune quoted Rahnuma Ahmed Niret, a student from the Department of Physics, as saying at the event. Anya Fahmin, a student of the Department of Anthropology, added: "Women worldwide face rape, and we fully support the ongoing movement for fair accountability in the RG Kar Hospital case in Kolkata. Additionally, we call for a public trial of the rape and murder case of Sohagi Jahan Tonu in Comilla. The general public has a right to know, especially when the army is involved. The government must ensure a safe country for women through the mass uprising of student communities." Lamisha Jahan, a student from Jahangirnagar University, said: "Past rape incidents have seen the victims' names publicised while the names of the guilty perpetrators often remain hidden. Sometimes these cases are covered up by the government or the ruling party. The days of complacency are over. We must raise our voices against all forms of humiliation towards women." "We must build a safe country for women. The students played a crucial role in the mass uprising, and we must force our government to prosecute all rape cases and ensure women's safety," said Anika Arefin Anu, a student from the Department of Finance. On August 9, a 31-year-old woman trainee doctor was raped and murdered at Kolkata's R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, leading to protests across India where demonstrators demanded justice for the victim. A group of students also observed the Occupy the Night programme at Dhaka University in solidarity with the ongoing protests in India, demanding a fair investigation and justice for every rape case in Bangladesh following the mass uprising. Around 10 pm on Friday, students gathered at the foot of the Anti-Terrorism Raju Memorial Sculpture at Dhaka University where teachers and distinguished individuals expressed their support for rape victims across the world. Earlier, the students marched across the campus with placards reading: Poshaker Bahanay Par Pabena Kono Pisach and Proshno Jokhon Sadhinotar, Bangla Jure Oyaddedar, among others. Ania Fahmin, a student from the anthropology department at Dhaka University, noted that most rape cases in Bangladesh are not filed, and even those that are filed rarely make it to trial. She pointed out that many incidents only come to light through social media, underscoring the lack of justice for victims. Fahmin emphasised the RG Kar incident has highlighted ongoing issues in the country and reiterated the need for exemplary punishment for perpetrators. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. Elon Musk-owned social media giant X on Saturday announced that it is shutting down its operations in Brazil with immediate effect in response to what the company described as a "threat" from Alexandre de Moraes, a justice of Brazil's Supreme Court. Elon Musk's company said that the censorship order was passed without public disclosure and outside the bounds of due process.(AFP) According to a statement released by X, Moraes issued a secret order threatening the arrest of the companys legal representative in Brazil if X did not comply with his censorship directives. The company claims that this order was made without public disclosure and outside the bounds of due process. Last night, Alexandre de Moraes threatened our legal representative in Brazil with arrest if we do not comply with his censorship orders. He did so in a secret order, which we share here to expose his actions, X said. Read: Elon Musks free speech mantra collides with crackdowns on hate speech and disinformation The company expressed frustration over its numerous appeals to Brazil's Supreme Court, which it says have gone unheard, leaving its staff vulnerable to legal threats. Despite closing its physical operations in Brazil, X confirmed that its service would remain accessible to Brazilian users. "We are deeply saddened that we have been forced to make this decision. The responsibility lies solely with Alexandre de Moraes. His actions are incompatible with democratic government. The people of Brazil have a choice to makedemocracy, or Alexandre de Moraes," the statement read. Read: X ordered to pay 5 crore to employee fired for not replying to Elon Musks email Earlier this year, Moraes ordered X to block certain accounts, as he investigates so-called "digital militias" that have been accused of spreading fake news and hate messages during the government of far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro. Moraes opened an inquiry earlier this year into the billionaire after Musk said he would reactivate accounts on X that the judge had ordered to block. Musk has called the Moraes' decisions regarding X unconstitutional. MEXICO CITY Hurricane Ernesto made landfall on the tiny British Atlantic territory of Bermuda early Saturday as residents continued to hunker down. The hurricane is now exhibiting a large rain-free center region that is just about to move past Bermuda, according to the National Hurricane Center. Hurricane Ernesto moves through Bermuda as a category 1 storm The eye has expanded and Ernesto has slowed down, though the second half of the storm is set to move over Bermuda Saturday afternoon. The wide category 1 storm has maximum sustained winds of 80 mph . The U.S. National Hurricane Center warned of strong winds, a dangerous storm surge and significant coastal flooding. It said some 6 to 9 inches of rain was expected to fall on Bermuda. This rainfall will likely result in considerable life-threatening flash flooding, especially in low-lying areas on the island, the center said. Due to the large size of the storm and its slow movement, hurricane-strength winds are expected to continue until Saturday afternoon, with tropical storm-strength winds continuing well into Sunday, the Bermuda government said. Ernesto is moving toward the north-northeast at around 9 mph . A Saturday morning update from the Bermuda Weather Service said a Hurricane warning remains in effect. We want to reiterate the storm is not over, said National Security Minister Michael Weeks. The Minister said that currently the Emergency Measures Organisation is receiving damage assessments as reports from overnight come into the Operations Group. They have not received any reports of any major damages yet. The NHC reported life-threatening surf and rip currents on the east coast of the United States and said they would reach Canada during the day. The center of Ernesto will slowly move away from Bermuda Saturday and pass near southeastern Newfoundland late Monday and Monday night, said the center. Bermuda power utility BELCO said that as of Saturday afternoon, more than 26,00 customers were out of power. Lana Morris, manager of Edgehill Manor Guest House in Bermuda said that conditions are calm, though the wind has started to pick up again. I spoke to my guests, they told me they still have electricity, they have running water, and are comfortable. Morris said she has been communicating with her guests via phone. They do not have internet but if the network is down, its down. They are safe and Im happy with that. Bermuda is an archipelago of 181 tiny islands whose total land mass is roughly the size of Manhattan. According to AccuWeather, its uncommon for the eye of a hurricane to make landfall in Bermuda. It noted that, before today, since 1850 only 11 of 130 tropical storms that came within 100 miles of Bermuda had landfall. The island is a renowned offshore financial center with sturdy construction, and given its elevation, storm surge is not as problematic as it is with low-lying islands. Ernesto previously battered the northeast Caribbean, where it left tens of thousands of people without water in Puerto Rico as the National Weather Service issued yet another severe heat advisory, warning of dangerously hot and humid conditions. More than 115,000 out of nearly 1.5 million clients were still without power more than two days after the storm. Another 170,000 were without water as the National Weather Service issued yet another severe heat advisory, warning of dangerously hot and humid conditions. Its not easy, said Andres Cabrera, 60, who lives in the north coastal city of Carolina and has no water or power. Like many on the island, he could not afford a generator or solar panels. Cabrera said he was relying for relief only on the wind that comes in from the street. Officials said they hoped to restore power to 90% of nearly 1.5 million customers in Puerto Rico by Sunday, but have not said when they expect power to be fully restored. After a process of cleaning up and removing debris, The Virgin Islands Department of Education said that all public schools will resume operations on Monday. Classes in Puerto Rico public schools also were scheduled to start Monday, nearly a week after their original date. Ernesto is the fifth named storm and the third hurricane of this years Atlantic hurricane season. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted an above-average Atlantic hurricane season this year because of record warm ocean temperatures. It forecast 17 to 25 named storms, with four to seven major hurricanes. This story has been corrected to give the conversion of rainfall as millimeters instead of centimeters. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. In 2022, in an attempt to address a growing number of RVs parked near Candlestick Point, the city opened the Bayview Vehicle Triage Center, with 118 spots for vehicles. Since its inception, its been plagued with problems. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle 2022 On Thursday, San Francisco released its full point-in-time count report, detailing what was discovered about the citys homeless population during a single day in January. This snapshot in time, conducted every two years, provides San Francisco with a better understanding of who is homeless in the city and where, and helps state and federal agencies determine where funding should go. One neighborhood stands out. And, no, it isnt the Tenderloin. District 5, where the Tenderloin is located, had a 21% decrease in unsheltered homelessness in two years. Instead, its the situation in District 10, on the southeastern edge of the city, that should raise eyebrows. This includes the Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood, where the majority of the citys dwindling percentage of Black residents live. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The city counted 1,462 homeless people living in District 10, a 47% increase from 2022. Of those, 811 lived in 545 vehicles, a huge spike from the 178 people in 123 vehicles that were counted two years ago. In recent years, San Franciscos city center has received the bulk of attention regarding issues of homelessness. In a desperate effort to revitalize downtown, encampment sweeps there have become a regular occurrence, and the city has created hundreds of new shelter beds in and around the Tenderloin during the past few years. Other neighborhoods dont receive the same level of attention, and it shows. District 10 Supervisor Shamann Waltons staff said he wasnt available to speak to the editorial board. But the numbers in his district speak for themselves. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing spokesperson Emily Cohen told the editorial board that vehicular homelessness is driving the surge. The point-in-time count shows a small increase in sheltered homelessness and a significant increase in unsheltered homelessness in District 10 since 2022, she said. District 10 now has 17.6% of the citys homeless population, but only 5.7% of its housing and shelter resources. Who are these vehicle dwellers and where did they come from? Are strict anti-homeless policies downtown and in the citys wealthier districts pushing the problem of homelessness into San Franciscos working-class periphery? We dont yet have a clear answer. But one neighborhood social services worker, who asked not to be named because she wasnt authorized to talk to the media, said no, the majority of people living in vehicles in District 10 are from there, and that they havent seen an influx of people fleeing aggressive sweeps in other neighborhoods. The end of COVID-era eviction eviction protections since the last point-in-time count in 2022 sent many to the streets. Its likely were still seeing the impacts of this. With limited resources and long waitlists for housing, people are staying homeless longer; 66% of people counted in January had not had a home for more than a year. Advertisement Article continues below this ad As the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing states at the top of its point-in-time count report, for every person the city helps exit the streets, approximately three more become homeless. The situation in District 10 would appear to buttress that data point and stands in stark contrast to the common narrative that the majority of people on our streets come here from elsewhere for drugs. Its a dire situation. The number of vehicles fluctuates as people migrate in and out of the area, but walk down any vacant block in the Bayview and youre bound to find dozens of recreational vehicles with peoples belongings spilling onto the sidewalk. Without a comprehensive plan to address the growing crisis in this neighborhood, its likely to get worse. As RVs are banned from other areas of the city, shuffling from one neighborhood to another, and city officials fail to open safe parking sites, its not unimaginable that even more people will end up on the streets of Bayview-Hunters Point. For now, parking restrictions are more lax there. There are industrial neighborhoods to set up camp with no neighbors nearby to file complaints. In 2022, in an attempt to address a growing number of RVs parked near Candlestick Point, the city opened the Bayview Vehicle Triage Center, with 118 spots for vehicles. Since its inception, its been plagued with problems. The site hasnt had electricity since it opened, and residents rely on generators to power their homes. Its near a dangerous, pollution-spewing Recology site. For months, the threat of closure hung over the site, spurring many residents to return to the streets of the neighborhood. For all that, the city shells out an unconscionable $140,000 per spot each year. Advertisement Article continues below this ad About Opinion The editorial positions of The Chronicle, including election recommendations, represent the consensus of the editorial board, consisting of the publisher, the editorial page editor and staff members of the opinion pages. Its judgments are made independent of the news operation, which covers the news without consideration of our editorial positions. The RV site supports the stabilization of some of District 10s vehicle-dwelling residents, but its not going to slow down the inevitable increase of people losing their homes. In 2023, the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing estimated that 20,000 people sought homeless services from the city, In a now-viral video shared on August 15, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz cooked up some controversy with their white guy tacos banter. While discussing their campaign, Walzs confession about his unseasoned meat sparked a reaction from Harris, who seemed ready to spice things up until Walzs bland admission left her shocked and in splits. However, it seems this taco talk might have left a sour taste in more than just Harriss mouth as the Internet discusses the potential White House flavours. FILE PHOTO: U.S. Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and her running mate Minnesota Governor Tim Walz hold a campaign event in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, U.S., August 7, 2024. REUTERS/Kevin Mohatt/File Photo(REUTERS) Harris-Walz and the white guy taco The Harris campaign on Thursday posted another promotional video featuring the Democratic nominee and her VP pick. In the video, the two discuss food, during which Walz mentions his Midwestern taste which includes his white guy taco. I have white guy tacos, Walz says. What does that mean? Like, mayonnaise and tuna? What are you doing? Harris responds with a playful jab at the Minnesota governor, who quips, Pretty much-ground meat and cheese. Also read: Ketamine Queen Jasveen Sanghas luxe life of trips, cars, botox after treating Perrys death as no big deal Trying hard not to burst into laughter, Harris asks, Do you put any flavour in it? Walz replies, Uh, no. The Vice President clearly looked disappointed to learn that Walzs idea of seasoning is simply adding cheese to his dish. Walz humorously explains, Im just not much of a spice guy. He adds that black pepper is the pinnacle of spice in Minnesota and expresses a desire to expand his culinary horizons. They said to be careful and let her know this. That black pepper is the top of the spice level in Minnesota. Harris reassures him that this is definitely achievable, noting they have some cantaloupes. You will be fine. Social media reacts to Harris-Walzs promotional video What started as a playful jab at Walzs culinary choices has since simmered into a full-on social media stir, with netizens serving up critiques of the racist and disgusting remarks. While some praised the video as an incredible piece of comms, highlighting the natural conversation, friendship, and authenticity, others were clearly irked by the jabs. Also read: Matthew Perry's assistant purchased drugs from 'Master Chef' then injected 27 deadly doses: Report What a racist and disgusting pairing of people who actually want to lead the United States. Walz says he likes white people tacos and Kamala assumes he means mayonnaise and tuna?? On a fu**ing taco?? Kamala is married to a white guy and she feeds him mayonnaise tacos?? A fuming X user wrote. I dont care who you are this conversation between Kamala Harris and Tim Walz is so relatable. They are us, another praised the duos bonding and friendship. While few seemed impressed with Walz. Say what you want about Tim Walz but someone finally raising awareness on the problem of white guy tacos that has plagued the Midwest for generations should be a cause for celebration in America and now the healing can begin. Tim Walz is lying about liking white guy tacos. Tim Walz is such a compulsive liar, and deployment dodger, that I decided to see if he lied about not seasoning his food, Mike Cernovich wrote referencing his award-winning recipe. The seemingly harmless exchange triggered a full-blown Republican meltdown. Critics accused the VP hopeful of being untruthful about his preferences, especially since Walz won first place in the 2016 "Hotdish Off" contest for his Turkey Taco Tot Hotdish. Rest assured, this recipe actually includes some spices. By Nyasha Chingono Nearly 68 million suffering from drought in Southern Africa, says regional bloc HARARE, - About 68 million people in Southern Africa are suffering the effects of an El Nino-induced drought which has wiped out crops across the region, the regional bloc SADC said on Saturday. The drought, which started in early 2024, has hit crop and livestock production, causing food shortages and damaging the wider economies. Heads of state from the 16-nation Southern African Development Community were meeting in Zimbabwe's capital Harare to discuss regional issues including food security. Some 68 million people, or 17% of the region's population, are in need of aid, said Elias Magosi, SADC executive secretary. "The 2024 rainy season has been a challenging one with most parts of the region experiencing negative effects of the El Nino phenomenon characterised by the late onset of rains," he said. It is Southern Africa's worst drought in years, owing to a combination of naturally occurring El Nino - when an abnormal warming of the waters in the eastern Pacific changes world weather patterns - and higher average temperatures produced by greenhouse gas emissions. Countries including Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi have already declared the hunger crisis a state of disaster, while Lesotho and Namibia have called for humanitarian support. The region launched an appeal in May for $5.5 billion in humanitarian assistance to support the drought response, but donations have not been forthcoming, said outgoing SADC chair Joao Lourenco, President of Angola. "The amount mobilised so far is unfortunately below the estimated amounts and I would like to reiterate this appeal to regional and international partners to redouble their efforts... to help our people who have been affected by El Nino," he told the summit. The drought is a major talking point at this year's summit, alongside issues such as the ongoing conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, which Lourenco said was a source of great concern. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. Islamabad, Pakistan government announced on Saturday that it has formulated a comprehensive policy against mpox virus and people should not worry about its spread. Pakistan formulates strategy to tackle mpox, allays fears of outbreak Prime Ministers Coordinator for Health Dr Mukhtar Ahmad told the media that only one case was reported in the country, while the surveillance and screening mechanisms were in place at all airports and points of entry. According to the Associated Press of Pakistan newswire, Ahmad also said that laboratories were allocated for diagnosis in all provinces and the federal capital. He said cases were reported from Africa and travellers from Africa, America and the Gulf countries would be monitored. He said the Ministry of Health was ensuring continuous monitoring on a daily basis and the government was also closely monitoring the situation. Ahmad appealed to the public to isolate at home if their family has a travel history or mpox symptoms. He also instructed the public to contact a qualified doctor and follow their instructions in case of showing any symptoms of mpox. He said symptoms could take 10 to 15 days to appear and spending too much time with the patient could spread the infection. It is better if the patient is quarantined, Ahmad said, adding that fever medicines are used for mpox. In a related development, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a meeting on the issue of mpox and ordered strict vigilance on the spread of the disease. He also instructed that effective screening measures be ensured at all airports, seaports and borders, besides asking Border Health Services to keep complete surveillance of the situation. He asked for the launch of an effective awareness campaign, hinting that he would have a weekly briefing on the mpox situation. Meanwhile, Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz visited Islamabad Airport to review the screening process for incoming international passengers and instructed that the screening process be expedited to ensure the timely identification of any potential mpox cases. He said health department personnel are deployed at the airport, where every passenger arriving from overseas was being thoroughly screened. Mpox, formerly called monkeypox, can spread through close contact and the World Health Organisation declared the recent outbreak of the disease as a public health emergency of international concern on Wednesday after the new variant of the virus was identified. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. New York, Actor Pankaj Tripathi says Indias message of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam and its rich cultural heritage will be on display at a mega parade in the American city that will celebrate the countrys 78th independence day. Renowned actor Pankaj Tripathi to be guest of honour at NYC's India Day Parade Tripathi is in New York and will be the guest of honour at the 42nd India Day Parade that is being organised by leading diaspora organisation Federation of Indian Associations NY-NJ-CT-NE on Sunday at Madison Avenue in the heart of Manhattan. Tripathi said it is a moment of pride for him that the message of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam as well as Indias rich cultural heritage will be highlighted at the parade. We will showcase our message of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam to the people here in the US, the "Stree 2" actor told PTI. The annual parade passes through New York City's popular Madison Avenue and is attended by thousands of members of the Indian diaspora. Indias rich cultural heritage, traditions and accomplishments are highlighted at the annual parade as the citys Madison Avenue gets seeped in the colours of the Indian flag and Indian patriotic and popular songs waft through the celebratory atmosphere. Along with Tripathi, actor-politician Manoj Tiwari will be the guest of honour at the parade, while actor Sonakshi Sinha will be the grand marshal and her actor-husband Zaheer Iqbal will be the VIP guest. Tripathi added that the world is now a global village and cinema is that soft power which shows our stories, heritage, culture to the world. "Our stories and content have reached every corner of the world. People in the US are also experiencing them, thanks to dubbing and subtitles in various languages. "Cinema, in particular, is a powerful medium a soft power that enables us to share our culture and heritage with the world. It's a testament to our skills and creativity that we can showcase our culture so effectively," said the 47-year-old actor. The National award winning actor has garnered innumerable accolades for his performances, including for films like Gangs of Wasseypur, Mimi, Stree and Stree 2 and web series Criminal Justice and Mirzapur, where his character Kaleen Bhaiya has a huge fan following among the audiences. Tripathi said he is planning to come to the US in October for shows in about eight different cities where he will perform live. "I'll be returning to the US in October for a busy schedule of shoots and live performances. I have around 8-9 shows lined up to be filmed here, and I'll be performing live in 8 different cities across the country. "This is something I've always wanted to do - bring our plays to international audiences and interact with them in person," he added. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. Dhaka: A two-star general of the Bangladesh Army, who was sacked a day after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government and has been linked to several enforced disappearances, was arrested by Bangladesh Police on a murder charge. Major General (retd) Ziaul Ahsan (C), former Director General of National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre (NTMC), is being produced before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Dhaka on August 16. (AFP) Maj Gen Ziaul Ahsan was one of the most influential army officers during Hasinas rule and was considered very close to her. He is the first general to be arrested on a murder charge since the fall of Hasinas government on August 5 following weeks of student-led protests. Ahsan was arrested in Khilkhet area of Dhaka on Thursday night, police said. On a tip-off, former director general of NTMC [National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre] Ziaul Ahsan was arrested in connection of a case with New Market Police Station, said a brief statement from Dhaka Metropolitan Police. People familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity that Ahsan was arrested in connection with the murder of street vendor Shahjahan Ali during clashes stemming from recent protests. On Wednesday, former law minister Anisul Haq and former adviser Salman F Rahman were arrested in the same case. Over the years, Ahsan was accused of involvement in several extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances, the people said. There were also allegations the NTMC was misused by Hasinas regime to conduct surveillance on her opponents, dissidents and rights activists. A day after Hasina stepped down and fled to India, Ahsan was sacked by Bangladesh Army chief Gen Waker-uz-Zaman, and Maj Gen ASM Ridwanur Rahman was appointed the new director general of NTMC. This was part of a major shake-up of the armys hierarchy. The NTMC, a national-level intelligence agency, was responsible mainly for tapping phones and surveillance of social media. The Awami League government equipped the agency with cutting-edge technology for intelligence gathering. Commissioned into the Bangladesh Army in 1991, Ahsan was a commando and paratrooper who also served in the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). He joined RAB as a deputy commander in March 2009, three months after the Awami League came to power. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel the same year and appointed director of RABs intelligence wing. Ahsan was transferred to the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) as deputy director general, before being attached to the National Security Intelligence (NSI) as director in 2016. He became director of the NTMC in 2017. In 2022, the government created the post of director general and promoted Ahsan to fill the position. On August 14, Mayer Dak, a civil society organisation, gave the interim government a 24-hour ultimatum to arrest those responsible for enforced disappearances during Hasinas rule. The groups demands included the arrest of Ahsan. The organisation, which represents families of the disappeared, organised a human chain in front of the National Press Club and sought the return of those who have gone missing over the past 15 years, allegedly due to actions by state security forces. Sanjida Islam Tuli, coordinator of Mayer Dak, said: We are issuing a 24-hour ultimatum: Ziaul Aasan, Tarique Siddiqui and other officials implicated in these disappearances must be arrested immediately. They must provide information about the missing persons so they can be freed and reunited with their families. Islamabad, The ruling PML-N of the Sharifs on Saturday ruled out any talks with the main opposition party led by Imran Khan, saying the jailed former prime minister needed to approach it with seriousness. Sharifs PML-N rules out any talks with Imran Khans party Irfan Siddiqui, a senator from the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz was speaking with Dawn News channel when he was asked about Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party. We repeatedly said, Fine, you have entered the House in whatever way you have then at least sit together on that level and try to solve your matters [But] they do not want to talk, and we have also thought that now we will not repeatedly call out to them from our rooftops that Come, talk to us, Siddiqui said in the interview aired on Friday night. However, he went on to say that the PML-N and its coalition partners would consider whether to open the door or not for talks with the PTI if that party approached it seriously. The Pakistan government last month announced a ban on Khans PTI. Khan, 71, has been incarcerated at Adiala Jail for a year now in connection with multiple cases against him. Earlier, when Khan's PTI-backed candidates won the largest number of seats in the February general elections despite contesting as independents as the party was denied an election symbol, Khan alleged that PML-N and its coalition partners, including Pakistan Peoples Party stole the mandate to grab power at the federal level. Relations between the PTI and the PML-N-led coalition government already tense since Khans ouster in 2022 have strained even more and the announcement of the ban on PTI appears to be the proverbial last nail. Senator Siddiqui stressed that holding a dialogue depended on when the PTI would have realised that we shouldnt have talks with the army but with politicians. He added that perhaps Mahmood Khan Achakzai, chief of the Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party and leader of the opposition alliance, would be successful in making [the PTI] understand that a dialogue among political parties was needed. The point is that a party does not want to hold talks with you, and this is that party which was clearly seen behind the May 9 [incidents], Siddiqui said, referring to the violent protests last year following Imrans arrest. After Khan was arrested in an accountability case last year, hundreds and thousands of his followers and party workers vandalised a dozen military installations, including the Jinnah House , Mianwali Airbase and the ISI building in Faisalabad on May 9. The Army headquarters in Rawalpindi too was attacked by the mob for the first time. While the PML-N has repeatedly offered a dialogue to the PTI, the latters founder Khan has cited certain conditions, including the return of its stolen mandate, and has instead preferred holding talks with the military establishment. Earlier this month, senior PTI leader and lawmaker Ali Muhammad Khan indicated that his party might be open to negotiating with the PML-N, PPP and Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan to resolve ongoing tensions between the government and the opposition, provided PTIs demands are met. Speaking about the governments decision to seek a ban on the PTI, Senator Siddiqui asserted that the PTIs role cannot be the role of a patriotic [political] party. This partys role cannot be called pro-Pakistani in any manner, the senior PML-N lawmaker said. Siddiqui went on to list the PTIs letter to the International Monetary Fund and protests it has organised outside the Funds office, the May 9 riots as well as multiple resolutions passed in the US Congress. All these elements and ingredients are such on the basis of which a decision can be made. When the National Awami Party was banned, they didnt taken such actions. They hadnt carried out such attacks like the PTI has done, the senator said. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. KYIV, - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday his troops had strengthened positions in Russia's Kursk region nearly two weeks into their incursion, and called for bold decisions by Kyiv's allies to allow long-range strikes. Ukraine strengthens positions in Russia's Kursk region, Zelenskiy says Ukraine says it has seized more than 80 settlements over 1,150 square km in Kursk since Aug. 6 in the biggest invasion of Russia since World War Two. Zelenskiy said his army chief Oleksander Syrskyi had reported that Ukrainian troops continued their advance and also took more Russian servicemen as prisoners. He said that the operation in the Kursk region was going according to plan and Ukrainian troops continued to advance and strengthen their positions. Zelenskiy renewed his calls for Ukraine's Western allies to allow long-range strikes on Russia. "The long-range capability for our forces is the answer to all most important, most strategic questions of this war," Zelenskiy said in his daily video address to the nation. "We will strengthen our diplomatic work. We will insist that bold steps and bold decisions are needed." Western governments providing military aid to Ukraine after Russia's invasion in February 2022 have so far refused to allow Ukraine to use long-range weapons because of the perceived risk of escalation in the conflict. The Ukrainian military said in its daily report that troops were successfully advancing further in Kursk, without offering more details. It had previously reported 35 km of advances. Reuters could not independently verify the battlefield developments. Russia has called the incursion a major provocation and vowed to retaliate with a "worthy response," more than 2-1/2 years since it launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Moscow says Ukraine has been using Western arms, including probably U.S.-made HIMARS rockets to destroy a bridge and kill volunteers trying to evacuate civilians. Zelenskiy also said that Ukrainian troops had repelled dozens of Russian attacks near Pokrovsk and Toretsk in Ukraine's Donetsk region. The military said 51 Russian attacks were stopped near Pokrovsk, a major logistics hub in the eastern region, and another 13 near the town of Toretsk in the last 24 hours. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. A car crash in Central Texas this week killed five, including an Indian-origin family of three, leaving behind a Leander teenager all alone. August 14, 2024: Pradeepa Arvind (40), Arvind Mani (45) and Andril Arvind (17) died at the scene after a two-car wreck six miles from Lampasas. (GoFundMe) The heart-rending tragedy took place at 5:45 am (local time) on Wednesday, August 14, six miles north of US 281 in Lampasas County, Austin American-Statesman reported. A Department of Public Safety trooper said Friday that all five victims who lost their lives in the distressing accident have been identified. The people killed in the fiery wreck included 45-year-old Arvind Mani, his 40-year-old wife Pradeepa Arvind and their 17-year-old daughter Andril Arvind. According to a DPS report, the family of three was from Leander, a city in Texas. The Arvind family is survived by their sole immediate member, 14-year-old Adiryan, who was not in the car with them at the time of the accident. About the Indian-origin family that died in the Texas crash, leaving behind sole immediate survivor A GoFundMe fundraiser has presumably been set up by a friend of the family to support the teenage boy in these trying times. The link, Support for Adiryan Arvind: A Tragic Loss and a Young Life to Rebuild, details Arvind (45) and Pradeepa (42) were a wonderful couple blessed with two children, Andril (17) and Adiryan (14). Also read | Time travel? New York Instagram model confesses what caused her to kill 2 people in Miami crash Rajaraman Venkatachalam, the fundraiser organiser, also mentions that the family's life was filled with joy, especially since the Arvinds recently celebrated their daughter's admission to The University of Texas at Dallas to study Computer Science. She had graduated from Rouse High School. 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 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. August 14th, 2024, was supposed to be a day of excitement and new beginnings as they prepared for Andril's move-in day at the university, the family friend continued. The GoFundMe profile confirms that Arvind, Pradeepa and Andril lost their lives while on their way to the university campus. Adiryan who just started 9th grade today, was unable to join them on the trip, and now he is left without his family. This young boy, with so many dreams and aspirations, needs our help for funeral, legal, and ongoing care, including educational expenses. This will help him to navigate the difficult road ahead along with his uncles family living in Austin, the page reads ahead. DPS trooper Bryan Washko said Mani and his wife had left their son behind because he started school that day. The crash also killed two other people from Copperas Cove 31-year-old Jacinto Gudino Duran and 23-year-old Yosilu Gasman Martinez. Also read | New York doctor died from food allergy at Disney World; company says it cannot be sued due to terms and conditions What happened during the Texas car crash Duran was reportedly driving south on US 281 in a 2004 Cadillac CTS when his right rear tyre blew out. With Martinez as his passenger, Duran lost control. According to CBS Austin, the Cadillac then veered into oncoming traffic and collided with a northbound 2024 Kia Telluride at milepost 406. Witnesses claimed Duran's vehicle was speeding ahead before the collision. Pictures of the scene also revealed both cars incurring extensive damage in the aftermath of the two-car crash. The Arvind family was aboard the Kia in question. The DPS trooper said, There was no chance of survival. He also claimed the collision that happened six miles north of Lampasas was one of the worst crashes he has seen in 26 years because of the magnitude of the damage and amount of people lost. While the Cadillac is said to have been possibly driving at 100 mph, per a witness driving 80 mph, the Kia was travelling at about 65 to 70 mph, Washko said. He also maintained that the crash was "like driving into a concrete wall at 170 mph. Upon the cars' collision, the Kia vehicle hit the Cadillac's passenger side and tore it in half. The Arvind family car also caught fire. Ella Emhoff, the stepdaughter of Vice President Kamala Harris, recently opened up on her lifelong medical condition. Earlier this week, the 25-year-old revealed to her 345,000 followers on Instagram Tuesday that she grew up with a spinal condition. Emhoff also shared a list of pain management suggestions that included ketamine, the controversial dissociative drug which was responsible for the death of Friends star Matthew Perry last year. Kamala Harris' stepdaughter Ella Emhoff pushes ketamine for pain management(AP) Harris' stepdaughter Ella Emhoff reveals lifelong medical condition The daughter of US Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff revealed in her Instagram stories that she was born with a tethered spine, a neurological disorder that leads to malformations of the spinal cord. I was born with a tethered spine (iykyk) which caused my back to not properly lengthen when I was growing and caused a kyphosis (hunchback), she wrote. Was in and out of doctors and PT for most of my adolescence Got lower back surgery grew a million inches and now deal with chronic pain, Emhoff added over a picture of her face covered with Hello Kitty stickers. She opened up on her condition after getting multiple responses to her previous story, in which she sought advice for pain management. Behind every piece is a pain management device hard at work, she said, adding, I have bad chronic back pain and have for most of my life. My chronic pain people, what are we using to feel comf [sic]? In the follow-up story, Emhoff thanked her followers for the comforting responses before giving a context into her lifelong health condition. The following day, Emhoff shared a link for a Google Sheet titled Big Pain Management List. The list contained a plethora of measures to alleviate pain, ranging from lifestyle modifications to therapy, books, and exercises. Among the several drugs mentioned in the list was ketamine infusions. These are all just recommendations made to me these should not be taken as medical advice i am just a girl trynna feel less pain, Emhoff wrote on the list as a disclaimer. Meanwhile, the mention of ketamine has raised eyebrows as five individuals were recently arrested in connection to Perry's death. The 54-year-old actor developed a severe addiction to ketamine after years of using it to combat anxiety and depression. The potentially fatal drug is regulated due to the high chances of its user forming a dependency on it. Dr. Michael Harbison, a chiropractor in Las Vegas, slammed Emhoff's recommendations, saying, There are far better options out there to deal with chronic pain than Ketamine and mushrooms, in my professional opinion, according to the New York Post. Harbison added that those drugs are not for back pain they are basically just getting you high. Reportedly, Kate Middleton has been forced to re-evaluate her royal duties as a working member of the royal family amid her ongoing cancer treatment. Fans were excited at her appearances on the day of Trooping the Colour as she stepped out on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. However, after re-evaluation, there is a possibility she may never return to her royal duties. Kate Middleton will have to 're-evaluate' her royal duties amid her cancer treatment.(@KensingtonRoyal/X) Also Read: Meghan Markle wears THIS UK pal's fashion brand during Colombia tour Kate Middleton reevaluated her royal responsibilities Kates appearance at Wimbledon in July sparked hope of her speedy recovery and full return to her royal duties. However, an insider said she is still in the middle of a health crisis. Royal insider and biographer Robert believed that the public should reframe their expectations of the Princess of Whales. He said, She is making a solid recovery. But were going to have to look at this in a different way going forward. In the past people have said, When will she be going back to work? Is she going to be full-time in the autumn? I dont think so. Shes going to have to pick and choose how she completes her comeback. If there is a comeback in that form anyway." He also mentioned that Kate realised how precious life is and what truly matters. And for the Duke and Duchess of Wales, it's their children. The autobiographer pointed out that her family was very young and Prince William was crestfallen with the news of his dad as well as Kate's diagnosis and the treatment she will have to go through. He said, "I think they have a right to decide how they want to do this. Catherine will be prioritizing her children and supporting William," as reported by Radar Online. Also Read: King Charles III offered Harry to stay at Buckingham Palace but How will the Crown react to Kates decision to step back? The Crow will certainly have some strong reactions to Kates decision to step down from her Royal duties. But they will have to support her decision in the end as she is a beloved royal family member across the globe. He explained, Shes so important and so precious that the Royal Family will have to dance to her tune rather than the other way around. A member of the San Francisco Department of Public Works places a refrigerator abandoned at an encampment into a truck at a large encampment on Willow Street on Wednesday. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle Jazz Smith, right, packs up items she is relocating as she talks with members of the San Francisco Police Department. Crews were clearing an encampment on Willow Street on Wednesday. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle A refrigerator, a cooler and other items are seen discarded along Willow Street in San Francisco as city crews clear an encampment on Wednesday. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle A street cleaner from San Francisco Public Works surveyed clothes stuck in chain-link fencing on Willow Street just north of City Hall. Do I do something with the socks? He shrugged, picking the fence clean and tossing the garments on the ground, soon to be swept up and discarded. Advertisement Article continues below this ad City crews wearing protective gear plied the block, loading pickup trucks with a mini fridge, a tent, a propane tank and other belongings that homeless residents had abandoned ahead of Wednesdays street cleaning on Willow Street, just north of City Hall. A member of the San Francisco Department of Public Works removes articles of clothing hanging on a fence at a large encampment on Willow Street on Wednesday. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle A block east, Thomas Brown, 33, looked for his 24-year-old girlfriend, Jazz Smith. Told to move for an encampment sweep, the two began taking down the blue tarps they slept under and packing their belongings into crates and a shopping cart. On one level, that days sweeps were business as usual in San Francisco: The city has been cleaning up encampments for years even as it fights legal battles over the legality of its tactics. Advertisement Article continues below this ad But with a mayoral election approaching and a Supreme Court ruling in June easing restrictions on how governments handle homeless sweeps, the city is ramping up operations and issuing more citations in what Mayor London Breed has described as an aggressive push to clean the streets. Philly folds up a bed as he gathers belongings that must be moved as San Francisco city crews clear a large encampment on Willow Street on Wednesday. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle And within this surge, few issues are more controversial and crucial as how the city handles the belongings of homeless people. In December 2022 a federal judge issued an injunction against the city restricting its sweeps in large part over what she called violations of its policy on handling property. During some recent sweeps, reporters have witnessed workers throwing away tents and other items rather than storing them for potential pickup at a later date. San Francisco officials insist they are following the citys internal policies, which require workers to provide written notice 72 hours before sweeps and to store items such as luggage, backpacks, medication and personal papers at a Public Works yard for 90 days. The policy allows city workers to toss soiled or abandoned belongings, and it requires written notice when property is removed. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The ability to dispose of soiled items is recognized by the courts and its inclusion in San Francisco Public Works bag and tag policy was approved by the homeless advocates who participated in the policys development and drafting, Public Works spokesperson Rachel Gordon said in an email. She said staff members are not required to and we would not want them to handle items that pose health and safety risks, for example, materials that have been soiled by or comingled with feces, urine, mold, mildew, spoiled food, needles and knives, or infested by rodents, fleas, roaches or lice. A member of the Department of Public Works places an workout chair onto a truck while clearing an encampment on Willow Street in San Francisco on Wednesday. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle But a judge recently ruled that the city was still violating homeless residents rights against unlawful search and seizure, and ordered city officials to provide better training to workers about the bag-and-tag policy. Advocates for the unhoused, meanwhile, say city workers are deviating from planned encampment clearings, failing to provide adequate warning of street cleanings, and not giving homeless residents time to move their belongings. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The result, they argue, is a punitive Whac-A-Mole strategy that fails to address the underlying causes of homelessness, including substance use and the citys shortage of affordable housing. Each time a homeless person loses their tent or other belongings, advocates say, their situation worsens, while they remain on the street. Just moving folks around doesnt solve the problem, ACLU Northern California Senior Attorney John Do said. Additionally, he said, crews sometimes sweep encampments outside of the area that has been notified, giving those campers no notice. A man rides a bicycle while guiding another down Willow Street in San Francisco, where crews cleared an encampment on Wednesday. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle Over the past several weeks, the Chronicle observed five sweeps in the Tenderloin, Duboce Triangle and South of Market neighborhoods, and in each case reporters saw city workers dispose of some belongings. In one case, on the first day of the mayors escalated encampment crackdown on June 30, Public Works employees threw away nearly all of a homeless mans belongings, including a tent, folding chair and clothing, after arresting him and then releasing him with a citation. Advertisement Article continues below this ad At a sweep in Duboce Triangle on Aug. 12, police arrested one woman and discarded her tent. She had an outstanding warrant, police said, and told officers she also had housing at a local hotel. Advocates as well as some homeless residents told the Chronicle they believed city workers were using the bag-and-tags exception for soiled belongings as a loophole to discard their possessions. Sunra Morningstar, right, checks out lottery tickets found at an empty encampment along Willow Street in San Francisco on Wednesday as members of Public Works place abandoned items into a truck. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle What were seeing is that things that are perfectly usable, that arent a health hazard, are being destroyed, Do said. The number of bag-and-tag intakes appears to be rising as the city steps up sweeps. There were 38 intakes during the first two weeks of August, compared to an average of 54 a month this year through July, ranging from a low of 35 to a high of 68, according to Public Works. During the sweeps, the Chronicle observed outreach teams warning people they needed to move their belongings, and offering shelter to unhoused residents with mixed success. At the sweep on Willow Street, city workers said that, although they had 14 beds available, all of the people they approached turned down offers of shelter. At a sweep on Sixth Street, outreach workers said they successfully moved several people indoors. On Willow, one homeless man who identified himself as Keith said hed lost all of his possessions during an operation in May, when he was living in a tent under an overpass at Potrero Avenue and Division Street after being evicted from his apartment. Keith, right, talks with a San Francisco city employee as a crew cleans an encampment on Willow Street on Wednesday. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle City workers had tossed his tent, all of his belongings and those of his girlfriend, he said. They told him it was all soiled. They wouldnt allow us to save anything, the 42-year-old man said. They even threw away my dentures. Hed lost his teeth because of his addiction to opioids, he said, which had begun when he was 14. An orthopedic surgeon had given him painkillers after he broke his wrist. Keith said he filed an administrative claim with the city regarding his belongings, but that a city attorney denied the claim, saying he didnt have adequate proof. His claim is one of about two dozen that homeless residents have filed from March 2023 through mid-June, according to the most recently available records from the City Attorneys Office. The data show a marked drop in such claims from early last year. Jazz Smith, center, pushes her dog Papa in a stroller as she returns to pack up some belongings to be relocated while San Francisco city crews clean an encampment on Willow Street on Wednesday. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle As Keith talked, Jazz Smith and a friend packed up her tarps and other belongings that she had stored inside a tent. She shuffled them across the street, out of the path of oncoming street cleaners as did many of the other people sleeping on the block Smith said she didnt entirely mind the sweeps, because they keep trash from building up. She said she was in the process of securing permanent housing, and was waiting for a spot that would accept a housing voucher. After crews finish cleaning up, she said, she and Brown typically return to their spot and set up camp again. It seems like theyre coming more than usual, she said. Noah Lyles recently appeared on an episode of the Everybody Wants To Be Us podcast where he discussed religion and revealed he grew up in a cult. The episode was released after he won the gold medal at the Paris Olympics 2024. He shared intricate details of being in a cult in his childhood days. American Olympic champion Noah Lyles shared his childhood days from the cult in a podcast episode. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)(AP) Also Read: Meghan Markle wears THIS UK pal's fashion brand during Colombia tour Noah Lyles shares his days in the cult Lyles revealed a surprising element from his childhood he grew up in a cult. He began with, I actually grew up in a cult. he then explained the details of the cult. He said, It was a cult. It just wasnt at the level of, Yeah, okay. Were gonna drink the Kool-Aid.' It was super strict. As Lyles explained, the cult demanded all the moms had to be homeschooling their kids and they shared a common belief that the father was the head of the household." He also mentioned that the church instructed individuals on who could date and who couldnt. All the marriages were supposed to go through the church, as reported by People. Hence, he said, And we left and that's why we went to North Carolina. The family had the intention of joining a new church, Lyles explained, however, the new ones also wanted them to do the same things. The gold medallist shared, So, we left that, but that kind of really messed up my view of church and it definitely messed up my moms view. Also Read: Taco Bell testing new Nostalgic Menu with returning fan-favourites from each decade Lyles mothers struggles with the cult The 27-year-old shared that it took his mother to overcome the ways of the church and move past the situation. He said, And even now, she still struggles to trust churches in general, but she never lost her faith in the religion and I think instilled that in us. It made it easier for me to go throughout my own journey." He praised his mother for showing immense strength, and courage and asking to be tested. He divulged what his mother used to say when he was a child, When you lack faith, ask for a test and he will provide the test.' " The athlete survived the symptoms of swine flu in ninth grade during trials for the World Youth track-and-field team and became the youngest World Youth team as he believed in his mothers words. And the athlete did it again as he ran the tracks just days after surviving COVID-19 symptoms at the Paris Olympics. Mark Cuban extended his support for Kamala Harris, praising her economic plan in a series of tweets on X Friday. The 66-year-old billionaire approved of the Democratic presidential nominee's real estate policies aimed at solving housing crisis in the US. Cuban, who is known for being vocal about his opinions on politics, backed the vice president's proposal to ban price gouging. Mark Cuban hails Kamala Harris' economic plan in a series of tweets Billionaire Mark Cuban praises Kamala Harris in a series of tweets In response to Bloomberg columnist Matthew Yglesias' tweet, I'm pretty sure Harris did not in fact propose price controls on groceriesjust kind of vaguely said that antitrust enforcement is good (it is good), Cuban affirmed, This is a fact. The Shark Tank star's comments come after Harris announced her plans for tax cuts and down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers. As president, I will take on the high costs that matter most to most Americans, like the cost of food, she said on Friday. We all know that prices went up during the pandemic when the supply chains shut down and failed. But our supply chains have improved and prices are still too high. In a separate tweet, Cuban doubled down on his sentiments over Harris' proposals, saying, And my favorite of course, did anyone else hear @VP say she was going to bring TRANSPARENCY to pharmacy and healthcare middlemen ? The root cause of almost all that is wrong with healthcare pricing ? Following backlash from Trump supporters over his series of tweets in favour of Harris, Mark highlighted the Democratic nominee's proposals in a lengthy statement on X. Which Pro Business candidate said this in a Speech this week ? I will focus on cutting needless bureaucracy and unnecessary regulatory red tape, he queried. The American businessman continued, Encouraging innovative technologies, while protecting consumers. And creating a stable business environment with consistent and transparent rules of the road. As President, I will bring together labor, small businesses, and major companies, to invest in America, adding, Create good jobs. Achieve broad-based growth. And ensure that America continues to define the future and lead the world.' Silk non-dairy products, including oat and coconut milk, have been recalled in Canada due to potential listeria contamination. The recall notice for the popular American dairy substitute brand was issued back in July, followed by an updated notice earlier this week. So far, 20 illnesses and three deaths have been linked to the potentially deadly bacteria have been reported across multiple provinces and territories in the country. Silk non-dairy milk products have been recalled over listeria contamination American brand Silk milk products recalled over listeria risk An alert was issued last month by the Public Health Agency of Canada, with the agency warning the public against consuming certain almond, oat, cashew and coconut non-dairy milk products by Silk and Great Value brands over the risk of listeria contamination. At the time, two deaths and 12 cases of listeria infection were reported. However, in August, the number of illnesses linked to listeria infection increased, with a third death, 15 hospitalisations, and 20 cases, the public health agency said in the update issued Monday. The majority of those affected by the sickness reported consuming the recalled non-dairy products. Which non-dairy milk products have been recalled? The recall notice includes 18 products in total, with product codes containing 7825 and expiration dates up to and including September 27, 2024, or October 4, 2024. The affected products are: Great Value Almond Beverage Unsweetened Original Great Value Almond Beverage Original Great Value Almond Beverage Vanilla Silk Almond & Coconut Unsweetened Silk Almond Original Silk Almond Dark Chocolate Silk Almond Unsweetened Silk Almond Unsweetened Vanilla Silk Almond Vanilla Silk Coconut Original Silk Coconut Unsweetened Silk Oat Original Silk Oat Vanilla Silk Oat Dark Chocolate Oat Unsweetened Silk Oat Unsweetened Vanilla Silk Almond & Cashew Unsweetened Silk Almond & Cashew Unsweetened Vanilla The agency warned that those in possession of the products should refrain from consuming them. Customers are advised to either discard the affected products or return them to the place of purchase, according to Today. A glamorous social media model from New York was arrested after speeding and causing a three-car crash in downtown Miami, killing two people last week. 24-year-old Maecee Marie Lathers has now confessed to police that she was driving her white Mercedes vehicle under the influence of pink cocaine, a party drug infamously connected to disgraced rapper Sean Diddy Combs. Maecee Marie Lathers, 24, confessed to have been driving under the influence of Pink Cocaine or tusi on August 10 when she caused a three-way car crash, killing two people in downtown Miami.(Video snap from CBS Miami) Lathers appeared before a judge on Friday. WPLG reported that police confirmed she ran a red light, and crashed into a black Range Rover on the day of the accident. Florida 11th Circuit Court Judge Mindy Glazer added that the woman also tried to flee the scene and would've succeeded in doing so if it wasn't for the bystanders in the vicinity who grabbed her on Saturday, August 10. Reportedly being held on a $140,000 bond, Maecee Marie is facing multiple felony charges. If the bond is paid, she would be put on house arrest with a No Driving Order. In her shocking confession, Maecee further admitted that she felt like she had travelled through time. This was presumably the party drug talking. Pink Cocaine, aka 2C, is a synthetic concoction linked to a Venezuelan gang taking over the New York City drug scene. She advised she was under the influence of 2C" a known party drug, and that she was from the future and had a crystal ball," the Florida judge relayed the details from a police report. Also read | New York doctor died from food allergy at Disney World; company says it cannot be sued due to terms and conditions Who was hurt in the Miami accident caused by Maecee Marie Lathers driving under the influence of Pink Cocaine? The victims of the Miami car crash include a Suzuki driver, identified as Abraham Ismael. He had to be removed from the vehicle and ultimately died at Jackson Memorial Vehicle, the arrest report stated. Additionally, Ismael's wife, Juanita Hernandez, who was in the front passenger seat, was hospitalised and survived the accident. Her husband was reportedly driving her to work when the crash killed him and a third rear passenger in the car. The Range Rover's 24-year-old driver is also said to have survived in the aftermath of the crash but incurred minor injuries. According to the New York Post, police found Maecee vomiting when she admitted to having been on drugs. Though originally from Fort Plain, New York, she has reportedly been living in Florida since 2022. Also read | Skai Jackson domestic violence case update: Disney alum won't face charges after arrest; here's why Instagram model faces felony charges The Instagram model was charged with four counts of driving without a license, resulting in death or serious injury, and four counts of leaving the scene of a crash, resulting in death or serious injuries. She has also been labelled a potential flight risk due to the felony charges. On top of that, Judge Mindy Glazer called her an absolute danger to the community. Shes an absolute danger to the community based on killing or driving when she shouldnt have been in a car, and shes clearly impaired based on her statements, Glazer noted. And if it wasnt for the citizens or witnesses nearby who stopped her, she would have completely fled. Maecee Marie's Instagram has 11,000 followers. A Florida student upset over a new cell phone policy for the new academic year threatened to shoot up school district offices. According to the Broward County Sheriff's Office, investigators received a tip from the FBI that a 13-year-old boy threatened to commit a mass shooting at a school office in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, over the district's cell phone policy. The suspect posted the threat and a partial photo of himself on Snapchat, leading to his arrest at his home in Weston on Saturday, authorities confirmed. "None of this stuff is a joking or laughing matter," Sheriff Dr. Gregory Tony said. "If you threaten...on social media or anywhere else, we are going to track you down and arrest you." Separately, on Thursday, authorities arrested a 13-year-old girl who also used Snapchat to make threats this time, against Cooper City High School in Cooper City, Florida. "It's unfortunate that this happens more times than not every school year," Tony said. "Do not allow your children to make a mistake and get a felony arrest on their record that they're probably not going to get rid of." The underage suspects each face a felony charge of written threats to kill, do bodily injury, conduct a mass shooting, or an act of terrorism. They also face an additional charge of using a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony, according to the sheriff. Creedence Clearwater Revival drummer Doug Clifford's son, who is a person of interest in a Nevada homicide investigation, was arrested on a murder charge after police believed they found the body of his missing girlfriend, according to police and reports. Brent Clifford, 55, was nabbed Wednesday in a joint effort involving the Reno Police Department, the Placer County Sheriff's Office and Plumas County Sheriff's Office, the Independent reported. Clifford is accused of killing Patricia Portella-Wright, 48, who was reported missing on Aug. 9, the Placer County Sheriff's Office said. A body found Thursday in Washoe County, Nev., was tentatively identified as Portella-Wright, and authorities are awaiting confirmation from the county coroner's office. Portella-Wright, who lived with Clifford, was last seen on Aug. 4, and police suspected him as a person of interest in her disappearance. Clifford is also a person of interest in the murder of William Andrews, 68, who was found dead from a gunshot wound to the head in Reno on Aug. 11. Clifford was arrested in Portola, about 50 miles south of Reno, driving Andrews' 2003 Chevy Blazer, police said. He is being held in the Placer County jail. BOSTON Massachusetts Department of Revenue (DOR) Commissioner Geoffrey Snyder announced that preliminary revenue collections for June totaled $4.495 billion, $357 million or 8.6 percent more than actual collections in June 2023, and $268 million or 6.3 percent above benchmark. Revenue collections for fiscal year 2024 totaled approximately $40.800 billion, $1.636 billion or 4.2 percent more than collections in fiscal year 2023, and $967 million or 2.4 percent above the fiscal year 2024 benchmark. "The increase in fiscal year 2024 revenue collections in comparison to fiscal year 2023 is mostly driven by an increase in the additional 4 percent tax levied pursuant to Article XLIV of the Amendments of the Constitution of the Commonwealth (the surtax)," said Commissioner Snyder. "The increase in the surtax was partially offset by decreases in sales and use tax, corporate and business excise, and all other tax. The decrease in sales and use tax was primarily driven by a decrease in regular sales tax, reflecting, in part, lower collections from building supply dealers and firms in the construction industry. The decrease in Corporate and Business taxes was driven by a decrease in return payments and an increase in refunds, partially offset by an increase in estimated payments. The decrease in 'all other' tax is mostly attributable to a decrease in estate tax, a category that tends to fluctuate." On July 24, 2024, DOR certified that the preliminary estimate of surtax revenue collected in fiscal year 2024 was $2.199 billion. On the same day, DOR also certified that the preliminary estimate of capital gains tax revenue collected in fiscal year 2024 was $2.070 billion[3], which generated a total fiscal year 2024 transfer of approximately $590.8 million to the Stabilization Fund, the State Retiree Benefits Trust Fund, and the Pension Liability Fund. June is a significant month for revenues because many individuals and corporations are required to make estimated payments. Historically, roughly 11.1 percent of annual revenue, on average, has been received during June, making it the second or third largest revenue month of the year. Details Preliminary June Revenue Collections: Income tax collections for June totaled $2.564 billion, $303 million or 13.4 percent above benchmark, and $455 million or 21.6 percent more than June 2023. Withholding tax collections for June totaled $1.613 billion, $175 million or 12.1 percent above benchmark, and $243 million or 17.8 percent more than June 2023. Income tax estimated payments for June totaled $920 million, $146 million or 18.9 percent above benchmark, and $220 million or 31.5 percent more than June 2023. Income tax returns and bills for June totaled $115 million, $13 million or 10.4 percent below benchmark, and $1 million or 1.2 percent less than June 2023. Income tax cash refunds for June totaled $84 million in outflows, $4 million or 5.1 percent above benchmark, and $8 million or 9.9 percent more than June 2023. Sales and use tax collections for June totaled $785 million, $52 million or 6.2 percent below benchmark, and $68 million or 8.0 percent less than June 2023. Corporate and business tax collections for June totaled $878 million, $20 million or 2.2 percent below benchmark, and $20 million or 2.2 percent less than June 2023. "All other" tax collections for June totaled $267 million, $36 million or 15.8 percent above benchmark, but $10 million or 3.5 percent less than June 2023. Preliminary Fiscal Year 2024 Revenue Collections: Income tax totaled $24.117 billion, $1.133 billion or 4.9 percent above benchmark, and $2.336 billion or 10.7 percent more than fiscal year 2023. Withholding collections totaled $17.967 billion, $390 million or 2.2 percent above benchmark, and $1.320 billion or 7.9 percent more than fiscal year 2023. Estimated payments totaled $3.919 billion, $85 million or 2.2 percent above benchmark, and $160 million or 4.3 percent more than fiscal year 2023. Income tax payments with returns and bills totaled $5.005 billion, $934 million or 22.9 percent above benchmark, and $1.074 billion or 27.3 percent more than fiscal year 2023. Income tax refunds (outflows) totaled $2.775 billion, $277 million or 11.1 percent above benchmark, and $218 million or 8.5 percent more than fiscal year 2023. Sales and use tax collections totaled $9.323 billion, $118 million or 1.2 percent below benchmark, and $73 million or 0.8 percent less than fiscal year 2023. Corporate and business tax collections totaled $4.833 billion, $63 million or 1.3 percent below benchmark, and $232 million or 4.6 percent less than fiscal year 2023. "All other" tax collections totaled $2.528 billion, $15 million or 0.6 percent above benchmark, but $395 million or 13.5 percent less than fiscal year 2023. Saturday 17 August 2024, 19:29 - Last updated: 18 August, 15:23 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED This article is automatically translated Conquering useful Russian territories as 'bargaining chips', easing the pressure from Putin's forces, gaining control of the Russian gas pumping station in Sudzha, inflicting reputational damage on the Kremlin, taking possession of the nuclear power plant. These (and not only) are the possible objectives of Ukraine behind the Kursk offensive. These intentions now frighten the Russian forces, especially worried about the latter possibility. If in March 2022 the Russians managed to gain control of the Ukrainian plant in Zaporizhzhia, now Zelensky's men will try to do the same. However, the consequences could be much more serious. Ukraine has begun preparations for an attack on the Kursk nuclear power plant. This was stated by the Russian Foreign Ministry, as reported by the Tass agency. 'This potential Ukrainian attack on the nuclear power plant,' added the ministry, 'could cause a large-scale man-made disaster in Europe. We call on international organizations, particularly the United Nations and the IAEA, to immediately condemn the provocative actions prepared by the Kiev regime and to prevent a violation of the nuclear and physical security of the Kursk nuclear power plant, which,' added Moscow, 'could cause a large-scale man-made disaster in Europe.' Beyond the threats of nuclear catastrophe, it is evident that the Russians are very concerned about the possibility that Kiev could occupy the plant, considered one of the most important infrastructures in the region, in order to block energy supplies. The Kursk nuclear power plant Located on the bank of the Seym River about 40 kilometers west of the city of Kursk, the nuclear power plant 'targeted' by the Ukrainians is one of the three largest in the country. The decision to build it was made in the mid-1960s by Soviet authorities. The plant was intended to meet the growing energy demand of the rapidly growing industrial complex of the Kursk magnetic anomaly. The general designer of Kursk I was Atomenergoproject (Moscow), the general contractor was the Research and Development Institute of Power Engineering (Moscow), and the research leader was the Kurchatov Institute. It was built by the Department for the Construction of Kursk NPP. Construction began in 1971. The similarity with Chernobyl Structurally very similar to Chernobyl, the Kursk nuclear power plant consists of two first-generation RBMK blocks followed by two second-generation blocks. This fact led the producers of the 1991 American TV movie 'Chernobyl: The Final Warning' and the 2021 Russian film 'Chernobyl: Abyss' to also use it as a set for both films. The 'weak points' What worries Putin's men is the absence of a reinforced concrete containment building within the Kursk nuclear power plant. According to experts, in fact, a rocket or an artillery shell could be enough to cause serious damage, thus generating a radiological incident. Furthermore, all units of the plant are RBMK-1000 reactors, similar to those used in Chernobyl, less protected from external threats compared to those in Zaporizhzhia. 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 The journalist who called out Blake Lively over a nightmare interview has said she would welcome an apology from the actor. Lively, 36, has found herself under scrutiny from fans who have criticised the actors approach to marketing her new film about domestic violence, It Ends With Us, for being insensitive and tone-deaf. Amid the criticism from fans, journalist Kjersti Flaa posted a clip of a 2016 interview with the star, which she said made her want to quit her job. The Independent has contacted a representative of Livelys for comment. The video, which was shared to YouTube, has amassed more than 2.3 million views. Flaa was met with support from viewers who agreed that Lively, who was then 28 years old, was rude to the journalist during the sit-down. In a new interview with TMZ, Flaa said she would welcome an apology from Lively, but said she thought that was unlikely to happen. If she wants to apologise, that would be amazing, she said. I think if you behave badly, if you own up to that and own it and say, I had a terrible day, Im so sorry. Maybe she will learn something from that and not behave like that again. Of course, that would be very welcomed. I dont think that will happen though, she added. I dont. Elsewhere during the interview, Flaa said the timing of the video was merely a coincidence, and that she did not intend for it to fuel the drama surrounding It Ends With Us which she said she had not been aware of. open image in gallery ( Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images ) Flaa said she had been prompted to upload the video, which was recorded eight years ago, because she had met with another reporter who had a similar experience with a different celebrity, with that interview being confiscated afterwards. No, Ive never had my tape confiscated, but, of course, Ive had very unpleasant experiences, she said, explaining that she had never before uploaded the Lively interview to YouTube because she had initially been embarrassed by it. 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 I felt a little ashamed at first, she said, explaining that she did not know what she had said or done to make Lively or her Cafe Society co-star Parker Posey, who was also present during the interview, behave as they had done. I think its important to let people know that these things go on sometime, said the reporter, explaining why she chose now to upload the clip. The interview seemed to get off to a bad start when Flaa congratulated the actor on her pregnancy and little bump. open image in gallery ( Cafe Society ) Lively sarcastically responded: Congrats on your little bump. Prior to the interview, which presumably would have taken place around the films release date in July, the actor, who was then 28, had announced that she was pregnant with her second baby with her husband Ryan Reynolds in May. Speaking to TMZ, Flaa said she still does not understand why Lively took offence at her remark. I find it offensive that she said it back to me to be honest, she said. I was like, do I have a bump? It was strange behaviour to me. In a previous interview with The Daily Mail, Flaa said that Livelys remarks especially hurt because she couldnt get pregnant herself. open image in gallery ( Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images ) To be honest, it hurts because I obviously wasnt pregnant and I could never get pregnant, she said. So to me, that comment was like a bullet. Flaas comments arrive amid the ongoing drama surrounding Lively and It Ends With Us, an adaptation of Colleen Hovers 2016 bestselling novel of the same name, which focuses on issues of domestic violence and abuse. Fans have complained that given the serious nature of the issues addressed in the film, it is not the right occasion for Lively to be promoting her new haircare line, which she has been doing during interviews. People have also called out the actor for her lighthearted tone during press, and for failing to speak up sufficiently on the serious issues. Commercial tie-ins also prompted criticism from fans. A themed cocktail is named Ryle You Wait in reference to the films abusive character played by Justin Baldoni, who directed the film and whom Lively is rumoured to be feuding with. 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 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 Bridgerton has reportedly found its next leading lady to star opposite Luke Thompsons Benedict Bridgerton in the forthcoming season of the popular romance drama. According to Variety, sources revealed that Korean-Australian actor Yerin Ha has been cast to play Sophie Beckett, Benedicts new season four love interest. The Independent has contacted Netflix for confirmation. 29-year-old Ha previously starred as Kwan Ha in the recently canceled Paramount+ series Halo. She also appeared in the Australian miniseries Bad Behaviour, the 2022 horror comedy Sissy, the 2022 season of ABC drama Troppo and several episodes of the one-season 2019 drama Reef Break. No further details about the cast have been shared. It was announced last month that the fourth season of the popular romance drama based on Julia Quinns best-selling book series would center on the love story of the second eldest Bridgerton (Thompson). Despite his elder and younger brothers both being happily married, Benedict is loath to settle down, a press release stated at the time, until he meets a captivating Lady in Silver at his mothers masquerade ball. open image in gallery Yerin Ha will reportedly star as Sophie Beckett in Bridgerton season four ( Getty Images ) Season three saw the nuptials between the Bridgertons third son, Colin (Luke Newton) and Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan), while season two saw the eldest Bridgerton, Anthony (Jonathan Bailey), marry Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley). The eldest daughter Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) married Simon Basset (Rege-Jean Page) in season one. Benedict was last seen in series three exploring his sexuality with Lady Tilley Arnold (Hannah New) and Paul Suarez (Lucas Aurelio). Hes a charming man whos trying to find his way. Hes very delightful and funny. Im excited for everybody to watch him, executive producer Shonda Rhimes told Netflixs Tudum of Thompsons character in July. It felt important for him to explore the fullness of himself before he settles down. He is someone who has big appetites, and we wanted to see him living a big life before he goes into settle-down mode, showrunner Jess Brownell added. 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 A release date for the eight-episode season four has not yet been announced. The first three seasons of Bridgerton are available to stream on Netflix. Bridgerton first debuted in 2020. It has since gone on to become the most-watched show across all streaming platforms amassing 9.3bn viewing minutes in the month of June alone. The period romance dramas success has also been credited with helping Netflix add eight million new subscribers over the April - June period, a 37 percent increase over the same period 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 Official court documents have disclosed Matthew Perrys last words before he died. The Friends star, 54, who passed away in October last year from acute effects of ketamine was reportedly using the powerful anesthetic for infusion therapy to treat his depression and anxiety. Perry had asked his long-term assistant Kenneth Iwamasa to administer ketamine three times on the day he died, with his final message relating to the fatal dose. According to court documents obtained by NBC News, Perry asked Iwamasa to shoot me up with a big one in the hours before he was found unresponsive in his hot tub. The court papers were reported on after Iwamasa, 59, and four other people were arrested and charged with providing the actor with the ketamine that killed him 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. According to an indictment unsealed in Los Angeles federal court, Perrys assistant, Iwamasa, and an acquaintance of Perrys, Erik Fleming, worked with two doctors, Salvador Plasencia and Mark Chavez, to procure large quantities of ketamine for Perry in the period leading up to his overdose death. However, Ketamine Queen Jasveen Sangha is charged with supplying Perry with the ketamine doses that ultimately caused his demise, Estrada said. open image in gallery Matthew Perrys final words before his death have been revealed in court documents ( Getty Images ) The documents state that Perry had asked Iwamasa to administer his first dose of ketamine at 8.30am on 28 October. He then received his second dose four hours later while watching a film at his $5.3m (4m) home in Los Angeles. He then asked Iwamasa to give him a third dose and get his hot tub ready. Perrys personal assistant then left the house to run errands and returned to find him dead. Dr Plasencia had previously administered ketamine to Perry and in September taught Iwamasa how to inject him with the drug, leaving the anesthetic and a supply of syringes behind for him in exchange for $4,500 (3,476), according to the indictment. 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 At the beginning of October 2023, the indictment says Iwamasa texted Plasencia an order for eight vials of ketamine, referring to them as eight bottles of dr pepper. Dr Plasencia saw Perry 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. According to Iwamasas plea deal, he had been administering ketamine to Perry for about a month before his death. open image in gallery The Friends star was known for his role as Chandler Bing on the sitcom ( Channel 4 ) On 12 October last year, Plasencia injected Perry with a large dose of ketamine that unexpectedly caused the actor to freeze up. His blood pressure spiked, 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 28 October 2023, the date the actor was found dead in his hot tub. open image in gallery Courteney Cox Arquette, Jennifer Aniston and Matthew Perry in Friends ( Getty Images ) After a medical examiner ruled his death an accident last year, Perrys death was considered a closed case. Almost seven months later, however, an investigation, at both federal and local level, had been opened into who supplied the Friends actor with the ketamine that caused his death. 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. His autopsy, released in December, found that the amount of the drug in Perrys blood was in the range used for general anesthesia during surgery. Yet his last infusion therapy was one and a half weeks before his death. The coroner noted that the ketamine in Perrys system could not be from that infusion therapy, since ketamines half-life is three to four hours, or less. 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. 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 Saoirse Ronan has opened up about how playing an alcoholic in Nora Fingscheidts The Outrun had a profound effect on her. The Little Women actor, 30, stars in the adaptation of Scottish journalist Amy Liptrots award-winning memoir, which tells the story of a young woman, Rona, who returns to her rural family home in Orkney after struggling with addiction while living in London. Ronan, who has been tipped for an Oscar for her performance in the drama, admitted the affinity she felt for the source text took her by surprise. Speaking to Channel 4, the Lovely Bones star said: I had no idea and was so not prepared for how much of an emotional impact it would have on me. How connected I would be to the material. She added: Not only the topic itself of addiction and alcoholism but how it was being written about, the fact it was being written from a young womans point of view. The Irish actor admitted she had seen loved ones and friends struggle with alcohol addiction in the past. Its something Ive been very familiar with most of my life, she said. That was another reason why I think eventually it was a topic that I wanted to explore in film. open image in gallery Saoirse Ronan in The Outrun ( Studiocanal/ YouTube ) Ronan admitted she hadnt always been emotionally prepared to explore addiction on screen. I dont think I felt like I was personally at a strong enough place within myself to take that on until we actually did [with filming] a few years ago, she said. When youre a loved one or a family member of someone whos going through that particular addiction, theres so much confusion and resentment and frustration around it, she added. 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 Alcoholism in particular, from what I know and what Ive learnt from this experience, drink is so accessible. Its a particular substance that we all build our whole lives around. open image in gallery Ronan in Greta Gerwigs Lady Bird' ( Focus Features ) Last month, Ronan reportedly married her long term partner Jack Lowden in a secret ceremony in Edinburgh, Scotland with a handful of their closest friends and family present. The Irish actor, who had her breakthrough role playing Keira Knightleys younger sister in 2007s acclaimed drama Atonement, met Lowden in 2018 on set for Mary Queen of Scots, in which she played Mary Stuart and he played the monarchs husband, Lord Darnley. Ronan, a four-time Oscar nominee, reportedly purchased a home with Lowden in west Cork in 2020. The pair live together in north London, with their terrier, Fran. Lowdens production company, Arcade Pictures, which he set up with Ronan and producer Dominic Norris, is behind The Outrun, which is slated for release in the UK on 27 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 The Last of Us was forced to increase on-set security while filming the second season due to fan hatred of the incoming character Abby (portrayed by Kaitlyn Dever). Maxs hit series starring Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal is a screen adaptation of the popular apocalyptic PlayStation video game. Season two of the show expected to debut sometime in 2025 will be based on the 2020 video game sequel, The Last of Us Part 2, which is set five years after the events in The Last of Us. The new series will welcome Booksmart star Dever as Abby, a pivotal character and the main antagonist in the sequel, as well as Dina (Isabela Merced), a new love interest for Ellie (Ramsey). Speaking about the on-set environment on a new episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Merced revealed that Dever had to be extra secured by security when it came to the filming of [season 2] because of video game fans negative perceptions of her character Abby. Merced explained that there are so many strange people who genuinely hate Abby. Just a reminder, [shes] not a real person, the 23-year-old Madame Web actor continued. Katilyns such a cool person who does not get phased by things, really has her head in the right place, and also is going through a lot right now personally. open image in gallery Kaitlyn Dever (left) and Abby in The Last of Us Part II ( Getty Images/Naughty Dog ) Its devastating to see, Merced added. But also give her the damn Emmy, honestly. Im so excited for people to see how incredibly well Bella and Kaitlyn did on this. Im so excited. The Independent has contacted HBO for further comment. According to Abbys official character description, she is a skilled soldier whose black-and-white view of the world is challenged as she seeks vengeance for those she loved. Dever, 27, originally announced she was joining The Last of Us in January, writing on Instagram: So excited to join the family. 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 Showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann said in a joint statement at the time: Our casting process for season two has been identical to season one: we look for world-class actors who embody the souls of the characters in the source material. Nothing matters more than talent, and were thrilled to have an acclaimed performer like Kaitlyn join Pedro [Pascal], Bella and the rest of our family. Before she landed the role of Abby, Dever had initially auditioned for the role of Ellie, The Hollywood Reporter revealed. Production on season two began in February after significant delays due to last years joint Hollywood actors and writers strikes. The inaugural season of The Last of Us went on to win eight of its 24 nominations at the delayed 75th Primetime Emmys, which was held in early January. 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 Victoria Jackson, a star of Saturday Night Live from 1986 to 1992, has revealed she has inoperable cancer and predicted that she has less than three years to live. The comedian and actor, 65, made the announcement in a video on Instagram. She captioned the post: Cancer Update: I have 34.8 months to live if I dont get hit by a meteor, shot by a MAGA hater, get Covid again or WWIII breaks out. In the video, Jackson explained that doctors cannot operate and cut out the marble in my chest that is laying on my windpipe, and eventually would suffocate me to death. She went on to say that she is preparing to take a magic pill containing Ribociclib, a type of cancer growth blocker, that she health care providers had told her will shrink the marble, hopefully. She added that she had researched life expectancy for those undergoing the treatment, and that patients who take the drug have 32.6 months to live. Something like that. Jackson, who first revealed she had been diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016, remained upbeat and told her followers: Ive had a fantastic life. She went on to say that she hoped to still be around to see certain upcoming milestones: Id like to see my grandson born, his name is Jimmy, in October, and get to know him a little. And I would like to see my daughter Aubrey have a baby. Since leaving SNL Jackson has become an outspoken political figure. Her 2012 memoir was titled Is My Bow Too Big? How I Went from Saturday Night Live to the Tea Party. Last year, she made headlines when she quoted Bible verses to support her condemnation of her citys local Gay Pride Parade. 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 Footage of the comedian speaking at Franklin City Hall in Tennessee was streamed on the citys YouTube channel during an April meeting. In the video, Jackson introduced herself by name at the podium, before announcing that God hates sodomy. He hates homosexuality he said its an abomination. And God hates sexual immorality, all kinds, she said. And God hates pride. Like, one of the most things he hates is pride, she added, before reading Proverbs 11:12. When pride comes, then comes disgrace but with humility comes wisdom. The Lord detests all the proud of heart. During her time as an SNL regular, she often appeared on the shows recurring Weekend Update segment as a news correspondent who would stray off-topic, recite poetry, and do handstands or backbends on the desk. 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 began a nationwide strike on Saturday in protest against the brutal rape and murder of a trainee medic at a hospital in the eastern state of West Bengal. The doctor, a member of staff at the RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, had settled down for a nap in a lecture hall after working nearly 20 hours of a 36-hour shift when she was assaulted, her colleagues say. She was found dead last Friday and police have confirmed that the 31-year-old was raped and murdered. A police volunteer working at the hospital has been detained in connection with the crime, but the victims family alleges more people were involved. The Indian Medical Association (IMA), the countrys largest union representing doctors and medical workers, called for a nationwide strike halting non-emergency medical services for 24 hours starting Saturday morning. Subsequent to the brutal crime in R G Kar Medical College Kolkata and the hooliganism unleashed on the protesting students, IMA declares nationwide withdrawal of services by doctors of modern medicine from 6am on Saturday to 6am Sunday for 24 hours, the medical organisation said in a statement, adding that all essential services will be maintained. open image in gallery People wait for their turn at a government hospital in Hyderabad on 17 August 2024, during doctors nationwide strike against the rape and murder of their colleague in Indias West Bengal state ( AFP via Getty Images ) The IMA called on the public to support its struggle for justice, and called the murder a crime of barbaric scale due to the lack of safe spaces for women. Junior doctors have all been on strike, so this would mean 90 per cent of doctors are on strike, an IMA representative in the southern state of Telangana told Reuters. open image in gallery Doctors and medical students shout slogans as they take part in a protest march in Amritsar ( AFP via Getty Images ) The suspension of work has affected patients all across India, with the walkout of around a million doctors making it the largest in the country in over a decade. I have brought my ailing grandmother. They did not see her today. I will have to wait for another day, said Raghunath Sahu, who was in a queue of patients at the SCB Medical College and Hospital in the eastern city of Cuttack. open image in gallery People wait for their turn at a government hospital during doctors nationwide strike ( AFP via Getty Images ) Striking doctors and medical workers are demanding justice for the victim and a guarantee of safety inside medical campuses, including making any attack on on-duty medics an offence without the possibility of bail. The British Medical Association (BMA) said it stood in solidarity with doctors in Kolkata and across India and called for urgent measures to improve the safety of female doctors in the workplace. open image in gallery People wait at a government hospital during doctors nationwide strike ( AFP via Getty Images ) The BMA is horrified by the rape and murder of a woman junior doctor in the hospital where she worked in Kolkata, India... This should never be a risk that any doctor ever faces in their place of work, the BMA posted on X. Earlier this week hundreds of thousands of women marched to chants of reclaim the night across several cities in India. Protests grow in India over rape and killing of doctor at state-run hospital The nationwide demonstrations by doctors and womens groups are fuelled by anger at the failure to impose tough laws to deter the rising tide of violence against women. The punishment should be the harshest possible, should come faster, so within public memory, said senior criminal layer Shobha Gupta, who represented a Muslim woman raped during religious riots in Gujarat in 2002. open image in gallery People wait for their turn at a government hospital ( AFP via Getty Images ) When we are still angry about the crime, the result should come out. Punishment to play a role of deterrence, it should come faster, Ms Gupta said. Indias federal Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which has taken over the investigation of the crime in Kolkata, has summoned several students from the RG Kar college and also questioned the hospitals principal as it seeks to determine the circumstances surrounding the doctors murder. open image in gallery Doctors and medical students hold placards as they take part in a protest march in Amritsar ( AFP via Getty Images ) The countrys health ministry has promised to form a committee on doctor safety, as it called on the striking medical workers to return to work. 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 Pakistan says it is introducing new screening at airports after confirming at least one case of mpox infection, days after the World Health Organisation declared a global emergency over the virus. Health officials are concerned about a new deadlier strain of the virus, formerly known as monkeypox, that has spread through several African countries. The case reported in Pakistan involves a patient who had recently returned from a Gulf country. Pakistans health ministry said it had yet to determine the strain of the virus. Mpox belongs to the smallpox family of viruses but causes milder symptoms including fever, chills and body aches, with more serious cases likely to develop characteristic lesions on the face, hands, chest and genitals. Earlier this week, the WHO warned of the very worrying emergence and spread of a new variant of mpox associated with a more severe disease and higher mortality rates than the strain behind the global mpox outbreak in 2022. Over 17,000 mpox cases have been confirmed in Africa with more than 500 deaths this year alone, mainly among children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since the outbreak began at the start of 2023. open image in gallery A health worker takes a sample at the mpox treatment centre of the Nyiragongo general referral hospital, north of the town of Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo, on 16 August 2024 ( AFP/Getty ) Pakistans health department confirmed that one case of mpox was detected in the countrys northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, withdrawing a previous statement that three cases of the viral infection were detected in the region this week on arrival from the UAE. The health ministry said it had yet to confirm if the patient is infected with the new variant known as clade 1b, with the sequencing of a sample from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa patient underway. Once thats done, we will be able to say what strain this is, the health ministry said, adding that the screening system at airports and entry points is being further strengthened. The ministry flagged concerns that the location of the confirmed mpox patient in Pakistan is currently unknown, as he is suspected to have gone to another district after providing his samples for tests. When we visited his home in Mardan, it was locked from [the] outside and his neighbours told us that the family has left for Dir, the district health office (DHO) said. Mpox declared a global health emergency by WHO We approached our fellow colleagues of the health department in Dir district but they couldnt trace him, even in Dir, the DHO said. The health ministry said it was carrying out contact tracing of the patient. The new strain emerged in a Congolese mining town last year and is spreading to other countries in Africa as well as one case confirmed in Sweden on Thursday. Clade 1b is said to cause milder symptoms with lesions on the genitals, making it harder to spot and more likely for people to sicken others without knowing theyre infected. open image in gallery A delivery boy rides past the National Institute of Health (NIH), a Pakistani research institute mainly responsible for biomedical and health-related research, in Islamabad. Pakistan said on 16 August it had confirmed a case of mpox ( AFP/Getty ) It is concerning for two main reasons, according to pox researcher Jonas Albarnaz from the Pirbright Institute. First, this is the first clade 1 mpox virus case outside Africa. This indicates that the extent of the international spread of clade 1 outbreak in DRC might be larger than we knew yesterday, Dr Albarnaz said. And second, clade 1 mpox virus is associated with a more severe disease and higher mortality rates than the clade 2 virus responsible for the international mpox outbreak 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 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 }} Tourists visiting a Thai zoo who have fed and cuddled monkeys there are being warned they could be at risk of catching tuberculosis from them after the animals were filmed suffering from unusual, repeated coughing. Dozens of monkeys at the Samui Monkey Centre were filmed with coughs, which investigators said could be a sign of an infectious disease such as tuberculosis (TB). The witnesses, who say they have together visited more than 100 animal centres worldwide, reported that this was the first time they had seen widespread coughing in primates. The floors of many cages were covered with dry, barren materials including concrete blocks ( Amy Jones / WFFT ) Past reviews on the Tripadvisor website suggest monkeys were coughing at least nine months before the investigation, so the problem is thought to be persistent, according to activists from the Moving Animals organisation, which documents animal cruelty globally. The centre, on the tourist island hotspot of Koh Samui, encourages visitors to physically interact with its animals by feeding, touching and hugging them. Thailand is among the 30 countries with the highest TB rates in humans, according to the World Health Organisation, and investigators from Moving Animals said the risk of humans and the monkeys infecting one another and spreading the disease more widely, was a threat to public health. Scientists say coughing in monkeys could also be a sign of the common cold caught from humans, pneumonia, whooping cough or other respiratory diseases. Millions of tourists each year from around the world visit Koh Samui, and the activists warned they could potentially take any diseases caught from monkeys back home with them. Photographs and footage taken by the undercover investigators show dozens of monkeys kept in tiny cages, some held on short chains by their necks. Rubbish including plastic bottles and crisp packets, and even bricks could be seen inside cages. And the monkeys displayed neurotic behaviour, including frantically pacing back and forth widely considered a sign of stress. Several monkeys were noted to be eating twig branches in a possible sign of hunger and malnutrition, a spokesperson for the investigators said. A deer was kept alone in a small enclosure with a surface entirely of thick mud, leaving it with no appropriate space to rest, it was claimed, while a binturong, a protected species threatened with extinction, appeared severely lethargic and possibly close to death. The activists branded the place a hellhole for animals and the conditions cruel and dangerous, as they urged authorities to send the animals to a sanctuary. Crocodiles were seen in a cage ( Amy Jones / WFFT ) Crocodiles were seen in a barren cage with a dry floor with concrete blocks but no mud or water. A licence at the centres entrance showed it had the right to display animals for educational purposes, not to act as a zoo, and required signature sections were left blank, the investigators said. Thailands biggest wildlife sanctuary, Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT), has offered to house the animals. Director Edwin Wiek said: It was devastating reviewing the investigative footage. At just a few months old, its heartbreaking to know the baby monkey documented will spend the rest of his life in a barren cage, pacing in frantic circles, and as far from nature as you can imagine. Many Tripadvisor reviews highlight a lack of food and water and monkeys kept on short chains ( Tripadvisor ) Thats why were urgently seeking to rehome him and the dozens of other animals trapped in this hellhole. He said the sanctuary had received several disturbing reports about the centre, and we are deeply concerned about the horrific animal cruelty documented, as well as the public health risk posed by the health conditions of the animals at the zoo. The Samui Monkey Centre did not respond to requests by The Independent to comment. 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 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 Independent Climate email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} 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. 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 }} Evidence presented during the Lucy Letby trial showing which staff came in and out of the baby unit was incorrect, the Crown Prosecution Service has admitted. Letby is serving 15 whole-life sentences for seven murders and seven attempted murders of babies in her care at the Countess of Chester Hospital between 2015 and 2016. A whole-life order means Letby will spend the rest of her life in prison with no minimum term or chance of early release. Letby was first serving 14 whole-life sentences for the seven murders and seven attempted murders, given to her last year. A retrial was ordered on a single attempted murder charge concerning a baby girl, known as Child K, after the first jury could not reach a verdict. Lucy Letby continues to maintain her innocence ( PA ) A second jury took just three and a half hours to convict Letby of the offence. The retrial heard that Letby targeted the baby after the infant was moved from the delivery room to the neo-natal unit shortly after her premature birth. Nick Johnson KC, prosecuting, told the court that door swipe data, showing which nurses and doctors were entering and exiting the intensive care ward, had been mislabelled. The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed that there was a discrepancy discovered relating to one door in the neonatal intensive care unit and that had been corrected for the retrail. Lucy Letby is serving 15 whole life sentences for the murders of babies under her care ( Cheshire Constabulary ) A spokesperson said: Two juries and three appeal court judges have reviewed a multitude of different evidence against Lucy Letby, and she has been convicted on 15 separate counts following two separate jury trials. We confirm that accurate door-swipe data was presented in the retrial. We have been transparent in clarifying this issue and rectified it for the retrial. We are confident that this issue did not have a meaningful impact on the prosecution, which included multiple strands of evidence. In the initial trial, the prosecution said Dr Ravi Jayaram, a consultant, had discovered Letby standing over Baby K at 3.50am on 17 February 2016. The baby was deteriorating and its breathing tube had been dislodged. The prosecution said door-swipe data showed that the babys designated nurse had left the intensive care unit at 3.47am. However, the data was amended in the retrial to show the nurse had returned at that time, meaning Letby was not alone. It comes after former cabinet minister Sir David Davis told The Independent he was set to spearhead a probe questioning the conviction of Letby after a series of experts cast doubt over her guilt. Sir David said he hopes to visit Letby in prison as part of an investigation into whether the serial baby killer may be the victim of a miscarriage of justice. Several medical professionals have raised questions over Letbys conviction. In one podcast, the statistician Peter Elston and retired paediatrician Michael McConville claimed there had been inadequacies in the medical evidence presented during her trial. Letby continues to maintain her innocence despite her conviction and told jurors during her trial she was not the sort of person who would kill babies. The Independent has contacted the CPS for comment. 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 fundraiser launched to help the family of a father who was jailed for attacking police outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in Bristol has attracted anger online. Among those to donate was Tristan Tate, the brother of self-proclaimed misogynist Andrew Tate, who has given 2,500. Dominic Capaldi, 34, was jailed on Wednesday for 34 months after being caught on video footage throwing objects towards officers in the citys Castle Park, while crowds chanted send them back. The groundworker also targeted police who were trying to prevent protesters from gaining entry to the Mercure Hotel, which is used to house asylum seekers. Created by his friend on Friday, the crowdfunder for Capaldis family aimed to raise 1,000 but by Saturday lunchtime had raised more than 3,000 claiming the sentence was unlawful. More than 3,000 had been raised for the fundraiser by Saturday lunchtime ( Crowdfunder ) In a description on the page, it said: Dom was arrested and rushed through the courts, before being handed a 34-month prison sentence for attending a demonstration in Bristol he felt he needed to, relating to the safety of his childrens future. Unfortunately he leaves a wife and children as well as an unpaid mortgage. Please dig deep if you can and help his family through this ridiculous time. Dominic Capaldi was sentenced to 34 months in jail ( Avon & Somerset Police ) A total of 34 people have so far donated, including former kickboxer Tristan Tate who, along with his social influencer brother Andrew, is currently awaiting trial on charges of rape, forming an organised crime group, and human trafficking in Romania allegations they have denied. He shared news of his donation with his three million followers on X. Andrew Tate admitted he was wrong about the suspect in the Southport stabbing, which sparked the nationwide unrest, in an interview with Piers Morgan earlier this month. Tristan Tate (l), pictured with his brother Andrew, shared news of his donation on X ( EPA ) The fundraiser has been met with outrage by some on social media. One person wrote: Was he not throwing stuff at police? Is that not a crime? Another said: He plead [sic] guilty. He didnt have to do that, could have taken it to trial. He obviously thought he was caught bang to rights. One another added: This guy went rioting so that we immigrants would be kicked out of this country. No thanks, Id rather donate to the local mosque. Jog on mate - HE was filmed throwing stuff at the police and pleaded guilty to violent disorder... not giving him a dime you mug! said another social media user. Bristol Crown Court heard how Capaldis child was turning seven on the day of his sentencing, with the consequences of his offending having a significant impact on his family. Defending Capaldi, John Stokes told the court: It is very sadly a case of hindsight is a wonderful thing, he recognises now with retrospect the foolishness of his actions on that day. Judge Martin Picton jailed Capaldi for 34 months, telling the court: This was the first post-Southport protest in Bristol to turn violent, but it has to be seen in the context of coordinated action on the part of extremists to cause violence, and by so doing to generate fear on the part of the community as a whole. He added: You were a part of that, standing within a large confrontational group who were acting in concert, but in particular you chose to throw objects at the mounted police officers who were required to put themselves in harms way to protect others. A total of 460 people had appeared in the magistrates court on charges relating to the disorder as of the end of 15 August, according to the Ministry of Justice. At least 72 people under the age of 18 are also believed to have been charged. 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 }} More than 100 firefighters tackled a large blaze that ripped through the roof of central Londons historic Somerset House, which houses a large collection of priceless artwork. No one was injured in the fire at the building on The Strand, which broke out around midday on Saturday. Somerset House is home to a range of creative businesses and public initiatives, as well as The Courtauld Gallery, which escaped damage and will reopen on Sunday. The gallerys collection includes works by Impressionist and Post-Impressionist greats such as Van Gogh and Monet. The building itself will remain closed until further notice as an investigation into the fire is conducted. London Fire Brigade said 125 firefighters and 20 engines helped to tackle the blaze, which was brought under control just before 7pm. The view from Waterloo Bridge as firefighters tackle the blaze ( AFP via Getty ) Somerset House Trust director Jonathan Reekie said the fire broke out in the west wing, which consists mainly of offices and back-of-house facilities. He said no artworks were in the area. Speaking to reporters outside the building, he said it was too early to comment on the buildings condition and thanked emergency services for their work in tackling the flames. Professor Mark Hallett, director of The Courtauld Institute of Art, said: The Courtauld, including our galleries and collection of artworks, is unaffected by the fire. London Ambulance Service urged people to avoid the area and told local businesses to keep their windows and doors closed on Saturday afternoon. Michelle Birkby, 50, a writer from London, said: I was walking along the South Bank and could smell smoke, looked up and saw smoke coming out of the top of Somerset House. At first I assumed it was a barbecue in the courtyard, or some sort of event, but then I heard the fire engines, realised the smoke was billowing out of control and that Somerset House was on fire. Queen Elizabeth I is among the former stately homes previous residents, having lived there from the age of 20 before she became queen in 1558, according to Somerset Houses website. 20 fire engines attended the scene in central London ( Pol Allingham/PA ) The building is also used as an arts and events venue and was due to be hosting a day of breakdancing on Saturday. The London Battle was set to run from 2pm to 8.30pm, celebrating the sports Olympic debut in Paris, but had to be cancelled. Dancers cheered loudly as firefighters returned their bags, which were left inside when they evacuated the building. Abisola Alli, 29, was rehearsing in a changing room with her female empowerment and African culture group AfroQueens when they were told they had to leave. The group had been due to perform a five-minute set. The fire affected offices and backroom facilities ( Dean Wilburn/X ) Arts minister Sir Chris Bryant said the government was liaising with the venue to understand the impact and damage caused by the fire. He added: I am sorry to hear about the fire at Somerset House, this historic building is home to some of Londons great galleries and creative spaces. I am very pleased that there are no casualties and hope that Somerset House can reopen to visitors as soon as possible. August 17, 2024: Over two years of fighting in Ukraine have left Russia with few combat capable troops. Russian losses are nearly twice those of Ukraines, who were mainly on the defensive and received large shipments of weapons and equipment from NATO countries. Not surprisingly, the NATO supplied weapons proved superior to most of what the Russians were using. Russia has been subjected to heavy economic sanctions since the invasion began in early 2022. As a result Russia had to improvise in order to revive some weapons production. This included using a lot of their oil & natural gas exports income to purchase and smuggle in weapons components that were not manufactured in Russia. Munitions, especially guided missiles, unguided rockets and artillery shells are still in short supply. Same situation with combat troops. Military age men in Russia have noticed the large number of Russian soldiers killed or wounded in Ukraine and increasingly seek to avoid military service. Russia has been forced to send police to workplaces and homes of military age Russians and compel them to serve in the infantry. Russian men are willing to serve in non-combat jobs, but the greatest need is for infantry. So far, several hundred thousand Russian soldiers have been killed or seriously wounded and disabled. At this point there are few Russian men willing to join the army and become replacements. The munitions shortages mean that Russian soldiers attacking have less supporting fire and greater chances of getting killed or wounded. All this has meant that large scale Russian attacks are now very rare and most attacks are small and low intensity. Another problem is that the front line in Ukraine is over 1,200 kilometers long and it takes a lot of troops just to keep the trenches and strongpoints manned. While the Ukrainians still want to drive Russian troops out of the 25 percent of Ukraine occupied by the Russians, that is less likely to happen because of Ukraines shortage of troops and munitions. Russian leaders are now proposing a truce but are not yet desperate enough to evacuate Ukrainian territory they occupy. If the NATO munitions supplies keep coming, the Ukrainians have a chance of changing Russian attitudes on how much territory they are willing to continue fighting to hold. 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 }} Authorities have arrested a Missouri woman who they say was behind a scheme to fraudulently sell Elvis Presleys Graceland property in Memphis, Tennessee. Lisa Jeanine Findley, 53, now faces charges of mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. This comes after Naussany Investments and Private Lending, a mysterious company with little paper trail, contacted Promenade Trust, which controls the Memphis estate, claiming it owed millions for failing to repay a loan, back in May. The company then attempted to auction off the property in a foreclosure sale. Riley Keough, Elvis granddaughter who inherited Graceland after her mother Lisa Marie Presley died last year, sued Naussany on May 15. She said her mothers supposed signatures on the documents were forgeries and that Naussany is not a real company. A judge has since blocked the sale. 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, Nicole Argentieri, principal deputy assistant attorney general at the Justice Department, said in a statement following Findleys arrest. Visitors line up at Elvis Presleys Graceland property. Officials have arrested the woman they believe is responsible for attempting to fraudulently sell the property earlier this year ( AFP via Getty Images ) 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 continued. Officials said she has gone by many different names, including Lisa Howell, Gregory Naussany, Kurt Naussany, Lisa Jeanine Sullins, and Carolyn Williams. Prosecutors say Findley posed as three different people associated with Naussany Investments, falsely claimed Keough owed millions to them and fabricated loan documents with Lisa Marie Presleys signature. Findley is also responsible for sending fake emails claiming to be a Nigerian scammer targeting the estate, the Department of Justice said. As a Memphian, I know that Graceland is a national treasure, US Attorney Kevin Ritz of Tennessees western district said. This defendant allegedly used a brazen scheme to try to defraud the Presley family of their interest in this singularly important landmark. Presley purchased the iconic property for $102,500 in 1957, the same year he released hits such as All Shook Up and Blue Christmas. The musical icon lived there until his death in 1977. This arrest comes after NBC News reported on Findleys potential involvement last month. She was identified as Lisa Holden in the story and said she hadnt heard the name Naussany. I have no earthly idea what youre talking about, she told the outlet. She later sent NBC News a cease-and-desist letter when they followed up with more information. NBC News learned that others claimed to have been scammed by her. She had reportedly posed as someone wealthy from inheritance, an underwater welder, a person diagnosed with cancer and a cannabis entrepreneur, according to NBC News. She had also posted several reviews of business online using the names Kurt Naussany and Carolyn Naussany, NBC News reports. Her ex-husband, Steven Sullins, spoke with NBC News and compared her to the main character in the 2002 film Catch Me If You Can, a conman and scam artist played by Leonard DiCaprio. Thats her, Sullins told the outlet. Thats what she does. 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 }} Two doctors and a dealer known as the ketamine queen are among five people who have been charged in the death of Friends actor Matthew Perry, who died at the age of 54 in late October last year. This comes after an investigation lasting seven months into the role that ketamine played in his passing. According to the Los Angeles County medical examiner, trace amounts of the controlled substance were found in his stomach. The drug is sometimes used to treat depression. Since his death, the authorities have been working to understand how Perry got ahold of the drug, which is legal and usually used as an anesthetic but can be abused when used recreationally. This is what we know so far: Matthew Perrys death Matthew Perry at the US Open on September 10, 2022. He died on October 28, 2023 ( Getty Images ) Perrys ketamine use was spiraling out of control in the weeks before his death, the 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 said in court filings this week. 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. The investigation 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. 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. United States Attorney Martin Estrada announces five people have been charged in connection with Perry's death, including the actor's assistant and two doctors ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) Law enforcement agencies executed search warrants and seized computers, phones, and other electronic equipment to determine who was responsible for the supply of the drug which led to the actors overdose. 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 which caused his death. The investigation into how Perry came to have so much ketamine inside him 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. Sources close to the actor said he was undergoing ketamine infusion therapy to treat depression and anxiety. Yet his last infusion therapy was one and a half weeks before his death. The coroner noted that the ketamine in Perrys system could not be from that infusion therapy, since ketamines half-life is three to four hours or less. Who has been charged? 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. Jasveen Sangha, who has been dubbed the Ketamine Queen by prosecutors. Shes facing several charges ( Instagram ) A plea agreement was reached by Iwamasa and two other defendants. Sangha and Plasencia have pleaded not guilty. Their trials are set for October. 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. Plasencia saw Perry 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. 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. Sangha is charged with supplying Perry with the ketamine doses that ultimately caused his demise, Estrada said. 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. Sangha is alleged to have provided the ketamine that caused Perrys death ( Instagram/Jasveen Sangha ) Later that same day, the indictment says Sangha, 41, messaged Fleming on Signal, writing: Delete all our messages. She is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, one count of maintaining 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. 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. 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. Sangha posted pictures of herself on vacation in Japan ( Instagram ) 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 that shoots fake dollar bills. Play money, but dont be playing with my money, she wrote in the caption. But besides Perry, Sangha has also been linked to 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. 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. What sentences are they facing? 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 Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A white woman from Central Florida who fatally shot her Black neighbor during a dispute last year is guilty of manslaughter, a jury determined on Friday. An all-white jury found Susan L Lorincz, 60, guilty of manslaughter in the death of 35-year-old Ajike AJ Owens, a single mother of four, after deliberating for about two hours during a four-day trial. Lorincz sat motionless as the verdict was handed down in the courtroom. On 2 June 2023, Owens children had been playing in a field near Lorinczs residence in Ocala, where both the women lived. Lorincz had started an argument with the children, the Marion County Sheriffs Office said at the time, before throwing a pair of skates at them, striking Owens 10-year-old son on the toe. Owens 12-year-old son then went to confront the woman, who opened the door and swung at him with an umbrella. The children then went back home to tell their mother what had happened. The women had a long-standing feud about Owens children playing outside. Lorincz had previously called police claiming Owens threw a no trespassing sign at her in February 2022. In April 2023, Lorincz once again called police, saying Owens had repeatedly opened her mailbox over the course of 10 days. No arrests were made as a result of the calls. But in June, Owens marched over to Lorinczs home, knocked on her door and demanded that she come outside. Instead, using a .380-caliber handgun, Lorincz fired one shot through the door, hitting Owens in the upper chest region. The mothers 10-year-old son was standing next to her at the time. When deputies arrived at Lorinczs apartment, they found Owens in front of the door with a gunshot wound. Authorities rendered aid until emergency personnel transported her to HCA Florida Ocala Hospital, where she died from her injuries. After the incident and at trial, Lorincz maintained that she acted in self-defense out of fear for her life. In a letter she wrote to Owens family, she said: I am so sorry for your loss. I was terrified your mom was going to kill me. I shot out of fear. Authorities were not able to arrest her initially as they worked to determine whether Floridas stand your ground law applied to the case. The law allows residents in some instances to use deadly force on their property to defend against violent crimes. Owens was unarmed at the time. A series of interviews, including forensic interviews with Owens children, revealed that the law would not apply. Lorincz was arrested on 6 June 2023 and charged with manslaughter with a firearm. Officials said they did not have enough evidence to charge her with murder. Lorincz faces up to 30 years in prison. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. Lorincz will remain in custody without bond until then. Several members of Owens family cried as the proceedings concluded. Once Lorincz left the courtroom, Owens mother, Pamela Dias, yelled out: Oh God. Thank you, Jesus. Speaking to reporters, Dias said, She set out to cause harm. She set out to kill. Thats exactly what she did.She has no regard for any form of human life. The case gained national attention for the delay in Lorinczs arrest, putting a spotlight on stand your ground laws following several incidents of residents shooting at unarmed people for stepping onto their property. Ben Crump, the civil rights attorney, represented Owens family following the incident and criticized laws such as the one that kept Lorincz on the streets for days following the womans death. While we are relieved that the woman apparently responsible for the tragic killing of Ajike AJ Owens has been arrested, we are no less concerned that accountability has taken this long because archaic laws like stand your ground exist, he said. What does it say when a person can shoot and kill an unarmed mother in the presence of her young children, and not be immediately taken into custody, questioned and charged? The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A 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. 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 }} Wisconsin doesnt just have cheese curds and craft beers: its also home to the most affordable city in America. MarketWatch, a financial and business news site, analyzed 223 of the countrys largest cities to determine the top 10 most affordable cities. Green Bay, Wisconsin the states third largest city located 120 miles north of Milwaukee topped the list. With a median monthly rent of $870, grocery costs 15 per cent lower than the national average, and a median home price of $245,000, the medium-sized city proved the least inexpensive. Groceries in Green Bay cost 15 per cent less than the average so more cash left over for tickets to a Packers game ( The City of Green Bay ) The midwest dominated the rankings, taking six of the top 10 spots, while the south took three and the northeast just one. Most affordable cities Median Home Price Groceries vs. National Avg. 1. Green Bay, WI $245,000 15.0% 2. Wichita, KS $210,000 7.7% 3. Rapid City, SD $300,000 7.4% 4. Springfield, IL $139,000 8.1% 5. Broken Arrow, OK $293,000 5.8% 6. Jackson, MS $120,000 7.6% 7. Alexandria, LA $64,000 1.3% 8. Iowa City, IA $300,000 11.1% 9. Manchester, NH (Tie) $385,000 10.1% 9. Sioux City, IA (Tie) $202,000 9.9% The west did comparatively poorly, with the highest-ranking western city Ogden, Utah coming in at 18. The ranking was calculated from seven metrics: median household income, unemployment rate, median home sale price, median monthly rate, grocery cost of living index, transportation cost of living index, and miscellaneous goods and services cost of living index. The report assigned each city a score from 0 to 100, with the latter being the most affordable score. Wichita is the largest city in Kansas ( Getty ) In second place was another midwestern city: Wichita, Kansas. Nuzzled in the south-central part of the state, Wichita is known as the air capital of the world and birthed fast food chains like Pizza Hut and White Castle. Its low average monthly rent of $971 and low-cost transportation, including gas prices and public transport options, gave the city its number two ranking. Prospective home buyers in Wichita can also appreciate the low median home sales price, which was $210,000 as of March 2023, the report wrote. A panorama view of South Dakotas Rapid City, located just down the road from Mount Rushmore ( Getty ) Rapid City, South Dakota rounded out the top three, with the lowest county unemployment rate in the country, at 1.5 per cent, and a median household income of $81,183. Known as the City of Presidents, with life-sized bronze statues of every U.S. president scattered throughout the city, it is located just 23 miles from Mount Rushmore. Springfield, Ilinois, grabbed the fourth spot on the list, the highest of any state capital ( Getty ) Only two capital cities made the top ten list. Springfield, Illinois which nabbed fourth place is located in the center of the state and is known as the home to Abrahm Lincolns tomb. The median cost of a home there is just $139,000. Main Street in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, an affordable town in Tulsa County ( Doncow/Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0 ) Rounding out the top five was Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, a manufacturing city which had the highest median income across the top ten cities, at $102,700. And the other capital city in the top ten is Jackson, Mississippi, which landed in sixth place. The states most populous city was named after former U.S. President Andrew Jackson. For those suffering with New York City or Bay Area property marketes, the report found that the average rent in 22 of the 223 cities analyzed was less than $1,000 a month. 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 }} George Santos, the former Republican congressman ousted amid a series of scandals, is reportedly set to accept a plea deal in his federal criminal case in order to avoid a trial, lawyers involved in the case and those familiar with the matter said. The disgraced lawmaker is expected to enter a guilty plea to the judge overseeing his case, District Judge Joanna Seybert, on Monday at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, New York, sources told Talking Points Memo, CNN, The New York Times and other outlets. Santos is facing 23 felony charges including wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds, aggravated identity theft, making false statements to the Federal Election Commission and more. Federal prosecutors have brought two indictments against Santos, launching allegations of brazen financial corruption within Santos 2022 House campaign and his congressional office. George Santos leaving federal court on May 10, 2023 in Central Islip, New York ( Getty Images ) Thus far, the congressmen pleaded not guilty to all 23 charges. Instead, he called the indictment, and superseding indictment, a witch hunt and has previously publicly denied talks of a plea deal. A federal trial was set to begin in September. But court filings from December indicated Santos lawyers and federal prosecutors were actively engaged in plea deal negotiations. On Friday, both sides asked Judge Seybert for a hearing on Monday but did not explain why. The Independent has asked Santos lawyer for comment on the reports. Allegations of lies and corruption have followed Santos like a shadow since he was elected to represent New Yorks 3rd congressional district in 2022. Off the bat, Santos was accused of lying on his resume about graduating college and working at Goldman Sachs which he later admitted was untrue. But it was Santos lies or exaggerations about key parts of his life that drew public mockery and criticism. He insisted he did not perform as a drag queen (despite photo evidence), falsely claimed his family was Jewish (he said he meant Jew-ish), asserted his mother was at the World Trade Center on 9/11 and more. His lies spurred investigations by the House Ethics Committee and the New York Attorney General which uncovered financial improprieties. George Santos dons red lipstick as he brings back drag alter ego Kitara in Cameo video. ( George Santos ) In a 13-count indictment brought against Santos last May, prosecutors claimed the then-congressman had engaged in three schemes to pocket money to fund his lavish lifestyle. That included defrauding political donors, fraudulently applying for pandemic unemployment assistance and knowingly making false statements about his income on a federal financial disclosure form during his campaign. In October, prosecutors brought another 10-count indictment against Santos, this time accusing him of stealing political donors credit cards to inflate his wealth. Santos was ousted by his colleagues in December. He later reignited his bid for Congress but dropped out soon after. Santos extremely public rise and fall in politics was nothing short of a political spectacle. His criminal trial was expected to mirror that. Though rumors of a plea deal have been circulating for months, Santos could change his mind. It is unclear what charges Santos may plead guilty to or what the terms of the plea deal are. 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 }} A charter plane carrying Republican vice presidential nominee Senator JD Vance conducted an emergency landing on Friday in Wisconsin, after its pilot reported potential mechanical issues. The Eastern Air Boeing 737 jet conducted an emergency landing at Milwaukee International Airport around 1:30pm, airport officials told WISN, landing normally and taxiing under its own power. A Vance spokesperson told CNN that the planes pilot "advised there was a malfunction with the door seal. After declaring an emergency, Trump Force Two returned to Milwaukee, the spokesperson said. As soon as the issue was resolved, the plane returned to its originally planned flight path back to Cincinnati. The emergency landing took place while Vances wife, dog, staff members, and traveling news reporters were onboard, according to The Washington Post. Local news cameras showed the plane departing normally about an hour after the emergency landing. Vance was in Milwaukee for a campaign speech to the citys police union, where he accused Kamala Harris of making policing harder and wrongly spending money on immigrants to the US. The Trump-Vance campaign has been campaigning across battleground states like Wisconsin, seeking to win back momentum from the Harris-Walz campaign, who have pulled ahead slightly in the polls. The sudden stop comes less than a week after Donald Trumps Boeing 757 plane was diverted from landing in Bozeman, Montana, to an airport in Billings due to mechanical problems. His aircraft had mechanical issues, and he was diverted into the Billings-Logan Airport, a spokesperson for the airport said at the time. Hes continuing to Bozeman on a private jet, they added. Boeing has been under heavy scrutiny in recent months, due to mechanical issues on its passenger jets and its Starliner space craft. 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 }} Kamala Harris was on her 2019 memoir promotion tour when she joked around with radio host Charlamagne the God, the future vice president cheekily answering his question about whether shed ever used marijuana. Half my familys from Jamaica, she said. Are you kidding me? The man responsible for that half of the family, however the politicians father, economist Donald J. Harris wasnt laughing. Despite his virtual invisibility throughout Harris political rise, her father chose that moment to raise his head above the parapet. He sent a letter to a media outlet in his native Jamaica, publicly scolding her like a naughty child. 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. Donald J Harris, father of the US vice president and Democratic presidential candidate, is pictured in a panel of American university professors in 1989; hes currently an 85-year-old Stanford economics professor eremitus ( C-Span ) Speaking for myself and my immediate Jamaican family, we wish to categorically dissociate ourselves from this travesty. His daughters representatives made no comment at the time, at least not publicly, and the professor again went silent. I have decided to stay out of all the political hullabaloo by not engaging in any interviews with the media, he wrote in an email reviewed at the time by POLITICO . And it seems he stayed true to his word; theres been nary a peep from the 85-year-old Stanford emeritus professor as his daughters White House campaign makes waves across America. The weed brouhaha, however, seems a nod to a long-term fraught relationship between the two even if the seeds for Harris political aspirations can be clearly seen from the early days of her parents university courtship. Donald broke academic barriers a generation before his ceiling-shattering daughter. Born in Jamaica in 1938 and raised in St Ann Parish, he was descended on his fathers side from planter and slave-owning politician Hamilton Brown, founder of Browns Town on the island. The academic has credited his grandmothers as his greatest early influences. His fathers mother, Miss Chrishy (born Christiana Brown), owned a dry goods store on the main street of Browns Town and sparked my interest in economics and politics simply by my observing and listening to her in her daily routine, he wrote in 2018, including listening to her chats about politics with family and friends. Donald spent summers on a cane farm run by his maternal grandmother, Miss Iris (Iris Finegan), which sparked his interest in the role sugar played in the countrys economy, including its slave trade. It was this early intimate exposure to operation of the sugar industry at the local level of small-scale production with family labour and free wage-labour, coupled with my growing curiosity about how these things came to be, that led me, once I started reading about the history of Jamaica, to a closer study of the sugar industry, he wrote in Jamaica Global . I came then to understand its origin as a system of global production and commerce, based on slave labour, with Jamaica as a key component of that system from its very start. Donald Harris on his way to a doctorate in economics at Berkeley in April 1965 while holding Kamala ( Courtesy of Kamala Harris ) He attended the University of the West Indies before graduating from the University of London and later earning a PhD from UC Berkeley. It was at Berkeley where he met Kamalas mother Shyamala Gopalan, whod left her home in India as a teenager in 1958 to pursue a doctorate in nutrition and endocrinology. She fell in love with Donald, her first boyfriend, in that most American way while marching together for justice in the civil rights movement of the 1960s, Harris said in her 2020 Democratic National Convention Speech. The foreign students were active in leftist circles at Berkeley, and Shyamala was welcomed into Black groups as a person of color whod grown up under the colonial system. She was part of the real brotherhood and sisterhood. There was never an issue, one of the couples contemporaries, Aubrey LaBrie, told The New York Times in 2020. She was just accepted as part of the group. Another member, Anne Williams, called Donald reserved and academic in his presentation while Shyamala was warm and charming, according to the Times. There was no doubt about that, they were very much together, very much in love, added another academic theyd known at the time, Baron Meghnad Desai. The couple married, then welcomed Kamala in 1964, followed by her sister Maya two years later. They brought the young sisters to visit family in Jamaica, where Donald retraced with them the steps of his upbringing in the hopes of sharing the lessons I had learned along the way, he wrote in Jamaica Global Online . He wanted his daughters to know they could do anything although he may not have expected the answer to be the President of the United States. His lessons went beyond their personal aspirations and were meant to awaken a broader sense of social awareness and responsibility, he wrote. He said he wanted to teach them that the sky is the limit on what one can achieve with effort and determination and that, in this process, it is important not to lose sight of those who get left behind by social neglect or abuse and lack of access to resources or privilege, he wrote. And that it is important to give back with service to some greater cause than oneself. Shyamala Gopalan, pictured with the future vice president as a baby, met Donald J Harris when they were both students at UC Berkeley involved in the 1960s Civil Rights movement ( @KamalaHarris/X ) Her parents marriage was rapidly dissolving, however, and they separated when Harris was around five, when her father took a job at the University of Wisconsin. The couple divorced several years later, and the economics professor worked at other midwest universities before joining the faculty at Stanford. Ive often thought that had they been a little older, more emotionally mature, maybe the marriage could have survived, Harris wrote of her parents. But they were so young. My father remained a part of our lives. We would see him on weekends and spend summers with him in Palo Alto. But it was really my mother who took charge of our upbringing. She was the one most responsible for shaping us into the women we would become. Her mother is the one she speaks of most often during speeches. And Donald rarely appears in the rest of Harriss memoir, although Harris describes the divorced kids dilemma of inviting both of her parents to her college graduation even though I knew they wouldnt speak to each other. Her mother was late and Harris feared she might not attend because she didnt want to see her ex husband; instead, Shyamala, usually a casually dressed scientist, made a late entrance in a very bright red dress and heels. Donald has protested that he was barred from more involvement in his daughters lives, blaming family laws at the time that usually favored the mother. As he wrote in Jamaica Global, the early phase of interaction with my children came to an abrupt halt in 1972 when, after a hard-fought custody battle in the family court of Oakland, California, the context of the relationship was placed within arbitrary limits imposed by a court-ordered divorce settlement based on the false assumption by the State of California that fathers cannot handle parenting (especially in the case of this father, a neegroe from da eyelans was the Yankee stereotype, who might just end up eating his children for breakfast!). TOPSHOT - US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally at Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Romulus, Michigan, August 7, 2024. (Photo by JEFF KOWALSKY / AFP) (Photo by JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP via Getty Images) ( AFP via Getty Images ) Nevertheless, I persisted, never giving up on my love for my children or reneging on my responsibilities as their father, he wrote. Following their early visits to Jamaica, he wrote, in later years, when they were more mature to understand, I would also try to explain to them the contradictions of economic and social life in a poor country, like the striking juxtaposition of extreme poverty and extreme wealth, while working hard myself with the government of Jamaica to design a plan and appropriate policies to do something about those conditions. And the extent of Donalds involvement in the policies of his native island has been more extensively highlighted in the wake of his daughters presidential campaign. He successfully continued his academic career at Stanford, becoming the first Black scholar to receive tenure at the universitys economics department,reported The New York Times , calling him a prominent critic of mainstream economic theory from the left. The Stanford Daily, reporting in 1976, described him as a Marxist scholar, and said there was some opposition to granting him tenure because he was too charismatic, a pied piper leading students astray from neo-Classical economics, the outlet wrote. ( Stanford University ) Alongside his academic career, he was advising the government in Jamaica, according to the Washington Post . Donald Harriss policy work was absolutely foundational to the Jamaican economy, Gladstone Fluney Hutchinson, an economics professor at Lafayette College in Pennsylvania who worked with him, told the outlet. He said Donald began advising Jamaican officials by the late 1980s; in the early 1990s, the prime minister made Harris a senior economic adviser and the head of the countrys national industrial policy board, according to the Post. Renee Anne Shirley, an adviser to the prime minister a decade later, told the New York Times she recalled reading his work as far back as 1965. In three years, he got tenure think about it, a Black man and then he left and went to go to Stanford? He is a big thing for us, Shirley said. He pushed the boundaries. He was way ahead of his time. And now his daughter is pushing her own boundaries, vying to become not just the next president but the first woman, the first Asian and the first Black woman president. When I was a little girl, my father wanted me to run free, the vice president wrote in her memoir. He would turn to my mother and say, Just let her run, Shyamala. And then hed turn to me and say, Run, Kamala. As fast as you can. Run! And I would take off, the wind in my face, with the feeling that I could do anything. 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 }} Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Saturday reacted to reports that revived questions about who blew up the Nord Stream pipelines in 2022, saying the initiators of the gas pipeline project should apologize and keep quiet." That comment came after one of his deputies denied a claim that Warsaw was partly responsible for its damage. The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that Ukrainian authorities were responsible for blowing up the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines in September 2022, a dramatic act of sabotage that cut Germany off from a key source of energy and worsened an energy crisis in Europe. Germany was a partner with Russia in the pipeline project. Poland has long said its own security interests have been harmed by Nord Stream. To all the initiators and patrons of Nord Stream 1 and 2. The only thing you should do today about it is apologise and keep quiet, Tusk wrote on the social media portal X Saturday. Tusk appeared to be reacting specifically to a claim by a former head of Germanys foreign intelligence agency, BND, August Hanning, who told the German daily Die Welt that the attack on the Nord Stream gas pipelines must have had Polands support. Hanning said Germany should consider seeking compensation from Poland and Ukraine. Hanning, who retired from his spy chief job, did not provide any evidence in support of his claim. Some observers noted that he served under former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who went on to work later for Russian state-owned energy companies, including Nord Stream. Krzysztof Gawkowski, a deputy Polish prime minister and the minister of digital affairs, strongly denied reports that Poland and Ukraine had damaged the Nord Stream gas pipeline in an interview Friday on the Polsat broadcaster. Gawkowski alleged that the comments of the former member of the German intelligence service were inspired by Moscow and were aimed at destabilizing NATO countries. I believe that this is the sound of Russian disinformation, he added. On Wednesday, Polish prosecutors confirmed that they had received a warrant for a Ukrainian man wanted by Germany as a suspect in the pipeline attack, but that he left the country before he could be arrested. The Nord Stream project, with its two pipelines created to carry gas from Russia to Europe along the Baltic Sea bed, went ahead despite opposition from Poland, the U.S. and Ukraine. They allowed Russia to send gas directly to Western Europe, bypassing Poland and Ukraine. With all gas previously going over land, Warsaw and Kyiv feared losing huge sums in transit fees and political leverage that came with controlling the gas transports. The Wall Street Journal said in its report published Thursday that it spoke to four senior Ukrainian defense and security officials who either participated in or had direct knowledge of the plot. All of them said the pipelines were a legitimate target in Ukraines war of defense against Russia. Ukrainian authorities are denying the claims. Nord Stream 1 was completed and came online in 2011. Nord Stream 2 was not finished until the fall of 2021 but never became operational due to Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 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 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. August 17, 2024: NATO has established a separate support command in Germany to coordinate training of Ukrainian forces as well as receipt, storage and distribution of weapons and equipment donated by NATO nations for use in Ukraine. This operation is staffed by 700 NATO country personnel. Among the current activities of this new support command is coordinating the delivery of F-16 fighters to Ukraine along with training for Ukrainian pilots and aircraft maintainers. The support command will oversee continued logistical support for the F-16s as well as continued supplies of aircraft munitions and spare parts. Ukraine is the first war that NATO has been involved in since NATO was founded in 1949. The continued fighting in Ukraine has forced NATO nations to confront the formerly potential but now actual threat from Russia. Poland, Slovakia and Romania are NATO countries that border Ukraine. For these frontline countries that Russian threat is real and often visible. Russia does not want to fight NATO because NATO forces are more numerous, better armed and supplied. NATO nations can mobilize nearly three times as many military personnel as Russia and four times as many combat aircraft and five times as many armored vehicles. The combined GDP of NATO nations is six times that of Russia and nearly half the GDP of all nations on the planet. Naval forces of NATO nations are seven times that of Russia NATO nations are increasing the percentage of their GDP devoted to defense. Currently the NATO goal is two percent of GDP. Most of the 32 NATO members are at that level and more of them are increasing that to three percent. The United States alone accounts for over a quarter of the worlds GDP. Russia now realizes that the continued NATO support for Ukraine is more than Russia can handle and that NATO nations can sustain this war effort longer than heavily sanctioned Russia can. Worse, NATO military trainers are increasingly training Ukrainian soldiers to use the NATO supplied weapons and fight more effectively. That means Ukrainian troops have better weapons than their Russian counterparts and are far better trained to handle combat. Many of the Russian soldiers recently mobilized for the war have only a few weeks of training, if that. New Ukrainian recruits receive several months of training and existing Ukrainian soldiers are being given refresher training. Ukrainian officers and NCOs are also receiving more training. Russia has lost most of its pre 2022 officers and NCOs and has been unable to provide trained replacements for these lost combat leaders. Russia is on its own in Ukraine. China will sell Russia equipment but not weapons. Only North Korea and Iran will do that and they expect payment on or before delivery. Russia is finding it increasingly difficult to recruit more troops, much less equip and train them. New Russian recruits have been seen in combat wearing older, Cold War era uniforms and equipped with similarly antique weapons. Russia has long put older equipment into storage when new items became available. This is something Russia has done since before World War II. Now, for the first time since the 1940s, the reserves of older weapons and equipment are being distributed to new recruits. Russia is running out of soldiers as well as weapons and equipment. The war in Ukraine has become an endurance contest and the Ukrainians have the edge. Russian leader Vladimir Putin insists that he can persist and eventually prevail even though he obviously has neither the troops or weapons, munitions, and equipment for the task. 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 }} Ukraines invading forces in the Russian region of Kursk have destroyed a key bridge and supply route for Moscow, as reporters described a trail of destruction left in the wake of Kyivs incursion. Some 12 days into the largest invasion of Russia since the Second World War, Kyivs troops are strengthening their positions in the Kursk region, Ukraines president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday. Artillery fire has blown chunks out of a statue of Soviet founder Vladimir Lenin that stands in the town of Sudzha, which is now occupied by Ukrainian forces. Buildings were pockmarked with bullet holes and the streets, which were strewn with debris, were mainly empty as residents retreated to basements. A damaged monument to Soviet founder Vladimir Lenin stands in a central square in Sudzha ( AP ) Journalists who entered the newly occupied Russian territory on Friday reported that Ukrainian troops have left a trail of destruction in their wake. Videos shared on social media showed the road bridge over the Seym river collapsing, cutting off part of the local district as Ukrainian troops seek to shore up their new foothold inside the country. Russian military bloggers said the destruction of the bridge would complicate Russian ground lines of communication. In this image from the Ukrainian Defence Ministry Press Office, a strategically important bridge over the Seym river is destroyed by Ukrainian troops as they continue their incursion into Kursk ( AP ) On Saturday evening, the head of the UNs nuclear watchdog issued a warning over what he described as yet another escalation of the nuclear safety and security dangers at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which was seized by Russia in the first days of its full-scale invasion. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi expressed his alarm hours after a drone struck the road around the perimeter of Europes largest nuclear plant, which has been shut down by Russian troops but needs external power to keep its nuclear material cool and prevent a meltdown. The drone hit the road between the two main gates of the plant, landing close to the essential cooling water sprinkler ponds and about 100 metres from the Dniprovska power line, the only remaining 750-kilovolt line providing a power supply to the plant, the IAEA said. Ukraine was forced to reject Russian claims reportedly submitted to the IAEA that Kyiv is planning to attack a nuclear plant in Kursk and attempt to blame Moscow for the provocation. Ukraines foreign ministry said the claims were insane propaganda. The Zaporizhzhia plant was seized just days into Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine ( AFP via Getty Images ) Kyiv reports it has seized control of 82 settlements over an area covering some 444 square miles in Kursk since crossing into Russia on 6 August. Ukraines foreign ministry said the figure exceeded the Ukrainian territory that Russia has taken this year. Mr Zelensky said that the offensive had led to the capture of a number of Russian soldiers, who could be used for prisoner swaps. A Ukrainian colonel told The Independent this week that as many as 2,000 Russian soldiers had been taken captive, a figure that could not be independently verified. Russias human rights commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova has initiated a conversation about prisoner-of-war exchanges, Ukrainian ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets was cited as saying by the US-based Institute for the Study of War. President Zelensky said that Russian prisoners of war were captured as part of the Kursk offensive ( AFP via Getty Images ) Despite the Kursk incursion, Russia was continuing its push for military gains on Ukraines eastern frontline. Senior officials in the Donetsk city of Pokrovsk a key military hub had warned that Russia was rapidly approaching the area on Thursday. Mr Zelensky said on Saturday that the situation near the towns of Pokrovsk and Toretsk was under control. He said: [There were] dozens of Russian assaults on our positions over the last day. But our soldiers and units are doing everything to destroy the occupier and repel the attacks. He reiterated his desire to ensure Ukraines long-range capabilities. There is currently a discussion happening among Ukraines Western allies over whether Kyiv should be allowed to use long-range missiles to attack Russia. Northeastern Ukraine came under fire from Russian missiles. The city of Sumy was targeted, with two people injured in the strike which also damaged cars and nearby buildings. Ukraines State Emergency Service said the assault involved an Iskander-K cruise missile and an aerial bomb. After being the first Ukrainian official to publicly discuss Kyivs objectives in Kursk in comments to The Independent this week, Mr Zelenskys senior adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said on Friday that it was clear to see how the operation is objectively used to convince the Russian Federation to enter into a fair negotiation process. However, The Washington Post reported on Saturday that planned in-person discussions between Ukrainian and Russian officials over access to energy have been delayed by the Kursk offensive. The discussions were reportedly scheduled to take place in Qatar. Ukrainian officials told the paper that the talks were delayed by the situation in the Middle East. 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 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 Israeli airstrike has killed at least 18 people from the same family in Gaza, including a number of young children, Associated Press has reported, while talks in pursuit of a ceasefire deal are about to resume. The strike during the early hours of Saturday morning hit a house and an adjacent warehouse sheltering people at the entrance of the town of Zawaida, according to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah. One of those killed has been named as Sami Jawad al-Ejlah, who reportedly coordinated with the Israeli military to bring meat and fish into Gaza. The dead also included his two wives, 11 of their children aged two to 22, the childrens grandmother and three other relatives, according to a fatality list provided by the hospital. He was a peaceful man, said Abu Ahmed, a neighbour who was slightly wounded in the attack. At least 18 members of the same family were killed in the strike ( EPA ) Also in the building at the time of the strike were more than 40 people taking shelter. The Israeli military, which rarely comments on individual strikes, said it struck terrorist infrastructure in central Gaza where rockets had been fired toward Israel in recent weeks. It comes as mediators from different nations expressed hope that a deal could be reached between Israel and Hamas, with details of how to implement the proposed arrangement to be decided in Cairo next week. US president Joe Biden has indicated that he is now more optimistic about a ceasefire, after days of discussions involving the US, Egypt and Qatar. As of an hour ago, were still in play. Im optimistic. Its still far from over. Just a couple more issues, I think weve got a shot, he told reporters on Friday. More than 40 civilians were taking shelter inside the building and warehouse ( EPA ) The attack came days after the Hamas-run health ministry in the besieged enclave announced the death toll had surpassed 40,000 since the war started after the 7 October attacks inside Israel. The mediation efforts are aimed not just at securing the release of more than 100 Israeli hostages who have been held inside Gaza since the Hamas atrocity, but also to stop the fighting that has devastated the region. With basic sanitation and necessary supplies running low, aid and health workers fear a possible polio outbreak, with the virus detected in wastewater in six different locations last month. It is hoped a ceasefire will also reduce the regional tensions that have threatened to explode into a broader war amid fears that Iran and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon will attack Israel in retaliation for the killings of senior commander Fuad Shukr and Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh. 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 }} Israels negotiating team has expressed cautious optimism on the possibility of advancing a deal on hostages in Gaza. The assessment was announced in a statement on Saturday from Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahus office. The team expressed cautious optimism to the prime minister regarding the possibility of advancing a deal based on the latest American proposal (which is based on the May 27th framework), the statement read. The prime ministers office added that it hoped heavy pressure on Hamas from the US and international mediators will remove its opposition to the American proposal and allow for a breakthrough. On Friday, US president Joe Biden indicated that he is now more optimistic about a ceasefire, after days of discussions involving the US, Egypt and Qatar. As of an hour ago, were still in play. Im optimistic. Its still far from over. Just a couple more issues, I think weve got a shot, he told reporters. But Hamass spokesman in Lebanon Dr Ahmad Abdulhadi told Sky News earlier on Saturday: The Biden administration is trying to show that the environment is positive. But the first round showed there are no improvements. The mediators told us that the disagreed points havent been solved and [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu added more conditions on it and made it even more complicated. Mediation efforts continued on a day when an Israeli airstrike killed at least 18 people from the same family in Gaza, including a number of young children. The strike during the early hours of Saturday morning hit a house and an adjacent warehouse sheltering people at the entrance of the town of Zawaida, according to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah. The attack came days after the Hamas-run health ministry in the besieged enclave announced the death toll had surpassed 40,000 since the war started after the 7 October attacks inside Israel. The mediation efforts are aimed not just at securing the release of more than 100 Israeli hostages who have been held inside Gaza since the Hamas atrocity, but at ending the fighting that has devastated the region. It is hoped a ceasefire will reduce the regional tensions that have threatened to explode into a broader war amid fears that Iran and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon will attack Israel in retaliation for the killings of senior commander Fuad Shukr and Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh. More to follow on this breaking news... Cameras captured the moment a brawl broke out in Turkish parliament over a discussion of jailed opposition figure, Can Atalay. Ahmet Sik, from the Workers Party of Turkey was mid-speech calling for Mr Atalay to be freed, when Alpay Ozalan of Erdogans ruling AK party incites the fight by attempting to slap the fellow MP. Very quickly, dozens more joined the fight, with blood seen on the white steps up to the podium. Mr Atalay was jailed for 18 years following allegations he was trying to overthrow the Turkish government. The most frustrating thing presidential candidate Kamala Harris is doing to Donald Trump in the race for the White House was revealed by Americast host, Justin Webb. Speaking on the US politics podcast, Webb observed that it might have been one of the great errors of Joe Bidens efforts to do Donald Trump down was this constant building up of him as a threat. Kamala Harris, it seems to me, doesnt talk about it that much Shes mostly just going around behind herself, and that is the most frustrating thing for Donald Trump, he added. Harris now has a 2.6-point lead over Trump in the latest average of national polls, collated by FiveThirtyEight. 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. Biggest risk from buying medicines online without prescription isnt financial Illegal medications are flooding into Ireland, leaving doctors concerned at the dangers people are facing Buying medicines that have been promoted online could cost people far more than just money, as their health could be put in grave danger, say experts. Photo: Getty Sinead Ryan Sat 17 Aug 2024 at 03:30 Ozempic is, supposedly, the new wonder drug to tackle the obesity crisis. People who are chronically overweight, and cannot lose it by controlling their food intake and increasing exercise, are often tempted to try weight-loss drugs. 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 earlier this month from the Catholic Church for the handling of his complaint against ex-priest James Donaghy, jailed for a series of sex offences in 2012. A 16-year-old boy who was charged in connection with an allegedly random and "frenzied attack on a Defence Forces chaplain has been remanded in custody. The boy, who cannot be identified because he is a minor, was charged with assault causing harm to Fr Paul Murphy at the entrance to Renmore Barracks. He appeared before Judge Gerard Furlong at Galway District Court at 2.30pm on Saturday. Opposing bail, Detective Sergeant Paul McNulty alleged that the assault on the priest was an indiscriminate, unprovoked and frenzied stabbing attack. Det Sgt McNulty alleged that the accused holds a radical Islamist mindset and referred to content of support to Islamic State terrorist group. The detective described how Fr Murphy was allegedly approached by the boy at the entrance to the army base. The priest pressed the button on his car to roll down the window. Det Sgt McNulty alleged that the accused then lunged at the priest with a hunting style knife, which was later recovered at the scene. The priest was stabbed in the right and left arms and suffered a number of deep lacerations. He also sustained minor cuts to his body and face during the attack, D Sgt McNulty said. He said CCTV footage of the incident allegedly showed that the accused allegedly held on to the vehicle and continued to stab the injured party as the car drove through the front gate. Defence Forces staff working on the night in question had fired warning shots, but they did not subdue the accused, the court heard. Det Sgt McNulty alleged that due to the random sinister unprovoked nature of the attack, he was concerned he would carry out other offences. Det Sgt McNulty also alleged that the boy was a flight risk. The boy appeared in court dressed in a black sweatshirt and black pants. His parents sat together at the back of the courtroom. Solicitor for the accused, Jack Donohue of Gearoid Geraghty Solicitors, drew the courts attention to the Childrens Act, which he said says detention should only be considered as a last resort. He said the boys parents were willing to act as surety. He added that his client was willing to abide by any conditions of the court, was willing to keep away from Renmore Barracks and witnesses, and was also willing to abide by a curfew and not to go on social media. Mr Justice Furlong said he was refusing bail, based on the strength of the evidence before this court. He also said he considered it reasonably necessary to refuse bail to prevent a commission of another serious offence. At the outset of the case, Judge Furlong reminded those present that this is a sitting of the juvenile court and nothing can be published to identify the defendant in any way. The case was adjourned to 11am on Tuesday at Galway District Court. The attack resulted in Fr Murphy being hospitalised with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Fr Murphy has served with the Defence Forces for many years and completed numerous overseas missions. The Taoiseach, Simon Harris, spoke to Fr Murphy yesterday. He posted on X: I have spoken with Fr Paul Murphy this evening as he recovers from his surgery. A kind, decent, caring man of great faith and humanity. It was an honour to speak with him and to let him know that the entire country is wishing him well in his recovery. 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 Cracking down on social media threats: Elon Musk has two choices leave the EU or buckle under and do what it asks As Simon Harris warns social media bosses they will be held accountable for harmful content, what is the future for platforms like X after its role in spreading abuse and false claims that were blamed for inciting unrest? Mindless, ill-informed stuff: Elon Musk was singled out by Tanaiste Micheal Martin, who said content published on social media was linked to the appalling recent riots in the UK. Photos via Getty Kim Bielenberg Sat 17 Aug 2024 at 03:30 It used to be said of newspaper publishers that you should never pick a fight with a man who buys ink by the barrel. Education Minister Norma Foley has been chosen as Fianna Fail candidate in Kerry at the general election. She won more than three-quarters of the votes cast at a selection convention held at the Mount Brandon Ms Foley, seen by some as a potential successor to Micheal Martin as party leader, romped home with 282 votes, or nearly 77pc of the votes ensuring her endorsement on the first count. But she told Radio Kerry today that she expects that a second candidate will be added by party headquarters for a two-name ticket in the five-seater. Councillor Michael Cahill is best placed to be running mate, having secured 53 votes last night, while Mayor of Tralee Mikey Sheehy a son of the Kerry GAA great polled 32. Mr Cahill is from Rossbeigh, outside Glenbeigh, west of Killorglin, the latter a Healy-Rae stronghold, whereas Mr Sheehy is based in Tralee like the Minister. Fianna Fails national constituencies committee, overseen by TD James Browne of Wexford, will want the party to harvest votes in both the north and south of Kerry, with Ms Foley anchoring the former. Minister Foley told the Irish Independent: I am proud and grateful in equal measure to have received such a comprehensive mandate from the Fianna Fail party. "Its a singular honour for me to represent my county, whether it was on the town council, the county council, as mayor and now as a TD and a minister at cabinet. "The first step in doing that is to have the confidence of your party. Im really honoured to have that. Ill continue to do all I can to fullfill the confidence they have expressed in me and the confidence the people of Kerry have expressed in me." Ms Foley is the daughter of former Fianna Fail TD Denis Foley, who ran dances in the venue where the selection convention was held. His career became mired in controversy over an offshore Ansbacher bank account, He died in 2013. It was regarded as automatic that the sitting TD and Minister would be nominated. Ms Foley is seen as a success at Cabinet, having been awarded the Education portfolio almost immediately on arrival into the Dail. She is a former school principal. Runner-up Mr Cahill says there should be a two-candidate strategy, spanning the south and north of Kerry. The two regions had long been separate constituencies with the Foley name anchored in North Kerry. But the two-three seaters were merged into one five-seater ahead of the 2016 general election. Former Fianna Fail TD, John Brassil, a pharmacist in Ballyheigue, was unseated by first-time candidate Norma in the general of February 2020 amid some acrimony. Mr Brassil is seen as a backer of Mikey Sheehy, a rival of Ms Foley, with reports of tensions ahead of the local elections in June in which he returned as councillor. Emergency services are at the scene of a large fire at the site of a disused hotel in Co Waterford this evening. The fire caused black smoke to rise above the city as it poured from the building, which was formerly the Ard Ri hotel, and also operated under the Jurys banner in recent times. The building sits atop a hill overlooking Waterford City across the River Suir. Emergency services, including Waterford City Fire Service, are responding to the incident this evening. More to follow.. Independent TD Violet-Anne Wynne has been ordered to pay 11,500 to a former employee who claimed her attendance at IVF appointments and driving her brother to an emergency hospital appointment became an issue. The Workplace Relations Commission found that former administrative assistant Fiona Smyth had been unfairly dismissed. WRC adjudication officer Louise Boyle noted that the former Sinn Fein TD was unhappy with alleged breaches of trust and the fact that Ms Smyths husband may have been approached to run for election with the respondents previous political party. Whatever the reason or reasons, the response by Ms Wynne appears to have been quite astonishing to terminate the complainants employment, through a message to the complainants union official, in the manner in which she did without following any procedures and with no clear reason given, Ms Boyle said. Ms Smyth said the WRC decision recognised what was done to her was wrong, and that means more than anything. I am really pleased with the decision and now just want to get on with my life, said Ms Smyth, who is still working in administration but not for politicians. She added that it had been an exceptionally stressful experience. Ms Wynne said in a statement that she knew from the outset this would be seen as an unfair dismissal. I had to take action either way, she said. She told the WRC that the dismissal was fair. The TD for Clare had sought an adjournment of the hearing after discharging her legal representation. She said they wanted money upfront and she could not afford this. Ms Wynne said there was no issue with Ms Smyth when she began working for her but issues arose with her ability to complete tasks. Among the issues she mentioned were queries from constituents that were allegedly not being inputted into the database and press releases that were not done. The TD said she was made homeless, had been on maternity leave and left a political party, and needed Ms Smyth to be on top of things and support her at a very busy time. She said she was trying to engage with constituents while also trying to resolve her own housing issue. She also claimed to have raised work performance issues with Ms Smyth on many occasions. She said she supported Ms Smyths fertility treatment and allowed her time for consultations, which were often last-minute appointments. Ms Wynne confirmed there was no letter of dismissal or appeals process The deputy denied that Ms Smyth losing her job led to her mortgage application being abandoned, and claimed this was due to an accident her husband had been in. After Ms Smyth asked for time off due to a family emergency in March last year, Ms Wynne said she received advice from HR to do a work performance review. The TD said she was shocked at a strongly-worded response from Ms Smyths union, Siptu, and advised the union that the administrative assistants employment was terminated. Ms Wynne confirmed there was no letter of dismissal or appeals process but claimed the dismissal was fair and the job description was not being achieved.The TD did not feel it was enough to just discipline the complainant because she claimed Ms Smyth was divulging personal information and wanted to bring in the union representative. Ms Wynne submitted that there were many days the complainant claimed she was not well enough to attend work, and these were sent by WhatsApp despite her asking that such requests go through her Oireachtas email for paperwork purposes. She told the WRC she did not know whether there was a dignity-at-work policy in place and that she felt she was being obstructed by the complainant and her representative when they asked for this. The TD accepted that not providing an appeal might have been an error. Ms Wynne said there was a level of trust required in the job and the trust was gone. She added that she did not wish to engage in mediation because there was a breach of trust, as the complainants husband had joined her former political party and would be running for election. She said it was her view that public representatives had to protect themselves and should have protection as employers, and that was what she had done by proceeding straight to dismissal. Ms Smyth worked for Ms Wynne from August 2021 until March 2023, first as a secretarial assistant at her constituency office in Ennis, and then as an administrative assistant. She said they had a close working relationship at first. After Ms Smyth began IVF treatment with her husband, she said it was not initially an issue but it appears that attending appointments became an issue though time was always worked back. She said Ms Wynne appeared to have difficulties when she asked for sick leave, and she felt she had no option but to ask her consultant to write a letter outlining her treatment plan. Rosters dispute to affect connecting flights A decision by border officers at Heathrow Airport to strike later this month will likely lead to disruption for some Irish travellers using the transit hub for connection flights, a travel expert has said. Hundreds of border force staff at the UKs biggest airport are planning a four-day strike from August 31 to September 3 one of the busiest weeks of the year for Irish holidaymakers, many of whom have connecting flights through Heathrow. The four-day strike by 650 members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) will be followed by more than two weeks of industrial action, PCS said in a statement yesterday. They blamed the industrial action on a long-running dispute over changes to terms and conditions including new inflexible rosters. The strike will coincide with the end of school summer holidays in Ireland when many families will be coming back from holidaying abroad, marking one of the busiest periods in summer travel. Travel expert Eoghan Corry said the strike will not affect Dublin-London flights, of which there are about 20 a day from Dublin Airport to London Heathrow. Its a big deal because a lot of Irish people connect through Heathrow, he said. It will affect 40pc of the people on those flights who are going on from there or returning to Heathrow. Its a big deal for people coming to Ireland back to Ireland or visiting Ireland who transit through Heathrow. The Irish end of it, its not going to be a problem. Getting into the UK through passport control is going to be a problem. Mr Corry added the border staff strike at Heathrow will lead to queues but not flight cancellations. This will not really impact on flight cancellations, but where it could impact is the size of the queues, he said. Weve seen the strikes threatened before without too much disruption at the border. But its a very busy time of the year, so were not absolutely certain what the impact will be. PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote said in a statement: 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. Britains interior ministry, which is responsible for border force officers, had no immediate comment, while Heathrow, which at peak holiday times is used by about 250,000 passengers a day, said disruption had been avoided during past strikes. We have previously worked closely with border force to support their contingencies during strike periods, which have seen passengers continue to travel smoothly, Heathrow said in a statement. Biggest bill was 12,540 for arrival of former French prime minister 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, which said such disclosures 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 the 12,540 that was spent for the visit of former French prime minister Elisabeth Borne and four of her government ministers during a trip to Ireland last November. 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 of this year. Other sizeable bills included 4,170 for the visit of the Croatian prime minister in September last year 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 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 been used only at Dublin Airport. It added 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. Many of our best-known landmarks in the Pale and beyond have a fascinating tale to tell 1. Baggot Streets long lost castle Baggorath Castle With such a distinctive name, I knew there must be an interesting story behind Baggot, and I was right. I went down a rabbit hole into old city maps, and it turns out that Upper Baggot Street, near present-day Searsons Pub, was the location of Baggotrath Castle a medieval fortress that was the toughest stronghold in Dublin and the scene of many bloody battles, notably, the Battle of Rathmines in 1649. Baggot comes from the surname of Sir Robert Bagod, an Irish judge and landowner in the 13th century. This is where he built his fortress. Later, it passed to the Hiberno-Norman Fitzwilliam family. It existed for five centuries before the ruins were demolished to make way for the familiar red-brick terrace we know today. But of course, Baggot Street is the modern name. Back then, it was called something different 2. The witch burnings of Gallows Road Heres one to tell your mates the next time youre having a pint in Toners. Present-day Lower Baggot Street, just up the road from Baggotrath Castle, was called Gallows Road up until 1773. It was here where Ireland saw some of its grizzliest executions. This is where brothel madame, purported serial killer and suspected witch Darkey Kelly was burnt at the stake. Archbishop of Cashel Dermot OHurley met his end on Gallows Road too. Captured and tortured in the late 16th century, he was ultimately hanged by the Crown for refusing to renounce his faith. 3. Sick & Indigent Roomkeepers Society, Palace Street Sick & Indigent Roomkeepers Society Passing through Dublin Castles iconic arch onto Palace Street, you cant miss the striking building on your left. Its facade proudly displays the inscription Sick & Indigent Roomkeepers Society Founded AD 1790. This is the original headquarters of Dublins oldest operating charity, founded in the 18th century by local middle-class Dubliners to aid the citys poor. Interestingly, the building was also once owned by the family of Robert Emmet, the Irish rebel leader. 4. Dublins shortest street And speaking of Palace Street, this is considered Dublins shortest street, with just two addresses on it. 5. 10 Anglesea Street, Temple Bar 10 Anglesea Street To many, it is simply known as that gorgeous blue building in Temple Bar, but few know the story of the man behind it. Number 10 Anglesea Street was originally constructed around 1740, making it one of the oldest buildings in Dublins tourist hotspot. It was extensively remodelled in 1898 by local eccentric stockbroker and philanthropist Laurence Ambrose Larkey Waldron. Known for his generosity and patronage of the arts, Larkey was a well-known figure in Dublin, often seen walking behind his horse-drawn carriage and letting his dog take the front seat. Look out for his initials, LAW, on the facade. 6. Misery Hill, Dublins Docklands Misery Hill The blue street sign next to Bord Gais Energy Theatre has become something of a tourist attraction in recent years. Ive heard lots of stories about the origin of the name. One Pearse Street native told me recently, My Ma said the banshee lived on Misery Hill to stop me from going over there The most plausible origin story, however, dates back to the 13th century. Misery Hill, and nearby Lazer Lane, were linked to a Leper hospital, as they were known then. The clue is in the Irish name for Lazer Lane, Lana na Lobhar. This translates to Lepers Lane. Here is where pilgrims gathered before departing for the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage in Spain. A make-shift hospital was established here by the Order of Saint Lazarus to treat those with leprosy before they headed off to Spain. Lazer is a reference to Saint Lazarus, and apparently the care the sick received was absolutely miserable, which is why it became known as Misery Hill. 7. The Ouzel Galley mystery, Temple Bar The Ouzel Galley stone carving While youre wandering through Temple Bar, keep an eye out for a curious stone carving of a tall ship right next to Krispy Kreme, tucked away in Central Bank Plaza. This is all that remains of the once-influential Ouzel Galley Society, a bizarre chapter in Irish maritime history that is still shrouded in mystery and conspiracy theories. The stone carving depicts the infamous Ouzel Galley, an Irish merchant ship that vanished without a trace in 1695, baffling the public and creating a complex legal and financial headache. To settle insurance claims and other matters, a group of prominent Dublin merchants, including the legendary John Jameson and Arthur Guinness, came together. Years later, the insurance was paid out, the crew were mourned, and life moved on. But then, in 1700, the impossible happened: the Ouzel Galley reappeared, fully crewed and loaded with treasure. The ships Captain Massey claimed Algerian pirates had captured the vessel and used it for piracy, but many suspect the Irish crew were the real culprits. The truth remains a mystery, which is why the Ouzel Galley is so legendary. This extraordinary incident led to the formation of the Ouzel Galley Society in 1705, a permanent body dedicated to resolving maritime disputes. While the society is long gone, the building remains, and the stone carving serves as a reminder of this maritime mystery. 8. Fleet Street, Dublin 2 Fleet Street Its hard to imagine now, with its bustling pubs and rock n roll themed cafes, but Fleet Street was once underwater. Before becoming one of Dublins busiest tourist spots, this land was part of the Liffey. It wasnt until the mid-1600s that the land was reclaimed. Interestingly, the streets name may not be a nod to Londons Fleet Street, but rather a reflection of its past: a place where fleets of ships once docked. 9. The hidden ruins of Isoldes Tower One of my favourite pieces of hidden history is Isoldes Tower, a 13th-century Anglo-Norman defence tower, which is quite literally hidden under an apartment block. This ruin was discovered in 1993 during construction in the area. Several skulls were found here, perhaps evidence that heads were placed on spikes to deter invaders coming in from the Liffey. Isoldes Tower served as one of the corners of the city walls, some of which are still standing in the Liberties. 10. Strokestowns Broad Avenue, Roscommon Strokestowns Broad Avenue No list about streets would be complete without going beyond the Pale and giving a nod to Strokestown in Co Roscommon. It is home to Irelands second-widest street, a grand avenue that once held the European title (only to be robbed by Dublins OConnell Street in the late 18th century). This unusually, and quite ridiculously, wide road is the main thoroughfare of the town, designed by the wealthy Anglo-Irish Mahon family, former landlords of Strokestown House. The family were awarded the land for their loyalty to Cromwell three centuries prior and were in charge of the town planning. They undertook several questionable development projects like this, partly to give locals work and partly because well, they had notions. While the street reflects their wealth and power, the estates archives, discovered in the 1980s, reveal the harsh realities of life for normal folk in Strokestown during Irelands darkest times. During the Great Famine, conflict and unrest led to the assassination of landlord Major Denis Mahon. Today, the original Palladian mansion survives, with its interior meticulously preserved. Its also home to the National Famine Museum, and it continues to be cared for by the Irish Heritage Trust. Its a phenomenal place to visit. Fears that a second Donald Trump presidency would crash our economy are overstated, but we must tackle the vulnerabilities they highlight. There is a simple narrative that joins up the dots from a second term of Trump in the White House to a kind of economic collapse in Ireland. The dots begin with victory for the Republican candidate. Then comes a protectionist America that wants US businesses back home. This results in a withdrawal of vital multinationals from Ireland. We had a naming day for the kids! It was the first sunny day wed had all summer. Youre blessed with the weather!, Thank God it didnt rain, Glorious day! were some of the phrases bandied about at our non-denominational ceremony in the back of my mothers house in Cork. In the run up to the day the very wet, very dull, very grim run up to the day I found myself in a bit of a dilemma. Should I put out the child of Prague statue to try to coax some nice weather? But then I thought asking a Catholic saint to bless a decidedly non-religious event might just bring bad luck. So, I decided to rely on sheer optimism and a weather app. Waterways Ireland confirm they have received over 106 informal complaints around the fencing along the canal Waterways Ireland has confirmed they received more than 100 complaints around the barriers along Dublin's Grand Canal. Pic: Gerry Mooney More than 100 complaints have been made to Waterways Ireland about the barriers that have been installed along Dublins Grand Canal to prevent international protection applicants and homeless people from camping there. It was confirmed today that Waterways Ireland have received five formal complaints and 106 informal complaints about the ongoing situation at Dublins Grand Canal. Topics of the complaints include: Notifying Waterways Ireland of the presence of tents, requesting the removal of tents, reporting the presence of fencing, requesting removal of fencing, reporting damage to the barriers, concerns about loss of amenity value and queries about the schedule for removal and replacement of the barriers with other solutions. A spokesperson for Waterways Ireland said that they provide regular updates on their website as further information becomes available. Waterways Ireland works to the same standard as all public bodies, endeavouring to provide a response to all correspondence as soon as possible, and within 20 working days, they said. Waterways Ireland acknowledges that the current fencing situation along a stretch of the canal is not ideal, but it is necessary to mitigate risk to health and safety, which is our over-riding concern. Having to erect temporary fencing along the canal is not something we had ever envisaged, and we are committed to fully re-opening all sections of the Grand Canal as soon as possible. We have met with representatives from local communities along the canal to listen to their concerns and to discuss how the canal amenity can be fully reopened, without compromising health and safety, or public health. Waterways Ireland is exploring a number of options to achieve a full reopening of the canal amenity, including the acceleration of a landscaping and biodiversity programme of works for the areas in question. This plan has been jointly formulated by Waterways Ireland and Dublin City Council. This process, including public procurement, will take some time we hope that works will begin on the ground in October; if it is possible to start the works any sooner, we will. Waterways Ireland is currently maintaining fencing at a cost of circa 30,000 per week. A new protest will be held today against the fencing which is being organised by The Take Back Our Spaces Coalition. It includes Dublin branches of the Communities Action Tenants Union (CATU), People Before Profit Dublin and Social Rights Ireland and the demonstration will be held outside the Department of Integration on Baggot Street at 1pm. The campaigners have named the protest as Home Not Fences, demanding the Government provide adequate accommodation for International Protectional Applicants, not barriers. Announcing the protest, a spokesperson for the coalition wrote: The past months have seen collusion among state bodies to harass, exclude, and otherwise make life harder for our homeless neighbours on the Grand Canal. This has been executed as a deliberate campaign of gardai destroying the makeshift homes people are having to live in, and Waterways Ireland installing hostile architecture in the form of fencing to exclude everyone from enjoying the public space of the canal. But the root cause of why people are having to live in tents in the first place is the housing crisis created by successive government policies, and by the Department of Integration shamefully failing in its obligation to house those most in need of protection, they added. There will be a famous visitor at Dundrum Town Centre this weekend. It is an iconic car from the early James Bond movies, the Aston Martin DB 5, that will be making an appearance at the shopping centre. Why will the car of Sean Connery's Bond be in attendance? It is one of the vehicles on show for the return of the Super Car Weekend, which also has a serious message behind it. The event is in association with the Road Safety Authority, which is using it as a platform to aid its educational message about making our roads safer, and is on Saturday, August 24 and Sunday, August 25 from 10.0am to 5.0pm in the Red Car Park on Level 1 at Dundrum Town Centre. Those attending can expect to see over 100 high-end prestigious vehicles including the iconic Aston Martin and the world-class McLaren Senna, worth 2m. This limited-edition hyper car was inspired by McLarens greatest F1 driver and icon Ayrton Senna. This car has the science of an F1 team behind it, with its innovative aerodynamics developed to generate extreme levels of downforce while ensuring the driver always has the confidence to explore the limits that this unlocks. For this years event, a focus is being put on women in motorsport, so there will be several panel discussions with Irish female racecar drivers Nicole Drought, Kelsey Kirby and Laura Hannon. The three well-known drivers in motorsport will be discussing the unique challenges they have faced, while also highlighting the success of Irish women in motorsport and its future in Ireland. Former racecar driver Leo Nulty will host the panel discussions, taking place at 2pm on Saturday and Sunday. Drought and Kirby indicated how much they are looking forward to what the weekend will offer and are excited to share their views with like-minded enthusiasts. Drought said: "I'm really looking forward to the weekend, to admire some exclusive cars in the flesh, [and] discuss my career in motorsport and all things car-related." Kirby added: "I really enjoyed it last year so I can't wait to see what this year has to offer, I'm especially looking forward to seeing the McLaren Senna! I can't wait to talk about my motorsport career so far during the panels and meet other people who have a love for the sport and the incredible supercars too!" Another element on offer is the Mondello Park Simulator Experience, which will be available to test drive at Dundrum for the first time. It's a fully immersive, risk-free environment using top-tier equipment to deliver an ultra-realistic racing experience. The driver with the fastest lap will win an incredible prize of a BMW Driving Experience worth 269 at Mondello Park. Attempting to elevate the event further, Dundrum is bringing a one-of-a-kind AI immersive photobooth experience to this years event. Visitors can transform into an F1 driver for the day, taking home their photo as a souvenir. However, there is another more sobering facet to the weekend, especially with road deaths in Ireland this year passing the tragic threshold of 100 deaths. With the situation on our roads currently very bleak, the Road Safety Authority are bringing their immersive VR activation, Consequences, to Dundrum and using these vehicles that are built for speed to get across its vital message about driving safely on our roads. The VR experience is used to illustrate the impact of drink-driving. Powerful and attention-demanding, it transports users through a series of hard-hitting scenes and vignettes that drive the message home about how drink-driving destroys people's lives. This years Super Car Weekend will also support Bumbleance, Irelands only dedicated Childrens Ambulance Service. For more information on Super Car Weekend, please visit: dundrum.ie/events/super-car-weekend-2024 2023 Cheltenham Festival winner The Real Whacker is expected to line up for The Guinness Kerry National (Grade 3) at the Listowel Harvest Festival next month. Limerick native Paddy Neville, who trains the eight-year-old son of Mahler from his yard in North Yorkshire, was expected to run his horse in last years Kerry National but opted out late on. However, connections of The Real Whacker are expected to take their chance this season in the 3mile chase worth 200,000 that is one of the premier handicaps in the Irish racing calendar and the highlight of the seven-day festival at Listowel. The Real Whacker impressively won The Brown Advisory Novices Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in 2023 when seeing off Gerri Colombe, who finished a gallant second to Galopin Des Champs in this years Cheltenham Gold Cup. The Real Whacker has not won in his five starts since winning at Cheltenham in 2023. But as a three-time Cheltenham course winner, he is more than capable in handicap company in the right conditions. Top English jockey Sam Twiston-Davis has ridden The Real Whacker in seven of his eight starts over fences. Rahan Church was constructed in 1912 and has been placed on the market for 250,000 The property comes with planning permission to be converted and extended into a four-bedroom family home. Photo: Daft.ie The property comes with planning permission to be converted and extended into a four-bedroom family home. Photo: Daft.ie The property comes with planning permission to be converted and extended into a four-bedroom family home. Photo: Daft.ie The property is surrounded by forestry and nature trails. Photo: Daft.ie It was constructed using dove-grey Carrick limestone. Photo: Daft.ie It has retained all its original features. Photo: Daft.ie Rahan Church was built in 1912 by Charles Colley Palmer. Photo: Daft.ie It is a former church of Ireland church. Photo: Daft.ie Over 100 years of history have taken place within the walls of Rahan Church in Edenderry, Co Kildare. The former church of Ireland church was built in 1912 by Charles Colley Palmer. Fast forward over 100 years and Rahan Church has been placed on the market in search for a new owner that can pay tribute to the buildings past while also giving it a new lease of life. Rahan Church was built in 1912 by Charles Colley Palmer. Photo: Daft.ie On the market for 250,000, this unique and historic property comes with planning permission to convert and extend the former church to incorporate a four bedroom home. Follow Independent Kildare on Facebook The property comes with planning permission to be converted and extended into a four-bedroom family home. Photo: Daft.ie The property exudes charm and history retaining all of its original features from 1912. It offers huge potential to a prospective buyer hoping to create a family home out of a quirky building with a past. It has retained all its original features. Photo: Daft.ie Rahan Church has undeniable potential and is set in a secluded, sylvan setting surrounded by forestry and nature trails. While enjoying its unspoilt country atmosphere, Rahan Church is also conveniently located near Carbury, Derrinturn, Edenderry and Enfield where one can avail of all the essential amenities including frequent public transport facilities. The M4 motorway is also approximately 15 minutes away from the property. Rahan Church has been placed on the market by Sherry FitzGerald Reilly for 250,000. The property is surrounded by forestry and nature trails. Photo: Daft.ie A teenager missing from Co Laois for a number of days has been located. The 17-year-old had last been seen at Heuston Station in Dublin at 1 p.m. on Thursday, August 15. Follow Independent Laois on Facebook Gardai have now confirmed that she has been located safe and well, and have thanked the public for their assistance. 90-year-old Philip Brophy steals the show at Dublin Horse Show's Best Dressed Gent competition, sporting a bespoke Louis Copeland suit and his trademark Happy Socks Popular Dundalk nonegentairan Philip Brophy turned heads when he entered the Best Dress Gent competition at Dublin Horse Show on Thursday. Philip, who has spent most of his adult life in the care of St John of Gods in Co Louth, was wearing a suit especially made for him by top Irish tailor Louis Copeland for his 90th birthday earlier this year. Philip Brophy, who currently lives at An Sli, in Dundalk, is well-known as a dapper dresser and met the celebrity tailor at the Dublin Horse Show four years ago. Arising out of that encounter, the tailor to the stars made a suit for Philip which he wore at his birthday party in Bellingham Castle in May. This year, when he attended the Horse Show on Ladies Day with his key-worker key worker Aine Cryan, he wore the eye-catching striped suit along with his trademark Happy Socks. Hes been going to the Horse Show for a number of years now and pulls out all the stops. He had a great day, even if he didnt win, reports Aine. "He went up on stage and we told his story and he really enjoyed mingling with people. As well as meeting with judges, stylist Clementine MacNeice and former Irish Independent fashion editor Bairbre Power, Philip met up with Louis Copeland again this year and also got his photograph taken with Brent Pope. Indeed Philip is becoming something a celebrity himself, as Aine said that lots of people who had met him there on previous years went up to talk to him. Hes a real people magnet, says Aine, who has been Philips keyworker for the past seven years. A native of Malahide, Co Dublin, Philip has spent most of his adult life in the care of the St John of God community in Co Louth, in 1955, aged 21, first in St Marys Drumcar, where he was part of the housekeeping team, and then in various houses in the community. He is the last surviving member of his generation but has a large number of nephews, nieces, grandnephews and grandnieces, and now lives in An Sli, Dundalk with seven other residents. A common seal pup that was only a couple of days old when it was orphaned in Culleenamore in Strandhill, Co. Sligo is now gaining weight and doing well thanks to the help of Seal Rescue Ireland. Moon Jelly, as the seal pup has been named, was reported to Seal Rescue Ireland on July 1 having been spotted by a member of the public in Culleenamore. The person reported that she looked small, around 7-8kg and was suckling on herself and calling out for her Mum. "Usually thats a bit of a red flag for us, if we see them suckling on themselves, theyre trying to self soothe, Natalie Barry, Animal Care Manager at Seal Rescue Ireland told The Sligo Champion. "They havent maybe suckled on Mum for a bit. And calling out is usually a sign that they are maybe separated from Mum and they are calling for her. A volunteer went out to assess the seal, and noticed that the umbilical chord was still attached which meant that she was under three days old. "She was very, very young to be on her own. Usually Mum would have been nearby or at least responding to her calls but the fact that there was no adults in the area was a bit of a red flag again for us. Having monitored the seal for around three hours, there was no sign of the seals Mum. Knowing at this stage that it was unlikely that the Mum would return, a decision was made to bring Moon Jelly to Seal Rescue Ireland in Wexford. "She did look very small so a healthy birth weight for a common seal is 9-11kg. When we brought Moon Jelly in, she was only 7.8kg so she was a small pup anyway. She might have been a bit premature. Moon Jelly Seal Rescue Ireland is a charity dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and release of sick, injured, or orphaned seals. It is the only seal rescue in the Republic of Ireland. Its over six weeks since Moon Jelly was transported to the seal hospital, where she is doing well. Natalie Barry added: She is gaining weight. Shes nice and bright which is a good sign, shes very feisty. She is gaining weight steadily on our fish soup solution that we feed them. A lot of them probably havent eaten fish before, especially as she came into us so young she probably hadnt seen a fish before. "Were doing fish school with her at the moment. To try and get her interested in eating fish, well often tie a string around the fish and play with her in the bath, almost like a cat to try and get her to chase the fish and bite on the fish. She has started showing an interest. Shes started following it, shes started sniffing it so thats a good step. "She hasnt started eating just yet but we are hopeful that very soon she will start eating. They generally wean from Mum at about 4-6 weeks old. She is approaching that six week mark so this would be the time when she starts eating fish anyway. We are hopeful that in the next week or two she will start biting, chewing, trying to eat the fish. Moon Jelly at Culleenamore. "Then from there we can start to hand-feed. A lot of our common seal pups need to be handfed at the beginning, because they dont quite realise how to do it themselves just yet. "But usually after a week or so of hand-feeding theyve got the hang of it and can feed themselves and we can be a lot more hands off with our care then. Moon Jelly now weighs 9.6kg, but she will need to reach around 30-35kg before she will be released back into the wild. Now that she will be eating fish soon, its likely her weight gain will be fairly rapid. But, she is expected to still be in the care of Seal Rescue Ireland for another three to four months. Shes not the only Sligo seal in the dedicated care at the rescue. Two days after Moon Jellys rescue, two more common seal pups were rescued from Strandhill beach. Zig Zag Coral, a male common seal pup and Wild Angelica, a female common pup were found on the beach in Strandhill on July 3. Both pups were then monitored to decide whether either of their mums were around. They were snuggled up together and suckling on each other. It was then decided they were orphaned. During their intake, Zig Zag weighed 9.8kg and Wild Angelica weighed 8kg. They are both in the kennels together and enjoy climbing all over each other. The summer months are generally busy for common seal pups, while the autumn and winter months are busier for grey seal pups. Natalie explained: We generally have more common seals in the summer because thats their pupping season, thats when theyre all giving birth in the summer. Usually then we have grey seals in the autumn, winter months. "We actually tend to be busier in the winter months because we have more grey seals in Ireland than common seals. But at the moment we are very busy, much busier than last year with common seal season. Weve had a lot more commons come into us. "A lot of them do tend to come from the Sligo area, we get a lot of common seals from Sligo because there is a big colony there which is a good thing that theres so many. "Unfortunately a lot of them do end up being orphaned, separated from Mum so we do have to step in. We get a lot from Donegal in Mayo. It tends to be common seals out on the west coast, and we see more grey seals on the east coast. There are many reasons a mum will abandon her seal pup. The most common reasons are due to stormy seas, and human interference. We do know that after stormy weather we do see a lot of intake, either through injuries or orphaning, Natalie explained. "If the sea is quite rough, often times the seal pups arent as strong swimmers as the mums, especially with these common seal pups. They are in the water with Mum and they will follow her. If the sea is really rough they can become separated and washed up the coastline in a few kilometres and can get lost in that way. "We do also see that there is a big problem with human disturbance, especially in the summer months when everyone is out on the beach with their dogs, which is lovely. But if they do come across a little seal pup there is a common misconception that seals need to be in the water. We always say that if a seal is on the beach, its there for a reason. "They come out to rest. Its very normal for them to be there. A lot of people with good intentions will try and approach the pup and try and herd it in to the water, or even pick it up and put it into the water. If the seal is really lost and tired and cold, the last place it wants to be is back into the rough sea. Zigzag and Angelica. The pups have a lovely bond and they like to sleep in a top to tail / YinYang position. "Its kind of the worst thing to do. And we do get people doing that from time to time. If Mum sees people around her pup, or a dog approaching it, even if the dog is playing and barking, to the Mum, thats a predator. So shes going to think a predator has got my pup, I need to save myself, Ill leave the pup. Its kind of mean to see but they are animals and they do look out for themselves. It does sometimes happen and the mums will abandon the pups because of human disturbance which is really sad and really preventable. If any member of the public sees a seal and is concerned, the first step they need to take is to give the seals space. It is important to stay away, and not to approach too closely. Seal Rescue Ireland recommends keeping a 50-100 metres distance. If they are still worried, if they think the pup might be orphaned or underweight or sick, give us a call. We have a 24 hour hotline. It is manned all day everyday by one of our volunteers here. We can get one of our trained volunteers out to assess. They are trained to monitor and assess a seal to see if it is actually sick, if it is actually orphaned, does it need to come into us? If it doesnt, our priority is to keep it out in the wild. "We will assess with our volunteer and make the decision on whether or not we do think it needs to come into care. If it does, our volunteers are all trained to rescue the seal, to lift and transport to our care. So give them space, contact us. Even if youre not sure and you think it might look healthy, still no harm to give us a call or a text. We can advise what to do from there as well. So dont approach, keep dogs on a lead if you know there are seals in the area. Seal Rescue advice Moon Jelly is now available for adoption for a one time donation of 30. With the adoption, you will receive a personalised Seal Pup Adoption Certificate, an info pack and exclusive access to their pup's adoptions page where you can view weekly updates on Moon Jelly's progress and a video of her release back into the wild. The 24 hour seal rescue number is 0871955393. Around 90% of Seal Rescue Irelands funding comes from donations from the public. To donate, or to adopt Moon Jelly or another seal, check out the website on sealrescueireland.org Id be in a cafe and Id have to walk out and cry Former 2FM DJ Tara Kumar opens up for the first time about being a victim of sexual assault Almost two years after making the move to London, the former 2FM DJ has no regrets. Here, she talks about the recent talent exodus at the station, her upbringing in Australia and the long-term impact of sexual assault Tara Kumar. Photo: Eoin Greally Tanya Sweeney Sat 17 Aug 2024 at 03:30 Long before it was fashionable to leave 2FM for different pastures, Tara Kumar did it first. This October marks the second anniversary of the Australian-born DJ leaving Ireland for London and bidding farewell to her slot on the national broadcaster. Smart irrigation systems applied in vineyards boost wine-producing industry in Ningxia Xinhua) 10:18, August 17, 2024 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) (Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Wu Chaolan) Pakistani education activist Malala Yousafzai has praised Taylor Swifts Wembley performance as magical after she attended her first-ever proper concert. Ms Yousafzai, 27, said the London gig brought back memories of her time with middle school friends and teachers in her Swat Valley homeland, where she said they climbed to the top of a rock and sang Swifts hit song Love Story. She attracted world attention at the age of 15 in 2012 when she survived a Taliban assassination attempt. She was shot in her left eye by a gunman after the militant groups leaders agreed to kill her. She has since spoken around the world to call for access to education for women and girls in countries where it is restricted. Ms Yousafzai is the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, winning it at the age of 17 in 2014 for her work against the suppression of children and young people. In her post about attending one of the two Swift concerts this week, Ms Yousafzai said music had been a gift after living through a time when it had been banned. She said: One of my favourite memories from Swat Valley is a field trip I took in middle school with my best friend, Moniba. Giggling, we went to a waterfall hidden away in a lush green mountain. We were so excited because we were finally allowed to go to school again and could be outdoors with our friends, laughing and singing together. Having lived through a time where music and art were banned, music felt like a gift. Moniba and I found the highest rock we could, climbed on top of it and announced to all of our classmates and teachers we were going to perform our new favourite song called Love Story. We sang with all of our heart, taking in the joy we felt every second. Thats where my Swiftie journey began. It feels magical that my first-ever proper concert would be to see @TaylorSwift, singing along to every song surrounded by friends. Three years ago, the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan. Once again, music no longer plays on the streets, and girls and women are barred from school, work and public life. In Swat, music made my friends and me feel confident and free. And one day I hope we will live in a world where every girl will be able to enjoy music and live out her wildest dreams. Swift, 34, is to play three more Eras Tour nights at the national stadium starting on Saturday night, with two more concerts on August 19 and 20. She has already performed in London this week on Thursday and Friday, having previously performed a three-gig run in June. Kathleen Jamie is stepping down from the role of Scotlands Makar (Andrew Milligan/PA) 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. Russia kept up its assault on Ukraine on Saturday even as Ukrainian forces pushed into Russia's Kursk border region. A Russian missile sparked a blaze in the city of Sumy that injured two people and also damaged cars and nearby buildings, said Ukraine's State Emergency Service. It said that the hit had involved an Iskander-K cruise missile and an aerial bomb. Ukraine incursion into Kursk a tool of influence to get Vladimir Putin to negotiate, top Kyiv adviser says Western allies were aware of plan, according to president Volodymyr Zelenskys top aide A resident carries her son among the ruins of their house destroyed by recent shelling in the Donetsk region. Photo: Reuters Tom Walting Telegraph.co.uk Sat 17 Aug 2024 at 03:30 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. LATEST | We will evaluate it when it comes closer Tanaiste responds to soldiers concerns they may not be able to come home at end of Lebanon tour Recent events in Surrey, British Columbia, have brought to the forefront reality of Khalistan extremism, a movement that has far-reaching implications for India-Canada relations, international trade, and the stability of the global economy. On a seemingly ordinary evening, dozens of Sikh activists gathered outside the Sheraton Guildford Hotel to protest the presence of Sanjay Kumar Verma, Indias High Commissioner to Canada, at a trade forum hosted by the Surrey Board of Trade. The protests, however, were not merely about the diplomats visit; they were emblematic of a larger, more insidious agenda that seeks to disrupt the burgeoning trade relations between India and Canada and propagate anti-India sentiments under the guise of advocating for an independent Sikh homeland, known as Khalistan. The recent protests in Surrey underscore a troubling trend: the hijacking of legitimate political discourse by extremist elements who are more interested in sowing discord than in engaging in constructive dialogue. The demonstrators, waving yellow Khalistan flags and chanting anti-India slogans, were not merely expressing their political views; they were actively working to undermine the diplomatic and economic ties between India and Canada, ties that are vital to both nations. This kind of extremism is not just anti-India; it is anti-peace and anti-progress. By targeting events aimed at strengthening trade relations, Khalistan extremists are attempting to derail discussions that could lead to economic opportunities benefiting millions of people in both countries. India is British Columbias fifth-largest trade partner, with trade between Canada and India reaching a record $20 billion in 2022. Disrupting these discussions not only hurts businesses but also jeopardizes jobs and economic growth, particularly in industries that rely on stable international relations. The question that arises is: Why does the Canadian government, particularly under Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus administration, appear to tolerate, and at times even encourage, such extremism? The answer may lie in political expediency. Canada has a significant Sikh population, many of whom are concentrated in key electoral districts. By allowing Khalistan extremists to operate with impunity, the Trudeau administration may be attempting to appease a vocal minority in exchange for political support. This strategy, however, is fraught with risks. First and foremost, it undermines Canadas standing as a nation that champions human rights and opposes extremism in all its forms. By turning a blind eye to the activities of Khalistan extremists, the Trudeau administration is tacitly endorsing a movement that seeks to destabilize a democratic ally and disrupt global trade. Moreover, this approach alienates the broader Canadian population, who may view the governments inaction as a betrayal of the values that Canada purports to uphold. Secondly, it sends a dangerous message to other extremist groups around the world: that extremism can be a viable path to achieving political goals, provided it is wrapped in the rhetoric of social justice or minority rights. This not only emboldens other separatist movements but also risks dragging Canada into international conflicts that it has no reason to be involved in. If Canada is to maintain its reputation as a global leader in human rights and international diplomacy, it must take a firm stance against all forms of extremism, including Khalistan extremism. This means cracking down on those who seek to disrupt diplomatic and economic ties between Canada and India and ensuring that trade talks are not hijacked by fringe groups with their own agendas. The Trudeau administration must recognize that by allowing Khalistan extremists to operate freely, it is not just appeasing a handful of voters; it is endangering the economic and diplomatic interests of the entire nation. Canada and India have much to gain from deepening their economic ties, and this potential should not be sacrificed on the altar of political expediency. (Image and text courtesy: Khalsavox.com) Photo courtesy: Screenshot grab from YouTube video Kolkata/IBNS: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is quizzing former RG Kar Medical College and Hospital principal Dr. Sandip Ghosh for the second consecutive day on Saturday in connection with the probe into the rape and murder of a 31-year-old lady trainee doctor, media reports said. Dr. Ghosh, who was quizzed by the CBI on Friday for long hours, told the media this morning, "I have not been arrested. I have been questioned. I can't reveal anything because the matter is under investigation." The CBI officials took Dr. Ghosh, who was reluctant to join the probe, to CGO complex in Salt Lake for questioning in connection with the rape-murder case that has sent shockwaves across the country and triggered massive outrage. Dr. Ghosh has come under the scanner after the victim's parents claimed they were initially informed by the hospital assistant super that their daughter was unwell and had committed suicide. The Calcutta High Court on Friday directed the CBI to at least quiz Dr. Ghosh at his residence after the former principal's lawyer said he was reluctant to join the probe out of insecurity. Dr. Ghosh, who faced the ire for alleged mismanagement and financial irregularities at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, resigned from his post facing protests from the medical students. Though he had resigned, the Mamata Banerjee government had controversially appointed him to a similar post at Calcutta National Medical College within a few hours. The Calcutta High Court, which ordered a CBI probe into the case, lashed out at the government's move asked Dr. Ghosh to go on leave. Slamming the state government and administration, the court wondered how Dr. Ghosh stepped down and was "rewarded with another responsibility?" "...why do you protect (him)? Let him tell the truth... something is missing here," the court thundered as reported by NDTV. The high court has asked for the case diary by 2 pm and directed the filing of Dr. Ghosh's resignation letter. "We want to see what he has written," said the court. The trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered at the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, which is located in North Kolkata's Belgachia area. One person, a civic volunteer, has been arrested in connection with the case but protesting students as well as the victim's parents suspect more people are involved in the case. Photo courtesy: Screenshot grab from YouTube video Kolkata/IBNS: The Kolkata Police has come out with a list of fact checks after several information, which the administration claims to be fake, have started trending on social media related to the rape and murder of 31-year-old post graduate medical student at Kolkata's RG Kar Hospital. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is facing an unprecedented outrage from people on social media over the incident, on Friday claimed several fake videos allegedly made through AI (Artificial Intelligence) have been circulated on social media. The Chief Minister has claimed several YouTubers have made fake videos related to the incident that has sent shockwaves across the country. Take a look at some of the fact checks provided by police 1. Fractures The autopsy, which was videographed in front of a magistrate, did not mention any fracture. Police have rejected the claim that the lady trainee doctor had got its pelvic girdle fracture. 2. 150 mg semen Over the last few days, it has been widely circulated on social as well as mainstream media that 150 mg semen was found in the dead doctor's body suggesting a gangrape as some doctors have claimed it would be impossible to have that quantity from one individual. Kolkata Commissioner of Police Vineet Goyal told the media that the information was untrue. The CP said, "Someone said 150 gm semen was found. I don't know where they have found this kind of Information. And it is circulating in the media in all kinds of forms. People are tempted to believe it and they are trying to create confusion among the people." 3. Unnatural Death row Social media was abuzz with the report of 'Unnatural Death' while the junior doctor was raped and murdered at Kolkata's major state-run hospital. Goyal on Friday claimed 'Unnatural Death' includes all incidents like suicide, murder, accident as per the law. "Unnatural death case is a natural process. Murder is an unnatural death. When there is no immediate complaint, you have to do an inquest. An inquest is preceded by an unnatural death case. "So, I don't see why it is being said that by registering an unnatural death case, we wanted to hush up the matter and make it look like a suicide case," the CP said as quoted by NDTV. 4. Names of suspects linked to a politician Even on the day of the vandalism of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Vineet Goyal had lashed out at the media for linking the doctor's colleague with one politician with the surname Mahapatra. Goyal on Friday again turned down linking any suspect to a top-ranked politician. Photo Courtesy: @official_aimsa/X page The Indian Health Ministry on Saturday assured doctors that a Committee will be constituted to suggest all such possible measures for ensuring the safety of healthcare professionals in the country. amid nationaiwde protests over the rape and murder of a PG trainee doctor at a state-run hospital in Kolkata . The representatives of Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA), Indian Medical Association (IMA) and Resident Doctors Associations of Governmental Medical Colleges & Hospitals of Delhi met the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare at New Delhi in the aftermath of the incident against a resident doctor in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata. "The Associations have put forth their demands regarding their concern over the safety and security of healthcare workers at the workplace," read a statement issued by the Indian government. The Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has heard the demands of the representatives and assured them of all possible efforts to ensure the security of healthcare professionals. #HealthForAll Union Health Ministry assures Doctors of all possible efforts to ensure safety. A committee to be formed to suggest measures for ensuring the safety of healthcare professionals. https://t.co/AKVCmsRJFG Ministry of Health (@MoHFW_INDIA) August 17, 2024 The representatives of all the Associations were informed that the Government is well aware of the situation and is sensitive to their demands. "It was observed that 26 States have already passed legislation for protection of healthcare workers in their respective states," the statement said giving details about the meeting. "In view of the concerns expressed by the Associations, the Ministry assured them of constituting a Committee to suggest all such possible measures for ensuring the safety of healthcare professionals. Representatives of all stakeholders including the State Governments will be invited to share their suggestions with the Committee," the statement said. The Ministry requested the agitating doctors to resume their duties in the larger public interest and in view of the rising cases of Dengue and Malaria. The Indian Medical Association is observing a 24-hour nationwide strike and withdrawal of non-emergency medical services on Saturday to protest against the rape and murder of a PG trainee doctor in Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital and the vandalism incident at the state-run medical facility on the eve of Independence Day. "Subsequent to the brutal crime in RG Kar Medical College, 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 i.e 17th of August to 6 am Sunday 18th of August, for 24 hours", IMA said in a statement. "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", the largest organisation of doctors in India said. Several major medical associations like All India Medical Students' Association (AIMSA) and Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA) have joined the strike. 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. Photo Courtesy:ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0)/Wikipedia Commons An American court has ruled that Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman Tahawwur Rana, whose name is involved in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, is extraditable to India under the extradition treaty between the two countries. The panel affirmed the district courts denial of Tahawwur Hussain Ranas habeas corpus petition challenging a magistrate judges certification of Rana as extraditable to India for his alleged participation in terrorist attacks in Mumbai, reported ANI. The panel observed that India showed significant evidence to support the magistrate judges' finding of probable cause that Rana committed the charged crimes. In its chargesheet, Mumbai Police had named Rana in connection with the attack that had left the nation shocked in 2008. Rana is accused of being an operative of operative of ISI and Lashkar-e-Taiba. In the chargesheet, Rana is accused of supporting the 26/11 attacks mastermind David Coleman Headley, who conducted the recce of the Mumbai attacks, reported ANI. The 2008 Mumbai attacks also referred to as 26/11 were a series of terrorist attacks that took place in November 2008, when 10 members of Lashkar-e-Taiba, an Islamic terrorist organisation based in Pakistan, carried out 12 coordinated shooting and bombing attacks lasting four days across Mumbai. The attacks, which drew widespread global condemnation, began on Wednesday 26 November and lasted until November 29, 2008. At least 174 people died, including 9 attackers, and more than 300 were wounded. Eight of the attacks occurred in South Mumbai at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Mumbai Chabad House, The Oberoi Trident, The Taj Palace & Tower, Leopold Cafe, Cama Hospital, The Nariman House, the Metro Cinema, and in a lane behind the Times of India building and St. Xavier's College. There was also an explosion at Mazagaon, in Mumbai's port area, and a taxi at Vile Parle. By the early morning of 28 November 28, all sites except for the Taj Hotel had been secured by the Mumbai Police and security forces. On November 29, India's National Security Guards (NSG) conducted Operation Black Tornado to flush out the remaining attackers; it culminated in the death of the last remaining attackers at the Taj Hotel and ended the attacks. Photo Courtesy: India in Vietnam X page Indian and Vietnamese officials recently discussed ways to enhance maritime cooperation during the Maritime Security Dialogue held in Hanoi on Friday, officials said. The Indian delegation was led by Muanpuii Saiawi, Joint Secretary, Disarmament & International Security Affairs, Ministry of External Affairs and the Vietnamese delegation by Trinh Duc Hai, Vice Chairman, National Boundary Commission. 4th India-Vietnam Maritime Security Dialogue held in Hanoi on 16 August reviewed ongoing cooperation and discussed avenues to strengthen cooperation in maritime domain; and also called on Vietnam's Permanent Deputy Foreign Minister@MEAIndia @MOFAVietNam @PressDept_MoFA @AmbHanoi pic.twitter.com/Sn9hwvg6VN India in Vietnam (@AmbHanoi) August 17, 2024 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. They 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," read a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs. The next round of dialogue will be held in New Delhi. New Delhi: The Union Health Ministry on Saturday urged doctors to call off their nationwide strike in response to the shocking rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Hospital. The Ministry assured that a committee would be set up to propose safety measures for healthcare professionals, with input from relevant stakeholders, including state governments, who will be asked to contribute their insights and recommendations. #HealthForAll Union Health Ministry assures Doctors of all possible efforts to ensure safety. A committee to be formed to suggest measures for ensuring the safety of healthcare professionals. https://t.co/AKVCmsRJFG Ministry of Health (@MoHFW_INDIA) August 17, 2024 The strike, called by doctors nationwide, was a 24-hour protest against the horrific crime at the state-run medical college in Kolkata. All healthcare services were halted except for emergency and essential care. The medical community is demanding justice, as well as urgent reforms, such as improving working and living conditions for resident doctors and enacting a central law to protect healthcare workers from violence in the workplace. Officials from the Union Health Ministry met today with representatives from the Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA), the Indian Medical Association (IMA), and Resident Doctors' Associations from government medical colleges and hospitals in Delhi. The healthcare groups raised serious concerns about the safety of medical professionals at work and urged the government to take swift and effective measures to safeguard them. The Health Ministry reassured the representatives that the government is fully aware of the challenges faced by healthcare workers and is committed to resolving these issues. The Ministry also highlighted that 26 states have already enacted laws to protect healthcare workers, highlighting the government's sensitivity to the matter. "The Ministry requested the agitating doctors to resume their duties in the larger public interest and in view of the rising cases of Dengue and Malaria," reads the official statement. Image Credit: Facebook/Omar Abdullah Srinagar: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah announced that the priority of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly after the election would be to pass a resolution opposing the central government's decision to revoke the region's statehood and special status. Once elected, the assembly would focus on the difficult task of restoring the statehood and rights that were taken from the people. "The first order of business of the elected assembly of J&K should be to make it known not just to the rest of India but to the world at large that the people of J&K don't agree with what happened to us on 5th August 2019, and then we start undoing what was done to us," Abdullah told NDTV in an exclusive interview. Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, the first since the region lost its statehood and special status under Article 370 in 2019, will be held in three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1. The vote counting is scheduled for October 4. "I believe that one of the main jobs of the elected chief minister will be to ensure that full statehood is restored to J&K at the earliest because only as a state we can start to undo the damage that has been done to J&K after 2019," he said. The announcement of elections for the 90-member assembly comes months after the Supreme Court upheld the central government's decision to revoke Jammu and Kashmir's special status. The court also ordered that assembly elections be conducted by September 30. The previous assembly elections in the region were last held in November-December 2014. A vocal critic of the government's move to abrogate Article 370, the 54-year-old Omar Abdullah stated that the National Conference would approach the Supreme Court again if the central government fails to immediately restore Jammu and Kashmir's statehood. "It's going to be a fight to restore the statehood. Nothing is going to come to us easily. Even these elections didn't come to us easily," he said. In December 2023, a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court unanimously supported the central government's decision to revoke Article 370, labeling it a "temporary provision" intended to facilitate the former state's 1947 merger with India. The Supreme Court also directed the central government to expedite the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood at the earliest opportunity. Abdullah also launched a blistering attack on "unqualified and unquestioned" Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha. "The elected government will push back the dictatorial rule of Lt Governor," he told NDTV. Jammu and Kashmir has been under the President's Rule since December 19, 2018. Initially implemented for six months, it followed a political crisis in June of that year when the BJP withdrew its support from the then-ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government, led by former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti. Presidents rule has been extended several times after the end of the initial period. "Today, the LG is the unqualified and unquestioned ruler of J&K. Even with the powers the LG has, he will not be able to exercise them as freely once you have an elected government and a strong Chief Minister," said the former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir. Omar Abdullah also indicated he might revisit his decision to not contest polls until Jammu and Kashmir's statehood is reinstated. The decision to reconsider his decision follows messages, emails, phone calls in this regard from several people, he said, adding that the final call will be taken by the National Conference led by his father Farooq Abdullah. "I would be lying if I said there is no pressure on me," he added. Referring to the upcoming elections as "the most significant" in the past three generations, Abdullah remarked that they are being held at a time when Ladakh is no longer part of the region, and after Jammu and Kashmir was divided into two union territories. He pointed out that the elections are also taking place after the revocation of Jammu Kashmirs special status and the delimitation process. He maintained that the outcome of these elections would have far-reaching consequences. Abdullah emphasised that the elections would be an opportunity for the people to register their unhappiness over what happened on August 5, 2019. He did not rule out an alliance with the Congress in the elections but seat-sharing has its own challenges, underscoring that working out such an arrangement would not be smooth. "We had one preliminary round of discussions with the Congress, it didn't reach very far. After that, we didn't hear from them again. It's not a closed chapter as far as we are concerned," the former Jammu Kashmir chief minister was quoted as saying by NDTV. "Seat sharing brings with it its own challenges, I have 90 candidates. There is a problem of plenty," he said. In the recent Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir, the Congress-National Conference (NC) alliance secured 41.7 percent of the votes, while the former allies, the BJP and PDP, received 17 percent and 8 percent, respectively. Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court has raised concerns about the West Bengal government's "urgency" in renovating areas near the RG Kar Hospital's seminar hall, where a trainee doctor was brutally raped and murdered, media reports said. During a hearing on Friday, the court directed the Mamata Banerjee-led government to respond to allegations that the demolition work around the seminar hall in the hospital's emergency building was intended to destroy evidence from the crime scene. In response, the state government's counsel denied the allegations, stating that the renovation was for the construction of a washroom for doctors. "All these allegations that the place of occurrence (of the crime) has been demolished, destroyed, nothing is correct. The demolition work that happened was not near the place of occurrence," the government's counsel said, as per Bar and Bench. However, Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam questioned the timing of the renovation and criticized the government for its actions. "Is it so important to provide a restroom within 12 hours to meet urgency? You go to any district court complex, 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 complexes," the Chief Justice said. The High Court also criticized the state government for the vandalism at the hospital on Wednesday, describing it as an "absolute failure" of the state machinery. The court warned that it might order the transfer of patients to another hospital and close the RG Kar Medical College if necessary. "When so much commotion is going on, you should have cordoned off the entire area. If 7,000 people were to gather, it is hard to believe that the state police did not know. This is an absolute failure of state machinery," the court said. On the eve of Independence Day, a violent mob attacked the RG Kar Hospital, vandalizing the emergency ward in the main building, a ward on the first floor, and the ENT department on the second floor. However, the Kolkata Police stated that the crime scene, located on the third floor, remained undisturbed. The High Court instructed the state government to submit an affidavit with photographs to confirm that the crime scene was preserved. "Let an affidavit be filed. You can substantiate it with photographs. We will hear with an open mind," the Chief Justice said and posted the matter for hearing on August 21. Image Credit: Video grab Ranchi: Former Jharkhand Chief Minister and senior Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Champai Soren dismissed rumours about him joining the BJP ahead of the upcoming state Assembly elections, media reports said. Media reports had suggested that Soren, a close ally of the Soren family, was considering a switch to the BJP due to dissatisfaction with his abrupt removal from the top position to allow Hemant Soren to become Chief Minister of Jharkhand again. However, Champai Soren rejected the reports. "I don't know what rumours are being spread. I don't know what news is being run, so I cannot tell whether it's true or not. I don't know anything about it...Hum jahan par hain vahi par hain (I am here only)," he was quoted as saying by ANI. #WATCH | On rumours of him joining BJP, Former Jharkhand CM and JMM leader Champai Soren says, "I dont know what rumours are being spread. I dont know what news is being run so I cannot tell whether its true or not, I dont know anything about it...Hum jahan par hain vahi par pic.twitter.com/P2cYhJUwxT ANI (@ANI) August 17, 2024 This was affirmed by BJP leader and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who said that the saffron party is not in touch with anyone from the JMM. "No one is in touch with us yet. I am also hearing these reports from the channels. Champai Soren is a very senior leader, I do not want to make any informal comment about him," Sarma said while speaking to news agency ANI. #WATCH | On reports of JMM leaders being in touch with BJP, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma says, "No one is in touch with us yet. I am also hearing these reports from the channels. Champai Soren is a very senior leader, I do not want to make any informal comment about him." pic.twitter.com/uHVUZqvn6c ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2024 Currently, Champai Soren is serving as the water resources minister of Jharkhand. He was appointed Chief Minister after Hemant Soren was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on January 31 in an alleged land scam. However, Champai Soren resigned from the Chief Minister's position on July 3 after Hemant Soren was granted bail by the Jharkhand High Court. The decision to replace Soren was made after the INDIA alliance MLAs and leaders agreed to elect Hemant Soren as the leader of the JMM legislature party. Champai Soren, a close associate of Hemant Soren and his family, represents the Seraikella assembly constituency. He currently serves as the Minister for Transport, Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Caste, and Backward Class Welfare, and also holds the position of Vice-President of JMM. Photo courtesy: Sanjay Raut/ Facebook Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday defended party chief Uddhav Thackeray's call for the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies to announce the alliances chief ministerial candidate ahead of the Maharashtra assembly elections, dismissing suggestions that it was a form of pressure politics. The elections for the 288-member Maharashtra assembly are expected to take place in October or November. Thackeray reflected on his previous experience with former ally BJP, referencing the "maximum seats-CM candidate" logic, where the party with the most seats typically claims the chief minister position. "Uddhav Thackeray showed largeness of heart (by extending support to anyone the MVA dims fit for the CM's post). It was not pressure politics. This stand benefits Maharashtra," the Shiv Sena (UBT) MP told reporters. He maintained that there were no differences among the MVA allies in the seat-sharing deal for the forthcoming assembly elections. Asked if Thackeray would be the alliance's chief ministerial face, the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader answered, "Uddhav Thackeray doesn't need to step forward; he didnt come forward even in 2019. Everyone together made him Chief Minister. Now talking about 2024, Uddhav Thackeray never said that he would become CM, listen to yesterday's speech. If Congress and NCP have any face then bring it forward, Uddhav Thackeray is ready to support that face, but Uddhav Thackeray is in the hearts of the people of Maharashtra. During a Friday meeting of the Maha Vikas Aghadi, Thackeray called on the opposition alliance to decide on its chief ministerial candidate upfront, rather than basing the decision on which party wins the most seats. He pledged his support for any candidate selected by the Congress and NCP (SP). Despite Thackeray's appeal, NCP president Sharad Pawar stayed silent on the issue, while Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole emphasized that the final decision regarding the chief ministerial post would be made by the INDIA bloc leaders. "What is wrong with Uddhav Thackeray's demand? Thackeray is a former chief minister. His face is acceptable to everyone. He didn't speak about himself. If anyone has the courage, they should declare its CM face," Raut 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 feel that I am fighting for myself but it is for the rights of Maharashtra," Thackeray said. The nation is witnessing a dramatic exodus of multinational corporations (MNCs), a phenomenon that should set off alarm bells for anyone concerned about the countrys economic future. This flight is not just a matter of business; it is a stark indictment of Pakistans increasingly inhospitable environment for global investment. The reasons behind this mass departure are complex but ultimately boil down to one critical issue: Pakistans regulatory instability, compounded by political turmoil and economic mismanagement. One of the most glaring examples of this troubling trend is the recent exit of TotalEnergies, a giant in the global energy sector. The company sold its 50 percent stake in Total PARCO Pakistana major player in the countrys fuel retail marketto the Swiss commodity trader Gunvor Group. This was not merely a business decision; it was a clear signal that Pakistan is no longer seen as a viable investment destination, even for a company as robust and diversified as TotalEnergies. TotalEnergies is not alone in its departure. Over the past few years, several other multinational corporations have either scaled back their operations or left Pakistan entirely. These exits are not just unfortunate coincidences; they are symptomatic of deeper, systemic issues that make Pakistan a minefield for foreign investors. The complexity and opacity of Pakistans regulatory landscape, characterized by bureaucratic hurdles and painfully slow approval processes, have made it nearly impossible for MNCs to operate efficiently. What should be straightforward business decisions are mired in red tape, forcing companies to rethink their presence in the country. Ikram ul Haq, a lawyer specializing in economics and taxation, encapsulated the gravity of the situation when he commented to Nikkei Asia, The negative rating of the country and uncertain future is even forcing the local investors to move outside and with the exit of reputed MNCs, there is now little hope for any breakthrough on the FDI front. This statement should not be taken lightly. When local investorsthose who have the most to gain from a stable and prosperous Pakistanare themselves seeking opportunities abroad, it paints a bleak picture of the nations economic prospects. The ramifications of this exodus are profound. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), which has historically played a crucial role in Pakistans economic development, is drying up. With each departing multinational, the country loses not just capital but also the expertise, technology, and global market access that these corporations bring with them. The loss of such resources is devastating for a nation already struggling with slow economic growth, high unemployment, and mounting debt. Moreover, the departure of MNCs sends a dangerous message to the international business community: Pakistan is not open for business. In a globalized world where capital flows to the most favorable environments, this is a message Pakistan can ill afford to send. The consequences will not only be felt in boardrooms but also in the homes of everyday Pakistanis, who will bear the brunt of reduced economic opportunities and declining living standards. Pakistan stands at the precipice of an economic crisis that, if not addressed urgently, could lead to long-term damage. To reverse this trend, the government must undertake sweeping reforms to stabilize the regulatory environment, streamline bureaucratic processes, and restore investor confidence. Political leaders must also recognize that economic stability cannot be achieved without political stability; the two are inextricably linked. Time is running out. The continued departure of multinational corporations is not just a sign of troubleit is a call to action. If Pakistan fails to heed this warning, the country risks further isolation from the global economy, with devastating consequences for its future. The government must act now, before it is too late, to ensure that Pakistan does not become a pariah state for international business but rather a beacon of opportunity and growth. (Image and text courtesy: Khalsavox.com) Photo Courtesy: Wallpaper Cave Gunmen have abducted 20 Nigerian dental and medical students from Benue State of the country, media reports said. The students were en route to the Federation of Catholic Medical and Dental Students (FECAMDS) annual convention in Enugu, reported Daily Post. According to reports, the students belong to University of Maiduguri and University of Jos. They were reportedly ambushed when the students were travelling together. Benue State Police Command, SP Catherine Anene said an investigation has been launched into the incident. Yes, the report of kidnapping is true. The report was received around 5:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., and an investigation is ongoing," Catherine Anene was quoted as saying by Daily Post. UN Bangladesh/Mithu The political transition underway in Bangladesh represents an historic opportunity to ensure governance is anchored in human rights, inclusivity and the rule of law, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Friday. Volker Turk also stressed the need for accountability for rights violations and violence connected to anti-government protests that rocked the country in recent weeks, prompting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign and flee to India. An interim administration headed by Nobel Prize-winning economist Muhammad Yunus was sworn in on 8 August during a ceremony at the presidential palace in the capital, Dhaka. Reform, revitalize, restore The transition ahead presents an historic opportunity to reform and revitalize the countrys institutions, to restore fundamental freedoms and civic space, and to give all in Bangladesh a part in building the future, said Mr. Turk, whose office, OHCHR, has issued a preliminary report on the unrest. Accountability for violations and justice for the victims are key for the way forward and will need to be accompanied by a national healing process, he added. A comprehensive, impartial and transparent investigation into all human rights violations and abuses that have occurred will be a critical first step. The protests, which began in mid-June, were triggered by the reinstatement of a controversial quota system for civil service jobs. Protests met with violence University students initially took to the streets in peaceful demonstrations which were followed by violence and serious human rights violations committed by security forces. Hundreds were reportedly killed, including at least 32 children, and thousands injured. According to the report, there are strong indications, warranting further independent investigation, that the security forces used unnecessary and disproportionate force in their response to the situation. It went on to say that additional alleged violations also warrant thorough, impartial and transparent investigations, including extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests and detention, enforced disappearances, torture and ill-treatment, and severe restrictions on the freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly. Restore law and order Following the Governments resignation on 5 August, there were also reports of looting, arson and attacks on members of religious minorities in Bangladesh, as well as reprisals against and revenge killings of members of the former ruling party and police. On 15 August, mobs armed with bamboo sticks, iron rods and pipes reportedly assaulted supporters of the former Prime Minister. Journalists were also reportedly attacked and threatened, preventing them from filming at the scenes. The report stressed the importance of rapidly restoring law and order, and the need for effective measures to prevent further loss of life, violence and acts of reprisals. Law enforcement training Recommendations include ensuring that law enforcement agencies receive clear instructions and training on the use of force, in line with international human rights standards. Officers must also protect populations at risk, including minority communities, against any retaliatory or revenge violence. The UN rights chief has welcomed the initiative by various student organisations, faith leaders and others, who are forming groups to protect minorities and religious sites belonging to minority communities. Hold perpetrators to account Mr. Turk called for all persons responsible for human rights violations, including those who used or ordered the unnecessary and disproportionate use of force, to be held to account. Victims must be provided reparations and effective remedies, he added. Additionally, he 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. The human rights report also called for a systematic approach to vetting for any appointments and dismissals to the judiciary, security sector and other institutions. Mission to Dhaka The High Commissioner also announced that a team from his Office will visit Dhaka next week to explore how it can support the transition. Discussions will also focus on the modalities for an investigation into human rights violations related to the recent violence and unrest. As I assured the Chief Adviser to the Interim Government, Professor Muhammad Yunus in our phone call this week, we stand in solidary 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, he said. Photo Courtesy: Representational image by King Eliot via Wikimedia Commons Islamabad/IBNS: Pakistan's business policy advocacy platform Pakistan Business Council (PBC) on Friday (Aug 16) warned that several multinational companies (MNCs) are planning to relocate their back offices from the country, with many having already done so recently, media reports said. According to Pakistan's leading English daily the Dawn, the PBC warning came amid a report by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce that 3,968 Pakistani companies registered in Dubai between January and June 2024 making Pakistan the second-ranked country on the list. The figure was also 17 percent higher than the 3,395 firms registered during the same period in 2023, reports the Dawn. The Dubai Chamber of Commerce last year registered 8,036 new Pakistani businesses. The rise in Dubai-based Pakistani businesses highlights a growing exodus from a country already grappling with severe unemployment and sluggish economic growth, according to Dawn. As hundreds of thousands of skilled and unskilled workers have already left Pakistan, millions more are reportedly seeking opportunities abroad, the Dawn reported. Many multinational companies (MNCs) are either planning to relocate their back offices from Pakistan or have already done so, as the reported imposition of a firewall causes widespread internet disruptions across the country, according to a PBC statement. The business policy body said this migration reflects a deepening lack of confidence in the Pakistani governments economic policies. Key factors contributing to this trust deficit include the high cost of doing business, political uncertainties, soaring electricity costs, and deteriorating law and order, as per the PBC. While we struggle with the costs of idle capacity in power generation leading to unemployment and loss of exports and tax revenue, we now have to contend with the threat of idle capacity in the emerging software sector due to poor execution of a firewall, the PBC said in the statement. The business council added that the tech industry in the country has already expressed serious concern over the recent internet slowdown, warning that these disruptions could cost Pakistan up to $300 million. The PBC asked the authorities concerned to go back and get the right firewall or learn to apply it without creating an unnecessary impact on employment and exports, as reported by The Dawn. IT and IT-enabled services, besides agriculture and tourism, offer a valuable opportunity to achieve the PMs export target over the next three years. High-speed connectivity is also vital for the domestic economy, the PBC statement read. The Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI), which serves as the national point of reference for foreign investors in Pakistan, also warned that frequent internet disruptions in the country could derail the nations economic progress. The Pakistan Software Houses Association, a non-profit functional trade body and registered association for the IT industry in Pakistan, said in a statement that these disruptions are not mere inconveniences but a direct, tangible and aggressive assault on the industrys viability, inflicting devastating financial losses estimated to reach $300m, which can rise exponentially, reports the Dawn. Police solve 44-year-old nursing student sexual assault-murder case in USA. Photo Courtesy: Austin Police Department website. Austin Police Department has claimed to have identified the 78-year-old suspect in a gruesome 1980 sexual assault and murder of a nursing student. The man was identified was Deck Brewer Jr.. The victim of the case was nursing student Susan Leigh Wolfe. " On January 9, 1980, 25-year-old Susan Leigh Wolfe enrolled at the University of Texas Austin School of Nursing. On the same day, at about 10 p.m., she was kidnapped about one block from her home while walking to a friends house after having her house sprayed for bugs," Austin Texas Police said in a statement. A witness to the kidnapping watched as a car stopped and the driver exited grabbing Susan in a ''bear hug,'' placed a coat over her head, and forced her into the car. The witness also said that the passenger door opened, but he did not see what the passenger did during the abduction. Having worked in the automotive industry, this witness confidently described the car as a 1970 Dodge Polara. The case Susans body was found early the next morning in an Austin alley at 2000 E. 17th Street. 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 has been retained by APD and The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Crime Laboratory throughout the duration of the investigation. During the first year of the investigation, APD 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. On April 27, 2023, Detectives from the APD Cold Case Unit submitted evidence related to the sexual assault of Susan 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. On February 12, 2024, APD received the test results which produced a male Short Tandem Repeat (STR profile, which eliminated the six known suspects as contributors to the evidence. TX DPS entered the STR profile into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). This computer software program operates local, state, and national databases of DNA profiles from convicted offenders, unsolved crime scene evidence, and missing persons. On March 11, 2024, APD received notification from TX DPS that a possible match in CODIS was located in Massachusetts. Detectives reviewed the Massachusetts State Police Forensic Services Division report dated March 7, 2024. This report identified 78-year-old Deck Brewer Jr. as the possible contributor to the STR profile developed by TX DPS. Current arrest records show Deck Brewer Jr. is currently incarcerated at the Massachusetts Department of Corrections on unrelated charges. On June 10, 2024, the Travis County District Court found probable cause to issue a DNA search warrant to seize a DNA sample from Deck Brewer Jr. for direct comparison to the evidence found during Susan Wolfes autopsy. On July 13, 2024, APD detectives executed the DNA search warrant in Massachusetts by obtaining the DNA sample from Deck Brewer Jr. and conducting a short interview with Brewer. During that conversation, Brewer said he had been in Austin and San Antonio, Texas, around the time of the murder. 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 Brewer's DNA to the DNA found inside the victim 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, 2024, based on the totality of the investigation thus far, the Austin Municipal Court found probable cause to issue an arrest warrant charging Deck Brewer Jr. with the murder of Susan Leigh Wolfe. Photo caption: Ex-New York cop sentenced to 10 weekends in prison for raping minor. Photo Courtesy: Unsplash A former New York police officer, who recently admitted raping a girl, has been sentenced to 10 weekends in jail which activists have described as the epitome of injustice. Shawn Jordan, 40, admitted in March to assaulting the teen in the summer of 2022, marking one of at least two alleged sexually predatory crimes he committed while serving on the Rochester Police Department force, New York Post reported. Kelly Wolford, Assistant District Attorney of Ontario County, said she was not satisfied with the sentencing. "I'm not entirely satisfied with the sentence, and it was my recommendation, and the court indicated that she was going to impose 10 weeks of jail plus 10 years of probation. But ultimately, as a prosecutor, I have to weigh things like the impact of actually having to testify on the victim of this crime, and she was a child, and she was going to have to base her accuser in the courtroom," Kelly Wolford was quoted as saying by ABC3340.com. She described the incident as an 'ultimate tragedy'. "He's a police officer, and if we can't trust the police, then who can we trust? It's a very difficult situation. I'm a parent of three children myself, and it's one of those circumstances where you just look at it and say 'There, by the grace of God, go I.' Because this was a child who trusted somebody, and he was an adult who knew better," she said. The sentencing was attended by the victim's family. The Uglies OTT release date has been announced. The science fiction film has been inspired by Scott Westerfeld's novel. The Netflix release date of the film is September 13. Here's the trailer for the film and every other detail you need to know about it: Plot Uglies is about a teenage girl named Tally Youngblood and about her dreams to become pretty. The story of Tally takes a turn when she learns that the society on which she was relying for her plastic surgery is a scam. People who have read the original novel, Uglies, are saying that throughout the story, Tally is the main character, and the girl goes through so many things physically and mentally. She also goes through different transformations just to look pretty. She gets pretty, as she always wanted to be, but her life also changes. Netflix, while announcing the release of the film on X (former Twitter), wrote, "Perfection is an illusion. UGLIES, based on the best-selling novel." Ever since the release of Uglies was announced, social media has been full of recommendations to read the novel, which actually inspired the movie. screaming, crying, throwing up!!! Uglies was the first YA book I ever picked up and I haven't looked back since. I'm so, so happy to see it FINALLY get the adaptation it deserves!!! https://t.co/JLXs7YVeDo Dreama Weaver (@myquirkywriting) August 8, 2024 Cast and crew Uglies features actors like Joey King, Chase Stokes, Brianne Tju, Keith Powers, and Laverne Cox, among others. Also Read: Manamey OTT release date Prime Video: When to watch this Telugu romantic comedy The fictional film is produced by John Davis, Mary Viola, Dan Spilo, McG, Robyn Meisinger, and Jordan Davis. The film is produced under the banners of Davis Entertainment, Wonderland Sound and Vision, Industry Entertainment, and Anonymous Content. The cinematography shown in Uglies is done by Xiaolong Liu. For the music in the film, Edward Shearmur is responsible. For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. Raksha Bandhan, a sacred festival, is celebrated on the full moon day of the Shravana month. The name "Raksha Bandhan" comes from Sanskrit, where "Raksha" means "protection" and "Bandhan" means "bond" or "tie." This festival of love between brothers and sisters occurs every year in August. Besides Raksha Bandhan, Bhai Dooj is another festival that symbolises the bond between siblings. When is Raksha Bandhan? According to the Hindu calendar (Panchang), the full moon of Shravana month starts at 3:04 AM on Monday, August 19, 2024, and ends at 11:55 PM on the same day. Based on the rising date, Raksha Bandhan will be celebrated on Monday, August 19, 2024. Raksha Bandhan 2024 auspicious timings: Raksha Bandhan Thread Ceremony Time 01:30 PM to 09:08 PM Purnima Tithi Begins 03:04 AM on Aug 19, 2024 Purnima Tithi Ends 11:55 PM on Aug 19, 2024 Raksha Bandhan Bhadra Mukha 10:53 AM to 12:37 PM Raksha Bandhan Bhadra Punchha 09:51 AM to 10:53 AM Raksha Bandhan Bhadra End Time 01:30 PM Aparahna Time Raksha Bandhan Muhurat 01:43 PM to 04:20 PM Pradosh Time Raksha Bandhan Muhurat 06:56 PM to 09:08 PM Source: drikpanchang Time to Avoid for Rakhi Tying Ceremony Auspicious Time to Tie Rakhi Date Shubh Muhurat August 19th 02:02 PM To 03:40 PM August 19th 03:40 PM To05:18 PM August 19th 05:18 PM To 06:56 PM Meaning of Raksha Bandhan People are advised not to tie Rakhi during the Bhadra Kaal period as it is not considered a good time for this ritual. Rakhi is a special festival where sisters pray for their brothers' well-being and long lives, and they tie the Rakhi on their brothers' wrists with heartfelt wishes. To ensure the best time for this, they should avoid tying Rakhi during Bhadra Kaal. After 1:30 PM, it is safe to tie the Rakhi and enjoy the beautiful festival of Raksha Bandhan. Credit: Freepik Raksha Bandhan is a traditional Hindu festival that honours the special bond between brothers and sisters. The name "Raksha Bandhan" comes from Sanskrit, where "Raksha" means "protection" and "Bandhan" means "bond" or "tie." History of Raksha Bandhan (Rakhi) Raksha Bandhan has a deep historical and mythological background. In ancient times, queens and noblewomen would send Rakhi threads to neighbouring kings as a symbol of protection and alliance. Though the exact origins of the festival are not well-documented, various myths and legends have shaped its significance. Some popular stories include: - Indra and Indrani: In one myth, Indra, the deity of the sky, rain, and thunder, was losing a battle against the demon king Bali. His wife, Indrani, tied a protective thread (Rakhi) around Indras wrist, after which he gained victory. This act symbolizes the protection and love between siblings. - Krishna and Draupadi: According to the Mahabharata, Lord Krishna once cut his finger during a battle. Draupadi, wife of the Pandavas, tore a piece of her saree to bandage his finger. In return, Krishna vowed to protect Draupadi, highlighting the bond between a brother and sister. - Yama and Yamuna: In another legend, Yamuna, the river goddess, tied a Rakhi to her brother Yama, the god of death. Touched by her love, Yama granted that any brother who receives a Rakhi and vows to protect his sister will be blessed with immortality. - King Bali and Goddess Lakshmi: In this story, Goddess Lakshmi, disguised as a Brahmin woman, tied a Rakhi to King Bali to protect him. Touched by her gesture, Bali promised to safeguard her, symbolizing the eternal bond between siblings. These legends give Raksha Bandhan its rich meaning and significance. On this day, sisters tie a Rakhi around their brothers wrists, and in return, brothers give gifts and promise to protect them. The festival celebrates love, protection, and the enduring bond between siblings. Significance of Raksha Bandhan Raksha Bandhan is a festival that celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters. On this day, sisters tie a rakhi on their brother's wrists, asking for their protection, and in return, brothers give gifts to their sisters. For more informative articles on historical and upcoming events from around the world, please visit Indiatimes Events Hospitals across the country are set for widespread medical service disruptions on Saturday as doctors are observing a 24-hour nationwide strike to protest the brutal rape and murder of a trainee doctor at the RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) called for a 24-hour nationwide cease-work protest, halting most health services from Saturday morning to Sunday, demanding justice for the rape and murder victim and better working conditions for doctors. CREDIT: ANI Non-essential services to be affected According to the IMA, health services, except for essential services and casualties, will not be functioning from 6 a.m. on Saturday to 6 a.m. on Sunday, due to the nationwide strike. The IMA has raised a total of five demands, including an overhaul of the working and living conditions of resident doctors and a law to check violence against healthcare professionals. Also read: RG Kar Medical College vandalism: Calcutta HC calls it failure of state machinery, suggests to shut down hospital CREDIT: BCCL Five demands of IMA These are the five demands raised by the IMA: - An overhaul of the working and living conditions of resident doctors, including the 36-hour duty shift. - A central act that would incorporate the amendments made in 2023 to the Epidemic Diseases Act of 1897 into the proposed Hospital Protection Bill of 2019. - A meticulous and professional investigation of the crime in a specific time frame and rendering of justice besides identifying those involved in the vandalism of the RG Kar hospital premises on the night of August 14. CREDIT: IMA - An appropriate and dignified compensation to the bereaved family commensurate with the cruelty inflicted. - IMA also said that the security protocols of all hospitals should be no less than an airport. Declaring the hospitals as safe zones with mandatory security entitlements is the first step, and CCTV cameras, deployment of security personnel, and the protocols can follow. More than 3000 doctors and UG students gather at Nirman Bhawan to demand for justice and timebound implementation of CPA.#Doctors_on_strike #nirmanbhawan #RGKarCollege #BengalHorror #CPA pic.twitter.com/tp4JuuI0Ph Dr. Shubham Ahuja (@dr_ahuja_) August 16, 2024 SCB MEDICAL COLLEGE AND HOSPITAL,CUTTACK stand for justice. The doctors are on pen down strike and the ug students are also supporting in strike and rallies. #justiceformoumitadebnath #KolkataDoctorDeath #KolkataDoctor #Doctors_on_strike @autopsy_surgeon @DrDhruvchauhan pic.twitter.com/mzs9fMQkMC Omkar Sahu (@Omkarsahu001) August 16, 2024 RG Kar Medical College rape and murder Over the past few days, doctors across various Indian cities have been protesting, demanding justice for the woman trainee doctor who was allegedly raped and murdered in the seminar hall of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9. For more news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. A US court has ruled that a Pakistani Canadian, who is one of the key conspirators of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, can be extradited to India to face trial in the country. The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has ruled that Tahawwur Rana can be extradited to India under the extradition treaty between the two countries. CREDIT: REUTERS US court clears Tahawwur Rana's extradition The court made the ruling while rejecting an appeal filed by Rana against the District Court in the Central District of California's denial of his habeas corpus petition, challenging a magistrate judge's certification of him as extraditable to India for his alleged participation in the terrorist attacks in Mumbai. The 63-year-old Rana is a wanted man in India for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack. Rana is a close confidant of David Coleman Headley, the Pakistani-American double agent who was the key conspirator of the 26/11 terror attack. Also read: Tahawwur Rana sentenced to 14 years in jail Who is Tahawwur Rana Born in Chichawatni in Pakistan's Punjab, Rana was a physician by profession and served as a captain general duty practitioner in the Pakistan Army Medical Corps. After his retirement, Rana moved to Canada in 1997 and started an immigration service business that had offices in Chicago, New York, and Toronto. CREDIT: BCCL Indian intelligence agencies believe that his immigration service business was a cover for terrorist activities. He is believed to have direct ties with Lashkar-e-Taiba and Pakistan's ISI. Both he and Headley were acting on the behest of Major Iqbal, a shadowy figure in the ISI, who coordinated the 2008 Mumbai attacks. How Tahawwur Rana was caught However, the duo was not busted for their role in 26/11 but was caught by the US authorities while planning an attack on a Danish newspaper that published a cartoon of Prophet Muhammad. In 2013, Rana was found guilty of providing material support to Lashkar-e-Taiba and planning the attack on the Danish newspaper but was acquitted in the 2008 Mumbai attacks case. Rana was sentenced to 14 years in prison but was released in 2020 on compassionate grounds. CREDIT: AP However, he was re-arrested following India's request to extradite him to face trial in the 26/11 case. For more news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. It is moving so fast that it will escape the Milky Ways gravity and shoot into intergalactic spacethis is how NASA has described a newly discovered, unidentified object in space. And what makes the discovery even more impressive is that it wasn't even found by NASA's top scientists using the state-of-the-art technology the space agency has. CREDIT: NASA Who are NASA citizen scientists According to NASA, the discovery was made by a group of citizen scientists, who are amateur space enthusiasts working as volunteers with the space agency. NASA currently has 29 projects that are open to everyone around the world, in which citizen science or participatory science can work with them. NASA said such volunteers and amateurs have helped make thousands of important scientific discoveries in the past. What citizen scientist found One such group, who were working on NASAs Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 project, has helped discover the mysterious fast-moving object. CREDIT: NASA The citizen scientists team of Martin Kabatnik, Thomas P. Bickle, and Dan Caselden were using images from NASAs Wide-field Infrared Explorer (WISE) mission, which mapped the sky in infrared light from 2009 to 2011 when they spotted a faint, fast-moving object called CWISE J124909.08+362116.0, marching across their screens. Follow-up observations with several ground-based telescopes helped scientists confirm the discovery and characterise the object. Also read: Asteroid that caused extinction of dinosaurs was a rare rock from beyond Jupiter Moving at 1 million miles per hour According to NASA, CWISE J1249 is zooming out of the Milky Way at about 1 million miles per hour. What makes CWISE J1249 different is its low mass, which makes it difficult to classify as a celestial object. CREDIT: NASA Could be one of the oldest stars ever Scientists believe that the mysterious object could be a low-mass star, or if it doesnt steadily fuse hydrogen in its core, it would be considered a brown dwarf, putting it somewhere between a gas giant planet and a star. Further studies have only highlighted the significance of the discovery made by the amateur scientists. Data obtained with the W.M. Keck Observatory in Maunakea, Hawaii, show that it has much less iron and other metals than other stars and brown dwarfs. This unusual composition suggests that CWISE J1249 is quite old, likely from one of the first generations of stars in our galaxy. I can't describe the level of excitement. When I first saw how fast it was moving, I was convinced it must have been reported already, Kabatnik, a citizen scientist from Nuremberg, Germany, who was part of the team, said. For more news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. After much confusion, the date for the first U.S. Presidential debate, in which the two candidates in the race for the elections to be held in November 2024 will come face-to-face, has been announced. ABC will host the first presidential debate between Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and her Republican challenger Donald Trump in Philadelphia on September 10. CREDIT: REUTERS First debate between Trump and Harris This will be Trump's second Presidential debate this year, as he and the then-Democratic candidate Joe Biden had a face-off in June, the poor performance at which exacerbated calls for him to drop out. Trump and Biden were originally scheduled to have a second presidential debate on September 10, which will now go ahead with Harris replacing the incumbent U.S. President. CREDIT: AP Who is Tulsi Gabbard As the two camps prepare for their first face-off, Trump has received help from an unlikely ally in his debate preparation against Harris. Former Democratic Party leader Tulsi Gabbard is reportedly helping Trump with his presidential debate preparations. Gabbard, like Harris, has mixed racial heritage, with her father being of Samoan and European ancestry, while her mother was from Indiana. Gabbard was born in American Samoa, and she was named Tulsi by her mother, who became interested in Hinduism. CREDIT: REUTERS She made her political debut in 2002 when she was elected to the Hawaii House of Representatives at the age of 21, making her the youngest legislator elected in Hawaii's history and the youngest woman ever elected to a U.S. state legislature. A year later, in 2003, she joined the Hawaii Army National Guard and was deployed to Iraq for a year. CREDIT: CIVIL BEAT 2020 US Presidential campaign She made national headlines in 2019 after launching her 2020 presidential campaign, becoming the first female combat veteran to run for president. However, in March 2020, Gabbard dropped out of the race and endorsed Joe Biden. In 2022, Gabbard left the Democratic Party and now identifies as an independent. Also read: Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard Says She'll Contest 2020 Polls CREDIT: AP Tulsi Gabbard vs Kamala Harris The Trump campaign seems to be taking lessons from Gabbard for the presidential debate due to how well she performed when debating with Harris in 2019 during the Democratic primary. Gabbard had attacked Harris on the debate stage over her record as a prosecutor, saying, There is no excuse for that, and the people who suffered under your reign as prosecutor, you owe them an apology. For more news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. Jasveen Sangha, popularly known as the "Ketamine Queen," has recently become infamous for her alleged involvement in the death of actor Matthew Perry on October 28, 2023. Her luxurious lifestyle, which includes expensive cars, a lavish house, and exotic trips, has come under scrutiny. Let's take a closer look at who Jasveen Sangha is and how her opulent lifestyle was reportedly funded by a lucrative underground business. Who is Jasveen Sangha? 41-year-old Jasveen Sangha a dual British and American citizen living in California has been charged along with five others in connection with the ketamine overdose that led to Matthew Perry's death. The five others were his two doctors, an assistant, and other associates Sangha earned the nickname "Ketamine Queen" due to her alleged involvement in selling high-purity ketamine to wealthy clients including some notable celebrities. Authorities believe she provided the lethal dose that caused Perry's death. Both Sangha and Dr. Salvador Plasencia, another defendant, have pleaded not guilty to the charges in a Los Angeles court. Sangha had been under investigation before her arrest on March 19, which was related to a previous methamphetamine case. During a raid on her home, federal agents reportedly found 79 bottles of liquid ketamine and nearly 2,000 meth pills. Despite the severity of the charges, Sangha was released on a $100,000 bond, according to court records. Jasveen Sangha's Luxury Lifestyle Credit: Instagram Jasveen Sanghas life, associated with her alias as the "Ketamine Queen," was one of luxury and extravagance. Even with the serious accusations against her, Sangha reportedly led a life filled with expensive cars, exotic trips, and high-end beauty treatments. According to various reports, she drove luxury vehicles, including a Range Rover and leased 2024 BMW. She also rented a lavish house in North Hollywood for thousands of dollars monthly. Her life also included frequent trips to places like Mexico, Spain, Italy, Greece, Japan, France, Dubai, and Antigua. Prosecutors argue that Sanghas luxurious lifestyle was financed by her illegal activities, particularly the sale of dangerous drugs like ketamine. She is also said to have spent a lot of money on maintaining her appearance through treatments like Botox and IV drips. Sangha reportedly boasted about supplying drugs to celebrities, according to federal authorities. Jasveen Sanghas Lavish House and Cars Credit: X Sanghas luxury lifestyle extended beyond just trips and beauty treatments. Her high-end home in North Hollywood, rented for thousands of dollars each month, reflected her opulent lifestyle. In addition, her collection of luxury cars, including a leased 2024 BMW, showcased her wealth. Prosecutors have highlighted her extravagant lifestyle as evidence of her financial means, which they believe makes her a flight risk. The Connection Between Jasveen Sangha and Ketamine Ketamine, originally developed as an anesthetic, is now used both for medical purposes and as a recreational drug due to its hallucinogenic effects. Its also prescribed to treat depression and anxiety. Reports suggest that Matthew Perry was using ketamine as part of his treatment for anxiety, but he also sourced the drug elsewhere. Court documents reveal that he allegedly bought 20 vials of ketamine from Sangha for $55,000 (approximately Rs 45 lakh). This connection between Sangha and Perry highlights the darker side of her luxurious life, built on the illegal drug trade. Jasveen Sangha's connection with Matthew Perrys Death Matthew Perry, known for his role as Chandler Bing on FRIENDS, died in October 2023 at the age of 54. He was found face down in the pool at his Pacific Palisades home. Reports later revealed that Perry's death was caused by "acute effects of ketamine" and drowning. According to court documents, Perry obtained ketamine from a broker named Eric Fleming shortly before his death. Fleming got the drug from Jasveen Sangha. On October 13, 2023, Sangha sold the ketamine to Fleming, who then gave it to Perry on October 14 and October 24. Sangha is said to have provided Fleming with 50 vials of ketamine in two transactions and even included "ketamine lollipops" as a bonus due to the large size of Perry's order. For the latest and more interesting financial news, keep reading Indiatimes Worth. Click here Greece's fiscal health is showing positive signs, with the country's primary budget surplus exceeding its target by 1.058 billion for the first seven months of 2024, according to the General Accounting Office (GAO). The GAO clarified that these figures reflect only the Central Administration's primary surplus and not the entire General Government's fiscal performance . Still, it underscores the robust fiscal performance of the Central Administration despite ongoing economic challenges.The overperformance aligns with the 2024 budget's explanatory report and the Stability Program's projections, which anticipated a 1.238 billion increase in tax revenues. The additional revenues are, however, offset by increased expenditures in the regular budget of General Government agencies and the Public Investment Program. This achievement signals the Greek government's commitment to fiscal discipline and its efforts to improve the country's financial standing. By George Pappous iefimerida.gr Seventeen projects to upgrade ports in more remote areas of Greece will receive a total of 110 million euros under the NSRF 2021-20217 Sectoral Program 'Transport', according to the Maritime Affairs & Insular Policy Ministry. Tony Okocha, ousted Caretaker Committee Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Rivers State, has accused former Transportation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi of planning to hijack the Party in the State. He spoke to journalists in Abuja on Friday while reacting to the court judgment that sacked his committee on August 15. Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, sacked the seven-man caretaker committee of the APC led by Okocha, while reinstating Emeka Beke as the APC Chairman. Advertisement Beke is a loyalist of ex-Governor Amaechi. Okocha, however, vowed never to allow Amaechi and his alleged stooge, Emeka Beke have their way against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu come 2027 READ ALSO: APP Suspects Opposition Over Explosion At Rivers Secretariat (Pictures) Reacting, Okocha said: We imagine how a person of low academic qualifications can preside over a meeting that some of us would attend but the APC leader then said they wanted somebody who had a street boy mentality. But the truth was that he wanted a surrogate, a stooge who would do his bidding. We fought but the APC leader was then a minister and his vestiges were here as leaders of the party. At the presidential primaries of the APC, Beke was the person who led the Rivers delegation of 56 delegates to vote for Rotimi Amaechi. That was how they scored 56 from the state. There is an intention to throw up Amaechis man and then he (Amaechi) becomes the APC leader and then uses the APC to fight Mr President in 2027. We will never allow that. The controversial Miss South Africa competitor, Chidimma Adetshina, has formally entered the Miss Universe Nigeria pageant, representing Taraba. Chidimma was born in Soweto in 2001 at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital. Her father is of Igbo heritage, and according to some sources, her mother is a Mozambican who became a naturalised citizen of South Africa. Advertisement Her participation in Miss South Africa provoked outrage due to concerns about her nationality. This sparked widespread condemnation on social media, notably among South Africans. The South African Ministry of Home Affairs launched an investigation in response to the scandal. Following the investigation, Chidimma withdrew from Miss South Africa. On August 14, she accepted an offer to compete in this years Miss Universe Nigeria competition. READ MORE: Chidimma Adetshina Accepts Invitation To Compete In Miss Universe Nigeria 2024 On Friday, the Miss Universe Nigeria pageant organizers revealed Chidinmas participation in the competition on Instagram. They also informed that she will compete as Miss Taraba with contestant number 25. Introducing CHIDIMMA ADETSHINA (@chichi_vanessa ) as MISS TARABA STATE, the organisers wrote. Visit www.missuniversenigeria.org to vote your favourite delegate! VOTING LINES ARE OPEN!#MissUniverseNigeria #MUN2024. SEE POST: Chinese firm, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited, has released one of the seized Nigerias presidential jets. Recall that Zhongshan had secured a court order to confiscate three Nigerian presidential jets pending when it receives $74.5 million awarded to it against Nigeria. Advertisement The spokesperson of the company who made this known to newsmen on Friday said, the company released the aircraft because the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would need it to travel to a scheduled meeting with President Emmanuel Macron of France early next week. According to Premium Times, the official said on Friday : Zhongshan has consistently sought to act reasonably and fairly in the course of a legal dispute with Nigeria which was not of its making. 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. Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga had said that the federal government in collaboration with the Ogun State government are doing everything to quash the frivolous order obtained by Zhongshan in Paris to seize Nigerias presidential jets. READ ALSO: FG Will Recover Seized Presidential Jets AGF Fagbemi Assures He said: The Presidency is aware of the various failed attempts by a Chinese company, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited, to take over offshore assets of the Federal Government of Nigeria through subterfuge. The Federal Government is not under any contractual obligation with the company. The case in which Zhongshan is trying to use every unorthodox means to strip our offshore assets is between the company and the Ogun State Government. The federal government is fully aware of efforts being made by the Ogun state government to reach an amicable resolution to the matter. It must be said without any equivocation that Zhongshan has no solid ground to demand restitution from the Ogun State Government based on the facts regarding the 2007 contract between the company and the State Government to manage a free-trade zone. When the contract with Ogun State was revoked in 2015, the company had only erected a perimeter fence on the land earmarked for a free trade zone. While the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice are working with the Ogun State Government on an amicable resolution, Zhongshan obtained two orders from the Judicial Court of Paris dated March 7, 2024, and August 12, 2024, without any notice being duly served on the Federal Government of Nigeria and Ogun State Government. This arm-twisting tactic by the Chinese company is the latest in a long list of failed moves to attach Nigerian government-owned assets to foreign jurisdictions. Material facts in the transaction between the Ogun State Government and Zhongshan point to another P&ID case in which unscrupulous and questionable individuals falsely present themselves as investors with the sole objective of cheating and scamming Governments in Africa. Undoubtedly, Zhongshan withheld vital information and misled the Judicial Court in Paris into attaching the Nigerian governments presidential jets, which are on routine maintenance in France. 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. We are convinced the Chinese company misled the Judicial Court of Paris regarding the use and nature of the assets it seeks to attach and did not fully disclose to the court as required by law. This same Chinese company had tried to enforce its questionable judgment in the UK and USA but failed. Like the P&ID case, foreign companies are trying to defraud Nigeria with the collaboration of some bureaucrats. Zhongshan appeared to have sold the judgment they got to a venture capitalist seeking to make money by embarrassing the Federal Government and President Bola Tinubu. We want to assure Nigerians that the Federal Government is working with the Ogun State Government to discharge this frivolous order in Paris immediately. Nigerian Government will always work to protect our national assets from predators and shylocks who masquerade as investors. Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, says the gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Asue Ighodalo, has not been accepted by the people of the State. The governorship election in the State is slated for September 21, 2024. Shaibu, who spoke on Channels Televisions Politics Today, alleged that the PDP candidate is rejected by his kinsmen because he cant speak their native language. Advertisement READ ALSO: Obaseki Not A Politician, Wont Have Emerged Governor Without Me Philip Shaibu He furthered that Ighodalo, who is the anointed candidate of the incumbent Governor, Godwin Obaseki, would be defeated at the polls. We are out now in politics and we will see where Obaseki has a shield and we are waiting for him in this election. I can tell you that the people dont want Asue Ighodalo; even his own people in Ewohimi dont want him because he cant speak their language, he said on Friday. The National Peace Committee (NPC) has given details of behind-the-scenes maneuvers by partisans and other elements during the 2023 presidential election. According to the Committee, it came under pressure to persuade the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to either halt the collation of results or cancel the election entirely. The NPC, led by former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar, made the disclosure on Friday in Abuja during the public presentation of its 106-page report on the 2023 General Elections, titled Nigerias Pursuit of Electoral Compliance: National Peace Committee NPC 2023 General Elections Report. Advertisement Abubakar highlighted the immense pressure exerted on the committee during the election process as partisan forces sought to influence the election outcome through various means. According to him, the report provides an in-depth analysis of the challenges faced during the election and recommendations for improving future electoral processes in Nigeria. Before the public presentation of the report, the NPC had earlier met with INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, and other senior management staff of the Commission. During the meeting, they were briefed on INECs preparations for the upcoming governorship elections in Edo and Ondo States. The report reads, As the election day progressed, criticisms and counter criticisms became abundant. The NPC was already being faced with a flurry of phone calls and the need to call INEC to order. The Peace Committee was flooded with requests for intervention. Both the Chairman of the Committee, General Abdulsalami A. Abubakar, the Convener, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah and the Head of NPC Secretariat, Fr. Atta Barkindo, were inundated with calls, requests, and petitions demanding the intervention of the NPC. Some of the requests wanted the NPC to prevail on INEC to stop collating election results because there were gross violations and lack of compliance with the electoral act. Others demanded that the tenets of the Peace Accord signed were not adhered to and therefore the Committee should call for cancellation of the election entirely. The most significant call was related to the 25% threshold for Abuja as the Federal Capital Territory. Some of the analysts who reached out to the committee asked that the final election result should not be announced because the resumptive president-elect did not score the required 25% as stated in the electoral act. If anything, there should be a runoff. READ ALSO: 2023 Election: Tinubu Is The Most Capable Among All Presidential Candidates Former Peter Obis Campaign DG For example, the Centre for Reform and Public Advocacy described the silence of National Peace Committee (NPC) as deafening in spite of the avalanche of election petitions and likely far-reaching outcomes that could follow the decisions. The Centre stated that the NPC led by General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd) had prior to the 2023 elections engaged political leaders on the need for a peaceful and credible election. However, what was missing was a post- election formal statement of the NPC on the outcome of the election and the sort of intervention needed to prevent widespread violence. The biggest bone of contention was the significance of the 25% threshold for the FCT, the vacuum created by pre-election legal interpretation that was not given by INEC. Within the general context of the mandate of the Peace Committee, there were requests that demanded the Committee to go beyond its mandate and to interfere in an electoral process that only agencies empowered by law can do so. The interventions provided by the NPC is purely and squarely moral, particularly in a context that trust deficit is widespread, the culture of impunity and lack of compliance with laws. The mandate is founded on the need to promote peace, prevent widespread violence and encourage parties and candidates to uphold the rule of law. The NPC has no mandate to arrest violators of process or interfere with the constitutional duties of INEC. It is set up to provide moral intervention, defined by mediation and moral persuasion to ensure that there is peace. It is also expected to, on behalf of public interest, speak truth to power when things are going terribly wrong. After the presidential elections, the NPC has continued with its engagements with political parties, youth and women led groups, persons with disabilities, the security agencies, traditional rulers and religious leaders, including the Independent State-based Peace Architectures. Most people are not aware that the NPC provides only a moral intervention, and it has no constitutional duty to arrest, punish or prosecute any citizen for any wrongdoing. Rather, the Committee has the moral obligation to encourage, persuade and appeal to political actors, community leaders and other stakeholders on the importance of peace. This limited awareness has forced some Nigerians to question the significance of engaging with the NPC if only what the committee brings to the table is moral persuasion. This is a challenge for the work of the Committee. Steven Moultrie, the 41-year-old man killed in a three-vehicle crash on Kelly Drive on Thursday, was hailed as a dedicated servant of the Greek community and a resource for those underserved in Philadelphia and beyond. Moultrie, a longtime member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternitys Nu Sigma Chapter, died after his Uber driver, headed south on Kelly Drive in a 2015 Nissan Altima, tried to make an illegal turn at Reservoir Drive just after 3:20 p.m., near Strawberry Mansion Bridge. The vehicle was struck by a 2024 Nissan Rogue, which caused it to spin and hit a 2016 BMW, police said. Advertisement Police have not reported any arrests or the name of the Uber driver. While the investigation is ongoing, Uber has removed the drivers access to the platform, according to a company spokesperson. There are no words to describe this tragic loss and our hearts are with the riders loved ones during this unimaginably difficult time, the spokesperson said, emphasizing that Uber has an international team of former law enforcement professionals that will provide information to police during the investigation. Nu Sigma president David Richardson said the loss of Moultrie is a devastating blow to the chapter. And his dedication to mental health awareness and community service is something Richardson said he and others will greatly miss. He was such a great and amazing person. He was such a great guy, Richardson said of Moultrie, who was initiated into Nu Sigma in May 2015. He was extremely supportive and a go-getter who was willing to help any- and everybody. In a social media post on Friday, several Instagram users commented heartfelt messages in memory of Moultrie. Prayers, love, and light to you all. Saddened and stunned but grateful for his spirit that shined brightly. Such a wonderful brother. May God strengthen and comfort you all in this difficult time, another user wrote. Richardson said Moultrie used to catch three to six buses to support someones event or service project. He even ventured outside Philadelphia to ensure he had a hand in the cause. His involvement was so intense that Richardson and others had to encourage him to slow it down. He didnt just attend Blue and White fraternity events, Richardson said. Moultrie also supported programs hosted by the other fraternities and sororities as part of the regions National Pan-Hellenic Council, nicknamed the Divine Nine. We used to tell [Moultrie] like, Hey, brother, youre doing a little too much, Richardson said. He used to go to Delta events, Kappa events, and he would go to other counties like West Chester. He would even take public transportation to Maryland. He was just everywhere. But looking back on it, its almost like he knew he had to accomplish a lot in a little time. Along with mental health advocacy, Moultrie fed unhoused Philadelphians, coordinated voter education programs, and helped low-income earners file their taxes as a member of Nu Sigma. Moultrie held several chapter leadership positions. The Tuskegee University graduate served as Nu Sigmas correspondence secretary, social action director, and was involved in multiple committees. He was also the social action director for the National Pan-Hellenic Council of Southeastern Pennsylvania. He lived up to our fraternity motto, Culture for service and service for humanity, Richardson said. He really lived by our principals. Service was everything to [Moultrie]. He truly believed in it. Moultries LinkedIn page said he had been a substitute teacher. Moultrie is survived by his mother, Teresa Moultrie, other relatives, and a host of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity brothers. The Nu Sigma chapter is supporting the family for his Janazah, which is the funeral rites and burial process within Islam. And another memorial will be held in Moultries honor at a later date. The crash that killed Moultrie was one of two that occurred on Kelly Drive in less than 24 hours. At 3:45 a.m. Friday, a four-door sedan veered from Kelly Drive and plunged into the Schuylkill near the Girard Avenue Bridge. Police said the driver of the vehicle, which was pulled from the river a few hours later, was still missing Saturday afternoon. Moultries death was not the first time ride-share users in Philadelphia have died during their commute. In April 2023, three passengers and their driver were killed in a crash on the Schuylkill Expressway when an alleged drunken driver collided with their vehicle. Staff writer Michelle Myers contributed to this article. Photo of Steven Moultrie provided by the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity, Nu Sigma chapter. Moultrie was a member of the fraternity. Read more A 41-year-old man was killed in a three-vehicle crash on Kelly Drive near the Strawberry Mansion Bridge Thursday afternoon, police said. Just after 3:20 p.m., a black 2015 Nissan Altima was traveling south on Kelly Drive and tried to make an illegal left turn at Reservoir Drive, police said. A white 2024 Nissan Rogue then hit the Altima, causing it to spin and hit a black 2016 BMW. Advertisement The 41-year-old man, a passenger in the Altima whose name was not released, was transported by medics to Temple University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 4:02 p.m. On Friday, police identified the man as Steven Tyree Moultrie. A 44-year-old man who was driving the Altima was taken by medics to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, where he was listed in stable condition. Police on Friday said the investigation of the crash was continuing and charges were pending. Moultrie was a member of the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity, Nu Sigma chapter, which he joined while attending Tuskegee University. Brother Moultrie was a beacon of light within our fraternity and the greater Philadelphia community, the chapter said in a statement on Friday. Moultrie was known for his kindness and his ability to spread joy wherever he went. His caring nature was most evident in his professional life, where he worked passionately in the field of mental health, striving to improve the well-being of those around him. His life was a testament to philanthropy, and his absence will be deeply felt by all who had the privilege of knowing him. Columbia president Minouche Shafik testifies before Congress in April. After her resignation, her critics on the right and the left are both taking victory laps, Jonathan Zimmerman writes. Read more In 1968, Republican strategist Kevin Phillips coined a catchy phrase that captured the essence of his profession. The whole secret of politics is knowing who hates who, explained Phillips, who died last year. So who hated Minouche Shafik, the Columbia University president who resigned on Wednesday? Advertisement Pretty much everyone, unfortunately. They also hated on each other, with each faction insisting that it held a monopoly on truth and justice. So anyone who disagreed with them was stupid or evil, or both. You cant have a university or a democracy on those terms. Our systems of knowledge and governance are premised on the principle that reasonable and decent people can come to different conclusions from the same set of facts. You and I might disagree, but that doesnt mean either of us are horrible individuals. It means we are humans, who try to make sense of the world as best we can. But all of that has gone out the window in our take-no-prisoners political moment. And thats the real story behind the downfall of Shafik, who lasted just over a year in office. According to her critics on the right, she enabled antisemitism and failed to protect Jews on campus. Meanwhile, her left-leaning foes said she was an apologist for Israeli atrocities and an enemy of free speech. Both sides couldnt be right at the same time. But they thought they were, of course, which is why theyre both taking victory laps now. Witness the statement by Rep. Elise Stefanik (R., N.Y.), who already helped force the resignations of University of Pennsylvania president Liz Magill and Harvard president Claudine Gay. THREE DOWN, so many to go, Stefanik wrote. We will continue to demand moral clarity, condemnation of antisemitism, protection of Jewish students, and stronger leadership from American higher education institutions. You can hear a similarly gleeful tone in the post on X by Columbias chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, which called on the university to divest from Israel during last springs protests. After months of chanting Minouche Shafik cant hide she finally got the memo, the group declared. Any future president who does not pay heed to ... the demand for divestment will end up exactly as President Shafik did. Let me be clear: Its both proper and necessary to criticize Shafik and other university leaders. And Ive done a whole lot of criticizing myself, from my student days 40 years ago at Columbia where I edited the campus newspaper right up to the present. When Shafik told Stefaniks congressional committee that she intended to punish faculty members who engaged in antisemitic speech, I called it a dark day for academic freedom. Put simply, people disagree about what constitutes antisemitism. To me, the idea of a university leader imposing her definition and sanctioning people who diverge from it violates our fundamental traditions of free and open exchange. And when Shafik authorized the New York Police Department to sweep away student protest encampments, leading to over 100 arrests, I was critical of that, as well. I also opposed Penns decision to remove its own encampments later that month. Penn president Larry Jameson said the encampment was causing fear, but I thought the police action was much more frightening and radically more violent than anything the students were doing. But I dont think Shafik or Jameson are bad people. Far from it. Facing extraordinary challenges and pressures, they were trying to do the right thing. I believe they were wrong, but I also know there are lots of informed and good-hearted people who disagree with me. I also realize Im swimming against the political tide, which encourages all of us to drown our opponents in hatred and invective. So if you dont like Shafiks decisions, youll call her a fascist. Or a coward. Or a pig. Sound like anyone you know? Since 2015, when he launched his first presidential campaign, Donald Trump has demeaned his critics as losers, dummies, and idiots. And the rest of us are imitating him, whether we voted for Trump or not. Why take the time to engage someone in conversation, when its so much easier and, lets face it, a lot more fun to call them a name? Why converse at all? Minouche Shafik couldnt go on like that, and I cant say I blame her. It has been distressing ... to find myself, colleagues, and students the subject of threats and abuse, she wrote, announcing her resignation. But she concluded on a positive note, insisting that differences can be overcome through the honest exchange of views. I believe in that ideal, as deeply as I believe in anything else. But we need to pause and ask ourselves how we strayed so far from it, and how we might get it back. We cant go on like this. Jonathan Zimmerman teaches education and history at the University of Pennsylvania. He is the author of Whose America?: Culture Wars in the Public Schools and eight other books. Keep reading by creating a free account or signing in. The National Constitution Center pictured in 2020. There first presidential debate will be held there. Read more Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump will debate next week in Philadelphia at the National Constitution Center in an event hosted by ABC News, the network announced last month. It will all go down Tuesday at 9 p.m., and will be aired live on ABC, ABC News Live, Disney+, and Hulu. World News Tonight managing editor and anchor David Muir and World News Tonight Sunday anchor Linsey Davis will moderate. Advertisement Unfortunately for folks who would like to attend, the debate will be presented without a live audience, ABC has announced. The debate not having a live audience is part of a set of rules Harris and Trump agreed to this week. Additional rules include candidates being allocated two-minute answers to questions; two minutes for rebuttals; and one extra minute for follow-ups, clarifications, and responses. Trump and Harris will not be able to ask questions of one another, and their microphones will be muted when they are not speaking. READ MORE: Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have agreed to the rules for the Philly presidential debate, including muted mics, ABC says The lack of an audience is not unique this election season. When Trump and President Joe Biden debated in Atlanta in June on CNN, there was no in-person audience, marking the first presidential debate without one since 1960, the New York Times reported, when John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon participated in the first televised debates. Bidens shaky performance at the June debate was highly criticized, and ultimately contributed to his decision to drop out of the presidential race last month. On the same day Biden announced he would not seek reelection, he endorsed Harris for the Democratic nominee, and she formally secured the nomination last month. The National Constitution Center, meanwhile, has hosted similar high-profile events in the past. In 2008, it hosted the Democratic primary debate between then-Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, and also served as the location of ABC News Town Halls for Trump and Biden in 2020. We are honored to be selected, the National Constitution Centers President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen said in a statement last month. 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. Former President Donald Trump, the GOP nominee for president, arrives to speak at a campaign rally at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024. Read more Former President Donald J. Trump claimed Saturday in Wilkes-Barre that Vice President Kamala Harris rejected Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro as her running mate because he is Jewish. They turned him down because hes Jewish, Trump said during a rambling speech at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre. Advertisement The idea that Shapiro was snubbed for his Jewish faith has emerged as a popular talking point for Trump and his allies in the days since Harris selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Shapiros full-throated support for Israel in its war against Hamas came under scrutiny from progressive activists ahead of the decision. Shapiro has rejected the notion that antisemitism played any role in Harris decision. Harris husband, Doug Emhoff, is Jewish. I can tell you that antisemitism had no impact on the dialogue between the vice president and me, period, Shapiro said earlier this month after Trumps running mate, U.S. Sen. JD Vance, pushed the idea in Philadelphia. Trump repeated the claim in Wilkes-Barre. He also invoked the Holocaust and claimed that Jewish Americans are facing the greatest level of threats since World War II. Any Jewish person that votes for her or a Democrat has to go out and have their head examined, Trump said during his rally in Pennsylvania. If you see whats happening with Israel and Jewish people, there has never been a more dangerous time since the Holocaust if you happen to be Jewish in America, he continued. They turned him down for other reasons, but the primary reason is because hes Jewish. Harris campaign strongly rebutted Trumps comments in a Sunday statement, which also noted Trumps history of engaging with antisemetic tropes. Vice President Harris and Gov. Walz have decisively called out antisemitism in any form their entire careers, and our campaign will always be clear: Antisemitism and hate have no place in the Democratic Party or in our country. Gov. Shapiro is a tireless and extremely effective champion for the people of Pennsylvania, and our campaign strongly rejects the attacks, rooted in his faith, that he has endured, said Harris campaign spokesperson Charles Lutvak. But lets be clear: There is one candidate in this race who consistently denigrates American Jews, elevates Neo-Nazis, and trafficks in antisemitic tropes, and it is Donald Trump. This story has been updated with a comment from the Harris campaign. Mayor Cherelle L. Parker said her administration is working to expand awareness of property tax relief programs amid rising reassessments. Read more The average Philadelphia homeowner will see their property tax bill increase by $330 this year, Mayor Cherelle L. Parkers administration announced Monday as her office prepares to release the first citywide real estate reassessment in two years. The city will mail reassessment notices to property owners beginning Wednesday, and the new valuations will be searchable on the citys website around that time, the city said. Advertisement Tax bills are due March 31, 2025, and the average homeowners bill will be about $2,300, assuming they are signed up for the homestead exemption. The real estate tax rate is 1.3998% of a propertys taxable assessed value. Parker and City Council this year left the rate unchanged, but tax bills increase when assessments go up as property values grow over time. The overall value of residential properties, which make up a vast majority of the parcels, increased 19% under new values. READ MORE: Property tax bills are going up for many Philadelphians. Heres how to access new tax relief measures. Our residential real estate market is strong, Finance Director Rob Dubow said. Thats a good indicator for the Philadelphia markets desirability, but again it means taxes will go up. But not all real sectors of the local estate market are growing. The combined value of Philadelphias office buildings, whose owners have struggled to maintain tenants in the work-from-home era, decreased 6% in the reassessment, Dubow said. Over the last decade, Philadelphia has vastly improved the accuracy of its property tax rolls. But inaccuracies persist, and homeowners in rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods have been disproportionately affected by the resulting tax hikes. The city has also struggled to complete reassessments on an annual basis, which is key because it leads to small consistent increases over time rather than sticker shock over new valuations that capture multiple years of growth in the real estate market. In 2022, the Office of Property Assessment completed its first citywide reassessment in three years. The city was then faced with a deluge of property owners questioning and appealing their sharply increased valuations, and in 2023, the last year of Mayor Jim Kenneys administration, OPA pushed back the next reassessment for an additional year, leading to Mondays announcement. Dubow said Monday that the administration is not sure whether it will be able to complete a citywide reassessment next year. Wed love to get to annual [reassessments]. The goal is regular, he said. Delayed reassessments Under state law, the new valuations were supposed to be released by the end of March, but the city was four months late in producing them this year. Dubow said Monday that the delay was to allow for the completion ratio studies, which showed that the reassessment met industry standards for accuracy and fairness, and to build new outreach programs to increase awareness about tax relief programs, a priority for Parker. Parker said residents can expect to see outreach workers in their neighborhoods knocking on their door to ensure that they just have access to prop tax relief programs and home improvement programs. Were trying to do things a new way, she said. Montgomery L. Wilson, a senior attorney with Community Legal Services Consumer Housing Unit, said he does not believe the city has left adequate time for owners to review their assessment and decide whether to appeal before the Oct. 7 deadline, which is set in state law. READ MORE: Philadelphia property assessments are months behind schedule, and Mayor Parkers administration wont say why We seem to have a problem in Philadelphia with doing timely assessments in Philadelphia, Wilson said. Most people are going to have something like 50 days to learn of their assessment, figure out that its going to increase their bills, figure out how to appeal it, and file their appeal. He suggested Council pass a resolution encouraging the Board of Revision of Taxes to accept challenges filed after that date, which he said it has done in the past. Tax relief programs available The city has more than 580,000 real estate parcels, including residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional plots, and they are valued at a combined $231 billion in the new reassessment, up from $207 billion. Many property owners, especially those in rapidly gentrifying areas, will see their tax bills go up by far more than the $330 average increase. Others will see smaller increases, and about 20,000 properties will have decreased assessments. Owners who believe their assessments are inaccurate have two ways to contest the valuations. First, they can request that the Office of Property Assessment conduct a First Level Review, an informal process in which the agency takes a second look at its own work. To file a formal appeal, property owners must challenge their assessments with the Board of Revision of Taxes. To combat the expected increase in assessments, Council this year proposed and Parker agreed to raise the homestead exemption, which reduces the assessed value of owner-occupied properties, from $80,000 to $100,000. That program will save property owners up to a total of up to $1,399, depending on the value of their homes. Owners of homes assessed at $100,000 or less dont owe any property taxes if they enroll in the program. Council also created a new relief program for low-income homeowners that freezes property tax bills for individuals who make less than $33,500 annually and married couples who make less than $41,500. In light of todays property tax reassessment announcement, I am proud of the work done this year by my City Council colleagues to provide residents with much needed relief, Council Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson said in a statement. We understand that the most affordable home is the one you already own. The city also offers a tax freeze program for low-income seniors; the Longtime Owner Occupants Program, or LOOP, which protects residents in gentrifying areas; and Owner-Occupied Payment Agreement program, or OOPA, which allows owners enter into payment plans to avoid sheriffs sales. Property tax revenue is split between the city and school district. Parker this year successfully pushed Council to increase the share that goes to the school district from 55% to 56%, which the administration said will produce $125 million in additional revenue for schools over five years. Expected increases in property values will net the district another $115 million in that period, for an overall increased contribution of $240 million from the local property tax. A photograph of the Philadelphia skyline from the Jefferson Einstein Hospital parking garage in North Philadelphia. Read more Under Philadelphias latest property assessments released earlier this month, valuations are rising most rapidly in low-income neighborhoods in West Philadelphia that are near rapidly gentrifying areas. This continues a pattern of assessment spikes in Philadelphias Black and brown neighborhoods. And experts say a complex set of factors, including redlining, gentrification, and questionable government decision making, has contributed to systemically biased valuations. Advertisement The latest citywide revaluation of all properties, released Aug. 7 and the first since 2022, will be used to calculate 2025 property tax bills. An Inquirer analysis of those 2025 values found that property values increased most in heavily gentrified, working-class neighborhoods of color, and a 2022 Inquirer analysis found that the citys assessments are systemically inaccurate and overassess properties in Black neighborhoods. Researchers at Community Legal Services and Reinvestment Fund, the Philadelphia-based community investment nonprofit, found similar trends in a report earlier this year. I do think that were in a unique era where systemic biases that were before pushed to the side are being brought to the front, said Monty Wilson, a senior attorney at CLS. We are in a kind of new civil rights era. Philadelphias Office of Property Assessments is working with experts to improve fairness and accuracy, said James Aros Jr., the citys chief assessor. OPAs goal is to have the most accurate, uniform and equitable assessments possible, Aros said. Aros also noted that an external study commissioned by OPA found the agency meets industry standards for uniformity, appraisal level and equity. A history of redlining has contributed to issues with property assessments Starting in the 1930s, redlining allowed the federal government, lenders, and real estate stakeholders to artificially depress home values along race lines. Black neighborhoods and other neighborhoods of color were flagged as having low value. The practice was outlawed the 1960s, but versions of it persist today. Those artificially deflated housing prices have impacted investment opportunities. Institutional investors took advantage of historically redlined neighborhoods, buying up cheap property, waiting for neighborhood fortunes to change, then selling properties for higher prices as areas gentrified. OPAs use of sales data means gentrification can fuel value spikes. The citys mass appraisal system values properties based on recent sales, a homes characteristics, and the characteristics of nearby properties. In places where investors resold homes for profit, the sales could be for significantly higher prices than the value of the surrounding homes. In 2020 and 2021, more than 18% of all home sales were made from an investor to a traditional homeowner, according to a study by Drexel University and Reinvestment Fund. But sometimes rising sales prices accurately reflect whats happening in a neighborhood. Thats why city leaders focus on expanding tax relief programs. The challenge for people who live in gentrifying neighborhoods is, just because the homes around them are worth more, and just because their homes are worth more, it doesnt necessarily mean that they have the economic wherewithal to afford the tax increases that go along with that, said Ira Goldstein, senior adviser of policy solutions at Reinvestment Fund. OPA has shown some improvement in its methodology, experts say Sheriff sales, cash sales, and sales to speculators including the predatory We Buy Houses solicitors make up a fair number of transactions in working-class neighborhoods of color. These types of sales are less common in affluent areas. OPA often uses discretion about whether to include those sales in their assessment data, said Wilson. The exclusions are more prevalent in the citys Black neighborhoods, Latino neighborhoods, and low-income neighborhoods, Goldstein said. Cash and investor sales are subject to review like any other purchase, Aros said. Goldstein said OPA was receptive to suggestions from a 2019 study by CLS and Reinvestment Funds 2019 study, and he said its evident that the city made changes. We found there was still a difference between what they excluded and what we would have excluded, Goldstein said of his organizations 2023 study, but the differences were not as severe. In addition, OPA in its 2023 assessments included properties with active tax abatements in its assessment modeling, even though city law prohibits it, according to the report by CLS, the Center for Economic Policy Analysis, and Reinvestment Fund. The report states those sales should be removed, because sales prices tend to be higher for properties that benefit from a property tax abatement for new construction or rehabilitation. OPA acknowledged that it does use the sales of some abated homes in its assessments. However, the value of properties that are not new construction or recently rehabbed wouldnt be impacted because the city uses codes that groups properties in similar condition, Aros said. He added that OPAs own review of its 2023 assessments found the inclusion of abated properties followed legal and national standards. What else could be done to improve accuracy in property assessments? To truly improve accuracy, Wilson said, assessors should visit neighborhoods. OPA site visits also provide additional opportunities for city officials to spread the word about underutilized exemptions and tax relief programs, Goldstein added. Aros said OPA routinely inspects properties, adding that the agency cant focus on improvements specifically in low-income neighborhoods because assessors are prohibited from using income data. OPA also cant account for race in its assessments. But researchers recommended the city hire a third-party firm to conduct a racial equity study that looks at how assessments inadvertently contribute to racial and economic biases. Mayor Cherelle L. Parkers mayoral administration is laser-focused on fairness, equity and accuracy in assessments, Aros said. Parker, who took office in January, created a task force to study and submit best practices to help eliminate bias and inaccuracy in Philadelphias assessment protocol. Wilson and Goldstein sit on the task force along with other experts and representatives from OPA. Manchan Magan loves the train so much, that the day after we speak he is planning on taking a trip from Dublin to Kerry purely so he could get some work done. I have to focus on a gnarly chapter of a book I am writing, he says, adding quickly, and my mum is down there as though the sheer peace of trundling down our main rail line wasnt reason enough. Clipping along the rails is central to the 54-year-olds latest TV project, Manchans Europe By Train, a four-part series for RTE in which the intrepid writer and documentary-maker travels around our benighted continent, eschewing budget flights, and stopping off wherever the notion takes him. It seems a logical step for a man who declared in 2019 that he would no longer take flights for holiday purposes or for travel journalism something which he says all but put the brakes on that particular line of work. In the last five years that I have given up air travel, that has meant a lot more buses, ferries, and trains, and it does slow you the hell down, Manchan says from his home in Westmeath. It is also significantly more expensive, he adds, but no matter: He clearly loves the chug of the train and, as his new show illustrates, it does not mean an end to the adventure. As it happens, recording the show came in the midst of an altogether different type of journey or, as he puts it with a laugh, when Tommy Tiernan told the world I had cancer. Manchan Magan on the Tommy Tiernan Show It was on Tiernans chat show earlier this year that it emerged Magan had prostate cancer. It was never likely to obstruct him, however after all, on the show, he said of his diagnosis: But that is making me feel more alive than ever. Manchan reveals that he is now in remission, though adds that while his medical numbers are all in the right place now youre still meant to do things to keep it that way. It may well be that the spectre of cancer added something extra to the filming of Manchans Europe By Train, in which he and his small crew launch into a Kraftwerkian TransEurope express trip, starting in Dublin and taking in Wales, London, Brussels, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Budapest, Zagreb, Lake Bled, Genoa, Monaco, Toulouse and San Sebastian. It was a massive journey, he admits, but said he wanted to give people a sense of what was the reality of deciding to take your holidays by train the pros and cons. Manchan Magan travels entirely by train in Europe by Train. To hear him describe enjoying the immediacy of your surroundings as you travel by train, its clear he is a fan. Even on the first day, we leave Dublin Port [by ferry], arrive in Wales, and two-and-a-half hours later, Im ziplining down an old mine at 140mph speeding through the air, he recalls. As Manchan points out, unlike airports, train stations tend to be located bang in the centre of whatever town or city you visit. While you may still end up legging it to a certain platform to make your train on time, it is a myriad times more enjoyable than the cattle-like experience of going through an airport. Whats more, he says that his progress along the Mediterranean coast would have ended up being more expensive if hed taken the number of short hop flights that would have been required. He adds that the simplicity of travel by rail meant that he could just decamp somewhere like Toulouse in France a city I knew nothing about and get an immediate sense of the place. It all syncs perfectly with his inveterate sense of curiosity, something which helps explain his peripatetic working life, which started when he began taking long, wending journeys overseas with his brother as they followed the zen of travel. Its not to say that he doesnt have some favourite plane memories. For example, he recalls landing into a farthest margins of northern Canada to meet the Inuit, visiting remote Zambia, and going to an island off Taiwan where people lived under the ground, all on tiny, two propeller aircraft which sounds pleasantly like Indiana Jones. He thinks he may even have imagined flying into Peru on board a grown-up plane, which uniquely had wooden furniture inside including teak shelving adding: Its like a memory from another world. However, he is clear that plane travel as it is currently configured cannot go on untrammelled. He still flies for cultural reasons, such as when giving lectures, but sees the move in France to effectively ban internal flights as a sensible policy. The way that it will change is it goes back to a reality that you and I knew in the late 80s, it was always a bus or a train, the option of a flight just wasnt there. Manchan Magan in Budapest On this latest rail journey, there were many highlights. His discovery of a vibrant Congolese community in Brussels brought him back to the most exciting time in my life in the early 90s, when he stayed in what was Zaire. The Croatian capital of Zagreb was another eye-opener. Inland Croatia was an entirely new vista for me, and I lost my heart to it, he says. In Zagreb, they just dont have tourists they were genuinely excited to talk to me. This led to a host of ecological activities and a hot-air balloon ride, one which dropped to the level of the treeline. Manchans travels tend to be street level and he has, he says, been in places in the past where a sense of tension was palpable. But his recent travels around Europe has indicated to him that the continent is not anything like as fractured, or as fractious, as the news cycle would suggest. It woke me up to this idea that we are fed these stories by the media that Europe is in conflict and the world is in conflict, to focus on disharmony in the world, he says. In the Balkan states, he was instead astounded at the regularity with which people urged him to drink the river water, proclaiming it the best and purest in Europe. For Manchan, it was more than a sense of national or regional pride, it is rather a knowledge of the importance and centrality of nature to peoples lives. As he says of the prompts to please enjoy our water I havent heard that line from anyone apart from indigenous people. In Hungary, now closely associated with autocratic rule, Manchan says many ordinary people would quite openly criticise the countrys prime minister, Viktor Orban, and were focussed on their locality. On this trip, communities were excited by new, innovative things, he says, not least the drive in other European countries to live more sustainably something that he feels could be a model for how Ireland can change its approach. I used to think I would have to do a big, long journey to New Zealand and West Africa to get radical new perspectives, but there were so many of them, Manchan says. Manchan Magan in Schull, Co Cork. Picture Dan Linehan He uses the example of the Italian port city of Genoa, where a woman at a market went into lengthy, passionate detail about making basil pesto. She took him pretty much by the hand to find the best pine nut, then selected the 22-month aged Parmesan cheese and the different types of basil on offer. There was a time when we had that locality, he muses. I was really humbled that that was still going on. In the Basque city of San Sebastian, everything opens up to the sea and a typically younger generation take the time to clean up the cigarette butts. It all meant that when he returned, he found himself settling on the 99% more positive things happening in the world. Maybe his recent brush with mortality also played a part but, regardless, it seems Manchan and slow travel just go together. Manchans Europe By Train starts on RTE One Sunday at 6.30pm, with a four-part podcast also available. The woman at the centre of one of the longest unsolved mysteries in the history of the Rose of Tralee competition is due to attend this years contest. The 1972 Rose, Claire Schmid Furrer, will be among 25 Rose of Tralee winners attending this weekend. Known at the time as Claire Dubendorfer, the Swiss national was last seen being driven away from Tralee on the back of her then boyfriends motorbike. Until 2020, she was never seen or heard of again by any member of the Rose of Tralee management. Invites for the 25th anniversary of the contest in 1984, for example, were sent to her last known address in her native Switzerland but later returned person unknown. Despite attempts by other winning roses over the years, nobody had been able to track her down. So little is known about her that she merited little more than 100 words in what is regarded as the definitive history of the contest. She has since been in touch with the festival and is due to attend later this weekend. Now married, and a grandmother, she is an artist and lives just outside Zurich. A contest spokesperson confirmed she is due to attend, but whether or not she will be doing any interviews has yet to be decided. June Carey, who helped compile the information for Ryle Dwyers The Rose of Tralee, Fifty Years a-Blooming, said the mystery over her whereabouts was up until recently the biggest mystery of the contest. As well as so little being known about her, nobody appeared to even know what her Irish heritage was, as she would have needed a family link to qualify for entry into the contest. 'Very unusual' According to former Rose of Tralee escort Brian Sheahy, she was escorted wherever she went while she was in Tralee by her boyfriend. This was very unusual for a rose at the time, he recalled. They did not usually come to the contest with their boyfriends, so it was very unusual. What was even more unusual was that wherever she was driven with the other roses, he would follow the bus taking them anywhere on his motorbike. My role was to organise escorts for all the roses and although I was tasked with designating an escort for her, her boyfriend did most of the escorting. For the contest in September 1972, she listed her profession as a textile designer, and she was one of 29 contestants. She won the equivalent of around 13,000, along with according to the archives of a US paper "a number of gifts and travel assignments". Although she would have been expected to go on a promotional tour after winning, the 21-year-old very quickly hid herself away from the public gaze. She stayed in a remote house at Blennerville, outside Tralee, with her family. The house, which was previously owned by a family of Tralee butchers, is now derelict. Mr Sheahy recalled: Herself and her mother and her boyfriend stayed at the house for about a week and then just left. It was all very unusual from beginning to end. They stayed there for about a week to get away from all the attention. And then they were never seen again. Indeed, the last sighting of Ms Dubendorfer was on the back of that motorcycle being driven by her boyfriend. A toddler has been reunited with the bikers who played a role in saving her life by transporting vital breast milk from Cork to Dublin as she was waiting to undergo major heart surgery. More than two years after the successful operation, mum Freya OSullivan says she will be eternally thankful to the volunteers of Blood Bike South who transport everything from urine samples to spinal fluids for hospitals throughout the country. She was full of gratitude when meeting the team once again outside their base at St Finbarrs Hospital on Douglas Road, Cork City. Freya, who has been raising her now three-year-old daughter Arabella single handedly from birth, said the bikers came through for her during what she described as a touch and go situation. The 28-year-old said that Arabella had been fighting for her life from the time she was born due to a rare heart defect double outlet right ventricle (DORV) with vsd and pulmonary atresia. The condition disinhibited the flow of blood to the little girls lungs resulting in her needing open heart surgery. However, as a premature baby born at 31 weeks, she was too tiny to operate on in the initial stages. Breast milk was instrumental in helping her to build up sufficient strength to undergo the surgery. Volunteers of Blood Bike South regularly travelled to Arabellas mums house in Cork City to collect Freyas breast milk while she recovered from a C-section. Freya and Arabella O'Sullivan with Blood Bikes South volunteers, (left to right) Kevin O'Connor, Ken Cullan, Richie Ballard, Alfons Peeters, Billy Cahill, Ann Cronin and Tony O'Brien. Picture: David Creedon My supply wasnt great so they would bring whatever they could to the hospital in Dublin who would then top this up with donated breast milk, Freya explained. Arabella was able to have her first surgery so it looks like it got her to where she needs to be. With her only other family living in West Cork, Freya had little support aside from the remarkable motorcyclists who came to their rescue. I was only 24 when I had Arabella. I have no siblings and my mum was working at the time so she could only come to me on her days off. It was great to know that I could call on the blood bikes if I needed them. They were so nice and offered to take care of any anything I needed. It wasnt just breast milk they were willing to transport. "They told me that anything I needed even if that was just a spare change of clothes could be brought to the hospital. She cast her mind back to that stressful period. I had a very high-risk pregnancy but I didnt know that Arabella had a heart defect until hours after she was born. It was very touch and go. I didnt know whether she was going to survive or not because she was so small. "There wasnt anything immediate that they could do but I met with the cardiologists after she was taken to Crumlin. They were able to give her a drug to help and give her time to put on weight and grow stronger. "During that time the blood bikes were able to transport breast milk which the Coombe and Crumlin hospitals both recommended over anything else. "When I went home they would transport the breast milk to Crumlin for me. She was in the Coombe for about five weeks before being transferred to Crumlin. She got really sick and had to be revived twice and have emergency surgery. It was a fairly long time to be away from home. Freya will never forget how the charity helped them in their time of need. I didn't know whether I was going to be up in Crumlin or dividing my time between Cork and Dublin. Blood Bikes helped me for six weeks and we have kept in contact since. "I send them updated photos of Arabella all the time. They check in every so often too just to see how we are getting on. She is too young to understand now but Ill be telling her all about the blood bikes as she gets older. "I want to let her know who helped her when she really needed it. I'd say the volunteers wonder where half these kids go when they are discharged so its nice to keep them updated. The mother and daughter have come a long way since Arabellas surgery. Arabella will need continuous monitoring for the rest of her life. She is developmentally delayed and has a lot of appointments such as physio and occupational therapy. She will need more surgery throughout her life and while she is healthy for now it is continuous. "At the moment she is happy. She loves singing and dancing. She never stops singing. Arabella is very bright. She hopes that as many parents as possible can avail of the service. There are a lot of parents with children in hospital who also have other kids at home. It means they cant normally be with the child who is sick every day. "I can see how the Blood Bikes would be a huge help to them. Any time Im speaking to a parent who is stressed about these kind of things I always recommend the Blood Bikes. "Many people believe that all Blood Bikes do is transport blood but they are so much more than that. Its there for everyone. To find out more or to donate to Blood Bike South visit www.bloodbikesouth.ie. The government has been criticised after telling 144 Ukrainian refugees in Cork that they are being relocated at the end of August with many still not knowing where they are being sent. In a letter issued by the Department of Integration, the Ukrainians were told: There has been a decrease in the number of people fleeing the war in Ukraine seeking accommodation in Ireland. As a result of this decrease, the Department has begun consolidating its accommodation portfolio." It continued that the government now wishes to notify you that we must relocate you to new accommodation. Most of the Ukrainians have been given until between August 25-31 to relocate but many do not know exactly where they are going yet. Ukrainians refugees across Co. Kerry have also received similar letters including those living in Ballinskelligs, Milltown, Derrynane, and Cahirsiveen. Kathryn Kingston, development officer with West Cork Development Partnership said it is deeply unfair to uproot people who have made lives for themselves at such short notice". There are three units moving, Ardnagashel with 70 Ukrainians, Rosscarberry Convent and Scartagh House have 37 each," she said. Ardnagashel is absolutely perfect, there are seven courtyard cottages, each have their own house and six houses in the woods. They can cook for themselves, they have their grounds, bikes and trampolines and have been there since November 2022. They are due to move, a date of relocation was given for August 25. They are yet to be told where they will move. In the letter sent by the Department of Integration, it also states: We regret to inform you that the Department can no longer provide any accommodation for pets. If you own a pet you will have to make appropriate arrangements for it." Ms Kingston said: The Ukrainians are packing up boxes, no one wants to leave, they dont know where they are going to live. The schools are waiting to see if they hold the childrens places, the bus inspector has no idea if he will have more or less children, they are all on hold. The local doctor has issued them all with up-to-date prescriptions and are ready to transfer them to another doctor, somewhere else in the country. But all of these people are discommoded. In the same week we got notification about Convent House in Rosscarbery. That is owned by wedding planners Peter and Eadaoin Kelly. They have been hosting 37 Ukrainians and live in same accommodation, they are distraught, they put so much work into it all. The Ukrainians transformed the place. They are all families, and they have redone the convent they have integrated so well into the community." She said the 37 Ukrainians in Scartagh House in Clonakilty were told to move six weeks ago. Their leaving day is August 31. It is really difficult for people. Employers, bus transports, doctors, and schools, this just disrupts the whole community. Friendships have been made and there seems to be no logic in moving them so far away to start all over again. We know they all have to relocate but why cant they look at at places in their community for continuity. A spokesperson for Holly Cairns Office said she has been "inundated" with letters of upset about the Ukrainians being moved when many have settled in the area and are in local employment. The Department of Intergration has been contacted. Parents connected to a special school in Cork city plan to protest their exclusion from a new therapy pilot project saying they are devastated to be left out. Therapeutic intervention in St. Killians Special School in Mayfield was withdrawn in 2020. Since then the parents said the school, with over 100 students, has not had a single therapeutic hour allocated. The pilot will be provided by the HSEs Childrens Disability Network Teams in 16 special schools across Cork and Dublin. It will be supported by the National Council for Special Education. However parents of St. Killians Special School said they are deeply disappointed at being left out even though they welcome the long-promised roll-out. We feel we have no other option at this point but to protest, a spokeswoman said. She called for the school either to be included or for St Killians to receive a grant pledged by Minister of state for disabilities Anne Rabbitte in November 2023 for private therapy providers. In the absence of any explanation or clear criteria for the selection of schools for the pilot, this exclusion appears to stem from the incorrect perception that the children who attend St. Killians do not have as many complex needs as those in other special schools, she said. This perception is entirely unfounded. She said it is both demeaning and dehumanising for the children to have to continuously prove somehow their needs are complex. For parents, she said: It is exhausting and heartbreaking to have to continually demonstrate our childrens challenges rather than being able to celebrate their individuality and undeniable beauty. Our children deserve better. They cannot wait any longer." The school has 104 students including 79 who have a dual diagnosis of autism and mild to moderate intellectual disabilities. Many also have ADHD, dyslexia or complex medical needs. In some cases students display severe self-injurious behaviour and suicidal ideation and are in urgent need of mental health support. Last year St Killians Parents Unite met with Ms Rabbitte on the four year gap in therapy provision. They discussed "the possibility of appointing a private multi-disciplinary team to provide therapeutic services to the school, the parents said. Their understanding was the Minister was committed to finding a solution and pledged her Department would cover the costs associated with (private therapy). However, despite the school finding a private company they said: The grant was not forthcoming and no formal discussions have taken place with the Minister since. Sinn Fein TD for Cork North Central, Thomas Gould met parents on Friday. He criticised the Governments lack of support particularly Tanaiste Micheal Martin. The Tanaistes comments - that he believes St Killians should have therapists and that he disagrees with the prioritisation of community-based service provision were nothing short of barefaced hypocrisy, he said. Over the last four years, Fianna Fail has held the Disability Ministry and Micheal Martin himself was Taoiseach for two years why has he done nothing to support these children in that time? He warned: Telling parents that theyll have services after January when the election will likely be over before that is just a case of kicking the can down the road to try to win votes. Mr Gould called on people in Cork to support the protest which takes place Thursday at 1pm at St Killians Special School. The recent public unrest in Britain proved something of a litmus test for the British government in terms of how willing it was to go toe-to-toe with the current culture of misinformation and social agitation which led to the worst riots seen in that country for over a decade. After days of severe rioting, police forces around Britain made one thing clear justice would be swift, and those who had misguidedly got themselves involved in the mayhem would come to rue their decision. So it came to pass, with brutal sentences passed down mere days after the related crimes took place. A lack of physical presence at the flashpoints was no excuse, with one woman, 53-year-old Julia Sweeney, handed a 15-month sentence for using inflammatory language regarding a mosque on Facebook. In receiving her sentence at Chester crown court, the presiding judge told Sweeney that so-called keyboard warriors like her have to learn to take responsibility for their language. Comparing the British unrest with Irelands far-right riots last November is instructive, not least because a narrative has emerged that what happened in Britain in recent weeks followed the exact playbook seen in Dublin last year, albeit on a much greater scale. That is, a vicious attack was carried out against children, followed by disinformation spreading online within minutes of its occurrence that the perpetrator was an asylum seeker. Police officers in Newcastle, England, ahead of a far-right demonstration. Picture: PA Further, in the Irish context, those spreading the misinformation and causing the unrest saw that Irelands political parties were not quite sure what to do with the new status quo with some even showing a willingness to bend their ideology more in the direction of a greater intolerance for immigration than for which they had hitherto shown an appetite. The circumstances in the two countries were different, of course for one, the stabbing of several children at a dance studio in Southport, near Liverpool, last month post-dated a general election as opposed to happening in the build-up to one, giving the new government a mandate to bring the hammer down hard on those participating in the mayhem that followed without fear of any electoral blowback. Secondly, British policing culture has far more experience and history with the type of public unrest which caught An Garda Siochana so unaware late last year. The approach across the water was unequivocally heavy-handed, as were the sentences which followed the rioting. One constant between the two jurisdictions is the use of social media to foster trouble, often via blatant disinformation most obviously being that, in both the Irish and British cases, the perpetrator of the stabbings was a citizen, not a recent immigrant as was asserted online. However, are social media users being held to account to the same extent for their postings in both jurisdictions? And what of those who choose to spread hate and incite mayhem anonymously? The coffin of stabbing victim Alice da Silva Aguiar, 9, is carried into St Patrick's Church, Southport, England. Picture: Danny Lawson/PA Mark Malone, researcher with far-right monitoring group the Hope and Courage Collective, believes there is a difference of approach in terms of online incitement between Britain and Ireland. If you look at the example of Conor McGregor, who at the time of the riots was calling for people to vaporise buildings, there was never a sense that what he was saying was being perceived as a clear call to action, either by the social media platforms or law enforcement, said Mr Malone. He notes that such rhetoric is not confined to Mr McGregor, with several Irish local representatives having happily posted online in eyebrow-raising terms in recent times about immigration. There seems to be a difference between the UK and here, a difference in the type of state reaction being seen, said Mr Malone. Theres a caveat though these swift and long sentences shouldnt be celebrated, the way the harmful stuff is amplified is also a significant problem. Here, he is talking about the algorithms on social media platforms which can serve to recommend hateful content. Theres nothing particularly organic about that. Wed be wary of thinking that it is solely criminal justice that will fix it, there needs to be accountability for those entities aiding in that incitement. But there is an open question as to whether or not there is really a political desire to take on the tech companies which play a particular role in incitement without any accountability regarding the consequences. Of those platforms, X, formerly Twitter, is perhaps the most egregious, given that its owner Elon Musk reintroduced many agitators to the platform who had, prior to his takeover in November 2022, been banned for posting hateful content, and also taking into account that Mr Musk is more than capable of posting grim material himself his recent criticism of British prime minister Keir Starmer as Two Tier Keir on the back of the governments response to the rioting being a case in point. X, Facebook and Instagram owner Meta, and video-sharing platform TikTok were all contacted for comment regarding their policies on abusive content and how they interact with law enforcement, An Garda Siochana in an Irish context, when it comes to unmasking those posting hateful content anonymously. Meta said that it has invested more than $20bn to enhance its trust and safety division since 2016, and said that it has moved to combat misinformation by investing more than $150m in its third-party fact-checking programme. A spokesperson added that the company is constantly working to identify and disrupt co-ordinated inauthentic behaviour disinformation, in other words. They added the platforms work with law enforcement when we believe there is a genuine risk of physical harm or direct threats to public safety. TikTok did not comment at length, but pointed towards its community guidelines, saying that any hateful content would be removed. A spokesperson said that its trust and safety team the service Mr Musk notoriously did away with at Twitter upon buying the platform now stands at 40,000-strong worldwide. X, as is its wont, did not reply. A person takes part in a far-right anti-immigration demonstration in Newcastle, England. Picture: PA Off the record, it is understood that gardai seeking information regarding anonymous individuals from the platforms simply seek it in the same way they might look for CCTV footage from a retail business to aid in an investigation, and that the platforms or internet service providers are generally pretty responsive when it comes to those forays. It is unclear to what extent An Garda Siochana makes use of those powers the force did not respond to questions on the subject. However, how often it does so would surely be its own decision. Of course, there are other aspects to problematic content posted online. One is instances where a private individual is defamed by an anonymous person and wants to take a civil court action. It is an expensive, and slow, process. It is the case that its costly to identify someone, says privacy solicitor Simon McGarr. Allowing for anonymous speech has historically been very important. Theres a balance to be struck there. How much does it cost to get such a Norwich Pharmacal order (named for the first company to obtain one)? About 70,000 between both sides, with the cost typically borne by the loser (Irelands new defamation bill seeks to reduce those costs by up to half by moving the application to the circuit court). For people more concerned about how Irelands pending general election will be affected by disinformation, there is encouraging news in the form of the Electoral Reform Act 2022 a piece of legislation passed two years ago but which was never commenced by the Government which the State is seeking to update. Under the new law, should it pass and the plan is to pass it before the next election, the Electoral Commission can be notified by the public about harmful but not illegal content online and, should the regulatory body agree, have the content removed. 'Harmful but not illegal' The key is in the phrase harmful but not illegal the latter is a job for the gardai. However, it indicates that a new definition is in the offing which will label a new class of discourse that which is not unlawful but is harmful. Whether it will cover disinformation will not be known until the commission comes up with a code of conduct and thus a definition of what qualifies as harmful content. We cant say yet if its a bad idea or a good idea, says Mr McGarr. But its definitely significant that its happening. It will amount to a very significant and far-reaching social change. When Julie Malone was told in January she would see a consultant at University Hospital Limerick in August for severe breathing problems, the wait seemed long enough. Then last Thursday, she received an apologetic phone call and was told her appointment on Friday was cancelled with no replacement date. She is just one of hundreds of patients across five hospitals in Limerick, Clare and Tipperary who saw appointments and even surgeries cancelled at short notice. The cancellations, recommended by an external three-person team working with UHL, are hoped to ease pressures so emergency patients can be seen across the hospitals. Ms Malone, 62 and living in Clare, suffers with frequent chest infections and a severe cough, noticeable even on the phone. Initially told in October she would need an appointment, she said: "I had a phone call from [a respiratory consultant)] and then the CT scan in January with the intention of meeting this guy very quickly afterwards. So that wait was from January 2 to August. She added: And then my appointment gets cancelled. Now she has no indication whatsoever when it might happen. A few years ago I was told I was pre-COPD and at this point I believe that I do have COPD but I have no definitive diagnosis, she said, explaining this limits what her GP can do. She also takes care of her elderly father and had already arranged homecare. Then I had to go back and cancel them, and if Im messing them around theyre not going to bother coming in again, she said. 'Theres lots of prongs on this, and they [UHL] dont think about this at all. Dozens of patients took to social media this week describing how work or childcare were affected and also saying they had no new date. Many noted high trolley figures reaching 127 last Wednesday are happening in August, which makes them afraid for winter. Aoife Johnston, 16, from Shannon, Co Clare, died after waiting 12 hours on a chair to see a doctor at an overcrowded University Hospital Limerick, in December 2022. Melanie Cleary, from Corbally in Limerick, has heard many examples, even of colonoscopies cancelled. A member of the Midwest Hospital Campaign, her daughter Eve, 21, died in July 2019, hours after being sent home having spent 17 hours on a trolley. While the hospital apologised and pledged new protocols for the treatment of blood clotting, she is furious overcrowding has not lessened. When Eve died, they said to me this will never happen again, she said. It was like a horror story reading reports from the recent inquest into the death of Aoife Johnston in December 2022, Ms Cleary said. A lot of things in that took me back to that night , it made me so angry, she said. I really believe if they had learned lessons after Eve died, then Aoife might not have died, it was heart-wrenching. She now intends to run in the next election, saying: Ive learned its all about politics and warned: "This has affected five hospitals, thats a lot of patients and it is not the solution. A review into Ms Johnstons death has not yet been published. A HSE spokesman could only say: The CEO has confirmed he has received the report and is considering it. Sean Egan, director of healthcare regulation at health watchdog Hiqa, oversaw a number of critical inspections at UHL. Overcrowding is a symptom of wider issues and gaps locally as well as bed shortages, he said. Questions need to be asked, he said, like: do you have enough stepdown care, do you have enough [space] for people who actually need to go into residential care?. He is hopeful HSE regional executive officer Sandra Broderick, who has eyes on hospital and community, could make a difference. Its not to say there was never any communication but I think the formalistion of that, in principle, is a good thing. It all depends on how it plays out in practice, he cautioned. A protest at overcrowding at UHL last March. Inspectors have seen incremental improvements such as much better" staffing levels, but concerns remain. Buildings include, he said, state-of-the-art blocks and then a lot of the old infrastructure is some of the worst you will see in the HSE. A new block is set to open next year, but he estimated: I dont think that it will be fully enough. Theres 96 beds going in, and I know the hospital themselves did an analysis with an external consultancy firm which said that they needed 200. A second 96-bed block is planned as are further wards. Hiqa will shortly publish terms of reference for a review into whether a second ED is needed. Health Minister Stephen Donnelly stood over the cancellations, saying overcrowding in the ED was "not acceptable" for patients or healthcare staff in the Midwest. The only solution is a radical increase in capacity coupled with radical reform at the hospital in terms of patient flow. This reset is part of that reform of patient flow," he told the Irish Examiner. He emphasised the need for reform, saying: The recent report by the expert group was stark in making similar observations, including that some practices which are now standard in other hospitals have not been implemented at UHL. There are now about 20,000 fewer people waiting for a first consultant's appointment there than at the start of 2022, he said, adding: "We need to see this same level of improvement for those patients in the ED. A spokesman for UHL directed questions to earlier comments by Ms Broderick. Weve seen an enormous increase in attendance for unscheduled care, she told Clare FM, saying it was an 8% increase compared to 2023. Unfortunately, and Im really sorry, we had to make this decision. She highlighted exceptions including for cancer and cardiology. Timeline of events that led to current crisis What critical steps or mis-steps have left patients in Limerick, Clare and Tipperary in crisis again some 20 years since hospital reforms began? 2003: An emergency department in the Mid-Western Regional Hospital (now called University Hospital Limerick UHL) was supported by EDs in Ennis, Nenagh and St Johns hospitals. The Hanly report advised nationally having small emergency departments was not sustainable, either from the viewpoint of patient safety or staffing. It picked the Mid-West as one of two pilots for reform, detailing needs for more staff, beds and other changes. April 2008: The HSE Mid-West Acute Hospital Services Review (Teamwork report) found three consultants covering the four EDs. It advised the small units were not viable, stand-alone A&E services and recommended increasing supports at UHL, including bringing bed numbers to 642. April 2009: The three EDs were closed under then health minister Mary Harney despite widespread opposition and predictions of chaos. Hiqa (Health Information and Quality Authority) published a critical report on Ennis hospital following concerns raised by patients. This said the Ennis 24-hour ED was unsustainable and recommended reforms for the region. June 2017: A new ED opened in UHL, at a cost of 24m. April 2018: Tommy Wynne, 65, from Ennistymon, Co Clare, died in UHL after spending 36 hours on a trolley. His widow Marie McMahon later co-founded the Midwest Hospital Campaign. July 2019: Eve Cleary, 21, from Corbally, Limerick, died three hours after she was discharged from UHL, having spent 17 hours on a trolley. A High Court case taken by her parents Melanie and Barry was held in January 2024. December 2019: Martin Abbott, 65, from Shannon, Co Clare, died in the ED. His inquest, held in March 2024, heard he may have been dead on the floor for an hour before being found. June 2022: Hiqa inspectors found a patient waiting 116 hours for a bed and said patients had little to no privacy or dignity. September 2022: Professor Colette Cowan, UL Hospital Group chief executive, told the Oireachtas Health Committee UHL had only 530 beds that month. October 2022: Construction work began on a 96-bed unit with an estimated finish date of October 2024. It has since emerged this means 71 new beds and 25 replacement beds. It is expected to open next year. December 2022: Aoife Johnston, 16, died in the ED after spending 12 hours on two chairs, having come with a doctors letter querying sepsis, a life-threatening condition requiring urgent treatment. Medical staff at her inquest, in April 2024, described the ED as a death trap and not a safe environment and intolerable and like a war zone. January 2023: UHL declared a major internal incident due to severe overcrowding, leading to cancellations for patients among other measures. This reflected chaos nationally with the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation counting 931 patients on trolleys on January 3, including 97 in Limerick. The Irish Medical Organisation and Irish Hospital Consultants Association called for immediate changes to bed numbers and staffing. An estimated 11,000 people marched through Limerick against overcrowding, co-organised by Mike Daly. May-June 2023: A second block of 96 beds was confirmed, with planning for four more 24-bed wards by Health Minister Stephen Donnelly. During the year, UHL received additional funding for nurses and non-hospital consultant doctors. November 2023: The Committee on Public Petitions received a petition with 15,000 signatures organised by the MidWest Hospital Campaign calling for re-opening of the EDs. April to May 2024: Among various crisis measures, a HSE support team led by Grace Rothwell, a HSE national director, was sent in. Hiqa was asked to carry out a review to see if a second ED was needed in light of the growing population. August 2024: UHL cancelled many out-patient surgeries and appointments in all five hospitals in the region, blaming high ED patient numbers. Justice delayed is a way of life in this country. There are many examples of how justice is arrived at following campaigns to right a wrong that extends for decades. The old saying that justice delayed is justice denied certainly rings true, but at least, in some instances, there is at the end of a long road a resolution of sorts. The most recent example was the inquest into the deaths of forty eight young people in the Stardust tragedy in 1981. The outpouring of pent-up emotion was writ large across the public square in April when the verdict of unlawful killings for all was announced. Friends and siblings of the bereaved who had carried their pain and grievance through practically all their adult lives were at last able to glimpse the relief of closure. A similar closure occurred a few years ago for a family in Co Kerry who had spent nearly forty years living under a shadow thrown by the state. Joanne Hayes and her family received an apology for what they had been put through in the Kerry babies case in 1984. The government took the unusual step of repudiating a tribunal report compiled on the matter which had accused the family of lying. There is another case of a serious injustice stretching back further than the two above which has gone unaddressed and is now freighted with urgency. Marty Kerrigan was beaten to death in December 1971 on the basis that he was suspected of murdering a neighbour. He was an innocent man and there is a body of evidence to suggest the actions of a small number of gardai prompted the killers to act as they did. None of these gardai wanted Mr Kerrigan dead but they did recklessly identify him as a killer and events thereafter spun out of control. Murder victim Una Lynskey. The case in question began on October 12, 1971, outside the village of Ratoath in Co Meath. Nineteen-year-old Una Lynskey disappeared on the short walk from the local bus stop to her home. The murder squad were called in. A group of gardai associated with this unit would acquire through the seventies a reputation for assaulting suspects. Early on in the Lynskey case they came to the conclusion that three local men in the close-knit community were responsible for what had befallen Una. Marty Kerrigan was 19, his friend Martin Conmey was 20, and the third man Dick Donnelly was 22. A number of sightings of a suspicious man in the vicinity at the time Una disappeared were discounted by the gardai. Within a few weeks, the three were taken into Trim garda station. There is a copious evidence that they were intimidated and assaulted in custody. Both Conmey and Kerrigan signed statements implicating themselves in Unas disappearance. The narratives were disjoined, didnt make sense, and were highly inconclusive After their release, the now obvious suspects, and particularly Kerrigan, were marked men. Six weeks later Unas body was found in the Dublin mountains. Nine days after that, Kerrigan was kidnapped by Unas two brothers and her first cousin and taken to a spot near where Unas body had been located. They killed him and drove back home. That is an outline of a case that is now nearly fifty three years old. I have written a book, Who Killed Una Lynskey?, which details the tragic sundering of a community and what in places is shocking evidence of malpractice and worse by some gardai. Early on, they decided who the culprits were and thereafter built a case around that premise. When facts came into conflict with their hunch they got some new facts. Where interrogations didnt yield results to back up their hunch, they allegedly used violence. When they gave evidence in the subsequent murder trial it seems all but certain that they committed organised perjury. They didnt set out to frame the young men. The most benign explanation is that they believed their hunch and were willing to go to great lengths to find Unas killers and her remains in order to bring closure to the womans family. But the evidence was so threadbare that the continued pursuit of the line of inquiry was, at the very least, reckless. The case was the first in a whole string of cases right into the 1980s, culminating with the Kerry Babies, in which highly dubious confessions were obtained amid allegations of assaults in custody. Who Killed Una Lynksey? details the similarities and recurring themes in so many cases during that period, the same allegations, the same methods, the same small group of gardai at the centre of it all. Dick Donnelly and Martin Conmey were convicted of the manslaughter of Una Lynskey in 1972. Dick successfully appealed, but Martins appeal was rejected. He served three years in Mountjoy. In 2010 his conviction was overturned by the Court of Criminal Appeal. Subsequently he received a certificate of miscarriage of justice and compensation from the state. Marty Kerrigan never had a chance to clear his name. He died with the stain of being a murder suspect. There is no official process open to his next of kin to right that grievous wrong Two years ago, ahead of a TV programme on the case, Martin Conmey received an apology from the garda commissioner, Drew Harris. It is unclear what exactly the apology was for. Martin Conmey, of Porterstown Lane, Co Meath, at the Four Courts with his wife, Anne, after the Court of Criminal Appeal declared that his conviction for the manslaughter of Una Lynskey in 1971 was a miscarriage of justice. Shortly afterwards, Marty Kerrigans relatives met with Harris. By all accounts the garda chief appeared sympathetic to their plight and assured them that he would look into it. Separate to that, a cold case review of the killings of Una Lynskey and Marty Kerrigan was launched last year. That review has now delayed any prospect of an apology or some form of acknowledgment of a wrong done to a 19-year-old man that cost him his life. Why such an investigation has to delay any gesture for the Lynskey family is unclear. The premature death of anybody is tragic and weighs heavily on bereaved loved ones. That is the case for Una Lynskeys family. Their pain is compounded by the fact that nobody has been deemed culpable for her death. The Kerrigan family have had to bear an additional burden throughout practically the whole of their adult lives. His siblings, John, Mary, Ann, Katie, and Eileen now range in age from mid seventies to eighty plus. At this late stage surely they are entitled, as carriers of their brothers flame, to an acknowledgment from the state that Marty Kerrigan was an innocent man, the victim of malpractice that left an indelible stain on An Garda Siochana. Who Killed Una Lynskey? By Mick Clifford is published by Penguin Ireland and is on sale from next Thursday. EZULWINI Cases of community police members allegedly breaking the law are increasingly common in the country. Just a week after a community police member from Shewula under the Lomahasha Constituency was arrested for allegedly disregarding the countrys laws, a case of alleged physical assault has been opened against a male community police member from the popular Belina area in Ezulwini. This man, a well-known Ezulwini resident, allegedly assaulted Devine Healing Ministries Pastor Nandipha Shabangu and her two children, accusing them of disrespect. The incident reportedly occurred last Saturday at Shabangus homestead in Ezulwini. The assault left the pastor heavily bruised, and she claims to have been in severe pain since the alleged assault. Shabangu stated that she was taken to the Mbabane Government Hospital for treatment, where she was admitted for 24 hours, discharged and given medication. However, she continues to suffer. Investigations into the assault revealed that the accused had been threatening Shabangu and her family for the past seven years. Violent They allegedly suffered verbal insults from him until last Saturdays incident, when he became physically violent. When inflicting physical assault on the family, the community police member was allegedly armed with a bush knife and an okapi (a smaller knife), which have since been seized by the police after he was briefly detained. Neighbours who witnessed the incident said it had been brewing for some time due to alleged conflict between them. The community police member had reportedly displayed a negative attitude towards Shabangu and her children after they bought the homestead in 2017, which had previously been owned by his family. It seems he has been finding it difficult to accept that the area is now owned by Shabangu, hence his wayward behaviour. A resident who witnessed the incident alleged that the community police member had been displaying this negative attitude due to the change in ownership. The neighbour requested to remain anonymous in fear of victimisation. Its important to note that the accused persons identity is known to this publication, but will not be disclosed until he is formally charged by the police and appears in court. Assaulting Another witness claimed, The man has been verbally assaulting Nandipha and her family for many years, making endless threats. He believes that the family should not be living in the home and wants them to leave. When physically assaulting Shabangus family, the accused was allegedly in a state of questionable sobriety, as shown in a video clip shared with this publication. According to eyewitnesses, the accused was armed with a bush knife and an okapi knife when he confronted Shabangu and ordered her to leave the homestead, claiming she did not belong there. During the confrontation, he attempted to stab her with the okapi in front of her daughter and younger son. When the daughter tried to defend her mother, she was inadvertently stabbed in the hand. The accused then forcibly took the daughter to a nearby house, where he picked up a bush knife. He proceeded to allegedly hit Shabangus daughter on the head with the side of the bush knife. Subsequently, the accused attempted to use the same weapon to harm Shabangu, but her elder son intervened just in time. He managed to grab the bush knife from the accused and hit him back with it in defence of his mother. Unfortunately, prior to the sons arrival, the accused had severely assaulted Shabangu with claps and kicks all over her body. In the video, the accused is heard declaring his intentions to cause serious harm to Shabangu, shouting that the family did not belong there. The following day (Sunday), a case of physical assault against the accused was opened at the Ezulwini Police Post. This was confirmed by the officer-in-charge at this post, identified as Mtsetfwa. Trouble The matter you are asking about was reported on Sunday. Since we are just a police post, it has been referred to the Lobamba Police Station for further investigations. Please contact the police spokesperson for developments, Mtsetfwa said. Nandiphas elder son, *Menzi, also confirmed the assault on his mother by the accused. He has been causing trouble for my family since 2018 by making false accusations and threatening my mother. He believes that my family should not be staying at the homestead. Its also true that my mother filed a case against him at the Ezulwini Police Post, and we hope the law will take its course. He is a menace to my family, Menzi said. He mentioned that his mothers medical report showed that she was left swollen on one of her hands, along with painful bruises all over her body. The son made it clear that they would not be held at ransom by the accused and promised that they will not rest until justice has been served in this matter. Efforts were made to get a comment from the accused, but his cellphone rang unanswered despite several attempts made from 1:30pm yesterday until 8:15pm. A call was made to France Dlamini, the Chairperson of the Ezulwini Community Police members, but he declined to comment for unknown reasons. Additionally, a senior member of the Belina Chiefdom couldnt comment on the matter, stating that it was beyond her jurisdiction. It has been reported that the accused will appear in court next Wednesday. Community policing is a proactive, collaborative approach aimed at preventing crime. It emphasises increased community involvement, building strong relationships between the community and law enforcement, and establishing an effective law enforcement presence in the community. In Eswatini, community police members work together with the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) to combat crime in different communities. Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Senior Superintendent Phindile Vilakati requested to be given more time to check with the Lobamba Police Station on how far investigations on the matter have gone. LOVE Ulster. I only have to mention the words, and a whole generation here in the South of Ireland is swept back to February 2006 to the first loyalist march consisting mostly of relatives of IRA murder victims to take place through Dublin city centre since Partition. Willie Frazer, the loyalist founder of Families Acting for Innocent Relatives, saw nothing untoward about replicating the scenes of the annual July 12 commemoration in the North by parading bands and men costumed in sashes and top hats through the streets of the capital. It was, as he correctly reminded anyone who would listen, their right to protest peacefully. However, it wasnt a protest. It was essentially a highly inciteful march, and viewed by many down south as a loud statement of defiance. Counter protesters who objected to the parade along the street, where the Irish Proclamation had been delivered 90 years earlier, took to the streets and rioted. Blue skies turned dark as cars were set on fire. Its estimated 2,000 rioters were involved. Around 40 people, including three gardai, were injured. Willie Frazer was 15 when his father, a member of the UDR, was murdered by the IRA. Three other members of his family would meet similar deaths over the next 10 years at the hands of the terrorists. Willie Frazer, who has lost four close members of his family to provisional IRA violence. According to reports in a BBC Spotlight programme broadcast in 2019, the year of his death, Frazer had been supplying assault rifles and rocket launchers to loyalist groups in the North in the early 1990s a claim backed up by former UDA boss Johnny Adair. Frazer was a controversial figure all through his life, mostly remembered for his arrest following the illegal 2013 loyalist flag protests. At one of his court appearances, he arrived dressed as radical Muslim cleric Abu Hamza. So one wonders how he might have reacted to the protest outside Belfast City Hall two weeks ago. In a part of the island still plagued by sectarian tensions and random violent attacks by dissidents from both sides, the sight of Irish Tricolours mixed with Union Jacks and a large sign saying Coolock says no at a far-right, anti-immigration rally left most fair-minded people shocked. The Coolock Says No group marching with Loyalist Groups in Belfast. PA Republican protestors reportedly ended the day drinking with loyalists in a pub that supposedly has had strong connections with the UDA over many years. The violent protest led by such a highly divisive collusion, many of whom were too young to remember the dark days of the Troubles, sent shock waves through the country more so because of its combined target, namely immigrants. Belfast Magistrates Court Judge Mark Hamill said from the bench last Saturday: Attacking a person who is trying to run a business because of the colour of his skin is as bad as it gets. Some of those he was remanding in custody that day will no doubt disagree with him. Others will forever wonder what took hold of them in a moment that changed their lives forever. Its timely that the house of Paisley no longer has a place in northern politics, with its abhorrence of a possible all-island unity that they rejected over generations a sign that the political dynamic has shifted; but this is a sign of unity that nobody foresaw and its not what were about. Its difficult to know where this unholy alliance will go from here, and equally worrying. The dangerous political jigsaw has been at the core of northern violence for decades, but a merger that radicalises ordinary innocent bystanders who end up rioting is extremely worrying So what precisely is it that turns a normally peaceful individual into an anger filled rioter? Research over many years shows that most protesters who turn violent do so as a result of long-held suppressed feelings of political contempt mixed with despair. One reason they mostly fall below the radar is that they dont openly discuss their views of a system they believe is stacked against them, responsible for neglecting their needs and what they feel entitled to, while the same system prioritises the needs of others they see as making them feel more marginalised. Despair, the complete loss or absence of hope, has a shocking ability to unleash waves of anger and violence if theres a belief among a community in despair that nobody cares about them and that the state of their lives is never going to change. Research also shows that heavy-handed, violent tactics by the police is a major catalyst of violence at protests. Protests are about the freedom to express our constitutional right on matters that concern us. But at what moment is that desire suddenly replaced, and in its place consumed by a level of hatred and a propensity for violence that has resulted in many people finding themselves facing prison sentences in recent weeks? Most people dont believe that violent protests serve any real purpose or value. But what if, as you witness a violent clash during what started out as a peaceful protest, you suddenly think the level of force the police is using is unjust and unethical? For many, thats the tipping point. Most social movements throughout history have been formed as a result of specific events that have led to tipping points. People take part in protests because theyve had enough of injustice aimed at groups they are committed to supporting. We all believe we can make a difference to our lives by collectively pooling determination and efforts to exert change, but the line that separates peaceful and violent is almost impossible to read in heated situations for many people whove never raised a hand in violence before and its only when its been crossed that they realise the damage can never be undone. Riots are fuelled by leaderless crowds where misinformation is quick to spread online and by word of mouth. Politics has virtually nothing to do with influencing rioters. Lets face it, when was the last time you saw a politician at a riot? Bottom line is that social media misinformation is the real driving force behind violent protests. As Austrian researcher Julie Ebner details in her book, Going Mainstream: How Extremists Are Taking Over, extremists using low-profile social media platforms such as Truth Social and Telegram lure their followers through misinformation and radicalisation via conspiracy theory-based rabbit holes. There, they are exposed to dangerous content while cutting them off from sources of fact-based information. Its also a fact that people are more at ease rioting with others who they feel a connection to, which might explain in some bizarre way why loyalists and republicans came together in Belfast two weeks ago. Old turf rules appear to have changed now that a joint intolerance towards immigration and racism has resulted in a shared prejudice. Riots cultivate a sense of connectivity. But for how long? The Troubles were shocking times, far beyond the imagination of this generation. Or are they? Only time will tell. The Leinster House bubble is certain we are having a general election in the autumn. Apart from some of those closest to Taoiseach Simon Harris, that is. In recent weeks, one senior person who has the ear of the Taoiseach privately put forward several strong arguments for waiting until 2025. The thinking was at odds with journalists, backbenchers, and political anoraks who have all been speculating and predicting an election just as the leaves are falling. Publicly all three government leaders may continue to stress that this coalition will go the full term, but politicians disregarded that line a long time ago. Both government backbench TDs and members of the opposition are now very much in preparation mode for an election after the budget, with October 25 or November 15 being strongly tipped as voting days. Sinn Fein this week launched yet another policy document, this time around mental health, and both Fianna Fail and Fine Gael spent much of July filling tickets with selection conventions held across the country. Fine Gael aims to have selected all election candidates by mid-September. This, and the fact that the budget has been moved forward by a week, all point in the direction of an election just after the kids go back to school. Poor timing? But there are a number of reasons why Harris may not, and probably should not, go to the country at that time. The first is the simple fact that in calling an election in the autumn after passing a budget, Harris will be throwing away one of the strongest powers he has as Taoiseach around elections the element of surprise. But, as was pointed out by sources close to Wicklow politicians, there are other reasons to hold off on a poll. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald. It may be a case that the party reached its peak support of 37% in 2022, and now at 21% has fallen back to a more natural resting point for the party. While the general thinking is that waiting until the new year would give Mary Lou McDonalds party time to regroup and regain support after what were disappointing local and European elections, it has been stressed that nothing is certain in politics. It may be a case that Sinn Fein reached its peak support of 37% in 2022, and now at 21% has fallen back to a more natural resting point for the party. An extra few months may lead to a small uptick for Sinn Fein, but senior coalition sources believe that the party will not return to where it was two years ago. It has been stressed that Fine Gael could also benefit from more time. To date, 15 of the 35 TDs elected last time around have announced that they will not be contesting the next general election, leaving Harris with a battle on his hands in some constituencies that previously would have been considered safe seats. Replacements have been selected in many constituencies. For example, councillors Shane OCallaghan and Una McCarthy have been put forward in Cork South Central as the party sets out to retain the seat held by former tanaiste Simon Coveney for 26 years. With former chief whip Paul Kehoe departing in Wexford, councillors Bridin Murphy and Cathal Byrne have been selected. But a longer lead-in time would allow these new candidates to build up the name recognition needed to succeed at national level. Those loyal to Harris also see a boost in morale and energy within the party since taking over as leader and believe that he can build on this and, in turn, increase seats. White House opportunity One more trivial reason to hold on in the office of An Taoiseach comes down to another Harris. Technically the last date that a general election can be held is March 22. Calling an election in early 2025 would allow Harris to go to the polls as well as the White House, repeating the scenario of 2016 when Enda Kenny travelled as caretaker Taoiseach to Washington for the annual St Patricks events. While the outcome of Novembers US elections is far from certain, a Harris-Harris meeting in the Oval Office with all the symbolism involved, would be a fantastic photo-op for the TikTok Taoiseach. Ambitious people always want to succeed, Harris has been a man on a mission since entering Leinster House in 2011 at the age of just 24. He has now made it to the top office, becoming the youngest person to serve as Taoiseach. On a very human level, giving up that power prematurely to call a general election, will be a difficult decision. The natural inclination to hang on as long as possible will always be there Harris will also have to consider whether the timing of an election actually matters. Can opinions and support shift that dramatically in a number of months between October and February? The answer is yes and no. Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern avoided winter elections. Bertie Ahern famously chose the summer months to go to the polls. I never liked winter elections, all of my campaigns were late May, early June, he told the Irish Examiner earlier this year. But he added that his main consideration was the weather rather than the timing. The timing doesnt matter a lot, he said. In contrast, Enda Kenny was deemed to have made the wrong call when he listened to his coalition partner of the time, Labour leader Joan Burton, and held off in calling an election in November 2015. Just three months later, when an election was called, support for Labour plummeted and Fine Gael also lost 26 seats. Leo Varadkar was bounced into an election in early 2020, having held off on going to the polls before Christmas. A threatened motion of no-confidence in Harris, who was then in the Department of Health, gave Varadkar no choice but to call an election, which saw his party lose another 15 seats. Of course, its impossible to know what the fate of the party would have been if both former taoisigh had gone to the Park in the autumn and not the spring. But if Harris does take the risk to hold on as Taoiseach until 2025, he must increase his partys standing. Otherwise, he will be remembered for his lack of political strategy and will be accused of failing to learn from the mistakes made by his predecessors. Perhaps Harris should simply go for a third, less likely option, and call an election before the Dail even convenes in September. The recent decision by the HSE to switch-off scheduled care across five hospitals of the University of Limerick Hospitals Group (ULHG) was not acceptable. For the hospitals patients and staff, and the regions wider population of more than 400,000 people, it raises understandable questions, starting with was this approach necessary? It has been evident for some years now that the persistent challenges faced by the hospital group, most notably overcrowding at University Hospital Limericks (UHL) emergency department (ED), are deep-rooted. The minister for health, HSE chief, and others locally deserve credit for acknowledging the scale of the problem and kick-starting the process of addressing it. Doing so is not easy. More than 80,000 people attended the ED at UHL alone in 2023. A further 240,000 people had an outpatient appointment in a Midwest hospital last year, 165,000 of these at UHL. The scale of these numbers speak to the regions dependency on its hospitals. The decision therefore to de-escalate outpatient appointments represents one of the most unusual healthcare acts of recent times. In practice, de-escalation is the cancellation of essential medical services such as elective surgeries, medical diagnoses, and consultant appointments for patients at hospitals in Limerick, Ennis, Nenagh, and Croom. Switching-off medical appointments for almost a quarter of a million people without any concrete timeline as to when they are to be switched back on is wrong, and dangerous. Choosing the nuclear option represents a dereliction of duty to the region, not least because, with creativity and collaboration, there are other routes available. Despite all the negative sentiment associated with hospitals in the Midwest, there are examples of service and operational enhancements. For instance, patient throughput and pathway improvements, new virtual health tools, enhanced use of other regional facilities, and surgery volume increases are among the types of improvements achieved. The dynamics driving these positive measures are creativity and collaboration, with Allied Healthcare Professionals and hospital management coming together to activate practical solutions in a self-evidently imperfect situation. Attempting to make improvements, knowing that capacity levels, consultant numbers, and wider staff resources are well below required levels, is not easy. But right now, in the Midwest, not easy is the reality. For those overseeing care delivery where bed numbers are 238 below what is necessary, the level of applications for advertised roles remains strikingly low. In the first six months of this year, zero permanent consultant posts were approved for the Midwest. Just one additional permanent full-time consultant post has been approved in the past 18-months. How has it come to this? This chronic lack of capacity is central to where we now find ourselves. In 2009, an expert report recommended closing certain ED services in the region, but only at a time when capacity at UHL itself had been increased. Fatefully, the then government proceeded with the first part of the recommendation but not the second. Units at Nenagh, Ennis, and St Johns hospitals were closed before any corresponding capacity was delivered at UHL. Fifteen years later, we continue to pay the price, with capacity levels well below what was recommended. In the intervening period, the regions population has increased, creating even further demands on already overstretched services. Despite having the largest catchment area for a model 3 or 4 hospital, UHL has long suffered from under-resourcing and has the lowest number of beds and consultants in the country. With an existing 238-bed deficit, UHL urgently requires the rapid delivery of new beds. Specific new bed commitments have been made. 71 new general beds and 16 rapid build beds are earmarked by March next year. A further 97 beds are promised to come on stream four years from now. These developments are commendable but given the circumstances, can they be fast-tracked as has been the case elsewhere? Some 40,000 people had an outpatient appointment in a Midwest hospital last year, 165,000 of these at UHL. The new Rock Wing at the Mater Hospital, Dublin, is a great example of how the government can deliver significant additional capacity when the will exists. We also need to be collaborative rather than defensive on recruitment. That starts with being honest about the inadequate staffing levels for current bed levels, never mind future ones. While the minister can justifiably point to examples of recruitment successes elsewhere, UHL remains an outlier. In the first six months of this year, zero permanent consultant posts were approved for the Midwest. In the same period, 134 permanent posts were approved nationally, 38 of these in one hospital group alone. Approval of new permanent posts needs to be fast-tracked, a mindset of dedicated teams rather than stop-gap individual hiring adopted, with speedier recruitment processes activated. These types of measures are not just necessary they are essential if we are to finally address the long-standing realities of Midwest hospital services. No one person or entity can achieve this alone. Only through creativity and collaboration can we start to deliver the kind of hospital services deserved by a region representing 36% of the dependent population. Dr Colin Pierce is vice president of the Irish Hospital Consultants Association An Israeli air strike has killed at least 18 people from the same family in the Gaza Strip. The attack came days after the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza announced the death toll surpassed 40,000 in the 10-month-old Israel-Hamas war, and just hours after officials from the United States, Egypt and Qatar wrapped up two days of ceasefire talks with a message of hope that a deal could be reached. A joint statement from the three mediators said a proposal to bridge the gaps between Israel and Hamas was presented and they expected to work out the details of how to implement the possible deal next week in Cairo. The mediation efforts were aimed not just at securing the release of scores of Israeli hostages and stopping the fighting that has devastated Gaza, where aid and health workers fear a possible polio outbreak. It is also aimed at tamping down regional tensions that have threatened to explode into a broader war amid fears that Iran and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon would attack Israel in retaliation for the killings of top militant leaders. The air strike in Gaza early on Saturday morning hit a house and an adjacent warehouse sheltering displaced people at the entrance of the town of Zawaida, according to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, where the casualties were taken. An Associated Press reporter at the hospital counted the deaths as they were brought in. Among those killed was a wholesaler identified as Sami Jawad al-Ejlah, who co-ordinated with the Israeli military to bring meat and fish to Gaza. The dead also included his two wives, 11 of their children aged two to 22, the childrens grandmother, and three other relatives, according to a death list provided by the hospital. He was a peaceful man, said Abu Ahmed, a neighbour who was slightly wounded in the attack. More than 40 civilians were sheltering in the house and warehouse at the time of the strike, he said. Palestinians grieve at the funeral for more than 15 people killed in an Israeli strike, at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana) Associated Press footage showed bulldozers removing rubble from the heavily damaged warehouse, and trucks that Abu Ahmed said were used to bring meat and fish to Gaza from Israel. The Israeli military, which rarely comments on individual strikes, said it was checking on the report. It said on Saturday that it was continuing attacks on militants in central Gaza, including one seen launching rockets at troops. Meanwhile, another mass evacuation was ordered for areas in central Gaza. In a post on X, Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said Palestinians in areas in and around the urban Maghazi refugee camp should leave. He said Israeli forces will operate in these areas in response to Palestinian rocket fire. The vast majority of Gazas population has been displaced by the fighting, often multiple times, and around 84% of Gazas territory has been placed under evacuation orders by the Israeli military, according to the United Nations. Palestinians evacuate a school in eastern Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP) The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed across the border on October 7, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 250 to Gaza. More than 100 were released in a November cease-fire, and around 110 are believed to still be inside Gaza, though Israeli authorities believe around a third of them are dead. Israel says it has killed more than 17,000 Hamas militants in the war, without providing evidence. Mediators have spent months trying to hammer out a three-phase plan in which Hamas would release the hostages in exchange for a lasting ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. But efforts took on new urgency in recent weeks as diplomats hoped a deal would persuade Iran and Lebanons Hezbollah to hold off on retaliating for the killing of a top Hezbollah commander in an Israeli air strike in Beirut and of Hamass top political leader in an explosion in Tehran that was widely blamed on Israel. An American official said on Friday that the ceasefire deal currently presented to the two sides bridges all the gaps between Israel and Hamas. In what appeared to be a sign of confidence, mediators were preparing to implement the proposed agreement even before it was approved, said the official. The official said an implementation cell was being established in Cairo to focus on logistics including freeing hostages, providing humanitarian aid for Gaza and ensuring that the terms of the pact are met. But Hamas cast doubt on whether an agreement was near. In a statement, the militant group said the latest proposal diverged significantly from a previous iteration they had agreed to in principle, implying they were not inclined to accept it. The Israeli prime ministers office issued a statement saying it appreciates the efforts of the US and the mediators to dissuade Hamas from its refusal to a hostage release deal. Both sides agreed in principle to a plan announced on May 31 by US President Joe Biden. But Hamas has proposed amendments, and Israel has suggested clarifications, leading each side to accuse the other of trying to tank a deal. The US official said the latest proposal is the same as Mr Bidens, with some clarifications based on ongoing talks. The way it is structured poses no risk to Israels security but enhances it, the official added. 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. But Israel showed flexibility during the talks on retreating from the border corridor, and a meeting between Egyptian and Israeli military officials was scheduled for the following week to agree on a withdrawal mechanism, according to two Egyptian officials. Israel insisted on keeping control of the road bisecting Gaza, but American mediators vowed to return to the talks next week with a compromise on that demand, the officials said. As part of an increased wave of diplomacy aimed at securing the deal, French foreign minister Stephane Sejourne met with Egyptian foreign minister Badr Abdelatty in Cairo on Saturday. Sejourne and UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy met with officials in Israel on Friday. US secretary of state Antony Blinken planned to travel to Israel over the weekend and was expected to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday. US President Joe Biden will give the keynote address on Monday night at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The speech will mark a symbolic hand-off of his party to vice president Kamala Harris and press the case for what he says is the threat to the country if Donald Trump returns to the White House. Four weeks ago, Mr Biden ended his bid for re-election as his party descended into a crisis of confidence over his chances against the Republican nominee after a devastating performance in their June debate. Now, Mr Biden is set to receive a rousing welcome from many of the same officials who were itching for him to exit the race. Mr Bidens aides said the president will use his remarks to deliver the argument for why he believes Ms Harris must replace him and defeat Mr Trump, whom he says is a threat to democracy. US President Joe Biden has endorsed Kamala Harris to succeed him in the White House (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) Mr Biden will also talk up some of his popular accomplishments before he steps out of the spotlight for Ms Harris and her running mate, Minnesota governor Tim Walz, to take centre stage for the rest of the week, the aides said. Mr Biden was greeted by chants of Thank you, Joe! on Thursday when he appeared with Ms Harris in Maryland, and aides said he was pleased by the consolidation in the party behind Ms Harris. Mr Biden endorsed Ms Harris minutes after ending his campaign, helping orchestrate a near-seamless hand-off of his political operation to his vice president and avoiding a contentious fight in Chicago over the partys future. While Mr Biden is no longer on the top of the ticket, his influence will be felt in Chicago, albeit in a far smaller role than had he remained the nominee. Speakers at the convention are expected to make reference to Mr Bidens accomplishments, from helping lead the country out of the Covid-19 pandemic to winning passage of major infrastructure, climate and healthcare investments. Ms Harris has used Mr Bidens policies as the foundation of her own policy plans. The conventions logo still calls back to the presidents campaign logo, and signage in the United Centre will feature a quote from Mr Bidens Oval Office address explaining his decision to drop out, when he exhorted voters to back Ms Harris: History is in your hands, he said then. On Monday, signs will feature a regular Biden-ism: Spread the faith. First lady Jill Biden and other members of Mr Bidens family will be in the arena to watch his speech, which will serve as a coda to his 50 years in Democratic politics. Ms Harris was expected to attend that night. Mr Biden was not scheduled to be at the convention when Ms Harris speaks in the prime spot on Thursday evening. 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. About 80 women and children lined up for a photo by Soroptimist International of El Centro as an early commemoration of Women's Equality Day on Thursday, August 15, at the Imperial Grove Amphitheater of the Imperial Valley Food Bank, in Imperial. New talks on Gaza ceasefire to be held on August 21 in Cairo to finalise deal - Reports Washington, Aug 17 (UNI) The new Gaza ceasefire talks will take place on August 21 in Cairo to finalise the deal, the Axios news portal reported on Saturday. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will arrive in Israel on Sunday and meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday to discuss the remaining issues, the report said. On Sunday, Israeli, US and Egyptian experts will reportedly meet in Cairo to try to reach an agreement on the security arrangements along the Philadelphi Corridor on the Gaza-Egypt border and the reopening of the Rafah crossing, which are issues critical to the implementation of the agreement. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Accept Read More Montreal (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) Every year, Jews recite the entire Pentateuch aloud in synagogues. It is divided in weekly portions. This weeks one (Vaethanan, Deuteronomy 3 :23 7 :11) contains passages that are central to Jewish liturgy, including the Shema, a declaration of loyalty to God, or more precisely, a declaration of love for God: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might (6:5). In daily prayers, this commitment to God is introduced with a blessing affirming divine love, thus enwrapping the Shema in love. The ideal, as in our regular life, is love that is reciprocal. Another central passage is a paraphrase of the Ten Commandments (5:6-21). Differences between the original formulation and the one we read this Sabbath constitute fertile ground for interpretation and commentary. This week, we read about the universal meaning of the commandments: Observe them faithfully, for that will be proof of your wisdom and discernment to other peoples, who on hearing of all these laws will say, Surely, that great nation is a wise and discerning people (4:6). This highlights a crucial obligation bestowed on the Jews with respect to the rest of humanity: to be a kingdom of priests and a holy people (Exodus 19:6). There is nothing genetic or innate in this; only proper values and behavior would be valued by others. Conversely, those Jews who violate these values would be abhorred by non-Jews and Jews alike. These violations are particularly grievous if they occur in the Land of Holiness, which is the proper translation of , usually referred to as the Holy Land. There are degrees of holiness: Jerusalem has more of it, and the Temple Mount (or Haram Al-Sharif in Arabic) is endowed with even more (Mishnah Kelim, ch. 1). This is why halacha, Jewish legal tradition, forbids Jews to ascend the Temple Mount. While a place of holiness does not make humans holy, humans may indeed desecrate it, including the Land of Holiness. Yet, some Israeli politicians make a point of ascending the Temple Mount; this is how Ariel Sharon provoked the Second Intifada in 2000. While Sharon was not an observant Jew, those who do it nowadays observe Jewish rituals and are graduates of religious schools. They have been roundly denounced by those who remain loyal to traditional Judaism, especially because such provocative acts often lead to bloodshed. Jewish tradition affirms that the First Temple was destroyed because of three transgressions committed by the Israelites, one of them being bloodshed. One may wonder how outwardly religious Jews can engage in such explicitly forbidden acts. What explains this is that they follow a religion that is new and improved; they call it , National Judaism. It combines traditional practices with a commitment to Zionism, even though our weekly reading reminds us: You shall have no other gods beside Me (5:7). Followers of the new religion have transformed this political movement, developed mostly by atheists and agnostics, into a religious belief, overriding quite a few fundamental commandments, including You shall not murder (5:17), repeated in this weeks reading. Talmudic rabbis give a sharp definition of such behavior: , any Torah scholar who has not internalized what he learns is worse than a carcass (Vayikra Rabbah 1:15). According to Jewish tradition, bloodshed led not only to the destruction of the temple built by King Solomon but also to the first exile. Moreover, this outcome is made explicit in this weeks reading: I call heaven and earth this day to witness against you that you shall soon perish from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess; you shall not long endure in it but shall be utterly wiped out (Deuteronomy 4:26). This week marks the end of a mourning period preceding the 9th of Av, which commemorates numerous tragedies experienced by Jews. These include the destruction of the two Jerusalem temples, the expulsion from Spain, and the beginning of the First World War, which eventually led to the Second World War and the Nazi genocide. The passage from the Prophets (haftarah) read after the weekly portion of the Pentateuch reflects a sense of relief and hope, suggesting that the worst is behind us.* This haftarah is usually referred to as Comfort, oh comfort My people, which is the first verse of Chapter 40 in Isaiah. Further on, the text explains one of the reasons to hope for better times. Amid the distress many of us experience, appalled by the disasters brought about by political leaders, it is comforting to be reminded that God brings potentates to naught, makes rulers of the earth as nothing (Isaiah 40:23). Let us pray and work to bring this about soon in our times. * On Shabbat and holiday mornings, after the Torah is read, another biblical selection is read. Called the haftarah (plural, haftarot), this reading traditionally comes from one of the Prophets. Haftarah comes from the Hebrew root meaning to conclude.' Reform Judaism. Bonus video added by Informed Comment: Middle East Eye Video: Israeli rabbis denounce Jewish prayers at Jerusalems Al-Aqsa Mosque By Bill Hare, Murdoch University | (The Conversation) Australia is one of the worlds largest exporters of fossil fuels. While this coal and gas is burned beyond our borders, the climate-warming carbon dioxide (CO) emissions affect us all. My colleagues and I at global research and policy institute Climate Analytics were commissioned to find out just how big Australias carbon footprint really is. Our detailed analysis of the nations fossil fuel exports and associated emissions is the most comprehensive to date. The report, released today, clearly shows Australia plays a major role in climate change. We found Australia is the worlds third-largest fossil fuel exporter, after Russia and the United States. But it gets worse when the fuel is used. Australia exports so much coal that our nation is the second-largest exporter of fossil fuel CO emissions. Unfortunately, just when we need to be cutting emissions, Australia is doubling down on fossil gas extraction mainly for LNG production and export. Federal government policies enabling and/or promoting continued high fossil fuel exports threaten to sabotage international efforts to limit global warming. Australias fossil fuel carbon footprint Australias contribution to global warming can only be understood by considering its fossil fuel exports alongside its domestic emissions. Our research found Australias coal and gas exports were responsible for 1.15 billion tonnes of CO emissions in 2023. An additional 46 million tonnes of CO were emitted domestically in the process of extracting, processing and distributing those fossil fuels purely for export. That takes the total to 1.2 billion tonnes of CO attributable to fossil fuel exports. In other words, Australias global fossil fuel carbon footprint is three times larger than its domestic footprint. Around 80% of the damage is done overseas. The International Energy Agency has clearly said there should be no new fossil fuel development if the world is to limit warming to 1.5C the Paris Agreements temperature goal. Yet Australia continues to approve new fossil fuel exploration and production. Overall, exports of Australian fossil fuels and hence fossil fuel CO emissions are expected to continue at close to current levels through to 2035, under current government policies. Thermal coal exports, which are burned mainly for electricity production, are expected to slightly decline by 2035 from their all-time high in 2023. But exports of metallurgical coal, used in steel-making, and LNG are expected to stay about the same in 2035 as they are today. Blowing the carbon budget Between 2023 and 2035, Australias fossil fuel exports alone would consume around 7.5% of the worlds estimated remaining global carbon budget of about 200 billion tonnes of CO. This is the amount of CO that could still be emitted from 2024 onwards if we are to limit peak warming to 1.5C with 50% probability. But rather than decreasing, CO emissions from Australias fossil fuel exports are set to increase under current government policies. In other words, in the next 11 years, by 2035, exported fossil fuel CO emissions will exceed by 50% that of the entire 63 year period from 1961 to 2023. If we include domestic CO emissions from current policies, this means by 2035 Australia, with 0.3% of the worlds population, would consume 9% of the total remaining carbon budget. Undermining the Paris Agreement In December, at the COP28 international climate conference in Dubai, governments including Australia agreed on the first global stocktake of greenhouse gas emissions. It called for: transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems in a just, orderly and equitable manner, accelerating action in this critical decade, so as to achieve net zero by 2050 in keeping with the science. The stocktake also called on all countries to align their nationally determined contributions with the 1.5C limit. Energy Minister Chris Bowens response at the time was to call for Australia to be a renewable energy superpower. But his government appears to believe this includes embracing a gas export strategy. Current government policy is not aligned with Paris Agreements 1.5C limit. Our new report shows the governments focus on maintaining high levels of fossil fuel exports is completely inconsistent with reducing global CO2 emissions to levels compatible with the 1.5C goal. Australia mainly exports fossil fuels to Japan, China, South Korea and India. These countries, which accounted for about 43% of fossil fuel CO emissions in 2022, are also signatories to the Paris Agreement. So they have set 2030 emissions reduction targets and net-zero goals of their own. Continuing to import fossil fuels is incompatible with their own commitments. Japans LNG imports fell 8% in 2023 to their lowest levels since 2009 and are expected to drop by a further 25% by 2030. Given the current energy security and LNG debate, it should be noted Japanese companies on-sold more LNG in 202022 than they purchased from Australia. Thwarting national emissions reduction efforts Australias planned expansion of fossil fuels, notably its gas exports, will add to the countrys domestic emissions and make it harder for it to meet even its own domestic target. Thats because a sizeable chunk of domestic fossil fuel CO emissions (7.5%) comes from processing gas for export. Our analysis also shows Australias plans are completely inconsistent with the global stocktakes call for a transition away from fossil fuels. The government and gas industrys arguments that more fossil gas is needed to get to net zero are also at odds with the science. Time for a fossil fuel phase-out Australia has a massive interest in the world as a whole decarbonising fast enough to limit warming to 1.5C. For example, children born in Australia today face much more extreme heat, floods and other disasters during their lifetimes than previous generations. This exposure can be very substantially reduced by limiting warming to 1.5C. The choices Australia, as a major fossil fuel exporter, makes now in this critical decade will determine what happens to them. By failing to initiate an orderly phase-out of fossil fuel exports, Australia also risks undermining its own stated ambition of becoming a renewable energy superpower. It is in our nations interests to develop and implement an orderly exit just as we are doing for our domestic emissions working cooperatively with affected communities and overseas buyers. Doing anything less will only hurt us in the end. Bill Hare, Adjunct Professor of Energy, Murdoch University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. - Bonus Video added by Informed Comment: Australian Broadcast Corp Video: Owners of NSWs biggest coal mine have applied to extend the life of the site by 25 years Committee on Academic Freedom | Middle East Studies Association | Letter to the Chancellor of the Florida State University System regarding the policing and censorship of course materials relating to Israel/Palestine Raymond Rodrigues Chancellor, State University System of Florida chancellor@flbog.edu Dear Chancellor Rodrigues: We write on behalf of the Middle East Studies Association of North America (MESA) and its Committee on Academic Freedom to express our grave concern about recent measures announced by the State University System of Florida that will police and censor teaching about Israel, Palestine, the Middle East and related topics at the states public universities and colleges. While the State University System has framed these measures as combatting antisemitism and anti-Israeli bias, we regard this new policy directive, along with other recent measures taken by the state and its officials, as a politically motivated attack against First Amendment-protected speech and academic freedom at Floridas public institutions of higher education. According to reporting in the Chronicle of Higher Education , during the week of 29 July 2024 you and Emily Sykes the State University Systems interim vice chancellor for academic and student affairs sent messages to, and held calls with, leaders of all twelve Florida public universities and colleges, instructing them to review course descriptions, syllabi, and test banks for antisemitic material or anti-Israeli bias. In an email to university presidents on 2 August 2024 you instructed presidents of Florida state universities and colleges that any course that contains the following keywords: Israel, Israeli, Palestine, Palestinian, Middle East, Zionism, Zionist, Judaism, Jewish, or Jews [should] be flagged for review; that [t]his review should flag all instances of either antisemitism or anti-Israeli bias identified and report that information to [your] office; and that the review should be completed by the conclusion of the Fall Semester. Your email also asserted the need to implement a process for each faculty member to attest that they have reviewed all resources (textbooks, test banks, online materials, etc.) for each course that they teach. MESA was founded in 1966 to promote scholarship and teaching on the Middle East and North Africa. The preeminent organization in the field, the Association publishes the prestigious International Journal of Middle East Studies and has nearly 2,800 members worldwide. MESA is committed to ensuring academic freedom and freedom of expression both within the region and in connection with the study of the region in North America and outside of North America. As reported by the Chronicle, your email did not define antisemitism or anti-Israeli bias, nor did it make clear what would happen to the courses or those who teach them should they purportedly manifest either form of discrimination. Nonetheless, the intent and consequences of the new policy are quite clear. Indeed, leading First Amendment advocacy organization FIRE has described the State University System directive as Orwellian and cautioned that it, and the censorship that will follow, leaves students and faculty unsure about whether their discussions of course materials addressing current events from terrorism, to the war in Gaza, to international relations more broadly will land them in trouble with elected officials or campus administrators. The measure also undermines a foundational aspect of academic freedom:, namely that faculty, who are experts in their fields, are exclusively responsible for the content and materials taught in university courses not university administrators, state officials, or politicians. This directive is only the latest in a series of assaults that the State of Florida has launched against First Amendment-protected speech and academic freedom in its public universities and colleges, with the apparent aim of promoting pro-Israel viewpoints while censoring criticism of Israel and support for Palestinians. These efforts include the Florida legislatures recent adoption of the controversial International Holocaust Remembrance Alliances definition of antisemitism, which includes examples of antisemitism that are in fact First Amendment-protected critiques of the State of Israel. We also note that, in October 2023, you issued a memo deactivating all chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), a pro-Palestine student group active at Florida public universities and colleges, because National SJP had allegedly provided material support to Hamas a measure you were forced to rescind after the decision was challenged in court for violating the First Amendment. Over the last few years, the state has also adopted a series of politically motivated laws and policies aimed, amongst other things, at eliminating DEI programs and so-called Woke ideology at its public universities and college. These developments led the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) to conduct a special investigation of Floridas higher education system, which concluded that [a]cademic freedom, tenure, and shared governance in Floridas public colleges and universities currently face a politically and ideologically driven assault unparalleled in US history, which, if sustained, threatens the very survival of meaningful higher education in the state, with dire implications for the entire country. Combatting antisemitism and other forms of bias and racism are laudable goals, but it is clear from Floridas track record that your recent directives are an additional instance of political interference in the states higher education system masquerading as anti-discrimination measures. Instead of doing further damage to the standing and reputation of Floridas higher education system, we urge you, in your capacity as chancellor, to heed the AAUPs statement on Academic Freedom in Times of War, issued on 24 October 2023: It is in tumultuous times that colleges and universities stated commitments to protect academic freedom are most put to the test. As the Israel-Hamas war rages and campus protests proliferate, institutional authorities must refrain from sanctioning faculty members for expressing politically controversial views and should instead defend their right, under principles of academic freedom, to do so. We therefore call on the State University System to rescind its recent politically motivated directives regarding Israel-Palestine and related topics, and to refrain from further action that threatens or undermines speech protected by the First Amendment and academic freedom at the states institutions of higher education. We look forward to your response. Sincerely, Asl U. Bali MESA President Professor, Yale Law School Laurie Brand Chair, Committee on Academic Freedom Professor Emerita, University of Southern California Nepal's parliament approved Wednesday long-delayed amendments to the transitional justice act aimed at addressing war crimes committed during the country's Maoist insurgency, but victims said some problematic provisions remain. Both security forces and former rebels have been accused of carrying out torture, killings, rapes and forced disappearances during Nepal's decade-long civil war, which ended in 2006 with more than 16,000 people dead and around a thousand missing. "We have brought this document forward through a unanimous agreement," Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli told parliament, saying that the changes were "victim-centric". The amendment bill was passed with the support of a majority of lawmakers, parliamentary speaker Dev Raj Ghimire said. The peace deal brought the Maoist rebels into mainstream politics, ended a 240-year-old Hindu monarchy, transformed Nepal into a secular federal republic and integrated former rebels into the national army. But authorities have been criticised for failing to adequately probe war crimes and instead create provisions for amnesty, with two commissions set up for that purpose in 2015 failing to resolve a single case between them despite over 60,000 complaints. "We have to implement this historic and sensitive work with consensus and without any favour or bias," Pushpa Kamal Dahal, a former rebel leader and leader of the opposition, told the parliament. -'Lost hope' - The latest amendment, which were agreed through a cross-party taskforce earlier this month, is intended to help Nepal heal some of the wounds left by the 10-year civil war. But victims and activists say that while that movement in the long-stalled process is positive, some problematic provisions remain including the definition and classification of human rights violations. "There have been improvements... but such classifications leave room for impunity and for perpetrators to evade justice," Mandira Sharma of International Commission of Jurists told AFP. Critics say the amendments risk shielding those responsible for some serious crimes, including war crimes and crimes against humanity, and denying some victims access to reparations. Suman Adhikari, whose father was killed by Maoist rebels in 2002, told AFP that while most amendments are positive, many victims have lost hope for "meaningful justice" after waiting for 18 years. "They say it will be a victim-centric process, but we will see how the implementation moves forward," he said. "If there is sincerity to give victims justice, then why have the current commissions not been able to do anything all these years?" he asked. Rights group Accountability Watch Committee issued a statement last week urging the government to revise problematic issues in the bill before endorsement. That included a provision mandating government attorneys to tackle cases by drastically reducing sentences to get convictions. Many former Maoist rebels and state officials have entered in government ranks over the years. Just two convictions related to crimes committed during the civil war crimes have been handed down in civilian courts. One was linked to the murder of a teenage girl. The other was related to the killing of a journalist. Sudanese paramilitary forces killed at least 80 people in a southeastern village, a medical source and witnesses said Friday, even as US-sponsored talks sought to end 16 months of devastating war. The assault occurred in Jalgini village in the state of Sennar on Thursday. "We received 55 dead and dozens of wounded at the hospital on Thursday, and 25 of them died on Friday, bringing the death toll to 80," a source at Jalgini's medical centre told AFP. A survivor said the paramilitaries had initially faced resistance from local villagers before returning in full force. "Yesterday morning, three military vehicles attacked Jalgini. The residents resisted, prompting the retreat of the paramilitaries, who then returned with dozens of vehicles," a Jalgini resident, who took his wounded son to the hospital, told AFP. "They opened fire, torching homes and killing numerous people," said the man, who asked not to be named. "On Friday, some bodies were still strewn on the street." 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 paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which since April 2023 has been battling Sudan's regular army, captured the Sennar state capital of Sinja in June. Since then, fighting in Sennar has displaced nearly 726,000 people, according to UN agency the International Organization for Migration. Many of them had fled the war in other parts of the northeast African country. 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. - 'Essential' aid route - 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. A Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) sign is seen in Calgary, Alta., Thursday, Aug. 1, 2019. The Canadian Border Services Agency plans to implement an app that uses facial recognition technology to keep track of individuals who have been ordered to be deported from the country. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh China's defense ministry denounces U.S., Japan for meddling in South China Sea Xinhua) 10:24, August 17, 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. (Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Wu Chaolan) Friday, August 16, 2024 - An actress named Shola Subair, aka Sholly Cutie, deleted her birthday photos after she was accused of self-esteem issues. She released new photos on her birthday but eagle-eyed netizens accused her of using photos that are not hers and trying to pass them off as hers. The photos purportedly belong to an Iraqi influencer and the actress just photoshopped her head onto the Influencer's body. The movie actress deleted the photos after the public call-out. Saturday, August 17, 2024 - A lady was reportedly robbed of an iPhone 15 Pro Max by Titus Mutia, who vied for an MCA seat on a UDA ticket during the 2022 elections. Titus was exposed by NTV for working in cahoots with murder suspect John Matara, who killed pastor Kanyaris sister. Titus reportedly lures beautiful ladies for dates and promises to pay them between Ksh 15000- 20,000 before robbing them, a trick that his accomplice John Matara had mastered. The victim took to her Titktok account and exposed the upcoming politician after he robbed her. Check out her posts. City slay queen robbed of iPhone 15 Pro Max by a UDA politician who was exposed for working with murder suspect JOHN MATARA to lure ladies for paid hookups before robbing them pic.twitter.com/xsmI0D1u7z DAILY POST (@dailypost_ke) August 17, 2024 Photos of the victim. Friday, August 16, 2024 - A French court has ruled in favour of a Chinese company, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited, and granted the seizure of three presidential jets belonging to the Nigerian Government. The Tribunal Judiciaire de Paris stopped Nigeria from moving or selling the presidential jets until the Chinese firm received the awarded $74.5 million. The court allowed the company to seize three presidential jets on routine maintenance in France as security for claims in a decades-long judicial matter between the foreign company and the Ogun State Government. According to reports, the seized presidential jets include a Dassault Falcon 7X at Le Bourget airport in Paris, a Boeing 737, and an Airbus 330 at Basel-Mulhouse airport in Switzerland. Back in 2007, the foreign firm signed a contract with the Ogun State government to manage a free-trade zone but the contract was revoked by the state government in 2015. Displeased, Zhongshan initiated an investment treaty arbitration against Nigeria under the bilateral investment treaty between the Peoples Republic of China and Nigeria (the China-Nigeria BIT). The arbitrators ruled that Nigeria was in breach of its obligations under the China-Nigeria BIT and awarded Zhongshan compensation amounting to millions of dollars. The Nigerian government and the subnational appealed the matter in eight jurisdictions including the United Kingdom and the United States. The latest jurisdiction is in France, where three Nigerian presidential jets are on routine maintenance. According to reports, the court in Paris held that the seizure of the jets was to preserve the claim arising from the arbitration award dated 26 March 2021, made by an ad hoc arbitral tribunal. But the Nigerian government said it is not under any contractual obligation with the company. The case in which Zhongshan is trying to use every unorthodox means to strip our offshore assets is between the company and the Ogun State Government, said presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga who flayed Zhongshan. He said he has no solid ground to demand restitution from the Ogun State Government based on the facts regarding the 2007 contract between the company and the State Government to manage a free-trade zone. Saturday, August 17, 2024 - Embakasi East MP Babu Owino has urged President William Ruto to stop bothering people with his country tours, stating that Kenyans, especially Gen Zs are still very angry with him. Speaking yesterday, Owino advised Ruto to take time off his country rallies and sit down with his advisors and the new cabinet to review and change bad policies in the country instead of running around. The young people are not happy with the fact that you have refused to offer compensation for the families whose loved ones were shot and killed by the police on the instructions of your agents, Owino stated. He asked the President to consider the welfare of the children and engage the youth to show them that he cares for them. As a youthful leader in this country, I want to appeal to you in a special way that you take your time off the top of your vehicles and sit down with your top advisors including your new cabinet, and review and change the bad policies that your administration unleashed on Kenyans for the last two Financial Years, said the Embakasi East MP. Owino pointed out that Kenyans are concerned that the Finance Bill 2025 will be introduced in 2025 and will find no changes introduced by the Kenya Kwanza government. Mr. President it is a matter of just a few months and another Finance Bill 2025 will be facing Kenyans again. "The young people of Kenya are worried that March 2025 will find them with no change at all, and they will be forced back to the streets to protest poor governance and poor policies and to reject the Finance Bill 2025, he remarked. The Kenyan DAILY POST Saturday, August 17, 2024 - Former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka has vowed to never abandon Gen Zs who have been protesting for the past two months, demanding government accountability and the resignation of President William Ruto. Speaking in Machakos on Friday during a women's leadership summit organized by Governor Wavinya Ndeti, Kalonzo warned that those thinking the Gen Z movement has ended are deceiving themselves. If one thinks the Gen Z story is over, they are deceiving themselves. "This country will never be the same in terms of governance, Kalonzo said. Going forward, Kalonzo said people will accept nothing, but transparency and inclusivity. Even if Im left standing alone, I will stand with the people of Kenya and I will stand with Gen Zs. "Times have changed and so, this is it. Look at me, Im speaking from Machakos where Kenyas capital was in 1902 before it was moved to Nairobi, but it started in Voi in 1897, he said. The Kenyan DAILY POST Friday, August 16, 2024 - A US-based African woman, Faith Ani, has said that there will be only 10% of wife material left in the whole world in the next three to five years. She stated this in a Facebook post on Wednesday while addressing men. See men, in the next 3-5years to come there will be only 10% of wife material in the world. There are women everywhere but not wife material!! Remember anyone can be called wife but not wife material. With what am seeing now, women are more focused on men that will pay their bills and not real love!!!. KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LOVE AND INFATUATION, she wrote. Saturday, August 17, 2024 - Newly appointed Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary, Opiyo Wandayi, has stated that members of the Luo community will never be in the opposition again. Speaking on Saturday during his homecoming party in Sijimbo, Wandayi declared that the Nyanza region will never again be excluded from any future government. As a community, we have decided that we will work with the government. "We are working while inside and not just now but tomorrow and also in the future. "It is our wish that never again a government will be formed and we are not part of it. "Never again will a government be formed without inclusion of our people, he said. The former Minority Leader appreciated President Ruto for making a bold decision to constitute a government every community feels accommodated and part of. We also thank ODM leader Raila Odinga for sending us to sit in the Executive. "For us, it is a defining moment and turning point. We are saying in one accord that never shall we find ourselves outside government, he noted. The CS said as the country starts the journey of unity, they will ensure that the development agenda will extend to every community. The Kenyan DAILY POST Friday, August 16, 2024 - An American woman is being criticized online after she shared a video showing she went to sleep in her daughter's dormitory on her first night at college. The North Carolina mom, Lori Miggins, 48, is being called creepy and weird for having a sleep over with daughter Taylor, 18, at Appalachian State University last week. I know not everyone will have this chance but if you can, do it! Lori wrote, explaining that Taylor arrived on campus several days before her college roommate as she is a member of the cheerleading team. Very lucky that athletes moved in early, her roommates bed was available and to have had the chance to spend the first night in my daughters college dorm room with her, the mother added. Loris video has gone viral, with some praising the sweet mother-daughter sleepover while some didn't waste time to criticize her. Love this! Youre an incredible mom and your bond with your kids is SO special! one cooed. As a daughter who had to bury her momma at 22 I am bawling, another emotionally wrote. Im so glad this young lady appreciates her mom and wants to spend time with her. My mom and I were close but I always regret the things I didnt say and the time I shouldve made for her. This is weird as fk, one troll declared. This is gross and weird, a second sniped. Have some boundaries. Say goodbye to your kid and go cry in the car like everyone else. Let them live their lives. Thats what you brought them up to do. However, Lori blasted back, telling cruel critics to keep their opinions to themselves. I lost my mom unexpectedly and both myself and Taylor were very close to her, she stated. I dream of having a relationship with both of my daughters like I had with my own mother, and thats what I continue to nourish each and every day. We made a memory that will last a lifetime! Thats all. You do you, and Ill do me! No need to be so negative! She added that she sought permission from both the college and Taylors future roommate. Watch the video below Friday, August 16, 2024 - A mother of five is d3ad after one of her dogs turned on her in her own home just weeks after her daughter suddenly lost her life. Michelle Hempstead, 34, was attacked by one of her dogs on July 29 but managed to escape and climb over the balcony rail of her flat in Southend-on-Sea, UK. She later died of her injuries at Royal London Hospital, an inquest was told before it was suspended for three months pending criminal investigation. Police said two dogs who aren't from a banned breed were seized from Michelles home, it is still not known if the dogs have been killed. The sad story started when Michelles first-born daughter died on June 4, making it an awfully tragic time for the family, according to Lincoln Brookes, senior coroner for Essex. Lincoln told the inquest he offered his deepest condolences. A post-mortem found that a laceration to her upper left arm cut Michelles left axillary artery, which contributed to her death. She also suffered from multi-organ failure and hypovolemic shock. One of Michelles friends told the Southend Echo: She always went above and beyond for people, whether it was stray cats or rough sleepers, Michelle would always get them water, always do something and always recognise people. A friend of hers wrote on the go-fund-me page set up to handle her burial cost: Michelle wasnt just a mother to five beautiful children, she was a daughter, a friend, a neighbour, a big support system for the people around her but undoubtedly the kindest soul to have crossed everyones paths. Her close friend Liah told the Gazette Standard: [Her death] was too much, there was panic and we had no idea what was going to happen. It is so hard, I can imagine how hard it was for her, I cant imagine her headspace and I cannot stop thinking about how she must have felt at the time. Friday, August 16, 2024 - The police in California have made multiple arrests in connection with Hollywood actor, Matthew Perrys death, according to a new report. The beloved Friends actor was found dead at his home on October 28, at the age of 54 and an autopsy later revealed he had been killed by acute effects of ketamine, with a police investigation into what led to his death currently ongoing. According to US media outlets, arrests were made in Southern California on Thursday, August 15. Multiple law enforcement agencies enforced the arrests to determine who supplied Perry with the ketamine. They reportedly seized phones, computers and other electronic equipment amid the investigation. In December, the County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner said that he died from the acute effects of ketamine and that the manner of death was an accident. The report by the examiner shared that Perry was receiving ketamine infusion therapy for depression and anxiety, with his last known treatment one and a half weeks before his death. The report added: The ketamine in his system at death could not be from that infusion therapy. Police reportedly told TMZ that the drug he ingested was not legally prescribed which sparked a criminal inquiry from several agencies, including the DEA and LAPD with at least one doctor thought to have been arrested, along with several dealers. Text messages were also reportedly uncovered, allegedly discussing the ketamine that he wanted, how they were getting it, and the price he was paying. The identities of those taken into custody have not been shared, and the possible charges they could face were not made public. According to People magazine, a law enforcement investigative insider said that the investigation was nearing its conclusion, and police believed that multiple people should be charged, adding that the US Attorneys Office will make the ultimate decision on whether or not to press charges. Saturday, August 17, 2024 - President William Rutos government has written to the Head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, protesting the conduct of Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya, Archbishop Hubertus van Megen. In June, Archbishop Megen supported the countrywide Gen Z protests and stressed the need for a political change in the country. The protests, according to Archbishop van Megen, "turned tables" in the country in a revolutionary way. In an apparent reference to Ruto, the Apostolic Nuncio stated that the youths demanded 'Zaccheus to get down from the tree' "Youths on the streets turned tables turning tables in the parliament; turning the tables of the money changers wanting to cleanse the temple of democracy. "Youths on the streets wanted to get Zacchaeus out of the tree and wanted to get Peter to admit to his betrayal, these days we have witnessed a revolution in Nairobi. "After this, politics in this country will have to change," Nuncio told a congregation. Archbishop van Megen's remarks have not gone down well with the government, which termed them reprehensible and unbecoming of a distinguished diplomat. Rutos government took offense to the Apostolic Nuncio criticizing it without highlighting the broader context. "Without pointing out the broader context of the government's action as a responsible diplomat, the Nuncio chose to use his exalted position to berate the government of Kenya and its institutions. "We find this conduct to be reprehensible and unbecoming of a distinguished member of the diplomatic corps," the letter read in part. The Kenyan DAILY POST Saturday, August 17, 2024 - A motorist refused to give way to a VIP politician who was bullying other motorists with blaring sirens and breaking traffic rules to avoid traffic jam. In the video, the defiant motorist is heard calling out the politician and telling him to follow traffic rules like other motorists. We are all taxpayers. I wont give way, he said. Kenyans on social media have praised the motorist for standing firm even as the politicians bodyguards tried to intimidate him. Watch the video. A Kenyan refuses to pave way for a politician who wanted to avoid traffic!!! Ati angekuwa na haraka angetoka mapema? Hii imeenda!! pic.twitter.com/2Sw7MEUAO4 The Kenyan Vigilante (@KenyanSays) August 16, 2024 The Kenyan DAILY POST. Saturday, August 17, 2024 - The Standard Media Group has issued a statement over the viral video of a staff member threatening to take his own life on the company's premises. The management of the giant media station acknowledged the severe impact that the delay in payments has had on the employees as the company navigates financial challenges. The management claimed that the immediate needs of the distressed employee were addressed after he threatened to commit suicide and expressed their sincere empathy. The company assured the staff that their salaries would be cleared and urged them to be patient. Read the full statement. The Kenyan DAILY POST. Saturday, August 17, 2024 President William Ruto is upset with a Catholic Archbishop for his critical remarks during the anti-government protests by Gen Zs. Ruto, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has written a letter to the Apostolic Nunciature in Nairobi, protesting remarks made by Archbishop Hubertus van Megen during Gen Z protests. The Apostolic Nunciature, also known as the Embassy of the Holy See, is the diplomatic representative of the Roman Catholic Church and the Pope with its headquarters in Vatican City. In the letter, the Ministry quoted the Archbishop's remarks, claiming that they were one-sided and were made at a time when the country was experiencing a national crisis. "Youths in the streets turned tables, turning tables in Parliament, turning tables of the money changers, wanting to cleanse the temple of democracy," the Archbishop was quoted saying on June 29, 2024. "Youths on the streets wanted to get Zacchaeus out of the tree, wanted to get Peter to admit to his betrayal, these days we have witnessed a revolution in Nairobi. After this, politics in this country will have to change." In the speech, the Archbishop also addressed police brutality during the protests; saying "oppressors against the oppressed, heavily armed security forces against poorly protected protestors, water cannons, teargas, live bullets against sticks and stones, explosions against shouting and feelings of protestors, the state machinery shooting freely at will. However, in response to the remarks, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs termed the statements as undiplomatic and inflammatory. "Without pointing out the broader context of the government's action as a responsible diplomat, the Nuncio chose to use his exalted position to berate the government of Kenya and its institutions. "We find this conduct to be reprehensible and unbecoming of a distinguished member of the diplomatic corps," the Ministry said in the letter. The Kenyan DAILY POST Friday, August 16, 2024 - Twin sisters who attended the same schools have achieved exactly the same set of A Level results two years after they were awarded identical grades in their GCSEs. Nicola and Victoria Tsang, 17, both achieved A* grades in Economics and A grades in Maths and Physics, while they both also earned an A* in the EPQ. It comes two summers after the pair, who attend Benenden School in Kent, recorded the same grades in the same subjects at GCSE. Victoria, the older sibling by one minute, said: 'I was saying yesterday what happens if we get the same results again and we both said that won't happen! 'We've had different grades in our mocks in the run-up to the exams so I can't believe it's happened again.' Hundreds of thousands of students in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland received their exam results today in a year when grading was expected to be restored to 2019 levels in all three nations. Nicola said: 'We saw that we had both got our first-choice universities so it was only then that we checked our grades. 'We compared our grades and thought not this again! 'This time I didn't expect it to happen. The probabilities are higher but I still didn't think it would happen.' Nicola added: 'Our friends were messaging yesterday asking what if it happens again? We haven't told anyone about it yet!' Friday, August 16, 2024 - A US-based African man has disclosed how tough it is finding accommodation in the United States of America. He revealed that many years ago, he had to pay $80 to sleep in a "pod-like box" for 8 hours per day. He added that the money only covers 8 hours after which the occupant must leave so that someone else who paid can occupy the box. For the rest of the day, the person remains homeless. He shared photos of the sleeping boxes, several of which were built into a room and closed with wooden doors. Each box is a tiny space built that can contain just a small mattress and nothing else. The box has no fan or any of the appliances needed for a good night's sleep. Friday, August 16, 2024 - The five white pupils suspended after a controversial incident involving the "auctioning" of black classmates at Pinelands High School have returned to school this week as the disciplinary hearings continue. According to Bronagh Hammond, spokesperson for the Western Cape education department, the hearings are still ongoing and involve a large number of participants. "The disciplinary hearings at Pinelands High School are continuing. The hearing requires the attendance of a large number of role players and has been scheduled to accommodate everyone in terms of their availability. The school would like to conclude the matter as soon as possible, Hammond stated. She explained that under provincial regulations governing discipline, suspension, and expulsion of pupils in state schools, a pupil may be precautionarily suspended for up to seven school days. "The five learners are, therefore, being accommodated at the school while the process is continuing, in line with these regulations," she added. The incident, which took place on July 25, involved a video showing grade 8 pupils "bidding" on their black classmates, who were reportedly gathered in an enclosure by the white pupils. The video, captioned "slavery at school is crazy," caused widespread outrage when it circulated on social media, depicting some pupils offering bids as high as R100,000 and even using bitcoin to "purchase" their peers. As the investigation continues, Hammond emphasized that the education department is not intervening in the school's disciplinary process at this stage. "The school is taking action in terms of the relevant disciplinary procedures as outlined in the SA Schools Act ... we must allow this process to take its course," Hammond said. The case has sparked significant debate and concern regarding racism and student behavior in South African schools. The outcome of the hearings is being closely watched by the public and education authorities alike. Friday, August 16, 2024 - A doctor called Ada has said a woman shouldn't be expected not to seek comfort in the arms of another man if her man deprives her of love and care. Look Friday, August 16, 2024 - The City of Bulawayo has issued a statement to address and correct alarming reports that claimed 90% of women aged 16 to 50 who were tested for HIV in June 2024 were found positive. The reports also cited a 71.7% positivity rate among women, causing widespread concern among the public. Dr. E. Mzingwane, the Acting Town Clerk, clarified that these figures were taken out of context and misrepresented, leading to unnecessary panic. "The articles sensationalised the data, leading to unnecessary panic," said Dr. Mzingwane in the statement. The statistics in question were derived from a specific health initiative called the Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid and Camera (VIAC) programme. This programme primarily targets women who are already confirmed as HIV-positive and are undergoing screening for cervical cancer. Dr. Mzingwane explained that women living with HIV are six times more likely to develop cervical cancer compared to those without HIV, as per World Health Organisation data. The VIAC programme, which focuses on women aged 30 to 50, aims to detect cervical cancer early by inspecting the cervix for potential cancerous changes and treating them before they develop into cancer. Dr. Mzingwane emphasized that the programme is a crucial component of the citys health services but should not be mistaken as a general representation of HIV positivity rates in the broader population. Dr. Mzingwane also underscored the importance of responsible journalism, especially in matters related to public health. "The media plays a key role in disseminating health information, and there is a need to ensure that accurate reports are issued as they affect the knowledge and health beliefs of the public," he stated. Nationally, the HIV prevalence rate for the 15-49 age group stands at 10.49%, with Bulawayo slightly higher at 11.75%. These figures, Dr. Mzingwane noted, are far removed from the distorted statistics recently published. Young Kildare people recently celebrated graduation from hands-on work experience at Naas Hospital. The Project SEARCH graduation has taken place in Naas General Hospital, where graduates gathered with friends, family and colleagues to celebrate the completion of the internship programme. It is a unique collaborative initiative launched by Kare and Naas General Hospital in 2013, providing young adults with an intellectual disability the opportunity to gain hands-on work experience and pursue their career goals. Participants engage in a year-long internship programme based at the hospital that supports them to gain a broad range of skills and prepare them for the workforce. Ten students graduated from this year's Project SEARCH programme. Each of the participants completed three rotations in the hospital, including in cardiology, maintenance, central decontamination unit, on-call, medical records, computerised tomography, canteen and outpatient support. One unique achievement of this year's cohort was the development of ***End of Life Care: How You May Feel When Someone Dies***, a short, simple booklet designed for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities to understand and discuss end-of-life care and death. Project SEARCH and Naas Hospital received a 'Hospice Friendly Hospitals Quality Improvement Award' from the Irish Hospice Foundation for this project, and the team achieved further recognition by presenting at the national forum on end-of-life at the Royal College of Physicians in Ireland, and being shortlisted to present at the Spark Ignite Awards. The Project SEARCH model originated at Cincinnati Children's Hospital and now has program sites throughout the United States and the United Kingdom. This initiative led by Kare and NGH is the first and only Project SEARCH model in the Republic of Ireland to date. Since its inception it has welcomed 116 students, with 72 per cent securing paid employment upon program completion, significantly surpassing the national average employment rate for people with intellectual disabilities which is 6 per cent. Of this year's graduates, three students have already secured paid employment and four will enter the Project OWL internship programme in the Houses of the Oireachtas. One graduate has chosen to progress to further education, and two are actively seeking employment with the support of Kare's Employment team. Speaking at the graduation, Kares head of operations Louise Mahon thanked the hospital as well as the Kildare Wicklow Education and Training Board, Kildare Leader Partnership and HSE Day Opportunities Team for their ongoing collaboration and support to make Project SEARCH a success. Thanks to the support of Athy Lions Club, 13 local families (over 50 people) had an opportunity to experience the wonders of Dublin Zoo. Organised by Athy Community Family Resource Centre, the group of 18 adults and 32 kids undertook their highly-anticipated outing on Monday 12 August. For many, this was not only their first trip up to the Zoo but also their first time on a train twice the excitement! We were blessed with the weather, thank God, said Centre Manager Colm McNamee, who added that they walked from Heuston Station into the Phoenix Park and down to the Zoo. Got everyone in and we had just over two hours for people to do their own thing and then we were able to see all the animals, the Zoo is well set up for kids, he said. The trip was made possible thanks to Athy Lions Club, who reached out to a staff member saying they wanted to make a donation of 1,000 to support families on a day out. After a thoroughly enjoyable experience at the Zoo, the sightseers returned to Heuston Station and there was enough left in the kitty for a meal from Supermacs on the way home one of Colms many talents is squeezing money until it squeals! Colm McNamee and Jayne Sherlock of Athy Community Family Resource Centre with Aisling Hyland of Athy Lions Club Speaking to the Kildare Nationalist, Colm spoke of the informal interaction between the families as well, that maybe mightn't have met each other outside of the Centre or hadn't had that opportunity, and just seeing the buzzing of friendships between such diverse groups of, you know, new community and established community was just so beautiful to see and it just it put a smile on my face for the rest of the week. Colm took the opportunity to thank the Lions Club, staff and the families. The kids were so well-behaved and everyone just seemed to really enjoy themselves, he said. For me it was just it was a real pleasure to be any way involved with it and delighted to be able to facilitate it and hopefully we'll be able to do many more with future community support. Anyone that would like to support the activities of the Family Resource Centre can contact Colm on 085 8059464 or colm@athycfrc.ie. The tunnel escape from Kilkenny Jail in 1921 features prominently in James Durneys Jailbreak: Great Irish Republican Escapes 1865-1983. In the new book, in shops now, James Durney deftly records 23 action-packed factual accounts of daring rescues, incredible escape bids and jailbreaks that raised the morale of nationalist Ireland and defied the might of empires and governments. Here is a taste of the Kilkenny escape. A system of parole had been introduced for republican internees after the signing of the Truce in July 1921, but when John Grehan, interned in the Rath Camp at the Curragh, applied for parole on the death of his father, John, he was refused. Unperturbed, Grehan decided to escape. On the night of October 18, 1921, Grehan and ten other internees made an unsuccessful attempt to cut through the barbed wire of the Rath Camp, and for their efforts were sentenced to twelve months imprisonment. They were transferred to Kilkenny Jail where Grehan and Tommy McCarrick, of Sligo, approached the OC of the republican prisoners, Martin Kealy, and suggested that they should tunnel out of the prison as the Curragh internees had done the previous September. Kealy wholeheartedly accepted the suggestion. The escapees decided to begin their escape from an unused solitary-confinement cell below A Wing which was out of bounds. The confinement cell provided the perfect place to start digging, as it was about fifty yards to the perimeter wall. They used a trowel, pokers, knives and sharpened spoons to dig the tunnel. Earth from the tunnel was dumped into pillowcases and pulled up to the punishment cell. It was then disposed of in adjoining cells that were rarely entered. The tunnellers removed eight tons of earth in total. James Durney A friendly prison officer, Tom Power, turned a blind eye to the digging and the disposal of the earth. Tunnellers dug by candlelight, in three shifts, largely at night, when Power was on duty. Conditions were far from ideal. The tunnel, three-feet high by two-feet wide, was not ventilated, and the cramped conditions made it unbearably hot. The tunnel had to be shored up with bed boards to prevent collapse. For security reasons, not everyone was privy to the escape tunnel. After nearly a month of digging the tunnel was ten feet from the wall. The tunnellers reported to Kealy, who fixed the escape for 6pm on November 22, on Warder Powers watch. Those serving the longest and those facing the death sentence were allowed out first. Edward Punch and Tim Murphy, of Limerick, were facing the death penalty and had nothing to lose. Martin Kealy, the prison OC, along with James Hanrahan, who had been OC 5th Kilkenny Battalion, and Joe OConnor, OC 3rd Dublin Battalion were also on the escape list. Michael Burke, who had survived a hunger strike in Cork Jail that had lasted ninety days and taken the lives of three hunger strikers, was also picked to escape. So, too, was Fr Patrick H. Delahunty, who had been arrested for the possession of seditious literature. Earlier in the day Ally Luttrell, a member of Cumann na mBan, collected a letter attached to a stone that a prisoner threw over the wall. The letter stated that there would be an escape at 6.30pm. the next day. Denis Tracey, of Dunnamaggin, arranged for six of his men to be in Patrick Street with six ponies and traps to receive the escapees. The tunnel, on completion, exited along the foundation of the outer prison wall with the three-foot wide exit coming out in the centre of a public thoroughfare in St Riochs Street. Warder Tom Power, however, became suspicious when he noticed several men entering the cell that accessed the tunnel. He went to investigate, and when he saw what was happening complained that they should have picked another time to escape and not when he was on duty. The prisoners invited Power to play draughts in a cell, and they then gagged and bound him, to conceal his collusion. In the meantime, dozens of prisoners had entered the tunnel and made their escape. They had laid lengths of wood along the base of the tunnel to assist them in crawling through, and some of the prisoners held lighted candles to show the way through the pitch darkness. Larry Condon was in command of the escape party. In keeping with respect for the clergy at that time, Fr Delahunty was offered to be the second prisoner to escape after Larry Condon. However, he replied, Ill go with you lads, but only after the men who are sentenced to death and the other men who are serving life sentences. Condon entered the tunnel at 6.40pm and was to remain outside the tunnel entrance until all the men were safely away. When he exited the tunnel, Condon went immediately to a house facing the jail, informed the occupants what was happening and asked for their cooperation. PICTURE GALLERY: COIS NORE FUNDRAISER A member of the household accompanied Condon to the exit of the tunnel and helped the next prisoner through. Small groups of people were beginning to concentrate around the tunnel at this stage, and Condon ordered them into an adjoining house, asking them to remain quiet. As the going was laborious and difficult, the other prisoners came through the tunnel slowly. The escape took an hour and 40 minutes in total. Many of the prisoners were scantily dressed while some were fully outfitted, and two carried hand baggage with their belongings. Denis Tracey had his volunteers from Dunmaggin Company at the ready with the ponies and traps waiting to pick up some prisoners. Groups of men in threes and fours jumped into each trap and lay down on the floor as the driver headed away, out the Waterford Road and towards south Kilkenny as fast as he could. As confused prisoners emerged from the tunnel, two local men in St Riochs Street, Paddy Donoghue and Matty Power, both later Kilkenny hurling stars, helped them get their bearings. They directed some of them up Kennyswell Road and out the Ballycallan Road. Among the prisoners they guided out was Edward Punch, who was under sentence of death. Many of the escapees were dropped off in the Hugginstown district and made their way out of the city on foot to their destinations. READ KILKENNY COMMUNITY NEWS HERE Powers colleagues noticed that something was obviously wrong when the warder was discovered trussed up at around 8pm. They blew whistles to sound the alarm, and the military guard rushed to the entrance of the tunnel. Before the last three escapees had exited, they heard the loud whistles in the prison announcing the alarm. There were so many prisoners passing through the tunnel that it was probably damaged by the sheer volume of men and was blocked by falling debris from overhead. As the last escapee, 18-year-old Maurice Walsh, from Limerick, crawled through the tunnel a portion of it collapsed in front of him, forcing him back. On his return to the tunnel entrance, armed soldiers and warders met him and took him back to his cell. Initially, it was thought that up to 28 men escaped, but others later calculated the number at 43 escapees. None were recaptured. Despite the huge manhunt, all escapees successfully returned to their units. The IRA was still on alert in case the peace negotiations failed. Two weeks later the Irish plenipotentiaries and Lloyd Georges government signed the Anglo-Irish Treaty in London, thereby ending the War of Independence. The army chaplain who was stabbed on Thursday is a kind, decent and caring man, the Irish premier has said. Simon Harris said he had spoken to Fr Paul Murphy on Saturday as he recovers from his injuries. The chaplain was attacked on Thursday night at Renmore Barracks in Galway. In a statement, Mr Harris said: A kind, decent, caring man, of great faith and humanity. It was an honour to speak with him and to let him know that the entire country is wishing him well in his recovery. Fr Murphy, aged in his 50s, has thanked people for their prayers and concern. In a social media post after the attack, he said: 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. A teenage boy, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, has appeared in court charged in connection with the attack. NewstalkZB reports: A former Labour leaders broken ranks with his Party, in supporting AUKUS pillar two. Former Defence Minister Andrew Little has claimed the current Government is right to investigate the military intelligence-sharing agreement with the US, the UK, and Australia. Little says the nation needs to update its defence technology to address possible threats. There are threats in our region that are new, and are real and we have to equip our Defence Force. Where we get that technology to equip them is the question, and in that respect, AUKUS is probably relevant. Bill Barr writes: Last week, a federal judge in Massachusetts sent an unmistakable message to campus administrators in the United States: when it comes to combating antisemitism, talk is cheap. Judge Richard Stearns greenlighted a student organizations case against Harvard that alleges the university failed to protect the civil rights of Jewish students even as they were harassed, intimidated, and violently attacked by their peers. The facts as pled show that Harvard failed its Jewish students, Stearns wrote in his 25-page decision. Harvard urged the judge to dismiss the case, arguing that campus administrators had done enough to combat antisemitism by issuing condemnations of it, holding listening sessions about it, pulling together a task force on it, and pledging to take action against it. But Judge Stearns refused. He rightly observed that federal civil rights law demands more than denunciationsit requires meaningful action. Dismissal of the case, he reasoned, would reward Harvard for virtuous public declarations that for the most part, according to the [Plaintiffs], proved hollow. Thousands of Columbia Public School employees got ready to start the new school year in Mizzou Arena Friday, as the district prepares to implement several new policy changes before the first day of school on Tuesday. There are new restrictions on student cell phone use. Middle-school students must put phones away the entire day. High school students can use phones, except during class and learning time. The district points out it always had a cell phone policy, but now it's making expectations more clear. Students can have phones in backpacks or pockets as long as they're out of sight. The district said accommodations can be made for students who need phones for medical assistance. CPS also installed new weapons detections systems at Rock Bridge, Battle and Hickman high schools. It is a touchless system that automatically screens bags and backpacks. If a prohibited item is detected, a "secondary search" will be conducted, the district said. The system is sensitive to metal objects, and laptops and large notebooks will set off devices and must be removed from bags, according to CPS. A group of Columbia high schoolers called Students for Change advocated for a weapons detection system. Karli Jones, a student at Hickman High School, is the leader of Students for Change. Jones told KOMU 8 in 2021 her advocacy started after reports of an armed person disrupted her freshman year homecoming. There's also new protocols for CPS visitors. The district is implementing a new system that requires visitors to scan a government-issued ID. The Raptor system runs a check against the sex offender registry and any custody or entry limitations imposed by CPS. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Visitors will receive a tag that identifies them as a guest. A badge isn't required to drop off an item in the office or pick up paperwork. If someone doesn't have an ID, they can be manually let into the building, CPS said. District leaders touted public education at the convocation Friday. The convocation is basically a pep rally for CPS staff. Teachers wore matching T-shirts and sat according to which school they work for. "I couldn't believe more in this mission," Columbia School Board President Suzette Waters said. CPS faced threats from across the state, Waters said, and in its own backyard. The Missouri General Assembly passed a sweeping education bill this year that allowed charter schools in Boone County. The charter school provision was a top priority for former State Senator Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia. Almost every public school district in Boone County opposed the measure, warning it would siphon money and students. CPS is a big reason why people move to Boone County, said Kip Kendrick, the Boone County presiding commissioner. Almost 190,000 people live in the county, according to 2023 census data. That should grow to 250,000 people between 2045 and 2050, Kendrick said. "You are what makes this community grow," Kendrick told staff. Bank of America Co. (NYSE:BAC)s share price fell 0% on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $38.44 and last traded at $38.45. 3,484,449 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 91% from the average session volume of 39,224,258 shares. The stock had previously closed at $38.46. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several brokerages have recently weighed in on BAC. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on shares of Bank of America from $39.00 to $46.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 17th. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Bank of America from $43.00 to $49.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 17th. Wolfe Research raised shares of Bank of America from a peer perform rating to an outperform rating and set a $42.00 price target for the company in a report on Friday, April 19th. Oppenheimer lifted their price target on shares of Bank of America from $45.00 to $46.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Tuesday, April 30th. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of Bank of America from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, July 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Bank of America currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $42.07. Get Bank of America alerts: View Our Latest Stock Report on BAC Bank of America Stock Performance The company has a market cap of $307.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.58, a PEG ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 1.35. The firms 50-day moving average price is $40.21 and its 200 day moving average price is $37.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a current ratio of 0.80. Bank of America (NYSE:BAC Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 16th. The financial services provider reported $0.83 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.79 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $25.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $25.22 billion. Bank of America had a net margin of 13.28% and a return on equity of 10.56%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up .7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.88 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Bank of America Co. will post 3.27 EPS for the current year. Bank of America Increases Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 6th will be issued a $0.26 dividend. This represents a $1.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.64%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 6th. This is a boost from Bank of Americas previous quarterly dividend of $0.24. Bank of Americas dividend payout ratio is 35.99%. Bank of America declared that its board has authorized a stock buyback plan on Wednesday, July 24th that authorizes the company to repurchase $25.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the financial services provider to buy up to 7.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically a sign that the companys leadership believes its shares are undervalued. Insider Activity In other news, insider Lindsay D. Hans sold 10,901 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.91, for a total value of $402,355.91. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 10,907 shares in the company, valued at $402,577.37. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In other news, major shareholder Berkshire Hathaway Inc sold 5,264,601 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $41.20, for a total value of $216,901,561.20. Following the sale, the insider now owns 961,646,715 shares of the companys stock, valued at $39,619,844,658. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Lindsay D. Hans sold 10,901 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.91, for a total transaction of $402,355.91. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 10,907 shares in the company, valued at approximately $402,577.37. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 56,549,666 shares of company stock worth $2,403,801,723 over the last quarter. 0.29% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Institutional Trading of Bank of America A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Gateway Wealth Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Bank of America by 74.7% in the second quarter. Gateway Wealth Partners LLC now owns 17,173 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $683,000 after purchasing an additional 7,345 shares in the last quarter. Regal Investment Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Bank of America by 2.3% in the second quarter. Regal Investment Advisors LLC now owns 47,468 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,888,000 after purchasing an additional 1,060 shares in the last quarter. Wallace Advisory Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Bank of America by 8.4% in the second quarter. Wallace Advisory Group LLC now owns 17,366 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $691,000 after purchasing an additional 1,345 shares in the last quarter. William B. Walkup & Associates Inc. bought a new stake in Bank of America during the second quarter worth $624,000. Finally, Coastal Bridge Advisors LLC raised its position in Bank of America by 1.1% during the second quarter. Coastal Bridge Advisors LLC now owns 35,703 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,420,000 after acquiring an additional 378 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.71% of the companys stock. Bank of America Company Profile (Get 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 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. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Barnwell Industries (NYSE:BRN Free Report) in a research report released on Wednesday morning. The firm issued a hold rating on the stock. Barnwell Industries Stock Performance Shares of NYSE:BRN opened at $2.37 on Wednesday. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $2.36 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $2.48. The stock has a market cap of $23.77 million, a PE ratio of -7.18 and a beta of 0.15. Barnwell Industries has a one year low of $2.06 and a one year high of $3.20. Get Barnwell Industries alerts: Barnwell Industries (NYSE:BRN Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 14th. The company reported ($0.18) EPS for the quarter. Barnwell Industries had a negative net margin of 13.29% and a negative return on equity of 18.20%. The company had revenue of $5.77 million for the quarter. Insider Activity Institutional Investors Weigh In On Barnwell Industries In other news, major shareholder Ned L. Sherwood bought 24,011 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 31st. The shares were purchased at an average price of $2.89 per share, for a total transaction of $69,391.79. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 2,767,995 shares in the company, 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 . In other Barnwell Industries news, major shareholder Ned L. Sherwood bought 24,011 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 31st. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $2.89 per share, for a total transaction of $69,391.79. Following the completion of the purchase, the insider now owns 2,767,995 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,999,505.55. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website . Also, major shareholder Ned L. Sherwood bought 18,034 shares of Barnwell Industries stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 20th. The shares were acquired at an average price 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 of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,685,678.77. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here . Insiders bought a total of 46,251 shares of company stock valued at $131,894 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 17.60% of the companys stock. An institutional investor recently raised its position in Barnwell Industries stock. Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its stake in Barnwell Industries, Inc. (NYSE:BRN Free Report) by 1.9% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 355,534 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 6,612 shares during the quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC owned about 3.55% of Barnwell Industries worth $836,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Hedge funds and other 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. See Also 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. Energizer Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:ENR Get Free Report) was the target of a large decline in short interest in July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 3,010,000 shares, a decline of 15.4% from the July 15th total of 3,560,000 shares. Currently, 4.6% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 544,100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 5.5 days. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Energizer A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in ENR. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Energizer in the 4th quarter worth approximately $16,559,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in Energizer by 192.5% during the second quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 372,697 shares of the companys stock worth $11,009,000 after acquiring an additional 245,285 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of Energizer by 38.0% during the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 872,606 shares of the companys stock valued at $25,778,000 after acquiring an additional 240,402 shares during the period. M&G Plc acquired a new stake in shares of Energizer in the 1st quarter valued at $5,174,000. Finally, Great Lakes Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Energizer in the 4th quarter worth about $3,629,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.74% of the companys stock. Get Energizer alerts: Energizer Stock Performance ENR stock traded down $0.19 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $29.16. 428,549 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 533,065. Energizer has a twelve month low of $26.92 and a twelve month high of $36.72. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $29.65 and a 200-day simple moving average of $29.37. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 2.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 16.86. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.60 and a beta of 1.05. Energizer Announces Dividend Energizer ( NYSE:ENR Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The company reported $0.79 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.67 by $0.12. Energizer had a return on equity of 119.16% and a net margin of 2.97%. The firm had revenue of $701.40 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $704.86 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.54 earnings per share. The companys quarterly revenue was up .3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Energizer will post 3.21 earnings per share for the current year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 22nd will be issued a $0.30 dividend. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.12%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 22nd. Energizers dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 100.84%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Energizer from $31.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, July 19th. UBS Group lifted their target price on Energizer from $30.00 to $31.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, May 8th. Canaccord Genuity Group reduced their target price on Energizer from $33.00 to $32.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 8th. Truist Financial dropped their price target on Energizer from $35.00 to $30.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 8th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upgraded Energizer from an underweight rating to an equal weight rating and set a $33.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $33.13. View Our Latest Analysis on Energizer About Energizer (Get Free Report) Energizer Holdings, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, markets, and distributes household batteries, specialty batteries, and lighting products worldwide. It offers lithium, alkaline, carbon zinc, nickel metal hydride, zinc air, and silver oxide batteries under the Energizer, Eveready, and Rayovac brands; primary, rechargeable, specialty, and hearing aid batteries; and handheld, headlights, lanterns, and area lights, as well as flashlights under the Hard Case, Dolphin, and WeatherReady brands. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Energizer Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Energizer and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Games Workshop Group (OTCMKTS:GMWKF Get Free Report) and YETI (NYSE:YETI Get Free Report) are both consumer cyclical companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, institutional ownership, dividends, risk, valuation, profitability and analyst recommendations. Analyst Recommendations This is a summary of recent ratings and recommmendations for Games Workshop Group and YETI, as reported by MarketBeat. Get Games Workshop Group alerts: Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Games Workshop Group 0 0 0 0 N/A YETI 1 8 6 0 2.33 YETI has a consensus target price of $46.29, suggesting a potential upside of 11.24%. Given YETIs higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe YETI is more favorable than Games Workshop Group. Valuation and Earnings Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Games Workshop Group N/A N/A N/A $0.22 588.95 YETI $1.66 billion 2.12 $169.88 million $2.01 20.70 This table compares Games Workshop Group and YETIs revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. YETI has higher revenue and earnings than Games Workshop Group. YETI is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Games Workshop Group, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Profitability This table compares Games Workshop Group and YETIs net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Games Workshop Group N/A N/A N/A YETI 10.66% 28.83% 16.29% Institutional and Insider Ownership 63.2% of Games Workshop Group shares are held by institutional investors. 0.9% of YETI shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term. Summary YETI beats Games Workshop Group on 8 of the 10 factors compared between the two stocks. About Games Workshop Group (Get Free Report) Games Workshop Group PLC, together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, distributes, and sells miniature figures and games in the United Kingdom, Continental Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, and internationally. It operates in two segments, Core and Licensing. The company offers games under the Warhammer: Age of Sigmar, Necromunda, and Warhammer 40,000 names, as well as Horus Heresy and Blood Bowl. It also publishes short stories, audio dramas, full length novels, and audio books under the Black Library name; and develops digital content for animation and TV. In addition, the company provides painting and modelling products, boxed games, and gifts; and engages in the newsstand and trustee businesses. It offers its products through its retail stores, social media sites, and warhammer-community.com; and physical bookstores, third party online platforms, and other retail and specialist stores. Games The company was incorporated in 1991 and is headquartered in Nottingham, the United Kingdom. About YETI (Get Free Report) YETI Holdings, Inc. designs, retails, and distributes products for the outdoor and recreation market under the YETI brand. It offers coolers and equipment, including hard and soft coolers, cargo, bags, outdoor living, and associated accessories, as well as backpacks, duffel bags, luggage, packing cubes, carryalls, camp chairs, blankets, dog beds, dog bowls, and gear cases under the LoadOut, Panga, Crossroads, Camino, Hondo Base, Trailhead, Lowlands, Boomer, and SideKick Dry brands. The company also provides drinkware products, such as colsters, lowballs, wine tumblers, stackable pints, mugs, tumblers, straw mugs and cups, bottles, jugs, and water bottles, as well as accessories comprising bottle straw and chug caps, lids, straw lids, color packs, tumbler handles, and jug mounts under the Rambler brand. In addition, it offers apparel and gear products, such as hats, shirts, bottle openers, and ice substitutes. The company sells its products through independent retailers, including outdoor specialty, hardware, sporting goods, and farm and ranch supply stores, as well as through its Website, YETI.com. It operates in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Hong Kong, China, Singapore, and Japan. YETI Holdings, Inc. was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in Austin, Texas. Receive News & Ratings for Games Workshop Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Games Workshop Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Terreno Realty (NYSE:TRNO Free Report) had its price objective boosted by JMP Securities from $65.00 to $72.00 in a report published on Tuesday morning, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a market outperform rating on the real estate investment trusts stock. Other equities analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Wedbush restated a neutral rating and set a $57.00 price objective (down previously from $67.00) on shares of Terreno Realty in a report on Tuesday, May 14th. BNP Paribas began coverage on shares of Terreno Realty in a report on Tuesday, June 4th. They set an outperform rating and a $68.00 price objective on the stock. Scotiabank cut their price objective on shares of Terreno Realty from $66.00 to $59.00 and set a sector perform rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 16th. Barclays cut their price target on shares of Terreno Realty from $71.00 to $68.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 24th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on shares of Terreno Realty from $60.00 to $68.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, August 12th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $67.89. Get Terreno Realty alerts: Get Our Latest Research Report on TRNO Terreno Realty Stock Performance Terreno Realty Increases Dividend TRNO stock opened at $67.74 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $6.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.28, a PEG ratio of 3.28 and a beta of 0.89. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $63.51 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $61.24. Terreno Realty has a one year low of $50.42 and a one year high of $69.74. 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 firm also recently announced 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 positive change from Terreno Realtys previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 30th. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.89%. Terreno Realtys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 93.75%. Insider Activity In other news, CFO Jaime Jackson Cannon sold 4,998 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 101,927 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,970,787.53. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In other Terreno Realty news, President Michael A. Coke sold 7,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, August 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $68.53, for a total value of $513,975.00. Following the transaction, the president now owns 402,164 shares in the company, valued at approximately $27,560,298.92. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CFO Jaime Jackson Cannon sold 4,998 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, August 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $68.39, for a total value of $341,813.22. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 101,927 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,970,787.53. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 18,643 shares of company stock worth $1,277,581 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 2.40% of the companys stock. Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in TRNO. Covestor Ltd raised its holdings in shares of Terreno Realty by 7.2% during the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 2,950 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $196,000 after acquiring an additional 197 shares during the period. Alliance Wealth Advisors LLC UT increased its position in shares of Terreno Realty by 3.3% during the 4th quarter. Alliance Wealth Advisors LLC UT now owns 6,304 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $395,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. increased its position in shares of Terreno Realty by 5.1% during the 4th quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 5,546 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $348,000 after purchasing an additional 269 shares during the last quarter. Amalgamated Bank increased its position in shares of Terreno Realty by 9.9% during the 2nd quarter. Amalgamated Bank now owns 3,154 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $187,000 after purchasing an additional 284 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Caprock Group LLC increased its position in shares of Terreno Realty by 2.1% during the 1st quarter. Caprock Group LLC now owns 14,355 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $960,000 after purchasing an additional 292 shares during the last quarter. 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. Victorias Secret & Co. (NYSE:VSCO Get Free Report) updated its second quarter 2024 earnings guidance on Wednesday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 0.340-0.390 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 0.160. The company issued revenue guidance of $1.4 billion-$1.4 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $1.4 billion. Victorias Secret & Co. also updated its Q2 guidance to $0.34-0.39 EPS. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of research analysts have issued reports on VSCO shares. Morgan Stanley raised shares of Victorias Secret & Co. from an underweight rating to an equal weight rating in a report on Wednesday. Telsey Advisory Group reissued a market perform rating and issued a $24.00 price objective on shares of Victorias Secret & Co. in a report on Thursday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Victorias Secret & Co. from $15.00 to $16.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a report on Friday, May 17th. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Victorias Secret & Co. from $17.00 to $19.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on shares of Victorias Secret & Co. from $15.00 to $17.00 and gave the company a sell rating in a report on Thursday. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $19.80. Get Victoria's Secret & Co. alerts: View Our Latest Report on VSCO Victorias Secret & Co. Price Performance Victorias Secret & Co. stock opened at $24.09 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.51, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a current ratio of 0.97. The company has a market capitalization of $1.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 2.08. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $18.33 and its 200-day simple moving average is $20.59. Victorias Secret & Co. has a 1 year low of $13.62 and a 1 year high of $30.80. Victorias Secret & Co. (NYSE:VSCO Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, June 5th. The company reported $0.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.11 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $1.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.36 billion. Victorias Secret & Co. had a net margin of 1.71% and a return on equity of 46.52%. The firms quarterly revenue was down 3.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.28 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Victorias Secret & Co. will post 1.76 earnings per share for the current year. Victorias Secret & Co. Company Profile (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. Read More 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. One-night stands in dramas draw criticism for potentially harmful messages By KTimes Recent dramas such as "Good Partner" and "My Sweet Mobster" have ignited controversy for their portrayal of one-night stands, with some viewers questioning whether these scenes are necessary, especially when they disrupt the established identity of the characters. In "My Sweet Mobster," for example, a character unexpectedly becomes pregnant after a one-night stand, leaving viewers puzzled. Given that both shows are rated for viewers 15 and older, concerns have been raised about the potential for these portrayals to instill unhealthy sexual values. Two popular dramas have recently addressed the topic of one-night stands in different ways. In episode 4 of SBS's "Good Partner," characters Han Yu-ri (played by Nam Ji-hyun) and her lawyer colleague Jeon Eun-ho (played by Pyo Ji-hoon) end up spending a night together after a heavy drinking session. The scene, however, failed to convince viewers, who found it inconsistent with Han Yuri's character. Throughout the series, Han Yu-ri was portrayed as deeply affected by her father's infidelity, leading her to be skeptical of marriage and relationships. Her sudden decision to spend the night with Jeon Eun-ho, whom she previously viewed more as a friend than a romantic interest, felt out of character, leading to criticism from viewers. Freedom of expression Comments on the SBS YouTube channel included remarks like, "This is so outdated. The scene of two people waking up together in a motel is so cliche," and "Does it make sense for a character who has a strong aversion to relationships with men to have a one-night stand?" Similarly, in JTBC's "My Sweet Mobster," Mi-ho (played by Moon Ji-in) suddenly spends the night with Il-young (played by Kim Hyun-jin), leading to an unexpected pregnancy and subsequent marriage. Il-young confesses that he only began to like Mi-ho after learning about the pregnancy. According to the Korea Communications Commissions regulations, section 35 on sexual expression stipulates that broadcasts should not focus primarily on immoral or unhealthy relationships. Additionally, the 15+ rating from the Korea Media Rating Board means that the content should be appropriate for teenagers without distorting their sexual perceptions. While indirect or implied sexual expressions that do not directly contradict social ethics are allowed, the repeated depiction of one-night stands in dramas may create a sense of deja vu for viewers. While societal views on sex have broadened, and the concept of sexuality has evolved, the frequent use of one-night stands as a plot device in dramas can be concerning. For instance, the ongoing KBS2 drama "Beauty and Mr. Romantic" also briefly features a storyline where two characters spend the night together after a chance meeting. Teetering on edge of acceptability In the OTT (over-the-top) streaming space, such themes are even more common, with shows like Tving's "Work Later, Drink Now" and Netflix's "Love to Hate You" often highlighting sexually liberated and independent female characters. Ironically, all of the mentioned dramas feature female protagonists who are portrayed as leading proactive and ambitious lives. In "Good Partner," for example, the story focuses on a young lawyer growing into her role and developing a healthy understanding of marriage, which makes the sudden introduction of a one-night stand difficult to justify. Although one-night stands have been a theme in past dramas, there seems to be a growing trend in their portrayal. While such content may reflect certain aspects of social reality, it also teeters on the edge of acceptability. The potential for negative impact on teenagers, who are in the process of forming their sexual values, is particularly concerning. It's worth noting that after smoking was removed from public broadcast, smoking rates decreased among both teenagers and adults. While one-night stands are not illegal, they do not necessarily contribute to a healthy broadcasting culture. This highlights the need for producers to carefully consider the implications of such content. This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by staff of The Korea Times. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attended a demonstration class for children from flood-hit regions, state media reported Saturday, as part of a series of efforts to emphasize his concern for the victims of recent heavy downpours. Kim visited a school located at their accommodation in Pyongyang, Friday, which had been prepared for victims from flood-affected areas in the North Pyongan, Jagang, and Ryanggang provinces, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Heavy rains in late July flooded large areas along the Amnok River on the northern border. Some South Korean media outlets have reported that the number of those dead or missing likely exceeds 1,000. The KCNA reported that Kim arrived at the April 25 Hostel and observed the lesson for pupils from the flood-stricken areas, inspecting educational equipment and school fixtures. Kim emphasized "the need to ensure that the children study well during the recovery from flood damage and to organize a diverse schedule that will make their stay in Pyongyang an unforgettable and pleasant memory forever," according to the report. In a separate dispatch, the KCNA also reported that children and other people from the flood-affected areas enjoyed their stay in Pyongyang, including having a good time at the Munsu and Rungna water parks. During last week's visit to Uiju County in North Pyongan, Kim met with flood victims staying at a temporary shelter and promised to bring them to Pyongyang. More than 13,000 victims, including children, the elderly and the sick, arrived in Pyongyang on Thursday and were provided with accommodation. Last week, Kim pledged to support flood victims without outside assistance, effectively rejecting international aid and South Korea's proposal for flood damage relief. (Yonhap) The leaders of South Korea, the United States and Japan will announce a joint statement this weekend to commemorate the first anniversary of the historic Camp David Summit, a presidential official in Seoul said Saturday. The trilateral summit, held at Camp David in Maryland last August, brought together South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. The summit resulted in a series of landmark agreements aimed at strengthening cooperation among the three nations. The joint statement, to be announced Sunday, is expected to commemorate the first anniversary and explore ways to maintain and stabilize the trilateral cooperation system. "We are preparing a joint statement that will reflect the founding purpose of the Camp David cooperation framework, the achievements of the past year, and the shared concerns for future collaboration," said the high-ranking presidential official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The agreement comes at a time of political change. Kishida has announced his intention to step down next month, and Biden has also withdrawn from the upcoming presidential race. Despite the leadership transitions in the U.S. and Japan, the joint statement will emphasize the commitment to unwavering cooperation among the three countries. The statement is also expected to outline trilateral support for Yoon's new unification doctrine, which he announced during his Liberation Day address Thursday. The new doctrine updates a previous unification vision presented by the Kim Young-sam administration in 1994. It focuses on expanding North Koreans' access to outside information and proposes opening an official dialogue channel between the two Koreas to discuss various issues. Additionally, another trilateral summit is anticipated before the end of this year. Some speculate that the summit could take place during an international multilateral meeting in October, where the leaders of the three nations may meet again. "The timing and details of the next summit are still under discussion, and no specific decisions have been made yet," the official said. Earlier this week, Mira Rapp-Hooper, the senior director for East Asia and Oceania at the National Security Council, hinted at the possibility of another trilateral leaders' summit before the end of this year. (Yonhap) Independence Hall of Korea controversy reveals long-running ideological rift By Kwak Yeon-soo An ideological dispute over Korea's independence movement has intensified in politics after President Yoon Suk Yeol appointed Kim Hyoung-suk as the new director of the Independence Hall of Korea. This national museum, dedicated to the country's independence movement, has become a focal point of contention, according to political analysts and scholars. Kim has come under fire for his past remarks that are seen as justifying Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule over Korea and praising those who collaborated with the Japanese authorities during the occupation. After Kim's appointment on Aug. 8, the Heritage of Korean Independence (HKI), a state-funded association of independence fighters, urged the president to reverse the decision, arguing that it reflects a flawed understanding of history. Opposition parties and civic groups, including descendants of independence fighters, boycotted the government-led Liberation Day ceremony on Thursday in protest. Instead, they held a separate ceremony, marking an unprecedented split in the long-standing commemoration of Koreas liberation from Japanese colonial rule. The ideological dispute is a recurring theme in Korean politics where conservatives and liberals tend to hold different views of Koreas history following its independence from Japanese colonial occupation. Last year, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs removed a state burial record labeling Korean War hero Gen. Paik Sun-yup as a pro-Japanese figure, arguing that the description lacked legal basis. The Ministry of National Defense also sought to remove busts of five independence fighters, including Hong Beom-do, from the Korean Military Academy in Seoul due to their connections with the Soviet Communist Party. The plan was suspended following strong opposition from political parties and associations representing independence fighters. Yoon has highlighted closer ties with Japan as a key diplomatic success of his administration, yet many argue that his outreach goes beyond mere pro-Japanese diplomacy. The ongoing controversy over UNESCO's listing of Japans Sado mines has reignited debate on the Yoon government's submissive diplomacy. Critics contend that the government has failed to secure Japan's explicit acknowledgment of the coercive mobilization of Koreans during the colonial period. Pundits say that the Yoon government is the most pro-Japanese regime Korea has ever seen. Ban Byung-ryul, professor emeritus at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, criticized Kim for making statements that, in his view, contradict the foundational goals and objectives of the Independence Hall of Korea. While academic debate is normal, Kim's comments on Korean contemporary history seem particularly problematic and biased, given his role as director of the Independence Hall of Korea. This position is crucial for upholding the legacy of Korea's independence movement. For instance, Kim has denied that Gen. Paik Sun-yup and composer Ahn Eak-tay were pro-Japanese collaborators, despite historical evidence to the contrary, Ban said. The professor said Kims appointment is an insult to Koreans national pride. I dont think its simply a mistake. Yoon has consistently rolled out policies that are deemed pro-Japanese, from endorsing Japans Fukushima water release and reigniting the 'Foundation Day' controversy. Our relations with Japan surrouding the historical dispute is a tricky matter that can further escalate tensions, the professor added. The Yoon administration has aimed to shift the focus from the traditional Aug. 15 Liberation Day, which commemorates Korea's liberation from Japan in 1945, to Aug. 15 Foundation Day, which marks the establishment of the Syngman Rhee administration in 1948. This perspective is supported by the New Right, a group of right-wing conservative historians. On the other hand, liberal politicians and scholars regard 1919, when a government-in-exile was set up in Shanghai, China, as the year the country was founded. They view that the interim government undertook administrative, diplomatic and military activities to gain independence from Japan's colonial rule in 1945, and thus serves as the basis for Korea today. Political commentators shared similar opinions. The Yoon administrations pro-Japanese stance is the strongest of all time. Controversies over historical interpretation existed under the conservative Lee Myung-bak (when the government attempted to replace Liberation Day with Foundation Day) and Park Geun-hye (when the government unveiled state-authored history textbooks playing down pro-Japanese collaborators) administrations. But all of them failed to win public consensus. However, pro-Lee factions became the leading force of the pro-Yoon factions, and they are now trying to complete what they failed to achieve under the Lee administration, Rhee Jong-hoon, political commentator, said. The heads of the National Institute of Korean History, the Academy of Korean Studies and Northeast Asian History Foundation have been dominated by New Right figures who are pro-Japan. The institutions tasked with carrying out research into Koreas contemporary history have fallen under pro-Japan forces. The government's effort to distort history is being conducted systematically step-by-step. Park Chang-hwan, a political commentator and professor at Jangan University, said even Yoons key supporters in Daegu, a conservative stronghold, and those in their 70s, oppose Kims appointment. This is clearly not normal. Yoons pro-Japan stance has come to the extent of hurting Koreas national interest. Over the years, Japan has made significant diplomatic advances with Korea. However, many argue that Korea has seen little in return for these efforts. This suggests Yoon's broken compass diplomacy, and Korea-Japan relations cannot remain competitive going forward, Park said. Rep. Lee Jae-myung, former leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), won an overwhelming victory in a primary in Seoul on Saturday, and is poised to become the party leader for a second term. Lee won 92.43 percent of combined ballots cast by registered party members in the capital, the last round of primaries, followed by former Interior Minister Kim Doo-gwan with 6.27 percent and another candidate, Kim Ji-soo, at 1.3 percent. Having accumulated nearly 90 percent of votes in 17 rounds of primaries and from party members abroad, Lee is widely expected to be elected the new leader during a national convention, Sunday. In June, Lee resigned to run for reelection as the current party rule stipulates the party chair must resign from his leadership position to be eligible as a candidate. Lee is considered a leading candidate for the liberal party for the next presidential election in 2027, though he is at the heart of several scandals, including one involving land development in Seongnam, south of Seoul. (Yonhap) By Robert Neff Over the past couple of decades, saunas (jjimjilbang), spas and hot springs have become popular attractions for foreign tourists. North Korea has a large number of hot springs, and many of them have interesting histories centered around healing. One such place is Jangdol Hot Spring, which traces its history back to an ancient legend involving a skylark (jangdolsae) with a broken leg that landed near a hot spring and was quickly healed. By the early 20th century, these hot springs became popular spots for foreigners albeit most visitors were probably Japanese. In 1907, Thomas Sammons, the American consul in Seoul, described six of the most notable hot springs on the Korean Peninsula. Somewhat surprisingly, most of them were in the northern part of the peninsula, and he neglected to mention the best-known hot springs near Fusan (modern Busan). According to Sammons, three of the most notable hot springs were near Chinnampo (modern Nampo in North Korea), but he was not impressed with them as they were located in low land, unattractive in every way and without bathing accommodations. Near the foreign gold mining concessions north of Pyongyang, there were several small hots springs but the most popular was Sung-chun. Located near the British gold mining concession (Gwendoline), it was often frequented by the miners presumably Koreans who established a resort for themselves where they could relax and soothe their sore muscles in the hot water. Sammons described the spring as a well-shaped pool nearly six meters deep, but provided no real information. Fortunately, Edward McCarthy, the general manager of the mining concession, did write about his experience at the hot spring in the early 1900s: These springs are well-known in Corea for their curative properties, and the small village where the baths are located depends for its support on visitors. Our men often used to go for a week-end to take a few baths, but they did not tempt me, and although they offered to clear everyone out of the public bath, I did not fancy a bathe in waters where every diseased person imaginable had bathed. The bath was quite a large one, built under cover, with the hot springs bubbling up continually inside, and with a steady overflow. These springs were extremely hot and ranged from 55 to 88 degrees Celsius, but the hottest spring was at Yangtuk (near Wonsan), where the temperature exceeded 95 degrees. This hot spring was in some ways the most attractive and largest of the springs he described, but Sammons was disappointed with its very poor provision for bathers. This region had numerous hot springs that were occasionally visited by Westerners. In the early 1890s, while exploring Mount Paektu, H. Goold-Adams, an English explorer, described several sulfur springs that ran down into a small stream. Goold-Adams and his Korean guide bathed in a small pool: The temperature even here was as hot as an ordinary hot bath and the water smelt horribly, but we were very thankful to be able to wash anywhere and we certainly were in need of it. Singye Temple a Buddhist temple located in the Diamond Mountains was a popular resting place for travelers. In the 1890s, William Scranton, an American missionary, in his short article he extolled the virtues of the temple including its solitude, friendly priests and nearby attractions including the "Nine Dragon Pool," waterfalls and hot springs. In 1903, another American missionary, Jacob Robert Moose, provided a more detailed description of the nearby hot springs: Near this temple we found a hot spring which if in the United States of America would at once be famous and a fortune to its owner. In these mountains, so far as I can judge, there are no signs of volcanic action; so I was surprised to find this hot spring bursting forth as if from the regions of eternal fires. It is in a small valley about five miles inland from the coast, seventy miles down from Wonsan, and has been used by the Koreans for hundreds of years. There are the remains of what seem to have been substantial buildings of considerable dimensions; but now there are only about half a dozen thatched houses standing. The spring is walled up with large slabs of stone and is about six by nine feet, and a foot and a half deep; though it may be made twice that depth if so desired. The water, which is so hot that it is with difficulty one can lie down in it, is abundant, clear as crystal and very soft, leaving the body in a most delightful condition when the bath is over. This will some day in the not distant future be one of Koreans famous resorts and those who are seeking health and recreation will find it pleasant to linger here. His prediction proved true, but unfortunately, during the 1950-53 Korean War, the temple was destroyed. There are other popular hot springs that survived. According to the Korean Customs Reports from 1900, there was a very popular hot spring near Seongjin (modern Kimchaek in North Korea) famed for being very efficacious for a number of ailments including rheumatism and was much used by the neighbouring villagers for bathing purposes. This may have been Jueul hot springs. In the spring of 1903, while itinerating, Alex Robb, a Canadian missionary, visited the hot spring and noted that an enterprising Korean gentleman had built a bathing hut. The missionary and his party decided to partake in the curative waters of the spring. In his notes, he initially described his experience as being very refreshing, but that sentiment changed quickly. Apparently, hot springs throughout Korea were used not only for medicinal purposes but also to assist local industries. According to Sammons, The Koreans make use of the water for such purposes as immersing their hemp to remove the bark. However, our Canadian missionary was shocked to discover that sore, diseased bodies and hemp were not the only things to be dipped in the hot water. After bathing, they discovered that the hot, bubbling spring was a favourite spot for removing feathers and hair from slaughtered hens, dogs and pigs and their initial refreshment faded quickly. Jueul (now known as Gyeongseong) Hot Springs is still a popular health resort in North Korea. According to one source, the construction of a modern spa began at the end of 1919 and was likely completed shortly afterward. It does not challenge the imagination to assume this site was especially popular during the uneasiness caused by the Spanish flu pandemic. Another source claims it was the Yankovsky family who established this resort but I have my doubts as to its accuracy. Read More The greatest tiger hunter In the late 1940s, Jueul Hot Spring was developed as a sanatorium and, apparently, continues to operate. The hot spring is praised for its positive effect on a litany of diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, gout, gastric diseases, inflammation, infertility and menopausal disorders. Tomorrow we will examine hot springs in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula. My appreciation to Diane Nars and Hyunuk Park for their assistance. Robert Neff has authored and co-authored several books, including Letters from Joseon, Korea Through Western Eyes and Brief Encounters. Hamas said Friday that it rejected "new conditions" in a Gaza ceasefire plan the United States presented after two days of talks with Israeli negotiators in Qatar. As international pressure mounted for a ceasefire after more than 10 months of war between Israel and the Palestinian group in the Gaza Strip, U.S. President Joe Biden said: "We are closer than we have ever been." U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is to travel to Israel this weekend to advance the latest proposal, the State Department said. "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. Washington has joined its European allies in pushing for a swift ceasefire in Gaza since the July 31 killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in an attack in Iran blamed on Israel prompted threats of retaliation and fears of a wider Middle East war. Egyptian, Qatari and U.S. mediators have been seeking to finalize details of a framework initially outlined by Biden in May, and which he said Israel had proposed. But months of talks have so far failed to pin down the details of a truce and hostage release deal. The mediators said that the two days of talks in Doha were "serious and constructive." In a joint statement, they said the United States had presented a "bridging proposal" that sought to secure a rapid deal at a new round of talks in Cairo next week. Hamas swiftly announced its opposition to what it called "new conditions" from Israel in the latest plan. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on the mediators to put "pressure" on Hamas "to accept the May 27 principles," referring to Biden's framework. Western ally Jordan however put the blame squarely on Netanyahu for blocking a deal, with Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi urging pressure "by everyone who wishes to see this through to completion." 'Impunity' An informed source told AFP that the conditions Hamas objected to included keeping Israeli troops on Gaza's border with Egypt, and terms related to the release Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails in exchange for Israeli hostages. Diplomatic pressure on Israel to agree a truce has increased in recent weeks. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy and his French counterpart Stephane Sejourne held talks in Israel, Friday to urge a Gaza ceasefire. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz told his visiting counterparts he expects foreign support "in attacking" Iran if it strikes Israel in revenge for Haniyeh's killing. Sejourne replied that it would be "inappropriate" to discuss responding to any attack while diplomacy is in high gear to stop it happening. A senior U.S. official, speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity, said Iran would face "cataclysmic" consequences if it strikes Israel. A deadly attack by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank late Thursday drew international condemnation and calls for sanctions, including against government ministers, over the upsurge in settler violence against Palestinians particularly since the Gaza war began. The Israeli military said "dozens of Israeli civilians, some of them masked," entered the village of Jit, west of Nablus, and "set fire to vehicles and structures in the area, hurled rocks and Molotov cocktails." A Palestinian man was shot dead. The West Bank-based Palestinian foreign ministry described the attack as "organised state terrorism." The European Union's top diplomat Josep Borrell said he would propose sanctions against Israeli government "enablers" of Jewish settler violence. "Day after day, in an almost total impunity, Israeli settlers fuel violence in the occupied West Bank," Borrell posted on X. "The Israeli government must stop these unacceptable actions immediately." Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a proponent of West Bank settlements, was quick to join other Israeli leaders in condemning Thursday's attack by "criminals." First polio case recorded Hamas's unprecedented Oct. 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. More than 100 were freed during a one-week truce in November. On Thursday, the toll from Israel's 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. The war has crippled the besieged territory's healthcare infrastructure, prompting repeated warnings from the World Health Organization of the potential for outbreaks of preventable diseases. On Friday, the Palestinian health ministry reported an unvaccinated 10-month-old child in Gaza had been diagnosed with polio, the territory's first case in 25 years, according to the WHO. The announcement came hours after U.N. chief Antonio Guterres called for two seven-day breaks in the Gaza war to vaccinate more than 640,000 children against type 2 poliovirus, which was first detected in the territory's wastewater in June. As truce talks were underway, thousands of civilians were on the move again inside the Palestinian territory after the Israeli military issued new evacuation orders warning of imminent military action. "During each round of negotiations, they exert pressure by forcing evacuations and committing massacres," Issa Murad, a Gazan displaced to Deir al-Balah, said of the Israeli forces. (AFP) Youth unemployment in China ticked up to 17.1 percent in July, official figures showed, the highest level this year as the world's second-largest economy faces mounting headwinds. China is battling soaring joblessness among young people, a heavily indebted property sector and intensifying trade issues with the West. Chinese Premier Li Qiang, who is responsible for economic policy, on Friday called for struggling companies to be "heard" and "their difficulties truly addressed," according to the state news agency Xinhua. The unemployment rate among 16- to 24-year-olds released Friday by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) was up markedly from June's 13.2 percent. The closely watched metric peaked at 21.3 percent in June of 2023, before authorities suspended publication of the figures and later changed their methodology to exclude students. Nearly 12 million students graduated from Chinese universities this June, heightening competition in an already tough job market and likely explaining July's sharp increase in joblessness. In May, President Xi Jinping said countering youth unemployment must be regarded as a "top priority." Among 25- to 29-year-olds, the unemployment rate stood at 6.5 percent for July, up from the previous month's 6.4 percent. For the workforce as a whole, the unemployment rate was 5.2 percent. However, the NBS figures paint an incomplete picture of China's overall employment situation, as they take only urban areas into account. The new unemployment figures come on the heels of other disappointing economic data from Beijing, including figures showing dampened industrial production, despite recent government measures aimed at boosting growth. Industrial production growth weakened in July, with the month's 5.1 percent expansion down from June's 5.3 percent and falling short of analyst predictions. China's major cities also recorded another decline in real estate prices last month, a sign of sluggish demand. Demand for bank loans also contracted for the first time in nearly 20 years, according to official figures published earlier this week. International challenges are also mounting, with the European Union and the United States increasingly imposing trade barriers to protect their markets from low-cost Chinese products and perceived unfair competition. (AFP) Outgoing Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is finalizing plans to visit the United States in late September for the U.N. General Assembly and a possible meeting with President Joe Biden, the Yomiuri newspaper reported Saturday. The visit may take place for several days starting Sept. 22, the report said, citing multiple government sources it did not identify. The Japanese Foreign Ministry and Prime Minister's Office did not respond to calls and requests for comment by Reuters. Kishida dropped out of the leadership race for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, Wednesday, meaning he will step down as prime minister when his term as party leader ends in late September. The date of the LDP election is not yet set. It could be as early as Sept. 20, in which case Kishida would likely address the General Assembly after Japan's parliament, where the LDP has a majority, has chosen his replacement as prime minister, according to the Yomiuri. Some in the Japanese government think Kishida's successor should not develop close ties with Biden, the newspaper said. Biden, who dropped out of November's U.S. presidential election, was replaced as the Democratic Party nominee last month by Vice President Kamala Harris. She faces the Republican candidate, former President Donald Trump. (Reuters) President Joe Biden will give the keynote address Monday night at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, making a symbolic handoff of his party to Vice President Kamala Harris and pressing the case for what he says is the threat to the country if Donald Trump returns to the White House. Four weeks ago, Biden ended his bid for reelection as his party descended into a crisis of confidence over his chances against the Republican nominee after a devastating performance in their June debate. Now, Biden is set to receive a rousing welcome from many of the same officials who were itching for him to exit the race. Bidens aides said the president will use his remarks to deliver the argument for why he believes Harris must replace him and defeat Trump, whom he says is a threat to democracy. Biden will also play up some of his popular accomplishments before he steps out of the spotlight for Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, to take center stage the rest of the week, the aides said. The president was greeted by chants of Thank you, Joe! Thursday when he appeared with Harris in Maryland, and aides said he was pleased by the consolidation in the party behind Harris. Biden endorsed Harris minutes after ending his campaign, helping orchestrate a near-seamless handoff of his political operation to his vice president and avoiding a contentious fight in Chicago over the party's future. While Biden is no longer on the top of the ticket, his influence will be felt in Chicago, albeit in a far smaller role than had he remained the nominee. Speakers at the convention are expected to make reference to Biden's accomplishments, from helping lead the country out of the COVID-19 pandemic to winning passage of major infrastructure, climate and health care investments. Harris has used Biden's policies as the foundation of her own policy plans. The convention's logo still calls back to the president's campaign logo, and signs in the United Center will feature a quote from Biden's Oval Office address explaining his decision to drop out, when he exhorted voters to back Harris: History is in your hands," he said then. On Monday, signs will feature a regular Biden-ism: "Spread the faith. First lady Jill Biden and other members of Biden's family will be in the arena to watch his speech, which will serve as a coda to his 50 years in Democratic politics. Harris was expected to attend that night. Biden is not scheduled to be at the convention when Harris speaks in the prime spot on Thursday evening. (AP) Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. [??] Presentacion de los resultados alcanzados durante la 14 Reunion Ministerial de Energia de APEC. ?? https://t.co/lg8B9DMaNe #APECPeru2024 logro aprobar por consenso 3 importantes instrumentos para la transicion al uso de energias limpias en el Asia-Pacifico: 1. pic.twitter.com/nGbOfbTUqB Ministro Romulo Mucho informo que, tras la 14 Reunion Ministerial de Energia de las economias del @apecperu , se logro el consenso, luego de 9 anos, para firmar la Declaracion de Lima, orientada a la transicion al uso de energias limpias en el Asia-Pacifico. pic.twitter.com/lGRjmRDuYQ Chinese FM spokesperson's remarks on Philippine coast guard vessel's illegal anchoring in lagoon of Xianbin Jiao Xinhua) 10:49, August 17, 2024 BEIJING, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- China has asked the Philippines to stop its infringement activities and withdraw its coast guard vessel in the lagoon of the Xianbin Jiao at once, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Friday. The spokesperson made the remarks when asked to comment that a Philippine coast guard vessel has recently been anchoring in the lagoon of Xianbin Jiao. Xianbin Jiao is part of China's Nansha Qundao, the spokesperson said. The Philippine vessel entered the lagoon of the Xianbin Jiao without permission and has been there for a long time, which seriously infringes on China's sovereignty, violates the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), and threatens the peace and stability in the South China Sea. China has lodged solemn representations with the Philippines through diplomatic channels and asked the Philippines to stop its infringement activities and withdraw the vessel at once, said the spokesperson. China is closely monitoring the developments and will take resolute measures to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests and uphold the sanctity of the DOC, said the spokesperson. (Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Wu Chaolan) The baby plover was 'calling for its parents but had no way of reaching mum and dad', rescuers said. The baby plover was discovered by two women who heard its 'desperate cries' coming from a drain near a park in Noosa. Source: Wildlife Noosa/Facebook A perceptive pair of women enjoying a walk at a park on Friday have assisted a heartwarming reunion after hearing desperate cries coming from a drain. The loud chirping emerging from the grate prompted the worried friends on a stroll in Noosa, Queensland, to stop and take a closer look. Inside they were saddened to find a tiny, little baby plover a ground-dwelling bird otherwise known as a Masked Lapwing stuck inside. The small, fluffy chick can be seen with its feet submerged in water and mud in footage taken by Wildlife Noosa. The plover was calling and calling for its parents but had no way of reaching mum and dad, rescuers with the nonprofit wrote online. Carefully and gently we were able to bring the little one up and out of the drain. Parents run toward lost baby bird After removing the bird with a net, it didnt take the carers long to find the animals concerned parents. With mum and dad in a nearby park we were finally able to reunite this little one with its family, Wildlife Noosa said on Facebook. A heartwarming outcome as we watched on as one of the parents ran towards the baby, lowered its body and provided a sheltering canopy over it. Everyone involved with the rescue was incredibly happy knowing that the little plover would now be warm and safe nestled beneath its parent. Rescuers were able to carefully lift the bird out of the drain before reuniting it with its worried parents. Source: Wildlife Noosa/Facebook The wonderful rescue and footage of the homecoming has thrilled Aussies, racking up more than 20,000 views in just hours. Well done to all involved, one person commented, while another exclaimed the great work had made their day. Lets all watch out for fallen nests in your area due to the heavy rain, a local warned. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. What a difference a few weeks can make. Just three weeks ago, Pennsylvania Republicans were cruising along as they continued to eat into the Democratic Partys registration advantage in the Keystone State. Of course, that last voter registration update happened to be published right after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris. So, ahead of next weeks Democratic National Convention, we wanted to take a first look at whether Harris ascension caused any noticeable change in the numbers. As you can see in the map above, some of the commonwealths bluest counties are finally starting to get excited about this presidential contest. Before we get into that, though, lets take a quick look at the overall numbers. Pennsylvania Democrats were able to reverse their slide they lost 2,214 registrants between April and July for instance and actually added 11,650 registrants in the past three weeks. On the other hand, over that same period of time Republicans collected 16,425 registrants while Independent and third parties brought in 11,871. As a result, the Democratic Partys statewide advantage continued to shrink, from 360,982 to 356,207. Yet within all these statewide numbers, were already seeing some intriguing county trends that give us crucial hints of the campaign ahead. Lets dive in. A quick note: I explore our changing voter trends by tracking the gains one party accumulated in registrations over the other party. For example, R+500 means that the Republican Party gained a net 500 more registered voters in that county than the Democratic Party did over this period, while D+500 indicates the opposite. Central Blair: R+86 Bradford: R+148 Cameron: R+4 Centre : R+96 Clearfield: R+144 Clinton: R+45 Columbia: R+84 Elk: R+65 Huntingdon: R+61 Juniata: R+40 Lycoming: R+94 McKean: R+41 Mifflin: R+83 Montour: R+29 Northumberland: R+97 Potter: R+33 Snyder: R+40 Sullivan: R+10 Tioga: R+57 Union: R+13 For this region, I always pay particular attention to Centre and Union Counties the homes of Penn State and Bucknell universities as a gauge of student voters. Since school still isnt back in session, however, well just have to wait until next time to get an accurate read on how students are affecting registration. Northeast Carbon: R+88 Lackawanna: R+175 Luzerne: R+328 Monroe: R+88 Pike: R+59 Schuylkill: R+184 Susquehanna: R+55 Wayne: R+118 Wyoming: R+8 With Scranton Joe off the ballot, Former President Donald Trump, the GOP nominee, is bound to work this corner of the state even harder. Hes already made Wilkes-Barre one of his regular campaign stops, and hes coming back to the city on Saturday. This strategy makes sense, as the ancestrally Democratic corridor that runs through Lackawanna and Luzerne is arguably his most appealing target for November. Northwest Clarion: R+88 Crawford: R+105 Erie: R+165 Forest: R+13 Jefferson: R+79 Mercer: R+186 Venango: R+33 Warren: R+43 Another encouraging sign for the GOP came in Erie, an Obama-Trump-Biden county where Pennsylvania Republicans continue to make gains. If Trumps going to win back the Keystone State, hell need to post record margins even in these rural Northwest counties. South Central Adams: R+148 Bedford: R+84 Cumberland: R+71 Dauphin: D+39 Franklin: R+108 Fulton: R+40 Lancaster: R+350 Lebanon: R+107 Perry: R+47 York: R+460 Democrats made their first breakthrough in Dauphin County, home to the capital city of Harrisburg. The Harris-Walz team will try to break Obamas 2008 high-water mark here, and get as close as they can to flipping Cumberland, which is just over the Susquehanna River. Meanwhile, Republicans must be heartened to see those gains in Lancaster and York, the most populated red counties in the commonwealth. In recent years, Democrats have managed to do surprisingly well in these two counties Gov. Josh Shapiro nearly won Lancaster in 2022 and the Harris campaign is actively aiming to cut down Trumps margin here. Southeast Berks: R+374 Bucks: R+270 Chester: D+353 Delaware: D+316 Lehigh: D+13 Montgomery: D+439 Northampton: R+171 Philadelphia: D+1,682 As one might expect, the largest shift of all came in Philadelphia, perhaps aided by last weeks Harris-Walz rally at Temple University. The Pennsylvania Democratic Party also saw gains in three of Phillys four collar counties, where the Harris-Walz team will need massive margins to win the Commonwealths crucial 19 electoral votes. Conversely, Republicans continue to post impressive numbers in Bucks, which flipped to a GOP plurality last month for the first since spring 2008. Theyre also making up ground in Northampton, the states other Obama-Trump-Biden county. At the same time, the party did see a bit of slippage in neighboring Lehigh, which is worth keeping an eye on. If Harris is indeed picking up steam among the states Hispanic voters, well see signs of it in the Lehigh Valley. Southwest Allegheny: D+31 Armstrong: R+127 Beaver: R+222 Butler: R+400 Cambria: R+314 Fayette: R+268 Greene: R+68 Indiana: R+114 Lawrence: R+164 Somerset: R+84 Washington: R+172 Westmoreland: R+400 Once again, Republicans posted some of their strongest gains in the Appalachian region of the state: the once ancestral Democratic southwest that helped power Donald Trump to victory eight years ago. The one exception is Allegheny County, where Dems are at last gearing up for November, when theyll try to break the 60% barrier for the first time since 1964. To that point, Harris and Walz are kicking off a bus tour in Pittsburgh Sunday, with other stops in Pennsylvania reportedly planned. This pre-convention trek actually mirrors a post-convention journey that Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine took together across the commonwealth in 2016. Undoubtedly, the 2024 team is hoping for more success with this trip. So what do these results tell us? Well, there are some real signs of hope for Pennsylvania Democrats, as Harris nomination is inspiring palpable enthusiasm for the first time in this election cycle. But the Pennsylvania GOP has considerable momentum less than three months out from Election Night. Well just have to keep watching these numbers until then. Hollywood actor Robert Sheehan is back on his own Laois turf this week, and enjoying Electric Picnic. Portlaoise native Sheehan was interviewed by comedian and actor Dylan Moran in Mindfield, to discuss meditation and his new book Playing Dead. He spoke to the Leinster Express / Laois Live about his Electric Picnic experiences. "It's lovely to be back. I've never been to this version of it. It was here when I was 17, and that was 19 years ago. It was more like three stages in a field. Now it's like a city. His highlight back then was Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. This year it's Belfast hip-hop trio Kneecap. "I'll go and see Kneecap, they'll probably be top of my bill," Robert Sheehan said. In an engaging hour long chat in the Manifesto tent stuffed with fans, Sheehan described how he began meditating seven years ago by looking up YouTube videos and later began journalling his experiences writing into the notes app on his phone, which turned into his new book available shortly. "It has given me a profound sense of peace, access to my creativity, and patience," he said. "I was turning on the charm offensive for people I didn't know, presenting a version of myself. I was out of order, incoherent," said the actor who began his career on the stage in the Dunamase Theatre, later going on to productions like Love/Hate, Fortitude, and lately The Umbrella Academy on Netflix. A teenager has appeared in court charged with stabbing an army chaplain in Co Galway earlier this week. The 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named because he is a juvenile, is charged with assaulting Fr Paul Murphy at Renmore Barracks on Thursday. Fr Murphy, in his 50s, was attacked at around 10.35pm and taken to University Hospital Galway where he is recovering from multiple stab wounds after undergoing surgery. The teenage boy was brought before a special sitting of the Childrens Court in Galway on Saturday afternoon where he was charged with assault causing harm. Detective Sergeant Paul McNulty told the court the attack was frenzied and gardai believe the accused holds a radical Islamist mindset. Garda Conor Breen, of Galway garda station, told the court the accused was arrested on Thursday and charged at 23.31 on Friday. Garda Breen told the court the accused made no reply to the charge under caution. The accuseds solicitor Jack Donohue applied for bail on his behalf. Det Sgt McNulty, also of Galway garda station, said the state was objecting to bail over what he described as an indiscriminate, unprovoked and frenzied attack. The detective said Fr Murphy outlined that he was driving back to the base and stopped to gain entry where he encountered an individual. He pressed a button to roll down his vehicles window and it is alleged that the accused lunged at the chaplain with an eight-inch hunting-style knife which was later recovered from the scene. The court heard the chaplain had seven deep lacerations to his arms which required surgery, as well as minor cuts to his body and face. Det Sgt McNulty said CCTV from the barracks captured the majority of the attack, adding that there were 20 stabbing movements over a short period of time. He said it was alleged that the accused clung on to the vehicle as Fr Murphy tried to drive away, out of picture of the CCTV. The garda added that witnesses said the attack continued. He told the court that members of the Defence Forces fired warning shots which initially did not deter the accused. He said military personnel intervened and subdued the accused before his arrest by gardai. He added that Fr Murphy was not known to the accused and there was an indiscriminate and arbitrary selection of the victim. Det Sgt McNulty said there may be further charges. He said gardai believe the accused holds a radical Islamist mindset and early analysis of seized devices showed content support the so-called Islamic State terrorist group. He added there was a genuine fear that the accused may interfere with potential witnesses who are mainly army personnel. Describing the stabbing as a random, sinister and unprovoked incident, he objected to bail over concern the accused may carry out further serious offences. Det Sgt McNulty also alleged that the accused may be a flight risk. Requesting bail, Mr Donohue said the accused lived in the area and was attending school. He said the accused did not live beside the barracks or know Fr Murphy. He said the Childrens Act states that detention should only be used as a last resort, and the accused should be allowed to continue his education and preserve his relationship with his parents. Mr Donohue said the boys parents, who were in court, would continue to support him and act as surety. He said the boy was willing to abide by bail conditions including staying away from the barracks and potential witnesses, as well as abiding by a curfew and staying off social media. However, Judge Gerard Furlong refused bail because of the extreme seriousness of this case and the strength of the evidence. The boy was remanded in custody at Oberstown Childrens Detention Campus in Dublin to appear again by videolink again on Tuesday. The judge directed that the boy have access to appropriate medical and psychological care. The woman said she often only needs "one thing" from her local supermarket but she's forced to go without due to this issue. Aussie mum Shauna Alexander is calling on Coles and Woolies to bring in 'parenting bays' to help with one frustrating problem. Source: TikTok/Getty An Aussie mum has called on Coles and Woolworths to bring in "parenting bays" or a drive-thru lane to help solve a common and frustrating problem. Shauna Alexander came up with the idea after arriving at her store to buy one thing, only to realise her young daughter was fast asleep in her car seat. We need a parents bay for moments like this, she said in a TikTok. (You) pull into the parents bay, press a button, a worker comes out and you say, I need a roast chicken, I need an onion, I need some milk. And then they can go in and get it for you. However, while parents may be all for the idea, retail expert Gary Mortimer, told Yahoo News Australia that the idea may not be feasible. Alexander said supermarkets already had pickers and packers, and she would happily pay a surcharge for the service which would help parents unable to leave their vehicle due to a sleeping child. Im not going to wake her up after 10 minutes of sleep and I dont want to sit in this car park for two hours, the Queensland woman added. And so, I'll probably end up driving home and just making something else for dinner and having a black coffee instead. Retail expert reveals challenges with proposal Mortimer, from QUTs School of Business, said supermarkets already offered multiple shopping, delivery and pick-up models and questioned how feasible such a service would be for a relatively small customer base. My position is, how much are consumers willing to pay for their groceries when theres often a call for another optional innovation to service a small or fragmented market? he told Yahoo News Australia. Shauna Alexander has explained how much easier her proposal would make the lives of ordinary parents. Source: TikTok Currently there are multiple options in how consumers can shop for food and groceries. You can walk into a store, order online, have groceries delivered the next day or the same day, hyperfast delivery like Milkrun which can deliver in about 15 minutes, click and collect or direct to boot. Whats being proposed is a sixth or seventh option. He said a drive-thru lane or "on demand" parking bay service would not be commercially viable for supermarkets and difficult to deliver. The challenge for supermarkets is they are really large, they can have over 15,000 different products from groceries to the deli. Its not a small KFC with a small kitchen and the space where you can facilitate this option. While some social media users suggested this could be a good idea for petrol stations, Mortimer said this also posed problems as quite often there was only one team member serving customers. Supermarkets offer many fast grocery collection options Woolworths, operator of Milkrun which delivers in under 30 minutes for a $5 fee but is only is available in select Aussie cities and suburbs, declined to comment specifically on Alexanders idea. Groceries from Woolies, Coles and IGA can also be delivered within an hour from Uber Eats and Doordash at an extra cost. But Woolies pointed out it had recently introduced Direct to Boot Now, an express service which allows customers to place a minimum of $50 order online and pick it up within 60 minutes for a $5 fee. The popular Direct to Boot is free for orders made within three hours. Woolworths has recently launched a new service called Direct to Boot Now which is an express service which guarantees that your shopping will be ready within the hour. Source: Getty Images A Coles spokesperson told Yahoo News: Our Rapid Click and Collect option could be a great solution for this customer, which is fast and convenient". "This is ideal for customers who need their order quickly, there is a small $5 fee on these orders, and a minimum spend of $30, the spokesperson said. Rapid Click and Collect can have orders ready within 90 minutes, and the retailer is looking at expanding Coles Online to include a rapid delivery offer allowing shopping to be at your door in under two hours. Aussies brand parenting bay idea 'genius' In the comments on the video fellow Aussies raved about the idea. Ive had this thought a million times, they need a drive-thru grocery store, while another added: Youre a genius! Why have drive-thru bottle-o but not drive-thru essential items stores? a third said. One more said, Your idea is so much more accessible for so many people not just parents, the elderly, disabled. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. Lilly announces retirement of Marschall S. Runge from its Board of Directors INDIANAPOLIS, Aug. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) announced today that Marschall S. Runge, M.D., Ph.D. is retiring from his role as an independent director of Lilly's board of directors effective Aug. 31, 2024. Dr. Runge has served on Lilly's board since 2013, including as a member of the board's Science and Technology Committee and Ethics and Compliance Committee. He is currently the CEO of Michigan Medicine, executive vice president for medical affairs at the University of Michigan and dean of the Medical School, and he plans to retire on June 30, 2025. Following retirement from these leadership roles, Dr. Runge will remain on the Medical School faculty as a professor engaged in providing health care and education and will continue his passion for writing. Dr. Runge has brought decades of experience to Lilly's board, combining extensive knowledge as a physician and scientist with expertise in health care faculty systems, biomedical research, clinical trial design and patient safety. His practical experience as a principal investigator has offered a research-driven perspective on diabetes and obesity treatments. "On behalf of the company and the entire board, I would like to thank Marschall for his valuable service over the last decade," said David A. Ricks, Lilly chair and CEO. "His expertise in science and medical affairs and his patient-centric perspective have contributed to Lilly's efforts to bring medicines to people around the world. We wish him well in his ongoing efforts to advance health care and education." About Lilly Lilly is a medicine company turning science into healing to make life better for people around the world. We've been pioneering life-changing discoveries for nearly 150 years, and today our medicines help more than 51 million people across the globe. Harnessing the power of biotechnology, chemistry and genetic medicine, our scientists are urgently advancing new discoveries to solve some of the world's most significant health challenges: redefining diabetes care; treating obesity and curtailing its most devastating long-term effects; advancing the fight against Alzheimer's disease; providing solutions to some of the most debilitating immune system disorders; and transforming the most difficult-to-treat cancers into manageable diseases. With each step toward a healthier world, we're motivated by one thing: making life better for millions more people. That includes delivering innovative clinical trials that reflect the diversity of our world and working to ensure our medicines are accessible and affordable. To learn more, visit Lilly.com and Lilly.com/news, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. C-LLY SOURCE Eli Lilly and Company 16 august 2024 at 16:15 News published onand distributed by: Blender Bites Files Amended and Restated Offering Document for Private Placement 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 Company's profile at www.sedarplus.ca and on the Company's 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 Company's 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 ? [email protected] Telephone ? 236-521-0626 For further information, contact Blender IR Team at: Email ? [email protected] Telephone ? 1-888-997-2055 Media Contact ? [email protected] 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. 16 august 2024 at 19:10 News published onand distributed by: IRELAND is facing a cliff edge with an ageing community of veterinary practitioners, said Minister for State Niall Collins. He sat down last week with the Vet School Working Group (VSWG), who are calling for a vet school in the Mid-West. Pictured above are Cllr Ger Ward; Derek O'Donoghue, principal, Salesian Agricultural College; Ian Fleming, Vet School Working Group (VSWG); Shane McAuliffe, McAuliffe Pig Farms, Castleisland; Laura Courtney Ward, vet student studying in Poland, Minister Niall Collins; Hazell Mullins, president of Veterinary Ireland; Aonghus Lane, St Davids Poultry, Newcastle West; Jim Quinn, VSWG; Liam Walsh, St Davids Poultry Last year, then Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris announced UL was given the green light to proceed to the next stage of its vet school application - preparing a full business case. VSWG say UCD is the only provider of veterinary education on the island of Ireland, producing one quarter of annual requirement - 80 out of 320 vets. They estimate over 600 Irish students are attending vet schools, mainly in Eastern Europe. They say there are chronic recruitment / retention issues in Irish veterinary practice, both rural and urban, putting provision of veterinary services at risk. The solution, according to the VSWG, is a new, large capacity (80 to 100 place) vet school, based in the Mid-West for regional balance, with innovative teaching methods with UL the preferred site. Speaking after the meeting in Pallaskenry Agricultural College, Mr Collins said there is a recognised shortage of veterinary college places in Ireland. This puts so many students and their families through the hugely undesirable experience of the CAO lottery to get into Irelands only veterinary school in UCD or else having to study abroad either in the UK or Poland. Studying abroad places enormous extra cost and stress on students. We are also facing a cliff edge with an ageing community of veterinary practitioners across Ireland. This is most acute in large animal practices, said Mr Collins. READ MORE: PICTURES: AMCS Limerick Show organisers get into top gear for big day For reasons of food security, animal welfare and supporting our farmers we need to produce more vets in Ireland to work in Ireland, he said. As a TD and minister representing rural county Limerick I fully appreciate the sense of urgency now being expressed by both the veterinary and farming communities. "Government recognises this and following a series of expressions of interest from universities a decision will be made in coming months as to the location or locations of these much needed new veterinary college places, concluded Mr Collins. A Limerick woman has raised over 14k for a charity in memory of her dad who passed away after a courageous battle with cancer. Mary OConnell walked from Milford Hospice to her home in Mountcollins to raise funds for the Irish Cancer Societys Nursing Services. Marys father, Florrie OConnell of Mountcollins, passed away on Easter Sunday, April 2023. In honour of her late father, Mary has so far raised 14,747 on GoFundMe. You can still donate to the fundraiser here. Speaking of her late father, Mary said on the fundraiser page: He loved his family dearly, farming, all things GAA, a 99 no matter what time of the day, a cup of tea and his home. Wherever he was, for whatever reason he needed to be in hospital, the only place he wanted to be was at home with us all. This was especially important to Dad towards the end of his life, a wish he made very clear. READ MORE: LIVE: Gardai investigate possible 'terrorism motivation' following army barracks attack Florrie OConnell passed away at home. And according to his daughter, this would not have been possible without the exceptional care he received from the Milford Hospice home care team and the Daffodil nurses. The nurses who cared for Dad were extraordinary people and words could never thank them enough for what they did. In doing this walk I hope to raise funds for families who may find themselves in a similar situation. Milford Hospice to Mountcollins is the last journey Dad made to come home to us. So, I will walk the 72km, one for every year of my Dad's life, in 24 hours across the 3rd and 4th of August. I have some amazing family and friends who will keep me company along the way. Any donation at all would be so gratefully appreciated and used in such a valuable service. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my fundraiser and in the words of my wonderful Dad Your health is your wealth, she said. A teenager, who was arrested following a serious incident at Renmore Barracks in Galway has been charged and is due to appear in court today. The youth, who is suspected to be 16-years-old is expected to appear before Galway District Court this afternoon, Saturday, August 17, at 2pm. An Army chaplain, sustained a number of stab wounds in the incident which occurred at around 10.45 on Thursday evening. While serious, his injuries are not life-threatening. While precise details remain unclear, it's believed the Army chaplain, who is aged in his 50s, was approached by a youth outside the barracks and that he then ran through the barracks gate and was followed by the youth. In addition to local garda members, the Special Detective Unit of An Garda Siochana are involved in this investigation. READ NEXT: Waterford food producers in the running for prestigious Blas na hEireann awards "One line of enquiry is to establish if this attack had a terrorism motivation. 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," they added. The Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris, has spoken to the Defence Forces Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Sean Clancy. A spokesman for the Defence Forces confirmed that warning shots were fired by on-duty personnel after the chaplain was attacked. "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 statement added that the injured Defence Forces member received immediate first aid from Defence Forces personnel on duty before being transported to University Hospital Galway for further treatment. Commenting on the incident, Lieutenant General Sean Clancy, Chief of Staff of Oglaigh na hEireann, extended his best wishes to the injured 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. Lieutenant General Clancy also commended the actions of the soldiers on duty on Thursday night. 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. The Defence Forces spokesperson added that the assailant was "quickly detained and handed over to An Garda Siochana". (Bloomberg) -- Former US Representative George Santos, whose career in Congress was derailed after revelations that hed fabricated much of his life story, is expected to plead guilty to federal fraud charges on Monday, a person with knowledge of the matter said. The former New York Republican, who has steadfastly denied wrongdoing since he was first indicted last year for campaign finance violations, was set to go on trial on 23 felony charges on Sept. 9. Santos has previously pleaded not guilty and called the case against him a witch hunt. Santos didnt return texts and telephone calls on Saturday. His lawyers didnt respond to emails and telephone messages. A guilty plea would spare the former lawmaker from a trial that was expected to last at least a month and may win him some leniency from the court at sentencing. Federal judges usually hand reduced sentences to defendants who accept responsibility rather than go to trial. US District Court Judge Joanna Seybert, in Central Islip, New York, who is presiding over the case, on Friday scheduled an in-person hearing for Aug. 19 at the request of both prosecutors and defense lawyers. Prosecutors in the office of Brooklyn US Attorney Breon Peace first charged Santos last year with stealing public funds and lying on federal disclosure forms, and he was charged with fraud and money-laundering. They filed a revised indictment in October, adding 10 more charges accusing Santos of making false statements to the Federal Election Commission and running up unauthorized expenses on his campaign contributors credit cards. He was expelled from Congress in December after the House Committee of Ethics found substantial evidence he broke the law. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com WARSAW, Poland (AP) Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Saturday reacted to reports that revived questions about who blew up the Nord Stream pipelines in 2022, saying the initiators of the gas pipeline project should apologize and keep quiet." That comment came after one of his deputies denied a claim that Warsaw was partly responsible for its damage. The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that Ukrainian authorities were responsible for blowing up the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines in September 2022, a dramatic act of sabotage that cut Germany off from a key source of energy and worsened an energy crisis in Europe. Germany was a partner with Russia in the pipeline project. Poland has long said its own security interests have been harmed by Nord Stream. To all the initiators and patrons of Nord Stream 1 and 2. The only thing you should do today about it is apologise and keep quiet, Tusk wrote on the social media portal X Saturday. Tusk appeared to be reacting specifically to a claim by a former head of Germanys foreign intelligence agency, BND, August Hanning, who told the German daily Die Welt that the attack on the Nord Stream gas pipelines must have had Polands support. Hanning said Germany should consider seeking compensation from Poland and Ukraine. Hanning, who retired from his spy chief job, did not provide any evidence in support of his claim. Some observers noted that he served under former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who went on to work later for Russian state-owned energy companies, including Nord Stream. Krzysztof Gawkowski, a deputy Polish prime minister and the minister of digital affairs, strongly denied reports that Poland and Ukraine had damaged the Nord Stream gas pipeline in an interview Friday on the Polsat broadcaster. Gawkowski alleged that the comments of the former member of the German intelligence service were inspired by Moscow and were aimed at destabilizing NATO countries. I believe that this is the sound of Russian disinformation, he added. On Wednesday, Polish prosecutors confirmed that they had received a warrant for a Ukrainian man wanted by Germany as a suspect in the pipeline attack, but that he left the country before he could be arrested. The Nord Stream project, with its two pipelines created to carry gas from Russia to Europe along the Baltic Sea bed, went ahead despite opposition from Poland, the U.S. and Ukraine. They allowed Russia to send gas directly to Western Europe, bypassing Poland and Ukraine. With all gas previously going over land, Warsaw and Kyiv feared losing huge sums in transit fees and political leverage that came with controlling the gas transports. The Wall Street Journal said in its report published Thursday that it spoke to four senior Ukrainian defense and security officials who either participated in or had direct knowledge of the plot. All of them said the pipelines were a legitimate target in Ukraines war of defense against Russia. Ukrainian authorities are denying the claims. Starbucks has been sued for a third time by a company that accused the coffee chain of stealing its concept for coffee-flavoured lipstick and lip gloss. Balmuccino, whose leaders have included a sister-in-law of TV doctor Mehmet Oz, filed its complaint on Friday in Manhattan federal court. The filing followed a Seattle federal judge's July 2023 dismissal of an earlier version of the lawsuit on procedural grounds, the second such dismissal. Starbucks, based in Seattle, had no immediate comment. Balmuccino said it began developing coffee-flavored lip balms in 2016 and pitched them at an October 2018 meeting in Starbucks' New York office, where it provided prototypes and other confidential information. The Los Angeles-based company said Dr. Oz had brokered the meeting, when he contacted Starbucks Chief Executive Howard Schultz to suggest a possible joint venture. Balmuccino said Starbucks "stole" its fully developed concept for lip balms by launching its "S'mores Frappuccino Sip Kit" in April 2019. Also Read | Why the new Starbucks CEO is worth $18 billion The kits included lipstick and gloss in four shades: Campfire Spark, Chocolicious Bliss, Graham Glam and Marshmallow Glow. Balmuccino said Starbucks did not compensate it for selling Sip Kits, and is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages. It said its lawsuit is not too late because New York lets some plaintiffs put statutes of limitation on hold when they sue in the wrong forum and, "as here," a court finds it lacks jurisdiction. Balmuccino originally sued Starbucks in Los Angeles in October 2019. There are at least 170,000 different ways to customize a Starbucks drink. The worlds biggest coffee chain may have almost as many challenges. The coffee? Often feels expensive. Cafes get jammed during the morning rush. The app may tell you its a seven-minute wait for your order, which stretches into 15 or 20. There are plenty of other coffee optionsespecially in China, which Starbucks has targeted as a key growth market. And the brand often manages to become a culture-war punching bag. Incoming Chief Executive Brian Niccol was hired this week to help fix all this, and tamp down a Wall Street rebellion as the companys stock sagged and activist investors swooped in. He brings restaurant chops that his predecessor, Laxman Narasimhan, didnt have, and industry adoration for his success turning around Chipotle Mexican Grill. Plenty of Starbuckss challenges are unique. But others are beyond Niccols control. Rising prices from the grocery store to the gas pump have customers pulling back from restaurants and other discretionary spendingis that White Chocolate Macadamia Cream Cold Brew a want or a need? Chains are pitching deals to keep consumers coming, though many say their patience is waning for spotty service and ever-present tip prompts. That cinnamon dolce lattes $7.10? Even before retirement gave him more time to linger in cafes, Starbucks was Dan Palmers go-to. Breakfast there seemed healthier than fast food, he said, and he could sample a wider range of beverages, like the mango dragonfruit refresher that became his drink of choice. Except that each cup now costs him more than $6. The prices have gone upa lot," said Palmer, 66, who lives in the Chicago suburbs. Its not a deal in any sense of the word." Starbucks reported a 6% drop in U.S. orders in the quarter ended June 30, and price is part of the problem. Restaurants boosted them as wages, ingredients and other costs became more expensive, and now theyre paying for it. Nearly 40% of consumers said they are spending less on eating out, according to a recent survey by research firm Revenue Management Solutions. Starbucks is responding with a flurry of promotions, pitching buy-one-get-one deals and other offers, often via its app. The deals aim to help improve consumers perception of Starbuckss value, executives have said, but the companys also striving to maintain profits. It recently halted a deal started in June for food and a drink for between $5 and $7. Brad Pearl, of Spokane, Wash., said hes frequented Starbucks for more than two decades. Equipped with the chains card and app, hed visit four to five times a week. Two years ago he noticed prices creeping up, exacerbated by prompts for tips that he said began to grate. You havent even been served," Pearl said of getting asked to tip at the register. Recently, Pearl said, hes given up Starbucks, saving him up to $150 a month. He instead heads to Thomas Hammer Coffee Roasters, a local coffee chain. An iced caffe latte costs 25 cents less there compared with Starbucks price in the area. Pearl decided Starbucks no longer fit with his budget: Its really a luxury." An app-made mosh pit A big part of longtime leader Howard Schultzs vision for Starbucks was ambiencemaking its cafes a third place" between home and work, where you could sink into a couch with an espresso, a book, a laptop. A remote-everything world has changed all that. Most U.S. customers now order their drinks to-go, or via drive-throughs, never lingering inside the chains carefully curated stores. In some ways it is a good problem for Starbucks to have. Cafes that once averaged 1,200 orders a day are often now trying to make 1,500. To facilitate that, the company has removed seating in some cafes to make for more space for to-go queues, and plans to create more stores designed specifically for drive-throughs or to-go pickup. Those investments are capital-intensive and take time. Frustrations are right now for customers like Steve Weeks, a 68-year-old retiree who for years has frequented Southern California Starbucks several times a week for black ice tea in the mornings. Weeks said the homey feel of Starbuckss stores, offering newspapers and CDs, encouraged customers to stick around. Recently, he said, the cafes have removed furniture, and you dont get the same feeling they want you to stay in there as long." The changes make sense to Whitni Mungin, 44, who recently stopped by a downtown Chicago location for a nondairy vanilla, sweet cream cold brew en route to her project-manager job. To her, the changes mean she doesnt need to stand in line anymore. A lot of people drink Starbucks not because its delicious," Mungin said, but because its convenient." Starbucks was early to the app ordering game, and greatly expanded sales by allowing customers to tap out their drink orders on their phones to pick up later. The company this year said more than 30% U.S. orders are made through the app, a record, generating strong sales and mobs of people hunting for their drinks on store counters each morning. The experience has irked former CEO Schultz himself, who recently recounted the anxiety, confusion and degradation to the store environment that he said app ordering is causing in many locations. Everyone shows up, and all of a sudden weve got a mosh pit, and thats not Starbucks," Schultz said on the Acquired" podcast in June. He said that while app ordering is more efficient, the company should have done a better job anticipating the technological refinements needed to happen to preserve the cafe environment. Starbucks has said it is making progress on improving the accuracy of estimated delivery times for app orders. Stores purpose-built for servicing online orderspickup counters, with no seats and no restroomsshould also help. Ill have a venti cold brew with three pumps of caramel syrup, vanilla sweet cold foam, blended, with whipped cream Starbucks began as a vehicle to bring Italian-style espresso to Americans, with a simple, focused menu. Frappuccinos arrived in 1995, and cold brew and draft nitro coffee in the 2010s. These days, Starbuckss app enables tens of thousands of customizations, and TikTok posts of people flaunting pink drinks or unicorn-style brews supercharged the trend. Think blended pineapple refresher with strawberry puree, or double chocolate cream cold brew. That has helped make syrups, foams and other add-ons a billion-dollar business for Starbucks, and made the brand a Gen Z favorite. But its also overwhelmed baristas who are expected to deliver drinks as promptly as possible, sometimes scrambling cafe operations. Starbucks executives have pledged to roll out new equipment tailored to making cold drinks, which today account for roughly 70% of U.S. orders. The company is updating its store routines and procedures, aiming to better triage drink orders, including the most complex concoctions. Eventually, Starbucks executives hope that new store designs with dedicated cold-bar stations will help alleviate customization chaos. Meanwhile, customers like Drew Winig try to endure. On his way to a boat ride, the Philadelphia resident stopped by Starbuckss Chicago Roastery, which offers a Whiskey Barrel-Aged Cold Brew and a Oleato Caffe Latte With Oatmilk, among other drinks. Winig, 28, said he sticks to black coffee, though the simplicity doesnt always translate to faster service. Sometimes," he said, you get caught behind the crazy drinks in line." Who are you, Starbucks? Starbucks has for decades presented itself as more than a coffee company. Thats helped build its brand, in addition to drawing fire. From early on, Schultz set up Starbucks to offer hourly workers benefits beyond what other retailers provided, like healthcare coverage, covering the cost of online degrees, and even free therapy sessions. He also saw a role for Starbucks in broader cultural moments, like when the company for a period urged baristas to engage customers on the topic of race following the police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. Starbuckss cultural profile has made it a periodic target across the political spectrum. The chains annual red cup promotion day for the holidays has been targeted by conservatives and politicians, including former President Donald Trump, for not explicitly referencing Christmas. More recently, Starbucks has drawn criticism from worker advocates, accusing the chain of quashing unionization efforts at its cafes. Starbucks has said that the cups aim to honor all holiday traditions, and it is making steady progress in bargaining with organized cafes. The company has denied obstructing or retaliating against unionizing workers. In the past year Starbucks has taken heat over the Israel-Hamas war, with people on both sides of the conflict faulting the chain for perceived missteps. Critics have called for boycotts, and vandalized Starbucks stores. The company has pushed back, saying that it condemns terrorism and violence, and that its brand has been misrepresented. The China challenge For years, getting a latte in China meant going to Starbucks. The chain is credited with introducing Chinese consumers to coffee and cafe culture after it entered the country in 1999, but two decades later things have changed. New and nimble Chinese chains like Luckin and Cotti have rapidly chipped at Starbuckss market share in the worlds second-most-populous nation. Going from zero to tens of thousands of locations in just a few years, the new rivals are pushing low pricing and fast delivery, hooking consumers with flavors such as coconut lattes. Starbuckss China business has slumped, with same-store sales down 14% in the companys most recent quarter. Luckin reported $1.17 billion in sales for the quarter ending June 30, ahead of the $734 million Starbucks generated for its China business in the same period, according to company filings. Luckin has also said competition is growing in the country, squeezing its margins. The China struggles are both a business and symbolic blow to Starbucks. Schultz personally built relationships to pave the chains 1999 debut in the country, later saying he expected China to become Starbuckss biggest market. Zhu Chenliang recently sat outside Starbucks enjoying a cold beverage on a warm summer day. The 39-year-old Shanghai resident said lots of Chinese have turned to other coffee chains because their prices are more affordable as the countrys economy slows. Ten years ago, there was only Starbucks," he said. Now, there are coffee places popping up everywhere. The market competition is intense." To compete, Starbucks has lowered prices and sold coupons for discounts. It invested in delivery options for customers and tried to introduce more seasonal drinks. Some analysts and investorsincluding activist firm Elliott Investment Management, which has taken a stake in Starbucks have urged the company to consider using local partners to run the day-to-day operations in China. Last month, Narasimhan said Starbucks was starting to explore strategic partnerships in China. Write to Heather Haddon at heather.haddon@wsj.com, Victor Stefanescu at Victor.Stefanescu@wsj.com and Liza Lin at liza.lin@wsj.com Reddy Zhao and Clarence Leong contributed to this article. Are you wondering what to gift your sister this Raksha Bandhan? As a brother, one of the most useful presents you can give your sister is a financially secure future. This Raksha Bandhan, consider gifting stocks as a meaningful and practical present. If your sister is interested in the equity market or wants to delve into investing, stocks can be an exciting gift. By gifting her shares, you provide her with ownership in a company, allowing her to benefit from its growth and profits. Choose stocks from well-established companies with a strong track record and growth potential. Before selecting, consider her risk tolerance, investment horizon, and financial goals. Ultimately, the best gift you can offer is long-lasting financial stability. Also Read | Rakha Bandhan 2024: List of financial gifts you can give your sister this Rakhi Master Capital Services has identified three stocks that are expected to deliver a 15-20 percent return, making them excellent choices for a thoughtful Raksha Bandhan gift. 1. Larsen & Toubro Larsen & Toubro Ltd specializes in offering engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) solutions across critical sectors, including Infrastructure, Hydrocarbon, Power, Process Industries, Defence, and Information Technology, both domestically and internationally. The company has demonstrated consistent revenue growth and profitability over recent years, maintaining stability with a return on capital employed (ROCE) and return on equity (ROE) of around 19 percent and 15 percent, respectively, mentioned the brokerage. Additionally, L&T's substantial global presence and geographic diversification allow it to capitalize on international opportunities and mitigate reliance on the domestic market, it said. The stock has already gained 32 percent in the last 1 year. 2. HCL Technologies HCL Technologies is a leading IT giant in India, ranked among the top five Indian IT services companies by revenue. The company provides a broad range of IT and business services, including engineering, R&D, and software products, with operations in 60 countries. HCL specializes in digital, engineering, cloud, and AI solutions across various sectors such as Financial Services, Manufacturing, Life Sciences, Retail, Technology, and Telecom. According to the brokerage, HCL Tech has constantly demonstrated strong financial performance with consistent revenue growth, healthy profit margins, and effective cost management. The company has been investing heavily in digital technologies, including cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and automation. This focus aligns with current industry trends and positions the company to capture growth in the high-demand areas, it noted. The IT stock had advanced over 38 percent in the last 1 year. Also Read | Are gifts including cash and stocks to sister during Raksha Bandhan taxable? 3. TATA Motors Tata Motors Limited is a leading manufacturer of automobiles and one of the largest OEM in India offering a wide range of passenger and commercial vehicles. Tata Motors owns the prestigious brands Jaguar and Land Rover (JLR), establishing itself as a dominant player in the global automotive market. The company's financials reflect a net profit margin of 7.10 percent, which has been steadily improving alongside its revenue growth. Tata Motors benefits from a resilient supply chain and strong manufacturing capabilities, allowing it to effectively adapt to market changes and manage disruptions. Its early entry into the electric vehicle (EV) segment has positioned Tata Motors ahead of many competitors, and it currently holds the largest market share in India's EV segment. The company's emphasis on innovation, sustainability, and a robust product lineup further underscores its potential for future growth and market opportunities, highlighted the brokerage. The Tata Group stock has already rallied over 72 percent in the last 1 year. Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) snapped their two-month buying streak in Indian equities and turned net sellers in August, driven by domestic and global factors. However, they were consistent buyers in June and July as stability returned to Indian markets. However, FPIs halted their buying streak with the onset of the new fiscal year 2024-25 (FY25). FPIs sold 21,201 crore worth of Indian equities, and the net outflows stood at 9,653 crore as of August 16, taking into account debt, hybrid, debt-VRR, and equities, according to the National Securities Depository Ltd (NSDL) data. The total investment in debt markets stood at 9,112 crore so far in August. "A significant trend in FPI flows recently, which has become pronounced in August, is the sustained selling by FPIs through the exchange while continuing to invest through the primary market & others category,'' said Dr. V K Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Financial Services This difference in FPI behaviour is due to the differences in valuations. The primary market issues are at comparatively lower valuations; in the secondary market, the valuations remain high. So FPIs are buying when securities are available at fair valuations and selling when the valuations get stretched in the secondary market,'' added Dr. V K Vijayakumar. What's fuelling the sell-off from FPIs in Indian markets? Analysts said the FPI outflows witnessed in August 2024 were primarily driven by global and domestic factors. Globally, concerns about the unwinding of the Yen carry trade, potential global recession, slowing economic growth, and ongoing geopolitical conflicts led to market volatility and risk aversion. Domestically, after being net buyers in June and July, some FPIs might have chosen to book profits following a strong rally in previous quarters. Additionally, mixed quarterly earnings and relatively higher valuations have made Indian equities less attractive,'' said Vipul Bhowar, Director Listed Investments, Waterfield Advisors. Analysts also said that the Indian market is now the most expensive market in the world, and rich valuations are leading FPIs to withdraw money from Indian equities despite stable inflows into debt instruments. FPIs typically pursue valuations. Currently, Indias valuations are at a premium compared to historical premiums of other emerging markets. It's worth noting that FPIs generally do not heavily invest in the Indian market for two consecutive years, as per historical patterns,'' said Sunil Damania, Chief Investment Officer, MojoPMS. When will FPI inflows resume? According to Geojit analysts, from August till the 17th, FPIs sold equity for 32,684 crore through the exchange even while investing 11,483 crore through the primary market and other categories. This trend is likely to continue since India is the most expensive market in the world now, and it is rational for FPIs to sell here and move the money to cheaper markets. This picture doesnt change even if the market turns more bullish on fears regarding US recession receding,'' said Dr. V K Vijayakumar. According to Vipul Bhowar of Waterfield Advisors, despite the above factors, India's strong economic performance, including GDP growth, reduced fiscal deficit, manageable current account deficit, and strong sector growth and industrial production, continues to attract many FPIs, indicating that FPI flows into India should persist. FPI activity in Indian markets In July, FPIs invested 202432,365 crore in Indian equities, and the total investment in debt markets stood at 22,363 crore, over market resilience, which attracted greater inflows. FPIs snapped their two-month selling streak and turned net buyers in June, infusing 26,565 crore in Indian equities and 14,955 crore in the debt market. The selling reversed after stability returned to the market as election jitters faded. In May 2024, FPIs offloaded 25,586 crore worth of Indian equities, and the debt inflows stood at 8,761 crore. Uncertainty over the outcome of the Lok Sabha elections 2024, high US bond yields, high Indian market valuations, and the outperformance of Chinese stocks weighed on sentiments. FPIs offloaded 8,671 crore in Indian equities in April and 10,949 crore in debt markets over high US bond yields. However, they pumped 35,098 crore in Indian equities during March 2024 - the highest inflows recorded in the first three months of 2024. FPI outflow declined in February 2024 until they were net buyers by the end of the month despite high US bond yields. The inflow into Indian equities stood at 1,539 crore in February 2024 and the debt market investment rose to 22,419 crore during the month on top of the 19,836 crore bought in January. The inclusion of government bonds to JPMorgan and Bloomberg debt indices had triggered foreign fund inflows into debt markets. FPIs turned massive sellers in January 2024, snapping their buying streak. Investments saw a sharp uptick in December 2023 after they reversed their three-month selling streak in November 2023. However, inflow intensified in December 2023 after the US Federal Reserve signalled the end of its tightening cycle and raised expectations of rate cuts. This led to a crash in US bond yields and triggered foreign fund inflows into emerging markets like India. According to NSDL data, FPIs bought 1.71 lakh crore in Indian equities for the entire calendar year 2023. The total inflow, taking into account debt, hybrid, debt-VRR, and equities, stands at 2.37 lakh crore. FPIs' net investment in the Indian debt market stood at 68,663 crore during 2023. Creative Practices The Serendipity Arts Foundation showcases an open studio with works by five artists and one writer from a three-month Delhi residency. This is the seventh edition of this annual programme by the foundation to support creative practitioners with space and resources to help further their practice on new projects. The works on showcase span visual arts, lens-based and new media practices, text, performance and other mediums. Featured projects include Adheep Das It mostly feels families and Sanghamitra Debs multimedia installation, That which is left behind after exorcisms. At Serendipity Arts Foundation, Chetna Marg, Defence Colony, Delhi, till 23 August, 11am-6pm. Art by Chandan Bez Baruah on display at the Elsewhere in Northeast India exhibition Evoking Assam Artist Chandan Bez Baruah creates woodcuts on medium-density wood fibre, capturing Assams countryside with photograph-like detail. His latest works are at the exhibition, Elsewhere in Northeast India, curated by Waswo X Waswo and presented by Latitude 28. Bez Baruahs work explores Assams beauty, complex history, and culture. This new series marks the artists growth, with refined skills and powerful visualisations that engage with social and aesthetic issues. At Shridharani Gallery, Triveni Kala Sangam, New Delhi, till 20 August and then at Latitude 28, Lado Sarai, from 25 August-20 September, 10.30am-7 pm (Monday to Saturday). Promotional poster of Kathak dance-drama, 'Aneka: Identities Dancing Within' A mind that dances Kathak dance-drama, Aneka: Identities Dancing Within, brings to life the story of a courtesan, named Aneka, with dissociative identity disorder. Set in the Mughal era, the show follows Aneka as she struggles to remain her true self and battles with her different personalities. The production, choreographed, conceptualised and curated by students of Gurukul Studios, raises awareness about mental health while exploring themes of self-doubt, patriarchy, love and social support. At Godrej Dance Theatre, National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA), NCPA Marg, Nariman Point, on 20 August, 7pm-9pm. For details, visit ncpamumbai.com. A leather puppet of Ravana as used in Tolu Bommalatta Where shadows tell a tale Public trust Mati (or Management of Art Treasures of India) is presenting, Chhaya: The Shadow of Leather Puppets and Storytelling, an exhibition that explores the rich cultural heritage of shadow puppetry, a folk theatrical form. The exhibition highlights traditional techniques and the cultural narratives depicted through leather puppets. While Andhra Pradeshs Tolu Bommalatta theatre tradition uses puppets with several joints, creating colourful shadows owing to their transparency, Todale Gombeyetta of Karnataka employs transparent shadow puppet figures. Both tell stories related to mythology and nature. At Mati, 1 Basement, Hauz Khas Village, Deer Park, till 25 August, 10.30am-7.30pm. Heartbreak 2020 is indie musician Kamakshi Khanna's new EP Songs for a broken heart Independent singer-songwriter Kamakshi Khanna known for indie hits like Qareeb and Duur is embarking on the much-awaited Heartbreak 2020 India Tour to promote her latest EP of the same name. Get ready to soak up a performance that will have you getting into the feels and leave you feeling seen and understood. At Fandom at Gilly's Redefined, Bengaluru, on 23 August, 8pm onwards; at The Piano Man New Delhi (Eldeco Centre), on 24 August, 8pm; at Townsend - Bar & Kitchen, Jaipur, on 25 August, 8pm; at antiSOCIAL, Lower Parel, Mumbai, on 28 August 28, 8pm; at Barefoot Goa : Cafe-Bar-Gigs-Workspace, Goa, on 30 August, 8pm. Also read: A heritage site steps into the future Of a library window The burning books Cant be read. So new ones Will have to be written. Ian McMillan (@IMcMillan) Over a decade ago, I walked into a small two-storeyed white house in Dhaka. It felt familiar. Id grown up around houses like that in Kolkata with red oxide floors, black-and-white photographs on the wall, the rooms cool even on a warm afternoon. But this house was now a museum to the liberation war that birthed Bangladesh. Instead of family pictures, there were photographs of murdered journalists, display cabinets with old bandages, war helmets, and the cracked spectacles recovered from dead freedom fighters. I loved the intimacy of this house-turned-museum. It felt personal in a way most museums do not. It was my first trip to Dhaka. When I returned home, I told my family I had never been to a country that seemed so close to its history. In India, history had receded into text books, parades and statues. But in that museum in Dhaka, I could almost feel the warm breath of history upon myself. That is why it felt bewildering to see protesters demolishing the statue of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman after his daughter Sheikh Hasina was ousted from power. Whatever the anger against her increasingly autocratic ways, it felt baffling, as if the country, in a paroxysm of anger, was eating its own history. Since then other images have surfaced, like one shared by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on X of broken statues in the 1971 Shaheed Memorial Complex in Mujibnagar, statues that once depicted key moments in the war of liberation. At a time when the homes, temples and lives of the Hindu minority have come under attack, it seems strange to mourn fallen statues. But this is also about watching history burn. Reacting to the burning of Mujibur Rahmans house on Road 32 in Dhaka, historian and Columbia University professor Naeem Mohaiemen writes in Prothom Alo newspaper, Contemporary historians propose that architecture and objects are the second draft of history, and we are a fragile nation with always vanishing archives." Now the house on Road 32 becomes part of that vanishing archive, its history burned to cinders. As Hasina fled Dhaka and jubilant crowds swarmed the streets, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus called it a second independence day for the country. But some wondered if it was erasing the first one from history. Rewriting history, especially foundational myths, is not uncommon. Each party tries to bend history to suit its politics. For decades after independence, the Congress was accused of privileging the Jawaharlal Nehru-Mahatma Gandhi connection for its own electoral advantage. It wasnt quite an endless circumnavigation around one-name history", as Mohaiemen described the Awami Leagues attempt to monopolise the narrative of Bangladeshs freedom movement, but the Congresss opponents often complained that everyone else, even many Congress figures, had been left out of the story in order to create an aura around one family. When the BJP came to power, it needed a new narrative. The Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav website to celebrate 75 years of Indian independence highlighted unsung heroes". Figures like Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and Syama Prasad Mukherjee were returned to centre stage and stories appeared about the internal rifts in the Congress whether it was the friction between Gandhi and Subhas Bose or Nehru and Sardar Patel. The irony was as P. Sainath demonstrated in his book The Last Heroes: Footsoldiers of Indian Freedom (2022), many freedom fighters had room in their hearts for all these argumentative IndiansGandhi and Ambedkar and Bose. When Sainath asked Shobharam Gehervar, a Dalit freedom fighter from Rajasthan, how we would choose between the Mahatma and Ambedkar, the man retorted, Why should I choose? You choose to choose." It is this multilayered history, that cheerfully accommodates many world views, that often gets lost when a party tries to enforce one authorised sanskari history at the expense of all others. But Aditya Mukherjee, professor emeritus of contemporary Indian history at Delhis Jawaharlal Nehru University, points out in a recent interview in The Indian Express that the freedom movement in India, one of the biggest mass movements in world history, spanned more than a century and had deep roots in Indian society. You can try to denigrate the national movement but it wouldnt be that easy even today to destroy a statue of Gandhi, Ambedkar or Nehru even if you remove Nehru from a textbook." Bangladeshs freedom struggle is of more recent vintage but many have seen the anger there as a sign that the we-brought-you-freedom" story eventually comes with an expiry date whether with the African National Congress in South Africa or the United National Independence Party in Zambia or the Congress party in India. During the 2014 election, I remember a group of Congress workers warming up the crowd waiting for a Rahul Gandhi roadshow with a skit. It basically recounted the sacrifices of the Nehru-Gandhi family complete with a reenactment of all the assassinations. A group of young men told me that they liked Rahul Gandhi but felt embarrassed his constituency Amethi didnt even have a mall or a movie theatre. Instead, they had the Sanjay Gandhi Hospital, the Indira Gandhi School of Nursing and the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust. But they just wanted a Cafe Coffee Day and a park with benches. Theres no point having a girlfriend in Amethi. Whats there to do?" said one young man, a line I never forgot. That young generation take independent India for granted. They even take a post-liberalisation India for granted. The Congress was deluding itself by thinking it could still count on their gratitude for having been the party of the freedom struggle. In the end, the young want what young people everywhere wantjobs, progress and a fair shot at the dream for a better life. And a cafe. Its a lesson leaders are loath to learn. My family and I are done," Sajeeb Wazed Joy, Sheikh Hasinas son, told the BBC, sounding like a petulant scion complaining about an ungrateful populace. His mother, he said is so disappointed that after all her hard work, for a minority to rise up against her". Now, he says a conspiracy is afoot to wipe Bangladeshs founding father Mujibur Rahman from history. Even the killers of 1975 (military coup) could not dare to destroy that house," he said referring to the burned house at Dhanmondi 32. But many Bangladeshis rued the destruction of Mujibur Rahmans statues and murals. An official told The Indian Express, (Hasina) would invoke his name at every juncture to justify her actions. So there was pent-up anger against her that made the mob do such things." What Joy forgot was that history needs engagement and renegotiation, it cannot be preserved inside a mausoleum or used as a bludgeon. Nor can it just be rewritten each time to suit the new powers that be. On that same trip to Dhaka, I visited the mausoleum of former President Ziaur Rahman. As night fell, the mausoleum and its grounds were engulfed in darkness. People switched on their mobile phones to find their way out. When I asked an ice-cream vendor when the lights would come on, he laughed, When (his widow) Begum Khaleda Zia comes back to power." We were literally being kept in the dark about history. I had chuckled then but it does not seem so funny anymore. Cult Friction is a fortnightly column on issues we keep rubbing up against. Sandip Roy is a writer, journalist and radio host. He posts @sandipr Banks will remain open today on August, 17. Usually, banks are open on the first and third Saturdays of every month and are closed on the second and fourth Saturdays. August, 17 is the third Saturday of the month, therefore banks will be open on this day. According to Reserve Bank of India (RBI), depending on the state of residence , banks will remain closed for regional and national holidays. In addition to regional and national festivals, banks are closed on Sundays all across the country. Customers should check with their local bank branch for holiday, before making a visit to the bank since holidays differ from state to state in India. According to RBIs list of holidays, in the month of August, banks will be closed for seven days due to national and regional festivals excluding the weekends. Also Read | Bank Holidays in August 2024: See full list here List of regional and national festivals in August August 3 - Ker Puja is festival in Tripura just weeks after Kharchi Puja. It is a tribal festival that is held to worship Vastu Devata. August 8 -Tendong Lho Rum Faat is a festival of the Lepcha tribe in Sikkim. Lepcha people believe that their ancestors went on the Tendong Mountain to get respite from 40 days and 40 nights of continuous rain. August 13 - Patriots' Day is celebrated in Manipur and is an official holiday in the state. It is celebrated in remembrance of the Manipuri commanders who gave up their life in the Anglo-Manipur War. August 15 - Independence Day was a national holiday in the entire country. On this day, India became independent from the British Empire after the Independence Movement led by freedom fighters. August 19 - Rakshabandhan, banks are closed in most states across the counrty. It is a Hindu festival that celebrates the relationship of brother and sister. August 20 -Sree Narayana Guru Jayanthi, marks the birth anniversary of Narayana Guru observed in Kerala. Sree Narayana Guru was a saint and a social reformer who fought against the caste system. August 26 - Janmashtami is a Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu. MUMBAI : Imagine you receive a gift of substantial value, e.g., cash from your father or an apartment from your uncle. Are you liable to pay taxes on it? No, you aren't. However, if the gift were from a non-relative, let's say a friend, you would've needed to pay taxes to be on the right side of the law. When it comes to the tax treatment of gifts, the rules are pretty specific. Gifts received from relatives are fully exempt. Gifts from non-relatives up to 50,000 per year are also exempt. Gifts worth above 50,000 from non-relatives are taxed on the aggregate gift value. Meaning that if the gift value is 75,000, the tax will be applicable on the entire amount. View Full Image Graphic: Pranay Bhardwaj There are a couple of exceptions to this rule. First is marriage. Gifts received by the bride and groom from relatives and non-relatives are exempt. So are gifts under the will, by inheritance, or by a donor at his death. The government introduced a gift tax in April 1958, regulated by the Gift Tax Act, 1958 (GTA), to impose taxes on giving and receiving gifts under certain specific circumstances. The Act covered gifts in the form of cash, demand drafts, bank cheques or anything valuable. The Act was repealed in 1998, and the taxation of gifts was later incorporated into the Income Tax Act under Section 56(2). Gift from a relative vs an employer The definition of "relatives" for the purpose of gift tax exemption is extensive. It includes your spouse, parents, grandparents, siblings, siblings of your spouse, siblings of your parents and direct lineal ascendants and descendants. Section 56(2) of the Income Tax Act states that any sum of money or any property received without consideration (i.e., as a gift) is taxable as "income from other sources" if the value of such a gift exceeds 50,000 in a fiscal year, except in the case of gifts received from relatives. However, the Act considers gifts received from an employer differently. These are considered a perquisite and are taxable as part of the employee's salary income. The value of the gift is added to the employee's total income and taxed accordingly. There are exceptions: Gifts on ceremonial occasions or rituals, up to a limit of 5,000 per occasion, are tax-exempt. Besides, as per an amendment to income tax provisions, the gift of money exceeding 50,000 made by a resident to a non-relative non-resident of India (NRI) is taxable in India since 2019, according to Prakash Hegde, principal consultantdirect taxation at Acer Tax & Corporate Services, a Bengaluru-based management consulting firm. Why you should report gifts There are good reasons to report gifts in your income tax return (ITR), even if they are exempt from tax. Reporting gifts provides documentation and proof of the source of funds, which can be helpful if the income tax authorities ask about the source of any investments or expenditures in the future. This can help reduce unnecessary scrutiny or questions," says Hegde. There are many instances where people had to undergo detailed scrutiny due to gifts of sums/properties received, particularly when the amount involved was substantial. Taxpayers can report any exempt income in the EI (exempt income) schedule in the ITR. However, Hegde points out that the EI schedule does not have a specific column for reporting gifts. They can be reported in the "other exempt income" column. Any amount received from a relative is exempt, and ideally, this should be shown under the exempt income schedule. This is particularly important when dealing with items like jewellery, which may be sold in the future," says Nitesh Buddhadev, founder of Nimit Consultancy. Gifts from non-relatives should be shown in the income tax report, adds Buddhadev. Gifts from an employer will be part of the employees salary. "For example, when an employee is given an Amazon voucher as a quarterly bonus, it would be included in Form 16," says Buddhadev, emphasizing that while its the employers duty to deduct tax on such gifts, it's prudent for employees to report them and pay any applicable taxes if TDS (tax deducted at source) is not deducted. A portion of under-construction Aguwani-Sultanganj bridge in Bihar over the Ganga River collapses, reported PTI. Previously a part of the Aguwani- Sultanganj bridge which was under-construction fell on June 5, 2023. The recent fall is the third time when the Bihar bridge has collapsed. A section of the same bridge collapsed for the first time during a thunderstorm on April 29, 2022. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav called for strict action and asked the authorities to analyse the reports submitted by committees when the bridge fell for the first and the second time. This is the third time that this bridge has collapsed. First time it happened, it was decided that it would be demolished and rebuilt. However, later court decided that the company would rebuild it at its own cost. Since it collapsed for the third time, reports by committees formed when it fell for the first and second time, should be analysed. Strict action should be taken against all those responsible, Tejashwi Yadav said. According to reports, 15 bridges have collapsed in the state in four weeks. The collapsed bridge includes one which is situated on Parman river at Amhara village in Araria district's Forbesganj block which was washed off due to heavy pressure of floodwaters. The Supreme Court on July 28 asked the Bihar government to respond to a petition filed over the recent multiple bridge collapse incidents in the state. The plea was filed by advocate Brajesh Singh who urged Nitish Kumar-led government to conduct high level of structural audit of all existing and under-construction bridges in the state. The three-judge Bench issuing the directive was headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud. The bench directed the Bihar government and other concerned parties to file a reply to the petition seeking to demolish or repair weak structures, according to its feasibility. In the last two years, there have been three significant incidents involving the collapse of under-construction bridges and other bridge collapse incidents of different scales in the districts including Araria, Siwan, Madhubani and Kishanganj. Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske took a jibe at Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray over his criticism of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, saying he is indebted to Muslims for their overwhelming support. To oblige them (Muslims), he has decided to oppose the bill and has additionally termed the Ram Janmabhoomi temple land development a scam, the Shiv Sena MP said in a video released on Friday. We don't expect him to support the bill. But why criticise the Ram Janmabhoomi Andolan? Balasaheb Thackeray had always maintained a firm stance against the Waqf Board, advocating for its dissolution and the reclamation of land involved in illegal encroachments, he said. "However, Uddhav Thackeray, who claims to be the torchbearer of his legacy, has betrayed these principles by supporting the Waqf Board. This is a blatant insult to Balasaheb's vision," Mhaske added. What Uddhav Thackeray had said? The criticism followed Thackeray's assurance that he would prevent any interference with religious properties, whether managed by the Waqf Board or temples. He emphasized that the matter extends beyond just the Waqf Board and includes temples. "I am announcing that, be it the Waqf Board or any temple or other religious property, I will not let anyone touch those properties at any cost. This is my promise," he said while addressing a rally on Friday. "This is not just a question of the board. It's a matter of our temples as well. As Sankaracharya has pointed out, 200 kg of gold was stolen from Kedarnath. That should also be investigated," the former Maharashtra CM said. Also Read | Govt may send Waqf Bill to House panel amid opposition by INDIA bloc parties What is Waqf Bill? The amended bill provides for a broad-based composition of the Central Waqf Council and the state Waqf boards and ensures the representation of Muslim women and non-Muslims in such bodies. The Wakf (Amendment) Act, 2013 provided that "at least two of the members appointed under sub-clauses (i) to (viii) shall be women." The new bill also gives women positions as members but adds that "the creation of waqf-alal-aulad does not lead to the denial of inheritance rights to women". Also Read | 5 key changes proposed in Waqf Bill, 2024 to be tabled in Parliament today The bill also proposes the establishment of a separate board for Boharas and Aghakhanis. The draft law provides for the representation of Shias, Sunnis, Bohras, Agakhanis and other backward classes among Muslim communities. It aims to clearly define "Waqf as Waqf by any person practising Islam for at least five years and having ownership of such property." The Ambience Mall in Gurugram and the DLF mall in Uttar Pradesh's Noida reportedly received bomb threat mails on Saturday. The Ambience Mall in Gurugram was immediately evacuated, and bomb squad, fire brigade teams were rushed to spot. Ambience Mall management received a bomb threat email at 9.27 am, police said. Bomb and dog squad teams have been rushed to Ambience Mall and a search operation is underway. The email, which was sent from hiddenbones101@gmail.com, stated, read, I planted bombs in the building. Every person inside the building will be killed, none of you will escape. You deserve death. I planted the bombs in the building because I hate my life. The people behind this attack are Paige and Nora, reported PTI. "The district administration received a bomb threat to all the malls in Gurugram via email at around 10 am. After receiving the email, the district administration started search operations in the malls. Police administration, dog squad, civil defence team are engaged in the search," said Mohit Sharma, Chief Civil Defence Team, Gurugram to news agency ANI. Assistant Commissioner of Police, DLF, Vikas Kaushik said nothing suspicious had been found in the search operation so far. "We have sanitised 70 per cent of the mall and our teams, including the bomb disposal squad and the dog squad, are thoroughly checking every corner of the mall nothing suspicious has been found (so far)," he said. In an official statement, Gurugram Police appealed to the general public to not panic. Meanwhile, the Hindustan Times reported that the reported bomb threat mail at Noida's DLF mall was part of a mock security drill. Ahead of the Janmashtami celebrations, the Allahabad High Court has greenlighted the live broadcast of prayers at Vrindavan's Bankey Bihari temple and handed over the responsibility of law and order to the district administration from August 25 to 29. The order comes in the wake of a stampede-like situation at the temple last year during Janmashtami. It is worth mentioning that the live-streaming facility will be available only inside the temple. The facility would enable the administration to facilitate the crowd. The HC restricted live-streaming outside the temple after advocate Sankalp Goswami opposed the move. "When the CCTV cameras are installed, the civil judge (junior division) shall be consulted. The district magistrate shall abide by the directions of the civil judge and ensure their compliance," ANI quoted the court's statement. The direction was passed in consultation with the Civil Judge, Junior Division, Mathura. The court has also permitted the installation of CCTV cameras through receivers under the temple system since 1939. The order was passed by an Allahabad HC bench of Justices Siddhartha Verma and Ram Manohar Narayan Mishra on Wednesday while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) petition filed by one Anant Sharma and another person from Mathura. During the hearing, the Uttar Pradesh government's counsel cited the use of barricading to manage the crowd at temple during Janmashtami and said, The barricading serves a dual purpose in the sense that it allows for managing the ingress of the devotees as the district administration can ensure that only a specified number of devotees are allowed at any given point of time to ensure that there is no overcrowding inside the premises. Looks like van life could be getting a downsize. During a recent in-the-know dealer meeting, Ford officials rolled out a prototype van expected to replace the discontinued Transit Connect. The compact vehicle is said to be based on the Maverick and could debut as early as next year. According to Ford Authority, the teaser vehicle wasnt introduced with a name, no concrete production timing was given, and its manufacturing location remains a mystery. The late Transit Connect was imported from Spain, but Ford had plans to build the next-generation van at its Hermosillo Assembly Plant in Mexico on the same platform as the Bronco Sport and Maverick, which are also produced there. Then, the van was booted from the lineup. But maybe that was a haha, just kidding moment? Ford Transit Connect. Ford Vans, like wagons, are anathema to Americans. No matter how much common sense utility and usefulness is built into them, theyre just not big enough, lifted enough, or good-looking enough to be wanted outside of fleet service. As a hatch-wagon owner and former beach van shuttler, this brings me sadness. So, what gives with Fords supposed change of heart? ADVERTISEMENT Bronco Sport and Maverick sales were robust in 2023, growing year-over-year by 28.1% and 26.5%, respectively. The strong numbers have continued so far this year. No word on the powertrain of this potentially new compact van but it could go hybrid, like the Maverick, which might make the vehicle more attractive to buyers. Although its not at all going to be cutesy kei-sized (bummer), perhaps it might get the Maverick Lobo treatment worthy of a Cars & Coffee showing. Without photographic evidence, though, news of a Maverick-based compact van remains speculation for now. Care to share your musings about the mystery van? If they build it, would you buy it? Got a tip about the Maverick-based van? Send it in to tips@thedrive.com Krishna Janmashtami is a famous Hindu festival dedicated to the worship of Lord Krishna, marking the anniversary of His birth. Celebrated with great enthusiasm across the country, this year, Krishna Janmashtami falls on August 26, 2024. The festival is observed with various rituals and festivities to honor Shri Krishna. Janmashtami 2024 date and time Ashtami begins on August 26, 2024, at 03:39 AM and ends on August 27, 2024, at 02:19 AM. Significance Janmashtami is a major Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Lord Krishna, marking his 5251st birth anniversary this year. The entire country will honour this auspicious occasion with great grandeur and enthusiasm. Devotees worldwide observe the day with immense devotion, offering prayers to Lord Krishna and promoting the teachings of the Gita, which he imparted. The festival also highlights various famous tales from Krishna's childhood, including his antics of stealing butter, defeating the demoness Putana, saving people from Indra's wrath, and lifting the Govardhan Hill with his little finger. Devotees believe that worshipping Lord Krishna brings happiness, prosperity, and the fulfilment of wishes. Celebrations in Vrindavan In Mathura and Vrindavan, Janmashtami celebrations start 10 days before the festival, featuring various cultural and religious events such as Rasleelas, Bhajans, Kirtans, and Pravachans. Vrindavan, home to over 400 Krishna temples, sees a special midnight ritual called Abhishek, where devotees gather to witness the deity being bathed in milk, yogurt, honey, ghee, and water to mark Krishnas birth. A notable tradition in these cities is Chappan Bhog, a lavish meal consisting of 56 different dishes served as prasad to devotees. Kolkata doctor rape case: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has alleged that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had transferred a total of 42 senior doctors for for allegedly raising their voice for justice. BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla has claimed that the West Bengal and Kolkata Police has warned legal action against protesters seeking justice for the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital Post Graduate trainee doctor who was raped and murdered on 9 August. The BJP alleged that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) run West Bengal government's crackdown on doctors and media houses amid vehement protest against the governance is the "most sinister and institutional cover up" to save the culprits. According to reports, two of the 42 doctors transferred, are Dr. Sangeeta Paul and Dr. Supriya Das , who were previously stationed at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, where the Kolkata trainee doctor's semi-naked body was found. The reshuffle triggered a strong response from doctors' associations, who denounced it as a conspiracy and an attempt to intimidate senior healthcare professionals. Later in the day, Principal Secretary Narayan Swaroop Nigam, West Bengal Health and Family Welfare Department said that the order to transfer 42 doctors had been cancelled. BJP also alleged that TMC spokesperson Santanu Sen was removed from his position for saying that there were many complaints against the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Dr Sandip Ghosh. On Friday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee lead a rally demanding justice for the Kolkata doctor rape and murder case. She was flanked by Lok Sabha MPs Mahua Moitra, Sayani Ghosh, June Malia, among others. CM Mamata Banerjee issued a Sunday deadline ultimatum to CBI, who are currently investigating the Kolkata doctor rape case. CM Banerjee blamed the BJP-Left nexus' for the protests that had rocked the state and the country. Mamata Banerjee has been facing increasing calls to resign over the Kolkata doctor rape case. The call for her resignation was aggravated when a mob entered the RG Kar hospital in the early hours of Thursday and ransacked the stage where junior doctors had been demonstrating against the Kolkata doctor rape and murder case, demanding security in their workplace. The mob also vandalised the emergency department, nursing unit and medicine store. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing orange alert in four districts of Kerala on 17 August, predicting heavy downpour and strong winds for the next five days. Earlier on Saturday, intermittent isolated rains lashed several parts of state, resulting in water levels rise in various rivers, including Manimala and Pamba. According to the latest update of the IMD, an orange alert, predicting very heavy rainfall, has been sounded in Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Idukki and Ernakulam districts on Saturday. Also, Kottayam, Idukki and Kozhikode and Pathanamthitta and Ernakulam districts were placed under orange alert on Sunday and Monday respectively. As per details, an orange alert refers to very heavy rain of 11 cm to 20 cm. Also Read | Wayanad landslide: PM Modi speaks to CM Pinarayi Vijayan Among other information, the Central Water Commission (CWC) has issued an orange alert on the banks of Manimala River in Kottayam district as the water level rose to a dangerous level. In view of the warning, authorities asked people living on its banks to be extra vigil and not to cross the waterbody. Authorities also warned of sea incursions along various coasts and asked people living in coastal hamlets to pay extra vigil. They also urged people to completely avoid night travel through high ranges and not to venture into rivers during the time of heavy rains. Also Read | The Wayanad landslide showed how easily minds are manipulated People have been urged to be cautious and authorities directed those living in dilapidated houses to shift to safer places. Wayanad under radar: Earlier on 15 August, IMD had issued heavy rainfall warning in Wayanad district, where landslides triggered by heavy rain killed over 230 people on July 30. The weather department predicted heavy rainfall (7 cm to 11 cm in 24 hours) to very heavy rainfall (12 cm to 20 cm in 24 hours) in one or two places in Ernakulam, Thrissur, and Kannur on Wednesday, and in Kozhikode and Wayanad on Thursday. Kolkata rape case doctors strike: The nationwide doctors' strike announced by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) began at 6 am on Saturday, August 17. The major shutdown, in solidarity with the brutal rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata's RG Kar Hospital, is likely to impact hospital services, including Out Patient Department (OPD), elective operation theatre (OT) services, etc. The strike is expected to impact hospitals in nearly all states today, and the hospital services shutdown is assumed to be the largest in over a decade. However, emergency medical services and private hospitals will likely remain open today. IMD Doctors' strike: What's open, what's closed today? The Indian Medical Association (IMA) announced a doctors' strike on Friday. The strike began at 6 a.m. on Saturday and will continue until 6 a.m. on Sunday. -Most of the OPD services at government and private hospitals are likely to remain shut today. -Elective surgeries planned for today might also be affected due to the doctors' strike. -Essential services like emergency department, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), etc will remain functional. -Casualty services will also remain available to handle urgent medical needs. IMA doctors' strike and medical fraternity rally in support of Kolkata doctor rape case Amid the ongoing protest and IMA's announcement of doctors' strike, several other doctors association have separately called for the withdrawal of services to oppose the Kolkata doctor murder case. -The Resident Doctors Association at Government Medical College, Amritsar has announced an indefinite strike from August 16. The doctors association has announced suspension of all non-essential and elective hospital services, including outpatient departments (OPDs), operating theaters (OTs), and wards. -Resident Doctors' Associations across Delhi are also protesting the murder and rape of a trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Hospital. -Hundreds of resident doctors struck work on Friday at government hospitals in Madhya Pradesh, including the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Bhopal, to protest against the alleged rape and murder -Medica services at governent-run hospitals in Maharashtra will also remain hindered due to the ongoing doctors' strike as more number of medical professionals associated with Maharashtra State Association of Residential Doctors (Central-MARD) joined the protest. Dr Pratik Debaje, president of Maharashtra State Association of Residential Doctors (Central-MARD) told PTI that 6000-7000 senior resident doctors affiliated to the Maharashtra Association of Bonded Resident Doctors (MABRD) and the Association of State Medical Interns (ASMI) joined the strike on Friday. Maharashtra resident doctors are on an indefinite strike since Tuesday to express solidarity with the nationwide agitation against the rape and murder of a post-graduate trainee doctor in Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Pan-India protests against the rape and murder of a Kolkata doctor intensified on Saturday with fresh calls for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to resign. The mother of Nirbhaya the victim of the 2012 Delhi gang rape case joined the discussion on Saturday with a scathing indictment of the TMC chief. Asha Devi claimed that Mamata was trying to divert attention by holding protests instead of using her power to act against the culprits. "Mamata Banerjee is trying to mislead the public instead of using her authority to take action against the culprits. She is protesting to divert people's attention from this issue. She herself is a woman. She should have taken strict action against the culprits while discharging her responsibility as the head of the state. She should resign because she has failed to handle the situation," she told PTI. The 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor was found dead with severe injuries in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College on August 9. An autopsy confirmed sexual assault and the family of the victim has alleged that she was gang-raped. One individual a police volunteer has been arrested so far in connection with the case. The assertion came even as doctors across the country suspended work on Saturday as a mark of protest. Meanwhile Banerjee led a protest rally from Moulali to Dorina Crossing in Kolkata on Friday to demand justice for the woman doctor. She has repeatedly called for the culprits to be handed the death penalty. Asha Devi said until central and state governments get serious about seeking swift punishment from the court for rapists, such brutality will continue to take place in different parts of the country every day. "When girls are not safe in Kolkata's medical college and such barbarity is committed against them, then one can understand the state of women's safety in the country," she said. Amid a strike called by doctors to protest against the rape and murder of a female trainee-PG doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi registered more than 90 per cent fall in admissions, OPDs and operation theatres (OTs). The emergency services and ICUs are functioning normally as of Saturday, said an official report by medical superintendent of AIIMS Delhi. However, OPDs, admissions, operation theatres, Radiological investigations and nuclear medicine have registered more than 90 per cent reduction while laboratory services have been affected by more than 80 per cent. Also Read | Health ministry directs hospitals to ensure beds for swine flu patients Following the nationwide strike called by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) over the RG Kar Medical College rape and murder incident, doctors at AIIMS in Delhi staged a protest march inside the campus on Saturday. The doctors were seen holding posters and raising slogans of We want justice. IMAs national president Dr Asokan on Saturday said that the time is ripe for PM Narendra Modi's intervention into the rape and murder incident of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. He added that they will be writing to the prime minister on the issue. While emergencies and casualties will function, the IMA said that OPDs or elective surgeries will be suspended from 6 am on Saturday till 6 am on Sunday, August 18, 2024. The suspension of work has affected thousands of patients across India. The protests mostly led by women have intensified in recent days, demanding a safer working environment. On August 9, a 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor was raped and murdered on duty at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, which led to nationwide protests by the medical fraternity. OPD services were hit across the country on Saturday as doctors joined a 24-hour nationwide strike to protest the rape and murder of a Kolkata medic. The health ministry held a review meeting to assess that the risk of a large Mpox outbreak in India. Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot greenlit the prosecution of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the MUDA site allotment 'scam. Meanwhile FPIs snapped their two-month buying streak in Indian equities and turned net sellers in August. Kolkata doctor rape case More than a million doctors joined a pan-India strike on Saturday morning, leaving medical services paralysed across several states. The Indian Medical Association had called for the 24-hour withdrawal of non-emergency services to protest the horrifying rape and murder of a Kolkata doctor. Outpatient departments and non-essential services came to a near halt in hospitals (including countless private institutions) during the day. Doctors have however continued to maintain essential services and casualty wards. Hospitals said faculty staff from medical colleges had been pressed into service for emergency cases. Mpox outbreak in India? The Health Ministry reviewed the prevailing Mpox situation as cases belonging to a new strain appeared outside Africa for the first time this week. The World Health Organization had again declared Monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern on August 14. The review meeting concluded that the it was possibile to have a few imported cases being detected in the coming weeks. However it was assessed that the risk of a large outbreak with sustained transmission is low for India at present. Also Read | No reported cases of Monkeypox in India, says health ministry Siddaramaiah faces prosecution Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot granted permission to prosecute Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the alleged MUDA scam on Saturday. The development came in the wake of a complaint was filed by social activist Snehamayi Krishna against the CM and nine others for forging documents to claim compensation from the Mysuru Urban Development Authority. The senior Congress leader however insisted that the entire process had been above board and vowed to "wage a legal fight". Siddaramaiah also rebuffed the BJP's calls for him to step down as Chief Minister. FPIs turn net sellers Foreign portfolio investors snapped their two-month buying streak in Indian equities with the onset of FY25. NSDL data indicates FPIs sold 21,201 crore worth of Indian equities, and the net outflows stood at 9,653 crore as of August 16 taking into account debt, hybrid, debt-VRR, and equities. The total investment in debt markets stood at 9,112 crore so far in August. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Saturday announced recruitment to 45 posts -- 10 of joint secretaries and 35 of directors/deputy secretaries -- to be filled through the lateral entry mode on contract basis. The move aims to keep in line with Modi government's ambitious plan to infuse fresh talent to further improve ease of governance. The forty five specialists will be joining key posts of joint secretaries, directors and deputy secretaries in different central ministries of India Government. Also Read | UPSC Civil Services Mains 2024 exam schedule OUT at upsc.gov.in These posts are usually manned by the officers of all-India services -- the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Forest Service (IFoS) -- and other Group A services, among others. UPSC advertises 45 posts for Lateral Entry "The government of India has submitted the requisitions for lateral recruitment of joint secretary and director/deputy secretary level officers. Accordingly, on line applications are invited from talented and motivated Indian nationals willing to contribute towards nation building to join the government at the level of joint secretary or director/deputy secretary...," reads the advertisement. The vacancies in different ministries/departments with headquarters at New Delhi, are to be filled on contract basis (on deputation for officers of states/UT cadres, public sector undertakings (PSUs), autonomous bodies, statutory organisation, universities, recognized research institutes) for a period of three years (extendable to five years depending upon performance) through website https://www.upsconline.nic.in by September 17, it said. UPSC Lateral entry posts department The 10 posts of joint secretaries are in Home Finance Steel ministries among others Thirty-five posts of director/deputy secretary-level will be filled in Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Civil Aviation Information & Broadcasting among others The latest induction is being done through the lateral entry mode -- referred to as the appointment of private sector specialists in government departments -- aimed at bringing fresh talent and perspective into the government. UPSC lateral entry posts advertised Joint Secretary (Policy & Plan), NDMA, Ministry of Home Affairs Joint Secretary (Emerging Technologies) Joint Secretary (Semiconductors and Electronics) under Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology Joint Secretary (Digital Economy, Fin Tech and Cyber Security), Department of Financial Services Joint Secretary (Investment), Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance Joint Secretary (Shipping), Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways Of the total of 35 posts of directors/deputy secretaries A highest of eight are to be filled in the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, This will be followed by three each in the Ministry of Jal Shakti and Ministry of Law and Justice, among others. Kolkata doctor rape case: The National Commission for Women (NCW) in its preliminary findings investigation report alleged lapses in security, infrastructure, and investigation related to the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. In a statement, NCW stated that the place where the heinous crime reportedly took place underwent unexpected renovations, potentially leading to tampering of evidence. The statements were made following an investigation by a two-member inquiry committee set up by the NCW into the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. Kolkata doctor rape case LIVE updates Coming to NCW's statement, the Inquiry Committee discovered that there were no security guards present at the time of the incident, and there was inadequate security coverage for on-call interns, doctors, and nurses during night shifts. In the statement, the NCW revealed, The hospital lacks basic amenities for female doctors and nurses, with washrooms in poor condition, no security measures, and inadequate lighting. The questioning of the former Principal, who resigned after the incident, remains incomplete. The Inquiry Committee urges a thorough and expedited investigation. The statement added, There is no adequate protection or safety for on-call female duty interns, nurses, and female doctors. The site where the deceased was allegedly raped and murdered is undergoing sudden renovations, potentially leading to tampering with evidence." The statement also mentioned that the The crime scene should have been sealed immediately by the police. 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. In Rajasthan's Udaipur, internet services were suspended for 24 hours on Friday, reported HT. The authorities issued orders banning the assembly of people following communal violence in the city. These measures were enacted after a mob pelted stones and set three or four cars on fire, according to police. In view of the escalating tensions and to minimise loss, markets were shut by evening that included Bapu Bazar, Hathipole, Ghanta Ghar, Chetak Circle and other nearby areas. Also Read | Rajasthan govt orders internet shutdown in Udaipur after stabbing in school case The situation worsened after stones were hurled at a shopping mall, resulting in damage to the glass entrances of several shops, reported PTI. Additionally, hundreds of individuals gathered outside the government hospital but were subsequently dispersed by the police. What triggered this communal violence? Violence erupted in Udaipur following an incident where a Class 10 student was reportedly assaulted with a knife by a classmate at a government school. To protest over the assault, members of some Hindu outfits gathered at Madhuban in the city, which later turned violent. Also Read | IMD issues orange alert for east Rajasthan, warns of heavy rains in Wayanad Udaipur district collector Arvind Poswal said the administration received a complaint about a fight between two children in the morning. "This incident took place in the early hours today. We received info about a fight between two children, in which one child was attacked on his thighs with a knife. The wound was deep, and the child was immediately taken to the hospital," ANI quoted the district collector as saying. Arvind Poswal added, I have met the child, his condition is stable now....The person who attacked with a knife has been arrested, his father has also been arrested, reported ANI. Read the full story on The Auto Wire Pathetic Street Racer Gets Taken Down By Police Street racing has become a real problem in many metropolitan areas with racers shutting down traffic on highways so they have an unoccupied straight stretch of road. Not only is this practice incredibly dangerous and selfish, its also illegal. These street racers know that but think they can get away with taking over public highways, so its great to see videos like this one where the cops bust them. Watch more street racers get taken down. In the beginning of the dashcam footage, you can see this Florida Highway Patrol trooper coming up on a traffic slowdown caused by the street racers and their buddies blocking traffic. The trooper seems to know whats going on up ahead, pulling onto the shoulder to get around the slowed and stopped cars so he can reach the racers. ADVERTISEMENT As he does, one of the participants blacks out, that is turns off all the lights on his car, and speeds away. Nothing indicates culpability quite like that sort of move. If youre going to do something like that you better have the chops to actually get away. You already know how this ends, but its entertaining seeing the street racer give fleeing his all only to have the trooper stay right on his blacked-out tail. At one point the racer guy almost wrecks out trying to get past two cars that are driving side-by-side. The trooper struggles to get around them as well, leaving us yet again to wonder why people in Florida dont pull over for police going lights and sirens? The suspect tries faking out the trooper by pretending to get ready to turn, but the trooper doesnt bite. And that maneuver allows the trooper to ram the side of the black Genesis this guy was using to run. The driver was arrested quickly and tried telling the trooper he was scared, like thats an excuse to run. Were not surprised a street racer would act this pathetic when faced with the consequences of his stupid actions. Image via YouTube Follow The Auto Wire on Google News. Join our Newsletter, subscribe to our YouTube page, and follow us on Facebook. MARION, Va. (AP) The man charged in the fatal shooting of a southwest Virginia sheriffs deputy and the wounding of another deputy earlier this month has died in a Tennessee hospital, a local prosecutor said. Timothy Wayne Goodman, 65, of North Carolina, died early Friday at Johnson City Medical Center, according to a news release from Smyth County Commonwealths Attorney Phillip Blevins. Goodman had been charged with aggravated murder in the Aug. 9 death of Smyth County Deputy Hunter Reedy and with four counts of attempted murder and using a firearm in the commission of a felony, Blevins said earlier. The other Smyth County deputy wounded was released a day after the shootings and is recovering at home, news outlets reported. Goodman was hospitalized after also being shot in the exchange with the deputies, according to police. Goodmans death 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, Blevins said in the release. According to authorities, the shootings happened during a traffic stop that Reedy was involved in with police officers from Marion. A n investigation found Goodman was involved in a confrontation with Marion officers and the deputies before the shooting, according to Virginia State Police. Malayalam New Year, also known as Kollavarsham, marks the beginning of the new year in the Malayalam calendar. This auspicious occasion is being celebrated today i.e. August 17 in Kerala. The day is celebrated on the first day of the month of Chingam. It is impotant to note that The Malayalam calendar, an ancient lunisolar system, is integral to the cultural and religious practices in Kerala. Additionally, reports have also stated that many Keralites also celebrate Vishu as their New Year. Vishu occurs at the beginning of the month of Medam, typically in April, and represents a distinct celebration of the New Year. Reports also indicate that the Malayalam New Year signals the start of a new harvest season in the state. On this day, people decorate their homes, visit temples for prayers, and prepare traditional dishes. Wishes to send your friend and family for Malayalam New Year "May the Malayalam New Year bring you a fresh start filled with joy, success, and good health. Wishing you a wonderful Kollavarsham!" "Happy Malayalam New Year! May this Kollavarsham fill your life with happiness, new opportunities, and prosperity." "Wishing you a vibrant Kollavarsham! May the new year ahead be full of positivity, achievements, and memorable moments." "May this year, you be blessed with endless joy and new beginnings. Have a fantastic Kollavarsham!" May this Kollavarsham bring you nearer to your dreams and fill your days with endless joy. Wishing you a Happy Malayalam New Year! WhtsApp text for your loved ones Happy Malayalam New Year! May Chingam 1 bring new beginnings and abundant joy into your life!" Wishing you a delightful Kollavarsham! May this Malayalam New Year be filled with the same vibrancy and color as the pookalam. As the new year begins, may it bring you endless happiness, prosperity, and peace. Happy Malayalam New Year! Images to send your loves ones Malayalam New Year 2024 Happy Malayalam New Year 2024 Vinesh Phogat, the ace grappler, penned a heartfelt note of gratitude ahead of return to her home country after the Court of Arbitration Sport (CAS) dismissed her plea for a silver medal at Paris Olympics 2024. The 29-year-old wrestler was left heartbroken and disappointed even after her statement performances at the Summer Games this year. Also Read | Vinesh Phogat fiasco: IOA advocate hints at option to appeal against CAS verdict In a social media post on X (formerly Twitter), expressing gratitude the wrestler penned a heartfelt note dedicated to all the people who contributed towards her goal and were a part of her journey over the past few years. She thanked her support team, including Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala, Dr Wayne Patrick Lombard, Coach Woller Akos, Physio Ashwini Jeevan Patil, Tajinder Kaur, Olympic Gold Quest team and Gagan Narang among others for their contributions. The letter begins with, Olympic rings: as a small girl from a small village I did not know what was the Olympics or what these rings meant. As a small girl, I dream of things like long hair, flaunting a mobile phone in my hand and doing all these things that any young girl would normally dream of. The letter further notes, But survival taught me a lot. Seeing my mother's hardships, never-give-up attitude and fighting spirit is what makes me the way I am. She taught me to fight for what is rightfully mine. When I think about courage I think about her and it is this courage that helps me fight every fight without thinking about the outcome. After a triumphant victory in the semi-final 50 Kg womens freestyle wrestling match, Vinesh Phogat made it to the finals of the Olympic games but was disqualified for breaching weight criteria by 100 grams. On August 7, she approached the Court of Arbitration for Sports to file a petition to grant her a silver medal, but on Wednesday, the CAS released a statement confirming the dismissal of her application. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) said it is exploring further legal options after the wrestler's plea was dismissed. By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Ramadan Abed CAIRO/GAZA Aug 17 - At least 17 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded in an Israeli strike in the Gaza town of Zawayda on Saturday, health officials said, as Israel issued new evacuation orders, citing Hamas rocket fire nearby. Most of the people killed were from the same family and they included eight children and four women, according to health officials in the Hamas-administered enclave. "They were asleep in their beds, kids and babies, then three missiles targeted their place," said Abu Ahmed Hassan, a neighbour. The owner of the house was a known merchant, he said. "There are no military activities here at all," he added. The Israeli military said in response it had struck militant targets in an area from which rockets had been fired at its troops, adding the incident was under review. Israel's military spokesperson posted instructions in Arabic on X on Saturday for people in parts of central Gaza, including in the Maghazi district which is near Zawayda, to evacuate to a designated humanitarian zone. He said militants were firing rockets from those locations and that the military was preparing to act against them. Reuters could not immediately verify whether any areas of Zawayda were among those ordered to evacuate and whether people there had received the military's instructions. Residents said thousands were streaming out of Maghazi. On Friday, two sections of the southern city of Khan Younis within what Israel has designated as a humanitarian zone were deemed dangerous by the military, which ordered people to evacuate them, saying militants had been regularly firing rockets from there. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Friday's orders, which also included other areas of the enclave outside the humanitarian zones, had affected around 170,000 displaced people. "This is one of the largest evacuation orders affecting the zone to date and it shrinks the size of the so-called 'humanitarian area' to about 41 square kilometres, or 11 per cent of the total area of the Gaza Strip," an OCHA report said. In the central part of the enclave, residents said Israeli tanks advanced further on Saturday into the eastern area of Deir Al-Balah, an area they had not invaded before, where hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians are sheltering. The Israeli military said that since Friday its forces had killed dozens of militants, including some who had fired rockets from central and southern Gaza. Most of Gaza's 2.3 million population has been displaced by the 10-month-old Israeli offensive, which has laid waste to much of the enclave. CEASEFIRE TALKS U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to land in Israel on Sunday and meet Netanyahu on Monday, as diplomatic efforts to conclude a deal to end the fighting between Israel and Hamas and free the remaining Israeli hostages ramp up. Meanwhile ceasefire talks in Doha, mediated by the United States, Qatar and Egypt, are due to resume next week. Israel's negotiating team expressed "cautious optimism" on the possibility of advancing a deal, according to a statement on Saturday from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office. "The team expressed cautious optimism regarding the possibility of progress on the deal in accordance with the updated American proposal , including components acceptable to Israel," the statement read. U.S. President Joe Biden said on Friday following two days of Doha talks that efforts to reach a deal were now in sight, although he warned that negotiations were "far from over". Hamas said in response that claims of a deal being close were "deceptive", and that Israel had yet to agree to the July 2 ceasefire proposal which the group had accepted. The war was triggered on Oct. 7 when the militant Islamist group Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's subsequent military campaign has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to Gaza health authorities. Israel has lost 331 soldiers in Gaza and says at least a third of the Palestinian dead are fighters. Four hundred kilometres north of the Arctic Circle, in the Norwegian port of Kirkenes, there are still some who dream that this sleepy town will one day become an important shipping hub. They see it as the western end of a new, faster sea route from China to Europe, made possible by the impact of global warming on ice-filled waters off the Siberian coast. With war raging in Ukraine, this ambition now sounds fanciful. Chinas support for Russia is fuelling Western distrust of the Asian powers polar silk road plans. But China is not retreating from the Arctic. It still sees a chance to boost its influence there, and to benefit from the areas wealth of natural resources. Rising temperatures in the Arctic are slowly opening up new possibilities for transport. But geopolitics are changing the region faster. Kirkenes feels this strongly. It is just 15 minutes drive from the Russian border. Tourists can enjoy a king crab safari that takes them by boat right up to it, with eponymous crustaceans caught along the way and cooked for the visitors (the massive non-native species was introduced by the Soviets). Russians, though, no longer cross into Kirkenes for shopping and crab feasts. On May 29th Norway closed the border crossing to day-trippers from the other side. The conflict in Ukraine has cast a chill over the town. There were tensions in the air in October when Russias envoy in Kirkenes laid a wreath at a monument to the Soviet troops who liberated the town from the Nazis towards the end of the second world war, the Barents Observer, a local online newspaper, reported. Politicians in Kirkenes had urged him not to do so. In such a climate it is hard to imagine how Chinas Arctic silk-road project, unveiled in 2017, might take off. It had sounded a great idea. By using the Arctics Northern Sea Route (see map), shipments from Shanghai to Hamburg could take a mere 18 days, compared with about 35 days needed for the route via the Suez Canalor ten days longer than that if rerouted around the Cape of Good Hope to avoid attacks by the Houthi rebels in Yemen (there have been dozens against ships in the Red Sea since the war in Gaza began last year). Kirkenes had hoped to sell itself as the first ice-free port that container ships from China would reach after traversing the Russian segment. They could use it as a place to offload cargo onto vessels that would sail on to other ports in Europe. Or they could transfer their goods onto trains that would take them much faster into European markets. Chinese businesspeople were keen, says Rune Rafaelsen, who was the mayor of Kirkenes from 2015 to 2021. Were all this to happen, northern Europe would change from a mere end point of the flow of goods from China into a gateway for them, enthused Qiushi, the Chinese Communist Partys main theoretical journal, in 2019. The silk road on ice (as China calls its polar transportation plan in Chinese) would become a new platform for the Belt and Road Initiative, it said, referring to the countrys spree of port, railway, road and other infrastructure-building around the world. A big problem is that Kirkenes has no rail connection with anywhere in Europe. There had been talk of building one with neighbouring Finland. Its border is only 50km away; the line would join the Finnish rail network in the city of Rovaniemi, the official home of Santa Claus, 500km to the south. Even before the all-out Russian invasion of Ukraine the Finnish government had got cold feet about this. In 2019 it published a report expressing doubt that such a line could be profitable, let alone acceptable to indigenous reindeer-herders, the Sami, whose land it would traverse. Now, says the Barents Observers editor, Thomas Nilsen, the Finnish authorities dont want to subsidise and build a railway line so close to the Russian border, given the areas geopolitical instability. Frosty relations Western governments have long been cautious about Chinas Arctic activities, worrying that the countrys growing economic influence in the region might give it political sway and open doors to a Chinese security presence that would add to the Arctic challenge that Russia already poses. RAND, a think-tank in Washington, notes that since 2018 Chinas diplomatic activism in Greenland, an Arctic dependency of Denmark, has waned. That is probably a result of successful efforts by Denmark and America to block Chinese attempts to invest in sensitive infrastructure and mining there (Greenland hosts an American airbase with missile-warning and space-surveillance systems). The war in Ukraine has compounded Western scepticism about any big project involving China, which calls itself neutral but also boasts a no-limits friendship with Russia and is giving huge support to Russias defence industry. The conflict has led to the freezing of activities of the Arctic Council, a talking-shop involving the eight countries with Arctic territory, which China joined as an observer in 2013. (In a white paper in 2018 China called itself a near-Arctic state, though its northernmost provincial capital, Harbin, is on the same latitude as Venice.) All of the councils members, except Russia, are now members of NATO, Finland and Sweden having joined the defence pact in the past 15 months. In Arctic affairs, China finds itself even more of an outsider. The frustration this has caused in China is clear. In Russian Studies, a Chinese academic journal, two Chinese scholars, Yue Peng and Gu Zhengsheng, wrote in February that Russia was growing weaker in the high north. The original balance of the Arctic has been disrupted, and the scales in the Arctic region are tipping towards the Western countries. Chinas image in the region, they said, faced a significant risk of decline. This could have a huge negative impact on Chinas future participation in Arctic affairs, the academics suggested. Russia controls about half of the Arctics shoreline and a huge share of its oil and gas reserves. For now, Chinese ships may not be pushing to use the Northern Sea Route (Russia charges stiff fees for the use of its icebreakers). Shippers prefer predictable schedules: for all the Arctics warming, journey times along that passage can vary as a result of ice and fog. Chinese firms, however, see gains to be made in Russia as it turns to Asia to make up for the loss of Western markets. They include involvement in port construction, oil and gas projects and the building of ships for Russia to sail such resources eastward (China is a big buyer of Russian energy). Russia may once have been wary of getting China involved in developing its Arctic coast. Now it welcomes Chinese help. Russia is very keen to have them, because they have no other options, says Kjell Stokvik of the Centre for High North Logistics in Kirkenes. So in a way for China, theyre in a very good seat. There are risks, as Messrs Yue and Gu noted, such as fallout from Western sanctions. They urged China to be cautious and low-profile in its approach to Arctic co-operation with Russia. However, during a visit by Russias leader, Vladimir Putin, to Beijing in May the two countries vowed to promote the Arctic route as an important international transport corridor and encourage their companies to strengthen co-operation in increasing Arctic route traffic volume and building Arctic route logistics infrastructure. The silk road on ice is slippery, but it retains its allure. At least six people were killed and three others were wounded by an Israeli strike on a residential building in Nabatieh city, in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese health ministry said early on Saturday. Tensions have soared in the region in recent weeks, after a deadly rocket strike in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights that Israel blamed on Hezbollah. Israel responded with the killing of a top Hezbollah commander in the suburbs of Beirut. WASHINGTONPresident Biden said that the U.S. is close to brokering a deal that would lead to a cease-fire in Gaza, ending a war that local health authorities say has killed more than 40,000 in the enclave, freeing hostages held by Hamas, and, U.S. officials hope, head off a potential looming Iranian attack on Israel. The question now is whether Israel and Hamas really want the agreement. As a broker of the negotiations, the U.S. has often tried to minimize differences between Israel and Hamas, only to see talks collapse when the time comes to finalize an agreement. The Biden administration has stepped up diplomatic efforts this month amid rising political pressures at home. Thousands of protesters are expected to rally outside the Democratic National Convention in Chicago beginning on Monday to demand a cease-fire and an end to U.S. military support for Israel. More protests are expected to sprout up on college campuses around the country in September, when students return for fall classes. The U.S. is also trying to contain the threat from Iran and its ally Hezbollah, which are expected to launch an attack on Israel in retaliation for the killings of top militant leaders. That assault, if it happens, could spark yet another military response from Israel that U.S. officials fear could ignite a wider war. U.S. officials began sounding upbeat about the prospects for a peace deal in recent weeks, although few other observers have seen much evidence for optimism. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Friday, Biden said he had been busy working on forging a cease-fire effort and we are closer to a deal than we have ever been." He declined to give details saying I dont want to jinx anything." Were not there yet," he continued, but were much, much closer than it was three days ago." Later on Friday night, Biden continued to express hope that a deal was within reach. Its still in play. Im optimistic," he told reporters, declining to say exactly why. Its far from over. Just a couple more issues. I think weve got a shot." A senior U.S. administration official on Friday said negotiations had reached an endgame," adding that the last two days had proven the most constructive 48 hours that weve had in this process in many months." Negotiators are hoping to hammer out remaining sticking points ahead of more talks next week in Cairo. But Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told the Journal that the U.S. was exaggerating progress. The American administration is attempting to create a false sense of positivity, without any genuine intent to stop the war, merely aiming to buy time," he said. Hamas didnt attend this weeks talks, requiring mediators to relay messages and proposals to the group, further delaying a final agreement. Many of the details of the agreement have vexed diplomats for months, such as the list of hostages and Palestinian prisoners to exchange. Other points, like the screening by Israelis of Palestinians moving from Gazas south to the north, also require further discussion. Hamas militants on Oct. 7 abducted more than 240 civilians and soldiers. Hamas released more than 100 hostages during a temporary cease-fire that ended on Dec. 1. Israel says there are now 111 hostages abducted that day remaining in Gaza, which includes people whom Israel has concluded are no longer alive. The senior U.S. official issued an unusually harsh broadside against the Israelis, insisting that failing to seize the opportunity put hostages at risk. If you continue to negotiate for months and months and try to get a perfect deal or every last drop of blood from the stone, you risk having no hostages left to save," the official said. The administrations optimism belies the fact that there is still no deal even after months of painstaking negotiations. That led the U.S. to join Qatar and Egypt in announcing a bridging proposal" designed to cover all outstanding issues. Bruce Hoffman, a specialist in counterterrorism at Georgetown University, said there has been little change in the public stances of either Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or Hamas leaders since peace efforts began, and that any lasting peace deal is unlikely at this juncture. The likelihood of their success has always been slim, it certainly is slimmer now," he said. The talks come as the U.S. and its partners are trying to head off an Iranian attack on Israel in retaliation for the killing of a Hamas leader and Hezbollah commander in July. Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani spoke with Irans top diplomat Thursday and Friday, urging Tehran in their conversations not to attack Israel while cease-fire talks were under way, a Middle Eastern diplomat said. Al-Thani, who is also Qatars foreign minister, further insisted that any escalation would only complicate tense negotiations that were yielding some progress. It is possible those warnings will convince Tehran to delay its expected retaliation, which the White House has repeatedly said could come at any moment with little notice. The senior administration official assured the U.S. and its allies were prepared for all contingencies, warning Iran it would face cataclysmic" consequences if it went forward with an assault. For the past week, the U.S. diplomatic effort in the region has been spearheaded by some top-level diplomats, including CIA Director Bill Burns and the White Houses Middle East coordinator Brett McGurk. On Saturday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to join the effort by flying to Tel Aviv, his ninth trip to the region. Publicly, he has mainly blamed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar for blocking the deal, charging that Sinwar sees political benefit from the carnage in the Gaza Strip. But Blinkens trip is expected to focus more directly on pressuring Netanyahu, who Biden in June accused of prolonging the war for his own political advantage. Later that month, Netanyahu aired a video message in English claiming the U.S. was withholding weapons from Israel, a charge the U.S. denied. Saleh al-Batati contributed to this article. Write to Alan Cullison at alan.cullison@wsj.com and Alexander Ward at alex.ward@wsj.com Indian origin doctors and medical students in the UK issued an open letter on Saturday as protests intensified over the rape and murder of a Kolkata medico. The missive followed a peaceful protest outside India House in London and similar gatherings in several major UK cities to support the corresponding agitation in India. This incident is a symptom of the rising violence against women and the negligence of the state towards its citizens. The absence of investment in public infrastructure and safety measures has a disproportionate impact on women, who are already marginalised by the patriarchal social conditions. Instead of supporting their empowerment by creating safe workplaces and efficient judicial mechanisms, government leaders, including Mamata Banerjee, have historically indulged in victim-blaming and misogynist responses, , read an excerpt from the open letter. The letter condemned the brutal incident and the subsequent inaction of the West Bengal government. It also dubbed the case an indicator of the urgent necessity to implement public safety measures and internal complaint mechanisms in all workplaces across India. Also Read | Durand Cup 2024: Mohun Bagan SG book QF seat post match cancelled in Kolkata The 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor was found dead with severe injuries in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College on August 9. A civic volunteer has been arrested in connection with the incident and a CBI probe remains underway. The incident has sparked global condemnation with around a million doctors in India observing a strike on Saturday. Further protests are also planned in the UK including a peaceful demonstration by British Indian women doctors at Parliament Square in London near the Mahatma Gandhi statue on August 22. We stand in solidarity with our fraternity. Justice delayed is justice denied is the collective refrain of the doctors who have reached out to me from across the UK, US, Canada and the UAE, said Dr Dipti Jain, a National Health Service (NHS) geriatrician based in Brighton Also Read | Kolkata doctor rape case LIVE: IMA writes to PM Modi with several demands DETROIT Canada's two largest railroads are starting to shut down their shipping networks as a labor dispute with the Teamsters union threatens to cause lockouts or strikes that would disrupt cross-border trade with the U.S. Both the Canadian Pacific Kansas City and Canadian National railroads, which haul millions of tons of freight across the border, have stopped taking certain shipments of hazardous materials and refrigerated products. Both are threatening to lock out Teamsters Canada workers starting Thursday if deals are not reached. On Tuesday, CPKC will stop all shipments that start in Canada and all shipments originating in the U.S. that are headed for Canada, the railroad said Saturday. The Canadian Press reported that on Friday, Canadian National barred container imports from U.S. partner railroads. Jeff Windau, industrials analyst for Edward Jones & Co., said his firm expects work stoppages to last only a few days, but if they go longer, there could be significant supply chain disruptions. If something would carry on more of a longer term in nature, then I think there are some significant potential issues just given the amount of goods that are handled each day, Windau said. By and large the rails touch pretty much all of the economy. The two railroads handle about 40,000 carloads of freight each day, worth about $1 billion, Windau said. Shipments of fully built automobiles and auto parts, chemicals, forestry products and agricultural goods would be hit hard, he said, especially with harvest season looming. Both railroads have extensive networks in the U.S., and CPKC also serves Mexico. Those operations will keep running even if there is a work stoppage. CPKC said it remains committed to avoiding a work stoppage that would damage Canada's economy and international reputation. However we must take responsible and prudent steps to prepare for a potential rail service interruption next week, spokesman Patrick Waldron said in a statement. Shutting down the network will allow the railroad to get dangerous goods off IT before any stoppage, CPKC said. Union spokesman Christopher Monette said in an email Saturday that negotiations continue, but the situation has shifted from a possible strike to near certain lockout by the railroads. CPKC said bargaining is scheduled to continue on Sunday with the union, which represents nearly 10,000 workers at both railroads. The company said it continues to bargain in good faith. Canadian National said in a statement Friday that there had been no meaningful progress in negotiations and it hoped the union will engage meaningfully during a meeting scheduled for Saturday. CN wants a resolution that allows the company to get back to what it does best as a team, moving customers' goods and the economy, the railroad said. Negotiations have been going on since last November, and contracts expired at the end of 2023. They were extended as talks continued. The union said company demands on crew scheduling, rail safety and worker fatigue are the main sticking points. Windau said the trucking industry currently has a lot of excess capacity and might be able to make up some of the railroads' shipping volumes, but, You're not going to be able to replace all of that with trucking. Pavel Kushnir started playing piano at the age of two. Those familiar with his talent considered him a prodigy. Music, he said, was his passion and, after graduating from the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, he performed as a soloist in orchestras in Kursk and Kurgan as he built what he hoped would be a stellar career. Instead, he ended up in a prison camp, staging a hunger strike, one of hundreds of Russians locked up for voicing their opposition to President Vladimir Putin and his war in Ukraine. Kushnir wasnt included in the historic prisoner exchange that saw the wrongly detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich freed on Aug. 1 along with two other Americans and several of Russias best-known dissidents and activists. Human-rights campaigners calculate that some 700 others, Kushnir among them, were still languishing in Putins prisons when the handover took place at an airport in Turkey, with Russia receiving a smattering of spies and hackers and a notorious hit man in return. Some of those still held in Russia are prominent figures. They include a former Moscow politician, Alexei Gorinov, who in July 2022 became the first person to receive a prison sentence on a charge of disseminating false information about Russias military. Others include lawyers and associates who worked with Alexei Navalny, the Russian opposition leader who died in an Arctic penal colony in February. Kremlin watchers say Putin kept some of them back as leverage for future prisoner swaps. Keeping some dissidents in jail also sends a message that it doesnt pay to challenge his leadership. If someone like Gorinov, once a prominent city official, could end up in jail, so could they. Most, like Kushnir, are relative unknowns, left to serve their sentences in anonymity. Lean, bespectacled and at 39 still young, he rarely stood out, friends say. He often dressed in black and wasnt flashy. Despite being a virtuoso, he didnt crave attention. The bourgeois life wasnt for him," said Olga Shkrygunova, a fellow pianist and childhood friend of Kushnir. He simply couldnt live like this, because he had this acute sense of justiceand injustice." Kushnirs father had been a pianist, his mother a teacher. He was raised in the city of Tambov, some 250 miles southeast of Moscow. After school he entered the storied Moscow conservatory before moving on to the Kursk Regional Philharmonic and then the philharmonic in Kurgan, in the Urals. He played wonderfully, he had absolutely his own interpretation of music, and he played on such a grand scale," Shkrygunova said. Already at a very young age, he could play huge cycles and set some very big creative goals for himself." He offered his own take on some of the worlds greatest composers, including Rachmaninoff, Schubert, Beethoven and Mozart. Music aficionados Alexander Zhuravlev and Elena Zhuravleva were so taken by Kushnir that after attending one of his concerts in his hometown of Tambov, they invited the musician to their home where they improvised a song for him on an old digital keyboard. He listened very attentively for the entire 20 minutes and even highlighted some good points there and analyzed them very professionally," Zhuravleva recalled. Kushnir said he was elated when he landed a role at the Regional Philharmonic in Birobidzhanpopulation less than 68,000in the Jewish Autonomous Region of Russias Far East, almost 4,000 miles from Moscow and close to the border with China. In an interview last year with Birobidzhans Avto Radio, Kushnir recalled being invited to audition for the orchestra as an unforgettable moment." His plan was to remain at the philharmonic and create musical programs until he was 50 years old, he said. But as Kushnirs career blossomed, so too did his antipathy grow toward Putin. He had long identified with Russias opposition movement. In 2012, he joined the tens of thousands who took to the streets in cities across Russia to protest alleged vote-rigging in what observers said at the time were the countrys largest antigovernment demonstrations in at least a decade. He was already very anti-Putin," Shkrygunova recalled. In 2014, he picketed against the Kremlins annexation of Crimea and Moscows backing of the separatist war in eastern Ukraines Donbas region. When Putin ordered Russian troops into Ukraine in February 2022, Kushnirs opposition stepped up a gear. He attended antiwar rallies and took to writing and posting antiwar leaflets and writing graffiti against the invasion. Every year its getting scarier to do this," he said in an August 2022 interview with Shkrygunova, which she posted on her Facebook page. But we need peace, and we need freedom." He penned manuscripts and in 2014 self-published an antiwar novel called Russian Cutting," which he described in part as being about the reality of the tragedy of society." Few took notice, Shkrygunova said. Her posts about the book on social media elicited one like." Kushnir also embarked on hunger strikes to register his opposition to the war, Shkrygunova said. In the August 2022 interview she did with him, while he was 20 days into a liquids-only regime, Kushnir laid out his reasoning for this type of action. It felt like this was a classic form of protest," he said. When it seemed to me that people began to get used to war, to accept it, I chose this form of protest, perhaps to set an example, to draw attention." He also created a YouTube channel called Foreign Agent Mulder," named for the fictional FBI agent Fox Mulder in the science-fiction series The X-Files." In a handful of videos, Kushnir discussed topics such as Russias ban on what it calls LGBT propaganda and the nature of fascism, a label that Putin has used to smear Ukraines leadership. The channel had just five subscribers before his arrest, friends recalled. In January this year, he told a local Birobidzhan radio station that the thing he valued most was freedom, but to gain freedom, you must first of all feel the value of freedom," he said. Three months later, in April, Kushnir participated in a lecture at the Birobidzhan Philharmonic, where high-school students were taught about the music of renowned Russian composers. A photo on the philharmonics website showed him seated at a piano, poised to introduce the audience to what the concerts host, Konstantin Melisov, described as beautiful Russian classical music." It would be Kushnirs last public performance. In May, he was arrested and remanded at a pretrial detention center in Birobidzhan on charges related to his criticism of the Kremlin and its actions in Ukraine, according to local media and independent Russian news outlets. A local news website posted a video of two masked men in military fatigues leading Kushnir out of his apartment and into a waiting van. He then disappeared into the Russian prison system. Russias Investigative Committee didnt respond to a request to confirm Kushnirs arrest, the charges against him and other details surrounding his detention. Olga Romanova, a well-known journalist and Russian prisoner-rights advocate, said she learned that Kushnir had been detained for public calls for terrorist activities, public justification of terrorism or terrorism propaganda." Mediazone, an independent Russian news site, reported that Kushnirs mother said she had been informed that he had gone on another hunger strike. News of his death came on Aug. 2. Russian authorities havent issued any statements on Kushnirs death. Neither the Investigative Committee nor the Federal Penitentiary Service responded to requests for comment. Friends said they learned of his incarceration after they heard he had died, many of them via news reports. Kushnirs mother told the Russian news website Siberia.Realities that her son had shown a superficial" grasp of politics, which is why I am very sorry that he gave up his life, apparently, for nothing at all." Close friends of Kushnir said that he and his mother were estranged due to his antigovernment views. Svetlana Kaverzina, an opposition politician in Siberia, said human-rights activists were unable to assist Kushnir because they didnt know about him. There was no one to tell," Kaverzina wrote on the Telegram messaging app on Aug. 4. Relatives, apparently, were afraid to make it public. And the person was left alone with the system." Romanova, the prisoner-rights campaigner, who is now based outside of Russia, said Kushnir was a solitary activist, a loner, misunderstood by everyone." She received a letter from one of the three prisoners who shared a cell with Kushnir at the detention center in Birobidzhan, lamenting his passing. We are in grief," read a part of the handwritten letter reviewed by the Journal. Our comrade," it read, was in the pretrial detention center with us. The best pianist in the region, Pavel KushnirDry hunger strike and death. Pushed over the edge. Didnt even live to be tried." Write to Ann M. Simmons at ann.simmons@wsj.com LOS ANGELESWhen they first met seven years ago, they had no idea that their little camming venture was about to explode. They started by dominating the U.K., then the United States. And now with their takeover of Spain in the new NakedSword Originals hit Heart On, its official: Callum and Cole have conquered the world. I was working at a nightclub, and Cole came in one night. I kind of fancied him so gave him a couple of free shots. A week later, he came back, and within three weeks we were dating and basically living together, shares Callum Cox. Weve been a couple for seven years now, and camming almost the same amount of time, added Cole Connor. The nightclub Callum mentioned closed a few months after we met, and wed both been talking about cam work previously. So, we decided to take the plunge together. We didnt really need to look for other jobs once we were up and running. The Scottish duos presence on Chaturbate quickly exploded, leading to multiple industry accoladesincluding for fan favorite cammers at the 2020 GayVN Awards. Its been an insane journey in the best way possible. When the nightclub closed, I didnt think Id be creating a whole new career. But its given us so many opportunities and experiences that we never wouldve had without it. Weve worked our asses off, shared Callum, with Cole adding that weve come to really understand the adult industry and have been able to go from content creators to actually being porn stars. The lifestyle weve created is more than we couldve dreamed of. Theyve sold some of their own content to other studios, and entertained other feature offers. But until now, the right one never came along. Through the years, weve been offered studio work by many companies. Most of them wanted us to work with other guys; they thought people would get bored of us just filming with each other, said Cole. Weve been holding out until we had an opportunity to make what we wanted to make, not just participate in something that was entirely someone elses vision, added Callum. By waiting, we managed to get exactly what we wanted without even knowing if it would eventually come along. Enter the savvy businessmen at Falcon | NakedSword, who presented the project Heart On to the duo. The stars aligned! Callum and Cole have a lot of trust in Falcon | NakedSword and (President and CEO) Tim (Valenti), and they were presented with a script, cast and crew that they felt good about, shares Ben Rush, who wrote the script and co-directed along with Alter Sin. As always, we included them in the entire development process, allowing them to inject their personalities and opinions every step of the way. Theres definitely comfort in collaboration." Rush notes that Valenti had a long-standing friendship with the duo, who caught up with the CEO at an industry event in Europe. Tim called me about the possibility of building a narrative around their romance, says Rush. What we came up with was a love story that doesnt shy away from very real issues that many of us face when navigating coming out, dating, and evolving as people. Beautiful Thing (1996) and Love, Simon (2018) were definitely inspirations, but I think Alter Sin and I created something wholly unique with a mature, more grown-up storyline and characters. The result? Finally, the major studio Callum-and-Cole feature fans have been clamoring for is here, a heartfelt coming-of-age gay love story that doubles as a love letter to Spain, movies, and men. And the performers are just as thrilled as their fans. We enjoy watching those kinds of movies in our own personal time. And we knew even before we got to the set that it was going to be an amazing collaborationnot only because of our connection with Tim, but also because he paired us with the best cast and crew, says Callum. Tim believed that we could pull off something big, and weve always felt comfortable with him, added Cole. Weve seen the kinds of quality things Falcon | NakedSword has been doing of late, and we thought something like Heart On would be great for us and the studio. The project casts the duo as friends who celebrate graduation from Oxford with a trip to Barcelona and Torremolinos. Out and proud Callum lusts after the men they encounter, while Cole realizes he has some buried feelings he needs to deal with. From start to finish, it was a dream collaboration. We had many calls with Ben and Alter in the months leading up to the shoot, so it was easy and comfortable by the time we were on set. We worked hard on line readings and our performances long in advance, says Callum. The studio shoot was just mind-blowing. It actually felt like we were making a theatrical feature movie. The size of the crew and the talent among them were amazing. Also, the experience confirmed one particularly special thing: When we are away and focused on work, we are just as compatible as we are in our personal time. Professionally and personally, we just fit together. Rush was equally impressed by the duo. Youd never know this was Callum and Coles first studio film. They put so much time and work into learning the script and understanding the nuances of the characters and the storytelling, and they are naturals at taking direction. Heart On was a huge production, with many crew members, locations, schedules and travel itineraries, and Callum and Cole juggled it all admirably, he says. I went into this as a work project and came out with two great friendships. Callum and Cole are bright young men with strong work ethics and good energies, and theyre funny and charming, as well. It was really hard to leave this particular production behind, but well always have Spain! The film features an all-star cast headlined by Falcon | NakedSword exclusives Sir Peter and Beau Butler along with Derek Kage, Manuel Reyes, Damon Heart, Nik Fros, Allen King, Lobo Carreira, Drew Valentino and Dean Young. Bringing such a diverse, international cast together involved many planes, trains and automobilesnot to mention masterful scheduling from our production team, says Rush. The performers traveled from North America, Ireland, Belgium, England and various cities in Spain to make this production happen, and their continued to commitment to the success of Heart On has been amazing. Youll also notice that the city and the culture are essentially characters in the film, as are the food, the sights, and the architecture. Add in some of the countrys hottest men and youve got a love letter to one of the most beautiful places in the world. Heart On is absolutely a testament to Spains enduring appealand the fiery guys who continue to turn us on. And while Rush is used to successful collaborations with fellow directors, this project presented him with a new partner in crime: the award-winning Sin, the man behind projects like A Tale of Two Cock Destroyers, Historias de Barcelona, Dis-Connecting and Monsieur Sagat. Alter Sin is a force of nature, and I would work with him at any opportunity. In fact, Im heading back to Europe this fall so we can do a couple of additional films together. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of cinema and the history of the medium, and he sees things through his camera lens with a uniquely creative perspective. We are both very detail-orientedits often the small things that elevate material and its authenticityand we are both committed to delivering content of the highest quality, says Rush. Alter is the consummate professional and a visionary filmmaker. His skill and appreciation for the art form are evident in everything he touches, and his love of movies as a viewer shines in each frame he captures. On a personal level, Alter is a kind and gentle person who has creativity dripping out of his pores. Hes always willing to lend an ear when Im frustrated by something and typically has just the right advice or problem-solving idea. Im thankful to have him in my life. That love of cinema is especially apparent in the beautifully shot scene with Butler and Fros. That was a particularly fun memory, the day we shot the movie theater scene. Not only was it Coles birthdaywhich we celebrated with an unreasonable amount of cakebut we were in this magical historic cinema in the middle of Barcelona. Everyone was excited to be in such an interesting setting, says Rush. And the cake was a much better memory for the Scots than the fish: A really funny moment was when Ben and Alter wanted to do a scene in which wed eat seafood paella. Im not a big fan of seafood, so what you see in the movie is some real acting! laughs Callum. But the couple came away from the experience with much more than just fun memories from Spain. The way they directed the film fit perfectly with the kind of studio project we wanted to be part of, said Cole. The production value that Ben and Alter brought to the project really captured the essence of Bens script so well. It looks like a major motion picture. We are so proud of it. And during the shoot, I learned that Im much more confident than I thought I was. I felt so comfortable in that huge production environment. And the two arent the only ones beaming with pride: Its been interesting to see just how much our fans wanted this for us. Theres clearly an appetite to see us in different kinds of content, which really makes me happy. Plus, our fans are loving the Heartstopper vibes, shares Callum, noting that the project has also earned them new followers. The experience left the duo excited at the prospect of more studio projects, and they would be honored to keep the relationship with Falcon | NakedSword going. The couple already has ideas that they want to share with Valentiand the feeling is mutual. When we shot Callum and Coles explosive finale, the chemistry between them was off the charts, gushes Rush. Alter Sin and I looked over at each other at one point, and without saying a word, agreed that we had something very special. Former President Donald Trump is preparing for his debate with US Vice President Kamala Harris by enlisting the help of former Democratic Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard to refine his strategies and criticisms, according to a report by the New York Times that cites sources familiar with Trump's schedule. As reported by ANI, Tulsi Gabbard participated in a practice session with Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate. Trump and Kamala Harris are scheduled to debate on ABC News on September 10. Gabbard, who left the Democratic Party following her 2020 presidential bid and has become a notable figure among Trump's supporters, has maintained a friendly relationship with him and was even rumoured to be considered as his potential running mate at one point. Garbbard's involvement in Trump's debate preparation, was partly because of her own performance in a 2019 Democratic presidential primary debate, when Gabbard eviscerated Harris in a memorable onstage encounter. Karoline Leavitt, a spokeswoman for Trump, confirmed Gabbard's involvement in an email, NYT reported. Leavitt said the former president has proven to be one of the best debaters in political history as evidenced by his knockout blow to Joe Biden. 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. Though Trump says he doesn't need to prepare for debates, the former President has spent more time this year practicing for debates than he did in either 2016 or 2020, the New York Times reported citing advisers who have worked with him. He still doesn't do traditional debate prep. Nobody played Biden in his sessions ahead of their CNN debate on June 27. Before his CNN debate with President Biden in June, Donald Trump dedicated significant time to discussing potential topics and questions with his advisers, both during lengthy sessions and informal discussions on plane trips. During formal practice sessions at Mar-a-Lago, his aides played the role of moderators, sitting across from him in chairs. Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida asked particularly challenging questions, while other lawmakers, including his eventual running mate, Senator JD Vance of Ohio, also engaged with Trump on policy issues. Biden's halting and disjointed performance in his June debate with Trump ultimately led him to him dropping out of the race. Trump's aides are expected to handle preparations similarly for his debate with Harris, scheduled for September 10, NYT reported. Notably, Gabbard brings some key qualities to Trump's role: She's a woman, at a moment when Trump is for a second time facing a woman as his general election rival; she's a former House member, giving her policy experience; and, perhaps most importantly for Trump, she has been on a debate stage with Harris and delivered a stinging attack against her record as a prosecutor, New York Times reported. However, Gabbard's attacks on Harris in the July 2019 debate, all came from the left. She alleged that Harris, when she was a district attorney in San Francisco, 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 also accused Harris of having obstructed evidence that could have let an innocent man leave death row, doing so only when a court "forced her to." Harris, on the other hand, replied that she was proud of making a decision to not just give fancy speeches, or be in a legislative body and give speeches on the floor, but actually doing the work. After the debate, Kamala Harris ridiculed Tulsi Gabbard's low polling numbers. Harris eventually withdrew from the race in December 2019, and Gabbard followed suit a few months later, exiting the race in March 2020. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on Saturday. Naidu sought financial assistance from the Prime Minister for debt-ridden Andhra Pradesh. Official data shows Andhra Pradesh's public debt has risen from 31.02 per cent of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) in 2019-20 to 33.32 per cent in 2023-24, indicating worsening fiscal health over the last five years. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief discussed the state's financial status in detail and requested more central support to overcome fiscal challenges, boost economic activity and increase the state's GDP, PTI reported. The TDP chief also met Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to discuss the finances of debt-ridden Andhra Pradesh. CM Naidu will later meet with Union Home Minister Amit Shah. In his first meeting with PM Modi after the Union Budget, Naidu thanked the prime minister for key announcements made for Andhra Pradesh, including 15,000 crore funding for the new capital's development, sources said. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Naidu arrived in Delhi on Friday to meet Union ministers and discuss the state's issues, including the Polavaram irrigation project. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP), a key National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partner, is seeking central assistance and support in rebuilding debt-ridden Andhra Pradesh. The TDP, with its 16 Lok Sabha MPs, is a key constituent of the BJP-led NDA government. Chandrababu Naidu's Delhi visit Top Points The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief discussed the state's financial status in detail and requested more central support to overcome fiscal challenges, boost economic activity and increase the state's GDP, Chandrababu Naidu met with Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu in New Delhi to discuss the development of airport infrastructure in Andhra Pradesh The chief minister emphasised the need for expediting terminal expansion at several airports, including Rajahmundry and Kadapa, where work is already underway. The Centre has assured swift completion of these projects. In the 2024 Union budget, the Centre announced 15,000 crore for the development of a new capital city for Andhra Pradesh. On Saturday, CM Chandrababu Naidu also met Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman here on Saturday and discussed issues related to his state The Congress party has appointed Tariq Hameed Karra as the President of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee, hours after the Election Commission of India announced the schedule for assembly elections in the Union Territory. Along with him, Tara Chand and Raman Bhalla have also been appointed as the working presidents of the Jammu and Kashmir Congress Committee. 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. Wani has been appointed as the Special Invitee of the Congress Working Committee, with immediate effect. "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," reads a Congress party statement. Tariq Hameed Karra has been finance minister of the erstwhile state during PDP-Congress coalition government Karra, who was finance minister of the erstwhile state during PDP-Congress coalition government, had won the Lok Sabha election from Srinagar by a margin of over 40,000 votes giving the first ever electoral defeat to National Conferences Dr Farooq Abdullah in four decades. A former PDP leader, Karra had been against BJP-PDP alliance. He resigned from the Lok Sabha and PDP in 2016. Karra joined Congress in February 2017. 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. 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 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. The Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, on Saturday, sanctioned the prosecution of Karnataka Chief Minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment 'scam'. Following the directive, the Karnataka Chief Minister alleged, The conspiracy is being done by the central government, BJP, JDS and local leaders of Karnataka. CM Siddaramaiah accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of not tolerating this government, my leadership. Stating that such a decision by the Karnataka Governor was expected, Siddaramaiah said, "We had expected this, I too had expected this. When the Governor on July 26, the very day he received the petition, issued me a show cause notice. What does it mean?" "High command (of Congress) is with me, the entire Cabinet and the government is with me. All Congress MLAs, MLCs, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members are with me....I have done no wrong to resign," Siddaramaiah asserted. The BJP demanded immediate resignation of Siddaramaiah to enable an impartial probe into the MUDA scam. However, Siddaramaiah ruled out his resignation claiming he had done no wrong to step down. Because this (Congress) government has implemented all the guarantee schemes. These guarantee schemes are for poor people of all communities, all religions. So the central government is against social justice, poor people and our guarantees", Siddaramaiah claimed on Saturday. "I will fight it legally in the court because this is an illegal approval given by the Governor who is a puppet of the central government..." terming Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot's decision as "anti-Constitution and against law", the Karnataka CM said. Also Read | Trouble for CM Siddaramaiah? Karnataka Guv grants permission to prosecute him The Karnataka Governor has accorded sanction against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 for the commission of the alleged offences as mentioned in the petitions of Pradeep Kumar S P, T J Abraham and Snehamayi Krishna. What is the MUDA Scam? The Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), originally established as the City Improvement Trust Board (CITB) in 1904 during the Mysuru Maharajas' reign, has recently faced intense scrutiny. Media reports have highlighted serious irregularities in how MUDA has allotted residential sites to land losers as compensation. Also Read | Complaint against Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah, 9 others for fake documents Amid the controversy, Parvathi Siddaramaiah, wife of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, has come under the spotlight. She was reportedly allocated 14 residential sites in a high-end development area in exchange for her 3 acres and 16 guntas of land acquired by MUDA. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday took a jibe at Congress led-Karnataka government over Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot's order on the MUDA scam, saying Chief Minister Siddaramaiah must resign and allow an impartial probe. Calling it the most corrupt government in India's history, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said, it has made loot and jhoot (lie) as its primary agenda and they have perhaps looted every department of the government. Also Read | Trouble for CM Siddaramaiah? Karnataka Guv grants permission to prosecute him MUDA scam pertains to a scam of 5,000 crore where land parcels of prime variety were handed over and given to the wife of the Chief Minister, friends and allies of the Chief Minister and the Chief Minister did not even disclose it in his affidavit...The CM must resign and allow an impartial probe, he said. BJP MP Tejasvi Surya said the allegations against Siddaramaiah are so grave that the government of Karnataka appointed a single-person enquiry commission for the probe. The BJP and many activists have been fighting for transparency and probity in public life, and have been raising the issue of the irregularities and illegalities in the allotment of the compensatory sites to CM's wife Parvati, the BJP MP said. ... Later, the CM and Karnataka govt appointed another commission to inquire into these allegations... Now, the Congress argues that the action of the governor to provide sanction for prosecution is coloured politically, which is not right, Surya added. Karnataka Governor Gehlot has granted sanction for the prosecution of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in connection with Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment 'scam. Gehlot had issued a showcause notice on July 26 directing the Chief Minister to submit his reply to the allegations against him within seven days as to why permission for prosecution should not be granted against him. Also Read | Complaint against Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah, 9 others for fake documents On August 1, the Karnataka government had "strongly advised" the Governor to withdraw his showcause notice to the Chief Minister and alleged "gross misuse of the Constitutional Office '' of the Governor. We held a cabinet meeting and demanded the Governor to withdraw the decision. We also told him that the complaint has no merit and democracy must be saved by dismissing the complaint, said Deputy CM DK Shivakumar. The case involves the MUDA scam, where Siddaramaiahs wife reportedly received alternative plots in an upscale area for the alleged unlawful acquisition of three acres and 16 guntas of agricultural land in Mysurus Kesarur. Siddaramaiah has strongly denied these claims, calling them unfounded. Mumbai/New Delhi: India has convinced the European Union (EU) to include the blocs proposed carbon tax in talks on a free trade agreement (FTA), said two officials in the know, ahead of a similar move with the UK. Although Indian officials are pushing for a similar negotiating arrangement with the UK, the British have not yet agreed to this request, the people cited above said. Negotiations on the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)which proposes taxing imports of carbon-intensive products such as iron and steel, cement, aluminium and fertilizerwere earlier kept out of the FTA talks with the EU and the UK to fast-track the discussions. Also read | India to ramp up trade negotiations with key partners starting next week Indian industries have described the tax as a non-tariff barrier. We would push for some relaxation in CBAM norms since we cannot be asked to measure on standards set by developed nations. Also, there is a relaxation in timelines that we are going to push for," one of the officials said. The second official said clubbing CBAM discussions with the FTA could prove to be a major win for Indian steelmakers for whom Europe is an important export market. Including CBAM in the UK FTA is also a big ask from our side and that may also happen," the second official added. Nearly half the 8.8 million tonnes of steel exported in FY24 by domestic mills found its way to European markets, as per data from BigMint, making the 27-nation bloc the largest foreign consumer of Indian steel. To be sure, exports account for a relatively small share of Indias steel sales. Most of the139 million tonnes of finished steel India produced in FY24 was consumed domestically. Also read | India weighs softening its stand on UK FTA, expects UK to reciprocate Emails seeking comment from the commerce ministry, steel ministry, Delegation of the European Union to India and the EU trade commissioner went unanswered. Indian steelmakers argue that emissions of manufacturers from developed and developing countries should not be judged by the same yardstick. Manufacturers from developing countries should have lower emission reduction targets under CBAM, they say. Each nation is committed to its path to achieving net-zero emissions in the best possible way. Operating in India, which is a signatory to the Paris Agreement on climate change, we must align with the country's specific journey towards net zero by 2070," said Ranjan Dhar, director and vice-president, sales and marketing, ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS India). Dhar highlighted the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities outlined in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Also read | Australia pitches a tech-for-tariff agri deal with India This principle recognizes that while all countries share the responsibility to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the extent of their obligations depends on each countrys development needs, an argument strongly emphasized by the government," he said. As part of the CBAM, between October 2023 and December 2025, European importers of specific carbon-intensive materials will have to report the carbon emissions caused during the production of these materials. The information is to be supplied by the manufacturers. From January 2026, European importers will have to buy CBAM certificates corresponding to the excess emissions generated by the overseas manufacturers when benchmarked against European standards. Similar rules have been stipulated by the UK. Lawmakers in Europe argue that these tariffs will level the playing field for their domestic manufacturers, who will be forced to make large investments in low-emission manufacturing to comply with local regulations. However, the regulations are bad news for Indian steelmakers who are among the highest carbon emitters globally. Indias five largest primary steel producers on average emit 12% more carbon dioxide per tonne of steel produced than the global average, according to an analysis by Icra Ltd. This would put Indian manufacturers at a steep disadvantage against competitors from Turkey, Ukraine, South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam and Japan. CBAM compliance requirements could pull down the profits of Indian steel exports to the EU by $60-165 per tonne of steel between 2026 and 2034, as per Icras analysis. A tonne of steel bound for Europe is currently billed at about $540-550 at the factory gate, as per BigMint estimates. The Indian steel industry is one of the highest emitters. So, our material will sell at a discount," analysts at BigMint said. The pricing available to Indian exporters in Europe is better than other overseas markets. This is due to absence of any low-tariff quotas for Chinese exporters in the EU, making them less competitive. Anywhere China is not active is an important market for Indian mills," the BigMint analysts said. To be sure, even today Indian steel sells in Europe at a discount to domestic prices in India. This is due to competition in Europe from sellers from Vietnam, Japan and South Korea. However, exports are key for Indian steelmakers to diversify beyond the domestic market. As Indian mills rapidly add new capacity, exports will become ever more important before domestic demand catches up. Union health ministry said on Saturday there are currently no reported cases of Monkeypox in India even though cautionary measures will be put in place to prevent and control the spread of the disease. Earlier in the day, a review meeting was held to assess the risk of a large outbreak of Monkeypox. Also Read | Key facts about mpox virus and how it is transmitted Although the possibility of a few imported cases being detected in the coming weeks was not entirely ruled out, it was assessed that the risk of a large outbreak with sustained transmission is low for India at present. Since the World Health Organization (WHO) first declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern in 2022, a total of 30 cases were detected in India with the last case being reported in March this year, the health ministry said in a statement. The WHO's declaration of 2022 was revoked in May 2023. There are no reported cases of Monkeypox in India as of now, it added. The health ministry is closely monitoring the situation. Also Read | Mpox is public health emergency of international concern | Know all details here In view of the WHO again declaring Monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern on August 14, a detailed review of the situation and the preparedness was taken by Union health minister JP Nadda at the meeting with the senior officials of the ministry. It was decided that as a matter of abundant caution, certain measures such as sensitizing the health units at all airports, seaports and ground crossings; readying the testing laboratories (32); gearing up health facilities for detecting, isolating and managing any case are put in place. At the meeting, it was noted that Monkeypox infections are usually self-limiting lasting between 2-4 weeks and patients generally recover with supportive management. Also Read | Mpox is public health emergency of international concern | Know all details here India is witnessing large-scale urbanisation, and the real estate sector is set to boom over the next 4-5 years. In what is expected to offer a major boost to this space, the Urban Land Institute (ULI) held its first prestigious ULI Product Council preview meet in Mumbai earlier this week. Indias real estate sector requires a strategic think tank to steer its growth towards high-quality, demand-driven projects. By fostering collaborative closed-door dialogues among industry leaders and stakeholders representing all realms of the industry, this organisation can introduce global best practices to the domestic market. ULI in India Founded about 80 years ago, ULI is the oldest built environment platform in the world, with a presence in 86 countries worldwide. ULIs USP is a global membership of 45,000+ members across the spectrum of built environments. This is the only multidisciplinary platform where real estate developers, investors, architects, planners, engineers, lawyers, and media professionals come together to discuss how we can build better cities. With great achievements in the US, EU and Asia, ULI entered the Indian market two years ago. While ULI is a well-known brand in the built environment globally, we are new in India. ULIs plan for India is to replicate its international success locally while adapting its mission priorities to India. ULI has three mission priorities decarbonisation, housing attainability and education of the next generation of young leaders, said Manasvini Hariharan, Director, ULI India. ULI and its members are working towards a sustainable built environment. ULI has more than 30 product councils to drive action, each themed on a different aspect of real estate, such as office, residential, sustainability, tourism, hospitality, airports, logistics, capital markets, infrastructure, technology, and more. Product Councils are a closed-door forum of senior industry leaders for candid conversation, knowledge sharing and meaningful discussions on a particular theme. Chatham House rules apply, and members bring collective experience and insight to critical business challenges, Hariharan explained. In India, it has made its foray through the Office Council. Talking about how India will benefit from a forum like this, Gautam Saraf, Managing Director of Mumbai and New Business, Cushman and Wakefield, said: There is immense power in knowledge and collective action, and ULI can act as a medium that helps the industry come together and visualise the India that we all want to build. Today, everything from the way we work to the way we live has been transitioning at a fast pace. Complex external factors such as carbon neutrality commitments, technology, rapid urbanisation, global workplace evolution, etc., act as disruptors during the normal course of business. By sharing knowledge and perspectives, ULI product councils can offer cross-learning opportunities for its members. Sustainability and ESG Over the next five years, the office council's mission is to make sustainability a theme across the industry. Decision makers will form part of the Product Council and work in unison towards the larger goal of decarbonisation and the education of the next generation. This will create many positive synergies that will go in the right direction. Just as China is regarded as the factory to the world, India is the office to the world. A majority of large companies have already built sustainability into their fabric. This extends to the office real estate that they operate out of. Today, they insist on partnering with landlords, developers, or corporates committed to carbon neutrality. Real estate forms part of the built environment, contributing 40 percent of greenhouse emissions. Using a platform like ULI, we as stakeholders can collectively change the narrative to ensure from design to construction, leasing and asset management, all aspects related to carbon neutrality, said Saraf, who joined ULI earlier this year to drive change. ESG is the theme of today it is something that India should have already initiated work on. The new-age employee is attracted to the workplace of the future, which has natural light, social spaces, renewable energy, and reduced embodied carbon. This workspace will encourage people to come to work, reduce attrition, and encourage occupancy. The ULI advantage ULI is a not-for-profit organisation created with the intent of bringing in stakeholders with experiences within the industry to shape the future of the organisation. Some of those learnings at a global level can easily be adapted to the Indian context. The cross-pollination of ideas and learning within ULI is one of the key outcomes that one could expect from a ULI association, said Quaiser Parvez, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Nucleus Office Parks. Here, bigwigs from the real estate industry, who may be competitors outside the room, can come together and discuss their strengths and weaknesses and look at pain points that need to be addressed as a community. Outside of the Product Council meeting room, they can be back to being competitors. The Indian chapter of ULIs first Product Council already has a line-up of strategic goals. There are four goals: We are looking at having a close-knit community of people who can share experience-based insights to understand what the trends are, something which we rely on reports and massive anecdotes. Second, we want to discuss best practices, particularly in developing, investing and managing these building operations. The third goal is networking; the last is sustainability, one of ULI's key focus areas, Parvez said. Weekly Tech Recap: In this fast-paced world it's hard to keep up with all the new happenings that go around the week. But fear not, we have got you covered (at least on the technology front) with a roundup of some of the top stories that made waves in the world of technology. This week on Tech Recap, Google launched its flagship Pixel 9 series, Instagram started working on copying yet another Snap feature, WhatsApp could soon work on adding a like button and more. Top tech news of the week: 1) Google launches Pixel 9 series: Google finally unveiled its Pixel 9 range at the company's annual Made by Google event this week. The four new devices: Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL and Pixel 9 Pro Fold have all been released in India and are expected to compete with the Apple and Samsung of the world. The new phones are packed with tons of AI features thanks to Google's Gemini AI model, and some of these features will be coming to other Android phones as well. Soon after the launch of the Pixel 9 series, Google also announced a price cut for some of its earlier devices like the Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro, Pixel 7a and Pixel 8a. 2) iPhone SE4 with Apple Intelligence said to launch early next year: Even as Apple prepares to launch its flagship iPhone 16 range next month, rumours about the relatively cheaper new iPhone SE are in full swing. According to a recent leak from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the new iPhone SE 4 is likely to launch early next year and will come bundled with Apple Intelligence. After months of lagging behind the competition, Apple had finally announced artificial intelligence features for its operating systems, dubbed Apple Intelligence. However, these features were limited to the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, and even the latest iPhone 15 did not have access to these features. The news of the new iPhone SE model comes as a surprise, especially as earlier reports also suggested that the SE 4 could have a similar design to the iPhone 14, meaning that the cheaper iPhone SE 4 could probably have a similar design to the latest iPhones while retaining the performance quotient. Notably, many of the Apple Intelligence features work on-device and require a lot of processing power, so Apple is rumoured to be bringing the same A18 processor and RAM upgrades to the iPhone 16 range. However, it's not clear whether Apple will bring the A18 chipset or an older processor to the iPhone SE range, or exactly what RAM configurations it might feature. 3) WhatsApp could soon add a like button: Meta-owned WhatsApp is reportedly set to introduce a new feature that could allow users to express their appreciation for status updates with a simple "like" reaction. This addition, which mirrors Instagrams story likes, is designed to streamline the process of acknowledging and engaging with content shared by contacts. According to reports from WABetaInfo, the like reaction feature is now being tested by public beta users and has been in development for some time. Users will be able to like a status update by tapping a heart emoji icon located at the bottom left of the screen while viewing the update. This action will trigger a notification for the status updater, informing them of the new like, and users will also be able to see who liked their statuses through the usual views list. 4) Google may be forced to part ways with Android: Report Alphabet-owned Google is reportedly facing the possibility of being broken up, as the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) evaluates its options following a recent court ruling. The ruling, delivered last week, found that Google had unlawfully monopolized the online search market, spending billions to ensure its dominance as the world's go-to search engine. This decision marks a significant victory for federal authorities in their ongoing efforts to curb the power of Big Tech. According to a report by Bloomberg News, the DOJ is exploring several potential actions in response to the court's decision. These options include compelling Google to share its vast troves of data with competitors, implementing safeguards to prevent it from gaining an unfair edge in artificial intelligence (AI) products, and even considering the divestiture of some of its key assets. Among the most frequently discussed remedies is the possible separation of the Android operating system from Google. DOJ attorneys are also weighing the possibility of forcing Google to sell its AdWords search advertising program and even its Chrome web browser, according to individuals familiar with the matter, adds the report. 5) Instagram starts working on another Snap-like feature: Instagram will allow users to choose the specific group of people they want to share their location with, such as "close friends" or "only followers they follow back," a Meta spokesperson told The Verge. They also stated that Instagram is building this feature with "safety in mind", while remaining tight-lipped on further details of the service. According to the report, Instagram's new feature will be opt-in and will only be available as a "small test" in a few markets. Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. 3.6 Crore Indians visited in a single day choosing us as India's undisputed platform for General Election Results. Explore the latest updates here! Screen grab: Dark Side of the Ring Pro wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer took to X on Thursday night to issue a correction following an inaccurate report regarding the death of WWE legend Afa Anoai. A correction, Afa has not passed away, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter publisher posted to X. He is battling. A correction, Afa has not passed away. He is battling. Dave Meltzer (@davemeltzerWON) August 16, 2024 According to a screenshot posted to Reddit, Meltzer had previously reported that Anoai had died, writing: Afa Anoai just passed away. Very sorry to hear. Sympathies to the family. What a rough period for that family. That post has since been deleted. While its unclear where Meltzer received the inaccurate information, many have speculated that he misinterpreted an update on Anoais declining health, which his son, Samu Anoai, shared. In the post, Samu seemingly indicated that his father is entering his final days, writing: As we embark on your final journey home, we express our heartfelt gratitude for the unwavering love and guidance you have bestowed upon us throughout our lives. We find solace in knowing that you will soon be reunited with the Lord Jesus, your parents, siblings, and friends who have gone before us. We have no doubt that you will establish a Wild Samoan training center in the sky, bringing us all together once again. We believe in the power of your love and legacy, and we will continue to honor it in all that we do. But as misinformation that the 81-year-old former WWF tag team champion had passed away spread across social media, his daughter, Vale Anoai, made it clear that her father is still alive. Dont believe anything you read unless it comes DIRECTLY from the family, she wrote in a post, adding, Hes not done fighting yet, hes still alive in a separate reply. Meltzer included the update on Anoais health in Fridays edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter but did not comment on the inaccurate reporting regarding the situation. News of Afas declining health comes less than two months after his brother and former Wild Samoans tag team partner, Sika, passed away at the age of 79. [Dave Meltzer on X] A total of 124 new residential address points were recorded in Longford the twelve months to June 2024 according to the latest GeoDirectory Residential Buildings Report. The report, prepared by EY, found that a further 143 residential buildings were under construction across the county in June 2024. Nationally, 31,384 address points were added to the GeoDirectory database. The highest proportion were located in Dublin with over a third of the overall total (10,508), followed by Cork (3,621), Meath (1,812) and Kildare (1,599). Counties in Leinster accounted for over two-thirds (66.2%) of the new address points. The total number of buildings under construction nationally in June 2024 was down 4.3%, or 991 buildings, compared to June 2023. Of the 21,851 residential buildings under construction last month, 13.7% were located in Dublin (2,985 buildings), closely followed by Cork (2,844 buildings). Construction activity was weakest in the neighbouring counties of Sligo, Roscommon, Leitrim and Longford where there were fewer than 200 buildings under construction. Vacancy rate In Longford, the residential vacancy rate in Q2 2024 was 7.7%. The national vacancy rate remained at a record low of 3.9%, which is unchanged from the corresponding period in Q2 2023. A total of 82,031 residential properties were recorded as vacant in June 2024. The lowest vacancy rates in the country were recorded in Dublin (1.2%), Kildare (1.3%), Waterford (2.3%) and Carlow (2.5%), while the highest residential vacancy rates continue to be found along the North and Midwest coast. Leitrim, at 12.0% was the county with the highest vacancy rate, along with Mayo (10.7%), Roscommon (10.2%), Donegal (9.2%) and Sligo (8.2%). A further 20,413 residential buildings were classified as derelict in June 2024, with 2.3% of these located in Longford. Analysis of House Prices and Affordability In May 2024 the average house price nationally was 381,749. In Dublin, the average property transaction price was 542,240, the highest in the country, while the lowest average property price was Longford at 182,713. Analysing house price data published by the CSO and the latest rent price data from Daft.ie, the report found that the average mortgage repayment for a new dwelling in May 2024 was 1,723 compared with the average market rent in Q1 2024 of 1,836. This is higher than the latest average monthly rent payment of 1,595 from the Residential Tenancies Board for Q4 2023. Commenting on the findings of the latest GeoDirectory Residential Buildings Report, Dara Keogh, CEO of GeoDirectory said, We have seen a significant increase of over 17% in the number of new address points recorded over the past twelve months, which combined with the number of buildings under construction, suggests a strong performance in terms of housing delivery for 2024. However, demand continues to outpace supply despite considerable progress, with the average house price increasing in every county, with the exception of Monaghan, where house prices nationally are now averaging 381,749. Vacancies are at record low levels, but the total number of residential property transactions fell by 5.8% year on year. Fr Steve Davoren, brought a contingent of his congregation all the way from from St Mel's Parish, Woodhills, California on a trip and pilgrimage to Ireland. While in this country, they attended the celebration of Mass in Longford's St Mel's Cathedral. Father Steve was previously a police officer in LA, for eight years. He saw his fair share of violence, even having been shot at during the LA riots. His grandparents are both from Ireland, grandfather from Dublin and grandmother from County Cork. They both settled in San Francisco, having six children of which Father Steve was one. Fr Steve, seeing all the troubles and questioning life, the futility of materiality, there had to be more to life, thought of marriage but found his calling in the priesthood. St Mel's in California first opened its doors on May 18, 1958, and like St Mel's Cathedral it suffered its own challenges when an earthquake did severe damage on January 17, 1996. They raised over 5 million dollars for repairs and was rededicated on March 10, 1996. When Cambridge Brewing Company opened in 1989, there were three beers on the menu. Now, as the brewery prepares to close on Dec. 20, it has nearly two dozen. The brewery announced its impending closure in an Instagram post on Saturday. While the post does not provide a reason for the closure, owner Phil Bannatyne told The Boston Globe he wanted to retire. A heartfelt thank you to all who have participated in our dream, the post reads. One of the goals of opening the brewery 35 years ago was to expand the possibilities of craft beer, the post reads. We were the first commercial brewery to produce a Belgian Style beer in this country and one of the first to embrace multiple yeast strains in-house and even to intentionally invite wild organisms into our brewery, the brewerys post says. The other key goal of opening the brewery was to establish a community meeting place, a place where our guests could get a break from their hectic lives, gather with old friends, make new ones, and let us take care of them. Over our 35 years we have hosted millions of guests, witnessed joyous family gatherings, awkward first dates, college reunions, running and social clubs, raucous bar crowds and countless other occasions, the post reads. It is this accomplishment we are most proud of. As the brewery grew, its goals did, too. Among those was an effort to increase the brewerys energy efficiency and to be a good community stakeholder by contributing to nonprofit organizations. In its final four months, the brewery will still have Patio Season, Festbier and a new fall menu. 35 years, one hell of a run, the post concludes. A 41-year-old man was arrested Thursday morning and charged with possessing child sexual abuse materials, according to Boston Police. At around 8:48 a.m. Thursday, police arrested Gardner Moore, of Hyde Park, and charged him with two counts of possession of child pornography, Boston Police wrote in a brief statement. Detectives were conducting an ongoing investigation and execution of a search warrant in the area of 50 Thatcher St., police wrote. As a result of that investigation, police arrested Moore. Moore was arraigned in the West Roxbury division of Boston Municipal Court on Friday, where he was ordered held on $500,000 cash bail, court records show. If Moore posts bail, he must abide by a number of conditions, including that he have no unsupervised contact with any child under 18, that he not possess a desktop computer and that he not loiter or remain within 300 feet of a school, daycare facility, library, park, playground, toy store or any other location where children regularly congregate. A Malden man was convicted on four charges connected with his actions during the insurrection of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, federal court records show. Mark Sahady was the vice president of the group Super Happy Fun America, which organized buses to bring people to the U.S. Capitol to protest the certification of electoral votes in President Joe Bidens victory in the 2020 election. On Friday, a federal judge found him guilty 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, demonstrating or picketing in a capitol building. Sahady also helped organize the Straight Pride Parade in downtown Boston in 2019 through the Super Happy Fun America group. Federal authorities used social media to tie Sahady and another Massachusetts resident, Suzanne Ianni, to the insurrection, including a post from Super Happy Fun America that reads Bus 1 of 11 coming to Washington DC. See you there! MassLive reported. More than 1,400 people have been charged with Capitol riot-related federal crimes. Over 900 have been convicted and sentenced, with roughly two-thirds receiving terms of imprisonment ranging from a few days to 22 years. It was not immediately clear in court filings what sort of sentence Sahady might face. Material from the Associated Press was used in this report. On a warm and dry summer day in Massachusetts, more than 50 beaches across the state were closed, primarily due to bacteria in the water, according to the states publicly available water quality dashboard. In all, 54 beaches were closed as of the 12:30 p.m. update to the dashboard on Saturday. The closures spanned from Amherst in Western Massachusetts to Worcester to beaches on Cape Cod. Of the 53 beaches closed in the state as of Saturday afternoon, most were attributed to an excess of bacteria in the water. The remaining closures were attributed to harmful cyanobacteria blooms, sewer system overflows and simply other reasons. Some beaches, including Cochituate State Park Beach in Natick, listed multiple reasons for their closure on Saturday afternoon. In Amherst, both Puffers Pond and Stanley Street swimming hole were closed due to excess bacteria. Bass Pond in Springfield was also closed, with the dashboard listing a harmful cyanobacteria bloom as the culprit. A total of four Worcester beaches were closed Saturday afternoon Indian Lake Public Beach, Lake Park Beach, Regatta Point Beach and Shore Park with cyanobacteria blooms blamed for the closures at both Indian Lake and Shore Park. In the eastern part of the state, four beaches in Salem were closed on Saturday. The back of Childrens Island beach as well as Ocean Avenue and Willow Avenue beaches were closed due to excess bacteria. Camp Naumkeag was closed simply due to other reasons. On the Cape, Longnook Beach in Truro was closed and may remain closed the entire summer due to safety concerns from eroding cliffs. On Nantucket, Sesachaca Pond was closed due to a cyanobacteria bloom on Saturday. If a beach is closed, do not swim or enter the water at that location to avoid risk of illness, the dashboard warns. The dashboard is updated twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon, and shows the results of recent water quality tests at beaches across the state. More than 1,100 public and semi-public beaches in the state are regularly monitored. And despite the closures, state officials say the beaches are still perfectly safe for recreational activities aside from swimming. The full list of closures is below. If you cant see the chart, click here. The heat of a humid, sweltering summer afternoon is loved by many and detested by others, me included. Although a vacation lying on a beach (smothered in sunscreen) in the summer sun may be just what the doctor ordered, high heat can be deadly in more ways than one. Intense heat and humidity can cause harmful chemical reactions and decrease potency of medications in shipping. Shockingly, temperature of medications during shipping is not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration or state boards of pharmacy. These agencies closely regulate safe storage of pharmaceuticals in warehouses, pharmacies, drug manufacturers, hospitals and medical offices, punishable by fines if stored at the wrong temperature. Hospitals, offices and clinics are required to document temperatures daily. Massachusetts state guidelines vaguely read as, A pharmacy shall ensure packing, shipping and transportation processes do not adversely affect the integrity or stability of medication dispersed by mail. Mail-order pharmacies use the U.S. Postal Service or FedEx. The pharmacy is ultimately responsible for ensuring safe packaging for transport. Most pharmacy warehouses are in the hottest states. Mail-order pharmacies state they use weather-resistant packaging. Research shows medication packages spend approximately 70% of travel time outside the appropriate temperatures. It is recommended to store medications in a dry place, with temperature ranging from 68 degrees Fahrenheit to 77 degrees, with short-term exceptions from 59 to 86 degrees. Temperatures in a car at 80 degrees Fahrenheit can reach 109 degrees in 20 minutes, and 170 degrees in 60 minutes. The average temperature in trucks and mailboxes is 150-170 degrees. Oppressive heat and humidity can decrease the effectiveness of medications. An organ transplant patient who received his medication via shipping, which was altered by high temperatures, suffered organ rejection because the medication was no longer effective. Some medications actually have ingredients that contain minute amounts of carcinogens that are considered safe. When heated, they increase to unsafe levels. There are also thousands of chemical reactions that can occur in medications exposed to high temperatures. Liquid and aerosolized medications are most at risk with high heat. Some important medications affected include insulin, epipen, pancreatic enzymes, levothyroxine, albuterol and other life-saving inhalers. At home or in transit, all medications should be stored in a cool, dry environment. Never store any prescription or over-the-counter medications in your bathroom. Some insurances dictate what pharmacy one must use. Many are mandated to use unsafe conditions to obtain their medications. There are a few obvious signs that medication has been harmed by heat, such as melted capsules and discoloration or disintegration of tablets. Often, one is alerted by a change in their medical condition. What can you do? Store your medications properly at home. Dont leave them in a parked car. Talk to your provider if you suspect a change in your health is due to overheated medications. If enrolled in an insurance program that requires mail-order, ask for an exception during the summer months, ask about shipping practices and ask for temperature-controlled packages. If traveling, take your medications in your carry-on bag. What can mail-order pharmacies do? Express shipping, temperature monitoring devices, requiring signatures and other policies that demonstrate integrity in maintaining the quality of their product. What can the government do? Seems like a simple and logical solution to apply the same regulations for facilities storing medications as for the shipping of medications. Unite for Safe Medications (uniteforsafemedications.com) is a grassroots non-profit advocacy organization fighting for regulations. May you have many days to relax on the beach with the perfect combination of a slight breeze and warm temperatures. May your medications maintain their integrity at appropriate temperatures. Most importantly, may the government and pharmaceutical companies quickly address this glitch in keeping medications effective and safe. Take care of yourself and someone else. Juanita Carnes is a Westfield resident and a nurse practitioner with 38 years of experience in a hospital emergency department and urgent care facilities. She served 30 years on the Westfield Board of Health. Le gouvernement va introduire lors de la rentree parlementaire son nouveau projet de loi qui va remplacer lAssessment Review Committee qui agit selon le Mauritius Revenue Authority Act. Cabinet has agreed to the introduction of the Revenue Appeal Tribunal Bill into the National Assembly. The object of the Bill is to provide for the establishment of the Revenue Appeal Tribunal which would take over the functions and powers of the Assessment Review Committee under the Mauritius Revenue Authority Act. Any person who is aggrieved by a revenue determination of the Director-General of the Mauritius Revenue Authority or Registrar-General would now appeal to the Revenue Appeal Tribunal instead of the Assessment Review Committee. The Revenue Appeal Tribunal would conduct its proceedings in a more simplified manner and would, inter alia, have the power to: (a) make such order requiring the attendance of a person or the production of any record, document or exhibit as it thinks necessary or expedient for the disposal of an appeal; and (b) take evidence on oath and, for that purpose, administer an oath. 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. by Sarah Mahoney , Staff Writer @mahoney_sarah, August 16, 2024 Kraft Mac & Cheese, one of lifes ultimate comfort foods, has used many metaphors to explain the warm, fuzzy feeling that comes from the one-pot wonder. But the latest version of the campaign steps away from the couches and kitchens of the past, with new ads portraying a genuine bear hug. The main character sinks into a warm, lengthy embrace with a bruin before returning to his bowl of hot Mac & Cheese. The spot is as weird as it is wonderful. Victoria Lee, brand communications manager, says that tone is deliberate, resulting from consumer research on the young adults the CPG giant sees as its primary growth audience. We knew we had an opportunity to sharpen our point of view on comfort and started to talk to Zillenials about what their life looks like right now, she tells CPG Insider. There's a lot going on with them, post-pandemic, and we wanted to know what's keeping them up at night, what's driving them, and what role Kraft Mac & Cheese might play in their lives. Those lives are a little on the scary side. Theyre excited to be leaving home and starting their careers, but there are moments of uncertainty as they navigate these things. And while that may make them feel nostalgic for many brands, Kraft Mac & Cheese has some advantages. Its not only a comfort food from their childhood. For many, it was the first food they could make for themselves, and was a college dorm room staple, Lee, says. Weve been with them throughout the journey, so its a deep connection. When one of the research participants described the product as feeling like the hug that I need, but Im not getting, Kraft and the team at Johannes Leonardo, which created the campaign, decided to get literal. The fairy-tale feel of the bear and the forest is meant to evoke those warm feelings. We wanted to come up with ways that felt visually intriguing, something that would be thumb-stopping, a little irreverent for the brand, Lee says. "When people think of us, they are probably thinking about warm fuzzies. We wanted to do that but in a fun and different way. In a second spot, a young woman sits eating Mac & Cheese on a couch, with fireworks going off all around her. The idea is that there is just this personal firework show. Its lovely. And while that isnt something youve experienced personally -- just like youve never hugged a real bear -- you can imagine what that would feel like. Ads are running on TV, streaming services, and TikTok. Trusted Source India's pharma exports continue to grow at brisk pace Go to source Trusted Source Did You Know? Indias pharma sector dominates a significant share in prescription market in the US and EU. The highest number of FDA-approved manufacturing facilities outside the US are in India! #Indiaspharmaexports #generic #medindia Indias pharma sector dominates a significant share in prescription market in the US and EU. The highest number of FDA-approved manufacturing facilities outside the US are in India! #Indiaspharmaexports #generic #medindia Why the Projected Value of Pharmaceutical Industry is High? Advertisement Advertisement What and Who have supported the Growth of Pharma Sector? India's pharma exports continue to grow at brisk pace - (https://ianslive.in/indias-pharma-exports-continue-to-grow-at-brisk-pace--20240816123006) The exports of drugs and pharmaceuticals from India are experiencing consistent growth, reflecting an increase of 8.36 percent to reach $2.31 billion in July of this year. This trend is largely attributed to the rising demand for the countrys affordable generic medicines in developed western markets ().In the year 2023-24, the nation's exports of drugs and pharmaceuticals experienced a year-on-year increase of 9.67 percent, reaching a total of $27.9 billion. This upward trend is expected in the current financial year too.The United States represents more than 31 percent of India's overall pharmaceutical exports, with the United Kingdom and the Netherlands each contributing approximately 3 percent.In addition to Brazil and South Africa, Ireland and Sweden have recently emerged as new participants in the Indian export market.The export share of India's pharmaceutical sector rose to 6.4 percent in the fiscal year 2023-2024 (FY24), up from 5.8 percent in 2018-2019 (FY19). Additionally, the export value increased to $27.9 billion, compared to $19.1 billion, as reported in the most recent Economic Survey.Indias pharmaceutical sector has strengthened its position on the global stage. The market, currently valued at $50 billion, is the third-largest worldwide by volume. Known as the pharmacy of the world, India offers approximately 60,000 generic brands across 60 therapeutic categories, contributing 20 percent to global generic drug exports. Eight of the top 20 global generic companies are based in India, according to the Economic Survey.The pharmaceutical sector in India is projected to reach a value of $65 billion by the year 2024 and is anticipated to grow to $130 billion by 2030.The survey indicated that the industry maintains stringent compliance standards, with 703 facilities approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA), 386 plants compliant with European Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), and 241 plants approved by the World Health Organization for Good Manufacturing Practice (WHO-GMP).In December 2023, updated manufacturing regulations under Schedule-M were implemented to align with the global standards and improve quality control.In addition, the survey revealed that the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for medical devices has a positive effect, reducing the gap between imports and exports. Currently, the domestic production includes computed tomography (CT) scan machines magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines , and various other medical devices.The Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for bulk drugs has sanctioned 48 projects, which involve a dedicated investment of Rs 3,938.6 crore aimed at boosting the domestic manufacturing capabilities.Financial support is offered through Pharmexcil, an Export Promotion Council, under the Market Development Assistance and Market Access Initiative Schemes. This support is being provided to exporters of pharmaceutical products, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, to increase their exports in different countries.Source-Medindia Trusted Source Health Experts Urge Action Amid Rising Mpox Cases Go to source Trusted Source Mpox, now a global health emergency, spreads faster than ever.Early action can save lives. #mpoxawareness #medindia Advertisement Mpox Outbreak in Africa: A Growing Concern Advertisement Understanding Mpox and Preventive Measures Advertisement The Need for Vaccination and Good Hygiene Health Experts Urge Action Amid Rising Mpox Cases - (https://evrimagaci.org/tpg/health-experts-urge-action-amid-rising-mpox-cases-22131/) Health experts are stressing the importance of taking "early action" against Mpox (formerly known as Monkeypox) to effectively mobilize resources and contain the spread of this dangerous infectious disease. This call comes as the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared Mpox a global health emergency, highlighting the seriousness of the situation ().Mpox infections have been reported in 13 African countries, with Congo being the hardest hit, where 14,000 cases and 524 deaths have been documented, according to the WHO. This marks the second time in just three years that Mpox has reached the level of a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), the highest alert issued by the WHO.Mpox is a viral zoonotic disease that was first discovered in monkeys in research laboratories during the 1950s, with the first human case identified in 1970. The recent surge in infections has been attributed to a variant of the virus , Clade 1b, which the UN health body estimates may have jumped from animals to humans as recently as September 2023.Dr. Rajeev Jayadevan, co-chairman of the Indian Medical Associations National Covid-19 Task Force, highlighted that the current strain, Clade 1b, is spreading more efficiently than previous strains. "Unlike earlier outbreaks, this strain is affecting both men and women through close and sexual contact, and it has also begun to impact children living in the household," Dr. Jayadevan said. The death rate associated with this strain is reportedly higher than that of the 2022 outbreak, underscoring the need for urgent action to prevent further spread.The WHOs latest situation report on Mpox indicates that India has reported 27 laboratory-confirmed cases and one death between January 2022 and June 2024. Additionally, four new countries in Eastern AfricaBurundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Ugandahave reported their first cases of Mpox. The Africa CDC has also declared a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS), noting that suspected cases in the first half of 2024 have exceeded 17,000, a four-fold increase since 2022.Infectious disease expert Dr. Ishwar Gilada emphasized that Mpox is not comparable to Covid-19 in terms of transmission. "Mpox can cause fever, rashes, and swollen lymph nodes, but it is not spread through aerosols. The likelihood of transmission through droplets or surfaces is extremely low, and masks do not offer protection against Mpox," Dr. Gilada explained. He described Mpox as a "21st Centurys sexually transmitted disease (STD)," noting that 99 percent of cases are seen among men who have sex with men (MSM).Dr. Basavaraj S Kumbar, a Consultant in Internal Medicine at Aster Whitefield Hospital, Bengaluru, explained that Mpox typically starts with flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle pains, and fatigue. The disease then progresses to a distinctive rash that usually begins on the face and spreads to other parts of the body, going through different phases before eventually drying up. Swollen lymph nodes are a key symptom that sets Mpox apart from other viral infections.Currently, there is no proven treatment for Mpox, but vaccines like Jynneos and Bavarian Nordic have shown preventive efficacy. Dr. Gilada called for India to develop its own vaccine, leveraging its strong vaccine production capabilities, similar to its efforts with the SARS-CoV-2 virus during the Covid-19 pandemic.Dr. Kumbar advised avoiding close contact with individuals showing symptoms of Mpox, particularly those with unexplained rashes. He also recommended maintaining good hygiene practices, including frequent handwashing with soap and water, and regular use of hand sanitizers.Source-IANS Monkeypox: New Insights Trusted Source About Mpox Go to source Trusted Source Expert calls for immediate #Mpox screening at Indian airports! With cases rising globally, including in Sweden & Pakistan, preventive measures are crucial. #monkeypox Czech Republic Urges Mpox Vaccination for Travelers Advertisement Advertisement About Mpox - (https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/mpox/about/index.html) With Mpox cases confirmed in Sweden and Pakistan, an infectious disease expert is urging immediate health screenings at major airports to prevent further 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 Nadus 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. Chinas 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.Source-IANS The first human case of monkeypox was recorded in 1970, but it wasn't until 2022 that it spread beyond Africa to multiple continents. #mpox #globalhealth #medindia Trusted Source Mental Health Care Support in Rural India Go to source Trusted Source #Digitalhealth is the future of mental #healthcare! Digital health can boost #India's #mentalhealth program & align with global best practices. #mentaldisorders Bridging the Mental Health Gap in Rural India Depression Risk Reduction: A significant reduction in depression risk was observed among participants involved in the intervention. A significant reduction in depression risk was observed among participants involved in the intervention. Higher Cure Rates: The intervention group saw a cure rate of 75% achieving full recovery, compared to 50% in the control group. The intervention group saw a cure rate of 75% achieving full recovery, compared to 50% in the control group. Improved Knowledge and Attitudes: There was a marked improvement in mental health knowledge and attitudes, with a decrease in stigma related to seeking help. Positive behavioral changes began appearing as early as three months into the program. Mental Health Care Support in Rural India - (https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2822020) Combining digital healthcare with community-based initiatives can substantially decrease depression anxiety , and self-harm risks in rural India, stated study by The George Institute for Global Health in New Delhi ().This innovative program also fostered significant changes in mental health knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors, helping to combat the stigma surrounding mental health issues.Mental health is a critical global concern, with nearly 150 million people in India needing treatment but only a small fraction receiving adequate care. The shortage of mental health professionals is especially severe in rural areas. The Systematic Medical Appraisal, Referral and Treatment (SMART) Mental Health Program was designed to address this gap by training village health workers in basic mental health care and using innovative service delivery methods.The study screened almost 170,000 adults across West Godavari, Faridabad, and Palwal districts of Andhra Pradesh and Haryana for depression. Out of these, 9,900 participants took part in a year-long trial involving two main strategies: a community campaign to reduce mental health stigma and a digital healthcare initiative for high-risk individuals. The results were notable:Prof. Pallab Maulik, Director of Research and Program Director (Mental Health) at The George Institute India, remarked, This study represents a significant advancement in mental health care, showcasing the effectiveness of our dual intervention approach.Prof. David Peiris, Chief Scientist at The George Institute, added, The research demonstrates that community health workers, supported by digital tools, can deliver high-quality, effective mental health care. This approach is simple, safe, and can reach many people globally.Mercian Daniel, Senior Research Fellow at The George Institute India, noted, The success of this extensive trial at the primary care level was due to providing initial support and ongoing supervision to ASHAs and primary health care doctors, along with active community engagement.Source-Medindia X-ray Irradiation Reduces Live Aspergillus flavus Viability but Not Aflatoxin B1 in Naturally Contaminated Maize #Aflatoxin poisoning is serious! Symptoms include liver damage, nausea, vomiting. Long-term exposure linked to #livercancer. Protect yourself by being aware of contaminated foods. #foodsafety According to a report in The Guardian , US attorney Martin Estrada said that the doctors supplied the actor with a large amount of ketamine and took advantage of Mr Perrys addiction issues to enrich themselves. Thats not all, among the five people arrested in the death case is also The Ketamine Queen Jasveen Sangha. Now, 11 months after his untimely and shocking demise, California cops have arrested five people including the stars personal assistant and two doctors. Friends star Matthew Perry passed away last year in October. The iconic actor was found dead in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home and the cause of his death was reported to be drug overdose. Instagram/Matthew Perry The LA cops and DEA had said earlier this year in May that they are working on a joint criminal investigation to find out how Perry got hold of the prescription medicine and why it was present in his system in such large quantities. Sharing details about the same, the US attorney said, That investigation has revealed a broad underground criminal network responsible for distributing large quantities of ketamine to Mr Perry and others. This network included a live-in assistant, various go-betweens, two medical doctors and a major source of drug supply known as, quote: the Ketamine Queen aka Jasveen Sangha. He continued, 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. In the end, these defendants were more interested in profiting off Mr Perry than caring for his well being. Anne Milgram, the head of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration said, "When clinic doctors refused to increase his dosage, he turned to unscrupulous doctors who saw Perry as a way to make quick money. Dr. Plasencia and Dr. Chavez violated the oath they took to care for their patients. Instead of do no harm, they did harm so that they could make more money." According to a report in NDTV, Jasveen Sangha is a 41-year-old dual British and American citizen who has been under the radar of the authorities for distribution of dangerous drugs. After learning of #MatthewPerry's death, Jasveen Sangha, aka "The Ketamine Queen," sent out an alarm to "delete all our messages" pic.twitter.com/XVR77jzuw0 TMZ (@TMZ) August 15, 2024 She allegedly ran a massive drug operation from her North Hollywood home and according to the federal authorities she stored, packaged, and distributed various narcotics from there. Feature: Chinese solar panels light up Kenya's remote villages Xinhua) 10:53, August 17, 2024 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. (Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Wu Chaolan) The new North Dakota Military History Museum will be tall enough to suspend a helicopter or drone. It will incorporate thousands of personal service stories from North Dakota veterans and, according to the states adjutant general, represents a Thank you for your service from every North Dakotan to the states military service members. The Capitol Grounds Planning Commission voted unanimously recently to approve conceptual designs and the basic floor plan. The step allows project designers to move forward with more detailed construction designs in preparation for an expected groundbreaking in 2025 and scheduled completion in 2027, the North Dakota Monitor reported. Brian Berg, principal architect for Zerr Berg Architects, told the commission the designers tried to keep some uniformity with other structures on the Capitol grounds in the designs for the museums exterior that will be attached to the North Dakota Heritage Center. Craig Peterson, a design architect at BWBR, a design firm working with Zerr Berg, said the new museums main entrance will be similar to the entrance to the Heritage Center, which utilizes stone, copper and glass. The new military gallery will be two levels, Peterson said, and large enough to hang large military vehicles or equipment from the ceiling. The gallery will be an enclosed space with little to no natural sunlight penetrating into the gallery in order to better preserve the items on display, he said. The military gallery will total about 20,000 square feet, he said, and will equal the size of the Heritage Centers largest gallery, the Inspiration Gallery. The facility also will include an expanded food service area and outdoor courtyard and amphitheater. Bill Peterson, director of the State Historical Society of North Dakota, said his staff has collected about 2,000 oral history recordings from North Dakota veterans. The exhibits company that we are working with has been fully committed to working with us to develop these stories that highlight the experiences and the lives of real North Dakotans in this gallery space to make it very personal, Bill Peterson said. The military museum will showcase a history of Native American military units that will include pre- and post-contact with the United States. It will be a very complete story with everybodys histories included, he said. Craig Peterson said the museum designs leave space for the possible additions of an agriculture gallery and structure for large object storage. Aside from when the North Dakota Legislature is in session, there appears to be ample parking around the campus to accommodate the new museum traffic, Peterson added. State Rep. Bernie Satrom, R-Jamestown, told the designers he had just visited the National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus, Ohio, and said many of the people he talked to there were proud of their facility that was established in 2018. After going through that, I thought, You know what? Thats great, but what were doing is going to be so much better, Satrom said. He also said he hoped to incorporate the stories of North Dakota veterans into the gallery, similar to Ellis Island in New York. Berg said the design team is putting together a final preliminary project cost that should be ready in coming weeks. Bill Peterson told the Legislatures Budget Section in December the final project cost is estimated to be about $55 million to $60 million. This week, Peterson said the goal is for $30 million to be raised in private fundraising through the National Guard Foundation. About $400,000 in pledges had been secured for the project as of late July, said Brig. Gen. Jackie Huber, deputy adjutant general. The Historical Society plans to submit a funding request for the project to be considered in the upcoming legislative session, Bill Peterson said. A bill in the 2023 session authorized a $20 million line of credit from the Bank of North Dakota that must be paid back. The bill directed the Historical Society to request funding in the 2025 session from Legacy Fund earnings. During the meeting, Maj. Gen. Alan Dohrmann, adjutant general for the North Dakota National Guard, praised the collaborative effort on the museum project. When I look at this project, its the state of North Dakota saying, Thank you for your service, Dohrmann said. Its a tangible sign that we appreciate that less than 1% that raises a right hand to defend the Constitution, up to and including the cost of their own life. Commissioner Wendy Van Duyne abstained during the vote on the museum designs due to a conflict of interest involving her employer being involved with the design process. For more information on the North Dakota Military History Museum, visit the North Dakota Heritage Center and State Museum website. GRAND RAPIDS, MI A person of interest was taken into custody after a bank was robbed Friday afternoon on Grand Rapids northeast side. Grand Rapids police say the robbery happened around 2:20 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16, at the Lake Michigan Credit Union at 1820 Leonard St. NE. STURGIS, MI A man killed his wife and then shot himself in a McDonalds parking lot Friday. The woman killed was a 25-year-old Sturgis resident. The man, who is in critical condition, is 29 years old and also of Sturgis. Michigan State Police have not yet released their names. State troopers said the deadly incident unfolded around 4:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16, in the parking lot of the McDonalds in White Pigeon, about 11 miles west of Sturgis. The pair were a separated married couple who had met at the McDonalds for what troopers said was supposed to be a customary child exchange. The couples children were not present during the incident. State police said the children are believed to have been with other family members at the time of the shooting. During the exchange, the woman was seated in her vehicle while her estranged husband stood just outside. Troopers said an argument ensued and the man pulled out a firearm, shooting his wife multiple times and then himself. The woman was transported to an area hospital, where she died. The man was also taken to an area hospital in critical condition with life-threatening injuries, state police said. No one else was injured during the incident. Help us keep all those affected by this incident, including the children and both families, in our thoughts and prayers, state police officials said Friday in a social media post on the incident. The incident remains under investigation. When completed, the report with be submitted to the St. Joseph County Prosecutors Office for review of charges. Michigan State Police were assisted by multiple agencies, including police officers and firefighters from White Pigeon and Constantine, Three Rivers police and ambulance services, the St. Joseph County Sheriffs Office, Life Care Ambulance, Med Flight and Samaritan Flight. MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI - Another grill and bar is becoming popular along the Lake Michigan shoreline, serving up New Orleans-tavern fusion cuisine. In April, Chris and Tara Lynn opened Black Lotus Tavern, located at 8520 Holton Rd. in Holton, to be a place where great food, family and friends come together. SAGINAW, MI - Born and raised in Duncan Hill Cheese Factory in Greene County, Wisconsin, Helen Rysse, 102, recalls memories of her childhood when asked about her favorite memories in her almost 103 years of life. ...I was very proud of that, because my father was the best cheese maker in our country. And he came from Bavaria. Both of my parents came from Bavaria... said Rysse, as she described the cheese-making process. As the youngest of five siblings, Rysse worked as a nurse delivering infants and also knows how to speak the German language. She will teach you German if you want to learn, said Alicia Taylor, an employee at Brookdale Saginaw. Early in the morning on Thursday, Aug. 16, 2024, Rysse celebrated her 103rd birthday with a three-tiered double chocolate cake surrounded by staff and other residents. Taylor added that Rysse loves sweets, and her favorite cake is double chocolate, as it reminds her of her mothers chocolate cake. As the oldest resident at Brookdale Saginaw, Rysse has made herself known through her feisty attitude, sweet nature, and strong bond with her daughter, Anne, who is named after Rysses sister. A cross hangs in Helen Rysses room, Friday, August 16, 2024, at Brookdale Saginaw, Saginaw, MI. (Nico Mendoza | MLive.com) Live a healthy life [and] pray to god, Rysse said when asked about giving advice to those who wish to live just as long as she has. Rysses birthday is on Sunday, Aug. 18. Over the past decade, more Michigan farmland has been bought up by foreign entities. Michigan saw a big jump in foreign ownership two years ago going from 5.6% to 8.6% of all agricultural acres the latest federal data shows. This put Michigan among the top states for foreign farmland ownership with Upper Peninsula forestland accounting for the largest acreage. The number of foreign-held Michigan acres remained steady for over a decade until more than 460,000 acres were purchased in 2022, federal data shows. But even as the issue of who owns farmland has heightened national security concerns in the past year, the percentage of foreign investment remains small. I think the biggest misperception is how much they really own. Theres a lot less foreign ownership than people think there is, said Bill Knudson, a Michigan State University economist whos written about the topic. Foreign investors anyone whos not a citizen, not a legal immigrant or U.S. entities that have a significant foreign interest are required to report their land purchases to the U.S. Department of Agriculture every year. In 2022, almost half of the overall increase was attributed to three states. These increases mostly reflect large purchases of forestland in Alabama and Michigan while increases in Colorado are mostly cropland and pasture, the USDA said in its latest report. U.P. forests account for most of foreign-owned land In Michigan, about 92% of the foreign-owned acres are in the Upper Peninsula but this remains a sliver, 8%, of the states total agricultural land. Keweenaw County tops the list with 370,345 acres all forestland and the biggest jumps from 2021 to 2022 were in the Western Upper Peninsula. In a year, foreign buyers picked up 81,899 acres of forestland in Gogebic County, 108,305 acres of forestland in Keweenaw County and 94,283 acres of forestland in Ontonagon County. With the forestland in the Upper Peninsula, those are generally owned by Canadians, and as a general rule, weve never had a problem with people in the United States investing in Canada or Canadians investing in the U.S., Knudson said. In Alger, Luce and Marquette counties, Canadian entities are the top foreign owners. But in Keweenaw County, which has the largest percentage of international ownership, Canada doesnt own a stake; Dutch entities own 120,000 acres and all others own more than 250,000 acres. You dont really know who owns what in the United States or who owns what overseas that can be kind of hard to keep track of, Knudson said. Most recent federal data which is three years old and doesnt include the latest acquisitions shows that timber investment firms own the most foreign-held land in the Keweenaw. They include GMO Threshold Timber Michigan, a company with Dutch ties, and Lake Superior Land Co., associated with the U.S. Virgin Islands. But tracing the newest sales can be tricky. In Gogebic County, property and company records shed some light on the 131,177 acres that were purchased by a foreign entity from 2021 to 2022. Although the documents dont outright name a foreign buyer, MLive followed the paper trail to find who these groups were linked to. Here are some of the breadcrumbs for one sale: The Keweenaw Land Association mentions in a 2021 annual report that it sold more than 178,000 acres of timber assets that year. A Gogebic County GIS map shows that the Keweenaw Land Association sold parcels in 2021 with an undisclosed acreage to Sage Timber Michigan LLC. The LLC is linked to The Rohatyn Group, a timber investment firm that has purchased forestland in eight countries. The groups founder, Nick Rohatyn, is listed in the LLC paperwork. Although The Rohatyn Group is based in the U.S., federal records have linked its previous land purchases through Sage Timber Wisconsin LLC to Singapore. Sage Timber Wisconsin LLC, which also names Nick Rohatyn, purchased 160 acres of forestland in Iron County, Wisconsin in 2021. Chinese ownership remains small What the USDA report does detail is Chinese ownership of farmland, which has become a growing concern among some lawmakers. Two Republican House members, Reps. Ashley Hinson from Iowa and Dan Newhouse from Wisconsin, introduced a bill last year that wouldnt allow foreign nationals associated with the Chinese Communist Party to buy agricultural land. More than two thirds of states have implemented or considered laws that would limit foreign ownership of land, Politico reported in April. That includes South Dakota where Republican Gov. Kristi Noem signed a law this spring that blocks six evil foreign governments including China from owning agricultural land. And Republican Eric Hovde, who is competing for a U.S. Senate seat in Wisconsin, claimed at a May campaign stop that China is buying up large stretches of our agricultural land. But recently published research pushes back on these claims. Cornell University researchers found that Chinese entities own a relatively modest 352,139 acres or less than 1% of American farmland. For comparison, Canadian investments account for 32% of all foreign owned farmland, or 14 million acres; the Netherlands holds 12%, Italy has 6% and the United Kingdom has 6%. There were no filings directly by the government of China, the USDA said. Of the Chinese holdings, two companies, Brazos Highland Properties and Murphy Brown LLC, own the largest stretches of agricultural land in eight states including Texas, North Carolina and Utah. In Michigan, Chinese investors dont own any land, according to a USDA map. One thing that a lot of people are interested in is whats China up to? And they dont they dont seem to be all that engaged in either Michigan or the United States, despite what you may hear, Knudson said. Earlier this year, the U.S. Government Accountability Office published a report on how to better assess national security risks from foreign farmland ownership. One recommendation is that the USDA should share timelier data because the last annual report covers 2022 and detailed ownership information is from 2021. Renewable energy playing bigger role Researchers also found that renewable energy production has driven foreign land acquisitions in recent years. Of the 44 million acres reported to the USDA, about 25% of the entities included the word wind in their name. In Shiawassee County, wind farm companies are the biggest foreign landowners. J.W. Great Lakes Wind LLC, which is tied to Germany, owns 5,930 acres and Shiawassee Wind Project, LLC, which has Canadian and Italian ties, owns 21,500 acres. The Cornell University researchers wrote that most of the land leased by foreign entities is being used for wind and solar farms while most the land in whole ownership is focused on wood and timber production. In Michigan, 1.6 million foreign-owned acres are forestland while 57,000 are non-agriculture. Why are foreign entities buying U.S. land? To Knudson, the reason foreign entities are buying American farmland is simple: its a good investment. Farmland real estate values have steadily climbed over the years, most recently going up 7.4% from 2022 to 2023 following a 12% jump the year prior. It averaged $4,080 an acre last year compared to $2,730 in 2013, according to the USDA. It offers a pretty good rate of return, Knudson said. You know, the last four or five years or so its been going up by roughly 10% a year. Foreign investors also tend to pay a premium price. An analysis of farmland purchases found that foreign buyers pay 13.7% more for Midwest agricultural land than domestic investors. And research found local farmers typically secure land at lower prices than non-local buyers. If youre a landowner and youre in the market, thinking about selling your land, you want as many buyers as possible, Knudson said. Editors Note: This story was updated to remove an inaccurate land sales price. With a mutual interest in food, family and fun, Ava and Luke are the perfect recipe for love. But hes 20 years younger than her and has much to experience. Lifetimes new film Tempted by Love, presented by Terry McMillan, premieres Saturday, Aug. 17, at 8/7c on Lifetime. Stream it for free with a trial from Philo or DIRECTV Stream, or find it on Sling. About the movie: Ava, a world-class, renowned chef living in Europe, rushes home to care for her elderly aunt in South Carolina after she suffers from a fall. Picked up from the long flight by Luke, a handsome driver 20 years younger than her, the pair feel an unexpected, yet passionate, connection. With a mutual interest in food, family and fun, Ava and Luke are the perfect recipe for love. Despite her feelings for him, Ava soon realizes that Luke still has so much to experience in life, and she must decide what is best for her own career and relationships. Does that mean they can make it together? Tune in to find out. Watch Tempted by Love tonight, Aug. 17, at 8/7c on Lifetime. Where to watch Lifetime: Cast: "I just did it, but I could get away with it. Not much you can do!" Even though he shoots people with machine guns on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, his base still supports him." It is so true, like a curse on current politics. Why so sad? You can't have common sense; you can't right the wrong. Nor can you preach the right. Yet, he has no concept of what service is, but those are sided with him. H/t: Shares of Exxon Mobil Co. (NYSE:XOM Get Free Report) rose 0.7% on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $118.92 and last traded at $118.67. Approximately 1,831,652 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 89% from the average daily volume of 17,235,912 shares. The stock had previously closed at $117.86. Analysts Set New Price Targets XOM has been the subject of several analyst reports. Truist Financial decreased their target price on shares of Exxon Mobil from $124.00 to $121.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research note on Monday, July 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of Exxon Mobil from $139.00 to $135.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 5th. Mizuho increased their price objective on shares of Exxon Mobil from $125.00 to $128.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, May 13th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an overweight rating and set a $145.00 price objective on shares of Exxon Mobil in a research note on Wednesday, May 15th. Finally, TD Cowen increased their price objective on shares of Exxon Mobil from $128.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 30th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Exxon Mobil presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $134.39. Get Exxon Mobil alerts: Read Our Latest Analysis on XOM Exxon Mobil Stock Performance The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 1.38. The stocks fifty day moving average is $114.58 and its two-hundred day moving average is $113.23. The firm has a market cap of $465.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.47, a PEG ratio of 4.51 and a beta of 0.91. Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, August 2nd. The oil and gas company reported $2.14 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.04 by $0.10. Exxon Mobil had a net margin of 9.62% and a return on equity of 16.75%. The business had revenue of $93.06 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $90.09 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.94 EPS. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 12.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that Exxon Mobil Co. will post 8.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Exxon Mobil Dividend Announcement 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 paid a dividend of $0.95 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 15th. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.22%. Exxon Mobils payout ratio is 46.57%. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Exxon Mobil Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of XOM. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Exxon Mobil by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 388,543,396 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $38,846,569,000 after purchasing an additional 1,269,495 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Exxon Mobil during the 4th quarter valued at about $5,519,753,000. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its position in shares of Exxon Mobil by 6.3% during the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 45,161,783 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $5,249,607,000 after purchasing an additional 2,676,652 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its position in shares of Exxon Mobil by 11.3% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 40,312,338 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $4,640,756,000 after purchasing an additional 4,080,716 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in shares of Exxon Mobil by 16.9% during the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 36,794,077 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $4,235,972,000 after purchasing an additional 5,330,887 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 61.80% of the companys stock. About Exxon Mobil (Get 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. NEC Co. (OTCMKTS:NIPNF Get Free Report) was the target of a large drop in short interest in July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 471,900 shares, a drop of 20.7% from the July 15th total of 595,100 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 100 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 4,719.0 days. NEC Stock Performance NIPNF stock remained flat at $75.00 during midday trading on Friday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $79.99 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $73.08. NEC has a 1-year low of $49.71 and a 1-year high of $88.42. Get NEC alerts: NEC Company Profile (Get Free Report) See Also 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. Protalix BioTherapeutics (NYSE:PLX Get Free Report) issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The company reported ($0.03) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.02 by ($0.05), RTT News reports. The firm had revenue of $13.47 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.50 million. Protalix BioTherapeutics had a return on equity of 19.48% and a net margin of 11.48%. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned ($0.07) EPS. Protalix BioTherapeutics Stock Up 2.5 % NYSE:PLX traded up $0.02 on Friday, hitting $0.97. The stock had a trading volume of 96,274 shares, compared to its average volume of 392,553. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $1.12 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $1.24. The stock has a market cap of $71.43 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.75 and a beta of 0.78. Protalix BioTherapeutics has a 52-week low of $0.82 and a 52-week high of $2.05. Get Protalix BioTherapeutics alerts: Protalix BioTherapeutics Company Profile (Get Free Report) See Also Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc, a biopharmaceutical company, engages in the development, production, and commercialization of recombinant therapeutic proteins based on its proprietary ProCellEx plant cell-based protein expression system in the United States, Australia, Canada, Israel, Brazil, Russia, Turkey, and internationally. Receive News & Ratings for Protalix BioTherapeutics Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Protalix BioTherapeutics and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Swedbank AB increased its stake in Spotify Technology S.A. (NYSE:SPOT Free Report) by 13.2% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 852,526 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 99,730 shares during the period. Swedbank AB owned 0.45% of Spotify Technology worth $267,514,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Larson Financial Group LLC grew its position in Spotify Technology by 86.0% in the 1st quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 93 shares of the companys stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. Mather Group LLC. grew its holdings in Spotify Technology by 9,900.0% in the 2nd quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 100 shares of the companys stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC acquired a new stake in Spotify Technology in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $32,000. FinTrust Capital Advisors LLC raised its stake in Spotify Technology by 400.0% during the 1st quarter. FinTrust Capital Advisors LLC now owns 125 shares of the companys stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Lindbrook Capital LLC raised its stake in Spotify Technology by 32.3% during the 4th quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC now owns 205 shares of the companys stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.09% of the companys stock. Get Spotify Technology alerts: Spotify Technology Stock Up 0.4 % Shares of SPOT traded up $1.50 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $337.09. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,513,169 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,993,243. The company has a market cap of $67.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -500.84 and a beta of 1.59. The business has a fifty day moving average of $317.49 and a 200 day moving average of $289.41. The company has a quick ratio of 1.56, a current ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. Spotify Technology S.A. has a 1 year low of $129.23 and a 1 year high of $359.38. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Spotify Technology ( NYSE:SPOT Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 23rd. The company reported $1.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.08 by $0.25. Spotify Technology had a return on equity of 15.23% and a net margin of 3.22%. The firm had revenue of $3.81 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.82 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned ($1.69) EPS. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 19.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts forecast that Spotify Technology S.A. will post 6.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on SPOT shares. Guggenheim increased their target price on shares of Spotify Technology from $400.00 to $420.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. DZ Bank upgraded shares of Spotify Technology from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $375.00 price objective for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. Loop Capital raised their price objective on shares of Spotify Technology from $165.00 to $250.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Monday, April 22nd. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Spotify Technology from $370.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Spotify Technology from a neutral rating to a buy rating and lifted their price target for the company from $320.00 to $425.00 in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and twenty-two have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $353.15. Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on SPOT Spotify Technology Company Profile (Free Report) Spotify Technology SA, together with its subsidiaries, provides audio streaming subscription services worldwide. It operates through two segments, Premium and Ad-Supported. The Premium segment offers unlimited online and offline streaming access to its catalog of music and podcasts without commercial breaks to its subscribers. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SPOT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Spotify Technology S.A. (NYSE:SPOT Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Spotify Technology Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Spotify Technology and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com upgraded shares of A. O. Smith (NYSE:AOS Free Report) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note published on Tuesday morning. Other research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Stifel Nicolaus raised shares of A. O. Smith from a hold rating to a buy rating and increased their target price for the stock from $97.00 to $98.00 in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of A. O. Smith from $73.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock a sell rating in a report on Monday, July 8th. Oppenheimer reissued a market perform rating on shares of A. O. Smith in a report on Thursday, April 18th. Finally, Robert W. Baird dropped their price objective on shares of A. O. Smith from $92.00 to $90.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, A. O. Smith has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $89.67. Get A. O. Smith alerts: Get Our Latest Analysis on A. O. Smith A. O. Smith Stock Down 0.7 % AOS stock opened at $79.65 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.19 and a beta of 1.15. The company has a current ratio of 1.70, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. A. O. Smith has a 12 month low of $64.14 and a 12 month high of $92.44. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $83.10 and a 200-day moving average price of $83.88. A. O. Smith (NYSE:AOS Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 23rd. The industrial products company reported $1.06 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.07 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $1.02 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1 billion. A. O. Smith had a return on equity of 31.04% and a net margin of 14.67%. The firms revenue was up 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.01 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that A. O. Smith will post 4.07 EPS for the current fiscal year. A. O. Smith Announces Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 31st were issued a $0.32 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, July 31st. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.61%. A. O. Smiths dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 33.16%. Insider Buying and Selling at A. O. Smith In other A. O. Smith news, SVP Samuel M. Carver sold 14,705 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $81.00, for a total transaction of $1,191,105.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 2,399 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $194,319. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 2.70% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of A. O. Smith A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AOS. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in A. O. Smith during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $108,176,000. KBC Group NV grew its position in shares of A. O. Smith by 71.2% during the 4th quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,173,179 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $96,716,000 after buying an additional 487,742 shares during the period. Select Equity Group L.P. grew its position in shares of A. O. Smith by 11.6% during the 2nd quarter. Select Equity Group L.P. now owns 3,852,467 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $315,055,000 after buying an additional 400,304 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. grew its position in shares of A. O. Smith by 33.8% during the 4th quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 1,257,799 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $103,693,000 after buying an additional 317,389 shares during the period. Finally, Confluence Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of A. O. Smith during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $22,288,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.10% of the companys stock. A. O. Smith Company Profile (Get Free Report) A. O. Smith Corporation manufactures and markets residential and commercial gas and electric water heaters, boilers, heat pumps, tanks, and water treatment products in North America, China, Europe, and India. The company offers water heaters for residences, restaurants, hotels, office buildings, laundries, car washes, and small businesses; boilers for hospitals, schools, hotels, and other large commercial buildings, as well as homes, apartments, and condominiums; and water treatment products comprising point-of-entry water softeners, well water solutions, and whole-home water filtration products, and point-of-use carbon and reverse osmosis products for residences, restaurants, hotels, and offices. Read More Receive News & Ratings for A. O. Smith Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for A. O. Smith and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO Get Free Report)s share price dropped 0.7% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $50.63 and last traded at $50.81. Approximately 1,536,190 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 85% from the average daily volume of 10,549,236 shares. The stock had previously closed at $51.19. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades MO has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Bank of America boosted their price objective on Altria Group from $47.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, July 10th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Altria Group from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Friday, June 28th. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Altria Group from $37.00 to $43.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research note on Wednesday. Argus upgraded Altria Group to a hold rating in a report on Friday, May 31st. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on Altria Group from $50.00 to $54.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday, August 1st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and three have assigned a 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 $47.08. Get Altria Group alerts: View Our Latest Research Report on MO Altria Group Stock Up 1.1 % The company has a 50-day moving average price of $47.94 and a 200-day moving average price of $44.67. The company has a market capitalization of $88.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.74, a P/E/G ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.66. Altria Group (NYSE:MO Get Free Report) last posted 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 business 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%. The firms revenue was up 14.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.31 earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.11 EPS for the current fiscal year. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Altria Group Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of MO. Delta Investment Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Altria Group by 2.9% in the second quarter. Delta Investment Management LLC now owns 7,064 shares of the companys stock worth $322,000 after purchasing an additional 198 shares during the last quarter. Scarborough Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Altria Group by 18.5% during the 2nd quarter. Scarborough Advisors LLC now owns 1,283 shares of the companys stock worth $58,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the period. Hollencrest Capital Management grew its position in shares of Altria Group by 0.3% in the 2nd quarter. Hollencrest Capital Management now owns 76,595 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,489,000 after buying an additional 203 shares during the last quarter. SP Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Altria Group by 2.5% in the second quarter. SP Asset Management LLC now owns 8,211 shares of the companys stock valued at $374,000 after buying an additional 204 shares during the period. Finally, Certuity LLC increased its stake in shares of Altria Group by 1.6% in the second quarter. Certuity LLC now owns 13,664 shares of the companys stock valued at $622,000 after buying an additional 213 shares during the period. 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. American Shared Hospital Services (NYSEAMERICAN:AMS Get Free Report) posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The company reported $0.13 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.07 by $0.06, reports. American Shared Hospital Services had a return on equity of 4.29% and a net margin of 2.50%. The company had revenue of $7.06 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $6.15 million. American Shared Hospital Services Stock Down 5.6 % Shares of AMS traded down $0.17 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $2.84. The companys stock had a trading volume of 61,286 shares, compared to its average volume of 10,645. American Shared Hospital Services has a one year low of $2.16 and a one year high of $3.69. The company has a current ratio of 1.98, a quick ratio of 1.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. The stock has a market capitalization of $17.98 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.50 and a beta of 0.70. Get American Shared Hospital Services alerts: Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of AMS. Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its stake in shares of American Shared Hospital Services by 31.2% in the second quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 55,501 shares of the companys stock valued at $177,000 after purchasing an additional 13,201 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new position in shares of American Shared Hospital Services in the first quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its stake in shares of American Shared Hospital Services by 4.9% in the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 179,637 shares of the companys stock valued at $574,000 after purchasing an additional 8,436 shares in the last quarter. 23.16% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Analysts Set New Price Targets Separately, StockNews.com assumed coverage on American Shared Hospital Services in a research report on Saturday. They issued a hold rating for the company. View Our Latest Stock Analysis on AMS American Shared Hospital Services Company Profile (Get Free Report) American Shared Hospital Services provides stereotactic radiosurgery and advanced radiation therapy equipment. It operates in two segments, Medical Equipment Leasing, and Retail. The company offers radiosurgery equipment for the Gamma Knife stereotactic radiosurgery, a non-invasive procedure to treat malignant and benign brain tumors, and arteriovenous malformations, as well as for trigeminal neuralgia. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for American Shared Hospital Services Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for American Shared Hospital Services and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG Free Report) had its price target lifted by TD Cowen from $273.00 to $288.00 in a research report released on Tuesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a hold rating on the financial services providers stock. Several other brokerages have also recently commented on AJG. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $275.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Friday, July 26th. Bank Of America (Bofa) increased their price objective on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an underperform rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Truist Financial lifted their target price on Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Friday, July 26th. UBS Group increased their price target on Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $260.00 to $292.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $282.00 to $301.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $275.38. Get Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. alerts: Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on AJG Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Price Performance Shares of NYSE AJG opened at $285.08 on Tuesday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $270.46 and a 200 day moving average price of $253.51. The firm has a market cap of $62.29 billion, a PE ratio of 57.71, a PEG ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 0.72. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 1.05 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 posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 25th. The financial services provider reported $2.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.24 by $0.02. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. had a return on equity of 19.25% and a net margin of 10.41%. The business had revenue of $2.73 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.77 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.90 earnings per share. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.s quarterly revenue was up 14.3% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. will post 10.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Dividend Announcement The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 20th. Investors of record on Friday, September 6th will be paid a $0.60 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 6th. This represents a $2.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.84%. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 48.58%. Insider Buying and Selling at Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. In other news, President Thomas Joseph Gallagher sold 15,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $282.96, for a total value of $4,244,400.00. Following the transaction, the president now owns 329,099 shares of the companys stock, valued at $93,121,853.04. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, President Thomas Joseph Gallagher sold 15,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $282.96, for a total value of $4,244,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the president now owns 329,099 shares of the companys stock, valued at $93,121,853.04. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CFO Douglas K. Howell sold 8,710 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $285.07, for a total transaction of $2,482,959.70. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 75,963 shares in the company, valued at $21,654,772.41. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 49,998 shares of company stock valued at $13,767,866 in the last three months. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Signaturefd LLC lifted its position in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 1.0% during the 2nd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 3,825 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $992,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the period. Trueblood Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 0.4% during the second quarter. Trueblood Wealth Management LLC now owns 9,290 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $2,409,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the period. Forte Capital LLC ADV increased its holdings in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 1.9% in the 4th quarter. Forte Capital LLC ADV now owns 2,395 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $539,000 after buying an additional 44 shares during the period. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. raised its position in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 4.7% in the 1st quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. now owns 983 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $246,000 after buying an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cambridge Trust Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 5.1% during the 4th quarter. Cambridge Trust Co. now owns 969 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $218,000 after acquiring an additional 47 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.53% of the companys stock. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Company Profile (Get 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. Further Reading 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. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. boosted its holdings in shares of Coupang, Inc. (NYSE:CPNG Free Report) by 55.5% during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 4,524,994 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 1,615,448 shares during the quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. owned 0.25% of Coupang worth $94,799,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Cigna Investments Inc. New acquired a new position in shares of Coupang during the second quarter worth $202,000. Baader Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted its holdings in Coupang by 5.7% during the 2nd quarter. Baader Bank Aktiengesellschaft now owns 10,567 shares of the companys stock worth $219,000 after buying an additional 567 shares during the period. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Coupang in the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,130,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Coupang in the second quarter valued at about $89,000. Finally, Friedenthal Financial bought a new position in shares of Coupang during the second quarter worth about $772,000. 83.72% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Coupang alerts: Coupang Stock Up 0.2 % NYSE:CPNG traded up $0.05 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $22.45. The company had a trading volume of 7,596,478 shares, compared to its average volume of 10,813,128. Coupang, Inc. has a twelve month low of $13.51 and a twelve month high of $23.77. The company has a quick ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67. The firm has a market cap of $40.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.07, a P/E/G ratio of 2,041.58 and a beta of 1.09. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $21.19 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $20.06. Insider Activity Coupang ( NYSE:CPNG Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The company reported $0.07 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.01) by $0.08. Coupang had a return on equity of 13.59% and a net margin of 4.96%. The company had revenue of $7.32 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.39 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.08 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 25.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that Coupang, Inc. will post 0.01 earnings per share for the current year. In other Coupang news, Director Benjamin Sun sold 700,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, June 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $20.63, for a total transaction of $14,441,000.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 2,169,421 shares in the company, valued at $44,755,155.23. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In other Coupang news, Director Benjamin Sun sold 700,000 shares of Coupang stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $20.63, for a total transaction of $14,441,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 2,169,421 shares in the company, valued at approximately $44,755,155.23. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Pranam Kolari sold 6,490 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $22.93, for a total value of $148,815.70. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 181,461 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,160,900.73. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders bought 501,300 shares of company stock worth $11,309,354 and sold 956,922 shares worth $20,267,413. Corporate insiders own 13.60% of the companys stock. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several analysts recently commented on CPNG shares. Citigroup upped their target price on 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 upped their price objective for the company from $18.50 to $26.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 16th. Bank of America assumed coverage on shares of Coupang in a research note on Friday, May 3rd. They set a buy rating and a $30.00 target price for the company. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Coupang from $25.00 to $32.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, May 9th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price target on Coupang from $26.00 to $27.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, June 26th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $26.71. View Our Latest Analysis on Coupang Coupang Profile (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. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CPNG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Coupang, Inc. (NYSE:CPNG Free Report). 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. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lessened its position in shares of Boston Scientific Co. (NYSE:BSX Free Report) by 4.7% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 2,945,537 shares of the medical equipment providers stock after selling 144,116 shares during the quarter. Boston Scientific accounts for 0.5% of Assenagon Asset Management S.A.s portfolio, making the stock its 28th largest position. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. owned approximately 0.20% of Boston Scientific worth $226,836,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. First Foundation Advisors acquired a new position in shares of Boston Scientific in the 1st quarter valued at about $25,000. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Boston Scientific by 542.1% in the 1st quarter. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC now owns 366 shares of the medical equipment providers stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 309 shares during the period. Lynx Investment Advisory acquired a new position in shares of Boston Scientific in the 2nd quarter valued at about $30,000. RiverPark Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Boston Scientific in the 1st quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Northwest Investment Counselors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Boston Scientific in the 1st quarter valued at about $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.07% of the companys stock. Get Boston Scientific alerts: Boston Scientific Price Performance Shares of BSX stock traded up $0.67 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $78.25. The company had a trading volume of 4,404,671 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,225,274. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.66. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $76.41 and a 200-day moving average of $71.87. The company has a market capitalization of $114.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 65.76, a PEG ratio of 2.49 and a beta of 0.78. Boston Scientific Co. has a 12-month low of $48.35 and a 12-month high of $79.43. Insider Activity Boston Scientific ( NYSE:BSX Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The medical equipment provider reported $0.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.58 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $4.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.02 billion. Boston Scientific had a return on equity of 16.80% and a net margin of 12.00%. The businesss revenue was up 14.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.53 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Boston Scientific Co. will post 2.4 earnings per share for the current year. In related news, EVP Wendy Carruthers sold 6,983 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $75.33, for a total value of $526,029.39. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 45,628 shares in the company, valued at $3,437,157.24. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, EVP Arthur C. Butcher sold 14,011 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $75.34, for a total value of $1,055,588.74. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 20,197 shares in the company, valued at $1,521,641.98. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Wendy Carruthers sold 6,983 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $75.33, for a total value of $526,029.39. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 45,628 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,437,157.24. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 34,960 shares of company stock worth $2,638,984 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.50% of the companys stock. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In BSX has been the subject of several analyst reports. Raymond James boosted their price objective on Boston Scientific from $85.00 to $91.00 and gave the company a strong-buy rating in a report on Thursday, July 25th. Robert W. Baird upped their price target on Boston Scientific from $90.00 to $91.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, July 25th. StockNews.com raised Boston Scientific from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. Truist Financial upped their price target on Boston Scientific from $86.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, July 16th. Finally, Evercore ISI upped their price target on Boston Scientific from $78.00 to $81.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Tuesday, July 2nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nineteen have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $84.76. View Our Latest Analysis on BSX Boston Scientific Profile (Free Report) Boston Scientific Corporation develops, manufactures, and markets medical devices for use in various interventional medical specialties worldwide. It operates through two segments, MedSurg and Cardiovascular. The company offers devices to diagnose and treat gastrointestinal and pulmonary conditions, such as resolution clips, biliary stent systems, stents and electrocautery enhanced delivery systems, direct visualization systems, digital catheters, and single-use duodenoscopes; devices to treat urological conditions, including ureteral stents, catheters, baskets, guidewires, sheaths, balloons, single-use digital flexible ureteroscopes, holmium laser systems, artificial urinary sphincter, laser system, fiber, and hydrogel systems; and devices to treat neurological movement disorders and manage chronic pain, such as spinal cord stimulator system, proprietary programming software, radiofrequency generator, indirect decompression systems, practice optimization tools, and deep brain stimulation system. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BSX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Boston Scientific Co. (NYSE:BSX Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Boston Scientific Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Boston Scientific and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. trimmed its position in Arrow Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:ARW Free Report) by 43.3% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 558,681 shares of the technology companys stock after selling 426,692 shares during the quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. owned 1.05% of Arrow Electronics worth $67,466,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Rise Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Arrow Electronics in the 1st quarter valued at $32,000. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its holdings in Arrow Electronics by 794.6% in the second quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 331 shares of the technology companys stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 294 shares in the last quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. lifted its position in shares of Arrow Electronics by 76.5% during the first quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 346 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $45,000 after buying an additional 150 shares during the last quarter. Principal Securities Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Arrow Electronics in the 4th quarter valued at about $56,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC purchased a new position in shares of Arrow Electronics in the 4th quarter worth approximately $58,000. Institutional investors own 99.34% of the companys stock. Get Arrow Electronics alerts: Arrow Electronics Stock Performance ARW stock traded down $0.57 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $129.28. The stock had a trading volume of 496,144 shares, compared to its average volume of 497,993. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a current ratio of 1.48. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $124.58 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $123.55. The stock has a market cap of $6.88 billion, a PE ratio of 10.19 and a beta of 1.27. Arrow Electronics, Inc. has a 52-week low of $108.51 and a 52-week high of $135.31. Insider Buying and Selling at Arrow Electronics Arrow Electronics ( NYSE:ARW Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The technology company reported $2.78 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.16 by $0.62. The firm had revenue of $6.89 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $6.52 billion. Arrow Electronics had a return on equity of 12.77% and a net margin of 1.97%. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 19.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $4.37 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Arrow Electronics, Inc. will post 10.34 EPS for the current year. In other Arrow Electronics news, Director Andrew Charles Kerin sold 1,520 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.66, for a total value of $200,123.20. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In other news, Director Gail Hamilton sold 2,987 shares of Arrow Electronics stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $132.59, for a total transaction of $396,046.33. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 102 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $13,524.18. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Andrew Charles Kerin sold 1,520 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.66, for a total transaction of $200,123.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 1.00% of the companys stock. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several equities research analysts have weighed in on ARW shares. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on shares of Arrow Electronics from $116.00 to $132.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 28th. Raymond James boosted their target price on Arrow Electronics from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Arrow Electronics from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. Finally, Truist Financial raised their price target on Arrow Electronics from $124.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a report on Friday, August 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $130.75. Check Out Our Latest Research Report on Arrow Electronics Arrow Electronics Profile (Free Report) Arrow Electronics, Inc provides products, services, and solutions to industrial and commercial users of electronic components and enterprise computing solutions in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. The company operates in two segments, Global Components and Global Enterprise Computing Solutions. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ARW? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Arrow Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:ARW Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Arrow Electronics Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Arrow Electronics and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ellsworth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Autoliv, Inc. (NYSE:ALV Free Report) by 11.3% in the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 11,561 shares of the auto parts companys stock after acquiring an additional 1,174 shares during the quarter. Ellsworth Advisors LLCs holdings in Autoliv were worth $1,237,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Swedbank AB acquired a new position in shares of Autoliv in the first quarter valued at $235,996,000. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Autoliv during the 4th quarter worth approximately $91,065,000. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. boosted its stake in shares of Autoliv by 169.8% during the 4th quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 759,239 shares of the auto parts companys stock worth $83,661,000 after acquiring an additional 477,800 shares during the period. Caxton Associates LP lifted its position in shares of Autoliv by 121.9% during the 1st quarter. Caxton Associates LP now owns 686,622 shares of the auto parts companys stock valued at $82,690,000 after acquiring an additional 377,233 shares during the period. Finally, Public Sector Pension Investment Board raised its holdings in shares of Autoliv by 41.0% during the 4th quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 958,304 shares of the auto parts companys stock worth $105,596,000 after buying an additional 278,800 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.57% of the companys stock. Get Autoliv alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades ALV has been the topic of several recent research reports. Bank of America cut their price target on Autoliv from $145.00 to $133.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Monday, July 22nd. UBS Group raised Autoliv from a neutral rating to a buy rating and upped their price target for the company from $102.00 to $141.00 in a research report on Tuesday, May 28th. BNP Paribas assumed coverage on Autoliv in a research report on Tuesday, June 18th. They issued a neutral rating for the company. StockNews.com downgraded Autoliv from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, June 13th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Autoliv from $117.00 to $129.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Monday, April 22nd. Seven investment 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. According to MarketBeat.com, Autoliv has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $126.46. Autoliv Stock Performance NYSE:ALV traded up $0.29 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $99.94. The stock had a trading volume of 492,333 shares, compared to its average volume of 659,110. The stock has a market cap of $8.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.59, a PEG ratio of 0.80 and a beta of 1.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.98. Autoliv, Inc. has a twelve month low of $89.37 and a twelve month high of $129.38. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $104.78 and its 200 day simple moving average is $113.67. Autoliv (NYSE:ALV Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 19th. The auto parts company reported $1.87 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $2.44 by ($0.57). Autoliv had a return on equity of 30.05% and a net margin of 5.91%. The business had revenue of $2.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.73 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.93 EPS. Autolivs revenue for the quarter was down 1.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Autoliv, Inc. will post 9.28 earnings per share for the current year. Insider Activity In other news, Director Jan Carlson sold 1,900 shares of Autoliv stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $126.75, for a total transaction of $240,825.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 77,493 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $9,822,237.75. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.20% of the companys stock. About Autoliv (Free Report) Autoliv, Inc, through its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures, and supplies passive safety systems to the automotive industry in Europe, the Americas, China, Japan, and rest of Asia. It offers passive safety systems, including modules and components for frontal-impact airbag protection systems, side-impact airbag protection systems, seatbelts, steering wheels, and inflator technologies. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ALV? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Autoliv, Inc. (NYSE:ALV Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Autoliv Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Autoliv and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. boosted its holdings in AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO Free Report) by 39.3% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 49,818 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 14,050 shares during the quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A.s holdings in AutoZone were worth $147,666,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Boston Partners increased its holdings in shares of AutoZone by 1.7% in the 1st quarter. Boston Partners now owns 382,169 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,202,596,000 after purchasing an additional 6,226 shares in the last quarter. PineStone Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in AutoZone by 137.6% in the second quarter. PineStone Asset Management Inc. now owns 310,043 shares of the companys stock valued at $918,998,000 after buying an additional 179,543 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of AutoZone during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $678,350,000. Parnassus Investments LLC boosted its stake in shares of AutoZone by 32.0% during the 4th quarter. Parnassus Investments LLC now owns 243,571 shares of the companys stock worth $629,780,000 after acquiring an additional 58,989 shares in the last quarter. Finally, DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main grew its holdings in shares of AutoZone by 11.8% in the 4th quarter. DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main now owns 212,831 shares of the companys stock worth $550,296,000 after acquiring an additional 22,507 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.74% of the companys stock. Get AutoZone alerts: AutoZone Trading Up 1.4 % NYSE:AZO traded up $43.93 on Friday, hitting $3,212.87. 85,678 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 145,562. AutoZone, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $2,375.35 and a fifty-two week high of $3,256.37. The stock has a market cap of $54.89 billion, a PE ratio of 22.22, a PEG ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 0.71. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $2,982.53 and a 200-day moving average of $2,954.72. Analysts Set New Price Targets AutoZone ( NYSE:AZO Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 21st. The company reported $36.69 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $35.67 by $1.02. The firm had revenue of $4.24 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.29 billion. AutoZone had a negative return on equity of 54.58% and a net margin of 14.60%. AutoZones quarterly revenue was up 3.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $34.12 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that AutoZone, Inc. will post 151.37 earnings per share for the current year. Several research firms have weighed in on AZO. Truist Financial lowered their target price on AutoZone from $3,523.00 to $3,394.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 22nd. Oppenheimer reiterated a market perform rating and issued a $2,600.00 price target on shares of AutoZone in a research report on Wednesday, June 26th. Wedbush restated an outperform rating and set a $3,200.00 price objective on shares of AutoZone in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. Barclays lowered their target price on AutoZone from $3,100.00 to $3,024.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 23rd. Finally, Evercore ISI cut their price target on AutoZone from $3,278.00 to $3,275.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, July 2nd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fifteen have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $3,112.71. View Our Latest Report on AutoZone Insiders Place Their Bets In other AutoZone news, VP Jenna M. Bedsole purchased 36 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 23rd. The shares were acquired at an average price of $2,757.10 per share, for a total transaction of $99,255.60. Following the completion of the purchase, the vice president now owns 36 shares in the company, valued at approximately $99,255.60. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 2.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. AutoZone Company Profile (Free Report) AutoZone, Inc retails and distributes automotive replacement parts and accessories in the United States, Mexico, and Brazil. The company provides various products for cars, sport utility vehicles, vans, and light trucks, including new and remanufactured automotive hard parts, maintenance items, accessories, and non-automotive products. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AZO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for AutoZone Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for AutoZone and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Blue Trust Inc. grew its holdings in shares of American Express (NYSE:AXP) by 27.1% in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 5,395 shares of the payment services companys stock after buying an additional 1,151 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc.s holdings in American Express were worth $1,228,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of American Express in the 4th quarter valued at about $1,112,747,000. Alphinity Investment Management Pty Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of American Express in the 1st quarter valued at about $433,709,000. TD Asset Management Inc lifted its holdings in shares of American Express by 62.1% in the 4th quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 2,399,494 shares of the payment services companys stock valued at $449,521,000 after purchasing an additional 919,337 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of American Express by 21.1% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,839,276 shares of the payment services companys stock valued at $713,202,000 after purchasing an additional 667,695 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its holdings in shares of American Express by 8.5% in the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 8,447,441 shares of the payment services companys stock valued at $1,923,399,000 after purchasing an additional 662,382 shares during the last quarter. 84.33% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get American Express alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several research firms have recently weighed in on AXP. Bank of America boosted their target price on American Express from $247.00 to $263.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Monday, July 22nd. Evercore ISI upped their price objective on American Express from $243.00 to $255.00 and gave the company an in-line rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on American Express from $240.00 to $268.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Monday, July 8th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on American Express from $275.00 to $285.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 9th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on American Express from $225.00 to $235.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 9th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have given a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, American Express presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $230.70. American Express Price Performance NYSE:AXP traded up $2.21 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $251.71. 2,149,718 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,002,593. American Express has a 1-year low of $140.91 and a 1-year high of $256.24. The stock has a market cap of $181.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.73, a P/E/G ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 1.21. The firms 50-day moving average is $237.19 and its 200-day moving average is $229.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74, a current ratio of 1.66 and a quick ratio of 1.66. American Express (NYSE:AXP Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 19th. The payment services company reported $3.49 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $3.26 by $0.23. American Express had a return on equity of 32.94% and a net margin of 15.53%. The company had revenue of $16.33 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.60 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.89 EPS. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts expect that American Express will post 13.24 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. American Express Profile (Free Report) American Express Company, together with its subsidiaries, operates as integrated payments company in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the Asia Pacific, Australia, New Zealand, Latin America, Canada, the Caribbean, and Internationally. It operates through four segments: U.S. Consumer Services, Commercial Services, International Card Services, and Global Merchant and Network Services. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AXP? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for American Express (NYSE:AXP Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for American Express Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for American Express and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Blue Trust Inc. increased its holdings in Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM Free Report) by 17.8% in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 20,506 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 3,104 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc.s holdings in Philip Morris International were worth $2,078,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Kessler Investment Group LLC purchased a new stake in Philip Morris International during the first quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Boyd Watterson Asset Management LLC OH boosted its position in shares of Philip Morris International by 250.0% in the 1st quarter. Boyd Watterson Asset Management LLC OH now owns 322 shares of the companys stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 230 shares in the last quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC boosted its position in shares of Philip Morris International by 57.4% in the 2nd quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 318 shares of the companys stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 116 shares in the last quarter. Tennessee Valley Asset Management Partners purchased a new position in Philip Morris International during the 4th quarter worth $33,000. Finally, Northwest Financial Advisors acquired a new position in Philip Morris International during the 4th quarter valued at about $33,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.63% of the companys stock. Get Philip Morris International alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several research firms have weighed in on PM. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Philip Morris International from $110.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their target price on Philip Morris International from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on Philip Morris International from $115.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Philip Morris International from $110.00 to $125.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Philip Morris International from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Monday, July 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $109.80. Philip Morris International Stock Performance Shares of PM traded up $0.17 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $118.06. 3,707,409 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,379,225. Philip Morris International Inc. has a 1-year low of $87.23 and a 1-year high of $119.06. The stock has a market cap of $183.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a 50 day moving average of $107.72 and a 200-day moving average of $98.91. Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 23rd. The company reported $1.59 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.57 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $9.47 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.19 billion. Philip Morris International had a net margin of 9.41% and a negative return on equity of 113.32%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.60 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 6.41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Philip Morris International Announces Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 8th. Investors 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 4.40%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 21st. Philip Morris Internationals dividend payout ratio is presently 101.56%. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, insider Massimo Andolina sold 9,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.35, for a total transaction of $1,038,150.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 85,629 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $9,877,305.15. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, insider Massimo Andolina sold 9,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.35, for a total value 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 transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, insider Wilde Frederic De sold 20,000 shares of the firms 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 transaction, the insider now owns 158,447 shares of the companys stock, valued at $17,906,095.47. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Philip Morris International Profile (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 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. Lloyds Banking Group plc (LON:LLOY Get Free Report) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of Hold from the nine brokerages that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is GBX 56.83 ($0.73). A number of research firms recently commented on LLOY. Shore Capital reiterated a hold rating on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Citigroup reiterated a buy rating on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a research note on Monday, July 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Lloyds Banking Group from GBX 50 ($0.64) to GBX 54 ($0.69) and gave the company an underweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 3rd. Finally, Peel Hunt initiated coverage on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a research report on Friday, April 19th. They issued a hold rating and a GBX 55 ($0.70) price target on the stock. Get Lloyds Banking Group alerts: Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Banking Group Stock Performance Lloyds Banking Group Cuts Dividend Shares of LON:LLOY opened at GBX 58.90 ($0.75) on Monday. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of GBX 57.10 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of GBX 52.53. The firm has a market cap of 37.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 841.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.89 and a beta of 1.23. Lloyds Banking Group has a fifty-two week low of GBX 39.42 ($0.50) and a fifty-two week high of GBX 64.67 ($0.83). The company also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 1st will be given a GBX 1.06 ($0.01) dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 1st. This represents a dividend yield of 1.78%. Lloyds Banking Groups dividend payout ratio is currently 4,285.71%. Lloyds Banking Group Company Profile (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. Featured Stories 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. Buffalo Coal Corp. (CVE:BUF Get Free Report)s stock price passed below its 50-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 50-day moving average of C$0.01 and traded as low as C$0.01. Buffalo Coal shares last traded at C$0.01, with a volume of 26,000 shares traded. Buffalo Coal Price Performance The business has a fifty day moving average of C$0.01 and a 200 day moving average of C$0.01. The stock has a market cap of C$7.37 million, a PE ratio of -3.33 and a beta of 0.58. About Buffalo Coal (Get Free Report) Buffalo Coal Corp., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a coal mining company in South Africa. It primarily focuses on the Aviemore anthracite mine covering an area of approximately 5,513 hectares and Magdalena mine covering an area of approximately 1,844 hectares located in the Kwa-Zulu, Natal Province of South Africa. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Buffalo Coal Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Buffalo Coal and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Cementos Pacasmayo S.A.A. (NYSE:CPAC Get Free Report)s stock price passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $5.58 and traded as high as $5.79. Cementos Pacasmayo S.A.A. shares last traded at $5.79, with a volume of 6,156 shares changing hands. Cementos Pacasmayo S.A.A. Trading Down 1.9 % The company has a current ratio of 1.54, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87. The business has a 50 day moving average of $5.63 and a two-hundred day moving average of $5.58. The firm has a market cap of $482.34 million, a P/E ratio of 9.81 and a beta of 0.66. Get Cementos Pacasmayo S.A.A. alerts: Cementos Pacasmayo S.A.A. (NYSE:CPAC Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, July 22nd. The construction company reported $0.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.13 by ($0.01). Cementos Pacasmayo S.A.A. had a return on equity of 16.20% and a net margin of 8.58%. The company had revenue of $122.24 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $118.53 million. Analysts predict that Cementos Pacasmayo S.A.A. will post 0.49 earnings per share for the current year. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Cementos Pacasmayo S.A.A. About Cementos Pacasmayo S.A.A. A hedge fund recently raised its stake in Cementos Pacasmayo S.A.A. stock. Sagil Capital LLP raised its position in Cementos Pacasmayo S.A.A. ( NYSE:CPAC Free Report ) by 203.5% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 209,734 shares of the construction companys stock after buying an additional 140,633 shares during the quarter. Cementos Pacasmayo S.A.A. comprises about 0.6% of Sagil Capital LLPs portfolio, making the stock its 9th largest position. Sagil Capital LLPs holdings in Cementos Pacasmayo S.A.A. were worth $1,078,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. (Get Free Report) Cementos Pacasmayo SAA., a cement company, produces, distributes, and sells cement and cement-related materials in Peru. It operates through three segments: Cement, Concrete, Mortar, and Precast; Quicklime; and Sales of Construction Supplies. The company's cement and concrete products are used in residential and commercial construction, and civil engineering; ready-mix concrete used in construction sites; concrete precast, such as paving units or paver stones for pedestrian walkways, as well as other bricks for partition walls and concrete precast for structural and non-structural uses; and cement-based products. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Cementos Pacasmayo S.A.A. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Cementos Pacasmayo S.A.A. and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. B2Gold Corp. (NYSE:BTG Free Report) Cormark lowered their FY2024 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of B2Gold in a research report issued on Monday, August 12th. Cormark analyst R. Gray now anticipates that the company will post earnings per share of $0.21 for the year, down from their previous forecast of $0.22. 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 Q4 2024 earnings at $0.05 EPS. Get B2Gold alerts: A number of other equities research analysts have also recently commented on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on shares of B2Gold from $3.50 to $4.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday, July 12th. Scotiabank cut shares of B2Gold from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, August 9th. Cibc World Mkts raised B2Gold from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Wednesday. StockNews.com raised B2Gold from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Saturday. Finally, CIBC upped their price objective on B2Gold from $3.40 to $3.50 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $3.75. B2Gold Stock Performance B2Gold stock opened at $2.69 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -89.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.42 and a beta of 1.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a current ratio of 2.99 and a quick ratio of 1.97. B2Gold has a fifty-two week low of $2.34 and a fifty-two week high of $3.46. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $2.77. B2Gold Dividend Announcement The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 23rd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 10th will be issued a $0.04 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 10th. This represents a $0.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.95%. B2Golds dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -533.33%. Institutional Investors Weigh In On B2Gold Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its position in B2Gold by 39.4% during the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 12,284,484 shares of the companys stock worth $33,053,000 after buying an additional 3,474,553 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its holdings in shares of B2Gold by 80.0% during the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 7,450,283 shares of the companys stock worth $19,957,000 after acquiring an additional 3,311,970 shares during the period. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC acquired a new stake in shares of B2Gold in the second quarter worth approximately $6,912,000. Equinox Partners Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in B2Gold by 31.6% in the second quarter. Equinox Partners Investment Management LLC now owns 6,032,986 shares of the companys stock valued at $16,185,000 after purchasing an additional 1,450,000 shares during the period. Finally, Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC increased its position in B2Gold by 133.8% during the second quarter. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC now owns 1,977,354 shares of the companys stock worth $5,334,000 after purchasing an additional 1,131,534 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 61.40% of the companys stock. About B2Gold (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. Recommended Stories 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. Ellsworth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of LyondellBasell Industries (NYSE:LYB Free Report) by 4.3% during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 51,784 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock after purchasing an additional 2,127 shares during the period. LyondellBasell Industries accounts for approximately 1.4% of Ellsworth Advisors LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 21st biggest position. Ellsworth Advisors LLCs holdings in LyondellBasell Industries were worth $4,954,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. McIlrath & Eck LLC raised its stake in shares of LyondellBasell Industries by 100.7% in the 4th quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC now owns 281 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 141 shares during the period. Heritage Wealth Advisors acquired a new stake in shares of LyondellBasell Industries in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Chilton Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of LyondellBasell Industries in the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. Gold Investment Management Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of LyondellBasell Industries in the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, Beacon Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of LyondellBasell Industries in the 1st quarter valued at about $28,000. 71.20% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get LyondellBasell Industries alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets Several analysts have issued reports on LYB shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on LyondellBasell Industries from $110.00 to $113.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Monday, August 5th. Evercore ISI raised LyondellBasell Industries to a hold rating in a research report on Monday, August 5th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on LyondellBasell Industries from $107.00 to $113.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Monday, April 29th. UBS Group lowered their target price on LyondellBasell Industries from $106.00 to $101.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, July 9th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on LyondellBasell Industries from $99.00 to $105.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 30th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, LyondellBasell Industries presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $107.55. LyondellBasell Industries Stock Performance LyondellBasell Industries stock traded down $0.37 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $97.07. 3,472,077 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,776,973. LyondellBasell Industries has a 52 week low of $88.46 and a 52 week high of $107.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 1.32 and a current ratio of 2.12. The firm has a market cap of $31.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.00, a P/E/G ratio of 1.21 and a beta of 1.09. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $95.84 and its 200 day simple moving average is $98.18. LyondellBasell Industries (NYSE:LYB Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, August 2nd. The specialty chemicals company reported $2.24 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.23 by $0.01. LyondellBasell Industries had a return on equity of 19.31% and a net margin of 5.20%. The business had revenue of $10.56 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $10.44 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.44 earnings per share. LyondellBasell Industriess quarterly revenue was up 2.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts expect that LyondellBasell Industries will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. LyondellBasell Industries Announces Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 3rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 26th will be issued a dividend of $1.34 per share. This represents a $5.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.52%. LyondellBasell Industriess dividend payout ratio is presently 82.84%. LyondellBasell Industries Company Profile (Free Report) LyondellBasell Industries N.V. operates as a chemical company in the United States, Germany, Mexico, Italy, Poland, France, Japan, China, the Netherlands, and internationally. The company operates in six segments: Olefins and PolyolefinsAmericas; Olefins and PolyolefinsEurope, Asia, International; Intermediates and Derivatives; Advanced Polymer Solutions; Refining; and Technology. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LYB? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for LyondellBasell Industries (NYSE:LYB Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for LyondellBasell Industries Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for LyondellBasell Industries and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ellsworth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Newmont Co. (NYSE:NEM Free Report) by 10.7% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 14,534 shares of the basic materials companys stock after purchasing an additional 1,404 shares during the period. Ellsworth Advisors LLCs holdings in Newmont were worth $609,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Newmont by 3.8% during the 1st quarter. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. now owns 7,560 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $271,000 after acquiring an additional 278 shares during the last quarter. Moody National Bank Trust Division boosted its stake in shares of Newmont by 1.7% during the 1st quarter. Moody National Bank Trust Division now owns 18,044 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $647,000 after acquiring an additional 296 shares during the last quarter. Berkeley Capital Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Newmont by 5.6% during the 4th quarter. Berkeley Capital Partners LLC now owns 5,960 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $247,000 after acquiring an additional 318 shares during the last quarter. Crestmont Private Wealth LLC boosted its stake in shares of Newmont by 4.9% during the 1st quarter. Crestmont Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,852 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $246,000 after acquiring an additional 319 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Gulf International Bank UK Ltd boosted its stake in shares of Newmont by 0.3% during the 1st quarter. Gulf International Bank UK Ltd now owns 98,992 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $3,547,000 after acquiring an additional 338 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.85% of the companys stock. Get Newmont alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at Newmont In other Newmont news, CEO Thomas Ronald Palmer sold 20,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.51, for a total value of $990,200.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 311,469 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $15,420,830.19. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.06% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In NEM has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on shares of Newmont from $56.00 to $57.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. TD Securities lifted their target price on shares of Newmont from $43.00 to $48.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Friday, April 26th. Sanford C. Bernstein decreased their price target on shares of Newmont from $46.00 to $45.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, May 16th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Newmont from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, April 26th. Finally, Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of Newmont from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 26th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $50.00. Read Our Latest Analysis on NEM Newmont Price Performance Shares of Newmont stock traded up $0.91 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $50.22. The companys stock had a trading volume of 8,493,433 shares, compared to its average volume of 10,960,169. The stock has a market cap of $57.91 billion, a P/E ratio of -18.81, a P/E/G ratio of 0.37 and a beta of 0.47. Newmont Co. has a one year low of $29.42 and a one year high of $50.72. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $45.28 and a 200-day moving average price of $40.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 2.11 and a quick ratio of 1.85. Newmont (NYSE:NEM Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The basic materials company reported $0.72 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.62 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $4.40 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.13 billion. Newmont had a negative net margin of 13.16% and a positive return on equity of 8.35%. The firms revenue was up 64.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.33 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Newmont Co. will post 2.76 EPS for the current year. Newmont Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 5th will be given a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 5th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.99%. Newmonts dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -37.45%. Newmont Profile (Free Report) Newmont Corporation engages in the production and exploration of gold. It also explores for copper, silver, zinc, and lead. The company has operations and/or assets in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Peru, Suriname, Argentina, Chile, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Ecuador, Fiji, and Ghana. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Newmont Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Newmont and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Fiduciary Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in iShares Core MSCI Europe ETF (NYSEARCA:IEUR Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 32,117 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,889,000. Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of IEUR. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. raised its position in shares of iShares Core MSCI Europe ETF by 174.1% during the second quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 45,231 shares of the companys stock worth $2,576,000 after acquiring an additional 28,729 shares during the last quarter. WBH Advisory Inc. raised its position in shares of iShares Core MSCI Europe ETF by 29.6% during the second quarter. WBH Advisory Inc. now owns 17,664 shares of the companys stock worth $1,006,000 after acquiring an additional 4,033 shares during the last quarter. Simplicity Wealth LLC raised its position in shares of iShares Core MSCI Europe ETF by 2.9% during the second quarter. Simplicity Wealth LLC now owns 6,740 shares of the companys stock worth $384,000 after acquiring an additional 188 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC raised its position in shares of iShares Core MSCI Europe ETF by 26.3% during the second quarter. CWM LLC now owns 267,620 shares of the companys stock worth $15,241,000 after acquiring an additional 55,723 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Park Avenue Securities LLC raised its position in shares of iShares Core MSCI Europe ETF by 748.2% during the second quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 29,458 shares of the companys stock worth $1,678,000 after acquiring an additional 25,985 shares during the last quarter. Get iShares Core MSCI Europe ETF alerts: iShares Core MSCI Europe ETF Stock Performance Shares of IEUR traded up $0.27 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $58.70. 311,782 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 792,081. iShares Core MSCI Europe ETF has a 52 week low of $47.10 and a 52 week high of $60.61. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.91 billion, a PE ratio of 15.22 and a beta of 0.85. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $57.67 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $57.32. About iShares Core MSCI Europe ETF The iShares Core MSCI Europe ETF (IEUR) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI Europe IMI index, a market-cap-weighted index of developed European securities. IEUR was launched on Jun 10, 2014 and is managed by BlackRock. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for iShares Core MSCI Europe ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Core MSCI Europe ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Franco-Nevada Co. (TSE:FNV Get Free Report) (NYSE:FNV) shares were down 7.7% on Wednesday . The company traded as low as C$157.43 and last traded at C$158.11. Approximately 211,175 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 38% from the average daily volume of 341,830 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$171.31. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several brokerages have recently issued reports on FNV. Canaccord Genuity Group upped their price objective on Franco-Nevada from C$177.00 to C$190.00 in a research report on Tuesday, July 23rd. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price objective on shares of Franco-Nevada from C$182.00 to C$196.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday, April 19th. BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on shares of Franco-Nevada from C$200.00 to C$210.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 16th. TD Securities upgraded Franco-Nevada from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, Raymond James increased their target price on Franco-Nevada from C$150.00 to C$151.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, May 3rd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of C$192.18. Get Franco-Nevada alerts: View Our Latest Analysis on FNV Franco-Nevada Trading Up 1.2 % Franco-Nevada Increases Dividend The firm has a market cap of C$32.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -48.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.00 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a quick ratio of 23.26, a current ratio of 29.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.63. The business has a 50 day moving average price of C$167.66 and a 200-day moving average price of C$162.13. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 26th. Investors of record on Thursday, September 12th will be issued a $0.497 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 12th. This represents a $1.99 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.19%. This is an increase from Franco-Nevadas previous quarterly dividend of $0.49. Franco-Nevadas dividend payout ratio is currently -57.23%. Insider Activity at Franco-Nevada In related news, Director Catharine Elizabeth Goddard Farrow sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of C$171.78, for a total value of C$3,435,562.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 301 shares of the companys stock, valued at C$51,705.21. In other Franco-Nevada news, Director Catharine Elizabeth Goddard Farrow sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of C$171.78, for a total transaction of C$3,435,562.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 301 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately C$51,705.21. Also, Director Paul Brink sold 13,076 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$170.21, for a total value of C$2,225,654.19. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 33,606 shares of company stock valued at $5,747,182. Insiders own 0.69% of the companys stock. About Franco-Nevada (Get Free Report) Franco-Nevada Corporation operates as a gold-focused royalty and streaming company in South America, Central America, Mexico, the United States, Canada, and internationally. It operates through Mining and Energy segments. The company manages its portfolio with a focus on precious metals, such as gold, silver, and platinum group metals; and engages in the sale of crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids through a third-party marketing agent. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Franco-Nevada Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Franco-Nevada and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Klaviyo, Inc. (NYSE:KVYO Get Free Report) President Stephen Eric Rowland sold 18,114 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, August 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $31.67, for a total transaction of $573,670.38. Following the completion of the transaction, the president now directly owns 192,488 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,096,094.96. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Klaviyo Trading Down 0.1 % Shares of NYSE KVYO traded down $0.03 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $31.80. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,503,889 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,218,311. Klaviyo, Inc. has a 1-year low of $21.26 and a 1-year high of $39.47. The firms fifty day moving average price is $25.13 and its 200-day moving average price is $25.16. Get Klaviyo alerts: Klaviyo (NYSE:KVYO Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The company reported $0.15 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.10 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $222.21 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $212.34 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.09 earnings per share. The companys quarterly revenue was up 35.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that Klaviyo, Inc. will post -0.11 earnings per share for the current year. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of equities analysts have recently commented on KVYO shares. Barclays raised their target price on shares of Klaviyo from $29.00 to $32.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a buy rating and set a $40.00 price target on shares of Klaviyo in a report on Friday, May 17th. Canaccord Genuity Group lowered their price target on shares of Klaviyo from $37.00 to $32.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 9th. Mizuho lowered their price target on shares of Klaviyo from $40.00 to $35.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 9th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald raised their price target on shares of Klaviyo from $31.00 to $33.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $35.65. Get Our Latest Research Report on KVYO Institutional Inflows and Outflows Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Salem Investment Counselors Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Klaviyo by 161.1% in the 1st quarter. Salem Investment Counselors Inc. now owns 2,350 shares of the companys stock valued at $60,000 after buying an additional 1,450 shares during the period. EntryPoint Capital LLC bought a new stake in Klaviyo in the 1st quarter valued at about $71,000. New York State Common Retirement Fund lifted its position in Klaviyo by 191.0% in the 4th quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 5,485 shares of the companys stock valued at $152,000 after purchasing an additional 3,600 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new stake in Klaviyo in the 2nd quarter valued at about $236,000. Finally, SVB Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Klaviyo in the 1st quarter valued at about $299,000. 45.43% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About Klaviyo (Get Free Report) Klaviyo, Inc, a technology company, provides a software-as-a-service platform in the United States, other Americas, the Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The company offers Klaviyo, a cloud-native platform for data store, segmentation engine, campaigns and flows, and messaging infrastructure. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Klaviyo Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Klaviyo and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. (TSE:ITH Get Free Report) (NYSE:THM)s share price crossed below its 50 day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 50 day moving average of C$0.68 and traded as low as C$0.59. International Tower Hill Mines shares last traded at C$0.59, with a volume of 6,500 shares trading hands. International Tower Hill Mines Stock Up 3.4 % The company has a market cap of C$121.81 million, a P/E ratio of -20.33 and a beta of 1.16. The business has a fifty day moving average of C$0.68 and a 200 day moving average of C$0.79. International Tower Hill Mines Company Profile (Get Free Report) International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties. It holds rights to acquire interests in the Livengood gold project covering an area of approximately 19,546 hectares located to the northwest of Fairbanks, Alaska. The company was formerly known as Tower Hill Mines Ltd. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for International Tower Hill Mines Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for International Tower Hill Mines and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Rovin Capital UT ADV increased its stake in shares of iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (BATS:IEFA Free Report) by 43.0% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 125,581 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 37,783 shares during the period. iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF makes up approximately 3.8% of Rovin Capital UT ADVs holdings, making the stock its 5th largest holding. Rovin Capital UT ADVs holdings in iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF were worth $9,122,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. National Bank of Canada FI raised its position in shares of iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF by 220.0% in the 1st quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 7,138,336 shares of the companys stock valued at $532,938,000 after purchasing an additional 4,907,948 shares in the last quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN boosted its stake in iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF by 7.4% during the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 56,399,935 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,967,735,000 after acquiring an additional 3,893,711 shares during the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp grew its holdings in iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF by 5.0% during the 4th quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 76,887,097 shares of the companys stock worth $5,409,007,000 after acquiring an additional 3,655,216 shares in the last quarter. Dynasty Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF in the 1st quarter worth about $213,219,000. Finally, Quotient Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF in the 4th quarter valued at about $179,718,000. Get iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF alerts: iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF Price Performance BATS:IEFA traded up $0.40 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $74.72. The stock had a trading volume of 5,818,795 shares. The company has a market capitalization of $117.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.38 and a beta of 0.82. iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF has a 1-year low of $56.55 and a 1-year high of $70.84. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $73.34 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $73.10. iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF Company Profile The iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI EAFE IMI index, a market-cap-weighted index of developed-market stocks in Europe, Australasia and the Far East, and excludes North America IEFA was launched on Oct 18, 2012 and is managed by BlackRock. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Australia ETF (NYSEARCA:HAUD Get Free Report) shot up 0% during trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $24.36 and last traded at $24.36. 100 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 88% from the average session volume of 847 shares. The stock had previously closed at $24.35. iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Australia ETF Price Performance The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $24.36 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $24.36. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Australia ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Australia ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Kingswood Holdings Limited (LON:KWG Get Free Report) shot up 2% on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as GBX 12.90 ($0.16) and last traded at GBX 12.50 ($0.16). 114,000 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 176% from the average session volume of 41,357 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 12.25 ($0.16). Kingswood Stock Performance The company has a market capitalization of 85.77 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -153.13 and a beta of -0.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 112.32, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 0.84. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of GBX 11.52 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of GBX 11.14. Kingswood Company Profile (Get Free Report) Kingswood Holdings Limited engages in the investment management and financial planning business in the United Kingdom and the United States. It operates through three segments: Investment Management, Wealth Planning, and US Operations. The company provides wealth planning, advice process, pensions and retirement planning, inheritance tax and estate planning, tax planning, succession planning, protection advisory, cash management, and foreign exchange services. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Kingswood Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Kingswood and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Professional Financial Advisors LLC increased its holdings in KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:KKR Free Report) by 1.5% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 13,548 shares of the asset managers stock after buying an additional 203 shares during the quarter. Professional Financial Advisors LLCs holdings in KKR & Co. Inc. were worth $1,426,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its stake in shares of KKR & Co. Inc. by 622.9% during the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 253 shares of the asset managers stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 218 shares during the period. Mather Group LLC. grew its stake in shares of KKR & Co. Inc. by 371.4% during the 2nd quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 264 shares of the asset managers stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 208 shares during the period. Riverview Trust Co acquired a new stake in shares of KKR & Co. Inc. during the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV grew its stake in shares of KKR & Co. Inc. by 65.6% during the 2nd quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 452 shares of the asset managers stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 179 shares during the period. Finally, Missouri Trust & Investment Co grew its stake in shares of KKR & Co. Inc. by 408.9% during the 4th quarter. Missouri Trust & Investment Co now owns 458 shares of the asset managers stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 368 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.26% of the companys stock. Get KKR & Co. Inc. alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on KKR shares. Oppenheimer raised their price objective on shares of KKR & Co. Inc. from $121.00 to $128.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, August 1st. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of KKR & Co. Inc. from $114.00 to $117.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. Evercore ISI lifted their price target on shares of KKR & Co. Inc. from $112.00 to $117.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Monday, July 15th. StockNews.com raised shares of KKR & Co. Inc. to a sell rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, JMP Securities lifted their price target on shares of KKR & Co. Inc. from $115.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a market outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, August 1st. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating, twelve have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $122.77. Insider Transactions at KKR & Co. Inc. In other news, major shareholder Kkr Group Partnership L.P. sold 2,554,644 shares of KKR & Co. Inc. stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.85, for a total transaction of $48,155,039.40. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. In other news, major shareholder Kkr Group Partnership L.P. sold 2,554,644 shares of KKR & Co. Inc. stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.85, for a total transaction of $48,155,039.40. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, major shareholder Kkr Alternative Assets Llc purchased 1,956,182 shares of KKR & Co. Inc. stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 4th. The shares were bought at an average price of $25.56 per share, for a total transaction of $50,000,011.92. Following the acquisition, the insider now owns 9,688,618 shares in the company, valued at $247,641,076.08. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders own 39.34% of the companys stock. KKR & Co. Inc. Price Performance KKR stock traded down $1.10 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $119.12. The stock had a trading volume of 2,462,748 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,878,207. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $111.37 and its 200 day simple moving average is $102.72. The company has a current ratio of 0.08, a quick ratio of 0.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.86. The company has a market cap of $105.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 1.62. KKR & Co. Inc. has a 52-week low of $53.72 and a 52-week high of $128.79. KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:KKR Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 31st. The asset manager reported $1.09 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.89 by $0.20. KKR & Co. Inc. had a return on equity of 5.05% and a net margin of 17.99%. The company had revenue of $4.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.07 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.58 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that KKR & Co. Inc. will post 3.96 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. KKR & Co. Inc. Dividend Announcement The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 27th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 12th will be issued a dividend of $0.175 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 12th. This represents a $0.70 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.59%. KKR & Co. Inc.s dividend payout ratio is presently 15.70%. About KKR & Co. Inc. (Free Report) KKR & Co Inc is a private equity and real estate investment firm specializing in direct and fund of fund investments. It specializes in acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, management buyouts, credit special situations, growth equity, mature, mezzanine, distressed, turnaround, lower middle market and middle market investments. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for KKR & Co. Inc. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for KKR & Co. Inc. and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. HSBC upgraded shares of Lithium Americas (Argentina) (NYSE:LAAC Free Report) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note released on Wednesday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. LAAC has been the topic of a number of other research reports. National Bankshares set a $6.00 price objective on shares of Lithium Americas (Argentina) and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research report on Thursday, June 6th. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price target on shares of Lithium Americas (Argentina) from $18.50 to $12.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 21st. Finally, National Bank Financial upgraded Lithium Americas (Argentina) to a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, June 5th. Four 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 stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $8.21. Get Lithium Americas (Argentina) alerts: Get Our Latest Research Report on LAAC Lithium Americas (Argentina) Trading Up 6.0 % Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lithium Americas (Argentina) LAAC opened at $2.63 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $424.03 million, a P/E ratio of 0.33 and a beta of 1.35. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $3.12 and its 200 day simple moving average is $4.24. Lithium Americas has a 12 month low of $2.26 and a 12 month high of $8.79. A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of LAAC. Mather Group LLC. acquired a new position in Lithium Americas (Argentina) in the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. Fairscale Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lithium Americas (Argentina) during the second quarter worth approximately $31,000. Fifth Third Bancorp increased its stake in shares of Lithium Americas (Argentina) by 67.9% during the second quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 9,895 shares of the companys stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 4,000 shares during the period. Ping Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Lithium Americas (Argentina) during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $35,000. Finally, Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC acquired a new position in Lithium Americas (Argentina) in the 2nd quarter valued at $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 49.17% of the companys stock. About Lithium Americas (Argentina) (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. Featured 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. Lloyds Banking Group plc (NYSE:LYG Get Free Report) was the target of a significant decline in short interest in July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 9,770,000 shares, a decline of 21.8% from the July 15th total of 12,490,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 9,630,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.0 days. Currently, 0.1% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several analysts have recently weighed in on LYG shares. BNP Paribas upgraded shares of Lloyds Banking Group from a neutral rating to an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, July 5th. Royal Bank of Canada cut Lloyds Banking Group from an outperform rating to a sector perform rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. UBS Group reissued a neutral rating on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 30th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on Lloyds Banking Group in a research note on Thursday, May 9th. They issued a buy rating on the stock. Finally, Citigroup lowered Lloyds Banking Group from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, August 5th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $32.38. Get Lloyds Banking Group alerts: View Our Latest Stock Analysis on LYG Lloyds Banking Group Stock Up 1.5 % Shares of NYSE LYG traded up $0.04 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $3.02. 3,542,995 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 9,296,156. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $2.88 and a 200-day moving average price of $2.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89, a quick ratio of 1.48 and a current ratio of 1.45. The company has a market cap of $47.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.84 and a beta of 1.35. Lloyds Banking Group has a 52 week low of $1.88 and a 52 week high of $3.13. Lloyds Banking Group (NYSE:LYG Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 25th. The financial services provider reported $0.09 EPS for the quarter. The business had revenue of $9.55 billion for the quarter. Lloyds Banking Group had a net margin of 12.40% and a return on equity of 10.34%. Research analysts anticipate that Lloyds Banking Group will post 0.32 EPS for the current year. Lloyds Banking Group Increases Dividend The company also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 20th. Investors of record on Monday, August 5th will be paid a $0.0546 dividend. This is a boost from Lloyds Banking Groups previous semi-annual dividend of $0.05. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 5th. This represents a yield of 4.4%. Lloyds Banking Groups payout ratio is presently 26.32%. Institutional Trading of Lloyds Banking Group Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LYG. Patriot Financial Group Insurance Agency LLC increased its holdings in Lloyds Banking Group by 2.8% during the second quarter. Patriot Financial Group Insurance Agency LLC now owns 135,436 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $370,000 after buying an additional 3,752 shares during the last quarter. AMG National Trust Bank increased its stake in shares of Lloyds Banking Group by 0.4% in the 2nd quarter. AMG National Trust Bank now owns 1,001,075 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $2,733,000 after purchasing an additional 3,976 shares in the last quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC raised 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 purchasing an additional 3,986 shares during the period. Brookstone Capital Management lifted its position in Lloyds Banking Group by 12.1% during the first quarter. Brookstone Capital Management now owns 38,516 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $100,000 after purchasing an additional 4,167 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Lloyds Banking Group by 7.3% during the second quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 61,586 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $168,000 after purchasing an additional 4,194 shares during the period. 2.15% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Lloyds Banking Group Company Profile (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. Featured Stories 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. Miracle Mile Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C Free Report) by 0.6% during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 34,665 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 194 shares during the quarter. Miracle Mile Advisors LLCs holdings in Citigroup were worth $2,200,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of C. Kentucky Retirement Systems lifted its stake in shares of Citigroup by 2.6% in the 4th quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems now owns 153,131 shares of the companys stock valued at $7,877,000 after purchasing an additional 3,808 shares during the period. TD Asset Management Inc raised its stake in Citigroup by 21.8% during the 4th quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 967,655 shares of the companys stock worth $49,776,000 after buying an additional 173,137 shares during the period. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. raised its stake in Citigroup by 355.9% during the 1st quarter. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. now owns 19,115 shares of the companys stock worth $1,209,000 after buying an additional 14,922 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors L.P. raised its stake in Citigroup by 46.3% during the 4th quarter. Natixis Advisors L.P. now owns 1,481,614 shares of the companys stock worth $76,213,000 after buying an additional 469,142 shares during the period. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group Inc. raised its stake in Citigroup by 12.7% during the 4th quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 213,153 shares of the companys stock worth $10,965,000 after buying an additional 23,998 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.72% of the companys stock. Get Citigroup alerts: Citigroup Stock Performance NYSE:C traded up $0.88 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $61.40. The stock had a trading volume of 9,939,926 shares, compared to its average volume of 14,974,501. Citigroup Inc. has a twelve month low of $38.17 and a twelve month high of $67.81. The stock has a market cap of $117.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.20, a PEG ratio of 0.68 and a beta of 1.46. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $62.25 and its 200 day simple moving average is $60.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.47, a quick ratio of 0.95 and a current ratio of 0.94. Citigroup Increases Dividend Citigroup ( NYSE:C Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Friday, July 12th. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.39 by $0.13. Citigroup had a net margin of 4.95% and a return on equity of 6.26%. The business had revenue of $20.14 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $20.07 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.37 EPS. Citigroups revenue was up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Citigroup Inc. will post 5.85 earnings per share for the current year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 23rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 5th will be given a dividend of $0.56 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 5th. This is an increase from Citigroups previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. This represents a $2.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.65%. Citigroups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 62.75%. Analysts Set New Price Targets C has been the topic of several research analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on Citigroup from $63.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research note on Thursday, July 11th. Piper Sandler increased their target price on Citigroup from $70.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Monday, July 15th. Oppenheimer increased their target price on Citigroup from $85.00 to $86.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Monday, July 15th. Evercore ISI increased their target price on Citigroup from $60.00 to $62.00 and gave the stock an in-line rating in a report on Wednesday, July 3rd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on Citigroup from $63.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Monday, June 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $68.06. View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Citigroup Citigroup Company Profile (Free Report) Citigroup Inc, a diversified financial service holding company, provides various financial product and services to consumers, corporations, governments, and institutions worldwide. It operates through five segments: Services, Markets, Banking, U.S. Personal Banking, and Wealth. The Services segment includes Treasury and Trade Solutions, which provides cash management, trade, and working capital solutions to multinational corporations, financial institutions, and public sector organizations; and Securities Services, such as cross-border support for clients, local market expertise, post-trade technologies, data solutions, and various securities services solutions. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding C? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Citigroup Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Citigroup and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Naples Global Advisors LLC increased its stake in Kellanova (NYSE:K Free Report) by 27.7% in the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 14,556 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 3,160 shares during the quarter. Naples Global Advisors LLCs holdings in Kellanova were worth $840,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Intech Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in Kellanova by 10.1% during the 4th quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 263,880 shares of the companys stock valued at $14,754,000 after acquiring an additional 24,124 shares in the last quarter. Jump Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Kellanova in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $8,178,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in Kellanova by 133.4% during the 4th quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 60,885 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,404,000 after buying an additional 34,800 shares during the last quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co increased its position in Kellanova by 4.3% during the first quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 256,520 shares of the companys stock worth $14,705,000 after buying an additional 10,676 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its position in shares of Kellanova by 498.7% in the second quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 260,901 shares of the companys stock valued at $15,049,000 after acquiring an additional 217,320 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.87% of the companys stock. Get Kellanova alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of research firms recently commented on K. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price objective on Kellanova from $64.00 to $76.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Monday, August 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on shares of Kellanova in a research note on Monday, August 12th. They set a neutral rating and a $75.00 price objective on the stock. BNP Paribas raised shares of Kellanova from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and set a $74.00 target price for the company in a research note on Monday, August 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Kellanova from $66.00 to $69.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Finally, Bank of America raised Kellanova from a neutral rating to a buy rating and raised their price target for the stock from $62.00 to $70.00 in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $73.57. Kellanova Trading Up 0.0 % Shares of K stock traded up $0.01 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $80.29. The companys stock had a trading volume of 7,353,612 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,302,036. The company has a quick ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.46. The firm has a market capitalization of $27.45 billion, a PE ratio of 30.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 0.34. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $61.42 and its 200-day simple moving average is $58.72. Kellanova has a 12-month low of $47.63 and a 12-month high of $80.46. Kellanova (NYSE:K Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The company reported $1.01 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.90 by $0.11. The company had revenue of $3.19 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.15 billion. Kellanova had a return on equity of 36.74% and a net margin of 6.72%. The firms quarterly revenue was down 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.25 earnings per share. On average, research analysts predict that Kellanova will post 3.68 EPS for the current fiscal year. Kellanova Increases Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 13th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 3rd will be issued a dividend of $0.57 per share. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.84%. This is a positive change from Kellanovas previous quarterly dividend of $0.56. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 3rd. Kellanovas dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 85.39%. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, major shareholder Kellogg W. K. Foundation Trust sold 77,800 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.16, for a total value of $4,680,448.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 51,531,038 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,100,107,246.08. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders have sold 855,800 shares of company stock valued at $52,647,260 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 1.80% of the companys stock. Kellanova Profile (Free Report) Kellanova, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and markets snacks and convenience foods in North America, Europe, Latin America, the Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Australia, and Africa. Its principal products include crackers, crisps, savory snacks, toaster pastries, cereal bars, granola bars and bites, ready-to-eat cereals, frozen waffles, veggie foods, and noodles. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding K? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Kellanova (NYSE:K Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Kellanova Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Kellanova and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. O ROURKE & COMPANY Inc raised its stake in shares of Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE Free Report) by 51.0% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 16,081 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after buying an additional 5,430 shares during the quarter. O ROURKE & COMPANY Incs holdings in Pfizer were worth $450,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Olistico Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Pfizer during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Creekmur Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in Pfizer in the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. Trivant Custom Portfolio Group LLC raised its stake in Pfizer by 100.0% in the 1st quarter. Trivant Custom Portfolio Group LLC now owns 1,200 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 600 shares during the period. Tennessee Valley Asset Management Partners acquired a new position in Pfizer in the 4th quarter valued at $36,000. Finally, DiNuzzo Private Wealth Inc. acquired a new position in Pfizer in the 4th quarter valued at $37,000. 68.36% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Pfizer alerts: Pfizer Stock Down 1.5 % Pfizer stock traded down $0.42 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $28.29. The stock had a trading volume of 50,299,189 shares, compared to its average volume of 39,558,848. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a current ratio of 0.86. Pfizer Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $25.20 and a fifty-two week high of $37.19. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $28.75 and its 200-day simple moving average is $27.89. The firm has a market capitalization of $160.31 billion, a PE ratio of -471.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.99 and a beta of 0.69. Pfizer Dividend Announcement Pfizer ( NYSE:PFE Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 30th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.60 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.46 by $0.14. Pfizer had a positive return on equity of 8.42% and a negative net margin of 4.66%. The firm had revenue of $13.28 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $12.96 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.67 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Pfizer Inc. will post 2.68 EPS for the current fiscal year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 3rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 26th will be paid a $0.42 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 26th. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.94%. Pfizers dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -2,799.53%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In PFE has been the topic of several analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Pfizer from $28.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an overweight rating and set a $45.00 price objective on shares of Pfizer in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an outperform rating and issued a $36.00 target price (up from $33.00) on shares of Pfizer in a research report on Thursday, May 2nd. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Pfizer from $28.00 to $29.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Thursday, May 2nd. Finally, Barclays raised their price objective on Pfizer from $30.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Pfizer has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $34.54. View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Pfizer 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 Articles 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. Old Port Advisors raised its stake in shares of Phillips 66 (NYSE:PSX Free Report) by 8.7% in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,650 shares of the oil and gas companys stock after buying an additional 132 shares during the quarter. Old Port Advisors holdings in Phillips 66 were worth $233,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in Phillips 66 by 4.0% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 41,271,077 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $6,741,218,000 after buying an additional 1,578,669 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its holdings in Phillips 66 by 20.3% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 10,903,130 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $1,451,643,000 after buying an additional 1,842,226 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its holdings in Phillips 66 by 38.0% during the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 8,019,795 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $1,309,954,000 after buying an additional 2,209,043 shares in the last quarter. Boston Partners grew its holdings in Phillips 66 by 41.4% during the 1st quarter. Boston Partners now owns 5,453,892 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $889,214,000 after buying an additional 1,595,722 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new position in Phillips 66 during the 4th quarter valued at about $559,435,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.93% of the companys stock. Get Phillips 66 alerts: Phillips 66 Stock Up 0.2 % Shares of NYSE PSX traded up $0.24 during trading on Friday, reaching $138.92. The company had a trading volume of 1,644,456 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,649,109. Phillips 66 has a 12-month low of $107.85 and a 12-month high of $174.08. The stock has a market cap of $58.90 billion, a PE ratio of 10.69, a P/E/G ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 1.34. The businesss 50-day moving average is $138.18 and its 200 day moving average is $145.93. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. Phillips 66 Dividend Announcement Phillips 66 ( NYSE:PSX Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 30th. The oil and gas company reported $2.31 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.98 by $0.33. Phillips 66 had a return on equity of 16.77% and a net margin of 3.32%. The company had revenue of $38.91 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $37.79 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $3.87 earnings per share. Phillips 66s revenue was up 8.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Phillips 66 will post 9.53 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 3rd. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 20th will be given a dividend of $1.15 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, August 20th. This represents a $4.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.31%. Phillips 66s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 35.38%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several research analysts have recently commented on PSX shares. Mizuho cut their price objective on Phillips 66 from $162.00 to $160.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Thursday, June 20th. Raymond James boosted their price objective on Phillips 66 from $150.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. Piper Sandler cut their price objective on Phillips 66 from $170.00 to $151.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Friday, June 14th. StockNews.com lowered Phillips 66 from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Monday, May 6th. Finally, Scotiabank cut their price objective on Phillips 66 from $156.00 to $145.00 and set a sector outperform rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 12th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $157.38. View Our Latest Stock Report on PSX Phillips 66 Company Profile (Free Report) Phillips 66 operates as an energy manufacturing and logistics company in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and internationally. It operates through four segments: Midstream, Chemicals, Refining, and Marketing and Specialties (M&S). The Midstream segment transports crude oil and other feedstocks; delivers refined petroleum products to market; provides terminaling and storage services for crude oil and refined petroleum products; transports, stores, fractionates, exports, and markets natural gas liquids; provides other fee-based processing services; and gathers, processes, transports, and markets natural gas. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PSX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Phillips 66 (NYSE:PSX Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Phillips 66 Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Phillips 66 and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Old Port Advisors raised its stake in shares of The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG Free Report) by 5.4% in the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 3,359 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 171 shares during the period. Old Port Advisors holdings in Procter & Gamble were worth $554,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Procter & Gamble in the 4th quarter worth approximately $3,956,117,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Procter & Gamble by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 16,209,425 shares of the companys stock worth $2,336,552,000 after buying an additional 206,165 shares during the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Procter & Gamble by 5.6% in the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 10,556,988 shares of the companys stock worth $1,547,021,000 after buying an additional 559,358 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Procter & Gamble by 2.6% in the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 9,571,693 shares of the companys stock worth $1,402,636,000 after buying an additional 246,323 shares during the last quarter. Finally, California Public Employees Retirement System boosted its stake in shares of Procter & Gamble by 17.1% in the 4th quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 9,492,039 shares of the companys stock worth $1,390,963,000 after buying an additional 1,387,539 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.77% of the companys stock. Get Procter & Gamble alerts: Insider Activity In related news, CEO Sundar G. Raman sold 31,924 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $166.95, for a total value of $5,329,711.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 19,042 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,179,061.90. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In related news, CEO Sundar G. Raman sold 31,924 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $166.95, for a total value of $5,329,711.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 19,042 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,179,061.90. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, insider Balaji Purushothaman sold 8,842 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $164.90, for a total transaction of $1,458,045.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 11,537 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,902,451.30. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 116,313 shares of company stock valued at $19,703,643. Insiders own 0.17% of the companys stock. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of research firms recently commented on PG. Barclays lowered their price target 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. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Procter & Gamble from $177.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, July 10th. Dbs Bank cut shares of Procter & Gamble from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Thursday, August 1st. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on shares of Procter & Gamble from $157.00 to $161.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a report on Monday, July 22nd. Finally, Argus lifted their price target on shares of Procter & Gamble from $180.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, April 25th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $173.95. Read Our Latest Stock Report on Procter & Gamble Procter & Gamble Trading Down 0.0 % NYSE PG traded down $0.03 during trading on Friday, hitting $167.89. 5,640,925 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,674,588. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $166.99 and a two-hundred day moving average of $163.22. 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 Procter & Gamble Company has a 12-month low of $141.45 and a 12-month high of $171.72. The firm has a market cap of $396.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.43, a PEG ratio of 3.70 and a beta of 0.41. 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 (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.37 by $0.03. The business 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 companys revenue was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.37 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that The Procter & Gamble Company will post 6.97 EPS for the current year. Procter & Gamble Dividend Announcement The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 19th were paid a dividend of $1.0065 per share. This represents a $4.03 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.40%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 19th. Procter & Gambles dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 65.69%. Procter & Gamble 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. Further Reading 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. Old Port Advisors trimmed its position in Pinnacle West Capital Co. (NYSE:PNW Free Report) by 28.4% in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 4,423 shares of the utilities providers stock after selling 1,756 shares during the period. Old Port Advisors holdings in Pinnacle West Capital were worth $338,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Intech Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Pinnacle West Capital during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $898,000. abrdn plc grew its position in shares of Pinnacle West Capital by 120.0% during the 4th quarter. abrdn plc now owns 58,335 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $4,191,000 after acquiring an additional 31,821 shares during the period. Virtu Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Pinnacle West Capital during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $977,000. Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new stake in shares of Pinnacle West Capital during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $1,102,000. Finally, Duality Advisers LP purchased a new stake in shares of Pinnacle West Capital during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,422,000. 91.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get Pinnacle West Capital alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes A number of brokerages recently commented on PNW. Citigroup began coverage on shares of Pinnacle West Capital in a research note on Monday, April 29th. They set a neutral rating and a $78.00 price target on the stock. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Pinnacle West Capital from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, August 5th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Pinnacle West Capital from $80.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on shares of Pinnacle West Capital from $76.00 to $72.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, June 24th. Finally, Barclays lowered their target price on shares of Pinnacle West Capital from $81.00 to $78.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 2nd. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Pinnacle West Capital presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $77.41. Insider Activity at Pinnacle West Capital In related news, EVP Robert Edgar Smith sold 4,950 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, August 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $85.80, for a total transaction of $424,710.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 6,397 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $548,862.60. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.23% of the stock is owned by insiders. Pinnacle West Capital Price Performance Shares of Pinnacle West Capital stock traded up $0.50 on Friday, hitting $86.45. 749,938 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,147,030. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $80.43 and its 200 day simple moving average is $75.49. The company has a current ratio of 0.58, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20. The company has a market cap of $9.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.83, a P/E/G ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 0.50. Pinnacle West Capital Co. has a 12-month low of $65.20 and a 12-month high of $89.39. Pinnacle West Capital (NYSE:PNW Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The utilities provider reported $1.76 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.31 by $0.45. Pinnacle West Capital had a net margin of 12.65% and a return on equity of 9.73%. The firm had revenue of $1.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.21 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.94 EPS. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 15.7% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that Pinnacle West Capital Co. will post 4.75 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Pinnacle West Capital Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 3rd. Investors of record on Thursday, August 1st will be issued a dividend of $0.88 per share. This represents a $3.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.07%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 1st. Pinnacle West Capitals dividend payout ratio is currently 76.69%. Pinnacle West Capital Profile (Free Report) Pinnacle West Capital Corporation, through its subsidiary, provides retail and wholesale electric services primarily in the state of Arizona. The company engages in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity using coal, nuclear, gas, oil, and solar generating facilities. Its transmission facilities include overhead lines and underground lines; and distribution facilities consist of overhead lines and underground primary cables. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PNW? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Pinnacle West Capital Co. (NYSE:PNW Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Pinnacle West Capital Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Pinnacle West Capital and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Blue Trust Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Palantir Technologies Inc. (NYSE:PLTR Free Report) by 42.3% during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 16,646 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 4,945 shares during the quarter. Blue Trust Inc.s holdings in Palantir Technologies were worth $422,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Evolution Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Palantir Technologies by 0.5% during the second quarter. Evolution Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 73,144 shares of the companys stock worth $1,853,000 after acquiring an additional 360 shares in the last quarter. Apella Capital LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Palantir Technologies by 3.7% during the 2nd quarter. Apella Capital LLC now owns 11,791 shares of the companys stock valued at $323,000 after buying an additional 416 shares during the last quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Palantir Technologies by 1.2% in the 2nd quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC now owns 36,177 shares of the companys stock valued at $916,000 after buying an additional 416 shares in the last quarter. Halpern Financial Inc. increased its holdings in Palantir Technologies by 44.0% in the first quarter. Halpern Financial Inc. now owns 1,440 shares of the companys stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 440 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Harbor Investment Advisory LLC raised its position in Palantir Technologies by 16.9% during the first quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 3,208 shares of the companys stock valued at $74,000 after acquiring an additional 463 shares in the last quarter. 45.65% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Palantir Technologies alerts: Insider Activity at Palantir Technologies In related news, insider David A. Glazer sold 72,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $31.18, for a total transaction of $2,260,550.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 298,012 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,292,014.16. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In other news, insider David A. Glazer sold 72,500 shares of Palantir Technologies stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $31.18, for a total value of $2,260,550.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 298,012 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $9,292,014.16. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Heather A. Planishek sold 2,398 shares of Palantir Technologies stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.30, for a total value of $51,077.40. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 639,696 shares of the companys stock, valued at $13,625,524.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 506,580 shares of company stock valued at $14,748,074 over the last quarter. 12.93% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Palantir Technologies Stock Up 2.8 % Shares of PLTR stock traded up $0.86 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $32.08. The stock had a trading volume of 64,870,638 shares, compared to its average volume of 55,685,449. The firm has a market cap of $71.44 billion, a PE ratio of 267.21, a P/E/G ratio of 5.29 and a beta of 2.71. Palantir Technologies Inc. has a one year low of $13.68 and a one year high of $32.75. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $26.78 and its 200 day simple moving average is $24.09. Palantir Technologies (NYSE:PLTR Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Monday, August 5th. The company reported $0.09 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.08 by $0.01. Palantir Technologies had a return on equity of 8.88% and a net margin of 16.32%. The firm had revenue of $678.13 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $653.23 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.01 earnings per share. Palantir Technologiess quarterly revenue was up 27.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts forecast that Palantir Technologies Inc. will post 0.19 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several research analysts have recently commented on PLTR shares. Raymond James increased their price target on shares of Palantir Technologies from $25.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 6th. DA Davidson increased their target price on shares of Palantir Technologies from $24.00 to $28.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 6th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on Palantir Technologies from $24.00 to $28.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Monday, July 29th. Wedbush reissued an outperform rating and set a $35.00 price objective on shares of Palantir Technologies in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada restated an underperform rating and issued a $9.00 target price on shares of Palantir Technologies in a report on Tuesday, August 6th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Palantir Technologies presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $23.14. Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on PLTR Palantir Technologies Company Profile (Free Report) Palantir Technologies Inc builds and deploys software platforms for the intelligence community to assist in counterterrorism investigations and operations in the United States, the United Kingdom, and internationally. The company provides Palantir Gotham, a software platform which enables users to identify patterns hidden deep within datasets, ranging from signals intelligence sources to reports from confidential informants, as well as facilitates the handoff between analysts and operational users, helping operators plan and execute real-world responses to threats that have been identified within the platform. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PLTR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Palantir Technologies Inc. (NYSE:PLTR Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Palantir Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Palantir Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Kite Realty Group Trust (NYSE:KRG Get Free Report) and NewRiver REIT (OTCMKTS:NRWRF Get Free Report) are both real estate companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, dividends, risk, institutional ownership, earnings, profitability and analyst recommendations. Profitability This table compares Kite Realty Group Trust and NewRiver REITs net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Get Kite Realty Group Trust alerts: Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Kite Realty Group Trust -2.95% -0.69% -0.35% NewRiver REIT N/A N/A N/A Analyst Recommendations This is a breakdown of current recommendations for Kite Realty Group Trust and NewRiver REIT, as reported by MarketBeat.com. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Kite Realty Group Trust 1 1 3 1 2.67 NewRiver REIT 0 0 0 0 N/A Institutional & Insider Ownership Kite Realty Group Trust currently has a consensus price target of $26.33, suggesting a potential upside of 5.21%. Given Kite Realty Group Trusts higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Kite Realty Group Trust is more favorable than NewRiver REIT. 90.8% of Kite Realty Group Trust shares are held by institutional investors. 2.0% of Kite Realty Group Trust shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term. Earnings & Valuation This table compares Kite Realty Group Trust and NewRiver REITs gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Kite Realty Group Trust $827.37 million 6.64 $47.50 million $0.26 96.27 NewRiver REIT N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Kite Realty Group Trust has higher revenue and earnings than NewRiver REIT. Summary Kite Realty Group Trust beats NewRiver REIT on 6 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks. About Kite Realty Group Trust (Get Free Report) Kite Realty Group Trust (NYSE: KRG) is a real estate investment trust (REIT) headquartered in Indianapolis, IN that is one of the largest publicly traded owners and operators of open-air shopping centers and mixed-use assets. The Companys primarily grocery-anchored portfolio is located in high-growth Sun Belt and select strategic gateway markets. The combination of necessity-based grocery-anchored neighborhood and community centers, along with vibrant mixed-use assets makes the KRG portfolio an ideal mix for both retailers and consumers. Publicly listed since 2004, KRG has nearly 60 years of experience in developing, constructing and operating real estate. Using operational, investment, development, and redevelopment expertise, KRG continuously optimizes its portfolio to maximize value and return to shareholders. As of December 31, 2023, the Company owned interests in 180 U.S. open-air shopping centers and mixed-use assets, comprising approximately 28.1 million square feet of gross leasable space. About NewRiver REIT (Get Free Report) NewRiver REIT plc ('NewRiver') is a leading Real Estate Investment Trust specialising in buying, managing and developing resilient retail assets throughout the UK. Our 0.6 billion UK wide portfolio covers 6.4 million sq ft and comprises 25 community shopping centres and 12 conveniently located retail parks occupied by tenants predominately focused on essential goods and services. In addition we manage 18 retail parks and 5 shopping centres on behalf of Capital Partners, taking our total Assets Under Management to 1.3 billion. Our objective is to own and manage the most resilient retail portfolio in the UK, focused on retail parks, core shopping centres, and regeneration opportunities in order to deliver long-term attractive recurring income returns and capital growth for our shareholders. NewRiver has a Premium Listing on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange (ticker: NRR). Receive News & Ratings for Kite Realty Group Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Kite Realty Group Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Rio Tinto Group (OTCMKTS:RTNTF Get Free Report)s stock price traded down 9.5% on Friday . The stock traded as low as $70.86 and last traded at $70.86. 482 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 14% from the average session volume of 561 shares. The stock had previously closed at $78.31. Rio Tinto Group Stock Down 9.5 % The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $78.31 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $81.70. Rio Tinto Group Company Profile (Get Free Report) Rio Tinto Group engages in exploring, mining, and processing mineral resources worldwide. The company operates through Iron Ore, Aluminium, Copper, and Minerals Segments. The Iron Ore segment engages in the iron ore mining, and salt and gypsum production in Western Australia. The Aluminum segment is involved in bauxite mining; alumina refining; and aluminium smelting. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Rio Tinto Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Rio Tinto Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Commerzbank AG (OTCMKTS:CRZBY Get Free Report) saw a large increase in short interest in July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 14,200 shares, an increase of 21.4% from the July 15th total of 11,700 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 14,300 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.0 days. Commerzbank Price Performance Shares of CRZBY stock traded up $0.05 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $14.09. The company had a trading volume of 5,031 shares, compared to its average volume of 16,785. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 14.86, a current ratio of 32.55 and a quick ratio of 32.55. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $15.45 and its 200-day moving average price is $14.42. Commerzbank has a 52-week low of $9.72 and a 52-week high of $17.09. The company has a market capitalization of $16.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.26 and a beta of 1.02. Get Commerzbank alerts: Commerzbank (OTCMKTS:CRZBY Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 15th. The financial services provider reported $0.67 EPS for the quarter. Commerzbank had a net margin of 10.27% and a return on equity of 6.71%. The business had revenue of $2.98 billion for the quarter. Equities research analysts forecast that Commerzbank will post 1.96 earnings per share for the current year. Analyst Ratings Changes Separately, Citigroup cut Commerzbank from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, June 3rd. View Our Latest Report on CRZBY Commerzbank Company Profile (Get Free Report) Commerzbank AG provides banking and capital market products and services to private and small business customers, corporate, financial service providers, and institutional clients in Germany, rest of Europe, the Americas, Asia, and internationally. It operates through two segments, Private and Small-Business Customers, and Corporate Clients. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Commerzbank Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Commerzbank and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Silver Lake Advisory LLC acquired a new position in Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE:LUV Free Report) in the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 16,018 shares of the airlines stock, valued at approximately $458,000. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of LUV. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Southwest Airlines by 374.0% in the 4th quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 858 shares of the airlines stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 677 shares in the last quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC lifted its position in Southwest Airlines by 82.8% during the 4th quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC now owns 914 shares of the airlines stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 414 shares in the last quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Southwest Airlines during the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. ICA Group Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Southwest Airlines during the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, CVA Family Office LLC lifted its position in Southwest Airlines by 179.5% during the 2nd quarter. CVA Family Office LLC now owns 1,034 shares of the airlines stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 664 shares during the period. 80.82% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Southwest Airlines alerts: Southwest Airlines Price Performance Southwest Airlines stock traded down $0.21 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $26.33. The companys stock had a trading volume of 6,907,151 shares, compared to its average volume of 9,661,072. Southwest Airlines Co. has a 52 week low of $21.91 and a 52 week high of $35.18. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $27.30 and a 200-day moving average price of $28.76. The stock has a market cap of $15.77 billion, a PE ratio of 41.79, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 17.89 and a beta of 1.15. Southwest Airlines Announces Dividend Southwest Airlines ( NYSE:LUV Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The airline reported $0.58 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.51 by $0.07. Southwest Airlines had a return on equity of 5.92% and a net margin of 0.41%. The firm had revenue of $7.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.32 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.09 earnings per share. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 5.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Southwest Airlines Co. will post 0.31 EPS for the current year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 25th. Investors of record on Wednesday, September 4th will be paid a $0.18 dividend. This represents a $0.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.74%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, September 4th. Southwest Airliness dividend payout ratio is currently 114.29%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth LUV has been the topic of a number of research reports. Melius restated a sell rating and set a $26.00 target price on shares of Southwest Airlines in a research report on Monday, June 10th. HSBC started coverage on shares of Southwest Airlines in a research note on Monday, May 13th. They set a hold rating and a $27.80 price target for the company. Susquehanna cut their price objective on Southwest Airlines from $27.00 to $25.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 30th. TD Cowen cut their price objective on Southwest Airlines from $26.00 to $19.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 17th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a hold rating and set a $29.00 price target (down previously from $32.00) on shares of Southwest Airlines in a report on Friday, July 26th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $28.47. Get Our Latest Research Report on Southwest Airlines About Southwest Airlines (Free Report) Southwest Airlines Co operates as a passenger airline company that provides scheduled air transportation services in the United States and near-international markets. As of December 31, 2023, the company operated a total fleet of 817 Boeing 737 aircraft; and served 121 destinations in 42 states, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, as well as ten near-international countries, including Mexico, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Aruba, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Belize, Cuba, the Cayman Islands, and Turks and Caicos. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LUV? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE:LUV Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Southwest Airlines Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Southwest Airlines and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. News / Local by Staff reporter Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema is notably absent from the 44th Ordinary Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government currently taking place in Harare, amid rising tensions between Zambia and Zimbabwe.Hichilema, who is the outgoing chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence, and Security Cooperation, presented his final report virtually on Friday.Prior to the summit, there were speculations about Hichilema's absence due to strained relations with Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa.The tension escalated after a SADC observer mission, led by former Zambian Vice President Nevers Mumba and appointed by Hichilema, criticized Zimbabwe's August 2023 elections for not meeting regional standards.In his address, Hichilema highlighted that the elections held during his tenure were largely peaceful but avoided mentioning the Zimbabwean election specifically.He emphasized the importance of maintaining peaceful electoral processes and supporting democratic transitions, noting the role of elections in sustaining regional stability and facilitating economic and social development.Hichilema called for ongoing commitment to peaceful and tolerant electoral practices, stressing that this approach is essential for the region's stability and progress. TELUS Co. (TSE:T Get Free Report) (NYSE:TU) Director Marc Parent acquired 10,530 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, August 12th. The shares were bought at an average price of C$22.52 per share, for a total transaction of C$237,135.60. TELUS Stock Performance TSE T opened at C$21.90 on Friday. The firms fifty day moving average price is C$21.66 and its two-hundred day moving average price is C$22.33. The stock has a market cap of C$32.41 billion, a PE ratio of 42.12, a PEG ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 159.88, a quick ratio of 0.52 and a current ratio of 0.67. TELUS Co. has a fifty-two week low of C$20.04 and a fifty-two week high of C$25.94. Get TELUS alerts: TELUS (TSE:T Get Free Report) (NYSE:TU) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, August 2nd. The company reported C$0.25 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of C$0.24 by C$0.01. TELUS had a return on equity of 4.96% and a net margin of 4.20%. The business had revenue of C$4.97 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of C$5.04 billion. On average, equities analysts expect that TELUS Co. will post 1.0009001 EPS for the current fiscal year. TELUS Announces Dividend Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 1st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 10th will be paid a $0.389 dividend. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.11%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 10th. TELUSs dividend payout ratio is currently 288.46%. Several research firms have recently issued reports on T. TD Securities decreased their price target on TELUS from C$26.00 to C$25.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. CIBC decreased their target price on shares of TELUS from C$25.00 to C$24.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, August 6th. Canaccord Genuity Group cut shares of TELUS from a buy rating to a hold rating and dropped their target price for the company from C$23.00 to C$21.50 in a research report on Tuesday, August 6th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price target on shares of TELUS from C$26.00 to C$25.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, August 6th. Finally, Scotiabank lowered their price objective on shares of TELUS from C$24.25 to C$24.00 in a research report on Tuesday, August 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of C$24.50. Read Our Latest Research Report on T TELUS Company Profile (Get Free Report) TELUS Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides a range of telecommunications and information technology products and services in Canada. It operates through Technology Solutions and Digitally-Led Customer Experiences segments. The Technology Solutions segment offers a range of telecommunications products and services; network services; healthcare services; mobile technologies equipment; data services, such as internet protocol; television; hosting, managed information technology, and cloud-based services; software, data management, and data analytics-driven smart food-chain and consumer goods technologies; home and business security; healthcare software and technology solutions; and voice and other telecommunications services, as well as mobile and fixed voice and data telecommunications services and products. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for TELUS Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for TELUS and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Timber Creek Capital Management LLC lessened its stake in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Free Report) by 0.1% during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 12,546 shares of the companys stock after selling 12 shares during the quarter. Eli Lilly and Company makes up about 3.4% of Timber Creek Capital Management LLCs holdings, making the stock its 7th largest position. Timber Creek Capital Management LLCs holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $11,359,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of LLY. Twelve Points Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 1.4% during the second quarter. Twelve Points Wealth Management LLC now owns 811 shares of the companys stock valued at $734,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Verum Partners LLC increased its position 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 purchasing an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its stake 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 worth $573,000 after purchasing an additional 13 shares during the period. Innova Wealth Partners boosted its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 1.2% in 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 Eli Lilly and Company by 2.0% during the second quarter. Hart & Patterson Financial Group LLC now owns 679 shares of the companys stock valued at $615,000 after buying an additional 13 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.53% of the companys stock. Get Eli Lilly and Company alerts: Insiders Place Their Bets In related news, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 2,052 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the insider now directly owns 98,554,195 shares of the companys stock, valued at $79,730,343,755. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other news, EVP Johna Norton sold 7,056 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 25,428 shares in the company, valued at approximately $20,835,194.64. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 2,052 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated 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 directly owns 98,554,195 shares in the company, valued at $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 ninety days. 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 $9.46 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $922.12. 2,364,894 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,096,824. The company has a market cap of $876.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 135.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 0.41. Eli Lilly and Company has a 1 year low of $516.57 and a 1 year high of $966.10. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $878.93 and a 200 day moving average price of $804.05. The company has a current ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.90. The firm also recently announced 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. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a 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 Analysts Forecast Growth LLY has been the topic of several research reports. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an overweight rating and issued a $1,023.00 price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Friday, July 5th. Guggenheim upped their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $884.00 to $1,030.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday. BMO Capital Markets raised 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. Bank of America boosted their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,000.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday, August 9th. Finally, Berenberg Bank increased their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,000.00 to $1,050.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seventeen have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Eli Lilly and Company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $956.88. Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on LLY 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. Read More 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. Triad Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in Invesco Short Term Treasury ETF (NYSEARCA:TBLL Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 774 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $82,000. A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. bought a new position in Invesco Short Term Treasury ETF in the 4th quarter valued at about $111,143,000. AWM Capital LLC acquired a new position in Invesco Short Term Treasury ETF during the first quarter valued at approximately $32,787,000. Private Advisor Group LLC bought a new stake in Invesco Short Term Treasury ETF during the first quarter worth $28,049,000. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Invesco Short Term Treasury ETF in the 1st quarter valued at $27,832,000. Finally, Brookstone Capital Management bought a new position in shares of Invesco Short Term Treasury ETF in the 1st quarter valued at $27,729,000. Get Invesco Short Term Treasury ETF alerts: Invesco Short Term Treasury ETF Price Performance Shares of TBLL stock traded up $0.07 on Friday, hitting $105.84. 176,764 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 146,752. The company has a 50 day moving average of $105.63 and a 200 day moving average of $105.57. Invesco Short Term Treasury ETF has a 12 month low of $105.20 and a 12 month high of $106.23. Invesco Short Term Treasury ETF Profile The Invesco Short Term Treasury ETF (TBLL) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the ICE US Treasury Short Bond index. The fund tracks a market-weighted index of debt issued by the US Treasury. Remaining maturity must be between 1-12 months. TBLL was launched on Jan 12, 2017 and is issued by Invesco. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding TBLL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Invesco Short Term Treasury ETF (NYSEARCA:TBLL Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Invesco Short Term Treasury ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Invesco Short Term Treasury ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Baker Tilly Wealth Management LLC lowered its holdings in shares of Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER Free Report) by 14.5% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 3,719 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock after selling 633 shares during the period. Baker Tilly Wealth Management LLCs holdings in Uber Technologies were worth $270,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in UBER. International Assets Investment Management LLC increased its position in shares of Uber Technologies by 23.4% during the 4th quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 11,739 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock valued at $723,000 after purchasing an additional 2,225 shares during the period. Tennessee Valley Asset Management Partners acquired a new position in shares of Uber Technologies during the 4th quarter valued at $48,000. Dakota Wealth Management increased its position in shares of Uber Technologies by 49.9% during the 4th quarter. Dakota Wealth Management now owns 38,533 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock valued at $2,372,000 after purchasing an additional 12,830 shares during the period. Mackenzie Financial Corp increased its position in shares of Uber Technologies by 64.6% during the 4th quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 216,177 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock valued at $13,310,000 after purchasing an additional 84,844 shares during the period. Finally, SVB Wealth LLC increased its position in shares of Uber Technologies by 28.1% during the 4th quarter. SVB Wealth LLC now owns 51,341 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock valued at $3,161,000 after purchasing an additional 11,269 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 80.24% of the companys stock. Get Uber Technologies alerts: Insider Transactions at Uber Technologies In other news, insider Tony West sold 28,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $70.67, for a total value of $1,978,760.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 96,945 shares in the company, valued at $6,851,103.15. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In related news, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi sold 500,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, July 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.91, for a total transaction of $35,955,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 1,266,114 shares of the companys stock, valued at $91,046,257.74. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Tony West sold 28,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $70.67, for a total transaction of $1,978,760.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 96,945 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,851,103.15. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 617,234 shares of company stock worth $44,017,734. 3.84% of the stock is owned by insiders. Analyst Ratings Changes Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on UBER shares. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Uber Technologies from $90.00 to $95.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 23rd. Bank of America decreased their target price on Uber Technologies from $91.00 to $87.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 9th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and issued a $80.00 target price on shares of Uber Technologies in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Oppenheimer restated an outperform rating and issued a $90.00 target price on shares of Uber Technologies in a report on Wednesday, June 5th. Finally, Tigress Financial lifted their target price on Uber Technologies from $72.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Friday, April 19th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirty have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $87.47. Read Our Latest Stock Report on Uber Technologies Uber Technologies Stock Down 0.9 % NYSE UBER traded down $0.69 during trading on Friday, reaching $72.04. The companys stock had a trading volume of 11,548,276 shares, compared to its average volume of 19,071,258. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $68.96 and a 200-day moving average price of $71.16. The company has a current ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. Uber Technologies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $40.09 and a 1-year high of $82.14. The stock has a market capitalization of $151.35 billion, a PE ratio of 116.19, a PEG ratio of 1.30 and a beta of 1.36. Uber Technologies (NYSE:UBER Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 6th. The ride-sharing company reported $0.47 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.31 by $0.16. Uber Technologies had a net margin of 5.02% and a return on equity of 17.06%. The business had revenue of $10.70 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $10.57 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.18 earnings per share. Uber Technologiess revenue for the quarter was up 15.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts forecast that Uber Technologies, Inc. will post 1.04 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Uber Technologies Company Profile (Free Report) Uber Technologies, Inc develops and operates proprietary technology applications in the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia excluding China and Southeast Asia. It operates through three segments: Mobility, Delivery, and Freight. The Mobility segment connects consumers with a range of transportation modalities, such as ridesharing, carsharing, micromobility, rentals, public transit, taxis, and other modalities; and offers riders in a variety of vehicle types, as well as financial partnerships products and advertising services. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding UBER? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Uber Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Uber Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Whitecap Resources Inc. (TSE:WCP Get Free Report) announced a monthly dividend on Thursday, August 15th, Zacks reports. Stockholders of record on Saturday, August 31st will be given a dividend of 0.061 per share on Monday, September 16th. This represents a $0.73 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 7.02%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 30th. This is a boost from Whitecap Resourcess previous monthly dividend of $0.06. Whitecap Resources Trading Down 0.3 % WCP stock opened at C$10.43 on Friday. The company has a market cap of C$6.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.34, a PEG ratio of -0.33 and a beta of 2.71. The company has a quick ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 23.55. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of C$10.13 and a 200-day simple moving average of C$9.97. Whitecap Resources has a 52 week low of C$8.15 and a 52 week high of C$11.91. Get Whitecap Resources alerts: Whitecap Resources (TSE:WCP Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 24th. The company reported C$0.41 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of C$0.29 by C$0.12. The business had revenue of C$1.05 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of C$946.00 million. Whitecap Resources had a return on equity of 13.89% and a net margin of 22.43%. On average, equities research analysts expect that Whitecap Resources will post 0.9959799 EPS for the current year. Insider Buying and Selling at Whitecap Resources Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades In other news, Director Chandra Henry purchased 10,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 10th. The shares were bought at an average price of C$10.00 per share, for a total transaction of C$100,000.00. In other news, Director Chandra Henry purchased 10,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 10th. The shares were bought at an average price of C$10.00 per share, for a total transaction of C$100,000.00. Also, Director Grant Bradley Fagerheim sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$10.22, for a total transaction of C$204,400.00. Over the last 90 days, insiders have bought 30,000 shares of company stock worth $303,400. 0.82% of the stock is owned by company insiders. A number of analysts recently weighed in on WCP shares. Canaccord Genuity Group upped their price target on shares of Whitecap Resources from C$14.00 to C$14.50 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, April 25th. CIBC upped their price target on shares of Whitecap Resources from C$14.00 to C$15.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Monday, April 22nd. Scotiabank upped their price objective on shares of Whitecap Resources from C$12.00 to C$13.00 in a research report on Friday, July 12th. Royal Bank of Canada raised shares of Whitecap Resources to a moderate buy rating in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus upped their price objective on shares of Whitecap Resources from C$12.75 to C$13.75 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 23rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus price target of C$13.61. View Our Latest Analysis on WCP About Whitecap Resources (Get Free Report) Whitecap Resources Inc, an oil and gas company, focuses on the acquisition, development, and production of oil and gas assets in Western Canada. The company's primary areas of focus of its development programs are in Northern Alberta and British Columbia, Central Alberta, and Saskatchewan. The company was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Whitecap Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Whitecap Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. York Traditions Bank (OTCMKTS:YRKB Get Free Report)s stock price passed above its 50 day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 50 day moving average of $19.23 and traded as high as $26.60. York Traditions Bank shares last traded at $26.60, with a volume of 13,837 shares traded. York Traditions Bank Stock Performance The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $19.43 and a 200 day simple moving average of $18.17. About York Traditions Bank (Get Free Report) York Traditions Bank, a community bank, provides commercial and consumer banking services in the Central Pennsylvania market. The company offers personal banking products and services, such as checking, savings/money market, and individual retirement accounts, as well as certificates of deposit; and loans and lines of credits, including personal, home equity, auto, and swing loans. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for York Traditions Bank Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for York Traditions Bank and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Follow us on: Prabhas and Director Hanu Raghavapudi kick off new film Fauji with grand puja ceremony, watch pics OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All Ram Charan awarded 'Ambassador of Indian Arts and Culture' at Melbourne's Indian Film Festival Vijay Raaz speaks out after being removed from Son of Saradar 2: 'I was dropped for not greeting Ajay Devgn' BRAND CONNECT *Disclaimer - Brand Connect is a solution that allows brands to break the queue to gain better engagement among our audiences News / Local by Staff reporter President Emmerson Mnangagwa has called for a radical overhaul of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) education system to boost industrialisation and innovation.Speaking at the University of Zimbabwe, Mnangagwa emphasized that SADC nations must reform their educational frameworks to nurture a new generation of innovators and industrialists.The lecture, held in anticipation of the 44th SADC Heads of State and Government Summit in Harare, highlighted the need for an education system that produces skilled individuals capable of developing products tailored to the region's needs.Mnangagwa argued that maintaining outdated, colonial-era education models would hinder the region's progress towards industrialisation.He praised Zimbabwe's Heritage-based Education 5.0 philosophy, which prioritizes research, innovation, and industrialisation.The President noted that his government has invested in innovation by establishing innovation hubs, industrial parks, and science parks, and increasing the number of teacher training colleges to focus on science and ICT education.Mnangagwa expressed optimism that these educational reforms would unlock significant potential from both natural resources and human capacities, fostering a more modern and industrialized nation. Follow us on: Toyotetsu India to invest Rs 450 crore for a new plant in Bidadi near Bengaluru Follow us on: Mumbai 26/11 terror attacks: US Court rules Tahawwur Rana can be extradited to India You are already a Moneycontrol Pro user. OK OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All Congress leader KC Venugopal to head PAC, 4 newly formed panels go to BJP Follow us on: Internet suspended in Udaipur after communal tension erupts over stabbing in school OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All Kolkata doctor rape-murder: NCW raises concern over 'tampering of evidence', alleges lapses in probe News / Local by Staff reporter LOVEMORE Musoyi, a Zimbabwean national believed to be about 35 years old, is wanted by Limpopo police in connection with more than 10 criminal cases, including murder, attempted murder, armed robberies, house robberies, business robberies, kidnapping, assaults, stock theft and possession of an unlicensed firearm.Limpopo police are offering a R20,000 reward to anyone who can provide positive information that could lead to the arrest and successful conviction of a notorious suspect on the run after escaping from a police vehicle while being transported to prison and continuing his reign of terror.Provincial police commissioner Lt-Gen Thembi Hadebe has ordered detectives in the Sekhukhune district to mobilise all available resources to arrest Lovemore Musoyi. Musoyi is a Zimbabwean who is believed to be about 35 years old.According to police spokesperson, Brig Hlulani Mashaba, Musoyi is wanted in connection with more than 10 criminal cases, including murder, attempted murder, armed robbery , house robbery, business robbery, kidnapping, assault, stock theft and, possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition that occurred in the Elandskraal, Motetema, Dennilton and Rakgoadi policing areas in Sekhukhune district."One of the recent incidents involving Musoyi occurred on June 20, where together with his accomplices, he carried out a brazen business robbery at a tuck shop in Mafisheng village."During the robbery, Musoyi viciously attacked a male victim, whom he accused of betrayal and proceeded to assault him with an axe. The criminals then looted the shop, stealing both money and soft drinks before fleeing the scene," Mashaba said.He said in a separate incident on January 1 2023, Musoyi managed to escape from a police vehicle at Moutse Mall in Dennilton while en route to Witbank Correctional Services. He escaped with two other suspects who were subsequently rearrested.Continuing with his actions, Musoyi is alleged to have engaged in a violent altercation at his ex-girlfriend's residence in February this year, where he allegedly shot his ex-girlfriend's brother in the mouth before fleeing the scene with a television set."We urge the public to work with us and come forward with any information that can help to apprehend this hard-core criminal who continues to terrorise our communities," Hadebe said. Follow us on: No bilateral talks or trade with India post-August 2019, says Pakistan Follow us on: Rape, murder, rage and disorder: Mamata Banerjee struggles to deal with the fallout of a horrific crime J. Kumar J.Kumar is an author, journalist and a political commentator based in Mumbai OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All Donald Trump, Kamala Harris to vie for Pennsylvania votes with rally, bus tour OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All Interim government in Bangladesh committed to hold free and fair elections: Mohammad Yunus Chinese military slams U.S. for attempting to maintain hegemony with nuclear weapons Xinhua) 10:54, August 17, 2024 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. (Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Wu Chaolan) News / Local by Staff reporter The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) has dismissed rumors that it plans to forcefully withhold all foreign currency from diaspora remittances.This follows a viral video suggesting that the RBZ, through its deputy director William Mamhimanzi, is considering measures to compel recipients to convert foreign currency into local currency.RBZ senior official Persistence Gwanyanya clarified that the bank does not intend to seize or control diaspora remittances. He explained that the viral message was a misinterpretation of Mamhimanzis comments.Instead, Gwanyanya emphasized that the RBZ aims to develop policies to encourage the use of foreign funds in the local economy through voluntary means, such as making the local currency more attractive.RBZ Governor John Mushayavanhu also confirmed that no new policy to forcibly alter remittance practices is under consideration. He assured that diaspora remittances will continue to be treated as free funds, allowing recipients to receive and exchange them freely.The RBZ highlighted that diaspora remittances increased by 17% to US$490 million in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. 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 News / Local by Staff reporter The Zimbabwe government's crackdown on critics ahead of Saturday's SADC summit showed no signs of abetting as more than a dozen activists were detained on Thursday and Friday, lawyers said.The United Nations human rights commissioner has urged authorities to free the pro-democracy advocates, who now number more than a hundred in the country's jails.On Thursday night, armed men raided the home of former Budiriro MP Costa Machingauta in Harare and seized him after assaulting his young children. He was held incommunicado for several hours before lawyers located him at Harare Central Police Station.He is accused of public violence, according to the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights.In Gokwe, police on Friday arrested 12 people accused of participating in an anti-government demonstration. The group was seen in a video holding placards denouncing Mnangagwa's imminent assumption of the SADC chairmanship at the Harare summit of regional countries.The lawyers named the 12 as Enios Siacheya, Mike Gibson, Manka Ncube, Tendai Dube, Rosemary Mangwaira, Mary Siankumbile, Queen Sianjama, Egnes Siabwela, Dickson Mbelele and Beauty Chuma.Mnangagwa's critics say the widespread arrests were designed to thwart planned street protests which activists had called for August 16, the day on which heads of state were scheduled to arrive.The United Nations rights office has urged authorities to free the activists."We call for the immediate release of all those arbitrarily detained and protection of civic space," the UN human rights commissioner said in a statement.The United States embassy in Harare said it "affirms its support for SADC's goal to achieve economic development, peace and security," adding: "Intimidation, torture and prolonged pre-trial detention of Zimbabwean citizens run counter to these principles."Mnangagwa assumes the SADC chairmanship under the shadow of an unresolved election dispute from exactly a year ago. His rivals say he stole the election, which SADC's own observers said failed to meet regional and international standards on democratic elections. News / National by Sgtaff reporter Czech Republic Deputy Ambassador Michael Novak has assured the High Court that Lucas Slavik, a Czech tourist currently in remand prison in Zimbabwe, will not flee if granted bail.Novak offered this guarantee while supporting Slavik's bail application before Justice Garainesu Mawadze at the High Court in Masvingo.Slavik was arrested for recording a video allegedly containing false statements about Zimbabwes critical shortage of electricity and water, which led to charges under Section 31(a) 1 of publishing false statements intended to incite public unrest.Masvingo Provincial Magistrate Franklin Mkwananzi had previously denied Slavik bail, citing the risk of him skipping the country.Slavik, who has been on hunger strike since his arrest on August 2, faces these charges despite his lawyer, Knowledge Mabvuure, arguing that the charge is outdated and that the statements made were not false.Slavik was arrested alongside Tom Ssekamwa of Uganda, who faces charges for violating the Censorship Act due to possessing a rubber penis toy. Ssekamwa was also denied bail.Novak has arranged for Slavik to stay at the Czech Embassy's consulate in Harare, with Honorary Consulate Ivan Summerfield overseeing his welfare.The High Court is set to verify the arrangements and make a decision on the bail application on Tuesday. The Sithole family of Morningside suburb in Mutare is grappling with an unimaginable tragedy, the loss of four of their children in a horrific road accident. The accident, which occurred last Thursday near Marondera along the Mutare-Harare Highway, claimed the lives of Jimmy Tinashe Sithole (28), popularly known as Attahboy, his siblings Samuel (27), Phillip (34), and Laquisha (2) as well as their daughter-in-law, Rumbidzai Mlambo. The family had been celebrating Jimmys graduation from Harare Polytechnic, a moment of joy and pride that was tragically cut short by the accident. The five family members were returning from the graduation ceremony when their vehicle, a Honda Fit, collided head-on with a Ford Ranger. The accident, blamed on speeding and overtaking on a blind spot, left four people dead at the scene. The news of the accident has left the Sithole family devastated and struggling to come to terms with their loss. The pain and sorrow are overwhelming, a gaping void that no words can fill. I could not believe it when I learnt that the accident had claimed my four children and another family member. I am at a loss of words. It came as a shocker, and the whole family is deeply devastated, hurting and grieving, said the Mutare-based prominent businessman Mr Samuel Sithole, the father of the deceased, who is popularly known as Samboy. We are all literally down and shattered. We never saw it coming. If we had, we could have stopped it, whichever way possible, but it came like a thief, and snatched them from us during what we thought was a celebrating moment. I am throbbing, he said as tears were welling down his cheeks. Despite the intensity of his grief, Mr Sithole found the strength to pay tribute to the hundreds of mourners who came from Mutare and beyond to stand with his family during their darkest hour. I am at a loss of words. It is still painful, and this deep scar is permanent, and will never heal. However, I would like to thank all the mourners who have been with us during this heart twisting and grieving period. Their presence and support made an otherwise insurmountable the burden of laying the quartet to rest bearable, he said. The funeral procession, a cavalcade of cars snaking from Morningside to Yeovil Cemetery, was a poignant testament to the profound impact the Sithole family had on the community. Hundreds of mourners, from all walks of life, gathered at the cemetery to pay their last respects to the four family members, who were interred in a line, one after the other. The sight of the four graves, side by side, was a painful reminder of the tragedy that had befallen the family. The air was thick with grief and sorrow as relatives, friends, and loved ones struggled to comprehend the reality of their loss. Rumbidzai Mlambo, the familys daughter-in-law, was buried in Chipinge last weekend. Despite the pain, the shared loss brought people together, transcending differences and offering solace to the grieving family. Mourners from across the political divide, business, and religious denominations converged at the cemetery to offer their condolences and support. Members of the United Methodist Church, Methodist Church in Zimbabwe, and Zion, distinct by their elegant uniforms, joined in songs and dance, offering a glimmer of hope amidst the sorrow. Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Advocate Misheck Mugadza, attended the burial and delivered an emotional speech that inspired love, unity, and hope. This is a painful period. It is hard to fathom that the deceased are gone. It is unimaginable, and we would like to console the Sithole family for the tragedy. We have been with you through thick and thin, and we are also glad that several businesspeople came together to raise money to assist the family during this very difficult period. We also managed to assist with maize-meal and other foodstuffs, joining others to make the arrangements bearable. It is this love that is so touching. Coming together as the people of Manicaland and grieve with one of your own means a lot. We should always remain united, he said. The police, in a statement released after the tragedy, urged motorists to observe stipulated speed limits and abide by all road rules and regulations to curb road accidents. The Zimbabwe Republic Police confirms a fatal road traffic accident which occurred at the 53 kilometre peg along Harare-Mutare Highway on August 7, 2024 at around 7.20pm. Five people were killed, while four others were injured when a Ford Ranger vehicle with two passengers on board was involved in a head-on collision with a Honda Fit vehicle with five passengers on board. The bodies of the victims were taken to Marondera General Hospital mortuary for post-mortem, while the injured are admitted at the same hospital. The Zimbabwe Republic Police reiterates that motorists should observe stipulated speed limits, and abide by all road rules and regulations in order to curb road traffic accidents. Above all, motorists are implored to avoid overtaking when it is not safe to do so or in areas with poor visibility, reads part of the statement. Breaking News via Email Related Zimbabwe Latest News More Than 4,000 Moth Species Flit Across Texas. One Scientist Photographed 550 in His Yard. Texas Monthly Girl discovers dinosaur footprints on beach walk BBC Demystifying Sovereign Wealth Funds JSTOR Daily Climate Everything old is new again. What a noisy, polluting, wasteful century we just had, all to make oil barons rich. pic.twitter.com/tzLNfju6Sg Syndemics See anything wrong with the CDC's recommendations? Why You Dont Need to Panic About Mpox Jessica Wildfire, OK Doomer Schools have made slow progress on record absenteeism, with millions of kids still skipping class AP China? The Koreas Syraqistan Israeli negotiating team to travel to Cairo on Sunday to continue Gaza cease-fire talk Anadolu Agency Biden says Gaza ceasefire in sight, warns against efforts to undermine deal Al Jazeera The Great Game Dear Old Blighty New Not-So-Cold War The Kursk Offensive and the Risk of a Wider War The American Conservative South of the Border 2024 Healthcare Heartbreaking reality of fit patients in their 20s being hit with colon cancer is laid bare by oncologist who reveals his critical discovery about the cause Daily Mail Digital Watch Has your paper been used to train an AI model? Almost certainly Nature Nvidia Sued for Scraping YouTube After 404 Media Investigation 404 Media Hidden data could reveal if an AI model was trained on copyrighted material Imperial College. Copyright traps. Mosaic Memory: Fuzzy Duplication in Copyright Traps for Large Language Models Igor Shilov, Matthieu Meeus, Yves-Alexandre de Montjoye, Imperial College arXiv. From the Abstract: Copyright traps have been proposed to be injected into the original content, improving content detectability in newly released LLMs. Defending AI Systems From Malicious Data Poisoning Attacks CMB Insurance Brokers * * * Will we run out of data? Limits of LLM scaling based on human-generated data arXiv. From the Abstract: Our findings indicate that if current LLM development trends continue, models will be trained on datasets roughly equal in size to the available stock of public human text data between 2026 and 2032, or slightly earlier if models are overtrained. How to Tell If What Youre Reading Was Written By AI LifeHacker * * * California trims AI safety bill amid fears of tech exodus The Register * * * AI Gone Wrong: An Updated List of AI Errors, Mistakes and Failures Tech.co These cool but creepy features of AI phones will erode trust in everything Business Standard Ancient pyramid in Mexico COLLAPSES due to heavy rains, local indigenous community interprets it as BAD OMEN An ancient, 1,100-year-old brick pyramid in southwestern Mexico has collapsed due to heavy rainfall, and the descendants of the local indigenous community that built the structure are interpreting the collapse as a sign of impending doom Mexico's ancient pyramids are powerful symbols of the country's rich cultural heritage. However, heavy rains on July 30 led to the unfortunate collapse of parts of the Ihuatzio pyramids in the southwestern Mexican state of Michoacan. These pyramids, dating back to around 900 A.D., once stood as the heart of the kingdom of the Purepecha peoples near Lake Patzcuaro. Following the demise of the kingdom, the site was occupied by the Aztecs and later by the remnants of the Purepecha people right up until the Spanish conquest. (Related: Fresh finds from a cave in Mexico suggest humans populated North America earlier than currently known, rewriting the prehistoric first settlers.) In response to the damage, the Mexican government quickly dispatched experts from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) to assess the situation. Their investigation revealed significant damage to the southern side of one of the pyramids. Photos of the site show a section of the pyramid eroded by the rain and threatening to weaken the rest of the ancient structure. This loss is particularly poignant for the Purepecha tribe, for whom these pyramids are sacred symbols of their ancestors' beliefs and craftsmanship. Pyramid collapse seen as ominous sign While the ancient Purepecha kingdom is gone, Mexico is still home to its descendants. Approximately 141,000 Purepecha indigenous peoples still live, mostly in Michoacan, and they are known for their deep spiritual traditions and their connection to the ancient Purepecha sites. For them, the collapse of one of the Ihuatzio pyramids represents more than just a physical loss to their history. They are interpreting its partial collapse as a foreboding sign. Two deities from their ancient religion, Nana Kuerhaepiri and K'eri Kurikweri, hold a central place in their traditional beliefs, and events like the disaster at Ihuatzio have historically been viewed as warnings of looming misfortune. Tariakuiri Alvarez, a descendant of the Purepecha, interprets the collapse as a bad omen reminiscent of the signs that preceded the Spanish conquest in the early 16th century that preceded the period of great upheaval for the Purepecha. Reflecting on the past, Alvarez said: "For our ancestors, the builders, this was a bad omen that indicated the proximity of an important event. Before the arrival of the conquistadors, something similar happened, which for the Purepecha worldview of that time, was because the gods Nana Kuerhaepiri and K'eri Kurikweri were displeased." The Purepecha, who once defeated the Aztecs and ruled for 400 years in a large part of today's southwestern Mexico, eventually succumbed to the Spanish invasion in 1519. INAH faces restoration challenges The INAH recognizes the importance the damaged pyramids hold to Mexico's ancient heritage. However, the task of restoring them to their former glory represent a significant challenge. This restoration effort goes beyond simply repairing the structures; it is about preserving a piece of history that highlights the architectural brilliance of the Purepecha people. Constructed without modern tools, these pyramids have endured for centuries standing as a testament to the ingenuity of their creators. However, the restoration is fraught with difficulties due to previous restoration attempts that unintentionally caused harm. Restoration experts are now meticulously reviewing past efforts to avoid repeating mistakes, aiming to use modern materials that are compatible with the original construction. Watch this video about the collapse of one of the ancient pyramids in Mexico. This video is from the Daily Videos channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Archaeologists find records of Pompeii's survivors, proving many survived Mount Vesuvius eruption. Archaeologists uncover barracks and artifacts in Colonial Williamsburg from America's first soldiers in the Continental Army. Jerusalem's wall: The ruins in the City of David archaeological site could PROVE the Bible was TRUE. Ancient Scythian artifacts returned to Ukraine after decade-long legal battle with Russia. Check out these 6 ancient civilizations that were hiding in plain sight, but never discovered prior to the advent of archaeological LASER BEAM technology. Sources include: DailyMail.co.uk News18.com Study.com NDTV.com BBC.com Brighteon.com Biden administration rushing to process citizenship requests AT THE FASTEST RATE in 10 years The federal government is now processing citizenship requests at its fastest rate in 10 years, claiming it is meant " to address the significant backlog " that first built up during the administration of former President Donald Trump during the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. According to the New York Times, nearly 3.3 million immigrants have become citizens of the United States since President Joe Biden took office in 2021. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services only took under five months on average to process naturalization applications during the first nine months of the current fiscal year. This rapid pace is comparable to the processing speeds of 2013 and 2014, compared with the 11-and-a-half-month average in fiscal year 2021. (Related: Biden administration speeding up citizenship request processing to bolster Democratic voter base ahead of election.) Several key measures contributed to this accelerated pace of naturalization. First, Biden signed three executive orders to reverse restrictive immigration policies passed during the Trump administration and called for substantial reductions in naturalization processing times in 2021. One of the orders signed ends the controversial 2018 "zero tolerance" policy, which mandated the prosecution of all illegal border crossings. Additionally, Biden initiated efforts to reunite parents with children who were detained at the border under this policy. Another executive order calls for a comprehensive review of Trump-era immigration policies, with a particular focus on the "public charge rule," which limited immigrant access to green cards based on their use of public assistance programs. Second, the administration has implemented new technology and increased staffing to address the backlog of citizenship applications, which had swelled due to heightened scrutiny under the Trump administration and delays caused by the pandemic. The naturalization application itself was also shortened from 20 pages to 14. The administration raised the application fee from $640 to $710 in April but made it easier for low-income earners to qualify for a discount. Analysts warn surge in naturalization meant to benefit Democrats in elections Lawful permanent residents, also known as green card holders, can become naturalized citizens after holding that status for at least five years or three years if married to a U.S. citizen. Green card holders share many rights with U.S. citizens, but only citizens can vote in federal elections. Green card holders are allowed to pursue U.S. citizenship, which would allow them to vote. Additionally, U.S. citizenship offers benefits and protections, such as immunity from deportation. Green card holders can still be deported if convicted of crimes. In line with this, Xiao Wang, the CEO of Boundless, a company that analyzes immigration trends using government data, noted the potential political implications of this trend as the 2024 presidential election nears. "The surge in naturalization efficiency isn't just about clearing backlogs; it's potentially reshaping the electorate, merely months before a pivotal election. Every citizenship application could be a vote that decides Senate seats or even the presidency," Wang said. Approximately nine million green card holders are currently eligible for U.S. citizenship. The four states with the largest numbers of immigrants who qualify for citizenship are California, New York, Texas and Florida. The top countries of origin for these new citizens are Mexico, India, the Philippines, the Dominican Republic and Cuba. And now that there are only two months left before the presidential election, the surge in naturalization has sparked discussions about its potential impact on the electorate not just in the four aforementioned states but especially in battleground or swing states, such as Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and Pennsylvania. Watch this clip of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sounding the alarm on illegals voting in the November elections. This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Sen. Elizabeth Warren: Kamala Harris will forge "pathway to citizenship" for MILLIONS of illegal immigrants. RINO TRAITOR: Rand Paul unleashes on Mitch McConnell for aligning with Biden to allow 5,000 illegals per day into US, $735M in funding for "path to citizenship." Ultra-rich Americans preparing "Plan B" by applying for citizenship or residency in foreign countries as the United States heads for collapse. Tennessee state secretary asks thousands of voters for proof of citizenship ahead of November elections. Biden administration opposes bill that would require PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP for voting in federal elections. Sources include: YourNews.com NYTimes.com NYPost.com MSN.com Brighteon.com On day one of her presidency, Kamala promises to release all criminal illegal aliens into American society At a recent campaign stop in Iowa, Democrat candidate for president Kamala Harris admitted that her plan "on day one" is to close all Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers and set illegal aliens free. A Center for Worker Justice volunteer named Sally Hartman asked Kamala a question about whether or not Kamala is "committing to close the immigration detention centers." Kamala's eager response was: "Absolutely, on day one on day one," Kamala said to thunderous applause. "Yes!" BREAKING: Kamala Harris now pledges to release all criminal illegal migrants from detention centers into the United States "on day one" if she's installed into the Oval Office pic.twitter.com/vFb6XEltyp George (@BehizyTweets) August 12, 2024 (Related: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wants his supporters to vote against the Democrats this fall, calling them the party of censorship and lawfare.) With all these new illegal voters, Democrats can't lose Kamala's response in the above video is one of the first times the current vice president has answered any policy questions point-blank. Usually, Kamala sidesteps the issues and starts cackling while her followers scream and applaud. In this case, Kamala did not beat around the bush concerning her position on illegal immigration. In short, Kamala will be the open borders president who will likely grant amnesty to all, permanently cementing Democrats as the election winners moving forward. "PSA: She wants to destroy the country faster than Biden," someone warned on X about Kamala and her open borders policies. "Forget about safety, forget about the rule of law ... Kamala wants *chaos on tap*. This is a full-on assault on America's safety." In Donald Trump's favor are the thousands of Latinos for Trump who see through the open borders scam, especially since many of them waited in line the legal way while others cut ahead of them the illegal way. "Pretty much all law-abiding Hispanics see through her lies," said someone on X. "Especially those who come from dictator countries. They see it because they've been through it." Kamala's open borders plan is a brilliant idea "if the goal is population control," warned another. "Releasing more criminals into the countryside should do wonders for our burgeoning population." Others could not help but notice that what Kamala is promising to do "on day one" is exactly what is right now taking place in the United Kingdom amid the immigration protests and riots. One person claimed that the above video was actually captured during Kamala's 2018 primary run, but all the same it still shows what she believes and what she plans to do if allowed inside the Oval Office. "They're gonna inject roughly 100 million fake votes," claims Jacob Smith (@XrealJacobSmith) on X. "Kamala has literally no support. We need to achieve 125 million votes at the least." "If we can poke at their cheating in ways that affects tens of millions of votes, we have a chance. One way to make such impact is through machines So let's prevent the 2024 election cheating." One wonders what President Kamala plans to do with all the currently detained illegal aliens once she closes down all the ICE facilities and sets them free. Will they be sent to American communities to live on the streets and fall into a life of crime or will she personally be housing some of them at her own residence? JOY do you think the woman who was violently raped, at knifepoint, by two of Border Czar, Kamala Harris, criminal illegal aliens is feeling joy today? A woman was raped at knifepoint in Coney Island by two suspected violent migrants who slugged the victims boyfriend when he https://t.co/oobqq132Ns pic.twitter.com/w0KbNdCW4v KK Berd ?? (@keny_berd) August 12, 2024 The latest news about the 2024 presidential election can be found at Rigged.news. Sources for this article include: X.com NaturalNews.com Opinion / Columnist Colonialism in Africa is not over, rather it is all over. One of the things that has given colonialism this staying power is the education system in Africa that largely mirrors the virtues of imperialists. Before the coming of the Whites in Africa, there was a sound traditional education system that extolled the moral economy of interdependence.The traditional education system in Africa before the 15th century celebrated the communal -self at the expense of individual liberties.There were no formal classrooms before the advent of the whites in Africa, rather education was imparted through families, community gatherings, folklores, inscriptions on caves, traditional leadership and its council. When the whites came to Africa, they found human rights as part and parcel of the cultural properties of Africa. In Africa, human rights were enjoyed through a sense of collectivism, co-creation, co-production and co-decision.The African communities resembled the tapestry of a basket, diverse but coterminous in being mutually constitutive and reinforcing.The whole village would be alive to its collective responsibility of socializing the young ones into socially acceptable adults that would live to promote ideas and ideals of their communities.It is the purpose of this opinion piece to float the polemic that Zimbabwean universities have failed to help Zimbabweans to find themselves as a people, rather they have served as the colonial conveyor belts for the consumption of European and Western epistemological values and aesthetics.Zimbabwean universities need to be rejigged in terms of their funded mandates, curricula, assessment and evaluation focus.The European and Western epistemic values mark and punctuate the content of Zimbabwean universities at the cost of indigenous knowledge systems.In Zimbabwe quite a number of universities have made foreign languages such as Mandarin, French, Portuguese and German among others, compulsory for students.The 64-million-dollar question is: Is globalization just for Africa in general and Zimbabwe in particular? My understanding is that globalization should be a function of hybrid dynamics where good values from both Africa and Europe/ West should merge to represent a panoramic worldview.This way we should also see African languages being taught in the global North.Zimbabwe has gone on to embrace additional foreign languages when locally its own citizens are not conversant with the16 official languages.Some of the official languages in Zimbabwe like Sign Language and Ndebele are not even compulsory in the education system.Universities in Zimbabwe should take it upon themselves to offer these languages and should also influence their acceptance at the lowest level of education through a language policy. I say universities because they are leaders in research and development, they are the torch bearers in the country in terms of knowledge and wisdom, they should therefore, advise the government accordingly.Psychologists argue that human beings think clearly or form ideas in their minds through their source languages. Source languages are therefore, by extension, the fulcrum of all innovations and inventions.Source languages should pepper the school system from ECD to higher education. To continue putting a premium on foreign languages as vehicles of instruction is to fence out the gains of colonialists at the expense of developing own local languages.Language cannot be separated from development, because it is the means through which thought patterns are developed.When the whites came to Africa, they attacked our centre of gravity- our languages and indigenous knowledge systems, by creating an education system that pooh-poohed us as a people.They introduced their languages as being key to communication, business, international relations and human relations.African languages and traditions were written out of history, Africans began to be obsessed with speaking French or English through the nose.African universities should rethink their thinking through re-examining their content and assessment procedures.African universities ought to disentangle themselves from quantitative epistemic values that are associated with the West.They should develop programmes that aim to rewire the mindsets of Africans in such a way that Africans take pride in being who they are. Today the spirit of ubuntu is gone, there is more of individualism as compared to interdependence.The whites hit us where it hurts most by defining and ruling us according to their own tastes that had little respect for our cultural practices like polygamy, seniority and by introducing gender into our psyche, rubbishing our oral history and prizing quantitative knowledge systems.African universities should wake up to cause epistemic violence by defining epistemic truth for Africa. Africans need an education system that would retain the identity of Africans as a people.Although African countries are not a homogeneous entity, they converge on cultural rights that give them a common identity. Cultural rights are enjoyed collectively.African universities should reflect on their educational menus with the view of producing graduates that are proud to be Africans out and out.For example, the complexion complexity that we see of our black sisters with fanta faces and coca-cola legs is not pleasing at all.Everything rises and falls on education; African universities need to work hard to deconstruct coloniality in order to reconstruct epistemic values that are in -keeping with our own values. Iranian banks hit by MAJOR CYBERATTACK after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei promised retaliatory attack against Israel A massive cyberattack has targeted the Central Bank of Iran and other Iranian banks after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei promised retaliatory strikes against Israel. On July 31, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, a top negotiator in the ceasefire talks who had led the militant group's political office in Qatar, was assassinated after he and other leaders of Iranian-backed militant groups attended the inauguration of Iran's new president, Masoud Pezeshkian. Israel did not confirm or deny its involvement in the assassination, but Khamenei immediately blamed Israel and vowed to avenge Haniyeh. Khamenei ordered a retaliatory strike during an emergency meeting of Iran's Supreme National Security Council and instructed military leaders to prepare for potential escalation involving Israel or the United States. But two weeks after the order, a cyberattack hit the Central Bank of Iran and other Iranian banks and financial institutions. The cyberattack, one of the largest cyberattacks in the history of the Islamic Republic, reportedly caused major disruptions to the Iranian banking system on Aug. 14. The hackers allegedly stole the personal information of account holders in Iran's major banks. Anonymous activists even stuck notes to ATM machines that read: "Dear customers, it is not possible to withdraw money from the bank because all of Iran's budget and national resources have been invested in the war for the benefit of the corrupt regime of the Islamic Republic." Before the cyberattack, three European countries, including the United Kingdom, France and Germany urged Iran to refrain from any retaliatory attacks in a joint statement. Israel already launched a cyberattack against Iran before This is not the first time Israel targeted Iran in a cyberattack. (Related: Amazon, Microsoft and Google are supporting Israel's genocide in Gaza through their cloud services.) In December, the Israel-linked hacking activist group "Gonjeshke Darande," also known as "Predatory Sparrow," claimed responsibility for a significant cyberattack that disrupted operations at half of Iran's gas stations. The nation's Ministry of Energy later confirmed that 70 percent of gas stations across the country were not functioning. "We, Gonjeshke Darande, carried out another cyberattack today, taking out a majority of the gas pumps throughout Iran," the group posted on their official account on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Dec. 18. "This cyberattack comes in response to the aggression of the Islamic Republic and its proxies in the region. Khamenei, playing with fire has a price. A month ago we warned you that were back and that we will impose cost for your provocations. This is just a taste of what we have in store." The group claimed they left 30 percent of the stations in operation as a "humanitarian corridor," but the cyberattack still caused widespread inconvenience and frustration among Iranian citizens, who rely heavily on these stations for their daily commutes and transportation needs. Long lines and chaotic scenes were reported at the few operational gas stations These cyberattacks have been exposing the vulnerability of Iran against Israeli attacks. Visit CyberWar.news for more stories about cyberattacks happening around the world. Watch InfoWars founder Alex Jones as he issues a cyberattack warning. This video is from the EARTH SHAKING NEWS channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Iran threatens to "wipe out" U.S. bases in Middle East amid tensions with Israel. TruNews: Endgame of Israel-Iran conflict is an ALL-OUT WAR in the Middle East. Russia sends powerful vaunted missile systems to Iran for Middle East war. Iran's advanced drones and missiles pose serious threat to Israel's Iron Dome air defense system, U.S. report warns. Sources include: I24News.tv 1 NYTimes.com MSN.com I24News.tv 2 STOLEN VALOR: Tim Walz built entire political career around being a retired command sergeant major when he ISNT A video clip has emerged to show that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Kamala Harris' running mate, built his entire political career on the lie that he is "a retired command sergeant major." Watch below to hear for yourself Walz lying in 2007 to veterans in Winona, Minn., about being this type of veteran, a false claim that many are calling Walz's stolen valor moment: Tim Walz wasnt simply sloppy or inattentive to how others referred to him, he intentionally & purposefully built his entire political identity around being a retired Command Sergeant Major as you can see in this clip from 2007. But he wasnt. It was all false. Stolen valor! https://t.co/fAcXbleCDZ pic.twitter.com/36fKkQvdov Matt Beebe (@TheMattBeebe) August 11, 2024 A year before that in 2006, The Atlantic published an article in which writer Joshua Green referred to Walz as "a command sergeant major," this being the same false terminology used by Walz himself. While no one is questioning Walz's service, they are questioning his alleged battlefield deployments, which he has repeatedly hawked throughout his political career in order to boost himself. "Lying about one's battlefield deployments for decades for political gain is disqualifying to me, and it shouldn't be a question," is how one X user put it. "It's still on his X profile," wrote another about how the deception continues. (Related: It looks as though the Democrat Party is once again using Muslims to try to steal another election will they succeed?) Veterans upset about Walz's questionable military record Veterans are reportedly clashing with Walz over his questionable military record. "When your country calls, you are supposed to run into battle not the other way," scolded Ret. Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas Behrends in a statement to the New York Post. "He ran away. It's sad." "He had the opportunity to serve his country and said 'screw you' to the United States," pouted another. "That's not who I would pick to run for vice president." After these comments were published, the media really started reporting about Walz's 24 years of service in the Army National Guard and the many claims of "stolen valor" that are being lobbed his way. Just months before his battalion deployed to Iraq immediately following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Walz filed papers for retirement, according to the Minnesota National Guard. "He subverted the chain of command, and he went around the chain of command," commented Ret. Command Sgt. Maj. Paul Herr. "The brigade [sergeant] major had no clue. These are all important facts, and he did it to continually feather his own bed ... That was the shameful part of it." The grieving mother of Sgt. Kyle Miller, who died at just 19 years of age in 2006, issued a fuming statement regarding Walz's retirement just before the 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery unit deployed to Iraq. "My son wasnt even 21 years old," Kathy Miller, Kyle's mom, said. "He couldn't even buy alcohol. Yet he took the step to serve our country while Walz found the best way to run away. It was the coward's way out." After retirement, Walz took the political route, eventually finding his way from the U.S. House of Representatives for Minnesota to his current role as Kamala Harris' running mate for vice president. John Kolb, a retired lieutenant colonel from the same battalion Walz retired from before deployment to Iraq, wrote an angry post on Facebook about how it is "an affront" for Walz to continue using the rank that he did not retain, but that helped advance his political career. Will you be voting in the 2024 presidential election? Find out more at Rigged.news. Sources for this article include: X.com TheAtlantic.com NaturalNews.com FoxNews.com Op-ed: Tim Walz has a more radical PRO-ABORTION stance than former House Speaker Pelosi Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic Party's vice presidential nominee, has a pro-abortion stance much more radical than that of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), according to an op-ed. The Aug. 13 piece by Bob Bird, former chairman of the Alaskan Independence Party (AIP), expounded on the liberal governor's stance. According to him, Walz reportedly defied Pelosi's advice to tone down his pro-infanticide rhetoric. Bird cited a video where the Minnesota governor justified his signing of a bill that allowed elective abortion up until birth. "My record is so pro-choice, Pelosi asked me if I could tone it down," said Walz, who served in the House of Representatives from 2007 to 2019. "I stand with Planned Parenthood, and we won." (Related: Tim Walz left EIGHT babies who survived botched abortions to DIE, government data shows.) Revolver News also commented on the aforementioned video, noting that the Democratic vice presidential nominee "is actually proud of his extreme abortion views, which are legalizing first-degree murder." It continued: "So when Pelosi told him to tone it down, he flipped out on stage, showing a kind of demonic bloodlust weve never seen before." According to a separate LifeSiteNews report, the proposal signed by Walz dubbed the Protect Reproductive Options (PRO) Act "asserts a woman's 'fundamental right' to continue the pregnancy and give birth, or obtain an abortion." This measure was signed into law in January of last year, to the consternation of pro-life groups in the North Star State. "The PRO Act would mean it's legal for any baby to be aborted, for any reason and at any time up to birth," said Cathy Blaeser, co-executive director of Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life. "The absolutist extremism of this bill would put Minnesota in the company of just a handful of countries worldwide, among them China and North Korea." Bird also sarcastically congratulated Walz for his defense of infanticide, writing in the op-ed: "Wow, that took courage, Mr. Walz. You out-lefted Pelosi." Bird highlights Walz's cowardice in op-ed The former AIP chairman and senatorial candidate also highlighted several instances of Walz's cowardice in the Aug. 13 op-ed. First, he highlighted the Minnesota governor's military service built on lies. Bird described Walz as a "chicken hawk" which pertained to "politicians who were eager to use military force, but to let others do it." Former Vice President Dick Cheney was the personality often branded with this moniker. Bird explained that Walz is a chicken hawk for parading his military service, ostensibly to show courage. "But now the truth about Walz is emerging," he wrote. "He resigned from his unit when it was going to be deployed to Iraq. His own compatriots are telling about his shameful resignation to the alternative media and how the entire structure of the unit was compromised by needing to bring in unfamiliar replacements." Second, Bird highlighted Walz's opposition to the Second Amendment, which the Constitution guarantees. During a gubernatorial campaign stop, he told audience members that gun control was necessary and that he proudly disowned the National Rifle Association. "I have handled weapons in war," he said at the time, adding that citizens shouldn't be possessing these firearms. "It never occurred to Walz that his own citizens of Minnesota might need them to protect their life and property during the 2020 [Black Lives Matter] riots, when he delayed calling out the National Guard. He [also] spoke of how the riots were 'exciting' and were 'restoring a sense of optimism coming back.'" Bird ultimately warned: "We are dealing with the demonic in this election; whatever flaws exist in the alternatives pale before the reality of this evil, lying, wicked, cowardly, bullying, doubling-down national ticket of death. You will not be safe with these people." Head over to CancelDemocrats.news for more stories about Tim Walz. Watch U.S. Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) describing both Kamala Harris and Tim Walz as socialists in this Fox Business report. This video is from the TrendingNews channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Another video emerges of Tim Walz lying about his military deployment. Tim Walz supports normalization of PEDOPHILIA in the LGBT community. Kamala Harris picks radical pro-riot Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as running mate. VP pick Tim Walz accused of "stolen valor" by JD Vance and a group of retired MN National Guardsmen. Within a week of being named as Kamala's running mate, Tim Walz has been embroiled in MULTIPLE controversies. Sources include: LifeSiteNews.com 1 Revolver.news LifeSiteNews.com 2 Brighteon.com UK man arrested for social media posts containing anti-establishment rhetoric (Article by Paul Joseph Watson republished from Modernity.news) Yes, really. Wayne ORourke becomes the latest example of the wave of authoritarian hysteria to impact free speech in the UK following the recent anti-mass migration riots. ORourke was arrested on Sunday in connection with posts made from a social media account, according to Lincolnshire Police. Nottingham Magistrates Court heard the posts were alleged to contain anti-Muslim and anti-establishment rhetoric, reports the BBC. "Anti-establishment rhetoric" is a criminal offence? If so, a lot of BLM, pro Palentine protesters and anyone with a SWP placard should have been jailed. #TwoTierBritain pic.twitter.com/FH6vxozqBn Chris Rose (@ArchRose90) August 14, 2024 ORourke had nearly 100,000 followers on X and predicted his own arrest days beforehand. When Im inevitably arrested for having an opinion and they ask if I speak English Ill just say no, and they will let me go Sick Of It ???????? (@WayneGb88) August 11, 2024 So now apparently posting anti-establishment rhetoric in the United Kingdom is enough to get you locked up. The report does not give any specifics of what the thought criminal actually posted, but he had allegedly expressed support for the recent riots and offered advice on how to remain anonymous to his 90,000 followers. Wayne ORourke, 40, whose @X handle is believed to be @WayneGb88 was arrested in Lincoln, on Sunday. He is alleged to have written posts containing anti-Muslim & anti-establishment rhetoric. He also supported the riots & informed his 98,000 followers how to remain anonymous. pic.twitter.com/IB5SGy0UEt David Atherton (@DaveAtherton20) August 15, 2024 ORourke will appear at Lincoln Crown Court tomorrow to face charges of publishing written material online to stir up racial hatred. As we highlighted yesterday, A 61-year-old man in the UK was jailed for 18 months for chanting who the fuck is Allah and telling police officers youre not English anymore during a protest outside Downing Street. 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. The legacy media continues to offer rolling, around the clock coverage of the charges being handed out to people who posted offensive content online, seemingly in an effort to act as a warning to others. Children as young as 12-years-old have also been charged in connection with the riots, as authorities warn that merely observing a riot taking place and not even taking part in it is enough to bring criminal charges against someone. Read more at: Modernity.news UKs crackdown on free speech in light of migrant crisis should not be viewed in a vacuum; it contains the globalist model to collapse U.S. and all of Western civilization Schools in the United Kingdom will begin teaching students about so-called misinformation and the dangers of extremist content as the nation continues to devolve into violent street riots fueled by Islamic migrants. (Article republished from LeoHohmann.Substack.com) According to Fox News, the new initiative will indoctrinate students on how to discern real information from fake news, by embedding critical thinking into the school curriculum, including English and math classes. Not actual critical thinking, mind you, just thinking thats critical of the truth. A better word for it would be brainwashing or sensitivity training. They wouldnt want young Brits to grow up and be like the 61-year-old English man who was just sentenced to 18 months in prison for questioning the authority of Allah. Such indiscretions cost him his freedom for the next year and a half. On July 31 at a protest outside of Downing Street, David Spring, a lifelong British citizen, pointed his finger at police and yelled who the f**k is Allah? He then told the officers they are no longer English. Zero Hedge reports that the punishment meted out to Mr. 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. Notes Paul Joseph Watson for Zero Hedge: 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 U.K. has slipped into extreme authoritarianism in the space of just two weeks. No, this did not happen in a span of two weeks. And it most certainly should not have come as a shock. In fact, I predicted we would get to this point in my 2017 book Stealth Invasion, which explained the globalists plan to obliterate Western civilization through weaponized migration. Anyone who has read Stealth Invasion knows that the bitter fruits of the globalists divisive immigration policies have been brewing for many years. The U.K. government has been importing non-assimilating Muslim migrants for decades, flooding some cities to the point where even police are careful to tread lightly for fear of offending the foreign culture, which has gradually become the dominant culture. Churches, abandoned by once faithful Christian communities, are routinely converted into mosques. The Muslim call to prayer rings out from bullhorns three times a day. Anyone who offends this foreign culture, or hurts the feelings of a Muslim, gets ridiculed as a racist and an Islamophobe. Now they can even be arrested. In the city of Rotherham, England, hundreds of little white British girls were groomed and sex trafficked, passed around among Pakistani Muslim men and their friends, right under the noses of the police and departments of family and children services. Anyone who complained was branded a racist, a hater, so it went unreported for years. In the face of this strengthening foreign culture, the government of the U.K. has gradually submitted to the most natural course of action, by actually arresting those who commit the Islamic sin of blasphemy against the false god Allah and his rabid followers. Thats how Sharia works. And this foreign legal system has been slowly taking over British cities for years. It will only get worse. We should not be shocked. Its happening in the U.S. too, in cities like Minneapolis, Dearborn and Hamtramck. As the foreign culture strengthens, the government increasingly favors it in any disputes that arise with the native culture. Read more at: LeoHohmann.Substack.com Virginia Gov. Youngkin signs EO mandating measures for ELECTION INTEGRITY Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has affixed his signature to an executive order (EO) mandating measures to ensure election integrity in the Old Dominion ahead of the November elections. The EO Youngkin signed on Aug. 7 sought to enforce the use of paper ballots and tracing possession of ballots during early voting. It also mandates the counter-checking of number of ballots cast with the number of voters who have checked in and the number of ballots sent to voters. Moreover, the EO also calls for absentee ballots to be requested before being mailed to voters. Absentee ballots mailed back will be rejected unless the voter gives the last four digits of their Social Security number and birth year. Since 2017, Virginia has used paper ballots a move that coincided with the progressive removal of touchscreen voting machines there. To expedite vote counting, the Old Dominion particularly uses ballot-counting machines that aren't connected to the internet. These machines are tested before elections. Youngkin defended the EO he signed in a statement, arguing that the issue of election integrity isn't partisan and that elections should be held fairly. (Related: Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoes 30 firearms and gun control-related bills that would "punish" law abiding citizens in Virginia.) "This isn't a Democrat or Republican issue, it's an American and Virginian issue," the GOP governor said. "Every legal vote deserves to be counted without being watered down by illegal votes or inaccurate machines. In Virginia, we don't play games and our model for election security is working." Youngkin also orders voter rolls to be CLEANED UP Virginia Department of Elections (ELECT) spokeswoman Andrea Gaines assured voters they can be confident that election results in the state are correct, in response to Youngkin's EO. She also stressed that ballots are counted compliant with state and federal law. "Our election officials receive extensive training in elections. Some of their responsibilities include overseeing the security and custody of ballots and ensuring that election results are checked multiple times before the results are certified," Gaines said. Aside from these, Youngkin also ordered the state to update its voter rolls. Under this order, the Old Dominion will add or remove people based on whether they are permitted to vote in the state. Voters who are deceased and those unable to prove their residency will be deleted, and illegal aliens will be prohibited from casting a ballot. The governor also ordered the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles to "expedite the inter-agency data sharing with ELECT of noncitizens by generating a daily file of all noncitizens transactions, including addresses and document numbers." Under the scheme, ELECT matches a list of noncitizens with a list of those registered to vote. Those present in both get erased from the voter rolls. Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares said 6,303 illegals and nearly 80,000 deceased voters have been removed from the state's voter rolls during Youngkin's tenure. His office added that safeguards are in place to make sure that there are no errors with the more than 6,000 illegal aliens struck off the rolls. Last October, Youngkin's election team erroneously removed 3,400 legal voters from the rolls before the state's 2023 election. Chloe Smith, a spokesperson for Miyares, said "non-citizen" is defined as a "living individual who does not have citizenship in the United States." She continued that anyone on the state's voter rolls identified as a non-citizen have 14 days to confirm that they are indeed bona fide U.S. citizens. "If someone arrives the day of wanting to vote and they want to register, they are allowed to cast a provisional ballot. Then that ballot is taken off to the side, then the process starts to confirm whether that person's ballot should be counted or not. This is a very transparent process," Youngkin said. Follow VoteFraud.news for more stories about election integrity issues in America. Watch this "Breitbart News Daily" report about the election integrity danger posed by illegals registering to vote. This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Biden administration opposes bill that would require PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP for voting in federal elections. Big win for election integrity in PA as court confirms improper absentee ballots wont be counted. B-Alert News: No state budget should be signed unless election integrity is upheld, says AZ State Rep. Liz Harris Brighteon.TV. Sources include: ZeroHedge.com USAToday.com Brighteon.com Mandatory Multifactor Authentication Coming to Azure in October Starting in October, Microsoft will require multifactor authentication (MFA) for all Azure sign-ins. Microsoft said the policy change is in line with its current focus on enhancing digital security and complements its planned $20 billion in security spending over the next five years. The specific goal with requiring MFA is "to reduce the risk of unauthorized access by implementing and enforcing best-in-class standards across all identity and secrets infrastructure, and user and application authentication and authorization," the company said. A security team at Microsoft released a report earlier in the year that found implementation of MFA can block 99.2% of all account compromise attacks, hence the push for requiring it in all Azure logins. Microsoft said it plans to start rolling out the requirement in two phases. Beginning in October, MFA will be required for signing in to the Azure portal, Microsoft Entra admin center, and Intune admin center. This enforcement will gradually extend to all tenants worldwide, though it will not impact other Azure clients, such as Azure Command Line Interface (CLI), Azure PowerShell, Azure mobile app, and Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools. Next, in early 2025, MFA enforcement will expand to include sign-ins for Azure CLI, Azure PowerShell, Azure mobile app, and IaC tools. To prepare for the new policy, Microsoft has started issuing 60-day advance notice to all Entra global admins via e-mail and Azure Service Health Notifications. Additional alerts will be provided through the Azure portal, Entra admin center, and the Microsoft 365 message center. Here's how users can enable MFA: Microsoft Authenticator allows users to approve sign-ins from a mobile app using push notifications, biometrics, or one-time passcodes. Augment or replace passwords with two-step verification and boost the security of your accounts from your mobile device. FIDO2 security keys provide access by signing in without a username or password using an external USB, near-field communication (NFC), or other external security key that supports Fast Identity Online (FIDO) standards in place of a password. Certificate-based authentication enforces phishing-resistant MFA using personal identity verification (PIV) and common access card (CAC). Authenticate using X.509 certificates on smart cards or devices directly against Microsoft Entra ID for browser and application sign-in. Passkeys allow for phishing-resistant authentication using Microsoft Authenticator. Finally, and this is the least secure version of MFA, you can also use a SMS or voice approval as described in this documentation. For more information, visit the Microsoft blog. 'New York is New Delhi of America', says city's Mayor praising diaspora contributions " New York City is the New Delhi of America", the city's Mayor Eric Adams said at the hoisting of the Indian tricolour on Independence Day, praising the diaspora's contributions to the city. "This is the oldest democracy, so we should be proud to lift this flag up in the democracy of New York City, and I call on the community to continue to inspire and achieve at the (highest) levels," he said at the ceremony in the historic Bowling Green. Bowling Green had a symbolic role in the US quest for independence like India from Britain: The statue of King George III at the site was torn down by patriots soon after the Declaration of Independence was read out to the freedom-fighting troops rallied under George Washington in 1776. The flag hoisting was arranged by the Indian Cultural Association of North America and was attended by several city officials, including Deputy Mayor Meera Joshi, the first Indian-American to hold that post. "When you look at the number of professional business owners, health professionals in the medical field, educators, teachers, it shows the clear presence of the Indian community," Adams said. "You do us proud here in this city and in our entire country." Recalling his visit to India where he visited the Gandhi Smriti in New Delhi, where Mahatma Gandhi took his final steps before the assassination, he said, "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." Consul General Binaya Srikanta Pradhan said that along with Independence Day the "fabulous journey" India has made in 78 years, its growth story, and the rise of Indian-America partnership. "If President Joe Biden says that this is the most consequential partnership of the 21st century, we in India echo that," he said. "We believe that it has reached a point of inflection." Another flag-hoisting ceremony was held at Times Square with Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita participating. On the eve of Independence Day, Partition Horrors Remembrance Day was observed at India's Consulate General, where a photo exhibit on the subject was installed. Margherita spoke on the occasion about the resilience and courage of the survivors who persevered and rebuilt their lives overcoming the horrors inflicted on them. 'New York is New Delhi of America', says city's Mayor praising diaspora contributions Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! India is a global leader with breakthrough innovations: Bill Gates M icrosoft co-founder and renowned philanthropist Bill Gates flagged off the first-ever India Day celebrations in the Greater Seattle area, describing India as a "global leader" with breakthrough innovations in various sectors. Attending the event as the Guest of Honour at the invitation of the Consulate General of India in Seattle, Gates expressed his admiration for India's advancements in technology, agriculture, and healthcare. He emphasised the positive impact these innovations have had on saving and improving lives. Sharing photos from the event in which he donned a scarf in the hues of the Indian tricolour, Gates said that it was an "honour" for him to participate in the celebrations. "India is a global leader with breakthrough innovations in areas like technology, agriculture, and healthcare that are saving and improving lives. It has been an honour to collaborate with the Indian government, philanthropists, the private sector, nonprofits, and the Indian American community. Happy Independence Day to all Indians!" he said in a post on Instagram. The inaugural India Day celebrations in Seattle featured a vibrant showcase of diverse Indian cultural heritage. Floats representing various states and regions of the country were displayed, along with cultural performances that celebrated the theme of 'Unity in Diversity'. Prominent leaders of the Indian-American community contributed to the creation of these floats, highlighting key aspects of India's rich cultural traditions. The Consulate General of India in Seattle expressed gratitude to Gates for inaugurating the event. "Thank you, Mr Bill Gates, for flagging off the first India Day celebrations in the Greater Seattle area," the Consulate posted on X. The Consulate also acknowledged the participation of Congresswomen Suzan K DelBene and Kim Schrier, Congressman Adam Smith, Washington Lieutenant Governor Denny Heck, and Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs. Additionally, Mayors of several nearby cities, including Bellevue, Tacoma, Kent, Auburn, Renton, SeaTac, Snoqualmie, and Mercer Island, joined the celebrations, showing their support for the Indian community. India is a global leader with breakthrough innovations: Bill Gates Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Vinesh Phogat receives emotional homecoming after Paris Olympics heartbreak W restler Vinesh Phogat returned home on Saturday to a heartwarming welcome at Indira Gandhi International Airport, following her campaign at the Paris Olympics, ending in a heartbreak. As Vinesh exited the airport, loud cheers from her fans, family, and friends, who had gathered in large numbers despite the early hours, greeted her. The overwhelming support and affection from them moved the wrestling icon to tears. Outside the airport, emotions ran high as people celebrated. Sakshi Malik, who retired from wrestling last year, and Bajrang Punia were among the first to welcome Vinesh home. In a poignant moment, Vinesh and Sakshi, both of whom have faced immense challenges in their careers, embraced each other and broke down in tears, sharing the weight of their struggles. Later, Sakshi, the 2016 Rio Olympics bronze medallist, wrote on 'X', "Welcome back champion @vineshphogat." Boxer Vijender Singh, who clinched a bronze medal in 2008 Beijing Olympics, was also at the airport to receive Vinesh. "Once a champion always a champion #Vineshphogat," Vijender posted on 'X.' On Friday, Vinesh had expressed her deep sorrow over missing out on the Olympic podium, linking her personal disappointment to the broader struggle for women's rights in India, which she had championed in her protests against the former wrestling federation chief. In a three-page letter posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on Friday night, Vinesh hinted at a return to the sport in the future, leaving the door slightly ajar despite her earlier decision to retire post being disqualified from women's freestyle 50kg gold medal game earlier this month. Despite the team's efforts, Vinesh could not make weight in time for the weigh-in, leading to her disqualification from the gold medal game. Later, Vinesh's appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) for a joint silver medal was dismissed on Wednesday. Vinesh Phogat receives emotional homecoming after Paris Olympics heartbreak Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Manisha Koirala: Travelling means a lot to me A ctress Manisha Koirala, who recently celebrated her birthday, has shared that she is an avid traveller, and being bitten by the wanderlust bug helps her to explore different people and cultures across the planet. On Saturday, the actress took to her Instagram, and shared a Reel in which she could be seen jetting off to some place from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai. In the video, which is a collection of her airport stills, the actress could be seen decked up in a pair of loose denims and a black t-shirt. She accessorised her look with a fanny bag, a pair of sunglasses, and a scarf with polka dots. She tied her hair neatly in a bun and posed for the camera. The actress also penned a long note in the caption about her affinity for travel. She wrote, "Travelling means a lot to me. Every trip, no matter how far or near, makes me see things and love the world even more. When I travel, I get excited about finding new places, meeting people from different backgrounds, and making memories I'll never forget". She further mentioned, "These times when I discover new things make me feel alive. Speaking of feeling alive, thanks to everyone for the birthday messages! Your love and encouragement matter so much to me, and I'm extremely grateful #birthdaygirl #travelling #wonderfulworld". Meanwhile, on the work front, the actress was recently seen in the OTT series 'Heeramandi:The Diamond Bazaar' in which she essayed the role of a brothel madam, Mallikajaan. The show, which tells the story of the eponymous district in British India, marked the OTT debut of Indian auteur Sanjay Leela Bhansali with whom Manisha worked in 'Khamoshi: The Musical'. 'Heeramandi:The Diamond Bazaar' has been renewed for a second season, and will soon drop on Netflix. Manisha Koirala: Travelling means a lot to me Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! PM Modi proposes Global Development Compact to propel Global South P rime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday proposed a comprehensive 'Global Development Compact' on behalf of India to the countries of the Global South. "The foundation of this Compact will be based on the experiences of India's development journey and development partnerships. This Global Compact will be driven by the development priorities set by the countries of the South themselves," PM Modi said in his closing remarks at the Inaugural Leaders' Session of the Voice of Global South Summit 3.0. "It will be human-centric, multi-dimensional and promote a multi-sectoral approach to development. It will not burden needy countries with debt in the name of development finance. This will contribute to the balanced and sustainable development of partner countries," the Prime Minister said. He further clarified that the 'development compact' will focus on trade for development, capacity building for sustainable growth, technology sharing, project-specific concessional finance and grants. "To boost trade promotion activities, India will launch a special fund of $2.5 million. Training in trade policy and trade negotiation will be provided for capacity building. A fund of one million dollars will be provided for this," PM Modi said. He said that India is contributing to the SDG Stimulus Leaders group for financial stress and development funding in the countries of the Global South and will also work to provide affordable and effective generic medicines to the Global South. "We will also cooperate in the training of drug regulators. We will be happy to share our experiences and technology of natural farming in the agriculture sector," he added. He also said that global tensions and conflicts which were highlighted at the conference were a serious matter and addressing these concerns depends on just and inclusive global governance. Such institutions must give priority to the Global South while developed countries also fulfil their responsibilities and commitments. "There is also a need to take action to reduce the gap between the Global North and South and the Summit of the Future at the UN to be held next month could become an important milestone for all this," PM Modi added. PM Modi proposes Global Development Compact to propel Global South Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Iraq thanks PM Modi for hosting Global South Summit to address 'common challenges' S tressing that it remains an integral part of the Global South and has a firm commitment to a shared vision for a sustainable and prosperous future for all, Iraq on Saturday expressed its "sincere appreciation" to the Indian government for hosting the 3rd Voice of Global South Summit under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fuad Hussein, participated virtually in the meeting held under the theme 'Empowering the Global South for a Sustainable Future'. In his remarks at the summit, Hussain thanked the Indian government for hosting the important conference and extended his special thanks to PM Modi and External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar. Addressing the "common challenges", the Minister spoke on the importance of collective action with developed countries to address vital issues such as climate change, energy security and sustainable development. "He explained that Iraq plays a pivotal role in ensuring global energy security, pointing to the country's commitment to diversifying energy sources and expanding its export capabilities to meet growing global demand. He called on international partners to cooperate in building a sustainable energy future for all," stated Iraq's Foreign Ministry. Highlighting Iraq's initiative to plant five million trees as a step towards creating a large carbon reservoir, Hussein said that the country remains committed to global measures to combat climate change, including implementing policies to support the use of electric vehicles and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Addressing the gathering, Hussein also mentioned the security challenges facing the world, especially in light of the instability of the international system, expressing Iraq's concern over the "unjustified Israeli bombing" of the Gaza Strip, and calling on the international community to support efforts to enhance security and peace in the region. "The Minister also discussed the importance of transboundary water resources for Iraq, stressing Iraq's diplomatic efforts to enhance cooperation in this field, including joining the United Nations Water Convention," the Foreign Ministry mentioned. Hussein detailed that a 'Development Path' initiative has been launched by Iraq, which aims to enhance regional and global economic integration by establishing a trade corridor linking the Gulf region to Turkey, opening the door to new economic opportunities and enhancing trade within and outside the region. A number of countries, including Iraq, Cuba, Brunei, Lesotho, Malaysia, Maldives, Nauru, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tajikistan, Tuvalu, Laos, Cambodia, and Turkmenistan are participating in the summit The summit is held with the participation of a number of heads of state and government and foreign ministers, where it discusses the challenges imposed by global developments and ways to create a more comprehensive, representative and advanced global system. It also addresses development priorities and related solutions, as well as food security issues It began as an extension of PM Modi's vision of 'sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas aur sabka prayas', and is underpinned by India's philosophy of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam'. The conference discussed the issues of climate change, population growth, food insecurity, financial debt, inequality and conflicts that directly affect developing countries, and discussed the challenges, priorities and solutions in the Global South, especially to ensure sustainable development. Iraq thanks PM Modi for hosting Global South Summit to address 'common challenges' Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! 'Conspiracy to destabilise Karnataka govt', Siddaramaiah rules out resignation K arnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah ruled out the possibility of his resignation, emphasising that he would fight it out legally, hours after Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot gave the nod to prosecute him in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land scam. He further claimed that the Congress high command and the entire cabinet were with him. Speaking to media in Bengaluru, CM Siddaramaiah stated on Saturday, "There is no question of tendering the resignation. I will fight it out legally in the court of law. It is the decision taken by the Governor. He has no authority, he has no jurisdiction and it is unconstitutional and we will fight it out legally." "It is a conspiracy against the Congress government. The BJP and JD (S) parties along with the central government have joined hands in this. The high command is with me, the entire cabinet is with me. The government is with me. All MLAs are with me," Siddaramaiah announced. "A major conspiracy has been orchestrated to destabilise the elected government of Karnataka. Just as conspiracies were carried out in Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, and New Delhi, a similar conspiracy is being executed in Karnataka. On the surface, there is no case against me, and the Governor's decision to grant permission for prosecution is unconstitutional. We will challenge this decision legally," he reiterated. "They (central government) are not tolerating this government and they are not tolerating my leadership because this government had implemented all guarantee schemes and these guarantee schemes are for the poor people of all communities and all religions," he stated. That is why this central government is against social justice and poor people and guarantees. The BJP and central government are totally against the guarantee schemes. Now the JD (S) has also joined. With the conspiracy of BJP, JD (S), central government and local leaders of Karnataka, they are doing this, CM Siddaramaiah claimed. "I will fight it out legally in the court of law. It is an illegal sanction given by the Governor who is a puppet of the central government. There is no prima facie case against me or anybody. The BJP has no moral right to ask for my resignation because the Governor is biased towards me," he maintained. There is an application pending before the Governor against the Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy. In fact the Lokayukta has asked for sanction against Union Minister Kumaraswamy in his case. That sanction has not been given so far. Former BJP Minister Shashikala Jolle's case is also pending, CM Siddaramaiah claimed. He noted that a show-cause notice was issued on the same day the complaint was filed against him. "This action by the Governor was anticipated. All legislators, cabinet ministers, and party leaders are supporting me. The Governor is a puppet of the central government. This is a political ploy, and there is no question of my resignation. The Governor is being used as a political weapon. They cannot tolerate the success of the Congress government and its guarantee schemes," he further said. 'Conspiracy to destabilise Karnataka govt', Siddaramaiah rules out resignation Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Closely monitoring monkeypox situation, no new reported cases in India: Centre T he government on Saturday said they are closely monitoring the global monkeypox situation, and preparedness and cautionary measures are being put in place to prevent and control the spread of the disease. There are no new reported cases of monkeypox in India as of date, said the Health Ministry. In the meeting with senior ministry officials, chaired by Health Minister JP Nadda, it was decided that as a matter of abundant caution, certain measures are put in place. These are sensitising the health units at all the airports, seaports and ground crossings, readying the testing laboratories and gearing up health facilities for detecting, isolating and managing any case. The meeting was called in view of the World Health Organisation (WHO) declaring Monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). In the meeting, it was noted that Monkeypox infections are usually self-limiting lasting between 2-4 weeks and patients generally recover with supportive management. The transmission requires prolonged close contact with an infected case and is generally through the sexual route, direct contact with body/lesion fluid, or contaminated clothing/linen of an infected person. Globally, since 2022, WHO has reported 99,176 cases and 208 deaths due to monkeypox from 116 countries. Since the 2022 declaration by WHO, a total of 30 cases were detected in India with the last case in March 2024. The Centre said that a joint monitoring group meeting, under the chairmanship of the Director General of Health Services consisting of experts from relevant fields, was held to review the situation. Although the possibility of a few imported cases being detected in the coming weeks is not entirely ruled out, it was assessed that the risk of a large outbreak with sustained transmission is presently low for India. After reports of Mpox cases in Sweden and Pakistan surfaced, infectious disease experts urged health authorities to begin screening for the deadly infectious disease at key airports in India to help curb the spread. Closely monitoring monkeypox situation, no new reported cases in India: Centre Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Sri Lanka targets three million tourists in 2025 with new global campaign S ri Lankan tourism authorities are expecting three million foreign tourists in 2025, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau Managing Director Nalin Perera has said. From the second week of September, Sri Lankan tourism authorities will launch a promotional campaign covering key source markets, Perera said on Friday. Perera said the first phase of the campaign will target China, Britain, France, Germany, and India, while the second phase of the campaign will target Russia, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Poland, Italy, as well as Scandinavia, the Middle East and the Benelux countries. These campaigns are expected to increase tourist arrivals by 700,000 next year. Perera said over 1.2 million tourists have arrived in Sri Lanka by Aug. 12 and another 1.1 million are expected to arrive during the coming months, particularly from October to December. Sri Lanka expects to attract 2.3 million tourists in 2024. Tourism is one of Sri Lanka's top foreign revenue generators. Sri Lanka's earnings from tourism rose to over 1.88 billion U.S. dollars in the first seven months of 2024, a 73.3-percent increase year on year, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka said in its latest weekly report. Sri Lanka targets three million tourists in 2025 with new global campaign Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Vote in large numbers for the Kashmir you want: Sam Pitroda C hairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, Sam Pitroda, has urged the people of Jammu and Kashmir to participate actively in the upcoming Assembly elections to shape the future of the region. Jammu and Kashmir will vote in three phases on September 18, September 25, and October 1, the Election Commission of India announced on Friday. The counting of votes will be taken up on October 4. Speaking about the elections which will be held for the first time since the abrogation of Article 370, Pitroda emphasised the importance of voter turnout. "I urge people to come out and vote in large numbers because it's your way of standing up for the kind of Kashmir you want," Pitroda said in an exclusive conversation with IANS. He also expressed hope for a high voter turnout, saying, "I would like to see 80 per cent or higher turnout if possible. I want everyone to ensure that they are on the right voter list so that there's no confusion at the last minute." Pitroda also reflected on the conduct of previous elections, citing concerns over alleged irregularities in the recent Odisha Assembly polls. "I'm not happy with the recent elections, like in Odisha where there were 40 lakh extra votes. Where did they come from? People are asking questions to the Election Commission and the Supreme Court, but there are no answers which is just not acceptable," he said. Pitroda also stressed the importance of maintaining confidence in the electoral process as he urged citizens to remain vigilant. "In India, if you question the EC, people say it's not right. Of course it is right... It is the job of the citizens to raise questions," Pitroda said. Emphasising the need for transparency in the voting process, Pitroda said, "My only request is to watch every booth, count the number of people who vote, and tally it so that the EC doesn't come up with more votes... These are all concerns to me," he said. pradipti/sd/arm Vote in large numbers for the Kashmir you want: Sam Pitroda 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. Nebraska's top election official said he won't remove convicted felons who registered to vote under a 2005 law from the state's voter rolls while a legal challenge against doing so is before the Nebraska Supreme Court. Secretary of State Bob Evnen said Thursday he also would not move forward on a plan to restore those individuals' voting rights at an Aug. 20 meeting of the Board of Pardons. In a news release, Evnen said he requested the Board of Pardons remove an agenda item to restore voting rights to individuals with felony convictions who registered to vote under LB53. That law, which was on the books in the Cornhusker State for nearly two decades, allowed convicted felons to register to vote in Nebraska two years after completing the terms of their sentence. The Legislature in April removed the two-year waiting period. Omaha Sen. Justin Wayne's bill (LB20), which passed on a 38-6 vote, restored voting rights to felons immediately upon the completion of their sentence. Approximately 7,000 people with felon convictions would have become eligible to register to vote in July, when LB20 was set to take effect. Two days before, however, Attorney General Mike Hilgers issued an opinion that both LB20 and LB53 before it violated the state's separation of powers clause. In an 18-page opinion, Hilgers said the executive branch's Board of Pardons not the Legislature had authority to restore voting rights to felons. Using the legal basis in Hilgers' opinion, Evnen ordered local election officials to not accept new voter registrations from felons who were set to become eligible to participate in the state's elections. The state's highest court agreed to hear the case and set arguments for the end of this month. In a news release on Thursday, Evnen said individuals with felony convictions who registered to vote while LB53 was in effect would remain on the voter rolls. But, the secretary of state said county election officials should continue to not accept any new voter registrations from individuals with felony convictions under LB20, unless they have been pardoned. "I am hopeful that the Nebraska Supreme Court will quickly issue a decision prior to the November general election," Evnen said in a news release. "We will follow whatever direction the court gives us regarding felon registrations." In a statement, Civic Nebraska said "the only acceptable path" for Nebraska's election officials to follow was the law set by LB20. "Using the Board of Pardons to restore only some Nebraskans' voting rights would have been an unnecessary half-measure," Civic Nebraska spokesman Steve Smith said in a statement. "The Nebraska Supreme Court will have the final say in this matter. "We look forward to making our case on Aug. 28." Top Journal Star photos for August 2024 "With the number of guns that we are seizing, the number of guns that we're coming into contact with, I can almost guarantee you that we will surpass all of 2023 with respect to shootings." The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) introduced the Positive Pay System (PPS) to enhance the security of cheque-based transactions and reduce the risk of fraud. This system is especially useful for detecting fraudulent or unauthorised alterations to cheques. What is Positive Pay? RBI introduced the Positive Pay System in 2021 to combat the rising cases of cheque fraud. Its an electronic authentication process where you share the key details of a high-value cheque with your bank before its presented for payment. Under the PPS, the issuer of the cheque (drawer) shares the cheque details with their bank before handing it over to the beneficiary. These details typically include the cheque number, cheque date, payee name, account number, amount, and other relevant details. By adopting Positive Pay, will you be taking a proactive step? Lets find it below. How Does It Work? When the beneficiary presents the cheque for encashment, the bank verifies the details against the information provided by the drawer. If the details match, the cheque is processed. If there is a discrepancy, the bank flags the cheque for further verification. Issue a cheque: When you issue a cheque for Rs. 50,000 or more, you can voluntarily submit its details to your bank. Share cheque details: You provide information like cheque number, date, amount, payees name, and account number to the bank through various channels (net banking, mobile app, SMS, or branch). Bank verification: The bank verifies these details when the cheque is presented for payment. Enhanced security: If the details match, the cheque is cleared. Any discrepancies lead to a hold, reducing the chances of fraudulent cheques being cashed Key benefits of Positive Pay: Reduces cheque fraud: By verifying cheque details, it minimises the risk of altered or counterfeit cheques. Enhances security: Adds an extra layer of protection to your cheque payments. Faster clearing: Reduces the chances of cheque returns due to discrepancies. Peace of mind: Gives you confidence in your cheque transactions. Important points to remember: Voluntary for cheques below Rs. 5 lakhs: Currently, Positive Pay is optional for cheques between Rs. 50,000 and Rs. 5 lakhs. Mandatory for cheques above Rs. 5 lakhs: For cheques exceeding Rs. 5 lakhs, Positive Pay is mandatory. No modification or deletion: Once you submit cheque details, you cannot change or delete them. Stop payment: You can still stop payment of a cheque before its presented. Implementation Across Banks Most banks in India have adopted the PPS for cheques above Rs 50,000. Customers are advised to check with their respective banks for specific details on how to use the Positive Pay System and its thresholds. In summary, the Positive Pay System is a preventive measure introduced by the RBI to safeguard cheque transactions from fraud, enhancing the overall security of the banking system. The Reserve Bank on Friday said it has imposed a penalty of Rs 1.27 crore on Bank of Maharashtra (BoM) for violating its directions, including on Know Your Customer. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated August 8, 2024, imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 1.27 crore on Bank of Maharashtra for non-compliance with certain directions issued by RBI on Loan System for Delivery of Bank Credit, Cyber Security Framework in Banks and Know Your Customer, the central bank said in a statement. After considering the banks reply to the notice, oral submissions made during the personal hearing and examination of additional submissions made by it, RBI found that the charges against the bank were sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty. Besides, the RBI has imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 4.90 lakh on Hinduja Leyland Finance Ltd for non-compliance with certain provisions of the Know Your Customer (KYC) Directions, 2016. The action is based on a deficiency in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the company with its customers, it said in a separate statement. The central bank has also imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 10 lakh on Poonawalla Fincorp Ltd for non-compliance with certain provisions of the Non-Banking Financial Company Systemically Important Non-Deposit taking Company and Deposit taking Company (Reserve Bank) Directions, 2016. After considering the companys reply to the notice, oral submissions made during the personal hearing and examination of additional submissions made by it, RBI found that the following charge against the company was sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty, RBI said in a statement. The company charged interest on loans from dates prior to the disbursal of these loans, which was contrary to the terms and conditions of the loans communicated to the customers, it added. Gurgaon Police uncovered a highly organised cybercrime operation that surpasses the frauds from Jamtara and Nuh. This sophisticated crime appears to be controlled by foreign entities. The investigation revealed an investment fraud racket extending from Manesar in Haryana to Jalandhar in Punjab. Authorities have arrested the owner of a mobile phone shop in Churu, Rajasthan, who was involved in the Indian fraud network and allegedly received directions from Chinese handlers abroad. The investigation also uncovered that the accused had travelled to Colombo to meet with these handlers. In an interview with TOI, a Haryana Police officer shared that gangs committing such frauds operate from neighbouring countries because it is easier to meet the Indian gang there. Active bank accounts in India are key for them to execute the frauds and they are achieving this by transferring defrauded amounts into multiple bank accounts, making it difficult to trace the amount. They also evade potential arrest from Indian police this way. So far, not a single Chinese national has been arrested from abroad by Indian agencies in cybercrime cases. The first incident that came to light was when a Manesar resident was duped of Rs 28 lakh by the Churu man. The complainant was a self-employed man, lured by Churu man by offering him great returns on investments in the stock market. The complainant believed the fraud and transferred the amount into the bank account provided to him. When he tried to withdraw his returns, he realised he had been cheated as the fraudsters had blocked all his access to the virtual platform and were not reachable on call. Based on this complaint, the police made their first arrest on June 26. The accused arrested are Neeraj (Jalandhar) and his associates Amir Ahmed (Jalandhar) and Nand Kishore Shakia (Hanumangarh, Rajasthan). As per the Police, Neeraj was the original account holder who shared the bank details with Ahmed. It was Neerajs account where the complainants money was transferred. During interrogation, Nand Kishore Shakia confessed to the police that he was in touch with a mobile shop owner Murjad Singh Shekhawat, who was then arrested near the KMP Expressway in Sonipat on Thursday. Upon interrogating Shekhawat, he revealed that he had been in touch with a few Chinese handlers for several months. The police found the contact details of four Chinese nationals on Murjad Singh Shekhawats mobile. He claimed that he came in contact with them through a Nepali national on WhatsApp and later used the Telegram app to contact them. It was then found that Murjad Singh Shekhawat visited Colombo in May 2024 and stayed in an accommodation with four Chinese till July. He was given the task of finding associates in India who would help him open bank accounts to which he provided four current accounts to the Chinese operators. Shekhawats commission was 1.5 per cent in this. Police have now seized a passport, three cell phones, and SIM cards from Nepal and Sri Lanka from Shekhawat. Previously, in this case, Gurgaon Police arrested a Vadodara resident Tarif Hussain Malik on August 6 for being involved with Chinese fraudsters in Dubai. On August 16, the Union Cabinet approved metro rail projects in Bengaluru in Karnataka and Thane and Pune in Maharashtra. It also approved the five infrastructure projects to improve air connectivity in West Bengal. Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnav said the government has approved infrastructure projects worth about Rs 2 lakh crore since taking charge in June. As per the minister, the governments priority is to boost employment generation and economic development. Assembly elections are to be held in Maharashtra later this year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also tweeted about these projects in Marathi. According to the Prime Minister, the government is constantly striving to provide modern infrastructure to Maharashtra. He added, Today, the Union Cabinet has approved the Thane Integral Ring Metro Rail Project. The PM further wrote that it is an important infrastructural project connecting major areas in and around Thane, adding comfort and convenience. https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1824494031038189596 The Prime Minister also informed the people that in Bengaluru, the government has approved two new corridors with 30 more stations. The PMs post read, It enhances the passenger experience and promotes easy living. The third phase of Bengaluru Metro will be completed for Rs 15,611 crore. It includes two corridors, JP Nagar to Hebbal Kempapura and Hosahalli-Kadabagere. https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1824493744277819856 For Bihar and West Bengal, the government has aimed for increased air connectivity, which will foster the big news for tourism and commercial development. The Union Cabinet today approved the creation of new civilian enclaves at Bagdogra in West Bengal and Bihata Airport in Bihar. As per the post, This will ensure seamless travel to and from these two locations. https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1824507215929380865 Besides these arrangements, the Union government has approved the Swargate to Katraj underground extension of the existing PCMC-Swargate metro line in Pune. According to the PIB release, the Cabinet, in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, has approved the corridor. The release added that this new extension will be known as the Line-l B extension and will span 5.46 km. It will also include three underground stations, connecting key areas such as Market Yard, Bibwewadi, Balaji Nagar and Katraj suburbs. Troop movements have begun in Jammu and Kashmir after the Election Commission (EC) announced the dates for assembly elections to the erstwhile state as well as Haryana on Friday. According to a top-level official, in its first communication regarding the elections, the Ministry of Home Affairs has asked forces to retain more than 500 companies currently deployed for the Amarnath Yatra for advance deployment. This means that over 50,000 troops from the Central Armed Police Forces, who are already in J&K, will be deployed for the elections. Additionally, more troops will be deployed later. The deployment will be part of the advance preparations for the election, focusing on area domination and familiarisation. Sources also said almost a week ago, the Election Commission had recommended retaining these troops after the completion of the Amarnath Yatra, officially scheduled for August 19. These troops will be responsible for the security of the Union Territory, which will be voting for the first time since the abrogation of Article 370. Though official figures from the Ministry of Home Affairs show a decrease in terror activities and casualties among personnel and civilians, Jammu is once again witnessing attacks on the army. Areas such as Poonch, Rajouri, and Reasi will be focal points, as these areas have seen multiple attacks on the army and civilians over the past two months. It is expected that the Election Commission will deploy more companies than initially demanded for the general elections. For the general elections, the second-highest number of central force companies, totalling 635, were sent to Jammu and Kashmir. The deployment plan has been asked to be decided in consultation with J&K Police authorities, who are also to provide necessary accommodation, transportation, logistics, and other arrangements required for the forces deployment, as per ECI guidelines. It will be a short election in Jammu and Kashmir, with just three phases spread over 14 days, almost half the length of the election schedule seen in the erstwhile state in 2014 when it last saw assembly elections or just a few months ago in the Lok Sabha. Adhering to the Supreme Court deadline of September 30, 2024, for holding elections in J&K was topmost on the mind of the Election Commission of India and hence, the elections were announced the very next day after the Independence Day celebrations were over. The elections in J&K will be held in three phases on September 18, September 25 and October 1, and the results will be declared on October 4. The total election schedule, hence, will be just 14 days for polling, and a total of 17 days if one factors in the counting date too. Can the BJP bounce back in Ayodhya by winning the upcoming Milkipur assembly bypolls? The saffron party, after losing the Ayodhya Lok Sabha seat, is leaving no stone unturned in the Dalit-dominated assembly seat to avenge its defeat, even as Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and Chandrashekhar Azads outfit eye victory in the crucial bypolls that have been termed a prestige battle for BJP. In the Milkipur assembly seat, which falls in Ayodhya on the borders of Amethi and Sultanpur, a bypoll is due after its MLA Awadhesh Prasad was elected as MP from Faizabad (Ayodhya) in the Lok Sabha, leaving the seat vacant. Though the Election Commission of India (ECI) is yet to announce the bypoll date, the pre-poll activities are on in full swing. Bhaiya, Maharaj-ji ki Izzat Ka Sawaal hai (Its a matter of prestige for UP CM Yogi Adityanath). Its not any regular bypoll, said a BJP worker while preparing for Adityanaths visit scheduled for next week. This will be the chief ministers second visit in a fortnight to Ayodhya ahead of bypolls. Adityanath had also visited Ayodhya on August 7 and set the ball rolling for the campaign. The chief minister also met party workers and asked them to stay connected with the public and communicate the governments development efforts. He highlighted that these schemes benefit all sections of society. Besides, he also encouraged workers to counter opposition attempts to mislead people and stressed the need for officials to remain active, a BJP worker said. What happened in the 2024 Lok Sabha Polls? The BJP faced a surprising defeat in the Faizabad constituency, which includes the temple town of Ayodhya, just months after the party fulfilled its long-standing promise of building a Ram Temple at the deitys believed birthplace. Samajwadi Partys Awadhesh Prasad won the seat, defeating the sitting BJP MP Lallu Singh by over 54,567 votes. Prasad secured 5,54,289 votes, while Singh trailed with 4,99,722 votes. The Faizabad seat, one of the 80 Lok Sabha constituencies in UP, is significant as it encompasses Ayodhya, the site of the Ram Temple. The loss marked a setback for the BJP, which has historically banked on Ayodhyas religious significance. What led to BJPs dismal performance in Ayodhya? Balram Tiwari, political observer and senior journalist from Faizabad, said BJP not only lost Ayodhya in 2024 but also failed to capitalise on the Ram Temple inauguration. Instead, unemployment and rising prices dominated voters concerns. Lallu Singh, the BJP candidate, inadvertently supported opposition claims that the BJP might alter the Constitution if re-elected. The Samajwadi Partys decision to field Awadhesh Prasad, a nine-time Dalit MLA from Milkipur and Sohawal, proved strategic, securing crucial Dalit votes. The Dalit community is the largest voting bloc in Milkipur, adding to the SP alliances assured Muslim-Yadav support. Additionally, the BSPs decision to field Brahmin candidate Sachidanand Pandey further complicated the BJPs chances, as Pandey garnered over 46,000 votes, eating into the BJPs vote share. These factors collectively contributed to the BJPs unexpected loss, highlighting the complex dynamics at play in the region. Will BJP regain foothold in Ayodhya? UPs political observers acknowledge that while BJPs Mission Milkipur holds promise, it also faces considerable challenges. Tiwari said public perception in Ayodhya has shifted significantly in the last four months. Also, the decision by Adityanath to lead the Milkipur bypoll battle has energised party workers and the alleged resentment they had against the partys decision to field Lallu Singh has subsided. Tiwari said there are rumours that BJP may field former Milkipur MLA Baba Gorakhnath, a Pasi, who narrowly lost to SPs Awadhesh Prasad in 2022 by just over 13,000 votes. Notably, in 2017, Gorakhnath, then 32, defeated the 72-year-old Prasad by more than 26,000 votes, a victory that coincided with the BJPs landslide win in Uttar Pradesh and Yogi Adityanaths rise to the chief ministers office. Challenges To counter the BJP, the Samajwadi Party has made the Milkipur battle a prestige issue and is considering fielding Awadhesh Prasads son Ajit, a Pasi, turning the contest into a Pasi vs Pasi battle. This time, the BSP has also decided to contest the bypolls, while Chandrashekhar Azads Azad Samaj Party (ASP) will field a candidate, intensifying the competition. BSP and ASP Possible Spoilsport Tiwari pointed out that the BSP and ASPs activities in Milkipur, which has a significant Dalit and OBC population, could make the poll battle all the more critical for both BJP and SP. Azad has appointed in-charges in key assembly seats and is expanding his partys influence after winning the Nagina Lok Sabha seat. The shift of Dalit voters towards ASP has also worried the BSP, prompting its chief to announce that the party will contest all vacant assembly seats, including Milkipur. This sets the stage for a fierce electoral battle. The BJP has already hit the ground running by asking its Ayodhya unit to restructure the booth-level committees and augment the Panna samitis. Adityanath has constituted a team of four UP ministers Surya Pratap Shahi, Mayankeshwar Singh, Girish Yadav and Satish Sharma to intensify poll spadework in Ayodhya, while he has been holding deliberations with seers to get ground-level feedback from the religious community which plays a pivotal role in catalysing voters. Besides Milkipur, eight other seats had fallen vacant when their MLAs including SP chief Akhilesh Yadav were elected to the Lok Sabha. The remaining Sisamau (Kanpur) seat became vacant after SP MLA Irfan Solanki was convicted and sentenced to seven years imprisonment, bringing the total number of vacant assembly seats to 10. West Bengal government has revoked the transfer order of 42 professors and doctors working in several medical colleges and hospitals across the state that was issued earlier in the day. Bengal Health Secretary stated that the transfer was a routine exercise and that its approval was taken before the incident of rape and murder of the woman PG trainee doctor in RG Kar MCH on August 9. We have revoked the order now, the Health Secretary said. Sources said that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee directed the Health Secretary to revoke the transfer order. The Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government had, earlier in the day, issued an order for the transfer of 42 professors and doctors working in several medical colleges and hospitals across the state amid the ongoing nationwide protests over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. Sources in the administration, however, termed it a routine move. According to the official notification dated 16 August 2024, 42 professors and doctors were appointed and transferred within the West Bengal Medical Education Service (WB-MES) across the state. Among those transferred, there are two doctors Dr Sangeeta Paul and Dr Supriya Das who were posted at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Follow Kolkata Rape-Murder Case LIVE Updates The governments decision of massive reshuffle amid the ongoing protests drew an ire of the doctors associations and the opposition BJP, calling it a conspiracy and an attempt to scare senior healthcare professionals. Doctors Association Condemns Order United Doctors Front Association strongly condemned the transfer move and said that such measures wont silence the demands for justice and security. We strongly condemn the @MamataOfficial @BengalGovernor unjust transfer of faculty members who supported our protest. These punitive measures will not silence our demands for justice and security. We stand united and resolute in our fight, it said in a post on X. We strongly condemns @MamataOfficial @BengalGovernor unjust transfer of faculty members who supported our protest.These punitive measures will not silence our demands for justice and security.We stand united and resolute in our fight.@ANI @PTI_News @HMOIndia @PMOIndia @AmitShah pic.twitter.com/Ueklz8P7pb UNITED DOCTORS FRONT ASSOCIATION (@udfaindia) August 16, 2024 The timing of these transfers has raised concerns about the governments intentions and the potential impact on the ongoing protests. Reacting to the transfer order, the protesting doctors at RG Kar Medical College said that they have heard about the transfer of some senior professors but were unsure if it is connected to the protest. Read More: Who Is She Protesting Against: BJP Mocks Mamatas Counterrally Over Kolkata Doctors Rape-Murder A protesting doctor said, It is correct that some of the doctors transferred are part of our movementthey are supporting our protest. But if this transfer is because of their support is unclear. We are trying to ascertain facts. If it is true then we would want the transfer order to be taken back. BJP Criticises West Bengal Government The opposition BJP has also hit out at Mamata Banerjees TMC government criticising the transfer orders. BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya accused the state government of making a desperate attempt to scare the senior doctor community into submission. On August 16, West Bengal governments Health Ministry has issued an eight-page long list of transfer orders, adding to the already chaotic situation. On Mamata Banerjees target is Medical College Kolkata and Calcutta National Medical College. These two are the epicentre of protests against her fascist regime. This is a desperate attempt to scare the senior doctor community into submission. What is Mamata Banerjee trying to hide?, he said in a post on X. On 16th Aug, West Bengal Govts Health Ministry has issued an 8 page long list of transfer orders, adding to the already chaotic situation.On Mamata Banerjees target is Medical College Kolkata and Calcutta National Medical College. These two are the epicentre of protests pic.twitter.com/TyLZqGA2fO Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) August 17, 2024 BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla also hit out at TMC for their dictatorial mindset when doctors and medical staff are on streets demanding justice. TMC means Tanashahi Mujhe Chahiye. Instead of cracking down on gang rapists of Bengal RG Kar Hospital Mamata govt is busy cracking down on those crusading for justice.. Mamata Banerjee is behaving like a real dictator Indira Gandhi or Kim Jong or Stalin would be proud of! he said on X. TMC means Tanashahi Mujhe ChahiyeInstead of cracking down on gang rapists of Bengal RG Kar Hospital Mamata govt is busy cracking down on those crusading for justice.. Mamata Banerjee is behaving like a real dictator Indira Gandhi or KimJong or Stalin would be proud of ! pic.twitter.com/VRcDAOdKC5 Shehzad Jai Hind (Modi Ka Parivar) (@Shehzad_Ind) August 17, 2024 TMCs Response on Transfer Row Amid the row, the TMC has accused its political rivals of what they describe as a false narrative. TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said, Whatever they are saying is wrong . They do Hathras, Unnao. In this RG Kar incident, within 12 hours, the accused was arrested. They are creating trouble with fake narrative. If they have problem with notice, ask them to go to court. Read More: CBI Turns Up the Heat on Ex-RG Kar Principal Sandip Ghosh as Kin Allege Murdered Doctor Was Under Pressure The administration sources who did not want to be named also said that these were routine transfers and rejected allegations of links to the ongoing protests. The horrific incident has shaken the country with nationwide protests going on demanding the prompt action in the investigation. Junior doctors and medical students across the hospitals and medical colleges in Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad and other cities staged a protest demanding speedy justice. Nationwide Protests The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has announced a nationwide strike. IMA has declared a 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 commenced at 6 am on Saturday and will end at 6 am on Sunday 18 August 2024. The Calcutta High Court has handed over the case to the CBI for further investigation. I realise what I did was wrong, I realise my mistake now. This is the statement made by one of the men arrested for the vandalism at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in the early hours of August 15 during protests over the brutal rape and murder of a doctor. The Kolkata Police have so far arrested 30 people, between the ages of 19 and 34, for the vandalism at the hospital which also triggered political mudslinging. The police recently released photos and videos of the vandals, seeking help from the general public in identifying them. Sources say five of the accused arrested so far were caught with the publics help. Most accused are from North Kolkata and Barrackpore Commissariat. Soumik Das, a resident of East Sinthi area, is allegedly the one who broke the gate and vandalised the hospital. Following his arrest on Friday, Das said: I went with my gym partner to protest. I also went with the others and broke the gate. I have realised now that I did wrong. I am feeling bad about it. I made a mistake. Another vandal identified from the photos and videos is Naveen Singh, a resident of Belgachia, who was turned in by his father once the footage surfaced. Speaking to News18 in Belgachia, Naveens father Vinod Singh said: My son heard the noise and ran to RG Kar Hospital where stone-pelting was taking place. He was there. His photo came out on Facebook. The police reached us and I took Naveen myself to the Lalbazar Police Station and made him surrender. My son has not done anything. People who indulged in vandalism should be arrested. Locals described Naveen Singh as a good person. That day, we all went there and we came back after the rally. Naveen is a good boy. After hearing that something was happening, he went there (to the hospital). His photo came out and then his father made him surrender, a shopkeeper in the area said. The parents of two others arrested Sourav Dey and Soumyadip Manish also claim their sons were arrested without cause. Gopal Manish, the father of Soumyadip, said: He went there with friends. He was taking a selfie. The police arrested them yesterday. They have not done anything. Rabindranath, an uncle of Sourav Dey, told News18: They went with friends. They went over the guard rail to take a photo. Please save them. As investigation into the heinous rape and murder as well as the vandalism progresses, questions are being raised over the motive of the vandals. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as well as opposition CPM and BJP have alleged that the violence was meant to destroy evidence. Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, the lawyer of the rape victims parents, also stated in court that the vandals had instructions to wipe out evidence. The emergency ward, nursing station, medicine store and parts of the outpatient department of the hospital were vandalised by miscreants amid midnight protests by women across West Bengal, condemning the rape and murder of a doctor in the hospitals seminar hall on August 9. An unverified video also surfaced on social media in which someone is heard shouting go to the seminar hall, leading to speculation that the vandals planned to tamper with the crime scene. Kolkata Doctor Rape-Murder LIVE: CBI To Conduct Psychological Assessment Of Accused The CBI will conduct a psychological assessment of Sanjay Roy, the accused in a rape-and-murder case of a doctor in Kolkata that has triggered nationwide protests, officials said on Saturday. A team of psychological and behavioural analysts from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) in Delhi has arrived in Kolkata to conduct the necessary tests, they said. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has already taken Roy into custody. Kolkata Doctor Rape-Murder LIVE: Bengal Governor Expected To Submit Law And Order Report To Union Home Ministry, Say Sources West Bengal Governor Ananda Bose is expected to submit a report to the Union Home Ministry on the law and order situation in the state. Additionally, a report may also be provided to the Health Ministry regarding conditions in state-run hospitals in Bengal, sources told News18. Kolkata Doctor Rape-Murder LIVE: CBI Team Leaves From RG Kar Medical College & Hospital After Probe | Watch #WATCH | Kolkata, West Bengal: CBI Team leaves from RG Kar Medical College & Hospital after examination pic.twitter.com/OMrUlCSBPU ANI (@ANI) August 17, 2024 Kolkata Doctor Rape-Murder LIVE: Vandalism At Hospital Was Attempt To 'Cover Up Truth', Alleges CPI(M) CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Saturday said the vandalism at Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College and Hospital was an attempt to cover up the truth, and called for ensuring justice to the woman trainee doctor who was raped and murdered at the health facility last week. On Thursday early morning, a group of people vandalised the emergency department, nursing unit and medicine store, and damaged CCTV cameras as a large number of people, including medics, were protesting against the incident. Kolkata Doctor Rape-Murder LIVE: BJP, Left Indulging In Dirty Politics, Says TMC Leader Kunal Ghosh Senior Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh on Saturday accused the BJP and the Left of indulging in dirty politics over the alleged rape and murder of a woman doctor in a state-run hospital here. Ghosh urged the top leadership of his party to become proactive in countering such politics of opposition. In a social media post, Ghosh said, We are also protesting against the alleged rape and murder of the doctor. We also want the perpetrator or perpetrators of the heinous crime to be hanged. The BJP and the Left are indulging in dirty politics against the TMC and the state administration. On August 9, a postgraduate trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered while on duty at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. A civic volunteer was arrested in connection with the crime the next day. Kolkata Doctor Rape-Murder LIVE: 'Mamata Doing A Protest Shows She Has Given Up On The Case,' Says Ex-NCW Chief VIDEO | Kolkata doctor rape-murder case: She (Mamata Banerjee) is a CM and she is doing a protest, this shows that she has given up in this case. From day 1, they have doing this. The police even tortured the victims family members. They even have transferred 40 doctors because pic.twitter.com/4H4S5fuxHJ Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 17, 2024 Kolkata Doctor Rape-Murder LIVE: LGBTQIA+ Community Members Stage Protest #WATCH | West Bengal: Members of LGBTQIA+ community staged a protest against the rape-murder incident at Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College and Hospital pic.twitter.com/4W35jWmtZa ANI (@ANI) August 17, 2024 Kolkata Doctor Rape-Murder LIVE: Gurugram Private Doctors Suspend Work In Protest Doctors of private hospitals in Gurugram went on a strike on Saturday in protest against the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkatas Medical College and Hospital. At the call of the Indian Medical Association-Gurugram, doctors suspended OPD and operation theatre services, an IMA official said. Doctors, along with the members of the Lions Club and other bodies, gathered at John Hall in the morning from where they took to the street, demanding justice for the medic. Kolkata Doctor Rape-Murder LIVE: IMA Writes To PM Modi, Demands Security For Doctors And Speedy Justice The IMA on Saturday sought Prime Minister Narendra Modis benign intervention to bring a central law to check violence against healthcare personnel and declare hospitals as safe zones with mandatory security entitlements. The Indian Medical Association (IMA), which is observing a 24-hour nationwide withdrawal of non-emergency services from 6 am on Saturday, wrote to the prime minister, putting forward its five demands. #BreakingNews: IMA writes to PM Modi over RG Kar Medical College case, demanding security of doctors and speedy justice News18s @kaidensharmaa shares more with @_PallaviGhosh pic.twitter.com/tqNyWM9a6g News18 (@CNNnews18) August 17, 2024 Kolkata Doctor Rape-Murder LIVE: Protesting Doctors Head To Jantar Mantar In Delhi Kolkata Doctor Rape-Murder LIVE: Bengal Govt Announces Shuttle Service For Women On Night Shifts The West Bengal government has taken a decision to start a flagship programme Rattirer Shashi- Helpers of Night. It is to provide safe working conditions for women on night shifts in government hospitals, medical colleges and hostels. Kolkata Doctor Rape-Murder LIVE: Resident Doctors Hold Protest in Odisha's Bhubaneswar Resident doctors from Bhubaneswar, Odisha held a protest against the horrific rape case in Kolkata. VIDEO | Kolkata doctor rape-murder case: Resident doctors hold a protest in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. #KolkataDoctorCase (Full video available on PTI Videos https://t.co/dv5TRARJn4) pic.twitter.com/YgRzR482j7 Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 17, 2024 Kolkata Doctor Rape-Murder LIVE: Doctors Stage Protest At Delhis Lady Hardinge Medical College Doctors stage a protest at Delhis Lady Hardinge Medical College against the rape-murder incident at Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College and Hospital #WATCH | Doctors stage a protest at Delhis Lady Hardinge Medical College against the rape-murder incident at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital pic.twitter.com/yf06mkCSpj ANI (@ANI) August 17, 2024 Kolkata Doctor Rape-Murder Case Live Updates: Protest Across Manipur, Healthcare Services Affected Healthcare services were affected in Manipur on Saturday as doctors went on cease work in protest against the rape and murder of a medic at a hospital in Kolkata. Outpatient departments were shut at all hospitals, including the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) and Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS). We stand in solidarity with our colleagues against the tragic incident as well as the hooliganism unleashed on the protesting students. We demand justice for the heinous crimes as well as safety at the workplace, said doctor Heisnam Angamba, who took part in a sit-in demonstration at the state-run JNIMS. Kolkata Doctor Rape-Murder Case Live Updates: Dhaka University Students Protest in Solidarity with Demonstrations Students at the prestigious Dhaka University in Bangladesh held a protest in solidarity with ongoing demonstrations over the rape and murder of a woman trainee doctor at R G Kar Medical College in Kolkata in the neighbouring country. The protest, organised under the banner Awaaz Tolo Nari (Raise Your Voice, Women), on Friday, took place at the Raju Sculpture in Dhaka University, Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported. Kolkata Doctor Rape-Murder Case Live Updates: 'Hope the Strictest Punishment For the Accused,' Says Sourav Ganguly This is a terrible thing, and what has happened is very shameful. The CBI and the police are investigating this, and I hope the strictest of punishment will be given to the accused, said former India cricketer Sourav Ganguly. Kolkata Doctor Rape-Murder Case Live Updates: 'Mamata Banerjee Understands Pain of Woman,' Says SP Chief Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said, Mamata Banerjee herself is a woman and understands the pain of a woman. She has taken action as per demand. The government has also decided to get the matter investigated by CBI or any other institution. But along with this, the people of the Bharatiya Janata Party should not do politics BJP should not take political advantage from the incidents. Kolkata Doctor Rape-Murder Case Live Updates: Health Ministry Assures Safety of All Doctors The Union Health Ministry assured Doctors of all possible efforts to ensure safety on Saturday. A committee will be formed to suggest measures for ensuring the safety of healthcare professionals. Kolkata Doctor Rape-Murder Case Live Updates: 'Govt is Trying to Protect Culprits,' Says BJP's Rahul Singa In this incident, if the government had worked to find the culprits and supported the victims family, people would have stood with the government. However, the government is trying to protect the culprits. In such a situation, all political parties and the public have raised their voices against them, BJP leader Rahul Sinha said on Saturday. The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Saturday urged the protesting doctors and medical students across the nation to resume their duties and assured them of all possible efforts to ensure safety of the healthcare professionals. The ministry has also proposed to constitute a committee to suggest measures for safety of healthcare professionals at workplace. It said that representatives of all stakeholders including the state governments would be invited to share their suggestions with the committee. The representatives of Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA), Indian Medical Association (IMA) and Resident Doctors Associations of Governmental Medical Colleges and Hospitals of Delhi have met the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare at New Delhi amid the ongoing protests over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. The doctors associations have put forth their demands regarding their concern over the safety and security of healthcare workers at the workplace. The ministry said that the Centre is sensitive to the safety demands. It said that 26 States have already passed legislation for protection of healthcare workers in their respective states. The ministry further requested the agitating doctors to resume their duties in the larger public interest and in view of the rising cases of Dengue and Malaria. Kolkata Rape-Murder case: The nation has been shaken after a trainee doctor was brutally raped while on duty at Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. The medical fraternity across the nation is on streets on demanding the prompt action in the investigation. Junior doctors and medical students across the hospitals and medical colleges in Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad and other cities staged a protest demanding speedy justice. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has announced a nationwide strike. IMA has declared a 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 commenced at 6 am on Saturday and will end at 6 am on Sunday 18 August 2024. The Kolkata Police have arrested Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer, last week and was sent to 14-day police custody. The accused was charged under sections 64 (rape) and 103 (murder) of BNS and was produced before Sealdah court, which remanded him to police custody till August 23. The Calcutta High Court has handed over the case to the CBI for further investigation. The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) will be throwing open the Meerut South station on the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) project from Sunday, an official statement announced on Saturday. The station, to be the first in Meerut, will be opened for passenger operation from 2pm on Sunday. So far, the Namo Bharat train services were operational only in Ghaziabad until Modi Nagar North. Now, the start of the service in Meerut City will ease the journey for those travelling towards Ghaziabad and Delhi. These people will find it easier and faster to travel to their destinations. It will also help those who travel to Meerut for work or education from Ghaziabad or Delhi. Meerut South will be the next stop after Modi Nagar North. The Meerut South RRTS station will open for passenger operations from tomorrow at 2 PM. With the addition of this eight km section, a total of 42 km of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS corridor is now operational, including nine stations from Sahibabad in Ghaziabad to Meerut South in Meerut, the statement added. The RRTS started operations in October 2023 in a small section in Ghaziabad. The 17-km stretch was between Sahibabad and Duhai Depot in Ghaziabad. It was further extended in March. At least 22 lakh passengers have travelled in the service so far. The entire section of the corridor, between Delhi and Meerut, will have 25 stations. So far, a 34-km section of this corridor is operational in Ghaziabad for the public with eight RRTS stations connecting Sahibabad, Ghaziabad, Guldhar, Duhai, Duhai Depot, Murad Nagar, Modi Nagar South, and Modi Nagar North. The NCRTC is expecting to complete the entire stretch between Delhi and Meerut by June 2025. Out of the total length of 82 km, Uttar Pradesh accounts for 68 km. Modipuram and Modipuram Depot are the last stoppages of the RRTS in Meerut as of the current plan from Delhi. The RRTS will enter Delhi from Anand Vihar, which will be the next stop after Sahibabad. In Delhi, RRTS will have stoppages at New Ashok Nagar, Sarai Kale Khan, and Jangpura. Once the full stretch is completed, the distance between Meerut and the national capital can be covered in less than one hour. It will not only ease the lives of daily commuters but also help in controlling air pollution. The service is expected to take more than one lakh private vehicles off the road. The father of the deceased doctor in the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-death case on Friday, said that it is a matter of concern that how despite being placed on OPD duty nobody looked for his daughter from 3 am to 10 am on that day. While speaking to the media, the deceased doctors father said, My daughter left for duty at around 8:10 am on that day 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. A week has passed since the horrific incident and only one person has been arrested in connection to the crime. Currently, protests continue across the country over the rape-murder incident. Protesters, including doctors and medical students, are demanding arrest of all culprits with evidence. The victims father also expressed his support towards all the protesting students who have taken to the streets in condemnation of the horrific rape case. He said, 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 nowShe had to face some problems in college, the entire department was a suspect All those who are protesting, we are with them. He further said that he spoke to the officials of CBI on Thursday but he cannot say anything else as the matter is currently subjudice. Meanwhile, a two-member inquiry committee from the National Commission for Women (NCW) investigated the case and the committees preliminary findings revealed significant lapses in security, infrastructure, and the ongoing investigation. The NCW in a statement said the site where the deceased was allegedly raped and murdered is undergoing sudden renovations, potentially leading to tampering with evidence. The Committee also found that no security guards were present during the incident, and there was insufficient security coverage for on-call duty interns, doctors, and nurses during night shifts. (with ANI inputs) Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday said here that some people in the country have put their political interest above the national interest and wished that wisdom would prevail on them. The Vice President expressed hope that such people would take counsel from the supreme sacrifices made for achieving freedom for our country. Some people in the country for reasons which are not appropriate have put their political interest above national interest. Let us hope and pray they get wiser, said Dhankhar, addressing a Swarna Bharat Trust meeting at Venkatachalam in Nellore district. Dhankhars remarks came a day after he expressed concern that a person holding a constitutional position is asking the Supreme Court to take suo-motu cognisance to give wings to a narrative aimed at destroying our economy. The Vice Presidents comments were seen as an apparent attack on the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. He noted that the freedom achieved through supreme sacrifices should be nurtured every moment so that it can blossom. A surfeit of reports about 150mg (150g in some cases) of fluid initially rumoured to be semen found during the post-mortem of the victim doctor led many to conclude that this was a gang-rape case. But the fatal rape case of the young doctor at Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College and Hospital has taken a turn. News18 accessed the post-mortem report, which 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. However, in an exclusive conversation, Communist Party of India (Marxist) MP and counsel for the victims family, Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, said, It is 150g fluid and whether it is semen or not is a subject of investigation. And we need to investigate and examine it further. In an earlier petition, it was mentioned as semen, but now its fluid; thats the issue. The issue does not relate to the quantum of semen. The issue relates to the nature of injury on the body found by the post-mortem surgeon. So, if they are trying to get it confused by the quantum of semen, they are doing it deliberately. The allegation is that she was assaulted by a number of persons, not one. Forensic experts also said that the injury inflicted on her could not be the work of one person. #BreakingNews: News18 spoke to BR Bhattacharaya, Legal Counsel of Kolkata rape-murder victims family. 150 gm of fluid was found. The vandalism was a plot by TMC, he says.@_PallaviGhosh | @kaidensharmaa | #KolkataDoctor #TMC pic.twitter.com/eelePMmdiJ News18 (@CNNnews18) August 17, 2024 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 on Friday. Bhattacharya though refused to share details of the post-mortem, maintaining that it did seem to suggest gang-rape and the states ruling Trinamool Congress was doing politics in a bid to cover up the matter. The TMC says that Bhattacharya had earlier made claims about semen and was now backtracking. The CPI(M) leader and other opposition members have been targeting West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee. This is a clear gameplan of TMC. The CM addressed a meeting around 4pm. She said you all did agitation, now it is my turn. I will show. And then during midnight, the vandalism happened. These people were collected and gathered by the TMC, which is apparent from the manner in which people have been collected. Those identified are all under the control of the TMC, Bhattacharya said. The incident occurred during the The Night Is Ours 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. The TMC is now using the vandalism issue to attack opponents. Around 30 people have been held by police so far and, according to the CM, the Left was behind the incident. Kolkata police have released photographs of several people believed to be involved. This is another attempt by the Kolkata police to prove that they were involved. You dont have to do heavy research realise that the vandalism was done by the TMC, said Bhattacharya. The TMC and West Bengal government have come under fire over the rape-and-murder case, which now is being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation. They (TMC) now hope to do some damage control by shifting the focus to vandalism, making the point, as the CM did, that many expensive equipment were damaged, which could have saved lives, and also that the late-night vandalism has scared the patients to leave RG Kar Hospital, said Bhattacharya. The mother of the 31-year-old doctor who was raped and murdered in Kolkatas RG Kar MCH said her daughter did not want to go to the hospital in the last days leading up to the attack. She used to say that she doesnt like going to RG Kar anymore, the mother stated. She also claimed that Kolkata Police officials made them wait outside the crime scene for three hours to see her body. They were not letting us see our dead daughters face. We kept pleading but werent allowed to see her face. We were told an investigation was going on. They made us suffer a lot, the mother of the doctor said. She also alleged that some policemen tried to vandalise my daughters car. They tried to get rid of us as soon as possible. I told them, I lost my daughter. Pls dont do anything to her car, which she was so fond of. I have lost everything, she said. The father of the deceased doctor complained that no one from the department of the hospital where his daughter worked has contacted them since the incident. BJP leader Amit Malviya took to microblogging site X and accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the Kolkata police of destroying the evidence. Mamata Banerjee and the Commissioner of Kolkata Police should stop pretending to be holier than thou when both of them are devils, he said. Sharing the deceased doctors mothers interview, the BJP leader wrote, Mamata Banerjee is evil. If there was any doubt that she and Kolkata Police tried to destroy evidence, listen to the mother of RG Kar Medical College & Hospital victim. The mother of the RG Kar rape and murder victim narrates how Kolkata Police harassed them, to the extent that they had to fall on their feet. They were pressuring the family and gave the dead body after prolonged persuasion and pleading. Kolkata Police even tried to destroy victims car Why? Mamata Banerjee is evil. If there was any doubt that she and Kolkata Police tried to destroy evidence, listen to the mother of RG Kar Medical College & Hospital victim.The mother of the RG Kar rape and murder victim narrates how Kolkata Police harassed them, to the extent that pic.twitter.com/jGTh7TROT8 Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) August 17, 2024 On the other hand, Mamata Banerjee lauded the Kolkata Polices investigation into the case which was later handed to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The TMC supremo also accused the BJP of spreading false information on social media to hide the truth. 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, Banerjee was quoted by PTI as saying. The Delhi High Court has issued a restraining order against several YouTube channels, websites, and social media accounts to stop them from infringing on the intellectual property of the popular sitcom Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah. Justice Mini Pushkarna passed the order on August 14, covering unauthorised merchandise sales, character imitations and the creation of AI photos, deepfakes, and animated videos. The order also applies to unknown defendants. An order of ex parte ad-interim injunction is passed thereby restraining the defendant nos. 1 to 12 and 14 to 21, (including the John Doe parties), their owners, partners, proprietors, officers, servants, employees and all others in capacity of principal or agent, acting for and on their behalf or anyone claiming through by or under it, from in any manner, hosting, streaming, broadcasting, transmitting, exhibiting, making available for viewing and downloading, providing access to and communicating to the public displaying, uploading, modifying, publishing, updating, sharing (including to its subscribers and users), offering for sale on their websites, through the internet, or in any manner or platform whatsoever, any content, goods or services, that in any manner whatsoever, amounts to infringement/passing off, of the plaintiffs copyrighted material/ registered trademarks, including, but not limited to the title, the Characters, Format and Underlying Materials in the said show or anything else, which otherwise amounts to an infringement of the plaintiffs Copyright/registered trademarks/passing off of the goods/services offered by the defendants, the Court order read, as per Bar and Bench. Neela Film Productions, the producer of Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, told the High Court they own the rights to the shows title, characters, dialogues, and other intellectual property. They reported that various social media accounts, websites, and channels were infringing on these rights, selling unauthorised products, and even creating videos, animations, deepfakes, and pornographic content using the shows characters. The Court agreed that Neela Film Productions had a strong case and granted an injunction. The company was represented by Advocates Pravin Anand and others, while Googles defense team included Advocates Mamta Rani Jha and colleagues. The show has been at the centre of controversy for a while now. In a latest development, actor Gurucharan Singh, who used to play the role of Roshan Sodhi in the popular sitcom, claimed that he did not leave Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah in 2012, but the makers replaced him. In a recent interview, the actor alleged that the makers of TMKOC replaced him in 2012 without even informing him. He argued that he had no knowledge about his replacement and was shocked to see when a new Sodhi was introduced during an episode. Digvijay Singh Rathee and Siwet Tomar recently left fans in shock after they broke into a fight at MTV Splitsvilla X5s Janta Jury event. During an ongoing fight, Siwet pushed Digvijay and the latter started hurling abuses at him. However, Kashish Kapoor, who was also at the event, called it a publicity stunt and alleged that Siwet and Digvijays feud is only for the public eye. In an exclusive conversation with News18 Showsha, Kashish said, I think it was a stunt and a successful one because were talking about it. I think it was absolutely unnecessary. Yeah, a lot of it was for the public eye. I feel that if you have to leave from somewhere, you get up and leave. You dont yell about it and wait for somebody to stop you. I have seen street fights happen. Im from Purnia in Bihar, I know what these fights are like. I have grown up in that culture. I have seen the Gangs of Wasseypur culture. If someone wants to fight or hit a person, you wont yell about it in front of the media and the production. He lives two houses away from you, go and hit him. The fight was stupid and not required, she added. In the same conversation, Kashish mentioned that contestants also stage fights on social media. She said, The reality that you think you know is not the reality. You see their episodes for only an hour and then their vlogs. So it is a perception put in front of you. Off camera, the reality is different. The people who fight online actually call each other and laugh about it. Zyada toh nahi bol diya? Bura toh nahi laga? Tu jaanta hai na maine kyu bola?' Kashish Kapoor has taken social media by storm after she chose to walk away with Rs 10 lakh instead of competing in the finale of MTV Splitsvilla X5. A direct consequence of her choice was that fan-favourite Digvijay Singh Rathee, with whom she was paired, also lost his chance to compete in the final battle. Akriti Negi and Jashwanth Bopanna emerged as the winners of Sunny Leones show. Harsh Arora and Rushali Yadav came second, after losing by a five-second time difference. If youve ever been hooked on the hit series Panchayat, then youre already familiar with Faisal Malik, the man who brought the lovable and layered character Prahlad Cha to life. But theres more to Malik than just his small-town charm on screen. The actors road to stardom was anything but a Bollywood fairytale. Picture this: a young Faisal, wide-eyed and 22, arriving in Mumbai with dreams of hitting it big in the film industry. He thought acting would be his golden ticket to easy moneylittle did he know, the city of dreams had a few reality checks in store. Sleeping on railway stations? Check. Skipping meals? Double-check. Faisals early days were a blur of hardships, but giving up was never an option. Eventually, he landed a gig as an editor at a TV channel, where he started to sharpen his behind-the-scenes skills. Little did he know, this was the first step toward something much bigger. Enter Anurag Kashyap, the maverick filmmaker who would unknowingly change Faisals life. The two met through mutual friends, and before long, they were brainstorming the idea of starting a production company together. The venture didnt exactly take off as planned, but that wasnt the end of their story. Fast forward a few years, and Kashyap was knee-deep in casting for his now-iconic film Gangs of Wasseypur. In true low-budget indie style, everyone from the spotboy to the driver was roped into acting roles, and Faisal found himself playing Inspector Gopal Singh. The rest, as they say, is cinematic history. But heres the twist: despite the success of Gangs of Wasseypur, Faisal wasnt interested in making acting his full-time gig. He was all set to stay behind the camera, focusing on production, until destiny came knocking once morethis time in the form of Panchayat. The shows creators were so impressed by his past work that they convinced him to step into the shoes of Prahlad Pandey. And thank goodness they did, because Faisals performance has since become one of the shows most beloved elements. Now that Panchayat is a bona fide hit, Faisals phone wont stop buzzing with new offers. But our man is playing it cool, careful not to get pigeonholed into one type of role. After two decades of hard work, hes finally getting the recognition he deservesbut hes not about to forget where he came from. With one foot in acting and the other firmly planted in production, Faisal is balancing his newfound fame with the passion that started it all. In a refreshingly candid chat with News18 Showsha, Malik spilled the beans on his involvement with the Chitrashaala Film Festival, his meticulous approach to character development, and the trials and tribulations of digging deep into those emotional layers that make his roles so unforgettable. Participating in Chitrashaala Film Festival Q1: What does participating in the Chitrashaala Film Festival mean to you, and what do you hope to achieve through this engagement? Faisal Malik: The entire idea of the Transform Rural India and Village Squares Chitrashaala Film Festival is incredibly interesting as it addresses the very important themes of rural crafts and climate change. A lot of hard work has gone into it. When I heard about this initiative and the amount of effort being put into it, it inspired and became a driving force for me to think about how we could create, write, and raise awareness about these issues. Bridging the Urban-Rural Narrative Gap Q2: What role do you think film festivals like this play in bridging the gap between urban and rural narratives? Faisal Malik: It needs to be done on a regular basis. I think every six months, an exercise like this should be undertaken. Disseminating awareness through such interactions is far more effective than just telling people about important issues. The Impact of Panchayat on Rural Representation Q3: Panchayat has been a major success. How do you feel it has impacted the representation of rural India on mainstream platforms? Faisal Malik: Rural India is now the driving force of rooted content. You wont be able to see as many city-driven stories for a very long time. All of us are drawn at some level to rural or small-town living. This relatability will remain for life. After 50 years, when urban areas expand even more, these stories will remind us what life used to be like. It would be like reading a book about the times gone by. People will say, Once upon a time, a certain generation used to live like this. Change is happening rapidly and will continue to happen. Thirty years from now, the children who are studying now and have never seen a village in their life will revisit these stories and the kind of films Chitrashaala is showing to learn about the past. Crafting Authentic Rural Characters Q4: How do you approach the development of characters like Prahlad Cha, rooted in rural settings, to ensure authenticity and relatability? Faisal Malik: Relatability comes from the fact that there are people like this in our normal lives. I know many people like that. Some might have been the followers of a politician for 25 years, and even though nothing good has happened to them, they are still happy. They dont want to give up anything quickly to move forward. Relationships matter a lot in our country. Religion and personal ties create a strong bond among people. Thats what makes us unique as Indians. Depicting Deep Sorrow: The Emotional Preparation Q5: Prahlads grief is a central aspect of his character. How did you prepare yourself emotionally and mentally to depict such deep sorrow on screen? Is there any personal experience or emotion that you drew upon to bring Prahlads character to life? Faisal Malik: Emoting emerges from different exercises and experiences. Once a script comes, then it becomes clear to me just what to do with it and how to do it. Everything is always different with a new project. There has never been one single method to prepare. The work I do each time is in keeping with the challenge. For instance, I immediately liked this persons simplicity very much. I know many such people who live this way and are happy with it. The grieving is a part of this character and his life. He has lost his wife and his son, but he endures his pain like a stoic. Dont we know many people who dont have their parents or children with them but live on? They dont sit at home all their lives. They survive. Prahlads Journey and the Added Layer of Grief Q6: How did you approach Prahlads journey from previous seasons to this one, especially with the added layer of grief after losing his son? Faisal Malik: That character has been written very well. Once you read the script, it is easy to understand what he is going to do and what kind of a man he is because of what has happened to him. Life is a fight for him, and you follow his lead even though sometimes you cant explain why he reacts in a certain way. Balancing Contrasting Emotions Q7: Prahlads character shifts from deep sorrow to moments of joy, like laughing at Pradhan jis joke. How did you balance these contrasting emotions in your portrayal? Faisal Malik: Its a tough balance. It doesnt feel good to cry and mourn, but it takes an actor a long time to get into that space. I mean, this is not just a normal scene because the preparation itself messes with a persons mind. You have to sit separately from everyone else and maybe watch them party while you sit quietly reading the script. Once you get into the emotional space of the character, half the battle is won. Shaping Prahlads Character with the Writers Q8: How closely did you work with the writers to shape Prahlads character, especially in scenes that required a deep emotional connection? Faisal Malik: I worked very closely with the writers. We had many discussions about how to portray Prahlads grief and how it affects his behavior. Its essential to stay true to the characters essence, and the writers were instrumental in ensuring that Prahlads emotional journey was authentic and relatable. Pressure and the Fear of Typecasting Q9: Considering that your character and performance have had a significant impact season after season, did you ever feel the pressure of living up to the audiences expectations? Faisal Malik: There is a lot of pressure because you want to continue doing good work. And now that the opportunities coming your way are even better, the pressure also increases. But I believe there should be this kind of pressure in every actors life because it motivates us to keep working hard. Q10: A character like Prahlad, which becomes very popular, can be a double-edged sword for an actor as it often leads to typecasting. This means the audience might only see you in that particular role and resist seeing you in different characters. Do you ever deal with this dilemma or fear? How do you manage it as an actor? Faisal Malik: Typecasting is always a concern, but I try not to let it limit me. I look for roles that challenge me and allow me to explore different facets of my craft. The key is to keep pushing boundaries and not get too comfortable in one type of role. Looking Forward: Future Roles Q11: After playing such an intense and layered character, what kind of roles are you looking forward to thatll quench your creative hunger? Faisal Malik: This is not up to me to decide as someone else has to write more diverse and layered characters. Then a director may offer that part to me. When it comes my way, Ill do it for sure. Faisal Maliks journey is the stuff of legendsone of grit, determination, and the relentless pursuit of dreams. From the harsh realities of Mumbais streets to the glitz of Indian cinema, hes proven that sometimes the most unlikely paths lead to the most incredible destinations. The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) on Friday night celebrated exemplary work in Indian cinema with a dazzling awards presentation. This years awards recognised some of the most exceptional performers and films from the industry, making it an amazing night for both the winners and the audience. Among others, Kartik Aaryan won the Best Actor Award for Chandu Champion. While the actor collected this prestigious award, the audience cheered loudly to show their support to their favourite star. An inside video from the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne shows how the host announces Kartiks name and calls him on stage. But even before the actor could make it to the stage, the audience burst out cheering and chanting his name. Fans also reacted to this video from the event, stating he is the upcoming big star while another person praised him saying, Amazing Kartik Aaryan. Chandu Champion is based on the inspirational life of boxer Murlikant Petkar. His life was flipped upside down when he became crippled as a result of an injury sustained during the 1965 Indo-Pakistan war. Despite his horrific injuries, Murlikant Petkar refused to give up. He recovered and went on to win Indias first Paralympic gold medal in swimming. The film was helmed by Kabir Khan and produced by Sajid Nadiadwala. Kartik Aaryan also posted a picture of himself on Instagram clutching an award. In the caption, he wrote, Chandu Champion Best Actor. Honoured and humbled to receive this award! Thank you IFFM for my first one for #ChanduChampion. Its been an incredible journey, and I couldnt have done it without the tireless support of Kabir sir and Sajid sir, who believed in me every step of the way. My fans, your unwavering love and encouragement have fueled me throughout these two challenging years. This is for all of us. The 15th IFFM Awards brought together some of Indias most known artists, making it a night to remember. The festival, which takes place this year from August 15 to August 25, presents a broad range of films that exhibit the rich tapestry of Indian cinema. Kartik Aaryan will next be seen in Anees Bazmees film Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3. This film will be released theatrically on November 12. Madhuri Dixit, Triptii Dimri, Vijay Raaz and other actors play major roles in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3. Manoj Bajpayees first tryst with the National Film Awards was when he won the Best Supporting Actor for Ram Gopal Vermas Satya. A few years later, his film Pinjar was honoured with the Special Jury Award (Feature Film). In 2021, he also won the Best Actor award for his gritty performance in Bhonsle. And at the 70th National Film Awards, it was announced that Manoj has received a Special Mention from the jury for his performance in Gulmohar. The movie also won the Best Hindi Film and the Best Dialogue awards. Earlier, Sharmila Tagore exclusively told us that after she came to know of it, she immediately spoke to Manoj. Speaking to News18 Showsha exclusively, Manoj now says, When Sharmila ji and I spoke after the win, it was a moment of shared pride and joy. Working with her on this film was an honour, and to have Gulmohar celebrated in this way feels like a validation of all the hard work and passion we poured into it. For Manoj, Gulmohar is a rather special film and to get a Special Mention for the same brings him a lot of joy. This achievement is incredibly meaningful to me, particularly because Gulmohar is such a special film. The themes we explored in the film resonate deeply with me, and to see it recognized on such a prestigious platform is both humbling and rewarding. This recognition reinforces why I do what I do, and it inspires me to continue telling stories that matter, he adds. Each time he wins the national honour, it reminds him of the boy from Bihar who came to Mumbai with big dreams in his eyes. Every time I am honoured with a National Award, it takes me back to those early days in Mumbai when I was just a young man with a lot of hope. The journey has been long and filled with challenges, but awards like these remind me of why I started and how far Ive come, he says. The Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai and The Family Man actor continues, They are a testament to the perseverance and dedication it takes to turn dreams into reality. Its a humbling experience that grounds me and makes me grateful for the opportunities Ive had, the people whove supported me, and the incredible journey that continues to unfold. Expressing her excitement, Sharmila, while speaking to us, had said, Imagine, what a big win it is for Rahul V Chittella (director). Gulmohar is his first film and this honour really means a lot to him. The film also won for Best Dialogues. It was sheer joy speaking those beautiful lines. I had a great time shooting for this film and shooting for those scenes with Amol Palekar. Im so happy for all of us. I would like to sincerely thank the jury who must have deliberated on this for hours and to the government of India, she remarked. Karan Johar took to his Instagram stories on Friday night and shared a cryptic note which talked about expectations from people and being hurt. Remove expectations from people and youll remove their power to hurt your feelings, the note read. Even though KJo did not write anything in the caption, the post has left netizens wondering if everyone is well with the director. Interestingly, this comes a month after Karan Johar opened up about his relationship status and shared that hes been single for a very long time now and is not looking for a partner anymore. KJo was talking to Faye Dsouza when he mentioned that he has been in one and a half relationships in his entire life and while he was actively seeking companionship in his 40s, he stopped looking for it after turning 50. I am single and havent been in a relationship for a very long time. In fact, I have been in one and a half relationships in my entire life. I cant tell you how much I enjoy my single status. I dont think I can change it now. Forget sharing a bathroom or bedroom or your space or schedule, I think the power of your day is with you. Your responsibility is to your children and your mom, thats about it, Karan said. I did feel the vacuum when I turned 40, but when I turned 50, I felt like I didnt want it. I am not blocking it, but now I dont see it happening actively. I have gone through agencies, blind date situations, and met people in the country, and out of the country, now if I find it well and good, I dont feel the need for it at all, he added. Johar, who is currently in Melbourne to attend the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, often shares cryptic notes on his Instagram handle. Last year too, the filmmaker addressed an exhausted human being in a cryptic open letter who wants to pay compliments to someone. Dear exhausted human being A warning! Each time you compliment someone starting with SO.. You will be expected to end with a WOW, he wrote. This is dangerous and can have repercussions in the future. So please alter your verbal compliments. Love, a disgruntled trend wannabe, he concluded. However, it was unclear if Johar was addressing the letter to his fans or was it aimed at someone. Meanwhile, on the work front, Karan Johar returned to the directors chair in 2023 after a seven-year break with Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt-starrer Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani. His Dharma Productions recently co-produced Kill, which stars Lakshay and Raghav Juyal in the lead. In a world where artists are often confined to one craft, Muzaffar Ali breaks the mold, straddling cinema, fashion, art, and music with the grace of a Nawab and the soul of a Sufi. Hailing from the royal family of Kotwara, Alis life reads like an epic novel, one where every chapter is dedicated to preserving and promoting the rich cultural heritage of India, particularly the enchanting traditions of Awadh, his ancestral home. You probably know him as the mastermind behind the iconic film Umrao Jaan (1981), a cinematic gem that captured the elegance, tragedy, and poetic beauty of Lucknows Nawabi culture. But Muzaffar Ali is much more than a filmmakerhes a cultural alchemist who turns everything he touches into art. His films are known for their lyrical storytelling, visually stunning frames, and an emotional depth that resonates long after the credits roll. If Indian cinema had a soul, Muzaffar Ali would be its poet. But wait, theres more! When hes not behind the camera, Ali dons the hat of a fashion designer, breathing new life into traditional Indian crafts through his label, House of Kotwara. Think of it as a sartorial time machine, where centuries-old embroidery techniques meet contemporary couture. His designs are more than just clothing; theyre a statement of his deep-rooted commitment to Indias cultural legacyone timeless outfit at a time. And if you think he stops there, think again. Alis connection to Sufi music and spirituality is as deep as the ghazals that waft through the air in his films. Hes not just an admirer of Sufi traditionshes their modern-day ambassador. Whether its organizing soul-stirring music festivals or producing albums that echo with the mysticism of ancient Sufi poets, Muzaffar Ali has been instrumental in bringing this transcendent art form to a global audience. In an exclusive interview with News18 Showsha, Ali shared his reflections on the Chitrashaala Film Festival and the role of cinema in preserving rural culture. With the calm wisdom of a storyteller whos seen it all, he discussed his journey, the characters whove danced across his films, and his hopes for the future of Indian cinema. Chitrashaala Film Festival and its Mission Q1: What are your views on Chitrashaala Film Festival and its mission? Do you believe such platforms can influence the perception of rural India in mainstream media? Muzaffar Ali: I think its extremely relevant because this way more young people get engaged with those who are working in different pockets of the country. Festivals like this communicate important themes in a creative, dramatic, and attractive format. They are also showcasing the rich wealth of our crafts. The Role of Cinema in Preserving Rural Culture In your opinion, how can cinema contribute to preserving and promoting rural culture and heritage, especially in the light of critical social and environmental issues? Muzaffar Ali: See, the point is that filmmakers today are thinking individuals. They are concerned human beings and are looking at craft in a multidimensional way. As more Indian minds get trained in communication and design, cinema can be a very big tool for the emancipation of the crafts. Gaman: A Reflection of Personal Experience Gaman vividly contrasts the bustling city life with the tranquil village life. How much of your personal experience and observation influence the narrative of the film? Muzaffar Ali: I think, entirely. Because I basically come from a rural environment and I lived and worked in Bombay (now Mumbai). Compared to me, Farooqs character Ghulam Hasan is underprivileged and dispossessed. So your heart reaches out to him and others like him. You wonder why they have to leave their homes and work in a city. In terms of, I mean, you ask the question, who is sitting under this yellow team in this hot, cold, rainy season? Does he have a heart of stone or not? When these questions come to you, they will ultimately lead you to ideas about what you can do to change something for the better. Crafting the Character of Ghulam Hassan Q4: How did you develop the character of Ghulam Hassan? And what aspects of Farooq Shaikhs performance do you believe brought Ghulam to life? Muzaffar Ali: I think basically, he was a very understated person. The kind who reaches out to your heart. In retrospect, I didnt need someone like Amitabh Bachchan for this character. Farooq added to the vulnerability of the character and drew people into the ethos I was trying to shed light on. A protagonist in a film like this has to really touch your heartstrings, you know. If they cant do that, the story cannot be communicated (kahaani beta hai). The Poignant Portrayal of Khairun by Smita Patil Q5: Smita Patils portrayal of Khairun is so poignant. How did you approach the depiction of her character, especially her role in highlighting the plight of those left behind in the villages? Muzaffar Ali: This is exactly what I was trying to portray. And in fact, Smita said, Mera toh koi kaam hi nahi issme. And I told her, Nahin, aapka hi kaam hai saara. She was to embody the whole angst and waiting that underlines the film. The song Aapki yaad aati rahi raat bhar is integral to the films emotional landscape. The Role of Music and Lyrics in Gaman Q6: How did you choose the music and lyrics, and what role did the songs play in conveying the films theme? Muzaffar Ali: Poetry and music have been a part of my evolutionary instinct. And Gaman was replete with poetry. Seene mein jalan aankhon mein toofan sa kyon hai takes you to the heart of the predicament of a migrant. Aapki yaad aati rahi raat bhar also takes you into the heart of a woman. Both songs convey the reality of the man and the woman in the city and in the village. Gamans Timeless Relevance Amidst the Migrant Crisis Q7: Gaman resonates even today, particularly in the light of the recent migrant crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic. How do you view the ongoing struggles of migrant workers in India, and what changes do you believe are necessary to address such things? Muzaffar Ali: I think changes are happening gradually. People are getting into portraying themes of social emancipation and rural concerns. Every film potentially has the power to become a part of history and if it cannot be, it has no place in society. Evolving Perspectives on Gamans Themes Q8: Looking back, how has your perspective on the themes explored in Gaman evolved over the years, especially with the changes in Indias socio-economic landscape? Muzaffar Ali: I think things have not improved. A taxi driver, for instance, may be facing the same problems and experiencing the same helplessness and exploitation. When I made this film, the underserved citizens were mellow, but now there may be more anger, as they are being driven by the same predicaments. The Intersection of Poetry and Cinema Q9: Poetry and music have been an integral part of your life and work. How did your relationship with poetry evolve, especially after the experience with Zooni? Muzaffar Ali: I dont write poetry, but I choose it to present a certain kind of trajectory of the character. The character becomes the poem, you know what I mean? So its not easy to do that unless you drown yourself in the idiom of the poem. With *Zooni*, it was the same thing. It was like going into a poets mind and creating poetry out of her life. Zooni and the Kashmir Connection Q10: Speaking of Zooni, it holds a very special place in your heart given the current situation in Kashmir. Do you see any possibility of completing this film in the future? Muzaffar Ali: Nothing is ever destroyed, you know? So, this also is going to become a part of history. My son has taken it upon himself to restore all the negatives that I have shot, which amounts to about 40,000 feet. And its in bachelorette condition, every footage, every frame is there. I want to recreate the ethos and that time in Kashmir, and it will become larger than life. In a way, my journey and my sons creative path have converged. He was very young when I started *Zooni* and even then he was doing everything from being the clap boy to a lot more. The Responsibility of Reinterpreting Traditional Themes Q11: How do you feel about modern filmmakers like your son reinterpreting traditional themes? Do you believe this helps in preserving cultural heritage, or does it risk altering it? Muzaffar Ali: Its a very big responsibility to present a slice of reality, of a certain time in history. And theres a very special kind of discipline called production design which is lacking in India. Production design actually has to have the prime focus. Makers try to do this themselves. When they go out of focus, they go beyond their brief. So, they dont know what the hell they are doing. You need to create that kind of discipline in India. Collaboration with Contemporary Filmmakers Q12: If given an opportunity, would you be interested in collaborating with Sanjay Leela Bhansali on a project? If so, what kind of story or theme would you like? Muzaffar Ali: Hes in his own world, Im in my own world. Everybody knows what his world is and what my world is. I create a world where people are happy, and I too am very happy in my world. The Evolution of Indian Cinema Q13: How do you perceive the evolution of Indian cinema over the decades? What do you think are the most significant changes that have occurred, either good or bad? Muzaffar Ali: The good part is that some new energy is coming in the young minds regarding how to tell a story. The challenge, however, lies in putting across ideas for the public. Right now, that expression is very controlled. So, more growth should happen. At the moment, its all stifled. In short, Muzaffar Ali is a renaissance man who effortlessly blends tradition with modernity, leaving a lasting impression on everything he touches. Whether hes crafting a film, designing a piece of couture, or curating a Sufi music experience, Alis work transcends artistic boundaries. His contributions have not only enriched the cultural tapestry of India but have also left an indelible mark on the global arts community. With every project, he continues to inspire and influence generations of artists and cultural aficionados worldwide. Muzaffar Ali isnt just creating arthes creating a legacy. 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. Shah Rukh Khan, the global Bollywood icon, continues to redefine his craft, captivating audiences with every role he takes on. Known for his incredible versatility, SRK recently embraced a new challenge in Jawan, stepping into the shoes of an action hero a role that not only thrilled his fans but also showcased his ability to excel in any genre. In a candid chat with The Guardian, Khan opened up about how portraying an action hero in Jawan was the fulfillment of a long-held dream from when he first entered the industry. Reflecting on this journey, SRK shared, When I started in the industry, I was an athlete. My lifes dream was to have a six-pack, wear a white vest, have a lady by my side, blood on my face, and a gun in my hand. I dreamed of walking into a room, being asked Who are you? and then just shooting them. During the pandemic, with limited activities available, Khan focused on fitness, encouraging others to try new things like Italian cooking and regular exercise. He took his own advice to heart, dedicating time to building his physique for the role. The Jawan star revealed that he typically eats only one meal a day, a personal habit unrelated to trends like intermittent fasting, and commits around half an hour daily to his workouts. SRK also shared insights into his unique routine, explaining that he usually goes to bed around 5 am, just as Mark Wahlberg is starting his day. On shooting days, he wakes up around 9 or 10 am, and after returning home at 2 am, he unwinds with a bath and a workout before calling it a night. Shah Rukh Khan was recently celebrated at the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland, where he was honored with the prestigious Pardo Alla Carriera Award. The accolade was bestowed upon the Bollywood icon in recognition of his immense contributions to cinema. Shah Rukh made a special trip to Switzerland to accept this honor, marking a significant moment in his illustrious career. During the festival, King Khan also engaged in a live session, where he confirmed his involvement in Sujoy Ghoshs upcoming film King. Reflecting on the challenges of action films, Shah Rukh shared that he will be undergoing a weight loss regimen to prepare for the demanding action sequences. Action is difficult, you have to practice it learn it and there are doubles doing some of the dangerous stunts. I have some wonderful guys. But 80% you have to finally do it yourself if you have to sell it truthfully. Otherwise, it doesnt look right, he explained. He humorously added that while he might look cool on screen, the reality of being tied up and sore after filming is far from glamorous, The next film Im doing, King, I have to start working on my film King. Have to lose some weight a little, stretch a little so my groin doesnt get caught while doing action. It is painful. Its the worst thing to see me on sets after action because I look really cool in the film but Im all tied up and suddenly you see people and send flying kisses. Tara Sutarias team has seemingly confirmed that the actress has been roped in for Yashs Toxic. Although the actress had earlier dismissed reports of playing the second love interest in the film, her hairstylists recent Instagram post can be seen as a nod that she is, in fact, a part of the film. Eagle-eyed fans noticed that her hairstylist had shared a story on Instagram with Bangalore as the location. The two hashtags in the photo read toxic and team Tara. A screenshot of the same was shared on Reddit and the post immediately went viral on the microblogging site. While the authenticity of the photo cannot be verified (at the time of publishing this article), it is being seen as a confirmation by Tara and Yashs fans. Check out the post here: Posts from the bollyblindsngossipcommunity on Reddit For the unversed, several reports had earlier claimed that Tara Sutaria has been roped in to play Yashs love interest in his highly anticipated film Toxic. Taking to her Instagram story, Tara wrote, Hello all! The articles released over the last few days about a project and I are false and not shared by me. The actress added, Whenever there is something to share, I will share it with all of you! My love always. PS Nobody is second to anyone. According to an earlier report by Peeping Moon, Tara will play one of the two love interests of Yash in the upcoming film Toxic, with Kiara Advani cast as the other. The high-octane, multi-lingual film boasts an impressive ensemble cast, including Nayanthara as Yashs sister and Huma Qureshi in a negative role. Set against the dark backdrop of the drug mafia, Toxic will feature Yash in a gritty gangster avatar, promising an intense cinematic experience. The makers have not revealed the information about the additional cast members yet. The fans of the actor have been waiting for updates regarding the shooting schedules of the movie. The wait is now over. As per reports, the first shooting schedule of the movie is set to begin in the second week of April. The makers have not announced this officially yet. According to reports, it was believed that the first schedule of the movie was to be shot in London, Goa or Sri Lanka. However, as per the recent update, the primary schedule was expected to take place in Bangalore. An action-packed scene will be reportedly shot in Bangalore. After the Ugadi festival, the superstar Yash will join the sets of Toxic which is currently expected to be in production in Bangalore. After several theories and speculation started to form a major chunk of rumours regarding the cast members of the movie, KVN Productions reportedly issued a statement and asked the fans to wait for the official confirmation. The casting process for the film is near completion, and we are thrilled with the team we have onboard, stated a statement issued by KVN Productions and Monster Productions as quoted in the report of Republic. That the Police Commissioner of Kolkataa post that carries considerable social and historical heft in that cityhas come out swinging, defending the actions of the local police is telling. But even more telling is the fact that a rampaging mob was allowed by his men to swarm into RG Kar Hospital while thousands of residents of Kolkata were rallying peacefully to reclaim the night" for women. Is Kolkata Police, set up in 1856, that incompetent? Surely not. Yet, the Calcutta High Court obviously has serious reservations about the ability of this police force to thoroughly investigate the rape and murder of the young woman doctor that has convulsed the entire state. And it would seem that the Honble justices had good reason to be sceptical after the scenes of chaos unfolded live on TV with the Kolkata Police unable and maybe even unwilling to contain the mayhem, putting a big question mark on their impartiality. Had the media, national and local, not been present, the police and state authorities initial canard that the protestors rather than a mob with its own agenda had stormed the scene of the rape-murder of a doctor, may just have carried the day. Only, the mob even broke the stage and shelter erected by the protesting student-doctors of the medical college. That does not gel with the notion that the vandalism was done by a section of the peaceful protesters. Cameras recorded that it was a mob of outsiders, using the nights protest as an excuse to access the crime scene and vandalise it. And as students, protestors and even nursing staff of RG Kar have recounted (and recorded), the police did nothing as the mob ran amuck and even ran away. Strange behaviour from such an experienced police force. But the upshot is that any destruction of evidence there can now be blamed on others" or denied altogether. Curiously, there were some 300 rallies across the statewith echoes in other states in Indiato reclaim the night" and all of them passed off peacefully. Why then did mayhem break out only in one gatheringat the epicentre of the crime? Surely security should have been highest at ground zero? How could the states senior-most police and IAS officials present in the city not foreseeor even get prior information about a possible mob attack? Or did they? It will be tough for the state government to convince viewers, and residents of Kolkata, that the city police were acting professionally. More so because there is a profound lack of trust in the police force, reinforced by recent incidents like Sandeshkhali. The fact that the National Crime Records Bureau anointed Kolkata as the safest city in 2023 for the third successive year is ironic indeed, and this incident points to a possible reason: the inaccurate recording of crimes. The narrative of the safest city in India" is eagerly amplified by misty-eyed non-resident Bengalis who remember some long-ago utopian city. Those who have lived in Kolkata and West Bengal in the past 20 yearsbridging the time between the last years of the Communists and the ascent of the current ruling partyhave a different view: the politicisation and partisanship of law enforcement has been an ongoing process, and this outrage was waiting to happen. Ironically, some foresee a resurgence of the Left parties after this latest outrage. Those parties are counting on the publics memory being conveniently short, and they may be proved right. The residents of West Bengal have been remarkably tolerant of deteriorating situations, forgiving unfulfilled promises of prosperity and progress, accepting rampant corruption, and willing to hero-worship the unworshippable. But can they afford to remain so acquiescent? Given the link of the prime accused, Sanjay Roy, with Kolkata Police (without whose connivance he could not have functioned as a tout in the hospital with access to all areas at all times), the cops inability to stop the vandalism is definitely suspicious. Roy is not the only tout in that hospital; nor is RG Kar the only state-run hospital that has these civic volunteers" engaged in nefarious activities, as countless patients and families have vouched. So, who has allowed this system to persist and flourish, though the practice of co-opting party cadres into institutions started during the Communist rule? Why was the Chief Minister, who holds both the home and health portfolios, hurriedly insisting that the investigation was already 90 per cent complete? Why did she want this probe to stop with the arrest of one alleged perpetrator? Had the state police made honest efforts to find out who else may have been involved? Heinous incidents of rape and murder have occurred in other states in India, and they have shaken the nation. Politicians of various parties have been accused of being involved in these crimes too. But in this case, many people in West Bengal now suspect a wider complicity of state authorities, including the police, in many murky goings-on in the hospital, and feel the brutal rape-murder of the postgraduate doctor on campus may be a consequence of this nexus. Besides highlighting the abysmal lack of safety and security within the precincts of the hospital, the agitated doctors of RG Kar have also been recounting many questionable activities there. That is presumably why they had been demanding the removal of the principal. That functionary finally resigned but was promptly made principal of another government-run medical college by the state government, pointing to a special relationship with higher-ups. In murder cases that become political hot potatoes, the destruction of evidence is all too familiar an accusation. Thanks to a shoddy police investigation and perjurous witnesses, a lower court decided that No One Killed Jessica Lall" in New Delhi in 1999. Only a sustained campaign by the media and public led to the High Court convicting Manu Sharma and two others. Shockingly, one of the other two men was also convicted of another murderof Nitish Katara, in 2002. Neelam Kataras relentless campaign for justice for her son, found beaten to death, his body burnt and left by the roadside, led to the conviction of the politically well-connected killer cousins Vikas and Vishal Yadav. She consistently asked for the death penalty as the case went up to the Supreme Court. It was not granted; the two got 25 years in jail without parole. But in Sharma and Yadavs cases, their political nexus was personal, not institutionalised. Sanjay Roy is no political scion, just a lowly tout with godparents in the police and RG Kar administration. How did he have the gumption to attack a doctor within the premises of a hospital? Why was the police in such a hurry to brand him as the sole culprit once the suicide story was not accepted by the victims parents? Why did the mob vandalise the scene of the crime soon after a central police team was instructed by the High Court to take over the probe? The doctors parents need to have Neelam Kataras level of determination to ensure that the truth of their daughters brutal rape and murderwhether by one man or manyis uncovered, the noxious nexuses at play are exposed and justice is delivered. And after seeing the images of mayhem at RG Kar on 14 August 2024, the people of Bengal need to think about how long they will tolerate the gap between rhetoric and reality, between promises and practice. 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. The recent rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College is a damning indictment of West Bengals hollow claims of safety for women. This atrocity, committed within the walls of a medical institution, lays bare the states failure to protect its citizens. Despite Chief Minister Mamata Banerjees repeated assertions that West Bengal is the safest state for women, this horrific crime exposes the administrations blatant incompetence and disregard for womens safety. The police response has been nothing short of disgraceful, marked by glaring discrepancies in their actions. The Calcutta High Courts order for an immediate CBI probe underscores the states despicable attempts to shield the real culprits. The police didnt even inform the victims family of the rape and murder initially, instead concocting a false narrative and allegedly trying to settle" the matter internally. This is not just negligence; it is a wilful betrayal of justice. Mamata Banerjees political rhetoric is meaningless when women in Kolkata continue to live in fear, exposed to violence and exploitation. The states safety measures are a cruel joke, fostering a culture of impunity where criminals walk free and victims suffer in silence. Enough with the empty promiseswhat Bengal needs is real action. The state government must overhaul its approach to womens safety, from enforcing stringent law enforcement to providing a robust support system for victims. This tragedy cannot become another statistic in Indias grim record of gender-based violence. The public demands justice, not just for this victim, but for a safer future for all women. The question remains: will the government act decisively, or will it continue to fail its people? The clock is ticking. The Incident On August 9, 2024, the body of a postgraduate trainee doctor was tragically found in a seminar room at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The young doctor had been brutally assaulted, with an autopsy later confirming that she had been raped and murdered. Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer associated with the Kolkata Police, was arrested the following day after police reviewed CCTV footage from the hospital. The autopsy revealed the horrific nature of the attack. The victim had multiple injuries, including severe trauma to her face, abdomen, throat, and genitals. There was evidence of bleeding from her eyes and mouth, and shards of glass were found in her eyes, indicating the sheer brutality of the assault. Additional injuries were noted on her belly, neck, left leg, right hand, and ring finger, along with deep nail marks on her back. The investigation suggested that the murder took place in the early hours of August 9. Sanjay Roy, who had a history of violent behaviour and was reportedly addicted to pornography, confessed to the crime. He struck the victim with such force that her glasses shattered, driving shards into her eyes. After committing the heinous act, Roy returned to a police barrack and slept until the next morning. Police reconstructed the crime scene and gathered crucial evidence, leading to Roys swift arrest. This shocking incident has ignited widespread outrage and protests among junior doctors, trainee doctors, and medical students, all of whom are demanding stronger security measures and justice for the victim. The case has also cast a harsh light on the safety of women in West Bengal, raising serious questions about the effectiveness of the current administrations efforts to protect them. Botched Up Police Investigation The heinous crime has sent shockwaves across the nation, laying bare the grotesque ineptitude of the police investigation. This travesty has not only failed the victim and her family but also exposed the systemic rot within the law enforcement agencies. From the outset, the investigation was a catastrophic mess, marred by staggering negligence and incompetence. The polices failure to secure the crime scene promptly allowed crucial evidence to be potentially tampered with. The arrest of Sanjay Roy was based on flimsy CCTV footage and a dubious confession extracted under the influence of alcohol. The lack of rigorous forensic analysis and reliance on circumstantial evidence raised serious doubts about the investigations integrity. The polices inability to provide a coherent timeline of events further eroded their credibility, with conflicting statements from hospital authorities and the police adding to the confusion. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) seemed more focused on damage control than uncovering the truth. The Calcutta High Courts decision to transfer the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was a scathing indictment of the local polices abject failure. The courts criticism of significant lapses by hospital authorities and the polices handling of the case highlighted the need for a competent and impartial investigation. The people have no doubt that the police investigation was a botched and nonsensical exercise, characterised by mishandling of evidence, reliance on weak circumstantial evidence, and a lack of coherent strategy. This has not only delayed justice but also eroded public trust in law enforcement agencies. It is imperative that the CBI conduct a thorough, transparent, and impartial investigation to ensure justice is served and such lapses are not repeated. A Case Marred by Negligence and Allegations of a Cover-Up Allegations have emerged suggesting that the authorities may have attempted to shield the real culprits, further eroding public trust. The hospital administration, too, has faced scrutiny. Students have accused officials of neglecting repeated calls for enhanced security, with the removal of the hospital superintendent viewed as a reactionary measure. The swift reappointment of the former principal, amidst protests, has fuelled suspicions of a cover-up. The TMC governments reluctance to transfer the case to the CBI until public and judicial pressure mounted only deepens these concerns. As the case now moves to the CBI, there is an urgent need for a thorough and impartial investigation to restore public confidence. Mamata Banerjees Political Rhetoric Must Stop The tragic rape and murder of the postgraduate trainee doctor has exposed a grim reality in West Bengal: the failure of the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government to ensure safety in the states institutions. Instead of confronting the grave lapses in security and governance, Mamata Banerjee and the TMC have resorted to political rhetoric and blame-shifting, further aggravating public outrage. Banerjee, who holds dual responsibilities as chief minister and health minister, has a direct duty to protect citizens, especially within state-run institutions like RG Kar Medical College. Yet, her response to this horrific crime has been to deflect blame and downplay the systemic failures under her administration. This strategy of political deflection cannot absolve Banerjee of responsibility. As the leader of the state, she must acknowledge the shortcomings in her administration, take decisive action to prevent such incidents in the future, and restore faith in her leadership. Anything less is a betrayal of the trust placed in her by the people of West Bengal. Calls for Accountability and Systemic Change The incident has ignited a wave of protests among students, doctors, and medical staff. It has not only shattered the sense of security within the medical community but has also exposed deep flaws in the safety and administrative protocols of the institution. At the heart of the protests is a demand for justice for the victim and a call for comprehensive safety reforms across medical colleges in West Bengal. Students and doctors are outraged by the administrations failure to protect one of their own, despite repeated pleas for enhanced security measures. The hospitals alleged negligence, coupled with the states ineffective response, has fuelled anger and frustration among the protesters. The medical community is also demanding accountability from both the hospital administration and the state government, particularly Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who also serves as the health minister. The protesters argue that the governments response has been inadequate, focusing more on controlling the narrative than addressing the underlying issues that led to this tragedy. Womens Safety Eroded Under TMCs Watch The tragic incident is a stark reminder of the growing danger women face in West Bengal under the TMC government. Despite Mamata Banerjees efforts to portray the state as a bastion of progress and womens empowerment, the grim reality is that womens safety is increasingly compromised. The TMC government has been lauded for welfare schemes like Laxmi Bhandar, aimed at empowering women economically. However, such programs lose their significance in a state where basic safety and security are not guaranteed. The incident at RG Kar Medical College is not an isolated case but a reflection of the systemic failures in ensuring the safety of women across Bengal. Under Banerjees leadership, the state has witnessed a disturbing rise in crimes against women, with many incidents going unreported or inadequately addressed. The lack of a robust and effective response from the administration to such heinous crimes has further eroded public trust. Instead of focusing solely on welfare programs, Mamata Banerjee must acknowledge that true empowerment begins with ensuring the safety and security of all women. No amount of financial assistance can compensate for the trauma and fear that women experience when they are not safe in public spaces, educational institutions, or even within their homes. This is a wake-up call for Mamata Banerjee and her government. Prioritising womens safety is not just a matter of governance but a moral imperative. The TMC must urgently strengthen law enforcement, ensure swift justice for victims, and implement comprehensive measures to make West Bengal a safer place for women. The author, a columnist and research scholar, teaches journalism at St. Xaviers College (autonomous), Kolkata. His handle on X is @sayantan_gh. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views. As a result of white-washed history, our generation has come to accept secularism as an eternal and sacrosanct value of Indian history, culture, and society. The Partition of India is explained as some kind of aberration resulting from the abetment given by the British, as a part of their divide-and-rule policy, to a fringe group of Jinnah-led Muslim elites with extremist and separatist mindset. However, a closer and more nuanced look at Indias history from 1800 onwards reveals that modern Muslim separatism or the two-nation theory was not merely a by-product of colonial rule and the quest for identity. Instead, it was deeply rooted in the exclusivist mindset, scornful attitude towards Hindu subjects and religious and cultural superiority complex among Muslims, rooted in the 1000 years of history of Muslim rule in India. This exclusivist mindset spanned across a wide spectrum of human life; however, a glance at some critical developments in linguistic history, pertaining to the evolution of Urdu, brings forth a glimpse of this deeply-rooted separatist mindset. By the latter half of the 13th century, Hindavi had fully developed and established itself as a language, independent and distinct from literary Apabhramsha. It was originally the language of the Nathpanthi Siddha yogis, prevalent in the 12th century, which Muslim mystics also adopted. With the Khilji Sultan invasions under Malik Kafur, it spread to southern India. In Hindavi, the linguistic exchange between Sanskrit and Persian streams continued for six centuries until the 17th century. However, in the 17th century, a systematic effort was launched by the Muslim elites to sanitise Hindavi of its Sanskritic heritage and infuse it with Persian and Arabic vocabulary. According to several eminent experts, this process was a consequence of the Mughal decline. A significant section of the Muslim elites resolved to create an exclusive cultural zone for themselves in a bid to perpetuate their former status (Parallel Pathways: Essays on Hindu-Muslim Relations by Meenakshi Jain). The underlying idea was that after the colossal decline of the Mughals, there was a dire need to guard and strengthen their cultural footprint. As a result, Urdu began to separate itself from the Hindi dialects like Awadhi, Bhojpuri, Bundelkhandi, etc., and regional languages like Gujarati, Bengali, etc. To eliminate its Sanskrit influence, Urdu started discarding words that were the common treasure of all Indian languages. (Parallel Pathways) A key role in this communal transformation of Urdu was played by Wali Aurangabadi (1667-1707), also known as Baba-i-Rekhta or Adam-i-Urdu. His visit to Delhi in the early 18th century is considered a significant event in the development of Urdu. A Naqshbandi Sufi mystic, Shah Sadullah Gulshanwho was a disciple of the anti-Hindu extremist cleric Sheikh Ahmed Sarhindiinspired Wali Aurangabadi to abandon Dakini Hindi in favour of Urdu, with a strong Persian and Arabic influence. As Meenakshi Jain aptly concludes, The passage from Hindi/Hindavi to Urdu was thus the result of a consciously created rupture. Interestingly, this linguistic purification coincided with the Islamic reform movement initiated by the Naqshbandi Sufi Shah Waliullah in the 18th century. Notably, in Pakistan, Deobandi terrorist groups and scholars have historically revered Naqshbandi mystics over their 150-year history. The famous Urdu poets of Delhi, including Sauda, Mir, and Soz, frequently attended mushairas at the house of Mir Dard, a leading Naqshbandi affiliated with the puritanical tariqa Muhammadiya. Mir Dard considered himself the renovator of the unalloyed religion of Muhammad. Over time, due to its Persianisation, Urdu became synonymous with the Muslim community. Indian Muslim scholars like Syed Insha Allah Khan categorically stated that Urdu is the language of Muslims. Dr. Muhammad Iqbal, an iconic figure in the history of the two-nation theory, asserted that his philological attachment to Urdu was as strong as his religious attachment. Thus, Urdu, with its Persian influence, became a language spoken primarily by Muslim elites or by Hindus who served in royal courts or government institutions. However, Urdu never became the language of the masses; even common Muslims did not speak it. After 1850, the differences between the advocates of Hindi in Devanagari script and Urdu in Persian script, regarding their adoption as court languages, became increasingly prominent. Amidst these controversies, Sir Sayyid Ahmed Khan, the father of the two-nation theory and founder of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), made a revealing statement during a conversation about Muslim education with Mr Shakespeare, the commissioner of Benarus. He said, I was now convinced that the two communities (Hindus and Muslims) were incapable of putting their heart and soul into anything requiring mutual effort. Shakespeare was reportedly shocked by Sayyid Ahmed Khans views, which prioritised Muslim interests over those of the Indian people as a whole. Finally, in 1900, when the provincial government of the North-Western Provinces and Oudh granted equal status to the Nagri script and Urdu for certain official purposes, the Muslim leadership was offended, even though the decision had no negative impact on Urdu. The move was perceived as a threat to the economic and cultural interests of Muslims and was strongly criticised by the Urdu Defence Association. Based on the journey of Urdu discussed above, it can be reasonably concluded that even after 1,000 years of coexistence and interaction with Hindus in India, the Muslim community faced significant challenges in integrating and assimilating with Hindus following the decline of the Mughal Empire. The author is a Cornell University graduate in public affairs, bachelors from St Stephens College, Delhi and has done his PhD on Jaish-e-Mohammad. He is a policy analyst specialising in counterterrorism, Indian foreign policy and Afghanistan-Pakistan geopolitics. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the stand of this publication. Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Saturday granted sanction for the prosecution of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in connection with the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment scam. The prosecution is sanctioned under sections 17 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarika Suraksha Samhitha, 2023. In response, a special state cabinet meeting has been scheduled for 5 pm today. Both official and Congress sources said that Siddaramaiah will legally fight the prosecution sanction accorded by the Governor. Siddaramaiah Slams Decision As A Conspiracy Following the governors decision, Siddaramaiah has vowed to contest the sanction legally and denied any wrongdoing, labelling the move as a conspiracy aimed at destabilising the elected government. In a press conference, Karnataka CM stated that an urgent cabinet meeting has been called for today. The Governor should work as the representative of the Constitution but the Governor is working as the representative of the Central Government. Governor is acting as BJP representative, he alleged. A grand conspiracy has been hatched to undermine our government. The BJP and JD(S) leaders in the state are all part of this scheme. Just as they did in Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, and Delhi, they are now attempting to execute their plans in Karnataka. We will not let this pass!, Siddaramaiah said in a post on X. Randeep Surjewala Denounces Political Vendetta Congress general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala condemned it as a political vendetta orchestrated by the Modi government. Surjewala accused the Governor of acting on a political conspiracy and described the decision as an act of shameless unconstitutionality. In a brazen political conspiracy hatched in the corridors of PMO and the Home Ministry, in Delhi, against the people of Karnataka and its elected government, the puppet Governor of Karnataka has proceeded to grant prosecution sanction against the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, by dancing to the tune of his political masters, Surjewala said in a statement. Congress Partys Legacy Of Corruption Continues: Nadda In a social media post on X, Union Minister and senior BJP leader Nadda accused the Congress Party of a persistent legacy of corruption. From National Herald to MUDA Scam Karnataka, Congress Partys history with corruption is well-documented. Time and again, they have betrayed the trust of the people for personal gain, Nadda wrote. Congress Partys Legacy of Corruption Continues!From National Herald to MUDA Scam Karnataka, Congress Partys history with corruption is well-documented. Time and again, they have betrayed the trust of the people for personal gain. Instead of calling the decision as Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) August 17, 2024 Nadda also criticised Congress for its hypocrisy, suggesting that instead of condemning decisions as unconstitutional, the party should examine its own own actions. While Congress portrays itself as the guardian of Dalits and minorities, one of their own Chief Ministers is involved in grabbing land from a Dalit family. This is yet another instance of Congress hypocrisy and its family-centric politics, he added. BJP Demands Siddaramaiahs Resignation The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has called for Siddaramaiahs resignation to ensure an impartial investigation into his alleged involvement in the MUDA site allotment scam. BJP leaders Sambit Patra and Tejasvi Surya, speaking at a press conference, dismissed Congresss claims that Karnataka Governors decision was politically motivated. They asserted that the case involves serious allegations of corruption against Siddaramaiah and his family. BJP MP Lahar Singh Siroya stated that the allegations are personal and should be addressed by Siddaramaiah individually, not through state machinery. The #MUDAScam is a purely personal allegation against Shri @siddaramaiah, his wife and family. It is about private land they own. He should fight it as an individual, not as CM by involving the state government machinery. Am sure CM knows the difference, Siroya shared in a post on X. Congress Workers Protest Governors Sanction Congress workers staged widespread protests across Karnataka, calling for the removal of Governor Gehlot and showing support for Siddaramaiah. Protesters chanted anti-Gehlot slogans, burned effigies of the Governor, and carried placards reading Remove Governor, Save State. The protests included demonstrations in Bengaluru, Mysuru, and other cities in the state, where Congress supporters criticised the Governor and the BJPs actions. (With inputs from PTI) Is Champai Soren, who was the Jharkhand chief minister not so long ago, joining the Bharatiya Janata Party in the run-up to the Jharkhand Assembly elections? The question arises from political buzz that can be overwhelmingly heard in the power corridors of both Ranchi and New Delhi. It was well-known in the political circles that Champai Soren was unhappy with the way he was unceremoniously removed from the Chief Ministers post to make way for Hemant Soren to become CM again. He was anointed to the top post after Hemant Soren was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate, only to keep the seat warm till the latters return. Lobin Hembrom, former JMM MLA who fought as a rebel candidate in the Lok Sabha election, told a media organisation that Champai Soren is in touch with BJP leadership, adding that the time has come to oppose parivarvaad or dynasty politics. This led to the speculation of Champai Soren quitting the JMM. Slowly, the buzz snowballed into not just Champai Soren, but Lobin Hembram as well as sitting minister Badal Patralekh too tipped to join the BJP in Delhi. What fuelled the rumours is Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma praising Champai Soren. In the last five years of JMM-Congress rule in Jharkhand, if any work has been accomplished its during the six-month tenure of Champai Soren as the Chief Minister, he said. The statement assumes more significance when pointed out that Sarma is also BJPs co-incharge of the Jharkhand election, which is expected later this year. About the speculation, former BJP state president Deepak Prakash said: He (Champai Soren) was serving Jharkhand as an able Chief Minister. The 3.5 crore people of Jharkhand were happy with his work. But the way he was removed from the CM post, was unfortunate What was his fault? The man at the centre of the speculation has dismissed the buzz. Champai Soren played down his speculated trip to New Delhi with a smile and calm demeanour. You guys ask such questions I am in front of you. He was in his constituency Saraikela on Friday when he was faced with queries from journalists. It is well known that he wasnt happy with the way he was removed after Hemant Soren was released from jail on bail. He complained in close quarters that he felt insulted by the way he was removed, say sources. He is a tribal leader who had always been a perpetual chief minister-in-waiting. He is an Adivasi by birth and a loyalist of the first family of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) party the Sorens. Champai Soren was also a crusader for statehood of Jharkhand and a seven-time MLA who feels he has all the right credentials to become Jharkhands Chief Minister. Is Champai Sorens smile rubbishing his trip to Delhi concealing his political ambitions that the BJP may help attain? For now, its just speculation officially. Sam Pitroda, the Chairman of the Overseas Congress, who stoked controversy over remarks on inheritance tax law in India and south Indians during the Lok Sabha elections, has said he never said that inheritance tax should be introduced in India and his comments were misinterpreted. Look, I stand by what I said. I know Indiathere are trolls, there are liars, and there are people paid to attack, and I take that as part of the package. I never said inheritance tax should be introduced in India. I simply mentioned that this is what happens in America, which is fine, he told IANS. Just few days ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Sam Pitroda announced his decision to step down as the Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress over the controversy that erupted following his racist remark. The controversy intensified after Pitroda unleashed a racist rant on Indias ethnicity. When asked to comment on Prime Minister Narendra Modis communal civil code, Pitroda said, I dont know, as I am not a legal expert to answer this. However, I do believe in equality, diversity, and inclusion. These are the broader concepts I stand by. Lawyers will have to sort this out, as I am not qualified to do so. On One Nation, One Election, the Indian Overseas Congress Chief said it is not practical to have one election in India. The idea of uniformity doesnt align with Indias core values, as India thrives on diversity. There will always be multiple elections, languages, and cultures. Forcing uniformity on India wont work, he added. Pitroda said that his team is working on Rahul Gandhis visit to the US. Once the visit is finalized, the dates are confirmed, and the program is set, we will issue a press release and hold a press conference. On India granting asylum to Sheikh Hasina, Pitroda replied, That is for India to decide, and its up to Indian foreign policy experts to make that determination. We have a good relationship with Bangladesh, so I think something should be worked out that satisfies everyoneBangladeshs government, the Indian government, and Sheikh Hasina. We dont want any further disturbances. Its important for Bangladesh to return to a normal situation where peace prevails, people can focus on their work, and the economy functions as it has been. If Sheikh Hasina needs to stay in India for a while, then thats okay. (With inputs from IANS) Potholes have become increasingly a serious issue across the nation, causing numerous accidents and claiming lives. Despite repeated complaints, the problem persists with road conditions worsening in many cities. Videos and CCTV footage of bike riders and vehicles facing serious accidents often emerge on social media these days. However, in many areas the road conditions dont change despite repeated requests by locals. In Bengaluru, potholes are a major concern, with many areas plagued by hazardous road conditions. To protest this ongoing negligence, residents in the Jayanagar area of the city expressed their disappointment in a unique way. They performed puja to a particularly troublesome pothole on the occasion of Varamahalakshmi Vratham day. A video shared by India Today shows a woman and a man performing a ritual at the edge of a large, water-filled pothole. They can be seen offering flower petals, turmeric powder and kumkum to the pothole, like its done during the worshipping of an idol. The protest is reportedly dubbed as Gundi Pujan, with an aim of drawing attention of civic authorities to the deteriorating condition of the citys roads. Jyothi V, a local resident, voiced her frustration with the Bengalurus civic bodys lack of action. Weve tried everything, from videos to social media posts, but nothing changed, she told Times of India (TOI). Jyothi along with her neighbours gathered at the large pothole early Friday morning to perform the puja. She told the newspaper that the residents have been facing the issue with the particular pothole for over a year. She noted the irony that despite the frequent use of the road by MP Tejasvi Surya and MLA CK Ramamurthy, this issue has not been addressed. Its time for the government to hold BBMP elections; perhaps that will bring our issues to the forefront, Jyothi added. She also highlighted a recent incident where a temple priest fell into the pothole and injured himself. Reacting to the unconventional protest, one user remarked, And the Govt says it wants a 2nd International airport in Bengaluru..first mend the roads..create proper drainage system for the incoming monsoon and Provide clean potable water to drink2nd, 3rd and 4th International airports can Wait !!!!! Another user proposed, Start naming them the party leaders. Pick the top 10 and name them. Start calling by that name in media posts till they are repaired. Identify and vote for Sonia crater, Rahul Crater, Kharge Crater and Siddu Crater etc. While one praised the protest, saying, Nice way to protest, another skeptical commenter stated, You can 1,00,00,000 poojas, nothing will change. This isnt the first instance of Bengaluru residents using puja to draw attention to a poor road condition. In 2021, locals performed a puja on a potholed road, hoping to prevent any accidents or injuries caused by the dangerous roads. A restaurant in Mumbai has shown blatant disregard for a district consumer courts ruling by continuing with its service charge practice. Initially, the restaurant imposed a mandatory 5% service charge and was fined for it in April this year. However, the restaurant has now increased the charge to nearly 10% of the total bill. A diner shared a picture of the bill online, expressing concern. Even after service charge levy by restaurants being termed as illegal by the courts, Cream Center blatantly violates the law by applying the same, wrote X user Kurush Daruwalla while sharing a picture of the bill. Read| Highly Objectional, Illegal: Mumbai Restaurant Ordered To Pay Rs 25K Compensation Over Mandatory Service Charge The bill reveals the service charge imposed by a Mumbai restaurant. Cream Centre applied a service charge of Rs 290.50, amounting to nearly 10 per cent of the total bill. Take a look at the post here: @javaidarfa_ @News18India https://t.co/ON30k4xL8cEven after service charge levy by restaurants being termed as illegal by the courts, Cream Center blatantly violates the law by applying the same. pic.twitter.com/D4VaXo7Vo3 Kurush Daruwalla (@kurushd) August 16, 2024 In April this year, a district consumer commission fined a Mumbai restaurant for imposing a mandatory 5 per cent service charge on a customers bill. The commission imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 and ordered the restaurant to refund the Rs 29 service charge. This ruling came in response to a complaint filed in 2017 by lawyer Yogesh S. Patki against Gurgaon-based Cream Centre owner Prince Cuisines Pvt. Ltd. The commission ruled in favour of the lawyer, deeming the service charge highly objectionable and illegal. Also Read| Upma Worth Rs 40 For Rs 120? Man Compares Mumbai Eaterys Offline Bill With Zomatos, Company Replies The commission said, It is the bouquet of additional services that complete the experience of customers who choose to dine in at the restaurant. Building this narrative to collect a 5 per cent mandatory service charge from customers is highly objectionable as well as illegal and hence cannot be justified at all. In its defence, the company stated that it is a leading service provider in the hospitality industry and imposes charges only on customers who dine in the restaurant. It also emphasised that the service charge is displayed throughout the premises, including at the entrance, the front desk, and on the menu. Around 10 people were killed, including two children, and five were wounded by an Israeli airstrike on a residential building in the city of Nabatieh in south Lebanon, state news agency NNA said on Saturday. The victims were all Syrian citizens, NNA said, adding that a final toll of the strike would be announced after DNA tests were conducted to determine the identity of the victims. The Israeli military said the airstrike targeted a weapons depot used by Hezbollah militants. The Israeli strike came after ceasefire talks between Palestinian Islamist group Hamas and Israel in Doha paused on Friday with negotiators due to meet again next week. Hezbollah later said in a statement that it had struck the Ayelet Hashahar Kibbutz in northern Israel in retaliation for the Nabatieh strike. Two soldiers were wounded in a rocket attack from Lebanon, the Israeli military said, adding that a total of 55 rockets had been fired in latest strikes from Lebanon. Also on Saturday, an Israeli drone targeted a motorcycle in the Qadmous area east of Tyre in south Lebanon, NNA reported, adding that one person was injured. A security source said one person was killed in the motorcycle attack. Tensions have soared in the region in recent weeks, after a rocket strike blamed on Hezbollah killed 12 children and teens in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Israel responded with the killing of a top Hezbollah commander in the suburbs of Beirut. Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate against Israel, as has Iran for the killing in Tehran of the political chief of the Palestinian Hamas group, Ismail Haniyeh. Tension between Indias two key allies Israel and Iran has put New Delhi in a challenging position. While India maintains strong economic and strategic ties with both nations, it also advocates for a peaceful resolution to their conflict. This delicate balancing act requires India to navigate a complex geopolitical landscape with careful diplomacy and nuanced decision-making. Israel-Iran Conflict The relationship between Israel and Iran has long been characterized by deep mistrust and outright hostility. Each nation views the other as a fundamental threat to its existence, a perception that has only intensified in recent years. Irans support for groups like Hezbollah and Hamas, which have engaged in violent actions against Israel, has been a major point of contention. This dynamic has been further complicated by Irans nuclear ambitions, which Israel views with extreme concern. The US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018 and the subsequent reimposition of sanctions have only exacerbated tensions, further isolating Iran and creating a more volatile regional environment. Against this backdrop of simmering tensions, several recent events have brought the conflict to a boiling point and raised fears of a wider regional conflagration. Perhaps the most dramatic was the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the Chief of Hamass Politburo, in Tehran. Assassination of Hamas Chief Ismail Haniyeh Haniyeh was a prominent figure who played a key role in negotiations and public relations for Hamas, especially after the October 7 attacks on Israel last year. He frequently travelled between Qatar, where Hamas maintains its political headquarters, and Iran, highlighting the close relationship between the two. His assassination on Iranian soil, after attending the inauguration of the newly elected Iranian president, fuelled a major provocation that has significantly raised tensions. This act could easily trigger a forceful response from Iran and its allies, potentially drawing the region into a wider conflict. Adding to the volatility, Iran launched drone and missile strikes against Israeli military targets in April 2024, a significant escalation that marked the first time Iran directly targeted Israels military infrastructure. This action underscored Irans growing military capabilities and its willingness to use force to pursue its objectives. Irans Nuclear Program Further fueling anxieties is Irans continued pursuit of its nuclear program. While Iran maintains that its nuclear activities are solely for peaceful purposes, Israel and many Western powers remain unconvinced. The collapse of the nuclear deal and the reimposition of sanctions have made it more difficult to monitor and constrain Irans nuclear activities, increasing the risk of miscalculation and escalation. Gaza War And looming over all of this is the ongoing war in Gaza and its devastating toll on human life. Iran has openly supported Hamas while condemning Israels military response, further entrenching the divides and raising the stakes in this long-standing conflict. The situation is further complicated by the pronouncements of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah in Lebanon. Nasrallah has vowed a strong and effective retaliation for Haniyehs death, while Israeli jets have conducted provocative flyovers over Beirut. Meanwhile, Hamas has appointed Yahya Sinwar, a hardliner and key figure in the October 7 attacks, as its new leader. Indias Strategic Interests India has strong economic and strategic interests in West Asia, making it a key stakeholder in the Israel-Iran conflict. The region is crucial for Indias energy security, with a significant portion of its oil imports originating there. Any disruption to the flow of oil from this region could have serious consequences for the Indian economy. While India has made progress in diversifying its energy sources, including increasing imports from the US and Russia, West Asia remains a vital source of oil, particularly given its proximity and established trade routes. Beyond energy, the region is a significant market for Indian exports and a source of remittances from the large Indian diaspora working in the Gulf countries. These economic ties contribute significantly to Indias economic growth and development. Furthermore, India is a major investor in infrastructure projects in the region, including the strategically important Chabahar Port in Iran. This port provides India with access to landlocked Central Asia and Afghanistan, bypassing Pakistan, and is seen as a key element in Indias regional connectivity strategy. Developing the port and associated infrastructure is a long-term commitment for India, with implications for trade, investment, and regional influence. Indias push for the India-Middle-East-Europe Economic Corridor, which aims to connect India with Central Asia and Europe, hinges on a peaceful and stable regional environment. This ambitious project, which involves the development of infrastructure and trade routes across land and sea, would give India access to new markets and enhance its regional influence. It is also seen as a way to counter Chinas Belt and Road Initiative. However, the escalation of the Israel-Iran conflict could disrupt these plans and jeopardise Indias long-term economic and strategic goals. India-Israel Relationship India also has strong ties with Israel, a major supplier of defence equipment. The two countries have close military and intelligence ties, and Israels advanced technology and military capabilities are seen as vital to Indias modernisation efforts. This relationship provides India with access to cutting-edge military technology, intelligence sharing, and joint development of defence systems. The two countries also share common concerns about terrorism and extremism, and they have cooperated on counterterrorism initiatives, including intelligence sharing, joint training exercises, and the development of counterterrorism strategies. Navigating a Complex Geopolitical Landscape Amidst the escalating tensions and violence, India has maintained a cautious approach, striving for a balance that protects its diverse interests. While condemning terrorism and advocating for peaceful dialogue, India has refrained from explicitly taking sides in the immediate aftermath of Haniyehs assassination, recognizing the sensitivities involved. This approach aligns with Indias long-standing policy of non-alignment and its desire to maintain strong relationships with both Israel and Iran, as well as with Arab states in the region. Maintaining this neutrality is a delicate balancing act. Any perceived bias toward one side could jeopardise Indias relationships with the other, potentially leading to economic and strategic consequences. For instance, openly siding with Israel could damage Indias ties with Iran and put its investments in the Chabahar Port under threat. Conversely, supporting Iran could strain its growing strategic partnership with Israel and potentially alienate key Arab allies like Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Indias Balancing Act While the international community grapples with the implications of Haniyehs assassination, India has opted for strategic ambiguity. It has refrained from making direct statements about the incident, choosing instead to maintain a neutral stance. This is partly due to the sensitive nature of the event, which could easily be construed as tacit approval of the killing of a leader associated with a designated terrorist organization. This cautious approach reflects Indias determination to avoid alienating either Iran or its Arab allies, particularly Saudi Arabia, which has also been careful in its response, choosing to prioritize Iranian sovereignty. Indias balancing act is further demonstrated by its long-standing policy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. While historically backing the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) since 1974, India has also condemned terrorism unequivocally. This was evident in Prime Minister Narendra Modis swift denouncement of the October 7 attacks on Israel, a move consistent with Indias firm stance against terrorism. However, India has maintained its support for a two-state solution, maintaining diplomatic relations with Palestine and recognizing its statehood. This nuanced position allows India to engage with both sides while advocating for a peaceful resolution. Prior to 1992, India prioritized its relationships with Arab states and Iran, maintaining a certain distance from Israel. The opening of the Indian embassy in Tel Aviv marked a shift, as Israel actively sought closer ties with India, seeing it as a key ally against Pakistan. This relationship blossomed, particularly in the realm of defence cooperation, with Israel becoming a major supplier of military technology to India. The Arab states, particularly the UAE and Saudi Arabia, have emerged as significant economic partners, with massive investments flowing into India. This new economic reality has led India to participate in newer groupings like the I2U2, a forum that brings together India, Israel, the UAE, and the US to foster economic cooperation and technological innovation. This engagement highlights Indias willingness to align with Western powers on certain strategic and economic issues, even as it seeks to maintain its non-aligned status. Meanwhile, Iran remains a crucial factor in Indias strategic thinking, particularly regarding its neighbourhood policy. India sees Iran as a vital link to Central Asia and Afghanistan, regions crucial for trade and security. Chabahar Port The Chabahar Port, a joint project between India and Iran, exemplifies this strategic vision, providing India with an alternative route to these landlocked regions, bypassing Pakistan. Furthermore, India recognizes the importance of Iran in countering the threat of terrorism emanating from Afghanistan, which currently tops the 2024 Global Terrorism Index. Domestic considerations Indias position is further complicated by its domestic considerations. The conflict resonates within India, with strong sentiments both for and against the involved parties. This is partly due to the presence of large and diverse religious communities within India, including Muslims, Jews, and Christians, who have varying perspectives on the conflict. The situation in Kashmir adds another layer of complexity, where expressions of solidarity with Palestine have sometimes intersected with sectarian tensions and political narratives. This domestic dimension necessitates a cautious and nuanced approach from the Indian government to avoid exacerbating internal divisions. This trifecta of interests Israel, Arab states, and Iran presents a formidable challenge for Indias policymakers. Maintaining a strategic balance, navigating the complex web of relationships, and avoiding being drawn into escalating regional conflicts requires deft diplomacy and a nuanced understanding of the regions intricate dynamics. Efforts towards peace and dialogue India has consistently advocated for a peaceful resolution to the conflict between Israel and Iran, urging both sides to exercise restraint and engage in dialogue. Recognizing the potential for this conflict to destabilize the entire region and jeopardize its own interests, India has actively sought to de-escalate tensions and promote a return to diplomacy. This commitment was evident in Indias response to the recent escalation of hostilities, particularly following Irans direct attack on Israel in April 2024. Immediately after Iran launched a barrage of drones and missiles against Israel, India expressed serious concerns and called for immediate de-escalation. Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar engaged in direct talks with his Iranian and Israeli counterparts, emphasizing the importance of avoiding escalation, exercising restraint, and returning to diplomacy. These conversations underscore Indias proactive approach in attempting to mitigate the conflict and prevent further violence. Beyond its direct diplomatic engagement with the parties involved, India has also taken concrete steps to address the immediate impact of the conflict. During his conversation with the Iranian Foreign Minister, Jaishankar secured the release of 17 Indian crew members who were aboard a cargo ship seized by Iranian forces in the Gulf of Hormuz. This swift action demonstrates Indias commitment to protecting its citizens caught in the crossfire of regional tensions. Indias efforts to promote dialogue and peace in West Asia extend beyond the immediate crisis. India has also played a constructive role in fostering dialogue between Israel and the Arab world. Its support for the Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel and several Arab states, highlights its commitment to building bridges and creating a more conducive environment for peace. China Coast Guard vessels patrol in waters adjacent to Huangyan Dao Xinhua) 10:55, August 17, 2024 An aerial drone photo taken on June 30, 2024 shows China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels Hebao (R) and Wanshan on a tugging drill in waters adjacent to China's Huangyan Dao. The CCG vessel Hebao completed a patrol task in the waters adjacent to China's Huangyan Dao this July. During this round of patrol, the law enforcers endeavoured on the line of duty in a circumstance of high temperature, humidity and salinity for weeks to uncompromisingly safeguard China's territorial sea. (Xinhua/Deng Hua) An aerial drone photo taken on June 30, 2024 shows China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels Wanshan (L, above) and Hebao on a tugging drill in waters adjacent to China's Huangyan Dao. The CCG vessel Hebao completed a patrol task in the waters adjacent to China's Huangyan Dao this July. During this round of patrol, the law enforcers endeavoured on the line of duty in a circumstance of high temperature, humidity and salinity for weeks to uncompromisingly safeguard China's territorial sea. (Xinhua/Deng Hua) Law enforcers drop a dinghy aboard the China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel Hebao on June 19, 2024. The CCG vessel Hebao completed a patrol task in the waters adjacent to China's Huangyan Dao this July. During this round of patrol, the law enforcers endeavoured on the line of duty in a circumstance of high temperature, humidity and salinity for weeks to uncompromisingly safeguard China's territorial sea. (Xinhua/Deng Hua) Law enforcers amuse themselves at the reading room aboard the China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel Hebao on July 19, 2024. The CCG vessel Hebao completed a patrol task in the waters adjacent to China's Huangyan Dao this July. During this round of patrol, the law enforcers endeavoured on the line of duty in a circumstance of high temperature, humidity and salinity for weeks to uncompromisingly safeguard China's territorial sea. (Xinhua/Deng Hua) An aerial drone photo taken on June 26, 2024 shows China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel Hebao patrolling in waters adjacent to China's Huangyan Dao. The CCG vessel Hebao completed a patrol task in the waters adjacent to China's Huangyan Dao this July. During this round of patrol, the law enforcers endeavoured on the line of duty in a circumstance of high temperature, humidity and salinity for weeks to uncompromisingly safeguard China's territorial sea. (Xinhua/Deng Hua) An aerial drone photo taken on June 29, 2024 shows China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel Hebao patrolling in waters adjacent to China's Huangyan Dao. The CCG vessel Hebao completed a patrol task in the waters adjacent to China's Huangyan Dao this July. During this round of patrol, the law enforcers endeavoured on the line of duty in a circumstance of high temperature, humidity and salinity for weeks to uncompromisingly safeguard China's territorial sea. (Xinhua/Deng Hua) Law enforcers aboard a dinghy are on their way to visit fishermen operating in waters adjacent to China's Huangyan Dao on July 4, 2024. The CCG vessel Hebao completed a patrol task in the waters adjacent to China's Huangyan Dao this July. During this round of patrol, the law enforcers endeavoured on the line of duty in a circumstance of high temperature, humidity and salinity for weeks to uncompromisingly safeguard China's territorial sea. (Xinhua/Deng Hua) Law enforcers aboard a dinghy conduct a maneuver drill in waters adjacent to China's Huangyan Dao on June 19, 2024. The CCG vessel Hebao completed a patrol task in the waters adjacent to China's Huangyan Dao this July. During this round of patrol, the law enforcers endeavoured on the line of duty in a circumstance of high temperature, humidity and salinity for weeks to uncompromisingly safeguard China's territorial sea. (Xinhua/Deng Hua) An aerial drone photo taken on July 11, 2024 shows China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels Hebao (above) and Wanshan on a fuel refilling drill in waters adjacent to China's Huangyan Dao. The CCG vessel Hebao completed a patrol task in the waters adjacent to China's Huangyan Dao this July. During this round of patrol, the law enforcers endeavoured on the line of duty in a circumstance of high temperature, humidity and salinity for weeks to uncompromisingly safeguard China's territorial sea. (Xinhua/Deng Hua) An aerial drone photo taken on July 11, 2024 shows China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels Hebao (R) and Wanshan on a fuel refilling drill in waters adjacent to China's Huangyan Dao. The CCG vessel Hebao completed a patrol task in the waters adjacent to China's Huangyan Dao this July. During this round of patrol, the law enforcers endeavoured on the line of duty in a circumstance of high temperature, humidity and salinity for weeks to uncompromisingly safeguard China's territorial sea. (Xinhua/Deng Hua) Law enforcers review the admission oath of the Communist Party of China aboard the China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel Hebao in waters adjacent to China's Huangyan Dao on June 30, 2024. The CCG vessel Hebao completed a patrol task in the waters adjacent to China's Huangyan Dao this July. During this round of patrol, the law enforcers endeavoured on the line of duty in a circumstance of high temperature, humidity and salinity for weeks to uncompromisingly safeguard China's territorial sea. (Xinhua/Deng Hua) A law enforcer is on the watch at night aboard the China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel Hebao on June 22, 2024. The CCG vessel Hebao completed a patrol task in the waters adjacent to China's Huangyan Dao this July. During this round of patrol, the law enforcers endeavoured on the line of duty in a circumstance of high temperature, humidity and salinity for weeks to uncompromisingly safeguard China's territorial sea. (Xinhua/Deng Hua) Law enforcers enjoy the sunset view aboard the China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel Hebao in waters adjacent to China's Huangyan Dao on June 23, 2024. The CCG vessel Hebao completed a patrol task in the waters adjacent to China's Huangyan Dao this July. During this round of patrol, the law enforcers endeavoured on the line of duty in a circumstance of high temperature, humidity and salinity for weeks to uncompromisingly safeguard China's territorial sea. (Xinhua/Deng Hua) An aerial drone photo taken on June 26, 2024 shows China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel Hebao patrolling in waters adjacent to China's Huangyan Dao. The CCG vessel Hebao completed a patrol task in the waters adjacent to China's Huangyan Dao this July. During this round of patrol, the law enforcers endeavoured on the line of duty in a circumstance of high temperature, humidity and salinity for weeks to uncompromisingly safeguard China's territorial sea. (Xinhua/Deng Hua) An aerial drone photo taken on June 30, 2024 shows China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels Chuanshan (below) and Hebao on a drill in waters adjacent to China's Huangyan Dao. The CCG vessel Hebao completed a patrol task in the waters adjacent to China's Huangyan Dao this July. During this round of patrol, the law enforcers endeavoured on the line of duty in a circumstance of high temperature, humidity and salinity for weeks to uncompromisingly safeguard China's territorial sea. (Xinhua/Deng Hua) Law enforcers on a drill retract cables aboard the China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel Hebao on June 30, 2024. The CCG vessel Hebao completed a patrol task in the waters adjacent to China's Huangyan Dao this July. During this round of patrol, the law enforcers endeavoured on the line of duty in a circumstance of high temperature, humidity and salinity for weeks to uncompromisingly safeguard China's territorial sea. (Xinhua/Deng Hua) A law enforcer throws a cable for docking aboard the China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel Hebao on July 11, 2024. The CCG vessel Hebao completed a patrol task in the waters adjacent to China's Huangyan Dao this July. During this round of patrol, the law enforcers endeavoured on the line of duty in a circumstance of high temperature, humidity and salinity for weeks to uncompromisingly safeguard China's territorial sea. (Xinhua/Deng Hua) Law enforcers on a drill retract cables aboard the China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel Hebao on June 30, 2024. The CCG vessel Hebao completed a patrol task in the waters adjacent to China's Huangyan Dao this July. During this round of patrol, the law enforcers endeavoured on the line of duty in a circumstance of high temperature, humidity and salinity for weeks to uncompromisingly safeguard China's territorial sea. (Xinhua/Deng Hua) A drone photo taken on June 30, 2024 shows China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel Hebao patrolling in waters adjacent to China's Huangyan Dao. The CCG vessel Hebao completed a patrol task in the waters adjacent to China's Huangyan Dao this July. During this round of patrol, the law enforcers endeavoured on the line of duty in a circumstance of high temperature, humidity and salinity for weeks to uncompromisingly safeguard China's territorial sea. (Xinhua/Deng Hua) (Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Wu Chaolan) Thank you for reading! To read this article and more, subscribe now for as little as $1.99. You could forgive Ricaurte Vasquez Morales his cellphone addiction. As the New York Times explains, he checks it constantlyto make sure Lake Gatun is registering about 83.5 feet deep. That's the artificial reservoir that forms a crucial part of the Panama Canal system, of which Vasquez Morales is the administrator. The lake fell to critical levels last year during a drought, forcing traffic on the canal to be cut by more than a third. May rains allowed numbers to rebound to a healthy 35 ships per day, "but canal authorities know that this is merely a respite in a new era influenced by climate change and frequent periods of El Nino, when ocean temperatures rise and rainfall decreases," writes Peter S. Goodman. Officials know they need more water storageLake Gatun's water is what makes the canal's lock system work, and it takes more than 50 million gallons to get a single ship through. The path forward isn't without its obstacles. Canal authorities have decided their best bet is to create a second water source by building a dam on the Rio Indio. Panama's Supreme Court decided in July to give the canal authority the needed access to the river, effectively kickstarting a six-year, $1.6 billion project. But the new water source will force the relocation of 2,000 largely poor citizens. Canal authorities say they're working to secure compensation and farming opportunities for those impacted, asserting they'll end up better off. Those locals aren't so sure. "They want to relocate us, but we don't think that way," says an 86-year-old resident. "There's no place better." (Read the full piece here.) Mongolia hoping to see a resurgence in tourism with its new "Welcome to MonGOlia" campaign. Following the collapse of its tourism sector due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the nation managed to see a 25% rise in foreign visitors in the first seven months of this year as compared to last year, reaching 437,000 tourists. But the government isn't tracking to hit its goal of 1 million annual visitors from 2023-2025. To try to get those numbers up, the government has expanded the number of flights and made the visa process easier, including by offering visa-free visits for many countries. Although Mongolia boasts breathtaking landscapes and cultural attractions, including horseback trips and stays in traditional gers, challenges remain. The country's tourism infrastructure is still developing, with limited accommodations and a shortage of skilled labor in some regions. Recognition from Lonely Planet as a top destination and the pope's recent visit have brought more attention to Mongolia. Traditional practices like reindeer sledding and camel rides, as well as modern attractions such as the folk-metal band The Hu reflect its blend of ancient and contemporary appeal. Tourist Michael John noted it was "a great opportunity to learn more," about the history and traditions of Mongolia. Despite logistical issues like waterlogged steppes and scarce English signage, visitors like Dutch tourist Jasper Koning was impressed: "The weather is super, the scenery is more than super, it's clean, the people are friendly." (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP) A scuffle erupted in the Turkish parliament on Friday amid a fervent debate over jailed opposition lawmaker Can Atalay. Footage showed Ahmet Sik, who like Atalay is a member of the Workers' Party of Turkey, being attacked by a member of the ruling party after labeling them a "terrorist organization." The brawl, involving dozens, left some with injuries; drops of blood were seen on the floor near the speaker's lectern. Ozgur Ozel, who leads the largest opposition party, decried the chaotic scenes, stating, "Instead of words flying in the air, fists are flying. They are hitting women." The session continued three hours later, with both Sik and his attacker reprimanded. Delta Air Lines is investigating an incident where an individual boarded a plane without a valid ticket. The man reportedly followed a family through Washington Dulles International Airport and even entered a women's restroom where the family was present. The family's encounter with the man took a turn when he boarded their flight and sat in their row. Lauren Benton recounted to ABC News that her husband spoke to the man, who was unable to provide a flight attendant with a boarding pass when it was requested. Fighters from Sudan's paramilitary group rampaged through a central village, looting and burning and killing at least 85 people, including women and children, authorities and residents said Saturday, the latest atrocity in the country's devastating 18-month conflict. The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces began attacking Galgani in the central province of Sennar late in July, and last week RSF fighters "indiscriminately opened fire on the village's unarmed residents" after they resisted attempts to abduct and sexually assault women and girls, Sudan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. More than 150 villagers were wounded, according to the statement, the AP reports. The RSF has been repeatedly accused of massacres, rapes, and other gross violations across the country since the war started in April of last year, when simmering tensions between the military and the group exploded into open fighting in the capital Khartoum and elsewhere. Describing the hourslong attack, three residents said hundreds of RSF fighters stormed the village on Thursday, looting and burning houses and public properties. The offensive came after the residents put up resistance and repelled an attack by a small group of RSF fighters, said a health care worker at the local medical center. The group retreated, but hundreds of RSF fighters in pickup trucks with automatic rifles and heavy weapons returned, according to the worker and another resident. As of Friday, the medical center had received at least 80 bodies, including 24 women and minors, said the worker. Mohamed Tajal-Amin, a villager, said he saw seven bodies in the street Friday. "The Janjaweed are in the street and people are not able to recover their dead and bury them," he said, using the name of the Arab militias that became synonymous with genocide and war crimes in Darfur two decades ago and from which the RSF sprang. RSF spokespeople didn't return requests for comment Saturday. Sudan's war has created the world's 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 went to neighboring countries. (More Sudan stories.) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain has expressed its strong support for the international community's efforts at the Geneva Conference to address the worsening humanitarian situation in Sudan. The ongoing conflict in Sudan has severely impacted the living conditions of its people, prompting urgent international intervention. In a statement issued on Friday evening, Bahrain welcomed the decision by Sudan's Transitional Sovereignty Council to open the Adri border crossing, allowing the delivery of much-needed humanitarian aid. This move is seen as a critical step in alleviating the suffering of those affected by the conflict. Bahrains Ministry of Foreign Affairs also called on all parties involved in the conflict to ensure the safety of relief workers and to facilitate the unhindered distribution of humanitarian assistance across the affected regions. The Kingdom reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Sudan's sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, emphasizing its desire for peace and stability in the region. A 67-year-old has been charged in the fatal shooting of a man that occurred in Weehawken on Thursday night. Juan Perez was arrested by detectives after an investigation into the fatal shooting of 24-year-old Jhonnier Gamboa Acosta, the Hudson County Prosecutors Office said in a news release. He is charged with murder and weapons offenses related to the gun allegedly used in the killing. Police found Acosta suffering from apparent gunshot wounds on Park Avenue between 37th and 41st streets around 7 p.m., officials said. He was pronounced dead at Jersey City Medical Center at 8:14 p.m., authorities said. Perez is being held at Hudson County Jail pending an appearance in state Superior Court. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Nicolas Fernandes may be reached at nfernandes@njadvancemedia.com. Police in Vineland are investigating a serious car crash Saturday morning that left three people dead, the department confirmed. The crash occurred at approximately 8:30 a.m. in the area of Panther Road and Mays Landing Road in the Cumberland County city, according to authorities. Police were working to identify the three victims killed in the single-car crash, and the Vineland Police Department is handing the investigation. The Cumberland County Prosecutors Office was notified about the incident, according to police, but local police are handling the ongoing investigation. Authorities did not release additional details about the deadly crash Saturday morning. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Matthew Enuco may be reached at Menuco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Matt on X A 35-year-old New Jersey man was sentenced to 13 years in state prison after pleading guilty to committing an antisemitic crime spree, according to the Ocean County Prosecutors Office. Ron Carr, of Manchester Township, pleaded guilty to spray painting swastikas and scrawling his daughters names on some homes and red hearts on others in Pine Lake Park on June 6, 2023. The next day, Carr was arrested by force after setting fire to a home on First Avenue around 3 a.m. and made multiple antisemitic statements to investigators while being interviewed, according to an affidavit outlining 36 charges against him. Note: This article was originally published in July 2023. Some information has been updated. During recent summer weeks, homeowners in New Jersey and other eastern states reported seeing spotted lanternflies in their yards, on their trees, and even crawling around on cars. But their descriptions of these pesky bugs varied widely. Some saw tiny nymphs that are black with white spots. Some saw nymphs that were mostly bright red with black and white blotches. And others saw larger lanternflies with colorful wings. Have different species of spotted lanternflies invaded the eastern U.S.? The answer is a simple no, according to several bug experts in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. They say the middle of the summer particularly July happens to be a rare time in the one-year life cycle of spotted lanternflies, because these critters can be going through different phases of their growth at slightly different paces. Lauren Bonus, an entomologist who heads the Camden County Mosquito Commission, said the life cycle of spotted lanternflies tends to be consistent from one phase to the next, but July is the one month where they all have the possibility of overlapping. Since every spotted lanternfly doesnt hatch from its egg on the same exact day, during the same week or even in the same month, each lanternfly wont go through its nymph phases and adult phase at the same time, Bonus explained. Most spotted lanternflies begin to emerge from egg masses in May, Bonus said. But some emerge in April, and some emerge in June. This graphic shows the annual life cycle of the spotted lanternfly, which explains why these insects look different during different times of the year.Camden County Mosquito Commission When they hatch will determine when they reach their first nymph phase (also known as first instar), their second nymph phase, their third nymph phase, their fourth nymph phase and finally their adult phase. And these pesky insects will look different in each of those phases. When these insects first emerge typically in April, May or June they will be very tiny with black bodies and white spots. During their second and third phases, usually in June and July, their colors will remain the same but the lanternflies will be slightly bigger. The fourth phase, known as fourth instar, can occur anytime between July and September, and this is when the lanternflies will have mostly red bodies with slightly larger white spots and black blotches. The adult phase the one where the lanternflies grow larger and sport colorful wings can also start as early as July or as late as December, depending on how cold it is outside. In New Jersey, the adult phase typically starts in July and August, Bonus said. By this time of the year, theyre all on their way to (becoming) adults, she said. By September, all of them should be in their adult phase. This spotted lanternfly, in its adult stage of life, was seen crawling on a car in East Brunswick, N.J., on Aug. 14, 2024.NJ Advance Media for NJ.com Once they reach their adult stage, the lanternflies begin to mate and lay eggs setting the stage for new batches of nymphs next spring. (The adults will die off during the first hard freeze of winter, but most of their egg masses will survive.) Amy Korman, horticulture extension educator for the Penn State Extension in Northampton and Lehigh counties in Pennsylvania, agrees its common to see spotted lanternflies in different phases around your home in the middle of the summer. Right now, its not unusual to see a mix of black and white nymphs, red nymphs, and adults, Korman said in late July 2023. By September, it will be almost all adults. Bottom line, they are not all in sync. Whether they are in sync, or not, spotted lanternflies can damage many varieties of trees, shrubs and ornamental plants, according to bug experts at Rutgers University. The lanternflys main target is the Ailanthus, a fast-growing tree that is commonly known as the Tree of Heaven. These insects also tend to prey on red maple trees, black walnut trees, willow trees and grapevines, posing a threat to the wine industry. Last month, spotted lanternflies made their first confirmed appearance in the wine growing region in the Finger Lakes in western New York state, putting vineyards on high alert. Spotted lanternflies have also been making their way farther east, out to agricultural areas in eastern Long Island, New York These are the three different looks of spotted lanternflies as they mature. The black-and-white phase at left is what this bug looks like after hatching in the spring. Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com or on X at @LensReality. A 25-year-old Camden County man was killed Friday night on Interstate 76 after he was ejected from his motorcycle and hit by another vehicle, a spokesperson with the New Jersey State Police said Saturday. State Police responded to milepost 1.1 in Gloucester City in Camden County at 9:40 p.m. after receiving a report of a crash, officials said. A preliminary investigation found Ryan Gaskill, of Pennsauken, was traveling southbound on I-76 when an unidentified SUV changed lanes in front of him, forcing Gaskill to apply the brakes, officials said. The motorcycle overturned and Gaskill was ejected before being struck by another SUV traveling south, resulting in fatal injuries, according to authorities. The SUV that struck Gaskill remained at the scene, and the crash is remains under investigation. No additional details were released by authorities Saturday morning. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Matthew Enuco may be reached at Menuco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Matt on X 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. This week we draw your attention to the work of Pulitzer Prize-winning Times-Picayune editorial cartoonist Walt Handelsman, whose career in New Orleans began 35 years ago this month. A native of Baltimore, Handelsman holds degrees in art therapy and advertising. He worked for an ad agency before becoming an editorial cartoonist for a chain of suburban weekly newspapers near his hometown. In 1985, he moved to The Scranton Times in Pennsylvania, where his work was syndicated to more than 75 publications, including The New York Times, Washington Post, Newsweek and the National Review. In August 1989, he joined The Times-Picayune, replacing fellow Pulitzer-winner Mike Luckovich, who left for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. In New Orleans, Handelsman won all of the major national awards for editorial cartooning, including his first Pulitzer Prize in 1997. In 2001, he left for Newsday in New York. There, he taught himself Flash animation and in 2007 became the first person to win a Pulitzer Prize for animated cartoons. Handelsman returned to Louisiana in 2013 as cartoonist at The Advocate, which in 2019 purchased The Times-Picayune. Both newspapers, like Gambit, are owned by Georges Media Group. Handelsman has compiled his work into ten books, including Draw Me Sumpthin Mister! Political Gumbo and Im Drawing as Fast as I Can!!! Louisiana Attorney General-elect Liz Murrill says her office has hired the law firm WilmerHale to help it handle a U.S. Justice Department investigation into Louisiana State Police. The Devon Hedge Group has launched the 2024 Devon Hedge Award, inviting farmers, landowners, schools, and community groups to showcase their efforts in healthy hedge trimming. The award recognises those who contribute to creating wildlife-rich hedges in Devon's countryside. Participants who demonstrate exceptional hedge management will receive a personalised certificate and an award plaque to display proudly. The award aims to celebrate those who go beyond traditional hedge cutting methods, promoting practices that enhance the wildlife value of Devons hedges. Several hedge management techniques can benefit wildlife while potentially saving costs. These include incremental trimming, which allows hedges to grow slightly larger with each cut, and trimming every two or three years to encourage the development of flowers and fruit. Other traditional methods like hedge laying and conservation hedge laying are also encouraged. Dr Rob Wolton, Chair of the Devon Hedge Group, said: Every Devon hedge is different in some respect, and we are keen that the way that they are cut relates to needs and benefits of each individual hedge. Choosing the correct hedge trimming option can create great benefits for wildlife and can save money too. Devons hedges are of international importance as a historical, cultural, wildlife and landscape resource. We really hope as many people as possible get involved and apply for their award. If the award scheme goes a small way to instilling a sense of pride in our hedges and all the benefits they provide, then I will be a happy man The application process is simple; participants need to complete an online form, attach photos, and ensure their hedge meets basic criteria. Applications are open until December 31. For more information and to apply, visit the Devon Hedge Group's website at Devon Hedge Awards: https://devonhedges.org/devon-hedge-awards/ CROWN POINT A Gary man who killed a 24-year-old in an act of retaliation last year supposedly said the victim "got what he deserved" during an interview with a probation officer prior to his sentencing hearing. He was sentenced to 70 years for the killing Friday. Martell Flippins, 36, of Chicago said during a presentence investigation report interview he felt no remorse for the March 12, 2023 murder of Pierre "PJ" Patterson which he committed in retaliation after Patterson allegedly shot and killed Flippins' brother, 26-year-old LaVell Hughes Jr., a year prior in 2022. A Lake Criminal Court jury found him guilty of murder and a firearm enhancement in June. "Three young men lost their lives in the midst of this," Patterson's uncle Lloyd Rock said. "I hope it all ends today." He thanked prosecutors for "doing their job." Patterson's mother, Betty Rock, wrote in a letter to the court that she doesn't hate Flippins, but she hates what he did. "I think you should stay in jail as long as my son is in the grave," Rock wrote in the letter. Jurors heard at trial about how Flippins parked his green Chevrolet Equinox on the opposite side on the street from the now-shuttered Fatso's Pub, 5060 Broadway, as he waited for Patterson to leave a nearby bar. Patterson was crossing the street when a driver in a the Equinox pulled up beside him and fired shots. They heard about the extensive use of technology in the case, including security cameras, license plate readers and data from Flippins' cell phone that show his location at the time of the crime plus texts and social media content that show him talking about the act. Prosecutors said they were prepared to charge Patterson with Hughes' murder shortly before Patterson was killed. Public defender Marc Laterzo said evidence at trial showed Patterson was bragging on Facebook about Hughes' killing, "taunting" Flippins. "It's clear this started with an incident in which Mr. Flippins' brother was killed," Laterzo said. Deputy Prosecutor Keith Anderson said Flippins should receive an aggravated sentence because he had a violent criminal history, despite being offered probation or shorter sentences for previous crimes. "There is nothing about his history that shows he is a changed person, that he deserves leniency," Anderson said. Vasquez said he agreed with the state and that Flippins' conduct and criminal history deserved an aggravated sentence. "I think Mr. Flippins is in fact violent," he said. Vasquez sentenced Flippins to 60 years in the Department of Correction on the murder charge and 10 years on the firearm enhancement. Murder carries a possible sentence of 45 to 65 years and firearm enhancements carry between five to 20 years. DYER When friends of 22-year-old Grace Bentkowski heard she had been fatally struck by a South Shore Line commuter train at the Hegewisch station July 25, they were in disbelief. "It didn't make a lot of sense. It's 2024," friend Andy Newman said. "How are people getting hit by trains in 2024?" Bentkowski was on her way from her job at News Nation in Chicago to her Dyer home, a commute she did daily. After she got off a train that was headed east, she went to cross the tracks toward the station parking lot and was struck by a train heading west. "The fact that something like this could happen is unbelievable," Newman said. Bentkowski's family and friends have said there were few safety measures in place at the Hegewisch station to warn pedestrians of an oncoming train. They are calling for additional safety precautions to keep this from happening to any other pedestrians and protecting others from enduring the pain of losing a loved one to a train crash. "I hope at the end of the day something is changed," Newman said. "She shouldn't have had to pass away for this to become an issue." One fatal step Bentkowski's uncle Mike O'Neill said he went to the South Shore Line's police station in the weeks after the incident and viewed footage of the collision. O'Neill said he watched his niece get off the train and turn to follow other passengers across the tracks. He said he heard no train horn or other warning noise to indicate a train was approaching. "The conductor never blared that horn," O'Neill said, "until he was right on top of her." The natural noise from the movement of the trains could be heard, O'Neill said, and he believed Bentkowski may have thought that noise was her own train leaving the station, rather than another incoming train. Her cell phone and headphones were found in her purse, so she would not have been distracted by either of those things. "She wouldn't have run across the tracks to get to her train if she had known," O'Neill said. He said he did not see any flashing red lights, automatic gates or other signals that could have better protected Bentkowski as she crossed. "If they just had a red light, green light on a pole," O'Neill said, "it could have helped." According to a statement from South Shore Line representative Connie Grashel, the railroad believes the station, designed in 2006, is safe, and said it continues to make improvements across all stations when deemed necessary. "After any accident, we look to see if safety can be further enhanced, and this situation is no different," Grashel said in the statement. "We are reaching out to an engineering firm to determine what it will take to add active warning to the pedestrian crossings. In the interim, we are installing warning signage, and, although not required by law, the South Shore Line will institute a train whistle board to sound as trains approach the crossings." Destined for journalism Bentkowski was "all in" with Lake Central High School's television journalism program as a teenager. "She just loved it," O'Neill said. "You couldn't convince her to do anything else." Her publications adviser, Carrie Wadycki-Cruz, first encountered Grace during her freshman year in a writing course. "She always had a smile on her face," she said. "She was always participating in class and eager to learn. She was just a great student to have in class." Bentkowski joined the publications team her sophomore year and chose to transition to LCTV to focus on broadcast journalism. "She was phenomenal," Wadycki-Cruz said. "Energetic, funny and just so kind. She was just the nicest girl and so ambitious." Friend Samantha Martin said she met Bentkowski through NewsLink, Ball State University's student news media organization. She said Bentkowski was very hard working and ultimately became the organization's news director, the highest title they offered. "She was extremely hard working, determined and motivated," Martin said. She said Bentkowski was "the perfect friend." "She was a great friend outside of the newsroom," Martin said. "She was a great journalist, but she was so much more than that." Brooke Follrad said she met Bentkowski in high school and grew close with her when they went to college. She said she viewed Bentkowski as a role model and called her a "chosen sister." She said while Bentowski always strived to excel in her work, she did the same in her personal life. "She cared so deeply for everyone around her," Follrad said in a text message. "She made sure everyone around her felt seen and appreciated." O'Neill said Bentkowski was very close with her family, especially her younger brother. He said her brother went to Ball State because he wanted to spend his first year of college with her as she completed her final year. She also loved to dance and was known to hold her side in any debate or argument. "She was just a delightful young woman," O'Neill said. Searching for answers Grashel said the South Shore Line will continue to make improvements to their stations with safety in mind. She said the South Shore Line operates 53 weekday trains on a regular basis through the Hegewisch Station, which doesn't include special or freight trains that may be run. "Our riders and members of the public should always assume a train running on any track, at any direction, at any time," Grashel said in the statement. O'Neill said Bentkowski's family will continue to push for more safety on the South Shore Train Line. "I don't know why they don't have [more safety measures,]" he said. "The family is dedicated to get changes made in Grace's name." GALLERY: The Times Photos of the Week GARY When the Gary Air Show kicks off this weekend, therell be plenty of history on those wings and not all U.S. history. Among the planes taking off around 11 a.m. Saturday are crafts from the former Soviet Union, Poland, South Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Some saw combat action; others were trainers. The 2024 Gary Air Show runs this Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 17 and18. Sponsored include the city of Gary, Gary/Chicago International Airport, South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority, and other local partners. Among the former international military aircraft is a MIG 15F Vietnam-era fighter plane. In its day, it was the chief opponent for Americas F16s. Mike Terfehr of Traverse City, Mich., pilots the MIG, which contains an after burner that shoots flames 30 feet. Terfehr said about 10 of these planes are in flying condition in this country. Its fun to be around to showcase these pieces of history, Terfehr said. Theyre lot of fun to fly. The former fighter plane, which cost $300-$400,000, still carries two 23mm machine guns and a 37mm cannon, which is disabled. It can go 650 miles an hour and can climb 45,000 feet in a minute. Robert Johnson, a member of the Trojan Phlyers from Dallas, flies a North American T28 Trojan, designed as a training plane for the Air Force. Johnsons plane dates back to 1949. Johnson, 52, has been flying since he was 19. He likes these planes because theyre big, noisy, and loud - a great piece of history. Johnsons team will be doing formation aerobatics, which includes loops and rolls and a combination of the two. Ken Spurlock, mechanic on the Trojans, likes their shake, rattle, and roll. After every flight, Spurlock has to tighten the engine to ensure the engine is secure. A retired Air Force aircraft mechanic, Spurlock said about Trojans, when they crank up, they sound like Harleys, and I love Harleys. Former Valparaiso resident Bob Richards brought his Machaira Special biplane. The white plane with stars and stripes has a 6-cylinder, 540-cubic-inch engine that can do 220 mph. I was looking for a plane to fly around and go every which way, said Richards of Downers Grove, Ill. It can do rolls, spins, and 360 degrees. Richards has been doing air shows for 18 years. The stunts, he said, may look dangerous, but we put in a lot of practice to make it fun to watch. Marquette Park will serve as the primary viewing location for attendees and site for food, vendors, and beachfront activities. Visitors will have access to parking and shuttles directly to the lakefront park. Ed Hamill of Phoenix is flying the Folds of Honor Pitts Special biplane. Folds of Honor provides scholarships to family members of deceased or disabled military and first responders. The biplane was built in 1999, the same year Hamill got into flying. Hes flown at more than 400 air shows at 125 sites. I love performing for the kids and inspiring them, he said. Thats what got me into flying. A retired Air Force combat pilot, Hamill also likes promoting Folds of Honor, which since 2007 has awarded 52,000 scholarships valued at $240 million. The public may visit www.garyairshow.com for event information. PHOTOS: Crown Point celebrates Olympian Casey Krueger's gold medal in return home Newly released police body-camera footage shows the chaotic scene when a police officer in Fort Lee, N.J., fatally shot a 25-year-old woman in her apartment last month after he responded to a call about a person experiencing a mental health crisis and holding a knife. The family of the woman, Victoria G. Lee, had previously condemned the shooting, saying officers escalated a nonthreatening episode to the point that it turned lethal. The footage, released Friday by New Jerseys attorney general, Matthew J. Platkin, shows the officer who fired the fatal shot, Tony Pickens Jr., and other officers standing outside Ms. Lees apartment door at a complex on Main Street just before 1:30 a.m. on July 28. The officers repeatedly asked, and then ordered, her to open the locked door. Im going to break the door down, Officer Pickens says at one point to Ms. Lee, whose mother is with her inside the apartment. Vice President Kamala Harris accepted an offer from the leadership of the Teamsters union to meet for a round-table discussion, according to the union. A date has not yet been scheduled for the discussion with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, a powerful union with about 1.3 million members. Ms. Harris has tried to shore up support from unions, a key voting bloc with outsize influence in battleground states including Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Other large labor organizations like the United Automobile Workers and the A.F.L.-C.I.O. have lined up behind Ms. Harris. The Teamsters, which endorsed President Biden in 2020, has not endorsed a presidential candidate in this election. We look forward to Vice President Harris joining a round-table of rank-and-file Teamsters to discuss the issues of importance to workers, Kara Deniz, a Teamsters spokeswoman, said in a statement on Friday. The Harris campaign confirmed that she accepted the unions offer, saying the vice president plans to discuss her record of fighting for Teamsters and their families and to highlight her vision for the future, according to Lauren Hitt, a Harris campaign spokeswoman. Tau Lewis can trace where she found every remnant of old clothing and leather, rusted piece of metal, beached starfish and myriad other well-worn items that she collects and reassembles into monumental sculptures, often evoking fantastical otherworldly beings. I can kind of draw a map and tell you where everything came from, Lewis said at her studio in Brooklyn earlier this summer. She was finishing five towering figures, draped in hand-sewn garments with dazzling constellations of color, pattern and texture and embedded with weathered objects. These eminences, like guardians to another realm, will hold court in Lewiss first solo museum exhibition, Tau Lewis: Spirit Level, opening at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston on Aug. 29. The show will travel to David Zwirners Los Angeles gallery in February 2025. Deeply attuned to the past lives of her materials, Lewis is working in the tradition of Black self-taught artists from the American South, including Lonnie Holley, Thornton Dial and the Gees Bend quilters, who have all made do with scraps at hand to construct works of extraordinary expressiveness and vitality. Lewis, 30, has shown in prominent group exhibitions, including Prospect 5 in New Orleans in 2021 and at the Venice Biennale in 2022. At a solo New York gallery exhibition at 52 Walker in the fall of 2022, she presented her giant visages, ranging in height from 7 feet to 13 feet and inspired by Yoruban ceremonial masks. Recently, Lewis transformed parachutes, fire hoses and vinyl movie posters into oversize flowering vines that scale the facade and roof of the Polygon Gallery in Vancouver through next March. Donald J. Trumps media strategy can be summed up with a phrase often applied to one of his erstwhile nemeses, the logorrheic New York City mayor Ed Koch: unavoidable for comment. The former president has certainly seemed that way in the month since President Biden yielded the Democratic ticket to Vice President Kamala Harris, upending a campaign that Mr. Trump was once convinced he would easily win. Ms. Harris has dominated the national conversation even as she has mostly avoided reporters and declined to hold a news conference. Eager to reassert himself, Mr. Trump has embarked on a cavalcade of interviews in venues large and small, popping up on a video game celebritys streaming page, calling into a New York City drive-time radio show and holding court from his vacation homes in Florida and New Jersey. His appearances, however, often involve sympathetic interviewers who rarely challenge his words and intersperse questions with heaps of praise. The results have been mixed. Fans enjoyed his appearances, and Mr. Trumps news conferences were carried live on cable news. But he also set off controversies that his supporters have scrambled to clean up, such as when he told Elon Musk that some striking workers ought to be fired. A sampling of Mr. Trumps media-heavy month: Sid & Friends in the Morning, WABC-AM Date: July 30. Interviewer: Sid Rosenberg, a longtime New York City radio personality who came to fame as a blunt-spoken commentator on Don Imuss show (from which he was eventually fired for making offensive remarks). Notable Trump quote: If youre Jewish, if you vote for a Democrat, youre a fool, an absolute fool. Mary Peart, 67, a retired nurse in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Mass., began taking gabapentin a year and a half ago to reduce the pain and fatigue of fibromyalgia. The drug helps her climb stairs, walk her dog and take art lessons, she said. With it, I have a life, she said. If I forget to take a dose, my pain comes right back. Jane Dausch has a neurological condition called transverse myelitis and uses gabapentin as needed when her legs and feet ache. It seems to be effective at calming down nerve pain, said Ms. Dausch, 67, a retired physical therapist in North Kingstown, R.I. Amy Thomas, who owns three bookstores in the San Francisco Bay Area, takes gabapentin for rheumatoid arthritis. Along with yoga and physical therapy, its probably contributing to it being easier for me to move around, Ms. Thomas, 67, said. All three are taking the non-opioid pain drug for off-label uses. The only conditions for which gabapentin has been approved for adult use by the Food and Drug Administration are epileptic seizures, in 1993, and postherpetic neuralgia, the nerve pain that can linger after a bout of shingles, in 2002. The price tag on a particular Bottega Veneta leather bag is eye-popping: $15,000. But when you consider the number of people (more than 30), the amount of time (more than a year) and all the fair and exhibition visits (dozens) behind the creation of the bag, its easier to accept it being expensive, said Kate Guadagnino, a contributing writer for T: The New York Times Style Magazine. Ms. Guadagnino recently spent about two months chronicling the resource- and labor-intensive processes to make five objects or artistic works, including a plant-based chair, a nine-hour stage performance and a potato pizza. The resulting project, which was published online last week, appears in T Magazine this Sunday. Like the items whose production Ms. Guadagnino documented, the series also required a team effort: It took more than 20 editors, researchers, photographers and others over three months to produce. Nick Haramis, an editor at large at T Magazine who spearheaded the project, said that the five items were whittled down from 47 initial ideas. The ones that were most compelling were either exceptionally intricate like the Spirited Away puppets or seemingly simple, like Dan Barbers slice of pizza, he said. The goal was that by including those extremes we might land on something unexpected and fun. This week, out of both boredom and my own impulse toward completionism Im slowly making my way through the many Civil War movies that have come out of Hollywood I bought and began watching Gettysburg, the 1993 drama directed by Ronald F. Maxwell and adapted from The Killer Angels, a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel from 1974 by Michael Shaara. I have not yet finished the film its four hours, and Im about halfway through but I have a few thoughts nonetheless. The first is that, despite its made-for-TV looks, Gettysburg is a real achievement of set design and historical recreation. I am genuinely impressed by the level of detail seen in the uniforms and encampments, and it adds a great deal that a good portion of the film was actually shot at Gettysburg. Having been to the battlefield a few times (and having logged many hours in Sid Meiers Gettysburg!), it is fun as a viewer to see battles being staged as they would have been fought. My big problem so far besides the so-so acting chops of most of the players onscreen, Sam Elliott and Jeff Daniels notwithstanding is that the film is very clearly working from the notion that the Civil War was first and foremost an unfortunate conflict among brothers. Its not a Lost Cause film, but it is Lost Cause-adjacent, in that it downplays the importance of slavery to the war and the individual soldiers understanding of the war. If nothing else, it is striking to watch a film that is, in part, about Robert E. Lees generalship in Pennsylvania yet takes no note of the fact that the Army of Northern Virginia took time, during its march into free territory, to kidnap Black Americans and send them South into bondage. But Gettysburg isnt unique here. One of the most striking facts about our cinematic depictions of the Civil War is that, with a handful of exceptions, they are either sympathetic to the Confederate position or outright supportive of the Confederacy. It is a testament to the crushing triumph of Lost Cause propaganda that The Birth of a Nation and Gone With the Wind are not isolated instances of Confederate sympathy but are emblematic of Hollywoods perspective on the heroes and villains of the conflict. (And thats before we get into the Western trope of the noble ex-Confederate looking for a new life in the frontier.) One reason Kamala Harris is on the Democratic ticket is because of her identity. One reason Josh Shapiro isnt on the ticket is because of his. In March 2020, then-presidential candidate Joe Biden declared that he would choose a woman as his running mate. The following month, after Mr. Biden became the Democratic Partys presumptive nominee, multiple news outlets started reporting on the pressure influential Democrats were applying to ensure that the woman he chose would be Black. Ms. Harriss race and gender were not the only reasons Mr. Biden chose her. She served as attorney general of the countrys most populous state and had been a senator for four years. But its disingenuous to argue that race and gender played no role in her advancement. The matter of identity arose again in this years Democratic veep stakes, but in a subtler, more insidious way. In this case, the candidate in question doesnt possess an identity trait preferred by the left, but one the left increasingly views with suspicion. If you go somewhere expecting an eight-day trip and end up not being able to leave for eight months, most people would consider that stranded. That is what has happened to Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, two NASA astronauts who traveled to the International Space Station in June aboard Boeings Starliner spacecraft. During the test flight, the propulsion system malfunctioned, and engineers are not certain it would bring the two astronauts back to Earth alive. So doesnt that mean the astronauts are stranded? Delian Asparouhov, a founder and the president of Varda Space Industries, which aims to manufacture drugs and other materials in space, posted on X: I dont know about you, but if I got stuck at an airport for seven months longer than expected, that would definitely qualify as stranded. But for astronauts who spend their careers hoping to travel to space, extra time in orbit now 10 weeks and counting is not a nightmarish struggle for survival as it is for Matt Damons marooned astronaut character in the movie The Martian. With Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee, the presidential race is returning to normal. This morning, the latest New York Times/Siena College polls find an essentially tied race among likely voters across the four key Sun Belt battleground states, with Vice President Harris narrowly ahead in North Carolina and Arizona, while Donald J. Trump has the edge in Georgia and Nevada: Arizona: Harris 50, Trump 45 Georgia: Trump 50, Harris 46 Nevada: Trump 48, Harris 47 North Carolina: Harris 49, Trump 47 I wouldnt dwell too much on the precise results by state. On their own, each state poll is relatively inexact and subject to lots of uncertainty. Instead, focus on the big picture: Across the four states, its a dead heat. And a dead heat in these four states is not great news for Mr. Trump, who may need to take all three of Georgia, North Carolina and Arizona to win in November. A year or two ago, a dead heat across the Sun Belt might have been a ho-hum finding. In the 2020 election, President Biden won by 0.4 points on average across these four states; coincidentally, the Times/Siena poll finds Ms. Harris ahead, on average, by 0.4 points. But a dead heat is a big deal today. It represents a huge shift from earlier in the cycle, when Mr. Trumps relative strength over Mr. Biden among young, Black and Hispanic voters had propelled him to a surprising lead across these relatively young and diverse states. In the last round of Times/Siena polls in May, Mr. Trump led Mr. Biden by an average of 10 points among likely voters across Georgia, Nevada and Arizona three states Mr. Biden won narrowly in 2020. It left Mr. Biden with a narrow path to victory, requiring a sweep of the relatively white Northern battleground states. Three weeks into their pro-Palestinian encampment, student protesters gathered in the Peoples Living Room, a communal space they had erected on a public college campus in Denver, Colo., to make a decision about the future of their movement. By a show of hands, the student activists who had taken over the main quad voted to focus on the next big political moment: the Democratic National Convention. As a physical symbol of resistance, the encampment, which began in late April, had lost its power. Thousands of students had left the campus, there had been a few violent brushes with the law, and homeless people moved in, changing the mission of the camp. On May 17, they decided to end the encampment, one of the longest running in the nation, and plot their next moves. The presidential election, in large part, is going to be a referendum on the genocide in Palestine, said Paul Nelson, 25, a former Students for a Democratic Society chapter organizer and one of the encampment leaders, who will be at the convention. We want to be within the sight and sound of the convention. We are going to be there to exercise our discontent. Amid threats of certification battles and mass voter challenges, Vice President Kamala Harriss presidential campaign has assembled an expansive senior legal team that will oversee hundreds of lawyers and thousands of volunteers in a sprawling operation designed to be a bulwark against what Democrats expect to be an aggressive Republican effort to challenge voters, rules and, possibly, the results of the 2024 election. The legal apparatus within the Harris campaign will oversee multiple aspects of the election program, including voter protection, recounts and general election litigation, and it is adding Marc Elias, one of the partys top election lawyers, to focus on potential recounts. The legal group is headed by Bob Bauer, who served as personal counsel to President Biden for years, and Dana Remus, the general counsel to the 2020 Biden campaign, and also includes Maury Riggan, the general counsel for the Harris campaign. Josh Hsu, formerly from the vice presidents office, will join the team, and Vanita Gupta, a former director of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and a top Biden Justice Department official, is an informal adviser. The campaign will also lean on the top lawyers at three prominent law firms Seth Waxman, Donald Verrilli and John Devaney to handle litigation, and deploy local counsel to eight battleground states and four other states of interest. When Kamala Harris published her first book in 2009, recounting her experience as a California prosecutor, she called it Smart on Crime. That phrase would come to signal a kinder, gentler approach, but that is not how Ms. Harris meant it. She meant, the books marketing copy proclaimed, making the criminal justice system truly not just rhetorically tough. By the time she ran for president in 2019, Ms. Harris was no longer talking tough. She called herself a progressive prosecutor and proposed to end the death penalty, mandatory minimum sentences and cash bail. The left was not buying it: Progressives said her record was just slightly less awful than that of traditional prosecutors who measured their success by their conviction rates. The left wing of the Democratic Party helped push her out of the race. Now she is back to being a Top Cop. Ms. Harriss central pitch to voters has been her record as a prosecutor who has put away predators, fraudsters and cheaters, and could therefore handle her opponent in the presidential race. So hear me when I say, she tells crowds in her stump speech, I know Donald Trumps type. Its a refrain that voters are sure to hear repeated at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next week. Ms. Harriss repositioning could be read as opportunistic flip-flopping or, more charitably, as one persons evolution. But it is also a mirror. Her move from tough to progressive closely tracked societys changing views on crime and criminal justice, as it became clear that the war on drugs had failed to end the drug trade and ever-tougher sentences had left America with the worlds highest incarceration rate. President Bidens goodbye to a half century in national politics will begin in earnest on Monday. When he takes the stage at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago that evening, Mr. Biden will establish his time in office and his political legacy as the foundation for the candidacy of Vice President Kamala Harris, the new Democratic nominee. According to Biden aides who previewed the themes of the presidents remarks, he will say that she is the best person to finish a campaign he started one that remains rooted in protecting democratic ideals and preventing a second term for former President Donald J. Trump, the Republican nominee. The aides spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to detail the plans. It will be a bittersweet moment for Mr. Biden, who left the race and turned the keys of his campaign over to Ms. Harris less than a month ago. Since then, she has headlined packed rallies and delivered forceful campaign speeches, and the president has largely receded from center stage. But Mr. Biden, who is supportive of Ms. Harris and appreciates the momentum around her, the aides said, plans to ramp up his campaign schedule. He has also been focused on sealing up his legacy as a one-term president but one who pulled the nation out of an economic spiral during the coronavirus pandemic, a point he will make in his speech. A gate at Joint Base San Antonio came under fire in separate shootings hours apart early on Saturday morning in what officials said appeared to be random acts that prompted base security personnel to return fire in the second episode. The military said a motive for the gunfire was not immediately clear. It said that it did not believe the shooters had a military affiliation. Security personnel at the base were not injured. The San Antonio Police Department, which is investigating, said no one was in custody. The first episode occurred around 2:15 a.m., when shooters fired in the direction of the gate to Lackland Air Force Bases Chapman Training Annex, at Ray Ellison Boulevard and Medina Base Road, the police said. The security personnel stated they heard several shots fired as well as the fired rounds go past them, said Sgt. Washington Moscoso, a San Antonio Police Department spokesman. Ever since the Korean War was halted in an uneasy truce in 1953, South Koreans have lived under an American promise to defend their country, if necessary, with nuclear weapons. President Biden emphatically reiterated that commitment last year, vowing that any nuclear attack by North Korea would lead to the destruction of its government. But decades of American assurances have failed to deter North Korea from building a nuclear arsenal and then expanding it. Led by Kim Jong-un, North Korea has also become more provocative, testing missiles powerful enough to reach the United States. And it has rattled South Korea by reviving a Cold War-era defense agreement with Russia, another nuclear-armed state. The South has long considered it a taboo to pursue atomic weapons in defiance of Washingtons nonproliferation policy. But jitters about security here have been intensified by the possible re-election of former President Donald J. Trump, whose commitment to the alliance between Washington and Seoul appears to be shaky at best. Now, a growing majority of South Koreans say their country needs its own nuclear weapons instead of relying on the United States for protection. The idea, although still disavowed by the South Korean government, is increasingly becoming part of mainstream political debate. They were lanky and fresh-faced, and the battle they lost had been their first. Packed into Ukrainian prison cells, dozens of captured Russian conscripts lay on cots or sat on wooden benches, wearing flip-flops and, in one instance, watching cartoons on a television provided by the warden. In interviews, they recalled abandoning their positions or surrendering as they found themselves facing well-equipped, battle-hardened Ukrainian forces streaming across their border. We ran into a birch grove and hid, said Pvt. Vasily, whose small border fort was overrun on Aug. 6 at the outset of a Ukrainian incursion into Russia that was the first significant foreign attack on the country since World War II. The New York Times is identifying the prisoners by only their first names and ranks for their safety if they are returned to Russia in a prisoner exchange. The fighting marked a significant shift in the war, with Ukrainian armored columns rumbling into Russia two and a half years after Russia had launched an all-out invasion of Ukraine. An Israeli airstrike hit a factory in a small town in southern Lebanon, killing at least 10 civilians, Lebanese officials said on Saturday, as people across the Middle East uneasily awaited reprisals against Israel by Iran and its allies for a pair of assassinations. Israels military said it had targeted a weapons warehouse used by Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group, in the strike overnight on Friday. But the mayor of the town of Toul, where the attack took place, disputed that account. The strike appeared to have destroyed the factory and an adjacent structure that were inhabited by Syrian refugees who worked there, as well as their families. Reporters who visited the site saw steel beams but no signs of weaponry. The mayor of Toul, Saeed Mahmoud, said in a phone interview that the factory was used to collect steel spare parts. Yoon is the Tokyo-based co-founder of the luxury streetwear brand Ambush, which recently presented its fall 2024 collection in Milan. She spoke with me about the artworks and ideas shed like to be able to claim as her own Gritman Medical Center physician Dr. Bryn Parker is responsible for recruiting and training medical students in Moscow. Its a role she takes seriously because rural Idaho is significantly lacking in health care providers. Parker said she is seeing a max exodus of patients from rural Idaho towns coming to Gritman seeking its services. This has left many of her colleagues fully saturated with patients, she said. There becomes a critical point where you cant take on new patients because then you cant get your other patients in for the care that they need, Parker said. Idaho ranks at the bottom nationally for the number of doctors per capita. This problem was heightened when Idaho started losing OB-GYNs following the states new abortion restrictions. Parker said this has left a large void in maternity care. That is why she is intent on training the next generation of providers who want to work in Idaho. If I could hire every student I work with to come back here, that would be my dream, she said. This summer, she is working with medical student Mattie Hagestad, who would like to return to Idaho in the future. Hagestad is a 2021 University of Idaho graduate who is now in medical school at the University of Washington thanks to the WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho) Medical Education Program. Xi's special envoy attends inauguration of president of Dominican Republic Xinhua) 10:57, August 17, 2024 SANTO DOMINGO, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- At the invitation of President of the Dominican Republic Luis Abinader, Chinese President Xi Jinping's Special Envoy and Minister of Industry and Information Technology Jin Zhuanglong attended Abinader's second-term inauguration here on Friday. Abinader met with Jin at the National Palace on Thursday. Jin conveyed cordial greetings and best wishes from President Xi to Abinader and congratulated him on his re-election as president of the Dominican Republic. He said since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries six years ago, the bilateral relations have achieved comprehensive and rapid development. China is willing to work with the Dominican Republic to continue to firmly support each other, enhance practical cooperation, promote cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, and push the bilateral relations to achieve more results, so as to better benefit the people of both sides, Jin said. He also elaborated on the guiding principles of the third plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee to Abinader. For his part, Abinader asked Jin to convey his sincere greetings and best wishes to President Xi and expressed his heartfelt gratitude to President Xi for sending a special envoy to attend the inauguration ceremony of his new term. Abinader said that developing relations with China is of special importance to the Dominican Republic, and he looks forward to further deepening mutually beneficial cooperation with China in various fields and pushing for greater development of bilateral relations. (Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Wu Chaolan) WHITMAN COUNTY Marriage licenses Aug 7 Vincent Leon Zelkova, 22, and Jack Maven Zelkova, 22, both of Endicott Chad Kimball Fleming, 56, and Valerie Marie Wells, 48, both of Lacrosse Aug. 8 Brian Keith Pierce, 52, and Amy Winona Grant, 53, both of Rosalia Aug. 9 Michael Shawn Richards, 21, and Addison Diane Bollinger, 22, both of Moscow LATAH COUNTY Marriage licenses Aug. 9 Lily Renfro Muir, 33, and Russell John Carlson, 29, both of Deary Preston Jay DeWitt, 22, and Emily Katelin Sheard, 22, both of Pullman Monday Ezra James Friedel, 28, and Alexis Lynn Daggett, 21, both of Moscow Wednesday Reid Christopher Hazelbaker, 41, and Hannah Mae Wright, 26, both of Moscow Clinton Alan Elg, 37, and Saira Lopez, 34, both of Moscow Thursday Brian Jacob Mader, 22, and Makena Eleece Gomez, 22, both of Richland, Wash. PULLMAN POLICE Aug. 9 8:42 a.m. Fraud was reported on the 800 block of Klemgard Avenue. 8:48 a.m. A patient was transported to the hospital from the 400 block of Bishop Boulevard. 4:03 p.m. A house fire was reported on the 400 block of Darrow Street. Officers responded to a domestic dispute on the 1900 block of Terre View Drive overnight. Aug. 10 11:05 a.m. Drugs were reported on the 1600 block of Bleasner Drive. 12 p.m. Police arrested a 42-year-old man for suspicion of violating a protection order on the 2000 block of Turner Drive. 11:59 p.m. A 19-year-old man was arrested for allegedly possessing alcohol as a minor on Opal Street. Sunday 4:25 p.m. Fraud was reported on the 500 block of Grand Avenue. 6:41 p.m. Trespassing was reported on the 1200 block of Nye Street. 10:39 p.m. Drugs were reported on the 3100 block of Cottonwood Lane. 11:22 p.m. Officers responded to a fireworks complaint made on the 600 block of Maiden Lane. Monday 10:01 a.m. Officers responded to a report of someone breaking a window at a home on the 1600 block of Wheatland Drive. 2:21 p.m. Theft was reported at Walmart. Two noninjury collisions were reported in Pullman Monday. Tuesday 2:35 p.m. Traffic signs were reported stolen on Whitman Street. 7:38 p.m. Officers arrested a 34-year-old man for suspicion of escape in the first degree on the 1400 block of Bishop Boulevard. 8:33 p.m. Drugs were reported on the 500 block of Benewah Street. 9:02 p.m. Police responded to a domestic dispute reported on the 900 block of Maple Street. Fraud was reported three times in Pullman Tuesday. Wednesday 9:43 a.m. Trespassing was reported on the 1300 block of Harvey Road. 1:23 p.m. A 21-year-old man was arrested for suspicion of second-degree assault, fourth-degree assault and unlawful imprisonment on the 800 block of C Street. 5:08 p.m. Police responded to a sex offense reported in Pullman. 9:06 p.m. A patient was taken to the hospital from the 1300 block of Deane Street. 11:08 p.m. Officers responded to a burglary reported on the 2000 block of Merman Drive. Fraud was reported three times in Pullman Wednesday. Thursday 6:15 a.m. Officers and fire responded to smoke reportedly coming from a home on the 1000 block of Clifford Street. 8:43 a.m. A vehicle prowl was reported on Davis Way. 9:53 a.m. Fraud was reported on the 1500 block of Northwood Drive. 11:36 a.m. Trespassing was reported on the 1100 block of Bypass Drive. 2:50 p.m. Police arrested a 31-year-old woman for suspicion of third-degree theft at Walmart. Friday 12:14 a.m. A domestic dispute was reported on the 1100 block of Bypass Drive. WSU POLICE Monday 11:02 a.m. A patient experiencing a seizure was taken to the hospital from the 1500 block of Terrell Mall. Tuesday 4 p.m. Theft was reported on the 1500 block of Olympia Avenue. Thursday 8:02 a.m. Officers arrested a 72-year-old man for alleged first-degree trespassing on the 200 block of Ott Road. WHITMAN COUNTY SHERIFF Aug. 9 8:36 a.m. A patient was taken to the hospital after being injured in a collision on McNeilly Road in Colfax. 1:58 p.m. A domestic dispute was reported on Valleyview Avenue in Colfax. The Middle Barn at the Box 4 Ranch, located about 15 miles south of Colfax on Moys Road, is one of the three oldest standing barns in Whitman County. It was built in 1877. Only the John Jacob Schlee Barn (built in 1876) south of Uniontown is older. In addition to the Middle Barn, two other barns on the Box 4 are 100 or more years old a rarity, as pioneer farmers seldom repaired their barns as often as their houses. Many of the earliest barns were simply razed and replaced, as they had been constructed hastily and deteriorated accordingly. A decade of mild winters had led some farmers to believe barns were unnecessary in Washington Territory. The winters are so mild that you dont even have to build a barn, wrote early eastern Washington settler John Thomas McClain to his son Jeptha McClain in Kansas, encouraging him to head West with his family. Built in 1878, the Middle Barn is the oldest of the three vintage barns on the Box 4 Ranch, which is named for the Moys familys registered livestock brand. It was the first major structure on the ranch; the large main house (also still standing) was not built until a year later. A second barn was built in 1893 and a third in 1924. Style-wise, the Middle Barn is considered an Extended English Barn. It features a relatively steep, center gable roof with extensions on each side that are roofed at a lesser pitch. The barns beams are mortised, tenoned and pegged. The building features a large central space, flanked by smaller cribs, which were used as pens for livestock and for feed storage. The exterior is sheathed with vertical boards, with deliberate gaps for ventilation. BOISE The nations top lawyers visited Idaho briefly to discuss strategies for combating fentanyl and other crimes with local and federal law enforcement. U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland and U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, who is a Boise native, sat down Tuesday at U.S. Attorney for Idaho Josh Hurwits office. Garland gave brief remarks to the media present and then the members of the press were escorted out of the room before the closed-door meeting. This group represents the law enforcement agencies whose members every single day risk their lives to protect the people of the state, and equally important, they represent a collaborative partnership that is at the heart of the Justice Departments own strategy for dealing with violent crime, Garland said. He highlighted a recently released report by Idaho State Police that found murders in the state declined by 15% in 2023 compared to 2022. There were 49 homicides in Idaho in 2022, according to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and notably, that year there were four University of Idaho students murdered in a home in Moscow. Garland said nationally, the murder rate has declined, and last years violent crime rate was the lowest in 50 years and marked the largest decline in homicides in 50 years. Fentanyl was a major focus of the meeting, according to those present who spoke to the Idaho Press afterward. Idaho experienced 188 reported deaths related to fentanyl overdose in 2022, according to the most recent data from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. Nampa Police Department Chief Joe Huff said several of those present Tuesday expressed concern with the countrys southern border and the influx of drugs, especially fentanyl from Mexico. Ada County Sheriff Matt Clifford also highlighted the fentanyl issue in Idaho and across the nation. The attorney general kept officers apprised of efforts to work with China and Mexicos governments to stem the flow of the precursor chemicals and the illicit opioid. (Garland) agreed with our concerns with the border, our concerns with the cartels and how Mexico manages/doesnt manage those cartels, Clifford said. So that was positive to see him recognize that even here in Idaho, far away from Mexico, we have problems, in the form of fentanyl especially, that are plaguing our communities. Garland asked about how the partnerships between federal and local offices could be improved, but both Huff and Clifford said theres already strong partnerships. The cooperation from Josh Hurwits office has been pretty amazing, Clifford said. Ive never seen it like this before. Weve always had good U.S. attorneys here in the state but, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit kind of takes it on a next level. Clifford said that Hurwits office proactively established relationships with local law enforcement outside of specific cases. Huff echoed much of this. By Robert Weiner and Tomas Alves Former President Donald Trump was the keynote speaker July 27 at the nation's largest Bitcoin Conference in Nashville to proclaim himself as a pro-Bitcoin President. At the start of June, Mr. Trump posted his first video to Tik Tok showing a flashy montage of his visit to a UFC event in Las Vegas. In May, the New York Times reported that at a private Mar-a-Lago event, Trump asked big oil executives to donate one billion dollars to his presidential campaign in exchange for rolling back environmental regulations. On all of these occasions, Trump has mastered corruption. For Bitcoin, Former President Trump had long been known to consider the cryptocurrency "not money" and "based on thin air". In comments that can hardly be ignored in front of the world's largest owners of Bitcoin, he said, "I stand before you today filled with respect and admiration for what the Bitcoin community has achieved." As Trump's outlandish promises brought the crowd at the conference to a roar, he spoke robotically at times and ended his speech wishing the crowd to have fun with "your Bitcoin and your crypto and everything else that you are playing with". A group that was once alienated by Trump the President should not be fooled by Trump the candidate. Most egregiously, Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, entrepreneurs of the crypto firm Gemini, led the charge in crypto donations that amounted to four million according to a CNBC report. The Winklevoss donations violated Federal Election Commission (FEC) limits on individual contribution levels and came only after Trump embraced Bitcoin in late June. In May, at another private event at Mar-a-Lago, Trump met with crypto tycoons to tell them that they "better vote" for him while promoting his own non-fungible tokens. According to his 2023 financial disclosures, the former President made anywhere from 100,001-1,000,000 dollars on selling NFT tokens priced at $99 each. The digital collector's items with Trump's name and face proved highly lucrative and convinced Trump that cryptocurrency was worth his time and attention. Similarly, Trump's major switch on TikTok was noticeable after President Joe Biden's decision to sign a bill banning TikTok. The decision was slammed by Trump saying Biden was "responsible for banning TikTok". It was a complete one-eighty reversal by Trump from being the first President to issue an Executive Order regarding a ban for Tik Tok to starting an account and using the platform for his campaign. Trump, on the lookout for his own personal benefit, abandoned his previous platform of being tough on China in pushing for a ban on Tik Tok and switched the blame for the ban to his political rivals despite the measure receiving overwhelming bipartisan support in Congress. Trump also maintains a vendetta against Meta CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, who barred Trump from Facebook after the January 6th Capitol riots. A vindictive Trump even referred to Zuckerberg as "Zuckerschmuck", while also saying that banning TikTok would give Facebook more power in the social media landscape. Thus the new decision to promote Tik Tok altogether had the sweet undertone of vengeance for Trump's list of priorities. Of the most blatant moments of corruption, on April 11 Mr. Trump, according to CNBC, had a private meeting with top oil executives, asked them to "raise one billion dollars to return me to the White House," a donation to his presidential campaign. He assured them, "The amount of money saved in taxes would more than cover the contribution." Senate Democrats responded by launching an investigation where the potential financial abuses "must be scrutinized". Trump's flip-flop on Bitcoin after huge contributions, after the same for Tik Tok and big oil, endanger the nation with a political corruption strategy. Trump has shamelessly abused his position to tell special interests that his policy platform can be theirs if they pay up. By putting his platform on a fire sale, he has become the swamp he always said he would drain. Robert Weiner was a spokesman in the Clinton and George W. Bush White Houses. He was communications director of the House Government Operations Committee, and senior aide to Congressman John Conyers and Charles Rangel, Reps. Claude Pepper and Ed Koch, Sen. Ted Kennedy, and Four-Star General/ Drug Czar Barry McCaffrey. Tomas Alves is a policy analyst, research coordinator, and writer at Robert Weiner Associates News and Solutions for Change. Tomas was also a Senior Staff Writer for The Highlander Newspaper at the University of California, Riverside. The Coast Guard rescue swimmer gripped the starboard side of the sinking sailboat in the dark as the waves beat against him. He called out to the man standing on the boat as a helicopter hovered overhead. Youre going to jump, Miles LeComer shouted over the sound of the wind and rotor wash and waves. And Im going to grab you. David Haight had a briefcase and a knapsack ready with some of the few valuable possessions he took with him on what was supposed to be a journey from Newport to Santa Barbara. LeComer, barely able to hold onto the sailboat as it rolled up and down on the waves more than 90 miles offshore, told Haight he could only take what was in his pockets. He gave him one minute to prepare. Haight, his sailboat disappearing beneath him, didnt need the minute. He jumped, crashing into the frigid Pacific Ocean, engulfed, immediately knocked about by 15-foot-tall waves. He went under. A hand grabbed him and held on. There wasnt anything to feel Sitting in an Elmers Restaurant in Clackamas about a month after his rescue, Haight, 69, flashed a sly grin that hinted at the other wild stories in his past and possibly in his future, too. There was the arrest, when he was 24, when he and four others were caught by federal officials trying to smuggle 40,000 pounds of marijuana from Colombia to Florida by ship. And the time he and his girlfriend at the time found a dinghy abandoned in a Florida swamp, restored it and sailed it on both the East and West coasts. David Haight, 69, was rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard about 95 miles west of Brookings, in the Pacific Ocean.Courtesy of David Haight But the misadventure in July that cost him his beloved sailboat, the Windswept II, hit him hard. After all, it wasnt until Haights 60s that he was able to fully live the dream that he had cooked up as a child. One of three sons, Haight grew up in Depoe Bay in a family of strict Jehovahs Witnesses. Before he was even a teenager, he realized he believed none of what he was being told and yearned to escape his parents restrictive household. Sailing was one outlet. A local resident owned a small boat that he let the kids in town sail on, and Haight took every opportunity he had, between school and working in his parents restaurant. Owning his own sailboat and exploring the world became his secret wish, the one hed whisper to himself when blowing out his birthday candles, he said. You never run out of fuel, Haight said. You can go as far as you want. David Haight, now 69, grew up in Depoe Bay. His sailboat was sinking nearly 100 miles offshore July 3, 2024, when he was rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard. Courtesy of David HaightCourtesy of David Haight Haight came close to that dream in his early 20s, when he and a girlfriend briefly owned a sailboat in California and lived on it. But the dream collapsed when, working as a commercial fisherman, Haight was asked if he wanted to smuggle marijuana from Colombia into Florida. He needed the money, so he said OK. It was his first attempt to smuggle drugs, Haight said. When the boat reached Tampa Bay, U.S. Customs Service agents boarded it, their guns drawn, and found about $14 million worth of marijuana, according to news articles at the time. Four of the five arrested men appeared weathered from several weeks at sea, The Tampa Times wrote on May 23, 1978. Haight and his girlfriend sold the sailboat, and he served two years in federal prison, getting out in 1982. In the decades since, he worked mostly in construction and waited tables. He scuba-dived most of his life, and picked up hang-gliding in the early 1990s. I was just a regular guy, he said. David Haight, who was rescued July 3, 2024, by the U.S. Coast Guard as his sailboat was sinking underneath him, once tried his hand at drug smuggling. He and several others were busted, resulting in a front-page story in The Tampa Times.The Tampa Times; Newspapers.com After his mother died in 2013, Haight and his brothers sold her house, which dropped $66,000 into Haights lap. With that cash infusion, he bought the Windswept II, a 38-foot, 1999 fiberglass sailboat, in 2018. After outfitting it for a long trip, he sailed to Mexico in 2022. In July 2023, he sailed to Hawaii, then to Newport, in preparation for his next trip south. He set sail from Newport on June 29, planning to stop in Santa Barbara to finish preparing the boat for a longer trip to Mexico. He headed out to sea around 1:30 p.m. under a clear, cloudless sky. The forecast called for storms south of his location, but nothing he couldnt handle. Haight sailed into a storm that was worse than expected, however. Winds nearly 60 miles per hour pushed his sailboat around for two days straight. Unable to sail in those conditions, Haight decided to hove to, essentially putting his boat in park, while it drifted southeast. He was in his bunk on July 2 when he heard a strange sound the rattle of the sailboats automatic bilge pump. Designed to turn on if water seeped into the boat and reached a certain level, it had never activated before in the six years hed sailed on the boat. Haight pulled up the floorboard and saw water in the bilge. Oh, Im sinking, Haight thought. But he wasnt afraid. There wasnt anything to feel, he added. There was just to do. When he realized the pump wasnt keeping up with the rising water, he concluded he urgently needed help. Mayday, mayday. This is sailing vessel Windswept II, Haight said into the radio, to anyone who might hear him, then gave his location and said his boat was taking on water. The Coast Guard took the call, and offered to bring him a larger pump. A ship nearby listened in to the conversation and diverted course to stand by in case Haight needed extra help. Haight thought this response would solve the problem. But then his bilge pump broke and a back-up pump shorted out. Haight now knew he was really in trouble. That was when I got concerned, Haight said. David Haight, 69, sailed from Mexico to Hawaii to Newport, Oregon, in 2023. He departed June 29, 2024, for Santa Barbara, but quickly hit a storm. His sailboat, the Windswept II, started taking on water, and he was eventually rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard.www.predictwind.com; David Haight By around 11 p.m. on July 2, he was 95 miles off shore, standing in the cabin of the boat in ankle-deep ocean water. Then the boats engine broke down, too, leaving him helpless in the wind and waves as the water sloshed over Haights feet. Are you good? Commander Jay Kircher was asleep in his North Bend home on July 2 when his cell phone rang. It was 10:25 p.m. There was a man in a sailboat off the coast taking on water, he was told. Kircher got out of bed, sat down in the living room and started making calls, quickly preparing an operation to help, and potentially rescue, the man. Kircher was worried about how far the helicopter would have to fly the man was probably too far away for a boat to reach him in time as well as the sea conditions and the darkness. Kircher requested that a Coast Guard airplane be deployed to circle the scene and monitor the operation from above, in case there was an emergency. It was obvious this would be a difficult operation. The distance from shore about 83 nautical miles west of Brookings, or about 95 land-measured miles meant they would be alone if they had a problem and needed help themselves. Because of the masts and rigging on any sailboat, it was going to be difficult, if not impossible, to lift the man in distress off of the deck. And the gale-force winds and the high waves meant both the pilot and a rescue swimmer would have extreme conditions to contend with. It was right on our limits, basically, for range, Kircher said. A crew departed North Bend in an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter at 11:17 p.m., July 2, for Brookings. They were carrying with them a 105-pound pump they planned to deliver to the sailboat with both Haights pump and the Coast Guard pump working at the same time, there was a chance to save the boat. By the time they landed around midnight, Haight had told the Coast Guard via radio that his own pump had failed, meaning he needed to be rescued. The Coast Guard crew unloaded the pump, fueled up to the top, and the pilot plugged the sinking boats GPS coordinates into his flight computer. There were four of them in the helicopter: the pilot-in-command, a co-pilot, a rescue swimmer and a flight mechanic; the latter would be in charge of dropping the swimmer down into the ocean and then lifting him and the survivor up into the helicopter. Pilot-in-Command Brandon Books, 30, brought the helicopter to about 500 feet above the water, under the clouds, where it was so dark the crew flew the whole way wearing night-vision goggles. Are any of you guys a little bit nervous? the flight mechanic asked. Yeah, man, Books said. Im a little bit nervous. Books, originally from Whitefish, Montana, got hooked on the idea of becoming a U.S. Coast Guard pilot as a kid while watching an episode of the reality TV show Deadliest Catch where the Coast Guard rescued fishermen, he said. On this day, Books was in the final weeks of his first assignment as a Coast Guard pilot. The four of them flew for about 50 minutes before Books spotted the sole light shining from the top of the Windswept IIs main mast around 1:20 a.m. When the helicopter appeared out of the darkness, Haight became more optimistic about his chances of survival. In most missions of this sort, rescuers want to drop the rescuer onto the surface of the boat using a cable. Thats hard, if not impossible, with a sailboat, because of all the masts and sails and ropes and cords, especially in rough weather. LeComer, the rescue swimmer, would have to go into the ocean and swim to the boat. That wasnt going to be easy either. As the helicopter hovered, Books looked down at the waves. They were large, even larger than theyd expected. Thats kind of big, Books said to LeComer over the helicopter communications system. Are you good? Oh, LeComer said, Im ready to go. LeComer, 28, scooted to the door and the mechanic hoisted him out over the ocean and lowered him into the water. Miles LeComer, 28, was lowered from a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter July 3, 2024, and swam to the Windswept II, which was taking on water. David Haight, 69, jumped into the water, and LeComer grabbed ahold of him. This image is a still photo captured from a Coast Guard camera showing the sailboat and the cable lowering LeComer.Courtesy of U.S. Coast Guard LeComer, with a snorkel in his mouth and fins on his feet, quickly detached the hook from his harness and fixed the sailboat in his line of sight. The seas were so rough that his chief concern was that he might run out of strength while trying to swim to the sailboat. It didnt help that when he fell into a trough between waves the Windswept II would sometimes disappear from his view. When he reached the boat he realized it was too far gone for him to be able to climb onto it safely. The boat was leaning on its side, partially submerged. LeComer grabbed a line Haight had thrown into the water and pulled himself to the right side of the boat. Haight had a briefcase and a bag ready with his belongings including his high-school diploma, the ships log, and a cigar box with family keepsakes. He asked LeComer if he could take his bag with him. Only whats in your pockets, LeComer shouted. Ill give you one minute. Haight, wearing a life jacket, a long-sleeve shirt, jacket, jeans and tennis shoes, put his passport, the keys to his storage locker in Depoe Bay and some cash in his pockets and jumped into the water. LeComer grabbed him and, swimming sideways, kicked his fins while holding onto Haight with his right arm, propping him up on his hip. Books, who had flown the helicopter about 50 yards away so the helicopter wouldnt drown out their voices when LeComer and Haight tried to communicate, flew back once he saw LeComer detach from the sailboat. Its going to be loud and windy, LeComer said. Thats when he noticed that Haight seemed almost calm, a pretty seasoned mariner. After he hooked Haight onto his harness, LeComer gave a thumbs up to the helicopter hovering 100 feet above them, and the mechanic dropped the cable with the hook. The heavy waves and wind bounced LeComer and Haight around, moving them off-course from the descending cable. They needed to put the cable right on the two dots in the ocean that were LeComer and Haight, a tough feat for even the most skilled pilot and mechanic in such conditions. Forward and right 10, the flight mechanic said to Books, who then maneuvered the 9,000-pound helicopter about 10 yards as directed, then overshot by another 10 yards. Back 10. Finally after about eight minutes LeComer was able to grab the cable. He attached it to his harness, gave the flight mechanic another thumbs up and the two soon were in the air. Once they were in the helicopter, LeComer checked over Haight and concluded he didnt need to go to a hospital. He gave him a warming blanket, and Books turned on the autopilot, lifting the helicopter up to 500 feet and directed it back toward Brookings. It was 1:42 a.m., just 22 minutes since the Coast Guard helicopter had arrived. David Haight, 69, was rescued July 3, 2024, by a four-man U.S. Coast Guard crew about 95 miles west of Brookings, in the Pacific Ocean. He is seen here sitting next to Miles LeComer, the 28-year-old swimmer who rescued him off of his sinking sailboat.U.S. Coast Guard They flew under the clouds in almost complete darkness until Books spied clouds that were a little thinner. Do you want to climb up above these clouds? Books asked the co-pilot. Yeah, it looks like itll be nicer up there, the co-pilot said. They climbed to about 1,500 feet above sea level, where they could see the stars. The relief was palpable once they spotted the shore lights, Books said. While the Coast Guard crew regularly goes out on challenging rescue missions, this one on July 3 was particularly difficult, given how far the sinking boat was from shore, the weather and the condition of the sea. The operation, Kircher said, was kind of in a different league. Not over yet When LeComer got home early on the morning of the rescue, he scarfed down a breakfast burrito and called his mom to tell her an abbreviated version of the operation. Thanks for putting me in swimming lessons, mom, LeComer said to her. Books worked another week, wrapping up his three-and-a-half year assignment in North Bend. Three weeks later, he was in New Jersey for his new assignment. Haight never figured out why his sailboat sprung a leak. Its possible that part of the boat had been weakened while stuck on a sandbar the previous year, then was stressed too much by the strong winds on his way to California. But it had survived plenty of strong storms before the one that sank the boat, so hes still unsure. David Haight, 69, was rescued July 3, 2024, by a four-man U.S. Coast Guard crew about 95 miles west of Brookings, in the Pacific Ocean. He is seen here with the two pilots, swimmer and flight mechanic who rescued him.U.S. Coast Guard He bought a car in Portland and is planning to drive to Mexico to visit friends. While he hasnt come to terms with losing his boat, hes grateful for the opportunity the Windswept II gave him and for the Coast Guard crew that saved him from it. How often does somebody get to live their dream? Haight said. And Im still living my dream. It is not over yet. Correction: This article has been updated to correct two errors: David Haight was arrested while trying to smuggle 40,000 pounds of marijuana, not tons, and his sailboat was made of fiberglass, not wood. Fedor Zarkhin is a breaking news and enterprise reporter. Do you have a story? Reach him at 971-373-2905; fzarkhin@oregonian. Our journalism needs your support. Subscribe today to OregonLive.com. Linn County sheriffs deputies on Wednesday arrested a former comic-book restorer for allegedly stealing thousands of dollars worth of comic books his customers had sent in for repairs and then also pocketing the advance payments the customers had made. Michael David DeChellis, 57, of Aumsville, is accused of stealing more than $300,000 in comic books and restoration fees from at least 20 customers who had hired him to repair their valuable, often-rare comic books, the Linn County Sheriffs Office said in a statement on Thursday. Starting with this falls sophomore class, all Oregon high school students will have to take a career and college readiness class to graduate. Education leaders are optimistic that the future planning course could help boost the number of Oregon graduates who enroll in college or an apprenticeship. Oregons college-going rates have fallen nearly 10 percentage points in the last decade, disproportionately impacting students of color and spelling trouble for the state economy. Bill was creative, expressive, theatrical, good-natured, gentle-spirited, stubborn, wry and hilarious. He loved the Seattle Seahawks, going to movies and concerts, and visits with family and friends. A true music lover, he joyfully introduced many people to artists across genres and generations, encouraging a wide-ranging appreciation of everything from folk music to glam rock, the blues, pop and country. A natural performer with a flair for the irreverent, he could do a perfect rendition of Tom Lehrers Vatican Rag. Bill is survived by his sister, Mary Parsons; five nieces and nephews; 11 great-nieces and nephews; and several cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents, Herman (Sid) and Thelma Smith, and siblings Judith Johnson and Richard Smith. Bills humor, his love for the arts and his warmth will be greatly missed by all who knew him. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in his memory can be made to Meals on Wheels, 1222 W. Second Ave., Spokane, WA 99201. The family will plan a memorial celebration at a future date. Vice President Kamala Haris recently teased plans to cut taxes for parents that will expand on initiatives launched by the Biden administration. One of Harris' proposals was an expanded child tax credit, which would give families with newborn children $6,000 in tax relief. Her proposal would improve on the Biden Administration's child tax credit initiative in 2021, which was hiked to $3,600 per child under age 5 and $3,000 for those older, under the American Rescue Plan. Harris' plan will focus on providing tax relief for lower- and middle-income families with children in the first year of life. A campaign fact sheet noted that this period may be costly for families, especially those who have to forfeit pay to take time off work to care for newborns. In addition, Harris proposed restoring the Biden administration's expanded child tax credit, which will provide up to $3,600 in tax relief for middle-class and "the most hard-pressed working families with children." Furthermore, the campaign said Harris would expand on earned income tax credits for individuals and couples without children. This initiative would help save lower-income workers an average of $1,500. Outside of Harris' economic plan, she has expressed support for paid leave in campaign remarks. However, it is unclear whether paid leaves will be added to her proposals. Current State of Child Tax Credits Currently, the government is providing a maximum of $2,000 in child tax credits to eligible households. However, that could drop to $1,000 once Trump's 2017 tax cuts expire after 2025 if Congress does not take action. Biden's American Rescue Plan only temporarily increased the maximum child tax credit to either $3,000 or $3,600 in 2021. In that year, the child poverty rate fell to 5.2%, marking a historic low, per an analysis from Columbia University. The tax relief also helped families pay household bills and cover basic expenses such as groceries and utilities, according to Business Insider. We choose freedom The simple message of Kamala Harris campaign slogan is lost on Donald Trump and congressional conservatives. Please understand its deeper meaning. We choose freedom. Donald Trump chooses to terminate the Constitution. We choose freedom. Donald Trump chooses jail judges and political opponents. We choose freedom. Donald Trump chooses to indict Democrats. We choose freedom. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito chooses to hang the American flag upside down in his front yard. We choose freedom. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas chooses to accept exotic vacations and perks through bribes from a Republican billionaire. We choose freedom. JD Vances hardline position: No exceptions for abortion including rape and incest, which permits uncles and stepfathers to continue raping their nieces and stepdaughters. We choose freedom. Donald Trump chooses to provoke an insurrection. We choose freedom. The Supreme Court allows bump stocks, giving AR-15s the capability to fire 400-800 rounds per minute. We choose freedom. Homeschooling has become increasingly popular in recent years. Many parents choose to educate their children at home for various reasons, such as providing a more personalized education, addressing special needs, or aligning learning with family values. When deciding to homeschool, one of the first steps is choosing a teaching style that fits your family's needs and your child's learning preferences. In this article, we will explore six popular homeschooling styles and offer guidance on selecting the best approach for your family. Six Popular Homeschooling Styles Classical Homeschooling The Classical approach is based on the idea of teaching children how to learn and think critically. It follows a three-stage process called the Trivium: the Grammar stage (ages 5-10), the Logic stage (ages 10-14), and the Rhetoric stage (ages 14-18). In the Grammar stage, children focus on memorizing facts and building a strong knowledge base. During the Logic stage, students learn to analyze information, write a thesis, and form arguments. Finally, in the Rhetoric stage, teens practice expressing their ideas effectively through writing and speaking. This method emphasizes learning classical languages like Latin and Greek, as well as studying great works of literature and philosophy. The goal is to develop well-rounded, articulate thinkers who can engage with complex ideas. Montessori Approach The Montessori method, developed by Dr. Maria Montessori, focuses on child-led learning in a prepared environment. In a Montessori homeschool, parents create a space filled with educational materials that children can explore at their own pace. The adult acts as a guide, observing the child's interests and providing appropriate challenges. Some of the key features of the Montessori approach include mixed-age classrooms, hands-on learning materials, freedom of movement and choice, and an emphasis on practical life skills. This approach aims to foster independence, creativity, and a love of learning. Charlotte Mason Method Charlotte Mason was a British educator who believed in treating children as whole persons and providing them with a rich, varied education. Her method includes short, focused lessons, nature study and outdoor exploration, and the use of living books (high-quality literature) instead of textbooks. The Charlotte Mason approach also emphasizes narration, where children retell what they've learned to reinforce understanding. Art and music appreciation are important components as well. This method focuses on developing good habits, fostering a love of learning, and connecting children with great ideas through literature and nature. READ ALSO : How Does Homeschooling Work? Pros and Cons of Educating at Home Traditional Method The Traditional homeschooling style most closely resembles a typical classroom setting. It often involves structured daily schedules, textbooks and workbooks, tests and grades, and separate subjects like math, language arts, and science. Many parents choose this method because it feels familiar and provides a clear structure. It can be especially helpful for those transitioning from public school to homeschooling, as it maintains a similar format to what children may be accustomed to in a conventional school setting. Unschooling Strategy Unschooling is the most flexible and child-directed approach to homeschooling. It's based on the idea that children learn best when following their own interests. There's no formal curriculum or structure. Instead, learning happens through everyday life experiences. Parents act as facilitators rather than teachers, supporting their child's natural curiosity. In an unschooling environment, a child might learn math through cooking, history through visiting museums, and science through exploring nature. This method requires trust in the child's innate desire to learn and grow, and it can lead to deep, passionate learning in areas of the child's choosing. Unit Studies Technique The Unit Studies approach integrates multiple subjects around a central theme or topic. For example, a unit on Ancient Egypt might include studying pharaohs and pyramids (history), mapping the Nile River (geography), learning about mummification (science), creating hieroglyphics (art), and calculating pyramid dimensions (math). This method helps children see connections between different subjects and can be especially engaging for hands-on learners. It allows for deep exploration of topics and can easily accommodate different learning styles within the same family. Choosing Your Family's Homeschooling Style Selecting the right homeschooling style depends on several factors, including your child's learning style, your teaching style, your family's goals, available time and resources, and the desired level of flexibility. Consider whether your child learns best through reading, listening, or hands-on activities. Think about your strengths and preferences as an educator. Reflect on what you want to achieve through homeschooling. Remember, you don't have to stick to just one method. Many families combine elements from different styles to create a customized approach that works best for them. It's also okay to change your approach if you find that your initial choice isn't working well. The lenient sentence of a former New York police officer who admitted to raping a 13-year-old girl sparks outrage and disbelief. He has been sentenced to a mere ten weekends in prison. Shawn Jordan, 40, a former Rochester Police Department officer, pleaded guilty to 2nd-degree rape and forcible touching in March. Despite the severity of his crimes, Jordan will spend a total of only 20 days behind bars, sparking outrage and disbelief among the community. According to investigators, Jordan raped the 13-year-old girl in 2022 while still serving on the police force. He also touched her inappropriately on a separate occasion. In a separate incident, Jordan exposed himself to a 16-year-old girl on a Facebook video chat while wearing his police uniform. NEW: Former New York police officer who r*ped a 13-year-old girl, sentenced to just 10 weekends in prison. Insane. 40-year-old Shawn Jordan admitted to assaulting the girl in 2022 while serving on the Rochester Police Department force. Investigators say Jordan forcibly pic.twitter.com/CO5TYJoH5N Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) August 17, 2024 ALSO READ : 16-Year-Old Detroit Teen Handcuffed After Falling Asleep During Courtroom Field Trip The plea agreement, widely criticized, allows Jordan to serve his sentence on weekends, allowing him to maintain his freedom during the week. He will also be placed on probation for ten years. The sentence has sparked widespread outrage. Ontario County District Attorney Jim Ritts said, "I'm disappointed, truly, that Shawn Jordan did not get the sentence that he deserved." "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 added. Heres the link to a newly published article in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship: Did Korihor Usurp the Words of Zeniff? written by Elliott Jolley Abstract: The Book of Mormon contains several instances where a speaker or author in the Book of Mormon quotes a previous one. This article presents one such example: It appears that Korihor usurped the words of Zeniff, quoting some of them for his own purposes. The context of this reference to Zeniffs words lies in Korihors claims that the Nephites were in bondage to the priests, just as the Lamanites wanted to bring Zeniffs people into bondage. The connections between these two passages cross multiple generations and narrative events internally, and multiple pages of translated, dictated manuscript by Joseph Smith. It provides yet another example of the authenticity and complexity of the Book of Mormon, revealing the subtle rhetorical devices of the Book of Mormon, and further revealing the devices of an anti-Christ. And here is the link to a handy and user-friendly summation of it: Interpreting Interpreter: Zeniff Qua Korihor, written by Kyler Rasmussen This post is a summary of the article Did Korihor Usurp the Words of Zeniff? by Elliott Jolley in Volume 62 of Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship. All of the Interpreting Interpreter articles may be seen at https://interpreterfoundation.org/category/summaries/. An introduction to the Interpreting Interpreter series is available at https://interpreterfoundation.org/interpreting-interpreter-on-abstracting-thought/. The Takeaway: Jolley argues that Korihor expropriates the words of Zeniff in an attempt to undermine the peoples trust in the legitimate priests of the church, suggesting that they, like the Lamanites in Zeniffs day, sought to glut themselves on the labors of the people. I spent several hours yesterday interviewing LaJean Purcell Carruth, up in Salt Lake City, at a beautiful house whose owner, a longtime friend, kindly made it available to us for the purpose. Russ Richins and Mark Goodman, two of the three core members of our team of filmmakers, were there to capture it all. Afterwards, my wife and I drove her back to her own home in Logan, taking time along the way for fresh fruit from Pettingills Fruit Farm, in Willard. Dr. Carruths efforts to create more accurate transcripts of nineteenth-century documents relating to Latter-day Saint history is based upon her unrivaled knowledge of the shorthand of the period. They are of fundamental importance. She has been particularly focused upon Brigham Young, working carefully through literally thousands of pages of his words, and has come to love and respect him. (As she has put it to me, while others know a great deal about Brigham Young, she knows Brigham Young.) We wanted to get her insights into the man, to preserve them and to make them available to the public. Those who are interested in a taste of what she has to say should see her remarks at the 2023 FAIR conference: His Accuracy was not What it Ought: Comparing George D. Watts Original Shorthand Record to his Published Transcripts in the Journal of Discourses. They are available both in the form of a transcript for reading and in video form for viewing. There was a man named George Watt Who could improve Brigham Young, so he thought. So he took out words here, And he added words there, And his accuracy was not what it ought! LaJean Purcell Carruth We also met with Richard Lambert, whom we likewise hope to interview for insights regarding his ancestor Brigham Young. Brother Lambert has been deeply involved in organizations for the descendants of both Brigham Young and Wilford Woodruff, as well as in the Ensign Peak Foundation (formerly the Mormon Historic Sites Foundation), and he personally owns the home in Port Byron, New York, where Brigham Young lived before he gathered with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A new article also went up yesterday on the never-changing, virtually comatose website of the Interpreter Foundation: Hugh Nibley Observed: The Woman behind the Man: A Look into the Life of Hugh Nibleys Widow, written by David Johnson: In a little green house one block south of BYU campus lives the widow of well-known Latter-day Saint historian Hugh Nibley. Phyllis Draper Nibley, now seventy-nine years old, has lived in her Provo home for fifty years. She was born nearby in Salt Lake City, August 2, 1926, in the home of her aunt. Part of our book chapter reprint series, this article originally appeared in Hugh Nibley Observed, edited by Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, Shirley S. Ricks, and Stephen T. Whitlock. For more information, go to https://interpreterfoundation.org/books/hugh-nibley-observed/. Moreover, an audio recording of the presentations given on Saturday afternoon by Royal Skousen and Stanford Carmack respectively, The Innovative and Revolutionary Book of Mormon Critical Text Project and The Archaic Language of the Original Book of Mormon is now available on the website of the Interpreter Foundation. So are the images that they shared with the audience in the Gordon B. Hinckley Building on the campus of Brigham Young University. The quality of the recording starts out rather poorly be warned! but the problems are very quickly resolved. Full video recordings of the two presentations, created by Russ Richins and Mark Goodman and James Jordan, will eventually be posted on the Interpreter website. These were informative presentations. And, although theyre more than a little recondite, the findings that they convey are also very important. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and believers and students of the Book of Mormon even more generally owe Royal Skousen and Stanford Carmack a debt of gratitude for the massive and painstaking work that they have done. Few will ever be aware of that debt, but it remains nonetheless. First, two stories that can be taken as pointing in two quite different directions: (1) As a teenager, I worked every summer for the Southern California construction company that my father owned. He didnt want me to be or to seem spoiled, so he often made sure that I received the dirtiest, least glamorous, and most onerous assignments that were available. (I sometimes thought that he overdid it.) One of those assignments was to serve as a flagman, telling motorists when they had to wait, when they could proceed, and, most of the time, that they would need to take an alternate route that day. It was a horrifically boring and terribly tedious job. Except when drivers misbehaved, which was surprisingly often. One day, we were resurfacing a major street in, I think, Arcadia, or maybe Temple City. A man drove up on the major cross street where I was standing, indicating that his destination was across on the other side. I told him that he could go up one block to either the north or the south and cross there. He said that he wanted to cross right where he was. I said that he couldnt. He said that he would. I indicated what I thought should have been obvious that, in crossing over the steaming asphalt before him, he would not only severely damage our work but probably destroy the undercarriage of his car and possibly even pop his tires. He said that he was going to cross, regardless. I said that he was not. He began to roll slowly forward. I stepped in front of him. He continued to roll forward. I didnt move. Fortunately, one of our workers, a powerfully-built Mexican-American an ex-Marine whom, when I was small, I had thought to be one of my uncles, saw what was happening and jumped off of his steamroller. He jogged over to the car and offered to break the drivers neck if he came even one inch closer to me. The driver prudently chose to back up and go around the block. I tell the story to indicate a sort of obstinate determination that is a feature of my native temperament. When, to me, its a matter of principle, I sometimes refuse to budge or back down, even when it might cost me. There are other such stories going back to my very young childhood. (2) Years ago, I heard the story of a Latter-day Saint meetinghouse that was to be constructed somewhere in the Cornwall area of southwestern England. Ive never confirmed this story or seen it in writing, but it will serve to illustrate my point even, as is conceivable, if it turns out not to be exactly true. In the area where the meetinghouse was to be erected, there was a community rule that all roofs must be made of dark gray slate. For some reason, though, somebody in a leadership position in the Church determined that we didnt want to comply with that rule. So we sued and we won, and ours became the only building in the area with a shingle roof. We won, but I wondered how much we had lost in winning. I relate these stories in connection with the controversies that are currently aflame about some of our announced temples. (I alluded to a few of these controversies in a post here a couple of days ago. You can learn a bit more about them through the links there. And there are several others.) Off the top of my head, Im aware of strenuous opposition, historically speaking, to the building of the Bern Switzerland Temple, the Boston Massachusetts Temple, the Denver Colorado Temple, the Newport Beach California Temple, the Preston England Temple, the Phoenix Arizona Temple, and others. And some of that opposition was explicitly motivated by religious hostility. Now, Ill be candid here: Its difficult for me to see some of the current objections to the tiny Cody Wyoming Temple (e.g., that it will loom over the metropolis of Cody and blot out the night sky) as anything other than at least partially disingenuous. The temple in Cody would be less than 10,000 square feet; Im betting that there are may be some houses in the area that are larger than that. And it will sit deep within an enclosed area totaling almost 4.7 acres. And Ive been to the site of the proposed Lone Peak Nevada Temple, which is really very much out in the boonies. Likewise, the legal argument made on behalf of the Church for a zoning variance for the McKinney Texas Temple see my blog link above seems to me a powerful one. I have no idea whether religious prejudice is playing any role in the opposition to the temple in McKinney. Often I think particularly of the Newport Beach California Temple, where I watched the matter pretty closely its there, just concealed. (I note that the construction of a mosque was recently blocked in a Texas community nearby, on the grounds of concerns about traffic an issue that is also cited against Latter-day Saint temples, where it should often scarcely be a factor at all.) That said, sometimes neighbors have genuine nonreligious concerns, whether well-founded or ill-founded. Should we compromise? And one sometimes has to decide when the fight is worth it and when its not. Should we continue to challenge the city council in McKinney? If we do and we win, will it be a pyrrhic victory? Douglas Stilgoe, who is known to some as Nemo the Mormon (although he is in fact no longer a believing member of the Church), flew from his home in England to testify against the proposed temple. Notwithstanding his opposition, Stilgoe made some incontestably true points: It is true, for example, that the validity and value of temple ordinances does not depend upon the size or the splendor of the physical structure in which theyre performed. They could be (and have been) performed on a mountain top under the open sky. They could conceivably be performed in a quonset hut or in a cabin made of adobe bricks. (A friend and I once built such a cabin when we were about twelve or thirteen.) Our temples dont require steeples or spires to be real temples, as the photographs that Ive gathered for this blog entry make clear. (See also the designs for the Anchorage Alaska Temple, which is currently being built anew, the Belo Horizonte Brazil Temple, the Singapore Temple, and even the Brasilia Brazil Temple.) Should the Church be obliged, though, to perform temple ordinances in quonset huts or adobe-brick cabins? Obviously not. A sparklingly beautiful temple can, however, be built without a spire. But when is compromise warranted? And when should genuine principles of religious liberty not be compromised? Is it worth the fight in McKinney? In Wellington, New Zealand? In Heber, Utah? In Cody? Very possibly. If we always compromise, where will it end? If we continually surrender, will we continue to be able to build temples? Will we never again be allowed to include spires? I believe very strongly in the freedom of religion. And not merely for my own faith. Its one of the reasons why, many years ago, I came out publicly in favor of the controversial Ground-Zero Mosque in New York City. A friend suggests an interesting possible scenario in McKinney: We sue for the right to build the current design of a temple there. We win. We then voluntarily build a temple with a much smaller spire or even no spire at all. Or, perhaps even better, having once established the principle we then move the temple site to some other place. I would find that quite gratifying, in a way. Finally, to provide a change of pace, these items have been drawn for your righteous indignation and pleasure from the Christopher Hitchens Memorial How Religion Poisons Everything File. Read them and weep: FamilySearch and NCIP Partner to Preserve Oral Histories of Filipino IPs Un Kilo de Ayuda Will Use Church Donation to Help Nourish 23,000 Children in Mexican States [P.S. I have slightly altered the post above to incorporate my now improved understanding of who Nemo the Mormon, Douglas Stilgoe, is. I had not been aware that he is actually a formerly active Latter-day Saint, now turned critic, though I had suspected it. That changes things just a bit.] 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 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 The Supreme Court has held that the fact that some countries, through judicial pronouncement and legislation, have legalized homosexuality, does not mean Ghana should apply those laws, stressing that homosexuality and other forms of unnatural carnal knowledge remained a crime under the laws of Ghana. In a judgment detailing why it upheld the law criminalizing unnatural carnal knowledge, the apex court held that it could not simply accept foreign laws which were not in tune with the values of Ghana or were at variance with the laws of the country, particularly the 1992 Constitution. The laws utility thus becomes waste, if it is just transportation of alien cultural values and ideas which have no foundation at all with the peculiar social factors in our legal system the court held. Unnatural carnal knowledge The court held that Section 104 (1) (b) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), which criminalised unnatural carnal knowledge does not violate the 1992 Constitution, and therefore any form of sexual intercourse which does not involve the penetration with a penis into a womans vagina remained a crime. Therefore, any sexual intercourse with a person or animal other than through the means of penetration with a penis into the female vagina is unnatural and criminalised under Section 104 of Act 29, the court stated. Such situations include sodomy and bestiality which is carnally knowing an animal or where a person allows an animal to carnally know that person, the court held Unanimous decision The court made the pronouncement after throwing out a suit by the plaintiff, Dr Prince Obiri-Korang, who wanted the court to recognise the rights of homosexuals, arguing that such people were discriminated by virtue of Section 104 (1) (b) of Act 29, and was thus unconstitutional. Dr Obiri-Korang further argued that Section 104(1) (b) of Act 29, violated the right to privacy and liberty, as respectively provided under Article 18(2) and 14(1) of the 1992 Constitution. The court held that although the plaintiff had made an extensive argument in support of his case, most of his arguments were based on laws of other countries, which could not be accepted and applied in Ghana. The unanimous decision by the seven-member panel of the apex court, which declared Section 104(1) of Act 29 as constitutional and thus, upholding the 64-year-old criminalising unnatural carnal knowledge was authored by Justice Issifu Omoro Tanko Amadu. Peer pressure In a concurring opinion, Justice Emmanuel Yonny Kulendi held that the fact that some countries had accepted homosexuality does not mean that Ghana should do same. Whilst the constitutions and laws of other nations may have expressly legalized homosexuality, glorified gay marriages and by way of affirmative actions, promulgated legislation to propagate, outdoor, evangelize, preach and sell the notions of homosexuality to every fabric of those societies, Ghana as a nation, and for that matter this Court, cannot by "peer pressure" be cajoled into adopting similar stance he stated. 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 Popular comedian Perry Kurtz was struck and killed in what police say was a hit-and-run on Thursday. He was 73. The Los Angeles Times reported that the Los Angeles Medical Examiner said Kurt was killed late Thursday in the Tarzana area. The site said that a gray Honda Civic struck him while he was crossing Ventura Boulevard at around 11:20 p.m. LAPD told the site that the Honda continued eastbound failing to stop, identify self, or render aid as required by law. Kurtz, who was a native of Philadelphia, was pronounced dead at the scene, police told the Times. The site reported that Nathon James, 18, was arrested at 3:20 a.m. and booked on suspicion of a hit-and-run causing death. The site said James was released on $30,000 bond on Friday. The Times said that Kurtz worked as a comedian for 51 years. He took the stage for Americas Got Talent, in 2018 and rapped for the judges, per the Times, before being eliminated. He also appeared in 2018 on The Late Late Show with James Corden. The Times said Kurtz was also a paid regular since 1989 at the Comedy Store in Los Angeles, and his name appears on the side of the building. The enemy within Let us think together as we walk up the 365 steps into the U.S. Capital. Imagine for the first part of our journey that we are actually walking through time. Each step of our mythological trip takes us to the eighth century BC of Homers Odyssey and the battle to capture Troy. The 10-year battle only ended after clever Odysseus convinced the Trojans that the Greeks had admitted defeat, gone home and left the colossal wooden horse to honor the courage of the people of Troy. Come out of yesterday into today with your final step. A Republican wooden horse is there. This horse is decorated with the banners of noble men and women: Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Ulysses S. Grant, Dwight Eisenhower, Nancy Reagan and hundreds of other Republicans ... supporting civil rights, protecting the environment, promoting economic fairness and advocating health programs. Inside are Maga Warriors dedicated to the destruction of America! Since July 4, 1776, we have survived 12 wars. These new warriors, unlike the Greeks, are not armed with swords and lances but with the promise to enact laws: a national ban on abortion, make gay marriage illegal, end climate change programs, put the Department of Justice under control of the president, change Social Security retirement age from 68 to 70 by adding two months per year to 70, reduce benefits to the 62 million in Medicare and 82 million on Medicaid. The 900-page Project 2025 written by 140 former employees of Trump is a project of the Heritage Foundation. It calls for a fundamental change in government. The aforementioned facts are only the tip of the spear that would accomplish what the enemies of democracy have been unable to do for 248 years. Vote to save democracy! Stan Smith Viola Defeat these Washington initiatives One of six initiatives introduced by Republican-allied group Lets Go Washington, Initiative 2081 would give parents and legal guardians of public school children under 18 years old certain rights, including to examine textbooks, curriculum and any supplemental materials used in their childrens classrooms. Although thats innocent language in normal times, the 2024 Democratic-majority state Legislature was understandably suspicious of Republican motives. So they passed a similar parental bill of rights that removed the initiative from the upcoming November election. Two other initiatives were Legislature-handled similarly. So three of the initiatives remain for November voters: Initiative 2117 prohibiting carbon tax credit trading; Initiative 2124 allowing individuals to opt out of paying the tax for long-term health care; and Initiative 2109 repealing the capital gains tax imposed on gains over $250,000. All must be defeated, especially the one repealing the capital gains tax that funds all-important early-childhood education. Recent uptick in the school parental rights movement has largely been driven by banning books and dictating teachers curricula, including eliminating unpleasant aspects of our racial history. But students, particularly the most mature at high school and college level, generally oppose these actions. They want books covering a range of subjects and the whole truth from their history classes. Even organized student protests have occurred along these lines. When educator Cory DeAngelis says, Now kids have a union of their own their parents, he errs. Indeed, it is just the opposite: kids deserve their own union that opposes anti-education efforts characteristic of the parental rights movement. Norm Luther Spokane Bibis speech Bibi Netanyahu spoke to a joint session of Congress recently. Old news now. He received 58 standing ovations during the course of that bicameral event. (Ninty elected members, to their credit, refused to attend.) But the vast majority of them did, and were they enthusiastic! It was totally over-the-top. I thought of trained seals, taught to bark and clap their flippers on command. Seals are rewarded with buckets of fish for their performances. Senators and representatives get buckets of money as their reward, mainly from AIPAC. Vermilion Valley Vineyards was one of the wineries represented at an East Coast winemakers summit in late June at Boordy Vineyards in Maryland. Joe Juniper is the winemaker and also managing partner who holds other roles in the Ohio wine industry, including as president of the states Wine Producers Association. The winery is located in Wakeman, Ohio, around 12 miles south of Vermilion, which sits along Lake Erie. Its grapes grow in the Lake Erie AVA. The winery is located less than an hours drive from Cleveland and a two and a half hours drive from Pittsburgh. You can read more on the winery at this link. Juniper left behind some bottles to try and two in particular got my attention. The Petit Roja is listed under red wines but drinks like a dark rose and is light, fruity and delicious. Per the winemaker notes: Nose: raspberries, mango, lilacs, cranberries, underripe pineapple Palate: watermelon, tangerine, raspberries, low tannin, soft acids. Juniper in an email said it was a carbonic macerated Pinot Noir. I do not cluster thin in the typical fashion as I believe the extra crop load through the summer is usually needed to help tame vine vigor and maintain balance, he said. However, we do several passes of green dropping at or just post veraison. This allows us to keep the ripest, most advanced fruit. Absolute greens go on the ground but the fruit in the middle we usually make fun wine with, usually a rose or White xxx, but last year we did our first full carbonic. Whole clusters into a Brite tank a thick-walled tank used to carbonate wine, beer, cider, etc. with a pressure release valve. The Petit Rioja was wild-fermented and the tank never opened for two weeks. We then drained the tank and whole-cluster pressed. We did minimal fining and finished it with the same ML treatment as our Vino Verde, hence the tiny spritz. He said this summer has helped juice sales, with the fair share of above-average temps and humidity they have had in that part of Ohio. It sells for $18. Here is a link to the complete wine list. Petit Roja is a carbonic macerated Pinot Noir.Paul Vigna His affordably-priced Cabernet Sauvignon ($36) was also very good. Per its winemaker notes: Nose: blueberry compote, tobacco smoke, black pepper, cuiry spice Palate: dried cherries, mesquite, twiggy, full-bodied, bitter dark chocolate Despite all of our goofy practices in both the vineyard and in the cellar for other varieties, we keep Cabernet Sauvignon pretty straightforward, he wrote. Its very responsive in the field so we target 5.5 tons per acre and usually land around 4-4.5 by harvest. It goes into neutral barrels and sees no new oak aside from some adjuncts from time to time. That same wine goes into our private Tuesday Wine program and is sold retail DTC for $12 per bottle under that label. We hope to blow Tuesday Wine up over the next six months to be able to offer it to the public across the country. Consumers are being warned to toss raw milk cheese made in Dauphin County dairy after listeria was found in two retail packages during testing. The state Department of Agriculture issued the warning Friday for BeiHollow Farm brand raw milk cheddar cheese aged 60 days. Two New Jersey 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. Brent Clifford, the son of Creedence Clearwater Revival drummer Doug Clifford, was arrested this week and is facing a murder charge in Nevada, according to multiple reports, after police there say he killed his girlfriend. FOX News reported that Clifford is also a suspect in another death. The site said the 55-year-old was booked into the South Placer County Jail on Thursday and has been denied bond. Per the report, the remains of what is believed to be 48-year-old Patricia Portella-Wright were recovered alongside Mt. Rose Highway in Washoe County, Nevada. The other death which he is a suspect in, per the Placer County Sheriffs Office, occurred in Reno. Placer County Sgt. David Smith told FOX News there was apparent foul play involved, in Portella-Wrights death. He told the site that investigators worked tirelessly over the last week to bring closure to Patricias family and locate Patricias body. FOX reported that the sheriffs office said that Portella-Wright, of Kings Beach, California, was last seen on Aug. 4. She was reported missing last Friday. In a Facebook post, the sheriffs office said that an investigation led them to the area off Mt. Rose Highway. Using a drone we were able to locate the body of a female down a steep embankment, the statement said. During our investigation we identified her boyfriend, Brent Clifford, as a person of interest in her disappearance, the statement read. On Wednesday, August 14, 2024, Clifford was arrested in Portola (California). He has been booked in the Placer County jail on a murder charge. FOX said that the Reno Police Department is calling the death of a male there a homicide and has listed Clifford as a person of interest. The red 2003 Chevrolet Blazer that belonged to the homicide victim was found in the same area Clifford was arrested in Portola, the Placer County Sheriffs Office said, per FOX. Note: This story was updated on Aug. 23 to reflect the correct dates for the temporary book bag ban. As families prepare to send students back to school, the superintendent of the Steelton-Highspire School District announced several changes on the districts Facebook page Friday, including a temporary ban on book bags and increased law enforcement in schools in response to recent violence that left two teenagers dead. By Josh Schubert The Federal government has violated the constitution for too long. From Pennsylvanias founding to the present age the warfare state has escalated from private limited war to constant deployment of Pennsylvanias precious men and taxpayer funded resources to meet foreigners security objectives. The fallout from Trump claiming that the Presidential Medal of Freedom is better than the Medal of Honor has reached nuclear proportions as national VFW Commander blasted the ex-president. VFW Commander Al Lipphardt said in a statement: These asinine comments not only diminish the significance of our nations highest award for valor, but also crassly characterizes the sacrifices of those who have risked their lives above and beyond the call of duty. When a candidate to serve as our militarys commander-in-chief so brazenly dismisses the valor and reverence symbolized by the Medal of Honor and those who have earned it, I must question whether they would discharge their responsibilities to our men and women in uniform with the seriousness and discernment necessary for such a powerful position. It is even more disappointing when these comments come from a man who already served in this noble office and should frankly already know better. While the Presidential Medal of Freedom maybe our nations highest civilian award, the Medal of Honor is more sacred as it represents the gallantry and intrepidity of courageous and selfless service members, often at the cost of grievous wounds and even their lives. Its because of our Medal of Honor recipients that great Americans like Miriam Adelson have the freedom to live to their fullest potential and make such lasting contributions to our great nation. We would like to remind Mr. Trump that the 12 times he had the honor of awarding the Medal of Honor as president of the United States, those were heroes not of his own choosing. He bestowed those medals on behalf of Congress, representing all Americans of a grateful nation. We hold the donation of their lives in service to our country in the highest esteem, and so should he. Commander Lipphardt was correct. This isnt about politics. Trumps comments were about respecting service and sacrifice. Trump doesnt respect the service and sacrifice of members who are currently serving and sacrificing, or have served and are sacrificing. If a person cant respect the members of military past and present, how can they be counted on to fulfill their duties as Commander in Chief? At its core, the question is what sort of human being do we want representing the nation in the White House? A person who doesnt respect veterans is a person who also wont respect America and its values. U.S. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley wants the New York crowd to be loud and proud. But he says security will be watching from inside the ropes if the notorious Long Island fans get a little over the top. That's been a concern for the 2025 matches at the first truly public course to host a Ryder Cup in America. Bradley and European captain Luke Donald staged a year-out news conference in Manhattan on Tuesday. Donald says he expects a hostile crowd. He says the Ryder Cup is supposed to be passionate. He just hopes it doesn't affect the matches. Read moreUS Ryder Cup captain Bradley says security will be watching if Bethpage Black crowd gets nasty SAVANNAH In an upstairs sculpture studio in Charleston's sister city, Tressy Mellichamp saw her father again. Captain Edwin "Wayne" Magwoods likeness stood tall in Susie Chisholms home studio. Chisholm has spent weeks skillfully carving Magwoods features into the earth-toned material, piling the oil-based clay onto a 3D printed foam base and molding it into what now resembles the late fisherman. Videos, photos and stories from family members help guide Chishoms impression of Magwood. He had a lot of character in his features, crinkles around his eyes, a playful smile and short, fat fingers that clearly belonged to a man who spent much of his life working with his hands in Magwood's case, on the water, trawling for shrimp. Today's Top Headlines Story continues below Magwood was short in stature, though his warm personality made him seem larger than life. Even incomplete, Chisholms work seemed to capture this persona in the studio on Aug. 1. Afternoon sunlight spilled into the room from skylights in the ceiling and danced over his face, settling on the apples of his cheeks. Mellichamp lost her father in an auto-pedestrian crash in 2020. Magwood, who had just retired from his ship Winds of Fortune, was crossing the street when he was fatally struck by a propane truck turning onto Coleman Boulevard in Mount Pleasant. The loss of Magwood rocked the community. Following her father's death, Mellichamp and her sisters, Jennifer Magwood Ray, Tara Magwood and Melissa Magwood, partnered with the town of Mount Pleasant to construct a statue in their father's likeness. The goal was to raise $100,000. The family is just $6,000 shy of the mark. Mellichamp, Wayne Magwood's eldest daughter, has spent countless days fundraising, shaking hands and applying for grants to meet the goal. Back when it was against the law in South Carolina to carry a gun into a bar, gun fetishists took to whining about how dangerous it was for them to have to walk from their cars to their favorite bar and back unarmed. The solution to that problem seemed painfully obvious to all former adolescent girls who remember being lectured by their parents about how to stay safe: Dont go places that are dangerous. Instead, our Legislature chose to avoid the danger of political attack by changing state law to let people with concealed weapons permits carry their guns into bars. Later, lawmakers again fearing the possibility of political attack particularly in low-turnout Republican primaries where it doesnt take many passionate extremists to turn an election changed our law to encourage everyone to carry their guns in public, concealed or not, without any background check or training. Flash forward to Tuesday, when Rep. JA Moore announced that he had been threatened by a man with a gun in a deeply unsettling incident near Park Circle in North Charleston. North Charleston is known for its gritty sections, but Park Circle isnt one of them. Its a trendy neighborhood with popular restaurants and bars that attract a suburban clientele. Mr. Moore, who is black, made a point in his news release and Facebook post of noting that the person who confronted him was a 60ish white man who had swooped into the parking space Mr. Moore had been patiently waiting for another driver to vacate. Those details clearly were part of his effort to make a point about how dangerous South Carolinas liberal gun law makes life for innocent people minding their own business. And hes absolutely right to make those points. Hes right as well to continue to try to restore some sanity to the law. I wish him well. PR-Inside.com: 2024-08-17 15:06:38 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 506 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 With current market trends and the increasing availability of Costa Rican art online, MIRAME Fine Art explores whether this is the ideal moment to invest in Costa Rican art. MIRAME Fine Art is dedicated to promoting the nation's finest artists.SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA / ACCESSWIRE / August 17, 2024 / Costa Rican art is stepping out of the shadows of more dominant Latin American markets, such as Mexico, and Colombia, to claim its place on the global stage. MIRAME Fine Art has been closely analyzing this emerging market and the surge of innovative contemporary artists gaining international attention.It seems that now' is the ideal time to invest in Costa Rican art.A Rising Star in the Latin American Art SceneCosta Rica's art market has seen a marked increase in interest over the past year, driven by local momentum and global exposure. Artists like Federico Herrero, known for his abstract compositions, are at the forefront of redefining Costa Rican artistic identity. Allegra Pacheco's exploration of human intensity and natural beauty, along with Adrian Arguedas' surreal examinations of identity, has also gained international recognition. Many of these artists are now prominently featured in international galleries and collections, drawing collectors from around the world.The Costa Rican art market is particularly compelling now due to its relative affordability compared to other Latin American markets. Despite the growing fame of Costa Rican artists, prices have not yet soared to the levels seen in other regions. For collectors, this presents a unique opportunity to acquire high-quality contemporary art before prices escalate. The success of artists like Herrero and Pacheco suggests that demand for Costa Rican art is on the rise, signaling that this could be a pivotal time for investment.Online Platforms and the Accessibility of Costa Rican ArtThe growing availability of Costa Rican art online is another factor contributing to its increasing appeal. As the pandemic pushed galleries and art fairs into the digital realm, Costa Rican artists gained visibility. Online galleries have provided a global audience for these artists, allowing collectors from around the world to discover and purchase works without geographical barriers. Look out for handy features, such as augmented reality (AR) tools, enabling potential buyers to visualize how a piece will look in their home.An Exciting Scene with Cultural ResonanceIt's not just the accessibility that encourages investment. Costa Rica's contemporary art scene is distinguished by its depth, with works reflecting political commentary, environmental consciousness, and a connection to the country's unique biodiversity. This context adds layers of meaning to the works, making them visually engaging and culturally significant.The convergence of growing international recognition, increasing market interest, and enhanced online access positions this as an optimal time to invest in Costa Rican art. With prices still modest compared to more established markets, collectors have a chance to engage with a flourishing art scene before Costa Rican artists become mainstays on the global stage.Contact InformationBelinda SeppingsCo-Founderbelinda@ miramefineart.com +447821591397SOURCE: MIRAME Fine ArtView the original press release on newswire.com Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang (C) attends the 9th Mekong-Lancang Cooperation (MLC) Foreign Ministers Meeting, Chiang Mai, Thailand, August 16, 2024 The event also saw the participation of representatives from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and China. Addressing the event, Nguyen 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 put forward several important proposals to realize the development vision endorsed by the Mekong-Lancang leaders, emphasizing 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. The Vietnamese diplomat underlined the need to expand markets, strengthen sustainable supply chains, promote transport infrastructure connectivity, prioritize 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 neighborly relations and deep ties among the people of the six countries, while promoting a people-centered approach, Nguyen 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 coming time. 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./. PR-Inside.com: 2024-08-17 21:04:31 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 721 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW CITY, NY / ACCESSWIRE / August 17, 2024 / Manhattan Beer Distributors is thrilled to announce a strategic partnership with Ever Grand Group to distribute SNOW Beer, featuring the iconic "Brave the World". This collaboration, encompassing the full Metro New York Area, aims to introduce the world's best-selling beer to a broader audience, promising a refreshing new choice for beer enthusiasts.About SNOW Beer Brave the WorldFounded in 1933 in Shenyang, China, SNOW Beer has a rich history and a reputation for excellence. Since 2005, SNOW has been the best-selling beer in China and has held the title of the world's No.1 selling beer since 2008. With 62 breweries producing its unbeatable taste, SNOW Beer has become a global favorite.The first product to be distributed under this partnership is "Brave the World," one of the most successful beers in China since its inception in 2005. "Brave the World" symbolizes an active, courageous attitude towards life, encouraging consumers to celebrate their moments of bravery, triumphs with confidence and spirit.Shared Philosophy and SuccessThe essence of "Brave the World" aligns perfectly with the core philosophy of Manhattan Beer Distributors, which is centered on hard work and dedication. This partnership is built on a foundation of shared values and commitment. As Simon Bergson (Founder and CEO of Manhattan Beer Distributors) believes, "If you love what you do and you work hard at it, you'll be successful." SNOW Beer's team in the U.S. embodies this philosophy, starting from humble beginnings and making significant inroads in the market through their dedication and passion for introducing great beer. Manhattan Beer Distributors expressed its enthusiasm for the partnership, highlighting a shared belief in the unmatched quality of SNOW Beer.Ever Grand Group shares this excitement. The importer is committed to bringing more products to the Metro New York area with the strong support of Manhattan Beer Distributors. All products are carefully selected for introduction into the U.S. Market based on their proven success in global markets and consideration of U.S. consumer tastes. A representative from Ever Grand stated, "Our mission is to ensure every consumer enjoys authentic beer with ease. With Manhattan Beer Distributors' strong distribution capabilities, we are confident that SNOW Beer will become a beloved brand in New York." Market Impact and Consumer EngagementConsumers in the Metro New York area can look forward to an increased presence of SNOW Beer through various sampling events, beer and food festivals, and pop-up events that resonate with the spirit of "Brave the World." This initiative aims to introduce SNOW Beer as not just a beverage, but a lifestyle choice that embodies free spirit and boundary-breaking."We can't wait to see how the market reacts to our products," said a spokesperson from Ever Grand Group. "We've received thousands of positive reviews from consumers who have enjoyed our products at events, in restaurants, bars, or at home. We are excited to bring this unique beer to even more people." Looking ForwardManhattan Beer Distributors and Ever Grand Group are committed to bringing the best of SNOW Beer to consumers, offering unique and memorable experiences. The introduction of "Brave the World" is just the beginning of a fruitful partnership, promising to enrich the beer landscape of Metro New York with exceptional products and events. Stay tuned for more exciting developments as we continue to celebrate the spirit of bravery and excellence with SNOW Beer and Manhattan Beer Distributors.About Manhattan Beer DistributorsManhattan Beer Distributors, New York's leading beer and beverage distributor, operates with over 350 trucks and more than 1 million square feet of warehouse space. Their highly trained professional sales team ensures that SNOW Beer will reach scale quickly, making it available to millions of eager consumers.About Ever Grand GroupEver Grand Group is a leading importer of alcohol beverage products and the exclusive importer for Snow Beer in the U.S. market. Since its establishment in 2022, it has expanded its market coverage through partnerships and acquisitions. The team of professionals is dedicated to carefully selecting the highest quality products while providing exceptional customer service and support.Contact InformationEver Grand Groupinfo@ evergrandimports.com Manhattan Beer Distributorscustomerservice@ manhattanbeer.net 1-800-BEER-INCSOURCE: Ever Grand GroupView the original press release on newswire.com PR-Inside.com: 2024-08-17 01:50:16 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 948 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / August 16, 2024 / Saville Resources Inc. (TSXV:SRE)(FSE:S0J) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement (the "Agreement") with 2362516 Ontario Inc. ("PrivCo") to acquire six mineral leases (the "Leases") in the Hornby Basin, Nunavut Territory (the "Transaction").About PrivCo and the Property PrivCo is a private company incorporated pursuant to the laws of Ontario and headquartered in Toronto, Ontario.The property is located in the Hornby Basin, Nunavut Territory and is comprised of 6 mineral leases comprising a total land area of approximately 6,201 ha (~62 km2). Between 1996 and 2004 the leases were part of a land package controlled by Hornby Bay Exploration Ltd, which spent approximately $10 million on exploration and completed a technical report in 2004.Transaction Terms Pursuant to the Agreement, the Company has agreed to issue 12,500,000 Common Shares to a syndicate of vendors led by PrivCo in consideration of the acquisition of a 100% legal and beneficial interest in the Leases.Upon closing of the Transaction, the Company will add the Leases to its existing property portfolio, and further assess the exploration and development potential thereof. Following the closing of the Transaction, the Company may also target other mineral exploration opportunities if it determines such targets have sufficient geological or economic merit and if the Company has adequate financial resources to complete such acquisitions.Closing of the Transaction is subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including TSXV acceptance, as well as applicable board approvals.On behalf of the Board of DirectorsSAVILLE RESOURCES INC."Rob Leckie"Rob Leckie, CEOTel: 604.681.1568The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or adequacy of this release. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service 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 does not constitute an offer to sell or 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 a U.S. person unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.Forward-Looking StatementsThis news release contains forward-looking statements and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "will", "may", "should", "anticipate", "expects" and similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact, included in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations include but are not limited to market conditions and the risks detailed from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information, including, but not limited to, statements regarding the Transaction, including the closing of the Transaction, the Company's anticipated business and operational activities following the closing of the Transaction, the anticipated satisfaction of closing conditions and receipt of regulatory approvals for the Transaction, the prospects of the Property, and the Company's plans with respect to the exploration of the Property. Factors that could cause actual results to vary from forward-looking statements or may affect the operations, performance, development and results of the Company's business include, among other things, the ability of the parties to satisfy the conditions to closing of the Transaction in a timely manner (or at all); the Company's receipt of all regulatory approvals necessary to complete the Transaction in a timely manner (or at all); the risk that the Transaction is not completed; the risk that the Transaction does not result in the anticipated benefits to the Company, including that the Company is unable or determines not to carry out exploration or development work on the Property; the Company's ability to generate sufficient cash flow to meet its current and future obligations; that mineral exploration is inherently uncertain and may be unsuccessful in achieving the desired results; that mineral exploration plans may change and be re-defined based on a number of factors, many of which are outside of the Company's control; the Company's ability to access sources of debt and equity capital; competitive factors, pricing pressures and supply and demand in the Company's industry; and general economic and business. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company will update or revise publicly any of the included forward-looking statements as expressly required by applicable law.SOURCE: Saville Resources Inc. PR-Inside.com: 2024-08-17 17:11:32 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 316 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / August 17, 2024 / The Schall Law Firm, a national shareholder rights litigation firm, announces that it is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Dril-Quip, Inc. ("Dril-Quip" or "the Company") (NYSE:DRQ) 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. Dril-Quip filed a current report on Form 8-K with the SEC on July 8, 2024. The Company's filing disclosed it had "became aware of an error in the classification of certain inventory write-downs from 2021." The Company added, "after considering the recommendations of management and discussion with the Company's independent registered public accounting firm[,] the Audit Committee of our board of directors ("Audit Committee") concluded that the consolidated financial statements for the Affected Period should no longer be relied upon due to the error described above. Any previously issued or filed reports, press releases, earnings releases and investor presentations or other communications describing the Company's consolidated financial statements and other related financial information covering the Affected Period also should no longer be relied upon." 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 PR-Inside.com: 2024-08-17 17:09:45 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 17, 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 PR-Inside.com: 2024-08-17 18:58:49 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 518 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 SAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / August 17, 2024 / Hagens Berman urges Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE:TM) investors who suffered substantial losses to take action now by submitting your losses here.Class Period: June 23, 2022 - June 2, 2024Lead Plaintiff Deadline: Aug. 23, 2024Visit: www.hbsslaw.com/investor-fraud/tm Contact the Firm Now: TM@ hbsslaw.com 844-916-0895Class Action Lawsuit Against Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE: TM):The litigation is focused on the truthfulness of Toyota's past statements concerning certification of its cars, including those manufactured by its majority-owned Hino Motors Ltd. and by its consolidated subsidiary Daihatsu Motor Co. Ltd.More specifically, on June 23, 2022, Toyota highlighted the importance of maintaining its brand image and disclosed that Hino had "identified past misconduct in relation to its applications for certification concerning the emissions and fuel economy performance of certain of its engines for the Japanese market." Then, on June 30, 2023, Toyota revealed that Daihatsu identified "misconduct in relation to its applications for certification concerning safety tests of certain of its vehicles for the overseas market." Toyota assured investors that it was working to rectify these and other matters on a company-wide level.The complaint alleges that Toyota made false and misleading statements and failed to disclose that it understated its malfeasance relating to certification of its cars and issues relating to overall legal compliance.The true scope of Toyota's malfeasance became clear to investors on June 3, 2024, when the company announced its results of an investigation into model certification applications (ordered by Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism) and revealed that seven of its models were tested using methods that differed from government standards.This news drove the price of Toyota American Depositary Shares significantly lower on June 3, 2024."Our investigation centers on the extent to which Toyota may have intentionally concealed the true scope of problems in its certification processes," said Reed Kathrein, the Hagens Berman partner leading the investigation.If you invested in Toyota and have substantial losses, or have knowledge that may assist the firm's investigation, submit your losses now If you'd like more information and answers to frequently asked questions about the Toyota case and our investigation, read more Whistleblowers: Persons with non-public information regarding Toyota 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 TM@ 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 Berman's 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.Contact:Reed Kathrein, 844-916-0895SOURCE: Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP By Oladeinde Olawoyin, Ronald Adamolekun, Abdulkareem Mojeed, Ntiedo Ekott This is the third part in our series on post-harvest losses in Nigeria. Read the first part here and the second part here. You will see for yourself when you get there, Veronica Igbana, the director of Agricultural Extension and Risk Management, Benue State Bureau of Agricultural Development and Management, said after a conversation with PREMIUM TIMES in the presence of her colleagues in her Makurdi office in February. Earlier on, her colleague Timothy Atser remarked, If you just go to my local government, you will begin to cry. You will see farmers harvesting their oranges and pouring them away because they want new ones to grow because no one is to buy and people will come and price it at N1000 per bag. Nigerias orange production touched 4.2 million tonnes in 2022, the same year it spent $5.1 million importing citrus fruits. Benue State produces more oranges than any other state in the country. Along the long road from Utange through Waapera to Lessel in Ushongo Local Government Area, during PREMIUM TIMES visit in February, orange trees lined the dusty stretch on both sides, with dense yellow fruits hanging feebly from the branches, waiting to drop and rot away. The numerous fruits on most of the trees gave travellers and passers-by an impression of waste, not abundance. 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 Kilometre after kilometre, the heavy presence of orange trees in front of virtually all the houses and on farmlands suggests they have been grown purposefully to adorn the cheap mud houses rather than to earn income for farmers and homeowners. At Ikyobo village in the local government area, Atsaga Anenbe owns more than 10,000 orange trees in orchards on 215 hectares, where he also grows yam and soybean. I am not getting anything from oranges, he told PREMIUM TIMES. Up till now, they are buying a bag for N1000, he added, noting that no juice factory offtakes from him. Mr Anenbe said the massive output is a burden in itself, as he sometimes hires labourers to strip the orange trees of their fruits so that new ones can sprout. The losses here are massive. Of the stands that are over 10,000, over half is wasted, said Aondongu Saaku, chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Benue State chapter. They need orange-processing equipment to do concentrates, to do juice, in order to reduce the loss, he added. This local government is covered with so many oranges. They need a factory. In May 2011, Teragro Commodities Limited, the agribusiness subsidiary of Lagos-listed conglomerate Transnational Corporation of Nigeria, leased the moribund Benfruit Concentrate Processing Plant, owned by the Benue State Government, for ten years. Teragro invested about N1 billion within the first year of running the plant, which was overhauled to process orange juice and mango puree, the first-of-its-kind fruit juice concentrate plant in the country. Part of the motivation was the overabundance of the two fruits in Benue, which produces oranges and mangoes more than any other Nigerian state. The company said seven of the 12 orange varieties are available in the state. With a 26,500 metric-tonne production input capacity of oranges per annum at the time, Teragro was hoping to increase the size of the plant four-fold within two to three years, with plans to offtake the fruits from farmers. Teragro also processed pineapple concentrate and orange-peel oil for industrial markets. In April 2015, Teragro agreed with the Benue State Government to lease land in the Ushongo Local Government Area to produce oranges, which would supply feedstock to the concentrate plant in Makurdi. It hit a milestone in September of that year when the Coca-Cola company contracted the firm as the sole local-concentrate sourcing partner for its newly launched Five Alive Pulpy Orange. Teragro announced its plan to quit the business about three years later, noting it decided to exit after a careful review of the long-term proposition of its play in the juice concentrate market revealed a number of issues. Adim Jibunoh, the then president/CEO of Transcorp Plc, said at an investor conference that one of the factors that informed Teragros decision was the lack of government protection for domestic manufacturers, notably the fact that the business had to compete with cheaper concentrate brands from abroad. If we continue (with Teragro), we would be a loss-making business. Its a buyers market because buyers (and not sellers) dictate the price, he said. No fewer than seven state-owned agro-processing enterprises (including Benfruit Nigeria Limited) have been listed for privatisation by the Benue State Council on Privatisation on the Benue State Planning Commission website. The pattern exists in other Nigerian states which offer public-private partnerships. States should concentrate more on small modular processing and storage facilities in communities based on different commodities, ActionAid said This should be a good approach to reducing our post-harvest losses, as the larger Staple Crops Agro-Processing Zones (SCPZ) are most likely not to reach remote areas, it added. ActionAid is betting that states will be better positioned to increase their internally generated revenue (IGR) and speed up their economic growth if they commit more to addressing post-harvest losses. The organisation estimated that the average post-harvest loss per state in 2022 was over five times higher than the biggest state (Lagos) budget for agriculture and roughly 43 times more than the smallest state (Ekiti) budget for agriculture that year. The absence of government support is increasingly constraining Nigerias food export potential, with the country losing half of its perishable export goods yearly due to a dearth of cold chain technology at airports, according to the African Centre for Supply Chain. Nigeria is ranked 88th of 139 countries on the worlds Logistics Performance Index. According to SBM Intelligence, an Africa-focused market/security intelligence-gathering company, 47 per cent of Nigerian farmers have no access whatsoever to storage facilities to preserve their produce during harvest. Access is weaker for female smallholders, with ActionAid reckoning that storage facilities are available to only 18 per cent of them in Nigeria. Many of the farmers and traders interviewed by PREMIUM TIMES cited a lack of access roads from farms among the factors fuelling post-harvest losses in the country. Musibau Ajagbe, a road transport worker in Iwo, Osun State, identified the commonest cause of post-harvest losses as the poor state of roads linking farm settlements to the major markets in the area. According to him, many of the roads are dilapidated, with attendant impact on vehicles and farm produce. Mr Ajagbe, who plies the road from Iwo to Ife-Odan and Ogbomoso, explained that some portions of the road were constructed several decades ago and have long been abandoned by the government after years of decay. Many of our people (fellow drivers) travel to farm settlements along Ife-Odan to other parts of the border communities along Oyo-Ogbomoso Road and you need to see the state of those roads. Many times, our vehicles break down along the road, and bananas and vegetables get spoiled due to the poor condition of the road, he said. Sadia Abebi, one of the roadside traders along the road, explained that it is common to find drivers struggling to fix their vehicles along the road because of the poor condition of the roads leading to the farming communities. The roads leading to many of the farms are bad and, every day, farmers, off-takers and drivers lament the situation, which even leads to losses for some of them, she said. The reason is that once they cant take their fruits and vegetables out to town or markets on time, it may lose value or go bad in the bush. Farmers, traders and drivers in places like Ilaro, Makurdi, Jos, Kano and Kaduna have also complained about the impact of bad roads and government neglect. At a press briefing arranged by ActionAid Nigeria, Small-scale Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria and Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development in Abuja last December to review Nigerias 2024 proposed budget for agriculture, officials of the organisations emphasised the urgency for both federal and state governments to significantly invest in rural roads to boost the transportation of agriculture produce and trade. The allocations to post-harvest losses should urgently focus on supporting small cottage processing and storage facilities in communities based on different commodities to be owned, operated, sustained, and expanded by smallholder women farmers cooperatives. This will help address the challenges of post-harvest losses experienced by smallholder women farmers across Nigeria, they said. Solar dryers should also be provided to smallholder women farmers cooperatives in communities based on agriculture produce that can be dried to save losses, they added. The review spotlighted post-harvest loss reduction supports (storage facilities, processing facilities, market access, trainings, etc) as part of the strategic areas the N100 billion allocation for capital expenditure for the National Agricultural Development Fund should target to help achieve the commitments in President Tinubus declaration of state of emergency on food security in the country. Scholars Funmilola Adekeye-Bolarin and Bosa S.O. have emphasised the imperative for the government to invest more in post-harvest research and take road construction and fixing of dilapidated roads in rural areas more seriously to ease transportation of agricultural produce. In their article titled Post Harvest Losses: A Dilemma in Ensuring Food Security in Nigeria, published in Journal of Natural Sciences Research, the two researchers from the National Centre for Agricultural Mechanization, Ilorin also stressed the need to involve agriculture extension officers in the governments post-harvest management plan. The local government is closer to the farmer and so should be in the forefront in preventing losses by promoting the maintenance of food stocks at household and enterprise levels, the scholars said. According to Offiong Offor, the Akwa Ibom State commissioner for agriculture and rural development, the state has been training farmers on good agronomic practices to help curb post-harvest losses. The first way the state government is reducing post-harvest losses is through training on good agronomic practices, which includes preservation of agricultural produce, training on processing and value addition, infrastructure development to enhance the value of harvest and timely evacuation of farm produce from the farm gate, she said. The food security policies we have in the state are all-encompassing, and post-harvest loss reduction includes it, she added. In April, Lateef Sanni, the executive director of the Nigerian Stored Produce Research Institute, revealed that Nigeria requires no fewer than 10 cold-chain hubs in each of the 774 local government areas in the country to reduce post-harvest losses to the bare minimum. We have less than ten that are just springing up and being supported by donor agencies and development partners from Germany and Switzerland, he said. 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 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 The founder and senior prophet of Christ Mercyland Deliverance Ministry (CMDM), Jeremiah Fufeyin, has announced that his spiritual products, including Pool of Bethesda water and Red Sea water, will not be sold anymore. Prophet Fufeyins declaration comes after weeks of public scrutiny and pressure from social media activist Vincent Otse, known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), who questioned the legitimacy and regulatory approval of selling his spiritual products (miracle water, perfume, spiritual shirt, soap, mustard seed and one-shot oil). PREMIUM TIMES reported that VDM went an extra step of testing the products, which claimed to have miraculous healing powers, on a large group of disabled individuals, but no results were observed. In the senior Prophets defence on Sunday, he stated that the products would not be effective unless supported by a genuine love for him. However, on Wednesday, during the churchs August Break Program 2024 Break the Limit (Day 1), the publicity-loving prophet reversed his stance, stating that anyone selling his spiritual products would be cursed. He said: I want to make it clear to you all tonight. The spiritual items are not for sale. Anybody out there selling these spiritual items to you, I will lay a curse on them because its not for sale. The 53-year-old prophet noted that users must register at CMDM to receive the spiritual items for free, which will be prayed over, stressing that proper guidance will be put in place to prevent chaos. You (users) have to go and register on the mountain (CMDM), then they (those in charge of the products) will give it to you for free. They will pray on it on the mountain, and then I (Fufeyin), your prophet, will tell you how to use it. You will be surprised because you are not here to test; you already believe. Dont test it; my prayer is to believe. Dont test why we register because we want to control the crowd. 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 Something that has no instructions or guidance is useless. We can tell everybody to rush and take the spiritual items, but no, a stampede will occur. Thats why we have to guide you people to receive the blessings, and anybody out there selling them will receive a curse from me. NAFDAC number However, VDM, responding on Saturday to the controversial prophets remarks, said on Instagram, I went on his page, and now, he says he is giving it for free. Papa (Prophet Fufeyin), even if you provide it for free, you still have to have a NAFDAC number, which you must provide. The self-proclaimed activist compared the sale of the products to ValueJet, a private Nigerian airline, highlighting that despite having fewer passengers than Fufeyins congregation, ValueJet ensures their free water is appropriately regulated. He said: Yesterday when I came from Abuja to Lagos, I used ValueJet. They dont sell products. They only give water to people inside the plane, and ValueJet Water still has a NAFDAC number. Let alone you (Fufeyin), who has plenty of people sitting in your church. You must have a NAFDAC number before you put out anything people take into their bodies or use on their skin. Its a must. Products still on sale Although the prophet announced removing certain products from his churchs offerings, VDM claims some questionable items are still on the website. He said, You (Fufeyin) said you dont sell anything anymore, but what is this Cash Flow ATM Card? EFCC should take up this case. Is it going to put cash in your account without you working? Is it that when you buy this ATM card, you slot it in, and it starts dispensing cash? I see this as fraud. VDM also criticised the ongoing sale of the I Must Carry My Samuel Apple, priced at $12 (approximately N20,000). He questioned the rationale behind such exorbitant prices for what is marketed as a spiritually-enhanced fruit. Is it that when you eat this apple, you get pregnant and start having Samuels? No matter how spiritual this is, its too much for an apple. The activist noted that handkerchiefs priced at $2 (N3,200) are still available, raising further concerns about monetisation within the church. VDM threatened to file a case with the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Center (NPF-NCCC). Every product you produce must have a NAFDAC number. Its not about a miracle or no miracle. Ill write a letter to the NPF-NCCC. The controversy is not new for Prophet Fufeyin, who has been selling and advertising faith-based products like the Red Sea Water since 2019. This newspapers checks on the churchs website show that the spiritual products were also sold to people in South Africa, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. His spiritual items have long been promoted as possessing miraculous powers, but the recent backlash, spearheaded by VDM, intensified scrutiny. VDM, known for his activism, described it as exploitative religious practices, arguing that they lacked the necessary regulation from NAFDAC. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Abas Akinyemi, a 48-year-old man diagnosed with End Stage Kidney Disease, is appealing for financial support to the tune of N35 million to undergo a kidney transplant. Mr Akinyemi currently receives dialysis twice weekly and needs to continue this therapy to stay alive until he can get a kidney transplant. According to a medical note from the General Hospital Odan, Lagos, signed by the Consultant Physician/Nephrologist, identified simply as S Alagbe, the total monthly cost for haemodialysis and adjuvant treatment is N500,000 while the cost of kidney transplant ranges between N10 to N18 million. However, to secure a donor, Mr Akinyemis family is targeting at least N35 million, noting that the unstable foreign exchange rate has complicated the situation. A longstanding friend of the patient, Olalekan Oladapo, a lawyer, thanked many Nigerians who he said have continued to show their support in the efforts towards rescuing Mr Akinyemi, a former students union leader at the Federal Polytechnic, Offa, Kwara State. About Mr Akinyemi Mr Akinyemi was a Regional Manager at Deekay Nigeria Limited, an Indian firm that manufactures and distributes tyres, before he resigned for medical reasons. He subsequently got a new job after he regained his health, but he started developing complications that led to his current state. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later While at the polytechnic in Kwara State, he was a member of the Students Representatives Council and served as Financial Secretary in the Department of Banking and Finance and the Public Relations Officer of the Ilobu National Students Union. Mr Akinyemi is appealing to individuals and organisations to save his life by donating to raise the required amount for the kidney transplant. Donations can be sent to his Zenith Bank account: 4235922047, Akinyemi Abass Adeleke. Rise in chronic kidney disease There is a rise in renal failure cases in Nigeria affecting all age grades. Available data indicate that more than 20 million Nigerians are suffering from various stages of kidney-related diseases. Medical experts explained that 100 persons per every million population, that is, at least 20,000 people yearly get to the stage where they need dialysis and or transplant. They said it costs N600,000 monthly to put one patient on dialysis and N10 million to perform a kidney transplant in Nigeria. They identified hypertension, diabetes and chronic infections such as hepatitis B and C, and Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV), sickle cell anaemia, and painkillers, as major causes of Chronic Kidney Disease in Nigeria (CKD). Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print President Bola Tinubu has congratulated Nigerias former president, Ibrahim Babangida, on his 83rd birthday. This is contained in a statement by Ajuri Ngelale, special adviser to the president on media and publicity, on Saturday in Abuja. He noted Mr Babangidas endeavours toward the development of the nation, especially in infrastructure and other areas. Mr Tinubu lauded the celebrants efforts in the completion of the Third Mainland Bridge, which at the time was the longest bridge in Africa. The president acknowledges the role of General Babangida in the sculpting of modern Nigeria, and commends him for his services to the nation. President Tinubu wishes the former head of state many more years in good health, said Mr Ngelale. Mr Babangida, fondly called IBB, was Nigerias military president from 1985 to 1993. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Ice attractions in China catch eyes at Singapore travel fair Xinhua) 13:47, August 17, 2024 SINGAPORE, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- Singaporean travel agencies have launched winter routes to China at the ongoing NATAS Travel Fair so that customers from the tropical island state can enjoy ice and snow. Over 70 exhibitors, including travel agents, airlines, cruise operators, and hotels, attended the travel fair held by the National Association of Travel Agents Singapore (NATAS). "Many people hope to plan for their holiday at the end of this year. We are promoting a nine-day exclusive route to north China's Heilongjiang Province to enjoy the unique scenery in winter," said Sherwin Seow, director of marketing for ASA Holidays. "After visiting the Ice and Snow World in Harbin, luxury train Lindu No.2 will carry the passengers to the renowned Snow Village, Jingpo Lake, snowy forests, and other attractions in the crystal world," he said. In-depth tours to China have been increasingly popular as a mutual visa-exemption arrangement in February enables Singaporeans to stay in China for up to 30 days, Seow noted. Travels to China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Changbai Mountain in Jilin Province, or Mohe, China's northernmost city, are also well-received options at the travel fair. Participating travel agencies are offering deals to promote these routes. "Some packages to the northeastern part of China are quite cost-effective, and it should be a unique experience to travel there in winter," said resident Lim. The fair will run through the weekend. (Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Wu Chaolan) The Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF), has congratulated former President, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, on the occasion of his 83rd birthday. This is contained in a goodwill message by the Chairman of the forum, Gov. Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State, on Saturday in Gombe. Mr Yahaya described Mr Babangida as a bridge builder, a committed patriot and a charismatic statesman. He also praised his courage, vision and exemplary leadership qualities, adding that, his wise counsel continues to guide and inspire the new generation of leaders. Babangida is a true asset to Nigeria, a source of inspiration for both established and emerging leaders. His distinguished military and democratic credentials, steadfastness and remarkable statesmanship is worth emulating. As a former leader and elder statesman, he has consistently made hinself available to the younger generation, offering his wealth of experience, guidance and wisdom in critical moments. 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 Babangida is indeed a leader of immense influence and reach, a bridge-builder and a promoter of democratic ideals, serving as a rallying point for those committed to democracy, the governor said. READ ALSO: Tinubu congratulates Babangida at 83 According to Mr Yahaya, the forum celebrates IBBs significant milestone and join other Nigerians in praying that Almighty Allah continues to preserve and bless him. NSGF wishes him good health so that he will continue to serve the nation and humanity, (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Nigerian media scholar Umaru Pate has been elected as the first President of the Society of Nigerian Broadcasters (SNB). Mr Pate, a professor of media history and former broadcast journalist, is also the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University in Kashere. He was elected as the President of SNB on Thursday at the end of a two-day conference organised by the association. Mr Pate scored 231 out of 246 votes cast by delegates to defeat his challenger, Okoduwa Eigbobor, a former Zonal Director of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC). Mr Pate, a former head of the media studies department at his alma mata, University of Maiduguri, was also educated at the School of Communications of the University of Ghana at Legon where he earned a masters in philosophy degree in communications studies. At the swearing-in ceremony on Thursday, Mr Pate thanked the delegates for finding him worthy to lead the association of broadcasters, a privilege he said he is not taking for granted. He promised to take the training sessions and capacity development of members as part of his primary responsibility. He described SNB as a professional body of broadcasters in Nigeria and not a trade union, hence he would pay attention to professional programmes. Profile Born on 4 January 1964 in Song, Adamawa State, Mr Pate had his early secondary school education at Government College Maiduguri and advanced level studies at the College of Preliminary Studies in Yola. 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 After a stint as head of department at the University of Maiduguri, he moved to Bayero University, Kano, where he first assumed the role of dean of the communication school. He transformed the programme exponentially and placed it at the peak of national recognition. He was later made the pioneer Dean of the postgraduate school at Bayero University Kano. Mr Pate also served as President of the Association of Communication Scholars and Practitioners of Nigeria (ACSPN) and is a senior councilor and ranking kingmaker in the Adamawa Emirate Council, where he is the Kaigamma (Chief of Army Staff). He has been a lifetime judge of the Wole Soyinka Investigative Journalism Prize and chairs the advisory board of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID). Mr Pate also remains an editorial advisor to more than ten communication journals in and out of Nigeria and serves as external examiner to over fifteen Universities in Nigeria and abroad. Some of the universities include: Lagos, Ibadan, Nsukka, Covenant, Jos, Babcock, Makurdi, ABU, Awka, Abuja, Leicester (UK), Freetown (Sierra Leone) and Tehran (Iran). He has served as a consultant to bilateral and multilateral agencies that include: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), United States of Agency for International Development (USAID), British Department of International Development (DFID), National Agency for the Control of Aids (NACA), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Ford Foundation, Nigerian Universities Commission, NUC, the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), Nigeria Stability Response Project (NSRP), Friedrich Ebert Foundation of Germany, Panos Foundation of Washington, the Trust Newspapers, INEC, NTA, FRCN, National Population Commission, the National Broadcasting Commission and several state governments. He has served the UN system in Afghanistan, Liberia, Sierra Leone and the Cameroons. Prior to his academic roles, Mr Pate worked with the news departments at the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) in Kaduna and the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) in Yola from 1981-1987. He still features and contributes regularly on national and international media mostly focusing on current affairs, and chairs the Board of Directors of Pulaaku FM Radio in Yola. When the federal government set up a committee on the formulation of the National Community Radio Policy, under the late Alfred Opubor during the Obasanjo administration, Mr Pate had a sit at the table and later served as a member of the committee that established and co-piloted the Jigawa State Television in Dutse. He is also a member of the Policy and Strategy Committee of the Nigerian Institutes of Public Relations. In his acceptance speech as the President of SNB, Mr Pate pledged to promote the association in and outside Nigeria. He also promised to recognise in a special way the great work of veteran Nigerian broadcasters. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print A fresh investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has revealed how a former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, allegedly orchestrated the printing of one billion pieces of N100 banknotes and the production of 5000 pieces of acrylic blocks, PREMIUM TIMES can report today. The notes and acrylic blocks were procured in commemoration of Nigerias centenary celebration in October 2014. Acrylic blocks are used for photopolymer stamping. Sources within the anti-graft agency disclosed that Mr Emefiele did a memo to former President Goodluck Jonathan on September 1, 2014 preparatory to the centenary celebration seeking approval to print the banknotes and acrylic blocks without passing through the board of the CBN as demanded by the CBN Act, 2007. Findings showed that contrary to Section 19(1)(b) of the CBN Act, 2007, which stipulates that the currency notes and coins issued by the CBN shall be of such forms and design and bear such devices as shall be approved by the President on the recommendation of the Board of the Bank, Mr Emefiele obtained the approval of the former President before presenting it before the Board for ratification. The contract for the award of the printing of one billion pieces of N100 banknotes and production of 5000 pieces of acrylic blocks was awarded in the sum of $121, 660,000.00 (N18,911,524,842.62 at the time). The contract was allegedly prearranged in favour of a Swedish company, Crane Currency, Sweden (the company supplies the CBN with banknote printing and other currency-related services). The contract was awarded to Crane Currency on September 17, 2014. An advance payment of $72,996,000.00 was made to the company through its Nigerian subsidiary, representing 60 per cent of the contract sum of $121,660,000.00. 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 company received the advance payment through the Currency Operations Department of the CBN, which is a clear breach of an established practice of paying for major currency contracts through letter of credit. Although $72,996,00.00 was recorded to have been made to Crane Currency, only $39,848,991.90 was actually transferred to the company. The balance of $32,716,050.00 was held back and converted to Naira at N162 per dollar. Investigators say this was then moved to the account of the Nigerian subsidiary of the Swedish company and amounted to N5.3 billion. This sum represents the inflated amount the contract yielded for top officials of the CBN and their partners in crime, one investigator said. The contract was overinflated to benefit certain individuals within and outside the bank. The N5.3 billion was initially shared by parties to the inflated contract. Investigators told the newspaper that the EFCC has so far recovered N3,180,236,254.42 from those indicted in the alleged scam. The source further stated that pressures were being mounted on the EFCC Chairman to release the fund to them, claiming it was a a proceed of legitimate transactions. When contacted, the spokesperson to the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, confirmed that his agency was investigating the matter but declined to provide further details. There is nothing I can tell you at this point because our people are still working on the matter, Mr Oyewale said. Mr Emefiele could not be reached for comments. All his known mobile telephone numbers did not connect. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has ordered the prompt deployment of a substantial number of human and technical resources to augment the manpower of the Benue State Command, and ensure swift rescue of the 20 medical students kidnapped in the state. Police spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja on Saturday. PREMIUM TIMES reported that the 20 students from the University of Maiduguri and University of Jos were kidnapped in Otukpo area of Benue State on Thursday. They were on their way to the annual convention of the Federation of Catholic Medical and Dental Students in Enugu. While describing the incident as appalling, callous, and unacceptable, Mr Egbetokun said the deployment of the human and technical resources is in display of the unwavering commitment of the police to ensure the rescue, safety, and well-being of the students. In a display of unwavering commitment to the rescue, safety, and well-being of the young Nigerians, the IGP has ordered the prompt deployment of a substantial number of human and technical resources to augment the manpower of the Benue State Command, and ensure swift rescue of our beloved students. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later This initiative encompasses the mobilisation of additional tactical units from the FID-STS and FID-IRT, the deployment of advanced helicopters and drones, as well as the use of specialised tactical vehicles to facilitate the search and secure the safe return of the victims, the statement said. The IGP said the force stands with the victims and their loved ones during this challenging time, and that it is committed to ensuring the safe return of the students. He reiterated the zeal of the force to leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of the perpetrators and others alike, stresding that it is determined to sustain the fight against crimes and criminality, most especially kidnapping of Nigerians. Read full statement below In reply, please quote; Ref No. CZ.5300/FPRD/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.6/213 Date: August 17, 2024 The Director of News . PRESS RELEASE IGP CONDEMNS ABDUCTION OF MEDICAL STUDENTS IN BENUE, PROMISES FULL COMMITMENT TO SWIFT RESCUE. Orders Deployment of Tactical Operatives, Assets The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, PhD, NPM, has condemned the kidnapping of 20 medical students who were abducted in Otukpo, Benue State, while en route to the annual convention of the Federation of Catholic Medical and Dental Students in Enugu. This reprehensible act is truly appalling, callous, and unacceptable In a display of unwavering commitment to the rescue, safety, and well-being of the young Nigerians, the IGP has ordered the prompt deployment of a substantial number of human and technical resources to augment the manpower of the Benue State Command, and ensure swift rescue of our beloved students. This initiative encompasses the mobilization of additional tactical units from the FID-STS and FID-IRT, the deployment of advanced helicopters and drones, as well as the use of specialized tactical vehicles to facilitate the search and secure the safe return of the victims. The Nigeria Police Force stands with the victims and their loved ones during this challenging time, and we are committed to ensuring the safe return of the students. The Inspector-General of Police reiterates the zeal of the force to leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of the perpetrators and others alike, as the Nigeria Police Force is determined to sustain the fight against crimes and criminality, most especially kidnapping of Nigerians. The IGP equally appeals to the general public to provide useful information and actionable intelligence that may aid the ongoing investigation and the rescue operation. Individuals with relevant details are encouraged to contact the nearest police station or the states command control number or the FHQ via Pressforabuja@police.gov.ng and other help lines. The Nigeria Police Force remains resolute in its mission to protect the lives and property of all Nigerians, and it will continue to work tirelessly to maintain peace, stability, and the rule of law throughout the country. ACP OLUMUYIWA ADEJOBI, mnipr, mipra, fCAI, FORCE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER, FORCE HEADQUARTERS, ABUJA. 17TH AUGUST 2024 Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Media experts and human rights activists have highlighted some key strategies for improved reporting on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in Nigeria that can significantly enhance societal understanding and ensure justice for victims. They urged journalists to avoid sensationalism in their stories and input of personal biases, saying doing so could likely distort the reality of the situation. They also called for the use of appropriate language in reporting cases of sexual violence for sensitivity, accuracy and respect for the victims. The experts made this call during a two-day workshop on understanding sexual and gender-based violence in private and public spaces, particularly in tertiary institutions. The event which was titled: Training for the Media and Legal Frameworks to Address Sexual Institutions in Nigeria, was organised by Alliances for Africa (AFA), a non-profit advocating for human rights, in partnership with the Imo State Committee on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (ISCEVAWG) and Co-Impact. The event focused on equipping media professionals with a thorough understanding of SGBV as a human rights issue, along with best practices for reporting and addressing sexual harassment. It also aimed to enhance the medias knowledge of the national and legal frameworks for combating sexual harassment in tertiary institutions across 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 Speaking on this, a human-rights lawyer, Mojirayo Ogunlana-Nkanga, said the media spotlight on sexual harassment issues can encourage and empower victims to consider coming forward. She urged reporters to arm themselves with the provisions of the laws that protect the rights of every citizen from all forms of sexual and gender-based violence. Legal frameworks against SGBV Mrs Ogunlana-Nkanga, who facilitated the workshop, disclosed that legal frameworks can be used to strengthen reports on abuses and justice demand for victims, even as she cited the African Charter Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa, also known as the Maputo Protocol. She said the protocol offers comprehensive protection for womens rights, particularly emphasising reproductive health rights and their fundamental autonomy. It is the first binding treaty that addresses HIV and AIDS. The protocol is a result of the African Charters gaps in explicitly referring to women, she said. She noted that since it has been domesticated, the charter is binding in Nigeria, noting that the Nigerian Violations Against Person Prohibitions (VAPP) Act of 2015, is also a recognised framework against sexual violence and harassment. According to her, the law protects both men and women from sexual violence and grants them equal rights and as such, a good framework that should be used efficiently by journalists. She said: The VAPP Act also establishes clear procedures for reporting and prosecuting sexual violence cases and provides for victim compensation. It prohibits all forms of violence against individuals, including rape, sexual harassment, and female genital mutilation. The VAPP Act also establishes clear procedures for reporting and prosecuting sexual violence cases and provides for victim compensation. The criminal and penal code as well as the national constitution are also laws that protect the rights of every citizen in the country. Legal knowledge Media experts present at the workshop suggested that journalists writing on sexual violence become conversant with all the laws that apply and can be used to fight for it. They urged the reporters to invest their time to learn about the stance of the law on such sensitive issues in Nigeria. Some also called for continuous training for reporters and the provision of the adequate tools by media organisations and managers. According to Hamzat Idris, an editor with Daily Trust, there is a knowledge deficit among journalists on sexual violence reporting that must be addressed. Covering gender issues is very important particularly now that we have a lot of cases of human rights violations of women and children. Journalists should be exposed to the technicalities, legal perspectives and dynamics of covering women and children. Theres a serious crisis in the definition of gender and it is pertinent that we bring this conversation to the forefront, he said. Also contributing to the discussion, Blessing Duru, a senior programme officer with AFA, said journalists can also call out state governments stalling domestication and implementation of the law. She said the state government should also enact laws that prohibit SGBV at the sub-national level to protect and guarantee the safety of its people, particularly the vulnerable groups. She pointed out that so far, only Lagos State has such provisions and has made efforts to ensure implementation. She also said there is a coordinated effort among government agencies and the media. When there is a coordinated effort between relevant government agencies and the media, the effort of people trying to prevent justice will be minimal because as soon as the state takes up the case, it becomes the state versus the perpetrators. At this point, theres nothing much anyone can do, she noted. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Ogun Police Command says it has arrested one Adekunle Adebajo over his alleged involvement in the killing of a member of a suspected rival cult group in Ijebu Ode. The spokesperson of the command, Omolola Odutola, disclosed this in a statement issued in Abeokuta and made available to reporters on Saturday. Ms Odutola stated that a concerned citizen made a distress call to the Divisional Police Station, Igbeba, on 12 August, and reported that rival cults fought each other, where the deceased, called Mosquito, was shot, macheted, and his left hand severed and taken away by his killers. Ms Odutola added that, Adebajo, popularly called Kunle Polly, who was suspected to be one of the killers of Mosquito, was arrested at 12:03a.m. in his hideout at Isiwo, Ijebu. She explained that credible information was provided by the public that enabled the police to track the fleeing suspects hideout. Upon receiving this information, a team of detectives promptly mobilised and took action by moving to the location, where one suspect, Adekunle Adebajo, aka Kunle Polly, 34, was apprehended. During interrogation, Kunle Polly admitted to being a member of the Eiye confraternity. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later This prompted a search to be conducted at his residence, leading to the recovery of a Beretta pistol with six live rounds of ammunition, two UTC axes, and charms. Investigation is ongoing to unravel the pattern of severing left hand of their victims, and to arrest other criminals that fled the hideout, Odutola stated. READ ALSO: IGP orders deployment of more policemen to rescue 20 medical students abducted in Benue According to her, the suspect is presently undergoing preliminary investigation in Igbeba Division, Ijebu Ode. The Commissioner of Police , Abiodun Alamutu, has reassured the people that the era of cultism in Isiwo Ijebu Community had gone. Alamutu promised that the remaining suspects would be brought to justice for their crimes. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The three-day visit of President Bola Tinubu to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, has come and gone, but the visit has left in its wake salient points for conversations on the benefits or otherwise. As some are wont to believe, Nigeria has probably little to gain from Equatorial Guinea, which is a small country compared to Nigeria in terms of landmass and population. However, key officials of the Tinubu government insist that the official visit of the President to Equatorial Guinea, on the invitation of President Teodoro Mbasogo, is beneficial to Nigeria in many ways. For instance, Ekperikpe Ekpo, Minister of State, Petroleum Resources (Gas), said the gas deal signed with Equatorial Guinea was good for Nigeria because it would bring about economic gains and strengthen the ties between the two countries. The minister stated that the deal would lead to an increase in upstream gas utilisation in Nigeria, as the stranded gas would be utilised for economic gains for the two countries. He explained that the deal would further develop the gas value chain, and that the construction of the gas pipeline would employ several people from both countries. In terms of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), I have been informed that they will need about four million tonnes of gas per year, and the methanol plant will need about one billion cubic feet per day. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later So, it is a good one, and you know our President is really enthusiastic about gas. Anything gas, he will go into it, said Mr Ekpo. Similarly, Yusuf Tuggar, Minister of Foreign Affairs, said Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea as neighbours, have a lot of opportunities that had not been actualised, but through President Tinubus visit, some of those opportunities would soon come to reality. He stated that it is on record that Equatorial Guinea has an LNG plant, which has since run out of gas. So, the country is in need of Nigerian gas to keep its LNG plant going. And of course, we have untapped gas resources just nearby off the coast of Calabar in Akwa Ibom, he said. According to him, one remarkable achievement Nigeria needs to record is to construct a 150-kilometre pipeline to the LNG plant. He explained that Equatorial Guinea also has very fertile land where plantain and banana grow even in the wild. He said these and many other opportunities could be harnessed in terms of trade, and fittingly, as the two presidents have agreed to increase the volume of trade between the two countries. He added that there is a Joint National Commission of the two countries that had been inactive, which President Tinubu and his Equatorial Guinea counterpart have resuscitated. According to him, the first meeting of the commission will hold in Novermber, where the framework for cooperation in terms of safety and security of the Gulf of Guinea will be established. These two countries are gatekeepers of the Gulf of Guinea, and that security collaboration is necessary. If you remember, in 2002 there was a vessel involved in illicit activities in Nigeria, and ran to Equatorial Guinea. The authorities in Equatorial Guinea then arrested that vessel and handed over the crude oil in it to Nigeria. So, that has set a precedence. Its part of the reasons why since 2022 Nigeria has not recorded any piracy incident within its territorial waters. This is because the pirates know that if they do anything and run to a place like Equatorial Guinea, theyre going to be sent back to Nigeria for trial, he said. He said that sort of collaboration was needed in the Gulf of Guinea, and that the agreements to be signed during the Joint National Commission meeting in November included different facets of the achievements of President Tinubus visit. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Minister of Interior, agreed with Mr Tuggar that the visit of President Tinubu to Equatorial Guinea was beneficial to Nigeria in many ways. Mr Tunji-Ojo said the discussion between the two presidents centred on economic development, migration, visa policies, trade, among others. He described President Tinubu as a rallying point, a fulcrum who held a pivotal position in resolving Visa issues for easier movement between African countries and economic interactions. And the President is already working on that. As the Minister of Interior, he has given me the marching orders to look at that in line with the act of reciprocity, he said. Mohammed Abubakar, Minister of Defence, said even though a defence agreement had not yet been signed by the two countries, there was a joint committee for patrol, policing and security on the borders of the two countries and the Gulf of Guinea. Mr Abubakar said discussion was ongoing toward setting up a robust patrol on the sea to prevent all illegalities around the Gulf of Guinea. He said the security patrol would also check illegal movement of crude oil from both countries and that it would help reduce oil bunkering. On her part, Jamila Ibrahim, Minister of Youth Development, said the visit gave the two countries the opportunity to explore areas of cooperation in terms of youth development. And of course, were in the process of arriving at a treaty, an agreement on youth development with my counterpart, which we will be finalising through the Joint National Commission. From Mr Presidents speeches at several of our bilateral engagements, he has clearly stated his commitment to collaborating with other African leaders to ensure that we harness the youth demography towards transformational economic development of the continent. The President believes that only when were strong as a continent, and all the leaders come together, that we can harness the potential of our young people across the continent, said Ibrahim. She added that the two countries agreed to collaborate in several areas, including the National Youth Service Corps, skills development, furniture value chain, fashion/garment and cash crop sectors. For President Tinubu has said that the deal with his Equatorial Guinea counterpart covers legislative and regulatory measures for the gas pipeline, establishment and operation, transit of natural gas, ownership of the gas pipeline and general principles guiding it. The President is convinced that the agreement will open up new vista of opportunities for gas exploration and employment in the sector. READ ALSO: Human rights group asks Tinubu to remove Egbetokun as IGP However, he is worried that developments in parts of the continent and the Sahel are not pleasant for the economic development and the future of the continent Without peace, we cannot have development. We had better roll up our sleeves, put on our knickers, and move strongly for the peace and stability of our continent, the President stated. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Three passengers in a minibus were killed on Friday in a fatal road accident in Enugu State, south-east Nigeria. The incident occurred at about 7 p.m. at Orie Emene, along Enugu-Abakaliki Expressway in the state. How it happened PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the incident happened when a truck laden with laterite collided with the mini-/bus which stopped along the road for passengers to alight. The mini bus was en route to the Emene Area from Old Park Enugu. A witness, Michael Okechi, told reporters on Saturday that the truck crossed a railway line before hitting the minibus in the area. The truck wasnt speeding, and there was no brake failure, Mr Okechi said. The witness said the police have arrested the truck driver, but expressed fears that the police might compromise. 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 driver must be charged with manslaughter or even first-degree murder. Those three lives lost, along with the two still clinging to life, demand justice, he said. Another witness, who asked not to be named, said a woman and her child sustained injuries in the accident. FRSC speaks When contacted on Saturday evening, the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Enugu State, Frank Agbakoba, confirmed the development to PREMIUM TIMES. Mr Agbakoba, however, said he could not confirm the casualty figure because police operatives had already intervened before FRSC officials arrived at the accident scene. I know there was a crash there. But the police have the details. We will need to get the details from them to know what happened, he said. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The #EndBadGovernance nation-wide mass protests swept through the country from 1 August, for ten days. But, it was not the first popular revolt against neoliberalism, and certainly, will not be the last. It will continue as long as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB) continue imposing its anti-people doctrines on the populace. The 1980s witnessed popular protests against the racist and enslaving structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) of the twin institutions and its implementation by the local military and political ruling elites. In 1986 the General Ibrahim Babangida-led military regime imposed SAP on the populace. This was despite its rejection by Nigerians in a national debate supervised by the regime. They equally expressed readiness to sacrifice to revamp the economy, as long as the IMF and WB were not involved. The junta banned the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in 1986. NANS rejected this and unbanned itself. In March 1988, the regime dissolved the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). It illegally kidnapped and deported non-Nigerian academics like Catharine Adelugba, Patrick Wilmot, and Patrick Heineken, amongst others, on grounds that they were teaching what they are not paid to teach. All these were to pave way for the easy implementation of SAP. But the military actions infuriated students and fired their determination to organise and lead popular struggles against the IMF, WB, and the Babangida junta. The first anti-SAP nationwide protests NANS organised against neoliberalism, was from 13-16 April, 1988 against the two Naira, five Kobo (N2:5K) increase in petrol pump price. NANS argued that the increase would worsened the living conditions of vulnerable peoples; threaten students academic carrier; further concentrate power in the hands of the ruling classes; and subject Nigeria to the dictates of Western powers. 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 protests crept in, sending shockwaves through the entire security forces as they never anticipated it. It signified the beginning of the mass street protests against SAP and neoliberalism. Labour leaders and activists capitalised on the protest to organised wide-cat strikes all over the country. The protest contributed significantly in the release of detained labour leaders and activists; hastened the de-proscription of NLC; and the adoption of many SAP relief measures. NANS rejected these measures, insisting that SAP must be terminated and government should have nothing to do with IMF and WB. It shattered government propaganda on the supposed gains of SAP. Yet, government, as Adebayo Olukoshi and Isah Aremu rightly noted: did not understand the full extent of the determination of Nigerians to resist the implementation of IMF/World Bank adjustment policies. Which was why in1989, NANS organised another national uprising against SAP. The protest ignited the determination of Nigerians to continue struggling against the IMF, WB, and the military regime. Protesting University of Benin students, for instance, sang Peter Toshs Down pressor man, where you gonna run to on that day and Everyone is crying for peace; But none is crying out for justice; I dont want no peace; I need equal rights and justice. Others sang Felas song: uniform nah cloth nah tailor dey sew am. NLC did not sympathise, solidarise or support this student-led uprising. Nevertheless, the protests demystified the military. The African Concord of July 17, 1989 reported: Right, left and centre, the military as an institution is coming under increasing attacks. Its leadership is suspected of not being broad, and its integrity and honesty are being openly questioned. Soldiers in the rank and file are being accused openly of constituting a privileged class, living a life immune from the suffering of their civilian brethren The magazine continued: But there is no denying the groundswell of cynicism and distrust civilians now harbour against the military and their mounting readiness to defy military authorities, and confront soldiers eye-ball to eye-ball. It appears the military uniform that used to make civilians hold soldiers in awe has lost its mystique. Civilians dont anymore run scared when they see soldiers or even their emissaries. Further, from 29 March to 2 April, 1990 students of Ahmadu Bello and Obafemi Awolowo universities embarked on protest-demonstrations against the WB loan for Nigerian universities. Their protests were considered as a dress-rehearsal of a national protest billed to take place from April 28, 1990. Rightly considered as Greek gift, varsities killer loan, and loan of death, the conditionalities for the loan included: increase in tuition fees; commercialisation of facilities; securitisation of all curricula by the WB; elimination of remedial courses, and some undergraduate and post-graduate programmes; and mandatory importation of expatriate staff whose salaries are to be heavily topped, amongst others. The national protest was, however, suspended by NANS, due to the 22 April, 1990 aborted coup, led by Major Gideon Orkar. NANS neither supported the coup plotters nor the regime. It explained: our problems are largely socio-economic in nature and that only a thorough transformation of this under a democratic order can resolve these problems, rather than any campaign of hatred based on ethno-religious passions. The then NANS President, Mahmud Abdul Aminu, also said that: the coup threatened the very existence of Nigeria as a country, the very survival of the NANS as a body of all Nigerian students, the unity and solidarity of Nigerian students, and the struggle of the working and other oppressed peoples of Nigeria. NANS equally reminded Nigerian students and people that: Successive military regimes in Nigeria have proved to be more guilty of the general malaise of power drunken autocracy, violation of human rights, kleptomaniac corruption and unpatriotic capitulation to imperialism. Popular protests against IMF and WB policies will definitely continue in other forms, under different names, and perhaps led by different actors. So the forces committed to emancipatory politics should be prepared for more. There is no easy road to combating IMF and WB neoliberalism in countries like ours, which is humanly and naturally endured. The fact that our ruling classes are highly unpatriotic, parasitic, dependent, intellectually lazy but bloody, destructive and fascist-like, would make the struggles extremely difficult and bloody. But military coup is not an option, just as the current ruling classes are not the solution. Popular struggle for democracy and development is the best option against the IMF, WB and the Nigerian allies. The struggle will not be easy but it is winnable, with better organisation, mobilisation of the vulnerable, clarity of purpose, and regularity of popular protests. There is no easy road to democracy and development. Deregulated struggles are more important than no struggle at all. But the solution is for popular forces to organise nationally, with a common agenda, and build global alliance with forces fighting similar struggles like ours. But just as GOD ALMIGHTY does not charge a people with more than they can bear, so also does HE not change the conditions of a people until they change those conditions within themselves. Conscientisation of Nigerians generally against IMF and WB and their Nigerian puppets must, therefore, be taken seriously, if progress is to be made. Ahmed Aminu-Ramatu Yusuf worked as deputy director, Cabinet Affairs Office, The Presidency, and retired as General Manager (Administration), Nigerian Meteorological Agency, (NiMet). Email: aaramatuyusuf@yahoo.com Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Official Statement from Matrix Energy Group Our attention has been drawn to a recent online publication where our name was featured. We would have loved to ignore the tissue of lies spewed in the publication but the need to set the records straight and facts from sensation behoves on us to address the matter, as well as the need to protect and uphold the integrity of the brand and reputation we have meticulously built over the past 20 years. Matrix Energy Group is a wholly indigenous and independent oil marketing and trading company, with substantial investments in strategic infrastructure, including vessels, oil and gas terminals, trucks, and retail outlets across 28 states, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Our company is recognized and approved by global international companies, national oil companies, major construction firms, and various end-users. Our consistent ability to deliver on all contracts at competitive prices has solidified our strong position in the industry today. The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) is the sole regulatory body empowered by the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) to issue import licenses and enforce the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) product specifications. Matrix Energy has consistently imported products that meet the approved specifications, and we have never been found wanting in this regard. Our commitment to quality is reflected in the fact that none of our customers have ever rejected our products; indeed, demand for Matrix products often exceeds our capacity to supply, a testament to our reputation for reliability. This success is equally reflected in our fertilizer businesses. Our depots boast a storage capacity of 150 million liters of liquid products, including LPG and bitumen. However, contrary to the claims made in the aforementioned publication, we did not discharge 200,000 metric tons of PMS into our facility in July 2024. While we have the capacity and customer base to handle such volumes, Matrix Energy has never imported or distributed any substandard cargo in our two decades of operation. Our quality test has never been doubted by the regulators and Nigerians who have found a partner in us. It is important to note that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) recently introduced its Utapate crude oil blend from OML 13. NNPC traditionally tenders its free crude cargoes , and any company that wins the tender is operating within the law. Matrix Energy like other companies also won the tenders. As a people oriented company that operates above board and in line with international best practices, we welcome constructive criticisms. Our Chief Executive Officer, Abdulkabir Adisa Aliu is a talented and dedicated Nigerian with the right to associate freely as well as trade freely in any part of the world. Like he stated in his presentation before the Nigerian Senate, we are not aware that Nigerian companies have been banned from bringing in legitiate and standard products from outside the country and until such is done, we will continue to serve the public with best quality products. Those who know our CEO understands that he is far from lazy; rather, he is deeply committed to making a positive impact. His selection by Mr. President to serve as a member of the Economic Coordination Council is a recognition of his dedication to shared values and his commitment to the betterment of Nigeria in the Renewed Hope Agenda , for which he remains deeply grateful. Matrix Energy Group remains steadfast in our commitment to supporting Nigeria by ensuring the availability of petroleum products at competitive prices, in alignment with Mr. Presidents vision for the country. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Signed, Management, Matrix Energy Group Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print An Executive Bill which seeks to overhaul revenue administration in Nigeria, including regulation of the cryptocurrency industry, is being put together for transmission to the National Assembly, chairperson of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zacch Adedeji, has disclosed. Mr Adedeji made the disclosure on Saturday at a stakeholders engagement with a joint committee of the National Assembly on Finance held at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos. A statement by Dare Adekanmbi, Special Adviser on Media to the FIRS Chairperson, quoted him as saying that the aim of the bill is to, among others, simplify tax laws, harmonise collection of revenue as well as seek the replacement of obsolete tax laws with new ones in line with the current economic realities. By the special grace of the Almighty God, we will bring a bill for a law to overhaul the whole process of revenue administration in Nigeria. Part of what we intend to achieve with this is to harmonise revenue collection, making tax laws very simple to understand and to be in tune with our current realities. For example, the Stamp Duty Act was made in 1939 when there was no Internet connectivity or any of the features of modern society as we have it now. Even in 1939, states and local government councils had not been created. So, we need to bring that law up to date. This is one of the reasons President Bola Tinubu set up the Taiwo Oyedele-led Fiscal Policy and Tax Reform Committee to look into all these laws and make recommendations. Today, we cannot run away from the cryptocurrency ecosystem because it is the in-thing. But as it stands in Nigeria today, there is no law that regulates cryptocurrency operations. We need a law that regulates that area of our economy. This is why we are having this engagement with the legislators. We will regulate it in a way that is not injurious to the economic development of 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 These are some of the things we are bringing together in an Executive Bill to overhaul revenue administration for the development of the country, the FIRS chairperson said. On the revenue target of N19.4 trillion set for FIRS in 2024, Mr Adedeji said the revenue-collection agency is on course to achieve the target. We set a target of N19.4 trillion for ourselves. We are almost in the third quarter of the year and with the figures we are seeing so far, I can say we are on the path of achieving our target, he said. Commending FIRS for organising the stakeholders meeting, the Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance, Sani Musa said that FIRS should be the regulating and collecting agency for all taxes for the Federation, noting that the National Single Window programme will address the inefficiency in revenue collection in the country. This is another opportunity for us as lawmakers to listen, learn and contribute on how best to support the FIRS to achieve its target. It is also an opportunity for FIRS to share its challenges, successes and strategies for the future. By working together, we can ensure that FIRS is fully equipped to maximise not only collection but also provide the needed resources for national development and public welfare, Mr Musa said. His counterpart in the House of Representatives, James Faleke, who was represented by another member of the House, Kalejaiye Paul, commended Mr Adedejis leadership at FIRS. According to him, the effective collaboration between FIRS and joint committee of the National Assembly on Finance is a good thing. It is very important to note that everyone wants to go to heaven, but they dont want to die. Everyone wants improvement and development in the Federation, but nobody wants to contribute to the purse. We are much more interested in sharing, but nobody wants to contribute, forgetting that the developed nations we talk about today were developed based on the resources that every citizen put into the purse. That, of course, is a task that is challenging for the FIRS. But I must commend the civility and professionalism by which the FIRS carries out its responsibilities because in a time like this, the most difficult thing to do is to ask people to pay. Like the Chairman Senate Committee said, I want to say that the House of Representatives will be there for you all the time. We will cooperate and collaborate with you in moving Nigeria forward, Mr Faleke added. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Gunmen have killed a police operative in Nobi, a community in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State, Nigerias South-east. The incident, PREMIUM TIMES gathered, occurred on Friday evening when the hoodlums invaded a police checkpoint close to Nnobi Divisional Police Headquarters in the state. The attack occurred after gunmen recently invaded another police checkpoint in Uruagu Community in Nnewi North Local Government Area of the state. A police operative was killed in the attack which occurred on 9 August. How the latest attack happened Sources said the armed men had entered the community earlier on Friday and forced themselves into a compound near the checkpoint. They broke a wall through which they entered the compound and forced the occupants to open the gate to drive in their vehicle. They collected phones belonging to the occupants and forced them into a room and warned them not to raise the alarm otherwise they would be killed, the source 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 added that the hoodlums later invaded the checkpoint and opened fire on the operatives, killing one of them on the spot. Police speak When contacted on Saturday, the police spokesperson in Anambra State, Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the attack and killing of the operative to PREMIUM TIMES. Mr Ikenga, a superintendent of police, said the Commissioner of Police in the state, Nnaghe Itam, has ordered an operation to track down the killers. That incident is a pure example of sacrifices that police officers and other security agencies pay to ensure security in the country, especially here in Anambra, but were not deterred by the situation, he said. Increased attacks Like other states in Nigerias South-east, security has deteriorated in Anambra State with frequent attacks by armed persons. The attacks often target security agencies, government officials and facilities. The latest attack occurred two days after gunmen abducted eight people during a traditional ceremony on Wednesday in Amakor village, Nanka, a community in Orumba North Local Government Area of the state. The Nigerian government has accused the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) of being responsible for the deadly attacks in the region. But the group has repeatedly denied any involvement in the attacks. IPOB is a group leading agitation for an independent state of Biafra which it wants carved out from the South-east and some parts of the South-south Nigeria. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Following the recent hurriedly passed amendment to the Police Act 2020 by Nigerian lawmakers, a human rights group, Human Rights Monitoring Agenda (HURMA), has advised President Bola Tinubu not to assent to the bill, describing it as self-serving and an attempt to circumvent the law. The group, led by its Executive Director, Buna Balogun at a press conference in Lagos on Friday, said the bill was aimed at elongating the tenure of the incumbent Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, beyond the stipulated retirement age of 60 years or 35 years in service. The group said Mr Egbetokun, by his record, was born on 4 September 1964, and is due to retire from service on 4 September, when he is expected to clock 60 years of age. HURMA said its action became necessary so as to prevent internal conspiracy and disloyalty within the police force. Mr Balogun was joined at the briefing by other members of the groups leadership including a member of its legal team and principal partner of Lekan Alabi Chambers, Lekan Alabi. Backstory There had been an allegation of scheming by the IGP to elongate his tenure in office. But earlier in July, the police reportedly denied the allegation, saying Mr Egbetokun was committed to his statutory responsibility of protecting Nigerians. However, later in July, and in about 24 hours, both the House of Representatives and the Senate passed a bill to create a new Section 18(8A) that gives IGPs special civil service rights and enforces Section 7 of the Act. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later In the principal Act, Section 18(8) states: Every police officer shall, on recruitment or appointment, serve in the Nigeria Police Force for a period of 35 years or until he attains the age of 60 years, whichever is earlier. Notwithstanding the provisions of sub-section (8) of this section, any person appointed to the office of Inspector General of Police shall remain in office until the end of the term stipulated in the letter of appointment in line with the provisions of Section 7(6) of this Act, the new bill reads. The President appointed Mr Egbetokun as the IGP alongside four new service chiefs in June 2023, and was confirmed by the National Assembly in November. In compliance with Section 18(8) of the Police Act 2020, Mr Egbetokun, who was born on September 4, 1964, is expected to retire in September 2024 at the age of 60. The National Assemblys decision was in consideration and approval of Mr Tinubus request, seeking an amendment to the Police Act, to reflect on the tenure of the IGP. The bill, according to the lawmaker, seeks to guarantee the tenure of the IGP and enhance police operations by promoting accountability, modernising policing methods and fostering a more harmonious relationship between the police and the community. But if assented to by Mr Tinubu, the IGP may remain in office for an unknown number of years indicated in Mr Egbetokuns letter of appointment when he assumed office in 2023. HURMA kicks The rights group insisted that the bill violates the due process of law and was an attempt to bypass the constitution, urging the President to withhold his assent in order to uphold the principle of due process. While stressing that there was no public hearing in the passage of the bill, HURMA said it was prepared to seek legal redress towards ensuring justice in the appointment of an IGP. In his address at the press conference, HURMA Executive Director, Mr Balogun said: Mr Kayode Egbetokun was appointed as Inspector General of Police in the year 2023, to hold office till his retirement upon 35 years in service or attainment of the age of 60. By Mr Kayode Egbetokuns official records, he is due for retirement by September 2024 when he attains the age of 60, having been born on the 4 September 1964. Our concern is that Mr Kayode Egbetokun should have proceeded on his terminal leave and handed over to another credible officer to hold forth in an acting capacity before the appointment of a substantive Inspector General of Police in line with the provision of Section 215(1) of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as altered. It is amazing to note the overzealousness of the distinguished members of the National Assembly in passing a bill to amend the Nigeria Police Act, 2020, to accommodate sit tightism of Mr Kayode Egbetokun in office despite the attainment of mandatory 60 years of age. We have serious grounds to doubt the democratic credentials and loyalty of our lawmakers to the Nigerian people because of the jet speed they used in passing the Amendment Bill without public hearings, Mr Balogun said. HURMA said the amendment is full of flaws, even as it condemned what it described as the jet speed with which the law was passed, saying; If assented to by Mr President, the law is liable to be nullified in a court of competent jurisdiction if and when challenged by us as patriotic Nigerians. The best decision for Mr President in the circumstance, is to withhold his consent to the Amendment Bill of Police Act, 2020, passed by the National Assembly as it is self-serving and unpatriotic. It is a violation of the law of the land to bend the law to serve the interest of an individual to remain in office. More importantly, the Amendment Bill of Police Act, 2020 cannot take a retroactive effect to enable Mr Egbetokun to benefit from the flawed amendment process unless Mr. President wants to circumvent the due process of law, Mr Balogun added. HURMA lawyer commends Tinubu over appointment of CJN, HoS Meanwhile, in his contributions during the press conference, a member of HURMA legal team, Mr Alabi, commended President Tinubu for what he described as the sustenance of rule of law and due process in the selection process of a new Head of Civil Service of the Federation and the Chief Justice of Nigeria. Mr Alabi said the process has been seen to be flawless and should be emulated in other offices, ministries, departments and agencies of government. Mr President has demonstrated strength of character in the most recent seamless and noiseless succession plans of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation and the Chief Justice of the Federation. We state that there should not be an exception to the police institution, HURMA noted in its statement. Mr Alabi said HURMA has written to Mr Tinubu to register its complaint against the amendment bill and notify him of its intention to seek legal redress. He said: We are going to fight this to a logical conclusion on behalf of many patriotic Nigerians. We need a new police command that is ready to work in the interest of the people. The police should follow due process. There is a time to say bye to service. Let other people try. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Honoring community favorite top-rated charities across four size categories NEW YORK, Aug. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- To celebrate National Nonprofit Day, Charity Navigator is proud to announce the winners of its second annual Community Choice Awards , which recognize and celebrate the exceptional work of top-rated charities. Each of the winning organizations has earned Charity Navigator's highly valued four-star rating across all four beacons : Leadership & Adaptability, Accountability & Finance, Culture & Community, and Impact & Measurement. The winners were determined by the total number of votes received by supporters within each revenue size-based category. With over 74,000 votes cast, the following organizations won: Small-Sized Category: Rainbow Place Shelter A winter emergency overnight shelter for homeless women in Montgomery County, MD, Rainbow Place focuses on keeping women safe during the harsh winter months and helps them transition out of homelessness. Medium-Sized Category: Fellow Mortals - Provides professional medical and support services for 2,000 wild animals annually from 120 communities in Wisconsin and Illinois; wildlife education and assistance provided 365 days a year; online educational and instructional tools to assist the public in preventing unnecessary injury and orphaning of wildlife. Large-Sized Category: Center for Biological Diversity Works to secure a future for all species, great and small, hovering on the brink of extinction, through science, law, and creative media, with a focus on protecting the lands, waters, and climate that species need to survive. Super-Sized Category: PAN Foundation - Helps underinsured people with life-threatening, chronic, and rare diseases get the medications and treatments they need by assisting with their out-of-pocket costs and advocating for improved access and affordability. "The Community Choice Awards shine a light on outstanding charities making a difference in their communities. Congratulations to the winners and all the nominees for this year's awards," says Michael Thatcher, President & CEO of Charity Navigator. "A huge thank you to all who voted and participated, and please remember that your action drives change." Winning organizations will be prominently featured on Charity Navigator's Popular Charities section for one year with enhanced visibility on all platforms. This includes an email to Charity Navigator's extensive list of donors, top placement on the website, social media highlights, and potential for media visibility. To learn more, visit charitynavigator.org . About Charity Navigator Charity Navigator is a 501(c)(3) organization that guides intelligent giving with the nation's largest, most comprehensive charity evaluation tool. The organization helps donors easily identify U.S.-registered charities making a difference on the issues they care about most while helping charities better understand their donors, deliver on impact, increase awareness and build trust. Learn more at charitynavigator.org . SOURCE Charity Navigator LOS ANGELES, Aug. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- China Southern Airlines successfully hosted a Guangzhou tourism promotion event in Los Angeles, spotlighting the city's unique attractions and the premium services offered by China Southern. The event attended by local travel agents, media, and travel enthusiasts, introduced Guangzhou's renowned landmarks, culinary delights, a vibrant array of Lingnan cultural performances, including traditional guzheng music and dynamic dance routines, and travel conveniences. Highlights included the 144-hour visa-free transit policy and a complimentary one-day tour, emphasizing Guangzhou's status as a premier global destination. Attendees also received updates on China Southern's latest North American flight information, product offerings, and exclusive benefits for Sky Pearl Club members. Li Xiang, General Manager of China Southern Airlines North America Region, emphasized the airline's commitment to cultural exchange and exceptional service in his opening speech. "China Southern Airlines is dedicated to expanding our international network and enhancing our service quality to bridge cultures and markets across the globe," said Xiang. "Today's event reflects our commitment to showcasing Gurangzhou's rich cultural heritage while upholding our core values of hospitality and excellence. We are proud to offer North American travelers a gateway to experience Guangzhou's charm and to enjoy our outstanding service." This event aligns with China Southern Airlines' brand goal to become a globally renowned airline, as well as its positioning as an industry leader in the aviation field. China Southern prides itself on its brand personality of reliability, warmth, and vitality, which are evident in both its services and cultural exchanges. With the brand slogan, "Flying Towards a Better Future," the airline aims to connect cultures, build relationships, and provide an exceptional flying experience for travelers. Reflecting China Southern Airlines' corporate culture of innovation and customer-centricity, the promotional event successfully elevated Guangzhou's profile in the North American market. It underscored the airline's dedication to connecting diverse cultures and delivering a superior travel experience, consistent with its values of integrity, excellence, and respect for cultural diversity. For more information, visit the China Southern Airlines website at csair.com/us. About China Southern Airlines China Southern Airlines is one of China's largest airlines, known for its extensive international route network and modern service facilities. As a leading global airline, China Southern is dedicated to providing exceptional customer experiences and continuously advancing its international development strategy. SOURCE China Southern Airlines Dan Vallo (Acoma Pueblo) is awarded Best of Show at Santa Fe Indian Market's 2024 Awards Ceremony in the Diverse Arts Classification SANTA FE, N.M., Aug. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Santa Fe Indian Market is pleased to announce this year's Best of Show, Best of Classification, and Special Award winners in a variety of classifications. Since 1922, Santa Fe Indian Market, the world's largest and most prestigious Native North American art market, has awarded Best of Show winners to exceptional Native North American artists in a variety of juried categories. Dan Vallo, Best of Show 2024 , "Pueblo Revolt" Tira Howard Photography for SWAIA. Over 50 judges, experts in various media, spent most of the day Thursday, August 15, reviewing and critiquing this year's entries and determining the winners. The announcement of the Best of Show, Best of Class, and Special Award winners was made public at the Best of Show Ceremony on Friday afternoon. All the Best of Show winners' extraordinary artwork is available this weekend during the Santa Fe Indian Market on the Plaza in downtown Santa Fe. The 2024 Best of Classification winners are: Class I: Jewelry Winner: Sarah Aragon (Navajo Nation) Title: Back in the Saddle Horse Headstall with silver female ring bit Dimensions: 33" x 9" x 6" Materials: Handcrafted sterling silver from Tufa cast ingots, shaped by chiseling, chasing, and filing secured on a leather headstall. Stone inlay work of Mediterranean coral, Castle Dome turquoise, Morenci turquoise, Kingman turquoise, Persian turquoise, and Carico Lake turquoise. Class II: Pottery Winner: Garrett Maho (Hopi) Title: Gentle Rain hand-built pot Dimensions: 11" diameter Materials: traditional clay, paints, and paint brushes. Stones used to polish. Outdoor traditional wood and dung firing. All natural pigments. Class III: Painting, Drawing, Graphics & Photography Winner: Johnson Yazzie (Navajo Nation) Title: AM 660 Afternoon painting Dimensions: 53" x 48" Materials: acrylic and oil canvas. Class IV: Wooden Pueblo Figurative Carving & Sculpture Winner: Arthur Holmes Jr. (Hopi) Title: Chasing Star Na-ngashu Katsina Chasing Star is a handsome figure who usually appears during mix-dance Dimensions: 16 " x 5 " Materials: Carved from roots of a cottonwood tree, oil paint. Class V: Sculpture Winner: Ryan Benally (Navajo Nation) Title: Feathered Prayers Sculpture inspired by the Navajo feather ceremony Dimensions: 63.5" x 24" x 24" Materials: Italian marble, black granite, stainless steel base, CNC cut design on the base, carved with hammer and chisel, electric power tools, and hand-polished to 8000 grit. Class VI: Textiles Winner: Isabel Gonzales (Jemez Pueblo / Walatowa) UntitledHand-embroidered ladies' manta with a traditional pattern Dimensions: 60" w x 48" l Materials: Cotton monks' cloth, hand-spun yarn on drop spindle, commercial yarn. Class VII: Diverse Arts Winner: Dan Vallo (Acoma Pueblo) Best of Show Title: Pueblo Revolt Ensemble rendition of a set of weapons used by many Pueblo warriors during the time of the Pueblo Revolt Dimensions: 66" x 14" x 5" Materials: Obsidian flint knapped dagger, handle made of yucca cord encased in clear resin, Juniper bow backed with over 150 wild turkey feathers, handmade twisted bow string, rawhide quiver, red cedar wood arrows. Class VIII: Beadwork & Quillwork Winner: Monica J. Raphael (Grand Traverse Ottowa / Chippewa) Title: Indede Odayi - My Dad's Horse Bead and quillwork on birchbark displayed on a horse mannequin with a handmade doll Dimensions: 18 " x 19" Materials: Woodland porcupine quillwork on birch bark. Otter hide, smoked deer hide, replica dimes, and a found horse as a mannequin wearing a miniature saddle. Doll constructed with brains tan smoked deer hide. All natural materials, harvested and prepared by artist. Class IX: Youth (Artists aged 17 and under) Winner: Aydrian Day (Ho-Chunk, Anishinaabe and Lakota) Title: HoCak Manape (translates to Ho-Chunk warrior)Otter turban and Otter medicine bag Dimensions: 8" x 12" x 6" and 11" x 8" Materials: Otter pelts, smoked hide, commercial hide, and cotton. Seed and true cut bead adornments. Class XI: Basketry Winner: Caleb Hoffman, (Cherokee/ Penobscot) Title: Embers hand-pounded ash point basket with sweetgrass Dimensions: 8" diameter Materials: Double-woven, plated-point basket, inspired by teacher, Jeremy Frey. 2024 Special Award Winners Excellence in traditional Hopi carvings: Wayland Namingha Excellence in lapidary: Ernest Benally Excellence in contemporary Hopi carvings: Mark Taho Traditional Pottery Award: Robert Patricio Mark Tahbo Memorial Award: Garrett Maho Tony Da' Memorial Award: Jared Tso Make Me Smile Youth Award: Suyma Maho Margaret Tafoya Memorial Award: Nancy Youngblood Sarafina Tafoya Memorial Award: Sergio Lugo Mela Youngblood Memorial Award: Daniel Begay Oqwa Pi Memorial Award for Excellence in Traditional Pueblo Painting: Thomas Tapia Anita Da' Memorial Award to Encourage the Work of a Young Potter: Xavian Suazo IAIA Alumni Award: Adrian Wall The Native American Art Magazine Award of Excellence: Merlin Little Thunder Santa Fe Indian Market's Best of Show Ceremony was sponsored by JoAnn and Bob Balzer and the Best of Show Luncheon was sponsored by the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA). SWAIA is grateful for these generous contributions. A complete list of winners in all classifications will be posted on the SWAIA website this week. Congratulations to all the winners! About SWAIA: The Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA) is a non-profit organization supporting Native American arts and culture. It creates economic and cultural opportunities for Native North American artists by producing and promoting the Santa Fe Indian Market the biggest and most prestigious Indian art event in the world since 1922. SWAIA cultivates excellence and innovation across traditional and non-traditional art forms and develops programs and events that support, promote and honor Native American artists year-round. swaia.org IG: santafeindianmarket SOURCE Southwestern Association for Indian Arts NEW YORK, Aug. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Seritage Growth Properties ("Seritage" or the "Company") (NYSE: SRG). Such investors are advised to contact Danielle Peyton at [email protected] or 646-581-9980, (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased. The class action concerns whether Seritage and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. You have until August 30, 2024 , to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class if you are a shareholder who purchased or otherwise acquired Seritage securities during the Class Period. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. [Click here for information about joining the class action] On August 14, 2023, after the market closed, Seritage revealed that there was a "material weakness" in the Company's 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." Moreover, the deficiency related "to the failure to identify potential indicators of impairment related to development projects in a timely manner." On this news, Seritage's stock price fell $0.86 per share, or 9.67%, to close at $8.03 per share on August 15, 2023. Then, on May 10, 2024, after the market closed, Seritage released its first quarter 2024 financial results, revealing it was "adjusting [its] pricing projections for some of [its] assets." As a result, the gross value of the Company's portfolio of assets was reduced by at least $325 million. On this news, Seritage's stock price fell $2.54 per share, or 27.3%, to close at $6.78 per share on May 13, 2024. Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered billions of dollars in damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. CONTACT: Danielle Peyton Pomerantz LLP [email protected] 646-581-9980 ext. 7980 SOURCE Pomerantz LLP NEW YORK, Aug. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Toyota Motor Corporation ("Toyota" or the "Company") (NYSE: TM). Such investors are advised to contact Danielle Peyton at [email protected] or 646-581-9980, (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased. The class action concerns whether Toyota and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. You have until August 23, 2024 , to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class if you are a shareholder who purchased or otherwise acquired Toyota securities during the Class Period. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. [Click here for information about joining the class action] On June 3, 2024, Toyota filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission an English translation of an announcement that Toyota filed with the Tokyo Stock Exchange earlier that day. Toyota's announcement said that after "investigat[ing] its model certification applications as per instructions from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT)", Toyota discovered that "seven models . . . were tested using methods that differed from the government standards[.]" That same day, The New York Times published an article entitled "Toyota and Other Japanese Carmakers Say They Mishandled Safety Tests." The article reported that "Toyota [. . .] and other top Japanese automakers [acknowledged] that internal investigations found they had mishandled vehicle testing on dozens of models over the past decade." Further, "Toyota said it had failed to gather proper data when doing pedestrian and occupant safety tests for three models, including its popular Yaris Cross sport utility vehicle." On this news, Toyota's American depositary share ("ADS") price fell $5.34 per ADS, or 2.45%, to close at $212.17 per ADS on June 3, 2024. Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered billions of dollars in damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. CONTACT: Danielle Peyton Pomerantz LLP [email protected] 646-581-9980 ext. 7980 SOURCE Pomerantz LLP NEW YORK, Aug. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against CVS Health Corporation ("CVS" or the "Company") (NYSE: CVS) and certain officers. The class action, filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and docketed under 24-cv-05303, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities other than Defendants that purchased or otherwise acquired CVS securities between May 3, 2023 and April 30, 2024, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), seeking to recover damages caused by Defendants' violations of the federal securities laws and to pursue remedies under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act") and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, against the Company and certain of its top officials. If you are a shareholder who purchased or otherwise acquired CVS securities during the Class Period, you have until September 10, 2024 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Danielle Peyton at [email protected] or 646-581-9980 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased. [Click here for information about joining the class action] CVS is a healthcare company that operates through three primary segments: Health Care Benefits, Health Services, and Pharmacy & Consumer Wellness. The Health Care Benefits segment purportedly offers "a broad range of traditional, voluntary and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental and behavioral health plans, medical management capabilities, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement plans, [prescription drug plans] and Medicaid health care management services." The Health Care Benefits segment's revenues consist almost entirely of insurance premiums paid by customers. The pricing and other terms of the Company's private health insurance plans are typically determined in advance of a plan's policy period, which is typically one year. CVS determines premiums for these plans based on internal forecasts that consider historical data and the profitability of which are dependent on the Company's ability to accurately model, among other things, medical cost trends and health care utilization patterns. Generally, a fixed premium rate is determined at the beginning of the policy period. To the extent that unmodeled-for increases in the costs of health care and other benefits arise during a given policy period, CVS is ultimately responsible for the payment of those costs. Accordingly, the profitability of the Health Care Benefits segment is particularly sensitive to the accuracy of its cost forecasts. The Complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company's business, operations, and compliance policies. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) the forecasts CVS used to determine plan premiums were ineffective at accounting for medical cost trends and health care utilization patterns; (ii) as a result, CVS was likely to incur significant expenses to cover cost increases that were not accounted for in the Company's forecasts and thus not covered by plan premiums; (iii) accordingly, CVS had overstated the profitability of its Health Care Benefits segment; (iv) contrary to Defendants' assurances, the revenues generated from the Company's other primary segments were insufficient to offset the negative financial impact of the increasing expenditures within the Health Care Benefits segment; and (v) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. On August 2, 2023, CVS issued a press release announcing the Company's results for the quarter ended June 30, 2023, which revealed that the Company was revising its diluted earnings-per-share ("EPS") guidance range to $6.53 to $6.75 from $6.90 to $7.12. In a Quarterly Report filed on Form 10-Q the United States Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") that same day, CVS stated that operating income, which has a direct impact on EPS, "decreased $1.4 billion, or 30.7%, in the three months ended June 30, 2023 compared to the prior year primarily due to declines in the Health Care Benefits segment[.]" On this news, CVS's stock price fell $2.04 per share, or 2.73%, to close at $72.32 per share on August 3, 2023. Then, on November 1, 2023, CVS issued a press release announcing the Company's results for the quarter ended September 30, 2023, which revealed that the Company was again reducing its diluted EPS guidance range to $6.37 to $6.61 from $6.53 to $6.75. In a Quarterly Report filed on Form 10-Q with the SEC that same day, CVS stated that while operating income increased "in the nine months ended September 30, 2023 compared to the prior year [. . .] [t]hese increases in operating income were partially offset by declines in the Health Care Benefits segment." Then, on February 7, 2024, CVS issued a press release announcing the Company's results for the year ended December 31, 2023 which revealed that the Company was revising its diluted EPS guidance range to at least $7.06 from at least $7.26, its adjusted EPS guidance range to at least $8.30 from at least $8.50, and its cash flow from operations guidance to at least $12.0 billion from at least $12.5 billion. In an Annual Report filed on Form 10-K with the SEC that same day reporting the Company's financial and operational results for the year ended December 31, 2023, CVS stated that, while operating income increased in 2023 compared to 2022, "[t]hese increases in operating income were partially offset by declines in the Health Care Benefits segment." Moreover, in a conference call held with investors and analysts that same day to discuss the Company's 2023 results, CVS's Chief Financial Officer Defendant Thomas F. Cowhey stated, in relevant part, "we now expect adjusted operating income for the Healthcare Benefit segment to be at least $5.4 billion, a decrease of $370 million from our prior estimates." On this news, CVS's stock price fell $0.96 per share, or 1.27%, to close at $74.36 per share on February 8, 2024. Finally, on May 1, 2024, CVS issued a press release reporting its results for the quarter ended March 31, 2024 and revising its full-year 2024 guidance. Among other items, CVS reported $88.4 billion in revenue, missing expectations of $89 billion. The Company stated that higher utilization of healthcare services, meaning more insurance dollars spent, weighed on its results in addition to Medicare reimbursement rate cuts that will continue to pressure CVS for the remainder of the year. Accordingly, CVS issued revised full-year 2024 guidance, including "[r]evised GAAP diluted EPS guidance to at least $5.64 from at least $7.06"; "[r]evised Adjusted EPS guidance to at least $7.00 from at least $8.30"; and "[r]evised cash flow from operations guidance to at least $10.5 billion from at least $12.0 billion". Further, in a Quarterly Report filed on Form 10-Q with the SEC that same day, CVS stated that operating income decreased $1.2 billion, or 34.1% "in in the three months ended March 31, 2024, primarily due to increased Medicare utilization, the unfavorable impact of the previously disclosed decline in the Company's 2024 Medicare Advantage star ratings and a year-over-year unfavorable impact from development of prior-years' health care cost estimates in the Health Care Benefits segment." On this news, CVS's stock price fell $11.40 per share, or 16.84%, to close at $56.31 per share on May 1, 2024. Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered billions of dollars in damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. CONTACT: Danielle Peyton Pomerantz LLP [email protected] 646-581-9980 ext. 7980 SOURCE Pomerantz LLP Gandhinagar, Aug 16 : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and accused her of encouraging violent activities to appease her vote-bank. "West Bengal Police initially registered the incident as a natural death, despite clear evidence of rape and murder. Mamata Banerjee is encouraging violent activities to appease her vote-bank," said BJP National Spokesperson Gopal Krishna Agarwal while addressing media persons along with the State General Secretary and Headquarters Incharge Rajni Patel. Agarwal pointed out that the victim's family was informed that their daughter had committed suicide and when they arrived at the hospital they were made to wait for three hours before any information was provided. He also noted that the college principal involved in the case resigned following public outrage only to be appointed to another hospital raising suspicions of a cover-up. "Why the case was not handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and why forensic experts were not involved in the investigation," said Agarwal. He emphasised that the High Court had also criticised the handling of the case in strong terms. "Mamata Banerjee is shielding the accused, many of whom are allegedly connected to Trinamool leaders and local police," he said. He said that similar incidents, including the public disrobing of opposition party supporters and the rape of a 14-year-old girl in 2021, demonstrate a pattern of violence and impunity in the state. "Mamata Banerjee is working ruthlessly to weaken the nation through her political strategies including facilitating the infiltration of Bangladeshis into Bengal under the guise of secularism," Agarwal claimed. He also called for exemplary punishment for the perpetrators of such heinous crimes and urged the public to hold Mamata Banerjee accountable for the deteriorating law and order situation in West Bengal. He also criticised Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi for his "delayed" response to the incident accusing the opposition of being complicit in a larger conspiracy to weaken the country. Lucknow, Aug 17 : The Allahabad High Court has directed the Uttar Pradesh government to prepare a fresh selection list for the appointment of 69,000 assistant teachers in the state. The court has set aside the selection lists issued in June 2020 and January 2022, which included 6,800 candidates. A bench comprising Justice A.R. Masoodi and Justice Brijraj Singh issued the order while disposing of 90 special appeals filed by Mahendra Pal and others, challenging a single-judge order of March 13 last year. The court directed that while preparing the new selection list, any adverse impact on the currently working assistant teachers should be mitigated by allowing them to complete the ongoing academic session. This is intended to prevent disruption in the students' education, it said. The latest order was uploaded on the court's website on Friday. The bench also revised the earlier order and said reserved category candidates who qualify for the general category merit list should be migrated to that category. The appellants had challenged the single-judge's decision, arguing that the reservation provided by state officials in the selection of 69,000 teachers was not accurate, and questioned the validity of the appointment of the 6,800 teachers. The single-judge had ruled that candidates who benefited from reservations in the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) should not be considered under the unreserved category, even if they scored the cut-off marks for the general category. However, the current bench has now clarified that reserved category candidates should be migrated to the general category if they meet the merit criteria. In addition, the benefit of vertical reservation should also be extended to horizontal reservation categories, it added. The court upheld the single-judge's decision to cancel the January 5, 2022, selection list of 6,800 candidates belonging to the reserved category. The bench instructed the state government and other authorities concerned to complete the process of issuing a new selection list within three months. The court's decision is expected to have a significant impact on the ongoing assistant teacher recruitment process in Uttar Pradesh. Jaipur, Aug 17 : Amid the communal tension which flared up in Rajasthan's Udaipur after a class 10 student stabbed a minor boy at a government school, the district administration has announced that all schools and colleges in the city will remain closed on Saturday. The District Magistrate has also imposed Section 144 as well as issued prohibitory orders to maintain law and order in the city. The district administration has also suspended internet services for the next 24 hours from 10 p.m. on Friday which will continue till Saturday. Divisional Commissioner Rajendra Bhatt has issued an order to shut down internet services in Bedla, Badgaon, Balicha, Debari, Eklingpura, Kanpur, Dhikali and Bhuwana areas in Udaipur for 24 hours from Friday. The time for restoration of services can also be extended as per the need, said sources. However, the lease line services will remain operational during this time. Minister of State for Home Affairs, Jawahar Singh Bedham, said that the student injured in the clash is being treated in a hospital under the supervision of senior doctors. "Our priority is to save the child's life. The Chief Minister is keeping an eye on the incident. I am constantly in touch with the district administration. The government will take strict action against the criminals. Appeal to all to maintain peace." A fight between two school students led to communal tension in Udaipur on Friday. One of the injured students, Devraj, was rushed to the hospital where he is undergoing treatment. The accused student who fled soon after attacking his classmate has been detained and an investigation is underway, said District Collector Arvind Poswal. As a mark of protest, Hindu organisations appealed to shopkeepers to shut their shops in Chetak Circle, Hathipol, Ashwini Bazaar, Bapu Bazaar and Ghantaghar areas. The traders shut down their shops. Protesting against the attack, the mob pelted stones and ransacked a shopping mall. Vehicles were set on fire and large police force was deputed to avert any further untoward incident. The police had to resort to a lathicharge to disperse the enraged mob. District Collector Poswal has urged the people not to pay attention to rumours. He along with Superintendent of Police Yogesh Goyal reached the MB Hospital where the injured student is undergoing treatment. The boy will recover soon, said Poswal. Most of the markets have been closed. Police teams are monitoring the situation closely. 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. Kolkata, Aug 17 : West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose ramped up his attacks on the state government for its inability to maintain law and order, describing the situation as bizarre. In a scathing statement on Friday, he argued that the public is unable to distinguish between criminals and police. The Governor's remarks came after an unidentified mob vandalised the RG Kar Hospital campus on August 14, causing extensive damage to the protest site, vehicles, and public property. Speaking to the media, Governor Bose said, "The government is primarily responsible for this; there is no law and order in the state." Governor Bose asserted that public confidence had been severely shaken, accusing authorities of attempting to mislead people by framing the incident as a suicide. He emphasised the need to correct the administration and properly establish law and order in West Bengal, expressing his concerns about the handling of the vandalism and the rape-murder case of a trainee doctor. Pointing to the deliberate tampering and destruction of evidence, Governor Bose highlighted the public's dissatisfaction with the police's inaction. During a visit to RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, he learned that nursing students had been threatened with rape, describing the scene as humiliating and depressing. The Governor urged the government to listen to the demands for justice from the youth, stressing their pivotal role in society's future. He has requested a report on the incident from the government and expressed optimism about the judiciary's role following the case's transfer to the CBI. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused political rivals of fomenting unrest in Bengal, as the Kolkata Police arrested 25 suspects involved in the vandalism. Additionally, the CBI summoned four doctors from the hospital amid the ongoing protests over the rape-murder case, which has garnered nationwide attention. United Nations, Aug 17 : A human rights team from the world organisation will visit Dhaka next week to discuss with the interim government investigations into the human rights violations during the recent unrest in Bangladesh, according to a UN Spokesperson. The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, discussed with Bangladesh interim leader Muhammad Yunus "a comprehensive range of support that the UN Human Rights Office could provide to the interim government and the transition, including on accountability issues," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq said on Friday. The team visiting Bangladesh will discuss with the interim government "areas of support and the modalities for an investigation of human rights violations in the context of the recent violence and unrest," Haq said. Turk said in a statement issued in Geneva, "A comprehensive, impartial, and transparent investigation into all human rights violations and abuses that have occurred will be a critical first step." Meanwhile, a report from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Geneva said that Hindus and their temples have been attacked in Bangladesh in the aftermath of Sheikh Hasina's resignation as Prime Minister last week. The report said, "On August 5 and 6, Hindu houses and properties were reportedly attacked, vandalised and looted in 27 districts." "A number of places of worship were also damaged, including an ISKCON (Hare Krishna) temple in Meherpur, Khulna division, which was vandalised and set on fire," the report added. The report said that in response to the attacks on minorities, "various student organisations and other ordinary people have been reportedly forming groups to protect minorities and maintain vigilance over religious sites belonging to minority communities." The interim government's Religious Affairs Adviser AFM Khalid Hossain said that a list has been compiled of places of worship and other properties damaged and a hotline had been established to report on attacks on minorities, according to the report. Using the bland term, "Pakistani actors", for the military which committed the genocide of millions, the report said, "Although the demonstrations began as a mainly peaceful movement at universities, they descended into violence in mid-July, particularly following senior government officials' inflammatory remarks referring to the protesters as 'razakars', a deeply derogatory term historically associated with real and perceived collaborators of Pakistani actors during the 1971 war of independence." "The protests also reflected deeper economic frustrations among young people in Bangladesh. With high unemployment rates and underemployment, many graduates feel disillusioned by the lack of opportunities," it said. The report said that "according to available public reports by media and the protest movement itself, between July 16 and August 11, more than 600 people were killed. Of these, nearly 400 deaths were reported from July 16 to August 4, while around 250 people were reportedly killed following the new wave of protests between August 5 and August 6". These numbers were likely underestimates because of curfew, internet shutdowns and restrictions on hospital, the report said. "The majority of deaths and injuries have been attributed to the security forces and the student wing affiliated with the Awami League," the report added. The report said that some were killed were "only lightly armed" or "acting violently" but not armed. There were also "instances of security forces unlawfully using lethal force against protesters posing no apparent threat, unarmed protesters, and bystanders," it said. At least four journalists and at least 32 children were killed, it added. The OHCHR said that thousands were arrested, and, "according to reports, many of those arrested were subjected to ill-treatment and even torture while in police custody." At checkpoints manned by police and army personnel "phones were reportedly being checked to remove evidence of police violence," the report said. Turk said, "Accountability for violations and justice for the victims are key for the way forward, and will need to be accompanied by a national healing process." (Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed at @arulouis) Washington, Aug 17 : The past two days of negotiations in Doha for a ceasefire-hostage deal between Israel and Hamas were the most constructive that mediators had seen in months, a senior Biden administration official told reporters. The official said on Friday that US President Joe Biden spoke with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi and Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, with all three leaders agreeing that "now is the end game" and discussing the "final bridging proposal" put forward by the US in the Qatari capital, The Times of Israel reported. All three mediating countries believe the final bridging proposal submitted on Friday by the US closes just about all remaining gaps between the parties, the official added. "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 during the phone briefing. Biden later released a statement, saying the proposal "offers the basis for coming to a final agreement on a ceasefire and hostage release deal," adding that his calls with the Qatari and Egyptian leaders were "to review the significant progress" in the negotiations. "Our teams will remain on the ground to continue technical work over the coming days, and senior officials will convene again in Cairo before the end of the week. They will report to me regularly," he added. US President Joe Biden also noted Secretary of State Antony Blinken's scheduled visit to Israel on Sunday, saying he was dispatching his top diplomat "to reaffirm my iron-clad support for Israel's security, continue our intensive efforts to conclude this agreement and to underscore that with the comprehensive ceasefire and hostage release deal now in sight, no one in the region should take actions to undermine this process". The statement did not name Iran, but came as Iranian leaders have been threatening to attack Israel for the recent assassination of Hamas Chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, which Israel has neither confirmed or denied carrying out. Asked if Iran will continue to hold off on retaliating against Israel now that the Gaza ceasefire-hostage talks have been extended, Iran's mission to the UN in New York, says: "We hope so." Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri meanwhile said he was updated by his Qatari counterpart Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani about negotiations in Doha. In a statement posted to X, Bagheri said he told al-Thani that Israel can't be trusted, while calling "to use all means" to force an end to Israel's offensive in Gaza against Hamas. A statement from the Qatari Foreign Ministry said the two "stressed the need for calm and de-escalation in the region" and that al-Thani "reiterated Qatar's commitment to supporting all regional and international efforts aimed at achieving regional and international security and stability". In addition to Iran's threatened retaliation, its Lebanese proxy Hezbollah has pledged to attack Israel for killing the terror group's top military commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut last month after a Hezbollah missile killed 12 children in the Golan Heights, raising fears that the cross-border skirmishes could escalate into a full-scale war. Speaking with reporters about the last two days of talks, the US official said the Israeli team dispatched to Doha was "clearly empowered," in an apparent nod to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been accused of not giving his negotiators enough leeway to secure a deal. The past two days of negotiations in Doha for a ceasefire-hostage deal between Israel and Hamas were the most constructive that mediators had seen in months, a senior Biden administration official told reporters on Friday. Speaking with reporters about the last two days of talks, the US official said the Israeli team dispatched to Doha was "clearly empowered," in an apparent nod to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been accused of not giving his negotiators enough leeway to secure a deal. While Hamas did not participate in-person in the Thursday and Friday meetings, its representatives are already in Doha and were able to engage with Qatari and Egyptian mediators over the past two days, the official said. This proposal is based on the one Israel submitted on May 27, which served as the framework for the speech Biden gave on May 31 that revealed key elements of the Israeli offer. The official dismissed a series of statements made by Hamas officials both on record and anonymously in which they expressed disapproval of how the hostage talks went in Doha over the last two days. "I know there's a lot of public statements from Hamas right now. I wouldn't take anything too seriously," he said, adding that Hamas is under significant pressure to reach an agreement given the severity of the humanitarian situation in Gaza. "Should Hamas say no, think about what they're doing to the people of Gaza." According to the official, Hamas on July 3 submitted its own response to the Israeli proposal, which included some unacceptable amendments and others that were the basis for further discussion. On July 27, Israel issued a paper with a series of "clarifications," the official continued, notably echoing Netanyahu's description of the document. Other Qatari, Egyptian and Israeli negotiators have described the text as a series of new demands that significantly hampered efforts to reach a deal. These included a demand for Israel to remain indefinitely in the Philadelphi Corridor between Egypt and Gaza and the establishment of a new mechanism to prevent armed Palestinians from travelling from southern to northern Gaza. Regarding the Philadelphi Corridor, the official was ambiguous, only saying that "that issue is moving in the right way, and I think is very consistent with the May 27 text". Regarding the second sticking point, the official said the deal stipulates that only displaced and unarmed civilians will be allowed to travel from the southern part of the enclave to the northern part. "We believe, as do the other mediators... that if anyone is carrying arms from south to north, that would be a violation of the deal," the official asserted. "That is something that was reaffirmed throughout the talks." Netanyahu began insisting last month that a mechanism is being established to ensure that no armed Palestinians reach northern Gaza. The official, however, did not mention such a mechanism. "What we've done is taken the gaps that remain and bridged them in a way that a deal is now ready to close," the official said. The official clarified that there is still more work to do and that working groups from the sides will be convening in the coming days to talk about issues, such as the list of hostages and prisoners being released and the sequencing of those releases. Much of the last two days was spent discussing these issues known as the "keys". The working groups will also discuss the establishment of an "implementation cell" for the deal that will determine how the hostage-prisoner exchange will be carried out and how it will be monitored to ensure compliance. The cell will also discuss the implementation of the humanitarian aspects of the deal, including the surge of aid into Gaza, the clearing of rubble, and rehabilitation of service. "The bottom line after two days in Doha (is that) we wanted to get this process back on track. We very much have done that. The consensus of all the participants here over the last 48 hours is that there's a new spirit here to drive this to a conclusion," the official added. Referencing some of the Palestinian security prisoners who Israel will have to release as part of this deal, the senior US official acknowledged that some aspects of it are "heart-wrenching". However, he stressed that the primary reason to move forward with the deal is to save the lives of the hostages in Gaza. "If you continue to negotiate for months and months and try to get a perfect deal... you risk having no hostages left to save." The official clarified that the hostage release deal would be conducted in a way that "ensures Israel's security interests". The war broke out on October 7 when Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping 251. It is believed that 111 hostages remain in Gaza, including the bodies of 39 confirmed dead by the IDF. Hamas released 105 civilians during a weeklong truce in late November, and four hostages were released before that. Seven hostages have been rescued by troops alive, and the bodies of 24 hostages have also been recovered, including three abductees mistakenly killed by the military as they tried to escape their captors. Hamas is also holding two Israeli civilians who entered the Gaza Strip in 2014 and 2015, as well as the bodies of two IDF soldiers who were killed in 2014. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry says more than 40,000 people in the Strip have been killed or are presumed dead in the fighting so far, though the toll cannot be verified and does not differentiate between civilians and fighters. Israel said it has killed some 17,000 combatants in battle as of August, and another 1,000 terrorists inside Israel on October 7. Israel said it seeks to minimise civilian casualties and notes that Hamas fights from homes, hospitals, mosques and schools. Israel's toll in the ground offensive against Hamas in Gaza and in military operations along the border with the Strip stands at 332. Jerusalem, Aug 17 : The Israeli army's fighting in the Gaza Strip has ended, state media reported. Citing senior security officials,Israel's-state owned Kan TV news 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, Xinhua news agency reported. Israeli senior Defence 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 US, 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". Oslo, Aug 17 : Norway's Representative Office in Al-Ram, Palestine, has been closed after the Israeli government decided to no longer facilitate Norway's diplomatic presence with the Palestinian Authority. In a press statement on Friday, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide condemned the Israeli decision as "extreme and unreasonable," stating that it targets the Palestinians, the Palestinian Authority, all who defend international law, the two-state solution, and the Palestinians' legitimate right to self-determination. Despite the closure, Norway will continue its support for the Palestinian Authority, and the Palestinian people, Xinhua news agency reported. "We will do our utmost to ensure that this does not affect our work for Palestine and a viable Palestinian state. Our commitment will continue with full force," said Eide. For more than 30 years, Norway and its Representative Office have been committed to promoting a two-state solution, fostering peace between Israel and Palestine, and building Palestinian institutions, the Minister said. The Netanyahu government's decision, Eide said, has significantly impacted the local staff, Norwegian diplomats, and their families. "We are now fully focused on how to safeguard our employees and our work in the best possible way," the Minister added. He expressed Norway's gratitude for the support it had received from some countries and said that it will continue its support for "a viable Palestinian state and a sustainable two-state solution". Since Israel's assault on Gaza began on October 7, over 40,000 Palestinians have been killed, most of them women and children, and more than 92,400 others injured, according to Gaza's local health authorities. Beirut, Aug 17 : Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty has visited Lebanon, confirming Egypt's support for the country's unity, territorial integrity, and sovereignty. "We confirm once again Egypt's support for Lebanon's unity, territorial integrity, and sovereignty and that any violation of this sovereignty is condemned. The aggression on the southern suburb of the beloved capital Beirut is rejected and strongly condemned, as is the policy of assassinations, which is completely rejected," Abdelatty said on Friday during his meetings in Beirut with Lebanese officials. "We affirm our support for Lebanon amid these difficult circumstances, and we will spare no effort to reach an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, as it is the basis for stopping the escalation and reducing the tension in the region," he added. The Egyptian Minister also emphasised the importance of stopping the escalation and not dragging the region into a comprehensive regional war, Xinhua news agency reported. "Egypt is making every possible effort... to stop this escalation and work as much as possible and as quickly as possible to reach an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and stop the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip," he said. For his part, Lebanese House Speaker Nabih Berri expressed appreciation for the efforts made by Egypt to stop the conflict in the Gaza Strip, underscoring "the historical role of our sister Egypt and its permanent solidarity with Lebanon in all circumstances, especially in times of hardship and crises". In the meeting with the Egyptian Minister, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati stressed that "Lebanon appreciates the international and Arab efforts being made to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and stop the Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon". "Lebanon is counting on Egypt's efforts to stop the Israeli aggression in Gaza and restore calm to southern Lebanon," Lebanese Foreign Affairs Minister Abdallah Bou Habib said, renewing the call "to our Arab brothers to pressure Israel and put an end to its attacks". Tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border escalated on October 8, 2023, following a barrage of rockets launched by Hezbollah toward Israel in solidarity with Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7. Israel then retaliated by firing heavy artillery toward southeastern Lebanon. New York, Aug 17 : "New York City is the New Delhi of America", the city's Mayor Eric Adams said at the hoisting of the Indian tricolour on Independence Day, praising the diaspora's contributions to the city. "This is the oldest democracy, so we should be proud to lift this flag up in the democracy of New York City, and I call on the community to continue to inspire and achieve at the (highest) levels," he said at the ceremony in the historic Bowling Green. Bowling Green had a symbolic role in the US quest for independence like India from Britain: The statue of King George III at the site was torn down by patriots soon after the Declaration of Independence was read out to the freedom-fighting troops rallied under George Washington in 1776. The flag hoisting was arranged by the Indian Cultural Association of North America and was attended by several city officials, including Deputy Mayor Meera Joshi, the first Indian-American to hold that post. "When you look at the number of professional business owners, health professionals in the medical field, educators, teachers, it shows the clear presence of the Indian community," Adams said. "You do us proud here in this city and in our entire country." Recalling his visit to India where he visited the Gandhi Smriti in New Delhi, where Mahatma Gandhi took his final steps before the assassination, he said, "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." Consul General Binaya Srikanta Pradhan said that along with Independence Day the "fabulous journey" India has made in 78 years, its growth story, and the rise of Indian-America partnership. "If President Joe Biden says that this is the most consequential partnership of the 21st century, we in India echo that," he said. "We believe that it has reached a point of inflection." Another flag-hoisting ceremony was held at Times Square with Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita participating. On the eve of Independence Day, Partition Horrors Remembrance Day was observed at India's Consulate General, where a photo exhibit on the subject was installed. Margherita spoke on the occasion about the resilience and courage of the survivors who persevered and rebuilt their lives overcoming the horrors inflicted on them. 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. Seoul, Aug 17 : Following the World Health Organisation's (WHO) declaration of mpox outbreaks in Africa as a global health emergency, South Korean authorities have decided to ramp up quarantine and surveillance measures. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) announced the decision after a meeting with medical and academic experts to discuss the potential of mpox entering the country and response strategies, reports Yonhap news agency. KDCA officials and experts determined that the current domestic mpox situation remains manageable under existing disease control protocols. However, they decided to enhance quarantine and surveillance efforts without reissuing the crisis alert that was lifted last May. On Wednesday, WHO declared mpox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) for the second time, in response to a surge of cases in Congo and other parts of Africa, alongside the emergence of a new variant of the virus. This declaration comes 15 months after the previous emergency was declared over in May 2023. The KDCA on Friday also decided to implement quarantine measures at gates for direct flights from key countries with epidemiological investigators and public health doctors deployed on-site. Authorities also plan to enhance public awareness campaigns to encourage those with symptoms to seek medical help promptly. As of August 9, South Korea had reported 10 mpox cases this year, a decrease from 151 in 2023, according to the KDCA. The agency noted that all cases this year involved men aged 20 to 40, with nine domestic cases and one linked to overseas travel. It also reported that it has adequate supplies to respond to any new cases, with 20,000 doses of the Jynneos mpox vaccine and treatments available for 504 people. "Please avoid close contact with strangers, get tested immediately if you suspect exposure or symptoms and participate in vaccination efforts," said Jee Young-mee, commissioner of the KDCA. a"IANS na/ Tel Aviv, Aug 17 : Even as indirect peace talks between Hamas and Israel have envisaged an immediate ceasefire, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have ordered mass evacuation in southern Gaza. The Arabic language Spokesman of IDF, Avichay Adraee made the announcement late on Friday night. Adraee, in the statement, said: "Hamas and terrorist organisations are firing rockets from your area towards the State of Israel." He further said that Israeli forces will act forcefully against these elements. The Arab language Spokesman in a statement issued on social media platforms called upon the residents and displaced people who are living in camps in Beit Hanoon area to move to central Gaza. Indirect peace talks between Israel and Hamas were held at Doha, the capital of Qatar on Thursday and Friday at the behest of the United States. The US side was led by the head of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) William Burns, while Qatar was represented by its Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani and the Egyptian side by its Intelligence head, Major General Abbas Kamel. The Israeli side was headed by Mossad Chief David Barnea and Shin Bet head Ronen Bar. US President Joe Biden has exuded confidence in the peace talks held in Doha and has spoken to Qatar Prime Minister and Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah El-Sissi on the progress of peace talks. The talks are to continue in Cairo next week. Meanwhile, the United Nations said in a statement that more than 1,70,000 displaced people will be affected by the evacuation orders. It said: "This is one of the largest evacuation orders in southern Gaza so far." Since October 7, 2023, Hamas militants swarmed southern Israel, killed 1,200 people and took 251 people as hostages. 111 people are still in the custody of Hamas and the release of all the hostages is one of the major conditions put forward by the Israeli side for the mediatory talks. New Delhi, Aug 17 : The Centre on Saturday informed that the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has facilitated the export of India's first ready-to-drink fig juice, made from GI-tagged Purandar Figs, to Poland. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry said in a statement that the fig juice was also showcased at 'Macfrut 2024' in Rimini, Italy, with the support of APEDA, further expanding its global reach. The Centre informed that the event saw a positive response from buyers, including an inquiry from MG Sales SP in Wroclaw, Poland, which led to this landmark export. This marks a significant achievement in promoting India's unique agro-products on the global stage. "The journey of this innovative fig juice began at the APEDA Pavilion during the SIAL 2023 held in Greater Noida, New Delhi. The international trade showcase provided a platform for the product's initial introduction to the global market," said the ministry. The fig juice, produced by Purandar Highlands Farmers Producer Company Ltd. garnered significant attention and won an award at the event, highlighting its potential in the international market. Since the first export of fresh GI-tagged Purandar Figs to Hamburg in 2022, APEDA has worked closely with smallholder farmers. The product, which has been granted a provisional patent, represents a significant innovation in the agricultural sector. The government said that this achievement not only showcases the potential of Indian agro-products but also underscores the importance of research and development in enhancing the value of agricultural exports. "This achievement highlights the potential of Indian agro-products and the crucial role of FPCs in promoting sustainable agricultural practices and exports," the ministry added. Chandigarh, Aug 17 : Health services were severely impacted in the PGIMER, the premier health institute here with a daily footfall of around 10,000 patients, and across Punjab as all Outpatient Department (OPD) services were shut on Saturday, protesting against the alleged rape and murder of a 31-year-old PG trainee in Kolkata. For the last five days, the institute was attending to around 5,000 follow-up patients in OPDs from 8 A.M. to 9.30 A.M., with no new registration of patients. The Faculty Association of PGIMER in Chandigarh had decided to support the day-long strike call of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) along with other associations in solidarity with resident doctors, following the gruesome crime. However, emergency and critical care services will continue as before, an official spokesperson for PGIMER said. Holding placards, the protesting doctors and students demanded action against then principal of the medical college and implementation of the Central Protection Act (CPA) for healthcare professionals. In a media briefing by the PGI Faculty Association to apprise the public about the ongoing resident doctors' protest and demands put forth by them, it said the association strongly condemns the heinous act that happened in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. "We demand immediate implementation of CPA and justice to the victim and victim's family by awarding strict punishment to all the perpetrators involved in the crime," they said. In Punjab, OPD services remained crippled in 829 Aam Aadmi Clinics, 550 rural medical dispensaries, medical colleges and primary health centres. Also private hospitals and nursing homes have shut OPD services for 24 hours on Saturday. "All private hospitals and nursing homes have responded positively to the call made by their union to withdraw healthcare services from 6 A.M. on August 17 till 6 A.M. on August 18," Sunit Hind, secretary, Punjab Hospitals and Nursing Homes' Association, said. In Faridkot town, over 200 resident doctors at state-run Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital kept all non-essential and elective services, including OPDs, ward duties and operation theatres shut. New Delhi, Aug 17 : After Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his Independence Day address to the nation, said the country is on its way to become the third-largest economy with big reforms across sectors, Dr Gita Gopinath, Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), has stated that the country is likely to achieve this feat by 2027. The country has become the fifth-largest economy in the world, and is set to be among the top three global economic powers soon. According to Gopinath, Indiaas growth did much better than expected during the last fiscal year (FY24) as private consumption growth recovered across sectors, especially in the rural economy. From two-wheeler sales to fast-moving consumer goods (FMCGs), the overall consumption is surging. "With better monsoons come better harvests and agricultural incomes go up," she was quoted as saying in media reports. According to latest data by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), the total production of passenger vehicles, three-wheelers, two-wheelers and quadricycle reached 24,37,138 units in July. Two-wheeler segment posted a decent growth of 12.5 per cent in July compared to the same month last year. On the other hand, the FMCG market in India remains resilient despite challenges. According to marketing research firm Kantar Worldpanel, the FMCG sector is expected to register 6.1 per cent yearly growth in FY 2024-25 in the rural market, which was 4.4 per cent last year. According to the report, volumes in rural market could equal those in the urban market, which is higher at present. The rural FMCG market is more valuable to the industry than before and is generating almost half the volume and value for the sector. Gopinath also mentioned that the country needs to create millions of additional jobs in the next 5-6 years. The IMF has raised its economic growth forecast for the country for FY25 to 7 per cent from 6.8 per cent projected in April. According to RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das, if the average growth India recorded over the three years is seen, the average comes to 8.3 per cent. In the current year, they have given a projection of 7.2 per cent growth. a"IANS na/ Patna, Aug 17 : In a huge embarrassment for the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government on Saturday, a section of the superstructure of the under construction Sultanganj-Aguwani Ghat bridge collapsed and fell into the Ganga River yet again. Although no injuries were reported in the latest incident involving the bridge that has been nine years in the making, but the repeated collapses of various sections of the bridge raise serious questions about the quality of construction and the alignment of the project. This latest collapse of the Sultanganj-Aguwani Ghat road bridge has intensified concerns, especially since the construction company responsible for the project SK Singla Construction Pvt. Ltd, has not yet provided any clarification regarding the incident. Eyewitnesses at the construction site captured the collapse on camera and these videos were quickly shared on social media platforms. This bridge, envisioned as a key infrastructure project by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, was intended to connect Sultanganj in Bhagalpur District with Aguani Ghat in Khagaria District, facilitating easier travel from Bhagalpur to Jharkhand via Khagaria. It was also expected to alleviate traffic congestion on the Vikramshila Bridge, a critical link in the region. However, the repeated collapses a" this being the third incident, with a previous collapse on June 4, 2023 a"highlight significant flaws and poor quality of construction. The earlier collapse between pillar numbers 10 and 12 on the Khagaria side led to widespread criticism of the Bihar government. In response, the government penalised SK Singla Construction Pvt. Ltd., and mandated that the bridge be rebuilt at the company's expense. Notably, another section of the bridge on the Bhagalpur side collapsed on June 30, 2022, when the superstructure between pillar numbers 5 and 6 fell into the Ganga River. The most recent collapse on Saturday involved the superstructure made of iron angles, which also plunged into the river. Experts have pointed to misalignment issues as a likely cause for these repeated failures. The foundation stone for the 3.16 km bridge was laid on February 23, 2014, with construction beginning on March 9, 2015. The Bihar government allocated Rs 1,710 crore to the project, highlighting its significance as a major infrastructure initiative. Despite this, after nearly nine years in the making, the bridge remains incomplete. The Bihar government's road construction department has managed to build a 16 km approach road from the Khagaria side and a 4 km approach road from the Bhagalpur side, but the main structure of the bridge remains unfinished. This long delay, combined with the repeated structural failures, has cast a shadow over the project's execution and the quality of work by SK Singla Construction Pvt. Ltd. The situation calls for an urgent review and corrective measures to ensure that the bridge, once completed, is safe and reliable for public use. Jaipur, Aug 17 : As communal tension prevailed in Rajasthan's Udaipur after a Class 10 student stabbed a minor boy at a government school, a man was murdered in Jaipur on Friday night. Additional DCP West, Bajrang Singh, said that a collision between an e-rickshaw and scooty led to a clash between the two groups. One Dinesh and his friend Jitendra on Scooty were beaten brutally by those sitting in the e-rickshaw after their vehicles collided. They somehow reached their house but fell unconscious. Their family members rushed them to a hospital where Dinesh was declared brought dead. Police were informed who had taken statements from Jitendra after he returned to his senses. Police have registered a case against unidentified criminals and started investigating the matter. One accused has been detained. An additional police force has been deployed in the police station area since late at night. Police teams have been checking CCTV footage since late night, but have not got any breakthrough. Bajrang Singh said, "Considering the seriousness of the matter, police force has been deployed in the area. People have gheraoed the police station and efforts are being made to convince them. Three accused have been identified and one Shahrukh has been arrested. The police team is conducting raids to search for the remaining two youths." It needs to be mentioned here that a fight between two school students led to communal tension in Udaipur on Friday. One of the injured students, Devraj, was rushed to the hospital where he is undergoing treatment. The accused student who fled soon after attacking his classmate has been detained and an investigation is underway, said District Collector Arvind Poswal. As a mark of protest, Hindu organisations appealed to shopkeepers to shut their shops in Chetak Circle, Hathipol, Ashwini Bazaar, Bapu Bazaar and Ghantaghar areas. The traders shut down their shops. Protesting against the attack, the mob pelted stones and ransacked a shopping mall. Vehicles were set on fire and a large police force was deputed to avert any further untoward incident. The police had to resort to a lathi-charge to disperse the enraged mob. Internet services remain suspended in the city since Friday night and schools and colleges are closed on Saturday. Bengaluru, Aug 17 : The BJP and the Congress on Saturday sparred over Karnataka Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot's decision to accord sanction for prosecution against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in connection with the alleged irregularities in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA). While the BJP demanded that CM Siddaramaiah step down to allow an impartial investigation into the case, the Congress accused the Governor of being a puppet of the Centre. "Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot is a puppet of the Central government, and the Raj Bhavan has become a BJP office. Granting permission for prosecution against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority case is part of a conspiracy. The BJP should feel ashamed of this," said Minister of Large and Medium Industries, MB Patil. Speaking with media representatives on Saturday, he stated that the MUDA case involved blunders by the institution itself. He pointed out that the BJP government was responsible for allocating alternative land to CM Siddaramaiah's family. BJP leaders were present at the MUDA meeting then. "Given this situation, the attempt to scapegoat CM Siddaramaiah is condemnable," he asserted. "When TJ Abraham filed a complaint against the CM, the government's Chief Secretaries had provided appropriate information to the Raj Bhavan. Despite that, the Governor hastily issued a notice to CM Siddaramaiah. There were already doubts at that time. "The current behaviour of the Governor is unacceptable. The people of the state will not tolerate this," MB Patil pointed out. He added that despite requests for prosecution permission against Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy and former minister and BJP MLA Shashikala Jolle for the past 18 months, the Governor has been indifferent and not taken any action. He accused the Governor of showing undue interest in the alleged MUDA scam, which has no basis, while ignoring other requests. MB Patil criticised the Union government led by the BJP for starting the same negative politics in Karnataka that it has been practicing against governments in New Delhi and Tamil Nadu. "This reflects the Centre's intolerance towards a state government, which was elected by a huge majority," he said. Meanwhile, BJP state President, BY Vijayendra, taking to X, stated, "The Governor has exercised his constitutional powers to authorise legal action on the MUDA scam complaint against the Chief Minister. "Given the substantial evidence and serious allegations of corruption and favouritism within the Congress government, it is crucial that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah steps down. Resigning would allow for a transparent and unbiased investigation, ensuring that the dignity of the Chief Minister's office is maintained and that justice is served." In a major development, Karnataka Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot gave sanction for prosecution against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday in connection with the alleged irregularities in MUDA. New Delhi, Aug 17 : The Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Indian Army jointly executed a first-ever para-drop operation, delivering the Aarogya Maitri Health Cube at a high-altitude location near 15,000 feet, said the Ministry of Defence on Saturday. "These trauma care cubes were indigenously developed under Project BHISHM (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita and Maitri). The operation was conducted in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of providing critical supplies to Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief (HADR) affected areas," as per the Ministry. The IAF employed its advanced tactical transport aircraft C-130J Super Hercules to airlift and precisely para-drop the cube while the Indian Armyas Para Brigade, renowned for its operational expertise, ensured the successful deployment using advanced precision drop equipment. This operation highlighted the capability of specialised military assets to support HADR missions in remote and mountainous regions, demonstrating the effectiveness and synergy between the Armed Forces in providing rapid and efficient humanitarian assistance. The Aarogya Maitri project involves India providing critical medical supplies to developing nations affected by natural disasters or humanitarian crises. The Aid Cube within this project is equipped with advanced tools designed to enhance disaster response and medical support during emergencies. It incorporates artificial intelligence and data analytics to enable effective coordination, real-time monitoring, and efficient management of medical services on the ground. The success of the BHISHM Cube highlights the crucial role of mobile hospital units in delivering timely and effective medical assistance during emergencies. Abuja, Aug 17 : A search operation has been launched for at least 20 medical students who were allegedly kidnapped during a road trip in Nigeria. The students from the University of Jos, based in the middle-belt region of Nigeria, were kidnapped Thursday evening in Otukpo, a town in the north-central state of Benue, Catherine Sewuese Anene, a spokeswoman for the police, Xinhua news agency reported on Friday. Anene said the abductees, who were on a mission to attend the annual convention of the Federation of Catholic Medical and Dental Students in the southern state of Enugu, were ambushed and taken hostage midway on the voyage by suspected gunmen. An investigation into the incident has been launched, she said, adding that security agencies have been alerted to fish out the gunmen and rescue the students. Mumbai, Aug 17 : Actress Manisha Koirala, who recently celebrated her birthday, has shared that she is an avid traveller, and being bitten by the wanderlust bug helps her to explore different people and cultures across the planet. On Saturday, the actress took to her Instagram, and shared a Reel in which she could be seen jetting off to some place from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai. In the video, which is a collection of her airport stills, the actress could be seen decked up in a pair of loose denims and a black t-shirt. She accessorised her look with a fanny bag, a pair of sunglasses, and a scarf with polka dots. She tied her hair neatly in a bun and posed for the camera. The actress also penned a long note in the caption about her affinity for travel. She wrote, "Travelling means a lot to me. Every trip, no matter how far or near, makes me see things and love the world even more. When I travel, I get excited about finding new places, meeting people from different backgrounds, and making memories I'll never forget". She further mentioned, "These times when I discover new things make me feel alive. Speaking of feeling alive, thanks to everyone for the birthday messages! Your love and encouragement matter so much to me, and I'm extremely grateful #birthdaygirl #travelling #wonderfulworld". Meanwhile, on the work front, the actress was recently seen in the OTT series 'Heeramandi:The Diamond Bazaar' in which she essayed the role of a brothel madam, Mallikajaan. The show, which tells the story of the eponymous district in British India, marked the OTT debut of Indian auteur Sanjay Leela Bhansali with whom Manisha worked in 'Khamoshi: The Musical'. 'Heeramandi:The Diamond Bazaar' has been renewed for a second season, and will soon drop on Netflix. Gaza, Aug 17 : The results of the Gaza peace negotiations between Israel and the US, Egyptian and Qatari mediators in Doha are not in line with US President Joe Biden's proposal presented to Hamas in July, said a Hamas source. Gaza, Aug 17 (IANS) The results of the Gaza peace negotiations between Israel and the US, Egyptian and Qatari mediators in Doha are not in line with US President Joe Biden's proposal presented to Hamas in July, said a Hamas source. "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 to continue the killings against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip," Xinhua news agency reported. 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, to reach an agreement leading to a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages. Moscow, Aug 17 : A unit of 24 soldiers from Ukraine's 22nd separate mechanised brigade surrendered to the Russian armed forces in Kursk, Russia's state news agency RIA Novosti reported on Saturday. These Ukrainian soldiers surrendered as a group near the village of Komarovka in the Kursk region, a representative of the Russian security forces was quoted as saying, Xinhua news agency reported. "Before the surrender, the Ukrainian military contacted us through the FREE_SOLDIER2022 (Telegram) channel," the representative said. The Ukrainian armed forces started an offensive in southern Russia's Kursk region on August 6. The Russian Defence Ministry reported on Friday that Ukraine has so far lost 2,860 military personnel and 41 tanks during the fighting in the Kursk region. A mandatory evacuation was ordered for all residents of the Glushkovsky district in Russia's Kursk region earlier on Thursday, acting Governor Alexei Smirnov announced on his official Telegram channel. Moscow, Aug 17 : Ukrainian troops launched their first strike using Western-make missiles on civilian targets in Russia's Kursk region, said Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova. "Notably, this is the first time that civilian objects in the Kursk Region have been struck by Western-made rockets, likely American HIMARS," Zakharova said, Xinhua news agency reported. She said a bridge over the Seym River in the Glushkovsky District of Kursk was destroyed and "volunteers helping civilians were killed in the strike." She said all those responsible for such acts will face severe punishment from Russia. Meanwhile, Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said on Friday that Ukraine's operation in western Russia's Kursk region is linked to possible peace talks between the two countries. Ukraine started a military operation in the Kursk region on August 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 had said earlier this week. On August 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. Patna, Aug 17 : Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Jitan Ram Manjhi, on Saturday, expressed grief over the rape and murder of a second-year postgraduate student at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College. Patna, Aug 17 (IANS) Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Jitan Ram Manjhi, on Saturday,A expressed grief over the rape and murder of a second-year postgraduate student at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College. "The West Bengal government should take strict action in this case, if the state government is unable to handle the case, then the Central government should intervene in this matter," he said. On Friday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee set a deadline of August 18 for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to complete its investigation into the rape and murder of the junior doctor. West Bengal CM also said that if the CBI fails to meet the deadline, the Trinamool Congress will stage protests in the national capital. She blamed the Opposition political forces, especially the CPI-M and the BJP, for the ransacking of the emergency department of the RG Kar Medical College after midnight on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has declared a nationwide withdrawal of non-emergency health services for 24 hours beginning at 6 a.m. on Saturday, a week after the horrific incident at the medical college. However, the parents of the junior doctor have levelled allegations, suggesting that insiders within the hospital may be involved. They reportedly gave the CBI names of specific interns and physicians they believe are connected to the crime. These allegations have added a new dimension to the investigation, which was ordered by the Calcutta High Court. In a significant move, the CBI conducted a crime scene reconstruction using advanced 3D technology with the arrested civic volunteer, who is one of the accused. This reconstruction took place in the seminar hall of the hospital, where the trainee doctor's body was found on August 9. BJP's national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia on Friday questioned the silence of the INDIA bloc members, including the West Bengal CM over the rape and murder incident. He also demanded the resignation of the West Bengal CM and said: "If Mamata Banerjee is unable to handle the state, she should resign." New Delhi, Aug 17 : As the gory incident involving the assault, rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata has sent shockwaves across the country, healthcare professionals on Saturday reiterated the demand for a central protection act for their fraternity, along with improving the working conditions of junior doctors nationwide. Condemning the barbaric act of violence against the resident doctors of Kolkata in particular and growing incidences of attack on medical professionals in general, they emphasised that doctors require a safe operating environment to deliver care and save lives. Dr Praveen Gupta, Principal Director and Chief of Neurology, Fortis Hospital, said they request government and law enforcement agencies to assure a safe work environment to all those who are fighting to save lives round the clock. The events in Calcutta should serve as a wake-up call for all of us in the medical fraternity, he added. According to Dr Sunita Kapoor, Director, City X Ray and Scan Clinic in Delhi-NCR, the UK's NHS enforces a zero-tolerance policy on violence, supported by a dedicated security team and a comprehensive reporting system. In the US, some states classify assaults on healthcare workers as felonies, acting as a strong deterrent. Australian hospitals have introduced safety measures like security personnel, panic buttons, and mandatory de-escalation training. "India must urgently introduce a Central Protection Law and adopt similar measures to take stringent actions to ensure a safer environment for its healthcare workers," she mentioned. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has already demanded a Central Act (Central Protection Act for Doctors) protecting medical professionals from violence at workplaces, after the brutal rape and murder of the junior doctor at Kolkata's R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital last week. "We must ensure that the life and memory of the medical trainee in Kolkata are not forgotten. We can't bring her back, but we can work to prevent such incidents from happening again," said Dr Aashish Chaudhry, Managing Director, Aakash Healthcare. Dushanbe, Aug 18 : Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon highlighted the adverse effects of climate change, food shortages, population growth, financial debt, inequality and conflict in his address at the 3rd Voice of Global South Summit hosted virtually under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Saturday. In his speech, Tajikistan's Head of State thanked India for hosting the "important event" - a unique initiative backed by PM Modi's vision of bringing together countries of the Global South - calling it as a favourable basis for a constructive discussion of various aspects of the process of sustainable development and other pressing issues of the modern world. Rahmon said that the planet has witnessed the hottest years and months over the past five years and cited a report of experts which mentioned that July 2024 was recorded as the hottest month in the history of observations. "This process suggests that we will likely see more record-breaking temperatures in the next few years. The Republic of Tajikistan, with 93 per cent of its territory covered by mountains, is considered one of the most vulnerable countries in the South in terms of the effects of climate change. Every year, our country faces floods, landslides, avalanches and other natural disasters, which cause a lot of property damage and in many cases, loss of life," the Tajikistan President said. Taking this into account, he mentioned, the Government of Tajikistan is implementing the National Strategy of Adaptation to Climate Change until 2030 in order to reduce the negative impact of climate change on the country's social and economic spheres. Rahmon told the gathering of leaders from countries of the Global South that Tajikistan produces 98 per cent of its electricity from hydropower or renewable sources and occupies the sixth place in the world in terms of the percentage of 'green energy' production. "We have decided to increase this indicator to one hundred per cent by 2032, that is, to produce electricity entirely from 'green energy' resources, and to turn Tajikistan into a 'green country' by 2037," he said. He then went on to spotlight another "threatening trend" - the rapid melting of glaciers and the reduction of water resources. "It is worth mentioning that over the last few decades, more than 1,000 of the 13,000 glaciers of our country have completely melted. This is despite the fact that the glaciers of Tajikistan are the main source of formation of up to 60 per cent of the water resources of the Central Asian region. It is for this reason that Tajikistan's initiative to declare 2025 as the 'International Year of Glacier Protection' received full support," commented Rahmon. In his speech, the Tajik President also made it clear that the sustainable development of the future is directly related to the maintenance of peace and stability in the world. "Unfortunately, various regions of the modern world have been engulfed by a wave of dangerous unrest and armed conflicts, and geopolitical tension has reached an unprecedented high level. This situation, along with other security risks and threats, seriously destabilizes the political stability and the economic and social situation of the countries, and can have many long-term negative consequences," he stated. Leaders and representatives of more than 100 countries participated in the conference held under the theme 'An Empowered Global South for a Sustainable Future'. It began as an extension of PM Modi's vision of 'sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas aur sabka prayasa, and is underpinned by India's philosophy of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam'. The conference discussed the issues of climate change, population growth, food insecurity, financial debt, inequality and conflicts that directly affect developing countries, and discussed the challenges, priorities and solutions in the Global South, especially to ensure sustainable development. Mumbai, Aug 17 : Actress Genelia Deshmukh, who was last seen in 'Trial Period', has shared a video of her husband Riteish Deshmukh cheering for his nephew during an event. The actress took to the Stories section of her Instagram, and shared the video which shows her husband encouraging his Riteish Deshmukh as the latter stepped on the stage to perform a song. The actress wrote in the video, "This little boy had our heart last night.. Avan you made us so so proud And from the bottom of my heart I wish you do whatever your heart desires and I promise you, Yayii will always be your biggest cheerleader of course after your gorgeous parents @aditi_deshmukh @amitv.deshmukh. Congratulations Vahini Bhaiya - you guys are such a beautiful example of parents we look up to". Avan is the son of Riteish Deshmukh's brother Amit Deshmukh, who is also an MLA from Latur. He is a three term Member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from the Latur city constituency, and is the National Secretary of the All India Congress Committee. Meanwhile, on the work front, the actress is gearing up for her upcoming film 'Sitaare Zameen Par' in which she stars alongside Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan and Darsheel Safary. She also has the Telugu movie 'Junior' in the pipeline. Genelia and Riteish tied the knot on February 3, 2012 after years of dating. They got married as per Marathi marriage traditions in a Hindu wedding ceremony, and had a Christian wedding in the church on the next day. The couple's first child, a son named Riaan, was born on November 25, 2014. Their second son, Rahyl, was born on June 1, 2016. Meanwhile, Riteish, who was recently seen in the horror-comedy film 'Kakuda', has 'Raid 2' in the pipeline. Mumbai, Aug 17 : Telugu superstar Ram Charan, who is in Melbourne currently, hoisted the Indian tricolour at the Federation Square in Melbourne to celebrate the Indian spirit during the ongoing Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. The actor was also honoured with the prestigious title of Ambassador of Indian Arts and Culture by the Victorian government at the annual IFFM awards, recently at the Palais Theatre. His ceremonial act as a true Indian filled with pride, hoisting the flag amidst hundreds of diaspora Indians who gathered to witness the moment, was a highlight of the event. Ram expressed on the occasion, "It's such a proud moment for us all Indians to be here, hoisting the Indian flag in Australia. I have such fond memories of being here in Australia, having shot for a movie 12 years back in Melbourne and Sydney". He further mentioned, "Back in the day, there weren't so many Indians, and to see so many Indians here today truly makes me so proud. We are truly going global, and international platforms are recognizing our culture and cinema. Now, I feel the future is all about the young people gathered here, and that excites me to see the future's so bright". In its 15th year, the IFFM is the largest celebration of Indian cinema outside India, and is being held from August 15 to August 25 this year. Meanwhile, on the work front, the actor will be next seen in the 'Game Changer which is directed by the renowned S Shankar, and is touted to be a cinematic spectacle with an estimated budget of Rs 240 crore. In the film Ram Charan will be seen in a triple role. The film is produced by Dil Raju under the banner of Sri Venkateswara Creations. Hubballi, : Aug 17 (IANS) Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Pralhad Joshi, on Saturday stated that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should cooperate with the investigation following the Karnataka Governor's decision to allow sanction for prosecution. Speaking to the media at Hubballi, Union Minister Joshi stated, "After taking all legal and moral aspects into account and after taking the opinion of legal experts, the Governor has given sanction for the prosecution of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. There is a due process of law and the law will take its own course." "CM Siddaramaiah should cooperate with the investigating agency and judiciary to probe the case and he should step down," Union Minister Joshi demanded. He claimed that the Governor had taken sufficient time before giving sanction and it had been given in the backdrop of serious allegations against the CM. "We are hopeful that CM Siddaramaiah will cooperate with the investigation. Under the pretext of legal action or the law, he should not create hassles for the investigation," Joshi stated. "If CM Siddaramaiah has not committed any illegalities, there will be no harm caused to him. Let him wage legal battle against the order, we don't have any objections to it. When Karnataka's former Governor late Hansraj Bhardwaj had given sanction against former CM BS Yediyurappa, he did not brand Bhardwaj as a Congress agent. He took moral responsibility and stepped down from his position," Joshi professed. After getting a clean chit, let CM Siddaramaiah be in his position for five years, he stated. Joshi also slammed the protests against the Governor in Karnataka. In a major development, Karnataka Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot gave sanction for prosecution against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday in connection with the irregularities in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority. The development is a major setback for CM Siddaramaiah and the Congress government in Karnataka. New Delhi, Aug 17 : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday welcomed Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot's nod to prosecute Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in connection with the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land scam. New Delhi, Aug 17 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday welcomed Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlotas nod to prosecute Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in connection with the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land scam. Addressing media at BJP National Headquarters, party National Spokesperson Sambit Patra accused Siddaramaiah of committing a Rs 4000 crore Mudra scam in the Mysore Urban Development Authority, and said that he was "following the footsteps of the Gandhi family." Patra said that earlier, the Gandhi family had also committed a similar scam in the National Herald case, which was worth Rs 5000 crore, in which both Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are out on bail, and now the Karnataka Chief Minister is following them. "During the oath-taking ceremony and the Budget session in Parliament, the Opposition leaders made a ruckus, holding the Constitution in their hands. Since yesterday, many press conferences have been held regarding the West Bengal incident. We have seen how the Constitution is being shattered both in West Bengal and in Karnataka," the BJP Spokesperson stated. He explained that civic society members had petitioned the Governor to grant permission to prosecute Siddaramaiah after the MUDA land scam surfaced. However, the state government's response was not satisfactory, and hence, the Governor decided to permit the prosecution. Alleging that earlier, the Governor used to "suppress" such cases out of "political compulsion," the BJP Spokesperson thanked the Karnataka Governor for giving the nod to prosecute the Chief Minister. "During Manmohan Singh's tenure, permission to prosecute in such cases was not given due to political compulsions, but in the case of MUDA land scam in Karnataka, the Governor has given permission to prosecute the accused," he said, comparing the situation to the UPA government's tenure. Shedding light on the alleged scam and involvement of people close to the Chief Minister, Patra told scribes, "In 2004, Siddaramaiah's wife Parvati's brother purchased about 3.61 acres of land in Kesari village. In 2005, Parvati became the owner. It was later revealed that this land transfer deal was illegal because it involved land owned by a Dalit. However, it was also discovered that MUDA had already allocated 14 plots to Parvati in exchange for this land." He also slammed the Congress party's swift response to the Governor's decision, particularly Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's arrival in Bengaluru, where protests against the Governor were held. The BJP leader questioned whether Congress leaders would show the same urgency in addressing the issue in West Bengal. "Today, I am wearing a black band, as I come from a doctor fraternity. So, I want to ask Mallikarjun Kharge to save the corrupt, you reached Bengaluru. Will you also go to West Bengal? Will Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi go to West Bengal, or will they all go to Bengaluru to save corrupt Siddaramaiah?" he questioned. New Delhi, Aug 17 : The Union Health Ministry on Saturday assured doctors of all possible efforts to ensure safety, as services were impacted in the states in the wake of nation-wide strike called by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) against the brutal rape and murder of a 31-year-old PG trainee in Kolkata. The representatives of Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA), Indian Medical Association (IMA) and Resident Doctors' Associations of Governmental Medical Colleges and Hospitals of Delhi met government officials at the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in the aftermath of the incident against a resident doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The Ministry assured the associations of constituting a committee to suggest all such possible measures for ensuring the safety of healthcare professionals. It said that representatives of all stakeholders, including the state governments, will be invited to share their suggestions with the panel. The various Associations put forth their demands regarding their concern over the safety and security of healthcare workers at the workplace. The Ministry said it has heard the demands of the representatives and assured them of all possible efforts to ensure the security of healthcare professionals. "The representatives of all the associations were informed that the government is well aware of the situation and is sensitive to their demands," it added. It was observed that 26 states have already passed legislation for the protection of healthcare workers in their respective states. In view of the rising cases of dengue and malaria, the Ministry requested the agitating doctors to resume their duties. The IMA had 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 RG Kar incident. The IMA has also demanded a Central Act (Central Protection Act for Doctors) protecting medical professionals from violence at workplaces. Baghdad, Aug 17 : Stressing that it remains an integral part of the Global South and has a firm commitment to a shared vision for a sustainable and prosperous future for all, Iraq on Saturday expressed its "sincere appreciation" to the Indian government for hosting the 3rd Voice of Global South Summit under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fuad Hussein, participated virtually in the meeting held under the theme 'Empowering the Global South for a Sustainable Future'. In his remarks at the summit, Hussain thanked the Indian government for hosting the important conference and extended his special thanks to PM Modi and External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar. Addressing the "common challenges", the Minister spoke on the importance of collective action with developed countries to address vital issues such as climate change, energy security and sustainable development. "He explained that Iraq plays a pivotal role in ensuring global energy security, pointing to the country's commitment to diversifying energy sources and expanding its export capabilities to meet growing global demand. He called on international partners to cooperate in building a sustainable energy future for all," stated Iraq's Foreign Ministry. Highlighting Iraq's initiative to plant five million trees as a step towards creating a large carbon reservoir, Hussein said that the country remains committed to global measures to combat climate change, including implementing policies to support the use of electric vehicles and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Addressing the gathering, Hussein also mentioned the security challenges facing the world, especially in light of the instability of the international system, expressing Iraq's concern over the "unjustified Israeli bombing" of the Gaza Strip, and calling on the international community to support efforts to enhance security and peace in the region. "The Minister also discussed the importance of transboundary water resources for Iraq, stressing Iraq's diplomatic efforts to enhance cooperation in this field, including joining the United Nations Water Convention," the Foreign Ministry mentioned. Hussein detailed that a 'Development Path' initiative has been launched by Iraq, which aims to enhance regional and global economic integration by establishing a trade corridor linking the Gulf region to Turkey, opening the door to new economic opportunities and enhancing trade within and outside the region. A number of countries, including Iraq, Cuba, Brunei, Lesotho, Malaysia, Maldives, Nauru, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tajikistan, Tuvalu, Laos, Cambodia, and Turkmenistan are participating in the summit The summit is held with the participation of a number of heads of state and government and foreign ministers, where it discusses the challenges imposed by global developments and ways to create a more comprehensive, representative and advanced global system. It also addresses development priorities and related solutions, as well as food security issues It began as an extension of PM Modi's vision of 'sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas aur sabka prayasa, and is underpinned by India's philosophy of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam'. The conference discussed the issues of climate change, population growth, food insecurity, financial debt, inequality and conflicts that directly affect developing countries, and discussed the challenges, priorities and solutions in the Global South, especially to ensure sustainable development. Chennai, Aug 17 : Madras High Court dismissed an anticipatory bail petition filed by an individual who was booked under the provisions of the Bharathiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act, 2000 for sharing a blasphemous post against Prophet Mohammed on his Facebook. Single bench Judge of the Madras High Court, Justice P. Dhanabal dismissed the advance bail plea filed by an individual, R. Murugesan (48), of Rathinapuiri in Coimbatore in a case booked by the Coimbatore Police on July 20, 2024. His anticipatory plea was earlier rejected by the Coimbatore Principal and District Sessions Court on August 8, 2024. The court agreed with the contention moved by the Government pleader. Advocate S. Santhosh contended that no person could escape prosecution by claiming to have just shared a message authored by someone else by mistake or by claiming to have deleted the post after realising the mistake. Tamil Nadu government pleader Santhosh cited Justice N. Anand Venkateshas 2023 judgment in actor S.V. Shekheras case in which the court had held that those who share messages on social media must be very cautious. The court had also then said that such a person could not be allowed to escape penal consequences for the damage caused before deleting the post. Bengaluru, Aug 17 : Following Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot's sanction for prosecution against the Karnataka Chief Minister in connection with the alleged irregularities in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), Home Minister G Parameshwara said on Saturday that the matter of filing of the FIR against Siddaramaiah by his department would be discussed with the legal team. Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, HM Parameshwara said, "We will first discuss with the legal team and an appropriate decision would be taken." Answering a question, HM Parameshwara stated, "Naturally, we will stand with the Chief Minister in this phase. We are all with him. There is no need to make a statement about it separately." He added that there would be no disturbance in the functioning of the Congress government in the backdrop of the day's development. He, however, stated that many cases being probed by the SIT would be speeded up and when the reports come in, action would be taken. Regarding the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) case involving former CM BS Yediyurappa, he said the Advocate General and advocates representing the prosecution will vacate the injunction orders and necessary action would be initiated. When asked whether it would be an act of revenge, HM Parameshwara stated, "It is a fact that the incident had taken place. We are investigating that case and filed a charge sheet in the court." When questioned about the Ahinda activists launching a 'Go back Governor' agitation, HM Parameshwara reiterated, "We will discuss the development with the CM first. There is a legal team and let's discuss the matter." HM Parameshwara stated that the Congress would question the Governor's inaction against other pleas pending before him. "We will question pending petitions against Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy, former CM BS Yediyurappa, former ministers Shashikala Jolle and Murugesh Nirani. They are pending for years with the Governor. But, when it comes to CM Siddaramaiah, the show cause notice is given within 24 hours. Even children will know what is going on. "CM Siddaramaiah will discuss with the legal team and decide the future course of action. We will have to see how the consent is accorded. It is going to be examined legally, we have already stated that a legal battle would be waged," he said. When asked about the demand for the resignation of CM Siddaramaiah by the BJP, he said, "It is natural that they will ask for the resignation but we will take up the matter legally. The move by the Governor is not shocking. In a democratic set up, when a government is being run, these things take place. However, we are ready to face the situation." When asked if CM Siddaramaiah would be asked to resign, he maintained, "Because, our present stand is to fight the decision of the Governor, that question won't come. We didn't know that this would happen. We were hopeful that the consent for prosecution would not be given after the decision of the Cabinet advising the Governor not to accord permission and reject the petitions in this regard. We will have to face it legally now." "It is very clear now that there was always pressure from the central government. When there was no order given in writing or orally by the CM, the Governor issued a show cause notice to him. The CM sent a detailed reply and gave an explanation to him. We had explained it to him thread by thread what had transpired in connection with the MUDA case. Naturally, it appears to us that he is pressured by the central government. We had said that the office of the Governor is being misused and it turned out to be true," he stated. "We have to consider the decision by the Governor as a move of hatred. The CM is elected by the people and they have given 135 seats to the Congress party. Even as there is no direct involvement, the sanction for prosecution against him is given. We have come to the conclusion that it is a political move or a step taken under pressure," he stated. "We have said in our speeches that it is an attempt to tarnish the image of CM Siddaramaiah. The Chief Minister himself had said that there was no black mark on his political career of more than three decades. So, we will discuss and launch a struggle," he announced. "After the MUDA matter came to the notice of the CM and following the BJP's allegations, Siddaramaiah without hesitation formed a commission against him. Won't the community know that he has not done anything wrong? If he was scared, why would he have formed the commission?" HM Parameshwara questioned. He said the commission would look into the terms and reference on land allotments by the MUDA and the probe was progressing. "When there is a commission of enquiry, the Governor should have waited for a few days until the commission gave its report. How is it tenable for the Governor to grant permission for the prosecution?" HM Parameshwara objected. "If the commission's report proved the charges against CM Siddaramaiah, it would have been helpful to permit sanction. Now, if the judicial commission report says the CM has no role, everyone will question the Governor's decision. He will have to face more questions and allegations in this regard," he opined. Patna, Aug 17 : The ongoing strike by junior doctors in Bihar has disrupted health services across the state. Major government medical colleges and hospitals have ceased operations as a show of solidarity following the rape and murder of a trainee female doctor in Kolkata. This tragic incident has sparked widespread outrage within the medical community, leading to the suspension of medical services in protest. In addition to the junior doctors' strike, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) also joined the protest on Saturday. The strike has led to the complete shutdown of the Outpatient Department (OPD) and emergency services at key facilities like the Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH), Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS), AIIMS Patna among others. The IMA demanded to ensure the safety and security of healthcare professionals. They have called for the implementation of strict laws, including enhanced security measures at hospitals similar to those at airports, the enforcement of a security protocol, and the passage of a Central Protection Act and Clinical Protection Act. The IMA also demands adequate compensation for the family members of the victim in Kolkata, emphasising the need for stronger protections and support for medical professionals. The ongoing strike by junior doctors in Bihar has created a severe crisis in the state's healthcare system, particularly impacting poor patients who rely heavily on government medical colleges and hospitals for treatment. At PMCH, notices have been posted throughout the premises, informing patients and visitors about the suspension of work. Similar actions have been taken at other major hospitals in the state, including NMCH, IGIMS, and AIIMS Patna. "I do not have enough money to go to a private hospital. We are waiting for the strike to end for the last two days," said Abhinav Kumar, who was accompanying a relative. In Muzaffarpur, resident doctors at Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) halted emergency and OPD services, while in Bhagalpur, the doctors at Jawahar Lal Nehru Medical College and Hospital (JLNMCH) have suspended OPD services but are continuing emergency care. The situation mirrored in other institutions such as Anugrah Narayan Singh Magadh Medical College and Hospital (ANCMCH) in Gaya, Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), and others in Pawapuri, Bettiah, and Purnea. Many patients and their families were seen anxiously waiting for the strike to end so they could receive the treatment. At PMCH, patients were seen waiting, hoping for a resolution. Ram Sewak, who travelled from Madhepura to Patna AIIMS for a scheduled operation, also faces uncertainty due to the closure of OPD services. "I had to undergo a surgical procedure today. I reached here a day earlier. But now the OPD service in Patna AIIMS is shut. We do not know when the strike will end and how we will get the next date for the operation," he said. Beirut, Aug 17 : Ten people were killed and three displaced Syrians injured early Saturday in an Israeli airstrike on a residential building in southern Lebanon, according to official and military sources in Lebanon. The sources, who spoke anonymously to Xinhua news agency said that an Israeli warplane carried out a raid early Saturday, firing two air-to-ground missiles on the residential building in the middle of the industrial zone in Wadi al-Kfour, Nabatieh district, deep in southern Lebanon. Several teams from the Civil Defence and the Islamic Health Authority, equipped with bulldozers and cranes, are still working to remove the rubble of the house, which was destroyed, and transfer the injured to hospitals in Nabatieh, according to the sources. Military sources indicated that Israeli drones and warplanes launched four raids on four villages and towns in southern Lebanon at dawn and in the morning. Meanwhile, Israeli artillery shelled eight villages and towns in the eastern, western and central sectors of the border area in southern Lebanon with 35 shells, causing material damage to several homes, sources said. Tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border escalated on October 8, 2023, following a barrage of rockets launched by the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah toward Israel in solidarity with Hamas' attack on Israel the day before. Israel then retaliated by firing heavy artillery toward southeastern Lebanon. The situation escalated further after Israel's attack on Dahieh in Beirut's southern suburbs in July, killing a Hezbollah senior military commander, Fouad Shokor, and seven civilians. Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah threatened a definite and painful response to the Israeli raid at the appropriate time and place. Seoul, Aug 17 : The leaders of South Korea, the United States and Japan will announce a joint statement this weekend to commemorate the first anniversary of the historic Camp David summit, a presidential official in Seoul said on Saturday. The trilateral summit, held at Camp David in Maryland last August, brought together South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, reports Yonhap news agency. The summit resulted in a series of landmark agreements aimed at strengthening cooperation among the three nations. The joint statement, to be announced Sunday, is expected to commemorate the first anniversary and explore ways to maintain and stabilise the trilateral cooperation system. "We are preparing a joint statement that will reflect the founding purpose of the Camp David cooperation framework, the achievements of the past year, and the shared concerns for future collaboration," said the high-ranking presidential official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The agreement comes at a time of political change. Kishida announced his intention to step down next month, and Biden also withdrew from the upcoming presidential race. Despite the leadership transitions in the US and Japan, the joint statement will emphasise the commitment to unwavering cooperation among the three countries. The statement is also expected to outline trilateral support for Yoon's new unification doctrine, which he announced during his Liberation Day address Thursday. The new doctrine updates a previous unification vision presented by the Kim Young-sam administration in 1994. It focuses on expanding North Koreans' access to outside information and proposes opening an official dialogue channel between the two Koreas to discuss various issues. Additionally, another trilateral summit is anticipated before the end of this year. Some speculate that the summit could take place during an international multilateral meeting in October, where the leaders of the three nations may meet again. "The timing and details of the next summit are still under discussion, and no specific decisions have been made yet," the official said. Earlier this week, Mira Rapp-Hooper, the senior director for East Asia and Oceania at the National Security Council, hinted at the possibility of another trilateral leaders' summit before the end of this year. Bengaluru, Aug 17 : Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Shobha Karandlaje, on Saturday said that Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should resign and face the law, in the backdrop of Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot granting sanction for investigation against the CM in connection with the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land scam matter. Speaking to the mediapersons here, the Karnataka BJP office, Shobha Karandlaje, responding to questions regarding the Governor's move, said that the Governor is acting according to the law, adding there are legal provisions in place. The Governor has taken steps under the anti-corruption laws. He had acted on the reports of social activists T.J. Abraham and Snehamayi Krishna, discussing them with experts before taking action, she said. "Karnataka Cabinet Ministers speak in defence of the Chief Minister to cover up corruption, but the law must be faced. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, you should resign and face legal proceedings," Shobha Karandlaje, who hails from Karnataka, said. She said that Siddaramaiah should take moral responsibility and resign over his alleged involvement in the Valmiki Tribal Board scam and the MUDA scam. The Union Minister said that when Siddaramaiah was Chief Minister in 2013, there were over 20 cases against him in the Lokayukta. "To protect himself, Siddaramaiah had the Lokayukta institution dissolved and transferred the cases to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), thus managing to shut them down," she charged, adding: "CM Siddaramaiah had completed five years in power, but corruption was rampant in the state during his tenure." Shobha Karandlaje, further slamming the Karnataka Chief Minister, said: "In just one year, there have been two major allegations against Siddaramaiah. The funds reserved for the SC/STs and the underprivileged in Karnataka were allegedly directed by the Congress high command to be used in Telangana's wine shops and jewellery stores." She said that former minister B. Nagendra, who was asked to resign, was not alone responsible for the Valmiki Tribal Welfare Board scam, and the Congress high command might have directed the funds to be routed for the Telangana Assembly elections. "In the MUDA case, Dalits' land was allegedly taken illegally by CM Siddaramaiah's wife. His wife reportedly received a site in the upscale Vijayanagar Phase 3-4 illegally in Mysuru city. Throughout that time, Siddaramaiah was in a Constitutional position," she said. Tel Aviv, Aug 17 : At least 16 Palestinians were killed by Israeli bombings in the Al-Zawaida area in central Gaza Strip, Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported on Saturday. Israeli warplanes bombed overnight a shack and a house belonging to the Al-Ajl family near the entrance to Al-Zawaida, also injuring dozens of others who were transferred to a hospital in the city of Deir al-Balah, WAFA said, Xinhua news agency reported. The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement on Saturday that it was continuing operations in the central and southern Gaza Strip. Over the past day, Israeli Air Force aircraft eliminated about 40 targets, including military structures, weapons storage facilities, and more, it added. The Israeli army's fighting in the Gaza Strip has ended, Israel's state-owned Kan TV news claimed late on Friday night. Citing senior security officials, Kan 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. Israel has been on a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on October 7, 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 250 were taken hostage. The Palestinian death toll from the ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has risen to 40,005, Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Thursday. Jaipur, Aug 17 : The Rajasthan Education Department on Saturday issued a guideline banning carrying sharp-edged instruments like knives or scissors to schools. The move followed violence in Udaipur on Friday after a Class X student of a government school attacked one of his classmates with a knife, leaving the latter severely injured. As per the guideline, teachers will check the school bags of students to ensure that no such items are being brought to school. Action will be taken against the students who flout the guideline. Director of the Secondary Education Department Ashish Modi said that families send their children to school to study. "In such a situation, school premises should be the safest place for students. There should not be any kind of violence there. Keeping the security of students in mind, the Education Department has issued this guideline," he added. The new guideline will be pasted on school notice boards and students will also be informed about it during prayer assemblies. On Friday, violence broke out in Udaipur after a Class X student was attacked with a knife by his classmate at a government school. Nearly half-a-dozen cars were set on fire by an angry mob while incidents of stone pelting were reported from certain parts of the city. As per reports, the students were from different communities which led to tension in the city. After incidents of arson, a large police force was deployed which had to resort to a lathi-charge to disperse the agitating crowd in some parts of the city. Prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha were also imposed. District Education Officer Lokesh Bharti confirmed that two classmates, both aged 15 years, at a government school in the Bhatiyani Chauhatta area got into a fight during the post-lunch hours following which one student stabbed the other on the thigh with a knife. Bengaluru, Aug 17 : Deputy Chief Minister and Karnataka Congress President D.K. Shivakumar declared on Saturday that the party and the state government stand firmly behind Chief Minister Siddaramaiah asserting that there is no question of his resignation. Shivakumar made these comments during a press conference with cabinet colleagues at the Vidhana Soudha on Saturday regarding the Governor's nod to prosecute Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the MUDA scam. "A conspiracy is underway to destabilise the government by misusing the Governor's office and trapping Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in false cases. The entire Congress party and the government stand firmly behind Siddaramaiah. There is no question of his resignation," declared Dy CM Shivakumar. "Siddaramaiah is our Chief Minister and will continue as Chief Minister. Our Chief Minister will not succumb to any pressure. He will continue in his role, and together we will continue to serve the people of the state," the deputy CM asserted. "Not just the Congress party, but the entire INDIA bloc will stand with our Chief Minister. False cases have been created against him. Therefore, we will continue our fight within the legal framework and politically among the people," he said. "We will fight against the BJP's attempt to turn the Governor's office into a BJP office. We must protect democracy and the Constitution. The permission for investigation against the Chief Minister is unconstitutional. We respect the law and trust that the judicial system will not allow injustice. We are prepared for a legal battle," he added. "The central BJP government cannot tolerate the rise of a leader from the backward classes as Chief Minister for the second time. We will fight against this conspiracy," he said. "The Governor's office should not be a puppet of the BJP. Our government allocates Rs 56,000 crore annually for the poor. This conspiracy is aimed at undermining a government that has implemented such historic schemes. This attempt to remove the government will not succeed under any circumstances," he declared. "Various courts have guided how Governors should act in such cases. Examples include cases from West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, Telangana, and Punjab," he said. "This morning, the Governor made a constitutionally and democratically damaging decision. We had responded to the notice issued on July 26, 2024, from the Governor on August 1 with a detailed reply. We also requested a cabinet meeting to reject this malicious complaint," Dy CM Shivakumar stated. "None of the three complaints in this case have any merit. We have explained the constitutional and legal aspects, asserting that this is a politically motivated complaint and should not be considered. The government elected by the people should be respected. We have clearly informed the Governor and the public that our Chief Minister has not abused his power and there are no flaws," he said. "The position of Governor is highly significant. We all respect the Governor greatly. We work under their guidance. Therefore, we are committed to upholding the values of the Constitution. We swear by the Constitution and hold our position with integrity," Shivakumar stated. "In our political experience, if permission for an investigation is to be granted, it should be based on a preliminary inquiry report from the investigative agency indicating that an investigation of the person in the Chief Minister's position is necessary. But here, no legal process has been followed. There are previous instances of similar situations," he said. "Take the example of Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy's case. The Lokayukta investigated, and the institution requested the Governor on November 23, 2023 to grant permission for an inquiry. On May 13, 2024, a request was sent to grant permission for an inquiry against former BJP minister Janardhana Reddy. On December 9, 2021, a letter was sent to the Governor requesting permission to investigate former minister and BJP MLA Shashikala Jolle. On December 9, 2020, a request was made for an inquiry against former BJP Minister Murugesh Nirani. In all these cases, permission for an inquiry was requested based on preliminary investigation reports," he explained. "The Governor has yet to decide on these requests. However, in this case, the Governor issued a show-cause notice to the government within 24 hours of receiving the complaint and then ordered permission for the investigation. This is not just a conspiracy against CM Siddaramaiah. It is a conspiracy against a government that came to power with the strength of 136 plus two legislators and against the blessing of the people of the state in a democratic system," he asserted. "The Governor's office is being misused in this conspiracy. Union Ministers Prahlad Joshi and Kumaraswamy have stated that they will topple this government in the next 8-10 months, and this conspiracy is complementary to that statement," he added. In response to a media question about whether this decision to stand with CM Siddaramaiah is the cabinet's decision or the high command's pressure, Shivakumar stated, "There is no question of the Congress high command in this matter. Both I and my cabinet colleagues are capable of facing this struggle. We are all united and will remain united." When asked about the appropriateness of having a retired judge lead the investigation and considering whether the case should be examined, he said, "We will address the Governor's statements and decisions legally and politically. We had respect for the Governor. We had requested to reject these complaints. Yet, permission for the investigation has been granted." New Delhi, Aug 17 : The government on Saturday said they are closely monitoring the global monkeypox situation, and preparedness and cautionary measures are being put in place to prevent and control the spread of the disease. There are no new reported cases of monkeypox in India as of date, said the Health Ministry. In the meeting with senior ministry officials, chaired by Health Minister JP Nadda, it was decided that as a matter of abundant caution, certain measures are put in place. These are sensitising the health units at all the airports, seaports and ground crossings, readying the testing laboratories and gearing up health facilities for detecting, isolating and managing any case. The meeting was called in view of the World Health Organisation (WHO) declaring Monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). In the meeting, it was noted that Monkeypox infections are usually self-limiting lasting between 2-4 weeks and patients generally recover with supportive management. The transmission requires prolonged close contact with an infected case and is generally through the sexual route, direct contact with body/lesion fluid, or contaminated clothing/linen of an infected person. Globally, since 2022, WHO has reported 99,176 cases and 208 deaths due to monkeypox from 116 countries. Since the 2022 declaration by WHO, a total of 30 cases were detected in India with the last case in March 2024. The Centre said that a joint monitoring group meeting, under the chairmanship of the Director General of Health Services consisting of experts from relevant fields, was held to review the situation. Although the possibility of a few imported cases being detected in the coming weeks is not entirely ruled out, it was assessed that the risk of a large outbreak with sustained transmission is presently low for India. After reports of Mpox cases in Sweden and Pakistan surfaced, infectious disease experts urged health authorities to begin screening for the deadly infectious disease at key airports in India to help curb the spread. New Delhi, Aug 17 : Indian Overseas Congress Chairman Sam Pitroda on Saturday said that former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's biggest mistake was putting the current Chief Adviser to the interim government "under scanner." He also expressed the hope that the Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus will take all the necessary steps to safeguard the minorities in the country. Pitroda said that Hasina's decision to put Yunus under the lens was perceived as dictatorial by many around the world. "People make decisions based on their perception of leadership and the position they hold. However, from an external viewpoint, things appeared somewhat dictatorial. I recall when she put Yunus under the scanner; globally, many people were unhappy because he has a significant reputation. He won a Nobel Prize and has devoted his life to Bangladesh and its poor women," he said. Labelling it as a sign of "putting democracy under threat," he said, "While we may not agree with everything he did, overall, he deserves a lot more respect. This sent a global signal of a dictatorial attitude in governance." Pitroda also asserted that the same scenario could be seen unfolding in several parts of the world, where institutions such as the Election Commission, judiciary, universities, tax departments, and police are being captured. "Maybe this situation in Bangladesh escalated to a point where it suddenly spiralled out of control. It was surprising, especially considering the speed at which it happened," he added. Speaking on the condition of minorities in Bangladesh, he hoped that Yunus would follow up on his commitment to work on the same as he assured Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Talking about the similarity in conditions between India and Bangladesh, Sam Pitroda said that a comparison is not possible in this case as India is a "vastly different countrya"too big, diverse, and complex." "India is much more aware of democracy and its roots. I would not compare India in the same league as Bangladesh, mainly because of the population and the kind of democracy we have," he said. Pitroda, however, said that there is "always the danger of an authoritarian attitude." "Look at America; I came here 60 years ago and never thought there would be a day when America would need to be concerned about authoritarianism... American institutions are independent and full of talent and courage," he said, adding that many Indian institutions "lack the courage to stand up for what is right. So, while India is different, anything can happen." Pitroda added that a way should be figured out to give asylum to Sheikh Hasina that goes well with everyone. "We have a good relationship with Bangladesh. We should work out a way that everyone is happy --Bangladesh, India, and Sheikh Hasina. We don't want any further disturbances," he said, adding that if Hasina has to stay in India for a while, "I'm sure it will be okay, and we will work things out." He stated that it is in the interest of India, Bangladesh, and other nations to ensure that the South Asian country returns to normalcy as soon as possible, with peace prevailing and the economy functioning as it has been. Speaking on the India-Bangladesh bilateral ties he said that it would be hard to predict how things turn out after Sheikh Hasina's ouster and the establishment of an interim government. "It's hard to say how things will unfold there, but if people like Yunus are at the helm, I can assure you the relationship will be good. I know him personally and have known him for over 30 years. I respect him, and we have a good friendship. He is a man with a vision and is well-respected worldwide. He would want good relations with India because he understands the value of it. We also respect and want good relations with Bangladesh," he added. Hanoi, Aug 17 : Appreciating India's initiative to host the 3rd Voice of Global South Summit and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for creating a framework for developing countries to share their voices, perspectives and solutions to overcome global challenges, Vietnamese PM Pham Minh Chinh on Saturday suggested three priority areas for the countries of the Global South to focus on to have a common vision and a global, comprehensive and all-people mindset, action and approach. Addressing the session on 'An Empowered Global South for a Sustainable Future' that was attended by nearly 20 Presidents, Prime Ministers and senior leaders of developing countries, the Prime Minister of Vietnam said that the top priority should be to promote more effectively and substantially the reform of regional and global governance institutions, focusing on reforming the United Nations "to be more democratic and effective", strengthening the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) at the center, and minimising trade barriers and unfair competition. "More than ever, Southern countries need to strengthen cooperation in the spirit of solidarity and unity in diversity to seize opportunities, overcome challenges, resolve difficulties and move towards a sustainable prosperous future for all countries," Pham Minh Chinh told the gathering of leaders. Second, he said, was to promote the mobilization and effective use of all social resources to successfully implement the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). "Countries need to promote their pioneering role in ensuring food security, environmental protection, natural disaster prevention, climate change adaptation, green economy, digital economy, and circular economy development on the basis of ensuring the principles of equal access, fairness, autonomy, and self-reliance," said Pham Minh Chinh while calling for more practical and effective support from the international community, especially developed countries, in finance, technology, human resource training, and governance for developing countries. The third priority, mentioned by the Vietnamese PM, was to promote new growth drivers, especially in science and technology, innovation and startups, considering this as the focus of all cooperation mechanisms and initiatives. "It is necessary to continue to strongly promote South-South trade and investment; promote the development of South-South science and technology markets; develop an innovation ecosystem connecting the state - schools - businesses and connecting regions to operate effectively and substantially," said Pham Minh Chinh. The Vietnamese PM, who visited New Delhi earlier this month, lauded India for hosting the important forum for developing countries for the third consecutive time. Vietnam's attendance at the event, he said, demonstrates the country's growing role, position and international prestige in participating and contributing responsibly to global multilateral mechanisms. Leaders and representatives of more than 100 countries, including Iraq, Cuba, Brunei, Lesotho, Malaysia, Maldives, Nauru, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tajikistan, Tuvalu, Laos, Cambodia, and Turkmenistan, participated in the summit which began as an extension of PM Modi's vision of 'sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas aur sabka prayasa, and is underpinned by India's philosophy of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam'. The conference discussed the issues of climate change, population growth, food insecurity, financial debt, inequality and conflicts that directly affect developing countries, and discussed the challenges, priorities and solutions in the Global South, especially to ensure sustainable development. Khartoum, Aug 17 : Sudan's Health Minister Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim on Saturday officially declared a cholera outbreak in the country. "The lab test of watery diarrhea at the Public Health Laboratory proves it to be cholera," Ibrahim said in a statement. The announcement came shortly after the World Health Organization (WHO) said that about 316 people died of cholera in Sudan, Xinhua news agency reported. On Friday, WHO's spokesperson Margaret Harris reportedly said in a media call that 11,327 cholera cases with 316 deaths had been reported in Sudan, and that dengue fever and meningitis infections were also on the rise. She also said that the WHO expects the actual number of cholera infections is higher than what had been reported. Since the war broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2023, epidemic diseases such as cholera, malaria, measles, and dengue fever have spread, leaving hundreds dead. The deadly conflict between the SAF and the RSF 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 most recent UN data. Jaipur, Aug 17 : The Rajasthan government has received investment proposals worth over Rs 5.21 lakh crore (over $62 billion) within two weeks of the announcement of dates for the 'Rising Rajasthan' Investment Summit 2024, marking a new era of economic development and prosperity of the state, an official said on Saturday. "The Industries Department is thrilled with the spectacular response that has been received up until now from the investors. The department has been working tirelessly for the past 6-7 months to make Rajasthan an attractive destination for investment and this is an outcome of that," said Rajasthan Industry and Commerce Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore. The 'Rising Rajasthan' Investment Summit 2024 will be organised on December 9, 10 and 11 in Jaipur. An official said that the 3-day summit aims to attract and facilitate global investment. Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma announced the dates of 'Rising Rajasthan' summit and also unveiled its logo on August 1. Moreover, CM Sharma had also launched a single-point investor interface for easier submissions of the MoUs by the investors that are seeking to make investments in Rajasthan through a simple form. The investment summit will be organised with the support of the Industry and Commerce Department, Bureau of Investment Promotion (BIP), and RIICO. Through the summit, the Rajasthan government is aiming to bring investments to focus sectors such as agriculture and agro processing, mines, minerals and petroleum, auto and auto components, chemical and petrochemical, ESDM/IT and ITeS, medical and health, tourism and textile. According to officials, the state government will soon be going for domestic and international roadshows to meet national and global industrialists, corporates, international institutions, among others. Meanwhile, Ajitabh Sharma, Principal Secretary (Industries), said: "The tremendous response received from the investors' community shows that there has been a remarkable increase in the trust of investors in Rajasthan and its potential. This is a reflection of the work done by the officials of the Industries department. The major focus has been on improving the 'Ease of Doing Business', creating a conducive ecosystem and building supporting infrastructure, providing solutions to the issues of existing business community in the state." Prominent sectors which have received significant investment proposals include solar manufacturing, cement, petrochemicals, iron and steel, healthcare, tourism, textiles and apparels, renewable energy, green hydrogen, etc. These projects have the potential to generate about 1.55 lakh direct employment opportunities. The received investment proposals (worth Rs 5.21 lakh crore) amount to over 33 per cent of Rajasthan's present economy (GSDP) which is estimated to be Rs 15.28 lakh crore in 2023-24. Bhopal, Aug 17 : The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Saturday asked the doctors to withdraw their strike and resume medical services without any delay. The court has also asked the representatives of the doctors to submit their grievances that would be heard on priority. The court's decision came as a big relief to the patients admitted in the emergency wards of hospitals across Madhya Pradesh. A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva and Justice Raj Mohan Singh issued the direction during the hearing on Saturday, a lawyer representing the petitioner told IANS. Doctors have been on strike over the rape-murder of a junior doctor at the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata last week. On Friday, the court had issued notices to the state government and others seeking their reply in 24 hours on the strike called by the doctors on August 17 to protest against the rape and murder of a woman medic at a Kolkata hospital and vandalism of the health facility. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has declared a nationwide withdrawal of non-emergency health services for 24 hours beginning 6 a.m. on Saturday to protest against the rape-murder of the junior doctor. "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," an IMA statement said on Thursday. Meanwhile, hundreds of resident doctors have struck work in government hospitals in MP since Friday which led to the disruption of medical services. Doctors in Bhopal claimed they have stopped attending patients in OPDs but emergency cases were taken on priority. "Patients are our first priority but doctors also need protection. We welcome HC order, but the court should also direct the government to frame guidelines for doctors' protection," a senior doctor associated with the Gandhi Medical College in Bhopal said. Bengaluru, Aug 17 : Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot on Saturday said that a neutral, objective and non-partisan investigation must be conducted in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land case which allegedly involves Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. "Upon perusal of the petition along with the materials in support of the allegations in the petitions and reply of Chief Minister and the advice of the state Cabinet along with the legal opinion, it seems there are two versions to the same set of facts. A neutral, objective and nonpartisan investigation must be conducted in the MUDA case," reads the seven-page order of the Governor issued to Chief Secretary Shaalini Rajneesh. The Governor said he is prima facie satisfied that the allegations and the supporting materials disclose the commission of offences. "I am satisfied that sanction can be accorded against Chief Minister on the allegations of having committed the offences as mentioned in the petitions of T.J. Abraham, Pradeep Kumar and Snehamayi Krishna. I hereby accord sanction against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah under Section 17 A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 for the commission of the alleged offences as mentioned in the petitions," the Governor said. Commenting on the advice of the Cabinet to reject the show cause notice to Siddaramaiah and also reject the petition, the Governor said that in cases where prima facie is made out, "sanction to prosecute high functionaries is refused or withheld, democracy itself will be at stake." He said that it is a well-settled legal principle that the person against whom allegations are made, should not be empowered to decide the course of action. "Even after such grave allegations being involved in the present matter and the fact that the materials prima facie support the allegations, therefore, the decision taken by the council of ministers is irrational," the Governor said. On the formation of a commission under the chairmanship of a retired judge and single-member committee previously, the Governor said that it appears from the terms of reference of the high-level single-member inquiry committee that there are serious allegations involving illegal allotment of alternative sites, illegal allotment of land and irregularities in allocation of land. The Governor said that further, constituting a committee under an IAS officer and immediately constituting one more committee under a retired Judge of the High Court and the government's acceptance that there is a potential big-ticket scam in the allotment of sites by MUDA does not inspire much confidence. The development is a major setback for Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the Congress government in Karnataka. Social activists Pradeep Kumar SP, TJ Abraham and Snehamayi Krishna had filed petitions against Siddaramaiah in connection with the alleged MUDA land case. They had claimed that Siddaramaiah had misused his office to create fraudulent documents over 3.17 acres of land near Mysuru city and got 14 sites allotted from the MUDA in the name of his wife. Siddaramaiah had refuted the allegations and maintained that the Congress government would fight politically and legally if the permission for prosecution against him in the case was granted by the Governor. The Karnataka Cabinet had also taken a decision and advised the Governor to reject the petitions against Siddaramaiah and not to accord sanction for prosecution. Chandigarh, Aug 17 : In a setback to the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) led by Dushyant Chautala, ahead of the Assembly elections to be held in Haryana on October 1, its four legislators on Saturday resigned from all party positions and their primary memberships. Speculations are rife that they may join either the Congress or the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD). A total of six legislators out of 10 have left the party. The four MLAs are former minister Anoop Dhanak, Devender Babli, Ram Karan Kala and Ishwar Singh. They have resigned from party posts, citing personal reasons. Sources in the party said their resignation hinted at a possible switch of loyalty to another party before the polls. Dhanak, who served as State Minister for four-and-a-half years, was the national vice-president and a member of the Political Affairs Committee in the JJP. Babli, MLA from Tohana, was also a cabinet minister from the JJP quota. Now only three legislators are in the party. They are Naina Chautala (Dushyant's mother), MLA from the Badhra segment in Bhiwani district; Dushyant, MLA from Uchana Kalan in Jind, and Amarjeet Dhanda, MLA from the Julana segment in Jind. Other MLAs Ram Niwas Suraj Khera and Jogi Ram Singh have been facing disqualification charges. Ram Kumar Gautam was the first MLA to resign from the party. In October 2019, the BJP, which won 40 seats and was six short of a majority in the 90-member Assembly, formed the government in alliance with the then newly formed JJP led by Dushyant Chautala, who was Manohar Lal Khattar's deputy in the government. In March, the new government was formed under the helm of Nayab Singh Saini after the BJP severed its four-and-a-half-year-old ties with JJP. Saini succeeded Khattar, who is now a Union Minister. Currently, the BJP has 41 MLAs, and along with the support of the Haryana Lokhit Party's (HLP) lone MLA, Gopal Kanda, and an Independent, Nayan Pal Rawat, their tally is 43. In the Opposition, the Congress has 29 MLAs and the INLD has one. Three Independents supported the Congress, and another Independent, Balraj Kundu, has been opposing the BJP. Interestingly, the legacy of former Deputy Prime Minister and the state's tallest Jat leader, Chaudhary Devi Lal, who with his family ruled the state's dusty and defection-ridden politics for decades, is shrinking owing to the family feud. After the feud within the INLD, five-time Chief Minister OP Chautala's grandson Dushyant split the party vertically in 2018 and formed the JJP. In Haryana, both regional outfits -- the INLD and its fledging JJP -- bank heavily on their traditional Jat votes, comprising 28 per cent of the state's population. This time, their "sinking ships" face a tough contest from the Congress, led by prominent Jat leader and two-time Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda. However, the BJP is banking on non-Jat votes. The INLD is banking more on its patriarch OP Chautala, who was released from Tihar Jail on July 2, 2021, after serving nine-and-a-half years of a 10-year prison sentence. Srinagar, Aug 17 : In a major setback to former J&K Chief Minister and President of Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP), Ghulam Nabi Azad, senior leader of his party, Taj Mohiuddin on Saturday said he will rejoin the Congress. Taj Mohiuddin was a senior Congress leader before he threw his lot with Ghulam Nabi Azad when the latter left the Congress to form the DPAP. "I have decided to rejoin the Congress party," said Taj Mohiuddin while addressing a press conference. He said he has discussed the issue with his workers and it was decided that he must rejoin the Congress. Taj Mohiuddin's decision comes a day after the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the schedule for Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir. In August 2022, Taj Mohiuddin resigned from the basic membership of Congress in support of former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. He later joined Azad-led DPAP. Meanwhile, in another development former minister and Apni Party leader, Choudhary Zulfiqar has decided to join the BJP. The ECI has announced a 3-phase schedule for J&K Assembly polls with voting to be held on September 18, September 25 and October 1. Counting of votes will take place on October 4 while the entire process will be over by October 6. --IANS sq/dan Kathmandu, Aug 17 : Nepal's Minister for Foreign Affairs Arzu Rana Deuba will be on a four-day India visit starting Sunday at the invitation of External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. "As part of regular exchange of high-level visits between Nepal and India, this visit will further consolidate the age-old, deep and multifaceted bilateral relations," Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Saturday. During the visit, Deuba will hold discussions with EAM Jaishankar on matters of mutual interest for further strengthening Nepal-India relations and promoting cooperation, the ministry mentioned. "Nepal is a priority partner of India in its Neighbourhood First policy. The forthcoming visit will provide both sides an opportunity to discuss and review the progress in bilateral cooperation and help in advancing our ties further," commented the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Earlier this week, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri paid a two-day visit to Kathmandu at the invitation of the Foreign Secretary of Nepal, Sewa Lamsal. During his August 11-12 visit, Misri held wide-ranging discussions with Lamsal and reviewed the progress made in various bilateral initiatives and developmental projects besides discussing opportunities for further collaboration. Misri also called on Nepal President Ramchandra Paudel and Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, briefing them on the progress being made in various aspects of bilateral cooperation between the two countries. "During the various engagements, both sides affirmed the close and friendly relations between India and Nepal which are deeply rooted in historical, cultural, civilizational and people-to-people ties. Both sides noted with satisfaction the substantial progress achieved in the recent years in bilateral cooperation, especially in the various areas of connectivity - physical, digital, energy as well as people-to-people, which is manifested in the steady implementation of infrastructure projects related to roads, bridges, Integrated Check Posts, cross-border railways as well as petroleum pipelines," the MEA stated on August 12. Both sides have also appreciated the progress made in the mutually beneficial partnership in the field of power sector cooperation, which has seen substantial progress in recent years. "In this context, it was noted with satisfaction that the manifold increase in Nepal's hydropower export to India in the last 2-3 years has created an additional source of revenue for Nepal and of clean energy for India. The role of power sector cooperation in Nepal's graduation from LDC status in 2026 was also highlighted," the MEA statement detailed. Nepal remains a priority partner of India under its 'Neighbourhood First' policy. Colombo, Aug 17 : Sri Lankan tourism authorities are expecting three million foreign tourists in 2025, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau Managing Director Nalin Perera has said. From the second week of September, Sri Lankan tourism authorities will launch a promotional campaign covering key source markets, Perera said on Friday. Perera said the first phase of the campaign will target China, Britain, France, Germany, and India, while the second phase of the campaign will target Russia, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Poland, Italy, as well as Scandinavia, the Middle East and the Benelux countries. These campaigns are expected to increase tourist arrivals by 700,000 next year. Perera said over 1.2 million tourists have arrived in Sri Lanka by Aug. 12 and another 1.1 million are expected to arrive during the coming months, particularly from October to December. Sri Lanka expects to attract 2.3 million tourists in 2024. Tourism is one of Sri Lanka's top foreign revenue generators. Sri Lanka's earnings from tourism rose to over 1.88 billion U.S. dollars in the first seven months of 2024, a 73.3-percent increase year on year, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka said in its latest weekly report. New Delhi, Aug 17 : Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday said that there is an urgent need to close the $4 trillion financing gap faced by developing countries to achieve their Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and called for reforms in multilateral lending institutions to help achieve this goal. Speaking at the Finance Ministers' Session of the third Voice of the Global South Summit, Nirmala Sitharaman said that it is "critical that financing requests made to Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) are met with speed and agility. This will require reforms both at operational levels as well as identifying new additional sources of finance". Nirmala Sitharaman cited an UNCTAD report which highlights that developing countries actually face a staggering $4 trillion gap in sustainable development investments. UNCTAD has also emphasised the importance of debt relief for developing economies, to provide them with the fiscal space needed for clean energy spending and to help lower country risk ratings, a prerequisite for attracting private investment. The Indian Finance Minister's observations came in the backdrop of the Global South pushing for multilateral lending institutions such as the World Bank and IMF to put in place measures to help meet the goals set for financing SDGs. She also pointed out that multilateral development banks need to engage with credit rating agencies to better incentivise the flow of private capital for development financing. Nirmala Sitharaman said that elevated debt levels of the developing world have limited the resources available for financing development needs, particularly in low-income countries. She also sought ideas from the Global South on how to put in place better processes for debt relief and liquidity support for low and middle income nations. The Sustainable Development Goals, adopted in 2015 by the members of the United Nations, address a variety of global challenges which include the eradication of poverty and hunger and ensuring sustainable cities and communities. The UN has fixed a 2030 deadline to achieve these goals. New Delhi, Aug 17 : Gulam Ali Khatana, a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha from Jammu and Kashmir, said on Saturday that the BJP is trying to restore full democracy in the Union Territory. In an exclusive interview with IANS, the BJP leader spoke on a range of issues, from the Bangladesh situation to Madhya Pradesh government's order barring madrasas from enrolling non-Muslim children. Following are the excerpts from the interview: IANS: The dates for the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir have been announced. How do you see the present situation in J&K? Gulam Ali Khatana: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is the biggest party in the world which believes in humanity. Our Prime Minister and Home Minister have been saying from many big platforms that we will bring democracy (in J&K). The biggest thing to note is that today J&K is strike-free, there are no more stone pelting. There is peace in the Valley... We have tried to ensure security for the people. By the grace of Allah, more than two crore tourists have visited J&K. IANS: How does the BJP look at the upcoming elections in J&K? Gulam Ali Khatana: BJP views all sections of people, be they from J&K, Pahadis, or Gujjars, with the same perspective. Congress and the regional parties had divided the people of Jammu and Kashmir. But we consider them as one unit. We conducted three-tier panchayat elections in J&K. Everyone, including the Prime Minister, appreciated the participation of people in the elections. We hope that people will take full advantage of democracy during the upcoming elections. IANS: Congress claims people's freedom was snatched when the erstwhile state of J&K was divided into two Union Territories. What's your take on this? Gulam Ali Khatana: Congress is known for saying one thing, and doing something else. But such methods no longer work in this age of social media. In the past, they created problems, suppressed people, and instilled fear among the public. But the BJP does not function in such manner. Congress caused rifts between Ladakh and Kashmir, as well as among the Gujjars and Pahadis. They even neglected the OBCs in Kashmir for 70 years and failed to restore their reservations. Developments that were unimaginable before have now become reality with substantial domestic and international investment in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly after the G20 Summit hosted by India. IANS: What's your opinion on the situation being faced by the minorities in Bangladesh? Gulam Ali Khatana: Taking care of minorities is the duty of the majority. Our government has flagged the treatment of minorities with the interim government in Bangladesh. I would also like to remind the interim government of Bangladesh that Prophet Muhammad asked the majority to respect the minorities. These are the principles of Islam. What we see in social media has nothing to do with Islam or any other major religions of the world. IANS: The Madhya Pradesh government recently ruled that madrasas that receive state funding cannot compel children to participate in religious education. What's your take on it? Gulam Ali Khatana: I think It means that if non-Muslim children are given Islamic education in madrasas, their registrations will be canceled. There is a rule in Madhya Pradesh that any child can study any language, be it Arabic or Hindi. At the end, it is an individual's opinion, which cannot be forced on anyone. --IANS . jk/arm New Delhi, Aug 17 : The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) held a nationwide protest on Saturday, demanding justice for the woman doctor who was raped and murdered at R.G. Kar Medical College in Kolkata. In the protests held across the country, numerous students participated and expressed their outrage over the brutal crime against the woman doctor. The ABVP on Saturday condemned the failure of Mamata Banerjee government in preventing vandalism at the government medical college and also demanded CM Mamata Banerjee's resignation. ABVP National General Secretary Yagywalkya Shukla said, during a protest at Banga Bhavan in Delhi: "The incident at R.G. Kar Medical College is heart-wrenching. It is essential to take significant steps to ensure that women are safe in their workplaces. Mamata Banerjee government has failed to provide security to women in West Bengal, and such incidents of atrocities against women are increasing. Mamata Banerjee must resign immediately." ABVP National Secretary Shivangi Kharwal said: "The law and order situation in West Bengal has deteriorated. Mamata Banerjee wants to turn West Bengal into Bangladesh. The attempts to destroy evidence at the medical college and the police's silence indicate the government's apathy towards law and order. The government must ensure that workplaces are safe for women." Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken over the probe. A team of CBI on Saturday reached the police barracks of the 4th battalion of Kolkata Police, where the sole arrested individual in the case Sanjay Ray used to stay. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has also issued an ultimatum that if the premier investigative agency fails to complete the investigation in the ghastly rape and murder case by Sunday, the Trinamool Congress cadres will organise demonstrations in the national capital. She also pointed fingers at opposition parties including the Communist Party of India-Marxist and the Bharatiya Janata Party for ransacking of R.G. Kar Hospital's emergency department. Bengaluru, Aug 17 : The Karnataka Congress on Saturday termed the decision of Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot to grant sanction for prosecuting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the MUDA case as totally illegal, which will lead to negative developments in the state. Minister for Revenue Krishna Byre Gowda and Minister for Law H.K. Patil said this at a joint press conference at the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on Saturday. "Before granting permission for prosecution, a preliminary investigation should be conducted. The Indian government has framed regulations on how to consider Section 17-A of the Prevention of Corruption Act as of September 3, 2021. This means that a police officer must obtain permission under this section to investigate a person holding a public office. In the current case, which police officer has obtained permission?" Gowda questioned the Governor. There are four cases where police officers had previously sought permission for investigation involving Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, former BJP ministers Shashikala Jolle, Murugesh Nirani, and Janardhan Reddy. Despite seeking permission from the Lokayukta to investigate these individuals, permission was not granted, he pointed out. In the current case, why has no police officer sought permission for investigating Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and yet permission has been granted? Gowda stated. When granting permission for prosecution, there should be records of those who have committed errors in the case. The police should provide records to the Governor on the decisions taken against those accused. Only then can permission for prosecution be granted. The Indian government has issued a list of records that should be provided before granting permission for prosecution. The Governor should show at least one of these records, Gowda challenged. Only the Director General of Police has the authority to request permission for investigation. The current permission granted by the Governor is entirely unconstitutional. Recently, Supreme Court Justice Nagarathna stated that the Governor is working in favour of a particular party's interests, he noted. "CM Siddaramaiah, who was elected with a majority, symbolizes the pride of Kannada-speaking people. He will not agree to work as a subordinate to the New Delhi government. This is an attack on Karnataka and Kannada-speaking people," he maintained. Minister for Law H.K. Patil said, "The Governor's actions are unconstitutional, lacking in principle, and politically motivated. They have provided a platform for negative developments." Central ministers Prahlad Joshi, H.D. Kumaraswamy, and Shobha Karandlaje have repeatedly stated that the Karnataka Congress government will fall within 10 months or 6 months. They publicly claimed that the Congress government would come to know of this within 10 days. The Governor's actions have exposed the ulterior motive to the people of Karnataka, Patil stated. Siddaramaiah, elected by a majority of Kannada-speaking people, and the Congress government cannot be undermined by conspiracies, he underlined. Siddaramaiah has taken a very bold stance against the Central government. He went to the Supreme Court regarding delays in providing drought relief, asserting that our taxes are our right. Due to his criticism of the Central government, politics of revenge are being played against him, Patil said. Mumbai, Aug 17 : Filmmaker Ram Alladi, who has directed the film 'Panne', has shared that his film strangely mirrors what is currently unfolding in Bangladesh with riots that led to the resignation of Bangladesh's longest-serving Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. 'Panne' tells a story from India's post-independence period. It follows the story of the daughter of a war widow who pursues to achieve her social identity after the dawn of her step-grandfather's political empire. "When I see the news on what's going on in Bangladesh, I feel surprised. I feel the saying History repeats itself fits well with poor Bangladeshis. Two years back, when I was shooting for the Noakhali riots scene for my film, I couldn't even imagine in my wildest dreams that something similar was going to happen when I will be releasing the film. I have a real picture of that time but they are so violent it will make your soul shiver from inside," the director said. He further spoke about the historical connection with the Bangladesh riots in the film. He said, "The seeds of Noakhali riots were planted during the first elections in India in pre pre-independence era 1935 when the Muslim community came into power in Bengal. Earlier, under British rule, Hindu zamindars were mainly in power and were forced to follow new government rules, which created frustration and anger in the society. As a result, differences started between both the communities in Bangladesh but it became big when the British rule was ending." "On October 11, 1946, the Noakhali district in Bangladesh was set on fire as riots started. If you see the political history of Bangladesh after this incident also, they have faced many such challenges and rose from the ashes," he added. 'Panne' is set to release on September 6 on 'InTalkies'. New Delhi, Aug 17 : Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, Sam Pitroda, has urged the people of Jammu and Kashmir to participate actively in the upcoming Assembly elections to shape the future of the region. Jammu and Kashmir will vote in three phases on September 18, September 25, and October 1, the Election Commission of India announced on Friday. The counting of votes will be taken up on October 4. Speaking about the elections which will be held for the first time since the abrogation of Article 370, Pitroda emphasised the importance of voter turnout. "I urge people to come out and vote in large numbers because it's your way of standing up for the kind of Kashmir you want," Pitroda said in an exclusive conversation with IANS. He also expressed hope for a high voter turnout, saying, "I would like to see 80 per cent or higher turnout if possible. I want everyone to ensure that they are on the right voter list so that there's no confusion at the last minute." Pitroda also reflected on the conduct of previous elections, citing concerns over alleged irregularities in the recent Odisha Assembly polls. "I'm not happy with the recent elections, like in Odisha where there were 40 lakh extra votes. Where did they come from? People are asking questions to the Election Commission and the Supreme Court, but there are no answers which is just not acceptable," he said. Pitroda also stressed the importance of maintaining confidence in the electoral process as he urged citizens to remain vigilant. "In India, if you question the EC, people say it's not right. Of course it is right... It is the job of the citizens to raise questions," Pitroda said. Emphasising the need for transparency in the voting process, Pitroda said, "My only request is to watch every booth, count the number of people who vote, and tally it so that the EC doesn't come up with more votes... These are all concerns to me," he said. Chennai, Aug 17 : Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) president and former Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss on Saturday demanded the death penalty for the perpetrators of the rape and murder of a junior doctor at the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata last week. In a statement on Saturday , he expressed concern over the rape and murder of the trainee doctor and the subsequent mob violence that destroyed part of the hospital. Ramadoss, who is himself a medical doctor said, "The act of violence against doctors is cruel and unacceptable. The West Bengal police and the Central Bureau of Investigation have not traced the perpetrators of the crime yet, and that has increased apprehension among doctors," The police should bring to book those involved in the crime, and they must be given the death penalty, he said. Ramadoss called upon the Union and state governments to explore the possibility of opening police stations within the premises of government-run medical colleges for the safety of doctors. Protesting over the rape and murder, outpatient services and elective surgeries were cancelled in private hospitals in Tamil Nadu on Saturday. Patients were intimated through calls and messages to reschedule appointments for non-emergency consultation and other health services. However, emergency and lifesaving procedures such as dialysis and chemotherapy were conducted. Indian Medical Association Tamil Nadu president, Dr.K.M.Abdul Hassan in a statement said that a total of 28000 clinics and 7000 private hospitals joined the strike. He said ,"This is one of the most emotional days in our lives and this protest is for the safety of all health workers including doctors and medical students." Tamil Nadu Government Doctors Association president, Dr.K. Senthil led the protest of doctors in Madurai. He said that government doctors were protesting in the state without disturbing the services and added that the authorities must address the safety of doctors. Agartala, Aug 17 : Tribal-based party Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT), the main ally of the ruling BJP in Tripura, will hold a demonstration at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on August 23 to press the Centre to create 'Tipraland' or a separate state for the tribals by upgrading the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC). IPFT General Secretary Swapan Debbarma said that like previous years, they would hold sit-in demonstration at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on August 23 to highlight their demand for a full-fledged 'Tipraland' or a separate state for the tribals by upgrading the TTAADC, which has jurisdiction over two-thirds of the Tripura's 10,491 square km area and is home to over 12,16,000 people, of which around 84 per cent are tribals. He said that amidst the day-long demonstration, they would give a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah once again about their demand of upgrading the TTAADC as a separate statehood as per Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution. "We have been demanding the 'Tipraland' for the past 15 years and in support of our demands we are holding numerous agitations in Tripura and in the national capital," the tribal leader told IANS. He said that the main purpose for which the TTAADC was constituted in 1982 has yet to be fulfilled in the past several decades. Formed in the 1990s, the tribal-based party IPFT was floated with the purpose of forming 'Tipraland' for the indigenous tribals. The party underwent several splits with its many leaders to join other parties including the Tipra Motha Party (TMP) headed by former royal scion Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma. It forged an alliance with the BJP and the coalition came to power in March 2018 Assembly polls defeating the CPI (M)-led Left Front after 25 years. The TMP, which is now governing the TTAADC and also another ally of the BJP, has also been demanding its demand for 'Greater Tipraland' (a separate state for the tribals) under Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution. The ruling BJP, opposition CPI-M, and the Congress have been opposing the demands of both the IPFT and TMP. Earlier in 2021, the IPFT along with TMP held demonstrations at Jantar Mantar to press the Centre for a separate state for the tribals. The IPFT's lone MLA Sukla Charan Noatia is now a Cabinet minister of the Chief Minister Manik Saha-led coalition government. After signing a tripartite agreement with the Centre and the Tripura government on March 2, the opposition TMP joined the BJP-led coalition government on March 7 and two of its MLAs - Animesh Debbarma and Brishaketu Debbarma - became ministers. The BJP along with IPFT and the TMP together fought the recent Lok Sabha elections in Tripura. Pune, Aug 17 : Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday at the statewide launch programme of the ambitious Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, announced that the MahaYuti government will increase in phases the monthly financial aid to Rs 2,500 and later Rs 3,000 from the present Rs 1,500 given to the eligible women beneficiaries from the age group of 21 to 65 years after being voted to power in the upcoming Assembly election. Shinde also called upon the women participants at the function to vote for the MahaYuti so that the implementation of a slew of welfare and development schemes including the Ladki Bahin scheme continue. Although the main function was held in Pune, similar functions for the launch of the Ladki Bahin scheme took place in all districts. Shinde slammed the opposition for criticising the MahaYuti government on the Ladki Bahin scheme while urging the women participants to show them (the opposition) their place at the right time. "The stepbrothers are making false accusations. The opposition is saying that the scheme is fraudulent and it is an election gimmick. They went to court against this scheme which is meant to make women self-reliant and empowered. However, the court slammed them as it ruled in the favour of the scheme," he said. The Maharashtra Chief Minister said that the government has done financial planning for the full year for the implementation of Ladki Bahin and other welfare and development schemes. "The opponents are saying what will happen to women after receiving Rs 1,500. But those who are born with a golden spoon in the mouth will not understand the value of Rs 1,500. I see tears of joy in the eyes of many sisters and respect for the government. What else do you need? It is a sincere wish that happy days come in the lives of my sisters," he added. Without naming his former boss and Shiv Sena-UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray, Shinde took a swipe at him saying: "Those who know only Hum Do Hamare Do will not know the value of Rs 1,500. What do they know about poverty? I also come from a farming family. I know how my mother used to work. I have witnessed how my parents suffered. We have struggled." He further said: "Ours is Dena Bank not Lena Bank as the government is trying to bring happy days in the life of ordinary brothers and sisters and senior citizens." Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis made it amply clear that the Ladki Bahin scheme will not be closed saying that is the MahaYuti government's resolve to implement it so that the eligible women beneficiaries get a monthly aid of Rs 1,500. "Those women who have registered till July 31 have received money directly in their bank accounts. Those who will enrol up to August 31 will also get the money after the scrutiny of their applications," he added. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said that the eligible women beneficiaries will receive Rs 90,000 in the next five years. He also urged the women participants to re-elect the MahaYuti government in the assembly election. "In order to maintain the continuity, give MahaYuti another chance for the next five years so that the government can pay Rs 90,000 (Rs 1,500 per month). We keep our word," he added. Women and Child Welfare Minister Aditi Tatkare said that under Ladki Bahin scheme, which was announced by the Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar in annual budget on June 28, the government has deposited through direct bank transfer Rs 3,000 crore for July and August to 1.08 crore eligible women beneficiaries as on date. "This is a record. The government had set the target of depositing the assistance before the auspicious Raksha Bandhan which falls on August 19," she said. Tatkare said that the government hopes to provide aid to over 2.50 crore eligible women beneficiaries under the Ladki Bahin scheme. Phnom Penh, Aug 17 : More than 1,000 security personnel were deployed in the capital of Cambodia on Saturday amid an overseas opposition call for anti-government protests, Phnom Penh Municipal Police chief Lieutenant General Chuon Narin said on Saturday. In a news release posted on the National Police's website, Narin, who is also National Police deputy chief, appealed to people not to worry about public order and safety, as security has been beefed up in the capital city these days. "Our security forces are ready to crack down on any extremist group who attempts to stage an illegal rally on August 18 or the following days," he said, Xinhua news agency reported. Narin said people still can travel into and out of the capital city as usual because there are no roadblocks. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said on Thursday that overseas opponents have recently called on local people to gather in Phnom Penh on Aug. 18 against the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle Area, with their hidden plot to overthrow the legitimate government. "We will take tough actions against those who attempt to burn the country ... we will not allow the plot made by a handful of hostile forces to divide our nation," he said in a public speech. The development initiative aims to foster growth and stability in border areas of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. Harare, Aug 17 : The 44th Ordinary Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit of Heads of State and Government opened in the Zimbabwean capital of Harare on Saturday, with regional leaders stressing the need to continue fostering political and economic stability to accelerate regional integration and industrialization. In his welcoming remarks to the delegates, Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe is greatly honored to host the regional meeting which will chart the region's development agenda over the coming year. Mnangagwa expressed gratitude to the regional grouping for standing with Zimbabwe during the over two decades of Western sanctions on the country, noting that many countries in the region resisted undue pressure from some Western countries to abandon the southern African country. "I am grateful for the opportunity to personally thank you all for the many years of your unwavering solidarity, support, and unbreakable fraternal relations with the Republic and people of Zimbabwe. This has been against the continued heinous sanctions imposed on our motherland, Zimbabwe, by some Western countries," Mnangagwa said, Xinhua news agency reported. "We are aware that various forms of undue pressure may have been exerted on you over the years to abandon us, yet you have remained resolute in the true spirit of our liberation wartime mantra that an injury to one is an injury to all," the president added. In 2019, SADC designated Oct. 25 as Anti-Sanctions Day, a day in which member countries carry out various activities to show solidarity with Zimbabwe in calling for the unconditional lifting of the sanctions. In his acceptance speech after assuming the SADC chairmanship from outgoing chair and Angolan President Joao Lourenco, Mnangagwa rallied the region to unite and work together to advance the region's development agenda for the benefit of SADC citizens. The SADC region, he said, must deploy innovative strategies across all sectors of the economy to spur regional value chains, particularly focusing on value addition and beneficiation of the abundant mineral and natural resources in the region. He said the SADC region must continue to jealously guard and defend its sovereignty and the right to economic self-determination, noting that under his chairmanship, the SADC region will continue to robustly implement regional projects and programs that advance regional development. The one-day SADC summit, held at the Chinese-built new parliament building, runs under the theme of "Promoting Innovation to unlock opportunities for sustainable economic growth and development towards an Industrialized SADC." New Delhi, Aug 17 : Amid the major bureaucratic reshuffle this week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led dispensation has now opened doors for the inclusion of professionals with domain expertise at the Joint Secretary and other senior-level ranks in government departments. The applications for lateral entry came for at least 45 posts of Joint Secretary, Director and Deputy Secretary ranks in 24 Central ministries. Notably, this is the biggest proposed lateral entry of bureaucrats in the government machinery since 2018. With this move, the government not only seeks to bring expertise and domain specific knowledge into the system but also to align the bureaucracy with the 'market forces'. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Saturday issued an advertisement on Saturday, notifying about the 'vacancy' for 45 domain experts in the rank and pay of Joint Secretaries, Deputy Secretaries and Directors. Out of 45, ten experts will be hired as Joint Secretaries while the rest will be 'absorbed' into the ranks of directors or deputy secretaries across ministries including finance, electronics, agriculture, environment, and renewable energy. Notably, the lateral entry in governance was introduced about five years ago to bring in professionals from outside the traditional civil services. At least 12 professionals with expertise in respective sectors were inducted into government service in 2019 and 2021, out of which eight to nine are still serving in senior positions, said some reports. In the last few years, a total of 63 appointments have reportedly been made through lateral entry out of which 35 were sourced from the private sector. The latest batch of lateral recruitment is seen as the 'biggest' move to 'reform' the bureaucracy by tapping in external talent. Meanwhile, the drive to recruit 45 senior officers through lateral mode has led to political sparring. The Opposition has accused the government of belittling the country's 'steel frame' while also undermining the reservation system. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said that it was a deliberate attempt by the BJP to sideline lower castes including SCs, STs and OBCs. While the Opposition sees it as an affront to principles of social justice, the BJP believes that it is driven by a certain political agenda. Islamabad, Aug 17 : A bomb went off in Pakistan's southwest Balochistan province, leaving at least three people injured, police said on Saturday. The explosion occurred near a university in Sariab Road area of Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan province, according to police in Quetta. According to initial investigations, the attack was carried out through an improvised explosive device, said police, adding that the target of the blast was ascertained, Xinhua news agency reported. The powerful blast was heard across the main city of Quetta, causing panic among residents. Following the incident, security forces and rescue teams rushed to the site and shifted the injured to a nearby hospital. Security forces cordoned off the area and began a search operation. No group or individual claimed responsibility for the blast. On Friday, three terrorists were killed and one was injured in a clash with security forces in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the country's military said in a statement. The incident occurred in the North Waziristan district on Friday when the security forces launched an operation after receiving a tip-off regarding the presence of the militants in the area, said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan Army. The operation led to an intense exchange of fire, resulting in casualties of the terrorists, the statement added. Weapons and ammunition were also recovered from the killed militants, who remained actively involved in terrorist activities against security forces as well as target killing of innocent civilians, the ISPR said. A clearance operation was being carried out to eliminate any other terrorists found in the area, the statement read. Kolkata, Aug 17 : Border Security Force (BSF) has said that three smugglers have been arrested along the Indo-Bangladesh border with 1.1 kg of gold in West Bengal's Murshidabad district. BSF, South Bengal Frontier, DIG and Spokesperson, A K Arya, said that the two gold biscuits were taped to the axle of a tractor trolley returning from farmland across the border fence. "The gold is valued at nearly Rs 75,14,000," he said. He said that troops of the 73 Bn BSF, posted at the India-I Border Outpost received intelligence inputs of an attempt to smuggle gold into the country from Bangladesh. "The company commander sent a special patrol team and alerted all jawans. A tractor, with a trolley attached, was crossing the fence gate from the farmland beyond when it was searched," the DIG said. He said that The gold was detected taped to the right side axle hub of the trolley wheel, adding that the driver and two others travelling on the trolley were arrested. "The driver, who owns the tractor and trolley, is a resident of Katlamari village in the Raninagar police station area of Murshidabad. All three were taken to the India-I BOP," the DIG said. He said that during interrogation, the prime accused confessed that he was part of the smuggling bid from the start. "To hoodwink the BSF jawans, he drove his tractor beyond the fence, saying that he wanted to tend to his crops. Near the zero line, he collected the gold from Bangladeshi smugglers and hid them under the trolley. He then proceeded to re-cross the fence to the Border Road. This was when he was stopped and searched," he said. He said that the prime accused along with his two associates and the gold has been handed over to the Customs Department at Behrampore for further legal action. "This was a successful operation. We continue to urge border residents to report any information related to gold smuggling to BSF's Seema Sathi Helpline No. 14419 or send a script or voice WhatsApp message to 9903472227. Those providing concrete information will be suitably rewarded without disclosing their identities," the DIG said. New York, Aug 17 : Pakistani-Canadian Tahawwur Rana faces the grim prospect of facing justice in India for the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai that killed around 175 people after a federal appeals court in the US quashed his appeal against extradition. The California-based Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower federal court verdict permitting his extradition and ruled that the 1997 extradition treaty between India and the US covered his alleged offences. Rana's only legal recourse now against extradition is to appeal in the Supreme Court where the chances of even getting a hearing are slim. According to the Justice Department, the Supreme Court hears less than 1 per cent of the appeals it receives. Rana's extradition would be a partial fulfillment of India's attempts to get the US-based Lashkar-e-Taiba accomplices face trial in India as the US has refused to extradite Rana's Pakistani-American accomplice Daood Gilani, who uses the name David Headley. Headley had worked as an informant for the US government's Drug Enforcement Agency and after admitting to 12 terrorism-related charges, he made a deal to cooperate with the US government on the condition that he will not be extradited. A three-panel appeals court bench heard the habeas corpus petition against the Central California District Court judgement allowing Rana's extradition. Judge Milan Smith, who wrote the opinion for the bench, said "India provided sufficient competent evidence" to support the initial order of a magistrate judge's "finding of probable cause that Rana committed the charged crimes" to allow the extradition. Rana, a Canadian citizen living in Chicago, was arrested in the US in 2009 for plotting to bomb a Danish newspaper, 'Jyllands-Posten', that published a controversial image of Prophet Mohammed. He faced three main charges in a Chicago federal court relating to his involvement in the Danish case, providing support to Lashkar, and conspiring for the Mumbai attacks. He was acquitted of the Mumbai attack charge, but convicted in the other two and sentenced to 14 years. The appeals court ruled that his acquittal in the Mumbai attack charge did not affect his extradition because in India he faces several different charges. The charges include conspiracy, waging war, murder, terrorism, and forgery, the judgement noted. Rana was released after seven years on compassionate grounds during the Covid pandemic, following which India requested his extradition to face trial there, which the magistrate judge approved. Rana is a former Pakistan Army doctor who set up an immigration service after immigrating to Canada. The judgement mentioned Rana helping Headley get a five-year visa for India under the pretext of setting up a branch of his business there. Headley used the visa to help plot the Lashkar terror rampage by surveilling the Taj Hotel and other targets. Headley had informed Rana about the surveillance activities, the judgement said. Judge Smith also noted in the judgement that "Rana commended the terrorists who carried out the attacks and stated that the people of India 'deserved it'." (Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed at @arulouis) Jaipur, Aug 17 : Officials of Jaipur Development Authority and the Department of Self-Governance on Saturday inspected the potholed roads and drainage system in Jaipur, by riding a luxury bus. After the weather improved, the officials visited Transport Nagar, Delhi Road, Jal Mahal, Zorawar Singh Gate, Subhash Chowk, Badi Chaupad, Ajmer Road, 200 feet bypass, Sikar Road, Badi Chaupad, Chhoti Chaupad, Chandpole Bazaar, Chomu Puliya, Jaipur Delhi Bypass via Nandpuri Underpass, Jhalana Bypass and Transport Nagar which were flooded due to heavy rains. Principal Secretary of the Department of Self-Governance T Ravikant expressed displeasure over the garbage heaps and the poor drainage system in the city, adding that due to incessant rain, the drainage system has choked, also leading to potholes on roads. He ordered the officials of the Jaipur Development Authority to repair these roads and increase the capacity of the drains. He said that the engineers have been directed to calculate the diameter of the size of the drains again, adding that the capacity of these drains is falling short due to heavy rains. Principal Secretary after touring the city said that he brought together the officials of all the departments so that the system could be redesigned and the drainage system could be made better. "Drainage system needs to be updated. We will make efforts to ensure that the residents of Jaipur City do not face these problems in the next rainy season. Instructions have been given to the engineers to improve the condition of the drains," the Principal Secretary said. He said that all the officers will prepare a plan for the development of the city at their level which will be implemented after taking suggestions from all. Heavy rains have lashed Jaipur City recently due to which many areas have witnessed water-logging and choking of the drainage system. Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma also toured the city amid heavy rains and directed the officials to repair the potholed roads and the drainage system. Bengaluru, Aug 17 : The Karnataka government on Saturday convened an emergency Cabinet meeting against the backdrop of the Governor's decision to accord sanction to open a probe against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in connection with the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land scam. The Cabinet unanimously condemned Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot's decision. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that Governor had not followed mandatory procedures while giving the sanction. Addressing a press conference at the Vidhana Soudha on Saturday after the emergency Cabinet meeting, Siddaramaiah said: "The entire Cabinet unanimously expressed solidarity and party legislators, ministers, party workers have also expressed solidarity. The cabinet has maintained that the decision to give prosecution by the Governor is illegal, unconstitutional and not legal. "Firstly, the Cabinet condemns the decision which has no backing of the law and the Constitutional authority. Secondly, the Governor is the representative of the President of India. He should be acting as the representative of the Constitution, and he should not be a representative of the Centre and the BJP. "Secondly, in this case, he did not act legally and worked as the representative of the Central government and the Cabinet had vehemently condemned the decision. Thirdly, the Central government is unnecessarily using the Governor to destabilise the government which has the blessings of the people. The Governor has become a puppet in their hands," CM Siddaramaiah said in the presence of Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar and other Cabinet colleagues. This would endanger the fundamental principles of democracy and the federal system. The act of the Governor is against democracy, he asserted. "I will pursue a legal battle against the illegal sanction. It is a decision with total political malice. It is impossible to tarnish my image. That attempt will never be successful. I have the blessings of the people of the land. It is their illusion that they can weaken the government," CM Siddaramaiah. Ahmedabad, Aug 17 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Ahmedabad has arrested Shailesh Babulal Bhatt under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) as part of its ongoing probe into the extortion of 2,091 Bitcoins, 11,000 LiteCoins, and Rs 14.50 crore in cash totalling Rs 1232.50 crore by the accused. Bhatt was produced before the special PMLA court in Ahmedabad which sent him to ED custody. The ED initiated the investigation on the basis of two FIRs registered by the CID (Crime), Surat, under the relevant sections of the law on charges of cheating the general public by Satish Kumbhani, promoter of Bitconnect Coin, by alluring people to invest in the firm in 2017-18. Thereafter, Satish Kumbhani abruptly closed the sale of Bitconnect Coin and its landing platform in January 2018 and fled after swindling public money. The ED investigation revealed that Shailesh Bhatt, in order to recover his investment from Satish Kumbhani, kidnapped two of his employees and extorted 2,091 Bitcoins, 11,000 LiteCoins, and Rs 14.50 crore in cash for the release of the kidnapped staff. The investigation also revealed that Shailesh Bhatt distributed the proceeds of crime to his accomplices in lieu of their active participation in the kidnapping and extortion which was further used to purchase immovable properties, gold and other assets. So far, movable and immovable properties to the tune of Rs 442 crore have been attached by the ED. Further investigation is underway. Imphal, Aug 17 : Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on Saturday discussed long-term solutions for the rehabilitation with representatives of the Internally Displaced people (IDPs), who have fled their homes and villages due to the ethnic violence and are now sheltered in many relief camps. An official said that the Chief Minister on Saturday met the representatives of the IDPs and thoroughly listened to their problems and demands. Later, Biren Singh posted on X: "Held a meeting with representatives of IDPs and the members of the Relief Committee from across the state at my Secretariat. Deliberated on addressing the immediate needs and concerns of the displaced individuals and discussed long-term solutions for the rehabilitation." The state government has set up 302 relief camps in different districts to provide shelter to over 60,000 people, including 21,245 women and 26,700 children, who were displaced due to ethnic riots between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities since May last year. On August 1, Manipur Police fired tear gas shells and rubber bullets and resorted to baton-charging when hundreds of internally displaced people held rallies in Imphal demanding their return to home in the border town of Moreh. Four persons were injured in the incident. The protesters claimed that they were living in a relief camp in harsh conditions and wanted the government to ensure security and funds to rebuild their homes and return. The Central government has released Rs 225.25 crore for the welfare of the IDPs. CM Biren Singh, who also holds the Home portfolio, in the recently concluded Assembly session, stated that one-time financial assistance for clothing and personal belongings for those living in relief camps of Rs 1,000 had been released four times. Students of Relief Camps have been linked to nearby schools and colleges and complementary nutrition and personal hygiene support items are also being provided. Television sets have been provided for relief camps. In the ethnic riots, so far, over 225 people have been killed, and as many as 11,133 houses have been set on fire, leading to the complete destruction of 4,569 homes. A total of 11,892 cases have been registered in different police stations in connection with the ethnic violence. Patna, Aug 18 : Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president and former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav on Saturday condemned the ghastly incident of rape and murder of a woman doctor at the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, and demanded "the harshest possible punishment" for the culprits. He described the crime as heinous and emphasised the need for justice for the victim and her family. The former Union Minister also acknowledged the protests by doctors, expressing his support for their demand for justice. "A heinous crime has been committed. Such incidents are a matter of grave concern for us. The victim should be given justice. The doctors are protesting... they should be given justice," he stated. In response to the brutal incident in Kolkata, doctors across the country have launched widespread protests, demanding justice for the victim and increased protection for medical professionals at all medical colleges, hospitals, and clinics. This wave of protests has significantly impacted healthcare services, also in Patna, where doctors have suspended emergency and OPD (Outpatient Department) services in major hospitals such as Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH), Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS), Patna AIIMS, and others. The suspension of these critical services reflects the doctors' frustration and concern over their safety and the need for swift justice. The protests also underscore the urgent demand for better security measures to protect healthcare workers from violence and ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future. Meanwhile, Lalu Prasad Yadav went to Delhi on Saturday, and sources hinted that he would soon head to Singapore for a routine health checkup. The former Bihar CM underwent a kidney transplant in Singapore on December 5, 2022. His daughter, Rohini Acharya, donated her kidney to him during the transplantation procedure. After being announced as the California Booksellers Alliances new executive director in February, Hannah Walcher, former director of Books Inc.s nonprofit Reading Bridge book fair program, officially started work in June. She takes over from former co-EDs Kristin Rasmussen and Ann Seaton. Walcher spoke with PW about her bookselling journey, CALIBAs top priorities, and her excitement for the upcoming Fall Fest in Pasadena. Did you foresee a leadership career in bookselling? I originally wanted to go in a publishing direction. When I was in the masters program at Rosemont College, we visited Penguin Random House and I asked what they considered the best experience for getting into publishing, because it was so hard to find those coveted internships in New York City. They recommended working in a bookstore, because you see whats coming and going. Right after graduating, the bites werent coming, so I moved to San Francisco. I walked into Books Inc. in Burlingamewhich, sadly, is no longer thereand dropped off my resume. An hour later, I got a call for an interview. I was hired as a seasonal part-time employee, and pretty quickly I was a keyholder. How did you get from that first job to starting the Reading Bridge nonprofit? I fell in love with bookselling from the moment I started. You can read anything and everything, and you can be a champion for the books that speak to you. Im quite a social person, so I enjoyed meeting folks as well. When Books Inc. needed someone to plan Not Your Mothers Book Club, a YA event series, I ended up working on their social media, newsletters, and website. In 2019, [co-owners] Michael and Margie Scott Tucker retired, and there was a big shift. Andy Perham was promoted to CEO and Shannon Mathis [who led childrens events] moved to Simon & Schuster. So I took on childrens events and the book fair program. During the pandemic, we went virtual for a couple years, and I turned Reading Bridge into a nonprofit in 2023. Why did you decide to apply for the role with CALIBA? It wasnt an easy decision to leave Books Inc. I found a lot of pride and fulfillment in the nonprofitit was a huge learning curve, and hopefully I set them up for success. But my coworkers said, Did you see that CALIBAs hiring? So I reached out to [former CALIBA ED] Calvin Crosby, whos the president of the board at Reading Bridge, and asked, How long were you at CALIBA? It dawned on me that this job might not come around again, so I started the application. What immediate priorities do you and CALIBAs board and staff want to address? Its been almost five years since we combined the Northern and Southern California associations, and Ive seen the building blocks that Ann [Seaton], Kristin [Rasmussen], and Calvin put in place. Now [operations manager] Valentina Moberg, [staff member] Emma Marie, and I are working on ways to build community, for example, launching a Discord, a platform thats a safe space for everybody to connect. Have you gotten the chance to visit members and nonmembers stores yet? I actually just moved to Pasadena, and Fall Fest will be here this yeara happy coincidence. I will not be moving to wherever each Fall Fest is, but life took me in this direction! Ive met with Vromans, and Ill be visiting Skylight Books, where Mary Williams, VP of CALIBAs board, is general manager. Nikki High at Octavias Bookshelf is 10 minutes down the road from me. Before moving, I visited stores in Sacramento with Ann, and then Valentina and I did two days in the Bay Area. Long, fun days! These are early days, but what long-term goals do you have for CALIBA? Im hoping to meet more Southern California stores, make connections with Northern California folks, and get out to nonbig city stores as well. In addition, [CALIBA board chair] Melinda Powers and the board have an initiative to put together advisory committees, to look at industry challenges and create educational programs. Its a feeder program to the board, too. Mainly, Im going to take this year to gather feedback, and luckily, Ive inherited an amazing staff and board. Ive fully enjoyed the last two months, getting to know everybody. Back to main feature. No casualties reported after fire at retired aircraft carrier in east China Xinhua) 13:48, August 17, 2024 NANJING, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- A fire broke out during the dismantling and refitting of a retired aircraft carrier along the Yangtze River in the city of Nantong, east China's Jiangsu Province, on Friday afternoon. No casualties have been reported, and flames had been largely extinguished by 10 a.m. on Saturday. An investigation into the cause of the fire is underway, according to local authorities. The aircraft carrier, named Minsk, was in 2016 moved to Nantong, where it is expected to form part of a planned aircraft carrier theme park. Minsk had previously been moored in the city of Shenzhen in south China's Guangdong Province for several years. After its retirement in 1995, the aircraft carrier was sold to a company in the Republic of Korea before being resold to a Chinese company, which had transformed it into part of a military theme park in Shenzhen. (Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Wu Chaolan) BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 17. President Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree on awarding the highest military rank of Major General to servicemen of the State Border Service (SBS) of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Trend reports. Guided by paragraph 24 of Article 109 of the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan, I decree: To confer the highest military rank Major General to the following servicemen of the State Border Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan: Colonel Bahman Babayev Colonel Eyyub Mammadov Colonel Nasib Mirzoyev, the decree of the head of state reads. In The Afterlife Is Letting Go (City Lights, Dec.), poet Brandon Shimoda reflects on attempts to memorialize the mass incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII. In the book, you talk about the neverending contest and crisis of memorialization. Can you explain what you mean by that? This book, and all of my writing, is really trying to understand memorialization as not necessarily consoling us or offering a way to connect but as a way of distancing ourselves from an event. Thinking about the Japanese American community in particular and all of the different ways that we memorialize incarceration in Japanese history, at every single one of those sites, the historical events are not resolved. There is always some contest between opposing viewpoints. So the memorial becomes more of a reflection of what were undergoing in the present than a representation of the event were memorializing. To me, that is always a crisis. Memorializing either comes from a crisis or is presenting a crisis. What was your method for visiting sites and gathering material? I usually go into a situation like a journalist, with the intention of finding out information. But I get distracted, I guess partly in the way that a poet gets distracted. I want to connect with the particular thing being memorialized, but then my mind wanders, and I start to pick up on something else. And usually, I discover that what Im distracted by is telling me something more insightful or illuminating. You copiously quote from conversations with the descendants of incarcerated Japanese Americans. Why was it important for you to include their voices? I think this research was born in a way out of loneliness. I did a lot of it during lockdown, so talking with these people was a very practical response to feeling like Im wandering through these landscapes alone. These landscapes and the subject didnt really come to life for me until I invited other people in. And then I just wanted to step back, because what they were sharing with me was so beautiful. Also, I was writing about a collective experience, and I felt like if the book was just from my subjectivity, then I would be defining that collective experience. What might a more effective or healing form of memorialization look like? Its not something that can be externalized. Maybe Ill be in conversation with somebody, either a survivor or descendant, and were just having a meal or emailing or on a bus ride together. And there could just be a moment of really intense and really warm feeling, and it vanishes almost instantaneously. But for that moment, something is transpiring between us or around us, and it feels like a memorial. Its not something that can be expressed or contained, and you have to appreciate its fleetingness. Return to the main feature. If theres a common theme to the half-dozen hottest releases for the childrens market this fall from indie presses, its this: no matter how small and insignificant one considers oneself in this big, beautiful universe, every creature matters. Star treks Angela Engel, the publisher of Collective Book Studio, calls The Fly Who Flew to Space (Sept., ages 48) by Lauren Sanchez, illustrated by Raleigh Stewart, a magical book. When flipped over and unfolded, the cover jacket becomes a glow-in-the-dark poster featuring the rocket ship blasting off, taking the insect protagonist on a celestial adventure. And theres a secret page, Engel says, that also glows in the dark. Have you ever ridden the Space Mountain ride at Disneyland? It reminds me of that. Its going to be so nostalgic for parents, who are totally going to geek out. The Fly, which is Sanchezs debut as a childrens book author and Stewarts as an illustrator, was a labor of love. Sanchez, a licensed pilot, is passionate about teaching children to be curious, to be explorersespecially girls; thats why the flys gender is indeterminate, Engel says. In STEM, theres still such a gender disparity. How many female pilots are there? Part of Laurens mission is to let girls know that you can fly a plane; you can fly into space. Its not something girls are trained to believe. Norton Young Readers publishing director Simon Boughton describes In Praise of Mystery (Oct., ages 48) by U.S. poet laureate Ada Limon, illustrated by Caldecott Medalist Peter Sis, as transcendent, and indeed, it literally is. The text, a poem, will be engraved on NASAs Europa Clipper spacecraft when it leaves Earth this fall, traveling 1.8 billion miles to reach Jupiters second moon in 2030. Limons debut as a childrens author came together very quickly, Boughton recalls. Last fall, after Limon wrote the poem for NASA, there was this feeling that it would make a wonderful childrens book, and it came to us on submission. Boughton thought immediately of pulling in Sis to illustrate it. They both have stature in different worlds, and I was eager to bring these two great artists together. Fortunately, this wasnt just wishful thinking: I knew Peter had some time. He finished the book in January. It was a gift that he was able to do it so quickly and so beautifully. In Praise of Mystery will pub 10 days before the Europa Clipper liftoff. Its a dramatic book launch, being associated with a rocket going off, Boughton says. Lets hope everything goes according to plan. Roger Mellos new picture book, Griso, the One and Only (Oct., ages 48), translated from Portuguese by Roger Hahn, is the fifth picture book by the Brazilian artist to be published by Elsewhere Editions, an Archipelago Books imprint specializing in picture books in translation. As the last unicorn on Earth searches all over the world for a companion, he is depicted in a different artistic style on each spread, based on illustrations of unicorns from prehistoric cave paintings to 20th-century surrealism. Praising Mellos bold use of color, especially his penchant for neon orange and cherry red, Elsewhere Editions director Emma Raddatz also marvels at Mellos exhilarating capacity for switching up his style, not only between projects, but even within a single book. Griso encourages you to take inspiration from the worlds art, and to feel freedom in exploring alternative styles, she says. It also speaks to the feeling of yearning, and of close, watchful study of a color, artwork, or line. Griso makes you want to prop up a museum stool, gaze at a medieval tapestry for hours, and set to work on observing all that you can. Finding freedom What I Must Tell the World: How Lorraine Hansberry Found Her Voice (Oct., ages 48) by Jay Leslie, illustrated by Loveis Wise, is only the second release from Hillman Grad, a Zando Projects imprint with a mission of publishing books that spotlight the beauty and complexities of underrepresented communities with stories that can change the world. It seems appropriate that Hillmans first picture book would be about the Chicago-born playwright who wrote A Raisin in the Sun, the first Broadway play written by a Black woman: publisher Lena Waithe is herself a screenwriter, actor, and producer from Chicago. Zando editor T.J. Ohler notes that much of this books power comes from its addressing potentially uncomfortable topics in an honest but age-appropriate way. What I Must Tell the World begins with Hansberrys parents response to racist attacks on the family: they filed a lawsuit to desegregate their Chicago neighborhood that went all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1940. Years later, after marrying a man in 1953, Hansberry acted on her realization that she was attracted to other women. Praising What I Must Tell the World for being a great book for talking about queerness, about the creative process, about finding your voice, Ohler admits that he cried the first time he read it. This was why I became an editor: books like this. Levine Querido publisher Arthur A. Levine maintains that The Forbidden Book (Oct., ages 12 and up), 2023 Printz Award finalist Sacha Lambs sophomore effort, explores themes far beyond its succinct first three sentences: Dybbuks. Illegal printing. A genderqueer lesbian with a knife. Levine acknowledges that all of those things are present in this tale of a teenager who takes on the identity of a male to run away from her life in a Jewish settlement in an alternate universe 19th-century Russia, where demons interact with human beings. Its a fairy tale woven by a master storyteller, he says. Its also the kind of book that invokes discussion of how gender impacts power. At its essence, though, Levine says, this is a story about friendship and its about freedom. Its also a mystery; theres danger. Contending that theres a lot of sameness in the contemporary teenage voice, Levine describes Lambs voice as refreshing. The prose is very accessible, but its also written in the voice of an oral storyteller. In addition, he says, as a physical object, The Forbidden Book is gorgeous. It took Soho Teen longer than it should have to acquire When Mimi Went Missing (Nov., ages 14 and up), Suja Sukumars debut YA novel, says editor Alexa Wejko. Two years ago, it came into my box during that weird post-Covid time. We werent sure of the state of the world and had slowed down on submissions. I had to put it on the back burner, but it just stuck with me. I couldnt get it out of my head. This psychological thriller about the splintering of the relationship between two once-close cousins is also, Wejko says, a very powerful coming-of-age story, featuring main characters who are of Indian descent. I think theres less representation of BIPOC characters in genre [fiction], she says. This isnt the only thriller with South Asian American characters in it, but there still arent enough. I was happy to have representation overlap with a coming-of-age story within a classic genre thriller. Return to the main feature. Although the 2024 election season wont shift into high gear until after Labor Day, booksellers across the country are making plans for what Lissa Muscatine, co-owner of Politics & Prose in Washington, D.C., describes as a dramatic and historic presidential campaign. Not only are booksellers eager to sell hot new releases about politics and political personalities but some, especially in swing states, are strategizing on how best to educate and engage citizens of all ages. Noting that Washington is a political town and a lot of political people shop at P&P, including the Clintons, Obamas, and Kamala Harris, Muscatine emphasizes the impact of current events on P&Ps programming. In 2016, she recalls, P&P hosted presidential debate-watching parties. People showed up for those, she says, adding that staff is contemplating a variation on that approach this fall, maybe an election night watch party. P&P is maintaining significant display tables in the front area of its three outlets, as well as big window displays. Its fall event roster is heavy on the hot-button topics that voters are thinking about, with stops by such authors as Amanda Becker (You Must Stand Up: The Fight for Abortion Rights in Post-Dobbs America; Bloomsbury, Sept.); David Daley (Antidemocratic: Inside the Far Rights 50-Year Plot to Control American Elections; Mariner, Aug.); and Mary Anne Franks (Fearless Speech: Breaking Free from the First Amendment; Bold Type, Oct.). Although Philadelphians generally vote Democratic, the City of Brotherly Love is in a key swing state, and several bookstores there are actively working on voter education and registration. Before the states spring presidential primary, Big Blue Marble Bookstore featured such voter information as registration deadlines in its store newsletter. I intend to revive that this fall, says general manager Jennifer Woodfin. Theres a VOTE sign in the front window, and staffers hope to hand out voter registration forms, as theyve done in previous years. Recalling that the stores 2016 nasty women window display went viral, Woodfin hopes that bookstore staff can put together another provocative display to get the neighborhoods attention this fall. I dont hesitate to chat with coworkers and customers about voting, Woodfin says. Our store has a Pride flag hung outside and is known to be a source of books for queer families. Our customers know which side were on. Harrietts Bookshop owner Jeannine Cook says she is taking a strong stance on the concept of the vote. Black-owned Harrietts is working closely with Vote That Jawn, a nonpartisan organization founded by author Lorene Carey to educate Philly youth about the political process, register them to vote, and more importantly, push the importance of what to do beyond your vote as a responsible community member, she notes. Cook emphasizes that booksellers must lean into civic engagement as well: Booksellers need to be thinking together about what policies wed like to collectively see created or destroyed by the next administration, to best ensure the success and longevity of our vocation. In Easton, Pa., near Allentown, Book & Puppet Co. owner Andy Laties says his corner of Pennsylvania is an important swing district that most recently is polling for Donald Trump, after Joe Biden prevailed there in 2020. Election-year programming features retired TV journalist Melba Tolliver leading a biweekly series of hour-long community conversations addressing such topical issues as media polls and whether senior citizens should run for office. Ive used the presidential election as part of my bookstore programming since 1987, 1988, Laties notes. Michigan swings Detroit is another Democratic stronghold in a swing state, and indies there are strategizing on how to best engage voters. While 27th Letter Books is focused on advocating for local libraries this year, co-owner Andrew Pineda says that the store also provides activist groups with a safe space to meet. In suburban Oak Park, the Book Beats co-owner, Colleen Kammer, is willing to organize get-out-the-vote postcard-writing parties, after hours in the store, if customers want to participate. This is something that is doable, and its positive, she said. People can hang out with like-minded people and do something together. Itll cost money for postage, but its well worth it. Were not wasting our money and well know that weve done something. Beyond the Detroit metro area, Tom Lowry, owner of Lowrys Books in Three Rivers and in Sturgis, says hes stocking more political books this fall, especially childrens books on what the election is and why its important. Hell prominently display books including the 2024 edition of What Is a Presidential Election? by Douglas Yacka and Presidential Elections and Other Cool Facts: Understanding How Our Country Picks Its President by Syl Sobel, and hell take these and other options to the many western Michigan book fairs where Lowrys sells books. Unlike the other Michigan booksellers who spoke with PW, Jessilyn Norcross, co-owner of McLean & Eakin in Petoskey, says the store will stock political books this fall but wont put them on special display. Nor will the store actively engage with customers regarding politics and the election, because, she explains, those conversations rarely ended well in previous election years. We dont want to create conflict, she says, noting that Petoskey is in a rural area in northern Michigan thats purple this year. We want to make the store available to people on either side to meet. We want to keep the discussion as open as possible, but we also want to stay out of firing range. Other battleground states Bound to Happen Books in Stevens Point, Wis., is, like McLean & Eakin, located in a rural area in a swing state. Co-owner Lyn Ciurro says the store has been pretty quiet on this front so far, and its partnering with local organizations to get out the vote for local and state contests beyond the presidential main event. The broader focus is definitely, obviously, on the presidential election. But there are other important issues to Wisconsin residents like referenda and the state assembly and the U.S. Senate. Left Bank Books in St. Louis is another indie in a city that votes Democraticbut unlike Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, Missouri consistently lands in the red column elections. That does not deter owner Kris Kleindienst, who celebrated her 50th anniversary as a bookseller last month. Our main thing this election is to get people motivated to vote, Kleindienst says. A lot of people dont bother voting because they arent thrilled with anybody running, or they dont feel as if their vote counts. Were not telling people who to vote for: were telling them why to vote and how to vote. Left Bank will include voter information in its weekly newsletter until election day, and is partnering with local organizations like Action St. Louis and Missouri Voter Protection to hold teach-ins at the store about voters rights and related topics, as well as to register voters. Of course, Left Banks inventory remains a high priority during an election year in this mission-driven store, and Kleindienst says she has high hopes for Timothy Snyders On Freedom (Crown, Sept.). She has also restocked Kamala Harriss 2019 memoir, The Truths We Hold: An American Journey, and intends to keep plenty of other politically oriented backlist on hand, particularly books like Heather Cox Richardsons Democracy Awakening and Sarah Kendziors They Knew: How a Culture of Conspiracy Keeps America Complacent. Our main thing this election is to get people motivated to vote. Kris Kleindienst, Left Bank Books Richardson and Kendzior are our mainstays, because they tell it like it is, in plain language, Kleindienst says. Weve already seen an uptick in interest in politics and social issue nonfiction. It had quieted down as it always does during a Democratic administration, at least in my experience as a bookseller, but now its going up again. Back to main feature. The fall regional bookselling association trade show season kicked off August 811 with New Voices New Rooms, the five-year collaboration between the New Atlantic Booksellers Association and the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance. From now through October, booksellers around the country will be traveling to their respective regional gatherings in Newton, Mass.; Pasadena, Calif.; Portland, Ore.; Denver; and Milwaukee. Meanwhile, publishers reps will be finessing their sales pitches and preparing for long days staffing their exhibits. If New Voices New Rooms is any indicator, this years trade shows will be bigger and busier than ever. Since the pandemic began, new bookstores with all kinds of business models have opened nationwide, and regional bookseller organizations are working hard to accommodate first-time members eager to learn the ropes. And along with the usual frenzy surrounding opportunities to network, meet authors, and snag ARCs, there will also be a focus on professional education, as the various associations seek to navigate a rapidly changing industry. At New Voices New Rooms, half a dozen members of the American Booksellers Association staff were in attendance, including CEO Allison Hill. At every show this fall, ABA will present an education session geared toward financial stability and growth, titled, Prioritizing Cash Flow: 10 Areas to Review for Improved Cash Flow and Profitability. Despite terrible tropical storms battering the South, NVNR drew 250 booksellers this year to the Crystal City Marriott Hotel in Arlington, Va., a 25% increase over last year, which was its second in-person joint show ever. The event featured more than 80 authors, including Tony Keith Jr., author of Knucklehead (Quill Tree, Feb. 2025), who opened the proceedings by performing a piece honoring poets and storytellers. NAIBA and SIBA, which always emphasize education in their events, maintained that focus at this years gathering. Even the tours of seven D.C.-area bookstores had an education component, as the staff at each stop showcased their areas of expertise. For example, booksellers at Loyalty Bookstoreswhich has locations in Washington, D.C., and Silver Spring, Md.talked about how they measure the success of their store displays. Everyone was like, How come I never thought of that with my store displays? I could do this, said NAIBA executive director Eileen Dengler. The next day, NVNR attendees chose from more than a dozen educational panels, along with four author panels, covering an array of subjects and genres, from humor to horror. Next up on the trade show circuit is the New England Independent Booksellers Association, convening in Newton, Mass., September 1113. Now in its 51st year, NEIBA attracts more than 500 attendees annually and will honor authors in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and young reader categories at the New England Book Awards banquet. The New England Childrens Book Advisory Council also plans programming around the coming seasons picture book, middle grade, and YA releases, and will announce its diversity-focused Windows and Mirrors book list on the final day of the show. After a 2022 meeting in Sacramento and a 2023 meeting in San Francisco, the California Independent Booksellers Alliance heads south to Pasadena for this years Fall Fest, September 1718. New CALIBA executive director Hannah Walcher looks forward to hosting the show in proximity to several SoCal shops. The conference center is right in the downtown area, not too far from Vromans, Walcher says. Its easy to jump over to Skylight Books and Octavias Bookshelf, and maybe even get out to L.A. if you have an extra day. Walcher is excited for CALIBAs roster of authors, including opening keynoter Nnedi Okorafor, as well as rep picks and education programming created by booksellers for booksellers, she says. I hope we can make many people as happy as possible. From September 29 to October 1, the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association will gather at the Holiday Inn Columbia Riverfront in Portland, Ore., for a second consecutive year. Executive director Brian Juenemann says PNBA developed the schedule in response to members survey feedback, with longer breaks between Big Pitch sessions, member-driven affinity group meetups, and educational programming geared toward everyone from first-timers to longtime members. We used to do two late-night reception events, and our members have told us its hard to stay engaged until 10 p.m., Juenemann says, so PNBA designed an evening rep picks late show, promising surprise author appearances and booksellers blurbing titles. We are featuring multiple PNBA Award winners plus some national stars that are on the rise. These include familiar Northwest faces we havent seen in person since prepandemicwell-known and awarded authors. On the last morning of the show, we will open with a breakfast keynote by Brian Selznick, and thatll be a biggie. The Mountains and Plains Independent Booksellers Association once again converges on Denver October 69, and FallCons exhibition hallwhich sold out last yearis on track to do the same again. We are so fortunate that our location is the same every year, says MPIBA executive director Heather Duncan. Theres a good place at the hotel to get dinner, and inexpensive food within walking distance. We do have a big show, and we leave our evenings completely free so booksellers can go out to publisher dinners. MPIBA also boasts ample education opportunities and an expansive author lineup. It was a great year for author pitches, Duncan says. This years show will feel a bit different, however, due to the sale of the Tattered Cover to Barnes & Noble, notes Duncan, who for 30 years worked at Denvers famous, formerly indie bookstore. Were concerned this year because we wont have them, and its a not-insignificant loss of attendees. Thirty to fifty people would come. Duncan expects MPIBAs The Expert Is In booths and educational sessions on merchandising and display, marketing, book buying, and finances to attract newbies and seasoned participants alike. The Midwest Booksellers and Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Associations joint show, Heartland Fall Forum, meets in Milwaukee October 69. Wisconsin is so centrally located that many of the indies there belong to both organizations, and both executive directors expect a huge turnout, especially from Chicagolands scores of booksellers. GLIBA executive director Larry Law notes a spike in membership in both organizations since the pandemic: GLIBA has more than doubled in size, from 130 bookseller members in 2018, his first year as executive director, to 350 in 2024. Law says Heartland has added an extra day to the schedule for bookseller retreats, to supplement the education offered during the conference. Were going to be super education heavy this year, he adds, with separate sessions designed for owners, buyers, events and marketing, and frontline booksellers. In a typical year, we have 1112 hours of education; this year were going to get close to about 30, Law says. Its a big jump. With the increase in new stores since the pandemic, we want to make sure were helping them as much as we can. Read more from our Fall Regionals 2024 feature: Fall Regionals 2024: Fall Regionals Programming Highlights This years fall gatherings provide booksellers across the country with plenty of opportunities to meet authors, collect ARCs, and network with other booksellers as well as publishers. Fall Regionals 2024: Bookselling in an Election Year Indie booksellers stock up on political reads while educating voters. Fall Regionals 2024: Booksellers Reach Across Regional Divides For some regional bookseller associations, joint trade shows are a winning formula. Fall Regionals 2024: Booksellers Buzz About Fall Titles With summer on the wane and holiday titles on order, excitement around this falls fiction, nonfiction, and childrens books is building. PW talked with booksellers about what theyll be handselling and displaying in the coming months. Fall Regionals 2024: Forging Connections in California: PW Talks with CALIBA executive director Hannah Walcher After being announced as the California Booksellers Alliances new executive director in February, Hannah Walcher, former director of Books Inc.s nonprofit Reading Bridge book fair program, officially started work in June. She takes over from former co-EDs Kristin Rasmussen and Ann Seaton. Walcher spoke with PW about her bookselling journey, CALIBAs top priorities, and her excitement for the upcoming Fall Fest in Pasadena. Property details: Wyndham Ocean WalkDaytona Beach, Florida Item Description Boasting amenities galore, the Wyndham Ocean Walk offers you a marketplace, food court, lobby bar, putting green, exercise room, arcade, gift shop, and activities center without ever leaving the resort. A choice of pools (indoor and outdoor), a lazy river, waterfalls and waterslide, and Jacuzzi invite even more water fun for the entire family. There's also an on site restaurant, poolside bar and grill, and health club, and kids will love ... Price: $ 49 Seller State of Residence: Florida Property Address: 300 N Atlantic Ave, Zip/Postal Code: 32118 City: Daytona Beach State/Province: Florida Location: , Multiple You will be redirected to eBay When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Nearby Florida Cesar Millan says he will keep offering harried pet parents advice on canine exercise, discipline and behavior for as long as they need it. ADVERTISEMENT "I'm excited to continue educating the world," Millan, 54, told UPI in a recent Zoom interview. "We can do it together as a world, right?" he added. "Have the right energy, have the right philosophy, have the right actions, so all dogs in the world benefit." Over the past 20 years, Millan has hosted numerous series including, Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan from 2004 to 2016. His show Better Human Better Dog debuted in 2021 and now is in its fifth season, with new installments airing on Fridays. Millan's guiding principle is that people's interactions with their pets can improve their own mental health and relationships with others, as well as encourage an appreciation for the natural world around them. "We can start with our dogs, so we can see that it's tangible -- that if we change our energy, we change the way we think and the way we are with dogs, we are going to practice respect and love with everybody," he said. "I'm a father of two, and I tell my kids crystals, minerals, plants, animals keep you connected to Mother Nature, so you can live a natural, simple, profound life," Millan added. "The world wants you to live for money, fame and power, and so that disconnects the human from natural happiness, natural health, natural love and natural intelligence." FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! During the coronavirus pandemic lockdowns of 2020 and 2021, many animal shelters were emptied as bored people telecommuting for school and work decided to adopt dogs to ease their nerves and boredom. The problem was, Millan said, that some folks didn't know what to do with the pets once they got them or returned to work. Consequently, some ended up with dogs that suffered separation anxiety and their humans dropped them back off at shelters once the world went back to normal. This is one of the reasons why Millan started Better Human Better Dog. "For us, it was a blessing," he said of these specific circumstances. "The human just was allowed to practice an emotional activity, right? [They thought]: 'I always wanted a dog. I didn't have the time,'" he said, adding many people were surprised to discover "the life of a dog is a responsibility" that required commitment and time management. "They learn a lesson of how to choose a dog and, hopefully, they don't get discouraged because a lot of people, when they don't do it right, actually feel discouraged, and, 'Oh, this hurts so much.' No, no, no. You just didn't do it right, that's it. Now, this time do it right." Since Millan first became a celebrity canine trainer, some puppy trends have arisen such as the proliferation of dog parks and use of protective pet strollers in U.S. and Asian urban areas, as well as pet-sitting services and security cameras to monitor animals when their owners aren't home. And while many people love their fur babies, that isn't usually enough to make a dog behave well. Millan said he sees many dog owners still making mistakes as they train their dogs to observe rules and limitations, but he applauds them for trying to turn things around by watching his shows and reading his books for pointers. "The energy of calmness is still not part of [their training]. The energy of silence is still not part of it. The dog is going to absorb the energy that he lives in, and, so, slowly, a good percentage of people are understanding that No. 1, it is not the dog, and No. 2 it is not the breed," he said, implying it is the human that is in charge and responsible for his dog's reactions. "Animals are not here to cause problems. Actually, it's the opposite," Millan added. "The only thing they want to remind us is to live a natural, simple, profound life, full of trust, respect, love and feeling safe, peace and love." Millan emphasized that pet parents don't need to have money to train a dog to be good and loyal, noting animals were part of his life when he grew up on a farm in Mexico and initially was homeless when he moved to the United States. "They're not looking for money," he said about dogs. "They're just looking for a family and, so, it's good to have somebody that you can count on at that level," Millan said. "Low-income family, middle-class or rich family, it doesn't matter. "It's one thing that we -- the whole world -- can have as a community. We all have this amazing relationship with dogs." Transgender actor Elliot Page said a scene in his new movie, Close to You, in theaters Friday, helped exorcise some of his frustrations dealing with transphobes in real life. ADVERTISEMENT In the film, Sam (Page) returns home to his father's (Peter Outerbridge) for the first time since his transition. Sam's sister's (Alex Paxton-Beesley) fiance, Paul (David Reale), provokes an argument about the transition. "It was almost cathartic because I deal with that provocation," Page, 37, told UPI in a recent Zoom interview. "For me, it was probably quite healing to be able to say my piece to him in the way that Sam does." Close to You was improvised from a story by Page and director Dominic Savage. The particular scene dictated that Paul upset Sam. Paul asks if he still can call Sam "Sammy." Sam says no because he goes by Sam now. Paul complains that he doesn't know the rules for speaking about Sam. Page recognized how Paul claimed to be asking questions, but really wanted to argue about Sam's answers. "He gets the answer, but that answer doesn't satisfy him," Page said. "My body went, 'I know what this guy is doing right now.'" In real life, Page said, he avoids giving such provocateurs the satisfaction of indulging them. In Sam's case, he was stuck at his family's house with Paul. FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! "I could tell that that's what they wanted," Page said of recent real-life encounters. "They wanted me to get upset and I decided to just not engage in that particular moment." After the scene, Page said the cast had a group hug. Reale also was kind to Page when he was not playing Paul, Page said. "He's such a nice guy who plays such a good [expletive]," Page said. "Even just down to his little smirks and glares, I'm like, how are you so nice but so good at playing such a jerk?" Other improvised scenes lead to positive dialogue in the film. When Sam has some time alone with his father, he shares how relieved he is that his son is finally happy after growing up with depression. Savage said he selected actors who could bring life experiences to their roles. The director added that once the family began interacting in character, it inspired meaningful improvisations like Outerbridge's. "I believe Peter was being very, very honest and genuine in what he was saying and what he was feeling," Savage said. "The actors felt very safe to be truthful about what they felt about life." Page said Outerbridge's speech was powerful to him, too. "He's there with a father who's really explaining how painful it was for him to see his son in that pain and the joy it gives him to see that Sam has found his way through that," Page said. After the confrontation with Paul, Sam's brother, Michael (Daniel Maslany), expresses his pride in Sam for speaking up for himself. "I wanted him to feel what he wanted to say at that point," Savage said. "It's something he felt very genuine about at that point." While visiting his family, Sam sees his high school girlfriend Catherine (Hillary Baack). Catherine is now married with children, so she panics after their first meeting and breaks contact. "Two huge loves in her life maybe were intersecting and she didn't know what to do about it," Baack said. "She was feeling so much seeing Sam." Catherine encounters Sam again and decides to reconnect. "She's just letting herself be present in that moment," Baack said. "I think she's just so happy to see Sam again. She's going with it." Baack appeared in Page's 2013 film The East. When assembling the cast for Close to You, Page remembered her. "Our friendship continued throughout the years and deepened," Page said. "We'd really been actively wanting to do something together again, especially because in The East, our characters had very little interaction." Close to You comes out one week after Netflix premiered the final season of Page's series The Umbrella Academy. Page said Hollywood offers are rarer than they were pre-transition. "We'll see what's going to happen in Hollywood with trans representation and trans men," Page said. The Umbrella Academy wrote Page's transition into the show in its third season. Page said he would welcome playing more specifically trans characters like Sam. "We have such little representation, I'm more than happy to be playing trans characters and absolutely to play cis characters, as well," Page said. Photo: Press Service of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 17. President Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree awarding Azerbaijan's State Border Service (SBS) servicemen, Trend reports. According to the decree of the head of state, several servicemen of the State Border Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan have been awarded orders and medals for distinction in ensuring the protection of the state border of the Republic of Azerbaijan, preservation of territorial integrity and accomplishment of tasks assigned to the border guard bodies. The full list of awarded servicemen can be found here. Will be updated 'Those satisfied with returns and not expecting further rally could be booking profits and also stopping SIPs.' Redemptions from systematic investment plan (SIP) accounts scaled a new high of Rs 14,367 crore (Rs 143.67 billion) in July, indicating investors booked profits following back-to-back months of gains in the market. Volatility triggered by Budget announcements also played on investor sentiment. "July 2024 saw a peak in the Nifty, which may have prompted profit-booking among investors nearing the end of their goal tenure. This could be one of the reasons for the higher outflows of funds accumulated through SIPs," said Feroze Azeez, deputy CEO, Anand Rathi Wealth. "Those who have been investing through SIP over the past few years have made handsome returns. Those satisfied with returns and not expecting further rally could be booking profits and also stopping SIPs," added Sriram BKR, senior investment strategist, Geojit Financial Services. A part of the proceeds may have moved to new fund offerings (NFOs) that were open for subscription last month, according to industry officials. Redemptions from SIP accounts have been rising for the last few months and have been outpacing growth in gross inflows. As a result, even as gross SIP inflows have been making new highs, net inflows have been range-bound. In July, net SIP inflows stood at Rs 8,964 crore (Rs 89.64 billion) as against gross SIP inflows of Rs 23,332 crore (Rs 233.32 billion). The net inflows were only 38 per cent of the gross tally, the lowest since December 2023. The July SIP data is in continuation with the trend seen in the first six months of FY25. Aggregate gross inflows in the first six months of 2024 came in at Rs 1.2 trillion, 41 per cent higher than the inflows in the same period last year. However, the net SIP inflows registered only a 25 per cent growth at Rs 52,016 crore in the same period. According to experts, while the gross outflow has gathered some pace, investor confidence in mutual funds and the equity market remains elevated. "SIP inflows have consistently peaked over the last 12 months, indicating strong investor confidence in the market, with equity being the preferred investment mode," said Azeez. "The number of new SIPs registered has also grown consistently, with nearly 7.2 million new plans registered in July," Azeez added. Even as net SIP inflows have been subdued, aggregate net flows into equity mutual fund schemes have been making new highs in recent months. According to industry officials, part of the proceeds from SIP account redemptions may also be moving to NFOs. In June, new offerings in the active equity space collected Rs 14,370 crore (Rs 143.70 billion), the highest in a calendar month. Last month, the NFO collection stood at Rs 13,735 crore. In the first half of 2024, mutual funds launched 30 active equity schemes, compared to 51 in the entire 2023. Also, NFO collection by active equity schemes in 2024 has outpaced the 2023 total, with equity NFOs raking in Rs 37,885 crore (Rs 378.85 billion) by June, surpassing the Rs 36,657 crore (Rs 366.57 crore) collected during the previous year. In 2022, 27 launches had collected Rs 29,586 crore (Rs 295.86 billion). Equity MF schemes of the top 26 fund houses were sitting on nearly Rs 80,000 crore in cash at the end of July 2024. The cash held by equity mutual fund schemes went up sharply in July amid after-Budget volatility and concerns about elevated valuations. Strong inflows into new fund offerings (NFOs) also kept cash levels elevated. Equity MF schemes of the top 26 fund houses were sitting on nearly Rs 80,000 crore (Rs 800 billion) in cash at the end of July 2024, up 27 per cent from the June-end tally of Rs 62,700 crore (Rs 627 billion), according to a Motilal Oswal report. As a result, the aggregate proportion of cash in these schemes rose to a 15 month high of 5.4 per cent. In June, cash accounted for 4.6 per cent of the portfolios. According to MF executives, while the mandate is to stay fully invested, they have the leeway to keep funds available during times of uncertainty or excessive valuations. Although valuation concerns, especially in the midcap and smallcap space, have persisted for nearly a year, equity MF schemes have continued to attract robust flows on a sustained basis. The market, supported by MF inflows, has been on an extended bull run. In July, the equity market delivered strong performance despite the Union Budget delivering a negative surprise by raising the capital gains tax on eq uities. Benchmark indices National Stock Exchange Nifty 50 and S&P BSE Sensex ended the month with gains of 3.9 per cent and 3.4 per cent, respectively. As of August 14, the Nifty 50 was trading at a 12-month forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 20.2x compared to its five-year average of 19.3x. The P/E ratio of the Nifty Midcap 100 stood at 32.9x, vis- -vis a five-year average of 24.3x. The Nifty Smallcap 100 was trading at a P/E of 20.6x compared to the five-year average of 17.2x. In P/E terms, the Nifty 50 is trading at 89 per cent premium to the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, above its historical average of 50 per cent, Tata MF said in a note. Volatility in the global market in August amid slowdown concerns in the US has added to fund managers worries. Earlier this month, the markets posted their worst single-day fall since the election result day on June 4. The global selloff comes against the backdrop of rich valuations and stretched sentiment readings on our proprietary indicator for Indian equities. The sentiment index works as a contrarian measure and has an inv erse correlation to expected forward returns, especially at extremes, as is the case now. Further, while we stay constructive on earnings in the med ium term, the near-term trajectory has been decelerating as commodity price tailwinds abate. This mix, we believe, is ideal for a reduction in the thus-far-unabated speculative action in equity markets, SBI MF said in a note. According to the Motilal Oswal report, Parag Parikh Financial Advisory Services (PPFAS) MF had the highest cash holding at 16.1 per cent, followed by Quant MF, which was 14 per cent in cash. While PPFAS MF has been holding on to high cash levels for several months now, Quant MF s cash holding was only 7.2 per cent in June. Other fund houses that have seen over a 1-percentage-point rise in cash holding include ICICI Prudential MF, Franklin Templeton MF, Sundaram MF, and Motilal Oswal MF. SBI MF and Aditya Birla Sun Life MF were among the few fund houses that saw a considerable dip in cash holding. MFs have been facing deployment challenges, especially in the smallcap space, as few funds invest in emerging sectors owing to the continued flow of fresh investments even as valuations have run up sharply. According to experts, the strong collections in NFOs in July may have contributed to the cash holdings. They say that fund managers deploy the proceeds in a staggered manner if the collection is large. Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com Mobile internet was suspended for 24 hours in several areas of Rajasthan's Udaipur and all schools were ordered to remain shut after a Class-10 student allegedly stabbed another boy at a government school, triggering communal violence in the city, officials said. IMAGE: The Udaipur district administration demolishes the house of a boy who allegedly stabbed his classmate, in Udaipur on Saturday. Photograph: ANI Photo The incident took place on Friday, they said, adding that the student injured in the attack is undergoing treatment at the district hospital while the accused is under detention. The house of the accused boy has been razed by the district administration using JCB machines, the officials said. The demolition was carried out in the presence of police personnel. "Fear of the administration is necessary for someone who commits a crime. It was found in an investigation that the house of the accused was built on forest land and action was taken in accordance with rules. A notice was served and action was taken," Udaipur District Collector Arvind Poswal said. All government and private schools in Udaipur have been ordered to remain shut until further orders in view of the law-and-order situation, he said. A team of three doctors has been sent from state capital Jaipur to Udaipur by a special plane for the treatment of the injured boy, the collector said, adding that his condition is stable. "Our first priority is to save the life of the victim. A team has reached to treat him on the directions of the chief minister. The condition of the boy is stable. Law and order is also being maintained. Both the communities have assured the administration that peace will be maintained," he said. Divisional Commissioner Rajendra Bhatt issued an order suspending mobile internet services for a period of 24 hours from 10 pm on Friday in Udaipur city and the Bedla, Badgaon, Bleecha, Debari, Eklingpura, Kanpur, Dheekli and Bhuwana areas. The collector appealed to people not to pay heed to rumours. A mob set cars on fire on Friday amid communal tension following the stabbing incident outside a government school at Bhattiyani Chohatta. Prohibitory orders banning the assembly of people were imposed in the city. According to police, members of some Hindu outfits gathered at Madhuban in the city to protest against the incident. The mob pelted stones and set three-four cars on fire, police said. As the tension escalated in the evening, markets were shut in Bapu Bazar, Hathipole, Ghanta Ghar, Chetak Circle and nearby areas. Some violent elements also pelted stones at a shopping mall, shattering the glass windows of shops, the officials said. Additional policemen have been deployed in the city to maintain law and order, they added. The government on Saturday said a committee will be formed to propose safety measures for healthcare professionals even as OPD services were hit across the country as doctors joined the 24-hour nationwide strike called by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) to protest the alleged rape and murder of a trainee medic in Kolkata. IMAGE: Doctors from IMA stage a protest against the sexual assault and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at Kolkata RG Kar Hospital, in Gurugram on Saturday. Photograph: ANI Photo Resident doctors at government hospitals in different parts of the country, including Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Maharashtra, and Haryana among others, have been protesting since Monday. The IMA had given a nationwide call for the withdrawal of non-emergency services for 24 hours from 6 am on Saturday to protest the gruesome rape and murder at the R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata and the subsequent vandalism at the facility. The IMA also sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention in realising their five demands, including a central law to check violence against healthcare personnel and declaring hospitals safe zones with mandatory security entitlements. On Saturday, the Union health ministry said representatives of all stakeholders, including the state governments, will be invited to share their suggestions with the committee as it urged the doctors to resume their duties in the larger public interest and in view of the rising number of dengue and malaria cases. Representatives of the Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA), IMA and resident doctors' associations of government medical colleges and hospitals of Delhi met the Union health minister in the wake of the Kolkata incident. Reacting to the development, the IMA said it is studying the statement released by the health ministry assuring doctors of all possible efforts to ensure their safety and offering to form a committee to suggest measures for the same. The IMA said it will respond to it after careful consideration of all aspects and consultations with its state branches. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said everyone was concerned about the rape and murder of the doctor in Kolkata and not just the healthcare fraternity. Rijiju was speaking to reporters at the Bhubaneswar airport in Odisha. In West Bengal, the epicentre of the protest, the former principal of R G Kar Medical College and Hospital Dr Sandip Ghosh appeared before the CBI for questioning for the second consecutive day on Saturday in connection with the horrific incident. Ghosh reached the CBI office for the second time a little before 10.30 am. During his first round of questioning on Friday, the former principal was asked about his first reaction after getting the news of the doctor's death whom he instructed to inform the family and how and who contacted the police. Meanwhile, doctors in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Assam, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Mizoram, and Nagaland among other states joined the 24-hour strike called by the IMA. In the national capital, major private hospitals shut down their OPDs, elective surgeries and IPD services. Resident doctors in the capital have been on an indefinite strike since Monday. As the strike entered its sixth day on Saturday, private hospitals also joined the protest alongside government hospitals. Hospitals like Sir Ganga Ram, Fortis and Apollo have halted their OPD, elective surgeries and IPD services. Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren condemned the alleged rape and murder and appealed to the protesting medics to return to work for the sake of the patients. Healthcare services were affected in Jharkhand during the day as doctors joined the IMA's nationwide call for the withdrawal of non-emergency services. Soren also said he has directed the DGP to take strict steps to ensure the safety of all the staff working in state hospitals. Condemning the rape and murder of the trainee doctor, Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said a meeting has been called on August 20 to discuss the steps to be taken to ensure the safety and security of doctors, nurses and all the staff working in hospitals across the state. More than 4,500 doctors in Chhattisgarh joined the strike that affected medical services across the state. Doctors held protests at many places in Punjab and Haryana and demanded safety for healthcare professionals at workplaces. Outpatient department services remained non-functional and elective surgeries were also not conducted at hospitals in the two states but emergency services were not affected, according to the protesting doctors. In Gujarat, doctors stayed away from OPDs and did not conduct elective surgeries in several hospitals. They also held protest gatherings and took out rallies, shouting slogans demanding justice for the trainee doctor who was raped and murdered on August 9. In Bihar, AIIMS-Patna Executive Director and CEO Gopal Krushna Pal told PTI that it has been decided to deploy more female security guards and install an additional 150 CCTV cameras on the campus, among other measures. Private medical practitioners also joined the stir in Maharashtra, affecting healthcare services in the state. Doctors running private clinics and nursing homes associated with the IMA of Uttar Pradesh also abandoned work while in Mizoram, apart from OPDs in government hospitals, all private clinics were closed. 'Digital courts will alleviate congestion in traditional courts.' IMAGE: Kindly note the image has been posted only for representational purposes. Photograph: Kind courtesy Adriano Gadini/Pixabay.com India's first digital court for handling cheque bounce cases, called 24*7 ONCOURTS, was inaugurated on Friday, August 16, in Kollam by Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai of the Supreme Court. The initiative will ensure court processes are conducted online, right from the filing stage through case registration, admission, appearances, hearings, and passing of judgments and orders. Depending on its success, new ONCOURTS may be established across the state. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan hailed this as a historic day for Kerala's judiciary. Chief Justice of India Dr D Y Chandrachud, who was slated to launch several other key initiatives aimed at harnessing technology to enhance judicial efficiency, was not present during the event due to unforeseen circumstances. "The initiative has automated the entire life cycle of a case. Roughly, cheque bouncing cases constitute 10 per cent of total cases. Hence, automation means that productivity goes up and pendency goes down," said Nandan Nilekani, co-founder and non-executive chairman of Infosys. "Similarly, Motor Vehicles Act cases constitute 10 per cent or more. "If the process of dealing with these cases is automated, 20 to 25 per cent of cases will be resolved," Nilekani added. The ONCOURT project will begin accepting cases from September onwards and will hear cheque dishonour cases. Chief Minister Vijayan also inaugurated the special courts in Ernakulam and Alappuzha, dedicated to handling cases under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Act, 2019. Talking about the integration of technology and courts, Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V of the Kerala high court said it makes the process more accessible and predictable. "There will be a smart scheduling system so that hearings are held on time. It will offer support and guidance to litigants, informing them of their case status in real time," Justive Vijayaraghavan ex[lained. "The court will be linked with important institutions such as banks and police, making the exchange of information a breeze," the judge added. "Communication and tracking are easy. Four APIs will be put out. This will cover case status, case metadata, orders, and judgments. This will be open when the court goes online next month," Justice Vijayaraghavan added. "We have used cutting-edge technology for security. We will use it for 14 courts. It is Justice Mustaque's (Acting Kerala high court Chief Justice A Muhamed Mustaque) baby. This is just the beginning," the judge said. The 'We-Solv Vimaal Solution Maker', an online dispute resolution system developed by the Kerala judiciary, was also launched by Justice Gavai. The platform has been designed to facilitate online deliberations among stakeholders, streamline the dispute resolution process, and enhance efficiency, accessibility, and transparency in dispute resolution. "Digital courts will alleviate congestion in traditional courts," said Justice Mustaque. The CCTV surveillance unit, including a state-of-the-art control room in the high court complex, was inaugurated by Kerala's Finance Minister K N Balagopal. Kerala's Law Minister P Rajeeve spoke about the Digital Empowering Kerala initiative, which will enhance digital literacy and Internet accessibility. A Model Digital Courtroom, developed by the Kerala high court to overcome the limitations of raditional courtrooms by optimising the Iinternet and computer technology, was also launched on the occasion by Justice Gavai. He also launched the learning management system, digital district courts, and the annual report of the Kerala Judicial Academy. Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will conduct a psychological assessment of Sanjay Roy, the accused in a rape-and-murder case of a doctor in Kolkata that has triggered nationwide protests, officials said on Saturday. IMAGE: CBI officials arrive to investigate the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-murder case in Kolkata on Wednesday. Photograph: ANI Photo A team of psychological and behavioural analysts from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) in Delhi has arrived in Kolkata to conduct the necessary tests, they said. The CBI has already taken Roy into custody. The federal agency questioned Dr Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, where the incident took place, for a second consecutive day on Saturday in connection with the alleged rape and killing of the trainee doctor. The agency had taken Dr Ghosh for questioning on Friday and it continued till 1.40 am on Saturday. Dr Ghosh, sources said, was initially questioned on the hospital's response to the death of the victim. He was seen re-entering the CBI office at the CGO complex in Salt Lake with a bunch of papers and files a little before 10.30 am on Saturday, and hadn't left the premises till reports last received. Separate teams of the central investigating agency also reached the crime scene at the RG Kar hospital and the barrack of the Kolkata Police's Armed Forces fourth battalion in Salt Lake, where the arrested prime accused, civic volunteer Sanjay Roy, was putting up. At RG Kar hospital, the investigators collected samples and sent those to the Central Forensic Sciences Laboratory for testing, an officer said. "At the KP barrack, the team spoke to the policemen who are staying there and enquired about the accused's movements on Friday morning. They took the details of when Roy returned to the barrack and what he did after reaching there," he said. Later, the same team reached Sambhunath Pandit Street in South Kolkata, Roy's rented residence, and spoke to his mother about his recent whereabouts and recorded her written statement, the officer said. During his first round of questioning, the former principal was asked about his first reaction after getting the news of the doctor's death, who he instructed to inform the family and who contacted the police, he said. CBI officials enquired about the weekly roster of the chest medicine department where the victim was seen to be put on duty for a gruelling 36 hours at a stretch or, at times, even 48 hours, the officer said. "Some of his answers were convoluted. He was grilled till early Saturday and then allowed to leave for home," the officer told PTI. In an evening development, the Mamata Banerjee government was learnt to have cancelled its bulk transfer order of 43 doctors and 190 female health assistants issued by the state health department on August 16 in the wake of fresh protests that were registered by a section of the agitating doctors. While the government had initially called the transfers 'routine' and insisted that most doctors were being moved from the periphery regions to the vicinity of Kolkata, the United Doctors Front Association, a nation-wide body of doctors, called the move 'unjust' and an 'attempt to silence demands for justice and security'. State health secretary N S Nigam told reporters, "The transfer order was issued sometime back. We cancelled it today because had the transfers been brought to effect, it would have further disrupted the services these doctors were providing to patients under the current situation. There's no controversy here." The Kolkata Police, which is probing the large-scale vandalism at R G Kar hospital in the early hours of August 15, meanwhile, confirmed that the arrest figure in connection with the violence currently stands at 30. The police were learnt to have summoned for questioning several Left leaders, including DYFI's Bengal secretary Minakshi Mukherjee, who led a significantly large group of protestors during the women's 'Reclaim the Night' programme outside the hospital premises at the time of the violence. "Of course we will meet the police. But before that we have to consult our lawyers," Mukherjee said. The body of the 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor, who was allegedly raped and killed inside a seminar hall of the state-run hospital, was found on August 9. Roy, a civic volunteer, was arrested in this connection. The victim's parents had moved the Calcutta high court, seeking a court-monitored investigation in the case. Several other public interest litigation (PIL) pleas were also filed, demanding a CBI probe into the incident. A preliminary autopsy report suggested that the victim was sexually abused and killed. It said she was bleeding from her eyes, mouth and private parts. There were also injuries on her left leg, neck, right hand, ring finger and lips. The Kolkata Police arrested Roy, 33, who joined the force as a civic volunteer in 2019. Police have alleged that the accused was married at least four times and was a known 'womaniser'. The accused, who is a trained boxer, got close to a few senior police officers over the years, following which he was moved to the Kolkata Police Welfare Board and posted at the police outpost at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Saturday accorded sanction for prosecution of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in connection with Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment 'scam', giving a major jolt to the nearly 15 month old Congress government. IMAGE: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Photograph: ANI Photo Hours later, the Karnataka Cabinet, at a specially convened meeting this evening under the leadership of Siddaramaiah, condemned the Governor's decision, termed it as 'politically motivated', and vowed to wage a legal fight. Following the backing of the cabinet and the party, the chief minister questioned as to why he should resign, and said the Governor has to quit, because he acted like a 'puppet' in the hands of the Government of India. The Governor accorded sanction under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 for the commission of the alleged offences as mentioned in the petitions of activists Pradeep Kumar S P, T J Abraham and Snehamayi Krishna. The Governor's sanction is expected to pave the way for investigating agencies to initiate a probe into the allegations against the chief minister. In the MUDA 'scam', it is alleged that compensatory sites were allotted to Siddaramaiah's wife Parvathi in an upmarket area in Mysuru, which had higher property value as compared to the location of her land which had been 'acquired' by the MUDA. The MUDA had allotted plots to Parvathi under a 50:50 ratio scheme in lieu of 3.16 acres of her land, where MUDA developed a residential layout. Under the controversial scheme, MUDA allotted 50 per cent of developed land to the land losers in lieu of undeveloped land acquired from them for forming residential layouts. Opposition and some activists have also claimed that Parvathi had no legal title over 3.16 acres of land. Bharatiya Janata Party leaders have claimed that the MUDA 'scam' is of the magnitude of Rs 4,000 crore to Rs 5,000 crore. Shivakumar slammed the Governor's move as 'unconstitutional' and 'undemocratic', and asserted that the entire party and the government solidly stood behind Siddaramaiah as he categorically dismissed BJP's demand for Chief Minister's resignation. "The INDIA bloc has also expressed its solidarity with the CM. These are false allegations and we will fight it legally and politically," he said. Siddaramaiah too ruled out his resignation and said he has done no wrong to step down. Stating that such a decision by the Governor, who is 'functioning like a puppet in the hands of the central government', was expected, the chief minister said, adding, it will be questioned in the court, and that he will battle it out legally. Later speaking to reporters after the special Cabinet meeting, the chief minister said that the Cabinet has condemned the Governor's decision to sanction prosecution against him as 'illegal and anti-Constitution'. "The Governor has functioned as the representative of the central government and the Cabinet condemned it," he said. "Tell me why I should resign. According to me the Governor has to resign, because he acted like a puppet in the hands of the Government of India....Tell me, what is the offence that I have committed?" he questioned. Congress President M Mallikarjun Kharge said 'BJP-appointed' Governors are creating trouble for non-BJP-ruled States. He, however, maintained that he had to see why Gehlot granted permission to prosecute Siddaramaiah. Congress workers and supporters of Siddaramaiah staged protests in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mandya and several other parts of the state against the Governor's move. In Bengaluru, a massive protest was organised by Congress workers and members of 'Karnataka Pradesh Kurubara Sangha' demanding removal of the Governor. Raising anti-Gehlot slogans, they burnt his effigies and carried placards saying 'Remove Governor, Save State'. Several of Siddaramaiah's cabinet colleagues jumped in his defence, as they targeted the Governor and demanded his 'call back'. The opposition BJP, which has been agitating in the State for weeks targeting Siddaramaiah on the issue, on Saturday reiterated its demand for his resignation, with its state president B Y Vijayendra saying it would allow a transparent and unbiased investigation. Granting sanction, the Governor said it is very necessary to conduct a neutral, objective, and non-partisan investigation, adding that he is prima facie 'satisfied' that the allegations and the supporting materials disclose commission of offences. Gehlot also termed as 'irrational' the decision taken by the Council of Ministers advising him to withdraw his show-cause notice to the chief minister and to reject the application seeking prosecution sanction. Based on a petition filed by Abraham, the Governor had issued a 'show-cause notice' on July 26 directing the chief minister to submit his reply to the allegations against him within seven days as to why permission for prosecution should not be granted against him. The Karnataka government had on August one 'strongly advised' the Governor to withdraw his 'show-cause notice' to the chief minister and alleged 'gross misuse of the Constitutional Office' of the Governor. The Congress government on July 14 constituted a single member inquiry commission under former High Court Judge Justice P N Desai to probe the MUDA 'scam'. ***** Governor's office has been misused: Karnataka HM Karnataka Home Minister Parameshwara on Saturday decried that the Governor's office has been 'misused' after Thaawarchand Gehlot granted sanction to prosecute Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in connection with alternative site scam in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority. He claimed that there was pressure from the top on Governor Gehlot, which is now proved. Addressing reporters in Bengaluru, Parameshwara said, "It is clear that there is pressure from the top. There was no clear information that the CM had given any direction or even given oral instruction." Yet, Siddaramaiah was served a show-cause notice. "We had categorically explained with minute details following the governor's show-cause notice, how he (CM) has been framed... even if the Governor grants permission then we naturally feel that there was a pressure from the top," he alleged. "We have been saying this from the beginning that the office of the Governor has been misused. Now it's proved." The minister said the CM will fight it legally. "We have to see how the permission to prosecute Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was given. We have already said we would fight it legally," he added. Parameshwara further said Siddaramaiah will discuss with the legal team to decide the future course of action. He said the party had earlier believed that the permission would not be granted after the cabinet gave a detailed explanation. Strict screening protocols are to be implemented for passengers arriving from central African countries affected by the outbreak. IMAGE: Test tubes labelled 'Monkeypox virus positive'. Photograph: Dado Ruvic/Illustration/Reuters Two days after the World Health Organization classified the viral infection 'mpox' as a public health emergency of international concern because of a sharp rise in cases across Africa, both central and state governments in India have scrambled into action. High-level meetings are underway, and new guidelines have been issued to try to prevent the virus from spreading. "The central government has called for a meeting with health experts and officials of hospitals under its control," said a senior official at a leading central hospital. In Tamil Nadu, the directorate of public health has ordered health officials across the state to be on high alert. Strict screening protocols are to be implemented for passengers arriving from central African countries affected by the outbreak. In an advisory, the state's Director of Public Health T S Selvavinayagam instructed health officials to familiarise themselves with the clinical presentation of mpox and to scrutinise the travel histories of any patients who have visited the affected regions in the past 21 days. 'A person of any age having history of travel to affected countries within the past 21 days presenting with an unexplained acute rash and one or more of symptoms, such as swollen lymph nodes, fever, headache, body aches and profound weakness, should be suspected of mpox,' the circular stated. Both Hyderabad and New Delhi -- cities that are popular among African students pursuing higher education -- have also been placed on heightened alert following reports of the disease's spread globally. Concerns regarding mpox infection mounted in India after at least three patients with mpox virus were found in Pakistan's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, bordering Afghanistan. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has raised its risk level for mpox, a day after global health officials confirmed one case of infection with a new strain of the virus in Sweden, the first outside Africa in its latest spurt. China has announced plans to screen both people and goods entering the country for mpox virus over the next six months. The ministry of health and family welfare previously issued an advisory in 2022 stating that mpox is a viral zoonotic disease with symptoms similar to smallpox but with less severe clinical outcomes. It is caused by the monkeypox virus, first identified in 1958 after monkeys used in research developed a pox-like illness. The virus has two distinct subtypes: The more virulent Clade 1, endemic to the Congo Basin in central Africa, and the less severe Clade 2, which is common in West Africa. The global mpox outbreak, which started in 2022, involved the Clade 2b variant and resulted in around 140 deaths worldwide. However, in 2024 alone, a resurgence of the Clade 1b subvariant has been reported, with 17,500 cases and 460 deaths in Africa. Speaking on the availability of vaccines, Dr Satish Koul, senior director and head of internal medicine at the Fortis Memorial Research Institute in Gurugram, pointed out that vaccines used for smallpox and chickenpox could also prove effective against Mpox, as the viruses belong to the same family. Indian children are routinely vaccinated against chickenpox with the varicella vaccine, which is administered between 12 and 15 months, followed by a booster shot between the ages of four and six. Reports suggest that Danish pharmaceutical company Bavarian Nordic is seeking European approval to use its mpox vaccine, IMVANEX, for children aged 12 to 17. It is currently only approved for adults over 18. Dr Koul cautioned that the risk of an mpox outbreak in India is higher now than it was during the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the lifting of travel restrictions. Commenting on the disease's mode of transmission, Dr Rajeev Gupta, director-internal medicine at the C K Birla Hospital in Delhi, explained that mpox causes an acute febrile illness characterised by a rash. The virus spreads through direct contact with an infected person or their belongings, such as linens, towels, and handkerchiefs. "The virus can also be transmitted through kissing and sexual contact, especially among men, and there have been reports of transmission from mother to foetus," Dr Gupta said. "Additionally, it can spread through respiratory droplets, particularly during sneezing, coughing, or loud speaking," Dr Gupta added. To avoid infection, Dr Gupta advised people should steer clear of direct and indirect contact with infected individuals, wash their hands regularly, use hand sanitiser, and wear surgical masks. Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 17. The US is ready to collaborate with Azerbaijan and Armenia in any format, Trend reports, referring to the statement made by the US State Department. The US government supports the efforts of Armenia and Azerbaijan to achieve a lasting and dignified peace agreement. We are prepared to work with both sides in any format they agree upon to make progress, the US State Department told Armenian media. To recall, the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia met on July 10 during the summit marking NATO's 75th anniversary. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and his Armenian counterpart agreed to push forward in their pursuit of a peace agreement. The sides tipped their hats to the progress made by Azerbaijan and Armenia in working towards a historic peace agreement and the establishment of interstate relations and agreed to keep the ball rolling in this direction. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel The Madhya Pradesh high court in Jabalpur on Saturday directed protesting doctors in the state to call off their strike over the brutal rape and murder of a young doctor in Kolkata immediately, and return to work. IMAGE: Madhya Pradesh Junior Doctors' Association (JDA) members hold placards as they stage a protest demanding justice for the alleged sexual assault and murder of a female postgraduate trainee doctor of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, in Bhopal on Saturday. Photograph: ANI Photo Since Friday, doctors across the state have stopped work barring emergency services as part of the nationwide protest. The high court also issued notices to the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Madhya Pradesh Shaskiya and Swashasi Chikitsak Mahasangh, Prantiya Samvida Medical Officers Association and Junior Doctors Association, Madhya Pradesh after the petitioner sought that they be made respondents. The court accepted the undertaking by advocate Mahendra Pateria on behalf of the Junior Doctors Association, Gandhi Medical College, Bhopal, that their strike will be withdrawn immediately. "In view of the assurance given on behalf of the state government, we urge the Junior Doctors Association, Madhya Pradesh to also withdraw their call for strike and resume duties," said a division bench of acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva and Justice Raj Mohan. The HC was hearing a petition filed by Anshul Tiwari, a resident of Narsinghpur district, challenging the strike. Advocate Pateria submitted that the protesting doctors would produce a list of their grievances on the next date of hearing. "They are permitted to bring up their grievances and issues that they may have before this court on the next date of hearing," the court order said. "We hope that the Junior Doctors Association, Madhya Pradesh shall give due credence to the assurance given on behalf of the State Government and withdraw their call for strike immediately to enable this Court to further address the issues," the HC further said. "In the meantime, they shall ensure that no patient in need of immediate attention and treatment is denied," the judges added. Additional Advocate General H S Ruprah cited the order issued by the Union government directing medical authorities that 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 six hours. The Madhya Pradesh government will take all necessary steps proactively to ensure the safety and security of all healthcare providers, he said. The court then fixed the next hearing on August 20. State IMA secretary Dr Pushpraj Bhatele told PTI in the evening that the association will submit its reply at the next hearing. "As soon as we get the notice in which we are required to do anything, instantly we will conduct an online meeting of our leaders in the state to take a call," he added. Last year, the MP high court had directed the doctors' associations in the state that they shall not go on a strike, even a token one, without seeking its leave. On Friday, the HC reminded the associations of this order. Terming as 'illegal' the sanction accorded by Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot for his prosecution in connection with Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment 'scam', Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday vowed to wage a legal battle and ruled out his resignation over the issue. IMAGE: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Photograph: ANI Photo Siddaramaiah said the entire Cabinet, the Congress high-command and MLAs have expressed their solidarity with him. Speaking to reporters after a special Cabinet meeting, held hours after the sanction, the Chief Minister said: "Tell me why and for what reason should I resign?...the Governor has to resign because he has acted as a puppet in the hands of the Government of India." He said the Cabinet termed the Governor's decision to prosecute him as 'illegal' and 'unconstitutional' and condemned it. "Governor is the representative of the President of India. He should function as the representative of the Constitution and not as the representative of the Centre and BJP," Siddaramaiah said. He charged the Centre with trying to destabilise an elected government by 'using' the Governor. According to the chief minister, the Standard Operating Procedures sent by the Centre on September 3, 2021 to the chief secretaries of all States and Union Territories pertaining to cases under section 17(a) under Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 were not followed by the Governor. "It is very clear based on the SOPs that the Governor has illegally granted sanction. He has no jurisdiction and the sanction is against the Constitution and is illegal. He has not followed the procedure," the chief minister said. Asserting that he will fight it legally against this 'illegal sanction' by the Governor, Siddaramaiah alleged that the move was a 'politically mala fide decision to destabilise an elected government'. He said the Bharatiya Janata Party and its ally Janata Dal-Secular will fail in their attempts to defame him politically. "They will not succeed in their attempt because me and my government have the blessings of the people of Karnataka," the chief minister said. Congress workers protest in Mysuru Congress workers, meanwhile, staged a protest here against the permission granted by the Governor to prosecute the CM. Raising slogans 'Down, Down anti-people BJP and JD-S, down, down to BJP agent governor' and holding placards 'Go back Governor' in Kannada, the Congress workers alleged conspiracy against the AHINDA (an acronym for minorities, backward classes, Dalits and Adivasis) leader. They also set tyres on fire as a mark of protest in Siddaramaiah's home district. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 17. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has signed the law On Amendments to the Law on State Duty, introducing new state duties for issuing licenses related to military equipment and weapons, Trend reports. The amendments set new state duties for licenses concerning military equipment and weapons, which are classified as licensed types of entrepreneurial activity. Specifically, the fees are as follows: - 10,000 manat (approximately $5,882) for designing military equipment for combat purposes and weapons; - 50,000 manat (approximately $29,411) for production and testing; - 12,500 manat (approximately $7,353) for installation, assembly, repair, and maintenance; - 12,500 manat (approximately $7,353) for storage; - 10,000 manat (approximately $5,882) for utilization. Additionally, the fees for ammunition are: - 10,000 manat (approximately $5,882) for design; - 50,000 manat (approximately $29,411) for production and testing; - 12,500 manat (approximately $7,353) for installation, assembly, repair, and maintenance; - 12,500 manat (approximately $7,353) for storage; - 10,000 manat (approximately $5,882) for disposal. One year ago, Hamas -- the U.S.- and EU-designated Palestinian terrorist group that controls the Gaza Strip -- carried out an unprecedented attack on Israel, the deadliest in the countrys history. In response, Israel launched an aerial bombardment and ground invasion of the Palestinian enclave to destroy Hamas and rescue the 251 hostages taken by the group. Israel has expanded its war in recent weeks by invading Lebanon and launching air strikes targeting Hezbollah, the armed group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon. RFE/RL spoke to Lior Yohanani, manager of quantitative research at the Israel Democracy Institute, a Jerusalem-based independent research center, which on October 7 released a wide-ranging survey of Israeli public opinion after one year of war. RFE/RL: Can you explain what your study found as to how Israelis view the past year since Hamas's October 7 attack? Lior Yohanani: Well, I think Israelis still don't see October 7 as an event that's over. Sure, the actual horrific events of that day ended, but Israelis are still living with the consequences. There are two main aspects to this. First, since October 7, Israel has been in this multifront war that doesn't seem to have an end in sight. And then, of course, there is the issue of the hostages still being held in Gaza. So, we're seeing a sharp drop in people's sense of personal security. Almost three quarters of the public feel less safe compared to before October 7, and that's despite a year of war and some significant military achievements. On the flip side, we're also seeing that most people say their lives have returned to normal when it comes to things like work, media consumption, and family and social gatherings. Another thing we're noticing is that the Israeli public is giving pretty low marks to all the political and military leaders for the performance since October 7. For example, almost two-thirds of Israelis are rating Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu's performance since then as poor or not good. RFE/RL: How has Israel's involvement in a two-front conflict, in both Gaza and Lebanon, as well as a confrontation with Iran affected public opinion among Israelis? Yohanani: It's tough to answer that question, because we're at the point where things could go in a few different directions. In the last few weeks, we've seen a major escalation in the conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon, and just last week, Iran launched nearly 200 ballistic missiles at Israel, which Israel is expected to respond to. In a survey we just did recently, we asked whether Israeli society and the military could handle fighting on two or more fronts for an extended period of time, and the results were pretty striking. Over 70 percent believe that yes, both Israeli society and the military can handle that kind of prolonged fighting. So, while the situation is complex and evolving, there seems to be a strong sense of resilience and capability among Israelis, even in the face of these multiple threats. But of course, public opinion could shift depending on how events unfold in the coming weeks or months. RFE/RL: Is there support for Netanyahus response to October 7? Is there debate in Israeli society, as well as political circles, over Netanyahus strategic choices? Yohanani: First of all, it's important to say that the Israeli public has largely supported significant military operation against Hamas in Gaza. That said, the Israeli discourse around the October 7 events, the ongoing war, and especially toward Prime Minister Netanyahu, is very polarized between right-wing supporters on the one hand and left and center supporters on the other. People are hoping for a future where Israel can exist without constant threats, rather than expecting a harmonious relationship with its neighbors in the near-term." So, on the left and the center, there is a high level of distrust and suspicion toward Netanyahu and his government. For instance, Netanyahu's apparent reluctance to pursue a deal for returning the hostages in exchange for ending the fighting in Gaza is seen by large parts of the public, even on the right, as resulting from Netanyahu's dependence on far-right, ultranationalist members of his government who refuse any compromise or ceasefire. Now for a long time, Netanyahu and his ministers argued that only significant military force would lead Hamas to compromise and release the hostages. Now, with military attention and resources shifting to the north, people are asking, where is this massive military force that was supposed to bring the hostages home? One question we have asked several times since October 7 in our polls is what should be the main goal in Gaza: Dismantling Hamas or bringing back the hostages? And as time goes on, public opinion is increasingly supporting the return of hostages. In our current survey, 62 percent saw bringing the bringing back the hostages as Israel's main goal, while only 29 percent pointed to dismantling Hamas as the primary objective. RFE/RL: How do ordinary Israelis see the question of the remaining hostages amid the continued protests by the hostages' families? Yohanani: As I mentioned before, most of the public supports a deal to release the hostages, even if it means ending the war and withdrawing the military forces from Gaza. There's this widespread feeling that we've left the hostages behind, and that's really hitting at our sense of solidarity, which is a deep and fundamental value, I think, in Jewish history in general and in Israel society in particular. At the same time, the campaign run by the Hostages And Missing Families Forum has become very politicized. Many right-wing supporters see it as weakening Israel. As time goes on, we're seeing more and more harassment of protesters who support bringing the hostages back. There are cases of passersby cursing, even hitting and throwing eggs, at hostages' families. In our latest survey, we asked about the effectiveness of the protests and actions taken by the hostages' families. Despite most of the public feeling empathetic toward the hostage issue, only less than a third think these actions are actually helping to advance a deal for the hostages' release, while almost 40 percent think they're actually hurting the cause. So, you've got this complex situation where people want the hostages back, but there is disagreement and some backlash about how to make that happen. RFE/RL: Can you explain the reasons behind the apparent contradiction in views regarding prioritizing a negotiated return of the hostages, or destroying Hamas? Yohanani: You're right to point out that apparent contradiction. Let me break it down a bit. As I mentioned earlier, a clear majority of the public sees a deal to release the hostages as the main goal. But there is a big gap between political camps on this issue. In the center and left, about 80 percent support the deal for the hostages' release, while the opinions on the right are evenly split. So, for most of the left and center, the fighting in Gaza has run its course. They feel most military objectives have been achieved, and Hamas's military power has been significantly weakened. From their perspective, continuing the fight now only puts the hostages at greater risk. It's important to know that about half of the right-wing also shares this view of prioritizing the hostages' release, but the other half of those on the far-right thinks dismantling Hamas is more important. Why? For a couple of reasons. First, there's a security stance that Hamas must be wiped out and not allowed to recover. There is also a very strong sentiment of revenge, with minimal consideration for the cost, whether it's the lives of the hostages, soldiers, let alone innocent civilians in Gaza. Another significant component openly discussed in religious nationalist circles is the return of Jewish settlement to the Gaza Strip after Israel evacuated Jewish settlements from there in 2005. RFE/RL: Is there public confidence that Israel will ultimately be able to remove the threat of Hamas and Hezbollah and come out of this conflict with greater prospects for a peaceful and stable near-term future? Yohanani: Right now, the Israeli public isn't showing a lot of optimism. In our current survey, when we asked people if they're optimistic or pessimistic about Israel's future, we found more pessimists, 48 percent, than optimists, 45 percent. I also think it's important to note that a peaceful future, as you put it, or peace in general, isn't really a common concept in the current Israeli discourse. I would say the hope of Israelis is that the military actions against Hezbollah and Iran will lead to a situation where Israel's existence isn't in question, and that Israeli military superiority will prevent events like October 7 from happening again. So, it's less about peace in the traditional sense, and more about security and deterrence. People are hoping for a future where Israel can exist without constant threats, rather than expecting a harmonious relationship with its neighbors in the near-term. ALMATY, Kazakhstan -- How could something like this happen? That is the question being asked again and again in Kazakhstan after the mother of a 17-year-old schoolgirl revealed how her daughter was held in sexual slavery for six months as her classmates collected payments from what rights defenders claim were literally hundreds of adult "clients." So far, the answer is far from complete. Police investigating the horrific case in the southwestern city of Qyzylorda have warned against what they call "disinformation," objecting to the rights defenders' portrayal of a "child mafia group" that allegedly oversaw the schoolgirl's exploitation. Nonetheless, as of August 15, all four minors facing charges of selling their peer for sex were under arrest just one day after activists and lawyers held an online press conference on the shocking case. It's not the first time Kazakh authorities have been on the back foot as a broken system of child protection -- from schools through law enforcement -- comes under fresh public scrutiny. 'Younger And Younger Girls' Trapped Into Sex Work At least one of the four suspects currently in jail was a former friend of the victim, according to the victim's mother, who spoke at the online event anonymously. Both girls lived within a 500-meter radius of the school in Qyzylorda that they attended, and the alleged friend was said to be a regular visitor to the victim's family home. Earlier this year, the then-16-year-old began spending more and more time with her friend, often staying over at her house. The mother said she was unhappy with the amount of time her daughter was spending away from her home but chose not to stop her. She said that it was a nude photo of her daughter that the group of three girls and one boy had deployed as leverage over her, later taking control of her phone and forcing her to sign up to a sex-work website whose name translates as "Girls" in Kazakh. As the months went on, their exploitation of the victim reached a stage where she was sending the group the equivalent of up to $6,000 a month that had been transferred to her account by customers, keeping only enough for travel as she barely ate. If she was late in making payments to the group they would beat her or indulge in psychological torture, her mother said. The group was also allegedly drugging her to maximize her economic value. Dina Smailova, the head of the NeMolchi.kz foundation, who spoke at the press event, said the men who used the victim deserved to be viewed as "pedophiles" despite the fact that she was registered as being 18 years old on the website. "She was in fact younger and, because she has a very slight frame, she is very young-looking -- only about 14 or 15," Smailova said in an interview with RFE/RL on August 16. The activist, who has been in direct contact with the victim, describes her as being in a state of "emotional emptiness," albeit now with access to a professional psychologist and under special state protection. "She was asked to greet the client with a smile to remove suspicions. After the client left, she was beaten. Naturally, she has both psychological and physical trauma," Smailova said. "What we see is a trend now toward trapping younger and younger girls into sex work," Smailova added. "They have codes on this website to indicate that a girl is younger than 18. In one case we investigated in [Kazakhstan's largest city] Almaty...they dyed the girls' hair different colors so that the client would understand that they are minors," she said. 'Fear Of Death' Owing to the duration of her daughter's ordeal, social media and media reactions to the tragedy have also targeted the victim's mother, asking how she was able to live in ignorance of the extent of what was happening to her daughter until earlier this month. After the schoolgirl was increasingly forced into a life of sexual slavery, she began to skip classes while spending nights away from her family home under the coercion of the group up until May, when she ceased going home altogether. Smailova says that criticism is understandable but maintains that Kazakhstan's system "exerts pressure on parents" who try to investigate their children's problems in school. That point was stressed by the victim's mother at the press conference, where she said she approached the school "multiple times" beginning in March about her daughter's changing behavior and her plummeting academic performance. "Since I received no help from the school, only threats, I turned to the juvenile police and the local inspector. But the same thing happened. They also threatened me, saying she would be taken from us and that we'd lose our parental rights. They were completely unprofessional, scolding both her and us, pointing fingers at us," she said. Her daughter -- who saw a counselor at school who "yelled at her" during this period -- also urged her not to complain. But on August 6, the victim returned to her family home, which her mother said was motivated by "fear of death" after one of the girls in the group threatened to kill her if she couldn't secure them a fresh payment of 250,000 tenges (around $520). "One of her friends from Instagram helped bring her home. She told us everything. She was filthy and bruised all over. All the marks were visible on her skin. I will file charges against everyone who touched her -- more than 1,000 people -- everyone who brought her to hotels and saunas," the mother said. Police in Qyzylorda on August 14 confirmed that a case had been filed against the parents of the suspects under charges of "failure to fulfill the duties of raising a minor." A young relative of the victim, meanwhile, told RFE/RL's Kazakh Service on condition of anonymity that the family was now seeking prosecution of one of those parents on more serious charges, believing the individual may be an accomplice. The suspects themselves are facing charges of "encouraging a minor to engage in prostitution." On August 16, the administration of Qyzylorda Province reported that the province's governor had ordered the dismissal of the director and other staff at the victim's school. "After the press conference they began to work very actively," Smailova said of the authorities' response. But prior to that, the victim's mother said she was warned by police to refrain from contacting Smailova, whose work has exposed multiple cases of officers involved in sexual misconduct and corruption and who faces charges of fraud if she ever returns to Kazakhstan. This all creates the unfortunate impression that the authorities' priority is to prevent information about shocking incidents from surfacing rather than preventing such incidents from happening. Smailova argues such an approach fuels problems like sexual slavery in conservative provinces where victims often lack support networks. Last year witnessed a tragedy in another southern Kazakh city, Turkistan, when a 17-year-old girl jumped off the sixth floor of a building after a conflict with a would-be client over her refusal to provide sexual services. She, too, had been registered on the Kazakh "Girls" website, Smailova said. "We know the girl survived the fall, but we still don't know how that case ended," she told RFE/RL. RFE/RL's Kazakh Service made attempts to contact the school in Qyzylorda and police in the region but received no reply by the time of publication. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said Ukrainian forces are continuing to make progress in Russia's Kursk region after launching a major cross-border offensive 11 days ago that caught the Kremlin's military leadership off-guard and altered the dynamics of the 30-month war. Following an update from Ukraine's top military commander, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskiy, Zelenskiy said in a post on Telegram on August 17 that Ukraine had been "strengthening" its positions in the Kursk region and stabilizing more territory under its control. Ukrainian forces have penetrated deep into Russian territory after sweeping over the border in a surprise attack on August 6, capturing dozens of settlements. The surprise incursion, coming as Russia continues to advance in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, seemingly strengthens Kyiv's hand in any future peace negotiations. WATCH: Ukrainian troops near the city of Toretsk say they believe Russia will have to redirect resources back to its own territory, but they have yet to see a letup in the fighting. Russia claims to have annexed four Ukrainian regions -- Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhya -- in addition to the Crimean Peninsula. If Ukraine can continue to hold parts of Kursk and neighboring Russian regions, it could potentially seek to swap it for the allegedly annexed regions, experts say. The Kremlin has been embarrassed by the incursion, the first foreign occupation of its territory since World War II, and has accused NATO of helping Ukraine plan the attack, an allegation Washington denies. The Kremlin, which frames the war as one between Russia and the West, has often hinted at escalation in what analysts say is an attempt to intimidate Washington so it refrains from supplying Ukraine with powerful weapons, such as long-range precision rockets and F-16s. As Ukrainian forces continued their surprising advance in Kursk, Russia's Foreign Ministry accused Ukraine of using U.S.-made long-range rockets to destroy a key bridge in the Glushkov district in the Kursk region, killing in the process "volunteers" helping to evacuate civilians. "For the first time, the Kursk region was hit by Western-made rocket launchers, probably American HIMARS," ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said late on August 16. According to Russian security officials, the destruction of the bridge cut off part of the district, making it more difficult for civilian evacuation out of the region. Ukraines incursion has so far led to the evacuation of more than 120,000 civilians, according to Russian authorities. By comparison, Russia's invasion of Ukraine has forced as many as 7 million Ukrainians to flee their homes. Russia has also killed thousands of civilians through drone and missile strikes on nonmilitary sites like homes, shopping centers, and railroad stations. Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here. Kyiv claims to have taken control of 82 settlements over an area of 1,150 square kilometers since its surprise cross-border incursion on August 6. The United States so far deems the incursion a protective move that justifies the use of U.S. weaponry, according to officials in Washington. Nonetheless, Ukraine still faces Western restrictions on the use of some weapon systems inside Russia, including long-range missiles like the U.S.-made ATACMS. The Biden administration views the use of ATAMCS inside Russia as escalatory. There has been no indication from Western capitals that Ukraine has violated those rules during the course of the war. The Times of London reported on August 17 that the United States is also blocking Britain from supplying its powerful, long-range Storm Shadow cruise missile. The U.K. sent a corresponding request to the United States more than a month ago, but has not yet received a response, the paper reported. In a post later in the day, Zelenskiy expressed regret that the U.K. was restricting the use of Storm Shadows, saying long-range strike capability "is really a matter of principle for us." The Storm Shadow, which has a payload of 400 kilograms, can devastate targets more than 300 kilometers away. Kyiv wants to use them to strike Russian air bases that house fighter jets pounding Ukrainian troops and cities. "It is crucial that our partners remove barriers that hinder us from weakening Russian positions in the way this war demands. Long-range capabilities are the answer to the most critical strategic questions of this war," he wrote. Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on August 16 urged Washington and London to allow Ukraine to attack Russian territory with ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles. In a separate setback for Ukraine, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung reported on August 17 that Germany has halted any new financial and military aid to Ukraine due to budgetary constraints. In an August 5 letter to Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and seen by the news outlet, Finance Minister Christian Lindner said new aid allocations can only be made if financing is guaranteed. "Starting today, Olaf Scholz and the coalition government under his leadership are freezing financial and thus military support for Ukraine," Ingo Gadehens, a member of the opposition Christian Democrats, told the news outlet. Aid that had previously been promised will be delivered. Going forward, funds for Ukraine will be allocated from the profits generated by Russia's frozen assets, the outlet reported. Energy Facilities Targeted Meanwhile, Russia's Defense Ministry accused Ukraine on August 17 of planning to attack the Kursk nuclear power plant and blame it on Moscow. Russia would respond harshly in the event of such "provocation," Interfax news agency quoted the ministry as saying. Meanwhile, Russian-installed officials at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine said on August 17 that a Ukrainian drone dropped an explosive charge on a road outside the plant, endangering staff who use the road. Moscow and Kyiv have repeatedly accused each other of sabotaging the operation of the plant, which was occupied by Russia soon after it launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Last week, Zelenskiy accused Russia of causing a fire at a cooling tower of the plant, while Russian officials said Kyiv was deliberately trying to destroy the plant and sow "nuclear terror." Non-nuclear energy facilities have been targeted by both sides during the war, with Russia damaging half of Ukraine power facilities and Ukraine damaging more than a dozen Russian refineries, some more than once. Kyiv and Moscow were to hold "indirect talks" next week in Doha on halting attacks on energy infrastructure but it has been postponed due to the Kursk incursion, The Washington Post reported on August 17, citing people familiar with the developments. Russia Plans More Evacuations Ukrainian forces on August 17 damaged another bridge over the Seim River, limiting the ability of Russia to supply its troops south of the river. Another road bridge and a pontoon bridge remain but are coming under Ukrainian fire. Ukraine is seeking to capture the town of Korenevo, south of the river, to strengthen its position in Kursk. Earlier this week, Ukraine announced the capture of Sudzha, a town with a population of 5,000, the biggest to fall so far in the incursion. Korenevo is slightly bigger in size. Zelenskiy said Ukraine will establish a command office in Sudzha to coordinate aid and military affairs. Russian forces have so far struggled to mount an effective response to the incursion, which is widely seen as a major morale boost for Ukraine. Ukrainian forces have already captured hundreds of Russian troops, who Kyiv plans to use in a prisoner swap, Zelenskiy said on August 17. "By this morning, our country's 'exchange fund' has been replenished. I thank all our soldiers and commanders who are capturing Russian military personnel, thereby advancing the release of our warriors and civilians held by Russia," he posted on social media. Authorities in Russia's Belgorod region bordering Ukraine and Kursk have said they will evacuate five villages starting next week. "From August 19, we are closing access to five settlements, removing residents and helping them bring out their property," regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov announced on Telegram. WATCH: Skepticism prevailed in the Ukrainian border city of Sumy when locals were asked about government plans to accept refugees from Russia's Kursk region. Russian Strike, Ukraine Hack As it sought to beat back Ukrainian forces in Kursk, Russia continued its bombardment of Ukraine. In the northeastern Sumy region, at least two people were wounded in a Russian missile strike early on August 17, according to emergency services. The missile hit a parking lot near a high-rise apartment building, setting at least 10 vehicles on fire and shattering the windows and damaging the facade of the nearby buildings, Ukrainian officials said. Overnight, Ukraine's air defenses shot down all 14 Russian drones launched in an overnight strike, the Ukrainian Air Force said in a statement early on August 17. The Shahed drones were downed over six Ukrainian regions in the south and center of the country, including areas near the capital, Kyiv, according to the statement posted on Telegram. Meanwhile, Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate said its cyber-specialists together with the hacker group VO Team had successfully infiltrated an Internet provider to an enterprise belonging to Russia's nuclear weapons program. In an August 17 statement, the directorate said they hacked Chelyabinsk Internet provider Vega, whose clients include the All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Technical Physics, disabling 1,173 switches and 10 servers. "The information on the Vega servers has been destroyed. A number of strategic enterprises of the city were left without Internet and communication services for almost a week," the intelligence service reported. RFE/RL could not confirm the information. With reporting by RFE/RL's Ukrainian and Russian services 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 Skepticism prevailed in the Ukrainian border city of Sumy when locals were asked about government plans to accept refugees from Russia's Kursk region. Officials have said that civilians displaced by Ukraine's ongoing military incursion in Russia could be relocated and offered humanitarian aid. But one man speaking to RFE/RL on August 16 said: "Let their country protect them. We've got enough of our own suffering." Following Ukraine's surprise operation to seize territory in Russia's Kursk region, Ukrainian troops in the Donbas region are still battling Russian advances. Forces near the city of Toretsk say they believe Russia will have to redirect resources back to its own territory, but they have yet to see a letup in the fighting. Photo: Press Service of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 17. President Ilham Aliyev has signed an order approving several documents between Azerbaijan and Pakistan, including the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of Pakistan on Cooperation in the Field of Tourism, Trend reports. In addition, President Ilham Aliyev signed orders approving the following documents: - The Memorandum of Understanding between Azerbaijan and Pakistan on Cooperation in the Field of Mineral Resources and Geology - The Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Digital Development and Transportation of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications of Pakistan on Cooperation in the Field of Information and Communication Technologies - The Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Justice of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Law and Justice of Pakistan on Cooperation in the Field of Information and Communication Technologies - The Agreement on Scientific and Technological Cooperation between Azerbaijan and Pakistan When I was growing up in Roscommon, I could never have imagined that we would one day have our very own LGBTQIA+ Pride march. Its still surreal to me that its finally happening: on August 24th at 2 p.m., the people of Roscommon will march through our county town with a giant rainbow flag to show that we love and support our LGBTQIA+ community. This matters because myself and so many other LGBTQIA+ people grew up feeling unwelcome and sometimes unsafe in this county. I was around 11 years old when I started to realise that I was gay. Looking back now, aged 30, it breaks my heart to remember just how devastating a revelation this was for me. I struggled to imagine any kind of a future for myself, and it felt like my world was collapsing in on itself. This was made so much worse by all the homophobic bullying I endured while growing up in Roscommon. Even before I knew I was gay, homophobic abuse was a common fixture at school. Children would call each other gay as an insult, and some even worse homophobic slurs which I wont repeat here were also a common fixture of the schoolyard. It wasnt long before I became a target. Despite my best efforts to hide who I was, other children must have picked up on something about me that I believed was invisible. The bullying worsened significantly when I went to secondary school. Other kids taunted and tormented myself and others with violent homophobic language because we were perceived to be different. Social media was also a problem. I still remember the dread that coursed through my body when I logged onto one platform, aged around 13, and saw somebody had anonymously called me a homophobic slur on my profile. Even outside of school, the homophobic bullying was there. It almost always came from boys my own age. I would often go home from school sick or refuse to go in at all because it felt so unbearable. Unsurprisingly, I became depressed. I internalised so much of the homophobia that was thrown at me that I started to hate who I was too. Eventually, I decided that I wouldnt come out until I was old enough to leave Roscommon. It didnt feel like a safe place for me to be gay. Despite all of this, I know that Im lucky. I had, and continue to have, an incredibly supportive family who love me unconditionally. When I did eventually come out, they made sure I knew I was loved not just regardless of my identity, but because of it too. I moved to Dublin aged 18 for college, and I did a lot of healing in the years I spent away from Roscommon but then the marriage equality referendum came along. The months leading up to the referendum were horrific. Every day, LGBTQIA+ people like myself would have to walk past posters telling us that we didnt deserve the same rights as everybody else because of who we were. We were greeted with the same message every time we turned on the television or the radio, with commentators routinely debating our validity and our existence. My feelings of frustration were further exacerbated when Roscommon became the only county in Ireland to vote against same-sex marriage. The sense of rejection was bewildering and upsetting. After the marriage equality referendum, I dont think I ever really thought Id live here again but sometimes, life takes you in funny directions, and I ended up living back here in 2018. Six years later, Im still here, and Im genuinely glad I am. What Ive discovered is that the people of this county are, for the most part, open-minded, kind, accepting people who believe that we all deserve equality and respect, no matter who we are or who we love. Most of us want the best for our loved ones, for our neighbours, and for ourselves. As more LGBTQIA+ people feel emboldened to live their lives openly, our county can only become a safer, happy and more harmonious place for us all. I believe that things can only keep getting better for LGBTQIA+ people in Roscommon, and this first ever Pride march is a crucial step on that journey. Thats why Im asking anyone who reads this to join us at Roscommon Pride on Saturday, August 24th. All are welcome, including those who dont identify as LGBTQIA+. Its so important that those who support equality come out and show their support on the day. Theres strength in numbers. Together, we can build a better future for LGBTQIA+ youth and make sure that nobody has to go through the bullying and discrimination that those who went before them endured. So, join us and help us create a better, safer, more inclusive Roscommon for us all. Roscommon Prides first ever march will take place in Roscommon town on Saturday, August 24th at 2 p.m. and will start at the Quad. There is a full line-up of events for the weekend, and tickets can be purchased at roscommonpride.ie. Karnataka Governor gives permission to prosecute CM Siddaramaiah in MUDA site allotment 'scam' Reportedly, the Chief Minister will legally fight the prosecution sanction accorded by the Governor. Karnataka Governor on CM Siddaramaiah in MUDA site allotment scam case news: In a major development, the Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Saturday granted sanction for the prosecution of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in connection with Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment 'scam'. The Governor has granted sanction for prosecution against the Chief Minister. It is based on three petitions filed by -- T J Abraham, Pradeep Kumar and Snehamayi Krishna, a senior official at the Raj Bhavan told PTI. Advertisement The Governor's secretariat wrote a letter to Pradeep Kumar S P, T J Abraham, and Snehamayi Krishna about the decision of the component authority on the request of sanction of prosecution against Siddaramaiah, under section 17 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and section 218 of Bharithiya Nagarika Suraksha Samhitha, 2023 for the commission of alleged offenses as given in the petitions. Meanwhile, a special meeting of the Karnataka cabinet has also been called at 5 pm today, following the Governor's decision. Reportedly, the Chief Minister will legally fight the prosecution sanction accorded by the Governor. Advertisement On the other hand, Siddaramaiah repeatedly stated that the Congress government he led was ready to fight the case legally and politically, in case the Governor rejected the Cabinet's advice to withdraw the show-cause notice to him, granting him permission for prosecution. (For more news apart from Karnataka Governor on CM Siddaramaiah in MUDA site allotment scam case news, stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman) August 17, 2024 A roundup of local and world news Newsflash Newsroom, 17.08.2024, 13:45 WEATHER Meteorologists have issued code red alerts for extremely hot weather for seven counties in south-western Romania, whose residents are bracing up for temperatures up to 40 degrees Celsius. Another eight counties and the capital city Bucharest are under a code orange alert for hot weather and a higher temperature-humidity index. The highs of the day here are to stay around 38 degrees Celsius, while in the rest of the territory they will be between 34 and 37 degrees. STATISTICS Greenhouse gas emissions caused by economic activities in the EU last year dropped in 20 member countries, remained stable in Cyprus and rose in Romania, Malta, Lithuania, Latvia, Greece and Slovenia. The most significant reductions of these gases have been reported by Bulgaria, over 15% and Germany 7%. The process of curbing the greenhouse gas emissions has affected Europes GDP, which grew only 0.3%, according to Eurostat. Out of the 20 countries, which managed to curb their gas emissions, eight have also reported a drop in GDP, whereas 12 have announced minor GDP growths. FAIR The Gaudeamus Book Fair staged by Radio Romania remains open in the historical center of the city of Sibiu in central Romania over the weekend. In all its 15 pavilions, the book fair has brought together over 40 exhibitors, which include some of Romanias best-known publishing houses as well as a series of suppliers of books, games, music and other educational materials. Gaudeamus book fair also includes editorial events, book launches and autograph shows, which can be watched online at gaudeamus.ro. MIDDLE EAST Talks regarding a ceasefire and the release of the Israeli hostages held by the Islamist Palestinian movement Hamas in the Gaza Strip are to be resumed in Cairo next week around a fresh US proposal. The information is included in a joint statement issued in Doha by the USA, Qatar and Egypt, the main mediators between Israel and Hamas. Washington presented a roadmap, which includes several stages for the cessation of hostilities and the release of the hostages kidnapped during the Hamas attack in southern Israel on October 7th. Now the way is open to save lives, to help the population in Gaza and reduce regional tensions the mediator countries say. In response Hamas rejected the new Israeli conditions two Hamas representatives told France Press. According to them, the new conditions include the presence of the Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip along its border with Egypt. The war that followed the Hamas attack in October led to a disastrous situation for almost all the 2.4 million famished Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Furthermore, the Israeli bombardments and onslaught have caused the death of roughly 40 thousand Palestinians, mostly civilians. (bill) August 17, 2024 UPDATE A roundup of the latest local and world news Newsflash Newsroom, 17.08.2024, 19:22 WEATHER Meteorologists have issued code red alerts for extremely hot weather for seven counties in south-western Romania, whose residents are bracing up for temperatures up to 40 degrees Celsius these days. Another eight counties and the capital city Bucharest are under a code orange alert for hot weather and a higher temperature-humidity index. The highs of the day here are to stay around 38 degrees Celsius, while in the rest of the territory they will range between 34 and 37 degrees. STATISTICS Greenhouse gas emissions caused by economic activities in the EU dropped in 20 member countries last year, remained stable in Cyprus and rose in Romania, Malta, Lithuania, Latvia, Greece and Slovenia. The most significant reductions of these gases have been reported by Bulgaria, over 15% and Germany 7%. The process of curbing the greenhouse gas emissions has affected Europes GDP, which grew only 0.3%, according to Eurostat. Out of the 20 countries, which managed to curb their gas emissions, eight have also reported a drop in GDP, whereas 12 have announced minor GDP growths. FAIR The Gaudeamus Book Fair staged by Radio Romania remains open in the historical center of the city of Sibiu in central Romania over the weekend. The 15 pavilion book fair has brought together over 40 exhibitors, which include some of Romanias best-known publishing houses as well as a series of suppliers of books, games, music and other educational materials. Gaudeamus book fair also includes editorial events, book launches and autograph shows, which can be watched online at gaudeamus.ro. FIRES The Romanian firefighters who are helping in the efforts of putting out fires in Greece were given a new assignment on Saturday, namely to monitor two regions in Attica. According to a press release by the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (IGSU), 16 firefighters with four fire engines have been deployed to Agia Kiriaki, while another 15-strong rescue team is ready to intervene in Rafina. Both teams are accompanied by Greek liaison officers, and according to IGSU, are in stand-by, ready to intervene under the coordination of their Greek counterparts. The regions where the two Romanian teams have been deployed are known for being at higher risk of wildfires at this time of the year. MIDDLE EAST Talks regarding a ceasefire and the release of the Israeli hostages held by the Islamist Palestinian movement Hamas in the Gaza Strip are to be resumed in Cairo next week around a fresh US proposal. The information is included in a joint statement issued in Doha by the USA, Qatar and Egypt, the main mediators between Israel and Hamas. Washington presented a roadmap, which includes several stages for the cessation of hostilities and the release of the hostages kidnapped during the Hamas attack in southern Israel on October 7th. Now the way is open to save lives, to help the population in Gaza and reduce regional tensions the mediator countries say. In response Hamas rejected the new Israeli conditions two Hamas representatives told France Press. According to them, the new conditions include the presence of the Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip along its border with Egypt. The war that followed the Hamas attack in October led to a disastrous situation for almost all the 2.4 million famished Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Furthermore, the Israeli bombardments and onslaught have caused the death of roughly 40 thousand Palestinians, mostly civilians. (bill) BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 17. President Ilham Aliyev has signed an order granting legal entities in Azerbaijan the right to purchase military equipment, Trend reports. The order introduces Part 3-1 to On Measures to Improve the Issuance of Licenses for Certain Types of Entrepreneurial Activities in the Republic of Azerbaijan. The document stipulates that the purchase of military equipment, weapons, and ammunition within Azerbaijan can only be carried out by the Ministry of Defense, other state bodies responsible for military service, or legal entities licensed for relevant activities. This includes entities engaged in the production and repair of defense products or those exempt from licensing requirements. Additionally, information about contracts for the sale and purchase of military equipment, military weapons, and ammunition must be submitted to the Ministry of Defense Industry of Azerbaijan within one month of the contracts conclusion. Photo: Press Service of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 17. By order of President Ilham Aliyev, a BE-200CS amphibious aircraft will be sent to Turkiye to combat wildfires, Trend reports. On August 17, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of the Republic of Turkiye, made a phone call to Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his high appreciation for Azerbaijan's readiness to provide the necessary support in preventing the wildfires that occurred in Turkiye. He emphasized the need for the BE-200CS amphibious aircraft to extinguish the fires and expressed his gratitude for the decision to send this aircraft from Azerbaijan to Turkiye. The President of Turkiye described this as another manifestation of the brotherhood and strategic alliance between the two countries. Stating that the BE-200CS amphibious aircraft would be dispatched to Turkiye shortly, President Ilham Aliyev expressed Azerbaijans readiness to provide any additional support needed to address the fires in the brotherly country. The heads of state noted that Azerbaijan and Turkiye have always stood by each other and continuously supported one another. During the phone conversation, they exchanged views on the prospects for the friendly, brotherly, and allied relations between Azerbaijan and Turkiye. BAKU. Azerbaijan. August 18. The House of Azerbaijan has opened in the city of Alexandria, located near Washington, in the state of Virginia, USA, Trend reports. The ceremony was attended by Azerbaijanis living in nearby cities, representatives of the diaspora and employees of the State Committee for Work with Diaspora. The ribbon-cutting ceremony at the opening ceremony was conducted by the Chairman of the State Committee for Work with Diaspora Fuad Muradov. Speaking later, co-founder of the House of Azerbaijan Ayan Aliyeva said that the main goal of the House of Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijan Association is to provide teaching of the Azerbaijani language, especially for children born in the United States. She noted that this center will become an important place for Azerbaijan and the Turkic world. Another co-founder of the House of Azerbaijan, Sevda Tahirli, emphasized that they have been working on the implementation of this idea for five years. According to her, for many years, under the name of the House of Azerbaijan, they will continue the work done in the direction of promoting Azerbaijani culture, art, music and cuisine. Tahirli noted that the main mission of this center is to be a place where everyone can come together and gain confidence in solving their problems. Fuad Muradov emphasized in his speech that the Azerbaijani state will always continue to support such activities. He noted the importance of the functional functioning of Azerbaijani houses and emphasized the importance of implementing these activities primarily in accordance with the wishes of the community. Muradov also mentioned the fifth summer camp for diaspora youth held in Lachin in early August and emphasized the importance of youth participation in these events. The First Secretary of the Azerbaijani Embassy in the United States, Togrul Aliyev, who also spoke, expressed the embassys support for these events. The so-called Chicxulub impactor was a carbonaceous-type asteroid that had formed beyond the orbit of Jupiter, according to a new paper published in the journal Science. About 66 million years ago, a 10-km-wide asteroid crashed into Earth near the site of the small town of Chicxulub in what is now Mexico. The impact unleashed an incredible amount of climate-changing gases into the atmosphere, triggering a chain of events that led to the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs and 75% of life on the planet. Evidence includes high levels of platinum-group elements (PGEs) like iridium, ruthenium, osmium, rhodium, platinum, and palladium in Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary layers, which are rare on Earth but common in meteorites. These elevated PGE levels have been found globally, suggesting the impact spread debris worldwide. While some propose large-scale volcanic activity from the Deccan Traps igneous province in India as an alternative source of PGEs, the specific PGE ratios at the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary align more with asteroid impacts than volcanic activity. However, much about the nature of the Chicxulub impactor its composition and extraterrestrial origin is poorly understood. To address these questions, Dr. Mario Fischer-Godde from the University of Cologne and his colleagues measured ruthenium isotopes in samples taken from three Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary sites. For comparison, they also analyzed samples from five other impacts that occurred between 36 million to 470 million years ago; samples from ancient 3.5-billion- to 3.2-billion-year-old impact spherule layers; and samples from two carbonaceous meteorites. They found that the ruthenium isotope signatures in samples from the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary were uniform and closely matched those of carbonaceous chondrites, not Earth or other meteorite types, suggesting that the Chicxulub impactor likely came from a carbonaceous-type asteroid that formed in the outer Solar System. The five other impact structures have isotopic signatures that are more consistent with siliceous-type asteroids, which formed closer to the Sun. The ancient spherule layer samples are consistent with impacts of carbonaceous-type asteroids during Earths final stages of accretion. The asteroids composition is consistent with that of carbonaceous asteroids that formed outside of Jupiters orbit during the formation of the Solar System, Dr. Fischer-Godde said. We found that the impact of an asteroid like the one at Chicxulub is a very rare and unique event in geological time, said University of Colognes Professor Carsten Munker. The fate of the dinosaurs and many other species was sealed by this projectile from the outer reaches of the Solar System. _____ Mario Fischer-Godde et al. 2024. Ruthenium isotopes show the Chicxulub impactor was a carbonaceous-type asteroid. Science 385 (6710): 752-756; doi: 10.1126/science.adk4868 BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 17. Weapons and ammunition have been discovered in the territories of Azerbaijan liberated from occupation, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan told Trend. From August 10 to 16, police officers found the following items in Khankendi city: eight automatic rifles, two pistols, eight rifles, 29 grenades, 24 igniters, two shells, 15 bayonet knives, 131 ammunition magazines, 3,480 cartridges of various calibers, and other ammunition. In the Kalbajar district, authorities seized one automatic rifle, six grenades, one bayonet knife, four ammunition magazines, and 417 cartridges of different calibers. In the Khojaly district, they found one automatic rifle, one pistol, two rifles, three shells, and one grenade. The Jabrayil district yielded one automatic rifle, one pistol, two rifles, three ammunition magazines, and 30 cartridges of various calibers. In the Khojavand district, they discovered two automatic rifles, one bayonet knife, four ammunition magazines, and 102 cartridges of different calibers. Following the liberation of its lands, Azerbaijan began operations in November 2020 to sweep its lands clean of mines, booby traps, and other weaponry that the illegal Armenian forces had left behind. The Ministry of Internal Affairs keeps striving to make the recently liberated territories safe. Clearing ammunition and explosives is a top priority for internal affairs personnel as they continue their efforts to locate and neutralize threat sources and war remains. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 17. The Azerbaijan Operating Company has introduced a tariff portal at [http://cop29.services](http://cop29.services) for delegations confirmed to attend the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), Trend reports via the COP29 Azerbaijan X page. The portal was designed to enhance the efficiency of logistics and planning services offered to delegations during COP29. This resource features a user-friendly interface, allowing one to compare options for renting furniture, audiovisual equipment, and live streaming services needed for the event, as well as conduct logistical operations in a more convenient and organized manner, the publication says. This November, Azerbaijan will host COP29. This decision was made at the COP28 plenary meeting held in Dubai on December 11 last year. Baku will become the center of the world and will receive about 7080,000 foreign guests. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is an agreement signed at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992 to prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system. COP - the Conference of the Parties - is the highest legislative body overseeing the implementation of the Framework Convention on Climate Change. There are 198 countries that are parties to the Convention. Unless the parties agree otherwise, the COP is held annually. The first COP started in March 1995 in Germany's Berlin, with its secretariat in Bonn. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel China's commercial space sector takes off amid tech innovation push Xinhua) 14:10, August 17, 2024 BEIJING, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- As China forges ahead with its high-quality development, new quality productive forces are taking the center stage. One of the key players, the commercial space sector, is experiencing rapid growth and making a mark on the global stage. In December 2023, Beijing Interstellar Glory Space Technology, better known as iSPACE, conducted another successful test of its own reusable launcher, marking a step toward a fully functional, domestically manufactured reusable rocket for China's commercial spaceflight industry. This private Chinese aerospace company is looking to catch up with the world's most advanced rocket technologies. "There is still a long way ahead. But we're catching up fast," Anna Choi, vice manager of iSPACE, told Xinhua in a recent interview. In 2019, the Chinese startup successfully launched its SQX-1 Y1 rocket, sending two satellites into a 300-km circular orbit. It was the first time a private Chinese company managed to put a satellite into orbit. Its test on Dec. 10 last year verified the Hyperbola-2Y as a reusable liquid oxygen and methane carrier rocket -- the first of its kind in the country. It is part of an iSPACE plan to launch a reusable medium-lift rocket into orbit in late 2025. Since its inception in 2016, the company's staff has expanded from less than 10 to more than 400 people. Choi said both the company and the industry are growing at a fast pace, propelled by technological innovation and catalyzed by the government's supportive policies. iSPACE is one of several Chinese enterprises active in the commercial aerospace industry in recent years. The country has experienced an explosion of commercial space companies since 2014, driven by the government's opening up of the sector to private capital. According to media reports, in 2023 alone, the country's private commercial spaceflight companies managed more than 10 successful launches. Like iSPACE, most of these enterprises are headquartered in Beijing, attracted by the capital's rich talent pool and supportive policies. Beijing in February 2024 announced plans to establish a dedicated "Rocket Street" as a research and production hub for advancement of the commercial aerospace sector. Construction started last month at the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area (BDA), located in a southeastern suburb of Beijing. "Through the 'Rocket Street' program, we hope to leverage the cluster advantage to facilitate the development of the sector," said a BDA official. The capital city's endeavor to foster the commercial aerospace sector comes amid the country's efforts to develop new quality productive forces to help advance the world's second-largest economy up the global value chain. Developing commercial spaceflight was listed among the key areas for development in China's government work report this year. These priorities, which also include bio-manufacturing, the low-attitude economy, quantum technology and life sciences, form part of the country's agenda to pursue sustainable growth through developing strategically important and future-oriented industries. Reflecting the rising level of government support, Choi said the municipal government provided subsidies for the commercial aerospace industry to set up innovation centers focusing on developing reusable rockets. The government is also striving to encourage more private capital investment in this sector. Besides Beijing, multiple other regions and cities in China have also announced plans to develop the commercial aerospace industry. "This is a sector that requires pioneering courage. We are committed to innovation and confident for the catch-up and beyond," Choi said. (Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Wu Chaolan) ASTANA, Kazakhstan, August 17. Kazakhstan has increased the volume of oil transportation by sea thanks to exports through Azerbaijan, Trend reports, citing the report of KazMunayGas (a national oil and gas company) for the first half of 2024. Thus, in the reporting period, the volume of oil transportation by sea increased by 26.4 percent and reached 6.618 million tons from January through June. "The growth is due to an increase in oil transportation through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, shipping oil in the Mediterranean Sea, as well as an increase in volumes along the Aktau-Makhachkala and Aktau-Baku routes in the Caspian Sea," the report says. At the same time, it is noted that there is a decrease in transportation volumes in the Black Sea, which is explained by repairs at the Petromidia plant and NATO military exercises. To note, 3.376 million tons of oil were loaded into tankers at the port of Aktau utilizing KazTransOil facilities by the end of 2023. Of this total, 1.057 million tons were bound for the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan route. Meanwhile, in 2022, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev issued an order to enhance the amount of oil transported through the Trans-Caspian corridor. The State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) and KazMunayGas, the country's oil and gas company, signed an agreement allowing for the transportation of up to 1.5 million tons of oil annually from the Tengiz field in the direction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline in compliance with this directive. Furthermore, while President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev paid a visit to Azerbaijan on March 1112, KazMunayGas and SOCAR sealed the deal to ramp up the oil flow through the BTC to a whopping 2.2 million tons annually. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - This year, Staten Island Arts distributed $450,900 in funding to 92 outstanding artists and projects, supported by contributions from the city, state, and several private foundations. Pia Kishore Agrawal, Executive Director of Staten Island Arts, hopes the funding will significantly impact both viewers and artists, leading to a cultural shift in the borough. Through the money getting directly into the hands of the artists -- we hope it helps support the creative process and also makes sure that Staten Islanders understand there is very vibrant cultural landscape here, Agrawal said. She added that Staten Islanders tend forget to pay attention to what is happening in their own backyards. As a Staten Island native and child of immigrants, she noted that representation can be limited. She looks forward to artists presenting a range of perspectives -- covering experiences, education, political views, neighborhoods, and more -- as a way to foster deeper understanding. Art really has the power to frame our perspectives, clarify our thinking, and transform our ideas into something new, she said. Whether its dance, theater, music, or visual arts, what informs all of our artists is living on Staten Island and experiencing our current moment. And that current moment is so much more complicated, interesting, and diverse, and its changing in ways we dont often discuss, she emphasized. For Agrawal, art is her main avenue for learning about the world, which she views as an exchange of ideas flourishing within a community-driven ecosystem. Artists draw inspiration from their peers, experiences, and environment, and their work, in turn, influences the audiences that engage with it. There is so much experimentation. The power of that is none of that work happens alone, she said. So much of the work is born from the day to day experiences. It all bleeds together. The Staten Island Arts grants will support a variety of events and artistic projects on Staten Island, including theater shows, community festivals, a Sri Lankan Kandyan dance showcase, visual arts, a film festival, poetry workshops, a concert series, a podcast, public art installations, school programming and more. Art is for everyone. That is how I learned so much about myself and the world around me, she said. We believe in the power of that and we would really love to see our community on Staten Island engage with our artists and our artistic offerings. The 2024 Grantees This years funded projects include a range of artistic endeavors such as performance art, innovative festivals, and dynamic showcases, offering audiences thought-provoking exhibitions, engaging performances, and interactive cultural experiences that highlight Staten Islands vibrant artistic community. Grantees include but are not limited to: Kenneth Graham : Juneteenth A Celebration of African American History $2,500 Frank Schiazza : Homespun Media Productions $3,000 Caileen Gonzalez : North Shore Family Festival $5,000 Irma Bohorquez-Geisler : Mexican Heritage: Costumes, Masks, and Photos $5,000 Muslim Sisters of Staten Island : Geek Out at Staten Island $5,000 ROZA Promotions, Inc. : West African Arts, Musical & Fashion Fair $5,000 Spotlight Theatre Company : Around the World in 80 Days $5,000 Maker Park Radio : Music and Art Festival Series $5,000 Dontae Hawkins: Digital Narrative: Empowering Voices $3,000 View the full list of 2024 Grant Recipients Here! Celebrate the Grantee Gathering Experience a free public grantee gathering hosted by Staten Island Arts on Sunday, August 25, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Killmeyers Old Bavaria Inn, 4254 Arthur Kill Road. This event offers a unique chance to meet the artists and explore the wide range of projects that received funding this year. WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. -- Welcome to the Little League World Series, South Shore! The Tottenville loop, coming off a 9-1 opening loss on Thursday, rallied from a 1-0 deficit in the home fourth to score four runs en route to a 6-3 victory vs. Sioux Falls Little League of South Dakota in the elimination bracket Saturday at Lamade Stadium. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- There are currently seven different scratch-off games which offer New Yorkers the chance to turn $5 into a million bucks. The New York Lottery has various $5 scratch-off games with top-prizes ranging from $250,000 to $1 million. As of Friday, there are 11 tickets across seven different $5 scratch-off games with guaranteed top prizes of $1 million. Here are the $5 scratch-off games with top-prize tickets of $1 million still in circulation as of Friday, Aug. 16, according to New York Lottery data: MULTIPLIER MONEY Top prizes remaining: 1 Odds of winning top prize: 1 in 3,082,100 HIT IT BIG Top prizes remaining: 2 Odds of winning top prize: 1 in 3,804,233.33 $1M GOLDEN FORTUNE Top prizes remaining: 2 Odds of winning top prize: 1 in 2,590,025 $1M LUCKY DOG Top prizes remaining: 1 Odds of winning top prize: 1 in 2,591,250 PINK PANTHER DIAMOND SEVENS Top prizes remaining: 1 Odds of winning top prize: 1 in 2,021,700 PLATINUM POWER Top prizes remaining: 1 Odds of winning top prize: 1 in 2,969,166.67 XTREME WINNINGS Top prizes remaining: 3 Odds of winning top prize: 1 in 4,536,400 MORE INFORMATION For more information about the New York Lotterys scratch-off games, visit nylottery.ny.gov/scratch-off-games. The New York Lottery continues to be touted as North Americas largest and most profitable lottery, contributing $3.8 billion in Lottery Aid to Education for FY2023-2024 to help support education in New York state. New York Lottery revenue is distributed to local school districts by the same statutory formula used to distribute other state aid to education. It takes into account both a school districts size and its income level; larger, lower-income school districts receive proportionately larger shares of lottery school funding. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Environmental officials plan to add a rare frog that is native to Staten Island to a list of endangered and threatened species. Proposed additions to the list were released recently by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. This draft regulation to protect certain endangered and threatened species begins a multi-phase process of updating New York states list of animal species classified as endangered, threatened, or of special concern. It also addresses species of fish and species recently classified under the federal Endangered Species Act and will be available for public comment through Oct. 18, 2024. The small, spotted frog, the Atlantic coast leopard frog, is one of three animals native to the New York City proposed for addition to the list. It currently lives only in six locations within the state. Animals can fall into one of five conservation categories. Endangered is for a native species that is in imminent risk of becoming extinct. If an animal has a future risk of becoming endangered, its classified as threatened. Any animals that warrant closer watch and more data collected are considered to be of special concern. DECs ongoing efforts to protect and restore threatened and endangered species are improving conservation status for several fish species, while others are recovering, thanks to improved water quality across the state, said DEC Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar. At the same time, DEC is noting declines in the conservation status of some vulnerable species due to climate change or loss of habitat. I encourage New Yorkers to comment on this draft regulation and help ensure the states full regulatory protection is applied appropriately statewide. New Yorks list of endangered and threatened species was last updated in 1999, and does not currently reflect the best available information on the distribution of species or their conservation status, the announcement said. The proposal released this month is the first in a series of proposals to update the overall threatened and endangered species list, and DEC anticipates addressing groups of related species in separate changes over the next two years. The Atlantic coast leopard frog is currently found at six locations within three counties: Orange, Putnam and Richmond. It lives in marshes, wet meadows or slow-flowing water. They are intimately connected with wetlands, which are absolutely critical for the endangered amphibians, environmentalists have told news outlets. The American eel species is also proposed as one of special concern after decades at its lowest numbers, the Gothamist reported. The long slimy fish, found in the Hudson River and on Long Island, has dwindled in population to far less than 10% of what it was before the 1970s, when it was a common sight, the outlet reported. The third species native to the metropolitan area considered for the list is the eastern pirate perch, a five-inch fish once found in 33 water bodies on Long Island. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. A deckhand for the Staten Island Ferry is suing New York City for the second time in less than 10 years, citing an on-the-job injury in 2022 that rendered him unable to work. The plaintiff, Jermaine Black, 49, is claiming in Brooklyn Federal Court that on Jan. 9 of that year, he hurt his knee after slipping and falling on ice while approaching the Ferryboat Andrew J. Barberi. Tune in to see Terry McMillan Presents, the film starring and executive produced by Garcelle Beauvais known officially as Terry McMillian Presents: Tempted By Love, set to premiere on Saturday, Aug. 17th at 8 p.m./7 p.m. CT on the Lifetime channel. According to Lifetime, the plot centers around Ava (Garcelle Beauvais), a world-class renowned chef living in Europe, who rushes home to care for her elderly aunt (Donna Biscoe) in South Carolina after she suffers from a fall. Picked up from the long flight by Luke (Vaughn W. Hebron), a handsome driver 20-years her junior, the pair feel an unexpected, yet passionate, connection. With a mutual interest in food, family and fun, Ava and Luke are the perfect recipe for love. However, despite her feelings for him, Ava soon realizes that Luke still has so much to experience in life and she must decide what is best for her own career and relationships. Lela Rochon and Loretta Devine also star. Joining Beauvais in the cast are Vaughn W. Hebron, who serves as co-producer, Lela Rochon, Emmy winner Loretta Devine and Donna Biscoe. HOW TO STREAM TERRY MCMILLIAN PRESENTS: TEMPTED BY LOVE ONLINE FOR FREE If youre a cord-cutter or dont have cable, you can watch Terry McMillian Presents: Tempted by Love online on any one of the following streaming platforms, and get it for free via a trial offer: WHAT CHANNEL IS LIFETIME ON? If you are watching on cable, catch Terry McMillian Presents: Tempted by Love on Lifetime. You can find which channel Lifetime is on by using the channel finders here: Verizon Fios, AT&T U-verse, Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, DIRECTV and Dish. HERES A SNEAK PEEK STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. A number of New York City beaches will be closed for the weekend amidst the threat of powerful rip currents from Hurricane Ernesto. All beaches in Brooklyn, Queens and Jacob Riis Beach will be closed to swimmers on Saturday and Sunday, according to NYC Parks and the National Park Service (NPS). The National Weather Service (NWS) forecasts a dangerous rip current threat with potential ocean swells of up to 6 feet this weekend, the NYC Parks announcement said. For the time being, a spokesperson for NYC Parks said beaches on Staten Island and the Bronx will remain open to swimming for the weekend. Despite the closures, lifeguards will remain on duty at all NYCbeaches, a spokesperson from NYC Parks said in a statement. Our primary focus is keeping New Yorkers safe, so as the impacts of Tropical Storm Ernesto approach New York City, we are closing our ocean-facing beaches in Queens and Brooklyn this weekend to protect New Yorkers from dangerous rip currents, said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. New Yorkers should know the ocean is more powerful than you are, particularly this weekend. Do not risk your life, or the lives of first responders, by swimming while our beaches are closed. .@NYCParks Due to rip currents, beach closure for Brooklyn Beaches, Rockaway Beaches and Riis Beach on 8/17 - 8/18: Swimming & wading not permitted. Info: call 311, text BEACH to 55676 or go to https://t.co/pG71ZHrYHP. Multilingual & ASL Link: https://t.co/5AZlHvvmB9 NYCEM - Notify NYC (@NotifyNYC) August 17, 2024 Parks enforcement staff will reportedly be monitoring the beaches to enforce the ban. In consultation with our sister agency, the National Park Service (NPS) and based on conditions projected by the National Weather Service, Parks is closing beaches in Brooklyn and Queens to swimming tomorrow (Saturday) and Sunday, said NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue. Lifeguards will be on duty and patrolling the beaches, and we strongly urge all New Yorkers not to risk their lives by ignoring this directive. Residents are advised by NYC Parks to monitor Notify NYC for updates on beach closures. The weather threat at hand The threat of powerful rip currents also extends along the East Coast to beaches along the Jersey Shore, as reported by NJ.com. An AccuWeather graphic shows coastal impacts from Hurricane Ernesto into the week of Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024. (Courtesy of AccuWeather)(Courtesy of AccuWeather) As Hurricane Ernesto moves beyond Bermuda, poor conditions will develop along the East Coast this weekend, according to AccuWeather. Although taking a track more than 500 miles offshore, Ernestos expanding wind will produce swells that will spread outward from its center, notes AccuWeather. As these swells approach U.S. beaches, wave action will increase and so too will the number and strength of associated rip currents. If you find yourself caught in a rip current and getting dragged out to sea, experts advise either swimming parallel to the shore or just floating until the push subsides in order to avoid exhaustion, according to AccuWeather. 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. Every persons financial situation is unique, so Im not going to tell you personally what to do, but what I will say is this: history is very informative, and we have a fair bit to go off of. So if nothing else, try to quieten that panicked voice in your head for a moment and let figures of the recent past guide you. Since its mandatory introduction in 1992, superannuation has become a core part of our national identity. Most of us are rightly proud to live in a country that requires employers to future-proof our retirement so that we can live safely and comfortably in our older age. Former prime minister Paul Keating (right), whose government introduced compulsory superannuation, speaks at a superannuation roundtable hosted by Anthony Pratt (left). Credit: Louie Douvis So any risk to that, or any dip in our super balances like those recorded earlier this month, feels like a seriously unfair and unwarranted gut punch. Following the global financial crisis in 2007, APRA reports Australian superannuation funds experienced losses of more than $200 billion throughout 2008 and 2009. In real terms, this saw people log into their super accounts and see tens of thousands of dollars or sometimes more suddenly gone. But, what the APRA data also shows is that while those two years were utterly brutal, by 2010 super assets had returned to their pre-GFC level. And every year after, assets continued to grow. Loading Now, dont get me wrong: two years is a long time and its a lot of pain for many people, not least those who had just retired or were on the verge of retiring. But this is where the factor of time comes into play. The most important thing when it comes to any investment is time, and how much time you spend with it. For example, if you look at any 30 year period across the history of the ASX, youll see major dips and major wins. But most importantly, youll see that no one has lost money if they stayed invested over the entirety of that period. Thats because when you invest for the long term rather than the short, which is the fundamental principle of our superannuation scheme, the odds of being financially safe at the very least are as close to guaranteed as you can get in the investing world. But much more likely than not, youll come out a winner. Another important thing to keep front of mind when youre feeling spooked about long-term investments, and especially superannuation, is that over the average lifetime, the share market will have seven dips. That means there will be seven times throughout your lives (the GFC being one of them), where you log into your superannuation account and see a dip in the balance. This wont feel good. It might make you slightly scared. These moments of market dips trigger a feeling of risk because to an extent, all investments are a risk. But unlike some other forms of investments, superannuation is a relatively calculated and highly safeguarded one. Of course, there will be different factors at play that mean one persons superannuation figure ends up being higher than another persons. But at the end of the day, if you come out with more money than what you initially put in, its still winning. The attack was harrowing, and the investigation and court case that followed were re-traumatising, Anne said. I was attacked in the car park, and the guy raped me in the back of my car. (Police) took it for fingerprinting, so I didnt have my car for a few days. When it came back, it was covered in fingerprint dust, Anne said. Nobody even wiped it off. Kay was wearing a balaclava when he attacked, so Anne had to listen to recordings of male voices growling disturbing things in a bid to identify her attacker from a voice line-up of sorts. You go through every single detail, from where you were standing to what he did, what he said, everything about him. Its horrendous and he doesnt have to do any of that. But the most confronting moment for Anne was coming face-to-face with Kay at his sentence hearing and realising the other survivors, seated around the room, looked strangely similar to her. Kay pleaded guilty in 2000 to sexual attacks on eight women and girls while armed with a knife six rapes and two more attempts. Graham Kay in 2018, being confronted by the media. He convinced a court to keep his name secret for four years so he could avoid public scrutiny. Anne was one of the three women whose charges were dropped in exchange for Kays guilty plea. Her decision spared herself and all the other women involved from years in the courts, including gruelling cross-examinations. Anne felt fortunate compared to some of Kays other victims because she was older, in her 30s, with a husband and family from which to draw strength. Loading But the attack changed her life. It took years before she could even catch a train, and she still startles easily. I dont walk at night, I only run during the day, never at dusk or at night having (my children) go out at night, its a horrible thing to go through, to know this is what women face, Anne said. He had an 18-year sentence, Ive almost had 30. Kay was paroled in 2015 but offended twice more in 2018 and 2022 after his restrictions were relaxed. The first attack was a 16-year-old girl Kay kissed in a supermarket; the second, he stalked a woman around Sydney and indecently assaulted her in her unit building. Both times authorities were supposedly monitoring him. The North Shore Rapist should be in Annes past, she says, but she was shocked to pick up a copy of the Herald last week and see Kays face on the front page. Anne was disturbed by the latest round of reporting on Kay because, first, it revealed Kay had been released last September after the 2022 attack to an undisclosed location. North Shore Rapist Graham Kay felt traumatised when someone broke his car window and scrawled rapist along the door. It would be good to be told hes out. Hes supposed to stay at least five kilometres away from me, but I dont know (where he is), she said. Loading I dont want this to define me Anne said the absolute nightmare is running into Kay on her grocery shop. I dont want him to know where I live, I dont want him to know my name, but I also dont want this to define me as a person, Anne said. Second, Anne was angered to hear details had been kept from the public because Kay had his identity suppressed in 2020. Kay has spent the last four years known in the courts as GJO a pseudonym given to him by a judge to protect his identity and allow him to reintegrate into society without public attention or media scrutiny. Kay in the late 1990s, following his arrest for attacking multiple women in Sydney. Credit: Nine It seems to me his rights are more respected than those of all the women that he attacked and of those he continues to attack, Anne said. An unknown person, likely a workmate, had written rapist on Kays car and smashed the rear window after he was arrested in 2022. Kay said it made him feel targeted, threatened and unsafe to find his car vandalised as he asked the Supreme Court to keep his identity suppressed. Anne said it was ridiculous that someone who forced himself on women armed with a knife could ever complain about feeling vulnerable and traumatised. Finally, Anne was dismayed to learn the state and the courts had twice eased tracking restrictions on Kay and, on both occasions, in 2018 and 2022, he went on to reoffend. We were quite shocked that, despite his lack of rehabilitation or remorse, it seemed that [the state and courts] were very quick to remove electronic monitoring and take away his schedule of movement so he could do whatever he wanted, Anne said. He just needs to be monitored because he will offend, and I dont care if its going to impinge his privacy. Kay has told the courts the electronic ankle monitor would be embarrassing to wear at the beach, or if it was spotted by his colleagues. Loading Victims should be heard Anne said she just wanted the courts to understand that her voice, and that of other victims, should be the ones heard. Not that of a serial rapist. Without the victims perspective, it comes across as being a victimless crime, she said. Anne lives the attack every day, and while she has been disappointed by Kays re-emergence, she has vowed not to let him change her again. When the state government announced its plan for transport-oriented development (TOD) around key Metro and train stations last year, it came with a promise of up to 15 per cent affordable housing. That would have been about one in seven apartments in each six-storey building, constructed to help working families take advantage of the citys best suburban transport links. But, as Andrew Taylor reports, the reality will likely be far fewer new homes within the financial means of someone on a below-average income than were initially promised. An aerial view of the Bankstown transport-oriented development accelerated precinct. Credit: NSW government Planning Department data shows as little as 3 per cent of new dwellings at Bankstown in the citys south-west and Kellyville and Bella Vista in the north-west will be affordable housing under the TOD program. DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, August 17. Tajikistan and Qatar discussed the launch of direct air service between Dushanbe and Doha, Trend reports. The news followed a meeting between the Ambassador of Tajikistan to Qatar Nurmurod Mahmadali with the General Director of Qatar Airways Group Badr Mohammed Al-Meer. During the meeting, the sides reviewed issues of further development of bilateral cooperation, including the effective use of tourism opportunities of the two countries. Earlier, Tajikistan and Qatar signed a memorandum on cooperation in the field of tourism and trade. The main purpose of signing this document is to strengthen and expand cooperation between the two countries in the field of tourism and trade events. Within the framework of this document, the parties interact on the basis of the principles of equality and mutual benefit, taking into account the national legislation of their states, and its implementation of this cooperation is considered appropriate in the interests of the well-being of the peoples of both countries and for the development of relationships between travel companies of both sides. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size The California Park Fire raging in the north of the state was started by an arsonist on July 24 and has to date destroyed more than 600 buildings, with its cost climbing to $US170 million ($256 million) and counting. I have joined NSW RFS members and a contingent of thousands of firefighters from across the US attempting to slow its progress. ANATOMY OF THE FIRE The Californian town of Cohasset is strung along a road winding its way into the mountains, looking down onto the Sacramento Valley. The drive up to the town starts as yellow cured grassland, then becomes partial timber until it thickens into forest. The tranquil scene in the foreground is menaced by a huge rotating fire column. Credit: Nick Moir Blackened rock and the skeletal remains of pines are all that is left, with a few tufts of pine needles frozen in the position they were in when the fire came through a phenomena called leaf freeze. The huge pyrocumulous smoke column from the Park Fire. Credit: Nick Moir For this Sydneysider it is eerily reminiscent of towns like Bilpin, Clarence and Bell in the Blue Mountains during the bushfires in 2019. Advertisement Loading The California fire is still burning in the alpine areas of the states north-east, where the top altitude is more than 1500 metres. The fire started in grassy scrubland, similar to parts of south-western Sydney like Luddenham, and raced up the canyons into higher country. It is continuing to burn in the national forest, where Ponderosa pines tower higher than anything we have in NSW. The fire was thought to be subsiding but roared back to life on August 5 when it found its way into a box canyon and became so powerful it created a pyrocumulonimbus cloud and a fire tornado, as seen during the Canberra fires of 2003. As hundreds of fires across the USs north-west begin to overwhelm firefighting resources, the US made a request to Australian fire agencies to help fill the gaps in roles such as taskforce leadership. RFS volunteer Stuart Dawson, who bounces between a home in Sydneys northern beaches and a farm near Mudgee, is in charge of a taskforce of very chatty and good-natured forestry workers operating huge tree harvesting machinery. They are preparing a secondary containment line near the town of Oakridge, in mountainous and heavily forested southern Oregon. Advertisement I love fighting fire in different countries, its like one big family. Everyones very welcoming, very thankful you have come such a long way to help them out, Dawson says. Operations officer Dane Freeman, from Kenthurst, has the role of safety officer, alongside experienced RFS officer Cameron Wade. Freeman has been assigned to the Coffeepot fire and is moving around taskforces trying to anticipate any avoidable threats to the safety of crews working in steep terrain. During a brief chat with the Herald, one US wildlife officer mentions that cougars and black bears are in the area, but the yellow jacket wasps pose the most common wildlife threat as they escape the fires. During the patrol of a slopover, where the fire has been able to crest a mountain and make its way downhill, we hear the crack and crash of collapsing pines and firs, a reminder that one of the biggest dangers to a firefighter anywhere in the world is falling trees. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent fighting the fire, and thousands of firefighters from across the country deployed to stall its progress. Advertisement Australian firefighters have been deployed to Oregon and Washington states in the US. Credit: Nick Moir The lack of rain has allowed the fire to continue to smoulder even as temperatures drop. The southern edge of the fire is only a few kilometres from the town of Paradise, which was completely destroyed a few years ago when the Camp fire killed 85 people in a disaster similar to the events in Kinglake, Victoria on Black Saturday in 2009. A CalFire crew assesses a spot fire near Mill Creek, California. Credit: Nick Moir While there are many similarities in the fire behaviour and scale of the disasters that have hit south-east Australia and the western US, the fire agencies are quite different in the way they approach and fight a major wildfire. With just a day of preparation involving orientation and situation briefings, and the issuance of protective gear and equipment, the RFS team hit the ground running. It has been deployed to numerous fires in the Pacific Northwest, and all members have the required skill set and experience to provide safety and supervision consistent with US standards. A huge, rotating fire column hangs over the mountain. Credit: Nick Moir The deployment of 71 specialists from Australia and New Zealand is just the most recent example of the collaborative relationship with US fire agencies. NSW RFS Director of Logistics Joshua Torrens says this continues to demonstrate the co-operation between the countries. Torrens says the 24-year relationship evolved from a request from the United States in 2000. Advertisement Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has requested the Australian Labor Partys national executive assume responsibility for Victorian preselections ahead of the coming federal election. In a letter to ALP national secretary Paul Erickson on Saturday, seen by this masthead, the prime minister said the takeover was necessary because of the proposed abolition of the seat of Higgins and boundary changes to more than 30 other federal divisions across the state. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has requested the ALP national executive assume responsibility for Victorian preselections ahead of the upcoming federal election. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen These changes affect every single division that elected a Labor MP in 2022, and nearly one in 10 Victorian electors will be shifted into a different electorate, Albanese wrote. In these circumstances it is appropriate for the ALP national executive to assume responsibility for conducting federal preselections in Victoria. Lebanon health ministry: at least 9 dead in Israeli strike Beirut, Lebanon, Aug 17 (AFP) Aug 17, 2024 Lebanon's health ministry said an Israeli air strike on Saturday in southern Lebanon killed nine people, as the Israeli military reported hitting weapons stores of the Hezbollah movement. The toll from the strike in the Nabatieh area included "a woman and her two children" and left five other people wounded, two critically, Lebanon's health ministry said in a statement. Israel's military, on its Telegram channel, said the air force had struck a weapons storage facility of Lebanon's Hezbollah movement overnight "in the area of Nabatieh", which is about 12 kilometres (seven miles) from the nearest point of the Israeli border. Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israeli forces have exchanged near-daily fire over their border since war in the Gaza Strip began last October between Palestinian Hamas militants and Israeli forces. The latest incident comes alongside fears of a wider regional war, which international mediators have been trying to avert through talks on a truce in Gaza. Shock, grief as Israeli Lebanon strike kills 10 Syrians Wadi al-Kafur, Lebanon, Aug 17 (AFP) Aug 17, 2024 Sobbing relatives thronged Sheikh Ragheb Hospital Saturday after an Israeli air strike killed 10 Syrians, including two children, who had escaped war at home only to die in south Lebanon. The early morning strike hit a building in the Wadi al-Kafur area of Nabatieh, killing the 10 including a mother and her two children, Lebanon's health ministry said. Israel's military said aircraft had struck a Hezbollah weapons storage facility. At the hospital, relatives and friends of the victims expressed shock and anger at their sudden deaths, with women dressed in black weeping and wailing. "Two of my sister's children were killed, another is in intensive care, and my other nephew is also in intensive care," said Hussein Al-Hussein, holding back tears as he listed relatives killed or wounded in the strike. "They were sleeping, they didn't know anything. They were young labourers, and the Israeli air force targeted them." The civilian toll from the strike was one of the highest in southern Lebanon since Hezbollah and Israel began exchanging near daily cross-border fire during the Gaza war. The official Lebanese National News Agency reported that the casualties were Syrian refugees and labourers working at the factory that had been hit. Israel's military, on its Telegram channel, said its air force had struck a Hezbollah weapons storage facility overnight "in the area of Nabatieh", about 12 kilometres (seven miles) from the border with Israel. Omar al-Shahud, who works in the factory, said he was lucky to escape death because he did not live in the targeted annexe. "Six of my relatives were killed. They had nothing to do with" the war, he said in an angry voice. "They were workers who came here to earn a living." - In red shrouds - In a nearby room, crying relatives mourned a family of four: the factory building's concierge, his wife and two children aged four and one and a half, a family member told AFP. Their bodies were shrouded in red cloth and adorned with flowers. Lebanon has long heavily relied on Syrians for manual labour, especially in agriculture and construction. Beirut says it currently hosts around two million Syrians -- with almost 785,000 registered with the United Nations. Earlier in August, the health ministry said four Syrians were killed in an Israeli strike on the south. The cross-border violence between Lebanon and Israel has killed 581 people in Lebanon, mostly Hezbollah fighters but including at least 128 civilians, according to an AFP tally. On the Israeli side, including in the annexed Golan Heights, 22 soldiers and 26 civilians have been killed, according to army figures. At the site of Saturday's strike, concrete rubble, metal wreckage and a few items of children's clothing and shoes was all that was left of the building that was targeted. Standing beside his bombed-out factory, Hussein Tahmaz insisted the facility was "100 percent civilian". He pointed to the wreckage of a red truck. "Here we used to park and load our goods," Tahmaz said. The building that was hit was an annexe to a two-storey factory warehouse where the concierge, his small family, and workers lived, mayor Khodr Saad told AFP. "What did these children do to deserve this? They fled their country to escape death, only to find it here," he said. UK diving team hail suspected WWI warship find London, Aug 17 (AFP) Aug 17, 2024 A team of UK divers has hailed the discovery of a wreck off Scotland believed to be a Royal Navy warship sunk during World War I but still "virtually intact". The team found what it thinks is HMS Hawke -- which sank after being hit by a German torpedo in October 1914 -- in the North Sea earlier this week. Paul Downs, who was among the divers and filmed footage of the long-lost wreck, described it as "a once in a lifetime" discovery given its "unbelievable" condition. "She is virtually intact," he told AFP. "The state of preservation is unbelievable for a wreck that's 110 years old and came to a violent end." "Lost in Waters Deep", a group which searches for WWI shipwrecks in Scottish waters, spearheaded the years-long effort to find the warship. The team is now awaiting official confirmation from the Royal Navy after providing it with their findings. - 'Top quality' - Only 70 of HMS Hawke's crew survived, while more than 500 died, after it was attacked by a German U-boat in the early months of WWI. The warship, an Edgar-class cruiser first launched in 1891, was 387 feet (118 metres) long and 60 feet wide. It caught fire, exploded and then disappeared beneath the murky waters of the North Sea off northeast Scotland in less than eight minutes. The vessel has rested on the seabed -- 360 feet down -- ever since. Downs said that depth likely played a role in preserving it. Its guns, other armaments, decking and some interior features like a clock and wall-mounted barometer were all still visible, despite more than a century on the seabed. "It avoids the storms that the North Sea will get during the winter," Downs explained. He noted the warship had also been built with "absolutely top-quality" materials at the height of the British empire. "All the brass work on the wreck, like the portholes and the breaches for the deck guns, are all still shiny... it's probably due to the fact that she was just built so well." - 'Controlled wreck' - Lost in Waters Deep spent years pinpointing where it suspected the warship had sunk, including researching the U-boat commander's journal and the logs of other Navy cruisers that had been in contact with it. The team was also helped by a report of a seabed "obstruction" reported in the 1980s -- though the wreck was actually found a kilometre away from that. HMS Hawke was one of the first Royal Navy vessels lost in the conflict, as Britain's fleet initially struggled to adapt to the threat of German U-boats. "Historically, she's very significant," noted Downs. He predicted the wreck could not be successfully salvaged after so long sitting on the seabed, but the final decision would be down to the Royal Navy. "I would imagine that she will become a controlled wreck, so she'll be classed as a war grave. "So at some point in the future, you may be able to dive, but just not touch anything. "It's basically an archaeological site. So everything's filmed and photographed and left in situ." The Royal Navy told UK media it appreciated the efforts made to locate the wreck. "Once the evidence to support this find is received, it will enable our historians to formally identify the wreck," a spokesperson said. jj/jwp/imm Lebanon says 10 Syrians killed in Israeli strike on south Beirut, Lebanon, Aug 17 (AFP) Aug 17, 2024 The Lebanese health ministry said an Israeli air strike on the south on Saturday killed 10 Syrians, as the Israeli military reported hitting weapons stores of the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement. The death toll from the strike in the Wadi al-Kafur area of Nabatieh is one of the heaviest since Hezbollah began exchanging near-daily cross-border fire with Israeli forces after the Gaza war erupted last October. Egyptian, Qatari and US mediators have been trying to broker a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas, which diplomats say could help to avert a wider war in which Lebanon would be on the front line. The dead in the latest strike included "a woman and her two children," the health ministry said in a statement. A source close to Hezbollah in the Nabatieh area told AFP they were all civilians. The Israeli military said the air force had struck a Hezbollah weapons storage facility overnight "in the area of Nabatieh", some 12 kilometres (seven and a half miles) from the Israeli border. Hezbollah said it responded with a volley of Katyusha rockets on Ayelet HaShahar, a community in northern Israel. The Israeli military said there were no reports of any casualties but the 55 rockets sparked "multiple fires". Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati told British Foreign Minister David Lammy in a call there was a "need to pressure the Israeli enemy to stop its direct targeting of southern towns and villages". "The current cycle of violence may lead to an escalation with dire consequences," Mikati told Lammy, according to a statement shared by his office. The Syrian foreign ministry condemned the air strike, calling it "a blatant crime against Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and a threat to peace and security in the region". Earlier, the Israeli military said a "projectile" fired from Lebanon had wounded two soldiers, one of them severely, near Misgav Am, a kibbutz community close to the border. The killing of senior Hebollah commander Fuad Shukr in an Israeli air strike in late July, swiftly followed by that of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in an attack in Iran blamed on Israel, have prompted promises of retaliation and fears of a wider Middle East war. In an effort to avert an escalation, Western and Arab diplomats have intensified efforts for a Gaza truce but ahead of fresh round of talks in Cairo next week, a deal remains elusive. The cross-border violence has killed 581 people in Lebanon, mostly Hezbollah fighters but including at least 128 civilians, according to an AFP tally. On the Israeli side, including in the annexed Golan Heights, 22 soldiers and 26 civilians have been killed, according to army figures. Gaza rescuers say Israeli strike kills 15 from same family Gaza Strip, Palestinian Territories, Aug 17 (AFP) Aug 17, 2024 Gaza's civil defence agency said an Israeli air strike in the early hours of Saturday killed 15 members of a Palestinian family, including nine children and three women. The strike hit the home of the Ajlah family in Al-Zawaida neighbourhood of central Gaza, civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP. "The toll from the Israeli strike on the Ajlah family home and their warehouse in Al-Zawaida is 15 dead," Bassal said. Bassal gave a list of those killed, including nine children and three women. The Israeli military told AFP that during the night its forces had struck "terrorist infrastructure" in central Gaza from which rockets were being fired towards Israel. "Reports were received that as a result of the strike, civilians in an adjacent structure were killed. The incident is under review," it said in a statement. A witness said the strike took place shortly after midnight (2100 GMT Friday). "Three rockets hit the house directly," Ahmed Abu al-Ghoul told AFP as rescuers pulled bodies from the rubble of the flattened house. "There were a lot of children and women inside... What have they done to deserve this?" AFPTV footage of the aftermath, captured after dawn, showed rescuers searching for bodies under piles of collapsed concrete blocks. More than 10 months of war between Israel and Hamas has left vast swathes of Gaza in ruins. The war broke out after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of 1,198 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. Militants also seized 251 people during the attack, 111 of whom are still held captive in Gaza, including 39 the Israeli military says are dead. Israel's retaliatory military campaign has killed at least 40,074 people in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry, which does not provide breakdowns of civilian and militant deaths. * 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. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 17. Palestinian Hamas movement has rejected the US-proposed new version of the ceasefire agreement with Israel, the movement's statement says, Trend reports. According to the information, the reason for this is the absence of the conditions previously expressed by the Palestinian movement in the agreement. The movement reported that the latest proposal differed significantly from the previous version, which they had agreed to in principle, meaning that they were not ready to accept it. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 17. US Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris said that if she becomes head of state, she will try to build affordable housing for the middle class. She will also work to reduce food prices, Harris wrote on her X page, Trend reports. The current vice president noted that if he wins the election, his priority will be lowering prices and increasing the economic security of Americans. In particular, Harris promised that she would seek the adoption of "the first federal ban on rising food prices." In the first four months of 2024, Romania exported live animals in the amount of 195.8 million euros and meat and processed meat of 205.3 million euros and imported live animals in the amount of 83.1 million euros, respectively meat and processed meat meat of 599 million euros, according to data centralized by the National Institute of Statistics. Exports of live animals increased by 0.9% compared to the same period in 2023, and imports by 29.4%, while exports of meat and processed meat increased by 15.2%, and imports by 20, 2% During the mentioned period, Romania exported live animals to the European Union in the amount of 61.4 million euros, the main destination countries being Hungary (23.2 million euros), Greece (13.7 million euros) and Croatia (12.1 million euro). Imports of live animals totaled 83.1 million euros, most of them coming from Hungary (35.4 million euros), Germany (13.4 million euros) and the Netherlands (9.4 million euros). Between January and April 2024, exports of meat and edible organs in EU countries amounted to 93.2 million euros, and imports to 500.1 million euros. The largest exports were to Bulgaria (17.7 million euros), France (15.6 million euros), Italy (14.1 million euros) and Hungary (13.1 million euros), while the largest imports came from Spain (135.2 million euros), Germany (87.1 million euros), Hungary (85.2 million euros) and Poland (50.5 million euros). Romanian firefighters helping to extinguish wildfires in Greece on Saturday were assigned a monitoring mission in two areas of the Attica region. According to a press statement released by Romania's General Emergency Mangement Inspectorate (IGSU), the members of the Romanian module that continue their missions in Greece today were sent on a monitoring mission in two areas of the Attica region. Thus, 16 firefighters with three wildfire extinguishing vehicles and one first response and command vehicle will move to the area of Agia Kyriaki. Another team, composed of 15 rescuers, will carry out the response actions in the Rafina area. The two teams of Romanian firefighters will be accompanied by Greek liaison officers IGSU added that in case new wildfires, the two teams will be alerted and, under the coordination of the counterparts of the host country, will respond in the designated locations to contain wildfires. "In the event that additional water will be needed, the 30,000-litre tanker located in the operations base will join the crews to cover the operational needs under the best circumstances. The firefighters located in the base of operations are providing the necessary logistical support, carrying out training activities and managing the specific operations at the base of operations. Today, August 17, the risk of wildfires is very high, including in the area where the Romanian firefighters are operating," according to IGSU. EDWARDSVILLE A 20-year-old Collinsville man was sentenced to 40 years in prison for killing a teenager on New Years Day last year in the State Park Place area of Madison County. Albert Campos pleaded guilty Friday of first-degree murder in the shooting death of Miguel D. Villegas-DeSantiago, 18, of Collinsville. Villegas-DeSantiago was sitting in a pickup in the 3300 block of Princeton Avenue in the early afternoon of Jan. 1, 2023, investigators said at the time. Campos, then 18, shot and killed Villegas-DeSantiago. Matias L. Herrera, 27, of Granite City, was given a 30-year sentence in January after pleading guilty to second-degree murder and unlawful possession of weapons by a felon. Herrera drove Campos to Princeton Avenue, according to a statement from Madison County States Attorney Tom Haine. I pray that the resolution of these cases can be a step toward healing for the family and loved ones of Miguel, who by all accounts was a completely innocent victim in this senseless tragedy, Haine said in the statement. PHOENIX When Denisha Mitchell was asked why she filled out paperwork to serve as an Arizona elector for the independent presidential candidate Cornel West, her first response was What?! Her second: Whats an elector? I was shocked and surprised by it all. I didnt even know what an elector was," Mitchell told The Associated Press on Friday. "The crazy thing is it was all forged. None of it was my handwriting. It was definitely not my signature. My email was wrong, my address was wrong." Mitchells case is the latest example of dubious tactics used in an effort to qualify West, a left-wing academic, for the ballot in states across the U.S. Its also among the more egregious. Its an effort that West himself apparently knows nothing about. His campaign did not immediately respond for comment Friday evening. If you produce information that is a false on filing to a government entity in Arizona, youve committed a felony. Its just not that complicated, said Dennis K. Burke, a former U.S. Attorney in Arizona, who also served as a chief deputy in the state attorney generals office. But as the presidential election enters a critical three-month period, there are efforts around the country to subvert the integrity of the ballot, many of them coming from a collection of conservative activists and Republican-aligned operatives pushing Wests candidacy. Republicans and their allies have worked to get West on the ballot in Arizona, Wisconsin, Virginia, North Carolina, Nebraska, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Maine. Their hope is West will serve as a spoiler candidate, boosting former President Donald Trumps chance of winning in November by siphoning liberal support away from the Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, in battleground states that could be decided by just a few thousand votes. While it is not clear who is behind the effort and there is no indication that Trumps campaign is directly involved one thing is certain: Its not West, who has not been actively campaigning and whose presidential committee, records show, was almost $17,000 in debt at the end of June. Since discovering she was signed up to be an elector, Mitchell has signed an affidavit that will be submitted to state authorities next week attesting that she never agreed to serve as an elector and never signed her name to a filing. In Arizona, all independent presidential campaigns are required to submit filings showing that they have a slate of electors who will cast their Electoral College votes for a presidential candidate. But her story is not the only unusual one among the slate of electors for West. One of them, Elizabeth Rothgeb, pleaded guilty to manslaughter after accepting a plea deal stemming from the killing of her then-husband with an ax in 1998. She spent 10 years in prison and was released on Christmas Eve 2010, according to online records from the state prison system. Rothgeb, who could not be reached for comment, is a registered Republican, as are two other electors for West, voting records show. Two additional electors listed in the state filings are not registered to vote at the addresses provided for them, records show. As for Mitchell, shes says she is unsure who filled out the paperwork in her name. She and her husband were both enthusiastic supporters of Bernie Sanders and were drawn to Wests progressive message earlier this year. They later took jobs gathering petition signatures to get an initiative on the ballot that would raise the wages of tipped workers. They soured on Wests candidacy when they read that Republican-aligned operatives were working to get him on the ballot to play spoiler. We werent for the Republican griminess, so we stopped pushing him, she said. Her former employer, a signature-gathering contractor called Wells Marketing, a mysterious Missouri limited liability company, is leading the effort to get West on the ballot in Arizona. The company, which state records say is based in Poplar Bluff, did not respond to a message seeking comment at a phone number listed for it. I dont know who did it. But because I worked for Wells (Marketing), they do have my information, said Mitchell. The company is closely affiliated with Mark Jacoby a brother-in-law of a Wells Marketing official, according to social media posts who was also listed on state documents as the employer of one signature-gatherer working to get West on the ballot in the state. Jacoby is a Republican-aligned operative from California with a longstanding reputation for using deceptive tactics. He was convicted in 2009 of voter registration fraud, court records show. In 2020, Jacoby worked to gather signatures to place the rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, on the ballot. Yes quixotic presidential campaign was widely viewed by Democrats as an effort to dilute Joe Bidens popularity with Black voters. Jacobys firm, Let the Voters Decide, was investigated for using questionable signature gathering tactics during a 2020 petition drive in Michigan that sought to roll back some of Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmers emergency powers during the coronavirus pandemic. No charges came of the investigation. He was accused in 2008 of tricking voters into registering with the California Republican Party by telling them they were signing an initiative to strengthen penalties for child molesters, the Los Angeles Times reported. Jacoby did not answer a call at a number listed to him and his voicemail inbox was full. Similarly unusual efforts have unfolded in other states, as well. In April, The Washington Post reported pro-Trump activist Scott Presler was gathering signatures for West outside a Trump rally in North Carolina. In a video posted online, Presler described West, an academic, as a far-left Marxist who if we get him on the ballot he could take a percentage point away from Biden. But Republican involvement in getting West and his Justice For All party on the ballot in North Carolina ran far deeper. At the beginning of June, disclosures show, West had spent just $2,400 this year to gather the signatures needed to qualify for the ballot in states across the U.S. But then Justice For All submitted well over the roughly 13,800 signatures needed. State government emails obtained by The Associated Press show current and former employees of Blitz Canvassing, a Republican firm that earned millions of dollars doing work for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, helped West pull off the feat. The emails, previously reported by NBC News, show the employees affiliated with Blitz Canvassing were the designated representatives to pick up and drop off petitions for Wests campaign. Ballot access hijinks are nothing new in Arizona, where elections are often decided by fractions of a percentage point. This year, a leader of the conservative group Turning Point Action resigned from the organization and dropped his bid for reelection to the Arizona House of Representatives after he was accused of forging signatures on his nominating petitions. Slodysko reported from Washington. Puzzles are a great test of memory, concentration and visual acuity. These quick and interesting tasks bring long-term benefits by stimulating the prefrontal cortex. ADVERTISIMENT We suggest testing yourself with an interesting test. Try to find a cactus as quickly as possible. You have a high IQ and keen eyesight if you can spot a cactus among the indoor plants in less than 12 seconds. On average, it takes 55 seconds to find a hidden cactus, but the most attentive and intelligent can do it much faster. Solving puzzles and optical illusions provides cognitive stimulation, promoting mental agility and flexibility. Regular mental training improves analytical thinking and problem-solving abilities. Intellectual challenges encourage thinking outside the box, fostering creativity and creativity. Working on optical illusions and puzzles requires focus, which promotes better focus. ADVERTISIMENT Were you able to complete the task quickly? The correct answer is below. Subscribe to OBOZ.UA channels in Telegram and Viber to be aware of the latest events. A Navy MH-60S Seahawk lands at Long Beach Daugherty Field Airport during Los Angeles Fleet Week on May 22, 2024. (Jacob I. Allison/U.S. Navy) Ten crew members from two U.S. Navy helicopters involved in a training mishap Thursday evening in Nevada were treated and released from a nearby hospital, the Navy said in a news release Friday. The Navy is investigating the incident involving two MH-60S Seahawk helicopters during routine training on ranges at Naval Air Station Fallon, Nev. The Seahawks, each carrying a crew of five, are assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 12. Security personnel from the air station secured the mishap site, which is on the Fallon Range Training Complex in a remote location, the Navy said. No details were provided as to the nature of the mishap. The squadron, assigned to Carrier Air Wing 5, is currently at Naval Air Station Fallon for comprehensive training, the Navy said. Carrier Air Wing 5 is part of Forward-Deployed Naval Forces-Japan at Yokosuka. It will remain the carrier wing as the aircraft carrier USS George Washington becomes the Navys forward-deployed carrier in the Pacific, swapping places with the USS Ronald Reagan, the Navy said. The Navys Seahawk helicopters have in recent years been involved in a number of mishaps, one deadly. In August 2021, five sailors died when their Seahawk flipped off the deck of the carrier USS Abraham Lincoln off the coast of San Diego. Another five sailors were injured in the incident. Two separate incidents in October 2018 involved MH-60s. Twelve personnel were injured when a Seahawk crashed on the USS Ronald Reagans flight deck in the Philippine Sea. The helicopter was attempting an emergency landing shortly after takeoff. That same month, a pair of Seahawks crashed on a runway at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa. No one was injured in the crash, but the aircraft sustained serious damage. National Guard members and demonstrators are seen at the 1968 Chicago Democratic Convention. (WikiMedia Commons/Fred Mason/ Liberation News Service) Fifty-six years ago, divided Democrats braved raging street protests against the Vietnam War to hold their 1968 convention in Chicago. The party gathers this week for the Democratic National Convention in the same city with anger simmering over another far-away war, this time in Gaza. But leaders hope to avoid the images of chaos and violence on the streets outside that derailed their chances of winning the White House in 1968. Pro-Palestinian protesters are vowing to fill the streets of the Windy City with loud demonstrations of up to 25,000 people expected to demand a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to U.S. military support for Israel. With peace talks stalled, progressive demonstrators are livid at President Biden for failing to stop the war, which has dragged on for 10 months since the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack, or at least rein in the aggressive military stance of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In some ways, the tumult mirrors the scene in 68, when an unpopular President Lyndon Johnson, who oversaw the escalation of the war in Vietnam, abandoned his reelection bid and Vice President Hubert Humphrey was vying to take over the mantle ahead of a fall election against Republican Richard Nixon. But there are major differences which may limit the peril for Team Blue. Kamala Harris has largely unified Democrats in just a few weeks after President Biden stepped aside and handed her the baton. The party is remarkably unified behind what many see as an existential battle to defeat former President Donald Trump. Thats a big difference from Humphrey, who faced widespread opposition within the party over his support for the war in Vietnam, which was also a much more serious issue than Gaza because American soldiers were fighting and dying on the battlefield. Humphrey was also grappling with rifts between the Democrats working-class base and youthful leftist protesters, as well as deep splits over the civil rights movement. Harris, on the other hand, says she shares protesters concerns about the war in Gaza and has sought to carve out a bit of distance between herself and Biden even as she mostly stands by his side. The presumptive presidential nominee has vowed to meet with members of the so-called uncommitted movement of pro-Palestinian Democrats who won slots as delegates on a platform of protest against Bidens handling of the war, although she has balked at their demand for talks over cutting arms to Israel. Harris has already gotten a taste of pro-Palestinian protests as she held a round of successful rallies with her vice-presidential running mate Tim Walz. She silenced a heckler who interrupted her sprawling rally in Detroit: If you want Trump to win, say that. Otherwise Im speaking. But she took a more sympathetic tack in Phoenix the next day. The president and I are working around the clock every day to get that ceasefire deal done and bring the hostages home, she said. I respect your voices, but we are here to now talk about the race in 2024. 2024 New York Daily News. Visit nydailynews.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. On Sept. 10, 1944, U.S. Navy Reserve Lt. Jay R. Manown Jr., took off from the USS Enterprise aboard a TBM-1C Avenger, to conduct air strikes against enemy targets in the South Pacific. The plane was struck by enemy fire and crashed. There were no indications that Manown or the other two crewmembers exited the stricken aircraft prior to the crash, and all efforts to recover their remains were initially unsuccessful. (Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency) MORGANTOWN, W. Va. (Tribune News Service) Together, they were their own war movie. Anthony Di Petta. Wilbur Archie Mitts. Jay Manown Jr. For generations, this trio of aviators was feared forever lost to World War II and the ages when their Avenger aircraft was shot down Sept. 10, 1944, near the island of Palau in the South Pacific. Thanks to high-tech forensic analysis and recovery efforts, however, two of the heroes are now homeand a third is about to be. First, though, some history. Di Petta, the gunner, was born in Italy and grew up in New Jersey. He was a proud son of immigrants who mustered in to the military without hesitation when it came time to defend the homeland that was still new to his parentsand by then second nature to him. Mitts, the radioman and navigator, had All-American written all over him. With the nation still reeling from the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor, Mitts drove up the California coast from his home in Seaside to San Francisco, so he could enlist. At 26, Manown, the pilot and north-central West Virginian, was a couple of years older than his crewmates. He was a WVU graduate and Morgantown native who also had family in Kingwood. The lieutenant was working as a flight instructor with the U.S. Navy Reservesbut he quickly returned to active duty after Pearl Harbor. Manown had already flown several combat missions as he and Di Petta and Mitts did the final flight check on the deck of the U.S.S. Enterprise aircraft carrier that September morning nearly 80 years ago. Something in the air The island-hopping campaign in the South Pacific was particularly grueling and bloody. Stealth ambushes and close-quarter fighting abounded on the exposed beaches and dense jungles of those islands. Overhead, the skies werent just blackened with the ack-ack of anti-aircraft fire. They were also noisy, in a most deadly way. It was a lethal cacophony, punctuated by the deep-dive whines of the Japanese Zeros swooping in to engage the Americans in the air while also attacking invading destroyers lobbing their ordnance inland. Palau promised more of the same. The orders were to take out anti-aircraft positions and transport ships near the island nation almost equidistant to The Philippines and the coast of Japan. If you believe in that sort of thing, you could say grim, wartime averages finally caught up with the plane carrying the Mountain State native, the Californian and immigrant kid from New Jersey during the run. By eyewitness accounts, Manowns plane was slammed. It was last seen violently spinning into the waters of Malakai Harbor. No parachutes were spied. The We regret to inform you that your son is reported missing in action, telegrams from Western Union went out to three familiesand the Gold Stars went up in the windows of three boyhood houses that would never be the same. Or maybe those Gold Stars didnt go up. No bodies were fished out of the sea on Sept. 10, 1944, and five years later, the government declared the plane and its crew non-recoverable. A pilot, navigator and gunner, gone. Investigators speculated later that Manown took the full impact of an incoming round and was most likely killed instantlywhich is what this story is really about. Thats because Project Recover had its own mission. Bringing them home Project Recover is a civilian-based, nonprofit organization traveling the world searching for the soldiers who never got to come home from war. In its 30-year existence, it has accounted for more than 80 military personnel missing in action for decades from the former war zones of the world. The remains of 17 soldiers have been recovered and repatriated in recent years. Di Petta and Mitts are in that groupand Manown, as said, is soon going to be. A Project Recover team made a positive identification of the pilot in May through mitochondrial DNA analysis as well as an anthropological and circumstantial accounting of the scene, the team said, that also included the recovery of parts from the Manowns plane. The team talked about it for a feature in the March edition of Smithsonian magazine. Spent shells from the 50-caliber gun Di Petta fired from the turret during the tumult of the airborne battle were discovered in the bays waters that day, the team told the publication. So was a sheared sheet of metal from the cockpit there to protect the pilot, leading the team to speculate whether the front of the Avenger sustained a direct hit, which Manown, as the team said, wouldnt have survived. Now, the remains of the pilot are coming back to the Mountain State, where they will be interred with full honors in a service Oct. 29 at Maplewood Cemetery in Kingwood. Details will be released closer to that date, said Gene Hughes, a public affairs officer with the U.S. Navys POW /MIA Division in Tennessee. Thats for the family, Hughes said Friday from his office in Memphis. Right now, we just want to focus on the fact that Lt. Manown is coming home. For the fallen ... Meanwhile, home and family were the watchwords of this particular mission, the Project Recover team said after the announcement last week. Thats because the pilot is now joining his gunner and navigator on American soilafter all these years. A mini-Band of Brothers, they were and are. Once lost, now found. An act of amazing gracethrough science and mainly tenacity. A crew, forever young. Manown, as said, was the eldest on the plane, at 26 years of age. The poignancy of lives ended that were just getting started wasnt lost on the Project Recover team when the crash site was first identified in 2015. Team members read the poem, For the Fallen, in honor of the crew. It was written by the British poet Laurence Binyon, who, at the age of 46, went to work as an orderly at a military hospital in France in World War I. ... They went with songs to the battle, they were young, Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow. They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted ; They fell with their faces to the foe. They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them ... (c)2024 The Dominion Post (Morgantown, W.Va.) Visit The Dominion Post Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Tourists walk along the paths of the ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru in September 2023. Peru and several other South American countries, along with areas of the Caribbean, are seeing more of the Oropouche virus, the CDC warns. (Colleen Thomas/TNS) (Tribune News Service) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health alert on Friday warning of the increased risk of the Oropouche virus to travelers in the Americas, particularly those visiting the Amazon basin and areas in South America and the Caribbean where the disease has newly been spotted. Endemic in the Amazon, Oropouche is a virus spread by the bite of small flies and mosquitoes that can cause fevers, headaches and other ailments. The disease has recently been identified in Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia and Cuba, including in areas that have never before seen it. Between January and August, more than 8,000 cases have been reported, according to the CDC, including two deaths. There were also five cases where the virus was transmitted from mother to fetus where fetal death or congenital abnormalities were reported. Earlier this month, the World Health Organization and its regional office, the Pan American Health Organization, urged countries throughout the Americas to ramp up surveillance of the overlooked and underdiagnosed disease. Thats a difficult task, as Oropouche is often confused with another virus thats having a record-breaking year in the Americas: dengue. Oropouche and dengue both cause high fever, muscle and joint pain, nausea, vomiting and headaches, and the best way to distinguish between the two is through diagnostic tools. Oropouche causes symptoms in about 6 in 10 people it infects, and there are no specific vaccines or treatments for the disease. Its still not well understood what puts some people at risk of more severe health complications, the CDC said. Health authorities around the world are currently investigating the risk it poses to pregnant people. This year, U.S. and European travelers returning from Cuba and Brazil have contracted Oropouche. Now, the U.S. public health agency is advising that travelers who have symptoms consistent with the disease be evaluated and get tested for the virus. The CDC warned that measures are needed to prevent potential importation of the virus to the U.S., where theres no current evidence of local transmission. 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Ukrainian servicemen guard an area at a destroyed border crossing point with Russia, in the Sumy region, on Aug. 14, 2024, amid Russias invasion of Ukraine. (Roman Pilipey/ AFP/ Getty Images/ TNS) (Tribune News Service) With a foreign army fighting on Russian soil for the first time in 80 years, President Vladimir Putin gathered top officials Friday at his regular security council meeting for a report by Defense Minister Andrey Belousov. The main topic wasnt Ukraines shock seizure of territory in Russias Kursk border region. Putin said theyd discuss new technical solutions adopted during the special military operation, Russias euphemism for its war in Ukraine, in a brief televised excerpt. The Kremlins attempt to convey a sense of normality over the Ukrainian incursion is being replicated in state media. Theyve focused reporting mostly on efforts to bring humanitarian aid to the nearly 200,000 people whove fled their homes, as if theyre victims of flooding or some other natural disaster rather than the first foreign military intervention since World War II. The Kremlin doesnt want to send a message that the enemy is at the gate, said Olga Oliker, Director for Europe & Central Asia at the International Crisis Group in Brussels. They dont want to send a message of Ukraines strength and their own weakness. Ukraine says its continuing to expand operations in Kursk and controls dozens of villages and towns with the incursion in its second week. Russias Defense Ministry has rushed reinforcements to try to restore control, so far without success. Authorities have also declared a state of emergency in the neighboring Belgorod region, where officials report mounting cross-border attacks from Ukraine. Its a stunning reversal for Russia more than 900 days after Putin ordered the February 2022 invasion that was meant to deliver a swift victory. Ukraines military strike caught its allies in the U.S. and Europe by surprise, too, where some had long worried that allowing Kyiv to carry the war into Russia would be a red line provoking a harsh response from Putin maybe even a nuclear one. The Pentagon said the U.S. was still trying to learn more about Ukraines objectives after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke by phone to his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov on Wednesday. The Kremlin appears reluctant even to admit an invasion took place, saying Putin discussed current issues with top officials on what he called the situation on the border at a meeting on Monday. It goes without saying that the main objective for the Defense Ministry is to force the adversary to withdraw from our territory, Putin said, threatening a strong response. Still, tensions bubbled into view at the meeting. Putin abruptly interrupted the acting governor of Kursk region, Alexey Smirnov, when he began to describe the scale of the Ukrainian operations, telling him to concentrate on providing aid to displaced residents and leave military assessments to the army. Even as state television plays down the crisis, concern is growing among Russians. An Aug. 9-11 survey of 1,500 people in 53 regions by the FOM polling company found 45% considered that their family and friends were in an anxious mood, a jump of 12 percentage points since July and the highest level in nearly a year. The proportion of Russians who said theyre unhappy with the countrys leadership spiked by 7 percentage points in the past two weeks to 25%, with more than half of FOMs respondents rating the Kursk incursion as the top news event. While alarm is growing, apathy remains the dominant public response, according to Mikhail Vinogradov, the head of the St. Petersburg Politics Foundation. Anxiety dominates, not the desire for revenge, he said. Russias President Vladimir Putin, right, chairs a meeting on Aug. 12, 2024, in his residence in Novo-Ogaryovo outside Moscow, regarding the situation in the Kursk region. (Gavriil Grigorov/ Pool/ AFP/ Getty Images/ TNS) Putin wants to keep stress levels to a minimum among Russians, whore already unhappy about the failure to achieve the presidents goals in Ukraine, according to Sergei Markov, a political consultant close to the Kremlin. But the authorities have a Plan B and if society demands everything is done to achieve victory then well carry out a mobilization, he said. Public reaction will likely remain muted as theres no great desire within the population to go and fight, according to Denis Volkov, director of the independent Levada Center pollster in Moscow. The proportion favoring peace talks rose to 58% at the end of July, the highest since February 2022, he said. The Defense Ministry in Moscow said Friday its troops were continuing attempts to repel Ukrainian forces in a statement that claimed to have destroyed hundreds of armored combat vehicles including dozens of tanks since the Aug. 6 incursion began. While the claims couldnt be independently verified, they inadvertently presented an image of a major intervention that Russias security and defense establishment failed to anticipate and prevent. Ukraine says its taken many Russian troops prisoner in the operation including 102 on Wednesday, the largest single group of Moscows soldiers to surrender since the beginning of the war. After months on the back foot in fighting in eastern Ukraine, the assault in Kursk has boosted morale among Kyivs forces even as Russia continues to make gains in the Donetsk region. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the incursion into Kursk a security issue for Ukraine, to free areas near the border from Russian troops. He has vowed to take the next important key steps to hold the initiative, without elaborating. For the Kremlin, the risk is that the more people flee their homes and the longer Ukrainian troops remain on Russian territory, the weaker Putin may start to look as the guarantor of the nations security. Putin avoids emotional statements so that he doesnt have to act radically, especially in circumstances where hes not sure he has the resources to act tough, said Vinogradov. In any crisis, he prefers to take a pause and wait. With his region now on the front line of the war, Smirnov, the acting Kursk governor, has changed his portrait photo on his Telegram channel. It shows him dressed in a khaki green shirt. 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Destroyed cars are reflected in a pool of water after a Russian airstrike on residential neighbourhood in Sumy, Ukraine, on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024. (Evgeniy Maloletka/AP) A Russian missile strike sparked a blaze in the Ukrainian city of Sumy Saturday, while Ukrainian forces continued to push into Russias Kursk border region. Two people were injured in the Sumy strike, which also damaged cars and nearby buildings, said Ukraines State Emergency Service. It said that the hit had involved an Iskander-K cruise missile and an aerial bomb. Ukraines air force also said it had shot down 14 Russian drones overnight, including over the Kyiv region. Meanwhile, fighting continued in Russias Kursk region, where Ukrainian troops have been deployed since Aug. 6 in a bid to divert the Kremlins military focus away from the front line in Ukraine. Alexander Kots, military correspondent with the pro-Kremlin newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda, said that Ukrainian pressure in Kursk is not weakening yet. In the main sections of the ragged front, the situation has stabilized. But there are areas where the enemy continues to try to expand its bridgehead, he wrote on his Telegram channel. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Friday that Ukraine had destroyed a bridge across the Seim River in the Glushkovsky district with U.S.-made HIMARS rockets, marking their first use in the Kursk region. Zakharovas statement couldnt be independently confirmed, although the Washington-based think tank the Institute for the Study of War said that geolocated footage published on Aug. 16 showed that the bridge had collapsed following the strike. Russian military bloggers said that the destruction of bridges would impede deliveries of supplies to Russian forces, but not cut them off completely. No one has canceled the pontoons, said Kots, stressing that the Seim River is smaller than Ukrainian waterways such as the Dnieper River. And there are still smaller bridges. Russia has seen previous raids on its territory in the war, but the Kursk incursion is notable for its size, speed, the reported involvement of battle-hardened Ukrainian brigades and the length of time they have stayed inside Russia. As many as 10,000 Ukrainian troops are involved, according to Western military analysts. The incursion, which Russian authorities say has led to the evacuation of more than 120,000 civilians, came as a shock to many, Yan Furtsev, an activist and member of local opposition party Yabloko, told the AP. No one expected that this kind of conflict was even possible in the Kursk region. That is why there is such confusion and panic, because citizens are arriving (from front-line areas) and theyre scared, very scared, he said. Ukrainian forces have also captured a number of Russian troops as they have moved across the region. On Friday, the AP visited a detention center in Ukraine, the location of which cannot be disclosed due to security restrictions. Dozens of POWs were seen, some of them walking with their hands tied behind their backs while a guard led them down a corridor. Some had rations of a thin soup with cabbage and onions. On Saturday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Ukrainian soldiers and commanders for capturing Russian military personnel and said the countrys exchange fund that it would use to bargain for the return of Ukrainian POWs was being replenished. I thank all our soldiers and commanders who are capturing Russian military personnel, thereby advancing the release of our warriors and civilians held by Russia, Zelenskyy said in a post on X. The German federal government will no longer provide financial assistance to Ukraine. Also, no new amounts will be allocated for military aid. All the aid already pledged (including for the next year) will be paid, but no new funds will be allocated. ADVERTISIMENT This was reported by Bild. Finance Minister Christian Lindner asked Defense Minister Borys Pistorius to stop payments to Ukraine. In a letter, Lindner wrote that "new measures" should be taken only if "funding is secured" in the budget plans for this and subsequent years. Payments that have already been approved should be received, and materials should be delivered. For 2024, funds of about eight billion euros have already been planned for Ukraine. The planned maximum limit for 2025 is four billion euros, and it is apparently already overbooked. However, additional requests from the Defense Ministry no longer have to be approved at the request of Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Budget expert Andreas Schwarz, who is responsible for defense policy, confirmed to the newspaper that "there will be no new orders" because "they are no longer funded." Budget politician Ingo Gedehns also confirmed the report and criticized it: "Any day now Olaf Scholz will freeze financial and thus military support for Ukraine." ADVERTISIMENT The good news is that Germany can use Russian money to finance Ukraine The Ministry of Defense and the Federal Ministry of Finance initially did not want to comment on the media reports. However, they later said that the federal government is working "in particular with the G7 and the EU to open a short-term financing instrument worth $50 billion for Ukraine using frozen Russian assets." "Bilateral German assistance remains at the highest level, but relies on the effectiveness of this instrument," the politicians said. Thus, Ukraine will receive a $50 billion loan from the G7 countries, which will be repaid from the proceeds of Russia's seized assets in the EU, the US, and partner countries. The seized assets of the Russian Federation are estimated at $280 billion, and this amount will not actually change after the loan is repaid at Russian expense. ADVERTISIMENT As reported by OBOZ.UA, the historic agreement will provide critical support to Ukraine in the medium term, helping to cover its financial needs until 2025 and beyond. Under the terms of the agreement, the United States, the European Union, and other participants will provide loans to Ukraine using the proceeds of frozen assets, which will be repaid over time. The loans will be structured in accordance with the internal procedures of each participant. Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! North Korea is reopening its borders - the state is going to start letting in international tourists for the first time since the pandemic in December. The DPRK was the first country in the world to fence itself off in response to the spread of COVID-19. ADVERTISIMENT Now the Chinese tour operator Koryo Tours has confirmed that this year they will be the first to take visitors across the border to North Korea - tourists will be able to visit the picturesque city of Samjiyon this winter. Thus, OBOZ.UA has collected 10 most surprising facts about this secluded country. The tallest building in North Korea is an abandoned hotel This pointed building in the center of the capital Pyongyang is the Ryugyong Hotel, also known as the "Hotel of Doom". It is 329 meters high and is the tallest uninhabited building in the world. Construction of the abandoned residence began in 1987. It has been stopped and started several times over the course of three decades due to North Korea's economic problems. The hotel has 105 floors and a revolving restaurant on the top level but has never been in operation. ADVERTISIMENT Women and men in North Korea have separate lists of hairstyles authorized by the government Women and men have separate lists of government-approved hairstyles. If someone tries to experiment, they should think about it again. Any hairstyle other than those approved by the government can lead to arrest. Their calendar is based on the founder's date of birth The whole world is living in the 21st century, but for the people of North Korea, it is still the 112th year of Juche. The North Korean Juche calendar begins on April 15, 1912, the date of birth of its founder, Kim Il Sung. The dream job for women in North Korea is being a traffic controller One of the most popular professions among young women in North Korea is being a traffic controller. However, they must correspond the following characteristics: single, attractive, and under the age of 26. ADVERTISIMENT North Korea has a three-generation punishment The DPRK still has the rule of three-generation punishment. This is the practice of punishing family members of a person accused of committing a crime, a form of collective punishment. Such punishments were historically practiced in Nazi Germany, China, Japan, South Korea, and now in North Korea. If a person is found guilty of a crime and sent to a prison camp, three generations of his or her family, including parents and grandparents, are also sent there and must remain there for life. North Korea bans information from the 'outside' world In 2015, Kim Jong-un issued a decree to cancel all cassettes and CDs with songs banned by the state, as the lyrics could cause dissent among citizens. There are a small number of authorized songs, most of which promote the country's political ideals. In addition, only 4 TV channels are allowed in the country (and all of them are about local news and propaganda) and 28 websites. ADVERTISIMENT North Korea has its own NASA The National Aerospace Technology Administration (NATA) is the official space agency of North Korea. It was founded on April 1, 2013. It used to be called the National Aerospace Development Administration (NADA), but the name was changed in September 2023. The company is responsible for the development of North Korea's space capabilities in connection with the principles of the North Korean Juche ideology and independence. The country has a whole 'propaganda village' On the border of North and South Korea, there is a "propaganda village" called Kijong-dong, a village that boasts of North Korea's economic success. However, people who have observed the village from South Korea have said that it is just one huge prop, with no one living there, and from time to time you can see workers sweeping the streets. It is believed to be a fake development show created to attract South Korean defectors and intimidate South Korea. ADVERTISIMENT North Korea produces miracle drug In 2016, North Korean state media reported that researchers had invented a new type of miracle drug. Made from rare earth elements, it is believed to have the potential to cure AIDS, eradicate certain cancers, and completely destroy the Ebola virus. Unfortunately for the rest of the world, scientists from the country refused to share the specific ingredients involved in the production of the drug. North Korean researchers have found unicorns In addition to miracle drug, unicorns also exist in North Korea. In 2012, the Korean Central News Agency reported a story about how researchers discovered a real unicorn lair in the country. This cave was allegedly the lair of one of the unicorns ridden by an ancient Asian leader known as King Tongmyong. Only verified information is available on OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! ADVERTISIMENT Raymond Parsons (70) was arrested at Beaumont Hospital after calling gardai scum and saying you wont arrest me A Dublin man arrested for hurling abuse at hospital staff and gardai was suffering from a brain injury that affected his decision-making, a court heard. Raymond Parsons (70) was arrested at Beaumont Hospital after calling gardai scum and saying you wont arrest me. Judge Bryan Smyth struck the case out, leaving him without a criminal record because of the extenuating circumstances of the case. Read more Boy (16) who allegedly stabbed army chaplain at barracks had come to garda attention for online terror reposts Parsons, with an address at Thornhill Lane, Mount Prospect Avenue, Clontarf, pleaded guilty to engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour. Dublin District Court heard Parsons had to be escorted from Beaumont Hospital on July 10 this year because he was causing annoyance to staff and patients. He was highly aggressive and gardai arrived and directed him to leave the area. Parsons indicated he understood and left, but shortly after that he returned and was abusive to hospital staff. He called gardai c**ts and scum and said f**k off, you wont arrest me. He was arrested, a garda sergeant said. The accused had no previous convictions. Parsons suffered a traumatic brain injury that had seriously affected his decision-making, his lawyer said. He was very, very sorry for what happened, but had no recollection of the incident. Martin Stout (57) had been trying to hand himself in to deal with a warrant for his arrest when he went to the station drunk on a misguided mission, his defence said. A grandfather who went to a garda station and threatened to shoot all the guards in Coolock had had a very tough year after his home was petrol-bombed, a court heard. Martin Stout (57) had been trying to hand himself in to deal with a warrant for his arrest when he went to the station drunk on a misguided mission, his defence said. Judge Bryan Smyth gave him a three-month suspended sentence. Stout, with an address at Ferrycarrig Drive, Coolock, pleaded guilty to public intoxication, engaging in threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour and failing to appear in court on an earlier date. Dublin District Court heard that on July 26 this year, Stout went to the public office of Store Street garda station at 1am, in a highly intoxicated state. He was shouting and had to use the counter to hold himself up. Gardai believed he was a danger to himself and others and when they told him to leave, he told them he was going to shoot someone. He said he was going to shoot all the guards in Coolock. Stout was also intoxicated in an earlier incident at Store Street station on June 13, when he was shouting, slurring his speech and staggering around. He was again arrested for his own safety. Defence solicitor Yvonne Bambury said, Stouts mission on the day was to go to the garda station to hand himself in as there was a bench warrant out for his arrest. The court also heard on October 12 last year, Stout was among a group of men drinking alcohol at Wolfe Tone Park near the Jervis Centre at 5.30pm. They were directed to leave the area but Stout could not get up to walk away and was arrested. When arrested, he stated that he did not know who he was, and threatened to shoot a garda. On August 24 last year, gardai saw the accused with no shirt on at Essex Street at 8.50pm. He smelled strongly of alcohol and was abusive, making threats that he would find out where gardai live. He was arrested and charged. Stout had previous public order convictions. The accused got into some kind of dispute and his house was petrol-bombed, Ms Bambury said. He ended up living in a hostel in the city centre and this had been the cause of a lot of his alcohol issues, along with the deaths of family members, the solicitor said. Stout had had a very tough year after he suffered recent bereavements. In the two incidents at Store Street station he had been on a misguided mission to deal with warrants, Ms Bambury said. Judge Smyth suspended the three-month sentence for a year. Ferdinant Nitu (22) was one of two attackers who set upon the man as he lay on the ground. Ferdinant Nitu (22) was one of two attackers who set upon the man as he lay on the ground A young man who kicked and punched another man outside Dublins GPO on St Patricks Day has been left without a criminal record. Ferdinant Nitu (22) was one of two attackers who set upon the man as he lay on the ground. Nitu, with an address at a north city centre B&B, pleaded guilty at Dublin District Court to assault on OConnell Street on March 17, 2020. He entered his plea earlier and the case came back before Judge Bryan Smyth for a restorative justice report. Read more Lavish Dublin home of Hutch supergrass Jonathan Dowdall goes sale agreed Defence solicitor Michael Kelleher said it was accepted by gardai that Nitu had been drawn into the incident by an older man, and had played a lesser part in the assault. The influence of this man was a big factor in Nitus involvement. Judge Smyth applied the Probation of Offenders Act. Previously, the court heard gardai were on patrol in a van when they saw Nitu and another man attacking the victim, who was lying on the ground in front of the GPO. Nitu was seen giving the victim at least one kick and one to two punches, the prosecuting garda said. The kick would have landed somewhere around the head, he said. Gardai found the victim conscious but unresponsive and bleeding from his head. He was brought to the Mater Hospital, where he spent two days being treated for a possible fracture to part of his inner ear, as well as swelling and bruising to his ribs, face and jaw. Mr Kelleher said there had been some sort of dispute between the victim and a member of Nitus family. Nitu had been immature and followed the older ringleader the solicitor said. Andrew Stephen Rae faces a single charge under the Terrorism Act in relation to the document allegedly found in his possession This is the man accused of having a list of alleged drug dealers with a threat that they would be shot. Andrew Stephen Rae faces a single charge under the Terrorism Act in relation to the document allegedly found in his possession. The 43-year-old appeared before Belfast Magistrates Court last week for a preliminary enquiry hearing which saw the case sent to the Crown court. He is accused of having the document on March 31, 2022. It is said to have likely been of use to anyone planning to commit a terrorist act. Rae, of Glenavon Road in Glasgow, stood in the dock and said no comment after the clerk asked if he wished to call any witnesses or provide any written statement for the hearing. District Judge Amanda Brady freed Rae on his own bail of 300 and ordered him to return to Belfast Crown Court on a date to be fixed. The charge he faces carries a maximum sentence of 15 years if convicted at the Crown Court level. According to her online escort profile, Cordovan welcomes prospective clients with seductive photographs along with a short blurb This is the Romanian sex worker turned alleged pimp who is accused of controlling the prostitution of a human trafficking victim. Appearing at Ballymena Magistrates Court by videolink on Thursday, 21-year-old Ondina Cordovan cut a very different presentation from her online profile on social media and Escort Ireland, where she advertises herself as Celine and provides massage services. Her hair tied up in a bun and wearing a police-issue grey tracksuit, Cordovan spoke through an interpreter to confirm her identity and that she understood the seven charges against her, including controlling prostitution, brothel keeping and four money-laundering offences. Cordovan, with an address at Bridge Street in the town, was also accused of having class B drug cannabis. While defence solicitor Garrett McCann revealed that Cordovan is herself a sex worker, the court did not hear any further details. According to her online escort profile, however, Cordovan welcomes prospective clients with seductive photographs along with a short blurb: Hello Gents. A little introduction about me. As a first I have to say that I am very pettite and fit. I am soft and gentle lady with good sense of humour. l am always open to a new things and experience as long it suits both of us. Ondina Cordovan Offering such services as naked massage, genital massage, body to body massage and happy ending, no charges are included on the profile. However, according to a detective involved in the proactive investigation, almost 200,000 has been siphoned through her bank account since 2019. Detective Constable Bickerstaff told the court that despite having no discernible income and no state benefits being paid to her, Cordovan had managed to have a turnover of 194,967 pass through her bank account. The court also heard that a co-accused, alleged driver 52-year-old Florin Ripan, had more than 200,000 pass through his account; a third accused, 27-year-old Ionut Duta, had managed to have an extra 30,000 allegedly unaccounted for over and above his 16,000 salary. On an indictment covering a global time span between January 2019 and August 13 this year, the four defendants Cordovan, Duta, Ripan and 31-year-old Gabriel Orhean are jointly charged on four charges including controlling prostitution for gain, entering an arrangement to acquire criminal property, and using and concealing criminal property. In addition, Orhean faces a further accusation of driving while disqualified. Only Orhean did not lodge an application for bail, and was remanded into custody until September 12. During the contested applications for bail for the remaining three, DC Bickerstaff told the court the charges arose as a result of a proactive investigation led by the modern slavery and human trafficking team. That investigation, she told District Judge Nigel Broderick, focused on the activities of an organised crime gang involved in prostitution and money laundering. Ondina Cordovan DC Bickerstaff explained how the investigation began after police were contacted by a vulnerable female who had travelled from Romania to Dublin and was then initiated into sex work by the OCG (organised crime gang) based in Ballymena. According to the police case, Duta and Orhean transported the female from Dublin to a property in Omagh in June last year, and between then and December 2023, she was the subject of advertisements on adult websites for sexual services. Ripan, claimed the officer, was involved in transporting the alleged victim between a property in Ballymena and Omagh on numerous occasions, depending upon when she was required to have sex for payment, while Cordovan, according to the detective, is very much at the heart of the operation, allegedly providing the link between the OCG and the complainant, and has potentially the highest turnover of the accused. The detective said the police investigation had found evidence that each of the defendants were connected to each other through cash deposits, bank transfers and telecommunications data. The court heard how their victim, who speaks little English and was kept isolated only able to associate with the defendants also had a bank account but that the police believe the account was utilised by the OCG to launder money. DC Bickerstaff said that although the alleged victim has not yet made a formal statement, she is under the auspices of the National Referral Mechanism whereby victims of human trafficking or those coerced into the sex trade can be referred to multiple statutory agencies to support them. Turning to the police objections to bail, the officer said there were concerns the defendants could interfere with the vulnerable witness or with the investigation, revealing that the PSNI is actively seeking another suspect. There were also concerns, she told the court, that they could abscond or commit further offences. Judge Roderick refused bail. Their cases were adjourned to September 12. It is the first time the potent sedative and hypnotic drug has been identified in Ireland. Peter Kenny was one of the prisoners who overdosed HEALTH authorities have identified the drug which led to mass overdose among inmates in Portlaoise Prison as a synthetic benzodiazepine. Eleven inmates were hospitalised when they ingested a substance on the prisons C Wing that sparked a major emergency response his week. The drug that they ingested has now been identified as clobromazolam. It is the first time the potent sedative and hypnotic drug has been identified in Ireland. The overdoses came three weeks after the Irish Prison Service issued an urgent drug alert across prisons following the detection of the synthetic opioid nitazine, which can cause fatal overdose. However, the commonly used antidote to opioid overdose, naxalone, did not work on the affected inmates. The HSE Emerging Drug Trends lab has now confirmed there were no opioids involved in the overdoses this week, RTE have reported. Clobromazolam was first synthesized in the 1980s but was never developed for medical use. In recent years it has been sold as a designer drug. It was first detected in Sweden in March 2016 following a police seizure of capsules there. Professor Eamon Keenan, HSE addiction services' clinical lead, told RTE news that it is an extremely potent sedative type of drug. He said: "The situation at Portlaoise Prison recently is an example of how volatile the drug market is. New substances are appearing on the market and causing harm quickly." The HSE said the drug has not previously been identified in other community settings. Gangland killer Peter Kenny was one of the prisoners most affected following Tuesdays mass overdose. Kenny, who is serving life for the murder of drug dealer John Carroll in 2009, was admitted to intensive care and at one stage there were fears for his life. However, he is since said to be responding well to treatment. Another high-profile prisoner among those treated in hospital this week was drug dealer Tony McInerney who is serving a total of 27-years for attempted murder and running a cocaine factory. Tony McInerney Last year he pleaded guilty to the shooting in which an innocent by-stander was hit with a bullet in the buttock at Sixmilebridge in Co Clare in 2020. According to Prison Officer Association (POA) figures released in April, there was a 160pc increase in drug seizures in Irish jails from 2015 to the end of last year. During that time in Dublins Cloverhill Prison, drug seizures increased by 294pc from 104 to 410 per year. In a statement, Gabriel Keaveny, deputy general secretary of the POA, said: Over the years and at several annual conferences we have raised the issue of overcrowding and illegal smuggling of drugs into our prisons. Despite the best efforts of our members on the ground, no significant action has been taken by the authorities to address the drugs issue in our prisons. What has regrettably now occurred in Portlaoise Prison was somewhat inevitable. Suspect was being monitored by gardai before attack on Fr Paul Murphy (52), who is recovering in hospital Fr Paul Murphy thanked for the public for their good wishes in the wake of the attack A car wrapped in plastic at the scene of the attack at Renmore Barracks in Galway. Photo: PA A 16-year-old boy who is being questioned over the stabbing of an army chaplain, had been reposting propaganda from Islamist terrorist organisations after being radicalised online, gardai have established. The Irish Independent has learned he had come to the attention of specialist gardai and was being monitored before Thursday nights attack at a barracks in Galway because of the open nature of what the teenager was posting online. Within hours of chaplain Fr Paul Murphy (52) being attacked at 10.45pm on Thursday with a large bayonet-style knife at Renmore Barracks, detectives raided the family home of the boy and seized a number of devices including his laptop and mobile phones. The Special Detective Unit, which investigates terror offences, as well as computer specialists in the Garda Cyber Crime Unit, is now heavily involved in the investigation and is analysing the seized electronic equipment. The expectation is that more incriminating evidence will be found on these devices, but gardai are aware that this individual had been reposting fairly disturbing material from organisations affiliated with terror groups such as Isis (IS) and Al-Qaida in recent months, a source said. He was doing this openly and regularly online while using his own name the belief is that he got radicalised himself within the course of the past year, possibly by getting involved in internet group chats. It can be revealed that the teenager was particularly obsessed about the Islamist insurrection in the African country of Mali that is being led by Al-Qaida-backed militants. The Defence Forces had been deployed to Mali for almost 10 years where they were involved in training and peacekeeping as well as counter-terrorism missions before pulling out of the war-torn country last September. The Irish Armys previous presence in Mali seems to have fixated the suspect for some reason and while carrying out the knife attack on Thursday night, he made a number of comments about Mali, added the source. Some of what he said at the scene of the assault as well as his internet history is forming a big part of the terrorism investigation. Detectives have uncovered no evidence that the teenager had posted any previous threats against the Defence Forces and all the current information is that he acted as a lone wolf. There is no evidence yet that he has recruited anyone and there is nothing at all to suggest that there is a radical terror cell operating in Galway, the source said. There is also no evidence that he was in direct contact with anyone from the Islamist terror groups. The teenager had been living in the Galway city area with his family, who originally came to the country from the UK. He had been radicalised relatively recently, but there can be no doubt that he was showing open support online to Islamist terrorist organisations, the source said. He was reposting this material rather than generating it himself. It is expected that Fr Murphy will recover from his injuries. He had surgery yesterday in hospital after suffering stab wounds to his arms. Before his surgery, the chaplain reassured his parish and friends in a Facebook message that he was OK. Originally from Co Waterford, Fr Murphy has been a chaplain in the Defence Forces for decades and has served on a number of overseas missions. He was initially stabbed as he sat in his car when he pulled up at the gates of Renmore Barracks, waiting for the gate to open. The car drove through the gate as the teenager allegedly continued the attack. Members of the Defence Forces fired a number of warning shots in an attempt to prevent the teenage suspect from further injuring the chaplain. Five shots were fired in the air before up to three Defence Forces personnel wrestled the suspect to the ground and detained him before the gardais Armed Support Unit arrived at the scene a short time later. A Defence Forces spokesman said: 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 suspect continued to be questioned last night by gardai who are investigating both the stab attack as well as potential serious terrorist charges. Taoiseach Simon Harris said he had been briefed on the shocking incident and his thoughts were with Fr Murphy. I want to thank the Defence Forces personnel and gardai for their action and response, he said. Sonya Egan refused medical help at Limerick Prison this week A WOMAN in prison for a relentless campaign of false allegations against a politician, a senior garda, solicitors and social workers, has launched another hunger strike. Sonya Egan refused medical help at Limerick Prison this week after an ambulance had been called due to her medical condition, according to Sunday World sources. Such is her condition that even if she chooses to end her hunger strike she will still need hospital treatment, it was added. Egan got a four-year sentence last May while already serving a two-year sentence for harassing Sinn Fein TD Jonathan OBrien. She had been refusing food before being sentenced at Cork Circuit Court over the dozens of complaints against her. Judge Catherine Staines said that she refused to be 'manipulated' by the actions of a woman capable of extreme manipulation as she imposed a four-year prison sentence. A former social worker and described as a pathological liar, Egan chose not to go to court for the sentence hearing. At the time she had been transferred from the Dochas Centre to Limerick Prison. The Sunday World previously reported she had made unfounded complaints that rumors had been spread about her getting pregnant while in the Dublin prison. Staff and medics in prison may not be able to intervene in a hunger strike if a prisoner has clearly indicated they dont want to be resuscitated. Last year, the High Court in a separate case ruled that authorities must respect a prisoners wishes not to take food or his medication for a chronic condition. It was heard the prisoner was lawfully protesting his perceived problems with certain State institutions. Sources have described Egan as a very difficult and manipulative prisoner. Judge Staines said that the malicious, vindictive campaign of unfounded allegations made by Egan had caused untold damage to her victims. Referring to victims statements the judge said that one man told that the allegations made against him had ruined his reputation and ended his career. She said the who man, had dedicated his life to child protection, was accused by Egan of being involved in a paedophile ring. Egan had destroyed the name of another man on social media accusing him of sexual abuse. While formal investigations were taking place he had to stand aside. His reputation was ruined. The court was told that Egan often became 'fixated' with people who crossed her path and then subsequently accused them of serious crimes such as rape and sexual assault. She had a strategy of making false reports and statements against people after complaints of harassment were made about her. It was heard in court that Egan withdrew all the false complaints she made against six men and three women in Cork city over a five-year period. In 2002 she got a two-year sentence after her campaign of harassment against former Sinn Fein TD Jonathan OBrien by phoning and texting him over 5,500 times in six months. She publicly alleged on Facebook several times that she had taken an overdose and that it was Mr O'Brien's fault. It was heard Egan had contacted him using over 20 different Facebook profiles, sent 100 texts some days and turned up at Leinster House demanding to speak to him. She also bombarded a local community activist and businesswoman with messages and posed as a barrister when she first met her. Egan wore barristers robes and claimed she came from family court when they arranged to meet over coffee. Lais Basilio (23) raised more than 5,000 through the fundraiser over the summer. Lais Basilio deleted most of her social media content after apologising for the fraud A Brazilian woman living in Ireland has admitted that she pretended to have cancer to swindle money on GoFundMe. Lais Basilio (23) raised more than 5,000 through the fundraiser over the summer, claiming that she learned she had cancer at the end of last year and desperately needed a bone marrow transplant. She said that she had not been working since the diagnosis and wasn't receiving any help from the government, instead living off her savings and asking friends for financial help. Lais Basilio deleted most of her social media content after apologising for the fraud "I decided to create this fundraiser to help me pay the bills and also because I want to bring my mother to be here with me. I thank everyone from the bottom of my heart and any help is welcome," the appeal said. In a video posted on an Instagram account back in May, Lais claims: I have been fighting cancer for many months and I am currently in need and have only 47 days to find a type O negative bone marrow donor. So, if you have blood type O negative, you have not consumed alcohol in the last three months, you have not had a tattoo during this period, you are between 18 and 35 years old, please contact me and I will send you a direct message. If you want to know a little more about my fight, my story too, you can take a look at my Instagram, there is a whole explanation and a summary and I would be very grateful if I could count on you. Thank you very much for everything. But internet sleuths soon began to grow suspicious of her tale when they noticed inconsistencies in her story and a woman who shared her story online later changed the caption of her video to say that Lais just confessed to being a fraud, adding that her cancer claims were all lies. Oi.ie reports that concerned members of the Brazilian community in Ireland questioned her on why she never appeared in the hospital photos she posted and claimed she was spotted in a Dublin nightclub the day after her supposed bone marrow transplant. On Saturday, August 10, Basilio posted an Instagram apology video admitting her deceit. I started this by showing my face here, and Ill end it by showing my face. Im here to take responsibility for this, and I would really like to apologise to the entire Brazilian community and the entire oncology society. I sincerely hope that after this passes, you all continue to receive support, she said. She also stated that her family and friends were unaware of her bogus fundraiser, which has since been taken down. Its important to make clear that none of my family members were involved. I did everything by myself. Regardless of what happens, Im ready to take responsibility for this. They believed it just like everyone else. I hope you forgive me and that everything can be resolved in the best possible way, she added. A spokesperson for GoFundMe confirmed that the 279 people who contributed to the fundraiser will get their money back in a statement to sundayworld.com, saying: As is always the case on GoFundMe, donors are covered by the GoFundMe guarantee and will be refunded. Community group Amor, Simples de Doar, which supports Brazilians with cancer in Ireland and had previously platformed Basilios fundraiser, said it was deeply disappointed by the incident. "We are deeply disappointed with the recent news, but we will not stop. There are other people who really need help, and we will focus our energy on continuing to give love and support," a spokesperson said in a social media post. "We would like to reinforce that our group, Amor, Simples de Doar, was raised with love and dedication, counting on the collaboration of volunteers motivated by a genuine desire to help. It is important to clarify that our group is not an NGO, does not have lucrative purposes and does not receive any type of financial resource from the campaigns that we disclose. These bells are raised by their own patients or by their families. Sangha (41) and four others were arrested and charged on Thursday with providing the Friends star with the ketamine that killed him on October 28 last year, authorities confirmed. Jasveen Sangha has been charged on several counts in connection to the death of Matthew Perry Pictures of lavish holidays, photoshoots and expensive nights out adorn the Instagram page of Jasveen Sangha, the so-called Ketamine Queen who has been charged in connection with Matthew Perrys death by drug overdose. Sangha (41) and four others were arrested and charged on Thursday with providing the Friends star with the ketamine that killed him on October 28 last year, authorities confirmed. 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, Mr Iwamasa and Mr Fleming worked with the two doctors to procure large quantities of ketamine for Perry. Ms Sangha, meanwhile, is accused of supplying the late actor 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. In the days leading up to Perrys death, Mr Iwamasa administered at least 15 shots of ketamine to him, all of which were supplied by Ms Sangha, according to the indictment. So, who is Ms Sangha the woman known as The Ketamine Queen of North Hollywood? Before her arrest, she appears to have enjoyed going on lavish holidays and club hopping in LA with friends. Photos shared on her Instagram account appear to show her enjoying a trip to Japan on last November 8 less than two weeks after Perry died. In the posts, which she labelled 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 a getaway to Mexico last February. Ms Sangha posted pictures sunning herself by a pool, as well as images where she is overlooking a beach, drinking cocktails. In the days leading up to Perrys death, Mr Iwamasa administered at least 15 shots of ketamine to him, all of which were supplied by Ms Sangha, according to the indictment. She has also posed for a number of photoshoots, including one holding a gun that shoots fake dollar bills. Play money, but dont be playing with my money, she wrote on the caption. Besides Perry, Ms Sangha has also been linked to an another tragic drug-related death, according to prosecutors. In August 2019, she allegedly sold ketamine to Cody McLaury (38) in the hours before he died from an overdose. Following his death, Mr McLaurys family members sent Ms Sangha a text message saying her ketamine had killed him, prosecutors said. After receiving the message, Ms Sangha conducted a Google search for can ketamine be listed as a cause of death? prosecutors said. According to the indictment, she continued to sell ketamine from her stash house after Mr McLaurys death. Mr Estrada described Ms 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. Ms 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. Ms Sanghas involvement allegedly began when Dr Plasencia who had allegedly been providing the drug began having supply issues. Dr Plasencia saw Perry (54) as a cash cow, the indictment suggests, citing text messages he sent to Dr 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 Dr Chavez, Dr Plasencia described meeting Perry as like a bad movie. Dr 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. Mr Plasencia also taught Mr Iwamasa how to inject Perry with ketamine, leaving the drug and a supply of syringes behind for him in exchange for $4,500 (4,090), according to the indictment. At the beginning of last October, the indictment says Mr Iwamasa texted Dr Plasencia an order for eight vials of ketamine, referring to them as 8 bottles of dr pepper. On October 12 last year, Dr 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 Dr Plasencia began having supply issues, Perrys go-betweens branched out to Ms 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, Ms Sangha provided him with ketamine lollipops as an add-on. In the days leading up to Perrys death, Mr Iwamasa administered at least 15 shots of ketamine to him, all of which were supplied by Ms Sangha, according to the indictment. It says Mr Iwamasa gave Perry the final three doses of ketamine purchased from Ms Sangha, using needles provided by Dr Plasencia, on October 28, 2023 the date the actor was found dead in his hot tub. Later that same day, the indictment says Ms Sangha messaged Mr Fleming on the Signal messenger app, writing: Delete all our messages.( The Independent) Greece, like most southern European countries, suffers from an excessive number of tourists. But even here, you can find corners where you can hide from people and have a great vacation. ADVERTISIMENT According to the Express, the hidden gem of the country is the small island of Lemnos. There are almost no tourists here, and the landscape in some places resembles the Sahara desert rather than the lush northern Mediterranean. Lemnos is located in the northern part of the Aegean Sea. The terrain here is mostly flat, and the local population is only 16,000 people with a small population. In the north of Lemnos, there is an area where there are solid sands and real dunes can be seen. This area is called the "sands of Lemnos" or Pachies Amotines. The arid area covers seven hectares. Scientists assume that the unusual natural area arose due to the combined influence of the sea and winds. In prehistoric times, the sands of Lemnos were seabed, and over time, the local climate prevented them from turning into fertile land. Nowadays, only a few species of shrubs grow here, and in summer you can see the blooming of sea daffodils. At sunset, rabbits come out of their hiding places, having found comfortable conditions for themselves here. ADVERTISIMENT After passing through the unusual "desert", you will see an "oasis" Gomati Beach. An abandoned tank that has been standing by the sea for many years makes it an unusual tourist attraction. The climate on Lemnos is Mediterranean. The average temperature here is 29.5 C in July and 10.7 C in January. At noon in Pachies Amotines, it may seem warmer due to the hot sands. Experienced tourists do not recommend visiting this unusual location during the daytime. During the heat, the hot sand can cause severe discomfort. The main city and port of Lemnos is Mirina. It is located on the west coast of the island. Many of the local streets are paved with stone cobblestones. The city's main attraction is the ancient fortress. It acquired its current outline in the 13th century thanks to the efforts of the Venetians, but in the 18th century, the monument was severely damaged by the Russians, who during the Russo-Turkish War organized a siege of Mirina. The fortress is now open to the public. ADVERTISIMENT The second largest settlement on the island is the town of Moudros, built on the shores of the bay of the same name, which is considered one of the best natural harbors in the Aegean region. Tourism on Lemnos is not very developed, which makes it a great place for relaxation and solitude. The airport accepts international flights, but there are also ferries from the mainland for those who like to travel by sea. Subscribe to OBOZ.UA channels in Telegram and Viber to keep up with the latest events. Two men have brought their love of Spanish-style cooking to Tauranga Farmers Market to raise money for the local branch of AphasiaNZ. Aphasia is a language disorder that affects a persons ability to communicate. It can occur suddenly after a stroke or head injury, or develop slowly. Brothers Locky and Scott Mulholland have been cooking paella in their spare time for years and recently moved to the Bay to be closer to family. Their father has aphasia, so when the pair came up with the idea of fundraising, the local support group felt like the right fit. AphasiaNZ is not government-funded, its purely a charitable trust, says Lockie. The club here in Tauranga is absolutely tremendous in keeping people together, understanding what the condition is and how to deal with it. From a familys perspective its very important to us. Locky describes aphasia as having your mind functioning 100 per cent but with your speech or writing being impaired. You can get the thought out but it takes longer. As a family member, patience is the key, he says. Sometimes Dad can be very quick and then other times he finds it hard to link the words together. Scott and Locky are using produce from other stallholders to cook paella fresh at the beginning of each market; one traditional version with seafood and chorizo, plus a gluten-free option with chicken and chorizo. Farmers Market manager Megan McVeigh says the brothers food stall Bella Paella has fitted in well with the weekly event. It was just what the market needed, she says. The market itself is non-profit and were very community-minded so we really love that theyre raising money for AphasiaNZ. New Zealands plasma supply is at a tipping point, as demand for this liquid gold in our blood continues to increase by more than 10 per cent year on year. This National Blood Donor Week, New Zealand Blood Service is calling for New Zealanders to Be Golden by becoming a plasma donor. Currently just 17,435 people are plasma donors. Together they donated 94,000 units of plasma last year to help ensure the country could keep up with demand. But with plasma collection targets projected to grow by 50 per cent in the next three years, NZBS need more people to join their pool of plasma donors right now to help share the load and ensure they can meet future demand. NZBS acting CEO Josh Bankers says plasma is the golden coloured liquid component of our blood and a vital part of many peoples treatments for cancer, auto immune diseases and countless other conditions. It can be turned into 11 lifesaving treatments, and used for more than 50 illnesses, as well as helping to treat burn victims, kidney and chemotherapy patients, people whove lost a lot of blood, or have recently had major surgery, and boost the immune system of people who cannot make antibodies of their own, says Josh. [Thats why] We call plasma liquid gold. We need to collect just over 2100 plasma donations every week to keep up with the current demand, but were falling short by about 250 donations every week. Josh estimates that, in the next 12 months, NZBS needs 1500 more people to start donating plasma regularly. And by 2026 were projecting we will need around 28,000 plasma donors in total to keep up with growth in demand. A plasma donation takes around 45 minutes; and red cells and platelets are returned to the donor and only the plasma component is kept. You can donate plasma every two weeks. For more information, and to donate plasma, visit: www.nzblood.co.nz/give-plasma - SunLive Heavy rain, snow, and strong winds are forecast for parts of central and southern New Zealand, says a MetService spokeperson. "An active trough of low pressure moves eastwards across the country this weekend, bringing heavy rain and strong winds to many areas of the North Island and the South Island. "In addition, heavy snow is possible for inland parts of northern Canterbury and Marlborough on Sunday, and then the lower South Island on Monday." People are advised to keep up to date in case further areas are added or upgraded. Heavy Rain Warnings are in place for eastern Bay of Plenty east of SH2, the far northwest ranges of Tairawhiti/Gisborne, Tararua Range, and Mount Taranaki. A Heavy Rain Warning is in place for the ranges of eastern Bay of Plenty east of SH2, also the far northwest ranges of Tairawhiti/Gisborne. The warning is valid for 13 hours from 8pm Saturday, August 17 to 9am Sunday, August 18. During this time, a period of heavy rain and possible thunderstorms, with 90 to 130 mm of rain is expected, with peak intensities of 15 to 20 mm/h overnight tonight. "Additional brief periods of heavy rain are possible from Sunday afternoon through to Monday morning, but these look less likely to reach warning criteria," says a MetService spokeperson. A Heavy Rain Warning is also in place for the Tararua Range for 25 hours from 9pm Saturday, August 17 to 10pm Sunday, August 18. During this time, periods of heavy rain from 120 to 180 mm are expected, with peak intensities of 15 to 20 mm/h. There is also a Heavy Rain Warning in place for Mount Taranaki/Taranaki Mounga for 23 hours from 3pm Saturday, August 17 Aug to 2pm Sunday, August 18. Periods of heavy rain and possible thunderstorms are expected with 120 to 160 mm of rain, and peak intensities of 10 to 15 mm/h. Rain may in this Mount Taranaki region may ease for a time on Sunday morning. There is a minimal chance of the warnings for the Tararua Range, eastern Bay of Plenty, Tairawhiti/Gisborne and Mount Taranaki regions upgrading to a Red Warning. "Streams and rivers may rise rapidly. Surface flooding, slips, and difficult driving conditions possible. Clear your drains and gutters to prepare for heavy rain. Avoid low-lying areas and drive cautiously." Monday, August 19 2024 A strong cold southwesterly flow is expected to bring snow down to low levels over the south of the South Island. There is a moderate confidence that warning amounts of snow will accumulate above about 400 metres in Central Otago south of Lake Wakatipu and Roxburgh, Clutha, Southland and Fiordland south of George Sound. A watch for heavy snow has already been issued for these areas. Tuesday August 20 2024 A ridge of high pressure brings settled weather to much of the country and severe weather is unlikely. Wednesday August 21 2024 A ridge of high pressure brings settled weather to much of the country and severe weather is unlikely. Thursday August 22 2024 A front preceded by a strong moist northerly flow is expected to move east onto the South Island on Thursday. There is a moderate confidence that this front will bring warning amounts of rain to Fiordland and the south of Westland and a low confidence that northwesterly gales will become severe in Fiordland and Southland. The Little Bone Broth Company is recalling all batches and all dates of its Premium Free Range Chicken Green Thai Curry Broth, Premium Free Range Chicken Broth and Premium Grass Fed Beef Broth as there is incomplete information on the process controls. The products are sold in a 500ml stand up pouch with a spout, at Fresh Choice, New World and Pakn Save supermarkets, and retail outlets throughout New Zealand. The products are sold via their online website: The Little Bone Broth Company New Zealand Food Safety is supporting The Little Bone Broth Company in its recall of all batches and dates of its bone broths due to incomplete information on its food process controls. "The concern with these broths is that the company has produced them without having complete information on its food process controls. This means there is incomplete evidence of food safety hazards being correctly managed," says NZFS deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle. "Although there have been no reports of related illness, we are taking this precautionary approach because broth produced without the necessary food safety measures could make people sick." The product range includes: Premium Free Range Chicken Broth 500ml Premium Grass Fed Beef Broth 500ml Premium Free Range Chicken Green Thai Curry Broth 500ml "These products should not be eaten. You can return them to the place of purchase for a refund. If thats not possible, throw them out," says Vincent. The broths are sold at selected supermarkets and retailers throughout New Zealand. Visit New Zealand Food Safetys recall page for more information and photographs of the affected product. If you have consumed any of these products and are concerned for your health, contact your health professional, or call Healthline on 0800 61 11 16 for free advice. The products have been removed from store shelves and have not been exported. "As is our usual practice, NZFS will work with The Little Bone Broth Company to prevent this problem recurring," says Vincent. The vast majority of food sold in New Zealand is safe, but sometimes problems can occur. Help keep yourself and your family safe by subscribing to our recall alerts. Information on how to subscribe is on the NZFS food recall page. Recalled food products list Five people have been arrested following a burglary in Tauranga on Friday night. Police were called to a service station on State Highway 2 in Bethlehem around 9.45pm. "The group arrived in two vehicles and allegedly smashed the night service window," says a police spokesperson. "They then entered the store and set off a fog cannon, before stealing a small amount of cash." Police quickly responding, locating one vehicle and five alleged offenders a short distance from the scene. "Four members of the group have been referred to Youth Aid in relation to the incident," says a police spokesperson. "The fifth person, a 23-year-old man has been charged with burglary and is due to appear in Tauranga District Court today." Enquiries are ongoing to locate the second vehicle. At the scene? Phone 0800SUNLIVE or email newsroom@thesun.co.nz It's time to enjoy some messy play this week and learn while having fun with playdough, gloop and paint. Playcentre Messy Play Week is a free event for whanau with pepi and tamariki aged 0-6 years, being held from Monday, August 19 to Friday, August 23 at Playcentres across New Zealand. "Playcentre Messy Play Week is a chance to have fun with your tamariki and to be involved in supporting them to learn through play, without the mess at home," says Playcentre Aotearoa chief executive David Moger. There will be a variety of messy play activities offered, such as painting, playdough, sand, clay, slime, gloop and more. Messy Play Week will run from August 19-23 at Playcentres across New Zealand. Photo: Playcentre Aotearoa. According to David messy play provides a range of learning opportunities for tamariki". It builds language and numeracy skills, supports physical development and provides opportunities for scientific exploration and relationship building," says David. "Most importantly though, it is lots of fun." Playcentre is a nationwide charity with more than 400 centres, where parents play and learn alongside their tamariki and make connections with other parents in their community. To get involved in Messy Play Week, you can make a booking to visit your local Playcentre at www.playcentre.org.nz Current Print Subscribers will be prompted to either login to their current site user account or to create a new one. A confirmation email will be sent when a new user account is created, which must be confirmed within three days in order to provide uninterrupted online access through your Print Subscription. Once the email address is confirmed please provide your Account Number to activate your Print Subscription Service. For those looking to step away from hectic routines and focus on their personal well-being, an Upstate New York retreat has been named the best place in America to find your ultimate zen. Dharmakaya Center for Wellbeing in Cragsmoor has been named the best meditation center in America by readers of USA Today. Uno Lai | @unolai on InstagramUno Lai | @unolai on Instagram The Dharmakaya Center for Wellbeing in Cragsmoor secured the number one spot on USA Todays list of top 10 meditation centers in the country. It also ranked #5 in the list of best wellness retreats in America. Dharmakaya Center for Wellbeing offers classes and retreats in meditation, mindfulness, yoga and more. @ashleyogii on Instagram | Provided photo@ashleyogii on Instagram | Provided photo Rooted in Tibetan Buddhist principles, Dharmakaya offers a variety of programs and retreats focused on meditation, mindfulness, yoga, and holistic healing. According to their website, their integrated practice involves the connection between both mental health and physical health. The cliff-top center, which opened in 2018, is situated on 90 acres on the Shawangunk Ridge, with amazing views of the Catskill Mountains. The area has long attracted artists looking to surround themselves in natures beauty with its rocky cliffs, waterfalls and glacial pools. In the mid-to-late 19th century, a colony of artists, from sculptors to painters to photographers came to Cragsmoor for inspiration. Much of this Hudson Valley town is considered historical landmarks. Dharmakaya Center for Wellbeing in Cragsmoor has been named the best meditation center in America by readers of USA Today. Uno Lai | @unolai on InstagramUno Lai | @unolai on Instagram Guests at Dharmakaya get to enjoy this bucolic scenery with access to walking paths and outdoor meditation spaces. USA Today notes that simple accommodations are offered on site in residence halls and rates include three organic vegetarian meals daily. More information on the programs at Dharmakaya Center for Wellbeing can be found on their website. On Saturday, August 17, in Kyiv, Ukraine, a medic with the Hospitallers medical battalion, Oleksandra Mulkevych, call sign "Mike," said goodbye to her. Friends, military, and concerned Ukrainians came to see her off. ADVERTISIMENT This was reported by journalist Yehor Shumikhin on his Facebook page. She died on August 14 in Kharkiv region as a result of an enemy drone attack. "Oh, you would definitely not be happy with such attention to you. And she would definitely scold us for crying. But you were dear to so many people! Goodbye, Sasha. Honor," the journalist wrote. Friends, the military and concerned Ukrainians came to see the brave Ukrainian woman to her last journey. ADVERTISIMENT As a reminder, Russian terrorists launched an FPV drone at a vehicle of the Hospitallers medical battalion in the village of Bilyi Kolodiazh, Kharkiv region. A medic was killed and another was injured. The explosion also injured three civilians who were traveling in another vehicle. Later it became known that a medic, Oleksandra Mulkevych, with the call sign "Mike, " was killed in an enemy attack. Her crew was supposed to work the last day of their rotation and be home with their families on August 15. However, it was not to be, her mother and husband were not waiting for her. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Outdoor Foundations Participation Trends Report finds a record 175.8 million participants in various outdoor activities. More than 57% of all Americans aged 6 and older are getting outdoors. The number one nature-based leisure activity is hiking 20% of the population hit the trails, approximately double the number in 2010. In 2022, the Outdoor Foundation and Outdoor Industry Association noted similar findings. The United States hiker community grew by 1.5% in 2022, bringing the total number to a record high of 59.6 million. Statista reports an 89% increase in American hikers from 2010 to 2023. There was a significant jump from 2019, when fewer than 50 million people hiked, to 2020 when more than 57.8 million Americans hit the trails. The American Trails organization credits the spike to the Covid-19 pandemic. As businesses and stores closed, Americans sought alternative pastimes such as hiking. While numbers dipped In the years following the pandemic, the country continues to show a strong interest in getting outside and enjoying nature. A May 2024 KURU Footwear analysis identified the countrys 10 best hiking states. Researchers considered the number of trails, difficulty levels, reviews, and annual precipitation rates when determining Americas top trail destinations. Colorado The Centennial State reigns as one of the best places for hiking in the United States. Colorado offers much to discover, from the Rocky Mountains to the Great Sand Dunes. Bold explorers up for the challenge can consider summiting a mountain over 14,000 feet tall, known as a 14er. The Colorado Fourteeners Initiative estimates 279,000 Colorado hikers climbed 14ers in 2022. My favorite easy hike in Colorado is the stunning Hanging Lake Trail. The emerald waters and lush scenery make it a truly magical experience, says xoxoBella s Bella Bucchiotti. For a more challenging adventure, I love trekking to the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness. The rugged terrain and breathtaking views make it an unforgettable experience. Those traveling from a lower-elevation area should exercise caution before immediately hitting Colorado trails. Give your body a few days to acclimate to the altitude, or you may experience altitude sickness and subsequent headaches and nausea. California KURU Footwear says California provides the most hiking opportunities among Americas top 10 states. With over 12,000 trails to explore across popular hiking areas like Yosemite, Joshua Tree, and Sequoia National Parks, youll never run out of new things to see and do. The states terrain varies from expansive deserts to old-growth forests and snow-capped peaks. Hikers of all experience levels can join the fun and create unforgettable memories on trails throughout California. Arizona KURU Footwear reports that Arizona boasts the most well-liked trails, with 54% rated 4.5 out of 5 stars. The state is famous for its desert landscapes, most notably Grand Canyon National Park. Arizona weather conditions can change quickly. Pack lightweight layers like tank tops and jackets to add or shed as temperatures fluctuate. With desert areas, you have to be more aware, Catherine Xu of Day Trip Nomad cautions. Have enough water, dont overheat your car, make sure you have enough gas for where youre going, and know that flash floods happen quickly if the weather turns. Spend a weekend in Sedona, Flagstaff, or Phoenix for Arizonas top hiking experiences. Visitors of all ages can enjoy one-of-a-kind sights throughout the state. My favorite trails are through slot canyons, so of course, the famous Antelope Canyon, Xu recommends. Montana Hiking in Montana will transport you to a Western film set. Experience the states grandeur through its thousands of miles of hiking trails. Glacier National Park is gorgeous on foot, and hikers can expect to see native wildlife, glaciers, and rocky peaks. The Highline Trail, an almost 15-mile trek that begins at a visitor center, is an essential Glacier National Park experience. Observant explorers often spot animals like bears and mountain goats along the trail, contributing to visitors sense of adventure. New York Though it may not be the first state that comes to mind when people think of hiking, New York has a surprising array of trails. Find peace among the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple by embarking on an urban adventure through sprawling Central Park. Meanwhile, the northern Catskill and Adirondack Mountains provide additional escape from city life. Portions of the Appalachian Trail, a long-distance hike comprising over 2,000 miles between Georgia and Maine, also run through the state. These areas provide a unique contrast between the serenity of nature and distant skyline views of New York City. Utah Utah boasts five national parks and some of Americas most iconic trails. Hikers flock to the state for its distinctive rock formations, canyons, spires, and natural arches. Many Utah trails warrant exploration, from Delicate Arch to Angels Landing. Arrive fully prepared with sturdy and comfortable gym shoes or boots with enough traction to avoid slipping on rocky paths. Texas While Texas is best known for its bustling cities and cowboy culture, it also has excellent hiking opportunities. Visitors in destinations such as Austin or Dallas can conveniently enjoy a nature-filled weekend. Areas like Big Bend and the Guadalupe Mountains feature rugged landscapes unique to the Lone Star State. Texas trails vary in difficulty, expanding accessibility to hikers of all skill levels. Washington On Washingtons trails, spectators can see volcanoes, glaciers, rainforests, prairies, and more. Regardless of age or fitness level, the states wilderness regions offer enjoyable activities for the entire family. I particularly love the North Cascades, Cascade Pass, and Sahale Glacier, which offer incredible views and a relatively straightforward approach (compared to other areas), shares photographer and writer Alec Sills-Trausch. Despite Washingtons rainy weather, you can still have fun hiking with proper rain gear. Avoid impractical shoes like slide sandals, and opt for waterproof sneakers or boots to keep your feet dry. Washingtons summer starts in July as the snow lingers, especially on northern slopes, Sills-Trausch explains. If you come to hike in the PNW, carry your hiking essentials and monitor weather conditions. North Carolina Despite having the highest precipitation of KURUs top 10 hiking states, North Carolina is a cant-miss destination. The state is popular among hikers thanks to the Great Smoky Mountains, Americas most-visited national park. Discover hidden waterfalls, summit rocky peaks, and camp under the stars in the states nearly 3,000 hiking areas. As we often hike with our young kids, our favorite hike in North Carolina is the Max Patch trail, located along the Appalachian Trail and close to Asheville, says Alex Caspero, Food and Travel Writer at Delish Knowledge. Its a fairly easy hike, just a 1.5-mile loop, with spectacular 360 views. The trail is a gradual climb, and the views only improve as you reach the top. The end is the top of a bald summit and the perfect place to enjoy a picnic. Oregon Oregon is an incredibly diverse and captivating place to go hiking. Its high precipitation levels result in the states signature lush greenery. Whether visiting for a weekend or a week, reserve an afternoon to get outside and tackle an Oregon hike. Perhaps no trail better captures the beauty of hiking in Oregon than the Eagle Creek Trail in the Columbia River Gorge, says Derek Carlson, writer at Roam the Northwest. While long at 12 miles round trip, this trail has minimal climbing and takes you past eight major waterfalls, including the storied Tunnel Falls, where youll pass through a tunnel directly behind the falls. This article was produced by Media Decision and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks. funnysaltbrick BHPian Join Date: Jun 2024 Location: TN30<->KA01 Posts: 48 Thanked: 105 Times Pros: - 1. Driving dynamics 2. Built Ford Tough. 3. The artic cooling tier Aircons 4. 1.2 NA is smooth, even after 10 years. Cons: - 1. Rear windows go halfway down 2. Cabin noise is unusually high 3. 1.2 NA has lack of pull after a certain rev-range 4. Ford India's exit. Why the name? I love cartoons. Animated movies and shows make me unreasonably happy. One of my favorite characters as a child was Gromit from Wallace and Gromit. The clay-animation style reminded me of another show, Shaun the Sheep (both made by Aardman Animations no less) and when we bought Gromit initially, I didn't name it. But as I grew older, it seemingly reminded me a lot about Gromit. Loyal, ready to take on anything and sensible. Just like Gromit. Here's a pic of Wallace and Gromit for reference's sake How did it happen? (Context)- We needed a car. Full stop. The family was fed up on relying taxi and tourist services to go places so we decided we needed a car. So...how did we go about this decision? This was 2014. Almost everyone and their nan had a Swift. The next hottest thing we had was the Grand i10 which was just released. Mother dearest was insistent on a small car because it would mean "everyone can drive". So, the list went: - City->Swift->Xcent->Grand i10->Micra->Etios Liva->Figo. Budget? 5.5 lakhs. Goldilocks....goldilocks....(retrospective on first car) Honda City: - City was the first choice that we had. But this was in 2014. And our parents had just gotten their license. And finances were too tight to suggest something as outrageous as a City. Suzuki Swift: - Honestly, my father didn't like the Swift for one reason. Commonality. He needed a car that was a statement in a way. Where is the joy in blending? Plus, the driving experience felt lifeless at best which I didn't like. So off it went. Hyundai Grand i10: - We were dealt a bad hand by Hyundai because we literally showed up when their local network in Salem was getting a revamp. I do not know how many Salemites exist on this forum but long-term city residents would remember Ramani Hyundai. They literally shut shop sometime in 2013-14. So, Golden Hyundai was the sole dealing hand in Salem for Hyundai and they had an air of arrogance with them right from day one. I was there for the Test Drive. The SA assigned to us was nice but was a bit aggressive in the sense that he wanted to secure a sale. And that unsettled parents dearest so off went Hyundai from the list. Nissan Micra: - The Micra was literally a "what if" because the car mechanically was good. But size was at a premium. And this was very evident when I got smashed in with the sales executive next to me, in the rear. So Nissan went away. Toyota Etios Liva: - Our family friend had one. It was objectively too little car for what we wanted. The interiors looked so bare and empty. Backseat was so-so and the mechanics suffered from the same fate as the Swift. Appliance-tier. Where is the personality? Ford Figo: - Ford was an outlier in the sense that we never considered the Figo initially. "Too expensive for us no?" was the perception. And it all shattered when we (more precisely, parents dearest) went to the showroom. It was in a corner exit of the Kandhampatty highway stretch. After getting disappointed at Nissan, we went to the Ford showroom. And it was a straightforward and special experience from the first meet to the delivery day and beyond. Rockcity Ford (RIP to them and the Susee group) was the dealer. And the TD sold both my parents on the Figo Petrol (I know this forum loved the Diesel mill but for a first time buyer, that Petrol 1.2 was such a gem.) and the Titanium model fit our price needs and we booked one, scheduled for delivery on June 2014. Price? 5.18 Lakhs. .....happily ever after! (delivery day experience for first car) I remember the delivery day. My father remembers the PDI day more. It was yet another school day and I come home to find a more exciting air around the family. I was told to dress up. So I did. And the SA (his name was Rajesh and the last I checked on him in 2019, hes at Nexa) showed up promptly in an Ecosport and it was exciting. While the family and aforementioned associate to family were getting sorted on paperwork and accessory installation, I remember almost touring the showroom. They had a Global Fiesta on display and the Ecosport of course (my father kept ridiculing me to this day saying that the SA asked father dearest to keep an eye on me) and I remember that we were the last car to be delivered that day. It was almost sunset. I vividly remember standing outside the showroom and staring at the tall Ford signage and telling the SA about my tales on how I played with Ford Hot-Wheels cars and whatnot. It was a special experience. And one that I will always regret for not documenting properly. What does it look like? The Figo follows Ford's New Age styling design cues from the ealy to mid 2000's. It reminds me a lot of the Fiesta rally cars that used to compete in the WRC's Super 2000 class. It's a pretty special car to me. For me, this is when I started growing a keener eye for Ford cars because they looked European in design but still stayed Indian in their approach for their India-spec cars. The car's colored in the factory named Sea Gray (family's reasoning for that color is because they saw an Innova in the same shade and fell in love with it) and it may look dull but it does accentuate the car's fine lines well when kept under the sun. What does it ship with? I forgot what the feature-list looked like till I had to look it up for this long-term report. But here's a rough list on what is available with the Titanium version of the Figo: - a. A 4-din Audio Infotainment system with MP3, FM, Bluetooth, Aux b. A 4 speaker system that's played everything from Ilayaraaja to Kanye West awfully well. c. Call connectivity offering Phonebook access and attending calls and streaming them live. d. Power windows up front, manual rollers out back e. DTE meter and Door open alert f. Rake adjustable steering column How safe is it? Ford's always had safety as priority in it's cars. They made solid built cars, that took Indian conditions well. Here's a quick list on what the Figo's Titanium tier shipped with:- a. Central locking that gets enabled after crossing 8km/hr b. Keyless entry. c. ABS with EBD (was key influencer in decisions) d. Dual airbags, for driver and co-passenger e. Fog Lamps in the front f. Immobiliser built in What's your use case? (General driving patterns) Our family were initially low-mile drivers. Most roads in Salem can be tackled on a two-wheeler unless you're ferrying more than one person. And there were the 6-7 yearly trips to the farmhouse on the outskirts of Dharmapuri, 80km up and down. With my sister's admission at a medical college near Gromit's birthplace in Chengalpattu, the trip mileage became higher with 490km back to back. And then I ended up in Bengaluru. Driving distance? 366km back to back. Otherwise, our driving patterns and need is not as extensive as others. That would also explain why in 10 years we have only clocked 39,852km. How good is the running gear? The engine is a 1.2L Petrol unit. The engine's FE sits somewhere around 11-13 on city roads while it goes to 14 on the highway. The engine's low-down grunt is impressive. For the most part, you can just drive by releasing the clutch and mildly applying throttle. It's got 70HP and 102NM of torque. And it shows ever so slightly in the way it starts straining after 3500-4000RPM. The engine's noise note is a bit like the 2nd alto in an Acapella group. Impressive bass note but it starts getting more stretched as the vocal chords of the engine go high. It's not unusable but it does face that struggle. Mated to this gearbox is a 5 speed manual. Ford never sold an Automatic with the 1st gen Figo. And it's a fine unit, comes close to the Japanese on the fronts of clutch lightness and gearshifts. Reverse is a mild hassle at times when it doesn't slot in right but it works as intended. How does it drive?(General notes on driving and handling) The car has a Independent McPherson strut suspension up front while the rear sits on semi-independent Twist Beam. Steering's hinged on a Hydraulic Power Unit. The best way to explain the Figo's driving dynamics is by illustrating it with an anecdote. On the highway stretch between Hosur and Bengaluru, there was a S-corner, for slowing down. I remember our family driver not noticing it initially. And we basically had a moose test. At 60km/hr. The car turned with almost zero body roll. I'm not kidding. The car's left and right corners ducked slightly and it didn't even lose momentum in the slightest. The car's handling experience has been impressive and it's clear that Ford's put in effort to provide the driver with maximum response to the wheel and it shows. It's an impressive city and canyons car in that sense. What's the owner experience like? In the initial years of ownership, it was awesome. Since the car's driving usage was so low-mile, it was often the cleanest car in the showroom's service bay, with regards to kilometres consumed. Shoutout to Rockcity Ford and the Susee group. Till they shut shop in Salem sometime in 2018-19, they've been an excellent showroom. Service was done promptly and the service bill came up to some 4-5K at best. After Rockcity went out of business, Golden Ford picked up the slack (PS:- I don't know if this outlet is related to Golden Hyundai) and they continued what we had to say about Rockcity. Hassle free experience for the most part. But it could have been better, especially with regards to quality consistency. Often, faults would rear up without any explanation. One such error was the Air conditioning. Why is it that the air conditioning system kept going flat 10 minutes into the drive? Turns out there was a piece of foam from the system that got lodged out the way for it to pick it up and restrict airflow seriously. This issue required us to go to the showroom multiple times. And then Ford just announced that they are leaving in late 2021 and left us with the place we currently service our car at. Springfield Ford. And they do a more-than-acceptable service job for a brand that's not selling in India. And the service costs have ballooned up to 8-9k per service. And that's concerning. So, what next? If things fall in place, Gromit would be relegated to training duties. I've had the privilege of almost inheriting this car. And it will be mine when our family upgrade from Gromit. And I intend on taking it around South India on a road trip if all things fall in place. If not, city and backroad usage it is. But I know it will serve me well as long as it physically can. I have some hygeine level updates in mind such as a tyre and suspension overhaul. Overall, it's a clean package of a car and for that, I salute Ford India. We're all waiting for you. Make your move. Thank you. Attached below are some pictures: - -Key of Gromit, standard issue for Budget Ford cars at the time. Has remote locking and boot unlocker. -Invoice of the car's sale. Rest easy, Rockcity Ford. -Frontend view of Gromit. Follows the lines emblematic of global Fords of the 2000's. -Backend shot of the Figo. It's very reminiscent of the Gen 5 Fiesta. -Side shot of the Figo. It's a looker, despite the dull shade. -"The other side". The car's silhouette is unmissable and simple at the same time. -The Interior of the car as seen here. The plastics are colored a subtle shade of Navy. -39,852km of happiness. They're colored a fine shade of red, for visibility. -The infotainment system and centre console. On closer sight, it looks like a smiley face. Very welcoming. 284L boot. Class defining for the time. Can accomodate 2 cardboard boxes of supplies and soft luggage, easy. 1.2L petrol DuraTec engine. Pure fun. Can get a bit strained, like a vocalist. Life is short. It's messy. It's unforgiving. It's rewarding. Karma is a funny creature and whatnot. Here's a quick review that I penned about our family's Gromit. A 2014 Ford Figo (1.2P, Titanium). It's been a decade of ownership. One that's seen the car grow with us and one could say that we under-utilised the car. But the way it unlocked how much we could go around was immense. Here's something that I wrote for your reading. Have funPros: -1. Driving dynamics2. Built Ford Tough.3. The artic cooling tier Aircons4. 1.2 NA is smooth, even after 10 years.Cons: -1. Rear windows go halfway down2. Cabin noise is unusually high3. 1.2 NA has lack of pull after a certain rev-range4. Ford India's exit.I love cartoons. Animated movies and shows make me unreasonably happy. One of my favorite characters as a child was Gromit from Wallace and Gromit. The clay-animation style reminded me of another show, Shaun the Sheep (both made by Aardman Animations no less) and when we bought Gromit initially, I didn't name it. But as I grew older, it seemingly reminded me a lot about Gromit. Loyal, ready to take on anything and sensible. Just like Gromit.Here's a pic of Wallace and Gromit for reference's sakeWe needed a car. Full stop. The family was fed up on relying taxi and tourist services to go places so we decided we needed a car. So...how did we go about this decision? This was 2014. Almost everyone and their nan had a Swift. The next hottest thing we had was the Grand i10 which was just released. Mother dearest was insistent on a small car because it would mean "everyone can drive". So, the list went: -City->Swift->Xcent->Grand i10->Micra->Etios Liva->Figo.Budget? 5.5 lakhs.City was the first choice that we had. But this was in 2014. And our parents had just gotten their license. And finances were too tight to suggest something as outrageous as a City.Honestly, my father didn't like the Swift for one reason. Commonality. He needed a car that was a statement in a way. Where is the joy in blending? Plus, the driving experience felt lifeless at best which I didn't like. So off it went.We were dealt a bad hand by Hyundai because we literally showed up when their local network in Salem was getting a revamp. I do not know how many Salemites exist on this forum but long-term city residents would remember Ramani Hyundai. They literally shut shop sometime in 2013-14. So, Golden Hyundai was the sole dealing hand in Salem for Hyundai and they had an air of arrogance with them right from day one. I was there for the Test Drive. The SA assigned to us was nice but was a bit aggressive in the sense that he wanted to secure a sale. And that unsettled parents dearest so off went Hyundai from the list.The Micra was literally a "what if" because the car mechanically was good. But size was at a premium. And this was very evident when I got smashed in with the sales executive next to me, in the rear. So Nissan went away.Our family friend had one. It was objectively too little car for what we wanted. The interiors looked so bare and empty. Backseat was so-so and the mechanics suffered from the same fate as the Swift. Appliance-tier. Where is the personality?Ford was an outlier in the sense that we never considered the Figo initially. "Too expensive for us no?" was the perception. And it all shattered when we (more precisely, parents dearest) went to the showroom. It was in a corner exit of the Kandhampatty highway stretch. After getting disappointed at Nissan, we went to the Ford showroom. And it was a straightforward and special experience from the first meet to the delivery day and beyond.Rockcity Ford (RIP to them and the Susee group) was the dealer. And the TD sold both my parents on the Figo Petrol (I know this forum loved the Diesel mill but for a first time buyer, that Petrol 1.2 was such a gem.) and the Titanium model fit our price needs and we booked one, scheduled for delivery on June 2014. Price? 5.18 Lakhs.I remember the delivery day. My father remembers the PDI day more. It was yet another school day and I come home to find a more exciting air around the family. I was told to dress up. So I did. And the SA (his name was Rajesh and the last I checked on him in 2019, hes at Nexa) showed up promptly in an Ecosport and it was exciting. While the family and aforementioned associate to family were getting sorted on paperwork and accessory installation, I remember almost touring the showroom. They had a Global Fiesta on display and the Ecosport of course (my father kept ridiculing me to this day saying that the SA asked father dearest to keep an eye on me) and I remember that we were the last car to be delivered that day. It was almost sunset. I vividly remember standing outside the showroom and staring at the tall Ford signage and telling the SA about my tales on how I played with Ford Hot-Wheels cars and whatnot. It was a special experience. And one that I will always regret for not documenting properly.The Figo follows Ford's New Age styling design cues from the ealy to mid 2000's. It reminds me a lot of the Fiesta rally cars that used to compete in the WRC's Super 2000 class.It's a pretty special car to me. For me, this is when I started growing a keener eye for Ford cars because they looked European in design but still stayed Indian in their approach for their India-spec cars. The car's colored in the factory named Sea Gray (family's reasoning for that color is because they saw an Innova in the same shade and fell in love with it) and it may look dull but it does accentuate the car's fine lines well when kept under the sun.I forgot what the feature-list looked like till I had to look it up for this long-term report. But here's a rough list on what is available with the Titanium version of the Figo: -a. A 4-din Audio Infotainment system with MP3, FM, Bluetooth, Auxb. A 4 speaker system that's played everything from Ilayaraaja to Kanye West awfully well.c. Call connectivity offering Phonebook access and attending calls and streaming them live.d. Power windows up front, manual rollers out backe. DTE meter and Door open alertf. Rake adjustable steering columnFord's always had safety as priority in it's cars. They made solid built cars, that took Indian conditions well. Here's a quick list on what the Figo's Titanium tier shipped with:-a. Central locking that gets enabled after crossing 8km/hrb. Keyless entry.c. ABS with EBD (was key influencer in decisions)d. Dual airbags, for driver and co-passengere. Fog Lamps in the frontf. Immobiliser built inOur family were initially low-mile drivers. Most roads in Salem can be tackled on a two-wheeler unless you're ferrying more than one person. And there were the 6-7 yearly trips to the farmhouse on the outskirts of Dharmapuri, 80km up and down. With my sister's admission at a medical college near Gromit's birthplace in Chengalpattu, the trip mileage became higher with 490km back to back. And then I ended up in Bengaluru. Driving distance? 366km back to back. Otherwise, our driving patterns and need is not as extensive as others. That would also explain why in 10 years we have only clocked 39,852km.The engine is a 1.2L Petrol unit. The engine's FE sits somewhere around 11-13 on city roads while it goes to 14 on the highway. The engine's low-down grunt is impressive. For the most part, you can just drive by releasing the clutch and mildly applying throttle. It's got 70HP and 102NM of torque. And it shows ever so slightly in the way it starts straining after 3500-4000RPM. The engine's noise note is a bit like the 2nd alto in an Acapella group. Impressive bass note but it starts getting more stretched as the vocal chords of the engine go high. It's not unusable but it does face that struggle.Mated to this gearbox is a 5 speed manual. Ford never sold an Automatic with the 1st gen Figo. And it's a fine unit, comes close to the Japanese on the fronts of clutch lightness and gearshifts. Reverse is a mild hassle at times when it doesn't slot in right but it works as intended.The car has a Independent McPherson strut suspension up front while the rear sits on semi-independent Twist Beam. Steering's hinged on a Hydraulic Power Unit. The best way to explain the Figo's driving dynamics is by illustrating it with an anecdote. On the highway stretch between Hosur and Bengaluru, there was a S-corner, for slowing down. I remember our family driver not noticing it initially. And we basically had a moose test. At 60km/hr. The car turned with almost zero body roll. I'm not kidding. The car's left and right corners ducked slightly and it didn't even lose momentum in the slightest. The car's handling experience has been impressive and it's clear that Ford's put in effort to provide the driver with maximum response to the wheel and it shows. It's an impressive city and canyons car in that sense.In the initial years of ownership, it was awesome. Since the car's driving usage was so low-mile, it was often the cleanest car in the showroom's service bay, with regards to kilometres consumed. Shoutout to Rockcity Ford and the Susee group. Till they shut shop in Salem sometime in 2018-19, they've been an excellent showroom. Service was done promptly and the service bill came up to some 4-5K at best.After Rockcity went out of business, Golden Ford picked up the slack (PS:- I don't know if this outlet is related to Golden Hyundai) and they continued what we had to say about Rockcity. Hassle free experience for the most part. But it could have been better, especially with regards to quality consistency. Often, faults would rear up without any explanation. One such error was the Air conditioning. Why is it that the air conditioning system kept going flat 10 minutes into the drive? Turns out there was a piece of foam from the system that got lodged out the way for it to pick it up and restrict airflow seriously. This issue required us to go to the showroom multiple times. And then Ford just announced that they are leaving in late 2021 and left us with the place we currently service our car at. Springfield Ford. And they do a more-than-acceptable service job for a brand that's not selling in India. And the service costs have ballooned up to 8-9k per service. And that's concerning.If things fall in place, Gromit would be relegated to training duties. I've had the privilege of almost inheriting this car. And it will be mine when our family upgrade from Gromit. And I intend on taking it around South India on a road trip if all things fall in place. If not, city and backroad usage it is. But I know it will serve me well as long as it physically can. I have some hygeine level updates in mind such as a tyre and suspension overhaul. Overall, it's a clean package of a car and for that, I salute Ford India. We're all waiting for you. Make your move.Thank you.Attached below are some pictures: --Key of Gromit, standard issue for Budget Ford cars at the time. Has remote locking and boot unlocker.-Invoice of the car's sale. Rest easy, Rockcity Ford.-Frontend view of Gromit. Follows the lines emblematic of global Fords of the 2000's.-Backend shot of the Figo. It's very reminiscent of the Gen 5 Fiesta.-Side shot of the Figo. It's a looker, despite the dull shade.-"The other side". The car's silhouette is unmissable and simple at the same time.-The Interior of the car as seen here. The plastics are colored a subtle shade of Navy.-39,852km of happiness. They're colored a fine shade of red, for visibility.-The infotainment system and centre console. On closer sight, it looks like a smiley face. Very welcoming.284L boot. Class defining for the time. Can accomodate 2 cardboard boxes of supplies and soft luggage, easy.1.2L petrol DuraTec engine. Pure fun. Can get a bit strained, like a vocalist. CptSlow BHPian Join Date: Feb 2021 Location: Bangalore Posts: 38 Thanked: 243 Times A week in paradise: Kruger National Park, South Africa For those of you who prefer pictures over words, please make use of the much-appreciated photo gallery feature, while others can continue to read on for the day-by-day blow of this 9-day adventure. Introduction: I recently moved to South Africa for work which meant that a trip to the Kruger National Park was inevitable. Even though I have already been to this place quite a few times, the prospect of another trip to the park never stops being exciting. Just you and nature, driving around on open roads with all kinds of flora and fauna to keep you company. And, as with any other national park, every trip is a different experience and there is always a thrill of not knowing what may be waiting for you around the corner. With the dates locked in, my friends made all the accommodation arrangements for the three of us. We used my friends Nissan Xtrail 4x4 for the trip which was more than capable of carrying our luggage which included a weeks worth of provisions and supplies. Brief introduction about Kruger National Park : It is located approximately 420 km from Johannesburg and is one of the largest game reserves in Africa with an area of more than 19,000 sq. km. To give a perspective, it is 10 times larger than Kanha National Park, the largest park in MP. It allows self-drive inside the park and there are many camps located throughout the park close to each other. All of this combines to offer a unique wilderness experience that can be tailored to suit ones level of adventure and comfort. You can self-drive and stay inside the major camps with all the facilities you can think of like a fully stocked shop, a restaurant, a laundromat, a swimming pool, and a fuel station. Or you can go the other way and stay at some of the remote satellite camps where you dont even have the luxury of electricity. Itinerary: This trip was for a total of 10 days including the days of travel, out of which we were inside the park for 8 nights and 9 days. Also, all of our stay was in self-catering accommodations which allowed us to cook our own meals. 9th Feb, Friday - Left Johannesburg by 2 pm and checked in to Nkomazi Kruger Lodge and Spa ( 10th Feb, Saturday - Checked out of the lodge at 4:30 am and arrived at Malelane gate, almost half an hour before the gate opening time of 5:30. Drove the whole day and checked in to Skukuza rest camp in the evening. 11th Feb, Sunday - Checked out of Skukuza and drove around the park the whole day. Checked in to Satara rest camp in the evening. 12th, Monday to 16th, Friday - During weekdays we only went on morning and evening drives as it was a work day for all of us. Our morning drives would start at 5:30 and continue till 8:30, while in the evening we drove from 3:30 to 6:30. We worked our respective jobs from 9 to 3 and sometimes even after coming back from the evening drive. 17th Feb, Saturday - Since it was a day off for us we were able to drive around the entire day, only returning to camp for lunch and then later at gate closing. 18th Feb, Sunday - Checked out from Satara by 6 am and continued towards Malelane gate with a stop at Skukuza. We reached the gate at 2:30 pm, stopped at a nearby Nandos restaurant to pick up some lunch and continued towards our home in Johannesburg with one quick fuel break at Shell Ultra City, Middelburg ( Day 1, 10th Feb: A reference map for day 1 of the itinerary. Source: We arrived at the gate almost 30 minutes before the gates were supposed to open but we were still fourth or fifth in the queue. After completing the entry formalities at the gate we finally managed to start our drive by 6 am under the gorgeous sunrise and continued North on H3 towards Skukuza. Impala is the most common animal in Kruger so I was expecting to see impalas, or maybe zebras as soon as we entered the park but to our absolute surprise this is what we ended up seeing as the first animal: Called the Tatiana female, we spotted it less than 1 km from the gate. Never in my 20+ previous trips to the park have I had a leopard as my first sighting. The trip was already off to an excellent start. After a few minutes, she decided to step down from the tree. Once down the tree, she disappeared behind the bushes but we spotted it again walking towards us. We were hoping she might cross the road but instead, she decided to go into the drainage pipe under the road, leaving everyone guessing which side of the pipe she might come out. We waited for half an hour but she didnt come out at all. We decided to give up and continued ahead on H3 where another surprise was waiting for us at S110-H3 junction: It was the Maximus male this time. There were a lot of vehicles surrounding this leopard and visibility was very poor, even though he was just 4-5 metres from the road. We decided to try our luck from the S110 side when he got up and moved further inside and managed to get a good angle. We decided to leave the sighting since it got very crowded and there wasnt much movement from the leopard. We took the right for S114, continued North and then took a left for H2-2 to reach Afsaal picnic spot for breakfast. We had a reservation in Lower Sabie rest camp but at this point, we got to know that the camp was struggling due to power issues, so we decided to go to Skukuza and try to move our booking from Lower Sabie to Skukuza. After two banger sightings early in the morning, the rest of the day was pretty quiet. We saw some rhinos which are becoming incredibly rare to spot. A curious giraffe. Many impalas. A Southern ground hornbill in a giant W frame. These are the largest hornbills and their population is said to be in a vulnerable state. We also saw some elephants and zebras Once we reached Skukuza we managed to change our reservation from Lower Sabie to Skukuza and went out for a short drive on H1-2 and came back to the camp to complete our check-in. Our accommodation: After unloading our bags into our room we picked up some sandwiches from the park shop and headed out for another drive towards transport dam. On our way back we saw a huge crowd of vehicles which turned out to be for a leopard. It was a very crowded sighting where we barely managed to take any pictures and it was already very close to camp closing time. We reached our accommodation, freshened up, had dinner at the train restaurant, and called it a day. Some pictures of the train restaurant from a different trip: That's all for day 1. I had been procrastinating on this post for a very long time because I never got around to doing the hardest part of the process - reviewing and editing my pictures. I finally managed to do it last weekend so here we are with this travelogue. It is going to be a long one with lots of (spoiler alert) pictures of lions of all shapes and sizes. We got the sleeping lions, the walking lions, the mating lions, naughty lions, a glimpse of a white lion, and my favourite type, lion cubs. No feeding lions surprisingly, which I am only realizing now as I am writing this.For those of you who prefer pictures over words, please make use of the much-appreciated photo gallery feature, while others can continue to read on for the day-by-day blow of this 9-day adventure.I recently moved to South Africa for work which meant that a trip to the Kruger National Park was inevitable. Even though I have already been to this place quite a few times, the prospect of another trip to the park never stops being exciting. Just you and nature, driving around on open roads with all kinds of flora and fauna to keep you company. And, as with any other national park, every trip is a different experience and there is always a thrill of not knowing what may be waiting for you around the corner.With the dates locked in, my friends made all the accommodation arrangements for the three of us. We used my friends Nissan Xtrail 4x4 for the trip which was more than capable of carrying our luggage which included a weeks worth of provisions and supplies.It is located approximately 420 km from Johannesburg and is one of the largest game reserves in Africa with an area of more than 19,000 sq. km. To give a perspective, it is 10 times larger than Kanha National Park, the largest park in MP. It allows self-drive inside the park and there are many camps located throughout the park close to each other. All of this combines to offer a unique wilderness experience that can be tailored to suit ones level of adventure and comfort. You can self-drive and stay inside the major camps with all the facilities you can think of like a fully stocked shop, a restaurant, a laundromat, a swimming pool, and a fuel station. Or you can go the other way and stay at some of the remote satellite camps where you dont even have the luxury of electricity.This trip was for a total of 10 days including the days of travel, out of which we were inside the park for 8 nights and 9 days. Also, all of our stay was in self-catering accommodations which allowed us to cook our own meals.- Left Johannesburg by 2 pm and checked in to Nkomazi Kruger Lodge and Spa ( https://maps.app.goo.gl/Dx4PY2vVhar6AkDa8 ) in Malelane. Its a 415km drive which we completed in 5 hours, with a quick 10-minute coffee and fuel break at Millys ( https://maps.app.goo.gl/cQk63rADS3yxVkDs8 - Checked out of the lodge at 4:30 am and arrived at Malelane gate, almost half an hour before the gate opening time of 5:30. Drove the whole day and checked in to Skukuza rest camp in the evening.- Checked out of Skukuza and drove around the park the whole day. Checked in to Satara rest camp in the evening.- During weekdays we only went on morning and evening drives as it was a work day for all of us. Our morning drives would start at 5:30 and continue till 8:30, while in the evening we drove from 3:30 to 6:30. We worked our respective jobs from 9 to 3 and sometimes even after coming back from the evening drive.- Since it was a day off for us we were able to drive around the entire day, only returning to camp for lunch and then later at gate closing.- Checked out from Satara by 6 am and continued towards Malelane gate with a stop at Skukuza. We reached the gate at 2:30 pm, stopped at a nearby Nandos restaurant to pick up some lunch and continued towards our home in Johannesburg with one quick fuel break at Shell Ultra City, Middelburg ( https://maps.app.goo.gl/gaWgP3FntDja25Q17 ), reaching home by 7:30 pm.A reference map for day 1 of the itinerary. Source: https://kpss.co.za/wp-content/upload...Kruger-Map.pdf We arrived at the gate almost 30 minutes before the gates were supposed to open but we were still fourth or fifth in the queue. After completing the entry formalities at the gate we finally managed to start our drive by 6 am under the gorgeous sunrise and continued North on H3 towards Skukuza.Impala is the most common animal in Kruger so I was expecting to see impalas, or maybe zebras as soon as we entered the park but to our absolute surprise this is what we ended up seeing as the first animal:Called the Tatiana female, we spotted it less than 1 km from the gate. Never in my 20+ previous trips to the park have I had a leopard as my first sighting. The trip was already off to an excellent start.After a few minutes, she decided to step down from the tree.Once down the tree, she disappeared behind the bushes but we spotted it again walking towards us.We were hoping she might cross the road but instead, she decided to go into the drainage pipe under the road, leaving everyone guessing which side of the pipe she might come out. We waited for half an hour but she didnt come out at all. We decided to give up and continued ahead on H3 where another surprise was waiting for us at S110-H3 junction:It was the Maximus male this time. There were a lot of vehicles surrounding this leopard and visibility was very poor, even though he was just 4-5 metres from the road. We decided to try our luck from the S110 side when he got up and moved further inside and managed to get a good angle.We decided to leave the sighting since it got very crowded and there wasnt much movement from the leopard. We took the right for S114, continued North and then took a left for H2-2 to reach Afsaal picnic spot for breakfast.We had a reservation in Lower Sabie rest camp but at this point, we got to know that the camp was struggling due to power issues, so we decided to go to Skukuza and try to move our booking from Lower Sabie to Skukuza. After two banger sightings early in the morning, the rest of the day was pretty quiet. We saw some rhinos which are becoming incredibly rare to spot.A curious giraffe.Many impalas.A Southern ground hornbill in a giant W frame. These are the largest hornbills and their population is said to be in a vulnerable state.We also saw some elephants and zebrasOnce we reached Skukuza we managed to change our reservation from Lower Sabie to Skukuza and went out for a short drive on H1-2 and came back to the camp to complete our check-in.Our accommodation:After unloading our bags into our room we picked up some sandwiches from the park shop and headed out for another drive towards transport dam. On our way back we saw a huge crowd of vehicles which turned out to be for a leopard. It was a very crowded sighting where we barely managed to take any pictures and it was already very close to camp closing time.We reached our accommodation, freshened up, had dinner at the train restaurant, and called it a day.Some pictures of the train restaurant from a different trip:That's all for day 1. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy demonstrated Ukrainian weapons that help defend the country from Russian aggression at sea, on land, and in the air. The capabilities of Ukraine's defense industry are different and much greater. ADVERTISIMENT Zelenskyy posted the video on August 17 on his official Telegram channel. The published footage shows moments of the use of Ukrainian weapons, as well as their production. "At sea: " Neptune, Sea Baby, Magura V5. On land: "Bogdana, Stugna, Corsair. In the air: "Beaver, Morok, Liutyi. Our Ukrainian developments, which clean the Black Sea, add strength to our state and destroy Russia's potential, " the president said in a statement. As the video tells us, Ukraine is becoming stronger daily thanks to its developments. ADVERTISIMENT "The strength we add to Ukraine every day. In quantity, quality, and range. The capabilities of our defense industry are different and much greater," the video says. It is also noted that Ukrainian Neptune missiles have sunk a Russian cruiser, the flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, Moskva. ADVERTISIMENT Bohdana self-propelled artillery systems, Stugna missile systems, and Ukrainian drones are also helping to defend Ukrainian soil: "Strikes on Russian refineries, Savasleyka, Engels, and Olenya airfields. Dozens of others. Sea baby and Magura clean up the Black Sea, and limit the power of the terrorist state. Ukrainians have proven that we can design, manufacture, and develop weapons ourselves and have something to offer other countries." ADVERTISIMENT The video says that Ukraine is the most suitable partner for investment and cooperation and is already establishing joint defense enterprises with Western manufacturers. ADVERTISIMENT As reported by OBOZ.UA, the commander of the special unit of Group 13 said that in almost a year and a half, Ukrainian Magura V5 maritime drones have hit 18 vessels of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, nine of which were destroyed irretrievably. According to the intelligence officer, the Russian Black Sea Fleet has actually surrendered in the occupied Ukrainian Crimea it is paralyzed and is now simply "eating money from the Russian budget, although it cannot perform its functions." Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Serving tech enthusiasts for over 25 years.TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust What just happened? The Epic Games Store has debuted on iPhone within the European Union and Android devices worldwide. The launch marks a new chapter in the ongoing battle for a more open and competitive digital marketplace, driven by Epic's desire to break the duopoly of Apple and Google. The mobile store launch comes with a trio of multiplayer games Fortnite, Rocket League Sideswipe, and the debut of a mobile-optimized Fall Guys. These games are now available globally through the Epic Games Store on Android. The iPhone version of the store is only accessible in the EU for now, thanks to the regulatory framework provided by the Digital Markets Act. The act, designed to foster competition and innovation in the digital space, has opened the door for this shift but is only enforceable in the European Union. Epic Games founder and CEO Tim Sweeney expressed enthusiasm and determination regarding the EGS mobile launch and its future. "The tide is turning, and the mobile ecosystem is finally opening up to competition," Sweeney said, underscoring the broader implications of this launch. "The fight is far from over, but this is tangible progress for developers and consumers who can begin to benefit from competition and choice." The move is not just about bringing games to mobile devices but about challenging the restrictive practices of Apple and Google, which Epic Games argues stifle competition and consumer choice. Despite this victory, accessing the Epic Games Store on mobile devices is still challenging. Apple and Google have implemented cumbersome installation processes with multiple steps, confusing settings, and "scary" security warnings that may deter less tech-savvy users. Epic Games acknowledges these hurdles and reaffirms its commitment to fighting these anticompetitive practices in courts and through continued lobbying of regulatory authorities. In addition to EGS mobile, Epic is expanding its reach through third-party app stores. Starting with AltStore PAL for iOS users in the European Union, Epic plans to launch its games on other independent platforms like Aptoide and ONE Store, further broadening access for mobile gamers. The Epic Games Store rolling out on mobile devices represents an expansion of gaming options and a step towards a more open and competitive digital marketplace. The battle may be far from over, but this launch is a sign of tangible progress for Epic. New Russian military prisoners have been captured in the Kursk region of Russia. In addition, the Ukrainian Defense Forces have strengthened their positions and expanded the stabilized territory. ADVERTISIMENT This was stated by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, in a report to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on August 17. Zelensky shared the details on his official Telegram channel. "The operation in the Kursk region. As of this morning, there is a replenishment of the exchange fund for our state," the head of state said. Zelenskyy thanked all the soldiers and commanders who take Russian soldiers prisoner and thus "bring the release of our soldiers and civilians held by Russia closer." "General Syrskyi also reported on the strengthening of the positions of our forces in Kursk region and the expansion of the stabilized territory," the president said. ADVERTISIMENT In addition, he said that the situation in the Toretsk and Pokrovsk directions is under control, despite dozens of Russian assaults. As reported by OBOZ.UA, on August 17, the Air Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine stated that their soldiers continue to make steady progress in the Kursk region. The ISW, in turn, indicated that the Defense Forces had advanced southeast of Sudzha the day before and remained present in all the territory claimed to be under the control of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. At the same time, the UAF allegedly destroyed two bridges over the Seim River. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! ADVERTISIMENT Indonesia celebrates Independence Day in future capital Nusantara, Indonesia, Aug 17 (AFP) Aug 17, 2024 Indonesia held scaled-back Independence Day celebrations in Nusantara on Saturday as the government rushed to complete the future capital, which is slated to replace sinking and polluted Jakarta. The $32-billion megaproject on Borneo island was expected to officially become Indonesia's political capital on Saturday, but construction delays and funding problems forced President Joko Widodo to defer signing a presidential decree sealing the move. Widodo, more popularly known as Jokowi, attended the ceremony in Nusantara with cabinet ministers and military brass as he sought to reassure potential investors of the project's viability before he leaves office after a decade in power. He was the first president to attend a state ceremony in the unfinished capital. But Jokowi did not address attendees at the celebration, which included a prayer and military parade, a day after he gave his final state of union address to parliament touting his economic record but not mentioning the new capital. His successor Prabowo Subianto, who will take office in October, also attended the ceremony in Nusantara. Fewer than 2,000 others attended, however, as a lack of accommodation and ongoing construction forced the guest list to be slashed back from 8,000. The presidential decree switching capitals could be delayed until Prabowo enters office. Indonesia declared independence in 1945, after more than three centuries of Dutch rule and at the end of Japanese occupation during the Second World War of what was then the Dutch East Indies. The Indonesian government says it wants to build Nusantara to spread development away from megalopolis Jakarta, which has a population of around 12 million people. But investment, particularly from foreign backers, has not been forthcoming, with 100 trillion rupiah ($6.13 billion) sought by the end of the year but only 56.2 trillion materialising so far. Environmentalists have also warned against building a metropolis in one of the world's biggest stretches of rainforest, home to orangutans, long-nosed monkeys and clouded leopards. Hundreds evacuated as forest fire rages in Turkey Ankara, Aug 17 (AFP) Aug 17, 2024 Firefighters are battling a strong forest fire in the Aegean resort city of Izmir for a third day, Turkish media and officials said Saturday, with hundreds more people evacuated overnight. Helicopters and water bombers which were grounded due to strong winds continued their fight against the flames on Saturday morning, the NTV news channel reported. The fire started Thursday and was quickly spread to residential areas by winds blowing at 50 kilometres (30 miles) an hour. Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said that 900 residents in five affected districts were evacuated overnight in Izmir. A witness told AFP that thick smoke had turned the sky grey, with the smell of smoke hanging over the city, the third most-populated in Turkey. "Currently, two planes and eleven helicopters are continuing to intervene," said Agriculture and Forestry Ministry Ibrahim Yumakli, saying that residents of the city should not be "worried". Around 1,600 hectares (3,900 acres) have been affected, the minister said. Six other fires continue to rage in forest areas in other cities in Turkey, including northwestern Bolu and Aydin in the west. Scientists say climate change makes extreme weather events including heatwaves more likely, longer lasting and more intense. Thousands without power as Ernesto makes landfall in Bermuda Miami, Aug 17 (AFP) Aug 17, 2024 Hurricane Ernesto lashed Bermuda with heavy rains and strong winds Saturday, leaving much of the British Atlantic Ocean territory without power, with meteorologists warning of a dangerous storm surge and floods. The hurricane, which hit Puerto Rico earlier this week, made landfall at 5:30 am local time (0830 GMT) packing maximum sustained winds of 85 miles (137 kilometers) per hour, according to the US-based National Hurricane Center. "A dangerous storm surge is expected to produce significant coastal flooding on Bermuda in areas of onshore winds. Near the coast, the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves," the NHC warned. Ernesto was expected to dump six to nine inches (150 to 225 millimeters) of rain on Bermuda. "This rainfall will likely result in considerable life-threatening flash flooding, especially in low-lying areas on the island," the NHC said. The storm had left more than 26,000 customers without electricity, Bermuda's power firm Belco reported, or more than 70 percent of its customers on the island with a population of 64,000. As of 11:30 am local time, the island was in the eye of the storm, with the hurricane's southern eyewall due to hit, according to the Bermuda Weather Service. Images on social media showed downed trees blocking roads, power lines damaged by the storm's high winds, and flooded roads. Ahead of the storm's arrival, Bermudians on Friday prepared by hauling boats out of the ocean, boarding up windows, filling bathtubs with water and stocking up on batteries and food supplies. "This storm is the real deal," Minister of National Security Michael Weeks said after a meeting of emergency officials on Friday, according to The Royal Gazette newspaper. "This is not a storm to be taken lightly," he said, warning islanders to expect 36 hours of hurricane-force winds. "Please take every precaution to protect your life and property. Stay indoors, stay safe, and I pray that we are all spared any real loss or damage," Weeks added, according to the Gazette. Some key roads were closed and bus and ferry services were suspended, it added. Bermuda's L.F. Wade International Airport said it would remain shut until Sunday after the storm had passed. Ernesto was moving northeast and expected to slowly depart Bermuda Saturday and move near or east of Newfoundland in eastern Canada on Monday night, the NHC said. The Ukrainian army's decisive breakthrough into the Kursk region has finally convinced Kyiv's Western partners that the best defense is an offensive. Now the West has stopped talking about a ceasefire and negotiations between Ukraine and Russia and is instead discussing new authorizations and arms supplies. ADVERTISIMENT In general, the Kursk operation will have far-reaching consequences for the war, says The Telegraph's Francis Dearnley. In previous months, Western partners have been delaying the supply of weapons to Ukraine, providing them in limited quantities and imposing absurd restrictions on their use. This led to the gradual loss of Ukrainian territory, which Russia was winning back through numerical superiority. The change in approach began in May, when the West "eased restrictions" for Ukrainians, allowing them to strike targets in Russia using the weapons provided. But the key events were on August 6, 2024, when the Armed Forces of Ukraine entered the Kursk region with Western armored vehicles, and the West "tacitly approved" it. The Kursk operation and the easing of restrictions on the Ukrainian military "changed the military and political reality" of the Russian-Ukrainian war. ADVERTISIMENT The Russians now have to gradually withdraw troops from Donbas to move them to Kursk, which significantly reduces their chances of a major breakthrough on the eastern front. These troops will remain on the border to prevent a similar breakthrough from happening again. Politically, the Kursk operation also has important consequences. In the West, talk of a ceasefire and negotiations, which were previously conducted in private, has been silenced. Instead, they are now discussing the lifting of restrictions and new arms shipments. "Only today, negotiations with the Joe Biden administration on providing Ukraine with long-range cruise missiles were "at an advanced stage," the article says. It is also reported that the offensive in Kursk region has changed the discussions in Moscow. The Kremlin can no longer propose freezing the front line as a condition for starting negotiations, as this would allow Kyiv to gain a foothold in Russia. ADVERTISIMENT "If Kyiv is able to hold a few dozen miles, Putin cannot call for an end to the war under the current circumstances; for this reason, we should not be surprised if this operation lasts much longer than many predicted," The Telegraph writes. Earlier, James Stavridis said that the operation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kursk region of Russia is a "stunning turn" in the full-scale war of the aggressor country against our country. The Ukrainians are "bringing home to the Russians" the consequences of Russian dictator Putin's attack, and are also showing that they can outperform their enemy. As reported by OBOZ.UA, former U.S. Commander in Europe Ben Hodges noted that the Ukrainian offensive in the Kursk region surprised and impressed many Western military. They had to admit that they had underestimated Ukraine's military potential. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Don't fall for fakes! Temperatures have topped 50 degrees in 10 countries, from Iran to the United States, in the past year, as extreme heat grips the northern hemisphere for the second summer in a row. But Australia seems unlikely to experience the same fate, with the chance of a La Nina, associated with cool and wet weather, being declared by spring. Tourists shade themselves with umbrellas in Macedonia in August. Credit: Bloomberg The World Meteorological Organisation reports local temperature records were broken in nations including China and Spain in July, and heatwave conditions have persisted into August in much of Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, Asia and North America. Over the northern summer, huge wildfires have ravaged the west coast of Canada and the United States, and heatwaves closed schools for 80 million children in Asia and Africa. Scorching weather forced Greece to shut the Acropolis and disrupted the Olympics in Paris, and 1300 pilgrims died from heat on the Hajj in Saudi Arabia. Babies born early and at a lower weight followed catastrophic Australian floods, a new study has found, as doctors raise concerns about the impact of climate change on pregnant women. The researchers found mothers who likely experienced a flood incident in the six months leading up to their pregnancy had higher rates of low birth weight for babies born full-term, and babies being small for their gestational age. Heavy flooding at Windsor, in north-west Sydney, in July 2022. Credit: Brook Mitchell Mothers estimated as having experienced a flood during the first trimester of their pregnancy were more likely to have a pre-term or still birth. In contrast, flood exposures during the second and third trimesters were associated with reduced risks. 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 John Bryant remembers shooting flares into the screaming night, illuminating what seemed to be thousands of North Vietnamese soldiers charging towards the wire ahead of his position, their bodies falling to the ceaseless fire of the machine gun operated by his mate, Private Paul Donnelly. We emptied our water bottles on the barrel of the gun to prevent it from overheating, he says. When the water ran out, Private Bryant of Delta Company, 3RAR, resorted to the desperate measure of urinating on the barrel. And when he sprinted into the dark to fetch more belts of ammunition, he shouted at his fellow soldiers not to shoot him. It was 56 years ago. The Battle of Balmoral was a furious and bloody action between Australian troops and two regiments of the North Vietnamese Peoples Army of Vietnam (PAVN) fought on the nights of May 26 and 28, 1968. Private John Bryant after the Battle of Balmoral in 1968. The Australians held their position in the treeline overlooking a dried-up swamp, 40 kilometres north-east of what then was called Saigon, as the North Vietnamese charged. Three Australians died on May 28, and uncounted hundreds of Vietnamese were killed. Together with battles at a nearby Australian support fire base known as Coral, the Battle of Coral-Balmoral was hailed in a speech in 2008 by then-prime minister Kevin Rudd as the largest, most intense sustained combat endured by the Australian forces in Vietnam. Advertisement All these years later, Bryant, a rifleman and forward scout in 1968, and Luke Johnston, whose late father Private David Johnston was a rifleman and machine gunner at the battle, have helped to return to the people of Vietnam some of the lost bodies of those North Vietnamese soldiers who fell. Loading Their years of investigations led to the discovery this year of the skeletal remains of 20 soldiers of the Peoples Army of Vietnam within a mass grave. The grave lay just 70 metres from where the troops of the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian regiment (3RAR) held out against the PAVN in a gun pit established within another bomb crater. The long-dead soldiers, declared martyrs of their nation, were reburied with great ceremony in a Vietnamese military cemetery in Binh Duong Province, with Johnson and Byrant among the thousand-strong mourners. A documentary of the Australians search for the mass grave, Phim Tai Lieu (Long Way Back) recently won a gold medal the top award among 70 submissions at Vietnams National Defence Awards. It includes an interview with Bryant, who declares that during the battle he believed he would die. He says now he was too busy during that night to worry about dying, but he and his mates got the shakes after the shooting stopped. Advertisement What began years ago for Luke Johnson as an attempt to help his father cope with the PTSD he suffered during the Vietnam War has evolved into something he describes as beautiful an emotional and respectful healing between former enemies. He and Bryant have drunk rice wine with former Viet Cong guerillas and socialised with old soldiers of the North Vietnamese regiments who fought at the Battle of Balmoral, and found themselves deeply moved by their generosity towards the son and the veteran of their former adversary. Luke Johnston at the mass grave he discovered in an old bomb crater at the site of the battle of Balmoral. Johnson lives these days in Vietnam, speaks Vietnamese fluently and is married to a Vietnamese woman who was raised in a village not far from the site of the battle of Balmoral. He is director-at-large of a US-based charity, Healing Through History, which helps the families of US soldiers still listed as Missing in Action in Vietnam. It seemed to him a natural step to also help Vietnamese families searching for their own soldiers still missing in action. Vietnams authorities, he said, placed immense importance on searching for and recovering the remains of those who fought against foreign armies, and established a special military unit known as Steering Committee 515 to undertake the work. New discoveries are made regularly. Advertisement Johnson and Bryant have undertaken further research in Vietnam, and believe they know the location of several other mass graves, including one that may hold the bodies of 150 North Vietnamese soldiers. They have applied to the Vietnamese military to use a drone to continue the work. John Bryant embraces the sisters of North Vietnamese soldier Nguyen Van Ha, who Bryant believes he may have killed in 1968. Before his current quest began, Johnson spent many years visiting all the battlefields of Vietnam where his father fought. He began the task in an effort to help his father, born in Melbourne and an artist when called up for national service, to cope with his traumatic memories of the war. Every day he phoned his father, describing the places he was visiting, and he brought home photos of the old battlefields. He described the warmth with which he had been received by the Vietnamese people. He believed it helped his father through his last years before he died in Canberra in 2016. In 2020, he teamed up with Bryant another former national serviceman, born in Mooroopna, central Victoria to try to identify the mass grave of some of the Vietnamese soldiers who died in their attempt to overrun what was known as Fire Support Base Balmoral. Balmoral was established by members of 3RAR, as part of an attempt to prevent North Vietnamese forces from reaching Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) in the wake of attacks on the city during what was known as the Tet Offensive that year. Advertisement The Peoples Army of Vietnams 7th Division attacked the Australian base on May 26 and 28, but their forces were repulsed. Following the second assault by the Peoples Army of Vietnams 7th Division, 3RARs soldiers counted 42 North Vietnamese dead, though drag marks showed that many hundreds more were spirited away by their comrades. John Bryant salutes a casket holding the remains of North Vietnamese soldiers he fought at the Battle of Balmoral. Members of 3RAR buried 20 Vietnamese bodies in a single B-52 bomb crater and used a bulldozer to cover the site. Its location was lost after the war ended. Australian veterans tried for more than a decade from the early part of this century to rediscover the spot, hoping to return the bodies of the North Vietnamese soldiers to their families for a proper burial. The searching failed. In 2020, however, Luke Johnston, John Bryant and the Australian-born director of Healing Through History, Glenn Hines, joined forces to use old photographs, metal detectors, Bryants recollections which differed from those of the previous searchers and a CIA aerial photo to identify what they believed was the correct location. Advertisement A 1950s Collaroy house ripe for renovation has sold for $2.33 million to a young couple who considered the area for the first time a month ago. The three-bedroom home at 30 Park Street was on the market for the first time since 1992 when it last sold for $260,000, records show. It had no price guide throughout the campaign because there were such few comparable sales, according to listing agent and auctioneer Brian Fairweather of Ray White Narrabeen. The home was one of 717 properties scheduled to go under the hammer in Sydney on Saturday. By evening, Domain Group recorded a preliminary auction clearance rate of 66.3 per cent from 498 reported results, while 123 auctions were withdrawn. Withdrawn auctions are counted as unsold properties when calculating the clearance rate. 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. An Afghan refugee camp at the US military base in Ramstein, Germany in 2021, after the US exit from Kabul. Credit: AFP Germany has taken in around 300,000 refugees from Afghanistan, which has been under the rule of the Taliban since the United States 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. The Spanish Defence Ministry believes that Ukraine itself should determine how and when to use the military equipment provided to it by Madrid. The ministry also noted that it did not know whether the Ukrainian Armed Forces used Spanish equipment during the Kursk operation. ADVERTISIMENT This was stated by Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles during her visit to NATO headquarters in Valencia. She is quoted by The Kyiv Independent with reference to EFE. "This is a war, and therefore Ukraine will use the equipment it considers necessary at any moment," Robles said, noting that the weapons Spain provides to Kyiv are defense weapons. The head of the Spanish defense ministry added that she had no information about whether the Ukrainian military was using the equipment provided by Spain during the offensive in the Kursk region. At the same time, Robles assured that Madrid will continue to support Kyiv with important defense equipment, and Ukraine "will always have the support of Spain", as well as of NATO. We will remind you that Spain has begun the transfer of a new batch of Leopard 2A4 tanks and other weapons to Ukraine. ADVERTISIMENT Ukraine will also receive another Hawk air defense system from Spain. It will be in Ukraine in September. As reported, Canada allowed Ukraine to use tanks and other armored vehicles provided by it on the territory of Russia. Only verified information from us on Telegram-channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Used-Car Market Struggles With Shortage of Low-Mileage Vehicles, Leading to Price Decline and Influx of High-Mileage Inventory CHICAGO, Aug. 16, 2024 -- Cars.com Inc. (d/b/a " Cars Commerce ."), an audience-driven technology company empowering the automotive industry, outlines shifts in the automotive industry in its July Industry Insights Report . This comprehensive report, crafted by Cars Commerce's expert data analysts, delves into macro and micro automotive market insights by analyzing supply, demand, pricing and consumer behavior data from across the company's platform, including Cars.com, Dealer Inspire and Accu-Trade. "Over the past year, new-car prices have remained steady at around $49,000. Supply levels continue to increase, with the most significant inventory rise in mid- to high-priced vehicles," said Rebecca Lindland, senior director of industry data and insights at Cars Commerce. "Currently, there are just 333,000 new vehicles priced under $30,000 on the Cars Marketplace versus July 2019, when there were 1.1 million. If the average new-car price had continued on its typical 3% annual growth rate from 2019, today's average new car price would be $43,000. To get prices back on track, the industry would need to add more than 750,000 sub-$30,000 vehicles to the market, the same number of under-$30K vehicles lost since 2019." Used-Car Market: Scarcity of Late-Model-Year Vehicles and Declining Prices In contrast to the new-car market, the used-car market is facing availability challenges, particularly sourcing low-mileage, lightly used vehicles. Year over year, used-car prices decreased 6% and inventory edged up 1% primarily driven by an increase in the stock of vehicles under $30,000. Prices for used vehicles under $30,000 have dropped by 3% year over year, with inventory in this segment increasing 9%. The availability of vehicles priced between $30,000 and $49,000 decreased by 15% year over year, reflecting the scarcity of 1-to-3-year-old vehicles typically found in this price range. "Notably, used vehicles priced under $20,000 now carry an average of 93,000 odometer miles as of July 2024, up 33% in the last five years. These high-mileage vehicles may require significant service to remain roadworthy," adds Lindland. "The shortage of low-mileage, lightly used inventory is especially noticeable in the higher-end used-vehicle market. For the over-$50,000 used-vehicle segment, the average price is $77,000, which is more than the average cost of a new luxury vehicle." To download the full report, visit www.carscommerce.inc . *Inventory, searches and list price on Cars.com. A third-party cyber incident impacted dealer inventory data beginning June 19, 2024. ABOUT CARS COMMERCE Cars Commerce is an audience-driven technology company empowering the automotive industry. Cars Commerce simplifies everything about car buying and selling with powerful products, solutions and AI-driven technologies that span pretail, retail and post-sale activities enabling more efficient and profitable retail operations. The Cars Commerce platform is organized around four industry-leading brands: the flagship automotive marketplace and dealer reputation site Cars.com, award-winning technology and digital retail technology and marketing services from Dealer Inspire, essential trade-in and appraisal technology from Accu-Trade, and exclusive in-market media solutions from the Cars Commerce Media Network. Learn more at www.carscommerce.inc . SOURCE Cars Commerce The successful activities of the BO Team cyber activists continue. This time, their next victim was the Internet service provider Vega from the city of Snezhinsk, Chelyabinsk region, known since Soviet times as the closed administrative-territorial formation Chelyabinsk-70. ADVERTISIMENT This was reported by Information Resistance. The results of the attack exceeded all expectations: more than 1173 switches of the provider and 10 servers of the company were disabled, and all information on them was destroyed. As a result, Internet and communication services have been blocked for five days in a row for a number of strategic enterprises in the city, and the prospects for their full restoration look bleak. According to BO Team, which claimed responsibility for the cyberattack, Vega is the only Internet service provider in the city. One of the city's major enterprises, VNIITF (All-Russian Research Institute of Technical Physics), which develops nuclear munitions, is connected only to this provider. As a result of the attack, hackers gained access to personal data and documents of the sanctioned plant. The data obtained shows who and how helps the institute circumvent these sanctions. In particular, the correspondence on social media shows that the attack could lead to the disruption of the state defense order. "BO Team not only took responsibility for this disruption but also warned that this was not their last attack. ADVERTISIMENT Vega only reported the attack on its infrastructure, promising to resume operations by August 17. However, according to BO Team's forecasts, the recovery may be delayed indefinitely. As OBOZ.UA previously reported, Ukrainian cyber specialists from BO Team attacked the Russian group of companies Rostselmash Combine Plant. As a result of the skillful actions of our IT specialists, more than 110 servers and about 2500 computers of the company were disabled. Earlier it was reported that the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine has completed a large-scale cyberattack on the financial sector and government resources of the Russian aggressor country. As a result, critical resources were affected and a large amount of confidential data was accessed. Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! ADVERTISIMENT During a meeting with the new Indian Ambassador Ravi Shankar, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy invited India to join the communique of the first Peace Summit held in Switzerland. The state participated in the event but did not sign the joint declaration. ADVERTISIMENT This was reported on the president's website on Friday, August 16. Zelenskyy congratulated the Indian Ambassador on the start of his diplomatic mission in our country and thanked India for joining the promotion of the Peace Formula and participating in the first Peace Summit. At the same time, the president expressed hope that India would join the Peace Summit communique. "The parties also discussed trade and economic cooperation and other promising areas of bilateral cooperation," the Presidential Office said in a statement. ADVERTISIMENT As a reminder, India, Brazil, Thailand, and several other countries did not sign the final declaration of the Peace Summit held in June 2024 in Switzerland. The Ministry of External Affairs of India explained that the country did not support the communique because it believes that "only those options that are acceptable to both sides" can lead to a lasting peace. "In our opinion, only those options that are acceptable to both sides can lead to a lasting peace. In line with this approach, we have decided to avoid being associated with a general communique or any other document arising from this summit," said Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Pavan Kapoor. Earlier, the media reported that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi allegedly plans to visit Ukraine in August. This will be his first visit to the country since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion. ADVERTISIMENT In early July, Narendra Modi visited Russia and held talks with dictator Putin. The Indian prime minister then called for a dialogue to end the war in Ukraine. Zelenskyy criticized Modi's meeting with Putin, calling it a "crushing blow to peace efforts". "It's depressing to see the leader of the world's largest democracy hugging the world's most notorious criminal in Moscow," he said. The Indian Foreign Ministry then summoned Ukraine's ambassador over Zelenskyy's remarks. Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Absolute failure of State machinery KOLKATA : HC on vandalism in RG Kar Hospital OBSERVING that the mob violence in R G Kar Medical College and Hospital was an absolute failure of State machinery, the Calcutta High Court on Friday directed the police and the hospital authority to file affidavits on the situation there. A division bench presided by Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam said it was hard to believe that the police Intelligence did not have information about the gathering of 7,000 people, when the States lawyer told the court that a mob of such a number had assembled at the hospital in the early hours of Thursday. After knowing that there was some renovation work on one floor of the hospital after the body of a woman doctor, who was allegedly raped and murdered, was found, the Chief Justice said, the court can order closing down the medical establishment. The bench directed the police and the administrator of the hospital to file separate affidavits narrating the true state of affairs at the hospital and all connected matters on August 21 when the matter will be heard again. The court, also comprising Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya, said that the police should place on record the entire sequence of events that led to the vandalism in the hospital. A group of people, posing as protesters, entered the hospital and vandalised the emergency department, nursing station, and medicine store, while also damaging CCTV cameras. The mob also ransacked a stage where junior doctors had been demonstrating since August 9. The body of a woman post-graduate trainee, who was allegedly raped and murdered, was found in the seminar hall of the RG Kar Hospital on that day. The CBI was also directed by the court to file an interim report about the progress of its investigation into rape and murder of the medic, which led to a cease-work by junior doctors in different Government hospitals in the state demanding exemplary punishment to the culprits and security at the workplace. Stating that the bench had on August 13 urged the doctors to consider returning to work reminding them of their pious obligation towards the patients, the court said that the incident of vandalism and violence at the hospital on August 15 would definitely have an impact on the mindset of the protesting doctors. The court said that the doctors working in the hospital have to be given adequate protection, or else they will not be able to discharge their duties. The Additional solicitor general, appearing for the CBI, stated that a special team set up to probe into the rape and murder case is proceeding with the matter. He also submitted a copy of the FIR lodged by the CBI following the courts order transferring the investigation to it from the Kolkata Police. The bench wondered what would happen if a similar incident happened in any other facility in West Bengal. If the police are injured, they are unable to control the mob, then the law and order situation has failed, the court said. ASSERTIVE CONCILIATION IN HIS 11th successive Independence Day address to the nation from the rampart of the Red Fort, Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi touched upon several aspects ranging from bringing fresh youth into politics to underlining the need for having a Secular Civil Code. However, all through, one aspect that defined the tone and tenor of his speech was assertive conciliation. The Lok Sabha election results had left many within the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also feeling a bit low due to electoral performance not being of the desired level. People also were anxious whether the Government under Mr. Modi would be able to walk firmly on the path to fulfilling the promise of making India a developed country by 2047. Mr. Modi understood these things very well. He has been not only motivating BJP cadres but also reaching out to different segments of the Indian society with a changed strategy. Wherever some kind of unwanted aggression had seeped in, and certain aspects of political operations had made people a bit apprehensive, a process of correction appears to have started. The corrections have been made not only to retain power by consolidating position of the political party, but also to ensure that the bigger goals for the country could be achieved in the Modi 3.0 term. Mr. Modis Independence Day speech offers ample evidence that he is back in action, with conciliation and assertion. While referring to the rapid strides that India has taken, he also asserted to the world that Indias rise should not be construed as a threat to anyone. Obviously, he wanted to send out a message to the external forces, which might have been indulging in some trouble-arousing in India owing to their perception about Indias rise globally. Though he referred to the turmoil in Bangladesh, he assertively expressed concern over safety of the minority Hindus there. These could be interpreted as a message of continued friendship with neighbours and the world powers without compromising on own socio-cultural, economic, and political stand. Apart from laying appropriate emphasis on boosting infrastructure development with focus on ease of living for citizens, Mr. Modi made some important points that reflect assertion and conciliation. The most talked-about point is the need for having a Secular Civil Code. He gave clear indication of his intent of fulfilling one of the core ideological promises BJP made to the people. Politically, Mr. Modi has smartly brought into public discourse the word Secular instead of Uniform while referring to civil code issue. Article 44 of the Constitution of India asks the Government to endeavour to secure the UCC for the citizens. There were heated debates in the Constituent Assembly over this point. The legends like Bharat Ratna Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, the legendary Mr. K M Munshi, and Mr. Alladi Krishnaswamy had supported the proposal for the Uniform Civil Code. However, it could not become a reality due to appeasement politics. The then Government led by Mr. Rajiv Gandhi as Prime Minister had overturned the Supreme Court verdict in Shah Bano case, paving the way for the issue of UCC to be taken up by BJP. Sensing deep trouble for its political fortunes, Congress then painted the pitch for UCC as something communal. In reality, the makers of the Constitution had aimed at gender-just and non-discriminatory legislation governing marriage, succession, inheritance, guardianship, adoption, maintenance etc. Facing defeat after defeat, now Congress and others have resorted to peddling fake narratives to satiate political thirst. But, Mr. Modi has taken a bold stand in favour of the UCC. At the same time, using the word Secular, he has exposed the propagandist forces to a tricky situation, and has sent out a message to saner demography that the idea of UCC aimed at ridding Muslims of isolationism. For, the growing India needs co-operation, support, and contribution of everyone including the Muslims who are open to the idea of a vast harmonious world. Another important point Mr. Modi made in his speech is about creating an environment of fear for the corrupt. Sadly, the Opposition parties facing the heat alleged hounding when his Government gave more teeth to the agencies like Enforcement Directorate, Central Bureau of Investigation, National Investigation Agency. Hence, as a Prime Minister, he had to tell the citizens that continuous efforts to increase the acceptance of the corrupt had risen as a significant challenge. To make the lives of people better, this challenge has to be met with assertively and decisively. Hence, Mr. Modi mentioning about creating an environment of fear for the corrupt, may be taken in right spirit by the people. Corruption, fake narratives, negativism are the tools of dynasts to ensure that they stay in power, or closer to power, irrespective of the political constitution of the Government. Since Independence, India has tried very hard to get rid of this evil burden. However, identifying that success cannot be achieved on this front without resolutely dismantling the old structures, Mr. Modi has rightly raised the pitch for infusing young blood in politics. His appeal of inducting one lakh youngsters with no previous family history in politics, reflects his foresight as well as commitment to reaching out to the aspiring youth and providing them opportunities in a new India. Many more points from Mr. Modis speech could be discussed. But, for now, only the common thread of assertive conciliation connecting all the national objectives need to be taken into account. IMA announces 24-hour closure of non-emergency services from today NEW DELHI : THE Indian Medical Association has announced a 24-hour nationwide withdrawal of non-emergency services from 6 am on August 17 to protest against the alleged rape and murder of a trainee woman doctor at the state-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata and the subsequent vandalism at the facility. Essential services will be maintained and casualty wards operational, the medical body said in a statement issued late on Thursday night. 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. 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. 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, it said. The call for the nationwide withdrawal of non-emergency medical services was taken after a meeting with state branches of the IMA. The IMA on Thursday condemned the vandalism at the Kolkata hospital where doctors have been protesting since August 9 evening following the alleged rape and murder of the woman medic. Earlier in the day, the medical association said, Authorities, who by their negligence had allowed such a heinous crime to happen, have once again failed to maintain law and order when an all-important CBI investigation is going on. Such vandalism with impunity points to anarchy and the breaking down of law and order. The IMA condemns this mindless violence and is apprehensive of loss of crucial evidence, it said in a statement. According to the Kolkata Police, nearly 40 people, masquerading as protesters, entered the hospital premises, vandalised property and pelted stones at police personnel, prompting the force to lob tear gas shells to disperse the crowd. Mah: Resident doctors strike intensifies as seniors join them: THE resident doctors indefinite strike intensified in Maharashtra on its fourth day on Friday, with their seniors joining the protest, disrupting services at government and civic hospitals and inconveniencing thousands of patients in the state. Dr Pratik Debaje, president of Maharashtra State Association of Residential Doctors (Central-MARD) told PTI that 6000-7000 senior resident doctors affiliated to the Maharashtra Association of Bonded Resident Doctors (MABRD) and the Association of State Medical Interns (ASMI) joined the strike on Friday. 17,000-18,000 (resident) doctors in Maharashtra are on strike at present, Debaje said. 19 arrested for vandalism at Kolkatas RG Kar hospital: KOLKATA Police on Friday said it has so far arrested 19 people in connection with the vandalism and violence at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in the metropolis. Those arrested were remanded to police custody by a city court till August 22, officials said. RG Kar Hospital may take weeks to restore earlier look after vandalism: Official: ROOMS and spaces housing 18 departments have been vandalised by a mob in state-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital and it may take weeks for restoration, a senior official of the health department said on Thursday. Massive vandalism was witnessed in the emergency, staffers room, changing room for nurses and medicine store in the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday, he said. IMA makes 5 demands including Central law to protect doctors, hospitals: THE Indian Medical Association (IMA) has issued a strong call for a Central law to protect doctors and hospitals in the wake of the horrific rape and murder of a second-year trainee doctor at the RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata. The association has called for immediate and effective measures to address these issues, stating that both the medical fraternity and the country are victims of this violence. The IMA also demanded a significant policy to address violence against doctors and hospitals. They are pushing for a Central Act that would incorporate the amendments made in 2023 to the Epidemic Diseases Act of 1897 into the proposed Hospital Protection Bill of 2019. This move, they believe, would strengthen the existing legislation in 25 states. The IMA has also suggested that an ordinance similar to the one enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic would be appropriate in this situation. The security protocols of all hospitals should be no less than an airport. Declaring the hospitals as safe zones with mandatory security entitlements is the first step. CCTVs, deployment of security personnel and the protocols can follow, the IMA stated in an official release. In addition to security concerns, the IMA has highlighted the dire working conditions faced by resident doctors. They pointed out that the victim had been on a 36-hour duty shift and that the lack of safe spaces and adequate rest areas for doctors needs to be urgently addressed. The IMA has also demanded a professional investigation of the crime within a specific timeframe. Meticulous and professional investigation of the crime in a timeframe and rendering of justice. Identify the hooligans of vandalism and award exemplary punishment. Appropriate and dignified compensation to the bereaved family commensurate with the cruelty inflicted, IMA stated. As part of their protest, the IMA has announced a 24-hour withdrawal of services by all modern medicine doctors across the country, regardless of their sector or place of work. While emergency services and casualties will continue to function, there will be no outpatient departments (OPDs) or elective surgeries during this period. The withdrawal will commence at 6 am on Saturday, 17th August 2024, and end at 6 am on Sunday, 18th August 2024. The IMA has urged the nation to understand and support this struggle for justice for doctors and their safety, emphasizing that this is not just a medical issue but a fight for the dignity and security of women and medical professionals across the country. 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 victims family has alleged that she was raped and murdered. This incident has triggered a nationwide protest by doctors and medical fraternities. , adding almost all the CCTV cameras were also broken. A portion of the seminar hall, where a woman doctor was allegedly raped and murdered, was also vandalised and doors were damaged, he said. A group of around 40 people entered the hospital and vandalised the emergency department, nursing station, and medicine store, while also damaging CCTV cameras and ransacking a stage where junior doctors had been demonstrating since August 9 protesting the alleged rape and murder of the woman postgraduate trainee there and demanding security at their workplace. 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. Asked how many days would they require for restoration, the official said that it might take a couple of weeks. BJP stages statewide protests; demands Mamata Banerjees resignation: THE BJP staged rallies and sit-ins across West Bengal on Friday, demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee following the recent murder of a woman doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital here. Party workers, carrying posters demanding Banerjees resignation and raising slogans against the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government, described the states condition as worse than failed democracies like Pakistan and Afghanistan, accusing the administration of failing to resolve the crisis. The party alleged that their planned rally at Shyambazar Five Point Crossing in Kolkata was thwarted by police. A stage set up for the rally was dismantled, and several BJP workers were detained and taken to the central lock-up at Lalbazar police headquarters. The party condemned these actions, labeling them as attempts to stifle public dissent. By dismantling our stage, does the TMC think it can suppress peoples outrage over this horrific incident? The situation in West Bengal is worse than failed democracies like Pakistan and Afghanistan. Banerjee should resign immediately for her failure to fulfill her duties, BJP leader Dilip Ghosh said. Several BJP leaders, including MLA Agnimitra Paul and Rudranil Ghosh, were also present in Shyambazar to participate in the demonstration. This authoritarian government must go. The people of this state will oust Mamata Banerjee government, Paul said. BJP state chief Sukanta Majumdar also reached the spot and staged a sit-in there. Indias new rocket SSLV puts into orbit EOS-08 & a private satellite By S Vijay Karthik : SRIHARIKOTA INDIAN Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Friday successfully launched an Earth observation satellite on board a small satellite launch vehicle, giving a boost to Indias space programme. The third developmental flight carrying Earth Observation Satellite (EOS-08) along with a passenger satellite SR-0 DEMOSAT was successfully placed into the intended orbit as planned. The third developmental flightLV-D3 with EOS-08 satellite has been successfully accomplished. The rocket has placed the spacecraft in the very precise orbit as planned and there are no deviations in the injection of satellites, ISRO Chairman S Somanath said, addressing the gathering from the Mission Control Centre at this spaceport here. He said the launch parameters of the satellite indicate that everything (mission launch) is perfect and the Earth Observation Satellite and the passenger satellite SR-O DEMOSAT have been injected after the manoeuvres. Congratulations now to theLV-D3 project team and with this the third developmental flight ofLV has been completed, he said. We are in the process of transferring LV technologies to industries and so it is a very good beginning for theLV and the launch vehicle, he said. The payload carried by the rocket has been designed and realised by the ISRO team, he said. It is 100 per cent successful and the satellite has been placed into its intended orbit, Somanath told reporters later. As I am aware, solar panels (of the rocket) have already been deployed, further, we are looking for certain activities in the VTM stage and all that will be completed in due course of time. So congratulations once again for The entire team who worked behind the scene to develop thisLV rocket and its culmination of developmental programme. Let us give a big round of applause to the entire (SSLV-D3) team, he said. PM Modi lauds successful launch: PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Friday lauded the ISROs successful launch of Small Satellite Launch Vehicle and described it as a matter of immense joy. A remarkable milestone! Congratulations to our scientists and industry for this feat. It is a matter of immense joy that India now has a new launch vehicle. The cost-effective SSLV will play an important role in space missions and will also encourage private industry. My best wishes to @isro, @INSPACeIND, @NSIL_India and the entire space industry, he said on X. Union Home Minister Amit Shah also congratulated the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). for the successful launch of SSLV-D3, saying this will enhance the sustainability of the earth by facilitating environmental monitoring and disaster management. Congratulations to @isro on the launch of SSLV-D3. This will enhance the sustainability of the Earth by facilitating environmental monitoring and disaster management. It is a testament to Bharats commitment to humanity under the leadership of PM Shri @narendramodi Ji, Shah wrote on X. Nurse of private hospital in Ukhand raped, killed RUDRAPUR : A NURSE of a private hospital here 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. Missing since July 30 while returning home from work, the nurses body was recovered from Dibdiba village on August 8 with her face mutilated beyond recognition, Superintendent of Police of Uttarakhands Udham Singh Nagar Manjunath TC 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 nurses body was recovered is not far from her residence which is on the border of Uttarakhand. Police began an investigation into the case after the victims 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, 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. Sikh woman, minor son rescued from captivity in Pakistans Punjab By M Zulqernain : LAHORE, A 40-YEAR-OLD Pakistani Sikh woman who was subjected to gangrape by her two abductors for nine months in Punjab province of Pakistan has been rescued, police said on Friday. The incident took place in Faisalabad district of Punjab, some 130 kms from Lahore. The police claim to have rescued both the Sikh woman and her minor son and arrested the alleged abductors/rapists. According to Gender-Based Violence Unit head (Faisalabad) ASP Zainab Khalid, the Sikh woman, a resident of Nankana Sahib, was illegally confined by two brothers -- Khurram Shahzad and Kizar Shahzad -- of Faisalabad who repeatedly raped her for nine months. The police officer said the woman, a divorcee, was introduced to suspect Khurrum by her friend Saima in Nankana Sahib a few years ago. In December last year, she asked Khurrum to drop her minor son at her sisters house in Faisalabad from Nankana Sahib. Instead, he took the boy hostage and forced the woman to come to her house in Sohailabad where he confined them both and raped her repeatedly along with his brother for nine months, the ASP said and added the police launched an investigation on the complaint of her relative and on August 14 raided the house of Khurrum and recovered her and her son. ASP Khalid further said that the police team also managed to arrest both suspects. The Sikh woman said that she was subjected to torture when she resisted rape. A case has been registered against both arrested suspects of the Pakistan Penal Code. Tension in Mah cities during protest over anti-Hindu violence in Bdesh MUMBAI ; TENSION erupted in Jalgaon and Nashik cities in north Maharashtra on Friday during a bandh called by a Hindu organisation to condemn the atrocities on Hindus in Bangladesh, officials said. In Jalgaon, 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 collectors office and handed over a memorandum of their demands, the police official said. The incident triggered tension for some time, but the situation came under control following the intervention of the local police, he said. Police personnel were deployed in the city as a precautionary measure, he said. Jalgaon city is located more than 400 km from Mumbai. The police resorted to a mild lathi charge after two groups clashed during a bike rally of the Hindu outfit in Nashik, an official said. Stones were pelted, and some vehicles were damaged in the clash that erupted after some shops were found open in the Bhadrakali area. The police resorted to a mild lathi charge to disperse the crowd. There is still tension in the Old Nashik area, but the situation is under control now. When the rally was on, some shops were open. It led to a verbal dispute. I appeal to everyone to maintain peace. I have spoken to the commissioner of police and district collector, and the situation is under control, state Minister Girish Mahajan said. Self-proclaimed President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko has suddenly started talking about the need for sustainable peace in the world and negotiations. He noted that Belarus is ready to take on the role of a negotiating platform for conflict resolution. ADVERTISIMENT Lukashenko said this at the third Voice of the Global South summit, according to Belarusian media. The Belarusian dictator said that wars and conflicts are provoked by Western countries and that the arms race is now gaining unprecedented momentum. "But no development is possible without sustainable peace and resolution of global contradictions. That's why Belarus has repeatedly come up with peace initiatives and taken on the role of a negotiation platform for conflict resolution," he said. Lukashenko added that Belarus plans to continue this work. As a reminder, Lukashenko recently called on Ukraine and the aggressor country Russia to sit down at the negotiating table and end "this fight" as he called the Russian war against our country. He said that only the West allegedly wants the war to continue. ADVERTISIMENT At the same time, Lukashenko recently ordered the transfer of some military equipment to Russia to meet the needs of the Russian army fighting in Ukraine. He took it from the units of the current Belarusian army, as their arsenals were also depleted. Lukashenko has essentially disarmed his troops to please Putin. As reported by OBOZ.UA, Lukashenko panicked that Russia might lose the war. He said that if Russia falls, all the CIS countries will be involved, and Belarus will be "dealt with separately." Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Thackeray insists on freezing CM candidate first; Pawar, Patole bat for change in Govt Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar and Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat during the gathering of Maha Vikas Aghadi workers and office-bearers ahead of State Assembly elections, in Mumbai on Friday. (PTI) MUMBAI : SHIV Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday insisted that MVA 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 NCP (SP). His Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies Sharad Pawar, who heads NCP(SP), and Congress pitched for focussing on unseating the BJP-led Mahayuti coalition in the state. Addressing party workers of the Opposition bloc MVA here, Thackeray said if the Lok Sabha polls were to protect democracy and the Constitution, then the Assembly polls are a fight to preserve Maharashtras self-respect. Elections to the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly are likely to be held in October or November. Pawar stressed the need for a single-point agenda to change the government in Maharashtra if the situation has to improve in the State. He told the MVA cadres that the three partners will take along the Left outfits, Peasants and Workers Party of India (PWP) and the Samajwadi Party by giving them due respect, and present a united face before the people of the State. The Sena (UBT) chief 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 said the experience he had during his alliance with the BJP was that whoever had the numbers would get the CMs post. But this policy was detrimental as this would lead to one party trying to defeat the others candidate to maintain an upper hand in the alliance, he said. First, decide (the CMs face) and then go ahead but do not go by this policy (those having the most seats will get the CMs post). Uddhav Thackeray will back any candidate announced by Congress and NCP (SP) as the CM face of MVA. I dont have the feeling that I am fighting for myself but it is for the rights of Maharashtra, he said. Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole said the top leaders will decide who will be made the chief minister but it is necessary to dislodge the Mahayuti government. Thackeray also asked the MVA cadres to rise above self-interest and fight for the sake of protecting Maharashtras pride and interest and urged them to be the ambassadors of the opposition alliance in the state. On Prime Minister Narendra Modis 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 asking, 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 wedge the divide 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. Thackerays 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, also demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe for land deals in Ayodhya. Thackeray also dared the Election Commission to announce Maharashtra polls. At the meeting, NCP (SP) leader and Lok Sabha member Supriya Sule hit out at the Mahayuti government over its flagship Ladki Bahin scheme, accusing it of committing the sin of fixing a price for sisters love. She said leaders in the government 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. The TV series by cartoonist and screenwriter Matt Groening have made fun of several U.S. presidents, Elon Musk and the Catholic Church. His shows have also joked about obesity, child labor, stereotypes of all nationalities and in recent seasons the digital NFT bubble. Groening the 70-year-old creator of The Simpsons and Futurama, who was born in Portland has been laughing at it all for four decades. And he has a message for those who argue that you can no longer joke about anything: I think the important thing is to have as much freedom as you can to express yourself, but youve got to be prepared for criticism. Thats justified as well. So, you put it out there and you dish it out and youve got to be able to take it back, Groening tells EL PAIS via video call. Contemporary humor cannot be understood without his creations. Groening is estimated to have a fortune of around $600 million dollars (at least according to the website Celebrity Net Worth), but the banalities of human beings and what happens in the world still push him to continue working. After creating The Simpsons at the end of the 1980s, he could have peacefully retired to his messy house in Malibu, which is filled with books, papers and even boxes from the extinct 20th Century Fox that peek out from the other side of the screen. He could live comfortably only with what his yellow characters generate, and the series would be repeated on a loop all over the planet (Disney + is even considering launching its own channel that broadcasts the episodes randomly). Theres no retirement! he laughs. I love my job. Its like childs play. Telling stories, joking and making people laugh is basically the only thing I wanted to do when I grew up. I love to continue doing it. Thats why in addition to keeping his place at the Springfield characters writing table hes put his efforts into fantasy series like Disenchantment and science fiction series like Futurama. He simply cant stop telling jokes. At the end of his interview with EL PAIS, hell return to a meeting with his scriptwriters about the new episodes of Futurama, which is airing its 12th season on Disney+. Ill tell you what we talked about! he exclaims, laughing. For him, these meetings have become a place to meet friends, make jokes and share anecdotes a space to disconnect. Since the pandemic, theyve been doing them by videoconference, which could serve as a plot for the series itself, which mixes science fiction with the surrealism of current social life. In Los Angeles, no one wants to drive hours to be in the same room anymore, he explains. I think it is one of the amazing things about Covid is that it started this whole Zoom culture. Nothing has changed, except for the fact that they now go over everything via a small screen. The pandemic, of course, was also predicted by The Simpsons in the fourth season episode titled Marge in Chains. This position as the oracle of Delphi has become a recurring joke on the internet, where various similarities between the show and real life are falsified or exaggerated. This month, an image of Kamala Harris in a purple suit circulated on the web next to a futuristic President Lisa in similar clothing (the character replaced Trump on the show in his fictional term). When you do animation for decades, youre eventually going to get something right. We try to come up with the most absurd jokes and it turns out that the world is getting more and more absurd, so these things come true, explains Groening, who has donated to the campaigns of defeated Democratic presidential candidates, such as John Kerry and Al Gore. On other occasions, it simply turns out that history repeats itself, or that the episodes are very well documented, as Mike Reiss Groenings colleagues in scriptwriting and production wrote in his book Springfield Confidential (2018). Although hes had several collaborators since day one, today, the script table is larger and more diverse. Those of us whove been around for a long time, were older. Its always nice to get young, fresh voices in the picture. And the new writers are fantastic. Whats great about Futurama is that our newer writers and animators have grown up on the show, so they know it in a different way. [And the team has] more diversity and more women. That generational gap has also given him some headaches. The documentary The Problem with Apu released in 2017 criticized the stereotypical role and accent of the Hindu shopkeeper in The Simpsons, one of the few Indian characters on Western television. Today, Apu is still in the series, but he hasnt spoken for seven years. The initial voices of the rest of the Black, Latino and Asian characters were replaced by actors who actually share the same race as the animations they voice. The ghosts of the first Simpsons versus the current characters, in an image from the popular TV series. Groenings series are part of the collective memory of several generations. Theyre sources of happy memories, where catchphrases are thrown around between friends and family. And its like that all over the planet, despite the fact that the references were so typically American from the beginning. I am so delighted by the response all over the world. We seem to do very well in Spanish-speaking countries. In Argentina, Ive even been recognized on the street, I didnt think that anyone would know who I was. I suppose peoples sense of humor is different, but [The Simpsons are the same] everywhere, he reflects jovially. Artificial intelligence For Groening, artificial intelligence is a dystopian tool, even for Futurama: Its daunting and very troubling because of how quickly everything has happened. Ive used AI just for my own amusement to construct futuristic Futurama type robots and rockets and AI does pretty good. But its fake robots and has a generic air. And, so far, AI cant really write jokes. Were relieved about that. We think that its going to take actual humans to do humor. The fun thing about art and culture is the human component and the heart. Even though, we also deal with Martians and aliens and robots, its really about humans. In Futurama, his team turns all kinds of current conflicts into trying to find that human and temporal connection: The secret of science fiction is that its really not about the future its about right now. We just dress it up with advanced technology and the glorious contradictions and insanity of contemporary life. Groening who looks like a child in an old mans body cant wait to recount his youthful tales of falling in love with Spain five decades ago: Its one of the most beautiful places Ive ever seen. I cant believe how gorgeous it is. I first visited Spain in 1973, when I was 19. I had a student rail pass and I went all over. I took a train from Paris to Madrid, hung out there for a while and ended up in the south, doing stupid things along the coast. It was unbelievable. I specifically remember hanging out in a really crummy little hostel in Marbella The Spanish language has continued to accompany him. His wife 47-year-old artist Agustina Picasso is Argentine. And his children speak Spanish fluently. Groening had two children with his first wife in the 1990s (Homer and Abe), and another eight with Picasso (Nirvana, Venus, Luna, India, Sol...). His last child was born in 2022. Spanish is spoken probably more often than English in my household by my kids and everybody except me. I just listen to them talking about me, and they think I can understand. I believe I understand the word idiota. He doesnt remember where he got Barts iconic ay, caramba! from, which the character utters in the original Spanish. I probably saw it on television, he shrugs. That was 35 years ago. Even though the internet has recorded all his jokes, he doesnt bother. Matt Groening celebrates his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2012. Michael Tran (FilmMagic) Groening maintains the energy of the child he once was, who began to sketch a crazy family in his notebook. Even today, hes surprised to see Marge and Homer who are based on his parents on TV. I am a cartoonist. I draw by hand. To be able to see the drawings that I drew for the first time, by myself, on a piece of paper at my desk and to suddenly have them come alive and move around and speak and do their own thing its so gratifying. Its kind of like a dream. He underlines this after a record 760 episodes of The Simpsons (the longest-running series on American prime time), and more than 150 of Futurama, which was cancelled (and resurrected) twice. He remains hopeful that, one day, hell have time to make the second movie about the yellow family. One of the nice things about Futurama is that we were able to take a break for a while and think of new stories. Because we were off the air for about 10 years, a lot of things happened in the culture and in science fiction. The Simpsons, on the other hand, has been on the air as a TV series since 1989, and we never take a break. Groening hopes to live long enough to see Planet Express the interplanetary delivery company where Philip J. Fry and his colleagues work still up and running by the year 3024. Provided, of course, that artificial intelligence lets him keep working and above all telling jokes. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Swedbank AB cut its position in Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:CRM Free Report) by 8.7% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 2,652,673 shares of the CRM providers stock after selling 251,728 shares during the quarter. Salesforce comprises 0.9% of Swedbank ABs investment portfolio, making the stock its 18th biggest position. Swedbank ABs holdings in Salesforce were worth $682,002,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Ruedi Wealth Management Inc. lifted its stake in Salesforce by 186.7% in the 1st quarter. Ruedi Wealth Management Inc. now owns 86 shares of the CRM providers stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares in the last quarter. Signature Resources Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Salesforce in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Piscataqua Savings Bank lifted its stake in Salesforce by 2,400.0% in the 2nd quarter. Piscataqua Savings Bank now owns 100 shares of the CRM providers stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. Red Tortoise LLC bought a new position in shares of Salesforce in the 1st quarter worth $33,000. Finally, Kathleen S. Wright Associates Inc. bought a new position in shares of Salesforce in the 4th quarter worth $31,000. 80.43% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Salesforce alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of brokerages have recently commented on CRM. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price target on shares of Salesforce from $350.00 to $300.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 30th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of Salesforce from $350.00 to $320.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 30th. Truist Financial reissued a buy rating and issued a $300.00 price target (down previously from $360.00) on shares of Salesforce in a report on Thursday, May 30th. BMO Capital Markets reduced their target price on shares of Salesforce from $335.00 to $265.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 30th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group reduced their target price on shares of Salesforce from $350.00 to $300.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating, twenty-five have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $291.50. Salesforce Trading Up 0.0 % Shares of NYSE:CRM traded up $0.12 on Friday, hitting $262.91. The company had a trading volume of 3,469,041 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,614,657. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $249.05 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $273.20. Salesforce, Inc. has a 1 year low of $193.68 and a 1 year high of $318.71. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14. The firm has a market capitalization of $254.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.22, a P/E/G ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 1.29. Salesforce (NYSE:CRM Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, May 29th. The CRM provider reported $2.44 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.38 by $0.06. Salesforce had a net margin of 15.30% and a return on equity of 11.57%. The firm had revenue of $9.13 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $9.15 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.15 EPS. The companys quarterly revenue was up 10.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that Salesforce, Inc. will post 7.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Salesforce Dividend Announcement The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 25th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, July 9th were given a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, July 9th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.61%. Salesforces dividend payout ratio is 28.78%. Insider Activity at Salesforce In related news, CEO Marc Benioff sold 15,000 shares of Salesforce stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $286.90, for a total transaction of $4,303,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 12,512,327 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,589,786,616.30. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, CEO Marc Benioff sold 15,000 shares of Salesforce stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $286.90, for a total transaction of $4,303,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 12,512,327 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,589,786,616.30. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Parker Harris sold 4,200 shares of Salesforce stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $254.57, for a total transaction of $1,069,194.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 117,581 shares of the companys stock, valued at $29,932,595.17. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 187,136 shares of company stock valued at $47,935,109 in the last three months. Company insiders own 3.20% of the companys stock. Salesforce Company Profile (Free Report) Salesforce, Inc provides Customer Relationship Management (CRM) technology that brings companies and customers together worldwide. The company's service includes sales to store data, monitor leads and progress, forecast opportunities, gain insights through analytics and artificial intelligence, and deliver quotes, contracts, and invoices; and service that enables companies to deliver trusted and highly personalized customer support at scale. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CRM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:CRM Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Salesforce Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Salesforce and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. 4J Wealth Management LLC lessened its stake in shares of iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF (BATS:MTUM Free Report) by 9.6% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 1,088 shares of the companys stock after selling 115 shares during the period. 4J Wealth Management LLCs holdings in iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF were worth $212,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. grew its position in iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF by 3.3% in the 4th quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 7,143,076 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,120,677,000 after acquiring an additional 229,231 shares during the last quarter. Symmetry Partners LLC grew its position in iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF by 62.7% in the 2nd quarter. Symmetry Partners LLC now owns 541,276 shares of the companys stock valued at $105,479,000 after acquiring an additional 208,691 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. grew its position in iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF by 20.1% in the 1st quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,239,696 shares of the companys stock valued at $232,257,000 after acquiring an additional 207,306 shares during the last quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers grew its position in iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF by 2,256.8% in the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 175,700 shares of the companys stock valued at $32,917,000 after acquiring an additional 168,245 shares during the last quarter. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC bought a new position in iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF in the 4th quarter valued at $17,092,000. Get iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF alerts: iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF Trading Down 0.1 % Shares of MTUM traded down $0.17 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $194.87. 433,324 shares of the stock were exchanged. iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF has a 52 week low of $81.37 and a 52 week high of $113.60. The companys 50 day moving average is $192.28 and its two-hundred day moving average is $185.96. The company has a market capitalization of $10.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.53 and a beta of 1.10. iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF Profile The iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF (MTUM) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI USA Momentum SR Variant index. The fund tracks an index of large- and mid-cap US equities, selected and weighted based on price appreciation over 6- and 12-month periods and low volatility over the past 3 years. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Aberdeen New Thai Investment Trust Plc (LON:ANW Get Free Report)s stock price fell 1% during trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as GBX 396 ($5.06) and last traded at GBX 398 ($5.08). 2,962 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 82% from the average session volume of 16,020 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 402 ($5.13). Aberdeen New Thai Investment Trust Stock Performance The firms 50-day moving average price is GBX 398 and its 200 day moving average price is GBX 398. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 12.25, a quick ratio of 0.12 and a current ratio of 0.13. The company has a market cap of 63.63 million and a price-to-earnings ratio of 120.61. Aberdeen New Thai Investment Trust Company Profile (Get Free Report) Aberdeen New Thai Investment Trust PLC is a closed ended equity mutual fund launched and managed by Aberdeen Fund Managers Limited. It is co-managed by Aberdeen Standard Investments (Asia) Limited. The fund invests in the public equity markets of Thailand. It seeks to invest in stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Aberdeen New Thai Investment Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Aberdeen New Thai Investment Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Almaden Minerals Ltd. (TSE:AMM Get Free Report) (NYSEMKT:AAU) shares hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as C$0.06 and last traded at C$0.06, with a volume of 10000 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at C$0.06. Almaden Minerals Price Performance The firm has a market capitalization of C$9.61 million, a P/E ratio of -0.15 and a beta of 1.10. The businesss fifty day moving average is C$0.08 and its 200 day moving average is C$0.14. The company has a current ratio of 7.87, a quick ratio of 23.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 78.51. Get Almaden Minerals alerts: Almaden Minerals (TSE:AMM Get Free Report) (NYSEMKT:AAU) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 14th. The company reported C($0.01) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. About Almaden Minerals Almaden Minerals Ltd., an exploration stage company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, evaluation, and development of mineral properties in Mexico. The company's principal asset comprises 100% interests in the Ixtaca gold-silver project located in Puebla State, Mexico. Almaden Minerals Ltd. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Almaden Minerals Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Almaden Minerals and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Uranium Energy Corp. (NYSEAMERICAN:UEC Free Report) Equities research analysts at Roth Capital issued their Q1 2025 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Uranium Energy in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, August 14th. Roth Capital analyst J. Reagor forecasts that the basic materials company will post earnings per share of ($0.01) for the quarter. The consensus estimate for Uranium Energys current full-year earnings is $0.03 per share. Roth Capital also issued estimates for Uranium Energys Q2 2025 earnings at ($0.01) EPS. Get Uranium Energy alerts: Several other brokerages have also recently issued reports on UEC. Roth Mkm restated a buy rating and issued a $9.00 price objective on shares of Uranium Energy in a research note on Wednesday. HC Wainwright restated a buy rating and issued a $10.25 price objective on shares of Uranium Energy in a research note on Wednesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $9.35. Uranium Energy Stock Performance Shares of NYSEAMERICAN:UEC opened at $4.85 on Thursday. Uranium Energy has a 52-week low of $3.64 and a 52-week high of $8.34. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.98 billion, a PE ratio of -161.67 and a beta of 1.86. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $6.64. Uranium Energy (NYSEAMERICAN:UEC Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, June 7th. The basic materials company reported ($0.05) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.01 by ($0.06). Uranium Energy had a negative return on equity of 3.05% and a negative net margin of 8.20%. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Creative Planning raised its position in Uranium Energy by 13.3% during the second quarter. Creative Planning now owns 50,157 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $301,000 after acquiring an additional 5,871 shares in the last quarter. Algert Global LLC purchased a new position in Uranium Energy during the second quarter valued at approximately $244,000. Clearline Capital LP acquired a new stake in Uranium Energy in the second quarter valued at approximately $466,000. Driehaus Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Uranium Energy by 1.0% in the second quarter. Driehaus Capital Management LLC now owns 9,147,972 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $54,979,000 after purchasing an additional 90,522 shares during the period. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company grew its holdings in Uranium Energy by 5.6% in the second quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 224,148 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $1,347,000 after purchasing an additional 11,987 shares during the period. 62.28% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Uranium Energy Company Profile (Get Free Report) Uranium Energy Corp., together with its subsidiaries, engages in exploration, pre-extraction, extraction, and processing uranium and titanium concentrates in the United States, Canada, and Paraguay. It owns interests in the Palangana mine, Goliad, Burke Hollow, Longhorn, and Salvo projects located in Texas; Anderson, Workman Creek, and Los Cuatros projects situated in Arizona; Dalton Pass and C de Baca project located in New Mexico; Roughrider, Shea Creek, Christie Lake, Horseshoe-Raven, Hidden Bay, Diabase, West Bear, JCU, and other project located in Canada; and Yuty, Oviedo, and Alto Parana titanium projects in Paraguay. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Uranium Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Uranium Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Blue Trust Inc. grew its holdings in Arrow Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:ARW Free Report) by 39.0% in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 3,178 shares of the technology companys stock after purchasing an additional 892 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc.s holdings in Arrow Electronics were worth $411,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Rise Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Arrow Electronics during the 1st quarter worth about $32,000. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its holdings in shares of Arrow Electronics by 794.6% during the second quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 331 shares of the technology companys stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 294 shares during the period. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. grew its position in Arrow Electronics by 76.5% during the first quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 346 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 150 shares in the last quarter. Principal Securities Inc. acquired a new position in Arrow Electronics in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $56,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC purchased a new stake in Arrow Electronics in the 4th quarter worth approximately $58,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.34% of the companys stock. Get Arrow Electronics alerts: Arrow Electronics Stock Down 0.4 % Shares of NYSE ARW traded down $0.57 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $129.28. 496,144 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 497,993. Arrow Electronics, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $108.51 and a fifty-two week high of $135.31. The stock has a market cap of $6.88 billion, a PE ratio of 10.16 and a beta of 1.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a current ratio of 1.48. The companys fifty day moving average is $124.53 and its two-hundred day moving average is $123.65. Insider Buying and Selling Arrow Electronics ( NYSE:ARW Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The technology company reported $2.78 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.16 by $0.62. The business had revenue of $6.89 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.52 billion. Arrow Electronics had a net margin of 1.97% and a return on equity of 12.77%. Arrow Electronicss revenue was down 19.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $4.37 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Arrow Electronics, Inc. will post 10.34 earnings per share for the current year. In other Arrow Electronics news, Director Andrew Charles Kerin sold 1,520 shares of Arrow Electronics stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $131.66, for a total value of $200,123.20. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In other news, Director Gail Hamilton sold 2,987 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $132.59, for a total transaction of $396,046.33. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 102 shares of the companys stock, valued at $13,524.18. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Andrew Charles Kerin sold 1,520 shares of Arrow Electronics stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $131.66, for a total value of $200,123.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.00% of the stock is owned by insiders. Analyst Ratings Changes Several research firms have recently commented on ARW. Raymond James boosted their price target on shares of Arrow Electronics from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Arrow Electronics from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on Arrow Electronics from $116.00 to $132.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 28th. Finally, Truist Financial raised their price objective on shares of Arrow Electronics from $124.00 to $141.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Arrow Electronics has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $130.75. Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on ARW About Arrow Electronics (Free Report) Arrow Electronics, Inc provides products, services, and solutions to industrial and commercial users of electronic components and enterprise computing solutions in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. The company operates in two segments, Global Components and Global Enterprise Computing Solutions. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Arrow Electronics Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Arrow Electronics and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Artis REIT (TSE:AX Get Free Report) announced a monthly dividend on Thursday, August 15th, Zacks reports. Investors of record on Saturday, August 31st will be given a dividend of 0.05 per share on Friday, September 13th. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of . The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 30th. Artis REIT Price Performance Artis REIT has a 12 month low of C$12.82 and a 12 month high of C$14.42. Get Artis REIT alerts: Artis REIT Company Profile (Get Free Report) Featured Stories Artis Real Estate Investment Trust (Artis) is an unincorporated closed-end real estate investment trust (REIT). The Companys objective is to provide stable, reliable and tax efficient monthly cash distributions, as well as long-term appreciation in the value of Artis units. Its segments include Western Canada, which comprises British Columbia and Alberta; Central Canada, which comprises Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and Eastern Canada, which comprises Ontario. Receive News & Ratings for Artis REIT Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Artis REIT and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. grew its holdings in Oracle Co. (NYSE:ORCL Free Report) by 459.5% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,235,859 shares of the enterprise software providers stock after acquiring an additional 1,014,959 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A.s holdings in Oracle were worth $174,503,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Westend Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Oracle during the first quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Tidemark LLC acquired a new position in Oracle in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Nordwand Advisors LLC bought a new position in Oracle in the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Frank Rimerman Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Oracle during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Bbjs Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Oracle in the second quarter valued at about $35,000. Institutional investors own 42.44% of the companys stock. Get Oracle alerts: Oracle Trading Up 0.4 % NYSE ORCL traded up $0.50 during trading on Friday, reaching $137.43. 4,893,328 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 8,289,465. The stocks 50-day moving average price is $138.39 and its 200 day moving average price is $125.71. The company has a quick ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 0.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 8.25. The firm has a market cap of $378.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 1.02. Oracle Co. has a fifty-two week low of $99.26 and a fifty-two week high of $146.59. Oracle Announces Dividend Oracle ( NYSE:ORCL Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, June 11th. The enterprise software provider reported $1.63 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.65 by ($0.02). Oracle had a return on equity of 223.01% and a net margin of 19.76%. The business had revenue of $14.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.57 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.35 EPS. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 3.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Oracle Co. will post 5.02 EPS for the current year. The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 25th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 11th were issued a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, July 11th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.16%. Oracles dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 43.13%. Insider Buying and Selling at Oracle In related news, insider Edward Screven sold 235,918 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $144.30, for a total value of $34,042,967.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 2,626,764 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $379,042,045.20. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, Director Jeffrey Berg sold 22,500 shares of Oracle stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $143.12, for a total value of $3,220,200.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 210,712 shares in the company, valued at $30,157,101.44. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Edward Screven sold 235,918 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $144.30, for a total transaction of $34,042,967.40. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 2,626,764 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $379,042,045.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 1,862,500 shares of company stock valued at $266,776,624. 42.80% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several brokerages recently weighed in on ORCL. Citigroup decreased their target price on Oracle from $133.00 to $128.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Monday, June 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Oracle from $105.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 12th. UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Oracle from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, June 12th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a buy rating and set a $175.00 price objective on shares of Oracle in a research report on Tuesday, June 25th. Finally, Morgan Stanley restated an equal weight rating and set a $125.00 price target on shares of Oracle in a research note on Tuesday, June 25th. Fourteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seventeen have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $145.83. Get Our Latest Stock Report on Oracle Oracle Profile (Free Report) Oracle Corporation offers products and services that address enterprise information technology environments worldwide. Its Oracle cloud software as a service offering include various cloud software applications, including Oracle Fusion cloud enterprise resource planning (ERP), Oracle Fusion cloud enterprise performance management, Oracle Fusion cloud supply chain and manufacturing management, Oracle Fusion cloud human capital management, Oracle Cerner healthcare, Oracle Advertising, and NetSuite applications suite, as well as Oracle Fusion Sales, Service, and Marketing. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ORCL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Oracle Co. (NYSE:ORCL Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Oracle Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Oracle and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. reduced its holdings in shares of Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE:ABG Free Report) by 2.4% during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 40,676 shares of the companys stock after selling 985 shares during the quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A.s holdings in Asbury Automotive Group were worth $9,269,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Janus Henderson Group PLC increased its holdings in shares of Asbury Automotive Group by 0.5% in the 1st quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 10,980 shares of the companys stock worth $2,588,000 after buying an additional 60 shares during the last quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund increased its holdings in shares of Asbury Automotive Group by 0.3% in the 1st quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 24,680 shares of the companys stock worth $5,819,000 after buying an additional 62 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Asbury Automotive Group by 8.1% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 1,362 shares of the companys stock worth $306,000 after buying an additional 102 shares during the last quarter. Atlantic Edge Private Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Asbury Automotive Group in the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in shares of Asbury Automotive Group by 100.0% during the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 292 shares of the companys stock valued at $67,000 after purchasing an additional 146 shares during the last quarter. Get Asbury Automotive Group alerts: Asbury Automotive Group Trading Down 0.7 % Asbury Automotive Group stock traded down $1.63 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $230.36. The stock had a trading volume of 96,586 shares, compared to its average volume of 171,720. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $236.77 and a 200-day simple moving average of $226.36. Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $178.40 and a 52 week high of $277.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.38. The stock has a market cap of $4.65 billion, a PE ratio of 8.39 and a beta of 1.16. Analysts Set New Price Targets Asbury Automotive Group ( NYSE:ABG Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Friday, August 2nd. The company reported $6.40 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $7.31 by ($0.91). Asbury Automotive Group had a return on equity of 20.12% and a net margin of 3.68%. The company had revenue of $4.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.31 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $8.95 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 17.3% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. will post 29.12 EPS for the current fiscal year. ABG has been the topic of several recent research reports. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Asbury Automotive Group from $185.00 to $190.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a report on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered shares of Asbury Automotive Group from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and set a $230.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Monday, June 10th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of Asbury Automotive Group from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report on Monday, August 12th. View Our Latest Analysis on Asbury Automotive Group Insider Transactions at Asbury Automotive Group In related news, major shareholder Impactive Capital Lp sold 8,353 shares of Asbury Automotive Group stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $225.63, for a total transaction of $1,884,687.39. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 2,008,649 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $453,211,473.87. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In other Asbury Automotive Group news, major shareholder Impactive Capital Lp sold 8,353 shares of Asbury Automotive Group stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $225.63, for a total value of $1,884,687.39. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 2,008,649 shares of the companys stock, valued at $453,211,473.87. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO David W. Hult sold 500 shares of Asbury Automotive Group stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $227.18, for a total transaction of $113,590.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 56,834 shares of the companys stock, valued at $12,911,548.12. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.53% of the companys stock. Asbury Automotive Group Company Profile (Free Report) Asbury Automotive Group, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an automotive retailer in the United States. It offers a range of automotive products and services, including new and used vehicles; and vehicle repair and maintenance services, replacement parts, and collision repair services. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ABG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE:ABG Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Asbury Automotive Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Asbury Automotive Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Riad El Shtiwi opens a folder of documents in Arabic and Hebrew, compiled over decades, to explain how he wound up here, while his wife Widad and four of their children (who were born in Israel) are in Gaza, facing hunger and bombings. Here is difficult to define: a precarious town in the Israeli desert of Negev that does not have an official name and does not appear on maps, like dozens of other so-called unrecognized settlements, most of them Bedouin. It is known as Tel Arad due to its proximity to an archaeological site by the same name that stands some 16 miles from the Dead Sea, although the two are separated by an unmarked dirt road traversed by camels, which have been the familys mode of transportation on their journey across three distinct territories (Egypt, Gaza and Israel) a metaphor for half a century of conflict in the Middle East. In 2005, Israeli authorities relocated El Shtiwi and another 68 families pertaining to the Armilat a Bedouin clan originally from the northern coast of the Egyptian peninsula of the Sinai to Tel Arad. They removed them from a place that did have a name (Dahaniya), but that is known in Gaza by another moniker: the village of the traitors. It was built by Israeli military authorities in the 1970s (when they controlled Gaza as well as the Sinai after their victory in the Six-Day War of 1967) to compensate them for having appropriated their land to build the Jewish settlement of Yamit, and for siding with and spying for the Israelis during the conflict. When Israel and Egypt signed a peace treaty in 1987, part of the clan returned to the Sinai. Riads family left for Dahaniya, where there was running water, electricity and a half hectare of land per person. A family member of Riad El Shtiwi looks at his cell phone as he prepares coffee in the Bedouin settlement near Tel Arad, in the Israeli desert of Negev, in June. Antonio Pita In 1994, when the Oslo Agreement between Israelis and Palestinians began to be implemented, Gaza became (along with Jericho, in the West Bank) the first place to fly the Palestinian flag and Dahaniya became a place guarded by separation barriers and Israeli soldiers. Residents carried weapons at night and an unmistakable breach separated the Bedouins from the Palestinian collaborationists that Israel had relocated to the site during the First Intifada (1987-1993), so that they wouldnt be assassinated in the West Bank for having shared information with the enemy. Israelis and Palestinians agreed to leave Dahaniya under Israeli sovereignty, pending a declaration of general [Palestinian] amnesty for the residents of the village. Such a declaration never arrived, nor were they ever freed from their stigma. Then in 2005, the government of Ariel Sharon unilaterally decided to withdraw its troops and 9,000 settlers from Gaza, which had become a hotbed of conflict, choosing instead to focus on the West Bank. Images from that time have gone down in history, those of soldiers forcibly removing Jewish settlers dressed in orange, the color of the anti-withdrawal movement. At the time, no one cared much about the fate of the village of the traitors. Although Israel built Dahaniya, they did not include it in the evacuation compensation plan, so its inhabitants received less money than the Jewish settlers. Staying in the new Gaza with their collaborationist stigma hanging over their heads and without the protection of Israeli soldiers was a risky option. Some returned to their homeland in Egypt, and others petitioned the Supreme Court for a transfer to Israel. The case ended up on the desk of Sharon, who decided to grant them a temporary residential permit until it becomes clear whether their lives would really be in danger in Gaza. Israeli tanks cross the Sinai peninsula, headed towards the Suez Canal, during the Six-Day War of 1967. Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group/Getty The military left them near the inhospitable Tel Arad, with tents and a tank truck for water. In stories from this time, the clans evacuated members complained about this new life, lacking fertile land to grow for their tomatoes, without even electricity. Not to mention, the truck leaked, so they had to travel miles for water. They took us back 30 years, remembers El Shtiwi, as the women prepare the lamb and rice that they will eat for dinner seated on the ground, near the fire. For the Bedouin families who already inhabited the zone, the tank truck was actually a slap in the face after years of unsuccessfully petitioning Israeli authorities to be connected to water and electrical networks. The Jewish communities nearby were also displeased by the arrival of an [economically] weak and unemployed population that will only increase the areas crime rate, as the mayor of the city of Arad, Moti Brill, said at the time. A week later, after sermons against the new arrivals were delivered in local mosques, Bedouins in the area opened fire on their homes. They fled, going back to the border with Gaza, but military authorities were firm: it was Tel Arad or nothing. They forced us to come back, Shtiwi laments. Now Im content with being in Israel, I have no regrets. I didnt want to stay in Gaza or leave [for Egypt]. But Im also surprised that they brought us to a place where there is nothing, a mile from the main road, he continues. Housing in the Bedouin community near Tel Arad, in the Israeli desert of Negev in June. Antonio Pita Authorities do not recognize Tel Arad nor other nearby settlements (some of which were established prior to the founding of Israel in 1948) in order to put pressure on their inhabitants to move to cities, to give up their traditional way of life. Their goal: free up the territory for the expansion of Jewish towns and military training bases. Since their communities are not legal, neither is construction. All this faces demolition orders, El Shtiwi says, gesturing towards two structures. The dynamic stands in stark contrast with the West Bank Jewish settlements that the State of Israel considers to be illegal: its quite uncommon for them to be taken down and with the passage of time, they end up receiving protection, funds, war, access roads and public infrastructure. Today, the Gazan side of the Kerem Shalom border terminal with Israel stands atop the former site of Dahaniya. At one point, it was part of the airport that was briefly located in Gaza, a dramatic symbol of the crushed dreams of the peace process. Built with international funds, it celebrated its first flight with pomp and circumstance in 1998. Four years later, in the middle of the Second Intifada, Israel bombed its radar station and control tower, bulldozing its runway. Today, El Shtiwi, at 47 years of age, is focused on getting Widad, who he calls his second wife despite their lack of legal status due to Israels 1977 ban on polygamy, out of Gaza. Widad, 44, is from Rafah. They got married in 2007 and had three children (today, they are 15, 14 and 11 years old) during a period in which El Shtiwi lived in Gaza. In 2016, when he was in Israel, she entered on a medical visitation permit and took advantage of the opportunity to stay in Tel Arad. We built a house and the children studied at the local school, remembers Shtiwi. They had four more children (today, between three and seven years old) who were born in an Israeli hospital named Soroka and were educated in the country. Two years ago, they were deported to Gaza, on account of their irregular migration status. Riad El Shtiwi shows the documents of his petition, sitting on a sofa in his home located in a Bedouin settlement near Tel Arad, in the Israeli desert of Negev in June. Antonio Pita Authorities do not look kindly on polygamy, which is practiced by a third of the Negev Bedouins, but is not legal. Shtiwi had to take a DNA test to prove that he was the father of the children and ask for their return. He received the results of the test on October 2, 2023. Five days later, Hamas launched its brutal surprise attack, Israel began to devastate Gaza and everything (getting someone out of the Gaza Strip, completing government paperwork) became a Herculean task, despite its even greater urgency. After petitions and appointments with the Interior Ministry, on July 29 El Shtiwi submitted his family registration form and says he will receive a response in six months. Do you realize what six months in Gaza is like right now? he asks. Sometimes I think, Its wartime, its complicated. But then I realize its the other way around. It would take 10 minutes: someone gets them to Kerem Shalom and gets them out that way. Hamas is not going to object, he says. Meanwhile, Widad spends her days with her children, living on welfare in a precarious tent near the town of Khan Yunis, after having fled the advance of troops towards Rafah, where at least they lived in four concrete walls. In Rafah, we were not happy, because we wanted to return to our home in Israel and the children wanted to be with their father. Now we are worse off, in a tent where it is very hot. People ask me, Your husband is an Israeli citizen, why doesnt he receive you and your children? she says via voice and text messages on WhatsApp. Truly, life is hard. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Baker Tilly Wealth Management LLC lowered its stake in Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY Free Report) by 53.0% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 8,163 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after selling 9,201 shares during the quarter. Baker Tilly Wealth Management LLCs holdings in Bristol-Myers Squibb were worth $339,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Miracle Mile Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 11.1% in the second quarter. Miracle Mile Advisors LLC now owns 107,549 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $4,466,000 after acquiring an additional 10,749 shares during the period. Triad Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb during the 2nd quarter valued at about $79,000. O ROURKE & COMPANY Inc purchased a new stake in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb during the 2nd quarter valued at about $241,000. Fiduciary Financial Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $201,000. Finally, Swedbank AB boosted its holdings in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 6.6% in the second quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 3,111,125 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $129,205,000 after buying an additional 193,486 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 76.41% of the companys stock. Get Bristol-Myers Squibb alerts: Bristol-Myers Squibb Price Performance Shares of BMY stock traded up $0.25 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $49.36. The company had a trading volume of 14,161,770 shares, compared to its average volume of 15,904,074. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.86, a current ratio of 1.16 and a quick ratio of 0.99. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $43.74 and its 200-day moving average price is $46.60. Bristol-Myers Squibb has a 52-week low of $39.35 and a 52-week high of $63.41. The company has a market capitalization of $100.06 billion, a P/E ratio of -15.92, a P/E/G ratio of 12.51 and a beta of 0.44. Bristol-Myers Squibb Announces Dividend Bristol-Myers Squibb ( NYSE:BMY Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 26th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $2.07 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.64 by $0.43. Bristol-Myers Squibb had a negative net margin of 14.06% and a positive return on equity of 12.51%. The business had revenue of $12.20 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.54 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.75 EPS. The businesss revenue was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that Bristol-Myers Squibb will post 0.77 earnings per share for the current year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 5th were paid a $0.60 dividend. This represents a $2.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.86%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 5th. Bristol-Myers Squibbs payout ratio is -77.42%. Analyst Ratings Changes Several research analysts have weighed in on BMY shares. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Monday, July 29th. TD Cowen raised their target price on Bristol-Myers Squibb from $45.00 to $53.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a report on Monday, August 12th. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued a neutral rating and set a $45.00 price target on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in a report on Monday, July 22nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price target on Bristol-Myers Squibb from $53.00 to $45.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, July 23rd. Finally, Barclays cut Bristol-Myers Squibb from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating and set a $41.00 price objective on the stock. in a research report on Monday, July 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have issued a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $54.86. Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis 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 Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BMY? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY Free Report). 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. Black Hills Co. (NYSE:BKH Get Free Report) has been given an average recommendation of Reduce by the five brokerages that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and four have given a hold rating to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $56.20. Several equities research analysts recently commented on BKH shares. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Black Hills from $61.00 to $64.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Scotiabank cut their price target on Black Hills from $58.00 to $54.00 and set a sector perform rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 22nd. Mizuho increased their price target on Black Hills from $53.00 to $57.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday, June 4th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Black Hills from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, May 9th. Get Black Hills alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Black Hills Insider Buying and Selling Institutional Inflows and Outflows In related news, Director Rebecca B. Roberts sold 3,094 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the transaction, 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 available at this hyperlink . 0.61% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of BKH. Rise Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Black Hills during the first quarter worth $31,000. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC purchased a new position in shares of Black Hills during the first quarter worth $31,000. Sunbelt Securities Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Black Hills during the first quarter worth $33,000. Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its position in shares of Black Hills by 56.3% during the first quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 650 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 234 shares during the period. Finally, Riverview Trust Co purchased a new position in shares of Black Hills during the first quarter worth $38,000. 86.71% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Black Hills Price Performance Shares of Black Hills stock opened at $57.81 on Monday. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $55.84 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $54.39. Black Hills has a 12 month low of $46.43 and a 12 month high of $59.82. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.24 and a beta of 0.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 0.73 and a quick ratio of 0.61. Black Hills (NYSE:BKH Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The utilities provider reported $0.33 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.29 by $0.04. Black Hills had a return on equity of 8.28% and a net margin of 12.96%. The business had revenue of $402.60 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $498.00 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.35 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was down 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that Black Hills will post 3.92 EPS for the current fiscal year. Black Hills Dividend Announcement The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, September 1st. Investors of record on Monday, August 19th will be given a $0.65 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 19th. This represents a $2.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.50%. Black Hillss payout ratio is 64.04%. About Black Hills (Get 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 Articles 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. Canadian Gold Corp. (CVE:CGC Get Free Report) shares were down 3.1% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as C$0.16 and last traded at C$0.16. Approximately 52,165 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 27% from the average daily volume of 71,667 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$0.16. Canadian Gold Stock Up 3.2 % The company has a current ratio of 3.98, a quick ratio of 0.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The company has a market capitalization of C$29.65 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -5.33 and a beta of 1.66. The firms 50 day simple moving average is C$0.15 and its 200-day simple moving average is C$0.16. About Canadian Gold (Get Free Report) Canadian Gold Corp. engages in the exploration and development of mineral properties in Canada. Its principal project is the Tartan Lake gold mine project that consists of 20 mineral claims covering an area of approximately 2,670 hectares located northeast of the town of Flin Flon, Manitoba, Canada. The company was formerly known as Satori Resources Inc and changed its name to Canadian Gold Corp. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Canadian Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Canadian Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of China Minsheng Banking Corp., Ltd. (OTCMKTS:CMAKY Get Free Report) shot up 2.5% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $3.48 and last traded at $3.48. 100 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 95% from the average session volume of 1,930 shares. The stock had previously closed at $3.40. China Minsheng Banking Trading Up 0.3 % The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $3.50 and a 200-day simple moving average of $3.50. The stock has a market cap of $15.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 3.34 and a beta of 0.26. Get China Minsheng Banking alerts: China Minsheng Banking Cuts Dividend The business also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 19th. Investors of record on Tuesday, July 2nd will be paid a $0.2185 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, July 2nd. About China Minsheng Banking China Minsheng Banking Corp., Ltd. provides banking products and services for individuals, small and micro-enterprises, corporate customers, government agencies, and financial institutions in the People's Republic of China. The company operates through Corporate Banking, Retail Banking, and Others segments. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for China Minsheng Banking Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for China Minsheng Banking and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Conifex Timber (TSE:CFF Free Report) had its target price trimmed by Raymond James from C$1.25 to C$0.85 in a research report released on Wednesday morning, BayStreet.CA reports. The brokerage currently has an outperform rating on the stock. Raymond James also issued estimates for Conifex Timbers FY2024 earnings at ($0.69) EPS and FY2025 earnings at ($0.20) EPS. Conifex Timber Stock Up 19.4 % TSE CFF opened at C$0.43 on Wednesday. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is C$0.39 and its 200 day simple moving average is C$0.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 55.61, a current ratio of 1.31 and a quick ratio of 0.91. Conifex Timber has a one year low of C$0.21 and a one year high of C$1.27. The firm has a market cap of C$17.38 million, a PE ratio of -0.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.06 and a beta of 1.43. Get Conifex Timber alerts: About Conifex Timber (Get Free Report) Recommended Stories Conifex Timber Inc primarily manufactures and sells lumber products in the United States, Canada, Japan, and internationally. It is involved in the timber harvesting, reforestation, and forest management activities; manufacture of finished softwood lumber from spruce, pine, and fir logs; manufacture, sale, and distribution of dimension lumber; processing logs into lumber and wood chips, as well as residual products, such as wood chips, trim blocks, sawdust, shavings, and barks; and providing value added lumber finishing services. Receive News & Ratings for Conifex Timber Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Conifex Timber and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. DiamondPeak Holdings Corp. (OTCMKTS:DPHCU Get Free Report)s share price traded down 13.7% on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $19.76 and last traded at $20.45. 65,400 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 32% from the average session volume of 49,678 shares. The stock had previously closed at $23.69. DiamondPeak Trading Down 13.7 % The companys 50-day simple moving average is $20.45 and its 200-day simple moving average is $20.45. DiamondPeak Company Profile (Get Free Report) DiamondPeak Holdings Corp. does not have significant operations. It intends to effect a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization, or similar business combination with one or more businesses. The company was founded in 2018 and is based in New York, New York. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for DiamondPeak Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for DiamondPeak and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Doman Building Materials Group Ltd. (TSE:DBM Free Report) Research analysts at Stifel Canada raised their FY2024 EPS estimates for shares of Doman Building Materials Group in a research report issued on Tuesday, August 13th. Stifel Canada analyst I. Gillies now expects that the company will post earnings per share of $0.64 for the year, up from their prior forecast of $0.62. The consensus estimate for Doman Building Materials Groups current full-year earnings is $0.74 per share. Get Doman Building Materials Group alerts: Several other research firms have also recently issued reports on DBM. Canaccord Genuity Group cut their price target on shares of Doman Building Materials Group from C$10.00 to C$9.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, May 14th. National Bankshares cut their target price on Doman Building Materials Group from C$10.50 to C$8.50 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday. Raymond James reduced their price target on Doman Building Materials Group from C$10.75 to C$9.75 and set a strong-buy rating for the company in a report on Monday, May 13th. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their target price on shares of Doman Building Materials Group from C$10.00 to C$9.00 in a research report on Thursday, July 11th. Finally, CIBC cut their price target on shares of Doman Building Materials Group from C$9.00 to C$8.50 in a report on Thursday, July 18th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Buy and an average target price of C$9.29. Doman Building Materials Group Stock Down 0.3 % DBM stock opened at C$6.80 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of C$592.55 million, a PE ratio of 7.91 and a beta of 1.58. The company has a fifty day moving average of C$6.94 and a 200-day moving average of C$7.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 142.37, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.30. Doman Building Materials Group has a one year low of C$6.32 and a one year high of C$8.64. Doman Building Materials Group Announces Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 12th. Investors of record on Friday, June 28th were paid a $0.14 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 28th. This represents a $0.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 8.24%. Doman Building Materials Groups payout ratio is 65.12%. Insider Buying and Selling at Doman Building Materials Group In other Doman Building Materials Group news, Director Amar Doman purchased 73,500 shares of Doman Building Materials Group stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 30th. The shares were bought at an average price of C$7.13 per share, with a total value of C$524,415.15. 19.98% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Doman Building Materials Group Company Profile (Get Free Report) Doman Building Materials Group Ltd., through its subsidiaries, engages in the wholesale distribution of building materials and home renovation products in the United States and Canada. The company offers treated wood; siding and trim; decking and aluminum railing; engineered wood products; roofing products; insulation and wrap products; and lumber and plywood products. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Doman Building Materials Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Doman Building Materials Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Dominos Pizza Enterprises Limited (OTCMKTS:DPZUF Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest in July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 192,200 shares, a growth of 10.5% from the July 15th total of 174,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 300 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 640.7 days. Dominos Pizza Enterprises Stock Performance Dominos Pizza Enterprises stock remained flat at $20.55 during midday trading on Friday. Dominos Pizza Enterprises has a fifty-two week low of $20.49 and a fifty-two week high of $39.43. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $22.94 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $25.65. Get Domino's Pizza Enterprises alerts: About Dominos Pizza Enterprises (Get Free Report) Featured Articles Domino's Pizza Enterprises Limited operates retail food outlets. The company holds franchise rights for the Domino's brand in Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Japan, Cambodia, Germany, Luxembourg, Denmark, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Singapore. It operates various stores. Receive News & Ratings for Domino's Pizza Enterprises Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Domino's Pizza Enterprises and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of e.l.f. Beauty, Inc. (NYSE:ELF Get Free Report) were down 2.4% on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $144.82 and last traded at $145.09. Approximately 385,093 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 77% from the average daily volume of 1,646,379 shares. The stock had previously closed at $148.64. Analyst Ratings Changes ELF has been the subject of a number of research reports. UBS Group decreased their price objective on shares of e.l.f. Beauty from $250.00 to $230.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 9th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on shares of e.l.f. Beauty from $230.00 to $240.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, August 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of e.l.f. Beauty from $224.00 to $207.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on e.l.f. Beauty from $151.00 to $161.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Monday, July 22nd. Finally, Truist Financial lifted their price target on e.l.f. Beauty from $200.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $216.43. Get e.l.f. Beauty alerts: Check Out Our Latest Research Report on ELF e.l.f. Beauty Stock Performance The company has a 50 day moving average price of $187.52 and a 200-day moving average price of $182.03. The company has a current ratio of 1.60, a quick ratio of 0.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25. The company has a market cap of $8.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 71.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.66 and a beta of 1.46. e.l.f. Beauty (NYSE:ELF Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 22nd. The company reported $0.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.21 by $0.16. e.l.f. Beauty had a return on equity of 26.64% and a net margin of 12.47%. The company had revenue of $321.14 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $292.47 million. On average, equities analysts expect that e.l.f. Beauty, Inc. will post 2.84 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, insider Jennifer Catherine Hartnett sold 9,808 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $184.96, for a total value of $1,814,087.68. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 61,647 shares in the company, valued at $11,402,229.12. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, SVP Joshua Allen Franks sold 14,253 shares of e.l.f. Beauty stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $184.96, for a total transaction of $2,636,234.88. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 83,182 shares of the companys stock, valued at $15,385,342.72. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, insider Jennifer Catherine Hartnett sold 9,808 shares of e.l.f. Beauty stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $184.96, for a total value of $1,814,087.68. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 61,647 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $11,402,229.12. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 97,390 shares of company stock worth $18,264,873. Corporate insiders own 5.20% of the companys stock. Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its position in e.l.f. Beauty by 5.2% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 2,540,832 shares of the companys stock valued at $366,744,000 after acquiring an additional 126,231 shares in the last quarter. Swiss National Bank boosted its holdings in shares of e.l.f. Beauty by 0.5% during the 1st quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 108,900 shares of the companys stock valued at $21,348,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares during the last quarter. Roman Butler Fullerton & Co. bought a new position in shares of e.l.f. Beauty during the 4th quarter valued at about $1,294,000. Private Advisor Group LLC bought a new position in shares of e.l.f. Beauty during the 1st quarter valued at about $417,000. Finally, ProShare Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of e.l.f. Beauty by 22.1% in the 1st quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 12,411 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,433,000 after acquiring an additional 2,250 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.44% of the companys stock. About e.l.f. Beauty (Get Free Report) e.l.f. Beauty, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides cosmetic and skin care products under the e.l.f. Cosmetics, e.l.f. Skin, Well People, and Keys Soulcare brand names worldwide. The company offers eye, lip, face, face, paw, and skin care products. It sells its products through national and international retailers and direct-to-consumer channels, which include e-commerce platforms in the United States, and internationally primarily through distributors. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for e.l.f. Beauty Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for e.l.f. Beauty and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Fiduciary Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (NYSEARCA:IWF Free Report) during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm bought 6,688 shares of the exchange traded funds stock, valued at approximately $2,524,000. A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of IWF. Creekmur Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF during the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. Nvwm LLC boosted its stake in iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF by 44.9% in the 1st quarter. Nvwm LLC now owns 100 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 31 shares in the last quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC bought a new position in iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF in the 4th quarter worth about $36,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. bought a new position in iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF in the 2nd quarter worth about $40,000. Finally, Richardson Financial Services Inc. bought a new position in iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF in the 1st quarter worth about $44,000. Get iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF alerts: iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF Price Performance iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF stock traded up $0.47 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $363.69. The stock had a trading volume of 1,008,828 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,352,365. The company has a market capitalization of $96.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.64 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $361.22 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $342.44. iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF has a one year low of $256.01 and a one year high of $382.82. About iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares Russell 1000 Growth Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks investment returns that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Russell 1000 Growth Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of equity securities of Russell 1000 index issuers with relatively higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IWF? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (NYSEARCA:IWF Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. A voice stands out among all the voices in Terminal Four of John F. Kennedy International Airport. Don Alonso! someone shouts. Don Alonso looks around to see whos calling his name. He raises his hand in approval, as if to say, yes, thats me. Don Alonso Escamilla left Mexico for the first time in his life and took his first plane ride. He will now see his daughter after 18 long years of waiting. The Aeromexico flight lands on August 9, but Don Alonso has already been traveling for several hours. He left Tlapa a mountainous municipality in the Mexican state of Guerrero at 9 p.m. the night before to board the plane at two oclock the next afternoon in Mexico City. For the occasion, he chose a plaid shirt, beige pants, leather shoes and a blue blazer, to add a bit of elegance to the outfit. He carries a red carry-on suitcase. At JFK, when the immigration authorities ask him where hes going, Don Alonso answers the obvious question with ease: Well, to New York, where else? Once outside the terminal, Don Alonso whose knees hurt from spending so much time sitting gets into a car that enters the rainy New York night. Except in Times Square, nighttime in the Big Apple is as dark as anywhere else in the world. From the backseat, Don Alonso could easily be in Mexico. Theres nothing that allows him to confirm that hes somewhere else except for the certainty that, after a half-an-hour car ride, he will see his daughter, Edith Escamilla. Don Alonso, originally from the Tlapa municipality, in the Mexican state of Guerrero, arrives at the reunion with his relatives. Jaclyn Licht Don Alonso doesnt seem excited. Rather, hes even-tempered maybe a little elusive. He barely speaks. If you ask him something, hell answer in a terse Spanish, always less comfortable than in his native Nahuatl. Hes serious. The only questions that seem to interest him are about the corn fields. Right now, the cornfields are good, he notes. Its rainy in Cahuatache [a town near Tlapa] and the cornfields are very good. The taxi finally stops. Those accompanying Don Alonso tell him that he has reached the end of the trip. This here is called The Bronx, they explain, to which Don Alonso answers: Ah! The borough is familiar to him. In fact, the word Bronx has been heard in his house in the town of Cahuatache for many years, transmitted through letters, text messages and family video calls. Inside a small shop, Edith is carrying a bouquet of flowers. Shes surrounded by her three daughters, her little granddaughter and her 11-year-old son, Alonso, who inherited his grandfathers name (although he doesnt know this). Little Alonso is nervous. His hands are sweating, his cheeks are sweating and his jet-black hair is sweating: it slides down his forehead. Edith, however, is calm. When Don Alonso appears at the door of the shop, theres no excitement, no surprise. Don Alonso calmly hugs Edith. He hugs his granddaughters one by one, bends down to kiss his great-granddaughter and meets his grandson, who lets out a stifled cry when he finally sees his grandfather. You would think that a reunion is typically accompanied by shock and commotion. But the truth is that time has made them get used to being apart. After almost 20 years, its as if they dont even know how to hug each other. When Edith left the town, she was only 22. Back then, Don Alonso was a strong man who worked in the fields. He didnt limp when he walked, he had only a bit of gray hair and he wasnt as heavy as he is now, at the age of 65. Even though shes seen him through video calls, Edith now 41-years-old couldnt imagine how much the father she left behind had changed. You cant say that Edith is sad, but you cant be sure that shes happy, either. There are many mixed feelings, she sighs. Its been many years since I saw him. My dad is very old. He cant work anymore, he cant sit for long, or walk much. He gets tired more often, he gets sick more often. He was a strong man when [I left Mexico]. Through video calls, its very different from seeing him in person. I didnt know he was like this. Edith says that its strange to see him after so much time. It was the same strangeness she felt when two of her daughters arrived in the U.S. a few years ago. She had left them in the care of her parents the day she left Mexico. It happened to me with my daughters too, she recalls. When they were [away from me], I always thought about being able to see them, hug them, cry with them, apologize for having left them but when I saw them, I didnt feel that. I didnt feel that feeling of happiness. Neither did they. Visas and discrimination Don Alonso Escamilla is one of nearly 150 people who have been reunited with their relatives, who remain undocumented in the United States. These individuals have been helped by Red de Pueblos Trasnacionales or the Transnational Peoples Network an organization that brings together Indigenous and rural immigrants in New York City. For the past 10 years, the reunions have been held as part of the NewYorkTlan festival. Its an annual celebration that serves as a space for migrants from Indigenous communities in Mexico and Central America to unite through different cultural events, such as traditional dances, food, crafts and music. Alonso Escamilla and his daughter pictured at the NewYorkTlan festival an annual celebration of migrant communities, made up of Indigenous peoples from Mexico and Central America on August 11, 2024. Jaclyn Licht Marco Castillo president of the board of directors of the Transnational Peoples Network tells EL PAIS that its complicated to request B1-B2 tourist or business visas at the different offices of the U.S. embassy in Mexico. This time, the appointments took a long time theyve been requested since last year. We requested about 20, and we only managed to get five. The others will be [available] in 2025 or 2026, he says. According to Castillo when it comes to Indigenous Mexican citizens the rejection rates for appointments at the U.S. Embassy are very high. Theres a lot of discrimination in the criteria for visas, he continues. So, the battle of this organization has been to break down that wall of discrimination. And thats why we started with the festival 10 years ago, because we have the idea that people from Indigenous origins [may not] have [substantial financial resources]. But they do have a background and cultural wealth to share. Were constantly fighting against the racism of the Embassy. Its a battle thats been at the center of our struggle for many years. In 2023, the United States embassies and consulates in Mexico granted 2.3 million visas, an increase of 35% over those issued the previous year. The criteria for granting them vary greatly. The Network chooses people who work in or serve their communities and who have guarantees of return, so that the rejection of potential migrants is lessened. In previous years, theyve been able to transport about 20 to 30 people to the U.S., so that they may be reunited with their relatives. Others are denied visas, such as Alonsos wife (Ediths mother). No reason was given as to why her application was rejected. In New York City, there are numerous other organizations with programs aimed at reuniting families. Mi Casa Es Puebla, Casa Tlaxcala, or the Club Migrante Chinelos de Morelos are some of the NGOs that have benefited thousands of families and have facilitated their reunions. There are also programs that work out of different states in Mexico. However, according to public complaints, some of these groups lack transparency and charge families up to $10,000 to guarantee family reunification. Marco Antonio Castillo a staff member of the Transnational Peoples Network addresses attendees of NewYorkTlan on Randall's Island, New York, on August 11, 2024. Jaclyn Licht Im more nervous about immigration On Sunday afternoon, Antonia Tlache also arrives. She hasnt seen her husband for more than 15 years. Fidel Cuapio picks her up at JFK and then takes her to a Mexican rap concert. He also plans to take her to the Statue of Liberty, which hes sure shell love. He wants to show her the stainless steel Unisphere in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park and the 7,100-pound bronze Charging Bull on Wall Street. Not a day has passed and theyve already started looking at photos from when they began hanging out together, about 20 years ago, when we were just kids, Fidel smiles. Antonia, 37, insists that shes changed a lot, that she isnt the same as before. When she says this, she smiles shyly, as if she didnt meet her husband two decades ago. Its almost as if theyre having their first date today. Fidel tells her that shes the same beautiful woman he met years ago. Honestly, it was very emotional to see her, he tells EL PAIS. I spent many years alone here it wasnt easy at all. To be honest, time has passed, but the connection is the same. I think even more so. Esther Montalvo also arrives in New York for a family reunification. Shes tired when she gets off the plane. It was her first time flying: she felt dizzy for almost the entire trip. In reality, she still cannot believe this is all happening. I never thought they would give me the visa. A year ago I tried and nothing, she shrugs. Typical Mexican dance as part of the festival. Jaclyn Licht She isnt nervous about seeing her husband. One day, he told her that he was going to the United States to work for three years. Twenty years have passed since then. Montalvo also isnt nervous about seeing her son, who crossed the border five years ago. What has really been on her mind since she left Malinaltepec, in the state of Guerrero, isnt the nervousness of seeing them. Rather, its the fear that someone an immigration officer will deny her the moment to hug them. Im more nervous about immigration, that theyre going to send me back, Esther laments, even though shes already outside the airport, where it seems that this possibility has vanished. But who can take away this fear from Esther, which has been instilled in people like her for years? She cant wait to lie down and rest. Translated by Avik Jain Chatlani. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition StockNews.com upgraded shares of Genesco (NYSE:GCO Free Report) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report released on Tuesday morning. Genesco Trading Up 2.2 % NYSE GCO opened at $29.20 on Tuesday. Genesco has a twelve month low of $23.21 and a twelve month high of $37.89. The firm has a market capitalization of $339.48 million, a PE ratio of -14.97 and a beta of 2.42. The stocks 50 day moving average is $26.58 and its 200 day moving average is $27.26. The company has a quick ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 1.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. Get Genesco alerts: Genesco (NYSE:GCO Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 31st. The company reported ($2.10) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of ($2.66) by $0.56. Genesco had a negative net margin of 0.97% and a positive return on equity of 0.40%. The company had revenue of $457.60 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $445.66 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted ($1.59) EPS. Genescos revenue for the quarter was down 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts forecast that Genesco will post 0.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Genesco Company Profile Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Quarry LP acquired a new position in Genesco in the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Genesco by 4,977.8% in the second quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 3,656 shares of the companys stock valued at $95,000 after acquiring an additional 3,584 shares during the period. Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Genesco during the second quarter worth about $113,000. Jump Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Genesco during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $250,000. Finally, Summit Global Investments purchased a new position in Genesco in the 4th quarter valued at $340,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.51% of the companys stock. (Get Free Report) Genesco Inc operates as a retailer and wholesaler of footwear, apparel, and accessories in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the Republic of Ireland. The company operates through four segments: Journeys Group, Schuh Group, Johnston & Murphy Group, and Genesco Brands. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Genesco Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Genesco and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Swedbank AB cut its holdings in Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE:HPE Free Report) by 21.0% during 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 1,202,073 shares of the technology companys stock after selling 320,467 shares during the period. Swedbank AB owned about 0.09% of Hewlett Packard Enterprise worth $25,448,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Rise Advisors LLC increased its position in Hewlett Packard Enterprise by 253.9% in the 1st quarter. Rise Advisors LLC now owns 1,465 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 1,051 shares during the period. Johnson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in Hewlett Packard Enterprise in the 4th quarter valued at about $35,000. American National Bank increased its position in Hewlett Packard Enterprise by 89.4% in the 1st quarter. American National Bank now owns 1,949 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 920 shares during the period. ORG Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise by 224.5% during the 2nd quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 1,853 shares of the technology companys stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 1,282 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Founders Financial Alliance LLC boosted its stake in shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise by 52.8% during the 4th quarter. Founders Financial Alliance LLC now owns 2,463 shares of the technology companys stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 851 shares in the last quarter. 80.78% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Hewlett Packard Enterprise alerts: Insider Transactions at Hewlett Packard Enterprise In other news, SVP Kirt P. Karros sold 30,686 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $20.49, for a total transaction of $628,756.14. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other news, Director Gary M. Reiner sold 50,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $19.51, for a total transaction of $975,500.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 150,948 shares in the company, valued at $2,944,995.48. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, SVP Kirt P. Karros sold 30,686 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 11th. The stock was 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. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 140,141 shares of company stock worth $2,850,108. 0.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of research firms recently issued reports on HPE. Bank of America upped their target price on Hewlett Packard Enterprise from $22.00 to $24.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, June 21st. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an equal weight rating and issued a $21.00 target price on shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise in a research note on Thursday, June 20th. Evercore ISI upped their target price on Hewlett Packard Enterprise from $18.00 to $22.00 and gave the company an in-line rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 5th. Barclays upped their target price on Hewlett Packard Enterprise from $14.00 to $20.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 5th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on Hewlett Packard Enterprise from $18.00 to $22.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 5th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned 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 $21.08. View Our Latest Analysis on HPE Hewlett Packard Enterprise Stock Performance Shares of NYSE:HPE traded down $0.09 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $18.67. The stock had a trading volume of 8,300,555 shares, compared to its average volume of 15,287,521. Hewlett Packard Enterprise has a 1-year low of $14.47 and a 1-year high of $22.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 0.90. The firm has a market capitalization of $24.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.69, a PEG ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 1.20. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $20.12 and its 200 day simple moving average is $18.08. Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE:HPE Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 business had revenue of $7.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.82 billion. Hewlett Packard Enterprise had a net margin of 6.38% and a return on equity of 8.49%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 3.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.32 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Hewlett Packard Enterprise will post 1.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Hewlett Packard Enterprise Announces Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 18th. Investors of record on Wednesday, June 19th were issued a $0.13 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 18th. This represents a $0.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.79%. Hewlett Packard Enterprises dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 37.96%. Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company 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. Read More 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. Hims & Hers Health, Inc. (NYSE:HIMS Get Free Report) fell 1.8% during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $15.57 and last traded at $15.70. 1,780,676 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 77% from the average session volume of 7,862,382 shares. The stock had previously closed at $15.98. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of research firms have commented on HIMS. Piper Sandler reaffirmed a neutral rating and issued a $18.00 target price on shares of Hims & Hers Health in a research report on Tuesday, August 6th. Imperial Capital cut shares of Hims & Hers Health from an outperform rating to an in-line rating in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Canaccord Genuity Group increased their price target on shares of Hims & Hers Health from $20.00 to $24.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 22nd. Truist Financial increased their price target on shares of Hims & Hers Health from $13.00 to $23.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, July 18th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price target on shares of Hims & Hers Health from $16.00 to $23.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Hims & Hers Health has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $20.00. Get Hims & Hers Health alerts: Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Hims & Hers Health Hims & Hers Health Price Performance The company has a market capitalization of $3.34 billion, a PE ratio of -1,557.00 and a beta of 1.08. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $20.58 and its 200 day simple moving average is $16.15. Hims & Hers Health (NYSE:HIMS Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 5th. The company reported $0.06 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.04 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $315.65 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $302.43 million. Hims & Hers Health had a negative net margin of 0.24% and a negative return on equity of 0.70%. The firms revenue was up 51.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted ($0.03) earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that Hims & Hers Health, Inc. will post 0.2 EPS for the current year. Insider Activity In other news, CEO Andrew Dudum sold 188,888 shares of Hims & Hers Health stock in a transaction on Monday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $16.47, for a total value of $3,110,985.36. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 33,502 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $551,777.94. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, COO Melissa Baird sold 16,784 shares of Hims & Hers Health stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.00, for a total value of $285,328.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now directly owns 585,800 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,958,600. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Andrew Dudum sold 188,888 shares of Hims & Hers Health stock in a transaction on Monday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $16.47, for a total transaction of $3,110,985.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 33,502 shares in the company, valued at $551,777.94. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 973,461 shares of company stock valued at $19,351,833 in the last ninety days. 17.71% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hims & Hers Health Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Creative Planning purchased a new stake in shares of Hims & Hers Health during the 2nd quarter worth $443,000. Scientech Research LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Hims & Hers Health in the 2nd quarter worth about $1,474,000. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company boosted its position in shares of Hims & Hers Health by 44.9% in the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 116,477 shares of the companys stock worth $2,352,000 after buying an additional 36,081 shares in the last quarter. Xponance Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Hims & Hers Health in the 2nd quarter worth about $242,000. Finally, Nkcfo LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Hims & Hers Health in the 2nd quarter worth about $606,000. 63.52% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About Hims & Hers Health (Get Free Report) Hims & Hers Health, Inc operates a telehealth platform that connects consumers to licensed healthcare professionals in the United States, the United Kingdom, and internationally. The company offers a range of curated prescription and non-prescription health and wellness products and services available to purchase on its websites and mobile application directly by customers. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Hims & Hers Health Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hims & Hers Health and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Imperial Brands PLC (OTCMKTS:IMBBY Get Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $27.89 and last traded at $27.76, with a volume of 86829 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $27.62. Imperial Brands Stock Up 0.8 % The companys 50 day simple moving average is $26.62 and its 200 day simple moving average is $24.43. Get Imperial Brands alerts: Imperial Brands Announces Dividend The company also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 11th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 23rd will be paid a $0.2752 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 23rd. About Imperial Brands Imperial Brands PLC, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, imports, markets, and sells tobacco and tobacco-related products in Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Australasia. It offers a range of cigarettes, tobacco accessories, vapour, heated tobacco, and oral nicotine. The company sells its products under various brands, including JPS, Davidoff, Gauloises, West, Winston, Kool, Lambert & Butler, Fortuna, Nobel, News, Backwoods, Champion, Golden Virginia, Rizla, Blu, Pulze, Skruf, and Zone X. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Imperial Brands Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Imperial Brands and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Interfor (TSE:IFP Free Report) had its price objective hoisted by CIBC from C$18.00 to C$19.00 in a research report report published on Tuesday, BayStreet.CA reports. They currently have a neutral rating on the stock. Other research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price target on shares of Interfor from C$27.00 to C$24.00 in a research note on Thursday, July 11th. Scotiabank lowered their target price on Interfor from C$26.00 to C$24.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 12th. Cibc World Mkts downgraded Interfor from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, July 18th. TD Securities lowered their price objective on Interfor from C$24.00 to C$20.00 in a research report on Tuesday, July 23rd. Finally, Raymond James boosted their target price 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. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four 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 has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of C$23.50. Get Interfor alerts: Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Interfor Interfor Trading Down 2.5 % Insiders Place Their Bets IFP stock opened at C$16.68 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of C$858.19 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -2.41 and a beta of 2.51. The company has a fifty day moving average price of C$16.90 and a two-hundred day moving average price of C$18.47. Interfor has a one year low of C$15.35 and a one year high of C$26.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 62.31, a current ratio of 2.02 and a quick ratio of 1.15. In related news, Director Ian Fillinger acquired 3,100 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 26th. The shares were purchased at an average price of C$16.30 per share, for a total transaction of C$50,530.00. Corporate insiders own 0.94% of the companys stock. Interfor Company Profile (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. Read More 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. Triad Wealth Partners LLC raised its position in shares of iShares High Yield Bond Factor ETF (BATS:HYDB Free Report) by 20.4% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 77,038 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 13,055 shares during the period. iShares High Yield Bond Factor ETF comprises about 1.9% of Triad Wealth Partners LLCs holdings, making the stock its 14th largest holding. Triad Wealth Partners LLC owned about 0.63% of iShares High Yield Bond Factor ETF worth $3,578,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of HYDB. Captrust Financial Advisors purchased a new stake in shares of iShares High Yield Bond Factor ETF during the first quarter worth approximately $28,429,000. CWM LLC acquired a new stake in shares of iShares High Yield Bond Factor ETF in the 4th quarter valued at $13,945,000. IMA Wealth Inc. lifted its position in shares of iShares High Yield Bond Factor ETF by 4.3% during the 1st quarter. IMA Wealth Inc. now owns 262,015 shares of the companys stock worth $12,241,000 after purchasing an additional 10,714 shares during the last quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC grew its stake in shares of iShares High Yield Bond Factor ETF by 12.6% during the first quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 257,321 shares of the companys stock worth $11,945,000 after purchasing an additional 28,734 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cetera Investment Advisers increased its holdings in iShares High Yield Bond Factor ETF by 386.9% in the first quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 201,213 shares of the companys stock valued at $9,401,000 after buying an additional 159,889 shares during the last quarter. Get iShares High Yield Bond Factor ETF alerts: iShares High Yield Bond Factor ETF Stock Up 0.4 % Shares of HYDB traded up $0.16 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $47.21. 90,925 shares of the stock were exchanged. iShares High Yield Bond Factor ETF has a twelve month low of $49.60 and a twelve month high of $51.73. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $46.62 and its 200 day moving average price is $46.41. iShares High Yield Bond Factor ETF Cuts Dividend iShares High Yield Bond Factor ETF Profile The firm also recently announced a dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 5th. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 1st were issued a $0.275 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, July 1st. (Free Report) The iShares High Yield Bond Factor ETF (HYDB) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the BlackRock High Yield Defensive Bond index. The fund tracks a broad-maturity, multifactor index of high-yield bonds. The index selects and weights bonds based on default probability, default-adjusted spreads, and volatility. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding HYDB? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares High Yield Bond Factor ETF (BATS:HYDB Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for iShares High Yield Bond Factor ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares High Yield Bond Factor ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of iShares MSCI Canada ETF (NYSEARCA:EWC Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $39.19 and last traded at $39.17, with a volume of 877567 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $38.66. iShares MSCI Canada ETF Stock Performance The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $37.70 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $37.55. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.81 billion, a PE ratio of 14.59 and a beta of 0.90. Get iShares MSCI Canada ETF alerts: Hedge Funds Weigh In On iShares MSCI Canada ETF Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. MeadowBrook Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of iShares MSCI Canada ETF during the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of iShares MSCI Canada ETF during the second quarter worth about $45,000. Syntrinsic LLC increased its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI Canada ETF by 26.0% during the second quarter. Syntrinsic LLC now owns 1,494 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $55,000 after acquiring an additional 308 shares in the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of iShares MSCI Canada ETF in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $69,000. Finally, CWM LLC boosted its stake in iShares MSCI Canada ETF by 51.2% in the 1st quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,976 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $76,000 after purchasing an additional 669 shares in the last quarter. About iShares MSCI Canada ETF iShares MSCI Canada ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares MSCI Canada Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The 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 Canadian market, as measured by the MSCI Canada Index (the Index). See Also Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI Canada ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI Canada ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. UBS Group upgraded shares of Jupiter Fund Management (LON:JUP Free Report) to a neutral rating in a research note released on Wednesday morning, Digital Look reports. Several other equities analysts have also weighed in on JUP. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price objective on shares of Jupiter Fund Management from GBX 90 ($1.15) to GBX 100 ($1.28) and gave the company a hold rating in a report on Friday, July 26th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on Jupiter Fund Management from GBX 92 ($1.17) to GBX 91 ($1.16) and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 18th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and five have assigned a hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of GBX 85.40 ($1.09). Get Jupiter Fund Management alerts: View Our Latest Report on Jupiter Fund Management Jupiter Fund Management Price Performance Jupiter Fund Management Cuts Dividend LON:JUP opened at GBX 82.70 ($1.06) on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.79, a current ratio of 2.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 11.88. The firm has a market cap of 422.66 million, a PE ratio of -2,756.67 and a beta of 1.41. Jupiter Fund Management has a 12 month low of GBX 71.10 ($0.91) and a 12 month high of GBX 101.70 ($1.30). The companys 50-day moving average price is GBX 81.41 and its two-hundred day moving average price is GBX 83.28. The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 4th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 8th will be given a dividend of GBX 3.20 ($0.04) per share. This represents a yield of 3.88%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 8th. Jupiter Fund Managements dividend payout ratio is -23,333.33%. About Jupiter Fund Management (Get Free Report) Jupiter Fund Management Plc is a publicly owned investment manager. The firm manages mutual funds, hedge funds, client focused portfolios, and multi-manager products for its clients. It invests in the public equity markets across U.K., Europe and global emerging markets. The firm also invests in fixed income markets, fund of funds products, hedge funds, and absolute return funds. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Jupiter Fund Management Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Jupiter Fund Management and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Pure Financial Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Laboratory Co. of America Holdings (NYSE:LH Free Report) by 5.1% in the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 1,089 shares of the medical research companys stock after buying an additional 53 shares during the quarter. Pure Financial Advisors LLCs holdings in Laboratory Co. of America were worth $222,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in Laboratory Co. of America during the 1st quarter worth $30,000. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. raised its position in Laboratory Co. of America by 313.2% during the 1st quarter. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 219 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $48,000 after buying an additional 166 shares during the last quarter. Quent Capital LLC raised its position in Laboratory Co. of America by 88.4% during the 2nd quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 260 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $53,000 after buying an additional 122 shares during the last quarter. Concord Wealth Partners raised its position in Laboratory Co. of America by 50.3% during the 1st quarter. Concord Wealth Partners now owns 275 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $60,000 after buying an additional 92 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Disciplined Equity Management Inc. purchased a new position in Laboratory Co. of America during the 4th quarter worth $68,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.94% of the companys stock. Get Laboratory Co. of America alerts: Laboratory Co. of America Price Performance NYSE LH traded up $2.94 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $227.50. The companys stock had a trading volume of 438,285 shares, compared to its average volume of 717,040. The stock has a market cap of $19.18 billion, a PE ratio of 45.77, a PEG ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 1.05. Laboratory Co. of America Holdings has a fifty-two week low of $191.97 and a fifty-two week high of $238.46. The companys 50-day moving average is $210.92 and its two-hundred day moving average is $210.49. 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 Dividend Announcement Laboratory Co. of America ( NYSE:LH Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The medical research company reported $3.94 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $3.78 by $0.16. Laboratory Co. of America had a net margin of 3.60% and a return on equity of 15.39%. The firm had revenue of $3.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.19 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $3.42 EPS. The firms revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that Laboratory Co. of America Holdings will post 14.84 EPS for the current year. The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 13th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 29th will be paid a dividend of $0.72 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 29th. This represents a $2.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.27%. Laboratory Co. of Americas dividend payout ratio is currently 57.95%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other Laboratory Co. of America news, EVP Lance Berberian sold 12,093 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $229.10, for a total transaction of $2,770,506.30. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 15,921 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,647,501.10. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, EVP Lance Berberian sold 12,093 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $229.10, for a total value of $2,770,506.30. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 15,921 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,647,501.10. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Kerrii B. Anderson sold 586 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 8th. The stock was 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 $3,312,450. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.85% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of equities analysts have commented on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective on shares of Laboratory Co. of America from $220.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on shares of Laboratory Co. of America from $261.00 to $277.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. Bank of America upped their price objective on shares of Laboratory Co. of America from $240.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Monday, August 5th. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Laboratory Co. of America from $213.00 to $249.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. Finally, Evercore ISI increased their price target on shares of Laboratory Co. of America from $210.00 to $215.00 and gave the company an in-line rating in a report on Tuesday, July 9th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Laboratory Co. of America currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $247.42. View Our Latest Analysis on Laboratory Co. of America About Laboratory Co. of America (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. Mitsubishi Electric Co. (OTCMKTS:MIELY Get Free Report) was the target of a large drop in short interest in July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 6,700 shares, a drop of 22.1% from the July 15th total of 8,600 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 110,400 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.1 days. Mitsubishi Electric Price Performance MIELY traded up $1.07 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $32.70. 47,109 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 65,570. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $32.38 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $32.70. Mitsubishi Electric has a fifty-two week low of $22.54 and a fifty-two week high of $38.48. Get Mitsubishi Electric alerts: About Mitsubishi Electric (Get Free Report) Featured Articles Mitsubishi Electric Corporation develops, manufactures, distributes, and sells electrical and electronic equipment worldwide. The company operates through: Infrastructure, Industry Mobility, Life, Business Platform, Semiconductor and Device, and Others segments. It offers turbine generators, nuclear power plant and power electronics equipment, motors, transformers, circuit breakers, gas insulated switchgears, switch controls, surveillance-system control and security systems, transmission and distribution ICT systems, display devices, locomotive and rolling stock electrical equipment, wireless and wired communications systems, network camera systems, elevators, escalators, building security and management systems, and others. Receive News & Ratings for Mitsubishi Electric Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mitsubishi Electric and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Violent crime in the United States is down this year, but given the upcoming U.S. president election, it may be more useful to ignore that fact. Fifty-eight percent of U.S. voters believe that reducing crime should be one of the ruling governments top priorities, and the issue is often ranked as one of their biggest concerns. So the latest trends based on data from the FBI and the Major Cities Police Chiefs Association should be very welcome news. But the fact that it is difficult to determine clear causes for the fall in violent crime means that, to some extent, the perception of crime is a more politically important barometer than the crime rate itself. Indeed, the political discourse and debate around violent crime ignores the numbers, which can be delicately used to support almost any thesis. A few days ago, the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA) released its statistics on violent crime which includes homicide, rape, armed robbery and aggravated assault for the first six months of the year. Overall, the data reflect a 6% decline compared to the previous year, with a widespread fall in nearly all the 69 cities studied. While Columbus, Ohio, saw the largest drop at 41%, Washington and Miami, traditional crime hotspots, both saw falls of 29%. Homicides were down 17% on average, with Boston and Philadelphia leading the way with 78% and 42% fewer homicides, respectively. For David Kennedy, professor of criminal justice at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York and director of the National Network for Safe Communities, the numbers indicate a positive trend; although he points out that crime is often a local phenomenon, meaning national data does not give much of an indication of what may be behind it. In a place like the United States, the national story of violent crime is really one of many local stories of violent crime. Cities dont always move forward together: some get better while others get worse, and vice versa. But this improvement in many cities is enough to show a decided national improvement. The most important thing is that it is happening, it is real, and it is, of course, very, very good news. To put the decline in context, it is important to remember that national crime rates spiked during the pandemic. The current decline, Kennedy says, is a return to the pre-Covid status quo. There are countless people who will say this happened because of the disruption of important public services during the pandemic, or because much of the period coincided with anti-police protests following the murder of George Floyd that forced services and care to be relocated away from communities where the violence was concentrated. There were also a large rise in the purchase of firearms, and the country is in the midst of the most recent phase of a national opioid epidemic. I could go on, there are many of these factors. However, these are all theories, there is not enough information available to confirm or disprove any of them. This means that politically especially during a presidential election when it is a central issue the perception of violent crime is more illustrative than the rates themselves. In other words, what voters think of reality is more important than reality. And while for a couple of years between the Covid lockdown and the present violent crime rates have risen in tandem with perceptions of insecurity, these two data points are now going in opposite directions. This paradox has been the norm since the Great Crime Decline began in the early 1990s. Again, there is not enough data to prove any explanations for this counterintuitive phenomenon. Some blame the role of the media, which in a bid to improve ratings with sensationalist content disproportionately focuses on violent events and crime more broadly, and creates a false image of reality. Or political narratives that aware of how fear can be effectively used to mobilize voters paint an apocalyptic landscape of the world. It doesnt matter if the data says otherwise, there will always be a city or a neighborhood to point to, or an isolated event that overshadows reality. And these arguments are almost always impossible to effectively refute due to the lack of information beyond the hard data, which can also be challenged for whatever reason. It is no coincidence, then, that the demonization of crime is a key part of the modern-day populists handbook. In the United States, Donald Trump has been using this strategy since he entered politics almost a decade ago. His personal trademark has been to link allegedly rampant and rising crime to uncontrolled immigration, sustaining this argument with just a handful of isolate, migrant-related incidents. However, Kennedy points out, this is precisely one of the few arguments that can be reliably refuted. People just say this is what is happening and this is what it means and there is no basis for having a rigorous discussion and measuring the truth of those positions. However, sometimes it is easier to say what is not happening. And, in fact, there is very strong and consistent research that says that recent immigrant populations are dramatically safer than established U.S. communities. Rates of violence and other types of crime are higher in native communities than in places where there has been recent legal and undocumented immigration. We know that clearly, the data is very clear on that, Kennedy explains, adding that this point has had hardly any political impact: People dont respect it, dont know about it, or dont pay attention to it. This situation has forced the Democratic Party to show that it too can be tough on crime. Its presidential candidate, Kamala Harris, was previously California Attorney General, and she wrote a book called Smart on Crime. Despite this, Republicans are seeking to portray her as soft on crime. Its another debate devoid of facts. But Kennedy believes Harris should embrace her track record. While it is very difficult to name an overarching cause for the current fall in crime, the implementation of so-called evidence-based violence prevention scientifically verified community programs to tackle the most serious types of crime shows that there is indeed an alternative to heavy-handedness. Kennedy explains that the Biden-Harris administration was the first to recognize this new approach, provide it with national funding and roll out the programs nationwide. Vice President Harris has been one of the strongest advocates of these new approaches, as well as what she and the administration call smart policing. So I think there is every reason to believe that a Harris administration will continue to build on these proven approaches. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Nevsun Resources (NYSEAMERICAN:NSU Get Free Report)s stock price dropped 0.2% during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $4.44 and last traded at $4.44. Approximately 25,500 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 71% from the average daily volume of 87,058 shares. The stock had previously closed at $4.45. Nevsun Resources Stock Performance About Nevsun Resources (Get Free Report) Nevsun Resources Ltd. engages in the mining and development of mineral properties in Europe, Africa, and North America. It explores for gold, copper, zinc, and silver deposits. The company's principal assets include Timok project, a copper-gold development project in Serbia; and Bisha copper- zinc mine in Eritrea. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Nevsun Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Nevsun Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Peoples Financial Co. (OTCMKTS:PFBX Get Free Report)s share price passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $15.96 and traded as high as $17.75. Peoples Financial shares last traded at $17.75, with a volume of 801 shares. Peoples Financial Stock Performance The company has a 50-day moving average price of $16.50 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $15.99. The stock has a market cap of $82.72 million, a P/E ratio of 9.24 and a beta of 0.47. The company has a current ratio of 0.43, a quick ratio of 0.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. Get Peoples Financial alerts: Peoples Financial (OTCMKTS:PFBX Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 24th. The financial services provider reported $0.50 EPS for the quarter. Peoples Financial had a net margin of 22.37% and a return on equity of 12.62%. The company had revenue of $7.66 million during the quarter. Peoples Financial Cuts Dividend About Peoples Financial The company also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 10th. Investors of record on Wednesday, June 5th were issued a dividend of $0.18 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, June 5th. Peoples Financials payout ratio is 18.75%. (Get Free Report) Peoples Financial Corporation operates as the bank holding company for The Peoples Bank that provides banking, financial, and trust services to government entities, individuals, and small and commercial businesses in Mississippi. The company accepts various deposits, such as interest and non-interest-bearing checking accounts, savings accounts, certificates of deposit, and individual retirement accounts (IRAs). Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Peoples Financial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Peoples Financial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Postal Savings Bank of China Co., Ltd. (OTCMKTS:PSTVY Get Free Report) shot up 3% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $10.92 and last traded at $10.92. 7,747 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 40% from the average session volume of 12,933 shares. The stock had previously closed at $10.60. Postal Savings Bank of China Stock Down 1.5 % The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $10.93 and a 200-day moving average price of $10.73. Get Postal Savings Bank of China alerts: Postal Savings Bank of China Cuts Dividend The business also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 22nd. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 3rd will be given a $0.5788 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 3rd. About Postal Savings Bank of China Postal Savings Bank of China Co, Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, provides various banking products and services for retail and corporate customers in the People's Republic of China. It offers demand, time, personal call, time/demand optional, call, negotiated, and foreign currency deposits, as well as passbooks and certificate of deposits; micro and personal pledged, and personal business loans; business easy mix, agriculture aid plus, domestic remittance and exchange, payment and collection agency, check, promissory notes, bank and commercial draft, remittance, consignment collection, and collection with acceptance settlement services; debit and credit cards; cross-border remittance, personal exchange settlement and sale, and foreign currency exchange and deposit services; personal housing, auto, car, consumer, and personal education loans; wealth management products and funds; and insurance agency services. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Postal Savings Bank of China Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Postal Savings Bank of China and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Rexford Industrial Realty, Inc. (NYSE:REXR Get Free Report) has been given a consensus rating of Hold by the ten analysts that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, four have issued a hold recommendation and five have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $52.70. Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Truist Financial boosted their target price on Rexford Industrial Realty from $50.00 to $54.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, July 30th. Mizuho cut their price objective on shares of Rexford Industrial Realty from $52.00 to $50.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 31st. Scotiabank lowered their price objective on Rexford Industrial Realty from $55.00 to $51.00 and set a sector outperform rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 16th. Evercore ISI initiated coverage on Rexford Industrial Realty in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. They issued an outperform rating and a $54.00 price target on the stock. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Rexford Industrial Realty from $47.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, July 25th. Get Rexford Industrial Realty alerts: Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Rexford Industrial Realty Insiders Place Their Bets Institutional Investors Weigh In On Rexford Industrial Realty In other Rexford Industrial Realty news, CEO Howard Schwimmer sold 30,358 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, July 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.86, for a total value of $1,483,291.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 50,673 shares in the company, valued at $2,475,882.78. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink . Insiders own 1.20% of the companys stock. A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its holdings in shares of Rexford Industrial Realty by 116.1% in the 4th quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 46,150 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $2,589,000 after purchasing an additional 24,793 shares in the last quarter. M&G Plc purchased a new position in Rexford Industrial Realty in the first quarter valued at $33,644,000. First Financial Bank Trust Division acquired a new stake in Rexford Industrial Realty in the first quarter valued at $2,551,000. GSI Capital Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Rexford Industrial Realty by 45.0% during the 4th quarter. GSI Capital Advisors LLC now owns 191,054 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $10,718,000 after buying an additional 59,320 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Louisiana State Employees Retirement System acquired a new position in shares of Rexford Industrial Realty during the 4th quarter worth about $3,327,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.52% of the companys stock. Rexford Industrial Realty Stock Down 0.0 % NYSE REXR opened at $50.30 on Friday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $47.16 and a 200 day moving average price of $47.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 1.73 and a current ratio of 1.73. The company has a market cap of $10.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 46.15, a P/E/G ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 0.92. Rexford Industrial Realty has a one year low of $41.56 and a one year high of $58.02. Rexford Industrial Realty (NYSE:REXR Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 17th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.37 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.58 by ($0.21). The business had revenue of $237.60 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $227.70 million. Rexford Industrial Realty had a net margin of 30.71% and a return on equity of 3.31%. Rexford Industrial Realtys quarterly revenue was up 21.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.54 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that Rexford Industrial Realty will post 2.35 EPS for the current fiscal year. Rexford Industrial Realty Increases Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 15th. Investors of record on Monday, September 30th will be issued a dividend of $0.4175 per share. This represents a $1.67 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.32%. This is a boost from Rexford Industrial Realtys previous quarterly dividend of $0.42. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 30th. Rexford Industrial Realtys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 153.21%. Rexford Industrial Realty Company Profile (Get Free Report Rexford Industrial creates value by investing in, operating and redeveloping industrial properties throughout infill Southern California, the world's fourth largest industrial market and consistently the highest-demand with lowest-supply major market in the nation. The Company's highly differentiated strategy enables internal and external growth opportunities through its proprietary value creation and asset management capabilities. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Rexford Industrial Realty Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Rexford Industrial Realty and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Senior plc (OTC:SNIRF Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high on Wednesday . The company traded as high as C$2.10 and last traded at C$2.10, with a volume of 0 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at C$2.10. Senior Price Performance The companys 50-day moving average price is C$1.94 and its two-hundred day moving average price is C$1.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a current ratio of 1.71. Senior Company Profile (Get Free Report) Senior plc designs, manufactures, and sells high-technology components and systems for the principal original equipment manufacturers in the aerospace, defense, land vehicle, and power and energy markets in the United States, the United Kingdom, and internationally. It operates in two segments, Aerospace and Flexonics. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Senior Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Senior and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Mitsubishi Chemical Group Co. (OTCMKTS:MTLHF Get Free Report) saw a significant increase in short interest during the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 2,167,200 shares, an increase of 23.0% from the July 15th total of 1,761,600 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 600 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3,612.0 days. Mitsubishi Chemical Group Stock Performance MTLHF stock remained flat at $5.89 during midday trading on Friday. Mitsubishi Chemical Group has a 12 month low of $4.92 and a 12 month high of $6.51. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $5.35 and its 200 day simple moving average is $5.67. Get Mitsubishi Chemical Group alerts: About Mitsubishi Chemical Group (Get Free Report) Featured Stories Mitsubishi Chemical Group Corporation provides performance products, chemicals, industrial gases, health care products, and other products in Japan and internationally. The company offers polyester films for various applications, including optical materials, for electronic displays; industrial materials for electronic components, automotive parts, and medical equipment; and packaging materials for food and other products. Receive News & Ratings for Mitsubishi Chemical Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mitsubishi Chemical Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Stelco Holdings Inc. (OTCMKTS:STZHF Get Free Report) was the target of a large growth in short interest in July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 813,600 shares, a growth of 23.3% from the July 15th total of 659,700 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 20,900 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 38.9 days. Stelco Stock Performance STZHF traded down $0.37 during trading on Friday, reaching $47.73. 196 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 8,310. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $37.10 and its 200-day simple moving average is $32.82. Stelco has a 1 year low of $24.10 and a 1 year high of $55.00. Get Stelco alerts: Stelco Company Profile (Get Free Report) Read More Stelco Holdings Inc engages in the production and sale of steel products in Canada, the United States, and internationally. It offers flat-rolled value-added steel, including coated, pre-painted, cold-rolled, and hot-rolled sheet products, as well as pig iron and metallurgical coke. The company sells its products to customers in the construction, automotive, energy, appliance, and pipe and tube industries, as well as steel service centers. Receive News & Ratings for Stelco Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Stelco and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Silver Lake Advisory LLC acquired a new position in shares of Invesco Large Cap Growth ETF (NYSEARCA:PWB Free Report) in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 2,512 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $237,000. A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Raymond James & Associates increased its position in Invesco Large Cap Growth ETF by 15.5% in the 1st quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 400,466 shares of the companys stock valued at $35,758,000 after acquiring an additional 53,593 shares during the period. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. grew its position in Invesco Large Cap Growth ETF by 4.2% in the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 167,295 shares of the companys stock valued at $14,938,000 after purchasing an additional 6,781 shares during the period. International Assets Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Invesco Large Cap Growth ETF in the 4th quarter valued at $8,763,000. Ethos Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in Invesco Large Cap Growth ETF in the 1st quarter valued at $8,351,000. Finally, CWM LLC grew its position in Invesco Large Cap Growth ETF by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 75,668 shares of the companys stock valued at $5,879,000 after purchasing an additional 293 shares during the period. Get Invesco Large Cap Growth ETF alerts: Invesco Large Cap Growth ETF Trading Down 0.1 % NYSEARCA PWB opened at $94.40 on Friday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $93.12 and a 200 day simple moving average of $89.58. The company has a market cap of $898.69 million, a P/E ratio of 36.77 and a beta of 1.12. Invesco Large Cap Growth ETF has a 12-month low of $65.31 and a 12-month high of $96.80. Invesco Large Cap Growth ETF Company Profile Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Invesco Large Cap Growth ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Invesco Large Cap Growth ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Wedbush restated their neutral rating on shares of Smith Douglas Homes (NYSE:SDHC Free Report) in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday, RTT News reports. They currently have a $20.00 price objective on the stock. Wedbush also issued estimates for Smith Douglas Homes Q3 2024 earnings at $0.50 EPS, Q4 2024 earnings at $0.52 EPS, FY2024 earnings at $1.70 EPS, Q2 2025 earnings at $0.41 EPS, Q3 2025 earnings at $0.44 EPS, Q4 2025 earnings at $0.61 EPS, FY2025 earnings at $1.81 EPS, Q1 2026 earnings at $0.37 EPS, Q2 2026 earnings at $0.44 EPS and FY2026 earnings at $1.90 EPS. Smith Douglas Homes Stock Down 0.5 % Shares of SDHC stock opened at $34.30 on Wednesday. Smith Douglas Homes has a 52 week low of $20.55 and a 52 week high of $37.74. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $26.92 and a 200-day moving average of $27.80. Get Smith Douglas Homes alerts: Smith Douglas Homes (NYSE:SDHC Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 14th. The company reported $0.40 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.37 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $220.90 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $208.02 million. The companys quarterly revenue was up 21.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that Smith Douglas Homes will post 1.69 EPS for the current year. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Smith Douglas Homes Company Profile Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Federated Hermes Inc. grew its holdings in Smith Douglas Homes by 5.5% during the second quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 527,300 shares of the companys stock worth $12,328,000 after buying an additional 27,300 shares in the last quarter. Hood River Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Smith Douglas Homes in the 1st quarter worth $14,321,000. Vanguard Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Smith Douglas Homes in the first quarter valued at about $13,451,000. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA lifted its position in shares of Smith Douglas Homes by 1.9% during the second quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 450,193 shares of the companys stock valued at $10,526,000 after purchasing an additional 8,193 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Long Pond Capital LP purchased a new position in Smith Douglas Homes during the first quarter worth about $12,388,000. (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. SoftBank Group Corp. (OTCMKTS:SFTBY Get Free Report) saw a large decline in short interest in the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 251,500 shares, a decline of 31.4% from the July 15th total of 366,600 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 1,033,700 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.2 days. Analysts Set New Price Targets Separately, Jefferies Financial Group upgraded SoftBank Group from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 11th. Get SoftBank Group alerts: Check Out Our Latest Analysis on SFTBY SoftBank Group Stock Performance Shares of SFTBY traded down $0.08 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $28.24. The company had a trading volume of 313,666 shares, compared to its average volume of 572,145. The firm has a market cap of $83.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -38.68 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a quick ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15. The business has a fifty day moving average of $31.37 and a 200-day moving average of $28.79. SoftBank Group has a 12 month low of $18.19 and a 12 month high of $37.19. SoftBank Group (OTCMKTS:SFTBY Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 13th. The technology company reported $0.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The company had revenue of $11.82 billion during the quarter. SoftBank Group had a return on equity of 0.53% and a net margin of 0.92%. Equities analysts anticipate that SoftBank Group will post 2.13 EPS for the current fiscal year. SoftBank Group Company Profile (Get Free Report) SoftBank Group Corp. provides telecommunication services in Japan and internationally. It operates through Investment Business of Holding Companies, SoftBank Vision Funds, SoftBank, Arm, and Other segments. The company offers mobile communications and solutions to enterprise customers, and broadband services to retail customers; and sells mobile devices and software tools, as well as related services. See Also Receive News & Ratings for SoftBank Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for SoftBank Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Stanley Laman Group Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of Sysco Co. (NYSE:SYY Free Report) by 3.4% in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 48,609 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 1,602 shares during the period. Stanley Laman Group Ltd.s holdings in Sysco were worth $3,470,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. Capital World Investors boosted its position in Sysco by 17.5% during the first quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 10,984,950 shares of the companys stock worth $891,758,000 after acquiring an additional 1,637,232 shares during the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors grew its stake in Sysco by 112.8% during the 1st quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 6,612,092 shares of the companys stock valued at $536,770,000 after acquiring an additional 3,504,740 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Sysco during the 4th quarter valued at about $450,794,000. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company grew its stake in shares of Sysco by 132.9% in the 4th quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 3,653,446 shares of the companys stock valued at $267,177,000 after buying an additional 2,084,501 shares during the period. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its stake in shares of Sysco by 8.6% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 3,036,100 shares of the companys stock valued at $222,029,000 after buying an additional 240,671 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.41% of the companys stock. Get Sysco alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several analysts have recently weighed in on SYY shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price target on shares of Sysco from $90.00 to $86.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Sysco from $87.00 to $85.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 23rd. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Sysco from $85.00 to $88.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on shares of Sysco from $82.00 to $81.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, July 16th. Finally, UBS Group reduced their target price on shares of Sysco from $92.00 to $87.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 1st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $85.27. Sysco Stock Up 1.1 % Shares of SYY traded up $0.81 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $76.57. The stock had a trading volume of 2,197,203 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,204,062. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $73.08 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $76.11. Sysco Co. has a 1-year low of $62.24 and a 1-year high of $82.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.19, a current ratio of 1.20 and a quick ratio of 0.69. The company has a market cap of $38.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.68, a PEG ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 1.18. Sysco (NYSE:SYY Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 30th. The company reported $1.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.38 by $0.01. Sysco had a net margin of 2.48% and a return on equity of 102.09%. The company had revenue of $20.56 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $20.51 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.34 EPS. Syscos revenue for the quarter was up 4.2% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts expect that Sysco Co. will post 4.6 earnings per share for the current year. Sysco Announces Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 25th. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 4th will be issued a $0.51 dividend. This represents a $2.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.66%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 4th. Syscos payout ratio is 49.76%. About Sysco (Free Report) Sysco Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in the marketing and distribution of various food and related products to the foodservice or food-away-from-home industry in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and internationally. It operates through U.S. Foodservice Operations, International Foodservice Operations, SYGMA, and Other segments. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SYY? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Sysco Co. (NYSE:SYY Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Sysco Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sysco and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com lowered shares of Banco Macro (NYSE:BMA Free Report) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report sent to investors on Tuesday. Separately, Bank of America raised shares of Banco Macro from an underperform rating to a neutral rating and increased their target price for the company from $53.00 to $62.00 in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Get Banco Macro alerts: View Our Latest Report on BMA Banco Macro Stock Down 4.4 % Shares of BMA stock opened at $56.70 on Tuesday. Banco Macro has a 1 year low of $17.30 and a 1 year high of $68.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a quick ratio of 1.05 and a current ratio of 0.77. The businesss fifty day moving average is $55.16 and its 200-day moving average is $50.67. The stock has a market cap of $3.63 billion, a PE ratio of 3.35 and a beta of 1.91. Banco Macro (NYSE:BMA Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 23rd. The bank reported $5.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.19 by $2.83. Banco Macro had a return on equity of 37.91% and a net margin of 16.33%. The firm had revenue of $1.87 billion for the quarter. Equities analysts expect that Banco Macro will post 11.83 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Banco Macro Increases Dividend The business also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 23rd. Investors of record on Friday, August 16th will be paid a $1.798 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 16th. This represents a $21.58 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 38.05%. This is a boost from Banco Macros previous monthly dividend of $1.74. Banco Macros dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 127.41%. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Banco Macro A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new position in Banco Macro in the 1st quarter worth approximately $33,000. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Banco Macro in the second quarter worth $51,000. Shilanski & Associates Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Banco Macro during the second quarter valued at $244,000. Claro Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Banco Macro during the first quarter valued at $260,000. Finally, Norden Group LLC purchased a new stake in Banco Macro in the 1st quarter worth about $261,000. Banco Macro Company Profile (Get Free Report) Banco Macro SA provides various banking products and services to retail and corporate customers in Argentina. It offers various retail banking products and services, such as savings and checking accounts, time deposits, credit and debit cards, consumer finance loans, mortgage loans, automobile loans, overdrafts, credit-related services, home and car insurance coverage, tax collection, utility payments, automated teller machines (ATMs), and money transfers. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Banco Macro Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Banco Macro and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com lowered shares of Haverty Furniture Companies (NYSE:HVT Free Report) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report published on Wednesday morning. Separately, Benchmark restated a buy rating and set a $45.00 price target on shares of Haverty Furniture Companies in a report on Thursday, May 2nd. Get Haverty Furniture Companies alerts: Read Our Latest Research Report on Haverty Furniture Companies Haverty Furniture Companies Trading Up 0.6 % Haverty Furniture Companies Announces Dividend Shares of Haverty Furniture Companies stock opened at $29.24 on Wednesday. Haverty Furniture Companies has a 1-year low of $23.09 and a 1-year high of $37.05. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $26.46 and a 200-day simple moving average of $29.88. The stock has a market capitalization of $474.74 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.63, a PEG ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.44. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 11th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 26th will be issued a dividend of $0.32 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 26th. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.38%. Haverty Furniture Companiess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 46.55%. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Haverty Furniture Companies Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. AJOVista LLC bought a new stake in Haverty Furniture Companies in the 4th quarter valued at $71,000. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank lifted its position in shares of Haverty Furniture Companies by 22.9% in the 2nd quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 5,545 shares of the companys stock worth $140,000 after acquiring an additional 1,034 shares during the period. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank grew its holdings in shares of Haverty Furniture Companies by 62.8% during the 4th quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 4,511 shares of the companys stock worth $160,000 after purchasing an additional 1,740 shares in the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of Haverty Furniture Companies by 79.9% during the second quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 7,772 shares of the companys stock valued at $197,000 after purchasing an additional 3,451 shares during the period. Finally, O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Haverty Furniture Companies in the first quarter valued at $206,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.57% of the companys stock. About Haverty Furniture Companies (Get Free Report) Haverty Furniture Companies, Inc operates as a specialty retailer of residential furniture and accessories in the United States. The company offers furniture merchandise under the Havertys brand name. It also provides custom upholstery products and eclectic looks; and mattress product lines under the Tempur-Pedic, Serta, Sealy, and Stearns and Foster names. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Haverty Furniture Companies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Haverty Furniture Companies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Suruga Bank Ltd. (OTCMKTS:SUGBY Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $72.20 and last traded at $72.20, with a volume of 0 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $72.20. Suruga Bank Price Performance The companys 50 day moving average price is $67.28 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $61.33. The firm has a market cap of $1.42 billion, a PE ratio of 13.78 and a beta of -0.07. About Suruga Bank (Get Free Report) Suruga Bank Ltd. provides various banking and financial products and services to individuals and corporate customers in Japan. The company offers deposit products, such as time, ordinary, savings, foreign currency, and other deposits, as well as current and general accounts; card, housing, second house, startup, and business up term loans, as well as loans by purpose; credit and debit cards; overdrafts; and other financing products. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Suruga Bank Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Suruga Bank and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Swedbank AB grew its stake in PPG Industries, Inc. (NYSE:PPG Free Report) by 6.3% during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 158,761 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock after buying an additional 9,412 shares during the period. Swedbank ABs holdings in PPG Industries were worth $19,986,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of PPG Industries by 6.7% in the 4th quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. now owns 11,004 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $1,646,000 after purchasing an additional 690 shares during the period. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its stake in PPG Industries by 49.5% during the 4th quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 28,345 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $4,239,000 after buying an additional 9,384 shares during the period. BDF Gestion acquired a new stake in PPG Industries during the 2nd quarter worth $3,452,000. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System raised its stake in PPG Industries by 8.8% during the 1st quarter. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System now owns 274,143 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $36,620,000 after buying an additional 22,079 shares during the period. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in PPG Industries by 17.2% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 28,703,066 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $4,159,074,000 after buying an additional 4,222,402 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.86% of the companys stock. Get PPG Industries alerts: PPG Industries Stock Up 0.3 % Shares of NYSE PPG traded up $0.32 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $122.39. The company had a trading volume of 2,562,131 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,664,256. The company has a market capitalization of $28.55 billion, a PE ratio of 20.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.26. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $126.10 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $133.47. The company has a current ratio of 1.49, a quick ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73. PPG Industries, Inc. has a one year low of $118.07 and a one year high of $151.16. PPG Industries Increases Dividend PPG Industries ( NYSE:PPG Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 18th. The specialty chemicals company reported $2.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.48 by $0.02. PPG Industries had a net margin of 7.98% and a return on equity of 23.57%. The business had revenue of $4.79 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.93 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.25 EPS. PPG Industriess revenue was down 1.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts expect that PPG Industries, Inc. will post 8.25 EPS for the current year. The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 12th. Investors of record on Monday, August 12th will be paid a $0.68 dividend. This is an increase from PPG Industriess previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. This represents a $2.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.22%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 12th. PPG Industriess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 43.92%. PPG Industries announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback program on Thursday, April 18th that authorizes the company to buyback $2.50 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the specialty chemicals company to repurchase up to 8.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are usually a sign that the companys leadership believes its stock is undervalued. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several analysts recently commented on the company. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price objective on PPG Industries from $140.00 to $139.00 and set a sector perform rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 23rd. Barclays dropped their price objective on PPG Industries from $148.00 to $144.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 22nd. Citigroup lowered their target price on PPG Industries from $145.00 to $144.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Monday, July 22nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their target price on PPG Industries from $160.00 to $155.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 22nd. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded PPG Industries from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, April 30th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $151.08. Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on PPG PPG Industries Company Profile (Free Report) PPG Industries, Inc manufactures and distributes paints, coatings, and specialty materials in the United States, Canada, the Asia Pacific, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. It operates through two segments, Performance Coatings and Industrial Coatings. The Performance Coatings segment offers coatings, solvents, adhesives, sealants, sundries, and software for automotive and commercial transport/fleet repair and refurbishing, light industrial coatings, and specialty coatings for signs; wood stains; paints, thermoplastics, pavement marking products, and other advanced technologies for pavement marking for government, commercial infrastructure, painting, and maintenance contractors; and coatings, sealants, transparencies, transparent armor, adhesives, engineered materials, and packaging and chemical management services for commercial, military, regional jet, and general aviation aircraft. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PPG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for PPG Industries, Inc. (NYSE:PPG Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for PPG Industries Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for PPG Industries and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Swedbank AB reduced its holdings in shares of Mettler-Toledo International Inc. (NYSE:MTD Free Report) by 1.1% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 19,960 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock after selling 221 shares during the period. Swedbank AB owned about 0.09% of Mettler-Toledo International worth $27,896,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Mettler-Toledo International by 8.0% in the 1st quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 95 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock worth $117,000 after purchasing an additional 7 shares during the last quarter. Gulf International Bank UK Ltd grew its position in Mettler-Toledo International by 0.4% in the 1st quarter. Gulf International Bank UK Ltd now owns 1,813 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $2,413,000 after acquiring an additional 8 shares during the last quarter. Bellevue Group AG grew its position in shares of Mettler-Toledo International by 32.0% during the 1st quarter. Bellevue Group AG now owns 33 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock worth $44,000 after buying an additional 8 shares in the last quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV lifted its stake in shares of Mettler-Toledo International by 7.2% during the 2nd quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 119 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock worth $166,000 after purchasing an additional 8 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wealthspire Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Mettler-Toledo International by 1.2% during the 1st quarter. Wealthspire Advisors LLC now owns 757 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock worth $1,008,000 after purchasing an additional 9 shares during the last quarter. 95.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Mettler-Toledo International alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on Mettler-Toledo International from $1,150.00 to $1,300.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday, July 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on Mettler-Toledo International from $1,300.00 to $1,400.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Monday, August 5th. Evercore ISI raised their target price on Mettler-Toledo International from $1,375.00 to $1,390.00 and gave the company an in-line rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 2nd. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on Mettler-Toledo International from $1,212.00 to $1,360.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, May 13th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus raised their target price on Mettler-Toledo International from $1,510.00 to $1,550.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Monday, August 5th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Mettler-Toledo International currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $1,343.75. Mettler-Toledo International Stock Performance NYSE MTD traded down $17.20 on Friday, reaching $1,417.58. The companys stock had a trading volume of 88,565 shares, compared to its average volume of 143,536. Mettler-Toledo International Inc. has a twelve month low of $928.49 and a twelve month high of $1,546.93. The stock has a market cap of $30.28 billion, a PE ratio of 39.48, a PEG ratio of 4.06 and a beta of 1.17. The firms 50 day moving average is $1,407.71 and its two-hundred day moving average is $1,338.95. Mettler-Toledo International (NYSE:MTD Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The medical instruments supplier reported $9.65 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $9.00 by $0.65. The company had revenue of $946.75 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $929.13 million. Mettler-Toledo International had a net margin of 20.95% and a negative return on equity of 590.80%. The businesss quarterly revenue was down 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $10.19 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that Mettler-Toledo International Inc. will post 40.13 EPS for the current fiscal year. Insider Activity In other news, CFO Shawn Vadala sold 250 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,401.00, for a total value of $350,250.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 4,914 shares in the company, valued at $6,884,514. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 1.94% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Mettler-Toledo International Profile (Free Report) Mettler-Toledo International Inc manufactures and supplies precision instruments and services in the Americas, Europe, Asia, and internationally. It operates through five segments: U.S. Operations, Swiss Operations, Western European Operations, Chinese Operations, and Other. The company's laboratory instruments include laboratory balances, liquid pipetting solutions, automated laboratory reactors, real-time analytics, titrators, pH meters, process analytics sensors and analyzer technologies, physical value analyzers, density and refractometry, thermal analysis systems, and other analytical instruments; and LabX, a laboratory software platform to manage and analyze data generated from its instruments.Its industrial instruments comprise industrial weighing instruments and related terminals, automatic dimensional measurement and data capture solutions, vehicle scale systems, industrial software, metal detection equipment, x-ray systems, check weighing equipment, camera-based imaging equipment, track-and-trace solutions, and product inspection systems. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MTD? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Mettler-Toledo International Inc. (NYSE:MTD Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Mettler-Toledo International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mettler-Toledo International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Telecom Italia S.p.A. (OTCMKTS:TIAOF Get Free Report) traded down 10.4% during trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $0.23 and last traded at $0.23. 865 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 99% from the average session volume of 72,905 shares. The stock had previously closed at $0.25. Telecom Italia Stock Performance The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $0.24 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $0.25. About Telecom Italia (Get Free Report) Telecom Italia S.p.A., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the provision of fixed and mobile telecommunications services in Italy and internationally. The company operates through Domestic, Brazil, and Other Operations segments. It offers fixed and mobile voice and Internet, and public telephony services, as well as products managed and developed for individuals and families; and voice, data, and Internet services and products, and information and communications technology solutions for top, public sector and large account customers. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Telecom Italia Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Telecom Italia and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Wedbush restated their neutral rating on shares of Terreno Realty (NYSE:TRNO Free Report) in a research note released on Friday morning, RTT News reports. The brokerage currently has a $70.00 target price on the real estate investment trusts stock, up from their previous target price of $57.00. Several other equities research analysts also recently commented on the stock. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Terreno Realty from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on Terreno Realty from $60.00 to $68.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, August 12th. Barclays reduced their price target on Terreno Realty from $71.00 to $68.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 24th. BNP Paribas initiated coverage on Terreno Realty in a research report on Tuesday, June 4th. They set an outperform rating and a $68.00 price objective for the company. Finally, JMP Securities upped their target price on Terreno Realty from $65.00 to $72.00 and gave the company a market outperform rating in a report on Tuesday. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $67.89. Get Terreno Realty alerts: Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on TRNO Terreno Realty Stock Performance Terreno Realty Increases Dividend Shares of TRNO stock opened at $67.74 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.34, a current ratio of 2.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. Terreno Realty has a 12 month low of $50.42 and a 12 month high of $69.74. The firm has a market cap of $6.56 billion, a PE ratio of 35.28, a P/E/G ratio of 3.28 and a beta of 0.89. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $63.51 and its 200-day simple moving average is $61.24. 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 $0.49 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 30th. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.89%. This is an increase from Terreno Realtys previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. Terreno Realtys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 93.75%. Insider Buying and Selling at Terreno Realty In related news, CFO Jaime Jackson Cannon sold 4,998 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $68.39, for a total value of $341,813.22. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 101,927 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,970,787.53. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other news, EVP John Tull Meyer sold 6,145 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, August 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $68.64, for a total value of $421,792.80. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 110,988 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,618,216.32. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Jaime Jackson Cannon sold 4,998 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $68.39, for a total transaction of $341,813.22. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 101,927 shares of the companys stock, valued at $6,970,787.53. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 18,643 shares of company stock worth $1,277,581. 2.40% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Terreno Realty A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of TRNO. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Terreno Realty by 7.6% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 12,981,741 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $861,988,000 after acquiring an additional 919,851 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Terreno Realty by 16.4% in the 1st quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 5,155,458 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $342,322,000 after buying an additional 727,995 shares during the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its position in Terreno Realty by 7.5% during the first quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 4,162,332 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $276,381,000 after buying an additional 291,051 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. increased its holdings in Terreno Realty by 7.3% during the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 2,150,842 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $127,287,000 after buying an additional 146,808 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in Terreno Realty by 8.1% in the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,383,262 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $81,862,000 after acquiring an additional 103,833 shares during the last quarter. 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. Featured Articles 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. TwentyFour Select Monthly Income Fund Limited (LON:SMIF Get Free Report) crossed below its 50 day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 50 day moving average of GBX 84.06 ($1.07) and traded as low as GBX 84 ($1.07). TwentyFour Select Monthly Income Fund shares last traded at GBX 84 ($1.07), with a volume of 314,536 shares trading hands. TwentyFour Select Monthly Income Fund Price Performance The company has a market cap of 205.18 million and a price-to-earnings ratio of -1,050.00. The firms 50 day simple moving average is GBX 84.06 and its 200-day simple moving average is GBX 82.83. Get TwentyFour Select Monthly Income Fund alerts: TwentyFour Select Monthly Income Fund Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 15th will be paid a GBX 0.50 ($0.01) dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 15th. This represents a yield of 0.6%. TwentyFour Select Monthly Income Funds dividend payout ratio is presently -8,750.00%. About TwentyFour Select Monthly Income Fund TwentyFour Select Monthly Income Fund Limited is a closed-ended fixed income mutual fund launched by Numis Securities Ltd. The fund is managed by TwentyFour Asset Management LLP. It invests in fixed income markets of the United Kingdom. The fund primarily invests in less liquid instruments across the debt spectrum, including asset backed securities, bank capital, corporate loans, high yield bonds, and leveraged loans issued by a wide variety of issuers. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for TwentyFour Select Monthly Income Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for TwentyFour Select Monthly Income Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Stanley Laman Group Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO Free Report) by 5.0% in the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 27,274 shares of the oil and gas companys stock after purchasing an additional 1,305 shares during the quarter. Stanley Laman Group Ltd.s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $4,275,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Blue Trust Inc. raised its position in Valero Energy by 130.9% in the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,136 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $194,000 after purchasing an additional 644 shares during the period. Miracle Mile Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 3.5% in the 2nd quarter. Miracle Mile Advisors LLC now owns 2,440 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $382,000 after buying an additional 82 shares during the period. Triad Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in Valero Energy during the 2nd quarter worth about $39,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. boosted its holdings in Valero Energy by 4.4% during the 2nd quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 263,004 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $41,229,000 after acquiring an additional 11,078 shares during the period. Finally, Loring Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors LLP MA grew its position in Valero Energy by 21.4% in the 2nd quarter. Loring Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors LLP MA now owns 425 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $63,000 after acquiring an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. 78.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Valero Energy alerts: Valero Energy Stock Up 0.3 % Shares of NYSE:VLO traded up $0.52 during trading on Friday, hitting $149.82. 2,005,513 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,014,074. The firms 50 day moving average price is $151.69 and its 200-day moving average price is $155.29. Valero Energy Co. has a 12-month low of $119.88 and a 12-month high of $184.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 1.48 and a quick ratio of 1.04. The stock has a market capitalization of $48.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.42, a PEG ratio of 2.83 and a beta of 1.42. Valero Energy Announces Dividend Valero Energy ( NYSE:VLO Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The oil and gas company reported $2.71 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.60 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $34.49 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $32.97 billion. Valero Energy had a net margin of 4.25% and a return on equity of 21.01%. Valero Energys quarterly revenue was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $5.40 earnings per share. On average, research analysts predict that Valero Energy Co. will post 13.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 3rd. Investors of record on Thursday, August 1st will be paid a dividend of $1.07 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 1st. This represents a $4.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.86%. Valero Energys dividend payout ratio is presently 21.20%. Analyst Ratings Changes Several brokerages have recently issued reports on VLO. Barclays reduced their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $171.00 to $165.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, July 9th. Mizuho raised shares of 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 research report on Wednesday, July 17th. StockNews.com lowered Valero Energy from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 17th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Valero Energy from $156.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Friday, July 26th. Finally, Piper Sandler cut their price target on Valero Energy from $187.00 to $169.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Friday, June 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Valero Energy currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $174.00. Read Our Latest Stock Report on VLO Valero Energy Company 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 Want to see what other hedge funds are holding VLO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO Free Report). 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. KYODO NEWS - Aug 17, 2024 - 10:47 | All, Japan Japanese government workers will survey an uninhabited southwest Alaskan island from Monday to pave the way for the first recovery in over 70 years of remains of World War II soldiers who died fighting U.S. forces there. Some 2,600 Japanese soldiers died on Attu Island in May 1943, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, in a doomed attempt to hold the northern Pacific island, captured in June 1942, from over 10,000 U.S. personnel. Remains of around 320 soldiers were recovered in 1953, but later inspections in 2007 and 2008 did not culminate in the collection of any remains. The United States will provide a boat for the upcoming five-day survey that will include the inspection of roads and runways and confirmation of the location of remains of the Japanese war dead. Three relatives of the deceased will also attend. Attu Island's harsh conditions limit expeditions to the summer months, and it has been uninhabited since the U.S. Coast Guard left in 2010. Its designation as a nature reserve also restricts what areas can be entered and where excavations can take place. Amid requests from bereaved families, the health ministry has been arranging for the collection of remains with the U.S. government via Japan's Foreign Ministry, and the United States put forward a draft cooperation memorandum in December 2023. Should an agreement be finalized between the two governments, cooperation is expected to cover areas such as provisions for roadways, an environmental impact assessment and accommodation. During the trip next week, the participants plan to also visit a U.S. military base in Alaska and offer prayers at a cenotaph to Japanese soldiers. Among those attending is Nobuyuki Yamazaki, the head of a group for bereaved relatives of the fallen. The Battle of Attu is known as the first battle for which Japan's Imperial General Headquarters used the term "gyokusai," referring to honorable death without surrender, leaving all troops dead but a couple of dozen taken as prisoners of war. Yamazaki's grandfather, Yasuyo Yamazaki, commanded the Japanese forces on Attu Island and led the men to their death under orders from the headquarters. "I think he felt terrible because of his position," the 65-year-old Nobuyuki Yamazaki said, expressing anger at the glorification of their deaths at the time. "It is the country that went to war, and this country has a responsibility to bring back the remains." Related coverage: Japan marks 79th anniv. of WWII end at event with no COVID curbs Valley National Advisers Inc. reduced its position in shares of Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC Free Report) by 2.5% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 5,286 shares of the railroad operators stock after selling 137 shares during the period. Valley National Advisers Inc.s holdings in Norfolk Southern were worth $1,134,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of NSC. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern in the 4th quarter valued at about $556,797,000. Boston Partners increased its holdings in Norfolk Southern by 157.1% during the first quarter. Boston Partners now owns 2,890,665 shares of the railroad operators stock worth $735,749,000 after buying an additional 1,766,135 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in Norfolk Southern by 5.9% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 19,623,690 shares of the railroad operators stock valued at $5,001,490,000 after acquiring an additional 1,088,072 shares during the last quarter. Stifel Financial Corp grew its position in shares of Norfolk Southern by 600.3% in the 4th quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 1,021,312 shares of the railroad operators stock valued at $241,421,000 after acquiring an additional 875,473 shares during the period. Finally, Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado increased its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern by 1,956.8% during the 4th quarter. Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado now owns 451,226 shares of the railroad operators stock worth $106,661,000 after purchasing an additional 429,288 shares during the last quarter. 75.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Norfolk Southern alerts: Insider Activity at Norfolk Southern In related news, Director Claude Mongeau purchased 5,650 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 29th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $221.00 per share, with a total value of $1,248,650.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 20,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,420,000. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, Director Richard H. Anderson purchased 2,000 shares of Norfolk Southern stock in a transaction on Monday, July 29th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $247.48 per share, for a total transaction of $494,960.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 3,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $742,440. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Claude Mongeau acquired 5,650 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 29th. The shares were bought at an average price of $221.00 per share, for a total transaction of $1,248,650.00. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 20,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,420,000. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders have acquired 10,350 shares of company stock valued at $2,353,715 over the last ninety days. 0.19% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Norfolk Southern Price Performance NSC stock traded down $0.71 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $240.44. The stock had a trading volume of 840,568 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,288,830. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $228.07 and a 200 day simple moving average of $238.51. The firm has a market capitalization of $54.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.72, a P/E/G ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 1.32. The company has a current ratio of 0.63, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.30. Norfolk Southern Co. has a 52 week low of $183.09 and a 52 week high of $263.66. Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 25th. The railroad operator reported $3.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.86 by $0.20. Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 14.85% and a return on equity of 19.64%. The business had revenue of $3.04 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.04 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.95 earnings per share. The firms quarterly revenue was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts forecast that Norfolk Southern Co. will post 11.78 EPS for the current year. Norfolk Southern Announces Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 20th. Investors of record on Friday, August 2nd will be given a dividend of $1.35 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 2nd. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.25%. Norfolk Southerns dividend payout ratio is currently 86.96%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein cut their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $288.00 to $285.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Monday, July 8th. Barclays reduced their target price on Norfolk Southern from $305.00 to $275.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Monday, May 13th. TD Cowen increased their price target on Norfolk Southern from $251.00 to $253.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $260.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Finally, Loop Capital increased their target price on Norfolk Southern from $261.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, April 18th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $264.24. Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Norfolk Southern Norfolk Southern Company Profile (Free Report) Norfolk Southern Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the rail transportation of raw materials, intermediate products, and finished goods in the United States. The company transports agriculture, forest, and consumer products comprising soybeans, wheat, corn, fertilizers, livestock and poultry feed, food products, food oils, flour, sweeteners, ethanol, lumber and wood products, pulp board and paper products, wood fibers, wood pulp, beverages, and canned goods; chemicals consist of sulfur and related chemicals, petroleum products comprising crude oil, chlorine and bleaching compounds, plastics, rubber, industrial chemicals, chemical wastes, sand, and natural gas liquids; metals and construction materials, such as steel, aluminum products, machinery, scrap metals, cement, aggregates, minerals, clay, transportation equipment, and military-related products; and automotive, including finished motor vehicles and automotive parts, as well as coal. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Norfolk Southern Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Norfolk Southern 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 guidance of $0.34-0.39 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share 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. Stock Down 1.1 % VSCO stock opened at $24.09 on Friday. Victorias Secret & Co. has a fifty-two week low of $13.62 and a fifty-two week high of $30.80. The companys 50 day moving average price is $18.33 and its 200 day moving average price is $20.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.51, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a current ratio of 0.97. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.53, a PEG ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 2.08. Get Victoria's Secret & Co. alerts: Victorias Secret & Co. (NYSE:VSCO Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, June 5th. The company reported $0.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.11 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $1.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.36 billion. Victorias Secret & Co. had a return on equity of 46.52% and a net margin of 1.71%. The businesss quarterly revenue was down 3.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.28 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Victorias Secret & Co. will post 1.76 EPS for the current fiscal year. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several brokerages have issued reports on VSCO. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Victorias Secret & Co. from $25.00 to $28.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday. Morgan Stanley raised Victorias Secret & Co. from an underweight rating to an equal weight rating in a research report on Wednesday. Telsey Advisory Group restated a market perform rating and set a $24.00 price target on shares of Victorias Secret & Co. in a research note on Thursday. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Victorias Secret & Co. from $17.00 to $19.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Bank of America upped their price objective on shares of Victorias Secret & Co. from $15.00 to $18.00 and gave the stock an underperform rating in a research report on Thursday. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $19.80. Check Out Our Latest Stock 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. Featured Articles 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. Vienna Insurance Group AG (OTCMKTS:VNRFY Get Free Report) saw a significant increase in short interest in the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 600 shares, an increase of 20.0% from the July 15th total of 500 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 6.0 days. Vienna Insurance Group Stock Performance Shares of VNRFY opened at $6.25 on Friday. Vienna Insurance Group has a twelve month low of $5.50 and a twelve month high of $7.16. The company has a 50 day moving average of $6.18 and a two-hundred day moving average of $6.02. Get Vienna Insurance Group alerts: About Vienna Insurance Group (Get Free Report) Featured Articles Vienna Insurance Group AG, together with its subsidiaries, provides various insurance products and services in life, health, and property and casualty areas in Austria and internationally. The company offers motor own damage, rail vehicle own damage, aircraft own damage, transport, fire and natural hazards, third party liability, carrier, aircraft liability, general liability, credit, guarantee, legal expenses, assistance, marine, aviation, and travel health insurance products, as well as sea, lake, and river shipping own damage and liability insurance products. Receive News & Ratings for Vienna Insurance Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Vienna Insurance Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. KeyCorp downgraded shares of Vital Energy (NYSE:VTLE Free Report) from an overweight rating to a sector weight rating in a research report released on Friday, Marketbeat reports. KeyCorp also issued estimates for Vital Energys Q1 2025 earnings at $2.23 EPS, Q2 2025 earnings at $2.28 EPS, Q3 2025 earnings at $2.24 EPS, Q4 2025 earnings at $2.32 EPS and FY2025 earnings at $9.07 EPS. A number of other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. Bank of America reiterated an underperform rating and issued a $46.00 target price on shares of Vital Energy in a research note on Friday, June 14th. Piper Sandler cut their target price on Vital Energy from $52.00 to $38.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on Vital Energy in a research note on Thursday, July 18th. They issued an underperform rating and a $50.00 target price on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on Vital Energy from $54.00 to $50.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 22nd. Finally, Mizuho raised their target price on Vital Energy from $55.00 to $59.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, May 13th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $55.82. Get Vital Energy alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Vital Energy Vital Energy Stock Performance Vital Energy stock traded down $0.82 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $36.35. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,129,090 shares, compared to its average volume of 837,957. The firm has a market cap of $1.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 3.22. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $42.62 and a 200-day moving average price of $47.33. The company has a current ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75. Vital Energy has a twelve month low of $36.28 and a twelve month high of $62.87. Vital Energy (NYSE:VTLE Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 7th. The company reported $1.46 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.88 by ($0.42). The business had revenue of $476.37 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $468.76 million. Vital Energy had a return on equity of 14.22% and a net margin of 30.34%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 42.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $4.35 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Vital Energy will post 8.7 EPS for the current fiscal year. Insider Buying and Selling In other news, CEO M. Jason Pigott bought 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 12th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $37.85 per share, with a total value of $94,625.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer now directly owns 169,389 shares in the company, valued at $6,411,373.65. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 1.20% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of VTLE. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Vital Energy by 0.9% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,833,797 shares of the companys stock worth $96,348,000 after purchasing an additional 17,054 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake in Vital Energy by 19.6% in the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,723,075 shares of the companys stock worth $77,227,000 after purchasing an additional 282,574 shares in the last quarter. Westwood Holdings Group Inc. purchased a new position in Vital Energy in the 2nd quarter worth about $64,690,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in Vital Energy by 800.9% in the 2nd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 541,337 shares of the companys stock worth $24,263,000 after purchasing an additional 481,248 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Millennium Management LLC increased its stake in Vital Energy by 18.0% in the 2nd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 303,275 shares of the companys stock worth $13,593,000 after purchasing an additional 46,248 shares in the last quarter. 86.54% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About Vital Energy (Get Free Report) Vital Energy, Inc, an independent energy company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of oil and natural gas properties in the Permian Basin of West Texas, the United States. The company was formerly known as Laredo Petroleum, Inc and changed its name to Vital Energy, Inc in January 2023. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Vital Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Vital Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. KYODO NEWS - Aug 17, 2024 - 11:29 | All, Japan Japan's Defense Ministry is planning to request a record budget of over 8 trillion yen ($54 billion) for fiscal 2025, featuring the deployment of drones to better protect remote islands amid China's growing military assertiveness, sources familiar with the matter said Friday. It would be the first time the ministry has sought more than 8 trillion yen, surpassing the record 7.9 trillion yen initial budget for fiscal 2024, which runs through next March. The request for the fiscal year starting in April next year would contain costs to acquire attack drones for the security of the southwestern Nansei island chain, which is strategically important for its proximity to Taiwan, the sources said. The combat drones, considered "game-changers" in future battles and slated for full deployment to the Self-Defense Forces, are part of the government's policy of bolstering "unmanned defense capabilities." Japan has been sharply increasing its defense budget after the government had pledged to pour in a combined 43 trillion yen for five years through fiscal 2027. The annual defense outlays had long been capped at some 1 percent of gross domestic product, or a little more than 5 trillion yen. But under three key security documents, updated in 2022 amid mounting security challenges, including those posed by North Korea and Russia, the government has set a goal of nearly doubling annual defense spending to about 2 percent of GDP over the same five years. Related coverage: Japan to open U.S.-inspired defense tech research center in October Japan PM vows to strengthen alliance with U.S. U.S. to upgrade military command in Japan as concerns grow over China KYODO NEWS - Aug 17, 2024 - 23:00 | All, Japan, World The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News. ---------- Japan ministers Kono, Kamikawa plan to run in ruling party race TOKYO - Digital Minister Taro Kono is set to announce his candidacy for next month's ruling Liberal Democratic Party leadership election, sources close to the matter said Saturday, while Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa has also informed Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of her intention to run. Around 10 other LDP members have also expressed interest in becoming Japan's next leader following Kishida's sudden announcement that he will not seek reelection, including former Economic Security Minister Takayuki Kobayashi, who is expected to announce his candidacy at a press conference on Monday. ---------- Kishida to attend U.N. debate in New York in September before stepping down TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is making arrangements to attend the annual world leaders debate session at the U.N. General Assembly in New York next month, government sources said Saturday, in what is likely to be his last overseas trip before stepping down as president of the ruling party. Kishida is also considering meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden and other world leaders during the visit, which will come just days before a leadership election that the Liberal Democratic Party looks to hold on Sept. 27 to pick Kishida's successor, the sources said. ---------- Japan to back women's peacemaking role at African development confab TOKYO - Japan is set to express support for women taking leading roles in peacemaking during a ministerial meeting for African development to be held in Tokyo next weekend, sources close to the matter said Saturday. The new initiative will focus on the Horn of Africa, a region in the eastern part of the continent riddled with conflict, with an eight-country African trade bloc known as the Intergovernmental Authority on Development to act as the base. ---------- Tokyo-Nagoya bullet trains resume after typhoon disruption TOKYO - Shinkansen bullet trains between Tokyo and Nagoya returned to normal from their first scheduled services on Saturday following a full-day suspension due to the passing of a powerful typhoon, with travelers crowding railway stations as they returned from their Bon summer holidays. Operator JR Central ran extra trains between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka on its Tokaido Shinkansen Line in the morning to cope with the high volume of passengers. ---------- Japan to survey Alaskan island in hopes of recovering WWII dead TOKYO - Japanese government workers will survey an uninhabited southwest Alaskan island from Monday to pave the way for the first recovery in over 70 years of remains of World War II soldiers who died fighting U.S. forces there. Some 2,600 Japanese soldiers died on Attu Island in May 1943, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, in a doomed attempt to hold the northern Pacific island, captured in June 1942, from over 10,000 U.S. personnel. ---------- Indonesia holds independence event in new capital for 1st time SEPAKU, Indonesia - Indonesia celebrated its 79th Independence Day on Saturday in its future new capital, Nusantara, on Borneo Island, holding the annual government-sponsored ceremony there for the first time, even as the city remains under construction. The event took place amid repeated delays in building infrastructure, mainly due to land acquisition problems and a lack of foreign investment. President Joko Widodo launched the $30 billion project to move the capital from the heavily congested Jakarta to the middle of eucalyptus forests in Borneo in 2019. ---------- Football: Troubled Japanese midfielder Sano makes Mainz debut TOKYO - Japanese midfielder Kaishu Sano debuted for German Bundesliga club Mainz on Friday, playing all 120 minutes in their 3-1 extra-time win over third-division Wehen Wiesbaden in the first round of the German Cup. The 23-year-old's move to Mainz from J-League side Kashima Antlers comes after his arrest alongside two other men on July 14 on suspicion of assaulting a woman at a Tokyo hotel. He was released without indictment on July 29. ---------- Golf: Hideki Matsuyama shares lead after 2 rounds in Memphis MEMPHIS, Tennessee - Hideki Matsuyama shot a 6-under 64 Friday to move into a tie for the lead with Denny McCarthy of the United States at the midway point of the FedEx St. Jude Championship. The Japanese golfer, fresh off his bronze medal at the Paris Olympics, carded seven birdies against a lone bogey at TPC Southwind to reach 11 under at the first of three PGA Tour playoff events. Video: UNESCO intangible cultural heritage listed Nishimonai Bon Odori in Akita Prefecture Expressing deep outrage over the rape and murder of a young PG medical student at the state-run R G Kar medical College, Governor C V Ananda Bose termed 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. The 12-hour bandh called by the Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) [SUCI (C)] in response to the alleged rape and murder of a female doctor at R G Kar Medical College evoked a mixed response in Siliguri. In the main market areas, many businesses chose to shut down, leading to a noticeable decrease in traffic compared to typical days. To prevent any potential unrest, a significant police presence was deployed across the city. Advertisement The SUCI (C) leaders and supporters took to the streets, vocally demanding severe punishment for those responsible for the tragic incident at R G Kar Medical College. Activists from SUCI also urged open businesses to close in solidarity with their movement for justice. The bandhs impact extended to other districts in north Bengal, where SUCI activists actively supported the cause. Conversely, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and supporters held a demonstration in Siliguri, led by local MLA Dr Sankar Ghosh, who serves as the Chief Whip of the Opposition in the State Assembly. BJP MP Abhijit Ganguly called for the arrest of chief minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing her of tampering with evidence related to the alleged crime. BJP leaders here demanded that Banerjee resign for failing to ensure an impartial investigation by the police. Notably, several traders and business owners who support the BJP also participated in the strike initiated by SUCI (C), highlighting the political dimensions surrounding this sensitive issue. Speaking to reporters, Siliguri MLA Dr Sankar Ghosh stated, The main objective of this demonstration is to demand that chief minister Mamata Banerjee step down immediately for failing to deliver justice to the victims. Additionally, we are protesting against her attempts to shield the culprits and suppress critical facts and circumstantial evidence related to this heinous crime at the Kolkata hospital, as well as the attacks on the college by large groups of miscreants. The medical fraternity is protesting against the heinous crime at R G Kar hospital, Kolkata and the ongoing protest has badly affected the medical services at different government and non-government hospitals. Most affected are the outpatient department (OPD) patients, coming from far away places. Patients in need of urgent treatment are also getting held up. The doctors, nurses and medical staff of Serampore Sramajibi hospital are also expressing their solidarity with the protesting doctors. But, keeping in mind the distress of patients, there is medical assistance at the waiting hall. Advertisement The assistant secretary of Shramjivi hospital, Goutam Sarkar, said, Strong protest against such heinous crime is justified, at the same time it is necessary that patients in distress are not deprived of medical assistance. At Serampore, Choto Belu Sramajibi hospital patients come from remote villages of panchayat areas with much hope. We are providing medical assistance to the patients in the waiting room. The patients have appreciated the move and have also expressed their heartfelt support to the ongoing agitation of the doctors. Body of a tribal girl student was recovered from farmland with her throat slit on Thursday. The incident sparked a sensation in Burdwan on 14 August and the aggrieved tribal community members blocked the Burdwan PS on Independence. In the midst of R G Kar Medical College rape and murder incident, protest against the Burdwan incident gained momentum. Advertisement Today, the tribal girl students of Burdwan University also agitated at the BU campus demanding immediate arrest of the culprit. Twenty-five-year-old Priyanka Hansda of Nandur village within the Burdwan PS area was a MA (philosophy) student of BU. Besides, she was serving as a part-time sales representative at a shopping mall in Burdwan town. Her parents said, On Wednesday midnight, shed gone out for washroom, within the compound but for several hours wasnt back, which perturbed us. The deceaseds father Sukanta Hansda added, We went out in search of her and we were shocked to see our daughter lying dead in a pool of blood in the vegetable field. Its barely 50 metres away from their hut. On Independence Day, there were reports that the girl was first raped and then murdered, which went viral. Amandeep Singh, SP, East Burdwan, ruled out the chances of implicating the rape charge and said: No evidence of rape was detected in autopsy. The family members too havent brought any such complaints. He added: Weve already identified the culprit and our teams have been expedited for his arrest. The district police have constituted a nine-member special investigation team to expedite the investigation. 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. Advertisement 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. Leaders of the Delhi unit of Bharatiya Janata Party along with its workers will celebrate the festival of Raksha Bandhan on Sunday across nearly 300 slums and service colonies of the national capital, the party said on Saturday. Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva will celebrate the festival to honour the bond between sisters and brothers with the sisters of Nehru Camp Sewa Basti of Vinod Nagar area on NH-24 in East Delhi. Party MPs, MLAs, councilors, state, district, and mandal office bearers, along with senior leaders, will also celebrate in various colonies, the party said in a statement released here. Advertisement According to the saffron partys state unit, senior party leader and MP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri will be present at Prasad Nagar Badarpur, Yogendra Chandolia in Sanjay Camp Samaypur Badli, Bansuri Swaraj in Arjun Camp Laxmibai Nagar, Leader of the Legislative Assembly Vijender Gupta in Suraj Park Rohini and state general secretary Vishnu Mittal in JJ Cluster Anand Vihar, along with other party workers. Meanwhile, the BJP has been actively taking up initiatives to improve the lives of those living in the slums of Delhi Recently, the saffron party had organized free health check up camps at several slum areas, spreading awareness about keeping healthy. The BJP and Shiv Sena have targeted Shiv Sena-UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray for asking the NCP-SP and the Congress to declare the chief ministerial face (ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly polls) so that he can extend support. Uddhav Thackeray made the statement at the Maha Vikas Aghadis joint rally here on Friday. It appears that Uddhav Thackeray has come to terms with his alliance partners stance over the chief ministerial position. Tall assertions were being made by Thackeray and his party members that Uddhav Thackeray will be seated as the next Maharashtra chief minister. He even travelled to Delhi for it but it appears his request was ignored. He also held meetings at Silver Oak (the residence of NCP SP chief Sharad Pawar) but he got disappointed. Therefore, he made his statement today. Currently, Thackeray is fretting and eventually might become resentful, said Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar. Advertisement He further stated that Thackeray also acknowledged that during the alliance between Shiv Sena (united) and BJP, the formula for the CMs post depended on who got the most seats. This demonstrates that his desire for the chief ministers post during his alliance with the BJP was absolutely fake, he added. Shelar listed the wrongdoings during Thackerays tenure as the chief minister saying that there was rampant corruption during Covid-19 period and careers of graduates and post-graduates were at stake. There was injustice meted out to women and projects that guaranteed employment and investments to Maharashtra were opposed. Investments in the interests of Maharashtra were rejected and there were attempts to bring disgrace to Maharashtra, he alleged. On the other hand, Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde claimed Thackeray has been making statements out of frustration especially in the wake of an overwhelming response the MahaYuti government is receiving due to its several welfare and development schemes. Another MP Naresh Mhaske accused Thackeray of playing politics for personal gain by opposing the Waqf Board Amendment Bill. Thackerays stance is driven by a desire to stain Muslim votes in the upcoming assembly election, a move that would have deeply hurt the Shiv Sena founder late Balasaheb Thackeray, he said. Mhaske criticised Thackerays leadership within the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance, accusing him of attempting to favour Congress which is reportedly hesitant to back him for the chief ministers post. Thackerays political manoeuvring goes against the principles on which Balasaheb Thackeray founded Shiv Sena. He has tarnished Balasaheb Thackerays legacy, he remarked. Promising one lakh permanent jobs soon after the announcement of Assembly elections in Haryana, two-time Chief Minister and Congress leader Bhupinder Hooda said the poll results on October 4 the ruling BJP would be out of the state. Addressing the media with state party President Chaudhary Udaibhan, Hooda said the people have made up their minds to oust the BJP from Haryana and bring a Congress government. The Congress has also prepared a roadmap for the work of the upcoming government. As soon as the government is formed, one lakh permanent recruitments will be done within a year. Jobs will be given on the basis of merit by eliminating paper leaks and recruitment mafia from Haryana. Any kind of negligence in the recruitment process and its transparency will not be tolerated. Strict laws will be implemented against irregularities in recruitment, he said. Advertisement Hooda said the Congress has made promises like a Rs 6,000 pension to the elderly, One-Rank Pension (OPS) to employees, gas cylinder for Rs 500, 300 units of free electricity. Soon the partys manifesto will be released which will have a complete roadmap of the work of the government for five years. The Congress will implement its announcements with full commitment and will free Haryana from unemployment, corruption, crime and drug addiction, he said. Despite being in the opposition for 10 years, the Congress will take its work to the public, while the BJP itself has nothing to tell except its failures. This government spent the entire 10 years in corruption-causing portal schemes like property ID, family ID, and Meri Fasal Mera Byora. That is why today, instead of counting its own works, the ruling BJP is asking questions from the Opposition Congress. On October 1, the public will answer all the questions and atrocities of the BJP with the blow of votes, he stated. Chaudhary Udaibhan said the Congress is fully prepared for the elections as the party has been continuously among the people as a responsible opposition for the last five years. It is clear from the tremendous support of the public to all the programs of the party that the people have made up their mind to overthrow the corrupt rule of the BJP, he said. He said the workers conferences being organised by the party to thank them for their efforts during the Lok Sabha elections, automatically turned into big public meetings. Earlier, the whole of Haryana and the media witnessed the huge crowds of people in the programs of Congresss Jan Milan Samaroh, Hath Se Hath Jodo Abhiyan and Opposition Aapke Samaksh, he said. Now, thousands of people are gathering everywhere in MP Deepender Singh Hoodas Haryana Maange Hisaab padayatra. Now the slogan on everyones lips in Haryana is Haath Badlega Halaat, Congress se hi Aas, and expressed confidence that the Congress government is going to be formed with more than a two-third majority. Answering questions from the reporters, Hooda said Haryana had developed in all directions during the tenure of Congress. The Congress freed businessmen from inspectors and hooliganism, but the BJP protected criminals and got businessmen shot at, he added. The nationwide protest by doctors of government hospitals across the country continued on Saturday demanding justice for the woman postgraduate trainee doctor who was raped and murdered in West Bengal last week. Besides seeking justice for the victim, the protesting doctors are also demanding immediate constitution of a committee to draft a Central Protection Act (CPA) for health care professionals. Demonstrations were held after the Indian Medical Association (IMA) declared 24 hours withdrawal of services by all the modern medicine doctors of the country irrespective of the sector and place of work over the matter. Advertisement Emergencies and the casualties will function. No OPDs. No elective surgeries. The withdrawal commences at 6 am on Saturday 17th August and ends at 6 am on Sunday 18th August, the IMA said. IMA president RV Asokan in a video message said, It is with great sense of responsibility that the IMA has given a call for withdrawal of non essential services today. IMA demands the Central Act on violence on doctors as well as healthcare professionals on the hospitals. He said, IMA demands declaration of hospitals as safe zones. IMA demands comprehensive settlement of the working conditions of the Resident Doctors. We stand united. We will ensure the safety and security of all healthcare professionals. Meanwhile, the IMA in a statement while referring to Saturdays statement of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to constitute a panel to suggest measures for ensuring the safety of healthcare professionals said it will respond after careful consideration of all aspects. Indian Medical Association is studying the statement released by the Union Health Ministry assuring doctors of all possible efforts to ensure safety and the offer to form a committee to suggest measures for ensuring the safety of healthcare professionals. Indian Medical Association will respond after careful consideration of all aspects and with due consultation of its State Branches, read the statement. It added, IMA recalls an Office Memorandum dated 23rd March, 2017 by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Gol co-signed by the Ministry officials and IMA assuring to explore the possibility to initiate the process to bring a Central Act on the said issue inline with those in vogue in other states. Several government hospitals including the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Safdarjung Hospital, RML Hospital, Lady Hardinge hospital in New Delhi also witnessed demonstrations demanding justice for the victim and CPA. The AIIMS Resident Doctors Association held the demonstration at its campus. Holding placards, they shouted slogan seeking justice for the victim and the CPA. For the first time in recent history, all faculties of AIIMS Delhi have come out in full support of all resident doctors who are protesting tirelessly in demand of justice for the victim and doctors safety, said Dr Datta in a social media post. The AIIMS in a statement said the emergency services and ICUs are functioning as per normal with all the residents attending to their duties. In OPDs, more than 90 per cent reduction was reported as compared to the normal days, while Operation Theatres also reported 90 per cent reduction. Earlier in the day, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has assured to form a Committee to suggest measures for ensuring the safety of healthcare professionals. In a statement, the Health Ministry said, The representatives of all the Associations were informed that the Government is well aware of the situation and is sensitive to their demands. It was observed that 26 States have already passed legislation for protection of healthcare workers in their respective states. In view of the concerns expressed by the Associations, it has assured them of constituting a Committee to suggest all such possible measures for ensuring the safety of healthcare professionals, it said. The Health Ministry also requested the agitating doctors to resume their duties in the larger public interest and in view of the rising cases of Dengue and Malaria. Notably, on Friday, the Health Ministry 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 the wake of actor Renjini approaching the Kerala High Court against the release of the Justice Hema Committee report on issues faced by women in the Malayalam film industry, the Kerala government on Saturday decided to postpone the release of the report until the court takes a decision on the actors petition. Earlier, following the Kerala High Courts rejection of a petition against the reports release, the government had decided on Thursday to publish the report on Saturday after removing some personal details. On Thursday, the government instructed those who had filed applications under the RTI Act to collect their copies from the respective offices at 11 am on Saturday. A single bench of the High Court dismissed a petition filed by film producer Sajimon Parayil against the release of the report on Tuesday. The court directed the government to release the report within one week. Advertisement Following this, actor Renjini on Friday approached the Kerala High Court, arguing that the reports release would violate her fundamental rights to privacy and breach the confidentiality promised to witnesses, including herself, who had deposed before the committee. The High Court will consider Renjinis plea on Monday. Renjini was among the women in the film industry who had given statements to the Justice Hema Committee. In this connection, Kerala culture minister Saji Cherian said on Saturday that neither the state government nor the culture department has any role in the publication of the report. The government has directed the State Public Information Officer (SPIO) to make a decision based on the High Courts order. The Kerala government constituted the Justice Hema Committee to examine the issues faced by women in the Malayalam film industry following a petition filed by the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) in 2017. The Committee submitted its report to the government in 2019, but the government declined to make it public despite several requests under the Right to Information Act (RTI Act). On July 5, the State Information Commission directed the disclosure of the report after redacting certain portions. Film producer Sajimon Parayil challenged this decision in the Kerala High Court, which dismissed his petition on August 13. KYODO NEWS - Aug 17, 2024 - 19:56 | All, Japan, World Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is making arrangements to attend the annual world leaders debate session at the U.N. General Assembly in New York next month, government sources said Saturday, in what is likely to be his last overseas trip before stepping down as president of the ruling party. Kishida is also considering meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden and other world leaders during the visit, which will come just days before a leadership election that the Liberal Democratic Party looks to hold on Sept. 27 to pick Kishida's successor, the sources said. Kishida has indicated that he will hold a high-level meeting with friendly nations aimed at negotiating a proposed fissile material cut-off treaty, which would prohibit the further production of fissile materials for nuclear weapons, in conjunction with the U.N. General Assembly. He plans to highlight his continued commitment to nuclear disarmament by attending the general debate starting Sept. 24. In a potential meeting with Biden, who recently announced his withdrawal from the November U.S. presidential race, Kishida intends to reaffirm the strong alliance between Japan and the U.S. irrespective of leadership changes. Former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who announced on Sept. 3, 2021, that he would step down, also visited the United States that same month to attend a Quad summit with leaders from the United States, Australia, and India. He, however, did not attend the U.N. General Assembly in person and gave a video address instead. Related coverage: Japan ruling party looks to elect Kishida's successor on Sept. 27 Battle to replace Kishida as Japan PM kicks off FOCUS: Kishida's departure as Japan PM stems from failure to dissolve Diet Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, seeking to expedite central support for the cash-strapped state. The Chief Minister sought support for rebuilding the state as well as for restarting the Polavaram project, construction of the greenfield capital city in Amaravati, the promises made during bifurcation as well as funds for backward districts. Naidu wanted the funds promised in the Union Budget to be released quickly. It may be pertinent to add that the new TDP led NDA government is yet to present a full Budget in the Assembly due to financial bankruptcy. Since the TDP is a key ally of the BJP, the party is hoping that its demands will be met after the Union government made a substantial allocation in this years Budget including Rs15,000 crore for the new capital city which had been abandoned during the YSRCP regime. Advertisement The Union Finance Minister also promised to fulfil the provisions of the bifurcation and complete the states lifeline, Polavaram project in her Budget speech. This was the Chief Ministers first meeting with the Prime Minister after a generous allocation in the Union Budget which had left most states other than Bihar fuming. Naidu was accompanied by the Union Ministers from Andhra Pradesh, K Rammohan Naidu, P Chandrasekhar, B Srinivasa Varma and TDP Parliamentary party chairperson Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu. The Chief Minister also met Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman during his visit to the national capital. He will meet Union Minister Amit Shah as well. According to an opinion poll conducted by Matrize survey agency and broadcast by Times Now on Friday, no single party is currently poised to secure an outright majority in Haryana, Jharkhand, or Maharashtra if Assembly elections were held today. The projection for Maharashtra, which has a total of 288 Assembly seats, indicates that the BJP-led Mahayuti coalition holds a slight edge, although the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is expected to trail closely behind. The survey projections for Maharashtra indicate that the BJP is expected to secure between 95 and 105 seats. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena is projected to win 19 to 24 seats, while the Ajit Pawar-led NCP is anticipated to gain 7 to 12 seats. The Congress is expected to bag 42 to 47 seats, and the Shiv Sena-UBT (Uddhav Thackeray faction) is likely to win 26 to 31 seats. Advertisement The Sharad Pawar-led NCP-SP is expected to secure 23 to 28 seats, with other parties and candidates projected to get 11 to 16 seats. In terms of vote share, the Matrize survey shows the following percentages BJP at 25.8 per cent, Shiv Sena at 14.2, Ajit Pawar-led NCP at 5.2, Congress at 18.6, Shiv Sena-UBT at 17.6, Sharad Pawar-led NCP at 6.2, and others at 12.4 per cent. Eknath Shinde leads the list of preferred candidates for Chief Minister in Maharashtra, according to the opinion poll. The survey reveals that 27 per cent of respondents favour Shinde over other candidates. Uddhav Thackeray is supported by 23 per cent of those surveyed, followed by Devendra Fadnavis with 21 per cent and Sharad Pawar with 9 per cent. The remaining 20 per cent of respondents prefer other candidates. In Haryana, where there are 90 assembly seats, the election is expected to be tightly contested. The BJP-led coalition is projected to win between 37 and 42 seats, while the Congress is anticipated to secure 33 to 38 seats. The JJP is forecast to obtain 3 to 8 seats, and other parties are expected to win 7 to 12 seats. No single party is predicted to achieve a majority on its own, but the BJP appears to have a slight advantage. In Jharkhand, with a total of 81 Assembly seats, the seat distribution is projected as follows: JMM is expected to win 19 to 24 seats, Congress 7 to 12 seats, BJP 38 to 43 seats, AJSUP 2 to 7 seats, and others 3 to 8 seats. In this tribal state, the BJP is nearing the majority mark of 42 seats. According to the opinion poll, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Sainis performance as CM has been categorised as Very Good: 40 per cent; Average: 21 per cent; Not Good: 24 per cent and Cant Say: 15 per cent. The vote share in Haryana is likely to BJP+: 35.2 per cent; INC: 31.6 per cent; JJP: 12.4 per cent and Others: 20.8 per cent. The opinion poll on the impact of the Jat issue has found the following data. The question was Will the Jat vs Non-Jat issue have any electoral impact? Results are Yes: 38 per cent; No: 43 per cent and Cant Say: 19 per cent. Surprisingly, 56 per cent of the surveyed voters do not support Rahul Gandhis call to abolish the Agnipath Scheme. The survey results are Yes: 29 per cent; No: 56 per cent and Cant Say: 15 per cent. On the question of whether pre-poll announcement of CM face will benefit Congress and allies in Haryana? The result was Negative Impact: 35 per cent; Positive Impact: 30 per cent; No Impact: 24 per cent and Cant say: 11 per cent. Another notable finding for Jharkhand is the popularity of potential Chief Ministerial candidates. Babulal Marandi is the most favoured choice with 41 per cent, followed by CM Hemant Soren at 32 per cent. Arjun Munda is supported by 9 per cent, Champai Soren by 5 per cent, and others account for 13 per cent. Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Saturday slammed the central government, alleging that Raj Bhavan was being misused as a BJP tool to undermine the democratically elected state government. His remarks came in response to Karnataka Governor Thawarchand Gehlots decision to sanction prosecution of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the alleged MUDA land scam. In a social media post on X, Kharge asserted, The Karnataka Governors decision to sanction the prosecution of CM Siddaramaiah in the MUDA case has been orchestrated by the Central Government. Raj Bhavan is being misused as the BJPs tool to undermine a democratically elected government. The Constitutional head of the State is sparking a constitutional crisis to appease his political masters. Advertisement The Minister further declared that despite the Central Governments alleged attempts to undermine the state government, they remain resolute in their commitment to the Constitution. The Central Government may throw its full weight behind this, but we stand firm with the Constitution on our side, Kharge emphasized. Governor Gehlots approval for prosecution, which was granted to three private complainants, including two who have already filed complaints in court, has stirred significant controversy. The allegations against Siddaramaiah center around the allocation of 14 housing sites in Mysuru, one of which was reportedly allotted to his wife, and the alleged embezzlement of Rs 89.73 crore from a state development corporation meant for the welfare of Scheduled Tribes. In response to the Governors decision, the Karnataka government has announced plans to challenge the sanction in the High Court, signaling a potential legal showdown. Siddaramaiah has consistently denied any wrongdoing in the MUDA case, stating that all actions were in accordance with the law. He has accused the BJP and JDS of attempting to destabilize his government through unfounded allegations, particularly as his administration continues to implement popular welfare schemes. In the case of MUDA, everything was done according to law. I have not exerted any kind of influence on the allotment of the plot. My wife has been given a replacement plot in 2021 during the government period of the BJP as per the law, Siddaramaiah had stated. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP chief and Union Minister JP Nadda on Saturday attended the partys national office-bearers meeting in the national capital. Todays meeting, which was held at the BJP headquarters here, was significant as it was held a day after the announcement of election dates in Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana by the Election Commission of India (ECI). The ECI on Friday had 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. Advertisement The meeting of the BJPs national office-bearers, which was chaired by Nadda, discussed the saffron partys preparations for the upcoming assembly elections, sources said. The key meet was also attended by former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, all BJP national office bearers, state in-charges, co-in-charges, all state BJP presidents, and organisation general secretaries. The meeting is learnt to have discussed all important aspects of the saffron partys membership drive, including the start date and the entire process of the campaign. The agenda of the meeting included finalising the process for starting the BJPs membership drive and organisational elections, the sources further said. After the membership drive and organisational 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 BJP national president J P Naddas term has already ended, and he will continue as the national president until a new one is elected. Earlier on July 5, the BJP national president appointed the partys state in-charge and co-in-charge for the various states with an aim to strengthen the partys organisational strength across the country in view of the assembly elections due this year and the year after. In the aftermath of a violent incident that sparked communal unrest, the authorities of Udaipur Administration in Rajasthan carried out a bulldozer action on Saturday, demolishing the rented house in which the stabbing accused and his family were living. The demolition took place just a day after the stabbing incident led to communal tensions, with mobs torching vehicles, damaging shops, and engaging in stone-pelting. The accused, a Class 10 student from a government school, allegedly attacked his classmate from another religion over a personal dispute that reportedly escalated on social media. Advertisement The situation took a communal turn when the incident drew the attention of various Hindu groups, intensifying the unrest in the city. The violence prompted the district administration to impose prohibitory orders and suspend.internet services for 24 hours. The demolished property belonged to a man named Rashid Khan, who identified himself as the landlord. Khan, who was visibly distressed, shared his grievances in a video circulating online. The family of the boy who was involved is now living at their relatives place, Khan stated, adding that his property housed four other families who were also forced to vacate. In the video, Khan questioned the actions of the authorities, lamenting, Why is the administration demolishing my house? I went to the municipal corporation but everyone is on leave. I went to the police station, but they refused to stop the demolition. This is an injustice towards me I have lost my house without any fault of mine. The recent rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata have sent shockwaves across the nation. This horrific crime, which occurred within a state-run hospital, is a stark reminder of the dire state of safety in our healthcare institutions. Sadly, this is not an isolated case but part of a disturbing trend of violence and insecurity that professionals in India increasingly face. Just a few months earlier, in May 2023, the murder of a 23- year-old house surgeon at a government hospital in Kottarakkara, Kerala, further underscored this growing pattern of danger. These tragedies highlight the urgent need for stringent measures to address the alarming lack of safety in Indian healthcare settings. The incidents at RG Kar Medical College and Kottarakkara, Kerala, are symptomatic of a broader, deeply entrenched problem of workplace safety in India. Healthcare professionals, who are at the forefront of saving lives, increasingly find themselves vulnerable to violence and harassment. According to the Indian Medical Association (IMA), over 75 per cent of doctors in India have faced some form of violence at their workplaces. These acts range from verbal abuse to physical assaults and, as recently seen, even murder. The causes of this violence are multifaceted. They include the growing frustration among patients and their relatives due to inadequacies in the public healthcare system, a lack of awar eness about the challenges faced by healthcare professionals, and the absence of adequate security measures in hospitals. Doctors face immense pressure, with long working hours, inadequate facilities, and high patient loads. When outcomes are unfavourable ~ whether due to systemic failures or medical complexities ~ doctors often become scapegoats for public anger. This situation is worsened by the lack of security in many Indian hospitals, making healthcare professionals easy targets for frustrated individuals. Moreover, there is a pervasive culture of impunity where perpetrators of violence against healthcare professionals often go unpunished, emboldening such behaviour. Incidents like the rape in Kolkata are not just a reflection of structural issues within the healthcare sector but also of a broader societal crisis, one that underscores deeper issues of gender-based violence and the failure to protect vulnerable individuals. The brutal murders of young doctors in Kottarakkara and Kolkata are tragic reminders of the vulnerability of healthcare workers. But these are not the only cases that demand our attention. Advertisement In 2019, two junior doctors in West Bengal were severely beaten by the relatives of a patient who died during treatment, sparking nationwide protests. Despite the outcry, little has changed. In March 2022, two doctor brothers in Karnataka were attacked by the relatives of a patient who passed away despite the doctors best efforts. These incidents, which occur across India, have a profound impact not only on the victims but also on the morale of the entire medical community. It is deeply disturbing that those who dedicate their lives to healing others must live in fear of being attacked while doing their jobs. One of the key reasons for the persistence of violence against healthcare professionals is the lack of a robust legal frame work to deter such acts. While some states in India have enacted laws to protect doctors and other healthcare workers, these laws are often poorly enforced. Fortunately, 25 states have laws addressing attacks on doctors and hospitals, but they are largely ineffective on the ground. The Central governments proposed Healthcare Service Personnel and Clinical Establishments (Prohibition of Violence and Damage to Property) Bill, 2019, which aimed to ad dress this issue at the national level, has yet to be passed into law. This bill proposes stringent penalties, including imprisonment and fines, for those who engage in violence against healthcare workers or damage hospital property. The delay in passing this bill reflects a lack of political will to prioritize the safety of healthcare professionals. In addition to legislative measures, there is a need for a broader societal change in the way we view healthcare professionals. Beyond the Central Protection Act, the public must be made aware of the challenges faced by doctors and other heal thcare workers and the importance of treating them with respect. Addressing the issue of violence against healthcare professionals requires a comprehensive, multi-pronged approach. Strengthening legal protections is crucial, and the Central government must expedite the passage of the Healthcare Service Personnel and Clinical Establishments (Prohibition of Violence and Damage to Property) Bill, 2019. This legislation should impose stringent penalties on those who en g age in violence against healthcare workers and ensure such cases are prioritized in the courts. Additionally, enhancing security in hospitals, particularly in government-run institutions, is essential. This includes installing CCTV cameras, deploying security personnel, and establishing protocols for managing violent situations. The government must allocate specific funds for these improvements to ensure they are implemented effectively. Public awareness campaigns are also necessary to educate the public about the challenges healthcare professionals face and the importance of respecting their work. Such campaigns could utilize media, social media, and community outreach programs to shift public attitudes. Healthcare workers should also receive training in conflict resolution and de-escalation techniques, integrated into the medical curriculum and ongoing professional development. Support systems for victims of violence should be established within healthcare institutions, offering counseling services, legal assistance, and peer support to help them cope with trauma and return to work. There must also be a strong emphasis on enforcing existing laws and holding perpetrators accountable, which requires co-ordination between the healthcare system, law enforcement agencies, and the judiciary to ensure swift justice. The vulnerability of healthcare professionals in the workplace is a national tragedy that demands urgent action. It is unacceptable that those who dedicate their lives to caring for others should have to fear for their safety while doing their jobs. As a nation, we must do better to protect our healthcare workers and ensure that hospitals are safe spaces for both patients and staff. The time for action is now; we cannot wait for the next tragedy before taking this issue seriously. The government must prioritize the safety of healthcare professionals by enacting and enforcing strong laws, improving security in hospitals, and changing public attitudes toward those who work in healthcare. This is not just about protecting individual doctors ~ it is about safeguarding the integrity of our entire healthcare system and the health and well-being of the nation. In memory of the doctors we have lost, we must resolve to take the necessary steps to prevent such tragedies from ever happening again. It is our collective responsibility to create a society where healthcare professionals can work without fear and where everyone can access medical care in a safe and secure environment. (The writer is a policy analyst and columnist, and the author of The Essential: On Healthcare) On Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modis speech from the Red Fort was more than a celebration of Indias 77 years of freedom; it was a blueprint for a more unified and efficient nation. With a call for a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and the concept of One Nation, One Election, the Prime Minister addressed two of the most complex issues facing India today. The idea of a Uniform Civil Code has been on the BJPs agenda for years. It has been a part of the Directive Principles of State Policy for even longer. The proposed Code aims to replace the various personal laws ~ Hindu, Muslim, Christian, and others ~ with a single set of secular laws governing all citizens. Mr. Modis argument is straightforward: a communal civil code perpetuates discrimination and prevents national integration. By advocating for a UCC, he seeks to align India with the principle of equality enshri n ed in the Constitution. However, the push for this reform is fraught with challenges. Indias diversity, particularly in religious practices and personal laws, makes the implementation of a UCC a complex task. Critics argue that it could infringe upon religious freedoms and exacerbate communal tensions. Despite these concerns, the potential benefits of a UCC cannot be ignored. A uniform set of laws could enhance legal clarity, reduce litigation, and pro mote gender equality by eliminating discriminatory practices in personal laws. Moreover, it could foster a sense of national unity by treating all citizens equally be fore the law. The key to successful implementation lies in engaging all stakeholders in a dialogue that respects Indias pluralistic fabric. Another significant highlight of the Prime Ministers speech was the proposal for One Nation, One Election. This idea suggests holding simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, thereby reducing the frequency of elections and their costs. Advertisement Mr. Modi argued that frequent elections lead to policy paralysis, with governments focusing more on short-term electoral gains rather than long-term development. By synchronising elections, the government could ensure more consistent governance and reduce the disruption caused by the electoral process. However, implementing this proposal would require constitutional amendments and political consensus, which may not be easy to achieve. The concerns of regional parties, which fear losing their distinct political identities and the logistical challenges of conducting a single massive election, are significant hurdles. Nevertheless, the idea de ser ves serious consideration, as it has the potential to transform Indias political landscape. Mr Modis speech also touched upon issues beyond domestic reforms, highlighting concerns over the safety of minorities in neighbouring countries like Bangladesh. This stance reflects Indias role as a regional power and its responsibility to protect the rights of minorities. The success of initiatives the Prime Minister outlined will depend on the governments ability to navigate the complexities of Indias di verse society and build consensus among all stakeholders. As the nation moves forward, it is crucial to ensure that the pursuit of uniformity does not come at the cost of its rich diversity and pluralism 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. Advertisement 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. Indonesia is developing a new Tuberculosis (TB) vaccine to strengthen the fight against TB, which has claimed an average of 150,000 lives annually. Our new domestically produced vaccine is now entering the clinical trial stage. The renewal of the TB vaccine was due to the fact that the existing vaccine had been outdated, Indonesian Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin told a virtual press conference on Friday. He said the vaccines launch process would be expedited to reduce the national TB rate, as mandated by Indonesian President-elect Prabowo Subianto, who is set to take office this October. Advertisement TB remains a life-threatening disease worldwide. According to the World Health Organization 2023 Global Tuberculosis Report, TB cases in Indonesia reached 1,060,000, equivalent to 385 cases per 100,000 population. The Southeast Asian country aims to reduce the rate to 297 per 100,000 people in 2024, and to 65 cases by 2030, Xinhua news agency reported. We want to focus on prevention, not just to treat sick people. This health strategy is cheaper and will bring a better quality to peoples lives. We want to keep our society healthy, Sadikin said. Earlier this month, the Indonesian government launched a TB screening tool, the Portable X-Ray, to help detect TB patients and symptoms more quickly. Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said Friday that Ukraines operation in western Russias 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. Advertisement Ukraines 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. Ukraines attacks on Russias border will receive a worthy response, with the Russian militarys 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. KYODO NEWS - Aug 17, 2024 - 08:40 | All, Travel/Tourism, Japan Department stores and shopping malls in Japan are increasingly setting up prayer rooms to meet the need for Muslims amid a growing number of visitors from Islamic countries on the back of a weak yen. At the Matsuya Ginza department store in Tokyo's upscale shopping district, a number of people lined up in front of a room designated as a "prayer room" at certain times of the day. The room is equipped with a foot-washing area for cleansing parts of the body before worship and has mats for several people to offer prayers. A Malaysian woman in her 30s said she had searched for a prayer room online before arriving in Japan, saying she was thankful as it is difficult to find one in the middle of the metropolitan area. Muslims typically pray five times a day, though some reduce the frequency to three times while on a trip, according to the Japan Tourism Agency. Their activities would be limited if they could not find a prayer room and had to return to their accommodation. "Prayer rooms are necessary infrastructure similar to bathrooms and nursing rooms," said a retail industry official, adding that people in the industry need to cooperate to install such rooms. Among other department stores in Tokyo, Shibuya Parco in the Shibuya shopping district has opened a worship room. Aeon Mall Co., which operates large-scale shopping complexes, has installed prayer rooms in seven outlets across Chiba, Kanagawa, Aichi, Hiroshima and Okinawa prefectures, with plans to expand the service to other stores. The number of visitors to Japan from Indonesia, Malaysia and Turkey surpassed 870,000 in 2023, up 2.7-fold from a decade ago, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization. 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. Climate change is reshaping landscapes across India and the world, manifesting in extreme weather events, rising temperatures, and erratic rainfall patterns. The urgency to adapt and mitigate these impacts has never been greater. Innovative technological solutions are crucial for addressing the challenges posed by this global crisis. In this context, Anant National University in Ahmedabad launched the Anant School for Climate Action, Indias first climate school offering academic courses in climate studies and action. Anant University is Indias first DesignX University. With its interdisciplinary approach, DesignX plays a pivotal role in crafting sustainable strategies for climate resilience. By merging technology, design, and social innovation, DesignX offers a pathway to develop scalable solutions that help communities and ecosystems withstand the growing threats of climate change. Dr Anunaya Chaubey, Provost of Anant National University, has been instrumental in leading the institution towards these groundbreaking initiatives. In an exclusive interview with THE WEEK, Dr Chaubey discusses these next-gen institutions and courses developed under his leadership. Excerpts: What inspired the establishment of Indias first Climate School at Anant National University, and what are its primary objectives? The reasons and implications of climate change in India and certain other emerging nations differ from those in the rest of the world. Thus, there is a need for a specialised climate studies programme that gives a regional context. It is important to train students to find and implement solutions, and develop technologies to adapt to and mitigate climate change for India as well as other parts of the developing world. During the unique four-year undergraduate engineering degree programme in Climate Change, students learn to build technology solutions for mitigating or adapting to climate change, use specialised software for simulating climate impact and be part of live industry climate projects at the Climate Lab from the day they join. They get the chance to specialise in using climate technologies for business or policy, as well as a deeper specialisation in climate change itself. The final semester is a mandatory industry immersion where students are placed within the $23 trillion climate industry co-guided by an industry and an academic guide. The curriculum is designed such that Semesters 1 to 6 offer incremental steps across eight climate change streams as well as applied research in the Climate Lab. The final two semesters offer students the opportunity to take courses they might have not been able to pass or take earlier, and focus on specialisation and then full industry immersion. The global climate industry is expected to reach $23 trillion by 2030, according to the International Finance Corporation, and only 1,20,000 people globally and 5,000 in India are formally trained to cater to the needs of this growing industry. The Anant School of Climate Action teaches students to build technology solutions for mitigating or adapting to climate change by using specialised software for simulating climate impact and being part of live industry climate projects at the Climate Lab. The Climate Lab is a significant initiative. Could you discuss its role in practical climate education and some of the key projects or research it has produced? Indias first Climate Lab at Anant National University serves as a hub for practical climate education in areas such as climate simulation, climate physics, climate chemistry, energy and refrigeration and weather station management. The lab is designed to immerse students in practical project work that tackles environmental challenges. Key projects of this Climate Lab include: A desalination system for potable drinking water, which was created after the students conducting data collection through a community connect study organised at Zai Village A portable air purifier and the application of the Miyawaki forest method in urban settings The development of a waste-to-energy machine that converts mixed waste materials into resources through a plasma gasification system Anants Climate Lab is equipped with: Visaka Industries ATUM integrated solar roof system, which has a capacity of generating 22 kW of electricity The labs walls are constructed using Vnext Panels, a product by Visaka Industries. These lightweight, prefabricated wall panels offer thermal and acoustic properties that enhance energy efficiency How does Anant National University prepare its students for these opportunities in the green economy? Anant National University stands at the forefront of equipping the next generation for the rapidly expanding green economy. Our BTech in Climate Change, Indias first undergraduate engineering degree focused on climate technologies, equips students with the skills to tackle climate challenges. Students engage in innovative projects, such as developing solar-powered desalination systems and converting waste materials into energy. As the world shifts towards a low-carbon, resource-efficient economy, our curriculum covers essential areas like climate simulation, energy technology and environmental engineering. Students can specialise in climate business, policy or innovation, ensuring they are well-prepared for impactful careers. The programmes applied research stream offers hands-on experience from the first semester, preparing students to work on real-world projects with industry partners. For example, they have conducted Life Cycle Assessments at Bharti Airtel, researched carbon sequestration with the Indian Space Research Organisation and contributed to climate action projects at The Commonwealth Secretariat. These experiences, combined with internships at organisations like Tech Mahindra and Sustain Labs Paris, ensure our graduates are equipped with the practical skills and global exposure necessary to lead in the $23 trillion global climate industry and drive the green economy transition. Can you elaborate on the DesignX method and how it integrates community immersion, innovation, and collaboration to equip students with problem-solving skills? Our DesignX way is unique in helping young designers develop a better understanding of the context we live in through community immersion, innovation and collaboration. The core of our pedagogy is sustainable design multiplied by a host of knowledge disciplines and technology to make problem-solving impactful. Our multidisciplinary undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes in design, architecture, climate action and visual arts harness the knowledge from various disciplines and traditional practices to integrate it with cutting-edge technology to address diverse challenges. At Anant, design education is about multiplying and enhancing design with experience and knowledge drawn from diverse disciplines, cultures and practices. We employ an interdisciplinary approach with a multidisciplinary curriculum to create problem-solving tools. In todays world, the combination of DesignX with disciplines such as Artificial Intelligence, Augmented and Virtual Reality, Analytics, Biomimicry, Sociology, Economics, Behavioural Science and Public Policy is imperative. Such a multidisciplinary approach to learning builds a comprehensive understanding of the world we live in and serves as an exponential force multiplier to ensure that designers continue to deliver innovative and impactful solutions to the challenges of the contemporary world. The university has moved from Western architecture to learning from the country an indigenous design perspective. Kindly explain the significance of this move. Anant is deeply rooted in tradition with a global footprint. Our centres like Indian Designs and Innovative Crafts (INDIC), Anant Centre for Documentation and Development of Craft, ANUSHILP and Handmate@Anant work towards conserving and promoting Indigenous designs. Anant Centre for Documentation and Development of Crafts (ACDC): ACDC seeks to document, support, nurture and disseminate knowledge of crafts and traditional systems in India. It will act as a facilitator for students to take up projects, build and seed an e-commerce platform for designed artefacts, and facilitate student immersion and field training within craft ecosystems. The initiative also focuses on skill upgradation for women artisans promoting sustainable and inclusive development of the entire craft community, and undertaking research on tribal systems, crafts, folklore and culture. ACDC embodies the concept of M to M - Mind to Market, from ideation, practice, documentation to livelihood. Three constituents are: Indian Designs and Innovative Crafts (INDIC) Centre: The centre aims to contemporise the ancient crafts industry to adapt to the needs of a changing marketplace. It seeks to bridge the gap between the demand for well-designed, modern artefacts and the artisans skills through education, training and documentation of vernacular designs. In the recent past, several artisan clusters have benefited from INDICs efforts, including artisans from Assam, Karnataka, Kutch, Rajasthan, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, etc. 3. ANUSHILP: Anant collaborated with USIN (United States India Foundation) in October 2022 for a two-year ANUSHLIP Project that emerged as a pioneering initiative to revitalise traditional crafts and craftsmanship for contemporary utilitarian product development that are global market-ready in the Narmada district of Gujarat. The project culminated with an exhibition at the Anant campus showcasing artisans work. Dr S Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs, visited the exhibition. The bamboo box and applique world map were chosen as souvenirs for the G20 Varanasi meet, demonstrating the market readiness and cultural value of the crafted items. Anant then organised a streamlined production process with a one-week timeframe to produce 80 bamboo boxes and 100 applique world maps. 4. Handmade@Anant: Recognising the importance of preserving and nurturing the rich Indian cultural traditions, we established a platform through a pop-up store to showcase the creative abilities of our talented community, comprising students, staff and the artists in residence. Through Handmade@Anant, we seek to instil appreciation for artisanal skills and techniques and encourage the students and artisans to craft wonders, ensuring that the tapestry of Indian heritage remains vibrantly alive. The pop-up store epitomises a melting pot of ideas, masterful craftsmanship and cultural influences that mirror the heritage of India's illustrious art and design traditions. Share with us some of the other major innovations and initiatives at Anant National University. At Anant, we train our designers to become solutionaries - revolutionary thinkers with a solution-oriented mindset. Some innovative projects include: Peeling Back the Future: Innovative bioplastic production from fruit peels Biodegradable tableware and packaging for hot and cold items made from agricultural waste Calamatrix, a card game to combat climate change Voltaic, an off-grid mobile EV charging station Reusable UV water bottle that advanced UV-C technology to neutralise up to 99% of harmful bacteria without altering the waters taste Moss filter air purifier A waste mining venture that makes sustainable construction material Sustainable toothpaste packaging Decentralised RDF-to-energy conversion system Accessible indoor navigation for educational institutions Traffic simulator game to learn about correct and ethical driving practices Prosthetic foot design Dynamic, specs for children with special needs Spine support belt Recessio a multi-terrain reconnaissance robot to provide audio-visual data to the military Nap Pod, tailored hospital beds What is the long-term vision of Anant National University and its role in shaping the future of education in design, architecture and climate in India? Anants vision is to become one of the top universities in India by 2025, leading in the fields of design, built habitat and sustainability, reputed for its Indian roots and global standing. We have taken steps to integrate the National Education Policy 2020 into the curriculum and pedagogy, fostering interdisciplinary programmes and building on our multidisciplinary course offerings. We aim to deliver an inclusive pedagogy that is socially engaged and contextual. KYODO NEWS - Aug 17, 2024 - 13:03 | All, Japan, Travel/Tourism Shinkansen bullet trains between Tokyo and Nagoya returned to normal from their first scheduled services on Saturday following a full-day suspension due to the passing of a powerful typhoon, with travelers crowding railway stations as they returned from their Bon summer holidays. Operator JR Central ran extra trains between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka on its Tokaido Shinkansen Line in the morning to cope with the high volume of passengers. On Friday, the company canceled all bullet trains between Tokyo and Nagoya, one of the busiest sections of the country's high-speed train network, due to concerns about heavy rains and strong winds caused by Typhoon Ampil. Operations for some bullet trains on parts of the Tohoku, Joetsu, Yamagata and other lines also returned to normal on Saturday, as the typhoon moved away from the Tokyo area and Tohoku region in northeastern Japan. Tokyo Station was flooded with people intending to travel on shinkansen from the morning. A 41-year-old from Saitama near Tokyo was scheduled to fly to the Shikoku region in western Japan on Friday with his family but had to switch to a train after the flight was canceled. Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways said they canceled hundreds of international and domestic flights to and from Tokyo's Haneda airport and Narita airport, east of the capital. "It was hard rebooking our accommodation and securing seats on the shinkansen," he said as he expressed relief the trains were running. "I was worried the trains may not move today again." Nagoya Station was just as crowded, with Tokyo resident Yasuhiko Nishiguchi saying he was unable to return home on Friday. Having been in a similar situation when Shizuoka Prefecture experienced heavy rain last year, he said he made sure to have ample time to deal with train disruptions. The return rush of holidaymakers also came on the first weekend since the withdrawal of a weeklong government call for increased earthquake preparedness based on an advisory over a potential megaquake along the Pacific coast. The alert officially ended Thursday after no new major seismic activity was detected in the vicinity of the Nankai Trough. Following the Aug. 8 advisory, hotels and ryokan, or Japanese-style inns, in coastal areas in central and western Japan, were hit by hundreds of cancelations. Related coverage: Powerful typhoon veers east of Tokyo, disrupts holiday travel Tokyo-Nagoya shinkansen to halt Aug. 16 as typhoon nears eastern Japan In early 2016, I found myself overlooking the stunning Ligurian Sea from a vantage point in the Cinque Terre, a place that exudes magic and serenity. Nestled on a hill above Riomaggiore, with views stretching towards Monte Carlo in the northwest and Elba in the southwest, I had acquired one of the most desirable properties on eartha stone house with a vineyard producing the famous and expensive Cinque Terre Sciacchetra wine. This paradise was located in the Bay of Poets, a region that has inspired literary giants like Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and Dante Alighieri, whose works echo the beauty and mystique of the area. At that time, life seemed perfect. I had just sold my share in JWK Solicitors in Lancaster and moved to Tuscany, where I was involved in a relocation business partnering with Mata Hari/MH (name changed), a European national based in Lucca. The property, which promised both significant personal satisfaction and substantial investment potential, for strategic reasons was purchased in MHs sole name. The funds for the purchase came entirely from me, bolstered by additional financing I raised due to my professional status. I had placed my trust in MH, not just as a business partner but as a friend. The agreement was that all the interest in the property belonged to me and the rental income from the property would be deposited into our joint account after expenses. However, in 2018, after leaving the relocation business on good terms with MH to focus on my retirement and pro bono legal work in England, my trust was shattered. Without my knowledge, she sold the property, siphoned the entire sale proceeds and rental income from our joint account, and funnelled the funds into a new bank account opened with her new partner. They then used the money to purchase a rental business property in his name. I discovered this betrayal by chance. When confronted, MH alleged that my contributions were a donation, and under the Italian Civil Code, I had no cause of action. Truth is a tricky business, especially when its manipulated to suit someones agenda. It was a devastating blow, but I knew I had to fight back. Drawing upon my 35 years of legal experience across multiple jurisdictionsincluding a kidnapping case in Ecuador and various cases throughout EuropeI resolved to recover my losses. I meticulously vetted nine different Italian law firms, studied Italian cases and precedents, and eventually instructed a law firm in Tuscany. I became deeply involved in every aspect of the case, from strategy to the minutiae of legal tactics. I gathered powerful witness statements from individuals such as Gianmarco, the estate agent who facilitated the original purchase, and the previous owners of the property. I combed through hundreds of WhatsApp messages and emails, conducted forensic work on banking transactions, and meticulously traced the movement of rental income. This wasnt the only legal battle I faced at the time. Back in England, I was embroiled in a dispute with a dishonest builder who had failed to deliver on his contractual obligations. Author's Riomaggorie house This case was further complicated by the fact that the builder had enlisted the services of a legal team operating under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA), commonly known as a no-win, no-fee arrangement. The setup was meant to intimidate me, placing the financial burden on me while offering the builders team a seemingly risk-free opportunity to pressure me into a settlement. Under the CFA, the builders lawyers only stood to gain if they won the case, which meant they were aggressively pursuing every angle. To make matters worse, they were backed by a questionable After The Event (ATE) insurance policy provided by an insurer who eventually went bust. This dubious insurance was supposed to cover their costs if they lost, but the collapse of the insurer added another layer of complexity and risk to the proceedings. The builder's strategy was clear: to prolong the legal battle and increase my legal costs to the point where I might consider settling. But having faced down MHs betrayal in Italy, I was in no mood to back down. Instead, I leveraged my decades of legal expertise and the lessons learned from my cross-border legal battles. I scrutinised every aspect of the builder's claim, challenging the validity of their evidence and the integrity of their tactics. I knew that if I could expose the weaknesses in their case, the entire structure of their CFA-backed litigation would crumble. Over the course of three years, I faced several preliminary court hearings at the High Court in Lucca for the Italian case, while simultaneously managing the legal battle in England. My Italian legal and financial advisors initially doubted my chances of success in the Italian case, but I remained steadfast. The legal maxim I learned in law school back in 1977he who comes to equity must come with clean hands -guided me through this ordeal. I employed the same focus, diligence, and mental fortitude that I had honed in my legal career and in sports, and traveling and in the end, I prevailed. I successfully completed the action and recovered my losses in Italy. Back in England, the turning point came when I managed to expose the builders underhanded tactics and the shaky foundation of their CFA agreement. The builders lawyers, who had confidently taken on the case under the CFA, ended up losing thousands of pounds when the case did not go in their favour. My perseverance and strategic approach not only protected my interests and saved me from possible bankruptcy but also sent a clear message about the perils of underestimating ones opponent. By 2021, I had emerged from the doldrums, albeit without the beautiful Riomaggiore house that once overlooked the Ligurian Sea and the Bay of Poets, where the spirit of great poets lingers. But more importantly, I had regained my sense of trust and self-belief. Despite the painful lessons learned, I would not hesitate to make similar decisions again, even if they came with significant risks. The experience reinforced my conviction that trust when placed wisely, can lead to extraordinary outcomeseven when the odds seem insurmountable. As I reflect on this journey, Im reminded that resilience and justice are not just legal principles; they are personal commitments. And no betrayal, however profound, can take that away. Arrivederci. Philip George is a former badminton player and author of the book 'Racket Boy'. He lives in Tuscany, Italy. Recently, a Punjab-based woman, Babina, was fired from her job for protesting her companys decision that anyone who took leave on Raksha Bandhan (August 19) would lose seven days worth of pay. Babina felt this was not fair practice under the law or fundamental rights. When she posted on LinkedIn about her unceremonious dismissal from work, she was flooded with messages of support. Is corporate bringing slavery back? wrote one user. These company owners should be behind bars ASAP, wrote another. The companys efforts to justify its decision explaining that Babina was a frequent offender and troublemaker was too little, too late. The incident underscores an important generational change we are witnessing now. Unlike previous generations, Gen Z are not willing to slog for fatter bank accounts. They would rather enjoy life now instead of bulking their savings for a lavish retirement later. In short, they are not willing to compromise on their work-life balance. In South Korea, for example, there is a push-back against working longer hours among young people, reported Jin Yu Young for The New York Times. The country is known for its cut-throat working hours. Companies say theyre only making managers come in on the weekend, but if you see your boss working on a Saturday, youre going to feel nunchi (a South Korean term for facing a kind of implicit pressure), said a younger worker. In India, too, people raised a hue and cry last year when Infosys co-founded Narayana Murthy advocated a 70-hour work week to boost the countrys work productivity. The comment went viral, evoking all sorts of responses from netizens. People started vehemently discussing toxic work cultures and the mental and physical well-being of employees. But despite his expertise, many studies seem to contradict Murthys view. There is a substantial amount of evidence that worklife balance policies provide significant benefits to enterprises, supporting the argument that such policies are a win-win for both employers and employees, concluded a 2022 global report by the ILO. Youngsters have also come up with new-gen terminology such as lazy girl jobs and quiet quitting to label their need for more work-life balance. According to Gen-Z TikToker Gabrielle Judge who coined the term, a lazy girl job is one that allows you to work remotely, is flexible and pays decently. Those with lazy girl jobs make a clear demarcation between work and fun, and do not depend on their jobs to find meaning in life. Quiet quitters, similarly, are those who do their work without going that extra mile. Ambition does not assume prime of place in their vocabulary. In this scenario, companies, too, are taking note of this change in their employees attitudes. Those who have not would do well to follow the example of Shubham Singhal, co-founder and CEO Dot Media. On the occasion of World Sick Leave Day (August 16), he announced that all requests for sick leave were being rejected. Instead, he closed the office and gave all his employees a holiday. The day corporates start valuing what their employees need, nothing can stop them from putting forth their best, he posted on LinkedIn. The post was deluged by comments from users asking how to get a job at Dot Media. As Singham would have discovered, a paid leave always pays off in the end. The makers of Vijay-starrer Greatest of All Time (GOAT) on Saturday released the trailer of the film. The two minute 51 seconds trailer introduces Vijay as "a hostage negotiator, a spy and a man who had successfully completed 68 international missions." 'Thalapathy', as he is known among his fans, fights the baddies, inside a train, in the air and on water to save the nation. The trailer shows Vijay in a dual role - father and son. But it seems, there will be more surprises, with Vijay in a triple role, a very young version of Vijay. Once director Venkat Prabhu had tweeted saying that the fans will definitely have a treat watching Vijay in a never seen role. The trailer is packed with action, shooting, car and bike chasing, heated arguments among friends and shows Vijay facing trouble when in Bangkok. It shows an ensemble cast of Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan, Jayaram, Sneha, Laila and YG Mahendran. In one scene, Vijay says, inime kudikave koodathu (I should not drink anymore). And this seems to be a signature dialogue in all Venkat Prabhus movies. We heard Ajith say the same in his film Mankatha in 2011. At the end of then trailer, Vijay looks casual and sings, Marudhamalai maamaniye murgaiya, reminding fans of his Ghilli days. Earlier in a media interview he had said that Vijay plays the role of RAW agent. He said that Vijay is part of Special Anti-Terrorist Squad (SATS), a wing in RAW. While the fans are happy seeing Vijay in a older and a younger role, GOAT trailer reminds us of Vijays Leo and Kamal Hassans Vikram. The film is set to release on September 5. Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda chaired a meeting on Saturday to review the Monkeypox situation and preparedness in India in the wake of the World Health Organisation (WHO) declaring the viral illness a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). Officials from the health ministry, National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) attended the meeting. According to an official statement, it was decided at the meeting that certain measures (such as sensitizing the health units at all the airports, seaports, and ground crossings; readying the testing laboratories; gearing up health facilities for detecting, isolating and managing any case, etc.) need to be put in place. In the meeting, it was noted that Monkeypox infections are usually self-limiting lasting between 2-4 weeks and patients generally recover with supportive management, the statement issued by the health ministry said. The transmission requires prolonged close contact with an infected case and is generally through the sexual route, direct contact with body/lesion fluid, or contaminated clothing/linen of an infected person, it added. Mpox explainer: Symptoms, transmission, prevention of monkeypox virus The health ministry is closely monitoring the situation even though India has not reported any case of late. The last case of Monkeypox in the country was reported from Kerala in March this year. Officials do not entirely rule out the possibility of a few imported cases being detected in the coming weeks. However, it was assessed that the infection is very low in India at the moment and there is no need to panic. This is the second time the WHO has declared Monkeypox as PHEIC. According to the world health body, common symptoms of Monkeypox are a skin rash or mucosal lesions which can last 24 weeks accompanied by fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes. Laboratory confirmation of Monkeypox is done by testing skin lesion material by PCR. Senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday exhorted party leaders to take the BJP's ideology to all corners of the country, expressing confidence of its strong electoral prospects in the future. Addressing a BJP meeting, where the party decided to embark on its membership drive from September 1, Shah noted that people have repeatedly expressed their faith in its governments in states and at the Centre, while rejecting the Congress, sources said. At a press conference, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said the party aims to induct more than 10 crore members during the drive that will not cover the states going to polls in the coming months. The party's membership strength was 18 crore after the last such exercise, and Patra expressed hope that this number will be crossed when the process is over everywhere. The BJP is expected to elect a new president after the drive is over in at least half of the states. The meeting was attended by its national office-bearers, including party president J P Nadda, and key state organisational leaders. It was like a training workshop for the membership drive, Patra said, adding the exercise will cover every caste, religion and community. It will be all-inclusive and all-encompassing, he said. In a post on X, Nadda, who chaired the meeting, said the "comprehensive campaign will engage everyone, from top leadership to booth-level workers, and will offer every segment of society the opportunity to connect with the Bharatiya Janata Party." "Guided by PM Narendra Modi Ji's principle of 'Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas' it promises to be an inclusive initiative that unites people under our shared vision," he said. Patra said BJP national general secretary Vinod Tawde will be the convenor of the drive and party's vice president Rekha Verma the co-convenor. Shah in his address noted that the BJP is a cadre-based party driven by a robust ideology. He stressed that the party's continued hard work for expansion has taken it to its present preeminent position in national politics from the merely two Lok Sabha seats it won in 1984, sources said. He said the BJP governments in states and at the Centre were often re-elected, unlike the Congress which has a poor track record in retaining power. The Congress does not exist as a serious political force in many states now, he said, according to the sources. Patra said the new members will be made through four methods - calling a soon-to-be-announced mobile number, scanning QR code, by NaMo app and through the BJP's website. However, in remote areas the party will use traditional paper method to enroll the new members, he added. Even as the nation has erupted in protest against the brutal rape and murder of a trainee doctor in RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata, and the Indian Medical Association (IMA) called for a nationwide strike, the Centre urged people to trust the CBI which is probing the case. The CBI is investigating the case, which has shocked the nation, under an order from the Calcutta High Court. The body of the trainee doctor was found in the seminar room of the hospital on August 9. Police arrested a civic volunteer in connection with the crime the next day. Union minister Sukanta Majumdar said the investigating agency will perform the investigation properly on condition that the evidence at the crime scene is not tampered with. "The CBI did not have the proof in their hands because it was there where the crime scene was. In murder and rape cases, there are biological remains. The longevity of the evidence decreases," news agency ANI quoted him as saying. The CBI has reportedly identified 30 suspects and has started questioning them. The agency, on Friday, summoned a house staff member and two post-graduate trainees who were on duty with the doctor the night she was murdered. It is time that there is a National agency to address the most horrific crimes against Women in this country, beyond state agencies, as what is happening right now is a cruel joke on the Nation. No citizen with a beating heart in Bharat can just watch this go by. Action Now! -Sg https://t.co/CwRqMso7Bu Sadhguru (@SadhguruJV) August 16, 2024 The statement from the minister comes even as a two-member inquiry committee constituted by the National Commission for Women (NCW) that looked into the case submitted its preliminary findings on Friday, uncovering lapses in security, infrastructure, and investigation. #WATCH | West Bengal: IMA has declared a 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 commenced at 6 am today pic.twitter.com/hbcTJYv0DH ANI (@ANI) August 17, 2024 Meanwhile, the parents of the victim told the investigating agency that several interns and physicians from the hospital might be involved in the crime. "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," a CBI officer has been quoted as saying. The Central Bureau of Investigation is questioning the former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital Sandip Ghosh for the second day in connection with the probe into the rape and murder trainee doctor at the hospital in Kolkata. The central agency summoned Ghosh for questioning on Friday and it continued till 3am. Ghosh was made to sit in a room at the CBI's city office here at the CGO Complex till 9.30pm after which the grilling session started, an officer told PTI. Officers in the know of the probe told PTI that during the first round of questioning, Ghosh was asked about his first reaction knowing about the death of the doctor. He was also asked to whom he instructed to inform the family and police. "Certain answers were convoluted. He was grilled till early Saturday and then allowed to leave for home," the officer told PTI. The former principal was also asked about the roster of the victim doctor. Ghosh had resigned two days after the incident, however, faced the ire of the Calcutta High Court after the state government appointed him as principal of another government college. The HC asked him to go on long leave. The 31-year-old junior doctor was raped and murdered while on duty and her body was discovered at the seminar hall on August 9. A civic volunteer was arrested the following day. Meanwhile, various doctors associations have announced a two-day nationwide protest demanding justice for the victim and safer working conditions for doctors. Coming down heavily on fake news and rumours being circulated about the RG Kar Medical College Hospital incident, the Kolkata Police denied having told the late woman doctor's family that she died by suicide. Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal also denied that 150mg of semen was found in her body. READ HERE | Kolkata doctor rape and murder: Alcoholic, porn-addict widower who married four times, says police about Sanjay Roy Pointing out that rumour-mongering is going on even several days after the alleged rape and murder of the doctor at the state-run hospital, Commissioner Goyal urged the public to have faith in the CBI investigation. Vehemently denying two of the virally shared rumours, the top cop said, "It is wrong that we informed the victim's family that she had committed suicide. It is wrong that 150mg of semen was found in her body." To present his case against the numerous rumours and conspiracy theories surrounding the crime that rocked the country, Vineet Goyal said that the post-mortem of the victim was video-recorded and thus transparent. Throwing weight behind CBI, he said the Kolkata Police had gathered all available evidence in time and are still cooperating with the central agency in every possible way. "I don't see why it is being spread that we wanted to hush up the matter and finish it. Videography was done, and all evidence was collected in the presence of family and friends," the Times Of India quoted him as saying. READ HERE | Kolkata doctor rape-murder: Sunday's Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal Durand Cup contest cancelled amidst unrest The police official also talked about the vandalism at RG Kar Medical College Hospital amidst the protests, confirming the arrest of 25 people so far in connection with the incident. Four others were identified and will be nabbed soon, he reportedly said. The 24-four nationwide strike by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) to protest the rape and murder of a resident doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar hospital began on Saturday at 6 am. All medical services, except essential services and casualties, will be affected by the strike which will last till Sunday 6 am. The routine OPDs (Out Patient Department) will not function and elective surgeries will not be performed across hospitals in the country where evidence-based medicine is practiced, the IMA said. Doctors across cities have been staging protests on Friday, demanding justice for the 31-year-old trainee doctor who was brutally murdered. #WATCH | Uttarakhand: Doctor and nursing staff in Rishikesh held a protest against the incident of rape and murder of a woman doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. (Earlier visuals) pic.twitter.com/s3zJtr4QDH ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2024 Demands of IMA The IMA, on Friday, came out with a list of five demands that include an overhaul of the working and living conditions of doctors including changing the the 36-hour duty shift that the victim was in and the lack of safe spaces in hospitals to rest. #WATCH | RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-murder case | Junior doctor Riya Bera says, "We demand arrest of all the culprits immediately with proper evidence with an official press release confirming the same by the CBI, written apology and order of resignation of higher pic.twitter.com/ZTvTfvaDE8 ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2024 The forum observed that the crime and the vandalism that followed have shocked the conscience of the nation and added that both the medical fraternity and the nation are victims. The association demanded that hospitals be declared safe zones with the first step being mandatory security entitlements. "The security protocols of all hospitals should be no less than (that of) an airport. Declaring the hospitals as safe zones with mandatory security entitlements is the first step. CCTVs, deployment of security personnel and the protocols can follow," the association said in a statement. #WATCH | RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-murder case | Junior doctor Rumalika Kumar says, "Due to non-transparency, the investigation process has been shifted from Kolkata police to the CBI. But even after 48 hours, the demands of justice that we had are not fulfilled at pic.twitter.com/WtAWI2Mltv ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2024 Further, IMA called for a thorough probe into the murder of the trainee doctor and speedy justice, besides identifying those involved in the vandalism of the hospital premises. The IMA also sought appropriate and dignified compensation to the bereaved family. "The RG Kar incident has brought to the fore two dimensions of violence in the hospital: A crime of barbaric scale due to the lack of safe spaces for women and the hooliganism that is unleashed due to lack of an organised security protocol, the IMA statement read. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probing the rape and murder of a junior doctor at a Kolkata hospital will conduct a psychological assessment of Sanjay Roy, the accused. A team of experts from Delhi's Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) has arrived in Kolkata to carry out the test. Roy, a civil volunteer with Kolkata Police, was arrested a day after the 31-year-old victims body was found at the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College Hospital on August 9. READ - Kolkata rape-murder: IMA writes to PM Modi, seeks 'airport-like' security for hospitals Earlier in the day, a team of CBI officials visited the RG Kar hospital and carried out certain investigations there. According to reports, they collected some samples and sent them to the Central Forensic Laboratory for testing. Another team inspected the barrack of the Kolkata Police's fourth battalion where arrested accused civic volunteer Sanjay Roy used to stay. The central agency has prepared a list of around 40 people, including doctors, police officers, whom they would be questioning as a part of their ongoing investigation, reported PTI. READ: Rattirer Sathi: West Bengal govts new initiative to ensure workplace safety for women The CBI took over the probe after a direction by the Calcutta High Court which observed that no significant progress had been made in the investigation by the Kolkata Police. A preliminary autopsy report had suggested that the victim was sexually abused and killed. There were also injuries on her left leg, neck, right hand, ring finger and lips. The agency on Saturday questioned former principal of R G Kar Medical College and Hospital Dr Sandip Ghosh for the second day. Ghosh had resigned from the post two days after the body was discovered. READ - Kolkata doctor's rape-murder: Police Commissioner slams presence of '150 mg semen' claim, other fake news Meanwhile, healthcare services in several government hospitals across the country remain crippled for more than a week due to the cease-work by junior doctors demanding justice for their colleague. The emergency and outpatient departments in most state-run hospitals are still closed, causing significant distress among patients. Explainer: What is the global significance of Chinese modernization? Xinhua) 08:51, August 13, 2024 An aerial drone photo taken on Aug. 6, 2024 shows commercial vehicles to be exported beside a ro-ro ship at Yantai Port in east China's Shandong Province. (Photo by Tang Ke/Xinhua) Chinese modernization is the modernization through peaceful development, said Xia Lu, a research fellow of Renmin University of China. It also embodies the idea of harmonious coexistence between man and nature, which adds to the diverse philosophies of global governance. BEIJING, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- As nations around the world navigate the complexities of modernization, China has forged its path -- Chinese modernization. It is the modernization of a huge population, of common prosperity for all, of material and cultural-ethical advancement, of harmony between humanity and nature, and of peaceful development. The approach prompts an important question: What is the global significance of Chinese modernization? What contributions can it make to human society? Chinese modernization provides a blueprint for developing countries that seek prosperity on their own terms and could contribute to a more equitable global framework, Xia Lu, a research fellow at the National Academy of Development and Strategy, Renmin University of China, told Xinhua. INSPIRING GLOBAL SOUTH "Development is the top priority for the Global South," said Xia, noting Chinese modernization is "referential for the extensive regions of the Global South, especially countries with large populations." China, the world's largest developing country, has 1.4 billion people, nearly one-fifth of the global population. Despite its vast size, China has managed to eradicate extreme poverty by the end of 2020, an accomplishment that United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres hailed as "the biggest contribution to the dramatic reduction of poverty." From 2012 to 2023, China's GDP surged from 7.5 trillion U.S. dollars to 17.6 trillion dollars, with its share of global GDP increasing from 12.3 percent to about 18 percent. Xia, who frequently interacts with African and Southeast Asian scholars, noted that countries from the Global South are well aware of their common challenges, including poverty, wealth disparity, underdeveloped infrastructure, and inadequate medical and educational services. "They are expecting that China can show them something new, not merely copying others, but helping them find their own paths forward," Xia explained. People visit a 5G-powered immersive experience zone at China Grand Canal Museum in Yangzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, June 14, 2023. (Xinhua/Ji Chunpeng) NEW PATH TO MODERNIZATION Since the inception of modernization in Western capitalist countries, there has been a prevailing belief that modernization must adhere to the Western capitalist model. This perspective often disregards alternative approaches to modernization. Keith Bennett, vice chair of Britain's 48 Group Club, has criticized the foundations of Western modernization, noting the modernization of some Western countries "was based on the exploitation, oppression, and colonization of almost the entire world." In contrast, "Chinese modernization is quite distinct," said Xia. "It focuses on tailoring development drivers to fit national conditions." Xia highlighted China's innovative approach to development with its newly-proposed concept of new quality productive forces. "Instead of exploiting others, China has focused on internal innovation as its main driving force to achieve modernization," he said. "Some Western countries tend to impose their standards on others," Xia observed, adding, "If you don't meet the standard, then you fail." "This, in turn, stifles the potential of different nations," he said. Robots weld bodyshells of cars at a workshop of Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker Li Auto Inc. in Changzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, Jan. 10, 2024. (Xinhua/Ji Chunpeng) IMPROVING GLOBAL GOVERNANCE The current world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century. "It is no longer a world that can be dominated by one single country or a small group of countries," Xia said. "Every nation has the right to independently decide its future in its own hands, not in the hands of others," he added. Chinese modernization is the modernization through peaceful development, Xia said. It also embodies the idea of harmonious coexistence between man and nature, which adds to the diverse philosophies of global governance. China ranks first globally in the area of planted forests and forest coverage growth, contributing a quarter of the world's new forest area in the past decade. From 2012 to 2021, China's carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP declined by 34.4 percent, and energy consumption per unit of GDP decreased by 26.4 percent, equivalent to saving 1.4 billion tons of standard coal. For the world's common prosperity, China has proposed the Belt and Road Initiative, as well as Global Security Initiative, Global Civilization Initiative and Global Development Initiative. These efforts reflect China's commitment to fostering international cooperation and addressing global challenges through innovative thinking. "All these endeavors, including the practice of Chinese modernization, send out one message: the world needs new ways and new thinking to solve common problems," Xia said. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) NAIROBI, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese technology firm Huawei launched its 150K series Commercial and Industry inverter on Friday, aiming to enhance solar energy adoption in Kenya. Du Peng, chief executive officer of Huawei Digital Power Eastern Africa Region, said in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, that the inverter enables solar panels to generate more power by reducing system losses for commercial and industrial users. "The new device enhances safety by providing real-time software and hardware fault detection," Du said during the Huawei FusionSolar Eastern Africa Partner Summit 2024. The day-long event brought together renewable energy industry leaders and practitioners, and advocates to review ways to expand green and sustainable development in Kenya. Data from the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority indicates that Kenya's installed electricity capacity stands at 3,112 MW, with solar contributing 210 MW. Nick Lusson, vice president of Huawei Digital Power Eastern Africa Region, said that the new inverters are more cost-effective due to fewer required accessories, resulting in lower installation costs. He noted that the inverter's technology allows solar panels to harness energy for extended periods during daylight hours. Shiv Sena (Shinde) Rajya Sabha MP Milind Deora on Saturday said that Congress will never make Uddhav Thackeray the chief minister candidate of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). He said he knew how Congress functions and it wouldn't make Thackeray the face of the MVA alliance. Milind Deora informed that Maharashtra has crossed the half trillion dollar economy mark. Its a leader in industrial growth and investments and has received Rs 1 lakh crore investment from the central government over the past four months. He was addressing a press conference held at Balasaheb Bhavan, where he also responded to the opposition's recent criticisms. "Mumbai MMR is now home to the world's largest metro network, thanks to the central government's commitment. A 15,000 crore fund has been allocated for metro projects in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) in the union cabinet meeting held yesterday, said Milind Deora. This substantial investment is set to transform the region's infrastructure and ease the daily commute for millions of residents, he added. In addition to the metro projects, Maharashtra has received investments in various sectors, including port expansion, further solidifying its position as an industrial powerhouse, Milind Deora said. The MP emphasised that the expansion of metro lines in Mumbai and Pune will be a "game changer" for these cities, bringing about significant improvements in public transportation. "Some opposed the metro projects when they were in power, but now, both the central and state governments are working together to alleviate the challenges faced by MMR residents. With 14 new metro lines set to come into operation, the future of urban transport in Maharashtra looks brighter than ever," he said. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav accused the BJP of doing politics over the rape and murder of a junior doctor at Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College Hospital. Yadav also defended West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the issue and said she understands the pain of women. "Mamata Banerjee herself is a woman and understands the pain of a woman. She has taken action as per demand. The government has also decided to get the matter investigated by CBI or any other institution. But along with this, the people of the Bharatiya Janata Party should not do politics... BJP should not derive political advantage from the incidents," he said. Akhileshs remarks came in response to the BJPs demands for the chief ministers resignation over the incident. ALSO READ: Kolkata hospital rape and murder case: Nationwide strike by doctors begins. What are their demands? The SP chief had made similar remarks yesterday when he had accused the saffron party of drawing "political benefits" from the Kolkata incident. He had expressed confidence that Banerjee would take strict action against the culprits as she is a woman chief minister. "The BJP has a talent for doing politics on every incident. They have the talent of drawing political benefits over every incident and dishonouring others," he had said. ALSO READ: Kolkata doctor rape-murder: Sunday's Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal Durand Cup contest cancelled amidst unrest A 31-year-old trainee doctor was raped and murdered at the Kolkata hospital on August 9, sparking nation-wide protests. A civic volunteer was arrested in the following day. The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday ordered a CBI probe into the case, saying no significant progress had been made in the investigation by the Kolkata Police. Healthcare services in several government hospitals across the country remain crippled for more than a week due to the cease-work by junior doctors demanding justice for their colleague. The emergency and outpatient departments in most state-run hospitals are still closed, causing significant distress among patients. Karnataka is gearing up for another tectonic shift in the states political landscape with Governor Thawarchand Gehlot granting permission to prosecute Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam. While the ruling Congress calls it the Bharatiya Janata Partys big ploy to destabilise the state government, the ruling party and the chief minister are preparing for a long legal battle. The governor, in a six-page letter (August 17, 2024), has stated that he accords sanction against Siddaramaiah under section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023 for the commission of offences as mentioned in the petitions of social activist T.J. Abraham, Pradeep Kumar S.P, and Snehamayi Krishna. The sanction order, elaborating on the petitions, stated that Abraham had sought prosecution under Sections 7,9, 11, 12 and 15 of the PC Act and Sections 56, 61, 62, 201, 227, 228, 229, 239, 314, 316(5), 318 (1)(2)(3), 319, 322, 324, 324(1)(2)(3), 335, 336, 338, and 340 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, and had provided 29 documents in support of the allegations. Two other petitioners have also made the same allegations. It may be recalled that on July 26, Abraham, in his complaint to the governor had sought sanction to prosecute the CM alleging Siddaramaiah's family was involved in the scam as 14 alternative compensatory sites were illegally allotted to CMs wife B.M. Parvati on January 5, 2022 causing a loss of Rs 45 crore to the states coffers. The governor has issued a show-cause notice to the chief minister on the same day. The state cabinet, which met on August 1, under the leadership of Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar (after the CM had recused himself), had passed a resolution advising the governor to withdraw the show-cause notice and to reject the petition filed by the RTI activist. The chief minister also replied to the notice on August 3, denying the allegations. The governor noted that a committee chaired by an IAS officer Venkatachalapthy was formed to look into the matter and subsequently, the government also appointed a high-level single-member judicial inquiry commission (Justice P.N. Desai panel) to probe the matter. It appears from the terms of reference of the high-level inquiry committee that there are serious allegations involving illegal allotment of alternative sites, illegal allotment of land, and irregularities in allocation of land. The constitution of a committee under an IAS officer and immediately constituting a judicial inquiry committee, and the governments own acceptance that there is a potential big-ticket scam in the allotment of MUDA sites does not inspire much confidence. It is a well settled legal principle that the person against whom allegations are made, should not be empowered to decide the course of action, reasoned the governor. On the question of the council of ministers advising the governor, Gehlot highlighted that the sanction was being sought against the chief minister and the cabinet decision advising him to withdraw the notice did not inspire confidence to act on such advice. The subject of binding of the advice of the council of ministers for governor and discretionary power of the governor during special circumstances is well discussed and decided in the case of Madhya Pradesh Police establishment versus State of Madhya Pradesh (2004), where the five-member bench of the apex court has held that if governor cannot act in his own discretion and refuse sanction inspite of overwhelming material showing that a prima facie case is made out, there would be a complete breakdown of rule of law. Democracy itself will be at stake. It would lead to a state where people in power would break the law with impunity, safe in the knowledge that they will not be prosecuted, said the governor. Further, the governor acknowledged there were two versions of the matter and it was necessary that a neutral, objective, and non-partisan investigation should be conducted. I am prima facie satisfied that the allegations and the supporting material disclose commission of offences, concluded the governor citing the reason for issuing the permission for prosecution, two days after he had hosted the chief minister and his ministers at the customary high tea party at the Raj Bhavan, on the occasion of Independence Day. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who is in the eye of a political storm, after Governor Thawarchand Gehlot gave sanction to prosecute him in the MUDA site allotment scam, said the governors decision was unconstitutional and that he would fight it out in the court. Siddaramaiah, who surprisingly turned up at the palace grounds on Saturday noon to attend a felicitation ceremony organised by the state government employees to thank the CM for approving the seventh pay commission recommendations recently, said it was a big ploy to destabilise an elected government. The BJP and JDS are hand in glove. The governors decision is unconstitutional and we will question his decision in the court of law. All the Congress MLAs, ministers, MLCs, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members of my party and the party high command are with me. I have not done anything wrong that warrants my resignation, said Siddaramaiah, who demanded to know why the governor had not accorded sanction against Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and former BJP minister Shashikala Jolle among others who have had similar complaints against them. Interestingly, AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge, who landed in Bengaluru from Delhi said he was yet to go through the governors sanction order. I am unaware of the reasons by the governor for granting sanction. It is advisable to go through the order and seek legal opinion before making any statement. However, we have seen that the governors in the non-BJP-ruled states like West Bengal, Tamil Nadu or Karnataka have been harassing the chief ministers. The Centre has been humiliating and harassing the chief ministers of non-BJP-ruled states, said Kharge. Kharge remained non-committal when asked if the party high command would stand by the chief minister. I will look into it and then respond, said Kharge. Even as the cabinet ministers have been making a beeline to Siddaramaiahs house and addressing the press to express their solidarity with their leader, Kharge refused to respond to a question on CMs resignation. I cannot say on what basis is the opposition demanding the CMs resignation. I dont know the reason and without knowing the reason if I react, it is not good, he added. Meanwhile, Siddaramaiahs cabinet colleagues, who had planned to have an emergency cabinet meeting, chose to address a press conference instead. Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, flanked by ministers, in a press conference said that the chief minister would not yield to any pressure and the Congress party in the state stands united. There is no question of our chief minister resigning. The sanction order is unconstitutional and against the law. The BJP is trying to make a case where there is none. The Congress party will solidly stand behind our chief minister and we are prepared to fight a legal battle. It is a conspiracy to destabilise our government. The BJP has hatched a conspiracy by misusing the office of the governor. This is against a backward class leader who became a chief minister not once but twice. The BJP is unable not able to tolerate our pro-people stand. There are ample examples where the Supreme Court has given a ruling on how the governor's office should behave. Our cabinet had passed a resolution urging the governor to dismiss the petition against the CM. But the governor has not considered our plea, said Shivakumar. State BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra urged the chief minister to resign immediately to maintain the dignity of the chief ministers office and for the sake of justice. The governor has exercised his constitutional powers to authorize legal action against the CM in the MUDA scam. Given the substantial evidence and serious allegations of corruption and favouritism within the ruling Congress, it is crucial the CM steps down. Resigning from the post would allow for a transparent and unbiased investigation, added Vijayendra who had led the eight-day joint Padayatra of the BJP and the JDS (from Bengaluru to Mysuru), along with Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, last week and demanded the CMs resignation and a CBI probe into the rampant corruption in the MUDA. Two separate petitions filed before the special court for the elected representatives will come up for hearing on August 20 and 21. Siddaramaiahs next move will certainly alter the internal dynamics within a party that boasts of a long list of CMs-in-waiting. The state, which has witnessed political turmoil in 2011 when then BJP Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa had to step down following corruption charges, is certainly bracing for a deja vu moment. After a violent incident involving two minors led to communal tensions in Rajasthan's Udaipur, the house that was rented by the accused boy's family was demolished by authorities, reports said. On Friday, a class 10 boy was stabbed by a classmate at a government school, triggering communal violence in the city. Rajasthan: Bulldozer action started at the residence of the Muslim boy, who stabbed multiple time at a Dalit Hindu boy in Udaipur. Good job by CM @BhajanlalBjp ji pic.twitter.com/Ct6CnZxG0i Oxomiya Jiyori (@SouleFacts) August 17, 2024 On Saturday, the rented accommodation of the accused minor's family was found situated on "encroached" forest land by authorities. Rajasthan Police reportedly told the press that the forest department had issued a notice to the family on Saturday morning. However, the owner made no mobe to produce any document proving ownership of the land following which the house was razed down. Landlord cries foul Meanwhile, some media reports said the owner claimed that four different families were residing in the said building and all of them were evicted sans giving reasonable time to make alternate arrangements. While concerned municipal officials were on leave, police paid no heed to his requests, the landlord was quoted as saying by Indian Express. The boy's family moved to the house of a relative. The student injured in the attack is undergoing treatment at the district hospital while the accused and his father have been detained. He was attacked right outside a state-run school in Bhattiyani Chohatta. The condition of the boy is stable, news agency PTI reported. Three doctors were rushed from Jaipur to Udaipur by a special plane to ensure his safety. All schools in Udaipur have been indefinitely shut until notified otherwise in the backdrop of communal tensions. Udaipur communal violence: What happened on Friday? At a time when the entire country has been shocked by the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, the West Bengal government on Saturday announced the Rattirer Sathi (night companion) initiative to ensure safety and security of women in their workplaces. Following the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital incident, the West Bengal administration has convened multiple meetings to address the safety of working women, especially healthcare workers, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee personally stepping in. On Saturday, Alapan Bandyopadhyay, the chief ministers chief advisor, announced, "Multiple departments will jointly run the Rattirer Sathi initiative. Regular police patrols will be conducted at medical colleges, and no nurse or healthcare worker will be allowed to work more than 12 hours at a stretch. An app by the same name will also be launched by the state government. All working women would be required to download the Rattirer Sathi app, which will have alarm devices and be connected to local police stations. Women can dial 100/112 in case of any emergency. Bandyopadhyay further informed that dedicated toilets and restrooms for women will be provided in every hospital. Additionally, CCTV surveillance will also remain in place to ensure security. Every hospital has been asked to implement security checks and a breathalyzer test system. Women workers have been asked to stay in groups during night shifts and inform their colleagues about their movements and whereabouts. The government will undertake a sensitisation programme at all government establishments in every district of West Bengal to address the issue of womens safety. Private organisations have also been urged to do the same. Meanwhile, the ongoing Durand Cups Kolkata Derby was cancelled on Saturday after a meeting between the organisers of the competition, the Indian Armed Forces, and the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate. Given the ongoing protests and rallies in Kolkata following the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital incident, the police stated they won't be able to allocate sufficient personnel for the match between East Bengal FC and Mohun Bagan Supergiants. Meanwhile, the CBI continued questioning the former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on Saturday. He was detained from the road on Friday after he had skipped summonses by the central agency. His role as the head of administration in the aftermath of the death of the trainee doctor had been questioned by the victims family and protesting students. Ahead of the assembly polls, the Congress has made a significant decision in Jammu and Kashmir by appointing Tariq Hamid Karra as the new JKPCC chief, replacing Vikar Rasool. This move follows a meeting in New Delhi, where AICC leaders met with Rasool and former JKPCC chief G.A. Mir. Rasool's removal comes after several J&K Congress leaders expressed dissatisfaction with his leadership style. Some of them lodged complaints against Rasool to the AICC during the August 8 meeting in New Delhi. The meeting occurred after Congress representatives met with Election Commission of India (ECI) officials, led by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, in Srinagar to demand timely elections in Jammu and Kashmir. Karra, a former J&K Finance Minister, had also written to the party high command expressing his concerns about Rasool. According to an order issued by K.C. Venugopal, the General Secretary of the Congress, Karra will now serve as the JKPCC president, while Tara Chand and Raman Bhalla have been appointed as Working Presidents. Rasool has been appointed as a special invitee to the Congress Working Committee. Rasool was named JKPCC president in August 2022, during a period when several Congress leaders from Jammu and Kashmir joined the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP), led by former Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad. However, some of them have since rejoined the Congress. Rasool faced allegations from some Congress leaders of marginalising them, which led to factionalism within the party and concern from the High Command. Sources suggest that the party's decision to remove Rasool was aimed at ensuring unity within the ranks to improve the party's performance in the upcoming assembly polls. Factionalism had reportedly demoralized the party cadre, despite their successful efforts in mobilising support during the Lok Sabha elections. Although the Congress lost both seats to the BJP, its vote share saw a significant increase, while the BJP's vote share declined. The Congress led in seven assembly segments in the Lok Sabha elections, including on seats that the BJP had won in the previous assembly polls. The Congress has started the process of finding candidates for the assembly polls. Sources said the party is interested in seeking an alliance with the regional parties, especially the National Conference (NC). The NC and the Congress had supported each other in the Lok Sabha polls. The NC's support to the Congress had helped the Congress improve its vote share. After the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh witnessed massive protests and violence, what's next in the course of the student protesters. After successfully pushing for major reforms, it seems the students are now dreaming big forming a new political party to keep their revolutionary spirit alive. Reportedly, the student protesters rejected calls from two main political parties for quick elections and are considering creating their own party. By a new party, the students hope to avoid a repeat of the last 15 years, where Hasina ruled with an iron fist. Initially, the protests began in the country as a quota reform movement. The controversial quota system reserved up to 30 per cent of government jobs for relatives of veterans who fought in Bangladeshs war of independence in 1972. Later, the protests escalated in the country with masses joining and demanding the resignation of Hasina. At least 300 people were killed in the massive protests that erupted in June. The 'Second Revolution', hailed as a Gen Z revolution, is the result of years of unemployment, shrinking civil liberties and allegations of kleptocracy. There are two student leaders in senior positions in the new interim government formed in the country. ALSO READ | Ex-Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina speaks out, demands punishment for killings For the last three decades, Bangladesh has been governed either by Hasina's Awami League or the Bangladesh Nationalist Party of her rival Khaleda Zia. Experts point out that youngsters are rooting for a change in the political scenario. The decision to form the party will be made in about a month, said reports. However, some of the student activists ridiculed the reports and said that they would not be forming new political organisations. "The spirit of the movement was to create a new Bangladesh, one where no fascist or autocrat can return," Nahid Islam, 26, a key protest organiser who sits in Yunus' cabinet was quoted by Reuters. ALSO READ | Bangladesh ready for peace as they welcome Muhammad Yunus to head interim govt Will conduct fair and free elections: Yunus Meanwhile, the head of the interim government, Muhammad Yunus, on Saturday vowed to conduct "free, fair and participatory elections" in Bangladesh. Yunus was addressing the third Voice of Global South Summit, which was hosted by India in a virtual format. "All are aware that Bangladesh witnessed a Second Revolution on August 5, through a mass uprising spearheaded by students and joined by masses...Our government is committed to ensuring a transition to inclusive and pluralistic democracy," said Yunus. He also added that the caretaker government aims to carry out vital reforms in the electoral system, judiciary, media and economy. Is there light at the end of the tunnel finally? The war between Israel and Hamas which has been raging on for more than 10 months, has left more than 40,000 Palestinians dead in Gaza, according to the health ministry there. Hamas-run Gaza has been bombarded by Israeli forces for months since the Palestinian militant group's deadly rampage in southern Israel on October 7 last year, which left more than 1,000 dead, according to Israel. With pressure from the international communities mounting on both parties to end the bloody war, a ceasefire proposal is being finalised to end the fighting. The talks are also crucial to prevent larger regional conflict, given the increase in hostilities between Iran and Israel, after the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31. Where are the ceasefire talks being held? The latest round of talks, which began on Thursday and continued on Friday, are being held in Doha, Qatar. The mediators and the parties concerned will meet in Cairo next week in a bid to finalise the deal to end the fighting. Who are the mediators, and who attended the talks? Qatar, Egypt and the US have been trying since November to broker a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. Though Israel sent a delegation for the talks, Hamas did not send any representatives. But the group is reported to be in touch with the Egyptian and Qatari officials. According to CNN, the participants included CIA director Bill Burns, Mossad chief David Barnea, Qatari PM Sheikh Mohammed bin Jassim Al Thani and Egypts intelligence head Abbas Kamel. What are the highlights of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire proposal? A deal to bring about a ceasefire in Gaza and to free the remaining Israeli hostages held by Hamas was proposed by US President Joe Biden in May. It was agreed to in principle by Israel and Hamas. But, there continued to be disagreements, which were addressed by a bridging proposal tabled in the meeting in Doha. ALSO READ: Gaza's other battle for survival: Polio threat looms large as vaccinations dip amid war A joint statement issued by the US, Qatar and Egypt after the talks on Friday 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 added. Bidens three-phase deal was based on Israels proposal. The first phase, lasting six weeks, will 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. The second phase will involve the exchange for the release of all remaining living hostages, including male soldiers and a permanent end to the fighting. The third phase would see a multi-year reconstruction plan for Gaza and the return of dead hostages' remains. Hamas has conveyed that it will agree to a deal based strictly on Bidens initial proposal, and not any new plan that may be proposed following the ongoing talks which deviates from the original proposal. Other contentious points include the number of Palestinian prisoners to be released, the extent of troop withdrawal by Israel in Gaza, and the checkpoints to dissuade armed Palestinians from returning to northern Gaza, among others. It remains to be seen whether backdoor negotiations ahead of the mediators meeting next week, will be able to bring both the parties to an agreement eventually to end the devastating war. A fierce debate in the Turkish parliament turned physical on Friday, as lawmakers clashed over the controversial imprisonment of an opposition delegate. The delegate's jailing, widely seen as a politically motivated move, sparked a heated argument, which quickly escalated into a full-blown brawl. The video of the brawl in the parliament had gone viral on social media. In the footage, Ahmet Sik, a member of the leftist Workers' Party of Turkey (TIP), is seen attacked by ruling AKP party lawmakers while speaking at the chamber's podium. Sik had called the members of the AKP, a terrorist organisation, that provoked the opposition lawmakers. Blood was spilt on the speaker's chamber when a few lawmakers, including a woman, got caught in between the scuffle of the deputies. A fistfight broke out in Turkey's parliament when an opposition deputy was attacked after calling for his colleague, Can Atalay, to be admitted to the assembly. Atalay was jailed on charges of trying to overthrow the government but was since elected an MP https://t.co/M4NyyckHNu pic.twitter.com/HovObp0gAd Reuters (@Reuters) August 16, 2024 The parliament session of the Turkish Grand National Assembly was called to debate the case of Can Atalay, who was elected from prison as parliamentary deputy for the TIP, in last year's election. Atalay had been sentenced to 18 years imprisonment for his role in anti-government protests in 2013. Atalay has been fighting to take his seat in the parliament as it grants him immunity from prosecution. He is currently lodged in Marmara prison. Opposition parties demanded a special session to discuss the case. The conviction of Atalay and seven other defendants in the Gezi Park case led to widespread criticism from human rights activists. The Gezi Park protests began in the summer of 2013 with an environmental camp to stop the development of a central Istanbul park. The protests later turned to criticising former Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's authoritarian rule. After three hours, the parliamentary session resumed, with Sik and his assailant accepting reprimands from the speaker. The highly anticpated sequel to Robert Pattinson's 'The Batman', 'The Penguin', created by Lauren LeFranc and season two of 'The Great Indian Kapil Show' are ready to grace the OTT platforms this week. People mourn victims after Israeli bombardment in the Al-Zawaida area in the central Gaza Strip, on Aug. 17, 2024. At least 16 Palestinians were killed by Israeli bombing in the Al-Zawaida area in the central Gaza Strip, the Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported on Saturday. (Photo by Marwan Dawood/Xinhua) GAZA, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- At least 16 Palestinians were killed by Israeli bombing in the Al-Zawaida area in the central Gaza Strip, the Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported on Saturday. Israeli warplanes bombed overnight a shack and a house belonging to the Al-Ajl family near the entrance to Al-Zawaida, also injuring dozens of others, who were transferred to a hospital in the city of Deir al-Balah, WAFA said. The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement on Saturday that it was continuing operations in the central and southern Gaza Strip. Over the past day, Israeli Air Force aircraft eliminated about 40 targets, including military structures, weapons storage facilities, and more, it added. 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. Israel has been on a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and about 250 taken hostage. The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip had risen to 40,005, Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Thursday. People search for victims at a destroyed building after Israeli bombardment in the Al-Zawaida area in the central Gaza Strip, on Aug. 17, 2024. At least 16 Palestinians were killed by Israeli bombing in the Al-Zawaida area in the central Gaza Strip, the Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported on Saturday. (Photo by Marwan Dawood/Xinhua) People search for victims at a destroyed building after Israeli bombardment in the Al-Zawaida area in the central Gaza Strip, on Aug. 17, 2024. At least 16 Palestinians were killed by Israeli bombing in the Al-Zawaida area in the central Gaza Strip, the Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported on Saturday. (Photo by Marwan Dawood/Xinhua) People search for victims at a destroyed building after Israeli bombardment in the Al-Zawaida area in the central Gaza Strip, on Aug. 17, 2024. At least 16 Palestinians were killed by Israeli bombing in the Al-Zawaida area in the central Gaza Strip, the Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported on Saturday. (Photo by Marwan Dawood/Xinhua) People check a destroyed building after Israeli bombardment in the Al-Zawaida area in the central Gaza Strip, on Aug. 17, 2024. At least 16 Palestinians were killed by Israeli bombing in the Al-Zawaida area in the central Gaza Strip, the Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported on Saturday. (Photo by Marwan Dawood/Xinhua) NEW DELHI, Aug. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- This Independence Day, Philip Morris International's (PMI) India affiliate, IPM India, reinforces its commitment towards illicit tobacco trade prevention to safeguard India's economic interest & protect consumers. Illicit tobacco trade is a major threat and growing challenge worldwide. As part of its continued efforts towards tackling illicit trade menace, PMI's strategy focuses on five critical areas research & intelligence, protecting supply chain, partnerships, cooperation with law enforcement and raising awareness. The organisation supports and helps law-enforcement agencies by inspecting and authenticating seized products and performing forensic evaluations. Additionally, profiles illicit products, shares intelligence on emerging routes and trends shaping the black market, and trains officials on the innovative authentication and security features of products. India has witnessed a significant rise in illicit in recent years and it only seems to rise with time. As per 2022 FICCI Cascade study, the overall market for illegal cigarettes in India is estimated to be at 22,930 crore. As per the reports, the total loss to the Govt. of India estimated for 2022, on account of the illicit markets in the tobacco industry is 13,331 crore, up from 6,240 crore in 2012, an increase by 46%. According to the Tobacco Institute of India (TII), the illegal cigarette trade comprising internationally smuggled and locally manufactured tax-evaded cigarettes account for as much as one-fourth of the cigarette industry in India. As per the recent reports, throughout 2023-2024, law enforcement agencies have seized illegal cigarettes across many Indian cities. In Guwahati, customs officials and railway authorities confiscated over 11 lakh sticks on multiple occasions, with the Assam Rifles also making seizures. Visakhapatnam saw the police and customs seize over 21 lakh sticks, while in Vijayawada, the tally reached over 103 lakh sticks, including 75 boxes. Hyderabad's police force seized 267 cartons and 4.5 lakh sticks. Additionally, Lucknow's customs officials seized over 2.12 lakh sticks and a substantial number of packs and boxes. Furthermore, Calicut Airport, Faridabad, Amritsar, and Indore experienced various seizures by customs, the police, and the DRI. Pune and Silchar, Raipur, Surat, and Ahmedabad saw the DRI seize over 85 lakh sticks. According to Euromonitor International's 2023 report, illicit cigarette volumes in India reached 30.2 billion sticks in 2022, trailing only behind China and Brazil. Globally, illicit trade continues to be a growing concern. KPMG 2022 annual study 'Illicit cigarette consumption in the EU, UK, Norway, Switzerland, Moldova & Ukraine', commissioned by Philip Morris Products SA, revealed that 35.8 billion illicit cigarettes were consumed across the EU alone, causing governments the loss of an estimated 11.3 billion in tax revenue8.5% more than in 2021. The growth of the illicit market in the EU was partly driven by the continued rise of counterfeit consumption, which reached its highest level ever recorded. Notably, the vast majority of counterfeits (61.5%) were consumed in France. Expressing concern over the rise of illicit tobacco trade, Navaneel Kar, Managing Director, IPM India said, "Eliminating illicit trade has been a longstanding priority for us and continues to be an integral part of our efforts to drive operational excellence and build a sustainable future. In India, we are invested in the cause, working with law enforcement agencies to educate and raise awareness about illicit tobacco trade. Public-private partnerships based on an inclusive approach by governments, the private sector, and civil society are vital to helping combat the trade. Interconnected systems and advanced technologies such as digitally verified track-and-trace systems, holograms, QR codes, and RFID tags are essential for monitoring and detecting counterfeit products. As India progresses on its path to become a global economic powerhouse, it is critical to take stricter measures to eradicate illicit and build a safer tomorrow." About IPM India IPM India Wholesale Trading Private Limited is a joint venture between Philip Morris Brands SARL of Switzerland and two Indian entities, Godfrey Phillips India Limited and K.K. Modi Investment & Financial Services Private Limited. (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 Mumbai, Aug 17 (PTI) The Indian School of Business (ISB) on Saturday said it has collaborated with the Telangana government to launch a new programme specially curated for senior leaders in the Commissioner of Health, Medical and Family Welfare Department (CHFW). This one-year programme aims to enhance leadership and managerial capabilities, enabling effective management of public health institutions across the state, ISB said in a statement. The programme will deepen participants' expertise in healthcare management, drive innovation, and significantly enhance public health delivery systems throughout Telangana. "We have set up a solid base for healthcare development in 2022, and our new healthcare program in partnership with ISB is an extension of our commitment. "We aspire to be exemplary in driving innovation and excellence in health management and will continue to take reformative and pathbreaking steps in our pursuit," Telangana Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare and Mission Director, National Health Mission R V Karnan added. Indore (Madhya Pradesh) [India], August 16: This Independence Day, Dr. Dinesh Shahra, the driving force behind Indias Yellow Revolution, returned to his roots at St. Paul High School in Indore. The 78th Independence Day celebration became a memorable event as Dr. Shahra delivered a heartfelt speech to the students, blending his journey with India's progress. He spoke passionately about the importance of embracing our rich cultural heritage while pursuing excellence on a global scale, leaving a lasting impact on the young minds. The Independence Day celebration was graced by the esteemed presence of Rev. Bishop Thomas Mathew, Fr. Sibi Joseph (Principal), and Wing Commander Ashish Jain, whose participation added a touch of honor to the event. Dr. Shahras commitment to sustainability shone through during the event. As a symbolic act, he planted a tree alongside the students, a gesture that not only reinforced his dedication to environmental causes but also encouraged the younger generation to become guardians of nature. His foundation, the Dinesh Shahra Foundation, has long championed education and sustainability, offering scholarships to deserving students and supporting green initiatives. The Independence Day celebration extended beyond the school premises, as Dr. Shahra visited his soya agrifield along with the cultivators in Indore to commemorate the day with his employees. The act of planting saplings on the factory grounds underscored his belief in leading by example and his dedication to community welfare. These gestures not only boosted the morale of his employees but also reflected his deep-rooted values of gratitude and social responsibility. Through his actions and words, Dr. Shahra exemplified the spirit of independenceone that is not just about freedom but also about responsibility, sustainability, and giving back to society. His visit to St. Paul High School and his engagement with his employees on this significant day served as a powerful testament to his vision of a prosperous and harmonious India. (Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PNN and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR PWR Sriperumbudur, Aug 17 (PTI) iPhone contract manufacturer Foxconn has invested USD 10 billion in India so far and plans more investment in the coming year, its Chairman Young Liu said on Saturday. Liu, a Padma Bhushan awardee, said that during his current visit he met various chief ministers and feels that India is on the rise. "So far, till last year, we have done USD 10 billion. We will do much more in this coming year," Liu told PTI. He was speaking on the sidelines of the inauguration of the company's women-only residential complex near Foxconn's plant here. "After visiting so many states in India I felt that India is ascending. Foxconn wants to be a part of it. We will grow together with India's growth," Liu said. This is Liu's first visit to India after he was conferred Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award, on the eve of the 75th Republic Day this year. Liu met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday and discussed Foxconn's investments in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Telangana. During his visit, Liu also met with chief ministers and state cabinet ministers of these three states. The women-only residential complex of the company was inaugurated by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin. During the inauguration, Liu asserted that the company hires employees regardless of gender but in India women, specially married women, have contributed greatly to its efforts. The Foxconn chairman said there is an upward trend in all types of hiring by the Taiwanese electronics manufacturing major in India. "Foxconn hires regardless of gender, but women do make up a big part of our workforce here. I'd emphasise that married women greatly contribute to the efforts of what we are doing here," Liu said. The Taiwanese company recently faced allegations of discrimination in the hiring of married women. A report alleged that the electronics manufacturing giant was averse to hiring married women in India. Foxconn had rejected the report and said that 25 per cent of its new hires were married women. The company had then said that the Foxconn factory had about 70 per cent women and 30 per cent men and the Tamil Nadu plant was the largest factory for women employment in the country. Foxconn at present has around 48,000 employees in India. "Opportunities for women in India go hand-in-hand with health and safety for them at work. Having a sustainable living environment helps them succeed," Liu said. The complex, built by the State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (SIPCOT), will house over 18,000 women employees on room sharing basis. The project is spread over a 20-acre area and has been built with a total cost of around Rs 706 crore. Bengaluru, Aug 17 (PTI) Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Saturday granted sanction for prosecution of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in connection with Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment 'scam, giving a major jolt to the nearly 15 month old Congress government. Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress chief, denounced the Governor's action and vowed to fight the move politically and legally. The Governor accorded sanction under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 for the commission of the alleged offences as mentioned in the petitions of activists Pradeep Kumar S P, T J Abraham and Snehamayi Krishna. The Governors sanction is expected to pave the way for investigating agencies to initiate a probe into the allegations against the Chief Minister. In the MUDA 'scam', it is alleged that compensatory sites were allotted to Siddaramaiah's wife Parvathi in an upmarket area in Mysuru, which had higher property value as compared to the location of her land which had been "acquired" by the MUDA. The MUDA had allotted plots to Parvathi under a 50:50 ratio scheme in lieu of 3.16 acres of her land, where MUDA developed a residential layout. Under the controversial scheme, MUDA allotted 50 per cent of developed land to the land losers in lieu of undeveloped land acquired from them for forming residential layouts. Opposition and some activists have also claimed that Parvathi had no legal title over 3.16 acres of land. BJP leaders have claimed that the MUDA 'scam' is of the magnitude of Rs 4,000 crore to Rs 5,000 crore. Shivakumar slammed the Governor's move as 'unconstitutional' and 'undemocratic', and asserted that the entire party and the government solidly stood behind Siddaramaiah as he categorically dismissed BJP's demand for Chief Minister's resignation. "The INDIA bloc has also expressed its solidarity with the CM. These are false allegations and we will fight it legally and politically," he said. Siddaramaiah too ruled out his resignation and said he has done no wrong to step down. Stating that such a decision by the Governor, who is "functioning like a puppet in the hands of the central government", was expected, the Chief Minister said, adding, it will be questioned in the court, and that he will battle it out legally. Congress President M Mallikarjun Kharge said "BJP-appointed" Governors are creating trouble for non-BJP-ruled States. He, however, maintained that he had to see why Gehlot granted permission to prosecute Siddaramaiah. Congress workers and supporters of Siddaramaiah staged protests in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mandya and several other parts of the state against the Governor's move. In Bengaluru, a massive protest was organised by Congress workers and members of 'Karnataka Pradesh Kurubara Sangha' demanding removal of the Governor. Raising anti-Gehlot slogans, they burnt his effigies and carried placards saying "Remove Governor, Save State". Several of Siddaramaiah's cabinet colleagues jumped in his defence, as they targeted the Governor and demanded his "call back". The opposition BJP, which has been agitating in the State for weeks targeting Siddaramaiah on the issue, on Saturday reiterated its demand for the resignation of Siddaramaiah, with its state president B Y Vijayendra saying it would allow a transparent and unbiased investigation. Granting sanction, the Governor said it is very necessary to conduct a neutral, objective, and non-partisan investigation, adding that he is prima facie "satisfied" that the allegations and the supporting materials disclose commission of offences. Gehlot also termed as "irrational" the decision taken by the Council of Ministers advising him to withdraw his show-cause notice to the Chief Minister and to reject the application seeking prosecution sanction. Based on a petition filed by Abraham, the Governor had issued a "show-cause notice" on July 26 directing the Chief Minister to submit his reply to the allegations against him within seven days as to why permission for prosecution should not be granted against him. The Karnataka government had on August one "strongly advised" the Governor to withdraw his "show-cause notice" to the Chief Minister and alleged "gross misuse of the Constitutional Office'' of the Governor. The Congress government on July 14 constituted a single member inquiry commission under former High Court Judge Justice P N Desai to probe the MUDA 'scam'. Opposition BJP and JD(S) had held a week-long 'padayatre' (foot march) earlier this month from Bengaluru to Mysuru demanding Siddaramaiah's resignation in connection with the scam. Meanwhile, Pradeep Kumar, one of the complainants in the MUDA 'scam' case, on Saturday filed a caveat in the Karnataka High Court after the prosecution sanction. Siddaramaiah is expected to approach the High Court to challenge the Governor's sanction. "With the caveat now filed, the court will need to hear the arguments of the original complainant before reaching any conclusions," a legal expert noted. Kolkata, Aug 17 (PTI) Bengali film icon Victor Banerjee has been hospitalised in Uttarkhand's Mussoorie, where he currently resides, after complaining of severe uncomfortableness in his chest, family sources said on Saturday. Banerjee (78) was admitted to a hospital on August 14 and was kept in ICU for a couple of days. "He experienced a stroke-like condition. His condition has improved in the last couple of days and he has been shifted to the general ward," a family friend told PTI. Banerjee's wife is with him at the moment, he said. Banerjee is known for his roles in Satyajit Ray's 'Shatranj ke Khiladi' and timeless performances in movies such as 'Dui Prithibi', 'Ghare-Baire', 'Akrosh', and 'Lathi'. He also worked in 1984 Hollywood movie 'A Passage to India' directed by David Lean. Banerjee has worked in Hindi, Bengali and English-language films. Lahore, Aug 17 (PTI) Intelligence agencies in Pakistan continue to abduct social media activists and vloggers for criticising the government and the powerful military establishment in the country, their families have alleged and approached courts in Punjab province. Two social media activists of former prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, Naeem Ahmad Yasin and Arsalan Akbar, and Vlogger-comedian Aun Khosa, have allegedly been arrested by intelligence agencies in the Punjab province of Pakistan. They have been reported "missing" by their families. The Shehbaz Sharif government and the establishment have been facing scathing criticism on social media for "abducting" Khosa for singing a parody song on soaring electricity bills. Days before his abduction, Khosa had sung a song "Bill Bill Pakistan", a parody of the famous Pakistani song "Dil Dil Pakistan" and released a video on social media criticising the high prices of electricity and extra taxes added to it. Khosa also took on the worthlessness of the Pakistani passport and the cash-strapped country's loans. The comedian has a following of 137,000 on YouTube. The families of three "missing persons" filed petitions in the Lahore High Court which on Friday directed the Punjab police chief to recover Khosa by August 20. Binish Iqbal, the wife of Khosa, told LHC Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi that unidentified persons barged into her house a few days ago and manhandled her husband before bundling him into a van and speeding away. Separately, LHC Justice Shakil Ahmad directed the Punjab police to recover missing PTI activist Arsalan Akbar before August 28. The PTI has expressed concern over recent "forced disappearances" of its political workers. Professor Mazhar-ul-Hassan and Zahoor-ul-Hassan, the brothers of PTI former social media head Azhar Mashwani, and Khan's close aide Shahbaz Gills brother Ghulam Shabbir have also been missing since June last year. "Whereabouts of all five individuals remain unknown despite their families efforts to locate them by approaching the police and the court. A pattern of enforced disappearance is emerging, seemingly to intimidate those living abroad, who are critical of the Pakistani government, a PTI official said on Saturday. He urged the judiciary to ensure the safe recovery of all the missing people associated with the PTI. Amnesty International has also demanded that the Pakistan government immediately disclose their whereabouts and "ensure an effective, independent, and impartial investigation into these disappearances". Goma (Congo), Aug 17 (AP) Sarah Bagheni had a headache, fever, and itchy and unusual skin lesions for days, but she had no inkling that her symptoms might have been caused by mpox and that she might be another case in a growing global health emergency. She also has no idea where to go to get medical help. She and her husband live in the Bulengo displacement camp in eastern Congo, a region that is effectively ground zero for a series of mpox outbreaks in Africa. This year's alarming rise in cases, including a new form of the virus identified by scientists in eastern Congo, led the World Health Organization to declare it a global health emergency on Wednesday. It said the new variant could spread beyond the five African countries where it had already been detected a timely warning that came a day before Sweden reported its first case of the new strain. In the vast central African nation of Congo, which has had more than 96% of the world's roughly 17,000 recorded cases of mpox this year and some 500 deaths from the disease many of the most vulnerable seem unaware of its existence or the threat that it poses. We know nothing about this, Bagheni's husband, Habumuremyiza Hire, said Thursday about mpox. I watch her condition helplessly because I don't know what to do. We continue to share the same room. Millions are thought to be out of reach of medical help or advice in the conflict-torn east, where dozens of rebel groups have been fighting Congolese army forces for years over mineral-rich areas, causing a huge displacement crisis. Hundreds of thousands of people like Bagheni and her husband have been forced into overcrowded refugee camps around Goma, while more have taken refuge in the city. Conditions in the camps are dire and medical facilities are almost nonexistent. Mahoro Faustin, who runs the Bulengo camp, said that about three months ago, administrators first started noticing people in the camp exhibiting fever, body aches and chills symptoms that could signal malaria, measles or mpox. There is no way of knowing how many mpox cases there might be in Bulengo because of a lack of testing, he said. There haven't been any recent health campaigns to educate the tens of thousands of people in the camp about mpox, and Faustin said he's worried about how many people might be undiagnosed. Just look at the overcrowding here, he said, pointing to a sea of ramshackle tents. If nothing is done, we will all be infected here, or maybe we are already all infected. Around 70% of the new mpox cases in the Goma area in the last two months that were registered at a treatment center run by Medair were from displacement camps, said Dr. Pierre Olivier Ngadjole, the international aid group's health advisor in Congo. The youngest of those cases was a month-old baby and the oldest a 90-year-old, he said. In severe cases of mpox, people can develop lesions on the face, hands, arms, chest and genitals. While the disease originated in animals, the virus has in recent years been spreading between people via close physical contact, including sex. Bagheni's best hope of getting a diagnosis for her lesions is a government hospital that's a two-hour drive away. That's likely out of the question, given that she already struggles with mobility having previously had both her legs amputated. Seven million people are internally displaced in Congo, with more than 5.5 million of them in the country's east, according the U.N. refugee agency. Congo has the largest displacement camp population in Africa, and one of the largest in the world. The humanitarian crisis in eastern Congo has almost every possible complication when it comes to stopping an mpox outbreak, said Dr. Chris Beyrer, director of Duke University's Global Health Institute. That includes war, illicit mining industries that attract sex workers, transient populations near border regions, and entrenched poverty. He also said the global community missed multiple warning signs. We're paying attention to it now, but mpox has been spreading since 2017 in Congo and Nigeria, Beyrer said, adding that experts have long been calling for vaccines to be shared with Africa, but to little effect. He said the WHO's emergency declaration was late in coming, with more than a dozen countries already affected. Beyrer said that unlike COVID-19 or HIV, there's a good vaccine and good treatments and diagnostics for mpox, but the access issues are worse than ever in places like eastern Congo. In 2022, there were outbreaks in more than 70 countries around the world, including the United States, which led the WHO to also declare an emergency that lasted until mid-2023. It was largely shut down in wealthy countries within months through the use of vaccines and treatments, but few doses have been made available in Africa. The new and possibly more infectious strain of mpox was first detected this year in a mining town in eastern Congo, about 450 kilometers (280 miles) south of Goma. It's unclear how much the new strain is to blame, but Congo is now enduring its worst outbreak yet and at least 13 African countries have recorded cases, four of them for the first time. The outbreaks in those four countries Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda have been linked to Congo's, and Doctors Without Borders said Friday that Congo's surge threatens a major spread of the disease to other countries. Salim Abdool Karim, an infectious disease expert who chairs the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's emergency committee, said the Congo outbreak has a particularly concerning change, in that it's disproportionately affecting young people. Children under 15 account for 70% of cases and 85% of all deaths in the country, the Africa CDC reported. Unlike the 2022 global outbreak, which predominantly affected gay and bisexual men, mpox now appears to be spreading in heterosexual populations. All of Congo's 26 provinces have recorded mpox cases, according to the state-run news agency. But Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba said Thursday that the country doesn't have a single vaccine dose yet and he pleaded for "vigilance in all directions from all Congolese. Dr. Rachel Maguru, who heads the multi-epidemic center at Goma's North Kivu provincial hospital, said they also don't have drugs or any established treatments for mpox and are relying on other experts such as dermatologists to help where they can. A larger outbreak around the city and its numerous displacement camps already overburdened with an influx of people would be terrible, she said. She also noted a pivotal problem: poor and displaced people have other priorities, like earning enough money to eat and survive. Aid agencies and stretched local authorities are already wrestling with providing food, shelter and basic health care to the millions displaced, while also dealing with outbreaks of other diseases like cholera. (AP) AMS AMS Dhaka, Aug 17 (PTI) The caretaker government in Bangladesh is committed to ensuring a transition to inclusive and pluralistic democracy and creating an environment in which "free, fair and participatory elections" can be held, its head Mohammad Yunus assured the international community on Saturday. Yunus, the Chief Advisor of the interim government, said while addressing the third Voice of Global South Summit which was hosted by India in a virtual format. "You all are aware that Bangladesh witnessed a Second Revolution on 5th August 2024, through a mass uprising spearheaded by our valiant students and joined by the masses," the 84-year-old Nobel laureate said, referring to the political turmoil in his country and the resignation of prime minister Sheikh Hasina on August 5. Noting that the current interim government led by him was sworn in on August 8, Yunus said, "Our government is committed to ensuring a transition to inclusive and pluralistic democracy and creating an environment in which free, fair and participatory elections can be held." Yunus assumed charge of the interim government amid ongoing violence and vandalism, including against the minorities. "Our task is now to carry out vital reforms in our electoral system, judiciary, local government, media, economy and education," Yunus said at the summit being attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "I invite you to visit Dhaka soon. Otherwise, you may miss something important. Much of Dhaka has turned into the graffiti capital of the world. Young students and children aged as young as 12-13 have been painting the walls of this 400-year-old city with images of a New Democratic environment- friendly Bangladesh," he said. "There is no central planning or guidance for that. No budget support from anybody. It is just an outpouring of their emotions and commitment to the goals of the Second Revolution," the noted economist said. Former Prime Minister Hasina, 76, fled to India on August 5 after being forced to resign from her post amidst unprecedented anti-government student-led protests. The student-led protests demanding reforms in government job quotas evolved into a government-toppling movement in early August. Yunus further said, "We must place the youth and students, who constitute a significant portion of the Global Souths population at the heart of our strategies. Two-thirds of our population are youth. They are the most powerful segment of the society. They are different. They are committed to creating a new world. They are capable. They are technologically far ahead of the previous generation..." He also emphasised redesigning the financial system to make sure that wealth is shared by all. "It should not be a one-way path for wealth. We must ensure financial services for all people, particularly women and youth. We can learn from each other how this can be done successfully." He also mentioned 'The Bengali language movement' in 1952. "In 1952 the Bangladeshi students sacrificed their lives for their mother tongue. It inspired struggles for the right to speak in the mother language all over the world. Some seven decades later our students-led Second Revolution is inspiring youth throughout the global south to raise their voice for democracy, human rights, dignity, equality and shared prosperity." "I am honoured to be the oldest 'young person' to take part in this revolution and help them make their dreams come true. They need support from all of you," Yunus said. "Being old should not mean that you have to retire, withdraw yourself from economic activities. Human creativity never stops on a date fixed by the state. It doesnt stop until the last breath. We may work together to see how to make societies supportive of the creativity of all people as long they live," the octogenarian economist said. During the anti-government protest in Bangladesh, over 230 people died during 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. Kathmandu, Aug 17 (PTI) Army officials, civic authorities and scientists on Saturday confirmed that the massive flash floods in a high-altitude village in the Everest region of Nepal were caused by two glacial lake outbursts leading to widespread devastation. Hurtling down the steep slopes, carrying boulders, debris and muck with it, the floods devastated more than half of the homes in Thame village in the scenic Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality-5. The incident occurred at around 1.30 pm local time on Friday. Although no deaths have been reported so far, one person is reportedly missing, news portal MyRepublica said about the damage caused due to the flooded Thame rivulet, one of the tributaries of Dudhkoshi River. Authorities reported that around 93 villagers who fled to higher altitudes or were rescued are now being sheltered in an army camp, while 42 others have been temporarily placed in a nearby community building, The Himalayan Times newspaper reported. A team of experts and authorities were dispatched in a helicopter to inspect and monitor the disaster site and investigate the cause of the sudden flood and mudslide that struck the village. The helicopter went right upstream up to the glacial lakes in higher reaches. Following the aerial inspection, the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality confirms that the flood was triggered by the outburst of a glacial lake, one of the many lakes situated above the valley, The Himalayan Times said. The Kathmandu Post quoted officials to report that two of the five lakes formed above the Thame village had burst and flooded downstream areas. Glacial lake outburst floods, or GLOF, are a sudden release of water from a lake fed by glacier melt that has formed at the side, in front, within, beneath, or on the surface of a glacier. Experts have warned that global warming poses major threats to glacial lakes and subsequent GLOFs in the Hindu Kush Himalayan Region. Corroborating that it was indeed a GLOF, the Cryosphere Society of Nepal (CSN), a group of Nepal-based glaciologists working in the Himalayas, said in a post on X: The lake, which is approximately 39,081.87 square meters in size and located upstream of Thame Village in Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality, caused the devastation in Thame Village on August 16th. It is located on the way to Tashi Lapcha Pass from Thame. Although no lives were lost, about 50 per cent of the Thame village has been severely damaged, and the remaining houses are uninhabitable. Thame lies 16 km from Namche Bazaar, which serves as the entry to the Everest region. Located at about 12,500 feet above sea level in the Khumbu Valley, it is famous as the birthplace of legendary Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, who along with New Zealands Edmund Hillary was the first to summit Mount Everest, the highest in the world, in May 1953. It is also home to famous record-breaking Everest climbers including Apa Sherpa, Kami Rita Sherpa, and Lakpa Rita Sherpa, among others. An almost 11-minute video made from the helicopter that went for the inspection and posted by the municipality on its Facebook page not just showed the higher reaches upstream of the Thame village, the burst glacial lake, its breached moraine and other lakes amid the vertically rising Himalayan ranges but also the devastation wrought by the floods. The footage from the higher reaches also showed significant sediment flow, possibly due to melting of the snow upstream, which the experts said, resulted in landslides and an overwhelming surge of water that the local rivers could not contain. The muck and debris flood raised the level of the river floodplains, eroded large swathes of the village land abutting the river and left its horrendous mark on the houses washed away fully or in part, and also those that were covered till its roof levels. Large-scale agriculture land was either swept away due to erosion or covered with boulders and debris, the video also showed. The Himalayan Times quoted police as saying that a school, a health clinic, and 20 houses and hotels were swept away by the disaster. Although the water level in the Thame River has decreased, it continues to pose a threat to settlements along its banks in the Khumbu and lower Solu areas, it said and added that the local power project's powerhouse was completely damaged. Almost 200 meters of the trekking route from Phakding to Namche, specifically in the Jame area, was washed away, however, due to the off-season for tourism, there were very few people in the village and hardly any tourists. The flood also hindered movement to areas above Namche in Solukhumbu, cutting off access to the Everest region. Meanwhile, Minister for Defence ManBir Rai, along with federal and provincial assembly members, rural municipality chairs, and the Chief District Officer of Solukhumbu, reached Thame village for an on-site inspection of the flood-affected areas. President of the Dominican Republic Luis Abinader (R) meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping's Special Envoy and Minister of Industry and Information Technology Jin Zhuanglong at the National Palace in Santo Domingo, Aug. 15, 2024. At the invitation of Abinader, Jin attended Abinader's second-term inauguration here on Friday. (Presidency of the Dominican Republic/Handout via Xinhua) SANTO DOMINGO, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- At the invitation of President of the Dominican Republic Luis Abinader, Chinese President Xi Jinping's Special Envoy and Minister of Industry and Information Technology Jin Zhuanglong attended Abinader's second-term inauguration here on Friday. Abinader met with Jin at the National Palace on Thursday. Jin conveyed cordial greetings and best wishes from President Xi to Abinader and congratulated him on his re-election as president of the Dominican Republic. He said since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries six years ago, the bilateral relations have achieved comprehensive and rapid development. China is willing to work with the Dominican Republic to continue to firmly support each other, enhance practical cooperation, promote cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, and push the bilateral relations to achieve more results, so as to better benefit the people of both sides, Jin said. He also elaborated on the guiding principles of the third plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee to Abinader. For his part, Abinader asked Jin to convey his sincere greetings and best wishes to President Xi and expressed his heartfelt gratitude to President Xi for sending a special envoy to attend the inauguration ceremony of his new term. Abinader said that developing relations with China is of special importance to the Dominican Republic, and he looks forward to further deepening mutually beneficial cooperation with China in various fields and pushing for greater development of bilateral relations. Kathmandu, Aug 17 (PTI) The US government would gift two sky-trucks and two additional helicopters to the Nepal Army to strengthen the Himalayan nation's disaster preparedness capabilities, it was announced here on Saturday. US Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Richard Rahul Verma, who was on a day-long visit to Kathmandu on Friday, pledged this during his meeting with Foreign Minister Arzu Deuba Rana, according to Yek Raj Pathak, her press advisor. Separately, Deuba Rana also wrote in a post on X: Thank you @DepSecStateMR and the US Department of State for the generous gift of 2 skytrucks and 2 additional Bell helicopters to support disaster management efforts in Nepal. Earlier, the Nepal Army had requested US support to acquire two helicopters during Chief of Army Staff Prabhuram Sharma's visit to the United States in February this year. During his day-long visit, Verma met Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli as the high-level meetings mainly focused on US support for Nepal's aspirations to build a sustainable, inclusive future and on strengthening the US-Nepal partnership, according to the US Embassy sources. Foreign Minister Rana said that the meetings touched on various aspects of Nepal-US relations, particularly in the realm of development cooperation. Kathmandu, Aug 17 (PTI) Nepal's new Foreign Minister Arzu Deuba Rana will embark on a five-day official visit to India from Sunday during which she will meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to discuss ways to strengthen the bilateral ties and promote cooperation, the foreign ministry here said on Saturday. Rana is visiting India from August 18 to 22 at the invitation of Jaishankar, the foreign ministry said in a statement. "During the visit, Foreign Minister Rana will hold a bilateral meeting with her Indian counterpart Jaishankar and discuss matters of mutual interest for strengthening Nepal-India relations and promoting cooperation," it said. As part of the regular exchange of high-level visits between Nepal and India, Rana's trip will further consolidate the age-old, deep and multi-faceted relations between the two neighbours, the statement said. "Nepal is a priority partner of India in its Neighbourhood First policy. The forthcoming visit will provide both sides an opportunity to discuss and review the progress in bilateral cooperation and help in advancing our ties further," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement in New Delhi. The visit of Rana, who is also the spouse of Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, comes after the cabinet meeting headed by Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli on Thursday endorsed the India-visit programme of a delegation led by the Foreign Minister, Communications and Information Technology minister Prithvi Subba Gurung had earlier said. This will be Rana's first official visit to a foreign country after assuming charge. The visit by Rana is taking place a week after Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri visited Nepal. Rana, 62, was earlier scheduled to visit Delhi for a routine health checkup but the visit turned into an official one after she received an invitation from the Indian government, according to Foreign Affairs ministry sources. According to sources, the foreign minister will visit a prominent private hospital in New Delhi for a follow-up checkup related to her previous operation for hyperparathyroidism. She is scheduled to return to Nepal on August 22. Moscow, Aug 17 (AP) Russia kept up its assault on Ukraine Saturday even as Ukrainian forces pushed into Russia's Kursk border region. A Russian missile sparked a blaze in the city of Sumy that injured two people and also damaged cars and nearby buildings, said Ukraine's State Emergency Service. It said that the hit had involved an Iskander-K cruise missile and an aerial bomb. Ukraine's air force also said it had shot down 14 Russian drones overnight, including over the Kyiv region. Meanwhile, fighting continued in Russia's Kursk region, where Ukrainian troops have been deployed since Aug 6 in a bid to divert the Kremlin's military focus away from the front line in Ukraine. On Thursday, Ukrainian forces said they had seized the town of Sudzha, 10 km (6 miles) from the border. With a prewar population of roughly 5,000, it is the biggest town to fall to Ukraine's troops since the incursion began. Associated Press journalists travelled to the area Friday on a Ukrainian government-organised trip. Artillery fire had blown chunks out of a statue of Soviet founder Vladimir Lenin in the town's central square, while the bright yellow facade of a local administration building was scorched and pockmarked with bullet holes. Alexander Kots, military correspondent with the pro-Kremlin newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda, said Ukrainian pressure in Kursk is not weakening yet. In the main sections of the ragged front, the situation has stabilized. But there are areas where the enemy continues to try to expand its bridgehead, he wrote on his Telegram channel. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Friday that Ukraine had destroyed a bridge across the Seim River in the Glushkovsky district with US-made HIMARS rockets, marking their first use in the Kursk region. Zakharova's statement couldn't be independently confirmed, although the Washington-based think tank the Institute for the Study of War said that geo-located footage published on Aug 16 showed that the bridge had collapsed following the strike. Russian military bloggers said the destruction of bridges would impede deliveries of supplies to Russian forces, but not cut them off completely. No one has cancelled the pontoons, said Kots, stressing that the Seim River is smaller than Ukrainian waterways such as the Dnieper River. And there are still smaller bridges. Russia has seen previous raids on its territory in the war, but the Kursk incursion is notable for its size, speed, the reported involvement of battle-hardened Ukrainian brigades and the length of time they have stayed inside Russia. As many as 10,000 Ukrainian troops are involved, according to Western military analysts. The incursion, which Russian authorities say has led to the evacuation of more than 120,000 civilians, came as a shock to many, Yan Furtsev, an activist and member of local opposition party Yabloko, told the AP. No one expected that this kind of conflict was even possible in the Kursk region. That is why there is such confusion and panic, because citizens are arriving (from front-line areas) and they're scared, very scared, he said. Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry said in a press conference Saturday that approximately 10,000 evacuees from the Kursk region, including 3,000 children, were staying in 171 temporary accommodation centers across the country. Ukrainian forces have also captured a number of Russian troops as they have moved across the region. On Friday, the AP visited a detention centre in Ukraine, the location of which cannot be disclosed due to security restrictions. Dozens of POWs were seen, some of them walking with their hands tied behind their backs while a guard led them down a corridor. Some had rations of a thin soup with cabbage and onions. On Saturday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Ukrainian soldiers and commanders for capturing Russian military personnel and said the country's exchange fund that it would use to bargain for the return of Ukrainian POWs was being replenished. I thank all our soldiers and commanders who are capturing Russian military personnel, thereby advancing the release of our warriors and civilians held by Russia, Zelenskyy said in a post on X. (AP) SCY SCY Dhaka, Aug 17 (PTI) Within three days of his appointment, Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hussain was replaced as home adviser in the interim government of Bangladesh, amidst criticism of the ex-army officer's conduct by student leaders, media reports on Saturday said. Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), the state-run news agency, also announced that the interim government led by Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus gave contractual appointments to five secretaries in four ministries and the President's Office. Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hussain was replaced as home adviser by Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury on Friday night, hours after four new advisers, including Jahangir, were sworn into office, The Daily Star newspaper reported. Sakhawat was given the charge of the textiles and jute ministry as the interim government redistributed the portfolios of eight advisers, according to the chief adviser's press wing. Jahangir Alam will also be holding the portfolio of the agriculture ministry. The development comes within eight days of the interim government taking charge following the resignation of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her fleeing to India. Nobel laureate Yunus, 84, took oath as the Chief Adviser of the interim government on August 8 amid violence and chaos days after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled to India on August 5. On Friday, he expanded his team with four advisers taking the total strength of the advisers all equivalent to ministers in the interim government's advisory council rose to 21. On Saturday, the most surprising of all was the change vis-a-vis Sakhawat, who had hogged the headlines for multiple comments soon after assuming the office of the home adviser. A coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement criticised him for some comments while BNP and its three associate bodies demanded his resignation, the Daily Star news portal said. Sakhawat, also a former election commissioner, on August 11 had warned all political parties and said, Now, if you think you'll take control of the markets and resort to extortion, you can go ahead and do it for a while. But I have requested the army chief to break your legs I don't care, go to hell. Md Mokabbir Hossain, the chairman (senior secretary) of the Bangladesh Energy and Power Research Council (BEPRC), who was appointed as the senior secretary of the public security division on August 14, was transferred as the senior secretary of the Ministry of Science and Technology, reads a circular. The news portal further said that Sakhawat also advised leaders and activists of the Awami League, Hasinas party, not to do anything that may put their lives in danger, and to reorganise the party with new faces. The same day, Hasnat Abdullah, one of the key coordinators of the student protests, at a rally said, "We have seen the advisers talking about rehabilitating the murderers [Sheikh Hasina and other Awami League leaders]. We want to remind those advisers that you have come to power through the student-people uprising. "We will not hesitate to oust you the way we made you advisers," he had said. The interim government on Saturday gave contractual appointments to five secretaries in four ministries and the President's Office. Meanwhile, according to the BSS, the Ministry of Public Administration said that Dr Mohammad Abdul Momen was appointed Secretary of the Public Security Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs while Dr Sheikh Abdur Rashid was made Secretary of the Secondary and Higher Education Division. Md Ehchanul Haque is the new Secretary of Road Transport and Highways Division while M A Akmal Hossain Azad is appointed as the Secretary of the Ministry of Railways. Nasimul Gani has been given the responsibility of the President's Office (Public Division), BSS said. Liverpool John Moores University and Daniel Eduardo Vigo, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Argentina Liverpool, Aug 17 (The Conversation) Two astronauts marooned in space may sound like the plot of a Hollywood blockbuster, but for two Nasa crew members, it is now a reality. Commander Barry Wilmore and pilot Sunita Williams are currently in limbo on the International Space Station (ISS). They arrived in the Boeing Starliner spacecraft the first test of the spaceship with astronauts. Wilmore and Williams were supposed to stay on the ISS for around eight days and return on the same spacecraft. But there is now debate about the safety of Starliner after it experienced helium leaks and thruster problems on its way to the ISS. In coming days, Nasa and Boeing may decide to clear Starliner to carry the astronauts back to Earth. This means their stay might not last too much longer. But if officials decide against Starliner, the astronauts face waiting an additional six months in orbit before returning. So how do astronauts cope with a potential six-month wait for a lift home? Waiting for things is difficult at the best of times. Under normal circumstances, it is frustrating, stressful and anxiety-provoking. But in extreme situations, with high stakes, waiting can be purgatory. Part of the reason that waiting is difficult is that it distorts our sense of time. Think of last time you were waiting for a delayed train, test results or a text from a potential new partner. Did it fly by or drag? For most people, time spent waiting crawls at a glacial pace. As a result, delays and periods of anticipation often feel much longer than they actually are. Waiting slows our perception of time, because it changes the amount of time that we spend thinking about time. During normal daily life we often ignore time; our brains have a limited capacity. If time isnt important, we simply dont think about it, and this helps it to pass quickly. When we are waiting, our desire to know when the wait is over increases how much we think about time. This clock watching can make the minutes and hours feel like they are passing at a snails pace. Stress, discomfort and pain exacerbate this effect, meaning that waiting in difficult situations can seem even longer. Waiting also slows our perception of time because it what we do and how we feel. Normal life is busy and full of ever-changing activities and interactions. The sudden need to wait halts the flow of life, often leaving us with nothing else to do, thus increasing levels of boredom and frustration. In general, time filled with activity passes more quickly. We all got a taste of this during COVID lockdowns. When we were stuck inside unable to see friends and engage in normal daily activities, the loss of routine and distractions caused time to drag for many. For the astronauts stuck on the ISS, anxiety about when they will return, limited opportunities for activities and fewer opportunities to contact friends and families combine to make their wait to return home feel significantly longer than six months if it should come to that. However, as academics who research the effects of time on human psychology and biology, our ongoing work with crew members at research stations in Antarctica aims to shed light on whether waiting in extreme environments is different to waiting during normal daily life. A year in Antarctica While being stuck for six months on the ISS may sound like many peoples worst nightmare, it is not uncommon for scientists to spend long periods isolated and confined in extreme environments. Every year, organisations such as the Instituto Antartico Argentino (which uses the Belgrano II Antarctic station), the French Polar Institute and the Italian Antarctic Programme, in cooperation with the European Space Agency (which all use Antarcticas Concordia station), send crews of people for up to 16 months to conduct research on the frozen continent. During the March to October polar winter, teams spend six months in near darkness and from May to August, in complete darkness facing outside temperatures of up to -60C, wind speeds of 160 km/h (100 mph) and storms which prevent almost all outdoor activity. Limited internet coverage can also prevent constant communication with the outside world. For the last year, we have researched how life in Antarctica influences peoples experience of time. Each month, we asked crew members how time felt like it was passing in comparison to before their mission. Trapped on base, with limited contact with the outside world, you might expect time to drag. However, our results suggest the opposite may be true. Analysis of crew members experiences indicated that being constantly busy with complex tasks such as scientific research helped time to pass swiftly, according to 80% of crew responses. Only 3% of responses indicated that time actually dragged, and these reports occurred when nights were long and there was little to do. These experiences may provide hope for those stuck on the ISS. Like life on an Antarctic station, these Nasa astronauts have a busy and mentally demanding existence. These factors may help time to pass quickly. However, a key factor of their wait may be their ability to tolerate the uncertainty of when they will return. Wilmore and Williams will spend their time in a space equivalent to the inside a Boeing 747 plane. But better information about when things will happen and why delays are being incurred can help people to tolerate waiting and reduce its impact on their wellbeing. (The Conversation) AMS Durg, Aug 17 (PTI) Congress MLA Devendra Yadav was taken into custody from Chhattisgarh's Durg district on Saturday by police probing the June 10 violence in Balodabazar city, an official said. Several supporters of Yadav gathered outside his residence in Bhilai Nagar area and raised slogans after word spread about the police's action. Yadav is being brought to Balodabazar for further action, said Balodabazar Superintendent of Police Vijay Agrawal. Police had summoned Yadav at least three times to record his statement in the Balodabazar arson case but he didn't turn up, following which he was apprehended. Police personnel from Balodabazar with their Durg counterpart reached Yadav's house at around 7 AM. As the news spread, Yadav's supporters tried to protect the MLA and raised slogans. Police finally managed to whisk away Yadav with them at around 5 pm, an official said. Unidentified persons had vandalised 'jaitkham' or 'victory pillar', a sacred symbol worshipped by the Satnami community, near the Amar Gufa at Giroudpuri Dham in the Balodabazar-Bhatapara district on the intervening night of May 15 and 16 this year. On June 10, a mob set fire to a government office building and more than 150 vehicles in Balodabazar city during a protest called by Satnamis against the alleged ransacking of the 'victory pillar', leading to the imposition of section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Congress leaders, including Yadav, had allegedly attended a public meeting during the demonstration held by Satnamis at Dussehra Maidan. Around 150 people, including members of the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) and the Bhim "Regiment" were arrested in connection with the June 10 arson. The influential Satnami community, founded by medieval-era social reformer Baba Guru Ghasidas, represents the largest Scheduled Castes group in Chhattisgarh. Bhopal, Aug 17 (PTI) The Madhya Pradesh government has directed officials to verify the credentials of students enrolled in madrasas that receive government grants and ensure that they are not given religious education without the consent of parents or guardians, an official said on Saturday. The state government on Friday issued an order on the recommendation of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) that cited that some madrasas had fabricated names of students. The order stated that it was brought to the notice of the NCPCR, New Delhi and newspapers that the names of many non-Muslim children were fraudulently registered at madrasas to obtain government grants. Commissioner (Lok Shikshan or Public Instructions) Shilpa Gupta issued the order directing officials to physically verify at madrasas recognised by the Madhya Pradesh Madrasa Board to ensure that the names of children (Muslim or non-Muslim) were not registered fraudulently to obtain government grants. As per the order, if children's names were fraudulently registered in madrasas, their grants would be stopped, recognition would be cancelled, and legal action would be taken under appropriate penal provisions. It cited Article 28 (3) of the Constitution, which states, "No person attending any educational institution recognised by the state or receiving aid out of state funds shall be required to take part in any religious instruction that may be imparted in such institution or to attend any religious worship that may be conducted in such institution or in any premises attached thereto unless such person or, if such person is a minor, his guardian has given his consent thereto." In view of this provision, if children studying in state-recognised madrasas, or those receiving aid from state funds, are being imparted religious education contrary to the teachings of their religion or are being compelled to take religious education or attend any worship without their consent (if they are minors, their guardians), action should be taken to cancel the recognition of such madrasas by stopping all grants and other appropriate legal action should be ensured, the order stated. The directives were issued to the director, public instructions, and secretary of the MP Madrasa Board, an official of the state public relations department confirmed. Kolkata, Aug 17 (PTI) Following are the top stories from the Eastern Region at 5 pm. CAL 18 BH-BRIDGE-LD COLLAPSE *Part of bridge over Ganges collapses in Bihar Bhagalpur/Khagaria/Patna: A portion of an under-construction bridge in Bihar, which was being "dismantled", crashed into the river Ganges river on Saturday, officials said. CAL 20 BH-DALIT GIRL-PROPERTY-ATTACH Property of prime accused in Bihar Dalit girl's murder attached Muzaffarpur: The Bihar Police on Saturday attached the property of the main accused in the murder of a Dalit minor girl whose body was recently dumped into a pond after abduction and suspected rape. CAL 19 BH-DOCTORS-PROTEST Medical services hit across Bihar as part of IMA strike Patna: Medical services were hit across Bihar on Saturday as doctors struck work in protest against the brutal rape and murder of a young lady doctor in Kolkata last week. CAL 15 WB-DOCTOR-LD-CBI Doctor murder: Former R G Kar Hospital principal appears before CBI for second day Kolkata: The former principal of R G Kar Medical College and Hospital Dr Sandip Ghosh on Saturday appeared before the CBI for questioning for the second consecutive day in connection with the rape and murder of a doctor. CAL 12 OD-DOCTORS-RIJIJU Not just medical fraternity, all concerned about Kolkata doctor's rape, murder: Rijiju Bhubaneswar: Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday said everyone was concerned about the rape and murder of the doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata and not just the healthcare fraternity. CAL 10 WB-DOCTORS-LD PROTEST Healthcare services in West Bengal affected as doctors protest rape, murder of colleague Kolkata: Healthcare services took a hit across West Bengal on Saturday as doctors joined their junior colleagues in the cease work, demanding justice for the rape and murder of a medic at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. CAL 8 MG-CONG-SUSPEND-MLAS Congress suspends its two MLAs in Meghalaya Shillong: The opposition Congress in Meghalaya suspended its MLAs Gabriel Wahlang and Charles Marngar following allegations that they were "hobnobbing" with the ruling National People's Party.* New Delhi, Aug 17 (PTI) China and Pakistan were not among the invitees to the third Voice of Global South Summit hosted by India on Saturday on the virtual format that was joined by 123 nations across the globe. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar confirmed this at a media briefing after conclusion of the summit that focused on unitedly dealing with challenges facing the Global South or the developing countries. Jaishankar said 123 countries participated at the summit. Twenty-one countries were represented at the level of head of state and government while 34 foreign ministers joined it, according to the external affairs minister. Apart from the foreign ministers, 118 ministers also joined the summit that comprised 10 ministerial sessions. In the last few years, India has been positioning itself as a leading voice, flagging concerns, challenges and aspirations of the Global South or the developing nations, especially the African continent. As the G20 president last year, India focused on issues like inclusive growth, digital innovation, climate resilience, and equitable global health access with an aim to benefit the Global South. The countries whose heads of state and government attended the third Voice of Global South summit summit are Bangladesh, Belarus, Bhutan, Chile, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Fiji, Grenada, Guyana, Lao PDR, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mongolia, Nepal, Oman, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Tajikistan, Timor Leste, Uruguay and Vietnam. Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the Leaders' session at the summit. Sharing details of the summit, Jaishankar said challenge of climate change figured prominently at the summit while many leaders spoke about debt burden and challenges of new technologies. There was unanimous view on the need to reform the global governance architecture, he said adding the situation in Gaza also came up during the deliberations. Some of the leaders also talked about sovereignty, strategic autonomy and interference and expressed concerns in that regard, Jaishankar said. At the foreign ministerial sessions, the challenge of debt distress and slow credit growth also figured, he said. Other issues that came up at the foreign ministerial sessions were the rules based order, sovereignty, equality, mutual respect and partnership of the equals. New Delhi, Aug 17 (PTI) The Delhi High Court has directed the Samajwadi Party and its media cell to take down within four days a "defamatory" post on X against BJP IT department head Amit Malviya. In an interim order passed on Friday on the lawsuit by Malviya against the Samajwadi Party (SP) and 'Samajwadi Party Media Cell', the court said if the defendants do not remove the post, X shall take it down within 36 hours after it receives a request in this regard. Malviya had filed a case after the SP media cell's account on August 3 put out a post accusing him of sexual misconduct. The court observed that the allegation is extremely offensive and an individual's reputation is an integral part of his personality which cannot be unjustly tarnished under the guise of freedom of speech. "Under these circumstances, the defendant nos.1 (Samajwadi Party Media Cell) and 2 (Samajwadi Party) are directed to take down/remove/restrict access/block the URL of the post uploaded on X, which contains defamatory statements against the plaintiff within a period of four days," said Justice Vikas Mahajan in the order uploaded on the court's website on Saturday. "In the event the defendant nos.1 and 2 fails to take down/remove/restrict access/ block the aforementioned URL within the period of four days, the plaintiff (Malviya) shall be at liberty to approach and request the defendant no.3 X, and the latter, in that eventuality, shall take down the URL within a period of 36 hours of such request," he said. In the lawsuit, Malviya said following his post on X on the outrage over the brutal gang rape of a minor girl in Ayodhya, the Samajwadi Party Media Cell "retaliated with a personal attack" and falsely accused him of sexual misconduct. In its order, the court said it is prima facie of the view that there is substance in the submissions that the post is a "retaliatory post containing defamatory and libellous allegations and insinuations, made in reckless manner without regard to the truth, to tarnish the reputation of the plaintiff, who, by virtue of his professional profile, is a public figure". "An individual reputation is an integral part of his/her personality and cannot be unjustly tarnished under the guise of freedom of speech. The plaintiff is head of national political party's NITD and also co-in-charge of West Bengal unit of BJP and the heedless allegations of the nature made in the offending post not only bring his name into disrepute, but have the potential of adversely affecting his political career built over the years," the court said. It observed that the public image of political functionaries cannot be permitted to be tumbled by baseless and defamatory statements by any political entity for petty gains. Grave and irreparable loss and injury will be caused to the plaintiff if ad interim injunctive orders are not passed in his favour, the court said, while also issuing summons to the SP and its media cell on the lawsuit. Malviya's counsel had argued in court that the post on 'X' on August 3 was "defamatory" and "utterly scandalous", and had serious adverse impact on his reputation and urgent directions were needed to take it down. MANILA, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- Filipinos staying in Lebanon have been advised to leave the Middle East country as early as possible as tension escalates due to the threat of an all-out war between the Iran-backed group Hezbollah and Israel. In a social media advisory Friday night, the Philippine Embassy in Lebanon urged Filipinos to leave when the airport remains operational. "We advise all Filipino nationals to prioritize their safety and depart the country as soon as possible," the advisory read. To Filipinos who cannot leave Lebanon, the Embassy "strongly recommended" that they evacuate to safer areas outside capital Beirut, south of Lebanon, and the Bekaa Valley. There are approximately 17,500 Filipinos staying in Lebanon, and around 3,000 are in southern Lebanon. In early October last year, tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border spiked in the wake of Hamas' attack on Israel from Gaza and Israel's subsequent military campaign. The heightening tension on southern Lebanon's border forced the Philippines to raise the alert level to 3 on a scale of 4 and urge its citizens to leave. In July this year, the Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) renewed its appeal for Filipinos to avail of the government's voluntary repatriation program as tensions in Lebanon continue to escalate. However, the DFA said that only about 300 Filipinos have been repatriated since the Philippine government raised the alert level to 3. Alert level 3 or voluntary repatriation is issued "when violent disturbances or external aggression occur in a limited area." Bengaluru, Aug 17 (PTI) Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday called as 'unconstitutional' and 'undemocratic' the permission granted by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to prosecute Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the alternative site scam in Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA). He asserted that the entire government is standing solidly by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and he will continue to hold the post. The Governor has sent an unconstitutional and anti-democratic letter (to the Chief Minister) through his secretary, Shivakumar said addressing a press conference here. The Deputy CM was referring to the letter sent to Siddaramaiah and Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh informing them that permission has been granted to prosecute the Chief Minister. The entire state, the Congress party be it legislators or cabinet stand behind Siddaramaiah. He is my CM, he will be the CM. We stand solidly behind him. The party will also have a proper programme to support his case. There is no case. They have made a case without a case, Shivakumar said. We will fight it within the legal framework and in a legitimate manner. Besides this, our government is committed to fight it politically by going to the people, explaining to the people and with the support of people. In the MUDA 'scam', it is alleged that compensatory sites were allotted to Siddaramaiah's wife Parvathi in an upmarket area in Mysuru, which had higher property value as compared to the location of her land which had been "acquired" by the MUDA. The opposition cried foul and three activists lodged a complaint with Gehlot, accusing the CM of 'misusing' his position. Siddaramaiah has rejected the allegations and asserted that his wife deserved a fair compensation. He also called it a conspiracy against him to destabilise the Congress government by unseating him. Thane, Aug 17 (PTI) A one-year-old male leopard was killed after being hit by a vehicle on the Mumbai-Nashik highway in the district, a forest official said. The carcass was found near Jawhar Phata on Thursday. The animal likely strayed onto the highway in search of water and came under the wheels of a vehicle, the official said. The dense forests of Tansa Sanctuary and surrounding areas in Shahapur taluka are home to a variety of wildlife. In view of the rising number of wildlife accidents, the forest department is planning to install warning signs along the highway to alert drivers, the official said. Republican vice presidential nominee U.S. Sen. JD Vance is preparing to dissolve the vestiges of a charitable effort he launched in Ohio after publication of his best-selling memoir Hillbilly Elegy, the Trump-Vance campaign said. Vance formed two like-named nonprofits starting in 2016 to address problems in Ohio and other Rust Belt states. They were primarily supposed to focus on boosting job opportunities, improving mental health treatment and combating the opioid crisis. The original organization folded within five years and Vance put the other on hold when he ran successfully for the Senate in 2022. He faced criticism during the race over how little the groups accomplished. Despite Vances stated intentions to identify and produce national solutions to those problems, the nonprofits only notable achievement was paying to send an addiction specialist to southern Ohio for a year who had questioned the well-documented role of prescription painkillers in the national opioid crisis. Vance has acknowledged that the groups efforts fell far short of his aspirations. One of the groups a foundation filed paperwork in April reinstating the corporate status it had allowed to expire in 2022. Trump-Vance campaign spokesperson Taylor Van Kirk told The Associated Press that that filing was required because the foundation still had money left in its bank account and did not signal that Vance intended to resume the foundations efforts. She said he plans to close out its accounts and distribute the remaining balance to causes benefiting Appalachia. Records the group filed with the state and obtained by the AP through a public records request show it reported about $11,000 remaining in the foundations account. Vances first nonprofit, Our Ohio Renewal, was formed not long after Hillbilly Elegy was published in 2016. It was registered as a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization. Such groups are able to endorse candidates, though this one never did. Its contributions were not tax-deductible. Vance said his goal was to raise $500,000 a year to fund its work. A year later, he created the Our Ohio Renewal Foundation. As a 501(c)(3) charitable group, it operates with more restrictions but also allows donors to receive tax deductions for donations. The groups failed to catch on, in part because a key organizer was diagnosed with cancer. Our Ohio Renewal reported raising $221,000 in 2018 $80,000 of which was Vances own money. It raised less than $50,000 a year thereafter, before being shut down in 2021, records show. Meanwhile, the foundation appears to have raised and spent only about $69,000 from 2017 to 2023 although figures in its annual reports dont all add up. Neither Jai Chabria, a Vance political adviser who formerly worked as a consultant to the foundation, nor the campaign was able to explain the discrepancies, citing the passage of time and changes in personnel. The AP reported in 2022 that the residency funded by Vances charitable efforts for Dr. Sally Satel in Ironton, Ohio, was clouded by ties between her, the American Enterprise Institute, where she was a resident scholar, and OxyContin manufacturer Purdue Pharma. Satel cited Purdue-funded studies in some of her writings while being paid by the institute, which at the time was receiving funding from the drugmaker, according to reports in ProPublica. Vances Senate campaign said the candidate whose familys experience with addiction figured heavily in his book and helped inspire his charity work was unfamiliar with Satels reliance on Purdue research in her work when she was selected for the 2018 residency. But he said he remained proud of her work treating patients in one of Ohios hardest hit areas. Satel said at the time that she came to her conclusions independently, and AEI said it maintains a firewall between its scholars and its donors. (AP) 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. Zambada ran the Sinaloa cartel with the elder Guzman as it grew from a regional presence into a huge manufacturer and smuggler of illicit fentanyl pills and other drugs to the United States, authorities say. Considered a good negotiator, Zambada has been seen as the syndicates strategist and dealmaker, thought to be more involved in its day-to-day doings than the more flamboyant Guzman. Keeping a lower profile, Zambada had never been behind bars until his U.S. arrest last month. He has often been at odds with Guzmans sons, dubbed the Chapitos, or Little Chapos. Fearful that Zambadas arrest could trigger a violent power struggle within the cartel, the Mexican government quickly dispatched 200 special forces soldiers to the state of Sinaloa, and President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador publicly pleaded with the cartel factions not to fight each other. (AP) Ships are responsible for 90 per cent of global trade, transporting around 11 billion tons of cargo round the world every year. The work is done by more than 50,000 vessels, from huge oil tankers and container ships to small-scale specialist fishing boats. Moving freight around at sea has always carried an element of risk. Recently however, shipping has become significantly more challenging. Essential: World trade depends on container ships to carry goods around the globe Russian sanctions, Red Sea attacks, tensions off the coast of China, piracy around Africa and Asia all make the high seas more perilous than they were in 2009, the year of the real-life hijacking that inspired the Tom Hanks film Captain Phillips. London-listed Windward uses high-tech to help companies, ship owners and governments manage their maritime journeys more effectively so crews are safer, cargo arrives faster and fuel consumption is minimised. The shares are 1.03 and should move higher, as the company is a pioneer in its field, growing fast and has several top-tier customers on its roster, including the US government, Interpol, BP and commodities giant Glencore. Windward was co-founded by Ami Daniel, a former officer in the Israeli Navy. After his ship was attacked off the coast of Lebanon in 2006, the maritime risks became only too apparent. Four colleagues were killed and Daniel himself nearly perished. Three years later, he and fellow officer Matan Peled formed Windward, determined to make shipping less risky for both governments and business. Over the past decade and a half, the company has amassed a trove of shipping data from public, commercial and customer sources. At the same time, Windward has developed advanced technology to sift through this information and provide customers with constantly updated advice and guidance on maritime trends. Governments want to understand exactly where risks lie, how best to navigate them and whether nations or shipowners are acting in bad faith at sea. Companies need to be confident that the ships they use are bona fide and have not been involved in sanction-busting, smuggling or other nefarious activities. Shipowners want news on routes, ports and where best to refuel. And every customer recognises that the more information they have, the safer and more efficient journeys will be. Armed with data and support that the shipping world needs, Daniel and Peled have attracted more than 200 customers, two-thirds of whom are government agencies and public sector bodies. The rest range from big shipping groups to logistics specialists to banks and insurers. On the defensive: Somali pirates hijack the MV Maersk Alabama in the film Captain Phillips Windward is growing fast. Half-year results will be unveiled on Tuesday and Daniel has already stated that revenues are up 37 per cent year-on-year to $17.6 million (13.7 million), contract values are rising and there is plenty of cash on the balance sheet. Critically, too, Windward has launched a new tool, using generative AI to provide expert advice and commentary on around a million vessels across the globe, including the 100,000 largest ships at sea. The tool, known as MAI Expert, allows ship owners and customers to discover the risks associated with any given vessel in a matter of moments, a task that is otherwise cumbersome, labour-intensive and prone to error. MAI Expert has already attracted considerable interest and brokers believe the tool could turbo-charge growth from existing and new customers. Group sales are expected to top 27 million this year, rising to more than 39 million in 2026. Daniel has been ploughing cash back into the business but a small profit is expected by the end of this year, rising to 310,000 in 2025 and 1.7 million the year after. Midas verdict: Windward floated on AIM at 1.55 in December 2021. The company has consistently delivered against its promises but the shares have fallen more than 30 per cent since then. This is undeserved and the stock should recover. Thousands of ships set sail every day, risks are increasing, logistics are harder to navigate and costs are climbing. Windward helps customers on all three fronts. Buy and hold. Traded on: AIM Ticker: WNWD Contact: windward.ai or Alma PR on 0203 405 0205 Online banking group Revolut is one of the UK's biggest and best-known technology firms. Founded in 2015, Revolut has attracted criticism down the years but today, it has around 45 million customers, recently gained a banking licence and is mulling a flotation of more than 30 billion on the London Stock Exchange. Molten Ventures invested 11 million in Revolut three years after the business was founded. Today, that stake is worth around 65 million. Paid off: Investing in Revolut has seen handsome return Founded by two former executives at private equity group 3i, Molten invests in young, fast-growing technology businesses, providing them with cash and expertise to help them expand. The group focuses on firms that have already made progress but need external support to realise their potential. Rewards in this area can be substantial. Chief executive Martin Davis targets companies which can deliver at least five times his original investment and ideally 10 or 20 times. Returns do not come overnight. Davis tends to hold onto stakes in businesses for between five and ten years and some do better than others. Overall, however, Molten's track record is encouraging. The group listed on the stock market in 2016, since when it has generated more than 600 million, as businesses are floated on the stock market, sold to larger companies or passed on to private equity owners. Davis casts a wide net. Molten has investments in more than 130 companies at varying degrees of maturity. Some may fail. Others are likely to exceed expectations. Over the past eight years however, there have been just a handful of failures and these have been more than offset by big successes. While Molten's portfolio spans dozens of firms, Davis and his team focus on a core of 15 to 20 businesses, across all aspects of technology. The largest investment, Thought Machine, helps traditional banks to modernise their payment systems and counts Lloyds, Standard Chartered and JP Morgan as customers. Having invested 36 million in Thought Machine, the group's stake is now valued at almost 100 million and expected to continue increasing. Data cloud specialist Aiven could be even more impressive. The venture firm invested 4.6 million in Aiven and it is now valued on the books at 82 million, suggesting a return of almost 18 times. Many large investors worry that Molten's valuations are overly optimistic. The company says its investments are worth around 1.2 billion but the stock market values the group at little more than 700 million, a discount of 40 per cent. Such scepticism is understandable. Technology stocks have been under attack across the globe and even the largest businesses have not been immune. Recent deals from Molten offer some comfort, however. Last week, Davis sold out of AI firm M-Files for 47 million, having invested 6.5 million in the business. In April, an original investment of 9 million in breast surgery specialist Endomagnetics generated a return of 35 million when the business was sold to a large US medical group. Two further deals delivered successful results and all four investments have been sold at around the same price or more as they were valued in Molten's books. Midas verdict: Molten Ventures shares are 3.87, down from more than 11 three years ago. Investing in young technology firms is inherently risky but Molten's broad portfolio adds resilience and the track record since flotation is reassuring. Molten shares are not for the cautious but adventurous investors looking to support UK technology firms could take a punt on this stock. Traded on: Main market Ticker: GROW Contact: moltenventures.com or 020 7931 8800 TAIYUAN, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- The total imports and exports of goods in north China's coal-rich Shanxi Province grew 14.7 percent year on year to 101.2 billion yuan (about 14.2 billion U.S. dollars) in the first seven months of 2024, official data showed Saturday. From January to July, the province's exports grew 12.5 percent to 61.05 billion yuan, while imports rose 18.2 percent to 40.15 billion yuan, according to the customs bureau of Taiyuan, the province's capital city. During the period, Shanxi's trade with countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative reached 47.52 billion yuan, marking a 23.6-percent increase and accounting for 47 percent of its total trade volume. Trade with the other Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) member countries accounted for 32.1 percent of the total. In terms of export items, mobile phones, rolled steels, solar cell and coal saw significant growth, with year-on-year surges of 10.8 percent, 15.6 percent, 189.6 percent, and 177.4 percent, respectively. Wilko's founding family was this weekend branded 'the unacceptable face of capitalism' after saying it had no plans to help plug the collapsed retailer's 70 million pension hole. The discount chain went bust a year ago with the loss of over 12,000 jobs and the closure of 400 stores. The Mail on Sunday revealed that Wilko's owners descendants of its founder, James Kemsey Wilkinson had extracted 77 million in dividends over the previous decade. Wilko had debts of 625 million when it went under. The failure left its pension fund with a huge deficit, meaning over a thousand workers who are yet to retire face the prospect of reduced annual incomes for life. But Wilko's ultimate parent, Amalgamated Holdings Wilkinson Limited (AHWL), last week said it did not believe it had any obligation to fill the pensions hole. AHWL whose directors include Lisa Wilkinson, grand-daughter of the company's founder added it had 'never been the sponsoring employer' or provided the scheme with a guarantee. Failure: The discount chain went bust a year ago with the loss of over 12,000 jobs and the closure of 400 stores The comments were slammed by Lord Mann, a former Labour MP and Treasury Select Committee chairman whose Bassetlaw constituency included Wilko's Worksop headquarters. He described the owners as 'the new unacceptable face of capitalism'. He said: 'Their place in history as a successful family firm has been destroyed in a frenzy of greed. It is quite appalling, the law is clearly too weak,' Mann added. Wilko's pension plan could be bailed out by the Pension Protection Fund (PPF), the industry lifeboat which is assessing the scheme. Experts said there were also precedents for owners making good pension fund holes. Dr Gordon Fletcher of Salford University Business School noted that businessman Sir Philip Green paid 363 million into the pension fund of 11,000 BHS workers two years after its collapse in 2016. Calls are growing for the Wilkinson family to follow suit. 'It is an absolute disgrace that Wilko's family owners believe they do not have to face their responsibilities to loyal workers,' said Nadine Houghton, national officer for the GMB union. No one was at home last week at the 3 million three-storey house occupied by Lisa Wilkinson and her husband in one of the most exclusive roads in Cambridge. 'Devastated': Lisa Wilkinson pictured at last year's select committee Cobwebs had gathered around the front doors of the property. A neighbour said they had not seen Lisa Wilkinson in weeks. Last year, she tearfully told MPs that she was devastated by the collapse of the discount retailer but claimed the family's multimillion-pound fortune was not enough to repair the pension fund. The parent company did not have enough assets, which were mostly tied up in start-up businesses and UK properties, Wilkinson said. Only 20 million of the 70 million pension fund gap is secured against Wilko's assets, meaning that pensioners will lose the bulk of what they are owed unless the Wilkinson family coughs up or the PPF makes good the shortfall. The PPF promises to pay in full pensions that are already being drawn, but only around 90 per cent of payments due to members who had not retired when their employer went bust. A PPF spokesman said: 'We are working closely with The Pensions Regulator and the scheme trustees to ensure the best possible outcome for members. 'We want to reassure members, at what must be a concerning time for them, that we are here to protect them for as long as they need us.' AatraZeneca has, in the past few days, seen its value rise above 200 billion after a spectacular surge in its shares. Few companies listed on the UK stock market have ever achieved this feat. Under the leadership of Sir Pascal Soriot, the pharmaceuticals giant is one of Britain's greatest success stories. But even his biggest admirer might not have predicted it when he took the helm a dozen years ago. AZ is one of a tiny number of companies listed on the UK stock market that are truly world class in their field a fact that appears to be lost on Rachel Reeves. The Chancellor is looking to scale back on a deal to give government support for a planned 450 million vaccine-making site on Merseyside, which may result in AZ taking the facility elsewhere. Reeves may feel disinclined to offer state backing to a multi-billion pound company that is by all accounts thriving. But, as her predecessor Jeremy Hunt put it: 'If growth is the Chancellor's aim then reneging on this deal is a funny way of showing it.' AstraZeneca shares went from 29 when Soriot took over in 2012 to 130, giving a return of 589 per cent with dividends reinvested AZ's status as a great British business is a remarkable transformation since it came under siege a decade ago by Pfizer, the powerful US drugs group behind Viagra. The American company mounted a 69 billion takeover bid and virtually no one expected Soriot to triumph over the predator. That was to underestimate the wily and resilient French-Australian, who made his way to the top from a rough estate in the Parisian suburbs, where he was often forced into fights. Having seen off Pfizer, he was faced with the daunting task of proving to investors he was right to have resisted. Soriot has vindicated himself beyond everyone's wildest dreams, except possibly his own. Even without a hostile bidder, Soriot had taken charge at a difficult point in the company's long history. Its heritage dates more than a century to 1913 when Astra, originally a Swedish business, was founded by a group of doctors and apothecaries. Astra merged in 1999 with Zeneca, the pharma division of former British chemicals flagship ICI, which dismantled itself following a hostile bid from corporate raider Lord Hanson. The pair listed on the London market with high hopes of creating another UK drugs powerhouse alongside rival GSK. But by 2012, when Soriot showed up, the company was a laggard in its sector. Some feared it could even follow ICI into the corporate graveyard. Valuable drug patents were expiring, leaving it on a cliff-edge with precious little in the pipeline. Soriot, who had left European rival Roche for a seeming basket case, was accused of committing career suicide. Soriot's secret is investing heavily in growth through innovation Instead, his arrival heralded a spectacular rebirth. In the thick of the Pfizer bid in May 2014, he set a highly ambitious aim of achieving revenues of more than $45 billion by 2023. He achieved that goal ahead of time and has now set a new target of $80 billion of revenues by 2030. Soriot's secret is investing heavily in growth through innovation. Whilst other big pharma companies ploughed money into sales and marketing, he insisted on investing a fifth of revenues into research and development, come rain, come shine. The result is that the company has 13 blockbusters drugs with more than $1 billion of annual sales on its slate, including cancer drugs Enhertu and Imfinzi. It is expecting to launch 20 new drugs by the end of this decade, by which time it believes its tally of blockbusters will have reached more than 25. Beyond 2030, AstraZeneca is pinning its hopes on ADCs, or Antibody-Drug Conjugates. In simple terms, this is clever chemo that delivers a highly potent zap to cancer cells while minimising the damage to healthy ones. Other areas earmarked for growth include weight management, where it is lagging the likes of Wegovy-maker Novo Nordisk. The business is geographically diverse. China is the second biggest market after the US and more growth is expected from emerging economies. Soriot's finest hour so far, however, was the partnership with Oxford University to develop a Covid 19 jab, particularly as Astra is not particularly known for its expertise in vaccines. Initially the injection was provided on a not-for-profit basis, which may not have maximised shareholder returns in the short term, but had incalculable publicity value. Soriot's handsome rewards have been the source of some controversy. Last year his pay-packet hit a high of nearly 17 million, taking his total earnings at AstraZeneca to a stupendous 135 million and counting. A third of investors at this year's annual meeting revolted against a pay policy that could boost his haul to nearly 19 million this year. These are staggering sums, but they are at least rewards for success. Reeves may feel she has no reason to subsidise a business where the boss earns so much money and the sales run into tens of billions. But the reality is AstraZeneca can take its facilities, its jobs and its share-listing elsewhere, leaving Britain the poorer. If she wants growth, she needs to back those who create it. A storm is brewing in the private jet sector over a 330 million court case that threatens to lay bare some of its biggest secrets. At its centre is the Swiss tycoon and racing car driver Thomas Flohr, owner of VistaJet, the private jet firm whose fans include Taylor Swift, George Clooney and Brad Pitt. Stars pay 12,500 an hour to travel in some of the latest and most luxurious jets. Now, Flohr, 64, and VistaJet are in a legal dogfight alleging they have been smeared by rival AirX and its founder John Matthews. They say in Maltese court papers that Matthews spread false, manipulated and confidential information about the firm's health to put it out of business. The claim says this was in 'pursuit of disrupting VistaJet's operations and tarnishing its reputation'. VistaJet was 3.04 billion in debt at the end of 2023, up 103 million on a year before, a company source confirmed to The Mail on Sunday. Credit rating agency S&P lowered its outlook due to soaring costs and lower than expected revenue. Auditors warned in the 2022 accounts of its UK arm, VistaJet International, of 'material uncertainty' over the group's future to continue as a going concern. Playing it cool: VistaJet's Thomas Flohr prepares for a race in Dubai Matthews said: 'I make no apology for alerting the market to VistaJet's financial position. VistaJet's own auditor has voiced concern about it. I have done nothing wrong and VistaJet's lawfare in the Maltese court is a futile attempt to muzzle me. I am confident of my legal case and look forward to defending it.' A VistaJet source told The Mail on Sunday that there was no 'material uncertainty' for the 2023 accounts and the company was in good health. Flohr controls his sprawling empire though Dubai-based Vista Global Holdings. The ebullient entrepreneur lives in a James Bond-inspired home above the Swiss resort of St Moritz, with a 'garage gallery' for his cars. He is father to businesswoman Princess Nina of Greece, the wife of Prince Philippos, who live in a 30 million Knightsbridge house. VistaJet's 2023 accounts show fixed costs had leapt by 30 per cent to 532 million and adjusted earnings had fallen by 5 per cent. The company had to restate key figures from its 2022 accounts after changing auditors. However, a VistaJet source said the debt reflected aggressive expansion, and the borrowings were dwarfed by the company's fleet of planes worth well over 3 billion. VistaJet also increased its market share in 2023-24, the source said, adding that it has never defaulted on repayments and that other ratings agencies had not downgraded the firm. ARAXAN RIGHT BANNER, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- Located in the hyper-arid region of northwestern China, the Badain Jaran Desert is the country's third largest desert and second largest drifting desert. China's Badain Jaran Desert -- Towers of Sand and Lakes, was included on the World Heritage List by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) at the 46th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held in New Delhi, India. Yogyakarta Royal Orchestra perform in front of the public to celebrate the 79th Independence Day at Yogyakarta Palace in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Aug. 17, 2024. Indonesia celebrated its 79th Independence Day on Saturday. (Photo by Agung Supriyanto/Xinhua) JAKARTA, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia celebrated its 79th Independence Day on Saturday with a grand ceremony in the new capital, Nusantara, located on the island of Kalimantan, marking the first time the celebration was held there. Simultaneously, a parallel celebration took place at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta. The ceremony in Nusantara was led by President Joko Widodo, accompanied by the president-elect Prabowo Subianto. Meanwhile, Vice President Ma'ruf Amin led the ceremony in Jakarta, with the elected vice president Gibran Rakabuming Raka by his side. To ensure the security of the celebrations, the National Police deployed over 1,000 personnel, while the Indonesian National Military deployed over 2,000 personnel in Nusantara. The entire nation was adorned with red-and-white flags, with various competitions and events held in the days leading up to the celebrations. In a recent statement, Prabowo, who will be inaugurated in October this year, reaffirmed his commitment to continuing the development of the Nusantara Capital under his leadership. People participate in a greasy pole climbing game during the celebration of the 79th Independence Day at Ancol beach in Jakarta, Indonesia, Aug. 17, 2024. Indonesia celebrated its 79th Independence Day on Saturday. (Photo by Rahmat Dian P./Xinhua) People participate in a greasy pole climbing game during the celebration of the 79th Independence Day at Ancol beach in Jakarta, Indonesia, Aug. 17, 2024. Indonesia celebrated its 79th Independence Day on Saturday. (Photo by Rahmat Dian P./Xinhua) People participate in a cultural carnival to celebrate the 79th Independence Day in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Aug. 17, 2024. Indonesia celebrated its 79th Independence Day on Saturday. (Photo by Agung Supriyanto/Xinhua) People unfold a huge Indonesian national flag to celebrate the 79th Independence Day in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, Aug. 17, 2024. Indonesia celebrated its 79th Independence Day on Saturday. (Photo by Niaz Sharief/Xinhua) People participate in a cultural carnival to celebrate the 79th Independence Day in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Aug. 17, 2024. Indonesia celebrated its 79th Independence Day on Saturday. (Photo by Agung Supriyanto/Xinhua) A great deal of EXCEPTIONAL local crime reporting to consider as we check police action, local meetups and ongoing stories from across the metro . . . Check TKC news gathering . . . 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." Blue Springs Police: Mass shooting linked to 'violent' motorcycle gang Blue Springs, Mo., police link a mass shooting in 2022, to the Pegan's motorcycle club. A federal grand jury indicted 18 members of the club Thursday. Man who hit Z Trip vehicle, killing passenger in police chase sentenced Karam Jackson, 19, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and resisting arrest. He received eight years in prison for manslaughter and four years for resisting arrest. These sentences will run ... Low-income Kansans are going into debt because unpaid traffic tickets rack up interest Critics argue adding additional fees and interest on unpaid traffic fines is unfair to low-income drivers. And it may not even be legal under Kansas law. Former teacher pleads guilty after students reveal illegal relationships A former Shawnee teacher has pleaded guilty to multiple counts of unlawful sexual relations after two of his students came forward years earlier. KC woman who stole over $60,000 in merchandise sentenced in Platte Co. 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... Man pleads no contest after multiple overdoses reported in Lawrence neighborhood A Kansas man has pleaded no contest to the illegal distribution of drugs after multiple overdoses were reported in a Lawrence neighborhood. Olathe dad charged with murder, accused of leaving young son in hot car An Olathe dad faces murder, child endangerment charges after investigators say he left his kids in a hot car for hours, an 11-month-old boy died Independence man charged with murder following Kansas City shooting A man already behind bars in Kansas has been charged with the murder of a Kansas City man following a shooting that happened in late May. Deputies investigate Thursday night homicide at Edgerton Park in Kansas City, Kansas Wyandotte County Sheriff's deputies are working to learn more about a homicide Thursday night at a park in Kansas City, Kansas. Kansas City man sentenced to life in prison for murder at Overland Park gas station Zarrell Semaj Finley, 26, was convicted of first-degree murder for a 2022 gas station shooting. Kansas school employee locked disabled boy in cage, compared him to 'animal': Lawsuit The boy's parents were "horrified" to learn of the mistreatment, their lawyer told The Star on Friday. Community asked to send in footage after attempted sexual assault Investigators are attempting to identify a man who kidnapped an individual in Leavenworth and attempted to sexually assault them. Federal law enforcement agencies warn children are being targeted on social media for drug distribution As thousands of students head back to school, federal law enforcement agencies warn children are being targeted via social media for drug distribution. 'The graveyards are filled up': Family fights for justice in young man's murder Family of 23-year-old Wayne Steward is asking for help as police search for his killer. Developing . . . A Palestinian scholar has raised doubts over the U.S. role in the mediation of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. #GLOBALink The recent history of a black rock Photographer unknown, public domain photo. William Dall poses at the beginning of his first Alaska expedition in 1885. In June of 1867 a few months before Alaska would become part of the United States with the transfer of $7.2 million to Russia William Healey Dall picked up a shiny black rock from a riverbank. Dall was near the mouth of the Nowitna River, which flows into the Yukon River between todays villages of Tanana and Ruby. He tucked away the interesting stone, scribbled a note about it in his journal and continued on his expedition. His mission was to survey a possible route for a telegraph line along the Yukon River that might connect the U.S. with Europe via the Bering Strait. One-hundred-fifty-seven years later, while recently visiting Washington, D.C., Jeff Rasic held that same piece of obsidian in his hand. Rasic, an archaeologist and the science coordinator for all the 15 National Park Service units in Alaska, was at a gathering of colleagues in West Virginia. He had added a day to his trip from his home in Fairbanks to visit the Smithsonian Institution in Washington. There, he walked right to the institutions geological collection to further explore one of his favorite projects: the sources of ancient obsidian tools found in Alaska. Obsidian is a black, often translucent rock. Volcanic eruptions sometimes ooze out magma that turns into this natural glass as it cools. Obsidian is hard and durable and can be worked to a razor-sharp edge. Archaeologists find it in sites all over Alaska where people once tipped spears, scraped hides and made knives with it. Far-north hunters also once implanted obsidian into the seats of their boats to draw whales to themselves. Its a fluke-of-nature rock, Rasic said. Because its such a rare thing, we can make a very precise match between the artifact and its source. Photo by Jeff Rasic A piece of obsidian rock sits on display in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. William Healey Dall collected the rock in 1868 near the Nowitna River in Interior Alaska. A good deal of the human-used obsidian in Alaska comes from a source called Batza Tena near the Indian River in Interior Alaska. There are a few other notable obsidian deposits, such as near Wiki Peak in the Wrangell Mountains, Okmok Caldera in the Aleutian Islands and sources in Southeast Alaska. Rasic is always on the lookout for samples of Alaska obsidian. He wants to pinpoint long-forgotten sources and learn what the rocks can tell us about interactions between ancient Alaskans. For example, he once linked an obsidian artifact from a 3,000-year-old site on Unalaska Island in the Aleutians to a source in the Wrangell Mountains, just a dozen miles from the Canada border. To find something (in the Aleutians) from Interior Alaska was a big surprise, Rasic said. How does Rasic tell the difference between Wiki Peak obsidian and obsidian from Okmok Volcano? He carries a handheld machine that looks like a barcode scanner. In the basement of the Smithsonian in Washington, Rasic pointed his machine at the black rock Dall had reported as a possible geological source. He pulled the trigger. The device sent out controlled beam of X-rays that excited electrons within the rock. That allowed Rasic to instantly know the concentration of elements in that piece of obsidian. Photo by Jeff Rasic Visitors enter the Smithsonian Institutions National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., in July 2024. Dalls rock was a perfect match to Batza Tena, which makes sense in that the source is 70 miles from the beach where Dall picked it up. Rasic was pleasantly surprised to find that ancient people had worked this piece of obsidian, a rock he thought might have been from one of those unknown outcrops for which he is always searching. Dalls obsidian was evidently from a nearby camp, carried there by people with connections to the Koyukuk River and the Batza Tena source, Rasic said. I was happy to have solved a piece of the puzzle, and also for the chance to overlap in a small way with this noted explorer. Illustration by UAF Geophysical Institute A star on a map of Alaska indicates the location of the Nowitna River. That naturalist and lover of Alaska left his name behind on more Alaska creatures and features than anyone else, including the Dall sheep and Dalls porpoise. His name also remains on Dall Glacier, Dall Point, Dall Island, Dall Lake, Dall Mountain, Dall Ridge, Dall River and Mount Dall. Since the late 1970s, the University of Alaska Fairbanks' Geophysical Institute has provided this column free in cooperation with the UAF research community. Ned Rozell is a science writer for the Geophysical Institute. Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Oleksiy Kuleba, together with representatives of central executive authorities, held a briefing for international partners to discuss the needs of Ukraines energy sector and preparing for the autumn and winter period. According to the Presidents Office, the videoconference was attended by representatives of foreign diplomatic missions and international organizations, regional military administrations and local authorities. Minister of Energy German Galushchenko noted that with the necessary funding and appropriate repairs, almost 3 GW of electricity generation can be restored by the end of the year. Read also: Government endorses national renewable energy action plan until 2030 According to him, thanks to international partners' assistance, Ukraine already has gas-fired combustion plants that provide distributed electricity generation and support Ukraine's energy system. According to the Presidents Office, the Minister informed the participants of the meeting about the priority needs for restoration, repair and launch of generation at the facilities affected by Russian missile strikes, implementation of distributed generation projects, and provision of backup power sources for critical infrastructure. In turn, Vasyl Shkurakov, acting Minister for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine, outlined the needs of our country's regions and certain cities for block-modular and modular boiler plants. With the help of partners, a significant number of these requests are already being met, particularly in Kharkiv and the Kharkiv region. The meeting also focused on the need for cogeneration units and generators, which would allow for a more independent heating system. Photo: Presidents Office This photo taken on July 26, 2024 shows an interior view of a sugar factory in Flacq of Mauritius. (Xinhua/Ling Xin) PORT LOUIS, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- "Mauritius was made first, and then heaven; and heaven was copied after Mauritius." These words by American writer Mark Twain have made Mauritius famous for its paradise-like scenery. However, little is known about its other nickname: Sweet Island. The name "Sweet Island" comes from the island's most important crop, sugar cane. At time of its independence in the 1960s, 90 percent of Mauritius's arable land was devoted to sugar cane cultivation, and the sugar industry once generated nearly one-third of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) and more than 90 percent of its total exports. In recent years, cooperation between China and Mauritius is on the rise thanks to the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries. In fact, Sweet Island is eyeing the Chinese market to revitalize its sugar industry. The sugar industry plays an important role in the local economy and social development of Mauritius. "Maintaining the sustainability of the sugar cane industry is crucial for Mauritius," said Chief Executive Officer of the Mauritius Sugar Syndicate (MSS) Devesh Dukhira. Dukhira said that sugar still accounts for some 15 percent of the country's total exports while, together with the by-products bagasse and molasses, the industry contributes more than 2 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP), not to mention its positive impact on the environment, including avoidance of soil erosion, and hence preservation of its lagoons. However, since the turn of the century, the Mauritian sugar industry has encountered serious challenges, especially with the abolition of guaranteed prices in 2009 under the defunct European Union (EU) Sugar Protocol in the European market, once the main destination for Mauritian sugar. As it subsequently became exposed to world market price volatility and distortion, sugar revenue unfortunately became unpredictable, which has resulted in an increased rate of land abandonment. "Mauritius is a small and isolated island, so the freight takes much time and money to go to Europe, even to Asia. And with a rise in the freight price, it's getting even more difficult for the containers to be shipped to the world market," said Gunness Bhuruth, whose family has been engaged in sugar cane cultivation for generations. "There were farmers who preferred to leave their land fallow rather than continue to grow sugar cane," he said. In January 2021, a Free Trade Agreement between China and Mauritius came into force. As the first of its kind between China and an African country, the trade agreement has proven to be a game-changer, as it set up a specific tariff-rate quota for Mauritian sugar, making the export volume to China increase to over 13,000 tons in that year. "As a small island, the quantity of our sugar production is limited. So we have to be able to differentiate ourselves from global suppliers. We have to focus on the quality of our sugar," Bhuruth said. Dukhira stressed that the marketing strategy is to "complement rather than replace" the sugar being produced in China. "The marketing of the Mauritius sugar has been assigned to COFCO (China Oil and FoodStuffs Corporation) which, despite being a sugar producer itself, focuses on the special attributes of these high value-added wholesome special sugar to secure a long-standing position in niche market segments within China, such as in high-end retail supermarkets, in the catering trade and among specific industrial users such as bakeries," he said. "The main differentiating factor would be the additive-free characteristics." Mauritian special sugars are widely known for the natural intensity of their aroma and tastes, and are rich in antioxidants and minerals, according to the website of the Mauritius Sugar Syndicate, a non-profit organization established in 1919 that focuses on promoting the sales of Mauritian sugar before distributing the net proceeds to the local producers. In October 2023, a special booth was allotted by COFCO to Mauritian special sugars at the China Food and Drinks Fair in Shenzhen, China. "We are on the right track," said Dukhira. "We rely a lot on this FTA and the support of COFCO to meet our sales target in China, which should in the near future become one of the most important export destinations for Mauritius sugar." Gregory Bathfield, CEO of Alteo Milling, the largest sugar factory in Mauritius, expressed hope for a bright future. "We are hopeful that all the benefits can be materialized in the next few years. It would be a great achievement and bring more remuneration to all the stakeholders," Bathfield said. Farmers harvest sugar cane in Flacq of Mauritius, July 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Ling Xin) A worker operates a harvest machine working at a sugar cane field in Flacq of Mauritius, July 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Zeng Tao) Workers work at a sugar factory in Flacq of Mauritius, July 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Ling Xin) Farmers harvest sugar cane in Flacq of Mauritius, July 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Ling Xin) Gunness Bhuruth is pictured at his family's sugar cane field in Flacq of Mauritius, July 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Ling Xin) Gunness Bhuruth (L) and his father work at his family's sugar cane field in Flacq of Mauritius, July 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Ling Xin) Gunness Bhuruth (L) and his father work at his family's sugar cane field in Flacq of Mauritius, July 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Ling Xin) GHAZNI, Afghanistan, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- At least one commuter was confirmed dead and seven others were injured after two passenger vehicles collided in east Afghanistan's Ghazni province, said a statement of the provincial police office on Saturday. The road accident took place Friday night in the province's Qara Bagh district when a passenger car rammed into a Fielder car, killing one person on the spot and injuring seven others, the statement added. Reckless driving on congested roads and lack of safety measures during travel on dilapidated highways often cause deadly road accidents in Afghanistan. PHNOM PENH, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- A rare Mekong Irrawaddy dolphin had been found dead after being entangled in a fisherman's illegal gillnet in northeast Cambodia, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said in a news release on Saturday. The 2.1-meter-long female dolphin, weighed 108 kg, was spotted dead on Friday near the Kampi dolphin pool in Preaek Prasab district of Kratie province, the news release said, adding that the animal is aged between eight and 10 years old. "The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries considers the death of this juvenile dolphin as the loss of a precious natural treasure of Cambodia and the world," the news release said. "The ministry calls on fishermen to immediately stop using gillnets and electro-fishing in the dolphin protected area," it added. The ministry also encourages people to report to local authorities if they see any fishermen using these illegal fishing gears in the dolphin conservation zone. Since the start of this year, the Southeast Asian country has recorded three dolphin deaths and eight dolphin newborns. The Mekong Irrawaddy dolphins have been listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species since 2004. It is estimated that there are approximately 105 Irrawaddy dolphin population living along a 180-km main channel of the Mekong River in northeast Stung Treng and Kratie provinces. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Minister for Maritime Affairs Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh on Saturday said that Danish shipping company Maersk will invest $2 billion in Pakistan's port and transport infrastructure over the next two years ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Aug, 2024) Minister for Maritime Affairs Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh on Saturday said that Danish shipping company Maersk will invest $2 billion in Pakistan's port and transport infrastructure over the next two years. Talking to PTV News, the minister stated that this significant investment will contribute to the development of infrastructure and will play a vital role in boosting Pakistans economy. He said that the investment comes as a result of the efforts made by the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC). The minister is scheduled to visit Denmark this month to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Maersk and Karachi Port Trust, formalizing the investment plans. He said that Karachi has the potential to increase exports and the Ministry of Maritime Affairs is creating an enabling environment for the business community to tap into this potential. He noted that the government has removed sales tax on processing plants, fishery seeds, and feed within the maritime sector to encourage growth. Additionally, land will be provided for the construction of processing plants to boost maritime exports. The minister further said that this investment initiative by Maersk reflects progress in Pakistans maritime and transport sectors and overall economy. (@Abdulla99267510) Detection leads to prompt action by the authorities concerned, which isolated the family members of the affected person ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-August 17th, 2024) Prime Minister's Coordinator on National Health Services Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad on Saturday reported that three is only one case of Mpox in Pakistan. Mpox case recently was detected in Pakistan, said the PMs aide while addressing a press conference in Islamabad. Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad said the person who travelled from the gulf region was tested positive in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said the detection led to prompt action by the authorities concerned, which isolated the family members of the affected person. Dr Mukhtar Ahmad said the relevant authorities have been directed to ensure all the precautionary measures on the airports. He said screening process has been activated at the airports. The Coordinator National Health Services, however, advised those who travel from abroad to isolate themselves in the first phase if they develop any symptom of rash, flu, fever and body ache. Dr Mukhtar Ahmad said this virus transmits through contact and mostly fever and pain related medicines are used by the patients. He said only in case of deterioration in situation, anti-viral drugs are administered. He said there is no need to be panic as the mortality rate is low. In a move to bring basic amenities to the doorstep of the citizens, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Pakpattan, Sadia Mehr on Saturday launched two new water supply projects in Arifwala, revolutionizing access to clean water for the local community PAKPATTAN, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Aug, 2024) In a move to bring basic amenities to the doorstep of the citizens, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Pakpattan, Sadia Mehr on Saturday launched two new water supply projects in Arifwala, revolutionizing access to clean water for the local community. In a significant development, the Deputy Commissioner inaugurated the projects under the Chief Minister's people-centric approach. The projects, equipped with solar-powered tube wells, aim to provide clean drinking water to the residents of Arifwala. Dr. M. Abdullah Tabassum, Chief Digital Monitoring Officer Punjab, praised the chief minister's vision, emphasizing the importance of collective efforts for district development. "The Chief Minister's commitment to providing top-notch facilities to every district is commendable," he stated. Deputy Commissioner Sadia Mehr reaffirmed her dedication to implementing the Chief Minister's vision. "My top priority is to deliver essential services to Pakpattan district residents, ensuring no obstacles hinder progress," she asserted. These projects mark a significant milestone in the district's development journey, underscoring the administration's resolve to improve the lives of citizens. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Aug, 2024) In response to growing concerns about Monkeypox, the district administration has taken proactive steps and Deputy Commissioner (DC) Islamabad, Irfan Nawaz, personally visited Islamabad Airport to review the screening process for incoming international passengers. According to a spokesperson for the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), the DC visited the airport to evaluate the existing measures for screening travellers. He instructed that the screening process be expedited to ensure the timely identification of any potential Monkeypox cases. The DC said that health department personnel have been deployed at the airport, where every passenger arriving from overseas is being thoroughly screened. If any symptoms are detected, the individual will be isolated and transferred to PIMS Hospital, which is equipped with special arrangements for treating Monkeypox patients. DC Islamabad said that Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Hospital has been designated as an Isolation Management Unit for Monkeypox cases. A special focal person has been appointed to oversee the unit's operations, ensuring that all necessary precautions and treatments are effectively managed. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Aug, 2024) Deputy Chairman Senate Syedaal Khan Nasar Saturday praised the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) for its efforts to simplify the process of issuing identity cards for the people of Balochistan. During a meeting with the Director General of NADRA Balochistan, he highlighted the challenges faced by the province, its big size and remote areas often make it difficult for residents to obtain identity cards. He suggested that NADRA could provide better services in these areas by deploying mobile teams and implementing other appropriate measures to facilitate the process. The Director General NADRA assured the Deputy Chairman Senate that every possible effort would be made to address these concerns and to make the identity card issuance process more accessible for the people of Balochistan. Deputy Chairman Nasar also extended his condolences to the DG on the passing of his mother-in-law. He prayed to the Almighty to grant the departed soul eternal peace and to provide the bereaved family with the strength to bear this loss with fortitude. TIANJIN, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- A new cargo air service linking Zhengzhou, capital city of central China's Henan Province, Wuhu in east China's Anhui Province, and Seoul, capital of the Republic of Korea (ROK) was launched on Friday. A freighter operated by Tianjin Air Cargo, loaded with daily necessities and e-commerce goods, left Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport for Seoul via Wuhu on Friday, according to the cargo airlines company. The flight marks the official launch of a new international air-cargo route. The domestic cargo service between Zhengzhou and Wuhu was launched on Aug. 5, according to Tianjin Air Cargo, adding that the service was extended to Seoul, which helps broaden the air corridor for the import and export logistics between China's central and eastern regions and the ROK, significantly boosting the efficiency of cargo transportation. LODHRAN, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Aug, 2024) Food safety teams inspected various food points and imposed heavy fines for violation of hygiene rules. The teams under the supervision of Director Operations South, Asif Iqbal, made inspections of sweets and bakers, hotels, restaurants, supermarkets, and various other food points. According to details, three sweets and bakers near Bahauddin Zakariya University Bosan road, Adda Billi Wala, and 17 Kassi in Multan were fined a total of Rs 80,000 due to improper food storage, presence of expired ketchup, contaminated ovens and other machinery, and lack of medical certificates for food handlers. Similarly, a supermarket near Sabzazar Metro Station was fined Rs 40,000 for having expired food items. Additionally, in 22/10R Kacha Khoh, a bakery and a restaurant at Adda Talamba were fined Rs 35,000 for having expired confectionery items, lack of labelling on sweets and other food items, and the use of Chinese salt in their dishes. Furthermore, a grocery store in Pathan Wala, Lodhran, was fined Rs 20,000 for having an infestation of insects in the storage area, selling china salt and expired spices. Izmir, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Aug, 2024) Firefighters were battling a strong forest fire in Turkey's Aegean city of Izmir for a third day on Saturday, AFP reporters said, with hundreds more people evacuated overnight. In the northern suburb of Ornekkoy, AFP journalists saw the charred remains of several buildings and vehicles in an industrial zone while grey smoke billowed into the sky. "We don't know what to do. Our workplace is located in the middle of the fire. We have lost our livelihood," said 48-year-old Hanife Erbil, who earns a living collecting paper and plastic waste. The pine trees that once crowned the surrounding hills were also burned. "It was such a beautiful route, it smelled of pine trees everywhere. It makes me want to cry," said taxi driver Ayhan. A witness who wished to remain anonymous told AFP by telephone that the smell of smoke was hanging over the city, the third most-populated in Turkey. Firefighters from other Turkish cities have been sent as reinforcements and the army has been mobilised. "Everyone is working hard. I'm on my 36th hour of service. We can say the fire is partially under control," said Izmir firefighter Arjin Erol. The fire started on Thursday and was quickly spread to residential areas by winds blowing at 50 kilometres (30 miles) an hour. Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said 900 residents in five affected districts were evacuated overnight in Izmir. The fire damaged 16 buildings and affected 78 people, with 29 of them admitted to hospital, the Turkish health ministry said. Wild animals, cats and dogs died in the fire but no human victim has yet been reported. "Currently, two planes and eleven helicopters are continuing to intervene," said Agriculture and Forestry Ministry Ibrahim Yumakli, after the strong winds had earlier grounded the helicopters and water bombers. Residents of the city should not be "worried", he added. Around 1,600 hectares (3,900 acres) have been affected, the minister said, adding that the challenging geography was making it difficult to put out the fire at its origin. Six other fires continue to rage in forest areas in other cities in Turkey, including northwestern Bolu and Aydin in the west. In June, a fire that broke out in Mardin in southeastern Turkey claimed the lives of 15 people. Scientists say climate change makes extreme weather events including heatwaves more likely, longer lasting and more intense, increasing the risk of wildfires. Beirut, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Aug, 2024) Lebanon's health ministry said an Israeli air strike on Saturday in southern Lebanon killed nine people. The toll from the strike in the Nabatieh area included "a woman and her two children" and left five other people wounded, two critically, Lebanon's health ministry said in a statement. Geneva, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Aug, 2024) Two Lithuanian films picked up three of the top awards on the final day of the Locarno Film Festival Saturday. "Toxic", a film about the bond between two teenage aspiring models seeking to escape their bleak home town, won the top prize. The debut feature-length movie by Lithuania's Saule Bliuvaite saw off competition from 16 other films to win the Golden Leopard at Switzerland's largest film event. Bliuvaite, at 30, was the youngest director competing for the Golden Leopard. She said her film was about an age when people are in transition between childhood and adulthood, fitting in neither role. "The sense of being stuck between two worlds and looking for direction is universal," the Lithuanian said. The runner-up Special Jury Prize went to the Austrian movie "Mond", directed by Kurdwin Ayub. And a second Lithuanian film "Drowning Dry", about sisters dealing with trauma, picked up two major awards. Laurynas Bareisa won the best director's award while actors Gelmine Glemzaite, Agne Kaktaite, Giedrius Kiela, Paulius Markevicius picked up a collective best performance award. "It's a huge thing for Lithuania," said Glemzaite. "It's the first time in history that we got so lucky: two movies in one competition -- and three prizes," she said. Kim Min-hee won the other best performance award, for her role in the South Korean movie "By The Stream", a drama set in a school. "I find the film incredibly beautiful, and strangely touching my heart in a way that I can't explain," she said. - 'King Khan' draws huge crowd - This year's festival also honoured Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan, and directors Jane Campion and Alfonso Cuaron with special awards. Films are shown in Locarno's central square on one of the largest screens in the world. The open-air Piazza Grande holds up to 8,000 moviegoers. Bollywood superstar Khan, 58, was given the Pardo alla Carriera award for people whose artistic contributions have redefined cinema. "So many people stuffed up in a little square and so hot: it's just like being home in India," he told the packed piazza. "Awards like this encourage me to keep on trying to embody all the facets of life, to embody all the emotions," he said. Mexican filmmaker Cuaron, who won the best director Oscars for "Gravity" (2013) and "Roma" (2018), received the lifetime achievement award. "When I set out to do a film, it's pure instinct," he said. "So, I'm not stopping to overthink things. I'm just trying to put them together and to realise the film I have slowly built in my head." On choosing projects, he said: "With my current rate of making films, I honestly don't have that many more in me. So I decided, if I'm going to do something, it should be something that wouldn't be able to exist without me." - Campion honoured - New Zealand's Campion was recognised with the Leopard of Honour, given to outstanding personalities of world cinema. "Filmmaking is all about making mistakes, trying stuff, learning. What's essential is that your enthusiasm must be greater than your fear," she said. Campion won a best director Oscar for her 2021 film "The Power of the Dog", having already won one for best screenplay for her 1993 drama "The Piano". Founded in 1946, Locarno is one of the world's longest-running annual film festivals and focuses on auteur cinema. Held on the shores of Lake Maggiore, in the Italian-speaking Ticino region of southern Switzerland, nearly 150,000 people attended last year's festival. The 77th festival, which began on August 7, featured 225 films, including 104 world premieres and 15 debut movies. rjm/jj/gv The dancers shook their hips to the beat of drummers who led the way, anticipating the start of mass circumcision among the Bamasaaba people of Uganda's mountainous east. Yet the frolicking in the streets belied a dispute brewing behind the scenes as some locals questioned their king over the very public presentation of Imbalu, the ritualized circumcision of thousands of boys every other year in this remote community near Uganda's border with Kenya. Could it be turned into a carnival, put on for the gaze of foreigners? Or should it remain a sacred ceremony in which families quietly prepare their sons to face the knife with courage? The king, known as the Umukuuka, had his way ahead of the August 3 ceremonial inauguration at a park in the town of Mbale, arguing for a traditional festival that also looked attractive to visitors. The organizers of Imbalu received over $120,000 in financial support from the Ugandan government and a corporate sponsor. In an interview with The Associated Press, the Umukuuka asserted that organizing a modern Imbalu was challenging and defended his decision to market the ritual as a tourist event in line with Uganda's national development plan. "Everything is changing as the population expands. People may not manage to follow the cultural processes," he said, citing the economic hardship and commercialization he said were diluting the communal aspect of Imbalu. "But we are fighting through the clan system that (Imbalu) remains intact." Many question government intervention But the Ugandan government's intervention has raised eyebrows among many Bamasaaba and underscored angst over the most important ceremony for this ethnic group of 4 million Ugandans. Some who spoke to the AP said they felt the Umukuuka, in his first year in office, was trivializing Imbalu by exposing it to outside interests. "Our leadership is being hijacked by" national political leaders, said Wasukira Mashate, an elder who is a custodian of Bamasaaba cultural property, charging that the Umukuuka was missing the counsel of clan leaders with real spiritual authority. "I don't think they are having any role" in Imbalu, he said, speaking of clan leaders. "It was for our own benefit culturally, but now it is becoming a national event because the government of Uganda has captured it." At the ceremonial inauguration, an angry crowd gathered outside the totemic shrine of the clan that historically has launched Imbalu by cutting the first candidates. Clan members pointed to the young mixed-breed bull tethered to the grass as offensive, saying only a local breed would suffice as an appropriate sacrifice to the gods. "This cow is exotic. We are Bamasaaba, and he brought us a white animal," said Kareem Masaba, speaking of the Umukuuka. "He has insulted us. His predecessors used to come into the shrine and participate in the rituals, but this man will not come here. He is disrespecting us." The dispute over the sacrificial animal delayed the inauguration into the late afternoon as anger grew among men wielding machetes, sharp sticks and other crude weapons. The Umukuuka, seated not far away in a tent among dignitaries from elsewhere in Africa, did not budge. Clan members retaliated by refusing to present the first group of initiates before the Umukuuka, a former forestry officer whose real name is Jude Mudoma. The mass circumcisions will last until the end of 2024. 'Helps us to be strong' The tribal initiation of boys into adulthood has long been controversial in African countries such as South Africa, where incidents of botched, deadly circumcisions among Xhosa-speaking people have inspired campaigns for safe clinical circumcision. Among the Bamasaaba, whose cutting method is just as violent, there have been no calls to end the practice. The strongest adherents see Imbalu as more important than ever amid widespread infant circumcision in hospital settings. They say those boys who are not initiated in the tribal way risk suffering lifelong social delinquency. Tribal circumcision is performed by a traditional surgeon wielding a knife usually fashioned from melted nails. Bamasaaba hundreds of kilometers away in the Ugandan capital of Kampala are known to hunt down Imbalu dodgers they then cut by force. The bodies of uncircumcised men can be violated before burial. Circumcision "helps us to be strong," said Peter Gusolo, a traditional surgeon, gesticulating to express his people's purported sex prowess. Those who resist circumcision will be cut "even if (they) are dying," he said. "We circumcise you at night. We bury you in the morning." He added, "We cannot bury you in the land of the Bamasaaba without (being circumcised). No, no, no. It is in the constitution of the culture of the Bamasaaba ... It is a curse if you bury into the land people who are not circumcised." 'We are not barbaric' Gusolo, whose family lives in a house on the side of a hill planted with arabica coffee plants, spent days isolating himself in a cave and postponing intimacy with his wife so that he could be possessed by the spirit of Imbalu. Even though men like Gusolo wield certificates issued by local health authorities to prove their skill, the title is hereditary. The surgeons say they cannot afford to be flippant with their work because the wounds they inflict will not heal if they are not spiritually strong. The first candidate for initiation this year was a teenager whose face had been smeared with mud and the dregs of homemade beer. He spread his legs and unblinkingly stared at the sky while a swarm of frenzied people around him pushed and shoved, demanding courage. The surgeon, applying no anesthetic, took hold of the boy and skinned him with a swift movement of his hands. A member of the boy's family, aiming to protect the boy from the threat of witchcraft, collected the skin and took it home. Emmanuel Watundu, the father of a 17-year-old boy who was among the first to be cut, said he stood by Imbalu, describing it as the life-changing event his son asked for. But he criticized what he saw as a carnival atmosphere by "peer groups (who) normally behave differently than we used to." Outside Watundu's house, where a crowd had gathered, drunken people of all ages danced wildly, and one woman briefly exposed her breasts. A politician seeking a seat in the national assembly had a procession marching in the dirt road. Boys fondled girls and swung legs at them. Watundu said the street dancers he saw were "from different areas" and that most people attending Imbalu came "to do business." He said of the Ugandan government's involvement that it had "given some bad picture" about the Umukuuka's role as the chief organizer of Imbalu. Wilson Watira, who chaired the Imbalu organizing committee, defended the government's role as a supporter of Bamasaaba tradition. The exuberant street processions left people feeling joyful, he said. "When it comes to performance of culture, of culture itself it remains culture. We only want to show the world that even when we are performing this culture, it can also attract other people," he said. In the past, people thought the ritual was barbaric and brutal, Watira said. "It's the reason why we said, 'No, we are not barbaric. We can make this thing very attractive, and you will enjoy it.'" Explore the early autumn beauty of China's second-largest grassland in Xinjiang, where flocks of grey cranes bring the landscape to life. Produced by Xinhua Global Service As conflict casts a shadow across the Middle East, people are getting rich in Dubai. The desert sheikdom's economy is buzzing with tourism and construction as it positions itself as a safe haven in a region that's resting on a knife's 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 Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Average villa price tops $2.7M Demand is running red hot in Dubai's 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 Dubai's 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 Dubai's 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. Airport traffic soars Meanwhile, Dubai International Airport the world's 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. The city state's 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 Dubai's 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 they're being absorbed," said Property Monitor's Jochinke. "People are buying them." Of the thousands of delegates expected to gather Monday at the Democratic National Convention, only 36 will belong to the uncommitted movement sparked by dissatisfaction with U.S. President Joe Biden's handling of the Israel-Hamas war. But that small core has an outsized influence. Anger over U.S. backing for Israels offensive in Gaza could generate unwelcome images for convention organizers, with raucous protests expected outside and potentially inside the Chicago arena where Vice President Kamala Harris will accept the nomination Thursday. Top Democrats have spent weeks meeting with "uncommitted" voters and their allies including a previously unreported sit-down between Harris and the mayor of Dearborn, Michigan in an effort to respond to criticism in key swing states such as Michigan, which has a significant Arab American population. Months of meetings and phone calls between pro-Palestinian activists and the Harris campaign have fallen into an effective impasse. The activists want Harris to endorse an arms embargo to Israel and a permanent cease-fire. Harris has supported Biden's negotiations for a cease-fire but rejected an arms embargo. Rima Mohammad, one of Michigans two uncommitted delegates, said she sees the convention as a chance to share their movement's concerns with the party leadership. It is a way for protesters outside to be able to share their frustration with the party," she said. Harris meets key Arab American mayor Questions remain about the leverage uncommitted" voters hold now that Biden has stepped aside and Harris has taken his place. Democrats have seen a significant surge in enthusiasm for Harris campaign, and concerns about voter apathy in key areas, such as Detroits large Black population, appear to have diminished. But Harris and her team have still made communication with Arab American leaders a priority. During a campaign trip to Michigan last week, Harris met with Abdullah Hammoud, the 34-year-old mayor of Dearborn, a Detroit suburb that has the largest number of Arab Americans of any city in the United States. The meeting was disclosed by a person who was not authorized to discuss it publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. The person familiar with the meeting did not provide specific details but said the focus was on Harris potential policy, if elected, on the Israel-Hamas conflict. Hammoud declined to comment. Vice President Harris supports the deals currently on the table for a permanent cease-fire in Gaza and for the release of hostages, her campaign said in a statement. She will continue to meet with leaders from Palestinian, Muslim, Israeli and Jewish communities, as she has throughout her vice presidency. Campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez on Thursday held separate one-on-one meetings with leaders in the Arab American community and uncommitted movement in metro Detroit. They are listening, and we are talking, said Osama Siblani, publisher of the Arab American News, who met with Chavez Rodriguez. But none of us can garner votes in the community without public statements from Harris. She doesnt need us; she can win over votes by saying and doing the right thing. According to Siblani, Chavez Rodriguez agreed that the killing has to stop. In response, Siblani said he pressed: How? There is no plan. Lavora Barnes, the Democratic chair in Michigan, said the party would "continue working toward our goal of coming together to defeat Donald Trump and Republicans up and down the ballot. We are committed to continuing these conversations with community leaders, activists and organizations because we want to ensure that everyone in the Michigan Democratic Party has a seat at the table, Barnes said in a statement. No agreement on an arms embargo Some on the Democratic Partys left have called for including a moratorium on the use of U.S.-made weapons by Israel in the platform of policy goals that will be approved during next weeks convention. But such language isnt included in a draft platform party officials released earlier this summer, and its unlikely that those close to Harris campaign would endorse including it. The Uncommitted National Movement has also requested a speaking slot at the convention for a doctor who has worked on the frontlines in Gaza, along with a leader of the movement. And they have asked for a meeting with Harris to discuss updating the Gaza policy in hopes of stopping the flow of unconditional weapons and bombs to Israel, said Abbas Alawieh, another uncommitted delegate from Michigan and one of the founders of the movement. Before a Harris rally just outside Detroit last week, Alawieh and Layla Elabed, co-founders of the movement, briefly met with the vice president. They requested a formal meeting with Harris and urged her to support an embargo on weapons shipments to Israel. According to them, Harris seemed open to the idea of meeting. However, shortly after news of the meeting became public, Harris national security adviser, Phil Gordon, reaffirmed that she does not support an arms embargo. Alawieh mentioned Wednesday that the group has not received any further response from Harris team or the DNC regarding their requests ahead of the convention. I hope she doesnt miss the opportunity to unite the party," said Alawieh. Trump campaign continues its outreach Elsewhere in metro Detroit this week, Massad Boulos, the father-in-law of Trumps youngest daughter and now a leader in his Arab American outreach, was holding meetings with various community groups. Boulos has come to Michigan often for the outreach, along with Arab Americans for Trump chair Bishara Bahbah. According to Bahbah, their pitch highlights the situation in Gaza under Bidens administration and a promise from Trumps team to give the community a seat at the table if he wins. We have been told by the Trump circle, which is not part of the campaign, that in return for our votes, there would be a seat at the table and a voice to be heard, said Bahbah. But any apparent political opportunity for Trump in the Arab American community or the uncommitted movement may be limited by his past remarks and policies. Many Arabs remain offended by Trumps ban, while in office, on immigration from several majority Muslim countries, as well as remarks they consider insulting. Trump also has criticized Biden for not being a strong enough supporter of Israel. Speaking to an audience of Jewish supporters Thursday, Trump painted the protesters expected in Chicago as antisemitic and invoked an Arabic term that is sometimes used by Muslims to mean war or struggle. There will be no jihad coming to America under Trump," he said. But Bahbah acknowledges that his and Boulos strategy isnt necessarily aimed at converting voters to support Trump but to stop them from voting for Harris. If I cant convince people to vote for Trump, having them sit at home is better," said Bahbah. In the hours before Ukrainian soldiers stormed across Russia's western border, there was no sign from Moscow that anything was amiss. At midnight at the start of August 6, the Russian Defense Ministry posted good news: More than 2,500 members of the regiment responsible for the capture of a town in eastern Ukraine would receive state awards for heroism. Later that morning, as Ukraine began the biggest invasion of Russia since World War II, the ministry published video showing General Valery Gerasimov, commander of the Russian war effort, visiting a different combat zone, also in Ukraine. He heard reports from commanders and set "tasks for further actions," it said. The footage did not specify the exact time of the visit but revealed no concerns or knowledge of the events unfolding in Russia's western Kursk region that threatened to upset Gerasimov's plans and shift the course of the 2-year war. Panic spread quickly among local Russian residents in the early hours of the assault, despite repeated attempts by authorities to assure them that everything was under control, according to a timeline by Reuters of the first two days of the incursion, based on public statements, social media posts and analysis of video footage. The idea that Ukraine could turn the tables on Russia and burst onto the territory of its much bigger neighbor seemed unthinkable to most observers before last week. The shock operation has raised questions about the effectiveness of Russia's surveillance, as well as the caliber of its border fortifications and the forces guarding them. "The Russians had a complete intelligence failure here," French military expert Yohann Michel, research fellow at the IESD institute in Lyon, said in an interview. With Ukraine's forces retreating in eastern Ukraine, one of the most strategic sectors of the front line, Moscow may well have assumed Kyiv would not make a high-stakes gamble that even now it is far from clear it will pay off, Michel said. "I would understand if it was difficult for the Russians to think something that big could happen," he said. Ukrainian goals in Kursk include distracting Russian forces from the front line in the eastern region of Donetsk. Instead, fighting has intensified in that region in recent days, and the risks for Ukraine are rising as it tries to hold ground in Kursk. Russian member of parliament and former military officer Andrei Gurulyov said in a television interview two days after the incursion that Russian military leaders had been warned in a report about a month beforehand that there were signs of preparations for a Ukrainian attack, but that it was not heeded. The Russian Defense Ministry did not reply to requests for comment. Ukraine's armed forces declined to comment about the ongoing operations, and the U.S. State Department, Pentagon and White House did not immediately respond to questions. It was not until the afternoon of the following day, August 7, that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Gerasimov, his armed forces chief of staff, made their first public remarks on the Kursk events, which the Kremlin leader called "another major provocation" by Ukraine. Gerasimov, fresh from his ill-timed trip, told Putin in the televised comments that Russian forces had "stopped" a force of up to 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers from thrusting deep inside Kursk region. Michel, the military analyst, said it was unclear whether Gerasimov was misinformed by his own subordinates, or whether he felt compelled to deliver good news to Putin in front of the TV cameras. Russian officials in such staged settings "say what they think the boss wants to hear or to see in public at that specific moment," Michel said. We advise people to leave It took nearly 12 hours from the time of the incursion, which Gerasimov stated was at 5:30 a.m. on August 6, for the Defense Ministry to publicly acknowledge Ukraine had attacked the border, let alone broken through it. It was left to Kursk's acting regional governor, Alexei Smirnov, who was only months into the job, to fill the communications vacuum and try to coordinate with the multiple defense and security agencies responsible for protecting the border. In the first of many Telegram posts on August 6, Smirnov issued missile warnings at 1:51 and 3:11 a.m., urging residents to take cover. At 3:15, he said air defenses had knocked out three incoming Ukrainian drones. At 6:16, 11 more. Regions either side of the border have long grown used to tit-for-tat missile and drone attacks. But strikes against the Kursk region, recorded by Smirnov in Telegram posts, had been more than usually persistent for the previous 10 days. Among the targets hit were oil depots, power substations and, according to the Ukrainian military, a storage facility for weapons and military equipment. From about 5 a.m., alarm began to spread on social media. Locals posted that shelling in Sudzha, a Russian town on the border, had been going on for three hours. "What's going on with the lights? I've got no light or water," said a woman posting as Ekaterina Picasa. A user called Denis reported nine explosions in Korenevo, about 26 kilometers (16 miles) from the border. Reuters made multiple attempts to contact residents via social media, but these were ignored or blocked. A stream of posts appeared in Native Sudzha, a community channel on the social network VKontakte, but it was not clear whether the information was from official sources. "We advise people to leave the town," said one such message at 7:34 a.m. People were warned to beware of drones and watch out for unexploded shells. By 8:15 a.m., Native Sudzha was reporting "active fighting on the border itself." But a widely read Russian war blog was dismissive. The Two Majors Telegram channel, followed by more than 1 million people, said a small group of "the enemy" had managed to get only as far as 300 meters inside Russia and was "being destroyed." It suggested the operation was being staged by Ukrainian "TikTok units" as a media exercise. Careful preparation, planning, surprise Ukraine's government has said little about the planning of the incursion. In May, shortly after Russian troops crossed the border and seized territory in the nearby Kharkiv region, Ukraine's military intelligence chief publicly warned of small groups of Russian forces gathering around the Sudzha area and said Moscow had planned an operation into Ukraine's Sumy region from there. Reuters could not independently verify whether Russia had been preparing an offensive into Sumy. On Friday, Ukraine's paratrooper corps said its fighters spent the first hours of the operation demining, breaching the border and destroying defensive lines, using aviation and artillery. "Careful preparation, planning, surprise, fighting spirit and informational silence became decisive in the initial stage of the operation," the Airborne Assault Troops said in an online post. A Ukrainian soldier named Dmytro, 36, said he initially thought the Ukrainian army's build-up was to prevent a Russian cross-border raid. Instead, he found himself supporting the advance toward the border crossing near Sudzha after the assault units moved in, he said in an interview, giving only his first name in line with military protocol. "We worked to pre-empt them and they did not see this coming at all," he said. Under control Just after 10 a.m., Governor Smirnov confirmed for the first time that Ukraine had attempted an incursion but said Russian soldiers and border guards of the FSB security service had "prevented" the border from being breached. It was the first of numerous statements that were to be quickly disproved by events. Just before noon, the defense ministry published its video of Gerasimov visiting Russian forward positions in Ukraine. On events in Kursk, it was silent. So, too, was the Kremlin, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on a summer break and reporters left without his usual daily briefing. As of August 16, 10 days later, he had not returned to work. "Tell me please, is it true that Ukrainian tanks have broken through to Sudzha and Darino?" User Nestik posted on Telegram. Smirnov posted that help was being provided to residents of areas that had been struck overnight by missiles and drones. "The situation is under control," he wrote at 12:46 p.m. About an hour later, Russian news agencies published the first word from the central authorities about the situation. It was from the FSB, saying Russia had "repelled an armed provocation." By now, however, an exodus was underway. Sudzha residents were "leaving en masse," a woman named Anna said on Telegram. "Of course. Everyone wants to live," someone replied. In the chaos, some were left behind. A search network, Liza Alert, said it has posted over 100 "missing" notices for people who have disappeared since August 6, including many pensioners in their 70s and 80s. Dragons teeth Smirnov's predecessor as governor, Roman Starovoit, had repeatedly told the public that Russia had boosted its border fortifications in Kursk region. In December 2022, he posed in a snowy field beside pyramid-shaped "dragon's teeth" anti-tank defenses. The following month, he wrote: "Right now the risk of an armed invasion of the territory of Kursk region from Ukraine is not high. However, we are constantly working to strengthen the region's defense capabilities." Yet last fall, Ukraine's National Resistance Center, created by the special operations forces, said in an online post that reconnaissance showed "almost all the strongholds are deserted of personnel and equipment" along the border with Kursk, and said corruption was a factor. The video published by Ukraine's paratroopers showed columns of armored vehicles pouring in through rows of dragons teeth, part of fortifications in Kursk that Russia media outlets have said cost $168 million. Pasi Paroinen, an analyst with Finland's Black Bird Group, said the video appeared to show mine-clearing line charges blowing paths through minefields, dozer blades on armored vehicles used to clear paths through the dragon's teeth and bridging vehicles to cross ditches and small rivers. It's clear that substantial amounts of different engineer equipment were prepared and used," said Paroinen, who studies publicly available footage from the Russia-Ukraine war. Brady Africk, a U.S. analyst mapping Russias defenses, said those in Kursk region had fewer anti-vehicle ditches, obstacles and fighting positions when compared to Russian positions in occupied southern Ukraine, where a Ukrainian counteroffensive stalled last summer. "It was likely easier for Ukrainian forces to progress around and through Russia's fortifications in the region, especially if they were manned by fewer or poorly trained personnel," he said. 'The situation ... remains difficult Responsibility for defending the Russian border is shared between regular troops, FSB border forces and the national guard. Governor Smirnov was apparently referring to these various agencies when he said on midafternoon of the first day that he had met with "representatives of the security structures." Already, he was backtracking from his initial line that they had prevented the border from being pierced. "The situation in the border area remains difficult, but our defenders are successfully working to destroy the enemy," Smirnov said. At 5:05 p.m., the Defense Ministry mentioned the incursion for the first time and said Russia had transferred reserves to the area. "Troops covering the state border, together with units of the border troops of the FSB of Russia, are repelling the attacks and inflicting fire on the enemy in the area of the state border and on its reserves in the Sumy region [of Ukraine]," it said. At the briefing on August 7, Gerasimov told Putin: "The operation will end with the smashing of the enemy and [Russian forces] reaching the state border." Ten days later, with more than 100,000 Russians displaced and Ukraine claiming control of more than 1,000 square kilometers (386 square miles) of the Kursk region, Moscow's forces are still far from achieving that goal. As wildfires scorched swaths of land in the wine country of Sonoma County in 2020, sending ash flying and choking the air with smoke, Maria Salinas harvested grapes. Her saliva turned black from inhaling the toxins, until one day she had so much trouble breathing she was rushed to the emergency room. When she felt better, she went right back to work as the fires raged on. "What forces us to work is necessity," Salinas said. "We always expose ourselves to danger out of necessity, whether by fire or disaster, when the weather changes, when it's hot or cold." As climate change increases the frequency and intensity of wildfires around the world, a new study shows that farmworkers are paying a heavy price by being exposed to high levels of air pollution. And in Sonoma County, the focus of the work, researchers found that a program aimed at determining when it was safe to work during wildfires did not adequately protect farmworkers. They recommended a series of steps to safeguard the workers' health, including air quality monitors at work sites, stricter requirements for employers, emergency plans and trainings in various languages, post-exposure health screenings and hazard pay. Farmworkers are "experiencing first and hardest what the rest of us are just starting to understand," Max Bell Alper, executive director of the labor coalition North Bay Jobs with Justice, said Wednesday during a webinar devoted to the research, published in July in the journal GeoHealth. "And I think in many ways that's analogous to what's happening all over the country. What we are experiencing in California is now happening everywhere." Farmworkers face immense pressure to work in dangerous conditions. Many are poor and don't get paid unless they work. Others who are in the country illegally are more vulnerable because of limited English proficiency, lack of benefits, discrimination and exploitation. These realities make it harder for them to advocate for better working conditions and basic rights. Researchers examined data from the 2020 Glass and LNU Lightning Complex fires in northern California's Sonoma County, a region famous for its wine. During those blazes, many farmworkers kept working, often in evacuation zones deemed unsafe for the general population. Because smoke and ash can contaminate grapes, growers were under increasing pressure to get workers into fields. The researchers looked at air quality data from a single AirNow monitor, operated by the Environmental Protection Agency and used to alert the public to unsafe levels, and 359 monitors from PurpleAir, which offers sensors that people can install in their homes or businesses. From July 31 to November 6, 2020, the AirNow sensor recorded 21 days of air pollution the EPA considers unhealthy for sensitive groups and 13 days of poor air quality unhealthy for everyone. The PurpleAir monitors found 27 days of air the EPA deems unhealthy for sensitive groups and 16 days of air toxic to everyone. And on several occasions, the smoke was worse at night. That's an important detail because some employers asked farmworkers to work at night due in part to cooler temperatures and less concentrated smoke, said Michael Mendez, one of the researchers and an assistant professor at University of California-Irvine. "Hundreds of farmworkers were exposed to the toxic air quality of wildfire smoke, and that could have detrimental impact to their health," he said. "There wasn't any post-exposure monitoring of these farmworkers." The researchers also examined the county's Agricultural Pass program, which allows farmworkers and others in agriculture into mandatory evacuation areas to conduct essential activities like water or harvest crops. They found that the approval process lacked clear standards or established protocols, and that requirements of the application were little enforced. In some cases, for example, applications did not include the number of workers in worksites and didn't have detailed worksite locations. Irva Hertz-Picciotto, a professor of public health sciences at the University of California-Davis who was not part of the study, said symptoms of inhaling wildfire smoke eye irritation, coughing, sneezing and difficulty breathing can start within just a few minutes of exposure to smoke with fine particulate matter. Exposure to those tiny particles, which can go deep into the lungs and bloodstream, has been shown to increase the risk of numerous health conditions such as heart and lung disease, asthma and low birth weight. Its effects are compounded when extreme heat is also present. Another recent study found that inhaling tiny particulates from wildfire smoke can increase the risk of dementia. Anayeli Guzman, who like Salinas worked to harvest grapes during the Sonoma County fires, remembers feeling fatigue and burning in her eyes and throat from the smoke and ash. But she never went to the doctor for a post-exposure health checkup. "We don't have that option," Guzman, who has no health coverage, said in an interview. "If I go get a checkup, I'd lose a day of work or would be left to pay a medical bill." In the webinar, Guzman said it was "sad that vineyard owners are only worried about the grapes" that may be tainted by smoke, and not about how smoke affects workers. A farmworker health survey report released in 2021 by the University of California-Merced and the National Agricultural Workers Survey found that fewer than 1 in 5 farmworkers have employer-based health coverage. Hertz-Picciotto said farmworkers are essential workers because the nation's food supply depends on them. "From a moral point of view and a health point of view, it's really reprehensible that the situation has gotten bad and things have not been put in place to protect farmworkers, and this paper should be really important in trying to bring that to light with real recommendations," she said. Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye has pardoned journalist Floriane Irangabiye, who had been serving a 10-year prison sentence. The pardon was announced through a presidential order issued Wednesday. Irangabiye, a talk show host for Igicaniro Radio, an online media outlet operating from abroad, was arrested in August 2022 after traveling to Burundi from Rwanda, where she had been living in exile. She was convicted of undermining national security and collaborating with armed groups, charges that her colleagues and various human rights organizations had consistently contested, arguing that her arrest was a direct result of her work as a journalist. The superior court of Ntahangwa had sentenced Irangabiye to a decade in prison, a ruling that sparked widespread condemnation from journalists' associations and human rights groups. These organizations had tirelessly campaigned for her release. Speaking to reporters outside Bubanza Prison after her release Friday, Irangabiye said it was the news her family had been waiting for. I am very happy and have a lot to say," she said. "I am going to rejoin my family and meet my children again. I hope this is a special day for them. August 16, 2024, will always be a special date in my life, a date that will be part of my history in one way or another. She said her time behind bars had been trying and thanked those who pushed for her release. This is not a place you would wish anyone to be, not even your enemies. The pardon from President Evariste Ndayishimiye is something I will never forget. I have been touched in a special way. I am grateful to local and international human rights organizations that did a lot of advocacy on my behalf for such a day to happen, she said. The arrest highlighted a repressive media environment in Burundi where, according to Reporters Without Borders, media members face intimidation and live in fear of attacks or detention. Many practice self-censorship to report on issues in the country. VOA has been forbidden from broadcasting inside the country since 2018. The news of Irangabiye's pardon has been met with joy and relief by her family, colleagues and supporters. Irangabiyes colleagues at Igicaniro Radio have expressed their belief that her arrest was a direct consequence of her reporting. Jeremie Hatangimana called her release a victory for free press. We are happy and grateful about the pardon and release, but this should not have happened in the first place, he said. Justine Nkurunziza, a member of Inamahoro, a womens organization that advocates for peace and security, expressed her gratitude that Irangabiye would soon be reunited with her children. This is a moment of relief and joy, she said. Irangabiyes sibling, who preferred not to be named, also said she was overjoyed by the news of the pardon. We have been waiting for this moment for two long years, she said. Burundian rights group Ntabariza, which advocates on behalf of prisoners and their families, also welcomed Irangabiyes release but called on Ndayishimiye to extend similar clemency to other individuals who they believe have been unjustly imprisoned, including another journalist, Sandra Umuhoza. This story originated in VOAs Central Africa Service. Western officials and analysts are suspicious of Beijings admission this week that a Chinese container ship damaged the Balticconnector a vital Baltic Sea gas pipeline linking Estonia and Finland in October. The South China Morning Post reported August 12 that the Chinese government notified Finland and Estonia 10 months after the incident that it was caused by a Hong Kong-registered ship called Newnew Polar Bear, but blamed a storm for what it called the accident. In an interview August 13 with Estonia's public radio, ERR, Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said he was skeptical of China's claim that a storm caused the incident. "Personally, I find it very difficult to understand how a ship's captain could fail to notice for such a long time that its anchor had been dragging along the seabed, but it is up to the prosecutor's office to complete the investigation," he said. Markku Mylly, the former director of the European Maritime Safety Agency, told local media in Helsinki there were no storms in the Gulf of Finland at the time. The Finnish newspaper Iltalehti consulted data from the Finland Meteorological Institute and confirmed that Mylly's memory was correct. Pevkur told ERR that Estonia would not give up claims against China for compensation. The Baltic Sea oil and gas pipeline, which was built with EU assistance, was commissioned in 2019 at a total cost of around $331 million, to wean Finland and the three Baltic countries Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania off their dependence on Russia for natural gas. The pipeline was the source of almost all of Estonia's natural gas supply after Russias 2022 invasion of Ukraine sparked European restrictions on the import of Russian gas. After the damage, Estonia had to temporarily rely on Latvia for natural gas. The pipeline was reopened for commercial operations in April after repairs that cost about $38 million, a senior vice president at Gasgrid Finland told The Associated Press. A few telecoms cables were also damaged in the incident. Finnish and Estonian investigative agencies recovered the ships 6-ton anchor from the sea floor near the damaged pipeline after the incident and tracked it to the ship, which they tried to contact; it refused to respond. The damage occurred at a time of heightened tension between Europe and Russia over sanctions against Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine, and critics suspected it was a deliberate act of sabotage by Russia or its ally China. After the damage to the pipeline, the Newnew Polar Bear first sailed to St. Petersburg and Arkhangelsk in Russia and later docked in Chinas port of Tianjin. Eoin Micheal McNamara, a global security expert at the Finland Institute of International Affairs, told VOA that Finnish people doubt Beijings claim that the ships damage to the pipeline was an accident. "Undersea infrastructure elsewhere in the wider Nordic-Baltic region has also been damaged by 'manmade activity' in recent years. There was the Nord Stream sabotage in 2022 and the severing of a data cable between Norway and its Arctic island of Svalbard before that, McNamara said. As geopolitical tensions rise, more targeted sabotage is being expected. German media reported this week that investigators asked Poland to arrest a Ukrainian diving instructor for allegedly being part of a team that blew up the Baltic Seas Nord Stream gas pipelines, which supplied Russian gas to Europe. Russia blamed Britain, Ukraine and the United States for the sabotage, which they denied. McNamara said there are suspicions that Russia was involved in the damage to the Balticconnector pipeline. "Plausible deniability is a key tenet for hybrid interference. There are suspicions that use of a Hong Kong-registered vessel was a tactic to gain this plausible deniability," he said. Russian President Vladimir Putin last year dismissed the idea that Russia could have been behind an attack on the pipeline as rubbish. Estonia and Finland are still jointly investigating the ship, which China's NewNew Shipping Company owns. The Estonian prosecutor's office, which oversees the investigation, said under international law, China's statement acknowledging the ship caused the damage as an accident cannot be used as evidence in a criminal investigation because China has not invited Estonian criminal investigators to participate in Beijings own investigation. VOA contacted the Chinese Foreign Ministry about the matter but was referred to the Chinese shipping departments. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian at a news briefing on August 13 said, "China is advancing the investigation in accordance with the facts and the law and is in close communication with relevant countries. It is hoped that all parties will continue to promote the investigation in a professional, objective and cooperative manner, and jointly ensure that the incident is handled in a sound manner." Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen told VOA in an email, "We are constantly cooperating with China and exchanging information regarding this matter, but we will not go into details because the investigation is still ongoing." The Finnish National Bureau of Investigation, or NBI, which is investigating the case, told VOA that the Finnish and Estonian authorities have been cooperating with the Chinese authorities on the matter. The NBI said it will publish the findings with the Estonian side as early as this fall. "Based on the evidence collected and information analyzed during the investigation, it can be stated that the course of events is considered clear and there are sufficient reasons to suspect that the container vessel Newnew Polar Bear is linked to the damages. The cause for the damages seems to be the anchor and anchor chain [struck] the mentioned vessel." The NBI added, "It must be stated that the investigation is still ongoing and final conclusions, what was behind these incidents (technical failure negligence, poor seamanship deliberate act), can be made only after all necessary investigative measures have been finalized, and this will still take some time." VOAs Adrianna Zhang contributed to this report. Some information was provided by Reuters. China warned Japan on Friday that it should be prepared to pay a heavy price" if it interferes with Beijings plans for Taiwan, the self-ruled island that Beijing considers a breakaway province that must one day reunite with the mainland, by force if necessary. Chinas embassy in Tokyo issued the warning after a visit to Taiwan this week by a bipartisan group of Japanese lawmakers, including former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba, a potential candidate to be Japan's next prime minister. Ishiba, a member of the Liberal Democratic Party, said Taiwans President Lai Ching-te and Japan agree that maintaining peace in the Taiwan Strait requires increasing deterrence and resistance against Chinas aggression. Ishiba made the comment at a press conference Wednesday at Taiwans Foreign Ministry at the end of the lawmakers trip. After meeting with Lai on Tuesday, he told reporters that the two sides held extensive discussions on avoiding a conflict with China, which some fear could invade and occupy Taiwan as Russia did with Ukraine. Ishiba noted there is a saying in Japan that "today's Ukraine may be tomorrow's East Asia," which he said the worlds democratic community must prevent by demonstrating the strength of deterrence. The former defense minister declined to tell the reporters how Japan would react if war broke out in the Taiwan Strait. Lai said that in the face of China's rise and threat to peace in the Indo-Pacific region, Taiwan would strengthen national defense and economic resilience, support the democratic umbrella with democratic partners, defend the values of freedom and democracy, and maintain regional peace and stability. Although no specific plan was revealed, the two sides agreed to increase the frequency of exchanges on security issues. Japan and Taiwan do not have formal diplomatic relations, in order for Tokyo to have formal relations with Beijing, and official interactions between the two remain at the lawmaker level. But Japan, like most of Taipeis allies, supports maintaining the status quo between Taiwan and China. Senator Seiji Maehara, a former foreign minister of Japan and member of the Free Education for All party, said at the Wednesday briefing that he was initially worried Lai would lean toward Taiwan's independence, but that they received assurance he would "maintain the status quo." Maehara said, "[Lai] is in line with our position, and we are willing to maintain close communication with the people we met during this visit in the future." Citing threats from China, Russia and North Korea, Japan under Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has been moving away from the pacifist constitution imposed by the U.S. after World War II and last year confirmed plans to double defense spending by 2027. The plan has unnerved some Asian countries that imperial Japan occupied during the war, such as China. Kishida announced Wednesday that he would not participate in the LDP leadership election in September, which means he will step down as Japan's prime minister. Ishiba is considered one of the favorites to become the next LDP leader and candidate for prime minister and said Wednesday that if he got the support of his peers, he would be willing to run for the post. According to a July 26-28 poll conducted by Nikkei and TV Tokyo, 28% of the public approved of Kishida's Cabinet while 64% disapproved. The poll asked Japanese people whom they approved as potential candidates for the LDP. Among them, Ishiba was first with 24% support, followed by former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi. Ishiba, Koizumi and the current minister of digital, Taro Kono, joined forces in the last LDP presidential election and were dubbed the Koishikawa alliance. Ishiba told reporters that the three were on the same side and would continue to discuss how to improve Japan's politics and regain the people's trust in the LDP. Chinas Friday warning to Japan on Taiwan was not its first. Its embassies in Tokyo and Washington issued similar warnings in February after Japans Kyodo News reported that the Japanese and U.S. militaries had for the first time named China as their hypothetical enemy during joint drills. Japans chief of the Defense Ministry's Joint Staff, General Yoshihide Yoshida, however, told a January 25 press conference the exercises "did not envision a particular country or region." Adrianna Zhang contributed to this report. The voters of Northampton County, in the critical swing state of Pennsylvania, have chosen the victor of all but three U.S. presidential elections since 1920. The only misses: picking Democrat Hubert Humphrey over Republican Richard Nixon in 1968; preferring Democrat Al Gore, who won the popular vote nationwide in 2000 but narrowly lost the electoral vote which determines the winner to Republican George W. Bush; and four years later, selecting Democrat John Kerry over incumbent Bush. That is one of the reasons that the county is a focus of this years presidential campaigns by Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic Partys nominee, and former President Donald Trump, the Republican vying to become only the second candidate to successfully return to the presidency for a nonconsecutive second term. Northampton County has seen it all, predating the American Revolution. It was established in 1752 when Pennsylvania was a colonial-era province. The county seat of Easton was one of the three places where the Declaration of Independence was first read to the public. The city was a major commercial and transportation hub in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Steel legacy Sixteen kilometers (10 miles) to the southwest, Bethlehem was synonymous with industrial might from the days of the blacksmith to the era of mass production, which ended here when Bethlehem Steel went bankrupt, the company dissolved, and its assets were sold in the early 21st century. That legacy remains fresh and bitter for tens of thousands of voters in the Lehigh Valley with direct links to Bethlehem Steel. Chinas in the steel business now, and they want to know: What are these candidates going to do to bring those jobs back or to rebuild America? said Samuel Chen, a Republican strategist with the Liddell Group. What is on the minds of the countys voters has ramifications beyond the Lehigh Valley. Northampton County has incredible predictive power, according to Christopher Borick, a political science professor at Muhlenberg College in Allentown. What really makes it magical in its ability to predict what happens in the state and nationally is its mix. That mix includes farmers fretting about agricultural policies and suburbanites focused on social issues, education and taxes. And the demographics of the county are in flux with additional new residents from New York and Philadelphia seeking more-affordable housing and better neighborhoods. There is also a growing Hispanic population in Bethlehem and neighboring Allentown. We also have large groups of white working-class individuals that have been pivotal in politics during the ascension of Trumps populism, Borick told VOA. That mix has made it particularly competitive, and one of the reasons why its one of the few counties in Pennsylvania that went from Barack Obama to Donald Trump to Joe Biden. More tolerance The countys diversity is one of its strengths and a reason there is more tolerance and moderation here than other places in a nation now deeply divided politically, according to Chen, who is also an assistant professor of political science at Northampton Community College. In Northampton County, it is very difficult to travel this county, live in this county, and not meet people that are different than you the way you look, the way you think, the way you believe. I think that softens them to some of that more hard-core us versus them rhetoric that we see in todays politics, Chen explained in a VOA interview at the WBPH-TV studio, where he hosts a weekly public affairs talk show. While Democrats have a slight edge among registered voters in the county, the numbers are practically even between what Chen described as hard-core Republicans and hard-core Democrats. That small percentage of people who are willing to swing are going to decide that election time and time and time again, said Chen. And that is why Northampton County is known as Swing County USA, where there is still a significant percentage of voters who split their ballots between parties and prioritize issues over personalities. Being the president is a job. And so, we care more about, Is the job going to get done? said Rachel Lowell, a new mother concerned about womens rights and environmental policies, who spoke to VOA on Bethlehems Main Street. Another passerby on Main Street predicted the majority of his fellow county voters would support the Democrats for a second consecutive presidential election, as they are increasingly turned off by what they regard as Trumps bombast and antics. From talking to people who I know voted for Trump in the last election, theyre not going to vote for him this time around because theyre saying that theyre kind of tired of it, said Mick OHearn. In Easton, Harris is not going to get Wayne Jones vote because, he said, Trump is tougher on stopping illegal immigration. If I had to choose right now Trump, hands down. I mean, [the Democrats] letting all these people cross the border? said an exasperated Jones, a house painter, as he stood on the spot where the Declaration of Independence was read aloud on July 8, 1776. 'Overwhelming' attention The countys voters take seriously their pivotal role in picking presidents, but that blessing can be a curse, according to Borick, who is also director of the Institute of Public Opinion at Muhlenberg College. I live in Northampton County. The mailings I get, or when I turn on the TV, the amount of ads is omnipresent. Its beautiful to be wanted, but sometimes the attention can be overwhelming, he said. Pennsylvania is worth 19 electoral votes out of the 270 needed to capture the presidency, making it practically a must-win state for both campaigns. Two polls released Thursday showed Harris now leading Trump in the state, erasing Bidens deficit in surveys there before he was pressured out of the race by leading Democrats. Rendy Wicaksana of VOAs Indonesian Service contributed to this report. Three crew members from a Chinese fishing boat were missing Saturday after their ship collided with an unidentified vessel and sank off the coast of a Taiwanese island, Taiwan's coast guard said. China claims self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory, and relations between the two have deteriorated in recent years. A series of fishing boat incidents occurring along the narrow waterway separating Taiwan and China have heightened tensions. The latest incident occurred early Saturday when the Chinese-flagged boat Min Long Yu 60877 sank after crashing into an unidentified vessel about 6.5 nautical miles (12 kilometers) off the coast of the Kinmen islands, Taiwan's coast guard administration said in a statement. "There were seven crew members on board. Four were rescued and three were missing," it said. It said a patrol boat sent to the area could not find the missing crew. "Those who fell into the sea were not found." The statement said Taiwan's coast guard and its Chinese counterparts were carrying out "an expanded search and rescue" in nearby waters. Kinmen County is administered by Taiwan but is located just 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the Chinese coastal city of Xiamen. A fatal incident involving a Chinese boat near Kinmen on February 14 kicked off a monthslong row between Taiwan and China. A boat capsized while it was being pursued by Taiwans coast guard, killing two Chinese crew members, for which Beijing blamed Taipei. The two sides reached an agreement in July after negotiations over the incident, agreeing that the cause of death was "drowning." Health authorities warned Friday that Europe must be ready for more cases of a deadly strain of mpox that has killed hundreds of people in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The World Health Organization urged pharmaceutical firms to ramp up vaccine production and China said it would screen travelers for the disease after the first cases of the more deadly strain to be recorded outside Africa were announced in Sweden and Pakistan. France's Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said his country was on the "highest alert" and would implement "new recommendations" for travelers to risk areas. Mpox is caused by a virus transmitted to humans by animals but can also spread human-to-human through close physical contact. It causes fever, muscular aches and large boil-like skin lesions. The WHO on Wednesday declared the rapid spread of the new Clade 1b strain an international public health emergency -- the agency's highest alert. This follows the spread of the more deadly mpox from Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to other African countries. "We do need the manufacturers to really scale up so that we've got access to many, many more vaccines," WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris told reporters. The WHO is asking countries with vaccine stockpiles to donate them to countries with outbreaks. Harris said mpox was "particularly dangerous for those with a weak immune system, so people who maybe have HIV or are malnourished," and was also dangerous for small children. The United States has said it will donate 50,000 doses of an mpox vaccine to DRC and Attal said France would also send vaccines to risk countries. Danish drugmaker Bavarian Nordic said Thursday it would be ready to make up to 10 million doses of its mpox vaccine by 2025 but that it needed contracts to start production. The Stockholm-based European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said the overall risk in Europe was "low." But it warned that "effective surveillance, laboratory testing, epidemiological investigation and contact tracing capacities will be vital to detecting cases." "Due to the close links between Europe and Africa, we must be prepared for more imported clade I cases," ECDC director Pamela Rendi-Wagner said in a statement. Hundreds killed in DRC The virus has swept across DRC, killing 548 people so far this year, the government said Thursday. Nigeria has recorded 39 mpox cases this year, but no deaths, according to its health authorities. Previously unaffected countries such as Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda have reported outbreaks, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sweden's Public Health Agency announced Thursday it had registered a case of Clade 1b. The patient was infected during a visit to "the part of Africa where there is a major outbreak of mpox Clade 1," epidemiologist Magnus Gisslen said in a statement. The mpox strain in the Pakistan case was not immediately known, the country's health ministry said in a statement. It said the patient, a 34-year-old man, had "come from a Gulf country." China announced it would begin screening people and goods entering the country for mpox over the next six months. People arriving from countries where outbreaks have occurred, who have been in contact with mpox cases or display symptoms should "declare to customs when entering the country," China's customs administration said. Vehicles, containers and items from areas with mpox cases should be sanitized, it added in a statement. Vaccination drive Mpox has two subtypes: the more virulent and deadlier Clade 1, endemic in the Congo Basin in central Africa; and Clade 2, endemic in West Africa. A worldwide outbreak beginning in 2022 involving the Clade 2b subclade caused some 140 deaths out of about 90,000 cases, mostly affecting gay and bisexual men. France reported 107 cases of the milder mpox variant between January 1 and June 30 this year. The WHO's European regional office in Copenhagen said the Sweden case was "a clear reflection of the interconnectedness of our world." But it added: "Travel restrictions and border closures don't work and should be avoided." 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) An Israel airstrike in Gaza killed at least 18 people, all from the same family, on Saturday, hours after mediators expressed optimism for an imminent cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas. Officials from the United States, Egypt and Qatar ended two days of cease-fire talks and expressed hope that a deal could be reached in the 10-month-old war. A joint statement said a proposal to bridge gaps between Israel and Hamas was presented and they expect to work out implementation details next week in Cairo. The mediation efforts aim to secure the release of scores of Israeli hostages and stop the fighting that has devastated Gaza, where the death toll has surpassed 40,000 and a possible polio outbreak is feared. Talks are also meant to calm regional tensions that have threatened to explode into a wider war if Iran and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon attack Israel in retaliation for recent killings of militant leaders. Saturday's airstrike hit a house and adjacent warehouse sheltering displaced people at the entrance to the town of Zawaida, according to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, where casualties were taken. An Associated Press reporter there counted the dead. Among those killed was Sami Jawad al-Ejlah, a wholesaler who coordinated with the Israeli military to bring meat and fish to Gaza. The dead also included his two wives, 11 of their children ages 2 to 22, the childrens grandmother and three other relatives, according to a list provided by the hospital. He was a peaceful man, said Abu Ahmed, a neighbor. More than 40 civilians were sheltering in the house and warehouse at the time, he said. The Israeli military, which rarely comments on individual strikes, said it struck terrorist infrastructure in central Gaza where rockets had been fired toward Israel in recent weeks. It said it was continuing attacks on militants in central Gaza. Another mass evacuation ordered in Gaza Another mass evacuation was ordered for parts of central Gaza. Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee in a post on X cited Palestinian rocket fire and said Palestinians in areas in and around the urban Maghazi refugee camp should leave. The suffering began from the day we left our homes," said Ahmad Omrani, one of those affected by the order, as heavily laden vehicles, bikes and donkey carts weaved through the rubble. "We suffer from fear and anxiety, and fear for the children playing in the street. You cannot sleep, sit or eat well. Most of Gazas population has been displaced, often multiple times, and around 84% of the territory has been put under evacuation orders by the Israeli military, according to the United Nations. The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed across the border on October 7, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 250 to Gaza. More than 100 were released in a November cease-fire. About 110 are believed to be in Gaza, although Israeli authorities believe around a third are dead. Israel says it has killed more than 17,000 Hamas militants, without providing evidence. Gaza's Health Ministry said Saturday at least 40,074 Palestinians have been killed in the war. The ministry does not distinguish between fighters and civilians. Cease-fire and implementation plans Mediators have spent months pursuing 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. Efforts took on new urgency in recent weeks after 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. Israel and Hezbollah have traded fire since the war started. An Israeli strike Saturday killed at least 10 Syrians, including a woman and her two children, Lebanons Health Ministry said. Israel said it targeted a Hezbollah weapons depot. In an apparent sign of confidence, mediators were beginning preparations for implementing the cease-fire proposal even before its approval, said an American official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in keeping with rules set by the White House. Israel's negotiating team expressed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cautious optimism for the possibility to move toward a deal, a statement from his office said Saturday. An Israeli official said a delegation was set to travel to Cairo on Sunday to continue talks. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they werent authorized to discuss the sensitive talks with the media. Hamas has cast doubt on whether an agreement was near, saying the latest proposal diverged significantly from a previous iteration they had accepted in principle. Hamas has rejected Israels demands that 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 find militants. Israel showed flexibility on retreating from the border corridor, and a meeting between Egyptian and Israeli military officials was scheduled for next week to agree on a withdrawal mechanism, according to two Egyptian officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the private negotiations. Israel insisted on keeping control of the road bisecting Gaza, but U.S. mediators vowed to return to the talks with a compromise on that demand, the officials said. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken planned to travel to Israel over the weekend and was expected to meet with Netanyahu on Monday. Hospitals and clinics across India turned away patients except for emergency cases on Saturday as medical professionals staged a 24-hour shutdown in protest over the rape and murder of a doctor this month in the eastern city of Kolkata. More than 1 million doctors were expected to join the strike, paralyzing medical services across the world's most-populous nation. Hospitals said faculty from medical colleges had been pressed into service for emergency cases. The government, in a statement issued on Saturday after a meeting with representatives of medical associations, urged doctors to return to duties in the public interest. The government would set up a committee to suggest measures to improve protection for health care professionals, it said. In response, the Indian Medical Association said it was studying the government offer, but it did not call off the strike, which was due to end at 6 a.m. Sunday. The walk-out was the latest action in response to the killing of a 31-year-old trainee doctor last week inside the medical college in Kolkata where she worked. The crime has triggered nationwide protests among medical workers and a public outpouring of anger over violence against women reminiscent of what followed the notorious gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old student on a bus in New Delhi in 2012. No elective procedures The strike halted access to elective medical procedures and out-patient consultations, according to the Indian Medical Association, or IMA. There was a heavy police presence outside Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College, where the woman was killed, while the hospital premises were deserted, according to the ANI news agency. Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal, which includes Kolkata, has backed the protests across the state. Her government announced on Saturday evening measures to improve security for women working night shifts, including designated rest rooms and safe zones monitored by cameras. It also asked private institutions to consider measures such as night patrols to make the working environment more secure for women. India's Central Bureau of Investigation has so far detained one suspect in the case. The CBI summoned some medical students from the college as part of its investigation, according to a police source in Kolkata, who said the agency also questioned the principal of the hospital on Friday. There were protests throughout the day in Kolkata, led by doctors, civil society members and political leaders. Many private clinics and diagnostic centers were closed. Dr. Sandip Saha, a private pediatrician in the city, told Reuters he would not attend to patients except in emergencies. Hospitals and clinics in Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh, Ahmedabad in Gujarat, Guwahati in Assam and Chennai in Tamil Nadu and other cities joined the strike, set to be one of the largest shutdowns of hospital services in recent memory. Patients queue at hospitals Patients queued at hospitals, some unaware that they would not get medical attention. I have spent 500 rupees [$6] on travel to come here. I have paralysis and a burning sensation in my feet, head and other parts of my body," an unidentified patient at SCB Medical College Hospital in the city of Cuttack in Odisha told local television. "We were not aware of the strike. What can we do? We have to return home." Raghunath Sahu, 45, who had lined up at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, told Reuters a daily quota set by the doctors to see patients had ended before noon. "I have brought my ailing grandmother. They did not see her today. I will have to wait for another day and try again," Sahu said. India's government introduced sweeping changes to the criminal justice system, including tougher sentences, after the 2012 Delhi gang-rape, but campaigners say little has changed and not enough has been done to deter violence against women. "Women form the majority of our profession in this country. Time and again, we have asked for safety for them," IMA President R.V. Asokan told Reuters on Friday. The IMA has called for further legal measures to better protect health care workers from violence. 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 September 18 and October 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 October 4. The multistage 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 have barely any legislative powers and only nominal control over education and culture. The power to make laws for the region will continue to be held by 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. Mixed reaction 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 resident Malik Zahoor. Mohit Bhan, a spokesperson 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 said. 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 that went on for months. History of conflict 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. As the West remains preoccupied with the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, Iran is seizing the moment to extend its influence into the South Caucasus a region where age-old rivalries are being revived. In late July, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze found himself at the center of controversy when he attended the inauguration of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Among those who attended the ceremony was Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas leader who was assassinated in Iran's capital Tehran on July 31. Following the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash in May, Mohammad Mokhber was named Iran's interim president. In July, Pezeshkian was elected Iran's president after being officially endorsed by Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. According to Janatan Sayeh, a research analyst at the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), while Kobakhidze aims to maintain basic diplomatic ties by attending events such as the Pezeshkian's swearing-in, he faces reputational risks by associating with figures from designated terrorist organizations such as Hamas. "The intent behind this was to maintain diplomatic ties and support Iran's new president on a very basic level," Sayeh told VOA Georgian. "However, it is questionable for them to be attending the same meeting as terrorists such as the PIJ [Palestinian Islamic Jihad] or Hamas or delegates from Hezbollah. So, it is a reputational challenge for many of these countries." The Georgian prime ministers appearance at Raisi's funeral, which may have been in part a deliberate snub of Washington following U.S. criticism of his administration, was also an indication that Iran's ambitions are no longer solely confined to the Middle East. Indeed, Irans increased attention to the South Caucasus reveals a strategic attempt to advance its rivalries with Turkey and Israel. "Iran has definitely escalated its presence and influence in the Caucasus," Sayeh said. "It does try its best to play a balancing act between Armenia and Azerbaijan." A complex history The South Caucasus was a battleground for the Ottoman, Persian and Russian empires and, because of the region's complex history, it remains a target of competing interests where strategic alliances are a necessity. "Armenia and Azerbaijan are doing the same thing in their own different styles, trying to manage relations with Iran, Russia and Turkey," said Asl Aydntasbas, a visiting fellow in the Center on the United States and Europe at the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank. "It's a multi-vector hedging policy," she told VOA. In this complicated web of alliances, the bitter rivalry between Iran and Israel also plays a role. For years, Israel has been a primary supplier of military equipment to Azerbaijan, alongside Turkey. In return, Azerbaijan provides Israel with 40% of its oil needs. On the other side, Iran, through its ties to certain religious institutions within Azerbaijan and its support for Armenia in the Nagorno-Karabakh war, "does pose a direct threat to Azerbaijan's borders," said FDD's Sayeh. "Azerbaijan is in a tough situation," he said. "But in case situations were to escalate, I think it is in their best interest to stay out of the direct confrontation between Iran and Israel." The relationship between Baku and Tehran is further strained by a large Azerbaijani minority in Iran. While Turkey and Azerbaijan have been accused of attempting to use this as leverage, "Iran is able to control all of its civil society, no matter the ethnicity," Sayeh said. Against this backdrop, Armenia, driven by its strained relations with Turkey and Azerbaijan, is seeking to strengthen its ties with Iran. Unconfirmed reports that Armenia has purchased $500 million in Iranian weapons denied by both nations may indicate Yerevan's desperate attempt to forge new alliances. Armenia's formal recognition of Palestine as an independent state further aligns Yerevan with Tehran. "Armenia is the one that has poor relations with all these three megapowers in the region, except perhaps Iran," Brookings' Aydintasbas said. "And I think they don't want to lose that advantage to Azerbaijan." Armenia's quest for new alliances is a response to Russia's diminished support during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Russia did not aid Armenia when it fought Azerbaijan over the region in 2020 and 2023. "The Nagorno-Karabakh war paved the way for Iran to step up its support for Armenia," said Sayeh. "Given that Russia is so occupied with its war on its western fronts, with Ukraine, it has not had the military capacity or the funds to support Armenia like it did in the past," said Sayeh. "This presented an opportunity for Iran to enter the Southern Caucasus with more intensity." At the same time, Sayeh said, Armenia's efforts to deepen ties with the West are fraught with difficulties. "Armenia has been trying to open up its military cooperation with the West," he said. "But given that Russia has backed out and Armenia is unhappy with the reassurances from the U.S., it is likely that Armenia doesn't have a choice except to purchase Iranian weapons." Georgia's status uncertain Meanwhile, Georgia once hailed as the most pro-Western country in the South Caucasus now finds its status uncertain. "In the West, they don't know the direction that Georgian politics will take," said Aydintasbas. "There is a reason to be cautious until the [parliamentary] elections in Georgia [in October], hoping that the direction the Georgian public chooses will be pro-Western." Iran's broader strategic goal is to diminish the influence of the United States in the Caucasus, capitalizing on the small U.S. footprint in the region. According to Sayeh, Tehran sees opportunities to expand its reach and possibly leverage its relationships with countries including Georgia and Armenia to counter Western interests. "As long as they can get any country out of the Western sphere or out of the Western orbit, it would be a win for the Iranian side," Sayeh said. "Tehran's focus is primarily on where U.S. interests lie. And now, there's an opportunity for Iran to perhaps use Georgia, use Armenia, and with the proper Russian backing, expand their access to the Caucasus front." Analysts agree that the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza will profoundly affect the evolving "great game" among regional powers in the South Caucasus, shaping the region's future dynamics. Editors note: This story has been updated to correct the title of Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and the details of the events he attended in Iran. This article originated in VOA's Georgian Service. Two Italian journalists who angered Moscow with a TV report from Ukrainian-held parts of Russia's Kursk region will return to Italy, state broadcaster RAI said Saturday. Russia's Foreign Ministry summoned Italy's ambassador Friday over what it called illegal border crossing by a RAI crew. "The company decided to make journalist Stefania Battistini and cameraman Simone Traini return temporarily to Italy, solely to ensure personal safety and security," RAI said. Russia's TASS news agency cited the FSB state security service as saying it has opened criminal cases against the two journalists. A four-person RAI crew, working under Ukrainian military escort, produced the first foreign media report from the war-damaged Russian town of Sudzha, taken last week during Ukraine's surprise incursion into Kursk. The two reporters are scheduled to fly back to the northern Italian city of Milan on Sunday. Neither Battistini, who appeared live from Kyiv on Saturday's edition of the TG1 news program, nor Traini were available for comment. Italy's foreign ministry said the Italian Ambassador Cecilia Piccioni had explained to the Russian authorities that RAI and its news teams acted independently and autonomously. "Journalism is not a crime. The Moscow authorities' possibility of putting Stefania Battistini and Simone Traini on trial is unacceptable. Reporting is not done with prior authorizations," the RAI union of journalists and Italy's national press union FNSI said in a joint statement. Outgoing Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is finalizing plans to visit the United States in late September for the U.N. General Assembly and a possible meeting with President Joe Biden, the Yomiuri newspaper reported on Saturday. The visit may take place for several days starting on September 22, the report said, citing multiple government sources it did not identify. The Japanese Foreign Ministry, in response to a request for comment from Reuters, said "nothing has been decided yet." Kishida on Wednesday dropped out of the leadership race for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, meaning he will step down as prime minister when his term as party leader ends in late September. The date of the LDP election is not yet set. It could be as early as September 20, in which case Kishida would likely address the General Assembly after Japan's parliament, where the LDP has a majority, has chosen his replacement as prime minister, according to Yomiuri. Some in the Japanese government think it best if Kishida's successor does not develop close ties with Biden, who is scheduled to leave office in January, the newspaper said. Biden, who dropped out of November's U.S. presidential election, was replaced as the Democratic Party nominee last month by Vice President Kamala Harris. She faces the Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump. Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado urged supporters Friday to "keep up the fight" on the eve of protests called against the election victory claimed by strongman Nicolas Maduro but widely rejected at home and abroad. Anti-Maduro protests have claimed 25 lives so far, with dozens injured and more than 2,400 arrested since the July 28 vote that both the president and opposition say they had won. Machado had called for fresh demonstrations in more than 300 cities in Venezuela and abroad on Saturday what she called a "Protest for the Truth." She will participate in a march in the capital, Caracas, where supporters of the regime have also vowed to gather. The country's National Electoral Council proclaimed Maduro the winner of a third six-year term, giving him 52% of votes cast, but did not provide a detailed breakdown of the results. The opposition says polling station-level results show its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, won more than two-thirds of the vote. Gonzales Urrutia had replaced Machado on the ballot after her candidacy was blocked by institutions loyal to Maduro, in office since 2013. The duo has been mostly in hiding since the president accused them after the election of seeking to foment a coup and called for them to be jailed. Maduro's victory claim has been rejected by the United States, European Union and several Latin American countries. Machado called in a live Instagram broadcast Friday for people to "keep up the fight" and stand strong against Maduro's strategy of "demoralization" through "lies, repression, violence." Neighbors Colombia and Brazil on Thursday called for fresh elections in Venezuela, but Machado said this would show "a lack of respect" for the popular will already expressed on July 28. On Friday, Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, traditionally a leftist ally of Maduro, took a harsh tone, describing the regime in Caracas as "very unpleasant" as he insisted it release a detailed vote breakdown. In a radio interview, Lula declined to label the Maduro government a dictatorship, but said it had an "authoritarian bias." "What I am asking for in order to be able to recognize [the winner] is at least to know if the numbers were true. ... I can only recognize them if they were democratic, if they show the evidence," he insisted. The Organization of American States approved a resolution Friday in Washington urging Caracas to "expeditiously publish the presidential election records, including the voting results at the level of each polling station." Fighters from Sudan's paramilitary group rampaged through a central village, looting and burning and killing at least 85 people, including women and children, authorities and residents said Saturday, the latest atrocity in the country's 18-month devastating conflict. The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces began attacking Galgani in the central province of Sennar late in July and last week. RSF fighters "indiscriminately opened fire on the village's unarmed residents" after they resisted attempts to abduct and sexually assault women and girls, Sudan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. More than 150 villagers were wounded, it said. The RSF has been repeatedly accused of massacres, rapes and other gross violations across the country since the war started in April last year, when simmering tensions between the military and the group exploded into open fighting in the capital Khartoum and elsewhere. Describing the hours-long attack, three residents said hundreds of RSF fighters stormed the village Thursday, looting and burning houses and public properties. The offensive came after the residents put up resistance and repelled an attack by a small group of RSF fighters, according to a health care worker at the local medical center who spoke to The Associated Press. The group retreated but hundreds of RSF fighters in dozens of pickup trucks with automatic rifles and heavy weapons returned, according to the worker and another resident. As of Friday, the medical center had received at least 80 bodies, including 24 women and minors, said the worker, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of fears for his safety. Mohamed Tajal-Amin, a villager, said he saw seven bodies six men and one woman laying in the street midday Friday. "The Janjaweed are in the street and people are not able to recover their dead and bury them," he said, using the name of the Arab militias that became synonymous with genocide and war crimes in Darfur two decades ago. The RSF grew out of that group. RSF spokespeople didn't return requests for comment Saturday. In June, the RSF assaulted Sennar's provincial capital, Singa, about 350 kilometers (217 miles) southeast of Khartoum. They looted the city's main market and took over its main hospital, forcing thousands of people to flee. The latest attack came as the United States has led efforts to resume peace talks between the military and the RSF. The talks, which are boycotted by the military, began last week in Switzerland. Diplomats from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, the African Union and the United Nations were attending the talks. The RSF sent a delegation to Geneva but didn't take part in the meetings. "The RSF remains here ready for talks to start; SAF needs to decide to come," U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan Tom Perriello posted Friday on X, formerly Twitter, using the acronym for Sudan's Armed Forces. The talks were the latest international effort to settle the devastating conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people and pushed the country to the brink of famine. Already famine was confirmed last month in a sprawling camp for displaced people in the western region of Darfur. The conflict has been marked by atrocities including mass rape and ethnically motivated killings that amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, according to the United Nations and international rights groups. Sudan's war has also created the world's 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. Canada's two largest railroads are starting to shut down their shipping networks as a labor dispute with the Teamsters union threatens to cause lockouts or strikes that would disrupt cross-border trade with the U.S. Both the Canadian Pacific Kansas City and Canadian National railroads, which haul millions of tons of freight across the border, have stopped taking certain shipments of hazardous materials and refrigerated products. Both are threatening to lock out Teamsters Canada workers starting Thursday if deals are not reached. On Tuesday, CPKC will stop all shipments that start in Canada and all shipments originating in the U.S. that are headed for Canada, the railroad said Saturday. The Canadian Press reported Friday that, Canadian National barred container imports from U.S. partner railroads. Jeff Windau, industrials analyst for Edward Jones & Co., said his firm expects work stoppages to last only a few days, but if they go longer, there could be significant supply chain disruptions. "If something would carry on more of a longer term in nature, then I think there are some significant potential issues just given the amount of goods that are handled each day," Windau said. "By and large the rails touch pretty much all of the economy." The two railroads handle about 40,000 carloads of freight each day, worth about $1 billion, Windau said. Shipments of fully built automobiles and auto parts, chemicals, forestry products and agricultural goods would be hit hard, he said, especially with harvest season looming. Both railroads have extensive networks in the U.S., and CPKC also serves Mexico. Those operations will keep running even if there is a work stoppage. CPKC said it remains committed to avoiding a work stoppage that would damage Canada's economy and international reputation. "We must take responsible and prudent steps to prepare for a potential rail service interruption next week," spokesperson Patrick Waldron said in a statement. Shutting down the network will allow the railroad to get dangerous goods off IT before any stoppage, CPKC said. Union spokesperson Christopher Monette said in an email Saturday that negotiations continue, but the situation has shifted from a possible strike to "near certain lockout" by the railroads. CPKC said bargaining is scheduled to continue Sunday with the union, which represents nearly 10,000 workers at both railroads. The company said it continues to bargain in good faith. Canadian National said in a statement Friday that there had been no meaningful progress in negotiations, and it hoped the union "will engage meaningfully" during a meeting scheduled for Saturday. "CN wants a resolution that allows the company to get back to what it does best as a team, moving customers' goods and the economy," the railroad said. Negotiations have been going on since last November, and contracts expired at the end of 2023. They were extended as talks continued. The union said company demands on crew scheduling, rail safety and worker fatigue are the main sticking points. Windau said the trucking industry currently has a lot of excess capacity and might be able to make up some of the railroads' shipping volumes, but "You're not going to be able to replace all of that with trucking." More evidence has emerged that Mexican authorities disposed of the bodies of dissidents in "death flights" during the country's 1965-90 "dirty war. " Mexico's 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 into 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 logbooks 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 counterinsurgency campaign. Unlike the better-known case of death flights carried out by Argentina's 1976-83 military dictatorship, little is known about the ones carried out by Mexico, mainly in the 1970s, from a small air base at Pie de la Cuesta, just west of Acapulco. During a 2012-17 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. Argentina's junta is widely considered the deadliest of the military dictatorships that ruled much of Latin America in the 1970s and 1980s. Human rights groups estimate 30,000 people 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 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 (2000-06). 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 that 1,450 were killed and another 517 simply disappeared. The government has carried out excavations in and around military bases in recent years, trying to locate 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 documents and destroyed others to "hide the truth." The commission asked that 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. 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 court's ruling. BEIJING, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- As the Chinese adage goes: "apply the same tactics to the person who used them on you." At a time when artificial intelligence (AI) increasingly looms behind cyberattacks, Chinese enterprises have started to employ generative AI technologies to build up defense against such AI threats. Qi-Anxin Group, a leading Chinese cybersecurity company, released its large-scale model QAX-GPT in March, expecting it to assist in the development of security products, detection of threats and areas of vulnerability, and analysis of internet-related crimes. This model boasts investigation and judgment abilities close to that of an intermediate-level security expert, while its efficiency in terms of alarms and judgments is more than 60 times that of manual efforts, said Qi Xiangdong, chairman of Qi-Anxin. Since ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, took the world by storm in late 2022, tech giants and startups worldwide have been rushing to join the AI race by launching similar AI chatbots, as well as industrial applications based on large language models. Experts believe that generative AI tools lower the barrier to entry for threat actors with limited programming abilities or technical skills and warn that hackers have started using generative AI tools to create malware, dark web and other tools to carry out cyberattacks. Such AI tools, however, are a double-edged sword for network security. There are also cases where generative AI tools have been fashioned into a weapon to counter cyberattacks. A lack of network security personnel and resources, leading to alarms being neglected or mishandled, is the biggest vulnerability facing network security, according to a survey by Qi-Anxin. "To avoid affecting operations, 99 percent of alarms suggesting cybersecurity threats require expert analysis. However, the number of experts in any company is limited compared to the tremendous number of alarm instances. The comprehensive analysis system empowered by AI will therefore greatly boost security defense," said Qi. Compared with a human expert, QAX-GPT learns much faster, gaining its expertise from a corpus of analysis, reports and articles related to cybersecurity, said Zhang Zhuo, vice president of Qi-Anxin. "Challenges facing cybersecurity are scarcity of experts, human alarm fatigue and efficiency bottlenecks. The large-scale model enables us to transform from reproducing goods to reproducing expert experience," said Zhang. China has been a major victim of hacking and cyberattacks. More than 42 million malware attacks were detected in China in 2020, according to a report released by the cybersecurity watchdog, the National Computer Network Emergency Response Technical Team/Coordination Center of China. New Jersey Democratic Governor Phil Murphy tapped his former chief of staff Friday to temporarily replace convicted U.S. Senator Bob Menendez and said he would appoint whoever wins the post in November as soon as election results were certified. Democratic Representative Andy Kim and Republican hotelier Curtis Bashaw are competing in the race. Murphy said that he spoke to both about his plans. "I expressed to them that this approach will allow the democratically chosen winner of this year's election to embark on the smallest possible transition into office," Murphy said at a news conference. Former chief of staff George Helmy promised during Friday's announcement to resign after the election. Helmy's appointment underscored Murphy's decision to not appoint Kim, who is in a strong position in the November election. Kim and first lady Tammy Murphy were locked in a primary struggle for the Senate seat earlier this year before Tammy Murphy dropped out, citing the prospects for a negative, divisive campaign. The stakes in the Senate election are high, with Democrats holding on to a narrow majority. Republicans have not won a Senate election in Democratic-leaning New Jersey in over five decades. Helmy's appointment won't take effect until after Menendez's resignation on August 20. The governor said he picked Helmy because he understands the role after serving as an aide to New Jersey U.S. Senator Cory Booker and former New Jersey U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg. Murphy also praised Helmy's work as his top aide, and the two embraced briefly after Helmy spoke. Helmy, 44, served as Murphy's chief of staff from 2019 until 2023 and currently serves as an executive at one of the state's largest health care providers, RWJBarnabas Health. He previously served as Booker's state director in the Senate. The son of Egyptian parents who immigrated to New Jersey, Helmy attended public schools in New Jersey and then Rutgers University. "New Jersey deserves its full voice and representation in the whole of the United States Senate," he said. Menendez, 70, used his influence to meddle in three different state and federal criminal investigations to protect the businessmen, prosecutors said. They said he helped one bribe-paying friend get a multimillion-dollar deal with a Qatari investment fund and another keep a contract to provide religious certification for meat bound for Egypt. He was also convicted of taking actions that benefited Egypt's government in exchange for bribes, including providing details on personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, ghostwriting a letter to fellow senators regarding lifting a hold on military aid to Egypt. FBI agents found stacks of gold bars and $480,000 hidden in Menendez's house. Menendez denied all the allegations. "I have never been anything but a patriot of my country and for my country," he said after his conviction. Menendez said in a letter to Murphy last month that he was planning to appeal the conviction but would step down on August 20, just over a month after the jury's verdict. Russia's Foreign Ministry said Ukraine used Western rockets, likely U.S.-made HIMARS, to destroy a bridge over the Seym River in the Kursk region, killing volunteers trying to evacuate civilians. "For the first time, the Kursk region was hit by Western-made rocket launchers, probably American HIMARS," Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, said late Friday on the Telegram messaging app. "As a result of the attack on the bridge over the Seym River in the Glushkovo district, it was completely destroyed, and volunteers who were assisting the evacuated civilian population were killed," she said. There was no indication of how many volunteers were killed in Friday's attack. Ukrainian army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said that Kyiv's forces had advanced between 1 and 3 kilometers (up to 1.8 miles) in some areas in the Kursk region on Friday, 11 days since beginning an incursion into the western Russian territory. Kyiv claimed to have taken control of 82 settlements over 1,150 square kilometers (444 square miles) in the region since August 6. Russia's Defense Ministry, cited by the Interfax news agency, said on Saturday that Russian forces repelled several Ukrainian attacks in the Kursk region, but it did not report recapturing any territory. It said Ukrainian forces had unsuccessfully attempted to advance towards the villages of Kauchuk and Alekseyevskiy, which lie roughly halfway between the Ukrainian border and the Kursk nuclear power plant. In a separate statement, the ministry accused Ukraine of planning to attack the plant in a false flag operation. Reuters could not independently verify either side's battlefield accounts. Russia has accused the West of supporting and encouraging Ukraine's first ground offensive on Russian territory and said that Kyiv's "terrorist invasion" would not change the course of the war. The U.S. HIMARS rockets provided to Ukraine have a range of up to about 80 kilometers (50 miles). The United States, which has said it cannot allow Russian President Vladimir Putin to win the war he launched in February 2022, so far deems the surprise incursion a protective move that justifies the use of U.S. weaponry, according to officials in Washington. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's freedom-based approach toward unifying the two Koreas could chart a bold path signaling a departure from the policies of his predecessors, experts in Washington said. In a speech commemorating South Korea's Liberation Day on Thursday, Yoon introduced the "August 15 Doctrine," his vision for achieving a "freedom-based unification" of the Korean Peninsula. Made up of incremental strategies, the doctrine seeks a dialogue between South and North but puts much weight on addressing the North Korean human rights issue. "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 during his speech. The seven key steps under the doctrine include expanding North Koreans' rights to access information, supporting endeavors to inform the international community of North Korea's human rights situation, incorporating the roles of North Korean defectors into unification efforts, and providing humanitarian aid to North Korea. Accent on rights Sung-Yoon Lee, a fellow with the Wilson Center's Indo-Pacific Program, said Yoon broke from the South Korean presidents before him by accentuating North Koreans' human rights. "None of his predecessors made the explicit connection between freedom for all North Koreans and final liberation of the Korean Peninsula," Lee told VOA Korean on Thursday via email. Lee said Yoon was "boldly emphasizing North Korea human rights and the protection of the right to speech and information of North Koreans, while seeking talks" with Pyongyang. Evans Revere, who served as acting U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, agreed that North Korean human rights were at the core of the Yoon doctrine. "Seoul is clearly planning to make these ideas the centerpiece of its approach to North Korea going forward," Revere told VOA Korean on Thursday via email. Revere said that the new approach has "the potential to create schisms" inside North Korea and accelerate the process of political and social change if South Korea is "successful in delivering this message to the people of North Korea through its radio and television broadcasts and by other means." Andrew Yeo, the SK-Korea Foundation chair at the Brookings Institution's Center for Asia Policy Studies, said that Yoon was intently focused on the notion of freedom of people on the Korean Peninsula, noting that the words "free" or "freedom" appear over 50 times in his speech. "I don't see this as contradictory to reinforcing the idea of freedom-based unification," Yeo told VOA Korean on Thursday via email. Strong protest Yeo, however, expressed skepticism about how the North Korean regime will respond to Yoon's proposal. "The call to establish an inter-Korean working group to discuss people-to-people cooperation and humanitarian engagement will ring hollow to Kim Jong Un given the Yoon government's emphasis on freedom before unification," he said. Revere said he was "highly pessimistic" that Pyongyang will react well to the proposal. Revere explained that words such as "freedom" and "democracy," which are highlighted in the new unification vision, are "anathema to the DPRK, as is the idea that the ROK intends to boost its efforts to get information to the North Korean people." DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name, while ROK is an abbreviation of South Korea's official name, Republic of Korea. Robert Rapson, who served as charge d'affaires and deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul from 2018 to 2021, cautioned that Yoon's vision could result in the escalation of tension. "If anything, it is bound to elicit sharp negative reactions in Pyongyang, and likely in Beijing, too, and lead to a heightening of tensions along the DMZ and across the peninsula," he told VOA Korean on Thursday via email. The United States voiced support for Yoon's proposal. "The long-standing, ironclad alliance between the United States and the Republic of Korea has contributed to peace, security and prosperity for Northeast Asia, the broader Indo-Pacific and beyond," a State Department spokesperson told VOA Korean on Friday via email. "We support President Yoon's aim to open a path for serious and sustained diplomacy with the DPRK," the spokesperson said, adding that "we are committed to working with allies and partners to promote human rights, accountability and access to information in the DPRK." China, North Korea's closest strategic partner, took a more reserved view. "DPRK and ROK are the main parties to the Korean Peninsula issue, which should ultimately be resolved through dialogue and cooperation," a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington told VOA Korean on Friday in an emailed statement. "China supports all measures that are conducive to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula," the spokesperson said. "We sincerely hope that the North-South relations will continue to improve and that the Korean Peninsula will maintain peace and stability." North Korea has not responded to Yoon's speech on its major state media outlets. Southeast Asia is among the regions most prone to natural disasters, but a new analysis released Thursday shows its people also feel the best equipped to deal with them. It seems logical that the countries in and around the Pacific Ring of Fire, vulnerable to earthquakes, typhoons, storm surges and other dangers, are also the best prepared, but the survey by Gallup for the Lloyd's Register Foundation shows that's not always the case in other regions. "Frequent exposure to hazard isn't the only factor that determines how prepared people feel," Benedict Vigers, a research consultant with Gallup, told The Associated Press. The report found the Association of Southeast Asian Nations has played a key role in disaster risk reduction, and Vigers said the region's wider approach includes widespread and effective early warning systems, scaled-up community approaches and regional cooperation, and good access to disaster finance. "Southeast Asia's success in feelings of disaster preparedness can be linked to its high exposure to disasters, its relatively high levels of resilience - from individual people to overall society, and the region's approach to and investment into disaster risk management more broadly," he said. Forty percent of people surveyed in Southeast Asia said they had experienced a natural disaster in the past five years, while a similar number 36% in Southern Asia said the same. But 67% of Southeast Asians felt among the best prepared to protect their families and 62% had emergency plans, while Southern Asians felt less ready, with 49% and 29% respectively. Respondents from North America, which is significantly less disaster-prone than Southeast Asia, said they only felt slightly less prepared, while those in Northern and Western Europe were in the middle of the pack. The results from Southeast Asia, primarily made up of lower-middle-income countries, suggest wealth is not a deciding factor in disaster response and preparation, said Ed Morrow, senior campaigns manager for Lloyd's Register Foundation, a British-based global safety charity. Southeast Asia is "a region that clearly has much to teach the world in terms of preparing for disasters," he said. Globally, no country ranked higher than the Philippines for having experienced a natural disaster in the past five years, with 87% of respondents saying they had. It was also among the top four countries where the highest proportion of households have a disaster plan. All were in Southeast Asia: the Philippines (84%), Vietnam (83%), Cambodia (82%) and Thailand (67%), followed by the United States (62%). Those with the lowest proportion were Egypt, Kosovo and Tunisia, all with 7%. The data were drawn from the World Risk Poll, conducted every two years, with the main results from the 2023 survey published in June. Questions on disasters focused on natural hazards instead of conflicts or financial disasters, and they excluded the coronavirus pandemic. Surveys were conducted of people aged 15 and above in 142 countries and based on telephone or face-to-face conversations with approximately 1,000 or more respondents in each country with the exception of China, where some 2,200 people were contacted online. Margin of error ranged from plus or minus 2.2 to 4.9 percentage points, for an overall 95% confidence level. "It is our intention that this freely available data should be used by governments, regulators, businesses, NGOs and international bodies to inform and target policies and interventions that make people safer," Morrow said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday his troops had strengthened positions and expanded territory in Russia's Kursk region nearly two weeks into their incursion. Ukraine says it has seized more than 80 settlements over 1,150 square kilometers (444 square miles) in Kursk since August 6 in the biggest invasion of Russia since World War II. Zelenskyy said his army chief, Oleksander Syrskyi, had reported that Ukrainian troops continued their advance and took more Russian soldiers as prisoners. "Thank you to all the soldiers and commanders who are taking Russian military prisoners and bringing the release of our soldiers and civilians held by Russia closer," Zelenskyy said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app. "General Syrskyi also reported on strengthening our forces' positions in the Kursk region and expanding the stabilized territory." The Ukrainian military said in its daily report that troops were successfully advancing further in Kursk, without offering more details. It had previously reported 35 kilometers (almost 22 miles) of advances. Reuters could not independently verify the battlefield developments. 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 Ukraine. Moscow says Ukraine has been using Western arms, including probably U.S.-made HIMARS rockets to destroy a bridge and kill volunteers trying to evacuate civilians. Zelenskyy also said that Ukrainian troops had repelled dozens of Russian attacks near Pokrovsk and Toretsk in Ukraine's Donetsk region. The military said 51 Russian attacks were stopped near Pokrovsk, a major logistics hub in the eastern region, and another 13 near the town of Toretsk in the last 24 hours. "Our soldiers and units are doing everything to destroy the occupier and repel the assaults. The situation is under control," Zelenskyy said. 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. Sudan's 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 Sudan's 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, Sudan's 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 the 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 civilian deaths mount. On Thursday, UNESCO said 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 he saw many children at the group's hospital who were so malnourished that they stopped eating and needed medical interventions. "We have directly seen severe pockets of severe malnutrition," he said, including infants whose age was more than a year old yet appeared to be no more than 4 or 5 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. Sudan's war has also created the world's 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 Sudan's population will face acute hunger, the experts from the Famine Review Committee warned. The Taliban government in Afghanistan announced Saturday that it had finalized trade and investment deals worth $2.5 billion with the prime minister of neighboring Uzbekistan during his historic visit to Kabul. Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov and his delegation arrived in the Afghan capital on the highest-level visit by a foreign leader to the country since the Islamist Taliban regained control three years ago. Aripov was accompanied by Laziz Kudratov, the minister of investment, industry, and trade, among other senior officials. Aripov and Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the deputy Taliban prime minister for economic affairs, oversaw the signing of 35 MoUs (memorandums of understanding) valued at $2.5 billion. The ceremony occurred after the two leaders inaugurated an exhibition of Uzbek products in Kabul. The MoUs include 12 investment agreements valued at $1.4 billion and 23 trade agreements worth $1.1 billion, Baradars office said in a statement. The documents covered agriculture, energy, infrastructure, and manufacturing sectors. This landmark signing is a testament to the strong political will and commitment of the leadership in both Afghanistan and Uzbekistan to deepen economic integration in the region, Taliban-run Afghan state media quoted Baradar as saying. We are confident that these agreements will create new avenues for investment, trade, and job creation, benefiting the people of both our nations, he added. Afghan media quoted Uzbek minister Kudratov as saying that the two countries are working together to increase the annual bilateral trade to $3 billion. Afghanistan shares a 144-kilometer (89.4 miles) border with Uzbekistan, and both sides have reported a steady improvement in bilateral political, security, and economic cooperation since the Taliban takeover. The fundamentalist group swept back to power in Kabul in August 2021 as the United States and NATO troops withdrew from the country after 20 years of war with the then-insurgent Taliban. No country has formally recognized the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan, and international development assistance to the impoverished country remains suspended. Terrorism-related global sanctions on many top Taliban leaders, isolation of their administration, and termination of foreign development aid have made it difficult for the de facto Afghan government to tackle the countrys deepening economic troubles. The World Bank reported in April that the aftermath of the Taliban takeover had seen a stark decline in international aid, leaving Afghanistan without any internal growth engines and leading to "a staggering 26% contraction in real GDP. However, the Talibans policies, in line with their strict interpretation of Islamic law, have troubled the world because they have barred Afghan girls from attending school beyond the sixth grade and many women from public and private sector employment. The Taliban reject criticism of their government as interference in internal matters of Afghanistan, saying their policies are aligned with local culture and Islam. 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 United Nation health agency's emergency committee. The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared mpox a public health emergency on the continent on Tuesday. The WHO said there have been more than 14,000 cases and 524 deaths in Africa this year, which already exceeds last year's 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. Here's 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 such as fever, chills and body aches. People with more serious cases can develop lesions on the face, hands, chest and genitals. What's happening in Africa that's 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 in a Congolese mining town of a new form of mpox 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 they're 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. What's 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, Sweden's 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 expect 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? WHO's 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 agency's 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 Africa's 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. How does the current outbreak in Africa compare 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 Children's 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 country's health system was already "collapsing" under the strain of malnutrition, measles and cholera. Emory's 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 Congo's Monkeypox Response Committee. CANBERRA, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- Australia will trial digital passenger cards to replace paper cards for arrivals to the country, the border force has announced. Under the pilot program for the Australia Travel Declaration, passengers on Qantas flights from New Zealand to Australia later in 2024 will be able to lodge their immigration, customs and biosecurity status digitally up to 72 hours prior to arrival in Australia. The Australian Border Force (ABF) said in a statement on Friday night that the system will expand to other airlines as it progresses beyond the pilot stage. The digital system will replace the current Incoming Passenger Card (IPC) that must be filled in by all travelers to Australia declaring where they will stay and what goods they have brought into the country. The ABF said making the digital declaration up to 72 hours before arrival in Australia will give travelers the opportunity to leave prohibited goods behind. "Digitizing the Incoming Passenger Card presents opportunities to streamline processes, improve data quality, and offer a seamless experience for users," the statement said. Once completed, passengers using the new declaration will receive an email containing a QR code that can be scanned by ABF officers. ABF Commissioner Michael Outram said the initiative was the result of work by the Trans-Tasman Seamless Travel Group, which has brought together leaders and experts from Australia and New Zealand to solve problems and innovate. Business group the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) in July released a report calling for the government to digitize the IPC. It described the paper IPC as antiquated and said it was deterring visitors from returning to Australia. The Tourism and Transport Forum Australia on Friday described the move towards a digital system as a major win for the tourism industry. We have less Sister Edith and more Elizabeth this week, which is excellent. If I wanted to see disaffected peasants, Id watch a video of me and my wife staring at our grocery bill. Were not out here watching depressing documentaries in these very upsetting times. Were watching Love Island. (Why did Rob choose those overalls?) This is how I prefer to occupy my thoughts. This is why it was so delightful to see so many scenes with Minnie Driver playing her deranged but brilliant Elizabeth I. Ive gotten so sick of seeing sympathetic portrayals of Mary, Queen of Scots, where Elizabeth mopes in a corner over not having children. Here, Elizabeth does not give one single fuck about kids and is here to take over France and have French noblemen go down on her. All of this comes as a surprise to the Bourbons, who think Elizabeth is in the Netherlands. But no, shes at court as a prospective bride for Charles. Again, this is made-up nonsense, but we shouldnt care. Elizabeth chatting with Catherine de Medici is my Wattpad One Direction fanfic. Catherine is determined to make this marriage happen to further her goal of uniting France and ensuring peace. At risk of ruining that goal is Cardinal de Guise, who was baptized by Sister Edith last week and now agrees to spy for her at court. I dont know how effective of a spy he can be when everyone is like, Oh hey, the cardinal got baptized by Protestants and probably cant be trusted now. Also, hes being super off-putting in that particular way recent converts can be. He tries to convince his brother Francois to go see Sister Edith. The cardinals switch to the other side is so widely known that the creepy Catholic League pays Antoinette a visit and tells her to get her sons shit in order. Antoinette passes this message on to Francois, underlining that their brand represents the Catholic aristocracy and that the cardinal better not screw that up with his spiritual awakening and discovery of meaning in his life. All that happens with the famed Sister Edith this week is she asks the cardinal to spy, as mentioned, and gets in a fight with Montmorency when he tells her that she is confusing Gods voice with the voice in her head and that that never ends well. Its so true! Although telling her so may have burned a bridge. No one who thinks God is speaking to them wants to be told No, thats just your thoughts, Steve. Steve isnt going to be like, Oh, wow, thank you for that information. Elizabeth sweeps into the French court with Throckmorton at her side. The music is killing it here. The Guises are asked for an opinion on the Elizabeth/Charles pairing, and Antoinette mentions her concern for Mary, Queen of Scots. Throckmorton says if France gives Calais back to England, they can maybe come to an arrangement regarding Mary. Elizabeth did really want Calais back! Even though it made zero sense why it should be part of England. Elizabeth and Anjou verbally spar in one of my favorite moments, and Catherine invites Elizabeth on a hunt. Before said hunt, Louis visits Elizabeth because his feelings are hurt and he thought they had something. Elizabeth tells him that shell marry Charles, live in England, and Louis can mind the store, i.e., France. Then she throws open her skirts and tells him to make himself useful. Again, teenage me would have hated this. At the hunt, we are finally treated to the owl headdress the show has been previewing in season images for months. Its truly the reason I am here. Elizabeth is on a horse wearing a bird headdress with distinctively owlish characteristics. And pulling it off, I might add. OWL HAT. Elizabeth makes a bet with Catherine that whoever gets the biggest deer can set the terms of the marriage. Okey dokey. Charles falls off his horse after Catherine sees a crow eating a snake in front of a nest of broken eggs. An embarrassingly obvious metaphor once Cosimo Ruggieri tells us the raven is a symbol for England! So now were likely going to lose another de Medici kid, which, if we do, leaves us with Anjou and Margot. This is very five little monkeys jumping on the bed vibes, down to three and possibly two. Side note: Alessandro chats with Rahima and tells her that the Earth is not flat, which is surprising news for her. This scene is perpetuating some more ahistorical nonsense, but its fine. Actually, you know what? Not fine. This is the late 16th century, by which time people were very aware of a non-flat Earth. Scientists werent burned by the Church for saying that. Scientists got in trouble for saying the Earth revolves around the sun, which is different. Anyway, I am not proAlessandro and Rahima. Rahimas too good for him and his pandering talk of being free and teaching her things she already knows. Later she tells Catherine that Alessandro is maybe stealing money from the Tuileries project, which he admits to Rahima, and then they presumably bang. Booooooo. As we wrap up, Catherine awakens to find some witchcraft stick art on the pillow next to her, and when she rides all the way out to the forest to confront Ruggieri, being all, What the fuck is this? and he says its a warning. What?? You think shes in trouble, so you get someone to sneak in witch twigs, an item she doesnt understand anyway? Couldnt you have sent her a message saying Hey, come see me in the forest? This is so weird, Cosimo. Anyway, Catherine is super mad when he tells her she is surrounded by traitors and doesnt get it, and she tells him to GTFO. An owl flies after her. Elizabeth!! Transformed back into her human form (for anyone not watching the show, Elizabeth cannot transform into an owl; its not a My Lady Jane situation), Elizabeth goads Anjou and Charles into fencing each other. Catherine threatens Anjou to let Charles win, even though Charles is a little droopy since getting thrown from that horse. Anjou tries to give the victory to Charles, even after Charles calls him a pretty nasty slur, but a little droopy turns into full-on passed out, and as Catherine leans over him, Charles coughs blood into a handkerchief. Catherine assures everyone that hes fine, hes fine. Fin!! Wait, so is Anjou going to be king now? Rome mayor slams vandalism at Colosseum. A Ukrainian tourist was cited by Rome police on Friday for carving his name into the Colosseum, in the latest act of vandalism against Italy's historic landmarks this summer. The 19-year-old visitor, visiting the Colosseum with two friends, used a key to deface a wall between the entrance of the first level of the ancient amphiteatre and the atrium, Il Messaggero reports. Another tourist witnessed the young man's actions and immediately alerted security officials who detained him until the arrival of police. The man was then taken to the nearby police station where he was cited for causing damage to cultural heritage, a crime that can carry a two-year jail term and a fine of up to 15,000, according to Corriere della Sera. In a statement Rome mayor Roberto Gualtieri complimented the police for apprehending the perpetrator of the vandalism, saying: "In a city rich in treasures that are the heritage of humanity, there can certainly be no space for hooligans and idiots". Earlier this week the city of Florence released a statement about two tourists who risk being fined up to 40,000 for defacing the Ponte Vecchio bridge, under Italy's tough new laws to protect monuments and cultural heritage. Last summer a UK-based Bulgarian man sparked uproar after he carved "Ivan+Hayley 23 into a Colosseum wall, later claiming that he hadn't realised the building was ancient. 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 . Its not every day you get to snorkel with a Formula 1 driver. I use the word with here in a broad sense. Its not just me and McLarens young rising star, Oscar Piastri, drifting over a Whitsundays reef, pointing out undersea wonders to each other. Its a bunch of us: reporters, McLaren employees and Great Barrier Reef Foundation staff. Its a special moment for Melbourne-born Piastri, 23, because hes never seen the reef. But no ones quite sure what it will be like today. Its late March and the World Heritage Area is bleaching for the fifth time since 2016. We tilt our masks to the water and hope for the best. Amid the greens and browns, and the odd blue and yellow, we see white. Not large fields of bleached coral, just singular ones, here and there. Afterwards, standing on shore in his orange McLaren polo top, Piastri reflects on what hes witnessed. I definitely saw some bleached coral and unfortunately some dead coral as well, so for me it highlights why its so important that were involved in this initiative. The initiative is the reason were here on Queenslands Hayman Island. McLaren is announcing that some of its best engineers will help automate the dispersal of millions of baby corals to try to support the reef through the ravages of climate change. If you think coral and motor sport make strange bedfellows, youre not alone. F1 cars pollute, of course, but the sports biggest carbon footprint comes from globetrotting their cars and teams to 21 nations each season. McLaren and F1 have set net zero emissions targets, yet the media launch seemed ripe with greenwashing potential. McLaren was no doubt delighted with the pictures of Piastri on the beach and the resulting news reports that cast the team as joining the fight to help save the reef. Money cant buy that kind of publicity. But heres the thing. Few of the scientists and engineers involved in managing the reef in a warming world view McLarens involvement cynically. With almost half the reef experiencing unprecedented heat stress last summer, these experts part of a collaboration that includes the Australian Institute of Marine Science, Great Barrier Reef Foundation (GBRF), CSIRO and four universities have a task so challenging and urgent, they welcome all comers. Already, this largely taxpayer-funded partnership, called the Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program (RRAP), has spent $167 million since 2018 on research and development. In the next few years, for a further $50 million, it will roll out the worlds biggest reef intervention, creating several million corals, half of them more heat-tolerant types. If McLaren engineers can help solve bottlenecks on the baby coral production line, then great. This is not a get-out-of-jail-free card to not act on climate change. Coral reef scientist Dr Line Bay There are experts from a range of fields around the world who may be able to help us deliver bigger solutions at smaller costs, says coral reef scientist Dr Line (pronounced Lee-nah) Bay, research program director at the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) and a RRAP research leader. Advertisement But these attempts to help the reef adapt from making so-called super corals in the laboratory to cloud brightening (yes, its a thing) have their critics, most notably leading Australian reef expert Professor Terry Hughes, who say they are costly, impractical and a distraction from the core need for rapid carbon cuts. Were not naive, says Bay, in response to this sort of criticism. This is not a silver bullet. This is not a get-out-of-jail-free card to not act on climate change. Theres going to be a hard limit [to which] you can push coral. But Im not willing to give up and throw my hands in the air and say nothing can be done without the data backing that up. As scientists for the Australian population, weve got to do the very best we can. F1 driver Oscar Piastri on a McLaren media day, when the company spruiked its involvement in reef seeding. At the National Sea Simulator (NSS), an hours drive south of Townsville, theres a room thats like a time machine for corals. Part of AIMS, its a huge research facility full of seawater tanks where a lot of the critical RRAP research is conducted. When I visit in late May, the institutes technicians have so accurately mimicked the wild conditions of a reef off Townsville the fading sunlight, the rising moonlight, the gloom in between that the corals believe theyre living five months in the future. More precisely: they understand it to be the night after the full moon this coming October, at about 8.28pm, when actually its 3.28pm on May 24. The researchers have become so adept at time-tricking the corals, they can make them spawn in the early afternoon so workers can leave the office by 6pm. But it does require a totally sealed-off room with a foyer of black curtains to ensure no daylight leaks in when the corals think its evening. This is why Im in the dark, leaning over a tank with Loni Koukoumaftsis, a tall and warmly enthusiastic marine scientist, wearing a headlamp that throws a low-level red light onto browny-orange plate coral. Its in what Koukoumaftsis calls the setting phase, or what Im thinking of as the pimple stage. Small, whitish bumps are forming on the surface as the polyps, the animal part of the coral, get ready to burp out a package of eggs and sperm. Corals are colonies made up of thousands of polyps that are like tiny sea anemones. Theyre animals that mostly consist of only a stomach, a mouth and tentacles that sprout at night to help them feed. But the bulk of their nutrients come from a plant, an algae, that cohabitates in their cells in a normally happy marriage. Under heat stress, the polyp will evict the algae leaving it white or bleached and eventually die of starvation if the heat doesnt abate. Coral spawning at the National Sea Simulator. Credit: AIMS | Marie Roman A little while later, we return to see these corals release a few dozen one-millimetre bundles of egg and sperm, the size of a sugar grain. They rise, as if in slow motion, to the surface. There arent many today, so Koukoumaftsis is under no pressure to collect them. But normally, hed proceed with some coral IVF, pouring the mixture through a mesh screen to break up the bundles (in the wild, currents and waves do this). Then hed swish the separated eggs and sperm in a plastic bowl until they fertilise, which takes about 30 minutes. In another room, Koukoumaftsis shows me the results of this process: a few days on, a bunch of little larvae are swimming around in a culture tank, looking for a place to settle and start a new colony. Advertisement Its only the third year that Koukoumaftsis and colleagues have managed to create an out-of-season spawning (they first cracked it in 2022). Doing this means they dont have to wait for the summer spawning and can provide more coral larvae for the institutes experiments. Its been super-exciting to fast-track our understanding of young corals so we can support more reef restoration research, he says. To understand the task ahead for the RRAP scientists, its important to know how climate change is already affecting the reef. This is not an easy thing, partly because the reef, the worlds largest, is bigger than Italy and made up of nearly 3800 individual reefs that are impacted in different ways at different times. It is also deeply political because the reef is a proxy in the climate change wars. One side rings the doomsday bells, while the other insists everythings fine. The reality is somewhere in between and rather intriguing. Loni Koukoumaftsis calls the research super exciting. Credit: Roslyn Budd In the past 15 years, the reef plunged to its lowest ever coverage of hard corals since surveys began 38 years ago. (Hard-coral cover is used as a reef health measurement because its the critical habitat underpinning the survival of thousands of other species of marine life.) Now, its at its highest in the central and northern regions after a remarkable reseeding of corals that has surprised reef scientists. People who say all the corals are dead, thats garbage, says coral reef scientist Dr David Wachenfeld, who heads AIMS reef monitoring project. But equally, people who say theres more coral than ever before and therefore no climate change that is also garbage. To get a picture of whats been going on, we need to travel to the reefs north at Lizard Island, which Wachenfeld describes as a beautiful miniature version of the story of the entire Great Barrier Reef. Marine scientist Dr Anne Hoggett and her husband, Dr Lyle Vail, have run the Australian Museums Lizard Island Research Station for 34 years. Hoggett explains the island was spared the reefs first mass bleaching in 1998. Bleaching came, though, in 2002 and 2010. In 2014 and 2015, the island was hit with two category-four cyclones, which stripped the corals to bare rock around the edge of the Lizard Island group but spared those in the lagoon. Then came what Hoggett describes as the catastrophic bleaching of 2016, which wiped out the lagoon corals. Only a small suite of tough coral species survived. In 2017, the temperatures matched 2016, but there was nothing much left to kill. And there was hardly any spawning because most of the adult corals were dead. At this point, you might be getting a little depressed about Lizard Island. But something remarkable happened. One year later, Hoggett noticed the corals growing again. Recovery was by no means everywhere, but in some places, the corals had grown to such an extent that the reef looked absolutely fabulous again by the end of 2023. It was just incredible. This plunge and surge of coral growth on Lizard Island and elsewhere across the reef is so unexpected that reef scientists have been trying to work out whats going on. Scientists such as Hoggett noticed that some of the new growth came from tiny corals that had settled before the bleaching, survived the heat and replaced the dead adults. Its also thought that coral larvae drifting in the water column where they can potentially live for weeks and travel tens of kilometres settled and repopulated the vacant space. The problem, says Hoggett, is that the recovery depends on larvae from other reefs. As the years go on, there are going to be fewer places to provide the larvae to reseed these damaged areas. It wont bounce back forever. Advertisement Anne Hoggett and Lyle Vail, based on Lizard Island, witness coral bleaching first-hand. Meanwhile, every summer on Lizard Island has become a roll of the dice for the corals. Since 2020, bleaching has occurred annually (a frequency that Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, an Australian pioneer of coral bleaching research, thought would start around 2050). Bleaching is not a death sentence for corals: if a storm arrives or clouds roll in, the cooling can allow the animals to repopulate themselves with algae that might be living in the water and sediment, or from a little bit left in their cells. In the bleaching since 2020, the dumb luck of a last-minute weather change saved corals from dying. But in the last summer this luck ran out, says Hoggett, with up to 80 per cent of the important Acropora corals on the reef dying. But the severe marine heatwave of early 2024 was not remarkable for what happened in Hoggetts part of the reef, the north. (Coral Sea temperatures in 2017, 2020 and 2024 were the highest for 400 years, according to recently released University of Wollongong research.) It was the first time the south had been hit with unprecedented heat stress and bleaching. The heatwave was driven by a record-breaking global spike in temperatures that alarmed climate scientists, even when they factored in an El Nino and rising emissions (theyre not sure whether its a blip or a new normal). Loading In April, Americas National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) declared the fourth global coral bleaching event. In Thailand, widespread bleaching prompted authorities to shut down whole islands to snorkelling tourists, and in Florida, underwater nurseries growing new coral were moved to deeper, cooler waters, while 1500 specimens were taken out of the sea and housed in tanks on dry land. Wachenfeld says that while the latest reef snapshot, released earlier this month, showed record hard cover in two regions, the surveys were mostly conducted before last summers bleaching event. Also, he warns that the reef is generally more fragile because the fast-growing corals that first came back are less heat-tolerant, break easily in storms and are favoured by the predator crown-of-thorns starfish. Coral cover has always been up and down, says Wachenfeld, but the downs and the ups have become more extreme in the last 15 years. The concern is that if we break the resilience of the system, at some point a down on the roller coaster will no longer be followed by an up. In another room of tanks at the simulator, Line Bay and I are looking at uniform rows of brown blobs. Arent they wonderful? says Bay, 53. They arent the most wonderful-looking corals Ive seen, but I believe her when she says theyre part of an important trial. Advertisement Nobody wants to be the person who does the cane toad equivalent on a coral reef. AIMS executive director David Mead This experiment, like many at the simulator, falls into the category of assisted evolution. Corals have evolved to live in some hot places Magnetic Island corals, for example, can withstand 30.5 degrees for 20 days, while that same heat would make corals bleach within a day just 90 kilometres south. The problem is that climate change is warming the water faster than corals can adapt. With assisted evolution, scientists are speeding up this process, and one way they do this is to find coral parents that are more heat-tolerant. Corals inherit heat tolerance from their parents; its like tall parents tend to have tall babies, says Bay. So scientists might go to a bleached reef and pick the survivors for further breeding. They might go to a reef, take a coral sample and subject it to a heat test on the boat. Then they breed more of the corals that passed the heat test and return them to the reef. AIMS Line Bay has gene-edited corals. Credit: AIMS | Chris Brunner In the simulator, theyve bred corals that have evolved to survive in hotter parts of the reef with corals from cooler parts, but this has had mixed success. Theyve also been interbreeding coral within the same species, which happens in the wild. But these are only allowed out of the lab in a controlled way theyre brought into the simulator to spawn, then put back on the reef just in case the hybridisation has caused a problem. (Nobody wants to be the person who does the cane toad equivalent on a coral reef, says engineer David Mead, a co-founder of RRAP and AIMS executive director.) Bay, a genetic specialist, has also been working on corals using the gene-editing technology CRISPR-Cas9. But while there have been some encouraging early results, anything to do with manipulating genes in a coral is going to be tricky because heat tolerance is thought to be polygenic (more than one coral gene is responsible for it). Are we playing God? I dont think so. These are natural corals and natural processes. Line Bay The most promising experiment is the one before us, with the wonderful brown blobs. AIMS scientist and University of Melbourne professor Madeleine van Oppen has discovered that a big factor in heat tolerance is the type of algae that lives inside it. In other words, whether your plant housemate can stand the heat can trump how heat-loving your parents are. There are two important groups of algae available for the most common corals and the one thats more heat-resistant makes the coral grow slower. To overcome this problem, van Oppen and colleague Matthew Nitschke took the faster-growing algae type and heated it up in experiments. They bred the survivors, heated them again and repeated this over hundreds of quick-turnover generations across two years to fast-track their evolution. Then they injected this heat-tolerant algae into the tanks for the coral to take up. Advertisement In Hoh Xil National Nature Reserve, China's Qinghai Province, efforts to protect Tibetan antelopes have yielded remarkable results. Their conservation status in China has been downgraded from "endangered" to "near threatened." #GLOBALink The salmon fillets youre buying at the supermarket could be driving one of Australias rarest and most ancient animals to extinction. There are between 40 and 120 remaining adult Maugean skate a fish endemic only to western Tasmania on the planet. The Maugean skate is on the brink of extinction. It has a flat, disc-shaped body between 70 centimetres and 90 centimetres long and a thorny tail. Credit: Neville Barrett Scientists on the federal governments threatened species committee last week said the best way to save the endangered fish is to eliminate or at least dramatically cut back on salmon farming in its habitat. Farms are located around the Tasmanian coastline, and Macquarie Harbour is not the main source of salmon supply. But thats where the most controversial leases are because it is the only place on earth where the skate lives. Guests settling the bill at the just reopened and newly renovated Song in the heart of Sydney will also be contributing to a bottom line beyond the usual corporate goals at Australias first profit-for-purpose hotel. The hotel has 156 newly renovated rooms. Positioning itself as a good-value stay with rooms from $200 a night including a cooked breakfast, Song Hotels dividends directly contribute to the work of YWCA Australia, an organisation supporting women across housing, services and leadership pathways for more than 140 years. It began with the first YWCA in Australia in 1880 set up by Mary Jane Barker who established a safe home for vulnerable immigrant women working as shop girls, factory hands and domestic servants. 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 bare from posters warning 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. Pacific white-sided dolphins jump around a sightseeing boat in Japans Mutsu Bay. Credit: Japan News-Yomiuri In Wakasa Bay, about 300 kilometres 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 police in Fukui prefecture. Most were reported in what one Japanese media outlet called the dolphin threat summer. Moscow: An influential aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that the West and the US-led NATO alliance had helped to plan Ukraines surprise attack on Russias Kursk region, something Washington has denied. The lightning incursion, the biggest into Russia by a foreign power since World War II, began on August 6 when thousands of Ukrainian troops crossed Russias western border in a major embarrassment for Putins military. A damaged monument to Soviet founder Vladimir Lenin stands in a central square in Sudzha, Kursk region, Russia. Credit: AP 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 US is reported to have been used on Russian soil. XINING, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- A total of 10 Tibetan antelope calves are in good condition after being rescued in July near Zonag Lake in Hol Xil Nature Reserve, northwest China's Qinghai Province, according to the local conservation station. Zonag Lake is known as the "delivery room" of Tibetan antelopes, attracting tens of thousands females from Qinghai and neighboring Xizang and Xinjiang to give birth from May to September every year. When encountering bad weather or natural enemies, newborn calves can easily be separated from their mothers, said Lodro Tsegyel at the station, adding that four of the rescued calves this year are male and six female. The calves are bottle-fed three times a day, and kept in a warm room at night. They will receive wilderness reintroduction training and then be released into their original habitat. The Hoh Xil conservation station stands over 4,600 meters above sea level, and has rescued more than 600 wild animals since its establishment in 2002. Dr Lisa Cunninghams energy is infectious. You cant help but be impacted by it when in her company. A consultant in Emergency Medicine at Mayo University Hospital, Lisa has many more passions in her life but her family are at the centre of everything she does. Lisa is currently involved in a campaign to try and bring pre-hospital emergency medicine to Ireland and she travels to the UK to practice in the discipline every five to six weeks. And in the middle of all that, Lisa is also a doctor with the Mayo GAA medical team, a passion project for the Ballina native. I sat down to chat with Lisa in her home outside Ballina. Angelina: Lisa, thank you for talking to me. Tell me a little bit about your background. Lisa: I'm from Ballina - born, bred, and buttered in Roches Terrace. I went to school in Ballina, then went on to do medicine in UCD at the tender age of 18. It was probably one of the biggest shocks ever. You could fit Ballina into UCD back then. It was huge, but I loved it. Angelina: Is there a reason you wanted to do medicine? Lisa: I'm with the Order of Malta here in Ballina for the last 25 years. I developed an interest in First Year in secondary school. My best friend Denise Gilroy, handed me a first aid book and said, 'Would you just ask me a few questions out of this because I have a test tonight?' I was like, 'Okay, grand' and I thought, 'This looks interesting. What's this?' Then she invited me up to the Order of Malta headquarters in Marian Crescent, and I went in, and I just thought it was really interesting. That's where I started - in the Order of Malta. I started First Aid and began competing in that - there's actually All-Ireland competitions in First Aid. We won our All Ireland when we were 15 - Denise, myself, another girl called Blathin and John Lavelle, three of us are now in healthcare. That's where I got the gra for First Aid and even pre-hospital stuff. What I didn't realise at the time was that was actually a sub-speciality of medicine. Angelina: What was the next step for you then after you finished in UCD? Lisa: The next step is internships. You are unleashed onto the world. It was the first time that they opened up the places, so you didn't need to stay in Dublin. Very quickly, I wanted to get down home to the west. My first internship was in Galway for the first six months, and then the next six months was in Mayo University Hospital. That was my internship, but you had to choose before Christmas where you'd go to. I had specifically picked Galway to get the Emergency Department rotation there. I did that from October until December. So I had an idea whether I would like that as a speciality. I absolutely loved it. Galway Emergency Department was just amazing. It really still holds a lovely place in my heart because I went back there several times throughout my rotations. Then, after the year, you went onto the training scheme. I applied for the training scheme and was successful. Emergency medicine wasn't as much of a speciality back then. That was 2012. You had three years of training then to do and I moved between Galway, Sligo to Portlaoise, then Galway, Sligo, Galway again. So it's three years of training for emergency medicine as a basic scheme, and then you apply to become a Specialist Registrar (SpR), which is a five-year programme, then to become a consultant. It's eight years in total. But I suppose in that I had a few little breaks with that - well, if you could call them breaks because I had three kids along the way. Angelina: But it's not just a hospital setting in Ireland that you work in, is it? Lisa: I always loved the First Aid aspect of the work. When I really think about it, that's what's driven me to the career that I have now, which is the sub-speciality interest of pre-hospital emergency medicine. Emergency medicine is a speciality and then the sub-speciality is even more going out into the field, as we call it, and delivering the care out there. As part of my higher training scheme over five years, the last year is a fellowship year, so you could decide what you wanted to do. I went abroad for a full year to Essex and Hearts Air Ambulance in 2020. I went abroad for the year on the helicopters, pre-hospital, and that was it, I knew it was what I wanted to do. It was amazing. The year finishes, but you have to have a base speciality, which is the emergency medicine. I've always wanted to get back to Mayo but Mayo University Hospital (MUH) was never on the training scheme for emergency medicine. I never actually worked there in the Emergency Department. Actually this year is going to be the first year that we do have trainees there. That was one of our aims when there was a group of us together when we got back, to make MUH a training hospital for emergency medicine. So I always wanted a job back in Mayo University Hospital. The opportunity arose just as I was coming to the end of the fellowship that the job was going to be back in Mayo. I got a base speciality there and then another air ambulance service in the UK advertised for a job just for two shifts a month, every five to six weeks. I was able to do my base speciality and then do my sub-speciality. I fly over to the UK every five or six weeks now to Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance. I absolutely love it. Angelina: You're travelling to the UK to do that - is that type of medicine available in Ireland? Lisa: There's none of that in medicine in Ireland. This is the reason why you do your fellowship. You go abroad to get a taste of something that is impacting on patient care and doing very well, and then you bring it home. I'm part of an international group, we're all Irish mainly, but I'm the only one that's living in Ireland, the rest of us are abroad. There are pilots, critical care paramedics, other consultants in emergency medicine and pre-hospital physicians, that are all advocating that we have pre-hospital emergency medicine in Ireland. There's definitely a little bit more momentum coming to it. Angelina: What is the difference between what happens here and in the UK? Lisa: It is important to say that the National Ambulance Service have a very good scope of practice. They are my colleagues. The main difference is the level of care, of critical care interventions that can be done. For example, in the UK, we will deliver the emergency room, emergency department care to the patient's roadside or in their house. If they need a blood transfusion, if they need to be put into a medical coma, if they need extra medications, we will deliver that to them at their bedside, roadside, wherever it is. In Ireland, the National Ambulance Service will bring the patient to the emergency department. However, in Mayo, that could be an hour, an hour and a half, and if somebody needs a blood transfusion, sometimes that's not the time-frame that they have. We're very much campaigning, working with the National Ambulance Service, working with the politicians - we're waiting to hear back from Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly and the Taoiseach has said that he's going to engage with us as well to get this implemented in Ireland. This international group, we have a plan right down to the euro, right down to a recruitment drive to actually bring consultants into the country, right down to where the bases will be, right down to the costing for the fuelling. Angelina: You're also very involved in GAA, Lisa. Lisa: I never played Gaelic when I was younger, but I was brought up in Mayo/Galway household. Playing was never really encouraged for us growing up but I always loved going to games. Being a pre-hospital doctor, I thought maybe my skillset can be used in the Gaelic pitch. Michael Moyles asked me about four years ago to join the Mayo ladies and I just remember being so excited. I got involved with the girls and I just absolutely love it. It's giving me my Gaelic kick, for starters. But actually, I feel like that I can do some things, I can actually help them in some way. There's no doctor requirement in the LGFA, so there's not many counties that would have a doctor with them. I've definitely seen a lot of injuries with the girls. They get broken bones, they get broken jaws, they get double the ACLs than the men do, even having pain management and stuff is beneficial. Dr Mary Casey is also with us. She's a consultant radiologist in Mayo University Hospital. Dr Sean Moffat is the main doctor with the men's team, and he asked me if I wanted to get involved with them as well. I absolutely love doing the two. Even take the first year doing the cardiac screening for the ladies, Saoirse Lally was found to have a condition. This is needed and it's free- LGFA sponsor it - but it's hard for other teams to implement it because there's no doctor there to actually start it. Angelina: What keeps you driven, Lisa? Lisa: I know from the work part, it's the patient. I know it sounds like such a cliche, but I love having the ladies that come to the emergency department, the 85-year-old, and having a good chat with them, asking them do they remember Mayo winning the last All-Ireland and then there is my role in helping the patient who is bleeding out at the side of the road and knowing that I can do that, and I could go between the two. I have a wonderful family around me, and I'm just enjoying it, I'm happy and healthy. That's what I think everybody should aim for, and that's what it is. 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. RAMALLAH, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- President of the Palestinian National Council Rawhi Fattouh on Friday warned of the Israeli army's actions to reduce humanitarian areas in the Gaza Strip. Forcing Gaza's residents to continually relocate is a "psychological, physical, and economic torment that burdens citizens who do not have enough to feed their families or meet their basic living needs," Fattouh said. The Israeli military issued an order on Friday that affects six blocs in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis, including two within the Israeli-designated zone in Al Mawasi in western Khan Younis, according to an update released by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. This is one of the largest evacuation orders affecting the zone to date and it shrinks the size of the so-called "humanitarian area" to about 41 square km, or approximately 11 percent of the total area of the Gaza Strip, the update said. Eight evacuation orders have been issued by the Israeli military in August, affecting tens of thousands of people in Khan Younis and, to a lesser extent, in northern Gaza, it added. Also on Friday, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East said people in the Gaza Strip remain trapped in an endless nightmare of death and destruction, as new evacuation orders have been issued by Israeli authorities. GAZA, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- A senior Hamas official on Saturday accused Israel of obstructing all efforts to finalize a Gaza ceasefire agreement. "The Israeli occupation continues to obstruct all efforts to complete any ceasefire agreement," Sami Abu Zuhri said in a press statement. Abu Zuhri also accused the U.S. administration of "fully adopting Israel's position" and claimed that Israel is retreating from previous clauses. He noted that Washington is trying to "deter any moves" in the region against Israel. "We are not facing a real agreement or negotiations, but rather the imposition of American dictates," he said, saying that talking about reaching a ceasefire agreement is "an illusion." On Friday, Qatar, the United States, and Egypt said in a joint statement that the Gaza ceasefire talks held in Doha this week had made "constructive" progress. The statement added that relevant parties would continue their efforts in the coming days to negotiate the details of the deal's implementation. The three countries have been mediating an agreement between Hamas and Israel over the Gaza conflict. Multiple rounds of ceasefire discussions in recent months have yielded no results. ISLAMABAD, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- Three terrorists were killed and one was injured in a clash with security forces in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the country's military said in a statement. The incident occurred in the North Waziristan district on Friday when the security forces launched an operation after receiving a tip-off regarding the presence of the militants in the area, said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan Army. The operation led to an intense exchange of fire, resulting in casualties of the terrorists, the statement added. Weapons and ammunition were also recovered from the killed militants, who remained actively involved in terrorist activities against security forces as well as target killing of innocent civilians, the ISPR said. A clearance operation was being carried out to eliminate any other terrorists found in the area, the statement read. Doctors shout slogans as they protest against the rape and murder of a trainee doctor, in New Delhi, India, Aug. 16, 2024. High court in India's eastern state of West Bengal Tuesday ordered that country's premier investigating agency, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), should probe the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at a medical college and hospital in Kolkata, officials said. The decision from the court came amid widespread protests over the gruesome rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor in Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on Friday. (Xinhua/Javed Dar) Doctors shout slogans as they protest against the rape and murder of a trainee doctor, in New Delhi, India, Aug. 16, 2024. High court in India's eastern state of West Bengal Tuesday ordered that country's premier investigating agency, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), should probe the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at a medical college and hospital in Kolkata, officials said. The decision from the court came amid widespread protests over the gruesome rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor in Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on Friday. (Xinhua/Javed Dar) VIENNA, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) warned on Saturday that the nuclear safety situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP) was "deteriorating" after a drone strike nearby. The IAEA experts stationed at the ZNPP immediately visited the impact site "close to the essential cooling water sprinkler ponds and about 100 meters from the Dniprovska power line of the ZNPP", after being informed of the drone attack on Saturday that "hit the road around the plant site perimeter", the agency said in a statement. Although there were no casualties or impact on any equipment of the plant, there was "impact to the road between the two main gates of ZNPP," the statement read. "Yet again we see an escalation of the nuclear safety and security dangers facing the ZNPP," IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi said, reiterating his calls for maximum restraint from all sides. The IAEA said its experts on site have reported "intense" military activity over the past week in the area, "including very close to the plant," and "there is no sign" of the military activity there abating. "The team has heard frequent explosions, repetitive heavy machine gun and rifle fire and artillery at various distances from the plant," the United Nations nuclear watchdog said. A fire broke out at a cooling tower of ZNPP last weekend, with Russia and Ukraine blaming each other for the incident. The fire "resulted in considerable damage, although there was no immediate threat to nuclear safety," according to the IAEA. ADDIS ABABA, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- On a typical sunny day in the capital of Ethiopia, Adugna Adamu was advertising his business offering rides from Bole airport to the historic Piazza district with his electric minibus, one of the many now plying the streets of the city. The introduction of modern electric vehicles (EVs) to public transport was part of the government's campaign initiated earlier this year to ban the import of gasoline or diesel vehicles, in a bid to accelerate its transition to electric mobility in the face of a global fuel price hike. "These electric vehicles are bigger, quieter, more cost-effective and user-friendly than the conventional minibuses that run on gasoline," Adamu told Xinhua in an interview. Ethiopia spent 6 billion U.S. dollars on the import of fuel in 2023, over half of which went to fuel vehicles, giving rise to off-the-charts pollution in city centers, the Ethiopian Ministry of Transport and Logistics said. Of the roughly 1.2 million vehicles in the country, many are over 20 years old and mostly secondhand imports from Gulf states, often seen emitting black smoke from their exhausts. "I used to drive different types of vehicles, but this one is unique in that it is more comfortable and does not pollute the air," Adamu said as he drove 15 passengers, most of whom were experiencing their first-ever electric vehicle excursion. The electric minibuses are assembled by local company Belayneh Kindie Metal Engineering Complex, using components imported from China. The Chinese Golden Dragon Company supplies components for the vehicles to the local company, which assembles both EV minibuses and 12-meter-long big electric buses to meet the growing demand for EVs in Ethiopia. Though electric minibuses are a fresh addition to Ethiopian public transport services, Besufekad Shewaye, general manager of the local company, is anticipating a promising market for EVs in Ethiopia due to the country's abundant hydroelectricity resources. "Staring from mid-2023, we imported completely knocked down (CKD) electric vehicles, assembled 216 electric minibuses and made them available to the Ethiopian market," said the general manager, adding that the company has so far sold 50 percent of the assembled electric minibuses to transportation service providers and government offices. The Ethiopian government aims to import nearly 500,000 electric automobiles to fast-track the country's shift to electric transportation as part of its 10-year development plan that runs from 2021 to 2030. It has also allowed duty-free import of EV parts to encourage EV adoption and facilitate knowledge transfer. Shewaye noted that assembling EVs locally makes them more competitively priced and can boost local employment. At least 75 local workers have been hired to assemble the first batch of 216 minibuses, with Chinese engineers traveling to Ethiopia to provide guidance. "The Chinese EV engineers have come here and shared with us their skills and knowledge on EV technology both in theory and practice. After we underwent training, we are now able to assemble electric vehicles by ourselves," said Bezuayehu Abera, the company's production manager. Earlier this month, Ethiopia's Minister of Transport and Logistics Alemu Sime said his country is willing to explore opportunities for producing and assembling EVs with Chinese manufacturers during his discussions with potential Chinese investors. The minister has also noted the favorable policies and market conditions established by the Ethiopian government, including a mass production of EV-charging accessories, to attract Chinese and other foreign companies to participate in the local EV industry. Participants pose for a group photo at the 44th Ordinary Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government in Harare, Zimbabwe, on Aug. 17, 2024. The 44th Ordinary Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit of Heads of State and Government opened here on Saturday, with regional leaders stressing the need to continue fostering political and economic stability to accelerate regional integration and industrialization. (Photo by Tafara Mugwara/Xinhua) HARARE, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- The 44th Ordinary Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit of Heads of State and Government opened in the Zimbabwean capital of Harare on Saturday, with regional leaders stressing the need to continue fostering political and economic stability to accelerate regional integration and industrialization. In his welcoming remarks to the delegates, Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe is greatly honored to host the regional meeting which will chart the region's development agenda over the coming year. Mnangagwa expressed gratitude to the regional grouping for standing with Zimbabwe during the over two decades of Western sanctions on the country, noting that many countries in the region resisted undue pressure from some Western countries to abandon the southern African country. "I am grateful for the opportunity to personally thank you all for the many years of your unwavering solidarity, support, and unbreakable fraternal relations with the Republic and people of Zimbabwe. This has been against the continued heinous sanctions imposed on our motherland, Zimbabwe, by some Western countries," Mnangagwa said. "We are aware that various forms of undue pressure may have been exerted on you over the years to abandon us, yet you have remained resolute in the true spirit of our liberation wartime mantra that an injury to one is an injury to all," the president added. In 2019, SADC designated Oct. 25 as Anti-Sanctions Day, a day in which member countries carry out various activities to show solidarity with Zimbabwe in calling for the unconditional lifting of the sanctions. In his acceptance speech after assuming the SADC chairmanship from outgoing chair and Angolan President Joao Lourenco, Mnangagwa rallied the region to unite and work together to advance the region's development agenda for the benefit of SADC citizens. The SADC region, he said, must deploy innovative strategies across all sectors of the economy to spur regional value chains, particularly focusing on value addition and beneficiation of the abundant mineral and natural resources in the region. He said the SADC region must continue to jealously guard and defend its sovereignty and the right to economic self-determination, noting that under his chairmanship, the SADC region will continue to robustly implement regional projects and programs that advance regional development. The one-day SADC summit, held at the Chinese-built new parliament building, runs under the theme of "Promoting Innovation to unlock opportunities for sustainable economic growth and development towards an Industrialized SADC." Warning issued after rise in scam Natwest emails A warning has been issued following reports of scam bank emails targeting members of the public. Action Fraud, the UKs national reporting centre for fraud and cyber crime, has seen more than 150 complaints in the last two weeks about fake Natwest messages. In the emails the fraudsters pose as a representative from the bank and claim that an individuals contact number has been updated on their account. The emails contain links to malicious websites which are designed to steal your personal and financial information. If you receive an unexpected message, you should verify its validity by contacting the organisation directly using a verified number or e-mail address for them. Dont reply to the message, click on any links within it or use any of the contact details noted within it. In a statement, Action Fraud said: If you have doubts about a message, contact the organisation directly. Dont use the numbers of address in the message use the details from their official website. Your bank (or any other official source) will never ask you to supply personal information via email. If you receive a suspicious email, you can also report it by forwarding the email to: report@phishing.gov.uk. Over 337,000 malicious websites have been removed as a result of public reports. KABUL, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- A total of 23,693 drug users have recovered after receiving medical treatment across Afghanistan in the past 12 months, the country's Ministry of Public Health said in a report on Saturday. During the cited period, a total of 8.6 million children and mothers have received vaccines, indicating a 15-percent surge, said ministry official Sahibzada. According to Sahibzada, the ministry collected 1,610 tonnes of outdated medicines, poor-quality items, and foodstuffs and set them on fire across the country during the period. Anger is spreading in Detroit and beyond in response to the handcuffing and hours-long public humiliation by Judge Kenneth King of a homeless high school student during a field trip to the 36th District Court earlier this week. Eva Goodman, age 15, had fallen asleep during a presentation by King after having been up late the night before with her family looking for a place to sleep. On Tuesday, August 13, in a courtroom in downtown Detroit, King first berated the exhausted teenager in front of her peers, then ordered her to be taken into custody. Eva was removed from the courtroom, forced to change into a prisoners jumpsuit with Wayne County Jail printed on it, handcuffed, and paraded back in front of the group of students. King then forced Goodmans classmates to raise their hands and vote as to whether she should serve jail time for contempt of court. This was streamed to a live audience on YouTube but has since been taken offline. Goodman and King are both African American. This horrific incident provides a glimpse of the real class relations in American society and the daily humiliations faced by masses of workers in America which virtually never make the headlines. Millions of workers are subject to some level of state intrusion in their lives, whether through family, criminal or bankruptcy matters. Eva Goodman Evas mother Latoreya Till told the Detroit Free Press, My daughter is hurt. She is feeling scared. She didnt want to go to work. She was really nervous and intimidated. We have to bounce around currently because we dont have a permanent address. And so, that particular night, we got in kind of late. Till later told WXYZ, To belittle her in front of the whole world and her friends, to make her feel even worse about our situation, the fact that he was talking about You go home and get in your bed. How do you know my baby got a home, how do you know my baby got a bed, her own bed she could sleep in? Unstable living conditions are a part of working class life in America and in Detroit, in particular. A recent study from Wayne State University shows that between 11 and 16 percent of students in Detroit faced homelessness during the 2021-22 school year. In the courts livestream, Judge King could be heard saying to Eva, You sleep at home in your bed, not in court. And quite frankly, I dont like your attitude, and Im going to go to sleep tonight, while youre sitting in a juvenile detention center. He repeatedly suggested she should be jailed, and he described violent and unsanitary conditions inside the jails, including by referring to a juvenile prisoner who spread feces around with a spoon. Judge Kenneth J King, 36th District Court, Detroit. Judge King has now been removed from the docket, effectively suspended by the 36th District Court. Classes that he was scheduled to teach this fall at Wayne State University have also been reassigned, and the university removed his profile from its website. The judges vitriolic, abusive response to the completely natural actions of Eva Goodman, who had never been in a courtroom before, reflects the vast social gulf that separates the two of them. Anyone with any feeling for the conditions faced by Eva and her family would have expressed sympathy and understanding. But King is from a different social universe. The Presiding Judge of the Criminal Division of the 36th District Court, appointed by Democratic Governor Jennifer Granholm in 2006, is also the son of longtime UAW bureaucrat Stanley King. The senior King pocketed over $1.2 million in pay drawn from workers dues money between 2005 and 2017 as a staff member for Local 600 (at Fords historic Rouge Dearborn Truck plantan average of over $95,000 per year, according to the Department of Labors public records. It is telling that a son of a UAW official in the leadership of a historically important local would take such a hostile attitude toward a working class youth, threatening to abuse state power to send a message to a child whose own economic situation is the product of decades of betrayals by the UAW. Today the UAW bureaucracy is helping Stellantis cut 2,500 jobs at the Warren Truck plant, driving hundreds more children into situations as precarious as Eva Goodmans. These social crimes resulted in dramatically worsened living conditions for autoworkers nationally, including many cases of homeless autoworkers. Kenneth King, for his part, publicly expressed support for the phony stand-up strike of 2023, a transparent betrayal of workers in which the UAW leadership, under President Shawn Fain, kept workers at Rouge and other critical plants working throughout the strike in order to limit its impact on production and guarantee a defeat. Kings abusive behavior toward the 15-year-old Goodman revealed in a particularly disgusting fashion the essential attitude of the UAW bureaucracy and Democratic Party apparatus towards all workers: Accept all these cuts and like it! Stay in line or well lock you up! Wipe that smirk off your face! It recalls the infuriating 2020 jailing of Michigan high school student Grace for failing to do her online homework during the pandemic shutdown. These social injustices and millions more which are not reported are bearing down with increasing weight on greater and greater numbers of workers each day. Professor John Comaroff [Photo: johncomaroff.com] The years-long campaign to smear and destroy the career and reputation of distinguished Harvard Professor of Anthropology and African and African American Studies John L. Comaroff collapsed on Wednesday with the dismissal with prejudice of the civil suit brought by three graduate students against Harvard University. While the settlement does not compel the plaintiff to cover court and related legal costs, the outcome discredits their campaign and effectively vindicates Professor Comaroff. When a case is settled with prejudice, it means that the case is closed permanently, and the plaintiffs are barred from bringing another lawsuit on the same claim. This finality implies that the lawsuit filed by graduate students Margaret G. Czerwienski, Lilia M. Kilburn and Amulya Mandavawho claimed without any facts or evidence that Professor Comaroff had engaged in sexual harassment and sued the university for not acting to remove himwas fundamentally flawed, without merit and cannot be brought up again. The without costs aspect simply mitigates the financial burden but does not lessen the negative legal implications of the dismissal with prejudice. The ignominious end of the lawsuit, which should never have been brought in the first place, deals another major blow to the #MeToo campaign of recent years. Since 2017, this campaign, hostile to essential provisions of legal due process, has destroyed the careers of individuals based on unsubstantiated allegations and innuendo. Responding to the failure of the slander campaign against Comaroff, the law firm representing the three graduate students, Sanford Heisler Sharp, flippantly declared in a statement on Wednesday, We are glad that our clients will now be able to move on with their lives and careers. In other words, having created havoc with their vindictive and self-promoting witch hunt, they are free to embark on their next adventure. But for Professor Comaroff, a consequence of the smear campaign is that the professor retired from Harvard on June 30 without achieving emeritus status, an honor most tenured Faculty of Arts and Sciences professors receive upon retirement. John Comaroff was born in South Africa and attended University of Cape Town, where he began his studies in anthropology. He spent 34 years teaching, along with his wife Jean Comaroff, at the University of Chicago. The husband and wife joined Harvard in 2012. In May 2020, following a scandalous article published by the Harvard Crimson, the university administration placed Professor Comaroff on paid administrative leave while an investigation into allegations of unwanted touching, verbal sexual harassment, and professional retaliation was being conducted. Responding to the accusations, which were submitted by the students to Harvards Title IX office, Comaroff wrote in an email that he denies all allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation, and said that the Harvard administration actions against him were prejudicial to the fair determination of any claims and a violation of the Harvard University Sexual Harassment Policy and Proc[e]dures confidentiality rules. He was also asked by the Anthropology Department not to teach a course. At the conclusion of the investigation, the university found Comaroff responsible solely for verbal sexual harassment arising from a brief conversation during an office hour advising session. The advice he gave concerned the students physical security in field research. According to the details of the investigation, Comaroff had attempted to explain to a gay female student that traveling with her partner in Cameroon, where homosexuality is illegal, could lead to sexual violence. His lawyers explained that the professor insisted that it was not only his right, but his moral duty, to so advise her, because her proposed plans were objectively physically dangerous to her. The investigators found that he had no sexual or romantic intention. The investigation found that the evidence did not support the accusation of unwanted sexual contact and found him not responsible for any of the other two complainants allegations. Responding to the witch-hunting atmosphere, the university administration launched a second kangaroo court-style investigation that found the professor was responsible for alleged unprofessional (but entirely non-sexual) conduct in another office hours advising session. On January 20, 2022, Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean Claudine Gay placed Comaroff on unpaid administrative leave. The sanctions against the professor were so outrageous that 38 professors signed a protest defending Comaroff on February 4, 2022, including Shakespeare scholar and cultural historian Stephen Greenblatt, literary critic and historian Henry Louis Gates Jr., historian Jill Lepore and law Professor Randall Kennedy. It was at this point that the civil lawsuit that was dismissed this week was filed against Harvard. A witch-hunting campaign was mounted, and almost all of the professors who had supported Comaroff shamefully retracted their statements. The WSWS wrote at the time (in The concerted, cowardly #MeToo attack on Harvard Professor John Comaroff): Under the wretched heading, We Retract, the 34 present no evidence of wrongdoing by Comaroff, but simply apologize for their original concerns, which were transparency, process and university procedures, which go beyond the merits of any individual case. Why are they recanting their previous views? We failed to appreciate the impact that this would have on our studentsin other words, they underestimated the ire their protest would provoke among the identity politics hystericsand we were lacking full information about the case. Which full information? The professors dont care to say. The WSWS was alone in defending Comaroff, who has consistently denied all the allegations, and basic democratic rights. In a lengthy and detailed analysis of the suit published on March 15, 2022, The politically driven campaign against Harvard anthropologist John Comaroff, the WSWS wrote: A case has been constructed against Comaroff that has no merit and no substance. There is nothing that remotely approaches proof of any wrongdoing. Rather, there are a series of allegations, many of them wild and preposterous, unsupported by any evidence. The acceptance of denunciations without verifiable evidence is the hallmark of a witch-hunt. The WSWS took apart the alleged facts brought forward in the suit and exposed the underlying motivations. We wrote: The Comaroff controversy could only occur in a degraded intellectual climate where irrationality is elevated above reason, emotional appeals above factual analysis. Decades of postmodern sophistry, subjectivism and linguistic deconstruction, which dominate the humanities, have played their part, weakening the attention paid to objectively existing, law-governed processes and shifting the focus to various forms of racialist, feminist and left myth-making, to self and identity and to ones own narrative (and, inevitably, bruised feelings), regardless of its truth or non-truth. The Nietzschean spirit holds considerable sway: The falseness of an opinion is not for us any objection to it. A climate of fear has been created on college campuses, in some ways worse than that prevailing during the McCarthy period, in which vast pressure is brought to bear on anyone audacious enough to come to the defense of those under attack. This has created an environment of humiliating recantations and escalating attacks on academic freedom and democratic rights. While the lawsuit was underway, various groups on campus, including the UAW local for graduate students, staged provocations aimed at preventing Comaroff from being able to teach. In September 2022, the Socialist Equality Party and the International Youth and Students for Social Equality published a statement, Defend Harvard Professor John Comaroff against the right-wing witch-hunt! Responding to the direct intervention of the White House and the Biden administration on the side of the plaintiffs in the suit, the statement explained: The administrations intrusion into the Comaroff case helps clarify the political and class dynamics at work. The White House and the Democrats have a significant stake in the campaign. It is being used to refocus political attention on gender and identity politics, to be wielded against a growing movement of the working class. The statement added: The deceitful, underhanded modus operandi of the anti-Comaroff forces needs to be exposed as widely and thoroughly as possible. Faculty and students have the responsibility to examine the facts objectively. Such an examination will inevitably lead to strong, vocal opposition to the ongoing witch-hunt. In March 2023, Comaroffs accusers mounted a right-wing provocation on the university campus under the title Our Harvard Can Do Better, which included demands that the administration declare a state of emergency to address the sexual violence crisis on campus. In a statement, The slanderous campaign of Our Harvard Can Do Better against Professor John Comaroff, the WSWS wrote: Comaroff is guilty of nothing. There is no substance whatsoever to the claims against him, as exhaustive inquiries have demonstrated. The wild slanders of Our Harvard Can Do Better, aided and abetted by the Harvard Crimson and the unprincipled leadership of the Harvard Graduate Students Union (HGSU)UAW Local 5118, are just that: slanders. An indication that the court was finding that there was in fact no evidence behind the allegations in the lawsuit emerged in November 2023, when US District Court Judge Judith G. Dein referred the lawsuit to Magistrate Judge M. Paige Kelly for an alternative dispute resolution. The final settlement dismissing the suit with prejudice is a vindication of Comaroff and an exposure of all those who participated in the right-wing, anti-democratic campaign against him. The statement by Chinas top steelmaking firm, which accounts for 7 percent of global output, that the industry faces a severe crisis, underscores the extent of the slowdown in the Chinese economy and its global significance. China Baowu Steel Group [Photo: AUCOTEC] Outlining the companys half-year position on Wednesday, Hu Vangming, chair of China Baowu Steel Group, said the winter would be longer, colder and more difficult than we expected. In comments to Bloomberg, he said in the process of resolving it, cash was more important than profit and financial departments at all levels should pay more attention to the security of the companys funding. His remarks were echoed by Hou Augui, the general manager at the state-owned firm, who said the current situation in the steel industry is more severe that the downturns of 2008 and 2015. All departments had to pay close attention to the security of cash flows and develop long-term cash balance plans. When companies announce their focus of attention is cash flow it is a sign they are in trouble. The immediate source of the crisis is the slump in construction and property development, one of the chief sources of demand for steel. According to an analysis by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, reported in the Financial Times, new construction starts in China fell 24 percent in the first half of this year on top of declines of 21 percent and 39 percent in 2023 and 2022, respectively. The two previous downturns in 2008 and 2015 were resolved by government stimulus measures and the consolidation of steel plants out of which Baowu itself emerged in 2016. But the Chinese government has eschewed such measures in the present situation due to concerns over rising debt levels in the property and construction sectors. There have been calls from both within China and internationally for the government to take action but apart from minor initiatives and some easing of credit by the Peoples Bank of China there has been no response. The focus of the government is on investment in high quality productive forces concentrated in the high-tech area. The latest data on the Chinese economy, coming in the wake of GDP growth of 4.7 percent in the second quarter down from 5.3 percent in the first, showed no signs of an upturn. Reporting on the latest numbers, Bloomberg said: Chinas weakening economic momentum failed to pick up as sluggish confidence weighs on consumption and investment, putting the governments annual growth target risk. Fixed asset investment slowed to 3.6 percent in the first seven months of the year. Spending by state-owned enterprises rose by 6.3 percent in the first seven months of the year compared to 6.8 percent in the first half, while that of private firms stagnated from a year ago. Commenting on the latest data, which showed that industrial production rose by 5.1 percent in the year to July, compared to 5.3 percent the previous month, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said the economy had made stable and steady progress in July. However, it warned there was an increasing negative impact from the changing external environment, while domestic demand remains insufficient. The switch from old to new growth drivers is causing temporary pains. A sign of those pains is that bank loans to the real economy, used for investment and productive expansion, fell for the first time in 19 years. Reflecting the downturn in construction, the NBS said steel production volumes had fall by 4 percent year-on-year in July and cement output was down 12.4 percent. In an expression of widely-held views, Serena Zhou, senior China economist at the Japanese financial firm Mizzuho Securities, told Bloomberg: We believe the economy faces a significant threat from self-fulfilling deflation expectations. The governments top priority should be to break this downward spiral early with more assertive measures. Ding Shung, chief economist for Greater China and North Asia at Standard Charter, said the economys momentum had slowed. This posed more challenges to the goal of achieving around 5 percent growth this year. Problems in the steel industry are not confined to China, reflecting the wider slowdown in the global economy. On Wednesday, the German steel company Thyssenkrupp reported that it expected to make a loss for the year ending in September in the mid-to-high, three-digit million euro range. Previously it had reported it expected a loss in the low three-digit million euro range. In a sign of a worsening situation, the companys announcement was the third time this year it has increased its estimates of expected losses because of lower sales. Thyssenkrupp said reduced momentum in the automotive, machinery and construction industries had weighed on the company, and it had had to contend with lower prices and decreased volumes. In the third quarter of the financial yearthat is the three months to the end of Juneit posted a net loss of 54 million, compared with a profit of 83 million over the same period a year ago, on sales that had fallen by 6 percent. The downturn in the steel industry, generally regarded as the backbone of the industrial economy, which is most sharply reflected in China, will have major ramifications for iron-ore exporting countries, notably Brazil and Australia. In the past three years, global prices for iron ore, Australias biggest export earner have fallen from a peak of $US215 per tonne to $US97 and are expected to fall even further, to $US70 or lower. This will have a major impact on government revenues that are highly dependent on the taxes from iron ore sales. It is estimated that for every $US10 fall in the price, Australian GDP drops by $A6.5 billion and government tax revenues by $A1.3 billion. For the past decade and half, since the global financial crisis of 2008, the Australian economy has been sheltered to some extent by the growth in the Chinese economy, in particular the construction boom promoted by the Chinese government. That period has now ended along with the super-profits enjoyed by the iron ore companies, setting the stage for major economic shocks. The fall in prices is not confined to iron ore. The price of nickel, a key industrial metal, has fallen by more than two thirds in the past two years, down from $US50,000 per metric to around $16,500. Prices of lithium have also collapsed in the past 12 months leading to hundreds of sackings. The fall in the ore price along with other industrial minerals will have major political ramifications as well. There was a small foretaste of what is coming in the Labor governments budget papers in May. While it forecast a surplus for the current year of $9.3 billion, largely on the back of iron ore revenues, the budget was expected to fall into a deficit of $28.3 billion (around 1 percent of GDP) the following year and $42.8 billion the year after. Those estimates could well be revised down in light of the developing crisis in the global steel industry. This means that the attacks on the working class under the Albanese Labor government, which have resulted in the biggest cuts in living standards in 50 years, will be intensified by whatever government comes to power after the federal elections scheduled to be called by next May. On Friday, Thailands National Assembly elected Paetongtarn Shinawatra as the new prime minister, two days after the military-appointed Constitutional Court in a 5-4 decision removed Srettha Thavisin from the post on the pretext of ethics violations. The ruling is part of the dispute within the ruling class over how to manage rising social tensions caused by the crisis of capitalism in Thailand and internationally. Thailands new Prime Minister-designate Paetongtarn Shinawatra, with members of the Pheu Thai party, at a press conference in Bangkok, Friday, Aug. 16, 2024 [AP Photo/Wason Wanichakorn] Paetongtarn leads the ruling Pheu Thai Party (PTP), which stands at the head of an eleven-party coalition in parliament. She is the youngest daughter of party founder and its de facto head Thaksin Shinawatra, who served as prime minister from 2001 to 2006 before being ousted in a military coup. The party was formed in 1998 as Thai Rak Thai. With the backing of the ruling bloc, which includes right-wing and military-aligned parties, Paetongtarn was elected by 319 votes to 145 in the parliament. The vast majority voting against were from the main opposition Peoples Party, the latest iteration of the Move Forward Party (MFP), which was dissolved by the Constitutional Court on August 7 for advocating reforms to the countrys draconian lese-majeste law. Another 27 MPs abstained, mostly from the Democrat Party, a longtime adversary of Pheu Thai. By contrast to last years installation when Srettha was chosen as prime minister, the Senate took no part in the selection of Paetongtarn. According to the constitution written by the military following its 2014 coup, the Senate, which was previously appointed by the military, will no longer participate in choosing the prime minister. Paetongtarn, 37, is the fourth member of the Shinawatra family to become prime minister, following her aunt Yingluck Shinawatra, who was overthrown in the 2014 coup, and Somchai Wongsawat, Thaksins brother-in-law, who was removed by the Constitutional Court in 2008. In her bland comments on Friday, she did not oppose what was essentially a judicial coup to oust Srettha. The Shinawatras are immensely wealthy, with Thaksin himself a billionaire. Paetongtarn is involved in numerous businesses controlled by the family, including in the hotel, real estate, and telecommunications industries. She only joined Pheu Thai in 2021 and was quickly elevated to positions of power thanks to her family connections. While Paetongtarn received the support of the military-backed parties in the ruling coalition, there is no guarantee that she will fare any better than her immediate predecessor or other family members. In fact, her selection will only deepen the deep political crisis in Thailand. Significant sections of the Thai ruling class grouped around the military, monarchy, and more conservative layers of big business regard Thaksin and his influence in politics as a threat to their interests. He currently faces lese-majeste charges over comments in 2015 after he was allowed to return last year from a 15-year self-imposed exile abroad as part of a deal between the military and Pheu Thai. He had faced years in prison on trumped-up corruption charges after his removal from power in 2006. On his return, he served just six months in the Police General Hospital in Bangkok. The traditional Thai establishment is working to roll back the results of the 2023 general election, which proved a disaster for the military-backed parties. It led to the formation of Sretthas coalition government and relegated the MFP, which won the most seats, to opposition. The military agreed to an unstable ruling alliance with Pheu Thai, conscious that outright vote rigging could trigger renewed mass protests, as had occurred after the 2019 general election. The Constitutional Court first accepted the case against Srettha in May, when a complaint was lodged by 40 members of the outgoing Senate, accusing him of ethics violations by appointing Pichit Chueban to a cabinet-level position. Pichit previously served six months in prison for attempting to bribe the Supreme Court in 2008 while working as a lawyer for Thaksin. The military-appointed senators accused Srettha of violating sections 160 and 170 of the constitution, which state that cabinet ministers must be of evident integrity. In his year in office, Srettha became highly unpopular, raising fears in ruling circles that his government would be unable to keep a lid on social discontent. A June poll conducted by the National Institute of Development Administration found Srettha had only a 12.85 percent approval rating. He had promised to improve economic growth by five percent after it grew by only 1.9 percent last year. The World Bank predicts the economy will only improve by 2.4 percent this year, down from earlier projections of 2.8. The anti-democratic rollback of the 2023 election began last year when the Senate blocked the MFP from forming a government while phony legal challenges were filed against the party and its leaders that ultimately led to its dissolution and the banning of politicians like Pita Limjaroenrat from politics for 10 years. Like Pheu Thai, the MFP (now Peoples Party) represents weaker sections of the bourgeoisie whose interests have been blocked by the conservative establishment. Its progressive posturing raised fears in ruling circles that it would be unable to prevent social unrest. Workers, poor farmers, and young people face growing inequality marked by low wages, household debt, high youth unemployment, a housing crisis, and broader demands for social reforms that the conservative elites are unwilling to meet. Since July 2023, the Thai working class has faced huge job cuts, with more than 2,000 factories closing and approximately 51,500 workers being sacked. More factories also face closure, including in Thailands automobile industry, one of the largest in the world. In June, Japans Suzuki Motor announced it would close its Thai plant by the end of 2025, laying off 800 workers. The previous month Subaru also announced it would close its Thai factory by the end of this year. That Pheu Thai and the MFP/Peoples Party have meekly accepted the Constitutional Courts rulings to remove Srettha and dissolve Move Forward reflects the fact that these parties and the big business interests they represent are just as fearful of a social explosion as their conservative rivals. Neither have any intention of defending democratic rights of those of workers, poor farmers, and young people who voted for them believing they were alternatives to the military. We are publishing here the report to the Eighth Congress of the Socialist Equality Party (US) given by Joseph Kishore, the national secretary of the SEP. The congress was held from August 4 to August 9, 2024. It unanimously adopted two resolutions, The 2024 US elections and the tasks of the Socialist Equality Party and Free Bogdan Syrotiuk! The opening report to the Congress was delivered by David North. This report introduced the main resolution. The reports and discussion yesterday established the political framework for the work of the Congress this week. Among the central points that were stressed are (1) that we are a party of history, as Comrade North noted in the introduction, in the sense that its existence and work is concentrated on the problems of an entire historical epoch, the epoch of world socialist revolution; (2) that our perspective is international, based, as the resolution states in points 3 and 4, on the theory of permanent revolution and the development of the Trotskyist movement since its foundation, with particular emphasis placed on what we referred to at the 2019 Summer School as the Renaissance of Trotskyism during and after the split with the WRP in 1985-86; (3) that the central strategic task is the building of a revolutionary leadership in the working class, based on Marxist theory, in opposition to the politics of the ruling class and its petty-bourgeois appendages; and (4) that the resolution of this task is both possible, because our program corresponds to the interests of the working class, and urgent, as the capitalist crisis is driving mankind toward the catastrophe of world war. The Congress resolution distributed to the membership is the political basis for the Socialist Equality Partys election campaign. The basic aim of our election campaign is to raise the consciousness of the working class and build the party. We do not participate in elections for purely electoral reasons. To paraphrase Trotsky, votes and getting on the ballot and other aspects of election campaigns are means to an end, which is the full spiritual and material liberation of mankind through the conquest of power by the working class and the socialist transformation of economic life. In some of the early discussions on the election campaign, we referenced the comment by Lenin that the socialist movement does not have a separate electoral program. To every party at all worthy of the name, Lenin wrote in 1911, in advance of the elections to the Russian Duma, a platform is something that has existed long before the elections; it is not something specially devised for the elections, but an inevitable result of the whole work of the party, of the way the work is organized, and of its whole trend in the given historical period. Indeed, the resolution itself draws heavily from documents that we have produced, the analysis that we have been making of the objective situation, of our relationship to it, and the tasks posed to the party. There are countless statements that one could cite, published on the World Socialist Web Site, which elaborate the programmatic response of the party to national and international developments. The resolution in particular relies heavily on the New Year Statement, published by the WSWS International Editorial Board between January 3 and January 6 of this year. It also draws on and copies language from the 2010 Congress resolution, The Breakdown of World Capitalism and the Fight for Socialism in the United States, which is referenced in point 35. The resolution indeed incorporates that resolution as the program of the party. It is a comprehensive statement, written two years after the Founding Congress. Comrades will speak in the course of the Congress on the extraordinary political situation in the United States and internationally, which we outline in points 5 and 6, and which is elaborated in the second and third sections. In this report and the report by Comrade Andre Damon, we will place this analysis in the broader context of the history of the movement. It is a characteristic feature of our approach to politics that we do not respond impressionistically. We seek continuously to root our present analysis in the historical development of the capitalist crisis and the assimilation of the lessons of the experiences of the working class as they are consciously reflected in the history of the movement itself. Precisely because of this, any review of the history of the party is necessarily incomplete, as it begins at a point in the middle of a broader process. These remarks will focus, however, on the period since the Founding Congress of the party in 2008. As Comrade North noted in the introduction, there are younger comrades participating in this Congress who were born in the 21st century. It will not be long before we begin recruiting young people who were born after the Founding Congress. This time already encompasses a significant period. From 2008 to the present is 16 years. It is one year longer than the period between the founding of the Fourth International in 1938 and Cannons Open Letter in 1953, breaking with Pabloism. We have developed during this period a certain conception, rooted in the antecedent history of the Trotskyist movement, of the nature of the epoch, of the tasks that the working class confronts, and of our own relationship to it. The Historical and International Foundations of the Socialist Equality Party, reviewed exhaustively at the Founding Congress, remains essential for the political education of every member. We stated in the opening passages, The program of the Socialist Equality Party is of a principled, not of a conjunctural and pragmatic character. It is based on an analysis of the crisis of world capitalism and an assimilation of the strategic revolutionary experiences of the working class and the international socialist movement. Defining the nature of the epoch, we wrote: The world economic and political system is, in its fundamental characteristics, imperialist. Despite the advances in technology, the growth of the productive forces, and the expansion of capitalist production relations throughout the globe, the world capitalist system is beset by the same insoluble contradictions that produced the 20th century horrors of two world wars, fascism, a virtually endless series of regional military conflicts and innumerable brutal political dictatorships. The points made by Comrade North yesterday reviewing the changes in the forms of production and their relationship to imperialism, building on the analysis of the emergence of transnational corporations made following the split with the WRP, are extremely important. They raise to new levels the fundamental contradictions of the imperialist system identified in the Historical Foundations document. We continue, Political agreement within the party on essential issues of program and tasks cannot be achieved without a common evaluation of the historical experiences of the twentieth century and their central strategic lessons. We might add here not only the 20th century, but now the first quarter of the 21st. The Founding Congress, the adoption of the Historical Foundations document, along with the Statement of Principles and the party Constitution, was a response of the movement to our appraisal of the objective situation and its implications. In particular, by early 2008, the International Committee of the Fourth International [ICFI] had already taken note of the expressions of a profound and developing economic crisis. It is perhaps fitting that we meet amidst a sharp fall in global markets, as the ruling elites respond to signs of renewed economic crisis and bray for another bailout. In a report to a national aggregate meeting of the SEP in Michigan on January 56, 2008, Comrade North analyzed the significance of the collapse of housing prices. 2008 will be characterized by a significant intensification of the economic and political crisis of the world capitalist system, the report stated. The turbulence in world financial markets is the expression of not merely a conjunctural downturn, but rather a profound systemic disorder which is already destabilizing international politics. Rooting the crisis in the broader historical developments, the report explained: The long-term decline in the profitability of US-based industry has propelled the drive by American financial institutions for alternative sources of high returns on investment. The mode of existence of the American ruling elite has been characterized for the last 30 years by the ever-wider separation of the process of wealth accumulation from the processes of industrial production. We also connected the economic crisis to the eruption of imperialist barbarism, as expressed in what at that point was 17 years of unending war that followed the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the supposed end of history. The parasitic character of the American ruling elite is inextricably bound up with the extreme intensification of militarism. In the final analysis, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistanwhile exploiting the events of 9/11 as a pretextgrew out of the drive by the American ruling class to maintain the hegemonic global position of the United States. This in turn was connected to the protracted crisis of American democracy, which the party had been analyzing over an extended period of time, particularly since the Clinton impeachment in 1999. The report stated: The stolen election of 2000as the SEP and the World Socialist Web Site warned at the timerepresented a historical milestone in the degeneration of American democracy. The willingness of the Democratic Party to accept the theft of the election demonstrated that no substantial section of the American capitalist class retained a compelling interest in the defense of the traditional institutions of bourgeois democracy. If we consider the past 16 years, we can say with confidence that the analysis presented in 2008 only has to be modified insofar as the basic tendencies of development that were identified then have developed to a far higher level. The Founding Congress was held seven months after this report, in August. It was in the immediate aftermath of the Congress that the economic crisis fully erupted, with the collapse of Lehman Brothers, the bailout of AIG, and the implementation of the trillion-dollar TARP bank bailout in September, passed in the final months of the Bush administration and with the support of the junior senator from Illinois and the senior senator from Arizona, Obama and McCain, the two candidates of the capitalist ruling elite in the 2008 election. There were two major decisions taken by the Trotskyist movement that year. The first was the Founding Congress, which was followed by the Founding Congresses of other sections of the ICFI in subsequent years. The second decision was what may only loosely be called the redesign of the World Socialist Web Site. Many younger comrades are not familiar with the old form of the WSWS, which existed from 1998 to 2008. Many indeed are not familiar with the second version, which lasted from 2008 to 2020. More significant than the form of the WSWS, however, was the introduction in 2008 of the redesign of the daily Perspective statement. First issue of the redesigned WSWS, October 22, 2008 Since we began this practice, we have published 4,865 Perspective statements, six statements a week for more than 15 years. If one were to print these in book form, assuming an average of five pages per perspective, it would be something on the order of 24,000 pages, or 48 volumes of 500 pages each. This by itself is an extraordinary record. Indeed if one wants an account, from a purely factual standpoint, of the major international developments of the past 16 years, there is no better place to begin than the Perspectives of the WSWS. As for political content, there is nothing like it. John Kelly, in his book referred to by Comrade North yesterday, proclaimed the unparalleled record of political failure of the Trotskyist movement, citing as an exception only the Great Betrayal of 1964, when the LSSP entered a bourgeois government in Sri Lanka, prompting Comrade Fred Mazelis and other supporters of the ICFI to issue their open letter, for which they were expelled by the state agents that had come to control the SWP. The very existence of the WSWS refutes the likes of Kelly, who measure success only by the small change of bourgeois parliamentarism, as this can be measured in the size of their bank accounts. We have a different standard. In the first Perspective statement published on the WSWS, on October 22, 2008, Comrade North reviewed the political appraisal that the IC was making of the developing crisis of the world capitalist system. He wrote: 1. The global financial crisis, centered in the United States, marks a decisive turning point in the historical crisis of the world capitalist system. The Marxist analysis of the inherent and insoluble contradictions of the capitalist mode of production has received a stunning vindication. 2. The deepening economic crisis will exacerbate the already substantial tensions between the major imperialist and capitalist powers. The basic historical conflict between the internationally integrated development of the productive forces and the nation-state system will raise ever more openly the danger of global warfare. The efforts of the United States to offset the deterioration of its world economic position, dramatically exposed in the ongoing crisis, will assume an increasingly reckless and unrestrained militaristic character. 3. The worsening economic situation is leading inexorably to a renewed upsurge of class struggle on a world scale. The working class will resist with mounting determination the efforts of the old and corrupt bureaucratic organizationspolitical parties and trade unionsto block and betray its struggles. 4. A new audience for Marxist theory and the perspective and program of revolutionary socialism advanced by the International Committee of the Fourth International will emerge among newly radicalized workers, students, youth and intellectuals. Only a party that is based firmly on Marxist theory and defends unambiguously the heritage of Trotskyism will meet the challenges of a new revolutionary epoch. This was our appraisal, our estimate of the course of events that would follow. There is a profound relationship between the offensive for Marxism in the working class and the offensive against the various conceptions that are promoted by the ruling elite and sections of the upper-middle class. The political independence of the working class is defined in the struggle against revisionism, opportunism and the politics of the pseudo-left. It is significant that on the very day of the relaunch, October 22, 2008, we published Comrade Norths The Political and Intellectual Odyssey of Alex Steiner, which is included in the volume The Frankfurt School, Postmodernism and the Politics of the Pseudo-Left. As many comrades know, Steiner and his collaborator Frank Brenner were former members of the Workers League, who left revolutionary politics in the late 1970s. Steiner and Brenner had come back around briefly in the early 2000s but then became very hostile when it became clear that the newly formed WSWS would not provide them with a platform for their reactionary political and philosophical conceptions. In 2006, they published Objectivism or Marxism, to which Comrade North responded in Marxism, History and Socialist Consciousness. They claimed that Marxism lacked a psychology, that it was necessary to focus on issues of the family, sexual relations, the repressed feelings of the unconscious which persist in a human beings congealed, unexamined past, according to Brenner. This was the politics of the upper-middle class, hostile to the working class, a politics rooted in philosophical idealism and based on various anti-Marxist theories, particularly as developed by the Frankfurt School. A politics obsessed with itself, with what Trotsky referred to as the philistines hunting their own individuality in empty space. The essay on Steiners Odyssey concerned itself not primarily with the individual, but how the individual expressed the movement of social layers, the process of social and political differentiation that developed in the aftermath of the defeats inflicted by Stalinism and then the end of the Vietnam War protest movement and the shift to the right of layers oriented to the Democratic Party. Writing of the earlier theoretical conceptions from which Steiner and Brenner drew their inspiration, Comrade North wrote: To the extent that Marxism was barred by unfavorable historical conditions from serving as the theoretical spearhead of mass revolutionary class struggle, the path was cleared for its corruption and falsification in the interests of social forces isolated and alienated from, and even hostile to, the working class. The Frankfurt School played a central role in this process. It sought to convert Marxism from a theoretical and political weapon of proletarian class struggle, which Horkheimer, Adorno and Marcuse rejected, into a socially amorphous form of cultural criticism, in which the political pessimism, social alienation, and personal and psychological frustrations of sections of the middle class found expression. The importance of this work has emerged even more clearly over the past decade and a half. In innumerable forms, the idealist, anti-working-class politics associated with these conceptions has emerged, from Syriza in Greece, to Podemos in Spain, to the statements of Chris Hedges, the demoralized skeptic, and Cornel West, the consummate pragmatist and jazz man of American politics. Steiner and Brenner have also become a resource and sounding board, perhaps a shoulder to cry on, for anyone seeking to desert the movement and find some semblance of political explanation for their abandonment of revolutionary politics. Now, 2008 was also the year of the election of Obama, the candidate of hope and change, the candidate of the CIA marketed on the basis of identity politics, the drone bomber, deporter and bank bailer-outer in chief. In 2009, we published a New Year statement, which became an annual tradition, one of many statements analyzing the significance of Obamas election. We wrote: There will be no peaceful and socially-neutral resolution to the crisis. The improvisational responses of the American ruling class to the economic upheaval will solve nothing. Already, hundreds of billions have been squandered in various hastily devised bailout schemes. As for President Obama, he seeks the impossible: A solution to the crisis that does not touch the foundations of capitalism and the interests of the financial elite. In the course of 2009, we published a series of essays and lectures by Comrade North, as well as important statements by Comrade Nick Beams, analyzing the economic crisis, its historic roots and its implications. In The capitalist crisis and the return of history, published on March 26, 2009, we wrote, The rampant financial speculation, fueled by debt, is not the cause of the crisis, but, rather, a manifestation of deep-rooted contradictions in the American and global economy. ... [T]he very measures undertaken by American capitalism to respond to economic pressures that it confronted more than four decades ago prepared the foundations for the crisis that it confronts today. Precisely because of the historic and global character of the contradictions that underlie the present crisis, the claims of the Obama administration that the present downturn will give way, within some sort of reasonable timeframe, to renewed and sustained economic growth, accompanied by a recovery and improvement in the living standards of the broad mass of the population, will be discredited by events. The economic crisis and the resurgence of class conflict in the United States, published in May 2009, paid particular attention to the role of the trade unions in suppressing the class struggle and facilitating the extreme growth of social inequality over an extended period of time. It included a famous scissors graph, which showed the relationship between the decline in strike activity and the concentration of wealth in the hands of the corporate and financial elite. The offensive for Trotskyism also took the form of the fight against a new brand of historical falsification that was aimed at the biography of Trotsky himself. This began with the biographies of Ian Thatcher and Geoffrey Swain, published in 2003 and 2006, respectively, to which we responded in 2007. They were followed, in 2009, with the biography by Robert Service, which Comrade North referred to in his review as a piece of hack-work, a conclusion that the American Historical Review later called strong words, but entirely justified. [See, In Defense of Leon Trotsky] The ruling class, aware of the extreme growth of social discontent and its revolutionary implications, responded with a form of preemptive ideological warfare aimed at blocking a turn by young people to Trotsky and his ideas, as had taken place in the late 1960s. In an essay published somewhat later, in 2012, Comrade North remarked, The new age of preemptive war produced a new literary genre: the preemptive biography! He wrote: More than 70 years after Trotskys assassination, his legacy remains the subject of the fiercest controversy. He has been denied the right to pass into the realm of dispassionate historical scholarship. Trotsky remains an intensely contemporary figure. He lives in history, not only as the leader of the greatest revolution of the 20th century, but as a political and intellectual inspiration of the revolutions of the future. The defense of Trotskys legacy against historical falsification is an essential component of the political education of the working class and its preparation for the political demands of a new epoch of revolutionary struggle. [Leon Trotsky and the Defense of Historical Truth, David North, March 16, 2012] The assault on Trotsky was closely connected to the ideological offensive of the far-right, particularly in Germany. In 2014, the fascist ideologue Jorg Baberowski invited Service, who laced his biography of Trotsky with antisemitic tropes, to speak at a meeting which Comrade North and other supporters of the IC were barred from attending. It was in the immediate aftermath of this meeting that Der Spiegel published the infamous interview in which Baberowski declared that Hitler was not vicious, and that those who whitewashed the crimes of the Nazis were right. Baberowskis co-thinkers in the German state moved to target the SGP and our comrades in Germany as left-wing extremists, and now the German state, as it upholds democracy in Ukraine in alliance with the heirs of the Nazi collaborators, proudly upholds the traditions of Hitlers Wehrmacht. Historical falsification, fascist politics and political skullduggery are united in the attack on Trotskyism. Returning to the main historical line of development, in 2010 we held the First National Congress of the SEP, which adopted the party program to which I referred earlier and is incorporated into the resolution before the Congress. The document states, directly at the beginning, the revolutionary strategy of the SEP: A new warning must be raised with all necessary urgency. The present crisis will not simply go away. There is no peaceful, let alone easy, way out of the economic and social impasse into which capitalism has led mankind. The program of the Socialist Equality Partywhich works in political solidarity with the International Committee of the Fourth Internationalis not a collection of palliatives and half-measures. The aim of this party and its co-thinkers in the Fourth International is not the reform of American and international capitalism. If anything is to be learned from the tragedies of the twentieth century, it is that the repetition of these horrors in the twenty-first century, on an even bloodier scale, can be prevented only through the revolutionary struggle of the American and international working class for socialism. It is a comprehensive program that analyzes the significance of the economic crisis, the character of the Obama administration, which is focused on American imperialist policy, the bankruptcy of American liberalism and the evolution of American capitalism, the history of the class struggle in the United States, and the objective strength of the working class as an international class, united in the process of production. The Achilles heel of the working class, it notes, lay in the absence of an independent mass socialist movement, guided by Marxist theory. The vast wealth and power of American capitalism was the most significant objective cause of the subordination of the working class to the corporate-controlled two-party system, we explain. The change in objective conditions, however, will lead American workers to change their minds. The program enumerates the social rights of the working class, which it calls inalienable, drawing on the revolutionary traditions of the Declaration of Independence. The Socialist Equality Party states openly that the realization of these rights requires a frontal assault on the hitherto unchallenged prerogatives of the corporations and the rich. It elaborates the essential elements of a socialist program, as well as democratic demands that can only be achieved through the transfer of power to the working class. The period since the publication of this document has seen a wealth of experiences, and critical developments in the analysis of the party. In 2011, there were the revolutionary convulsions in Egypt, which forced the resignation of the hated US-backed dictator Hosni Mubarak, who had been in power for four decades. This was followed by mass demonstrations in Madison, Wisconsin, as well as the Occupy Wall Street movement and the Libya war. One saw in response to these developments a significant class differentiation. In Egypt, the pseudo-left, the organizations of the middle class, played the critical role in derailing the revolutionary struggle, channeling opposition behind one or another faction of the ruling class, and leading ultimately to the consolidation of power by Al Sisi, the butcher of Cairo and collaborator with imperialism in the genocide in Gaza. At the same time, the organizations of the pseudo-left saw in the Libyan war, and the CIA-backed regime change operation in Syria, both overseen and directed by the Obama administration, an opportunity to abandon even the pretense of opposition to imperialism. University of Michigan professor Juan Cole, who had been active in the Iraq war protest movement, summed up the moods of many in this layer when he declared that if NATO wanted him to fight in Libya, Im there. The pseudo-left denounced our opposition to the regime-change operation in Syria as knee-jerk anti-imperialism. This line has been continued in their complete support for the US-NATO war against Russia in Ukraine. The party responded to these developments in 2012, at the Second National Congress. Drawing on the experience of Egypt, we wrote in the main resolution: It is not enough to predict the inevitability of revolutionary struggles and then await their unfolding. Such passivity has nothing in common with Marxism, which insists upon the unity of theoretically guided cognition and revolutionary practice. Moreover, as the aftermath of Mubaraks downfall demonstrates all too clearly, the victory of the socialist revolution requires the presence of a revolutionary party. The Socialist Equality Party must do everything it can to develop, prior to the outbreak of mass struggles, a significant political presence within the working classabove all, among its most advanced elements. It must be a movement that has worked out the central problems of revolutionary perspective. The capitalist crisis radicalizes the working class and provides the objective conditions for socialist revolution. We also made an analysis of the Occupy Wall Street movement, a movement of the middle class inspired by various anarchist conceptions. In particular we took up the slogan of the 99 percent, which we noted conflated the interests of the working class, the vast majority of the population, with the upper-middle class, the Next 5 percent, whose interests are tied to the capitalist system and imperialism. We wrote in the resolution: The anti-capitalism of this stratum is fueled far more by envy of the rich than by solidarity with the working class. It desires not the destruction of private property (in the form of ownership of the means of production) but a larger share of the income derived from it. Rejecting the demand for equality through the mass struggle of the working class for socialism, the embrace by the middle class pseudo-left of various forms of affirmative actionthat is, preferential quotas based on race, ethnicity and genderreflects the desire for individual access by privileged elites to career opportunities and greater wealth within the framework of capitalism. The obsessive focus on issues related to personal identityespecially sexualityis characteristic of middle class organizations that are determined to elevate individual interests above class issues and to separate the defense of democratic rights from the struggle for socialism. It should also be noted that the opening report to this Congress by Comrade North is published in the Frankfurt School book as The Theoretical and Historical Origins of the Pseudo-Left. It is a critical document, which reviews, among other things, the writings of Laclau and Mouffe, whose nationalist, anti-working-class populism were key intellectual inspirations for Syriza and Podemos. In the course of a broad survey such as this, it is impossible to refer to every major development. The year 2013, however, did see a very important initiative by the party in the US, which was the campaign against the bankruptcy of Detroit, and in particular the demonstration to defend the Detroit Institute of Arts, which was held by the SEP on October 4, 2013. The campaign built upon the previous work of the party in launching the Committee Against Utility Shutoffs in 2010-11, a critical initiative that came out of the Founding Congress and the Citizens Inquiry into the Mack Avenue Fire carried out by the Workers League in 1993. The rally to defend the DIA won a powerful response from workers and young people in Detroit. Explaining why the connection between the defense of art and the interests of the working class, and in opposition to statements from well-healed union bureaucrats that you cant eat art, we wrote after the rally: The International Committee and the WSWS have long insisted that culture is necessary for the working class and that the struggle of the working class for socialism is necessary for culture. Art cannot save itself. The whole progressive heritage of mankind, including its cultural heritage, depends upon the intervention of the working class in opposition to the plunder being carried out by the modern-day aristocracy. The year 2014 was another critical nodal point, the year of the US and EU-backed coup in Ukraine, spearheaded by far-right forces but backed by the pseudo-left, which set the stage for the 2022 invasion by Russia and the present war. The fascists who now occupy leading positions in the Ukrainian state cut their teeth in the 2014 coup, and have been armed and funded ever since. It was also the year of our First May Day Rally, which we have held every year since. In the rally this year, Comrade North referred back to the analysis made in 2014. The purpose of this coup was to bring to power a regime that would place Ukraine under the direct control of US and German imperialism. The plotters in Washington and Berlin understood that this coup would lead to a confrontation with Russia. Indeed, far from seeking to avoid a confrontation, both Germany and the United States believe that a clash with Russia is required for the realization of their far-reaching geopolitical interests. That same year, the ICFI published a critical statement, Socialism and the fight against war, posted on the WSWS on July 3, 2014. It was followed less than two years later, in February 2016, with the more comprehensive document published under the same headline. The 2014 document declared: There can be no fight for socialism without a struggle against war and there can be no fight against war without a struggle for socialism. The International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) resolves to place the struggle against war at the centre of its political work. It must become the international centre of revolutionary opposition to the resurgence of imperialist violence and militarism. There is no other organisation that even aims to carry out this task. Innumerable former pacifists, liberals, Greens and anarchists have positioned themselves behind the imperialist war drive under the fraudulent banner of human rights. Similarly, the pseudo-left tendencies such as the Pabloites and the state capitalists, having denounced knee jerk anti-imperialism, are lined up behind US aggression against Russia and China. The same year, we published Comrade Norths The Russian Revolution and the Unfinished Twentieth Century, a comprehensive review of the fundamental theoretical and political issues of the 20th century that remain central to the strategy of the working class in the 21stand, I would add, essential reading for every member. Comrade North already referred to the basic concept of the unfinished 20th century in the opening report. Replying to the theories of Martin Malia, Eric Hobsbawm and Francis Fukuyama (the latter of whom has been recently cavorting with Ukrainian Nazis), Comrade North wrote in the Foreword: [T]he central economic, social and political contradictions that confront mankind at the start of the twenty-first century are, in the main, the same as those it confronted at the beginning of the twentieth. For all the scientific advances, technological innovations, political upheavals and social transformations, the twentieth century ended on a strangely inconclusive note. None of the great social, economic and political issues that underlay the struggles of the century had been conclusively settled. The year 2015 was another with critical experiences. It was the year of the coming to power of Syriza, the Coalition of the Radical Left, championed by the pseudo-left throughout the world (including among them Steiner and Brenner). Based on our analysis of the class character and political program of Syriza, we warned from the very beginning, indeed before the beginning, that Syriza would betray all its promises of ending EU-backed austerity. It not only betrayed them, it oversaw even deeper cuts than its predecessor, while also becoming the frontline of the anti-refugee policy of the European Union. The essential experiences of Syriza were summed up in the Foreword to the Frankfurt School, Postmodernism and the Politics of the Pseudo-left. It defines the pseudo-left as follows, which I think is worth quoting, as it is both based on the previous theoretical and political work and anticipated the developments of the past nine years: The pseudo-left denotes political parties, organizations and theoretical/ideological tendencies which utilize populist slogans and democratic phrases to promote the socioeconomic interests of privileged and affluent strata of the middle class. The pseudo-left is anti-Marxist. It rejects historical materialism, embracing instead various forms of subjective idealism and philosophical irrationalism associated with existentialism, the Frankfurt School and contemporary postmodernism. The pseudo-left is anti-socialist, opposes class struggle, and denies the central role of the working class and the necessity of revolution in the progressive transformation of society. The pseudo-left promotes identity politics, fixating on issues related to nationality, ethnicity, race, gender and sexuality in order to acquire greater influence in corporations, the colleges and universities, the higher-paying professions, the trade unions and in government and state institutions, to effect a more favorable distribution of wealth among the richest 10 percent of the population... In the imperialist centers of North America, Western Europe and Australasia, the pseudo-left is generally pro-imperialist, and utilizes the slogans of human rights to legitimize, and even directly support, neo-colonialist military operations. It concludes: The analysis and exposure of the class basis, retrograde theoretical conceptions and reactionary politics of the pseudo-left are especially critical tasks confronting the Trotskyist movement in its struggle to educate the working class, free it from the influence of the petty-bourgeois movements, and establish its political independence as the central progressive and revolutionary force within modern capitalist society. The year 2016 saw the election of Trump. The essential features of that election have developed to an extraordinary degree over the past eight years: the emergence of Trump as head of a distinctly fascistic political movement in the United States, and the Democratic Party as a party of warparticularly war against Russia. Perhaps anticipating Bidens personal fate, we wrote in the resolution passed at our Fourth National Congress in 2016: The two main parties of the ruling class exhibit advanced symptoms of political dementia. The Republican Party has nominated a fascistic demagogue, Donald Trump, who promises to Make America Great Again by employing the same fabled entrepreneurial skills with which he bankrupted several casinos. The Democratic Party offers Hillary Clinton, whose main qualification for the presidency is that she has survived more scandals than almost any other figure in American political history. After a political career spanning more than four decades, which has made her a multi-millionaire, Hillary Clinton personifies the alliance of the military-intelligence establishment and Wall Street financial interests. [Perspectives and Tasks of the Socialist Equality Party, Congress Resolution, 2016] The Democratic Partys political strategy in the election combined warmongering and increasingly ferocious anti-Russian hysteria, in which everyone from Julian Assange to Bernie Sanders was blamed on Russian propaganda, which laid the basis for the campaign of internet censorship that began in earnest with Googles algorithm changes in 2017. This has been combined with the aggressive promotion of racial and gender identity politics. The latter became a focus of the Democrats election campaign, in relation to the case of Brock Turner in California, which was used by the pseudo-left to initiate a campaign to demand harsher sentencing laws and the abrogation of democratic rights. This was followed in 2017 with the beginning of the #MeToo campaign, initiated by Democratic Party operatives. As Comrade David Walsh wrote in 2018, on the occasion of the first anniversary of the #MeToo campaign: Instead of bringing about an improvement in conditions, in fact, the #MeToo movement has helped undermine democratic rights, created an atmosphere of intimidation and fear and destroyed the reputations and careers of a significant number of artists and others. It has taken its appropriate place in the Democratic Party strategy of opposing the Trump administration and the Republicans on a right-wing footing. In 2016 we also published the volume A Quarter Century of War: The US Drive for Global Hegemony: 19902016 by Comrade North, which is both a summation of the eruption of American imperialism following the dissolution of the Soviet Unionfrom the first war against Iraq, to the bombing of Yugoslavia, through the war on terrorand an anticipation of what was to come. The preface states: The last quarter century of US-instigated wars must be studied as a chain of interconnected events. The strategic logic of the US drive for global hegemony extends beyond the neocolonial operations in the Middle East and Africa. The ongoing regional wars are component elements of the rapidly escalating confrontation of the United States with Russia and China. In 2017, the International Committee of the Fourth International marked the centenary of the Russian Revolution, which took the form of a series of lectures delivered by leading members of the IC, several essays, public lectures and a detailed chronology reviewing the central experiences of the conquest of power by the Bolshevik Party. We engaged in this review not merely for historical interest, however, but because the lessons of the Russian Revolution remain strategic experiences for the working class as a whole. In this centenary year of the Russian Revolution, we wrote in introducing the year, on January 3, 2017, there is a profound intersection and interaction between contemporary politics and historical experience. The 1917 Revolution arose out of the imperialist catastrophe of World War I. In the political maelstrom that followed the overthrow of the tsarist regime, the Bolshevik Party emerged as the dominant force within the working class. But the role played by the Bolsheviks in 1917 was the outcome of a long and difficult struggle for the development of socialist consciousness in the working class and the working out of a correct revolutionary perspective. The last essay published in 2017 by Comrade North, Final Reflections on the Centennial Year of the October Revolution, drew attention to statements from leading figures within the bourgeois media establishment that capitalism remained vulnerable to the threat of socialist revolution, and that governments should not be complacent, indeed should take proactive measures against revolutionaries. The major achievements of this year are included in the two-volume book, Why Study the Russian Revolution? The year 2017 was of course the first year of the Trump administration, and, within the state apparatus, was dominated by the conflict within the ruling class over foreign policy, and the frustration of the Democrats that the plans for an escalation in Syria and war against Russia were undermined by Trump, who had different foreign policy priorities. Mass popular protests against Trumps inauguration, motivated by opposition to his fascistic and pro-corporate politics, were smothered and channeled behind a thoroughly right-wing campaign. Among the documents we produced is the seminal statement, Palace coup or class struggle: The political crisis in Washington and the strategy of the working class, published on June 13, 2017. We explained the fundamental difference between the opposition to Trump from sections of the ruling class as well as sections of the middle class, on the one hand, and the opposition of the working class. The opposition within the ruling class is determined to prevent Trump from weakening the anti-Russia policy developed under Obama, which the Hillary Clinton campaign was dedicated to expanding. In a statement that retains its validity, under new conditions, seven years later, we wrote: The political conclusion that flows from this analysis is that the fight of the working class against Trump and all that he represents will raise ever more urgently the necessity of a political mass movement, independent of and opposed to both the Republicans and the Democrats, against the capitalist system and its state. I am going to review the past five years in more abbreviated form, in part for time reasons, in part because the more recent experiences will be covered more exhaustively by other comrades in the course of this Congress, and in part because the sheer mass of material and developments makes a comprehensive review impossible. I will, however, point to several of the strategic experiences and conceptions developed by the movement during this period. First, was the SEP 2019 Summer School, which consisted of a comprehensive review of the split with the Workers Revolutionary Party and the development of the political line of the movement after the split. It was there that we developed the concept of the fifth stage in the history of the Trotskyist movement, which Comrade North defined as the stage that will witness a vast growth of the ICFI as the World Party of Socialist Revolution. He continued: The objective processes of economic globalization, identified by the International Committee more than 30 years ago, have undergone a further colossal development. Combined with the emergence of new technologies that have revolutionized communications, these processes have internationalized the class struggle to a degree that would have been hard to imagine even 25 years ago. The revolutionary struggle of the working class will develop as an interconnected and unified world movement. The International Committee of the Fourth International will be built as the conscious political leadership of this objective socio-economic process. It will counterpose to the capitalist politics of imperialist war the class-based strategy of world socialist revolution. This is the essential historical task of the new stage in the history of the Fourth International. The Summer School in 2019 was followed almost immediately by the publication of the New York Times 1619 Project, which combined a racialist falsification of history with the denigration and denial of the revolutionary traditions of the United States itself. It was the reflection in historiography of the Democratic Partys promotion of identity politics and the abandonment by any section of the ruling class of the democratic principles established by the American Revolution and the Civil War. The response of the IC to the 1619 Project is historic in several different ways. In interviews with leading historians we refuted the lies of Nikole Hannah-Jones and others and dealt a staggering blow to the Democrats project. In The 1619 Project and the Racialist Falsification of History, co-edited by Comrade Tom Mackaman, Comrade North wrote in the Introduction: The interaction of racialist ideology as it has developed over several decades in the academy and the political agenda of the Democratic Party is the motivating force behind the 1619 Project. Particularly under conditions of extreme social polarization, in which there is growing interest in and support for socialism, the Democratic Partyas a political instrument of the capitalist classis anxious to shift the focus of political discussion away from issues that raise the specter of social inequality and class conflict. This is the function of a reinterpretation of history that places race at the center of its narrative. In the years that followed the 1619 Project, the Democrats have doubled down on the promotion of racialism to divide the working class. The pseudo-left took up the campaign when it sought to divert mass protests against police violence in 2020, a product of capitalism, into the reactionary attack on monuments to Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln. The movements defense of these traditions is the political expression of the fact that the defense of basic democratic rights is a class question. At the beginning of 2020, we published the New Year statement, The decade of socialist revolution begins, which detailed the obvious signs that existed, as the 2020s began, of the revolutionary storm that was soon to sweep across the globe. The anticipation that the decade would be one of massive crises did not take long to be realized, with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the first months of 2020, though the virus had already begun to spread in the final months of 2019. The pandemic, a colossal experience for the international working class, will be the subject of the report by Comrades Evan Blake and Benjamin Mateus later in this Congress. I will limit myself to stressing the fact that the ICs response to the pandemic is unparalleled. We are the only movement on the left that has treated and continues to treat the pandemic as a significant political event. The WSWS is the most important resource for basic science of the pandemic, including our many interviews conducted with leading epidemiologists and other scientists, both before and after the launching of the Global Workers Inquest into the COVID-19 Pandemic. Most importantly, we have advanced a perspective capable of stopping the deadly disease, rooted in the mobilization of the working class and the socialist reorganization of economic life, based on a strategy of global elimination. The first year of the pandemic was followed by Trumps attempted coup of January 6, 2021, the outcome of an extended conspiracy developed throughout the previous year. In our Congress resolution of 2022 we stated that the coup was an irreversible turning point in the breakdown of American democracy. The sitting US president led a vast conspiracy involving the leadership of the Republican Party and substantial sections of the military, police and intelligence apparatus to overthrow the 2020 election and keep himself in power as president-dictator. Explaining the response of the Democratic Party, we stated that it has done nothing to politically mobilize the population against Trump. It has implemented no social reforms. It presides over rapid rises to the cost of living and is pouring tens of billions of dollars into a war against Russia that has no support in the population beyond a small section of the affluent middle class. Biden and the entire Democratic Party, including its Democratic Socialists of America faction, are creating conditions favorable to the far right in this Novembers congressional elections. We need only add that this now applies to the 2024 presidential elections. The Democrats response to the fascistic transformation of the Republicans is to attempt to force a bipartisan agreement on war, while joining hands with the antisemites in the Republican Party to slander those protesting the genocide as antisemitic. As we state in point 27 of the resolution before the Congress, the SEP rejects the claim that the growth of the extreme right can be countered by supporting the Democratic Party. The working class and youth now have had a significant political experience with the likes of Bernie Sanders, Alexandria-Ocasio Cortez and what Comrade North referred to as the political eunuch Jeremy Corbyn. They are the priests of quarter truths, that is, the worst forms of falsehood, who propagate the lie that democratic rights can be defended and fascism opposed while supporting imperialist war and without socialist revolution. The same year, 2021, the ICFI initiated the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees. In its statement announcing the IWA-RFC, published as a call for the May Day rally of that year, the ICFI wrote: For the working class to fight back, a path must be created to coordinate its struggles in different factories, industries and countries in opposition to the ruling class and the corporatist unions. The IWA-RFC will work to develop the framework for new forms of independent, democratic and militant rank-and-file organizations of workers in factories, schools and workplaces on an international scale. The working class is ready to fight. But it is shackled by reactionary bureaucratic organizations that suppress every expression of resistance. I have in the course of this review not been able to detail the many expressions of class struggle and the critical interventions of the party in them. Comrades Tom Hall and Jerry White will address this experience in greater detail in their report. It should be noted, however, that the launching of the IWA-RFC was followed almost immediately, in June 2021, by the strike at Volvo Trucks, which involved a rank-and-file rebellion against the apparatus that the party essentially led. This was followed, in 2022, by one of the most important initiatives of the party, the election campaign for UAW president of Comrade Will Lehman, who was won to the party in the course of the Volvo Trucks intervention. The nearly 5,000 votes for Comrade Lehman, under conditions of systematic voter suppression by the apparatus in league with the state, expressed the real state of opposition in the working class. As we noted: The broad support Lehman received among rank-and-file workers across the US reflects the rapidly developing political radicalization of the American working class. The vote explodes the myth that workers in the United States are intransigently hostile to socialism. The past three yearsfrom the beginning of the US-NATO war against Russia in Ukraine in February 2022 through to the genocide in Gaza that began in October 2023 and continues to this dayhave been dominated by the escalating global war, of which Comrade Damon will speak in greater detail. Comrade Clara Weiss will also review the significance of the arrest of Comrade Bogdan Syrotiuk in Ukraine and important initiatives taken by the International Youth and Students for Social Equality, including the November 3, 2022, IYSSE statement and the December 10 rally, which were followed by a series of meetings throughout the world against imperialist war, meetings that came under attack by a combination of the pro-imperialist pseudo-left and the fascistic right. I will merely stress a few points: First, the arrest of Comrade Syrotiuk is an attack on the entire international movement. It expresses the fear of the ruling class of the intersection of a movement against war with a movement of the working class for socialism, and is a statement from imperialism that it recognizes the danger of the ICFI, which we must take very seriously. And we must redouble our efforts to secure his freedom. Second, in our response to the Ukraine war and the genocide in Gaza, we have not only elaborated a perspective for the working class, but brought forward and clarified fundamental historical and political issues. I would stress in particular the significance of the series of lectures by Comrade North published in The Logic of Zionism: From Nationalist Myth to the Gaza Genocide. Third, our response to the eruption of a global war has been to deepen the struggle within the party for an assimilation of the entire history of the movement, expressed in last years summer school, which consisted of lectures covering a vast period of the Trotskyist movement, from the founding of the Fourth International through the split with the Workers Revolutionary Party. Finally, the rally that we held on July 24 was a major achievement. We are asserting that the fight against imperialism and war must be developed as a working class movement. It must be developed as an international movement. It must be developed as a revolutionary movement, which has as its aim the conquest of power by the working class. And it must be developed under the leadership of the International Committee, the world Trotskyist movement. In contrast to the shouting and demoralized histrionics of the pseudo-left, we are advancing an actual perspective, rooted in historical experience, to put an end to imperialist barbarism by putting an end to capitalism. To return to the beginning, the partys intervention in the election campaign is, as Lenin put it, the result of the whole work of the party, of the way the work is organized, and of its whole trend in the given historical period. I hope that this review has been helpful in concretizing what this means. The political capital that we bring into our work is immense, and I am well aware that comrades may feel somewhat overwhelmed by the content of this review. I was somewhat overwhelmed in putting it together. No doubt, I have missed important experiences and initiatives. But the tasks before us are immense. As Comrade Barbara Slaughter put it yesterday, at stake is the very existence of human civilization. In terms of themes that emerge out of this review, I would stress (1) The connection between the different elements of what we referred to in the beginning of 2023 as the critical mass of intersecting crises; (2) The relationship between the theoretical offensive for Marxism by the IC and the direct intervention by the party in the development of the class struggle; and (3) The decisive role of the party in realizing the potential in the objective situation in the political initiatives that we take. As Comrade North put it in the introductory report, The great strength of the Fourth International, led by the International Committee, is that its program is in alignment with the objective situation and the logic of the class struggle on an international scale. We must ensure that this alignment is realized in practice, through the systematic offensive to build a revolutionary leadership in the working class, elevate the theoretical and political level of the membership as a whole, and develop our collective political practice in the United States and throughout the world. On this basis I urge adoption of the resolution before this Congress. The UKs Sun reported Friday that Ukrainian troops who participated in the attack on the Russian province of Kursk had trained in the United Kingdom, adding to the growing evidence of NATOs leading role in preparing and coordinating the attack. A destroyed Russian tank lies on a roadside near Sudzha, Kursk region, Russia, Friday, Aug. 16, 2024. [AP Photo] A month before they were dispatched to Kursk, some of the unit were sent to England where they underwent a few days of training alongside British soldiers, the Sun reported. A major focus of the training was raids on high-rise buildings. The UK, US, France and Germany have trained tens of thousands of Ukrainian troops on their own territory, teaching them how to operate the advanced weapons systems that have been provided to Ukraine and are now flowing into Russian territory. The list of NATO-provided military hardware confirmed to be deployed in the Kursk offensive is growing. On Thursday, Sky News reported that Challenger 2 main battle tanks from the UK were being deployed as part of the offensive. This follows confirmation from Voice of America that HIMARS long-range missiles had been used in the offensive. Vladislav Seleznyov, a former spokesman for the Ukrainian armed forces general staff, told Voice of America that HIMARS were critical to the stunning advance. The real scourge of the Russian army is the HIMARS, which turns into ashes a huge amount of weapons, equipment and personnel of the Russian army, Seleznyov said. Nikolay Patrushev, an adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin, told Izvestia that the attack on Kursk was planned with the involvement of NATO and Western special services. He added, NATO countries have supplied Kiev with weapons, military instructors, and continuous intelligence while controlling the actions of neo-Nazis. The US media, citing unnamed American officials, have claimed that the US and NATO were not informed of the attack beforehand. However, this claim is entirely unbelievable, given the high-level coordination required to wage such a large-scale offensive using sophisticated NATO hardware. The Guardian reported on Friday that Western armor was at the heart of the assault, with no apparent restrictions on their use, including US Stryker and German Marder armored vehicles ... and even reportedly some of Britains donated squadron of 13 remaining Challenger 2 tanks. The Guardian also reported that between Thursday night and Friday morning last week, Ukrainian forces destroyed a Russian convoy on a highway 25 miles inside the border, in a strike whose accuracy and absence of artillery craters suggested it involved Himars rocket artillery. Dozens were probably killed. Nick Patton Walsh, the chief international correspondent of CNN, appeared to have walked into Russia without obtaining permission during a broadcast this week alongside Ukrainian military forces. This is where Russia begins, Walsh said as he walked over the border: Its startling to see the steady flow of military vehicles, including what appears to be an ambulance and armor, passing through the Russian border point. That is the border post that was heavily hit when Ukraine moved in over a week ago. Russias borders here are completely undefended. Its also remarkable the freedom with which the Ukrainian military are moving around here. They simply arent afraid of the drones that have hampered their every move for the past months. He added, Now this is whats so startling about this offensive, the volume of Western-supplied armor that were seeing passing back and forth, their passage through here, up into Russia, unimpeded. On Thursday, the head of Ukraines armed forces, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, said that Ukrainian forces had advanced up to 22 miles during the offensive so far. In a statement published on X on Thursday, the UKs Ministry of Defense claimed that since August 6, 2024, Ukrainian forces have penetrated Russias Kursk region to a depth ranging between 10-25km over a frontage of approximately 40 km. It added, After initial disarray and disorganization, Russian forces have deployed in greater force to the region, including likely from elsewhere along the contact line. They have also begun to construct additional defensive positions in an effort to prevent Ukrainian advances. The state of Ukraine's Kursk incursion as of August 15 [Photo by Ecrusized / CC BY 1.0 In its assessment of the offensive, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported that Ukrainian forces continued to marginally advance southeast of Sudzha on August 16 amid continued Ukrainian operations in Kursk Oblast. The ISW also reported that Ukrainian strikes destroyed two significant bridges in Kursk Oblast using HIMARS strikes, which will complicate Russian ground lines of communication (GLOCs) in the area. As a growing range of advanced weapons continues to flow into Russian territory, the pretense that NATO is not a participant in the war and that the conflict is a defensive war by Ukraine is falling away. The goal of the NATO powers to use the war to overthrow the Russian government and force the dissolution of Russia is being more and more openly stated. Michael McFaul, former US ambassador to Russia, gloated about Ukraines offensive. I think psychologically, this blow is tremendous to Putin, especially among elites, because hes supposed to be the protector, McFaul told MSNBC. And now for a second time in as many years, he has failed to do so, McFaul said, referencing last years uprising by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner group. In late July and early August, Russian users of the video sharing platform YouTube began complaining en masse about service disruptions. Earlier, there had already been talk of the blocking or slowing down of service on YouTube. Thus, in April, Alexei Pushkov, the chairman of the commission on information security of the Federation Council's (the upper house of the Russian parliament), suggested that YouTube be temporarily slowed down for the national holidays in May, including May Day. He justified this proposed measure by arguing that the company does not want to cooperate with the Russian authorities and continues to block channels and videos of state media. This combination of images shows logos for companies from YouTube and Facebook. [AP Photo/AP Photo] On July 12, Rostelecom (a telecommunications company) warned about a possible deterioration of access to YouTube due to technical problems in the companys operation. On the same day, the Russian newspaper Gazeta.Ru reported that the service would likely be slowed down in late July and early August, and blocked entirely in the fall. The press secretary of President Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Peskov, denied that the authorities intended to block YouTube and claimed that all the problems were the result of the obsolescence of equipment, which Google has not updated for more than two years due to sanctions. Google said that there are no technical problems on the part of the company. Already on July 25, Alexander Khinshtein, a member of the State Duma (the lower house of Parliament), reported that the download speed of YouTube on computers may drop by 40 percent by the end of that week and up to 70 percent next week. According to him, this is due not only to the actions of the authorities, but also to the companys disregard for its basic infrastructure and is directed not against users, but against the administration of a foreign resource, which still believes it can violate and ignore Russian laws with impunity. On August 3, the news agency TASS announced that YouTube stopped uploading videos in high quality, and in the morning of August 8, many users were unable to access the service both on smartphones and computers, with more than 32,000 recorded complaints. However, five days later, YouTube resumed normal service and only some 2,000 complaints were received. In a clear indication that the authorities are indeed seeking to limit access to YouTube by all means, Roskomnadzor began sending e-mails to the owners of sites distributing ways to bypass YouTube's slowdown, demanding that they remove this information from the internet. Then, on July 30, Roskomnadzor proposed to block the distribution of all information about VPN [Virtual Private Network] services online. VPN services are popular in Russia among many internet users because they allow them to avoid surveillance by the authorities and to access sites that are otherwise banned. Previously, an order prohibiting the advertisements and information seeking to popularize VPNs had been in effect since March 1. At that time, this ban did not extend to scientific and technical information about VPNs. Now any information, including scientific information, about VPNs is prohibited. It is assumed that the order will be in effect from March 1, 2025 to September 1, 2029. As of April this year, Roskomnadzor had already blocked about 150 VPN services. Beginning next year, the number of blocked VPN providers is likely to increase significantly. And on August 2, the Federation Council passed a law on the de-anonymization of the owners of public groups and pages on social media networks and messenger apps with more than 10,000 subscribers. According to this law, the owners of such groups can no longer retain anonymity online but must report their identities to Roskomnadzor. According to Gazeta.Ru, There is no talk of blocking channels without identification, but they will not be able to place advertising, collect donations, and other channels will not be allowed to repost from their accounts. Eventually, on August 9, Roskomnadzor blocked Signal, a messenger known for its security and safety, which provides end-to-end encryption, and is widely used especially in Europe and North America. The justification provided by the Russian authorities were unspecified violations of Russian law by Signal. In Russia, various websites, social networks and messengers have already been actively blocked since the beginning of the war in 2022. Thus, many social media platforms owned by the company Meta, which is banned as extremist in Russia, were blocked, including Instagram and Facebook, which are banned entirely. The social network X (Twitter) was also blocked. And in March 2022, because of a law banning fake news websites and social media platforms, the company that owns Tik Tok suspended uploading new videos and broadcasting airings. The law providing for the ban of websites and blogs that allegedly spread fake news had been introduced in 2019 by the Kremlin amid a strike of 12,000 truckers in southern Russia in which social media played a central role. The new wave of far-reaching restrictions of internet freedom comes amid a significant escalation of NATOs war against Russia. Last week, the Ukrainian armed forces, backed by NATO, for the first time launched a large-scale attack on Russian territory, the political goal of which is to provoke Russia into a response that could be used as a pretext to fully draw NATO into the conflict. Just prior to this incursion, NATO began delivering F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. US and European imperialism are recklessly escalating the conflict, seeking to subjugate Russia and turn the entire region into a raw material appendage of imperialism. For its part, the oligarchic Putin regime, which has emerged as a Bonapartist regime of the oligarchy out of the Stalinist bureaucracys restoration of capitalism in the Soviet Union, is unable to respond in a progressive manner to the escalating pressures of imperialism. The new censorship measures underscore that the oligarchys main concern is not the danger posed by imperialism, but a movement within the working class against war and capitalism. The Putin regime is particularly concerned about the ability of workers and youth in Russia to learn about and link up with the struggles of their counterparts internationally through the internet and social media. At the same time, democratic rights and freedoms are also under attack in the imperialist countries and their allies. In the United States, the ruling class is working systematically to limit the access of third party candidates on the ballot to the 2024 presidential elections, while student protesters against the Gaza genocide have been subject to police state violence. And in Ukraine, access to the World Socialist Web Site (WSWS) was banned on June 3, following the arrest of Bogdan Syrotiuk, an anti-war socialist and leader of the Young Guard of Bolshevik-Leninists. The continuing attacks on the democratic rights of the working class and increasing internet censorship underscore that amidst an expanding war and growing social inequality, the capitalist elites, be it in Russia or the imperialist countries, are unable to maintain even the pretense of democratic freedoms. For the Russian and international working class, this means that it alone can defend democracy, through socialist measures, and build a truly free, egalitarian and socialist society. IYSSE members distribute statements opposing Gaza genocide to Stellantis workers at Warren Truck Assembly Plant in Warren, Michigan on December 21, 2023 The mass layoffs at Stellantis Warren Truck Assembly Plant are a threat to autoworkers all over the world. The cuts at the Detroit-area plant, set to take place on October 8, are a battle in a world war on jobs, pitting a working class united by global production against the giant transnational corporations. At a local meeting Thursday, Warren Truck workers were furious and determined to fight. The United Auto Workers bureaucracy, on the other hand, could not muster the energy to pretend to care, only distributing leaflets from the company itself about how to file for unemployment. Shawn Fain and the UAW apparatus were fulfilling their role as an arm of corporate management. They presented the layoff of 2,450 workerswhich they knew about beforehand and are the result of the sell-out contracts they rammed through last yearas a fait accompli, which workers can do nothing to oppose. This is a lie! The cuts can and must be opposed, but it requires the organization of the working class independently and in opposition to the bureaucracy, mobilizing the collective strength of all workers in the UAW and beyond. Autoworkers in the US must see their struggle as a global battle, pitting an international working class against transnational corporations engaged in a jobs bloodbath. While the layoffs at Warren Truck are related to declining vehicle sales, at bottom they are have been planned out for years, as part of the biggest transformation in the auto industry since the days of Henry Ford and the assembly line. The automakers are using the shift to electric vehicles, which require less labor to build, to eliminate huge sections of the global auto workforce. As the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees warned last year, in advance of the sellout contracts now being used to lay workers off, the companies plan to use EV to threaten half of all US jobs over the next decade, cut half-a-million jobs in Europe and hundreds of thousands more elsewhere. Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares told investors this summer, the EV race has become a cost-cutting race. Those jobs that will remain will be on poverty wages, often sourced to the lowest-cost markets. Already this year, automakers have cut 8,000 jobs in the US alone, including over 2,000 at Stellantis nearby Mack plant in Detroit and thousands more jobs of supplementals, to whom the UAW lied when it promised they would be hired in at full-time under the new contract. Tesla has also announced 14,000 cuts in its worldwide operations, both in the US and abroad, including 3,000 at one plant in Berlin. Many workers only discovered they were unemployed when they tried to scan their badges at work. Massive layoffs have taken place throughout the German car industry, especially among suppliers, and Volkswagen is also threatening the closure of its plant in Belgium, which employs 3,000 people. Italian autoworkers have been decimated since the formation of Stellantis via a merger between Fiat-Chrysler and Peugeot in early 2021. The Italian workforce at Stellantis has fallen from 55,000 to 43,000 in just three years, with the company announcing more than 3,500 more cuts earlier this year. And General Motors has just announced it intends to carry out a major restructuring of its business in China, where sales have collapsed since a peak of 4 million vehicles in 2017 as a consequence of tightening trade war measures by the United States. The global character of the layoffs underscores the need for an internationally unified response by the working class. As the Autoworkers Rank-and-File Committees Network statement declared this week, workers at Warren Truck or any other factory in the world cannot defend their plant without the support of a coordinated counter-offensive by autoworkers everywhere. It also explained that this is a fight against the union bureaucracy in every country, where workers are fighting a two-front war against management and union sellouts, whether IG Metall in Germany, Unifor in Canada or the UAW and Biden-backed SINTTIA union in Mexico. A global strategy is needed to take control of a complex world economy, which has created unprecedented levels of productivity and wealth, but which is now subordinated to the corporate oligarchys profits. The intervention of the working class is also needed to put a stop to war. The US proxy wars in Ukraine, Gaza and developing conflicts elsewhere have nothing to do with human rights as is claimed, but are really about the conquest of markets, raw materials, shipping lanes and labor, while denying them to their enemies. The electric vehicle race in particular is central to the growing preparations for war with China. In every country, the union bureaucrats help enforce layoffs while promoting America First, Italy First, Germany First and so on. By promoting this divisive nationalism, they help the companies whipsaw workers against each other. This finds sharp expression in the United States, where the UAW and other unions are engaged in a corporatist alliance with the government. Biden endorsed the contract being used to lay off thousands of autoworkers, while UAW President Fain has been elevated to the level of semi-government official. The UAW apparatus is now one of the top boosters of the Harris campaign. This is also a wartime alliance to prepare the home front. Fain, wearing shirts with World War II bombers on them, declares that workers have to follow in the footsteps of the Arsenal of Democracy, implying they must be prepared to sacrifice for another world war. In a video released Friday, United Auto Workers President Fain denounced the Portuguese Tavares and overseas executives for mismanaging Stellantis. He compared Stellantis unfavorably to the allegedly more American General Motors and Fordwhich in reality also operate all over the world. He neglected to inform viewers that the UAW is helping lay off people at all three companies. The global economy has not only resulted in the transformation of the union bureaucracies into open agents of management and of the national state. It has also created a working class which is far larger and more interconnected than ever before, creating the possibility of a new, international movement against exploitation. There are many signs confirming this possibility, including the transatlantic wildcat strike wave that forced the auto industry to shut down in the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Wildcat strikes also broke out in Italy this year against mass layoffs. While the UAW is responding with anti-Mexican chauvinism to Stellantis threat to move more production down south, Mexican workers are fighting back against sweatshop conditions and have appealed for support from their northern brothers and sisters, such as when they refused to handle scab production during the 2019 GM strike. In early 2019, tens of thousands of parts workers walked out in defiance of the Mexican unions and marched to the US border to call for a united struggle. It is time to draw a line in the sand and fight! The global jobs massacre must be opposed and resisted, and Warren Truck is now a critical battleground in the working class counter-offensive. For this fight to be successful, workers must take immediate measures to organize rank-and-file committees, to establish lines of communication with their coworkers and build up a network of rank-and-file committees to plan joint action against layoffs, in the US and internationally. The WSWS urges workers to take up the principles outlined in the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees statement in January: End all job cuts immediately, and reinstate all those already affected! Reduce the length of the workday, with an increase in pay, to account for the fewer hours needed to produce EVs and make up for decades of stagnant wages! Unite across borders to fight the global jobs massacre! Place the auto industry under social ownership and democratic workers control! For assistance in forming rank-and-file committees, fill out the form below. Over the past week, a series of workplace incidents at some of the busiest ports around the world have highlighted major safety issues in the worlds shipping infrastructure. In the late hours of August 9th, an American crane operator at the ITS port of Long Beach, California suffered minor injuries after the crane cab in which he was operating disconnected and fell 40 ft. onto a cargo ship below. The crane operator, who goes by the name of Crane Daddy on TikTok, is expected to fully recover from his injuries; however, it is very clear that this incident could have been far worse, even deadly. If the crane operator had disconnected where there was no cargo below him, he could have potentially fallen more than 100 ft. Aftermath of the crane cab collapse in the Port of Long Beach in California. [Photo: A dockworker] On the very same day, a container carrying hazardous material exploded on the YM Mobility, while it was docked at the Ningbo-Zhoushan port in China. Investigations by official authorities believe that the explosion was caused by a fire which was ignited by lithium batteries and tert-butyl peroxybenzoate, a compound that needs to be stored at low temperatures. These were stored on the same vessel as other hazardous materials which then caught fire and exploded. It is believed that the refrigerated container holding the hazardous material which started the fire could have malfunctioned and failed to keep the hazardous material under a safe temperature. Local temperatures around Ningbo were reported to be extremely high, reaching as far up to 100 degrees fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius). There were no reported deaths or injuries and the incident is still under investigation, but the incident recalls the tragic Beirut port fire in Lebanon which ignited two explosions and led to hundreds of deaths and injuries back in August of 2020. On August 11, another cargo ship, the MSC Capetown III, caught on fire and caused an explosion shortly after the ship berthed at the Jaya Container Terminal (JCT) at the Port of Colombo in Sri Lanka. There were no reported deaths or injuries and port authorities are still investigating the source of the fire. Aftermath of a fire aboard the MSC Capetown III in the Port of Colombo in Sri Lanka, August 11, 2024. [Photo: Sri Lanka Ports Authority] These dangerous incidents highlight the decrepit conditions that exist in ports all around the world, due to relentless cost-cutting which subordinates safety to profit. The refusal of the multinational corporations to update and modernize essential infrastructure needed to maintain the global supply chain, has resulted in the culmination of preventable workplace incidents which have killed and injured many. A Canadian dock worker told the WSWS: I cant speak for any other ports but in our port we are just an obstacle in their way of automation. They dont care about our safety or well-being in any way. They dont want us working on the dock. They want automated container carriers and automated yard cranes. They only fix machinery when it breaks down it seems and even then its just patched together enough to start rolling again. We rush our lives everyday and we are treated like low life bottom feeders. The spate of accidents around the world underscores that the fight for decent working conditions is a global struggle. Workers all around the world are facing the same multinational shipping corporations, and the ports themselves are all nodes in a single world logistics network. PHNOM PENH, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- More than 1,000 security personnel were deployed in the capital of Cambodia on Saturday amid an overseas opposition call for anti-government protests, Phnom Penh Municipal Police chief Lieutenant General Chuon Narin said on Saturday. In a news release posted on the National Police's website, Narin, who is also National Police deputy chief, appealed to people not to worry about public order and safety, as security has been beefed up in the capital city these days. "Our security forces are ready to crack down on any extremist group who attempts to stage an illegal rally on Aug. 18 or the following days," he said. Narin said people still can travel into and out of the capital city as usual because there are no roadblocks. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said on Thursday that overseas opponents have recently called on local people to gather in Phnom Penh on Aug. 18 against the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle Area, with their hidden plot to overthrow the legitimate government. "We will take tough actions against those who attempt to burn the country ... we will not allow the plot made by a handful of hostile forces to divide our nation," he said in a public speech. The development initiative aims to foster growth and stability in border areas of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. The federal Labor government on Monday introduced a bill in the Senate to allow a state-appointed administrator to control the construction division of the Construction, Forestry, and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU). Construction workers march in Melbourne on April 5, 2023 [Photo: CFMEU Vic-Tas] The administrator would be granted total control over the divisions property, affairs and operations. For the 80,000 workers covered by the construction union, the course of any workplace struggle could be dictated by a hand-picked federal government representative. This would set a dangerous precedent for the entire working class. As written, the proposed legislation is limited to the construction division of the CFMEU, but there is no reason to think it will not be broadened later. It demonstrates that the Labor government will not let anything stand in the way of its anti-worker agenda. If laws need to be changed to satisfy the demands of big business, then they will be changed. Labors move is the latest escalation in an orchestrated assault on the CFMEU by the media, corporate and political establishment, that is ultimately directed against the wages, conditions and basic workplace and democratic rights of the entire working class. The attack began a little more than a month ago when Nine Media published a series of articles alleging links to organised crime and corruption at the highest levels of the construction union. The Labor government has rapidly seized on these unproven claims as a pretext to neuter one of the largest industrial unions in the country, in line with complaints from big business that not enough is being done to suppress wages. Sitting atop a historically militant section of the workforce, the CFMEU bureaucracy has negotiated pay rises with major developers amounting to between 5 and 6 percent per annum. While still insufficient to make up for previous losses and the soaring cost of living, these numbers are intolerable to the ruling elite amid calls from economists that nominal wage growth must be reduced below 3.5 percent. Labors Senate Leader Penny Wong made clear the class interests served by the legislation, denouncing the Liberal Party and the Greens, who voted against the bill, of betraying the employers who sought for this bill to be passed. Under the proposed law, the administrator would have total control over the unions day-to-day operations, including the power to remove elected officials from their posts, fire union employees, and expel members. Officials removed by the administrator could be disqualified for up to five years. The administrator, hand-picked by Murray Watt, Labors workplace relations minister, would be able to take these and other compliance and enforcement actions regardless of whether the conduct occurred before or after the administration commenced and against union officials and employees both past and present. The proposed law would apply anti-avoidance measures retrospectively, meaning union officials and employees could be fined for actions taken since July 17 that are subsequently deemed to interfere with the administration process. Conversely, the administrator would be granted total impunity, protected from being sued for things done in good faith in their capacity as an administrator. Adding insult to injury, this administrator would have to be paid by the CFMEUin other words, from the membership dues of the very workers whose rights he is responsible for trampling. The going rate for a government-installed union dictator is $621,870 per annum, plus travel and allowances, twice the already exorbitant salary of CFMEU national secretary Zach Smith and many times the average earnings of a construction worker. The proposed legislation does not specifically address enterprise bargaining. However, the administrators sweeping powers would allow him to handpick negotiators who will deliver the demands of big business and the government and shut down any call by workers for strikes against attacks on their wages and conditions. Underscoring Labors urgency to pass the anti-union legislation, it was the first bill introduced after parliament resumed on Monday and the government agreed readily to most of the amendments demanded by the Coalition. These include lifetime bans for expelled union officials and an extension of the maximum administration period from three years to five. Despite these concessions and bipartisan agreement that the construction union must be neutered, Labor was unable to ram the legislation through this week. The ostensible sticking point on Thursday was the Coalitions demand that the legislation be amended to prevent Labor from receiving political donations from the CFMEU while it is under administration. In fact, Labor has already implemented a ban on donations from the construction union. The real source of the delay is political posturing by the major parties, as they seek to prove their credentials as the best prospects for enforcing the demands of the corporate and financial elite against an upsurge of working-class opposition in the coming period. Labors frontal attack on the CFMEU and the rights of construction workers is being facilitated by the Australian trade union apparatus. The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), professing phoney outrage over corruption allegations in the CFMEU, has fully endorsed the move to place the construction union under administration. Moreover, the peak union body, along with numerous business lobby groups, was involved in the drafting of the proposed legislation, Wong told the Senate yesterday. Not a single union, including the CFMEU itself, has called for strikes or other industrial action against Labors administration move. This is a clear message from every union bureaucracy in the country that they are totally opposed to an industrial struggle by workers to defend basic workplace and democratic rights. Moreover, when a group of CFMEU members called a protest to be held outside the ACTU offices on August 5, the Building Industry Group of unions demanded that it be cancelled. The reality is that the CFMEU bureaucracy does not actually oppose the construction division being placed under the control of an external administrator. Their objection is that this processwhich they already began independently last monthhas been taken out of their hands. This was made clear in a statement published Thursday by Zach Smith, national secretary of the CFMEU, and Paddy Crumlin, national secretary of its maritime division, the Maritime Union of Australia. They complained, this legislation was lobbed into the Parliament as discussion between the CFMEU and the Fair Work Commission about its proposal for administration were taking place in a properly consultative and transparent process. The statement does not mention at any stage that a Labor government is carrying out this attack, describing the administration's move as an extension of the political objectives of its predecessor [the Liberal-National Coalition]. In the face of the most explicit attack on the democratic rights of Australian workers in decades, the CFMEU bureaucracy defends Labor, the perpetrator, and promotes illusions that the pro-business Fair Work Commission represents an alternative. This is in line with the role played by the CFMEU and every other union for decades as an industrial police force of corporations and governments. The entire union apparatus has worked to subordinate the class struggle to Labor governments and the industrial courts, shutting down workers opposition to deepening attacks on jobs, wages, conditions and safety. To fight Labors assault on their basic rights, construction workers have to take matters into their own hands. Rank-and-file committees should be formed at all construction sites as a means of opposing the dictates of a state-appointed overseer. This is an attack on the entire working class and must be fought as such. Building workers, inside and outside of the CFMEU should join together with others throughout the working class in a unified industrial and political fight for real improvements to working and living conditions and against the subordination of society to the demands of the banks and the property developers. The Socialist Equality Party (SEP), the Sri Lankan section of the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI), is contesting the presidential election scheduled for September 21 to advance a socialist alternative to imperialist war and the deepening attacks on the social and democratic rights of the working class. Pani Wijesiriwardena Our candidate, Pani Wijesiriwardena, is a longstanding party leader who also contested the presidential elections in 2015 and 2019. He has a five-decade history of fighting for the interests of the working class. A retired teacher, his principled struggle against the attacks on the rights of workers and the oppressed masses, including on free education, has earned him considerable respect among teachers and students. In opposition to all the parties of the political establishment, we alone tell the truth to workers, youth and poor: the immediate issues confronting themworsening poverty, unemployment and other social crisescannot be solved within the framework of capitalism and the nation state. The SEP will use the election to explain the necessity of workers taking matters into their own hands and forming Action Committees, independent of the capitalist parties and their trade unions, to fight for their interests. That is the basis for developing a unified movement in Sri Lanka and internationally to abolish capitalism and reorganise society along socialist lines to meet pressing social needs and put an end to the looming disasters facing humanity. The global crisis of capitalism The presidential election has been called amid an unprecedented economic and political crisis of bourgeois rule in Sri Lanka, which is part and parcel of the greatest crisis of global capitalism since the 1930s. The Sri Lankan government of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, like its counterparts around the world, is placing the full burden on workers, youth and rural poor, by imposingto the letterthe diktats of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The SEP and its sister parties of the international Trotskyist movement, the ICFI, are alone in warning of the rapidly rising danger of world war, which is already emerging on three fronts and threatening humanity with a nuclear holocaust. The US-NATO powers are engaged in the third year of an escalating war against Russia in Ukraine and now planning for their own direct involvement. In the Middle East, the same imperialist powers are backing the fascistic Israeli regimes genocide in Gaza and its criminal provocations aimed at triggering a devastating regional war, targeting Iran above all. These conflicts are regarded in Washington as the necessary preparations for opening a third front against China, which US imperialism regards as the chief threat to its global domination. Neither the government nor any of the opposition parties has opposed the criminal wars of US imperialism and its allies. In fact, President Wickremesinghe, a longstanding US stooge, has increasingly integrated Sri Lanka into the US-led war drive against China by opening up the strategically-placed island to American military forces. The SEP will campaign in the presidential election for the building of an anti-war movement in Sri Lanka and South Asia as part of the fight by the ICFI to build a unified international movement of the working class against war to put an end to capitalismthe root cause of war. Part of the SEP/IYSSE protest against Gaza Genocide at Fort Railway Station in Colombo on November 9. It is a delusion to believe that imperialism will draw back from nuclear war. The huge death toll of the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates that mass death is being normalised in the pursuit of corporate profit and national interests. Now in its fifth year, the pandemic has already claimed more than 28 million lives globally as governments around the world have completely abandoned any, even limited, mitigation measures. The SEP and the ICFI insist on the urgency of the international working class fighting for global eradication of COVID as the only means of halting the mounting toll of deaths and debilitating long-COVID. The 2022 mass uprising in Sri Lanka The global crisis of capitalism found its acute expression in Sri Lanka following the default on its foreign debt repayments in 2022. This sent prices skyrocketing, created critical shortages of food, medicines and fuel, and triggered a mass uprising against the governmentpart of the international upsurge of the class struggle. The SEP will campaign in the presidential election to draw the necessary political lessons for workers from the failure of the 2022 uprising to alleviate the worsening social crisis that continues to press down on working people. The outpouring of the masses onto the streets of Colombo and other cities, which included two national strikes of millions of workers and defied threats of repression, demonstrated the power of the working class. President Gotabhaya Rajapakse was compelled to flee the country and resign. However, lacking a political party and program that represented its interests, the question of what was to replace the Rajapakse regime was left in the hands of the defenders of capitalismthe parliamentary parties, their trade unions and fake lefts such as the Frontline Socialist Party. The result was the anti-democratic installation of Wickremesinghe as president, who has over the past two years ruthlessly imposed the IMFs austerity demands and resorted to police-state methods to block and suppress any opposition. Time and again, workers have responded to Wickremesinghes assault on jobs, wages, working conditions and essential services, such as health and education, with strikes and protests. But the trade unions have deliberately kept the growing opposition divided, limited in scope and confined to futile appeals to the government to make concessions. Wickremesinghe has flatly declared that there is no money for wage increases or to maintain basic services and that the destruction of jobs and the fire-sale of state-owned enterprises must proceed. He has used the Essential Services Act to ban strikes and deployed the military and police against workers, youth and the urban and rural poor. Neither the opposition partiesthe Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)nor the trade unions have waged a concerted campaign to challenge Wickremesinghe. They all agree that there is no alternative to the IMFs demand that the working class must pay for the economic crisis of Sri Lankan capitalism. The political establishment as a whole is terrified of the re-eruption of opposition on an even wider scale than in 2022, directly threatening bourgeois rule. No-one should believe the false election promises of the opposition parties. The SJB and JVP, along with the JVPs electoral front, the National Peoples Power (NPP), were instrumental in crippling the 2022 uprising politically by confining it to the parliamentary arena. The SJB, like the right-wing United National Party of Wickremesinghe from which it emerged, is just as fully committed to imposing the IMFs program as Wickremesinghe. Indeed, in 2022, the SJB leaders criticised Rajapakse for delaying going, begging bowl in hand, to the IMF. The JVP is intent on thrusting itself forward as a reliable defender of bourgeois rule. Its leaders have repeatedly declared their support for the IMF agenda and called off all strikes and protests prior to the election to demonstrate to the ruling class their ability to suppress the opposition of working people. JVP leaders have held closed-door meetings with US diplomats, indicating their willingness to align with American imperialism and its wars. None of the Tamil parties, including the various plantation unions, represents the slightest opposition to war, austerity and police-state measures. They speak for the interests of the venal Tamil bourgeoisie, whose sole concern is to cut a deal with one or other of the major parties for a power-sharing arrangement to enhance their ability to exploit the Tamil working class. Whoever wins the presidency and forms the next government will toe the IMF line and intensify the assault on the basic social and democratic rights of the working class and oppressed masses. At the same time, in one way or another, Sri Lanka will inexorably be drawn into the vortex of the emerging global war. For a Democratic and Socialist Congress of Workers and Rural Masses It was not inevitable that the 2022 uprising should end in the coming to power of the Wickremesinghe regime. In the course of that political upheaval, the SEP elaborated and fought for a socialist perspective that provided a road forward for the masses. In opposition to the sordid manoeuvres of the establishment parties, we called for an island-wide campaign by working people and youth for the organisation and convening of a Democratic and Socialist Congress of Workers and Rural Masses. A strike demanding President Gotabaya Rajapaksa resign in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Thursday, April 28, 2022. [AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena] In a statement published in July 2022, the SEP rejected any participation in an all-party interim government, which was being promoted by the opposition parties, trade unions and fake lefts of the FSP as a solution to the social catastrophe confronting working people. We warned that it would be an instrument for the ruling class to buy time while it prepares a devastating onslaught on the social and democratic rights of the working class. The SEP also opposed the call by the FSP for building a power outside parliament by creating peoples councils. These so-called peoples councils are not independent bodies through which working people can fight for their rights, but rather instruments for keeping any opposition tied to capitalist parties. The FSP and its allies insist that all the masses can do is pressure the next government for concessions. The working class has to strike out on its own independent path. As our 2022 statement declared: The foundations for the Democratic and Socialist Congress need to be laid by the workers and rural toilers themselves through the establishment of action committees in workplaces, factories, plantations, neighborhoods and rural areas throughout the island to fight for their class interests. If these committees are to give genuine voice to the aspirations of working people, it is essential that they be independent of all the parties of the capitalist class and its trade union flunkeys. A workers and peasants government based on socialist policies The fight for this program and perspective takes on a burning urgency today. The SEP will utilise the election campaign to popularise the call for a Democratic and Socialist Congress and assist in building an island-wide network of Action Committees to unite the working class and lay the basis for a workers and peasants government to implement socialist policies. To that end, the SEP advocates the following demands: * No to the IMF austerity! Repudiate all foreign debts! * Nationalise the banks, big companies and plantations under the democratic control of workers! * Restore and expand all subsidies and social programs for rural farmers and the needy! * Cancel all the debts of poor farmers, small fishermen and small businessmen! * Oppose all forms of nationalism and communalism, including the Sinhala-Buddhist chauvinism of the Colombo establishment and the Tamil nationalism of the Tamil bourgeoisie. To fight for their class interests, workers must be united. The political struggle for these demands poses the necessity of the working class to mobilise the rural masses and seize power. What is needed is the complete reorganisation of economic life along socialist lines to meet pressing human needs, not the profits of the super wealthy. The fight for socialism against war, social inequality and dictatorship requires forging a unified international struggle by workers to abolish capitalism. Workers throughout South Asia and around the world, including the imperialist centres in the US and Europe, confront a similar assault on their social and democratic rights. Action committees of Sri Lankan workers need to join the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC), initiated by the ICFI to unite workers in a common struggle against capitalism. The SEP will use the election campaign to educate and prepare workers and young people to undertake these revolutionary tasks. We urge all workers, students, rural masses and progressive-minded intellectuals to support and participate in the SEP election campaign, vote for our candidate Pani Wijesiriwardena, who is contesting under the symbol of a pair of scissors, and apply to join the SEP. Above all, the key lesson of the 2022 uprising is the necessity of a mass revolutionary party to lead the political struggle against the ruling class and all its political servants. The SEP will use the election campaign to build the party and its youth movement, the International Youth and Students for Social Equality, to provide political leadership in the struggles ahead. Echoing the fascistic anti-immigrant agenda of Donald Trump and the far-right in UK and Europe, Australian Liberal-National Coalition leader Peter Dutton this week demanded a total ban on Palestinians trying to flee the intensifying US-armed Israeli genocide in Gaza. Australian Liberal Party leader Peter Dutton [Photo: Facebook/Peter Dutton] Despite some criticism of Dutton for being so blatant in his call, this is a bipartisan offensive. The immediate response of Prime Minister Antony Albaneses government was to issue statistics showing that it was achieving the same end by denying visas to the vast majority of Gazan refugees, even those with family members in Australia. Dutton insisted that no Gaza refugees should be permitted to enter Australia. He declared that all those seeking to escape the slaughter were likely to be terrorist sympathisers because they came from a war zone thats controlled by Hamas, a listed terrorist organisation in our country. This is the same genocidal logic that the Netanyahu regime in Israel, backed by all the imperialist powers, uses to justify the mounting massacres in Gaza, by branding the entire Palestinian population as terrorist for resisting the decades-long Israeli occupation of their lands. In reality, the Zionist regime in Israel is terrorising the entire Palestinian people. It is committing daily war crimes, demolishing refugee camps, entire neighborhoods, schools, hospitals, universities, cultural institutions and essential infrastructure, as well as denying medical and humanitarian aid to Gazas population, deliberately creating the conditions for mass starvation and disease. This week, the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that the death toll in Gaza from Israels offensive surpassed 40,000 people, mostly women and children, not counting the bodies buried beneath the rubble of buildings. The true figure likely exceeds 186,000, according to estimates published in the respected medical journal, the Lancet. Duttons naked proposal for a blanket ethnically-based ban on an entire population trapped in a war zone has no precedent in Australia, at least since World War II. It marks a further rightward shift by the ruling class as a whole to try to whip up a reactionary nationalist political atmosphere, in order to prepare for war, deeper austerity and attacks on basic democratic rights. It soon became clear that Duttons demand, first issued on Tuesday, was no off-the-cuff comment by himself as an individual, as initially suggested by Albanese and some media coverage. Duttons call has been aggressively supported all week by his shadow cabinet and the Murdoch media outlets, such as the Australian and its capital city tabloids. In fact, Dutton is being hailed by Australian columnists as a courageous strongman. Today, national editor Dennis Shanahan praised Dutton for demonstrating a superior strategic sense, a fearless confidence in his political judgment and a sense of leadership. Buoyed by such backing, Dutton has gone further in an obvious bid to foster a far-right constituency. Yesterday, he again blamed all immigrants for the intensifying cost-of-living and housing crisis in Australia. He doubled down on his Gaza ban call, telling the Nine Networks Sarah Abo: Its not just this, the countrys under huge pressure at the moment in the housing industry, because the prime ministers brought a million people in over two years, and weve only built 250,000 homes. The truth, however, is that the Labor government has embraced the demonising of Gaza refugees, as well as the wider scapegoating of immigrants, whom it also has blamed for the sky-rocketing costs of housing and rents, driven by capitalist profit-making, that are feeding into the continuing cut to real wages and living conditions for working-class households. In parliament, Albanese and his ministers boasted of already refusing visas to all but a trickle of refugees from Gaza, while granting nearly all those from Israelis. Tony Burke, recently installed by Albanese as home affairs and immigration minister, tabled figures showing that since the Israeli onslaught began, supposedly in reprisal for the October 7 outbreak into southern Israel from the besieged Gaza enclave, the Labor government had rejected 7,111 visa applications from Gaza. Labor had accepted less than a third of the applications2,922 visas were granted to holders of a Palestinian Authority travel document in that same period. And all but about 350 were short-term visitor visas, expiring within 12 months, leaving these refugees facing the danger of deportation to face death and destruction again. These visas also bar them from working, from receiving government welfare and other basic rights such as public healthcare. Moreover, the number of Gaza refugees who have actually arrived in Australia is closer to 1,300, because the Israeli and Egyptian regimes have blocked all departures. Labors rejection of Gaza refugees has only intensified as the genocide has worsened. Since May 27, it had rejected 2,467 applications and granted just 236 visasor less than 1 in 10. By contrast, over 8,700 visas have been granted to Israelis since October 7, with only about 200 applications refused. To legitimise this pro-genocide discrimination, Albanese has repeatedly stated that his government is relying on the political and security vetting conducted by the domestic surveillance agency, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), which has a notorious decades-long record of anti-democratic suppression of anti-war and left-wing dissent. Over recent weeks, the Albanese government has announced measures to slash the annual migration intake in half, and to cut by two-thirds the numbers of international students enrolling in universities and other tertiary education courses. The Labor government also has ramped up Operation Sovereign Borders to militarily repel refugee boats, reopened the barbaric asylum seeker prison camp on the remote Pacific island of Nauru, and imposed police-state restrictions, such as ankle bracelet monitoring and curfews, on previously illegally-imprisoned immigration detainees. These are not aberrations. They continue Labors historic record, from the openly racist White Australia policy that underpinned the establishment of the nation-state via Federation in 1901, to the introduction of mandatory detention of asylum seekers in the 1990s, setting a global precedent. The sharpening turn to anti-immigrant witch-hunting by the political and media establishment in Australia mirrors the shift taking place in the capitalist centres internationally. From the US to the UK and across Europe, the fascistic and far-right agitation of the Trump-dominated Republican Party, the neo-Nazis in Britain, Le Pen in France and the AfD in Germany is being facilitated and joined by all the ruling parties, such as the US Democrats and the British Labour Party. They are the ones responsible for years of declining social conditions, imperialist wars and attacks on refugees, and for blocking the struggles of the working class against these conditions, with the help of the trade union apparatuses. Now the ruling elites are openly promoting rabid nationalism and anti-immigrant scare-mongering. This serves inter-connected purposes: to divide workers globally, divert rising class and social tensions in right-wing, anti-immigrant directions, create wartime-style political climates and set precedents to attack the democratic and social rights of the entire working class. Workers and youth must come to the defence of immigrants and refugees, insisting on the basic democratic right of all workers to live and work where they choose in the world. This is as an essential component of the fight to unify the working class globally against the toxic and war-mongering capitalist profit system. The bipartisan support for the US-backed genocide in Gaza is inseparable from the equally bipartisan backing for US-NATO proxy war against Russia, and for the US-led plans for a catastrophic war against China. That is why the fight against the genocide and anti-immigrant poison requires the independent political and industrial mobilisation of the working class, the overwhelming majority of the worlds population, in the fight for socialism. Thailand's newly elected Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and her father, the country's former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, arrive at the headquarters of Thailand's Pheu Thai Party in Bangkok, Thailand, Aug. 18, 2024. Thailand's former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been included in a royal pardon to end his jail term earlier than scheduled, his lawyer Winyat Chatmontree said on Saturday. (Photo by Rachen Sageamsak/Xinhua) BANGKOK, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been included in a royal pardon to end his jail term earlier than scheduled, his lawyer Winyat Chatmontree said on Saturday. Winyat made the confirmation following an earlier issued Royal Gazette, which announced that three categories of prisoners will be pardoned on the occasion of King Maha Vajiralongkorn's 72nd birthday anniversary. The royal pardon will take effect on Sunday, allowing Thaksin, who is currently on parole, to be free two weeks earlier than the scheduled date. Winyat added that the former prime minister will receive a certificate from the prison assuring his freedom. The 74-year-old former prime minister returned to Thailand from self-exile last year and was previously convicted of multiple charges. He was released on parole in February from a police hospital in Bangkok, where he spent six months serving a one-year prison sentence. Thaksin served as the Southeast Asian country's prime minister from 2001 to 2006 and had been in self-exile abroad since 2008. The actress, who is Charlie Sheen's ex-wife, met Perry 20 years ago and later reconnected with him in rehab GETTY (2) Brooke Mueller and Matthew Perry Brooke Mueller was questioned about her history with Matthew Perry as part of the investigation into his death, sources tell PEOPLE. However, the actress, who is Charlie Sheen's ex-wife, was not one of the five people charged in connection with the Friends star's fatal drug overdose last year. Perry, 54, was found dead in his pool on Oct. 29, 2023. A medical examiner determined the actor died of "acute effects of ketamine." Ketamine is an injectable anesthetic that "can induce a state of sedation (feeling calm and relaxed), immobility, relief from pain, and amnesia," per the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Perry's autopsy stated he was on ketamine infusion therapy to treat depression at the time of his death, but not at levels that would be considered fatal. According to a source, Mueller, 46, first met Perry 20 years ago before she married Sheen in 2008. They reconnected a few years ago in rehab. Brooke Mueller was questioned in this case because she was friends with Matthew Perry but she never used ketamine, a source with knowledge of the investigation tells PEOPLE. PEOPLE reached out to Mueller's rep for comment. Michael Bezjian/WireImage Brooke Mueller and Charlie Sheen in 2009. The couple married in 2008 and divorced in 2011. Earlier this week, five individuals were charged in connection with Perry's death. Among them were two doctors, a woman known as the "Ketamine Queen" who allegedly stashed and distributed drugs, and Perry's live-in assistant, who testified that he gave the actor several ketamine injections on the day of his death. The assistant later discovered Perry's lifeless body in the pool. These defendants cared more about profiting off of Mr. Perry than caring for his well-being, U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said Thursday, Aug. 15, when announcing the charges. 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. Related: Inside Matthew Perry's Last Day, When Assistant Left After Giving Ketamine Shot and Returned to Find Actor Dead Its so sad what happened to Matthew, the source adds. I think it's despicable how doctors can overprescribe any addictive drugs to people, especially addicts." However, the source added the blame has to be shared. Noam Galai/Getty Matthew Perry in 2017 Everyone wants to put the blame on others, but its the addict who bought and took the drug, the source continues. Its easy to buy drugs anywhere in Los Angeles if you want or need them badly enough and you can afford it. 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 Los Angeles Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the United States Postal Inspection Service are continuing to investigate Perry's death. Related: DOJ Says Doctors Arrested for Matthew Perry Drug Death Allegedly Texted: 'Wonder How Much This Moron Will Pay' The actor, who had been quite vocal about his addiction struggles throughout the years, would've turned 55 on Aug. 19. 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. General Hospital spoilers for Monday, August 19, focus on shocks, alarming news, confrontations, and springing into action. Alarms Dantes job these days besides being the PCPDs most valuable detective is to attempt to be as solid as a rock for his family. The one he built with Sam and the one that comes with being the son of Sonny Corinthos. When Dante (Dominic Zamprogna) receives alarming news, this could be about several options. 1) Its about Lulu (a role that will be recast), who we know he continues to visit and worry about. 2) About his dad, who remains a powder keg waiting to explode. And 3) Or this ones about Kristina (Kate Mansi how she survived an earthquake with Chad Duell), who John Cates (Adam Harrington) arrested for attempted murder against Ava (Maura West). Shocks Meanwhile, Laura (Genie Francis) is in for a shock. Something that could blindside her is the fact that Scott (Kin Shriner) is taking up Heathers crusade. The mayor finally made the decision to step back from the volatile and controversial situation and let the chips fall where they may. If this is what shocks Laura, how will she react if Heather (Alley Mills) is indeed going to trial? Alexis (Nancy Lee Grahn) most certainly was shocked when Federal Agent John Cates arrested her daughter for attempted murder. What Cates doesnt count on is Alexis obtaining her law license again. Because of this, the fierce attorney will no doubt channel her inner mama bear to fight for Kristina. Should Cates be afraid? Yes, we think he should be very afraid. (Check out GHs Weekly Spoilers for August 19 23 here) Confrontations Apparently, Cates isnt afraid of Sonny (Maurice Benard). This arrest gives him the opportunity to goad Sonny but good. The arrogance will inevitably bite him in the butt sooner or later. You know what they say about karma. His plan is working out now, but in Port Charles, one man almost always wins. And thats Sonny Corinthos. Your days are numbered, Cates. Do not poke the bear! (Soap Hub rates the new GH head writing team) Finally, Jason (Steve Burton) confronts Anna (Finola Hughes). He found out interesting information from the shady pharmacist. Does he fill in Anna and let her know that she needs to arrest Ava? After all, not only has Ava known that Sonny took tampered meds, but she ordered the pharmacist to give the PC mobster placebos. Jason wont let that lie. And Anna owes him, doesnt she? The post General Hospital Spoilers August 19: Alarming News Hits Dante Hard appeared first on Soap Hub The post This Irish Hitchhiker Says He Inspired Dave Grohl to Form Foo Fighters appeared first on Consequence. During the promotional run for Dave Grohls 2021 book The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music, he recalled getting inspired to form the Foo Fighters after running into an Irish hitchhiker wearing a Kurt Cobain t-shirt. Now, that Irish hitchhiker has come forward with his side of the story. In a video posted by his cousin Eoin Tighe on Twitter, Lorcan Dunne explains he recently realized the connection after watching a video of Grohl talking about getting lost in rural Ireland after Cobain died in 1994. Looking back, Dunne remembered going on a hitchhiking trip with friends and approaching a car ahead of his group. Get Foo Fighters Tickets Here Dunne said when he spotted Grohl (whom he didnt recognize at first) in the passenger seat, he saw this look of shock at his Nirvana t-shirt with Kurt Cobain on it. For whatever reason, Dunne didnt get a ride because the car just tore off away, but he obviously left an impression on Grohl. Naturally, nobody believed Dunne when he tried to tell his friends. Watch the clip below. This all lines up with Grohls telling of the encounter, in which he remembered going on a soul-searching trip to The Ring of Kerry in Ireland, which he described as the most remote place on Earth. You really feel like youre at the end of the Earth, Grohl explained. I was driving around in my rental car on a country road and I saw this hitchhiker kid. And I thought, Well, maybe Ill pick him up. And as I got closer to him, I saw that he had a Kurt Cobain t-shirt on. Grohl continued, It was Kurts face looking back at me in the middle of nowhere and I realized I cant outrun this so I need to go home and fucking get back to work. And so I did. In the caption of Tighes post, he described Dunne as a legend. Its hard to disagree. Foo Fighters are currently on their Everything or Nothing At All Tour. Check out our recap of a recent show at Citi Field in Queens, New York, and grab tickets to remaining shows here. Editors Note: Read our ranking of all 11 Foo Fighters albums. So my legend of a cousin Lorcan just realised he was kind of important to the creation of @foofighters @FooFightersUK He saw a video by Dave Grohl talking about why he got back to work after a visit to Ireland. Lorcan was out hitchhiking wearing his nirvana top when Dave stopped pic.twitter.com/nD7cUE0w8w Eoin Tighe (@eointighe) August 15, 2024 This Irish Hitchhiker Says He Inspired Dave Grohl to Form Foo Fighters Eddie Fu Popular Posts Subscribe to Consequences email digest and get the latest breaking news in music, film, and television, tour updates, access to exclusive giveaways, and more straight to your inbox. James Franco was first romantically linked to Isabel Pakzad in November 2017 Allen Berezovsky/Getty Isabel Pakzad and James Franco attend a basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors in 2019 James Franco has been in a long-term relationship for nearly seven years. The Why Him? star has been dating his girlfriend Isabel Pakzad since November 2017, but the pair didnt make their first public appearance together until the summer of 2018. Franco has refrained from sharing many details about their relationship with the public. Though, in recent years, the actor has started to open up more about their romance including the storms they weathered early on in their relationship. The biggest of those being the sexual misconduct allegations Franco faced in January 2018 (all of which he denied through an attorney at the time), as well as recovering from his sex addiction, which he revealed during a 2021 episode of SiriusXM's The Jess Cagle Podcast. "I had girlfriends. I could never be faithful to anybody. I cheated on everyone before Isabel," Franco said on the podcast. The actor noted that he struggled with being able to be present in the relationships he was in. Albeit, all that changed when he met Pakzad. Similar to her boyfriend, Pakzad is also an actress and director. She starred in 2020s Birds of Prey and alongside Franco in the 2019 TV series The Deuce. More recently, the couple has made several red-carpet appearances together, including at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival in May and the Biarritz Film Festival-NOUVELLES VAGUES in July. Pakzad and Franco also both appear on his mom's Instagram from time to time, including at a family wedding in Croatia in August 2024. So who is James Francos girlfriend? Heres everything to know about Isabel Pakzad and her relationship with the actor. She is an actress and director Bruce Glikas/WireImage James Franco and Isabel Pakzad at the opening night of "MacBeth" on Broadway in 2022 After earning her undergraduate degree in advertising and publicity from Penn State, Pakzad enrolled in acting classes and pursued a master's degree at the University of Southern California (USC). Some of her most notable acting credits include 2020s Birds of Prey and the TV series Bakers Dozen, which aired in 2019. The short thriller Dont Worry, Its Gonna Be OK marked Pakzads directorial debut, and was awarded best short film at the L.A. Film Festival in 2022, as announced on Pakzads Instagram. In April 2024, her debut feature, Find Your Friends, was announced. The movie, which follows a group of friends on a trip to Joshua Tree who face hostility from locals, per Deadline, stars Bella Thorne, among others. Pakzad, who wrote and directed the movie, shared her delight about it on Instagram the same month. "This is truly my biggest dream come true. Ive put my heart & soul into this film for the past 6 years, fighting everyday to get it made. Something crazy happened to me in the desert a few years ago which inspired me to write this film and run wild with it. Making this movie has truly been the best experience of my life," she wrote, in part, in a post about the movie. Funny enough, Franco admitted on SiriusXM's The Jess Cagle Podcast that he wasnt looking to date a fellow actor when he first met Pakzad. She wasnt an actress when I met her, Franco explained. I wrote a list of everything that I was for [in a partner] and it wasnt imperative, but I was like, Itd be nice if she wasnt an actress. Franco said that he didnt find out Pakzad was taking an acting class until a few dates in. But, as he noted, it all turned out for the best because now they have even more to bond over. It turned out great because we share all these interests and shes directing now, he said. Im just so lucky. She is a world traveler Isabel Pakzad Instagram Isabel Pakzad in Rome, Italy Pakzad is a passport stamp collector. From the Amalfi Coast and Rome to the Netherlands and London, Pakzad loves spending her free time jet-setting around the globe. Pakzad often shares glimpses into her travels on Instagram, including the time she spent a month vacationing in Greece in 2021 a getaway spot of she and Franco have spent time in together, too. She and Franco are nature explorers themselves. The pair were spotted enjoying a hike in Los Angeles in 2020 and surfing in Venice, Calif. in 2018. More recently, in January 2024, she shared a photo from a trip to Milan, Italy, in which she tagged the fashion brand, Fendi. She and Franco began dating in 2017 Gotham/GC Images Pakzad and Franco reportedly struck up a romance in early November 2017, according to InStyle. That same month Franco inadvertently confirmed the status of their relationship to Variety while opening up about his journey of self-growth, specifically on how it pertains to his dating life. Franco shared that earlier that year in September, Pakzad came down with a horrible throat infection at the San Sebastian Film Festival that eventually landed her in the emergency room. While Franco went with his girlfriend to the hospital, he explained to Variety that past him wouldnt have done such a thing. In fact, Franco recalled a similar instance with a former girlfriend of his in which his assistant had to step in. There was one instance, he began to explain. This old girlfriend was visiting me in New York. I had come out here for school. My cat had scratched her in the eye. I had so much work to get done for the next day, I didnt take her to the hospital. I had my assistant take her. Franco continued, That moment haunted me so much. What kind of selfish, self-centered boyfriend are you? She has stuck by Francos side through tough times Taylor Hill/WireImage Isabel Pakzad and James Franco attend a screening of the final season of "The Deuce" in 2019 In January 2018, just a few months into their brand-new relationship, Franco was accused of sexually inappropriate behavior by five women in an article written by the Los Angeles Times. At the time, his attorney Michael Plonsker denied each of the womens allegations to the Times and cited comments that Franco had made during an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert as his formal denial. In 2019, two of Franco's former acting students one of whom made allegations against him in the Times article filed a sexual misconduct lawsuit against him. In early 2021, Franco reached a settlement with the two women, and in June of that year, records obtained by PEOPLE from the Los Angeles Superior Court showed that the actor had agreed to pay $2,235,000 in the settlement. As a result of the allegations, Franco retreated from Hollywood for four years. However, following the settlement of the lawsuit, he spoke out on SiriusXM's The Jess Cagle Podcast. "In 2018, there were some complaints about me and an article about me and, at that moment I just thought 'I'm gonna be quiet. I'm gonna be, I'm gonna pause.' Did not seem like the right time to say anything," he said, adding, "There were people that were upset with me and I needed to listen." He went on to say that he had "been doing a lot of work.. and I guess I'm pretty confident in saying like, four years, you know? I was in recovery before for substance abuse. There were some issues that I had to deal with that were also related to addiction. And so I've really used my recovery background to kind of start examining this and changing who I was." During the interview, Franco revealed he had been struggling with a sex addiction for years following his sobriety at age 17. In addition to working on himself and falling back on the tools he learned in recovery, Franco acknowledged the impact of the allegations on his girlfriend and praised her as "incredible." Related: James Franco Breaks Silence 4 Years After Sexual Misconduct Allegations: 'Been Doing a Lot of Work' I would be willing to bet that it was very hard for her, Franco answered when asked if the allegations made against him were challenging for Pakzad. She had six months of fun stuff, Franco later explained, noting that his movie Disaster Artist had just come out, and consequently, he and Pakzad were out and about more than usual. It was all really exciting and then she got this whole other side. Despite Francos situation, Pakzad stayed by his side. Shes incredible, Franco said on the podcast. Im so lucky that I found her. She and Franco made their red carpet debut in 2018 Walter McBride/WireImage In July 2018, Pakzad and Franco first stepped out together for the official Broadway opening of Straight White Men. The memorable evening marked their red carpet debut as a couple as well as their first public appearance together since Franco was accused of sexual misconduct in January 2018. The smiling couple walked the red carpet hand-in-hand, while also posing for cameras with their arms wrapped around each other. More recently, the couple stepped out together for a rare public appearance when they attended the 2024 Cannes Film Festival together for the Cannes premiere of Kinds Of Kindness in May. Franco wore a black suit for the event, while Pakzad's matched him in a black blazer with chain detailing and black pants. Just a month later, they hit the red carpet again for the Biarritz Film Festival in Biarritz, France. The couple matched in black again, with Pakzad opting for a chic mini-dress and her actor boyfriend wearing a black t-shirt, blazer and pants. She and Franco keep their relationship out of the spotlight Pierre Suu/Getty James Franco and Isabel Pakzad attend the Coperni Womenswear Fall Winter 2023-2024 show in Paris A notoriously private couple, Pakzad and Franco refrain from talking about each other in the public eye, for the most part at least. While Pakzad is very active on social media, often sharing photos from her travels and with friends, she doesnt post snaps of her and Franco together on her grid. Meanwhile, the Why Him? star deleted his Instagram early on in their relationship. Its very liberating, Franco told Variety of quitting Instagram. I just got rid of it. When I first got on, it just felt silly. I treated it like it was a joke. You get in that weird seductive space where it feels private, but its also public. And you get hooked on the reaction. However, fans of the couple can get a glimpse into their life through Franco's mom, Betsy Franco who often includes snaps of her son and his girlfriend on her own Instagram grid. On New Year's Day 2024, Betsy posted a photo of the family posing with Barbie dolls she had made for them in their image. To celebrate James' 46th birthday in April, she shared a sweet message to her son alongside a photo of him posing with his arm around Pakzad. A few months later, in June, the couple joined Betsy on a trip to Paris, and featured in several snaps on a carousel of the trip she posted on Instagram. Most recently, in August, James and Pakzad, as well as his brother Dave Franco and wife Alison Brie, joined their mom at their cousin's wedding in Croatia, with all five smiling together in a snap from the special day that Betsey posted on social media. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Passenger kicked off flight for refusing to put $3K Louis Vuitton handbag on the floor She refused to lower her Louis and ended up in custody. A Chinese woman was escorted off an aircraft by police after she refused to place her $3,000 Louis Vuitton handbag on the floor for takeoff. The designer bag drama occurred Aug 10. on a flight departing from Jiangbei International Airport, with footage captured by a fellow flier and posted to Chinese social media site Douyin. A Chinese woman was escorted off an aircraft by police after she refused to place her $3000 Louis Vuitton handbag on the floor for takeoff. AsiaWire The woman wanted to keep her luxe Louis bag on the seat next to her. AsiaWire The flight crew asked the passenger to put her high-end handbag under the seat to abide by basic safety regulations. However, the woman, who was flying economy, refused to do so and insisted on leaving the bag on the seat next to her. She subsequently started playing on her cell phone and ignored cabin crew Her actions prompted the pilot to return to the boarding gate, where police entered the aircraft and detained the Louis-lugging lady. Fellow passengers were heard cheering in the viral video as the woman was escorted off the plane. AsiaWire Viewers of the clip were divided over the incident, with some saying the cabin crew escalated the situation. The flight attendant could have offered her a bag to put her handbag in, a Douyin user declared. Is it really necessary to waste an hour and kick her off the plane? However, others slammed the selfish passenger. The flight attendant did not insist on the rule for nothing, one raged. The woman should value her safety and that of other passengers rather than the bag. MOSCOW, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- A unit of 24 soldiers from Ukraine's 22nd separate mechanized brigade surrendered to the Russian armed forces in Kursk, Russia's state news agency RIA Novosti reported Saturday. These Ukrainian soldiers surrendered as a group near the village of Komarovka in the Kursk region, a representative of the Russian security forces was quoted as saying. "Before the surrender, the Ukrainian military contacted us through the FREE_SOLDIER2022 (Telegram) channel," the representative said. The Ukrainian armed forces started an offensive in southern Russia's Kursk region on Aug. 6. The Russian Defense Ministry reported Friday that Ukraine has so far lost 2,860 military personnel and 41 tanks during the fighting in the Kursk region. When it comes to the Duke and Duchess of Sussexs tour of Colombia so far, I know I mentioned dozens of photos, but Id like to zoom in first on a single shot: Its a candid, snapped last night at the National Centre for the Arts in Bogota. Theres Meghan Markle, wearing a gorgeous Johanna Ortiz dress, and Prince Harry, with his arm wrapped tightly around his wife as she leans into his side. The pair was on hand to take in an artistic performance alongside Colombian Vice President Francia Marquez, but in between the mixing and mingling, there was this imageand a single forehead kiss from Prince Harry. Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images But thats just it and, quite frankly, what the Sussexes do so well: Their genuine (and touchy feely) affection for each other, whether theyre on a non-royal tour of Colombiaor, heck, seated side-by-side at an event like the ESPYsalways rings through loud and clear. Bettmann/Dave J. Hogan/Getty Images Its not that members of the royal family dont engage in public PDA. In fact, Prince Harrys own mother, the late Princess Diana, famously kicked it off with the first-ever balcony kiss on her wedding day to the now-King Charles back in 1981. More recent examples include Kate Middletons subtle butt tap of her husband Prince William at the 2023 BAFTAs, Queen Camillas strategically placed hand on King Charless backside during the Japan State Visit, even a deep and soulful glance like the one Kate and William shared during Trooping the Colour this spring. Breaking royal protocol? PDA does not. (The effort to keep things formal is more likely related to British decorum than anything else.) But its much less typical to catch these types of moments within the monarchy whereas, for Harry and Meghan, its the norm. Karwai Tang/Chris Jackson/Pool/Getty Images The funny thing is thats always been the case. Flash back to when the pair made their official debut at the Invictus Games in Toronto in 2017, holding hands the bulk of the time. Even their first official royal tour of Australia and New Zealand in the fall of 2018, which took place long before they quit their royal roles in January 2020. There was hand-holding and arm touchingthe works. Its that easy and natural physical connectedness that captivates and, back to the images that continue to roll out from Colombia, is a reminder of exactly why they were so good at the royal job. Handout/Getty Images Dont get me wrongIm well aware that Harry and Meghan are no longer representing the royal family and are free from any formality that may (or may not have) dictated the way they presented themselves on the job. (Additionally, certain people are simply more comfortable with PDAand thats OK.) Still, Id be remiss if I didnt acknowledge the lovey dovey displays they tend to sneak in and demonstrate, often in the presence of others. Its one of the quickest ways to make others feel at ease, not to mention draw a line between their personal and professional sides. More than anything, it adds to their relatability as they use their megaphone to shine a spotlight on important causesa win-win. As for whats next in Colombia, Harry and Meghan are off to Cartagena and Cali, where theyll continue to talk about their digital advocacy and protecting children in the online space. Ill be watching their work, but also their affection for each other, of course. Meghan Markle Sports Sleeveless Navy Suit for First Stop in Colombiaand Its Serving Chic Hamptons Style Julia Khoroshilov/Courtesy W.I.T.C.H This is part of Global Sounds, a collection of stories spotlighting the music trends forging connections in 2024. Its 9:45 p.m. on a Sunday evening, and the packed auditorium of Greenwich Villages Le Poisson Rouge is filled with the sound of Zamrock. On vocals is 72-year-old Emmanuel Chanda, who goes by the stage name Jagari Chanda, the charismatic, last surviving original member of Witch, once among the most popular bands in Zambia. Hes wearing a matching waistcoat and pants made of chitenge (an African wax print fabric), a yellow T-shirt, a floppy hat, and bracelets featuring the colors of the Zambian flag: red, green, orange, and black. His look is just as striking as his sound. That sound is Zamrock, or Zambian rock, a genre born in the 1970s and inspired by American rock performers such as James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, and Led Zeppelin, and pioneered by bands such as Musi-o-Tunya, Amanaz, 5 Revolutions, and, of course, Witch (the name stands for We Intend to Cause Havoc). Its a combination of psychedelic rock and traditional Zambian music like kalindula, and performed in a range of Zambian local languages, often with two lead guitars, drums, a bass guitar, and percussion, crescendoing into an up-tempo rhythm. Early hits like Introduction (1972) and In the Past (1974)both performed by Chanda the night that I see himquickly shot Witch to fame. But after the 1980s the band hit pause: The AIDS epidemic claimed the lives of key members, while a crippling economy led many musicians in Zambia to seek alternative employment, including Chanda, who became a teacher and a miner. Plus, the music tastes of the Zambian people evolved after the fall of President Kaunda in 1991, who had a policy that dictated that 95% of music played on Zambian radio stations be made in Zambia. But a decade or so ago, a renewed interest in the band emerged: There was a 2011 vinyl reissue through Now and Again Records; a 2013 documentary by Kabinda Lemba called Rikki and Jagari: The Zamrock Survivors and another in 2021 by Gio Carlotta; and in 2023, Witch finally released a new album titled Zango, featuring a lead single by the same name. Fast-forward to 2024, and if the roar of the crowd at Poisson Rouge is anything to go by, Zamrock is experiencing a revival. In Zambia they think [music is] a career for failures, Chanda shouts from the stage. But in America its the other way around. As a child who grew up listening to my fathers Zamrock recordshere in the United States and in Germany and EthiopiaI was curious to find out whether, over 30 years later, Zamrock was also seeing a similar revival in Zambia. Armed with some music industry contacts, I flew to Lusaka, its capital. My first stop is Radio Cafe studios in Lusakas Olympia suburb, a historic neighborhood whose streets are lined with brick homes. It's where some of Zambias most popular artists, including Macky 2, Pompi, and Abel Chungu Musuka, have recordednot to mention Grammy-nominated artist and Zambian rapper Sampa Tembo, better known as Sampa the Great, who recorded her Zamrock-inspired 2002 album, As Above, So Below. Im there to catch up with her producer Mag 44, or Magnus Mando, who shares that the album was something he and Sampa had been talking about since 2019, prior to her relocating from Australia to Zambia in 2020, which is when the recording process began. She sent me some Zamrock sounds that she wanted to play with and had a fresh take on the genre, he says. She wanted to create a hybrid version, by adding modern hip-hop elements with Zamrock. Never Forget, one of the most popular singles off the album, is an ode to Zamrock and, more specifically, to Chanda who features on another track Can I Live. Chandas contribution to that song is a series of traditional Zambian chants, an element that, according to Mag 44, gives Zamrock its unique Zambian identity. Theres also the beat count, he says. Its either a 3/4 or 6/8 in Zamrock, then you add the lead guitar. Duncan Sodala, the founder of Time Machine Zambia, a vinyl and comics retail company in Mimosa, Lusaka, agrees. Its the traditional chants and the lyrics which reference how the artists lived at the time that Zamrock started, says Sodala, who has worked in the Zambian music industry for over two decades as an artist manager and hip-hop artist. Since founding Time Machine in 2016, he has seen sales of Zamrock records steadily increase. The Witch albums are the most requested by my clients, followed by Rikki Ililonga and 5 Revolutions, he says. He likes to use social media as a way to draw in a new generation of listeners. On Instagram, sometimes Ill post [about] an original Zamrock album [with the] hashtag #Zamrock. That leads to people asking questions about the genre and how they can access it. Over at the Zamrock Museum, a project by Modzi Arts (a multidisciplinary production and arts space) in the quiet suburb of Ibex Hill, I meet with Julia Taonga Kaseka, one of the founders. She describes the space as a living museum intended to resurrect and celebrate Zamrock music, and shows me a library filled with books about Zambian and other African music, and a record booth packed with Zamrock records, as well as pictures, hats, and other memorabilia. The latter, she tells me, was particularly popular with the 30 women DJs who have been trained through Rackless Kazian initiative at the museum that helps 18-to-35-year-old women improve their DJ skills over a five-day residency. Although the main focus of the project expands beyond the museums central genre, spanning everything from electronic music to South African house (amapiano), Kaseka is trying to get them to play more Zamrock. So far, the museum has hosted 12 residences featuring emerging artists, curators, gallerists, and archivists, as well as documentary screenings, exhibitions, and concerts. Both Chanda and Rikki Ililonga, one of the last surviving original members of Musi-o-Tunya, have acted as mentors throughout, taking up the helm of an outdoor section of the museum called a zango (a traditional meeting spot where communities gather in conversation). [Chanda and Ililonga] are the Zamrock museum, says Kaseka. The elders are the transmission point through memory and music. Courtesy W.I.T.C.H Julia Khoroshilov/Courtesy W.I.T.C.H Back in Olympia I meet up with Shadreck Mukenge, who goes by Mumba Yachi, a Congolese-born, Zambia-raised artist whose latest album, Mr Red 8 & The Zamrock Flood, was released this past May, for iced coffee and lemon cake at Taste by Rootz, a cafe and restaurant where he recently performed. Yachi sees his album as his own contribution to Zamrock. He sings in Lozi, a language you rarely hear in Zamrock because most of its stalwarts were from regions in the country where languages like Bemba and Nyanja are more prominent. Yachis packed tour schedule is proof that Zamrock is experiencing a resurgence globally, with dates lined up in the Netherlands, Malawi, and at home in Zambia. Im glad Zamrock is getting more recognition in the West, says Yachi, but points to a recent show in Harare, Zimbabwe, and an upcoming one at Lake of Stars in Malawi as proof that Africans are also embracing the genre. On my last day in Lusaka, I take a walk down Alik Nkhata Road, named after a famous Zambian musician and located in the working-class Kalingalinga neighborhood, on my way to Chilenje House 394, the former home of Kenneth Kaunda, the first president of Zambia and a significant supporter of Zamrock. I pass by Lusaka's ubiquitous red, yellow, and green metal mobile money booths, just like the ones depicted in Sampas Final Form video from 2019. Through the open doors of bars drift the sounds of gospel music and kalindula, another soulful Zambian genre. And then, right on cue, a burst of Zamrocka blend of traditional and contemporary sounds honoring Zambias past, while embracing its future. Originally Appeared on Conde Nast Traveler This fall, Amelia Island is brimming with events that promise to delight food lovers, dance enthusiasts, jazz aficionados, and families alike. Heres a guide to the must-see events happening on Amelia Island this season: >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< Amelia Island Dining Month A Culinary Celebration (Sept. 1-30): Indulge in a month-long culinary adventure with specially crafted prix-fixe dinners priced at $35 and $55 at the islands top restaurants. Each meal ordered will contribute $1 to the Barnabas Center, supporting local neighbors in need. AmeliaIsland.com/amelia-island-dining-month Amelia Island Dance Festival Dance Your Heart Out (Sept. 5-8): Experience a diverse range of dance styles and techniques with performances and workshops led by world-class artists and local instructors. A perfect event for dance lovers to witness or participate in the art of movement. AmeliaIslandDanceFestival.org Les DeMerle Amelia Island Jazz Festival A Week of Jazz Magic (Sept. 29 - Oct. 6): Celebrate the 21st year of this festival with an exciting lineup of jazz performances in Fernandina Beach, showcasing a variety of jazz styles from contemporary to Dixieland. AmeliaIslandJazzFestival.com Island Hop Craft Beer Festival Sip and Savor (Oct. 5): Enjoy a day of craft beer tasting from Nassau Countys finest microbreweries, along with live music, food trucks, and more at Central Park. This family-friendly event welcomes children under 12 for free. IslandHopCraftBeerFest.com Northeast Florida Fair Fun for All Ages (Oct. 10-20): Take a short drive to Callahan, Florida, for a traditional fair experience with thrill rides, games, live music, and more, perfect for making lasting memories with family and friends. NEFLFair.org Amelia Island Cookout Culinary Indulgence by the Sea (Oct. 17-20): Enjoy a luxurious culinary event at The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, featuring multi-course meals, wine-pairing dinners, and a beachfront cookout in a stunning oceanfront setting. AmeliaIslandCookout.com Worth Tasting A Culinary Weekend Experience (Oct. 18-21): Addison Amelia Island Bed & Breakfast offers an all-inclusive gourmet weekend with unique dining experiences, cooking classes, and tours, making it an unforgettable culinary getaway. AddisonOnAmelia.com/worth-tasting-weekend Amelia Island is not only hosting a vibrant lineup of fall events but also offers an array of oceanfront vacation rental properties, perfect for groups and families. Visit AmeliaIsland.com to explore lodging options and plan your stay. Whether you visit this fall or another time, Amelia Island promises an experience full of excitement, flavor, and fun. [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. For what it's worth, I think any prize-eligible entry in the fair, from cakes to hogs, should be made or grown in Kentucky by current Kentucky residents only. To allow out-of-state entrants and winners, like this year's OHIO resident who won first prize in the cake contest, seems like a travesty for the KENTUCKY State Fair. Isn't this a time to showcase the skills of current Kentucky residents? Gina Book, 40299 Ohio cake winner is a slap in the face It's the Kentucky State Fair and only people in Kentucky should be allowed to enter the contests at the state fair. I think the fair should be used to showcase the talents Kentucky has. I don't think it's fair that someone from Ohio won the cake contest. It just isn't fair, and I feel it's a slap in the face to all the bakers in Kentucky. Brenda Riley, 40601 Ohio cake contest winner should be disqualified I agree that an entry from out of state should NEVER have been allowed to enter never mind WIN! I researched the Ohio State fair winners as that fair has already ended. I cannot find any winners in Cakes or Cake decorating that were not from Ohio. The Ohio winner needs to be disqualified. Sheryl Warren, 42713 An insult to Kentucky's skills Why would someone outside of the commonwealth be allowed to enter an exhibit in the Kentucky State Fair? This is an insult to the skills and hard work of the participants who reside here. Linda Brown Beville, 40245 Agree or disagree? Submit your letter to the editor here. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Disqualify the Kentucky State Fair Best Cake winner. She's from Ohio. Mercury is a little-known, still mysterious world. But one thing is certain. Mercury, the closest planet to the sun, can't actually travel backward in retrograde, and doesn't impact us on Earth. The notion of Mercury retrograde, a common reference in astrology wherein communication and travel are temporarily impaired, can, of course, be a fun musing. The event occurs when Mercury appears to start traveling the opposite direction in the sky. But this is perceptive trickery. Mercury retrograde is apparent motion, such as when you pass a speeding car on the highway and it appears that car is moving backward. It's not an exceptional, or momentous, event. "There's nothing unusual about it," Tansu Daylan, a physicist at Washington University in St. Louis who leads NASA telescope observations, told Mashable. SEE ALSO: NASA scientist viewed first Voyager images. What he saw gave him chills. It happens so regularly three or four times a year that some people easily associate events (misunderstandings or travel woes) with the event. "People are actively searching for connections," Daylan said. What causes Mercury retrograde From our perspective, the planets, including Mercury, move west to east across the night sky, relative to the stars. Greek and Roman astronomers, in fact, referred to planets as "wandering stars." If you, hypothetically, could look down on the sun from above, you would see the planets orbiting counterclockwise. This creates the easterly movement, from our perch on Earth. But this changes when two planets become aligned as they orbit the sun, Daylan emphasized. Then, an inner planet (Mercury) moves faster than an outer planet (like Earth), resulting in "apparent retrograde motion" apparent because Mercury, speeding around our star at over 100,000 mph, does not suddenly start traveling backwards. The NASA graphic below illustrates apparent retrograde motion, using Mars and Earth. A planet's appearance in the sky can change when planets align or one "overtakes" another, but the actual orbits don't change. A depiction of apparent retrograde motion. A depiction of apparent retrograde motion. Credit: NASA Mercury's southern hemisphere, as captured by NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft. Mercury's southern hemisphere, as captured by NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft. Credit: NASA / Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory / Carnegie Institution of Washington Mercury retrograde lasts for a few weeks at a time, so don't be surprised to hear how it's connected to a multitude of events. Tellingly, it most recently started again on Aug. 5, 2024 after the global Crowdstrike disruption. Though we know Mercury's orbit isn't doing anything strange in our solar system throughout the year, it will remain a world of mysteries. It's a planet that's difficult to observe from Earth, because of its proximity to the sun. "That means it can be spotted only briefly shortly before sunrise and just after sunset, and always appears close to the horizon," the European Space Agency explains. What's more, it's extremely challenging to reach any spacecraft endeavoring there must contend with the sun's overpowering gravity. That's why Mercury is the least visited of the other inner planets. And, it's precarious to get too close to Mercury because the searing planet's surface, hot enough to melt lead, radiates heat into space. The ongoing BepiColombo mission, a joint European and Japanese endeavor, is designed to resist these extremes as it makes unprecedented flybys. Planetary scientists hope to soon answer many questions about Mercury: Is there water? Is it geologically active? How did it get so close to the sun? But, at least, its strange apparent motion is well understood. "There's nothing fancy about it," Daylan said. This story has been updated with more information about Mercury retrograde. Would you want to buy a home near a factory? For most of us, it evokes negative thoughts of belching smokestacks and noise. A name like Factory Place certainly doesnt help. Apparently earlier Fort Worth citizens felt the same way. Prior to the 1940s, there were only a handful of houses in Factory Place. Today, the heart of the neighborhood is located on Lisbon, Valentine, and Alamo (beginning two blocks west of Montgomery and paralleling West Vickery Boulevard) as well as a few blocks north of I-30 along the eastern portion of Calmont, Birchman, and Pershing. It remains one of Fort Worths few affordable central-city neighborhoods. As early as 1891, a company that manufactured wood cook stoves occupied a space just north of the Texas & Pacific Railway tracks and east of what is now Montgomery Street. It gave name to the street once called Stove Foundry Road, now Vickery. During the early 1890s, developers laid out the Brooklyn Heights Addition to provide worker housing near the Texas & Pacific Railway and factories. Despite the availability of residential lots, there were few takers. The area was outside the city limits, and there were no adjacent streetcar lines. By 1903, the former stove factory building was used by Axtell Windmills, and the Fort Worth Casket Factory and Fort Worth Sand and Glass had been built nearby. In 1907, the West Fort Worth Land Company platted Factory Place, an ambitious development that was to include both residences and factories. The idea was to have a place where people could both live and work a modern mixed use concept. Still, there were only a few takers. West Fort Worth Land Companys ad for Factory Place ran on April 4, 1907, in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Most of the amenities (water, electricity, sewers, streetcar service, and schools) were promised, but not yet in place. During World War I, the neighborhood was just outside the southern boundary of the U.S. Armys Camp Bowie probably because of the factories and the railroad yard. After the war ended, the open residential lots were again available for development. The West Fort Worth Land Company re-started land sales about 1924. Without a car, the area seemed far away from central Fort Worth. Camp Bowie had brought infrastructure to the area just to the north, making it more popular. For example, Reika Avenue (now the southern portion of Montgomery Street) had been bricked in 1918-1919 a real asset as far as automobile traffic was concerned. West Fort Worth Land sold a large group of lots to the West Side Land Company. Individual lot sales were slow enough, however, that West Fort Worth Land decided to auction 500 residential lots in April 1925. It was not successful. At this point, there were only a handful of houses on each of the major streets in Factory Place. E. T. Stearns, left, regional director of the Federal Housing Administration, A. A. Lund, president of Chamber of Commerce, and Joe Driskell, right, inspect new houses in the 4000 block of Lovell Street. Built in June 1941, before the United States entered World War II, these affordable homes were part of more than 100 built in Factory Place that year. Both Brooklyn Heights and Factory Place provided housing opportunities for area workers, and there was a Brooklyn Heights School run by its own tiny school board. By the late 1920s, a barrio for Mexican railroad workers sprung up along the Texas & Pacific Railway tracks giving the area the name, El TP and the enclave later grew to the north mostly in Brooklyn Heights. Need for Housing Finally Spurs Growth A major step forward occurred in 1942 when the City of Fort Worth annexed Factory Place. World War II also spurred the need for housing for the wartime workers coming to work at the bomber plant and other defense-related industries. Stories about residential crowding three couples sharing a three-room house and families who rented only a single room ran in the newspapers. Factory Place offered just what was needed many open lots that were appropriate for small houses and close to town. Even though construction materials were in short supply for non-defense-related purposes, allowances were made for defense worker housing. In 1934, the National Housing Act established the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). One of its missions was to provide mortgage insurance for loans originated by private lenders. This made it easier for people, especially those with a moderate income, to get a loan for their first home purchase. Although the FHA rules had some major problems, including reinforcing racial segregation, it facilitated home ownership for many almost all white people who otherwise wouldnt have qualified for a mortgage. Rancher and oil man Luther McClung played a major role in the eventual development of Factory Place. In January 1942, he bought 540 lots from the West Side Land Company and began to build defense worker housing. Donna and Bob Carlisle are overjoyed with their new home at 4362 Lisbon on the western edge of Factory Place. The 1958 house had more style than some of the homes built during the 1940s. These later structures helped meet the demand for post-war housing. Bob Carlisle worked at Convair. The four- and five-room houses were similar wood-frame residences with either asbestos or wood siding. At one point, McClung took out 87 building permits at one time, then a city record. His economies of scale and similarity allowed McClung to build the homes for $3,000 each. Finally, the neighborhood was built out. Although many of the houses were first rental properties, that changed as demand for home ownership fueled by veteran and other government programs surged. Families added rooms to the small houses and undertook renovations, including new porches, siding, and windows, that individualized their former uniform appearance. Factory Place Today Today, a church has removed most of the houses in the part of the neighborhood north of I-30, leaving a hidden enclave between the freeway and the railroad yard. It is a relatively stable, naturally integrated (48% Latino, 41% white, and 8% Black), moderate income community. A majority of the homes are owner occupied. It is a neighborhood that you dont see unless you go looking for it. Its long, skinny profile has helped protect this hidden community from external development pressures. Im hoping that it stays that way. Carol Roark is an archivist, historian, and author with a special interest in architectural and photographic history who has written several books on Fort Worth history. Perdue recalled over 160,000 pounds of frozen chicken due to contamination. The recall includes certain chicken nuggets, tenders, and breasts. The USDA advises consumers to discard or return affected products. Perdue is recalling thousands of ready-to-eat frozen chicken products after consumers found thin metal wires inside. The company said in a statement that it is recalling over 160,000 pounds of frozen breaded chicken breasts, tenders, and nuggets after it found the "foreign material" inside packages of frozen chicken. Jeff Shaw, the company's senior vice president of food safety, said it recalled the products "out of an abundance of caution." The company says the objects entered the products through the manufacturing line but that no known illnesses were linked to the contamination. The three products named in the recall are the Perdue Simply Smart Organic Gluten Free Breaded Chicken Nuggets, Perdue Breaded Chicken Breast Tenders, and Butcher Box Organic Free Fully Frozen-Cooked Breast Chicken Nuggets, the company said. All of the products covered in the recall have an expiration date of March 23, 2025. The US Department of Agriculture said in a separate statement that Perdue notified the Food Safety Inspection Serice after receiving consumer complaints about the "metal wire." "FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers' freezers," the USDA said. "Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase." Read the original article on Business Insider When Minnesota governor Tim Walz was tapped as Kamala Harris's vice presidential pick, this caused pundits to speculate that the move was calculated to appeal to those all-important Midwestern swing state voters. Well, if there's one thing the Midwest is known for besides purple politics, it's state fairs. As a native Midwesterner (he was born in Nebraska), Walz is of course a regular attendee at the Minnesota state fair. In 2023, he spoke with a KEYC news reporter and revealed his favorite fair food is a highly popular one. Walz went on record to state, "I am a corn dog guy," and admitted that he eats them throughout the year, not just when he's at the fair (or on the campaign trail). In fact, he showed the camera that he was wearing socks imprinted with images of corn dogs. Walz did, however, demonstrate a bipartisan spirit by not immediately shutting down the interviewer who expressed a preference for Pronto Pups. While Pronto Pups usually differ from corn dogs in being made with a flour-based batter rather than a cornmeal one, the Minnesota State Fair's version includes corn. Walz didn't break down why he prefers corn dogs, though. He just said, "That's a bit of a discussion" and left it there. Read more: Sausage Brands Made With The Highest & Lowest Quality Ingredients Walz And His Running Mate Both Enjoy State Fair Pork Products Kamala Harris eating pork chop - Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Corn dogs are, paws down, one of the all-time best fair foods, but Tim Walz does have another fair food he just can't forget: a BLT that was offered at the Minnesota Farmer's Union booth a few years ago. He described the sandwich as "a little bit different," even if he wasn't quite sure what gave it that je ne sais quoi. The governor's a big Farmer's Union food fan. "I'm always kind of partial to what they do over there," he said. Walz's running mate, VP Kamala Harris, seems to have passed on the corn dogs when she visited the Iowa State Fair on a 2019 campaign stop. Harris, who is quite the foodie, instead went with a pork chop on a stick. She seemed to like it quite a bit, as shown in an Iowa PBS news clip where she takes a bite and rolls her eyes in enjoyment. Harris even took a turn flipping pork chops on the grill and told the press that her favorite way to season pork chops is with ancho chiles, black pepper, garlic, paprika, and salt. Offering cooking tips is pretty on-brand for her since she's also got a YouTube channel called "Cooking With Kamala." Read the original article on Mashed. There are estimated to be around 1,000 gorillas in the Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, a national park in south-western Uganda - Abercrombie and Kent When I was younger, the idea of travel and holidays triggered only pure excitement: I was carefree, packed at the last minute and meandered about the world with joyful, open-armed abandon. But then, in 2022, I started covering wars as The Telegraphs defence editor and everything changed. I love my job, but it has taken its toll. In the past two years, Ive reported from the thick of Putins full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and from Israel following the attacks on October 7. I have been to more funerals of strangers than I have my own family. I have seen bodies dug from the earth and rested on the ground as grieving parents wept over their remains. Ive interviewed women who were raped by Russian invaders; teenage girls who lost their best friends one Saturday morning in a kibbutz massacre. These arent things you talk about in everyday life, making them that much harder to process. Instead, they just sit inside you and slowly chip away at your faith in humanity and your ability to trust the people around you let alone strangers. And the effects arent only emotional; the experiences of explosions and danger, plus all the training we are given in order to keep ourselves safe manifest physically too. If a bang goes off outside my window at night, I shoot up in bed, my heart pounding through my chest. I feel on edge walking through crowds. The defence editor Danielle Sheridan on an assignment in Ukraine - Paul Grover Are people carrying weapons? Where in Waterloo station can I run to for shelter if there is an explosion? When I check into a hotel room, Ive been trained to locate the fire exits in case I need a quick escape. I find myself wondering where the missile shelter is, even if Im not in a war zone. Of course, on the job, this overdeveloped sense of distrust, caution and hyper-awareness has helped to protect me. But, gradually, it has begun to seep into my personal life too, eroding the sense of adventure and curiosity I was once so full of, and leaving me totally unable to relax. I have been in beautiful, romantic surroundings around the world, only to find myself thinking about Putins genocidal agenda or Alexei Navalnys mysterious death. I was always left frustrated, wishing I was capable of enjoying the here and now. So much of the joy of travel lies in the connections you make, and the opportunity it provides to be completely present. But I had lost that ability, and I wanted it back. Danielle Sheridan describes the Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp as 'peaceful and luxurious' - Mark Williams So I went in search of an experience that might help put me back on the right track; something that would completely absorb me in natural surroundings and help me relearn to live in the moment, but which also involved an element of adventure. I came across a trip to the Pearl of Africa, Uganda, on which Id spend four days gorilla trekking in the wild. It was ideal. I leapt at the chance. Two months later, I landed in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, a national park in south-western Uganda, reaching the Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp, an Abercrombie & Kent retreat, just in time for an afternoon beer beneath towering palms offering shade from the African sun. I was shown to my room a tree-top tent with a four-poster bed and an ornate writing bureau that would have had Hemingways seal of approval. It was peaceful and luxurious, and I spent most of the night trying not to count the exits. The next day, our group embarked on our first trek into the forest: a cool, dark tangle of thick branches that could only be navigated with the help of the machetes with which the trackers sliced a path for us. As the mist rose above the trees and the lush green landscape rolled out ahead of us, I knew I was embarking on something special. A hike through the Ugandan forest in search of gorillas is made possible with the help of machetes, which slice a path The treks are facilitated by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), as part of an ongoing programme of gorilla conservation. Over the course of the past century, 80 per cent of natural forest in south-west Uganda was lost and by the 1980s, after decades of logging, hunting and mining, mountain gorilla numbers had plummeted to just 250. Today, largely thanks to these conservation efforts, there are estimated to be around 1,000 gorillas in Bwindi and its nearby Virunga volcanoes. The numbers arent huge, but they show a promising trend, and a vulnerable species beginning to thrive once more. According to the UWA, this success story is largely thanks to the fact that humans have learnt to live peacefully alongside the gorillas, and this became quickly apparent. Look, the tracker said to me. My gaze followed along the tip of his machete to see my first wild silverback, lounging on his stomach, grazing on a piece of bark. He was 5ft in front of me, and on reflex I found myself holding my breath, worried that if I made a sudden noise, hed lurch at me. But to my surprise, this gorilla his silver markings like a brush of paint across his lower back couldnt have cared less about our groups presence. He turned, acknowledged us, and went right on eating his bark. The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) gorilla conservation programme has helped to restore the gorilla population I soon realised that this was par for the course. The next day, we found the gorillas deep in the forest, huddled under trees to shelter from the rain. They shook their coats to lessen the water collecting in their hair and, just as before, went about their day with little concern for our presence. I was mesmerised by them, and soon found that I felt completely safe in my surroundings. Being submerged in nature, with only the extraordinary simplicity of the gorillas to focus on, had instilled a feeling of overwhelming peace. I was struck, too, by how human they were how they groomed each other, how they picked at the dirt under their nails, how they huffed when they became agitated with the rain, and how they cared for one another. We came across a baby gorilla with his mother, his leathery face and pitch-black fur the perfect miniature of its elders. He would normally have reminded me of the war-zone babies Id seen, so fragile and big-eyed but instead, I was filled with warmth and comfort. Gorillas remain an endangered species, but it is exactly the type of work I saw in Uganda that has helped return their numbers to healthier levels all over Africa. And what a world we live in, that humans the same species that brought gorillas to near extinction are now the very ones that have worked to bring them back from the brink, earning their trust once again. The world can be a terrible place in which we do horrible things to each other but wherever there is evil, there is kindness, too, and the possibility for a brighter future. A Ugandan retreat gave Danielle Sheridan a sense of hope - Mark Williams The much-loved late American television host Mister Rogers once said: When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping. He was right, and this trip reminded me of that. Abercrombie & Kent (abercrombiekent.co.uk; 03301 734712) offers a four-night Uganda Gorilla Safari trip from 5,995 per person, based on two people sharing. Includes flights, transfers, gorilla trekking and accommodation at Gorilla Forest Camp, an A&K Sanctuary, on a full-board basis. 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. Say what you will about Costco's famous hot dog deal -- the size, flavor, and price are all impressive -- but there are still some who prefer that other famous food court fare, the signature chicken bake. This tube of dough -- which we can't leave Costco without -- contains chicken, bacon, parmesan, and Caesar dressing, baked until hot and covered with more salty cheese. So it may come with some disappointment for chicken bake partisans to learn that there once was another, like a long lost sibling, that is no more. Yes, the carne asada bake was a promising upstart that never found a foothold among Costco customers leaving only a tale of what could have been. What then went wrong? For those who never lived in California, take heart as you didn't really stand much of a chance at trying the carne asada bake. Tested at Costco stores across the Golden State in 2011, the dish was in form much like the chicken bake. The dough was filled with strips of carne asada, beef that is traditionally marinated in flavorful seasonings like orange juice and grilled for a smoky char, according to Chef Bricia Lopez. There was also guacamole, pico de gallo, and cheese. At first pass, this probably sounds like a winning combination, but when you think of all of those ingredients being heated together, flaws become apparent, which may be why Costco gave the carne asada bake the axe. Read more: 20 Popular Chain Grocery Stores For Meat, Ranked The Carne Asada Bake Was A Disappointing Experiment costco carne asada bake - jesspanic / Instagram Given the passage of time -- who remembers what they ate 13 years ago -- and the small-ish sample size of the test audience, not much online remains to commemorate the carne asada bake. The general consensus on Reddit's r/Costco thread is that the carne asada bake failed from the jump with tough, chewy strips on meat that bore little resemblance to traditional grilled carne asada. The heated guacamole apparently seemed more like "sour green sauce" than the creamy, generally cold spread. One commenter lamented that it might have been better with the guacamole on the side. But it wasn't all bad news, as at least one Redditor claimed that the meat was tasty and another said that they loved it. Shed tears if you must, or celebrate the experimental spirit of the cooks in Costco's test kitchen even if every offering isn't a success. For adventurous Costco customers with a valid passport, consider heading abroad for a taste of other bakes the big-box store offers. For instance, Costco's South Korean stores have a bulgogi pork bake with marinated meat and scallions stuffed in cheese-covered bread. There is also a Mexican chicken bake filled with seasoned meat and bell peppers that can be had in, of all places, Iceland's Costco stores. Read the original article on Tasting Table. Photo taken on Dec. 8, 2022 shows an exterior view of the headquarters of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) in Stockholm, Sweden. (Photo by Wei Xuechao/Xinhua) Europe may see more imported cases of mpox circulating in Africa, but the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control considers the risk of sustained transmission in Europe to be low. HELSINKI, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Europe will probably see more imported cases of mpox caused by the Clade I virus currently circulating in Africa, however, the likelihood of sustained transmission in Europe remains very low, according to an updated assessment issued Friday by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). On Thursday, Swedish health authorities confirmed the first case of mpox Clade I in Sweden. It was also the first case caused by Clade I to be diagnosed outside the African continent, according to Swedish Public Health Agency. However, the agency's Chief Epidemiologist Magnus Gisslen has reassured the public that the current mpox Clade I variant poses a low risk of a major epidemic, unlike the early days of COVID-19 in 2019. In an interview with Swedish television published on Friday, Gisslen emphasized that mpox is a well-understood virus with established preventive measures. A child caught mpox gets treatment at a hospital in the Nyiragongo territory near Goma, North Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), on Aug. 15, 2024. (Photo by Zanem Nety Zaidi/Xinhua) Helena Hervious Askling, an expert in infectious diseases and vaccinations at Sweden's Karolinska Institutet Medical University, noted that mpox Clade I differs significantly from COVID-19. Unlike the novel coronavirus, mpox Clade 1 is not airborne and requires close contact with an infected person to spread. An effective vaccine is also available. The primary focus should now be on addressing the outbreak in Congo, Askling said, where the disease is causing the most severe problems. Also on Friday, Swedish media reported that the government's Strategic Coordination Group (GSS) is scheduled to convene soon to discuss the health implications of mpox. This group involving various ministries has already dealt with previous security and health crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic. A child caught mpox gets treatment at a hospital in the Nyiragongo territory near Goma, North Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), on Aug. 15, 2024. (Photo by Zanem Nety Zaidi/Xinhua) The patient, who was confirmed as the first case of mpox Clade 1 in Sweden, is said to be in stable condition. Maria Rotzen Ostlund, an infection control physician in the Stockholm region, said that early contact tracing has effectively contained the risk of a broader outbreak. Despite the low risk of a pandemic, Niklas Arnberg, a virology professor at Umea University in the mid-northern region of Sweden, emphasized the need for continued research and knowledge development. While lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic are invaluable, there remains a lack of comprehensive understanding and tools for managing potential pandemic threats. Richard Ardito lives in Cranston. I have been vacationing at Rhode Islands Fishermens Memorial State Park and Campground for many years, and year after year it takes me four to seven days to get a spot. Reservations are done through Reserve America, which most state parks use, and are available beginning one year in advance, right to the minute. The window for reservations for all Rhode Island camping facilities opens up at 8 a.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. on weekends. My wife and I sit at our computer 365 days in advance at 10 minutes to eight, each of us with both a computer and iPhone, and the site we are trying to reach is all loaded up. All we have to do is press the booking button exactly at 8 a.m. on weekdays or 9 on weekends. But even though we are making four attempts to reach the site, we usually are too late. Hundredths of a second late. So, its back to the computers and iPhones the next day. More: Rhode Island state campgrounds hosted over 80,000 campers in 2023. Here are the most popular The process is frustrating and anxiety provoking. When we get to Fishermens campground to begin our vacation, we find ourselves surrounded by campers from Connecticut, Massachusetts and other states, many of whom have prime locations. Locations that we lost out on 365 days ago. A view of the clam flats from a campsite at Fishermen's Memorial State Park and Campground in Narragansett. Bob Thayer/The Providence Journal, file This process is not fair to Rhode Islanders. I have used Reserve America to book campgrounds in other states, and most of those states allow their residents first choice by opening the reservations window for out-of-staters up to six months after their residents make their choices. I understand this and believe it is fair since they are the taxpayers who support recreation facilities within their state. Here in Rhode Island we pay an income tax, we are taxed at the gas station pumps, and pay a sales tax along with many other taxes. With all this income generated on the backs of residents, why are we not given something in return say, priority booking for our states recreational facilities? Its happening in other states. Why am I competing with people who in theory can be anywhere in the world booking online? Each time I meet other Rhode Islanders while at Fishermens, I hear the same question: Why is it so hard to book a campsite? I suggest that facilities that book for Rhode Island campgrounds give Rhode Islanders the opportunity to book one hour earlier than out-of-staters. I realize that they pay more than residents, but so do I when I travel to other states facilities. It just makes sense that Rhode Islanders enjoy this benefit. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: When we get to Fishermens campground, we find ourselves surrounded by campers from Connecticut, Massachusetts and other states. Boeing's Starliner spacecraft has been docked at the International Space Station since its arrival in June 2024. After Butch Wilmore got settled into the commander seat of Starliner earlier this summer, he thanked the people preparing to blast him and his crewmate Suni Williams into space . "Outstanding. Nice job, guys," the NASA astronaut said before a launch attempt that ultimately scrubbed. "We'll see you in a couple of weeks or longer." The launch commentators were amused. "Butch, planning on staying up there longer," said Jim May, a Boeing engineer, restating Wilmore's radio communication. "Maybe he'll do a couple of extra manual piloting demos while he's around there." A few days later, the two astronauts indeed launched to the International Space Station , and those earlier words reveal their state of mind before the flight: They knew their planned week in space might be more than that. But the words also foreshadowed the rest of the tortuous mission. SEE ALSO: The long, thorny history of Boeing's Starliner spaceship Boeing's Starliner approaching the International Space Station Boeing's Starliner arrived at the International Space Station with Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams on June 6, 2024. Credit: NASA For more than two months, Wilmore and Williams have been in limbo 250 miles above Earth. Starliner, the new Boeing spaceship they test-piloted, experienced elusive propulsion issues on the journey. Now the U.S. space agency must decide whether to send them home in their test capsule or make complicated arrangements for them to ride a different spaceship one built and controlled by Boeing's competitor, SpaceX . Boeing, for its part, firmly believes Starliner can handle the job. Switching to SpaceX's Crew Dragon is not an ideal solution for NASA, either. The change would have a cascading effect on launch pads and the flight schedule. "We're reaching a point where that last week in August, we really should be making a call, if not sooner," said Ken Bowersox, NASA's associate administrator of space operations. Aside from the general concern for Wilmore and Williams' health their bodies receive excess radiation and bone deterioration in space the agency faces a ticking clock with the manifest. Barry 'Butch' Wilmore and Sunita 'Suni' Williams preparing for launch Starliner's test pilots Butch Wilmore, left, and Suni Williams could remain in space for six more months if NASA decides to send them home in a SpaceX capsule. Credit: Joe Raedle / Getty Images The U.S. segment of the space station has four ports two for spaceships and two for cargo freighters. Right now one SpaceX capsule and Starliner occupy both crew docks. There's no interoperability between U.S. ships and Russian ports, and cargo spots aren't equipped for passenger craft. In short, the parking lot is full. NASA already postponed the next crew rotation one month to buy some time to figure out the path forward for Starliner, but the delayed SpaceX capsule will be on its way to the station on Sept. 24. Starliner will have to undock before then, whether with human pilots or robotically, to accommodate the other SpaceX spaceship. In addition to logistics at the station, NASA has had to consider how changes would affect operations on the ground. By delaying the next SpaceX Crew-9 flight , for example, the agency has had to scramble to get certification to move the launch to a different pad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Otherwise, Crew-9 would interfere with preparations for the launch of Europa Clipper , a robotic science mission set to study one of Jupiter's moons . All the shuffling leaves a fairly tight window in September for Starliner to leave. If NASA chooses not to send the Starliner astronauts home in Starliner, they'll remain at the station until February 2025, turning their original eight-day visit into an eight-month layover. SpaceX Dragon spacecraft backing away from International Space Station If the Starliner crew returns in a SpaceX spaceship, they won't come home until February 2025. Credit: NASA "At some point, we need to bring those folks home, and get back to a normal crew size on the ISS," Bowersox said. Though astronauts are trained for unanticipated changes in departures and arrivals, an extended stay in space will mean the two will be separated from their families for more than half a year. Even astronauts, who are sometimes viewed as superhuman, can succumb to the tedium of life away from Earth. NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, who recently spent 371 days at the space station because his Russian ride home sprung a coolant leak , said it was a stressful ordeal. "The psychological factor was more of a factor than I expected," he said then . Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore living on the space station Suni Williams, left, and Butch Wilmore have worked on deferred maintenance tasks and repairs at the space station. Credit: NASA Wilmore and Williams have been put to work since they arrived. In addition to diagnostic tests on Starliner, they have assisted in other ways at the orbiting laboratory. Both have taken up deferred maintenance tasks such as assembling a backup urine processor dubbed "Frankenpump" that at times have made them seem like glorified space janitors. Having extra crew on hand to pick up slack has been a perk for NASA, but it also has its drawbacks. More people in orbit means extra mouths to feed, and extra carbon dioxide to filter out of the air. Time on exercise machines has to be meticulously managed to ensure everyone stays fit in the weightless environment. Getting Starliner through the testing phase has been a relentless battle for Boeing, though its representatives have not always been forthcoming on why the program has suffered so many setbacks. A string of issues has spanned a decade. After the Space Shuttle retired in 2011, NASA hitched all of its rides on Russian rockets to the space station, costing the United States tens of millions of dollars per ride. Some considered it a national embarrassment. Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, and other astronauts working in the International Space Station With Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, there are nine people at the International Space Station right now. Credit: NASA NASA hired Boeing and SpaceX to build commercial spaceships to carry astronauts to and from the station in 2014. While SpaceX's capsule went into service four years ago, Boeing's Starliner has yet to obtain certification for regular flight operations. NASA never intended to have all its eggs in Elon Musk 's basket and says Starliner is still crucial to have as a backup. In a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing , Boeing said Starliner's problems cost the company $125 million in the last quarter, with a likelihood that it would "record additional losses in future periods." When asked which way Wilmore and Williams' wanted to travel back to Earth, Joe Acaba, NASA's chief astronaut, said it wasn't up to them. "This is not really a preference thing," he told reporters on Aug. 14. "They are going to wait for us to analyze the data and to come up with the decision, and, again, they will do what we ask." Deeya Khambhaita wasnt sure what to expect when she signed up for a three-week summer course titled Comparative TemperateTropical Ecology and Biogeography. All she knew was it would take her to the Great Smoky Mountains and the rain forest of Ecuador. I knew it was going to be immersive and interactive, but I dont think I fully expected to experience something new every time I took a step out the door, she said. The amount of biodiversity we encountered was otherworldly, especially compared to my backyard. Deeya Khambhaita was one of 10 students from five universities who took the summer course Comparative TemperateTropical Ecology and Biogeography through Highlands Biological Station. It took them to Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Wildsumaco Wildlife Sanctuary in Ecuador. Deeya grew up in Johnsonville, South Carolina, a two-traffic-light small rural town where almost everywhere is just woods. From a young age, she loved being outside and immersed in the natural world. So, its no surprise shes studying environmental science at Francis Marion University, not far from home. She learned about the TemperateTropical course from her freshman-year biology instructor, Professor Travis Knowles. I specifically recruited Deeya because she was a star student in the class meticulous, thorough, and questioning and I had heard good things about her from other faculty, Knowles said. I knew this course would be right up her alley, especially since she had expressed an interest in travel. At Wildsumaco Biological Station in Ecuador, Deeya Khambhaita admires an insect that epitomizes the concept of crypsis, the ability of an organism to conceal itself from predators by having a color, pattern, or shape that allows it to blend into the surrounding environment. Knowles developed the TemperateTropical course with long-time colleague and friend Dr. James T. Costa, a professor of biology at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. Costa directs Highlands Biological Station in Highlands, where the course began, and Knowles directs Wildsumaco Biological Station in the Napo Province of Ecuador, where students spent the final two weeks of July. This summer marked the third time the pair of instructors has offered the course, which they describe as hotspot to hotspot since Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the area around Sumaco Volcano in Ecuador are known for exceptional biodiversity. To create the curriculum, they drew heavily on the writings of Alexander von Humboldt (17691859), who spent time in both temperate and tropical forests studying the effects of environmental factors such as altitude and temperature on species distribution. At Newfound Gap in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, students observed these hickory tussock moth caterpillars, which are an example of the concept of aposematism. Their colorful, spiky appearance lets predators know to avoid them. Humboldt's vision was holistic, said Costa, appreciating the interconnectedness of all of nature: organisms, environment, earth everything. He has been viewed as the father of the modern concept of environmentalism, which encompasses the holistic nature of the natural world, including humanity. When Costa first visited Ecuador some years ago, he was following in Humboldts footsteps, exploring the Avenue of the Volcanoes, which had inspired many of the great scientists insights. Starting in Quito in the Inter-Andean Valley, Costa traveled up and over Papallacta Pass in the paramo ecosystem at 13,450 feet and then down the countrys eastern slope through cloud forest to Wildsumaco, a wildlife sanctuary situated at roughly 4,500 feet in premontane rain forest. A caterpillar found along the road near Wildsumaco Biological Station in Ecuador exemplifies aposematism, its bright colors and spiny appearance advertising to potential predators that it is noxious or dangerous: Dont eat me! I realized that you can really see these Humboldtean ecologicalbiogeographical principles at work on a grander scale than in the Southern Appalachians, writ large thanks to the height of those mountains compared to ours, he said. Elevation and slope have an obvious, profound effect on plant community structure, diversity and adaptations.This got Costa to thinking of other comparative aspects of the temperate zone and the tropics. Here were two mountain systems, vastly different in age, altitude, and ecology, each with a national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site designation and with biological field stations close to the same elevation. Reflecting on these things with Travis, it didn't take long for us to come up with a novel field-course concept, he recalled. I'm not sure there's any other course like it, traveling between field stations in very different ecologicalbiogeographical settings for direct comparison. Their textbook would be "The New Neotropical Companion" by John Kricher, an exhilarating read that draws comparisons between our familiar North American species and those one is likely to encounter in a tropical rain forest. The book explains the latitudinal diversity gradient (LDG), a pattern described by both Humboldt and later naturalists such as Charles Darwin and Alfred Russell Wallace in which species numbers per unit area tend to decline strongly with latitude as one travels away from the equator. During the Smokies portion of the course, the 10 students from five universities ventured from their classroom at Highlands Biological Station out into the Nantahala National Forest near Franklin. There they encountered salamanders, one of the few groups in the Smokies with species richness that rivals that of the tropics. More: Word from the Smokies: Bird-banding program offers data and delight at Tremont Found in the Nantahala National Forest near Franklin, this Southern Appalachian salamander is a hybrid resulting from mating between Plethodon teyahalee and Plethodon shermani parents. This neotropical salamander in the genus Bolitoglossa (the so-called mushroom-tongued salamanders) was found near Wildsumaco Biological Station in the Napo Province of Ecuador. Deeya Khambhaita and other students examine the preserved species collections at Twin Creeks Science and Education Center in Great Smoky Mountains National Park as part of their Comparative TemperateTropical Ecology and Biogeography coursework. Even more memorable for Deeya, who had never before visited Great Smoky Mountains National Park, was traveling up through the various altitudes and physically seeing the plant species change as we gained in elevation. To see endemic species like Fraser firs and literally walk through clouds at Clingmans Dome was awe-inspiring. At Carlos C. Campbell Overlook on the way to Clingmans Dome in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Deeya Khambhaita and her classmates used scientific instruments to measure altitude (2,000 feet) and temperature (80F) in much the same way that Alexander von Humboldt, father of environmentalism, would have done. More: Word from the Smokies: Park program welcomes people with disabilities into the backcountry As was her instructors hope, lessons Deeya learned in South America are already helping her process ecological information about Southern Appalachia. One main thing that we learned in Ecuador is the purpose of coloration and morphology in species. Some animals evolved to have bright colors to warn predators that they are unpalatable, called aposematism, or mimic species that are unpalatable, she explained. Other animals evolved to be more sexually dimorphic to attract more mates. The males can display large antlers or generally assert dominance over other males with their appearance to help in mating or display vibrant coloration for courtship, Deeya continued. This helped me understand why species here in southeastern North America like the northern cardinal or eastern tiger swallowtail look different depending on the sex. These species and many others are all just trying to further their survival. She also took away lessons about how climate affects biodiversity in both hotspots. Seeing the climate change along elevational gradients in both Southern Appalachia and Ecuador and how biodiversity corresponds to that change further cements how disruptive global warming is on our planet, she said. Being at Wildsumaco Biological Station and on the surrounding trails was like a continual bioblitz. Hundreds of bird species, moths, butterflies and insects were seen each day, tamarin and woolly monkeys swung from the trees, and the local hosts brought frogs, worms and snakes to the station for identification. A plethora of hummingbirds grazed at feeders by day, only to be replaced by a spectrum of neotropical bats at night. And when skies were clear, the Milky Way could be seen stretching across the myriad constellations. Deeya Khambhaita experiences Wildsumaco Biological Station in the Napo Province of Ecuador with Prof. Travis Knowles (left) and fellow Francis Marion University students Justin Bartolon and Jameel Montgomery (far right). Wildsumaco Volcano can be seen in the background. But even sensory overload of this magnitude must occasionally give way to introspection. The single most important lesson I learned, said Deeya, was that I am more capable of things than I previously thought and that I should keep being open to new experiences. More: Word from the Smokies: DNA study yields new estimate of Smoky Mountain elk population Her favorite memory is of the students last night at the station. They had just taken their final exam and could finally let off some steam. The entire evening was spent laughing, cheering, dancing and just having good old fun, Deeya said. I realized that I spend too much time worrying about what will happen in the future and not enough time just being present with the people Im with. Ever since that night, Ive been striving to live in the present and take every moment in with gratitude. Deeya Khambhaita huddles with classmates at Ecuadors Chakana Reserve, near Antisana Volcano. At an altitude of 12,000 feet, the students were much higher and colder than they had been at Clingmans Dome, the highest point in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Deeya feels the course helped improve her note taking in the field as well as her ability to work with equipment such as spotting scopes. It also gave her new potential career choices to consider as she heads into her sophomore year. I can help animals more if I know more about their environment and what goes into maintaining it, she said. Even though I still have much to learn, I feel like this course put me on a better path to achieving my goal of working in conservation. Comparative TemperateTropical Ecology and Biogeography will be offered again in 2026 and is open to students from any university. Highlands Biological Station of Western Carolina University and Wildsumaco Biological Station of Francis Marion University are committed to the study and protection of biodiversity, and to research and education for students, faculty, and citizens of the United States, Ecuador, and the global community. To learn more or discuss opportunities to visit these stations, contact Jim Costa at costa@wcu.edu and Travis Knowles at tknowles@fmarion.edu. Frances Figart Frances Figart is the creative services director for the 29,000-member Smokies Life, a partner supporting Great Smoky Mountains National Park by providing educational products and services such as this column. For more information, visit SmokiesLife.org. This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Word from the Smokies: Students compare Smokies and tropical ecology The Worst Solar Storm in History and What It Would Do Today On the evening of Aug. 28, 1859, a telegraph in New York took on a life of its own. As its operator, J. C. Crosson, fought to transmit messages, the current fluctuated wildly. The battery that powered the machine was supposed to supply a steady direct current. Now, it was as though something else had gotten into the wires, at one moment draining them of all charge and at the next, overwhelming the circuitry with electricity. Bemused, Crosson threw open the doors to his office and saw a sky painted green and red. Streaks of light descended toward the horizon, lighting up the evening in ethereal shades. Crossons was not the only telegraph upset by the strange electromagnetic disturbances. Operators in France found their transmissions likewise overwhelmed by interference. When they tried to disconnect the devices from their batteries, sparks leapt out. In Montreal, it took operators five hours to transmit a 400-word report to the Associated Press. Telegraph workers in Kentucky gave up completely until the strange lights faded. A telegraph operator in Indonesia, circa 1927. Photo: Collective Wereldmuseum (v/h Tropenmuseum), part of the National Museum of World Cultures, CC BY-SA 3.0 A night as bright as day What Crosson saw was an aurora borealis unlike any recorded before or since. Great sheets of light like Greek fire blanketed the sky. An observer from Vermont wrote an almost Biblical description of the view: We were notified of a large fire behind the mountain at the north, and we went out to see it. Presently the red clouds began to disappear and spires of green shot up from the same placeThe sky for about an hour more kept changing from green to red, till ten and a half oclock, when all the brilliancy was gone, except a little green at the north. Hikers in the Rocky Mountains described light bright enough to read by. Some of the party insisted that it was daylight and began the preparation of breakfast, wrote one observer. The light continued until morning, varying in intensity in different parts of the heavens, and slowly changing position. We know now that the aurora is caused by solar winds carrying energetic particles, which flow along the Earths magnetic field lines and hit oxygen atoms in the atmosphere. This transfers energy to the oxygen, but it eventually returns to its default, less-energetic state, and emits light as it does so. Depending on the energy gaps involved, we see different colors. Red comes from the highest layers of the atmosphere and green from beneath it. Occasionally nitrogen can take the place of oxygen, producing blue light in the lower parts of the atmosphere. The aurora borealis in Norway. Photo: Frank Olsen The aurora borealis is common in the Arctic and occasionally visible at lower latitudes in times of high solar activity. During the 1859 solar storm, it was visible in the tropics. A newspaper in Hawaii reported that the view in the Honolulu sky was almost as if they had been standing in the Arctic. Astronomers to the rescue Amid all this chaos, two amateur astronomers had their telescopes trained on an apparently innocent astronomical bystander: the Sun. Richard Carrington and Richard Hodgson were hunting sunspots. Sunspots are highly magnetic regions of cooler material in the light-emitting solar region known as the photosphere. Against the bright background of the Sun, they appear as freckle-like shadows. During Carrington and Hodgsons separate observations on Sept. 1, two bright lights flared into existence, moved across the Suns surface in about five minutes, and faded. Judging by the size of the sunspots behind them, they had covered upwards of 56,000 kilometers during the observation. That implied a speed of about 190,000 meters per second. Carringtons drawing of the solar flare of Sept. 1, 1859. The dots labeled A and B represent the starting positions of the white spots he observed, and the dots labeled C and D represent the ending positions. Dark patches represent sun spots. Photo: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Astonished at what they had witnessed, Carrington and Hodgson both wrote to the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. They didnt know it, but they had just observed the solar flare that triggered the most energetic coronal mass ejection in history a show-stopping solar storm that had lit up the heavens with the aurora. Now that coronal mass ejection, a glob of energized particles, was traveling toward the Earth at breakneck speed. On Sept. 2, it hit the Earth. The living telegraph By 1859, 200,000 kilometers of telegraph lines covered the surface of the Earth. Governing everything from supply chains to military decisions to familial correspondence, the telegraph system held together a rapidly globalizing world. When the coronal mass ejection hit and triggered another powerful auroral storm, operators struggled to hold the system together. Before, the electrified air had interfered with the current produced by the telegraphs batteries, preventing operators from transmitting. Now telegraphs could send messages but not using their own power. Please cut off your battery entirely from the line for fifteen minutes, an operator in Boston transmitted to his colleague in Maine. Will do so. It is now disconnected. The Boston operator disconnected his battery as well. Now the only current powering his telegraph was flowing through the air because of the geomagnetic storm. How do you receive my writing? Better than with our batteries on, replied the Maine operator. Faced with such a strong variable current, many other operators abandoned their batteries in favor of this natural source of power. But it wasnt merely odd, it was dangerous. An operator in New York, struggling with the telegraphs electromagnet, accidentally walked into a wire grounding the system. A spark crackled between his forehead and the wire, and he reeled from the electric shock. In the 1850s, workers had to be prosaic. The operator, figuratively and literally stunned, worked through the rest of his shift. Horizontal force and declination of the geomagnetic storm on Sept. 2, 1859. Photo: British Geological Survey What is a solar storm? A coronal mass ejection. Photo: NASA/ESA The Sun doesnt rotate like the Earth. Instead of a static surface, where every point completes a rotation in the same amount of time, different parts of the surface revolve at different angular speeds. The material in the outer layers of the Sun (the parts emitting the light we see) constantly seethes, bubbles, and tears apart as magnetic field lines contort around each other. When energy builds up sufficiently high in the charged plasma, the magnetic field lines snap into a new configuration. The stored energy explodes with forces equaling billions of hydrogen bombs. Solar storms are bad news if the coronal mass ejections they produce hit sensitive electrical equipment because they carry charged particles with erratic electric and magnetic fields. But there are a lot of directions for coronal mass ejections to travel other than toward the Earth. Most of the time, were safe. Near misses Humans have been lucky. The solar flare of 1859, now known as the Carrington Event, hit when tamed electricity was in its infancy. Still, a NASA study estimated that losses totaled a minimum of 10 million of todays dollars. The only modern coronal mass ejection to match the power of the Carrington Event, in 2012, missed the Earth by nine days. The closest weve come to a modern equivalent was in 1972 when a series of flares followed by a high-speed coronal mass ejection hit the Earth. Shockwaves knocked some satellites out of the Earths magnetic field, which shields them from the most destructive of interplanetary particles. One satellite suffered two years of deterioration in two days. Another recorded lights in the Antarctic that did not exist. At least one U.S. military satellite lost all power and never returned to life. On the surface of the Earth, areas exposed to the Sun lost signal in the crucial high-frequency radio bandwidths that transmit communications. A series of geological features and pure happenstance protected most of North America from electrical blackouts, but areas of the Midwest lost power. Disturbingly, the solar storm triggered at least a dozen U.S. mines placed in the waters around Hon La, an island off the southern coast of Vietnam. Through sheer luck, no one was injured. Underwater mines exploded off the coast of Vietnam during Operation End Sweep, when the U.S. Navy removed the mines. Photo: U.S. Navy The Y2K of space physics Y2K, a prophesied breakdown in computing technology because of clocks switching from the second to the third millennium in the year 2000, had one blessing: a countdown. Solar storms are less predictable. Solar activity flows on an 11-year cycle with minima and maxima. We can guess when the most energetic events might occur, but we lack the concrete knowledge that most effectively drives government disaster funding. Unlike other threats from outer space such as massive asteroids, we dont even know the full effects of a severe solar storm. What we do know is that a particularly violent solar storm would impair or even dismantle GPS satellites. This would cause positioning errors that might be inconvenient to a driver on a back road but potentially deadly for airplanes or military technology. Blackouts could roll across Sun-facing regions, dismantling key infrastructure and forcing a reliance on generators. Radio communications might be unusable for days. Studies on the societal consequences of such an event are minimal. We can look to the past for hints, but global dependence on electromagnetic technologies has increased exponentially since the 1972 storm. Unlike many natural disasters, solar storms pose the greatest threat to highly developed regions with substantial infrastructure. This 2016 composite map of the Earths night lights shows regions of high electrical activity, those that would be most affected by a solar storm. 2016 composite map of the Earths night lights. Photo: NASA/EO The solar flare at the end of the tunnel Despite the unpredictability of space weather and its effects, scientists and disaster mitigation officials are doing what they can to prepare. Emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence offer improved forecasting of solar storms. The U.S. National Air and Space Administration has worked with the Department of Homeland Securitys Critical Infrastructure department to develop protocols for mitigating solar storm damage. As for the everyday person? The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recommends packing an emergency bag for solar storms just the way one would for a hurricane or tornado. Its just weather, after all. The post The Worst Solar Storm in History and What It Would Do Today appeared first on Explorersweb. UPDATE: The Tyler Police Department said that a woman injured in a Lake Tyler boat crash on Saturday has died. According to Tyler PD, Staci Sexton, 38 of Whitehouse, was taken to the hospital where she was in critical condition but later that same day she died. A GoFundMe has been set up by the Sexton family to help pay for Stacis funeral costs. TYLER, Texas (KETK) The Tyler Police Department has confirmed one person has died and two others were injured after two boats crashed at Lake Tyler on Saturday. 29-year-old woman killed in Jacksonville shooting According to Tyler PD, Tyler PD was contacted by the Texas Game Wardens at around 6 a.m. on Saturday morning to assist with responding to a boat crash. Photo courtesy of Smith County Emergency Services District #2. Photo courtesy of Smith County Emergency Services District #2. Photo courtesy of Smith County Emergency Services District #2. Photo courtesy of Smith County Emergency Services District #2. Their investigation found that a fishing boat with a man in it reportedly hit a flat bottom boat with two women and a man in it. One woman was reportedly unresponsive and has been taken to a local hospital, the other woman had non-life-threatening injuries and is being treated. Jacob Ray, 38 of Troup, was in the flat bottom boat and was originally reported as missing but was later found dead, according to Tyler PD. Rays family has been notified. The Texas Game Wardens are currently investigating the crash with the cooperation of the fishing boat driver. Smith County Emergency Services District #2 and Longview Fire Department Water Rescue also assisted in responding to 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 KETK.com | FOX51.com. PARK CITY, Ky. (FOX 56) One person has died and another was taken to the hospital after a rollover crash on I-65 in Barren County on Friday morning. According to the Kentucky State Police Department (KSP), Post 3 was dispatched around 7 a.m. on Friday in response to a rollover crash on I-65 in the area of mile marker 49. A preliminary investigation showed that a red 2015 Kia Sorento had been driving northbound on I-65, when it lost control and went off the left side of the interstate, according to KSP. Single mother dies in freak accident at Richmond Walmart When the vehicle went off the road, authorities said it overturned and crashed into a tree. Troopers said that a passenger in the back seat was killed in the crash and pronounced dead at the scene by the Barren County Coroners Office. Another passenger in the car was taken to T.J. Sampson Hospital in Glasgow for treatment of their injuries. Law enforcement said the investigation of the crash 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 FOX 56 News. A 12-year-old boy died from injuries he sustained in a house fire early Saturday morning, the Independence Fire Department said. Firefighters were dispatched just after 3 a.m. to a reported house fire with a person still inside the home. Crews were met with heavy smoke at the home as they began a search for the person still inside. Firefighters eventually pulled a 12-year-old boy out of the residence and immediately began resuscitation efforts. The boy was transported by ambulance to a hospital where he was later pronounced dead. As of Saturday morning, authorities have not released the childs identity. The fire was quickly extinguished, IFD said in a release, and is currently under investigation by the IFD Fire Investigation Unit and the State Fire Marshals office. No other information was immediately available. KANSAS CITY, Mo. Investigations are underway after a 12-year-old boy was killed in a house fire early Saturday morning in Independence, Mo. According to IFD, crews were dispatched at about 3:05 a.m. to a home near the 1300 block of East Salisbury Road on reports of a house fire and a male possibly still inside. KC woman who stole over $60,000 in merchandise sentenced in Platte Co. Upon arrival, units saw smoke coming out of the front door. They quickly entered the home, found a young boy, and immediately started performing resuscitation efforts. IFD said the fire was quickly extinguished and the boy was taken to a hospital. Shortly after, he was pronounced dead. The cause of the fatal fire is currently under investigation by the IFD Fire Investigation Unit and the State Fire Marshals 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 FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) Nearly 140 propspective doctors will go through a rite of passage at Texas Tech Health El paso this weekend. One hundred and thirty-five incoming medical students will be going through the 16th annual Foster School of Medicine White Coat ceremony on Saturday, Aug. 17. The white coat symbolizes the cloak of compassion, reminding each student of the importance of compassionate, collaborative and scientifically excellent patient care during their careers, according to a Texas Tech news release. The White Coat ceremony will be 9 a.m. Saturday at the Starlight Event Center, 6650 Continental Dr. The class of 2028, with 135 students, is the largest since the medical school was founded, according to Texas Tech. The Foster School of Medicines first white coat ceremony took place on Aug. 1, 2009, shortly after the school admitted its inaugural class. Four years later, on May 18, 2013, the school became part of the newly established Texas Tech Health El Paso. Texas Tech Health El Paso has graduated over 2,400 doctors, nurses and researchers over the past decade, and will add dentists to its alumni beginning in 2025, Texas Tech said. For more information, visit ttuhscepimpact.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 KTSM 9 News. 16-month-old girl killed, 2 siblings injured after father abducts them and crashes vehicle, police say 16-month-old girl killed, 2 siblings injured after father abducts them and crashes vehicle, police say A 16-month-old girl was killed after her father allegedly abducted her and her two siblings, fled from police and crashed on a Maryland interstate on Wednesday, authorities said. The girl was identified by the Virginia State Police as Zariyah Plummer. Her siblings were injured in the crash and taken to the hospital. The incident began when Virginia Beach police received a call about a stabbing on Jay Are Court, a news release states. Officers found a woman and juvenile suffering from multiple stab wounds. They were hospitalized in stable condition. Police said the incident was domestic-related and identified the suspect as Dana Plummer, 36, of Virginia Beach. Authorities said he stabbed the two people before abducting his three children and fleeing the scene. Warrants were issued for Plummer and an Amber Alert was sent out by the Virginia State Police for the missing children. Just before 9 a.m. on Thursday, authorities were contacted by a citizen who recognized the vehicle from the Amber Alert. State police attempted a traffic stop on Interstate 95 in Fairfax County, Virginia. Plummer allegedly refused to stop and crashed into two other vehicles, causing his SUV to flip over, the Maryland State Police said. The occupants in other vehicles were not injured. Plummer was hospitalized after the crash. He was charged with aggravated malicious wounding, parental abduction, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and domestic assault, Virginia Beach police said. Charges in Maryland are pending. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com ZAGREB, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- For the past two days, firefighters have been battling fires in Sibenik, Zadar and Split, three major cities in Croatia, and some of the fires are still active, the Croatian Fire Association (HVZ) said in a statement on Saturday. The fire that broke out in Sibenik on Friday afternoon is still active, and it is a fire of low vegetation, maquis and pine forest on an area of about 290 hectares, the statement said, adding that an extraordinary deployment from the Zagreb County with 30 firefighters and 10 fire engines arrived at the fire scene early Saturday morning to help firefighters there. While in Split, three separate fires were reported, and they were fires of grass and low vegetation, the statement said, noting that two of them have now been extinguished. In Zadar County, firefighters are still on duty at the fire site in the Rodaljice-Benkovac area, which was localized on Friday night. The fire broke out on Friday, and it is a fire of grass, low vegetation and maquis. The lingering heat wave has been the main reason for the wildfires across the country since this summer. UPDATE 10:28 p.m. WRBL has received a statement from AT&T regarding the 17,000 Communication Workers of America workers who have gone on strike. A spokesperson with AT&T said, CWAs claims of unfair labor practices are not grounded in fact. We have been engaged in substantive bargaining since day 1 and are eager to reach an agreement that benefits our hard-working employees. As evidence, we have reached 3 agreements with CWA this year covering more than 13,000 employees, most recently a Tentative Agreement with District 9 (California and Nevada). We remain committed to working with District 3 (Southeast) in the same manner. AT&T also expressed disappointment in union leaders who called the strike adding, rather than directing their energies toward constructive discussions at the bargaining table. This action needlessly jeopardizes the wages and well-being of our employees. The spokesperson also said various measures are in place to avoid disruptions to service during the strike. (WRBL) The Communications Workers of America announced 17,000 AT&T Southeast employees went on strike Friday afternoon. According to the CWA, the 17,000 workers will be made up of technicians, customer service representatives and others who install, maintain, and support AT&Ts residential and business wireline telecommunications network. These workers span across Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. The strike comes after CWA says it filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board against AT&T. CWA says the charge stems from AT&T not bargaining in good faith, engaging in surface bargaining, and not sending representatives to the bargaining table with the authority to make decisions. The charge also addresses what CWA is calling the companys refusal to bargain over mandatory subjects of bargaining and reneging on agreements made in bargaining. Our members want to be on the job, providing the quality service that our customers deserve, CWA District 3 Vice President Richard Honeycutt, said in a statement on Friday. Its time for AT&T to start negotiating in good faith so that we can move forward towards a fair contract. WRBL reached out to AT&T and a representative said they were unable to provide an update on the situation at this time. Beth Allen, Communications Director for CWA says it is unknown how long the strike is expected to last or when negotiations will begin 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 WRBL. DOTHAN, Ala. (WDHN) A 17-year-old teenage boy is behind bars after police say he opened fire at Solomon Park on Friday night because a girl didnt give him her phone number. Police say witnesses and the suspect, a 17-year-old male, told police that the suspect was angry at the target of the shooting because she had not given him her phone number at school earlier in the day. At Solomon Park, the suspect saw the victim with her boyfriend and shot multiple times at them with a handgun. No one was injured in the shooting and the suspect was arrested following a traffic stop. At the scene, police say they found bullets in the park proving a firearm had been discharged. The Dothan Police Department takes this type of conduct very seriously and will hold any person engaging in this type of conduct accountable according to the law. It is a miracle that no one was injured or killed by the actions of this suspect. Lt. Scott Owens, Dothan Police Department The 17-year-old is charged with two counts of First-Degree Attempted Assault and is being held in the Houston County Jail. Under Alabama law, officers cant make the juvenile suspects name public, even though he is charged as an adult. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) Two people were arrested earlier this week in connection with a Coleman pawn shop burglary in June. Stephanie Dannette Fitzgerald, 42, of Graham, Texas was arrested on Aug. 14, in Young County for alleged involvement in the burglary of RMC Pawn Shop in Coleman. According to a social media post shared by the Coleman Police Department, the burglary, which occurred in the early hours of June 22, was reportedly carried out with the assistance of Cody Jacob Gardner, 25, of Newcastle, Texas. Fitzgerald, who is currently held at Coleman County Jail on a $15,000 bond, faces charges similar to those of Gardner. Coleman PD arrest suspects in storage unit burglaries Gardner was apprehended on June 28 and is being detained in Young 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 ConchoValleyHomepage.com. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) Two El Paso pecan farmers gained statewide honors for their crops during a statewide competition. El Paso County farmers Kevin Ivey and Jim Montes both gained top honors at the recent 2024 Texas State Pecan Show which was held on July 14 in San Marcos. The event is put on by the Texas Pecan Growers Association to recognize the best pecans grown in 2023 across the state. Ivey took home top honors in the Commercial Pecan division, by placing first in both the Western and Wichita categories. His success underscores the high quality of pecans being cultivated in the region and highlights the hard work and commitment of local farmers to their craft, stated a news release sent out by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. Jim Montes took home top honors in the classic and new division, placing first in the San Saba Improved and Barton categories and earning second place in the Apache category. The Texas State Pecan Show is highly competitive, with 187 entries divided into 42 variety classes judged by Dr. Warren Chatwin and Mr. Braden Tondre from the USDA-ARS Pecan Breeding & Genetics Program in College Station, Texas, the Extension Service said. This year, 75 entities, including individual growers and commercial farms, representing 32 Texas counties, competed after previously placing at their respective regional competitions. Jim Montes and Kevin Iveys achievements at the Texas State Pecan Show exemplify the excellence in pecan farming in El Paso County. Their success serves as an inspiration to their fellow growers and reinforces the regions reputation for producing some of the finest pecans in the state, the Extension Service 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. 2 Italian journalists who filmed a report from Russia's Kursk Oblast to return to Italy after Russia's threats Two Italian journalists whose news report about Ukraine-controlled areas in Russias Kursk Oblast angered the Russian authorities will return to Italy following threats from Russia. Source: Radiotelevisione italiana (Rai), Italys national public broadcasting company, as reported by European Pravda Details: On Friday, 16 August, the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the Italian ambassador with regard to what Russia claims to be an "illegal border crossing" by a group of Rai journalists. Rai said that they decided to "order journalist Stefania Battistini and cameraman Simone Traini to temporarily return to Italy, in part to ensure their personal safety". Baza, a Russian Telegram channel with sources in the Russian law enforcement, reported that the Russian Internal Ministry is planning to open criminal cases against the two Rai journalists. Earlier this week, Battistini and Traini reported on the Ukrainian Armed Forces offensive in Russias Kursk Oblast. They likely were the first foreign journalists to obtain permission to go there. Battistini and Traini are set to fly back to Milan on Sunday, 18 August. The Italian Foreign Ministry said its ambassador to Russia, Cecilia Piccioni, explained to the Russian government that Rai and its newsteams operated independently and autonomously. "Journalism isnt a crime. The possibility that Moscow authorities will put Stefania Battistini and Simone Traini on trial is unacceptable. Journalistic activities are not carried out with prior authorization," a joint statement by the Rai Usigrai trade union and the Italian National Press Federation (FNSI) reads. This is not the first instance of Russia detaining foreign journalists and deporting them when Russian agents are caught abroad. Support UP or become our patron! Speeding driver crashes into Marietta police car at red light, sends self, officers to hospital Two Marietta police officers and another driver are injured after the driver smashed into the officers police cruiser, the department told Channel 2 Action News. Officials say an MPD vehicle was hit by a Mustang as the two officers were in a marked car responding to an alarm call near the Big Chicken on Cobb Parkway around 10:15 p.m. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Police say the 60-year-old driver was speeding down Cobb Parkway and approaching a red light where the marked Marietta police Ford Explorer was nearly stopped. The crash sent the Mustang spinning and it crashed into another car, a Toyota Prius being driven by a 60-year-old. The driver of the Mustang was thrown out of the car. TRENDING STORIES: Officers Morrison and Sherman had to be pulled from the car because of the damage to the patrol vehicle. Both officers and the Mustang driver were taken to the hospital with serious, but non-life-threatening injuries. The officers have been released from the hospital, but the driver is still hospitalized. There is no word on the condition of the Prius driver. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: 2 men charged in Ohio Township homicide behind bars for separate recent crime sprees Two men arrested this week for separate crime sprees in Washington and Allegheny Counties, Emmanuel Houghton and Tyler Stewart, are now charged with the murder of 18-year-old Jordan Geiger. Geiger was found in a crashed car with a single gunshot wound under his arm near the intersection of Gass Road and Ben Avon Heights Road in Ohio Township on Aug. 2. >> Shooting that killed recent high school graduate in Ohio Township was targeted, police say His mom, Suzan Ross, spoke to Channel 11 last week. He loved everybody, she said. He was so kind and caring. He has the biggest heart anybody can have. He wouldnt hurt a fly. He was like a gentle giant. >> Man dead after Ohio Township crash also suffered gunshot wound, police say Allegheny County Police say Geiger met up with Houghton and Stewart on August 2 in the Giant Eagle parking lot off Ben Avon Heights Road to sell Houghton a tan Glock handgun. >> Detectives trying to piece details together after teen shot, killed in Ohio Township Investigators say Houghton and Stewart both arrived in stolen cars before Stewart got out of his and into Houghtons and they approached Geigers car together. Stewart told police that Geiger handed Houghton the gun, Houghton told him, Youre burnt, and then a fight ensued. Police paperwork reveals Stewart told investigators he heard Houghton fire one shot before driving off. Houghton is the same man who eventually surrendered to police in Monongahela, Washington County on Wednesday night after a lengthy standoff. >> Man charged after firing shots at officer, hours-long SWAT situation in Monongahela, police say He allegedly also fired several shots at a police cruiser earlier that day. Houghton even live-streamed part of the standoff on Facebook showing off his guns, including what appears to be the tan Glock handgun that belonged to Geiger. Houghton is also charged with stealing a car with his uncle from in front of a familys home in Pittsburghs Mt. Washington neighborhood last month. Stewart was caught on camera leading Pittsburgh police and Allegheny County Sheriffs deputies on a chase before crashing into a car on Banksville Road in Pittsburghs Banksville neighborhood Wednesday night. Police say he was driving a stolen Jeep Cherokee. Stewart then allegedly tried to carjack an elderly couple before being chased down and tackled by good Samaritans. >> Man leads sheriffs deputy on chase, attempts to carjack elderly man in Pittsburgh, authorities say Inside the stolen car he was driving, police found two guns and six sets of car keys, which now seem likely to belong to stolen vehicles. Houghton is at the Washington County Jail and Stewart is at the Allegheny County Jail. Both were already being held without bail for their prior charges. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: Man killed in ATV crash in Washington County Crane Avenue closed after drump truck hits railroad bridge near Route 51 in Beechview Scott Bloomquist, star of the dirt track, dies in plane crash VIDEO: Local nonprofit looking to build new, affordable homes in Monessen DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts WASHINGTON If Donald Trump wins in November, hundreds of people in prison for rioting at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, could be set free before their sentences are up. The former president has repeatedly said he would consider pardoning his supporters for their actions that day, and at least some of them have taken the idea to heart. On Monday, hours after he had been sentenced to 20 years in prison for violently assaulting police with a flagpole and other makeshift weapons at the Capitol, David Dempsey had a message for the antifa types he imagined cheering his punishment. Dont celebrate too hard, man, because that sentence is only gonna last like six months, Dempsey said, speaking via phone from inside the D.C. Jail to a small group of Trump supporters that keeps a nightly vigil outside. And then were going to have four years of dragging our nuts across your forehead, Dempsey said, because Donald Trump is gonna win. Nearly 1,500 people have been charged with crimes for their actions at the Capitol, where they had marched, with Trumps encouragement, to disrupt by physical force the congressional certification of Trumps loss in the 2020 election. Almost all of the criminal defendants have been charged with entering restricted grounds and more than 500 with assaulting or interfering with police, according to the Justice Department. Nearly 900 people have pleaded guilty to various crimes while 186 were found guilty at contested trials. More than 560 have been sentenced to prison. How many might get out early if Trump wins? The former president said last year in May he would likely pardon a large portion of his mob, but not all of them. I cant say for every single one, because a couple of them, probably they got out of control, he said. Last fall, Trump said he would appoint a task force to rapidly review the cases of every political prisoner whos been unjustly persecuted by the Biden administration. This year he said would consider clemency for everybody but would be selective about who ultimately gets a pardon or a commuted prison sentence, offering vague criteria. If somebody was evil and bad, I would look at that differently, Trump told Time magazine in April. But many of those people went in, many of those people were ushered in. You see it on tape, the police are ushering them in. Theyre walking with the police. Rioters first entered the Capitol by smashing through a window, and they fought police at several other access points. Pressed by ABC News Rachel Scott earlier this month on whether he would pardon rioters who fought police, Trump said he was open to it. If theyre innocent, I would pardon them, Trump said. Rioters standing on a police vehicle outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Kent Nishimura via Getty Images There have been plenty of controversial pardons in American history, including mass pardons of of unpopular groups, but never before has a presidential candidate campaigned partly on bailing out hundreds of his own criminally convicted supporters, said Barbara Perry, the Gerald L. Baliles Professor in Presidential Studies at the University of Virginias Miller Center. Youre always going to upset some people if a president decides to commute a sentence or pardon someone or grant amnesty, Perry said. But this one, to me, seems especially difficult because of what these people were doing to the institution of the Congress of the United States while it was engaged in its constitutional duty of confirming the presidential election. The closest historical parallel, Perry said, is likely Jimmy Carters campaign promise to pardon hundreds of thousands of draft dodgers, a pledge he fulfilled on his first full day as president in January 1977. The Vietnam War had been over for three years and Carter, a Democrat, said the mass pardon was needed to heal our country even though he expected a majority of Americans to disapprove. Im not sure Jimmy Carter was trying to get votes of men who had raced off to Canada, Perry said. Particularly given his religious background as a born-again Christian, I think he saw this as a forgiveness model he was working with. Trump granted clemency to 237 people during his first term in office, often bypassing the Office of the Pardon Attorney in order to pardon or commute sentences of his personal political allies, many of whom had been convicted of fraud or public corruption. As Trump and other Republicans have sought to downplay the riot, such as by suggesting it was orchestrated by shadowy government agents, the rioters and their families have become a key constituency. The highest-profile advocates for Jan. 6 defendants known to Trump and many other Republicans as hostages or political prisoners are relatives like Nicole Reffitt, whose husband Guy Reffitt was sentenced to seven years for leading a charge into the Capitol grounds, and Micki Witthoeft, the mother of Ashli Babbitt, who was shot as she tried to climb through a doorway inside the building. For the past three years the jail has held a few dozen Jan. 6 offenders at a time, typically ones awaiting trial or a post-sentencing assignment to federal prison. There were 28 Capitol rioters there as of Friday, according to D.C.s federal prosecutor. Nicole Reffitt, Witthoeft and others have led the vigil outside DC Jail, now in its third year of continuous nightly activity. On a typical evening, one or more inmates might call Nicole Reffitts mobile and shell then hold it up to a microphone connected to a small speaker. They chat about news of the day, the progress of their cases, then sing the national anthem before closing things out with a group singalong of Lee Greenwoods God Bless the USA. A woman waves a flag at a vigil for January 6th defendants outside the DC jail in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 3. Bundled against the winter cold, a dozen people outside Washington's jail pray, sing and shout their support for inmates held over the violent attack on the Capitol three years ago that sought to overturn Donald Trump's election defeat. ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS via Getty Images Trump himself has called in to the vigil and even collaborated on an audio track that combined the inmates, doing business as The J6 Prison Choir, singing the Star-Spangled Banner with Trump reciting the pledge of allegiance. Not everyone loves the idea of a blanket pardon. Nicole Reffitt believes her husband was overcharged and deserves less prison time than he got, but not that he deserves no prison time at all. We are good with some things that he was charged with, because he did do those things. He did trespass, she told HuffPost. But bad actors will get away with a lot of bad stuff if they just come through and, say, commuted or pardoned them. And a lot of Jan. 6ers really want that, but there were things that happened that day, and people should be held accountable for their actions. Prosecutors said Guy Reffitt recruited others to come to Washington and instigated violence while wearing body armor and carrying a handgun. But he didnt enter the Capitol building himself or attack police officers, despite encouraging others to do so. (His sentence could be reduced even without a pardon because the Supreme Court said prosecutors overreached in their interpretation of an obstruction statute that was used against Guy Reffitt and 258 others, including Trump himself.) Nicole Reffitt said she wished whoever wins in November would consider reviewing the Jan. 6 prosecutions. I hope whoever gets in wants to do that, she said. I dont think that would be the case, but that would be my wish, that our savior is not Donald Trump. Prosecutors described Dempsey as political violence personified. His 20-year sentence is the longest any rioter has received. In federal court on Monday, Dempsey apologized to police for his actions. You were performing your duties, and I responded with hostility and violence, he said. Later that evening, when he called in to the vigil, he was unrepentant, describing an FBI agent as a bitch-ass coward for not looking him in the eyes during his sentencing. He also seemed to acknowledge the possibility he wouldnt get a pardon. None of that shit matters. The point is, my kid isnt going to stop loving me, my family is still going to support me, he said, before an automated voice warned him his jailhouse phone call only had a minute left. Nov. 5, please make sure you get your asses out there and go vote for the greatest president weve ever had in this country, Donald J. Trump. Founded in 1959, Iowa-based Casey's General Stores (NASDAQ: CASY) has steadily expanded through the Midwest to become the third-largest convenience chain by store count in the United States. While this size alone makes Casey's a major player in the convenience store (c-store) industry, it is the company's beloved pizza that sets it apart from the crowd. As the fifth-largest pizza chain by number of kitchens in the U.S., Casey's often acts as the de facto centerpiece eatery of many small communities throughout the Midwest. With roughly half of its stores located in towns of less than 5,000 people, the company's pizza is the top, if not only, option for customers looking to pick up dinner after work or for football games on the weekend. Powered by its beloved status across the rural communities it serves throughout the Midwest, Casey's has delivered a total return of 4,290% since 2000, rocketing past the S&P 500's mark of 487%. Despite becoming a 43-bagger in just under 25 years, Casey's General Stores should still have plenty of gas left in the tank for investors. Here's what makes the company a stellar "forever" investment, especially following its recent acquisition. Casey's General Stores: A Midwest staple with growth ambitions Despite adding 984 new units to its 2,900 store total over the last decade, Casey's growth could still be in its early innings. First, roughly 75% of the towns (with a population of less than 20,000) that reside within reach of the company's distribution centers do not yet have a Casey's General Store. Though we can't expect the company to completely inundate its operations in every one of these open areas, the figure nonetheless highlights the remaining growth runway available within Casey's existing footprint. Second, on the profitability growth side of things, the company has a number of forces working in its favor that could bring about higher margins over the long haul. One tailwind is Casey's impressive rewards platform of over 8 million members. Visiting the stores 15% more often while spending 13% more on each transaction compared to guests, these loyal members create a stickier base of sales for the company to count upon in any economic environment. Another tailwind for Casey's profitability comes from its rapidly growing private label operations, which accounted for 9% of inside sales as of the most recent quarter. These 300-plus private label products not only bring higher margins than branded items but pair nicely with Casey's rewards ecosystem as the company can steer customers toward its in-house items. Story continues Last but not least, however, Casey's most powerful growth lever remaining could be its continued geographic expansion, whether through building new stores or leaning upon its newly formed mergers and acquisitions (M&A) team. Recently spending a hefty $1.1 billion to acquire Fikes Wholesale and its 198 CEFCO c-stores across the southern U.S., management may be tipping its hand regarding its long-term expansion plans. Image source: Getty Images. Why Casey's $1.1 billion acquisition fits its long-term growth strategy Having already acquired 182 new stores in 2022, Casey's had previously been tiptoeing further south. However, the CEFCO buyout acts as more of a "launch full-speed ahead" into the region. Bringing in 148 new stores in Texas, along with 27 in Florida, 13 in Alabama, and 10 in Mississippi, the company is set to grow its store count by 7% from this transaction alone. What makes this acquisition so appealing to investors is that Casey's doesn't merely absorb these businesses and move on. Rather, it rebrands them, brings them into the company's distribution network, and retrofits them with a pizza kitchen, which has historically led to recently acquired stocks seeing their food sales spike. Following their remodel, new stores from M&A typically see a 70% increase in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) by their fourth year of integration. With Casey's generating a prepared food margin of 59%, compared to CEFCO's margin of 31%, it is likely that history will repeat itself as the company plans to put kitchens in 85% of the newly remodeled CEFCO stores. After accounting for expected tax benefits and EBITDA synergies, management estimates that it will only have paid 7 times EBITDA for the CEFCO c-stores, which would be a steal. Should investors go all-in on Casey's stock today? With management guiding for 8% to 10% EBITDA growth annually through 2026, Casey's recently elevated EV-to-EBITDA ratio of 14 may not feel like a massive bargain. CASY EV to EBITDA Chart However, management is also guiding to generate $1.25 billion in free cash flow (FCF) by 2026 -- even as it expects to add 150 more stores. Should Casey's reach this FCF goal (and it has done a good job of living up to similar goals in the past) it's current enterprise value would be just 12 times this figure -- which is a deep discount to the market's averages. In addition to this potentially cheap valuation, Casey's is almost halfway home to becoming a Dividend King with 24 consecutive years of dividend increases. While the company's dividend yield is only 0.5%, these payouts use just 13% of Casey's net income, leaving ample room for continued increases. Ultimately, Casey's combination of steady operations, consistent growth, and a recently heightened but fair valuation make it a perfect candidate for dollar-cost averaging buys over time. Should you invest $1,000 in Casey's General Stores right now? Before you buy stock in Casey's General Stores, 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 Casey's General Stores 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 $763,374!* 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 Josh Kohn-Lindquist has positions in Casey's General Stores. The Motley Fool recommends Casey's General Stores. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 1 Unstoppable Multibagger Up 4,290% Since 2000 to Buy and Hold Forever Following its $1.1 Billion Acquisition was originally published by The Motley Fool 29-year-old killed in shooting near The Banks, police say A man was killed in a shooting near The Banks Friday night, according to Cincinnati police. Central Business District officers were dispatched at approximately 10:45 p.m. to the 100 block of Elm Street, near the Andrew J. Brady Music Center, for the report of a person shot. When officers arrived, they located 29-year-old John Blanks III suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. More: 17-year-old killed in overnight shooting near The Banks, police say How dangerous is Cincinnati? 3 main takeaways from police's 2024 mid-summer crime report Cincinnati fire personnel preformed life-saving measures, but they determined Blanks had succumbed to his injuries. Police have not released any information regarding a suspect as of Saturday morning. The investigation into this shooting is ongoing. Anyone with information about this homicide is asked to call the Cincinnati Police Department's Homicide Unit at 513-352-3542. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Man dies in shooting at The Banks in Cincinnati DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) Officers are responding to a reported shooting in Dayton Saturday. Dayton police responded to a shots fired call in the area of Whitmore Avenue and Kammer Avenue around 10 a.m. Firefighters responding to residential home in Dayton According to Montgomery County Regional Dispatch, officers found at least three shooting victims, but it is currently unclear if additional people were injured. Dispatch also told 2 NEWS that a notice was sent out to local hospitals, alerting them to notify authorities if anyone comes in with a gunshot wound. No suspects are yet in custody. 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 WDTN.com. 3 Lexington drug dealers were sentenced to prison. 1 was connected to a fatal overdose Authorities in Lexington County have sentenced multiple people to prison after investigators found them dealing narcotics. The dangers of illegal narcotics, such as fentanyl and methamphetamine, continue to pose a grave risk to members of our community, especially young people who may not realize that a counterfeit pill contains a lethal dose of fentanyl, Eleventh Circuit Solicitor Rick Hubbard said in a news release. We are grateful to narcotics investigators for their efforts to rid Lexington County of these illegal substances, Hubbard said. Jakob Regan Dator, 21, pleaded guilty to trafficking fentanyl on July 23 and was sentenced to 20 years in the South Carolina Department of Corrections by Circuit Court Judge Milton G. Kimpson. Under state law, he will not be eligible for parole. The Lexington County Multi-Agency Narcotics Enforcement Team (NET) began investigating the sale of fentanyl in 2023 following several drug overdoses, at least one of which was fatal. They found Dator was dealing fentanyl, a highly lethal substance, in the form of pressed pills counterfeit pills with the pharmaceutical markings of Oxycodone. NET agents conducted an undercover purchase from Dator in July 2023. Agents then made a traffic stop and found that Dator had over 500 pills in his car. Testing confirmed the pills to be fentanyl. Dator had previous convictions for robbery and criminal conspiracy. Also convicted was Christina Lindemuth, 52, who pleaded guilty to trafficking methamphetamine on July 26. Lindemuth was sentenced to 19 years in prison by Circuit Court Judge Walton J. McLeod IV. Under state law, she will not be eligible for parole. Law enforcement was made aware of drugs and paraphernalia located in a West Columbia hotel room after check-out time in June 2022. Lindemuth attempted to enter the room while carrying a safe. After obtaining a search warrant for the room and safe, investigators with the Lexington County Sheriffs Department found more than 200 gram of methamphetamine inside the safe. A third person, Bradford Scott Price, 39, pleaded guilty to trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl, and was sentenced to 9 years in prison by McLeod. He too, will not by eligible for parole under state law. In the fall of 2023, law enforcement, including the West Columbia Police Department, started a narcotics investigation with several controlled buys from Price at a residence in West Columbia. In November 2023, officers discovered over 35 grams of methamphetamine and over 8 grams of fentanyl with a search warrant. Price, who has faced numerous convictions for drug offenses and property crimes, was on probation at the time of his arrest. Dator, Lindemuth, and Price were taken to the S.C. Department of Corrections to begin their sentences, according to a news release. The 11th Circuit Solicitors Office and the Lexington County NET team will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute those who choose to pour drugs into our community, Assistant Solicitor Jordan Cox said in a news release. Three teens have been arrested after crashing a vehicle into a smoke shop in Hudson. According to Hudson police, around 3:30 a.m. on Saturday, officers responded to a burglar alarm activation at the DAB Smoke Shop, located at 234 Washington St. Upon arrival, officers found the front entrance of the store smashed. An on-scene investigation indicated that a vehicle had likely backed into the entrance. Officers said the suspects had fled the scene, and police notified area police departments to be on the lookout for a vehicle likely to have damage consistent with crashing through a storefront entrance. Shortly after, the Marlborough Police Department said they saw a vehicle with damage consistent with what was reported. The vehicle was stopped by a Marlborough officer and a Massachusetts State Trooper in the area. After an investigation, police arrested three juveniles, a 15-year-old from Boston, a 16-year-old from Quincy, and a 17-year-old from Danvers. Officers also located merchandise allegedly stolen from the DAB Smoke Shop. Two suspects were held on bail, and the third was released to their legal guardians. They will be arraigned in the coming days at Framingham Juvenile Court. This is an example of strong police work, and it should send a message that break-ins and burglaries at our local businesses will not be tolerated, Chief DiPersio said. We have tremendous relationships with our neighboring agencies, and that teamwork was on full display early Saturday morning, resulting in the arrests of three juveniles in this audacious and brazen criminal act. 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 SAN DIEGO (Border Report) Four intersections in the city of Tijuana are among Mexicos 50-most dangerous intersections, according to Mexico City-based public safety watch dog Strategy Mission Zero. The group surveyed street crossings in Mexicos biggest cities and determined four intersections in Tijuana are among the countrys most perilous. The survey was based on the total number of crashes and deaths per capita involving people in the crashes. The area where Avenida Aldrete and Avenida Negrete intersect in downtown Tijuana was described as the most dangerous in the city. Disgruntled teachers shut down northbound traffic lanes at San Ysidro Port of Entry The same study showed crashes at this intersection were up by 71.2% from just six years ago and most were speed-related. Ivonne Hernandez, of Strategy Mission Zero, reports the number of deaths resulting from traffic crashes in Mexico was 3.4 per every 100,000 residents in 2023, while the number in Tijuana was higher at 4.3 fatalities per 100,000 inhabitants. These are lessons, she said. Most of these result in legal proceedings and other consequences, not to mention the negative impacts on families. Visit the BorderReport.com homepage for the latest exclusive stories and breaking news about issues along the U.S.-Mexico border She also said Tijuana, on average, has an insufficient number of police units patrolling the city failing to crack down on speeders. Speed kills whether youre on an electric cycle on the sidewalk or in a car on the street, she said. Were always in a hurry to get somewhere, too much roadway violence is going on. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. 70-year-old arrested after possible road rage shooting in Roxborough Park DENVER (KDVR) A man from Littleton was arrested Thursday night after a possible road rage shooting in the Roxborough Park neighborhood. Deputies with the Douglas County Sheriffs Office responded to a report of a shooting in the 8300 block of North Rampart Range Road. This embedded content is not available in your region. The sheriffs office said deputies learned that the suspect and victims were involved in a possible road rage incident that led to the suspect shooting at the victims car. Heroic dog who alerted family in Morrison house fire found dead days later The suspect, identified as a 70-year-old man from Littleton, was found at his residence and was taken into custody. A 70-year-old man from Littleton was arrested on the night of Thursday, Aug. 15 after a possible road rage shooting in the Roxborough Park neighborhood. (Douglas County Sheriffs Office) A 70-year-old man from Littleton was arrested on the night of Thursday, Aug. 15 after a possible road rage shooting in the Roxborough Park neighborhood. (Douglas County Sheriffs Office) A 70-year-old man from Littleton was arrested on the night of Thursday, Aug. 15 after a possible road rage shooting in the Roxborough Park neighborhood. (Douglas County Sheriffs Office) Thanks to the quick response of our deputies, a dangerous situation was swiftly brought under control. The arrest of the suspect who fired at a vehicle during a road rage incident ensures that our community remains safe. We will not tolerate such reckless and life-threatening behavior on our roads, Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly said. The suspect was taken to the Douglas County Detention Facility and faces multiple charges including criminal attempted murder, felony menacing, illegal discharge of a weapon, criminal mischief, reckless endangerment and prohibited use of a weapon. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. The Iowa National Guard assisted in the special presentation of the Silver De Fleury Medal to 99-year-old World War II Veteran Henry Langrehr. The presentation of the de Fleury was Sunday, Aug. 18, at 224 Brigade Engineer Battalion in Davenport. Our Quad Cities News Director Eric Olsen and 99-year-old World War II Veteran Henry Langrehr (OurQuadCities.com) The de Fleury Medal is the highest award for professional excellence in the Engineer Regiment. There are four orders of the medal Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Steel. The de Fleury Medal honors and recognizes those individuals who have provided significant contributions to Army Engineering. The medal also emphasizes the history, customs, and traditions of the Corps of Engineers community. An incredible military history During WWII, Langrehr was among a stick of 18 paratroopers flying in broken formation of hundreds of cargo planes into a deadly hail of German anti-aircraft fire. On his aircraft, he was one of six paratroopers who survived the flight and the jump into Ste Mere Eglise, several miles from their intended drop zone. He crashed through the roof of a greenhouse, gathered his wits and equipment, and regained contact with other paratroopers to begin their attack on anything German. He survived capture and internment as a POW, escaped to return to combat, and at wars end, eventually returned to his hometown of Clinton, Iowa to marry his high school sweetheart, start a family, and start a small business. Langrehrs conspicuous service as a combat engineer and paratrooper exemplify the greatest traditions, capabilities, and values of the 82nd Airborne Division, the Corps of Engineers, and the United States Army. The De Fluery Medal-Silver level is recommended to recognize his personal contributions to allied victory and his selfless service to our nation. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. 'You have to adapt': New study reveals Gen Z dating preferences in Arizona When it comes to the dating scene in the current climate of meeting new people through designated apps and "swiping right," Mesa resident Joshua Senitza, 26, calls the digital experience "not desirable." "I feel like it's a risk," Senitza said. "It kind of feels like you're playing 20 Questions." For many Generation Z daters like Senitza, who recalled his own familiarity with dating apps, forming relationships online has become the "new normal," a recent study from Forbes suggests. In a national survey conducted by DatingNews, a company that researches the logistics of the dating industry, nearly the entire generation of adults born between 1997 and 2012 are "tired" of using dating apps, citing "emotional burnout" and "too many choices" as among the leading reasons of ditching popular dating apps such as Hinge, Bumble, and Tinder when looking for a potential match. For Gen Z residents of the Valley, where Tinder is the most popular dating app in 2024, app exhaustion affects the entire generation, with over 30% of adults in this age group experiencing emotional and mental distress due to online dating, according to the study. With 42% of Tinder's Arizona users in the Gen Z age range and a platform audience exceeding 31,000 individuals, the Valley's young adult demographic is increasingly seeking alternative methods for finding potential matches as they move away from dating apps, the study reported. For Sameera Sullivan, a matchmaking professional serving the Valley, the Arizona market can be "challenging" for young daters seeking in-person connections. "Arizona is a very interesting place. There's a lot of people moving here from other places ... and it's difficult for Gen Z to meet the right kind of people," Sullivan said. "So it's made the dating scene a little bit more challenging for them." "Too many options" For Senitza, the wide selection and availability of partners to choose from on dating apps has been the biggest challenge of the dating scene in the Valley. "You can go on one date and things may be fine. You could think, 'This one's great, but maybe I could find someone better if I keep staying on this dating app,'" said Senitza. "The idea of options can really deteriorate the whole dating life." Mesa resident Ryleigh Dyer, 23, expressed similar sentiments when it comes to the idea of "too many options" when searching for a romantic connection online. "It just puts a huge block in it all, because there's always that ready availability to see someone else," Dyer said. "The grass is always greener on the other side." The issue of "choice paralysis" can be overwhelming, the study showed, with the experience of "holding out for a better match" through dating apps affecting over half of Valley Zoomers. Looking for love?: These 3 Arizona cities have the most gentlemen, new study shows "You never know if it's the real person." Citing the burnout as "digital fatigue," the survey also presented other unique dating challenges to the generation, including communication barriers with potential partners due to apps. For Senitza, being able to communicate with potential partners has been the "hardest part" when it comes to online dating. "I feel like communication is pretty rough in the beginning when you're on dating apps. You're really just texting ... and not everything is said," said Senitza. "That communication isn't very upfront until you meet in person. I've noticed I'll text someone, and that person's a great texter, but then in-person, they don't really have those communicative skills on that one-to-one scenario." Dyer, who decisively "stays away from dating apps," believes deception and a lack of authenticity in potential partners also harbor "major disadvantages" when it comes to online dating. "You never know if that's the real person," Dyer said. "You never know if that's actually them or not." Sullivan, who also expressed her doubts on the transparency of dating profiles, shared similar sentiments. "Online dating apps create a delusion. Not everything is what it seems," Sullivan said. "With in person ... its more of a personal thing. It's not superficial, there's some substance there." Sullivan also referred to online dating as "an exhausting process" for Gen Z, who believes they may be missing out on potential matches due to the "superficiality" of dating profiles. "Swiping culture has become too popular where you can't really tell anything about someone from a few pictures and a few words," Sullivan said. "You can't just go by pictures only. It's not an accurate representation of someone." Mesa resident Kaylee Underwood, 21, compared the inconsistencies of dating profiles versus meeting in person with "shopping," citing some people who date online as possibly "putting up a front." "It's like shopping for a book. The cover can be deceiving," Underwood said. "Seeing a dating profile, you kind of get the gist of it, but you don't actually get the insight if it's true to who they really are." "You have to adapt." With the rise of dating apps over the past decade, modern technology and social media continue to change the way people meet, bringing "unprecedented problems" and experiences in the dating scene that separates Gen Z from their older counterparts, the study explained. For Senitza, the landscape of modern romance is "very different" compared to generations before. "You hear the talks of people meeting in person, meeting at a bar. Without the technology that we have today, dating was a lot different from how our parents met," Senitza said. "You can totally tell it's a big 180 change from what it was before." For Underwood, modern factors such as social media continue to "complicate" the ways Gen Z meet and interact, citing issues such as infidelity "playing a big part" in how relationships are formed. "Its just another outlet for cheating to occur," Underwood said. "I feel like social media in and of itself is definitely an issue now, which wasn't necessarily a thing before." For Dyer, sharing "similar values" is key to a relationship, something which can be difficult to find amongst members of her generation, she said. "I don't like to do online dating. I like to go out and meet people. But there's certain things that I don't do that a lot of my generation does," Dyer said. "I feel like a lot of people my age nowadays are emotionally unavailable. I don't really know why. But it makes it hard." Despite these obstacles, the technological environment continues to shape how Gen Z dates, the study said, while the added pressures of digital romance forces the age group to "learn as they go," according to Senitza. "You have to adapt to the current generation changes," said Senitza. "It's kind of how it is." Keeping up with Gen Z: These Arizona voters are supporting Kamala Harris. Here's why "In person, it feels more natural." Amid these concerns, the findings revealed that nearly all Gen Z Arizonans prefer to meet potential partners in person. According to the study, 96% of Phoenix-area Zoomers favor traditional in-person courtship methods over dating apps. Among these methods, organized meet-ups like speed dating and blind dates are the most popular, with 22% of Gen Z Arizonans preferring these concentrated matchmaking events over other in-person dating options. This approach is notably more popular in the Valley compared to the national average, the study reported. Other in-person dating preferences, such as meeting through friends and family, social gatherings, and local events, scored lower than the national average, although still held higher preference rankings over online dating, the study showed. With 90% of her clientele made up of Arizonans, Sullivan says there has been a surge of Phoenix-area Zoomers approaching her agency for matchmaking services in the past few years. "Matchmaking is getting more popular in Arizona, even amongst Gen Z people," Sullivan said. "I think it's a really great way to meet people." For Underwood, one of the best ways to date in-person is meeting someone who shares the same "circle of friends." "It might be easier to meet friends of friends just because it's a lot easier to segue into hanging out with that person," Underwood said. "It's less awkward because you have probably already been around each other if you're all part of a larger friend group." For Senitza, traditional methods of dating tend to be more "natural," whereas online romancing "can feel more like a game." According to the study, nearly 30% of Valley Gen Z share a similar attitude, citing misuse of dating apps as another significant reason to step away from them altogether. "I think traditionally ... you can probably have more of a conversation and be a little bit more in-depth in what you're talking about," Senitza said. "You can kind of elaborate more and pick up more on body language. And just have more of a better feel of that person when you're meeting in person compared to dating apps." Dating apps can also cause people of his generation to feel "constantly stuck," Senitza continued. "We already are so consumed on our phones, and I think (in-person dating) is a great way to break that habit," Senitza said. "In person, it feels more natural." Finding common ground While preferences for meeting in-person are at an all-time high for Gen Z Arizonans, there still could be a few advantages to online dating, Underwood noted. "If you meet someone online, you probably have talked for an extensive amount of time ... and know something about them before going out," Underwood said. "So it's like a little bit more familiarity that you maybe wouldn't have in a traditional route of in-person dating." Senitza, who met his significant other through a dating app, believes online dating can help "make sure you're on the same page" with a potential match, ensuring to establish common ground in order to mitigate risk. "The goal in mind is not just finding a lover, but someone that can be friends and lets me be who I am without having to act like I'm a different person," Senitza said. Developing a friendship is a common thread among Valley Gen Z, as both Dyer and Underwood also believe being friends with a potential romantic partner first is "key" in any relationship, digital or otherwise. "How I'm coming to see it now is if I feel like I'm going to be with somebody, I want to be their friend first," Dyer said. "That's how I prefer it." And while she isn't seeking a relationship anytime soon, Dyer remains optimistic. "If I meet somebody that's in the same flow of life as me, that would be perfect," Dyer said. "I look to the future on it." This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Generation Z daters wish to sway away from online dating, study shows New York State Attorney General Letitia James' office has released the body-worn camera footage from two state troopers involved in the fatal shooting of a driver in Sullivan County last month. James obtained the footage as part of her office's ongoing investigation into the death of the driver, Albert Melendez Jr., 32, of Middletown. Melendez died after being shot during an encounter with state police on July 16. According to James' office, Melendez was driving his vehicle on Rock Hill Drive in Rock Hill in Sullivan County at the time. At the intersection of Rock Hill Drive and Emerald Place, Melendez stopped his vehicle. State police said Trooper Russell T. Peters got out of his patrol vehicle and gave verbal commands for Melendez to stop his vehicle, but Melendez continued to move forward and made contact with him. The AG's Office of Special Investigations released videos from body-worn cameras that two state police troopers were equipped with during the encounter. In the video footage, which the AG's office noted had been "redacted according to OAG Policy," Peters is shown firing his gun more than five times through the passenger window, striking Melendez, during the encounter. New York State Police said Peters, of Troop F, has been a state police member since September 2021. Additional redacted footage from another trooper's body-worn camera, identified by the AG's office as "Officer Grahn," shows law enforcement shouting at Melendez to show them his hands, then to get out of the car. Melendez is seen opening the driver's side door, then slumping over on his side. Video footage: AG releases body-worn camera footage from death of Albert Melendez According to James' office, Melendez was taken to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. The trooper suffered non-life-threatening injuries during the encounter. He also was taken to a local hospital, where he was treated and later released. The release of the video footage, according to the AG's office, follows James' directive that camera footage obtained by her office during an OSI investigation be released to the public to increase transparency and strengthen public trust. Background: AG's office investigating fatal shooting of driver by state trooper in Sullivan County Under state executive law, OSI assesses every incident reported to it where a police officer or a peace officer, including a corrections officer, might have caused the death of a person by an act or an omission. The officer may be on duty or off duty, and the dead person may be armed or unarmed. Also, the dead person may or may not be in custody or incarcerated. If OSI's asssessment indicates an officer may have caused the death, OSI proceeds to conduct a ful investigation of the incident. James' office said the release of this footage is not an expression of any opinion as to the guilt or innocence of any party in a criminal matter, or any opinion as to how or whether any individual may be charged with a crime. Mike Randall covers breaking news for the Times Herald-Record and the Poughkeepsie Journal. Reach him at mrandall@th-record.com. This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: AG releases footage in NYSP fatal shooting of Middletown driver 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. (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 These 3 REITs Have The Longest Streaks Of Annual Dividend Increases Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. Investors seeking steady income and long-term growth often turn to real estate investment trusts (REITs). REITs own, operate, or finance income-generating real estate, allowing individuals to invest in various real estate types without having direct ownership or management responsibilities. REITs must distribute a large percentage of their taxable income to shareholders through dividends, often resulting in high yields. Of the many options, only three publicly traded REITs have raised their dividends for 35 consecutive years or more. Let's look at each to determine if one or more belong in your portfolio. Dont Miss: A billion-dollar investment strategy with minimums as low as $10 you can become part of the next big real estate boom today . This is a paid advertisement. Carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of the Fundrise Flagship Fund before investing. This and other information can be found in the Fund's prospectus. Read them carefully before investing. Private credit offers up to 20% APY. Potential accredited investors are looking to capitalize on this growing asset class. Get up to $500 just for making your first investment. NNN REIT, Inc. 35 Consecutive Years NNN REIT, Inc. (NYSE:NNN) owns and manages a diversified real estate portfolio across the U.S. As of June 30, its portfolio comprises 3,548 properties in 49 states containing over 36 million square feet of gross leasable area. Its tenants include 7-Eleven, Mister Car Wash, Camping World, Dave & Buster's, LA Fitness and AMC Theatre. NNN REIT currently pays a quarterly dividend of $0.58 per share, equating to an annualized dividend of $2.32 per share. At the time of this writing, this gives its stock a yield of about 5.1%. NNN REIT has the third-longest streak of annual dividend increases in the industry. It has raised its annual dividend payment for 34 consecutive years, and its 2.7% hike in July has it on track for 2024 to mark the 35th consecutive year with an increase. Universal Health Realty Income Trust 38 Consecutive Years Universal Health Realty Income Trust (NYSE:UHT) is a leading owner and manager of health care and human service-related facilities in the U.S. Its portfolio comprises 76 investments across 21 states, including acute care hospitals, behavioral health care facilities, rehabilitation hospitals, subacute care facilities, surgery centers, child care centers and medical office buildings. Story continues Universal Health Realty currently pays a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share, equating to an annualized dividend of $2.92 per share. At the time of this writing, this gives its stock a yield of about 7%. Universal Health Realty has the second-longest streak of annual dividend increases in the REIT industry. It has raised its annual dividend payment for 37 consecutive years, and its 0.7% hike in June has it on pace for 2024 to mark the 38th consecutive year with an increase. Trending: Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are bullish on one city that could dethrone New York. Investing in its booming real estate market has never been more accessible . Oprah, Madonna and DiCaprio have turned to the alternative asset that is outperforming the S&P 500. Discover the potential of this market before other investors. Federal Realty Investment Trust 57 Consecutive Years Federal Realty Investment Trust (NYSE:FRT) is a leading owner and manager of retail and mixed-use properties in the U.S. As of June 30, its portfolio comprises 102 properties containing approximately 27 million square feet, 3,400 tenants, and 3,100 residential units. Its properties are in top suburban markets, including Boston, Chicago, Miami, New York City, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Silicon Valley and Washington, D.C. Federal Realty currently pays a quarterly dividend of $1.10 per share, equating to an annualized dividend of $4.40 per share. At the time of this writing, this gives its stock a yield of about 3.9%. Federal Realty is the king of dividend growth in the REIT industry. It has raised its annual dividend payment for 56 consecutive years, the longest consecutive record in the industry. Its 0.9% hike earlier this month puts it on track for 2024 to mark the 57th consecutive year with an increase. Better Yields Than Some REITs? The current high-interest-rate environment has created an incredible opportunity for income-seeking investors to earn massive yields, but not through REITs. Arrived Homes, the Jeff Bezos-backed investment platform has launched its Private Credit Fund, which provides access to a pool of short-term loans backed by residential real estate with a target 7% to 9% net annual yield paid to investors monthly. It paid 8.1% in July. The best part? Unlike other private credit funds, this one has a minimum investment of only $100. As long-term rates go down and short-term rates stay high, theres a unique chance to invest in fix & flip loans before yields drop. Check out Benzinga's favorite high-yield offerings. 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. This article These 3 REITs Have The Longest Streaks Of Annual Dividend Increases originally appeared on Benzinga.com FILE - Palestinians displaced by the Israeli air and ground offensive on the Gaza Strip, walk through a dark streak of sewage flowing into the streets of the southern town of Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, on July 4, 2024. Health authorities and aid agencies are racing to avert an outbreak of polio in the Gaza Strip after the virus was detected in the territory's wastewater and three cases with a suspected polio symptom have been reported. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi, File) CAIRO (AP) The threat of polio is rising fast in the Gaza Strip, prompting aid groups to call for an urgent pause in the war so they can ramp up vaccinations and head off a full-blown outbreak. One case has been confirmed, others are suspected and the virus was detected in wastewater in six different locations in July. Polio was eradicated in Gaza 25 years ago, but vaccinations plunged after the war began 10 months ago and the territory has become a breeding ground for the virus, aid groups say. Hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians are crowded into tent camps lacking clean water or proper disposal of sewage and garbage. To avert a widespread outbreak, aid groups are preparing to vaccinate more than 600,000 children in the coming weeks. They say the ambitious vaccination plans are impossible, though, without a pause in the fighting between Israel and Hamas. A possible cease-fire deal couldn't come soon enough. We are anticipating and preparing for the worst-case scenario of a polio outbreak in the coming weeks or month, Francis Hughes, the Gaza response director at CARE International, told The Associated Press. The World Health Organization and UNICEF, the United Nations children's agency, said in a joint statement Friday that, at a minimum, a seven-day pause is needed to carry out a mass vaccination plan. The U.N. aims to bring 1.6 million doses of polio vaccine into Gaza, where sanitation and water systems have been destroyed, leaving open pits of human waste in crowded tent camps. Families living in the camps have little clean water or even soap to maintain hygiene and sometimes use wastewater to drink or clean clothes and dishes. At least 225 informal waste disposal sites and landfills have cropped up around Gaza many close to where families are sheltering, according to a report released in July by PAX, a Netherlands-based nonprofit that used satellite imagery to track the sites. Polio, which is highly contagious and transmits mainly through contact with contaminated feces, water or food, can cause difficulty breathing and irreversible paralysis, usually in the legs. It strikes young children in particular and is sometimes fatal. The aid group Mercy Corps estimates some 50,000 babies born since the war began have not been immunized against polio. WHO and UNICEF said Friday that three children are suspected of being infected and that their stool samples were being tested by a laboratory in Jordan. The Ministry of Health in Ramallah in the West Bank said late Friday that tests conducted in Jordan confirmed one case in a 10-month-old child in Gaza. This is very concerning," UNICEF spokesperson Ammar Ammar said Saturday. "It is impossible to carry out the vaccination in an active war zone and the alternative would be unconscionable for the children in Gaza and the whole region. Aid workers anticipate the number of suspected cases will rise, and worry that the disease could be hard to contain without urgent intervention. We are not optimistic because we know that doctors could also be missing the warning signs, said Hughes of CARE International. Health workers in Gaza are gearing up for a mass vaccination campaign to begin at the end of August and continue into September. The goal is to immunize 640,000 children under the age of 10 over two rounds of vaccinations, according to WHO. The Israeli military body responsible for Palestinian civilian affairs, which goes by the acronym COGAT, said it is preparing to support a comprehensive vaccination campaign. The military said a vaccination campaign has begun for all ground troops and that it was working with various organizations to bring more vaccines into Gaza. Hamas said in a statement Friday that it would support a seven-day truce to facilitate the vaccinations. Cease-fire talks resume in Cairo next week. The alarm over polio was first raised when the WHO announced in July that sewage samples collected from six locations in Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah, in the south and center of Gaza, tested positive for a variant of the virus used in vaccines. The weakened form of the virus used in vaccines can mutate into a stronger version and cause an outbreak in areas that lack proper immunization, according to WHO. The only countries where polio is endemic are Afghanistan and Pakistan. But outbreaks of the vaccine-derived virus have occurred in war-torn Ukraine and Yemen, where conditions aren't nearly as bad as they are in Gaza. Part of the challenge in Gaza, where polio hasn't been seen in a quarter-century, is to raise awareness so that health workers recognize symptoms, the U.N. says. The territory's health care system has been devastated by the war, and workers are overwhelmed treating the wounded and patients sick with diarrhea and other ailments. Before the war, 99% of Gaza's population was vaccinated against polio. That figure is now 86%, according to WHO. The goal is to get polio immunization levels in Gaza back above 95%. While more than 440,000 doses of polio vaccine were brought into Gaza in December, that supply has diminished to just over 86,000, according to Hamid Jafari, director of polio eradication for the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region. The 1.6 million oral doses being brought into Gaza will be a more advanced version of the vaccine that is less prone to mutating into an outbreak, the WHO said. Getting the vaccine into Gaza is just the first step. U.N. workers face difficulties retrieving medical supplies and other aid because of Israels military assaults, fighting between troops and Hamas, and increasing lawlessness that has led to the looting of convoys. Also, vaccines must be kept refrigerated, which has become difficult in Gaza, where electricity is scarce. About 15-20 refrigerated trucks serve all of Gaza, and they also must be used to transport food and other medical supplies, said a senior Israeli army official with COGAT who was not authorized to talk with media and spoke on condition of anonymity. Palestinians also face difficulties getting around. Their inability to reach health facilities will be an additional obstacle to the vaccination campaign, said Sameer Sah of Medical Aid for Palestinians. Theres no transport system. The roads have been destroyed and you have quadcopters shooting at people, said Sah, referring to Israeli drones that often carry out strikes. Israel says its strikes target Hamas militants. WHO said a pause in the fighting is vital to enabling children and families to safely reach health facilities and community outreach workers to get to children who cannot access health facilities. Only about a third of Gazas 36 hospitals and 40% of its primary health care facilities are functioning, according to the U.N. But the WHO and UNICEF say their vaccination campaign will be carried out in every municipality in Gaza, with help from 2,700 workers. ___ Associated Press writers Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Samy Magdy in Cairo contributed to this report. An Akron officer shot and killed a 54-year-old man at a gas station on the corner of East Avenue and Louisiana Avenue Saturday morning. An Akron police officer shot and killed a man early Saturday morning while investigating a stolen U-Haul, according to a news release from police. Police have identified the victim only as a 54-year-old man. A woman at the scene who said she is a family member said they are searching for answers and that the man had rented the U-Haul to move his belongings into his mother's house. The Beacon Journal is not releasing his name, pending confirmation from police or the Summit County Medical Examiner's Office. Akron Police According to the release, just after 1 a.m., officers were in the 2200 block of East Avenue in the parking lot of a gas station on the corner of Louisiana Avenue in Kenmore when they spotted the vehicle that was reported stolen. Police did not say how the incident unfolded, saying only that "during the course of the incident, an officer fired two rounds with his department-issued firearm, striking the suspect." The release said a loaded firearm was recovered inside the vehicle but gave no information about whether the suspect attempted to use it. Officers administered first aid, but he was pronounced dead on the scene a short time later. The officer who fired the shots has been placed on paid leave, per department procedure. That officer has only been identified as a 2-year veteran of the department. Akron Police Capt. Mike Miller said the stolen vehicle that officers were investigating was a U-Haul of some kind, but it was not clear when or from where it was reported stolen. He said Saturday afternoon that he did not have any additional information about the shooting. The investigation will be handled by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations, with the case then turned over to the Ohio Attorney Generals Office for review before being submitted to a Summit County grand jury for evaluation. The Office of Professional Standards and Accountability will also conduct an internal investigation to be presented to the chief of police and the city of Akron police auditor for review. An Akron officer shot and killed a 54-year-old man at a gas station on the corner of East Avenue and Louisiana Avenue Saturday morning. Akron Mayor Shammas Malik has released the following statement following the shooting: "When an incident such as this occurs, it is tragic for our city, and everyone impacted, especially when a life is lost. "Officer-involved shootings are often highly nuanced and complex, and some of the toughest situations for a community to grapple with. More information will be released in the coming week, including the body-worn camera footage of the incident, so that we as a community can develop a clearer picture of what transpired. "My thoughts are with the family of the deceased and with our officers." The same gas station was the site of another officer-involved shooting in 2021. In that incident, police said they saw a suspect firing a weapon at another man, who was struck twice, including once in the chest. The bullets were traveling in the direction of the officers, who chased the suspect for "a short distance on foot," police said. One of the officers returned fire, but it's believed the suspect was not hit. Contact reporter Jennifer Pignolet at jpignolet@thebeaconjournal.com, at 330-996-3216 or on Twitter @JenPignolet. This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron police officer shot, killed man at Kenmore gas station Saturday The Alabama Historical Commission, which has been involved in efforts to identify and preserve the Clotilda since 1997, said it cannot be raised from underwater using existing technology. (Courtesy of the Alabama Historical Commission) The Alabama Historical Commission (AHC) plans to keep the last known vessel to transport enslaved Africans to the United States in its current location in the Mobile River, saying the ship is too deteriorated to be raised above water. The Clotilda transported 110 Africans from what is now Benin to Mobile, Alabama, in 1860, more than 50 years after the United States outlawed the international slave trade. The voyage was arranged by Mobile businessman Timothy Meaher, who made a bet that he could smuggle slaves into the country without being caught. After the ships arrival, the captors set it ablaze to destroy evidence of their crime. The AHC, which has been involved in efforts to identify and preserve the Clotilda since 1997, said it cannot be raised from underwater using existing technology. This phase of the investigation was vital in determining the next steps for the Clotilda. With this report, the Alabama Historical Commission can continue with its preservation plan and continue preserving this tremendous artifact and its history, said Alabama Historical Commission Chairman Eddie Griffith in the announcement. The survivors of the Clotilda went on to establish Africatown, a community near Mobile, where many of their descendants still reside today. The wreck of the Clotilda remained hidden for over a century until its discovery in 2019. Since the discovery of the ship, there had been talk about raising the remains and putting them on display, possibly in a museum. The study found that the Clotildas structural integrity has been severely compromised by both natural and human activities over the past 164 years. Investigators concluded that corrosion, physical damage, and biological factors have led to significant structural damage to the remains of the Clotilda. The report recommends in situ preservation, meaning they will keep the wreck in place and cover the exposed sections with sediment to slow down decay. The location of Clotilda in a shallow, medium to high energy brackish water environment, coupled with the biological and physical processes of deterioration observed, poses an immediate threat to the wrecks long-term survival, the report said. The report said that the wreck was extremely vulnerable to physical damage from vessel strikes, impacts with floating objects, as well as damage from vandalism or severe weather events. There is a possibility of partial or complete loss of the surviving hull resulting from such events, the report said. Stabilization of the wreck, physical protection through reburial, and security are immediate needs. Crime scene Jeremy Ellis, president of the Clotilda Descendants Association, said in a statement that they look forward to learning more about persevering Clotilda, its history, and how it affected survivors ancestors, but said the site of Clotilda is a crime scene and should be treated as such. Until there is justice and accountability for this crime, any narrative or conversation regarding Clotilda and the site of Clotilda should be about the 110 survivors aboard Clotilda and the crime that was committed, Ellis said, adding that conversation that focuses on raising the ship is a distraction from the 110 survivors aboard Clotilda and the horrendous crime committed. In the announcement, the AHC said that while the structural integrity of the ship may have deteriorated significantly, the archeological integrity is still there. Archaeological integrity means that the vessel still has the ability to tell its story through careful scientific investigation. Structural integrity means that the structure of the vessel remains strong and intact, said State Archaeologist Stacye Hathorn in AHCs statement. Ellis said they look forward to learning more about persevering Clotilda and learning more about the final voyage of Clotilda and how it impacted our ancestors and hopes to work with the organizations involved in the Clotilda wreck investigation to build a memorial to remember ancestors Africatowns ancestors and across Alabama. We also look forward to partnering with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mobile District (USACE) and the Alabama Historical Commission (AHC) on a memorial that honor the lives of the 110 aboard Clotilda and at the current site where it remains, Ellis said. HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) Alabama AT&T workers among 17,000 joined to strike in the Southeast for unfair labor practices. Workers represented by the Communications Workers of America (CWA) went on strike on August 16 around 2 p.m. Shenanigans Comedy Theatre to host Laugh Out Live Telethon The strike averaged around 17,000 technicians, customer service representatives and others from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. A letter to AT&T Southeast Local presidents, staff and secretaries said that due to the unfair labor practices, District 3 Vice-President requested a strike. Due to AT&T committing unfair labor practices, District 3 Vice-President Richard Honeycutt requested that CWA President Claude Cummings authorize an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) Strike against AT&T. President Cummings approved this request and CWA District 3 will begin the ULP Strike CWA filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board against AT&T for not negotiating in good faith, engaging in surface-level negotiating and for not sending representatives with authority to make decisions to the negotiating table. Keith Urban holds pop-up concert at Athens Buc-ees The charges also address the companys refusal to bargain over mandatory subjects of bargaining and reneging on agreements made in bargaining. Our union entered into negotiations in a good faith effort to reach a fair contract, but we have been met at the table by company representatives who were unable to explain their own bargaining proposals and did not seem to have the actual bargaining authority required by the legal obligation to bargain in good faith, said Honeycutt. Our members want to be on the job, providing the quality service that our customers deserve. Its time for AT&T to start negotiating in good faith so that we can move forward towards a fair contract. An AT&T spokesperson told News 19 the company is disappointed that workers would call for a strike. The company said it will continue to provide customers with support and have several measures in place to avoid disruption. CWAs claims of unfair labor practices are not grounded in fact. We have been engaged in substantive bargaining since day 1 and are eager to reach an agreement that benefits our hard-working employees. As evidence, we have reached 3 agreements this year covering more than 13,000 employees, including our most recent tentative agreement with District 9 (west). We remain committed to working with District 3 (southeast) in the same manner. Were disappointed that union leaders would call for a strike at this point in the negotiations, rather than directing their energies toward constructive discussions at the bargaining table. This action needlessly jeopardizes the wages and well-being of our employees. We have various business continuity measures in place to avoid disruptions to operations and will continue to provide our customers with the great service they expect. AT&T spokesperson This is not the first time AT&T Southeast workers have gone on strike over unfair labor practices. In 2019, more than 20,000 AT&T workers went on strike over alleged unfair labor practices in nine states across the Southeast, according to Communications Workers of America, a union representing many of the companys employees who work in call centers and maintain the companys telecommunications network. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) Should the City of Albuquerque limit the number of short-term rentals like Airbnbs? Last year, city council attempted, but it failed to pass. KRQE News 13 spoke with a city councilor behind the renewed attempt. The proposed change to the Short Term Rental Ordinance would only affect areas like Nob Hill, Downtown, and Old Town. Story continues below Weve changed it so its much smaller, its not city-wide. Two, theres a lot of protections for existing AirBnB owners. Three, I think attitudes have changed a lot over the last year, said Albuquerque City Councilor Joaquin Baca. Baca and fellow City Councilor Nichole Rogers are co-sponsoring an update to the Short Term Rental Ordinance, but unlike last years attempt which could have capped the total number of short-term rentals (SRT) citywide, the new proposal creates a distance requirement that SRTs cannot be within 330 feet of one another; and this only affects certain parts of town. This will be more Old Town, Downtown, and Nob Hill, which is the location of over half of all the STRs in the city, Baca said. He says hes trying to make sure community housing needs are met. For instance, were here in Barelas. Theres something like 80 AirBnBs here in Barelas, short-term rentals. Martineztown has something like 70. Think about trying to buy a home, rent a home. If your grandparents are here and you want to live here, its really hard to get a place to live, Baca said, The other part then is the larger housing issue. We know something like 20 percent of our affordable housing is occupied by people who could afford market rate, there just isnt market rate. And that creates that downward pressure and contributes to our unhoused population here in the city. Baca said neighborhood associations are in support of this. KRQE News 13 spoke with representatives of the Barelas and Martineztown neighborhoods who say they are concerned too many AirBnBs will lead to gentrification, limit available housing for residents, and erode neighborhood character. However, others wonder about the effect on tourism if short-term rentals are limited. Theres so many other issues to worry about here in Old Town and of course the greater Albuquerque area than AirBnBs, said Pete Kassetas, member of the Old Town Business Community Association, I think if managed correctly under the guidelines then it should be allowed so I dont think we need anymore regulations as far as that goes. Theres so much debate that went on last year over this bill so lets not spend a ton of time, lets just pass it or lets not is how I feel. We all know the issue, Baca said. Existing short-term rental permits would not be affected by this amendment unless they let their permit lapse. This will be introduced at Mondays city council meeting. Baca hopes it will be taken up during the first council meeting 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 KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. Alien Civilizations Might Be Too Advanced For Us to Detect Given the age and size of the Milky Way, there should be intelligent civilizations all over the place. But where is everybody? A new study suggests that alien civilizations could be too advanced for us to detect. If aliens were looking at Earth, they might spot the glint of sunlight reflecting off our solar panels. So researchers in the US turned the tables to see if we could find extraterrestrial life in the same way. The researchers simulated an Earth-like exoplanet with different levels of solar panel coverage, then checked whether an advanced telescope could detect the panels from 30 light-years away. It turns out, the telescope could spot them but with a few catches. About 23 percent of the planet's land would have to be covered with solar panels before this method could see them. Plus, the telescope would need hundreds of hours to identify the signal from background noise. That means that finding very advanced civilizations could be just as hard as finding those that aren't technologically advanced enough. An artist's impression of an inhabited exoplanet, with city lights on the nightside and orbiting solar power arrays. (NASA/Jay Freidlander) Rather than wait for aliens to land on the White House lawn, astronomers are proactively searching for signs of life out in the cosmos. That includes biosignatures, like methane in a planet's atmosphere, or technosignatures, such as radio transmissions. The new study picked solar panels as the technosignature of choice, because previous research found they should strongly reflect ultraviolet light more than other wavelengths. Not only would that give scientists a clear marker to look for, but solar is a logical choice for generating a civilization's energy thanks to how common silicon and starlight are across the cosmos. But as the team found out, solar energy is almost too efficient to be a good technosignature. First they calculated how much of Earth's land would be needed for solar panels to generate enough energy to meet our needs, based on data from 2022. This would only require 2.4 percent land coverage, even if solar was our only energy source. Having 10 billion people on the planet a number that the United Nations suggests as our population peak would only bump it up to 3 percent land coverage. Even 30 billion people, with a high standard of living, would need less than 9 percent. There's just no need to devote 23 percent of your land to solar panels. But we need that much coverage to spot them, so we're unlikely to find aliens this way, the team concludes. That has major implications for the Fermi Paradox, which points out the discrepancy between how common extraterrestrial life should be in the Universe, and the distinct lack of evidence for it. The Milky Way is so huge and old that statistically, there should be plenty of intelligent civilizations that have colonized their own star systems or neighboring ones, and at least a few that have spread across the galaxy. Common explanations for the silence include that Earth is in a quiet part of town, or we haven't looked wide enough or with the right technology. Maybe we're being deliberately excluded. Or scariest of all, we might be truly alone. The new study adds another possibility. "The implication is that civilizations may not feel compelled to expand all over the galaxy because they may achieve sustainable population and energy-usage levels even if they choose a very high standard of living," says Ravi Kopparapu, lead author and a planetary scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. "They may expand within their own stellar system, or even within nearby star systems, but galaxy-spanning civilizations may not exist." It's bad news for everyone's favorite hypothetical techno signature, the Dyson Sphere. Building a giant ball of solar panels around a star which is how some scientists tried to explain the strange dimming of Tabby's Star is probably overkill. "Large-scale stellar-energy harvesting structures may especially be obsolete when considering technological advances," explains geochemist Vincent Kofman of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. "Surely a society that can place enormous structures in space would be able to access nuclear fusion or other space-efficient methods of generating power." The study was published in The Astrophysical Journal. Related News American Airlines is letting passengers whose travel plans are being affected by Hurricane Ernesto to rebook without change fees. They can reschedule on aa.com or call Reservations at 800-433-7300. Ernesto grows into Cat 2 hurricane as it aims for Bermuda, leaving many in Puerto Rico without power American Airlines will operate 10 regularly scheduled flights at Bermuda (BDA) on Friday (five arrivals and five departures). Also on Friday, American Airlines operated two extra flights to support customers looking to travel to and from BDA ahead of Ernestos arrival: AA9605 CLT - BDA (departing 8:00 a.m. local) and AA9605 BDA - CLT (departing 12:25 p.m. local). Due to airport closures, the airline will suspend operations at BDA on Saturday. The airline will continue to monitor Ernesto. Will Americans again walk on the Moon? If so, Idaho will play a vital role once again | Opinion Craters of the Moon is a unique and fascinating natural wonder that has captivated the imagination of visitors and scientists alike. Over the last 100-plus years, this vast ocean of lava flows, cinder cones and sagebrush steppe has proven to be a breathtaking landscape. The harsh and stark environment is also ideal for space exploration research. This small, isolated park has been an outdoor research laboratory on geological, biological, ecological and other topics. A remarkable number of studies have been conducted at the park, offering insights into such weighty topics as the formation of our planet, the resilience of life in extreme environments, and the impact of climate change. In keeping with its name, Craters of the Moon has served as a space exploration research site for more than 50 years. In 1969, four Apollo astronauts visited the park to study volcanic geology in preparation for collecting rock samples on the Moon. The astronauts were pilots Alan Shepard, Edgar Mitchell, Joe Engle and Eugene Cernan. They were not geologists by training, but visiting Craters of the Moon helped them prepare for future Apollo Moon missions by exploring the unusual and harsh lava landscape, studying volcanic geology, and collecting rock samples. Since the Moons surface is covered by volcanic materials, it was important for the astronauts to know something about the lava they would encounter. Given the limited amount of material they could bring back to Earth, they had to know enough about geology to identify the most scientifically valuable rock specimens. More recently, Craters of the Moon has hosted research teams conducting studies to help prepare for future missions to Mars. Such studies have included evaluating new tools for detecting lava tubes, as the parks basalt lava composition is similar to rocks found on the Red Planet and the Moon. Some of these studies have been carried out while simulating conditions on Mars to improve software, hardware, organizational structure, and protocols for highly complex crewed missions. These scientific studies will result in increased knowledge of the analog features themselves, improved field tools and techniques for analyzing such features on Earth and the Moon, and refined interpretations of the corresponding lunar features as we continue to gather more data from them. Findings may include specific needs associated with astronaut mobility, tool use, information transfer, or even a larger ecosystem of space and Earth-based communities supporting active spaceflight. What researchers learn will also be used to craft evidence-based requirements and recommendations for Extravehicular Activity (EVA) on the Moon. Research outcomes will be communicated directly to the Artemis and EVA teams at NASA. With Artemis missions to the Moon scheduled to begin in the fall of 2025, Craters of the Moon will again provide important opportunities for researchers to test technologies, refine lunar science, and prepare astronaut training materials. Their work is a testament to the parks value in helping us reach for the stars, both figuratively and literally. As we celebrate the Centennial of Craters of the Moon National Monument this year, we acknowledge that the Moon on Earth has only just begun to unveil its secrets. Looking forward, the importance of this special place will undoubtedly continue to grow. Its resources will help expand our understanding of the natural world and our place within it and advance research questions on topics that we have been studying for decades, as well as those we have not yet begun to contemplate. Wade Vagias has served as the Superintendent of Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve since 2015. Jennifer Jones is assisting the National Park Service with Craters of the Moon Centennial communications under a Cooperative Agreement with NEWSolutions. Americans are seeing more pro-former President Trump ads than those supporting the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, according to a study from the Wesleyan Media Project. The study, which came out on Wednesday, found that since July 12, 44,000 ad airings have supported Trump. Half of those came from MAGA Inc., which released around 22,800 spots. Preserve America PAC, another Trump-aligned outside group, sponsored around 6,100 airings. Since mid-July, the Trump campaign has increased its on-air presence, sponsoring almost 15,000 ads that cost over $10 million. On the Democratic side, around 32,700 airings have boosted Biden and Harris. The vice presidents campaign, which was forged following Bidens decision not to run for reelection in late July, aired 12,000 ads. The same amount came from Future Forward PAC, a Democrat-aligned outside group. Still, the Democratic side has spent more, shelling out $63 million compared to $49 million spent on advertisements supporting Trump, according to the study. The shakeup in the presidential contest has given both parties new incentives to advertise, as Vice President Harris is not as well-known as former President Trump or President Biden, Travis Ridout, co-director of the Wesleyan Media Project, said in a statement. Both sides highlighted different policy issues in their ads. Harriss campaign ads and those coming from Future Forward mention abortion, health care, affordable housing and prescription drugs. The study found that the majority of pro-Harris ads focus on public safety, connecting it to Harriss background as a former prosecutor. On the GOP side, the Trump campaigns ads and those coming from MAGA Inc. heavily focus on immigration, public safety and opioids and prescription drugs, according to the study. Trump and his allies are airing ads attempting to tie Harris to the border security issues, illegal immigration, and crime while Harris and her allies are touting her record as a prosecutor, background as a daughter of an immigrant, and contrasting her work for for the middle class with that of Trump, said Erika Franklin Fowler, co-director of the Wesleyan Media Project. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Image source: Getty Images On Sept. 1, 2024, Costco will increase its membership dues. The price of a Gold Star membership will rise from $60 to $65. Likewise, an Executive membership will cost $130 instead of $120. While the price change helps Costco offset increased overhead costs, it might make some Costco members hesitant to renew their memberships. Even so, Costco members can still find plenty of ways to pay for their annual membership. Here are three. 1. Become an Executive member A sure-fire way to get your Costco annual membership for free is have Costco pay it in annual rewards. That's the essence of becoming an Executive member. As such, you'll earn 2% cash back on Costco purchases. To earn the full value of your $130 Executive membership, you would need to spend $6,500 each year. That works out to about $542 monthly. Likewise, if you can spend $3,250 annually (about $271 monthly), you make up the difference between a Gold Star and Executive membership ($65). 2. Get a credit card for Costco purchases Costco only takes Visa credit cards. If you use all kinds of credit cards, this can make it tricky to know which one is best for Costco purchases. Fortunately, there are quite a few Visa credit cards that earn bonus rewards at Costco. The magic numbers here are 2% and 3% in cash back. If you're not currently earning 2% to 3% in cash back on your credit card, you're leaving money on the table (check out our full list of the best credit cards for Costco for more details). If your credit card earns 2% at Costco, you would need to spend about $3,250 annually to earn the price of a Gold Star membership. If you have an Executive membership, you can double dip: You'll earn 2% back as an Executive member and 2% back on your credit card. With an effective earn rate of 4%, you would only need to spend $3,250 to earn the value of your membership in rewards. 3. Earn a Shop Card on a one-time purchase A Shop Card is basically a gift card that you can use at Costco. You can buy them separately, or you can earn one with certain one-time purchases. For example, many of Costco's home improvement services give out Shop Cards when you make the purchase through Costco. Often, the value of your Shop Card is 10% of the purchase amount. So, if you paid $1,300 for a service, you would get a $130 Shop Card. That essentially pays for your Executive membership in one go. But you don't need to be a homeowner to get one of these Shop Cards. Costco will also give them out with other big purchases, like appliances, electronics, furniture, and mattresses. If you're in the market for one of these items, take a look at Costco's deals first. You might earn the value of your membership just by buying it there. Story continues One thing to keep in mind: If you haven't gotten a Costco membership yet, or you know someone who hasn't, look for a membership promotion first. You can usually find these promotions online (Groupon is a good place to start), and you'll often get a Costco Shop Card for signing up and establishing auto-renewal. With that Shop Card, you're well on your way to getting the value of your membership in savings, especially if you apply any (or all) of the other tips above. Top credit cards to use at Costco (and everywhere else!) If youre shopping with a debit card, you could be missing out on hundreds or even thousands of dollars each year. These versatile credit cards offer huge rewards everywhere, including Costco, and are rated the best cards of 2024 by our experts because they offer hefty sign-up bonuses and outstanding cash rewards. Plus, youll save on credit card interest because all of these recommendations include a competitive 0% interest period. Click here to read our expert recommendations for free! We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale and Visa. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 3 Ways to Get Your Costco Annual Membership for Free was originally published by The Motley Fool Ukrainian strike on a bridge over the Seym river in the Kursk region By Mark Trevelyan, Anastasiia Malenko and Gleb Stolyarov LONDON/KYIV (Reuters) -In the hours before Ukrainian soldiers stormed across Russia's western border, there was no sign from Moscow that anything was amiss. At midnight at the start of Aug. 6, the Russian defence ministry posted good news: more than 2,500 members of the regiment responsible for the capture of a town in eastern Ukraine would receive state awards for heroism. Later that morning, as Ukraine began the biggest invasion of Russia since World War Two, the ministry published video showing General Valery Gerasimov, commander of the Russian war effort, visiting a different combat zone, also in Ukraine. He heard reports from commanders and set "tasks for further actions", it said. The footage did not specify the exact time of the visit, but revealed no concerns, or knowledge, of the events unfolding in Russia's western Kursk region that threatened to upset Gerasimov's plans and shift the course of the two-and-a-half-year war. Panic spread quickly among local Russian residents in the early hours of the assault, despite repeated attempts by authorities to assure them that everything was under control, according to a timeline by Reuters of the first two days of the incursion, based on public statements, social media posts and analysis of video footage. The idea that Ukraine could turn the tables on Russia and burst onto the territory of its much bigger neighbour seemed unthinkable to most observers before last week. The shock operation has raised questions about the effectiveness of Russia's surveillance, as well as the calibre of its border fortifications and the forces guarding them. "The Russians had a complete intelligence failure here," French military expert Yohann Michel, research fellow at the IESD institute in Lyon, said in an interview. With Ukraine's forces retreating in eastern Ukraine, one of the most strategic sectors of the front line, Moscow may well have assumed Kyiv would not make a high-stakes gamble that even now it is far from clear will pay off, Michel said. "I would understand if it was difficult for the Russians to think something that big could happen," he said. Ukrainian goals in Kursk include distracting Russian forces from the front line in the eastern region of Donetsk. Instead, fighting has intensified in that region in recent days, and the risks for Ukraine are rising as it tries to hold ground in Kursk. A Russian member of parliament and former military officer, Andrei Gurulyov, said in a television interview two days after the incursion that Russian military leaders had been warned in a report about a month beforehand that there were signs of preparations for a Ukrainian attack, but it was not heeded. The Russian defence ministry did not reply to requests for comment. Ukraine's armed forces declined to comment about the ongoing operations, and the U.S. State Department, Pentagon and White House did not immediately respond to questions. It was not until the afternoon of the following day, Aug. 7, that President Vladimir Putin and Gerasimov, his armed forces chief of staff, made their first public remarks on the Kursk events, which the Kremlin leader called "another major provocation" by Ukraine. Gerasimov, fresh from his ill-timed trip, told Putin in the televised comments that Russian forces had "stopped" a force of up to 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers from thrusting deep inside Kursk region. Michel, the military analyst, said it was unclear whether Gerasimov was misinformed by his own subordinates, or whether he felt compelled to deliver good news to Putin in front of the TV cameras. Russian officials in such staged settings "say what they think the boss wants to hear or to see in public at that specific moment", Michel said. "WE ADVISE PEOPLE TO LEAVE" It took nearly 12 hours from the time of the incursion, which Gerasimov stated as 5:30 a.m. on Aug. 6, for the defence ministry to publicly acknowledge Ukraine had attacked the border, let alone broken through it. It was left to Kursk's acting regional governor Alexei Smirnov, only months into the job, to fill the communications vacuum and try to coordinate with the multiple defence and security agencies responsible for protecting the border. In the first of many Telegram posts on Aug. 6, Smirnov issued missile warnings at 1:51 and 3:11 a.m. local time, urging residents to take cover. At 3:15, he said air defences had knocked out three incoming Ukrainian drones. At 6:16, 11 more. Regions either side of the border have long grown used to tit-for-tat missile and drone attacks. But strikes against the Kursk region, recorded by Smirnov in Telegram posts, had been more than usually persistent for the previous 10 days. Among the targets hit were oil depots, power substations and, according to the Ukrainian military, a storage facility for weapons and military equipment. From about 5 a.m., alarm began to spread on social media. Locals posted that shelling in Sudzha, a Russian town on the border, had been going on for three hours. "What's going on with the lights? I've got no light or water," said a woman posting as "Ekaterina Picasa". A user called Denis reported nine explosions in Korenevo, about 26 km (16 miles) from the border. Reuters made multiple attempts to contact residents via social media, but these were ignored or blocked. A stream of posts appeared in "Native Sudzha", a community channel on the social network VKontakte, but it was not clear whether the information was from official sources. "We advise people to leave the town," said one such message at 7:34 a.m. People were warned to beware of drones and watch out for unexploded shells By 8:15 a.m. Native Sudzha was reporting "active fighting on the border itself". But a widely read Russian war blog was dismissive. The "Two Majors" Telegram channel, followed by more than a million people, said a small group of "the enemy" had managed to get only as far as 300 metres inside Russia and was "being destroyed". It suggested the operation was being staged by Ukrainian "TikTok units" as a media exercise. Ukraine's government has said little about the planning of the incursion. In May, shortly after Russian troops crossed the border and seized territory in the nearby Kharkiv region, Ukraine's military intelligence chief publicly warned of small groups of Russian forces gathering around the Sudzha area and said Moscow had planned an operation into Ukraine's Sumy region from there. Reuters could not independently verify whether Russia had been preparing an offensive into Sumy. On Friday, Ukraine's paratrooper corps said its fighters spent the first hours of the operation demining, breaching the border and destroying defensive lines, using aviation and artillery. "Careful preparation, planning, surprise, fighting spirit and informational silence became decisive in the initial stage of the operation," the Airborne Assault Troops said in an online post. A Ukrainian soldier called Dmytro, 36, said he initially thought the Ukrainian army's build-up was to prevent a Russian cross-border raid. Instead, he found himself supporting the advance toward the border crossing near Sudzha after the assault units moved in, he said in an interview, giving his only first name in line with military protocol. "We worked to pre-empt them and they did not see this coming at all," he said. "UNDER CONTROL" Just after 10 a.m. governor Smirnov confirmed for the first time that Ukraine had attempted an incursion but said Russian soldiers and border guards of the FSB security service had "prevented" the border from being breached. It was the first of numerous statements that were to be quickly disproved by events. Just before noon, the defence ministry published its video of Gerasimov visiting Russian forward positions in Ukraine. On events in Kursk, it was silent. So too was the Kremlin, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov on a summer break and reporters left without his usual daily briefing. As of Aug. 16, 10 days later, he had not returned to work. "Tell me please, is it true that Ukrainian tanks have broken through to Sudzha and Darino?", a user, "Nestik", posted on Telegram. Smirnov posted that help was being provided to residents of areas that had been struck overnight by missiles and drones. "The situation is under control," he wrote at 12:46 p.m. About an hour later, Russian news agencies published the first word from the central authorities about the situation. It was from the FSB, saying Russia had "repelled an armed provocation." By now, however, an exodus was under way. Sudzha residents were "leaving en masse", a woman called Anna said on Telegram. "Of course. Everyone wants to live," someone replied. In the chaos, some were left behind. A search network, Liza Alert, said it has posted over 100 "missing" notices for people who have disappeared since Aug. 6, including many pensioners in their 70s and 80s. DRAGON'S TEETH Smirnov's predecessor as governor, Roman Starovoit, had repeatedly told the public that Russia had boosted its border fortifications in Kursk region. In December 2022, he posed in a snowy field beside pyramid-shaped "dragon's teeth" anti-tank defences. The following month, he wrote: "Right now the risk of an armed invasion of the territory of Kursk region from Ukraine is not high. However, we are constantly working to strengthen the regions defense capabilities." Yet last fall Ukraine's National Resistance Center, created by the special operations forces, said in an online post that reconnaissance showed "almost all the strongholds are deserted of personnel and equipment" along the border with Kursk, and said corruption was a factor. The video published by Ukraine's paratroopers showed columns of armored vehicles pouring in through rows of dragons teeth, part of fortifications in Kursk that Russia media outlets have said cost 15 billion roubles ($168 million). Pasi Paroinen, an analyst with Finland's Black Bird Group, said the video appeared to show mine-clearing line charges blowing paths through minefields, dozer blades on armoured vehicles used to clear paths through the dragon's teeth and bridging vehicles to cross ditches and small rivers. It's clear that substantial amounts of different engineer equipment were prepared and used," said Paroinen, who studies publicly available footage from the Russia-Ukraine war. Brady Africk, a U.S. analyst mapping Russias defences, said those in Kursk region had fewer anti-vehicle ditches, obstacles and fighting positions when compared to Russian positions in occupied southern Ukraine, where a Ukrainian counteroffensive stalled last summer. "It was likely easier for Ukrainian forces to progress around and through Russia's fortifications in the region, especially if they were manned by fewer or poorly trained personnel," he said. SHARED RESPONSIBILITY Responsibility for defending the Russian border is shared between regular troops, FSB border forces and the national guard. Governor Smirnov was apparently referring to these various agencies when he said on mid-afternoon of the first day that he had met with "representatives of the security structures". Already, he was backtracking from his initial line that they had prevented the border from being pierced. "The situation in the border area remains difficult, but our defenders are successfully working to destroy the enemy," Smirnov said. At 5:05 p.m., the defence ministry mentioned the incursion for the first time and said Russia had transferred reserves to the area. "Troops covering the state border, together with units of the border troops of the FSB of Russia, are repelling the attacks and inflicting fire on the enemy in the area of the state border and on its reserves in the Sumy region (of Ukraine)," it said. At the briefing on Aug. 7, Gerasimov told Putin: "The operation will end with the smashing of the enemy, and (Russian forces) reaching the state border." Ten days later, with more than 100,000 Russians displaced and Ukraine claiming control of more than 1,000 sq km (390 sq miles) of Kursk region, Moscow's forces are still far from achieving that goal. ($1 = 89.3705 roubles) (Reporting by Mark Trevelyan in London, Anastasiia Malenko in Kyiv, Gleb Stolyarov in Tbilisi; Additional reporting by Felix Light in Tbilisi and Lucy Papachristou in London, Jonathan Landay and Idrees Ali in Washington; Writing by Mark Trevelyan; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel) The Animation Guild and Studios Do Not Reach an Agreement, Add Negotiating Dates in September The Animation Guild and Hollywood studios have scheduled additional negotiations dates for September after concluding a week of bargaining without reaching a deal, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. The union which represents more than 5,000 animation workers and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers previously only allotted one week, ending Friday, to reach a new three-year contract. But a consensus wasnt reached by that time, according to a source. More from The Hollywood Reporter THR has reached out to the AMPTP for comment. Those continued talks will be closely scrutinized by members of the animation community. With many union negotiators calling this moment existential, this year the labor group is prioritizing the regulation of artificial intelligence and preventing further outsourcing of L.A. studio work to foreign countries. These are peoples dreams that theyve turned into careers that could be disappearing, writer and negotiations committee member told THR in a recent story about the negotiation. So we really try to keep that in mind as we move into negotiations that we are fighting for the livelihoods of our membership, for our careers and our dreams. The rapid development of AI, which is still curtailed by a vacuum in policy and copyright restrictions, is nevertheless projected to disproportionately impact animation in the coming years. A survey of media leaders, commissioned by The Animation Guild and other organizations and released in January, found that 29 percent of animation jobs could potentially be disrupted by AI in the next three years, which is the term of the unions next contract. With these talks, in an uncertain environment, the union is attempting to hold the line for its members. This really, for us, feels like a do-or-die negotiation cycle, writer and negotiations committee member Joey Clift told THR at a union rally ahead of negotiations on Aug. 10. Complicating matters is the level of unemployment affecting the union. With layoffs hitting firms including Netflix Animation and DreamWorks Animation and a period of austerity settling in industry-wide, the union has estimated that about one-third of its working members have been dismissed from their jobs in the past year alone. The parties began negotiations at the AMPTPs Sherman Oaks offices on Monday. Best of The Hollywood Reporter AUSTINTOWN, Ohio (MyValleyTributes) Antony J. Reesby, 67, died August 15, 2024 surrounded by loved ones. Antony was born on May 2, 1957, in Oxted, England, to the late Cyril F. Reesby and Maureen M. Jordan Reesby. Find obituaries from your high school He attended McDowell High School in Erie, Pennsylvania and graduated in 1975. He later furthered his education at Kent Trumbull with a focus on I.T. training, laying the groundwork for a career that was fulfilling for him. He was the computer repair technician for Rite Aid, helping when their systems failed and needed his expertise. He joined the Navy, embracing the spirit of service that would shape his character and outlook on life. After his two years in military service, he pursued his passions with vigor, finding freedom on the open road as he rode his beloved Harley Davidson motorcycles. The thrill of the ride was accented by the exquisite sights he experienced, each journey leaving an indelible mark on his heart. He is lovingly remembered by his devoted wife, Kaye Reesby and his sister Debbie (Jim) Mogel. The embrace of family extended to stepchildren Rose Windsor and Scott (Laura) Windsor, niece Jamie Mogel and nephew Michael Mogel, whose lives he touched profoundly, as well as six grand-nieces and nephews. Preceding him in death is his previous wife, Diane Carter Reesby, who was part of a chapter that contributed to the man he became. In honor of Antonys vibrant spirit, a memorial service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, August 21, 2024, at Higgins-Reardon Funeral Home Austintown Chapel 4303 Mahoning Ave., Youngstown, OH 44515. Condolences can be sent to the family by visiting www.higgins-reardon.com To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Antony J. Reesby, please visit our flower store. A television tribute will air Sunday, August 18 at the following approximate times: 8:58 a.m. on FOX and 9:58 p.m. on MyYTV. Video will be posted here the day of airing. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Applications extended for those impacted by war on drugs in SD to start cannabis business SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) Anyone 21 and older who was arrested in San Diego County for cannabis-related crimes before it was legalized in the state in 2016 can apply to start a cannabis business through next week. San Diego County announced Friday the application period for the Cannabis Social Equity Program has been extended through 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 23, 2024. San Diego County advances cannabis social equity program San Diego County residents 21 or older affected by cannabis-related arrests, convictions, or incarcerations in the county before Nov. 8, 2016 can apply for the program, which provides one-on-one mentoring, expungement assistance, along with training to prepare to open a cannabis business in the unincorporated area of the county. Those impacted in other ways but werent incarcerated, like from being deported, arrested or convicted, can also apply, but need to prove their income is 80% or below the area median income. Californians voted to legalize adult-use recreational marijuana on Nov. 8, 2016 with Proposition 64. This program provides assistance to those impacted before it was legalized in the state. If accepted, the program will give applicants access to business development resources, legal advice, financial planning services, and educational workshops as they work to start their cannabis business. Applications are open and can be found online at equity.projectcannabis.org. It is free to apply for the program. Applicants should know within a few weeks if they were accepted, and all information is kept confidential, according to the county. Californias cannabis cafe bill passes State Assembly The programs website states the application documents will be used to determine eligibility for certain programs, like property assistance and the Fee Deferral Program. The Social Equity Program Eligibility Verification Application is managed by the Cannabis Education Project & Social Equity Program Engineers. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. An extensive DNA analysis of a childs skeletal remains from a pre-Colombian settlement by archaeologists and genetic scientists has revealed grim details about an ancient religious ritual. The study was published August 13 in the journal Antiquity. The body was recovered from an area known in the 13th and 14th centuries as Paquime, which Ancient Origins reports was essentially the capital of pre-Colombian Mogollon culture. Mogollon culture refers to indigenous people from Southern New Mexico and Arizona, Northern Sonora and Chihuahua, and Western Texas. Researchers believe the adolescent was sacrificed by his parents between 700 and 800 years ago as part of an ancient religious ritual. The body was buried near a unique structure which was known as the House of the Well to Paquimes citizens. Previous excavations of this building and its underground chambers have yielded a number of ritual objects which points to the site being a ceremonial center. The childs body was buried beneath a support pole, the first cadaver archaeologists have found buried in such a spot at this site. Scientists believe this further points to this ritual being especially notable. Studies of pre-contact Mesoamerican rituals have shown that human sacrifice was one of the most potent ways to placate the gods or receive their assistance, with elite sacrifice being the most powerful, the study notes. A DNA analysis of the remains found that the child had a significant run of homozygosity inside its genes, meaning that the parents were likely of very close relationeven more closely related than if theyd been first cousins. Though relationships among family members have historically been taboo in most cultures, some ancient societies made exceptions for elites so that their bloodline could be furthered. Researchers were quick to note, though, that since the child had clearly been a victim of ritual sacrifice, maintaining the familys bloodline wasnt a primary objective. Sacrificing a child born of two people from a local, elite lineage would have been a powerful way to consecrate the House of the Well and augment social, political, and ritual standing, the study explained. Lead author Jakob Sedig explained in a press release that although the skeletons analysis answered a few questions about the ancient society, many are still unanswered. Archaeologists have studied Paquime for decades and have learned much about its rise and fall, the people who lived there, their ritual practices, and more, Sedig explained. However, many questions remain, especially about the site's social hierarchy and how Paquime's inhabitants were biologically related to each other and their neighbors. Sedig hopes to continue his research into the ancient society through analyzing DNA from Paquimes other residents and those from northern and western Mexico to help us understand how different groups moved and mixed through time. BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Argentina's Federal Police dismantled what it said was a terrorist cell planning attacks on the Jewish community in the city of Mendoza, the National Security Ministry said in a statement on Friday, describing the group as an "Islamist terrorist organization." WHY IT'S IMPORTANT Argentina has Latin America's largest Jewish population. A 1994 attack on a Jewish community center killed 85 people in what remains the deadliest such incident in the South American nation's history. An attack against the Israeli embassy in 1992 killed 22 people. Libertarian President Javier Milei, a staunch proponent of both the Jewish community and Israel, promised last month to beef up the national intelligence system to prevent future attacks. KEY QUOTE "We are going to get rid of each and every one of these criminals who intend to sow fear in Argentines and they will pay," Security Minister Patricia Bullrich posted on social media. CONTEXT The incident follows arrests in Argentina in January of three people with Syrian and Lebanese citizenship suspected of plotting what the authorities called a terrorist attack. BY THE NUMBERS Seven members of the alleged group were arrested, the security ministry said. Eight raids were carried out at the homes of the members, resulting in the seizure of firearms, knives and electronic devices, they said. (Reporting by Maximilian Heath; Writing by Brendan O'Boyle; Editing by William Mallard) A suspect considered armed and dangerous was arrested Friday afternoon after a pursuit that started in Mooresville and ended in Charlotte, police said. Mooresville police: 1 arrested after leading chase, ramming patrol cars Victor Miguel Richardson, 24, of Charlotte, had a felony warrant and was driving a Ford Expedition when Mooresville police asked Charlotte-Mecklenburg police asked for help to apprehend him. Mooresville police got behind the Expedition when it was got off Interstate 77 onto Highway 21, assisting the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. Richardson allegedly hit a Mooresville police cruiser and a civilian car, which caused minor damage. There were no injuries. The pursuit continued south on I-77 to the Sam Furr Road area where stop sticks were deployed, disabling the SUV. Richardson jumped out the Expedition and tried to runaway but was quickly caught. The warrant out for his arrest was for larceny of a motor vehicle, which is a felony. The Expedition was stolen earlier in the day in Mecklenburg County, police in Mooresville stated. The Mooresville Police Department also linked Richardson to an investigation into misdemeanor larceny. Richardson is in the custody of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department and has pending charges, for flee/elude arrest with a motor vehicle, no operators license, and larceny. In a Cambodian childrens folktale, one man is afraid of lawyers and another is afraid of filth. As the story goes, both are constantly bombarded by their fears despite their efforts to avoid them. The moral of the tale is revealing and contains a powerful anti-racism message: What you hate becomes your fate. As an educational linguist and a psychologist who specialize in childrens literacy development, we know that reading such folktales about people from different ethnic groups reduces prejudice in young children. By age 4, children learn stereotypes against certain groups of people, and by age 7, children of color internalize stereotypes. Research suggests that reading stories about a persons own culture has many benefits, including literacy achievement. But according to 2020 Cooperative Childrens Book Center statistics, one barrier to providing culturally sustaining texts to young children is the remarkable lack of availability of such texts. For example, 29% of childrens books are about animals and 41% about white children. Only 9% address experiences of children of Asian descent. Because of this dearth of culturally sustaining texts, we decided to produce our own childrens book specifically focused on children of Asian descent. We teach in Lowell, Massachusetts, a city that has one of the largest Southeast Asian communities in the U.S. and has a number of different Southeast Asian American groups. The Cambodian American community in Lowell, for instance, is the second largest in the U.S. and the third largest in the world outside of Cambodia. A significant step in combating anti-Asian hate Racism against Asians and Asian Americans is not new in America. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II demonstrate the long history of abuse that continues today. According to the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, hate crimes against Asians in the U.S. increased by 339% during the COVID-19 pandemic. A number of studies reveal that such racism has severe negative impacts on many aspects of psychological and physical well-being for victims of prejudice of all ages. Illustrated by art students from our university, our multilingual childrens book is called A Long Long Time Ago in Southeast Asia and focuses on the Cambodian, Vietnamese, Laotian and Burmese communities. The book cover of a collection of Asian folktales. minjeong kim and Allyssa McCabe In March 2018, we held a workshop to introduce this book to 25 Lowell public school elementary school teachers. During that session, we learned that teachers needed a broader understanding of the cultural contexts that shape Asian folktales for them to teach them effectively in their classrooms. To that end, we also produced a scholarly collection of research articles, which we published in 2022, called Perspectives on East and Southeast Asian Folktales. Moral lessons In our research, we found several functions of folktales to be useful to fight against racism, especially when such tales are read to children regularly. Many Asian countries, such as Korea and Vietnam, use folktales as part of an ethics education that is part of their core curricula. First, folktales often contain explicit moral lessons on honesty, wisdom, good deeds and perseverance. For example, A Big Pot of Gold, one of the Vietnamese folktales in our book, is about a poor but honest couple who decided not to take a pot of gold they accidentally found. When a thief overheard the couple, he decided to steal the pot. But instead of gold, he got a pot full of snakes. When the thief returned the pot to the couple, it was again full of gold. The story ends with community members explaining the moral lesson: If you are a good person, you will have good outcomes. A second important function of Asian folktales is that they challenge stereotypes against Asians by using Asian protagonists who display culturally valued traits and exemplary behavioral norms. Stereotypes associated with Asians as being quiet and passive are countered by individuals who act bravely to resolve problems. A third function of Asian folktales is the use of social justice themes such as helping the poor and the weak. In The Big Pot of Gold, for instance, the honest couple used the gold to help other poor people. Using multicultural books to teach children about other cultures is not new. When folktales are taught alongside other multicultural books, a wide spectrum of Asian American experiences gets represented and allows children of all races to read about people of different cultures. That in itself is effective in reducing racism for future generations. 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: Minjeong Kim, UMass Lowell and Allyssa McCabe, UMass Lowell Read more: Minjeong Kim has received funding from Creative Economy Grant of University of Massachusetts to conduct research cited in this article. Allyssa McCabe 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. How asphalt firm fixed the bids to fix the damn roads and got caught A company hired to help fix the damn roads got busted for fixing bids and inflating prices a lucrative crime that it admitted to months ago. And now it's time to pay up. In federal court this week, Pontiac-based Asphalt Specialists was ordered to pay $6.5 million for its role in a yearslong, multimillion-dollar bid-rigging scheme involving contracts for both public and private roads and other surfaces, including driveways and parking lots. The fine was exactly what prosecutors had requested, maintaining the company "chose to cross the line and corrupt the competitive landscape" to line its own pockets and those of its cohorts. "Asphalt Specialists won more than $23.4 million in asphalt paving services contracts by participating in extensive bid-rigging conspiracies that affected dozens of projects and victims," federal prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memo, noting its co-conspirators won another $3.6 million through perverted contracts. Prosecutors argued a "significant" sentence was needed given the elusive nature of the crime. "Bid-rigging is a particularly difficult crime to detect," prosecutors write in the memo. "Given the immense effort that it takes to discover and prosecute bid-riggers like (Asphalt Specialists) an insufficient penalty may embolden would-be offenders, undermining general deterrence." Potholes scattered along Charest Street in Hamtramck in 2015. Asphalt Specialists, meanwhile, says it's a changed company now, and has learned from its mistakes. "ASI very much regrets and takes responsibility for this conduct," the company's attorney, Paul Natherson, wrote in a sentencing memo, stressing the company has cooperated fully with authorities and changed its ways. "After learning of the unlawful conduct, ASI promptly changed its senior management, removing and replacing its co-founders, and hired a new general counsel and chief compliance officer to overhaul the companys compliance program," Natherson wrote, adding the company also has implemented a new code of conduct and "robust" antitrust compliance policy. "Quite simply, the ASI before the court today is not the same company it was at the time of the unlawful conduct," Natherson wrote. According to its website and court records, Asphalt Specialists is a 25-year-old company of about 200 employees that provides numerous construction services, including asphalt paving, underground work and design. The company controls about 20% of the commercial paving market in southeast Michigan. Prosecutors, who describe Asphalt Specialists as a key player in Michigan's paving industry, said the company ran two separate bid-rigging schemes: One with Al's Asphalt Paving Company from 2013-18; another with F. Allied Construction Company from 2017-21. Prosecutors said the three companies conspired to make it look like one company's bid was better than the other's, when in reality they were all in cahoots with one another. Here's how it worked: The companies coordinated each others bid prices so that the agreed-upon losing company would submit intentionally, noncompetitive bids. Authorities says these bids gave the state of Michigan the false impression of competition when, in fact, the companies had already decided among themselves who would win the contracts. When companies choose to cheat rather than compete, they can expect to pay substantial, punitive criminal fines, Deputy Assistant Attorney General Manish Kumar of the Justice Departments Antitrust Division, said. The Antitrust Division and its law enforcement partners will not hesitate in our shared mission to ensure those who violate the antitrust laws do not benefit from their crimes, particularly when those crimes affect critical infrastructure for our country. Asphalt Specialists pleaded guilty to its role in the bid-rigging scheme on Jan. 30. Asphalt Specialist LLCs sentence reflects the seriousness of conduct that undermines the competitive process, said Executive Special Agent in Charge Kenneth Cleevely of the U.S. Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General. This sentencing represents a win for the USPS and for all law enforcement agencies who work together to protect the competitive process and to ensure that justice is served. According to the Department of Justice, the other two co-conspirators in this case also were charged and pleaded guilty: Als Asphalt pleaded guilty and was sentenced to pay a fine of nearly $800,000 on July 31. Allied also previously pleaded guilty to its role and is awaiting sentencing. Six individuals also have been charged as part of the investigation, including: Daniel Israel, former president and part-owner of ASI and Bruce Israel, former vice president and part-owner of ASI. Both have pleaded guilty to violating federal antitrust laws and await sentencing. This case is part of an ongoing federal antitrust investigation into bid-rigging and other anticompetitive conduct in the asphalt paving services industry. Anyone with information in connection with this investigation should contact the Antitrust Divisions Complaint Center at 888-647-3258 or go to www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Asphalt firm to pay $6.5 million for fixing bids to fix the damn roads Image source: Getty Images If you've shopped at Costco before, then you've no doubt come across the Kirkland label. Kirkland is Costco's signature brand. And the nice thing about choosing Kirkland products is getting to save money without skimping on quality. In fact, some of the Kirkland products I love are superior in quality to the more expensive versions I've purchased elsewhere. Here are four such items I'd encourage everyone to try. 1. Kirkland Signature Creamy Almond Butter If you're not a fan of almond butter, keep reading. I get that it's not for everybody, and I'm not here to try to convince you that it's superior to peanut butter in any way. But if you like almond butter, then the Kirkland version is worth trying. It's rich and creamy, and it's incredibly affordable. The online price has you paying $0.28 per ounce, but in-store prices are almost always cheaper. At my local supermarket, the cost per ounce is almost double. 2. Kirkland Signature Almonds, Milk Chocolate Okay, so clearly there's a bit of an almond theme happening here, but stay with me. As a self-proclaimed sweet tooth, I often turn to sugar when I need a pick-me-up. But I feel slightly less guilty doing so with chocolate-covered almonds, since they're a bit less junky in my book than plain milk chocolate. Kirkland's milk chocolate almonds are out of this world. They're sweet, obviously, but not cloying. The only downside is that you might eat a few too many of these in one sitting because they're pretty darn addictive. 3. Kirkland Signature Sweet Heat Snack Mix Although I love sugar, sometimes, I specifically want a snack that isn't sweet, such as when I'm hiking on a warm day. Kirkland's Signature Sweet Heat Snack Mix totally fits the bill there. It's a blend of barbecue almonds (yep, those again), seasoned cashews, honey roasted sesame sticks, glazed pecans, and corn nuggets. Now, I can handle a bit of heat. But I'll also tell you that these aren't particularly spicy to me. They have just the right amount of zing, but in my experience, you won't be reaching for a water jug every few bites. 4. Kirkland gas It's not just food products that you'll find the Kirkland label on. Costco's Kirkland fuel stations are worth stopping at for a couple of reasons. First, there's the price. In my area, it can't be beat. It's worth doing some research to see which station has the cheapest gas in your neck of the woods. But chances are, you'll find that Kirkland gas is the least expensive. Story continues Also, Kirkland gas has the TOP TIER certification. This means it's likely to lead to optimal vehicle performance. Not all fuel stations sell gas that have this designation. So not only might you pay less for gas at Costco, but you might get better mileage out of it. It pays to give Kirkland a chance Costco takes pride in its Kirkland products, so when you buy Kirkland, you can bank on getting your money's worth. And if you ever feel differently, you should know that Costco has a customer satisfaction guarantee on everything it sells. So if you end up buying a Kirkland product, or any product for that matter, that you're not happy with, you can bring it back for a refund. This makes buying Kirkland products for the first time a risk-free experience. But chances are, once you give these items a try, they're going to become permanent fixtures on your shopping list. Top credit cards to use at Costco (and everywhere else!) If youre shopping with a debit card, you could be missing out on hundreds or even thousands of dollars each year. These versatile credit cards offer huge rewards everywhere, including Costco, and are rated the best cards of 2024 by our experts because they offer hefty sign-up bonuses and outstanding cash rewards. Plus, youll save on credit card interest because all of these recommendations include a competitive 0% interest period. Click here to read our expert recommendations for free! We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.Maurie Backman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 4 Kirkland Products at Costco Everyone Should Try at Least Once was originally published by The Motley Fool Aurora police: Keep eyes out for man missing for over 2 weeks DENVER (KDVR) The Aurora Police Department is asking the public to be on the lookout for a man who has not been seen in several weeks. Police said Christopher George, 44, was last seen by his family on July 30 at his home in Aurora. He disappeared and the family has not been able to contact him, according to police. The family reported him as missing to police on Aug. 7. Police share details on back-to-back downtown Denver shootings His vehicle, a two-door, white 2007 Dodge pickup truck bearing the license plate CYP P73, is also missing, police said. Police said Christopher George, 44, was last seen by his family on July 30 at his home in Aurora. He was reported missing to police on Aug. 7. (Aurora Police Department) Police said Christopher George, 44, was last seen by his family on July 30 at his home in Aurora. He was reported missing to police on Aug. 7. His 2007 white Dodge pickup is also missing. (Aurora Police Department) Police said Christopher George, 44, was last seen by his family on July 30 at his home in Aurora. He was reported missing to police on Aug. 7. (Aurora Police Department) However, investigators say the truck has been to the Berthoud, Longmont and Adams County areas since July 30. George is described as 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighing about 140 pounds. He is said to frequent a gas station near Interstate 225 and Iliff Avenue in Aurora. Anyone who sees him or has any information on his whereabouts is asked to call Aurora police at 303-627-3100 or by calling 911, referencing case number AP24-152722. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) Its back-to-school time and with that, comes getting children ready to be back in the classroom. This includes getting vaccines and health assessments done before the school year begins. In North Carolina, students entering public school for the first time must complete a health assessment from the state, as well as, immunization requirements. ECU School Health Program Nurse Manager Laurie Reed gave more information about when students need these health prerequisites. We also do have immunization requirements and there are various requirements, but particularly when they start kindergarten, there are several immunizations that are required, Reed said. And then, we also do have requirements for students as they enter seventh grade and as they enter 12th grade as well. Reed said parents should be in communication with their childrens health care providers and school nurses to make sure they are up to date on their requirements. There will be a back to school health fair at Welcome Middle School in Greenville Saturday from 11 a.m. to 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 WNCT. A story about administrators at the New College of Florida throwing out hundreds of library books, many reportedly containing LGBTQ+ themes, has ignited a new controversy over the conservative takeover of the public liberal arts school. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI Aug. 16 (UPI) -- A report about hundreds of library books, including "many on LGBTQ+ topics and religious studies," being tossed by administrators at the New College of Florida sparked angry reactions from civil liberties groups on Friday. The Sarasota Herald-Tribune on Thursday reported that the New College of Florida, a small, public liberal arts school whose governance was restructured last year by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, had hauled hundreds of library books to a landfill, "many of which contained LGBTQ+ themes." Published images showed a dumpster in the parking lot of the school's Jane Bancroft Cook Library overflowing with books and collections, reportedly from the school's now-shuttered Gender and Diversity Center. The New College has been at the center of a national controversy over academic freedom after DeSantis, a former Republican presidential candidate, appointed six new conservative members to its board of trustees with the stated goal of transforming the institution from an enclave of nonconformist "free thinkers" into a bastion of conservative thought. Chosen to lead newly reshaped board was Christopher Rufo, an outspoken critic of "critical race theory in American institutions" and an activist claiming to have inspired legislation in 15 states. The school denied the Herald-Tribune report, issuing a statement claiming it was carrying out a routine maintenance of its campus library and removing materials due to the scrapping of the gender studies program. "A library needs to regularly review and renew its collection to ensure its materials are meeting the current needs of students and faculty," the school said. "The images seen online of a dumpster of library materials is related to the standard weeding process." DEVELOPING: New College of Florida dumped hundreds of library books this afternoon. The school also emptied the college's Gender and Diversity Center, tossing hundreds of their books. Working to file a story now. pic.twitter.com/073dU3A6mp Steven Walker (@swalker_7) August 15, 2024 Nevertheless, the story created a backlash from civil liberties and academic freedom advocates. "It's appalling to see books treated like common trash, and disposing of them by the truckload is nothing short of an attack on education itself and an attempt at all-out erasure," People For the American Way President Sante Myrick said in a statement. "These books could have helped people learn about each other, appreciate each other, and come together in common knowledge; instead, they'll likely rot in a landfill, and the people of Florida will be worse off for it," he added. Myrick termed pictures of the mounds of trashed books "a shocking preview of what we could see during a second Trump administration, and we cannot let it happen. We cannot allow knowledge to become a casualty of hate." "Politicians and school boards are making moves to ban books -- predominately those by Black and LGBTQ authors -- from public schools and libraries across the nation," added the American Civil Liberties Union. "But we'll keep fighting for our right to learn." "Ron DeSantis' extremist college makeover continues with the destruction and disposal of hundreds of books from the gender and diversity collection at New College of Florida," said Jonathan Webber, Florida policy director for the Southern Poverty Law Center. "The destruction of books for political gain is completely outside the mainstream of American values and is only embraced by a few fringe elements. Students and parents believe that educational decisions should remain in the hands of educators. They do not want Tallahassee politicians using their classrooms to advance their own ideological agendas," he said. Barclays warned it risks damaging its reputation by capitulating to demands of pro-Palestine activists Barclays has been warned that it risks damaging its reputation by capitulating to demands from activists to boycott Israel. At least 20 branches of the bank have been attacked over the summer by pro-Palestinian protesters who are calling on it to cut ties with the country. Barclays is being targeted because of its role in providing financial services to defence companies that supply weapons to the Israeli army. More than 50 peers from across the House of Lords have now written to Nigel Higgins, the Barclays chairman, to urge the company to stand firm. In a letter to Mr Higgins, they argued that the BDS (boycott, divestment and sanction) campaign against Israel often [crosses] into anti-Semitism through inflammatory language and endorsements of violence. For these reasons, BDS has been fiercely rejected by all major UK political parties and numerous world leaders, the peers said. Furthermore, we believe that capitulating to the demands of these political activists would significantly damage Barclays reputation with the silent majority of customers and stakeholders both in the UK and the USA, who value the banks commitment to principled and fair business practices. The Financial Times reported last week that Barclays had begun to re-evaluate its financial involvement in Israel in an attempt to quieten criticism amid the ongoing war in Gaza. But it emerged a day later that the bank had decided to reverse its plans to withdraw from future Israeli government bond auctions. The signatories to the letter include Tory grandee Lord Frost, Lord Austin, a former private secretary to Gordon Brown, and Boris Johnsons Brexit negotiator, and Lord Walney, the governments political violence tsar. The acts of vandalism and disruption targeted at Barclays branches across the UK are deeply concerning, they said. These unlawful and destructive tactics not only undermine the spirit of peaceful protest but also pose serious threats to the safety of Barclays employees and customers. Considering these challenges, we commend Barclays for standing firm against these acts of aggression. A pro-Palestine demonstration in London - GUY BELL/ALAMY LIVE NEWS Members of the campaign group Palestine Action shattered glass, sprayed paint and threw rocks at branches from Glasgow to Brighton during coordinated protests in June. The group partnered with Shut the System, a new underground climate movement, to carry out the attack, claiming that previous peaceful protests had proven futile. Earlier this year, Barclays was forced to pull its sponsorship of the Latitude music festival amid pressure from pro-Palestinian activists. The bank suspended its sponsorship of all Live Nation festivals, which also include Download and the Isle of Wight festival, after a backlash to its role in funding defence companies that supply Israel. Musicians and comedians including Grace Campbell, the daughter of former Labour spin doctor Alastair Campbell, had withdrawn from Latitude over its ties to Barclays. In response, Barclays insisted that it remains committed to the defence sector as an essential part of keeping this country and our allies safe. The only thing that this small group of activists will achieve is to weaken essential support for cultural events enjoyed by millions, it added. Naturalist and TV presenter Chris Packham - STEWART@DERBYSHIREBIRDTOURS.COM It came after BBC presenter Chris Packham was criticised for urging people who bank with Barclays to stick their heads in a bucket of petrol and set themselves on fire. The Springwatch host was speaking at an environmental event in Derbyshire, where he urged people not to bank with financial institutions that invest in fossil fuels, weapons and poverty. He said: If anyone here is banking with Barclays, then I suggest you stick your head in a bucket of fuel and set fire to it, because youre burning our planet down. And its time to put this stuff behind us. Barclays was contacted for comment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. AKRON, Ohio (WJW) The Bureau of Criminal Investigation is investigating after a fatal officer-involved shooting in Akron early Saturday morning. According to the Akron Police Department, officers were investigating after a stolen vehicle was spotted in the Duke and Duchess gas station parking lot in the 2200 block of East Avenue around 1 a.m. Investigators say a police officer fired two rounds during the incident, striking the suspect. 7-year-old boy on skateboard killed in Cleveland hit-and-run: Police According to Akron police, officers on-scene immediately administered first aid, but the suspect, a 54-year-old man, was pronounced dead. His name is being withheld at this time. Officers found a loaded firearm inside the vehicle. The officer, who has worked with the Akron Police Department for two and a half years, was placed on paid administrative leave, as per standard procedure. Canton motorcyclist killed in Stark County crash The BCI will be handling the investigation. After that, the case will be handed over to the Ohio Attorney Generals Office for review before it is submitted to the Summit County Grand Jury, police officials said. An internal investigation is also being done by the Office of Professional Standards and Accountability. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Right now, there is chaos in Chicago. Not in the streets as a result of protests or demonstrations, but in the United Center where the Democratic National Convention team has spent the last four weeks rewriting the script and putting together a different production with a different nominee, different speakers and a different message. Our heart goes out to them. We have worked on the scripting and production of every Democratic convention this century. While the tools and technology have evolved (our early convention offices had fax machines), the job has remained the same: Turn an event that lacks drama and suspense after all, a convention chooses a candidate that has already been chosen into compelling television that delivers a message, excites voters and, hopefully, provides a boost for the nominee that will launch them toward victory on Election Day. Under the harsh fluorescent lighting of a room in the bowels of the United Center, now sit about a dozen speechwriters trying to get their arms around the 125 to 150 speeches that will be delivered next week. If history is any guide, they are dealing with members of Congress who promise they will send in the draft that already is days late, the senator who swears she can deliver an 1,800-word address in three minutes (not even an auctioneer can do that), the governor who thinks his pet issue is way more important than whatever topic the campaign wants him to address. Down the hall, the teleprompter operators are assembling the show script. Come Monday, they will lock their door, with only a select few people allowed to knock on it to deliver changes. The production team is urging the film editors to finish their final cuts while finalizing a full run of show a multicolored grid that maps out the procedural elements, speeches, videos, musical numbers and slivers of buffer time that will disappear as speech after speech goes over its allotted time. A group of ex-staffers, lobbyists and other professional Democrats are getting their assignments as trackers. Their mission? Making sure speakers get to where they need to be on time. At the best of times, all of this is in flux until the last minute. This year, it must be like herding (childless cat ladies') cats. Knowing the work that goes into making the show and it is, after all, a show and, much like President Joe Biden, having passed the reins to a new generation, we are here to offer a guide to what convention viewers are seeing, whats behind what theyre seeing and why it matters. The Program: Go for the big names There was a time when the convention was must-see TV. The summer was filled with re-runs, and networks turned over four nights of prime time to the proceedings. Today, the production team has to convince the networks (broadcast and cable) to give time to the convention, and when covering it, actually show the speeches. Thats why at this convention, you will see at least one must-cover speaker each night: President Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton on Monday, President Barack Obama on Tuesday, President Bill Clinton and Governor Tim Walz on Wednesday, and Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday. Even with big names, a Democrat supporting a Democrat isnt newsworthy, but much like a 1970s sitcom, extra-special guests are especially Republicans supporting Democrats. This is why conventions have tried to highlight unlikely supporters or allies. If its rare to have a union president show up for the Republicans (as Teamsters President Sean OBrien did this summer), its also rare to have a CEO show up for Democrats, which is what happened when Costco CEO Jim Sinegal spoke in 2012. Mike Bloomberg vouched for Hillary Clinton in 2016, and Republican Governor and EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman spoke as part of a group of Republican women in support of Biden at the 2020 Democratic Convention, as did Ohio Gov. John Kasich. Who will be the unlikely guest star for Democrats this year? Liz Cheney? Paul Ryan? Adam Kinzinger? Well have to wait and see. The speeches: Putting the brakes on cranky pols Getting invited to speak at the Democratic convention can feel to the speaker less like a special honor and more like an assembly line. Speakers are told what they should say, how long they have to say it, the word count they must hit and the deadline by which they must submit their speech. Even if they choose to write their own speech, they are assigned a member of the convention speechwriting team, who helps shepherd the speech down the conveyor belt: through a fact check and a message check to make sure it conforms to the convention message. (After Melania Trump plagiarized a Michelle Obama speech, we added plagiarism checks as well.) Meanwhile, the speaker is routed into a rehearsal room to practice on a teleprompter (no note cards or paper is allowed on stage), and then to tour the stage so they can get a sense for what it will feel like being up there. For all but a small handful of speakers, we treat this as the wedding guest rule; it aint about you. You have to say what the candidate wants. This is not an easy message to deliver to a senator or House member. We still have nightmares about Harry Reids death stares, Maxine Waters death threats and one governor who told us to stop busting his balls. Weve had to have uncomfortable conversations, like when we had to tell former Rep. Barney Frank in 2012 that because of his pronunciation challenges, his speech comparing Mitt Romney to the myth of Romney all sounded like Miff Romney. Or when we told a twentysomething actress that, as adamant as she was, her friends from her struggling days surely didnt depend on Medicare; she probably meant Medicaid. Do people go rogue? They have. In 2004, Al Sharpton couldnt have been more agreeable submitted a draft, rehearsed it, and then got up on stage and pulled an entirely different speech out of his pocket. Still, speaking slots are coveted, and speakers pull every string they can for extra time or higher billing. Going over our heads is as common as kissing babies for the politician. We get it, because these speeches can make careers. But size doesnt matter. In 2004, it took all of 16 minutes for Barack Obama to go from a little-known Illinois senate candidate to a future president. And in the age of X and TikTok, any speech can go viral if it hits the right nerve. In 2008, Barney Smith, a former Republican from Marion, Indiana, whose job had been outsourced, had an early viral moment when he declared We need a president who puts Barney Smith ahead of Smith Barney. In 2016, an unknown father of a fallen Army officer named Khizr Khan brandished his copy of the Constitution creating an emotional reaction in the hall, a viral moment and ultimately a book deal. And in 2012, Michigan Governor (and now Energy Secretary) Jennifer Granholm was tasked in the early evening hours to tout Obamas rescue of the auto industry and take on Mitt Romney who had written an op-ed entitled Let Detroit Go Bankrupt. She eviscerated Romney with a line that poked fun of his vacation home that had a planned car elevator: In Romneys world, the cars get the elevator, the workers get the shaft. Granholms energy worked the room into a spontaneous frenzy of USA chants (note that any chants from the crowd you hear are almost always generated by the production team) by calling out each state and the auto jobs saved. The noise got the attention of the producers, who cut away from the talking heads and to the convention floor. By the next night, Granholm was on The Tonight Show. In that case, we knew that this speech was going to be a hit because we heard Granholm practice it in the prep room. But speakers, beware: Just as convention organizers can put their thumb on the scale for you, they can go against you too. Play ball, and theyll argue for you getting another minute or two. Practice well and get the speech prep team wiping away tears, and theyll alert the media that your speech is worth watching. On the flip side, lack of cooperation has a cost. In 2000, Harold Ford Jr. was so uncooperative that the production team decided to let earlier speeches run longer so Fords keynote would run way past 11 p.m., the time networks cut away to the local news. Finally, look at who is the keynote speaker, which as of this writing, has yet to be named. This speech is one of the last flexes of the party leadership; their way to identify and anoint the leaders of the next generation. From Hubert Humphrey to Barbara Jordan, Mario Cuomo and Barack Obama, these slots have catapulted careers. At the Covid 2020 convention, the keynote was a video of 17 young leaders, led by Stacey Abrams. Who does Harris see as the next generation? Gretchen Whitmer? Josh Shapiro? Wes Moore? Or is there a little-known state senator with a funny name out there waiting to be discovered? Videos: Making viewers cry Video may have killed the radio star, but they saved real people. In the days of VHS, the convention video was really only used to introduce the life story of the nominee (most famously The Man from Hope for Bill Clinton in 1992). Over the years, we had a problem with our real people, speakers who arent an elected official, professional activist or celebrity. Think the family who struggles to pay the medical bills, the truck driver who cant pay for his childs college education or the military family suffering through repeated deployments. They illustrate a policy point, or vouch for the candidates character. The problem had long been that no one in the hall knew who these people were, and they just talked through their speeches and stories. If the audience is not paying attention, then the media isnt either. However, once we began using videos to tell their story before they appeared onstage, it was a different story. Turning down the house lights to play them focused the crowd and set the emotional tone, teeing up a dramatic entry for the real person. This, then, gets the medias attention, especially in their hometown, which is the point of the whole exercise. Indeed, real people are chosen to drive local media coverage in key states. So if you want a peek into the Harris-Walz campaign strategy, look where the real people are coming from. Signage: Sending a message, whether the speaker wants it or not Signs in the crowd are as old as conventions themselves, but theyre more strategic than you may think. Attendees are not allowed to bring in their own signs. Watch closely, and youll see different signs being distributed and collected as many as 12 different signs over the course of one evening of the convention. What signs the audience holds up is part of the production, sending a message to the media and those at home. As the speechwriting team is drafting, we would identify good lines or refrains from key speeches, to be made into signs. Or sometimes, the campaign would share messages that they wanted on signs, and then ask the speechwriting team to make sure a speaker said them. The problem occurs when a speaker gets cold feet, and the posters are printed. In 2008, Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzers speech had a refrain inserted in it: Obama is the change we need. McCain is more of the same. Each sentence was printed on a separate sign, and we were ready to go. The problem was that the governor wasnt. He didnt like it, and was convinced it wouldnt work. After some cajoling, he relented and as he spoke those lines, the signs went up and the crowd went wild. Afterward, excited by the response, he joked how glad he was that we had used his line. Seating: Keeping rogue delegates out of view Unlike a Taylor Swift concert, the best seats dont go to the people with the most money or the fastest Ticketmaster trigger finger. Floor seats and the lower bowl are for the delegates, divided by state. Front and center are the candidates delegations, California and Minnesota, with other key states working their way out from them. Usually, this is uncontroversial, but as The New York Times reported, the largest concentration of the 30 uncommitted delegates, who ran to protest the Biden-Harris administrations stance on Gaza, are in Minnesota, giving them a prime spot to protest. The convention team will be ready, scanning the floor and the stands for rogue signs or protests. Once identified, they can call others to put campaign-friendly signs in front of them to block a camera shot. Look for the guys in bright vests and ear pieces; they are the ones directing the crowd and solving problems. As for us, well be watching too. A little less sleep-deprived than we were during conventions past, but no less impressed by all the work that goes into putting on the biggest show in politics. Belarus expands trade cooperation with businesses in occupied territories of Ukraine Ukraine's National Resistance Center has reported that the Belarusian authorities are increasing industrial ties with businesses seized by Russia in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. Source: Ukraine's National Resistance Center (NRC) Details: The NRC stated that Belarus is expanding the supply of agricultural machinery and other products to the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. Meanwhile, light industry goods from these occupied territories are being imported into Belarus. Quote: "Recently, the occupation administration of Zaporizhzhia and the Belarusian delegation signed a number of agreements to expand trade cooperation. Thus, Lukashenkos regime [the self-proclaimed president of Belarus] is deliberately violating international law and trading with the occupied territories." Support UP or become our patron! From the Dispatch Weekly on The Dispatch Hello and happy Saturday. If the first months of the 2024 presidential election felt like a slow-placed low-grade horror movie, filling viewers with dread along a plodding path to an unhappy ending, and the month of July felt like a historical documentary in the making, August is shaping up as a sitcom. On Wednesday, Nick headlined his newsletter A Show About Nothing, which even some of our younger readers might recognize as a reference to Seinfeld. He lamented the vacuous nature of the campaignfrom both teams. Case in point? With Ukraine launching an offensive on Russian territory, the Middle East on verge of a full-scale war, and the economy looking shaky, both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are in violent agreement that restaurant servers should not have to pay taxes on tips. Nick wrote: Its terrible policy, its insultingly trivial relative to Americas actual challenges, and the two nominees have the same position on it. Its a neat microcosm of the unseriousness of the race since Harris replaced Joe Biden at the top of the Democratic ticket. The week did not get more serious from there. Harris unveiled a sweeping economic agenda Friday in a speech in North Carolina, vowing to ban price gouging on groceries and offering up to $25,000 to first-time homebuyers for down payments. In the Friday G-File, Jonah admits that her ideas might sound good: Voters like politicians who want to give them something, and its especially appealing to the social justice crowd that emphasizes equality of outcomes over the equality of opportunity. However: If the median voter thinks price-fixing is a good idea, then the median voter is ignorant and wrongabout price fixing (the median voter might be wise and informed on countless other issues from the inedibleness of marmite to the non-sandwich status of the hotdog). A bad idea doesnt become good just because a large number of people subscribe to it. But while price controls sound good, they dont work. He writes: When these ideas failas they musttheir promoters dont blame themselves or their ideas. They blame the greedy, the malefactors of great wealth, the millionaires and billionaires, the kulaks, the Jews, the financiers, the globalists, Big Corporations, Wall Street, and, of course, the price gougers, just to name a few scapegoats. Over on the other side of the aisle, no signs point to the Trump campaign getting more serious, either. As much as Trump can be unpredictable and mercurial, his campaign managers, Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles, are seasoned political operatives whove been trying to give Trump good advice. But with Trump losing ground in the polls, guess whos back? Corey Lewandowski, who ran much of Trumps 2016 campaign, is joining the team as an adviser, and hell be bringing his 2016 playbook with him: Let Trump Be Trump. In Fridays Boiling Frogs (), Nick calls Lewandowski an enabler of Trumps id, a warm blanket wholl reassure the boss that his instincts are right and his highly paid advisers are wrong. Lewandowskis return is not the only thing that has Nick flashing back to 2016: He notes the weird parallels like Joe Biden being pushed aside to make way for Hillary Clinton then and Harris this year, and both nominees picking suburban-dad-ish running matesnamed Tim! None of it has him feeling optimistic. 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. Thats where we stand 80 days out from Election Day. Thanks for being on this crazy ride with us, and have a great weekend. Not a member? Join now! While Kamala Harris campaign has largely gone better than most people might have guessed before President Joe Biden withdrew from the race and endorsed her, her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, has already dealt with some unwanted attention over his military service and a past association with an antisemitic Minneapolis imam. Those are the kinds of things that would normally come up in the vetting process that presidential candidates conduct before choosing a vice presidential candidate. But Harris was operating on a much shorter timeline. David Drucker spoke with some members of Mitt Romneys 2012 campaign, who shared how the process normally works. Back then, the process took about five months, starting with a long list of names and brief profiles. Once May 2012 hit, the list was down to five names and full vetting commenced. The vet was pretty damn thorough, a Republican strategist told Drucker about the process to select Paul Ryan. Kevin generally includes a section he calls Words About Words in his weekly newsletter, but this week he devoted his big essay to discussing one important word: weird. The Harris campaign has used the term to describe the Trump campaign, and it seems to have struck a nerve. Kevin thinks he knows why: Its a vestige of the era of pickup artist blogs, which became popular about 15 years ago and sought to teach men how to act like alpha males. He writes that a lot of men on the New Right are or were immersed in that culture, and it shows. One of the things you might have noticed if you were reading those blogs a decade and a half ago was the unquestioned consensus that the worst thing a woman could call a suitor was weird, or some variation such as weirdo, followed by creepy/creep and other near-synonyms. Weird wasnt just a criticism or a prelude to rejectionit was emasculating. The Dispatch Politics team checks in on the Trump campaigns ground game and isnt finding much as one might expect so close to the election. We reported back in April that Trump wanted his campaign and the Republican National Committee to focus on election integrity. The ground game would be left to super PACs, thanks to a Federal Election Commission ruling in March that allowed direct coordination with campaigns on canvassing efforts. Now, there is scant evidence of a Trump/RNC ground game, robust or otherwise. A ground game might not have seemed necessary when Trump was leading President Joe Biden comfortably, but that changed overnight when Kamala Harris took over. With the need to change strategy and time running out, the campaign has questions to answer. As one GOP operative said to us, Are they organized and what are their goals? Is their goal turnout or ballot integrity? And, as for the outside groups, how does one audit them? Not a member? Join now! And heres the best of the rest: Intel recently announced that it lost $1.6 billion last quarter and has plans to lay off about 15,000 workers. Did you know the company was also the biggest recipient of subsidies from the CHIPS Act, which is designed to boost semiconductor chip manufacturing in the U.S.? In Capitolism , Scott looks at the systemic failures that have contributed to Intels problems and writes, The real question isnt what happens to Intel next; its how we got here in the first placeand how the CHIPS Act all but guaranteed that we would. A Democratic National Convention in Chicago with an unpopular war threatening to divide the party? The 1968 convention was marred by protests and exposed the partys dysfunction, and a lot of Republicans are hoping that history repeats itself next week. Chris Stirewalt writes in his latest newsletter () that this time should be different: Anti-Israel sentiment isnt as widespread as opposition to the Vietnam War was in 68, Kamala Harris is a little more popular than Hubert Humphrey, and security around the convention is a little tighter these days. One constant in politics is that young voters favor Democratsits a stereotype backed up by decades of polling. Why then, are so many young men drawn to Donald Trump? Scott Howard writes that the trend is reflective of societys growing indifference to them. Have abortions increased since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade? Are more babies being born? Can both things be true at once? John looks at different studies that show both results, and tries to get to the bottom of it all. On the pods: What is a Never Trumper to do this election? Vote for Harris, write in someone, stay home? On The Dispatch Podcast, Jamie welcomes Daily Beast columnist Matt Lewis to run through the options. On Advisory Opinions, Sarah and David French talk to former White House counsel Bob Bauer about special counsel Robert Hurs report that discussed President Bidens cognitive decline and what it was like to help Biden with his debate prep. On The Remnant, Jonah and Stirewalt compare the election to a domestic dispute between the Mommy and Daddy parties, suggest that Tim Walz do some interviews, and preview the Democratic convention. 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. President Joe Biden on Friday designated the site of a 1908 race riot in Illinois a national monument. Biden signed a proclamation marking the 116th anniversary of the Springfield riot in which a mob of white residents attacked Black-owned businesses. The rioters looted and burned not only businesses but homes, lynching two Black men in the process. The new monument will tell the story of a horrific attack by a white mob on a Black community that was representative of the racism, intimidation, and violence that Black Americans experienced across the country, the White House said in a statement. The riot began after a crowd of white people gathered outside the Sangamon County Jail to demand that 17-year-old Joe James and 36-year-old George Richardson be released so the mob could lynch them. James and Richardson who were Black had been accused of assaulting or attempting to assault a white woman. One of their white accusers later recanted. But when James and Richardson were moved to a jail farther away, the mob attacked the Black community in violence that would last through the weekend. In this photo from March 22, 2023, sculptures representing charred chimneys rising from the rubble of burned-out buildings make up a memorial for the 1908 race riot in Springfield, Illinois. John O'Connor via Associated Press In the ensuing attacks, Black men Scott Burton and William Donnegan were lynched and dozens of businesses were looted or vandalized. Donnegan had worked on the Underground Railroad to free enslaved people, and even made shoes for President Abraham Lincoln. Over 100 years ago this week, a mob not far from Lincolns home unleashed a race riot in Springfield and that literally shocked the conscience of the nation, Biden said Friday. A lot of people forgot it. We cant let these things fade. The incident led to the founding of the NAACP civil rights organization, according to the National Park Service. Springfield was the site of a recent killing of an unarmed Black woman by law enforcement. Sean Grayson, a former officer with the Sangamon County Sheriffs Office, faces three counts of murder in the fatal shooting of 36-year-old Sonya Massey in July. Body-camera video shows Grayson yelling at Massey who had called 911 to report a possible prowler at her home over moving a pot of water from the stove just moments before shooting her. This fucking bitch is crazy, Grayson could be heard telling other officers after shooting Massey. Donnegan the man who was lynched in 1908 was reportedly an ancestor of Masseys. In 2022, HuffPost first reported that Aaron Paul Nichols, a former Springfield Police Department officer, had left the force after white supremacist social media posts surfaced online. Biden plans to use his convention speech to hand off to Harris and make case against Trump President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris finish speaking about their administration's efforts to lower prescription drug costs during an event at Prince George's Community College in Largo, Md., Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough) WASHINGTON (AP) President Joe Biden will give the keynote address Monday night at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, making a symbolic handoff of his party to Vice President Kamala Harris and pressing the case for what he says is the threat to the country if Donald Trump returns to the White House. Four weeks ago, Biden ended his bid for reelection as his party descended into a crisis of confidence over his chances against the Republican nominee after a devastating performance in their June debate. Now, Biden is set to receive a rousing welcome from many of the same officials who were itching for him to exit the race. Bidens aides said the president will use his remarks to deliver the argument for why he believes Harris must replace him and defeat Trump, whom he says is a threat to democracy. Biden will also play up some of his popular accomplishments before he steps out of the spotlight for Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, to take center stage the rest of the week, the aides said. Biden was greeted by chants of Thank you, Joe! on Thursday when he appeared with Harris in Maryland, and aides said he was pleased by the consolidation in the party behind Harris. Biden endorsed Harris minutes after ending his campaign, helping orchestrate a near-seamless handoff of his political operation to his vice president and avoiding a contentious fight in Chicago over the party's future. While Biden is no longer on the top of the ticket, his influence will be felt in Chicago, albeit in a far smaller role than had he remained the nominee. Speakers at the convention are expected to make reference to Biden's accomplishments, from helping lead the country out of the COVID-19 pandemic to winning passage of major infrastructure, climate and health care investments. Harris has used Biden's policies as the foundation of her own policy plans. The convention's logo still calls back to the president's campaign logo, and signage in the United Center will feature a quote from Biden's Oval Office address explaining his decision to drop out, when he exhorted voters to back Harris: History is in your hands," he said then. On Monday, signs will feature a regular Biden-ism: "Spread the faith. First lady Jill Biden and other members of Biden's family will be in the arena to watch his speech, which will serve as a coda to his 50 years in Democratic politics. Jill Biden will also speak at the convention Monday night. Harris is expected to attend that night. Biden was not scheduled to be at the convention when Harris speaks in the prime spot on Thursday evening. Gripas Yuri/ABACA / Shutterstock / Gripas Yuri/ABACA / Shutterstock Kamala Harris is up for a very big promotion. If the vice president wins the election in November, it will also likely be a major economic victory for select states and, potentially, ease the cost of living for those who live in them. Read More: Im an Economist: Heres My Prediction for Social Security If Kamala Harris Wins the Election For You: 7 Reasons You Must Speak to a Financial Advisor To Boost Your Savings in 2024 A combination of her work under the Biden administration and as a longtime California elected official senator, attorney general, district attorney could offer clues as to what a President Harris would look like. Since her career accomplishments align more closely with the policies of some states than others, its possible a Harris win would be more welcomed in some areas. Certain states stand to see significant economic benefits if Kamala Harris is elected, due to her focus on progressive policies, investment in clean energy and support for social equity, said Ryan Waite, vice president of public affairs at Think Big. Heres a look at the top five states he thinks will gain the most if Harris becomes president. California As Kamala Harriss home state, California would likely see significant economic benefits from her administrations emphasis on green energy, technology investments and environmental protections, Waite said. The states strong envirotech sector could see further growth with federal support for clean energy initiatives, which are central to Harriss economic agenda. Thats not the only issue Harris supports that he thinks could benefit the Golden State. Additionally, Californias general focus on equity and social justice aligns with Harriss policy goals, which could lead to increased federal support for social programs and infrastructure improvements, he said. President Joe Biden won California in the 2020 presidential election with a landslide 63.5% of the vote. Learn More: Im an Economist: Heres My Prediction for the Housing Market If Trump Wins the Election Find Out: Trump Wants To Eliminate Income Taxes: Heres What That Would Mean for the Economy and Your Wallet Earning passive income doesn't need to be difficult. You can start this week. culbertson / Getty Images/iStockphoto Minnesota With Tim Walz as Harriss running mate, Minnesota is poised to benefit from their shared economic priorities, Waite said. Walzs track record as governor includes strong support for labor protections, poverty reduction and education investments all areas that Harris has also championed. He said a Harris win could also be advantageous to Minnesota families. Story continues The state could see increased federal investment in social safety nets, such as expanded child tax credits and paid family leave, which align with Harris and Walzs policy goals, he explained. These initiatives would likely boost Minnesotas economy, particularly in supporting working families and reducing income inequality. In 2020, Biden won Minnesota with 52.4% of the vote. Read Next: States Whose Economies Are Failing vs. States Whose Economies Are Thriving New York New York, with its financial sector and large urban population, could benefit from Harriss focus on financial regulation, affordable housing and infrastructure investment, Waite said. Harriss policies are expected to emphasize social equity and environmental sustainability, which could lead to increased federal funding for urban development projects in New York City. He doesnt expect that to be the only big win for New York if Harris is elected. Additionally, the states strong healthcare sector may benefit from Harriss support for expanding healthcare access and reducing healthcare costs, he said. Biden won New York in 2020 with 60.9% of the vote not a close call. wellesenterprises / iStock.com Michigan Michigans economy, which is heavily reliant on manufacturing, particularly in the automotive sector, could benefit from Harriss commitment to supporting the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) and clean energy, Waite said. Harriss administration is likely to continue and expand on the Biden administrations efforts to incentivize EV production, which could revitalize Michigans auto industry and create jobs in clean energy and advanced manufacturing. Michigan is known as The Auto Capital of the World for good reason: The automotive and mobility industry contributes $304 billion per year to Michigans economy, according to the Detroit Regional Chamber. Notably, 98 of the top 100 automotive suppliers to North America maintain a presence in Michigan, with 65 making the state their headquarters. Biden won Michigan a key swing state in 2020 with 50.6% of the vote. Paulbr / iStock.com Georgia Georgia could see economic growth from Harriss focus on healthcare expansion and infrastructure development, Waite said. With policies aimed at expanding Medicaid and investing in rural healthcare, Georgias healthcare sector could see a boost, particularly in underserved areas. This alone could appeal to many voters, but he said Georgia could see even more benefits from a Harris presidency. Additionally, infrastructure investments would improve transportation and logistics networks, supporting economic development across the state, he said. Georgia was a close call in the 2020 election, but Biden prevailed with 49.5% of the vote. Trending Now: Heres the Salary Needed to Actually Take Home $100K in Every State Michael Brochstein/ZUMA Press Wire / SplashNews.com / Michael Brochstein/ZUMA Press Wire / SplashNews.com Potential Issues for Harris Despite believing California, Minnesota, New York, Michigan and Georgia have the most to gain from a Harris presidency, Waite said she could face opposition on certain issues in these states. A caveat to all of this is that, although Harris has expressed support for a pro-business agenda, some of her rhetoric may cause concern in certain sectors, he said. For example, her emphasis on forgiving medical debt and expanding healthcare access could potentially have negative implications for states with large healthcare industries, like New York and California. These arent the only potential roadblocks the Harris campaign might encounter. Furthermore, her commitment to investing in small businesses might raise concerns among larger corporations, he said. Interestingly, Harriss economic agenda so far does not appear to prioritize policies specifically designed to benefit swing states, in contrast to Trumps focus on economic strategies aimed at securing key battlegrounds. As noted above, Biden won all five of these states in the 2020 presidential election. Harris will certainly be looking to do the same in November. 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. For more coverage on this topic, please check out 5 States That Would Likely Benefit the Most Economically From a Second Trump Presidency. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 5 States That Would Benefit the Most From a Kamala Harris Win in November President Joe Biden is spending the weekend readying his speech for the opening night of the Democratic National Convention, a moment markedly different than what he had prepared for just a few weeks ago before the Democratic Party coalesced around a new presidential nominee. The presidents keynote speech Monday will provide Biden with one of the most high-profile moments he has left to address the American people as his more than five decades in politics begins to wind down. The remarks will come nearly one month after Biden bowed out of the 2024 race and threw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris as his chosen successor. Biden will make his case for why Harris should be elected president in front of thousands of Democratic delegates and party members at the United Center in Chicago just weeks after many in his own party publicly and privately clamored for him to end his presidential bid. Bidens aides believe he now enters the convention having earned the goodwill of the Democratic Party following a productive single term in the White House and his move to pass the torch to Harris. The president is expected to use his speech to lay out his argument for Harris, describe the record theyve achieved together and stress the need to defeat former President Donald Trump, who he believes poses a threat to democracy, Biden aides said. The President is expected to address how in the battle for the soul of America, weve ensured democracy prevailed, democracy delivered, and now, with Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, we must ensure democracy is preserved, a Biden aide said. We inherited a series of cascading crises, emerged stronger than when we entered them, and are poised for a future of endless possibilities. As he prepared to board Marine One to fly to Camp David on Friday, the president was asked by reporters about his message for Democrats at the convention. The president answered: Win. First lady Jill Biden, a fierce defender and supporter of the president, will also speak at the convention on Monday night, aides said, and other Biden family members will join the first couple in Chicago. Biden is working on his speech with longtime adviser Mike Donilon and Vinay Reddy, director of speechwriting at the White House, a source familiar with the preparations said. The president will zero in on the speech while spending the weekend at Camp David, the presidential retreat he has often visited to prepare and rehearse major speeches like the State of the Union. While the president is still grappling with the public and private efforts that forced him to abandon his 2024 bid, Biden aides said he has been pleased with the momentum around Harris candidacy. Aides believe his quick embrace of Harris as his successor helped contribute to the Democratic unity heading into August and the avoidance of a fractured convention. President Joe Biden points to Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris after they spoke at Prince George's Community College in Largo, Maryland, on August 15, 2024. - Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images Biden aides said the convention will tee up key contrasts between the accomplishments of the Biden-Harris White House and Trumps time in office. That will include highlighting how together Biden and Harris helped the country overcome the pandemic, boosted the economy, worked to preserve democracy at home and on the international stage and restore d decency to the White House. Bidens appearance at the convention comes just four years after he accepted his partys nomination in Wilmington, Delaware, a moment stripped of the traditional in-person fanfare due to the Covid-19 pandemic. While Harris will be the primary focus of this years convention, officials have planned small tributes to Biden throughout the weeks festivities. The conventions logo incorporates a three striped flag that made up the E in the Biden-Harris campaign logo. Delegates will receive bags that feature coffee as a nod to Cup of Joe along with other items from local partners and vendors. A key quote from Bidens Oval Office speech addressing his decision to end his 2024 campaign History is in your hands will be featured on the stairs at the United Center where delegates are set to enter. Digital banners reading History is in your hands. Lets win this! and Spread the Faith will be featured in the arena ahead of Bidens speech on Monday. Some staff from Bidens 2020 campaign have organized a post-speech party on Monday for alumni of the Biden network, including staff in his senate office, vice presidential office and 2020 and 2024 presidential campaigns, a source involved in the planning said. The presidents speech comes as Biden is charting out what his final months in office will look like as he looks to burnish his legacy. Hes tasked his team with drafting plans for his closing agenda, which is expected to include further implementation of legislation, efforts to lower costs and a focus on foreign policy, including potential travel overseas as he looks to cement his impact on the world stage. The president is planning to hit the campaign trail on behalf of Harris in the coming months, though its unclear how frequent those appearances might be. The two made their first official joint appearance in their new roles on Thursday as they promoted efforts to lower the cost of prescription drugs at an event in Maryland. Biden said Harris will make one hell of a president while she heaped praised on her White House partner. Theres a lot of love in this room for our president, and I think its for many, many reasons, Harris said as supporters chanted, Thank you, Joe. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Biden says no one should undermine efforts to reach Gaza ceasefire deal U.S. President Biden waves before boarding Marine One, as he departs the White House in Washington By Steve Holland and Kanishka Singh WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden said on Friday that no party in the Middle East should undermine efforts to reach a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal that he claimed was now in sight, but he warned that it was "far from over." KEY QUOTES "No one in the region should take actions to undermine this process," Biden wrote on social media. He later told reporters he was optimistic about prospects for a ceasefire. "As of an hour ago, it's still in play. I'm optimistic. It's far from over," he said on Friday night. "There's a couple more issues. I think we've got a shot," he added, without elaborating. Asked when a ceasefire deal would start if a deal is reached, Biden said: "That remains to be seen." WHY IT'S IMPORTANT Israel has insisted that peace will only be possible if Palestinian Islamist group Hamas is destroyed, while Hamas has said it will only accept a permanent ceasefire, not a temporary one. Ceasefire talks in Doha paused on Friday with negotiators to meet again next week. In a joint statement, the U.S., Qatar and Egypt said Washington presented a new proposal. Washington, Israel's most important ally, says a ceasefire will reduce the rising threat of the widening of Israel's war on Gaza. Biden originally had laid out a three-phase ceasefire proposal in an address on May 31, but mediators have run into repeated obstacles. CONTEXT The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered on Oct. 7 when Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's subsequent assault on the Hamas-governed enclave has killed over 40,000 Palestinians, according to the local health ministry, and has displaced nearly the entire population of 2.3 million, causing a hunger crisis and leading to genocide allegations at the World Court that Israel denies. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh, Steve Holland and Ismail Shakil; Editing by Leslie Adler) Big Boy locomotive to make two whistle stops in Colorado The "4014" is the only operating "Big Boy," the biggest steam engines ever built. Big Boy No. 4014, the worlds largest operating steam locomotive, will make two whistle stops in Colorado at the end of its 10-state Heartland of America Tour before returning to its Cheyenne, Wyoming, base. Big Boy is scheduled to make 30-minute stops in Strasburg at 3:45 p.m. Oct. 21 and 12:35 p.m. Oct. 23 in Greeley. The Greeley whistle stop takes place at Union Pacific's 10th Street crossing. The steam engine departs for its eight-week tour at 9 a.m. Aug. 28 in Cheyenne for its first stop in Sydney, Nebraska. The tour takes Big Boy through Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas before its final stops in Colorado. The engine will be in Denver on Oct. 22 for a private event. There will be no public viewing opportunity during that time. The last time the 132-foot-long engine weighing 1.2 million pounds was in Denver was July of 2022 when it was at Union Station. Big Boy is the only one of 25 such locomotives built during World War II that is still in operation. There is no public viewing to Big Boy outside of listed whistle stops. Schedules are subject to change. Check the Union Pacific Steam Schedule website for updates to the schedule. This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Colorado train lovers rejoice; Big Boy is making stops in state 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 in Chicago on August 15, 2024. The convention will be held August 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. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX 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. Fresh Thyme Market opened its doors in 2014 and quickly became a darling of the grocery store scene. Customers count on Fresh Thyme's range of organic food, plentiful produce selection, and its emphasis on sustainable eats and healthy living. Yet, like any grocery store that's been around long enough, Fresh Thyme has had to face many food recalls. The ones we'll discuss here were some of the biggest in the store's history. Although Fresh Thyme hasn't been hit with as many food recalls as other, older grocery stores such as Whole Foods' recalls, those it has dealt with have resulted in some eye-catching numbers. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) monitor the practices of food production plants all over the country and ensure that internationally imported foods meet American food safety guidelines. If these federal agencies don't catch a food safety violation and a contaminated or mislabeled product is sold to consumers, people can wind up sick or hurt. No grocery store is immune from food recalls, of course, and the truth is that Fresh Thyme hasn't always handled the situation gracefully. But when a recall is needed, even the healthiest foods become potentially dangerous to eat until the situation is rectified. Let's look at some of the biggest food recalls to impact Fresh Thyme's shelves. Read more: Mistakes Everyone Makes When Shopping At Costco Boar's Head Deli Meats In 2024 Boar's Head turkey meat in deli case - Justin Sullivan/Getty Images To call the Boar's Head situation a bit of a mess would be an understatement. On July 26, 2024 Boar's Head launched a recall for its liverwurst after a sample tested by the Maryland Department of Health confirmed the meat was contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Boar's Head decided to recall other types of deli meat that were processed on the same line and on the same day as the liverwurst. Yet the 207,528 pounds of recalled product was just the tip of the iceberg, while Fresh Thyme's response to the rapidly expanding recall was less than tasteful. Days after the initial recall notice, Boar's Head widened the scope and recalled 71 products due to the listeria risk. As more and more grocery stores nixed Boar's Head products from inventory, a Fresh Thyme in downtown Milwaukee was marking Boar's Head items (which were technically not looped into the recall) on clearance. Fresh Thyme's attempt to offload its Boar's Head supply didn't quite align with the community-oriented service the chain champions. Though it's a favorite brand of Mashed readers, Boar's Head wound up recalling an additional 7 million pounds of deli meat as a result of the listeria outbreak. The contamination was responsible for 34 known illnesses across 13 states. As of early August 2024, 33 people were hospitalized and two died, allegedly as a result of the contamination, while some are filing lawsuits. As of this writing, Fresh Thyme is still selling select Boar's Head items but the frankly devastating recall remains ongoing. Organic Baby Spinach In 2021 Washed baby spinach leaves - Nataliia Sirobaba/Shutterstock Baby spinach seems harmless, even cute, until a bad batch creates a dangerous situation for consumers. That's precisely what happened at Fresh Thyme in 2021, when its brand-name prepackaged organic baby spinach was part of a multi-state outbreak of E. coli O157:H7. Fresh Thyme and Josie's Organics were the two baby spinach brands implicated in the public health crisis and were both carried by the chain. In October 2021, two Minnesota residents fell ill after eating organic baby spinach. One had consumed Josie's Organics and the other the Fresh Thyme brand. This gave the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) cause to investigate Braga Fresh, the company responsible for producing both brands. Meanwhile, the number of reported E. coli O157:H7 cases rose to 10 and spanned seven states, with two cases requiring hospitalization. The FDA traced Braga Fresh's supply chain to a few different farms. Public health announcements were issued warning customers not to eat Josie's Organics or Fresh Thyme organic baby spinach with a best-by date on or around October 23, 2021. They were directed to dispose of any remaining packages. As people continued to get sick, an investigation into the source of the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak proved inconclusive. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) grappled with the outbreak until early January 2022. Contaminated baby spinach linked to Josie's Organics and Fresh Thyme caused 15 reported illnesses in 10 states and four total hospitalizations. Blackberries In 2019 Closeup of fresh blackberries - freshthyme / Instagram Public health alerts for fresh produce are a troubling reminder that not all instances of food contamination happen at the processing plant. Consider the hepatitis A outbreak traced to Fresh Thyme blackberries, which triggered a widespread food safety alert in 2019. Between October 8 and November 15, 2019, hepatitis A cases began stacking up in Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Public health officials investigated learned that 19 of the 20 individuals who contracted the virus in that timeframe had one thing in common: they'd all eaten fresh blackberries. Out of the 17 cases where the purchase location of the blackberries was known, 16 confirmed the blackberries were bought from either Fresh Thyme Market or Woodman's Market. The FDA and CDC embarked on a traceback mission that led them to growers in Michoacan, Mexico. The FDA took fresh blackberry samples at a designated port of entry, but the specimen tested negative for the pathogen. Difficulties surrounding traceability prevented investigators from obtaining more details about the source of the contamination or harvesting and processing practices in Michoacan. However, hepatitis A outbreaks typically occur due to fecal contamination in irrigation water, a lack of hygiene during harvesting and/or packing, or tainted water used to wash produce. Brie And Camembert In 2022 Sliced wheel of camembert cheese - Mouse family/Shutterstock Old Europe Cheese Inc. of Benton Harbor, Michigan was in the throes of a big-time recall in September 2022 for its brie and soft, earthy camembert cheeses. A federally-led investigation of a listeria outbreak -- which resulted in six reported illnesses in six states -- was traced back to the company's soft cheeses. Old Europe Cheese produced brie and camembert under dozens of brand names nationwide and in Mexico. Fresh Thyme was one of the stores selling potentially bacteria-laden cheeses under its store-brand label. An audit of 120 samples of Old Europe Cheese, as well as swabs from its manufacturing facilities, triggered the initial recall. None of the samples tested positive for listeria; however, listeria was detected in a hole in a facility floor, a floor drain, and a hallway. On October 5, 2022 less than a week after the recall announcement -- Old Europe Cheese initiated a recall expansion for multiple varieties of baked brie. The CDC terminated the recall on December 9, 2022, but Old Europe Cheese's trouble didn't end there. On March 17, 2023, the FDA issued a warning letter to the cheese manufacturer, stating that the measures the company claimed to have taken in its processing facility were not in full compliance with federal regulations. As of this writing, Fresh Thyme still sells store-brand brie, though it is unclear if Old Europe Cheese is still the distributor. Organic Unsweetened Applesauce In 2023 And 2024 Unlabeled glass jar of applesauce - posteriori/Shutterstock A jar of unsweetened applesauce looks right at home on a Fresh Thyme shelf until it doesn't. Vermont Village Organic Unsweetened Applesauce may not have been the health food it was cracked up to be after a recall made waves in November 2023. The brand's organic applesauce contained elevated levels of patulin, a mycotoxin produced from mold that forms on apples. Patulin is a naturally-occurring toxin that is potentially carcinogenic to mammals that consume it in large quantities. Food poisoning by way of patulin is known to cause gastrointestinal and neurological distress. Patulin thrives on apples that are bruised or sustain insect damage a recall on an apple product due to its patulin levels often denotes that lower quality apples were used in the manufacturing process. The FDA monitors patulin levels in apple products and if the numbers are too high, a recall is initiated. Vermont Village's parent company, Stonewall Kitchen, bore the brunt of the 2023 recall. Fresh Thyme stores weren't the only grocers impacted, as the recall accounted for 13,086 units of Vermont Village Organic Unsweetened Applesauce sold in 28 states. As Stonewall Kitchen reckoned with the initial setback, a second lot of applesauce was hit with a recall for elevated patulin levels in January 2024. Fresh Thyme complied with the recall expansion and kept the product out of customers hands. Lettuce In 2023 Gloved hands holding containers of buttery bibb lettuce - earrevfarms / Instagram One of Fresh Thyme's biggest draws is its produce section, so when food recalls wreak havoc on this part of the store, customers notice. In April 2023, Fresh Thyme shoppers in Michigan had fewer ready-to-eat lettuce and salad kit options to choose from when a recall whisked Revolution Farms lettuce out of sight. Revolution Farms, based in Caledonia, Michigan, recalled a variety of packaged salad greens and salad kits after a sample of Green Sweet Crisp Lettuce tested by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural development (MDARD) came back positive for listeria. Revolution Farms lettuce and lettuce kits were distributed to several food retailers (including the popular Meijer chain) throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, and Wisconsin. Fresh Thyme stores in Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo, Michigan were impacted by the recall. The recall, which occurred on April 5, 2023 was expanded one day later to include all of Revolution Farms' products and all date codes. The expansion was initiated after numerous states reported a listeriosis outbreak and a subsequent investigation indicated a link to leafy greens sold by Revolution Farms. Although the FDA has since terminated the recall, Fresh Thyme no longer carries products sold under the Revolution Farms name. Hard-Cooked Eggs In 2019 Overhead view of sliced hard boiled eggs - Liudmyla Chuhunova/Shutterstock Prepared foods are a staple at many grocery stores and Fresh Thyme is no exception. From this plethora of convenience, you'll usually find ready-made hard-boiled eggs or as Fresh Thyme called them in 2019, hard-cooked eggs. Fresh Thyme's hard-cooked eggs were recalled in December of that year as part of a huge listeria outbreak surrounding Georgia-based egg producer Almark Foods. The recall accounted for 200,000 pounds of hard-boiled eggs, yet far heavier matters were at hand for those who got sick from Almark's product. Almark Foods issued a recall on December 19, 2019 after receiving notice from the FDA that hard-boiled and peeled eggs manufactured at its Gainesville, Georgia plant were linked to listeriosis cases across five states, including one death in Texas. Almark Foods halted production in Gainesville and recalled the hard-boiled and peeled eggs that hadn't reached their expiration date. The eggs were packed in 20-, 23-, and 25-pound plastic pails and sold to secondary distributors to be used in various deli products. On December 23, 2019, Almark Foods expanded the recall to all hard-boiled eggs packaged at the Gainesville plant. The expansion prompted Fresh Thyme to remove all units of its store-brand two-count and six-count hard-cooked eggs from stores. Over 80 products from 30 brands were impacted. The CDC and FDA concluded the listeria outbreak investigation on March 4, 2020. Almark Foods was acquired by Post Holdings in December 2020. Chicken Ravioli Ovals In 2020 Two round raviolis on white background - oksana2010/Shutterstock In the wake of COVID-19, shortages of food products in the U.S. suddenly became commonplace. A scarcity of Sriracha turned out to be the root cause behind a national public health alert for Fresh Thyme Chicken Ravioli Ovals issued in December 2020. As of August 2024, that alert remains active. Chicken ravioli? Sriracha? If you're wondering what the connection is here, it's all in the ingredients. To give its frozen Chicken Ravioli Ovals a flavor boost, Fresh Thyme incorporated Sriracha into the recipe. This was advertised on the package so, when the ingredient list on the back didn't match up with the words on the front, the USDA got involved. Fresh Thyme ultimately admitted that it was unable to secure a Sriracha supply for the Chicken Ravioli Ovals. It circumnavigated the issue by substituting the beloved condiment with a similar spicy sauce. While it was effectively pulling a fast one on the public, Fresh Thyme forgot to consider that, unlike Sriracha, the replacement sauce contained a common allergen: soy. Fresh Thyme didn't reflect this change on the packaging, thereby creating a serious consumer health risk. The only reason the chain avoided a full-scale recall was because it had stopped selling Chicken Ravioli Ovals before the USDA got wise. Instead, a public health alert was issued to protect soy-sensitive consumers who might still have the product in their freezers. The remaining 49 pounds of Fresh Thyme Chicken Ravioli Ovals were banned from distribution. Ground Beef In 2022 Ground beef patties on display at Fresh Thyme - freshthyme / Instagram Whenever food recalls are the topic at hand, ground beef inevitably enters the conversation. In April 2022, Lakeside Refrigerated Services of Swedesboro, New Jersey recalled its ground beef after routine testing done by the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) indicated the presence of E. coli O103. Approximately 120,872 pounds of ground beef were subject to the recall, including ground beef products that were sold at Fresh Thyme stores. Most of the recalled meat was distributed nationwide in the form of ground beef patties. On May 5, 2022, an updated list of grocery stores was added to Lakeside Refrigerated Services' recall and it was quite the scroll. Two Fresh Thyme stores in Iowa, 10 in Illinois, 16 in Indiana, one in Kentucky, nine in Michigan, nine in Minnesota, six in Missouri, 10 in Ohio, three in Pennsylvania, and five in Wisconsin were among the additional locations that were marked as selling the hazardous meat. Due to the serious nature of the E. coli O103 contamination, the FDA classified the Lakeside Refrigerated Services recall as a Class I recall -- the highest-risk designation a food recall can receive. Fortunately, no reported illnesses were connected to the ordeal and the FDA officially closed the recall on July 6, 2022. Hummus In 2019 Fresh thyme store-brand hummus varieties - freshthyme / Instagram Fresh Thyme's store brand hummus was booted off the shelf in 2019 as part of a massive recall stemming from parent distributor Pita Pal. When an FDA inspection uncovered listeria bacteria at a processing facility, Pita Pal issued a voluntary recall on 87 of its hummus products that had been manufactured there from May 15 to July 11, 2019. Among the many varieties recalled was Fresh Thyme Original Hummus with Pretzels. On the bright side, while the FDA inspection detected listeria monocytogenes in the facility, no traces of the bacteria were found in the actual hummus. This was likely a key reason why no reported illnesses were associated with Pita Pal's recall. Even so, part of what makes listeria-contaminated food so dangerous is that it does not necessarily look or smell spoiled, making all the easier to consume tainted products. Pita Pal never disclosed how many pounds of hummus it recalled in 2019, but the numbers that did become public knowledge were troubling enough. Considering that the recall affected 87 different products which were distributed across the U.S. and internationally to the United Arab Emirates, it's pretty safe to say that the weight of it all was almost certainly staggering. As for Fresh Thyme's side of things, the chain no longer sells any hummus under the store brand label. Apples In 2019 Overhead view of honeycrisp apples in bags - freshthyme / Instagram Apple harvest season felt a little less festive in October 2019 when North Bay Produce, an agricultural cooperative based out of Traverse City, Michigan recalled six varieties of bagged apples that were potentially tainted with listeria monocytogenes. The recall impacted 2,297 cases of apples as well as two 600-pound corrugated bins. Fresh Thyme's apple supply was highly impacted by the recall initiative at the time, North Bay apples were being sold at all Fresh Thyme locations. The recalled apples were shipped to eight states between October 16, 2019 and October 21, 2019 and included popular apple types such as Fuji, Honeycrisp, Jonamac, Jonathan, McIntosh, and Red Delicious varieties. Apples purchased from North Bay Produce and resold at grocery stores prior to October 16th were not implicated in the recall and no illnesses were ever reported. After finished product testing at a North Bay Produce facility revealed the presence of listeria, the company voluntarily recalled the affected apple varieties and ceased production while the contamination source was located and remedied. Listeria is a foodborne bacteria that poses the highest health risks to young children, pregnant women, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals. Listeria contaminates fresh fruit and vegetables when it gets into the soil, water, or fertilizer the produce comes into contact with. Livestock can carry listeria bacteria yet not show any symptoms, which is one reason why listeria bacteria is periodically found in deli meats and cheeses. Impossible Chicken Nuggets In 2023 Bag of Impossible chicken nuggets inside freezer - Steve Heap/Shutterstock Fresh Thyme and Impossible Foods seem like a match made in food heaven. But in March 2023 Impossible Chicken Nuggets flew off store shelves ... and it wasn't because of the brand's popularity. The plant-based company ran into trouble at the processing plant and began receiving reports of one natural ingredient in the nuggets that wasn't supposed to be there: wood. Impossible Foods issued a voluntary recall on its Chicken Nuggets Made From Plants and Wild Nuggies produced between October 20 and November 23, 2022 due to the foreign contaminant. Fresh Thyme was one of several grocery stores to pull Impossible Chicken Nuggets from its freezers, as the recalled products were distributed nationwide. Impossible Foods, a world leader in the multi-billion dollar plant-based foods industry, released a public statement that almost seemed to downplay the brand's role in the issue. The company made multiple mentions that the nuggets containing small pieces of wood were produced by co-manufacturer OSI Industries LLC. It also maintained that the recall affected less than 0.000005% of Impossible Chicken Nuggets packages, even though that percentage accounted for 128,029 cases of the product. Customers who purchased the Impossible Chicken Nuggets affected by the recall were advised to dispose of them. Rather than issue refunds, Impossible Foods instructed customers to request a coupon for a future Impossible Foods Purchase. The recall was active until July 2023. Fresh Thyme currently sells Impossible Chicken Nuggets Made From Plants and Wild Nuggies. Read the original article on Mashed. Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao is the general director of Vietjet, known as the 'bikini airline' for their marketing campaign A bikini airline tycoon once courted by an Oxford college for donations is in line for a multi-million pound bill after losing a High Court case. The conduct of Nguyen Thi Phuong Thaos firm, VietJet, was branded egregious by a High Court judge after it failed to return four aircrafts it had failed to pay rent on. Last month, the High Court in London ruled against VietJet known as the bikini airline after its adverts featuring scantily-clad flight attendants with the judge finding that the company was in breach of its contract. The firm had leased four planes but fell into arrears following its failure to make a series of rental payments in 2021. VietJet conducted and orchestrated a campaign in an attempt to avoid handing the leased aircrafts back to their owners, according to the High Court judgment that noted that the misconduct employed by the company was egregious. Papers lodged with the High Court in December 2022 revealed that VietJet was being sued for 155 million plus interest accruing at a rate of at least 31,000 a day. Cash flow problems Ms Thaos company is also subject to several court orders in connection with the long-running case, which carry penal notices stating that failure to comply may result in the company being held in contempt of court, which could result in imprisonment, asset seizures or fines. VietJet admitted that it fell into arrears with rental payments but blamed this on cash flow problems owing to the pandemic and Vietnams national lockdown, which meant it had to suspend operations, according to its defence. However, it has denied that it was in breach of the lease agreement, and denied that it owed any of the relief claimed. Ms Thao previously made headlines when, in 2021, Linacre College announced that in exchange for a landmark gift of 155 million from Sovico Group, it would change its name to Thao College. The group is the parent company of VietJet, which Ms Thao launched in 2007 as the first privately run low-cost airline in Vietnam. A decade later, she took the company public and in doing so became south-east Asias only female billionaire. Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao became the only female billionaire in south-east Asia - LINH LUONG THAI/BLOOMBERG Ms Thao is now the general director of VietJet and chairman of Sovico Holdings, which invests in a number of real estate and energy projects. A further High Court hearing is due to take place early next year to determine the amount the VietJet will be ordered to pay FW Aviation (Holdings) 1 Limited, with the sums claimed running to several millions of pounds. In November 2021, Linacre College declared that Ms Thao had pledged via her company to donate 155 million to the college. The original memorandum of understanding, inked in front of Vietnams prime minister, coincided with a push by the Vietnamese government to attract more foreign direct investment. In Oxford, the agreement was heralded as the start of a new era of financial security for one of the universitys poorer colleges. But the announcement caused a backlash against the proposed rebranding of the college, which is named after the 15th century renaissance scholar Thomas Linacre. Questions were raised about why Ms Thao wanted to take millions out of Vietnam, which is a poorer country than the UK. Pham Quy Tho, a former dean of public policy at the Academy of Policy and Development, told Nikkei Asia: Vietnam is poor. We need money. He said that nobody could understand where the money was going. The High Court judgment said the 'misconduct' employed by Vietjet was 'egregious' In October 2022, The Telegraph revealed that the first tranche of 50 million failed to materialise, leading to doubts over whether the deal would go ahead. Last September, Linacre Colleges principal confirmed that plans to rename the College had been dropped but said there will be a long-term collaboration with Ms Thao which will include funding scholarships and fellowships for Vietnamese students at Oxford. Another aspect of the partnership will involve research fellows and DPhil students coming over from the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit based in Ho Chi Minh City, the principal said. There have been no further updates since. Linacre College and Oxford University declined to comment. Ms Thao and Sovico Group did not respond to requests for comment. Bodies Believed to Belong to Mother and Daughter Who Disappeared 50 Years Ago Found in Florida Canal Doris Wurst and her 3-year-old daughter Caren were reported missing on Nov. 12, 1974 Plantation Police Department Caren and Doris Wurst The bodies of a mother and her young child who went missing in Florida in 1974 may have finally been found, the Plantation Police Department (PDP) said on Tuesday, Aug. 13. On Tuesday, Aug. 13, the PDP shared a media release stating that the human remains that dive teams recovered in a canal on Aug. 10 are believed to be those of Doris Wurst, 34, and her 3-year-old daughter, Caren Wurst. Sunshine State Sonar Remains and items of Caren and Doris Wurst The two were reported missing on Nov. 12, 1974 from their home located at 13411 NW 2nd St. in Plantation. At the time it was known as Sunshine City Trailer Park. It is no longer in existence. Wursts 1961 Chevrolet Impala was also unaccounted for at the time of their disappearance. Related: Badly Decomposed Human Remains Found Over 3 Decades Ago Identified as Man Who Went Missing in Niagara Falls With law enforcement unable to locate the mother and her child, the case eventually went cold. It was reopened in 1977, 1988, 1992, 1994, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2017, and 2018, but results were negative, per the PDP. Eventually, Sunshine State Sonar, a group that conducts volunteer searches for vehicular missing person cases in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, got involved and began doing Pro bono searches in June 2023. Sunshine State Sonar Remains and items of Caren and Doris Wurst On Saturday, Aug. 10, the organization found what they believed to be the missing vehicle in a canal near the 10100 block of W. Broward Boulevard. 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. Per the PDP press release, a SCUBA dive search revealed that it was a 60s model Chevrolet Impala. Skeletal remains consistent with an adult and a child were also uncovered at the site. "Next of kin have been contacted regarding the likelihood that the remains of their loved ones have been located, but the names are being withheld until proper identification of the deceased can be verified via DNA/Dental Records," the PDP statement read. Sunshine State Sonar Remains and items of Caren and Doris Wurst "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," Michael Sullivan of Sunshine State Solar told NBC Miami. "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,' " Sullivan continued. Related: Remains Found in Submerged Car Belong to Mom Missing Since 2010, Family Says: 'We Have Closure' Piedad Caballero lives near where the vehicle and skeletal remains were found. Over the weekend, she received a visit from members of Sunshine State Sonar, who asked if they could gain access to the canal from her property. "Weve been here 20 years and weve been sleeping with dead bodies there over 20 years, not knowing. Who knows how many more are in there, Caballero told NBC Miami. "It's really scary." For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. The body of a 35-year-old Salem man was recovered Friday night by Oregon Rescue Divers in the Willamette River after apparently drowning on Monday near Wallace Marine Park, according to Salem Police. Police said the man, identified as Derik Morganstern, went into the river near Wallace Marine Park around 11 p.m. on Monday after a woman jumped into the river from the Union Street Pedestrian Bridge and was struggling to swim. Morganstern's sister, Aly Morganstern, said her brother got stuck in an undercurrent in the river but was able to push the woman and his dog out of it before going under the surface. Police said officers located the woman who did make it shore and was later taken to a hospital. Officers searched for Morganstern and deployed two drones. Salem firefighters also assisted with a search boat but were unable to locate him, police said. Salem Police and the Polk County Sheriffs Office Search and Rescue team also searched for Morganstern on Tuesday but could not find him. Aly Morganstern said she was notified by a witness of the incident who contacted her on Facebook. She began searching for her brother with help from the community. She said people from a homeless encampment at Wallace Marine Park, where her brother lived, had been "a huge help." One person from the camp, a friend of her brother, found his dog and took him in until she was able to take him. Oregon Rescue Divers recovered Morgansterns body at 5 p.m. Friday. It was not immediately clear where Morganstern's body was found in the river. According to Oregon Rescue Divers, the team set divers in a search pattern where he was last seen, and a boat with sonar to scan a larger area. The team said the boat was able to locate Morganstern with side-scan sonar and divers recovered him from 14 feet of water. Police said an examination by the Oregon State Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death. The family has planned a celebration of life for 3 p.m. Saturday at the Wallace Marine Park Boat Launch that is open to the public. Statesman Journal public safety reporter Isabel Funk contributed to this report. Jonathan Williams is the news editor of the Statesman Journal. Reach him at JCWilliams1@salem.gannett.com This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Body of Salem man recovered by dive team in Willamette River A crash on westbound Interstate 84 near South Cole Road was snarling traffic on Saturday morning, according to officials. A stretch of the interstate stretching almost to the airport has slow traffic speeds, according to the Idaho Transportation Departments online map and Google Maps. A traffic camera at milepost 51 showed dozens of cars stretching into the distance. Traffic is down to one lane east of Cole, the Boise Police Department said on X, formerly Twitter. Please avoid the area. Idaho State Police did not immediately return a request for comment. Boise Police Spokesperson Haley Kramer said BPD was helping with traffic control. Shutterstock.com If youre currently in personal debt, youre not alone. Research conducted by Northwestern Mutual in May 2024 revealed that the average personal debt is growing among Americans. The average American owes $22,713. Find Out: 3 Things To Do This Week If You Have Debt Read Next: 7 Reasons You Must Speak To a Financial Advisor To Boost Your Savings in 2024 One frustrating finding is that Americans not only owe more now than they did in 2023, but arent sure if theyll be able to pay this money back. Compared to 61% of Americans polled by Northwestern Mutual that said they had a plan for repaying their debt in 2023, this percentage declined to 59% of borrowers this year. Without a plan in place, many Americans may find themselves accumulating more debt. This could gradually lead to missing important payments, lower credit scores and developing a mindset that refuses to acknowledge how out of control their debt has gotten. The good news is its possible to get back on track and get out of debt. GOBankingRates spoke to Liz Zarins, the founder of a PR company, who shared her story with us about how shes at the halfway point with paying off her debt. Earning passive income doesn't need to be difficult. You can start this week. Normalizing Life With Credit Card Debt Out of any forms of personal debt, credit cards ranked as the top source of personal debt for 28% of respondents polled by Northwestern Mutual. This is also true of Zarins, who told GOBankingRates for years it was her thing to be in credit card debt. I would rack up debt, and just live with maxed-out credit cards until I would get another card, she said. Maxed-out credit card balances werent the only thing keeping her stuck in debt. She also had an unhealthy relationship with money. In addition to being afraid of money, Zarins said she often fell victim to believing her debt made her unlovable, unworthy and unable to possess any real money. Thats Interesting: Im a Self-Made Millionaire: I Followed These 7 Grant Cardone Tips To Get Rich Taking a Unique Approach To Paying Off Credit Card Debt When Zarins credit card debt reached $40,000, she made the decision to join Debtors Anonymous. Abbreviated as D.A., Debtors Anonymous is a program designed for members that have found unsecured debt is causing problems in their personal lives and want to stop incurring more debt. Zarins told GOBankingRates that joining D.A. was the best thing to happen to her both personally and professionally. On a personal level, Zarins has also been reflecting on her relationship to money. Story continues Im finding its not about the money, its what meaning did I assign to the money? I put it on this pedestal and thought I was not worthy, she said. And instead of attempting to build another business that might be easier to run, Zarins has embraced the company she already owns. She started to build it out and was able to increase her earnings by $14,000 over six months. Now, she said shes earning more money than shes ever made in her life and is taking the necessary steps to start accomplishing her money goals. A few times a week, Zarins looks at her numbers to better understand how much she earns and spends each month. To date, she has paid off $20,000 of her existing credit card debt and told GOBankingRates she doesnt use her credit cards anymore. Now that she has more money freed up, shes also on track toward saving for initiatives in life that matter to her. Zarins said she has set some money aside into savings, something she was never able to do before. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: I Avoided My Debt for Years Heres How Im Finally Paying It Off Former National Security Advisor John Bolton said he is skeptical that the end of cease-fire negotiations are near, following an announcement from the White House that talks will continue into next week. An anonymous U.S. official told the Associated Press Friday that mediators are preparing for a cease-fire and hostage-swap deal. The real question is, exactly what is going to come in addition to the hostage exchange, and this is the place where Hamas and Israel, I think, are really far apart, Bolton told NewsNation Friday afternoon. Hamas idea of a cease-fire is a permanent cease-fire and a withdrawal of all Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip a synonym for that is end of the war. For Israel, cease-fire means a time-limited, 4, 6, 8, weeks, something after which the hostilities could resume, he added. Boltons remarks come as mediators from the U.S., Israel, Qatar, Egypt, and Hamas concluded two days of talks in Doha, Qatar. The U.S. hopes to conclude negotiations over the next week, with Secretary of State Anthony Blinken set to arrive in Israel on Sunday for intensive talks. President Biden, however, cautioned against an early celebration, saying that more work would be needed before an agreement was reached. I dont want to jinx anything were not there yet, he said in remarks from the Oval Office on Friday. A senior administration official described Friday that they introduced a final bridging proposal, that provided clarification to the broader proposal the White House presented Israel and Hamas in May. Bolton noted that the proposal could prove less productive for the negotiations than the officials let on. What the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar have announced, basically, is what they call a bridging proposal, meaning, its not necessarily the case that either the Israelis or Hamas, or certainly not both of them, have agreed to it, he explained. The U.S. is seeking to reach a cease-fire agreement as Iran eyes a retaliatory attack on Israel after the alleged assassination of Hamass top political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran at the end of July. I think Iran very much fears that Netanyahu and the Israelis this time, will not be restrained by the United States, but will strike very, very hard in Iran against highly prized targets, up to, and including, the nuclear weapons program, Bolton noted. Irans got a very tight line to walk here, and I think thats the real cause of the delay, he added, alleging Irans shadow lingered over the negotiations. Biden first introduced the administrations three-stage plan to peace in the region at the end of May. His proposal, which includes the return of hostages and a permanent end of hostilities in the region, was endorsed by the U.N. Security Council. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Boris Johnson calls for ban on Ukraine using Storm Shadow missiles to strike targets in Russia to be lifted Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has expressed his support for Ukraines incursion into Russias Kursk Oblast and has called on Ukraines partners to lift all restrictions on Ukraine using Western-supplied weapons. Source: Boris Johnson in The Daily Mail, as cited by European Pravda Details: Johnson said that the last couple of days have been exciting for people who love Ukraine and sincerely want Ukrainians to be free, and described the Ukrainian Kursk offensive as 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," Johnson wrote. That is why, according to Johnson, it is now time to give Ukrainian forces the tools they really need to finish their job: "and by that I mean the proper permission to use the tools we have already given." Johnson wrote that when it comes to the UKs support for Ukraine, it is time for Keir Starmer, the current prime minister, to stop "pussyfooting around". "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," Johnson wrote, stressing the need to give Ukraine permission to strike military targets in Russia. Johnson further believes that it is now time for the UK to show its leadership and demonstrate initiative with regard to Storm Shadow, and the majority of its allies will follow its lead. "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," Johnson wrote. Background: On 17 August, the Times reported that the US was effectively blocking the UKs authorisation for Ukraine to use Storm Shadow missiles to strike targets in Russia, amid the Biden administration's concerns about escalating the war. On 15 August, the UK Defence Ministry confirmed that Ukrainian forces are allowed to use British weapons on Russian territory for self-defence, with one exception: Ukraine cannot use Storm Shadow missiles to strike targets inside Russia. Support UP or become our patron! Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Aug. 16 urged the U.S. and U.K. to allow Ukraine to attack Russian territory with long-range ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles. In May the U.S. allowed Ukraine to use HIMARS multiple rocket launchers, GMLRS rockets, and artillery against Russian territory near the Ukrainian border. However, the U.S. and U.K. still prohibit Ukraine from using U.S.-made ATACMS missiles and British-made Storm Shadow missiles for strikes deeper inside Russia. "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," he said in an op-ed for the Daily Mail. ".... 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." Johnson said that "it was the British Challengers that broke the taboo on sending tanks" to Ukraine and that "it was the British decision to give the NLAW anti-tank missiles that emboldened other European countries to give their own lethal weaponry." He called on British Prime Minister Keir Starmer "to stop pussy-footing around." "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," he argued. "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." The U.K. government did not give Ukraine permission to use British Storm Shadow long-range missiles in Kyiv's incursion into Russia's Kursk Oblast, The Telegraph reported on Aug. 13, citing an undisclosed British government source. The Times reported on Aug. 16, citing its sources, that the U.K. government had asked the U.S. over a month ago for permission for Ukraine to use British Storm Shadow missiles inside Russia but is yet to receive a positive response. Johnson also praised Ukraine's ongoing incursion into Kursk Oblast. "When (Russian dictator Vladimir Putin) launched his evil and unjustified invasion, over two years ago, he believed the Ukrainians would fold like napkins," he said. "He thought his armored 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 kilometers than the Russians have captured in a year." Johnson added that "from the beginning we have always underestimated the Ukrainians." "We have underestimated their boldness their willingness to do what people have thought impossible," he said. "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." Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Bossier filmmakers work featured in festivals around the world BOSSIER CITY, La. (KTAL/KMSS) Al Bohl is a Bossier native whose films have premiered in festivals around the world, including Italy, Germany, Brazil and more. Although he is now retired from a 50 year career, Bohl is still passionate about the arts and has a message to locals following his career. Want to work in film? Robinson Film Center offering production assistant classes You can do things that impact other places besides just your hometown, shared Bohl. Ive enjoyed a lot of friends and people whove encouraged me over the years- teachers, the school system that I went through. Bohl is proud to have received his Art degree from LSU Shreveport and thanks the community for their support. This community has done what it could to encourage me, expressed Bohl. As for whats next for Al, he is working on a new film called A Sure Footing. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. The aunt of a 6-year-old Fayette County schools student said her nephew arrived at his bus stop nearly three hours late on Thursday, the second day of the school year. I personally want the district, the bus garage and schools to work together to come up with a better system, I know its difficult but I also know Fayette County can do better, said Karen Arreola, whose nephew is a student at Maxwell Spanish Immersion Elementary School. She said the boy got off the bus at 6:15 p.m. Thursday. In response, district spokesperson Dia Davidson-Smith told the Herald-Leader, During the first few days of school, transportation issues may arise. We work with the school, the transportation department, and families to keep everyone updated if there are bus delays and no child is ever left alone without adult supervision. This was an isolated situation due to a new driver for the route learning their way. We have spoken with the mother of the student and discussed the details, offering our sincere apologies. Arreola said she arrived at her nephews bus stop on Whiteberry Drive Thursday at 3:10 p.m. with the expected arrival of the bus being 3:15 p.m. Since it was the first week of school, she thought the bus would be late. The first day, it arrived at about 3:30 p.m. But Thursday, she said 3:45 came around and she heard nothing, so she called her nephews mother, who said Matthew Spottswood, principal of Maxwell Elementary, had sent a message out at 3:30 p.m. stating the bus would be late to all the stops. At 4:25 p.m., theres still no bus or nephew. I try calling the school, no answer I tried the bus garage no answer, she said. At 4:30 p.m., the boys mother went to Maxwell, and another aunt went to the school bus garage. Arreola said she kept getting conflicting reports from different people on when the bus would arrive, and she realized a second child was on the bus. At 5 p.m., Arreola reached out to school district police and Lexington police. There was just too much miscommunication and no answers, said Arreola. The bus arrived at the stop at 6:15 p.m., Arreola said. The two kids got off and hugged their moms, my nephew was crying, he stated that the bus driver kept saying he didnt know where he was, my nephew said he was hungry and really had to go to the bathroom, Arreola said. She said Matt Marsh in the districts School Leadership Office emailed her saying, I have reviewed your email and am very sorry for the stress and confusion after school today. I was on the phone with Principal Spottswood until the bus left the school this afternoon. At that time he sent a message to families that bus 2008 was running extremely late. I will work with him and the transportation team in the morning to work through additional details, the email from Marsh stated. Spottswood also offered his apology, according to emails obtained by the Herald-Leader. Spottswood sent Maxwell parents emails telling them of the delays and said there was a new school bus driver. There was also a slight delay of a school bus Friday, Spottswood said in an email. Communicating, Arreola told the Herald-Leader, is the top tier to making solutions happen. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) The ex-boyfriend of a woman found dead in Whites Creek was indicted for second-degree murder, according to a spokesperson for the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD). A press release from MNPD stated that 39-year-old Miles Williams was arrested on an outstanding second-degree murder indictment for Emily Bradley. Bradley, 44, disappeared on Feb. 18, sparking a search effort among her friends. A post to X from MNPD stated that she was reported missing on Feb. 21. However, that search ended on March 2, when her body was found in Whites Creek off Buena Vista Pike. PREVIOUS: Loved ones to celebrate life of woman months after body found in Whites Creek MNPD said someone found Bradleys body in Whites Creek. The Medical Examiners Office said it appears she died of blunt force trauma. Bradleys car was recovered a couple of days after her body was found. Miles T. Williams (Source: Metro Nashville Police Department) MNPD said that the investigation was led by Missing Persons Unit detectives and that Friday nights arrest was made in coordination with Specialized Investigations Divisions detectives. CRIME TRACKER | Read the latest crime news from Middle Tennessee The investigation revealed that Bradley was last seen with Williams. Police added that Williams refused to speak with MNPD detectives on Friday, but he made statements that he had ingested narcotics prior to his arrest. Williams was transported to General Hospital and will be booked on the murder indictment upon his release, police said in the 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 WKRN News 2. PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) Its the start of a new life chapter for Bradley freshmen and their families. Saturday was move in day for all freshmen students. For freshmen like Tim Shepard, who plans on studying public relations on the Hilltop, it can be a mixture of emotions. It represents growing up, moving on. Im happy, Im nervous, all of that, he said. Shepard is from La Grange, a Chicago suburb. He committed to Bradley due to the smaller campus size. My high school was pretty big and Bradleys not much bigger than my high school. I think at the smaller schools, you get more help from your teachers, he said. Bradley fraternities and sororities helped families with the process, carrying boxes and helping the new students find their dorm rooms. Its become a Bradley tradition, and the Greek organizations come out each year in droves. Cory Bosco, Bradleys director of Fraternity and Sorority Life, said leadership development and service are some of the core pillars of Greek life at the university. Theyre here to welcome students in and move in materials. Weve got about 500 students helping so its just a great experience, he said. Sophomore Kennedy Dewitte is a member of the Chi Omega sorority, and enjoys seeing move in day from the other side now. She described her move in day last year as scary, but shes acclimated well to Bradley and is ready for her second year of college. She said Greek life can sometimes receive a negative connotation, but she wants people to realize its positive aspects. I think a lot of people dont know that Greek life really cares about the community. This shows that were willing to step in and help out, she said. Dana Arndt is the parent of a Bradley freshman who plans on studying psychology. Arndt said the campus community has been friendly and hopes her daughter settles in well at Bradley. This is probably one of the most important days to get to know new people, so I hope she has a wonderful time learning the school and getting to know new friends, she 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. Brazil's Minister of Justice and Public Security Anderson Torres walks on the day of a news conference at Headquarters of the Federal Highway Police in Brasilia BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil's federal police formally accused the country's former justice minister, who served under ex-President Jair Bolsonaro, of acting to block voters in an opposition stronghold from reaching polling stations in the 2022 presidential election, two sources told Reuters on Friday. The former minister, Anderson Torres, was accused of political violence alongside the ex-chief of Brazil's Federal Highway Police, Silvinei Vasques, and four other people, according to one of the sources. Local news outlet g1 reported the political violence charges earlier on Friday. CONTEXT President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva won the 2022 election in a tight runoff against far-right incumbent Bolsonaro. On the day of the runoff, there were widespread allegations that Brazil's Federal Highway Police illegally blocked roads in the country's poor northeast, a historic bastion of Lula support. The allegations sparked fears of potential voter suppression that could benefit Bolsonaro. WHY IT'S IMPORTANT The charges are the latest response to alleged efforts to impede the transfer of power both before and after the 2022 vote. After the election, both Torres and Vasques were jailed for alleged roles in an attack on the Supreme Court, Congress and presidential palace by a right-wing crowd protesting the election result. Bolsonaro was banned from holding office until 2030 for spreading election falsehoods. THE RESPONSE Torres' legal defense said it will not comment until it gains access to the police decision. Vasques' legal defense said it's not concerned by the accusation, adding that Vasques' case does not fit in the law that police are accusing him of breaking. (Reporting by Ricardo Brito; Writing by Andre Romani; Editing by Leslie Adler) Toronto-Dominion Bank (NYSE: TD) is yielding 5.1% right now, which is at the high end of the stock's historical yield range. If that's not enough to entice you to invest $1,000, that yield is also around twice the 2.5% yield you'd collect from the average bank, using SPDR S&P Bank ETF as a benchmark. Before you run out and buy the stock, here's a deeper look at why TD Bank is the best high-yield bank to buy right now. TD Bank has a very attractive dividend and business It is notable that TD Bank's yield is near its historical highs, but there's some more context to offer here. The only times in recent history that the yield has been this high were during the Great Recession and the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. Those were massive economic dislocations, which shows just how unusual the yield situation is today for the bank. Image source: Getty Images. Before getting to why the yield is so high, however, there are some other dividend facts to consider. For example, TD Bank has paid a dividend continuously since 1857. That's a long time. The bank is based out of Canada, where heavy government regulation has resulted in the country's largest banks having entrenched industry positions. TD Bank is one of those banks, ranking second by deposits. That creates a solid business foundation as the company looks to grow in the United States. Also notable is Canada's heavy regulatory regime, which has resulted in Canadian banks like TD Bank having relatively conservative operations. That's something that permeates the entire bank's culture, not just its Canadian operations. Notably, TD Bank has an investment-grade-rated balance sheet, and its Tier 1 Capital Ratio, a measure of a bank's ability to handle financial stress, was the third best in North America (and the best in Canada) at the end of the bank's fiscal second quarter. TD Dividend Yield Chart So far the story here is that of a financially strong and conservatively run bank with a solid core operation that trades with a historically high yield. That's why you might want to invest $1,000 in the bank today. But you can't do that until you answer the one nagging question: Why is the dividend yield so high? TD Bank messed up, and it'll take time to fix the problem To simplify the issue, TD Bank's money laundering controls failed, and it is now under regulatory scrutiny because of the issue. The bank has already set aside $450 million to deal with the cost, including fines. The price tag will likely go higher from here, and, more notably, its growth plans in the United States will probably stall out for a bit (U.S. regulators forced it to cancel a planned acquisition). However, it is highly likely that TD Bank muddles through this issue. It will just take some time, perhaps even a few years. But you will be paid well to stick around, given the historically high yield. This is where things get a little more interesting because the situation is similar in some ways to what Bank of America went through during the Great Recession. After buying Countrywide Financial, Bank of America struggled and was forced to seek assistance from Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway. This is important because of the way Buffett invests. Without getting too deep into the woods, Buffett likes to buy good companies when they appear to be temporarily out of favor for some reason. Bank of America fit that bill because it had a strong core business that was being overshadowed by the mortgage issues it took on when it acquired Countrywide Financial during a housing-led economic downturn. Buffett stepped in to provide capital to shore up the bank's finances so it could muddle through the problems and get back on its feet. It took a little while, but Bank of America's solid foundation has allowed the bank to shine again. BAC Chart TD Bank isn't likely to need that kind of assistance, given that it is still financially strong. TD Bank just needs to upgrade its controls (which it is doing) and deal with the fines it is going to face. Given the strong Tier 1 Ratio, the fines shouldn't be too big of a deal over the long term. Once the bank has regained the trust of U.S. regulators, it should be able to start growing more rapidly again. None of this is going to happen quickly, however, so TD Bank will be tough to own for a little while. TD Bank is a time arbitrage situation It is hard for institutional investors to hold onto a stock facing regulatory issues, even if those issues are likely to be resolved in time. Simply put, they have investment committees to answer to. You, as a small investor, don't. This is why you can step in to buy TD Bank and collect its outsized dividend while you wait for the company to deal with the current headwinds. Sure, it could take a few years, but it took a few years for Bank of America to muddle through its problems, too. That trade worked out very well for Warren Buffett. You might want to consider adding high-yield TD Bank to your portfolio in a similar play on a bank facing problems that are likely to be temporary. Should you invest $1,000 in Toronto-Dominion Bank right now? Before you buy stock in Toronto-Dominion Bank, 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 Toronto-Dominion Bank 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 Bank of America is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. Reuben Gregg Brewer has positions in Toronto-Dominion Bank. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bank of America and Berkshire Hathaway. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. The Best High Yield Bank Stock to Invest $1,000 in Right Now was originally published by The Motley Fool BRISTOL, Tenn. (WJHL) Firefighters from both Bristol, Tennessee and Bristol, Virginia responded to a large fire Saturday morning. According to the City of Bristol, Tennessee, crews from both cities fire departments worked a large structure fire in the 1400 block of W State Street on the Tennessee side. Photo: WJHL Photo: WJHL Traffic between 17th Street and 12 Street was closed while firefighters remained on the scene in the morning. The Bristol Tennessee Fire Department was reportedly called to the scene around 3:30 a.m. Battalion Chief David Vencill said all five fire stations in Bristol, Tennessee responded to the fire at Fumadores Lounge and Bar. Vencill said flames were already coming out the side of the building when crews arrived and were soon reaching through the roof. Bristol Tennessee Fire Chief Mike Carrier reports three businesses were primarily impacted by the fire, and a neighboring business suffered water and smoke damage. A Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) agent and K-9 were on the scene Saturday morning after the fire had been extinguished. The TBI confirmed an agent is assisting at the request of the Bristol Tennessee Police Department. Authorities are working to determine the cause and origin of the fire. The investigation is underway, Vencill said. Weve got our investigators and others on-scene starting the investigation, but itll be days before we know anything on it. The Bristol Virginia Fire Department stated in a social media post that mop-up operations would likely take most of the morning. Drivers were asked to avoid the area. This is a developing 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 WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather. British-supplied robo-dogs have been deployed on the battlefield in Ukraine, their first known use in active combat. Footage released by Kurt & Company, a specialist unit within Ukraines 28th Mechanised Brigade, showed the dystopian-looking machines operating close to the front line in the war-shattered Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine. Over 30 of the second generation Brit Alliance Dog (BAD2) have been supplied to Ukraine by UK security company Brit Alliance, it was reported this week. The dogs are equipped with remote-sensing technology and a thermal-infrared camera. Low on the ground, they are able to explore inside trenches, buildings and dense vegetation where aerial drones cannot. The robot can move at speeds of 9mph for up to five hours, mounted with more than 7kg of ammunition, medical supplies or other items needed in hot spots on the battlefield. Click here to view this content. The machines are low in cost, but can travel for hours at a time To Russian surveillance drones, the BAD2 emits the heat signals of a rabbit owing to it being wrapped in an anti-thermal camouflage blanket made by German suppliers Concamo, making it difficult to detect. If captured, its data can be erased remotely. Another major advantage is their low cost, with each model priced between 3,400-6,800 depending on modifications. The commander of the Kurt & Company, whose call sign is Kurt, told The Telegraph: If one dog saves one soldiers life, we will be satisfied. First, we are trying to save the lives of our soldiers, so the BAD2 is very important for us. Robodogs can perform reconnaissance, surveillance, detection of enemy ground targets, delivery of provisions, medicines, search for fighters and aiming artillery at targets. Kurt said his unit is altering their dogs to act as a kamikaze drone against vehicles or enemy soldiers. We will start using them en masse after the complete modernisation of the robo-dogs to our needs, he added. The process is already underway. Robo-dogs not designed to kill Kyle Thorburn, Brit Alliances managing director, told The Telegraph that the company spent time embedded with the 28th Brigade, working to find a solution to urban environments and trench warfare. The BAD2 is a modified version of the Chinese company DeepRobotics quadruped robot, he said, but completely stripped, reprogrammed and refitted to fit its new deployment mission. While he would not comment on the exact number supplied to Ukraine, Mr Thorburn stressed that the BAD2 was not designed as a weapon to kill but to save lives. That is our ultimate goal here, he said, emphasising the robots skills in identifying booby traps and mines while it traverses through the trickiest battlefield conditions. Why send soldiers to do a job that a dog can do? he asked. Ukrainian soldiers with one of the robo-dogs, which can deliver medicine and conduct reconnaissance missions Valerii Riabykh, a former consultant to Ukraines military, said that modifying robodogs to be used as suicide drones will be of great value on the battlefield. Destroying important targets in combat, particularly in urban conditions or forested areas, that cannot be reached by UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles] is an important task, he told The Telegraph. They have a great future on the battlefield as militaries across the world focus on exchanging humans with robots on dangerous missions, he said. However, the fact the BAD2 is made using civil technology, not military, reduces its combat abilities, he 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. THE BRONX, N.Y. (PIX11) A 10-week program in the Bronx offers New Yorkers a chance to train in health care while earning a stipend, according to Jobs NYC. Phipps Neighborhoods Career Network offers career development for young adults to help secure health care-related employment while setting participants up for other training opportunities at Hostos Community College. More Local News Phipps Neighborhoods works with Hostos Community College and Montefiore Medical Center to train and hire community members through our 10-week workforce development program read a post on NYC Jobs about the program. The program includes three weeks of in-class learning and six weeks of internship. After completing this free program, youll be offered interviews and opportunities for jobs as well as professional certifications. Participants can look for placement in the health care industry or choose to further their training as Certified Medical assistants, Medical Administrative Assistants, or Patient Care Techs. In addition to health care training, New Yorkers enrolled in the program can earn up to $750 in stipends while becoming CPR and first aid certified and acquiring job readiness in health care. Eligibility requirements: be 18 30 have an interest in health care possess a high school diploma or high school equivalency be able to pass a drug test by the start of the internship be able to pass a background check by the start of the internship be fully vaccinated be available Monday Friday, 9 am 4 pm Phipps Neighborhoods also offers a Summer Youth Employment Program and a mentoring program. More information can be found here. Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can 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. DECATUR, Georgia 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 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 installation. 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. No vice presidential running mate in recent memory has been scrutinized in quite the way that J.D. Vance has. Because he presents himself as an intellectual standard-bearer of the MAGA movementand has a long trail of public statements that crystallize the movements views in rather colorful termsscrutiny of Vance has gone well beyond the usual oppo-research digging, resulting in unusual media curiosity about his genuinely held philosophy and worldview. Thats why a major new poll of the two vice presidential candidates is so notable. The surveywhich breaks down public perceptions of them in demographic detailsuggests Vances style of right-wing populism may have a long way to go to achieve the broad-based appeal that its proponents have long hoped for. Its often said that Trump chose Vance to maximize the tickets appeal to non-college white voters, but doing so may come at a steep price with other voter groups among whom Trump must improve if he wants to win. The pollfrom The Washington Post, ABC News, and Ipsosfinds that overall perceptions of Vance are far more negative than those of Governor Tim Walz. While 42 percent of Americans view Vance unfavorably and 32 percent view him favorablyputting him 10 points underwaterWalz is viewed favorably by 39 percent to 30 percent. Thats a net difference of 19 points. Even more striking is how various groups see Vance: He is viewed favorably by only 24 percent of independents, versus 39 percent unfavorably. He is viewed favorably by only 23 percent of self-described moderates, versus 41 percent unfavorably. He is viewed favorably by only 22 percent of 18- to 39-year-olds, versus 44 percent unfavorably. He is viewed favorably by only 32 percent of women, versus 40 percent unfavorably (interestingly, Vance fares a tad worse among men). He is viewed favorably by only 28 percent of Hispanics, versus 39 percent unfavorably. He is viewed favorably by only 9 percent of Blacks, versus 50 percent unfavorably. He is viewed favorably by only 32 percent of suburbanites, versus 42 percent unfavorably. He is viewed favorably by only 33 percent of college-educated whites, versus a striking 55 percent unfavorably. By contrast, Walz is viewed positively on net by those groupsthough his favorable ratings are clearly not high enough among them yet. Unsurprisingly, Vance is viewed positively by non-college whites (+9 points), rural voters (+13 points), and white evangelicals (+37 points). This is the trade-off that Trump made in picking Vance: Brimming with certainty that he would win by a landslide before Vice President Kamala Harris became the Democratic candidate, Trump chose a running mate who would juice his base, with little concern about his lack of appeal to voters outside it. That hubris, a key weakness of MAGA, has, by encouraging the Vance pick, seemingly produced a serious mistake. This trade-off was not supposed to be necessary. After Republican Glenn Youngkin won the 2021 Virginia gubernatorial race on a propagandistically named parents rights platform, some right-leaning thinkers began dreaming that strategically packaged, right-populist anti-woke politics might gain serious ground among constituencies outside the core MAGA coalition. Vance is supposed to be this projects next big success. Indeed, Vance-style right populism is supposed to help cement a whole new Republican and center-right coalition, as Brian Beutler details in a good piece. In this account, the Democratic Party has been taken over by woke leftism, contempt for traditional families, and radical ideas on immigration and crime. That created an opening for a right populism that unabashedly defends draconian immigration restrictions on communitarian and nationalist grounds and uses aggressive government policy to promote large traditional families and privilege them over non-traditional ones. Pair that with renunciation of the GOPs standard pro-plutocrat, anti-worker agenda, and youve got a winning formulaor so the theory went. There is evidence that perceptions of progressive excess in the Democratic Party may have caused some erosion among certain nonwhite working-class constituencies. But now the full range of Vances own extreme views is emerging. His immigration skepticism has shaded into forms of great replacement theory. His views about the virtues of childbearing have curdled into a demand that All Good Citizens must contribute many more birth children toward solving long-term demographic woes, which apparently cannot be addressed through immigration, managed judicially in the national interest. True, Vance probably would not tweet something quite like this: Import the third world Become the third world pic.twitter.com/MVawiHQSpm Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) August 13, 2024 but Trumps campaign did, and as Beutler points out, Vance is more or less on board with the underlying vision it represents. All these tropesdramatically slashing immigration, propelling women into maximal childbearing, unleashing culture-war fury on non-traditional familiesinterlock into something larger than the sum of its parts, a form of ethnonationalist natalism. Those who dont agree that those elements are critical to maintaining their chosen vision of our countrys long-term identity, strength, and vitalityand dont do their part in that regard themselvesare shirking their highest duty to the nation. Many non-MAGA votersespecially among Latinos, moderates, independents, suburban women, and so forthare probably reachable with certain right-leaning arguments about crime, border disorder, and woke excesses. But the ethnonationalist-natalist vision of our citizenship duties goes too far, and surely alienates them as well. When Democrats denounce Vance as weird, its shorthand for disgust at that worldviewand large swaths of those constituencies likely agree. To be fair, Vance has more time to improve his image, as large percentages of voters still have no opinion of him. But, his weirdness aside, theres no denying that he is a very articulate and capable spokesman for MAGAs various ideological obsessions. And so, if he cannot sell these ideas in an attractive way, it doesnt bode well for those dreaming that they will one day gain wider appeal. Nebraska State Sens. Myron Dorn, Robert Clements and Terrell McKinney, from left, listen to Gov. Jim Pillen during his first State of the State on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN Two budget-related legislative bills advanced Friday to help offset the cost of Nebraskas latest core property tax relief plan. Legislative Bills 2 and 3, both offered by State Sen. Rob Clements of Elmwood, chair of the Appropriations Committee, moved forward Friday without changes. State Sens. Terrell McKinney and Machaela Cavanaugh, both of Omaha, tried unsuccessfully to persuade their colleagues to preserve $38.5 million in funding cuts from LB 2. That included $25 million from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services and $3.5 million in unspent funds for the Legislative Council, which Cavanaugh tried to save Wednesday. The other was $10 million from the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services. We should be using these dollars to improve these departments, McKinney said. We got water issues, weve got child and family issues that need to be addressed. McKinney has described DHHS and Corrections as the departments of Hell and Harm and Punitive Services and argued that both need financial investments to improve outcomes and conditions, including water in correctional facilities. He suggested diverting the $10 million being transferred from Corrections and using it for repairs and maintenance on the Nebraska State Penitentiary water system infrastructure. He and State Sen. Wendy DeBoer of Omaha said the state could either spend $10 million now, or twice as much later. This is not rocket surgery, DeBoer said. Lawmakers voted 28-15 against that amendment from McKinney. They also voted 29-15 against Cavanaughs amendment to pull the three funding cuts. McKinney on Wednesday did save $250,000 in the Corrections Department interest earned from state fees for license plates and other items produced by state prisoners. Clements said DHHS CEO Steve Corsi and Corrections Director Rob Jeffreys were in favor of the cuts, which the Legislature already advanced. Clements said Jeffreys also had not requested new funding for water system repairs. The committee did consider reductions, Clements said, but we kept them reasonable so that were not cutting agencies down to the bone. State Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha suggested adding a sales tax exemption for residential electricity, similar to an exemption extended in 2022 to another utility: water. It would have cost the state at least $65 million, and local governments $18 million. Lawmakers fell one vote short, 21-17, of overruling a decision from Lt. Gov. Joe Kelly that the amendment was not germane, or in a natural and logical sequence to LB 3s subject matter. It needed 22 yes votes, a simple majority of 43 senators on the legislative floor. LB 2 advanced 32-8 and LB 3 advanced 32-7. Together, the bills amount to $139 million in budget cuts, increased fees, cash fund transfers and holding back unspent funds from 2023-24. A remaining $46 million would be pulled from the states cash reserves to fund $185 million in new property tax relief, contained within LB 34, which also advanced Friday. The core tax and budget bills will head to final debate as early as Monday. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX If California wont back affordable housing funding, well, you get what you pay for I am 68 years old. I am a grandmother. I am homeless. I never anticipated that, at this point in my life, I would be living in a hotel and placed on a waitlist, hoping for an affordable apartment to open up so I can finally have a safe and permanent place to call home. Seniors are the fastest growing demographic of Californians becoming homeless, according to a study released last year by UC San Franciscos Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative. I am also part of the 80% of homeless seniors who had housing before becoming homeless, whether that was due to loss of income, conflicts with a landlord or Californias high housing costs. In my case, relentless harassment from my previous landlord and numerous code violations in my apartment building caused me to become homeless again. The citys housing department ordered me to vacate my home because of the numerous maintenance problems my landlord refused to address. Fortunately, the city placed me into the St. Josephs Center housing program and I have been living in the hotel for nearly a year. The city has promised to move me into a new affordable home, but so far nothing has happened. Why? There is hardly any affordable housing in Los Angeles. In fact, there is practically no affordable housing available for low-income seniors like me, and others who dont make enough to afford the states high housing costs. Despite double-digit increases in homelessness across the state, despite the lack of affordable housing, and despite homelessness polling as a top issue for Californians, the state has made very little progress on investing in the housing so many of us need. In 2022, Gov. Gavin Newsom promised to build 1 million affordable homes by 2030. Two years later, the governor is nowhere near that goal. Making matters worse, in the most recent state budget passed last month, over $1 billion was cut from affordable housing and homeless services programs. California is spending less than 1% of its budget on housing, while some $18 billion annually is the investment needed to solve this housing crisis. Whats worse, state legislators recently refused to include Assemblymember Buffy Wicks proposed $10 billion affordable housing bond on the November ballot. This bond would have provided a huge kickstart to the goal of building 1 million affordable homes across the state. It is initiatives like these that can turn the tide against homelessness and housing insecurity, offering hope and stability to seniors and vulnerable populations. Thats why I strongly supported Proposition ULA in 2022, known colloquially as the mansion tax, to tax the wealthy and fund affordable housing in Los Angeles. The state of California should follow suit and do its part. We have immense wealth right here in California, with more billionaires than nearly anywhere else in the world. Taxing the wealthiest among us to fund housing solutions is not just sensible, but morally its the right thing to do. It is an investment in the future of our communities, ensuring that everyone, regardless of age, race or income, has access to safe and dignified housing. By doing this, Newsom can deliver on his promise of 1 million affordable homes by 2030. Ive always believed the phrase, you get what you pay for. We cant solve the housing crisis on the cheap. Maria Briones is a member of Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment and lives in Los Angeles. This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: California can't address homelessness by being cheap A drawing offers an aerial view of Kirby Family Hall for Dining and Engagement east of the Chapel of St. Edward the Confessor and overlooking Casady Lake, at Casady School. OKC's Casady School has received a $12 million gift from Gay and Ed Kirby and their family the largest donation in its 77 years to put toward a $23 million Upper Division Dining and Engagement Center. The Kirbys' gift has secured additional fundraising commitments from donors for nearly 95% of the total project, the Episcopal college-prep school said. The architect is ADG Blatt and the general contractor is Quad Construction. Work on the 30,000-square-foot center is expected to start in early 2025 after a final $2 million is raised. The $23 million project campaign is separate from the $35 million comprehensive campaign Casady just completed and will celebrate this fall. Donors Gay and Ed Kirby say Casady School has greatly aided their family Head of Casady School Nathan L. Sheldon with donors Gay and Ed Kirby. Casady has had a tremendous impact on our family, the Kirbys said in a statement. Our daughter, Laura, received the Alumni Achievement Award in 2010, and she had the foundation of a Casady School education to set her on the path to become a successful business owner in her life. Gay Kirby is a trustee of the school at 9500 N Pennsylvania Ave. The center will be east of the Chapel of St. Edward the Confessor, "which will create a spectacular shift for the center of the upper division student campus experience to the spiritual epicenter of the schools foundation," the school said. NAI Sullivan Group reports these commercial real estate transactions HGM Investments LLC paid $1,409,427 to AMC Portland LLC for a 47,947-square-foot warehouse on 3 acres at 3650 SW 29. Amir Shams, Zac McQueen and RJ Jimenez with NAI Sullivan Group provided brokerage services to both the buyer and seller. K&K Investments Inc. paid $1,020,000 to Diamond Capital Inc. for a 6,650-square-foot office building at 2816 NW 58. Bob Sullivan with NAI Sullivan Group handled the transaction. Tower Scaffolding and Insulation LLC leased a 4,085-square-foot warehouse with 1 acre of yard space at 1020 SW 21 from Abdeshahian Rev Trust. Shams, McQueen and Jimenez represented the landlord. PC Innovations Inc. leased 1,868 square feet of office space at 4215 N Classen Blvd., Suite 101, from McFarland Real Estate LLC. Amanda Sullivan with NAI Sullivan Group provided brokerage services to both the tenant and landlord. MasTec Network Solutions leased 9,900 square feet of industrial space at 617 NW 125 from Legend Business Park LLC. Shams, McQueen and Jimenez represented the tenant. Antiques in Moore LLC leased 7,290 square feet of industrial space at 825 NW 24, Building B, in Moore from NW 24th Moore LLC, for Antique and Collectibles Showroom and Retail Store. Shams, McQueen and Jimenez handled the transaction. Ollies Bargain Outlet leased 29,004 square feet of retail space at 1205 E Lindsey St. in Norman from Hoppenstein Properties Inc. Samuel Dunham, David Hartnack and Sam Swanson with NAI Sullivan Group represented the landlord. Kriegel Commercial Real Estate reports these real estate transactions Urology Specialists of Central Oklahoma leased 8,776 square feet of medical space at 5401 N Portland Ave. Julie Kriegel with Kriegel Commercial Real Estate represented the landlord, and Tom Price with Price Edwards & Co. represented the tenant. Integris Health renewed a lease for 19,914 square feet of medical office space at 5401 N Portland Ave. Kriegel handled the transaction. Integris Health renewed a lease for 11,856 square feet of medical space at 3330 NW 56. Kriegel handled the transaction. Maximus renewed a lease for 6,207 square feet of medical office space at 3300 NW 56. Kriegel handled the transaction. Parrington & Freeman renewed a lease for 6,107 square feet of medical office space at 13901 McAuley Blvd. Kriegel handled the transaction. Norman Regional Health leased 4,459 square feet of medical office space at 3400 W Tecumseh Road in Norman. Kriegel represented the landlord. Integris Health renewed a lease for 3,153 square feet of medical office space at 5701 N Portland Ave. Kriegel handled the transaction. Diagnostic Laboratory of Oklahoma renewed a lease for 2,049 square feet of medical office space at 3330 NW 56. Kriegel handled the transaction. Sign Up: Weekly newsletter Real Estate with Richard Mize Senior Business Writer Richard Mize has covered housing, construction, commercial real estate and related topics for the newspaper and Oklahoman.com since 1999. Contact him at rmize@oklahoman.com. Sign up for his weekly newsletter, Real Estate with Richard Mize. You can support Richard's work, and that of his colleagues, by purchasing a digital subscription to The Oklahoman. Right now, you can get 6 months of subscriber-only access for $1. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma City's Casady School gets biggest gift ever for new center Caller 'At Wit's End With Husband's Spending,' The Ramsey Show Hosts Say You Need To Follow 'SAFE' Guidelines A recent episode of "The Ramsey Show" featured a listener from Florida who shared frustrations over her husband's reckless spending habits. The listener, Suzi, married young and hoped that her husband's poor financial choices resulted from age and immaturity and that he'd grow out of them. Over the years, it only got worse. Don't Miss: Now, Suzi faces a staggering $125,000 in non-housing debt; unfortunately, this isn't the first time they've been in such a crisis. Suzi said she even went back to school to support herself if they separate and that she's opened a separate savings account. She wrote, "I feel disrespected and fear that our family is at risk at all times. At this point, Im so full of resentment and distrust that Im constantly angry and anxious. What should I do?" Trending: Founder of Personal Capital and ex-CEO of PayPal re-engineers traditional banking with this new high-yield account start saving better today. Suzi's story highlights the strain that financial irresponsibility can place on a marriage, and the show hosts, Jade Warshaw and Dave Ramsey, did not shy away from addressing the gravity of the situation. Warshaw says, "Yeah, youve got a problem. Its beyond a money problem. Its looking like a money problem, but its beyond that. Hes got a lot of problems. And youve already separated yourself to the extent that you have; youre looking at a life without him." Suzi is not alone in her challenges. According to Fidelity's 2024 Couples and Money study, 25% of couples identify money as their greatest relationship challenge, and 20% of primary decision-makers feel resentful about having to make financial decisions alone. Additionally, 27% admit to being frustrated by their partner's spending habits and let it go to keep the peace. Trending: Will the surge continue or decline on real estate prices? People are finding out about risk-free real estate investing that lets you cash out whenever you want. Ramsey told Suzi she has let this go for far too long and that it's time to change. He tells her that her marriage is over and it's time to figure out if it can be healed and put back together. He recommends marriage counseling and setting an ultimatum with her husband to get things back on track. Story continues Warshaw introduced the "SAFE" acronym as a guide for people in situations like Suzis. "S" stands for seeking counsel. "A" stands for addiction or abuse, where professional intervention becomes necessary. "F" stands for financial infidelity, which can be just as damaging to a relationship as other forms of betrayal. "E" stands for evaluating your options deciding if physical or financial separation is necessary and how to protect yourself and your family. Trending: This Jeff Bezos-backed startup will allow you to become a landlord in just 10 minutes, and you only need $100. While the advice from The Ramsey Show hosts was candid and perhaps difficult to hear, it offers a path forward for Suzi and others in similar situations. By following the SAFE guidelines and seeking professional help, individuals can take steps to protect themselves and potentially salvage their relationships. For those facing similar challenges, consulting a financial advisor can provide personalized guidance and strategies tailored to your situation. Taking proactive steps to manage finances and seeking help can be crucial in maintaining financial health and relationship stability. Read Next: Warren Buffett flipped his neighbor's $67,000 life savings into a $50 million fortune How much is that worth today? Can you guess how many retire with a $5,000,000 nest egg? How does it compare to the average? "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 Caller 'At Wit's End With Husband's Spending,' The Ramsey Show Hosts Say You Need To Follow 'SAFE' Guidelines originally appeared on Benzinga.com 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. For most Central Florida students, week one of the new school year is in the books. Channel 9 Anchor Greg Warmoth spoke with the Orange County Public Schools superintendent, Dr. Maria Vazquez. They discussed dozens of subjects, including school choice and school safety. Vazquez said OCPS had a pilot period with metal detectors and weapon screening at some high schools last year. Read: OCPS announces bonus to address school bus driver shortage Interestingly enough, we did not find weapons, she said. I think it was a deterrent for children bringing them on campus. Vazquez said they have conducted random screenings with metal detectors for the past five years, but because of cost and implementation, they are not planned for all schools. Watch Central Florida Spotlight on Channel 9 on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. to hear more. Read: WFTV anchor Greg Warmoth speaks with Orange County Public Schools superintendent Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. Six wildland firefighters from Central Mass., including the crew boss, are part in a 21-person crew that was sent to fight ongoing blazes in the Pioneerville area of Boise, Idaho, according to the state. Central Mass. firefighters on the crew include crew boss Roy Joseph Liard Jr. of Millville, Michael Anthony Luibil of Hubbardston, Brian Mayer of West Groton, Declan Nash of Groton, Tyler Douglas Desautels of Millbury and Riley Holm of Worcester. According to a news release from the state Department of Conservation and Recreation and the state Department of Fish and Game, the crew consists of 18 Department of Conservation and Recreation firefighters and three from the Department of Fish and Game's Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. The crew is the second in the state that has been sent this year to help with fire activity across Northwest California and the Rocky Mountain states. In July, Massachusetts sent a 20-person crew to Helena, Montana, to battle active and uncontained large fires burning almost 46,000 acres across the state. Firefighters from MassWildlife and the Department of Conservation and Recreation are battling wildfires in Idaho. The Department of Conservation and Recreation also sent a firefighter to join a multiagency Connecticut Wildfire Crew that was mobilized to Oregon July 28. The crew will engage in direct fire suppression for about 14 days. Their role will include building fire breaks, securing fire perimeters, containing fires and protecting structures. The deployment is in response to a request Department of Conservation and Recreation Commissioner Brian Arrigo received Saturday from the Northeastern Interagency Coordination Center in New Hampshire, according to the news release. With dry weather bringing on more wildfires in the western part of the country, our wildland firefighters are once again stepping up to help our friends and partners battle these devastating blazes, Arrigo said. Our DCR and MassWildlife firefighters are extremely well trained, and we know their skills are much needed and appreciated by our partners out west to help protect our valuable natural resources. This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Central Mass. firefighters join crew battling blazes in Idaho Burlington, VT. After a ground-breaking ceremony was held today at the location of former VFW Post 782, construction is officially underway for more permanently affordable housing . This ground-breaking is a powerful reminder of the progress we can make towards our housing goals when local, state, and federal offices work together, said Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak. The project will bring 38 new units of permanently affordable housing to Burlington, with 9 specifically set aside for those exiting homelessness. While the area will soon be home to the Post Apartments, officials are still making space for veterans. Were not going anywhere, 782 is still alive, were not going anywhere, said Mark Hughes, commander of VFW Post 782. In addition to housing, the Post Apartments will give a new home to Burlingtons VFW and the Community Justice Center. Michelle Caver, former commander of VFW Post 782, said she first approached the Champlain Housing Trust about this project over three years ago. Caver emphasized that they didnt know me, and I didnt look the part of someone who had a vision that they should believe in and put resources behindand they listened to me that day. Over time, the project garnered 19 different funding sources totaling over 20 million dollars. Sources include state and local agencies, and about one million in federal funding, which Vermonts Senior Senator Bernie Sanders helped to secure. I think Vermont is one of the leading states in this country in understanding that there is a desperate need for affordable housing. Sanders, who previously chaired the Senate Veterans Committee, spoke to the importance of support and services for local veterans. We need to make sure every veteran in this state gets decent housing, we need to make sure our veteran community has a good place to meet, a good place to do their work this is an important step forward, said Senator Sanders. The building itself will also be all electric with a solar planned for the roof. Along with the VFW and Community Justice Center, the Champlain Housing Trust plans to offer a spectrum of services to those in the apartments who need 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 ABC22 & FOX44. The ChatGPT logo can be seen on a cell phone screen. The chatbot ChatGPT has been used by a network of Iranian accounts to generate texts aimed at influencing the US presidential election, according to the ChatGPT developer OpenAI. Hannes P Albert/dpa/dpa-mag The chatbot ChatGPT has been used by a network of Iranian accounts to generate texts aimed at influencing the US presidential election, according to the ChatGPT developer OpenAI. "We banned accounts linked to an Iranian influence operation using ChatGPT to generate content focused on multiple topics, including the US presidential campaign," the company said in a statement issued on Friday. "We identified and took down a cluster of ChatGPT accounts that were generating content for a covert Iranian influence operation identified as Storm-2035," the statement said. "We have seen no indication that this content reached a meaningful audience." OpenAI did not specify the number involved but said the texts were intended to appeal to people following both of the major political parties in the US. The texts claimed that Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was being censored or that he wanted to declare himself king, for example. The texts also covered topics from the Gaza War to the Olympic Games plus fashion themes, OpenAI said. The texts were generated for contributions on online platforms and fake articles on websites, it said. ChatGPT can generate texts at a human linguistic level within seconds, leading to fears these could be misused to produce and spread false information or propaganda on a large scale at a relatively low cost. The revelations are the latest in a series of similar incidents. Microsoft said in June that pro-Russian accounts were attempting to popularize a fake video depicting alleged violence at the Olympics. Several hundred accounts from Iran, Russia and China were also found on Facebook disseminating false information, some of which had been generated using AI software. OpenAI had already said in May that accounts from Russia and China, among others, were trying to misuse the company's AI tools for propaganda. An area in the Netherlands famous for its cheese is sinking, and it could take an iconic fare with it. What's happening? The cheese industry in Gouda, home to nearly 75,000 people, produces 60% of the nation's cheese, worth $1.7 billion, The New York Times reported. But as sea levels rise, rains increase, and the region continues to subside, some worry that Gouda is on its way out. The Dutch are famous for managing the water that surrounds them. More than half the country is below sea level, but the use and evolution of dikes over hundreds of years has made the area livable and set an example for how other places can adapt to changes in the climate caused by human-caused rising temperatures. One short-term solution has been to dam and pump water out of a canal and into rivers, but with parts of the city sinking anywhere from 3 millimeters to 6 millimeters to 1 centimeters to 2 centimeters every year, one alderman says there will be trouble in 15 to 25 years, as the Times reported. "We have to find new solutions, because the solutions we've always used are not future proof. Just continuing to pump water out isn't practical, because eventually it will become too expensive," Michel Klijmij-van der Laan, a city alderman, told the outlet. Gilles Erkens, a land subsidence expert, summed it up like this: "We're not in good shape. It's a very worrisome situation." Why is this important? One sustainable transitions specialist said the region will be underwater or made up of floating cities by 2100. "I wouldn't expect much cheese from Gouda anymore in 100 years," Jan Rotmans told the Times. "If the land turns into water and the cows disappear, the cheese will have to come from the eastern part of the country, and it won't be Gouda anymore." It will be exorbitantly expensive to ward off the water or adjust to it. Already buildings in the city center flood, and basements are "regularly inundated," the Times reported. Cracks and mildew are present, too. But even as rising water threatens the Netherlands, drought has become an issue. Up to 1 million Dutch homes are built on pilings, including 1,000 in Gouda, and the wood can rot without enough moisture. It could cost 100 billion ($110.2 billion) to fix the problem. What's being done about the problem? The Times reported that Gouda puts $22 million every year into mitigation efforts. The costs, which cover maintenance, repairs, and upgrades, are expected to skyrocket, Klijmij-van der Laan said. Rotmans said the area is protected but vulnerable and that it might take a disaster to push officials to act urgently. The Netherlands has also worked on protecting its coastline with a "sand motor." No matter the method, a solution is vital, as saltwater intrusion threatens our health. 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. LEXINGTON, Mass. (WWLP) An infant boy has died after being left in a hot vehicle in Lexington Massachusetts. According to the Middlesex DAs office, the boy was found unresponsive inside a parked vehicle. Police were first called to the parking lot of a daycare on Massachusetts Avenue on Tuesday. The boy was rushed to the hospital, where he later died. Police say he never made it inside the daycare and was likely left unattended for an extended period of time. The Department of Children and Families said in a statement that they are investigating. 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. China is rapidly building an unusual assault ship with an apparent catapult system for launching aircraft, but its purpose is still a mystery China's new amphibious assault ship is massive, unusual, and a bit of a mystery. It's a noteworthy addition to the Chinese navy, seemingly capable of fulfilling various purposes and missions. The Type 076's most interesting feature appears to be its catapult system, which may be capable of launching fixed-wing aircraft. China's shipbuilding industry has been hard at work on a new class of amphibious assault ships, building the first ship of the class at an astonishingly quick pace. But the purpose that the large, advanced Type 076 warship may serve is still something of a mystery. There are still plenty of unknowns surrounding this unusual vessel. Satellite images, provided to Business Insider by the Center of Strategic and International Studies, show shipbuilding progress on the Type 076 amphibious assault ship, also known as the Yulan-class, in Shanghai's Changxing Island Shipbuilding Base. The images, dated July 4, capture a variety of details about the vessel. Compared to its Type 075, Yushen-class predecessor, there appear to be a number of notable differences. Perhaps most apparent is the size. The Type 076 is much longer and larger than the Type 075, and when it is completed, it will be the largest amphibious assault ship in the world, easily exceeding its US and Japanese counterparts, according to a CSIS analysis of the new vessel. A satellite image shows the Type 76's top deck. CSIS/China Power/CNES 2024 The benefits of a larger warship include a potential capacity for more aircraft, more space to host a variety of personnel aboard, and internal storage space for other assets. But perhaps the aspect of the Type 076 that stands out most is that it appears to feature a catapult launching system for fixed-wing aircraft, technology also featured on China's new CNS Fujian aircraft carrier, which features an electromagnetic aircraft launch system like the newest US aircraft carriers, the Ford-class ships. "This is not something that we've seen before," Matthew Funaiole, a senior fellow with the China Power Project at CSIS, told Business Insider. "No other country has an LHA that has a catapult system on it," he said, referring to a landing helicopter assault ship. This capability would put the warship somewhere in between a traditional assault ship and an aircraft carrier. An F/A-18F Super Hornet, assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23, takes off from USS Gerald R. Ford's (CVN 78) flight deck. US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ruben Reed The addition of a catapult launch system on the Type 076 suggests, Funaiole added, that China is confident in that technology despite just introducing it on the Fujian. But it remains unclear what types of combat jets China would launch off the Type 076 or if those aircraft would be manned at all. With the Fujian, China made a technological leap from the ski-jump-style aircraft launch systems of its earlier carriers to advanced electromagnetic catapults, completely skipping over steam-powered catapults in the process. A J-15 fighter takes off from aircraft carrier Shandong during the combat readiness patrol and military exercises around Taiwan. An Ni/Xinhua via Getty Images China could use the catapult system, as experts and top China watchers have suggested, to launch unmanned aerial vehicles. But if it can, despite operational and technological constraints, launch manned aircraft, that would make the Type 76 almost a hybrid, mini-carrier of sorts, filling an unusual role. The catapults, wide flight deck, and clear runway would support that, though it's not easy. Bryan Clark, a former US Navy officer and defense expert at the Hudson Institute, explained that China likely wants the capability to launch long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicles, and the new catapult is a "creative" way to do so for some of its drones. China's military operates a variety of strike and reconnaissance drones, and years ago, as CSIS notes in its analysis, photos surfaced of what looked like drones on a catapult test track. And at the Changxing facility, apparent unmanned aerial vehicle mock-ups have been seen at a testing facility, though the purpose and intent is unclear. Btw, the drone being tested at Xingcheng catapult track seems to be Wind Shadow. pic.twitter.com/e8oW8DAJGZ dafeng cao (@dafengcao) November 21, 2017 Per Funaiole, it's most likely that the biggest role of the Type 076, at least initially, will be better integration with regard to how China uses its UAVs with naval operations. But as important as its capabilities is just how fast the Type 076 was built. "I think it is as important, if not more important, to emphasize how mind-bogglingly impressive China's ability to build ships is," Funaiole said, noting that while the exact timeline of its construction is unclear, China started building the 076, likely prioritizing it, while finishing the new dry dock it was in. It's just a small example of the capacity and size of China's shipbuilding power. The big takeaway from the Type 076's building, Clark said, is it shows how once China's "got a hot production line" and is "able to leverage commercial shipbuilding capacity essentially for military ship construction," it "can build ships, like a Type 076, pretty quickly." A satellite image showing the Type 76 being built around other vessels. CSIS/China Power/CNES 2024 Despite how unusual the Type 076 appears to be, the US certainly could've accomplished a vessel of this nature, Funaiole said. But the US has "leaned quite heavily and rightfully so on supercarriers," Funaiole said, which are inherently versatile, carry a variety of aircraft, and can conduct a diverse range of missions. The US also has America-class and Wasp-class amphibious assault ships for other types of missions. "There might not necessarily be a need for this kind of platform" in the US Navy, he added. There are questions about the role of the Type 076 in a conflict scenario. It could, for instance, play a part in an invasion or blockade of Taiwan, or support the use of drones and helicopters for surveillance, anti-submarine warfare, and other reconnaissance. But according to Clark, the Type 076 is most likely more aligned with China's goal of becoming a blue water Navy, capable of power projection far from its own shores. Perhaps that flexibility is exactly what China wants a ship that could complete a variety of missions and function as a key addition to its growing naval power. Read the original article on Business Insider This is an adapted excerpt from the Aug. 16 episode of "All In with Chris Hayes." Remember Ben Sasse? The Republican senator from Nebraska was first elected back in 2014. He made a show of not voting for Donald Trump in 2016 and fashioned himself as something of a Trump critic within the party. Despite that, during his time in the Senate, he voted for the then-presidents agenda anyway passing his tax cuts and voting to declare a national emergency so Trump could divert money from the military to build his border wall. Sasse voted against hearing from witnesses in Trumps first impeachment and was among the 52 Republican senators who acquitted the ex-president. When he faced a primary challenge in 2020, Sasse even scored an endorsement from Trump, the man he once compared to the white supremacist David Duke. The senator went on to win re-election. But, less than two years into his second term, he resigned to take a job as president of the University of Florida. Then, in July, just 18 months after taking that job, Sasse announced his resignation. He cited his wifes ongoing medical struggles, including a recent epilepsy diagnosis. On Monday, the universitys student newspaper, The Independent Florida Alligator, published a report about Sasses short tenure as UF president. According to documents obtained by the Alligator, which have not been seen or independently verified by NBC News, Sasse hired a number of his old Senate staffers and allies to highly paid positions at the university. Some even worked remotely from Washington, D.C. The paper also reported that spending by the office of the president more than tripled during Sasses first year at the University of Florida. According to the Alligator, the schools previous president, Kent Fuchs, spent $5.6 million during his final year with the university. In Sasses first year as president, he spent $17.3 million. Travel spending also reportedly skyrocketed under Sasse. Fuchs yearly average travel spending was just $28,000. Sasses office spent more than 20x that amount, totaling $633,000 in his first fiscal year with the school. NBC News reached out to the University of Florida but has not heard back. The university told the Alligator that Sasses budget expansion went through the appropriate approval process. On Friday, in a statement posted to X, Sasse responded to the report, saying it was not true and that there was no inappropriate spending" during his time as president: "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...because from day one, 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 chief financial officer for the state of Florida has now called on the University of Florida to conduct an investigation into what he referred to as Sasses exorbitant spending. The DeSantis administration also says its been talking with the universitys leadership about it. We take the stewardship of state funds very seriously and have already been in discussions with leadership at the university and with the (state university systems) Board of Governors to look into the matter, DeSantis spokesperson Bryan Griffin said in a statement. Join Chris Hayes, Rachel Maddow and many others on Saturday, Sept. 7, in Brooklyn, New York, for MSNBC Live: Democracy 2024, a first-of-its-kind live event. Youll get to see your favorite hosts in person and hear thought-provoking conversations about what matters most in the final weeks of an unprecedented election cycle. Buy tickets here. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com China Mining International (SGX:BHD) First Half 2024 Results Key Financial Results Net loss: CN4.18m (loss narrowed by 38% from 1H 2023). CN0.01 loss per share (improved from CN0.017 loss in 1H 2023). All figures shown in the chart above are for the trailing 12 month (TTM) period China Mining International shares are down 62% from a week ago. Risk Analysis It's still necessary to consider the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 5 warning signs with China Mining International, and understanding these should be part of your investment process. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. KINSTON, N.C. (WNCT) A building more than a century old is set to get some new upgrades in downtown Kinston. Earlier in July, the Kinston City Council agreed to partner with the Smart Kinston City Project Foundation to renovate the old Paramount Theater. The city is providing $20,000 to assist with the remodel. The building was originally built in 1915. Dean Baker with the Smart Kinston City Project Foundation said theyre hoping to turn the building into a center for the arts. Were hoping for a community arts center that can be used for multiple uses, plays, jazz, music, even back to a theater for movies, Smart Kinston City Project Foundation Dean Baker said. Baker said this is one step in a bigger plan to help renovate downtown Kinston. He also said they could start work as soon as next work as they are currently getting quotes on the renovations. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. VILLE PLATTE, La. (KLFY) Ville Platte has been awarded a $500,000 grant that was approved by Governor Jeff Landry to clean up the city. The Louisiana Community Development Block Grant program is allocating the funds to the city of Ville Platte. The funding will be used to remove blighted structures throughout the city to revitalize the community and improve the quality of life of residents. The grant was secured with the help of La Louisianne Consulting who worked closely with city officials to complete the necessary requirements to get approval for the funding. La Louisianne Consulting sees this as a major investment in the future of Ville Platte. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now KLFY Daily Digest Ville Platte Mayor Ryan Williams said he is grateful for the assistance and support. This grant is a tremendous win for our community, Williams said. Removing these blighted structures will help us create a safer, more vibrant Ville Platte, and I want to thank the Office of Community Development and La Louisianne Consulting for their unwavering support throughout this process. He also extended his appreciation to the dedicated staff at City Hall and the City Council, whose hard work and commitment were instrumental in securing this funding. 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. LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) Civil War era flags representing the 90,000 Michiganders who fought in the war were returned to public display Saturday at the state Capitol building. The flags are replicas of original flags currently housed in the Michigan History Museum. The replica flags had been on display since the late 80s, but were temporarily removed while the Capitol building and rotunda were restored. The flags were returned after a brief ceremony Saturday morning, followed by a procession near the Capitol building. The procession included descendants of Michiganders who fought in the war. A news release from Save the Flags, shared this about Dave Downing: Dave Downing of Mason is a descendant of Corporal Walter Mundell, who served with the 5th Michigan Infantry and received the Medal of Honor for courageous action at Sailors Creek near Farmville, Virginia, where he captured a Confederate flag. This medal, along with other items Mundell carried through the last part of the war, has been passed down through the family to Downing. He had the opportunity to view the actual flag, which is preserved at the American Civil War Museum in Richmond. Downing honors Mundells legacy through his participation in Civil War reenactments. Ive been involved in Civil War reenactment since the early 1980s and have participated in numerous ceremonies, events, and the production of various documentaries and movies. I was also an extra in the movie Gettysburg, Downing said. Downing has been involved with the Save the Flags project since 1989 when it was decided to remove the flags from the rotunda of the Capitol during building restoration. News Release, Save the Flags, Aug. 17, 2024 Courtesy Kristine Kletke. Courtesy Donna Hondorp Courtesy Donna Hondorp Courtesy Donna Hondorp Courtesy Donna Hondorp Michigans only Black unit was also honored and represented, the news release reported. That was 102nd United States Colored Troops Students Company C. This battle flag procession is a unique experience to gain a deep understanding of our nations history. Today, many havent witnessed a historical event of this scale. We need to take the time to come together and gain a deep understanding of a time when our nation was literally divided. Of the 90,000 soldiers who served in the Civil War, 15,000 didnt come back. We need to remember that sacrifice, so it doesnt ever happen again. Maurice Imhoff of Jackson, 22, Civil War reenactor, Save the Flags news release Aug. 17, 2024 The replica flags are now on display in the recently restored Capitol Rotunda during normal business 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 WLNS 6 News. The tow supply vessel Aiviq travels just under 2 mph with Royal Dutch Shell's conical drilling unit Kulluk in tow 116 miles southwest of Kodiak City, Alaska, Dec. 30, 2012. The Aiviq towed the Kulluk in tandem with the tug Nanuq. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Chris Usher/Released) The tow supply vessel Aiviq travels just under 2 mph with Royal Dutch Shell's conical drilling unit Kulluk in tow 116 miles southwest of Kodiak City, Alaska, Dec. 30, 2012. The Aiviq towed the Kulluk in tandem with the tug Nanuq. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Chris Usher/Released) The U.S. Coast Guard will buy a commercial icebreaker and station it in Alaskas capital city, the service confirmed Wednesday. The confirmation, which had been expected after a preliminary announcement earlier this year, came days after the 27-year-old icebreaker Healy suffered an electrical fire that forced it to abandon its summer mission in the Arctic Ocean. The Coast Guard has only two active icebreakers, and the other ship the Polar Star is committed to the Antarctic, where it maintains the sea lanes that supply American research stations in Antarctica. The U.S. Navy does not operate any icebreakers, and Alaskas congressional delegation has long called for the Coast Guard to be given enough money to build new icebreakers. A 2023 study concluded that the Coast Guard needs eight or nine polar icebreakers in the near future, but only three new ships have been ordered and the first of those is not expected to enter service until at least 2029. As a stopgap measure, Alaskas congressional delegation inserted a $125 million appropriation into last years Coast Guard funding bill, allowing the service to purchase an icebreaker. Only one ship meets the Coast Guards standards the Aiviq, which was originally built to support oil exploration in the Arctic Ocean. Built in 2012, the Aiviq has had a mixed career: It was one of two ships towing the Shell drilling rig Kulluk when the rig broke loose and ran aground in Kodiak. The Aiviq is currently owned by Offshore Service Vessels LLC, and the Coast Guard published a notice on March 1 that it intends to buy the Aiviq. The Coast Guard has already acquired additional waterfront property in Juneau, anticipating the Aiviq, but until this week, the agency hadnt confirmed its plans. Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan made the announcement during a trip to Alaska with Sens. Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski. The United States is an Arctic nation, and the Coast Guard is vital to providing presence in our sovereign waters and the polar regions, said Adm. Kevin Lunday, Coast Guard vice commandant, in a prepared statement. As we continue to build the Polar Security Cutters, acquiring a commercially available polar icebreaker will enable the Coast Guard to increase our national presence in the Arctic, and homeporting this cutter in Alaska demonstrates the Services steadfast commitment to the region. The timeline for bringing the icebreaker to Juneau is not yet clear. Fagan said Friday during a visit to Anchorage with Sullivan that the federal government must first negotiate to purchase the vessel. I have a sense of urgency, Fagan said. We need to buy it. We need to get it painted red and a Coast Guard stripe on it and a Coast Guard crew. Fagan said the Coast Guard must prepare facilities for the icebreaker in Juneau. And she noted that housing must be made available for its crew. She said its possible the ship will spend time in Juneau while the facilities and housing are being finalized before its permanently station there. Sullivan and Murkowski each praised the Coast Guard action. Weve been working on this for decades, Sullivan said. The place in the Arctic for America needs an icebreaker, and were going to get one. Murkowski said in a joint statement she released with Sullivan: As I repeat often, we are an Arctic nation because of Alaska and we require the assets and manpower to fully and competently carry out our mission in the Arctic. Editor-in-Chief Andrew Kitchenman contributed to this article. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) Coloradans receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will be able to buy more healthy food thanks to a new pilot program. The Colorado SNAP Produce Bonus program provides a 100% reimbursement for money spent on qualifying fruits and vegetables using the participants EBT card. The Colorado Department of Human Services is excited to work with Nourish Colorado to implement this program. Because of our partnership, Colorado families can enjoy more of the nutritious foods that they love most, CDHS Executive Director Michelle Barnes said in a release. SNAP recipients dont need to sign up to participate in the SNAP Produce Bonus Program bonuses will be received automatically after purchasing eligible fruits and vegetables from participating locations. Participants will be reimbursed for up to $20 per transaction on eligible items, with a monthly cap of $60. There is no daily or weekly limit on the number of transactions. Eligible foods include fresh fruits and vegetables and frozen fruits and vegetables without added salt, sugar or fat. Participants can also receive a bonus for buying dried beans and dried fruits and vegetables without added salt, sugar or fat. Research shows that SNAP incentive programs are an effective way to promote healthy eating and improve nutrition security. The fact that SNAP participants will receive credits back to their EBT cards modernizes the program and makes it much easier for people to redeem their bonus dollars, said Maria Ramos, acting regional administrator for USDA Food and Nutrition Service. CDHS officials say Colorado is one of three states (along with Louisiana and Washington) chosen to pilot an EBT incentive program. The bonus program is currently available at select farmers markets and several food retailers across the state, with more locations to be added in the future. For more information on the program and to find participating stores, visit the Colorado Department of Human 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 WesternSlopeNow.com. A composite of photos showing Bangladeshi protesters with a defaced image of the former prime minister, Bangladeshi protesters holding their nation's flag, a Bangladeshi protester holding a Bangladesh and Palestinian flag Anti-Israel radicals at Columbia University are pushing for the total eradication of Western Civilization and threatening even more extreme tactics to accomplish their twisted goal until the empire crumbles. Columbia University Apartheid Divest, a coalition of 116 student groups at the Ivy League School whose members set up encampments on the Manhattan campus and stormed Hamilton Hall this past spring, made the explosive claim after comrades in Bangladesh ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina following weeks of bloody anti-government protests. We are Westerners fighting for the total eradication of Western civilization, the group wrote in an Aug. 7 Instagram post. We stand in full solidarity with every movement for liberation in the Global South. Anti-Israel radicals at Columbia University are pushing for the total eradication of Western Civilization. instagram @cuapartheiddivest The chaotic demonstrations in Muslim-majority Bangladesh, initially sparked by student protesters opposing government job quotas, have since fueled mob violence targeting Hindu minorities, who traditionally supported Hasinas now-collapsed Awami League party. As the movement for Palestine faces draconian censorship and counter-insurgency in the [United] States, we must learn from our comrades in Bangladesh and continue to escalate until the empire crumbles, wrote the Columbia student coalition, which has demanded the university divest from all companies with business ties to Israel. The scorched-earth social media post was attributed to the militants of Hinds Hall, referring to Columbias historic Hamilton Hall, which a mob of protesters briefly seized on April 30 and renamed in honor of a 6-year-old Palestinian girl killed in the Israel-Hamas war named Hind Rajab. James J. Valentini, a former dean of Columbia College and vice president for undergraduate education, said the school shouldnt treat the students declarations as hollow threats. The university needs to be prepared for a serious challenge, Valentini said. Columbia announced it would once again restrict access to its Manhattan campus only to staff and students ahead of the upcoming school year starting Sept. 3 and the potential return of the riotous anti-Israel protests. The Columbia students said they would learn from the Bangladesh protesters and incorporate even more extreme tactics into future protests supporting Palestine. instagram @cuapartheiddivest The bloody anti-government protests in Bangladesh led to the ouster of Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasani. AP The tumult on Columbias campus this spring drove the schools embattled president Minouche Shafik to resign Wednesday, following months of calls for her ouster by groups who championed and criticized the protests. Columbia and CUAD did not respond to a request for comment. With Post wires Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, has reported to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the strengthening of Ukrainian forces' positions in Kursk Oblast and the expansion of stabilised territory on 17 August. Source: Zelenskyy on Telegram Details: Zelenskyy reported that Syrskyi briefed on the Toretsk and Pokrovsk fronts. Syrskyi said the situation is under control. Quote from Zelenskyy: "Secondly, the operation in Kursk Oblast. As of this morning, there is an increase in our states exchange fund. I am grateful to all the soldiers and commanders who captured Russian troops, thus bringing the liberation of our soldiers and civilians held by Russia closer. General Syrskyi also reported on the strengthening of our forces' positions in Kursk Oblast and the expansion of stabilised territory." More details: The third topic of discussion was the provision of weapons. The authorities are working on new support packages from partners. Support UP or become our patron! BOSTON, Mass. (WWLP) A maternal health care bill is in Governor Healeys hands that aims to address the rate of severe maternal morbidity in Massachusetts, which has nearly doubled from 2011 to 2020. This startling statistic is complicated by higher rates of complications in black and brown pregnant people and is not in line with other countries with similar maternal health policies. The bill hopes to address the discrepancy. This piece of legislation hopes to create pathways for midwives to be licensed in the state, eliminate barriers to opening birth centers, and increase access to postpartum depression screenings, among other provisions. Speaker of the House Ron Mariano announced maternal healthcare as a priority issue in June, saying it is an essential change that needs to be made in the Commonwealth. A bill that will strengthen the ability for us to care for mothers from the beginning of pregnancy right through postpartum, said Mariano. The House version of the bill includes a provision that allows lactation consultants to be licensed, which is included in the final version. The compromise also includes insurance coverage of donor milk or milk-derived products, expands some insurance coverage of doula care, and improves ultrasound services oversight. While both House and Senate leaders indicated interest in special sessions at the end of the formal session, there is still no word on whether other health care priority bills will be tackled before the next term begins in January. 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. China will take "resolute and strong measures" against encroaching Philippine coastguard ships at disputed Sabina Shoal in the South China Sea, the foreign ministry said on Friday. Asked about the ongoing stand-off, ministry spokesman Lin Jian accused the Philippine coastguard vessel stationed at the lagoon by Sabina Shoal of "seriously infringing China's sovereignty, seriously violating the declaration on the DOC and seriously threatening peace and stability in the South China Sea". The DOC refers to the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, a non-binding principle and guideline that China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations signed in 2002. 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. It calls on all parties to peacefully handle South China Sea disputes "with restraint" through dialogue and consultation as well as avoid taking unilateral moves. "China has made solemn representations to the Philippines through diplomatic channels, demanding that the Philippine side immediately cease its infringing behaviour and withdraw the vessels concerned," said Lin of the flashpoint. The BRP Teresa Magbanua, flagship of the Philippine Coast Guard, has been deployed to Sabina Shoal since April. It has been reported that its sister ship, the BRP Melchora Aquino, is en route and due to take over the flagship's responsibilities. Since July, China has dispatched its own ships, including the 12,000-tonne CCG-5901 - the world's largest coastguard vessel - to keep watch over the Philippine seacraft. "China is closely monitoring the developments and will take resolute and strong measures to safeguard our territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests," Lin said. Also on Friday, the Chinese defence ministry accused the Philippines of "inviting wolves into the house and willingly acting as their pawns" by involving the United States and its allies in the South China Sea disputes. China had "indisputable sovereignty" over the islands and reefs in the region and adjacent waters, it added. A Chinese navy ship sails at sunrise near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea in February. Photo: AFP alt=A Chinese navy ship sails at sunrise near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea in February. Photo: AFP> "We will take legitimate countermeasures against deliberate infringements and provocations to protect our territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests," spokesman Zhang Xiaogang said. Story continues Sabina Shoal - called Xianbin Reef by China and Escoda Shoal by the Philippines - forms part of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. It is located within the 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone set forth by Manila but also claimed by Beijing. The uninhabited reef has emerged as the latest area of contention between China and the Philippines over the past few months, in addition to the long-contested Second Thomas Shoal and Scarborough Shoal. Beijing is worried that what transpired at Second Thomas Shoal in 1999 could happen again. In that instance, the Philippines intentionally grounded a retired warship on the reef, leaving it to serve as an outpost. Manila has maintained control of the shoal until now, and over the past year, the issue of resupplying personnel stationed on the rusty shipwreck has become a source of tension and run-ins between the two sides. 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. Rozhen Asrani, president of the Mimico Residents Association, says some residents feel they've been left in the dark about the impact of an August 2023 chemical spill on Mimico and Humber creeks. (Alexis Raymon/CBC - image credit) Some Etobicoke residents say they are still searching for answers more than a year after runoff from a major industrial fire polluted two creeks in the west Toronto suburb, devastating wildlife in the area. The sludgy runoff from the blaze at Brenntag Canada a chemical distribution company in north Etobicoke flowed into Mimico Creek and Humber Creek. It was followed by reports of dead fish, birds and mammals, while dozens of surviving waterfowl needed to be cleaned of a thick, oily residue. Clean-up efforts took months to complete, but Rozhen Asrani, president of the Mimico Residents Association, said people living in the community have lingering concerns about how much the runoff affected local ecology. "The creek looks to have gone mostly back to normal, but there continues to be a lot of unanswered questions about the level of contamination, the status of the restoration and the long-term impacts to the aquatic habitat, to the watershed and to wildlife in this area," Asrani told CBC Toronto. "So while we don't see the thick brown sludge that was visible on the water last August, we don't know what is not visible to the naked eye." Firefighters said the six-alarm blaze on Aug. 11, 2023, was "one of the more significant fires" the city had seen in years. It tore through the chemical wholesaler's facility on Vulcan Avenue and poured thick black smoke into the air for nearly 12 hours. More than 100 firefighters were needed to put it out. Brenntag Canada deals in oil and vehicle fluids, such as lubricants and solvents. These substances, along with fire-retardant chemicals, made their way into the creeks. A drone view of the run off from an industrial fire in Mimico Creek. There is a pond of beige sludge the size of a city pool that crews are trying to clean up. The Humber Bay Park west parking lot and boat ramp are closed and heavy machinery has been brought in. A drone view of captured runoff from an industrial chemical fire that made its way into Mimico Creek last August. Brenntag Canada contracted GFL Environmental to help with the cleanup. GFL vacuum trucks can be seen collecting beige sludge from the creek. (Patrick Morrell/CBC News) In an email, a spokesperson for Ontario's Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks said the "major portion" of the oil spill cleanup was completed by Aug. 21, 2023. Meanwhile, a comprehensive shoreline cleanup was finished last December. "The ministry continues to maintain oversight of the company's ongoing monitoring of the impacted areas, which will continue into 2025, to ensure Ontario's strict environmental standards continue to be met," Lindsay Davidson said. According to Davidson, Brenntag Canada estimated that roughly 6.5 million litres of "emulsified oil slurry" was removed from Mimico and Humber creeks during the initial containment and clean-up phase after the fire. The slurry was transported to ministry-approved waste sites for disposal, Davidson said. In the aftermath of the spill, the ministry collected water samples to "characterize and document contamination downstream of the discharge points and assess the extent of environmental impacts in Mimico and Humber creeks," she said. Brenntag Canada similarly installed water monitoring stations in five spots along Mimico Creek and three in Humber Creek downstream of containment booms, as well as several more monitoring stations closer to Lake Ontario. "The results indicated that the main sources of contaminants were petroleum hydrocarbons and fire suppression materials," Davidson said. Asrani said the health of the waterways is important to many residents in the surrounding communities who use them for recreational activities like paddleboarding and kayaking. (Alexis Raymon/CBC) Residents have been told by the ministry there was no ongoing hazard to human health, Asrani said, but some in the area feel they're in the dark about the current state of the creeks. "What was the level of contamination and the concentration at that time versus now? And what was the impact?" she said. "Those questions have not been answered." Residents have also voiced concerns about what they felt was a "slow and poorly co-ordinated response" to the spill that allowed contamination to travel all the way downstream to Lake Ontario, Asrani said. "Where's the accountability for that from the Environment Ministry and various other public agencies that were involved?" Asrani said. In addition to the provincial Environment Ministry and Brenntag Canada, the City of Toronto and Toronto and Region Conservation Authority played various roles in responding to the spill. A portion of Mimico Creek near Humber Bay Park shows sludge remaining after a six-alarm fire at a chemical distribution plant on Aug. 11 caused runoff to enter the creek. The sludgy runoff from the fire made it all the way to Lake Ontario after a rain storm caused Mimico Creek to breach booms put in place to contain the spill. (Patrick Swadden/CBC) Asrani said her association has called on those agencies to publicly communicate any known effects of the spill and develop strategies to respond more effectively in the future, but has not heard back. "Unfortunately, Mimico Creek is already a very stressed environment and this is not the first spill that's happened here, nor will it be the last. We need a better strategy going forward to protect the environment here and to have a better, more timely, more appropriate and more robust response when spills do occur," Asrani said. "We have not received any information that there's going to be a plan to improve our response to spills." Davidson, the Environment Ministry spokesperson, reiterated in her email that in the wake of the initial spill, Brenntag Canada set up a hotline residents can call with questions. The number is 1-800-590-4127. In preparation for the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next week which starts on Monday and ends on Thursday extra security measures are being put into place to protect big-name attendees from protestors and potential attacks from political opposers. According to a recent report from Axios, congressional security officials have been advising House Democrats to be extra careful when making their travel plans for the convention, going so far as to urge them to book their lodging under different names as "hotels have been getting random calls asking for people," and to avoid certain areas where violent encounters may be more likely to occur. "The protesters aren't staying in a designated protest site . . . and there are people who are going to go and really try to cause trouble," one lawmaker quoted by the outlet predicted. Aside from anticipated rabble-rousing from Trump supporters, the primary concern is the potential for violence from tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators traveling to the area to protest U.S. funding for Israel's war in Gaza. In a welcome packet sent to congressional Democratic attendees, convention officials highlight that the Secret Service "has been coordinating with all levels of law enforcement agencies," including the Capitol Police and the Chicago Police Department. Kamala Harris and Tim Walz will both deliver speeches at the DNC and a number of celebrity guests are expected to pop up. Julia Louis-Dreyfus hinted that a "Veep" moment is something that we can keep an eye out for, and some are even crossing their fingers that Taylor Swift will show up to back Harris. TBD on that one. A voter places her ballot into a secure ballot drop box at the Salt Lake County Government Center in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2023. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News Derek Monson wants to avoid a nightmare scenario where a law passed by ballot initiative has negative consequences and lawmakers cannot amend or override it. That is why he wants a constitutional amendment to give the Utah Legislature the ability to amend and veto laws passed by initiatives, he said. Thats the extreme scenario, said Monson, chief growth officer at Sutherland Institute, adding he did not think the court would smile upon that situation. But he also does not think the Utah Supreme Court made its position clear in a July ruling. The states highest court allowed a lawsuit over redistricting to move forward, and in that ruling the court said when citizens pass initiatives, those initiatives are protected from unfettered legislative amendment, repeal or replacement. Lawmakers are weighing if they will call a special session to attempt to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot, which could come as soon as Wednesday. The Sutherland Institute, along with the Utah Republican Party and other conservative groups and leaders, all called for a constitutional amendment on Friday afternoon. Utah GOP chair Rob Axson told the Deseret News the language in the decision conflicted with the principles of a constitutional republic and removed the process for good lawmaking. In a phone call with the Deseret News Saturday morning, Monson also explained his reasoning. One of his concerns was that the language in the ruling could give the court a kind of lawmaking power because it hampers the ability of the Utah Legislature to amend or veto laws passed by ballot initiatives. The Utah Supreme Court ruling created two types of laws, said Monson. One category of laws which can be amended and reformed in a deliberative process for the public good, and a then second category law passed by initiatives where the amendment process is unclear and perhaps not possible. Ultimately, you have a lot of uncertainty created by the court in ballot-issued laws, said Monson. This could create a situation in which after an initiative passes, if it has negative consequences Utahns would have to suffer through them because the amendment process is not possible. But there is another issue Monson sees. He thinks the decision does not reflect the reality of legislative power. When speaking to a legislator on Friday, Monson said this lawmaker made a comment to him about not a single law he has ever passed has not been amended at some level. He said the Utah Legislature needs to retain the amending power for initiatives, too. Monson asked if the choice is between having to live with negative consequences from ballot initiatives or giving lawmakers veto and amendment power, which would people really prefer? Do you want to give anybody who has money the power to enact a law, however good or bad it may be? asked Monson. Or do you want the laws to be determined by a deliberative process where you are forced to make compromises in order to get the support to enact laws? California has a lot of ballot initiatives, said Monson. Theres a reason people are leaving California, its not the weather. Limiting the ability of the Utah Legislature to amend ballot initiatives will incentivize more of them, said Monson. If youre gong to enact a law for a ballot initiative, you have to have some money, he said, explaining the threshold for signatures is such that it is difficult to gather enough just through volunteers. Interest groups also spend money to put out materials about initiatives they support. So, in many instances, a ballot initiative proposal has backing of some special interest group, many times it is out of state, he said. As it happens, if your ballot initiative is part of a larger push, then you might be able to get more national money that way. Monson: Its different from national criticisms of the U.S. Supreme Court Monson said the push for a constitutional amendment in response to a court ruling is different from advocacy to change certain aspects of the way the U.S. Supreme Court operates. Because on the local level, what this is about is basically a fundamental disagreement with the view of the (Utah) Supreme Court when it comes to the courts interpretation of the (Utah) Constitution, said Monson. On the national level, he said there are attacks on the legitimacy of the institution and even the institution itself. It is not a reasonable disagreement on the law while still upholding the institution of the court, Monson said. The decision is clearly a weakening of the institution of the legislature, he said. A facet of authority has been taken away from the legislature and this is going to ultimately kind of enshrine harmful public policies. Monson said this decision forces the Utah Legislature into the same boat as Congress in the sense that Congress is seen by some as ineffective. Now the court is having to decide public policy, said Monson, explaining this decision will lead to more litigation. Theyre kind of inserting themselves into a lawmaking role because of how they chose to interpret the Constitution. PINEVILLE, Mo. A McDonald County woman convicted of murdering her husband of 25 years will learn her fate when sentenced in October. Dawn Wynn found guilty of murder, armed criminal action After five hours of deliberations, a McDonald County jury of seven men and five women convicted Dawn Wynn, 50, of Anderson, of first-degree murder and armed criminal action in the shooting death of her husband, Harold Wynn. Wynn was ordered to be back in court on Oct. 7 to learn her fate. Sixteen witnesses, including four of Wynns family members, testified during the three-day trial. Testimony showed Harold Wynn was found dead in a 5th-wheel camper, lying partially on the right side of his back. His right arm was under his body, and his left arm was underneath the blanket and sheet of the bed, according to trial testimony. A .40 caliber Smith & Wesson semi-automatic pistol was found at Harold Wynns head. The gun was facing an outward wall along with a second pillow where Dawn Wynn told investigators she slept. The mother of five sat stoically at the defense table, never showing the slightest emotion. Three of her immediate family members sat on the benches on the right side of the courtroom, showing their supporta huge contrast to the overflowing benches of Harold Wynn supporters sitting behind prosecutors Maleia Cheney and Tim Intessimone. Wynns immediate family members and two of her children declined to comment on the verdict. Murder suspects children say they urged father to divorce mother before his murder Wynn declined to take the stand and testify on her behalf, which is typical in murder trials. This case is very fact-driven, Cheney told the jurors during closing arguments. The facts at the scene are not suicide or accidental but a homicide. The evidence shows Wynn deliberated, planned, and executed the killing of her husband, she said. Cheney pointed the position of Harolds body, and the gun was not within his reach. Cheney rehashed the testimony of McDonald County Deputy Coroner Jonathan Fletcher, who testified Wynn wanted to know when she could get a copy of the death certificate and Chief Medical Examiner Ransom Ellis ruled the death as a homicide not a suicide. The accidental discharge of the gun was not supported, Cheney told the jurors. Cheney hammered away about the familys financial difficulties, the increased life insurance policy, and the rocky marriage. Trial testimony showed Wynn had increased the life insurance policy she had taken out on her husband up to $100,000. The increase went into effect on November 1, 2021, and was noted on her November 15, 2021, check. Trial testimony showed she owed money to everyone. In her last statement to the jury, Cheney said Lane Bridenstine, Wynns son-in-law, was a former paramedic. After learning of the shooting, he grabbed his paramedic bag and headed to the camper trailer where Harold Wynn was fatally shot. She wouldnt let him in, Cheney said. Why wouldnt she let him or Savannah inside the trailer? Cheney said. The investigation is just so flawed, you cant trust it. Charles Oppelt, Wynns attorney Charles Oppelt, Wynns attorney, alluded to another person as a possible suspect and the poor investigation by law enforcement as a reason for the jury to acquit Wynn. All the state has proved is Harold died, Oppelt said. It was a blotched investigation. Oppelt said the integrity of the crime scene was compromised. Harold Wynns body was moved at least twice, and no one bothered to tape off the crime scene until 8 a.m., he said. The trial lasted three days and involved 16 witnesses12 for the prosecution and four for the defense. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. CHICAGO A Cook County Corrections Deputy has been charged after she was allegedly found to be in possession of dozens of sheets of paper that had been soaked in suspected illegal drugs. 54-year-old Shadonna Jones, a Lynwood resident, has been charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. The charge was handed down on Thursday following an internal investigation by the Cook County Sheriffs Office. According to deputies, on July 25, a search warrant was executed at Jones home after the sheriffs office investigated a tip about the alleged smuggling of drug-soaked paper into the jail. Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines During the search, investigators allegedly found an envelope that contained 48 sheets of paper that were stained and had a gritty texture, which deputies said is a common indicator of the presence of illegal substances. During the search, investigators also allegedly found a letter addressed to Jones, which appeared to have been sent from someone in custody at the jail. Cook County Corrections Deputy allegedly found in possession of drug-soaked paper facing felony charge In the letter, the author allegedly described selling the paper for $10,000 a page and detailed that Jones would be paid $2,500 for each package of paper that she could bring into the Jail. Following the search, during a meeting with investigators, Jones told authorities that she had allegedly received the papers from family members of an individual in custody, had been paid $1,000 to accept the papers, and added that the papers were intended to be delivered to someone in custody at the jail. However, Jones denied that she planned to deliver the paper. The suspected drug-soaked paper was later sent to the Illinois State Police Division of Forensic Services for testing and results returned on Wednesday showed the presence of MDMB-BUTINACA, a synthetic cannabinoid. LATEST CASES: Missing people in Chicagoland Deputies said Jones, who had been hired as a Deputy in June of 2019, had been on injured on duty status since July 15, after receiving an injury while attempting to stop a fight between two inmates. Jones was de-deputized on July 25 following her interview with investigators. On Friday morning, Jones was taken into custody and made her initial court appearance where she was released pending trial. She is set to return to court on Sept, 19. According to deputies, a separate internal administrative investigation is ongoing and Jones may face disciplinary action, including termination. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Cop on a Rooftop raises money for Special Olympics Iowa On Friday morning, the public looked up to some police officers that could be found on the roof of Dunkin stores in Davenport and Clinton. (Gavin Waidelich, OurQuadCities.com) It was the annual cops on a rooftop fundraiser for special Olympics Iowa. This is the 9th year for the fundraiser. $400,000 was raised in the last eight years. Scott County Sheriff Tim Lane is happy to lean into the cops and donuts bit for a good cause. I think that they probably had an idea in the past that connecting donuts and cops and a fundraiser was probably a pretty catchy idea, said Lane, I wasnt a part of that, but I assume that was part of their intention. And Dunkin Donuts was willing to participate in that and I think that thats great. Police handed out coupons for free donuts and medium iced coffees to those who donated. To donate or 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 An investigation by Chicagos Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) is underway after an officer fired his gun while trying to nab a suspect on the citys South Side Friday afternoon. Chicago police said the incident happened in the 1700 block of West 47th Street, in the Back of the Yards neighborhood. Just after 5:30 p.m., authorities said officers tried to pull over a vehicle wanted in connection with a homicide in the 1700 block of West 47th Street. While officers tried to stop the suspect, one of the officers fired his gun, hitting the vehicle which eventually came to a stop. Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines The suspect then got out and ran before being taken into custody. The officer, meanwhile, was taken to a local hospital for minor injuries and observation, according to investigators. No one was hit by the gunfire. COPAs investigation remains ongoing, while CPD said it is cooperating fully with the investigation. Police added the officer involved will be put on routine administrative duties for a minimum of 30 days. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Presidential candidate Cornel West in Detroit on Feb. 5, 2024 | Ken Coleman The state Bureau of Elections on Friday disqualified independent presidential candidate Cornel West from the Nov. 5 general election ballot over a technical violation of state law. West was disqualified for failing to have his candidate affidavit properly notarized, which invalidated the required document. Challenges were filed with the Michigan Department of State office by veteran elections lawyer and former Michigan Democratic Party Chair Mark Brewer, on behalf of Rosa Holliday, to the affidavits of identity submitted by West and Melina Abdullah on July 23. An email to the West campaign by the Advance was not returned. Additionally, Clear Choice Action, which had filed a sworn complaint challenging the qualifying petitions filed by the Cornel West campaign in Michigan due to widespread evidence of fraudulent and forged signatures, released the following statement in response to Wests disqualification: Candidates who play by the rules should be on the ballot, but Cornel West is blatantly not playing by the rules, in Michigan or anywhere else, said Pete Kavanaugh, founder of Clear Choice Action. Hes being propped up by millions of dollars in spending from Republican dark money groups, breaking myriad campaign finance and coordination laws in the process. In this instance, the West campaign violated the whole point of notarization, which is to ensure that signers are who they say they are, that they are signing willingly, and that they understand what they are signing. Michigan made the appropriate decision based on the facts.. The Michigan Bureau of Elections wrote to West, Accordingly, pursuant to MCL 168.558(4), the Department is required by law to disqualify you from the Nov. 5, 2024 general election ballot for the office of United States President because the Affidavit of Identity that you submitted to the Department on June 17, 2024 was not properly notarized. The Bureau of Elections specifically noted, The document being notarized contained unfilled blanks. The notary certificate failed to include her title of office and The notary publics stamp was on a separate sheet of paper and not included with the notary publics certificate. Other candidates expected to vie for the election are Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee; former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee; as well as independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Green Party candidate Jill Stein. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX It costs more to take your pet to the vet in this small Texas city than anywhere else in the US, according to WalletHub It costs more to take your pet to the vet in this small Texas city than anywhere else in the US, according to WalletHub (NEXSTAR) Taking your pet to the veterinarians office is never the cheapest trip in the world, but a recent report comparing prices to the pet doctor ranked the 100 largest U.S. cities from the cheapest to the most expensivewith one small Texas city ranked dead last. The report comes from WalletHub which was trying to find the most pet-friendly city in the country and used Veterinary Care Costs as one of its major criteria. In doing so, they found it costs more to take your pet to the vet in Plano, Texas than anywhere else in the country. With the average cost being about $108 for Veterinary Care, according to WalletHub. What to know about Clear The Shelters, how to help The report also listed other Texas cities, which all fared a bit better than Plano. If youd like to save roughly $30, you can head just south of Plano to Dallas where on average it costs around $80. After Dallas, it was a three-way tie for first with Irving, Arlington, and Garland each averaging out at about $79. The rest of the cities studied were significantly cheaper with Houston at $64, then San Antonio at $60, followed by Austin ($59) and El Paso ($58). Two Texas cities actually landed at the top of the list for the cheapest places to take your pet to the vet in the U.S., with Corpus Christi being the fourth cheapest with the price being $51. Fort Worth finished as the cheapest and Texas and third cheapest in the country with the price set at $50 on average. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. The cost of college is adding up - everything from tuition to books to room and board is getting more expensive. Recent studies show nearly half of graduates leave public universities owing more than $20,000 in student loan debt. Prissila Moreno is one of them. Shes a senior and first-generation college student at the University of Oregon. I get to, you know, graduate from a university which my family was never able to do, and Im very grateful for it, said Moreno. She said shes finishing her degree in three years, instead of four to try to save money. But when Moreno graduates in the spring, shell still have roughly $80,000 in student loan debt. ALSO READ: Students could miss out on thousands by not applying for college scholarships I know that unfortunately, a lot of people like me cant finish, or they cant even start the process because of that financial burden, she said. Now Moreno is rethinking whether to purse post graduate plans because of the costs. Deciding to take a gap year and thinking through, if I cant get Law School mostly for free, Im probably not going to go because of the debt that Ive accumulated through my undergrad, said Moreno. Federal data shows Americans owed $1.75 trillion in student loan debt, during the first quarter of this year. You see that like student loan balance, and it can be the most overwhelming feeling. I remember going through it, said Hanneh Bareham, Bankrate analyst. Bareham said students can minimize their debt by maximizing these options: federal financial aid, scholarships and grants and discounted tuition. And then consider private student loan debt, just because private lenders, they all offer different regulations and rules, and a lot of them dont offer the same hardship options that federal loans do, said Bareham. After graduating, she recommends applying for federal repayment through the U.S. Department of education. ALSO READ: Students at these NC schools can now use college IDs to vote It is a very simple solution that is offered to every single borrower with a federal student loan that qualifies, said Bareham. Its based off of income and family size. So especially for you know, borrowers with maybe a lower to a middle income, this can really reduce their monthly payment. For first generation students like Moreno, she said the process was very difficult to navigate. She wishes more high schools and even universities offered more guidance for prospective students. I dont think they make the intentional effort to reach out to those first gen students and share those resources as well. You kind of have to really look for them, which is just an additional burden on top of, you know, already being the first in your family to do something like this, said Morena. Story continues To complicate matters more, the rollout of the new federal financial aid forms known as FAFSA had several delays last school year. Officials now say forms the 2025-26 academic year wont be available for all students until December. VIDEO: Students could miss out on thousands by not applying for college scholarships WASHINGTON Donald Trump is taking his long history of accusing others of doing what he himself is guilty of to new heights, now charging Democrats of perpetrating a coup against President Joe Biden by persuading him to end his reelection effort. It really is a threat to democracy. It was a coup by people that wanted him out, Trump said Thursday during a lengthy monologue at the start of a news conference he staged at his country club in Bedminster, New Jersey. Three days earlier, he had told billionaire Elon Musk during a discussion they held on his X website: This was a coup of a president of the United States He didnt want to leave, and they said, We can do it the nice way or we can do it the hard way. Musk agreed and went even further, invoking violent imagery to describe what had happened. They just took him out back behind the shed and basically shot him, Musk said. Trumps campaign aides did not respond to HuffPosts queries about Trumps use of the word coup a word top officials in his campaign have been echoing. Theyre trying to fight off a coup right now, Trump campaign co-manager Chris LaCivita said at a July 16 forum at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee five days before Biden actually announced that he was ending his campaign. In fact, public pressure by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other top Democratic leaders in no way constitutes a coup. That word, though, does accurately describe what Trump himself tried to do leading up to and on Jan. 6, 2021. Using the threat of violence followed by actual violence to coerce members of Congress and his own vice president into awarding him a second term, even though he had lost the 2020 election, is a textbook example of an autogolpe, or self-coup, in which a sitting political leader attempts to stay in power illegally. "Under no circumstances can one equate Trumps attempted coup on January 6th to President Biden withdrawing from the race," said a former Capitol Police officer. Adam Gray via Getty Images Harry Dunn, a former Capitol Police officer who defended the U.S. Capitol and lawmakers the day Trump sent a mob of his followers there to block certification of Bidens election victory, said the use of the word coup to describe how Democrats convinced the president not to run for reelection is offensive. Under no circumstances can one equate Trumps attempted coup on January 6th to President Biden withdrawing from the race. I was there that day. I know what happened, Dunn said. It shows how out of touch with reality the former president and his buddy Elon Musk are. This is dangerous language. Trump, though, since he began his first campaign in 2015, has regularly accused others of doing what he himself has done and in the process brought the psychology term of art projection into the vernacular. During the first general election debate in 2016, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton pointed out Trumps many public statements praising Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and his willingness to accept Putins help in the election. She called him Putins puppet. Trumps response: No puppet. No puppet. Youre the puppet. Earlier that year, anticipating his campaign-ending loss in the Indiana Republican primary, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz delivered a 12-minute televised diatribe against Trump, describing his reflexive comeback to any accusation. This man is a pathological liar. He doesnt know the difference between truth and lies, Cruz said. In a pattern that I think is straight out of a psychology textbook, his response is to accuse everybody else of lying. ... Whatever he does, he accuses everyone else of doing. He knows he has been assailed for trying to subvert the democratic process, so he wants to make the same charge against Democrats.David Axelrod, former adviser to Barack Obama For the past three years, Trump has claimed that the various federal and state-level prosecutions against him for his coup attempt and other actions were ordered by Biden from the White House. Trump, who is, as of May, a convicted felon, has no evidence for those claims but there is extensiveevidence that Trump tried to get the Department of Justice to prosecute both Clinton and Biden. David Axelrod, the Democratic consultant who helped Barack Obama win the White House in 2008, said Trumps lies about a coup to remove Biden could well be him laying the groundwork for challenging an election loss in November. I think it is to set up the predicate that there is something untoward or illegitimate about the election, and will be amplified if he loses, he said. But it also is the thing that Trump always does. Its projection. He knows he has been assailed for trying to subvert the democratic process, so he wants to make the same charge against Democrats. Republican pollster Neil Newhouse said it could simply be Trump trying to attract hard-core Biden supporters. Hes trying to win over voters who were sympathetic to Biden and believe he got a raw deal. Its a bank shot with long odds, Newhouse said. Former top GOP strategist Stuart Stevens, meanwhile, thinks people have already wasted too much time parsing Trumps language on the matter, and joked that Trumps coup analysis was just as likely the result of other factors. This has nothing to do with political strategy and everything to do with pharmacology and psychosis, he said. Photo by Getty Images Arizona Right to Life is working to convince the state Supreme Court that, if voters favor an abortion rights initiative this fall, the only people who will stand in the way of the procedure are abortionists who profit from a determination that leads to abortion. The anti-abortion organization argued as much in a brief filed to Arizonas highest court on Friday afternoon. If voters approve Proposition 139 in November, it would enshrine in the Arizona 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. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Arizona Right to Life lost its lawsuit challenging the measures place on the ballot in a trial court, but the states highest court has yet to make a decision in the appeal. The anti-abortion group claimed that the summary of the Arizona Abortion Access Act, which was shown to the more than 800,000 supporters who signed petitions to get it on the ballot, was misleading, and for that reason it should be barred from the ballot this fall. On Monday, the Arizona Secretary of States Office confirmed that around 570,000 of those signatures were valid, significantly more than enough to make it onto the ballot. In the appeal, Arizona Right to Life argued 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 the decision. The trial court judge did not agree. Other groups and elected officials rallied to defend the abortion rights measure in court on Friday, too. In a joint filing, Save our Schools Arizona and the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center claimed that, if the court buys the argument that the omission of a minor adjective means the description is impermissibly misleading, the justices would make the standard so burdensome and unattainable that no initiative could survive legal review. SOS Arizona is a public school advocacy organization and the BISC is a nonprofit that provides information to advocacy groups about the initiative process. The microscopic detail (Arizona Right to Life) demands would render compliance impossible and would suffocate the right to initiative, an attorney for the two groups, Daniel Adelman, wrote in the friend of the court filing. Adelman also called into question Arizona Right to Lifes argument that the summary should have included details about the Abortion Access Acts possible impact on existing abortion regulations. State law currently bans the procedure after 15 weeks of pregnancy, with exceptions only to save the life of the mother. No proponent could predict and summarize which past and future laws would survive in the span of 200 words, while simultaneously explaining the measures actual provisions, Adelman wrote. And the attempt to engage in such an exercise could result in a misleading description should a court disagree with how the proponents applied the test to any particular regulation. State law requires that summaries shown to potential petition signers include all of the principal provisions of the ballot measure, but not its possible impacts on existing law, Adelman pointed out. But Arizona Right to Life argued in its Friday filing that one of the principal provisions of the act was to demolish the current objective medical examination standard for determining if an abortion was warranted, to be replaced by the good faith judgment of the treating health care provider. The voters are unbeknownst to them being asked to allow medical determinations about abortion made solely on the good faith decision of abortionists who profit from a determination that leads to abortion, wrote Jennifer Wright, an attorney for Right to Life. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine and the Society of Family Planning countered those claims in their own court filing in support of the Arizona Abortion Access Act. Karin Aldama, an attorney for the medical societies and abortion research group, wrote that Arizona Right to Lifes allegations about abortion providers lacked evidence and were ungrounded in the realities of medical care and ethics. Bedrock principles of medical ethics require that all clinicians, irrespective of the type of care they provide, base their medical judgments on the welfare of the patient, not personal gain, Aldama wrote. The medical societies also alleged that the anti-abortion advocacy group was wrongfully attempting to convince the court that clinicians who provide abortions were governed by a different code of ethics than other health care providers. Plaintiffs attempt to stigmatize the provision of essential health care and to single out and diminish health care professionals who provide it as if they were a different class of medical professional or prone to conduct that would displace patient well-being for personal gain lacks any factual basis, is contrary to the legal and ethical obligations required of medical professionals, is harmful to Arizonans, and should be rejected by this Court, Aldama wrote. In response to the accusations of the medical societies, Arizona Right to Life wrote on Friday that medical providers do not typically perform medical procedures for free, and that financial gain can influence their decision making. In the same filing, the anti-abortion organization doubled down on its declaration that the summary shown to petition signers was misleading because it didnt inform them that its principal provision would eradicate existing abortion laws. That basic thrust is to completely deregulate abortion and to ultimately abolish all Arizona laws that would impugn on a womans decision to abort her child, Wright wrote. A Thursday court filing in support of Arizona Right to Lifes argument by State Rep. Barbara Parker and U.S. Congressman Andy Biggs, both Republicans, expanded on the organizations claims about the possible implications of constitutional changes the measure would make. Their attorneys, Veronica Lucero and state Rep. Alexander Kolodin, a Scottsdale Republican, told the court that the measure should be barred from the ballot because its description failed to inform signers that the act would strip from the courts the traditional level of scrutiny they apply to legislation governing fundamental rights. Lucero and Kolodin argued that, because that change is a principal provision of the Abortion Access Act, it should have been included in the summary. This is a sweeping change to the way Arizona courts analyze and interpret the law when it comes to fundamental rights, which include our most precious and basic individual liberties, and this transformation is plainly one of the most important, consequential, and primary features of the initiative, they wrote. The Arizona Abortion Access Act would enshrine the right to abortion in the state constitution and would bar the state from adopting or enforcing any law that would deny or restrict that right prior to fetal viability, unless there was a compelling state interest in doing so. The act goes on to specify that the compelling state interest must be for the limited purpose of improving or maintaining the health of the person seeking an abortion, and that it must not interfere with that persons autonomous decision making. Lucero and Kolodin argued that, because this same sort of restriction on a compelling state interest is not placed on other fundamental rights and makes a change to how the courts would handle abortion law, the change should have been included in the summary. (T)his interest would override a compelling interest the government may have in ensuring that a healthcare provider has the religious freedom not to perform an abortion, they wrote. It is a material omission to the public that the Act will override any such interest because courts will not be able to weigh the fundamental right of religious freedom over the fundamental right of abortion. The Arizona Supreme Court is expected to rule on the appeal before Aug. 22, the deadline to print ballots in some counties. In their filing, the medical societies impressed upon the court the importance of access to abortion as a part of standard medical care. Health care access should not be a game of ping-pong. Access to the full spectrum of medical care is critically important for peoples health, safety, and well-being, Aldama wrote. The health and well-being of people and communities are threatened when health care professionals are unable to provide medical care that patients need, free from legislative interference in the practice of medicine. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) The Caddo Parish Sheriffs Office arrested a male and female suspect for various felony offenses, including firing shots at a Shreveport home. A detailed news release provided by CPSO said that Samantha Logan, 29, and Xavier Nelson, 37, both of Shreveport, were arrested related to an incident on Thursday, August 16, just before 3:30 p.m. When deputies arrived at the scene in the 10000 block of Linwood Avenue, they learned that Logan exited a black truck, fired a single round into the ground in the victims front yard, and then re-entered the truck. Nelson, who was the driver of the truck, fired a series of shots, striking the victims house and vehicle before the two fled the scene in the truck. Deputies were unable to locate the suspects. VIDEO: Man arrested in Bossier, suspected of tossing kittens from moving car That same evening, a CPSO detective was told that the suspects could be at an unknown address on Corbitt Street. En route to Corbitt, detectives identified the suspect vehicle passing them on Hearne Avenue. They followed the suspects to I-20 eastbound and were led on a brief pursuit, later stopping at the Louisiana Boardwalk. Nelson reportedly fled on foot toward the Bass Pro Shop, where Bossier City Police caught him and later transferred him to CPSO detectives. Nelson was booked into the Caddo Correctional Center on two counts of possession of a firearm, two counts of aggravated assault with a firearm, illegal possession of stolen property, two counts of aggravated criminal property damage, and violating a protection order. He is also held on outstanding warrants in Bossier City. Deputies located Logan in the 2800 block of Corbitt Street, and she was booked into CCC for illegal use of a weapon, possession of a firearm by a felon, and outstanding Shreveport police warrants. Another passenger in the vehicle, identified as Derrick Harris, remained inside the truck. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. An aerial view shows debris lying at the site of a plane crash in the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo. Allison Sales/dpa Following the plane crash that resulted in 62 fatalities just over a week ago in Brazil, the airline VoePass will be placed under special supervision, the civil aviation authority ANAC announced on Saturday. "In light of the current situation following the plane crash and considering human factors, the agency believes that it is important to intensify ongoing monitoring and control of the services provided by the company and to establish parameters to avoid operational anomalies," ANAC announced after a meeting with representatives of VoePass. An aircraft belonging to the airline crashed on August 9, while flying from Cascavel in the state of Parana to Sao Paulo, shortly before reaching its destination, into a residential area of the city of Vinhedo. All 58 passengers and four crew members lost their lives. According to initial findings, the turboprop passenger aircraft of the ATR 72 type had rapidly lost altitude within a very short time. As a potential cause of the crash, experts are primarily examining the formation of ice on the wings. Currently, the planes black box is being analysed. In the recording from the voice recorder, the co-pilot can be heard asking the pilot what was happening, the broadcaster TV Globo reported, citing investigators. The captain reportedly responded that they needed to accelerate to stabilize the aircraft and prevent a crash, but this was not possible. At the end of the recording, screams could be heard. Crushin it with Cardin and Van Hollen, Moore not keen on taxes, more MACo notes Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Harborside Bar and Grill owners Chris Wall and Lloyd Whitehead, and Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) at the Harborside Friday. Photo by Danielle J. Brown. U.S. Sens. Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen ran a final victory lap Friday in their battle to prove that Maryland is the one true home of the Orange Crush, a drink invented in Ocean City. We are here to uphold Marylands honor and make it clear that we are the home of the original Orange Crush, Van Hollen said Friday at the Harborside Bar and Grill, which is accepted as the birthplace of the iconic cocktail. Delaware lawmakers this summer voted to dub the Orange Crush made with fresh orange juice, vodka, triple sec and a splash of lemon-lime soda the state drink, much to the surprise of Marylanders, including Democrats Van Hollen and Cardin. The bill even notes that the Orange Crush was originated in Ocean City. Orange Crush in hand, Van Hollen called the move pure theft. We understand that they want to be the Orange Crush capital, but history tells us that this place were standing right now is the home of the Orange Crush, Van Hollen said. The debate resulted in a mixology contest on Capitol Hill between Cardin and Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), to see who could make the best Orange Crush. The judges Washington Post Food Reporter Emily Heil, Washingtonian Food Editor Jessica Sidman and Van Hollen determined Cardins Orange Crush the best, declaring Maryland the home of the cocktail. The outcome of the mixology contest did not stop Delaware Gov. John Carney (D) from signing the legislation on Aug. 9 to officially make the state beverage the Orange Crush. However, Cardin and Van Hollen maintain bragging rights. This is where it all started, Cardin said Friday at Harborside. Delaware has a lot of nerve to try to take any credit. Moores high bar for taxes Gov. Wes Moore (D) reiterated his opposition to increased taxes in the coming legislative session, telling reporters Friday his bar for raising taxes is extremely high. I dont think taxes are an ideology, he said. I think you have to be able to look at the budgets that are in front of you. You need to look at the needs that we have for the state and then figure out what is the best way of actually producing the type of revenue that is necessary in order to grow. Moore was in Ocean City for the Maryland Association of Counties conference, where he is scheduled to deliver the closing address Saturday morning to leaders of Marylands 23 counties and Baltimore City. Many are anxious to learn about the states fiscal situation and how it will affect their local budgets. The Board of Public Works last month cut $150 million from the current years budget, and some are worried more reductions are looming as the state faces growing structural budget deficits. While some in the House of Delegates are again considering tax increases, Moore and Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) are again hesitant. Ferguson told reporters Thursday that he is focused on growing the states economy, mirroring Moores comments that any increase in taxes would have to meet an extremely, extremely high bar. Neither Ferguson nor Moore has defined what that high bar would look like. Moore said there is no specific triggering mechanism, but multiple facets that I look at every single week to determine what we need to do. But the thing that I do know is that we have to be creative and thoughtful about ways we drive growth and just simply saying, Well, raise taxes, or simply saying, Were not going to raise taxes, I dont think thats giving, Moore said. I dont think that thats fair to the complexity of these issues, or is it really fair to the hopes and aspirations of the people of this state. Del. Kent Roberson takes a selfie Aug. 16 at Dry 85 restaurant in Ocean City with, from left, Dels. Shaneka Henson, Mike Rogers and Sheree Sample-Hughes. Photo by William J. Ford. Sample-Hughes support Del. Sheree Sample-Hughes (D-Lower Shore) missed her own fundraiser last year with a case of COVID-19, but she was not going to let that happen again. She was all smiles Friday at Dry 85 restaurant, where she was decked out in an orange dress that matched a few campaign signs outside the restaurant. While hundreds attended Sen. Ben Cardins final town hall forum Friday morning at the Maryland Association of Counties summer conference, Sample-Hughes guests nibbled on a brunch that included fruit, coffee and chicken and waffles. Besides poultry being a vital part of the Eastern Shore economy, I also like chicken, so that had to be a part of the menu, Sample-Hughes said. Three of her colleagues turned out: Dels. Shaneka Henson (D-Anne Arundel), Mike Rogers (D-Anne Arundel) and Kent Roberson (D-Prince Georges). Roberson and Sample-Hughes serve on the House Judiciary Committee. Its wonderful to be with people on the committee [and] to show the support to those who have supported you in the past, said Roberson. Im grateful for her friendship and leadership on the committee and how she has been a public servant for 18 plus years and is sharing that knowledge with myself and others who are willing to listen. Sample-Hughes calls Rogers colonel because of his three decades of military service in the Army. Both are advocates for veterans issues. She calls Henson a genuine friend. These are true people who I love to serve with in the legislature, Sample-Hughes said about her three colleagues. After giving a few remarks to attendees, she told a story about learning to shoot a firearm while on a family vacation last week in North Carolina. She was with her oldest son, Jordan, a police officer in Somerset County, and indicated how she held an AR-15 pointing down toward the floor. He said, Dont hold it that way, she said, laughing. My 25-year-old son teaching me. Her youngest son, Noah, 20, is entering his senior year in the aviation program at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. I just need him to become a pilot so I can travel and get some flights free somewhere, she joked. Sample-Hughes is headed to the Democratic National Convention next week as a delegate representing the 1st Congressional District. Solar panels and cannabis You might not think cannabis and solar panels have anything in common. You would be wrong. House Economic Matters Chair Del. C.T. Wilson (D-Charles) sees one important connection counties that want to use zoning and other laws to block where solar panels and cannabis businesses can be located. Last year, Wilson championed a bill that limited the ability of local governments to use zoning to restrict the location of cannabis growing, processing and dispensing businesses. The same thing I did for cannabis, Im going to do for tier one resources, which is basically, youre not going to zone it out in our community, said Wilson. Wilson called the community opposition to building solar energy arrays on farmland insane, saying farmers should be able to decide how they use their land. If thats a solar farm, I know hes producing something. Its electronics. Were consuming those electrons. We may not be consuming the soybeans or the corn, but hes still a producer, Wilson said. And when were done, that farmland is not being destroyed, because the people that argue with me about the beautiful farmland dont mind if he sells that bad boy off and subdivided for homes and townhouses. That seems to be OK. But when we talk about solar now, everybody clutches their pearls, Wilson said. He called opposition to solar farms audacious because its not ruining anything. Its very frustrating, because some people just dont agree with this type of technology. Data centers and transmission line NIMBYism Wilson had more to say on the rising chorus of voices looking to defeat a proposed 500,000-volt, 70-mile power transmission line through parts of Frederick, Carroll and Baltimore counties. He called it comical. The transmission lines, part of the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project, would help provide energy to data centers the state wants to attract. Theres a certain area in the state that wants a new data center but does not want the transmission lines, he said of opponents. Somehow, they want all the benefits of that data center. But how dare we bring transmission lines ie, the electricity its going to take to run that data center through their neighborhood. You dont get both. (COLORADO SPRINGS) According to the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD), officers were dispatched to a robbery report at a bank on North Nevada Avenue on Friday, Aug. 16 around 10:30 a.m. The investigation is still ongoing. CSPD reported that when officers and the Robbery Unit Detectives responded to the scene in the 4500 block of Nevada, Near Austin Bluffs Parkway, they found that a single male suspect committed a robbery and left the area on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash. CSPD is continuing to investigate the incident. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado. How Culpable Is Matthew Perry's Personal Assistant for Actor's Death? Legal Experts Weigh In Kenneth Iwamasa "repeatedly" injected Perry with ketamine including on the day he died, federal authorities said Gregg DeGuire/FilmMagic Matthew Perry in 2022 Federal prosecutors revealed that Matthew Perrys personal assistant administered the dose of ketamine that ultimately led to the Friends star's death at age 54. On Thursday, Aug. 15, federal authorities made the bombshell announcement that five people including Kenneth Iwamasa, 59, have been charged in connection with the actors death. But how culpable is Iwamasa? PEOPLE spoke to two legal experts about Iwamasa's role in Perry's Oct. 28, 2023 death, when the actor was found floating face-down in the hot tub at his Pacific Palisades home. One expert says the live-in assistant is the "least culpable" of the five people charged. Another, however, says Iwamasa is "the most closely tied to what eventually happened." An autopsy released in December showed that 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. At the time of his death, Perry was undergoing ketamine infusion therapy, the autopsy found. The nature of his death was determined to be "accidental," according to the autopsy report. The US Department of Justice announced on Thursday, Aug. 15, that Jasveen Sangha, 41, allegedly known as The Ketamine Queen, and Dr. Salvador Plascencia, 42, a licensed physician, are the lead defendants in the case. Sangha allegedly sold the batch of ketamine that led to Perrys death, U.S. Attorney E. Martin Estrada said at a press conference on Aug. 15. Plascencia allegedly told another patient in mid-2023 that Perry was spiraling out of control with his addiction and yet he continued to offer ketamine to him, Estrada claimed at the press conference. During one injection, he saw Mr. Perry freeze up and his blood pressure spike, Estrada said. Despite that he left additional vials for defendant Iwamasa to administer to Mr. Perry. Erik Fleming, 54, pleaded guilty on Aug. 8 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death. He admitted in court documents that he distributed the ketamine that killed Perry, the U.S. Attorney said in a release. Dr. Mark Chavez, 54, of San Diego, agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine. He admitted in his plea agreement to allegedly selling the drug to Plasencia, the U.S. Attorney said in the release. Related: Why Were Arrests Made in Connection With Matthew Perrys Death? A Timeline of the Investigation During a press conference on Aug. 15, Estrada said that the investigation into Perrys death found that he fell back into addiction last fall. Christopher Amitrano Matthew Perry's LA home Authorities allege that Iwamasa conspired with Sangha, Fleming and Plasencia, to illegally obtain ketamine and distribute it to Perry, the U.S. Attorney said in the release. Iwamasa pleaded guilty on Aug. 7 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death. Related: Matthew Perry's Assistant 'Repeatedly' Injected Perry with Ketamine, Including on Day Actor Died Iwamasa admitted to repeatedly injecting Perry with ketamine without medical training, including multiple injections on Perry on the day he died, the U.S. Attorney says in the release. Of those charged, Iwamasa is the least culpable in my opinion, Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor and president of West Coast Trial Lawyers tells PEOPLE. I dont think he is in the business of dealing drugs, he speculated. I think hes in the business of being an assistant. Iwamasa had been Perrys assistant since 1994 and lived with him. On the day Perry died, he administered three doses of ketamine to him, first at 8:30 a.m., and again at 12:30 p.m., according to Iwamasas plea agreement. Then, 40 minutes after that, Perry asked Iwamasa to get the hot tub ready for him, saying, Shoot me up with a big one, according to the plea agreement. Rahmani speculated that Iwamasa was just doing as he was told. You have an assistant and if your boss is a drug addict and you want to keep your job, maybe you might do it for that reason. Former federal prosecutor, Mark Chutkow, head of government investigations and corporate compliance practice at the law firm, Dykema, views this differently. The four other defendants allegedly exploited his addiction, Chutkow says about Perry. Iwamasa, however, was actually injecting this drug into Matthew Perry, so that makes him the most closely tied to what eventually happened." Iwamasa faces up to 15 years in prison. By pleading guilty, he entered into a cooperating deal with federal prosecutors, Chutkow says. He is also the link to all the other defendants, Chutkow adds, meaning that Iwamasa is potentially a valuable witness. This may end up leading to a lesser sentence for Iwamasa, Chutkow says. Iwamasa's attorneys could not be reached for comment. 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. Monobank, Ukraine's largest direct bank, is witnessing DDoS attacks two days straight, the bank's co-owner said on Aug. 17. "Yesterday, it subsided at 10:30 p.m., and today, it started again at 3:15 a.m. We are approaching 3 billion service requests in two days," said Oleh Horokhovskyi. He added that the best way to help is to donate to Ukraine's Armed Forces, hinting that the attack is conducted by Russia or its proxies. Monobank has previously been targeted in similar cyberattacks. A DDoS attack in January sent over 580 million service requests to the bank's website. Horokhovskyi did not identify a culprit, though previous threats have been linked to Russian hackers. Russia has launched thousands of cyberattacks against Ukrainian organizations since the start of its full-scale invasion. Ukrainian hackers in turn have fought back against Russian cyberwarfare by launching attacks of their own. Ukraine's IT Army, a volunteer hacker group, claimed responsibility for a massive DDoS attack against Russian banks and Russia's Mir payment system in June. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. From Aug. 4 to 10, Dartmouth hosted the inaugural Tribal Leadership Academy, bringing 18 newly elected or appointed Native American tribal leaders to campus for five days of programming, according to Native American and Indigenous studies professor Bruce Duthu. The leaders participated in discussions about a variety of best governance practices for their respective tribes, including health care delivery and natural resource management. Rather than approaching issues from a 30,000 foot view, the sessions focused on concrete policies and discussion, Duthu said in his remarks at an Aug. 4 welcome dinner. Participants who applied to the TLA with specific projects or ideas in mind to workshop and receive feedback on were expected to be active contributors to each session. The goal was for every participant to take home concrete ideas they could apply in their communities, Duthu said. Never miss Indian Countrys biggest stories and breaking news. Click here to sign up to get our reporting sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. The TLA kicked off on Aug. 4 with the welcome dinner in the Hayward Room in the Hanover Inn, where participants stayed. During the dinner, Provost David Kotz 86 and vice chairwoman of the Mohegan Tribal Council Sarah Harris 00 both spoke. During her remarks, Harris spoke about the Colleges troubled history in educating Native Americans. Due to travel delays, however, some participants arrived later in the evening or on the morning of Aug. 5. The program formally began on Aug. 5 with morning and afternoon sessions dedicated to the topic of intergovernmental relations. The morning session focused on tribal-federal relations and was led by Harris and Dartmouth Trustee Hilary Tompkins 90, H19.In an email statement to The Dartmouth, Tompkins wrote that, as Native alumna, she and Harris were excited to return to campus for the TLA. Coming back to campus in the role of TLA faculty to share our knowledge with the next generation of tribal leaders brings us full circle in our Dartmouth life journey, Tompkins wrote. The TLA embodies the vision of Samson Occom (Mohegan), where Native Americans can convene at Dartmouth and learn from each other for the betterment of our nations and communities. Over the following days, sessions took place on several other topics, including economic development, law and order in Indian country and higher education, according to the program website. Teachers for the other sessions included several other Dartmouth Native American alumni. Dawson Her Many Horses Tu10, a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, taught in the economic development section. In an email statement to The Dartmouth, Her Many Horses wrote that while there are a few executive education programs for tribal leaders, the TLA differentiates itself by leveraging Dartmouths successful Native alumni community as guest faculty. These instructors move beyond case studies to share practical and actionable steps that tribal leaders can take in areas like intergovernmental relations, economic development and natural resource management, Her Many Horses wrote. Her Many Horses and Jay Calhoun Tu08 an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation stayed at the TLA from the opening to closing ceremony, while most faculty presenters came only for their session, Duthu said in an interview. They have known each other a long time and they were part of our advisory team over the years to help create the TLA, Duthu said. Theyve been with us from the beginning to help us shape this idea. Duthu said the TLA is a pilot program that falls under the umbrella of the recently proposed Tribal Sovereignty Institute. While the Institute does not yet exist, if created, it would be similar to the existing John Sloan Dickey Center for International Understanding and the Rockefeller Center for Public Policy, he said. It would have its own leadership, staff, mission and budget. The Institute would serve as Dartmouths principal unit facing outward to Indian country and would partner with tribal nations on issues of mutual concern, Duthu said. According to Duthu, the Institute was proposed in 2020 during conversations between the Native American and Indigenous studies department and Native American alumni leading up to the 50th anniversary of Dartmouths rededication to its mission of educating Native American students. In light of the anniversary, the NAIS department and Native alumni began working together to develop an additional pathway to properly mark the [Colleges] commitment to Native tribes and to Native peoples, Duthu said. College President Sian Leah Beilock expressed her commitment to Native American education and the TLA in her inaugural address last September. [The TLA] will provide a place for experienced and newly elected tribal leaders to convene with one another to share best practices, discuss opportunities and challenges facing sovereign tribal nations and engage the expertise of fellow participants, Native alumni and Dartmouth faculty across campus, Beilock said during her inauguration. Beilock attended two of the five days of the Academy and returned to give closing remarks and hand out certificates of completion at the closing ceremony on Friday, Duthu said. Participants in the program came from tribal nations across the country, including California, New Mexico, Wisconsin and Oklahoma. Participants travel and accommodation costs were entirely covered by the College, as well as most meals, according to Duthu. The program was funded through donations including those from more than 75 Native American Dartmouth graduates and the Class of 1953, Duthu said. According to Duthu, the other pilot program under the Institute was the Tribal Services and Solutions Project which provides funding for any Dartmouth student who has majored or minored in NAIS to work for one term or up to a year post-graduation in service to tribal communities or government units dedicated to advancing Native peoples interests. Next year, the program will run from July 28 to Aug. 1. Applications to the TLA will open sometime in winter 2025, according to Duthu. About the Author: "Levi \"Calm Before the Storm\" Rickert (Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation) is the founder, publisher and editor of Native News Online. Rickert was awarded Best Column 2021 Native Media Award for the print\/online category by the Native American Journalists Association. He serves on the advisory board of the Multicultural Media Correspondents Association. He can be reached at levi@nativenewsonline.net." Contact: levi@nativenewsonline.net A union that represents over 1,600 Albertsons grocery workers in Idaho says it no longer endorses Krogers merger with Albertsons. Local 555 of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union said its withdrawing its support after Kroger failed to address major wage discrepancies in the unions jurisdiction. The union had offered its approval earlier this year, saying Feb. 19 that its members would likely be better off with the merger than without it, because multiple stores where its members work would be sold to a third company whose leadership had impressed union representatives. The move placed the union at odds with a coalition of other union locals that represent 100,000 Kroger and Albertsons workers in more than a dozen states, including some in North Idaho, the Idaho Statesman previously reported. That company is C&S Wholesale Grocers, a little-known grocery-supply firm owned by a New Hampshire billionaire that also oversees two retail supermarket chains in the South, Midwest and Northeast. Kroger agreed in September to sell 413 Kroger- and Albertsons-owned stores, including 13 Albertsons stores in Idaho, to C&S to ease federal regulators antitrust concerns. We were pleased to find not only that they understood and liked the grocery business, but also recognized the importance of quality employees to their ongoing success, Dan Clay, the president of UFCW Local 555, said in a statement at the time. But the union, based in Tigard, Oregon, a suburb of Portland, said Thursday that its bargaining committee met with representatives of Kroger, Fred Meyer and QFC on Wednesday and Thursday for its third bargaining session and that the employers failed to address wage discrepancies or show an investment in retirement and health care benefits. While our local was the only local to publicly support the merger of Kroger and Albertsons, our local has changed that position as a result of new information as part of the bargaining process discussions over the past two days, the union said in a news release. The union also took issue with a news release Kroger issued Thursday that said Fred Meyer delivers on their promise to accelerate associate wages. Miles Eshaia, communications coordinator for UFCW Local 555, called the declaration misleading at best, in a statement emailed Friday to the Statesman. He said the companies have a track record of not living up to their obligations and falling short at the bargaining table. As a result, we are no longer in support of the Kroger-Albertsons merger for Oregon, Idaho and Washington, Eshaia said. Story continues UFCW Local 555 formerly represented grocery and other workers just in Oregon and Washington, but it expanded into Idaho in 2021 after the UFCWs Local 368A in Boise voted to merge into UFCW Local 555. That brought 1,100 workers in southern Idaho, eastern Oregon and western Wyoming into the local, the Northwest Labor Press reported. Eshaia said by phone that most of the unions members in Idaho are in Boise, Twin Falls, Pocatello and Burley. The local has about 35,000 members in its jurisdiction. Kroger Co., a Cincinnati-based national grocery chain, proposed in 2022 to take over Albertsons, the Idaho-based company that Joe Albertson founded 85 years ago with a single supermarket on State Street in Boise. Krogers store banners include Fred Meyer, which competes with Albertsons in the Boise area and other Northwest markets. The retracted endorsement was reported by The Oregonian. Albertons-Kroger merger in limbo as the plan faces legal challenges. Heres the latest Do plastic bags shoppers return to Boise-area stores actually get recycled? What we learned What a Boise-area companys deal to sell itself for $1.5B means, and why it matters When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The stunning view of the Coma galaxy cluster, taken by the Dark Energy Camera. The two large galaxies at the center of the cluster are giant ellipticals, namely NGC 4889 and NGC 4874 to its right. | Credit: CTIO/NOIRLab/DOE/NSF/AURA The Coma Cluster of more than 1,000 galaxies is resplendent in this new image from the powerful Dark Energy Camera (DECam) situated in the four-meter Victor M. Blanco Telescope at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile. Located about 321 million light-years away from us in the constellation of Coma Berenices, the Coma galaxy cluster has made a significant mark in our study of dark matter . In 1937, it was within this cluster where Caltech astronomer Fritz Zwicky first found evidence for the existence of dark matter. He noticed that the galaxies in the cluster were moving faster than the gravitational field generated by all the cluster's visible matter should allow. In fact, the galaxies were moving so fast that, by all rights, they should have flown right out of the cluster and escaped into deep space. Zwicky thus deduced that there must be a substantial amount of invisible, or "dark," matter present in the Coma Cluster, but his ideas at the time were considered too radical. It was only in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when Vera Rubin and Kent Ford systematically found evidence for dark matter in galaxies by studying their rotation curves that is, how fast the stars and gas in those galaxies are moving that astronomers became serious about dark matter. Today, we know that 90% of the mass of the Coma Cluster is made from mysterious dark matter. Since those early dark matter milestones, a combination of observations and theory have also resulted in the standard model of cosmology , which depicts a universe threaded by a cosmic web of dark matter and laced with normal matter in the form of gas and dust. Galaxies tend to form along the filaments of this web, and at the nodes of the web where the filaments interlink, we find galaxy clusters. Related: Dark Energy Camera captures record-breaking image of a dead star's scattered remains A 2020 study from a team led by Nicola Malavasi of the LudwigMaximiliansUniversitat in Germany found that the Coma Cluster is linked to three separate cosmic-web filaments, with two of the filaments particularly prominent. Dark matter, gas and even whole galaxies flow along the filaments and fall into the Coma Cluster where the filaments meet. One of the filaments is found on the west side (from our point of view when seen on the sky) of the cluster and coincides with an X-ray emitting shockwave generated by infalling matter from the filament colliding with the intra-cluster medium that is, the hot gas that fills the space between the galaxies in the cluster. Another filament is found connecting the north-east corner of the Coma Cluster and is associated with the small group of galaxies that surrounds the giant elliptical galaxy NGC 4839 , which is currently falling into the cluster. In particular, this filament is bringing in pristine, cold hydrogen gas that is sparking fresh star formation in that corner of the cluster. It also shows that the Coma Cluster is still accreting matter and growing in mass via these filaments. In general, the more filaments there are connecting to a cluster, the more massive that cluster is and the faster galaxy evolution seems to proceed, with a greater abundance of red elliptical and lenticular galaxies where star formation has virtually ceased. Earlier this year , astronomers based in South Korea and the United States were able to apply what's known as a weak gravitational lensing technique to find intracluster filaments of dark matter extending through the Coma Cluster. These intracluster filaments are like tendrils at the end of the larger cosmic-web filaments, and in fact feed dark matter into the cluster. They were found using the Hyper Suprime-Cam on the Subaru Telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, which detected the subtle effect of the mass of the dark matter filaments creating enough gravity to warp space just enough to slightly distort the light of galaxies around them. Hence, we call this "weak" lensing, as opposed to strong lensing that magnifies light from much farther objects. Related Stories: Dark Energy Camera peels back layers of 'galactic onion' stretched across space 'God's Hand' interstellar cloud reaches for the stars in new Dark Energy Camera image (video) Dark energy remains a mystery. Maybe AI can help crack the code Cosmic web filaments can link neighboring galaxy clusters too, with a filament connecting the Coma Cluster to the Leo Cluster, and together the pair form the Coma Supercluster of more than 3,000 galaxies, spanning 20 million light-years across space. Despite its name, the Dark Energy Camera that produced this shot of the Coma Cluster has since retired from duties scrutinizing dark energy, following its stint leading the Dark Energy Survey between 2013 and 2019. Now, the 570-megapixel astronomical camera has become a general workhorse, routinely producing incredible images including this one. What is the dark web? It's not all hackers and drug dealing, but there's a lot of that A ransomware group may have leaked personal data for hundreds of thousands of people onto the dark web last week after the group stole data from the city of Columbus in July. But this dark web isn't a place people can stumble upon. Most people have never been to it or how to get there. Here's what you need to know about this mysterious portion of the internet that lurks, sight unseen, for most users. What is the dark web and how do you get there? The dark web is a section of the internet that's only accessible via a specialized browser that conceals the data that passes through it. This browser, the Tor Browser, is essentially a modified version of Mozilla Firefox that bounces information sent from a client (like a personal computer) to a server (like a website) between six random nodes, Carter Yagemann, an Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at Ohio State University said. This makes the Tor browser anonymous, meaning users and website hosts can't be tracked. The dark web is part of the deep web, which includes any part of the internet that search engines like Google don't index. The deep web doesn't require the Tor browser to access. It just contains websites not found on search engines, like internal company sites or sites that require a login, Yagemann said. "For example, parts of Facebook could be considered the deep web because your typical user might not be able to access that stuff," he said. Dark websites are also much more difficult to find than normal sites. Users must know a specific URL composed of random numbers and letters ending in .onion instead of the more commonly used .com or .org. And there's no Google equivalent that indexes all these addresses, Yagemann said. What's on the dark web? What's it used for? Yagemann said that people who want to avoid observation predominantly use the dark web, commonly including criminals. Criminals use the dark web for drug dealing, murder-for-hire plots, the distribution of child pornography and more, he said. Criminals also use it for cybercrime. The Rhysida ransomware group recently used their dark website to attempt to auction 6.5 terabytes of stolen city of Columbus data after they breached city systems in July. The auction seemingly failed, so the group leaked over three terabytes of sensitive data to their dark website. Also, an Amazon-esque online marketplace used chiefly for selling drugs used to exist on the dark web. It was called The Silk Road, and users could browse listings for items like "White Russian" strain marijuana, high-grade cocaine and 25I-NBOMe, a synthetic psychoactive substance, according to a screenshot of The Silk Road posted to researchgate.net. That marketplace came crashing down in 2013 when the FBI arrested the site's founder, Ross Ulbrichtwho went by the name "Dread Pirate Roberts" onlineand shut down the site. That didn't put an end to criminal sales on the dark web, one illicit website made $219 million in sales in 2017, years after The Silk Road shut down, according to a RAND Corporation report. The Tor browser's anonymizing setup also makes the dark web useful for spies, activists hiding from authoritarian governments, or anyone trying to avoid censorship or internet restrictions, Yagemann said. It's not all crime and state secrets on the dark web, however. "The stuff that goes on the dark web is the same kind of stuff that goes on in normal life. It's just because it's harder to attribute servers on the dark web to a particular person. It could be harder for that person to be held accountable by laws," Yagemann said. NHart@dispatch.com @NathanRHart This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: What is the dark web? A look at where Columbus' data went after attack The Sergeant Kevin Marxen Respect for Law Award is given to one officer every year, in recognition for their distinguished service. Davenport officer Jason Willey is this years recipient. Mayor Mike Matson and Major Jamie Brown spoke on Willeys dedication as an officer. Willey is grateful to have been selected for this award and says he will continue to uphold the values he was recognized for. Officer Jason Willey Im honored that I was selected by my peers, and coming out of the Davenport Police Department to receive this award, said Willey. Its a pretty small club with only 45 people being in there, so its an honor. The club is proud to give Willey this award. There arent a lot of opportunities for davenport police officers to receive recognition for their service in the community, said Davenport Noon Optimist Club President Karie Gilson. And so were excited to offer that opportunity, that were able to lift up our officers and let them know that we recognize their service. For Willey, he takes this award as a reminder to continue his hard work. I think we just continue to do the things we are doing and see if theres better ways to do what we do, said Gilson. Everyday at work is a challenge and thats what some of the good things about being a police officer is, no day is ever the same. And you meet those challenges and learn how to overcome those. For more than 40 years the Davenport Noon Optimist Club has gathered annually to celebrate a member of the Davenport Police Department in recognition of their dedicated service advancing the Respect for Law objective of Optimist International. The Respect for Law Luncheon was held Friday at the Davenport RiverCenter, where Mayor Mike Matson and Major Jamie Brown spoke. In July 1965, a discussion between Past Optimist International President Carl Bowen and former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover resulted in the birth of the Optimist Respect for Law program. More than 1,500 clubs participate each year. Through the years over a quarter of a million law enforcement officers have been honored by thousands of Optimist Clubs around the world. This program is intended to make the nations youth and the general public aware of the hard work and personal dedication shown by law enforcement officials, and to encourage support for the exceptionally difficult task of law enforcement. The award is given to an officer who has shown exemplary service to the department and dedication to law enforcement. The officer is selected by his/her peers in the Davenport Police Department. In 2014 past recipient Sgt. Kevin Marxen passed away unexpectedly. After discussion with the Department, it was decided to rename the Davenport Noon Optimist Clubs award, the Sergeant Kevin Marxen Respect for Law award to honor the life lived by Sergeant Marxen a life closely aligned with the Optimist Creed. The 2024 Davenport Noon Optimist Club Respect for Law recipient is Sgt. Jason Willey. Willey has dedicated nearly three decades to exemplary service in both law enforcement and military roles. He has consistently demonstrated outstanding leadership and commitment. Since April 2021, he has led a team of investigators and civilians in traffic enforcement and crash investigations. Willey serves as department motorcycle officer and as the Davenport Police liaison to the Iowa Governors Traffic Safety Bureau. His combined expertise in military and law enforcement underscores his commitment to safety, training, and leadership, making him a valuable asset to the Davenport Police Department and an exemplary candidate for this prestigious recognition. About the Davenport Noon Optimist Club By providing hope and positive vision, Optimists bring out the best in kids. Adult volunteers join Optimist Clubs to conduct positive service projects in their communities aimed at providing a helping hand to youth. With their upbeat attitude, Optimist Club members help empower young people to be the best that they can be. Every year, Optimists around the world conduct 65,000 service projects and serve well over six million young people. Davenport Noon Optimist Club serves youth in the Quad Cities with financial support and hands-on projects. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. On August 17, 1999, an earthquake in a densely populated region of northwestern Turkey killed at least 17,000 people and injured about 40,000. UPI File Photo Aug. 17 (UPI) -- On this date in history: In 1807, Robert Fulton began the first American steamboat trip between Albany, N.Y., and New York City. In 1915, a hurricane struck Galveston, Texas, killing 275 people. In 1946, George Orwell publishes Animal Farm. In 1969, the Woodstock music festival ended after three days on a 600-acre farm in Bethel, N.Y. People pay respect at a memorial tribute of flowers, messages and candles to the victims on Barcelona on August 19, 2017, two days after a van plowed into the crowd, killing 14 persons and injuring over 100. Another two victims died in later attacks. File Photo by Angel Garcia/UPI File Photo by Mark Goff/Wikipedia In 1978, Ben Abruzzo, Maxie Anderson and Larry Newman completed the first crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by balloon, landing their helium-filled Double Eagle II near Paris. H. Ross Perot attends the dedication ceremony for the new U.S. Air Force Memorial October 14, 2006, in Arlington, Va. On August 17, 1996, the Reform Party nominated Texas businessman Ross Perot for president. File Photo by Chip Somodevilla/UPI In 1987, Rudolf Hess, Hitler's former deputy, was found strangled in Berlin's Spandau Prison. He was 93. In 1996, the Reform Party nominated Texas businessman Ross Perot for president. He would go on to lose the 1996 general election with 18.9 percent of the popular vote and zero electoral votes. President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, won with 43 percent of the popular vote and 370 electoral votes. Republican George H.W. Bush lost his re-election bid with 37.4 percent of the popular vote and 168 electoral votes. On August 17, 1998, U.S. President Bill Clinton said he had a relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky that was "not appropriate." File Photo courtesy of the White House File Photo by Chip Somodevilla/UPI In 1998, addressing the American people, U.S. President Bill Clinton said he had a relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky that was "not appropriate." Members of the U.S. Coast Guard head into the water with their flat-bottom boats to assist locals during the flooding in Baton Rouge, La., on August 14, 2016. On August 17, 2016, the flooding had killed 13 people, and left thousands of people in shelters and seeking aid. File Photo by Brandon Giles/U.S. Coast Guard/UPI In 1999, an earthquake in a densely populated region of northwestern Turkey killed at least 17,000 people and injured about 40,000. In 2017, a man drove a van into a group of pedestrians in Barcelona, Spain, killing 14 people and injuring another 130 people. The driver killed a 15th person in a carjacking while fleeing the scene. In a related attack hours later, a group of terrorists drove into more civilians, killing a 16th person. All told, eight attackers were also killed. In 2019, an explosion at a Kabul, Afghanistan, wedding hall killed at least 63 people. The Islamic State claimed responsibility. File Photo by Jawad Jalali/EPA-EFE The deadline to enter the 40th annual Rock Island Labor Day Parade is Monday, Aug. 19. Anyone interested in entering a float, business vehicle, organization, school, church van, or simply walk the parade route, is welcome to join. There is a $10 entry fee for all entries. Rock Island Labor Day Parade (OurQuadCities.com) The parade will take place Monday, Sept. 2 beginning at 9:30 a.m. at 18th Avenue and 33rd Street. The theme for this years event is Parade of Celebrations. The 400-member University of Illinois Marching Illlini band will be featured in the parade After the parade, the Marching Illini will hold a brief concert at Rock Island High School Stadium, 2422 17th St. The first Rock Island Labor Day Parade was held in 1985 as part of the citys sesquicentennial (150th birthday) celebration. Over the past 40 years, the parade has grown into a popular community event that averages 130 entries and draws thousands of spectators. Parade entry information and a map of the parade route is available 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. A screenshot of a webcam showing downtown Ruidoso around 8:30 p.m. on June 17 as the fire looms and drivers flee. (Photo Courtesy Village of Ruidoso) The Federal Emergency Management Agency has extended the application deadline for those who suffered losses in the South Fork and Salt fires to Oct. 19, an extension that comes as floods continue to threaten homes of those living in and around the burn scar. The deadline was going to be Monday until FEMA announced the extension late Friday. A spokesperson said the extension came thanks to a request from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. Some local residents, including Ruidoso Mayor Lynn Crawford, said the deadline was passing so quickly that many survivors of the ongoing disaster could be left without vital help. Crawford said that he is beginning to see movement and money flowing for the recovery, but he doesnt think people in his town are feeling the help yet. Hes regularly asked for Ruidoso residents to call in on a local radio show to let him know if they received any federal aid and how the process went, and he said no one has responded so far. We want to see actual money in peoples hands, he told Source New Mexico on Friday, before the deadline extension was announced. I just need verification to ease my own troubled mind on these things. As of Aug. 17, FEMA has provided a little more than $5.5 million in assistance to 509 households, according to the latest totals on a FEMA website. That includes about $3.25 million in housing assistance, plus about $2.25 million to cover things like transportation, medical expenses and replacing lost household items. After President Joe Biden declared a federal disaster on June 2, the Federal Emergency Management Agency began offering assistance to individuals and households affected by the disaster as long as they applied by Aug. 19. The assistance is meant to provide immediate, temporary aid to those without adequate insurance, and total assistance is limited under federal law to about $43,000, even for those whose primary residences were completely destroyed. People who apply by the deadline can be eligible for other possible aid, including low-interest disaster loans from the Small Business Administration, as well as housing assistance in the form of rent assistance or temporary trailers and mobile homes. The FEMA temporary housing has yet to arrive. Crawford said a Monday deadline would make even less sense amid continued floods falling on the burn scar that cause additional damage and leave even more people in need. Some people dont even realize they have damage, Crawford said. And the incident period is not going to be over by the 19th. It needs to at least extend past the expected monsoon time. The typical North American monsoon season lasts through September. A recent National Weather Service monsoon forecast for New Mexico predicted average to above-average precipitation in August and September in New Mexico. After the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire in spring 2022, survivors could apply for individual assistance until Oct. 7 of that year, more than six months after the fire began. The deadline was extended at least once. An Aug. 19 deadline means survivors of the South Fork and Salt fires would have meant people had about three months to apply for aid, including temporary housing Crawfords office shared correspondence with FEMA officials showing that, as of Aug. 1, 126 households were deemed eligible for FEMA trailers or mobile homes. Those eligible are generally people whose uninsured primary residence was destroyed or sustained severe damage. Of those households, 51 told FEMA they need housing immediately. Sixty-four others told FEMA theyd found another housing resource. In an email to Crawfords office, FEMA acknowledged that more people would likely need temporary housing from the federal agency. Crawford said hed received assurances from FEMA that the trailers and mobile homes for the survivors hit hardest by the disaster are on their way. Cows stand near a fire that started as a result of missile and drone attacks from Lebanon into Israel. Ilia Yefimovich/dpa The death toll from an Israeli airstrike on an area in southern Lebanon has risen to 10, among them two children, the Lebanese Health Ministry and state-media said on Saturday. Those killed were mostly Syrian nationals, the ministry said. The National News Agency said the raid hit a brick mill at the outskirts of the northern town of Al-Kafour in the Natabtiyeh districy. Earlier reports from the area said it was a residential building. It said among the dead was the caretaker of mill who is a Syrian national and his whole family. Five others were injured in the Israeli strike, the ministry said in a statement, adding that some are in critical condition. The Israeli army said the air force had attacked a Hezbollah militia weapons depot in the Nabataea area. The military also struck with artillery to eliminate a threat in other areas of southern Lebanon, the army said. The reports that civilians were injured as a result of the strike is under review, the Israeli army said. On Friday, at least one person was killed and another wounded in an Israeli strike that hit the village of Aitaroun in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese Health Ministry said. 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 was a military structure in which Hezbollah terrorists were operating. Hezbollah in Lebanon and Israel have been engaged in daily firefights since the Gaza war began in October. More than 120 civilians have been killed, most of them on the Lebanese side. State Sen. Tom Brandt of Plymouth, center, meets with a group of his colleagues as debate takes an unintended turn Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, in Lincoln. Around him are, from left, State Sens. George Dungan of Lincoln, John Cavanaugh of Omaha, Ben Hansen of Blair, Anna Wishart of Lincoln and Justin Wayne of Omaha. Not pictured, to Brandt's right: State Sens. Wendy DeBoer of Omaha and Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN What was intended to be a simple, rare Saturday meeting of the Nebraska Legislature began with flared emotions but ended with key senators making nice to save the very legislation their fight had imperiled. At the center of the debate was Legislative Resolution 2CA, a constitutional amendment that would allow the Legislature, if voters approve, to set a different valuation process for owner-occupied housing. Most Nebraska property is valued at or near 100% of actual market value, with the exception of agricultural land, which is currently valued at 75%. Voters in 1984 authorized the Legislature to value ag land differently. State Sen. Tom Brandt of Plymouth, a farmer, said he got the idea for LR 2CA while on his tractor, frustrated at how the Nebraska Constitution is locked up so tight, and he wanted to see a specific change. State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn, the Revenue Committee chair, noted at least 19 states value residential property differently than other types. Theres no smoke and mirrors here, Brandt said Thursday after his measure was unanimously voted out of the Revenue Committee. It simply is something the Legislature can do. Owner-occupied housing statewide Logan County, at 85%, has the most owner-occupied homeownership among Nebraskas 93 counties. The other highest nine counties, all at 83%, are: Boyd. Cass. Deuel. Franklin. Gosper. Greely. Harlan. Nance. Pawnee. Hooker County has the least owner-occupied homeownership, at 45%. The other lowest nine counties are: Cherry (58%). Lancaster (59%). Thurston (61%). Douglas (62%). Hall (62%). Sioux (62%). Dawes (63%). Cheyenne (65%). Dakota (65%). Source: Legislative Research Office Debate postponed to Tuesday Lawmakers left without advancing the measure Saturday but allowed it to limp along until Tuesday, with about one hour of debate remaining. Thats because lawmakers voted 25-7 to postpone debate, at Brandts request, for a chance to win more support and have more senators in attendance. Had lawmakers gotten to a vote on the measure itself Saturday, it likely would have needed 33 votes. Only 36 senators were in attendance and a number of them were opposed, including some who voted to give Brandt a fighting chance. On Tuesday, Brandt will likely again need 33 votes (he would need 25 if debate ended before the four-hour mark). To pass during final reading, it would need at least 30 votes in order to appear on the 2026 ballot, and at least 40 votes to appear on the November 2024 ballot. Brandt said hes unsure if hell have 40 votes but is more confident about the smaller threshold. Speaker John Arch of La Vista confirmed hell schedule LR 2CA on Tuesday. The earliest day final debate could come is Thursday. Should the tax package and budget-related bills pass Tuesday, lawmakers could also just vote to go home and end the session. Picking between our friends The postponement was a strategy brokered between Brandt, Linehan and Omaha State Sen. Justin Wayne, with flared tensions among them spawning the audible to begin with. State Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha offered the prevailing motion to regroup Tuesday. Wayne was the first to speak Saturday and drew his line in the sand, telling Brandt, This is what happens when you play political games with peoples lives. On Friday, lawmakers fell one vote short of a procedural motion that could have led to a vote on whether to exempt residential electricity from sales taxes as part of Legislative Bill 3. Brandt was one of 17 senators to oppose Waynes procedural move to determine the amendment was relevant, or germane, and able to be amended onto LB 3. Wayne had 21 supporters, but he needed 22. Lets just say to hell with the individual and focus on profits over people, because thats what were doing, Wayne said Saturday. Linehan saw anger also aimed at her because she was present, not voting on that LB 3 fight, unaware her vote could have been the deciding one. She said even if she had known, it might not have made a difference as she was following the lead of Appropriations Committee chair State Sen. Rob Clements of Elmwood. The hardest thing we do here is picking between our friends, Linehan said, visibly frustrated and wiping her eyes with a tissue while speaking. Wayne and Linehan, both elected in 2016, are in their last year in the Legislature. They have often been on opposing sides of issues but have a close friendship and frequently help one another, even when diametrically opposed. This session, Wayne has fought to have the Legislature try for more than currently contained in the core tax package, LB 34, even though he opposes the current version and opposed the original package contained in LB 1, which Linehan introduced on behalf of Gov. Jim Pillen. Wayne has helped stall debate to give Linehan and others time to negotiate. He helped draft ideas. He took political hits for her. It was often his progressive colleagues who declined to budge. Ag leaders need a partner Linehan, speaking angrily on the floor Saturday, recounted how many times in her eight years the Legislature has helped agriculture, only to see multiple senators from more rural districts opposing LR 2CA. Im not mad at anybody in here today, Linehan said. I am furious with the Farm Bureau, texting us this morning and saying that 2CA is hard for ag. Brandt said the organization told him Friday night it was in favor of his constitutional amendment, but by Saturday morning the Farm Bureau had flipped. He shared an email the organization sent to him and State Sen. Jana Hughes of Seward, with what Brandt said were fantasy numbers. Linehan pointed to a major property tax proposal passed in 2020, LB 1107, that had lawmakers negotiating in the State Capitol for a three-year funding stretch while the Farm Bureau was busy making a deal with lobbyists for a five-year proposal. She said they threw us under the bus. That moment wasnt a one-off exchange, Linehan added, arguing ag has been really lucky and the angels have been with them. She sees LR 2CA as a chance for agricultural interests to join with residential landowners and find a partner, which she said the Farm Bureau currently lacks. As a result, Linehan argued, ag land might soon return to being valued at 100% of market value. You have to understand, Ag: if you ever want to move the ball, youre going to need a partner, and the partner you ought to be holding hands with is the homeowners, Linehan said. And if you dont want to, I cant feel sorry for you anymore. Whack-a-mole for other property types State Sen. Mike Jacobson of North Platte repeated criticism he lobbied at the measure Friday, saying that it was way too early and not ready for primetime. Jacobson said LR 2CA doesnt have 40 votes and might fall short of 33. Hes promised to filibuster the bill either way to prevent unintended consequences. Without pay-fors, this is whack-a-mole, Jacobson said. One goes up, others go down. One goes down, the other one or two classes [of property valuations] go up. Others, including State Sen. Brad von Gillern of Elkhorn, Revenue Committee vice chair, expressed similar concern for renters and multi-family units in commercial properties. Brandt and Wayne, after moving past their differences, suggested using property tax credits to buy down the cost of lowered valuations for owner-occupied properties, which they said could already be done now, without a constitutional change. That would be different from ag land, where counties are affected by a shift in valuations, Brandt said. Looking ahead State Sens. Julie Slama of Dunbar and Mike McDonnell of Omaha, who also wont return to the Legislature next year, differed over whether to continue the special session to tackle other ideas. Slama opposed LR 2CA; McDonnell supported it. Slama said for ag to accomplish any victories, it often includes negotiations that mean urban areas have to get something, too. She said the special session has amped up emotions in a compressed timeline to an 11 but that if lawmakers fail, its not for lack of trying. You are on duty 24/7, 365, but that doesnt discount the sacrifices that people are making to be here, Slama said of the session, pointing to lawmakers with personal health issues or whose journeys to Lincoln include leaving ailing family members at home. McDonnell said that suggestions from Jacobson and others to wait until January arent good enough and that senators cant just say, We tried. He suggested an up-or-down vote on various proposals after one hour of debate, and then if a bill doesnt have 33 votes, its dead for the session. I dont believe we should stop until weve exhausted every idea, had every discussion possible, because if were saying were going to wait until next year, theres people out there that cant wait, McDonnell said. Theres people out there making life-changing decisions today where theyre going to live, and what theyre going to eat. Lawmakers will meet from 9-9:30 a.m. Monday for a check-in day. Debate is scheduled to resume Tuesday on LB 34 (the core tax package), LB 2 (budget cuts), LB 3 (cash fund transfers and fee increases) and LR 2CA. Special sessions continue until lawmakers vote to go home. DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST Decatur Police Department to host community National Night Out campaign DECATUR, Ala. (WHNT) The Decatur Police Department will host a community event on Saturday to build relationships with citizens. On Saturday, August 24, DPD will host National Night Out (NNO). NNO is a national community-building campaign that encourages law enforcement and community relationships. Keith Urban holds pop-up concert at Athens Buc-ees The event will be held at Ingalls Harbor Pavilion from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The department says this event is a night to get to know law enforcement officers and help build a safer, stronger community. There will be food trucks, music, giveaways, games and activities. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Franco-Nevada Corporation (TSE:FNV) just released its latest quarterly report and things are not looking great. Results showed a clear earnings miss, with US$260m revenue coming in 3.3% lower than what the analystsexpected. Statutory earnings per share (EPS) of US$0.41 missed the mark badly, arriving some 46% below what was expected. The analysts typically update their forecasts at each earnings report, and we can judge from their estimates whether their view of the company has changed or if there are any new concerns to be aware of. So we gathered the latest post-earnings forecasts to see what estimates suggest is in store for next year. View our latest analysis for Franco-Nevada Taking into account the latest results, Franco-Nevada's ten analysts currently expect revenues in 2024 to be US$1.11b, approximately in line with the last 12 months. Earnings are expected to improve, with Franco-Nevada forecast to report a statutory profit of US$3.03 per share. In the lead-up to this report, the analysts had been modelling revenues of US$1.11b and earnings per share (EPS) of US$3.04 in 2024. So it's pretty clear that, although the analysts have updated their estimates, there's been no major change in expectations for the business following the latest results. There were no changes to revenue or earnings estimates or the price target of CA$202, suggesting that the company has met expectations in its recent result. The consensus price target is just an average of individual analyst targets, so - it could be handy to see how wide the range of underlying estimates is. Currently, the most bullish analyst values Franco-Nevada at CA$263 per share, while the most bearish prices it at CA$171. Note the wide gap in analyst price targets? This implies to us that there is a fairly broad range of possible scenarios for the underlying business. Taking a look at the bigger picture now, one of the ways we can understand these forecasts is to see how they compare to both past performance and industry growth estimates. These estimates imply that revenue is expected to slow, with a forecast annualised decline of 2.1% by the end of 2024. This indicates a significant reduction from annual growth of 9.0% over the last five years. Compare this with our data, which suggests that other companies in the same industry are, in aggregate, expected to see their revenue grow 13% per year. So although its revenues are forecast to shrink, this cloud does not come with a silver lining - Franco-Nevada is expected to lag the wider industry. The Bottom Line The most important thing to take away is that there's been no major change in sentiment, with the analysts reconfirming that the business is performing in line with their previous earnings per share estimates. On the plus side, there were no major changes to revenue estimates; although forecasts imply they will perform worse than the wider industry. The consensus price target held steady at CA$202, with the latest estimates not enough to have an impact on their price targets. Story continues With that in mind, we wouldn't be too quick to come to a conclusion on Franco-Nevada. Long-term earnings power is much more important than next year's profits. We have estimates - from multiple Franco-Nevada analysts - going out to 2026, and you can see them free on our platform here. Another thing to consider is whether management and directors have been buying or selling stock recently. We provide an overview of all open market stock trades for the last twelve months on our platform, here. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Democratic Party delegates and activists will meet next Monday through Thursday in Chicago to formally confirm Kamala Harris as the partys presidential nominee. The week will be full of speeches, caucus meetings, and celebrations. President Joe Biden will address the convention Monday night. Harriss running mate, Tim Walz, will speak Wednesday, and Harris will accept the nomination and speak Thursday. Former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama are scheduled to address the gathering as well. USA Democratic presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama vice presidential nominee Senator Joe Biden stand together on day three of the Democratic National Convention DNC Pepsi Center 2008 Denver Colorado Joe Raedle/Getty Images Party conventions these days are a largely ceremonial affair, but that hasnt always been the case some years the presidential nomination and the platform have been contested. Heres a look at the history of the Democratic convention and what happens there. When did the Democratic convention start? The party, then known as the Democratic-Republican Party, held its first convention in 1832 in Baltimore. Previously, parties selected their presidential nominees mostly through congressional caucuses. The convention system was spurred by the election of 1824, in which no candidate received a majority of the electoral vote and the U.S. House of Representatives had to decide the election, choosing John Quincy Adams. At the 1832 convention, delegates nominated President Andrew Jackson for reelection but rejected his running mate, John C. Calhoun. Calhoun had endorsed the controversial concept of nullification, the idea that individual states can invalidate federal laws or judicial decisions they deem unconstitutional, as the National Constitution Center explains. Delegates selected Martin Van Buren as Jacksons vice-presidential nominee instead. View of the Tent in Which the Democratic Convention is to Be Held Chicago 1864 Corbis via Getty Images At that first convention, delegates adopted a rule that a candidate must receive the support of two-thirds of the delegates to secure the nomination. That was to cause chaos in later years. Democratic convention controversies over the years Slavery was the main issue dividing the party in the mid-19th century. Democrats were not antislavery (the Republican Party was founded in the 1850s as an antislavery party, with some member simply opposing its expansion and others calling for abolition), but some Dems wanted to allow unlimited expansion of slavery, while others favored letting each territory decide whether to allow the practice. At the 1856 Democratic convention, it took 49 ballots for delegates to decide on a nominee James Buchanan, who had largely stayed out of the fray. It then took 57 ballots for delegates to select a nominee at the 1860 convention, with them deciding on Stephen Douglas. In that election, southern Democrats broke off from the party, nominating John Breckinridge for president. Republican Abraham Lincoln won the 1860 election, and the rest is history. CB Wilson with big beard next to Mrs Curtis F Pike and Mrs SG Rich in the rear sitting in a row on the floor of Madison Square Garden during the Democratic National Convention NYC New York 1924 Chicago History Museum/Getty Images The two-thirds rule made things even crazier in the 20th century. In 1912, delegates selected Woodrow Wilson as their nominee on the 49th ballot. Then in 1924, the convention went 16 days and saw controversy over the adoption of platform language condemning the recently revived Ku Klux Klan. The party ended up with a plank denouncing any effort to arouse religious or racial dissension. And it agreed on a nominee only on the 103rd ballot, choosing John Davis, a lawyer and diplomat, after two contentious contenders withdrew William McAdoo, who didnt want to alienate the Klan, and Al Smith, who wanted to repudiate the virulently racist group. Smith would be the partys nominee in 1928, the first Roman Catholic to be in that position, but he lost the election to Republican Herbert Hoover. The New York Times has a comprehensive article on the contentious 1924 convention. It required only four ballots for Franklin D. Roosevelt to become the Democratic nominee in 1932. He turned the party in a decidedly more progressive direction, and he also urged the abolition of the two-thirds rule, to which delegates agreed. But controversies continued, often over race. In 1948, southerners, known as Dixiecrats, walked out of the convention and declined to support Harry S. Truman for reelection, instead endorsing segregationist Strom Thurmond. Thurmond was then governor of South Carolina and later became a U.S. senator from the state. He switched to the Republican Party in 1964. Many other white southerners deserted the Democratic Party in the late 20th century as well because of the partys embrace of civil rights. The 1968 protests The 1968 convention, like this years held in Chicago, was marked by protests over the Vietnam War. Democratic President Lyndon Johnson had greatly expanded the war, but he was aware of growing opposition, and he also had health concerns, so he decided not to run for another term. The Democratic primaries that year saw antiwar candidates Eugene McCarthy and Robert F. Kennedy winning swaths of delegates. But Kennedy was assassinated in June, just after winning the California primary, and the convention started with no candidate holding a majority of delegates most were still chosen not by primaries but by party caucuses. The Democrats ended up choosing Hubert Humphrey, Johnsons vice president, as their nominee. Humphrey hadn't even run in any primary. Abbie Hoffman is arrested while trying to interrupt a meeting of a subcommittee of the House Committee on UnAmerican Activities which is investigating the riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention Bettmann Contributor via Getty Images But for all the action inside the convention, there was more outside. Antiwar protesters from around the nation gathered in Chicago, and there were violent clashes between the protesters and law enforcement. A federal grand jury indicted eight of the organizers on charges of conspiracy and crossing state lines to incite a riot. One of them, Bobby Seale, ended up being tried separately, so the Chicago Eight became the Chicago Seven. All of them were eventually cleared of the initial charges, although they served prison time for contempt of court. What are conventions like now? Now party nominees are chosen through primaries, and the nominee is usually known far in advance. President Joe Bidens withdrawal from the race had some observers thinking there would be a contested convention this year, but the delegates hed won in primaries quickly committed to Vice President Kamala Harris, whom Biden had endorsed. So now conventions are usually peaceful and celebratory affairs, but protests still happen and delegates voice disagreements. African American delegate stands on the floor of the Democratic National Convention holding a sign reading Shirley Chisholm for President Miami Beach Florida 1972 Pictorial Parade/Getty Images In 1972, the Democrats chose George McGovern as their nominee, but Shirley Chisholm, the first Democratic woman and African American to seek the nomination, had her supporters. (Margaret Chase Smith had sought the Republican nomination in 1964.) In 1980, gay rights supporters demonstrated outside the convention in New York City, while inside, the Democrats became the first major U.S. political party to include gay rights in its platform. Activists had first sought the language in 1972, when gay man Jim Foster and lesbian Madeline Davis became the first out members of the LGBTQ+ community to address the Democratic convention or any major-party national convention. In 2016, Sarah McBride became the first out transgender person to speak at the convention. The party is strongly supportive of LGBTQ+ rights. Gays and lesbians protest during the Democratic National Convention Madison Square Garden NYC 1980 Michel Philippot/Sygma via Getty Images Pro-Palestinian protests are expected this year. What is a delegate, and how are they selected? Delegates represent their state, territory, or community at the convention. Delegates are selected in primaries or caucuses at state-level party conventions and are typically early supporters of a candidate, party activists or political leaders, USA Today explains. Some are pledged delegates, which means they must support the candidate who wins their states primary or caucus. Unpledged delegates may vote for anyone. The Democratic Party, unlike the Republican Party, has superdelegates, who are elected officials or party leaders, and they may vote for anyone as well. There is usually a roll call of delegates at the convention, but this year the Democrats held a virtual roll call ahead of time, with delegates giving their backing to Harris. Signs marking state seating sections are installed and adjusted ahead of the Democratic National Convention 2024 Chicago Illinois Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Delegates are selected according to the state parties bylaws and usually at state caucuses or conventions. You can check with your individual state party on what forms to file or other hoops to jump through to become a delegate. Superdelegates automatically receive their status. The News Vice President Kamala Harris is getting ready for a Democratic National Convention like no other as she prepares to deliver an acceptance speech almost one month to the day after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race. Managing that introduction to voters ahead of the post-Labor Day sprint to the final poll closing is a complicated affair. Democrats have to decide how to define her brand, tell her life story, and position her politically, not just in her speech but in the entire programming. I think she needs to be positioned the way that I know her to be, which is a pragmatic, practical leader who is going to fight for the everyday Americans concerns, Ashley Etienne, a former communications director to the vice president, said. The convention, she said, should be leaning into her being a prosecutor, but one whos taken on corporate greed in the interest of the little guy. Compared to the more Trump-centric Republican convention, Democrats also have a long list of political heavyweights in their own right the Obamas, the Clintons, and the Bidens who will require significant stage time and draw more attention in the press. They all will have to stay on the same page to make sure theyre continuously elevating, and not overshadowing, Harris and her running mate Tim Walz. The convention gives people guidance on where they should focus, Etienne said. I think this is such a big, important moment, everyones going to be on message and on script. I do believe theres too much to lose and too much momentum to squander, to have any silly mistakes, to let any egos ruin it. At the same time, convention planners will need to make space for a competing crush of rising stars, speakers targeted at more narrow constituencies, and some potentially big celebrity appearances. Yes, were going to hear from the Obamas and the Clintons, but I want to hear from Governor Gretchen Whitmer, I want to hear from Pete Buttigieg, I want to hear from Governor Shapiro, Quentin James, founder and CEO of the Collective PAC, said. President Biden was one of the last OGs of that demographic of Democrats and now Vice President Harris is going to usher in an entire generation of folks. Know More Harris will get some distance between herself and Joe Biden at next weeks convention, which will feature the sitting president on the first night of the gathering in Chicago. Thats a departure from the tradition of having the incumbent president headline the night before the nominee, and a step toward one goal that Democrats believe is critical for the high-stakes convention: Establishing Harriss independent identity. The timing gives Democrats a chance to pay tribute to Biden Harris led a crowd in chants of Thank you, Joe! at their Maryland event on Thursday before devoting attention full-time to the current ticket. Then there are less well-known figures who might help with specific blocs of voters. Yusef Salaam, a New York City Councilman and member of the Central Park Five has been invited to speak, and could help counter Trumps outreach to Black men if he accepts. One Democrat suggested featuring ordinary Americans who have benefitted from Harris record like a homeowner who was part of the $20 billion settlement she secured with major banks over foreclosure abuses or a recipient of the administrations student debt forgiveness programs. There are expectations the convention will include at least one Never Trump Republican who could speak to a narrow slice of conservative dissidents and Nikki Haley voters that might be persuadable. She needs to excite the base, but she has to make a pitch that there is room in our tent for the [roughly] 20% of Republicans who voted against Trump in the primary, Democratic strategist and former Biden official Caitlin Legacki told Semafor. As for Harris, shes begun laying out a more specific economic platform ahead of the convention that emphasizes direct tax benefits for parents, workers, and homebuyers and a populist stance against price gouging. At the same time, shes dropped some of her more left-leaning proposals from her prior presidential run and has been using her ads to pivot to a border security message and pitch herself as a tough-on-crime prosecutor. Democrats so far have given Harris a wide berth to craft a brand that can win over swing voters and the convention will be her most-watched opportunity yet to dispel lingering concerns from moderates. Only a fool refuses to change, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a Missouri Democrat, told Semafor. Keeping progressives fired up may be easier this time than when she last ran for president in 2019. Some of the more crowd-pleasing items on the left tend to poll well even relatively centrist groups like the Reid Hoffman-backed pollster Blueprint have been cheering on her rollout. I think, honestly, the country is really in a mainstream progressive place now, where I think shes going to be able to come out and talk pretty aggressively about her history taking on big corporate greed, Jesse Lee, a former senior Biden official, said. Its stuff that would have been perceived as to the left in the past, but its just really where people are. The View From The Convention Organizers We have spent the past year building a stage in Chicago for our nominees to tell their story to the country, Matt Hill, Senior Director of Communications for Democratic National Convention Committee, told Semafor. The Biden-Harris Administrations historic record and wins for the American people will remain central to that story. We are excited to welcome delegates from every state and territory in the nation as they rally around the Harris-Walz ticket and their optimistic, bold vision for the future standing in stark contrast to the Trump-Vance Project 2025 agenda that takes us backwards with extremism and chaos. The View From Republicans At the Republican National Convention, we told stories of everyday Americans that captured hearts, Danielle Alvarez, campaign spokesperson for the Trump campaign told Semafor. The celebrity was President Donald J. Trump, who had just survived an assassination attempt. The conversation at our convention focused on the policies and leadership of Donald J. Trump that everyone is ready to return to. This Democratic National Convention is going to ignore everyday Americans and focus on Hollywood elites in the hopes they draw attention to Kamala Harris and shield her miserable policies, proposals, and failures of the last four years. Notable One wild card that has Democrats nervous: Protestors. Semafors David Weigel reports on the latest from pro-Palestinian and anti-war organizers, who are expecting tens of thousands of marchers in Chicago. Politico talked to Democratic delegates who are over the moon about Harris nomination, but still worried about a tight election. We cant just get lazy and assume were going to have a big party and were going to get Democrats elected, New York Assemblymember Grace Lee said. Department of Defense confirms death of airman from Palm Bay in non-combat incident An airman from Palm Bay died on Thursday, according to the Department of Defense. Staff Sgt. Tristen Wright, 28, of Palm Bay, Florida, died Aug. 15, 2024 in a non-combat related incident at an undisclosed location. He was assigned to the 27th Special Operations Wing, Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico. The incident remains under investigation. Read: Deputies: Woman missing for a week out of Volusia County Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. ARLINGTON, Va. (WSAV) On Saturday, the Department of Defense (DOD) announced the death of an Airman who was supporting Operation Inherent Resolve. According to the DOD, Staff Sgt. Tristen Wright, 28, of Palm Bay, Florida, died Aug. 15 in a non-combat related incident at an undisclosed location. The incident is under investigation. Procession held for late Twin City soldier Staff Sgt. Wright was assigned to the 27th Special Operations Wing, at Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Ten presidential campaigns ago, in 1984, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who was almost universally described by media and politicians as the first Black man to run a serious major-party campaign for president, also ran a parallel campaign against being identified by his skin color. Jackson was among the first major public figures to identify himself as African-American rather than "black," and for the next few decades, many among media people, politicians and the public followed suit, adopting that term. America seemed poised to end one of its ugliest features: identifying its people by the color of their skin. This current presidential campaign suggests that history has regressed, if anything, since Jacksons days in the limelight. Now 82, he was recently diagnosed with Parkinsons disease. With Donald Trumps ritual degradation of his opponents for any and all reasons, America's skin-color obsession has hit a new low point and Trump's attacks on Vice President Kamala Harris have just started. Almost everyone reading this already knows what Trump said last week about Harris, who will address the Democratic National Convention this coming week as its presidential nominee: I didnt know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black, and now she wants to be known as Black. So, I dont know, is she Indian or is she Black? As if determined to add insult to injury, Trump added: I love the Black population of this country. Ive done so much for the Black population of this country, before insisting, I have been the best president for the Black population since Abraham Lincoln. Back in 1983, before his historic presidential campaign, Jesse Jackson addressed a joint session of the Alabama Legislature, saying that he thought it was "about time we forgot about black and white and started talking about employed and unemployed. He said later that he had been intrigued by media coverage referring to him as the first black or Negro to address Alabama's lawmakers since Reconstruction. Facing the ocean of white faces listening to him in the chamber, he wondered why it was that Black people let white people identify them, rather than identifying themselves. At that point, he still believed that black, a one-syllable English word denoting a color, should be the preferred identification. A year later, when launching his campaign for the Democratic nomination ultimately won by Walter Mondale, who would then suffer one of the worst landslide defeats in political history Jackson announced he had decided to start a national debate on the subject. By the time of Jackson's second campaign, in 1988, he addressed a group of leaders who had gathered in Chicago to discuss what they called a new national black agenda. He forcefully worked to convince them to drop "black in favor of African or "African-American." Black does not describe our situation," Jackson said. "We are of African-American heritage. To be called black is baseless. This new term, he argued, possessed cultural integrity and would put those Americans who embraced it in their proper historical context. Every ethnic group in this country has a reference to some land base, some historical cultural base," Jackson continued. "There are Armenian Americans and Jewish Americans and Arab Americans and Italian Americans. Such hyphenated Americans, he said, felt a degree of accepted and reasonable pride, and had succeeded in connecting their heritage to their mother country and also to where they are now in America. "Black," he insisted, was both inadequate and inaccurate. In my household, there are seven people, and none of us have the same complexion," Jackson said. "We are of African-American heritage. Jackson often spoke about the fact that his campaign on terminology was not easy. Some Black people wanted to continue defining themselves that way and, more importantly, the U.S. government, had promoted the term black for decades, through the census and other demographic statistics. In the 1970 census, the choices included Negro or Black. In 1990, the category Other included a write-in field that could be either black-white or white-black. Only in 2000 was the choice of Black or African American" officially offered. By that time, "African American" had become rooted in the media, in politics, and among the general public. According to a 1991 study in Political Science Quarterly, an organ of the Academy of Political Science, many of the largest black-oriented newspaper and radio stations in major markets adopted the change" to "African American," and editorials and columnists in major newspapers "approved the new phrase. In 1989, the study reported, the Washington Post had used African-American 96 times in quotations, 95 times in titles and 119 times in editorials and letters. Over the following three decades, use of the phrase increased significantly, particularly during Barack Obama's administration although Obama himself preferred to be described as Black, perhaps an early indicator of the change ahead. Both terms were widely used throughout the 2010s, but the Black Lives Matter movement, emerging in response to police violence, clearly shifted the dynamic. In 2020 came the killing of George Floyd by a white police officer in Minneapolis, and Black Lives Matter became a controversial nationwide phenomenon. Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course. It was obviously no coincidence that the Washington Post declared that year that it would now uppercase the B in Black to identify the many groups that make up the African diaspora in America and elsewhere, a statement of obvious and puzzling ambiguity. The Post added that it recognized "there are individuals who prefer not to confine themselves to identity based solely on the color of their skin" and that "people will have the opportunity to identify themselves however they wish in their own words but not in news coverage. The New York Times also started capitalizing "Black," and most other media organizations, including Salon, followed suit. The Times statement included the cynical recommendation of "Black" as an accurate description of race. At least the Associated Press was more matter-of-fact, simply saying it would capitalize Black only "in a racial, ethnic or cultural sense lowercase black is a color, not a person. The net effect is that African American has been largely abandoned and Black has been reinforced like never before. While the intentions may be benevolent, one thing remains the same: Throughout the history of race in America, the white majority seems to decide how to identify others. Donald Trump is not the only person reinforcing this racist impulse. For Jesse Jackson, it must be a time of conflicted feelings: He sees a Black woman running for president, with a real chance of winning, and he sees his campaign to replace that term conclusively defeated. Dirt Track Racing Driver Scott Bloomquist Dies at 60 in Plane Crash Near His Tenn. Home: One of a Kind The racing star, who made his professional debut in the early 1980s, died on Aug. 16 Chris Graythen/NASCAR via Getty Scott Bloomquist Scott Bloomquist has died in a plane crash. He was 60. The dirt racing driver was killed in one of his planes after it crashed into a barn near his home in Mooresburg, Tennessee, on the morning of Friday, Aug. 16, a family friend announced in a post on Facebook. Scott Bloomquist was a great friend of mine along with a lot of people in the Dirt Late Model and racing community, Reid Millard wrote on behalf of Bloomquists mother Georgie. ... At 7:15 a.m. this morning Scott was out flying his vintage airplane and had a crash on the Bloomquist family farm. The local fire department and law enforcement are still on the scene," he added. Hawkins County Sheriffs Office also confirmed Bloomquists death, CNN and The Rogersville Review reported. David Allio/Icon SMI/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Bloomquist died in a plane crash on Aug. 16 Related: Former Apollo 8 Astronaut William Anders Dead at 90 After Plane Crash in Washington The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) tells PEOPLE that Bloomquist was flying in a single-engine Piper J-3 plane at the time of the crash. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident. The Hawkins County Sheriffs Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Bloomquist remained a fan favorite throughout his racing career after making his professional debut in the early 1980s. The racing icon was a three-time champion of the Lucas Oil Late Model and winner of 33 World of Outlaws Late Model races. He more recently also won the Thunder Mountain Speedway in Knox Dale, Pennsylvania, in 2020, per NBC Sports. The racing icon was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2002. The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now! Tributes have poured in on social media from the racing community following the news of Bloomquists death. Racing champion Tony Stewart wrote on X (formerly Twitter), 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. 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 pic.twitter.com/97MLFLCksI Tony Stewart (@TonyStewart) August 16, 2024 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, he added. NASCAR commentator and former driver Clint Bowyer wrote, 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. Brian Carter, CEO of World Racing Group, shared in a statement, [Bloomquist] played a key role with DIRTcar Racing and the World of Outlaws, helping to rebuild the World of Outlaws Late Model Outlaws so it could grow into what its become today. Bloomquists passion for the sport and innovative mind will be deeply missed," he continued. Racing star Kenny Wallace posted one of the greatest quotes from Bloomquist in a tribute, writing on X, 'They got to see a classic Tennessee a whipping Scott Bloomquist. "Many say Scott Bloomquist has changed dirt racing the same way Tim Richmond changed Winston Cup racing by breaking the mold and going against tradition. He's a little brash, a whole lot different, and he's on his way to the top." 1991 RIP Legend pic.twitter.com/v2q25FiWkM nascarman (@nascarman_rr) August 16, 2024 Bloomquist is survived by his parents, sister and his 18-year-old daughter Ariel. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. BOSSIER CITY, La. (KTAL/KMSS) At the city council meeting on August 13th, Mayor Tommy Chandler proposed an ordinance for the Charter Review Commission to be dissolved. The commission was established by the City Council to amend the Bossier City Charter. At the meeting, City Attorney Charles Jacobs said the ordinance was uncharted territory and could lead to a legal challenge. Once the commission was established, the City Council was not to interfere. Jacobs clarified that the charter does not directly state that the council cannot interfere, but he admitted that he needed to do more research on the matter. The last thing that the city needs right now is another lawsuit, that we need to spend money on another lawsuit, that is something that we do not need to do we dont- we could spend money on so much more better stuff than another lawsuit, said Councilman Brian Hammons representing District 1. Mayor Chandler said that the commission meetings have been so disarranged with meetings lasting four hours and little getting done. The mayor said he does not like how the commission makes the city of Bossier look. The reason that I want to disband that and start all over is to start off a new because it was just going down a wrong road, I believe, and it wasnt making the city look, you know, the potential that Bossier City is, said Mayor Chandler. Lee A. Jeter, President of the Charter Review Commission, spoke about its status. A major issue is that two members have resigned, and there are not enough people to hold a legally binding meeting. Whether we can move forward really depends on whether were going to set aside our personal agendas, in my opinion, and just vote on those issues that we need to vote on. And I have submitted to the charter that we not discuss the one issue that is divisive to the charter and that is that issue of term limits, said Jeter. Councilman At Large Chris Smith said he favored terminating the commission because an ethics complaint was filed with the Louisiana State Board of Ethics based on his appointment to the Charter Review Commission. I can only assume because of one particular issue, they thought that filing an ethics complaint would be a quick easy way to rid my voice on the charter commission. Ive been attacked personally via email and text and social media, said Smith. The individual has since resigned and Smith said that the commission needed to end because it is going nowhere fast and it is not serving its intended purpose. The concern is that every issue that has been voted on may be subject to litigation as two members are no longer on the commission. The Charter Review Commission was given 18 months from the time the ordinance was passed to amend the charter. The deadline would be mid-June 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 KTALnews.com. Eric Schmidt, the CEO of Google until 2011, is many things, but one thing he is not is a financial advisor licensed to provide investment advice. If he were, however, he made it pretty clear that AI training chip vendor Nvidia is a stock he thinks belongs in every portfolio. Speaking to Stanford University students this week, the billionaire angel investor argued that the race to commercialize generative artificial intelligence and other forms of AI was still in its early stage. Even though the easy money might have already been made, in his opinion, theres still plenty of upside potential in the space. Thats particularly true for Nvidia, whose head start in graphic processing units (GPUs) like the benchmark H100, combined with its dominant software ecosystem CUDA, gives it an enormous lead as a data centers supplier of choice for AI training chips. The amount of money being thrown around is mind-boggling, Schmidt told students. Im talking to the big companies, and the big companies are telling me that they need $10 billion, $20 billion, $50 billion, $100 billion. Schmidt added that OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman even believes it will take $300 billion to develop artificial general intelligence, a machine capable of reasoning on its own. If $300 billion is all going to Nvidia, you know what to do in the stock market, Schmidt continued, before quickly adding: Thats not a stock recommendation, Im not licensed. AMD cannot compete yet with Nvidia's dominant CUDA software Nvidia shares have been the primary beneficiary of the AI gold rush, with its stock nearly tripling this year to hit $135 by mid-July. That has been driven in part by debt-funded carry trades, a momentum play where investors borrow in cheap Japanese yen to invest in higher yielding, dollar-denominated U.S. growth stocks. With the recent sharp rise in Japans currency over the greenback, shares have pulled back from their highs when the companys $3.3 trillion market cap briefly made it more valuable than any other company in the world. Yet Nvidia still has a chance to mark fresh highs should it smash earnings expectations when it reports quarterly results at the end of this month. Judging by Schmidts conversations with his contacts at Big Tech, he certainly expects demand for its AI training chips to remain robust, if not exponential. Referring to Percy Liang, a Stanford AI researcher, who has had to resort to Googles tensor processors (TPUs) due to a lack of availability of Nvidia chips, Schmidt said: If he had infinite money he would pick the B200 architecture. Story continues The B200 is Nvidias next-generation training chip. It is so advanced even its packaging has to be done in the controlled conditions of a clean room, not just the creation of the wafer itself, according to Schmidt. While Lisa Sus AMD may one day catch up on hardware, he said her companys software ecosystem doesnt have the user base of Nvidia, and a compiler to translate CUDA into AMDs own programming language ROCm to aid developers doesnt yet work. Neither Nvidia nor AMD could immediately be reached for comment. AI skeptic Ken Griffin slashes hedge fund Citadel's exposure to Nvidia Stanford took down the video following criticism leveled at Schmidt after he blamed his former employer blowing its head start on AI on a lackadaisical work ethic that enabled its staff to work from home rather than the office. Google researchers invented in 2017 the so-called transformer neural network that powers most GenAI models, only to then put it on the shelf, as Marc Andreessen put it last month. The very name of OpenAIs own ChatGPT"generative pre-trained transformer"that launched in late 2022 reveals its Google ancestry. Schmidt didnt comment on what kind of time horizon he had for his investment recommendations. Its safe to say, though, that as an angel investor funding various startups, its longer than the average on Wall Street. This was evident, for example, in a filing this week from Citadel. Ken Griffins hedge fund has slashed its holdings in Nvidia by two-thirds to $19 million at the end of June after selling about half a million shares. Last month Griffin told his firms new class of potential talent he doubted GenAI would be as revolutionary as others believe. Schmidt, whose net worth doesnt quite match Griffin's but is still estimated at nearly $24 billion, told Stanford students he takes a less targeted approach when shopping for the next AI leader: I essentially invest in everything, because I cant figure out whos going to win. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com George Santos expected to take plea deal in campaign fraud case Former congressman George Santos is reportedly set to take a plea deal with federal prosecutions in his felony fraud case (AFP via Getty Images) George Santos, the former Republican congressman ousted amid a series of scandals, is reportedly set to accept a plea deal in his federal criminal case in order to avoid a trial, lawyers involved in the case and those familiar with the matter said. The disgraced lawmaker is expected to enter a guilty plea to the judge overseeing his case, District Judge Joanna Seybert, on Monday at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, New York, sources told Talking Points Memo, CNN, The New York Times and other outlets. Santos is facing 23 felony charges including wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds, aggravated identity theft, making false statements to the Federal Election Commission and more. Federal prosecutors have brought two indictments against Santos, launching allegations of brazen financial corruption within Santos 2022 House campaign and his congressional office. George Santos leaving federal court on May 10, 2023 in Central Islip, New York (Getty Images) Thus far, the congressmen pleaded not guilty to all 23 charges. Instead, he called the indictment, and superseding indictment, a witch hunt and has previously publicly denied talks of a plea deal. A federal trial was set to begin in September. But court filings from December indicated Santos lawyers and federal prosecutors were actively engaged in plea deal negotiations. On Friday, both sides asked Judge Seybert for a hearing on Monday but did not explain why. The Independent has asked Santos lawyer for comment on the reports. Allegations of lies and corruption have followed Santos like a shadow since he was elected to represent New Yorks 3rd congressional district in 2022. Off the bat, Santos was accused of lying on his resume about graduating college and working at Goldman Sachs which he later admitted was untrue. But it was Santos lies or exaggerations about key parts of his life that drew public mockery and criticism. He insisted he did not perform as a drag queen (despite photo evidence), falsely claimed his family was Jewish (he said he meant Jew-ish), asserted his mother was at the World Trade Center on 9/11 and more. His lies spurred investigations by the House Ethics Committee and the New York Attorney General which uncovered financial improprieties. George Santos dons red lipstick as he brings back drag alter ego Kitara in Cameo video. (George Santos) In a 13-count indictment brought against Santos last May, prosecutors claimed the then-congressman had engaged in three schemes to pocket money to fund his lavish lifestyle. That included defrauding political donors, fraudulently applying for pandemic unemployment assistance and knowingly making false statements about his income on a federal financial disclosure form during his campaign. In October, prosecutors brought another 10-count indictment against Santos, this time accusing him of stealing political donors credit cards to inflate his wealth. Santos was ousted by his colleagues in December. He later reignited his bid for Congress but dropped out soon after. Santos extremely public rise and fall in politics was nothing short of a political spectacle. His criminal trial was expected to mirror that. Though rumors of a plea deal have been circulating for months, Santos could change his mind. It is unclear what charges Santos may plead guilty to or what the terms of the plea deal are. As a widower takes Disney to court over his wifes death at Walt Disney World and Resorts, the company is using its Disney+ streaming terms to attempt blocking the lawsuit. In a recent filing, Disneys attorneys requested Jeffrey Piccolos $50,000 case be dismissed and settled out of court after claiming his wife, Dr. Kanokporn Tangsuan, died of an allergic reaction at the Florida resorts Raglan Road Irish Pub in October 2023. More from Deadline They argued that by signing up for a free 30-day trial of Disney+ in 2019, and again when purchasing the theme park tickets in 2023 through his Disney+ account, Piccolo agreed to the streamers terms of service, which includes that all disputes with The Walt Disney Company or its affiliates be settled out of court via arbitration. We are deeply saddened by the familys loss and understand their grief, Disneys attorneys said in a statement shared by The Guardian. 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. Piccolos attorneys said the argument bordered on the surreal in a response, adding, The notion that terms agreed to by a consumer when creating a Disney+ free trial account would forever bar that consumers right to a jury trial in any dispute with any Disney affiliate or subsidiary, is so outrageously unreasonable and unfair as to shock the judicial conscience, and this Court should not enforce such an agreement. In effect, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts is 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+. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. DMPD is investigating a shooting in the Riverbend neighborhood DES MOINES, Iowa The Des Moines Police Department is investigating a drive-by shooting that occurred Friday afternoon in the Riverbend neighborhood. According to a Des Moines Police post on X, at around 5:49 p.m., DMPD responded to a drive-by shooting at 500 block Forest Ave. No injuries have been reported. Gilbert juvenile arrested for allegedly attacking woman with knife DMPD was able to recover the firearm and make an arrest at around 7:03 p.m. According to DMPD there is no further indication of danger in the neighborhood. As the investigation progresses there will be an increased police presence. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Mayor Brandon Johnson personally intervened on behalf of protest groups over stages, sound system for Union Park rally, organizer says; We talked directly to the mayor Mayor Brandon Johnson personally intervened in a dispute between his own administration and a coalition of activist groups set for a massive protest at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next week, helping reverse the citys denial of a permit to set up stages and sound systems for rallies in a park near the United Center, the coalitions leader said Friday. The agreement, which was reached after hours of back-room negotiations between the parties, nullified an emergency motion filed in U.S. District Court earlier this week alleging the city had violated protestors First Amendment rights by restricting how the rallies could be staged. We talked directly to the mayor, Hatem Abudayyeh, executive director of the Arab American Action Network, said during a news conference in Federal Plaza after the deal was struck. We knew that he supported us, our coalition and these protests and its proof positive that he called one of the top leaders of the coalition directly on his cellphone and said Were gonna make this happen. Im gonna make sure that everybodys rights are protected.' Pressed on whom specifically the mayor called, Abudayyeh said it was Frank Chapman, of the National Alliance Against Racism and Political Repression. The mayor has said from the very beginning that he supports the protest movement, Abudayyeh said. The protest movement is what brought him to City Hall. He said, I understand that struggle. Because I am part of a national liberation struggle as well.' A spokesperson for the mayor was not immediately available for comment. Johnson said at a news conference earlier Friday that his staff was working out the details with protesters. Im going to make sure that these individuals have everything that they need to make sure that their voices are heard, he said. In addition to allowing a stage and sound system for two rallies in Union Park, the agreement with the city also allows for the setup of seven portable toilets on the far east side of Union Park, away from parade assembly and disbanding areas, according to the coalition. Abudayyeh said the deal was proof that organizing works. The city pulled another move in bad faith by saying we cant have any sound and we cant have a stage in Union Park, and then we did what we do best, he said. We did the grassroots organizing that we know how to do, and we won what we needed to win. Related Articles The latest controversy bubbled up just days away from the kickoff of the convention after the city responded by letter to two permit requests that have been pending for more than seven months to be able to install stages and sound equipment as well as portable toilets and other amenities in Union Park and another smaller park along the planned protest route. The letter, which was attached to the emergency motion filed late Wednesday, stated the rally petitions were granted subject to the following conditions: no stages or platforms, portable restrooms or toilets, tents or canopies, or sound equipment may be installed by your organization. The city said it was going to provide a stage and amplified sound at one of the parks which will be used by multiple organizations during the four-day event, and that allowing other groups to bring in their own equipment would be redundant. The letter, signed by Chicago Department of Transportation Assistant Commissioner Bryan Gallardo, also cited myriad safety concerns, as tents and portable toilets can be used to conceal weapons or other illegal activity and their materials can be broken down and used as weapons against the police. While CDOT is not suggesting that your particular group will use these items in these ways, their presence in the park could be abused by others to harm members of the public or law enforcement officers, the letter read. At a rally with other protest organizers and supporters outside City Hall on Thursday, Abudayyeh said it was clear the city doesnt want us to speak. They are restricting our rights based on content, Abudayyeh said. Someone doesnt want us to speak about Palestine. The temperature had lowered considerably by Thursday afternoon, however, as both sides reported to the judge during a brief telephone hearing that they were working behind the scenes on a settlement. An in-person hearing had been scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Friday at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse. Instead, the plaintiffs abruptly withdrew the emergency motion and the hearing was canceled. The citys Friday agreement allows the demonstrators to use stages and sound equipment, but the city will not be providing such equipment at Union Park, Abudayyeh said. The coalition planning the march is continuing to press the city for a longer route for its Monday and Thursday marches, he added. The city has permitted the group to take a roughly 1-mile march route starting in Union Park on Monday and Thursday, court records show. A similar offer has been extended to several other protest groups. The route, first proposed by the mayors administration last month, calls for protesters to assemble in Union Park on the Near West Side before marching west along Washington Boulevard to Hermitage Avenue, then past a small park north of the United Center. The route then turns east on Lake Street back to Union Park. The marchs organizers had been fighting for a wider, longer path to the convention center, including being allowed to stay on Washington Boulevard instead of being diverted to smaller side streets. But Wood ruled earlier this week that she would not force City Hall to change its proposal, writing the city has a significant government interest in controlling the expected crowds for safety and security. This falls well short of a First Amendment violation, Wood wrote. As such, the alternative parade route represents an adequate alternative channel of communication. The sticking point then moved to the issue over the planned rallies. For weeks, Abudayyeh has described plans to host pro-Palestinian speeches in both Union Park and Park 578 in front of a protest crowd he most recently estimated will include 25,000 people. In their nine-page motion for an injunction, the activist groups say the real motive for the last-minute, made-up process was to try to silence their protests against the Israeli military action in Gaza and other concerns. jmeisner@chicagotribune.com Here are some of The Providence Journal's most-read stories for the week of Aug. 11, supported by your subscriptions. Here are the week's top reads on providencejournal.com: Seth Crosby, deputy chief of special investigations with Rhode Island Department of Corrections, briefly talks to reporters as he leaves District Court in Warwick following his arraignment on Wednesday. A high-ranking member of the Rhode Island Department of Corrections was arrested Wednesday and accused of either producing or attempting to produce child pornography in a Cranston home last month. Seth Crosby, the department's deputy chief of special investigations, was also charged with a single count of video voyeurism, according to a news release. Crosby later appeared in District Court, Warwick, where a prosecutor, Assistant Attorney General Daniel Guglielmo, told a magistrate that the charges stem from the 46-year-old Cranston resident's involvement in two incidents involving his cellphone and the activities of minors, one in July and the other in 2021. Crosby is on paid administrative leave, according to Department of Corrections spokesman J.R. Ventura. Crosby's lawyer said he and his client look forward to "attacking the facts relied upon by the state police to establish probable cause" in the case. Crime: RI State Police arrest high-ranking member of Department of Corrections for crimes against children Woods border a cul-de-sac at the end of Sage Drive in Cranston's Alpine Estates. Neighbors oppose a developer's bid to build eight houses on the undeveloped western edge of the neighborhood, which would require a zoning change to allow half-acre minimum lots instead of the current 2 acres. Cranston is the only Rhode Island city at the moment where the two major political parties are still duking it out for control of municipal government, including a contentious mayor's race. Against that backdrop, Political Scene visited Alpine Estates, the affluent western Cranston subdivision where a developer's plan to build eight houses has been roiling City Hall for five years. The Democrat-controlled City Council last month failed by one vote to override Republican Mayor Ken Hopkins' veto of a zone change that would have allowed the houses to be built and ended a court fight. Now the legal battle is ramping up again, a microcosm of housing battles across the state. Political Scene: How housing and this Cranston neighborhood became a political minefield The seawall in front of 85 Nayatt Road in Barrington The Coastal Resources Management Council was wrong to order a Barrington couple to allow the public to use their seawall, a Superior Court judge said, calling the council's reasoning "nonsensical." The ruling is a victory for Holly and Lance Sheffield, who purchased a $4.5-million waterfront home on Nayatt Road in 2021. Unbeknownst to the Sheffields, a CRMC permit from 1982 required the home's owners to maintain a passable public walkway along the seawall. That permit was never entered into land evidence records, so it didn't surface when the couple did a title search and only came to light years later, after the Sheffields put up a fence and "No Trespassing" signs. The CRMC's council voted in December to dismiss complaints against the couple but said they'd be required to let the public use their seawall. Read more to see why the judge considered the CRMC's decision "arbitrary, capricious and affected by error of law." Shoreline access: 'Nonsensical': Judge sides with Barrington couple trying to keep people off their seawall Tim Gray looks through a scrapbook full of stories and photographs of Rhode Island service members during World War II. A story describes a letter that soldier Eugene C. Santos wrote his parents in Providence about his terrifying first experience with an air raid while serving in the Pacific during World War II. A photograph shows Navy Seabee Anthony Amaral holding a copy of The Providence Journal-Bulletin with two other Rhode Island Seabees and an island native some 9,200 miles away from the Ocean State. Many of the other stories were written by Journal writer Charles H. Spilman, who followed members of the Rhode Island National Guard while they fought in the Southwest Pacific as part of the Army's 43rd division. Spilman, who would later become executive editor of The Providence Journal-Bulletin and win a Pulitzer Prize, compiled several scrapbooks of his and other reports of Rhode Islanders serving in the Pacific, including stories written by legendary war correspondents Ernie Pyle and Richard Tregaskis. Now those scrapbooks are on display at the International Museum of World War II in South Kingstown, where they help tell the story of the important role Rhode Islanders played in the war, according to the museum's founder. Veterans: Scrapbooks purchased at auction chronicle path to Victory Day and role of RI during WWII Daniel Morris, 29, has set out to walk every street in Providence. Daniel Morris lives in Providence, but it has long bothered him that there were many parts of his city where he'd never ventured, or only passed by quickly in his car or on his bicycle. Now, he's jumped in with both feet to do something about that, with a quest to walk every street and alleyway in the capital city. What has he discovered so far? And what does he hope to get out of his urban odyssey, besides "calves of steel"? Columnist Mark Patinkin tagged along with him one day to find out. Mark Patinkin: Step by step, Daniel Morris is on a mission to know Providence better. To read the full stories, go to providencejournal.com. Find out how to subscribe here. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: DOC official porn charge; Alpine Estates war: Journal top stories ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) Two Abilene women were charged with aggravated kidnapping after a SWAT standoff where police shot and killed one suspect. New documents describe the scene from the events that unfolded on July 2. Documents show that on July 2, an Abilene police officer responded to a call for assistance at the Little Elm Apartment Complex. Upon arrival, the officer observed a grey sedan leaving the parking lot at a high rate of speed. UPDATE: Suspect killed by police in Abilene SWAT standoff A witness told the officer that three people, later identified as Yakeyah Jones, McKenzie Lane, and Jeremy Bennett, had gone into an apartment and taken his girlfriend. Bennett, accompanied by Jones and Lane, allegedly went to the apartment to search for stolen property. He was informed that no property had been stolen. Allegedly, Bennett then pulled out a handgun and threatened to kill the witness. It was also reported that Lane had a gun that she and Jones shared during the incident. As Bennett searched the house, the documents state the witness slipped out to call the police. When he returned, Bennett, Jones, and Lane were gone, as well as his girlfriend. According to the documents, he worried that she was taken against her will. The documents go on to state that officers identified a potential location and drove to the 5200 block of Pueblo Drive, where they spotted a grey sedan similar to the one seen by another officer. The documents also claim that upon making contact with Lane and the abducted girl, the girl mouthed, Help me, please help me. According to the victim, she was at the Little Elm Apartments when Bennett, Lane, and Jones came over. She reported seeing Bennett and Lane with guns and received death and harm threats from the three. While the witness slipped out to call for help, she reported that Bennett told her she had to leave with him. SWAT Standoff in Abilene: 2 women charged with kidnapping, Family claims they were hostages The report states that Bennett forced her to empty her purse and stole cash from her as well as the other witnesss wallet and identification. On the way to Pueblo Drive, the documents state the child lock was engaged, and the girl was forced inside the house. She pleaded for them to let her go as the police knocked on the door. Allegedly, Bennett then told the girl that since they had the other witnesss information, they would kill him if she told the police what happened. Mckenzee Lane (Zee) and Yakeyah Jones (YaYa) The police rescued the girl, arrested Lane, and detained Jones. The police set a perimeter, and the SWAT team arrived on the scene. While the police were executing the search warrant, Bennett exited the house holding a gun. Bennett allegedly raised the gun, prompting SWAT officers to fire. Bennett was struck multiple times and later died from his injuries in the hospital. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com. ALBANY, N.Y. (NEXSTAR) For the second time in two years, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global health emergency over mpox infections on Wednesday. In Congo and other parts of Africa, over 500 have died. The clade Ib variant endemic to Central Africa has a death rate of anywhere from 3% (according to Salim Abdool Karim, chair of the emergency group at Africas Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) to 10% (according to the U.S. CDC.) Although one case of clade Ib was diagnosed in Sweden, it has never appeared in the U.S. Clade II caused the 2022 outbreak. More Local News New York State Department of Health (DOH) Commissioner Dr. James McDonald confirmed that the variant the emergency was declared over clade Ib, not the clade II previously found in New York. We still see mpox clade II in New York. For example, we have more cases in New York City of mpox clade II than we had last year, and we have about the same number of cases throughout the rest of the state of clade II than we had all of last year, he said. We havent seen any of this new variant that only appeared last year in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the surrounding areas. But were remaining vigilant for it. According to DOH, under 500 cases were reported statewide, excluding New York City, since that 2022 outbreak. In New York City, however, over 300 cases were diagnosed so far in 2024, with a spike of about 30 diagnoses in early April. All of these have been clade II. The most recent data from DOH showed that in the past week, outside of New York City, there has only been one new mpox infection between August 7 and August 14. The clade II diagnoses was reported in Dutchess County. Formerly called monkeypox, mpox was diagnosed in both children and adults in over a dozen countries. Although the dangerous new variant is spreading, few vaccines are available in Africa. This should worry all of us, said WHOs director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. The possibility of the virus spreading within and beyond Africa is very concerning. Africas CDC wants international aid to address the problem. Most cases and deaths are in Congo, with surging numbers so far in 2024. Over 14,000 cases were reported, mostly among children under 15. Related to smallpox, mpox was first discovered in monkeys in 1958. It spreads mostly through close contact. Symptoms include fever, chills, body aches, and lesions on the face, hands, chest, and genitals. In 2022, it spread to over 70 countries that had not experienced it before. Vaccines controlled outbreaks in those countries, though Africa received few doses. Congo has not yet received a requested 4 million doses, mainly for children. Scientists think rich countries can prevent a new epidemic if the new, more transmissible variant, diagnosed in a Congolese mining town, spreads from Africa. On Thursday, DOH warned that cases could arrive in the travel destination of New York. They said that the two-dose JYNNEOS vaccine still provides effective immunity. The CDC explains that they dont recommend more than two doses, and that immunity can last anywhere from two to 10 years. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. DOLTON, Ill. Lewis Lacey, the acting police deputy chief in south suburban Dolton, is facing a new lawsuit over tens of thousands of dollars in overtime pay. Lacey is being sued by the Village of Dolton for overtime they say he paid himself but was never eligible to receive. The lawsuit alleges that between August of 2023 and July of 2024, Lacey submitted and approved nearly $140,000 in overtime for himself, even though hes a salaried employee and not entitled to overtime pay. Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines Lacey, who is also facing a federal bankruptcy fraud charge, had been terminated during a meeting last week, but despite the termination notice, he continued to report to work. Often seen calling for order during Doltons fiery board meetings, and even ordering members of the public to leave, Lacey is a close ally of Mayor Tiffany Henyard and insists only the mayor has the power to terminate his employment. On Thursday, Lacey pleaded not guilty to federal charges of bankruptcy fraud and perjury and was ordered to hand over his guns. Laceys attorney believes prosecutors are using the charges to get him to turn on Henyard during their ongoing investigation into her spending. One way that the government always does is to go and investigate people around [Henyard], and thats what theyre doing here, Laceys attorney, Gal Pissetzky said. Henyards top aide, Village administrator Keith Freeman, was also indicted on a bankruptcy fraud charge earlier this year. Trustees said Freeman is doing his job as village administrator. The difference is that Mr. Lacey is not guilty, I guess Mr. Freeman has admitted his guilt, Pissetzky said. Pissetzky added that he believes that Freeman has admitted his guilt because he thinks that Freeman is cooperating with investigators. LATEST CASES: Missing people in Chicagoland Prior to a mandatory meeting for police called by Henyard on Thursday, Freeman sent an email telling officers that Lacey was no longer employed by the village adding that he was not allowed in any spaces reserved for employees with an escort. Mayor Henyard tried to fire Freeman last week, but trustees didnt support the move and his employment status remains unclear. When WGN Investigates attempted to speak with Henyard and Lacey before Thursdays meeting, the two circled the police station to avoid questions. Video captured during the meeting revealed Laceys answer. Do what you want, but anything after this is insubordination, Lacey said. Pissetzky called the latest lawsuit baseless and frivolous. It all comes just over a week after a highly-anticipated presentation on Dolton finances by former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot where it was revealed that Lacey had received more than $200,000 in overtime pay over the last four fiscal years. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV. (WHTM) Presidential candidate Donald Trump is holding a rally in northeastern Pennsylvania today. According to his website, Trump plans to visit Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania today, August 17, at 4 p.m. at the Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza. The address is listed as 255 Highland Park Blvd, Wilkes-Barre, PA. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now This Week in Pennsylvania The site says doors will open at 12 p.m. The site says participants can register up to two tickets per mobile number per event. All tickets are subject to a first come first serve basis, per the site. 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. DETROIT (AP) Members of the Teamsters will host Vice President Kamala Harris for a roundtable discussion in the near future, but union President Sean O'Brien has yet to get an invitation to speak at next week's Democratic National Convention. Kara Deniz, a spokeswoman for the 1.3 million member union, said in an email Friday that the Teamsters are working with Harris' campaign on dates for the roundtable. But O'Brien, who angered some Democrats by speaking at the GOP convention last month, has not received a reply to his request to speak at the Democratic National Convention, which begins Monday in Chicago, Deniz said Friday night. O'Brien made the request to the Democrats at the same time he asked Republicans, she said. A person briefed on convention planning said Saturday that O'Brien will not speak, but the Teamsters will have a presence on the convention stage. The person, who requested anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly about the schedule, would not give further details. Democrats have been the party of labor unions for decades, while Republicans largely have greeted them with hostility. Most major unions, including the AFL-CIO and the United Auto Workers, already have endorsed Harris. But the Teamsters met with her GOP opponent, Donald Trump, in January, and O'Brien received a tepid reception when he spoke on the opening night of the Republican convention in Milwaukee. In his speech, O'Brien criticized both major political parties for not doing enough to help working people. The Teamsters say the decision on a presidential endorsement will be made after the conventions. Earlier this year, Trump sat down with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters in an effort to earn the union's support. Emerging from that meeting, Trump boasted that a significant chunk of union voters has backed him and said of a possible Teamsters endorsement, Stranger things have happened. But in a Monday discussion on the social media platform X with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Trump praised Musk for firing workers who went on strike. Musk laughed and agreed with him. Although it wasn't clear what Trump was referring to, the statements brought rebukes from unions accusing Trump and Musk of being anti-labor. The United Auto Workers even filed unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board, alleging that statements from Trump and Musk interfered with workers who may want to join a union. The NLRB said it would investigate. Both Trump and Musk want working class people to sit down and shut up, and they laugh about it openly, UAW President Shawn Fain said in a statement. Story continues Trump's campaign called the allegations frivolous and a shameless political stunt. O'Brien also criticized Trump and Musk in a statement. Firing workers for organizing, striking, and exercising their rights as Americans is economic terrorism, he said. An April 1 federal indictment charged two men, Antonio Venti and Michael Kuilan, with supplying the drugs that killed transgender activist Cecilia Gentili in February. Among other things, Venti and Kuilan are accused of causing Gentili's death by distributing a mixture of heroin and fentanyl, a felony punishable by a mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison and a maximum of life. Gentili "was tragically poisoned in her Brooklyn home [by] fentanyl-laced heroin," Breon Peace, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in a press release. "Fentanyl is a public health crisis. Our Office will spare no effort in the pursuit of justice for the many New Yorkers who have lost loved ones due to this lethal drug." The indictment "delivers a strong message to anyone who profits from poisoning our communities with illicit drugs," New York City Police Commissioner Edward Caban added. "It is imperative that we continue to hold distributors accountable for their callous actions." That self-righteous stance obscures the role that drug warriors like Peace and Caban played in killing Gentili. If Venti and Kuilan were "callous," how should we describe public officials who are dedicated to enforcing laws that predictably cause tens of thousands of deaths like this one every year? Those laws create a black market in which the composition and potency of drugs is uncertain and highly variable. They also push traffickers toward highly potent drugs such as fentanyl, which are easier to conceal and smuggle. As a result, drug users like Gentili typically don't know exactly what they are consuming, which magnifies the risk of a fatal mistake. The "poisoning" that Peace and Caban decried therefore is a consequence of the policies they were proudly enforcing in this very case. In this context, it would be perverse to hold Gentili responsible for causing her own death. Peace and Caban instead blamed Venti and Kuilan, which might seem more plausible until you consider the complexities of illicit drug distribution. As the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) noted, "People who sell drugs rarely know the exact contents of their drug supply or a given dose. Research shows drug mixing is typically done at much higher levels of the supply chain." It is clear neither Kuilan nor Venti intended to kill Gentili. Yet the mandatory penalties they face are much more severe than the federal penalties for voluntary or involuntary manslaughter and New York's penalties for criminally negligent homicide. That distinction hinges on the legal status of the drugs they sold, as opposed to their culpability in Gentili's death. Prosecutions like these make a mockery of justice. "Drug-induced homicide laws, mandatory minimum laws, and other severe penalties that people face when they sell or share drugs that result in a fatal overdose primarily punish people involved with low-level selling who often use drugs themselves," the DPA noted. The New York Times reported that Venti, who was previously convicted of "petty larceny and attempted drug sales," is an electrician who has "struggled with drug addiction." Even drug users who merely share purchases with friends or relatives have been prosecuted for causing their deaths. These attempts to convert accidental overdoses into homicides are dangerous as well as morally dubious. They "cost lives because fear of prosecution deters people from seeking help in an emergency," the DPA argues. "Drug-induced homicide prosecutions may have the unintended consequence of people failing to seek medical help in a drug overdose situation, resulting in increased likelihood of death." Prohibition, in short, created the hazard that killed Gentili. It compounded that hazard by fostering the use of additives such as fentanyl and the animal tranquilizer xylazine (which was also detected in Gentili's blood). And it made the resulting overdoses more perilous by discouraging prompt intervention. The answer, according to Peace and Caban, is zealous enforcement of the same laws that produced this disaster. Frank Tarentino, special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration's New York Division, concurred. "Fentanyl is a deadly drug that dealers mix into their product and has accounted for 70% of drug related deaths nationwide," he said in Peace's press release. "Drug poisonings take too many lives too soon from communities nationwide and DEA is committed to bringing to justice those responsible." If Americans truly demanded accountability from "those responsible" for drug-related deaths, they would start with the politicians and law enforcement officials who are perversely committed to making drug use as dangerous as possible. The post Don't Blame Dealers for Fentanyl Deaths. Blame Drug Warriors. appeared first on Reason.com. Dozens injured as ferris wheel catches fire at music festival in Germany Smoke and flames billow from the carriages - Avalon Around 30 people have been injured after a ferris wheel at a music festival in Germany caught fire. Flames and smoke could be seen billowing from the ride at Highfield Festival at Stormthaler Lake, near Leipzig, on Saturday evening. Two gondolas on the ferris wheel were ablaze at around 9pm, according to the festival. The cause of the blaze is being investigated. Those affected are receiving treatment and are doing well considering the circumstances, a statement from the festival said. It added: We are in close coordination with the fire brigade, the police and the rescue and medical services. Four police officers were among those injured, according to media reports. The two gondolas were burned out but a fire brigade spokesperson said the situation had been brought under control. 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. Drug dealer sentenced to prison after DEA agents raid Bradenton home, prosecutors say A judge sentenced a Bradenton man to 20 years and 8 months in prison for drug trafficking charges, the United States Attorneys Office for the Middle District of Florida announced. Jamal Trevorah, 31, was charged with possession with intent to distribute various controlled substances and possession of a firearm for a drug trafficking crime. Trevorah pleaded guilty in June 2022, according to a news release. On May 4, 2021, Drug Enforcement Administration agents searched a home on 16th Street West in Bradenton, where they found a shoe box with 83 grams of cocaine, 66 grams of cocaine base, 40 grams of meth and 18 grams of fentanyl, according to a news release. Drug agents say they also found an American Tactical .45 caliber handgun loaded with eight rounds of ammunition, a cutting agent, razor blades, scales and more ammunition. After looking through the home, federal drug enforcement agents searched a motel room, where they found a lunch box with $22,540 in cash. Federal agents also said they saw Trevorah leave the motel room to sell drugs to people, according to a news release. Man left seriously hurt after being hit by car, woman charged with DWI ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) One woman was arrested for drunk driving after she hit a man walking and a nearby building in Rochester, police said. Police were called to the intersection of Dewey Avenue and Driving Park Avenue around 11 p.m. Friday for the report of a crash. According to police, the 29-year-old driver left the road before striking a 36-year-old man. Police said she then ran into a nearby building, causing damage. The man was taken to the hospital with serious injuries. Police said he remains hospitalized in critical but stable condition. The woman was arrested at the scene and charged with DWI. The crash is still under investigation. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to RochesterFirst. NORTH CAROLINA (QUEEN CITY NEWS) An eastern North Carolina police officer is facing charges related to his alleged actions during the breach of the US Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, the US Attorneys Office announced. On Aug. 15, 2024, John Joseph Carl, 41, of Pinetops in Edgecombe County was arrested. He and others are accused of disrupting a joint session of Congress to certify the 2020 presidential election. FBI: (Left) John Carl took a photo at the Capitol, which he later shared with the FBI. (Right) is a screenshot from an officers body-worn camera, which appears to show Carl. Documents show Carl reportedly traveled to Washington, D.C., to attend a rally held on Jan. 6, 2021, and afterward making his way to the west front of the U.S. Capitol Building. According to court documents, Carl was shown in front of the crowd clashing with police around 2 p.m. Officers were surrounded by the crowd and tried to move the rioters back. FBI: John Carl turns to confront a police officer FBI: John Carl pushes officers arm and baton FBI: John Carl pushes officer with both hands Carl reportedly resisted police, pushed back against police and grabbed an officers arm and baton. Around 3:05 p.m., Carl was accused of entering the Capitol building by the Senate wing door and going into a senators office. FBI: (Left) Screenshot from a video John Carl reportedly took. (Right) Surveillance video appears to show Carl entering the Capitol building at 3:05 p.m. Carl is accused of the following: Felony obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder Misdemeanor entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds Misdemeanor disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds Misdemeanor disorderly conduct in a Capitol building Misdemeanor parading, picketing, and demonstrating in a Capitol building On Jan. 9, 2021, an unnamed man submitted a tip to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) confessing to crimes he committed during the breach of the Capitol. Officials say that in a later interview with this man, he admitted to driving to Wilson to pick up his friend, identified as Carl, and then driving to Washington. According to authorities, the unnamed man continued that he and Carl worked their way to the Capitol building and were let in one of the doors by fellow rioters. This man says he didnt go far into the building, but Carl did. Law enforcement members say Carl confirmed to them that the unnamed man was his friend and that what he said was true. Carl also provided videos and pictures he took that day identifying himself in the images. Carl reportedly said that there were people punching back and forth and that on our side, there wasnt a lot of like swinging or throwing it was just, you know, guys putting their shoulder in and the police with their shield pushing back on the crowd. Man stabbed at Rock Hill mosque, suspect shot by security guard: Police Following Carls arrest, the Pinetops Police Department confirmed that Carl was hired as a police officer for the town after the Jan. 6 breach, but before they knew he was accused of being there. Carl is currently suspended. The Town of Pinetops Police Department was made aware of an incident involving an employee that occurred approximately two years and five months prior to his employment. The town was not aware of any investigation involving this employee in the past. This employee has been suspended. As this is a personnel matter, the Town cannot comment further at this time. Pinetops Police Department Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) El Paso Orthopaedic Surgery Group hosted a grand opening celebration on Wednesday, Aug. 14, to unveil its newly renovated orthopedic facility located at 1700 Murchison Drive. For over 80 years, the Surgery Group, which is a Providence Medical Partners Practice, has been providing the community with high-quality comprehensive orthopedic care, according to a news release sent by Barracuda PR. The facility provides 12 board-certified orthopedic surgeons and two physical therapists specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of orthopedic and musculoskeletal conditions, according to the press release. The new facility offers our patients spacious waiting areas, upgraded exam rooms, advanced technology and we also added a new physical therapy space to help ensure patients have the comprehensive care they need in one setting, said Anthony Lich, senior director of Physician Operations for Providence Medical Partners. The Surgery Group offers both non-surgical treatment options and minimally invasive surgical procedures designed to help return patients to normal activities in a shorter amount of time, according to the press release. Our phenomenal team of physicians and staff already provide exceptional orthopedic care and with this renovation we now have an atmosphere that matches this level of skill, said Lich. To learn more about El Paso Orthopaedic Partners visit 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 KTSM 9 News. OGDEN, Utah (ABC4) A man, 76, was pronounced dead Friday morning after an electric scooter crash left him with severe head trauma on Thursday, according to Ogden Police. The identity of the victim has not yet been released. The man was hospitalized with severe head trauma after an electric scooter crash in Ogden Thursday afternoon, according to Ogden Police. He was reportedly riding his personal electric scooter north on the 2200 block of Washington Blvd. when a woman, 33, was driving a silver SUV northbound at the same location. PREVIOUSLY: Elderly man not expected to survive after Ogden e-scooter crash 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. This incident is currently under investigation. 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. ELK COUNTY (WTAJ) On August 16, local farmers in Elk County met at The Winery at Wilcox to discuss some of the pending legislation that the Elk County Farm Bureau is following in Harrisburg and Washington. This is where we invite all our local, county, state and federal representatives to and ag divisions within the county to give them an idea of some of the agricultural activities within the division, Elk County Farm Bureau government relations director, Ernest Mattiuz said. During the event, farmers raised issues and concerns regarding the future of agriculture in Pennsylvania. One issue brought up was the lack of FFA chapters in the area. Property dispute puts Elk County 9-1-1 tower on hold The last state chapter was in Johnsonburg a number of years ago and it focused mainly on forestry. When that teacher retired back in the seventies the program shut down and it was never re-established. Hopefully we get it back in, Mattiuz said. In the wine industry, the president of The Winery in Wilcox, Jamie Williams says one of his top concerns is the spotted lantern fly. Right now we are dealing with an invasive pest that a lot of people have heard about it. Its the spotted lantern fly. Its a major issue. It really drives up our production cost with 12 acres of grapes and our spray. Budget has quadrupled over the last few years because of the pest, Williams said. Get the latest news, weather forecasts and sports stories delivered straight to your inbox! Sign up for our newsletters. Other topics discussed at the event were dairy and energy issues. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Tech billionaire Elon Musk has repeatedly prophesied a future civil war related to immigration. Musk has posted about the subject on his social media platform X at least eight times in the past 10 months, according to a review of his posts by NBC News. And his posts usually include a specific prediction: He thinks that Europe in particular is headed toward a civil war due to the arrival of refugees from other continents. Musks interest in the subject of a civil war poked into public view earlier this month when he weighed in on anti-immigration street riots happening across Great Britain. Civil war is inevitable, he wrote on X. Civil war is inevitable Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 4, 2024 The post received 9.8 million views and it caused a furor among some in the U.K., initiating a heated back and forth with the office of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who was dismissive of Musks prediction, saying there was no justification for such comments. Other U.K. critics said Musk was only inflaming tensions by making such a dire prediction. Musks rhetoric is unheard-of for a corporate executive speaking in public, but the prediction of a civil war has become a frequent talking point among some far-right activists who view a civil war in Europe or the U.S. as not only unavoidable but also as something to be welcomed. What youre seeing in these calls for civil war is a white supremacist clarion call. It is a dog whistle, said Jon Lewis, a research fellow at George Washington Universitys Program on Extremism. Musk has stopped short of issuing a call to arms and has not mentioned the race or religion of refugees arriving in Europe, but Lewis said that Musk doesnt need to be explicit to get his message across. He said he sees similarities between Musks posts and the language in white supremacist chat rooms where commenters are obsessed with changing demographics. Rhetorically, there is very little difference, and at this point its barely coded language. Its everything but explicit incitement, he said. Its only a matter of time, unfortunately, before someone listens, he added, warning that Musks words could inspire violence by others. Musk did not directly respond to questions about his civil war predictions in an email to NBC News. Hyperbole about civil war is common on the far right. White nationalist Nick Fuentes said last year that Ireland was on the brink of civil war because of immigration, and followers of the Boogaloo anti-government movement have for years called explicitly for civil war. The far-rights rhetoric around a future civil war is part of a philosophical framework referred to as accelerationism. Extreme practitioners of the philosophy believe that stoking tensions around topics like immigration could lead to wars and hasten a larger societal collapse, creating an opportunity to reformulate society in a way thats more favorable to extremists. A gunman who attacked a synagogue in Poway, California, in 2019 said his goal was to hasten the start of a civil war over religion, race and firearms. While some progressives also talk about dismantling existing systems, predictions of a civil war are less common on the left. Katie Paul, who tracks online extremism as director of the nonprofit Tech Transparency Project, said that many Boogaloo adherents are now active on Musks app X after other social media apps kicked them off. They all share this interest in the dismantling of the systems that we currently live in, Paul said. Musks profile gives his civil war predictions unusual reach. One of the worlds wealthiest people as the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, he is an increasingly influential media figure as the owner of X. On Monday, Musk hosted a conversation on X with former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee for president, and he has invited Vice President Kamala Harris for a similar event. She has not accepted. Musk has received encouragement on X for sharing the idea of a civil war, including from prominent figures. Not inevitableits underway, wrote Michael Flynn, a former national security adviser in the Trump administration, in response to a tweet from Musk about civil war earlier this month. Flynn was pardoned by Trump after pleading guilty to lying to the FBI about his communications with a Russian diplomat. Flynn did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday about his civil war statement. Musk has invoked the idea in relation to numerous conflicts. Last October, days after the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel, he responded to pro-Palestinian demonstrations in Europe with a call for reduced immigration onto the continent. If current trends continue, civil war in Europe is inevitable, he said on X. It was a reply to Konstantin Kisin, an author, podcaster and Russian-born immigrant to the U.K. Kisin responded to Musk: Civil war implies someone will fight back. Based on current evidence, Im not even sure that will happen. In a phone interview, Kisin said he does not favor fighting back in a literal sense, and he said it was preposterous for anyone to suggest that Musks prediction is a dog whistle that encourages violence. What Elon Musk is doing is pointing out the fact that Europe is moving in a particular direction on demographics, on economics, on multiculturalism, and these are all perfectly valid points, he said. Asked about his views on demographics, Kisin said that, with migration at current levels, the inevitable outcome is inter-ethnic tension. Immigrants to Europe come from many places. In the U.K., four of the top five non-E.U. countries of origin are former British colonies, according to government statistics: India, Nigeria, Pakistan and Zimbabwe. Musk repeated his forecast four times in October, writing that mass migration lays the groundwork for civil strife, if not war; that Europe is trending towards civil war; that Europe is headed for civil war; and again that it is trending towards civil war. Europe is trending towards civil war Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 27, 2023 In November, Musk continued his prophecy of a civil war but pivoted his rationale. In response to an article about Germany rearming its military after Russias invasion of Ukraine, he wrote, Civil war is brewing. Then, several days later, he returned to the subject of immigration and posted, Europe appears to be headed for civil war. A civil war, though, has not come to pass. A civil war is different from terrorist attacks, violent street demonstrations or other political violence. It is usually defined by the emergence of an organized rebel army engaged in armed conflict seeking to overthrow a government. Some researchers argue that a conflict should have at least 1,000 battle deaths before people label it a civil war. In his X posts, Musk has not gone into detail on how he sees a civil war playing out. Does he think, for example, that migrants will form a rebel army to overthrow Westminster? Or that native Britons will? Or is he using civil war as a catch-all term for street violence? Experts in civil wars said that Musk is out of his depth on the subject. They said its very unlikely that Europe will experience a civil war due to immigration, and they said Musk appears to greatly overestimate the power and organization of people arriving in Europe. Immigrants are not an organized rebel group ready to commit violence, said Megan Stewart, an associate professor of public policy at the University of Michigan who studies political violence. They are often fleeing dire and dangerous situations and just trying to live their lives, she said. She said that, historically, the much more common dynamic in the U.S. and the U.K. is that immigrants are victims of violence perpetrated by right-wing extremists with white supremacist ideologies. In the past two weeks, far-right activists in Great Britain have used misinformation about an attack on a Taylor Swift-themed dance class as a pretext for anti-immigrant demonstrations. There have been mob attacks on mosques, immigrant-owned shops and hotels housing asylum-seekers. The suspect in the dance-class attack in which three children died is a 17-year-old who was born in the country, according to police. Thomas Zeitzoff, an associate professor of public affairs at American University who studies political violence, said that Musks prediction of war is likely to feed into false fears about immigrants. It amplifies this misperception that these groups are wanting to fight, he said. Zeitzoff said he believes Musks posts could encourage some anti-immigrant forces to take up arms. If you start thinking that theyre ready to fight, then maybe we need to be, too, he said. Some of Musks posts about civil war have received thousands of replies. The sentiment has been split, with some X users agreeing with him and others accusing Musk of fear mongering. Still others say they wonder why hes spending his time on social media. At least one account said they were ready to fight. Yep, ready cocked n loaded, one X user responded to Musk last year, referencing firearms. Musk used similar war language when talking about immigration Monday with Trump in a live joint event on X. We dont have a secure border, and we have people streaming over. It looks like a World War Z zombie apocalypse at times, he told Trump. He was apparently comparing immigrants to zombies and referring to a 2013 action movie starring Brad Pitt. Musk has a record of spreading false information that could stir up fear of immigrants. Last year, he embraced the debunked great replacement theory, which says that there is a top-down plot to replace the white population with nonwhite hordes. He has smeared Haitians as cannibals, and he has boosted false claims that non-citizens are registering to vote in the U.S. After those claims were debunked, Musk has had various responses. He said he was sorry for his post about the great replacement theory but left it online. After criticism of his Haitian posts, he said he wanted to screen immigrants for potential homicidal tendencies and cannibalism. And after his claims about immigrants voting were found to be false, he has repeated them. Last year, the Justice Department sued Musks rocket company SpaceX saying it had discriminated against refugees in hiring. Musk called the case a weaponization of the DOJ for political purposes and said the company had been warned that hiring people who were not permanent U.S. residents would violate the law. SpaceX countersued, saying the regulatory system violates the Constitution, and it has won a temporary stay. Musks posts about civil war typically have a racial dimension. One of his posts came as a reply to an account criticizing demographic pressure from immigrants. Another time, Musk responded after the same account expressed dismay at the lack of assimilation by immigrants. They are not there to be part of French or German or Italian or Swedish culture. They are there to replace you, the account wrote. Europe is trending towards civil war, Musk replied. Musks adult daughter Vivian Jenna Wilson said in a recent post on the app Threads that her father once called Arabic the language of the enemy. She told NBC News that Musk made the comment after she said she wanted to learn the language when she was 6 years old. Asked for comment about that episode, Musk replied in an email to NBC News that Wilson was killed by the woke mind virus. Now it will die. Musk, a U.S. citizen who was born in South Africa, sometimes visits Europe including for business reasons. His companies including Tesla have operations there. But there are now calls for Musk to be held accountable in Europe for the impact of his words. British lawmakers told Politico they want to haul Musk before Parliament to answer questions, and some British columnists have suggested that Musk should face an investigation over his comments. Were Musk to continue stirring up unrest, an arrest warrant for him might produce fireworks from his fingertips, but as an international jet-setter it would have the effect of focusing his mind, wrote Bruce Daisley, a former executive at Twitter, which is now the Musk-owned X, in The Guardian on Monday. Musk reacted to Daisleys column on X, calling him insufferable. He said in response to a separate Guardian column that the newspaper should be on trial for aiding & abetting the destruction of Britain. He also accused the British government of failing to guarantee free speech. In a different context, Musk once celebrated the idea that the U.S. could devolve into civil war, with him emerging in the end as president. In an end-of-year set of predictions on X in December 2022, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev forecasted that California and Texas would break off from the U.S. and that Musk would win the presidential election after the new Civil Wars end. Musk replied to Medvedev: Epic thread!! Epic thread!! Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 26, 2022 This article was originally published on NBCNews.com The news that Chipotle (NYSE: CMG) CEO Brian Niccol has jumped ship to move to Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) sent shock waves across the restaurant industry. Niccol has had a successful tenure at Chipotle with rapid expansion, revenue growth in the double digits, and procedural changes that addressed the setbacks that hurt Chipotle in previous years. However, Starbucks presents its own challenges. Howard Schultz has been Starbucks' only truly successful CEO, and the company has brought him back more than once because it failed to find an adequate replacement. Hence, the question for investors is whether this will be a move that will boost the coffee stock over time. Why Starbucks chose Brian Niccol The choice of Niccol was undoubtedly determined by his performance as Chipotle CEO. Since he took over in March 2018, the stock has risen by over 700%, almost six times the return the S&P 500 delivered over the same timeframe. CMG Chart So successful were his efforts that Chipotle reported 7% revenue growth in 2020, a year when many restaurants experienced revenue declines of 100% amid the shutdowns. Moreover, after the pandemic lifted, double-digit revenue growth resumed. This part of Niccol's resume may have attracted Starbucks to him. In recent weeks, activist investor Elliott Management bought a substantial stake in Starbucks as a struggling economy led to declining same-store sales in the U.S. and China. Additionally, Niccol has proven himself in getting a company past operational struggles. Chipotle faced periodic E. coli and salmonella outbreaks between 2015 and 2018 before Niccol took over. Under Niccol, such outbreaks ended as he launched a food safety program, improved the company's food prep and handling, and incentivized sick workers to stay home. Starbucks also faces a problem that Niccol got Chipotle past -- moving on from the founder's leadership. Starbucks has struggled to find a successor to Howard Schultz, who founded the modern iteration of Starbucks. In the same way, Chipotle founder Steve Ellis had to return to the CEO position after it struggled to find a successor. It was only after Niccol took over that Ellis could leave the company for good. Niccol's new challenges Nonetheless, Starbucks will present Niccol with some unique challenges. For one, Chipotle and Starbucks are at different growth stages. Chipotle is in a growth-focused mode in the U.S. and operates mainly in that country. It is approximately halfway to the goal of 7,000 stores that it considers "saturation" in North America. Much of its revenue growth came from increasing the restaurant count by 8%, making double-digit revenue growth an easier goal to achieve. In contrast, Starbucks' U.S. market is close to saturation. Hence, it has turned to foreign markets, primarily China, to drive continued growth. Thus, Niccol will have to focus more on same-store sales growth and international expansion than he did at Chipotle to succeed at this job. Moreover, Starbucks sells more products in different venues. While transitioning from selling mostly food to primarily beverages may not be a problem, Niccol will have a more extensive product selection to manage between the drinks, desserts, and sandwiches Starbucks sells. Channel development, which consists of consumer products, made up about 5% of Starbucks' revenue in the third quarter of fiscal 2024 (ended June 30). While not a major revenue source, it is a different food-related business in which Niccol does not have extensive experience. Can Brian Niccol succeed at Starbucks? Although Niccol's success is not guaranteed, the move is one that will likely boost Starbucks' stock over time. Niccol has a proven track record of operational success under challenging circumstances. Also, given Starbucks' lack of success at finding a worthy successor to Howard Schultz, Niccol's ability to succeed Chipotle's founder without complications makes him a natural choice for this role. Admittedly, Niccol will have to rise to the challenge of deriving growth from a more mature business and will face some struggles that may be new to him. But if he can revive this more mature business, he stands a high probability of succeeding as Starbucks CEO. Should you invest $1,000 in Starbucks right now? Before you buy stock in Starbucks, 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 Starbucks 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 $763,374!* 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 Will Healy has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Chipotle Mexican Grill and Starbucks. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: short September 2024 $52 puts on Chipotle Mexican Grill. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Is Hiring Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol a Good Move for Starbucks? was originally published by The Motley Fool EMERALD ISLE, N.C. (WNCT) People heading to the Crystal Coast this weekend are being warned of the danger of rip currents as Hurricane Ernesto churns out in the Atlantic Ocean. Emerald Isle Fire Chief William Matthias said even when storms are thousands of miles offshore, they can still bring in heavy water volume. Some of that water gets trapped between the shoreline and sandbars, making dangerous rip currents. When Hurricane Lorenzo was thousands of miles off our coastline, we actually lost more lives due to that storm than we did with the storm, Hurricane Dorian, that same year, that did actually come ashore here in North Carolina, Chief Matthias said. Heavy winds Sunday could also make the water more unpredictable. Emerald Isle will have extra lifeguards on duty this weekend. Were actually utilizing some of our rescue swimmers, which are full-time employees within the fire department, who have cross-trained as lifeguards, to help us patrol the beach in these next couple of weeks, Chief Matthias said. He said he would rather have people try to float if theyre stuck in a rip current and wait for help instead of swimming parallel to the shore to escape it. I would much rather them focus on floating and maintaining their energy, Chief Matthias said. So that way, somebody on shore or maybe somebody in their party whos a water watcher calls 911. It lets the professionals come get them, rather than them tiring out. However, he also said this weekend its better to avoid swimming at all in the ocean. Number one thing is to not get in the water, he said. Dont tempt fate. When these red flags are out, emergency services will go out there into the water. We really dont want to. We want to educate people and keep them safe from the get-go. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. DOTHAN, Ala (WDHN) Enterprise Police are asking for help finding a missing 35-year-old man. According to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Stephen Alexander Cornett was last seen on August 1 at 5:00 p.m. on Seay Street in Enterprise. The missing persons report was issued on Friday, August 16. Troopers say Cortnet may be living with a condition that may impair his judgement. Anyone with information on Cornetts whereabouts is asked to contact the Enterprise Police Department at (334) 347-2222 or call 911. Stay with WDHN 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 WDHN - wdhn.com. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) El Paso Community College (EPCC) is making a potentially life-saving drug accessible to all students and staff. The college launched a Narcan distribution program at the beginning of August, hoping to encourage students and staff to learn about the importance of the medicine, and how to administer it. The college is just looking to be a good partner of the community. We all know that theres an opioid issue going on not only across the country, but in our local community. And so were just giving medication to anybody that may encounter somebody thats overdosed from an opioid like heroin or fentanyl, and theyre better prepared to administer the Narcan, said EPCC Emergency Manager Hector Padilla. The Narcan nasal spray is a medicine with the active ingredient Naloxone that helps reverse the effects of a life-threatening opioid emergency. Padilla says two psychology professors from the Valle Verde Campus approached him about the idea. As of Friday, Aug. 16 they have already distributed over 70 boxes of Narcan, and have had to replenish their supply at the Valle Verde and Mission El Paso campuses. They will offer periodic training to those interested in learning how to administer the medicine. Padilla explained that the training and process of administering Narcan is fairly simple and easy to learn, but valuable as an opioid emergency can happen anywhere and at any time. You can find the EPCC Narcan distribution centers below: Valle Verde Writing Center, A1425 Northwest Library, L100 Transmountain Library, 1600 Mission del Paso Tutoring Center, E108 Rio Grande Library, E100 Rio Grande Border Health Clinic, 1001 El Paso St. The El Paso Harm Reduction Alliance (EPHRA), composed of volunteers that promote education and training in the sectors of public and mental health, as well as substance use, praised the initiative and believe it is crucial to expand accessibility to Narcan everywhere possible. So typically in an overdose situation, what happens is a lack of oxygen to the brain. And so time is of the essence. And thats why we advocate for everyone (to carry) Narcan, everyone being able to have Narcan on hand, because really seconds do matter. And it could be the difference between waking up and not waking up from an overdose, said Mariah Alvarez, co-chair for the EPHRA, August is Overdose Awareness Month, and as such, Alvarez explained that it is important to educate the public about the complexity of the opioid epidemic and substance use plaguing communities across the country. A lot of times I hear in the community, Well they chose to pick that up. Well, they choose to do that. And its a lack of understanding that substance use disorder is indeed a disease (that causes) a chemical alteration to the brain. So now these individuals arent choosing to use a substance. They have to use the substance because of the way that their brain is restructured, Alvarez said. Alvarez added that the topic is very stigmatized, and oftentimes substance users arent aware that the opioid they consume has a higher dosage or that it has been cross-contaminated, resulting in an overdose. On Saturday, Aug. 31 the EPHRA will host a vigil from 7-9pm at Memorial Park on 1701 N. Copia St. for International Overdose Awareness Day, to remember the lives lost in the Borderland community due to overdose. The event will consist of a presentation on substance use disorder and a candlelight ceremony. There will also be opportunities for people to share their thoughts and stories. Theyre also asking the community to submit names, stories, and photos of their loved ones who may have died from overdose. You can find more information on the event by visiting their Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/ephraforchange/ Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. UPDATE: Fort Bliss confirmed that both individuals who were arrested for alleged animal abandonment are soldiers serving at the installation with the 1st Armored Division. Here is the statement that Fort Bliss sent to KTSM: Sgt. 1st Class Charles McVey and Pfc. Celine Hemingway, both assigned to the 1st Armored Division, were arrested on allegations of animal abandonment by the El Paso Police Department in two separate investigations. The 1st Armored Division is cooperating with law enforcement as they continue their investigation. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) El Paso Police have arrested two people in separate incidents of alleged animal abandonment in East El Paso. Charles Edward McVey, a resident of Fort Bliss, allegedly abandoned his dog in a parking lot on Saturday, July 13 along the 3000 block of North Zaragoza and fled without making an attempt to return, according to the El Paso Police Department (EPPD) Animal Cruelty Investigations Unit. EPPD learned of the incident and McVey was arrested for cruelty to non-livestock animals (abandonment). He has been booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility with a $2,500 bond. Charles Edward McVey. Photo courtesy to El Paso Police Department. EPPD also investigated another animal cruelty case that happened on Thursday, Aug. 1 at the 8400 block of Gateway West. According to preliminary information, Celine John Octa Hemingway, also a resident of Fort Bliss, arrived at a nearby business and abandoned her dog outside the business, according to EPPD. EPPD was notified of the incident and through an investigation, police learned that Hemmingway was the registered owner of the dog. Hemingway was arrested for cruelty to non-livestock animals (abandonment) and was booked into the El Paso County Jail with a $2,500 bond. Celine John Octa Hemingway. Photo courtesy to El Paso Police Department. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. Article first published: Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, 5 a.m. ET Article last updated: Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, 8 p.m. ET On Saturday at 8 pm, the National Hurricane Center issued an advisory stating that Ernesto after it first crossed the Atlantic Ocean and left Bermuda and headed to the Atlantic Ocean Category 1 Hurricane Ernesto is 100 miles northeast of Bermuda and 1065 miles southwest of Cape Race Newfoundland, with maximum sustained wind of 75 mph. Its moving 6 mph to the north-northeast. "An acceleration toward the north-northeast is forecast to begin on Sunday, with a turn toward the northeast and east-northeast occurring on Monday and Tuesday. On the forecast track, the center of Ernesto will slowly move away from Bermuda through tonight and pass near southeastern Newfoundland late Monday and Monday night. No significant change in strength is forecast during the next 48 hours, and Ernesto should remain near or at hurricane strength through Monday." forecasters noted. "The cyclone will likely become post-tropical near southeastern Newfoundland by Monday night or Tuesday morning." YESTERDAY (Friday): Yesterday, Ernesto reached new lows of intensity and was downgraded from a Category 2 hurricane to a Category 1 hurricane. SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT: A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for: - Bermuda A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area. Interests in southeastern Newfoundland should monitor the progress of Ernesto. A watch may be required for a portion of this area Sunday morning. HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND: WIND: Tropical storm conditions are likely to continue on Bermuda for the next several hours. STORM SURGE: Coastal flooding is still possible on Bermuda in areas of onshore winds. Near the coast, the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves. RAINFALL: Ernesto is expected to produce an additional 1 to 2 inches (25 to 50 mm) of rainfall through tonight across Bermuda, with storm total amounts of 7 to 9 inches (175 to 225 mm). This rainfall will likely result in considerable life-threatening flash flooding to the island, especially in low-lying areas. SURF: Swells generated by Ernesto are affecting portions of the Bahamas, Bermuda, the east coast of the United States, and Atlantic Canada today. Life-threatening surf and rip current conditions are likely in these areas during the next couple of days. Source: National Hurricane Center This article was generated by the Miami 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 miamiherald.com/news/weather/hurricane/ Among five people charged in the death of actor Matthew Perry, two are doctors: According to federal officials, one agreed to sell ketamine from his former clinic and the other distributed the drug to Perry and taught his live-in-personal assistant how to inject it. Perry was injected multiple times the day of his death, the US Attorneys Office for the Central District of California said, and an autopsy showed the amount of ketamine in his system had reached the level used for general anesthesia. The case has turned a spotlight on loose prescribing practices around ketamine, a hallucinogen which has been approved for decades as anesthesia. It has a long history as a party drug and in recent years, it has been studied as a possible treatment for depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic pain. Because its already on the market, patients looking for relief are able to access versions of it, sometimes through cash-only clinics with no oversight. Ketamine is classified as a schedule III drug by the US Drug Enforcement Administration, meaning it has low to moderate potential for physical or psychological dependence. Scheduling a drug puts limits on how often a patient can refill their prescription and requires prescribers to be registered with the DEA and adhere to certain requirements for dispensing and storage. You cannot hand out prescriptions for ketamine like candy, said Dr. Gerard Sanacora, director of the Yale Depression Research Program. Still, people find ways to misuse the drug especially compounded drugs, which are custom-mixed by individual pharmacies, and generic forms and to divert it from medical settings. When the FDA approves a drug, it allows doctors freedom to prescribe it for uses beyond what it was studied to do. Typically, such off-label uses of prescription drugs represent a minority of prescriptions written for that medication. In ketamines case, off-label use of the generic version has exploded, driven by an all-cash business model and ketamines growing reputation as a quick fix for all manner of miseries. Ketamine is approved for use as anesthesia but has been used-off-label for pain, depression, PTSD and other conditions. - Teresa Crawford/AP Sanacora says that he thinks more regulation of medical ketamine is needed but that there are tradeoffs to consider. Theres this difficult thing about how much restriction do you put on it, because you dont want to make it more difficult for people to use it as an anesthetic, but clearly, we need a registry or something to know when people are using it outside of that situation, he said. We just dont know how many people are getting this drug. We dont know what doses its being used at. We dont know what the adverse events are. Ketamine is a booming business Estimates from the federal governments National Survey on Drug Use and Health suggest that ketamine use is still relatively rare: In 2023, only about 2% of adults said that they had taken the drug at some point in their life. But a 2023 study by the medical records company Epic Research found that ketamine prescription rates in the US increased more than 500% between 2017 and 2022, with the lions share of prescriptions written to treat pain. Epics data covers traditional medical settings that use its medical records systems, so small, cash-only clinics wouldnt be included, the company said. Meanwhile, an increasing number of in-person ketamine clinics have opened in the US, research shows, marketing intravenous infusions, injections or even oral forms of ketamine like lozenges for a number of ailments. Market research firm Grand View Research estimates that the market for ketamine clinics had reached $3.4 billion in 2023 and projects that it will continue to grow about 10% a year through 2030. During the isolation of the Covid-19 pandemic, a growing number of telehealth companies began prescribing ketamine therapy online and guiding people how to use it at home. Today, online prescribing accounts for almost half the market, according to the Grand View report. In October, the FDA warned about growing use of compounded forms of the drug, including lozenges. Dangers highlighted by the agency include psychiatric events, increased blood pressure and respiratory depression. Ketamine is not FDA approved for the treatment of any psychiatric disorder, and additional clinical studies are needed to adequately investigate ketamines benefit-risk profile and safe-use conditions in the treatment of psychiatric disorders, it said. Dr. Steven P. Cohen, a professor of anesthesiology at Northwestern Universitys Feinberg School of Medicine, says some ketamine clinics are clearly putting profits before patients. Cohen said the clinics often dont have a doctor evaluate patients. Hes heard of patients being given 35 to 40 milligrams of ketamine at a time, which may be subtherapeutic in his experience, it takes about 400 milligrams given over a week effectively treat depression. He says clinics might not monitor patients progress, and theyre usually expected to pay cash for each treatment. Its disgusting. Its the Wild West, he said. It stands in sharp contrast to requirements around esketamine, a derivative of ketamine thats approved by the FDA for treatment-resistant depression and available by prescription. The FDA has strict requirements for use of the nasal spray, sold under the name Spravato. Users must be directly monitored for two hours after each dose because of the potential for side effects including loss of consciousness or sedation and dissociation, or a feeling of being disconnected from your body, which can be unpleasant. The drug can also cause slowed breathing. A drug dangerous in the wrong context Cohen says he himself has used ketamine to successfully treat a patient whose misfiring nerves drove them to itch constantly for four years. He said hes also heard of ketamine being used to treat lingering pain after Lyme disease treatment. But ketamine is being marketed to treat a range of problems, he says including obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and generalized anxiety disorder sometimes ahead of rigorous scientific study to back up that use. In Perrys case, the actor was using ketamine to ease depression, according to the autopsy report, but there were suggestions that he had developed a growing need for the drug. In the news release on the charges brought in Perrys death, the US Attorneys Office for the Central District of California said doctors sold the drug to Perry despite being informed at least a week earlier that his ketamine addiction was spiraling out of control. Perry had been open about his struggles with substance use disorder. Experts say ketamine isnt physically addicting the way an opioid drug can be. People who use it regularly and then stop dont typically have withdrawal symptoms. You live in what I call K lands, ketamine lands, and coming back to reality might be unpleasant, but youre not going to go through a physical withdrawal, to my knowledge. So some people would say thats psychologically addicting, said Dr. Joseph Palamar, an associate director in the Department of Population Health at New York University. Palamar says he worries about unsupervised use of the drug at home specifically because of situations like Perrys: The actor drowned in the heated end of his pool after taking large doses of the drug, according to the autopsy report. Its not the most dangerous drug by any means, but it can be dangerous if used in the wrong context, said Palamar, who is also deputy director of the National Drug Early Warning System, or NDEWS, a group that watches for early signs of drug epidemics. Palamar says that its very hard to get data on deaths related to ketamine but that hes heard of at least two others through sites that participate in the NDEWS network. Even if youre the most responsible person, thats a scheduled drug that could be dangerous, he said. If using the drug at home, unsupervised, what if you think its a good idea to cook as youre using the ketamine and then you accidentally burn the house down? Or you think its a good idea to drive? You take a walk outside and you get hit by a car? So all these things, all these behavioral problems associated, these are things I worry about because its unregulated, he said. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Erie City Police responded to an armed carjacking and chase that ended in the downtown area. Jade Leah Burns was live from the scene with the details on the corner of 5th and State Streets where hours ago it was a blocked-off crime scene. State police said this wasnt a random attack for this suspect but the Celebrate Erie opening act is well underway. Dont be scared away by gossip, everythings over, everythings good, said Mike Russo, production manager, talent buyer for Celebrate Erie. Carjacking suspect shot by police in downtown Erie Hours before one of the biggest yearly events in the City of Erie, an incident took place right in the heart of downtown. An armed gunman from Erie carjacked a victim near Buffalo Road and Broad Street around 4 a.m., and Erie City Police quickly responded. Once they spotted the car, it took off which led to a chase ending downtown and damaging fencing that was set up for the three-day Celebrate Erie festival. After the suspect crashed the car near 4th and State Streets he fled on foot and police surrounded him near the Celebrate Erie main stage. Erie City Police stated that the suspect then pulled out a gun and fired at officers and officers returned fire, striking the suspect. Erie Police provide update on Friday morning carjacking, shooting Officers then rendered aid to the suspect, picked him up and carried him to French Street outside of the festival area for ambulance access. Thats according to Erie police. Pennsylvania State Police arrived on scene shortly after and transported the suspect to the hospital where they say hes in stable condition. Investigators from Erie and state police, as well as the Erie County District Attorney, were on scene Friday morning in front of the Erie Art Museum steps on State Street collecting evidence. The crime scene investigation was completed around 12:15 p.m., at which point they re-opened the street. Its been a long time since weve seen an incident like this and certainly during such a large event, said Dave Tamulonis, events & marketing manager for the Erie Downtown Partnership. Downtown organizers such as the partnership, and EDDC had to wait for the investigation to wrap up so they could continue preparing for the festivities. Once the street opened, show crews quickly got to work which the production manager said was not much of a setback thanks to their smooth week and their all hands on deck efforts. You always experience something that you never expected to experience, Russo said. We got a little delayed this morning but the plan is for the show to run on time. VisitErie receives national recognition for Total Solar Eclipse campaign Gunshots from the incident ended up striking their production tent. Russo explained that the event would go on rain or shine and be completely safe as well. He along with his crew are entering the weekend in high spirits. We do this because we love it, we do it because we long this town, we do it for everybody. I get something out of it, they get something out of it and hopefully youll get something out of it too, Russo went on to say. We reached out to pennsylvania state police and we are still waiting on an update on the situation while everything downtown for Celebrate Erie is continuing as normal. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. There are fears that the current Home Office guidance is too narrow - Justin Ng/Alamy Live News Extreme misogyny will be considered for the first time under Government plans to combat the radicalisation of young men online. Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, has ordered a review of Britains counter-extremism strategy to urgently address gaps in the Governments stance, The Sunday Telegraph can reveal. It will look at tackling violence against women and girls in the same way as Islamist and far-Right extremism, amid fears that current Home Office guidance is too narrow. This could mean teachers will be legally required to refer pupils they suspect of extreme misogyny to Prevent, the Governments counter-terror programme. It comes after warnings that misogynistic influencers are radicalising teenage boys online. Ms Cooper said: For too long, Governments have failed to address the rise in extremism, both online and on our streets, and weve seen the number of young people radicalised online grow. Hateful incitement of all kinds fractures and frays the very fabric of our communities and our democracy. There are several extremism categories ranked by the Home Office as an area of concern, including Islamist, extreme Right-wing, animal rights, environmental and Northern Ireland related extremism. There is also a category for incel an abbreviation of the term involuntary celibate which refers to a male subculture that includes violent feelings towards women as a result of feeling rejected. Officials now fear that this category does not capture other forms of extreme misogyny. Teachers, healthcare professionals and local authority staff are under a legal duty to make a referral to the Prevent scheme if they believe someone is susceptible to becoming radicalised. Anyone who is referred to Prevent is then assessed by their local authority and the police to see if they need to be deradicalised. There were 6,817 Prevent referrals in 2022-23, with the highest proportion of referrals were classified under the broad category of vulnerability present but no ideology of counter-terrorism risk, at 37 per cent, followed by extreme Right-wing at 19 per cent and Islamist extremism at 11 per cent. Violence against women is national security threat The move comes after Sir Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, said that violence against women and girls should be treated as a national security threat. Speaking in the wake of a damning report into the murder of Sarah Everard by a serving Scotland Yard officer, he warned that hundreds of thousands of sex abusers and paedophiles were at large and tackling them would require more resources from future governments. Last month, the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) published a major report into violence against women and girls, calling for an overhaul in the way it is dealt with owing to the epidemic scale of offending. Sarah Everard was abducted and murdered by a Met police officer - Crown Prosecution Service via AP Influencers accused of radicalising boys Elsewhere, police chiefs have accused online influencers like Andrew Tate of radicalising boys into extreme misogyny in a way that is quite terrifying. Maggie Blyth, the NPCC lead for violence against women and girls, said young men and boys are at risk of being radicalised in the same way that terrorists draw in followers. Tate is a controversial British-American influencer and self-proclaimed misogynist who rose to fame after appearing on Big Brother in 2016. He is currently awaiting trial in Romania over allegations of rape, human trafficking and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women. He denies the charges. Review will dictate new counter-extremism strategy Ms Coopers rapid review, which will be completed later this Autumn, will form the basis of a new counter-extremism strategy which the Home Office intends to launch early next year. Officials will examine emerging ideologies which are gaining momentum, and will assess any gaps in the current system which leave the country exposed to threats that promote violence or undermine democracy. They will look at the rise of Islamist and far-Right extremism as well as beliefs which fit into broader categories such as an obsession with violence. The Home Office has previously been criticised for failing to get a grip on domestic extremism. Earlier this year, the independent reviewer of Prevent warned that Islamist extremism is not being effectively tackled by the Government and it is fuelling a dangerous surge in anti-Semitism. Sir William Shawcross said the Government had failed to fully implement his proposals to overhaul Prevent, its counter terror programme, which meant the public faced an increased threat from extremists and terrorists. He said the failure to take tougher action stemmed from a continuing bias within Prevent towards tackling the rise in Right-wing terrorism rather than the main threat of Islamist terrorism. Ms Cooper said: Action against extremism has been badly hollowed out in recent years, just when it should have been needed most. Thats why I have directed the Home Office to conduct a rapid analytical sprint on extremism, to map and monitor extremist trends, to understand the evidence about what works to disrupt and divert people away from extremist views, and to identify any gaps in existing policy which need to be addressed to crack down on those pushing harmful and hateful beliefs and violence. That work will underpin a new strategic approach to countering extremism from Government, working closely with communities to build consensus and impetus for our plans. CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story reported that the Government planned to treat extreme misogyny as terrorism; this was incorrect. The Government has ordered a rapid review of extremism, which will include extreme misogyny, to inform a new counter-extremism strategy. We apologise for this error and are happy to correct the record. 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. 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 Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. In an attempt to address the escalating US debt crisis, Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase & Co., has suggested a possible solution: taxing the wealthy at the same or higher rates than the middle class. What Happened: During a "PBS News Hour" interview, Dimon expressed his belief that the U.S. could manage its growing debt without resorting to drastic spending cuts. He suggested that it's possible to reduce the debt while still investing in beneficial initiatives, according to a Business Insider report on Thursday. Dont Miss: "I would spend the money that helps make it a better country, so some of this is infrastructure, earned-income tax credits, military," Dimon said. He also proposed a competitive national tax system and maximizing growth. Dimon's proposal echoes the "Warren Buffett rule," which advocates that households earning over $1 million annually should not pay a smaller share of their taxes than middle-class earners. This principle was named after billionaire investor Warren Buffett, who famously criticized the fact that his secretary paid a higher tax rate than he did. The call for wealthier Americans to pay higher taxes has grown louder over the past year as economists look for solutions to the federal government's skyrocketing debt, which has reached a record $35 trillion. If left unchecked, the debt could lead to higher borrowing costs and potential default, according to some experts. Despite Dimon's optimism, not everyone agrees that tax hikes alone can resolve the issue. Some suggest that both Democrats and Republicans should consider spending cuts as well. Trending: Grow your wealth outside of the stock market by discovering private market alternatives build your diversified portfolio. Why It Matters: Dimon's proposal aligns with previous calls for higher taxes on the ultra-rich, including those made by Warren Buffett in 2011. Buffett has long advocated for fiscal policies that improve the quality of life for the average citizen. Recent reports have shown that the effective tax rates of the super-rich now lag behind those of the working class for the first time in history, as noted in a Benzinga report in May 2024. Story continues As wealth concentration becomes a global issue, economists have suggested that a minimum tax proposal for billionaires could soon become a reality, as reported by Benzinga in August 2024. Dimon's net worth is estimated to be $2.3 billion, according to Forbes. He has been the CEO of JPMorgan Chase since 2006 and its Chair since 2007. It was reported earlier that GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump was eyeing him as Treasury Secretary. Read More: This article Jamie Dimon Supports 'Warren Buffett Rule' Of Taxing The Rich, He Says It Will Fix America's Debt Problem 'I Would Spend The Money That Helps Make It A Better Country' originally appeared on Benzinga.com Family of Journalist, 22, Struck and Killed by Train Are Pushing for Safety Changes: 'We're Doing It for Her' "Were broken because of this, and well never get over it, but we have to figure out how to live with it," said a member of Grace Bentkowskis family Gofundme Grace Bentkowskis family members are remembering the 22-year-old journalist and pushing to increase safety standards at a Chicago-area station after she was hit and killed by a train last month. It still hasnt sunk in, uncle Michael ONeill told The Chicago Sun-Times of her death. Grace, who had just started working as a creative producer for NewsNation in May, was commuting home to Dyer, Ind., from downtown Chicago on Thursday, July 25, according to the newspaper and WGN-TV. After exiting a train at the Hegewisch South Shore station, she followed other passengers across train tracks to access the parking lot, which was when she was struck and killed by another train. Related: Father and 9-Year-Old Son Killed After Watercraft Slams into Concrete Seawall at 'High' Speed in Florida Grace was rushed to the University of Chicago Medical Center and her parents and brother were present when she was later pronounced dead due to her injuries. "My mom and dad burst into tears and screaming while I sat there, stone-faced, thinking, 'This isn't real. How is this even possible?' " her brother Adian told NBC affiliate WTHR. According to WGN-TV, her family said that they could not hear the trains horn in footage they viewed of the incident. No noise, no nothing," her father, Phil Bentkowski, told the outlet. "From the video all you hear is a thud. Then the engineer blows a horn, 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. Before his daughter's death, Grace's father said he "was under the assumption that if you were hit by a train leaving the station" that the "worst case was maybe a broken leg." Her uncle told the Chicago Sun-Times that the family believes "that this would have never happened to Grace if there had been some kind of light or alert that signaled that a train was going to go over the pedestrian crossover." Now, they will "keep fighting so that this doesn't happen to someone else." "It's what Grace would want out of this," her uncle added. "We're doing it for her. Were broken because of this, and well never get over it, but we have to figure out how to live with it. Related: 2 Toddlers Survive After Being Ejected During Highway Crash: 'Im Still Shocked That Theyre Alive' A representative with the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District, which operates the South Shore Line, told WGN-TV in a statement that "safety is our #1 priority in everything we do." "Our deepest condolences have been and continue to be with the family and friends of our rider who lost her life at the Hegewisch Station," the statement continued. "We firmly believe that the station, as designed in 2006, is safe. We would never operate the railroad with a condition that we believed to be unsafe." "One accident is, however, too many," the statement continued. "After any accident, we look to see if safety can be further enhanced, and this situation is no different. We are reaching out to an engineering firm to determine what it will take to add active warning to the pedestrian crossings. In the interim, we are installing warning signage, and, although not required by law, the South Shore Line will institute a train whistle board to sound as trains approach the crossings." They did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment. Related: Family Cautions About Fireworks Safety After Tenn. Man Dies in Explosion at Backyard Gathering A GoFundMe organized by Graces brother has now raised over $29,000 and served as a way for the family to celebrate the young journalist's "life and legacy." "Grace touched many people's lives at the young age of 22. She was a striving journalist and the hardest worker there is," her brother wrote in a message. "She managed to make such a big impact at 22 years old, and I wish we could've had her here longer." "Although we lost such a beautiful and caring soul, she is now with all of us," her brother added. "Keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we go down this road together." For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. The family of U.S. Air Force Senior Airmen Roger Fortson has obtained the legal counsel of a prominent civil rights attorney. FORT WALTON BEACH For three months, Roger Fortson's family has called for justice. On Aug. 16, just a few days before Okaloosa County residents decide whether to keep Okaloosa Sheriff Eric Aden in office, the Fortson family, along with civil rights attorney Ben Crump, held a press conference and rally at the Greater Peace Missionary Baptist Church here calling for the State Attorney's Office to finally press charges against the former Okaloosa deputy who fatally shot Fortson, a senior airman in the U.S. Air Force. "For Black people in America, when they delay, delay, delay that tells us they tried to sweep this under the rug," Crump said. "That tells us they tried to sweep it under the rug and we ain't going to let them sweep it under the rug, are we?" Crump said the State Attorney's Office received the Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigative report on the shooting death in July. However, it will wait until Aug. 23, three days after the election, to release the findings. This is a timing decision that Crump believes is politically motivated. "You can use your common sense," said Crump. "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." According to Ginger Bowden Madden, state attorney for Florida's 1st Judicial Circuit, she has been in talks with the Fortson family and has seen questions surrounding the report's timing. Madden said the planned Aug. 23 release date has nothing to do with local elections and everything to do with ensuring that the report has been thoroughly vetted before it is released. "I'm going to do it right. However this shakes out, the family is not going to be satisfied with a charge or indictment, they'll be satisfied with a conviction," Madden said. But until those investigative findings are released, the Fortson family has to live with the pain of losing a loved one. They are urging those in law enforcement to answer their calls for justice for Fortson, who was shot and killed inside his own apartment in Fort Walton Beach. The sheriff's office fired the deputy, Eddie Duran, saying his use of deadly force was "not objectively reasonable." "[Roger] spent his career, his life, protecting his country. He deserves to be honored and protected like he protected us," said Fortson's sister, Raven. "Why is it taking this long? It shouldn't be taking this long. My brother was murdered." Fortson's mother, Chantemeeki, also pleaded with the State Attorney's Office for answers. "My child rescued people within a split second. Look how long it's taking America to rescue him," she said. Tom McLaughlin from the Pensacola News Journal contributed to this story. This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Fortson family calls for justice increase as election draws closer Three months after a police officer shot and killed Roger Fortson, an airman in the U.S. Air Force, his family and prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump held a press conference in Florida demanding that the officer face charges. For Black people in America, when they delay, delay, delay, that tells us theyre trying to sweep it under the rug, Crump said, according to The Associated Press. It aint no mystery what happened. He added that prosecutors are expected to make an announcement about potential charges on Aug. 23. Mark your calendars, brothers and sisters, mark your calendars, Crump said, per the AP. To the states attorney, you got everything you need, he added. The only question is, are you going to do it? Forstons mother, Chantemekki Forston, also called on prosecutors to do the right thing. My child rescued people within a split second, she said. Look how long its taking America to rescue him. Okaloosa County Sheriffs Deputy Eddie Duran shot and killed Forston, 23, in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., on May 23. The airman was holding a handgun when police entered his apartment. Duran fired about six shots after seeing the firearm, killing the U.S. airman within seconds, according to the body camera footage. Sheriff Eric Aden dismissed Duran from the force, saying that his life was never in danger and that he should not have fired his weapon after an internal affairs investigation concluded that Forston did not make any hostile, attacking movements, and therefore, the former deputys use of deadly force was not objectively reasonable. An employee of the apartment complex called the sheriffs office, saying a resident had reported a loud argument that had been going on for 20 minutes. Loud arguments were common in Forstons unit. The sheriffs office asked the employee to walk by the home and he reported that nothing was heard, but a sheriffs deputy arrived minutes later. Forston was reported to be alone in his unit, and his girlfriend has said that they were having a normal video conversation when the deputy began pounding on his door. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who represents the area the airman lived in, also said the footage shows Fortson did nothing wrong. One thing is clear from the body cam and should be stated unequivocally: Roger did not deserve to die, Gaetz said in a statement, shared on social media platform X, following the incident. He did nothing wrong. In May, Crump and Forstons family called on the state to be transparent in their investigation, and they doubled down on those calls during Fridays press conference, questioning why it was taking prosecutors so long to decide on charges. The Congressional Black Caucus has also condemned the shooting and called for immediate justice. The public trust has been damaged, and the life of a young Black man was taken unjustly, the CBC released in a statement in May. The CBC is calling for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to release the findings of their investigation and additional information to the family and community who are hurting and calling for immediate justice and accountability for those involved. The Associated Press contributed. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Juergen Elsaesser, publisher of Compact magazine, takes to the stage at the state party conference of the AfD Saxony-Anhalt and raises his fist in the air. The Alternative for Germany (AfD) Saxony-Anhalt is meeting in Magdeburg to elect a new state executive committee, among other things. Klaus-Dietmar Gabbert/dpa The publisher of the far-right political magazine Compact, which was recently banned by the German government, attacked the government in Berlin and proclaimed his support for Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday. Jurgen Elsasser received a rousing ovation for his remarks at a gathering of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt. Elsasser attacked Interior Minister Nancy Faeser as a fascist, called Defence Minister Boris Pistorius a war criminal and insulted Green Party leader Ricarda Lang in his opening remarks at the AfD conference. "And of course I will not be banned from saying: I am a Putin supporter," Elsasser declared to applause from the crowd. Elsasser's magazine, Compact, was outlawed by the German Interior Ministry on July 16 because it had allegedly become a "central mouthpiece of the right-wing extremist scene." But Elsasser recently won a preliminary victory in court when judges raised doubts on the proportionality of government actions and lifted the ban, at least for the time being. The decision from Germany's Federal Administrative Court means that the magazine can resume publishing, subject to certain conditions. The court has not yet made a final decision on the matter, however, and will hold additional proceedings. Elsassaer presented himself confidently at the AfD conference in the city of Magdeburg, and said that his legal success showed that "victory is possible." He cheered the AfD toward power in upcoming state parliamentary elections in Saxony-Anhalt. Juergen Elsaesser, publisher of Compact magazine, speaks to delegates at the state party conference of the AfD Saxony-Anhalt and shows off his Compact magazine. The Alternative for Germany (AfD) Saxony-Anhalt is meeting in Magdeburg to elect a new state executive committee, among other things. Klaus-Dietmar Gabbert/dpa WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) Chip chip hooray! Its salsa day! If you want to spice up your weekend, visit the Salsa Day Showdown on Saturday, August 17, from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 807 Austin Street. El Grito Festival 2024 coming back to Downtown Wichita Falls As the Farmers Market Association gears up to host this annual event, you can expect 7 competitors, some old and some new, who will have a combined 30 different salsa options to choose from. Market Manager Gabriele Poenitzsch said voting will be from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the salsa competition as it is the main event of the day. With red, fruit, and verde options ranging from medium to extra hot, youll surely get a kick out of this event. In addition to a plethora of salsa options and vendors within the farmers market, there will also be live music throughout the day. Huey Learning Center reopening after 2023 microburst destruction We will have live music itll be DJ Drum Kennedy so hell be here for the entire duration of the market, so while youre sampling salsas or shopping through the market you get to have some music in you and start jamming out in the market, Poenitzsch said. We do have bicycle ER coming out as well so if you need help going back and to and from the market they can bring you there. If you want to volunteer, message Wichita Farmers Market on their Facebook page. As we anticipate this event, the Salsa Day showdown is shaping up to be the hottest event of the summer. 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. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) If your home or other personal property was damaged because of the South Fork and Salt fires and subsequent flooding, you now have more time to apply for federal disaster assistance from FEMA. The deadline to apply for federal disaster assistance has been extended 60 days until Oct. 19 at the request of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. Individuals and families affected by the fires and floods may be eligible for rental assistance, temporary housing, home repairs, personal property losses and other disaster-related needs not covered by insurance, according to a news release sent out by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. How to Apply for FEMA Disaster Assistance The first step for individuals and households to receive help is to apply to FEMA for federal disaster assistance. There are no costs involved with applying for, or receiveing FEMA assistance. There are four ways to apply: Go online to disasterassistance.gov/ Download the FEMA App for mobile devices at fema.gov/about/news-multimedia/mobile-products Call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. MT, seven days a week. Help is available in most languages. If you use a relay service, such as video relay (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service. Visit a Disaster Recovery Center operated by the state of New Mexico and FEMA. For location and hours, visit fema.gov/drc For an American Sign Language (ASL) video on how to apply for assistance, visit youtube.com/watch= WZGpWI2RCNw. The U.S. Small Business Administrations (SBA) deadline to apply for a long-term, low interest disaster loan has also been extended to Oct. 19. SBA representatives are available at disaster recovery centers. Homeowners and businesses can also visit www.SBA.gov/disaster, call SBAs customer service center at 800-659-2955. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call 7-1-1 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for information or to apply. For more information about FEMAs Individual Assistance program, visit www.fema.gov/assistance/individual. For the latest information on New Mexicos recovery visit fema.gov/disaster/4795. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. (Getty images) Health researchers in South Dakota and across the U.S. want to use artificial intelligence (AI) to do things like cure cancer, predict the onset of Alzheimers and diabetes earlier, and diagnose and address disparities in the impact of kidney disease. But first, they need data. Lots of data. Data housed by government agencies, hospitals and other health care facilities, drugmakers, research institutions and insurers. Two leaders with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) told lawmakers this week that connecting researchers with data to train and refine AI medical applications also must be done in a way that safeguards citizen privacy and includes data from underserved and vulnerable populations. The NIH representatives spoke virtually on Wednesday to members of the Legislatures Study Committee on Artificial Intelligence and Regulation of Internet Access by Minors. Data is what drives artificial intelligence, said Susan Gregurick of the NIH. We need data relevant to individuals and to patients in real time and in high quality. The NIH has put nearly $1 billion into research and development of machine learning and AI medical research since 2019, Gregurick said, with $296 million in spending in 2023 alone. A University of South Dakota professor named Bill Harris has been awarded multiple NIH grants over the course of his career. His latest award, for $506,000, supports research into an AI-powered model that looks at patterns of fatty acids in blood samples to predict a patients odds of developing Alzheimers disease about four years sooner than doctors can now. Dr. Harris is a professor at the University of South Dakota School of Medicine, but is pursuing the AI research through his company, OmegaQuant. Another South Dakota project falls under the NIHs Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning Consortium to Advance Health Equity and Researcher Diversity, program, or AIM-AHEAD. That project has South Dakota State University Professor Semhar Michael looking into the use of machine learning to ferret out disparities in health outcomes for populations affected by end-stage kidney disease. The SDSU project, which includes partners from Dakota State University, Sanford Health and other researchers in and outside of South Dakota, was awarded a two-year grant worth just over $1 million. Gregurick of the NIH said that the SDSU project is one of 274 around the country funded through the AIM-AHEAD initiative. Gregurick said AI research in health care is still in its beginning stages. The NIH hopes to see more multimodal AI projects in the future. Such efforts would seek to integrate AI-informed data produced by analyzing things like blood or tissue samples with other sources like voice recognition data. Voice recognition data could help train AI models to detect changes in speech patterns in hopes of triangulating the trajectory of cognitive decline and offer earlier interventions for Alzheimers and dementia patients. Privacy concerns But none of the research can be done ethically unless there are guardrails to protect patient data, according to Lyric Jorgenson, the NIHs associate director for science policy. Anonymizing data to scrub names and other personally identifying information will be important, as will gaining the consent and support of patients at the point of data collection. We do want to understand the risks of sharing information, especially with people who shouldnt have access to it, Jorgenson said. Think of it as putting information in a safe, and only your family has access. She said communication with patients and communities will be key the NIH is funding outreach and education efforts on AI and data collection, in addition to research into data use but basic data security practices also need some adjustment. Putting data in the cloud, versus putting it on a flash drive that can be passed from person to person, will be part of that. Data in the cloud can be walled off and provided only to those whove been vetted, according to Jorgenson, and a cloud datasets manager can see who is accessing the data and when. Data thats downloaded and saved onto a hard drive or flash drive cant be tracked and managed with that level of precision, she said. Sen. Mike Rounds, R-South Dakota, told state lawmakers that the U.S. is in a better position to protect privacy than countries like the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia or China, the last of which collects data through surveillance systems to monitor its citizens. Do you want AI to be developed in a place like that? Rounds said. Rounds to state lawmakers: Encourage AI development in South Dakota Rounds has been a leader in the Senate on AI issues, part of a bipartisan group of lawmakers thats met with tech industry heavyweights in hopes of informing other elected officials about the benefits and potential pitfalls of the technology. AI research, particularly in the areas of data quality, represents an opportunity for South Dakotas younger generation, he said, as an AI model is only as good as the data its trained on. Schools like Dakota State University, which has invested heavily in cybersecurity and other data science programs, are well-positioned to do that work. These huge databases have got to be accurate, Rounds said. Pumping funds into medical research might seem expensive, he said, but so is managing a host of diseases that AI research could prevent or cure with the right investment. Its not inexpensive, but compared to what we pay to try and limit and prevent the illnesses to be cured, the investment is miniscule, Rounds said. Lawmakers on the study group wanted to know what, if anything, they could do to help move the research along. You talked about not slowing down the progress of AI, but at the same time, theres got to be policies and oversight managing the implementation of this, and probably training as well, said Rep. Chris Karr, R-Sioux Falls. The main goal, Rounds said, should be to stay ahead of AI development. Supporting education programs that focus on AI systems and maintaining a business-friendly atmosphere could help position the state to take advantage of the new technology, Rounds said. I would do everything I could to incentivize the development of AI databases here, in all different areas, Rounds said. It becomes a nexus for other things to happen. Companies looking to develop data centers or AI hubs, Rounds said, are going to go where doing business is as simple as possible. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST If you're buying a dividend stock, you need to carefully consider not just the payout ratio but also the company's long-term prospects. Intel suspended its dividend recently, an example of a situation that shouldn't have been all too surprising for a company that was struggling with profitability and growing its foundry business. In a situation like that, it's difficult to expect the company to invest in a costly growth strategy and pay a dividend. There are many other safe dividend stocks to buy that can be much more suitable for your portfolio and aren't nearly as risky. Three stocks you can count on for long-term dividend income are Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT), ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM), and AT&T (NYSE: T). Abbott Laboratories One of the safest dividend stocks you can own is undoubtedly from healthcare company Abbott Laboratories. Last year, the Dividend King announced it was raising its dividend for a 52nd straight year. And the company has now been paying dividends for 100 years. There's little reason to suggest that Abbott can't continue its streak, either. The business, which generates revenue from multiple segments, including nutrition, diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices, is well-diversified and consistent. Abbott reported a solid 4% revenue growth in its most recent period (ended on June 30), driven by an impressive 10% growth rate in its medical device segment. The company has been obtaining clearance and approval for new products, including two new continuous glucose monitoring devices, suggesting that there's still room for a lot more growth in its future. Abbott's steadily growing business makes it an ideal option for income investors. Its payout ratio is modest at around 67% and while its dividend yield of 2% may seem low, that's still above the S&P 500 average of 1.4%. And with future rate hikes looking highly probable, there's plenty of incentive for investors to just buy the healthcare stock and hang on to it for years. ExxonMobil Investors can secure a higher yield from oil and gas producer ExxonMobil. At 3.2%, its yield is more than double the S&P 500 average. Although it doesn't have as long of a track record as Abbott does when it comes to growing its dividend, it has raised its payout for an impressive 41 consecutive years. And with a payout ratio of just 45%, there's still plenty of room for the company to extend its streak this year. What's remarkable is that even amid all the volatility in oil prices and the impact that can have on the business, Exxon has continued to grow its dividend. Its $60 billion acquisition of Pioneer Natural Resources last year has only made Exxon bigger while also positioning it to achieve lower-cost production for years to come. In the past three years, Exxon has accumulated $115 billion in profit. Story continues Even as there is growth in electric vehicles, investors may not necessarily have much to worry about by investing in a top oil and gas stock anytime soon. Analysts at Goldman Sachs expect that demand for oil will continue to rise and won't peak until 2034. And while demand might decline after that, oil is likely to remain a key source of energy for the foreseeable future. AT&T The highest-yielding stock on this list is AT&T. At 5.7%, the telecom stock's yield has been coming down as investors have been buying up shares of the company this year, but it's still a higher-than-typical yield for AT&T. The company has been slowly winning over its doubters with some strong quarterly results and in the months ahead I would expect the stock to continue rallying and for the yield to come down as a result. The company's free cash flow in its most recent quarter, which ended in June, totaled $4.6 billion, which was better than the $4.2 billion it generated a year ago. Free cash flow is one of the more important metrics for the company with respect to its dividend as it tells investors just how healthy the telecom operator's cash flow is and how much room there is for AT&T to pay dividends and pay down debt. Given that the company pays approximately $2.1 billion per quarter in dividends, I wouldn't be surprised if AT&T were to announce a rate hike this year. Although AT&T hasn't been a great buy in recent years and the stock is down 34% since 2020, its financial position looks to be in a much better state today. The company is no longer chasing costly growth opportunities in the streaming industry and is focusing instead on being a top telecom provider, making it a more tenable option for income investors who just want a solid dividend stock to own. Should you invest $1,000 in Abbott Laboratories right now? Before you buy stock in Abbott Laboratories, 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 Abbott Laboratories 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 $763,374!* 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 David Jagielski has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Abbott Laboratories and Goldman Sachs Group. The Motley Fool recommends Intel and recommends the following options: long January 2025 $45 calls on Intel and short August 2024 $35 calls on Intel. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Looking for Safe Dividend Income? These 3 Stocks Have Rock-Solid Payouts. was originally published by The Motley Fool Felon arrested for trying to shoot security guard outside Antioch bar UNINCORPORATED ANTIOCH, Ill. A felon was arrested after trying to shoot a security guard outside of a bar in Unincorporated Antioch, according to the Lake County Sheriffs Office. 37-year-old Ronald X. Owens was arrested and later charged Saturday with Aggravated Unlawful Possession of a Weapon by a Felon (Class 3 felony), two counts of Aggravated Unlawful Possession of a Weapon (Class 4 felonies) and No FOID/No CCL (Class 4 felony). A second man, 42-year-old Edwin Roddy, was arrested and charged with battery after the incident as well. LCSO officials said deputies responded to a bar in the 27800 block of West Grass Lake Road on a report of a man with a gun around 10:30 p.m. Friday. Law enforcement was able to obtain a detailed description of the two men from a 911 caller, who relayed the information to responding deputies that arrived on scene and detained Owens and Roddy. Cook County Corrections Deputy allegedly found in possession of drug-soaked paper facing felony charge After a preliminary investigation, deputies said they learned Owens and Roddy were removed from the bar by security earlier in the day for being disruptive. After being removed, deputies said Owens and Roddy walked to a car in the parking lot and returned to confront security. Owens , who deputies said was now armed with a firearm, pointed the gun at security and pulled the trigger several times, but the firearm malfunctioned and did not fire. The two then went back to a vehicle, and met with others they initially arrived with. Deputies believed Owens put the gun back in the car before the group left in the car. Owens and Roddy returned to the bar again and attempted to get inside, but were stopped again by security. At this point, deputies said Roddy punched one of the security guards, after which, both were quickly found by LCSO deputies and arrested. The Lake County States Attorneys Office filed a petition to detain on Owens. He was due in court Saturday morning. Roddy was processed and released with a court date of Sept. 4, 2024, at 8:45 a.m. in the Lake County Courthouse. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. NORTH SIOUX CITY, S.D. (KELO) Hope is on the horizon for people affected by the June floods this year. Twenty-five South Dakota counties will receive federal help repairing damage, and in Davison, Lincoln, Turner and Union counties, home and business owners will also receive support. For McCook Lake and the area surrounding it, its been a difficult summer dealing with the aftermath of Junes flood. Its been eight weeks this weekend and it has been a long, drawn-out process, a lot of cleanup, a lot of unsure whats going to happen with the future, Cares for Nonprofit on McCook Lake, Renae Hansen said. But with the disaster declaration signed on August 15th, there will finally be aid for those who need it. Itll help the private citizens. We do have some businesses that need aid. It will help them also. And then it also, like I said, helps the public side, which is fixing roadways, bridges, levees, things like that, Union County emergency manager Jason Westcott said. People affected by the flood have less than 60 days left to fill out paperwork online. However, there will be another option. Probably within about a week or two, well be looking at setting up whats called a DRC. Its a disaster recovery centers. Basically what that does is itll be a place where people can actually go in, sit down with the FEMA representative, fill out paperwork with them and file it with them so that if theyre not comfortable with using a mobile app or using a computer, youre able to actually go sit down with the FEMA app face to face, Westcott said. Residents are finally getting relief after 8 long weeks of waiting. Its been a long process and we understand that people are hurting right now. People are just waiting for some sort of financial assistance. And this will help, you know, in that realm to get people some money, kind of get them back on their feet and get them back to where they used to be, Westcott said. But now that we have the FEMA declaration, hopefully, some of these people will be able to get some of those answers that theyve been longing for, Hansen said. How South Dakotans can apply for FEMA disaster funds Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. About 125 firefighters worked Saturday to contain a fire in central London's historic Somerset House, which contains an extensive artwork collection. London Fire Brigade/Twitter Aug. 17 (UPI) -- About 125 firefighters worked Saturday to contain a fire in central London's historic Somerset House, which contains priceless artworks, which were unharmed. The fire broke out about midday in the west wing of the building and there were "no artworks in that area," Jonathan Reekie, director of Somerset House Trust, told The Guardian. The area mainly offices and back-of-house facilities, he said. Several hours later at 8 p.m. local time, London Fire Brigade posted on X that the fire "is now under control and investigations into the cause will begin." "Somerset House is currently closed due to a fire which has broken out in one small part of the building," Somerset House said in a statement. "All staff and public are safe and the site is closed. The London Fire Brigade arrived swiftly and we're working very closely with them to control the spread of the fire." About 125 firefighters were working to contain a fire in central Londons historic Somerset House, which contains an extensive artwork collection. Photo by Anthony O'Neil/he courtyard of Somerset House, Strand, London/Wikimedia Commons Visuals were posted on social media. Slightly disturbed by the amount of smoke currently pouring out of the roof of Somerset House... pic.twitter.com/GqeJflO9pg Michelle Birkby/Emma Butler (@michelleeb) August 17, 2024 Creative events and exhibitions take place there. Kings College London has its school of law in the complex's east wing. Somerset House was first built in the 1500s, and it was demolished and rebuilt in the 1700s. In 1604, the Treaty of London was signed in the building, ending the 19-year Anglo-Spanish War. It is home to the Cortauld Gallery, which includes works by Edouard Manet, Vincent Van Gogh and Claude Monet. Among its most famed pieces: Manet's A Bar at the Folies-Bergere and van Gogh's Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear. , First responders warn of rough surf, rip currents at beaches this weekend MIDDLETOWN, R.I. (WPRI) Hurricane Ernesto, which is currently churning through the Atlantic Ocean, is expected to bring rough surf to local beaches this weekend. Thomas Finn spent his Friday night surfing at Second Beach. He described the waters as being calm, though he acknowledged that the storm is well on its way. The storms right out there, Finn said. You look out and you dont see anything yet, but [this weekend] you will. WEATHER NOW: Rough surf expected this weekend Youre always hoping for perfect waves in a little secluded area with no crowds, but as always, everybody conjugates in Newport when theres a hurricane spinning off the coast like that, he added. Though the storm isnt expected to hit the Northeast directly, it is expected to create big waves and strong rip currents at local beaches. Battalion Chief Brian Defreitas, director of EMS at the Middletown Fire Department, told 12 News his team will be assisting nearly 40 lifeguards at town beaches this weekend. Hopefully we dont have a busy weekend, but if we are needed, were here and were staffed, Defreitas said. Were ready to go. Ocean, Bay & Beach // A look at the conditions at the coast This is their Super Bowl, he continued, referring to the first responders. Theyve been studying it and they know what theyre doing. Though first responders will be at the ready, Defreitas is urging swimmers and surfers to heed lifeguards warnings and take the proper precautions. Dont take on more than you can handle, Defreitas said. The lifeguards are there. If you have any questions, please ask them. TRACKING THE TROPICS: Hurricane Ernesto lashes Bermuda with heavy wind, rain Theyre the professionals, he explained. Theyre there day in and day out. They know that topography better than anybody and theyll be able to tell you whats safe and whats not. Defreitas is also urging everyone to stay off the rocks and jetties, where the waves can potentially put onlookers in dangerous situations. Itll be one of the last great weekends of the summer, so enjoy it, be safe and know were here to help if you need it, he said. Pinpoint Weather 12 Links Detailed 7-Day Forecast | Weather Now | Radar | Hour-by-Hour | Ocean, Bay & Beach | Solar Report | Pinpoint Traffic | Flight Tracker | Active Weather Alerts | Closings & Delays | Power Outages | Get the Weather App 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. CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) While paying for a fishing license can be annoying, its actually more important than you think. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website says that all of the fees you pay to fish go directly toward conservation and restoration. This can mean improving boating and fishing access, enhancing water quality, maintaining fish habitats, teaching and recruiting new anglers and planning for long term conservation, according to the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. Discover Boating also notes that fishing licenses help to manage the number of anglers, preventing potential over-fishing and keeping ecosystems healthy. All states require a fishing license, but when you need it and the type you need can vary. In Maine for example, you need to purchase a fresh water fishing license, but if you want to fish in the ocean, you need to add a saltwater permit. In other states like California, you are not required to have a license when fishing off of a public pier, and in Michigan, a fishing license allows you to take amphibians, crustaceans and reptiles. Fish you shouldnt eat if you catch them in West Virginia There are occasions where you may not need to purchase a fishing license. In West Virginia, you may not need to own a license if you are blind, disabled, actively serving in the military, have been honorably discharged from the military, or are a student or state mental health patient being supervised. You may be required to carry other documentation when fishing however. If nothing else, having a fishing license can keep you from a run in with the law. Being caught fishing without a license can get you fined up to thousands of dollars and even imprisoned depending on where you were. You can find your state and purchase your fishing license online 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 WBOY.com. Jaime Herrera Beutler, left, is leading in the Washington lands commissioner primary race. Sue Kuehl Pederson, center, and Dave Upthegrove, right, are in a close battle for the second spot. The top two finishers will advance to the November general election. (Photos courtesy of campaigns) Dave Upthegrove suspects there are about two dozen voters in the San Juan Islands who cast primary ballots in his favor that were rejected. The Democratic lands commissioner candidate said Thursday he might call friends or local party officials there to help track these people down and see if their ballots can be fixed and counted. The level of effort and precision in this outreach reflects how tight the race is for the second spot between Upthegrove and Republican Sue Kuehl Pederson 10 days after the Aug. 6 primary. Its a squeaker that could come down to a couple hundred votes or less as they duel to move onto the general election. Both campaigns are scrambling to reach voters who might be able to cure ballots with problems like signatures that dont match those on file with election offices. As of Friday evening, Upthegrove was ahead by just 951 votes. His advantage has eroded as votes have been tallied in rural counties where Pederson enjoys stronger support. A Friday count in Walla Walla County narrowed his lead, which was around 1,900 votes in the late afternoon. Both sides expect a mandatory recount in the contest. The second-place finisher will compete in the November election against Republican Jaime Herrera Beutler. If its Pederson, no Democrat will appear on the November ballot in the race. Five Democrats ran in the primary fracturing the partys vote. We know from all our modeling its incredibly close, said Sam Cardwell, Pedersons campaign manager. Upthegrove said Thursday that predictive models hes looking at in recent days indicate that he could either win or lose the second-place spot by 200 votes or less. Any surprising trends as the final votes are tabulated could easily tilt the race. There was one point a day or two ago where our model showed me down by three votes, he said. Were right on the razors edge, he added. Curing efforts Upthegrove said his campaign has more than 400 volunteers making calls, sending texts, and doing door-to-door canvassing to reach voters whose ballots were challenged but are thought to be fixable. He said the best guestimate is that this effort could help him scoop up around 2,400 more votes from the roughly 7,000 curable Democratic ballots in play on Thursday. He has performed strongly on his home turf in population-dense King County, where he chairs the County Council. He said Thursday there were almost 1,900 rejected Democratic ballots there. In the county, hed secured about 46% of the Democratic vote, meaning an estimated 860 or so of those outstanding ballots could break in his favor if they were to be cured and counted. Data showed he could potentially pick up 175 votes in Kitsap County, 149 in Clark County, and 130 in Whatcom County, he also said. The Des Moines resident said his condo had become the war room for the ballot curing campaign and that hed been spending time trying to recruit volunteers to help with it. Cardwell was less forthcoming about Pedersons ballot-curing operation. We have a pretty robust strategy, he said. Were focused on the smaller counties in eastern Washington. Were super excited and super encouraged by how many people are helping, he added. He declined to provide details about the strength of volunteer numbers or what projections the campaign is looking at are showing. If the difference between the candidates is less than 0.5% of the total votes cast for both of them and also less than 2,000 votes, a machine recount is required. A hand recount is triggered if the difference is less than 1,000 votes and under 0.25% of the total votes cast for both candidates. Upthegrove said he expected it could be at least Monday before the outcome of the race is clear. County election officials have until Tuesday to certify their ballot counts. Next Friday is the deadline for the secretary of state to certify the primary results. We all work so hard for a year, to get to election night, and you gather and theres all this tension, and you want it to be over, and then all of a sudden it just dribbles out for another week or so, Upthegrove said. It can be a little frustrating. Volunteers with Floridians Protecting Freedom gather signatures for a proposed constitutional amendment on reproductive health. (Courtesy of Floridians Protecting Freedom) Three months into her new role as communications director for Floridians Protecting Freedom, the ballot initiative campaign to reinstate abortion rights in Florida, Natasha Sutherland unexpectedly found herself canvassing a cousin who comes from her religious Jamaican side of the family and lives in the southern part of the state. A self-described trilingual Navy brat and a strategic communications adviser, Sutherland says shell talk to almost anyone, but was hesitant to talk to her cousin about abortion. The logo for the Behind the Ballot series shows a hand dropping a ballot into a slot Sutherland has been working in Florida progressive politics and advocacy for years, but its her first time working on a reproductive rights-focused campaign. And whats surprised her the most is how much the issue appears to transcend politics and religion (as demonstrated in recent public polling), especially when explaining to people how pregnancy can sometimes be life-threatening, as it would be personally for her. Ive been married 14 years, no kids, Sutherland told States Newsroom in a recent interview. Cant do that for medical reasons. So, for me, if we dont win, its a conversation I have to have with my husband about whether or not we can still live in this state past November. Whats also surprised Sutherland is how many people in the state dont seem to realize that abortion in most cases was banned three months ago. Floridas law prohibiting abortion when cardiac activity is first detectable by ultrasound, often by six weeks gestation, went into effect in May, once again rocking the U.S. abortion access landscape, especially in the South. But Florida voters could reverse the ban in November. According to its ballot summary, Amendment 4, which Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is campaigning against, says that no law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patients health, as determined by the patients healthcare provider. Sutherland said the Yes on 4 campaign has focused on health care and presents its message in nonpartisan terms, canvassing Democrats, Republicans and independents, or in her case, family members and strangers on planes. The following interview has been edited and condensed. States Newsroom: You joined the campaign in May. What motivated you to get involved? Natasha Sutherland: It was just one of those moments where I had to answer the call to do this work. Its a very personal issue for me on a few different levels. Number one, as a Black woman, understanding that in the rest of the country, Black women are two to three times more likely to die from pregnancy compared to their white counterparts. Actually, from what I understand, according to my partners at the ACLU, its four times more likely in the state of Florida. So, you think about things like maternal mortality, you think about things like, we dont have the extension of Medicaid, we dont have as much access to health care options. All of those things in a state like Florida for me really paints a picture of just how dangerous the near-total abortion ban is in our state. SN: Do you have a lot of family living in Florida? Sutherland: As somebody who has lived in Florida off and on since 2003, my roots go as far back as my grandpa, who immigrated here from Jamaica and started as a farm worker in the sugar cane fields of Florida. I still have family that once they all eventually moved to the States and were able to get their citizenship, most of them do live in South Florida to this day. Florida is really near and dear to my heart, and I think that an issue like this, you know, being able to restore access to nearly 22 million people to have access to abortion care is really important. I also have a 13-year-old niece who is growing up here. So, I want her to have a future in this state that allows for her to be able to get basic health care. I had an aunt that actually did pass away from pregnancy complications and was not able to get the abortion that she needed. SN: What can you share about your aunts situation? Sutherland: This was at least a decade or so ago. So this was before the Dobbs decision. My understanding is that she was septic. Im not clear on the timing of that, as far as whether or not it was an issue. Half of me is Jamaican, very religious. So, Im not clear on whether or not there might have been some elements there of, like, personal reasons, or if it was an issue with the doctor, or what. I dont have all the details, because my familys like, we dont talk about that. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SN: Have you been talking more about abortion with your family now that youre working on this campaign? Sutherland: With my family, its one of those things where theres an understanding, number one, that Ive always been connected, in some form or fashion, to the political world, as far as my career, and so, we dont ever really talk [about this]. This is extended family. Immediate family, like my dad and my siblings, absolutely, we can talk about it, not a problem. Were all on the same page about all of this, which is really interesting, because if you were to ask me 20 years ago if I could talk to my dad about abortion, I would tell you, heck no, theres no way. He is a religious person, hes a Baptist, and hes Jamaican, and, you know, Black and a man. And so there were all these different layers to, you know, 20 years ago, when I was in my 20s, like, I just would not have had those conversations. But I think that the political landscape of the country since then, and you know, social media, and the opportunities, I think that people have to have conversations a lot of different ways. SN: What do you mean by that? Sutherland: So, for example, my Jamaican side, we have a WhatsApp, which has all of our relatives in it, to include relatives that are still in Jamaica, relatives that instead went to England, some that went to Canada, and the ones that came to the U.S. We talk about all kinds of stuff in that chat, but every single morning the chat starts with a verse from the Bible. And so for me to then actually, yesterday call one of the cousins of mine who was in that chat, and somebody who lives in South Florida and say to her, Hey, you know, Im working at this campaign and were thinking about having some some messengers and were looking for specifically a Black doctor, and just wondering if you happen to have one. So, then we engage in a conversation, and I eventually do kind of talk through the fact that I work at an abortion campaign, what that means. It was really interesting because I thought she would shut down in that conversation and not really want to talk to me more about it, but instead she came from it like from a place of curiosity. And thats when we talked about that aunt, and I said, Hey, do you remember our aunt who had died? I think it sounds like she needed an abortion. Shes like, She was just miscarrying. I dont understand. How is that an abortion? And I said, Well, thats what the procedure is called. And then when I explained that under the near-total abortion ban right now, you know, were getting stories from doctors that are afraid to give care. And shes like, Well, you have to do this then; like, it makes so much sense that youre doing this job. Natasha Sutherland, communications director for Floridians Protecting Freedom. In November, were going to have young women that are maybe voting for the very first time, and if it doesnt pass, they may be facing menopause by the time there are any protections in place for them and their health care. Natasha Sutherland, communications director, Floridians Protecting Freedom SN: Are people generally knowledgeable about Floridas current six-week ban and about this ballot initiative? Sutherland: Its been pretty limited regarding the knowledge of the near-total abortion ban in Florida, but also the knowledge of the amendment. I understand that folks are worried about a lot of different things, cost of living, kids are getting ready to go back to school. So, I definitely understand for folks that they may not be as aware of whats happening until they need care. Thats when folks are finding out that theres a ban, when its too late for them to get the care that they need. When their doctor is telling them, Im sorry, I cannot treat you for this miscarriage; youre going to have to figure out getting abortion care outside of the state. That just means we really need to roll up our sleeves and be focused on increasing our communication outreach efforts to ensure that every voter is able to make an informed decision in November. SN: Given the 60% requirement for the ballot measure, how are you feeling about the likelihood it will pass? Sutherland: Im feeling really good about it. Weve done, up to this point, about 53,000 contact attempts, completely nonpartisan. Our messaging is nonpartisan, and our targeting is nonpartisan. So far, its been supportive and lots of encouragement. Weve got the 60% threshold, but weve been able to accomplish that in the past with things like the restoration of voting rights for returning citizens, with raising the state minimum wage, with medical marijuana, with environmental initiatives. So for whatever reason, I know that the national landscape is like, oh, Floridas a red state, but we have still managed to pass ballot initiatives that would be seen as more left or more Democratic. So I think that when the people have the opportunity to make their own decisions, theyre going to be with us on this. SN: You havent been hearing much opposition to the amendment? Sutherland: Ive actually been surprised with the positive reception that weve had. Especially in a state like Florida, not only are we racially very diverse, we are also country-of-origin incredibly diverse. We have folks from Cuba, from Venezuela, we have Haitians voters. We have Jamaican, we have everything. And then linguistically diverse, but then also religiously. Some of these religious folks will say, Well, Im not pro-abortion, but Im also not pro the government telling my neighbor or my friend what they can and cant do with their bodies. One of the things that Ive noticed in these conversations with everyday people here in the state is that when you take the politics out of it, the issue stands alone. SN: What are some of the challenges the campaign has faced so far? Sutherland: Florida is massive. It takes you nine hours to go from where I live in Tallahassee to Miami. And then again, 20, almost 22 million people, 10 media markets, at least three major languages. And its a really expensive state. For example, a TV spot that, like Kansas might have had, would have cost $3 to $4 million; to do that same spot, its going to cost us, like, $8 to $9 million. Its a pretty big lift to do a statewide campaign in a state like this. But our true north is the 84,000-plus patients that need this care. If were not able to pass this amendment in November, were looking at potentially decades before we have any sort of durable federal protections for abortion in the state. In November, were going to have young women that are maybe voting for the very first time, and if it doesnt pass, they may be facing menopause by the time there are any protections in place for them and their health care. DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST A Florida couple won $3,300 at the casino. Two men then followed them home and shot them. Correction: An early version of this story provided an incorrect location for the casino the victims were visiting. A Florida couple is grateful to be alive after two masked men attacked, robbed and shot them as they returned home from a date night at a casino, according to authorities. The ambush happened at 5 a.m. on Aug. 2 outside a home in Riverview, Florida after the couple spent the evening at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa, a Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office spokesperson told USA TODAY on Friday. Two people were taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds that morning. Tristin Wright, 36, and Marcus Jenkins, 34, have been arrested in connection with the shooting, according to the department. Jenkins has been charged with attempted murder, but both men face several robbery, firearm and battery charges, the spokesperson said. Police are also currently looking for a third suspect. USA TODAY was working to track down the men's attorneys, if they have them. None are listed for them in court records. Close Up Shot Focused on Yellow Tape Showing Text Police Line Do Not Cross. Gunshot victims detail attack Kim Chambliss and her boyfriend, Val Delacruz, spoke to WTVT about the attack and how they are recovering from the shooting. "I hear another gunshot and my first thought was 'They've killed him.' I was hysterical, I screamed and cried," Chambliss told the TV station about what she thought when the robbers shot Delacruz. She talked about how shocking the attack was, saying "we're just average people who are out having a good time, who love each other." "And to know that we didn't even realize that people were following us every step of the way it's scary. It's scary," she told the station. Five gunshots were fired during the robbery, the Miami Herald reported, citing Hillsborough County sheriff's deputies. Ring camera caught shooting on video Chambliss said the two men surrounded her and Delacruz's car and demanded money, WTVT reported. "I ran and I fell in the door and the other guy came out and shot me again for the third time in my left leg," Delacruz told the TV station. Ring camera footage captured the entire situation, even showing Delacruz being shot in both legs before pleading to the masked men who were standing over him, according to WTVT. The men drove away once the couple's neighbors walked outside. The couple stayed at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino for several hours and left after Delacruz won $3,300 on a slot machine and cashed out, the Miami Herald reported, citing the Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office. 'We're just average people' Investigators arrested Jenkins and Wright after surveillance video showed them watching the couple at the casino in Tampa, Florida for two hours before following them home, WTVT reported. The attack happened on the one night a month the couple makes time for a date. "We don't get to do it often just because we both work extremely hard," Chambliss told the station. Delacruz said he is "normally aware" of his surroundings or "would notice if someone was following" him, the TV station reported. "We've always felt safe in our home. Safe in the neighborhood," Chambliss said. "To have that taken away (is) to have just such an insecure feeling." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Florida couple ambushed, shot after winning $3,300 at Hard Rock casino FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. Charles Horowitz, a 21-year-old from Weston whos never voted in a presidential election, is Chicago-bound, along with thousands of the nations most engaged, influential and plugged-in Democrats. So is Rand Hoch, 69, a West Palm Beach activist whos been to seven national party conventions. Horowitz and Hoch have never met, but theyre on the same path, with the same mission: heading to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, where theyre expecting a burst of energy and momentum they hope will help propel Vice President Kamala Harris to the presidency. Im really excited because were going to win. The party is united around Kamala Harris and (vice presidential nominee) Tim Walz, Hoch said. The team is doing such a great job. There have been no flaws yet. And, Hoch said, theres also something bigger and more fundamental. Im a tremendous patriot. Im a believer in democracy. I like this opportunity for people to participate in government, and come back and encourage their friends and colleagues to do this. It isnt the convention that Hoch or Horowitz signed up for months ago. Along with 252 other Democratic convention delegates from Florida, they expected the four-day gathering to culminate in the nomination of President Joe Biden for a second term. But they, like the rest of the Florida delegation and Democratic voters across the nation, have in the last month united behind Harris after a switch that upended the presidential race, turning it into a too-close-to-call election nationally and even eaten away at former President Donald Trumps lead in Florida. Democrats are over the moon, Horowitz said. Ive spoken to Democrats who have said that even when Barack Obama ran in 2008 they did not see levels of excitement the way we are seeing now. Horowitz said he was in kindergarten when Obama was inaugurated, an event the class watched on a big Zenith TV on a black cart in the classroom. Laurie Plotnick, who lives in Broward, was an active campaign volunteer in 2008. I saw tremendous enthusiasm. I saw that people were waiting in lines for four hours in Florida sunshine and heat, she recalled. In 2024, she sees even greater Democratic enthusiasm. I think its more than 2008, she said, pointing to a coalition of everyone supporting Vice President Harris. Since Harris became the partys candidate, the landscape has shifted, said Ronald Surin, president of the Haitian American Democratic Club of Broward, also a first-time delegate. The energy level has increased tremendously and we are very excited to support Kamala Harris, Surin said. He put Democratic energy and enthusiasm at 6 on a scale of 1 to 10 before. Now, he said its an 11. Its what I sense throughout the community. Its what I feel, Surin said. Its a breath of fresh air for a lot of people who were feeling antsy about the elections but now they have renewed hope that it is within the reach of the Democratic Party to get elected to the presidency. The path from Biden to Harris wasnt smooth for Democrats. Bidens poor performance in the June debate with Trump produced such an outpouring of doubts about his ability to win that he ended his campaign in favor of his vice president. Once Biden was out and Harris was in, Hoch, Horowitz, Plotnick and Surin joined with almost every Florida delegate to the convention, and pledged to vote for Harris. (Her nomination was subsequently approved in a virtual delegate roll call in advance of the actual convention.) Before that, from the June 28 debate until the Biden withdrawal and Harris entrance, there was lots of Democratic agita. As pressure was mounting on Biden, Horowitz, Surin and other delegates from Floridas 25th Congressional District in southern and western Broward issued a statement declaring the president our best choice this November. We condemn calls for the president to drop out of the race. Plotnick, too, was uneasy about efforts to push Biden, 81, out of the race. Plotnick, 75, is president of the Florida Democratic Partys Senior Caucus. I was, to tell you the truth, concerned, because the people in my universe really wanted President Biden to stay as long as he wanted, she said. There are many 80- and 90-year-olds still working, (we) dont want to see any of them pushed out. Shes especially looking forward to giving Biden an enthusiastic reception when he appears at the convention Monday night. But shes all in for Harris. We have no better spokesperson for democracy than a woman with her background, Plotnick said. I was very pleasantly surprised at the amount of support and how everyone did come together to go forward, young and old, all religions, all races, all economic folks, Plotnick said. There are so many different groups that all have the same goal, and that is to get Vice President Harris elected as president. Hoch said the candidate switch was the right move. People were discouraged because Biden had been showing signs of cognitive problems, and he wanted to stay in as long as possible and then he finally made the right decision, Hoch said. Everyone was so relieved, he said, with Harris whom he said was dynamic and motivational. The delegates were selected long before, all expecting to vote for Bidens renomination. Most of Floridas Democratic delegates are elected by party members within each of the states 28 congressional districts. Most districts get five delegates, some get six, and one gets 4 with the allocations based on population and the average vote for Democratic candidates in the two most recent presidential elections. The 146 district level delegates are evenly divided between men and women. Another 108 are delegates mainly because theyre elected officials or have leadership roles in the party. All the states Democratic members of Congress, including the five from Broward and Palm Beach counties, are delegates. So are state Sens. Lori Berman and Rosalind Osgood, state Reps. Dan Daley, Christine Hunschofsky and Marie Woodson. Other Florida delegates are major national Democratic fundraisers, including Mitchell Berger, the Fort Lauderdale lawyer. Some are members of the Democratic National Committee, including Grace Carrington, who is Browards state Democratic committeewoman, and Junaid Akther, Palm Beach Countys state Democratic committeeman. Others are part of key constituency groups, such as Stephen Gaskill, former president of the Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic caucus, and Lourdes Diaz, president of the Democratic Hispanic Caucus chapter in Broward. With few exceptions, delegates pay their own way. Floridas delegation is staying at a landmark Chicago hotel, the Palmer House Hilton. Several delegates headed to this years convention estimate a per-person cost, including airfare and accommodation, of about $4,000. Its well worth it, they said. It was always on my bucket list, Plotnick said. Ive been a Democratic activist my whole eligible voting life, and I just felt that I wanted to be a part of this process of selecting the nominee and the kickoff for the whole election season. Her husband, Sheldon Plotnick, who years ago was a School Board member and Democratic Party district leader in New York, has been to conventions before. Theyll be in Chicago together; Sheldon Plotnick is an alternate delegate. Im very excited, trying to stay calm. Im bringing an extra suitcase, because they said you get a lot of election paraphernalia. Im willing to pay for an extra suitcase, Plotnick said. For Surin, 57, a Navy veteran who was born in Haiti and lived in the U.S. since 1986, money wasnt part of the equation. From the privilege and the benefits I receive this is a small price to pay, he said. Its probably the best money we could spend for what this country has to offer, for me as an individual, for my family, to my people, to this community and to this nation and this world, Surin said. There are places in this world where people have millions of dollars but they dont have the freedom that we enjoy here and sometimes take for granted. Horowitz estimated his cost at about $2,500, something he couldnt afford as a college student. He made phone calls to Democratic donors who made contributions to defray his expenses. Hoch attended his first convention when he was Horowitzs age. He worked on the 1976 presidential campaign of the late U.S. Sen. Henry M. Scoop Jackson of Washington, and in 1980 for the campaign of the late U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts. This will be his eighth convention, as a campaign staffer, delegate, alternate delegate, Credentials Committee member, or Platform Committee member. Its definitely worthwhile for me. Ive been a political animal since age 12. Its really great when you put people from all over the country who are focused on electing a Democrat in the same buildings to interact, he said. Its really exciting. Hoch, Horowitz, Plotnick and Surin arent predicting a Harris win in Florida, but theyre optimistic about November. If you asked me a couple of weeks ago about Florida, Id say the chances here do not look so good. The political infrastructure here is Republican. There are more Republicans than Democrats, Hoch said. But just watching the momentum of the last two weeks, and talking to my friends who are of course going to vote Democratic, but they werent excited, now theyre excited. Hoch and Plotnick said they know people who have signed up to knock on doors, help with phone banks and contribute money. Plotnick said seniors are learning apps left and right to help with mobilization efforts. Obama in 2012 was the last time a Democratic presidential candidate won the state, and Democrats had a more than 500,000-voter advantage over Republicans. Now there are 1 million more registered Republicans than Democrats in the state. Still, Hoch said, the state could be in play. Hoch, who served briefly as chair of the Palm Beach County Democratic Party in 1990, and is founder and president of the LGBTQ+ group Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, thinks voters will turn out for the candidate who would be the nations first Black woman president. I think turnout among the Black community is going to be good. And that generally is good for the Democrats. And the Democratic activists said they are certain that enthusiasm for Harris would bring more people to the polls and help their partys candidate win some lower-level offices. Democrats in all races will benefit by having her at the top. There is so much enthusiasm, Plotnick said. Surin and Horowtiz pointed to polling that shows the Harris-Trump race is closer in Florida than Biden-Trump was. We are going to be significantly closer than the polls were indicating a few months ago, Horowitz said. I dont know if we are going to win the state of Florida, but just the fact that we are having these discussions indicates some positive movement. Plotnick said shes inspired to do whatever she can between now and November. I couldnt be prouder than now to be a Democrat, she said. The fact that the presidential race in Florida is closing the gap is just making me want to work harder and harder. While Starbucks got a lot of positive press following the hiring of its new CEO, Brian Niccol, Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) just lost the individual who had helped guide it successfully over the past six years. Let's look at the potential effect on the company and whether the stock is still a buy. CEO jumps ship to Starbucks Brian Niccol jumping ship to go from CEO of Chipotle to taking the reins at Starbucks shocked the investment world, sending shares of Starbucks soaring while shares of Chipotle sank. Niccol helped lead a turnaround at Chipotle following a spate of foodborne illnesses at the restaurant. He was also instrumental in pushing out new technology to help increase worker efficiency, improve Chipotle's supply chain, and help with staffing and restaurant traffic. He led the charge with mobile ordering and Chipotle's loyalty program to keep more casual diners engaged and coming back. The good thing is that all the technological improvements and strategies that Niccol implemented at Chipotle are staying. At the same time, not everything on Niccol's watch was smooth. The restaurant's uneven portion sizes recently came under fire from customers, and the company admitted that about 10% of its locations had been short-changing its customers. It will retrain these restaurants, but it is also expected to put near-term pressure on the company's margins as a result. However, when a new CEO comes in, it could be a good marketing opportunity for the company to play up new, standardized portion sizes to bring in customers who may have become disenchanted with the brand. So it's not like there aren't opportunities for a new CEO to improve upon after taking over. Chief Operating Officer Scott Boatwright will take over as Interim CEO, and whether he'll keep the job permanently is still up in the air. However, the job undoubtedly will be in high demand if the board does decide to bring in candidates from the outside. Image source: Getty Images. A recipe for success Regardless of who is CEO at the moment, though, Chipotle has found a recipe for success, and the key is just to not veer too far away from what has made it successful. This includes a small menu with relatively few ingredients, from which workers can make orders in an assembly-like fashion. This strategy helps lead to both strong throughput (fast orders) and solid gross margins, as it gives the company scale and buyer power. Meanwhile, Chipotle has found success luring in buyers through both special limited time offers that change out quarterly, and through its targeted loyalty program. None of that should change under a new CEO. The company should also continue with its expansion throughout the U.S. Story continues Going beyond that, the next CEO could shake things up in two ways. One way is with international expansion. Chipotle currently has a modest international presence, with locations in just four countries outside the U.S. heading into 2024. Earlier this year, it entered a new market for the first time in 10 years when it signed an agreement with the Alshaya Group to put a franchise in Kuwait. It will also open a Dubai location later this year. A new CEO could ramp up its international presence, as Niccol was not very active in this area. The other big move it could make is adding breakfast. Breakfast burritos, anyone? Adding a breakfast daypart has been a tried and true winner in the quick-service industry's playbook for years and tends to add an immediate boost to sales. It's something that likely will remain in the company's back pocket in case same-store sales ever start to wane. Is it time to buy the stock? Following the recent sell-off in the stock, Chipotle now trades at a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) of under 40 times 2025 analyst estimates. While that's not a bargain basement price, it is a discount to where it has traded recently for one of the best-performing restaurant chains out there. CMG PE Ratio (Forward 1y) Chart Meanwhile, the company continues to have a lot of expansion opportunities ahead of it, and a lot of levers it can still pull to grow and increase shareholder value. While Niccol was a very good CEO, I think the company's future remains bright, and I would use this opportunity to pick up some shares for the long term. The stock remains a buy. Dont miss this second chance at a potentially lucrative opportunity Ever feel like you missed the boat in buying the most successful stocks? Then youll want to hear this. On rare occasions, our expert team of analysts issues a Double Down stock recommendation for companies that they think are about to pop. If youre worried youve already missed your chance to invest, now is the best time to buy before its too late. And the numbers speak for themselves: Amazon: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2010, youd have $19,941 !* Apple: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2008, youd have $42,763 !* Netflix: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2004, youd have $363,520!* Right now, were issuing Double Down alerts for three incredible companies, and there may not be another chance like this anytime soon. See 3 Double Down stocks *Stock Advisor returns as of August 12, 2024 Geoffrey Seiler has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Chipotle Mexican Grill and Starbucks. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: short September 2024 $52 puts on Chipotle Mexican Grill. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. After Losing Its CEO, Is Chipotle Still a Buy for Investors? was originally published by The Motley Fool MIAMI (AP) A South Florida school psychologist has been arrested and charged with possessing and distributing child sexual abuse images and videos, officials said. Robert Lee Turner, 62, was arrested at his home Monday after officers conducted a search, according to a Miami-Dade police report. He faces seven felony counts related to child sexual abuse material and a misdemeanor count of resisting arrest. Its really scary: Remains of mother, child who vanished 50 years ago found in Florida canal Miami-Dade school officials said theyve already fired Turner and barred him from future employment with the district. Miami-Dade County Public Schools is deeply troubled by the disturbing allegations made against this individual, district officials said in a statement. This type of behavior will not be tolerated. Police began investigating after a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in May about someone uploading two videos of child sexual abuse to an internet platform. After obtaining a warrant, police traced the IP address and phone number associated with the account to Turner, who later admitted to being the account owner, investigators said. Turner remained in jail Thursday. His attorney didnt 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. CABOT, Ark For many students, its once again time to head back to school, but for Emin Farmanyan its a new life. The 15-year-old came from Armenia and now hes gearing up for his first school year at Cabot High School. I dont travel pretty much so its my first time getting outside the world, Farmanyan said. Bill would require Arkansas school districts to accept foreign exchange students from reputable agencies He said it was time to experience something new, being that hes never been far away from his family. Farmanyan said his parents were nervous and he was too, but despite their doubts, he made the move. I just explained that Everything is ok. There is a host family. Im living with them, Farmanyan said. Diana Farrier and her husband took Farmanyan in as one of their own while raising their two kids. Diana said she was inspired after seeing a post on Facebook a year ago, with a woman looking for a host to help foreign exchange students earn a better education. You try not to treat them like a guest, Farrier said. You want them to be a part of your family, and you want them to fit in. International students have returned to US colleges, fueled by a surge from India She said shell be hosting Farmanyan this school year and hopes that others will open their doors as well to help other students get the same opportunities. Families interested in hosting international exchange students can find more information at asse.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 KLRT - FOX16.com. A former Johnson County teacher accused of abusing two middle school students pleaded guilty this week to two counts of attempted unlawful sexual relations, prosecutors announced Friday. Keil E. Hileman, 55, of De Soto, was first charged in October 2022 with six counts of unlawful sexual relations. Prosecutors dropped four of the six charges before Hileman pleaded guilty to the two amended charges on Wednesday. In a news release, the Johnson County District Attorneys Office said prosecutors will be requesting prison time and that Hileman will be required to register as a sex offender. The District Attorneys Office is very pleased with this resolution of these charges, the DA Office said in a release. This resolution eliminates the need for our vulnerable victims to testify. It was done with the approval of both victims and their families. States witnesses in the case against Hileman included the two alleged victims, De Soto School District Assistant Superintendent Alvie Cater, the Kansas Department of Children and Families and other De Soto district employees. Prosecutors allege in charging documents that Hileman assaulted two victims while they were students enrolled at Monticello Trails Middle School, where Hileman was employed. One of the alleged victims was assaulted at least five times between June 2017 and late July 2018, according to court records. Abuse involving the second alleged victim occurred between September and Oct. 4, court records said. Prosecutors filed charges against Hileman based on testimony from Shawnee Police Department investigators. Hileman was first hired in the De Soto district in 1994. He received several awards during his tenure, including being named Kansas Teacher of the Year in 2004. He taught courses on social studies and archaeology. Hileman is due to appear in court for sentencing at 9:30 a.m. Nov. 8 in Division 16 of Johnson County District Court. The Stars Bill Lukitsch and Sarah Ritter contributed. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) A former Knox County teacher has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to production of child pornography attempted production of child pornography according to a release from the U.S. Department of Justice. Zachariah Luaie Albaba, 33, a former teacher with the Knox County School system, currently of Rocky Top, was sentenced to 240 months in prison on August 16. The DOJ added that following his release, he will be on probation for the rest of his life and he will be required to register with state sex offender registries and comply with special sex offender conditions. Gang member convicted in March carjacking in Knoxville Albaba pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography and one count of attempted production of child pornography in a plea agreement filed on September 11, 2022. The DOJ shared that the agreement showed that Albaba contacted two separate minors via Omegle, a video chat service that shut down in November 2023 following years of user abuse claims. The DOJ added that the video communications with the minors were found on Albabas cell phone. The indictment against Albaba followed an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, United States Secret Service, Knoxville Police Department Crimes Against Children Unit, Tennessee Internet Crimes Against Children, Kentucky Office of Attorney General, Campbell County Sheriffs Office and Rocky Top Police Department. Closing arguments begin in death penalty trial of Oak Ridge man The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), which was launched in May 2006, by the DOJ to combat the child sexual exploitation and abuse. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. Felony charges have been filed against a former school nurse in Arlington Heights accused of misappropriating medication prescribed to students. According to Arlington Heights police, 48-year-old Tory Eitz has been charged with one felony count of official misconduct, one felony count of forgery and one misdemeanor count of endangering the life or health of a child. Officers said the charges were handed down following a months-long investigation involving Eitz, who was a nurse at Westgate Elementary School. Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines Police said on April 22, officers were notified about a potential health, welfare and safety concern at Westgate Elementary School in Arlington Heights School District 25. After contacting school officials for details, an investigation into concerns that the schools nurse was misappropriating medication prescribed to students began. During the investigation, detectives interviewed several witnesses, school staff members and parents and identified multiple students who were affected. Authorities said detectives determined that Eitz allegedly altered official school documents to conceal her actions. According to Arlington Heights police, 48-year-old Tory Eitz has been charged with one felony count of official misconduct, one felony count of forgery and one misdemeanor count of endangering the life or health of a child. Eitz was taken into custody on Friday before being processed and released. She is set to make a court appearance on Monday, Aug. 19. Gina DeBoni, a Managing and Senior Partner at Romanucci & Blandin, which represents nine District 25 families, said the charges against Eitz were a step toward accountability but called for a greater focus on the actions of district officials. LATEST CASES: Missing people in Chicagoland This is one meaningful step in justice, but Tory Eitzs actions did not exist in a vacuum. We need to turn the spotlight now to Arlington Heights District 25 and its administrators and school officials for their willful and reckless conduct and their failure to take accountability. Romanucci & Blandin represents nine District 25 families. During the course of our civil investigation, we learned that District 25 administrators and school officials knew of improper administration of medication, missing medication, and the failure to follow protocols when that medication went missing. This goes back as far as the 2022-2023 school year. We believe this evidence is a clear indication of District 25s complicity in Tori Eitzs actions. Their willful and reckless actions put the well-being and safety of many children at risk, DeBonis statement read in part. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. (Bloomberg) -- Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is among more than 50,000 prisoners and convicted felons to receive royal amnesty to celebrate King Maha Vajiralongkorns birthday, Matichon newspaper reported, without identifying where it obtained the information. Most Read from Bloomberg The royal pardon will immediately free Thakin from his commuted sentence for corruption cases, the report said. Thaksin is currently on parole after his sentence was royally commuted to one year, from eight, almost a year ago. He was granted parole earlier this year and was due to walk free on Aug. 31. The King granted amnesty for prisoners, detainees and those on parole to offer them a new opportunity to contribute to society, according to a statement on the Royal Gazette website on Saturday. Thaksin is among about 7,500 on parole who were released, according to Matichon. Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Thaksins youngest daughter, on Friday won the parliamentary vote to become Thailands new prime minister. Paetongtarn was picked for the premier post after the countrys Constitutional Court dismissed Srettha Thavisin, who is a member of the same Pheu Thai party, in an ethics violation case. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. When it comes to artificial intelligence (AI), there's Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA), and there's everyone else. The chipmaker has become the poster child for AI as its graphics processing units (GPUs) have become the gold standard for AI systems. So, when Nvidia makes an investment in anything AI-related, investors sit up and take notice. That's what happened earlier this year with SoundHound AI. In February, investors learned that Nvidia had taken a small position in the voice and audio recognition specialist, which sent its shares skyward, gaining as much as 93% in the week following the revelation. Now, history is repeating itself. Last month, Nvidia revealed it had acquired a somewhat sizable stake in Serve Robotics (NASDAQ: SERV), which sent the stock into the stratosphere. Let's take a look at what enticed Nvidia to invest in the company and if it makes sense for investors. Serve Robotics sidewalk delivery robot. Image source: Serve Robotics. Serve'd up hot Serve Robotics describes itself as a "leading autonomous sidewalk delivery company." The company went public without much fanfare on April 18, offering up 10 million shares of common stock at $4 per share. The stock initially slipped under the radar and interest was weak, as the stock ended its first day of trading down 22%. The company is focusing on what management believes is a $450 billion market using robotics and drones for last-mile delivery. For example, the company estimates that the median distance of food deliveries in the U.S. is 2.5 miles. It further suggests that the average cost to cover that distance using its autonomous robots would be about $1, much cheaper than existing alternatives -- while cutting down on the greenhouse gas emissions caused by automobiles. Serve first launched its fleet of sidewalk delivery robots in Los Angeles in 2020. By the end of the year, these robots had completed more than 10,000 deliveries for food delivery service Postmates -- now owned by Uber Technologies. Uber has a commercial partnership agreement with Serve to deploy as many as 2,000 of its delivery robots by 2025, up from Serve's current fleet of roughly 100. The expansion will see at least 250 robots in Los Angeles by the first quarter of 2025, expanding into new geographic markets beginning in Q2. Not just Nvidia In a regulatory filing that dropped on July 18, Nvidia revealed that it owned more than 3.7 million shares of Serve Robotics stock, amounting to a 10% position in the company, with that stake that was valued at roughly $10 million (at the time). Word of Nvidia's investment stoked interest in the tiny company, driving its shares up 335% (as of market close on Thursday). However, several developments in recent weeks have compounded investor excitement, and it isn't just about Nvidia. Story continues Just this week, Serve announced a partnership with Shake Shack to deliver its food orders through Uber Eats in Los Angeles. Scoring a well-known fast-casual chain like Shake Shack was a coup for Serve, elevating its profile in the food delivery space. This announcement came on the heels of Serve Robotics' second-quarter financial results, which were better than expected. The company generated revenue of $470,000, which included $300,000 from auto parts supplier Magna to license its robotic technology. Delivery revenue of $170,000 surged 178% year over year and 80% sequentially. At the same time, gross margin for the segment improved 85% year over year and 64% quarter over quarter. Helping drive its financial results was a strong operating performance. Serve averaged 385 daily supply hours during the quarter, up 106% year over year and 28% sequentially. The company also increased its daily active robots by 85% year over year and 23% sequentially. Should investors follow Nvidia? While Nvidia's stake in Serve Robotics is notable, it needs to be put in perspective. At the end of the second quarter, Serve represented less than 2% of Nvidia's AI-focused portfolio. For context, chipmaker Arm Holdings made up about 82%. With a market cap of roughly $422 million, Serve Robotics barely rises to the level of small-cap and has yet to generate a profit. As such, the stock will be extremely volatile and far more risky than an investment in Nvidia. There's also the matter of valuation, as Serve's stock is currently selling for 259 times forward sales. For context, Nvidia is selling for 25 times forward sales, a bargain considering its triple-digit growth. Investors who really want a piece of Serve Robotics shouldn't buy any more than a tiny stake befitting such a risky bet. Better yet, they can simply buy Nvidia, thereby owning Serve by proxy. Should you invest $1,000 in Serve Robotics right now? Before you buy stock in Serve Robotics, 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 Serve Robotics 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 $763,374!* 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 Danny Vena has positions in Nvidia. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Nvidia and Uber Technologies. The Motley Fool recommends Magna International. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Meet the Newest Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stock in Nvidia's Portfolio (Hint: It's Not SoundHound AI) was originally published by The Motley Fool Pierce County Sheriffs deputies have arrested a man for allegedly kidnapping a teenage boy at gunpoint. The 15-year-old victim told investigators he was playing ding dong ditch in a Frederickson neighborhood when the man drove up, parked his car in the street and fired his gun at them. Brian Jones Canady was arrested. He told deputies the teen had been prowling his car. A woman who called 911 told dispatchers that Canady fired two rounds before grabbing the teenager on the street and forcing him into his car. The teenager said he was driven back to Canadys house and forced on the ground, where Canady allegedly told him he would kill him. He had the little boy laid down and he was like, Oh he broke into my car. He broke into my car, said Devonn King, Canadys neighbor. King said he initially thought Canady caught the teen on his property. He (the teen) looked pretty scared, King said. He was telling me he didnt do nothing. The teen told deputies that Canady eventually made him walk into the house with the gun pointed at him before Canady set the gun down on the kitchen counter. Prosecutors say Canady called 911 and told dispatchers he had caught a car prowler. Sheriffs officials say they found no evidence on scene that the teenager was breaking into vehicles. We wouldnt expect law enforcement to fire shots at people for breaking into a vehicle, said Sgt. Darren Moss Jr. with the Pierce County Sheriffs Department. We also dont expect that from the public. Canady now faces charges of unlawful imprisonment, assault, felony harassment and unlawful possession of a firearm. Prosecutors say Canady has four previous felony convictions for robbery in the second degree. It definitely is kind of scary because you never really do know, King said. You wave hi and bye to somebody and you kind of assume theyre a good person off their face value. Canady was still booked in jail Friday night. KIRO 7 crews knocked on his door to see if anyone there had any comment but did not get a response. (KRON) A Fremont mother pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter this week after her 23-month-old son was poisoned by fentanyl at home, according to the Alameda County District Attorneys Office. Sophia Gastelum-Vera, 27, faces a maximum of three years in state prison when she is sentenced by a judge on October 21. On Oct. 18, 2023, Gastelum-Vera and other family members drove the toddler to a hospitals emergency room, police said. He was not breathing when he arrived and was pronounced deceased. The East Bay Times reported that the mothers plea was made as part of a plea deal with the DAs office. The newspaper, which was first to report on the plea, identified the toddler as Kristofer Ferreyra. Sophia Gastelum-Vera is seen in a mugshot on Nov. 7, 2023. (Photo via Alameda County Sheriffs Office) The boys toxicology report showed a high level of fentanyl in his system when he died, the Fremont Police Department wrote. Father charged with Baby Phoenixs fentanyl OD death Fremont police said when officers served a search warrant at the mothers home on Gina Street, they found items associated with illicit drug use inside a bedroom. The items tested positive for fentanyl, according to police. The toddler and his mother shared the same bedroom, police said. Gastelum-Vera was arrested on Nov. 7 and was booked into Santa Rita Jail on suspicion of murder. The mother is currently out of Santa Rita Jail custody, inmate 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 KRON4. Your friend, Ben: The thank-yous roll in as Cardin attends final MACo as senator Ocean City Mayor Richard Meehan on Friday presents Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) with a key to the city for his many years of public service. Photo by Danielle J. Brown. After decades of public service, pushing for policies he thought would help the state of Maryland and its people along the way, U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) led his last Maryland Association of Counties town hall as a member of Congress Friday. He listened to the concerns of state officials and advocates interspersed with praise for his service. Your friend, Ben, said MACo Second Vice President M.C. Keegan-Ayer, when introducing him. Hes really truly been a friend to every Marylander. This session is annual favorite at the MACo summer conference. It is our chance to hear directly from our esteemed senator, asking questions about whats happening at the federal level, she said. And since he is going to be leaving Congress at the end of this year, this is our last town hall forum with Sen. Cardin. Cardin announced in May 2023 that he would not seek reelection. Ben Cardin (D-MD) hosts his last town hall as a member of Congress at the MACo summer conference. Aug. 16, 2024. Photo by Danielle J. Brown. The 80-year-old senator has fostered a legacy as a public servant. He was a member of the Maryland House of Delegates from 1967 to 1986, serving as House Speaker from 1979 to 1986. He moved to the U.S. House in 1987, representing Marylands 3rd District, before being elected to the Senate in 2006. When he walked up to begin the discussion Friday, Cardin was greeted with a standing ovation from the auditorium. Its amazing, you announce youre not going to run for reelection, the nice things people say about you, he joked. Even though hes leaving, Cardin told the audience hes not leaving yet. We still have about four and a half months left of this term of Congress. We still have a lot of things weve got to get done, he said, before opening the floor of the town hall for questions. Lets open it up to some friendly discussion, Cardin said. Its my last time here. Please be kind to me. Cardin talks shop As he requested, the questions were kind, but got right down to business. Cardin said President Joe Biden remains committed to the federal government fully funding the replacement of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, but said Congress still needs to pass legislation to make that happen. The good news, right before the recess of August, we got over the last hurdle in the Senate in regards to the committees signoff on the 100% federal funds, he said. So were on our way to getting that legislation passed. Robert Sandlass of Harford County noted changes being made to clear the way for the Key Bridge project and wondered if that would lead to more opportunities to expedite infrastructure projects by easing regulations. You spoke about the funding for Key Bridge, one of the other great things you see is also some of the regulatory hurdles are being fast-tracked, Sandlass said. As far as when it comes to Congress, what are some things that we can do to expedite the construction of our infrastructure? Cardin said he agrees that it does take too long for us to get through infrastructure improvements, but added that regulations are there for a particular purpose, such as environmental protection, public safety and impacts on communities. So we dont want to get rid of the regulatory framework, but we have to move in a more efficient way, he said. DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST Several questions revolved around funding specifically if federal funds could go directly to county governments instead of being funneled through a state agency first, as was the case with distribution of some COVID-19 recovery funds. Cardin said he likes the idea I believe we work best when we get the funds to the local levels of government, he said but thinks the option is unlikely. Will that happen in the future? I find that when you have tight budgets, they usually take the low-hanging fruit to save money and cut off your aid. Thats not right, but thats what bureaucrats at the federal level tend to do when they dont have enough money to fund their particular agencies, he said. Unless we can get back to more reasonable budgets, its going to be challenging to get direct funding coming to the county, he added. Other topics included the future of the federal child tax credit, Social Security, and evictions. Key to the city At the end of the town hall, Ocean City Mayor Richard Meehan presented Cardin with a key to the city. Ben Cardins given 58 years now towards serving the state of Maryland, and thats a long career and hes accomplished so much for our state, Meehan said. Hes been a consistent advocate for each and everyone of you in this room. Meehan recalled some of Cardins work on Ocean Citys Beach Replenishment Project, citing it as just one example of how the longtime elected official as helped the area. Im not sure if that project would have happened or would have continued to be funded in its maintenance phases if it hadnt been for Sen. Cardin, Meehan said. I am very proud on behalf of our citizens to present you with this key. I really appreciate this key, Cardin replied. I hope it opens a couple doors for me. Fundraiser seeks help for North Texas officer whose home was damaged in alleged arson A fundraiser was organized for a North Texas officer who lost his home to a suspected act of arson Tuesday. Susan Jane Swan, 59, was arrested by Runaway Bay authorities Tuesday. The Wise County Messenger reported that she allegedly set her house, at 205 Tryall Drive, on fire. The home to the left of Swans was also destroyed by the fire, the Messenger reported. K.A. Chandler, the organizer of a GoFundMe, says the destroyed home belonged to Runaway Bay police officer James Gates. He is also fire chief of the Runaway Bay Volunteer Fire Department. The GoFundMe was organized to help Gates financially recover from losing his home and belongings. This calamity rendered the home of Officer Gates completely gutted, thus uninhabitable for the foreseeable future, said Chandler in the fundraiser. All of his personal possessions, within his home, were destroyed. Chandler asks for those who can help to donate whatever amount they feel comfortable giving. Of a $20,000 goal, $1,895 had been raised as of Friday. Parent coach Alba Mariscal, left, makes a home visit to Cudahy in August 2023. She is checking in with father Chayanne Nino, infant daughter Salome Nino and mother Daniela Prada. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) A child tax credit is quickly emerging as a major family-friendly issue and a possible bipartisan point of agreement in this years presidential campaign, touted by both Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance. During a speech Friday in the battleground state of North Carolina, Harris proposed restoring the popular pandemic-era child tax credit of up to $3,600, and offering an additional $6,000 credit to families with newborn babies. That is a vital, vital year of critical development of a child, and the cost can really add up, especially for young parents who need to buy diapers and clothes and a car seat and so much else, and we will do this while reducing the deficit, Harris said. And in an appearance on CBS Face the Nation last Sunday, Vance said he supported an increase to the child tax credit. Look, Id love to see a child tax credit thats $5,000 per child, he said. But you, of course, have to work with Congress to see how possible and viable that is. What is the child tax credit? The child tax credit was first enacted in 1997 as a way to give middle- and upper-income families an extra $500 nonrefundable tax credit per year for each of their children. The credit has been expanded several times under both Republican and Democratic administrations. In 2017, President Trump signed into law an increase that raised the credit up to a maximum of $2,000 per child. The lowest-income families received a smaller credit than middle-class families currently, up to $1,600 per child. Then in 2021, during the height of the pandemic, President Biden signed into law a temporary, fully refundable increase that expanded the child tax credit to $3,600 per child under 6, and $3,000 for older children. This expansion allowed all families even those earning the lowest incomes to receive the full amount and have it deposited in monthly allotments directly into their bank accounts. The one-year expansion cost an additional $105 billion. A historic drop in child poverty This regular, monthly payment of $250 to $300 each month was a game-changer for families, said Christy Felling, director of communications for the nonprofit First Five Years Fund. Thats really what had a dramatic impact on child poverty. The policy had an immediate and enormous impact. In 2021, the child poverty rate dropped by nearly half compared with the year before, from 9.7% down to 5.2% a historic low. We know this works and has a direct impact on so many issues, including child poverty, Harris said Friday. Read more: Harris offers proposals to cut food and housing costs, trying to blunt Trump's economic attacks Elyssa Schmier, a vice president at the advocacy group MomsRising, described the credit as life-changing for a lot of people and wildly popular. Research has found that families spent the money on food and housing, as well as childrens clothing, books and toys. Some stay-at-home parents were able to afford the child care they needed to return to work. The biggest impacts were seen in Black and Latino families, said Christopher Wimer, director of the Center on Poverty and Social Policy at Columbia University. Its hard for me to pinpoint another policy that would be as effective at lifting kids out of poverty, he said. But when the expansion of the child tax credit expired at the end of the year, Congress did not extend it, and the child poverty rate skyrocketed to 12.4% even higher than pre-pandemic levels. At least 15 states, including California, have child tax credits of their own, in addition to the federal credit. Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, Harriss running mate, signed into law a credit of $1,750 per eligible child, among the most generous state policies. Where does the child tax credit stand today? The current child tax credit of up to $2,000 per child is set to expire in 2025. Because it is not fully refundable, 24 million low-income children receive a smaller credit than middle-class families. Legislation to increase the credit again has recently garnered bipartisan support in Congress. In January, the House passed a smaller version of an expansion, but the legislation ran up against Republican opposition in the Senate this month and failed. Despite his stated support for an expanded child tax credit, Vance did not show up for the vote. Its really, really hard to get legislation passed right now. It got swept up into the chaos, said Felling, of the First Five Years Fund. So far, Trump has not mentioned the child tax credit during his speeches and rallies. Harris focus on raising the child tax credit is among her first economic policy proposals of the campaign and has advocates optimistic about another expansion. There are so many hot-button issues facing the United States right now, that just to get the spotlight and attention on child-related issues from both sides is half the battle, said Felling. Wimer said Harris proposal to provide an extra $6,000 to infants in the first year of life was particularly exciting. Our research that the birth of a child is quite often like a poverty-inducing event, he said. All of the costs of a newborn including a crib, diapers, formula add up quickly and can cause real economic stress for a struggling new family. An influx of money during one of the most developmentally sensitive moments of a childs life has the potential to make a real difference, he said. This article is part of The Times early childhood education initiative, focusing on the learning and development of California children from birth to age 5. For more information about the initiative and its philanthropic funders, go to latimes.com/earlyed. 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. HENDERSON, Ky (WEHT) One of the suspects in a gas station shooting on the corner of South Green River Road and Covert Avenue has been sentenced. It happened in June at the On the Fly gas station where three people were injured. Otis Rankin turned himself in on July 3, and on Friday, he was sentenced to 88 days in jail. He will receive credit for 44 days served. According to court records, Rankin plead guilty to Criminal Recklessness. He had two counts of Attempted Murder against him, but because of the deal, those were dismissed. Another suspect, Luther Lawton Jr., is slated to have a review hearing next 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 Eyewitness News (WEHT/WTVW). We recently compiled a list of the 10 Best Defensive Stocks To Buy Now. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) stands against the other defensive stocks. Defensive stocks tend to remain stable and less affected by economic downturns. These companies operate in sectors that provide essential goods and services, which people need regardless of the economic climate. Defensive stocks mostly include stocks of companies among utilities, consumer staples, and healthcare sectors as they provide basic necessities of life. Companies in these sectors often show less volatility, and often provide steady dividends. They usually offer a safer investment choice during periods of market uncertainty. US Stocks Surge But Experts Remain Cautious U.S. stocks are having a great time, which is owed to strong economic data that has reassured investors. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 have seen significant gains, as they are up 4.3% and over 6% over the last 5 days on August 15, respectively. The global markets have also recovered from recent losses, and the US broader market is back from the losses it faced in the first week of August. The investor sentiment remains strong and U.S. equities are seeing continuous inflows. Additionally, Fed officials are hinting at potential rate cuts which support optimism that the U.S. economy is on track for a soft landing. However, some experts are still concerned about the future of the US economy and markets and hold a more conservative view. According to a July report by J.P Morgan, recent market trends have benefited large, high-quality companies, especially in tech and AI, which have resulted in high market concentration. However, maintaining this momentum in the second half of 2024 could be difficult due to high valuations and investor positioning. The report says that while U.S. market volatility is currently low, it could rise if conditions change. According to Bruce Kasman, global growth is steady at 2.4%, with improved recoveries in Western Europe and emerging markets, along with a rebound in the manufacturing sector. Despite this, core global inflation is projected to remain around 3% in 2024, which could limit the potential for policy easing. Kasman warned that achieving inflation control and rate normalization might weaken demand and could interact with political factors to cause further inflation and central bank tightening. Leon Coopermans Perspective on the Current Conditions On August 15, Omega Advisors chairman and CEO, Leon Cooperman shared his perspective on the current economic outlook with CNBC Money Movers. Cooperman expressed a cautious outlook on the economy, which is driven by two main factors. First, he is alarmed by the rapid increase in the U.S. national debt, which has doubled from about $17 trillion in 2017 to approximately $34-35 trillion today. He said that this level of debt growth, which outpaces economic growth, is unsustainable and could lead to a fiscal crisis. However, the exact timing of such a crisis is uncertain. He further added that neither political party is addressing this looming issue. Secondly, Cooperman compared todays market conditions to past periods of financial excess, such as the Nifty 50 era in the 1970s, when companies with extremely high valuations eventually went bankrupt. He noted that during those times, the 10-year bond yield was 6.5%, much higher than the current rate of around 3.9%. He believes that if the current bond rate is appropriate, market valuations aren't too high. However, he suspects that interest rates are too low and anticipates a rise in long-term rates, particularly the 10-year Treasury yield. While he expects the Federal Reserve to cut short-term rates, which could ease borrowing costs, he believes long-term rates will increase, leading to a decline in bond prices and potentially putting downward pressure on stock valuations. If long-term rates rise significantly, it could make the stock market less attractive and could possibly result in a market decline. Even though the current year has shown healthy markets with a couple of corrections, Leon Coopermans expectations from the markets cannot be ignored. Cooperman has a track record of being one of the most successful investors of the past several decades. If they hold out to be true, investors might look toward more defensive sectors of the market. Our Methodology For this article, we used stock screeners to identify over 50 large to mega-cap stocks from defensive sectors such as consumer staples, utilities, and healthcare. We narrowed our list to 10 stocks with positive analyst sentiment and the highest average analyst price target upside as of August 16. A close-up of a person's hand holding a bottle of pharmaceuticals. Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Stock Price as of August 16: $113.53 Average Analyst Price Target Upside as of August 16: 25.08% Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) is a leading American multinational pharmaceutical company. It was originally established in 1891 as the U.S. subsidiary of the German Merck Group and it became independent after World War I. Today, it is known globally for developing and producing a wide range of medicines, vaccines, biological therapies, and animal health products. Some of its blockbuster drugs include Keytruda for cancer immunotherapy and Januvia for diabetes. Merck (NYSE:MRK) has a history of significant medical breakthroughs and continues to be one of the top pharmaceutical companies worldwide. In addition, the company has over 80 programs in phase 2 of clinical trials, over 30 programs in phase 3, and over 10 programs under review, which are awaiting FDA approval. As of August 13, Leerink Partners analyst Daina Graybosch has reaffirmed a Buy rating on Merck (NYSE:MRK) stock and expressed confidence in the company's future. Despite recent challenges with some drug trials, Graybosch is optimistic about its new treatments, especially for small-cell lung cancer. The analyst sees potential in upcoming data from the company's pipeline, which could lead to faster approvals and boost the company's growth. Graybosch also believes Mercks (NYSE:MRK) plan to use Keytruda's existing infrastructure, including a new subcutaneous version, will help protect against competition. Overall, the analyst is positive about the company's strategy and growth prospects. At the time of writing on August 16, 27 analysts have covered Merck (NYSE:MRK) stock with an average price target of $142, which represents an upside of over 25% from the current levels. This brings the stock to 7th position on our list of best defensive stocks to buy. Carillon Tower Advisers stated the following regarding Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) in its first quarter 2024 investor letter: After posting lackluster returns in 2023, Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) got off to a strong start in January by raising the long-term sales forecasts for its oncology and cardiology pipelines and reporting solid fourth-quarter results, coupled with strong financial guidance for 2024. Merck shares also finished the quarter strong after receiving U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval in late March for a new cardiology medicine with the potential to contribute significantly to sales growth over the next several years. Overall MRK ranks 7th on our list of the best defensive stocks to buy. While we acknowledge the potential of MRK as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than MRK but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, 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. More than 640,000 children in Gaza need two doses of the polio vaccine to prevent an outbreak in the war-torn area, the United Nations says. File Photo by Marshall Wolfe/EPA-EFE Aug. 17 (UPI) -- The war in Gaza has prevented Hamas from vaccinating local children against the disease as displaced Palestinians crowd into tent encampments 10 months after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7. Wastewater tests in July revealed the existence of the virus that causes polio in Khan Younis and Deir Al-Balah. One person has tested positive for the disease that the Mayo Clinic said is an illness caused by a virus and primarily affects the nerves in the brain stem and spinal cord. The World Health Organization said vaccinations eradicated polio in Gaza but the war has created a breeding ground for the virus that causes polio. "The impact on the health system, insecurity, inaccessibility, population displacement and shortages of medical supplies have contributed to reduced immunization rates," the U.N. agencies reported. "Coupled with poor quality of water and destruction of sanitation, there is a heightened risk of vaccine-preventable diseases, including polio and other outbreaks." The WHO and UNICEF said the war needs to be paused to effectively vaccinate more than 640,000 children under 10 in Gaza. Each would need two doses of the polio vaccine type 2 to effectively protect children against polio. Polio can cause partial paralysis and might lead to troubled breathing and death for those afflicted with it, according to the Mayo Clinic. The United Nations said the vaccinations only could be done when the "safe and sustained access of protection of health workers" is assured. U.N. agencies say only 16 of Gaza's 36 hospitals are "partially functional" while 48 out of 109 primary healthcare facilities are operational. Before the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, about 99% of Gazans were vaccinated against polio, but that percentage dropped to less than 90% during the first quarter of 2024, the WHO and UNICEF reported. Polio cases decreased from 350,000 globally in 1988 to only 12 in 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. Before polio vaccines became available in the 1950s, polio paralyzed more than 15,000 people each year in the United States. TEXARKANA, Texas (KTAL/KSHV) The Shreveport non-profit Geaux 4 Kids continues to expand its efforts helping more children in need. The organizations goal is to provide Geaux Bags full of everything a child might need for the first night transitioning out of a crisis When kids are in crisis, sometimes they leave their houses with nothing and this, its a stop gap, so to speak, to feel that need while theyre in transition and, and getting somewhere safe. says Bowie County Sheriff Jeff Neal. They currently serve the entire state of Louisiana and several East Texas counties and now they have their sights set on the greater Texarkana area. Texarkana woman allegedly embezzled over $700,000 arrested KTAL sponsored an event at Cafe Lucille in downtown Texarkana to help gain support in Bowie County, Tx and Miller County, Ar. There is the need there and that this is actually funded by their area for their area and controlled and distributed through law enforcement for kids in crisis. says the organizations founder and executive director, K.C. Kilpatrick Baird. Geaux 4 Kids will deliver a shipment of Geaux Bags to Texarkana area law enforcement next week. Once law enforcement agencies have the bags they are free to distribute them to whoever they see fit. Visit the Geaux 4 Kids website to learn more about how you can help their cause. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. General Staff: Russia has lost 598,180 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022 Russia has lost 598,180 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on Aug. 17. This number includes 1,230 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day. According to the report, Russia has also lost 8,501 tanks, 16,473 armored fighting vehicles, 22,913 vehicles and fuel tanks, 16,985 artillery systems, 1,160 multiple launch rocket systems, 923 air defense systems, 367 airplanes, 328 helicopters, 13,714 drones, 28 ships and boats, and one submarine. 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. NEW YORK -- George Santos is expected to plead guilty to charges stemming from allegations of fraud, a person familiar with the matter confirmed to CBS News New York. Santos, the former New York congressman, is expected to enter a plea in federal court Monday in Central Islip, New York. He was expelled from the House of Representatives last year and previously pleaded not guilty to 23 federal charges alleging fraud, including misusing campaign funds. Sides were preparing for trial next month Santos's trial was scheduled to start in September. He appeared in court Tuesday for a pre-trial hearing, where federal prosecutors asked to submit lies he told on the campaign as evidence, arguing he "deliberately leveraged them to perpetuate the criminal schemes." The lies included: Graduating from Baruch College and New York UniversityBeing an accomplished college volleyball playerHaving grandparents who survived the HolocaustWorking at Citigroup and Goldman SachsFabricating his family wealthStealing from campaign contributors Santos's defense team asked the court for a partially anonymous jury, citing "extensive and largely negative media coverage," and claiming "jurors could face harassment or intimidation." The judge had agreed. If convicted in a trial, Santos faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Eye Opener: Hurricane Ernesto pounds Bermuda Saturday Sessions: Travis performs "Gaslight" Saturday Sessions: Travis performs "Home" George Santos is expected to plead guilty in his fraud case during a hearing Monday in federal court on Long Island, sources familiar with the case told ABC News, while cautioning the erratic former Republican congressman could always change his mind. A guilty plea would avoid a trial that is scheduled to begin next month. Hundreds of potential jurors had already been summoned. Calls seeking comment to Santos, his attorney and federal prosecutors with the Eastern District of New York were not returned. Santos, who was expelled from the House of Representatives, faces 23 felony charges that accuse him of defrauding donors, lying about his finances and needlessly accepting unemployment benefits among other things. PHOTO: George Santos, who was expelled from the U.S. House of Representatives, leaves court in Long Island after his corruption trial in Central Islip, New York, Aug. 13, 2024. (Adam Gray/Reuters) It was not immediately clear to which charges Santos is expected to plea or what sentence would be imposed. Santos allegedly misrepresented elements of his background and biography during his campaign to represent parts of Queens and Nassau County, but the criminal charges to which he has pleaded not guilty to mainly involve money. Two associates, including Santos former campaign treasurer, have pleaded guilty to charges over their role in his alleged fraud. George Santos expected to plead guilty during a hearing Monday in fraud case: Sources originally appeared on abcnews.go.com (The Hill) Former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) has agreed to plead guilty after being accused of five criminal schemes that sparked his disgraced fall from the House, according to a person with knowledge of the matter, a dramatic shift for the ex-congressman who had insisted he was innocent. The plea deal enables Santos to avoid trial next month on 23 criminal charges that couldve carried significant prison time, if convicted. The source said Santos will plead guilty to multiple of those counts. U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert, who oversees the case, will have to accept the deal. Santos did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Hill. Seybert set an in-person hearing for Monday afternoon after the parties requested one in a brief letter Friday that disclosed no rationale. The judge had also granted requests to push back a few deadlines in the case. Federal prosecutors accused the former congressman of five criminal schemes: misleading campaign donors, charging their credit cards without authorization, falsely inflating campaign finance reports, fraudulently receiving unemployment benefits and lying on his financial disclosures. Santos was originally indicted in May 2023 on 13 charges, and the 10 other counts were added last October. He appeared in court as recently as Tuesday, when he pleaded not guilty to a new version of his indictment that included minor changes. Jury selection for his trial was set to begin on Long Island on Sept. 9. The guilty plea adds to a whirlwind two-plus years for Santos, who flipped a competitive New York seat red in 2022 and was lauded as the first openly gay Republican who is not an incumbent to win a House seat, only to be ousted from Congress months later after the Ethics Committee published a damning report with evidence showing that he deceived donors, stole from his campaign and used the funds for personal use much of which overlapped with his criminal case. The controversy surrounding Santos began after he was elected in 2022 before he was sworn into office when The New York Times published a bombshell report that the Empire State Republican had fabricated his resume and biography. The saga deepened after his criminal indictments and reached a boiling point when the Ethics Committee released its report. In December, just over two weeks after the Ethics panel released its report, a group of New York House Republicans forced a vote on expelling Santos, which was successful after a group of Democrats and GOP lawmakers met the two-thirds threshold to oust him from the chamber. He became just the sixth member to ever be ousted from the House, an act that had not been seen in 20 years. Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.) won a special election to fill Santoss seat in February, flipping the Long Island district blue and further narrowing the GOPs slim majority in the chamber. Prosecutors planned to emphasize Santoss fabricated resume at his trial, calling the falsehoods inextricably intertwined with evidence of the charged crimes. Potential witnesses included Santoss friends, family and former staff, according to court filings. Santoss plea comes after two of his former aides similarly admitted guilt last year. His onetime campaign treasurer, Nancy Marks, pleaded guilty last October. Samuel Miele, a former fundraiser for Santos, later admitted to impersonating a House leadership aide and charging donors credit cards without authorization while working for the New York Republican. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. AUSTIN (KXAN) Two Central Texas men were indicted and arrested in August on charges related to the unlawful dealing of firearms, according to the Justice Department (DOJ). According to the DOJ, 24-year-old Ronin Michael Rhoades, of Georgetown, and 42-year-old Tristan James Banda, of Pflugerville, were allegedly involved in dealing firearms, despite being unlicensed. Rhoades attorney provided a statement to KXAN on Friday. At this time, we are still looking into the basis of the allegations that were brought against Mr. Rhoades. Mr. Rhoades has entered a plea of not guilty and is looking forward to his day in court, Stephen Barrera said. An attorney was not yet listed for Banda. The DOJ said Rhoades, who was arrested Aug. 1, also allegedly conspired to traffic and straw purchase a variety of firearms. The firearms included AR- and AK-style rifles, FN SCAR rifles, pistols and a .50 caliber rifle. Rhoades has been charged with: conspiracy to traffic firearms with a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison conspiracy to straw purchase firearms with a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison dealing in firearms without a license with a maximum sentence of five years in prison Banda was arrested Aug. 14 and also faces one count of dealing in firearms without a license, with a maximum sentence of five years. The DOJ said the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was investigating the cases. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. The German government has failed to provide funding for the new IRIS-T air defence system, which the manufacturer was ready to transfer to Ukraine after Russia's attack in July on the Okhmatdyt childrens hospital in Kyiv. Source: European Pravda; Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung (FAS) with the reference to a source Details: The lack of funding is due to a ban on additional military aid to Ukraine amid budget negotiations within the government coalition. The source said that because the freeze on new aid was already in effect, the existing IRIS-T air defence system was recently unable to be funded. The manufacturer, Diehl Defence, was able to make it available immediately after a Russian missile attack on a children's hospital in Kyiv in July because another customer wanted to withdraw from the delivery in favour of Ukraine. However, the money was not approved, against the wishes of Defence Minister Boris Pistorius. His ministry and Diehl did not want to comment on this. FAS notes that due to the new restriction, the required additional military aid worth almost 4 billion cannot be granted this year, although the industry could provide it. Several sources in the federal government confirmed this. The German Ministry of Defence did want to order military equipment for Ukraine for this amount this year, but the Chancellery and the Ministry of Finance are apparently against it. The Ministry of Defence's list also includes an air defence system that Diehl had proposed. Other major items include artillery ammunition, drones, maintenance costs and spare parts for already delivered German weapons such as tanks and howitzers. However, it is said that a small part of this is currently being financed by "leftover funds". The expert believes that new orders up to 2028 are unlikely. Currently, Ukraine is still receiving supplies, but only under old contracts. Background: It became known that the leaders of the German government coalition had reached a final compromise on the budget for 2025. The old and new drafts imply that military aid for Ukraine will be cut by about half, from 8 billion to 4 billion. Support UP or become our patron! Sahra Wagenknecht, Federal Chair of the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), speaks during the debate on the "European Council and NATO Summit" in the 177th session of the Bundestag. German populist politician Wagenknecht is campaigning for the country to resume importing Russian oil for the PCK refinery in the eastern German city of Schwedt. Lucas Rohr/dpa German populist politician Sahra Wagenknecht is campaigning for the country to resume importing Russian oil for the PCK refinery in the eastern German city of Schwedt. Wagenknecht, who launched the Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) earlier this year, said her policy would push for the change in policy if they do well in upcoming elections on September 22 in the eastern state of Brandenburg, which includes Schwedt. Germany halted Russian oil imports after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and took control of the refinery, which is majority owned by a subsidiary of Russian state oil company Rosneft. That has left the future of the refinery uncertain. In the first half of 2024, the plant's capacity utilization was 76.2%, the German government recently disclosed in response to a parliamentary inquiry. Capacity utilization was 98.8% in 2021, before the invasion of Ukraine. Wagenknecht told dpa on Saturday that buying Russian crude oil would be better than "laboriously and expensively beg for oil without in the end being able to achieve full capacity utilization" at the refinery. Wagenknecht's political party, which combines some traditionally left-wing social policies with right-wing positions on issues such as immigration, has opposed Germany's support for Ukraine and struck a conciliatory stance toward the Russian regime under Vladimir Putin. If BSW manages to become part of the government in Brandenburg, Wagenknecht said they wouldn't resign themselves to Germany's embargo against Russian oil but would actively pressure Berlin to reverse policy. She called the adherence to the oil embargo against Russia a "stupid policy at the expense of Brandenburg and the entire country" which is not only jeopardizing jobs at the Schwedt refinery but also making energy unnecessarily expensive for everyone in Germany. For new and old investors, taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals. Many investors also have a go-to methodology that helps guide their buy and sell decisions. One way to find winning stocks based on your preferred way of investing is to use the Zacks Style Scores, which are indicators that rate stocks based on three widely-followed investing types: value, growth, and momentum. Is This 1 Momentum Stock a Screaming Buy Right Now? Momentum investors, who live by the saying "the trend is your friend," are most interested in taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook. Utilizing one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates, among other factors, the Momentum Style Score can help determine favorable times to buy high-momentum stocks. Brinker International (EAT) Based in Dallas, TX, Brinker International owns, operates, develops and franchises various restaurants under Chilis Grill & Bar (Chilis) and Maggianos Little Italy (Maggianos) brands. The company took over Chilis, Inc., a Texas corporation, in September 1983 and completed the acquisition of Maggianos in August 1995. EAT boasts a Momentum Style Score of B and VGM Score of A, and holds a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) rating. Shares of Brinker International has seen some interesting price action recently; the stock is up 1.9% over the past one week and up 3.8% over the past four weeks. And in the last one-year period, EAT has gained 101.6%. As for the stock's trading volume, 2,151,392.50 shares on average were traded over the last 20 days. A company's earnings performance is important for momentum investors as well. For fiscal 2025, eight analysts revised their earnings estimate higher in the last 60 days for EAT, while the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.31 to $4.78 per share. EAT also boasts an average earnings surprise of 211%. With strong earnings growth, a good Zacks Rank, and top-tier Momentum and VGM Style Scores, investors should think about adding EAT to their portfolios. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Brinker International, Inc. (EAT) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research The decision to freeze aid is said to have put Olaf Scholz, centre, at odds with Boris Pistorius, his defence minister, and other political allies - Carsten Koall/Getty Images Germany has frozen its military aid to Ukraine, claiming that a domestic budgetary crisis means it can no longer afford to supply Kyiv with new weapons. Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, told his defence minister this month that there would be no money available for further military aid, according to a new report in the Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper. Boris Pistorius, the defence minister, had written up a wish list for 4 billion (3.4 billion) in additional military supplies to Ukraine, but a letter sent to him by the finance ministry made clear that no extra money would be freed up because of the need to cut federal spending. The freeze has already led to a first critical military order falling through. After a Russian air strike on a Kyiv childrens hospital in July, Diehl Defence, the arms manufacturer, offered to supply an IRIS-T air defence system to help defend the Ukrainian capitals airspace. The Iris-T air defence system, right, that a German arms firm hoped to supply for Kiev, on display at this year's Berlin Air Show - Sean Gallup/Getty Images Olaf Scholz, centre, speaks with Gen Carsten Breuer in front of an Iris-T air defence system at the Berlin Air Show - Sean Gallup/Getty Images However, Mr Scholz refused to pay for the missile system, despite the deal being backed by Mr Pistorius. The aid freeze will not affect previous spending pledges. But with these already over-ordered and current aid commitments set to drop drastically next year, the decision amounts to a freeze on all new defence orders. The party is over, the pot is empty, one government source told the Frankfurter Allgemeine. The news is raising concerns about the already critical situation on the front line in Ukraine, where Ukrainian soldiers have complained of increasing shortages in munitions and spare parts for the tanks and armoured vehicles supplied by German arms manufacturers. Munitions are already in such short supply that Ukraine is already reportedly only firing three to four rounds a day with the German-supplied Panzerhaubitze 2000 system. Ukrainian troops are already reporting shortages of ammunition for German-supplied tanks such as this Leopard 2A5 in action in the Donetsk region - Anatoli Stepanov/AFP via Getty Images Political opponents in Berlin accuse the chancellor of an attempt to win votes in three critical state elections in the east of the country this autumn, because east Germans are largely opposed to supporting Ukraines war effort. Ingo Gadechens, an MP for the centre-Right Christian Democrats, said that Mr Scholz had engaged in an unprecedented spectacle of hypocrisy by promising Kyiv unconditional support while trying to pose as a peace chancellor at home. The move is said to have caused severe friction inside the German government, with both the defence and foreign ministries opposing the freeze. Internally, the German government is justifying the decision as being forced on it by a ruling made by the constitutional court last year that Mr Scholzs budget plans vastly exceeded legal limits. 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. Germany's Finance Ministry is not planning to approve additional aid to Ukraine as part of budgetary savings this year, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) reported on Aug. 17, citing obtained documents and emails, and unnamed sources. According to FAZ, Ukraine will receive previously approved assistance, but additional requests from the German Defense Ministry will not be supported. The possible freezing of new aid for Ukraine has led to a "tangible dispute" in the German government, FAZ reported, citing several unnamed sources. Berlin has not commented on these reports. Initially a hesitant partner, Berlin has become Ukraine's second-largest military donor after the U.S., although German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is still reluctant to supply some key capabilities, namely Taurus long-range missiles. Berlin will provide Kyiv with around 8 billion euros ($8.8 billion) this year but the aid will be reportedly cut by half to 4 billion euros ($4.4 billion) in 2025. In 2026, Ukraine may receive 3 billion euros ($3.3 billion) from Germany, and 500 million euros ($550 million) in 2027 and 2028. Reuters reported in May, citing an unnamed source, that Berlin planned to up its military aid to Ukraine by another 3.8 billion euros ($4.13 billion) in 2024. However, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius' request was not approved by the Finance Ministry, according to FAZ. German Finance Minister Christian Lindner sent on Aug. 5 a letter to Boris Pistorius and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, which says that "new measures" are allowed only if "funding is secured" in the budget plans for this and coming years, FAZ reported. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the EU and Group of 7 (G7) countries out side of EU have frozen around 300 billion euros ($325 billion) in assets from Russia's Central Bank, but there has been a lack of consensus on how best to seize them, in part or whole, and redirect the funds to Ukraine. G7 leaders publicly confirmed in June an agreement on the plan to provide Ukraine with a $50 billion loan by the end of the year, which will be repaid using interest from billions in frozen Russian assets. According to FAZ, Lindner expects that this money will cover a significant part of Ukraine's military needs. Yet, the G7 decision is far from being finalized and negotiations between the nations are ongoing, the media outlet reported. Read also: Germany must be ready for war with Russia in 5 years, commander says Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. The German federal government's current budget planning does not provide for the allocation of new funds to support Ukraine, and the opposition is talking about freezing financial and, consequently, military support for Kyiv. Source: European Pravda; article by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung (FAS) Details: At Chancellor Olaf Scholz's request, additional applications from the German Ministry of Defence for military aid to Ukraine will no longer be approved, although the already approved materials continue to be delivered in most cases. The reason for this is the austerity measures taken by the Chancellery and the Ministry of Finance. Finance Minister Christian Lindner conveyed the request in a letter to Defence Minister Boris Pistorius on 5 August. FAS notes that the ban is already in place, and Ukraine's situation may also soon worsen, as planned military support is to be cut almost in half next year and then reduced to less than a tenth of the current amount in 2027. However, things look different from the Ministry of Finance's perspective. Christian Lindner's letter of 5 August, which FAS has in its possession, shows that he does not expect a sudden reduction in funds for Ukraine. However, the money will now come not from the federal budget but from the frozen assets of the Russian central bank. Ukraine's allies confiscated about US$300 billion after the massive Russian missile attack, and the G7 countries decided at their summit in Italy to use the proceeds to finance a US$50 billion loan for Kyiv. Lindner now expects Ukraine to use the money to "cover a large part of its military needs". If this were to happen, German money would not be needed for some time. However, the G7 decision is far from being implemented and is legally controversial. International negotiations are ongoing, and no one in any of the federal agencies FAS spoke to knows how long it will take before the money finally arrives. One source in the German government said that a point has been reached beyond which Germany can no longer make any more promises to Ukraine. This would fulfil the pre-election demand of the Alternative for Germany, the party of Putin's friend Sahra Wagenknecht and Michael Kretschmer, Deputy Leader of the Christian Democratic Union, to stop supporting Ukraine with weapons as soon as possible. The Bundestag's Budget Committee also confirms this: "No new orders are placed for Ukraine because they are no longer funded". Ingo Gadechens, a budgetary politician from the opposition Christian Democratic Union, agrees: "Olaf Scholz and his coalition are freezing financial and therefore military support for Ukraine from day to day." FAS's observations in the contact zone illustrate the impact of Germany's continued lack of support. Some German guns on the front line have so few spare parts and ammunition that they can only fire three or four rounds a day. The high rate of fire of the Panzerhaubitze 2000, one of its greatest strengths, cannot be used. Due to the lack of special ammunition, it cannot develop its long range. Some howitzers or the Leopard 1A5 main battle tank are repeatedly dismantled for parts to keep others operational, as spare parts are also lacking. Several sources report the ban on additional funding for military aid to Ukraine has led to a "real debate" within the federal government. The Chancellery wants to suspend the funding, but the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Economy disagree. There are different opinions on the role of the Ministry of Finance. Some say it is on the side of the Chancellor, while others argue that it is only indicating out of duty that there is no more money for new orders. Background: It became known that the leaders of the German government coalition had reached a final compromise on the budget for 2025. The old and new drafts imply that military aid for Ukraine will be cut by about half, from 8 billion to 4 billion. Support UP or become our patron! Dr Adeline Abimnwi Awemo, a CDU candidate who suffered a racist attack, told the Telegraph she refused to be intimidated - DPA/Alamy Germanys security services have been forced to provide election candidates with special protection, as the country reels from a wave of violence against politicians. Ahead of state elections in East Germany, The Telegraph understands that the Staatsschutz state protection agency has been instructed to provide protection and security advice to candidates facing death threats and street assaults. Among them is Dr Adeline Abimnwi Awemo, a Cameroon-born rising star in Germanys CDU party, who suffered a racist attack while campaigning in the east German city of Cottbus. Refused to be intimidated Speaking to the Telegraph, Dr Awemo said she refused to be intimidated by the attack and vowed to keep on campaigning for the CDU, the party formerly led by Chancellor Angela Merkel. Asked about the sudden rise in attacks on politicians in recent months, she said: I experienced it, and the protection is there. They do everything. I had a case, a little attack, but everything is fine. Im under protection. Dr Awemo, who was born in Cameroon before moving to Germany, is viewed by party insiders as one of their most impressive candidates in elections being held this September in the states of Brandenburg, Thuringia and Saxony. You are not humans The Catholic CDU candidate, who has a PhD in environmental management, had been putting up campaign posters in Cottbus when a woman grabbed her by the neck and racially abused her. The 29-year-old attacker, who shouted you are not humans, is under police investigation for causing bodily harm. In an interview in her CDU offices in Cottbus, a city of 100,000 residents in the eastern Brandenburg state, Dr Awemo refused to give her attacker further publicity by elaborating on the incident. I would really want to concentrate more on my election campaign and not on what happened, she said. Because I think what is most important is that we campaign, we win and we achieve. There is what they call, dream, create and inspire. You want to be a candidate, you have to campaign. Set upon by four thugs The case involving Dr Awemo was the latest in a string of attacks on politicians in Germany, which have evoked grim echoes of the countrys Nazi past. In May, the SDPs Franziska Giffey was attacked from behind with a bag containing a hard object, suffering head and neck injuries. Just two days earlier there was a separate attack on an SDP MEP, Matthias Ecke, whose cheekbone was broken after being set upon by four thugs. And in that same week, Yvonne Mosler, from the Green Party, was harassed and spat on while hanging up campaign posters for the European elections. Democracy is threatened Democracy is threatened by this kind of act, we must never accept such acts of violence ... we must oppose it together, Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned at the time. Dr Awemo is pushing on with her campaign, which focuses on listening to migration-conscious CDU voters who may be tempted to switch to the hard-Right AfD party. Recent polls suggest that the AfD could potentially emerge from the September elections as the largest party in all three states, having campaigned hard on an anti-immigration platform. Heavy losses at the polls CDU insiders fear they could suffer heavy losses at the polls, though Dr Awemo remained confident about her prospects. They feel so many things are not addressed the way they ought to be addressed, she said of Brandenburgs disillusioned voters. In the CDU, we want to face those problems. 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 World Health Organization has declared a global health emergency for mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, as concerns mount over the spread of a more contagious form of the virus that has fueled a surge of cases in Africa. The declaration comes a week after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health advisory, stating that while the countrys risk for the more severe form of mpox is low, doctors should have a heightened index of suspicion for mpox in people who recently traveled to affected countries. On Thursday, Sweden confirmed a case of the more contagious strain of mpox, clade I. The Swedish case is the first confirmed infection outside of Africa that is linked to the more contagious strain, NBC News reports. Types of monkeypox There are two types of mpox: Clade I, a more contagious form of mpox that tends to cause more severe illness and death. It is endemic to Central Africa. Scientists earlier this year reported on a new form of mpox in a Congolese mining town that can kill up to 10% of people and may spread more easily, according to the Associated Press. Clade II causes less severe infections, and is what fueled the 2022 global outbreak that led to more than 32,000 infections in the United States. Federal and state health officials are still recording cases of mpox in the U.S., including in Florida, but none so far are caused by the more contagious clade I strain fueling the wave of infections in Africa, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There have been more than 1,000 reported cases of mpox in the country this year, CDC data shows. Florida has reported more than 100 cases this year, with more than half involving South Florida residents, according to preliminary data from the states reportable disease surveillance system. The first thing that I would tell people is not to panic because at this point there have been no clade I cases in the United States ... right now our risk is low, said Kari Debbink, an associate teaching professor in the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. I think the WHO making their declaration that this is a public health emergency of international concern is really a warning that this is a potential problem, but there is still time to prevent it from having global spread. She said people who are considered most at risk for severe infection, such as those with conditions that make them immunocompromised, should speak with their doctor about possible precautions, including vaccination. So, whos the most at risk for infection? What are the symptoms? And how do you treat it? A Nomi nurse prepares to inject a patient with a dose of the Jynneos monkeypox vaccine at Tropical Park as part of Miami-Dades plans to combat the spread on Aug. 12, 2022. The vaccine requires two doses 28 days apart. Heres what to know: What is mpox? Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a rare disease that is similar to smallpox, though its usually milder and less fatal. It can spread through intimate contact, such as kissing and sex, by direct contact with the rash and body fluids or by touching contaminated objects, such as clothing and bedding. The disease typically occurs in the tropical rain forests of Central and West Africa and causes various symptoms, including fever and painful pimple-like rashes. This is the second time in two years that the WHO has declared a global public health emergency for mpox. In 2022, more than 32,000 cases were reported in the U.S. during the global outbreak. The 2022 global outbreak affected primarily (but not only) gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men and has spread person-to-person through sexual networks, according to WHO. The public health emergency was declared over in May 2023. In this new outbreak, while theres similar infection patterns in Africa, children under 15 make up more than 70% of the cases and 85% of the deaths in Congo, the AP reports. In the U.S., what we see is that [mpox] still continues to circulate at low levels, and especially among unvaccinated, high risk, high prioritized communities, and its particularly concerning for people with uncontrolled HIV or immunocompromised people ... and its circulating within gay and bisexual men and men who have sex with men, but also within transgender and non binary individuals, said Scott Bertani, director of advocacy for the National Coalition for LGBTQ Health. Bertani said mpox infections are also popping up in Black, indigenous, Latin and LatinX communities that often experience social determinants of health, which are non-medical factors that can influence a persons health such as housing and food insecurity. We want to make sure that these communities are at the forefront for prevention efforts, he said. What are the symptoms and how does monkeypox spread? The disease can spread through intimate contact, such as kissing and sex, by contact with the rash, body fluids, respiratory secretions or by touching contaminated objects, such as clothing and bedding, according to the CDC. Symptoms include fever, painful pimple-like rashes and swollen lymph nodes. People diagnosed with mpox should isolate at home until all symptoms are gone. This includes waiting for the rashes turned scabs to fall and for new skin to form. The CDC says all of this can take between two to four weeks. 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, according to the Associated Press. Dr. Placide Mbala-Kingebeni, a Congolese researcher who led the research into the new form of mpox, told the AP that this could make it harder for people to realize they are infected. Who is most at risk for monkeypox? According to the CDC and WHO, people with the following conditions are most at risk for severe mpox infection: People diagnosed with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, or other medical conditions that severely weakens their immune system. Children younger than 1 People with a history of eczema People who are pregnant People whose job may expose them to the disease, such as certain healthcare and laboratory workers Anyone who had close contact with someone who has mpox. The WHO says this includes talking, kissing, sex, touching, or having contact with clothing, towels, objects and other surfaces touched by a person with mpox. People who have sex with multiple or new partners RISK LEVEL: The CDC considers the U.S. has a very low risk level for the spread of the more contagious clade I mpox due to the limited number of travelers and lack of direct commercial flights from the Democratic Republic of Congo and its neighboring countries into the U.S. How many mpox cases in Florida? Florida has reported five mpox cases this month, with two in Miami-Dade and three in Broward County, and has had a total of 134 cases this year, preliminary state data shows. Of these, 82 are confirmed cases and 52 are probable infections. Most of the cases are listed as being acquired in Florida. Case counts are listed in the online database based on which Florida county the person lives, regardless of where they became ill, were exposed, hospitalized or diagnosed. The counties with the most confirmed cases are Miami-Dade, Orange and Broward. Florida Department of Health spokesman Jae Williams on Friday told the Miami Herald that the state has zero indication any of the reported cases in the state were caused by the more contagious type of mpox that has sent a wave of infections across Africa. The CDC says the mpox infections in the U.S. stem from clade II, which tends to cause less severe infections. Recent CDC wastewater data lists multiple Florida sites as having no detection for mpox. This means that the virus was not detected in any samples taken from the sites in the past four weeks or that the most recent detection was more than two weeks ago, according to the federal public health agency. Heres a look at the states case counts: How to reduce your risk To reduce your risk of falling ill with mpox, the CDC recommends washing your hands often, not touching utensils, bedding or clothing of a person ill with mpox, and avoiding intimate contact, such as hugging, kissing, sex or cuddling with someone who has mpox or has a rash that looks like mpox. Is there a monkeypox vaccine? Public health experts recommend people who were exposed to someone with mpox or are at high risk of exposure to get vaccinated. Speak with your doctor about your risk level and whether you should get vaccinated. There are two mpox vaccines available, but the one that has predominantly been used in the country since the 2022 mpox outbreak is Jynneos, according to the CDC. The other vaccine, ACAM2000, is an older vaccine that was designed to prevent smallpox but can also be used to prevent mpox, which is in the same virus family. However, the ACAM vaccine tends to cause more side effects and cannot be given to people who are immunocompromised or have certain health conditions, Mary Jo Trepka, an infectious disease epidemiologist at Florida International Universitys Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, previously told the Miami Herald. Heres what to know about the shots: Jynneos: Unlike in 2022, when the shots were scarce, the CDC says the country has adequate supply of the two-dose vaccine. Jynneos requires two shots, given four weeks apart. Its made with a non-replicating live virus, which makes it a better option for people with weaker immune systems, who are pregnant or have other health conditions, according to the CDC. Its also safe for people with HIV and atopic dermatitis, the CDC said. People are considered fully vaccinated about two weeks after their second shot. The vaccine can be given to people 18 and older who are considered to be high risk for mpox during an outbreak. The shots can also be given to kids under 18 that are considered to be high risk for mpox exposure under an emergency use authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. ACAM2000: ACAM2000 is a one-dose vaccine the FDA approved in 2007 to help prevent smallpox in people considered to be high risk for infection. The CDC says it can also be used to help prevent mpox, but its not the preferred shot to get and it was not used during the 2022 outbreak. ACAM2000 has a live virus that is replication competent, per the CDC. This vaccine does not give people smallpox. It does give a mild virus in order to prompt an immune response, said Trepka, the FIU epidemiologist. This causes a lesion to temporarily develop in the vaccination area and requires people to be extra careful to avoid spreading it to others. You really shouldnt even get it [the ACAM2000 vaccine] if you have somebody whos immunecompromised in your household because you could infect them, Trepka told the Herald in 2022. People are considered fully vaccinated four weeks after getting the vaccine. The World Health Organization has declared a global health emergency for mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, as concerns mount over the spread of a more contagious form of the virus that has fueled a surge of cases in Africa. The declaration comes a week after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health advisory, stating that while the countrys risk for the more severe form of mpox is low, doctors should have a heightened index of suspicion for mpox in people who recently traveled to affected countries. On Thursday, Sweden confirmed a case of the more contagious strain of mpox, clade I. The Swedish case is the first confirmed infection outside of Africa that is linked to the more contagious strain, NBC News reports. Types of monkeypox There are two types of mpox: Clade I, a more contagious form of mpox that tends to cause more severe illness and death. It is endemic to Central Africa. Scientists earlier this year reported on a new form of mpox in a Congolese mining town that can kill up to 10% of people and may spread more easily, according to the Associated Press. Clade II causes less severe infections, and is what fueled the 2022 global outbreak that led to more than 32,000 infections in the United States. Federal and state health officials are still recording cases of mpox in the U.S., including in Florida, but none so far are caused by the more contagious clade I strain fueling the wave of infections in Africa, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There have been more than 1,000 reported cases of mpox in the country this year, CDC data shows. Florida has reported more than 100 cases this year, with more than half involving South Florida residents, according to preliminary data from the states reportable disease surveillance system. The first thing that I would tell people is not to panic because at this point there have been no clade I cases in the United States ... right now our risk is low, said Kari Debbink, an associate teaching professor in the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. I think the WHO making their declaration that this is a public health emergency of international concern is really a warning that this is a potential problem, but there is still time to prevent it from having global spread. She said people who are considered most at risk for severe infection, such as those with conditions that make them immunocompromised, should speak with their doctor about possible precautions, including vaccination. So, whos the most at risk for infection? What are the symptoms? And how do you treat it? Heres what to know: What is mpox? Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a rare disease that is similar to smallpox, though its usually milder and less fatal. It can spread through intimate contact, such as kissing and sex, by direct contact with the rash and body fluids or by touching contaminated objects, such as clothing and bedding. The disease typically occurs in the tropical rain forests of Central and West Africa and causes various symptoms, including fever and painful pimple-like rashes. This is the second time in two years that the WHO has declared a global public health emergency for mpox. In 2022, more than 32,000 cases were reported in the U.S. during the global outbreak. The 2022 global outbreak affected primarily (but not only) gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men and has spread person-to-person through sexual networks, according to WHO. The public health emergency was declared over in May 2023. In this new outbreak, while theres similar infection patterns in Africa, children under 15 make up more than 70% of the cases and 85% of the deaths in Congo, the AP reports. In the U.S., what we see is that [mpox] still continues to circulate at low levels, and especially among unvaccinated, high risk, high prioritized communities, and its particularly concerning for people with uncontrolled HIV or immunocompromised people ... and its circulating within gay and bisexual men and men who have sex with men, but also within transgender and non binary individuals, said Scott Bertani, director of advocacy for the National Coalition for LGBTQ Health. Bertani said mpox infections are also popping up in Black, indigenous, Latin and LatinX communities that often experience social determinants of health, which are non-medical factors that can influence a persons health such as housing and food insecurity. We want to make sure that these communities are at the forefront for prevention efforts, he said. What are the symptoms and how does monkeypox spread? The disease can spread through intimate contact, such as kissing and sex, by contact with the rash, body fluids, respiratory secretions or by touching contaminated objects, such as clothing and bedding, according to the CDC. Symptoms include fever, painful pimple-like rashes and swollen lymph nodes. People diagnosed with mpox should isolate at home until all symptoms are gone. This includes waiting for the rashes turned scabs to fall and for new skin to form. The CDC says all of this can take between two to four weeks. 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, according to the Associated Press. Dr. Placide Mbala-Kingebeni, a Congolese researcher who led the research into the new form of mpox, told the AP that this could make it harder for people to realize they are infected. Who is most at risk for monkeypox? According to the CDC and WHO, people with the following conditions are most at risk for severe mpox infection: People diagnosed with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, or other medical conditions that severely weakens their immune system. Children younger than 1 People with a history of eczema People who are pregnant People whose job may expose them to the disease, such as certain healthcare and laboratory workers Anyone who had close contact with someone who has mpox. The WHO says this includes talking, kissing, sex, touching, or having contact with clothing, towels, objects and other surfaces touched by a person with mpox. People who have sex with multiple or new partners RISK LEVEL: The CDC considers the U.S. has a very low risk level for the spread of the more contagious clade I mpox due to the limited number of travelers and lack of direct commercial flights from the Democratic Republic of Congo and its neighboring countries into the U.S. How many mpox cases in Florida? Florida has reported five mpox cases this month, with two in Miami-Dade and three in Broward County, and has had a total of 134 cases this year, preliminary state data shows. Of these, 82 are confirmed cases and 52 are probable infections. Most of the cases are listed as being acquired in Florida. Case counts are listed in the online database based on which Florida county the person lives, regardless of where they became ill, were exposed, hospitalized or diagnosed. The counties with the most confirmed cases are Miami-Dade, Orange and Broward. Florida Department of Health spokesman Jae Williams on Friday told the Miami Herald that the state has zero indication any of the reported cases in the state were caused by the more contagious type of mpox that has sent a wave of infections across Africa. The CDC says the mpox infections in the U.S. stem from clade II, which tends to cause less severe infections. Recent CDC wastewater data lists multiple Florida sites as having no detection for mpox. This means that the virus was not detected in any samples taken from the sites in the past four weeks or that the most recent detection was more than two weeks ago, according to the federal public health agency. Heres a look at the states case counts: How to reduce your risk To reduce your risk of falling ill with mpox, the CDC recommends washing your hands often, not touching utensils, bedding or clothing of a person ill with mpox, and avoiding intimate contact, such as hugging, kissing, sex or cuddling with someone who has mpox or has a rash that looks like mpox. Is there a monkeypox vaccine? Public health experts recommend people who were exposed to someone with mpox or are at high risk of exposure to get vaccinated. Speak with your doctor about your risk level and whether you should get vaccinated. There are two mpox vaccines available, but the one that has predominantly been used in the country since the 2022 mpox outbreak is Jynneos, according to the CDC. The other vaccine, ACAM2000, is an older vaccine that was designed to prevent smallpox but can also be used to prevent mpox, which is in the same virus family. However, the ACAM vaccine tends to cause more side effects and cannot be given to people who are immunocompromised or have certain health conditions, Mary Jo Trepka, an infectious disease epidemiologist at Florida International Universitys Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, previously told the Miami Herald. Heres what to know about the shots: Jynneos: Unlike in 2022, when the shots were scarce, the CDC says the country has adequate supply of the two-dose vaccine. Jynneos requires two shots, given four weeks apart. Its made with a non-replicating live virus, which makes it a better option for people with weaker immune systems, who are pregnant or have other health conditions, according to the CDC. Its also safe for people with HIV and atopic dermatitis, the CDC said. People are considered fully vaccinated about two weeks after their second shot. The vaccine can be given to people 18 and older who are considered to be high risk for mpox during an outbreak. The shots can also be given to kids under 18 that are considered to be high risk for mpox exposure under an emergency use authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. ACAM2000: ACAM2000 is a one-dose vaccine the FDA approved in 2007 to help prevent smallpox in people considered to be high risk for infection. The CDC says it can also be used to help prevent mpox, but its not the preferred shot to get and it was not used during the 2022 outbreak. ACAM2000 has a live virus that is replication competent, per the CDC. This vaccine does not give people smallpox. It does give a mild virus in order to prompt an immune response, said Trepka, the FIU epidemiologist. This causes a lesion to temporarily develop in the vaccination area and requires people to be extra careful to avoid spreading it to others. You really shouldnt even get it [the ACAM2000 vaccine] if you have somebody whos immunecompromised in your household because you could infect them, Trepka told the Herald in 2022. People are considered fully vaccinated four weeks after getting the vaccine. We are going to track you down. Two Broward students jailed for making school threats Students in Broward County have only been back in the classroom for a week, but in that short time deputies arrested two teens for making potentially dangerous threats a common occurrence authorities vow to continue cracking down on. None of this stuff is a joking or laughing matter, Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony said. If you threatenon social media or anywhere else, we are going to track you down and arrest you. A 13-year-old boy and girl are facing charges of using a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony and written threats to kill, do bodily injury, conduct a mass shooting or an act of terrorism. On Aug. 10, two days before classes resumed, Broward Sheriffs detectives received a tip from the FBI that the boy made a post on Snapchat that included a threat to commit a mass shooting at the school districts offices in Fort Lauderdale. Detectives said he was upset over the districts new cellphone policy. On Thursday, another FBI tip led detectives to the girl who made a post on Snapchat in which she made a threat against Cooper City High School, the details of which were not released. Two weeks before school started, Sheriff Tony held a press conference to remind parents and students about the punishment that comes with making threats against schools. The sheriffs office said it is also investigating two other threats made against Broward schools that may lead to more arrests. Its unfortunate that this happens more times than not every school year, Tony said at the conference. Do not allow your children to make a mistake and get a felony arrest on their record that theyre probably not going to get rid of. From the Stirewalt on Politics on The Dispatch Workers set up balloons in the United Center for the Democratic National Convention on August 16, 2024, in Chicago. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) It seems as if the presidential race has settled into its course for the next stretch, which is the 24 days between now and the firstand perhaps onlydebate between the major party nominees on September 10. Thats a race former President Donald Trump might win, but probably would lose. Hes trailing by a little, just at the margin where he could still find a path to a narrow Electoral College victory. Given his temperament and the public appetite for something different than the politics of the past eight years, though, youd have to give the Democrats a small but considerable edge. Republicans have hopes that next weeks Democratic National Convention in Chicago will be a 1968-style disaster in which anti-Israel protesters turn what is supposed to be an infomercial for the new Kamala HarrisTim Walz ticket into a billboard for urban decay, antisemitism, and chaos. They may get their wish. But given how much and for how long Democrats, Chicago and Illinois officials, and the Secret Service have been preparing, Republicans are going to need the anti-Zionists to find a degree of determination and ingenuity heretofore unseen to put the stink on what should otherwise be a four-day festival of joy. There are many differences between the bloodbath convention of 56 years ago and today, but the chief one is that the anti-war protesters of Lincoln Park in 1968 were the vanguard of a mass movement that was actually tearing the Democratic Party apart. Tens of thousands of protesters flooded the city, determined to stop U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War and end the draft to which many of them were subject. Democrats then were trying to ram through an unpopular nominee. This time theyve already rammed through a popular one. Harris is popular among Democrats, and getting more so. A recent Pew Research Center poll found 83 percent of the members of her party have a favorable view of their new nominee. Thats better than the 79 percent of Republicans who feel the same way about Trump. Its also more than 20 points better than President Joe Bidens ratings with Democrats on the eve of his departure from the race. We dont know what Vice President Hubert Humphreys approval numbers were with Democrats in the summer of 1968, but we can be pretty confident that they were not good. He was getting about 40 percent of the vote in a three-way contest with Sens. Robert Kennedy of New York and Eugene McCarthy of Minnesota. Humphrey moved to a narrow majority in a two-way race with McCarthy after Kennedy was killed by an assassin in June, but it was a very unhappy marriage for Democratsnothing like the whirlwind romance the party is having with Harris these days. Democrats may not be as supportive of Israel as the nation as a whole, but they are not nearly as sympathetic to the pro-Palestinian protest movement as the party of their grandparents was of the anti-Vietnam activists. As a string of primary losses for anti-Israel candidates shows, Democrats are not hungry for radicalism here. Nor do they perceive the issue as the kind of political liability as the party of 1968 did. It was very obviously opposition to the Vietnam War and the draft that forced President Lyndon Johnson out of the race, whereas Biden breezed through his primaries and was forced out by his obvious infirmity. The other missing ingredient that Republicans need is Mayor Richard Daley, who had ruled Chicago with an iron fist for 13 years already when the protests and the convention came to town in 1968. Daley had cracked down hard on the riots that followed the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. that spring, so the city was already in considerable turmoil in the fourth week of August. Daley was also a major power player in the national Democratic Party. He was part of the effort inside the convention hall to steamroll opposition to Humphrey, and he was determined not to let outside agitators in the streets disrupt his plans. He would take no chances, and deployed police to quell any insurrection. The resulting overreaction, in Daleys words, left a lasting stain on Humphreys already dubious reputation within the party. There was no Secret Service-approved protest zone and massive security perimeter, and the techniques for crowd control have evolved considerably in the past six decades. If anything, the protesters may end up uniting the party more than dividing it if they end up resorting to tactics of harassment and obstruction. Making flying in or out of OHare Airport more difficult is one sure way to turn any group against you. But maybe, maybe Republicans will get lucky and Chicago will be a disaster for Democrats again. Hope may not be a strategy, but it is about the best Republicans have as they stare down a week that could end in a bounce for the party already in the lead. Holy croakano! We welcome your feedback, so please email us with your tips, corrections, reactions, amplifications, etc. at STIREWALTISMS@THEDISPATCH.COM. If youd like to be considered for publication, please include your real name and hometown. If you dont want your comments to be made public, please specify. STATSHOT General Election Donald Trump: 43.8% ( 0.6 points from last week) Kamala Harris: 46.6% ( 0.4) Robert F. Kennedy Jr: 6.2% ( 0.8) [Average includes: Fox News: Trump 45% Harris 45% Kennedy 6%; Pew: Trump 45% Harris 46% Kennedy 7%; Marquette Law: Trump: 42% Harris 50% Kennedy 6%; Marist/NPR/PBS: Trump 45% Harris 48% Kennedy 5%; TIPP: Trump 42% Harris 44% Kennedy 7%] Generic Ballot Democrats: 47.4% ( 1.8 points from last week) Republicans: 46.8% ( 0.6) [Average includes: Monmouth: 48% Democrats 46% Republicans; Marquette Law: 52% Democrats 48% Republicans; Marist/NPR/PBS: 47% Democrats 45% Republicans; CNBC: 44% Democrats 47% Republicans; Wall Street Journal: 46% Democrats 48% Republicans] TIME OUT: MARXIST THEORY New Yorker: How the body laughs is well understood. How the brain processes humor remains a mystery. Its easy to make someone smile or cry by electronically stimulating a single region of the brain, but its astonishingly difficult to make someone laugh. The laughter circuit is complex and various. Puns are processed on the left side of the brain by gyri, bumpy areas on the surface of the cerebral cortex; more complex, non-wordplay jokes are routed through gyri on the right side of the brain. One way of thinking about this is that the left side of the brain cognitively sets up the joke and the right side emotionally gets it. In a 1981 paper in Brain and Language, researchers explained, While the left hemisphere might appreciate some of [Groucho Marxs] puns, and the right hemisphere might be entertained by the antics of Harpo, only the two hemispheres united can appreciate a whole Marx Brothers routine. Neither hemisphere, apparently, thinks much of Chico. DEM DISTRESS AS DNC PROTESTS LOOM New York Times: Thousands of demonstrators are expected in the streets and the parks of Chicago for next weeks Democratic National Convention, most of them to protest the U.S. role in the war in Gaza. But officials are concerned about the potential for a more embarrassing spectacle: prime-time disruptions inside the arena itself. About 30 uncommitted delegates representing the Democratic primary voters who opposed President Biden will have unfettered access to make their voices heard. State party leaders, led by Lavora Barnes, the chairwoman of the Michigan Democratic Party, and Ken Martin, the chairman of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party in Minnesota, have for months worked to defuse tensions and head off a high-profile clash. Those diplomatic efforts, along with the elevation of Vice President Kamala Harris to replace Mr. Biden as the Democratic nominee, have yielded progress. But the delegates have demands that will almost certainly not be met before the convention begins. Harris moves to shore up Arab-American support: NBC News: Vice President Kamala Harris campaign is hiring Nasrina Bargzie to lead outreach to Muslim and Arab voters a move focused on a key constituency that soured on President Joe Biden over his support of Israel. Harris has faced interruptions from pro-Palestinian protesters at recent rallies. Bargzie will focus on talking to Muslim and Arab communities as voters wait to see whether Harris will lay out a different approach to the Middle East and Israel from Bidens. Poll: Harris pulls double-haters as Dem enthusiasm grows: The Hill: The new Monmouth University poll found the number of double haters voters who dislike both candidates has been cut in half since Harris joined the race. The new poll found that Harris now has 53 percent of the vote among these Biden-Trump double haters. Eleven percent of those who disliked Biden and Trump said they would vote for the former president. Monmouth noted that the biggest jump in enthusiasm was among Democrats. With Biden as the presumptive nominee in June, 46 percent of Democrats said they were enthusiastic about the Trump-Biden rematch. The new poll now shows 85 percent of Democrats who are enthusiastic about a Trump-Harris match-up. Volunteers flock to Harris campaign after big rallies: NBC News: As Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, crisscrossed the country speaking to packed rallies with thousands of voters, the campaign has also been hard at work signing up volunteers at those events in an effort to ensure victory. Last week in Nevada, 1,000 of the 5,010 volunteer sign-ups were for the next day to join a series of weekly events the campaign holds on Sundays, a campaign official said. The campaign official said the burst of sign-ups made Sunday the biggest day yet for the weekly series. For comparison, the official said, attendance at Sundays events was 669% over attendance at the previous one. In Wisconsin, the campaign had 13,000 conversations with voters over the weekend, and it got more than 1,100 volunteer sign-ups at a rally in Detroit to volunteer. RFK Jr. now hurts Trump more than Harris: Washington Post: Since the Democratic ticket turned over from Biden to Harris last month, a half-dozen quality polls have tested both a Trump-Harris matchup and a crowded race that included independent and third-party candidates. In all of them, Harris performed better in the crowded race. When you dig into the more recent polls, you begin to see how Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in particular the only other candidate generally polling higher than 1 percent is now evidently hurting Trump. [A Marquette Law poll shows] the independents he takes come at Trumps expense: Kennedy wins 8 percent of Democratic-leaning independents, compared with 23 percent of Republican-leaning independents. SENATE DEMS STAND STRONG IN BATTLEGROUNDS Cook Political Report: New data from the Cook Political Report/GS Strategy Group/BSG Swing State Project polling shows Democratic Senate candidates continuing to run strong in every single swing presidential state, far outpacing Vice President Kamala Harris and leading outside the margin of error in races in Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. The surge has been particularly large in Nevada, which had been one of Bidens worst states. In neighboring Arizona, Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego leads 2022 gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake 51%-42%. In Michigan, Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin leads 50%-42%. In Pennsylvania, Democratic Sen. Bob Casey leads 2022 Senate candidate David McCormick by 13 points, 53%-40%. The Wisconsin Senate race has remained the most stable since May, with Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin leading Republican Eric Hovde 50%-43%. Given the increased enthusiasm Harris has enjoyed since replacing Biden atop the ticket, it is possible these numbers represent something of a high watermark for Democrats. Poll: Rosen up double digits on Brown: Nevada Independent: A new poll of likely Nevada voters shows Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) with a 12 percentage point lead ahead of her Republican opponent Sam Brown. Rosen received 51.7 percent of support in the poll, while Brown received 39.7 percent. Though Rosen has consistently led Brown since he announced his bid for Senate, the pollis one of the best polls for Rosen this cycle. [Pollster] Woodrow Johnston told The Nevada Independent that he did not anticipate Rosens lead to be as wide as it was, but he attributed it partly to a huge spending disparity and Trumps declining popularity. Johnston said Brown and Trump still have time to make up for lost ground, noting that many voters choose their preferred candidate after Labor Day. Klobuchar heavy favorite for fourth term: Minnesota Star Tribune: Republican and ex-NBA player Royce White won Tuesdays primary and will now challenge Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar in November. Whites supporters at the GOP state convention backed him despite his controversial past that includes using antisemitic and derogatory slurs to attack critics on social media and using past campaign funds at a strip club and high-end hotels. White has raised just six figures over the course of his campaign compared to Klobuchar, who has raised more than $11 million this year and entered July with $6.4 million cash on hand. Without outside help, it could be difficult for White to compete with a well-funded candidate like Klobuchar statewide. Polling also suggests it will be an uphill climb for White. BRIEFLY Abortion amendment will appear on Arizona ballotArizona Mirror Missouri, too, will vote to enshrine abortion rights in state constitutionAP Rep. Ilhan Omar beats back moderate primary challengerMinnesota Star Tribune WITHIN EARSHOT: PERFECT NUMBERS Virtually 100% of the net job creation in the last year has gone to migrants. In fact, Ive heard that substantially more actually beyond that number of 100%. Its a much higher number than that.Former President Donald Trump gets creative with the percentages at his Thursday press conference in Bedminster, New Jersey. MAILBAG I have been saying the same thing since Trump entered the political scene and its the same words the WSJ uses constantly: He cant help himself. This election and the future of our country is literally dependent on his growing a brain. Its not likely. Does he not listen to ANYONE?! TRUMP BEAT TRUMP in 2020 and he just may do the same again this year!Gary Hofmeister, Indianapolis, Indiana Mr. Hofmeister, I dont think its that the former president doesnt listen to anyone, its that he doesnt like to listen to anyone who doesnt tell him what he wants to hear. Success in life depends on many things, but a key attribute among people who can achieve enduring success is that they create organizations built around constructive dissent. We all know about Abraham Lincolns Team of Rivals but every part of human endeavor offers us similar stories of great leaders who were able to preserve sincere viewpoint diversity among their advisers. Groupthink is so dangerous because it creeps in imperceptibly. The best leaders retain the power of ultimate decision while allowing their subordinates to hash out issues before coming to a final conclusion. What Trump does is something more like mommy shopping. When he doesnt get the answer he likes from one adviser, he simply goes to others until he hears what he wants to hear. Inside an organization, this creates lots of incentives for ambitious people to not speak the truth and do their duties but rather to tell the boss what he wants to hear with the idea that once they have achieved higher status through flattery, they will be able to achieve a greater good. What they invariably find, though, is that when they try to make that pivot, the fickle leader casts them aside and moves on to the next yes man or yes woman. Trumps 2024 primary campaign was absolutely the best political effort of his career. It was well-funded, well-organized, and, relatively speaking, disciplined. He succumbed frequently to bullying and taunting with his Republican rivals, but at key moments was able to stick to the script. Much of this success can be credited to advisers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita, who adapted traditionally effective campaign techniques to Trumps unorthodox approach. The moment Trump seemed headed for certain victory after surviving and assassination attempt but before Democrats pulled their summertime switcheroo was the product of many things, including the benefits of Trump being off the trail and under a gag order during a criminal trial, but one obvious factor was having a top-drawer campaign operation. A good leader would have recognized that the change in the race was substantially due to matters beyond his control, indeed might have understood that going from clear frontrunner to underdog demanded buckling down and refocusing on core advantages. What Trump is doing, instead, is getting back in the mommy shopping game, bringing back advisers whom professionals like LaCivita and Wiles had worked hard to push out of the operation. For instance, the return of Corey Lewandowski, co-author of a book called Let Trump Be Trump, is the harbinger of not a culture of viewpoint diversity and deliberation, but rather a competition for Trumps favor. And the best way to get that, of course, is to tell him what he wants to hear. Trump may yet win this thing, and Democrats are no doubt over-exuberant about their chances, but I suspect the only way the GOP turns the race around is for Trump to get so far down that he becomes desperate and therefore willing, as he was in the fall of 2016, to hear things he does not like and behave himself accordingly. All best, c You should email us! Write to STIREWALTISMS@THEDISPATCH.COM with your tips, kudos, criticisms, insights, rediscovered words, wonderful names, recipes, and, always, good jokes. Please include your real nameat least first and lastand hometown. Make sure to let us know in the email if you want to keep your submission private. My colleague, the ruggedly individualistic Nate Moore, and I will look for your emails and then share the most interesting ones and my responses here. Clickety clack! CUTLINE CONTEST: THERES NO NEED TO FEEL DOWN Kari Lake addresses the crowd at a rally with Sen. J.D. Vance at Arizona Christian University Event Center in Glendale, Arizona, on July 31, 2024. (Photo by Laura Segall/AFP/Getty Images) We call it a Cutline Contest because the goal, ideally, is to write a humorous caption for the photo in the style of a news publicationa cutline, in industry parlance. Sometimes, you devils come up with non-cutline cutlines that are too funny to pass up, but when we get a winner that adheres to both the spirit and the letter of the contest, its sweeter still: Demonstrating her campaigns struggles, Kari Lake forms the wrong letter as YMCA plays in the ballroom before her remarks.Allan Rutter, Prosper, Texas Winner, Lucasfilm Division: POWER! UNLIMITED POWER!!! Jack Funke, Poplar Bluff, Missouri Winner, Not Just the President, Also a Member Division: Kari Lake describes her increased vigor as spokesperson for Mega-MAGA Red Pill supplement.Linda McKee, DuBois, Pennsylvania Winner, General Mills Division: Wheaties just Wheaties.Richard Basuk, New York, New York Winner, Beat the Press Division: Lake welcomes media to knuckle sandwichesDavid Porter, Tampa, Florida Winner, Tennessee Ernie Ford Division: If you see me comin, better step aside A lotta men didnt, a lotta men died One fist of iron, the other of steel If the right one dont get you Then the left one willBob Goldman, Gilroy, California Winner, So Much Winning Division: I won! Again! And again and again and again!Tim Maloney, St. Louis, Missouri WINGS OF MERCY USA Today: Despite her being convicted of stealing food from kids during the COVID pandemic, Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones offered to cover the $1.5 million worth of chicken wings stolen by a former food service director in exchange for the womans release from prison. Vera Liddell, who served in the director role for Harvey School District 152 near Chicago pleaded guilty on Aug. 9 to the charges and got a nine-year prison sentence, the outlets said, citing prosecutors. In a social media post Tuesday, Jones said, Ill pay for the wings that she stole to get her free. The chicken theft operation was discovered in 2023 when an audit found that the districts food service department exceeded its annual budget by $300,000 halfway through the school year, prosecutors said, according to ABC News. Nate Moore contributed to this report. 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. CANFIELD, Ohio (WKBN) Ohio Governor Mike DeWine launched a statewide campaign Friday aimed at getting people interested in serving as volunteer firefighters. Locally, the East Palestine Fire Chief Keith Drabick says his department has actually seen an increase in membership since he took over two years ago but still, he says there needs to be more volunteers across the board. The biggest obstacle to getting volunteers is the time commitment. Its very hard for someone who works 40-60 hours a week to be a volunteer and get all the training theyre required or should be required to have, Chief Drabick said. In Ohio, the minimum requirement to serve as a volunteer firefighter is a 36-hour course but at the Mahoning County Career and Technical Center, the 184-hour Firefighter 1 course is the class to get started in firefighting. The fire marshall for the state of Ohio, he reimburses the tuition to anybody who completed the class, so essentially the Firefighter 1 class for everyone is free, said Andy Frost, MCCTC Public Safety Coordinator. About 70 percent of Ohios fire departments are volunteer-based, and according to the governors office, the number of emergency calls has increased in recent years. However, the number of volunteer firefighters has gone down which is why the state launched this campaign. There needs to be more. There can never be enough. No department has enough people, Drabick said. DeWine said part of his campaign is public service announcements that will appear on TV and online showcasing volunteer firefighters in an attempt to get more Ohioans to volunteer themselves. People dont realize that without volunteers, theres just nobody coming when you call 911, said Frost. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. (KRON) As part of the Safer California Plan, what is described as the most significant bipartisan legislation to crack down on property crime in modern California history, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the locked door loophole bill on Friday. The bill, authored by Sen. Scott Wiener, no longer requires California car owners to prove their car was locked when it was broken into. Previously, The mere fact that a window was broken into is insufficient prosecutors must prove that the door was locked, which requires that victims must physically come out to court to testify as such, Wiener said. Berkeley middle school students temporarily relocate to adult school Sen. Wiener described the requirement as a senseless barrier to holding auto burglars accountable This requirement can sabotage clear cases of guilt, particularly for situations where someone is visiting San Francisco and is not going to return just to testify that they locked the car door. Now, car break-in victims can prove the crime of auto burglary by showing forcible entry, which may be charged as either a misdemeanor or a felony, Wieners office said. This new law is a big step forward for accountability on auto burglary. It made no sense that the old law required the District Attorney to prove that the owner locked the car door in order to convict someone for auto burglary it shouldnt matter if the door was locked, Wiener said. The bill, SB905, also addresses the problem of suspects reselling the valuables found in the car break-in. Now, individuals could be prosecuted for holding more than $950 of stolen goods intended for resale. Despite seeing a nearly 50% drop in car break-ins from 2022 to 2023, Wiener believes San Franciscos long vexing problem surrounding car break-ins remains a problem Soon San Franciscans and all Californians will benefit from this additional tool to tackle the widespread problem of auto break-ins, Wiener 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. Montana Aerospace AG (VTX:AERO) shareholders are probably feeling a little disappointed, since its shares fell 4.2% to CHF18.40 in the week after its latest interim results. Revenues were 365m, with Montana Aerospace reporting some 8.4% below analyst expectations. Following the result, the analysts have updated their earnings model, and it would be good to know whether they think there's been a strong change in the company's prospects, or if it's business as usual. We thought readers would find it interesting to see the analysts latest (statutory) post-earnings forecasts for next year. Check out our latest analysis for Montana Aerospace After the latest results, the five analysts covering Montana Aerospace are now predicting revenues of 1.50b in 2024. If met, this would reflect a reasonable 2.6% improvement in revenue compared to the last 12 months. Montana Aerospace is also expected to turn profitable, with statutory earnings of 0.97 per share. In the lead-up to this report, the analysts had been modelling revenues of 1.70b and earnings per share (EPS) of 0.89 in 2024. It looks like there's been a meaningful change to the consensus view following the recent earnings report, with the analysts making a substantial drop in to revenue forecasts and a slight bump in to next year's earnings estimates. There's been no real change to the average price target of CHF24.63, with the lower revenue and higher earnings forecasts not expected to meaningfully impact the company's valuation over a longer timeframe. Fixating on a single price target can be unwise though, since the consensus target is effectively the average of analyst price targets. As a result, some investors like to look at the range of estimates to see if there are any diverging opinions on the company's valuation. There are some variant perceptions on Montana Aerospace, with the most bullish analyst valuing it at CHF32.31 and the most bearish at CHF18.59 per share. This shows there is still a bit of diversity in estimates, but analysts don't appear to be totally split on the stock as though it might be a success or failure situation. One way to get more context on these forecasts is to look at how they compare to both past performance, and how other companies in the same industry are performing. We would highlight that Montana Aerospace's revenue growth is expected to slow, with the forecast 5.2% annualised growth rate until the end of 2024 being well below the historical 25% p.a. growth over the last three years. By way of comparison, the other companies in this industry with analyst coverage are forecast to grow their revenue at 11% per year. So it's pretty clear that, while revenue growth is expected to slow down, the wider industry is also expected to grow faster than Montana Aerospace. Story continues The Bottom Line The most important thing here is that the analysts upgraded their earnings per share estimates, suggesting that there has been a clear increase in optimism towards Montana Aerospace following these results. Unfortunately, they also downgraded their revenue estimates, and our data indicates underperformance compared to the wider industry. Even so, earnings per share are more important to the intrinsic value of the business. With that said, earnings are more important to the long-term value of the business. There was no real change to the consensus price target, suggesting that the intrinsic value of the business has not undergone any major changes with the latest estimates. With that in mind, we wouldn't be too quick to come to a conclusion on Montana Aerospace. Long-term earnings power is much more important than next year's profits. We have estimates - from multiple Montana Aerospace analysts - going out to 2026, and you can see them free on our platform here. It might also be worth considering whether Montana Aerospace's debt load is appropriate, using our debt analysis tools on the Simply Wall St platform, here. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. GRAFTON, W.Va. (WBOY) Community members in Grafton are gathering over the weekend to raise money for local families affected by cancer. The No One Fights Alone Fundraiser is being held at the Grafton City Park and Campground near the Tyagrt Dam. This year the event is raising money for four local families through direct donations and a variety of raffles. Event organizer Bryan Smith said that just in the last two years, the fundraiser has seen tremendous growth, going from around 100 attendees in 2022, to around 1,200 attendees throughout the weekend in 2023. Youre not alone. Theres people out there that support you a hundred percent, Smith said. You may not know who they are, but we are proud to help you out and we care. We love you and were here for you. As far as things to do at the event, live musicians will be performing throughout Saturday and Sunday. Saturdays events featured a morning softball game at Grafton High School, a 5k race and a side-by-side ride. Food is also provided for attendees, and theres even a bounce house for the kids to enjoy. West Virginia income tax cut officially taking effect next year If youre interested in attending, the event will continue into Sunday starting at 10 a.m., with some of the planned events including a horseback trail ride through Tygart Lake State Park. If horses arent your thing, there will also be a motorcycle ride at the same time, followed by more live music at the event venue. You can check out the event page on Facebook for directions and more information. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBOY.com. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) A Multnomah County grand jury has ruled a Portland police officer was justified when he shot and killed a man while responding to a reported theft back in December. The Multnomah County District Attorneys Office announced Saturday that the grand jury returned a not true bill, finding Officer Justin Clarys use of force resulting in the death of 27-year-old Isaac Seavy not criminal under Oregon law. Portland stolen car rates continue to decline as police champion data-driven approach According to the Portland police, Clary, a 22-year veteran of the bureau, shot and killed Seavey while responding to a theft report with another officer in Northeast Portland. The shooting, which took place near Northeast Marx Drive and Northeast 92nd Drive on Dec. 6, happened after an encounter between the two officers and Seavy when the officers who responded to the theft call were led to an RV parked nearby, police said. Officials say only Clary used deadly force, but both officers involved were placed on paid administrative leave. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. U.S. Air Force security guards exchanged gunfire with at least one occupant of a vehicle who opened fire at an entrance to Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland early Saturday, according to a spokesperson for the base. Guards returned fire after gunfire erupted from a passing vehicle at a base entrance around 4:30 a.m., public affairs chief Stefanie Antosh told the San Antonio Express-News. No injuries were reported. It was not known how many rounds were fired, how many shooters there were or what their motive was, Antosh said. We dont know what, if anything, started it, Antosh said. But it wasnt an active threat to the installation, and there is no active threat to the installation. Antosh did not immediately return messages from The Associated Press for more information. The entrance was closed for several hours after the shooting, but the base was not locked down, according to Antosh. San Antonio police also responded to the shooting and helped collect evidence. A police spokesperson did not immediately respond to phone calls and an email for information. In addition to Lackland, Joint Base San Antonio includes Randolph Air Force Base, Fort Sam Houston and the Camp Bulllis training camp. Lackland is home to more than 24,000 active duty members and 10,000 Department of Defense civilians, according to the base website. It includes the 37th Training Wing; 149th Fighter Wing; 59th Medical Wing; the Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency; 24th Air Force Wing, 67th Network Warfare Wing; the Cryptologic Systems Group; the National Security Agency; and 70 associated units. Hackers targeted Ukraine's largest mobile-only bank, Monobank, with a massive denial of service (DDoS) attack on Aug. 16, according to Oleh Horokhovskyi, the company's co-founder and CEO. DDoS attacks direct excessive amounts of traffic at a website in order to overload its servers, often causing disruptions to service. Monobank received around one billion service requests in three hours, Horokhovskyi reported via Telegram on Aug. 16. "We are fighting it off while drinking coffee and donuts ... We are keeping the situation under control," he said. Monobank has previously been targeted in similar cyberattacks. A DDoS attack in January sent over 580 million service requests to the bank's website. Horokhovskyi did not identify a culprit, though previous threats have been linked to Russian hackers. Russia has launched thousands of cyberattacks against Ukrainian organizations since the start of its full-scale invasion. Ukrainian hackers in turn have fought back against Russian cyberwarfare by launching attacks of their own. Ukraine's IT Army, a volunteer hacker group, claimed responsibility for a massive DDoS attack against Russian banks and Russia's Mir payment system in June. Read also: Opinion: Ukraines volunteer hacker army is pioneering a new era of cyber warfare Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. They had no fear: Group tracked Florida business owners, broke into their homes, stole $1.7M, sheriff says TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) Authorities say a South American theft group made up of four Colombian citizens targeted the homes of business owners in multiple Florida counties. The suspected thieves made off with $1.69 million in cash, jewelry and clothes stolen from homes in gated communities, according to Judd. The sophisticated group was accused of surveilling homes and businesses to learn the owners routines and track them. Once they have their victims pattern, then they attack, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said. They were accused of disguising themselves as lawn care workers and joggers, as well as wearing burkas. According to Judd, they used Wi-Fi jammers and technology to bypass security systems. Law enforcement identified burglaries in several counties: one in Polk, one in Pinellas, one in Manatee, one in Collier and five in Hillsborough. However, when they served search warrants, little evidence was found. The suspected stolen items were already gone. In a news conference Thursday, Judd said the four suspects remained in the country illegally during the course of the multi-agency investigation, despite multiple interactions with federal immigration officials. Four additional burglaries in Polk County are suspected to be connected to the group. Judd said they had no fear. The sheriffs office released the following information about the four suspects: Geraldine Galeano-Perez, 33 (currently in the Polk County Jail) Galeano-Perez has charges in Polk County for racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, unlawful use of 2-way communication device, burglary of dwelling, conspiracy to commit burglary, grand theft of $100,000 or more, conspiracy to commit grand theft over $100,000, dealing in stolen property, conspiracy to deal in stolen property, and providing false information of pawned items (13 counts). Her prior criminal history in Colombia includes illegal trafficking/possession of firearms & ammunition, and grand larceny. She has also been arrested in New York for possession of controlled substance, possession of forged instrument, and money laundering. Her bond in Polk County is set at $5.6 million. Milton Ayala-Sierra, 25 (deported to Colombia) Ayala-Sierra has Polk County charges for racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, and dealing in stolen property. He was charged in Hillsborough County for traveling across county lines to commit burglary and possession of burglary tools. Kissimmee PD charged him with dealing in stolen property and unlawful use of 2-way communication device. His prior criminal history in New York includes possession of forged instrument and money laundering. Ayala-Sierras current bond is $2.5 million. Jason Alexander Higuera-Ruiz, 41 (unknown whereabouts) Higuera-Ruiz has Polk County charges for racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, unlawful use of a 2-way communication device, burglary of a dwelling, conspiracy to commit burglary, grand theft over $100,000, conspiracy to commit grand theft over $100,000, and conspiracy to deal in stolen property. Higuera-Ruiz was able to bail out of jail with GPS monitoring, but he cut the device off and is now at-large. Higuera-Ruizs current bond is $5.6 million. Geiler Orobio-Cabezas, 36 (currently in the Pinellas County Jail) Orobio-Cabezas has Polk County charges for racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, unlawful use of a 2-way communication device, burglary of a dwelling, conspiracy to commit burglary, conspiracy to deal in stolen property, and possession of burglary tools. He was arrested in 2023 in Michigan for burglary. His current bond is $3.1 million. These defendants conspired together to commit multiple burglaries across Central Florida using members of the group as decoys outside the homes of small business owners while others broke into the residences, stealing more than $1.5 million worth of items, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody said in a statement. Thanks to the great investigative work of our law enforcement partners, our Statewide Prosecutors have charged them with serious felony counts and these criminals will be held accountable. Judd said the group purposefully targeted Asian-Americans and the series of alleged burglaries may be considered hate crimes. Law enforcement agencies have warned about similar burglary rings operating in Michigan and Los Angeles that are suspected to have ties to South American countries. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. Half a billion children suffer double the number of extreme heat days their grandparents did Half a billion children suffer double the number of extreme heat days their grandparents did As the world continues to heat up, close to half a billion children globally are living in regions that experience at least twice as many extremely hot days as their grandparents did. Thats according to new research by the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF). The findings highlight the rapid escalation of extreme heat events, laying bare the fact that one in five children - thats around 466 million - are exposed to these often dangerous conditions every year. UNICEF compared data from the 1960s with the average temperatures from 2020-2024. In the process, they discovered a dramatic increase in the number of extremely hot days - defined as those exceeding 35 degrees Celsius. The trend poses a serious threat for many, particularly children and other vulnerable groups who live in areas lacking the necessary infrastructure or services to cope with such extreme temperatures. What used to be the hottest summer days are now the norm, Catherine Russell, UNICEFs Executive Director, told AfricaNews. This surge in extreme heat is disrupting childrens health, well-being, and daily lives. A young boy collects what little water he can from a dried up river due to severe drought in Somalia - Sebastian Rich/UNICEF/File Where are people the most vulnerable to extreme heat? UNICEFs analysis shows that in 16 nations, children now endure over a month of additional extremely hot days every year compared to 60 years ago. In South Sudan, the average number of extremely hot days rose from 110 in the 1960s to 165 today. In Paraguay, that number has nearly doubled from 36 to 71. Its children living in West and Central Africa who face the highest exposure to these dangerously hot days - and theyre increasing all the time. In that region alone, the analysis shows that some 123 million children - 39 per cent - are suffering through extreme temperatures for more than a third of each year. Countries including Senegal, Niger, Mali and Sudan are particularly affected - with children there forced to endure an average of at least 195 extremely hot days annually. A further 48 million children living in Latin America and the Caribbean are currently residing in areas where the number of extremely hot days has doubled. A child drinking water in the village of Nambekaha, in the North of Cote dIvoire - Frank Dejongh/UNICEF/ What damage can extreme heat do to young people? Exposure to extreme temperatures poses unique health risks - particularly for children and pregnant women. Without proper cooling interventions, rare in underdeveloped areas, heat stress can lead to severe complications, ranging from malnutrition to an increased vulnerability to diseases such as malaria and dengue fever. Prolonged exposure to severely high temperatures can also have long-term impacts on childrens neurodevelopment, mental health and overall well being. The impact of climate-related hazards on children is compounded further by factors including infrastructure damage, food and water insecurity and displacement. What can be done to alleviate the situation? UNICEF is calling on world leaders and governments as well as the private sector to address climate change, often the cause of extreme heat - and fast. All member states involved in the Paris Agreement are obliged to submit new national climate plans - called Nationally Defined Contributions (NDC 3.0) - in the next few months. Those plans are expected to set out the future of climate action in keeping with the terms of the Agreement. UNICEF has reiterated its aims for every child, saying they are entitled to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. The organisation has laid out its plans to meet these goals, starting with an urgent need to reduce emissions and meet international sustainability and climate change targets to stabilise rising temperatures. It also wants to adapt essential social services to withstand a changing climate and more frequent disasters alongside environmental degradation. To aid this transition, health workers will be trained to detect and treat heat stress and make health and education facilities resilient to extreme heat. UNICEF will also aim to educate children while theyre young, so they become life-long advocates for the environment. Children are not just small adults; their bodies are much more vulnerable to extreme heat, Russell added. Rising temperatures pose a particular risk to children, especially babies, whose bodies heat up faster and cool down more slowly. Governments have a critical opportunity to act now, as they draft their national climate action plans, to ensure that todays children and future generations can thrive in the world we leave behind. New Hampshire is destroying fire-fighting foam that contains PFAS By the end of August, New Hampshire plans to collect and destroy 10,000 gallons of PFAS-laden foam from local fire departments. Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (or AFFF) has long been used by fire departments, airports and the military to combat flammable liquid fires. It is linked with the increased PFAS contamination in groundwater and subsequent health issues in surrounding communities. PFAS, often called forever chemicals, have been linked to cancer, low birth weights, and other health issues. A sign at an AFFF collection event in Concord in August. The state has 10 such events scheduled across the state over the course of the month. In New Hampshire, AFFF usage contributed to high levels of PFAS on the Seacoast, near the former Pease Air Force Base in Portsmouth. The state has contracted with Revive Environmental, an Ohio-based company that has what it calls PFAS Annihilator technology that can break down the chemicals. At the end of the month, New Hampshire plans to ship 10,000 gallons of AFFF to be processed at Revives facility in Columbus, Ohio. In 2019, New Hampshire banned the use of AFFF and created the takeback program. PFAS-free alternative firefighting foams are now commercially available. At a collection event in Concord Tuesday, state officials, firefighters, and Revive representatives spoke of the importance of reducing AFFF exposure and keeping PFAS out of the environment. Its one of 10 such takeback events planned across the state this month. I've had this stuff stored up and no way to deal with it, said Alan Robidas, a captain with the Concord Fire Department who dropped off his stations stockpiled AFFF. It's a big day for us to finally get a known carcinogen out of our fire stations altogether and move on with this. Revive CEO David Trueba said destroying the PFAS in AFFF is a more environmentally sound way to dispose of these materials than other alternatives, like storing PFAS in a landfill or a deep well injection site. Every gallon of foam collected and destroyed responsibly means you're not going to have a groundwater contamination event, said Revive CEO David Trueba. You're going to have healthier citizens, you're going to have cleaner drinking water. Currently, Ohio is the only other state also working with Revive to process its AFFF. According to state officials, Revive uses super critical water oxidation technology to destroy PFAS. Earlier this week, state officials announced New Hampshire will receive more than $65 million from ongoing litigation against PFAS and AFFF manufacturers over the next several years. These articles are being shared by partners in The Granite State News Collaborative. For more information visit collaborativenh.org. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: New Hampshire is destroying fire-fighting foam that contains PFAS The International Brotherhood of Teamsters said the Harris campaign has accepted an invitation to join a roundtable with members of one of the countrys largest unions. We look forward to Vice President Harris joining a roundtable of rank-and-file Teamsters to discuss the issues of importance to workers, Kara Deniz, the Teamsters assistant director of communications, told The Hill. The Harris campaign has received a number of high-profile labor endorsements including the United Auto Workers (UAW) and American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), but the Teamsters have notably not endorsed a presidential candidate in the upcoming election. Former President Trump attended a roundtable hosted by the Teamsters on Jan. 31, and Teamsters General President Sean OBrien called the former president one tough S.O.B. during remarks at the Republican National Committee last month in Milwaukee. OBrien has also requested to speak at the Democratic National Convention next week in Chicago. So far, he has not been invited. The Vice President has received and gladly accepted an invitation by IBT leadership to participate in a candidate roundtable to discuss her record of fighting for Teamsters and their families and to highlight her vision for the future, Lauren Hitt, a Harris campaign spokesperson, told The Hill. The campaign looks forwarding to scheduling the roundtable in the near future, Hitt added. Updated at 9:20 p.m. EDT. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris arrives 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. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) WASHINGTON (AP) Vice President Kamala Harris ' campaign says it is reserving $370 million in advertising to run between Labor Day and Election Day. In a memo Saturday, the Harris-Walz campaign said the fall advertising push will include $170 million in television reservations running for nine weeks, starting Sept. 3, in battleground states. It also includes more than $200 million in digital reservations on platforms such as Hulu, Roku and YouTube. That does not include spending on ads on social media or search services. Former President Donald Trump 's campaign has only reserved advertising time after Labor Day in two states, the battlegrounds of Pennsylvania and Georgia, according to data from the media tracking firm AdImpact. Quentin Fulks and Rob Flaherty, deputy campaign manager for the Democratic candidates, said in their memo that the television ads they were reserving included spots around high-viewership moments such as major sporting events and season premieres. It also included daytime reservations on Fox News Channel, where the campaign believes they can reach an audience of conservative-leaning independents who had supported former GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley over Trump in the Republican presidential primary. Ad reservations can allow candidates and campaigns to lock in rates before they go up as dates come closer. Editors note: This story is available as a result of a content partnership between WFTV and the Orlando Business Journal. Orlando Health has made a stalking horse bid for Steward Health Cares East Central Florida operations. The nonprofit health system signed a binding asset purchase agreement for Rockledge Regional Medical Center, Melbourne Regional Medical Center, Sebastian River Medical Center and Steward Medical Group Practices. The proposed bid price is $439.4 million, according to the agreement. Read: Orange County woman reunites with first responders who saved her life after car crash The move comes after Steward filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May and later put all its hospitals up for sale. Click here to read the full story on the Orlando Business Journals website. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. By Nandita Bose and Steve Holland WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Vice President Kamala Harris is likely to join President Joe Biden on stage at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Monday as he passes the torch to her as the party's candidate in the Nov. 5 presidential election, sources said on Saturday. Biden, who stepped aside from running for re-election a month ago under pressure from fellow Democrats, will give a prime-time address to the convention on Monday night to make the case for electing Harris and defeating former President Donald Trump, the Republican candidate. Two sources familiar with internal deliberations said the campaign has been discussing having Biden and Harris appear on stage together on Monday night and that it was likely to happen. There also have been talks about her appearing before Biden speaks at the big event. Harris will be coming off a bus tour of western Pennsylvania on Sunday. She will be in Chicago for much of the crucial convention week. She will make a side trip to Milwaukee on Tuesday for a campaign event, returning to Chicago to hear her husband, Doug Emhoff, address the convention that night. Biden, 81, reluctantly abandoned his re-election bid after Democrats raised questions about his mental fitness after a poor debate performance against Trump on June 27. The president told reporters on Friday night that he would spend the weekend fine-tuning his convention speech. His message for the convention? "Win," he said with a smile. Biden had lost ground to Trump in some polls after the debate and Harris, 59, has made the race a more competitive one in several states where the election is likely to be decided. (Reporting by Nandita Bose and Steve Holland; Editing by Paul Simao) WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Kamala Harris will meet with rank-and-file members of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, a top labor union that has not endorsed a candidate in the November presidential election, a union spokesperson said on Saturday. Harris, the Democratic Vice President who is in a tight race for the White House with Republican Donald Trump, will attend a roundtable meeting "to discuss the issues of importance to workers," Teamsters spokesperson Kara Deniz said in an email. "We will coordinate with (vice president) Harris' staff on a date." Earlier this month, Harris won the endorsement of the United Auto Workers, another major union, though she still faces the tough task of earning the support of its nearly 400,000 members. The Teamsters, an even larger union representing over 1 million workers across industries including transport and logistics, is also being courted by Trump. Polls show the former president has an advantage over Harris among many blue collar voters, particularly those who are white. The Teamsters are considering backing no candidate at all in the U.S. presidential race, Reuters reported in July. The head of the Teamsters, Sean O'Brien, gave a speech at the Republican National Convention last month. (Reporting by Jason Lange in Washington; Editing by Daniel Wallis) North Carolina is back in play. Vice President Harriss momentum after replacing President Biden atop the Democratic ticket has shaken up the political map and put the Tar Heel State squarely back into battleground territory after it appeared to be slipping out of reach for Democrats just a few weeks ago. Harris has erased former President Trumps once-sizable lead in the state, and both the vice president and the GOP nominee visited North Carolina this week for campaign speeches focused on the economy. Polling published Wednesday from the nonpartisan Cook Political Report showed Harris leading Trump by 1 percentage point in a head-to-head match-up in North Carolina, a shift from May when Trump led Biden there by 7 percentage points. Winning North Carolina will still be a challenge for Harris. Republicans have carried the state in every presidential election since 1980, with the exception of 2008 when Barack Obama won it by about 14,000 votes. We still have an advantage in the Electoral College, senior Trump campaign adviser Chris LaCivita maintained this week. The map still does not favor we still have over 20 different paths to get to 270. Shes got two or three. A source with the Harris campaign noted Trumps past victory in North Carolina by 1.3 percent in 2020, saying they expect it to be close in the state this year. The campaign has touted its efforts in the state, which include the opening of more than 20 offices, including six slated to open their doors next week. Additionally, the campaign says more than 9,500 of the 12,000-plus volunteers who have signed up in the state have taken action to volunteer. Democrats and some Republicans argue that North Carolina should not be taken for granted at the presidential level, noting the states history of electing downballot Democrats. Theres a laziness in Washington to say, Well the state is always Republican and 2008 was an anomaly, said GOP strategist Doug Heye, who is originally from North Carolina. Our senators are usually Republican, but Kay Hagan wasnt. John Edwards wasnt. And along with electing Democratic governors, thats why the state shouldnt be taken for granted. Matt Mercer, communications director at the North Carolina GOP, noted that presidential races in the state going back to 2012 have all been under a five point margin. If you win by five points its a blowout, Mercer said. The states really red in a lot of areas and really blue in others and its a race to get the most. Democrats also point to Obamas winning coalition in North Carolina, where young voters and Black voters played an integral role in securing his 2008 win throughout the state. Additionally, Democrats say they are aggressively targeting North Carolinas suburban enclaves as well its rural communities. Our state is 60 percent rural, 40 percent urban, said Doug Wilson, a Charlotte-based political consultant who is advising the Harris campaign. We know that were not going to win every rural county of course. But making inroads into those counties to talk to voters in those counties will make the difference and the campaign has been doing that. But 2008 was the last time Democrats were able to galvanize Obamas coalition to win at the presidential level in North Carolina. Obama narrowly won the state in 2008, while Hagan, a Democrat, defeated Republican incumbent Sen. Elizabeth Dole. Then-GOP candidate Mitt Romney flipped the state back to Republicans in the 2012 presidential election, and Hagan lost her reelection bid to Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) in 2014. In 2016, Trump won the state and then-incumbent Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) sailed to reelection. However, that same year, Gov. Roy Cooper (D) narrowly ousted the states then-Republican Gov. Pat McCrory. North Carolina will split a ticket, theres no question about it, said Trumps former chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, referring to Trumps and Coopers 2016 wins. This year, North Carolina is also home to a closely watched gubernatorial race, with Democrats determined to thwart a win by the states staunchly conservative GOP gubernatorial candidate, Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, who has emerged as a lightning-rod figure. Enthusiasm is being driven by the governors race, Mulvaney said. Democrats are fired up about that race and I think thats sort of trickling over into the presidential race. I do not think Kamala Harris could win North Carolina. Period. End of story. I dont think its even on the table. But if you ask me if you think theres enthusiasm, yeah theres more so in large part because of the governors race, he said. Republicans also argue that the state is still too conservative for a national Democrat to win in. I think for a long time the North Carolina Democrat had a different brand from the national Democratic Party and its not that anymore, Mercer said. It is just as far left as national Democrats. Democrats point to population growth in North Carolina, which they say could play in their favor. New population does not equal electoral wins, said Jess Jollett, executive director of Progress North Carolina. We have to engage those people and talk to those people. Republicans point to their voter registration advantage in the state. Data from North Carolinas State Board of Elections compiled by the New York Times shows the GOP advantage, but also shows a notable surge in Democratic voter registration in North Carolina following President Biden dropping out of the race last month. Both Harris and Trump traveled to North Carolina this week for speeches focused on the economy, a sign both campaigns view the state as still up for grabs. Harris used an event in Raleigh to unveil her economic agenda, marking her first major policy rollout since she replaced Biden atop the Democratic ticket. Harris told the audience that the event was her 16th visit to the state since becoming vice president. Trump, meanwhile, delivered remarks in Asheville, where he attempted to refocus on economic issues as allies urged him to steer clear of personal attacks against Harris. During an interview following his speech, Trump suggested he had a secret weapon that could help boost him over the top: his daughter-in-law and Republican National Committee co-Chair Lara Trump, who is a North Carolina native. I just think that were going to do very well, Trump told WLOS in Asheville. I think I am helped by somebody that is a fantastic mother and wife to my son Eric, and I think that gives me a big advantage. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN/The Hill) 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 Queen City News. (The Hill) Vice President Harris is closing the gap with former President Trump in several key battleground states as the election inches closer, according to a new survey. The poll, published Saturday, from The New York Times/Siena College found Harris is leading Trump in Arizona (50 percent to 45 percent) and North Carolina (49 percent to 47 percent). The vice presidents momentum has in recent weeks led her campaign to declare that the Tar Heel Sate, where Trump had built a solid lead when facing former President Biden, is back in play for Democrats. In Nevada and Georgia, Harris has largely closed the gap with the former president. Trump leads the vice president in the Silver State, 48 percent to 47 percent, and in the Peach State, 50 percent to 46 percent, per the survey. As an average of the four Sun Belt states, Trump and Harris are tied at 48 percent, the survey shows. Either candidate needs to win at least one of these states alongside three Rust Belt states Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania to clinch the presidency. Harris has steadily gained in national polls since Biden announced last month he would withdraw from the race and endorsed her to run in November. She became the official Democratic nominee earlier this month, and will formally accept the nomination alongside her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz next week at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. A separate survey from The Times/Siena earlier this month found Harris leading Trump by at least four points in the Rust Belt states. Before Biden withdrew his candidacy, the former president was leading him by 3 percent in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania. An August 10 poll from the New York Times/Siena found that Harris leads Trump by four points in those three Rust Belt states. Earlier in the year, Trump led Biden by three percent in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, three must-win states for Democrats to hold the White House. Saturdays poll is a significant improvement for Democrats compared to a similar survey conducted in May, in which Trump led Biden by 50 percent to 41 percent in Arizona, Georgia and Nevada. That poll did not include North Carolina. The latest poll results also come after the independent election handicapper Cook Political Report shifted Arizona, Georgia and Nevada from lean Republican to toss-up, as Harris continues to chip away at Trumps lead in most battleground states. Democrats are also far more excited about the presidential race with Harris at the top of the ticket compared to Biden, with 85 percent saying they are at least somewhat excited for their candidate and the election, which is also far higher than the May poll. Roughly 85 percent of Republicans are also at least somewhat excited to vote, which is close to the same as May. Voters overall gave Harris a 48 percent favorable rating, the same as her unfavorable rating. No prior Times/Siena poll had tested her favorability in these states, but national surveys had found that Kamala had as much as a 19-percent net unfavorable rating in February. Since launching her campaign, Harris has quickly built momentum, especially online, with posts on platforms like TikTok, which have reengaged young voters dispirited by a Biden candidacy. That boost was evident in Saturdays poll, with Harris holding a 13-point lead against Trump among TikTok users in Arizona, Georgia and Nevada. Biden had a three-point lead with the same group in May. The poll also showed that the peoples votes are increasingly split among racial and gender lines. Harris garnered the support of 84 percent of Black voters and 54 percent of Latino voters in the recent survey. Overall, she leads Trump with nonwhite voters in Arizona, Georgia, and Nevada by 29 points, compared to Bidens 17-point lead in May. On the flip side, Trump had the support of 66 percent of white voters without a college degree in the four Sun Belt states. Third-party presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jrs support has halved since the May poll, and he brought in only 4 percent as an average across the four states, per the poll. His candidacy no longer meaningfully affects the contest between Trump and Harris in these states, a trend mirrored across other swing states since the vice president rose to the top of the ticket. The Hill/Decision Desk HQs national polling index shows Trump leading Harris nationally by 1.8 percentage points 49 percent to 47.2 percent based on more than 100 surveys. The latest Times/Siena surveyed 2,670 registered voters across the four states from Aug. 8-15. The margin of error for the polls out of Arizona, Nevada and Georgia is 4.4 percentage points, and the margin of error in North Carolina is 4.2 percentage points. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Harrow first to launch new school in China following CCPs patriotic education laws Harrow said it held a 'groundbreaking signing ceremony' at the end of June with local Chinese government officials to establish a major new school for 1,500 children aged 2-18 Harrow School is set to open a new campus in China despite concerns over a curriculum clampdown by the countrys ruling communist party. The schools international partner announced on Chinese social media that it will launch a new outpost in the Guangzhou province of mainland China in September 2027. It will mark the top boarding schools ninth franchise in China, and 13th campus in Asia. The 53,550-a-year school debuted its first international campus in Thailand in 1998, which opened the floodgates for other British private schools to follow suit. Many other private schools have, since then, pulled the plug on their Chinese operations over the past few years amid concerns over tough new education laws that control what is taught in classrooms. But Asia International School Limited (AISL) Harrow, the UK boarding schools Asian licensee, said it would open a new school for expat children in South China in the coming years. In a post on its Chinese website, AISL Harrow said it held a groundbreaking signing ceremony at the end of June with local Chinese government officials to establish a major new school for 1,500 children aged 2-18. Harrow International School's Guangzhou opening ceremony It hopes the 64-classroom site in Chinas Greater Bay Area will complete construction in early 2026, with the school set to open its doors to pupils the following year. The company said the project had received strong support and guidance from the Guangzhou Education Bureau and the Huangpu District government and was eagerly anticipated by the government. Harrow School, which counts numerous former British prime ministers including Sir Winston Churchill and Stanley Baldwin as alumni, licences its name, logo, uniform and education practices to international partners in return for a fee. Harrow School counts numerous former British prime ministers including Sir Winston Churchill and Stanley Baldwin as alumni - Peter Dench/Getty Images Europe AISL Harrow said the new school in Guangzhou will teach children the English national curriculum, including the iGCSE and A-Level courses in high school. The Telegraph has found evidence that some of its other international schools that teach the English curriculum also teach elements of the Chinese national curriculum, which is strictly monitored by the Chinese state. Foreign students at Harrow Shenzhen are taught Chinese from Years 2 to 9. The schools prospectus says that as much as possible the curriculum will follow the National Chinese Curriculum Standards. Harrow Hong Kong also recently opened a Chinese Cultural Centre to enhance the teaching and learning of Chinese and a lifelong interest in Chinese culture. Harrow now has nine franchises in China, and 13 in Asia - Martin Pope AISL Harrow also owns several other schools catered to Chinese nationals, which teach the Chinese national curriculum. They were forced to drop the word international from their names and retitle themselves Harrow Lide schools in 2022 after the Chinese Communist Party enforced strict new rules on the naming of private schools that teach Chinese children. The rules introduced in 2021 also limited foreign control and participation in the running of private schools, including a ban on foreign textbooks and a requirement that school board members are Chinese. New laws that came into force in January this year also said private schools in China must promote patriotic education. All schools teaching Chinese nationals are now forced to teach intangible cultural heritage demonstrations are expected to be integrated into school programmes, so that young people can understand and appreciate more about patriotism. Guangzhou Education Bureau, whose officials were present at the signing ceremony for the latest Harrow Guangzhou school, has previously praised the law. An article on its website said the patriotic education programme was significant for China in its critical stage of national rejuvenation. It forms part of an increasingly constrictive regime that has prompted British schools to reconsider their investment in the mainland Chinese market. Westminster School, a top London boarding school which counts six former UK prime ministers as alumni, scrapped plans to open six new outposts in China in 2021, citing recent changes in Chinese education policy. Dulwich College has also attempted to wind down some of its operations in China. The London private school said in its 2022 annual report that strategic plans for growth of its high schools in China were scaled back in light of changing government regulations. Post-China phase Tristan Bunnell, an expert in international schooling and senior lecturer at the University of Bath, said that following a period of rapid expansion by UK private schools in China I think what were now entering is what you might call a post-China phase. Schools are trying to open branches outside China because China just isnt attractive anymore. Its not attractive to a global school. Investors arent attracted to it. The teachers are not attracted to it either, because you need expat teachers. And a lot of British dont want to work in China anymore, he told The Telegraph. Harrow School and AISL Harrow were approached for comment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. MEMPHIS, Tenn. Multiple organizations are making their way across the state of Tennessee to raise awareness about resources for victims of crime. Their first stop was right here in the Bluff City. WREG spoke with the mother behind the campaign who said she wants to help reimagine public safety. Rafiah Muhammad-McCormick from the Middle Tennessee area said her son was killed on July 9, 2020, in her backyard. She said her sons accused killer was sentenced to serve at least one year but no more than six years in prison. You cant give me my child back, Muhammad-McCormick said. He (the accused killer) cant give me my baby back with his body. So, instead, I wanted to give him the opportunity to restore something that he took. Trio arrested in connection to carjackings, robberies She said she asked the judge and District Attorney to add a mentorship program to the sentence. We need to focus on how we are able to help them take account because you holding account aint really doing nothing for me, Muhammad-McCormick said. You holding people accountable aint doing nothing for me if they dont account. Since then, shes used the knowledge she gained during that process to educate victims and their families on the resources available to them. Thats why she and other organizations are traveling across the state for their Healed People Heal People campaign. Memphis was their first stop. When I was at the legislature during this session and working on this victims compensation bill, [Im] constantly hearing Memphis being used as an example to support these Ive got to say over criminalizing, over incarcerating of our babies and at the same time theyre not supporting our babies, Muhammad-McCormick said. Most recently, she worked with lawmakers to expand the requirements for those seeking help from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Program. According to the Tennessee Department of Treasury, the fund was established as a last resort to financially assist innocent victims of violent crime in Tennessee that results in personal injury. TN lawmakers showing bipartisan support to help families of crime victims Certain family members of deceased victims may also be eligible for compensation. C. L. Tim Williams with the Greater Memphis Chapter of Parents of Murdered Children says his organization helps guide families through the application process. However, he says many are rejected mainly due to timeliness. Now, they have 15 days to get it in and they have a few more days to correct anything thats deficient, Williams said. Organizations in attendance said the ultimate goal is to reimagine public safety while helping families heal. Its about what happens when that person is incarcerated and making sure that theyre getting the necessary tools and resources that they need, said Heal 901 Executive Director K. Durrell Cowan. (So) that when they are reacclimated back into society that they can be a productive member of society. If you are a victim of a violent crime or the family member of a deceased victim, you can visit this website to see if you are eligible for financial assistance from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Fund. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Healey administration and Steward Health Care to keep five Massachusetts hospitals open BOSTON, Mass. (WWLP) The Healey administration and Steward Health Care have reached deals that would keep five Massachusetts hospitals open. The operations of four Steward hospitals would be transitioned to new operations. The Healey administration would use eminent domain to transfer control of Saint Elizabeths to a new owner. The State government had previously struck a deal with Steward to provide $30 million in advance payments to keep hospitals here afloat through August. Steward has already received court approval to close hospitals in Dorchester and Ayer. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Health department investigates illnesses tied to raw milk from Idaho farm. What to know Central District Health is investigating reports of illnesses in Ada County residents related to drinking raw milk, Idaho Department of Health and Welfare spokesperson AJ McWhorter said Friday. No illnesses have been identified in Canyon County residents, McWhorter told the Idaho Statesman in an email. Idaho Public Health officials statewide are investigating reports of 18 people who tested positive for a bacterial infection, 17 of whom did so after drinking raw milk from a dairy west of Rexburg. People at higher risk of severe illness after consuming raw dairy products include young children, pregnant women, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems, the Department of Health and Welfare said in a news release. People in these groups are encouraged to consume pasteurized dairy products. During pasteurization, milk is heated to a temperature high enough to eliminate germs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Central District Health did not immediately return a request for comment. Paradise Grove Dairy distributes milk to stores across Southern Idaho, the release said. The Jefferson County farm voluntarily stopped production on Aug. 2, fixed equipment and increased the frequency of milk testing before it restarted production on Aug. 12, the release said. Consumers who bought raw milk from July 19 to Aug. 2 from Paradise Grove Dairy should throw it away, according to the release. Common symptoms of the bacterial infection, campylobacteriosis, are diarrhea, fever, stomach cramps, nausea and/or vomiting. Symptoms typically develop two to five days after exposure and last a week. Some people may develop complications that last longer, the release said. If you are experiencing similar symptoms after consuming raw milk or raw milk products from Paradise Grove Dairy, seek medical attention. In 2023, the Idaho Legislature passed a bill removing the misdemeanor penalty for violating the states raw milk code. The potential punishment changed from a fine of up to $200 or up to three months in jail to just a fine of up to $200. No legislators voted against the bill in the Senate and only five voted against it in the House. We simply removed the criminal penalty from anything related to raw milk production and sales in the state of Idaho, bill sponsor Sen. Scott Herndon, R-Sagle, said in a Facebook video in May this year. Now you can sell raw milk in the state of Idaho without the threat of ever going to jail. I believe in real food freedom. Historically, the S&P 500 index has produced an annualized return of about 10%. But in the past five years, the gains have been supercharged, translating to a roughly 15% yearly return. It's reasonable to expect a reversion to the mean at some point. But investors still have the potential to achieve huge returns by focusing on the right businesses to buy. In fact, there's one beaten-down stock, which currently trades 57% below its all-time high, that I believe can double your money over the next five years. The struggles are hard to ignore While I'm bullish on Walt Disney (NYSE: DIS), the past few years for this company might be a case study on strategic missteps. I can identify three key areas that investors must know. For one, Disney spent a whopping $71.3 billion to acquire film and TV assets of 21st Century Fox, a deal that closed in early 2019. The business certainly gained valuable content, but a sizable portion of the deal's earnings came from traditional cable TV, a dying market. And it added $19.2 billion of debt to Disney's balance sheet. The other blunder has to do with streaming. Disney+ wasn't launched until November 2019. Although it's added subscribers quickly in the past five years, now totaling 118.3 million (excluding Hotstar), CEO Bob Iger and his team should've recognized several years before 2019 that the industry was changing and streaming was taking over. I'll call out the musical chairs in the C-suite as another cause for concern. Iger stepped down from the CEO role in February 2020, only to come back in November 2022. Disney appears to have trouble coming up with a viable succession plan. The negative developments I just described, which add uncertainty to the outlook, make it easy to understand why the market is pessimistic. Adding fuel to the fire is the fact that both the S&P 500, and a top competitor in Netflix, have generated positive investment returns since Disney hit its peak price in March 2021. The future looks bright Investors should understand and accept the challenges facing Disney. But if you spend less time worrying about the next quarter or even year, and instead turn your attention to the next five years or more, there is a lucrative buying opportunity here. In fiscal 2020, the business reported a diluted earnings per share (EPS) loss of $1.58, a low point. There's been substantial improvement since, as adjusted diluted EPS totaled $3.76 in fiscal 2023 and $5.56 on an annualized basis in Q3 2024. And I believe that this will continue, now that the streaming operations are generating positive operating income, coupled with management's focus on expense cuts. Story continues Don't forget that the legacy networks and the experiences segment (parks, cruises, consumer products) carry stellar operating margins of 37% and 26%, respectively. Disney also deserves credit for consistently paying down its debt. As of June 29, the company carried $47.6 billion of debt on its balance sheet, notably lower than a few years ago. With forecasted free cash flow of $8 billion in fiscal 2024, which would be 63% higher than last fiscal year, the business is heading in the right direction. Take advantage of the valuation Disney's shift to streaming has been a painful one thus far, as the business must continue to foster direct-to-consumer growth but at the same time milk its linear networks for all the profits that it can. But I'm optimistic that it can keep the positive earnings going with its legacy business line, while also working toward expanding its DTC margin. Last quarter was a good first step. Investors can have some peace of mind knowing that Disney has an economic moat protecting its competitive position. I don't believe the company's intangible assets, namely its brand and intellectual property, can be replicated. This is a unique enterprise. Given that the market hates uncertainty, it makes sense why Disney shares have gotten hammered. With clear growth in the horizon, consensus analyst estimates call for adjusted diluted EPS to rise at a yearly rate of 16% between now and fiscal 2029. I don't believe it's a stretch for that pace to continue even after that. The current share price is less than 11 times the fiscal 2029 adjusted diluted EPS projection of $7.90. Assuming Disney fetches the current 23 multiple of the S&P 500, investors are looking at a clear path to a doubling of the stock price. Should you invest $1,000 in Walt Disney right now? Before you buy stock in Walt Disney, 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 Walt Disney 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 Neil Patel and his clients have positions in Walt Disney. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Netflix and Walt Disney. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Prediction: Here's 1 S&P 500 Stock That Can Double Your Money in 5 Years was originally published by The Motley Fool Her Death From 20 Stab Wounds Was Ruled a Suicide. Her Parents Never Bought It and They've Won a Legal Victory Ellen Greenberg had more than 20 stab wounds to her chest, abdomen, head and back of her neck Facebook Ellen Greenberg In 2011, Philadelphia teacher Ellen Greenberg, 27, was found dead from more than 20 stab wounds. Although authorities initially labeled her death as a homicide, the ruling was eventually changed to a suicide, shocking her parents who have long held the belief that Ellen was murdered. Now, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has agreed to hear Ellen's parents' argument over her manner of death ruling, Fox News and CBS News report. Ellen's parents, Joshua Greenberg and Sandee Greenberg, have long believed that Ellen died by homicide and that the investigation was mishandled. They have fought for years to have suicide removed as the manner of death on Ellen's death certificate. Despite losing past legal battles regarding the matter, they may have a chance now to get the ruling officially reexamined. "They [judges] have blatantly said the investigation was faulty on the part of the police, on the part of the medical examiner, on the part of the district attorney," Joshua told CBS News in 2023. According to CBS News, the arguments that will be presented to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court will determine if "executors and administrators of an estate" can challenge a medical examiner's findings on a death certificate. "We couldn't be happier. If we're not going to use the word 'justice,' we're going to use the words 'undecided' or 'homicide' because that's what we believe this is a homicide," Joshua recently told CBS about the decision. "Ellen was brutally murdered." In early 2011, Greenberg's fiance Sam Goldberg returned to their shared residence in Philadelphia, but told investigators he couldn't get inside of the apartment because the swing bar lock inside of the apartment was in use, blocking his entrance. Eventually he forced himself inside and discovered Greenberg deceased in the kitchen. She had suffered more than 20 stab wounds and a 10-inch knife was still in her chest at the time of discovery, according to the investigation report, which was previously reviewed by PEOPLE. She had stab wounds to her chest, abdomen, head and back of her neck as well as a gash on her scalp. 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. Related: Teacher Had 20 Stab Wounds, Yet 2011 Death Was Ruled Suicide Now DA Is Reopening Investigation Her manner of death was changed from homicide to suicide after investigators said they only found Greenberg's DNA on the knife and clothing, according to earlier reporting by PEOPLE. They also claimed there were no signs of foul play. However, Joshua and Sandee's lawyer, Joe Podraza, claimed to Fox News that the knife was never fingerprinted and that there were, in fact, signs of a struggle in the apartment. The outlet also reports, citing unspecified court documents, that the scene was also cleaned before detectives came to investigate. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Her name was on a filing agreeing to be a Cornel West elector. Her question: What's an elector? FILE - Scholar and activist Cornel West, who is running for U.S. president as a third-party candidate in 2024, speaks on Saturday, July 15, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File) PHOENIX (AP) When Denisha Mitchell was asked why she filled out paperwork to serve as an Arizona elector for the independent presidential candidate Cornel West, her first response was What?! Her second: What's an elector? I was shocked and surprised by it all. I didn't even know what an elector was," Mitchell told The Associated Press on Friday. "The crazy thing is it was all forged. None of it was my handwriting. It was definitely not my signature. My email was wrong, my address was wrong." Mitchell's case is the latest example of dubious tactics used in an effort to qualify West, a left-wing academic, for the ballot in states across the U.S. It's also among the more egregious. It's an effort that West himself apparently knows nothing about. His campaign did not immediately respond for comment Friday evening. If you produce information that is a false on filing to a government entity in Arizona, youve committed a felony. Its just not that complicated, said Dennis K. Burke, a former U.S. Attorney in Arizona, who also served as a chief deputy in the state attorney generals office. But as the presidential election enters a critical three-month period, there are efforts around the country to subvert the integrity of the ballot, many of them coming from a collection of conservative activists and Republican-aligned operatives pushing West's candidacy. Republicans and their allies have worked to get West on the ballot in Arizona, Wisconsin, Virginia, North Carolina, Nebraska, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Maine. Their hope is West will serve as a spoiler candidate, boosting former President Donald Trump's chance of winning in November by siphoning liberal support away from the Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, in battleground states that could be decided by just a few thousand votes. While it is not clear who is behind the effort and there is no indication that Trump's campaign is directly involved one thing is certain: It's not West, who has not been actively campaigning and whose presidential committee, records show, was almost $17,000 in debt at the end of June. Since discovering she was signed up to be an elector, Mitchell has signed an affidavit that will be submitted to state authorities next week attesting that she never agreed to serve as an elector and never signed her name to a filing. In Arizona, all independent presidential campaigns are required to submit filings showing that they have a slate of electors who will cast their Electoral College votes for a presidential candidate. But her story is not the only unusual one among the slate of electors for West. One of them, Elizabeth Rothgeb, pleaded guilty to manslaughter after accepting a plea deal stemming from the killing of her then-husband with an ax in 1998. She spent 10 years in prison and was released on Christmas Eve 2010, according to online records from the state prison system. Rothgeb, who could not be reached for comment, is a registered Republican, as are two other electors for West, voting records show. Two additional electors listed in the state filings are not registered to vote at the addresses provided for them, records show. As for Mitchell, she's says she is unsure who filled out the paperwork in her name. She and her husband were both enthusiastic supporters of Bernie Sanders and were drawn to West's progressive message earlier this year. They later took jobs gathering petition signatures to get an initiative on the ballot that would raise the wages of tipped workers. They soured on West's candidacy when they read that Republican-aligned operatives were working to get him on the ballot to play spoiler. We werent for the Republican griminess, so we stopped pushing him, she said. Her former employer, a signature gathering contractor called Wells Marketing, a mysterious Missouri limited liability company, is leading the effort to get West on the ballot in Arizona. The company did not respond to a message seeking comment at a phone number listed for it. I dont know who did it. But because I worked for Wells (Marketing), they do have my information, said Mitchell. The company is closely affiliated with Mark Jacoby a brother-in-law of a Wells Marketing official, according to social media posts who was also listed on state documents as the employer of one signature gatherer working to get West on the ballot in the state. Jacoby is a Republican-aligned operative from California with a longstanding reputation for using deceptive tactics. He was convicted in 2009 of voter registration fraud, court records show. In 2020, Jacoby worked to gather signatures to place the rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, on the ballot. Yes quixotic presidential campaign was widely viewed by Democrats as an effort to dilute Joe Bidens popularity with Black voters. Jacobys firm, Let the Voters Decide, was investigated for using questionable signature gathering tactics during a 2020 petition drive in Michigan that sought to roll back some of Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmers emergency powers during the coronavirus pandemic. No charges came of the investigation. He was accused in 2008 of tricking voters into registering with the California Republican Party by telling them they were signing an initiative to strengthen penalties for child molesters, the Los Angeles Times reported. Jacoby did not answer a call at a number listed to him and his voicemail inbox was full. Similarly unusual efforts have unfolded in other states, as well. In April, The Washington Post reported pro-Trump activist Scott Presler was gathering signatures for West outside a Trump rally in North Carolina. In a video posted online, Presler described West, an academic, as a far-left Marxist who if we get him on the ballot he could take a percentage point away from Biden. But Republican involvement in getting West and his Justice For All party on the ballot in North Carolina ran far deeper. At the beginning of June, disclosures show, West had spent just $2,400 this year to gather the signatures needed to qualify for the ballot in states across the U.S. But then Justice For All submitted well over the roughly 13,800 signatures needed. State government emails obtained by The Associated Press show current and former employees of Blitz Canvassing, a Republican firm that earned millions of dollars doing work for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, helped West pull off the feat. The emails, previously reported by NBC News, show the employees affiliated with Blitz Canvassing were the designated representatives to pick up and drop off petitions for Wests campaign. Ballot access hijinks are nothing new in Arizona, where elections are often decided by fractions of a percentage point. This year, a leader of the conservative group Turning Point Action resigned from the organization and dropped his bid for reelection to the Arizona House of Representatives after he was accused of forging signatures on his nominating petitions. ___ Slodysko reported from Washington. Here's a new look at Elon Musk's 24-hour Hollywood Tesla diner and drive-in Tesla's 24-hour diner and drive-in theater is under construction in Los Angeles. Elon Musk's company broke ground in September after submitting plans to local officials in 2023. The futuristic Supercharging station will have food and entertainment options. Tesla's 24-hour diner and drive-in theater is finally taking shape in Hollywood. Photos taken in the Los Angeles neighborhood showed the latest developments in Elon Musk's project, which he first teased in an X post in 2018. The dirt lot where construction began last September now hosts what appears to be a two-story building with a shiny metallic exterior. Tesla's diner and drive-in theater is based in Hollywood. AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/Getty Images Former Tesla employee Alex Ingram also shared footage of construction efforts in April when he was the company's chief designer. The company has remained tight-lipped on the project, but Bloomberg reported that the site will be a Supercharging station with 28 stalls and two movie screens that can accommodate over 200 people. The screens will show films that last 15 to 30 minutes, about how long it takes to charge a Tesla vehicle. A project description referenced by the outlet said guests can view two movie screens: from the rooftop seating area or their Tesla vehicles. When Musk first mentioned the project six years ago, he described it as an "old school drive-in, roller skates & rock restaurant." Tesla filed an application with the US Trademark Office to use the brand in restaurant services in 2021 but did not submit plans for a 24-hour Supercharging station to Los Angeles officials until 2022. Elon Musk described the Tesla Supercharging station as "futuristic." AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/Getty Images Musk posted about the project again in August 2023, writing, "Our Tesla futuristic diner (Grease meets The Jetsons with Supercharging) in LA should be ready later this year." Although Musk's reach extends to several industries, his decision to create a diner and drive-in will throw him into the world of immersive experiences. These in-person, hands-on experiences are resonating with consumers who are still shaking off the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It's a world ruled by companies like Disney, which owns several theme parks and brands worldwide. But others are vying for a piece of the pie. Netflix House venues will open at two malls in the United States next year, marking the media company's ambitious plan to meet fans in person instead of through a screen. Several Tesla charging stations already have amenities like vending machines and lounges, but this project could be an attempt to transform charging stations into coveted destinations themselves. Representatives for Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. Read the original article on Business Insider Cows stand near a fire that started as a result of missile and drone attacks from Lebanon into Israel. Ilia Yefimovich/dpa In Lebanon, the pro-Iranian Hezbollah said in a statement that it fired a volley of rockets into new areas in northern Israel to retaliate for an attack on Wadi al-Kfour which killed and wounded mainly Syrian civilians. The Hezbollah sources said the areas of Ayelet and Hashahar were targted for the first time today. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said 55 projectiles had been fired. "Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in the area of Ayelet HaShahar in northern Israel, approximately 55 projectiles were identified crossing from Lebanon, some of which fell in open areas," the IDF said. No injuries were reported. "As a result of the projectiles fired into Israel, multiple fires were ignited in the area and Israel Fire and Rescue Services are currently operating at the scene to extinguish them," the IDF said. Earlier, "an IDF soldier was severely injured and another soldier was lightly injured this morning as a result of a projectile that crossed from Lebanon and fell in the area of Misgav Am," the IDF said. The soldiers were evacuated to a hospital for medical treatment and their families have been notified, the IDF said. Ten people died in the Israeli airstrike on an area in southern Lebanon, among them two children, the Lebanese Health Ministry and state media said on Saturday. Those killed were mostly Syrian nationals, the ministry said. SELMA, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) Selmas historic Pioneer Village could be getting a $8.9 million makeover soon if the city council considers adopting a master plan to revamp the area. According to Museum USA, a website that provides smaller museums with the opportunity to increase their visibility and reach, the Pioneer Village features 15 acres of historical buildings from the 1880s. The agenda says the village has been an operating historic building museum since 1980 and features 15 acres of historic buildings that date to the early history of Selma and the surrounding San Joaquin Valley. A city council agenda for Monday, Aug. 19, lists the subject for the consideration of the Pioneer Village Master Plan and it discusses how in August of 2023 officials, staff and many others met to tour the village and began discussing the master plan. The agenda states that the development of the master plan would allow for the city staff to plan for future capital improvement projects as well as pursue grant opportunities to enhance the facility through various funding services. The plan would provide new parking spaces north and east of Cattlemans Restaurant. The plan will also include new parking spaces in front of the Danish building and electric vehicle charging spaces. The City of Selma The City of Selma According to the agenda, the opera house in Pioneer Village, which according to Museum USA was originally the Unger Opera House, will be demolished and replaced with a replica banquet hall that would be approximately 4,800 square feet. The agenda states that the barn in the village and the Edge Comb building are proposed to be demolished due to the determination and unsafe nature of these structures. It is also proposed to add a 50-foot radius turnaround has been added at the end of Art Gonzales Parkway to promote better motorist circulation at the entrance of the park. The agenda states that the existing structures that are not proposed to be demolished or relocated will likely require some upgrades and improvements for consistency with applicable building and accessibility requirements. Phase one of the project, according to the agenda, covers parking improvements. Phase two covers the Banquet Hall and entrance improvements. Phase three would cover the Amphithether and History walk. Phase four would be updates to the historical buildings. The engineers opinion of the cost of the project for all phases would be $8,999,700. This number is based on the concept site plan presented to the council on Feb. 20. The full plan can be found below. Selma-Agenda-8.19Download The city council will have a regular meeting on Aug. 19 to discuss the master plan and to vote on whether it will be adopted. If approved, they will meet again on Aug. 26 to consider the final master plan for the project which will identify the future buildout in phases and estimated costs. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. The historical landmark Mount Zion United Methodist Church is getting a renovation thanks to grant funds learn more about the rich history! Belton, TX (FOX 44) Mount Zion United Methodist Church is not the only black church in Belton, but it is the oldest. It is in disrepair, but with the help of grant money this historic landmark is getting a facelift. The designers, engineers and construction people in the city will be here to do another update and walk through, says Pastor, Patrick Russell. Pastor Patrick Russell grew up in Belton going to church but never expected himself to be a pastor. This is his 4th year as a pastor and he says he couldnt have thought of a better job for him. Buildings come and go, but its extra special when a building has stood for almost 200 years. It survived the test of time. A lot of churches dont make it that long and this one has. So, thats why it has significant importance to the community and the state of Texas, says Pastor Russell. In 1893 the original part of the church was brought from another location that is not too far from where it stands today. Additions have been made, but the original bell from 1844 is still in use today! This portion of the church with the added of the original church is back. Its a whole other section and when that became unusable, they added this on, says Pastor Russell. The church has more than 50 members and when they run out of seating some members have to stand during services. The members are overjoyed that the church is being restored with the grant money. If you are wanting to donate to help the renovations of the church go to https://www.preservationtexas.org/traahprojects/mountzion for more information! Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KWKT - FOX 44. Larry Hogan, the former governor and current Republican nominee for an open U.S. Senate seat in Maryland. File photo by Bryan P. Sears. Former Gov. Larry Hogan (R) is hitting the road frequently over the next five weeks to raise money for his U.S. Senate bid, according to a schedule his campaign fundraisers sent to supporters on Thursday. After leaving the Maryland Association of Counties summer convention in Ocean City, where he is making several appearances including a fundraiser Friday evening at Seacrets, the iconic bayfront bar Hogan will travel Sunday to an evening fundraiser in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. One of the hosts is Chip DiPaula, who served with Hogan in the administration of former Gov. Bob Ehrlich (R), as Ehrlichs chief of staff (Hogan was appointments secretary). Other hosts include real estate executive Gary Gill and Mike Meoli, who owns two dozen McDonalds in Delaware and on the Eastern Shore. Ticket prices start at $1,000 and benefit the Hogan Victory Fund, one of three fundraising entities working to elect Hogan over Prince Georges County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (D) in the race to replace departing U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D). On Wednesday, Hogan will be in the swank Hamptons, on Long Island, for a $3,300-a-head event in Sagaponack, New York. Hosts include philanthropists Barry and Teri Volpert (hes head of an investment firm), Gary Cohn, who served as director of the National Economic Council under former President Donald Trump, George Stamas, a partner in the investment firm Gibson Dunn, and his wife Georgia, an attorney. Two days later, Hogan will be in the resort town of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, for a fundraiser featuring former U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) as the headliner. Event hosts include Ronald Gidwitz, a former cosmetics company executive who served as U.S. ambassador to Belgium and to the European Union under Trump. On Sept. 5, Hogan will be back in Maryland for a young professionals reception in Baltimore County, followed by an event on Sept. 8 in Potomac. In the middle of the month, Hogan will travel to events hosted by current and former high-profile Republican politicians. On Sept. 12, hell be in Nashville, at a fundraiser sponsored by Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) and former Gov. Bill Haslam (R), along with former U.S. Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and Bill Frist, the one-time Senate GOP leader. U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) is listed as the featured speaker. On Sept. 16, Hogan is scheduled to be in Phoenix, at a fundraiser with former Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) as a featured guest. A night later, hell be in Boston, with former Massachusetts Govs. Charlie Baker (R) and Bill Weld (R) as speakers. Baker, whose term as governor coincided with Hogans, often competed with Hogan for the status as the countrys most popular governor. Hes now president of the NCAA. One of the hosts of the Boston event is Christopher Egan, a real estate investor who was U.S. ambassador to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris under former President George W. Bush. Hogan winds up September with at least four more fundraisers in Maryland, including one in Frederick hosted by former state Sen. Michael Hough (R) and former Del. Kathy Afzali (R), both of whom lost races for Frederick County executive. Another of the four fundraisers, a bull roast, is hosted by seven Republican elected officials in Baltimore County. In between the Maryland fundraisers, Hogan is scheduled to cross the Potomac River on Sept. 26 for an event in Reston Station, Virginia, hosted by Dwight Schar, the founder of real estate builder NVR, Inc.; Eric Cantor, the former U.S. House majority leader; Ed Gillespie, a former chair of the Republican National Committee who twice ran unsuccessfully for statewide office in Virginia; former U.S. Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-Va.); and Bobbie Kilberg, the president of the Northern Virginia Technology Council who served as an adviser to five Republican presidents. The fundraising blitz comes in a Senate race that analysts have already said could be one of the costliest in Maryland history. As of their June 30 reports with the Federal Election Commission, Hogan and Alsobrooks had reported raising a total of $19.5 million: $12.5 million for Alsobrooks and $7 million for Hogan. At the time, Alsobrooks had $3.6 million on hand, after a bruising and costly primary. Hogan reported still having $2.7 million in the bank as of June 30. HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) As Horry County students prepare to head back to school on Monday, the district is introducing a seasoned law enforcement and security expert to lead its comprehensive safety and security initiatives. The hiring comes months after the districts last school safety coordinator, David Beaty, was put on administrative leave following a vote of no confidence by the school board. Michael Frederick, who has over 30 years of experience at the municipal, county, state, and federal levels including time as a federal counterterrorism operative, brings a wealth of expertise to his new role as the head of safety and security for Horry County Schools. Frederick spent 10 years as the chief of law enforcement for the South Carolina Public Service Authority and spent time as the Surfside Beach police chief. This job is right in line with my background and passion for public service and protecting the community, he said. Frederick will oversee the districts comprehensive 450-page safety plan, which includes more than just weapon screenings and active shooter drills. Its not just the screening devices, he said. Its the screening procedures, the assessments we do, the intelligence gathering. Its a multi-layered approach. A key focus for Frederick will be fostering a culture of continuous improvement within the districts safety and security team. The mission of the school district is educating the kids; keeping them safe is an overlay on top of that, he said. Frederick acknowledged that the existing security plan is well-designed and well-funded thanks to support from the school board and superintendent. Instead of overhauling the system, Frederick plans to continuously assess and enhance safety measures to keep up with evolving threats and technology. Were constantly evaluating how effective these measures are and making adjustments as needed. If anybody tells you theyve got a security plan that hasnt needed changes for three years, theyre not monitoring that plan, he said. Because the world changes, and when the context changes, you change your plan. Courtesy: Horry County Schools Frederick said he will work to assess safety measures in schools, including requiring the use of clear backpacks. It might turn out theyre the best thing weve ever done. It might turn out that theyre theyre kind of problematic, he said. We wont have any way to know until we you cant be afraid to implement new techniques for fear that it might not work out. With Fredericks extensive background, data-driven mindset and commitment to collaborative, flexible security planning, Horry County Schools is well-positioned to provide a safe and secure learning environment for all students. Everything should move the needle to a point where youre a little bit safer than you were before, Frederick said. Were constantly assessing to make sure were striking that right balance. * * * Savannah Denton joined News 13 in July 2023 as a reporter and producer. Savannah is from Atlanta, Georgia, and is a graduate of the University of Alabama. Follow Savannah on X, formerly Twitter, 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. After many failed attempts to advance their impeachment probe into President Joe Biden, Republicans on the House Oversight Committee are shifting to a new target: Vice President Kamala Harris running mate, Gov. Tim Walz. Oversight Chair Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., on Friday announced an investigation into Walzs ties with China, asking FBI Director Christopher Wray for information about the Minnesota Democrats dealings with the country. Comer wrote in his letter: 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. Comer also claimed that Walz has had problematic engagement with Chinese entities that is antithetical to the effort to identify and defeat CCP unrestricted warfare against America. A spokesperson for Walz told The Washington Post, Republicans are twisting basic facts and desperately lying to distract from the Trump-Vance agenda: praising dictators, and sending American jobs to China. Walzs personal relationship to China is well-documented. He spent a year teaching English in Foshan in southern China, arriving shortly after the Tiananmen Square massacre. For nearly a decade into the early 2000s, he and his wife, Gwen Walz, arranged educational visits to China for high school students. Walz has said that hes traveled to the country around 30 times, including for his honeymoon. Yet Walz has taken positions that would not have endeared him to the Chinese government. As a member of Congress, he met with Tibetan leaders and Chinese dissidents, and he served on a congressional commission that tracks human rights abuses in China. In 2017, he co-sponsored the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act; Jeffrey Ngo, a senior policy and research fellow at the Washington-based Hong Kong Democracy Council, credited its passage years later to Walzs early support. Despite interest from the Chinese public in Walzs history with their country, some experts on Chinese politics have said its unlikely that the relationship between Washington, D.C., and Beijing would ease even if he and Harris take the White House. Still, Walzs approach to U.S. relations with China is arguably more nuanced than many American politicians. I dont fall into the category that China necessarily needs to be an adversarial relationship, Walz said in a 2016 interview. As Donald Trump and his campaign struggle to find an effective point of attack against Walz, Republicans are seizing on an opportunity to portray the governors history with China as something suspicious. With the Oversight Committees investigation, Comer, who as committee chair has a history of partisan investigations into Trump opponents, now takes it up a notch. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com DES MOINES, Iowa The US House Ways and Means Committee came to the Iowa State Fair Friday to discuss the sunset of the Trump era tax cuts in 2017. The lesson we should take from the Trump tax cuts is that when we put working families first, help small businesses succeed, and give Americans the tools to out-compete China, America will win, said Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith. Democrats in Washington including Vice President Harris, they dont see it that way, they look at working families and they see as an ATM to find their big government spending. A series of witnesses were on hand to talk about the positive impacts of the Trump tax cuts. Thanks to lowering the corporate tax rate to 21% Sukup grew their workforce by a third adding 200 well pay manufacturing jobs in our community, said Sukup CEO Steve Sukup. If these tax provisions change, it will be catastrophic for us and many others, said Jolene Riessen, President of the Iowa Corn Growers Association. 5,000 northwest Iowa homes receive FEMA aid after flood With three boys and two working, parents and families benefited immediately from any of the policies included in the TCCA, said Sarah Curry, of the Iowans for Tax Relief Foundation. At the top of the list is the expansion of the child tax credit for my sons, keeping more of our earnings help us with the needs that all parents have for babies and toddlers. 4th District Congressman Randy Feenstra hosted the event talking about the tax deductions and child tax credits going away. If all these things go away, it will have a dramatic effect for families, for small businesses, for main streets, said Feenstra. No Democratic congress members joined the Iowa hearing, but a local democratic leader did attend. I think the bulk of people like that like family, farmers, and hard-working Iowans are not the ones seeing the benefit from this, said Matt Sinovic, of Progress Iowa. I imagine there will be, that there are some that do see the benefits, and those are, like I said, extremely wealthy and thats what every bit of research shows. After the hearing panel members took a walk through the Iowa State Fair. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. House where William Blake wrote Jerusalem to be saved from collapse and turned into national museum The 18th-century cottage where William Blake wrote Jerusalem will become a site of literary memory after it secured funding to protect it from being lost forever. Blakes Cottage, in the seaside village of Felpham in West Sussex, has experienced decades of neglect, and now suffers from crumbling walls, a collapsing thatched roof and rotting rafters, The Sunday Telegraph can reveal. But after years of uncertainty, the World Monuments Fund Britain will announce this week that it has offered a grant recognising a site of literary memory, of national and international significance. Some 55,000 has been made available, including support from the Foyle Foundation and Foulerton Charitable Trust. It will enable the buildings immediate protection, funding a covering for the thatched roof that was about to collapse. Now there are plans to renovate the building and open it to the public for the first time, turning Blakes Cottage into a literary place of pilgrimage, along with William Shakespeares birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon and William Wordsworths Dove Cottage in the Lake District. It was in that brick-and-flint former ploughmans cottage that Blake lived for three years from 1800, writing his epic poem Milton, with the hymn Jerusalem. An 1807 portrait of William Blake - THE PRINT COLLECTOR/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO Felpham was his own green and pleasant land. In one letter, he described it as the sweetest spot on earth and, in verse, he wrote: Away to sweet Felpham, for Heaven is there/ The Ladder of Angels descends thro the Air. The Blake Cottage Trust bought the cottage in 2015 from a family that had owned it since 1917. A new board of trustees is now raising funds to open the building to the public in 2027, the 200th anniversary of Blakes death. Doug Nicholls, the Trusts chairman, told The Telegraph that Blake lived there with his wife, Catherine, for only three years but they were very significant years. He spoke of the heartbreaking sight of rafters snapping in the middle and thatch that is sinking under the weight of the rain. While the new funding will keep it water-tight, the next phase is replacing the rotting timber rafters and thatch and eventually recreating Blakes home, for which up to 4 million will need to be raised. An interior shot of the cottage, showing some of the damage - THE HISTORIC ENGLAND ARCHIVE/HISTORIC ENGLAND They plan to build a faithful replica of his printing machine and to use the latest virtual reality technology. Mr Nicholls said: You can have a hologram of Blake and Catherine, for example, and access to all their works digitally. He spoke of Blakes enduring popularity: Youve only got to look at the number of writers, poets, visual artists and musicians, whove been deeply influenced by him. Such is Blakes enduring appeal that a copy of Songs of Innocence and of Experience Shewing the Two Contrary States of the Human Soul a masterpiece of art and literature which he printed on a relief-printing process that he invented was sold in June by Sothebys New York for a record $4.3m. The art historian Andrew Graham-Dixon said that Blakes Cottage is the one building in Britain he would like to see saved and protected and thriving as an artistic 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. HONOLULU (KHON2) Honolulu Police Department (HPD) is actively searching for a Waiawa Correctional Facility escapee Irvin T. Agres, 41, who was reported missing around 8:45 a.m. Irvin T. Agres, 41, escapes from Waiawa Correctional Facility on Friday. Agres is 5-feet, 5-inches tall and weighs approximately 155 pounds. He has brown eyes and brown hair. Agres is a minimum custody inmate serving time for a parole violation relating to a first-degree robbery conviction. He now faces an additional escape charge. The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information on Agres whereabouts is asked to call 911 or state Sheriffs at 808-586-1352. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Here is how the Human Rights Campaign will be queering the Democratic National Convention As the Democratic National Convention prepares to kick off in Chicago next week, the Human Rights Campaign is set to bring LGBTQ -centered programming to the forefront. Starting on Sunday, HRC will lead efforts to ensure that LGBTQ+ voices are both heard and celebrated, offering a vibrant contrast to the often hostile rhetoric aimed at the community by Republicans in todays political landscape. Brandon Wolf, the national press secretary for HRC, shared his excitement with The Advocate about the convention and the organizations ambitious plans. The energy is real, Wolf said. People really are excited, people really are hopeful, theyre feeling inspired. This energy, he explained, stems from the surge in enthusiasm that has gripped the Democratic Party since President Joe Biden announced in July that he would not be standing for reelection, passing the torch to Vice President Kamala Harris , who has chosen Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota as her running mate. Wolf took a moment to heap praise on Biden. President Biden does not get enough credit for the work that he has done broadly, Wolf said. Hes been a remarkable president whos gotten an immense amount of good done for the American people in a very short amount of timepulling us out of a once-in-a-generation pandemic, putting the economy back together when it was on the brink, and advancing equality and freedom for people, especially LGBTQ+ people. HRCs programming will begin with Queering Sunday, an event taking over Chicagos North Halsted District a popular LGBTQ+ neighborhood. Everybody loves a good Sunday fun day with the LGBTQ+ community, Wolf remarked. It will serve as a joyous kickoff to a week packed with panels, discussions, and gatherings to mobilize the LGBTQ+ community in the lead-up to Novembers election, he said. On Monday, HRC will host a creator studio at McCormick Place, where attendees can share their stories, sign up to volunteer, and pick up some exclusive Harris-Walz merchandise. According to Wolf, the studio will be a hub of activity, providing a space for attendees to engage directly with the campaign and each other. HRCs Mondays LGBTQ+ convention kickoff event will feature panels with prominent voices like actors Wilson Cruz and Sophia Bush, journalists Eugene Daniels and Charlotte Clymer, influencer and author Blair Imani, and Delaware State Sen. Sarah McBride, who is poised to be the first transgender person elected to Congress. The panels will explore how to engage the LGBTQ+ community digitally and what messaging is most effective in todays charged political environment. Daniels and HRC vice president of Strategic Outreach & Engagement Nik Harris will host the conversation. The most high-profile convention speeches will happen during the evening events at the United Center, the primary venue for the conventions prime-time programming. Biden will speak Monday night to open the convention with a tribute to his presidency. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will also address the convention on Monday. On Tuesday night, former President Barack Obama is expected to take the stage, followed by former President Bill Clinton on Wednesday, who will deliver remarks before Walz is formally introduced as the Democratic vice-presidential nominee. Harris will close out the convention with her acceptance speech on Thursday night, solidifying her position as the Democratic nominee. The convention will also feature a series of DNC Constituency Caucus and Council meetings, providing a platform for various communities to discuss and highlight critical issues. The LGBTQ+ Caucus meetings will feature prominent speakers such as Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey on Monday and McBride on Wednesday. Tuesday brings an invitation-only event co-hosted by HRC and Planned Parenthood. This partnership, Wolf explained, is a natural fit. For us, its we show up; for them, its we decide. Thats kind of the message, right? We show up, and we decide what happens in this election cycle. Wolf said HRCs programming will conclude with house parties organized by the organizations more than 50 steering committees nationwide. He explained that these gatherings are more than just social events; theyre strategic efforts to build momentum and ensure that the energy generated at the convention translates into action at the polls. Harris has a long and storied record of support for the LGBTQ+ community, which Wolf was keen to highlight. Kamala Harris has been a champion for LGBTQ+ people for her entire careerboldly, unapologetically, Wolf said. He recalled her early advocacy, including officiating some of the first same-sex marriages in the country in 2004 as San Francisco district attorney and refusing to defend Californias discriminatory Prop 8 as attorney general. This is a person whos been a champion for LGBTQ+ people throughout her career, he emphasized. Harriss deep connection with the LGBTQ+ community was on full display during a Pride Month reception at the vice presidents residence at the Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C. , in June, where she hosted a celebration honoring LGBTQ+ lives and progress. At that event, Wolf introduced Harris , calling her a leader who has always chosen to stand up for us. Harris, in turn, spoke about the importance of remembering the struggles and sacrifices of the LGBTQ+ community while persisting in the fight for equality and justice. A captivating aspect of Harriss energized campaign has been her embrace of Beyonces powerful anthem, Freedom, as her campaign theme song. The song, which has become synonymous with empowerment and resistance, was given special permission by Beyonce herself to be used by the Harris-Walz campaigna rare move by the superstar, known for her selective music licensing. Wolf touched on a lighter, yet equally exciting, possibility: a rumored surprise appearance by Beyonce at the convention. Kelley Robinson, HRCs president, has been open about her admiration for the superstar, as she told The Advocate in a June interview. Robinson, a self-proclaimed uber-fan, described how Beyonces work, especially her Renaissance tour, has been a powerful celebration of Black queer culture. Of course, I hope Beyonce is there, Wolf said with a laugh. But I also just want to say now were going to need medical assistance available for Kelley Robinson because she may faint if Beyonce strolls out on stage. Three hundred voices sang Venezuelas national anthem at the Centennial Park Bandshell on Saturday afternoon, as a lone violin eked out the strains of Gloria al Bravo Pueblo" glory to the brave people and a dozen red, yellow and blue Venezuelan flags fluttered in the breeze. A few hundred protestors at Centennial Park in Nashville joined thousands of Venezuelans around the world in raising their protest against Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduros regime on Saturday. This is not the first such protest in Nashville since the election, and three other similar rallies took place across Tennessee today. "Viva Venezuela! the crowd cried out at the end of the song. Libertad! Libertad! People of all ages from babies in strollers to grandparents joined the demonstration, wearing hats and shirts in Venezuelas national colors, as a bouquet of balloons in red, yellow and blue floated above in the 96 degree weather. Many held aloft printouts of their voting records in a plea for the results of last month's election to be respected by the world. Maduro claims he won the election last month. The opposition claims Maduro stole the election. Opposition party Gano Venezuela has published voting records online that show Edmundo Gonzalez won. Maduro insists that he won fairly and has taken violent steps to quash dissenting protests. His government has arrested thousands of Venezuelans for protesting the election, and lawmakers are moving to shut down social media sites to tamp down demonstrations. At least 24 people have been killed and 200 more injured in post-election protests. U.S. President Joe Biden has recognized Gonzalez as winner of the election but not yet recognized him as Venezuelas president. Leaders in Brazil and Columbia have called for new elections an effort rejected by opposition leader Maria Corina Machado. Machado called for Venezuelans around the world to assemble in global protest this weekend, in a movement called Por La Verdad or for the truth. Machado encouraged demonstrators to bring printouts of their voting records and flags to celebrate Gonzalez victory. In Nashville, speaker Jesus Martinez said that Venezuelans around the world, from Nashville to Tokyo to Caracas all at the same moment on Saturday are unified in recognizing Gonzalez, whom he called president elect. The crowd erupted in cheers as he declared that Gonzalez won with a resounding majority. Es la verdad, he said, holding up a long, receipt-shaped voting record as the crowd cheered. Martinez highlighted the unknowns that the Maduro regimes response to the election results has brought for Venezuelans around the world. In the crowd, people held signs with sentiments of longing for freedom and objection to Maduros regime. Nadie quiso emigbar la dictatadura nos obligo, one sign read. No one wanted to emigrate, the dictatorship forced us. About 8 million Venezuelans have emigrated in the last 10 years, as Maduros regime has shattered democratic institutions there and cratered the national economy. Tienen que irse abajo como todas las estatuas de Chavez, another sign declared. They have to come down like all the statues of Chavez. Following the election, protestors have toppled several statues of former President Hugo Chavez, who picked Maduro to succeed him. Some have been beheaded with sledgehammers, others completely torn down. La verdad nos hara libres," another sign said. "The truth will set us free." This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Hundreds protest Maduro's regime, call for free Venezuela in Nashville MADERA, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) Deer season starts Saturday, and hunters across four hunt zones, including Madera, are now required to test their catches for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced Friday. The zones where testing is required include D7, X9a, X9b and X9c. A map of the zones can be found online. The regulations are in response to recent CWD detections in the area. Fish and Wildlife says the tests will help them better understand the extent of the current outbreak, inform decision-makers, and help protect Californias deer and elk herds by limiting the spread of CWD. The department says hunters will have 10 days to complete the testing. Hunters in the mandatory sampling zones are also required to provide their name, GO ID, deer tag or document number, and harvest location along with their samples. A how-to-video, printable guide, and data card for CWD sampling, data collection and self-sample submissions can be found on CDFWs website. Permissible CWD sampling methods include: Bringing the deer, or just the head, to a California CWD sampling station or CDFW office (wildlife.ca.gov/CWD/Sampling-Station) Bringing the deer head to a participating meat processor or taxidermist (wildlife.ca.gov/CWD/Meat-Processors-Taxidermists) Hunters may self-sample their deer and bring the retropharyngeal lymph nodes directly to a California CWD sampling station or CDFW office (wildlife.ca.gov/CWD/Sampling-Station) Hunters in California have always played a vital role in the conservation and health of our deer herds, and we need their help today more than ever to help manage CWD, said Dr. Brandon Munk, senior wildlife veterinarian at CDFW. CDFW says hunters can check test results by entering their document/tag number in the Find Your CWD Testing Results section of CDFWs Chronic Wasting Disease Surveillance web pages. Result will be posted within three to five weeks of testing. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. A Norwegian Cruise scheduled to leave Boston Friday for Bermuda was delayed because of Hurricane Ernesto. Michelle Pitcher, Director of the Bermuda Weather Service said cruise ships left the island early and cruises coming in were delayed. Norwegian Cruise Lines said this includes the Norwegian Gem that was scheduled to leave the Black Falcon Terminal in Bostons Seaport Friday. The company said the ship will now be arriving in Bermuda on Monday. Pitcher said she expects the tourism loss to be minimal. Theres a lot of decline in tourism around hurricanes but we usually recover very quickly so the economic loss isnt felt too harshly just a couple of weeks, said Pitcher. She said Bermudas airport and Public Transportation shut down Friday night. All Boston flights to Bermuda scheduled for Saturday were canceled. Pitcher said she expected the Bermuda airport to reopen around noon Sunday. Were very resilient, she said. Boston 25 reached out to Norwegian to see how passengers trips are affected and if theyll be partially reimbursed, we havent yet heard back. 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 The National Hurricane Center says the storm is slowing down but warned that the U.S. could see "dangerous beach conditions" until early next week. A man boarded up a house to protect it from the approaching Hurricane Ernesto in Bermuda on Friday. (Mary F. Calvert/Reuters) Hurricane Ernesto made landfall in Bermuda on Saturday as a Category 1 storm. The Weather Channel reported that as of 5 a.m. ET on Sunday morning, half of Bermuda was without power due to storm-related damage. The National Hurricane Center said in its latest advisory that Ernesto's center is now moving away from Bermuda and toward the East Coast of the United States. It's expected to bring "dangerous beach conditions" and potentially "life-threatening surf and rip current conditions" to North Carolina and South Carolina, as well as the Bahamas and Bermuda, over the next couple of days, though it's not likely to make landfall in the U.S. By Monday night, Ernesto is expected to pass near southeastern Newfoundland, Canada, forecasters said. Where is the storm, exactly? Ernesto's location as of Sunday morning. (National Weather Service) As of 5 a.m. ET, Ernesto was moving away from Bermuda. Location: Around 690 miles south of Halifax, Nova Scotia Maximum sustained winds: 70 mph Present movement: North-northeast at 9 mph What are the watches and warnings? Life-threatening rip currents are possible along the East Coast of the United States, particularly in North Carolina and South Carolina, as Ernesto continues to churn in the Atlantic, per the Weather Channel. Beachgoers should use extreme caution. As of Sunday morning, lifeguards in Wrightsville Beach, N.C., reported 23 rip current rescues. Meanwhile in Tybee Island, Ga., lifeguards reported at least four mild, ongoing rip currents in the area. According to the National Weather Service, over 630,000 people were under high surf advisory with over 10.2 million residents currently living in rip current situations. What are the biggest risks associated with Ernesto? Strong winds, flooding and rip currents are some of the main concerns for the Bahamas, Bermuda, states along the East Coast of the U.S. as well as Newfoundland, Canada. The hurricane center advises the swells generated by Ernesto may cause "life-threatening surf and rip current conditions" in these areas. The center of Ernesto is expected to pass near southeastern Newfoundland late Monday. Thousands without power in Puerto Rico and Bermuda Satellite video of the Atlantic Ocean, showing Hurricane Ernesto. Electricity and water have been restored to Puerto Rico in recent days, but more than 85,000 customers were still without power on Sunday morning, while around 100,000 customers were still without water, according to a Puerto Rico Emergency Portal System. President Biden has approved federal assistance requested by the governor of Puerto Rico. Meanwhile, cruise lines like Carnival, Celebrity and Norwegian that had ships planning to travel to the northern Caribbean have reportedly adjusted their itineraries to avoid Ernesto. The Weather Channel reported that "half of Bermuda is without power" as of 5 a.m. on Sunday morning. What damage has Ernesto done? Photos showing the damage caused by Ernesto's heavy rains and strong winds in Puerto Rico are starting to emerge: The La Plata River overflows onto a road where Ernesto passed through in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, as a tropical storm on Aug. 14. (Alejandro Granadillo/AP) The damage wrought by Ernesto after if hit Fajardo, Puerto Rico, on Aug. 14. (Jaydee Lee Serrano/AFP via Getty Images) A drone view shows a bridge submerged by the flooded La Plata River in the aftermath of Ernesto in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, on Aug. 14. (Ricardo Arduengo/Reuters) A man surveys the damage to his boat in the aftermath of Ernesto in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, on Aug. 14. (Ricardo Arduengo/Reuters) A bridge submerged by the flooded La Plata River is seen in the aftermath of Ernesto, in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, on Aug. 14. (Ricardo Arduengo/Reuters) People survey the damage to a restaurant from Ernesto in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, on Aug. 14. (Ricardo Arduengo/Reuters) This is an ongoing story; please refresh for the latest updates. By Jasmine Patterson and Nicola Muirhead BERMUDA (Reuters) -Hurricane Ernesto knocked out power, downed trees and flooded parts of Bermuda on Saturday but the British island territory appeared to have escaped major injuries or property damage, officials said after an initial assessment. The Category 1 storm unleashed powerful winds and whipped up 35-foot (10-meter) seas, leading to power loss for 71% of the territory's 36,000 customers, officials said. "I'm happy to report that there have been no calls for service for any major incidents or damage to any property, and those calls that we've received over the last six hours or so are primarily flooding," risk management official Lyndon Raynor said on a government video update. Some 5.9 inches (150 mm) of rain had fallen and more was expected from the back end of the storm, Michelle Pitcher, director of the Bermuda Weather Service, said on the video. The U.S. National Weather Service said the hurricane was tracking north-northeast. As of 5 p.m. EDT (2100 GMT), it had moved about 85 miles (135 km) past Bermuda, which lies some 600 miles (1,000 km) off the Carolina coast, and was expected to continue moving away on Saturday. The center of the storm is forecast to approach southeastern Newfoundland in Canada late on Monday, the U.S. weather service said. Maximum sustained winds blew at 75 mph (120 kph) and were predicted to hold at that speed for another 48 hours, after which they should weaken, the U.S. weather service said. Bermuda, an archipelago with a population of around 64,000, received a roughly three-hour respite when Ernesto's eye passed over the island early Saturday, but battering rain and wind resumed. The winds were expected to weaken by late Saturday, Pitcher said. "I think that brings some comfort that we are nearing the end of Hurricane Ernesto but we are not there yet," added Michael Weeks, Bermuda's national security minister. Electric utility BELCO said the storm caused near island-wide outages, with about 25,800 customers without power as of Saturday afternoon. (Reporting by Jasmine Patterson and Nicola Muirhead in Bermuda; Writing by Daniel Trotta; Editing by William Mallard, Ana Nicolaci da Costa, Diane Craft, Paul Simao and Cynthia Osterman) On Aug. 1, popular burger chain Shake Shack (NYSE: SHAK) reported financial results for its fiscal second quarter, showing revenue growth of 16%. That was almost as good as the 18% revenue growth Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) reported in its second quarter. This is normal. The two chains have grown at a similar pace over the last five years with Shake Shack slightly outpacing Chipotle. But if you invested $1,000 in Chipotle stock five years ago, you'd have nearly $3,200 now. If you had done the same thing with Shake Shack stock, you'd have just $1,100 today. Revenue growth is one of the most important things to look for when investing in stocks, but it's far from the only thing. And one chart shows why Shake Shack's growth hasn't enriched its shareholders like it has for Chipotle investors. The one chart you have to see to believe When companies initially go public, they sell shares to investors to raise capital. But the share count changes thereafter. Companies can issue new shares to raise more money or pay employees, which increases the number of shares outstanding. And these companies can also use profits to repurchase shares from investors, which reduces the number of shares outstanding. For its part, Chipotle has modestly reduced its share count over the last five years, while Shake Shack's share count increased dramatically. Therefore, while the latter's revenue has more than doubled, its revenue per share is only up about 50%. CMG Revenue (TTM) Chart There's no way to know for sure, but if Shake Shack's share count had held steady or even decreased over the last five years, I would wager the stock would be beating the S&P 500 over this time. After all, its growth has been stellar. But the rising share count has diluted shareholder value, undoing much of the positive effect from its top line. What about the next five years? The good news here for Shake Shack shareholders is that things could be different over the next five years. The company offers stock-based compensation to managers to better align them with the company. But much of what's happened in the past was related to an incentive plan adopted in 2015, and things are slowing down. Last quarter, Shake Shack's diluted-share count actually dropped on a year-over-year basis. Granted, management didn't reduce the share count with share repurchases. Rather, some potential compensation has been forfeited. Still, this does suggest Shake Shack is starting to turn the corner on this issue, meaning its revenue-per-share growth might soon more closely resemble its actual revenue growth. That could be a big deal. Story continues As I mentioned, revenue growth is important for stocks. Shake Shack has growth in spades -- it opened nearly 80 new locations over the past year, many of which are owned by the company. Revenue could continue to grow at a double-digit pace for years. Moreover, Shake Shack is profitable, another important factor in how a stock performs. The company had operating income of nearly $11 million in its fiscal Q2. And with ongoing investment in technology to keep labor expenses in check, that number should climb higher. To be clear, I'm not personally ready to give Shake Shack the benefit of the doubt. Investors can afford to be patient for now, waiting to see if recent trends continue. But I'm willing to watch the business more closely going forward because the company's growth may finally be on the cusp of better rewarding shareholders in the coming years. Should you invest $1,000 in Shake Shack right now? Before you buy stock in Shake Shack, 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 Shake Shack 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 $763,374!* 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 Jon Quast has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Chipotle Mexican Grill. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: short September 2024 $52 puts on Chipotle Mexican Grill. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Shake Shack Has Outgrown Chipotle Over the Last 5 Years. This 1 Chart Shows Why Chipotle Is Still Crushing Shake Shack in the Stock Market was originally published by The Motley Fool President Joe Biden signed a proclamation on Friday to designate the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument on the 116th anniversary of the deadly riot in the state capital. Were allowing history to be written what happened so our children, our grandchildren, everybody understands what happened and what could still happen, Biden said at an Oval Office ceremony to designate the monument. Illinois House Speaker Emanuel Chris Welch the first Black man to hold that position in Illinois said he became emotional while attending the White House ceremony upon an invite from Bidens staff. That race riot led to the creation of the NAACP, which led to Thurgood Marshall, which led to Brown versus Board of Education, and so many big victories in this country when it comes to race relations, Welch said in a phone interview. You have to say that it was this that led to the creation of opportunities for people like me to become the first Black speaker. In August 1908, a white mob lynched two Black men, Scott Burton and William K. Donnegan, and burned down homes and businesses in the citys Black community. The riots were spurred by the mob seeking to lynch two men held in the Sangamon County Jail, Joe James and George Richardson. James had been accused and was later convicted in the county of murdering a white man, while Richardson was accused of sexually assaulting a white woman who later signed a statement saying she had falsified the allegation. Bidens proclamation said the deadly event was emblematic of the racism, intimidation, violence, and lynchings that Black Americans experienced in communities across the country in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. The monument will be located between N. 9th and 11th streets, and between E. Mason and E. Madison streets. Welch said its important to emphasize history to avoid repeating it, and he mentioned the July 6 killing of Sonya Massey, a Black woman, by a white police officer. We have a party in this country right now that would love to erase history. They want us to forget a lot of the things that make America, America, he said. And I think its important that we continue to recognize the significance of these events and make sure folks remember what occurred in this country. Video: Biden rolls out migration order that aims to shut down asylum requests MIAMI (AP) Roberto Garcia crossed the border from Mexico in 2009 looking for a better life. For the past eight years, he has been married to an American woman, and they have three kids who are all American citizens. The only one in the family who is not is Garcia. Seven years ago, he applied to legalize his status through a process that, if approved, would still require him to return to Mexico with no guarantee that he would be allowed back into the United States. The possibility of being separated from his family or in a worst case scenario being unable to return home to Los Angeles has been stressful. So has the wait. It has been seven years and Garcia has not yet gotten an appointment at the U.S. Consulate in Ciudad Juarez, just across the border in Mexico. They had no fear: Group tracked Tampa Bay business owners, broke into their homes, stole $1.7M, Judd says Now, a Biden administration program launching Monday will allow some spouses of U.S. citizens without legal permission to stay in the U.S. to legalize their status without leaving the country. That is giving Garcia, and others like him, new hope. Finally, there is a light that this is possible, the 37-year-old said. I imagine I will soon have the important documents that so many people want to have. The new program offers a rare opportunity to erase the threat of deportation and one day earn citizenship. But tempering that excitement is concern: Who will benefit from what has been described as the most expansive U.S. protections for immigrants in over a decade? Will the program face legal challenges? And most important, will it survive the presidential election? Under the policy Democratic President Joe Biden announced in June, many spouses without legal status will be able to apply for something called parole in place, offering permission to stay in the U.S., apply for a green card and eventually get on a path to citizenship. To be eligible, they must have been continuously in the U.S. for at least 10 years, not pose a security threat or have a disqualifying criminal history, and have been married to a citizen by June 17 the day before the program was announced. They must pay a $580 fee to apply and fill out a lengthy application, including an explanation of why they deserve humanitarian parole and a long list of supporting documents proving how long they have been in the country. They apply to the Department of Homeland Security, and if approved, have three years to seek permanent residency. During that period, they can get work authorization. The administration estimates about 500,000 people could be eligible, plus about 50,000 of their children. Youre canni-busted: 3 arrested for running marijuana dispensary out of Cannibus Before this program, it was complicated for people who were in the U.S. illegally to get a green card after marrying an American citizen. They can be required to return to their home country often for years and they always face the risk they may not be allowed back in. News of Bidens program set off a flurry of activity nationwide as couples checked whether they were eligible. Immigrant groups have reached out to help people understand the program and battle misinformation. Some launched radio ads. Theres definitely a lot of interest but also a lot of concerns, said Carolina Castaneda, a staff attorney with the Immigrant Legal Resource Center in Californias Central Valley. Activists and lawyers say they and applicants are weighing whether it is a risk to apply, if the program will survive possible Republican lawsuits and what happens if Republican Donald Trump who has vowed to deport millions of immigrants is back in the White House. There has been far more hesitancy compared with the excitement that greeted the launch of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, which protected people brought to the country as children from deportation, said Karla Aguayo, director of legal services at CHIRLA, the Los Angeles-based Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights. When DACA was announced in 2012, she said thousands of people lined up outside the organizations office. For the new program, it has just been a few couples. While DACA had a much bigger applicant pool, the immigrant community has seen how these policies get caught up in the courts, Aguayo said. People are like, This is nice, but how long will it last? she said. The organization has posted information about the new program online and held information sessions and one-on-one appointments with clients. Those likely to qualify can come back Monday to apply. The eligible couples are excited, she said, coming with an accordion file of documents that they want reviewed. But, she said, her group is discovering that a majority of people it sees will not qualify. One of the biggest reasons: Many returned to their home country at some point often for big life events like a dying family member and reentry makes them ineligible. For Maria Zambrano, the possibility that Trump wins the presidential election and ends the policy adds to the urgency. Pasco homeowner loses his home after signing up for home improvement funding program We have to react as soon as possible and apply as soon as possible, said the 56-year-old resident of Bal Harbour, Florida. She came to the U.S. from Colombia in 2001 and has not gone back. She works as a Spanish language tutor and has her own company. Seven years ago, she married a U.S. citizen, and like Garcia, applied for legal status but still has to interview at a U.S. Consulate in Colombia. She has been waiting for that appointment for more than two years. Now, she has a chance to avoid the risky trip out of the U.S. Immigrants who, unlike Garcia and Zambrano, are not already on the governments radar may fear the risk of applying, especially if Trump is president. His administration would know who and where they are, said Charles Kuck, an Atlanta-based immigration attorney. Is there a risk associated with this? One hundred percent, Kuck said. This type of program should have been rolled out a few years ago, not months before an election, Kuck said. He is advising clients to wait to see who wins. Garcia and Zambrano already are thinking about how this opportunity can change their lives. Garcia and his 44-year-old wife, Maria, have an appointment with their immigration attorney the day after the government begins accepting applications on Monday. Maria, who had an accident a year ago and cannot work, said: My biggest fear is that he wont be able to come back, if Garcia travels to Ciudad Juarez. As the familys sole breadwinner and the one who does things like take the kids to school, Garcia said he cannot take that risk even if he were to finally get an appointment. As for Zambrano, she will be able to travel home to visit her parents and brothers. She can get a drivers license, health insurance, a house and maybe even vote one day. Garcia, who said he has paid taxes since 2010 and is studying for his contractors license, also dreams of what he can do with a green card. On the top of his mind: going to Mexico to see his parents and seven brothers for the first time in 15 years. Its been many years of not seeing them, not talking to them face to face, Garcia said. I try not to think about 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 WFLA. Earlier this year, the Senate passed $95 billion in foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. The fact that lawmakers ultimately voted so overwhelmingly in favor of the long-delayed legislation underscores the growing bipartisan concern over escalating tensions in several corners of the world. Such threats come at an especially challenging time for the United States military. Last year, the Army fell short of its recruitment goal by about 10,000 soldiers. Responding to these emerging challenges will require the U.S. military to find ways to bolster its ranks. Fortunately, the country already has a powerful, if underutilized, recruitment tool at its disposal: tuition assistance. Education benefits have long ranked among the primary reasons people join the military. They are also essential for ensuring our military members can succeed in civilian life, helping them secure strong careers while providing the countrys labor force with a steady pipeline of experienced and disciplined talent. Fewer troops are using Tuition Assistance benefits However, these benefits have struggled to keep pace with the evolving needs of service members. In recent years, the buying power of the militarys tuition assistance program has begun to rapidly diminish. Furthermore, a recent report from Rand Corp. found that military transition programs provide minimal support in helping service members and veterans actually translate their skills and experience to the labor market. Higher education should be a crucial bridge between military service and civilian employment, yet many programs designed for service members and veterans are falling short. The United States has a moral obligation to support military members during and after their service. It also has a clear national security incentive to invest in the training and development of its service members. Here are three ways the United States can enhance and modernize education benefits for military members. Raise the cap on tuition assistance While the Department of Defenses Tuition Assistance program provides financial aid to active-duty service members, those funds are capped at $250 per credit hour and at $4,500 per year. Based on DOD data, if a service member were to rely solely on this program to pay for college, it would take them seven years to earn an associates degree. With many service members going to college with the goal of earning a credential that can quickly help them transition to a well-paying civilian career, thats a delay very few can afford. Astoundingly, the cap has remained unchanged for more than two decades. The same cant be said for tuition and fees, which have dramatically risen over the same time frame, putting increasing financial strain on our service members and their families. Tuition assistance programs mean very little if they do not provide enough funding for service members to complete their education and earn a credential of value in a timely fashion. It is long past time to revise the tuition assistance cap so that it reflects the true costs of higher education today. Raise appropriations Of course, the Defense Department cannot better fund tuition assistance and other education benefits for military members without a commensurate increase in its budget for such programs. Congress demands answers on Armys tuition assistance failure Current levels of funding not only create challenges for military learners but the institutions serving them. With each passing year, participating in the tuition assistance program becomes less and less cost-effective for colleges and universities. A growing number of institutions are already opting out, citing their inability to sustain their support for active-duty service members with the resources currently available to them. Alarmingly, the Army is now reportedly considering potential cuts to its education benefits, following similar cuts made by military branches during the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath. These measures have only hastened the decline of the programs impact. Lawmakers should act to secure additional funding to expand the Defense Departments education benefits. With Congress currently weighing President Bidens request for $850 billion in Defense Department spending for 2025, even a significant increase in appropriations for tuition assistance would constitute just a small fraction of the overall DOD budget. At the same time, policymakers can work to tie those dollars to institutional outcomes, helping ensure that such funds not only open the door to education and training for service members but help create clear pathways to employment. Raise awareness There is a great need to build awareness not only about the necessity of improving military education benefits but also about the existence of such benefits in the first place. A 2017 Rand study found that a surprising number of new recruits are unaware of the education benefits available to them, with less than a quarter being familiar with the tuition assistance program. Just 20% of service members currently use the benefit. As higher education leaders, military leaders and policymakers work to improve and modernize these programs, they should also ensure that more recruits and service members are informed of and motivated by the educational opportunities the military can provide. Amid escalating global tensions and a challenging recruitment landscape, the United States will need to intensify its efforts to maintain a robust and capable military. Enhancing and modernizing education benefits represents an investment in both the individual futures of our service members and the long-term security of the nation. Meg OGrady is senior vice president of Military and Government Programs at National University. With 25-plus years of experience, Meg is a nationally recognized expert on creating employment, transition, education and outreach programs that engage the military community. Inaugural Community Garage Sale looks to prepare families for new school year PECOS, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) The Reeves County Civic Center recently hosted the inaugural Community Garage Sale, an event designed to support local families and students as they get ready for the new school year. On Saturday, August 17, the Civic Center welcomed community members from all walks of life, with a focus on providing essential back-to-school items at affordable prices. Gently used items contributed by generous local vendors were available for purchase, ensuring every student could start the school year equipped for success. This event embodies the spirit of community, said Marisa Florez, the event coordinator and a dedicated local realtor. Our goal was to create a space where people could find necessary school supplies without financial strain, while also fostering a sense of togetherness and mutual support. The Community Garage Sale was also a respite from the heat for vendors, offering a cool, safe environment to showcase their items. RELATED: Heat tips for the back to school season Im thrilled with the turnout and the positive impact weve seen, Florez remarked. Our hope is to expand this event in the coming years, drawing in more participants and offering even greater support to our local families. If you missed this years event, Florez plans to continue this initiative in the future, further enriching the community and enhancing the back-to-school experience for everyone. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. An independent who avoided politics is now organizing for Harris. Shes not the only Indian American coming off the sidelines On a recent Sunday afternoon, Vineeta Gupta hosted 20 Indian American women at her home in Silver Spring, Maryland. Fueled by chana masala, naan and rice pudding, they wrote hundreds of postcards in an appeal to fellow South Asians. Their message: Vote Kamala Harris for the next president of the United States. Organizing for a political candidate was a highly unusual move for Gupta, a 61-year-old physician and human rights lawyer who immigrated to the US from India in 2003. Despite advocating various social justice causes, Gupta a registered independent had never involved herself in electoral politics outside of voting. That changed last month when Harris, the daughter of Indian and Jamaican immigrants, rose to the top of the Democratic ticket after President Joe Biden announced he wouldnt seek reelection. Gupta joined several WhatsApp groups of politically activated South Asian Americans. She participated in a South Asian Women for Harris Zoom call. She appealed to skeptical women of color on LinkedIn. On August 6, she drove to Philadelphia to watch Harris introduce Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate Guptas first election rally. It became impossible not to engage, she told CNN. The choice is not about Democrats or Republicans. The choice is between democracy and losing it. Gupta, who immigrated to the US from India in 2003, says she didn't engage much with electoral politics until Harris became the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. She's seen here at an August 6 Harris rally in Philadelphia. - Courtesy Vineeta Gupta Many Indian Americans appear to share Guptas newfound enthusiasm and urgency. Over the past several weeks, national and grassroots political organizers from the community say theyve seen a groundswell of support and energy for the Harris campaign. Aunties and uncles are exchanging LOTUS for POTUS memes in WhatsApp group chats (Kamala means lotus in Sanskrit). The Indian American Impact Fund said the South Asian women Zoom call that Gupta joined raised more than $275,000, and leaders from the advocacy group report an influx of small-dollar donations and volunteer sign-ups. Indian Americans havent historically been a political force in US elections, but the 2024 race could mark a turning point for one of the fastest growing immigrant groups in the country. With the Indian American population more than doubling in key battleground states between 2010 and 2020, some organizers say a fired-up electorate could make a difference come November. Whats driving the Harris enthusiasm An estimated 4.8 million people in the US identify as Indian Americans a relatively small slice of the US electorate and more than 2.1 million of them are eligible voters, according to the research and policy organization AAPI Data. Indian Americans tend to be a reliably Democratic voting bloc with high turnout rates: 55% of Indian American voters identified as Democrats or leaned Democratic, and 91% said they plan to vote in November, an AAPI Data survey conducted before Bidens departure from the race found. But while nearly half of Indian American voters (46%) indicated in the survey that they would vote for Biden, the figure was down nearly 20 points from 2020 (65%). And many Indian Americans, like Gupta, werent engaged beyond the ballot box until Harris catapulted to the top of the ticket. Harris' rise to the top of the Democratic ticket has inspired many Indian Americans to join political groups and participate in initiatives to get out the vote. Editors note: CNN has blurred portions of this photo to protect individuals identities. - undefinedVineeta Gupta Her ascension also reinvigorated the volunteers of the Chitthi Brigade, a grassroots group of South Asian women that gets its name from a Tamil term for aunt. New York state resident Indira Rajan, who co-founded the group in 2020 after Harris vice presidential nomination, said volunteers felt a sense of hopelessness around Biden that has since given way to a sea change in motivation and new sign-ups. She and her fellow chitthis across the country now plan to engage in letter-writing initiatives and meet-and-greets, as well as to collaborate with other local organizations on events. At least part of the Indian American enthusiasm for Harris stems from pride in a shared identity. Harris lat e mother, Shyamala Gopalan, was born in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and immigrated to the US in 1958 to attend a doctoral program at the University of California, Berkeley. Harris has shared childhood memories of visiting her grandfather in Chennai and has spoken about how her Indian heritage has influenced her life and career. A young Harris is seen with her late mother, Shyamala Gopalan, in this photo that was posted on Harris' Facebook page in March 2017. - From Kamala Harris/Facebook She comes from Besant Nagar in Chennai. Thats where I grew up, Rajan said. It seems something very close to home. Theres more of a comfort level with her, partially because her mom looks like my mom, said Viraj Mehta from Bethesda, Maryland. The 38-year-old physician said he was inspired to connect with the Indian American Impact Fund and join several organizing groups after Harris entered the presidential race. Though Indian Americans have risen to political prominence in recent years, the prospect of an Indian American occupying the nations highest office has especially energized organizers and volunteers, says Indian American Impact Fund Executive Director Chintan Patel. Its easy to imagine, moving forward, that parents are going to be telling their kids, You should be a doctor. You should be an engineer. You should also be a president, he said. Its really helping reimagine for the South Asian American community what is possible here in America for our kids. As powerful as that representation is, for most Indian Americans, its simply one consideration. Though some, including Mehta, supported Harris during her first presidential bid in 2020, Gupta and others have come on board because they see a more mature and savvy candidate now. When she went into the race this time, there was something authentic about her, Gupta said. I identify with that myself, as a South Asian woman how much implicit and explicit pressure we keep on our shoulders not to be our authentic selves. Heritage isnt everything While Harris Indian background can help turn out the vote and galvanize more volunteers, it wont matter much in terms of how people vote, said Karthick Ramakrishnan, founder and executive director of AAPI Data and a researcher at UC Berkeley. Like US voters more broadly, many Indian American voters surveyed by AAPI Data identified the economy as their top policy concern Indian American enthusiasm for Biden decreased from 2020 in part because voters said they disapproved of his economic performance, Ramakrishnan said. Still, there are some nuances to how this demographic votes, with Indian Americans particularly concerned about immigration and climate change, according to Milan Vaishnav, a senior fellow and director of the South Asia program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Harini Krishnan, then the California co-state director for South Asians for Biden and a former campaign delegate for Harris, and her daughter Janani Krishnan-Jha watch the 2020 Democratic National Convention from her home in Hillsborough, California. - Michael Short/Getty Images Ratna Rao, a grassroots political organizer in Michigan, said the Biden administrations policies around illegal border crossing and asylum seekers were frustrating to those Indian Americans who endured long waits for green cards due to massive processing backlogs. People feel like Democrats are more focused on people who are coming here illegally than the legal immigrants who have been working hard, paying taxes and being a part of the community, she said. More than half of Indian Americans surveyed by AAPI Data also indicated that they could not vote for a candidate with opposing views on abortion. Gupta, who formerly practiced as a maternal health physician in India, said Republican-led attacks on reproductive rights are a key reason why shes mobilizing for Harris. After (Roe v. Wade) went to dust, I cannot imagine that we are going to restrict it even more, Gupta said. That is not acceptable for me as a woman, as a womens health physician, as a mother. Harris, right, with her mother, center, and her first grade teacher after she graduated from law school in 1989. - From Kamala Harris/Facebook Despite the overall enthusiasm, the support for Harris isnt a given in some parts of the Indian American community. Ramakrishnan said Bidens handling of Israels war in Gaza lost him support among some Indian Americans who wanted to see more US support for Palestinians. Rasheed Ahmed, executive director of the Indian American Muslim Council, said he and others in his circles are waiting to see how Harris will navigate the US relationship with India, considering the current Indian governments policies and rhetoric toward Muslims and other minorities. We want to see Vice President Harris taking some kind of position on the fundamental rights of minorities in India, he said. Most of us are waiting for that before we make the final call. Republican struggles among Indian Americans Whatever frustrations some Indian Americans may have with the Democratic Party, the GOP has not been able to capitalize on them and recruit more of the community into its fold. Just over 1 in 4 Indian American voters (26%) identify as Republican or lean Republican (compared with 21 % in 2020), according to AAPI Data. While the data indicates a slight dip in Indian American voters who identify as or lean Democratic, that decrease hasnt necessarily translated into more support for the GOP, Ramakrishnan said even as Indian Americans have become prominent in the party. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Ohio entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, two Indian Americans who sought the Republican presidential nomination this year, were both not viewed favorably by a majority of Indian Americans, Ramakrishnan said, citing past AAPI Data findings. (Indian Americans are) more likely to favor the Democratic Party because they see the Democratic Party as stronger on combating discrimination by race, he said. After the 9/11 attacks, especially with the rise in hate crimes and discrimination and racial profiling of Indians, that gap between the Democratic and Republican Party and its credibility and that issue grew even wider. The 9/11 attacks revealed to Lakshmy Parameswaran that her fundamental rights werent as secure as she once believed, prompting her entry into political organizing more than two decades ago. Now, she feels her rights and the countrys democratic institutions are similarly under threat. This is really a very anxiety-provoking time in this country, said Parameswaran, a grassroots organizer in Houston. Ive been here since 1973 Ive never felt this kind of anxiety. Its been growing since 2016 onwards, and now its at a point where this can all be taken away. The foothold gained by Christian nationalism in GOP politics has also contributed to the partys struggles to reach Indian Americans, Ramakrishnan said. Another factor, which has gotten stronger over time is the rise of Christian conservatism and now Christian nationalism within the Republican Party, he said. Indian Americans are majority Hindu, and religiously very diverse, and so that makes it difficult for Indian Americans to feel at home in the Republican Party. Ohio Sen. JD Vance and his wife, Usha, greet supporters in St. Cloud, Minnesota, on July 28. His selection as Donald Trump's running mate excited Indian American conservatives. - Stephen Maturen/Getty Images The selection of JD Vance as Donald Trumps running mate excited Indian American conservatives Vances wife, Usha, is the daughter of Indian immigrants, and people close to the former president expressed hope that she could appeal to minority voters. But her time in the spotlight has been brief so far less than a week after her husband joined Trumps ticket, Harris stepped in for Biden and grabbed the headlines. As is the case with most US voters, party identification is what ultimately matters, according to Ramakrishnan. Once Indian Americans identify and affiliate with one party and a majority are fairly stable Democratic supporters of the Democrats theyre unlikely to cross party lines just because of a shared ethnicity, he said. Winning on the margins Energized by the fervor around the Harris campaign, Indian American grassroots organizers are getting more strategic about how they reach voters in their communities. Rao, the Michigan organizer, said she and fellow organizers are experimenting with friend-to-friend outreach in WhatsApp groups. In an attempt to appeal to parents, one tactic involves distributing short videos of young South Asians talking about how gun violence and other issues affect them. We may be able to penetrate a little bit more of the people who dont normally answer calls, open doors, or read a postcard that comes to them better if they see a video thats sent by a friend, she said. Jayashree Bhaskar and her husband KS Bhaskar, who live in Chester County, Pennsylvania, organize phone banks on weekend afternoons for speakers of regional Indian languages such as Gujarati and Punjabi. The initiative has been so well received that Bhaskar said volunteers are asking for more language options, such as Tamil and Malayalam. Other efforts from the Bhaskars include door-knocking, text banking and dropping literature and voter registrations at temples in Bucks County. Though they recognize that theyre working with a small portion of the overall population, the Bhaskars say theyve done the math: There are enough South Asian registered Democratic voters in Pennsylvania to help Harris win the key battleground state if they can turn them out. Elections are won on the margin, and we can be the margin of victory, Jayashree Bhaskar said. Its as simple as that. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com A one-day strike by India's medical professionals Saturday draws attention to dangerous working conditions for women doctors and others following the alleged rape and murder of Moumita Debnath. Photo by Jagadeesh Nv/EPA-EFE Aug. 17 (UPI) -- Medical doctors initiated a nationwide one-day strike in India on Saturday following the alleged rape and murder of a young female colleague at a medical college in Kolkata last week. The Indian Medical Association organized the strike that shut down all non-essential hospital services for 24 hours throughout India. The IMA is India's largest organization of medical professionals, and said the apparent crime is an indicator of the "lack of safe spaces for women" in India and the need for the nation to better protect women. "The entire medical fraternity of India is shocked beyond words at the brutal murder of Ms. Moumita Debnath," IMA secretary-general Dr. Anilkumar Nayak said in a press release. He said Debnath, 31, was a second-year graduate student and doctor-in-training at the RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata. The Indian Medical Association called for the one-day strike Saturday to raise awareness of the need to better protect women working in the medical field and other professions in India. Photo by Jagadeesh Nv/EPA-EFE "This heinous crime has been committed inside the seminar hall on the third floor of the campus," Nayak said. "There are reasons to believe that she was raped before the murder." Nayak said the alleged crime "is an index of the anarchy and insecurity prevailing in the campus" and the IMA "condemns the existing situations which enables this crime to be committed with impunity inside the campus." Male doctors also were outraged at the alleged rape and murder of the second-year doctor-in-training at a medical school in Kolkata. Photo by Jagadeesh Nv/EPA-EFE He said another young resident woman doctor recently was stabbed to death at the Taluk Hospital in Kerala. "Increasing evidence of the toxic environment prevailing in the workplaces of doctors is highly disturbing," Nayak said. "Doctors, especially women, are highly 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." The IMA demands an impartial and thorough investigation of Debnath's death, a detailed inquiry of the conditions that enabled her attack and urgent steps to improve the safety of doctors and especially women in the workplace. Debnath's death triggered protests in many areas of India, and a mob ransacked the medical school where Debnath's alleged rape and murder took place. Many doctors have said they won't perform elective procedures for an extended period in response to Debnath's death. India's Central Bureau of Investigation has been questioning potential witnesses and suspects. Debnath's parents said the hospital where her death occurred tried to claim she committed suicide to cover up the alleged rape and murder. CBI investigators have questioned more than 30 potential witnesses and suspects and on Thursday arrested a man named Sanjay Roy as the prime suspect. Debnath's parents say he is a scapegoat to remove blame from the hospital are convinced their daughter was the victim of a gang rape and murder. Indictment Accuses Dentist of Attempting Sex Abuse with Mom and Her Daughter, 8: 'Sooo Love to Be a Part of That' Dr. Jason Atha, a dentist in Boulder, Colo., has been charged with attempted enticement of a minor in connection with the undercover sex sting Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images Palm Beach International Airport A Colorado dentist was arrested and charged after allegedly arranging sex abuse online with a person he believed was the mother of an 8-year-old girl, authorities claim. Dr. Jason Atha, a dentist in Boulder, Colo., was taken into custody by federal agents when he landed at Palm Beach International Airport in Florida on Aug. 9, according to a federal indictment reviewed by PEOPLE. Though the 49-year-old allegedly thought he was communicating with the mother and her 8-year-old daughter on a messaging app, he was instead talking to an undercover agent with the Department of Homeland Security, the indictment claims. Atha allegedly began communicating with the undercover agent on a messaging app chat room revolving around taboo sex acts and child sex abuse in October 2023. The agents job was to detect and investigate violations of federal law related to the sexual exploitation of children, the indictment states. According to the indictment, the undercover agent who Atha allegedly believed was a single mother told Atha they had an 8-year-old daughter who they sexually abused during what they called play time. In response, Atha allegedly said, Thats a beautiful thing. I would sooo love to be a part of that," according to the indictment. When later asked if he had an age preference, Atha allegedly replied, Hmm not really. I'd maybe say 8 and up, per the indictment. Over the next several months, Atha allegedly sent photos of himself, expressed interest in play time and discussed the sexual acts he would perform on the girl, the indictment states. In messages from July, Atha allegedly planned to travel to Florida to have sex with the mother and daughter. He later allegedly shared details of his round-trip flight, according to the indictment. Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Palm Beach International Airport 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. When he was taken into custody at the airport on Aug. 9, Atha waived his Miranda rights and agreed to speak with federal agents, according to the indictment. He allegedly acknowledged the conversations and admitted that he traveled to Florida to watch the mother have sex with the daughter, but denied that he was going to have sex with the child. The indictment further alleges that Atha had child sexual abuse material on his phone at the time of his arrest. He has been charged with attempted enticement of a minor, which according to the indictment, carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. Its unclear if he has entered a plea and PEOPLE couldnt immediately identify an attorney who could speak on his behalf. According to the indictment, Atha is a dentist at Alpine Dentistry in Boulder, Colo., and has an active dentist license. PEOPLE reached out to Alpine Dentistry for comment on Friday, Aug. 16 but did not immediately hear back. If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org. 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. An unprecedented collaboration is restoring buffalo habitats on tribal lands while supporting Native communities that live near or alongside these iconic animals. As The Nature Conservancy reported, this group came together with the InterTribal Buffalo Council, Native Americans in Philanthropy, and the World Wildlife Fund to create the Tribal Buffalo Lifeways Collaboration. Buffalo (a common name for American bison) are considered crucial to the well-being and prosperity of Native communities. This collaboration is significant because it prioritizes the voices of Native people while honoring traditions and creating lasting sustainability benefits. The new buffalo restoration and revitalization projects involve building fences, training herd managers, and promoting land access through leasing and acquisition. The projects build upon Indigenous leaders' prior buffalo rematriation efforts to bring lasting change by returning buffalo to where they belong on tribal lands, per an announcement of the collaboration. The collaboration complements other recent buffalo projects, such as when the Blackfeet Nation released wild buffalo onto tribal lands near Montana's Glacier National Park after seven years of restoration efforts. Meanwhile, conservationists are also working to reintroduce buffalo to their native territories in Canada. Restoring buffalo populations creates habitats for other animals and plants, aerates the soil, and disperses native seeds, as has been noted by the U.S. Department of the Interior. It also has the potential to help Native communities heal from injustices committed by European colonizers and repair relations between Native people and the U.S. government, per The Nature Conservancy. "This collaboration marks a historic milestone in our journey to restore buffalo to tribal lands and revitalize Indigenous lifeways," said Erik Stegman, CEO of Native Americans in Philanthropy, per a news release from The Nature Conservancy. "By uniting our efforts, we are not only fostering ecological and cultural renewal but also ensuring that the leadership and vision of Native communities are at the forefront of this crucial work." "The work of this partnership will be Native-led to ensure the alliance meets the immediate and long-term needs of Indigenous communities," said WWF president and CEO Carter Roberts, per the release. "Our ultimate goal is to support the vision of Native Nations to foster cultural, ecological, and economic revitalization for people and nature alike." 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. (Bloomberg) -- Indonesia is set to inaugurate its unfinished future capital city in the middle of a remote jungle on the island of Borneo, as funding struggles, missed deadlines and a change in the countrys leadership weigh on the multibillion dollar project. Most Read from Bloomberg President Joko Widodo will declare Nusantara open on Saturday as he marks the countrys independence day. But the ambitious project remains a giant work in progress, with most roads and buildings far from complete, and Jokowi has indicated that Jakarta will still be the official capital when he leaves office in October. Celebrations are muted, with thousands having been cut from the guest list because of a shortage of rooms, and Jokowi barely mentioned Nusantara in his final State of the Nation and budget speeches to parliament on Friday, except to say funding would continue. To be sure, its only five years since the president announced the project, and just two years since construction began, thanks to the pandemic. Southeast Asias largest economy is constructing a new capital mainly because population growth and rapid urbanization have overwhelmed existing infrastructure the countrys centuries-old commercial and political capital, with greater Jakarta teeming with about 30 million people. Besides alleviating the problems of traffic congestion and pollution, Jokowi aims for Nusantara to help spread the nations wealth currently concentrated in the island of Java more evenly among its more than 278 million citizens. The new metropolis is also meant to be the centerpiece of Jokowis legacy. He embarked on an ambitious infrastructure spree costing hundreds of billions of dollars during his decade in power, aiming to boost development and put the country on the path to becoming a high-income economy by 2045. Located about 800 miles northeast of Jakarta, construction of Nusantara involves five phases, with the project scheduled for completion by 2045. By then, the government intends to shift some 1.9 million people from Jakarta to ease congestion. But the project with a price tag of roughly $29 billion, according to the official estimate has been beset with problems from the start. Even before construction began in August 2022, the government struggled to secure private funding. The administration wants to foot only 20% of the bill, with the rest to be borne by private investors. In the 2024 budget, it allocated 42.5 trillion rupiah, higher than the 26.7 trillion rupiah in 2023. For some time, the new capital lacked major investments until a group of local tycoons invested. Even so, that isnt enough and the project has yet to secure binding foreign private investments even as the government has touted high interest from overseas companies and doled out special tax incentives. Construction delays mean that the government has missed the deadline for the projects first phase for the president, his cabinet and a clutch of civil servants to move in to the new capital this month. The abrupt resignations of the head and his deputy at the agency overseeing the development, with the reason for their departure yet to be explained by the government, only added to the uncertainty about the project. The move to issue a presidential decree to designate Nusantara as the new capital city is also in limbo, with Jokowi just months away from finishing his second and final term as president saying that this could potentially be done by incoming leader Prabowo Subianto, after he is sworn in as Indonesias eighth president in late October. As for the incoming administration, Prabowo has pledged to continue Jokowis policies, including the new capital project. But the business community is still uncertain whether that will be a priority given that the incoming leader has his own ambitious spending plans that include a free-meal program for students while ramping up healthcare and education. In July, Prabowos brother-in-law, Soedradjad Djiwandono, a former central bank governor and one of the advisers to the incoming leaders economic transition team, said he prefers pursuing the free-meal program that can be realized in the short term over the new capital. That sent a signal to observers that the real estate project wont be of high importance under the new administration. --With assistance from Claire Jiao. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Up to 17,000 AT&T workers in the Southeastern United States went on strike Friday, the Communications Workers of America union announced. Workers in Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina are involved in the strike, which the union argued in a news release is necessary to "protest unfair labor practices committed by management during negotiations for a new union contract." Cars honked as about a dozen strikers stood on the corner of Commerce Street and Fourth Avenue North on Saturday afternoon, wearing red T-shirts and holding signs. We have been bargaining for a new contract since June. Our contract expired last weekend, on Aug. 3, and we felt throughout the bargaining process that AT&T bargainers that they were sending to their side of the table have not been bargaining in good faith," Josh Foster, president of the union in Nashville, told The Tennessean. "They have been telling our bargaining team that they don't have the authority to make changes or bargain for the contract that they are working on. At least 800 members are striking in Nashville alone, with a total of about 2,500 workers striking across the state. AT&T wire technician Joce McCall is one of about a dozen AT&T workers who protested during a strike after union contract negotiations broke down on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, in downtown Nashville. Vivian Jones / The Tennessean My hope is that AT&T will bring their side of the table to the table and bargain in good faith," Foster said. "Im hoping that theyll stop their unfair labor practices that were accusing them of. Im also hoping that they will realize and recognize that they have a very loyal and dedicated workforce whos been there for them throughout. AT&T disputed the union's accusations in a news release and said the company reached agreements in three other union negotiations this year that cover 13,000 employees. The company stated that the Southeastern strike impacts 15,000 workers rather than the 17,000 claimed by the union. The strike involves technicians, customer service representatives and others who work with AT&Ts residential and business telecommunications network in the region. The union said it filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board because, among other issues, AT&T sent representatives to negotiations who did not have the authority to make decisions. We have been met at the table by company representatives who were unable to explain their own bargaining proposals and did not seem to have the actual bargaining authority required, said Richard Honeycutt, vice president of the union's 3rd District. AT&T argued it has been engaged in "substantive bargaining" and that the strike "needlessly jeopardizes the wages and well-being of our employees." Story continues The company indicated the strike would not affect its ability to provide services to its customers. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: AT&T workers protest in Nashville as 17,000 strike in Southeast By Willy Kurniawan NUSANTARA, Indonesia (Reuters) - Indonesia celebrated its independence anniversary at the site of its planned new capital, Nusantara, for the first time on Saturday, in a scaled-back ceremony as the still-under-construction city is beset by problems and faces delays. A legacy project of outgoing President Joko Widodo, Nusantara has suffered construction delays and funding shortages due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a lack of foreign investment, and more recently, resignations of project leaders. In Saturday's celebration of the country's independence from Japanese rule that ended in 1945, the number of attendees was cut to 1,300 guests, down from 8,000 initially, as lodgings and food supply were limited, Jokowi, as the president is popularly known, said earlier this week. Hundreds of attendees from local communities and construction workers joined the ceremony under red umbrellas, with several under-construction buildings behind them. Mulyana, a 38-year-old construction worker at the new capital, said he spent the last nine months to build a ministry office building which was partially used on Saturday for the celebration amid limited infrastructure to move the materials. "For five months we work in 24-hour shifts, due to limited access we need two to three hours (daily) to move the concrete using heavy equipment," Mulyana, who like many Indonesians has a single name, told Reuters on Friday, adding that when he came a year ago, water and electricity supply were limited at the site. Nusantara is being built in a forested pocket in the eastern side of Borneo island, about 1,200 km (745 miles) from the current capital, Jakarta, on Java island. Jokowi has sought to shore up confidence in the $32 billion mega-project in recent months, breaking ground for hotels and office buildings and holding the first cabinet meeting in the eagle-shaped new state palace. But he has also said plans to relocate thousands of civil servants to Nusantara could be postponed, subject to the readiness of the capital city, after previously ordering them to pack up and move in September. Incoming president Prabowo Subianto, who also attended Saturday's ceremony, has promised to continue Nusantara. A parallel celebration was also held in Jakarta, where most of the music and dances were performed. (Reporting by Willy Kurniawan in Nusantara, Writing by Bernadette Christina; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman) Indonesia's new capital isn't ready yet. The president is celebrating Independence Day there anyway Indonesian President Joko Widodo, center, and Defense Minister and president-elect Prabowo Subianto, second left, salute during the ceremony marking Indonesia's 79th anniversary of independence at the new presidential palace in its future capital of Nusantara, a city still under construction on the island of Borneo, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim) PENAJAM PASER UTARA, Indonesia (AP) Indonesia marked 79 years of independence on Saturday with a ceremony in the unfinished future capital of Nusantara, which was planned to relieve pressure on Jakarta but whose construction has lagged behind schedule. Hundreds of officials and invited guests wearing the traditional clothes of Indonesian tribes gathered on a stretch of grass amid the ongoing construction of government buildings and and view of construction cranes in the center of the Nusantara city. President Joko Widodo and his Cabinet ministers attended the Independence Day ceremony at the new Presidential Palace, built in the shape of the mythical eagle-winged protector figure called Garuda. The celebration was initially planned to inaugurate Nusantara as the country's new capital, but with construction behind schedule it's not clear when the transfer will take place. Widodo said earlier in the week that 8,000 guests would be invited, but the number was later reduced to 1,300 because adequate infrastructure was not yet in place. The celebration at the new State Palace on the island of Borneo was held simultaneously with a celebration at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta that was attended by Vice President Ma'ruf Amin. Widodo began working at the new presidential palace in Nusantara in late July and held his first Cabinet meeting there on Tuesday. More than 5,000 officers from Indonesias police and military were deployed for the ceremony and 76 honorary flag-bearers marched behind the national red-and-white banner. Jakarta, with about 10 million people in the city limits and three times that number in the greater metropolitan area, floods regularly and its streets are so clogged that congestion costs the economy an estimated $4.5 billion a year. The air and groundwater in the old capital, on the northwestern coast of the Java island, are heavily polluted, and it has been described as the worlds most rapidly sinking city. It is estimated that one-third of the city could be submerged by 2050, because of uncontrolled groundwater extraction, as well as the rise of the Java Sea due to climate change. The construction of the new capital began in mid-2022, spread over an area of about 2,600 square kilometers (1,000 square miles) carved out of Borneo's jungle. Officials say it will be a futuristic green city with abundant forests and parks, powered by renewable energy sources and using smart waste management. But the project has been dogged by criticism from environmentalists and Indigenous communities, who say it degrades the environment, further shrinks the habitat of endangered animals such as orangutans, and displaces Indigenous people who rely on the land for their livelihoods. Since the start of construction, seven groundbreaking ceremonies have taken place for the construction of government and public buildings, as well as hotels, banks and schools. With a population of about 275 million, Indonesia is Southeast Asias largest economy. Most of the new capital's investors are Indonesian companies. The government is contributing 20% of the $33 billion budget and relying significantly on private sector investment for the rest. To attract investors, Widodo recently offered incentives for the new capital, including land rights lasting up to 190 years and generous tax incentives. Widodo, who has led the country for 10 years, will leave office in October. ___ Tarigan reported from Jakarta, Indonesia. Indonesia marks first Independence Day in unfinished new capital Indonesian Students take part in a ceremony for Indonesia's 79th Independence Day in Tebing Hawu, Bandung, West Java. Algi Febri Sugita/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa Indonesia's unfinished new capital marked its inaugural Independence Day on Saturday with a flag-raising ceremony amidst a backdrop of cranes and dusty construction sites. Located in the forested eastern part of Borneo, the new city, called Nusantara, is envisioned as a sustainable, high-tech alternative to the overcrowded and polluted Jakarta. While some government buildings are nearing completion, much of the essential infrastructure remains unfinished. Outgoing President Joko Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, led the ceremony, along with President-elect Prabowo Subianto, who is due to assume office in October. A separate ceremony was held in Jakarta, led by Vice-President Maruf Amin and vice-president elect Gibran Rakabuming Raka. The ambitious $32 billion project has faced numerous challenges, including delays, land acquisition issues, and a lack of enthusiasm from foreign investors. Critics have labelled it a "white elephant" as Jokowi strives to create a lasting legacy, while environmentalists warn of potential ecological disaster. Jokowi has urged caution regarding the relocation of civil servants to Nusantara. An initial group of about 1,700 government workers is scheduled to move in September, but the full transition may take longer, officials said. The relocation involves the construction of 47 residential towers for civil servants, with 21 already completed. A three-phase strategy is in place, including a recruitment drive with over 40,000 positions earmarked for central government institutions in Nusantara. Residents and students salutes as climbing athletes community unfurl a large national flag during a ceremony for Indonesia's 79th Independence Day in Tebing Hawu, Bandung, West Java. Algi Febri Sugita/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa Indonesian students take part in a ceremony for Indonesia's 79th Independence Day in Tebing Hawu, Bandung, West Java. Algi Febri Sugita/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa Mohammed Abu al-Qumsan shows the birth certificates of his twins after learning that his wife, newborn babies, and mother-in-law had died in an Israeli airstrike, at a morgue in Deir Al Balah, Gaza, on Aug. 13, 2024. Credit - Ashraf AmraAnadolu/Getty Images In the 10 months since the attacks of Oct. 7 that sparked the Israel-Hamas war, nearly 20,000 babies have been born in the Gaza Strip. And some 115 newborns have been killed, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health, whose casualty figures are regarded as reliable by the U.N. and the U.S. government. The twins Ayssel and Asser were less than 4 days old when their lives, and that of their mother, Joumana Arafa, ended in a bombing in the central Gaza city Deir al-Balah. Their father, Mohammed Abu al-Qumsan, was out retrieving their birth certificates Tuesday when he reportedly got a call from a neighbor, telling him the place he and his family had been sheltering was hit by an Israeli airstrike. His mother-in-law was also killed. What did my wife do to deserve dying with our children? My children were just 3 days old, Abu al-Qumsan said in an interview with Turkish television, mournful but composed. I had not yet celebrated them. She had not yet celebrated them. Mohammed Abu al-Qumsan cries after his wife, newborn twin babies, and mother-in-law died during an Israeli airstrike, at the morgue of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir Al Balah, Gaza on Aug. 13, 2024. Ashraf AmraAnadolu/Getty Images In videos shared on social media, however, Abu al-Qumsan was inconsolable, sobbing and wailing at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, where he had raced hoping to find his family alive. He said he found them in a freezer. The death of any infant is a profound event, but babies killed in war can summon extraordinary power, including in a parallel battle for sympathy. In the immediate aftermath of the Hamas attack, Israeli officials stoked global outrage at the deaths of 1,200 on Oct. 7 by focusing intently on small children killed at close quarters. The Prime Ministers office circulated graphic images from blood-spattered nurseries, and erroneous reports of decapitated babies circulated worldwide for months. Read More: On TikTok, Gazas Palestinians Plead to the World: Dont Scroll In Gaza, where the death count this week reached 40,000 people, the Health Ministry calculates that women and children account for more than half of the dead. A June AP study found the percentage appears to have declined from the first months of fighting, yet images of Gaza's youngest victims still summon the strongest responseand the circumstances of their deaths sketch relatable details of family life when homes were still standing. Couples who had struggled to conceive now mourn the "miracle child" produced by IVF. Doctors seeking hope delivered a newborn girl by cesarean from a pregnant woman killed in an airstrike, only to see her, days later, also die. An English teacher, after the death of her brother and his two young sons, wrote of relief at her own miscarriage. With Gazas health care system largely reduced to rubble, pregnant women and infants are the most vulnerable. (In an Associated Press interview, Abu al-Qumsan said his wife, who was a pharmacist, was temporarily unable to walk due to her c-section.) Babies in Gaza are malnourished, the U.N. reports, and many are too weak to cry. A shortage of ventilators and incubators makes infant care even more difficult. In a Gaza population of 2 million people, an estimated 50,000 women are pregnant, and many are forced to give birth without anesthesia, painkillers, check-up appointments or hygiene materials. According to a March report, only two hospitals still offer maternity care, leaving many women to give birth in cars, tents or, in some cases, amid the rubble. Mohammed Abu al-Qumsan shows a picture of his twin children who were killed in an Israeli airstrike in central Gaza on Aug. 10, as he stands outside his tent at a camp for displaced Palestinians in Khan Yunis, on Aug. 15, 2024. Bashar TalebAFP/Getty Images As pregnant and breastfeeding women struggle to provide for their children, the stage is set for long-term disaster. We have reached a stage where we have to choose which babies will live, Dr. Ahmed Al-Shaer, pediatric specialist at the Al-Helal Al-Emirati Maternity Hospital said in a U.N. interview. Abu al-Qumsans story is one that has been shared widely online, and inspired an outpouring of support. The Sameer Project, a donations-based aid initiative, helped provide a tent after the Qastal Tower building, where he and his family were staying, was partially destroyed. Hes not in the greatest state of mind, Hala Sabbah, co-founder of the Sameer Project, said. The arrival of the twins had been announced by their mother on Facebook. The post is now flooded with hundreds of condolences. There are some pure people out there, Abu al-Qumsan said, according to Sabbah. My feelings are all over the place." Contact us at letters@time.com. Nuclear plants are cheap to operate, last decades longer than other power sources, and generate unrivaled volumes of zero-carbon electricity rain or shine on relatively tiny slivers of land. Yet despite growing demand, few investors are willing to take a risk on new atomic energy stations as theyre expensive and difficult to build. The United States hasnt built more than two from scratch in decades, and similar projects in Europe have gone billions of dollars over budget and taken years to complete. Of the nearly five dozen reactors under construction worldwide, the majority are funded by the Chinese or Russian governments, with the Kremlin financing virtually every debut project underway in countries like Bangladesh, Egypt and Turkey. Unlike buying Russian gas or Chinese-made solar panels, a nuclear power station is not a one-off purchase. Given the maintenance and fuel these plants require, the relationships forged between the buyer and the authoritarian exporter are expected to last as long as a century between construction, a typical lifetime of operation and final decommissioning. A new campaign launched this week aims to rally support behind a potential alternative, HuffPost has learned: a global bank backed by the worlds biggest nuclear-powered democracies and dedicated to building nuclear power plants around the world. The idea for the International Bank for Nuclear Infrastructure has been circulating for a few years. But a global team of 15 lawyers, financiers and regulatory experts officially incorporated a new Washington, D.C.-headquartered nonprofit in hopes of persuading Congress to put up to $7 billion toward getting the new lender off the ground. Its the first of what the organization envisions as a globe-spanning network of nonprofits promoting IBNI. A November 2022 photo shows construction on the Russian-built Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant in Ishwardi, Bangladesh. MD MARUF HASSAN via Getty Images With a goal of raising an initial $25 billion to start the bank, IBNI would at least for now cut out Russia and China in favor of establishing a new multilateral institution akin to the World Bank or the International Monetary Fund with atomic allies such as Canada, France, the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates. IBNI could then provide financing for projects in would-be newcomer nations like Ghana, Indonesia or the Philippines, reducing the risk for other lenders and lowering the cost of choosing American, European or South Korean technology over cheaper Russian exports. It will be a playing field leveler in the international competition for nuclear technology, said Daniel Dean, the Vienna-based American investment banker who serves as the new nonprofits chief executive. This bank will enable these countries and stakeholders to select technology independent of which country is providing a full financing package. Dean stressed that IBNI is geopolitically neutral, and said that while present global tensions make forming a new group with Russia and China untenable, the organization would not be fundamentally designed to exclude anyone. While cost estimates vary, the price of Russian reactors is typically less than half of what nuclear plants built by Americans or Europeans cost, and about 40% cheaper than those constructed by South Korea, currently the leading atomic exporter in the democratic world. China, which is building more reactors at home than any other country, is developing novel reactor designs and is widely expected to begin exporting its technology in the next decade. In the meantime, Russia is the main game in town. The state-owned Rosatom offers a one-stop-shop for technology, construction, maintenance, fuel and financing, making Moscow the vendor of choice for most countries building their first nuclear power stations. The U.S., by contrast, struggled until earlier this year to complete the only two new American reactors started this century, and with a notable exception depends on a privatized network of companies to build, run, fuel and finance its own atomic fleet. In practice, that model has yielded limited progress in recent years. Centrus Energy, the U.S. uranium enricher spun out from federal government ownership in the late 1990s, last year started fabricating a special type of nuclear fuel over which Russia has a monopoly, but still cant produce enough to keep the American fleet going and needed a special exemption to continue importing Russian fuel. Terra Power, the Bill Gates-backed developer of next-generation reactors, broke ground just last month on what could be the first of a new kind of technology anywhere in the democratic world, the likes of which China not only completed but hooked up to its grid last December. The federally owned Export-Import Bank of the U.S. has put up $3 billion to fund construction of Polands first nuclear power plant with American reactors, a project Warsaw has pitched as a strategy to cement its alliance with Washington. Even there, however, Poland wanted U.S. companies to buy equity stakes in the station to help make the project look less risky a demand at which American firms have so far balked. The traditional financing mechanisms are not even close to ready to help support nuclear, said Todd Moss, a former assistant U.S. Secretary of State who now runs the think tank Energy for Growth Hub, which researches ways to build climate-resilient energy systems in developing countries. Something like IBNI is an obvious solution to fill that financing gap. The picture hasnt been much rosier in Europe, where flagship French and British plans for new reactors at home and elsewhere on the continent have cost billions more than initially planned and taken years longer. South Korea, which generates much of its electricity from atomic fission, has fared better, successfully building the United Arab Emirates first nuclear plant last year and winning a $17 billion contract last month to construct a new plant in Czechia. But the previous government in Seoul tried to destroy the domestic nuclear industry, and a country the size of South Korea can only do so much overseas to meet the goal the Biden administration set at last years United Nations climate summit to triple global atomic energy output by 2050. Cooling towers four, left, and three are seen at the nuclear reactor facility at the Alvin W. Vogtle Electric Generating Plant on May 31 in Waynesboro, Georgia, where the U.S. this year completed work on its only two new reactors built from scratch in decades. via Associated Press Other international lenders could help close the financing gap on nuclear reactors. The World Bank, for example, has refused to fund nuclear projects since a single investment in Italys now-defunct atomic sector in 1959. Pressure is now mounting on the World Bank to lift its ban on nuclear plants. In February, the U.S. House of Representatives proposed legislation earlier this year to push the World Bank and other regional lenders to commit as much as $100 billion in annual financing for nuclear projects. Of the 189 countries that act as shareholders in the World Bank, just eight openly oppose nuclear power including Germany, Austria and Luxembourg with another 100 either operating reactors or publicly supporting the technology. Its a tyranny of the anti-nuclear minority, Moss said. The World Bank is one of the most important financiers of infrastructure, but its probably the most important adviser to their borrowing countries on a whole set of infrastructure-planning issues. Right now, countries like the Philippines or Ghana are making decisions about their future energy mix, weighing whether nuclear makes sense, and what types of nuclear facilities make sense and where, he said. The World Bank is completely absent from those conversations, where the World Bank is involved in every nook and cranny of what these governments are doing, Moss said. That strikes me as willful ignorance. Its not doing the World Bank or their borrowing clients any good by acting ignorant. As a first step, he said, the World Bank should hire internal experts to help consult its borrowers on nuclear power. That may do little to dampen demand for another lender like IBNI. The trouble is that some Western lending institutions, including the World Bank, are designed to fund projects primarily in developing countries, meaning that nuclear projects in North America, Europe or East Asia might not qualify for financing. Even if the World Bank changes its policy tomorrow, youre going to be competing against a lot of other projects that are easier to finance, said Elina Teplinsky, an attorney at the Washington, D.C.-based law firm Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman who handles international nuclear deals and is working on the side to launch IBNI. If you have a choice between financing wind and solar or financing nuclear, even if your politics are for financing nuclear, youre going to go with financing new wind and solar. IBNIs entire focus would be to scale nuclear, so it would be able to come in upfront and ... move on lots of different projects, with the idea that the entire purpose of this financing is to scale hundreds of gigawatts of nuclear power.Elina Teplinsky, nuclear lawyer at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman By targeting IBNI specifically at nuclear projects, the bank would be prepared to deal with issues and timelines specific to fission energy. IBNIs entire focus would be to scale nuclear, so it would be able to come in upfront and would be able to move on lots of different projects, Teplinsky said, with the idea that the entire purpose of this financing is to scale hundreds of gigawatts of nuclear power instead of looking at projects just on a case by case basis. IBNI would also help set international financing standards for rating the value of nuclear investments, Dean said, helping to open more funding from so-called ESG investors concerned over the environmental and social impact of dealmaking. If IBNI already existed, convincing Congress to give it more money might not be such a tall task. But critics of the proposal say its hard enough to get political support for funding entirely U.S.-owned institutions like the Ex-Im Bank that are dedicated to financing projects for American exports overseas. For much of the past decade, conservative think tanks and pundits have argued in favor of defunding the Ex-Im Bank entirely, and experts expect the fight to begin anew next year when Congress begins debating reauthorizing the bank before its charter runs out at the end of 2026. Putting up more funding for a new institution that might end up financing French or South Korean technology on projects where a U.S. company loses the bid would be a tough sell in Washington, according to a high-ranking source involved in reauthorizing the Ex-Im Bank who requested anonymity to speak candidly on a sensitive topic. The source worried IBNI might be an unnecessary distraction from more realistic goals, like reforming the World Bank. But Dean said his meetings with officials from the Ex-Im Bank, the U.S. Treasury and Congress have so far been positive, and noted the support for nuclear energy across the American political spectrum. Discussions with lawmakers and counterpart agencies in Canada, Europe and Asia went similarly well, he said. The next step, he said, will be promoting IBNI in November at the back-to-back United Nations climate summit in Azerbaijan and the G20 conference in Brazil. The simple answer is that IBNI is the best use of every dollar of public money that can be devoted to scaling nuclear, he said. We dont want to compete with what the U.S. Ex-Im Bank is doing, what the Canadians are doing, what the French are doing ... At the end of the day, for every dollar of tax money thats provided by these countries, IBNI will provide the most bang for the buck. Related... Journalist Amr Manasra says he remembers the moment an iron column saved his life. It was a miracle, he said, when an Israeli snipers bullet was met by the iron before it could reach his press vest -- as he lay down in the streets of Jenin in the occupied West Bank -- where he was documenting the latest raid by the Israeli forces with a few other colleagues. In that 40-hour operation in late May, at least 11 people were killed and over 30 people were injured, according to the Palestinian Authoritys Ministry of Health. Although locals interviewed by ABC News said they are used to the presence of Israeli forces in Jenin, they said they are still living through the consequences of that one operation, the full scope of the damage coming to light only now as witnesses speak up. The trail of destruction of infrastructure and resources left by that Israeli operation fits into what the U.N. has said is an increasing pattern of violence against Palestinians and their communities in the occupied territories. PHOTO: Israeli military vehicles move along a road in Jenin, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, May 21, 2024. (Raneen Sawafta/Reuters) ABC News has pieced together a wider accounting of the destruction that Jenin sustained in this raid and subsequently by talking to more than a dozen witnesses, including journalists on the ground, international organizations operating in Jenin, residents, and local authorities, and by obtaining and verifying visual evidence from the scene. They said that this raid was the first of this kind in Jenin since Oct. 7, when in a surprise attack, Hamas and other militants infiltrated southern Israel and killed about 1,200 people and kidnapped about 250. Almost immediately, Israel began its war on Hamas in Gaza, which has left over 39,890 Palestinians killed in the Strip and 92,200 injured, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. Early on May 21, Israeli troops moved deep into the Jenin refugee camp for what they called a counter-terrorism operation. The troops opened fire on civilians, according to witnesses including paramedics on the scene, killing bystanders. Among them, three children, a prominent doctor, and a teacher. Other witnesses interviewed by ABC News said the Israeli troops then proceeded to demolish homes, raid public buildings and dig up water pipes and roads with armored bulldozers, providing photo and video evidence that ABC News was able to geolocate to places in Jenin. "IDF forces, the Shin Bet and Magav (Border Police) completed an operation to counter terrorism in Jenin this morning. As part of the operation, about 20 terrorist infrastructures were destroyed, including an explosives laboratory and dozens of weapons, the Israeli Defense Forces said in a statement to ABC News on May 23, the same day they left Jenin. Hamas later claimed two male adults among the victims, as confirmed by sources to ABC News. Those 40 hours were the deadliest for Jenin since Oct. 7, and one of the most violent in the recent history of the refugee camp, according to the local United Nations office. PHOTO: An armed Palestinian man takes position during an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin on May 21, 2024. (Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images) Located less than 20 miles south of Nazareth, Jenin is home to one of the most densely populated of 19 refugee camps for Palestinians in the West Bank, with over 20,000 registered refugees, according to the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, or UNRWA. It opened in 1953 to house Palestinians seeking refuge following the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. Its displaced residents and their descendants have maintained special refugee status, living in a kind of limbo for decades as Jenin developed into a city, its occupants holding onto hope they will one day claim what they say is their right to the disputed land. Jenin also became a stronghold of the Palestinian armed struggle against the Israeli occupation, which includes factions of terrorist groups Hamas, Islamic Jihad and an armed wing of Fatah allied under the umbrella of what is known as Jenin Brigades, making it a frequent target for Israeli raid. Especially in the past ten months, Jenin has been raided multiple times by Israeli forces, including in January, when soldiers entered the Ibn Sina Hospital disguised as patients, in what may account for a violation of international law, several experts told ABC News. Still, the 40-hour operation in May stood out for its impact and scale. This was not a normal raid but a full-scale invasion," the director of UNRWA in the West Bank, Adam Bouloukos, told ABC News, calling the operation definitely unusual. They went into our buildings and destroyed everything, room by room," Bouloukos said, adding that hundreds of Israeli soldiers arrived in full equipment. PHOTO: Palestinian youths ride past burning tyres during an Israeli raid on the occupied West Bank city of Jenin on May 21, 2024. (Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images) Pictures obtained by ABC News appear to show the damage inside the U.N. buildings in Jenin after that raid. UNRWA said Israeli soldiers camped overnight in its relief and social services office, leaving behind pizza boxes with names in Hebrew, scattered documents and broken furniture. Some hospital rooms and the outside of the building also appear damaged, with broken monitors, windows, doors, chairs, fans and medical equipment among the vandalized objects. Other videos appeared to show military vehicles inside the city center, near the hospital and refugee camp. The videos appeared to include the sounds of heavy gunfire. Among the first to respond, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS), whose spokesperson in Jenin, Ahmed Jibril, told ABC News that the first calls for assistance started around 8 a.m. on May 21. But as they made their way, their ambulances were prevented from reaching the wounded and searched by Israeli forces, Jibril said. Videos geolocated by ABC News show at least three ambulances being searched in three locations in Jenin that the PRCS said are from incidents on that day. "The shooting happened all over the refugee camp and surroundings. They began obstructing the entrance of our crews to the camp to assist people or to carry them to the hospital," the PRCS spokesperson said. PHOTO: Smoke billows after an explosion targeting an Israeli bulldozer during a raid by Israeli forces in the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank on May 21, 2024. (Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images) "Our crews were stripped naked and interrogated together with the injured they were transporting," he added. Another video shared by the PRCS on their X account appears to show the moment a paramedic is forced to raise his arms and abandon the patient he was assisting. "The PRCS ambulance man gave the injured first aid and wanted to put him on the stretcher. It was around 1:30 a.m. when the Israeli forces stopped him and asked to leave the place," Jibril said of the video. "After questions and searching, the Israeli forces arrested the injured person and dismissed the ambulance." Journalists on duty in the refugee camp said they were also searched the same day and, in at least one case, injured and almost killed, they told ABC News. PHOTO: A masked Palestinian youth holds stones in his hands during confrontations with Israeli troops stormed the northern occupied West Bank city of Jenin, on May 22, 2024. (Afp Contributor#afp/AFP via Getty Images) Palestinian photojournalist Amr Manasra was filmed by a colleague, Obada Tahayna, moments after he was shot by Israeli soldiers a few feet away from the entrance of the refugee camp, he said. "There was no one in the street except journalists and the Israeli occupation army," Manasra told ABC News in June. "We were wearing our official press uniform, including body armor and a helmet." Manasra said a small group of journalists moved towards the Jenin Governmental Hospital to document what was happening there. "When the first two of our fellow journalists came forward, the occupation army began shooting at me and our colleague Tahaina," Manasra told ABC News. Tahaina, who filmed the scene, confirmed the sequence of events to ABC News. The block on ambulances continued for the second day, according to the PRCS, who said the Israeli forces rejected at least 30 requests to coordinate with them in order to allow their medical staff to assist patients. "They also arrested a paramedic from inside the Ibn Sina ambulance and opened fire on the Red Crescent ambulance," the PRCS added. The PRCS shared via text message a photo of the damaged ambulance, which ABC News could not independently verify. With the world focused on the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, experts are warning about the parallel spike in violence in the West Bank by the Israeli forces. PHOTO: Armed Palestinian militants attend a group funeral of people killed in a raid by Israeli forces, in Jenin, in the occupied West Bank on May 23, 2024. (Zain Jaafar/AFP via Getty Images) The U.N. Human Rights Office said in June it has observed over 80 cases of "consistent violations of international human rights law, including "disproportionate use of lethal force," apparently "targeted killings" and "systematic denial or delaying of medical assistance to those critically injured" in the West Bank since Oct. 7 by the Israeli military. As if the tragic events in Israel and then Gaza over the past eight months were not enough, the people of the occupied West Bank are also being subjected to day-after-day of unprecedented bloodshed," U.N. Human Rights Chief Volker Turk said in a statement on June 4, after the total number of killed in the West Bank surpassed 500. It recently topped 600, with at least 623 Palestinians killed and over 5,400 injured, according to data collected by the Palestinian Health Ministry and the U.N. While settler violence also contributes to the death toll, over 75 percent of the total fatalities since Oct. 7 have taken place during operations by Israeli forces in cities and villages, the U.N.'s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA, told ABC News. The number, which includes militants as well as stone-throwing youth, comprises 145 children, averaging one child killed every two days in the West Bank since the war in Gaza started, according to the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF). The occupied West Bank including East Jerusalem is considered by Palestinians as the core of a future independent state along with Gaza. Last month, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the top UN court, ruled that Israels occupation of the Palestinian Territories is unlawful and called for the immediate end of settlements, in what is considered an unprecedented condemnation of the decades-long occupation. Israel rejected the ruling, with the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling it false. While the international community weighs in on the decision of the ICJ, raids such as the one in Jenin on May 21 risk making parts of the West Bank unlivable for Palestinians, humanitarian agents and local government said. Jenin City Mayor, Nidal Obeidi, told ABC News that the citys essential infrastructure has been more heavily damaged in the months following October than ever before. Obeidi underlines the lack of electricity as well as the economic loss of Jenin residents, unable to conduct their businesses. The streets are so destroyed that people can barely walk or drive with their cars, Obeidi said. PHOTO: A Palestinian girl looks out of the window of a shrapnel-pocked building in Jenin on May 23, 2024 in the aftermath of a raid by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank city on May 21, 2024. (Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images) The destruction that happened during the two-day raid in May was further exacerbated by more operations in the months that followed, with Israeli forces relentlessly returning to Jenin for what they said was part of a wider anti-terrorism operation at least four times, on June 6, June 13, June 22 and August 5, each time for less than a day. 11 were killed as a result, some were detained and over 30 were injured with bullets and shrapnel wounds as well as by an airstrike, according to reports by the local PRCS reviewed by ABC News. The IDF said in different statements that they targeted and eliminated terrorists with these operations. On June 22, video footage that ABC News geolocated to Jenin appeared to show an injured Palestinian man tied to the hood of an Israeli military jeep, in what human rights experts called a case of "human shielding." The Israeli military said the incident was under investigation. With over 302 Palestinians killed in the Jenin Governorate alone since Oct.7, the city and its surroundings have the highest number of victims across the West Bank governorates, according to OCHA. "Reports of exchanges of fire are frequent. Houses are damaged, infrastructure is destroyed, and people are left homeless. Ambulance access is delayed as people are killed and injured, an OCHA spokesperson told ABC News. De-escalation is a must. ABC News' Helena Skinner, Samy Zayara, Nasser Atta, Diaa Hamdi, Latifeh Abdellatif and Will Gretsky contributed to this report. Inside Israel's deadly Jenin raid, 40 hours in May that shook the West Bank refugee camp originally appeared on abcnews.go.com An Instagram model from New York who crashed her Mercedes, causing a three-car wreck in Miami that killed two people, told police she was under the influence of party drugs and believed she was from the future. WPLG reports that Maecee Marie Lathers, 24, confessed to police she was under the influence of pink cocaine, a synthetic drug containing ketamine that is also known as 2C, when she ran a red light on Aug. 10 and crashed into two carskilling driver Abraham Ismael and his rear-seat passenger. Ismaels wife, Juanita Hernandez, who was in the front passenger seat, survived the crash. Abraham Ismael was driving with his wife, Juanita Hernandez, to work when he and another passenger were killed. Hernandez survived the crash. GoFundMe Lathers reportedly also tried to flee the scene and had to be stopped by onlookers. She advised she was under the influence of 2C a known party drug and that she was from the future and had a crystal ball, Florida 11th Circuit Court Judge Mindy S. Glazer read from a police report. Shes an absolute danger to the community based on killing or driving when she shouldnt have been in a car and shes clearly impaired based on her statements and if it wasnt for the citizens or witnesses nearby who stopped her, she would have completely fled. Lathers was charged with four counts of driving without a license resulting in death or serious injury and four counts of leaving the scene of a crash resulting in death or serious injuries. Glazer ordered Lather be held on a $140,000 bond. A GoFundMe was set up for Juanita Hernandez, who was left unable to work due to the injuries she sustained in the crash. She said her husband also left behind a 16-year-old son. I am now unable to work due to my injuries, and the boys life has been turned upside down, the heartbroken wife wrote on GoFundMe. His mother, who lives in Nicaragua, suffers from Parkinsons disease and is now not only grieving but also left without the financial support her son provided. Lathers, originally from Fort Plain, NY, has reportedly been living in Florida since 2022. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. A 35-year-old Davenport man was in custody Saturday after an Iowa State Patrol plane helped stop a high-speed chase on Brady Street in Davenport, according to court records. Steven Garcia faces a felony charge of eluding speed over 25 mph over the limit, and an aggravated misdemeanor charge of operating while under the influence second offense, court records show. Steven Garcia (Scott County Jail) Just before 11 p.m. Friday, a Bettendorf Police officer tried to stop an orange Dodge Ram on River Drive. A pursuit ensued until the truck was lost in the Village of East Davenport, according to arrest affidavits. At 11:02 p.m., an Iowa State Trooper located an orange Dodge Ram turning westbound on Kirkwood Boulevard from Eastern Avenue, failing to stop at the stop sign. The passenger headlight was out on the truck and no registration plates were displayed. The truck began to accelerate from the trooper at a high rate of speed, according to affidavits, which show the truck was traveling west on Kirkwood at speeds in excess of 60 mph in a posted 25 mph zone. A pursuit ensued. The trooper saw multiple traffic infractions including but not limited to; speeding in excess of +25 mph over, improper lane usage, fail to use turn signal, unsafe overtaking on the right and fail to obey traffic control devices, affidavits say. The pursuit continued north onto Brady Street, which is when an Iowa State Patrol plane pilot locked onto the truck and the trooper on the ground shut down the pursuit. The plane continued following the truck until the driver parked the vehicle in a lot near the intersection of 35th and Main Street, according to affidavits. Affidavits show Garcia was taken into custody after he tried to run away. After Garcia was read his Miranda Rights, he admitted to attempting to run because he was scared and had been drinking and consuming drugs, officers say in affidavits. He had alcohol on his breath, watery eyes, slurred speech and impaired balance, He refused to participate in Standard Field Sobriety tests or to give a breath sample. Garcia, who was being held on a total $10,000 cash-only bond in Scott County Jail, is set for a preliminary hearing Aug. 27 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. Sec. of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to travel to Israel Saturday to help broker a cease-fire and hostage release in Gaza. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI Aug. 17 (UPI) -- Israel Defense Forces killed at least 10 during an overnight strike in southern Lebanon as U.S. Sec. of State Antony Blinken prepares to travel to Israel on Saturday in seeking a cease-fire deal with Hamas. IDF officials said the strike targeted a Hezbollah weapons depot in Wadi al-Kfour in the Nabatieh province, which is an industrial and residential area. Lebanon's Health Ministry said the strike killed at least 10, including a mother and her two children. It was the deadliest strike since Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel exchanged fire almost daily since the start of the Oct. 8 war. Hezbollah retaliated by firing 55 rockets into northern Israel, which caused some fires but did not cause injuries, the IDF reported. A separate drone strike also killed a motorcyclist in the southern Lebanon city of Tyre. The attacks occurred ahead of Blinken's planned trip to Israel to help broker a cease-fire deal in Gaza. Blinken also will try to arrange the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, which includes at least eight U.S. citizens. President Joe Biden said he's sending Blinken to Israel to "reaffirm my iron-clad support for Israel's security, continue out 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." Officials in Egypt and Qatar are scheduled to participate in the cease-fire talks, but a senior Hamas leader says Biden's optimism regarding a cease-fire deal is an "illusion." No progress has occurred and mediators for Israel, the United States, Egypt and Qatar are "selling illusions," the unnamed senior Hamas official told the BBC. Blinken also hopes to prevent retaliatory strikes against Israel for the recent killings of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders in Tehran and Beirut. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said more than 40,000 Palestinians have died in Gaza, which the U.N. says has an estimated population of more than 2.2 million. A General view of smoke and a forest fire after shelling near the Lebanese border with Israel after Israeli shelling, amid ongoing clashes between Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) and Hezbollah. Vasily Krestyaninov/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa The Israeli military said that it has killed a commander from the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah in an airstrike on southern Lebanon on Saturday. The man was killed in an airstrike near the coastal city of Tyre. The Lebanese Ministry of Health had earlier announced that one person had been killed in an Israeli attack on a motorcycle in the area. The Israeli military said he was a commander of the Radwan Force, an elite unit within the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia. Hezbollah did not initially comment on the strike or the Israeli claims. Hezbollah has repeatedly launched rockets from southern Lebanon into northern Israel since the beginning of Israel's war in the Gaza Strip against the Palestinian militant group Hamas, an ally of Hezbollah. The Israeli military has responded with numerous airstrikes and shelling on targets in southern Lebanon. Israel launched the Gaza war in response to unprecedented attacks on Israel led by Hamas on October 7 which left more than 1,200 people dead. Pink Slip Season Despite tech conglomerate Cisco posting $10.3 billion in profits last year, it's still laying off 5,500 workers as part of an effort to invest more in AI, SFGATE reports. It joins a litany of other companies like Microsoft and Intuit, the maker of TurboTax, that have used AI as justification for the mass culling of its workforce. The layoffs at Cisco came to light in a notice posted with the Securities and Exchange Commission this week, affecting seven percent of its staff. In a short statement, CEO Chuck Robbins used the term "AI" five times, highlighting the company's efforts to keep up in the ongoing AI race. Earlier this year, Cisco also laid off 4,000 or five percent of it staff, saying that the company wanted to "realign the organization and enable further investment in key priority areas." In short, companies are no longer hiding their optimism over replacing human labor with AI, an unfortunate reality for those looking to maintain a stable job. But whether this "realignment" will pay off in the long run remains to be seen. Red Herring The layoff news helped boost Cisco's stock price on Wednesday, going from $45.04 in the morning to spiking over $48 per share in after-hours trading. We've already seen similar spikes in the stock prices of other tech companies announcing layoffs. Cisc's layoffs are also part of another pattern: tech companies saying they are shifting resources to boost their AI efforts and therefore they need to lay off people as part of a restructuring campaign. While many companies have used AI as a public-facing excuse for their restructuring efforts, experts remain skeptical and think the tech is instead used as a cover. "Fighting against robots is a nice cover story," University of Oxford economist and data scientist Fabian Stephany told Business Insider earlier this year. "But if you have a closer look, it's often old school, simple economic dynamics like outsourcing or lead management cutting costs to increase salaries in other places." More on tech layoffs: Microsoft Lays Off 1,500 Workers, Blames "AI Wave" Heavy black smoke billows from an Israeli air raid on the Lebanese southern border village of Kfar Hamam. Israeli planes struck earlier facility that contains a metal warehouse in village of Kfour. Marwan Naamani/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa The Israeli military said that it killed a commander from the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah in an airstrike on southern Lebanon on Saturday. The man was killed in an airstrike near the coastal city of Tyre. The Lebanese Ministry of Health had earlier announced that one person had been killed in an Israeli attack on a motorcycle in the area. The Israeli military said he was a commander of the Radwan Force, an elite unit within the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia. Hezbollah did not initially comment on the strike or the Israeli claims. Separately, Hezbollah said earlier in a statement that it fired a volley of rockets into new areas in northern Israel to retaliate for an attack on al-Kfour which killed and wounded mainly Syrian civilians. The Hezbollah sources said the areas of Ayelet HaShahar were targted for the first time today. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said 55 projectiles had been fired. "Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in the area of Ayelet HaShahar in northern Israel, approximately 55 projectiles were identified crossing from Lebanon, some of which fell in open areas," the IDF said. No injuries were reported. "As a result of the projectiles fired into Israel, multiple fires were ignited in the area and Israel Fire and Rescue Services are currently operating at the scene to extinguish them," the IDF said. Earlier, "an IDF soldier was severely injured and another soldier was lightly injured this morning as a result of a projectile that crossed from Lebanon and fell in the area of Misgav Am," the IDF said. The soldiers were evacuated to a hospital for medical treatment and their families have been notified, the IDF said. The death toll from an Israeli airstrike on an area in southern Lebanon rose to 10, among them two children, the Lebanese Health Ministry and state-media said on Saturday. Those killed were mostly Syrian nationals, the ministry said. The National News Agency (NNA) said the raid hit a brick mill on the outskirts of the northern town of al-Kafour in the Natabtiyeh district. Earlier reports from the area said it was a residential building. It said among the dead was the caretaker of mill, who is a Syrian national, and his whole family. Five others were injured in the Israeli strike, the ministry said in a statement, adding that some are in critical condition. The Israeli army said the air force had attacked a Hezbollah militia weapons depot in the Natabtiyeh area. The military also struck with artillery to eliminate a threat in other areas of southern Lebanon, the army said. The reports that civilians were injured as a result of the strike is under review, the Israeli army said. On Friday, at least one person was killed and another wounded in an Israeli strike that hit the village of Aitaroun in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese Health Ministry said. Meanwhile, 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 was a military structure in which Hezbollah terrorists were operating. Hezbollah has repeatedly launched rockets from southern Lebanon into northern Israel since the beginning of Israel's war in the Gaza Strip against the Palestinian militant group Hamas, an ally of Hezbollah. More than 120 civilians have been killed, most of them on the Lebanese side. The Israeli military has responded with numerous airstrikes and shelling on targets in southern Lebanon. Israel launched the Gaza war in response to unprecedented attacks on Israel led by Hamas on October 7 which left more than 1,200 people dead. Smoke of Israeli shelling billows from between houses in the southern Lebanese village of Khiam. Israeli planes struck earlier facility that contains a metal warehouse in village of Kfour. Marwan Naamani/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa Smoke of Israeli shelling billows from between houses in the southern Lebanese village of Khiam. Israeli planes struck earlier facility that contains a metal warehouse in village of Kfour. Marwan Naamani/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 The Israeli army called on residents of several neighbourhoods in the centre of the Gaza Strip to flee ahead of a new military operation, an Israeli military spokesman said in a post on X on Saturday. The residents should move to an area designated by Israel as a humanitarian zone, the spokesman said in a post in Arabic. Palestinian sources reported that several people have been killed in Israeli attacks in the centre of the Gaza Strip. The army said those affected by the recent call to flee include residents of the Al-Maghasi refugee district. It said the reason for the new operation is said to be the "ongoing rocket fire by Hamas" from the area. The army reportedly intends to target the terrorist organization there. He said the military was also distributing leaflets to residents. The army has already been operating in Al-Maghasi earlier this year. Israel's military has already called on residents of several areas in the north-east of the Gaza Strip to flee, telling residents and displaced persons to move to "known shelters" in the centre of Gaza City. Those affected include residents of the city of Beit Hanun. The army said the call was due to the presence of Hamas, which it said is launching rockets at Israel from the area. Many people have already been displaced multiple times over the course of the war. Palestinian sources also said several people have been killed in Israeli attacks in neighbouring areas of the evacuated regions. At least 17 people were killed in an airstrike on buildings in the city of Al-Sawaida in the centre of the Gaza Strip, according to medical sources in the coastal area. Dozens more were reportedly injured. Six more people were killed in an airstrike on a house near the Nuseirat refugee district, also in the central Gaza Strip, according to WAFA Palestinian news agency. Israel's army stated in response to an inquiry that they were reviewing the reports. Israel launched its ongoing military offensive in the Gaza Strip after the October 7 attacks and massacres carried out by Hamas terrorists and other extremist groups in Israel. Israel's response has led to at least 40,000 deaths in Gaza so far, according to the local health authority there, which is controlled by Hamas. The high number of civilian casualties and humanitarian catastrophe for the Palestinian civilian population have sparked intense international criticism of Israel's actions. 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 The Israeli army called on residents of several neighbourhoods in the centre of the Gaza Strip to flee ahead of a new military operation, an Israeli military spokesman said in a post on X on Saturday. The residents should move to an area designated by Israel as a humanitarian zone, the spokesman said in a post in Arabic. Palestinian sources reported that several people have been killed in Israeli attacks in the centre of the Gaza Strip. The army said those affected by the recent call to flee include residents of the al-Maghazi refugee district. It said the reason for the new operation is said to be the "ongoing rocket fire by Hamas" from the area. The spokesman said the army intends to target the terrorist organization there. He said the military was also distributing leaflets to residents. The army has already been operating in al-Maghazi earlier this year. Israel's military has already called on residents of several areas in the north-east of the Gaza Strip to flee, telling residents and displaced people to move to "known shelters" in the centre of Gaza City. Those affected include residents of the city of Beit Hanoun. The army said the call was due to the presence of Hamas, which it said is launching rockets at Israel from the area. Many people have already been displaced multiple times over the course of the war. Palestinian sources also said several people have been killed in Israeli attacks in neighbouring areas of the evacuated regions. At least 17 people were killed in an airstrike on buildings in the city of al-Zawayda in the centre of the Gaza Strip, according to medical sources in the coastal area. Dozens more were reportedly injured. Six more people were killed in an airstrike on a house near the Nuseirat refugee district, also in the central Gaza Strip, according to WAFA Palestinian news agency. Israel's army stated in response to an inquiry that they were reviewing the reports. Israel launched its ongoing military offensive in the Gaza Strip after the October 7 attacks and massacres carried out by Hamas terrorists and other extremist groups in Israel. Israel's response has led to at least 40,000 deaths in Gaza so far, according to the local health authority there, which is controlled by Hamas. The high number of civilian casualties and humanitarian catastrophe for the Palestinian civilian population have sparked intense international criticism of Israel's actions. The ongoing war in Gaza threatens to plunge the entire region into "a relentless cycle of instability," Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi said on Saturday. It is urgent to use the current negotiations to end the Gaza war, he said after a meeting with French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne in Cairo, his spokesman said. An agreement would prevent further bloodshed and protect the region from the consequences of further escalation. On Friday, current negotiations to end the war brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States were postponed. The mediators did not achieve a breakthrough, but according to a joint statement, the two-day talks in the Qatari capital were constructive. They agreed that there will be another top meeting in the Egyptian capital Cairo before the end of next week. Until then, negotiators should continue negotiating to close any remaining gaps. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to arrive in Israel on Sunday to press for a deal as the negotiations reach a critical stage. 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 The Israeli army called on residents of several neighbourhoods in the centre of the Gaza Strip to flee ahead of a new military operation, an Israeli military spokesman said in a post on X on Saturday. The residents should move to an area designated by Israel as a humanitarian zone, the spokesman said in a post in Arabic. Palestinian sources reported that several people have been killed in Israeli attacks in the centre of the Gaza Strip. The army said those affected by the recent call to flee include residents of the al-Maghazi refugee district. It said the reason for the new operation is said to be the "ongoing rocket fire by Hamas" from the area. The spokesman said the army intends to target the Palestinian militant organization there. He said the military was also distributing leaflets to residents. The army has already been operating in al-Maghazi earlier this year. Israel's military has already called on residents of several areas in the north-east of the Gaza Strip to flee, telling residents and displaced people to move to "known shelters" in the centre of Gaza City. Those affected include residents of the city of Beit Hanoun. The army said the call was due to the presence of Hamas, which it said is launching rockets at Israel from the area. Many people have already been displaced multiple times over the course of the war. Palestinian sources also said several people have been killed in Israeli attacks in neighbouring areas of the evacuated regions. At least 17 people were killed in an airstrike on buildings in the city of al-Zawayda in the centre of the Gaza Strip, according to medical sources in the coastal area. Dozens more were reportedly injured. Six more people were killed in an airstrike on a house near the Nuseirat refugee district, also in the central Gaza Strip, according to WAFA Palestinian news agency. Israel's army stated in response to an inquiry that they were reviewing the reports. Israel launched its ongoing military offensive in the Gaza Strip after the October 7 attacks and massacres carried out by Hamas terrorists and other extremist groups in Israel. Israel's response has led to at least 40,000 deaths in Gaza so far, according to the local health authority there, which is controlled by Hamas. The high number of civilian casualties and humanitarian catastrophe for the Palestinian civilian population have sparked intense international criticism of Israel's actions. The ongoing war in Gaza threatens to plunge the entire region into "a relentless cycle of instability," Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi said on Saturday. It is urgent to use the current negotiations to end the Gaza war, he said after a meeting with French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne in Cairo, his spokesman said. An agreement would prevent further bloodshed and protect the region from the consequences of further escalation. On Friday, current negotiations to end the war brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States were postponed. The mediators did not achieve a breakthrough, but according to a joint statement, the two-day talks in the Qatari capital were constructive. They agreed that there will be another top meeting in the Egyptian capital Cairo before the end of next week. Until then, negotiators should continue negotiating to close any remaining gaps. The Israeli negotiating team has expressed cautious optimism after those talks. "It is hoped that the heavy pressure on Hamas by the United States and the mediators will remove its opposition to the American proposal and will lead to a breakthrough in the talks," a statement in English from the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday. This was the first official statement from Israel after the two days of talks in Qatar. The foreign ministers of the UK, France, Germany and Italy said there is "too much at stake" in Israel-Gaza ceasefire negotiations for the "prospect for peace" to be undermined. The joint statement said a proposal to bridge the gaps between Israel and Hamas was presented and they expected to work out the details of how to implement a deal next week in Cairo. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to arrive in Israel on Sunday to press for a deal as the negotiations reach a critical stage. 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 Families and supporters of Israelis held hostage by Palestinian militants group Hamas in the Gaza Strip since the October 7 attacks, protest to demand their release after 300 days since their abduction, amid the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas. Ilia Yefimovich/dpa Following the end of the latest round of talks on a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza war, thousands of people in Israel again demonstrated in favour of a hostage deal. At a rally, the mother of a hostage held by the militant Palestinian organization Hamas called on the leadership of the Israeli security apparatus to prevent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from torpedoing a deal, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported. The mediating states Qatar, Egypt and the USA hope that an agreement will lead to a ceasefire as well as the release of the hostages still being held in the Gaza Strip. "Even if this is not a perfect deal, it is the only deal there is," at a rally the father of one of the hostages was quoted as saying. Protests took place in the coastal metropolis of Tel Aviv, in Haifa and many other places around the country. Many demonstrators accuse Netanyahu of sabotaging a deal and bowing to the demands of his ultra-religious and far-right coalition partners. They are against making concessions to Hamas. Netanyahu is dependent on them for his political survival. The demonstrators once again demanded the resignation of the government and new elections. In the event of fresh elections, Netanyahu potentially faces losing the prime minister's job. This in turn would accelerate the prosecution of alleged corruption of which the prime minister is accused. Talks mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the USA failed to achieve a breakthrough on Friday and were postponed, but were described as constructive. The indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas on a ceasefire in the Gaza war and the release of hostages in return for the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails have been dragging on for months. KANSAS CITY, Mo. Jackson Countys Executive fired the latest blast in a battle with the State Tax Commission after the commission ordered the county to roll back its 2023 assessments to no more than a 15% increase. Jackson County maintains the order is unenforceable, and based on politics after the attorney general dismissed a lawsuit against the county and its assessor. Shawnee Mission Northwest student dies following medical emergency Now, Frank White is warning schools, fire districts and other agencies about whats at stake. I understand both sides, but Im also more for the little guy that just totally got train wrecked in this deal, Inter City Fire Protection District Fire Chief Jewell said. If you were barely making it and your property tax went up 30%, some cases 400. Earlier this week, Jackson Co. Leaders stood by the 2023 property tax assessment increases, sticker shock to hundreds of property owners. This was after the Missouri Tax Commission ruled those hikes illegal and ordered the county to roll them back to no more than a 15 percent increase. Jewel received a letter from County Executive Frank White, Jr., Jewells department is not alone. From a fire administrator, Id say, people are going to be in trouble, Jewell said. But again, the taxpayers, some people are going to lose their houses, and their rent went up where they cant afford to pay. So, at the end of the day, Ill just wait to see what plays out in court. Dozens of fire districts, school districts and cities also received a list noting the potential estimated financial fallout for impacted entities. It totals more than $117 million. KC woman who stole over $60,000 in merchandise sentenced in Platte Co. Lees Summit School District could potentially lose more than $14 million, the city of Kansas City proper could be out $9 million, and a nearly $2 million loss for Central Jackson Fire District. The inter City Fire Protection Chief could face a nearly $5,000 loss, but said he was prepared. Jewell admits he owns several properties. He understands both sides. If we didnt have our ambulances it would definitely be a hit, Jewell said. The Lees Summit School District said in a statement to FOX4, This does not impact what the district is doing and we will continue to review the State Tax Commissions order and monitor the countys response. The City of Grandview said its, considering its options and looks forward to discussions with County representatives. Frank White said in the letter The potential consequences for your organization and others across the county could be catastrophic. Two killed in Freeman shooting He urged them to get in touch with the county counselors office to develop a unified and effective response strategy. In an appearance on Sundays 4 The People, County Counselor Bryan Covinsky said a decision on how to fight the order is still being formulated. The public schools get 65% of all the money that comes in from that, the cities get 17% and then we have various community colleges that get money from that, as well. Theres a number of others. Covinsky said. So, going backwards, saying it so much later, causes problems. Find the full list of agencies that could potentially be impacted here: Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. As Florida voters prepare to decide on the legalization of recreational marijuana this November, Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan and Sheriff T.K. Waters are making their positions clear on the issue. A recent poll released by the University of North Florida in July shows Amendment 3, which seeks to legalize recreational marijuana, garnering 64% support among likely voters. Read: Sheriffs Association joins opposition to legal marijuana, while powerful Republican offers support for Amendment 3 Mayor Donna Deegan has voiced her support for the amendment, emphasizing the importance of personal freedom and the need to prevent minor offenses from leading to unnecessary legal consequences. In a statement to Action News Jax, a spokesperson for Deegan said: I support Amendment 3. People shouldnt be jailed and caught up in the system for small amounts that are for personal consumption, said a spokesperson for Deegan in a statement to Action News Jax. There should still be laws in place that regulate the time, place, and manner for appropriate usage. All in all, people should be free from government interference if they arent putting the public in danger or disrupting the community. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] In contrast, Sheriff T.K. Waters has aligned himself with the Florida Sheriffs Association, expressing strong opposition to Amendment 3. He cited concerns about the potential impact on public safety and the well-being of Jacksonvilles families. As a 33-year law enforcement officer and your elected Sheriff, I will always oppose policies that put the health and safety of Jacksonvilles children and families at risk, including Amendment 3, said Waters in a statement. In states where marijuana has been legalized recreationally, weve seen a rise in drugged driving incidents, an increase in emergency room visits, and a surge in marijuana-related crimes. The negative consequences on public safety are clear. Amendment 3 will lead to more addiction, impaired driving, and crime. It will make neighborhoods and roadways less safe and our families less healthy. For these reasons, I strongly oppose Amendment 3 and urge our citizens to do the same. As the debate over Amendment 3 heats up, Jacksonville residents will have to weigh these differing perspectives as they head to the polls this November. R[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. This image provided by Sophie Luo shows her husband, Ding Jiaxi, Oct. 8, 2017, at Niagara Falls in New York. (Sophie Luo via AP) WASHINGTON (AP) Ding Jiaxi knew he would spend his 57th birthday alone in a Chinese prison cell, without a phone call from family or a chance to stretch in the sunlight. It was the activists fifth year in those conditions. Despite letters assuring his family in the United States that he was healthy, his wife, Sophie Luo, was not convinced. "I'm really worried about his health, because he was tortured before, Luo told The Associated Press from Washington. Luo shared details about her husband's plight before his birthday Saturday, casting light on the harsh treatment endured by the country's jailed political prisoners, who are often deprived of rights such as outdoor exercise and contact with loved ones, according to families and human rights groups. Beijing has said prisoners legal rights are protected in accordance with Chinese law. The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. Ding, a key member of the now-defunct New Citizens Movement that sought to promote democracy and civil society in China, was detained in December 2019 after taking part in an informal gathering in the southeastern city of Xiamen to discuss current affairs. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison in April 2023 on charges of subverting state power. Maya Wang, interim China director for the rights advocacy group Human Rights Watch, called harsh treatment all common fare for China's political prisoners. Unfortunately, the mistreatment is very common, and it has gotten worse under Chinese President Xi Jinping, Wang said. Political prisoners have been tortured, deprived of access to lawyers and given very little contact with their families, she said, adding that the secrecy has made it easier for abuse against prisoners to continue and their health to suffer. Rep. Adam Schiff, who serves on a bipartisan congressional human rights commission, urged Ding's release. "Once again, he will be alone in a prison in Hubei Province in China. He will be separated from his loved ones his wife and children. He will mark the passing of yet another birthday in isolation his fifth in prison, Schiff, D-Calif., said in a statement released Friday. Luo said she has not been allowed to speak with her husband on the phone since he was taken away by authorities in 2019. Since then, I havent heard his voice, said Luo, who moved to the U.S. with the couple's two children soon after Ding was detained the first time in 2013. It was only this March that she received his first letter. In letters, Ding has not been allowed to write about his case, how he has been treated in prison or any other subject deemed sensitive by the Chinese government, Luo said. She said she could not believe Ding was banned from leaving his cell to go out for exercise. This is really bad for his health, Luo said. Every prisoner in China should have the right to be let out for exercise. Why cant he have that? And she lamented on the absence of Ding from the lives of their two daughters. He can't be with the girls when they needed a father most, she said. It's really a big loss. MILWAUKEE 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 undocumented 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: Tim Walz and JD Vance agree to Oct. 1 debate hosted by CBS ROME - JANUARY 11: Actor Daniel Day-Lewis (L), director Martin Scorsese (C) and actor Leonardo DiCaprio talk during a photo shoot at the Campidoglio, Rome's City Hall, to promote Scorsese's latest movie "Gangs of New York" January 11, 2003 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Franco Origlia/Getty Images) 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 Irish immigrants, led by a character played by Oscar-winner Leonardo DiCaprio, and anti-immigrant, anti-Catholic "nativists," led by a character known as Bill the Butcher, played by three-time Oscar winner Daniel Day Lewis. Vance made the remarks as he discussed immigration and crime among the top issues for Republicans on the campaign trail. 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. Lawrence Andrea is Washington correspondent for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY network. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: JD Vance cites 'Gangs of New York' film to explain deportation plans Toyota Motor Corporation TM may have been one of the slowest automakers to pivot to the development of electric vehicles (EVs) but it could be the first one to completely stop producing vehicles that run solely on gasoline, per Reuters. Nearly three decades after the launch of its pioneering gasoline-electric hybrid Prius, the company aims to convert its entire Toyota and Lexus lineup to hybrid-only models. It remains focused on hybrids, challenging the industry trend toward full electrification. Per Akio Toyoda, chairman of Toyota, EVs will only comprise 30% of the global market, promoting a multi-pathway strategy that includes hybrids, hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles and other emerging technologies. Per David Christ, head of sales and marketing for Toyota in North America, the automaker is evaluating whether to make all its models hybrid-only, with decisions being made during each model redesign. The RAV4, with hybrid variants that make up about half of Toyotas sales, is America's top-selling SUV. It might soon be offered only as a hybrid, similar to the Camry and other models. This strategy, not previously reported, leverages TMs dominant position in the hybrid market, especially as EV demand slows due to high costs and charging challenges. Toyota's hybrids that dont require charging and offer seamless power transitions are getting increasingly popular, making up to 37% of TM's sales, which represents a sharp increase from 9% in 2018. This surge has significantly boosted the companys profits. Also, Toyota's hybrid sales in the United States surged 66% year over year, reaching 438,845 vehicles by Jun 30, while EV sales totaled only 15,107 during the same period. Per Christ, Toyota anticipates continued growth in hybrid sales, predicting that hybrids will account for more than 50% of the companys total volume next year. Toyota has already electrified most of its North American lineup, with nearly every model (except for its performance cars) now offering a hybrid powertrain. TMs approach also provides regulatory advantages in the United States, where stricter emissions standards are set to take effect in 2027. The automaker is establishing a battery plant in North Carolina that will have 14 production lines by 2030, with an annual capacity to produce 30 gigawatt-hours of batteries. As part of its long-term strategy, Toyota plans to invest $35 billion in batteries and EV platforms while continuing to develop hybrids with smaller and more efficient engines. This hybrid-focused strategy will give TM time to develop next-generation technologies while capitalizing on current market conditions. Story continues Zacks Rank & Key Picks TM currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Some better-ranked stocks in the auto space are Dorman Products, Inc. DORM, Blue Bird Corporation BLBD and Douglas Dynamics, Inc. PLOW, each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. The consensus estimate for DORMs 2024 sales and earnings suggests year-over-year growth of 3.71% and 35.46%, respectively. EPS estimates for 2024 and 2025 have improved 51 cents and 37 cents, respectively, in the past 30 days. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BLBDs 2024 sales and earnings suggests year-over-year growth of 17.58% and 215.89%, respectively. EPS estimates for 2024 and 2025 have improved 65 cents and 80 cents, respectively, in the past seven days. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for PLOWs 2024 sales and earnings suggests year-over-year growth of 6.45% and 60.4%, respectively. EPS estimates for 2024 and 2025 have improved 15 cents and 2 cents, respectively, in the past 30 days. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Toyota Motor Corporation (TM) : Free Stock Analysis Report Douglas Dynamics, Inc. (PLOW) : Free Stock Analysis Report Dorman Products, Inc. (DORM) : Free Stock Analysis Report Blue Bird Corporation (BLBD) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research JD Vance points to Gangs of New York to back up claim that immigration leads to crime Sen. JD Vance, Donald Trumps running mate, defended his past comments on immigration by pointing to the 2002 Martin Scorsese movie Gangs of New York as an example of immigration leading to higher crime rates. At a campaign appearance at the Milwaukee Police Association on Friday, Vance was asked about his comments in 2021 in which he claimed past waves of immigration led to increased crime, and if he thought mass deportations a major part of the Trump-Vance campaign platform would have addressed those issues. The Ohio senator responded by referencing the 2002 film in which an Irish man, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, exacts revenge for his fathers death by infiltrating a violent anti-immigrant gang in the mid-19th century. Has anybody ever seen the movie Gangs of New York? Thats what Im talking about, Vance said. We know that when we have these massive ethnic enclaves form in our country, it can sometimes lead to higher crime rates. He later added: What happens when you have massive amounts of illegal immigration, it actually starts to create ethnic conflict, it creates higher crime rates. Weve certainly seen that over the last few years. Vances reference to Gangs of New York as evidence for his racist assertion about immigrants calls into question his comprehension of the movie. As Washington Post columnist Philip Bump pointed out on X, the most brutal, vicious killer in that movie is the nativist who loathes immigrants. But Vances claim is wrong about the real world as well: A slew of studies have shown that there is no significant link between immigration and crime. In fact, research has repeatedly shown that immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than native-born Americans. Michael Light, a sociology professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who has published a paper on the subject, told Reuters in April, Of course, foreign-born individuals have committed crimes. But do foreign-born individuals commit crime at a disproportionately higher rate than native-born individuals? The answer is pretty conclusively no. Yet cases of violent crime committed by migrants gain widespread national attention, in no small part due to fearmongering about migrants taking jobs from Americans and committing crimes one of Trumps long-standing claims. Vance has struggled greatly to boost Trumps candidacy. Although many of his past remarks on women have led to particularly intense backlash as they resurface, Vance has also made several comments in recent weeks including on Friday that have done very little to help the situation or improve his popularity. Polls indicate that he has not made a good impression on Americans so far, with his unfavorable ratings increasing by more than 9% since he was chosen as the GOP nominees running mate. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com Hello, its the weekend. This is The Weekender A clip made the rounds this week in which chief weirdo JD Vance said the purpose of post-menopausal women was to help raise children. This sort of thing falls outside the normal discourse. Many find it uncomfortable or unusual to talk about the ultimate purpose of wide swathes of society. What does it even mean when someone talks about someone elses purpose? It smacks of Simon Birch. What makes it weird is that alienating feeling you get when he starts talking as if he has special knowledge about other peoples purpose in life. But I think theres something important and significant about this conversation: It speaks to a divide in how many conservatives interpret and understand the world. There was a time when the prevailing understanding of natural phenomena was teleological, which is a fancy philosophical way of saying that everything in the natural world was imbued with a specific purpose (Simon Birch was put on earth to save other kids from drowning), and in their view, this purpose was handed down from God. Over the course of the 17th and 18th Centuries, some of Western societys major thinkers rejected this idea. Rain didnt fall simply because flowers needed rain, rain fell because of a series of observable and measurable events. Anyway, we dont need to get too in the weeds here. But, long story short, this kind of thinking largely died out as people like Francis Bacon and Isaac Newton and John Locke introduced new ways to understand and interpret the world. But theres a kind of rhetorical trick conservatives play sometimes where they attribute intelligent design to evolutionary chance and Vance seems to be doing that here. For example, it would be perfectly normal in an anthropology course to hear a professor say something like, Communities with post-menopausal women may have had an evolutionary advantage over those without, which over the course of time selected humans who experienced menopause favorably in evolutionary terms. This, however, is not remotely the same as saying child care is the purpose of post-menopausal women. It just says that there was a time where this may have been beneficial. It doesnt say, for example, that forever and always, only grandmothers can help with childcare, as opposed to, oh I dont know, government-funded programs. Or dads. Or grandfathers. Or friends. Or literally any other arrangement you can think of. We dont legislate or organize society based on nature alone. Yet, this appeal to Natural Law rears its ugly head a lot in the religious segments of the right. Its why same-sex marriage was bad. Its why trans people are bad. Its why IVF is bad. If you have a worldview that assumes everything in the natural world was created with a specific purpose, the logical next step is to lament anyone and anything that violates that purpose. It is a tool for control. This gets abstract real fast and can devolve into sophomoric Whats the meaning of life stuff. But as a general rule, since we dont know the ultimate purpose of life on earth, it strikes me as a good idea to break down barriers and seek to expand rights and expand autonomy and expand scope of what each individual is capable of rather than put them in specific boxes limiting their potential. What if, and this maybe is nuts, we organize society such that people can decide their own purpose? Maybe we even call it, the pursuit of happiness? Joe Ragazzo Heres what else TPM has on tap this weekend: Hunter Walker tells us more about his conversation with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) this week. Josh Kovensky unpacks right-wingers new model for reversing, what they believe to be, the great American decay. Khaya Himmelman reports on Missouri Republicans efforts to preemptively help Donald Trumps election denialism cause. Emine Yucel weighs in on why Republicans response to being labeled weird has been weird in and of itself. Lets dig in. Nicole Lafond The 2016 Primary Is Finally Over For nearly a decade, the Democratic Party was defined by the bitter rift that emerged when Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) went up against each other in the 2016 presidential primary. While Sanders ultimately backed Clinton and campaigned for her, their at-times-bitter faceoff led to years of fallout including a slew of congressional and local races that fueled the notion there was a conflict raging between progressives and the Democratic Party establishment. In his own primary against Sanders, President Joe Biden explicitly ran as a moderate alternative to the Vermont senators progressivism. However, after winning the 2020 race, Biden worked to heal the split in the Democratic Party. That effort included the formation of unity policy task forces led by the Biden campaign and Sanders, which laid the foundation for a spate of progressive legislation from the White House. Biden laid the groundwork for a bridge across the Democratic divide and his exit from this years presidential race has made clear the party has entered a new era. Since Biden passed her the baton, Vice President Kamala Harris has built a campaign that is not defining itself in relation to the factionalism of 2016. While Harris has not fully embraced the progressive agenda, she is hardly running away from it. When Harris delivered her first major policy speech on Friday, she declared, building up the middle class will be a defining goal of my presidency. Harris also debuted what she described as one element of a plan to do that, which was a suite of pledges focused on cutting the cost of living. That included a promised federal ban on price gouging, a commitment to build three million units of new affordable housing, and restoration of the earned income tax credit and child tax credit. Harris focus on the middle class and her pledges to take on corporations who have spiked food and drug prices sounded quite in line with the Sanders wing of the party. Ahead of her speech, Sanders repeatedly praised her, including in an interview with TPM where he flatly described her as a progressive. The moment certainly feels like a new era in a Democratic Party that has finally exorcised the lingering demons of the bitter 2016 feuding. When this reporter made that point on social media, there were a few angry comments and tiffs in the mentions. However, at this point those pockets of fighting feel like anomalies and holdouts waging their own personal struggles. Indeed, in her policy speech Harris seemed to acknowledge the turning point. Now is the time to chart a new way forward, she said. Hunter Walker Late Soviet America Right-wingers seeking a model for what they see as irreversible American decay have struck on a new idea: the Soviet Union. In a certain segment of the new right, the idea that the current United States deeply resembles the late Soviet Union with the attending predictions you can make about where well end up has become extremely fashionable. John Eastman, currently indicted in two states and facing removal of his law license over his efforts to help Donald Trump stay in power after losing the 2020 election, likened his travails to Soviet prosecutions in a speech at the National Conservatism conference last month. Charles Haywood, a former shampoo manufacturer influential in some segments of the new right, makes the comparison a mainstay of his writing. But it was historian Niall Ferguson who set off a fuller-fledged debate around the comparison in June, using his debut column in the Free Press to argue that its an apt way of capturing Americas current decay and supposed trajectory. Somewhat to his credit, Ferguson admits the world of difference between the dysfunctional planned economy that Stalin built and bequeathed his heirs and our world. But he points to other similarities, some of which others on the left have remarked upon: senescent leaders, cratering confidence in institutions. He also makes other points, more exclusive to the right: high debt levels, widespread drug abuse, and DEI all point to a governing ideology thats exhausted itself. Fergusons column led to responses elsewhere on the right, sometimes pushing back and sometimes agreeing. The irony here in my mind is that the Soviet collapse turned Russia into a version of at least what some GOPers seem to want to enact via policy: an extreme example of plutocracy sitting atop a Wild West market, eventually taken over by an autocrat with strict Christian pretensions. Russians still call this interregnum the wild nineties, a period where there was a lot of violence and sleaze but also a lot of money to be made. I really dont think the situation in the United States is anywhere near as existential as it was in the late Soviet Union. But what the comparison misses is interesting: a belief that democracy has the power to address all of the problems they describe, and to restore and regenerate the country. Whats telling is that the prospect of mass elections fixing what they see as problems doesnt seem to cross their minds. Josh Kovensky More Election Denial Fodder In Missouri In yet another, blatant effort to perpetuate the myth of non-citizens voting in elections, Republican lawmakers in Missouri are moving ahead with putting a question on the ballot asking for the approval of a state constitutional amendment that would ban noncitizen voting in the state a practice that is already outlawed. Earlier this week, a Cole County judge upheld the ballot summary language for the proposed constitutional amendment, which states that only citizens of the United States over the age of 18 who are residents of Missouri and of the political subdivision in which they offer to vote are entitled to vote at all elections. The court ruled on August 12 that the summary language, which was written by GOP Secretary of State Jay Aschcroft, is fair and sufficient. The proposed amendment is supposed to appear on the November 5 ballot. The ruling comes in response to a legal challenge from two Missouri voters against Aschcroft and other Republican state lawmakers, who argued that the ballot language summary is misleading because it leads voters to believe that the law is being changed to prohibit non-citizens from voting, when in fact, the law in Missouri has always been (and still is) that non-citizens cannot vote in Missouri elections. This latest effort in Missouri comes against the backdrop of a larger Republican initiative to create election denial fodder around the same false myth of non citizens voting in case Donald Trump loses in November. Trump and his allies have been claiming for months that undocumented immigrants are coming across the U.S.-Mexico border en masse to vote for Democrats in the upcoming presidential election. Its manufactured hysteria that Trump and MAGA allies will likely point to as a datapoint for their voter fraud lies if the former president loses in the fall. It is already illegal for non citizens to vote in federal elections and there is no evidence to suggest that this is an issue. In May, Republican members of Congress promoted a redundant piece of legislation known as the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which is a bill that would make it illegal for non citizens to vote in federal elections. And, as reported by Voting Rights Lab, since 2020, nine states have enacted legislation to prevent non citizens from voting. Eliza Sweren-Becker, senior counsel in the Voting Rights and Elections Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, previously told TPM that the continued perpetuation of this false narrative can be understood as yet another misrepresentation and falsehood about the integrity of elections that appears intended to spread mistrust in our election systems. Khaya Himmelman Words Of Wisdom I 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 She certainly attacks me personally. She actually called me weird. Thats former President Donald Trump during his Thursday afternoon press conference, answering a question about if he agrees with his allies who have been urging him to stop launching personal attacks on Vice President Kamala Harris. Its clear the former president is hurt because the candidate he is running against called him weird and hes lashing out, for that and other perceived Harris wrongdoings. It wasnt just Harris who called him weird. VP candidate Tim Walz also called Republicans weird in a recent interview, a moment that went viral ahead of him getting picked as Harris running mate. Amid everything else happening around him, whod think that the adjective weird would be whats getting to Trump. And its clearly upsetting other Republicans too. You can see it in their various flailing attempts to counter the insult. Last week during a rally in Montana, Trump tried to defend himself and his running partner Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) against being labeled as weird by saying, No, were not weird. Were very solid people. (Not the burn he thought it was.) When asked about it separately, Vance called it fundamentally school yard bully stuff during a CNN interview and then continued to say its a little bit of projection. So does that make him the school yard bully? Important follow up question here. And in a very bizarre essay, titled America the Weird, Trump ally Vivek Ramaswamy tried to claim being weird is cool while also maintaining that calling a politician weird is anti-American. The best thing youve got cant be calling your enemy weird back. Emine Yucel Jellico Hospital looking to reopen under new ownership after closing in March JELLICO, Tenn. (WATE) Jellicos hospital may be under new ownership again. The hospital the town and a new company are in the beginning stages of possibly reopening after it closed in March. Its actually a relief off of me as the mayor, and Im sure it is from a relief of the city council to get this sort of us in to get it reopened, said Mayor Sandy Terry. One dead, two injured after serious passenger van crash in Knoxville Thursday the Board of Mayor and Alderman voted on who will operate Jellicos hospital. In a three to two vote they chose Community Hospital Management to take the reins. We are very excited to have them come aboard to see about getting our hospital reopened, and hopefully, I have been in talks with Kimberly and she said that hopefully by January they should be able to reopen our emergency room, said Terry. Kimberly Haverly is the CEO of the company. Over the past five months, residents were forced to drive over 30 miles if they needed emergency care, or wait just as long for an ambulance. With the closest hospitals being in Corbin, Kentucky, or Lafollette, Tennessee. One resident, Leah Johnson, recalled when her son cut his head. He actually needed stitches. So we had to drive to Childrens Hospital in Knoxville rather than just being able to go down the street. So traveling with a 4-year-old whos bleeding from the forehead is never fun, so having a hospital back here is a big advantage for all of us, she said. Sevier County News Joshua Carr pleads guilty in mothers 2020 murder in Sevier County Johnson said opening the hospital would be a relief for a variety of reasons. The struggle of having someone having a heart attack or an emergency where they get really bad and need stitches, that distance is a long way to go for any of our communities, especially our elderly people and our nursing staff. They have to travel for jobs. You know, even our radiology techs, its a huge its a huge debt in our community not to have a hospital. So this is good news, she said. Terry agrees and said she has even spoken to the new company about how this could bring back jobs. Ive been in talks with them, CHM, and they have said they would hire our locals back, said Terry. I-40E reopens after serious crash leaves driver, passerby dead With this being the second time their hospital has closed, Terry said she hopes CHM is in it for the long run. Although the vote was just for the proposal of a partnership, Terry said they will need to create a lease agreement, and the company will need to be credentialed by Medicare and Medicaid 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 WATE 6 On Your Side. JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (WTAJ) The Bottleworks Ethnic Arts Center in Johnstown will be receiving funds to lead a public arts and activities project in Cambria County. State Rep. Frank Burns (D-Cambria) announced that the $100,000 over four years will come from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PAC). Its part of the CREATE Public Art Initiative that works to engage local artists, residents and youth. Amtran pays tribute to its history, debuts trolley bus Arts and culture account for more than $30 billion of our states economy, supporting more than 175,000 jobs, Burns said. By extension, this helps our regional economy and also contributes to our quality of life. The PCA added the project in the Cambria City historical district to its Creative Communities Initiative (CCI). As a place-based community and economic development project, PCA said it was selected for its innovative and comprehensive approach to addressing a variety of local challenges and opportunities. Get the latest news, weather forecasts and sports stories delivered straight to your inbox! Sign up for our newsletters. Each CCI project is rooted in deep community engagement and capitalizes on the communitys unique creative assets to cultivate community connectedness, livability, and economic development. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) Almost three years after a deadly shooting on Ivanhoe Drive in Urbana, one of the men accused of murdering the victim has been found not guilty. Brian Ferrell, 38, claimed he was acting in self-defense the morning of Sept. 11, 2021, when he shot 33-year-old Kendall Jones dead. After a three-day bench trial earlier this week, Judge Randy Rosenbaum found that prosecutors could not disprove Ferrells claim. He found Ferrell not guilty of first-degree murder, but did find him guilty of another crime: possessing a gun as a felon. Jones cousin testified during trial that she was with him and another woman around 3 a.m. the morning of the shooting. The women started arguing and the other woman left, but came back with Farrell and codefendant Jonathan Brumfield. Champaign man gets 56 years in prison for shooting 12-year-old When an altercation broke out between the three men and the woman, shots were fired and Jones was hit at least six times. He was pronounced dead at an area hospital. Arrest warrants were filed against both Farrell and Brumfield the following January. Brumfield was found in Urbana on Jan. 27, Farrell in Orlando, Fla. on Feb. 10. The State disputed Ferrells self-defense claim, arguing that he and Brumfield had gone to Jones cousins home that morning with the intention of committing a crime. The number of bullets fired also indicated murderous intent, prosecutors argued. Police found 12 shell casings from Farrells gun and 10 from the gun Brumfield allegedly used. Police also found three shell casings from a third gun at the scene, one Jones was armed with. Jones cousin also told investigators that the woman who left her home said she would be back and, upon returning, said she was there to get her one back. But during trial, the cousin testified that she could no longer remember the woman saying that and she didnt see who fired first. Farrells lawyer used that as a reason to cast doubt on Jones cousin. She also said a forensic evidence and video footage from a nearby camera not only contradicted the cousins account, but were more consistent with Farrells side of the story. Springfield man gets 19 years for possessing 200K child porn images Farrell testified during trial that he and Brumfield met the woman after she left Jones cousins home. She told them of the altercation she just had and mentioned that she had left behind ecstasy pills. The men aggreged to give her a ride back. When they arrived, Farrell testified that they encountered Jones, whom he said he was familiar with and had no issues with. During that encounter, Farrell said Jones started yelling at the woman and then shoved him. Thats when Farrell saw Jones armed with a gun, which he said prompted him to draw his own gun. Farrell testified that Jones then hit the woman with his gun, got in Farrells face and started shooting. Fearing for his life, Farrell said, he opened fire and emptied the magazine. 7 teens arrested after shots fired in Danville Wednesday afternoon Rosenbaum found that Farrells version of the events was more telling than the States version. He found Ferrell not guilty of first degree-murder, but found him to be illegally in possession of the gun used in the shooting. As a convicted felon, Farrell was not allowed to posses one. Convicted of unlawful possession of a gun by a felon, Farrell still faces between three and 14 years in prison. That sentence will be determined on Sept. 27. Brumfield, meanwhile, is scheduled to go on trial for first-degree murder next 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 WCIA.com. Judge directs verdict of acquittal for 2 men on trial for shooting at 4 people in Athens A judge recently directed a verdict of acquittal in Clarke County Superior Court for two men charged with four counts of aggravated assault. The trial ended without jury deliberations on Aug. 15 when Judge James E. Cornwell, a senior judge from Toccoa who was brought in to preside over the case, ordered a verdict of not guilty. Cornwell ruled that the district attorneys office had failed to identify or connect the defendants to the crime as alleged in the indictment. The judge noted in his order that there was no conflict in the evidence as presented by the state. The defendants, Trontaveious Latrez Mattox, 21, of Hartwell; and, Tysamin E. Glaze, 23, of Elberton, were charged in a shooting that occurred in September 2021 on East Carver Drive. Four people were inside a vehicle and one person was shot and wounded during the gunfire. Stunning arrest: Man shakes off five Taser shots and continues to fight police at homeless camp in Athens Athens-Clarke police had charged the two men with the crime. At the time of their arrests, Mattox was a senior in high school and Glaze was a student at Voorhees College in Denmark, S.C. After Cornwell issued the verdict, he also ruled that Mattox was in contempt of court. Photographs are not allowed in the courtroom unless the judge grants a ruling to allow photographers. In this case, court documents show that on Thursday Mattox took a picture in court and posted it on social media. Mattox was ordered to pay a $250 fine. Hot dogs: Hart County woman arrested on 26 counts of animal cruelty; dogs removed from operation Neither defendant had been arrested for crimes prior to the arrest on the assault charges, according to court documents. Glaze was represented by Athens attorney David Crowe and Mattox by Brian Patterson, a former prosecutor. There was not one shred of admissible evidence connecting the young men to the crimes and yet, the district attorneys office persisted in prosecuting the case, Patterson said in email. While our hearts go out to the victims, Mr. Mattox and Mr. Glaze are actually innocent and had nothing to do with it." This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Judge acquits two men charged in Athens with shooting at 4 people Vice President Kamala Harris shared a plan to build 3 million new homes in her first policy speech. Housing experts told Business Insider that targeting America's housing supply shortage is critical. The experts were more lukewarm on some of the other housing proposals and want to see more details. Vice President Kamala Harris' newest housing proposal is giving YIMBY and that's great news for the housing market, where supply has been unable to keep pace with demand, forcing prices up and buyers out. The Democratic presidential candidate revealed the first details of her new economic agenda on Friday, which she hopes to implement during her first 100 days in office. A key part of her proposal involves building 3 million new homes over a four-year period. It slots neatly into the YIMBY movement, which stands for "Yes, In My BackYard," and is a pro-development movement focusing on increasing high-density and affordable housing supply by targeting barriers to new building. (It's a counter to the NIMBY, or "Not In My BackYard" movement.) Harris said Friday that her administration plans to build 3 million units by working in partnership with workers and the private sector to go after obstacles in the way of new construction at both the state and local level. "There's a serious housing shortage," Harris said on Friday. "In many places, it's too difficult to build, and it's driving prices up. As president, I will work in partnership with industry to build the housing we need both to rent and to buy." Housing policy experts say that's the most crucial aspect of her multi-pronged plan, because what the market needs most right now is greater supply. Jung Hyun Choi, principal research associate at the Urban Institute's Housing Finance Policy Center, said the lack of supply "is the root cause of the current problem" with the housing market, adding that Harris' proposal to build more homes is "really the key solution of the housing market problem." Four housing policy experts Business Insider talked to all agreed. "The strongest aspect I see in this proposal is that it recognizes the key issues with housing right now and that it is very explicit on trying to improve the number of homes being built and not just the number of homes but the number of affordable homes," John Walsh, a research analyst at the Urban Institute's Housing Finance Policy Center, told Business Insider. Homeownership is one of the most reliable ways to create stability in Americans' economic lives and should be a priority, according to Christopher Mayer, a professor of real estate at Columbia Business School who praised Harris' emphasis on supply. "I think most people should be homeowners," Mayer said, noting the falling homeownership rate among young people. "Owning a home is a proven way of building wealth. It creates stability for households." A Las Vegas housing development. James Marshall/Getty Images Addressing the housing shortage However, with the low supply of starter homes, those making the jump from renting to owning often have to contend with both high prices and steep mortgage rates. America is facing a significant housing shortage, with the country between 4 and 7 million homes short, NPR reported in the spring of this year. Builders have cited supply chain issues, among other reasons building has stalled. Zoning also remains a large barrier to homes being built. COVID-19 only exacerbated the issue, Mayer said, as more people started working remotely. With her proposal to build 3 million new starter homes, Harris is aiming to address that critical gap. Harris' housing proposals expand on policies President Joe Biden has attempted to implement since taking office, including loosening regulations that restrict construction. Former President Donald Trump also urged states and cities to pursue some zoning reform while he was in office. The vice president's plan to build millions of new housing units depends on several novel methods. She intends to provide the nation's first tax incentive for builders who construct starter homes and sell them to first-time buyers. Harris also intends to create a $40 billion federal fund to incentivize local housing construction, an expansion of Biden's proposed $20 billion fund. To top it off, she vowed to expand existing tax incentives for businesses that construct affordable rental housing. "The answer is more supply, and also the answer is more supply at the sweet spot, which is first-time ownership," said Susan Wachter, a professor of real estate and finance at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She thinks Harris' commitment to building 3 million homes is the strongest part of her plan, as it will address what she called a "generational crisis" of rent and housing prices. The increase in home supply needs to correspond with an increase in available land, Wachter added. Part of Harris' proposed federal fund to encourage housing construction would make some federal lands eligible to be repurposed for new, affordable developments something Trump recently promised to do as well. Both Choi and Walsh were quick to caution that while Harris' proposal is a great start to alleviating housing burdens and reducing wealth disparity, more details are needed to determine its ultimate effectiveness. "The devil is really in the detail of where these homes would actually be used," Walsh said. Harris unveiled several housing proposals during a Friday rally. Megan Varner/Getty Images Targeting down payments and Wall Street Harris' other flagship proposals offering $25,000 in down-payment assistance to new homeowners and preventing investors on Wall Street from buying up starter homes drew more mixed reactions from the experts that spoke to Business Insider. In Mayer's view, the down-payment policy is rooted in good intentions but may not be particularly cost-effective. Many first-time homeowners traditionally rely on their families for help with a downpayment, Mayer said, meaning lower-income buyers often don't have access to generational wealth, and the $25,000 could significantly help them. Yet, he would rather find ways to lower down payments across the board than distribute money as Harris is proposing. Wachter, meanwhile, said she supports the effort to aid potential homeowners with their down payments but is not confident the proposal would garner broad political support. While Wachter declined to comment on Harris' proposal to limit Wall Street's ability to buy single-family homes, Mayer is less enthusiastic about it. "The vast amount of single-family rentals are not owned by people on Wall Street, they are owned by people who own small numbers of houses," he said of the plan. "Institutional investors bring efficiencies to management of that, and those efficiencies generally result in better opportunities for renters." Despite lingering doubts about some aspects of Harris' proposal, the experts agreed that the basic premise of building more affordable, first-time homes is what the country needs. "This would be a huge impact," Wachter said. "Right now, what's threatened is the ability to get onto that ladder to achieve housing security. And housing security where there are markets, where there are jobs, is the key issue for young Americans today." Read the original article on Business Insider Kamala Harris says her dad taught her to be fearless, but hes been markedly absent from her public rise Donald Harris on his way to a doctorate in economics at Berkeley in April 1965 while holding Kamala (Courtesy of Kamala Harris) Kamala Harris was on her 2019 memoir promotion tour when she joked around with radio host Charlamagne the God, the future vice president cheekily answering his question about whether shed ever used marijuana. Half my familys from Jamaica, she said. Are you kidding me? The man responsible for that half of the family, however the politicians father, economist Donald J. Harris wasnt laughing. Despite his virtual invisibility throughout Harris political rise, her father chose that moment to raise his head above the parapet. He sent a letter to a media outlet in his native Jamaica, publicly scolding her like a naughty child. 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. Donald J Harris, father of the US vice president and Democratic presidential candidate, is pictured in a panel of American university professors in 1989; hes currently an 85-year-old Stanford economics professor eremitus (C-Span) Speaking for myself and my immediate Jamaican family, we wish to categorically dissociate ourselves from this travesty. His daughters representatives made no comment at the time, at least not publicly, and the professor again went silent. I have decided to stay out of all the political hullabaloo by not engaging in any interviews with the media, he wrote in an email reviewed at the time by POLITICO . And it seems he stayed true to his word; theres been nary a peep from the 85-year-old Stanford emeritus professor as his daughters White House campaign makes waves across America. The weed brouhaha, however, seems a nod to a long-term fraught relationship between the two even if the seeds for Harris political aspirations can be clearly seen from the early days of her parents university courtship. Donald broke academic barriers a generation before his ceiling-shattering daughter. Born in Jamaica in 1938 and raised in St Ann Parish, he was descended on his fathers side from planter and slave-owning politician Hamilton Brown, founder of Browns Town on the island. The academic has credited his grandmothers as his greatest early influences. His fathers mother, Miss Chrishy (born Christiana Brown), owned a dry goods store on the main street of Browns Town and sparked my interest in economics and politics simply by my observing and listening to her in her daily routine, he wrote in 2018, including listening to her chats about politics with family and friends. Donald spent summers on a cane farm run by his maternal grandmother, Miss Iris (Iris Finegan), which sparked his interest in the role sugar played in the countrys economy, including its slave trade. It was this early intimate exposure to operation of the sugar industry at the local level of small-scale production with family labour and free wage-labour, coupled with my growing curiosity about how these things came to be, that led me, once I started reading about the history of Jamaica, to a closer study of the sugar industry, he wrote in Jamaica Global . I came then to understand its origin as a system of global production and commerce, based on slave labour, with Jamaica as a key component of that system from its very start. Donald Harris on his way to a doctorate in economics at Berkeley in April 1965 while holding Kamala (Courtesy of Kamala Harris) He attended the University of the West Indies before graduating from the University of London and later earning a PhD from UC Berkeley. It was at Berkeley where he met Kamalas mother Shyamala Gopalan, whod left her home in India as a teenager in 1958 to pursue a doctorate in nutrition and endocrinology. She fell in love with Donald, her first boyfriend, in that most American way while marching together for justice in the civil rights movement of the 1960s, Harris said in her 2020 Democratic National Convention Speech. The foreign students were active in leftist circles at Berkeley, and Shyamala was welcomed into Black groups as a person of color whod grown up under the colonial system. She was part of the real brotherhood and sisterhood. There was never an issue, one of the couples contemporaries, Aubrey LaBrie, told The New York Times in 2020. She was just accepted as part of the group. Another member, Anne Williams, called Donald reserved and academic in his presentation while Shyamala was warm and charming, according to the Times. There was no doubt about that, they were very much together, very much in love, added another academic theyd known at the time, Baron Meghnad Desai. The couple married, then welcomed Kamala in 1964, followed by her sister Maya two years later. They brought the young sisters to visit family in Jamaica, where Donald retraced with them the steps of his upbringing in the hopes of sharing the lessons I had learned along the way, he wrote in Jamaica Global Online . He wanted his daughters to know they could do anything although he may not have expected the answer to be the President of the United States. His lessons went beyond their personal aspirations and were meant to awaken a broader sense of social awareness and responsibility, he wrote. He said he wanted to teach them that the sky is the limit on what one can achieve with effort and determination and that, in this process, it is important not to lose sight of those who get left behind by social neglect or abuse and lack of access to resources or privilege, he wrote. And that it is important to give back with service to some greater cause than oneself. Shyamala Gopalan, pictured with the future vice president as a baby, met Donald J Harris when they were both students at UC Berkeley involved in the 1960s Civil Rights movement (@KamalaHarris/X) Her parents marriage was rapidly dissolving, however, and they separated when Harris was around five, when her father took a job at the University of Wisconsin. The couple divorced several years later, and the economics professor worked at other midwest universities before joining the faculty at Stanford. Ive often thought that had they been a little older, more emotionally mature, maybe the marriage could have survived, Harris wrote of her parents. But they were so young. My father remained a part of our lives. We would see him on weekends and spend summers with him in Palo Alto. But it was really my mother who took charge of our upbringing. She was the one most responsible for shaping us into the women we would become. Her mother is the one she speaks of most often during speeches. And Donald rarely appears in the rest of Harriss memoir, although Harris describes the divorced kids dilemma of inviting both of her parents to her college graduation even though I knew they wouldnt speak to each other. Her mother was late and Harris feared she might not attend because she didnt want to see her ex husband; instead, Shyamala, usually a casually dressed scientist, made a late entrance in a very bright red dress and heels. Donald has protested that he was barred from more involvement in his daughters lives, blaming family laws at the time that usually favored the mother. As he wrote in Jamaica Global, the early phase of interaction with my children came to an abrupt halt in 1972 when, after a hard-fought custody battle in the family court of Oakland, California, the context of the relationship was placed within arbitrary limits imposed by a court-ordered divorce settlement based on the false assumption by the State of California that fathers cannot handle parenting (especially in the case of this father, a neegroe from da eyelans was the Yankee stereotype, who might just end up eating his children for breakfast!). TOPSHOT - US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally at Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Romulus, Michigan, August 7, 2024. (Photo by JEFF KOWALSKY / AFP) (Photo by JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP via Getty Images) (AFP via Getty Images) Nevertheless, I persisted, never giving up on my love for my children or reneging on my responsibilities as their father, he wrote. Following their early visits to Jamaica, he wrote, in later years, when they were more mature to understand, I would also try to explain to them the contradictions of economic and social life in a poor country, like the striking juxtaposition of extreme poverty and extreme wealth, while working hard myself with the government of Jamaica to design a plan and appropriate policies to do something about those conditions. And the extent of Donalds involvement in the policies of his native island has been more extensively highlighted in the wake of his daughters presidential campaign. He successfully continued his academic career at Stanford, becoming the first Black scholar to receive tenure at the universitys economics department,reported The New York Times , calling him a prominent critic of mainstream economic theory from the left. The Stanford Daily, reporting in 1976, described him as a Marxist scholar, and said there was some opposition to granting him tenure because he was too charismatic, a pied piper leading students astray from neo-Classical economics, the outlet wrote. (Stanford University) Alongside his academic career, he was advising the government in Jamaica, according to the Washington Post . Donald Harriss policy work was absolutely foundational to the Jamaican economy, Gladstone Fluney Hutchinson, an economics professor at Lafayette College in Pennsylvania who worked with him, told the outlet. He said Donald began advising Jamaican officials by the late 1980s; in the early 1990s, the prime minister made Harris a senior economic adviser and the head of the countrys national industrial policy board, according to the Post. Renee Anne Shirley, an adviser to the prime minister a decade later, told the New York Times she recalled reading his work as far back as 1965. In three years, he got tenure think about it, a Black man and then he left and went to go to Stanford? He is a big thing for us, Shirley said. He pushed the boundaries. He was way ahead of his time. And now his daughter is pushing her own boundaries, vying to become not just the next president but the first woman, the first Asian and the first Black woman president. When I was a little girl, my father wanted me to run free, the vice president wrote in her memoir. He would turn to my mother and say, Just let her run, Shyamala. And then hed turn to me and say, Run, Kamala. As fast as you can. Run! And I would take off, the wind in my face, with the feeling that I could do anything. We recently compiled a list of the 10 Best Defensive Stocks To Buy Now. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) stands against the other defensive stocks. Defensive stocks tend to remain stable and less affected by economic downturns. These companies operate in sectors that provide essential goods and services, which people need regardless of the economic climate. Defensive stocks mostly include stocks of companies among utilities, consumer staples, and healthcare sectors as they provide basic necessities of life. Companies in these sectors often show less volatility, and often provide steady dividends. They usually offer a safer investment choice during periods of market uncertainty. US Stocks Surge But Experts Remain Cautious U.S. stocks are having a great time, which is owed to strong economic data that has reassured investors. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 have seen significant gains, as they are up 4.3% and over 6% over the last 5 days on August 15, respectively. The global markets have also recovered from recent losses, and the US broader market is back from the losses it faced in the first week of August. The investor sentiment remains strong and U.S. equities are seeing continuous inflows. Additionally, Fed officials are hinting at potential rate cuts which support optimism that the U.S. economy is on track for a soft landing. However, some experts are still concerned about the future of the US economy and markets and hold a more conservative view. According to a July report by J.P Morgan, recent market trends have benefited large, high-quality companies, especially in tech and AI, which have resulted in high market concentration. However, maintaining this momentum in the second half of 2024 could be difficult due to high valuations and investor positioning. The report says that while U.S. market volatility is currently low, it could rise if conditions change. According to Bruce Kasman, global growth is steady at 2.4%, with improved recoveries in Western Europe and emerging markets, along with a rebound in the manufacturing sector. Despite this, core global inflation is projected to remain around 3% in 2024, which could limit the potential for policy easing. Kasman warned that achieving inflation control and rate normalization might weaken demand and could interact with political factors to cause further inflation and central bank tightening. Leon Coopermans Perspective on the Current Conditions On August 15, Omega Advisors chairman and CEO, Leon Cooperman shared his perspective on the current economic outlook with CNBC Money Movers. Cooperman expressed a cautious outlook on the economy, which is driven by two main factors. First, he is alarmed by the rapid increase in the U.S. national debt, which has doubled from about $17 trillion in 2017 to approximately $34-35 trillion today. He said that this level of debt growth, which outpaces economic growth, is unsustainable and could lead to a fiscal crisis. However, the exact timing of such a crisis is uncertain. He further added that neither political party is addressing this looming issue. Secondly, Cooperman compared todays market conditions to past periods of financial excess, such as the Nifty 50 era in the 1970s, when companies with extremely high valuations eventually went bankrupt. He noted that during those times, the 10-year bond yield was 6.5%, much higher than the current rate of around 3.9%. He believes that if the current bond rate is appropriate, market valuations aren't too high. However, he suspects that interest rates are too low and anticipates a rise in long-term rates, particularly the 10-year Treasury yield. While he expects the Federal Reserve to cut short-term rates, which could ease borrowing costs, he believes long-term rates will increase, leading to a decline in bond prices and potentially putting downward pressure on stock valuations. If long-term rates rise significantly, it could make the stock market less attractive and could possibly result in a market decline. Even though the current year has shown healthy markets with a couple of corrections, Leon Coopermans expectations from the markets cannot be ignored. Cooperman has a track record of being one of the most successful investors of the past several decades. If they hold out to be true, investors might look toward more defensive sectors of the market. Our Methodology For this article, we used stock screeners to identify over 50 large to mega-cap stocks from defensive sectors such as consumer staples, utilities, and healthcare. We narrowed our list to 10 stocks with positive analyst sentiment and the highest average analyst price target upside as of August 16. Best Clean Energy Stocks To Buy According to Billionaires Solar panel workers installing a new farm for clean energy generation. Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) Stock Price as of August 16: $80.14 Average Analyst Price Target Upside as of August 16: 46.62% Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) is a U.S.-based prominent independent power producer, operating across 20 states and the District of Columbia. It operates as an integrated retail electricity and power generation company and delivers essential energy resources to households, businesses, and communities. It is among our best defensive stocks to buy now. The company's generation assets total around 37,000 megawatts and include a broad mix of energy sources such as natural gas, nuclear, coal, solar, and battery storage. Additionally, its retail operations involve selling electricity and natural gas directly to consumers, while it also participates in the wholesale electricity market. Vistra (NYSE:VST) is well-positioned to thrive in the evolving energy landscape, particularly as global electricity consumption continues to climb. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), data centers, which used 460 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity in 2022, are expected to see their energy needs double to over 1,000 TWh by 2026. In the U.S., which houses a significant share of these data centers, electricity use is forecasted to increase from 200 TWh in 2022 to 260 TWh by 2026. This surge in demand represents about 6% of the nation's total power consumption. The company is well-equipped to meet this rising demand due to its diverse energy generation portfolio. Its energy source mix gives it an edge as the energy market shifts toward lower-carbon solutions. Vistras (NYSE:VST) acquisition of Energy Harbor, which brought nuclear power assets into its fold, improves its ability to create direct power purchase agreements with major clients, which can further strengthen its market presence. With its strong brands like TXU Energy and a well-diversified energy generation portfolio, the company remains a formidable player in the energy sector. It is set to capitalize on the increasing power demand, driven by its mix of sustainable and efficient energy sources, making sure it stays competitive and continues to grow. As per the consensus opinion of 13 analysts that have covered Vistra (NYSE:VST), it has a consensus Buy rating. The average price target of $117.50 represents an upside of 46.62% from the current levels, as of August 16. Meridian Hedged Equity Fund stated the following regarding Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) in its first quarter 2024 investor letter: Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) is an integrated retail electricity and power generation company based in Irving, Texas. It operates in 12 states and six of the seven competitive markets in the U.S. Vistras retail brands serve approximately 2.9 million customers and its power generation fleet totals approximately 41,000 megawatts of natural gas, nuclear, coal, and solar facilities. Vistra was a top performer in the strategy over the past quarter, with its shares rallying over 80%. A key driver has been the thesis that the projected growth of power-hungry data centers, spurred by the rise of generative AI, will increase electricity demand and power prices. This is expected to significantly benefit incumbent power generators like Vistra. The companys efficient generation portfolio, especially its nuclear and natural gas plants, is well-positioned to capitalize on rising demand, scarcity pricing, and ancillary services in the Texas power market. Vistra is also pursuing opportunities to potentially sign high-margin power offtake agreements directly with data center customers for its nuclear plants, similar to a recent deal by peer Talen Energy and Amazon. We continue to like Vistras strong free cash flow generation supporting continued share buybacks and debt reduction, synergies from the recent Energy Harbor acquisition, and a favorable power market backdrop with rising spark spreads. We trimmed the stock following its strong performance during the period. Overall VST ranks 2nd on our list of the best defensive stocks to buy. While we acknowledge the potential of VST as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than VST but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, 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. (NewsNation) Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for the 2024 election, has started to prep for the upcoming debate against Republican candidate Donald Trump next month. Two sources confirmed the debate prep, first reported by The New York Times on Thursday, to NewsNation. On Monday night, Harris participated in a mock debate at Howard University, which she graduated from in 1986, a source tells NewsNation. In recent days, Harris has participated in at least one other mock debate as well, according to the New York Times. Hackers may have stolen every Americans Social Security number: Report A source said to NewsNation that Harris has been working on getting ready for the debate with a few aides who have known her for a long time. Among the people leading the preparations are Rohini Kosoglu, a former policy director who was a chief of staff to Harris in the Senate, and Karen Dunn, an attorney who helped prepare Harris for her vice presidential debate in 2020, the Times reports. The first debate between Harris and Donald Trump is scheduled for Sept. 10. Harris campaign said on Thursday that it plans to participate in a total of three debates, NewsNation partner The Hill reported. Two of these are presidential debates and one is for vice presidential candidates: Democrat Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Republican Sen. JD Vance of Ohio. Assuming Donald Trump actually shows up on Sept. 10 to debate Vice President Harris, then Governor Walz will see JD Vance on Oct. 1, and the American people will have another opportunity to see the vice president and Donald Trump on the debate stage in October, campaign communications director Michael Tyler said in a statement, per The Hill. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris speaks about her policy platform on Aug. 16, 2024, in Raleigh, North Carolina. Credit - Grant BaldwinGetty Images Freedom I can't move Freedom, cut me loose Singin', freedom! Freedom! Where are you? 'Cause I need freedom, too I break chains all by myself Won't let my freedom rot in hell. --Beyonce, Freedom To Beyonces soundtrack, Vice President Kamala Harris announced her campaign in an ad that used the word "freedom" four times. She framed her messages about the economy, gun violence, and abortion as the freedom not just to get by, but get ahead: the freedom to be safe from gun violence; and the freedom to make decisions about your body. At her Delaware campaign headquarters, she talked about the sacred freedom to vote. Our fight for the future, she added, is also a fight for freedom. For half a century, that word freedom has been mostly absent from the vocabulary of Democratic campaigns. The word and the concept, as well as its cognate, liberty, have been coopted by Republicans since Ronald Reagan was a candidate for president. (Freedom, Reagan said, is never more than one generation away from extinction.") But Republicans did not just commandeer the word, they also changed the concept. They altered our sense of its meaning from a vision of equality (which Beyonce calls on), to a more limited, negative freedom -- freedom from state power, from regulation, freedom from any obstacle put in the way of free enterprise. Harris is remaking the sense of freedom from the negative freedom of overcoming constraints to the positive freedom of self-realization and achievement. It was the philosopher Isaiah Berlin who first made the distinction between positive freedomfreedom toversus negative freedom, freedom from. Positive freedom is the ability to exercise choice, to act on ones free will. Negative freedom is the freedom from constraint imposed by others or the state, a limit that restricts ones goals or potential. In their traditional belief in small government, modern Republicans embraced the idea of negative freedom, freedom from the power of the state. Berlin noted the age-old tension between freedom and equality, and that the pursuit of absolute freedom, especially freedom from any restrictions, can often undermine equality and promote authoritarianism. The Framers mostly emphasized positive freedoms, the freedom to worship , and freedom of speech and expression. They believed their creation of a constitutional republic was the best means of protecting individual freedoms. It was Lincoln who first coupled the notion of freedom with the idea of equality. He saw the infringement of freedom for some as undermining freedom for all, and viewed emancipation as expanding freedom for all Americans, not just formerly enslaved Americans. The Progressives in the early 20th century continued this idea, and saw governments role as freeing people from economic exploitation while creating more economic opportunity. It was Republican Herbert Hoover, by popularizing rugged individualism, who portrayed freedom as liberty from an overweening government. Franklin Roosevelt went in the opposite direction and saw the prospect of our freedoms being crushed by global Fascism. To ensure the perpetuation of liberty, he proposed the Four Freedoms. Two were positive freedoms, speech and religion, and two were negative freedoms, freedom from want and freedom from fear. Both Eisenhower and Kennedy saw freedom through the lens of the Cold War, and tried to ensure that Americans were free from tyranny. It was Reagan who revived Hoovers notion that government impeded freedom more than it protected it (I love my country but fear my government), and pushed the word out of the Democratic lexicon. But Vice President Harriss revival of freedom was not something that came out of nowhere: Since the 1960s, Democrats grasped the idea of positive freedom as self-realization, the ability to fulfill ones potential without constraints. This had its public side in the civil rights movement, which was the freedom to not be discriminated against, and the personal freedom of achieving ones potential. Joe Biden mentioned freedom 15 times in his 2024 State of the Union, and said freedom and democracy four times. (Obama used the word a total of four times in his final three States of the Union.) Harris is performing the same trick of combining the narrative of saving-our-democracy with protecting and enlarging upon our freedoms. Thats a more inclusive message, and a winning one. Listen for a more liberal use of the word and idea of freedom this week at the Democratic Convention, not just by the candidate but all her surrogates. The Vice President has even started using the word liberty, a staple in the conservative vocabulary and combining it with freedom. We want to have the pride all people have to freedom and liberty, she said to the United Auto Workers, to make choices, especially those that are about heart and home and not have their government telling them what to do. Those are words that could have been spoken by Ronald Reagan; Harris is commandeering those ideas of both positive and negative liberty for the Democrats. Rather than campaigning on abortion rights (which an ultra-conservative Supreme Court made an immediate issue) she links freedom and liberty with personal choices about heart and home, embracing another traditional conservative notion: that culture, not politics shapes a nation. Thats how parties expand their tent and their base. More from TIME What we are likely to hear at the convention is Harris and the Democrats rhetorically attempting to forge a union between conservative ideas of liberty and freedom and liberal notions of equality. This not only echoes the Progressive era mixture of positive and negative freedoms, it also coincides with a recent revival of the ideas of the philosopher John Rawls, who built on Isaiah Berlins ideas of positive and negative freedom. Rawls sought to reconcile a conservative respect for individual freedom with a liberal emphasis on fairness, and create a society that reduces inequality while being both more democratic and meritocratic. Thats what Harris seems to be trying to do. Her language describes a middle path in the classic debate between liberty and equality, where conservatives say your equality diminishes my liberty, and liberals say your liberty diminishes my equality. That path leads toward a larger consensus. As Trumpism has taken over the GOP, its shrinking itself to older white Americans who feel that somehow the American Dream has been denied them .. Donald Trump was the first declinestsomeone who sees the future more negatively than the pastever elected president. The Republican party of John McCain and even Reagan sought to broaden its tent to include Hispanics, new immigrants, and people of color. (Latinos are Republicans, Reagan said. They just dont know it yet.) A Democratic candidate who combines the rhetoric of freedom with the language of equality is blending the language of traditional conservative Republicanism with traditional Democrats. This not only assumes a big tent, it invites everyone in. The United States will be majority non-white by 2050 and the Democrats recognize that within that new majority, there is the old ideological continuum of left and right. Why not capitalize on that by blending conservative and liberal rhetoric? Why not be the party of the left, right, and center? Harris is breaking the rhetorical chains that have narrowed the Democratic partys appeal for the last few decades. When she says, We face a choice between two very different visions for our nation: one focused on the future, and the other focuses on the past, Harris is reviving the traditional language of optimism -- something that has appealed to American voters, well, since the beginning. Contact us at letters@time.com. 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. Pillens office did not immediately respond to the Nebraska Examiner to a request for comment. 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. This article first appeared in the Kansas Reflector, a sister site of the Nebraska Examiner in the States Newsroom network. In our Reality Check stories, Wichita Eagle journalists dig deeper into questions over facts, consequences and accountability. Story idea? tips@wichitaeagle.com. A Sedgwick, Kansas, police chief used Flock Safety license plate readers to track his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriends vehicles 228 times over four-plus months and used his police vehicle to follow them out of town, according to a city official and a report released this week by the agency that oversees police certifications. Lee Nygaard admitted to misusing Flock while he was being investigated for an unrelated misconduct case, a Sedgwick official said. He then resigned. The license plate readers alert officers of specific license plates and vehicle types they might be looking for. Police can also use the system to search for vehicles. Flock, which has license plates readers in 4,000-plus cities across the country, would not agree to a phone interview and wouldnt say how many instances of police abuse of the cameras have occurred. While it is the job of law enforcement to hold the general population accountable to the laws, ultimately, it is the job of our elected and appointed officials to hold law enforcement agencies accountable to local and state laws that govern the use and misuse of policing technology, Flock spokesperson Holly Beilin said in response to questions. Flock said it wasnt formally notified of this incident but would not say more about that. Its the second instance of police misusing the cameras that has been publicly reported. The first also happened in Sedgwick County when a lieutenant in Kechi used Wichita polices Flock cameras to stalk his estranged wife. He was sentenced to 18 months of probation. Nygaard wont face any charges, but he did lose his police certification. He resigned Oct. 20, 2023. He used Flock cameras to check for his ex-girlfriends whereabouts 164 times from June 24 to Oct. 5, 2023, and her new boyfriends whereabouts 64 times from Aug. 11 to Oct. 10, 2023, according to the order from the Kansas Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training that revoked his license. Nygaard had been with the department since September 2020, just about all of that time as chief. He could not be reached for comment. Finding out about Flock City adminstrator Kyle Nordick said Nygaard, by his own admission, said he had misused Flock when he was being investigated for an unrelated misconduct case. The unrelated misconduct case was substantiated and further provided evidence that he was unfit to wear the shield, Nordick said in an email. He would not say what the unrelated misconduct was. About Nygaard being able to misuse Flock, Nordick said they placed a lot of trust in him as police chief. Unfortunately, he proved not to be trustworthy, he said. Nygaard also used his police vehicle to follow (his ex-girlfriend) and her new boyfriend outside of Sedgwick and on other occasions to follow the female and male to keep tabs on them, the order says. He confronted the female ... and told her to get back to town, the order says. He initially claimed he was following them because of drug issues but ultimately admitted that jealousy was involved in his decision to do so, the order says. Misusing the cameras Nordick said Nygaards case did not appear to be sufficient to warrant a criminal investigation; however, it certainly was a violation of the ethics policy of both the City of Sedgwick and the standard of conduct in which officers are held accountable. The City of Sedgwick takes great pride in creating an office of integrity and has taken necessary steps to ensure things like this do not happen again in our community, he said. Nygaard used Sedgwicks Flock cameras only when tracking his ex and her new boyfriend, Nordick said. Victor Heiar, the former Kechi lieutenant, got 18 months of probation after he pleaded guilty to misdemeanors in computer crime and stalking in that case. He tapped into Wichita polices Flock cameras on Oct. 23, 2022, to track his estranged wifes movements from Sept. 23, 2022 until that day. He was caught after the victim made complaints that, based on Heiars texts, she felt she was being followed. Wichita police banned Kechi Police Department from accessing its Flock cameras after that. In a November 2022 interview about the Kechi incident, Flock told The Eagle that was the first time they learned about an officer abusing the cameras. A Google search doesnt reveal any other cases, making this appear to be the second one publicly reported. Flock originally sent a three-sentence statement. The company eventually did send a follow-up to additional questions in an email. Our platform requires a search justification for every search, providing robust tracking and auditing capabilities, Beilin said in the original statement. We also offer a first-of-its-kind (automatic license plate recognition) Transparency Portal for law enforcement to publicly display their usage and policies around the (license plate recognition) system. We encourage all of our law enforcement partners to create and follow usage policies that align with their local laws and regulations. The former Kechi officer used several different reasons for his search, which never got flagged. Those reasons, according to a court document, included test and invest and investigation and ab501 and 123abv and ****. Nygaards reasons included suspicious and missing child and drug investigation and drugs and narcotics investigation and suspicious activity and drug invest and drug use, according to the KSCPOST order. How to prevent abuse of Flock? Nordick said Nygaards successor, Bryan Hall, is looking at adopting a policy to prevent future misuse of Flock cameras. Sedgwick, a small town of roughly 1,600 people just 15 miles north of Wichita, has used Flock since 2021. Nordick said they have only two cameras after stopping use of two others. The contract on the remaining cameras is up for discussion next year. If results do not improve, they will more than likely be terminated as well, he wrote in an email, adding that this incident played a role in their cutting back on the cameras. He added that the annual fee associated with Flock was not justifiable in terms of results. Wichita police have said Flock is effective and has helped solve multiple murder cases. In Kansas, the locations of the cameras are a secret and will stay that way after Wichita police Capt. Casey Slaughter, then the president of the Kansas Fraternal Order of Police, successfully lobbied the Legislature to keep that information hidden. Wichita polices Flock cameras have been been searched 1,540 times in the last 30 days, according to the transparency portal. Wichita audits police searches, but they do not scrutinize each search. When asked at a June 8 police town hall meeting if they investigate every individual search, Wichita police Lt. Brian Safris said: Thats not even possible. Wichita police also plan to adopt Flocks gunshot detection sensors after testing them secretly for a couple years. Contributing: Eduardo Castillo with The Eagle You were spotted: KS officer who used police cameras to stalk estranged wife sentenced Wichita moves to tighten access, increase oversight on secretive police surveillance program Need to know when to stop for school buses? Heres what you need to know TEXAS (KMID/KPEJ) With the beginning of the school year upon us for many students across the nation, you will be seeing many more school buses stopping, picking up, and dropping off students around the Basin. This means it is important for drivers to know when and where they are supposed to stop when they see the flashing lights on school buses. According to the Texas Department of Insurance, Texas drivers must stop for flashing red lights on a school bus, regardless of which direction the vehicle is travelling. Violators may receive up to a $1,250 fine, drivers license suspension, and even jail time, depending on the number of convictions and the seriousness of the situation. Yellow flashing lights on a school bus mean the bus is getting ready to stop to load or unload students. Drivers should slow down and prepare to stop. Red flashing lights with an extended stop sign mean the bus is stopped and students are getting on or off. Drivers approaching the school bus from either direction must stop, even if the road is divided by a turning lane. The only exception to this is if the road is divided by a median or physical barrier, such as a wall or fence. Vehicles must remain stopped until the red lights stop flashing, the school bus has started moving, and the bus driver signals for vehicles to proceed. Additionally, TDI said about 13 percent of students returning to schools across Texas walk or ride bikes to class. The Department of Insurance is reminding drivers to follow these safety tips to help keep students safe before and after school hours: Be sure to check your blind spots and watch for students walking or on bikes when backing up your vehicle. Go slowly. Look for students walking in the street and slow down, especially in school zones. The Texas Department of Insurance said a pedestrian is almost two-thirds less likely to be struk by a vehicle traveling at 25 miles per hour compared to a pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling 10 mph faster. Always come to a complete stop, check for students in crosswalks, and watch for students who may dart in the street between vehicles to try and catch their bus. Slow down and give bicyclists three feet of passing distance. Obey the posted speed limit in active school zones. Fines usually double in school zones. Do not use a cell phone while driving. In Texas, handheld cell phone use is banned in all active school zones. Violators face fines up to $200. Always watch out for students rushing to and from pick-up and drop-off locations, who might not use the schools designated area. Slow down. In addition to Texas doubling fines in school zones, it imposes an extra $25 court cost onto the cost of the ticket Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Yourbasin. Volodymyr Zhovnir, CEO of the Okhmatdyt children's hospital in Kyiv, was suspended until all inspections related to the hospital's reconstruction are completed, Health Minister Viktor Liashko said on Aug. 17. Okhmatdyt, Ukraine's largest children's medical center, was hit during a Russian missile attack on July 8 that killed two people and injured over 30. One of the hospital's buildings was completely destroyed, while another, the biggest and most advanced one which, reportedly, accounts for up to 95% of the hospitals functions, was damaged. Following the strike, more than Hr 1 billion ($24 million) was raised through several fundraisers for the hospital's reconstruction within days. Individuals and businesses alike donated to help the hospital resume its vital operations as fast as possible. In early August, Liashko requested that law enforcement conduct additional inspections of the tender for the rebuilding of Okhmatdyt, which was won by the Ukrainian company Bud-Technology offering its services at inflated prices. Among the 14 companies that submitted their bids for the tender, Bud-Technology was reportedly the third-highest bidder and proposed to rebuild the heavily damaged building for a total of Hr 307 million ($7.4 million). After the public uproar, Liashko announced that the tender would be held again. According to the health minister, Zhovnir announced the bidder as the winner of the tender without taking into account the recommendations of the working group that had been created to oversee the reconstruction. Zhovnir will be temporarily replaced by Oleksandr Urin, head of the department of intensive and efferent therapy of acute intoxications at Okhmatdyt. Liashko said that the first results of the inspection by the Health Ministry's commission showed "distortion of key information" which is officially reported to him. The police are conducting a pre-trial investigation into possible wrongdoing, the health minister added. "All circumstances must be established. All those responsible must be punished. The hospital must be rebuilt. Everything must be done clearly, transparently, quickly and in accordance with the law," Liashko said. According to the health minister, further reconstruction of Okhmatdyt will be overseen by the newly-created Restoration Council, which includes representatives of the companies that made some of the biggest donations to the fundraisers. Read also: Ukraine scrambles to reboot reconstruction tender for childrens hospital hit by Russian missile Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. La Madeleine to open in Eastlake area of far East El Paso La Madeleine to open in Eastlake area of far East El Paso EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) French-founded and French-owned la Madeleine is coming to the growing Eastlake area of El Paso County, the company announced. The la Madeleine location in Eastlake will open at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 20 at 13395 Gateway West Blvd. in the Eastlake Markplace Center. It will be the fourth cafe and bakery in the El Paso area for the French-founded and French-owned company. The 4,500 square-foot cafe has capacity for nearly 150 guests and is the first la Madeleine in El Paso to include a drive-thru, making it just the second drive-thru location systemwide, the company said. To celebrate, la Madeleine will offer the first 100 guests on opening day a free baguette. The new El Paso Eastlake cafe gives locals another opportunity to enjoy a little escape to France with classic French pastries and breads plus la Madeleines famous French comfort food, said la Madeleine Vice President of Marketing Kerri McLeroy. We have seen so much enthusiasm throughout the community about our new location and look forward to serving the area for years to come. The French cafe was founded in Dallas in 1983 and has since grown to over 80 locations across the United States. The Eastlake location will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. 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 KTSM 9 News. Graffiti on the hulking frame of a burned out RV sitting on the 1300 block of West Washington Boulevard in Los Angeles on July 30, 2023. The RV had been there for three weeks. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) The Los Angeles City Council gave the go-ahead on Friday to tow illegally parked vehicles in large swaths of the city, granting workers more latitude to immediately remove RVs and other vehicles that homeless people sleep in. Officials have been struggling to gain control over the proliferation of RV encampments after a pandemic moratorium on towing them was lifted two years ago. Since then, traffic officers had to go through a lengthy process to ensure the vehicles werent occupied. If they were, they had to offer housing outreach services. Councilmember John Lee, who proposed the more expansive restrictions on camping, said the measure puts our city back to where we need to be and hopefully meets the expectations of the residents of our city that we enforce the laws and rules that we already have on our books. The council voted 11 to 3 to allow the towing of vehicles creating an immediate public safety hazard or parked in a peak-hour travel lane, in a measure proposed by Eastside Councilmember Kevin de Leon. Councilmembers Eunisses Hernandez, Nithya Raman and Hugo Soto-Martinez dissented. In an amendment authored by Lee, city workers wont have to offer housing services if vehicles are without a permit in overnight zones and or in no-parking, no-stopping or metered zones. The amendment passed with narrower margins Councilmembers Marqueece Harris-Dawson, Hernandez, Raman and Soto-Martinez opposed wider parking restrictions. The policy doesnt change parking rules but aims to enforce already existing laws. It provides traffic officers the ability to tow vehicles that are in those zones if they pose a traffic safety or public health hazard, interfere with public works, are inoperable or if their registration is more than six months lapsed. Some members expressed doubt about how the rules will be enforced. I had to personally call the Department of Transportation to come out into enforcement areas, " said Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez, whose council district covers the northern edge of the San Fernando Valley. Their response has been well, we're under-resourced, she said. However, they're not under-resourced when they go into certain neighborhoods. They only happen to be under-resourced when it came to mine. In previous years, the city's transportation department lacked funding, storage space and equipment to remove large vehicles and found it difficult to locate RV occupants, which complicated the impounding process. Right now, our DOT department is struggling to cover the work that it already has to do, said Hernandez. We didn't give them any extra resources for enforcement. If a significant number of these vehicles are RVs, we don't have enough garage space to tow them all. Nearly 6,900 RVs were counted in L.A. as of 2024, according to the L.A. Homeless Services Authority . However, some dwellers dont consider themselves homeless, and refuse to live in restrictive shelters. Raman, who voted no on both amendments, said the motion could supersede the citys efforts to address RV homelessness. It essentially says that all of the other policies developed by the [City Administrative Officer] that have been put forward by Councilmember Rodriguez on RV buyback are going to be moot and that we are going to be moving towards another model, Raman said. The amendment is overbroad. The new policy comes down to public safety, said Peter Brown, a spokesperson for De Leon. The proliferation of RVs around the city comes with increased safety risks on our streets, said Brown. Safety on our streets is essential. I think youre going to have locations where risks for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists are reduced. 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. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) An officer with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department was arrested on a charge of felony child abuse, according to the department. LVMPD Officer Brandon Pierce was arrested and booked into the North Las Vegas Community Correctional Center on Thursday, Aug. 15. He faces one charge of felony child abuse or neglect. Police did not give any additional details. A booking photo of Pierce was not immediately available. Pierce has been with the LVMPD since 2023. He was assigned to the Detention Services Division, South Tower Bureau. He was placed on suspension with pay pending the investigation. Pierce is set to appear in court on Saturday, Aug. 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 KLAS. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) Las Vegas residents on horseback pulled out their next option to block the construction of a recently approved religious templeappealing the vote to the district court. Residents stood near the approved site of a new yet-to-be-constructed temple for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on Friday, Aug. 16, seeking to further clarify legal action taken by a newly formed non-profit group, the Nevada Rural Preservation Alliance. According to Evan Schwab, an attorney representing the group in a new legal action, the non-profit was established a few months ago and advocates for homeowners and neighbors in rural Nevada communities. Sue Kristensen and Sandra Reed, spoke on behalf of the group assembled and advocated for their appeal to a district court. The city of Las Vegas made a zoning change that not only ignores the law but violates the Interlocal Agreement, Kristensen said. It affects the rural area negatively by their decision to do this. The city of Las Vegas made a zoning change that not only ignores the law but violates the Interlocal Agreement, Kristensen said. (KLAS) The Interlocal Agreement, created on Jan. 2, 2002, was set as a long-term plan to protect the area from higher-density urban planning. The agreement has several restrictions which include a 35 ft. height limit and restrictions to not develop a single unit above two acres. The unanimously approved LDS temple project was amended to have a height of 196 ft., initially 216 ft., and around 70,000 square ft. of developed space. The project is planned to have a main temple, meeting house, parking lot, and recreational space. Seth Floyd, City of Las Vegas Director of Community Development, previously disputed the Interlocal Agreements relation to the LDS temple project in connection to a previous staff report, noting the religious building is considered a civic use. What I think is important thats left out here though, is it doesnt address churches or houses of worship, he said. Because its silent on that, [thats] the way that we have always interpreted that. Reed denied the city staffs interpretation of the Interlocal Agreement and pressed for the decision to be put in front of a district judge. If it says something shall remain residential, thats how it has to stay, she said. The Clark County Commission and the Las Vegas City Council never met to change that inter-local agreement at any time, and it is still in place until 2026. Residents argued in their legal action the LDS Temple should not be considered civic use (CV) since only certain members of the church are allowed to go into the innermost parts of the property. The CV addresses public and quasi-public buildings which means people can use them, Reed said. The way that the temple and the development are going to be is its not public, its private. Although some parts of the temple property are not available to non-members of the LDS Church most of the nearly 20-acre property is available to the public, according to the applicants documents. Las Vegas residents on horseback pulled out their next option to block the construction of a recently approved religious temple. (KLAS) Las Vegas residents on horseback pulled out their next option to block the construction of a recently approved religious temple. (KLAS) The legal action also argues residents were not notified properly and in time of meeting on the LDS temple proposal, by city officials. City of Las Vegas internal emails obtained by 8 News Now show city staff disputed residents claims. Residents previously cited possible disruption from a mailbox key theft in the area. They were also supposed to update the sign and post it in every corner, every sign, every five acres, Reed said. There was no sign posted for the July 17 meeting. The City of Las Vegas declined to comment on this story citing the citys practice not to comment on pending or ongoing litigation. Representatives of the LDS Church were notified of this story and allowed to respond and were told the legal action did not target them but instead the City of Las Vegas. A statement has not since been provided. Legal, but is it impartial? Documents obtained by 8 News Now show financial contributions made to several city council members over the course of a year from the firm, Kaempfer Crowell, which represents many clients including the LDS Church. No documents appeared to show any connection between direct contribution and the direct outcome of the vote. 8 News Now also obtained emails from a city council member regarding the LDS temple vote and no communication showed a connection to a vote from a contribution. However, the Nevada Rural Preservation Alliance alleged that $70,000 in individual campaign contributions to city council members is another reason to question the vote. 8 News Now asked residents to explain why they felt it necessary to list $70,000 in donations made to city council members from the firm that represented the LDS Church, a process that is legally allowed. You are right, its not illegal, Reed said. But why didnt they disclose it at the meetings, because it doesnt make them look like theyre impartial. Members of the Las Vegas Planning Commission and some voting members on the city council were not listed in the legal action as receiving contributions from Kaempfer Crowell. Both the planning commission and city council made unanimous votes approving the LDS temple proposal. The Templeton case Documents show Las Vegas city staff previously denied the last proposal for the site in the Lone Mountain neighborhoodbased on size and conflict with the Interlocal Agreement. On June 3, 2019, the previous property owner, Kris Templeton, filed an application to change the zoning of the property to residential with the plan to build 61 homes. Twenty days later city staff advised the city council to deny Templetons request citing several issues and conflicts. [Area] must remain residential and designated at a density of no greater than 2.0 Units per Gross Acre on the respective comprehensive plans, staff wrote. The proposed lot sizes are not compliant with the Interlocal Agreement and staff is recommending denial of the Rezoning request. Reed pointed to the Templeton case as being the same issue and said she was confused as to why city staff went back on an agreement, which they appeared to acknowledge five years ago applied to the same property. It doesnt make sense to me, she said. Now the rules dont 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 KLAS. A new 'laser-powered' project being launched in the state of Western Australia could revolutionize global communications. Two optical ground stations in a strategically placed network have successfully received laser signals from a German satellite, researchers say, paving the way to increase the capacity of space-to-Earth communications by a staggering 1,000 times. The 'TeraNet' initiative is led by astrophotonics scientist Sascha Schediwy from the University of Western Australia (WA) and funded by the Australian Space Agency's Moon to Mars Demonstrator Mission. "The overall aim of the project is to contribute towards Australia's vision for the next generation of space exploration," Schediwy told ScienceAlert. Since the launch of Spuntik I in 1957, satellites have communicated via radio waves. Their low-frequency signal limits their capacity to transmit data, and after nearly 70 years of development, radio-wave communications are becoming unable to keep up with the enormous demand for data transfer. "It's been pushed to the absolute extreme, but it's really now reached a bottleneck," said Schediwy. With thousands of satellites orbiting Earth, there's a huge volume of data being collected that needs to be sent back down. High-frequency laser communications could present a solution. "By switching to infrared laser beams for communications, we get a factor of 100, or 1,000, times greater bandwidth," said Schediwy. Among its many potential applications, the researchers hope this powerful satellite communications system will help people feel more connected to space exploration than ever before. "We can have multiple camera angles and 4K video footage of the next people landing on the Moon," Schediwy said. "That's a really exciting aspect of the technology, I think." Traditional radio communications tend to have a wide broadcast area, which can cause overlap and interference between radio signals. The short-wavelength signals being used by TeraNet will be more focused. "With optical signals, instead of your beam being maybe 100 kilometers [62 miles] across, it can be 100 meters [328 ft] across. So, you're really targeting an individual user on the ground," said Schediwy. With such distinct advantages on offer, it could seem surprising that optical communications haven't been more widely adopted. But these laser-powered systems have a drawback. Unlike their radio-wave counterparts, targeted short-wavelength signals are prone to interference. Lasers are easily interrupted by clouds, making them an unreliable option for satellite communications. The team has a surprisingly simple solution. The system will have ground stations at several locations in WA connected to the same network, so hopefully, at least one station will always have a clear connection with the satellite. "If it is cloudy in Perth, the satellite can download its data up at Mingenew, 300 kilometers [186 miles] north," said Schediwy. If the Perth and Mingenew stations are both blocked by cloud, the TeraNet program has a final ace up its sleeve: an additional ground station receiver mounted on the back of a Jeep that can be driven out to whatever coordinates are necessary to achieve the best signal. If this initial three-station network is successful, the team is already looking to collaborate with other organizations on the east coast of Australia and in New Zealand to set up an Australasian optical ground station network, and that's only the beginning. "WA is geographically ideally located to be part of a global communications infrastructure, with an oversight of a large part of the Indian Ocean and a reach into Southeast Asia and the polar region," Schediwy told ScienceAlert. Once established, a global optical communications network will enable continuous, ultra-fast satellite data downloads. This could transform situations requiring the rapid sharing of large amounts of data, such as disaster response. It might only be three ground stations right now, but it will potentially herald a new space age of communication. "This demonstration is the critical first step," says Schediwy. Related News George Santos expected to plead guilty to multiple counts at NY hearing in fraud trial, source says Lying ex-Rep. George Santos is expected to plead guilty to multiple counts of his sprawling fraud indictment at a hearing Monday in federal court in Central Islip, according to a source familiar with the case. Victims of the former New York Republican congressman told Talking Points Memo Friday that federal prosecutors alerted them to a possible plea deal that would see Santos admit to making unauthorized charges on the campaign credit card for his own personal use. They told me that he is pleading guilty on Monday, one of the donors told TPM. Federal prosecutors told ex-donors that George Santos will plead guilty in federal court as part of a plea deal. REUTERS He should be held completely accountable and he is, as far as I can tell, guilty of quite a bit. I know for certain that he lied to my face. The docket shows that an in-person hearing was scheduled for Monday afternoon in Central Islip at the feds request after both parties asked to push back an upcoming deadline in the pre-trial process. The Post reached out to the Department of Justice and Santos defense team for comment. Santos did not respond to messages asking about the plea deal. The federal trial is slated to start in September. Prosecutors told a judge they expect to call at least three dozen witnesses, including some victims of Santos alleged crimes. Santos pleaded not guilty earlier this week to a range of financial crimes, including lying to Congress about his wealth, collecting unemployment benefits while actually working and using campaign contributions to pay for personal expenses such as designer clothing. The hearing was scheduled for Monday afternoon in Central Islip, the docket shows. REUTERS His lawyers had argued in recent court filings that the written form concerning potential jurors knowledge, beliefs, and preconceptions was needed because of the extensive negative media coverage surrounding Santos. Santos was expelled from Congress in December after an ethics investigation found overwhelming evidence he had broken the law and exploited his public position for his own profit. HONOLULU (KHON2) After multiple shootings across the span of one week, leaders are partnering to provide an increased presence of law enforcement on the leeward coast. Get Hawaiis latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You We are joining together to increase safety for our Waianae and broader Leeward Coast community in response to the unacceptable violent crimes. Residents are already seeing a more visible presence of multiple law enforcement agencies and rest assured, these efforts will continue, said Governor Green. Honolulu leadership, the governor and state officials met late last night and planned the move, which included adding support from state sheriffs as well as DLNR. Two teens hospitalized following shooting in Waianae The neighborhood will see a visible increase of law enforcement in the community. Last year, the city did an enhanced enforcement weekend after a string of shootings in the community, but we clearly need ongoing enhanced police support, said Councilmember Tupola. Neighbors shaken after third West Oahu shooting in 2 months Among the initiatives addressing gun violence, the Department of Law Enforcement will hold a gun guy back event on Aug. 24 at the Aloha Stadium parking lot. The Department of Law Enforcement is committed to working with the Honolulu Police Department, DOCARE and its federal partners to reduce gun violence, said Department of Law Enforcement Director Jordan Lowe. We will work to provide more uniform presence and investigative resources. We will commit Task Force Officers to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as well as the FBI, in an effort to hold those individuals committing these acts of violence accountable. Involved leaders will hold a news conference at 5 p.m., which will stream live on KHON2.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 KHON2. PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) There are more than 7,000 known rare diseases that affect 350 million people across the globe. One local State Representative sponsored a law that is giving a glimmer of hope to Floridians. Rep. Adam Anderson (R-Palm Harbor) said his familys life is on a different trajectory after the loss of his son, Andrew. Andrews ninth birthday passed six days ago, but his memory is alive as his dad fights for other kids, just like him. Anderson has a new purpose in the legislature. Position the State of Florida to be a nationwide leader in genetics and gene therapy, Anderson said. Its all in honor of Andersons third born child, Andrew, who was born healthy but around six months, he and his wife began noticing developmental delays. Then we went through a period that lasted about 15 months total from birth to misdiagnosis, after another one, after another, and it wasnt until he was about 15 months old, where we finally did genetic testing on Andrew and he was diagnosed with Tay Sachs disease, he said. Tay Sachs is an ultra-rare, fatal genetic disorder with no cure. It leads to the destruction of the nervous system and one of the worst side effects are seizures. There were times where Drew had 50, 60 or even 70 seizures in a single day before we got them under control, Anderson said. Anderson said he worked with researchers on the first clinical trial for Tay Sachs Disease, which has since been rolled out. Unfortunately, its too late for Drew, but its helping kids today, he said. Gene therapy is working. Andrew tragically died at the age of four in 2019, right before Christmas. The average time it takes to diagnose a rare disease for a child is more than five years, Anderson said. Some are seven years are more, some are never diagnosed before they die. Anderson said, ideally, kids need to be diagnosed before theyre affected by a rare disease and thats where early genetic testing comes in. He sponsored a bill that has since been signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis, and its named after his son, The Andrew John Anderson Pediatric Rare Disease Grant Program. The programs purpose is to advance research and cures for pediatric rare diseases by awarding grants through a competitive, peer-reviewed process. Its a pot of money that is designed specifically to help fund the most complex type of research, funds that are available for only for these rare diseases, Anderson said. The grant program is open to any university or established research institute and is managed by the Floridas Health Department. In the programs first year, 29 applicants requested nearly $8.7 million for their clinical research, indicating just how great the demand is. Currently, $500,000 is available, so Anderson hopes to grow funding and the program in the years to come. I think the most special part of it is that it was never my intention, Anderson said. This was a door that opened, and I ran into it and now that Im in there, were going to make it big. As a Florida State University alum, Anderson also spearheaded a $1 million grant to fund the College of Medicines Institute for Pediatric Disease. The goal is to bring together educators, researchers, and clinicians to identify new rare diseases, improve treatment outcomes, and understand the root causes of different pediatric rare diseases. The institute also offers a clinical health center, which will act as a regional hub for parents and families to go to when they cant get any answers for their kids. FSU is also building a masters program for genetic counselors. Anderson said the Universitys College of Medicine has also identified nine rare diseases that theyre already researching cures for, and Tay Sachs is one of 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 WFLA. Photo by Jerod MacDonald-Evoy | Arizona Mirror Arizona legislators say a trial court judge was wrong to conclude their description of a ballot proposition to end partisan primaries was misleading and order them to rewrite it, they told the state Supreme Court Friday in an appeal. Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Melissa Iyer Julian ruled Monday that a legislative panel responsible for writing summaries of ballot measures that are sent to every Arizona voter wrote a misleading description of Proposition 140, a citizen initiative also known as the Make Elections Fair Act. If voters approve it in November, the measure would create an open primary system where all candidates for federal, state and local offices would face off in a single primary election instead of segregated partisan elections. Those primaries would also include candidates who are politically unaffiliated. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX All registered voters would be able to choose from all the candidates in the primary, and the top vote-getters would advance to the general election, even if they dont represent different parties. Make Elections Fair Arizona, the political committee that gathered signatures to get Prop. 140 on the ballot, filed a lawsuit contending that the Legislative Councils description of the measure unfairly focuses on the possibility for ranked-choice voting, which is not mandated by the proposed constitutional amendment. The judge agreed. But lawmakers are arguing that Julian erred in her ruling and want the Arizona Supreme Court to reverse the decision. At the heart of the matter is the order in which the description outlines what Prop. 140 would do. Lawmakers contend that the order they chose best describes the initiative, while its backers claim it intentionally draws attention to a mechanism that would allow for but not require ranked-choice voting in order to stoke voter opposition. Prop. 140 was written to allow for ranked-choice voting, but only if the legislature, Secretary of State or voters allow for more than two candidates to advance from the primary to the general election. Julian ruled that the legislatures description does not supply the proper context on voter ranking and renders the description misleading. But lawmakers said the order of the description is irrelevant. In other words, if it was reasonable for a (Legislative) Council analysis to describe something as a change in the law, and it does so in neutral language, then the Court should not go any further, Beau Roysden, the attorney for lawmakers, said in his appeal. The political committee behind the ballot initiative sued legislators in July after they approved the language unanimously, saying that it unfairly described the initiative. Julian ordered lawmakers to rewrite the ballot initiative description by Aug. 29. Prop. 140 has faced other legal challenges including a victory on Aug. 9, when a different judge ruled that the initiative does not violate the state constitutions single-subject rule. Opponents from the Republican and Democratic parties are also challenging the validity of the initiatives signatures in an effort to get it tossed off the ballot. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Many people in East Orange County have never had access to broadband internet until now. A new partnership between the county and a private provider ensures rural areas like Bithlo/Christmas and South Apopka get access. On Friday, the Orange County mayor and commissioners announced a brand-new partnership to increase broadband access to several homes. Over the past few months, we have been partnering with nonprofit organizations to deliver Wi-Fi-enabled tablets and laptops to our residents, said Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings. We have already distributed nearly 700 devices to residents, and the numbers are still climbing. Read: Central Florida Spotlight discusses school safety with OCPS superintendent County leaders hope the move will bridge the gap across unserved communities, like parts of Bithlo, Christmas, and South Apopka. Broadband access allows people to do simple things like request a prescription, see a doctor via telehealth, or attend classes. Think about students who had to head up to Panera and, you know, the coffee shop and McDonalds just hunting for Wi-Fi, said District 2 Commissioner Christine Moore. But yet, those are the same families that are transportation challenged, and so they certainly were at a deficit compared to any other. This is just the beginning of a larger plan to expand broadband access all across the county. Read: Florida Kids and Family Expo promises nonstop fun for Central Florida families Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. At least 18 members of same family killed in Israeli airstrike as Gaza ceasefire talks continue Palestinians search for bodies and survivors among the rubble of the destroyed building after the airstrike (EPA) An Israeli airstrike has killed at least 18 people from the same family in Gaza, including a number of young children, Associated Press has reported, while talks in pursuit of a ceasefire deal are about to resume. The strike during the early hours of Saturday morning hit a house and an adjacent warehouse sheltering people at the entrance of the town of Zawaida, according to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah. One of those killed has been named as Sami Jawad al-Ejlah, who reportedly coordinated with the Israeli military to bring meat and fish into Gaza. The dead also included his two wives, 11 of their children aged two to 22, the childrens grandmother and three other relatives, according to a fatality list provided by the hospital. He was a peaceful man, said Abu Ahmed, a neighbour who was slightly wounded in the attack. At least 18 members of the same family were killed in the strike (EPA) Also in the building at the time of the strike were more than 40 people taking shelter. The Israeli military, which rarely comments on individual strikes, said it struck terrorist infrastructure in central Gaza where rockets had been fired toward Israel in recent weeks. It comes as mediators from different nations expressed hope that a deal could be reached between Israel and Hamas, with details of how to implement the proposed arrangement to be decided in Cairo next week. US president Joe Biden has indicated that he is now more optimistic about a ceasefire, after days of discussions involving the US, Egypt and Qatar. As of an hour ago, were still in play. Im optimistic. Its still far from over. Just a couple more issues, I think weve got a shot, he told reporters on Friday. More than 40 civilians were taking shelter inside the building and warehouse (EPA) The attack came days after the Hamas-run health ministry in the besieged enclave announced the death toll had surpassed 40,000 since the war started after the 7 October attacks inside Israel. The mediation efforts are aimed not just at securing the release of more than 100 Israeli hostages who have been held inside Gaza since the Hamas atrocity, but also to stop the fighting that has devastated the region. With basic sanitation and necessary supplies running low, aid and health workers fear a possible polio outbreak, with the virus detected in wastewater in six different locations last month. It is hoped a ceasefire will also reduce the regional tensions that have threatened to explode into a broader war amid fears that Iran and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon will attack Israel in retaliation for the killings of senior commander Fuad Shukr and Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh. At least nine killed in Israeli strike on south Lebanon Cows stand near a fire that started as a result of missile and drone attacks from Lebanon into Israel. Ilia Yefimovich/dpa At least nine people were killed including a woman and two children in an airstrike on a residential building in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese Health Ministry said on Saturday. Five others were injured in the Israeli strike, the ministry said in a statement. The Israeli army said the air force had attacked a Hezbollah militia weapons depot in the Nabataea area. The military also struck with artillery to eliminate a threat in other areas of southern Lebanon, the army said. On Friday, at least one person was killed and another wounded in an Israeli strike that hit the village of Aitaroun in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese Health Ministry said. 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 was a military structure in which Hezbollah terrorists were operating. Hezbollah in Lebanon and Israel have been engaged in daily firefights since the Gaza war began in October. More than 120 civilians have been killed, most of them on the Lebanese side. At least six killed in Israeli strike on south Lebanon Cows stand near a fire that started as a result of missile and drone attacks from Lebanon into Israel. Ilia Yefimovich/dpa At least six people were killed in an airstrike on a residential building in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese Health Ministry said on Saturday. Three others were injured in the Israeli strike, the ministry said in a statement. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has not yet commented on the incident. On Friday, at least one person was killed and another wounded in an Israeli strike that hit the village of Aitaroun in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese Health Ministry said. 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 was a military structure in which Hezbollah terrorists were operating. Hezbollah in Lebanon and Israel have been engaged in daily firefights since the Gaza war began in October. More than 120 civilians have been killed, most of them on the Lebanese side. KANSAS CITY, Mo. The Leavenworth Police Department announced in a Facebook post that they need help identifying a suspect involved in a kidnapping and attempted sexual assault. Leavenworth Police claim that the suspect is described as an older black male with a thin build. They also say that the man is approximately 56 tall and was wearing a light color t-shirt and black pants at the time of the incident. The incident took place around 10th Avenue and Pottawatomie Streed earlier this week on Wednesday around 7:00 p.m. The suspect left the scene running on foot in a northwest direction. Police are asking for any assistance in identifying him, as well as obtaining any video that may have caught his path to and from the scene. Contact Detective Laura Flynn at 913-758-2942 or call the CLUE hotline at 913-682-CLUE with any information regarding this 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. KANSAS CITY, Mo. Representative Emanuel Cleaver II (MO-05) presented a Congressional Award Gold Medal to a Lees Summit West student yesterday, August, 16. Ethan Wood earned the award for his dedication and service to his community. Wood completed over 408 voluntary work hours over three years, establishing a 3D printing lab at Operation Breakthrough, giving out hand-painted cards at senior centers, mentoring local youth robotics teams and more. Shawnee Mission Northwest student dies following medical emergency On behalf of Missouris Fifth Congressional District, I am proud to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Mr. Wood for this monumental accomplishment and well-earned distinction. This remarkable achievement is a testament to Ethans unwavering commitment to excellence and public service, said Congressman Cleaver. Ethan has truly set an inspiring example for his peers and our community, and I look forward to seeing his continued success and impact. This award is not just an accolade, but a recognition of his ultimate potential and contributions to society. The Congressional Award is a partnership created by Congress in promotion and recognition of achievement, initiative and service in Americas youth. This provides a unique opportunity for young people to set and achieve challenging goals that build character. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. The South Dakota Capitol is reflected in Capitol Lake. (John Hult/South Dakota Searchlight) Reuben Bezpaletz, who was one of the main staffers for the Legislative Research Council in our state Capitol for 42 years, died this past weekend at age 77. He was very kind and fair to all legislators, including Democrats. He worked hard to keep legislation between the staff and the legislator. There was no disclosure of proposed legislation to Republican or Democratic leadership under his watch. His respect for the Legislature and the legislative process was as big as his heart. One example of this is when he drafted the bill requested by Scotland teacher Gary Pepper that changed the state constitution to set the minimum age for governors at 21. It was approved by an overwhelming vote of South Dakotans. Before this change, there were no constitutional age restrictions on the office of governor. Reuben knew the state constitution and rules of the Legislature inside and out. Over Reubens 42-year career, he helped many committee chairs run their committee hearings correctly. Reuben, who was married to Teresa, was a Czech from the Woonsocket area. He loved state, national and international history, his Czech heritage and poppyseed kolaches or as he spelled it, kolaces. Reuben loved Tabor, its church, museums and rich cultural history, and he really enjoyed Tabors Czech Days. Reuben was a brilliant Legislative Research Council staffer who went the extra mile for legislators to explain current laws, proposed laws, rules and their impact. Reuben paid attention to the fine details of legislative draftsmanship. He was a perfectionist who went over and above to help legislators. Lynn Moran was a classmate of Reubens at Woonsocket High School and the University of South Dakota. She told me he was an accomplished artist already at 5 years old and was Woonsockets Class of 1965 valedictorian. He graduated from USD and went on to work with distinction for 42 years at the South Dakota Legislative Research Council. Linda Stensland told of his excellent work on environmental bills, which are still on the books today. Many legislators can attest to Reubens integrity and honesty. Many of the bills he drafted for me became law or were copied by Republican legislators and then became law. He was not afraid to stand up for the little guy or the minority when they were getting trampled on. Reuben helped Paul Symens and the landowners with flooding and property rights issues concerning water rights and hunting access in northeast South Dakota. He was fair and honest and helped many Democratic and Republican legislators over the years, especially those who did not always get a fair shake. He made a positive difference in many legislators lives, including mine. One of Reubens finest hours was taking a group of legislators to the Klas Czech restaurant in Cicero, Illinois, which he loved very much. As a connoisseur of fine Czech food and a history buff, he delighted in the fine food and rich history of the Klas restaurant. Their roast duck was his favorite. They cooked it similar to how his mother cooked it. Reuben knew his Czech heritage very well and always beamed proudly when describing the Czech Republic breaking away from Russia to become an independent country. Reuben Bezpaletz was a great man with a heart as big as the great state of South Dakota. He will be missed. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST Let us use Storm Shadows in Russia to turn tide of war, Ukraine begs Starmer A Storm Shadow missile, which has a range of 190 miles, on display at an international trade air show - Malcolm Park/Alamy Live News Ukraine has made an impassioned plea to Sir Keir Starmer to allow it to use British-donated Storm Shadow missiles to strike Russian territory, insisting the weapons will turn the tide of war. Kyivs force would use the long-range missiles against Russian airfields, command posts and supply lines, an advisor to Volodymyr Zelensky has told TheTelegraph. Mykhailo Podolyak said if Britain loosened restrictions on the use of the weapons, it would allow Ukraine to increase the intensity of strikes against key targets deep inside Russia that could speed up the end of the war. It is the most forthright appeal for the British to grant permission for strikes on Russian soil since the British prime minister spurned Mr Zelenskys request last month during meetings in London. Sir Keir Starmer rejected a personal plea from Voldoymyr Zelensky to give the go-ahead to use British missiles to strike Russia in talks in Downing Street last week - James Veysey/Shutterstock Kyiv has drawn up a list of potential targets, including an airfield its forces recently struck in a drone attack, that would complicate Russian efforts to resupply its defences in Kursk and drop deadly glide bombs along the front lines. Mr Zelensky last week instructed Ukrainian officials and diplomats to draw up plans to convince his Western allies to end their opposition to their missiles being used on targets inside Russia. Kyiv has already been given permission to use some of its advanced Western weapons inside Russia. Ukrainian forces have been spotted using British Challenger 2 tanks as part of the invasion of Kursk, as well as American Himars rocket launchers. But Western governments have so far rebuffed Ukrainian requests for permission to carry out long-range missile strikes across the border, amid fears of escalation. Undoubtedly, Ukraine urgently needs our British partners to authorise the use of Storm Shadow cruise missiles to strike Russian territory, Mr Podolyak told The Telegraph, revealing part of Kyivs diplomatic strategy for the first time. He detailed how command posts, cruise missile storage depots and military airfields located near the Ukrainian border would be targeted in systematic and large-scale strikes. Volodymyr Zelensky autographs a French-donated Scalp-EG missile. He also hopes to persuade France to allow their use against Russia. - Ukrainian Presidential Press Office/Alamy Live News One of those airbases is Lipetsk, which Kyiv has targeted with multiple waves of strikes using domestically made drones. Officials last week claimed to have destroyed 700 Russian glide bombs in one assault. The airfield is about 200 miles from the Ukrainian border with Russias Kursk region, the staging post for Kyivs audacious offensive on Russian territory. Ukraine has already demonstrated its ability to effectively destroy such targets. Such strikes have been carried out using Ukraines existing capabilities, and they are very complex and time-consuming operations, Mr Podolyak said. If Ukraine is able to use Storm Shadow missiles in such operations, the quality and number of such strikes could increase significantly. And the systematic and large-scale strikes are one of the keys to finally turning the tide of the war in favour of the democratic pro-Ukrainian coalition. Warheads can penetrate reinforced shelters Storm Shadows can hit targets as far as 190 miles away and come with modern technologies that could become crucial in disrupting the Kremlins war machine inside Ukraine. The Franco-British missiles bunker-buster warhead is capable of penetrating strongly protected targets, such as specially reinforced shelters housing Russian aircraft and munitions. It also flies low to the ground, skirting terrain, and concealing itself from enemy radar coverage, making it harder for air-defence systems to target it. Allowing the use of Storm Shadow missiles on the territory of the Russian Federation will significantly slow down and complicate Russian logistics and force Russia to withdraw its aircraft to more remote airfields, Mr Podolyak said. The Storm Shadow/Scalp missile has the potential to speed up the end of the war if used inside Russia, Ukrainian leaders believe - MBDA Ukraine will outline plans to use Storm Shadow in tandem with other means of destruction in its renewed diplomatic push to obtain permission for strikes deep inside Russia from the UK and other Western allies. By the way, as is already clear from the course of the current war, Russia understands only significant force and losses, the adviser added. Kyiv sent requests to both Britain and France to drop restrictions on the Storm Shadow and its French sister Scalp-EG. Mr Zelensky has also repeatedly asked Washington for American-donated Atacms ballistic missiles to be used to strike targets deep within Russia. It is understood that London, Paris and Rome, which have firms involved in the missiles manufacturing, would have to sign off on any decision over Storm Shadow. A British defence source said the US was the real stumbling block because it was blocking use of a key enabling requirement for launching Storm Shadow into Russia. Germany refused to hand over Taurus missile Germany has refused to hand over its own Taurus cruise missile and on Saturday it emerged it was freezing all military aid to Ukraine. Defence minister Boris Pistorius had written up a wish list for 4 billion in additional military supplies to Ukraine, but a letter sent to him by the finance ministry made clear that no extra money would be freed up because of the need to cut federal spending. The European nations are also hesitant to move without an agreement with the US, providing them with diplomatic and military cover for any decision. Sabrina Singh, a spokeswoman for the US department of defence, last week admitted that Washington was worried about escalation over Ukraines long-range strikes. A UK Government spokeswoman said: There has been no change in the UKs position. We have been providing military aid to support Ukraines clear right of self-defence against Russias illegal attacks in accordance with international humanitarian law. We are clear that equipment provided by the UK is intended for the defence of Ukraine. 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. Letter: Thank you to Congressman Sorensen for listening to Illinois farmers In December 2023, we warned about the harm to Illinois pork producers posed by Californias Proposition 12, which makes it illegal to sell in California pork from hogs born to sows raised anywhere including Illinois in housing that does not meet its arbitrary, West Coast standards. In May, U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen took a tough vote to advance a new Farm Bill, which included a solution to the mountain of problems caused by Prop. 12, out of the House Agriculture Committee. We thank him for his courage to stand with Illinois pork producers. If a Farm Bill with a Prop. 12 fix is not signed into law, producers could be forced to fork over $3,600 $4,000 per sow so our barns will comply with Prop. 12. In addition to Prop. 12 raising the cost of producing pork for Illinois producers, we now know the damaging effects at the meat counter as well. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the cost of bacon in California has risen 16% since Prop. 12 took effect, and ribs and loins have increased 17% and 41%, respectively. Without a federal fix to Prop. 12, those price spikes are sure to spread across the country. This is not sustainable not on Illinois farms and not at Illinois grocery stores. I want to thank Rep. Sorensen for listening to us and standing with Illinois pork producers and encourage him to vote "yes" again when the Farm Bill comes to the House floor. Darrell Stitzel, Shannon This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Letter: Thank you U.S. Rep. Sorensen for listening to Illinois farmers Donate to help emergency blood shortage The American Red Cross is facing an emergency blood shortage and urges people to make an appointment to give now to help patients across the country receive lifesaving medical treatments. Heat impacted more than 100 blood drives in July in nearly every state where the Red Cross collects blood compounding other traditional seasonal obstacles to blood donation, such as travel and summer activities. Together these factors contributed to a shortfall of more than 19,000 blood donations in July at a time when distributions to hospitals have remained strong and the blood supply still has not recovered from significant donation shortfalls earlier this summer. Right now, the supply of type O blood products is so low that hospital distributions of this vital blood type have been reduced below what hospitals need in recent weeks. More individuals are needed to donate now to help patients counting on lifesaving blood following accidents, during surgeries and for treatment of conditions such as sickle cell disease and cancer. All blood types especially type O blood donors and those giving platelets are needed to meet the needs of patients. On behalf of the Red Cross, I encourage you to roll up a sleeve and answer the call. Please make your appointment to give blood or platelets by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Laura Burke, Harrisburg. The author is the executive director of the American Red Cross Central Pennsylvania Chapter. Whats a coffee aficionado to do? You know what I hate? Coffee shops that close at 2 or 3 p.m.! Coffee aficionados, myself included, in Washington, DC where I used to live and work, cherished a late afternoon, before dinner cup of Joe. I cant count the number of times Ive gone to a local coffee house only to find it closed! Id like to give my business to locally owned specialty coffee house, but instead Ill keep going to Starbucks, Dunkin and McDonalds. Good coffee there BTW. Robert Echard, State College Why does Trump have supporters? Why do people support Donald Trump? Consider: 1. Undermining democratic institutions: Trump has repeatedly questioned the legitimacy of elections and other democratic processes, contributing to widespread mistrust in the electoral system. He does not support the U.S. Constitution. 2. Mismanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic: His administrations handling of the COVID-19 pandemic has been widely criticized, with many arguing it led to unnecessary deaths. 3. Divisive leadership: Trumps rhetoric often exacerbates divisions along racial, political or social lines, leading to increased polarization and risking political violence. 4. Legal and ethical violations: Beyond the January 6 insurrection, Trump has faced numerous legal challenges, including ongoing investigations into his business practices and alleged obstruction of justice during his presidency. He has been convicted of felonies in court and lost a defamation lawsuit. 5. International relations: His approach to foreign policy often alienated allies and emboldened adversaries, undermining the United States position on the global stage. 6. Environmental policies: His administration rolled back environmental protections, contributing to climate change. 7. Corruption allegations: Trump and members of his administration have been accused of using their positions for personal gain. 8. Inconsistent policies: His frequent policy reversals created instability both domestically and internationally. 9. Attacks on the free press: Trump has repeatedly attacked the media, labeling critical coverage as fake news, which many argue undermines the free press. 10. Impeachments: Trump is the only U.S. President to be impeached twice, indicating serious concerns about his conduct while in office. Given these reasons, why do people support Trump? William Rothwell, State College Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan has won praise from both economic progressives and Republican populists for her tough policing of concentrated corporate power. BASTIEN INZAURRALDE/Getty Images WASHINGTON In over three transformative years as the countrys top antitrust regulator, Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan has faced down powerful foes, from private equity titans to tech CEOs and supermarket moguls. But Khan, nominated by President Joe Biden and confirmed by a bipartisan Senate supermajority, now faces adversity from a less familiar corner: allies of Vice President Kamala Harris, the newfound Democratic presidential nominee and a Californian with closer ties to Silicon Valley than Biden. Reid Hoffman a co-founder of LinkedIn, a venture capitalist and one of the Democratic Partys largest donors is among the prominent Democrats calling for Harris to ditch Khan. His comments last month pushing for her ouster, along with similar remarks from billionaire donor Barry Diller, set off a low-level civil war between the partys ideological wings. Progressives are increasingly confident that Khan or at least one of her ideological allies will remain at the top of the FTC, especially after Harris first economic speech Friday showed her aggressively attacking corporate greed and proposing new powers for the commission. But as the Harris campaign decides whether, and how much, to break with Bidens populist anti-monopoly policies, Khan is engaged in a high-profile fight for workers rights, showcasing the broad appeal of her aggressive approach to enforcement and precisely why Harris might want to keep her in the job. Khans most ambitious initiative is a rule banning the use of noncompete agreements barring workers from getting a job with a competitor of their current employer, or leaving to start such a company themselves. Its a policy that polls well, has bipartisan support in Congress and even elicited kind words from Hoffman. LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, a Democratic megadonor, has called for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris to replace Khan, but also said he likes Khan's thinking on noncompetes. Kimberly White/Getty Images If successful, Khans decision would free the 1 in 5 American workers 30 million people, from fast-food workers to doctors currently unable to pursue new employment opportunities and start new businesses. Thats a big if, though. The rule, approved in April and slated to take effect Sept. 4, is subject to aggressive legal challenges likely to end up before the U.S. Supreme Court this fall. The FTC has taken some solace in the fact that even conservative federal judges exempting plaintiffs from the rule, including Judge Timothy Corrigan in the Middle District of Florida on Wednesday, have thus far declined to halt the rule for all employers across the country. Khan is nonetheless taking her case to the public with an appeal to the cross-ideological American ideal of liberty a theme that incidentally rhymes with the Harris campaigns focus on freedom. If youre a champion for liberty, you should be against noncompetes, Khan told HuffPost in an interview conducted before Harris became the Democratic nominee. These noncompetes are really restricting peoples ability to easily switch jobs, and that undermines their core economic liberty piece, but it also undermines a more fundamental sense of liberties. The FTC elicited more than 26,000 comments during a public comment period before it finalized the noncompete ban, the overwhelming majority of which were from workers and employers lamenting the onerous toll of noncompete agreements. As evidence that the agreements undermine personal liberties as well as economic ones, Khan noted some conservative-friendly personal stories: people whose speech was chilled in their current job, whose job did not suit their religious needs, or who were fired for refusing to get vaccinated and are now unable to seek a job in the same field. Khans focus on promoting liberty and market competition has found some receptive ears on the right, including Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), the running mate of GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump (though its not clear if Vance has commented on noncompete bans specifically). Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), a right-wing attorney and Trump loyalist with an anti-monopolist streak, submitted an amicus brief in defense of the legality of the noncompete ban in early June. If youre a champion for liberty, you should be against noncompetes.Lina Khan, the chair of the Federal Trade Commission Economic liberty is the foundation of a free society and the bedrock of American democracy, wrote Gaetz, a member of the House Judiciary Committee. The promise that hard work, competitive vigor, and individual effort will be rewarded with prosperity is one that has flourished in America from the very beginning. The policy idea of a national noncompete ban, without any exceptions, has bipartisan support in the Senate as well. Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) have introduced legislation banning noncompetes in nearly all cases. The bills passage, which is a nonstarter in this Congress and unlikely in the next few years, would have the advantage of being harder for a new president to overturn. Members of Congress cannot directly affect how a judge will rule, but the overall political environment can sometimes influence jurists thinking in subtle ways, and predict congressional responses to a particular opinion from the bench. In the hopes of gauging other lawmakers support for Khans stance, HuffPost surveyed members of Congress about the ban. Of those who commented, their responses can be divided into three categories: full support for the noncompete ban, support for the ban with some exceptions, and outright opposition. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a consumer rights attorney, defended the legality and substantive merit of Khan's noncompete ban. Tom Williams/Getty Images Full Support Multiple Democrats were firmly in Khans corner. Chief among them was Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who let out an excited yes as HuffPost was outlining the question. A consumer rights attorney, Warren said that theres no doubt the FTC has the authority to issue the rule. When a fast-food joint forces someone who runs the cash register to sign a noncompete so they wont go work for some other fast-food place for 50 cents more, thats just straight up anticompetitive, she added. Rep. Bill Foster (D-Ill.), a physicist and entrepreneur who co-founded a successful theater lighting manufacturer, cited personal experience to argue for the ban. Noncompete agreements do more harm than good, he said, noting his disappointment with a former barber who imposed a noncompete agreement on an employee that prevented the employee from starting their own barbershop. Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) and Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) had similar assessments, with Schatz calling noncompete agreements a distortion of the marketplace and Smith lamenting how employers are sucking up every advantage they possibly can. Support For Narrower Ban Sens. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) spoke about their aversion to noncompete agreements overall, but suggested they saw a use for them under certain circumstances. Some of these noncompetes are terrible abuses, so Im glad to see theyre taking them up, Cardin said. Smith described noncompete agreements as just a way to put power in the hands of employers and take away the power of employees. The binding accords for fast-food workers, for example, are essentially a way of big corporations controlling what regular people do, she said. But Smith also had a caveat that she declined to elaborate on. Certainly there are examples we can all come up with where somebody has confidential business information and they would be a direct threat to their former employer, where a noncompete agreement would be appropriate, she said. Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-Md.), a former local prosecutor, likewise seemed supportive of a less comprehensive ban. Theres certainly an abusive extent to which theyve been imposed on especially folks without much contract power in these negotiations, Ivey said. So as a policy matter, restricting them to some extent made sense. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) introduced legislation, along with Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), to ban noncompete agreements for workers in lower-paying fields. Bill Clark/Getty Images A number of the six Republican lawmakers interviewed by HuffPost shared the view of those Democrats who are wary of the burdens that noncompete agreements place on lower-earning workers. Along with New Hampshire Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) introduced a bill in February 2023 banning noncompete agreements for certain low-wage workers. Noncompete agreements have value in certain professions where you have, for example, industry ties, proprietary information that could be taken to the benefit of one of your competitors, he told HuffPost. It makes sense in that regard, but it doesnt make sense for some of the blue-collar, working-class jobs that its been applied to in some jurisdictions, literally preventing some people in the construction trade from finding a new job, he said. Twenty-one Senate Republicans joined 48 members of the Senate Democratic Caucus in voting to confirm Khan in June 2021. Rubio was one of three senators who did not vote on Khans nomination. (The other two absences were Democrats). In some cases [noncompetes are] ... needed to protect effort youve invested in something, but generally I dont like them, because I like full competition and transparency, said Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.), the founder of an automotive parts distributor who also voted to confirm Khan. Its been especially problematic for doctors and professionals, where they have to sign noncompetes and then are trapped in a corporate kind of prison. Both Rubio and Braun said they would prefer that Congress pass legislation banning noncompetes rather than having the FTC act independently. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), who voted to confirm Khan and is a prominent Republican proponent of anti-monopoly policy, told HuffPost that hes generally pretty skeptical of noncompetes, because they get used a lot to hurt workers. He declined to opine on the legal merits of Khans action. In a Republican Party where some lawmakers are warming to aggressive antitrust enforcement, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) remains a skeptic. Tom Williams/Getty Images Outright Opposition At the same time, many Republicans in Congress, including Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) and Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), retain a libertarian aversion to federal intervention in private business. The Federal Trade Commission is not there for intrastate contracts. Miss me with all of that, said Donalds, a former financial analyst. So essentially an NDA is signed by two parties over the actions within the state, and the federal governments going to regulate that? Im sorry. Lee, an attorney, likewise said that the FTC lacks the authority for the rule and that noncompete agreements should be left to the states. Things like employment law are normally questions of state law, not federal law, said Lee, who voted against confirming Khan. Responding To Critics The FTCs final noncompete ban allowed existing noncompete agreements with senior executives defined as workers in a policymaking position earning more than $151,164 to stand. Companies would not have a carve-out for such workers going forward, however. Thats because higher-earning workers are no less deserving of employment mobility, especially since they are among the employees most likely to start new businesses, according to Khan. When you have a more informal diffusion and sharing of information, it can have really beneficial effects for innovation.Lina Khan, the chair of the Federal Trade Commission California is one of four states in the country that already have bans on all noncompete agreements, Khan noted to HuffPost. The states status as home to the Silicon Valley tech corridor suggests the rules encourage, rather than inhibit, innovation, she argued. When you have a more informal diffusion and sharing of information, it can have really beneficial effects for innovation, Khan said. When it comes to the legal argument, the plaintiffs suing to stop the noncompete rule, such as Ryan LLC, a Dallas-based tax services company, contend that the FTC has the power to issue new procedural rules to shape how it enforces restrictions on practices that Congress has designated unfair, but not substantive rules that effectively deem certain practices unfair in the first place. But Khan and the FTC underscore that twoprevious federal circuit court rulings have upheld the agencys authority to issue substantive rules as well. We live under the rule of law. Youre supposed to follow the existing precedent, Khan said. Conservative federal judges, of course, seem to have few qualms about dispensing with long-standing precedent especially around the federal governments authority to regulate business. A conservative judge in the Northern District of Texas ruled partially in favor of Ryan LLC and its co-plaintiffs in early July, issuing a preliminary injunction blocking the rule from taking effect for the plaintiffs. In her opinion, the judge, Trump appointee Ada Brown, nonetheless declined to stay the rule for all companies across the nation. And while Brown exempted Ryan LLC and its fellow plaintiffs the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Business Roundtable, the Texas Association of Business, and the Longview Chamber of Commerce from complying with the noncompete ban, the trade groups member companies would not be exempt. Jimmy John's used to make new hires sign noncompete agreements. There is bipartisan opposition to noncompete agreements in the fast-food industry and other low-wage fields. MLADEN ANTONOV/Getty Images Brown also wrote that she would issue a ruling on the ultimate merits of the FTCs action that is, whether to halt the rule for all companies across the country by Aug. 30. For his part, Corrigan, the federal judge in Florida, made clear Wednesday that his decision applies only to the plaintiff, Properties of the Villages Inc., and nothing about his decision would prevent the FTC rule from taking effect nationally Sept. 4. Meanwhile, there is already a competing ruling from a liberal judge. Judge Kelly Brisbon Hodge in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania upheld the rule against a challenge in late July. Regardless of how Brown rules, her decision is sure to be appealed to the even more conservative 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, and then to the U.S. Supreme Court, which begins its next session Oct. 7. Given the conservative Supreme Courts tendency to side with big business over the regulatory state, a favorable ruling for the FTC seems improbable. But in the meantime, the rule might take effect and prompt businesses to adopt practices they might not undo right away. Khans allies in the world of anti-monopoly policymaking believe that, one way or another, the combined journalistic, congressional and regulatory scrutiny on the harms caused by noncompete agreements means the employment restrictions are not long for this world. Even if the FTC rule is overturned, there are still many other efforts afoot to undermine the use of these agreements, said Lee Hepner, senior legal counsel for the American Economic Liberties Project, an anti-monopoly think tank thats supportive of the noncompete ban. Its a multipronged strategy. Local church aims to keep kids, parents informed about safety as school returns As students head back to school, local advocates are hoping residents are keeping kids and their safety at the top of their minds. On Saturday, the Greater Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ held a cookout and backpack giveaway. ALSO READ: Local hair stylist holds back to school braid giveaway Police officers and fire officials spoke with students, as well as their parents, about safety. Organizers said they wanted kids and their families to plan safe routes to and from school or the bus stop. They also wanted to alert drivers to the thousands of kids that will be navigating the streets and sidewalks as school starts. VIDEO: Local hair stylist holds back to school braid giveaway SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) The death of Friends star Matthew Perry is shedding new light on the use of ketamine. The drug has been around for decades and is being used to treat mental health issues. A doctor from Baystate Health explained what the drug is used for and why it can be dangerous. Ketamine is a pharmaceutical that is often used in veterinary clinics or during surgeries as a sedative anesthetic, but it can also help with pain. Recently there has been research into the medicine helping with depression, mental health problems, and acute or chronic pain. However, where other medications are dose-dependent with their side effects, meaning if you are given more, you expect to see more side effects, Ketamine is different. What is ketamine, the drug involved in Matthew Perrys death? With Ketamine, we know that there can be serious side effects and life-threatening side effects at any dose, explained Sarah Kleinschmidt, an Emergency Care Physician at Baystate Health. And, so the standard of care is to only give Ketamine in a setting when we have rescue medications and where we have rescue equipment in case somebody has those serious side effects. And we cant always predict based on the dose or based on the person, who will experience those side effects. Kleinschmidt said that it is not common to have side effects at lower doses, but it is possible. She also said Ketamine is not recommended for recreational use due to its dangerous side effects. At Baystate, they use Ketamine in a 1-to-1 with the nurse monitoring the patient, along with respiratory and cardiac monitors, and then of course the rescue medication and equipment in case side effects occur. 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. U.S. Congressman Mike Flood will be holding a town hall in Fremont on Thursday, Aug. 22. The town hall will take place from 5 to 6 p.m. at Fremont High Schools new CTE Center. During the town hall, Flood will provide an update on the priorities hes been working on for Fremont and Nebraskas First Congressional District. There will be a question-and-answer period. This event is free and open to the public. In addition to the program, district staff will be available to assist with challenges regarding federal agencies, military academy nominations, scheduling requests and other needs constituents might encounter. For questions about the town hall, contact Floods Lincoln office at 402-438-1598. Flood maintains permanent offices in Lincoln and in Washington, D.C. More information about the offices can be found at https://flood.house.gov. YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) The times have changed but in Youngstown, one thing has remained constant the Playhouse which celebrated its 100th anniversary Friday. A kickoff celebration was held Friday afternoon at the Playhouse, including special performances from the upcoming Carole King musical Beautiful happening at the Deyor later this month. Community members and elected officials were in attendance. State Representative Lauren McNally was one of them. She brought with her a formal resolution from the Ohio House of Representatives marking the special milestone. For something to turn 100 is a really hard feat. For something to turn 100 means we as a community treasure it, we choose to invest in it. Weve made a values statement about what we prioritize in our community, McNally said. With the recent passage of House Bill 2, Rep. McNally advocated and brought $238,000 in state funding to help with the construction of a new roof at the playhouse. My father used to tell me, On the shoulders of giants, you get where you go. You got to build upon that. you can make your imprint a little bit better and build upon what they gave us and thats exactly what I hope weve been doing here, said Dr. John Cox, Youngstown Playhouse Board President. Nick Rich 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 WKBN.com. Susan Lorincz wasnt three steps outside the courtroom when the silence finally broke. Oh my God, thank you, Jesus, a womans voice said amid the quiet sobbing from the rows behind prosecutors. Once they exited the courtroom, Ajike Owenss friends and family were less reserved. They practically stumbled into each others arms, laughing and hugging tightly. They took the elevator upstairs together to debrief with prosecutors. Then, they came downstairs and outside the Ocala courthouse to face a wall of cameras. Read: Jury finds Marion County woman who fatally shot neighbor through door guilty I find some peace with that verdict, Pamela Dias said, thanking the jurors. Although my daughter is gone forever weve achieved some justice for Ajike. The familys attorney, Anthony Thomas, said a civil lawsuit against Lorincz would be forthcoming now that the criminal trial was over. He said the world was on notice that Stand Your Ground was not a license to take another persons life without consequences. No, you cannot claim to be in fear of your life, Thomas said, adding a sarcastic emphasis to the word claim. Read: Would you convict Susan Lorincz? Heres what the jury is being told The four women and two men sitting on the jury left observers hanging until the very end. During closing arguments Friday, few gave off any signs of agreement with either side, though one of the jurors shook her head as prosecutor Rich Buxman insisted Lorincz had no right to pull the trigger. As a society, we do not condone shooting somebody because of an act that may happen in the future, Buxman said. During their two-and-a-half hours of deliberations, the panel only asked two questions. The first was to re-hear both of Lorinczs 911 calls. The second requested additional information about pre-existing damage to Lorinczs front door that had been repaired. Read: New Smyrna Beach bouncer accused of sexual battery Defense attorney Amanda Sizemore brought up the damaged door during her closing argument in her efforts to convince jury members that Lorinczs claim she was afraid for her life should be taken at its word. Any play for doubt, though, was not enough. Lorincz faces 30 years in prison at her sentencing hearing. Its expected to happen this fall, but a date has not been set. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. Journalist Malcolm Harris was having a weird week when he said he found an abandoned Project 2025-branded duffle bag in his Capitol Hill neighborhood. But when Harris started posting about the bag online, things reportedly got even weirder. Harris claimed on X that he found the bag during a nighttime walk on Aug. 9, and he posted that it was full of Project 2025 swag, including a water bottle, and a Trump Save America emblem. Looks like someone from Heritages Young Leadership Program wasnt excited about walking around DC with this swag bag, he wrote in an Aug. 12 post. Looks like someone from Heritage's Young Leadership Program wasn't excited about walking around DC with this swag bag pic.twitter.com/9Qg9n8beZt Malcolm Harris (@BigMeanInternet) August 12, 2024 In another, allegedly showing the contents of the bag, he added, Vast right-wing conspiracy starter pack. Vast right-wing conspiracy starter pack pic.twitter.com/WcWsxnYmwg Malcolm Harris (@BigMeanInternet) August 12, 2024 When Harris posted that he was thinking about turning the documents inside the bag over to a journalist, a Project 2025 staffer supposedly called the police on him and reported the bag stolen. The police showed up at his home on Tuesday. I dont talk to the police, so we didnt have a very long conversation, said Harris, who identifies as a Marxist and has written several books, including Palo Alto: A History of California, Capitalism, and the World (2023) and Kids These Days: Human Capital and the Making of Millennials (2017). Harris told the Post about the contents of the bag, Its not like I found secret internal documents about Project 2025, Harris said. Its not that crazy; its like, Whoops, they left this out. According to the Post, the time between when the bag was last seen and found didnt exactly match up. But upon learning about the police investigation into the bags whereabouts, Harris walked the bag to The Heritage Foundations headquarters in Washington, D.C., but not before posting more about the absurdity of the situation. Here's a story about my weird week https://t.co/fjeQWhC3cI Malcolm Harris (@BigMeanInternet) August 16, 2024 Heres a story about my weird week, he posted about his interview with the Washington Post. In another post in front of The Heritage Foundation, he added: Wanna see a scary image from a different timeline? How does someone file a police report accusing theft when they left it out on public property and just walked away????? wrote @ohkirsten under the post. This is like something out of Burn After Reading lol wrote @ChrisKattan4eva. In a reply, Harris wrote: I had the balls to walk over with the bag and deal with Heritage security myself. They, on the other hand, called the police because they lost a bag and I found it. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. 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, including Michigans Dana Nessel, 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. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Lufthansa flight to Tokyo returns to Munich after about eight hours Lufthansa aircraft is seen on the tarmac at Munich Airport. Lufthansa flight to Tokyo returns to Munich after hours. Sven Hoppe/dpa A Lufthansa flight from Germany to the Japanese capital Tokyo had to return to Munich due to technical reasons, a spokesman for Lufthansa reported on Saturday. The aircraft landed back at Munich Airport after about eight hours. The reason was an irregularity in the hydraulic display, the airline spokesman said. The 292 passengers on board the Airbus A350 were subsequently rebooked onto other flights, he added. It was a priority landing which is usually accompanied by emergency vehicles with flashing lights. According to various flight radar tracking providers, the aircraft turned around over the Caspian Sea between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. After a technical examination, the aircraft was back in operation on Saturday, the spokesman said, adding that it was a classic technical irregularity. Lynnville Library to be torn down for rebuild after fire LYNNVILLE, Ind. (WEHT) Its been 4 months since a fire destroyed the Lynnville Branch Library, and most of the books inside. The hope was to repair and restore the building, but after inspections, library officials confirm the building will be torn down for a new library. The decision leaves many wondering what will happen to the historic cellar. The library houses a cellar thats believed to be tied to the Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad was a series of secret routes and safe houses that helped enslaved African Americans escape to freedom in the 1800s. After a late night fire in April, Lynnville residents began offering book donations and library officials prepared to begin assessing the structures damages. Longtime residents, and those new to the area, have been anxiously awaiting a final decision on next steps. Final suspect in 2023 Mt. Vernon Avenue shooting sentenced When I first got here, I was like oh, we have a library. Yes. Its right next door. Then they were like it burnt down. Im like oh., says Curtis Jackson, who has lived in the city for about a month. I just couldnt believe the amount of devastation that there was. I mean, its just guttedthe books and everything that were destroyed. Books holds a special meaning for me, says Leeann Galloway, a resident of 25 years. The Boonville-Warrick County Public Library Board has unanimously voted to do away with the building and replace it with an entirely new home for the literature. Officials say a simple renovation just wasnt possible, and they hope to begin the demolition by Sept. Grant says he understands the disappointment around not being able to save the historic building but is excited to spend time there in the future. Im a bookworm, so I would like a big library where I have a big selection of books. I would keep one part of historical tied to somewhere, like some part of it, says Grant. The librarys Director Brooke Bolton says thats exactly what they plan to do. Rebuilding on the site will give us the best possible library that we can give to Lynnvilles patrons. We have spoken with the demolition company. We made sure to save as much of the cellar as we could, as it was rumored to be part of the Underground Railroad, says Bolton. Bolton says it will be designed to better house book collections and programs. Community members say they hope the new rebuild includes plans for an all brick building. Officials say they will hold multiple meetings to figure out when that rebuild will begin. I just would like to see the community visit it ..Have like an open house and kind of talk about how it used to be, says Galloway. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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). Macomb Prosecutor: Judge who contributed to my opponent's campaign should be disqualified Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido is asking that a judge disqualify himself from presiding over a lawsuit Lucido filed against the county's top attorney and ethics board. The prosecutor argues the judge contributed to the campaign of Lucido's election opponent, which creates the appearance of impropriety. Lucido, a Republican, stated in an Aug. 12 motion that Macomb County Circuit Judge James Maceroni contributed to the campaign of Christina Hines, the Democratic candidate for county prosecutor in the November election. Additional material with the motion included a screenshot from a search on the county's campaign finance reporting site of a contribution listed for $100 by Maceroni on Nov. 15 to Hines' committee. Underneath the date and amount is the word "fundraiser." Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido watches police dashboard camera footage of a Saturday, June 29, fatal police chase during a July 2, 2024, news conference at the Warren Police Department. The November date is seven months before the June 28 filing of Lucido's lawsuit. A hearing on Lucido's motion to disqualify and other matters is scheduled for Monday before Maceroni. Mark Brewer, former Michigan Democratic Party chairman, lodged his first of two complaints against Lucido with the ethics board in February. Lucido stated in his motion to disqualify that Brewer is the leader and/or adviser for Hines' political campaign. The ethics board dismissed one of Brewer's complaints and voted to forward the other to a formal hearing to be held July 17. The forwarded complaint alleged Lucido used county property, buildings and offices to create a photo of himself for political campaign purposes. Lucido's attorney, Todd Perkins, previously stated the photo was taken before the start of business hours by Lucido's daughter with her personal cellphone the morning he took office in January 2021. It depicts him sitting at his office desk. It was later put on his campaign website, with no tax dollars used for its capture or transmission, Perkins stated. Lucido filed the lawsuit against the county's Corporation Counsel John Schapka and the ethics board in June, weeks ahead of the July hearing, which was canceled because the lawsuit was filed. During an Aug. 1 hearing, Schapka said he advised the ethics board not to hold the public hearing until the claims against the board are resolved, to protect the integrity of the board's ultimate decision. During the Aug. 1 hearing, Maceroni heard arguments from both sides in regard to a separate motion from Lucido for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to stay the ethics board proceedings against him. Maceroni had not issued an opinion on that motion as of Friday. In the recent motion to disqualify, Perkins wrote that the campaign donation "creates the appearance of impropriety by the trial judge in this case by presiding and ruling on issues that concern Plaintiff and Brewer's complaint promoting Christina Hines." "In this instance, we believe the totality of the circumstances merit and mandate that Judge Maceroni recuse himself from this case," Perkins wrote in an email Friday, adding: "With the subject matter of this case arising from the ethics complaint that was filed by Mark Brewer, we believe that the only proper decision is for the Judge to recuse himself." Perkins' motion refers to the Michigan Code of Judicial Conduct and various canons that a judge "'must avoid all ... appearance of impropriety' to preserve the integrity and independence of the judiciary" and "should refrain from financial dealings that tend to reflect adversity on the judge's impartiality." The motion stated that a specific canon "expressly allows a judge to contribute to a political party, but it does not sanction a contribution to a particular candidate, especially in our case when that candidate's concern is the subject matter of this case in which the judge presides over." "Based on objection and reasonable perceptions, Judge Maceroni's contribution/support of Christina Hines in the upcoming election for prosecuting attorney for Macomb County appears to question his impartiality to rule on issues in the instant litigation," according to the motion, which asks Maceroni to refer the motion to the court's chief judge should Maceroni deny it. Lucido and Perkins want the lawsuit to be referred to another judge by blind draw. Schapka filed a motion on behalf of the himself and the ethics board requesting the court deny Lucido's motion to recuse the judge. "In all respects, Plaintiff fails to meet the heavy burden of overcoming the presumption that the trial judge is actually biased or prejudiced in this matter," Schapka wrote. "Saying it is so does not make it so, and the-trial-judge-is-biased-because-I-say-he-is-biased is woefully insufficient." 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: Lucido: Judge donated to opponent's campaign, should be disqualified Tonight, NBC News Kelly ODonnell reported that former U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle has become U.S. Secret Service protectee Kimberly Cheatle. Thats because Cheatle, who resigned from her post on July 23, has become the target of unspecified, but presumably credible and significant, threats in the wake of the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump and the Secret Services failure to prevent it. But as shocking as it is to see a former Secret Service director need the protection of her own former agency, its much less surprising when one considers the overall threat environment facing those whom Trump loyalists perceive as a danger to him or them. After all, we learned earlier this week that the daughter of Judge Juan Merchan, who oversaw Trumps New York hush money trial, and her business partner have each been subjected to death threats and harassment, and that law enforcement has advised the daughter and her family to leave their home for their own safety. Further, in an interview with my NBC News colleague Ken Dilanian last month, Attorney General Merrick Garland noted that the Justice Department has brought 400 cases over the last two years alone dealing with threats against federal and state judges, federal and state prosecutors, federal and state legislators, and federal, state and local law enforcement officers. Of course, those are just the cases federal law enforcement has brought, not the totality of the threats. And several of those cases concern targeted people who, simply for doing their jobs, have raised Trump supporters ire. They become part of the online stew of conspiracy theories, misogyny, white supremacy and MAGA devotion that can catalyze grievances into threats or worse. Take Spencer Gear, a 32-year-old Nevada man indicted last month. The Justice Department alleges that from November 2023 through July 2024, Gear made threats to injure or kill 11 federal or state officials, including five federal judges in Washington, D.C., and Judge Lewis Kaplan, who presided over both of E. Jean Carrolls defamation trials against Trump. According to that indictment, Gear also directed threats, via a June 3 voicemail, at Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who brought the 34-count felony hush money case against Trump, as well as against Merchan. To be fair, neither the fact of Gears indictment nor the identities of his alleged targets is new. But the transcript of Gears bail hearing, which MSNBC has obtained, includes the governments description of how resolute, methodical and unafraid those making the threats can be, even when warned by federal law enforcement, as officials say Gear was, that the types of messages he had been leaving for officials were not protected by the First Amendment. According to that transcript, prosecutors say days after a Manhattan jury returned its verdict in the hush money case, Gear left a voicemail message at Braggs Harlem office in which he claimed, Were at war now, and then, referencing Bragg and Merchan, warned, Youre dead men, were going to kill you ... were going to round you up, and were going to put you before our own court, and then were going to f---ing execute you. Prosecutors played that voicemail for the court in arguing that Gear should not be free pending trial. Gear was equally bold even when the FBI came to arrest him, authorities say, initially refusing to leave his house and cutting his hand while throwing back a drone the agency flew into the house. By the time FBI was able to conduct a search, agents found not only multiple firearms throughout the house, but also a tactical vest that had a significant amount of ammunition on it and fresh blood as if he had been handling that tactical vest. And although he left his home without violence, he told the FBI, You can smile today because I chose a different path. Youre not the enemy, but you work for them. This organization is not constitutional. I hope you guys understand that. We obviously dont and likely wont know the nature of the threats to Cheatle. But if even one of the people making those threats is as unrepentant and potentially prepared as authorities say Spencer Gear was, her rapid transformation from political appointee to guardee is perfectly understandable. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com ST. GEORGE, Utah (ABC4) A man was arrested in Washington County on Monday after two reports of lewdness, according to the Washington County Sheriffs Office. Shawn D. Truman, 33, was arrested on three counts of lewdness first or second offense (class-B misdemeanor). On Aug. 2, deputies responded to a youth treatment center in the area of New Harmony. It was reported that a man driving a silver Kia had asked three females for directions, three of whom were under the age of 18. Owner of popular Utah restaurant sentenced for stealing $1.8M in COVID relief money When the females approached the Kia, they found the man later identified as Truman to be completely nude, making no attempts to cover himself or apologize, while he continued to ask them questions, according to a statement of probable cause. The victims were reportedly able to get a photo of the vehicles license plate as well as a description of the male. Ten days later, on Aug. 12, St. George Police received reports of a man inside of a vehicle, asking a female for directions. Like the first instance, when the female approached, she found the man to be naked, exposing his genitals without attempting to cover them, the affidavit states. The vehicle license plate returned as the same owner of the individual in New Harmony. Truman was booked into Washington County Jail on the charges previously stated. Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. Man who attempted to stab officer while being booked in jail sentenced A man will spend at least 11 years in prison after he attempted to stab an officer who was booking him into jail. Tyler Senter was sentenced to 11-16.5 years in prison after pleading guilty to several charges including escape, robbery, and felonious assault on an officer. On July 31, 2024, Senter was being booked into the Fairborn Police Department after being arrested for stealing a car. >> Suspect taken to hospital after crashing into a train during chase, prompting standoff While being fingerprinted, Senter was able to get a weapon and attempted to stab an officer and escape. Senter was unable to harm the officer. He was taken to Greene County Jail where he again attempted to escape hours later. The officer is lucky to have escaped injury. I think Judge Buckwalter imposed a proper sentence in this case, because attacks on police officers must end. In order for that to happen, the consequences must be significant, Greene County Prosecutor David Hayes said. The new school year is full of new opportunities and the Nebraska Poison Center wants to help children navigate the new school year safely by following a few tips: Younger Students Remind young children that markers, crayons, glue, glitter, and other school supplies belong on paper and not in their mouths. Supervise young children while using supplies as they can easily be splashed in the eyes, swallowed, or spilled on the skin. Tell children that taking someone elses medication can make them ill. Instruct them to only take medication given by a trusted adult or medical professional. Keep all medications stored in their original container with your child's label clear and visible. Talk to your school and medical staff about the schools medication policy and follow their guidance. Cannabis products are not regulated and can be found in many look-alike products that children may mistake for candy or other food products. Keep them locked up, out of sight, and out of reach for children of any age. Older Students: Older students are at risk for experimenting with over-the-counter and prescription medications, recreational drugs, and alcohol. Have an honest and open discussion with your child about these dangers. Explain to students that taking over-the-counter pain relievers in doses higher than what the label recommends can be harmful. Remind students to be careful with energy drinks and over-the-counter supplements that can contain large doses of caffeine. Caffeine is also found in supplements, such as pre-workout powders, and can cause vomiting, anxiety, headache, increased heart rate, and seizures. Vaping and using e-cigarettes that contain nicotine can cause stomach pain, salivation, faster heart rate, and seizure. The long-term health effects of vaping are unknown. Prescription pain medicine, known as opioids, are commonly misused among all age groups. Opioids can slow the bodys systems down to the point where a person stops breathing. Naloxone (Narcan) is a life-saving drug. In Nebraska, check StopODNE.com for more information on obtaining this medication and how to use it. Please check out our partners at Coalition Rx at coalitionrx.org for more resources on this topic. Remember to talk with kids about their mental health and let them know that help is always available. Anyone can call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or visit 988lifeline.org. The Nebraska Poison Center is staffed with Registered Nurses and Pharmacists 24/7/365. It is fast, free, and confidential. Call 1-800-222-1222. WASHINGTON PARK, Ill. Authorities have arrested a murder suspect who is accused in a deadly shooting in Washington Park, Illinois earlier this month. Prosecutors have charged Vincent Brown, 61, of Belleville, Illinois, with one felony charge of first-degree murder amid the investigation. Missouri town ranked among top U.S. small towns to live in Authorities have identified the victim as Leon Richardson, 66, of Washington Park, Illinois. Richardson was found deceased on Aug. 11 with an apparent gunshot wound. Illinois State Police agents have been handling the investigation. In recent days, agents were able to locate Browns vehicle, conduct a traffic stop, and take Brown into custody. Investigators have not yet disclosed any potential motives in Richardsons death. Prosecutors with the St. Clair County States Attorneys Office filed the murder charge against Brown. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. MEMPHIS, Tenn. A man is dead after getting shot in Berclair Saturday afternoon, Memphis Police say. At 12:44 p.m., officers responded to a shooting in the 500 block of Berclair Road. Aftermath of shooting on Berclair Road. Aftermath of shooting on Berclair Road. Aftermath of shooting on Berclair Road. A man was pronounced deceased on the scene. Man hurt in shooting outside Railgarten Long-time resident Tony Myers says hes fed up with the uptick in crime and doesnt feel safe sleeping at night. It has me really worried that Im trying to sleep more in the day now because I feel safer to stay up at night and keep my eye out, Myers said. I will come out at 3 or 4 AM driving around the whole Berclair neighborhood just to see what I can see. A red truck that was stalled after crashing into a fence was at the center of polices investigation. Myers, who has lived in the neighborhood for more than 25 years, says hes never seen the truck. Myers said he did notice strange activity close to the scene before the shooting happened. Before everyone arrived, I saw one person walking back and forth down through here. I dont know where they came from, Myers said. I was watching him to see what he was doing. You got to really keep a close eye out around here. He walked down to the guard rail down the street. Then he turned around and went back and the last time I saw him he was in the corner right there where they are. Yvette, who didnt feel comfortable showing her face on camera, shared her own experience, saying a string of thefts at her home escalated into violence. Ive had a couple of tools stolen. My husband had an altercation with one of the men that was stealing. He got into a fight with him because of it, she said. We dont know if they have guns or knives. They might stab us or hurt us. We always have to worry about those things. MPD has not released suspect information at this time but says this is an ongoing investigation. We will 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 WREG.com. A 53-year-old man was arrested Friday in connection with the July slaying of a Denton woman, according to a police news release. Denton police detectives obtained an arrest warrant Friday for Michael Tooley on a murder charge. He is being held at the Denton County jail. His arrest comes about three weeks after 20-year-old Dylan Gurley was killed. On the evening of July 23, police responded to a call about an unconscious person at an abandoned house in the 3700 block of Holland Lane. Gurley was found with traumatic injuries, police said at the time. Gurley was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. She died of blunt and sharp force injuries with strangulation, according to the Tarrant County Medical Examiners Office. Detectives learned Tooley and Gurley were staying at the abandoned home, the release stated. According to witness interviews, Tooley was upset on July 23 about money he was reportedly missing. Tooley also spoke to witnesses about hurting or killing the next person he believed stole from him, according to police. Witnesses also reported disturbances between Tooley and the victim. 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.] The suspect was with the 911 caller who found Gurley unresponsive, but fled the area before officers arrived, according to police. In an interview with detectives, Tooley confirmed that he and Gurley had a history of altercations, but denied his involvement in her death, police said. Investigators reviewed Tooleys jail phone conversations and said the recordings revealed he had made several comments implicating himself in Gurleys death. Detectives collected additional evidence that confirmed Tooley and Gurley were in the same area during the time of her killing, according to the release. A GoFundMe was organized to help pay Gurleys funeral and memorial expenses. I am coming here today to ask for any help we can get to give Dylan the memorial she wanted and deserved. ... We are just trying to put the pieces back together as best as we can and appreciate any and all help, Gurleys sister Senica Ciarallo wrote in the GoFundMe information. Gurleys mother, Erin Mendiola, said her family believes the killing was a hate crime, KXAS-TV reported. Dylan Gurley identified as a transgender woman, Mendiola told KXAS. Its just senseless, the rage behind it, and the anger behind it, Mendiola told KXAS. I just wish that things could be different, that she would have a chance to live her life. A memorial service was scheduled for Gurley at the Little Elm Rec Center at noon on Saturday. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) Las Vegas police are searching for leads after a man was found shot and killed inside a vacant apartment in the east valley. On Thursday, Aug. 15 officers with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Department received a report that a man was shot inside an apartment shortly before 7 p.m. in the 3000 block of South Nellis Boulevard near Vegas Valley Drive. When officers arrived they found the man suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. Once a medical team arrived they pronounced the man dead, police said. Anyone with information about the shooting is urged to call the LVMPD Homicide Section by phone at 702-828-3521, or by email at homicide@lvmpd.com. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers by phone at 702-385-5555, or on the internet. This is an ongoing investigation being led by the LVMPD Homicide Section. The identification of the victim, as well as the cause and manner of death, will be released by the Clark 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 KLAS. Man found guilty of murder after body found in Franklin County in 2017 FRANKLIN COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) A Franklin County jury found a man guilty on multiple charges Friday in connection with a murder case from nearly seven years ago, according to officials. The office of District Attorney General Courtney Lynch for the 12th Judicial District said Bryan Ray Dudley was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of especially aggravated kidnapping on Friday, Aug. 16. Dudley was on trial for the murder of David Steele from 2017. 2 found guilty in Nashville murder-for-hire plot trial Steele went missing on Oct. 3, 2017, in Tullahoma, but then a body was discovered on Oct. 26, 2017, in the Spring Creek/UTSI Road area, sparking a homicide investigation by the Franklin County Sheriffs Office. After the body was identified as Steele, the sheriffs office reported it was working with the Tullahoma Police Department and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation on the case. Ex-boyfriend of woman found dead in Whites Creek indicted for murder The sheriffs office posted about Dudleys guilty verdict on Friday evening, saying that he was the last defendant to be convicted for Steeles murder, as well as especially aggravated kidnapping with a weapon and especially aggravated kidnapping with serious bodily injury. The verdict resulted from the thorough investigation by the Tullahoma Police Dept, Franklin County Sheriffs Office, and Moore County Sheriffs Office, Lynchs office said in a statement released on Saturday, Aug. 17. The prosecution team included Assistant District Attorneys Steve Strain, Kandi Nunley, and Casey Little, along with Criminal Investigator George Dyer and Assistant Victim Witness Coordinator Jenny Armstrong. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com Dudley is set to be sentenced on Sept. 25. However, authorities have not shared any additional details about the investigation into Steeles death. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. KANSAS CITY, Mo. The man who was charged with first-degree manslaughter and resisting arrest following a 2022 crash that left a Z Trip passenger dead after a police chase has been sentenced today, August 16. Karam Jackson, 20, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and resisting arrest. He received eight years in prison for manslaughter and four years for resisting arrest. These sentences will run concurrently, for a total of 12 years. Olathe dad charged with murder, accused of leaving young son in hot car Court documents show that on March 23, 2022, KCPD officers attempted to stop Jacksons vehicle, which was involved in a carjacking. While Jackson was attempting to evade the police, a Z Trip vehicle was stopped at a light, waiting to turn left when it was hit head-on by Jacksons vehicle as he ran a red light. The passenger, Erika Miller, 38, died from her injuries shortly after at Truman Medical 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 FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) Police are investigating a fatal shooting that occurred late Friday night in North Charleston. North Charleston Police Officers were dispatched to the 7700 block of Warsaw Road just before 9:30 p.m. following reports of a shooting. Upon arrival, officers discovered a deceased male victim who had suffered an apparent gunshot wound. The identity of the victim has not yet been released. No arrests have been made, and authorities are actively investigating the homicide. Anyone with information is urged to contact local law enforcement. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) A Shreveport man was sentenced in federal court after pleading guilty to illegally possessing a machine gun. According to the United States Attorney of Louisiana Western District, the conviction of LMykal Rashard Hicks, 22, was related to an April 10, 2022, arrest related to a traffic stop. A news release from the U.S. Attorneys Office said that Shreveport police responded to a report of drugs being sold near the intersection of Coyth and Lynbrook Streets. When officers arrived, they said they saw two vehicles parked at the streets dead end and were led on a pursuit after an attempt to contact one of the vehicles. Watch: Beyond the Headlines Firearms Impact & Responsibilty Police said a black pickup truck led police in a chase as it drove through neighborhoods; the driver ran stop signs and only decreased speed for turns. At one point in the pursuit, the passenger, identified as Hicks, jumped out of the vehicle but injured himself in the process and jumped back into the truck, and they fled from the patrol officer again. Hicks eventually exited the truck, fleeing on foot. Officers engaged in the foot chase said they saw him pull a firearm from his waistband and run with it in his before dropping it to the ground. He got away from the police once again while handcuffed in front of the patrol car. When officers caught him, he was tased, handcuffed, and arrested. He was charged with possession of a loaded Glock .45 pistol with a conversion device attached, making it a machine gun. He will serve 25 months in federal prison and three years of supervised 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 KTALnews.com. Man police believe is tied to drug cartel in custody GREENE COUNTY, Pa. According to Greene County Regional Police Chief Will DeForte, the man police believe is tied to a drug cartel is now in custody. A stolen motorcycle led police to Jimmy Butterfields home in Morris Township. There police found stolen bikes, a sawed-off shotgun, an assault rife and a pound of meth they believe came from a drug lab across the southern United States border. Butterfield was taken into custody after a two-week search. He was taken into custody by the Monongalia County Sheriffs Department in West Virginia. Police Chief DeForte said that deputies had to smash a window out of Butterfields truck because there was some mild resistance. The police chief also shared that they have engaged in two high-speed pursuits involving this fugitive over the last several days. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: Woman seriously hurt in head-on crash in Pittsburgh Womans body found in Aliquippa alley, police say Police looking for 2 people after Clairton house found in disarray with children inside VIDEO: 2 men charged in Ohio Township homicide behind bars for separate recent crime sprees DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts Man sentenced for killing teen sitting in truck on New Years Day near Collinsville A Collinsville man has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for fatally shooting a fellow teenager in a vehicle in State Park Place in the middle of the afternoon on New Years Day. Albert Campos, then 18 and now 20, pleaded guilty on Friday to first-degree murder in Madison County Circuit Court, according to a news release from States Attorney Tom Haines office. The victim was Miguel D. Villegas-DeSantiago, 18, also of Collinsville. He was killed while sitting in a pick-up truck on Jan. 1, 2023, in the 3300 block of Princeton Avenue in State Park Place, an unincorporated community west of Collinsville. A co-defendant, Matias L. Herrera, 27, of Granite City, drove Campos to the crime scene, the news release stated. Herrera was sentenced in January to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder and unlawful possession of weapons by a felon. I pray that the resolution of these cases can be a step toward healing for the family and loved ones of Miguel, who by all accounts was a completely innocent victim in this senseless tragedy, Haine stated in the news release on Friday. Im thankful for the quick response by our law enforcement agencies and their thorough investigation. Their exemplary work resulted in the successful prosecution of the perpetrators. Madison County Sheriffs Office called in the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis to help with the investigation. At the time, officials reported that Campos walked up to the truck and fired several shots before getting back into Herreras vehicle and fleeing. Villegas-DeSantiago was transported to a St. Louis-area hospital, where he died of gunshot wounds. The community should know that this was not a random act of violence, Haine said at a news conference on Jan. 3, 2023, in Edwardsville, confirming that the victim and suspects knew each other. Madison County Capt. Brian Koberna, speaking at the news conference as Major Case Squad deputy commander, praised investigators for solving the murder and apprehending the suspects within 14 hours. Campos initially was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm and one count of reckless discharge of a firearm. Herrera initially was charged with two counts of first-degree murder. About 25 investigators from the Major Case Squad worked with law enforcement from Madison County, Collinsville Police Department and Illinois State Police. We investigated over 70 leads and executed numerous search warrants with more forthcoming, Koberna said at the time. This case was a good example of good old-fashioned police work with persistency and dedication. I understand that we cant undo a horrible act, but I hope the victims family, friends and associates find solace in the fact that the killers are caught. The case will now be turned over to the court system, and we pray that fair justice is served. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) A man seen smashing windows was found dead at a nearby north Las Vegas valley apartment complex Saturday, police said. On Aug. 17, around 5:30 a.m., officers from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department were called to the 700 block of Jackson Avenue, near Martin Luther King Boulevard, after reports of a man with a pole smashing windows. Moments later, another call described a man fitting the same description breaking windows at a nearby gas station, police said. While responding, officers received a third call at around 6 a.m. about a man acting erratically and breaking windows at an apartment complex in the 2100 block of west Vegas Drive near Tonopah Drive, west of the intersection. LVMPD officials said that upon arrival, officers found the man Shontaz Hutchinson, 51, lying on the ground, unresponsive, with cuts and gunshot wounds. Medical personnel transported the man to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Lieutenant Jason Johansson said that police believe an altercation at the apartment complex may have led to the gunshots being fired. No one has come forward as the person who was involved in the shooting. Investigators ask anyone with information on the shooting to contact the LVMPD Homicide Section at 702-828-3521 or via email at homicide@lvmpd.com. Additionally, those wishing to remain anonymous can contact Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555 or via the organizations 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 KLAS. STATESBORO, Ga. (WSAV) The Statesboro Police Department (SPD) is investigating a shooting that has left one man with multiple gunshot wounds. Officials say the incident happened on Saturday, at approximately midnight, when the Bulloch County Sheriffs deputies, conducting a road safety check on Lanier Drive, made contact with a male in a vehicle exiting the Islands Subdivision. BCSO asks for help locating missing and endangered man from Hilton Head Island The victim, who was found to have multiple gunshot wounds, provided a brief statement to detectives before being flown to Memorial in Savannah for treatment, according to authorities. SPD said subsequent interviews and a canvass of the area revealed that the incident occurred at another location nearby and the victim then drove to the Islands. Authorities say anyone with information on this case should contact Detective Dustin Hardin at 912-764-9911 or submit an anonymous tip to the Statesboro Police Department 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 WSAV-TV. Man wanted for murdering a newborn in Pennington Co. PENNINGTON COUNTY, S.D. (KELO) A felony arrest warrant has been issued for a man wanted for 2nd degree murder and child abuse, according to the Pennington County Sheriffs Office (PCSO). The alleged crimes happened on Nov. 13, 2022, but charges were filed this week, according to court documents. The victim was born September 26, 2022. Authorities are searching for Shamar Tay Bennett, 26. Bennett is believed to be in or around Pennington County and is homeless. A second person has been charged in the same incident. 22-year-old motorcyclist killed in crash identified Courtney Ann Martinez Martin, 27, of Rapid City was arrested this week for 2nd degree murder and cruelty to a minor. Martinez Martin is being held on a $100,000 cash only bond, according to court documents. It is unknown if the victim and suspects are related. The public should not approach Bennett. If you know of his whereabouts please contact the PCSO at 605-394-6117 or the Rapid City Police Department at 605-394-4131. All information will remain anonymous. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KELOLAND.com. Manatee County's next supervisor of elections to be elected Tuesday by Republican voters Scott Farrington defeated James Satcher last month in the primary for the Manatee County supervisor of elections post. The next Manatee County supervisor of elections will be chosen by Republican voters during Tuesday's primary election. Two Republican candidates filed to fill the seat vacated by longtime Supervisor of Elections Mike Bennett when he retired in March. James Satcher, who served as county commissioner for District 1 at the time, was appointed in April by Gov. Ron DeSantis to fill the vacancy over Bennett's longtime Chief of Staff Scott Farrington. In case you missed it: DeSantis appoints Manatee County Commissioner James Satcher as elections supervisor Also: Court sides with Manatee elections supervisor in candidate's suit over School Board seat Democrats barred from voting for Manatee's next Supervisor of Elections Tuesday's Republican primary race between the two men is closed because of the a write-in candidate, Thomas W. Dell, qualified to challenge for the seat. In Florida, primary elections in races where there are only members of one party qualified to run are open to voters of both parties, so write-in candidates often file to close such races and not allow opposing party members from casting votes during in primary race. Dell has not raised any funds to promote his candidacy. Developer funding favors Satcher Satcher has raised $122,101, including $54,100 since he was appointed as Supervisor of Elections. A total of $50,000 of that came from political action committees, and the rest came from members of the development industry. Farrington has raised $78,294, including $67,994 since Satcher was appointed as Supervisor of Elections. Most of his funding comes from many small individual donations, about $10,000 in donations from businesses associated to Schroeder Manatee Ranch and developer Rex Jensen, and a few PACs. Satcher has spend $116,353 to support his campaign. About $97,929 of those expenditures went to SIMWINS, which is the firm owned by well-known political consultant Anthony Pedicini. Farrington has spent about $33,621. About $17,477 of those expenditures went to Gulf Coast Imprinting, and about $2,905 went to Minuteman Press of Bradenton. This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Satcher, Farrington vie for Manatee County elections supervisor seat TOMS RIVER Ron Carr, a 35-year old Manchester man who pleaded guilty to arson and other charges stemming from an antisemitic crime spree last year, was sentenced to seven years in prison by a Superior Court judge on Aug. 16, said Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer. Carr also received prison sentences of five years and 18 months related to the same crimes. The sentences will run concurrently, Billhimer said. Carr was accused of spray-painting swastikas and other graffiti on 14 homes in the Pine Lake Park section of Manchester, and setting fire to another home that was under construction there on June 6 and 7, 2023. The fire destroyed the home, spread to nearby woods, and also damaged three other houses, authorities said. Ron Carr was charged with an antisemitic crime spree in Manchester along with burning down a First Avenue home. Previously: Manchester man admits arson, spray-painting swastikas in antisemitic crime spree The vandalism occurred on June 6, and the fire on June 7, the next day. No one was injured in the fire, Billimer said. The crime spree was committed amid legal battles and zoning disputes over the placement of synagogues and Orthodox Jewish schools in Ocean County, which has rapidly growing Orthodox communities. Carr was located on June 7 in the area of Commonwealth Boulevard and Larchmont Street, and was taken into custody without incident. Carr told police he was "saving the neighborhood" when they found him a short time after the fire. According to court documents, Carr indicated he committed the crimes to keep Jewish people out. About two months ago, on June 20, Carr pleaded guilty to the charges before Superior Court Judge Guy P. Ryan. More: Does hate have a home here? Monmouth, Ocean towns see high number of bias incidents in 2022. The remains of 1932 First Avenue in Manchester is shown Thursday, June 8, 2023. The home was gutted by a suspicious fire. Ryan sentenced Carr to seven years in a New Jersey State Prison as a result of his previously entered guilty plea to arson in connection with the incidents, Billhimer said. Carr also received a five-year prison term for his previously entered guilty plea to bias intimidation, and 18 months in connection with his previously entered guilty pleas to two counts of criminal mischief. When Jersey Shore native Dan Radel is not reporting the news, you can find him in a college classroom where he is a history professor. Reach him @danielradelapp; 732-643-4072; dradel@gannettnj.com. This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Manchester man gets 13 years for arson, spray-painting swastikas MANHATTAN (KSNT) Police responded to reports of a juvenile stabbing two adults at Manhattan High School. On Thursday, Aug. 15, the Riley County Police Department (RCPD) filed an aggravated battery report in the 2100 block of Poyntz Avenue, which is the location of the high school. Officers report two males at the ages of 73 and 41 were battered with a pair of scissors. This incident was done by a 14-year-old. This embedded content is not available in your region. Shawnee Co. juvenile detained after making a criminal threat to a school According to the RCPD Daily News, the victims were treated on-site for their injuries, and were not taken to the hospital. No other information will be released at this time, due to the nature of the incident. 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. You might be surprised to learn that Republicans have held their presidential nominating convention in Chicago more often than Democrats have. The first Republican president, Abraham Lincoln, accepted his nomination in a hastily built hall known as the Wigwam in 1860. Both parties frequently launched presidential campaigns from the city from Lincolns time all the way to the era of Franklin Roosevelt, when both he and Herbert Hoover were nominated there in 1932. Franklin D. Roosevelt and his last opponent, Thomas Dewey, held their events in Chicago in 1944. The last Republican to hear the cheers of adoring delegates in Chicago was Richard Nixon in 1960. Eight years later, Democrats returned to Chicago to oppose the resurgent Nixon, but protesters violent opposition to the Vietnam War became the enduring imagery of that week in August. I was 10 years old. I remember asking my parents about the riots that all but upstaged the contested nomination of Hubert Humphrey. They explained what my pre-adolescent brain had grasped from a rudimentary kids-eye-view of the news: The times were fractious, a lot of people were upset, and a national political gathering was a prime place for protesters to get national attention. Now, 56 years later, as the party gathers again in Chicago, there are questions about the level of disorder we might see as the brand of pro-Palestinian discord that disrupted college campuses and other environments this year descends on what Democrats would like to view as a happy, unified celebration of Kamala Harris. August 16, 2024; Chicago, IL; Art restorer Lena Rush works on a mural of Vice President Kamala Harris as preparation work continues for the Democratic National Convention at the United Center. The DNC is scheduled to take place at the United Center August 19 through August 22. The mural, created by Ian Robertson and Salt and Pique Brown, was commissioned by Emilys List in 2020. Mandatory Credit: Mark Hoffman-USA TODAY Whatever disturbances occur outside the United Center next week, unlike 1968, the party business inside the hall will be conflict-free. Humphrey faced challenges from Sens. Eugene McCarthy and George McGovern, amid frenzied battles over which delegates would be seated to make their voices heard. Harris will be the uncontested choice of delegates who have found a way to conjure enthusiasm even though the selection process has been hijacked and wrested from the control of voters. Joe Biden allowed millions of Democrats to vote for him in primaries largely cleared of opponents by heavy-handed party bosses. With Harris help, he tried to convince the nation that his obvious cognitive decline was nothing to worry about for the remaining months of the campaign and even for an entire second term stretching into 2029. They both condemned anyone daring to believe evidence available to anyone with eyes. After the debate with Donald Trump, when that scam was no longer sustainable, the wheels began to turn for Biden to be muscled out of the race. Since neither time nor modern Democratic identity politics would allow the consideration of anyone beyond Harris, here we are. A woman who has received no votes (and did not receive many more when she ran for the office in 2019) will be anointed by a party that has managed to suppress any normal bewilderment to embrace her as the bearer of one lofty and powerful characteristic she is the only person who can stop Trumps return to the White House. Thats a powerful motivator for Democratic voters. It will have to be, because even the most skilled speechwriters will have a tough time crafting a Thursday night acceptance address in which Harris can objectively argue for positive policies on the economy, the border and crime. She has promised to do various things to improve the economy once installed in office, ignoring the fact that she has been vice president for three and a half years. She will try to put on a mantle of toughness on crime, especially with repeated juxtapositions of her California prosecutor title contrasted with Trumps current convicted felon status. But as any visit to San Francisco or Los Angeles will reveal, Harris crimefighting enthusiasm has not found success in places where people actually live. And I dont envision any video tributes to her record as border czar. Thats why this convention will be limited in its capacity to fill the normal function of a weeklong TV commercial sharing reasons why the nominee is superb. Into that void, they will unload repeated references as to why Trump is a democracy-devouring Hitler. And in that hall, it will work. On most TV networks, it will earn enthusiastic praise. But across America, as the honeymoon of August yields to the hard realities of the fall and a debate with Trump three weeks away, the reception may not be as flattering. Mark Davis hosts a morning radio show in Dallas-Fort Worth on 660-AM and at 660amtheanswer.com. Follow him on X: @markdavis . Mark Davis Do you have an opinion on this topic? Tell us! We love to hear from Texans with opinions on the news and to publish those views in the Opinion section. Letters should be no more than 150 words. Writers should submit letters only once every 30 days. Include your name, address (including city of residence), phone number and email address, so we can contact you if we have questions. You can submit a letter to the editor two ways: Email letters@star-telegram.com (preferred). Fill out this online form. Please note: Letters will be edited for style and clarity. Publication is not guaranteed. The best letters are focused on one topic. Massachusetts mansion where businessman Rakesh Kamal killed wife, teen daughter in murder-suicide hits market for $4.2M The Massachusetts mansion, where an entrepreneur father murdered his wife and teenage daughter before turning the gun on himself, hit the market this week and was billed as the perfect home for entertaining. Rakesh Kamal, 57, fatally shot his 54-year-old wife, Teena, and 18-year-old Arianna during the horrific murder-suicide inside the sprawling Dover home on Dec. 28, 2023. The family of threes bodies were found inside the 11-bedroom, 12.5-bathroom estate by Rakeshs brother Manoj. The Dover, Massachusetts estate is on the market for $4.2 million, less than a year after a murder-suicide inside the home. New York Post The listing describes the home as an exceptional, custom-designed estate on 5 acres perfectly situated at the end of a private cul-de-sac, while making no mention of the brutal killings. This home is seamlessly integrated into the idyllic, manicured grounds overlooking wooded hiking paths, bridle trails, and a tranquil pond in the extremely desirable Wilsons Way neighborhood, according to Realtor.com. The single-family, 4-car garage dwelling on a meticulously maintained 19,000 square feet was built in 2000 and is going for $4.2 million At the time of the murder-suicide, the mansion was estimated to be worth $5.45 million. A perfect home for entertaining, this property offers a 14-seat home theater, relaxing family room with a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace, 2040 indoor pool, fully-equipped gym, sauna with a steam shower, extensive storage, and 5, 000 bottle wine cellar, the listing added. Rakesh Kamal, 57, fatally shot his 54-year-old wife, Teena, and 18-year-old Arianna during the horrific murder-suicide inside the sprawling Dover home on Dec. 28, 2023. Blogwithmom.com This estate is completed by multiple, sun drenched stone verandas showcasing peaceful views of the sweeping property. Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey called the area one of the richest in the state and a nice neighborhood, a safe community. The couple appeared to have faced financial problems in recent years, according to online records viewed by The Post. The familys sprawling mansion went into foreclosure a year before the slayings and was sold to Massachusetts-based Wilsondale Associates LLC for $3 million, according to property records obtained by The Post. The Kamals had purchased the estate for $4 million in 2019. Rakesh Kamal is believed to have used a .40-caliber Glock 22 that wasnt registered to him as the weapon was found inside the home. He had amassed massive debt from the $3.8 million mortgage and a six-figure loan from a family member and a series of poor business deals in and out of the Boston area. The software developer had borrowed $500,000 from his brother-in-law Sandeep Bedi and a substantial sum of money from his brother Manoj, two separate affidavits viewed by the Boston Globe claim. Rakesh Kamal is believed to have used a .40-caliber Glock 22 that wasnt registered to him as the weapon was found inside the home. Realtor.com The family was scheduled for eviction from the 27-room home on the day of their deaths. Police entered the residence on Dec. 28 to respond to a 911 call and found a typed note addressed to the person who was scheduled to pick up the keys, according to the Boston Globes account of a 63-page police report. Please note, it read. 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. Police found each of the bodies behind those demarcated doors. 18-year-old Arianna Kamals body was found inside the home on Dec. 28, 2023. Realtor.com Four days before her death, a fax signed by Teena Kamal was sent to Virginia-based life insurance company Genworth requesting a change to her $1.25 million life insurance policy, according to the Boston Globe. Kamal sought to make her husband and daughter the primary while adding Rakeshs brother, Manoj Kamal, as the contingent or backup beneficiary. Since January, Manoj Kamal and Teenas brother, Sandeep Bedi, have been entangled in a court battle as they uncover their siblings dark financial past. Manoj had filed a claim with the life insurance company to collect the payout from the policy. Four days before her death, a fax signed by Teena Kamal was sent to Virginia-based life insurance company Genworth requesting a change to her $1.25 million life insurance policy. Realtor.com Bedi, who is administering his sisters estate, had raised concerns with the company regarding the circumstances of the deaths and the change of beneficiary form. With Post wires Matthew Perrys stepfather Keith Morrison is speaking out after authorities charged five people in connection with the Friends stars death in October 2023. The Morrison family shared in a statement, 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 and were grateful for the exceptional work of the multiple agencies whose agents investigated Matthews death. Were hoping unscrupulous suppliers of dangerous drugs will get the message. More from The Hollywood Reporter Perry died unexpectedly on Oct. 28 from the acute effects of the anesthetic ketamine, according to an autopsy released in December. On Thursday, a coalition of law enforcement agencies announced at a press conference in Los Angeles that five people were indicted and charged in the investigation into Perrys death, including the actors live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa; two doctors, Salvador Plasencia and Mark Chavez; Erik Fleming, a street drug dealer; and Jasveen Sangha, whos dubbed the ketamine queen. Amid their investigation, authorities said they unearthed a broad underground criminal network that killed Perry. U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada added at Thursdays press conference, These defendants took advantage of Mr. Perrys addiction issues to enrich themselves. They knew what they were doing was wrong. Earlier this year, Morrison, who married Perrys mother, Suzanne Perry, in 1981, opened up about the difficult months following the actors death. As other people have told me hundreds of times. It doesnt go away yet, he told Hoda Kotb on the Making Space podcast in March. Its with you every day. Its with you all the time. Theres some new aspect of it that assaults your brain, and, you know, its not easy, especially for his mom, the Dateline correspondent continued at the time. I dont think Im giving away too much by saying that toward the end of his life, they were closer than I had seen them for decades, and texting each other constantly and him sharing things with her that most middle-aged men dont share with their mothers. Morrison added that The Odd Couple actor was a larger than life person, noting that he can still feel the echo of it everywhere around here. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Matthew Perry Told His Assistant To 'Shoot' Him Up With A 'Big' Dose of Ketamine Before His Death Newly released documents have revealed Matthew Perry's last words to his live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa. The late actor reportedly told Iwamasa to inject him with a huge dose of ketamine after already receiving two other doses earlier that day. Kenneth Iwamasa, along with other co-conspirators involved in the supply of ketamine to Matthew Perry, have all been arrested and charged. Matthew Perry's Chilling Last Words To His Assistant Reveals He Was Deeply Addicted To Ketamine MEGA Perry's last words to his live-in assistant have shown how deep he was in his ketamine addiction before his death. According to newly released documents obtained by Rolling Stone, the late actor asked Iwamasa to "prepare the jacuzzi" for him before further requesting that Iwamasa should "shoot" him up with "a big one." It was mentioned that Iwamasa had previously administered two ketamine injections to Perry earlier that day. After the third injection, Iwamasa left to run some errands, only to return and find Perry unconscious and "face down" in the hot tub of his Los Angeles mansion. As Perry's assistant, Iwamasa took on the role of often administering the injections of ketamine despite having no medical training or experience to do so. Iwamasa is also said to have been the final person in the chain of individuals helping the late actor obtain ketamine. He began sourcing the drug for Perry in September, which soon escalated into a near-daily routine. In the period leading up to Perry's death, Iwamasa reportedly spent at least $55,000 of the "Friends" star's money to acquire the drugs. Who Were The Individuals Arrested In Connection With Matthew Perry's Death? MEGA Earlier in the year, the Los Angeles Police Department closed a preliminary investigation into Perry's death, initially launched due to the actor's celebrity status. However, with the release of the autopsy report, a new investigation was started by the LAPD in collaboration with the Drug Enforcement Administration. This week, authorities held a press conference to announce the arrest of five individuals, including Iwamasa, in connection with Perry's death. The other individuals were Salvador Plasencia and Mark Chavez, who are doctors; Jasveen Sangha, a distributor; and Eric Fleming, a broker. U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada led the conference and described the individuals as a "broad underground criminal network." "These defendants took advantage of Mr. Perry's addiction issues to enrich themselves," he added per Rolling Stones. "In the end, these defendants were more interested in profiting off Mr. Perry than caring for his wellbeing." Some Of The Arrested Individuals Have Pled Guilty MEGA All of the arrested individuals have since been charged, and three have already pleaded guilty or agreed to do so. Iwamasa pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, resulting in death, and Chavez has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and will be arraigned on August 30. Fleming pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of ketamine distribution, resulting in death. However, Sangha and Plasencia, the lead defendants in the case, pleaded not guilty at their separate arraignments. They also face a greater number of charges than their co-conspirators. During the arraignments, Plascencia was released on a $100,000 bond and allowed to continue practicing medicine under special conditions, including informing his patients about the charges he was facing. However, Sangha was denied bond and is currently being detained due to concerns about a possible flight risk over her dual U.S. and British citizenship. Legal Expert Reveals The Late Actor's Supplier Could Get 'Life In Prison' MEGA Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani spoke on the incident, noting that Sangha, who has been described as the "Ketamine Queen," 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 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. However, high levels of ketamine were found in his blood at the time of his death. According to the autopsy, the ketamine could not have come from the recommended dosage since the drug's half-life is typically under four hours. Additionally, the ketamine found in Perry was the likely cause of the actor losing his consciousness and then drowning. The autopsy also revealed that Perry's coronary artery disease and the effects of buprenorphine were other conditions that contributed to his death. Matthew Perry's Case Reportedly Not The First For His Ketamine Supplier The tragic death of beloved actor Matthew Perry continues to cast a long shadow, with new revelations surfacing about the woman accused of supplying the fatal dose of ketamine. Jasveen Sangha, often dubbed the "Ketamine Queen," is no stranger to legal troubles involving the powerful psychedelic drug. Just months before being implicated in Perry's overdose, Sangha was reportedly entangled in another ketamine-related case. As authorities dig deeper, questions mount about the events leading to Matthew Perry's untimely demise. Matthew Perry's Supplier Ketamine Queen's Drug Empire Unraveled MEGA Law enforcement has unveiled a disturbing picture of Sangha, the alleged supplier of the fatal ketamine that claimed the life of Perry. Reports revealed that Sangha was indicted in April on charges of drug trafficking, months before her alleged involvement in the tragic death of the actor. According to the U.S. Attorney, Sangha had allegedly "knowingly and intentionally distributed ketamine" and methamphetamine. Authorities executed a search warrant on her residence and discovered a staggering amount of illicit substances. Jasveen Sangha Allegedly Caught On Video Detailing Drug Prep MEGA The illegal substances found reportedly included "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." In addition to the drugs, agents also found a green journal detailing drug transactions, including sales prices and weights. To compound the gravity of the situation, investigators claim to have found a firearm in Sangha's possession. According to TMZ, further evidence uncovered during the search included videos on her phone allegedly showing her preparing ketamine for sale, with her voice explaining the process of converting liquid ketamine into powder. Matthew Perry Suffered Severe Reaction To Ketamine Weeks Before Death MEGA The reason this information is now being revealed and why the investigation has taken such a serious turn may be due to reports that the actor experienced a severe reaction to ketamine just weeks before his fatal overdose. Earlier today, The Blast reported that prosecutors revealed during a U.S. Attorney's news conference that Dr. Salvador Plasencia visited Perry's home two weeks prior to his death. The doctor allegedly visited just to administer a large dose of ketamine. However, this injection reportedly caused Perry's blood pressure to spike, leaving him frozen in place. Alarmed by the incident, Plasencia and Perry's assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, initially agreed to reduce the dosage. However, it appears this decision was short-lived, as Iwamasa allegedly injected Perry with ketamine nearly 30 times in the days leading up to his death. The extent of Perry's dependency on the drug became increasingly apparent, with reports of clandestine drug administration sessions taking place in a parking lot. The 'Friends' Star's Inner Circle Accused Of Exploitation MEGA In the wake of recent arrests tied to Perry's tragic death, things have taken a dark turn, with allegations surfacing that his inner circle exploited his struggles with addiction for personal gain. The Blast noted that former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani painted a chilling picture of a vulnerable star surrounded by opportunistic individuals. Rahmani suggested that Perry's generous nature and immense wealth made him an easy target for those seeking to profit from his misfortune. In his words: "They have these entourages that are many times like leeches. They have a ton of money, and there are people that just take advantage of them and make money off them and milk them." The actor's well-documented battle with opioid addiction provided an open door for individuals to capitalize on his dependency. Rahmani added that by charging exorbitant sums for ketamine, these individuals allegedly preyed on Perry's vulnerability. Five Individuals Arrested In Connection With Matthew Perry's Fatal Overdose MEGA This week, law enforcement took decisive action in the ongoing investigation into the death of the beloved actor with the arrest of five individuals. Among those arrested were two doctors, Salvador Plasencia and Mark Chavez, distributor Jasveen Sangha, broker Eric Fleming, and Perry's former personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa. Court documents allege a disturbing conspiracy involving the group to "illegally obtain ketamine and distribute it to" Perry with ketamine at exorbitant prices. Iwamasa is accused of allegedly conspiring with the others to obtain and distribute the illicit drug to the actor on a regular basis. Given the ongoing investigation and recent arrests, it is clear that Matthew Perry's tragic death has brought to light the full extent of his struggles and the role his inner circle played in his final days. This illustration is a 3D graphic representation of a spherical-shaped, measles virus particle, that is studded with glycoprotein tubercles. (Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Idaho health officials are searching for other possible measles exposures after the highly contagious virus was reported in a child visiting southeast Idaho on international travel. The child, who officials said was not vaccinated, was not hospitalized after seeing a health care provider for measles symptoms, the state health department announced in a news release Friday. The child was not an Idaho resident, state health department spokesperson AJ McWhorter told the Idaho Capital Sun. Health officials say the investigation into the case is ongoing. Officials say the child traveled in the region and several states, including Wyoming, while infectious from Aug. 7 through Friday. Officials said the childs travel history was incomplete, and said other people could be exposed that public health officials havent identified. The local health district, Southeastern Idaho Public Health, is working with health care facilities the child visited to identify any workers or visitors who may have been exposed. How to protect against measles. And what to do if exposed. Vaccination is the best protection against measles, health officials say. Measles which can live in the air up to two hours after someone infected leaves is highly contagious but rare. The viruss serious complications can include pneumonia, encephalitis and, in rare cases, death. Measles symptoms include fever, runny nose, cough, and rash, Dr. Christine Hahn, medical director in the state health departments Division of Public Health, said in a statement. Although measles is usually considered a childhood disease, adults can get measles, too, if they are not immune. People with measles symptoms should not enter health care settings without calling ahead, the release said, and should contact their health care providers. People exposed to measles should monitor for symptoms for 21 days after exposure, the release said. Children should be vaccinated between 12 and 15 months old and again between 4 and 6 years old, the release said. There is no antiviral treatment for measles, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST Memorializing Ukraines fallen soldiers: One asked to be cremated so future fighters dont dig trenches in our bones Editors Note: The following is the first in a series of reports by the Kyiv Independent about the memorialization of Ukraines fallen soldiers. I'm up for cremation, Kostiantyn Kostia Yuzviuk wrote in a list of funeral requests in his newly created Telegram channel for friends in November 2022 months before he volunteered to the Ukrainian army. I wouldnt like to occupy the territory for no reason with my coffin. Besides, one day there will be another war, and it will be difficult for our guys to dig trenches in our bones, he wrote in case his family would have to face his death. Yuzviuk chose to do what he believed was right during the full-scale Russian invasion. Between fundraisers for the war effort, he helped host educational youth camps and drove to the front line with other volunteers to deliver aid and rescue abandoned animals. And then, in May 2023, he enlisted in the army. Kostia Yuzviuk during his service in November 2023, in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. (Personal Archive / Olha Yuzviuk) Just over a year later, in July, 23-year-old Kostia Yuzviuk was mortally wounded at the front line. At the hospital where he died, his mother, Olha Yuzviuk, and girlfriend, Sasha, vowed to do Kostias funeral precisely as he designed his last gift to everyone who knew him, inviting people to laugh, cry, and affirm the values he stood for. Asking to throw away his cremated ashes and exclude any religious rites, Yuzviuk eliminated a major part of a traditional Ukrainian burial, clearing the way for a uniquely personal ceremony in which hundreds of people honored him by what his mother called either a farewell or a concert. As became custom for burials of Ukraines fallen soldiers, people kneeled along the road as his body was driven for the farewell to his native city Rivnes central square, in a motorcade. Thats where the traditional part ended. Instead of the funeral prayers, people recited patriotic verses at Yuzviuks farewell. Instead of putting his body to the ground, his family cremated him. Cremation is uncustomary in most of Ukraine, to the point that there are only three crematoriums in the country. After cremation, Yuzviuks ashes are being given to his friends to scatter them in beautiful places he wanted to travel. It was one of the latest in a flurry of memorialization ceremonies for Ukrainian soldiers that celebrate their lives rather than mourn their deaths, often per their request, as they break with the Soviet and religious traditions to leave a more personal mark on the countrys future. One of the bright, young Ukrainians who stood protesting at EuroMaidan when he was 13, Kostia Yuzviuk couldnt choose when he would die, but he and other fighters have chosen how they should be remembered. And with that, they make an impact on the Ukrainians' future after they die fighting for it. A farewell for Kostia "This farewell, from the first to the last second, was unlike everyone else's," Kostia Yuzviuks mother Olha Yuzviuk told the Kyiv Independent days after her son was cremated. Even with this act, he turned (peoples) perception upside down. Three weeks before Kostia Yuzviuks death, his 22-year-old cousin's burned remains were buried following his death on the front in February and a months-long identification process. His funeral went in accordance with the standard military ritual, legally adopted in 2021 after years of development. Before that, Ukrainian soldiers were often buried in the much shorter and impersonal ceremony rooted in the Soviet Union.f All the military honors of the Soviet burial came down to the fact that the soldiers carried the coffin and then saluted with three shots into the sky, said Maksym Zubov, a veteran and memorial expert working at the National Military Memorial cemetery in Ukraine. The new ritual, expanded to demonstrate the states honoring of the soldier and their family, has become a grim routine throughout Ukraine in the past 2.5 years. Farewells at home, followed by religious and military ceremonies at churches and main city squares, conclude with the burial at a cemetery. Ukrainians have added their own traditions to cope with the grief and pay tribute to fallen soldiers, like a long communal walk to the cemetery through the city center of Lviv and people kneeling along the road to honor the funeral cortege, which is now common practice, especially in the west and center of Ukraine. On July 21, hundreds kneeled to honor Yuzviuks at the main square of his native Rivne. There were no Christian rites upon his request. There were also no speeches from authorities to honor his years-long activism protesting against political imprisonments and violent treatment of animals fighting the system, his mother Olha Yuzviuk said. We just asked that it be a family farewell without political or religious undertones, Olha added. As a military birthday tradition, men at the funeral did twenty-three push-ups for the years Kostia had been alive. His comrades shouted verses of a patriotic Prayer of a Ukrainian Nationalist. Addressing Ukraine as holy mother of heroes, they asked for faith and strength to avenge the deaths of her patriots. Kostia Yuzviuks father, a newly volunteered soldier in his uniform, recited an anonymous poem, Call to the Ancestors, that Olha Yuzviuk found online years ago and printed to hang in their home. I stand on my land and appeal to all of my kin! he called, adding: Help me to survive and win this battle! But before that, Olha read Kostias farewell letter, and his words filled the square over the loudspeaker. People couldnt help laughing through tears. As a vegan, Kostia wanted friends to make a few memes like he died because he didn't eat meat. My family would appreciate it, he wrote. He wanted a costume party with cool Ukrainian music instead of a wake, where everyone should wear glitter on their faces as they look through the photos and videos with him. He named friends who could take pictures of the event and asked attendees to send them small donations. At the end of it, Kostia wanted his friends to do a fundraiser. Make a tearful post (on social media) about my death, he asked, encouraging them to use the opportunity to collect money for medical battalions and volunteer organizations he cared for. They did as he asked. In the three weeks since his death, almost Hr 1 million ($24,300) was raised through the efforts of dozens of people in Kostias memory for a medical evacuation car to be named Stambul (Ukrainian for Istanbul) after his callsign and for battlefield drones. Kostia, you are everywhere, and your deeds, your will is living in the deeds of your people, wrote his friend Marta Plechiy in her Instagram post which helped her raise almost $2,000 thousand for the evacuation car. If you want to come and spend time with me, Kostia wrote, referring to the time when he would be dead and cremated, take white kvass and go somewhere to the shore, a mountain, or sunset and you can talk alone. Ill be listening to you with kvass, Kostias mother said through the microphone, reading her sons words, as people at the funeral clutched their Kvass Taras bottles. It was his favorite soft drink. In the days after his funeral, it was sold out in Rivne supermarkets. Local soldiers can still be seen regularly drinking it, Olha said days after the funeral. There will be no quotes or teachings from me, Kostia wrote, finishing his last words. Because I am nobody, but it would be cool if you went to (educational) camps to rebuild Ukraine, held cultural events, gathered together, traveled, tried something new, and accepted the challenges. So I thank everyone who was and is with me. I would fight for each and every one of you, Olha concluded, quoting Kostias final message. Grown military men at the funeral wept, stricken by the farewell letter of a young man they knew as a little boy, she said later. At least ten soldiers, friends of the family, called over the next few days to ask Olha about how to arrange the cremation in case they got killed. Its uncommon for Ukrainian fighters to leave instructions regarding their funeral and the last will. They dont typically want to talk of death, military psychologists say, except by means of morbid jokes that are flourishing in the army. But at times, after a close call on the front or the death of a comrade, people opt to leave a farewell message for their loved ones in case they get killed, said Andrii Kozinchuk, a military psychologist in a unit. Its not a will about who you leave your property to, he told the Kyiv Independent. It is usually an order like you must live happily after my death for the family. And for a soldiers mental health, writing the last will is a good practice, Kozinchuk said. If you care about your death, chances are you care about your life, he added. After the farewell News of Yuzviuks death, his unique funeral, and his last message were reported in the media and widely shared by his friends and strangers alike. His farewell ceremony felt profoundly personal, touching people across Ukraine. It added to a flurry of non-standard funerals of other young activists who are making a mark even after getting killed on the frontline, including activists Roman Ratushny and Pavlo Petrychenko, commander Dmytro Kotsiubailo, poet Maksym Kryvtsov and combat medic and memorialization activist Iryna Tsybukh. Their funerals have compelled more people to perform military honors with a personal touch, like lighting colored smoke flares, as Ukrainian activists often do during protests, quoting the activists, reading Kryvtsovs new poetry book, wearing Ukrainian embroidered clothes, and singing Ukrainian songs, as Tsybukh asked in her posthumous letter. Two days after the farewell in Rivne, the Yuzviuk family and a crowd of Kostias friends sat in the park in Kyiv for a few hours, playing the guitar and talking as they waited for his cremation to be finished. The body had to be taken to Kyiv, the closest city that has a crematorium. It felt like Kostia was somewhere nearby, waiting to jump out on them and ask: What the hell are you guys doing here? his mother Olha recalled. There, Kostias friends told her countless stories of the good things he did for the others that she never heard before. "We did not say goodbye to him with a heavy heart. We just let him go to the sky, onto the cloud, she said. Kostia wanted his remains to be thrown away without any fanfare but allowed his loved ones to think something up about using them, like making a piece of jewelry with his ashes. They chose to divide the ashes, put them in small tubes, and give them to his friends to scatter. Since he loved to travel, he will be divided into small tubes. his mother Olha said, referring to Kostias remains. Volunteers are already lining up to scatter his ashes in the world's best places. When it was over, Olha stepped outside the crematorium, hugging the urn with Kostias ashes. Moments later, she felt warmth as Kostias friends embraced her in a group hug. Together they laughed, cried, posed for a group photo with their arms shaped like a big heart around the urn, and joked that Kostia looks better than ever with his beard gone. "We were driving home as if we were beatified, Olha said. "You don't have a child anymore, but you go on with the purpose to continue the fight." Olha Yuzviuk is hugging the urn with the ashes of her son Kostia after his cremation in Kyiv, Ukraine, on July 23, 2024. (Personal Archive / Lara Kovall) Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Men attack Ukrainian border guard while trying to illegally cross into Romania Three Ukrainian men were detained on Aug. 16 after attacking a border guard while attempting to illegally cross into Romania, State Border Guard spokesperson Andrii Demchenko told the Liga news outlet. As men aged 18-60 are prohibited from leaving the country under martial law without special permission, many try to cross the border illegally mainly to Romania or Moldova to avoid the draft. The three men were stopped while attempting to cross the border from Ukraine's Zakarpattia Oblast, the westernmost region bordering Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, and Poland. "The men, having attacked the serviceman, took away his weapon and fled in the direction of the neighboring country," Demchenko told Liga in comments published on Aug. 17. "Additional units were dispatched to search for the assailants and check the approaches to the border. The Romanian border guards and law enforcement agencies were also informed." One of the men, a Zakarpattia Oblast resident, was detained by Ukrainian border guards while trying to overcome a barrier installed on the border. Romanian police detained the second Ukrainian citizen, finding the stolen weapon in his possession, Demchenko said. The third offender was detained soon after. Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said in June that dozens of people try to illegally cross Ukraine's border into the EU every day. According to the Romanian police, 11,000 Ukrainian men have illegally crossed the border into Romania between the start of Russia's full-scale invasion and May 2024. The attempts sometimes prove fatal. Several men had been found dead while attempting the perilous crossing across the Tysa River, which runs along the borders of Ukraine, Hungary, Romania, or while crossing the mountains. One Ukrainian soldier was reportedly shot and killed by border guards while trying to illegally cross into Moldova in mid-July. Read also: Dozens try to illegally cross border every day, interior minister says Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Michael Moore is sharing some hopeful predictions as presidential candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris prepare to debate. In a Guardian story published Thursday, the Fahrenheit 9/11 director suggested that the GOP nominee could struggle when facing the Democratic vice president onstage. I think Im going to see what I was hoping for for eight years, he told the Guardian. Once anybody gets under that thin skin anything can happen. On live TV? Trump could explode, start talking like a 12-year-old, though no offense to 12-year-olds, or get up and leave. And Moore suggested that the Democrats strategy of branding Trump weird is a winner. Do weird and cringe until the debate and then nail him, he told the Guardian. But nail him with irony, satire and a simple way to point out the beyond weird absolute idiocy and insanity of what these two men [Trump and running mate JD Vance] are talking about. Still, Moore urged Harris campaign to focus on critical issues for voters, like affordable housing and the dying planet. He also noted the importance of Israels war in Gaza. The boomers may not be the No 1 voters in this election, he told the Guardian. And thats why Gaza is so important. Young people hate war and theyre totally against [President Joe] Biden and his support of the war. Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are set to debate onstage in September. Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press The outspoken filmmaker seemed to indicate that Harris could do well this election unless she gets blamed for Bidens more unpopular policies. Biden, sadly, is going to be remembered for funding the war in Gaza and providing the armaments to [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu, not arms for protecting Israel, but extra money to kill Palestinian civilians, he said. Harris and Trump are set to debate in September on ABC News. Read more at the Guardian. Related... Should Michigan be more like Texas? Readers absolutely do not agree. In a column published on Monday, Aug. 12, (Michigan has civil rights. Texas has affordable housing. What if we had both?) Free Press contributing columnist Jeff Wattrick argued that Michigan should consider adopting Texas policies around affordable housing and transit. Michiganders and Texans had thoughts. We'd love to hear more: Submit a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters, and we may run it online and in print. Let's build 10,000 new houses I could not agree more with Free Press contributing columnist Jeff Wattrick. If Texas can lower the cost of housing by building more homes, Michigan should give it a try, particularly near our alluring great rivers and lake areas. Detroit could start by make housing the top priority for the Chrysler Freeway reconstruction, instead of building more lifeless pavement. Give people the chance to live there again. Build affordable, attractive, efficient and smart eco friendly homes. You build these and people will come. That's a good bet. Homes for 10,000 people would be a great place to start. Marilyn Prince Stone Mountain, Georgia Feb 5, 2011; Dallas, TX, USA; General view of downtown Dallas skyline before Super Bowl XLV between the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers on Feb. 6, 2011. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports 'I nearly spit out my coffee' reading Wattrick's column I recently moved back to Michigan after 41 years in Texas, so when I read Michigan should be more like Texas," I nearly spit out my coffee. The University of Michigan School of Engineering reports that the Texas construction workforce where half of the workers an (estimated 400,000) are undocumented ... Improper classification of employment limits connection to developers and general contractors while also reducing cost through avoidance of payroll and unemployment taxes. Subcontractors favor this practice to save money and produce more competitive bids, but the outcome relies on the economic exploitation of undocumented migrant workers. In short, theyre running the equivalent of sweatshops. Does no one wonder why the two Bush presidents from Texas never made border control an issue? The fact is, the profitability of many industries relies on the undocumented, especially in Texas. Sheila Sorvari Royal Oak 'I see more Michigan license plates in Texas than ever' In Jeff Wattrick's piece on Michigan and Texas, as he points out some of the obvious and debatable negatives of Texas, the progressive values that Michigan has adopted due to its democratic majority has forever changed the state where I lived 30 years ago. Still the taxes are high, the weather is unpredictable, the roads are a mess and there is a weed shop on every corner, not to mention the high cost of living. It is a now a state of those that have and have not. I see more Michigan license plates in Texas than ever and for good reason. Bruce Peters Tomball, Texas 'Lake Huron shoreline is a poor example of where to build affordable housing' While I agree with the sentiment of Jeff Wattrick, the Lake Huron shoreline is a poor example of where to build affordable housing. There are few opportunities for employment up here and no public transportation. The Thumb is cut off from I-75 and I-94 ends in Port Huron. Sally Baker Croswell This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Texas policies don't have consensus among these Michigan readers Microsoft to consider building data center in Cherry Valley CHERRY VALLEY, Ill. (WTVO) Microsoft is looking to expand by possibly building a new data center in Cherry Valley. The tech giant will reveal more details about its plans for the Stateline at an open house in the Tebala Event Center from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The village said Microsoft will give a presentation on their plans. Microsoft is currently developing two data centers in the Chicago Suburbs and expanding one in the Racine area. If unable to attend, information will be in the village hall lobby. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. MIDDLETOWN, Pa. (WHTM) A Middletown company is facing a $5.8 million federal penalty after the federal government says they shipped items to parties tied to Chinese military electronics programs. The penalty was handed down by the U.S. Department of Commerces Bureau of Industry and Security as part of a settlement agreement. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now WHTM Daily Digest TE Connectivity Corporation, of Middletown, was accused of sending $1.74 million in items subject to export regulations, including wires, printed circuit-board connectors, and pressure and temperature scanners. These low-level items, the federal government said, were sent to companies that are tied to Chinas hypersonics, unmanned aerial vehicles, and military electronics programs. Todays enforcement action is a direct result of the Office of Export Enforcements mission to stop the illegal export of any U.S.-origin items that support restricted entities or end uses in China in violation of the Export Administration Regulations, said Office of Export Enforcement Director John Sonderman. The mitigated penalty also demonstrates the benefits that companies receive for voluntarily disclosing violations to BIS and cooperating with our investigators. China is restricting export of drones that can be used for military purposes and some drone features When we announced the Disruptive Technology Strike Force with the Department of Justice last year, we made clear that all tools, including BISs unique administrative enforcement capabilities, would be leveraged to punish those who send even low-level technology to nation-state adversaries if that technology has the potential to further the development of unmanned aerial vehicle and hypersonic weapons programs, said Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod. Todays penalty takes into account both the cooperation of TE Connectivity in disclosing violations to us and the seriousness with which we will act when a company permits Chinas destabilizing military modernization programs to benefit from U.S. technology. The violations happened from Dec. 2015 through Oct. 2019. Company representatives in China, the federal government said, used deception and concealment tactics to disguise end users on the Entity List or restricted end uses, including by changing end-user names or using misleading end-use descriptions. TE Connectivity closed a Franklin County facility earlier this year. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now This Week in Pennsylvania Also subject to the settlement is TE Connectivity HK Limited, based in Hong Kong. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Ed Miliband is being urged by manufacturers to maintain Britain's unified energy market - ANTHONY DEVLIN/POOL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Factories will be forced to close if radical net zero proposals to overhaul electricity pricing go ahead, Ed Miliband has been warned. Manufacturers have told the Energy Secretary that introducing so-called zonal pricing which would mean higher prices in the South relative to Scotland, for instance would have disastrous consequences for jobs and investment. Make UK, the industry lobby group, warned in a consultation response: Steel or other energy intensive industries would have no realistic option to relocate their very heavy assets to more favourable pricing zones and would instead be forced to shut down. Moreover, encouraging a factory to move makes it open to moving out of the UK entirely, as it will reconsider all its options for the best location. At the moment, electricity is traded across one wholesale market covering all of the UK. The change, proposed under the previous Conservative administration, would mean areas close to wind and solar farms pay less for power. It has been suggested as a way of reforming the countrys electricity grid to ease the shift to net zero by reducing the need for new power lines. Supporters including Octopus Energy say it will cut tens of billions of pounds of waste from the system, reducing household bills while stimulating manufacturing investment in areas where electricity will be cheapest, such as Scotand. But Make UK and other trade bodies say this analysis is flawed and that the changes will have dire consequences for existing heavy industry and manufacturers located in zones where prices will be higher. In these areas, they say businesses are more likely to leave Britain than consider moving their operations north. UK Steel, which represents Tata Steel, British Steel and other producers, is among those warning ministers to reconsider. Along with Make UK and the Energy Intensive Users Group, it is urging Mr Miliband to drop proposals and adopt alternatives that will cut power prices for manufacturers. Frank Aaskov, of UK Steel said: It is absurd that officials proposed to increase prices for the steel sector. The new Government clearly backs steel. But zonal pricing is an extreme reform of the electricity market, creating winners and losers through a postcode lottery. The new Government inherited this policy idea, but it now has the opportunity to bin it, ensuring the steel industry can invest. The warnings come at a sensitive moment, as Labour ministers are seeking to negotiate taxpayer-supported deals to enable Port Talbot-based Tata Steel and Scunthorpe-based British Steel to replace loss-making blast furnaces with more modern electric arc furnaces. Electricity prices in the UK are already much higher than those in Europe. British companies paid about 66 per megawatt hour for electricity in the second quarter of 2024, compared to 27 per megawatt hour in France and 28 per megawatt hour in Spain, according to an analysis by UK Steel. TV Narendran, managing director of Tata Steel, has separately warned of high energy costs as well, telling broadcasters earlier this year: The UK Government has assured us that in the next few years energy costs will come down. Previous governments have sought to bring electricity costs down, for example through the British Supercharger scheme which exempts some manufacturers from paying network charges. But Make UK and Steel UK are concerned that shifting to zonal electricity pricing will undermine these efforts and leave manufacturers who are historically based in high-price areas at a major disadvantage. The row over zonal pricing has pitted sections of the green energy industry against each other, with energy suppliers including Octopus supportive and wind farm developers and manufacturers opposed. RenewableUK, which represents the wind industry, has warned Mr Miliband that adopting such major reforms now will inject uncertainty into investment decisions and potentially derail his target to make the power grid net zero by 2030. In the coming weeks, it is understood that Whitehall officials are planning to consult further on the pricing proposals which are part of the Governments review of electricity market arrangements (REMA) including by holding feedback discussions with industry representatives. Rachel Fletcher, of Octopus Energy Group, said: The Government currently shields manufacturers from some of the costs of our inefficient energy system. With zonal pricing, manufacturers will avoid these costs in fact, factories in Scotland and the North of England will benefit from some of the cheapest power in Europe. On Friday an aide to Mr Miliband said the Energy Secretarys priorities were to ensure energy security with our drive for clean power, to protect consumers and industry, and to secure investment into our energy system. A government spokesman said: In an unstable world, the only way to guarantee our energy security and protect consumers from future energy price shocks is by moving towards homegrown power. We are reviewing responses to the consultation on reforming electricity markets, ensuring we focus on protecting billpayers. And our new industrial strategy will deliver long-term, sustainable growth right across the UK by supporting our industries and driving private investment into our economy. 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. GREENVILLE, Mich. (WOOD) A museum in Greenville dedicated to telling the stories of local veterans is celebrating its 20th year and inviting the public to join the festivities. The Fighting Falcon Military Museum will be extending its hours Aug. 25 for the celebration. The festivities will kick off at noon and go until 5 p.m. Our actual anniversary date was Aug. 21, 2004. But we decided that we wanted to celebrate on a weekend in hopes that we can get more people to come and visit, Megan Smith, a volunteer, said. The Fighting Falcon glider. (Courtesy of the Fighting Falcon Military Museum/McCloud Photography) One wall of the Fighting Falcon Military Museum includes a photo of gliders under construction at Gibson Refrigerator Company. (Matt Jaworowski/WOOD TV8) The Fighting Falcon glider. (Courtesy of the Fighting Falcon Military Museum/McCloud Photography) A Vietnam War exhibit at the Fighting Falcon Military Museum. (Courtesy of the Fighting Falcon Military Museum/McCloud Photography) A B-10 model bomb shackle and a 100-pound chemical bomb made by Gibson Refrigerator Company in WWII. (Courtesy of the Fighting Falcon Military Museum/McCloud Photography) A Fighting Falcon Military Museum exhibit. (Courtesy of the Fighting Falcon Military Museum/McCloud Photography) War Ration booklets at the Fighting Falcon Military Museum. (Courtesy of the Fighting Falcon Military Museum/McCloud Photography) At 1 p.m., there will be speeches and a ribbon-cutting for the new flag display outside the museum that showcases the different military branches. Grumpys Food Trailer will be at the celebration with loaded baked potatoes and drinks available for purchase. Museum Tour: Fighting Falcon Military Museum in Greenville A courtesy photo of the 2004 ribbon cutting of the Fighting Falcon Military Museum. Megan Smith is in the front left, her great-grandfather Bill Delp is in the middle and her cousin Erin is on the right. Smith, whose great-grandfather helped establish the museum, said its surreal that the museum has reached 20 years and how it has grown. In the beginning, it was more of a glider museum and that quickly changed into sharing stories of local veterans and showcasing stuff that they had donated to us, and then it turned into World War II, World War I, Vietnam, Korea, modern conflict, Civil War, so its really evolved over the years. And were hoping to be able to continue that for the next 20 years, she said. An undated photo of Megan Smith and her great-grandfather, Bill Delp. (Courtesy of the Fighting Falcon Military Museum/McCloud Photography) Her great-grandfather died in 2021. She said he would be proud of how the museum has grown and all the work people have put into it. Inside woodtv.com: West Michigan community museum tour The museum is currently collecting veteran stories to tell firsthand accounts of what happened during some of the wars. Were thinking about doing it as a video so we could put it on Facebook or put it on YouTube or TikTok so people can watch and listen, and then maybe they could spread the word and we could get more stories, Smith said. If you or someone you know is a veteran and would like to share a story, you can contact the Fighting Falcon Military Museum on its website or Facebook page. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Destroyed cars are reflected in a pool of water after a Russian airstrike on residential neighbourhood in Sumy, Ukraine, on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Russia kept up its assault on Ukraine Saturday even as Ukrainian forces pushed into Russias Kursk border region. A Russian missile sparked a blaze in the city of Sumy that injured two people and also damaged cars and nearby buildings, said Ukraines State Emergency Service. It said that the hit had involved an Iskander-K cruise missile and an aerial bomb. Ukraines air force also said it had shot down 14 Russian drones overnight, including over the Kyiv region. Meanwhile, fighting continued in Russias Kursk region, where Ukrainian troops have been deployed since Aug. 6 in a bid to divert the Kremlins military focus away from the front line in Ukraine. On Thursday, Ukrainian forces said they had seized the town of Sudzha, 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the border. With a prewar population of roughly 5,000, it is the biggest town to fall to Ukraines troops since the incursion began. Associated Press journalists traveled to the area Friday on a Ukrainian government-organized trip. Artillery fire had blown chunks out of a statue of Soviet founder Vladimir Lenin in the towns central square, while the bright yellow facade of a local administration building was scorched and pockmarked with bullet holes. Alexander Kots, military correspondent with the pro-Kremlin newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda, said that Ukrainian pressure in Kursk is not weakening yet. In the main sections of the ragged front, the situation has stabilized. But there are areas where the enemy continues to try to expand its bridgehead, he wrote on his Telegram channel. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Friday that Ukraine had destroyed a bridge across the Seim River in the Glushkovsky district with U.S.-made HIMARS rockets, marking their first use in the Kursk region. Zakharovas statement couldnt be independently confirmed, although the Washington-based think tank the Institute for the Study of War said that geolocated footage published on Aug. 16 showed that the bridge had collapsed following the strike. Russian military bloggers said that the destruction of bridges would impede deliveries of supplies to Russian forces, but not cut them off completely. No one has canceled the pontoons, said Kots, stressing that the Seim River is smaller than Ukrainian waterways such as the Dnieper River. And there are still smaller bridges. Russia has seen previous raids on its territory in the war, but the Kursk incursion is notable for its size, speed, the reported involvement of battle-hardened Ukrainian brigades and the length of time they have stayed inside Russia. As many as 10,000 Ukrainian troops are involved, according to Western military analysts. The incursion, which Russian authorities say has led to the evacuation of more than 120,000 civilians, came as a shock to many, Yan Furtsev, an activist and member of local opposition party Yabloko, told the AP. No one expected that this kind of conflict was even possible in the Kursk region. That is why there is such confusion and panic, because citizens are arriving (from front-line areas) and theyre scared, very scared, he said. Russias Emergency Situations Ministry said in a press conference Saturday that approximately 10,000 evacuees from the Kursk region, including 3,000 children, were staying in 171 temporary accommodation centers across the country. Ukrainian forces have also captured a number of Russian troops as they have moved across the region. On Friday, the AP visited a detention center in Ukraine, the location of which cannot be disclosed due to security restrictions. Dozens of POWs were seen, some of them walking with their hands tied behind their backs while a guard led them down a corridor. Some had rations of a thin soup with cabbage and onions. On Saturday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Ukrainian soldiers and commanders for capturing Russian military personnel and said the countrys exchange fund that it would use to bargain for the return of Ukrainian POWs was being replenished. I thank all our soldiers and commanders who are capturing Russian military personnel, thereby advancing the release of our warriors and civilians held by Russia, Zelenskyy said in a post on X. ST. LOUIS Marcellus Williams will return to court soon in a pivotal hearing that could determine his fate. Williams was convicted and sentenced to death in the 1998 stabbing death of Lisha Gayle, a former social worker and St. Louis Post Dispatch reporter. The Missouri Supreme Court scheduled Williams execution for Sept. 24, despite a hearing on Aug. 21 for new DNA evidence that could prove his innocence. The activist group Missourians to Abolish the Death Penalty, led by advocates like Michelle Smith, is now fighting to stop it. As the test he did in 2015 and 2016, he conclusively said it denied Marcellus DNA, then that is not something that aligns with the states position, right? So, there is something they are trying to downplay and trying to keep out of court, Smith said. Thankfully, within the process with the St. Louis County Prosecutor and Marcellus legal team, they have been able to secure a court date. Williams has spent 23 years on death row, proclaiming his innocence. A motion filed to overturn the conviction by St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell says the forensic evidence found at the crime scene, including fingerprints, footprints, and DNA on the murder weapon, does not match Williams. Missouri town ranked among top U.S. small towns to live in The motion continues that the conviction was based on the testimony of two witnesses, both believed to have been incentivized to testify. There has been adequate time to do testing on different evidence and to make sure that their case is solid. So, I really have hope at this time that something positive will come out of this, either exoneration or a new trial, Smith said. Bell filed the motion in January 2024. However, Attorney General Andrew Bailey continues to push for the execution, disregarding the new evidence. With the prosecutor being on the side of justice right noweven though, like you said, the last 30 years have been differentin the last couple of years, we have seen the prosecutors in St. Louis City and Kansas City have success with getting people exonerated, Smith said. We have reached out to Attorney General Andrew Bailey, but are still waiting for a response. St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bells Office stated they are waiting to be heard by the court before addressing this matter publicly. The upcoming hearing on Aug. 21 will see Bell and Baileys offices present their cases before the court. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2. After a judge halted the foreclosure sale of Elvis Presleys Memphis home, Graceland, a Missouri woman has been charged in the alleged scheme to steal the property from the Presley family. Lisa Jeanine Findley (aka Lisa Holden, Lisa Howell, Gregory Naussany, Kurt Naussany, Lisa Jeanine Sullins and Carolyn Williams) was arrested Friday on federal charges of mail fraud and aggravated identity theft, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. If convicted, she faces a minimum of two years in prison for the mail fraud and a maximum of 20 years for the identity theft. More from Deadline As a Memphian, I know that Graceland is a national treasure, said U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz for the Western District of Tennessee. 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. Findley allegedly posed as three different individuals working with a fictitious private lender, Naussany Investments & Private Lending LLC, falsely claiming that Elvis late daughter Lisa Marie Presley borrowed $3.8 million in 2018, offering Graceland as collateral before she failed to repay the debt. Findley then allegedly went as far as to file a false creditors claim and a fake deed of trust, as well as publishing a fraudulent foreclosure notice in a local newspaper, announcing a planned auction of the property on May 23. Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Criminal Investigations Group emphasized that 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. Riley Keough and Lisa Marie Presley Lisa Maries daughter Riley Keough subsequently filed a restraining order against Naussany Investments, after which Shelby County Chancellor JoeDae Jenkins issued a temporary injunction against the proposed foreclosure in May. Findley then allegedly made false statements to the Presley family, Tennessee state court and the media that the person behind the scheme was a Nigerian identity thief. After Elvis died in 1977, Graceland opened as a museum and tourist attraction in 1982. Keough inherited the trust and ownership of Graceland following Lisa Maries death at age 54 in January 2023. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Owners of the iconic Mister Softee ice cream truck franchise want to put the freeze on three rogue operators -- two in Queens and one in the Bronx -- for ripping off their signature signage and jingle, they alleged in a pair of federal lawsuits. Mister Softee is playing hardball. Owners of the iconic ice cream truck franchise want to put the freeze on three rogue operators two in Queens and one in the Bronx for ripping off its signature signage and jingle, they alleged in a pair of federal lawsuits. The mobile ice cream giant claims competitors Mustafa Selvi and Gokhan Guzey are using a copycat truck spotted in Queens that mimics the real deal Mister Softee, down to the Sundaes, Shakes, Cones slogan, according to Brooklyn court papers. A rogue ice cream operator in the Bronx is illegally playing the trademarked Mister Softee jingle and mimicking the famous white truck with blue design, a federal lawsuit charges. Obtained by The New York Post Jesus Ramos Valdes, who does business as Maca Ice Cream, also has a lookalike truck that tools around the Bronx, and his vehicle also blasts the trademarked Mister Softee jingle, legal papers filed in Manhattan said. Mister Softee got the scoop on the smooth cream-inals in June from legit operators who had a meltdown and sent the imitators cease and desist letters, the company said in the litigation. Guzey and Valdez have ignored the orders and continue to unlawfully use the Mister Softee trademarks, the respective filings claim. Mister Softee isnt a softy when it comes to defending his trademark, Mister Softee counsel Frank Reino told The Post. Kids dont necessarily understand the difference between a fugazy Mister Softee truck and the Real McCoy, he noted. So when they hear the jingle or they see a blue and white truck, they think thats a Mister Softee truck and the risk is they may not be getting the same quality product, Reino said. Mister Softee has over 625 trucks and more than 350 franchise dealers operating in 18 states. CHRIS LACHALL/USA TODAY NETWORK ATLANTIC GROUP / USA TODAY NETWORK He added: If someone eats bad ice cream and gets sick, then they say, Mister Softee made me sick when it wasnt really Mister Softee. And that damages their trademark brand. The Runnemede, NJ-based Mister Softee is asking the court to put a stop to the trademark infringement and lawyers fees in the suit. Neither Guzey, of Westbury, NY nor Selvi, of Holbrook, NY, returned messages. Valdes, a Bronx resident, also did not respond. Mister Softee isnt a softy when it comes to defending his trademark, Mister Softee counsel Frank Reino told The Post. CHRIS LACHALL/USA TODAY NETWORK ATLANTIC GROUP / USA TODAY NETWORK The company first registered some of its trademarks in 1958. The Mister Softee jingle was composed in 1960. Mister Softee has over 625 trucks and more than 350 franchise dealers operating in 18 states. There are about 300 trucks in New York City and Long Island, Reino said. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) By the middle of the century, its going to be a lot hotter in Las Vegas, according to climate change models that were discussed this week at the 2024 Water Summit. Were going to see a month more 100 degree days by mid-century, Colby Pellegrino, deputy general manager at the Southern Nevada Water Authority, said during a panel discussion at the Springs Preserve on Wednesday. She was talking about how climate change impacts Las Vegas and the Colorado River, where 90% of the valleys water comes from. Climate change models indicate temperatures will increase by 7 to 9 degrees, Pellegrino said. From left, U.S. Rep. Susie Lee, Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton and SNWA Deputy General Manager Colby Pellegrino at the 2024 Water Summit in Las Vegas. (KLAS) And this years record-breaking temperatures are giving us an early glimpse of whats ahead. Las Vegas hit 120 degrees in July, shattering the all-time high temperature record, which stood for years at 117. And while August is always hot, it feels like we just havent had a break this summer. 8 News Now Chief Meteorologist Tedd Florendo said the predictions dont surprise him. We just broke the all-time record. It was the hottest July. Hottest June. The most 115-degree days in a row. The most 110-degree days. Hows that going to change? The Colorado River Basin is about 2.5 degrees hotter now than it was at the start of the megadrought that began in 2000. That heating is attributed to climate change. And while a 20-plus year drought didnt sneak up on anyone, the change at Lake Mead is still a startling sight, with the reservoir only 33% full and the bathtub ring now a staggering 167 feet tall. FILE In this aerial photo, a bathtub ring of light minerals show the high water mark on the shore of Lake Mead along the border of Nevada and Arizona, Monday, March 6, 2023, near Boulder City, Nev. (AP Photo/John Locher,File) The Water Summit highlighted progress in conservation and infrastructure projects that will help save water by eliminating leaks, seepage and wasteful outdoor water use. The summit came the day before the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced water shortage restrictions in the desert Southwest. Now its official: Las Vegas will be under Tier 1 restrictions as the water shortage enters its fourth year. But what is Tier 1, and how does that affect the Las Vegas valley? The simple answer is that nothing changes because weve been under a Tier 1 shortage since the start of this year. Before that, we were in a more severe Tier 2a shortage to start 2023. But whats next? Most probable models for the Colorado River project that the Tier 1 shortage will persist for the next five years. The decision is made each August as the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation looks ahead to what the models say about the lakes level in the year ahead. Water shortage tiers kick in when that projection shows Lake Meads surface under 1,075 feet elevation. The first shortage in 2022 was at Tier 1. Conditions that year led to a Tier 2a shortage for 2023 the deepest its been. But a wet winter brought snowpack levels in the Upper Colorado River Basin that were 160% of normal, and the shortage was reduced to Tier 1 for 2024. On Thursday, Reclamation set the shortage at Tier 1 for 2025. Before the water shortage, the base allocations of Colorado River water looked like this: Arizona: 2.8 million acre-feet California: 4.4 million acre-feet Nevada: 300,000 acre-feet (An acre-foot is 325,851 gallons the amount of water needed to cover one acre in water a foot deep. Its enough to supply two to three households for a year.) That all changed in August 2021 when the federal government declared the first shortage, projecting that Lake Mead would be below 1,075 feet on Jan. 1, 2022. The changes to the base allocations (the same as cuts that are in place now and for 2025): Arizona: 2.2 million acre-feet (loses 512,000 acre-feet, an 18% reduction) California: 4.4 million acre-feet (no change, senior water rights) Nevada: 279,000 acre-feet (loses 21,000 acre-feet, a 7% reduction) Triggered when projections indicate Lake Mead will be below 1,075 feet elevation on Jan. 1 of the coming year. At the time, Lake Mead was at 1,067.80 feet, but within a year it would drop to its lowest point since it was filled in 1937: 1,041.71 feet on July 27, 2022. A few weeks later, the announcement came that 2023 would be under a Tier 2a shortage. For Southern Nevada, the Tier 2a shortage meant an additional reduction of 4,000 acre-feet, Here are the changes to the base allocations under Tier 2a: Arizona: (loses 592,000 acre-feet, a 34% reduction) California: (no change, senior water rights) Nevada: (loses 25,000 acre-feet, an 8% reduction) Triggered when projections indicate Lake Mead will be below 1,050 feet elevation on Jan. 1 of the coming year. Conservationists are skeptical of the most probable projections and warn that a couple of bad winters will put us right back at Tier 2a and maybe worse. The snowpack in 2023 and a better-than-normal 2024 (snowpack at 111%) at least bought some time for Reclamation to negotiate with states and tribes to craft new solutions for managing the river. Agreements that expire at the end of 2026 will be replaced by new rules for the Colorado River Basin. Conservation that happened under the stress of Lake Meads decline taught us that its possible to save more water and still grow. But Pellegrino said its hard to convince people that they can still save more. She expects this round of negotiations to be the most difficult. U.S. Rep. Susie Lee (D-Nev.) hosted the summit and said Nevadans are paying attention. When I talk to my constituents theres generally a concern about water and about climate change. Weve seen 120 degree days here in Southern Nevada. And so we live in one of the most warming cities the most warming city in the country. So clearly its on peoples mind. People understand, she said. More importantly, people are seeing the impacts of the investments that weve been able to make and I think that has an impact as well, Lee 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 KLAS. After more than 4 decades, DNA leads to arrest in nursing students killing One January evening in 1980, a 25-year-old nursing student began walking to a friends house. She never made it. Instead, a man got out of a car, grabbed her, and drove her away. Her body was found the next morning. She had been sexually assaulted, strangled and shot, police say and their search for her killer began. More than four decades later, theres been a breakthrough in the cold case: Police have arrested a 78-year-old man whose DNA sample matched evidence from the autopsy, Austin, Texas, police said in a press release. The Austin Municipal Court on Wednesday found probable cause to issue an arrest warrant charging Deck Brewer Jr. with murder in the death of Susan Leigh Wolfe. He already was being held by the Massachusetts Department of Corrections on unrelated charges. The turning point came this year with DNA testing, police say. The day she enrolled in nursing school Wolfe enrolled at the University of Texas at Austin nursing school on January 9, 1980, police say. That night around 10, she was walking to a friends house and was kidnapped about a block from home. A witness told police a car stopped and the driver exited, grabbed Wolfe in a bear hug, placed a coat over her head, and forced her into the car. The passenger door opened, but the witness said he did not see what the passenger did during the abduction. The witness said the car was a 1970 Dodge Polara. Wolfes body was found early the next morning in an Austin alley. She had been sexually assaulted, strangled and shot. Investigators found DNA evidence at the scene. Deck Brewer Jr. has been identified as a suspect in the 1980 homicide cold case of Susan Leigh Wolfe. - Austin Police Department During the first year of the investigation, APD 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, the police press release says. In April 2023, detectives from the APD Cold Case Unit submitted evidence from the sexual assault to the Texas DPS Crime Laboratory. This year, police learned of a possible match in the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) of convicted offenders, unsolved crime scene evidence and missing persons. They obtained a DNA sample from Brewer, who told them he had been in Austin at the time of the murder. Brewer invoked his right to counsel after he was told his DNA was found at the scene of a homicide, the police release says. On August 14, 2024, based on the totality of the investigation thus far, the Austin Municipal Court found probable cause to issue an arrest warrant charging Deck Brewer Jr. with the murder of Susan Leigh Wolfe, it says. Information about Brewers arraignment and his attorney were not immediately available. DNA technology improving CNN affiliate KEYE-TV spoke with a cold case expert about advances in DNA technology that have led to many cold cases being solved after decades. Its possible investigators didnt have enough of the DNA sample originally, said Michael Arntfield of Western University in Ontario, Canada. Until recently with improvements in DNA technology, a considerable amount of DNA was required to be uploaded to the system to be compared, he said. The station said Wolfes parents died since her killing, as did her then roommate. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Russia's Defense Ministry claimed on Aug. 17 that Ukraine is allegedly planning to attack the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant in Russia, which was dismissed by Ukraine's Foreign Ministry a day before. The Russian ministry's statement came after several Russian state-controlled media claimed that Ukrainian forces were allegedly planning to attack the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant, as well as the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Enerhodar, Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Heorhii Tykhyi, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry's spokesperson, called these claims "a surge of insane Russian propaganda." Russia's Defense Ministry threatens to "immediately take tough retaliatory military and military-technical measures" in case of the alleged attack on the Kursk power plant, claiming that Kyiv allegedly wants to blame Russia afterward. "We officially refute these false reports. Ukraine has neither the intention nor the ability to carry out any such actions. Russia must stop spreading dangerous lies," the Ukrainian spokesperson said on Aug. 16. Russia had previously claimed that Ukraine was developing a "dirty bomb," a device that uses explosives to scatter radioactive waste, in 2022. After the inspection at Ukraine's request, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts found no "indications of undeclared nuclear activities and materials at the locations," the agency's chief, Rafael Grossi, said. "Nothing has changed since then," Tykhyi said. "Ukraine has always been and remains a committed member of the NPT (Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons). We do not have any 'dirty bombs' and do not plan to acquire them." Andrii Kovalenko, the head of the counter-disinformation department at Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, said that Russia "may be preparing a nuclear provocation." "Their scenario of accusing us of terrorism and the attack on the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant did not work. Now they are lying," he wrote on Telegram on Aug. 16. The Kursk power plant is located nearly 80 kilometers from the Kursk Oblast border town of Sudzha, which was captured by Ukrainian forces this week during Kyiv's ongoing incursion into Kursk Oblast. Russian media reported that Russia is preparing to defend the Kursk plant as Ukrainian troops approach and have begun constructing defensive lines near it. The Zaporizhzhia plant, Europe's largest nuclear power plant, has been under Russian occupation since March 2022. Its position near the front line has led to heightened nuclear safety risks throughout Russia's full-scale war. Kyiv accused Russian forces on Aug. 11 of setting fire to "a large number of automobile tires in cooling towers" at the nuclear plant in an effort to "create panic in the settlements on the right bank of the former reservoir." The IAEA said that nuclear safety at the power plant had not been affected. 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. United States Air Force Technical Sergeant Jesse Clark and his granddaughter Austin Clark enter his new, mortgage-free smart home from Tunnel to Towers Foundation in Tooele on Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. Clark was diagnosed with a brain tumor linked to chemical exposure during the Gulf War. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News A fighter jet mechanic who suffered a brain tumor from chemical exposure during his military service received a life-changing gift Wednesday in the form of a new smart home. But it wasn't the tour of the new house that made retired Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jesse Clark emotional it was the community showing up for him. "It made me cry," he said to a group of reporters filling out the living room of the new place. "And I don't cry that easy." Clark, who has used a wheelchair since brain surgery left him partially blind and paralyzed, was driven down 200 South in a grand procession, rolling under a giant American flag draped from the ladder of a fire truck, carried along by a river of motorcyclists, police officers, a fire truck the works. In his new driveway, Clark was greeted by beauty pageant queens with pinwheels, military working dogs with tails wagging, smiling Patriot Guard Riders in black leather, local government officials, Veterans of Foreign Wars members hoisting flags, and Home Depot employees in orange smocks. United States Air Force Technical Sgt. Jesse Clark is wheeled through a procession as he sees his new, mortgage-free smart home from Tunnel to Towers Foundation in Tooele on Wednesday. Clark was diagnosed with a brain tumor linked to chemical exposure during the Gulf War. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News In Clark's over 20 years of service, he worked as a crew chief on the F-16 fighter plane, among many other duties. He joined in 1985, right out of high school, and was stationed at Hill Air Force Base for the first 4 years of his over two decadeslong career. "When he first heard where he was being sent to, he goes, 'What country is that in?'" said Clark's wife, Rebecca, joking with attendees of the dedication ceremony. Their family fell in love with Utah and requested to return in the last years of Clark's service. Jesse Clark served in Operation Desert Shield, Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom. He earned four Joint Meritorious Medals for his bravery in combat. It was during the Gulf War that Clark said he was exposed to the dangerous chemicals given off when the Iraqi army under Saddam Hussein burned Kuwaiti oil wells. "I had a seizure," Jesse Clark said. "I woke up in the emergency room. I asked, 'Why is it so bright? My house doesn't have lights like these.'" Scans revealed he had a large brain tumor. In early 2012, the tumor was removed, but Jesse Clark spent several days in a coma, months in the hospital and years in a rehab care center. He was left "paralyzed on the left side of his body, legally blind, wheelchair bound and prone to memory loss," according to a release from the organization that built his new house, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. Rebecca Clark said one day she saw a commercial for the foundation and reached out. "We were all very skeptical. Over the past 10 years of trying to get anything to help us, it never panned out. Nobody was willing to help," she said. But representatives from the organization responded to their request, offering to build a new, mortgage-free home. "We have never been happier to be proven wrong," Jesse Clark said. In their current apartment, the Clarks' children had to use a wheelchair dolly to get Jesse Clark up and down the stairs to go anywhere. "The doors were always too narrow, the bedrooms were too small, and we would sometimes have to move furniture so he could join us in the living room," said Rebecca Clark. It was all jokes, however, for the veteran during the new home tour, clearly uplifted by the new amenities. "This house is smarter than me," he said. The entire residence is connected to the internet, allowing the family to control lights, temperature and more from their phones. Every area has clearance for wheelchair access. United States Air Force Technical Sgt. Jesse Clark and his wife, Rebecca, look over the touch kitchen faucet with Jack Kielty in their new, mortgage-free smart home from Tunnel to Towers Foundation in Tooele on Wednesday. Clark was diagnosed with a brain tumor linked to chemical exposure during the Gulf War. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News "I won't be in this chair all the time, and I won't be in bed all the time. I'll be able to get up and get out, spend time with my family," Jesse Clark said. Small details in every room revealed how much care went into the design of this home, one of 200 planned for this year by the foundation. Lower cabinets, touch-activated faucets, handles instead of knobs, benches in the shower, a bidet for the toilet, a stove with adjustable height the list goes on and on. "It gives him back his dignity and sense of normalcy that we feared was lost," said Rebecca Clark. The Tunnel to Towers Foundation was formed out of the borough of Staten Island in New York to support first responders and the military in memory of those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Jack Kielty, a former lieutenant for the New York Fire Department and member of the board, presented the Clarks with a plaque containing steel from the rubble of the towers. "Many of my friends were never found, so this is all we have to remember them," Kielty said, adding that he considers the steel sacred and the organization "has decided to give it to the most deserving of heroes." "Sergeant Jesse Clark, you are one of those heroes," Kielty said. In attendance for the home dedication were project partners, along with Tooele Mayor Debbie Winn, Rep. Celeste Maloy, Tooele councilmembers, and other elected officials. While we are here, while we are able, let us do good, said Kielty. The organization has built three homes for veterans in Utah including the Clarks and an estimated 1,200 homes given to first responders, veterans, or their next-of-kin. United States Air Force Technical Sergeant Jesse Clark looks over his new, mortgage-free smart home from Tunnel to Towers Foundation in Tooele on Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. Clark was diagnosed with a brain tumor linked to chemical exposure during the Gulf War. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News United States Air Force Technical Sergeant Jesse Clark and his wife Rebecca look over their flag artwork from 9/11 towers at their new, mortgage-free smart home from Tunnel to Towers Foundation in Tooele on Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. Clark was diagnosed with a brain tumor linked to chemical exposure during the Gulf War. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News United States Air Force Technical Sergeant Jesse Clark and his wife Rebecca raise the flag at their new, mortgage-free smart home from Tunnel to Towers Foundation in Tooele on Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. Clark was diagnosed with a brain tumor linked to chemical exposure during the Gulf War. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News A voter drops off their ballot at the Salt Lake County Government Center in Salt Lake City as votes are cast in Utahs primary election on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) Because the Utah Republican Party holds a closed primary and many of Republican-controlled Utahs elections are decided in the primary each year there tends to be speculation of party raiding, or Democrats switching their affiliation to Republican. But election registration statistics dont show widespread party raiding not this year, and not even before the Utah Legislature passed a bill in 2021 to move up party affiliation deadlines in an effort to cut off voters ability to switch parties months before the primary. Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson released updated registration statistics on Thursday, showing how many Utahns changed their party affiliation between Jan. 9 and Aug. 8. A total of 26,715 Utahns changed their party affiliation. Of those, 13,234 changed to unaffiliated, 5,312 changed to Republican, and 3,456 changed to Democrat. Utah Republican Party gained 5,312 voters, but lost 12,958, resulting in a net loss of 7,646. Of those that switched from registered Republicans, 2,654 changed to Democrats, 7,460 changed to unaffiliated, and 1,856 switched to the Independent American Party. Utah Democratic Party gained 3,456 voters but lost 6,737, resulting in a net loss of 3,281. Of those that switched from Democrats, 2,254 changed to Republicans, 3,213 switched to unaffiliated, and 873 changed to the Independent American Party. Along with the registration numbers, Hendersons post noted the biggest shift by far was voters switching from a political party to become unaffiliated. Also interesting is the number of voters moving to the Independent American Party (maybe they see Independent and dont realize its an actual political party?) Henderson mused. Henderson also noted state law prohibits voters from changing their party affiliation during the primary election cycle referring to a law that was passed in an effort to stave off so-called party raiding. The law, passed in 2021, initially set a deadline for March 31, but two years later, the 2023 Utah Legislature moved it up in presidential election years to be the day after the candidacy declaration filing period ends. This year, that deadline fell on Jan. 9 so the registration data Henderson posted fell after the deadline. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX While the law restricts voters already registered with a political party from registering with another (for example, a Democrat switching to a Republican), those who are originally unaffiliated can register with a party up until a few weeks before the primary. This year that deadline fell on June 14. Because the Utah GOP holds a closed primary, only registered Republicans can weigh in on their races, but Democrats (and other parties including Independent American, United Utah, and Utah Forward) allow an open primary so anyone can vote in those primary races, regardless of party affiliation. After the primary, voters can change their party affiliation without restrictions (that is, until roughly six months before the next primary). So the party affiliation changes included in Hendersons election data all likely occurred after the June 25 primary had come and gone. Mass party raiding did not occur in 2024, Sen. Dan McCay, R-Riverton, posted on X in reaction to the registration data. Does Utahs anti party raiding law make a difference? Its possible the law prevented some Utahns from changing their party affiliation leading up to this years primary but its also worth noting that the data didnt show widespread party raiding in 2020, either, the last comparable presidential election year before Utah enacted the law. Using records from Utahs statewide voter registration database, the Electoral Innovation Lab at Princeton University conducted an analysis in 2020. That analysis found Republican registrations grew by 97,382 or 14.3% between January and June of 2020, driven by a decrease of unaffiliated voters of 60,878. Democratic registrations increased most of the year, but decreased slightly in the three weeks leading up to the primary by 7,796. Democratic registrations into the GOP could not account for this Republican surge, analysts wrote. In an effort to find evidence about voters true intentions, we examined re-registrations after the primary, the analysis said. After the primary, 2,509 people who voted that day later re-registered as Democrats, 1,495 re-registered as unaffiliated, and 305 re-registered with a third party. This means a maximum of 4,309 voters (2,509+1,495+305) potentially went back to a non-Republican affiliation after the primary, with at most 2,509 of them being Democrats (0.2% of all registered Utah voters). Let us know what you think... The contention that Democratic voters tried to game the system by switching parties to vote in the 2020 Republican primary is not supported by the data from the Utah Election Board, the Electoral Innovation Lab analysis reported. Any pre-primary growth in the Republican party was driven by newly registered Republicans and formerly unaffiliated voters, not by party-switching Democrats. Therefore, the data suggest that the principal driver of new Republican registrations was interest in competitive political races. Pointing to that 2020 analysis, the Electoral Innovation Lab argued against the 2021 bill, which ultimately passed with support from Utahs GOP-supermajority Legislature. Interestingly, the 2020 figure of 2,509 voters who switched back to Republican affiliation is strikingly close to the 2,654 voters who registered as Republicans but switched to Democrats this year. Utahs total 2024 voter registration statistics Utah, which has an estimated population of more than 3.4 million (which includes children not of voting age), has a total of more than 1.9 registered voters. Of those, about 1.7 million of them are classified as active, according to updated voter registration statistics posted on the states election website. About 261,741 of those voters are deemed inactive because they havent voted in two regular elections and have not responded to a notice from their county clerk. Utahs total active voter registration grew from about 1.68 million in January of this year by about 35,078 voters, according to historical voter registration records. Its likely Utah will see even more voters register between now and the Nov. 5 election. In 2020, about 230,000 active voters were added to Utahs voter rolls between January and Nov. 3, according to state records. It remains to be seen whether this years presidential race, however, will drum up the same amount of voter registrations as 2020. Utahs total active registered voters, by party Republican: 902,004 Democrat: 232,466 Unaffiliated: 482,145 Independent American: 71,621 Libertarian: 20,589 Constitution : 6,884 No Labels: 3,580 United Utah: 2,398 Green: 219 Utah Forward: 84 DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST Another global emergency involving mpox is unfolding, with cases spreading from Africa now springing up across the globe, an echo of the viral crisis two years ago. But this time around, things are different, with a mutated strain of the mpox virus that seems to be more contagious and more deadly, threatening to become a pandemic on par with COVID-19. The crisis first attracted attention earlier this year in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where most cases are currently concentrated. But it soon began to spill over into at least 13 neighboring countries. In late June, health authorities first rang alarm bells over a new strain of mpox, clade Ib, spreading through the North and South Kivu provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Scientists believe it mutated from the lineage called clade II that impacted the U.S. and other Western countries in 2022. Now the virus is spreading beyond Africa. On Thursday, Sweden confirmed its first case of the new strain of mpox, the first known infection of the strain outside of Africa. European officials have said other cases are "highly likely" to be found. So far, this year there have been 14,719 suspected and 2,822 confirmed mpox cases, with 99 percent reported in the African continent. That tally includes 517 deaths, giving this mpox clade an estimated case fatality rate of 3%. The news came only a day after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years, but this time concerning a seemingly more rapidly spreading strain. Spread to other countries and areas is also likely and remains very concerning, the WHO told Salon via email. There remains a risk of wider outbreaks, and WHO is working with countries in the region to step up preparedness, strengthen surveillance and cross-border collaboration. In a statement from Dave Daigle, a spokesperson for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said the public health agency is closely monitoring the situation in the U.S., and the agency will provide updates as needed. Given how widespread the clade I outbreak is in Central and Eastern Africa, a case diagnosed in an occasional traveler is not unexpected, Daigle said. Rapid detection and containment of any mpox case are key to stopping mpox spread. The CDC recently issued a Health Alert Network update and updated Travel Health Notice. Daigle added the CDC has more than two years of experience with mpox in the United States response during the ongoing 2022 global clade II mpox outbreak. He said the CDC can use existing domestic public health systems and structures with minor adjustments to respond to any outbreak of mpox in the United States. The agency has reported moderate confidence that fatal cases in the U.S. would be lower than in Africa because of better access to health care. As authorities move forward and warn about the spread of mpox across the world, some people worry whats to come is the result of health disparities between the East and the West. In other words, it could have been avoided if the DRC had the resources to contain the spread of mpox in the first place. Want more health and science stories in your inbox? Subscribe to Salon's weekly newsletter Lab Notes. While it is a possibility that clade 1b cases may end up in the United States, it's something that could be fairly easily controlled in the U.S. with the deployment of vaccine and a change in behavior, Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease expert and senior scholar at Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security, told Salon in a phone interview. The reason why clade1b spread so readily in these African countries is because they don't have any resources to be able to combat it, which was the whole impetus behind the public health emergency of international concern declaration to coordinate a response. The mpox vaccines are the same vaccines for smallpox and already companies are scrambling to produce enough to ensure bottlenecks from the 2022 outbreak don't reoccur. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has advised travelers to get their shots. There are many public health interventions that people take for granted in the Western world that are out of reach to Africa, Adalja said, including access and storage of vaccines. Despite suspicions that this strain of mpox is more transmissible, WHO told Salon: Data shows that clade Ib is spreading fast. As Reuters reported, 65,000 doses were likely to be available in the short-term, but a big vaccine roll-out campaign is unlikely to happen before October. Mpox first originated in wild animals in the jungles of west and central Africa. On occasion, it has made the jump to humans. The first known human case of mpox was detected in 1970 in a 9-year-old boy in a remote part of Congo. According to the CDC, mpox can cause symptoms like painful rashes that can appear all over a person's body. The other symptoms are similar to influenza, and include swollen lymph nodes, muscle aches, backaches, headaches, fever, fatigue and chills. Eventually, lesions form and progress through several stages before falling off. Death can also occur. Notably, mpox spreads through direct contact with body fluids or sores on the body of someone who has mpox. It can also spread through materials that have touched body fluids or sores that have been in contact with someone who's infected for example, clothing or bedsheets. It can spread through respiratory droplets when people have close face-to-face contact. According to data from the WHO, 91.4 percent of cases have been linked to sexual contact. Sexual contact is understood to be an efficient mode of transmission of mpox, which, as seen in the global outbreak, can rapidly spread the disease, a WHO spokesperson said in an emailed statement. There is no information at present to suggest that this virus is inherently more transmissible. Adalja emphasized to Salon that mpox never went away in the United States. It is still spreading in the U.S. after the 2022 outbreak. According to the CDC, there have been a total of 32,000 reported cases in the United States over the last two years. Theres a chance that there could be mpox clade1b that's imported to the United States that could cause clusters and outbreaks, Adalja said. However, I don't think it will find the U.S. very hospitable to spread, because there would be a lot of public health interventions brought to bear pretty quickly, and we don't have the difficulties in the United States in terms of deployment of the vaccine. CORRECTION: This story has been updated to reflect the fact that the mpox case detected in Pakistan turned out to be the older strain, not the newer one, as reported by Reuters. TATE COUNTY, Miss. Two juveniles are charged with making threats to a school in Tate County, Mississippi, and it isnt the only threat this week. Kayla Moore, who has a nephew attending Independence High School, says the school was evacuated Friday because of a bomb threat. I am extremely concerned that we cant even allow our children to go to school because we dont know if theyre in danger or not, Moore said. Tate County Sheriff Luke Shepherd says Friday morning, Tate County got assistance from Desoto County, which sent its bomb-sniffing K-9 to the school. No bomb was found. Were taking it seriously and we are investigating. Were partnering with Mississippi Department of Homeland Security, the ATF and the FBI, said Shepherd. Woman charged in Graceland foreclosure sale scheme Moore is mad that Tate County Schools didnt notify parents or guardians Friday morning. It was other children that were calling and telling us, Hey theres a bomb threat at school, dont go to school,' she said. This is the second bomb threat this week at Independence High School. The Tate County Sheriff confirmed two juveniles have been charged with making a bomb threat on Wednesday. A male at Strayhorn High School and a female from Independence High School were taken into custody, but its unclear if they are tied to Friday mornings incident. We believe there is no active threat and we will continue to monitor the situation at all the schools across the county, Shepherd said. He says these kind of threats are never considered just a prank. Its a huge disruption not only to the education system, but its a drain on our local resources here in law enforcement to go respond to that, he said. The school district has not responded to a request for comment. The sheriff urges anyone with information to call 662-560-5692. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. MEMPHIS, Tenn. Memphis Shelby County Schools announced on Saturday that theyve received the resignation of Executive Director of Safety and Security, George Harris. Harris informed the District that he is stepping away for personal reasons. He issued the following statement: Effective August 17, 2024, I will be resigning as Executive Director of Safety and Security for personal reasons. I have enjoyed my short time with an amazing team of Directors Riley, Elliott, and Boyd; they do amazing work. George Harris The District said they fully support Harris decision and appreciate his willingness to serve in Memphis. ORIGINAL STORY: School resource officers may strike Friday if demands not met On Monday, Harris took part in a meeting with Dr. Marie Feagins and MSCS security resource officers regarding a possible strike. WREG reported that the meeting did not go well and officers stormed out after meeting Harris. On Tuesday, MSCS leaders and the SROs struck a deal to avoid a walkout. They added that they have no further comments on this personnel matter. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. (COLORADO) The U.S. Center for Disease and Control (CDC) announced on Friday, Aug. 16 that it is investigating a multistate Salmonella outbreak linked to small turtles. As of Aug. 16, the CDC has received 51 reports of Salmonella illness from multiple states, including Colorado, linked to contact with small turtles shells less than four inches long these tiny turtles are illegal to sell as pets. In 21 states, 48 people have been infected. The CDC said 48% of those, 23 people, have been hospitalized, so far no deaths have been reported. The outbreak is affecting young children, 17 of those infected are children under 5, and 10 children are less than a year old. Salmonella can affect people of all ages, children younger than five, adults who are older than 65, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to have a severe illness. In some cases, the patient is hospitalized if the illness is severe. Most people infected develop diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps six hours to six days after being exposed to the bacteria. The illness usually lasts four to seven days, and most people recover without treatment. The CDC is advising individuals to: Only buy turtles with shells longer than four inches and get them from a reputable pet store or rescue. Stay healthy around your pet turtle by always washing your hands after touching, feeding, or caring for your turtle. Help young children wash their hands properly. Dont release your turtle into the wild if you decide you no longer want it, reach out to your local pet store or reptile rescue. Pick the right pet for your family. Pet turtles are not recommended for children younger than five, adults who are older than 65, and people with weakened immune systems as they are more likely to get a serious illness from germs that turtles can carry. If you have any severe Salmonella symptoms such as diarrhea and fever higher than 102F, diarrhea for more than three days that is not improving, bloody diarrhea, so much vomiting that you cannot keep liquids down or signs of dehydration like not peeing too much, dizziness and dry mouth and throat call your healthcare provider right away. For more information about Salmonella, click the link above. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado. The social media platform X will close its office in Brazil amidst a legal battle with the South American nations Supreme Court over a purported secret order to remove some posts from the site in Brazil, according to a statement posted by the company on X. Users in Brazil will still be able to use the social media site. The decision to close the office in Brazil was difficult, but, if we had agreed to @alexandres (illegal) secret censorship and private information handover demands, there was no way we could explain our actions without being ashamed, Musk wrote on X. X posted a screenshot of the order from Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who has been investigating digital militias that have been accused of spreading fake news and hate messages during the government of far-right former President Jair Bolsanaro. As part of the alleged order, Moraes said he would levy a daily fine of $3,650 and an arrest decree against X representative Rachel Nova Conceicao if the platform does not comply with Moreass order. Last night, Alexandre de Moraes threatened our legal representative in Brazil with arrest if we do not comply with his censorship orders. He did so in a secret order, which we share here to expose his actions, the company wrote on X. Despite our numerous appeals to the Supreme Court not being heard, the Brazilian public not being informed about these orders and our Brazilian staff having no responsibility or control over whether content is blocked on our platform, Moraes has chosen to threaten our staff in Brazil rather than respect the law or due process, they added. The company added that it is deeply saddened that it had been forced, but the responsibility lies solely with Alexandre de Moraes. Earlier in the year, Moraes directed X to block some of those accounts. X complied and then Musk said he would reactivate the accounts on X that the judge had ordered blocked. Musk called Moraess decision regarding X unconstitutional. After Musk made his statements, X representatives reversed course and told Brazils Supreme Court that they would comply with the legal rulings. The Brazilian Supreme Court declined to comment to Reuters about the allegations made by X and did not confirm the veracity of the image posted by the social media company. After deciding to shutter Xs Brazil operations, Musk also posted on X that Moraes needs to leave. No question that Moraes needs to leave, Musk wrote. Having a justice who repeatedly and egregiously violates the law is no justice at all. Nikolas Ferreira, a member of Brazils chamber of deputies and prominent right-wing politician on social media, said that Brazil will take to the streets to demand Moraess impeachment. On September 7th, Brazil will take to the streets in Sao Paulo to demand the impeachment of Alexandre de Moraes, he wrote. @elonmusk, you are invited. Musk retweeted Ferreiras post. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Muted response from UK and France after Israeli FM calls for retaliation to any Iran strike Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz raised eyebrows on Friday when he said Israel would expect international partners such as the United Kingdom and France to join Israel in responding to a potential strike from Iran, not only in defense, but also in attacking significant targets in Iran. Katz made the claim during a meeting to discuss preventing regional escalation and promoting a hostage deal, with his British and Israeli counterparts in Jerusalem, according to a readout from the Israeli foreign office. Both France and the UK, however, have downplayed such a prospect, with the UK emphasizing the need to break the current destructive cycle of retaliatory violence in the Middle East. French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne told a press conference in Jerusalem that it would be inappropriate to speak of a retaliation or preparation for an Israeli retaliation whilst diplomatic talks are underway. Katzs declaration comes amid heightened fears of a reprisal attack from Iran, following the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. Iran has blamed Israel for Haniyehs death but Israel hasnt confirmed or denied responsibility. The Foreign Ministers of France and Britain, Stephane Sejourne and David Lammy, meet with their Israeli counterpart Israel Katz at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem on August 16, 2024. - Gil Cohen-Magen/AFP/Getty Images When asked about Katzs statement, a UK foreign office spokesperson stressed that the UK is working in lockstep with our allies to deescalate tensions, adding that they urge all parties to refrain from perpetuating the current destructive cycle of retaliatory violence. We call on Iran and its allies to refrain from attacks that would further escalate regional tensions and jeopardise the opportunity to agree a ceasefire and the release of hostages. No country or nation stands to gain from a further escalation in the Middle East, the spokesperson added. A source with knowledge of Fridays meeting between the Israeli, French, and UK foreign ministers told CNN that the three ministers did not discuss joining a coalition for any attack on Iran. Meanwhile, a senior United States administration official struck a harsher tone, warning on Friday 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 US 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 they are happening in parallel. When asked by CNNs MJ Lee whether the US would be involved in any attacks on Iran following Katzs comments, 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 and Alex Marquardt contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Officers in New Jersey who responded to a mental health call last month told a woman: We dont want to shoot you. We want to help you. Moments later, she was fatally shot. New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin on Friday released body camera videos from the July 28 encounter outside an apartment in Fort Lee, where Victoria Lee was fatally shot in the chest by a police officer. The officer, Tony Pickens Jr., was among several from the Fort Lee Police Department to respond to the apartment early that morning, after Lees brother called 911 to report his sister was experiencing a mental health episode. In a subsequent call, he told a 911 dispatcher she was in possession of a foldable knife. The videos, from four body-worn cameras, show Lee, 25, moving toward the officers and holding a large water jug before she is shot. The officers shouted at her to drop the knife, though it is not clear in the videos if she is holding one. The attorney generals office, which is investigating Lees killing, said a knife was recovered, but did not address whether Lee was holding it when she encountered police. Lees family has called the polices response unnecessarily aggressive and said Lee was holding only the five-gallon water jug when she was shot. The police department has referred requests for comment to the attorney generals office. When reached by an NBC News reporter on Friday, Pickens hung up the phone. People gather at the Fort Lee Community Center on Aug. 15, 2024, to demand justice for Victoria Lee, a Fort Lee resident fatally shot by police while experiencing a mental health crisis in July. Before the shooting, according to the body camera videos, officers repeatedly demanded that Lee open the door. She told them to go home and at one point threatened to stab an officer if he broke the door down. Pickens, the first officer to arrive at the apartments door, initially encountered Lees brother, who told him that Lee was in a bedroom and had a knife, according to the bodycam video. Pickens told him that if his sister had a knife, she was going to hurt someone. The officer pushed open the apartment door and was met by Lee and her mother, who was holding a barking dog. Lees mother told the officer multiple times, Dont come in. Lee told him to close our f------ door and shut it. Before she shut the door, Lee can be seen pointing her finger at Pickens and also tells him not to come in. As Pickens talked with Lees brother outside the apartment door, Lee shouted: Who told a motherf------ pig like you to open my door? according to the videos. Several more officers later arrived on the scene and told Lees brother, who said he did not have a key to open the door, that they needed to enter the apartment. Pickens told Lee through the door that he was going to break the door down. She responded: Go ahead. Ill stab you in your f------ neck. She also told the officers, Shoot me if you want to, to which an officer responded: We dont want to shoot you. We want to help you. Lee shouted: Go home, pig! The officers gathered outside the apartment and discussed who would go lethal and less lethal. Pickens agreed to go lethal, according to his body camera video. He then said, Were going to break the door down, maam. One of the officers said that they would normally barricade and wait but, because someone else was in the apartment, they needed to access it. Pickens shouted, Open the door, while other officers shouted, Drop the weapon and Were going to break the door, as Pickens breached it. When the door opened, Lee and her mother were at the door and Lee was holding a jug of water. Its unclear whether she also was holding a knife. The family has said she had dropped it. As Lee approached the officers, Pickens fired a single shot. Multiple officers can be heard on the body camera videos yelling, Drop the knife. After Lee was shot, the officers pulled her into the entryway of the apartment and rendered aid. She was later pronounced dead at a hospital. In addition to body camera video, on Friday the attorney general also released Lees brothers calls to 911, in which he requested an ambulance be sent to bring his sister to a hospital. In his second 911 call, the brother asked the dispatcher whether he could cancel the call. The dispatcher told him that he could not since it was a mental health call and said that the officers would arrive momentarily. The dispatcher asked him why he wanted to cancel the call and he told her that Lee was holding a foldable knife but was not trying to cut anyone. Prior to the videos release, Lees family said that she was not and had never been violent, including during previous mental health episodes. They also said that they had made mental health calls to 911 in the past and that the 911 responders had always been understanding of her fragile mental state and worked with the family to facilitate de-escalating the situation and transporting Victoria to the hospital. Henry Sukjin Cho, the familys attorney, declined to comment. He previously told NBC News that he and Lees family would view the body camera videos Friday morning, before its release to the public. Lee was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2017 and had been managing it through various activities including work, travel and music, her family said. Following the release of the videos, Stop AAPI Hate and AAPI New Jersey said in a statement that the police response was unjust and unwarranted. The organizations said Lees family repeatedly asked police not to enter the apartment, but officers forced the door open and shot Victoria within seconds, without adequate efforts to de-escalate and prioritize non-lethal tools. This article was originally published on NBCNews.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. A general view of Bayrakli and Karsiyaka districts after the fire, as extinguishing and cooling efforts continue on the second day of the Great Izmir Fire. The forest fire that started on Yamanlar Mountain in the Karsiyaka district of Izmir, Turkey's third largest city, had an effect throughout the city due to the dense smoke covering the sky. Tolga Ildun/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa Nearly 4,000 residents in Western Turkey were evacuated to safety as wildfires continue to burn in at least four cities and provinces, the country's disaster authority said on Saturday. A total of 131 wildfires broke out on agricultural and forested land in cities, including Izmir, Aydn, Bolu, Mugla and Manisa over the past week, AFAD said on X. In Turkey's third-largest city Izmir, flames from a wildfire reached an apartment complex and industrial area late Friday, causing panic, state broadcaster TRT reported. Overnight, 17 residential homes were burned, 105 houses and 44 workplaces were evacuated in Izmir's Yamanlar neighbourhood Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakl told reporters in Izmir early on Saturday. The fire in Izmir no longer threatened the residential centre by morning, Yumakl said, adding teams, backed by 13 planes and helicopters, are working to contain the wildfire. So far, the fire damaged 1,600 hectares of land in Izmir, the minister added. The authorities remain on alert through mid-September due to unexpected weather conditions, he said. Meanwhile six people were detained over suspected sabotage relating to the wildfires, two of them in Izmir and four in the north-western city of Bolu, Yumakl added. The cause of the blazes was not immediately clear. Turkey has been struggling with a heatwave through the summer, causing wildfires across the country. Wildfires are currently ongoing in at least six areas across Turkey. A general view of Bayrakli and Karsiyaka districts after the fire, as extinguishing and cooling efforts continue on the second day of the Great Izmir Fire. The forest fire that started on Yamanlar Mountain in the Karsiyaka district of Izmir, Turkey's third largest city, had an effect throughout the city due to the dense smoke covering the sky. Tolga Ildun/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa A general view of Bayrakli and Karsiyaka districts after the fire, as extinguishing and cooling efforts continue on the second day of the Great Izmir Fire. The forest fire that started on Yamanlar Mountain in the Karsiyaka district of Izmir, Turkey's third largest city, had an effect throughout the city due to the dense smoke covering the sky. Tolga Ildun/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa A General view of Bayrakli and Karsiyaka districts after the fire, as extinguishing and cooling efforts continue on the second day of the Great Izmir Fire. The forest fire that started on Yamanlar Mountain in the Karsiyaka district of Izmir, Turkey's third largest city, had an effect throughout the city due to the dense smoke covering the sky. Tolga Ildun/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa Happy Saturday! Heres another edition of my weekend column for WPRI.com as always, send your takes, tips and trial balloons to tnesi@wpri.com and follow me on Twitter, Threads and Facebook. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Nesi's Notes 1. The day of reckoning is beginning. Thats what Governor McKee told reporters Friday morning, just before Attorney General Peter Neronha filed a lawsuit over the Washington Bridge based on material collected by the governors outside legal team, led by Max Wistow and Jon Savage. The suit alleges that serious problems with the bridge were identified as far back as 1992, yet 13 companies paid to inspect and repair the structure had missed or ignored it. There are a lot of things that go into the consideration of who to sue, Neronha said Friday. These are the parties that we felt were appropriate to bring a lawsuit against at this time. Neronhas involvement is an interesting twist. McKee left him out of the process initially, only to sign an agreement this week giving the AG final authority over the litigation, apparently to ensure the suit would hold up in court. So far nobody will say how much money the state might be able to get out of the defendants (or how much could wind up going back to the federal government). In the meantime, critics of the McKee administration continue to argue that full accountability would require some introspection by state government about whether the R.I. Department of Transportation dropped the ball over the years. But McKee indicated Friday he and his advisers are focused on recovering money through litigation, rather than examining RIDOT itself. During that [legal] discovery youre going to see whether there were any management issues that need to be addressed, McKee said, adding, We have put together a response there that has been really strong since that moment in time when I made the decision with the DOT and the engineers to shut down the bridge. 2. Lifespan has entered a new era. Rhode Islands biggest hospital group abandoned hopes of merging with smaller rival Care New England once and for all in 2022, after AG Neronha put the kibosh on the deal a decision that helped lead to the exit of longtime CEO Tim Babineau. Now the not-for-profit health system, the states largest employer, is making big moves under Babineaus replacement, John Fernandez. First there was the June announcement that the system will be renamed Brown University Health later this year, providing an infusion of both prestige and capital. Then on Friday came word that Lifespan will be making a major expansion into Massachusetts as the savior of St. Annes Hospital in Fall River and Morton Hospital in Taunton, which are currently owned by bankrupt Steward Health Care. We are grateful for their partnership and their commitment to not only maintaining the quality of care but to improving the quality of care in these communities, Governor Healey declared at a news conference. As for Steward, she said, Good riddance and goodbye. Many details are still to be announced, including exactly how much money Massachusetts will pump into the hospitals to make the sums add up for Lifespan. Its easy to see why a cross-border expansion is appealing to Lifespan execs payment rates are better in Massachusetts, and there is plenty of political support on Beacon Hill right now for helping the Steward hospitals new operators succeed. Plus, Fernandez knows all the players in Massachusetts well from his years as CEO of Mass Eye and Ear. Lifespan leaders also believe size is crucial to compete with the regions other large academic medical systems, like Mass General Brigham and Yale New Haven Health, and expanding in Bristol County is a way to increase Lifespans dominance in the Providence metropolitan area without running afoul of Rhode Island regulators. Still, Fall River and Taunton arent Cambridge; the insurance payer mix will be challenging there, too. 3. Two important stories from our Providence beat reporter Alexandra Leslie: Education Commissioner Angelica Infante-Green is getting closer to a decision on whether City Hall should regain control of city schools, and Mayor Brett Smiley is taking new steps to speed up the permitting process for housing construction in the capital. 4. Fall River police officers shot and killed Anthony Harden in 2021, and his brother Eric Mack has never been satisfied with how Bristol County District Attorney Tom Quinn handled the investigation into the incident. As it turns out, Massachusetts highest court hasnt been satisfied, either. Eli Sherman and Tim White have a deep-dive into the case here. 5. Top Rhode Island Democrats were in high spirits Thursday as they gathered at Newports Ochre Court for a fundraiser with VP hopeful Tim Walz that wound up raising more than $650,000, well above the $500,000 goal organizers had set. Longtime Democratic powerbroker Don Sweitzer, who served on the host committee, told me it was the easiest fundraiser hed ever done because contributors were so eager to support the newly revamped Democratic presidential ticket. Walz gave a 17-minute stemwinder to the assembled crowd, with plenty of red meat about Donald Trump and the Republicans. He also praised Dan McKee, who has touted his personal relationship with Walz as something that will benefit Rhode Island. Thank you for sharing that wonderful man with America, Walz said of McKee, praising his decency and kindness. He continued, Im convinced here in Rhode Island, you guys should be like an 800 number where people having a bad day, they call and he picks up. If youre around this guy, you dont have a bad day. Not everybody was happy about the event, though. A spokesperson for Catholic Bishop Richard Henning told me diocesan leaders were surprised and disappointed that Salve Regina University, a Catholic institution, had agreed to rent Ochre Court for a partisan fundraiser. 6. Jack Reeds name isnt on the ballot this fall, but he still has plenty riding on the election results; a handful of Senate races will determine if Democrats retain the majority, allowing Reed to keep his Armed Services Committee chairmanship. So Reed has been doing what he can to help his vulnerable colleagues. On Tuesday he was in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, to campaign alongside Democratic incumbent Bob Casey, and he also taped a sitdown interview with local affiliate WJAC-TV to talk up Caseys record in Congress. 7. The Democratic National Convention kicks off Monday in Chicago, and Rhode Islands 35 delegates are making their way to the Windy City to nominate a ticket that wasnt in place only a month ago. Conventions are always a mix of modest party business, politicking, networking and socializing; long gone are the days where delegates sweated through roll call after roll call as different presidential hopefuls cut deals in smoke-filled rooms. For House Speaker Joe Shekarchi, its also another chance to pad his nearly $3 million campaign war chest. The speaker is holding a lunchtime fundraiser on Tuesday at Chicagos Eleven City Diner, with suggested contributions of $1,000 or $2,000, according to an invitation. The host committee is noteworthy for including not only a number of familiar Rhode Island names, but also a number of Illinois and national labor leaders, including Illinois AFL-CIO President Tim Drea, Illinois Education Association President Al Llorens, Chicago Laborers District Council business manager James Connolly, and national SEIU executive vice president Leslie Frane. Such events will only fuel more speculation that Shekarchi is positioning himself to run for governor if Dan McKee opts out of the 2026 race. 8. Rhode Island has had some big moments in the spotlight at the Democratic National Convention over the years, stealing the show during the COVID-limited 2020 convention with Joe McNamaras famous calamari chef video. Those with longer memories will also recall the star turn in 1964 by then-U.S. Sen. John Pastore, who got national press coverage for what The New York Times called his fiery keynote speech for Lyndon Johnson. Brooklyn Colleges KC Johnson recently unearthed a two-minute audio recording of LBJ calling Pastore and asking him to give the speech. Its a fun listen. Johnny! the president bellows into the phone, checking in on Pastores children and picking his brain about Senate happenings, before asking him to give the keynote. Lets keep it reasonable around 15, 20 minutes, Johnson tells Pastore. I want it to be the best one that was ever made. And I want you to really practice it and get it down because I think you can show by what you say and the way you handle yourself what our party stands for. And most of all everybody will be thinking what great opportunity weve got in this country where you can be senator and I can be president. After telling Pastore to consult with White House aide Bill Moyers, Johnson adds, I want it to be one that will go down in the books, and I believe it will be a great thing for you and a great thing for the Democratic Party and a great thing for New England. You can see a short clip of Pastores final product in this newsreel on YouTube. 9. Few voters are expected to cast ballots in Rhode Islands Republican primary on Sept. 10, making it harder to judge whether Patricia Morgan or Ray McKay has the upper hand as they seek the nomination to take on U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse in November. (Whitehouse also has a primary opponent, Michael Costa.) The state GOP convention deadlocked on the Senate race back in June, denying either candidate the endorsement. Morgan and McKay met in our studios on Friday morning for their first televised debate, and as is often the case in primary races, they agreed on quite a few topics. But there was a clear distinction on the future of Social Security and potential changes to the program for future generations. You can watch the full debate online here now or Sunday morning on TV. 10. People in the news Tony Silva has been named permanent finance director for Governor McKees campaign organization after filling the role on an interim basis; he is McKees longtime friend and former chief of staff the R.I. Republican Party has appointed Aidan Carey, chairman of the Lincoln Republican Town Committee and a 2024 Holy Cross grad, as the state GOPs new executive director North Providence Schools Superintendent Joseph Goho has been named Rhode Islands Superintendent of the Year for 2025 Yael Sheinfeld is the new press secretary for U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren; her previous experience includes work on Jake Auchinclosss 2020 campaign. 11. Condolences to the family and friends of J. Michael Downey, longtime president of AFSCME Council 94, Rhode Islands biggest public-sector labor union. He died Sunday, only age 70. Downey had a salt-of-the-earth personality and was a familiar face at the State House, always willing to answer reporters questions even the ones he didnt like. A funeral Mass will be celebrated on Monday morning at Christ the King Church in South Kingstown. 12. For American history buffs, one of the great occasions in the first half of the 19th century was the 1824 farewell tour by the Marquis de Lafayette, the Frenchman whod provided crucial support to George Washingtons forces during the Revolutionary War. For this years 200th anniversary of the tour, the nonprofit American Friends of Lafayette is organizing a series of events commemorating his stops around the still-young country that year. The groups president, Alan Hoffman, shares word that Aug. 23 marks the day Lafayettes tour brought him to Rhode Island, and the group has planned a public commemoration in the afternoon and an evening banquet for the occasion. Both events will be in East Providence. 13. Set your DVRs: This week on Newsmakers a Republican primary debate for U.S. Senate. Watch Sunday at 5:30 a.m. on WPRI 12 and 10 a.m. on Fox Providence, or listen on the radio Sunday at 6 p.m. on WPRO. You can also subscribe to Newsmakers as a podcast via Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. See you back here next Saturday. Ted Nesi (tnesi@wpri.com) is a Target 12 investigative reporter and 12 News politics/business editor. He co-hosts Newsmakers and writes Nesis Notes on Saturdays. Connect with him on Twitter, Threads and Facebook. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel gathers with environmental advocates and tribal community members in Cincinnati, Ohio ahead of oral arguments on Line 5 litigation on March 21, 2024. (Screenshot) Michigans Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday rejected a request to rehear its decision to return Michigan Attorney General Nessels case against Line 5 to state court, keeping the case in Ingham Countys 30th Circuit Court. While Nessel initially filed the case to shut down the controversial pipeline in 2019 in state court, where it was litigated for more than a year, Enbridge later filed successfully to have the case moved to federal court. Although Nessel requested to have the case returned to state court from the U.S. District Courts Western District of Michigan, her initial request was denied. However after requesting an interlocutory appeal, the Court of Appeals determined the case should be heard in the state. While Enbridge sought to have the decision reheard by the Court of Appeals entire bench of judges, as opposed to the usual three judge panel, their request was denied. Our lawsuit to shut down Line 5 belongs in state court, as the federal court of appeals ruled in June, and affirmed today, Nessel said in a statement. It is a critical responsibility of the State to protect our Great Lakes from the threat of pollution. Our state claims, brought under our state law, will continue to be heard in a state court, and I am grateful we are one step closer to resolving this case on behalf of the state of Michigan, She said. For many years Tribal Nations and environmental advocates have fought for the shutdown of the 645 mile pipeline, which shuttles 22.68 million gallons of crude oil and natural gas liquids through the Straits of Mackinac daily. After an Enbridge line spilled about 21,000 barrels of heavy crude oil into a Kalamazoo River tributary in 2010, Enbridge came under increased scrutiny for Line 5, with opponents warning a spill from the pipeline into the Straits of Mackinac would be catastrophic. Enbridge spokesperson Ryan Duffy said the company was disappointed in the courts decision Friday, reiterating the companys belief that the case properly belongs in federal court. However, Nessels case is only one of multiple legal battles tied to Line 5, with Enbridge filing a complaint against Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer following Whitmers 2020 order to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources terminating Enbridges easement to operate in the Straits of Mackinac. While Whitmer requested the Western District Court of Michigan dismiss the case on the grounds of sovereign immunity, which provides governments immunity from lawsuits, District Judge Robert Jonker rejected the request, finding Enbridges case fell under one of sovereign immunitys exceptions. Even though the Attorney Generals case has been remanded to Michigan state court, Enbridge remains confident that the dispute should be fully resolved by the pending summary judgment motion in Enbridges separate lawsuit in Enbridge v. Whitmer, Duffy said. If the federal district court rules in Enbridges favor on the summary judgment motion, that ruling should fully resolve the Attorney Generals action. For this reason, Enbridge believes that the pending motions for summary judgment should be resolved by the federal court before the Attorney Generals case proceeds in Michigan state court, Duffy said. The company also remains focused on its Great Lakes tunnel project, Enbridges proposed solution to concerns of a pipeline spill in the Straits of Mackinac. The project, which would relocate the dual pipelines into a concrete-lined tunnel embedded in the bedrock in the straits, has received two of the three permits needed to begin construction and is awaiting the final permit from the U.S. Army Corps. of Engineers with a decision expected in 2026. However, the permits issued by the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) are facing multiple challenges from Indigenous communities and environmentalists. The MPSC made a bad decision, plain and simple. Although we fought to be heard, they put on their blinders and chose to ignore the critical perspective of Tribal Nations throughout the Great Lakes, Bay Mills Indian Community President Whitney Gravelle said in a statement issued alongside the Bay Mills Indian Community, Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, and Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi notice that they would appeal the MPSC permit. Its important to remember that Enbridge does not yet have the final permit they need from the US Army Corps of Engineers to build the tunnel project. As we appeal the MPSCs disastrous decision, we also demand and expect that the Army Corps conduct a thorough and meaningful environmental impact statement and uphold the treaty trust responsibilities of the United States, Gravelle said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX (FOX40.COM) Evacuation orders were issued in Nevada County on Friday after some bushes in the Grass Valley area were caught on fire, according to Cal Fire and the Nevada County Sheriffs Office. Cal Fires Nevada-Yuba-Placer Unit said around 3:45 p.m. that the vegetation fire began between Lumberjacks Restaurant and a Honda repair shop on Nevada City Highway, adding that air resources are over the flames. Residents in the following zones were asked to evacuate the area, but all evacuations have since been lifted: GRS-E-242, GRS-E-246, GRS-E-271, and Nevada County NCO-E251. Wildfire Information Zonehaven, CAL FIRE and NIXLE: Websites you can use for wildfire information AlertCalifornia live cams to provide more insight into natural disasters These are the items to include in your emergency kit in case of a disaster According to the Grass Valley Police Department, officers have arrested a woman associated with this incident. The agency added that details surrounding how the fire started are still under investigation. In its update, Grass Valley police said forward progress on the fire was stopped, but one business structure was actively involved. Fire personnel are concerned about embers from the business structure reigniting vegetation. Evacuation orders will be lifted as soon as possible, the agency continued. The Nevada County Consolidated Fire Department said it is assisting the Grass Valley Fire Department and several agencies in taking down the fire near the 2000 block of Nevada City Highway. The Grass Valley School District said bus routes 48, 51, and 52, are being returned to Lyman Gilmore, so children who normally take these bus routes must get picked up by their parents at Lyman Gilmore. Details of the fires size are not 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 FOX40. He never knew Matthew Perry, but prosecutors say the ketamine that killed him came from the actors dealer When her brother died, Kimberly McLaury texted the person who she believes sold him the drug that killed him. After receiving her brothers phone back from police, McLaury found a text chat with the alleged dealer, indicating her brother paid for the ketamine through Venmo. After his death certificate came out, I texted back and said just so you know the ketamine that you sold my brother was listed as his cause of death, she told CNN. McLaury never heard back. I just assumed that she didnt care, she said. On Thursday, Jasveen Sangha, the alleged dealer, was one of five people charged in an 18-count indictment relating to the death of actor Matthew Perry. Authorities detailed a haunting connection between the world-famous actor and Cody McLaury, an aspiring personal trainer: Both died after using ketamine allegedly supplied by the same dealer, a woman whose street name was the Ketamine Queen, prosecutors said. While investigating Perrys death, the US Attorneys Office said they uncovered an underground network of doctors and drug suppliers they claim were responsible for distributing the ketamine, a potentially deadly controlled substance, that contributed to Perrys death in October at age 54. Sangha has pleaded not guilty to several drug-related charges, including one stemming from August of 2019, the year Cody McLaury died. She is not charged directly in his death. CNN has reached out to her attorney for comment. Feelings of vindication McLaury was living in Los Angeles when his fatal overdose occurred at age 33 four years before Perry and hours after the US Attorneys Office alleges Sangha sold him ketamine. He had very good and solid friendships in LA, his sister said. He loved living there. He was a very kind soul. Kimberly McLaury said her family began to suspect Codys death might be linked to Perrys when investigators with the Los Angeles Police Department came to her home in Washington earlier this year. Court documents state Sangha did a Google search after receiving the text from Kimberly McLaury, typing can ketamine be listed as a cause of death[?] Prosecutors cited that Google search to allege Sangha knew that unsupervised and improper use of ketamine can be deadly, they claimed in an indictment. In Perrys case, prosecutors also charged four others, including two doctors and a live-in personal assistant with supplying the drugs to Perry. McLaury watched Thursdays press conference about the indictments from her home state of Washington. Its brought up a lot of emotions. Some sadness but also feelings of vindication, she said. I just assumed that she didnt care, that she was an uncaring person and selling drugs is what she did. And she was just going to move on with her life, McLaury said of Sangha. Ketamine The conversation about ketamine was amplified after Perrys death, in large part because its uses are varied. Ketamine is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration as a short-acting anesthetic for humans and animals in medical settings, where its often administered through an IV. It is not approved for any mental health disorders but has become more commonly prescribed off-label for treatment of chronic pain, depression and anxiety. A derivative of ketamine, esketamine, is approved for treatment-resistant depression in adults. The drug, Spravato, is delivered as a nasal spray. As additional medical uses for the drug are being explored, some experts have raised concerns about potential abuse or dependence that can come with misuse. Ketamine has long been used as a party drug, and a recent study showed the supply of illicit ketamine is increasing in the United States. Using ketamine without medical supervision can lead to dangerous adverse events, including unconsciousness and dangerously slowed breathing. Perrys death was determined to be the result of the acute effects of ketamine and subsequent drowning, according to the medical examiner. Perry was found floating face down in a stand-alone jacuzzi at his Pacific Palisades home on October 28, 2023. Authorities said at the time that no foul play was involved. Cody McLaurys death didnt make headlines like Perrys, and his sister said she never thought anything would come of his death, but Im glad he is included in this investigation. Im just happy that justice has been served and happy that after five years they investigated (my brothers) death, she said. CNNs Jamie Gumbrecht and Deidre McPhillips contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Freedom House Foundations held a very special graduation at the Erie Center for Arts and Technology on Friday. 11 students were presented with certificates from City Mayor Joe Schember. The students completed a five-week course that will help prepare them to enter the medical field. Freedom House Foundation hosts first of its kind graduation ceremony The goal is to give people in underserved communities a supported career pathway. This is the second class to graduate from the program. The goal of the program is to provide access to folks who may not have a means of getting into the healthcare education system via traditional methods, said Trevor Mathey, project manager for Freedom House 2.0. Major League Fishing hosting their first tournament in Erie I learned anatomy/physiology, medical terminology, mental health, law and ethics of medical, its a good introduction to the medical field, said Natasha Thompson, a new Freedom House graduate. The graduates are moving on to formal training to become medical assistants and patient care technicians. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Records released on Friday shed new light on the security plan that was developed ahead of the Pennsylvania rally where former President Donald Trump was shot and a man was killed. "It's going to be a circus there," Butler County Sheriff Michael Slupe wrote in an email on July 5, just over a week ahead of the July 13 rally. "Not enough room for the crowd that I believe will attend." The email and several other documents were released in response to requests filed by ABC News under the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law. Multiple agencies are still refusing to release records associated with the shooting. PHOTO: A law enforcement official appears on stage during a campaign event with former President Donald Trump at Butler Farm Show Inc. in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024. (Bloomberg via Getty Images, FILE) On July 9, Sgt. Edward Lenz of the Adams Township Police Department emailed Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger to explain that the Butler Township PD and the U.S. Secret Service requested assistance from other local agencies at the rally. "I have had several discussions with USSS, and as of today they are requesting assistance from us with providing sniper / overwatch support, counterassault teams, and a quick reaction force," Lenz wrote. "Our current plan is to provide 2 sniper elements, 2 mobile counterassault teams, and a quick reaction force," he added, explaining that "the counterassault teams would be dedicated teams that would respond to and address an attack directed at the presidential candidate inside of the venue, whether it be a coordinated attack with multiple assailants, or a single attacker." Lenz also said that a "quick response force would be dedicated to respond to and address any high-risk incidents occurring outside of the venue," describing the upcoming rally as a "manpower intensive" event involving local officers along with law enforcement from nearby counties as well. PHOTO: Former president Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Butler Farm Show Inc., July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images) A "law enforcement walkthrough" of the grounds was scheduled to take place two days ahead of the event, Lenz noted on July 9. On the same day that Lenz contacted Goldinger, a member of a group known as the Butler County Sheriff Mounted Posse emailed Slupe offering to help with the rally. MORE: Trump shooting updates: Shooter flew drone 200 yards from site hours before shooting Slupe responded, "I will have to double check with secret service to see if they are good having you there, which, I wouldn't see why not." On July 12, the Mounted Posse emailed again to follow up, with Slupe responding, "I'm sorry. I've been [o]ut of town at meetings and trainings and I didn't reach back out." The following day, a single attacker, Thomas Matthew Crooks, ended up firing shots from the roof of a nearby industrial complex just outside the rally's perimeter. PHOTO: Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump pumps his fist as he is rushed offstage during a rally on July 13, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) After the shooting, internal text messages show that there were discussions between local officials over who they felt was being blamed. "I see the secret service is throwing the locals under the bus," an individual identified in Goldinger's contact list as "Mccune" wrote. "Yep," Slupe responded. "They can't tell the truth right now. It will come out." "I've tried to defend them," Goldinger added to the exchange. "I just don't have anything else I can say." Records obtained separately by ABC News several weeks ago reveal a dispute amongst Butler County commissioners over funding for law enforcement at the rally. Days ahead of the event, County Commissioner Kevin Boozel texted fellow commissioners and Slupe that he wanted to state on the record that a contract would be needed since law enforcement services provided by the sheriff's office could be challenged as a campaign expense. Leslie Osche, a fellow commissioner, responded that the sheriff had the right to provide law enforcement mutual aid. Following the assassination attempt, Boozel texted the other county commissioners to see if they were alright and to inform them that the White House was offering help. "How freakein [sic] dare you," Osche responded. "We were right behind the President. You who wanted a contract. Our people did well. You will burn in hell. We don't need their help. I'll will [sic] fully expose you. I hope you can't sleep." "Yes I wanted a contract and you need to pull your self [sic] together," Boozel responded. "Perhaps we could have had more there. So much for your professionalism. Expose away." "You don't deserve professionalism," Osche said. "Nice," Boozel replied. "You're a piece of work. Grow up." Newly released docs show security plans ahead of Trump rally shooting originally appeared on abcnews.go.com SAN JOSE, California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday used an event marking his signing of sweeping anti-theft legislation to bash a ballot initiative on crime. Newsom accused supporters of the ballot measure a coalition that includes the mayors of San Jose and San Francisco of lying to Californians about their proposal by framing it as an effort to treat alleged felons rather than convict and sentence them. He described the ballot measure as a return to the 1980s tough-on-crime era and contended that the legislative package actually addresses the retail theft issue. That initiative is about going back to the 1980s and the war on drugs. It's about mass incarceration, Newsom told reporters. I don't want to move us backwards. The governor was surrounded by retailers, law enforcement and Democratic lawmakers as he enacted 10 bills to crack down on organized retail theft during a ceremony in the back aisle of a Home Depot store. His office called it the most significant effort to combat property crime in modern California history, pointing to legislation that will allow prosecutors to more easily charge repeat offenders with felonies and crack down on organized theft rings. The bill package was initially treated as a form of leverage to convince big-box retailers and district attorneys to withdraw Proposition 36, a November ballot measure led by district attorneys that would roll back parts of a decade-old criminal justice reform measure that reduced prison sentences for some theft and drug crimes. But those negotiations imploded earlier this summer, and Newsom and legislative leaders have instead sought to use their bill package to divert support and funding from the ballot measure campaign. Among those standing behind him was California Retailers Association President Rachel Michelin. She signaled that her group, which is still officially supporting Prop 36, will likely reconsider its position. Peeling off the retailers, a major potential source of campaign funding, has been a key part of opponents strategy to undercut the measure. Retailers have never been about mass incarceration or that type of mentality, she said. Michelin told POLITICO afterward that the associations board could vote to remove its support for Prop 36 in the coming weeks. She added, We are really hyper-focused on retail theft. A lot of (Prop 36) is more focused on drug sentencing. Big-box retailers like Walmart, Target and Home Depot separately contributed millions to qualify the measure for the ballot. Newsom and Michelin said they werent sure if those businesses would still put their money behind the initiative. The Democratic governor, meanwhile, must also grapple with leaders in his party whove endorsed Prop 36, including big-city mayors like Matt Mahan of San Jose, London Breed of San Francisco and Todd Gloria of San Diego. Mahan held a press conference outside San Jose City Hall on Friday to respond to Newsoms public statements. He argued Prop 36 would give courts a crucial tool to compel more repeat offenders into addiction treatment, though he also supported the anti-theft bills Newsom signed. Its not controversial at the local level, Mahan said of Prop 36. This seems to have gotten very politicized and very partisan in Sacramento. Newsom dismissed the notion of an intraparty rift during his event, saying, This is not the Democratic Party, its just a couple of mayors. The governor was also noncommittal about the extent to which he would campaign against Prop 36 this fall: There are a lot of things that I dont like on the ballot its just, whats the capacity? There was no remorse. Man sentenced for fatal stabbing at Tacoma homeless camp near EQC A 63-year-old man was sentenced Friday to more than 18 years in prison for fatally stabbing another man at a homeless encampment near Emerald Queen Casino. Garry Heroshi Smith was convicted by a jury of second-degree felony murder in late June for the Dec. 27 killing of 64-year-old Robert Grace. Grace entered Smiths tent area near the intersection of East Bay and 28th streets not long before the stabbing, according to charging papers and a filing from Smiths legal counsel. Smith claimed self-defense, believing that Grace had a gun and arrived to harm him, Smiths attorney James Dahl said during Fridays sentencing hearing. A knife not believed to be the murder weapon was found next to Graces body, according to charging papers. He was concerned for his life, and he was stuck inside his residence, Dahl said. None of this would have happened if Mr. Smith was essentially just left alone. He thought he was going to be robbed. Jurors found Smith not guilty of an intentional murder charge but didnt accept self-defense claims. A witness claimed to have spoken with Grace two minutes prior to the stabbing. The witness told authorities that Grace had offered him firewood, according to charging papers. Judge Matthew Thomas noted that the attack was quick and violent and that Smith had offered no help to Grace after he fell to the ground and was dying. Time was crucial as he lay on the sidewalk, Thomas said. Smiths sentence of 18 years and three months in prison was recommended by prosecutors. Dahl had sought a little more than seven years. During the hearing, a few members of Graces family addressed the court, describing him as a family man who had overcome struggles. The victims niece, Kwadraline Grace, said that she understood he was offering wood to others the night he was killed. At the end of the day, it was a senseless act, she said. The victims sister, Bertha Grace, who appeared via video, called the death something that we cannot stomach. We will never be able to see Robert again, but we will always have those memories of him, she said. Another sister, Claudette Moore, also appearing via video, was visibly distraught as she recalled that her brother would visit her home regularly near the casino. To not see him everyday, it hurts, she said. Smith briefly spoke to the court, saying that if someone couldnt protect themselves and their property, I feel that there is no justice in this land. He also said that injustice for one person experiencing homelessness was injustice for all in the same situation. After the hearing was over, three of Robert Graces family members noted to The News Tribune that Smith never apologized. As they stood inside the elevator, Pierce County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Lisa Wagner walked by. They told her the same. Wagner agreed. There was no remorse, she said. Northern California police operation leads to recovery of over 30 guns and 6 pounds of marijuana (FOX40.COM) A recent operation conducted by a Northern California agency unveiled a large amount of guns and marijuana and led to the arrest of nearly 10 people. The Stockton Police Department said its officers and the ATF Task Force recovered 34 guns, including assault weapons and automatic machine guns, six pounds of marijuana, a bulletproof vest, and about $105,000 of suspected illegal proceeds. Video above: What are the most reported crimes in America? This collaborative effort underscores our unwavering commitment to combatting violence in our city, and we extend our gratitude to our law enforcement partners for their invaluable support, Stockton police said. Deputies arrest three over two weeks after stealing 73 guns from local gun shop The efforts to recover the guns and marijuana began when Stockton police and the ATF Task Force launched a complex investigation into the Tiny Raskals Gang for various criminal activities like firearms trafficking, illegal weapons possession, and more. On Wednesday, police said officers executed a search warrant at 12 different locations in Stockton along with assistance from agencies in Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties, including Modesto PD, Manteca PD, Tracy PD, and CHPs Auto Theft Task Force. Among the nine people arrested, one was under 18 while one was over 30 (39). The rest ranged between 21 and 29. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX40. Notorious lefty NYC judge finds bullet holes in pads bedroom but didnt bother to call the cops Judge Morales called the Office of Court Administration and they called DA Bragg after she discovered the bullet damage. A notoriously lenient Manhattan criminal court judge discovered bullet holes in the bedroom of her apartment but didnt bother calling cops, The Post has learned. Judge Valentina Morales, an appointee of former Mayor Bill de Blasio who has sprung at least four violent criminals in the last three years, discovered holes in and above her bed, and a shattered ceiling fan light bulb on July 31, according to a criminal complaint. The judge, who was not home when the shot was fired, also found a hole in a plastic box underneath her bed and a bullet fragment inside the box, authorities said in the complaint. Judge Valentina Morales discovered a bullet hole in her ceiling and her neighbor was arrested for shooting into her Manhattan apartment. District Attorney Alvin Bragg with an NYPD official. William Farrington She notified the Office of Court Administration, which oversees judges, and the agency contacted soft on crime Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg on Aug. 1, law enforcement sources said. Investigators from Braggs office went to her building and spoke to her upstairs neighbor, John Moore, who was convicted for drug dealing in 1987, records show. Moore, 59, wasnt home but investigators were let in by a roommate and found a hole in his bedroom floor, the document states. Moore later told them he accidentally fired a weapon and then threw it in the Hudson River, prosecutors said. Almachi Leal, 22, was released by Morales. NYPD The NYPD was finally notified Aug. 2, when an arrest warrant was served on Moores apartment, the sources said. Once inside, NYPD investigators found an arsenal of weapons, including a sawed-off shotgun and approximately 18 rounds of shotgun ammunition, one flintlock antique pistol, nearly 50 hollow point 9mm ammo rounds and 21 .38 caliber rounds, authorities said in the criminal complaint. Other items included 22 switchblades, 12 electronic stun guns, eight collapsible batons, three sets of brass knuckles, and two wallets containing law enforcement badges, according to the complaint. Frankie Centeno was freed by Morales and had to be rearrested by cops. Police sources werent surprised the judge avoided calling New Yorks Finest. She didnt call the cops because we dont like her for letting criminals go, a longtime NYPD detective said. She called the DA. Office of Court Administration spokesman Al Baker said he couldnt discuss ongoing investigations or specific security protocols. The safety of our judges and court staff is an utmost priority for the UCS, and we take any threats, or actual instances of violence, against judges and staff extremely seriously, Baker said. Morales was working as a Bronx judge in 2022 when she set ex-con Frankie Centeno with electronic monitoring for gun possession charges after the Bronx DA asked for $100,000 cash bail or $300,000 bond. Centeno fled the country and had to be rearrested. Morales previously sprung Venezuelan migrant Walter Almachi Leal without bail, after he slashed a 43-year-old victim with a busted beer bottle on West 39th Street on Oct. 2, 2023, records show. She also released 18-year-old Kalifa Quattara, an Up the Hill gang member, on electronic monitoring earlier this year after he was busted with a loaded gun on April 19 and admitted to using the weapon in a shootout with gang rivals. His shots didnt hit anyone. Moore was charged with weapons possession and reckless endangerment, officials said. He has four prior arrests with the last one from 2011 for weapons possession, police sources said. He also has a burglary arrest from 2010, the sources said. Moore was held on $100,000 cash or $300,000 partially secured bond, officials said. He was being housed at Rikers Island as of Friday. His next court date is Sept. 15. Braggs office didnt comment. The judges address wasnt released. Additional reporting by Georgia Worrell. For now, the Supreme Court wont stop states from blocking Bidens Title IX changes The U.S. Supreme Court. (Jane Norman/States Newsroom) States shunning new federal rules on discrimination in schools over sexual orientation and gender identity wont be forced to follow them for the time being. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Friday to reject a Biden administration request for a partial stay that would allow some of the new regulations to take effect while lower courts deliberate disputes over protections for transgender students. Multiple lawsuits have challenged U.S. Department of Educations revisions to its Title IX policy, which deals with sex-based discrimination at any school that receives federal funding. A total of 26 states have acted to block enforcement of the rules, with 22 of them already winning lower court rulings that stop them from fully taking effect. Opponents of the policy argue the rules force unwanted standards for matters that are best left for locals to determine. They have also provided fodder in the continuing fight between far-right Republican governors and attorney generals against the Democratic presidents pro-LGBTQ+ stance. The Supreme Courts ruling Friday was in response to challenges from Kentucky, which involves six other states, and Louisiana, which was joined by three other states and local school districts in its complaint. This means that Louisiana schools will not have to comply with the Biden-Harris administrations demand that they let boys in girls bathrooms as our children return to school, Attorney General Liz Murrill said in a statement. The new Title IX regulations dont explicitly require schools to open their bathrooms to students based on their gender identity. They do prohibit blanket policies that ban transgender students from using bathrooms that align with their gender identity. Conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch joined liberal Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor in dissent of Fridays ruling. Their opinion centered on lower courts ruling too broadly when blocking all of the administrations Title IX revisions. The policy changes that havent been challenged include those for pregnant and postpartum students. For example, they require schools to provide lactation rooms for mothers and designated bathrooms for pregnant students. By blocking the Government from enforcing scores of regulations that respondents never challenged and that bear no apparent relationship to respondents alleged injuries, the lower courts went beyond their authority to remedy the discrete harms alleged here, Sotomayor wrote. In Louisianas lawsuit, Murrill contends the education departments new sex discrimination policy pervades all 426 pages, justifying an across-the-board action to halt its enforcement. Peyton Rose Michelle, executive director of Louisiana Trans Advocates, said Fridays ruling from the Supreme Court undermines the protections Title IX is intended to provide by enabling discrimination instead. Its so disappointing to see public officials at all levels invalidating the dignity of trans people, Michelle said. This persecution must end. The Supreme Courts determination has no impact on the states that havent challenged the Biden administration regulations, and the new rules will continue to apply there. DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST For now, the Supreme Court wont stop states from blocking Bidens Title IX changes The U.S. Supreme Court. (File/Jane Norman/States Newsroom) States shunning new federal rules on discrimination in schools over sexual orientation and gender identity wont be forced to follow them for the time being. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Friday to reject a Biden administration request for a partial stay that would allow some of the new regulations to take effect while lower courts deliberate disputes over protections for transgender students. Multiple lawsuits have challenged U.S. Department of Educations revisions to its Title IX policy, which deals with sex-based discrimination at any school that receives federal funding. A total of 26 states, including South Carolina, have acted to block enforcement of the rules, with 22 of them already winning lower court rulings that stop them from fully taking effect. Opponents of the policy argue the rules force unwanted standards for matters that are best left for locals to determine. They have also provided fodder in the continuing fight between Republican governors and attorney generals against the Democratic presidents pro-LGBTQ+ stance. The Supreme Courts ruling Friday was in response to challenges from Kentucky, which involves six other states, and Louisiana, which was joined by three other states and local school districts in its complaint. This means that Louisiana schools will not have to comply with the Biden-Harris administrations demand that they let boys in girls bathrooms as our children return to school, Attorney General Liz Murrill said in a statement. The new Title IX regulations dont explicitly require schools to open their bathrooms to students based on their gender identity. They do prohibit blanket policies that ban transgender students from using bathrooms that align with their gender identity. Conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch joined liberal Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor in dissent of Fridays ruling. Their opinion centered on lower courts ruling too broadly when blocking all of the administrations Title IX revisions. The policy changes that havent been challenged include those for pregnant and postpartum students. For example, they require schools to provide lactation rooms for mothers and designated bathrooms for pregnant students. By blocking the Government from enforcing scores of regulations that respondents never challenged and that bear no apparent relationship to respondents alleged injuries, the lower courts went beyond their authority to remedy the discrete harms alleged here, Sotomayor wrote. In Louisianas lawsuit, Murrill contends the education departments new sex discrimination policy pervades all 426 pages, justifying an across-the-board action to halt its enforcement. Peyton Rose Michelle, executive director of Louisiana Trans Advocates, said Fridays ruling from the Supreme Court undermines the protections Title IX is intended to provide by enabling discrimination instead. Its so disappointing to see public officials at all levels invalidating the dignity of trans people, Michelle said. This persecution must end. The Supreme Courts determination has no impact on the states that havent challenged the Biden administration regulations, and the new rules will continue to apply there. Like SC Daily Gazette, Louisiana Illuminator is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Louisiana Illuminator maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Greg LaRose for questions: info@lailluminator.com. Follow Louisiana Illuminator on Facebook and X. NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) The Norfolk Police Department (NPD) will host an event for social media safety on Saturday, Aug. 17. NPDs Safe Scrolls event is designed to bring awareness to the dangers of social Media as kids across Hampton Roads prepare for the new school year. The event is for students in grades 6th through 12th. Parents are encouraged to attend the event which takes place from noon to 2 p.m. at Maury High School, 322 Shirley Ave. in Norfolk. Additionally, school supply donations will be accepted at 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 WAVY.com. The nuclear safety situation at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) is "deteriorating" after reports that a drone struck the road near the facility's perimeter, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported on Aug. 17. Russian state media claimed earlier on Aug. 17 that the Ukrainian military launched the drone at the ZNPP. Kyiv has repeatedly accused Moscow of using the plant as a launch site for drone and artillery attacks on the Ukrainian-controlled territory across the Dnipro River. An IAEA monitoring team visited the impact site and reported that the damage appeared to have been caused by a drone carrying explosives. Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi called "for maximum restraint from all sides." "Nuclear power plants are designed to be resilient against technical or human failures and external events including extreme ones, but they are not built to withstand a direct military attack, and neither are they supposed to, just as with any other energy facility in the world," Director General Grossi said. The IAEA team said that the drone hit did not cause any casualties or damage to plant equipment, but said military activity near the ZNPP has been "intense" in recent days. A fire at the plant's cooling towers on Aug. 12 caused "significant damage," though it did not pose a threat to nuclear safety. Grossi said the drone strike "highlights the vulnerability of such facilities in conflict zones" and reiterated calls to adhere to the agency's five principles of nuclear safety. The reported drone strike and Russia's allegations come as Moscow continues to spread claims that Ukrainian forces are planning to attack the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant as part of their incursion into the border region along with attacks on the ZNPP. Ukraine has called these claims "propaganda." "We officially refute these false reports. Ukraine has neither the intention nor the ability to carry out any such actions. Russia must stop spreading dangerous lies," Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said on Aug. 16. The Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Europe's largest nuclear power station, has been under Russian occupation since March 2022. Its position near the front line has led to heightened nuclear safety risks throughout Russia's full-scale war. Read also: Life near Russian-occupied nuclear plant: I dont know if tomorrow will come Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Residents protest in front of the site of a proposed homeless shelter in Bensonhurst on Friday, August 16, 2024 Brooklyn, NY The number of furious protesters fighting against the construction of a homeless shelter in south Brooklyn has quadrupled since the arrest of local Council Member Susan Zhuang. Nearly 200 people gathered outside the construction site of the proposed 150-capacity mens shelter in Bensonhurst chanting their objection to the beat of deafening drums. Were very angry and frustrated at Mayor Eric Adams, hes treating us like he doesnt care about our community, You Chan Li, 78, told the Post. The number of furious protesters fighting against the construction of a homeless shelter in south Brooklyn has quadrupled since the arrest of local Council Member Susan Zhuang. Michael Nagle Zhuang was arrested during a smaller rally of 50 people last month after they got word of the city breaking ground at the construction site. Shes been slapped with several charges including resisting arrest and assault and has been accused of biting a cop during a violent altercation that unfolded at the July 17 protest. The incident galvanized the predominantly Asian District 43 who have since been gathering under the steps of the 25 avenue D-line subway stop from as early as 4am to 9pm at night. We got thousands of signatures that we gave to the city to stop the homeless shelter from being built, Tony Yang, 19, told the Post of handwritten petitions signed and delivered to city hall in November. Nearly 200 people gathered outside the construction site of the proposed 150-capacity mens shelter in Bensonhurst chanting their objection to the beat of deafening drums. Michael Nagle He ignored thousands of people, he does not care. Its been 31 days and were still protesting with no results. An online petition started by the community has also had more than 32,000 people sign up against the shelter. Many of the protestors are calling on Adams to look at alternatives to the shelter and make good on his promises for affordable housing and jobs. They claim the shelter was built without their consent and also poses a public safety issue which will open the gates to violence, crime and Asian hate. Were very angry and frustrated at Mayor Eric Adams, hes treating us like he doesnt care about our community, You Chan Li, 78, told the Post. Michael Nagle One of the elderly ladies in our community was spat on by a homeless person when she couldnt respond to them in English, a protestor, who did not wish to provide their name, told the Post. A city Department of Social Services spokesperson said the city first notified the community in November 2023. Since her arrest, Zhuang has been keeping her distance from the protest site but told the Post that she understands her communities frustrations. My arrest was a trigger point, she admitted. We are not a violent community, we are not troublemakers, on the news every day theres a crime here, a crime there and people are concerned and their angry. Many of the protesters are calling on Adams to look at alternatives to the shelter and make good on his promises for affordable housing and jobs. Michael Nagle Mayor Eric Adams spoke with Zhuang on July 19, just days after the incident, in what Zhuang described as a very good conversation but did not go into detail. I think the Mayor was willing to listen but I dont know how much he can do to change things, she said. I told him my position, which is that, Im the council member for District 43 and my priority is the community. The Post has contacted the city for comment, but did not immediately hear back. A City Hall spokesperson previously told the Post that the Adams administration is committed to building this much-needed shelter. The site has active demolition permits issued by the Department of Buildings to take down the existing building. Sara Arno and NYRP Spring Picnic Honoree Amy Goldman Fowler at the New York Restoration Project Spring Picnic at the New York Botanical Garden on June 19, 2019 seen posing together at left in dresses; at right, old photo of Sol Goldman with daughter, Jane Goldman, him in suit and she is seen wearing pink gown and pearls; center inset of Chrysler building seen amid Midtown Manhattan skyline. A real-life Succession drama has taken a turn after a Manhattan judge threw out claims that the daughter and grandson of a real estate mogul who once owned the Chrysler building had been low-balled for their share of the familys $2 billion fortune. In addition to the famed Manhattan skyscraper, father of four Sol Goldmans massive holdings also once included the Stanhope Hotel and 13 million square feet of Big Apple real estate. Goldman died in 1987 at age 70. Amy Goldman, 70, a big-time Democratic donor, and her nephew, Steven Gurney Goldman, sued Amys sister, Jane, and Sol Goldman Investments in November, claiming Jane manipulated a contractually mandated appraisal process for their shares, causing them to be short-changed. Sol Goldman, with his youngest daughter, Jane, before he passed away in 1987. Jane has since taken over the daily operations of his real estate empire. A Manhattan Supreme Court judge ruled Aug. 9 that the company couldnt have breached its contract because the business itself was not actually a party to the deal. The court was hard pressed to find a single case where a court allowed a claim for breach of contract to proceed against a non-signatory entity, the judge stated in the ruling. An appraisal done in 2022 valued Steven and Amys shares at $91 million each, instead of the roughly $130 million apiece they had sought. After decades of being content to enjoy the benefits of [Jane Goldmans] leadership and from the business, they turned around to say, No, were not happy with that, SGI attorney David Elsberg told The Post. The judge dismissed all claims against defendant SGI, but didnt rule on other claims in the original litigation, including one alleging improper management. Sara Arno and NYRP Spring Picnic Honoree Amy Goldman Fowler at the New York Restoration Project Spring Picnic at the New York Botanical Garden on June 19, 2019 in New York City Getty Images for New York Restoration Project Judge Melissa Crane described the original complaint as three lawsuits in one, according to the ruling, and found that some of the allegations belong in Surrogates Court. We are pleased that the Court sustained our claims against Jane Goldman for her unlawful and improper attempts to exercise autocratic control over Solil and breach of fiduciary duty in connection with the SGI appraisal, Ryan Rakower, Stevens attorney, said in a statement to The Post. Steven Gurney Goldman joined with his aunt, Amy Goldman Fowler, to sue over management of the $2 billion family business. Linkedin Steven Gurney-Goldman We intend to pursue the appraisal-related claims against the individuals responsible for the misconduct, and look forward to bringing our trust and estate-related claims against Ms. Goldman to the Surrogates Court, he added. After their fathers death, Jane helmed the family business and shared ownership with Diane, Amy and their brother Allan. When Allan died in 2022, his son, Steven, 31, tried to gain more control, but Jane resisted. In what is best described as a real-life parallel to the television show Succession Jane Goldman has engaged in a brazen and illegal scheme to wrest control of the largest privately owned real estate empire in New York City from her family members, Amy and Steven claimed in court papers. Sol Goldmans empire was the largest private real estate portfolio in the city at the time of his death. Former Fox News host Bill OReilly pushed back on Independent presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr.s recent media criticism, arguing that his campaign is done. I told you from the very beginning that this was going nowhere, OReilly said this week on his No Spin News show. I told you; this was never going to work. He said Kennedy did not run his campaign well and suggested media interviews matter less when you are not a factor any longer. OReilly added that he knew the long-shot candidates chances were doomed from the start. The media pundit also claimed Kennedy agreed to join him on his show at one point, but later backed out of the appearance. Weve never had him on the No Spin News, but we gave him an opportunity and he said yes. Then he backed out. I didnt care, OReilly said Saturday. That was before he threw the bear in Central Park or I dont know what hes doing. He was referring to an incident over a decade ago in New York City when Kennedy said he dumped a dead bear cub in Central Park. A photo of him posing with a bear carcass surfaced earlier this month following a profile of the candidate in The New Yorker. In recent months, Kennedy has faced an increase in negative press and his polling has also taken a downturn. Before President Biden made the decision to not run for reelection, Kennedy was polling in double-digits. In recent weeks, his numbers have dropped to single digits. The Hill/Decision Desk HQs national polling index currently shows Kennedy with just 3.5 percent support. Vice President Harris, who rose to the top of the Democratic ticket after Bidens withdrawal from the race, is leading former President Trump by 1.8 percent 49 percent to 47.2 percent respectively. With Kennedy added in, Harris garners 47.5 percent compared to Trumps 43.7, per the polling average. The latest New York Times/Siena College poll, released Saturday, showed Kennedy with 4 percent support in the four Sun Belt battleground states. Despite lambasting Kennedys campaign work, OReilly complimented the independent presidential candidate past environmental efforts. I always said, and will continue to say, that man did a tremendous job cleaning up the Hudson River in New York and running an organization called River keepers, tremendous job, OReilly said. But other than that, hes so far out there you dont you have no idea how far out there he is, he added. The Hill has reached out to Kennedys campaign for comment. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. BROOKLYN, N.Y. (PIX11) An FDNY Deputy Chief answered the call of duty, even on his way to Disney World early Monday morning. Deputy Chief George Healy found himself in bumper to bumper traffic on the Belt Parkway in Brooklyn while making an 18-hour drive to Disney World with his family, the FDNY described in a social media post. Off-duty firefighter saves Brooklyn girl pinned under SUV: FDNY He says the accident holding them up appeared to be fast moving car fire, thats when he jumped out his car and into action. I went over to that car, the passenger door was caved in and no longer openable, and the fire was spreading up the windshield, Healy said. I pushed the airbag away and I realized in there was a man unconscious in the back seat. New FDNY Commissioner discusses his plans for the department A police officer also on the scene helped make an opening through the drivers window, allowing Healy to reach into the back seat and untangle the unconscious man from his seatbelt. Smoke and fire from the engine was quickly overtaking the car but together Healy and the police officer pulled the man from the back seat. When I went back to my car, a couple of other drivers approached me and said man, you ran into that, whats wrong with you? and Im like, Im a New York City firefighter; thats what New York City firefighters do,' the off-duty Deputy Chief said. More Local News Thanks to Healys life saving actions the man survived and recovered at a nearby hospital. 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. NEW MEXICO (KRQE) Four Corners residents can learn more information about proposed freight rail service in the area. San Juan County, the Navajo Nation, and the Federal Railroad Administration will host three public information meetings on the proposal next week. U.S. Eagle Federal Credit Union to buy Southwest Capital Bank Discussion will center on possible routes, impacts on commercial traffic, and economic opportunities. Officials said feedback they receive will be taken into consideration. Two meetings are set for Wednesday. The first will run from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Farmington Civic Center and the second from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Newcomb High School. The third meeting is set for Thursday at Navajo Technical University in Crownpoint from 5 p.m. to 7 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 KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) Officials in Sioux City and North Sioux City are preparing for the planned controlled blast of the rail bridge between the two cities. BNSF confirmed earlier in August that they are planning two controlled blasts of the collapsed rail bridge over the Big Sioux River. The first blast would take place on the South Dakota side over the river, and the second would happen later on the Iowa side. The first blast is set for 9 a.m. on Monday. Clay County, Iowa Disaster Recovery Center changing locations As part of the controlled blast, everyone within a 1,000-foot perimeter of the blast is asked to leave before 8:30 a.m. or to stay indoors. Roads in the area will also be closed to the public during that time. BNSF provided a more detailed schedule of events for Monday morning: 8:30 a.m. 1,000-foot perimeter established 8:45 a.m. Check points established, roads closed 8:55 a.m. Five-minute warning siren sounds 8:59 a.m. One-minute warning siren sounds 9:00 a.m. If All Clear then 10-second count down to controlled blast 9:05-9:15 a.m. Post-blast inspection conducted 9:15 a.m. If All Clear given, the perimeter is reopened The Sioux City Police Department said that the following roads will be closed during this time: 5600 block of Military Road to include the bridge 800 block of River Drive 2800 block of Boies Street 2800 block of Home Street BNSF said that the safest way to remove the bridge spans is through controlled blasting operations, which uses strategically located charges to cut the spans. McCook Lake Izaak Walton League holds hamburger corn feed Crews started work on the bridge removal project on Aug. 8 and have continued through this week. BNSF said that as part of the removal, crews would construct a temporary ring levee to protect the community while they dismantle and recover the bridge on the South Dakota side of the river. That matches the plans submitted to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Work on the South Dakota side is expected to take about two to three weeks before then moving to the Iowa side for another two-to-three weeks of work. The rail bridge collapsed on the night of June 23 as record flooding was taking place all over Siouxland. The bridge is less than a mile upstream from the Military Road bridge, but BNSF said in July that there is not threat to public infrastructure. Before working on removing the damaged rail bridge, BNSF had to get permission from the Corps of Engineers. The removal plans had to go through a period of public comment. Any plans for a new rail bridge will also require requests to go through the Corps of Engineers. Officials hoping to open Woodbury County LEC next week The controlled blast on the Iowa side of the bridge is scheduled to happen on Sep. 6. Work on the removal of the collapsed bridge spans is expected to take several weeks. Read more about the collapsed rail bridge 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. Gov. Kevin Stitt is urging Oklahomans to disagree better when theyre discussing controversial political topics or their differing faiths. At an event derived from the Disagree Better initiative started by the National Governors Association, the Republican governor pushed Oklahomans to engage in civil discourse in political discussions. Stitt serves as the vice chair of the NGA and spoke on two panels at Wednesdays event at the Oklahoma City Memorial and Museum in tandem with its Better Conversations initiative, which offers tools for Oklahomans to engage in conversations on sensitive or controversial topics. The national Disagree Better initiative, launched by former NGA chair Utah Gov. Spencer Cox in 2022, has a goal of helping Americans work through differences when it comes to hot button issues in the United States Avoiding hateful rhetoric and listening during political conversations were major themes at the summit, that included lawmakers and higher education officials. The panels focused on topics like having conversations with people across political divisions, free speech at higher education institutions and navigating faith. Speaking on a panel with Rep. Suzanne Schreiber, D-Tulsa, Stitt said it was important to model the way politics should be discussed across party lines. We may have a difference of opinion between each other, but we dont have to do it hatefully, and we can argue, Stitt said. The two Oklahoma politicians, for instance, disagreed about a controversial immigration law and the topic of school choice. Schreiber said both were instances where she felt legislation could have benefited from conversations like these. But both found common ground when it came to social medias role in promoting hateful rhetoric in political conversations. The important thing is to really sit down and get out of your assumptions that you may be seeing and assuming about someone that has a D or an R label, Schreiber said. Be curious and find out where they are coming from. Allyson Shortle, an associate professor of political science at University of Oklahoma, said Wednesdays summit will not solve any problems all at once but is a starting place for Oklahoma. Shortle said that events like the Disagree Better Summit demonstrate a growing distaste for hateful rhetoric in political discussions. I think we can see in a state like Oklahoma a lot of divisive rhetoric on the part of a few, but a real willingness of most people to reject those messages but still feel that the environment has shifted to a hostile one because of those few loud voices, Shortle said. She said many state legislators and Stitt have demonstrated that they are not willing to enter into too negative of dialogue and that the summit is encouraging more positive political conversations. At the end of the day, in order for a democracy to function and for local politics and state politics to function, there needs to be more trust and nobodys going to trust each other if were all calling each other heathens or, you know, evil doers, Shortle said. Stitt was one of four Republican governors who attended the National Governors Association conference in July. The governors of Utah, Wyoming and Virginia also attended. In total, 13 governors attended with the other nine governors being Democrats. Cox, who was NGA chair at the time, made a plea at the summer meeting asking the countrys governors to not tear down the institution of the NGA following low participation from fellow governors. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, who currently serves as NGA chair, said at the July meeting that the Disagree Better initiative is an important reminder to all of our fellow Americans that theres a healthier and more productive way to deal with conflicting opinions. Oklahoma Voice is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oklahoma Voice maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Janelle Stecklein for questions: info@oklahomavoice.com. Follow Oklahoma Voice on Facebook and X. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma's Gov. Kevin Stitt encourages discussions across party lines CRAIG COUNTY, Okla. State investigators are asking for the publics help with information about a specific gun that may help solve a 2008 double fatal shooting in rural Craig County. William Huls, 67, and Leota Huls, 66, were found shot to death in their home on Nov. 9, 2008. This weapon we are seeking information about is a Smith & Wesson SW9F, Tammy Ferrari, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation Cold Case agent Ferrari said the gun is a semi-automatic pistol. Its a very specific gun, Ferrari said. We would like to see if someone has this type of weapon, if it was sold to them or traded to them if they have that weapon, and if they would be willing to bring it in so we could test fires of it. That might help us solve this case. She said knowing more about this gun could help investigators either link this gun to the person or persons who killed the couple, or to someone who knows something about it. The OSBI Cold Case Unit investigator says they have re-interviewed witnesses and re-interviewed family members and now they have information on this pistol. Ferrari said she couldnt say definitively if this is the gun used in the Huls shooting, but it may lead investigators to another path to someone who might have been at the Huls residence. The OSBI ballistic people said this weapon is a possible weapon used, but we cant be 100 % sure, but its something we need to look into, said Gary Stansill, Craig County investigator. We are interested in information on whether anyone has this gun or whether this gun was sold or traded, Stansill said. I would say it was really cold-blooded. It was very cold blooded. The person that did this is extremely cold blooded. Gary Stansill, Craig County investigator. William, a former self-employed mechanic, was eating breakfast when he was shot. His head was lying on the breakfast table when his body was found. Leota Huls was found dead on the living room floor. Both were still wearing their bedclothes. Stansill said Leota Huls, a retired registered nurse, spent most of her time caring for her invalid husband. The family received a settlement from the hospital, enabling Leota to build a home designed for his disability. Authorities found no forced entry into the house, but say Leotas purse was missing. Family and friends described Leota as a spit-fire and say she most likely knew her killer or killers. OSBI can be reached at 1-800-522-8017, or tips can be emailed to tips@osbi.ok.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 KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com. The University of Mississippi plans to shutter its Division of Diversity and Community Engagement following a yearlong internal review, the chancellor announced in a campus-wide email Friday. In its place, the states flagship university will create a Division of Access, Opportunity and Community Engagement to redouble its efforts to help more students attend and graduate college amid the looming enrollment cliff facing Mississippis institutions of higher learning. We are steadfast in our commitment to the transformative power of higher education, and now is the time to prioritize our efforts to broaden access to higher education, Chancellor Glenn Boyce wrote in the campus-wide email. However, access alone is not enough. We must be committed to providing opportunities that cultivate academic attainment which leads to meaningful lives and careers. The changes come without a ban in Mississippi, as has occurred elsewhere, on state spending on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and just three years after the university announced an ambitious plan for diversity on campus called Pathways to Equity. In higher education, DEI traditionally refers to a range of administrative efforts to comply with civil rights laws and foster a sense of on-campus belonging among those populations. But in Mississippi and across the country, some Republicans and influential conservative think tanks have argued that DEI is more nefarious. In particular, State Auditor Shad White has repeatedly warned about what he sees as the dangers of DEI in speeches, interviews and on social media. Were glad universities are responding to public pressure to end these controversial, racist programs, Whites communications director, Jacob Walters, wrote in a text message. But a university saying theyre doing this is like Mississippi Today saying theyre a legitimate news organization; just because you say it doesnt mean its true. Well continue to keep Mississippi taxpayers informed on whether their money is spent on controversial programming. Boyces statement did not make reference to potential anti-DEI legislation in Mississippi. A bill that would have done so died in committee this past session. Most universities across Mississippi have already implemented changes to their diversity offices, Mississippi Today reported earlier this month. But unlike its counterparts, Ole Miss says it will submit its proposal to the governing board of all eight universities in Mississippi, the Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees. Neither the University of Southern Mississippi nor Mississippi State University submitted the changes made to their diversity offices to IHL. We did not have to seek IHL for the change, as it was simply a change in the office name, Nicole Ruhnke, USMs chief communications officer, wrote in an email. Mississippi State University did not request approval from IHL for its internal reorganization of the Division of Access, Opportunity and Success because it typically only submits name changes for academic units or the naming of colleges in honor of major donors, according to an email from the universitys vice president for strategic communications. That said, our leadership maintains a robust dialogue with IHLs leadership on almost all matters, Sid Salter wrote in an email. At Ole Miss, the new division will oversee three areas, according to Boyces email and a press release that he linked to: Access and Community Engagement, Access and Opportunity and Access and Compliance. Several university offices and functions will be brought under its aegis, including Equal Opportunity and Regulatory Compliance, Student Disability Services, Digital Accessibility, the Bonner Leaders Program and Ole Miss Opportunity, which is a last-dollar scholarship for low-income students from Mississippi. The mission for our division will enable us to better address the unique needs of our community and ensure that every individual has the support they need to thrive, the divisions vice chancellor, Shawnboda Mead, said in the release. This will enhance pathways for success, opportunity and achievement. The press release also mentioned the statewide Ascent to 55% initiative, which seeks to grow the number of Mississippians with a college degree or equivalent credential. A major challenge for this initiative is the enrollment cliff facing Mississippi, a trend in which the state will have less high school graduates going to college. The press release notes that from the 2017 to 2022 school years, the number of Mississippians graduating from high school and attending college in-state dropped by nearly 7%. This has partly fueled enrollment declines at universities across Mississippi, particularly at the regional institutions like Delta State University and Mississippi University for Women. But not so much at Ole Miss. Though the universitys enrollment has stayed roughly the same since 2014, it has recently seen a record-sized freshmen class, largely due to increasing enrollment of mostly white, out-of-state students, according to IHL data. In his email, Boyce thanked members of the campus community who contributed to a yearlong organizational and program review of the division. Its not clear who he consulted. I appreciate the members of our campus community who provided invaluable feedback and guidance, Boyce wrote. One person killed, five others injured in Friday fire in Middletown MIDDLETOWN - One person died and five others were injured in a fire Friday morning in Middletown. The fire broke out at 8 Knapp Ave. shortly before 5:30 a.m. Friday. The Middletown Fire Department said flames were already engulfing significant portions of the building when the first firefighters arrived on the scene four minutes after the fire was first reported. There were six occupants inside the residence at the time the fire broke out, and one of them did not survive the blaze. The name of the person who died is being withheld, pending notification of family members. Stolen property: Irish couple, wanted for fraud charges in UK, arrested with stolen truck in Ulster County The five other people were taken by Empress EMS to Garnet Health Medical Center in Middletown, where they are being treated for various injuries. No further information on their conditions was available. The fire was placed under control at 12:48 p.m. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Mike Randall covers breaking news for the Times Herald-Record and the Poughkeepsie Journal. Reach him at mrandall@th-record.com. This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Fatal fire in Middletown: One dead, five hurt One Week Later: Recovery efforts continue in the Town of Canisteo after damaging floods ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) Its been one week since streets in the Town of Canisteo suffered major damage after intense flooding. A majority of those streets remain closed. News 8 revisited the area Friday. Theres so many more people involved this time, and the damage was much more extensive this time, Mary Grose said. One week ago, a portion of the Town of Canisteo heard roaring floods and residents saw homes and tractors swept away. Now whats heard on those streets is the continuation of cleanup efforts. I thought I was going to die: Steuben County resident in heart of damage recounts being stuck in home during flooding Many professional businesses assessing the damage. Many residents taking it upon themselves to clean their own properties. Mary Grose says the town is no stranger to floods and says her nearby Arkport property has seen three. My husband and I decided in 2021 we werent going to go through that again. So, we were in the process of going to put a double wide on that property, and by the grace of God, we didnt. And two weeks after, we had looked at two that we were trying to decide on, the flood hit, Grose told News 8. Stationed at the towns high school this week was a flood relief resource event. Those impacted by the damage had the opportunity to sit down with representatives from local agencies to see how much funding assistance they are eligible for. Grose said she came to see if she can get help getting dumpsters. Sot: 5:45 I still have property, and it needs to be taken care of. That is not something I want to leave for my kids to have to take care of, and Im hoping that I will get some help, Grose said. Governor Hochul went to Canisteo this past Sunday to announce state grants of up to $50,000 available to homeowners to help them get back on their feet. Youll not be forgotten: Gov. Kathy Hochul promises support to those impacted by Fridays flooding Mary and many other residents said they dont feel thats not enough and want to see structural changes so when floods happen, they dont leave this big of a mess behind. Hopefully this time will be different. This time the state will step up, the government will step up, and they need to get some people to find out why this is happening, because its not the first time three times or two times in less than three years. Its not acceptable. They need to find out whats going on with those rivers and why theyre backing up into that area, Grose said. They need help, and they need to start doing it now, not later, not another flood later. The Steuben County Office of Emergency Management is set to host another relief event for flood victims Monday in the Town of Bath at 1 p.m. at the Steuben County Civil Defense Center on State Route 54. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Operation Homefront hands out school supplies to military kids ahead of school year MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. Operation Homefront handed out school supplies to get hundreds of military kids ready for the upcoming school year on Saturday. According to the non-profit, the event was a part of their Back-to-School Brigade. This year made it their seventeenth annual brigade for military families and their students. This event is one of dozens that are happening around the country. Summertime is a common time of year for military families to move to new stations and those relocations can cost the families thousands of dollars right before their kids are set to get back to the classroom. Students received all of the necessary items they need to have a successful year at school. To learn more about Operation Homefront, click here . This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW On Thursday, officials in Nassau County, New York, where I live, signed a mask ban into law, one of the first of its kind in the country. And while to most healthy adults it doesnt mean much, to those with serious health conditions, like me, it makes getting out into the world a lot harder. The ban was touted by lawmakers as a public safety measure after reported antisemitic incidents and protests at various New York universities, many involving people wearing masks. Those who violate the new law face a misdemeanor charge punishable by up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine. And while there are exemptions for people with religious and medical reasons, its not dealing with the law that Im afraid of. Its dealing with the citizen cops of the world who will be using their discretion to enforce it. I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in February 2023. Its a fast-growing type of blood cancer. I underwent more than five rounds of chemotherapy, and the following July, thanks to an amazingly generous donor, I had a stem cell transplant, something I knew nothing about until I got sick. I was given some of the most powerful chemotherapies to kill my old immune system and any remaining cancer cells. Then I was given my donors stem cells to help build a brand-new immune system. Kelly Betts. There are a lot of risks that come along with the transplant, especially in the early stages as the stem cells are engrafting and you have no immune system. The first 100 days are the riskiest, and you must watch everything from what you eat to how its prepared, and most of all the people around you. Your body is starting from scratch, so you have almost no immunities. Any vaccinations youve had over your lifetime have been wiped out. For the last year since my transplant, my immune system has slowly been getting stronger. But building a new immune system takes years, and I have a long way to go. So, wearing my face mask whenever I go out is essential. That brings me back to the new law. I wear a medic alert bracelet and would hope that showing it to the police, should it ever become an issue, would be enough. But thats not guaranteed, because anyone can just order one. Would I be forced to show up in court to prove my medical condition to a judge? And what cost and time could that take, all to protect my health? And what about my family or people who act as caregivers, who dont technically have medical conditions of their own, but still wear masks to protect me? Would there be an exemption for them? Most of all, I worry about those who have strong feelings against masks. As we know, many people read headlines and not always the full story. And just reading most of the headlines, all someone will know is that theres a mask ban in Nassau County. Even at the height of my illness, with no hair and really looking like I had cancer, I still got comments like Covid is over or thats not protecting you. And while the few comments hurt, especially while I was battling for my life, I could shake them off. I had a bigger fight ahead of me. Now, healthier with hair again and 43 years old, the comments continue. But I worry that in this current political climate and with the new law, it may not end at that. People cant see my disability from the outside. Its been hard to get back out in the world, as many can relate to after going through a global pandemic. Even being as careful as I am and just starting to let my guard down a little in outdoor settings, I caught Covid. And it took my body and immune system down hard. Luckily, Im recovering and back to wearing my mask diligently, even outdoors. I want to be able to return to my normal life. And go out with friends, see a Broadway show, and one day get back to my office in the city. But now with New York City considering passing its own mask ban, I dont know when I would feel safe enough to do that. Is this law really protecting the masses? This article was originally published on MSNBC.com Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama shake hands at the end of the last debate at Lynn University, Monday, Oct. 22, 2012, in Boca Raton, Fla. | Pablo Martinez Monsivais The presidential race has shifted dramatically in recent weeks. The only sure bet moving forward is that there are no sure bets. But heres what I do know. No matter who wins come November, the underlying conditions in our country will not have fundamentally shifted pervasive mistrust, deep divisions, and growing inequities and disparities will still exist. In fact, when the polls close on election night, things are likely to get worse before they get better. For over 35 years, Ive supported individuals, organizations and communities in their quests to create lasting change. My approach has spread to all 50 states and 40 countries worldwide. Ive worked everywhere from Flint, Michigan, after the community lost tens of thousands of auto jobs, to Newtown, Connecticut, following the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Each election season, I return to a key lesson I learned from these experiences. Politics will not indeed, cannot solve what ails much of our society today. Let me be clear. Each of us needs to vote our conscience this November. Yet if we really want to move the country forward, we will need a much deeper response than just electing a new president. Since January, Ive been crisscrossing the country everywhere from Rep. Matt Gaetzs district in Pensacola, Florida, to Fresno, California, to Selma, Alabama calling for a new civic path that can address the chaos and despair consuming society today. Everywhere I go, the response has been overwhelmingly positive. People are hungry for an alternative to our divisive politics; they are hungry for something real. But why a civic path? Listen to Americans for even a moment and what becomes clear is that what ails us is a lost sense of control over our lives. A deep separation from one another. A belief that our concerns are not being heard or valued. Too many people feel that they and their communities are being left out and left behind. These are human challenges that demand a human response. The change we need must start in our local communities and grow from there. It is in our local communities that we can restore our belief that we can get things done together. There, we can figure out what we can agree on amid our real differences and get in motion. Step by step, we can unleash a chain reaction of actions that builds momentum and restores our sense of possibility and hope. The good news is that communities across the country are already forging this civic path. Places like Reading, Pennsylvania, once declared the poorest community in the country; Alamance County, North Carolina, one of the most divided places Ive ever worked; and Logan and Union counties in Ohio, which just so happen to be in the district of Rep. Jim Jordan, the co-founder of the House Freedom Caucus. Why are communities like this on the move against the odds? They are focusing on issues people care most about things like youth opportunities, education, mental health, support for seniors, safety and connection with others. Whats more, they removed these issues from a heated political frame and instead framed them in terms of peoples shared aspirations. This new frame asks each of us to give a little to get a lot, rather than try to win at all costs. It also strengthens our weakened civic culture the norms, relationships, networks, leaders and sense of shared purpose that determine a communitys ability to move forward. Without strengthening our civic culture, we cannot move forward. So many of the major sea changes in our past from abolishing slavery to womens suffrage to civil rights to gay rights didnt start in Washington, D.C., or even one of our state capitols. They started in our local communities. With leaders, citizens, neighbors and others believing that we can be better and do better. People gathered in homes. In church basements. In civic halls and town squares. They had sharp differences and disagreements, but they also forged a shared purpose that connected them to something larger than themselves. They were determined to go together. This is the spirit we must tap into again today both to create the change people seek and to build the momentum we need to transform our broken national politics. It starts locally. Im convinced that no political candidate or party can solve what ails America at this moment. The challenges we face are too deep, and they touch our daily lives in such profound ways. Yet history teaches us that the change we need can and must start in our local communities. We need a new civic path, now more than ever. Richard C. Harwood is the president and founder of The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation. At least a million people listened to Elon Musks conversation with former President Donald Trump live on X this past Monday. A private citizen engaging a powerful politician in a dialogue is a critical element of American free speech. Unlike most of the rest of the world, our system is built on the belief that more nonviolent speech the good, the bad and the ugly is the way we settle our differences and make decisions in our democracy. And whatever your politics, this is a good and normal thing freedom is messy and such conversations are protected by the Constitution, no matter how truthful, misleading, hateful or valuable the conversation was to listeners. Americans should celebrate our expansive view of expression and encourage more of these conversations in our society. But thats not how Thierry Breton, the European Unions commissioner for internal markets felt. Prior to the interview, Breton sent Musk a letter (which he also posted on X) in which he felt compelled to remind Musk that large American tech companies are required to comply with a series of rules and regulations under the sprawling auspices of the Digital Services Act (DSA). Right after making a perfunctory aside to say that free expression is important, Breton warned that X is responsible for failing to take appropriate mitigation measures regarding the amplification of harmful content. To be clear: mitigation measures means removing, demoting, limiting how content can be shared or searched for, or otherwise suppressing speech that promotes hatred, disorder, incitement to violence, or certain instances of disinformation as it is considered illegal, according to national and/or EU law. Breton essentially threatened X with legal action if it failed to censor the Trump conversation to the satisfaction of E.U. bureaucrats. This is a full-throated attack on free speech in an American election. While Musk has occasionally been an inconsistent champion of free speech rights, he was clearly right to move ahead with his interview. How American businesses react to European threats will shape how everyone engages with the online world in the future. It is worth reading Bretons letter for yourself to understand just how dangerous and brazen this act of attempted censorship by the E.U. is. Its also a helpful demonstration of how the edicts put out by authorities in Brussels dont just stay in Europe they can have major implications for how American tech companies operate, what kinds of speech are allowed online and even how election campaigns are run in the U.S. The E.U., via Breton, argued for the widespread suppression of a major American political discussion on X because they assert it may be illegal in E.U. member countries. While social media companies can and often do geoblock content so that it cant be viewed in certain countries in response to legal demands from authorities, the idea that X users would not be able to tune in to a discussion with an American presidential candidate because the E.U. says so is more akin to the Great Firewall of China or other totalitarian efforts to limit what users can find online. But Breton did not stop there, as he helpfully reminded Musk that X is already being prosecuted under the DSA for not sufficiently following E.U. rules. And since this interview with Trump was livestreamed to users in the E.U., Brussels was monitoring for content that might incite violence, hate, and racism. Thus, any negative impact of illegal content ... may be relevant in the context of the ongoing proceedings. Nothing says do what we want quite like and if you dont, we will use it against you in our court of law where we are the judge, the jury, and the executioner and can penalize you by seizing up to 6% of your global sales. U.S. citizens and American companies are increasingly affected by the rules written in Brussels the so-called Brussels effect. Every company has to decide if their new product or new content moderation policy complies with a vast array of E.U. laws. Many companies will decide to simply create products and policies that comport with E.U. rules, even when offered to Americans. For example, the recent massive IT outage was so widespread in part because of an E.U. requirement that forced Microsoft to give CrowdStrike broad access to Windows. Other companies will deal with this through the costly complication of having significantly different products and business practices for different regions or by launching only some of their products in some locations. For example, in the past month, Meta and Apple both announced that they will not be releasing some of their new features in the E.U. because of concerns over the DSA. The censorial threat from Breton clearly extends the Brussels effect into American speech and elections. This is a demand from the E.U. to suppress core political speech regarding a U.S. election under penalty of law that could have major implications for Musk, X, Trumps candidacy, American voters and Europeans who want to observe or be part of the conversation. It is worth remembering that such censorship is a double-edged sword. Consider this entirely plausible hypothetical: E.U. right-wing parties further build on their electoral gains and win a majority in the next E.U. election. They could easily turn the E.U.s censorship arsenal against American progressives issuing such warnings to social media companies when Democratic politicians speak online, declaring pro-Palestinian activists to be terrorists, or censoring pro-immigration groups as a threat to Europe. Rather than let American companies, users and expression be abused by E.U. diktats, the American government should be diplomatically pushing back to protect its citizens and their rights. And as evidenced by large tech companies already withholding their newest products from the E.U., it also may be only a matter of time before these companies simply walk away from Europe and its crippling and censorial regulations. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com In a recent speech in Montana, former President Donald Trump predicted that pink-haired Marxists will be cheering if Comrade Walz and Comrade Harris win the election this fall. In an appearance on Fox & Friends, he said that no one knew how radical left Vice President Kamala Harris was until she became the Democratic nominee but that she is more so than Bernie Sanders. Trump mega-donor Elon Musk has called Harris quite literally a communist. As someone who campaigned for Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., in 2020, I would love it if the candidate currently ahead in the polls was actually much more left-wing than Bernie. Sadly, the picture painted by Trump and Musk is completely detached from reality. Dont expect to hear anything at the Democratic National Convention that comes within a thousand miles of a democratic socialist program. Sanders signature policy proposal was Medicare for All, which would eliminate the for-profit insurance industry and treat health care as a right. This is a relatively modest proposal by global standards. Canadians, for example, have enjoyed free basic health insurance for several decades. But it would be a very big deal in an American context. This is a country where its not unheard of for diabetics to die because they try to ration out their insulin and medical debt is a leading cause of bankruptcy. Even people who are lucky enough to have private insurance often stay at jobs they hate for fear of losing it. Providing every American with public insurance would be a massive step in the right direction. If the Harris-Walz ticket really had Sanders-like inclinations but more so, it might want to go beyond the Canadian model and create an American version of Britains National Health Service. On the British model, instead of just providing people with free insurance, the government owns the hospitals and pays the doctors. That sounds extreme to American ears, but its so popular in the U.K. that even conservative politicians dont go around saying they want to end the NHS. Theyd never win another election if they did. And if Harris and Walz really wanted to earn that comrade label, theyd have to go beyond proposals like these, which would just bring the U.S. into line with other Western democracies, and start thinking in far more radical terms. Perhaps some giant companies owned by billionaires could be expropriated and turned over to the workers. My own hair isnt pink, but I would certainly cheer if Comrade Harris took up the suggestion once made by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and promoted legislation to turn Amazon into a worker-owned cooperative. Why not let all the people doing grueling and dangerous labor at those warehouses share equally in the revenue theyre creating? Of course, none of this is going to happen. In real life, Comrade Harris ran as a moderate even during her first campaign for the presidency in 2020. Shed been a co-sponsor of Medicare for All in the Senate, for example, but on the campaign trail she tried to split the difference between Joe Biden and Sanders and ended up triangulating her position to the point of absurdity. Medicare for All has always meant single-payer national health insurance. In other words, rather than high-income people having better care than everyone else and millions of Americans who arent quite poor enough to qualify for Medicaid not having any insurance at all, everyone would get equal access to the same quality of health care. The principle is the same as the local fire departments putting out everyones fires on an equal basis, whether the building on fire is a trailer or a mansion. Wed all recognize that it would be morally obscene if you had to pay for fire insurance and firefighters approached you with a portable card reader to ask for a copay before they turned on the hose, but no one seems to be able to coherently explain why health care should be different. And we could actually put more money in the pockets of middle-income taxpayers who already have health insurance if we swept away all the premiums, copays and deductibles in favor of a modest tax increase to pay for Medicare for All. Its a powerful idea. But Harris was already backing away from it in 2020. As she awkwardly navigated the race for the Democratic nomination, seeking a lane somewhere between Sanders and Biden, she claimed that she still supported Medicare for All but that her version of it would preserve a role for the profit-seeking middlemen in the private insurance companies. Private Medicare plans, she said, would compete with public Medicare plans. In other words, we would still have two-tiered health care for the rich and the poor. And this time around, shes no longer even interested in splitting the difference. The Harris campaign told CNN that the vice president no longer supports a single-payer health care system. At the end of July, the campaign told the Washington Examiner that she no longer supports a federal jobs guarantee, which was part of a Green New Deal resolution supported by Harris and 13 other senators in 2019. Many workers in industries like oil, gas and coal understandably worry that their jobs will be eliminated by a serious effort to transition to greener energy sources. The Green New Deal resolution promised to do the opposite, guaranteeing a job with a family-sustaining wage for every American who wanted one. The Harris campaign told the Examiner that Harris has changed her position on a jobs guarantee and that the campaign is trying to be forward-looking, rather than looking backward. If giving Americans jobs and health care would be backward-looking because these were ideas people were talking about in 2019, what about the issue the left has focused on the most in the last 10 months U.S. involvement in Israels war in Gaza? Millions of Palestinians have been driven from their homes since October, and more children were killed in the first five months of the assault on Gaza than in all the war zones in the world for four years before. The issue has sparked so much outrage that, in crucial states like Michigan and Wisconsin, more Democratic primary voters voted for uncommitted than the margins by which Biden won those states in 2020. But after hecklers demanded that Harris commit to cutting off weapons, her national security adviser announced that she will always ensure Israel is able to defend itself against Iran and Iran-backed terrorist groups. In other words, the U.S. wont stop supplying the bombs Israel drops on refugee camps any time soon. Im sure this pleases national security hawks in Harris coalition, just as her disavowal of national health care and a jobs guarantee pleases the donor class. But dont expect jubilant cheering from pink-haired Marxists or even Bernie-style social democrats. These groups might vote Harris when push comes to shove. They dont want Trump to return to the White House. But theyd also like jobs, peace and health care, and Harris keeps telling them that none of that is on the table. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com If youve ever seen a newborn bird or mouse, their skin is so thin its translucent. Its difficult to imagine the vulnerability of such a creature, so new to the world. They need constant protection. Any exposure might kill them. When the drugs are gone, addicts have no skin. We are that vulnerable. Our eyes stay shut tight, as even the sunlight hurts. If Matthew Perry was like me, and I think he was, he couldnt survive the world without help. He was just as vulnerable. As I read the contents of his toxicology report, I thought, He just hurt too much. We dont feel vulnerable to drugs, but to feeling. We cant stand it after being numb so long. On Thursday, news broke that five people, including Perrys assistant and doctors, were charged with providing him the ketamine that led to his accidental overdose in 2023. They knew what they were doing was wrong. They knew what they were doing was risking great danger to Mr. Perry, proclaimed U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada. But they did it anyways. In the end, these defendants were more interested in profiting off of Mr. Perry than caring for his well being. It enraged me. I understand why charging these people may seem like a good idea. Text messages between two of the doctors indeed show a deep callousness toward Perry, whom they refer to as a moron as they speculate about their potential payday. But the false narratives surrounding addiction in our nation keep us sick. Arresting Perrys suppliers is not a solution to addiction. Its smoke and mirrors; a PR tactic meant to convince Americans our government is doing something about the problem. The truth is addiction is a terrible and mysterious disorder of the brain. Philip Seymour Hoffman, Heath Ledger, Prince, Whitney Houston and Matthew Perry did not survive it. Inexplicably, I did so far. Ive been off heroin for many years. But if I were to overdose tomorrow, the Drug Enforcement Administration would not be dispatched to investigate. I am not in the public eye and dont have a fan base. Law enforcement doesnt need to prove to anyone theyre doing something about my death. Id be just one more statistic. I also cant imagine any dealer considering a career change because of these arrests. The market for drugs is like any other, a question of supply and demand. If the five people who helped Perry procure drugs hadnt come through, he would have found five others who would. He had the money to do so. Not everyone does. Addiction is a medical issue, not a moral one. What does justice look like? Arresting a doctor here or a personal assistant there? This sort of targeted prosecution is the flimsiest of Band-Aids. It implies the matter has been closed, and it enables society to bypass our responsibility both to Perry and to each other. How do we convince the American people to invest in evidence-based drug treatments for addicts when other patients cant get the basic health coverage they need? France cut heroin overdoses by almost 80%, a stunning success rate. But it has health care for all and centers devoted to not just getting addicts off drugs, but also to providing therapy and job training. Theres another aspect of this tragedy that is difficult to convey, and even more difficult to accept. And that is the notion of what is and isnt help. Ive been dope sick before, and its a hell I wouldnt wish on my worst enemy. Perry asked his longtime live-in assistant for relief; according to court documents, the assistant administered three injections of ketamine between 8:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on the day of the actors death. I cant imagine Perry wanting that assistant punished for fulfilling his requests. (And of course, now well never be able to ask.) I dont expect everyone to understand an impulse that isnt rational. But for addicts, help is often only one thing: more of what kills us. If we lived in a nation that recognized addiction as the disorder of the brain it is proven to be; if we provided medical support not just to addicts, but to all Americans; and if we finally gave up the yoke of puritanism and accepted the medical science surrounding addiction treatment, I might say: Go ahead. Arrest the dealers. But we do not live in such a nation. When our government cracked down on doctors for overprescribing with no other solutions in place, some addicts looked for relief on the streets. Some killed themselves. People in chronic pain were stranded. Illegal fentanyl killed hundreds of thousands. Should Kamala Harris become our next president, I hope she has the wherewithal to rewrite our addiction policy. In the meantime, the men and women who fed Perrys addiction will go to jail probably. Perrys assistant has already pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death. The publics thirst for revenge may be slaked temporarily. But nothing else will change. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) Authorities are looking for two men suspected of taking an oversized sturgeon within a protected breeding sanctuary in Umatilla County in May, the Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division announced Friday. Oregon State troopers received a tip about the unlawful take that occurred around May 9 after a video was posted on Snapchat by an account under the username Rodrigo with a maple leaf emoji. The video showed one person holding a fishing rod hooked to the fish as another person enters the water and wrestles the sturgeon to shore, OSP said. This subject then lifts the sturgeon vertically by shoving his hands through the gills and out the mouth. The injuries to the sturgeons gills were almost certainly fatal, authorities explained. Missing McMinnville woman likely lost in vast wilderness off Highway 138 East All sturgeon angling is closed in the breeding sanctuary from May 1 to Aug. 31 to protect the stock. Officials noted male sturgeon do not breed until they are about 54 inches in length, when they are 10-15 years old, and female do not breed until they are about 66 inches, or 15-25 years old. Authorities said it takes many years for the fish to grow to breeding size and the one in the video appeared to be more than 72 inches. Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Oregon State Police and reference case number SP24-229621. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. O'Reilly partners with U.S. Army PaYS program OReilly Auto Parts is formally partnering with the U.S. Armys Partnership for Your Success (PaYS) Program, proving a transition from military to civilian careers. The program guarantees soldiers interviews with PaYS partners as they prepare for civilian life while employers in the program get access to a pool of highly skilled, motivated and professional job candidates. U.S. Army Lt. Col. Nicholas Swoboda and Brent Ellis, director of talent acquisition at OReilly Auto Parts, sign the memorandum of understanding for the PaYS program. Weve found that military training and service closely align with our culture values at OReilly things like hard work, teamwork, respect and honesty, said Shari Reaves, senior vice president of OReilly Human Resources and Training. Our veteran team members appreciate our promote-from-within philosophy which creates more than just a job. At OReilly, hard work gets promotions, providing our team members with a career. For the Army, the PaYS program helps it recruit high-quality men and women as it offers them employment assistance past their term of service. Army leaders say the new partnership is a win-win. To search for job opportunities at O'Reilly, visit www.careers.oreillyauto.com Branson Bank hosts photography contest Branson Bank is seeking area photographers to submit photo entries for its 2025 Calendar Contest. Whether its a breathtaking view of the Ozarks, the serenity of Table Rock Lake, an aerial photo of Bull Shoals or the charm of historic sites, the local, community bank would like to showcase your photos. Each year, bank associates select a custom theme for our annual calendar. In the past, we have featured childrens artwork, pet photos, favorite recipes and most recently, the calendar honored area Veterans, said Lyndi Carnelison, marketing officer at Branson Bank, in a news release. We are always excited to share area talents with our community and I can't wait to see the amazing photos submitted for the 2025 calendar contest." The 2025 Branson Bank Calendar Contest is open to all area photographers, amateur or professional. Limit is three entries per photographer. Photos must feature current (since January 2023) natural landscapes or public landmarks within Stone or Taney County. All entries must be submitted by Friday, Sept. 13. The formal entry form is available at all Branson Bank locations and online for download at www.bransonbank.com. Three $100 cash prizes will be awarded for area favorites to include: (1) Forsyth area, (1) Branson area, and (1) Branson West area. Winners will be selected by a panel of Branson Bank associates and will be notified by Oct. 1 and announced via Branson Bank social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram. Area favorites, along with honorable mention photos, will be featured in the 2025 Branson Bank Community Calendar which will be available at all Branson Bank locations by Jan. 1, 2025. For more information about the 2025 Calendar Contest, visit a Branson Bank location, www.bransonbank.com, or email the Branson Bank Marketing Department at marketing@bransonbank.com. Tanger Outlets launches grant program Tanger Outlets Branson announced the launch of its 2024 TangerKids Grants Program, which supports educational resources for area students. Applications are open through Oct. 18, and Missouri educators are encouraged to apply at grants.tanger.com. The platform invites teachers and leaders within the community to identify their needs and request funding to enhance programs and better serve students as they work to create a more productive and inclusive learning environment. Throughout the programs 30 year history, Tanger has contributed more than $3.4 million to school-focused initiatives in the communities it serves. In 2023, Tanger awarded $168,000 to fund over 140 grants to schools and programs across the U.S., supporting equipment upgrades, inclusion initiatives, interactive learning spaces, hygiene and clothing closets, literacy efforts, STEM and more. This year, Tanger has earmarked 70% of total grants for support of underserved schools, accessibility programs and student needs. Faculty members at public and private schools from pre-K to grade 12 are eligible to participate in the annual program. Tanger Branson shoppers will again be invited to help choose grant winners in their community through Members Choice voting, which will be open Dec. 2-13. Award recipients will be announced in January 2025 and celebrated at the centers annual TangerKids Day. Friends of the Library book sale is Sept. 11-15 Stock up on winter boredom busters by finding the perfect book this fall and winter. The Friends of the Library Fall Book Sale features new and used hardback and paperback books, CDs, movies, vinyl records, audiobooks, games and puzzles. Adult, young adult and childrens books and most audiovisuals are $1 or less; better books are priced $2 and up. The sale is Wednesday, Sept. 11, through Sunday, Sept. 15, at the E*Plex, Ozark Empire Fairgrounds, 3001 N. Grant Ave. Hours are Wednesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Saturday, Half-Price Day, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; and Sunday, Bag Day, 1-5 p.m., when everything you can jam in a sack is only $1, or $5 from better books. The Friends accept cash or check only, and parking is free. The Friends Night Preview Sale is Tuesday, Sept. 10, 4-8 p.m. Friends members admitted free; or pay $5 at the door to shop and turn that into a Friends membership at no extra cost. (Shopping early is encouraged, as popular authors and bestsellers tend to sell out quickly.) For more sale information, call 417-850-1999, or email friends@thelibrary.org. This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: O'Reilly partners with U.S. Army PaYS program to hire veterans Other states are putting abortion on the ballot. Why wont Republicans in NC? | Opinion Come November, voters in Arizona and Missouri will decide whether to enshrine a presumptive right to abortion in their state constitutions. According to a May CBS News poll, 65% of likely Arizona voters told pollsters they support the measure. A record number of signatures were gathered to place the issue on the ballot the most in state history for a ballot initiative. Gene Nichol Similar proposals are already on the ballot in Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Nevada, New York, and South Dakota. In the two years since the Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade, abortion rights supporters have prevailed in all seven other states where the issue was put before voters. Something of a pattern appears. While 26 states allow ballot initiatives, North Carolina, sadly, doesnt. But an abortion amendment could be placed on the ballot if referred by the General Assembly. State Sen. Rachel Hunt has attempted to do exactly that filing the Protect Womens Healthcare proposal (Senate Bill 909). Republican leaders made sure it went nowhere. Even though they are perennial advocates of a wild and often silly array of state constitutional amendment offerings, they apparently dont want to hear from Tar Heels on one of the most vital personal liberty questions to arise in North Carolina history. Im guessing theyre a little frightened by the gale thats blowing. So much for the will of the people. Its not that N.C. Republicans dont want to change the state constitution in November. Following the advice of election-denying Donald Trump lawyer, Cleta Mitchell, Republicans have already placed on the ballot a measure to alter the language of Art. VI, sec. 1 of the N.C. Constitution. It would say, if passed, only a citizen of the United States who is 18 years of age can vote in the state. It wouldnt change North Carolinas constitutional and statutory requirements in any meaningful way. But it does follow the Republican political playbook turning out the base by implying, falsely, that undocumented immigrants are voting in North Carolina elections. They arent. And wont be. But better to throw up the fictitious specter than focus on womens crucial, life-altering, reproductive freedoms. Why pay attention to whats real when you can dwell on the animosity-laced terrain of the fake? How Trumpian. Republicans got surprising (and disappointing) levels of support from Democrats on the citizens only referral. Im guessing many were reluctant to be beaten over the head in November for a provision that doesnt actually do anything. Jim Womack, president of the hilariously-named North Carolina Election Integrity Team, said Republican lawmakers would support the proposed constitutional change simply because itll bring conservatives to the polls. House Speaker Tim Moore put a little brighter gleam on it, saying: I think as long as we get that and get that to the people to be able to vote on it, is very important. Sen. Brad Overcash, grandly, told his colleagues: An opportunity before you today is to empower the people of North Carolina to amend their own constitution... Sen. Buck Newton, a Republican from Wayne County, echoed Overcash, saying during a floor debate: Its only fair to the citizens of this state that we ensure that only citizens are allowed to vote in this state, and this bill gives them the opportunity to decide that for themselves. You bet. Im certain that hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, more North Carolinians would prefer to decide the crushingly concrete abortion issue for themselves than the imagined peril of non-citizen voting. Why not empower them? Isnt it only fair they decide? Or do our Republican leaders merely use the referendum system to distort the democratic process, not to assure it? I fear we know what the answer to that question is. Contributing columnist Gene Nichol is a professor of law at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. A general view of Bayrakli and Karsiyaka districts after the fire, as extinguishing and cooling efforts continue on the second day of the Great Izmir Fire. The forest fire that started on Yamanlar Mountain in the Karsiyaka district of Izmir, Turkey's third largest city, had an effect throughout the city due to the dense smoke covering the sky. Tolga Ildun/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa Wildfires across western Turkey, the worst so far this year, injured 21 people and forced around 4,000 residents to evacuate, the authorities said on Saturday. Flares continued in five cities and provinces, including the country's third-largest city Izmir, state broadcaster TRT reported. It showed images of a thick grey smoke over a forested land in Izmir's neighbouring Aegean province of Manisa. Flames in Izmir, ongoing for two days, injured 21 people, Izmir Mayor Cemil Tugay announced on X. None are badly injured, he added. The wounded, including six firefighters and one police officer, are currently receiving treatment, Tugay said. There is no immediate threat of the wildfire in Izmir's Karsiyaka district to spread to residential centres, he added. A total of 3,971 residents in four Western provinces, including Izmir, were evacuated to safety, the country's disaster authority separately announced on X on Saturday. Late Friday in Izmir, flames from a wildfire reached an apartment complex and industrial area, causing panic, state broadcaster TRT reported. Overnight, 17 residential homes were burned, 105 houses and 44 workplaces were evacuated in Izmir, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakl told reporters in Izmir early on Saturday. So far, the fire damaged 1,600 hectares of land in Izmir, Minister Yumakl added. Meanwhile six people were detained over suspected sabotage relating to the wildfires, two of them in Izmir and four in the north-western city of Bolu, Yumakl added. The cause of the blazes was not immediately clear. Turkey has been struggling with a heatwave through the summer, making wildfires more likely across the country. The authorities remain on alert until mid-September due to unexpected weather conditions. A General view of Bayrakli and Karsiyaka districts after the fire, as extinguishing and cooling efforts continue on the second day of the Great Izmir Fire. The forest fire that started on Yamanlar Mountain in the Karsiyaka district of Izmir, Turkey's third largest city, had an effect throughout the city due to the dense smoke covering the sky. Tolga Ildun/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa A general view of Bayrakli and Karsiyaka districts after the fire, as extinguishing and cooling efforts continue on the second day of the Great Izmir Fire. The forest fire that started on Yamanlar Mountain in the Karsiyaka district of Izmir, Turkey's third largest city, had an effect throughout the city due to the dense smoke covering the sky. Tolga Ildun/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa Yahoo Sports Week 5 is in the books and oh my there's a lot of panic on these fantasy streets. Dalton Del Don joins Matt Harmon for another edition of the 'People's Panic Meter' to answer all of your listener submissions. The duo examines the situations for Breece Hall, Buffalo Bills, Bijan Robinson and many more. HONG KONG (AP) Hong Kong welcomed the birth of its first locally born giant pandas on Thursday, with their mother becoming the worlds oldest first-time mother of its kind on record, the theme park that houses them announced. Ying Ying, the mother, gave birth to the twins one male and one female at Ocean Park just a day before she turned 19 years old, the park said in a statement. Panda twins are born in Hong Kong; Ying Ying now world's oldest first-time mom She and her partner Le Le are the second pair of pandas gifted by China to Hong Kong since the former British colony returned to Chinas rule in 1997. Pandas are widely considered as the countrys unofficial national mascot and Chinas giant panda loan program with overseas zoos has long been known as a tool of Beijings soft-power diplomacy. Ocean Park said in the statement that giant pandas have a notoriously difficult time reproducing, especially as they age and panda pregnancy is not readily detectable. Theres still time! Final days of Asian Lantern Festival Although Ying Ying started showing symptoms including decreased appetite, increased need for rest time and changes in hormonal levels in late July, her pregnancy was only confirmed on Sunday. On Wednesday, her care team noticed Ying Yings labor symptoms and her amniotic fluid broke at night. After over five hours of labor, the babies were safely delivered Thursday morning, the park said. 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. Visitors will have to wait for a few months for their public debut. Ocean Park Corp. chairman Paulo Pong thanked the local animal care team, as well as experts from mainland China for their partnership and assistance over the years. The 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, Pong said. Hong Kong leader John Lee also expressed his gratitude to the central government for gifting the pandas to the financial hub in 2007, saying it showed Beijings care and support for the city. Public health alert: Meats, poultry products illegally imported into US Hong Kong has its own governing and judicial system and China authored a 2020 national security law that has been used to prosecute pro-democracy activists. In July, Lee announced that Hong Kong would receive a third pair of pandas from China. The pair is expected to arrive this year. The late first pair, An An and Jia Jia, arrived in 1999. Jia Jia, who died at 38 in 2016, is the worlds oldest-ever panda to have lived in captivity. The average lifespan for a panda in the wild is 18 to 20 years, while in captivity its 30 years, according to Guinness World Records. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW. FORT MOORE, Ga. (WRBL) Newly-minted paratroopers graduate from Airborne School at Fort Moore nearly every other Friday. Todays graduation, including more than 300 soldiers, was extra special. April 16 every year marks National Airborne Day, a holiday created by President George W. Bush in 2002 to recognize airborne soldiers across the armed forces. The first paratroopers were trained at then-Fort Benning, now Fort Moore, following World War I. Fort Moore remains home of the Airborne School and the Basic Airborne Course which all paratroopers must go through to earn their jump wings. U.S. Army sergeant, Olympian discusses Paris performance, future plans The thing I enjoy the most about this command is seeing the personal grit that we achieve in our soldiers, said Lt. Col. Chris Gilluly, commander of the 1st Battalion of the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment at Fort Moore. Fortitude. That is what we require. Courage, personal courage; and the ability to take care of each other on the drop zone. In each Basic Airborne Course class, roughly 10-to-15% of soldiers do not finish the course, some due to injury, others due to a lack of preparedness for the course. Newly-minted paratroopers received their jump wings on National Airborne Day. (Olivia Yepez) Newly-minted paratroopers received their jump wings on National Airborne Day. (Olivia Yepez) Newly-minted paratroopers received their jump wings on National Airborne Day. (Olivia Yepez) According to Gilluly, due to the high levels of danger involved in the course, there is little room for error for everyone involved from soldiers to instructors to parachute riggers. I have to get this perfect no matter who it is, because at the end of the day, whatever happens, their life may be on my hands, Sgt. Miletsy Robles said. Robles was once in the Basic Airborne Course too, putting all her trust in parachutes rigged by other soldiers. In her new role, she has even more respect for the importance and weight of the job. U.S. Army womens trap shooter looks ahead after mediocre Olympic debut You just want to ensure everybodys safety and your safety because when youre jumping, you dont know whose chute youre getting, Robles said. Youre just grabbing and going and youre just counting and trusting on your peers and all these riggers out here. Like Robles, some paratroopers may go on to become parachute riggers post-graduation. Others will use their qualification to join airborne units across the armed forces. Regardless, every paratroopers journey starts at Fort Moores Basic Airborne Course, where they earn their jump wings. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Editor's Note: The Kyiv Independent is exclusively re-publishing an interview with Pavlo Smytsnyuk prepared by the Forum for Ukrainian Studies, a research publication for experts, practitioners, and academics to discuss, explore, reflect upon, develop, and transform international understanding of contemporary affairs in Ukraine. This platform is run by the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies (CIUS) of the University of Alberta (Edmonton, Canada). Pavlo Smytsynuk has been the Mary Seeger OBoyle Associate Research Scholar at the Seeger Center for Hellenic Studies and the Department of Religion at Princeton University since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He specializes in political theology and religious nationalism in Orthodox Christianity and has written extensively on the politicization of religion in the current Russo-Ukrainian war. CIUS: Long before the Russo-Ukrainian war, the Vaticans so-called Ostpolitik was controversial in Ukraine. Can you tell our readers what that policy entailed and what its legacies are today? Smytsnyuk: Ostpolitik is a term used by scholars to refer to the Vaticans or other Western churches approach to the USSR, other East European socialist governments, and the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC). Ostpolitik is a way for the Vatican to move beyond its alignment with the United States and other Western powers and toward a more impartial or neutral foreign relations role. It is true that the Vatican was afraid of Communism in Italy and Europe in general, both preceding and following the Second World War. At the same time, the Vatican had certain reservations about capitalism and consumerism, and thus did not want to align itself unconditionally with the West. Therefore, at a certain point after WW II, the Holy See became open to dialogue with the Soviet bloc and started entertaining relations with it. The Vatican may have considered this as a way to move beyond the spirit of the Cold War but also as a strategy to ensure that Catholics had at least some freedoms in the socialist-bloc countries. Finally, Ostpolitik coincided with the thriving of ecumenismi.e., interconfessional dialogueand a desire for church unity. It was a period in which relations with the Orthodox Churches, and specifically the ROC, were important for religious reasons. However, it is not clear to what extent the Vatican was aware of the ROCs dependency on, or even weaponization by, the Kremlin in its ecumenical activity and how it had to negotiate every step it took with Moscow. Sometimes this dialogue was perceived as detrimental to the interests of local Catholics in the region. For example, Pope John XXIIIs successful attempt to bring Russian Orthodox observers to the Second Vatican Council (accompanied by KGB agents) was not well received by the bishops from the Ukrainian diaspora, whose colleagues were imprisoned all around the USSR. The ROC also asked that the Council not criticize communism or the Soviet governmenta request which was taken into account by the Vatican. At the same time, in this context of building trust between the Vatican and the ROC, and using the presence of Russian observers in Rome, the Vatican secured the liberation of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Metropolitan Josyf Slipyj, who, after 17 years of imprisonment, was released and came to Rome. The Second Vatican Council is a good example of the logic of Ostpolitik: the relationship between the Vatican and the ROC, and implicitly the Soviet government, offered a possibility for achieving some gains for Catholics in the East. At the same time, it offered a certain amount of legitimacy to the Soviet regimes and created a skewed impression that there was respect for religious freedom in these countries. I think this approach fell a bit out of favour with John Paul II, who came from Poland and did not trust socialist governments. However, with Pope Francis Ostpolitik has come into the spotlight again, and we can see the problematic nature of the Vaticans engagement with the ROC and the Russian government. Some points have remained unchanged since Soviet times, such as the denial of patriarchate status for the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Churchthe largest of the Eastern Catholic Churches. Issues have also arisen in relation, for example, to the new autocephalous Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), which was created in 2019 and recognized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate (but not the ROC). Although the Holy See has relations with every other autocephalous Orthodox church in the world, it has avoided taking any stance on the OCU. I believe this is the price they have paid (at Ukraines expense) for keeping open communications with Moscow in the ongoing war. CIUS: You mentioned this attempt to remain neutral, and certainly the Vatican has tried to appear neutral in the Russo-Ukrainian war. How does this reflect its customary theology and policies? And what challenges has it faced in managing this particular war? Smytsnyuk: The Vaticans demonstrative neutrality has both a theological basis and more general political reasons. Theologically, catholic means universal, at least according to one possible explanation. As such, the Catholic Church tries to be a church for everybodyfor people of every nation, of every ideology, every class, and so on. The Catholic Church sees its mission in the world to offer service to humanitynot only to the Catholics or even Christians but, in a way, to all of humanity. This is why Pope Francis has been so attentive to ecology; it is not strictly a Catholic matter but concerns everybody. Catholics are almost everywhere in the worldin Ukraine and also in Russia. The Vatican understands that anything it does could affect Catholics anywhere they live. In this context, being regarded as neutral and non-partisan is an important asset. At the same time, the Holy Sees neutrality protects it from interference by other powers and from being lobbied by them to take a side. It is not always a successful stance, but it seems to be an ideal that the Vatican strives to uphold. This policy of neutrality was strongly criticized during the Second World War. The Vatican believed that criticizing the Soviet government would be used by Nazi propaganda and criticizing the Nazis would be used by Soviet propaganda. Today, historians and churchmen are rather critical of how the Vatican behaved during WW II. And I believe that many Ukrainians have read the neutrality of the Holy See in the present conflict through this lens of the Second World War. One of the reasons why the Holy See wants to be neutral today is because it seeks to play a mediation role. One of the most recent examples during Pope Francis pontificate was the Vaticans mediation between the USA and Cuba. Delegations from both countries travelled to Rome and held meetings on Vatican territory mediated by the Vaticans Secretary of State, Cardinal Parolin, as a result of which a deal was finally brokered. Due to the Vaticans aforementioned spiritual aspirations, in addition to social and media pressures, the Pope wants to contribute to resolving the Russo-Ukrainian war. For this reason, he tries to maintain good relations with both Russia and Ukraine, although I do not know whether this is possible. You can see how after Pope Francis makes a statement supportive of Ukraine, he will follow it by saying something in praise of Russian culture, Dostoyevsky, or Orthodoxy. For example, a week after the Pope kissed a Ukrainian flag sent from the town of Bucha, he invited a Russian woman to hold a cross together with a Ukrainian woman during the Via Crucis [Way of the Cross] ceremony in Rome. He tries to walk this very narrow path, but I do not see that he is reaching what he wants to achieve. It often seems that both parties are irritated by what the Pope says. Of course, part of the blame is Francis very idiosyncratic way of expressing himself and his relationship with the media, but I think this is a secondary issue. What is behind his approach is the desire to keep channels of communication open, and history will tell us whether he is wrong or right. So far, often Ukrainian Catholics have unquestionably been hurt by the Vaticans approach to the conflict. On the other hand, in certain regards no other power or international player has been more successful. We have seen several countries attempting to mediate between Ukraine and Russia, but they have failed to achieve much. Perhaps Turkey was the most successful, yet it managed to broker only a couple of things. Thus, we cannot say that the Pope is a failure while others make miracles. Nobody has managed to play an effective mediation role in this conflict, and it is probably because neither side is ready to sit and negotiate. Maybe, when the moment comes, there will be an opportunity for the Holy See to play some role in the process. Read the full interview here. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. PEKIN, Ill. (WMBD) The Pekin Police had a fun day Friday with families to build relationships. The Pekin Police Department held a community picnic at the 4H shelter at Mineral Springs Park. Families enjoyed a free lunch, bouncy houses, games and a train ride. Police, firefighters, and paramedics were there to hangout and educate the kids on what they do and answer any questions. Pekin Police Chief Seth Ranney said this was a way to have a day of fun before kids in Pekin head back to school next week. He says having events like this is also a way to interact with the community and build trust. We can interact with the children that live in our community, he said. Show them that were here to help them and just continue to build the relationships not only with the children, but with their parents. And just to show that were out here to help. Ranney says this is a way to show kids first responders are just regular people just like them, there to help. We live here. We work here. Were citizens just like they are. We want to build relationships. Were just humans when we go home. Were just like they are, he said. So hopefully, if they ever have to have police interaction, whether good or bad, theyll understand that were here to help 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 CIProud.com. U.S. and Ukrainian officials are working to reorient how Ukraine is handling its recovery in order to insulate it from political changes in both Washington and Kyiv without a key player: Penny Pritzker, President Bidens special envoy for Ukraines reconstruction. Pritzker only planned to serve a one-year term, which ended this month. But her impact over that time is described as monumental. We always had, as they call it, Chicago style of doing things, Ukraine Minister of Strategic Industries Oleksandr Kamyshin said in a brief interview with The Hill, while he described working with Pritzker. Pritzker, born and raised in Chicago, is a billionaire heiress who served as secretary of Commerce during the Obama administration. Her family fled Ukraine in the late 19th century from the violence of the anti-Jewish pogroms of the Russian empire. Being short, being accurate, being exact, being straightforward is the way we do business, Kamyshin said, describing Pritzker and explaining how they worked in their first meeting. She gets s done, said one Biden administration official, who spoke on background because they were not authorized to speak to the press. She is very direct, she is to the point, and shes very much goal-oriented, which is to say, shes no nonsense, and she identifies the problem, and then she solves it, said Ben Harris, who worked with Pritzker during the Obama administration and is vice president and director of the economic studies program at the Brookings Institution. Ukraines ability to revive, sustain and grow its economy is essential for the country to survive Russian President Vladimir Putins war of aggression. Part of Putins strategy is to grind down Ukrainian resolve, resources and international support through a drawn-out war of attrition. And while Ukraine has shocked Russia by launching a surprise incursion over the border in the Kursk region earlier this month, the country still suffers under aerial attacks on its civilian and energy infrastructure and has made little advancements along the roughly 620-mile front line. There is a saying that armies win battles, but economies win wars, Ukraines Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said at an event in April. Pritzker is being succeeded by Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Richard Verma, a former ambassador to India and veteran Washington national security hand. A lawyer, Verma worked as chief legal officer and head of global public policy for Mastercard and as vice chair of The Asia Group consulting firm, among other roles. Pritzkers contribution over the past year is hard to overstate, Kamyshin said. She was always the one who could pick up the phone and make the right talk with anyone in U.S. and as well as Ukraine. So for the new special representative it would be quite a challenge to over perform. Kamyshin, who has a hairstyle with shaved sides and a long, black braid running down his back, is leading his countrys effort to become a powerhouse of military production both to supply its forces in Ukraine and serve as an arsenal for NATO, which it seeks to join. In July, on the sidelines of the NATO summit, Ukraine and Northrop Grumman signed a deal to produce medium-caliber ammunition a landmark agreement that both Ukrainian and U.S. officials viewed as laying the groundwork for more co-production deals. Later that month, Boeing Defense signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Ukraines state-owned aircraft manufacturing company Antonov to collaborate on aerial drones. Pritzker, speaking at the Brookings Institution on July 31, described the pace of defense deals as unheard of. The defense team has four or five deals that theyre getting done in less than six months, I mean this is just like you dont do defense deals in that period of time, she said. Kamyshin described those successes as part of Pritzkers no-nonsense approach to deal making. [Secretary] Pritzker was always helpful, and she was not only helpful with pushing things but she was also helpful when we couldnt understand some things why they dont happen, he said. During her speech at the Brookings Institution late last month, Pritzker laid out a five-point plan for Ukraines economic recovery. The plan includes Kyiv creating a government mechanism that decides which reconstruction and infrastructure projects should be prioritized, such as protecting energy infrastructure that Russia has sought to destroy. Pritzker also called for Ukraine to do more to stop corruption, acknowledging Kyiv had passed a bevy of tough reforms but saying it needed to keep up the momentum. We support Pennys view on further steps, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Development Yulia Svyrydenko wrote in a statement to The Hill. Harris, of Brookings, described it as a speech that called for the country to shift from a reliance on donors to a focus on attracting business and capital. I dont know if that was the intention, was to insulate it from political shifts, but I will say it feels like the plan was insulated from political shifts, he said. So you could imagine this plan being implemented regardless of who wins the 2024 U.S. presidential election. Whether Vice President Harris or former President Trump ends up in the White House, U.S. support for Ukraine is under strain, in particular economic assistance. While Congress has passed five emergency supplemental aid packages for Ukraine since Russias full-scale invasion in February 2022, support has dropped with each vote in particular among the GOP and theres little expectation that a sixth package will materialize before the end of the 118th Congress in January 2025. Even among Republicans who support Ukraine, very few want to prioritize economic assistance. We can do two things at the same time, but we just have to make sure we prioritize them accordingly, said Luke Coffey, a senior fellow with the Hudson Institute, a Washington think tank viewed as a key advocate for supporting Ukraine among an increasingly skeptical Republican Party. I understand that the secretary has a job to do, and shes been tasked with economic recovery, but to me, we should focus less on this and more on winning the war. Harris noted that Pritzker said in her speech that reconstruction can happen before the war ends, underscoring its urgency. Theres no guarantee this war will be over anytime soon. I mean, some wars last for decades. I hope this one doesnt obviously, he said. This war has not transpired the way we expected. We thought this was a war that was going to last a few weeks, and here we are a few years later, with no end in sight and Ukraine actually making advances into Russia which is something that no one had predicted. So clearly, you cant predict whats going to happen. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Peter Thiel, eccentric billionaire patron of JD Vance, says he is thinking about leaving the US Peter Thiel, eccentric billionaire patron of JD Vance, says he is thinking about leaving the US Peter Thiel, the tech billionaire who served as the sugar daddy for GOP vice presidential hopeful JD Vances Senate run, who helped kill Gawker, and who names his companies after bits of JRR Tolkein lore, said he's considered leaving the US. Thiel appeared on a recent episode of the Joe Rogan Experience and told the comic-turned-podcaster that he had recently moved from San Francisco to LA, and was also considering leaving California or the country altogether. When Rogan asked Thiel where he might move, the billionaire said it was "tough" to find alternatives because while the US had a "lot of problems" in his estimates, other parts of the world were doing "much worse." He said whatever move he makes, he's only going to move once, and was unsure of whether he'd move to Florida or just out of the country, naming New Zealand and Costa Rica off the top of his head. Its no exaggeration to say that Thiel was instrumental to Vances rise. As well as backing Vances campaign for the US Senate in 2021-22, he was reportedly the one who introduced Vance to Donald Trump, giving him the opportunity to smooth over past barbs such as calling the real estate mogul cultural heroin and noxious. Thankfully for Thiel, while most people can't just pick up and leave a country or state they have issues with, he absolutely can. He even once dreamed of living beyond the reach of national laws by creating a floating libertarian paradise maybe he'd have called it Numenor? where he could mold society to his liking. That dream, at least temporarily, fell apart when he and his Seasteading Institute realized it would be too expensive to maintain a floating city in international waters, Business Insider reports. He instead opted to try to convince a country to host the project. New Zealand bought into the project for a short time but ultimately pulled out in 2018. Tech billionaire Peter Thiel tells Joe Rogan he has considered moving out of the US during the August 16, 2024 episode of the Joe Rogan Experience podcast (JRE/YouTube) So, left without a floating city of his own creation, Thiel must now choose any other point on the planet to call home. Wherever he goes, it seems like he'll at very least be moving out of California. Rogan and other conservatives and libertarians seeking to dodge the state's high taxes and typically more liberal culture have left the state for more friendly ideological climates in Texas and Florida. Thiel noted that the stereotypical right-wing critique of California that it is a poorly governed state with oppressive levels of intrusion and regulation by lawmakers is generally off-base. He said conservatives are always baffled that the state hasn't collapsed into anarchy, but is continuously thriving. "You know, the macroeconomics of it are pretty good. You know, 40 million people. The GDP is around 4 trillion. Its about the same as Germany with 80 million or Japan with 125 million. Japan has three times the population of California. Same GDP means one-third the per capita GDP," Theil said. "So theres some level on which, you know, California as a whole is working, even though it doesnt work from a governance point of view, doesnt work for a lot of the people who live there." Rather than coming to the conclusion that perhaps the states political priorities, mixed with its natural resources and population size, are major contributors to its continued success, he instead attributed its strength to the "religion" of "wokeism," comparing it to ultra-right wing and conservative Wahhabbism in Islam. And, the rough model I have for how to think of California is that its kind of like Saudi Arabia and you have a crazy religion. Wokeism in California, Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia, Thiel said. Wahhabism is a puritanical form of Islam practiced primarily but not only in Saudi Arabia. The 9/11 terrorists from Saudi Arabia are believed to have been Wahhabists. If that line of logic made any sense, one might assume that US states embracing conservative Christianity would be able to compete with California, but unfortunately, the billionaires explanation collapses almost immediately. "And people have been saying Saudi Arabia is ridiculous, its going to collapse in a year. Now theyve been saying that for 40 or 50 years," he said. "But, you know, if you have a giant oil field, you can pay for a lot of ridiculousness. I think thats thats the way to, thats thats the way you have to think of California." Pharmacist blamed for deaths in US meningitis outbreak will plead no contest in Michigan case DETROIT (AP) A Massachusetts pharmacist charged with murder in the deaths of 11 Michigan residents from a 2012 U.S. meningitis outbreak has agreed to plead no contest to involuntary manslaughter, according to an email sent to families and obtained Friday by The Associated Press. The deal with Glenn Chin calls for a 7 1/2-year prison sentence, with credit for his current longer sentence for federal crimes, Johanna Delp of the state attorney generals office said in the email. She said Chin will appear in Livingston County court next Thursday. A trial planned for November will be scratched. Michigan is the only state to charge Chin and Barry Cadden, an executive at the New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Massachusetts, for deaths related to the outbreak. Mass. pharmacy exec resentenced to 14 years in deadly meningitis outbreak More than 700 people in 20 states were sickened with fungal meningitis or other debilitating illnesses, and dozens died as a result of tainted steroids shipped to pain clinics, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The laboratorys clean room, where steroids were prepared, was rife with mold, insects and cracks, investigators said. Chin supervised production. He is currently serving a 10 1/2-year federal sentence for racketeering, fraud and other crimes connected to the outbreak, following a 2017 trial in Boston. Because of the credit for his federal sentence, Chin is unlikely to serve additional time in Michigans custody. I am truly sorry that this ever occurred, Chin, now 56, said in the Boston court. Ex-sales rep at firm linked to meningitis outbreak sentenced A phone message and emails seeking comment from Chins attorney werent immediately returned Friday. Cadden, 57, pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter in Michigan earlier this year and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Second-degree murder charges were dropped. Caddens state sentence is running at the same time as his 14 1/2-year federal sentence, and he has been getting credit for time in custody since 2018. 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. Philippines says China was dramatically alarmed over US missile system deployed to its north 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 to 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. UPDATE: As of Monday morning, the City of Bristol, Virginia reported its phone lines were back in working order and communication should be unhindered. BRISTOL, Va. (WJHL) A phone outage has taken some city phones offline in Bristol, Virginia. According to the City of Bristol, Virginia, Point Broadband has suffered a complete telephone outage in both Tennessee and Virginia. Businesses damaged in Bristol fire along State Street The city announced in a social media post that almost all city phones were offline as of 10:45 a.m. Saturday. Dispatch phones were still working at that time. As of 10:45 a.m., the city reported there was no estimated time of phone restoration. Point Broadband stated in its own social media post that the widespread outage was affecting phone customers in Virginia, Tennessee, Ohio and Maryland. The company said at noon that it was working to restore service. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. New Pittsburg Planned Parenthood clinic expands abortion access for patients in and outside Kansas Planned Parenthood Great Plains CEO Emily Wales, left, and health care manager Logan Rink answer questions during an Aug. 16, 2024, interview in the Pittsburg Planned Parenthood clinic Planned Parenthood Great Plains CEO Emily Wales, left, and health care manager Logan Rink answer questions during an Aug. 16, 2024, interview in the Pittsburg Planned Parenthood clinic. (Grace Hills/Kansas Reflector) PITTSBURG A new Planned Parenthood clinic in southeast Kansas will be the closest abortion access point for many people in the South and will provide easier access to reproductive health care for southeast Kansans who previously had to travel to Overland Park. The Pittsburg Planned Parenthood clinic is set to open Monday, Aug. 19. Final construction is expected to be complete by then. The center, which opens Monday in Pittsburg, expects to have patients from six states in its first five days Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas and Louisiana. Kansas saw a 369% increase in abortions in 2023, with 69% of patients coming from out of state, according to the Guttmacher Institute. For the Trust Women Clinic in Wichita, which was previously the closest city for abortion access for Southern states, 81% of patients were from out of state, with Texas the most common homestate, followed by Oklahoma. Texas and Oklahoma have total abortion bans, with few exceptions. Southern states have six-week abortion bans. On average, pregnant people know they are pregnant after 5.2 weeks for intendent pregnancies and 7.2 weeks for unintended pregnancies, the National Library of Medicine found. The Pittsburg clinic will offer medication abortions for up to 11 weeks of pregnancy, and surgical abortions for 14-15 weeks of pregnancy. But, there will be a delay before the clinic offers surgical care. We have excellent trained staff to offer this care, said Planned Parenthood Great Plains president and CEO Emily Wales. But we also know its a transition for the community and for us to launch a new center here, so itll probably be a little bit of time before were offering procedural care. Planned Parenthood Great Plains CEO Emily Wales on Aug. 16 in the Pittsburg Planned Parenthood, three days before the clinic opens. (Grace Hills/Kansas Reflector) Why Pittsburg? Wales said a key factor in the Pittsburg location was access to Southern states. And she pointed out that Kansas already is well versed in providing abortion care to people from Missouri and other states. Pittsburg is about five miles from the Missouri border. A 2018 law in Missouri banned abortion after 15 weeks, meaning Kansas had been absorbing Missouri patients for four years before the U.S. Supreme Court declared in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization that the Constitution does not confer a right to abortion. The 2022 Dobbs decision felt like dominos falling, Wales said. We are doing everything we can to meet the need, Wales said. But were also not trying to hide the fact that there are far more people calling than we can actually get in. Wales also said there was a need for the services Planned Parenthood offers which go beyond abortion care in southeast Kansas. Patients from the Pittsburg area were traveling roughly two hours to Overland Park to receive care. While more than 60% of Crawford County voters in 2020 supported Donald Trump, the president who packed the Supreme Court with anti-abortion justices, they voted against the proposed constitutional amendment that would have removed the right to terminate a pregnancy in Kansas. Logan Rink, a Pittsburg native and the health care manager of the Pittsburg clinic, said she has heard positive feedback from the community. She said Planned Parenthood will meet needs that werent being met, and that the community views it as a great resource. Logan Rink, health care manager of the Pittsburg Planned Parenthood clinic, appears during an Aug. 16, 2024, interview Anti-abortion protesters frequent the other Planned Parenthood locations in Kansas, attempting to stop patients from receiving an abortion. Wales said Planned Parenthood typically sees protests when it opens a new location, but they die down after a while. Members of Lighthouse church, a nondenominational anti-abortion Christian church in Pittsburg spoke in opposition of the clinic at the May 28 city commission meeting. I know this is a major issue in our culture, abortion, but the reality is theres no safe abortions because you start out with two lives and you end with one life, said Pittsburg resident Shawn Osbeen. Another resident, Susan Powers, also opposed the clinic, but she said this may be a wakeup call for the church and community to provide more support for pregnant people. The commissioners stayed neutral on the opening of the clinic. In 2009 in Wichita, George Tiller, one of only a few doctors in the nation who performed late-term abortions, was murdered in the foyer of his church. Planned Parenthood has a rigid security protocol in place, with security officers on site, but the shadow of Tillers death remains. The time it comes up the most, really, is when we are talking to potential providers or physicians who might be interested in staff roles, Wales said. They have questions about what the communities are like, what the protesters are like. We are fortunate to have not had that kind of violence at our health centers. The temporary Planned Parenthood sign on Aug. 16, 2024, outside of the new Pittsburg Planned Parenthood clinic Patients from the South The National Library of Medicine found that people from a lower socioeconomic status are more likely to receive an abortion, and extra time away from work adds up. For patients traveling from the South, the Pittsburg clinic will be more than two hours closer than clinics in Wichita. If we can cut off two hours one way, then two hours coming home, thats a tremendous difference for a lot of our patients, Wales said. Planned Parenthood provides assistance to patients who need it. Before Dobbs, 80% of its patients didnt need assistance, and 20% did. Now, Wales said, the percentages have flipped and the assistance they provide looks entirely different. So many people now have to go so far from home, Wales said. People could maybe get two hours from home, but telling patients its going to be 10 or 12 hours is impossible for a lot of people. One of the postoperative exam rooms in the Pittsburg Planned Parenthood clinic. The Pittsburg location will provide support for patients who cant afford the journey. Kansas law allows abortions up to 22 weeks after the last menstrual period, but the Pittsburg clinic wont have the resources to provide abortions that far into a pregnancy. If needed, the clinic will offer transportation to the Overland Park location, where procedural abortions are offered up to 21 weeks and 6 days into the pregnancy. Lawsuits in Texas have threatened people traveling to receive abortions. These lawsuits violate the interstate commerce clause in the U.S. Constitution and may not be enforceable, but they caused a stigma, Wales said. It is heartbreaking to me that we have patients who do come to us and say they didnt tell their friends or family, even though they knew that they would be supportive of their decision, because they didnt know if it was legal in their home state to talk about the fact that they were leaving to seek care, Wales said. Wales sees a perception that patients believe they cant travel or talk about abortion. She says they worry about what would happen to their kids, their partners, and their careers. Issues to watch Vice President Kamala Harris has made abortion access a cornerstone of her presidential campaign, and if elected she has promised to codify Roe v. Wade, which would legalize abortion nationally. Missourians will vote on their abortion rights in November. Each time abortion rights are placed on local ballots, the right to choose an abortion has won. But, even if the movement to secure abortion rights prevails in November, access for every American would take decades, Wales said. There are multiple lawsuits and legislation in Kansas attempting to restrict abortion access, despite Kansans rejecting the proposed constitutional amendment to eliminate abortion rights in 2022. Planned Parenthood has fought back on these attempts. Kansans are saying we want medical care to be private, and not in the hands of the Legislature, Wales said. The state passed additional requirements this year where we would have to ask patients invasive and shaming questions that have nothing to do with why they get care or how we deliver care. And so we are challenging that on behalf of our patients. QUEENS, N.Y. (PIX11) PIX11 News viewers answered the call for volunteers to sort and organize shoes for homeless children in Queens on Friday. A nonprofit reached out to PIX11 for help getting volunteers and donations. The Floating Hospitals headquarters in Long Island City received a shipment of more than a thousand shoes on Friday, thanks to the nonprofit Soles4Souls. Fourteen volunteers came to help out. More Local News The Floating Hospital helps thousands of children in more than 300 family shelters in New York City. The nonprofit provides health care and connects families to resources, helping them thrive. Cyrenia Elliott and her 13-year-old son Kingston Elliott, of BedfordStuyvesant, said they get hope, help, and healing at the Floating Hospital. They are just one of thousands of families the Floating Hospital helps every day. Dr. Meghan Miller helps lead a team of 10 who are on the frontlines of New York Citys homelessness crisis. The nonprofit relies on donors and volunteers to provide health care, food, clothing, diapers, formula, and even summer camp. They now need more volunteers to help with filling backpacks for a sleepaway summer camp. Kingston said that he wants to be a therapist one day because of his experience at the Floating Hospital. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. (NBC News) On Fridays Dateline, investigators uncover a trail of clues pointing to an unlikely killer after prominent plastic surgeon and local musician, Dr. Frank Buddy McCutcheon, was murdered in his Asheville, North Carolina home. New details come to light from police footage and exclusive TV interviews with insiders close to the case, including Detectives John Ledford and Walt Thrower, Prosecutor Meghan Lock, Defense Attorneys Sean Devereux and Steve Cash, Buddys family members and more. Westerville school board member resigns four months before term ends Heres a preview of Keith Morrisons report: A Friday night in July, sticky, hot. Buddy McCutcheon and his wife Brenda settled down in the air-conditioned quiet. Brenda said she was upstairs in their bedroom, asleep, while Buddy dozed off downstairs in front of the TV. Was it sealed by then? The fate that awaited them? 3 a.m., a sound like a sharp thunderclap. In one awful second, her husband of over 30 years was taken, and life as she had known it was over. Dawn was still hours away when sheriffs deputies headed to the house. Of course, the inquiry was just beginning. Did Buddy McCutcheon take his own life? Did home invaders shoot him dead? Or was it something more sinister? Franklin County Sheriffs Office helping build therapy dog programs across country But the clues that might tell them remained hidden in plain sight. Watch Fridays Dateline: The Day The Music Died on NBC4 at 9 p.m. About Dateline Dateline NBC is the longest-running series in NBC primetime history and is in its 32nd season. Dateline is anchored by Lester Holt and features correspondents Andrea Canning, Josh Mankiewicz, Keith Morrison and Dennis Murphy. The stories range from compelling mysteries to powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. When major news breaks, they go to the scene, putting the pieces together to bring the viewer the full picture. And in every story they tell, they help the real people who lived the events share their journeys with the viewer. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. Jon Walczak is convinced that Arizona's most notorious fugitive is still alive. Robert Fisher garnered national headlines on April 10, 2001, after authorities say he murdered his wife and children before rigging his Scottsdale home to explode. By the time firefighters, police officers and the media descended upon the scene, Fisher was nowhere to be found. Police soon concluded that he had killed his wife, Mary, and two children, Brittney and Bobby, who all had slit throats. Mary also had a bullet in her head. Fisher quickly became the main suspect as police scrambled to find him. His Toyota 4Runner and his dog were found 10 days later in a remote part of the Tonto National Forest east of Payson, but the manhunt that followed failed to locate Fisher or any definitive clues as to where he was headed. Robert Fisher: You've heard the story of the murders. But not the whole story While police have theories as to what may have prompted Fisher to murder his family and how he made his grand escape, none of their findings have led to locating and arresting a man who spent years on the FBIs most wanted list. Walczak hopes to change that, as an independent reporter who hosts a podcast series where he investigates unsolved mysteries. Missing in Arizona podcast explores Scottsdale tragedy His first podcast series, Missing in Alaska, investigated how two congressmen went missing after their plane vanished while flying over Alaska in 1972. Fisher is now Walczaks latest fixation and the featured subject of his latest series, Missing in Arizona, which is published weekly on Wednesdays from iHeartPodcasts. This is just a fascinating unsolved mystery, Walczak told The Arizona Republic. And something I say in the show is those kinds of mysteries dont really exist anymore. He highlighted the contrast between what the world was like in April 2001 and today. Cellphones were neither ubiquitous nor were they equipped with powerful camera lenses. Doorbell cameras werent commonplace and Myspace didnt launch until two years later. If flying was a part of his exit strategy, Fisher wouldnt have to go through TSA as the organization didnt exist yet. Walczak said he spent roughly the past two years poring over public records and news archives. He estimates he interviewed more than 100 people, which included a range of experts, law enforcement officials and people who knew Fisher as a loving husband and father who worked as a cardiovascular technician at Mayo Clinic. And while the case was widely reported among media outlets, Walczak felt there was more to uncover. Scottsdale firefighters work to put out a blaze due to an explosion on April 10, 2001, in Scottsdale. Robert Fisher set the fire and killed the other three members of his family. It was a national story on the eve of 9/11, and then it was wiped away by 9/11, Walczak said. And it was pre-social media. So I think that theres an idea in Arizona that the Robert Fisher case has just been covered so extensively that everybody knows about it. And I would say very few people Ive spoken to outside of Arizona are aware of it. He added that some Arizonans he spoke with particularly those on the younger side didnt know who Robert Fisher was. New evidence in the Robert Fisher case? Walczak was somewhat limited with what new information he could share publicly only two of the 16 planned episodes have published as of Thursday but he pointed to a finding he highlighted in the series second episode. A Scottsdale police report mentioned that a newspaper carrier for The Republic had asked an officer monitoring traffic if he could access the neighborhood to make his deliveries. After the Fishers' house exploded at around 8 a.m. on April 10, the carrier realized he accidentally delivered the paper to the same house a few hours prior. The carrier told the officer he recalled seeing a white SUV parked under the carport. Walczak then brings up a second witness: a neighbor. Mary was supposed to come by to pick up the neighbors son as part of a school carpool at 7:30 a.m. When the neighbor checks the Fishers house, the 4Runner is gone. Walczak notes that the 4Runner was silver not white, as the carrier described but it was entirely plausible that he saw a silver SUV in the twilight hours as being white. Walczak deduced that Fisher likely left the house shortly after the newspaper was mistakenly delivered and only had a few hours of a head start rather than the 10-plus hour lead police had estimated. While Walczak has several episodes in the pipeline already edited and produced, later episodes will likely be shaped by potential leads. I want people to look at every single man in their life who wasnt in their life prior to April 2001, Walczak said. Walczak said he has put up $10,000 of his own money for any information that leads to Fishers discovery and arrest. Silent Witness has also chipped in $2,000 for a reward total of $12,000. People can also submit information directly to Walczak at neon33.com, though tips must also be submitted to Silent Witness to be eligible for the reward. Anyone with a tip can submit anonymously to Silent Witness at silentwitness.org or by calling 480-WITNESS (480-948-6377) or 480-TESTIGO (480-837-8446) for Spanish. As for why he is so certain Fisher is still alive 23 years later, Walczak says he cant reveal that information publicly or risk spoiling the podcast he invested two years of his life into. Jon Walczak uses a metal detector near the site where Fisher's 4Runner was discovered at Tonto National Forest. That said, evidence of his conviction that Fisher breathes to this day can be heard in the opening minutes of the pilot episode where he addresses Fisher directly. Robert, if youre tuning in and if you made it this far, you probably are listen closely, Walczak said as synth music plays in the background. I will not give up. I am not the police. I am not the FBI. I found things they missed. I can dedicate all my time to you. I will follow up on every lead today, tomorrow, in 10 years. Walczaks address goes on to include that, should Fisher be dead despite the evidence suggesting otherwise, Walczak still wants to find his remains to provide those he left behind to pick up the pieces some form of closure. If Robert Fisher was alive he pulled off one of the greatest escapes in American criminal history, Walczak said. And hes certainly monitoring media. Theres no way he would be alive 23 years later, having evaded police and the FBI and the media, without keeping an eye on whats being said about him in the case. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Podcast researches Arizona's notorious fugitive Robert Fisher (Bloomberg) -- Polands Prime Minister Donald Tusk appeared to wade into the controversy over the 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipeline, urging an end to speculation over who is responsible for the attack. Most Read from Bloomberg The attack, which destroyed part of the natural-gas link between Russia and Germany, has drawn fresh scrutiny after German authorities confirmed this month an arrest warrant was issued for a Ukrainian citizen suspected of involvement. It risks an escalation of fresh tensions between Germany and Poland, where the suspect had been residing before he fled. Earlier this week, The Wall Street Journal reported that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had initially approved the operation before ordering a stop upon the Central Intelligence Agencys request. Separately, August Hanning, a former head of German foreign intelligence, told the Die Welt newspaper this week that the attack must have been carried out with the support of Poland and with approval from the highest levels in Ukraine and Poland. Tusk didnt directly address allegations of Polish involvement, saying only that initiators and patrons of Nord Stream should apologize and keep quiet. Polands digital minister, Krzysztof Gawkowski, rejected Hannings accusations, saying in an interview with Polsat broadcaster on Friday that Poland did not take part in anything. The undersea link to Germany via the Baltic Sea was the main route for Russian gas flows before the Kremlins invasion of Ukraine. The explosions damaged both channels of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline as well as one of two for Nord Stream 2 in the waters near the island of Bornholm in eastern Denmark. The blast demonstrated the vulnerability of seabed infrastructure and prompted an increased military presence in the Baltic Sea. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Donald Tusk, Prime Minister of Poland, takes part in the press conference after the German-Polish government consultations. Tusk on 09 August accused the former Law and Justice (PiS) party of misappropriating billions in public funds during its eight years in power. Michael Kappeler/dpa A few days after a warrant was issued for a Ukrainian in the case of the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage in the Baltic Sea, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has commented on the case. "To all the initiators and patrons of Nord Stream 1 and 2: The only thing you should do today about it is apologize and keep quiet," Tusk wrote on the online platform X on Saturday. Several explosions damaged and interrupted the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines at the end of September 2022. For a long time, there was a lot of speculation about the perpetrators and masterminds. The Russian-German project was politically highly controversial, not just from when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Poland always opposed the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. The head of the National Security Bureau in Warsaw, Jacek Siewiera, commented on Tusk's message on X with the words: "Bad news for the addressees: There is [a] rock-solid consensus in Poland on this matter as well." He added a winking smiley to his post. On Wednesday, it became known that the Polish prosecutor's office had received a European arrest warrant from the German Federal Prosecutor's Office for the arrest of the suspect, who was reportedly recently in Poland but has since fled to his home country. Following the announcement of the warrant and the suspect's departure, the question arose in Germany as to whether the Polish authorities had sufficiently cooperated in clarifying the act of sabotage. ASHLAND CITY, Tenn. (WKRN) A welfare check on an unconscious person in Middle Tennessee Thursday afternoon led to the arrest of a man wanted out of Missouri. On Thursday, Aug. 15, someone called the Ashland City Police Department about an unconscious man on the very hot pavement behind the Walmart along Highway 12. When officers arrived, they found a man later identified as 51-year-old Johnny Biggs Jr. on his back with his head laying on a curb like it was a pillow. There was also a sweat stain on the cement. As seen in the body camera footage, the officer donned gloves and then poked the man in the chest, asking, Hey sir? Hey, you all right? Biggs was groggy as he opened his eyes, but he replied, Yeah. According to police, the Missouri man was sweating profusely and seemed disoriented at the scene. The officer later told medics that Biggs smelled of liquor. 2 taken into custody following traffic stop, high-speed pursuit in Christian County What brings you to be laying on the concrete right here? the officer inquired. Homeless, Biggs mumbled. Homeless? You have no ID on you? the officer asked. No sir, Biggs answered. Just came to check on you because we just got a call saying theres a white male, red shirt, blue jeans laying right here, sweating profusely, so we just gotta come out here to check you out, make sure youre good to go, the officer explained. After a checking his Social Security Number, police determined that Biggs was a wanted man out of Oregon County, Missouri. According to court records there, authorities arrested Biggs in June 2023 for second-degree assault. He later pleaded guilty to causing serious physical injury to an elderly person, which is a Class B felony. Biggs was sentenced to seven years supervised probation through the Missouri Department of Corrections. Based on court documents, when Biggs violated a condition of that probation, he was entered into the system as a fugitive from justice. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com Ashland City officers took the 51-year-old to a local hospital, where he was cleared. Then, police took him to jail. Mr. Johnny, have you had any illegal drugs or anything today? a jail employee inquired. Been on meth a few days, Biggs mumbled. I aint had none today. Officer Brown did a great job of making sure he was getting the help he needed. [Brown] saw he was sweating, hot, so he offered him a bottle of water, let him sip on some water to cool down, definitely kept his cool, was nice to the guy, ACPD Sgt. Alexis Duncan explained. The guy never put up any argument or fight with Officer Brown. Biggs is currently being held in the Cheatham County jail. Authorities in Missouri confirmed they would be coming to pick him up soon. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. New York truck driver struck and killed on Mass. Pike in Blandford BLANDFORD, Mass. (WWLP) Police are investigating a deadly crash on the Mass. Pike in Blandford on Friday. Cheshire woman killed in fiery Lanesborough crash State Police say a truck driver from New York had gotten out of his truck after crashing into a guardrail and tried to run onto the highway to grab something that fell from his trailer. Then, State Police say he was struck and killed by another tractor-trailer driven by a man from Canada. Police say they are still investigating the exact details of the crash. 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. ST. LOUIS The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department is investigating an incident that forced a Carondelet man to drive downtown at gunpoint before giving up his car. According to police, the 34-year-old victim was arriving at his residence Thursday night in the 7400 block of Sharp Ave. around 9:30 p.m. A man approached his vehicle and announced a robbery while pointing a gun at the victim. Employee selling stolen items from job on Facebook caught at work The victim was ordered to drive downtown until they approached the 1500 block of Lafayette Ave., when the suspect told the man to exit the car. The suspect then entered the drivers seat and fled the scene. Officers are searching for a 2012 Volkswagen Jetta. The victim was not injured in the incident. Anyone with information surrounding this incident is asked to contact CrimeStoppers at 866-371-TIPS (8477) to remain anonymous and potentially receive a reward. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. DENVER (KDVR) While officers with the Denver Police Department were providing aid to a man an officer shot on Aug. 3, police say more shots were fired from a separate group of people nearby. On Friday, police revealed details of the investigations in a press conference. Around 2 a.m. on Aug. 3, police were doing their routine weekend patrol near 19th and Market streets. Denver Police Commander Matt Clark with the major crimes division said officers just finished addressing a fight near 20th and Blake streets when an officer heard a gunshot possibly coming from Market Street. RELATED: Back-to-back LoDo Denver shootings have neighbors concerned Officers responded to the area in the 1800 block of Market Street where a passerby told an officer that a man standing next to a white Audi had a gun. Clark said police then approached the man and ordered him to show his hands, which were behind the car door where officers could not see. Police: Officer fires single shot at man holding gun When he raised his hands, police say he was holding a firearm by the lower grip area in his right hand. At that point, the barrel was pointed toward the ground, and police ordered him to drop the gun multiple times. The subject turned the firearm in such a way that the barrel was parallel to the ground, and he moved the firearm to his left across his body and in doing so pointed the barrel of the firearm directly at the uniformed officers. Fearing the individual was going to shoot at the officers, one officer fired one round from his duty handgun, Clark said. The Denver Police Department showed images from body worn camera footage of an officer involved shooting near 19th Street and Market Street on Aug. 3, 2024. (Denver Police Department) The Denver Police Department showed images from body worn camera footage of an officer involved shooting near 19th Street and Market Street on Aug. 3, 2024. (Denver Police Department) The Denver Police Department showed images from body worn camera footage of an officer involved shooting near 19th Street and Market Street on Aug. 3, 2024. (Denver Police Department) The man was struck on the arm and dropped the gun, and he was taken into custody. The police department said officers immediately rendered aid, applying a tourniquet before he was taken to a hospital in an ambulance. Heroic dog who alerted family in Morrison house fire found dead days later Detectives recovered a black Glock 17 9mm semi-automatic handgun with a magazine that had 10 rounds of ammunition, according to Clark. Police are not releasing the 24-year-old mans identity as he has not been charged with anything and there is no evidence at this time that the weapon was fired before police arrived. The officer who fired his weapon has been with the department since 2017 and will be on a modified duty status while he completes the departments reintegration program. The incident is being investigated by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Colorado State Patrol, the police departments homicide unit and the Denver District Attorneys Office. Separate shooting breaks out in same parking lot Almost immediately after the police shooting incident another series of gunshots can be heard behind the officers in the same parking lot, Clark said. Police said multiple firearms were discharged in an apparent exchange of gunfire separate from the initial incident. A vehicle that left the scene of the second shooting crashed into a parked car near Lawrence and Downing streets. When officers arrived there, they found two people injured, one with a gunshot wound to the abdomen and the other hurt in the crash. Both are expected to survive. This embedded content is not available in your region. Detectives believe they have identified the people involved but no one has been arrested or charged, as officers are still trying to understand their role in the incident. Cherry Creek schools adapt to high demand due to free meals program Crime going down in persistently violent hot spot Police Chief Ron Thomas said the area is a persistently violent hot spot, but increased patrols of the area, visible officers on corners, improved lighting and crowd dispersion efforts have helped bring crime down. What we have seen is a significant reduction of violence in the area due, I think, to some of our mitigation efforts. So were seeing not just reductions in violent crime throughout the city but particularly in District 6 and the lower downtown area, Thomas said. FOX31s Alliyah Sims spoke with the manager of Hopdoddy Burger Bar, who said crime in the area is taking a toll on business. When youre trying to run a business, its obviously not good to customers that want to feel safe in their establishments, Hopdoddy general manager Philip Croft said. Its hard to retain employees. Theyre worried about leaving work and worried about if they are going to get to their car safe. Watch: Police reveal details on 2 shootings in downtown Denver The investigations into both incidents are ongoing and police ask anyone with information to contact the Denver Police Department or Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. FILE - In this picture provided by Swedish Coast Guard a leak from Nord Stream 2 is seen, Sept. 28, 2022. (Swedish Coast Guard via AP, File) WARSAW, Poland (AP) Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Saturday reacted to reports that revived questions about who blew up the Nord Stream pipelines in 2022, saying the initiators of the gas pipeline project should apologize and keep quiet." That comment came after one of his deputies denied a claim that Warsaw was partly responsible for its damage. The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that Ukrainian authorities were responsible for blowing up the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines in September 2022, a dramatic act of sabotage that cut Germany off from a key source of energy and worsened an energy crisis in Europe. Germany was a partner with Russia in the pipeline project. Poland has long said its own security interests have been harmed by Nord Stream. To all the initiators and patrons of Nord Stream 1 and 2. The only thing you should do today about it is apologise and keep quiet, Tusk wrote on the social media portal X Saturday. Tusk appeared to be reacting specifically to a claim by a former head of Germanys foreign intelligence agency, BND, August Hanning, who told the German daily Die Welt that the attack on the Nord Stream gas pipelines must have had Polands support. Hanning said Germany should consider seeking compensation from Poland and Ukraine. Hanning, who retired from his spy chief job, did not provide any evidence in support of his claim. Some observers noted that he served under former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who went on to work later for Russian state-owned energy companies, including Nord Stream. Krzysztof Gawkowski, a deputy Polish prime minister and the minister of digital affairs, strongly denied reports that Poland and Ukraine had damaged the Nord Stream gas pipeline in an interview Friday on the Polsat broadcaster. Gawkowski alleged that the comments of the former member of the German intelligence service were inspired by Moscow and were aimed at destabilizing NATO countries. I believe that this is the sound of Russian disinformation, he added. On Wednesday, Polish prosecutors confirmed that they had received a warrant for a Ukrainian man wanted by Germany as a suspect in the pipeline attack, but that he left the country before he could be arrested. The Nord Stream project, with its two pipelines created to carry gas from Russia to Europe along the Baltic Sea bed, went ahead despite opposition from Poland, the U.S. and Ukraine. They allowed Russia to send gas directly to Western Europe, bypassing Poland and Ukraine. With all gas previously going over land, Warsaw and Kyiv feared losing huge sums in transit fees and political leverage that came with controlling the gas transports. The Wall Street Journal said in its report published Thursday that it spoke to four senior Ukrainian defense and security officials who either participated in or had direct knowledge of the plot. All of them said the pipelines were a legitimate target in Ukraines war of defense against Russia. Ukrainian authorities are denying the claims. Nord Stream 1 was completed and came online in 2011. Nord Stream 2 was not finished until the fall of 2021 but never became operational due to Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has reacted to the latest developments surrounding the investigation into the explosions on the Nord Stream gas pipelines. Source: Tusk on X (Twitter); European Pravda Quote: "To all the initiators and patrons of Nord Stream 1 and 2. The only thing you should do today about it is apologise and keep quiet." To all the initiators and patrons of Nord Stream 1 and 2. The only thing you should do today about it is apologise and keep quiet. Donald Tusk (@donaldtusk) August 17, 2024 Details: The German newspaper Die Welt published an interview with August Hanning, former President of Germany's Federal Intelligence Service, on its website on Thursday. In the interview, Hanning claimed that Poland had likely supported the attack on the gas pipeline, adding that Germany should consider seeking compensation from the Polish and Ukrainian authorities. Krzysztof Gawkowski, Poland's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digitalisation, has strongly denied the allegations of Polish involvement. Background: 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 attack on the Nord Stream gas pipelines, a Ukrainian diving instructor known only as Volodymyr. However, Spiegel reported that Volodymyr, whom Germany had intended to arrest in Poland for his involvement in the Nord Stream gas pipeline explosion, left Polish territory, probably because he had been warned about the arrest. On Thursday, 15 August, The Wall Street Journal claimed that senior Ukrainian officials were involved in the destruction of the gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea. According to the report, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy supposedly approved the operation to blow up Nord Stream but later attempted, unsuccessfully, to cancel it. The operation was said to have been conducted under the supervision of Valerii Zaluzhnyi, former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Support UP or become our patron! As political convention comes to Chicago, residents, leaders and activists vie for the spotlight CHICAGO (AP) As the American city that has hosted more political conventions than any other, Chicago has pretty much seen it all. Presidential candidates have been made official in Chicago more than two dozen times since Abraham Lincoln in 1860, including the infamous 1968 convention, where police clashed with protesters, and Bill Clintons 1996 renomination. Now the nations third-largest city is back on the global political stage as it hosts the Democratic National Convention starting Monday, with city leaders, residents and activists each hoping to claim time in the spotlight and shape the citys reputation. Tourism officials are eager to highlight the best sites and eats, while allaying security concerns about crowds and street violence. Anti-war protesters, drawing from the areas large Palestinian population, are ready to march. And elected leaders say its an historic opportunity to be the city where a woman of color, Vice President Kamala Harris, will be designated to lead a presidential ticket for the first time. Its a remarkable testament to who we are as a people, and hosting the world yet again where major history will take place by launching the first Black woman of Asian descent to the most powerful post in the world, Mayor Brandon Johnson told The Associated Press. Chicago gets to do that. But not everyone sees it that way. Even though there have been convention highs, such as the 1996 convention going off largely without a hitch, comparisons to the 1968 convention are inescapable, especially as disapproval of U.S. support for war in Gaza grows. Lee Weiner, 85, is the last living member of the Chicago Seven activists who were tried for organizing an anti-Vietnam War protest outside the 1968 convention, where bloody clashes with police were captured on live television. Weiner said the protests changed the course of his life. The sociologist wrote a memoir about his experiences growing up in Chicago and sitting for the high-profile trial. Weiner said he thinks people are now more divided than ever and that police tactics havent really changed. Echoes of that time are very much a part of our day to day now, Weiner said. If youre going to be out in the streets, you should watch your ass. Chicago has been preparing for more than a year, with extensive police training and security drills ahead of the event thats expected to draw 50,000 people, including thousands of anti-war activists. Johnson says his leadership as a Black man and former union organizer shows how things are different, and that Chicago will accommodate First Amendment rights. But anxiety that things might take a turn remain. Some downtown businesses boarded up their windows this week while Cook County courts added more space and hours in anticipation of mass arrests during the convention. Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said Chicago has held many large-scale events without problems, including the NATO convention in 2012. He touted the departments training for constitutional policing and de-escalation tactics as critical to the city's security plan. The department faced strong criticism for being unprepared in the aftermath of George Floyds killing in Minneapolis in 2020, when civil unrest broke out nationwide. But Snelling said that was a different situation Chicago's police are prepared for planned protests during the DNC and that the department has learned many lessons. Weve evolved as a department. Weve evolved in training, Snelling told the AP this week. You look at 1968; I think anyone whos still around from that time will tell you that officers didnt have the training or the preparedness to deal with that type of situation. Protests are expected every day of the convention, with the overarching message being a call for an immediate end to the war in Gaza. Activists say Chicago is the ideal location because demonstrations will draw from the city's southwest suburbs, where the largest concentrations of Palestinians nationwide reside. Its not hyperbole to say the genocide is affecting the people of Chicago on a very personal level, said Muhammad Sankari, an organizer. Because of that, its a moral imperative for us to be organizing and bringing our demands to the doorstep of the Democratic Party. Some Chicago residents are also hoping to seize the chance. Bradly Johnson leads an anti-violence organization, BUILD Chicago, on the West Side, not far from the United Center where the convention will take place. For months during after-school and weekend programming, his group has cited the upcoming convention in teaching young people about the democratic process. Hes hoping the thousands of party leaders coming to Chicago will also learn from young people. Its an opportunity for Chicago to demonstrate that although there are shootings, thats not the totality of who we are, he said. Former U.S. Sen. Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois said excitement around the convention the citys 26th for a major party was clear. Her phone has been buzzing with friends and acquaintances looking for tickets since Harris became the presumptive nominee. Adding to the hype, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker had been under consideration as Harris' running mate. Moseley Braun, the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Senate, said it was fitting that Harris would accept the nomination in Chicago, where former President Barack Obama started his political career. We have a tradition in this city of men and women moving forward for new horizons, she said. Tourism officials were also excited about boosting revenue. Conventions of a similar size in other cities have generated as much as $200 million for hotels, restaurants and retailers, according to Choose Chicago, the citys tourism marketing organization. Were like a Type A personality, said Rich Gamble, the interim president of Choose Chicago. We have expectations of ourselves. If youre here, we want the best version to be seen and the best behaviors. Pool contractor gets two years for scamming family out of $12K FREETOWN, Mass. (WPRI) A 51-year-old contractor has been convicted of scamming a Freetown family out of more than $10,000, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced on Friday. According to Quinn, Jeffrey Trifone of Pool Solutions signed a contract with a Freetown man in early April 2021, where he agreed to build a 16-by-32-foot kidney-shaped in-ground pool in the mans yard with an expected completion date between May and July of that same year. The Freetown man gave Trifone a $12,000 check as a deposit, Quinn said, which Trifone cashed. After cashing the check, Trifone never answered any calls or texts from the man, and no work was ever done on the pool. Trifone was sentenced to two years in the Bristol County House of Corrections. NEXT: Suspect arrested in New Bedford murder 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. Big box retailers in the U.S. aren't the only ones making strides to become more eco-friendly, as a popular grocery store in France has announced a collaboration with a renewable energy company. Carrefour, headquartered just outside Paris with thousands of convenience stores and supermarkets across the country, revealed in mid-July that it would be working alongside GreenYellow to harness solar energy. Through the 20-year contract, Carrefour will install solar panels that will shade around 350 of its hypermarket and supermarket parking lots. It is a huge step for the grocer to reach its goal of using 100% renewable energy by 2030, Carrefour said in the announcement. It also aligns with the nation's ApER Law passed last year, which ordered companies to use renewable energy technologies like solar panels in large parking lots or face fines. The grocer said it expects massive savings in its electricity and energy bills by using solar energy. Construction is set to last until the end of 2026, and the solar panels will generate around 450 gigawatt-hours of renewable energy with less pollution than traditional energy sources. This is roughly equal to the same amount of electricity used by small cities, the grocer said. Not only will these solar panels benefit the local ecosystems, but they will also help customers. The large panels will provide shade from the sun or bad weather conditions. "We are extremely proud of our long-term partnership with Carrefour, a leader in French and international retailing, for an unprecedented large-scale project," GreenYellow President Otmane Hajji told Renewable Energy Magazine. "This emblematic project strengthens our commitment to guiding large French and international companies towards energy independence and confirms our position as a leader in decentralized solar self-consumption." The supermarket chain has praised the new partnership, saying it is just one way it can help protect our planet. "This partnership is a major milestone in our Carrefour 2026 plan, which places the fight against climate change as one of its key strategic objectives," Alexandre Bompard, Carrefour Group chairman and CEO, added. "We are thus accelerating the large-scale deployment of photovoltaic power plants in our stores in order to achieve our goal of using 100% renewable electricity by 2030. GreenYellow's expertise will enable us to succeed in this major impact project." 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. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) Portland Fred Meyer workers have officially voted to authorize a strike, claiming multiple unfair labor practices (ULPs) were committed by the grocery company. This strike authorization also comes after the grocery workers union, UFCW Local 555, walked back its previous endorsement of a Kroger-Albertsons merger on Friday. In a press release, the union noted they have been taking ULP strike authorization votes for expired contracts in Portland throughout the week. 23 Subway stores close in Oregon, Washington In total, the union said there are approximately 4,500 workers at affected Fred Meyer locations throughout the region. In a statement to KOIN 6 News, UFCW Local 555 Communications Coordinator Miles Eshaia said, On August 15, Kroger issued a press release, saying that Fred Meyer Delivers on Their Promise to Accelerate Associate Wages. For Fred Meyer to say they have delivered on Their Promise to Accelerate Associate Wages is misleading at best. They have not agreed to any increases other than those negotiated by UFCW 555 as a result of the 1-day strike in 2021. They have a proven track record of not living up to their obligations, and are falling short at the bargaining table. In fact, we were forced to file a federal lawsuit asking the courts to force Fred Meyer to live up to their commitments in the current contracts with UFCW 555. As a result, we are no longer in support of the Kroger-Albertsons merger for Oregon, Idaho and Washington, Eshaia continued. Burnside Bridge committee makes final recommendation for new design When reached out for comment on these recent developments, a spokesperson with Fred Meyer stated: The unions move to seek a Strike Vote Authorization is premature, given our strong track record of investing in wages. Our priority is to maintain a healthy business that allows us to increase associates wages, while keeping our doors open to serve customers with affordable food and essentials. We urge the union to return to the scheduled negotiations on Monday and collaborate with us in good faith to secure the best possible outcome and stability for their members, our valued associates, without causing unnecessary disruption. The next bargaining session is slated for Aug. 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 KOIN.com. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) Amid bargaining sessions, a local union representing grocery workers says it is walking back its previous endorsement of the merger between Kroger and Albertsons. The retracted endorsement which was first reported by The Oregonian comes as UFCW 555 met with representatives for Kroger, Fred Meyer, and QFC on Wednesday and Thursday for bargaining sessions. While our Local was the only Local to publicly support the merger of Kroger and Albertsons, our Local has changed that position as a result of new information as part of the bargaining process discussions over the past two days, UFCW Local 555 announced Thursday. VIDEO: Oregon Lottery billboards taken over by possible furry hack In a statement to KOIN 6 News, UFCW Local 555 Communications Coordinator Miles Eshaia said, On August 15, Kroger issued a press release, saying that Fred Meyer Delivers on Their Promise to Accelerate Associate Wages. For Fred Meyer to say they have delivered on Their Promise to Accelerate Associate Wages is misleading at best. They have not agreed to any increases other than those negotiated by UFCW 555 as a result of the 1-day strike in 2021. They have a proven track record of not living up to their obligations, and are falling short at the bargaining table. In fact, we were forced to file a federal lawsuit asking the courts to force Fred Meyer to live up to their commitments in the current contracts with UFCW 555. As a result, we are no longer in support of the Kroger-Albertsons merger for Oregon, Idaho and Washington, Eshaia continued. In a press release the union noted they have been taking Unfair Labor Practice Strike Authorization votes for expired contracts in Portland throughout the week. If authorized, the union could call for a strike. The next bargaining session is slated for Aug. 19 Missing McMinnville woman likely lost in vast wilderness off Highway 138 East KOIN 6 News reached out to Kroger and Albertsons. This story will be updated if we receive a response. The revoked endorsement comes amid a lawsuit filed by the Federal Trade Commission in February in an attempt to block the $24.6 billion merger, as reported by the Associated Press. The lawsuit will proceed in Oregon and was joined by eight other states and the District of Columbia. Oregon is among the worst states to live in, according to WalletHub The judge overseeing the case is slated to consider the FTCs preliminary injunction request on Aug. 26, AP previously reported. In late April, a King County judge in Washington state ruled that Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate Bob Fergusons antitrust lawsuit against the merger can continue after the companies tried to have the case dismissed. As part of the merger, Kroger and Albertsons have planned to sell more than 180 stores in Oregon and Washington. A Kroger spokesperson previously said they expect the stores to remain open under new ownership after the sale. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) Car theft rates in Portland continue to drop just two years after the city had the third-highest in the U.S. Its all thanks to the unique, data-driven approach of the Portland Police Bureau as well as the grassroots group that works with them to return vehicles to owners. Back in June, Portland police reported 382 stolen cars, the lowest monthly total on record since July of 2016. San Francisco has relocated 10 people facing homelessness to Oregon. Heres why The most recent example in this massive effort to curb car thefts can be found in a video taken overnight that was shared with KOIN 6 News showing Portland police arresting someone near Southeast 148th Avenue and Southeast Division Street. The truly innovative element of PPBs Stolen Vehicle Operation lies in its collaboration with Oregon Health and Science Universitys Knight Cancer Institute to target likely stolen vehicles based on their research. PPB Officer Michael Terret told KOIN 6 News police are using enrichment factors, like a broken back window, to determine how likely a car is to be stolen, with those numbers becoming increasingly more accurate. Calm Friday before wet, stormy weather moves in Terrett said since launching the data-driven approach and partnering with the Multnomah County District Attorneys Office and other local agencies, the team went from recovering one stolen vehicle every 20 stops made to recovering cars for one in every four stops. With our approach of going specifically after active stolen vehicles, meaning stolen vehicles with somebody inside them, which is very dangerous and challenging, we feel that theres absolutely a ripple effect on downstream crimes that can be prevented, Terret said. Since launching more than two years ago, PPB has conducted 47 stolen vehicle missions. In that time, police said theyve recovered 421 stolen cars, arrested more than 500 people and served 536 warrants including some for homicide. Seventy-five guns were also recovered, several of which were stolen. Portland, OR 2,517 Seattle, WA 3,615 San Francisco, CA 3,360 Denver, CO 4,417 The cherry on top is PPB getting help from a volunteer group and their 20,000 members called PDX Stolen Cars, which has a prominent presence on Facebook. When we started doing this, there was 1,000 to 1,200 cars stolen a month, and its slowly declined. So seeing the decline has been great, said PDX Stolen Cars Founder Titan Crawford. And getting under 400, thats I think, thats a huge number. Crawford said what started as a small Facebook group three years ago turned into thousands of locals looking out for one another and aiding law enforcement. LAIKA releases trailer for new movie set in Portland A lot of times, were able to notify the owner that we have found their car as police are in transit to their vehicle. And its really rewarding to help people, he said. When compared to similar cities, Portland reported 2,517 stolen vehicles this year through June. Thats 1,000 less than the number of cars reported stolen in Seattle and nearly 2,000 less than the number recorded in Denver. Police said in their most recent mission, nearly one in every two stops resulted in a stolen vehicle recovery, making it likely this data-driven approach is working. Police and PDX Stolen Cars also encourage people to lock their doors and invest in an anti-theft device. In fact, you can get a free club to make yourself less of a target at PPB precincts. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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 Four individuals in St. Clair Shores are under investigation for possible double voting, and could face felony charges according to Macomb County Clerk Anthony Forlini. St. Clair Shores Clerk Abby Barrett reported the instances of possible double voting in which four individuals cast more than one ballot, voting once by absentee and once in person, with the incidents occurring in precincts 7, 15 and 16. Barrett reported the potential crimes to the Macomb County Clerks office and Michigan elections officials for further investigation, with the Macomb County Clerks Office informing the Michigans Secretary of States office and Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido on Thursday in accordance with 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 said in a statement. 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. Forlini said. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson issued her own statement Thursday night. Im grateful to the Macomb 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, Benson said. Following the release of unofficial election results, election officials review all election processes and results to confirm their accuracy and correct any clerical mistakes. The process is overseen by bipartisan boards of canvassers, who also conduct any recounts and certify the results of the election. Once the results are canvassed by the count, the Board of State Canvassers conducts its own review before voting to certify the election, when results are considered final. HONOLULU (KHON2) Potential tropical threats have caught the attention of exert meteorologists for their possible evolution into tropical storms heading toward Hawaii. Get Hawaiis latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You Aside from the potential impacts from rain and seas, increasing trade winds in lieu of a close encounter could raise the wildfire risk, said AccuWeather Meteorologist Grady Gilman. Approximately 1,000 miles to the east-southeast of Hilo, Hawaii is where the first area of concern is located. Meteorologists said it has a medium chance of developing into a tropical depression or storm as it passes well to the south of the islands early next week. The reason this affects the islands so much is due to the wide range a storm can affect. Category 4 Hurricane Dora passed well to the south of the islands last August. Legendary voyaging canoe takes to the sea today The core of the hurricane remained far away from the islands, but the effects of the storm cause a significant difference in atmospheric pressure between the hurricane and strong high pressure over the north-central Pacific. Combined, the factors increased the northeast trade winds on the islands. The winds became so strong they downed trees and power lines, which sparked rapidly spreading wildfires and becoming what we know today as Hawaiis greatest natural disaster the August 8 wildfires. A devastating loss of over 100 Maui residents were killed in the disaster and at least 2,200 buildings destroyed. The high-pressure area is not nearly as strong as last August, and the system passing by to the south is not the caliber of Hurricane Dora, explained Anderson. The trade winds should not be as enhanced with the first system passing by as with Dora in 2023. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news Experts are encouraging residents, tourists, workers, and officials on the island to use caution and closely monitor forecast updates in the coming days. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. TOPEKA (KSNT) A central Topeka neighborhood was without power for nearly two full days in the wake of Wednesdays storm. According to Evergys outage map, the outage for the neighborhood around Fillmore and Eighth Avenue was first reported at 10:36 p.m. on Aug. 14. It was restored around 5 p.m. Aug. 16. Ruth Hilleland-Thompson lives in an apartment complex in the area. 27 News spoke with Hilleland-Thompson Friday afternoon before power was restored. She said she has a medical condition that requires her to be on oxygen, which she cant get without power. My oxygen levels are dropping every day, and this is my biggest concern, Hilleland-Thompson said First clue for $5,000 Manhattan treasure hunt released Hilleland-Thompson said she was promised the power would be restored more than once. Ive called [Evergy] more than a dozen times, and all they keep telling me is that theyre working on it, Hilleland-Thompson said. They cant tell me exact time. But they promised last night it was gonna get done but it didnt get done. 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. PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) The Peoria Park District will ask artist Preston Jackson to create a statue for Bradley Park that will go where the now-removed Columbus statue once stood. At their meeting Wednesday, the Board of Trustees voted to commission Jackson, a Peoria native, to create a work out of art that would signify the life of Native Americans that once lived in the area. The artwork will also have placards and signs to educate people about the indigenous tribes. Peoria Park District looking for input on replacement artwork The statue was removed amid a wave of concern about the explorers legacy. After much public debate, the Peoria Park District Board of Trustees voted in 2020 to remove the statue. At the time, issues regarding the 15th century explorers complicated legacy dominated discussion. Many wanted the statue removed, saying Columbus exploited and enslaved the native population when he arrived in the Americas. Others said to keep it as it was a historically significant piece or as a way to teach people about the past. In the end, the board opted to remove the statue. As such, the board voted 4-2 in September 2020, to remove it from Laura Bradley Park and put it into storage. The statue was a gift from the developer of the then-new Uplands subdivision in 1902. It was later moved to Bradley Park in 1947. Once it and the pedestal was removed, the area sat there for a few years until West Bluff groups started asking the park board to put another statue in that location. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. ATLANTA, Ga. (WSAV)Georgias first statewide Organized Retail Crime Unit will be led by a previous Assistant District Attorney as of Friday. Attorney General Chris Carr has announced the hire of former Cobb County Assistant District Attorney Timothy Ruffini to lead Georgias first statewide Organized Retail Crime Unit. The new hire is supposed to oversee a team of prosecutors and investigators who will be working to combating the criminal networks that are engaged in recurring thefts and acts of violence targeting businesses throughout the state, according to the Office of the Attorney General. Prior to his role in Cobb County, Ruffini served as a Chatham County Assistant District Attorney for more than 10 years. He was assigned to the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team, and he also assumed the role of Special Assistant U.S. Attorney with the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force in the Southern District of Georgia. Ruffini is said to have been tasked with coordinating investigations and prosecutions involving violent felony offenses as well as felons in possession of firearms, according to the press release. He served as the District Attorneys Office representative for the End Gun Violence: Step Forward Initiative with the Savannah Police Department (SPD). He was said to have worked closely with the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of Georgia on its Project Safe Neighborhoods Task Force. As a Chatham County Assistant District Attorney, Ruffini assisted in the successful trial of State v. Keith Marrow, a triple homicide in which the defendant was convicted on three counts of Malice Murder and sentenced to life without parole. He also indicted State v. Jarquail Dixon, et. al., a racketeering indictment charging 11 co-defendants with a total of 107 counts, including allegations of approximately $1 million in auto thefts, according to the press release. This new unit will be located in the Attorney Generals Prosecution Division, which also includes Carrs Gang Prosecution Unit, Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit, White Collar Unit and Cyber Crime Unit. Tim is a talented prosecutor whose knowledge and experience will prove essential as we work to combat organized retail crime throughout our state, said Carr. At a time when its incredibly difficult to hire staff, where workforce is cited as one of the most significant challenges facing businesses of all sizes, the additional concern a potential employee now has is for his or her own personal safety. With our new statewide Organized Retail Crime Unit, we will continue to serve as a force multiplier by working with all levels of law enforcement to dismantle these increasingly violent and brazen networks once and for all. With the support of Governor Brian Kemp and members of the General Assembly, funding for the new Organized Retail Crime Unit is included in the states FY 2025 budget. Those who steal from Georgia businesses will absolutely face consequences, said Kemp. Thats why we made funding this unit a budget priority: to put those who profit from the loss of others on notice that we will not stop in ensuring justice. Im confident the Attorney Generals Office will diligently carry out this mission and help keep Georgia the best state in the nation to do business. Georgia businesses are estimated to lose over $3 billion to retail theft annually. The press release said that this includes $1.6 billion in stolen goods and $326 million in lost tax revenue, along with 17,000 lost jobs. According to a 2021 study, nearly 76% of retailers reported physical assault against an associate as a result of organized retail crime, while 41% reported attacks involving a weapon. Along with that, the Office of the Attorney Generals press release said that this unlawful activity can also be linked to other criminal operations, including things like gang activity, human and drug trafficking, corruption, bribery and money laundering. Im honored to join Attorney General Carr as we continue to build upon the excellent work and reputation of the Department of Laws Prosecution Division, said Ruffini. I look forward to building a team of dedicated prosecutors and investigators who will work alongside our business partners, as well as local, state and federal law enforcement, to relentlessly combat the growing problem of organized retail crime and the violence associated with it. Ruffini most recently served as a Cobb County Assistant District Attorney, where he was assigned to the Marietta, Cobb and Smyrna (MCS) Organized Crime Task Force Narcotics Unit. Throughout his career, the press release states, Ruffini has handled felony investigations ranging from aggravated assault and armed robbery to complex gang, drug and racketeering indictments. Ruffinis hire takes effect on Aug. 16, 2024. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSAV-TV. Prison where convicted murderers are allowed knives is rated best in the country Sean Oliver, the prison manager at HMP Oakwood, says respect is the key to his strategy - Andrew Fox A prison where convicted murderers are given knives to prepare their own meals and call staff by their first names has been rated the best in the country. Staff at HMP Oakwood, Britains biggest jail, do not carry batons and instead try to resolve conflicts by talking to prisoners rather than using force, Sean Oliver, the prison director, said after the rating was revealed following a snap inspection. It represents a dramatic transformation for the G4S-run jail near Wolverhampton, which was dubbed Jokewood shortly after it opened in 2012. Charlie Taylor, the chief inspector of prisons for England and Wales, said the prison was bucking trends in challenging times, with low rates of violence and self-harm among the 2,100 men held there. Around 1,700 inmates at HMP Oakwood are assessed as posing a high risk of harm. Mr Oliver, 59, who has been in charge since 2021, said that treating every offender at the jail with respect was key to establishing good relationships and maintaining order. He insists that inmates call him Sean rather than Governor the traditional way prison managers are greeted. He told The Telegraph: Walking past the prisoner and going good morning to everyone is what we do. I always say to staff its very difficult for a prisoner to assault you if youre being helpful. Find out what the problem is, try to resolve the problem and most of the anger will go away. Youve got to embrace trust. There also have to be consequences, if theres a breach of that trust. Making meals fosters community spirit About half the prisoners at Oakwood are permitted to prepare their own meals, which inspectors said contributed to a community spirit. There are also opportunities for inmates to cook for and eat with relatives during visits. Family dogs are sometimes allowed to visit too. The prisoners cook in kitchens equipped with a full range of utensils, including knives, but Mr Oliver, who was a chef before joining the prison service, said there had rarely been problems. The truth is [cooking] holds too much value to them to lose it. If they want to hit you with something, theres many things they can find. Thankfully, they dont hit us very often, he explained. The success of Oakwood, one of 14 jails operated by private companies, is in stark contrast to the overall performance of the prison system, in which 50 out of 119 establishments are said to be giving cause for concern or serious concern, according to the latest Ministry of Justice figures. A chronic shortage of prison cells is at the root of the crisis, with only 700 spare places in mens jails. With the prison population expected to surge over the coming months, the Government is introducing emergency measures in September and October to free up space. Around 5,500 prisoners will be released early, after serving 40 per cent of their sentence, rather than the standard 50 per cent. Jail space has also been affected by this months riots and unrest across the country. More than 1,000 people have been arrested and more than 600 charged in connection to the disorder. Another problem is the flow of illicit drugs. Drugs have been found in parcels with fake Amazon labels and at the bottom of tins of food. Drones have even landed drugs packages disguised as grass on fields next to the jail, while mobile phones have been discovered hidden in electrical equipment. Theyre ingenious, said Mr Oliver, who has boosted the prison security team at Oakwood to stay one step ahead of the criminals. 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 secretly recorded conversation has exposed the dangerous and far-reaching plans being laid out by Russell Vought, a central figure behind Project 2025, the Heritage Foundations plan to reshape the federal government in a potential second term for former President Donald Trump in his image. The Centre for Climate Reporting, which conducted the undercover investigation, revealed how Vought and his conservative allies are preparing a comprehensive set of executive orders, regulations, and policies aimed at implementing a radical agenda that poses a direct threat to LGBTQ + rights. Related: Project 2025: A blueprint for the oppression of LGBTQ+ Americans The meeting, held in a luxurious Washington, D.C. , hotel suite, was attended by two undercover journalists posing as wealthy donors interested in supporting Project 2025. Vought, the former head of the Office of Management and Budget under Trump and now president of the Center for Renewing America, which he founded, outlined the secretive second phase of Project 2025, which conservatives are hiding from the public to avoid scrutiny, according to the report. CCR reports that Vought described his think tank as the Death Star, a reference to its powerful role in drafting the most extreme elements of Trumps potential policy agenda. He revealed that his team is working on what he termed the largest deportation in history, aiming to expel millions of undocumented immigrants, a move that would also serve to dismantle multiculturalism in the United States. Trump has celebrated this notion, and Republicans celebrated the concept of mass deportations during the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee in July. Vought said the plans were top secret and would be shared only with Trumps transition team to avoid exposure through the Freedom of Information Act. The project aims to roll back protections for LGBTQ+ people, dismantle gender-inclusive policies, and erase the progress made under the Biden administration. Project 2025 emphasizes a commitment to transforming America into a Christian nation and implementing a form of Christian nationalism that seeks to impose a rigid Judeo-Christian value system on the entire country. Related: Creepy Project 2025 video tells Americans to spit out gender-inclusive language before we choke on it The CCRs investigation also uncovered that Vought and his colleagues are preparing for the possibility of mass protests in response to their policies, including the use of the military to suppress dissent. Vought dismissed concerns about legal restrictions, such as the Posse Comitatus Act, which limits the use of federal troops in domestic law enforcement, suggesting that Trump could bypass these laws to maintain order. The CCR revelations come on the heels of training videos from Project 2025, obtained by ProPublica, which show former Trump officials mocking gender-inclusive language and dismissing the legitimacy of transgender people. These videos, as reported by The Advocate on Wednesday, are part of a broader strategy by right-wing extremists to normalize discriminatory practices within the federal government. Project 2025, the conservative agenda designed for a possible second Trump administration, calls for the Justice Department to investigate and prosecute the top election official in Pennsylvania over the 2020 election as part of a dramatic overhaul of federal law enforcement. Its an unprecedented threat to a specific statewide officeholder Pennsylvanias Democratic election chief in a crucial swing state where Donald Trump and his allies aggressively tried to overturn Joe Bidens victory in 2020, and a state Trump needs to win in November to regain the presidency. While the policy blueprint doesn't specifically name its proposed Pennsylvania target, only one person held the appointed position of secretary of the commonwealth in 2020: Kathy Boockvar. Boockvar told USA TODAY her department "absolutely" did nothing wrong, and accused the authors of Project 2025 of taking that disinformation and conspiracy theories and elevating it to a point where its being used to try to dismantle our institutions of the United States of America. More: What is Project 2025? Inside the conservative plan Trump claims to have 'no idea' about. Trump has tried to separate himself from Project 2025 amid a heavy backlash against many of its more radical policy prescriptions involving expanding executive power, ending civil service protections for federal workers, and fighting what the document calls "woke culture warriors." Most of the project's authors served in the Trump administration or are otherwise tied to Trump. Among its hard right recommendations, the plan would curtail federal civil rights enforcement and redirect the Justice Department to investigate alleged fraud in state-level voter registrations. The document says those changes would make it easier for the federal government to prosecute Pennsylvania's top election official for the guidance that office gave counties in 2020 over ways voters could cast ballots after an elections office rejected their mail-in ballot. "It is well past time to stop arguing over the audited, verified results of the 2020 election," Al Schmidt, Pennsylvania's current elections chief, said in a statement. More: Some Project 2025 contributors have trail of racist writings, activity A proposed agenda for Trump The Heritage Foundation, which created Project 2025, did not respond to a request for comment. The groups president, Kevin Roberts, wrote in the beginning of the 900-page book that its policies are the best effort of the conservative movement and the next conservative presidents last opportunity to save our republic. The foundation is a leading conservative think tank that has influenced the administrations of multiple Republican presidents, dating back at least to Ronald Reagan in the 1980s. In 2018, the organization touted Trumps embrace of the groups previous Mandate for Leadership, the same phrase used in the title of Project 2025. At least 31 of the project's 38 authors and editors are tied to Trump or his first administration. They include former White House assistant special counsel Steven Groves, who is listed as an editor, and Gene Hamilton, a former Trump Justice Department official. Democrats have savaged Trump over the effort, and the former president has tried to distance himself from it, prompting the projects director to step down in July. Danielle Alvarez, senior advisor to Trumps campaign, said in a statement that Democrats are lying and fear-mongering when they allege that these are Trump-endorsed policies. "President Trump's 20 promises to the forgotten men and women and RNC Platform are the only policies endorsed by President Trump for a second term, Alvarez said. More: Biden slams Trump after he tries to distance himself from Project 2025 'Radical culture change' proposed at DOJ Justice Department employees have historically prided themselves on staying free of political interference, but Project 2025 calls on the next White House to break with tradition and intervene directly, including by removing civil service protections from longtime nonpartisan prosecutors. Project 2025 calls DOJ a bloated bureaucracy with a critical core of personnel who are infatuated with the perpetuation of a radical liberal agenda," and goes further to say the Civil Rights Division, which focuses on discrimination-related issues, should be "reorganized" and have some of its duties "reassigned" to the Criminal Division. "Its signaling that there would be a de-emphasis on enforcing the anti-discrimination components of (the law) because youre taking away the cases away from the people whose focus is on anti-discrimination," said Jon Greenbaum, who was a Justice Department voting rights lawyer in the Bill Clinton and George W. Bush administrations. Justin Levitt, a professor at Loyola Law School who worked for the department during Barack Obamas presidency, called it a radical culture change, and one in which DOJ is truly weaponized." Prosecuting voter registration fraud Project 2025 says DOJ has been unwilling to go after voter registration fraud because it was too politically costly. Experts described potential scenarios in which Trump loyalists would be pressured to open criminal investigations or prosecutions of his political enemies. In December 2020, in the waning days of his presidency, Trump tried to install loyalists atop the department who planned to send a letter to Georgia officials saying it was investigating "various irregularities" in the election. Critics warned to expect more federal interventions in a second Trump administration. You can see a scenario where the Department of Justice is weaponized to go after baseless voter fraud, Greenbaum said. Republican bystanders mock an activist protesting Project 2025, a set of conservative policy proposals, as she demonstrates along the perimeter of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S., July 17, 2024. He also pointed to Trump's efforts to replace then-Attorney General Bill Barr at the height of his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. "At the end of the Trump administration, President Trump tried to do that with the Department of Justice, and there was resistance to it," he said. Even without Justice Department interference, Trump and his allies' baseless allegations of fraud have been blamed for political violence, including threats against election workers and Democratic electors. The hallmark of autocratic regimes is the use of the Department of Justice or their equivalent, the use of the criminal justice system, to prosecute enemies, Levitt said. Conservative storm over provisional ballots Project 2025 says the DOJ should have looked into the appropriateness or lawfulness of state election guidance, pointing to guidance Pennsylvania gave local election officals on how to use provisional ballots. Provisional ballots are designed to allow people to vote in the event a poll worker cant immediately determine if they are registered. Since federal law started requiring states to offer provisional ballots more than 20 years ago, elections offices started using them to help people vote who have other issues at the polls, including a lack of sufficient identification. Pennsylvania's 2020 guidance described several sets of circumstances that elections offices could use to provide someone with a provisional ballot, including if the voter "did not successfully vote an absentee or mail-in ballot" or their ballot "was rejected by the county board of elections and the voter believes they are eligible to vote." (Election officials then confirm whether the person was eligible to vote whether that ballot should be counted.) Project 2025 alleged that this guidance was illegal, accusing the Pennsylvancia election chief of trying to "circumvent state law," and concluded that moving prosecuting authority to DOJ's Criminal Division was the only way for "the rule of law to be appropriately enforced." Levitt, from Loyola Marymount, said he was quite taken aback by the proposal. The law that Project 2025 proposes using is rooted in prosecution of extremists like the Ku Klux Klan for using violence and intimidation against Black voters. Boockvar, the former election chief, emphasized that her office's guidance to county boards was both legal and optional. The Pennsylvania Department of State said in a statement: The plans outlined in Project 2025 are a clear attempt to disenfranchise Pennsylvania voters. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Project 2025 targets Pennsylvania's election chief under KKK law 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. DePerno has denied wrongdoing. Hes not due back in court until Nov. 21 after the general election and no trial date has been set. 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 on 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 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 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. Abortion rights were added to the state constitution by voters in 2022, months after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. 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. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Providence drill team honors the man who gave them a head start PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) The Dynamic New Force Steppers Drill Team marches to the beat of their own drums. The drill team, which Darleen Walker founded back in 1995, is made up of nearly 100 dancers and drummers. Walker said it was the late Cedric Huntley who offered to let the drill team practice at the South Providence Recreation Center, where he worked for 20 years as a site director. Thats why it was a no-brainer when the Nonviolence Institute asked the drill team to partake in a celebration honoring Huntleys legacy. He was a great guy, Walker said. He was someone we could go to and look to for answers. Huntley, who served as the executive director of the Nonviolence Institute for three years, passed away last month. Hes been revered as a staunch advocate for peace and nonviolence in the capital city. The drill team marched from the recreation center to the Nonviolence Institute on what wouldve been Huntleys 66th birthday. He wouldnt be surprised. He knew the teams potential, Walker said when asked what Huntley wouldve thought of the drill teams march. The march culminated with a celebration of life outside of the Nonviolence Institute, where dozens gathered to mark the citys first-ever Mr. Ced Day. Huntleys wife, Anika Kimble-Huntley, was overwhelmed by the turnout. I think he would be proud to see all of the lives that hes touched, she said. Kimble-Huntley told 12 News her husband was instrumental in propelling the drill team to new heights. Look at how big theyve grown and expanded since the 90s, Kimble-Huntley said. Its a testament to their belief in him and his belief in them. It was heartwarming and I found it to be very spiritual, she added, referring to the drills teams tribute to her husband. Walker took the time to approach Huntleys family after the march to express her gratitude. He opened that gym to us for 15 years, she said as she hugged Huntleys sister. I hope we made you proud. It was a wave of emotions, Huntleys sister said. He believed in community, it was very important to him. Kimble-Huntley, who described her husband as a peacemaker and a problem solver, has no doubt that his legacy will live on. Everything that everybody is saying about him is true, Kimble-Huntley said. He was very giving and never asked for anything in return. If he did ask for something it return, it was for somebody else. He literally lived his life that way. He knew everybody, connected everybody and kept everybody together, she concluded. Thats how I want everyone to remember him. Johnny Villella contributed to this report. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now This Week in Good 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. Putin has broken one of the most sacred rules of warfare - and the consequences could be dire Smoke rises from a cooling tower at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant after the Kremlin's latest provocation For decades, nuclear power plants have been protected from attack in theatres of war. The Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions states that nuclear facilities must not become targets, even in scenarios of strategic military gain. But for the first time in history, the taboo on attacking nuclear sites has been broken, and the lack of regard for nuclear exclusion zones by Moscow and Kyiv has set a dangerous precedent. The latest incident at Zaporizhzhia late last week, when Russian troops reportedly set tire fires beneath one of the cooling towers in response to Ukraines incursion into its territory, underscored Putins willingness to resort to nuclear provocation. In the eyes of the law, nuclear power plants are always considered civilian infrastructure, and jeopardising nuclear energy security causes blackouts, harms vital services including hospitals, and increases reliance on environmentally harmful fossil fuels. With a potential conflict between Israel and Iran looming, how can we ensure that the Ukraine war is the last to involve the threat of harm to nuclear energy as a pawn? There have been calls for new legal and political mechanisms to protect nuclear power stations during war in the future. However, new legislation could weaken the existing Geneva Conventions and will only add complexity to the issue by permitting rogue states to pick and mix their legal participation. The protection of nuclear facilities was once unanimously seen as fundamental and the legal codes of Russia, Israel, and the United States present these vital facilities as safeguarded spaces. When Moscows forces attacked the six-reactor Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant on March 4, 2022, Russia not only provoked global outrage but violated its own national policy. Russia then launched an assault to capture the infamous decommissioned Chernobyl nuclear power plant and sarcophagus. By March 9, Chernobyl had lost external power due to the fighting and became reliant on back-up energy generation. While the Chernobyl site is now back in Ukrainian hands, Zaporizhzhia remains occupied by Russian forces. Ukrainian emergency personnel have been preparing for a possible nuclear incident in Zaporizhzhia - DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP So what can be done? Completely shutting down nuclear energy production is not a realistic or sensible option. Currently, 50 per cent of Ukraines domestic energy is provided by fifteen nuclear reactors. Four of them are Russian-designed and all of them lie within reach of Russian-occupied territory. Nuclear power stations are more robust than we give them credit for. They are designed to withstand terrorist attacks and aircraft strikes. However, they are not prepared for the multiple accidental strikes and environmental harms that can arise during long-term conflict. If Russia does not maintain Zaporizhzhia to a high standard, there is the real possibility that an accident or counter-attack could release radioactive Iodine, Caesium, and Strontium isotopes across both Russia and Ukraine. Russias reckless behaviour threatens the safety and security of Eastern Europe. Putins decision to attack and capture Ukraines nuclear energy presents an unprecedented violation of international humanitarian law. This law has been respected, even by states with ongoing rivalries. In 1988, India and Pakistan recognised the risks that could arise from targeting each others nuclear installations and agreed to exclude all facilities that use or store large amounts of radioactive material from attack, despite historical tensions and hostilities. Ukraine has called for retaliatory sanctions against Rosatom, the Russian State Atomi Energy Corporation, in response to the seizure of Zaporizhzhia. A Russian serviceman stands guard at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant - OLGA MALTSEVA/AFP Unfortunately, such sanctions are not possible, due to the harm that they could cause to the broader European energy infrastructure. For example, there are fourteen nuclear reactors in the European Union that are entirely dependent on Russia for their fuel and the global nuclear industry is not yet well placed to compensate for this deficit. The end of Europes dependence on Russia should send a clear message that exploiting nuclear power plants during warfare has significant consequences Until a strong plan is in place to end global reliance on the Russian nuclear industry, sanctions are just not a viable option. However, there is some hope. Untangling Europe from Russian nuclear industry could be achieved by developing nuclear fuel conversion, enrichment, and fabrication capabilities that were previously Russian in other places. This process has already begun in Europe, as power stations sign new long-term contracts with non-Russian resource providers. The move away from Russia is creating new economic opportunities in the sector for the US and Spain, for example the collaboration between energy giants Westinghouse and Enusa to fabricate fuel for Russian-designed reactors that has made Moscow redundant. The end of Europes dependence on Russia should send a clear message that exploiting nuclear power plants during warfare has significant consequences. It is time for the international community to take action and rebuild the decades-old safeguards around nuclear energy infrastructure in conflict zones. Both Moscow and Kyiv need to cease their attacks which threaten nuclear energy infrastructure and commit to upholding the principles that have, so far, prevented disaster. Dr Becky Alexis-Martin is a Lecturer in Peace, Science, and Technology at the University of Bradford 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. Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador refiled a lawsuit aimed at quashing a ballot initiative to end closed primary elections on Friday, this time in the Fourth Judicial District. The move came just days after the Idaho Supreme Court rejected a similar petition for failing to file the complaint in a lower court and because it was too early to rule on the measures constitutionality. The initiative, if approved by voters in November, would create a nonpartisan primary election open to all voters in which the top four candidates would move on to the general election, according to the initiatives website. In the general election, voters could rank their candidates in order of preference. Idahoans for Open Primaries collected more than 70,000 signatures in support of the initiative, enough to get it on this years ballot. The measure was approved for the ballot by Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane in July. Labradors lawsuit argues that the open primaries description is inaccurate and that Idahoans for Open Primaries obtained signatures fraudulently by concealing the ranked-choice voting part. Labradors lawsuit asks the court to throw out the thousands of signatures that have been collected. In its dismissal of the Republican attorney generals appeal to the Idaho Supreme Court this month, the justices said any fraud allegations about the signatures would have to first be addressed in the lower courts. The second prong of Labradors lawsuit a claim that the changes to election law would be unconstitutional could be addressed only if voters enact the measure in November, they ruled. The attorney generals petition fundamentally misapprehends the role of this court under the Idaho Constitution and the role of the secretary of state under the initiative laws enacted by the Idaho Legislature, Justice Robyn M. Brody wrote in her opinion. The new complaint reflects the courts guidance, putting Labradors allegations of deceptive signature-gathering before a lower court and leaving aside his constitutional contentions. The attorney generals quick move to follow the courts direction came less than three months before voters are set to have their say about the proposal. The Idaho Republican Party has organized against the effort, while some prominent former state leaders, such as former Republican Gov. Butch Otter, have rallied behind it, arguing it would give a wider spectrum of residents a say in choosing their leaders. In reality, the initiative abolishes party primaries and institutes ranked-choice voting in the general election an unpopular and complicated system that many petition signers did not know was included in the initiative and would not support on its own, Labrador said in an emailed statement. In the lawsuit, Labrador asked the court to declare the signatures collected as null and void, order the initiative withdrawn and any other relief the court deems reasonable. Accompanying the lawsuit were motions to speed up the litigation. AG Labrador is doing everything in his power to interfere with the election and deny voters a voice, Luke Mayville, spokesperson for Idahoans for Open Primaries, said in a statement on Saturday. The people of Idaho, not the Attorney General, will decide in November whether Idaho should restore the right of all voters including independents to participate in every taxpayer-funded election. Labrador said when the initiative was first announced that these bad ideas coming from liberal outside groups should be defeated, according to previous Statesman reporting. The new filing is just one in a sea of legal disputes over the initiative, including a lawsuit last year over Labradors proposed titles for the ballot initiative. Even back then, there was disagreement about how to label and describe the type of election system proposed by the initiative. In a ruling on last years case, the Idaho Supreme Court rejected both Labrador and Idahoans for Open Primaries arguments for the terms open primary and nonparty blanket primary to appear on the ballot, Instead, the court said top four primary was the most accurate description, according to previous Statesman reporting. Rancho Palos Verdes mayor appeals to Elon Musk for help with possible power shutoff Tesla and SpaceX Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk speaks at a conference in Washington in 2020. (Susan Walsh / Associated Press) Rancho Palos Verdes Mayor John Cruikshank is appealing to tech billionaire Elon Musk for help in assisting homeowners dealing with gas shutoffs and possibly power shutoffs amid worsening landslides. "While our community is resilient, this situation presents a unique opportunity to turn a setback into a showcase of sustainable living," Cruikshank wrote in a letter to the Tesla founder on Aug. 8 and posted on X, which Musk also owns. "Given Tesla's advancements in solar technology and storage solutions, we see a potential partnership to equip these homes with solar panels and Powerwall batteries." It is not clear whether Musk has received the letter or plans to visit the region; Tesla has not yet responded to requests for comment. The coastal community has been dealing with a slow-moving landslide for decades, but historic rainstorms in 2023-24 have accelerated its movement and created the current emergency. Up to a foot of land movement per week has been recorded in recent months, fracturing the walls of homes and blowing off roofs, shearing underground pipes and opening massive fissures in the earth. Since October, Rancho Palos Verdes has been under a local state of emergency. On July 29, Southern California Gas Co. abruptly cut off natural gas service to 135 homes in the coastal city, citing risks to public safety. The next day, Southern California Edison notified more than 500 homes that power may soon be cut off as well. An electricity shutoff would raise a number of community safety issues, city officials said, because electricity is key for telecommunication lines, the sewer system and the pumps that expel the groundwater that geologists say causes ground movement. Some residents have already left, but many remain in their homes, scrambling to find ways to take a hot shower, cook dinner and warm their homes as they prepare for the rainy season without access to natural gas. Cruikshank invited Musk to tour the landslide area "at your earliest convenience." A partnership with the struggling Rancho Palos Verdes community, he added, would "demonstrate the viability of clean energy solutions in a real-world scenario, solidifying Tesla's role as a leader in the green energy revolution." Cruikshank also sent a letter this month requesting state and federal assistance for further landslide repairs, as well as for individual residents. Landslides are usually not covered by the California Disaster Assistance Act, or by typical homeowners insurance policies. Times staff writer Grace Toohey contributed to this report. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Maciek Hamelas Oscar-shortlisted documentary In the Rearview arrives on video on demand platforms this weekend a compelling portrait of Ukrainian civilians fleeing for their lives in the early days of Russias full-scale invasion. The Polish-born Hamela is both filmmaker and, in a real sense a participant in the documentary even though he is rarely glimpsed on camera. After the brutal attack on Ukraine began, he bought a used van and drove it into Ukraine so he could transport young, old and in-between to safety across the Polish border. Eventually, he set up a camera in the van, which recorded his passengers digesting the utter disruption of their lives in real time. More from Deadline In the Rearview That simple viewpoint, along with roadside scenes of pickups and drop-offs, captures the moments when ordinary life ended and the deadly chaos of the Russian invasion began, noted the New York Times reviewer Nicolas Rapold on Friday, awarding In the Rearview a Critics Pick designation. [T]he van passes checkpoints, burned-out cars and disemboweled buildings while steering clear of mined roads and bombed bridges. But the van presents a safe space where passengers can talk about who and what they left behind, sleep, or just sit in silence. Rapold continued, [T]he vans familiar interior has a way of underlining how many other millions across history have had to escape military aggression. Hamelas work as driver and documentarian reflects that reality while offering a spirit of resilience. In the Rearview premiered at Millennium Docs Against Gravity in Poland last year before screening at the Cannes Film Festivals ACID sidebar. It has won over two dozen prizes around the world, including the Pare Lorentz Award from the International Documentary Association, the Grand Jury Award at Sheffield DocFest in the U.K., Best International Documentary Film at the Zurich Film Festival, Best Film at the Vilnius International Film Festival in Lithuania, and the Prix du public at the War on Screen film festival in France. In the Rearview: A Ukrainian girl displays a paper with key information about her in case she becomes a casualty of war. In the film, ordinary people sudden refugees begin to process what theyre going through. One woman expresses sorrow for having to abandon a cow named Beauty; a man laments that he had to set his dogs free to fend for themselves. A child displays a piece of paper she keeps with her that lists her name, contact information and other relevant data; if she should be killed in a Russian bombing raid, the paper will help her body be identified. I want the audience to see that these people have exactly the same lives as we do, Hamela told Deadline at the Cannes Film Festival. Its their ordinary lives. They have pets, they have cows, they quarrel with their wives. They have kids who want to go for vacation to the sea. And they have to lie to them [because of the war] or promise them things promises they cannot keep. This happens very often when we see documentaries about atrocities we get very quickly disassociated from what were seeing because its too much. We cant take it anymore. And this is what I wanted to avoid. The director chose not to include moments of potential cataclysm. Director Maciek Hamela at the Deadline Studio at the 76th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France on May 22, 2023. We got rid of all the unnecessary drama, like all the difficulties we got into and we went through hell sometimes going around the frontlines, he said. Its not a film where we want to shock and where we want to inspire fear in the audience or, for example, to underline the bravery of the [Ukrainian] soldiers. Its really about the deliberately small details, and about how the war is reflected in these details. And, through that, this film can stay with people for many hours and days after they see it. Film Movement acquired U.S. rights to the documentary in November 2023. In the Rearview is now available for purchase or rental on major VOD platforms including Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video. We are proud to bring this intimate, yet powerful and devastating film to U.S. audiences, Film Movement President Michael Rosenberg noted, reminding us all of the human perspective of a war which continues to rage. Ukraine recently launched a cross-border attack into Russia itself. Meanwhile, Russian forces are reportedly advancing closer to the town of Pokrovsk in Ukraines Donetsk region. U.S. support for Ukraines defense robust and bipartisan at first has wavered as many Republican members of Congress adopt views on the conflict that could only prompt delight in the Kremlin. In the Rearview Hamela sees a parallel between Ukraines predicament and what befell his native country in World War II. Poland was part of the Allies in the Second World War. It had a treaty with France and England that supposedly protected it against the invasion from Germany. And in the end, it didnt, he told Deadline in December. So, these alliances on paper, they look strong, but in reality, theyre not very effective. But what can be effective is these spontaneous alliances between societies, between people. And this is what happened at the beginning of this invasion. Also, what the film talks about is how people just got spontaneously massively engaged in all the relief efforts. The terrain of In the Rearview isnt the corridors of power where geopolitical decisions are made, but evacuation routes from Ukraine to Poland. Here, men, women and children confront the reality of loss and wars destruction and find some measure of comfort as a neighbor comes to their aid. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. TEXARKANA, Texas (KTAL/KSHV) A few recent cases involving Arklatex educators have local experts saying that parents need to be vigilant about teacher sexual misconduct. So that basically just is a, is an overall term for any type of inappropriate sexual language behavior, touching things like that by an educator to a student, says Breanne Bradshaw, the Director of Education and Outreach at the Texarkana Childrens Advocacy Center. Her organization often deals with cases like those. You know, we teach our kids to go to school and say yes, maam. No, maam. Yes, sir, no sir, to their teacher and just do what theyre told. And so it does give educators an advantage, an opportunity to groom children and then ultimately abuse them. says Bradshaw. The Texarkana Childrens Advocacy Center (TCAC) say it can often be hard for children to come forward because of fear they could be ostracized by their peers or would not be believed by other adults. Former Sabine teacher & coach convicted of attempted indecent behavior with juveniles And then if a child does end up reporting, a lot of times they are targeted and bullied by other students, even other faculty members as well because what we know is most of the time these educators who offend are going to be the fun lovable teacher of the year types, says Bradshaw. Which is why they say it is essential for parents and guardians to look for red flags. Parents should look out for anyone who is trying to spend a lot of alone time with their child, or trying to contact them outside of school activities, maybe give them special treatment gifts. says Bradshaw, Some offer them rides home, you know, especially if we have like a single mom and she doesnt have anyone to bring their child home. Ex-Natchitoches teacher arrested for alleged indecent behavior with student However many of those red flags could also be the sign of genuinely good teacher. Which is why TCAC says it also important to monitor your childs online activity. They say more and more social media is where an educator might go to push boundaries and cross lines. There are apps that can monitor a childs activity or even look for inappropriate keywords. But really the best tool we have to protect our kids is just keeping an open conversation, just keeping that open communication, and knowing, you know, who theyre talking to online, says Bradshaw. Louisiana teacher arrested, accused of sexual misconduct with a student They also say that one-way school districts can do their part is by having a specific code of conduct governing how the staff is allowed to interact with students. Thats not going to allow for any type of inappropriate language or touching. Its not going to allow for those isolated one-on-one incidents. Its not going to allow staff members to contact children out of school, says Bradshaw. Besides working to help victims in the aftermath of abuse, the Texarkana Childrens Advocacy Center also provides free prevention training to school districts. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. The German government will not release any additional funds for military support for Ukraine for the time being, the Sunday edition of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) reports, citing a letter from Finance Minister Christian Lindner dated August 5. The letter, also made available to dpa ahead of the FAZ report, suggests that future support for Ukraine might come from interest on frozen Russian state assets, as decided by the Group of Seven (G7) leading industrialized states. However, the Ministry of Finance said it remains open to discussions. A spokesman for the Ministry of Finance stated: "Fundamentally, though, all decisions to support Ukraine are made in the closest coordination with the Chancellery." The Federal Press Office declined to confirm the accuracy of the FAZ report. The Ministry of Defence referred inquiries to the Ministry of Finance and the Chancellery. Lindner's letter emphasized that new measures could only be undertaken if financing is secured in the budget plans for this and the coming years. The letter, addressed to Defence Minister Boris Pistorius and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, also stressed adherence to budgetary limits. Opposition Christian Democrat (CDU) budgetary politician Ingo Gadechens criticized the government, stating: "From one day to the next, [Chancelor] Olaf Scholz and his centre-left coalition have frozen financial and military support for Ukraine." The first draft government budget for 2025, decided by the Cabinet in July, allocated 4 billion ($4.4 billion) for Ukraine support, which reportedly remains unchanged following a new budget compromise agreed on Friday. A spokesman for the Federal Press Office explained that this amount is mainly intended for military support of Ukraine. He referred to the G7 summit decision in June, which promised around $50 billion of support to Ukraine by the end of the year, also utilizing interest from frozen Russian state assets. The Ministry of Finance added that future bilateral aid from Germany would be partially transferred to international programmes. The Ministry of Finance led by Lindner is open to examining the short-term provision of further funds, provided additional needs are reported and verifiable to comply with budgetary rules and request approval from the Bundestag. However, no concrete notification of need has yet been submitted to the Ministry of Finance, preventing any examination or decision. For the current year, the German government had planned 4 billion for military support for Ukraine, but the Bundestag increased this amount to nearly 7.5 billion. A member of the Budget Committee, who wishes to remain unnamed, indicated that there is no more leeway in the budget, stating: "There will be no multibillion-euro shifts in the Bundestag anymore unless we experience significantly better economic growth in the autumn and thus higher tax revenues than currently foreseeable." Republican candidates face off in US Senate primary debate EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) The two Republicans looking to replace Democratic U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse in Congress went head-to-head Friday in a debate hosted by 12 News. While Patricia Morgan and Ray McKay aligned on several key issues, there were also some clear disagreements between them. The 30-minute, commercial-free debate was moderated by Target 12 Chief Investigative Reporter Tim White and 12 News Politics Editor Ted Nesi. Early voting in Rhode Island gets underway on Wednesday, Aug. 21, and primary day is Tuesday, Sept. 10. Our next debate between Cranston Mayor Ken Hopkins and his challenger in the Republican primary, state Rep. Barbara Ann Fenton-Fung, will be broadcast on Friday, Aug. 30, at 6:30 p.m. on FOX Providence. 12 News is Your Local Election Headquarters. Stay with us for in-depth coverage of all the key local races and storylines through Election Day. VOTER GUIDE: Key deadlines and other important election information 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. SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) Residents wanting to walk along the riverfront trails are being urged to stay out of barricaded areas. 2,500 pounds of stone collapsed into the river due to damage from the historic flooding. The Iowa DOT is working on emergency repairs in the area, so the public cannot cross the barriers. Trespassers could be fined $10,000 and face jail time. Few parks and trails reopen while others require repairs Iowa DOT district engineer Jessica Felix said crews are working to stabilize the riverbank. We hope to conclude stabilization of the banks this fall, she said. But the permanent repairs we will have to design over the winter. We are looking at hopefully being able to open up part of the trail next year. But it is a challenging worksite. Other trails are open to the public, such as the Big Sioux River Trail. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. When Moawya Ali saw a wave of Israeli settlers storm towards his house in the West Bank town of Jit, he grabbed his five children and rushed to his car, where he dropped them off at a nearby house for safety. When he returned to the house, Ali said, he saw some 30 settlers armed, masked and dressed in black jumping over the fence, breaking windows and throwing Molotov cocktails inside the house. CNN visited Alis house, where the majority of the ground floor was burnt down. Little was left of the chairs and sofas, which were completely hollowed from the flames and black with soot. A smell of smoke filled the air. We are (Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir) Ben Gvirs gang, we are here to kill you, here to kill Arabs, the settlers shouted in both Arabic and Hebrew, according to Ali. They told us to leave, to go to Sinai, to Jordan, to Syria, Ali told CNN, recounting Thursdays attack. (They said) we will come back for you and kill you. CNN has reached out to Ben Gvirs office for comment. A car of a resident is damaged after being torched during a deadly settler attack on Thursday, in the West Bank town of Jit on Friday. - CNN Alis home is one of several houses and cars damaged by what residents of Jit say was an assault by dozens of settlers on Thursday night, which drew scathing condemnation from top Israeli officials. The armed settlers stormed into the village from three different fronts at around 7:00 PM local time, residents told CNN. They fired bullets, tear gas and set homes and cars on fire, they said. Another resident, Mohamed Arman, was injured as he tried to confront the settlers, one of whom threw a rock at his face, he told CNN, cutting his lips open. A bandage covered the corner of his swollen mouth. The attackers also torched his car, he said. CCTV footage shared with CNN shows Arman confronting at least five settlers. In the footage, the settlers appear to be uniformly dressed in black, chasing Arman as he tries to drive them away. They were prepared with weapons, Arman said, adding that they had silencer firearms with live ammunition, knives and M16 rifles. They came to commit a crime in the town, he said. The attack has been condemned by top officials across Israels government, with a statement issued hours later by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office warning that those responsible for any offense will be apprehended and tried. Netanyahu is but a toy One resident, Rashid Sedda, was killed in Thursdays attack. According to the Palestinian Authoritys ministry of health, the 23-year-old died after an injury to the chest by settlers bullets. Hundreds gathered for his burial on Friday, where residents marched down the narrow streets of the town carrying Seddas body, wrapped in a Palestinian flag. Mourners blamed far-right ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Ben Gvir for the attack, saying they have been instigating settler violence, and especially after October 7. Netanyahu is but a toy in their hands, said the preacher speaking at Seddas burial. In May, Smotrich said that Israel should approve 10,000 settlements in the West Bank, establish a new settlement for every country that recognizes a state of Palestine, and cancel travel permits for Palestinian Authority officials. In June, the minister said the way to prevent a Palestinian state that would endanger the state of Israel is to develop Jewish settlements. Netanyahu has long struggled to appease the far-right side of his coalition, and is currently under pressure to delay a ceasefire deal and press on with the war in Gaza, which today shows few signs of ending. A cousin cries during Sedda's burial in the West Bank town of Jit on Friday. - CNN The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has recorded at least 1,143 settler attacks against Palestinians from October 7 to August 5 alone. Of those, at least 114 attacks led to Palestinian fatalities and injuries, according to OCHA. After Thursdays attack, some settler leaders were keen to distance themselves from the attackers. Smotrich, who lives in the Kedumim settlement just 10 minutes away, called attackers criminals who are in no way related to the settlements and the settlers. In a statement, Ben Gvir suggested that the riot would not have happened if the Israeli military were allowed to shoot stone-throwers in the West Bank. Ben Gvir 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. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have also condemned the attack, saying in a statement that Israeli security forces were dispatched to Jit minutes after receiving the report of this incident and used riot dispersal means, fired shots into the air, and removed the Israeli civilians from the town. An Israeli civilian involved in the riot has been apprehended for questioning, and a joint investigation by Israeli security forces is looking into the death of the Palestinian resident, it also said. The world does nothing Statements by Israeli officials did little to cool residents anger, however. Murad Eshtewi, spokesman for Fatah in the Qalqilya Province, where the town of Jit is located, said that attacks by settlers are always given a greenlight by settler leaders. Fatah is the leading party in the Palestinian Authority (PA), which governs the West Bank. We cannot believe in the contradiction Netanyahu is now living. It sends a message to settlers that they can launch their attacks on the people of the town Jit, he told CNN, adding that this also shows that Netanyahu is not serious about stopping the war. While the prime minister is enjoying the support of his far-right ministers, Eshtewi said, blood is being spilled in Gaza and the West Bank. Residents of Jit said that attacks by settlers have been rampant since Netanyahus new government and more so after October 7, but that Thursdays attack was unprecedented. They fear it may not be the last. Yesterdays event was not the first and will not be the last, Jamal Yamin, a resident of Jit and member of the municipally committee, told CNN. But it was the most vicious. Yamin said that it is up to the international community to stop the violence, as the Palestinian people have no means of confronting these attacks. The world sees and hears what happens, and does nothing, he said. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Richard Secord fights on: once in Vietnam, now within family Four years before the first American boots landed on the ground in Vietnam, Richard Secord was one of 151 U.S. airmen sent there under Operation Farm Gate. Farm Gate was part of a cover story that the United States was sending advisers to train South Vietnamese pilots to fight against the communists to the north. What really happened was Secord flew more-than-daily combat missions, dropping bombs and Napalm. The work was the literal meaning of flying under the radar. Air Force Maj. Gen. (ret.) Richard Secord says an internal family dispute has taken a toll on him and his wife who died earlier this year. He spoke to The Daytona News-Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network, from a hangar at Spruce Creek Fly-In near Port Orange, Florida. Secord's instructions were to fly just above the jungle tree line, he explained in a recent 2-1/2 hour interview in an airplane hangar near his son's home in Spruce Creek Fly-In located in Port Orange, Florida. When Secord would fly back to base, vegetation was wedged into parts of his plane. Staying low equated to staying safe. Or at least as safe as possible in an active shooting war. His plane was struck by gunfire from the North Vietnamese Army and the Viet Cong rebels, but Secord himself eluded injury. Im too wiggly, he joked. Wife died amid stressful family legal fight For more than three decades, Secord has flown under the radar. But the long-retired Air Force major general, who turned 92 on July 6, is still alive and after a career stretching from those bombing runs in Vietnam to facing a congressional inquiry and criminal trial for his involvement in the late 1980s Iran-Contra affair he is in the middle of another bitter battle between his own family members. On one side is his son John, the Spruce Creek Fly-In resident who in recent months moved his dad to an assisted-living facility in the Daytona Beach area. On another is Secords grandson Stephen Korfonta, an Army reservist for five years who previously served 17 years on active duty, much of it in special forces. In the interview, with John Secord present, the retired general told The Daytona Beach News-Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network, that family strain, particularly the stress from a lawsuit filed by Korfonta, preceded the death of Jo Ann, his wife of 62 years, in Fort Walton Beach in January. She was 84. From Richard Secord's perspective, the lawsuit led to questions about his competency and decision-making ability. He agreed to the interview, including the airing of some family dirty laundry, in an effort to demonstrate his cognitive skills as well as tell the story of an extraordinary life that began in an ordinary place. Americans escape Vietnam: Path to Freedom: Florida restaurant owner recalls daring escape by boat from Vietnam Path to becoming a general Secord was born in 1931 in La Rue, Ohio, and earned an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1950. After graduation, Secord opted for the newly created Air Force over the Army. I have not-so-jokingly told a lot of friends I got tired of crawling around in the mud, he said. After pilot training, Secord spent three years as a flight instructor and, to his complete surprise and disappointment, was tagged to become an English teacher at the new Air Force Academy in Colorado. He was ordered to go to the University of Oklahoma to earn a masters in English. He struggled. But it was in Oklahoma that he met Jo Ann. Right before they married in 1961, he got an opportunity to join covert operations and avoid the academy. Goodbye classroom, hello Vietnam, where Secord flew 285 combat missions. Helping a friend in need: 'This is fabulous': Woman creates GoFundMe for 90-year-old man whose wife has dementia Retired Air Force Maj. General Richard Secord talks about his life and long career with son John Secord, Tuesday June 4, 2024 during an interview in a hanger at Spruce Creek Fly In in Port Orange, Florida. Secord builds military record After Vietnam, Secord was sent to Iran, then a U.S. ally, to aid the Shah's ragtag air force using ancient T-6 trainers from the WWII era against Kurdish rebels in the northern part of the country. Later, Secord returned to southeast Asia. This time Jo Ann and the Secords young daughter, Julia, moved to Bangkok, Thailand. Jo Ann was pregnant and flew back to Eglin Air Force Base in Florida to have the twins, John and Laura in 1968. Secord was loaned to the CIA to head up its Laos air operation in a secret war to prevent the spread of communism beyond North Vietnam. While in Laos, Secord played a key planning role in the Ban Naden Raid, the only successful prisoner-of-war attack in the war. Some 50 prisoners were ultimately rescued from captivity. He described the raid as reconnaissance in force, having one of the escapees lead 30 or so fighters back to the camp, killing the guards and freeing some 40 to 50 prisoners. The strategy was taught for decades in CIA officer training, John Secord said. Yet that triumph was one in a sea of tragedy. By its 1975 exit from Saigon, the United States failed to achieve its mission in Vietnam, and more than 58,000 service members lost their lives. By then, Secord and his family were on to a new destination: Tehran, where the U.S.-backed Shahs power was fading. Secord was made commander of the military advisory group, which had around 3,500 people including contractors, for three years. He initially wasnt planning on bringing his family, but Jo Ann insisted on going. We lived in a poor, little hut, Secord joked. John Secord said the family lived in a Shah-provided palace with a view of Mount Damavand. It was beautiful but dangerous. Security trailed the Secords everywhere they went in Iran. U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. (ret.) Richard Secord Freed hostages on Iran's prison: Americans freed from Iran survived the infamous Evin prison. Here are their stories. The Secords left Iran in 1978, the year before the Iranian Revolution leading to the hostage crisis where 52 Americans were held for 444 days before their release. A month after a failed mission to rescue the hostages in April 1980, Secord who said he had no role in the planning of the failed mission was appointed to major general and put in charge of planning a second military operation to bring the hostages home. Secord said he was to assemble an Air Force special operations team, and the Navys Seal Team 6 was started the same year to be part of that effort, John Secord said. Secord and his team planned a raid, Operation Honey Badger, for early 1981. It was canceled when the hostages were released on Jan. 20, 1981, the day of Ronald Reagans inauguration. Secord finished his military career as deputy assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs, retiring in 1983. Key role in Iran-Contra Affair As a private citizen, Secord formed a new company, Stanford Technology Trading Group International with a contact he made in Iran, Albert Hakim. Together, they managed arms sales to Iran on behalf of Lt. Col. Oliver North, a staffer of the National Security Council under Reagan. North devised a plan to covertly transfer profits from those arms sales to the Contras, a rebel group fighting against the socialist government in Nicaragua. U.S. government support for the Contras was specifically banned by Congress. This led to a scandal that dominated headlines in 1986 and 1987, with televised hearings and indictments. How much did top Reagan Administration officials know about the trading? Secord gave four days of testimony to a Congressional panel investigating the matter. Along with North, Hakim and National Security Advisor John Poindexter, Secord was charged with multiple felonies related to defrauding the U.S. government. In 1989, he pleaded guilty to one count of lying to Congress about illegal gifts he provided to North. The guilty plea allowed him to avoid trial on 12 felonies. Special Prosecutor Lawrence Walsh wrote in his report Secord personally received at least $2 million in a Swiss bank account in 1985 and 1986, that he set up secret accounts to conceal his untaxed income, and he later lied and encouraged others to lie to keep it concealed. Media accounts from 1990 state Secord was sentenced to two years probation but no jail time or fine. In my judgment, there has been punishment in this case, U.S. District Judge Aubrey Robinson said. The necessity for incarceration does not exist. Ten years later, a federal judge vacated the conviction altogether. When he was asked what he wants the public to remember most about his career, Secord said he wants the erased conviction to be more widely known, as the media mostly ignored it. My view on ... American voters is that when you have a conviction, as I had, that you never live it down, really, he said. But to have it reversed, and not only was it reversed, but it was, to use the language of the lawyers, ab initio. It means from the beginning. In other words, as a matter of law, this whole thing, this Iran-Contra thing never existed, even. It was expunged. Never existed. The Secords left the Washington, D.C., metro area and moved back to northwest Florida, near where he had been stationed at Eglin Air Base in the Fort Walton Beach area. They settled into an area with a large population of military retirees, lots of friends and a life very different than Vietnam, Iran and D.C. Richard Ryer Company founding leads to lawsuit In 2016, Secords old Air Force buddy Richard Ryer founded SocoSIX Strategies LLC, where Secord said he was a cofounder and unpaid adviser. Ryer hired Secords grandson, Korfonta and they worked together building SocoSIX, which describes its offerings as boutique, custom risk management solutions with a focus on an international portfolio. Korfonta is now suing, saying Ryer hired him as chief operating officer, responsible for developing and managing the company, and that Secord would be on the board and one of the principals. The lawsuit states Ryer agreed to his terms: An equal partnership in SocoSIX, control without interference, and later, a five-way split in ownership, with one of the shares going to Secord, who would serve as chairman of the board, according to the lawsuit. Secord denies serving on the board or having an ownership stake. From December 2016 until January 2020, Korfonta worked tirelessly to create, develop, operate, manage, strategize and implement every facet of SocoSIX, the lawsuit stated. Then Korfonta called Ryer and told him he was resigning, but at no time did he relinquish his ownership, the lawsuit states. Korfonta declined to comment on details of the lawsuit, but expressed optimism he has a winning case. I can assure you (with) litigation going on for four years," Korfonta said, "that theres validity to it or else it would have been thrown out by a court." Ryer, who has since died, testified in a deposition that Korfonta was never an owner and that he merely offered him a job. Secord and Shannon Presley, the current CEO, have also said Korfonta was never an owner. Korfonta contended that John Secord is manipulating his father a geriatric patient with memory issues, citing a vascular dementia diagnosis. He blames John Secord for moving the retired general six hours away without letting other family members and friends know. Richard Secord told The News-Journal that his former home was too large after his wifes death and he wanted to be closer to his son John, who shares power of attorney for his father along with his twin sister Laura. While he was still living in the Florida Panhandle, Secord had been diagnosed with vascular dementia, damage that blocks blood flow to the brain, diminishing cognitive ability, a public relations executive, Ron Sachs, explained. Once he moved to the Daytona area, doctors determined he had hypercapnia, a condition in which the body retains too much carbon dioxide. "Now he's on a regimen where he's getting the medicine he needs, and he does not have a vascular dementia diagnosis," Sachs said. As the lawsuit plods forward, Secord was asked if he had any message hed like to convey to his grandson. He replied: Bail out. This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Air Force general known for Iran-Contra role now in family dispute Pets and wild animals in need are jetting across California, quite literally, as a retired local TV anchor and veteran has been flying the abandoned animals to their forever and rescue homes. Ken Wayne, 63, from Marin County, California, worked as an anchor in the Bay Area for over 30 years. After retiring from journalism, the Navy veteran now spends his time saving animals in need both wild and domesticated. In 2018, Wayne founded Flying Tails to rescue dogs, bear cubs, raccoons, and more across the Golden State, according to The Mercury News. The animals he loads into his Cessna 182 Skylane aircraft are typically injured, abandoned, or in a kill shelter needing to be rehomed. It may be an unconventional way to travel, but Wayne says the animals don't mind it. "There's something special about the calming effect flying has," Wayne told The Mercury News. "Even a distressed animal who's been through God knows what, invariably settles down and even goes to sleep. Maybe it's the smooth drone of the engine or the plane's vibration, but it's soothing." Since launching the now-nonprofit organization, the former anchorman has transported multiple bear cubs, dozens of dogs, and even a bald eagle. After being rescued by Wayne, many of the abandoned animals are taken to ranches where they can receive proper care and love. Odessa Gunn, the founder of Sonoma County's Litter Trooper Ranch, told The Mercury News that it can be difficult to transport the animals as there aren't many flights. As a result, Gunn said Wayne "truly is saving lives." The Navy veteran generally flies to save the animals several times a month, providing them with a second chance at life. Rescuing abandoned and injured animals is a key way to protect our planet's biodiversity. For more vulnerable creatures, human intervention can help prevent species from going extinct and keep their ecosystems in balance. And there are plenty of organizations working to do just that. Wayne said that he might not be changing the planet by transporting the animals, but he is transforming their worlds. "When I'm up in the air, cruising along in almost a Zen state, knowing this animal is going to be in a whole better place, well, that's a huge satisfaction," he said, per The Mercury News. 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. On Friday the Washington State Department of Transportation announced that two of its ferries that had been in service for 50 years were sold to a South American company. The ferries Elwha and Klahowya were bought by Nelson Armas of Ecuador for $100,000 each, with a third, Hyak, pending sale. According to the press release, the ferries will be recycled at a clean, green steel mill facility. After safely serving our customers for more than five decades each, the sale of these two retired ferries will free up our docking space so we can focus vessel maintenance needs on our current fleet, said WSF Assistant Secretary Steve Nevey. In addition, any time we needed to move these decommissioned boats to allow for vessel or terminal maintenance, there was a cost for a tugboat, and we needed a tow captain on board, taking away a crewmember from working on one of our routes. Originally constructed in the 1960s, the Hyak operated on multiple routes until its retirement in June 2019, followed by the retirement of the Elwha in April 2020. The Klahowya, built in 1958, was decommissioned in July 2017. The new owner will use the Western Towboat Company out of Seattle to take the Elwha, Klahowya to Eagle Harbor where voyage towing tugboat Wycliffe will take the ferries out of Puget Sound. What is RFK up to? Kennedy denies rumors that he is in talks with Harris Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during the Libertarian National Convention at the Washington Hilton in Washington, May 24, 2024. | Jose Luis Magana Last week, officials with independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.s campaign reported that Kennedy wanted to meet with Kamala Harris, possibly about a Cabinet role in her hypothetical administration, according to The Washington Post. Harris has reportedly not responded to his proposal, and Kennedy is denying the reports. Thats fake news. I didnt ask Kamala Harris for a Cabinet position but Ive reached out to all the candidates. Ive met with some, he said over a TikTok livestream, per Fox News. Kennedy also met with former President Donald Trump last month in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They discussed a hypothetical Cabinet role and an endorsement from Kennedy to Trump, but did not reach an agreement. The state of RFK Jr.s campaign Kennedy looked like a promising third-party choice in the early days of the presidential race. When compared to Trump and Biden, whose age and presidential records had come under fire from voters across the spectrum, he seemed like an exciting alternative. A pedigree that includes his father, former U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, and his uncle, President John F. Kennedy, added to his allure. But third-party candidates face a number of hurdles including ballot access and launching a campaign without the fundraising apparatus supplied by a political party have always found it hard to make waves in the political scene, and the swap from Biden to Harris made Kennedys race harder. Axios reported that Harris bump in poll numbers compared to Biden largely came from Kennedy supporters. This is why Kennedy was polling around just 5% of the national vote at the beginning of August, about a week after Harris launched her presidential campaign. Though hes maintained a foothold with voters in some demographics, including Gen Z and Latino voters, he is unlikely to win the election, according to the New Yorker. Will RFK endorse someone else? While Kennedy isnt on a winning trajectory, he could prevent Trump or Harris from winning depending on who he ultimately pulls votes from or he could use his 5% of the vote as a bargaining tool for a position in the next presidential administration. Trumps meeting with Kennedy reportedly went well: Trump mentioned giving Kennedy a spot in his future administration, per Axios. This could be a clever move on Trumps part. Republicans tend to approve of Kennedy more than Democrats do, potentially making it difficult for Trump in swing states. Newsweek reported that Kennedy is taking more votes from Trump (10% of voters) than he is from Harris (7% of voters), while Harris leads Trump overall by 2%. Trump has a real incentive to get Kennedy out of the race, said David B. Cohen, a political scientist at the University of Akron, per Axios. Trump will at least not have to worry about RFK throwing support to Harris. In a recent post to X, Kennedy lambasted her work as vice president and wrote that he (does) have a plan to defeat her. VP Harriss Democratic Party would be unrecognizable to my father and uncle and I cannot reconcile it with my values. The Democratic Party of RFK and JFK was the party of civil liberties and free speech. VP Harriss is the party of censorship, lockdowns, and medical coercion. Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) August 15, 2024 The other candidates have met with me, Kamala Harris has said she doesnt want to, Kennedy said, according to Fox News. I believe it would be tough for me to work with their administration unless they committed to a lot of different changes. Kennedy continues to campaign for the presidency, though Fox News reports that he is still willing to lend his support to another candidate if the candidate share an openness about his vision for the country. ROBESON COUNTY, N.C. (WBTW) Four teens face a string of felony charges in Robeson County including reckless driving and larceny in connection with a stolen vehicle, authorities said. Deputies spent five hours on Friday scouring wooded areas near Rennert after a vehicle and foot chase. One suspect was caught near Jacqueline Drive, another on Nantucket Road and a third on Great Marsh Church Road. A fourth teen was arrested at his home. All are charged with fleeing and eluding arrest, reckless driving, felony conspiracy, breaking and entering and felony larceny. Theyre currently being held at the Cumberland Regional Juvenile Detention Center. Authorities said the investigation is ongoing and more arrests are likely. * * * Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here. * * * 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. ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) Pups and booze were quite the combo Saturday afternoon in downtown Rochester as the Verona Street Animal Society (VSAS) played host to a fundraiser and adoption event called Who Let the Dogs Out? The free event, located at The Grove in Rochester, featured about eight dogs at a time for prospective adopters to meet. Were doing two shifts of four throughout the day to kind of make sure the animals are in good care; theyre not getting too overstimulated theyre getting enough shade and that sort of thing, said Devin Andrieu, a board member of VSAS. This event is just one of the many ways theyre working to address overcrowding at the shelter, Andrieu said. According to the City of Rochesters website, the shelter sees new dogs come in daily. The shelter has been pretty overrun. Were trying to get some of the animals out into homes and kind of free up some space in the shelter, she said. Animals are always in need and they just need a little more exposure to find that right fit. The fundraiser utilized all things Rochester, combining a local bar crawl, small business shopping, live music and, of course, the dogs, all into a seven-hour event, which started at two Saturday afternoon. VSAS worked in conjunction with Rochester Animal Society (RAS) to make the event possible. So, its Verona Street Animal Society and RAS, which is Rochester Animal Society. Rochester Animal Society is essentially the citys shelter and Verona Street is a non-profit which supports the shelter in terms of fundraising, events and that sort of thing, Andrieu said. To learn more about VSAS, send in a donation or to inquire about an adoptable pet, 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 RochesterFirst. Rodeo Roper Ace Patton Ashford Dead at 18 After Being Dragged by Horse Rodeo Roper Ace Patton Ashford Dead at 18 After Being Dragged by Horse Originally appeared on E! Online The rodeo world is mourning one of their own. Roper Ace Patton Ashford of Lott, Texas, died on Aug. 12 from injuries sustained after getting dragged by a horse, according to local firefighters. He was 18. First responders were called to the scene around 8 a.m., where Ashford had been attending to a sick calf, according to local outlet KWTX. He had been working with the animal when the horse got spooked. "Somehow, the man's leg got tangled," the Lott Volunteer Fire Department told KWTX, "and the horse [dragged] him quite a distance in an open field." The recent high school graduate was then airlifted to a nearby hospital and while he was breathing at the time, the fire department said he was in "bad shape." Ashford's death was also confirmed by his family, who shared in their obituary that he "went to be with his Lord and savior during the morning hours of Monday, August 12, 2024." More from E! Online According to his familyincluding parents Troy Wayne and Jamie Dawn Ashford"Ace loved to rodeo and was known as the 'Header' in Team Roping." The teen dedicated hours to practicing his roping skills and was a member of the Texas High School Rodeo Association. Ashford had also received a scholarship and was preparing to be part of the Hill College Rodeo Team in the fall. Facebook/Jamie McLaughlin Ashford "The times spent with him will forever be cherished in the hearts of those whose lives he touched," his family wrote, "by his kindness and love." The Team Roping Journal also paid tribute to rodeo star, writing in an Aug. 13 Facebook post that Ashford "was an 'old soul' who left far too soon when he died yesterday." They added, "Our hearts ache for our team roping family and everyone who love this young cowboy." Fellow roper and NFR Header Cody Snow told the magazine, "He was about as pure as they get. He was gold." Per his obituary, he is survived by his parents, sister Macy and her fiance Ryan Rule, brother Ross and his wife Taylor and girlfriend Sydney Boatright. For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App Former L.A. Daily News editor Ron Kaye has died, according to a post from his son on social media. He was 83 years old and passed away Thursday night. I am writing to share some painful news: my father Ron Kaye passed away last night suddenly at home with my mother Deborah, his son Alfred wrote in a personal remembrance of his father shared on Facebook on Friday. Many of you will have known Ron as a crusading and polemical journalist, a mentor, a neighbor or perhaps as a friend, Alfred continued. Every parent is a larger than life figure to their children. But Ron was a 1 of 1: a muckraking journalist, an independent thinker, a warm and emotionally connected father and grandfather, an intellectual and a believer in the Dionysian spirit in life. He enjoyed life to the last, celebrating my birthday with me this weekend over omakase sushi and sake, and having his grandchildren over after summer camp on Tuesday. Kaye spent 23 years at the Daily News before being let go in 2008, though the paper publicly framed it as a resignation. The paper noted at the time, During his tenure at the Daily News, Kaye became the public face of the newspaper, and his bombastic personality and scathing criticism of Los Angeles City Hall shaped the editorial pages of the paper. During this period, he saw many of the forces of social and political decay at work that have recently damaged our politics, Alfred wrote. Within the microcosm of Los Angeles, he sought to find a balance between those forces, pushing forward coverage of major issues such as police violence towards Rodney King as well as advocating for the interests of the everyman of the San Fernando Valley. The Daily News was also where he met his wife Deborah, who Alfred noted his father described as the love of his life. Following his retirement, Kaye continued to write about politics online through a blog (formerly hosted at RonKayeLA.com), calling himself a citizen journalist as he continued his critiques of public officials. He also took on his former employers, including a scathing 2009 critique of departing L.A. News Group executive Ed Moss, who had been the papers third publisher in 18 months. Kaye described him at the time as an empty suit who had sucked the spirit out of the paper and left it to die. Id been fired before but never by someone who had to fly in a surrogate from out of town to do it, Kaye noted. As hed worked to save the paper, hed employed a strategy he called more cowbell, a tribute to the famed Will Ferrell-led Saturday Night Live sketch. As his colleague Julia Scott wrote in a tribute to Kaye upon his exit, He asked us to innovate and try new things, to be disruptive like the cowbell-playing musician Ferrell plays. She continued, Who knows, maybe we would figure out how to make the newspaper profitable. If we effed up, at least we tried. Ron called the strategy more cowbell and would lurch through the newsroom shouting this slogan while banging on a metal cowbell. When he left the Daily News, he wrote to his colleagues, All good things in life come to an end sooner or later, even my love affair with the Daily News. What will always be with me is my love and respect for all of you. He voiced his support and encouragement for his colleagues as they worked to keep the newspaper alive in the digital age. I know it can be done and I wish you all the best in whatever you do, wherever the road leads you. Thanks for everything, these have been the happiest and most fulfilling years of my life. Discussing Kayes political fervor, his son wrote, He could be too passionate at times we warned guests not to bring up Trump, self-driving cars or JFK, and joked about his RONting. He always had a sense of humor about this and embraced the character he had developed; he studied improv in his late 70s, and appeared in local plays in his 80s. The Jewish journalist grew up in the Cleveland suburbs before attending the University of Chicago and studying anthropology. He bragged of graduating with the lowest GPA possible, Alfred wryly noted. Kaye began in journalism at the Cleveland Plain Dealer before being drafted to the Army and serving during Vietnam in Alaska. He worked for small papers in Fairbanks and Yakima before moving on to the Associated Press and Newsweek, eventually ending up in Los Angeles. The journalist was a labor leader, including leading a strike against Rupert Murdoch newspaper The Australian. He liked to say that he had never quit a job, but had been fired many times, Alfred added. Alfred further noted his fathers love for the people he worked with and mentored, writing that he still talked about their current careers and trajectories with pride until his passing. Among Kayes hobbies that may be surprising to some for a man of his age: video games. He was an obsessive gamer, his son shared, adding that one month he had the highest Tetris score in Nintendo Power magazine, and he was playing bridge and NYTimes spelling bee in the final months of his life. The family asks that anyone moved to make a monetary donation on his behalf do so by donating to the Kamala Harris-Tim Walz campaign, noting, He was passionate about the dangers of authoritarian leaders and would want that. They plan to sit shiva for him at his home this Sunday in Orange, Connecticut, with a Celebration of Life set to be organized at a later date and details to be shared at that time. Kaye is survived by his wife Deborah, son Alfred and grandchildren Dash and Theo. The post Ron Kaye, Former LA Daily News Editor, Dies at 83 appeared first on TheWrap. Round 2 of US Rep. Gaetz vs. former Speaker McCarthy plays out in Florida GOP primary Round 2 of US Rep. Gaetz vs. former Speaker McCarthy plays out in Florida GOP primary 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 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. Pasco homeowner loses his home after signing up for home improvement funding program 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. 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) 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) Former Navy pilot Aaron Dimmock discusses why hes challenging U.S. Rep Matt Gaetz in Floridas 1st congressional district on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, in Pensacola, Fla. (AP Photo/Brendan Farrington) 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 the effort to oust him because McCarthy refused to squash the ethics investigation. Clearwater officer fired after investigation into alleged fraud 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. Coast Guard seizes more than $18M of cocaine in Florida after boat capsizes 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. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. (Reuters) -Safety at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is deteriorating following a drone strike that hit a perimeter access road on Saturday, according to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director general Rafael Mariano Grossi. The Russian management of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant said a Ukraine drone dropped an explosive charge on a road used by staff, the TASS news agency reported earlier. Russia has been in control of the Zaporizhzhia site, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, since soon after it launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The plant is dormant as Moscow and Kyiv have repeatedly accused each other of trying to sabotage its operations and endangering safety around the plant. "Yet again we see an escalation of the nuclear safety and security dangers facing the [...] power plant," Grossi said. "I remain extremely concerned and reiterate my call for maximum restraint from all sides and for strict observance of the five concrete principles established for the protection of the plant." The impact site was close to the essential cooling water sprinkler ponds and about 100 metres from the Dniprovska power line, the only remaining 750 kilovolt line providing a power supply to the plant, the IAEA said. An IAEA team visited the area on Saturday and reported that the damage seemed to have been caused by a drone equipped with an explosive payload. The report said there were no casualties and no impact on any nuclear power plant equipment. However, there was impact to the road between the two main gates of the plant. The attack comes as Ukraine continues an incursion into Russia, claiming to have taken control of 82 settlements over an area of 1,150 square kilometres (444 square miles) in the Kursk region since Aug. 6. Moscow wants to discuss the attack on the Zaporizhzhia plant with the IAEA, Russia's RIA news agency reported, citing Roman Ustinov, the acting Russian representative in Vienna. (Reporting by Reuters; editing by Mark Heinrich and Susan Fenton) Russias Kadyrov equips Tesla Cybertruck with machine gun for war (and congratulates Musk for the car) Fighters in Chechnya have turned a Tesla Cybertruck into a technical, and are thanking Elon Musk for creating the vehicle. On Saturday, Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of the fighting forces in Russia' Chechnya region, posted a video of himself on a Cybertruck with a machine gun mounted to the vehicle. In the video he said he planned to send the vehicle to fight in the Russian-Ukraine war. "The Cybertruck will soon be sent to the SVO zone, where it will be in demand under the appropriate conditions. I am confident that this 'beast' will greatly benefit our soldiers," he wrote in a Telegram post. The "SVO zone" refers to the Ukraine warzone. Kadyrov praised the vehicle and Musk in the Telegram post, according to Reuters. Leader of Russias Chechnya region Ramzan Kadyrov is seen atop what is said to be a Tesla Cybertruck equipped with a machine gun, in Grozny, Russia, in this still image from video published August 17, 2024 (via REUTERS) "We received a Tesla Cybertruck from the esteemed Elon Musk. I was pleased to test this new technology and personally witnessed why it's rightfully called the 'Cyberbeast,'" he wrote in the post. The Independent has requested comment from Tesla. He called Musk the "strongest genius of modern times" and invited the Tesla and X CEO to visit Chechnya. "We... await your future products that will help us finish the special military operation," he wrote. "Special military operation" is Russia's official terms for describing its war in Ukraine. Kadyrov is a staunch ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. He said in May that 43,500 Chechen combatants had fought in Russia's war with Ukraine. Young men look on shrapnel after Russian airstrike on residential neighbourhood in Sumy, Ukraine, on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024. (Associated Press) The Cybertruck isn't the only one of Musk's products to show up during the war in Ukraine. His Starlink satellite internet system has been used by the Ukrainian and Russian militares since 2022. However, Musk has previously stated that he did not want his Starlink system to be used in wars, Insider reports. During an interview Musk hosted with Donald Trump on Monday, Trump told the Tesla CEO that "nobody feels worse about the Ukraine situation than I do," insisting that he cautioned Putin against invading, and repeating the dubious claim that the invasion would not had happened if he were president. He also called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky "very honorable" for the way he handled a phone call that led to Trump's 2019 impeachment. Trump's first impeachment came after it was revealed he tried to pressure Zelensky into investigating Joe Biden and his son Hunter, who had business dealings in Ukraine. Zelensky insisted at the time that he did not feel the call constituted blackmail or cocercion. Russia is not ready to hold talks with Ukraine German Ambassador to Russia German Ambassador to Russia Alexander Graf Lambsdorff has said that Russia is not ready for peace talks with Ukraine. Source: Lambsdorff in an interview with the Bonner General-Anzeiger newspaper, as reported by dpa and European Pravda Quote: "At the moment, the Russian side is not showing any willingness to negotiate but is insisting on exaggerated preconditions." Details: Lambsdorff added that when Russian leader Vladimir Putin said that he was only willing to negotiate with Ukraine if it fully withdrew from all the territories that he believed Russia had already annexed, including those parts that Russia does not control militarily, "then it is clear that there is no seriousness behind it". It is worth noting that Lambsdorff has been ambassador to Moscow for about a year. He also said that the German embassy's work in Moscow aims to be present and take action if Moscow's attitude changes. Quote: "Because one day Russia must also realise 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." More details: He added that the current advance of Ukrainian Ground Forces into Russias Kursk Oblast had made Russia nervous. It was an unpleasant surprise to the Russian border troops, secret services, military, civil defence forces and the population that Ukrainian troops were able to succeed in such actions. Background: Commenting on the events in Russias Kursk Oblast, Latvian Defence Minister Andris Spruds said that the war against Ukraine unleashed by Russia "returned to its home to some extent". German Major General Christian Freuding, who heads the Situation Centre for Ukraine at the German Ministry of Defence, mentioned the decision of Ukrainian forces to launch an offensive on the Russian border. Support UP or become our patron! Russia not ready for Kursk Oblast counteroffensive, Estonian official says There is no evidence that Russia has sufficient forces in Kursk Oblast to launch a counteroffensive in the region, Lieutenant Colonel Mattias Puusepp, deputy chief of staff of the Estonian Defense Forces division, told local media on Aug. 16. Less than two weeks into Ukraine's cross-border offensive in Russia's Kursk Oblast, Ukrainian troops hold over 80 settlements in the region while continuing to advance. Puusepp told the Estonian outlet ERR that Ukraine caught Russia by surprise, leaving Moscow's troops unable "to respond effectively" to the incursion. "According to Russian social media reports, the Russian Armed Forces are expected to launch a counteroffensive soon," Puusepp said. "However, there are no indications yet that the Russian Armed Forces have enough forces and areas to deploy such significant actions." Russian authorities declared a state of emergency in Kursk and Belgorod oblasts amid Kyiv's continued advance in the border regions, but have attempted to downplay Ukraine's success in taking Russian territory. Russia has officially labeled its defensive actions in Kursk Oblast a "counter-terrorism" operation as part of its effort to minimize the scale of Ukraine's incursion. According to Puusepp, Russian forces were not prepared for Ukraine's incursion and also face "command problems" in Kursk Oblast. "(T)he actions taken are of a defensive nature, that is, they set up defensive lines, move units," he said. Russian forces have been attempting to bolster their defenses in Kursk Oblast since Ukraine launched its offensive on Aug. 6. Job advertisements are now offering Russian workers up to $4,000 to dig trenches in the region. Kyiv has said the goal of the incursion is not to occupy Russian lands, but to divert Russian reinforcements from the front and prevent cross-border attacks. 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. Russia is rapidly approaching a key military hub in eastern Ukraine, a local official has said, as Moscow continues its advances despite Kyivs surprise gains in its enemys Kursk region. While Pokrovsk is not a major city about 60,000 people lived there before the war and many have left since the start of the full-scale invasion it serves as a key hub for the Ukrainian military thanks to its easy access to Kostiantynivka, another military center. Ukrainian troops use the road connecting the two to resupply the front lines and evacuate casualties toward Dnipro. Serhii Dobriak, head of the Pokrovsk city military administration, urged the community there to evacuate without delay. The enemy is rapidly approaching the outskirts of Pokrovsk, he said in a Telegram post on Thursday. His warning is proof that Moscow has not relented in its attack on other parts of Ukraine, despite Kyivs successful incursion across the border over the past week, a major development after two-and-a-half years of open conflict. Ukraine said it has captured more than 1,000 square kilometers (386 square miles) of Russian territory since the start of its surprise assault, forcing tens of thousands of Russians from their homes. On Friday, Russias foreign ministry said Ukraine had used Western rockets for the first time to destroy a bridge over the Seym river in the Kursk region, adding the strike killed volunteers trying to evacuate civilians. HIMARS, or the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, has perhaps been the most revered and feared piece of weaponry in Ukraines fight and since arriving have helped Ukraine to take back significant swaths of territory from Russia. Ukraine has used US weaponry and vehicles as part of its push into Russian territory, according to US officials, even though the Biden administration did put boundaries on the use of US weaponry in Russia. Ukraine officials said its military, already some 35 kilometers into Russian territory, is still advancing in some areas from 1 to 3 kilometers, on Friday. Russia appears to have diverted several thousand troops from frontline fighting in occupied Ukraine in order to address the territorial loss in the Kursk region. But according to Dobriak, the enemy is almost right up close to Pokrovsk, Ukraines key logistics and military hub that has become the focus of the Russian offensive in the Donetsk region. Medics of the Ukrainian battalion "Da Vinci Wolves" prepare an ambulance for the evacuation of wounded at their base in the direction of Pokrovsk, Ukraine, on August 1, 2024. - Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu/Getty Images They are a bit more than 10 kilometers (about 6.2 miles) from the outskirts of Pokrovsk, he said, adding that the situation is only getting worse. For months, Russia has been stretching Ukrainian defenses across the entire front line, trying to capture as much territory as possible before new Ukrainian recruits and fresh batches of Western weapons start arriving on the battlefield. The gains made by Russia have been largely incremental the front line has barely moved in the past few months but the recent advance toward Pokrovsk has Ukraine and its allies worried. The citys capture would bring Russian President Vladimir Putin closer to his goal of seizing all of the eastern Ukrainian regions of Luhansk and Donetsk. Kostiantynivka is the southernmost part of a belt of four Ukrainian cities with Druzhkivka, Kramatorsk and Sloviansk that form the backbone of Ukraines defenses of the region, so any progress of Russian troops toward the city is significant. Officer of Ukraines 59th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade Serhii Tsehotskyi told Ukrainian national broadcaster Suspilne on Friday that Ukraines incursion into Russia had not led to a decrease in Moscows attacks in the Donetsk region. He said Russian attempts to advance do not stop for a minute, and the battles continue around the clock. Ukrainian servicemen in an undisclosed area in the Pokrovsk district, the eastern Donetsk region, on August 8, 2024. - Roman Pilipey/AFP/Getty Images Taking into consideration the events in the Kursk region, they (the Russian forces) are trying to do everything in order to be successful at least somewhere, he said. Ukrainian army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi acknowledged Friday that intense fighting is taking place in the cities of Pokrovsk and Toretsk. The US-based Institute for the Study of War said Thursday that Russian forces are maintaining their relatively high offensive tempo in Donetsk, demonstrating that the Russian military command continues to prioritize advances in eastern Ukraine even as Ukraine is pressuring Russian forces within the Kursk region. Additional reporting from CNNs Olga Voitovych in Kyiv and Edward Szekeres in Hong Kong. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Russian attack on Myrnohrad in Donetsk Oblast kills at least 1, injures 4 Russian forces attacked the town of Myrnohrad in Donetsk Oblast on Aug. 17, killing at least one person and injuring four others, Governor Vadym Filashkin said. Myrnohrad lies just east of Pokrovsk, a key logistics hub that has become the main focus of the Russian offensive in Donetsk Oblast in the past months. The town is only some 6 kilometers (3 miles) away from the front line, the local authorities said on Aug. 16. An unfinished nine-story building came under the Russian attack, according to the governor. The number of those who were killed and injured may rise as the search operation continues, Filashkin said. 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. About 20,000 people remain in Myrnohrad as of now, Yurii Tretiak, acting head of the town's military administration, said. The authorities are organizing evacuations, mainly for children and the elderly, but many residents are reportedly leaving themselves due to inceasing Russian attacks in the area. Myrnohrad is planned to be completely evacuated by the end of August, Tretiak said. Read also: Thousands flee as Russian troops take one Donetsk Oblast village after another 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 three civilians and injured at least 10, including a child, regional authorities reported early on Aug. 17. Ukrainian forces downed all 14 Shahed-type drones launched by Russia overnight from Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Yeysk, and Kursk in Russia, the Air Force reported. Russian forces attacked the northeastern city of Sumy on the morning of Aug. 17, injuring at least two civilians, local authorities reported. Russian forces launched an Iskander-K missile attack and a KAB bomb airstrike against the city, the Air Force and the regional military administration reported. As a result of the attack, 10 cars parked near multistory residential buildings caught fire. The State Emergency Service said the blast wave damaged windows and facades of the surrounding buildings. In Donetsk Oblast, one person was killed and another injured in Toretsk, while one more civilian was killed in Chasiv Yar and one was injured in Siversk, Governor Vadym Filashkin said. A woman was killed during a Russian attack against the village of Kozacha Lopan in Kharkiv Oblast at around 10 p.m. local time on Aug. 16, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported. Russian attacks against Kherson Oblast injured six people, including a child, according to Oleksandr Prokudin, the regional governor. A critical infrastructure facility, multi-story buildings, and 22 houses were reported as damaged. Cherkasy, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, Kyiv, Luhansk, Mykolaiv, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts also came under attack, but no casualties were reported. Read also: Thousands flee as Russian troops take one Donetsk Oblast village after another Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Debris from a drone fell in the Darnytsia forest park in Kyivs Desnianskyi district on the afternoon of 17 August. Source: Vitalii Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv, citing rescue workers Details: The debris reportedly caused a small area of grass to catch fire. The fire was extinguished by forest park workers. The type of drone was not specified. An air-raid warning was in effect in the capital from 12:59 to 13:28. Ukraines Air Force had warned residents of a threat of ballistic missile attacks. Background: On the night of 16-17 August, Ukrainian air defence shot down all 14 Shahed attack drones launched by Russia. Support UP or become our patron! Ukrainian and Russian forces have clashed 72 times since the beginning of the day. The most intense fighting is raging on the Pokrovsk front, where Russian troops have made 25 attempts to drive the Ukrainian defenders from their positions. Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, information as of 16:00 on 17 August Details: On the Kharkiv front, Russian forces stormed the positions of Ukrainian troops four times near the settlements of Vovchansk and Lyptsi. A combat engagement is still ongoing in Vovchansk. The Russians mounted four attacks on Ukrainian positions on the Kupiansk front. Ukrainian defenders repelled Russian attacks near the villages of Berestove and Lozova. Two combat engagements near the settlement of Stelmakhivka are still in progress. On the Lyman front, Russian forces are continuing their attacks near the settlements of Makiivka, Nevske, Hrekivka, Novoiehorivka and Dibrova. There have been 14 combat engagements in this area since the beginning of the day, with five still ongoing. The situation is under the control of Ukrainian forces. Fighting continues on the Siversk front. The Russians are attempting assaults near the settlements of Verkhnokamianske, Spirne, Vyimka and Pereizne. They tried to break through Ukrainian defences six times. All attacks have been repelled. On the Kramatorsk front, Russian troops launched four assaults near the town of Chasiv Yar. Three of these engagements are ongoing. The Toretsk front remains one of the hottest and priority areas of focus for Russian forces, with seven attacks recorded so far. Today, Russian troops have primarily targeted the areas around Pivnichne, Toretsk, and Zalizne, where Ukrainian defenders are putting up strong resistance. Six combat engagements have been reported. Additionally, Russian aircraft launched rocket attacks on the settlement of Kurdiumivka. The Pokrovsk front has witnessed the highest number of combat engagements. Since the beginning of the day, the Russians have made 25 attempts to push Ukrainian defenders from their positions near the settlements of Vozdvyzhenka, Myroliubivka, Novotroitske, Novohrodivka, Hrodivka, Mykolaivka, Zhelanne and Zavitne and launched assaults towards Zelene Pole. Ukraine's defence forces have repelled 25 Russian attacks, and 11 engagements are still in progress. The Russians also struck the settlement of Oleksandropil with rockets. On the Kurakhove front, Russian troops targeted Ukrainian units nine times, trying to advance near the town of Kostiantynivka. A guided aerial bomb attack was carried out on the settlement of Memryk. On the Vremivka front, the Russians sought to advance towards Vuhledar, making one unsuccessful attempt. Ukrainian troops repelled one Russian attack on the Prydniprovske front. The Russians targeted Zaporizhzhia Oblast with aircraft, dropping three guided aerial bombs near Novodanylivka and launching rockets on Novoandriivka and Kamianske. Support UP or become our patron! Dmytro Drozdenko, Head of Sumy City Military Administration, has reported that the area of Svobody Avenue in Sumy has been struck. Source: Drozdenko on Telegram; Sumy City Military Administration Quote: "A lot of windows have been damaged, and many cars are on fire." Details: Drozdenko noted that all relevant services are responding. Quote from Drozdenko: "The search for those affected continues; so far, one person has been provided with assistance. An operational headquarters for dealing with the aftermath [of the attack] is being deployed." Details: The Russians have struck a car park near the city centre. Sumy Oblast Military Administration reported that the Russians launched a missile attack on the civilian infrastructure in Sumy on the morning of 17 August. The aftermath of the Russian attack on the city of Sumy Photo: Dmytro Drozdenko on Telegram Background: On the morning of 17 August, a loud explosion occurred in Sumy during an air raid. Support UP or become our patron! A civilian was killed as a result of a Russian nighttime attack on the village of Kozacha Lopan in Kharkiv Oblast. Source: Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration Details: The Russians struck the village of Kozacha Lopan in Derhachi hromada [an administrative unit designating a village, several villages, or a town, and their adjacent territories ed.] at around 22:00 and close to midnight. The attack resulted in the death of a woman. Private houses were damaged, a roof was destroyed and a fire broke out in a two-storey building. Later, at 04:30, the Russians launched a guided bomb attack on the town of Borova in the Izium district. Information about casualties and damage has not been reported. No civilians were killed or injured in the oblast during 16 August. Support UP or become our patron! The aftermath of the Russian attack on Myrnohrad. Photo: Donetsk Oblast Military Administration Russian forces targeted the city of Myrnohrad in Pokrovsk district, Donetsk Oblast, on the evening of 17 August, leaving one civilian dead and four injured. Source: Vadym Filashkin, Head of Donetsk Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram Quote: "The city came under enemy fire again tonight. The Russians hit a nine-storey apartment block still under construction." Details: Filashkin said three people were known to have been injured. "There are probably other casualties we are checking this information," he added. Update: Filashkin later reported that at present, one person is known to have been killed and four others injured. Previously: On 17 August, a Russian strike destroyed an apartment block in the city of Kramatorsk in Donetsk Oblast. One man was rescued from under the rubble and is in a serious condition. Support UP or become our patron! (Reuters) - The leader of Russia's Chechnya region, Ramzan Kadyrov, published a video on Saturday of himself driving a Tesla Cybertruck with what looked like a machinegun mounted on top, saying he would send it to the Ukraine conflict zone. Kadyrov, known for extravagant publicity stunts, heaped praise on both the vehicle and Tesla Motors chief executive Elon Musk on the Telegram messaging app, calling him the "strongest genius of modern times" and inviting Musk to Chechnya. "We... await your future products that will help us finish the special military operation," Kadyrov wrote, using the official term by which Russia describes its war in Ukraine. There was no immediate comment from Tesla. (Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne) (FOX40.COM) The union for criminal justice attorneys working for Sacramento County has given notice to the county that it intends to strike starting on Aug. 26. The Sacramento County Attorneys Association (SCAA) includes assistant district attorneys, assistant public defenders and attorneys for the Dept. of Child Support Services. According to the union, their departments have retention and recruitment issues as a result of pay. New California laws aim to reduce smash-and-grab robberies, car thefts and shoplifting Both of our offices are losing valuable talent and experience to other counties and agencies and our respective administrations are having difficulty attracting experienced attorneys to replace them, an SCAA board member and senior attorney at the Public Defenders office told FOX40.com. Its not sustainable and directly impacts the public. That is why we are fighting for a more competitive compensation package. We are doing it so that we can maintain the health of our respective offices and our ability to continue to effectively serve the people of Sacramento. The county said the vacancy rate for the relevant attorney positions is well below its overall vacancy rate for jobs and that pay is actually above the median compared with other counties. According to the county, the two sides have an agreement that runs through the end of June 2025 that includes pay packages that, in some instances, can be as high as between $204,000 and $247,000 annually. The union said that the pay has left their departments with a lack of attorneys with mid-level experience. According to the union, only 7% of their offices have attorneys who have between 11 and 15 years of experience. According to the union, the last full contract between the county and the union expired in June of 2022, though the two sides have been operating with an addendum, which is a minor agreement covering some aspects, for some 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 FOX40. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) The body of a man was discovered in the Willamette River on Friday evening following a recovery effort that began earlier this week. Though the body has yet to be officially identified by the Oregon State Medical Examiner, the Salem Police Department said in a release he is tentatively being identified as 35-year-old Salem resident Derik Morganstern. The body was found by a volunteer dive team in the early evening, officials said. They had been searching the river for Morganstern after he was presumed drowned on Monday. Polices unique approach drives down car theft rates According to witnesses, Morganstern is believed to have accidentally drowned after going into the water to help a woman who had jumped into the river from the Union Street Pedestrian Bridge and was struggling to swim. While the woman ultimately survived, the witnesses said Morganstern never resurfaced. Officers located the woman who made it shore. She was transported to the hospital, Salem police said in a release. Officers searched the banks on foot and with the use of two drones. Salem firefighters also searched for him with a boat. The body had not been located and the next day both Salem police and the Polk County Sheriffs Office Search and Rescue team did another boat search. Still, the body was not found. The volunteer divers ultimately recovered the body, presumed to be Morganstern, around 5 p.m. Friday. The state medical examiner will confirm the identity and determine a cause of death, authorities said.. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. San Diego mayor heads to Nev. to campaign for Kamala Harris SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) According to Todd Glorias office, the San Diego mayor is traveling to the state of Nevada Saturday to campaign for democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris. A press release announcing his departure noted that Gloria is making the trip to participate in the the Harris campaigns Weekend of Action. This event is meant to kick off the Democratic National Convention, which is scheduled to be held Aug. 19 through 22 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The Weekend of Action is taking place across battleground states with organizers, grassroots supporters, and others attending to voice their support for their preferred candidate. Mayor Todd Gloria is seen with Vice President According to the mayors office, Gloria will depart for Nevada Saturday afternoon and is expected to return to San Diego sometime during the night. Then on Sunday, he will travel to Chicago to take part in the Democratic National Convention as a delegate for Harris. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. 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 publics 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. 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 Franciscos 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 Stanfords 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. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) As cities across the United States are seeing a homeless crisis, the mayor of San Francisco has issued a new directive to help relocate some people experiencing homelessness, with Oregon being among the top destinations. On Aug. 1, San Francisco Mayor London Breed issued an executive directive that orders city employees to offer people facing homelessness relocation assistance before offering homeless services such as housing and shelter within the city of San Francsico, as first reported by The San Francisco Standard. San Franciscos relocation program isnt new, but the directive prioritizes relocation to reunite more people with family outside of San Francisco, amid an increase of people from out-of-state, Mayor Breed explained. Missing McMinnville woman likely lost in vast wilderness off Highway 138 East According to Breed, the citys 2024 Point-in-Time count, which tracks how many people are homeless, showed a rise in the number of people who are not from San Francisco County. Of the people surveyed in the 2024 Point-in-Time count, 40% said they either came to San Francisco from another county or out-of-state an increase from 28% in 2019. According to the San Francisco Human Services Agency, Oregon is among the top places people have been relocated to. LAIKA releases teaser trailer for new movie set in Portland The agency told KOIN 6 News on Friday they have helped relocate 29 people to other California counties, 10 people to Oregon (including five to Portland), eight to Nevada, and seven to Texas and less than five people to a handful of other states. With this increase, the mayor decided to issue the directive. San Francisco continues to be committed to investing in effective programs that offer services to help reconnect people living on our streets with their homes as part of our ongoing efforts to address homelessness here in our city, said Mayor Breed. While we will always lead with compassion and we have made significant expansions in housing and shelter, we cannot solve everyones individual housing and behavioral health needs. Weve made significant progress in housing many long-time San Franciscans who became homeless, but we are seeing an increase in people in our data who are coming from elsewhere. Todays order will ensure that all our city departments are leveraging our relocation programs to address this growing trend. Burnside Bridge committee makes final recommendation for new design The city has been offering relocation services since 2005, when it offered bus tickets to help people facing homelessness or drug use disorders relocate to friends and family in other areas under the Journey Home program. In July 2022, the city expanded the program to offer travel assistance, coordination with support networks, and financial assistance to new communities. The San Francisco Human Services Agencys relocation programs work carefully with each individual seeking this service to ensure that they have a safe place to return to; participants are only served if they have housing, a support network, and/or are previously from the destination, SFHSA told KOIN 6 News. VIDEO: Oregon Lottery billboards taken over by possible furry hack The agency added, We also ensure they are safe to travel, they understand the program is completely voluntary and that they wish to travel to the destination. These are human-centered services meant to connect people with somewhere they may be stabilized or better supported. For the rest of 2024, officials said they cannot forecast how many more people they could relocate to Oregon as the program relies on an individuals home residency or locations where they can live with family or friends. The directive will remain in place until rescinded, officials said. Oregon is among the worst states to live in, according to WalletHub In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Portland Public Safety Commissioner and mayoral candidate Rene Gonzalez shared The San Francisco Standard story and said it should put Oregonians on notice. San Franciscos recent decision to expand its homeless bussing program, coupled with Governor Newsoms order to clear unsanctioned camps should put all Oregonians on notice: if we stand still, more homeless people will come to Oregon, Gonzalez posted. The commissioner later referenced Oregon House Bill 3115, which the Oregon legislature passed in 2021. That bill directed cities to make and enact ordinances based on available local shelter services and public space. Oregon sees new Willamette Valley wildlife refuge after extreme habitat loss Existing resources in Portland and Oregon are already overburdened. It is crucial that all levels of Oregon governments discourage migratory homelessness, including reform of HB 3115, while continuing to build a stronger behavioral health system and expanding access to shelter and housing for homeless individuals already in our state, Gonzalez said, noting he will have a mindset of compassion without enablement when he serves on the newly formed Homelessness Steering and Oversight Committee. Meanwhile, SFHSA emphasizes their human-centered approach is a way to best serve people facing homelessness and connect them to stable housing in their communities. The San Francisco Human Services Agency is committed to connecting our clients who are experiencing homelessness with the services they need, said Trent Rhorer, executive director of the Human Services Agency. Sometimes the most effective service that HSA can provide to our homeless clients is paying for their travel to reconnect them with their families or support networks in the city they used to live. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now KOIN Breaking News Alerts KOIN 6 News has reached out to Multnomah County and the City of Portlands Joint Office of Homeless Services for comment. This story will be updated if we 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 KOIN.com. (BCN) The federal drug smuggling case against Joanna Segovia, the grandmother of the San Jose police union, has taken a stunning turn. A criminal complaint against Segovia last year charged her with one count of attempting to smuggle fentanyl into the Bay Area. But at a Thursday hearing in a case drawn out by repeat delays lead federal prosecutor Joseph Tartakovsky said subsequent tests on a package they intercepted and initially found to have tested for fentanyl were incorrect. The government has concluded that the test was an error, Tartakovsky said at the hearing. The development Thursday means the charge against Segovia changes from attempting to smuggle fentanyl to attempting to smuggle Tapentadol, another highly addictive painkiller. Segovias attorney, Adam Gasner, couldnt say how this affects the severity of the outcome for Segovia if found guilty but the change from fentanyl to Tapentadol is a mitigating factor. UFC star Cain Velasquez changes plea in vigilante shooting She entered a not guilty plea on Thursday in response to the revised charge, but her attorney said the plea could change. Another hearing has been set for Oct. 8 to be presided over by Judge Eumi K. Lee. Shes going to be admitting to the importation of those drugs, Gasner told San Jose Spotlight. She was an abuser herself and to the extent that any drugs were turned around and distributed is the result of her being taken advantage of. The information supersedes authorities 13-page criminal complaint against Segovia in March 2023, which outlined several years of activity that investigators said was consistent with shipping and receiving illicit drugs. Tartakovskys announcement stunned onlookers in the courtroom on Thursday. But Segovias attorney said hes pleased the government admitted what we always knew to be the truth. This case is not a fentanyl case, its never been a fentanyl case, Gasner told reporters outside the courthouse. There were mistakes in the testing that originally caused the complaint to allege that drug (was fentanyl). Of course in our communities fentanyl is a trigger word and a serious situation which causes a lot of emotional reactions often for very good reason. Segovia was a police union office manager until the federal charges prompted her firing in April last year. She was nabbed last year in a broader Homeland Security investigation into an international Bay Area drug smuggling network. The fentanyl charge centered on a package labeled as containing a clock sent from China and addressed to Segovia which was seized by federal agents in Kentucky and was initially found to have contained valeryl fentanyl. The case has been drawn out due to more than a dozen requests for extensions in the case. Will Edelman, Segovias initial attorney, recently withdrew from the case citing health and personal issues and was replaced by Gasner. Federal authorities in March 2023 accused Segovia of using her personal and office computers to order thousands of opioid and other pills to her home and agreed to distribute the drugs elsewhere in the United States. In at least one instance, she used the police unions UPS account and return address to ship a package to North Carolina, which investigators believe was a drug shipment. Investigators said Segovia lied to them when confronted, and tried to blame her housekeeper for the entire scheme. Segovia was placed on paid leave the month she was charged, when the union was notified by federal officials of the investigation, and searched her office and home. Investigators said they found pills in both locations. At her office they seized 283 Tapentadol pills, another synthetic opioid. Between July 2019 and January 2023, officials intercepted shipments to her home from China, Hungary, India and other countries and found that they contained thousands of pills of controlled substances, including the synthetic opioids Tramadol and Tapentadol. Some of the packages contained thousands of dollars worth of drugs. Segovia is alleged to have used encrypted WhatsApp communications to handle logistics for the pills. Between January 2020 and March 2023, the complaint said Segovia exchanged hundreds of messages with someone using a phone with an India country code to discuss shipping and payment details for pills. When confronted by investigators about her involvement, officials said she at first tried to deny she had ever ordered anything but supplements and claimed to work for the police department. She also refused to let investigators see her CashApp transactions. In a follow up interview with investigators, officials said she lied and attempted to shift blame onto a woman she characterized as a family friend and housekeeper, who she said has a substance abuse problem. Segovias CashApp account was used for 127 transactions that investigators said was likely for drug purchases, and was linked to her police union email account. A June 2021 photo sent from her WhatsApp account shows an HP computer monitor that appears to be Segovias monitor at work, displaying a PayPal website receipt for $999.99, sent to an entity with an apparent Indian name, the complaint said. Several items are visible in the area in front of the monitor, including a San Jose Police Officers Association letter opener with a business card containing Segovias name and notes containing apparent POA-related codes, the complaint said. Copyright 2024 Bay City News, Inc. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4. The Jacksonville Fire Rescue Department now knows the identity of the mysterious dust that worried some neighbors in the San Mateo neighborhood on Friday: humic powder. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< According to JFRD, the owner of Humic Growth Solutions contacted officials and helped them identify the dust. The owner said his company had a system malfunction that caused the dust to get loose. The wind then may have carried the dust elsewhere. The San Matero neighborhood was blocked off by police while officials worked to identify the substance. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Captain Eric Prosswimmer said the owner saved JFRD and the hazmat team hours of work by coming out to the neighborhood and helping them. According to JFRD, the dust is a little acidic. If it gets on your skin, you should wash it off with mild soap and water. If you get it in your mouth or eyes, flush it with water. [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. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) celebrated Vice President Harriss newly unveiled economic plan Friday, heralding the proposals as strong and progressive. Well, I think given the fact that she has been a candidate for only three weeks, I think shes doing really, really well in a whole lot of ways, Sanders told MSNBCs Chris Hayes. I think what she laid out today was a strong progressive agenda. Obviously, in the weeks and months to come, I think shes going to add more specificity to some of these proposals, and shes going to add to it, he added. Harris, who rose to the top of the Democratic ticket last month after President Biden dropped out of the race, announced her economic plan Friday during a campaign stop in Raleigh, N.C. The proposals which analysts say could cost up to $1.7 trillion range from cutting taxes to boosting housing construction to putting a federal ban on price gouging. Harriss campaign said the plan, which came as critics targeted the vice president for her lack of a policy platform, marks just one part of her economic agenda and, if elected, will be a priority for her first 100 days as president. The Vermont senator, who ran against Harris and Biden in the 2020 election, said the policy positions outlined in the Democratic nominees plans are the right thing to do. I have always believed that good policy is good politics, and what she is talking about today is reining in the outrageously high cost of prescription drugs thats enormously popular. The right thing to do, he said on MSNBCs All In with Chris Hayes, echoing comments he made earlier Friday on social media platform X. Shes talking about building 3 million units of affordable housing at a time when we have a housing crisis in Burlington, Vermont, Los Angeles, California, and every place in between. Weve got to lower the cost of housing in America, he added, while listing off other proposals that he supports including ending medical debt and controlling the costs of grocery prices. Sanders has withheld a formal endorsement of Harris, as he seeks to help shape the focus of her campaign much as he did with Biden. The Vermont independent had urged the president to stay in the race, even after a large number of Democrats pushed for him to step aside. He also advised Harris earlier this month to be very proud of the accomplishments of the Biden administration. In an interview following Bidens withdrawal, the senator said Harriss path to victory against former President Trump will only come from speaking to the needs of working people who have been forgotten. We need a presidential candidate who is prepared not only to stand up to the big money and trust, but to fight for working people, Sanders said at the time. And if she does that, I think shes gonna have a great campaign. Harris and her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), who Sanders supported through the veepstakes, were certified earlier this month as the Democratic nominees for the White House. They will accept the formal nod next week at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. With less than three months until the election, the vice president has seen a boost of momentum in the polls most notable in the swing states a growing list of endorsements and boasted record fundraising hauls. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. What's happening As students across the country start to kick off another school year, a growing number of them will be greeted by strict new restrictions on when and where they can use their cellphones. The push to ban phones in schools has gained major steam over the past year. Since July 2023, 12 states have imposed new rules aimed at limiting students phone use in the classroom and on campus. That list is primed to get longer. Virginia, Ohio and Minnesota have already passed phone rules that are set to kick in next year. Several other states, including California and New York, are exploring their own bans. Where there arent statewide laws, cities, districts and individual schools are taking action on their own. The case for phone bans The movement behind phone-free schools is fueled by the belief the devices are harmful to learning and detrimental to students' social and emotional health. More than 70% of high school teachers say that cellphone distraction is a major problem in their classrooms. Many education experts also believe that phones fuel bullying, sexual misconduct and even violence. In June, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy argued that keeping phones out of school is an important step in curbing the mental health crisis plaguing Americas youth. Not everyone is onboard with banning phones in schools. Some of the most vocal opposition often comes from parents, who worry that not having access to a phone could make their kids less safe. But the rapid spread of phone bans signals that, across the country, the anti-phone case is winning the argument. Bans aren't all created equal For many schools, deciding to crack down on phone use is where the debate really begins. Thats because there is no consensus on what banning phones actually means. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement A recent survey by Education Week shows the wide variance in how schools carry out their cellphone policies. In a lot of cases, phone bans apply only to the classroom. Students are required to stow their devices away during instruction periods, but are free to use them during breaks like lunch or between classes. Other schools bar students from using their phones for the entire school day, often by having them put them in their locker or in sealed pouches that can only be opened by a staff member at the end of the day. A small minority of schools ban phones on campus entirely, effectively forcing students to leave their devices at home. Each of these strategies comes with its own benefits and drawbacks. Bans that only apply to the classroom are less likely to prompt strong resistance from parents and students, but they can also be harder to enforce and still leave students vulnerable to the potential harms of phones during noninstruction times. At the same time, not every school has the resources to spend $25 per student for pouches to support an all-day ban. There are also concerns that kids might miss out on some of the positive aspects of the internet or face safety risks under the stricter policies, especially if theyre not even allowed to bring their phones with them on the way to school. Installing a phone ban also means having to enforce it and theres a lot of debate over what the consequences should be when students inevitably violate the ban. Some cities are taking a hard line. In New Orleans, for example, students caught breaking the rules may have to pay a monetary fine, have their phone confiscated for days or weeks at a time and even face suspension or expulsion for repeat violations. Other schools simply take the phone away until the end of the day or until a parent can come retrieve it. Finally, theres the question of who should be setting these rules in the first place. Universal bans imposed by the state government or at the city level may carry more authority and help ensure that every school is following the same rules, but might also prevent schools or even individual teachers from adjusting their policies to fit the specific needs of their students. Perspectives Total bans are the only truly effective answer Understandably, individual schools and school districts are trying to crack down on smartphones. Students are required to store the devices in backpacks or lockers during classes, or to place them in magnetic locking pouches. In 2024, these efforts should go even further: Impose an outright ban on bringing cellphones to school, which parents should welcome and support. Editorial, Washington Post ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Bans should only apply to the classroom Its during those in-between times that students can experience the mental health advantages of phone-free interactions, allowing them to grow socially and emotionally. Sheila Kelly, a board member for Arlington Parents for Education, to The 74 Schools need to be careful not to go overboard with punishments We are living through a moment when punishing students including things like confiscating their cellphones is out of vogue. Schools have heard loud and clear that students are struggling, they are fragile, and the priority is to build relationships. To make students feel welcome. Punitive discipline is alienating. Theres a tension between the prevailing desire to lighten up on discipline and the need for consistent enforcement if we want fewer phones in class. Tim Daly, Fordham Institute Strong penalties are needed for bans to have any shot at working Limiting or banning cellphone use should be implemented across all school districts with strict penalties that show students its not worth trying to skirt the rules. Ray Marcano, Columbus Dispatch ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Schools need to have the power to decide what works best for their students Cellphones may make for another easy bogeyman, but blanket bans are ill-informed and regressive. Educators on the ground should choose for themselves when and whether to allow their students to carry cellphones to class, so they can leverage learning apps to help students make progress. Michael B. Horn, Education Next The rules need to be set at the top to ensure consistency and follow through District or statewide initiatives reach more schools, taking effect at schools in an area at or around the same time. This is preferable to a piecemeal approach that can leave some schools without a policy in place. By setting these rules at the top, it also relieves school officials from the burden of making these decisions. Bryce Fiedler, Charlotte Observer No one should pretend that banning phones will magically fix every problem If you ban it, it's not going to immediately cure all the cyberbullying. It's not going to immediately take a D student to an A student. There's a lot more factors involved in it. And so you have to really make sure that when you ban cellphones, that it's not just a symptom of a bigger problem that might be happening. Liz Kolb, professor in teacher education at the University of Michigan, to NPR ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Phone bans only exacerbate the problems theyre supposed to address The internet is the most powerful educational tool we have, and the phone allows us to carry the internet in our pockets. I wouldn't want the phone taken away from me. If we think we're going to solve the problem by taking cellphones away from kids, we're not. If anything, we're adding to their anxiety. Peter Gray, child psychology research professor at Boston College, to Axios A long-running legal fight between a Midlands school district and its former superintendent is hung up on the question of whether the superintendents attorneys can ask school board members why they filed a lawsuit against him in the first place. Attorneys for the Lexington-Richland 5 School District and former Superintendent Stephen Hefner argued the case in federal court Friday, revolving around what, if any, immunity that elected officials can claim when questioned about their public votes. The Lexington-Richland 5 School Board filed suit against Hefner in 2021, claiming he had interfered in the school districts contractual relations when he and other former district officials wrote a letter to the districts accrediting agency Cognia, asking for a review of the contract Lexington-Richland 5 had signed with its interim superintendent, Akil Ross. The letter was critical of the arrangement, in which the district contracted for superintendent services with Ross education consulting firm, HeartEd LLC, rather than hire Ross directly as a district employee. That led to a countersuit from Hefner against the district and then-board members Jan Hammond, Catherine Huddle and Ken Loveless. Hefner claimed the suit was a retaliatory government action meant to punish him for critical speech protected by the First Amendment, moving the case to South Carolina federal district court. In its suit, the school district called Hefners action wrongful, malicious and politically motivated, and claimed the letter contained false information that implied wrongdoing by Ross and the district. Ross was later named the districts permanent superintendent. The school board voted to drop the lawsuit nearly a year later without the case going to trial, but Hefner has continued to press a counterclaim against the school district. Hefners attorneys Jonathan Knicely and Jacob Kea had conducted depositions with school board members, who declined to answer any questions about the process or discussions leading to the lawsuit, citing their legislative immunity as members of a public body and citing attorney-client privilege for discussions with the boards lawyer in closed-door meetings. But Hefners side argued that establishing malice behind the decision is the key to their case, and that having initiated the lawsuit, board members could not now decline to answer their questions about it. All we want to ask is why? Knicely told Judge Paige Gossett on Friday. Why was this lawsuit filed? Legislative privilege cited The districts attorney, Michael Wren, said that board members possess a privilege that attaches to their legislative office, which protects their speech and debate from being questioned in a court proceeding, similar to members of Congress or the state Legislature. Wren also argued individual members cant be held responsible for decisions taken by the board as a whole. From the questions attorneys asked during the depositions, it was clear their intent had to do with the decision-making process of the board, Wren said. This was not a single persons decision, it was the boards decision, he said. This was most definitely a legislative act. If its not, then nothing the board does can be considered in that capacity. But Gossett said past cases had found such immunity to be qualified, and can be waived due to other considerations. She noted this was not a case of the school board passing a budget or deciding to build a new school, but a specific action involving one individual. Wren said that Hefner could rely on other evidence to make his claim, including public comments made by board members in meetings or in the media. But Knicely said he needed the ability to question board members directly, and that board members couldnt selectively claim immunity after agreeing to turn over materials to the plaintiff and sit for depositions. He called the initial lawsuit brought by the district frivolous, noting that as a private citizen Hefner could not affect the districts accreditation, that Cognia had told the district its accreditation wasnt at risk, and that the districts contract with HeartEd was never breached, so Lexington-Richland 5 would be unable to prove it was interfered with by Hefner. At one point, Gossett asked if the defense is claiming immunity as government officials, Why are we here? she said. Couldnt you make the argument that you cant be sued at all? Wren said that is not the defenses position, and that attorneys for the board had only objected to specific questions from the plaintiffs side that touched on the boards legislative process. Gossett didnt issue a decision Friday. Wren asked that the defendants be protected from having to answer questions on privileged issues. Knicely asked that the court rule the defendants have no such privilege, and that any such privilege can be waved by the individual board member and not by the district. There may be others (on the board) who would want to discuss it, and they cant be instructed not to, he said. Only a week earlier, Hefner dropped from the lawsuit the Jaramillo Accounting Group, which previously conducted a controversial audit for the school district, after Hefner amended his suit last year to include the New Mexico-based accounting firm as a defendant. Jaramillos report accuses Hefner of improperly awarding a sole source contract to an architectural firm when he was superintendent in 2016. A sole source contract can be awarded if a firm is the only company that can provide a service. Hefner responds that not only was the district aware of the contract, but the school board unanimously voted to approve it. A court filing does not indicate the terms of a settlement between Hefner and the accounting group. HARRISBURG, S.D. (KELO) Kids will fill the new Liberty Elementary School in southern Harrisburg on Tuesday. However, some parents are worried about the new route their kids are supposed to take to school next week. Brooke Wipf who has two children attending the new school says the path they are expected to take is not safe. Its not the walking thats the issue, its the safety of that pathway and creating lights, sidewalks, streets, and also just having fencing around the areas that should be blocked off. Theres a culvert and a big hole that the kids are going to fall in or climb in, Wipf said. Sioux Falls housing market picking up post-pandemic Some parents are also concerned that the new school is farther from town. It took him 29 minutes and 25 seconds. My junior kindergartner, my five-year-old, to walk it with a parent, a parent of a child attending Liberty Elementary, Kate Olawsky said. So then if he has to walk that with his two older sisters, there is no way that they are getting that done in under a half an hour. For the first two weeks of school, the district will have temporary shuttles for students who live in a no bus zone. Everybody that Ive heard from has stated that they will use a shuttle. So I am really, really thankful for that for the first two weeks of school. Thats fabulous, Olawsky said. But what happens after that? It needs to be a permanent shuttle until all the safety concerns that we had have been accounted for, lighting that cornfield needs to be blocked off, Wipf said. Imagine a five-year-old walking, at one point, over a mile to school, one way in that cold, while the rest of us parents have to get to work. Leaving parents who dont get bus service trying to come up with an alternative. So my husband and myself are trying to figure out between the two of us who stays home, who goes to work late, who does all of these types of things in order for us to get our kids to school safely, Olawsky said. The Harrisburg School Districts Statement: State law (SDCL 13-30-1-3) requires districts to transport or pay mileage to parents who live beyond five miles from an attendance center. The Harrisburg School District exceeds state law by transporting students who live beyond a one-mile radius from an attendance center unless the District determines that a safe route to school does not exist. With limited resources and driver availability, the District must carefully balance safety, budget constraints, and responsible resource allocation throughout our 13 attendance centers. We understand the location of the new elementary school may have created an inconvenience for some parents whose students previously had a shorter walk to school. Over the past year, the District and the City of Harrisburg collaborated on a new pathway to provide a direct path between Cliff Avenue and Tiger St. This pathway provides a safe route for students who are not eligible for bussing due to living within a one-mile radius of their school. Crosswalks and crossing guards will be in place. In addition to a safe route for students, residents will enjoy the benefits of a new recreational pathway. Although the pathway is expected to be ready by the first day of school, the District will offer a shuttle service for the first two weeks to support parents and ensure a smooth transition. We appreciate the communitys patience and cooperation as we work to complete this important project. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. A map of the areas sampled by analytical chemist Michael Ketterer who released his findings of legacy plutonium waste in Los Alamos' Acid Canyon. (Courtesy of Michael Ketterer) Los Alamos, the Atomic City, is facing a legacy of its nickname. High levels of plutonium present in samples taken in July from soil, plants and water in Los Alamos Acid Canyon may be the oldest contamination in the state, predating the 1945 Trinity Site atomic test, said Michael Ketterer, an analytical chemist and retired professor of chemistry from Northern Arizona University. There are some references to contamination being introduced into Acid Canyon starting in 1943, he said Thursday. It is very logical to me that this is some of the earliest produced material. The legacy plutonium contamination estimated to have lasted into the 1960s is still impacting the land, water and potentially human health, he said in a presentation hosted by Nuclear Watch NM. What Ive found here in Acid Canyon, my friends, is Id say pretty much the most extreme plutonium contamination scenario Ive seen in an offsite, uncontrolled environmental setting, Ketterer said, alluding to thousands of plutonium samples hes analyzed in his 20-year career. He said that contamination levels surpass samples he took at private properties around the former plutonium pit production site in Rocky Flats, Colorado. What is plutonium? Plutonium is a heavy, radioactive metal at the core of the U.S. nuclear weapons program. Most plutonium is man-made. It emits alpha particles, neutrons, beta particles and gamma rays. The elements toxicity comes from the alpha particles a type of radiation that is often short-range and can be stopped by skin. If its inhaled or consumed, even in very small doses of micrograms (one millionth of a gram), it increases cancer risks. Plutonium, when ingested or in the bloodstream, most often deposits in the lungs, liver or bones. It remains in the body for decades, continuing the damage. One concern, which he said warrants immediate federal or state environment protection intervention, was the levels of plutonium contamination in water flows in Acid Canyon. To see plutonium in water anywhere, really, you have to work hard to even detect it in any water sample, he said. All four samples taken in July exceed the federal standard for gross alpha radiation, he said, and far exceed guidance levels in New Mexico, or Colorado. Ketterer emphasized he was not a toxicology expert, but said hes concerned about people ingesting or inhaling it, as its in a public open space, owned by the county. He said hes not concerned that people are drinking it, but their pets might. I think making sure that people dont drink it, dont ingest it, and they dont inhale it, is the starting point, Ketterer said. One Los Alamos County Councilor, Randall Ryti, attended the presentation. Los Alamos County spokesperson Leslie Bucklin said employees at the county were reviewing Ketterers findings. At this time, Los Alamos County has not received any notification from our regulators or [U.S. Department of Energy] indicating that Acid Canyon is unsafe. The County continues to support the importance and efforts of legacy waste clean-up in and around our community, Bucklin wrote in a statement. Ketterers samples followed findings from NuclearWatch NM published in April finding plutonium migrating from Los Alamos down the Rio Grande. NuclearWatch NM built the map with the Intellus database, which uses Los Alamos National Laboratory monitoring data. Jay Coghlan, executive director of Nuclear Watch NM, said the findings come as the budget for weapons production has ballooned with Los Alamos National Laboratory projecting to spend an estimated $8 billion to restart new plutonium pit production. He said the priority of spending billions on weapons while cleanup budgets for legacy waste has only been about $225 million per year. We need the environment around Los Alamos comprehensively cleaned up, he said. We dont need more nuclear weapons for the nuclear arms race. Findings for the first downstreamers Ketterer opened the presentation with an apology to New Mexicans, pointing to the disproportional impacts of the nuclear industry on the state and its communities. Youre the first downwinders, New Mexicans, youre also among the first downstreamers, he said, putting forward a term he said he coined for people impacted by nuclear contamination pushed down by water. Its moving downstream, the water is pushing this plume of contamination continuously, he said. Its been doing this for 80 years. Its going to continue for centuries and millennia. The samples were taken from just around a walking trail behind the Los Alamos Aquatic Center, and from the Totavi gas station at the base of the canyon on NM Highway 502. The name Acid Canyon sprung from the nitric acid used to dissolve plutonium waste and was part of the waste dumped into the canyon from 1943 to 1964. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, after some soils were removed, the site was deemed sufficiently free of contamination and released to Los Alamos County in 1967. Ketterer disagreed. I dont know how DOE Legacy Management can call this clean in any way, he said. The U.S. Department of Energy did not immediately return an emailed request for comment Friday. You need to think about where you are living During the more than 500 above ground nuclear tests performed around the world, the fallout of Plutonium-239 rained down from the atmosphere, building up as sediment in the earths layers, and exposing people to small amounts of plutonium. Ketterer said his findings shows that the pollution is older, saying that it cant be dismissed as fallout contamination. He closed by warning about concerns of wildfire danger to the area, comparing it to the threat the 2021 Marshall Fire posed to Rocky Flats. It is shocking to see this fire danger right in the midst of a public area. If this vegetation burns, youre going to get fly ash all over the proximity, he said. The U.S. Environmental Department Agency Region 6, which oversees New Mexico and surrounding states, declined to issue a statement or provide answers to emailed questions Friday. State environment officials did not offer if the department is investigating Ketterers findings any further. New Mexico Environment Department spokesperson Drew Goreztka wrote in a statement that regulating nuclear material is a federal responsibility, and that only certain areas, like water quality, are delegated to the state. Ketterer directed some of his comments directly to people living in Los Alamos. Those of you who live in Los Alamos, you really need to think about where you are living. You who are downwinders in every sense of the word, you are downstreamers, he said. Security shot a man who stabbed someone at a Rock Hill Islamic center, police say One man stabbed another at a Rock Hill Islamic center before security shot and injured the assailant on Friday afternoon, according to city police. Police dont suspect the incident was based on religious practices but said in a news release the men who were stabbed and shot were acquaintances. The incident happened a little after 2 p.m. at the Masjid Al Salaam at 222 West Main St. Travaughn West, 27, of Rock Hill, approached a 44-year-old man after a service and stabbed him in the abdomen, according to the report. An on-site security guard confronted West and shot him after West continued to act in a violent manner, police say. West fled, and officers found him in the Laurel Street area. Police described the gunshot wounds as minor. Officers also found the stabbing victim at the mosque and transported him to Piedmont Medical Center. Both men are expected to recover, according to police. After West is released from the hospital, he will face charges of assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature and possession of a knife during a violent crime. The investigation is ongoing. PAWTUCKET, R.I. (WPRI) A 19-year-old camp counselor has been arrested for possessing child pornography after detectives traced shared files to his Pawtucket home, according to police. Rhode Island State Police recently launched an investigation into an individual suspected of sharing child pornography online. Ryan Minasian was arrested Wednesday after police executed a search of his home on Makin Street and identified him as the owner of the files. Minasian has been working as a camp counselor this summer at the Newman YMCA in Seekonk, according to police. There is no evidence of any inappropriate involvement with campers at this time. Minasian was arraigned and released on a $2,500 surety bail. He was ordered to have restricted internet access and to not have unsupervised contact with minors. Anyone with information regarding Minasian is asked to contact the Rhode Island Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force at (401) 921-1170. NEXT: ACI deputy chief arrested on child porn, voyeurism charges 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. Semiconductor manufacturer gets $1.6 billion from federal government for Utah and Texas plants Rendering of of Texas Instruments semiconductor manufacturing facility in Lehi. (Courtesy of Texas Instruments) Dallas-based Texas Instruments is receiving $1.6 billion from the federal government to fund new semiconductor manufacturing facilities in Texas and Utah. Texas Instruments, a semiconductor multinational that produces chips for industrial, automotive, and personal electronics uses among others had announced a new 300-millimeter semiconductor wafer (a material used in electronics to conduct electricity) fabrication plant in Lehi next to an existing similar facility, a $11 billion investment, according to a news release from the company. The U.S. Department of Commerce approved the funds through its CHIPS and Science Act for that new plant and two others in Sherman, Texas. Apart from that direct funding, Texas Instruments is expected to receive $6 billion to $8 billion from the U.S. Department of Treasurys Investment Tax and $10 million in proposed funding for workforce development. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The investment, said president and CEO of Texas Instruments Haviv Ilan, makes the countrys semiconductor ecosystem more resilient. With plans to grow our internal manufacturing to more than 95% by 2030, were building geopolitically dependable, 300mm capacity at scale to provide the analog and embedded processing chips our customers will need for years to come, Ilan said in the release. Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, who sponsored legislation that paved the way for the CHIPS and Science Act, applauded the agreement, arguing it would enhance Utahs role in national defense and economic success. In order to compete with China on the world stage, we must continue to promote innovation, foster scientific talent, and expand research here at home, Romney said in a release. Texas Instruments expanded operations will strengthen the United States manufacturing capabilities to help break our countrys dependence on China for microchips. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox also praised the project, part of Silicon Slopes, the moniker for Utahs tech and start-up community primarily located in Utah County.. This investment in semiconductor manufacturing not only creates more jobs, but also brings supply chains back to the United States, Cox said in a statement. Texas Instruments estimates that the Lehi expansion will create 800 jobs and thousands of indirect jobs. The new (fabrication facility) will manufacture tens of millions of analog and embedded processing chips daily that will go into electronics everywhere, a 2023 news release announcing the expansion reads. The facility is under construction and is expected to start production in 2026. DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST Senate endorses LOFT investigation of Walters but will remain neutral in case "we have to act" President Pro Tem Greg Treat (center) with Gov. Kevin Stitt (right) and House Speaker Charles McCall (left). Treat said Friday he looks forward to the results of an investigation into State schools Superintendent Ryan Walters and the Department of Education. Even though he wasn't consulted before the deal was made, Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat said Friday that he looked forward to the results of the investigation of the Oklahoma State Department of Education and state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters by the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency. Treat, R-Oklahoma City, made the statement in a news release issued Friday morning. Numerous Senators and I have been raising questions about spending and money not being allocated to specific programs the legislature has authorized at the Department of Education, Treat said. He said many senators have said little on the issue and 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. It is my hope the House moves forward expeditiously," he said. "The Senate will stand ready to respond to any of the findings." On Thursday, House leaders yielded to intense public and media pressure and announced an investigation of "spending concerns" at the state Education Department. The announcement, made by House Appropriations and Budget Chairman Rep. Kevin Wallace, R-Wellston, said the LOFT office would conduct the investigation. Wallace said the investigation was approved by House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, and will focus on issues raised by both legislators and private citizens regarding alleged state Education Department funding disbursement issues. LOFT is an agency of the legislative branch that assists the Oklahoma House and Senate with budgetary recommendations for the funding of state government, higher education and public schools. The investigation comes after a series of stories by various media outlets this week raised questions about Walters' spending and fiscal management. Those included stories by The Oklahoman this week looking at Walters' agency's failure to turn over funds for life-saving asthma inhalers and why it took more than a year for "off the formula" school districts to be reimbursed for a state-mandated teacher pay raises. "This isnt about Superintendent Walters; this is about the transparency of a state agency and getting answers for our constituents," Wallace said. "When the Legislature approves funding for a specific purpose it is incumbent on the agency to which those funds are allocated to spend them properly and in a timely manner." On Monday, state Rep. Mark McBride sent a letter to McCall requesting a special investigation of Walters and the state Education Department. Initially, McCall told McBride "no" and said there would be no investigation until 51 Republican members of the House signed the letter. As of Thursday evening, McBride had the support of 24 other Republican House members and the 20-member Democratic Caucus. And while those groups were unable to force an investigation, they did spark a public backlash against the House leader and his denial of McBride's request. By Thursday, McCall had softened his stance and approved an investigation by LOFT. For his part, Treat said investigations like the state Education Department/Walters investigation weren't part of LOFT's original mission or purpose, but he supported the review because the concerns were serious. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Treat: Senate is ready to respond to any Walters' spending findings NILES, Ohio (WKBN) The Rich Center for Autism Sensory Suite at Eastwood Field is giving more families the opportunity to enjoy a Scrappers game with less worry. The two organizations celebrated their partnership Friday with a ceremonial ribbon cutting. The Sensory Suite was constructed with the guidance of the Rich Center for individuals and their families on the autism spectrum. Its open to anyone in the Mahoning Valley in need of its services. Since it launched in April, The Rich Center Sensory Suite has been occupied during every Scrappers home game. We know today that 1 in 36 children are diagnosed with some form of autism and its so vitally important that we give those children an opportunity to participate in things like sports. So the sensory room we have here at Scrappers Field, thats a great opportunity for them, said Youngstown State University President Bill Johnson. Following the ribbon cutting, Johnson threw out the first pitch celebrating the Rich Centers lasting impact in the Valley. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. CINCINNATI, Ohio (WKBN) A man convicted in a 2001 Trumbull County murder sitting on death row could be resentenced. The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati ruled in favor of Nathaniel Jacksons habeas corpus filing on Aug. 6, remanding the case back to the Trumbull County Common Pleas Court for resentencing. Jackson, now 52, was convicted of plotting to kill Robert Fingerhut for insurance money with Fingerhuts ex-wife Donna Roberts when he was in jail for an unrelated gun charge. Jacksons claim stated that the judge who handled the case had improper communications and collaborations with an assistant prosecutor. According to a news release from the Trumbull County Prosecutors Office, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is asking the 6th Circuit for a 30-day extension to file a motion seeking a full 6th Circuit review and reversal of the decision under Solicitor General T. Elliot Gaiser, who is in charge of arguing the appeal. Indeed, this case is the strongest death penalty case that I have personally tried and successfully argued on direct appeal before the Ohio Supreme Court. Furthermore, it is clearly stronger than previous death penalty cases (handled in Trumbull County) with over seven hundred exhibits presented at trial, Trumbull County Prosecutor Dennis Watkins said in the release. Watkins also sent an eight-page letter to Yost asking for the extension, calling the ruling an undue interference with the state courts justice system. It is, unfortunately, another example of overreach by a federal court intruding into the authority of our state courts to carry out valid sentences by claiming a procedural sentencing mistake, which was subsequently corrected and upheld by the Ohio Supreme Court, Watkins said in the letter. The Ohio Supreme Court previously heard a resentencing request and issued reprimands to the judge and prosecutor but ultimately did not order a resentencing for Jackson. At the time of the murder, Roberts and Fingerhut were divorced but lived together in Howland Township. Jackson was found guilty of breaking into the home and fatally shooting Fingerhut. Prosecutors say this plan was detailed in phone conversations and letters between Jackson and Roberts. Fingerhut was a Mahoning Valley businessman and ran the Greyhound bus station. Jackson and Roberts were both sentenced to death for the crime. Roberts had an appeal denied in 2023, and she is currently the only woman in Ohio on death row. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. She was just not a name on the news Friends and Family honor Cassidy Rainwater as shes laid to rest LEBANON, Mo. The night before family and friends gathered at a funeral home in Lebanon, Missouri, Cassidy Rainwaters aunt Cora Terry was emotional. She tried to keep the five members in each others lives, but last night was different. Last night, they were just singing so loud, and then it rained and it was so neat because they went outside and theyre playing in the water, stomping in the water, down in the puddle, Terry said. I stood at the door and I cried because thats what its all about, them together. I know Cassidy would be smiling down to see them together and happy. Just over three years since Rainwaters death, shes finally being laid to rest. Its been three long years that weve waited to get her remains back. [For] the children, this is the one last thing they wanted to do for their mother was to lay her to rest. They wanted her to have a funeral and somewhere they can go visit her, Terry said. I told them that when we got her remains back, that they could have a funeral their way, how they wanted it. I said they could do anything, say anything they wanted because they never got to voice their opinion. Terry told Ozarksfirst she chose to remember her niece for who she was, not whats been published. Cassidy was a free-spirited girl and loud. If she walked in a room, everybody knew she was there. She had a beautiful soul, Terry said. She loved to sing, write poetry. She was very creative. The most important thing that people dont know is she loved her children. Terry says its been rough for the five children. Its not over yet for them. As they grow, theyre going to miss her more and more for her not being there and in their lives and the tragic loss that happened to her. I dont even think they even understand all of that yet. I think as they get older and are allowed to read about it and I think that that this is going to be many years to come, that were going to be dealing with this pain that theyre suffering right now, Terry said. Theyve all had difficulties coping with this. The youngest one has nightmares and they all are in counseling and its just been really, really hard on them and theyre just, theyre just so sad. She said while local schools have helped curb the attempts, some of the children had even been bullied as more details came out about Rainwaters death. Cassidy Rainwater: Everything we know about her death, disappearance, the suspects, and the house fire It was hard on the kids at school. The kids, they were bullied, picked on, teased, even on the bus, and it finally filtered down even to the youngest one, and that was sad. Its just been really hard on our family, and we just take it one day at a time. Still, three years later, were taking it one day at a time with the kids because thats how we never know when they wake up in the morning what the days going to be like for them. The ceremony, coated in floral arrangements and dozens in attendance, featured speeches from Rainwaters children, including her oldest, Aden Eisenbeis. I start to think about the memories, just how great they were, why she always loved the river. It was her favorite place. I remember her always saying to me as a baby, you know, shes a great person, Eisenbeis said. Some of you might disagree, but she tried very hard for us. She gave us the best life she could. She was the hardest working mom Ive ever known and Im so proud. Pastor Allen Reeves, who had baptized Rainwater several years ago, led the service. We just want people to know that she was just not a name on the news. She was just not a name in the newspaper. She was real. She was a person that was loved by so many, Reeves said. She lived and she loved and she laughed. Reeves detailed to the crowd about Cassidy, outlining her love for the outdoors, a self-proclaimed Country Girl. She was always good and kind to me as she was to most everyone she knew. I did not know her as well as most of you in this room and most of newer, and I will not be able to honor her life the way she deserves to be honored. This is not a typical memorial service. None of the things in her life were typical, Reeves said. She loved God and she loved her family, and her children were very special to her, and she did the best she could in showing them love. She had a tremendous sense of humor. She loved to laugh and smile and to sing, and that sounds like a happy person to me. Terry said she has nothing but admiration for the Dallas County Prosecutors Office. The prosecuting attorney, Mr. Barker, his staff, they worked countless hours on this case to bring justice to Cassidy, to her children, to her family. Every step of the way, they involved me. I made, I dont know how many trips to Dallas County to talk with the prosecutor. He would call me. He never did anything without me letting me know ahead of time, Terry said. I couldnt ask for anything better out of Dallas County on the prosecuting side and the justice they got for Cassidy. When asked about her favorite memory of Cassidy, she didnt have to think hard before answering. I think my favorite memory was when my parents lived down at Urbana on the lake and Cassidy came down there [along with] my brothers and sister. It was over the 4th of July, and we was all shooting fireworks at each other, roman candles and stuff. She just was laughing and having so much fun. My parents really loved her, and we just had the best time that day down there. I was remembering that last night how much fun that was. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. ANDERSON COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) The Anderson County Sheriffs Office is investigating an incident in which a child reportedly shot themself. The sheriffs office confirmed deputies were called Saturday morning to a home on Glenwood Street for a shooting and on scene found an 8-year-old with an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound. No information about the injuries the child sustained or how the shooting happened are available at this time. We will 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 A man was killed and two other people were injured after a shooting in Austin Saturday morning. Chicago police said the shooting happened at around 4:40 a.m. in the 4700 block of West Polk Street. A 53-year-old man and a 41-year-old woman were standing outside when they were shot. The man was shot in the abdomen and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition. He later died from his injuries, according to investigators. Felon arrested for trying to shoot security guard outside Antioch bar Police said the woman was shot in the right ankle and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in good condition. Additionally, a 33-year-old man was shot in the right foot and took himself to Rush Hospital in good condition. No arrests have been made. Anyone with additional information may leave an anonymous tip at cpdtip.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 WGN-TV. U.S. Air Force security guards exchanged gunfire with a person who shot at the main gate of Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland early Saturday, according to a spokesperson for the base. An unknown suspect first shot at Air Force Security personnel working the entrance gate to Lackland Air Force base at 2:30 a.m. Security personnel reported the incident, and the base beefed up security, according to a statement from the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD). Then a little before 5:00, a sedan stopped near the same entrance and shots were fired at Air Force personnel who then exchanged gunfire with the shooter. The security personnel stated they heard several shots fired as well as the fired rounds go past them, according to SAPD spokesperson Washington Moscoso. After this incident, the security personnel added more armed guards as a precaution. Later that same morning, just before 5:00 am, a sedan stopped on Median Base Rd. East of the same entrance gate to the Lackland AFB/Chapman Training Annex. For a second time, shots were fired at the Air Force Security personnel, however, with the additional security personnel present, multiple Air Force personnel returned fire toward the suspect vehicle, Moscoso added. According to the Associated Press, no injuries were reported after the guards returned fire with a car that drove by the entrance around 4:30 a.m. The number of rounds fired, how many shooters, and the motive are still unknown. We dont know what, if anything, started it, Antosh told the AP. But it wasnt an active threat to the installation, and there is no active threat to the installation. The entrance gate was closed from 4:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., but the base was not locked down. The Hill has reached out to comment from Joint Base Lackland. Alongside Lackland, Joint Base San Antonio also hosts Randolph Air Force Base, Fort Sam Houston and the Camp Bullis training camp. According to the bases website, Lackland is home to more than 24,000 active duty members and 10,000 Department of Defense civilians. Military bases in Texas have seen shootings before, including the 2009 Fort Hood shooting, where a U.S. Army Major shot and killed 13 people and injured 30 others. In 2020, a gunman tried to speed through a security gate at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, and he wounded a soldier during his attempt. Security personnel shot and killed the man. In 2016, an airman fatally shot his commander before shooting himself at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Participants in a right-wing extremist rally at the main station show the neo-Nazi symbol of white power with their hands. Several hundred right-wing extremists demonstrated against Christopher Street Day (CSD), which was planned to take place at the same time. Sebastian Willnow/dpa One week after far-right protests were held at a Pride event in the eastern German town of Bautzen, neo-Nazis have gathered for Pride in Leipzig, the biggest city in the same state of Saxony. Pride celebrates the lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and wider queer (LGBT+) community. Several violations of the criminal code and the assembly law were identified, the Leipzig police force wrote on the platform X on Saturday. Following "a last discussion with the assembly authority," the organizer ended the event at the city's main station with 300 to 400 people after a short duration. The participants are currently being held there "to carry out all criminal procedural measures," the police said. As the police reported on X, the participants of the far-right rally showed "typical assembly behaviour, and partly aggressive or militant behaviour" upon arrival. They were subjected to identity checks and searched for dangerous objects. The authorities banned "assemblies that are related to or could serve as substitute events" for Saturday in the city area due to the incidents, the police said. According to police reports, several thousand people have gathered at Augustusplatz, a large square in the east end of the city, for the Pride Parade since morning. The police said they are prepared for a major operation due to the events of the previous weekend in Bautzen, the corresponding risks and the political situation. The far-right protest under the motto "Proud, German, National" at the main station originally registered up to 1,000 people. The much larger Pride march was supposed to pass by within earshot and sight. Additionally, the alliance "Leipzig takes a stand" registered several counterdemonstrations under the motto "No place for Nazis." Participants in a right-wing extremist rally hold up a war flag of the German Reich at the main railway station. Several hundred right-wing extremists demonstrated against Christopher Street Day (CSD), which was planned to take place at the same time. Sebastian Willnow/dpa Participants in a right-wing extremist rally hold up a war flag of the German Reich at the main railway station. Several hundred right-wing extremists demonstrated against Christopher Street Day (CSD), which was planned to take place at the same time. Sebastian Willnow/dpa One week after far-right protests were held at a Pride event in the eastern German town of Bautzen, neo-Nazis have gathered for Pride in Leipzig, the biggest city in the same state of Saxony. Pride celebrates the lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and wider queer (LGBT+) community. Several violations of the criminal code and the assembly law were identified, the Leipzig police force wrote on the platform X on Saturday. Following "a last discussion with the assembly authority," the organizer ended the event at the city's main station with 300 to 400 people after a short duration. The participants are currently being held there "to carry out all criminal procedural measures," the police said. As the police reported on X, the participants of the far-right rally showed "typical assembly behaviour, and partly aggressive or militant behaviour" upon arrival. They were subjected to identity checks and searched for dangerous objects. The authorities banned "assemblies that are related to or could serve as substitute events" for Saturday in the city area due to the incidents, the police said. According to police reports, several thousand people have gathered at Augustusplatz, a large square in the east end of the city, for the Pride Parade since morning. The police said they are prepared for a major operation due to the events of the previous weekend in Bautzen, the corresponding risks and the political situation. The far-right protest under the motto "Proud, German, National" at the main station originally registered up to 1,000 people. The much larger Pride march was supposed to pass by within earshot and sight. Additionally, the alliance "Leipzig takes a stand" registered several counterdemonstrations under the motto "No place for Nazis." A week ago, the Pride Parade in Bautzen was accompanied by far-right protests. The over 1,000 participants faced a counterdemonstration with around 680 people titled "Against gender propaganda and identity confusion!" The fringe far-right local political party Freie Sachsen (Free Saxons) also called for a protest. For security reasons, the Pride organizers cancelled the planned final party the day before. Participants in a right-wing extremist rally at the main station show the neo-Nazi symbol of white power with their hands. Several hundred right-wing extremists demonstrated against Christopher Street Day (CSD), which was planned to take place at the same time. Sebastian Willnow/dpa WILLIAMSPORT, PENN. (KELO) The Sioux Falls Little League team fell to Staten Island, N.Y., 6-3 in an elimination game at the Little League World Series Saturday. The Midwest champions loaded the bases in the top of the first but failed to score. They did strike first by scoring a run on a wild pitch in the top of the fourth. The Metro champ answered with a four-run rally in the bottom of the frame. Sioux Falls cut into the deficit with a Sam Wurth RBI single in the fifth, but two more runs from the New Yorkers in the bottom of the fifth pushed the lead to four. SD fought back with one run in sixth, but that was it for the offense. South Dakota managed just three hits, while State Island accumulated 11. Sioux Falls dropped both of its contests at the Little League World Series as it suffered a 2-1 loss to Florida, the Southeast champion, on Wednesday. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KELOLAND.com. SLO wants to prevent destructive flooding from San Luis Creek. Will it work? Framed by a thicket of trees and shrubs, the San Luis Obispo Creek flowed gently over rocks and fallen logs on Wednesday morning. A soiled cloth hanging from the rafters of the Marsh Street Bridge served as the only reminder of last winter, when floodwaters spilled out of the creek and sliced through nearby homes and businesses on Jan. 9, 2023. That winter, Erik Poor watched the floodwaters slosh out of the creek and destroy his truck and a C-Train full of electrical equipment outside of his Higuera Street business, PoorBoy Electric and Lighting. It was gnarly, he said. This winter, the city will start construction on a $13 million project to increase the creeks capacity and prevent future similar events along Higuera Street from Madonna Road to Marsh Street. There will continue to be storms in the future, 2023 was not a one-off, city engineer Noah Maidrand said. The city is excited to make the investment here, now, to prevent flooding in the future. This is the largest flood prevention project the city has ever embarked on, he said. When the project is finally completed, the creek will be able to hold 40% more water during a severe flood, he said. Though planning for the project started in 2003 with the formation of the San Luis Obispo Creek Waterway Management Program, the city couldnt start construction until it secured numerous state and federal permits to remove vegetation and widen the creek. In the meantime, however, numerous homes and businesses along that stretch flooded in the onslaught of rain the region received in early 2023 and Poor blamed the city for some of that damage, saying it should have removed vegetation and debris that plugged the river during the storm ahead of time. Now Poor is glad the city proposed the project but its long overdue, he said. If theyre going to do it, awesome, Poor said. Its about time. The city will add bypass channels and replace the Bianchi Bridge so San Luis Obispo Creek can hold more water during flood events. City engineer Noah Maidrand lead a tour of the project area on Aug. 14, 2024. SLO to replace Bianchi Bridge, increase creek flood capacity Before San Luis Obispo was developed, water meandered gently down a shallow San Luis Obispo Creek. When a storm hit, the creek widened to hold the extra water, then it shrunk again when the rainy season ended. Over time, buildings and bridges built along the creek squeezed the waterway, while Arroyo Willow trees and invasive plants further choked the creek. With no room to widen, the creek sliced deeper and the water flowed faster setting the stage for more severe flooding. As part of this project, the city will widen the river and increase the amount of water it can hold. This is an area of San Luis Creek that historically receives a lot of flooding because its been encroached on and incised over time, so by widening it out in certain portions and installing bypass channels, we get to increase that capacity, Maidrand said. The city will demolish a building belonging to Scotts Shop on Higuera Street near the Marsh Street bridge to give the creek more space. Its one of the most constricted points of the creek, Maidrand said. The city will demolish a building belonging to CoastRiders Powersports on Higuera Street near the Marsh Street bridge to give the creek more space, which will prevent flooding. The city will also remove about 70 trees and shrubs and replace them with healthier, native vegetation, Maidrand said. Invasive plants on the chopping block include castor bean, cape ivy, giant reed and Himalayan blackberry, he said. The city will then plant more than 300 native trees and shrubs beside the creek. The oak and sycamore trees will provide more shade over the river than existing vegetation, which supports steelhead trout swimming in the water, he said. Additionally, the city will carve two, 20-foot-long bypass channels able to catch rising water before the creek overflows. Once the flood waters reach a certain level, flood waters can flow there rather than over the sides of the creek, Maidrand said. The city will add bypass channels and replace the Bianchi Bridge so San Luis Obispo Creek can hold more water during flood events. One bypass channel will stretch along Brooke Street from the dead end of South Street to the Madonna Road onramp for Highway 101. The other channel will start at Bianchi Lane and extend along South Higuera Street beside Highway 101. Both channels will run parallel to the creek. Meanwhile, the city will replace the century-old Bianchi Bridge at the end of Bianchi Lane. In 2006, Caltrans evaluated the bridge for the National Register of Historic Places, but it was found ineligible, Maidrand said. The new bridge will be 120 feet long with a higher bottom elevation to allow more water to flow underneath. SLO business owner worried flood prevention plan wont be enough Several business owners and workers who spoke with The Tribune said they felt the issue causing the flooding was a lack of regular vegetation management in the area. On Jan. 9, 2023, San Luis Obispo Creek belched about two feet of water into Scotts Auto Shop, damaging equipment and leaving a thick layer of mud on the floor. It was just a raging river that rushed through the whole shop, it caused a lot of damage, shop employee Eric Masingale said. It was horrific, Id never seen anything like that. Shop owner Scott Hayes blamed the city for the flood. He said the city should have removed vegetation in the creek that plugged Marsh Street Bridge during the storm. This flood over here would have never happened had the city done their job, Hayes said. Hayes said the citys new flood prevention project will only work if it simultaneously improves their annual vegetation maintenance in the creek. I hope that they still maintain the creek because the non-native trees will grow voluntarily and it will clog up the creek, Hayes said. This will happen again. New flood prevention plan allows live tree removal The January 2023 flood was partly caused by trees that had grown around the Marsh Street Bridge, constricting the waterway and reducing the creeks ability to hold water, city biologist Freddy Otte told The Tribune. The city annually removes downed trees and other obstructions from the creek before winter, but it hadnt previously been able to remove the live trees growing near the bridge without first getting the necessary state and federal permits. As part of the new flood-prevention project, the city was just recently able to secure the permits to remove live vegetation, as well as widen the creek, from the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Board, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Army Corps of Engineers and the National Marine Fisheries Service. Weve been working for a couple of years on just securing permits for this project, thats one of the major hold ups, Otte said. He added: Finally seeing this project come to fruition, its a testament to our dedication. San Luis Obispo plans to add bypass channels to SLO Creek so it can hold more water during flood events. The project starts here at Marsh Street and goes south to Madonna Road, shown on Aug. 14, 2024. (NewsNation) Social Security recipients will see their benefits cut in roughly a decade if Congress doesnt take action, but Democrats and Republicans have yet to agree on a solution. So far, former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris have tip-toed around the politically fraught topic, with each promising not to cut benefits. That position is popular across the political spectrum but doesnt address the programs looming financial shortfall. Democratic lawmakers on Capitol Hill have recently introduced multiple bills that would fix part of the solvency issue by expanding the payroll tax to high earners. Congressional Republicans have criticized that plan while offering few specific alternatives. Will [Republicans] go behind closed doors and have a package that has some cuts? Or will they do it out in the open and do what the Democrats want to do? I think thats whats really at stake, said Nancy Altman, president of Social Security Works, a progressive advocacy group in favor of expanding the system. Heres what each party has put forward on Social Security recently. What Democrats have called for Lift the payroll tax cap Democrats want to address the Social Security shortfall by extending the payroll tax to those with higher incomes. The Social Security 2100 Act, sponsored by Representative John Larson, D-Conn., would subject income above $400,000 to Social Security payroll taxes the programs main funding source. Today, the 6.2% tax only applies up to $168,600. The proposal mirrors the Biden-Harris administrations plan, which called for extending solvency by asking the highest-income Americans to pay their fair share. A 2022 poll of registered voters suggests lifting the payroll cap to include higher wages would have broad support, with 79% of Republicans and 88% of Democrats in favor. Critics of the plan, like Brian Riedl at the conservative Manhattan Institute, point out that uncapping the payroll tax would still result in a deficit after just five years. He said the plan would dramatically raise taxes not just on the rich but also the upper middle class. Other Democratic-backed legislation introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., sets the income threshold lower, imposing the payroll tax on earnings above $250,000. As a senator, Harris co-sponsored that legislation. Boost in benefits and changes to the COLA formula Larsons bill, which has the support of most House Democrats, would increase benefits by 2% across the board for all Social Security beneficiaries. It would also boost benefits specifically for lower-income seniors, as well as widows and widowers. If passed, the plan would tweak how the government calculates the annual cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA) to ensure the formula accounts for the Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers (CPI-E). That index weighs health care costs more heavily, which could mean higher annual bumps for retirees. To pay for those changes, the legislation would extend the payroll tax to include incomes above $400,000 and add an additional 12.4% net investment income tax (NIIT) for taxpayers making over $400,000. Heres what your Social Security COLA bump could be in 2025 Eliminate federal income taxes on Social Security Earlier this year, Representative Angie Craig, D-Minn., introduced a bill to eliminate federal taxes on Social Security benefits for seniors. Today, individuals who earn above $25,000 pay income tax on up to 50% of their Social Security retirement benefits. For seniors who earn above $34,000, an additional 35% of benefits are taxable. Nine states also collect taxes on Social Security. Like other proposals, the legislation addresses revenue concerns by extending the payroll tax, in this case to incomes above $250,000. So far, none of the bills have gained much traction in Congress. What Republicans have called for Republicans have been less upfront about their vision for Social Security but insist they wont cut benefits for seniors. On the campaign trail, Trump has vowed not to slash benefits or raise the retirement age. The official Republican Party Platform adopted at the Republican National Convention echoed those promises. Trump has also called for an end to federal taxes on Social Security benefits but hasnt explained how he would address the subsequent revenue shortfall. Theres some ideas floating out there, but not something actually being introduced into Congress, Richard Johnson, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute, said of the GOPs approach to Social Security. For now, the most comprehensive GOP plan comes from the Republican Study Committees (RSC) 2025 budget proposal. The RSC, which comprises nearly 80% of all House Republicans, proposed raising the retirement age for those not near retirement to account for increases in life expectancy. The plan would also limit and phase out auxiliary benefits for high-income earners who are not near retirement. In the proposal, Republican lawmakers blasted the reckless spending policies of President Biden and Congressional Democrats, arguing that their political opponents would accelerate Social Security benefits cuts for seniors. The GOP lawmakers said the Democrats payroll tax plan would eliminate job opportunities in the U.S. and fail to make Social Security solvent. Instead, the RSC said its budget would address concerns by increasing payroll tax revenues through pro-growth tax reform and pro-growth energy policy that lifts wages as well as regulatory reforms that increase economic growth. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Keesler problems I concur with the Sound Off on entrance to Keesler AFB on Division Street. I have a VA ID and my wife and I used to shop on Keesler. It now takes approximately one hour to get approval to enter Keesler. Before the change, my ID was scanned and we could enter. Something needs to happen to speed up the process. The CB base in Gulfport is smaller but has three civilians on duty and it takes about five minutes to get approval to enter. Health care Health care plans by Republicans include more privatizing of health care and less government regulation. This is exactly the last thing we need. When health care is privatized, the owner(s) are there to make money. So money is taken out of the health care budget to give a profit to the owners. This means some people have to be denied coverage because there is not enough money to cover every American and give the owner a profit. EVs We have had EVs available for the public since at least 2010 from GM with the Chevrolet Volt and hybrids before then. If EVs are so good for the climate, why hasnt the government gone completely to EVs for all of its cars. That goes for Congress, also. I guess they havent reached the point of being good enough for them. Give it a rest Drop the immigrants-are-invading-us scare tactic. None of you have been affected or know anyone. You are just creating fear where there is no threat. Weird Youre saying Gov. Walz retiring from the military after 24 years of honorable military service is cowardly, as opposed to Donald Trump getting six military deferments for bone spurs that miraculously disappeared after the draft was terminated is just weird. Too old to drive The state of Mississippi definitely does not follow its policy on issuing drivers licenses to seniors. A friend of mine was just telling me last month that her 98-year-old mother was just issued a license online for four more years. This was totally against my friends wishes, as she refused to go with her to the DMV hoping this would stop her from renewing. Her mother was able to find someone to help her do this online. How can the DMV, in all good sense, do this? And, yes, 98-year-old woman does have a car, and drives. Elder neglect Its so weird to see a mentally unstable person digress into dementia on prime time TV, and multiple social media channels. This poor 78 year old has gone from rambling thoughts to raging gibberish right in front of us, and even weirder that his own family doesnt seem to care. Projection One political party complaining the other partys candidate abandoned his military post by retiring after 24 years, while their own candidate is a well-documented draft dodger is just plain weird. Opening ceremony Please, people. The Last Supper clip at the opening of the Olympics was not about the Last Supper. It was Dionysus, the Greek mythical god of wine and feasting, presiding over a feast which included wine. Read up on him. Evidence lacking To Donald Trump, JD Vance, Rudy Giuliani and almost every other Republican who opens their mouth these days, I might listen to what you have to say if you ever presented any evidence. E-v-i-d-e-n-c-e. Look it up. Voter ID Vice President Harris opposes Voter ID laws as racist, but has no problem requiring her rally attendees provide proof of identity with a government issued ID. Typical Democrat elitist hypocrisy. No need to explain Why do Donald Trumps messages have to explained? He said what he said and meant what he said. Send your Sound Offs to soundoff@sunherald.com. SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) Nearly two dozen South Dakota Democrats will leave this weekend for their National Convention in Chicago. Theyre expecting a lot of excitement on the convention floor as delegates pledge their support for the new ticket of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. Sioux Falls housing market picking up post-pandemic The delegates say theyre feeling re-energized about prospects of success in the November election. Erin Royer wears her party loyalty on her wrist. And there weve got, Ive got one that says Kamala on it, Royer said. Friendship bracelets are just part of the fashions that will be showcased by South Dakota delegates at the Democratic National Convention. Weve got lots of plans for trading pins and friendship bracelets. Theyve got a day that were all going to wear white for womens suffrage and Im sure a lot of people are going to be wearing Converse sneakers because thats one of Vice-President Harris signature looks, Royer said. Royer and other delegates heading to Chicago say Kamala Harris history-making campaign has brought a renewed energy to their party and their upcoming convention. It not only speaks to the growth of her, but it speaks to the growth of Black people around our country and it also speaks to the strength of Black women in our country as the highest-educated group of people in our country right now, South Dakota DNC delegate Julian Beaudion said. South Dakota delegates also feel a geographic connection to Harris running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. What is it, 30-miles to the border to Minnesota from here? And he grew up in a small town Nebraska. He taught there. Then he moved to Mankato, which is what? Two-and-a-half hours away from Sioux Falls, DNC delegate Linda Duba said. South Dakota Democrats say the convention will be a time to network with delegates from other states and build unity around the Harris-Walz ticket. They plan to return home with a renewed commitment to grow their party and turn the political tide in a state thats long been dominated by Republicans. Gonna be a little more exciting and a lot more uplifting than I thought it was going to be a month ago, Duba said. Just to see the Black excellence rise to the top, as it should, is going to be a moment of emotion for me, Beaudion said. The Democrats last convention in 2020 was held virtually because of COVID. Duba says meeting in-person will only add to the delegates excitement in Chicago next week. We did a similar story on South Dakota Republicans, when they headed to Milwaukee for their 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 KELOLAND.com. This story is reported by South Dakota News Watch, a non-profit news organization. Find more in-depth reporting at www.sdnewswatch.org. DETROIT (SDNW) Justin Roebuck can recall the exact moment that distrust of 2020 presidential election results impacted his status in the Republican Party. The top election official of Ottawa County in western Michigan was speaking to a GOP womens group when he was asked who won the race between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden in the Midwest battleground state. When I told them that Biden won Michigan by about 154,000 votes, the gasp was audible in the room, said Roebuck, adding that he was castigated by other party members for legitimizing the results. I think it hit home for me at that point. Roebuck was among a group of election officials who spoke to journalists as part of the National Press Foundation 2024 Elections Fellowship in late July, assessing the state of American voting systems ahead of November. Inside KELOLAND: Gardening, apple orchards and pumpkins They illustrated how unfounded claims of voter fraud, exacerbated by public frustration over social restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, emboldened electoral activists seeking to overturn results and erode trust in the democratic process. These reverberations were felt in South Dakota, where grassroots efforts from organizations such as South Dakota Canvassing Group put pressure on state legislators to address election security through post-election audits and the banning of unmonitored drop boxes. But the heightened scrutiny of casting and counting votes was hardly unique to the Republican-run Mount Rushmore State. Michigan, a Democratic-controlled swing state that voted for Trump in 2016 and Biden four years later, was at the center of civil unrest before, during and after the tumultuous 2020 presidential race. The way the two states handled the fallout with Michigan expanding voting opportunities through ballot measures and South Dakota restricting access with legislative action reveals disparate strategies to defend the sanctity of the vote. South Dakota House Majority Leader Will Mortenson told News Watch that, in the case of restricting drop boxes, there were questions about the susceptibility of abuse and whether that justified changing the law. Or do we have to wait until theres actual abuse that we see before we address the susceptibility? he asked. David Becker, founder of the Center for Election Innovation and Research, which provides support and legal assistance to election workers, addressed the question by saying that ballot security measures should be based on verifiable information and not theories or speculation. What Id love to see the conspiracy theorists asked is, Why are you putting this out on social media? Why isnt this being presented to a court of law? Becker said during the fellowship in Detroit. Because still to this day, over 44 months since the 2020 election, there has not been one single shred of evidence presented to any court anywhere in this country that cast doubt on the outcome of that election. Rick Weible and Jessica Pollema of South Dakota Canvassing Group give a presentation at the Military Heritage Alliance in Sioux Falls, S.D., on Oct. 19, 2023. If you want to get rid of election deniers, you have to let them be part of the process, Weible said. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) Michigan serves as testing ground Trump led the vote tally in Michigan well past midnight on election night in 2020. But the race shifted in the early morning hours as nearly 3 million absentee ballots were counted, many in the Democratic stronghold of the states largest city, Detroit. The logistical challenge of processing mail-in ballots on Election Day delayed results and then showed Biden taking the lead, fueling anti-government distrust from conservative groups that flared earlier in the year. In April 2020, hundreds of protestors, some armed with rifles, stormed the state Capitol in Lansing to rail against Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmers stay-at-home orders and other pandemic restrictions. In October, a month from the 2020 election, the FBI charged a group of men with hatching a plot to kidnap the governor from her northern Michigan vacation home, with ensuing trials leading to nine convictions and five acquittals. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel speaks at the National Press Foundation 2024 Elections Fellowship on July 29, 2024, in Detroit. Just about every election-denying scheme or stunt that gained national attention in the past four years was attempted at some point here in Michigan, she said. (Photo: National Press Foundation) Following Bidens victory, Michigan was at the center of a coordinated effort to subvert the election, with Republican activists submitting fraudulent documents claiming Trump won the states Electoral College vote, a prelude to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. Just about every election-denying scheme or stunt that gained national attention in the past four years was attempted at some point here in Michigan, said Attorney General Dana Nessel, who filed forgery and other felony charges against 16 alleged false electors. Lawmakers to look into missing money & fraud cases discovered in Pierre So they really staged their dress rehearsal in Michigan because they knew it was a good laboratory for their experimentation and to probe the kind of reception theyd get on a national level. Ballot measure expands voter access In June 2021, after months of investigation, a Republican-controlled Senate Oversight Committee in Michigan issued a report that found no evidence of widespread or systematic fraud related to the 2020 presidential election in Michigan. But GOP lawmakers still pointed to vulnerabilities in the system and moved to pass nearly 40 bills aimed at restricting voter registration, absentee ballots, voter ID and drop boxes. Whitmer vetoed the bills and overcame a narrow Republican legislative majority, which has since shifted to a slim Democratic advantage. In 2022, Michigan voters adopted Proposal 2, a constitutional amendment that established at least nine days of early voting, provided voters with a right to request an absentee ballot, and enshrined voter ID rules that Republicans had sought to restrict. The measure also mandated at least one state-funded drop box for each municipality, with additional boxes for every 15,000 voters, building on absentee voting reforms passed in a similar Promote the Vote amendment in 2018. Proposal 2, lauded by supporters as Promote the Vote II, passed with 60% of the vote, a notable mandate at a time of election-related angst in the state. In Michigan, you dont get 60% of the vote with Democrats or liberals alone, said Democratic state Sen. Jeremy Moss, who chaired the Senate Elections and Ethics Committee that implemented many of the reforms. Thats a coalition of Democrats, Republicans and Independents who wanted to back away from misinformation and join other states that had early voting and other provisions that provided more access to the ballot. Message matches the moment South Dakotas own introspection on election access was accelerated by groups such as South Dakota Canvassing, whose founders were inspired by My Pillow founder and conspiracy theorist Mike Lindells 2021 Cyber Symposium in Sioux Falls. Lindell, who campaigned for Trump alongside South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, claimed to have incriminating 2020 election data showing that China hacked into U.S. voting systems to help elect Biden. He offered $5 million to anyone who could prove him wrong, which did indeed happen, forcing him into a court battle as he tried to avoid honoring the bet. Fair elections equal a representative republic, but stolen elections equal slavery, Canvassing Group co-founder Jessica Pollema told followers, who put county auditors and commissioners on the defensive by echoing accusations from conservative media and demanding proof of secure systems, even in a state that Trump won by 26 points in 2020. For some Republicans, the message matched the moment. In a May 2024 poll co-sponsored by News Watch, more than 6 in 10 South Dakotans said they were dissatisfied with how democracy is working in the United States, including 32% who said they were very dissatisfied. The same poll found that 58% of Republican respondents said they accepted the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. Election denialism presents an opportunity to build a movement around restricting voting access and turning back the clock on a variety of electoral innovations, Charles Stewart, a political science professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, told News Watch in 2023. The places that are generally going to be the most receptive to that message are rural-based Republican states. To put it plainly, it makes sense to hunt where the ducks are. Make sure that its done right That was the political climate in which South Dakotas Republican leadership, in consultation with county auditors, explored the issue of election security during the 2023 state legislative session in Pierre. Those seeking major overhauls included Rick Weible, a computer analyst and Canvassing Group adviser who supports the hand counting of ballots and criticizes South Dakotas 46-day early voting period, tied for longest in the nation. Withdrawals hand seats in Legislature to Republicans If you want to get rid of election deniers, you have to let them be part of the process, Weible said of his lobbying efforts. Opportunity Solutions Project, a conservative nonprofit that advocates restrictions to absentee voting, also worked with legislators and county auditors to make it easier to vote but harder to cheat, a mantra newly adopted by election reformists. Rick Weible, shown speaking at a county commission meeting in Sherburne, Minn., on July 12, 2022, has become a fierce advocate in South Dakota for changing election laws due to what he calls a lack of transparency and security. (Photo: Minneapolis Star Tribune) Some of the testimony included allegations of people dumping unauthorized ballots into drop boxes in other states, without providing proof that it happened or how it was connected to South Dakota. The primary purpose of drop boxes is to allow absentee or early voters an opportunity to submit ballots at a time and place convenient to their schedule or circumstance. Some might use it to save postage, avoid a crowded indoor setting or merely because theyre concerned about meeting the mail-in deadline for ballots. An Associated Press survey of election officials in each state revealed no cases of fraud, vandalism or theft involving drop boxes that could have affected the results of the 2020 election. That didnt mean it couldnt impact South Dakota in future elections, said Mortenson, who along with Senate Majority Leader Casey Crabtree helped pass a package of 10 election reform bills in 2023. Some of the news we heard inspired legislators to kick the tires and figure out if some of the allegations seen in other states would show a vulnerability in our system, said Mortenson. What we found is that we started out with a very secure, trustworthy system. The steps we took were to shore up security and acknowledge that if were going to have this really long early voting window, weve got to make sure that its done right. SD auditors oppose drop box ban The package included House Bill 1165, which among other measures stated that county auditors may not establish or place an absentee ballot drop box within the officials jurisdiction. A completed absentee ballot may only be returned to an office of the individual in charge of the election. The Board of Elections approved language clarifying that to mean ballots can only be returned to the physical office of the election official, as opposed to the lobby of a county building where the office is located. Drop boxes, used in nearly 40 states in 2020, became a target for election reformists after more than 40% of voters used the boxes to return ballots in that presidential election year, compared to about 15% in 2016, according to the Stanford-MIT Healthy Elections Project. SD map A movie praised by Trump, 2000 Mules, purported to show a pattern of Democrat-aligned ballot mules paid to illegally collect and drop off ballots in swing states such as Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Election experts criticized the projects flawed cellphone tracking analysis, while Trumps efforts to establish ballot fraud through the court system proved unsuccessful due to lack of evidence. South Dakota did not record a single case of voter fraud or other election-related crimes tied to the use of ballot drop boxes in 2020 or 2022, according to a News Watch survey of county auditors that drew responses from 58 of 66 counties, including 29 of the top 30 by population. I think were trying to correct a problem that doesnt exist, said Harding County Auditor Kathy Glines, who took office in 1991 and was part of a group of auditors who testified in Pierre, South Dakota. Election systems tested by 2004 race South Dakota is one of at least 28 states to adopt new voting restrictions since 2020 that will be in place for this years presidential election, according to the Brennan Center for Justice, a progressive public policy institute focused on democracy and voting rights issues. The overhaul was enabled partly by a 2013 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that rejected the principle of preclearance that had forced states to comply with federal provisions in the Voting Rights Act dealing with disenfranchisement of minorities. Preclearance required states with a history of discriminatory voting policies to submit changes in election laws or district maps to the federal government for advance review before putting them into effect. South Dakota was one of the states impacted because of legal conflicts involving voting rights in Indian County, specifically the counties of Oglala Lakota and Todd, which traditionally vote Democratic. Republican Chris Nelson, who served as secretary of state from 2003 to 2011, recalled the states election integrity being tested during one of its most expensive and consequential elections Republican John Thunes U.S. Senate triumph over incumbent Democrat Tom Daschle in 2004. The focus on Native American reservation counties stemmed from Democrat Tim Johnsons Senate victory over Thune in 2002, when Johnson won 92% of the Oglala Lakota County vote, giving him a statewide winning margin of 524 votes when the counting ended around 9 a.m. the day after the election. There was a tremendous amount of stress on our county auditors for that (2004) election, particularly in Indian Country, Nelson told News Watch. One side was concerned about, Is there going to be cheating out there? The other side was saying, Is there going to be disenfranchisement? I went out and personally sat in each county auditors office in Indian Country and spent part of a day with each auditor to make sure that they had everything ready to go. Nelson added that Daschle, Democratic Senate leader at the time, sent a lawyer from Washington to sit in the secretary of states office in Pierre on election night to observe the process. Daschle, who lost by 4,508 votes, called Thune in the early-morning hours to concede the race, satisfied that the election was conducted fairly. I have a profound respect for the people of our state, Daschle said the next day. And I respect their decision. Make sure no ones vote gets stolen On the topic of making it easier to vote and harder to cheat, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson asked for an honest assessment of which states are truly prioritizing both aims, without regard to partisan pressures. Democrats are oftentimes seen as trying to increase access to the vote, and Republicans are seen as prioritizing the security of the process, Benson said, speaking to journalists at the Detroit conference. The best election administrators can and do accomplish both of those things at the same time. Mortenson pushed back on the notion that recent legislative moves in South Dakota have restricted voting access in the state. South Dakota delegates excited to attend DNC We have the longest early voting window in the country, so it is arguably easier to vote in South Dakota than any other state, he told News Watch. So in terms of the ease and convenience of voting in South Dakota, were at the pinnacle. But we take very seriously the idea that the person whose ballot is being counted is the person who cast that ballot. And so we want to make sure that we have a lot of accountability when ballots are cast outside of a regulated election setting to make sure that no ones vote gets stolen. Nelson, currently a member of the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission, said his priority as an election administrator, despite running for office as a Republican, was to operate from a neutral perspective. That meant maintaining and sometimes expanding the rights of voters to cast their ballot in a way that worked best for them. Some of the actions undertaken during his stint as secretary of state included taking the notarization requirement off voter registration cards and removing the excuse requirement that mandated certain circumstances to get an absentee ballot rather than vote on Election Day. The act of registering to vote and voting is an interaction between you as a citizen and your government, and we ought to be doing everything we can to make it as easy as possible for citizens to interact with the government, Nelson said. Poll workers wait for the next South Dakota primary voter at the Instructional Planning Center in Sioux Falls, S.D., on Tuesday, June 4, 2024. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) When it comes to drop boxes, I was curious about where the demonstrated problem was in South Dakota because we arent just mailing ballots out to everybody. Each individual voter has to apply for their own absentee ballot, and that voter can decide how they want to return it. They can mail it in, they can hand-deliver it to the auditor, they can send it with somebody else to the auditor, and in places where they establish a drop box, they can put it into a drop box. The government shouldnt be telling you which way to do it. Youve got the right. Finding faith in election systems Roebuck, the Michigan election official whose statement of fact that Biden won Michigan in 2020 drew such a strong reaction, said he felt ostracized from his party at times during the post-election tumult. But he stuck to the task of election administration, which meant treating peoples concerns with respect and trying to share as much information as possible about how elections work. I think were at an inflection point right now where I believe my role in particular is to listen, said Roebeck. Its to be honest, but its also to be introspective enough to say, We can do better. Election officials are not perfect. This is not a perfect system. We should not be discrediting everything that comes at us just by virtue of the fact that someone is criticizing elections. Becker, whose Center for Election Innovation and Research works to build trust in voting systems, agrees that shedding as much light as possible on elections is beneficial. But the former U.S. Department of Justice attorney has little patience for claims of election fraud that are not backed by facts or data. Theres this myth that voter fraud is really hard to catch, so what we see must just be the tip of the iceberg, he said. Im here to tell you that voter fraud is one of the easiest crimes to catch in the United States of America. You have someone who has created a document trail, who has walked up and presented themselves in front of multiple witnesses who can testify. If you tried to cast someone elses ballot on any kind of scale, like submitting a mail-in ballot for someone else, whats going to happen is that persons going to try to vote. And the election officials will notice that someone tried to vote and also had a mail-in ballot. If that happened on any kind of scale, it would be identified. Becker added that confidence in elections is boosted by the fact that 95% of all American voters are going to vote on paper ballots this fall, including every single battleground state. Like in South Dakota, which uses optical scan ballots with high-speed counters, these paper ballots provide a valuable backup during recounts or audit procedures, adding integrity to the final tally. Mortenson cites that and recent audit results as proof that South Dakota should be proud of our elections and have a lot of faith that they are counted accurately. Asked about those who attack the integrity of county auditors and other election officials in the state, the Republican legislator did not mince words. Weve got a message for the local officials who run elections: South Dakota has your back, Mortenson said. Those who cast doubt on South Dakota elections have little following and no common sense. Our auditors and poll workers should take heart and anyone who spreads lies about them should take a hike. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. A man was arrested for his alleged involvement in a 2023 crash that killed an 8-year-old boy and left four others hospitalized in Riverside. On Friday, Andres Laris, 23, was taken into custody on murder charges, the Riverside Police Department announced. The deadly, high-speed crash happened on May 16, 2023, at around 7:30 a.m. Laris was driving westbound near Arlington and Stover Avenues when he lost control of his Honda sedan and veered into the opposite lanes at triple-digit speeds, police said. He crashed head-on into a Nissan sedan that was carrying four people inside a 25-year-old female driver and her three younger siblings, identified only as a 16-year-old boy, a 10-year-old girl and an 8-year-old boy. The 8-year-old boy was killed in the crash. The female driver suffered serious injuries and her two surviving siblings suffered critical injuries. Video from the scene showed Riverside City Fire crews extricating the occupants of the Nissan after a deadly head-on crash in Riverside on May 16, 2023. (OC Hawk) The suspects white Honda was totaled after colliding head-on with another vehicle in a deadly Riverside crash on May 16, 2023. (Riverside Police Department) The suspect, Andres Laris, 23, from Riverside, is seen in a booking photo from the Riverside Police Department. Four victims were inside the gray Nissan sedan when the suspect crashed head-on into them. The impact killed an 8-year-old boy and left three others seriously injured in Riverside on May 16, 2023. (Riverside Police Department) The suspects white Honda was totaled after colliding head-on with another vehicle in a deadly Riverside crash on May 16, 2023. (Riverside Police Department) Home security video obtained by KTLA shows the suspect driver of the Honda apparently lose control and veer into the path of the Nissan on May 16, 2023 in Riverside. (Isabel Cisneros) Police believe the female driver was likely taking her three siblings to school that morning. Investigators said Laris was traveling at over 100 miles per hour when he collided with the victims. A toxicology report detected cannabis in his blood system as well, authorities said. The suspect was also hospitalized in serious condition. Before the deadly crash, Laris had received two prior speeding citations. The Riverside County District Attorneys Office approved one felony count of murder for causing the death of the 8-year-old victim, along with 3 felony counts of driving across a divided highway resulting in great bodily injury to the surviving siblings, authorities said. Suspected car thief speeds dangerously through L.A. County streets Laris is being held on $1 million bail. Residents in the area previously told KTLA that excessive speeding was an ongoing problem on that particular stretch of Arlington Avenue. Many locals were demanding more safety improvements including a greater number of traffic signals. The case remains under investigation. Anyone with additional information is asked to contact Traffic Detective G. Anderson at GAnders@RiversideCA.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 KTLA. If your electric bill this month was sky high, it wasnt just scorching summer heat that was to blame, and youre NOT alone. Many Southern California Edison customers are feeling the heat living with the TOU pricing system: Thats Time of Use. Put into effect in 2020 and 2021, TOU pricing is exactly what it says: You pay different rates for your electricity depending on the time of day you are using it. As SCE puts it, it costs more to produce and deliver electricity during different times of day, so this is supposed to provide an incentive for customers to shift electricity use away from more expensive peak hours. SCE admits rates will generally be higher during summer weekday afternoons. If you run the AC, work at home, do laundry during those hours, you are paying MORE than if you wait and do those things during later or off-peak hours. We asked SCE for specific data on what the TOU pricing has done to peoples bills. It didnt provide that info. Anecdotally, this user (I am an SCE customer) has seen the afternoon TOU bill get much larger, especially with two kids home during the hot southern California summer. Inland Empire residents endure heatwave amid power outage While working on this story, we received email after email from KTLA viewers: Linda Lynch, a KTLA viewer in the Antelope Valley, was shocked to see that her electric bill skyrocketed to $900 this month, hundreds MORE than usual. Linda writes that she can barely afford food, never mind electricity. We should point out that the Antelope Valley in Southern California saw excessive heat warnings issued for stretches of days this month. The warnings are issued when heat is forecast to be extreme and often come with an advisory to keep cool and only go out if necessary. And Linda wasnt the ONLY one who emailed. Carla Chang writes, Hello! Please look into whyyyyyy Edison is charging so much for electricity. People are receiving $600-$1000 bills. Sarah Clifford sent us her bill which was $1128 this month alone, and Sara says thats the discounted rate. Sarah says she keeps her thermostat at 78 degrees whenever possible. Melissa Avalos says, There has been a rise in our electricity bills that is beyond this earth. We went from paying $86 dollars a month to $400 dollars a month and dont even run our air at night. Something needs to be done as we are seniors and barely making enough to cover this increase. Not all of this may be due to TOU pricing, although at least some of these are SCE customers on TOU rates. After all, it has been a record-breaking hot summer. But many are askingIS THIS FAIR? People use electricity when they need it. People pay their electric bills. Why should people be penalized because they need to use electricity in the middle of the afternoon? We put the question to KTLA consumer expert David Lazarus. Time of use pricing for power might strike some as unfair, Lazarus said. After all, energy is energy. Why should the price change at different times of the day? In fact, its a pricing system that makes good economic sense, rewarding consumers for responsible use of resources. Lazarus acknowledges that may be little consolation for people getting their bills this month. When TOU pricing was first put into effect, customers were transitioned into TOU pricing unless they OPTED OUT. Edison points out that if you ARE seeing bills skyrocket with TOU pricingyou CAN still use the rate plan comparison and see if something called a tiered rate plan is better. Under a tiered rate plan, the bill you pay is based on the TOTAL amount of energy you use, regardless of WHEN you use it. Rate Plan Comparison | Rates | Your Home (sce.com). SCE also points out that there are potential discounts for those who qualify and are having trouble paying their bills. No matter WHICH plan you use, Laz says hes not surprised customersespecially in lower income bracketsare feeling the squeeze. Consumer advocates correctly warn that lower-income households could face higher bills if utilities boost prices during intervals of high demand, he said. Its the same issue ride-share companies ran into when they introduced surge pricing higher fares during times of high demand. Consumers viewed that as a money grab. Its a perception utilities need to avoid Gabriela Ornelas, SCE spokesperson, tells KTLA, The greatest impact we see on monthly bills is overall energy use, regardless of the rate plan. She says there IS help available, We know high electric bills can be hard. We have resources for customers and tips to help save on summer bills. Those resources and tips can be found here: https://energized.edison.com/stories/tips-for-customers-to-save-on-summer-bills. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. The owner of pickup truck whose menacing antisemitic exterior horrified Williamsburg residents is owned by a speed-demon scofflaw brazenly using fake plates to avoid tickets, records show. The souped-up Ford-150 was slammed with 51 traffic summonses from October 2020 to May 2 including being caught on camera 18 times speeding in school zones and four times running red lights, according to a Post analysis of city records. The vehicles owner identified as Jose Littef, 21, by his half-brother was slapped with $3,622 in fines and late fees for the summonses and currently owes $551.94 including $226.94 on three speed cam summonses in default judgment racking up additional fees. The black trucks disturbing exterior includes images of bullet holes, splattered blood and bloodstained handprints which some might see as a symbol of the infamous Ramallah lynching of 2000, where two Israeli reservists were savagely killed by a murderous mob. The vehicles owner, Jose Littef (left), racked up $3,622 in fines and late fees in less than four years, and currently owes $551.55 including $226.94 on three speed camera summonses in judgment. Aristide Economopoulos Since The Post broke the news about the truck two weeks ago, residents said they have not seen it return to the neighborhood. But for months, the truck illegally parked near the corner of North 4th Street and Bedford Avenue in the heart of the hipster haven and Jewish neighborhood, displaying no registration and inspection stickers and sporting a fake ghost plate reading OH GAZA. The Post was only able to review the trucks violation record after a whistleblower too afraid to give her name provided a photo of the truck taken in April, when it still had legit plates issued in Pennsylvania. Two weeks ago, cops briefly examined the vehicles rear end and questioned whether the license plate and window tint were legal, but ultimately walked away without taking action. Aristide Economopoulos Bloody handprints spread across the vehicles window are a symbol of the Ramallah lynching in 2000, where two Israeli reservists were savagely killed by a murderous Palestinian mob. Aristide Economopoulos The vehicle routinely parks illegally near Bedford Avenue and North 4th Street, where its owner runs a food truck business with his half-brother. Aristide Economopoulos Littef and half-brother Anas Arman, 34, operate The Original Caribbean King food truck on the same corner. Both are of Palestinian descent, according to Arman. Littef could not be reached for comment, but he and Arman previously claimed the OH GAZA plate was legally issued. Williamsburg resident Michael Safir, who calls the vehicle Hamas Truck, said authorities should be doing a better job cracking down on ghost plates. If a jacked up F-150 covered in fake blood and bullet holes is getting away with no plates or registration, it makes you wonder just how many normal cars are doing the same thing, Safir said. Springfield to celebrate 77th anniversary of Indias independence from Great Britain SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) The Indian community in Springfield is celebrating the 77th anniversary of Indias independence from Great Britain. Mayor Domenic Sarno will join the Indian Association of Greater Springfield for a flag-raising ceremony. Theyll lift up the flag of India in Tower Square at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday. Chicopee to hold its 2nd annual Hispanic Heritage Dominoes Tournament Wednesday, August 15 was Independence Day, marking the signing of the Indian Independence Act of 1947. The Act was made possible by years of non-violence, and civil disobedience led by Mahatma Gandhi, and ended colonialism in the country. 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. SPRINGFIELD, Mo. Springfield police arrested a man on Thursday, August 15, for resisting arrest and dragging an officer in a Hy-Vee parking lot. According to court records, 60-year-old Scott Holleman of Springfield was charged with second-degree assault of a special victim, resisting/interfering with arrest and failing to register a motor vehicle. The probable cause statement says at around 5:50 p.m. Thursday, managers of the Hy-Vee on Battlefield Road asked a police officer to remove a man in a gold GMC Yukon who was stopped in the middle of one of the stores parking lanes for several hours. They said Holleman has been trespassing on the property for two weeks and keeps returning. Man sentenced for trafficking stolen identities, stealing, and assault According to the officers account of events, he approached the Yukon when Holleman attempted to drive away twice before the officer yelled at him to stop. The officer told Holleman he was being detained for trespassing and was not allowed back on the property. He also asked Holleman to shut the vehicle off and hand over the keys to the Yukon, but he refused. Then, Holleman put his car into drive and again tried to leave the scene. The officer opened the driver-side door and grabbed Hollemans left arm in an attempt to pull him out of the vehicle, but could not because he was wearing a seatbelt. Former Greene County Sheriffs Office employee charged with sexual misconduct Holleman continued to accelerate as the officer kept running with the Yukon, but he fell and let go of Hollemans arm due to the vehicles speed, causing road rash injuries near both of his elbows. The officer says he was dragged approximately 85 feet across the parking lot from where he was originally standing. Patrol officers later located Holleman at Mercy Hospital and arrested him. Court documents say Holleman is homeless and was living out of his vehicle. He is also stated to have a past criminal history, including prior domestic assault charges as recently as 2020, violating an order of protection in 2013, four DWI charges from 2000 to 2006 and is a suspect in many stealing cases. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Second update: Washington State Patrol spokesperson John Dattilo confirmed in an email that the traffic backup was residual from the pedestrian incident earlier in the day. We responded to a person in crisis, who was taken to a local hospital for evaluation, he wrote. First update: The Washington State Department of Transportation map shows traffic cleared on the bridge as of 7:17 p.m. Friday evening. Original post: Westbound state Route 16 traffic is backed up from Tacoma, across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and into Gig Harbor on Friday evening. A pedestrian was reported in the roadway on the bridges east end beginning at 3:54 p.m. today, causing the right lane to be blocked, according to a post on the WSDOT Tacoma X account. As of 6:18 p.m., the Washington State Department of Transportation map indicated stop-and-go traffic from about milepost 4 to milepost 12 as of 6:18 p.m. The backup extends about 1 mile into the Tacoma side of the bridge and 3.5 miles into the Gig Harbor side. Its not immediately clear what caused the traffic backup. The News Tribune has reached out to Washington State Patrol and is waiting to hear a response. This is a developing story. Check back for updates. PINEVILLE, Mo. Every August the city of Pineville hosts Jesse James Days and this year the event was abruptly, but only temporarily, interrupted. Vendor tents were smashed and blown away. Many lost everything they had displayed and what wasnt lost, was ruined by the rain and winds. Some vendors packed up and left, but organizers said the event will continue Saturday and that residents could still come out to the square. From those storms, Pineville citizens started early on cleanup around the square to continue its last day of the Jesse James Days celebration. Jesse James Days still kicked off its parade at 5:00 p.m., as well as serving chicken dinners having live music, and carnival rides open to the public. Jessie James Days is celebrated because in 1938 the movie Jesse James was made using the town square. All the money raised here goes to the Pineville Fire Auxiliary, which supports our fire district with the purchase of equipment or any needs that we have arise throughout the year. And this is just a way that we can bring the community together and have a great time, said Ryan Drake, Pineville Fire Protection District fire chief. Drake says this is the second year the storms have impacted the event, but he hopes that people will still come out to celebrate and have fun each 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 KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com. Weekend Outlook: The muggy weather will continue on Saturday ahead of a cold front. An outflow from a morning MCS will move across Central Alabama. This will set off scattered storms between Noon and 11 PM. Some storms could be strong to severe with gusty winds, hail, and heavy rain. SPC has placed Central Alabama in a Level 1/5 Marginal Risk for severe weather. The main threats are gusty winds up to 60 mph and large hail. Highs will be in the lower to middle 90s, and the heat index will be around 105 before it storms. A Heat Advisory is in effect until 9 PM. The cold front will move across Alabama on Sunday. It will be partly cloudy with scattered showers and storms mainly along and south of I-20 between Noon and 6 PM. Once again, a few strong to severe storms are possible, especially across Central Alabama. Highs will be in the lower 90s, and the heat index around 100-105. It will become less humid on Sunday night with cooler lows in the upper 60s. SPC has placed parts of South-Central Alabama in a Level 2/5 Slight Risk, and north of there in a Level 1/5 Marginal Risk for severe weather. The main threat is gusty winds up to 60 mph. Next Weeks Outlook: The cold front will move into the northern Gulf of Mexico to start the new week. Wonderful weather returns to Alabama! This will allow for sunny, drier, and less humid air Monday through Wednesday. Highs will be in the upper 80s, and lows will be in the 60s with comfortable air. It will become a little more humid on Thursday and Friday with a low chance for a shower. Highs will be around 90 each day. Tracking the Tropics: Category 2 Hurricane Ernesto continues to track north near Bermuda. It will cross over the Islands Saturday, then it will move into the North Atlantic toward Nova Scotia Sunday into Monday. Ernesto will turn NE and pick up speed as it loses its tropical characteristics on Monday into next week. Be sure to follow the CBS 42 Storm Team: Follow Us on Facebook: Chief Meteorologist Dave Nussbaum, Meteorologist Michael Haynes, Meteorologist Alex Puckett, and Meteorologist Jacob Woods. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. STRUTHERS, Ohio (WKBN) The Struthers Rotary Club hosted its annual Lucky Duck Race at Yellow Creek Park on Saturday. One thousand rubber ducks were sold for $5 and then let loose down the creek. There were 13 cash prizes, with the first-place duck getting $500. The event also had basket raffles and free pizza. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. AUSTINTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) Music for veterans. Patriotic sounds filled the air near Fitch High School on Friday. Students from Austintowns concert choir held their annual summer veterans concert. Giving back is what this ensemble is all about. The group travels to a different military hospital each year. Its a tradition that started back in 1972, and theyve been doing it ever since. Every year either during our spring break or around that time we go to a different veterans hospital, and we entertain the veterans in the hospital, Director of Fitch High Schools Vocal Music Department Bill Klein said. This year the students will travel to 3 hospitals instead of one: two in New York City, and another in New Jersey. They will also perform at Lincoln Center. Its such a powerful experience because a lot of young people in our generation dont understand the impact that veterans have had on our lives and people that have served and so to understand it and be able to give something back to people that have served us is so special, Senior Gianna Franklin said. And for some students the choir is personal. Emmanuel Allinos is a senior who will be part of the Army National Guard after graduation I want to make sure that they know that Im also willing to give the same sacrifice that theyre willing to give, and I want them to know that they are appreciated and they will never be forgotten for their sacrifices made, Allinos said. Nich Rich contributed to this report. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com. This is a locator map for Sudan with its capital, Khartoum. (AP Photo) CAIRO (AP) Fighters from Sudan's paramilitary group rampaged through a central village, looting and burning and killing at least 85 people, including women and children, authorities and residents said Saturday, the latest atrocity in the countrys 18-month devastating conflict. The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces began attacking Galgani in the central province of Sennar late in July and last week RSF fighters indiscriminately opened fire on the villages unarmed residents after they resisted attempts to abduct and sexually assault women and girls, Sudan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. More than 150 villagers were wounded, it said. The RSF has been repeatedly accused of massacres, rapes and other gross violations across the country since the war started in April last year, when simmering tensions between the military and the group exploded into open fighting in the capital Khartoum and elsewhere. Describing the hourslong attack, three residents said hundreds of RSF fighters stormed the village on Thursday, looting and burning houses and public properties. The offensive came after the residents put up resistance and repelled an attack by a small group of RSF fighters, according to a health care worker at the local medical center who spoke to The Associated Press. The group retreated but hundreds of RSF fighters in dozens of pickup trucks with automatic rifles and heavy weapons returned, according to the worker and another resident. As of Friday, the medical center had received at least 80 bodies, including 24 women and minors, said the worker, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of fears for his safety. Mohamed Tajal-Amin, a villager, said he saw seven bodies six men and one woman laying in the street midday Friday. The Janjaweed are in the street and people are not able to recover their dead and bury them, he said, using the name of the Arab militias that became synonymous with genocide and war crimes in Darfur two decades ago and from which the RSF grew out. RSF spokespeople didnt return requests for comment Saturday. In June, the RSF assaulted Sinnars provincial capital, Singa, about 350 kilometers (217 miles) southeast of Khartoum. They looted the citys main market and took over its main hospital, forcing thousands of people to flee. The latest attack came as the United States has led efforts to resume peace talks between the military and the RSF. The talks, which are boycotted by the military, began last week in Switzerland. Diplomats from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, the African Union and the United Nations were attending the talks. The RSF sent a delegation to Geneva but didnt take part in the meetings. 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. The talks were the latest international effort to settle the devastating conflict that killed dozens of thousands of people and pushed the county to the brink of famine. Already famine was confirmed last month in a sprawling camp for displaced people in the western region of Darfur. The conflict has been marked by atrocities including 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. MEMPHIS, Tenn. A suit against Sheriff Floyd Bonner and Shelby County that was filed by the family of a man stabbed to death in a courtroom last year has been dismissed by a judge. Deion Byrd died after he was allegedly stabbed in the neck with a shank by another inmate while he was in a holding cell awaiting a court appearance at the Shelby County Jail on Oct. 23. Previous coverage on this case Donnie Clay, 21, was charged with First Degree Murder and Taking Contraband Into a Penal Facility in Byrds death. That case is ongoing. Byrds family, assisted by attorney Ben Crump, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the sheriff, alleging negligence and dangerous conditions at the countys jail that led to a 14th Amendment violation of Byrds rights But a judge said those claims were not proven and dismissed the suit Aug. 13. This is unheard of to me: Family grieves after inmate fatally stabbed at 201 Poplar Byrd was in court on a first-degree murder charge at the time of his death. The two inmates were allegedly left unattended in the courthouse when Byrd reportedly accused Clay of breaking into his home. Clay denied the accusation and Byrd allegedly spit in his face. Clay then told him, Im going to kill you now, and chased him with a sharpened piece of metal. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. DOTHAN, Ala (WDHN) A tentative trial date has been set in the case of an 18-year-old Dothan woman whose baby died after police say she placed him in a dumpster with a trash compactor in the Alabama summer heat. Jakayla Williams, 18, is set to go before Judge Butch Binford and a jury of her peers on June 23, 2025. Williams was arrested in August 2023 and charged with one count of Capital Murder in the death of her baby boy. Dothan Police claim Williams threw the newborn in a dumpster with a trash compactor after secretly giving birth in her Dothan home. Dothan Investigators began looking into William when staff at Southeast Health said that Williams and her mother were at the hospital looking for a baby. According to Police, Williams initially told responding officers at the hospital that she had the baby at her home on August 13 before secretly giving him to a Southeast Health nurse; however, Williams description of the nurse was vague, so police pulled surveillance footage, and Williams was not seen at the hospital, contradicting the story she told investigators. Officers then pulled Williams back in for questioning. Dothan police say Williams cracked after hours of interviews, telling officers instead of taking her baby boy to the hospital, she took him to an apartment complex on the West side of Dothan and placed him in a dumpster with a trash compactor attached. The babys remains were later found by officers wrapped in a mattress protector inside a zipped-up duffel bag at the Dothan dump. Investigators say the baby was alive when put in the compactor, but during a preliminary hearing in late 2023, Williams defense team asked if there is evidence proving this. In March, Judge Binford denied Williams the chance for youthful offender status, which would have kept the charge off her record. During the preliminary hearing in early November, state prosecutors revealed they are considering seeking the death penalty if Williams is convicted. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Vice President Kamala Harris is coalescing support for her campaign over former President Donald Trump in four critical Sun Belt states that were previously slipping away from President Joe Biden, according to New York Times/Siena College polling published Saturday. The polls were fielded Aug. 8-15 and surveyed likely voters in Arizona, North Carolina, Nevada and Georgia about their attitudes toward Harris and Trump. When asked who theyd vote for if the election were held today, Harris and Trump both averaged 48 percent across the four states. The shape of the race did not change significantly when third-party candidates like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. were included, with the controversial independent earning the support of just 4 percent of likely voters across the Sun Belt. In Arizona, Harris has 50 percent support to Trumps 45 percent. In Nevada and North Carolina, the candidates are almost neck and neck, with Harris leading 49 percent to 47 percent in North Carolina and 49 percent to 48 percent in Nevada. And in Georgia, Trump leads Harris by 4 percentage points, with 50 percent support to Harris 46 percent. Compared with previous Times polling in May, those results indicate that Harris is putting a wider swath of the country into battleground territory compared to Biden, who dropped out of the race in July after facing collapsing support in swing states and dampened enthusiasm among Democrats who grew concerned about his electability. In May, when the Times last polled voters in Sun Belt states but did not survey in North Carolina Trump was up against Biden by an average of nearly 10 percentage points of support in Arizona, Georgia and Nevada. Harris, by contrast, appears to have remade the race by energizing as many Democrats about her candidacy as Trump has excited Republicans about his 65 percent of Harris supporters say they are least somewhat enthusiastic about voting, compared to 68 percent of Trump backers. The results paint a similar picture to last weeks Times polling of the Blue Wall states of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan, where Harris had seized a slight advantage over Trump. And she is opening up leads among demographic groups that will be critical to Democrats success this November. Across the four Sun Belt states surveyed by The Times, Harris leads by 14 percentage points among women, 16 percentage points among 18-to-29-year-old voters and 3 percentage points among independents a critical voting bloc that Trump was previously holding onto by a larger margin against Biden. Harris support is also driven by having the backing of 84 percent of Black voters and 54 percent of Hispanic voters, two groups that Trump had tried to make inroads with when facing Biden. And Trumps advantage over Harris on key issues for his campaign, like immigration and the economy, may not be as vast as he claims. Across the four Sun Belt states polled, 53 percent of likely voters think hed handle immigration better than Harris, while 44 percent trust Harris more. Trump holds a 12 percentage point advantage in trust to handle the economy, but Harris has a 15 percentage point advantage on abortion, an issue shes championed persistently since the 2022 midterms. The polls were in the field before Harris announced a populist economic platform in North Carolina on Friday. Even though Harris has reshaped the electorate with just under 80 days until the election, its an open question as to whether she can sustain the strength that shes enjoyed since launching her campaign nearly a month ago drawing bigger crowds than Biden had during his 2024 campaign in swing states, enjoying a sustained wave of earned media and overwhelming social media with memes and positive video clips. The Trump campaign insists shes in a honeymoon period and the Times polling suggests that the Republican nominee maintains some advantages on how he is perceived on some traits among voters. For example, while nearly identical shares of likely Sun Belt voters think Harris and Trump will bring about the right kind of change and are qualified for the presidency, 54 percent believe, at least somewhat, that Harris flip-flops on issues that matter, compared to 47 percent who say the same of Trump. 57 percent of likely voters believe Trump can be labeled a strong leader, while 50 percent say so for Harris. Those weaknesses could play into Trumps often scattershot attempts to dub Harris a chameleon, question her race and undermine her intellect. But Harris momentum appears to be a rising tide thats also lifting Democratic candidates down-ballot further above water. In Arizonas marquee Senate race, Rep. Ruben Gallego is up by nine percentage points against Trump-backed Republican and former news anchor Kari Lake. In Nevada, Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen leads her Republican challenger, Army officer Sam Brown, by the same margin. And North Carolina state Attorney General Josh Stein is ahead of Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, the Republican nominee, by 10 percentage points in a critical governors race. The New York Times/Siena College polls surveyed 2,670 likely voters from Aug. 8 to 15 with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.8 percentage points in Arizona, plus or minus 5.1 percentage points in Georgia, plus or minus 4.8 percentage points in Nevada and plus or minus 4.7 percentage points in Nevada. As with last weeks New York Times/Siena College polls in the Rust Belt states, the Trump campaign in a memo sent to reporters Saturday morning singled out the results in Arizona and Nevada, where poll respondents self-reported voting for Biden over Trump in 2020 at greater rates than the actual electorate did four years ago. Some pollsters have started adjusting their numbers to replicate the 2020 election results, but the Times says doing so would have actually made their previous polling less accurate. As voters head to the polls Sunday, Aug. 18, for the final day of early voting ahead of Tuesday's primary election, the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Office reports that the number of voters who requested mail-in ballots this year has dropped considerably compared to the 2022 gubernatorial election. This year in Palm Beach County, there were about 183,000 mail-in ballot requests compared to 328,000 in 2022, according to Supervisor of Elections Chief Wendy Sartory Link. "That's significant," she said. "Of course, we always want more voters, and generally things have been going very smoothly through early voting, but the numbers of mail-in votes is a big drop from two years ago and generally speaking, a presidential year will outpace other years." Through 4 p.m., Friday, there has been 82,863 mail-in votes cast for the primary elections in Palm Beach County, compared to more than 132,761 people in 2022 who voted by mail. The number will see an increase during the final days of voting. Sartory Link attributes that to a change in Florida law that has changed the way those voters register. In theory, voting by mail remains straightforward: Request a ballot, fill it out and mail it back, but a recent change in the requesting procedure has altered the process. Previously, those who wished to continue voting by mail would check a box at the bottom of the ballot indicating they wished to continue the process in the next election. Now, if you want to receive a vote-by-mail ballot for the upcoming election cycle, which occurs ever two years after the general election, you had to have completed a new vote-by-mail request, via a written form, on line form or phone call. "Previously, it was very easy to request a mail-in ballot," Sartory Link said. "We've done a lot of outreach and advertising to get the word out on what you need to do." It might seem like a trivial addition to the procedure, but the drop in numbers show that the change has created some issues for would-be mail-in voters. Still, mail ballots strongly remained the preferred method of voting ahead of election day among Palm Beach County voters; As of 4 p.m., Friday, 81.2% of voters who cast a ballot before Tuesday did so in this fashion. Mail ballots can still be requested Monday and Tuesday, but must be picked up at the county elections office in person and returned to the West Palm Beach elections office by 7 p.m. Tuesday or at the satellite offices in Palm Beach Gardens, Delray Beach or Belle Glade by 5 p.m. that day. Election 2024: Flood of misinformation has 'reached a level of absurdity' Sartory Link said the biggest frustration the past few years, including this year's election, has been the endless barrage of election misinformation that circulates and that she continued to swat away. "Trust me, this is the most transparent and welcoming process, and we want it to be that way," she said. "We welcome anyone to come down to any of the voting sites and observe how we are doing things. "But the amount of misinformation about elections that flies around does nothing to help the process. It has reached the level of absurdity at this point. What happens when election deniers spread lies and doubt about the election process just hurts everyone." MORE: Your guide to early voting in the Florida primary: When, where and who is on the ballot MORE: The Palm Beach Post endorsements in the Aug. 20 primary Sartory Link said that poisoning of the well began in about 2021 and has continued to worsen each year. "It's a shame," she said. "There just is no legitimate purpose for it. It only creates confusion, concern and doubt." She gave an example of one of the many doubts that deniers place in voters' heads. "People will put it out there that if a poll worker marks something on your ballot, then the ballot it is invalid," she said. "That simply is not true. First of all, they don't do that, and second, even if they did write something on it, it does not affect the validity. The only thing the machine reads are the filled-in ovals for each race. Nothing else." Lobby of the new Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections building at 4301 Cherry Road on August 7, 2024 in West Palm Beach, Florida. Election 2024: 'Drop boxes' replaced by 'secure ballot intake stations' Another new wrinkle that has been in play is the boxes where ballots can be deposited at voting stations. The "secure ballot intake stations that replaced the name "drop boxes" are at all voting stations because of a recent law signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Drop boxes became popular when COVID-19 was prominent and the popularity of voting by mail surged, especially among Democrats. Many voters dropped their ballots into secure metal boxes outside election offices. The concept, however, remains the same. Voters can drop off ballots at a "secure ballot intake station" rather than a "drop box." The new law also requires the stations to be monitored by election personnel. Previously, the boxes could be unmanned but cameras were used to record all activity. Sartory Link said her office is required to have two staffers at each station during the voting process. Election 2024: Sunday is final day for early voting Sunday is the final day for early voting for the Florida primary. Voters can cast ballots from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 23 locations in Palm Beach County. With early voting, unlike voting at polling places on Election Day, voters from anywhere in the county can cast ballots at any one of the sites. But they must be able to prove their identity and voting address to receive the correct ballot. Voters must bring at least one valid form of identification that includes their signature and photo. Some acceptable forms of identification include a driver's license, a student ID, a U.S. passport, a Florida ID card, military ID or a government-issued employee ID. Election day polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 20. People must vote in their assigned polling place on Tuesday. Sartory Link said her staff at the new supervisor of elections office on Cherry Road have been working seven days a week to ensure smooth early-voting and election-day processes. "It's a busy time, but this is what we do," she said. "We have such a good team and we want to continue to make voting safe and easier for people. We have a beautiful new building that is comfortable and welcoming. We invite everyone to come down, ask questions and understand the process." James Coleman is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at jcoleman@pbpost.com and follow him on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @JimColeman11. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Elections 2024: Early voting mail-in ballots for primary 'significant' The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday upheld a lower court decision blocking a federal rule that would have added protections prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation to Title IX. The change was scheduled to go into effect Aug. 1, but in June, Chief Judge Danny Reeves, who serves in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Kentucky, issued a ruling blocking that part of the new rules from taking effect. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the ruling in July, and on Friday, the Supreme Court agreed. Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman and five other state attorneys general, including those in Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, had filed suit in April to challenge the new rules. In a statement issued Friday evening, Coleman framed the legal battle as an effort to defend equal opportunities for Kentuckys women and young girls. At its core, this is a fight for common sense itself. And weve won at every level of our judicial system, he said. The Biden-Harris Administration is threatening to rip away 50 years of Title IX protections. Together with our colleagues in Tennessee and four other states, we are fighting to uphold the promise of Title IX for generations to come. (Bloomberg) -- A divided US Supreme Court refused for now to bolster the Biden administrations ability to extend school discrimination protections to transgender students nationwide. Most Read from Bloomberg The justices left in force two lower court orders that are temporarily blocking a new Education Department rule in 10 states. The regulation took effect Aug. 1 in some parts of the country. Four justices liberals Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson and conservative Neil Gorsuch, issued a partial dissent, saying they would have let the Education Department enforce parts of the rule in the 10 states. The high court action comes as part of a multifaceted legal fight around the US over the rule. Critics have focused on a provision that would let students use bathrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identities, along with a second change that states say would open teachers to punishment for not using students preferred pronouns. But the administration didnt argue for those controversial changes at the Supreme Court. Instead, US Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar had asked the court to allow the rules other provisions to be enforced while the legal fight with the states goes forward. In court papers, Prelogar said federal trial judges in Kentucky and Louisiana issued grossly overbroad orders blocking the entire rule. Among the provisions the administration asked the Supreme Court to reinstate was one that says gender identity is protected under the federal law that bars discrimination in public schools. The rule is also designed to strengthen protections for pregnant and postpartum students. The states challenging the rule argued that its provisions are interconnected. They contended that letting even some provisions take effect would impose burdensome compliance costs and create confusion just as a new school year is set to begin. Four states led by Louisiana argued that they would have to expend unrecoverable time and resources to understand their obligations, revise their policies and train employees. The states involved in the lawsuits are Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana and Idaho. In both cases before the Supreme Court, federal appeals courts refused to limit orders by federal trial judges blocking the Education Department rule. All told, about 20 states have sued to challenge the rule, with other cases still at the lower court level. The rule, including the bathroom provision, is in full effect in other parts of the country. The cases are Department of Education v. Louisiana, 24A78, and Cardona v. Tennessee, 24A79. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. A 78-year-old man has been charged in the murder of a University of Texas Austin nursing student who was found fatally shot in an alley 40 years ago, a day after she enrolled in the school, Austin Police announced Friday. Deck Brewer Jr., 78, who is already serving time in Massachusetts for an unrelated crime, is now accused of killing 25-year-old Susan Leigh Wolfe after modern forensics matched his DNA with thatfound on the victim, authorities said. Wolfe was kidnapped a block away from her home while walking to a friends house at around 10 p.m. on Jan. 9, 1980, police said. She had enrolled at the University of Texas Austin School of Nursing that same day. Susan Leigh Wolfe was discovered fatally shot in 1980. Photo via Austin Police Department Austin Police Department A witness to the kidnapping told detectives they observed a person exiting a 1970 Dodge Polara and placing a coat over Wolfes head before forcing her into the car, police stated. Wolfes body was found the next morning in Austin. The medical examiner found evidence that Wolfe had been strangled, but determined she died from a single gunshot wound to the head, according to police. A pathologist also found evidence that the victim was sexually assaulted by one of the suspects. Throughout the investigation, detectives found 40 persons of interest and interviewed at least six suspects, some of whom lived across the country. Wolfes case remained cold until last year, when detectives submitted evidence related to her sexual assault to the states crime lab. Austin police received a notification from the lab in March that the DNA they supplied possibly matched Brewers. Brewer told detectives in July that he had been in Austin and San Antonio, Texas, around the time of Wolfes killing, police said. Its unclear what crime Brewer is serving time for in Massachusetts. However, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Department of Corrections told HuffPost in an email that he is in custody at the Massachusetts Treatment Center, a separate facility that houses male inmates identified as sex offenders. Austin Police say they are continuing to investigate Wolfes case and following leads to identify another suspect, the passenger in the car at the time of the kidnapping. Related... Update, 9:46 p.m.: SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) Salt Lake City Police have shared new details regarding the incident at the Salt Lake Plaza Hotel this afternoon, Aug. 16. This investigation began at 3 p.m. on Friday, when police received information about an unattended suitcase left outside the hotel, located at 122 West South Temple St. Officers spoke with a witness who said a man carried a suitcase onto hotel property and then placed it on the exterior of the building near an electrical box, a press release from SLCPD states. The man reportedly manipulated the suitcase and then ran away from the scene. SLCPDs Hazardous Devices Unit responded to the scene and the north side of the 13-floor hotel was evacuated. Other hotel guests were asked to shelter in place. After reviewing an image of the luggages content, SLCPD determined the suitcase did not pose any danger. The Salt Lake City Police Department appreciates the cooperation of all those impacted by this investigation, the release states. The Salt Lake City Police Department encourages anyone who see suspicious behavior or circumstances to call 9-1-1 immediately. Update, 7:01 p.m.: SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) Salt Lake City Police have reported that the object they deemed suspicious has determined to not be a public safety threat. After examining the object, using x-ray technology, we have determined there is no public safety threat. We are starting to reopen West Temple, SLCPD stated on X. Owner of popular Utah restaurant sentenced for stealing $1.8M in COVID relief money Evacuees will reportedly begin returning to the hotel shortly. No further information is available at this time. Original Post: SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) A suspicious circumstance causing police to issue evacuations is underway at the Salt Lake Plaza Hotel, according to Salt Lake City Police. We are investigating a suspicious circumstance at the Salt Lake Plaza Hotel, located at 122 West South Temple, SLCPD stated on X. We have evacuated 13 floors on the north side of the hotel. The rooms on the south, east, and west sides of the hotel are sheltering in place, police said. West Temple St. is closed between North and South Temple at this time. This is a developing story. ABC4 will update this post as new information becomes available. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. Swarm of bees kills horse, seriously injures person in Southern California A massive swarm of bees killed a horse and injured multiple other horses and people in Southern California last week, according to authorities. In a post to Instagram, Cal Fire Riverside County said that firefighters were dispatched to the 9500 block of 52nd Street in Jurupa Valley at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 9 on reports of a large swarm of bees. Upon arrival, firefighters saw the swarm attacking two people and four horses. 3 hospitalized, dog dead after bees swarm California backyard Firefighters quickly extracted the people from the swarm. One of them was transported to a local hospital with serious injuries, while the other was treated for moderate injuries. Using a mix of foam and water, firefighters managed to separate the bees from the horses. A veterinarian came to the scene to evaluate the horses and pronounced one dead at the scene. The others were treated for their injuries. No additional details were made 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 KTLA. Before it became a headline worthy issue, there was an aphorism about free expression which was pretty much universally accepted: Freedom of speech doesnt give you the right to shout Fire in a crowded theatre. Remember that? It was the statement of a common sense, grown up consensus about the need for freedom to be understood as part of a civil agreement which involved social responsibility and respect for the lives and rights of others. Free speech has never been absolute, not even in the United States where it is enshrined in the Constitution. It is quite wrong to claim that words, as opposed to acts, must never be made illegal. Incitement to violence, making blackmail threats, demanding money with menaces: there have always been forms of words that constituted crimes. So what is so unprecedented about the present situation that it requires new legislation and the invention of alarmingly ambiguous categories of offence? I do not accept the argument that the new laws designed to limit public (and even private) speech are simply authoritarian opportunism: a way to close down the forces of which you disapprove politically. There is a new player in this game which presents a genuine danger to open societies and alters traditional assumptions about the limits of the law. And there is very little agreement on how to deal with it. Social media has changed the conditions of public discourse beyond recognition. Anyone with access to an electronic device can now be a publisher of thoughts (however absurd), opinions (however uninformed), outright lies, unfounded allegations and even manufactured fake videos and doctored photographs and these will all be instantly available to a global audience. What is more, the progenitors of this content are not even clearly identifiable which makes this kind of public statement categorically different from traditional means of publication where legal responsibilities are well established. Until now, there has been a strict and explicit law stating that any published material newspaper, magazine, pamphlet, circular had to bear the actual name (not a pseudonym) of the author or organisation which drafted it, plus the name and address of the printer who had produced it. Newspapers are even required to establish the true identity of the writer of any letter they publish (although they may withhold it from print if that is thought advisable). No one could legally disseminate anonymous material. Social media platforms may claim that their participants are theoretically traceable but anyone can create any number of fake identities online and then make them vanish before any investigative process can be carried through. The social media comment sphere is a fantasists dream: untold power and influence at your fingertips however uninformed and personally isolated you might be. Not only can a small handful of individuals (or even a single one) take on a multitude of pseudonymous persona and thus present their views as those of an army of followers, but malign foreign actors, some of them robotic, can create an illusion of power which is completely out of touch with reality. Outrage can be manufactured, magnified and made to appear overwhelming. The critical point which makes online comment different and potentially more dangerous than other forms of public expression is that it is not susceptible to the recognised means of examination and verification. The issue is not so much whether the state can control speech: as often as not we cannot even identify who is speaking. For some reason which will take a generation of study to analyse, nobody seems to have seen this coming. But it is with us now and must be faced because it is becoming a dangerously destabilising factor in the public space. It will not do, simply to dismiss those who are trying to grapple with its consequences as a smug band of authoritarian elitists, or to pretend that this is heretical that free expression has never been limited or suppressed in this country before. (Nigel Farage has described the legal proposals now being considered as the greatest threat to free speech in British history. Presumably his knowledge of this countrys past does not include Oliver Cromwell.) But even if we accept that some new measures are required, because any public forum which allows the spread of misleading material cannot go unchecked, what should they be? When exactly does a statement of hatred or revulsion become incitement? The word exactly is used advisedly: if you are going to prohibit something in law, your definition must be precise. Then there is the need to distinguish what may be immoral from what should be illegal. What is known as hate speech is the obvious example. People have a right to hate that is a human emotion which cannot be outlawed. It is also perfectly plausible to find particular hatreds, against a group or a race, morally unacceptable. So should there be a law against their expression? This is where it gets difficult. There are many things that are illegal parking on a double yellow line, for example which almost nobody would regard as immoral. Whereas, many people believe that adultery is immoral but very few, outside of theocracies, would want to make it illegal. Should bigotry and nastiness which may be ineradicable human character flaws be outlawed? And what about hate speech, which seems to be a species of thought crime? Governments may legitimately prosecute actual incitement words that literally advocate destructive action but can it outlaw the rousing of emotions that might result in such actions? Politicians and those who are urging them to create such legislation are using terms like grossly offensive which leads to the obvious question: how bad must it be to qualify as gross and who decides on that? So much of this is necessarily wildly subjective. But governments and public intellectuals are going to have to come to terms with it. We have a new monster in our midst which must be subject to the law just like all our other forms of public behaviour have been because that is what will, ultimately, ensure that we remain a free society. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) A Tampa police officer was immediately relieved of duty after he was arrested Friday night on charges of driving under the influence, according to the Tampa Police Department. Corporal Jesse Horn was pulled over at 6:30 p.m. by the Pasco County Sheriffs Office on southbound US Highway 19, near Glissade Drive in New Port Richey. Clearwater officer fired after investigation into alleged fraud Police said Horn was off-duty and was the only one in the vehicle. Horn was hired in 2007 by the department, but was relieved of duty pending the outcome of the investigation on Friday, officials said. Police will also conduct an internal investigation. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. Luxury apartments in Manchester backed by taxpayer loans are being sold off to Chinese landlords despite Labours pledge to crack down on foreign property speculators. Developments part-financed by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), which is chaired by the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, are being marketed to buy-to-let investors in China. Telegraph analysis of Companies House filings suggests that hundreds of flats in two taxpayer-backed skyscrapers have been sold to Asian investors. It comes as the GMCA battles High Court claims it unfairly loaned large sums of taxpayer cash to local property developer Daren Whitaker. These public funds were used to help bankroll skyscrapers built by Mr Whitakers developer, Renaker. Click here to view this content. According to property marketing materials, Renaker has teamed up with estate agents in Hong Kong to attract overseas investors to the projects. One listing, which is for a proposed luxury skyscraper known as the 51-storey Contour Tower, sets out 10 reasons why you shouldnt miss Renakers projects. This document was drawn up as part of a Hong Kong event aimed at promoting Renaker to Chinese landlords. The event took place in March, just weeks before the GMCA approved a 69m loan designated for Renakers Contour development. Promoted by Asia Bankers Club, a Hong Kong estate agent, a listing for the event said: Dont miss out on this chance to explore the magic of The Renaker Effect and secure your investment in one of the UKs most exciting cities. Concerns over foreign investment and the use of taxpayer support in Manchesters building boom come as Angela Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister, attempts to tackle Britains housing crisis. In the general election campaign Labour unveiled plans to introduce a stamp duty surcharge on overseas landlords, as it seeks to boost homeownership among Britains first-time buyers. In an article for The Telegraph, Ms Rayner said: It isnt fair that first-time buyers lose out to those who just want to make a quick bit of money, so Labour will give couples first dibs on houses going up in their town or city. Its a real frustration that international investors can buy up houses before local people get a look in. Its a matter of fairness. The GMCAs financial ties to Renaker have come under increasing scrutiny in recent weeks. At a council meeting, the authoritys investment director Laura Blakey confirmed that the GMCA has approved 598m worth of loans to Renaker since 2016. However, the terms of these loans have been kept secret. John Leech, a Liberal Democrat councillor who sought to question Ms Blakey at the hearing, said he was concerned over the lack of transparency surrounding the payments. Most of the loans have since been repaid, said Ms Blakey. However, rival developer Aubrey Weis has sued the GMCA in the Competition Appeals Tribunal for distort[ing] Manchesters property market by providing Renaker with advantageous treatment. Renakers taxpayer-backed developments are attracting interest from landlords in East Asia at a time of turmoil in the Chinese property market. The sector has been in crisis ever since the collapse of property giant Evergrande in 2021. This has prompted landlords to look further afield for investment opportunities, including Manchester where housing costs have risen significantly in recent years. In marketing materials promoted to Chinese landlords on behalf of Renaker, estate agents said: Rents in Manchester keep increasing with huge demand. Soaring rental costs have contributed to the ongoing housing crisis in Manchester, which Mr Burnham has vowed to tackle since coming to power in 2017. His council has already set targets requiring all new developments in Manchester to designate at least 20pc towards affordable homes. However, The Telegraph revealed last month that a group of Renaker skyscrapers backed by the GMCA did not include a single affordable apartment. Renaker, which was contacted for comment, has previously blamed a lack of affordable housing on the constraints attached to delivering skyscrapers on brownfield sites. 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. On the night of June 12 2023, armed with three knives and a metal pole, Valdo Calocane prowled the streets of Nottingham for more than four hours, until he came across 19-year-old students Barnaby Webber and Grace OMalley-Kumar, who were walking home from a night out in the early hours of June 13. Calocane, 31, stabbed both students to death, leaving them bleeding in the street before walking calmly away in search of his next victim. The 31-year-old subsequently chanced upon school caretaker Ian Coates, who was on his way to work. Calocane fatally stabbed Coates as he sat in the drivers seat of his van, before stealing his vehicle to continue his attack. The rampage only stopped after Calocane was chased down and tasered by police. Less than half an hour after the arrest, Tim Jacques phone rang. Then a deputy assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, he held the post of senior national coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, and was responsible for formally declaring whether a terror attack had taken place. Caretaker Ian Coates, 65, and 19-year-old students Barnaby Webber and Grace O'Malley-Kumar were stabbed to death by Valdo Calocane in June last year - PA Media I got my first call about six oclock in the morning and ended up speaking to the chief officers team, Jacques recalls. For the purposes of the local force it was a criminal investigation, but we [counter-terror police] were absolutely alongside them all the way through. In every shape and form, it looked like a terrorist attack. But it wasnt. Police found no evidence of any political, religious, racial or ideological cause a legal threshold that must be met if an attack in Britain is to be declared an act of terrorism. A judge later ruled that Calocane had no other motive for the killings than hallucinations caused by paranoid schizophrenia. At 7pm on the day before his rampage, he had told his brother that his brain was under surveillance and being controlled. This is the last time I will talk to you, he said. Im not ill but there is two-way communication and 24/7 voices in my head, they are intelligent people and they are making threats. Calocanes rampage is among a series of violent attacks in the UK that have borne the hallmarks of terrorism, but not been classified as such following investigation by the security services. Last months stabbing in Southport, which left three young girls dead, was also probed by counter-terror police, as were incidents including the Plymouth shooting in 2021, a mass stabbing at a Glasgow hotel housing asylum seekers in 2020 and a knife attack in Londons Russell Square in 2016. On the other hand, the Met was quick to rule out that the stabbing of an 11-year-old girl in Leicester Square last week was terror related, issuing a statement hours after the attack saying: While we continue to work to establish the suspects motive, at this stage there is nothing to indicate the attack was terror-related. After each attack, specialist officers and the intelligence agencies only have days to decide whether to publicly declare an act of violence a terror attack. The decision is often fraught with difficulties not least the complexity of trying to understand a suspects state of mind in the hours after an attack, without the hard evidence that may later emerge. Police officers, intelligence agencies and judges have strongly disagreed over how some individual attacks should be classified. US tourist Darlene Horton, 64, was killed by 19-year-old Zakaria Bulhan in a mass stabbing in London's Russell Square in 2016 The race to decide Jacques says that with the vast majority of attacks in the UK now launched by lone actors with no formal links to terrorist groups or networks, those decisions are becoming increasingly complex. If you wind the clock back to when terrorism was structured and had groups meeting planning and plotting, it was more straightforward to determine, he says. But when its somebody you dont know and an act has happened that looks like it might be terrorism, answering that question really early doors is more difficult. In Britain, terrorism has gradually moved away from structured groups like the IRA and al-Qaeda who once directed attacks through formal networks, to individuals acting on personal and frequently chaotic combinations of grievance and inspiration. Following Isis call for global attacks by its followers without seeking permission in 2014, the groups model of indiscriminate bomb, knife and vehicle rampages has been picked up by a far wider pool of terrorists. When you attach yourself to a cause like Isis, then theres a model, and when someone then copies that well-established model, its quite easy to say that is terrorism, says Jonathan Hall, the UKs Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation. I think the difficulty comes when people havent attached themselves to a particular, well-known cause, or if theyve got lots of different causes, any one of which could appear to be the driver towards violence. Jacques says that when potential terror attacks are committed by people who are unknown to the security services, officers have to rapidly analyse a vast amount of evidence, including witness accounts, police interviews with the perpetrator, examination of their electronic devices and their personal background to try to ascertain if they have an ideological motivation. Its such a murky world now, Jacques says. You think: How can you define that specifically? Is it an ideological cause? Is it personal grievance, is it mental health, is it a combination of all three? Which is another reason why declaration early is less than straightforward. Reaching a decision and publicly declaring it is a race against time. Normally, police can only hold suspects for 24 hours without charge, although they can apply to a court to extend the period to four days. But if the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decides that it has enough evidence to charge an attacker with murder or attempted murder before counter-terror police have established their motivation, a public declaration will not be made out of fear of influencing jurors at a future trial. Jacques says he has overseen a number of cases, including two stabbings in Cheltenham and Hartlepool last year, where they could not be publicly confirmed as terror attacks until judges ruled on motivation at sentencing hearings several months later. It might be prior to then that we and the intelligence agencies have seen enough to be convinced ourselves that terrorism is a motivating factor, but at that point what you wouldnt do is go public with that because its now a matter before the court, he says. Sentencing Ahmed Alid the 45-year-old Moroccan asylum seeker who stabbed 70-year-old Terence Carney to death in Hartlepool in October 2023, the judge said the killer had carried out the attack in revenge for the Israel-Hamas conflict and hoped to frighten the British people and undermine the freedoms they enjoy. Separately, last year, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb, ruled that Joshua Bowles, 29, a former GCHQ worker who tried to kill a US spy after being ghosted by her predecessor, was motivated by terrorism. Bowles barrister had insisted There is nothing in this case demonstrating a terrorist cell, its an incel. Joshua Bowles, 29, a former GCHQ employee, in the reception of the leisure centre in Cheltenham where the attack on a US spy took place. Bowles's defence team suggested there was an 'incel' element to his motive - CTPSE/PA Unclear ideologies and complex vulnerabilities Vicki Evans, the current senior national coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, says that Britain is seeing a growing number of attacks with ambiguous motivations, which may not hit the legal threshold of an act of terror. The threat landscape is always changing and we are now seeing many cases of extreme violence in which hatred is a factor, but where the application of terrorism legislation is not appropriate, or the legal definition of terrorism is not met, says Evans. It is really important to recognise that establishing the full circumstances behind an incident is often complicated and can take time. We are seeing an increasing number of cases involving unclear and mixed ideologies, and complex vulnerabilities, all of which pose challenges for investigators to immediately understand the motivation for an attack. The security services believe the change has been caused by the decline of structured terrorist groups with in-person networking and strict ideological instruction, which has been replaced by frequently young and isolated people self-radicalising online, and consuming a broad and sometimes contradictory range of terrorist material. For an act to formally be treated as terrorism by UK authorities, it must meet a series of legal tests drawn up over two decades ago and laid out in the Terrorism Act 2000. The law states that the incident must involve the use or threat of serious violence, or serious damage to property, be designed to influence the government, to intimidate the public or a section of the public, and be for the purpose of advancing a political, religious, racial or ideological cause. While the first two hurdles are swiftly cleared in cases involving bombings, stabbings and mass violence, the need to prove that an attack is designed to further a wider cause is currently proving increasingly difficult, particularly where perpetrators are influenced by mental health problems and personal grievances. After a mass stabbing in a Glasgow hotel that was being used to accommodate asylum seekers in June 2020, MI5 director general Ken McCallum told a parliamentary committee: For the first few hours it was not clear to Police Scotland colleagues, or to ourselves, what really we were dealing with here: was this, as it turned out, a desperate man in some form of deranged state, or was this an ideological attack? The former won out after it emerged that the rampage had been prompted by a row between the knifeman, Badreddin Abdalla Adam Bosh, and a fellow asylum seeker, over noise. One of the most controversial decisions not to declare an attack terrorism was a mass shooting in the Devon city of Plymouth in August 2021. Jake Davison, 22, murdered his mother before roaming the streets with a shotgun and killing a three-year-old girl, her father and two other passers-by. It was the worst mass shooting in Britain in more than a decade, and social media posts quickly emerged suggesting that Davison identified as an incel, or involuntary celibate. Despite Davisons apparent beliefs, and the fact he had been previously referred to the Prevent counter-terror programme, police concluded that a combination of a mental health crisis and a dispute with his mother sparked the shooting, and that his rampage was not designed to advance any political cause. Plymouth gunman Jake Davison, 22, had shown an interest in incel culture. He shot his mother and four others before killing himself in 2021, leaving a city traumatised - PA In some cases, competing factors have been so finely balanced that different arms of the state have reached different conclusions. After a man ploughed his car into police guarding the Houses of Parliament in August 2018, police treated the incident as terrorism and he was prosecuted and jailed for terrorism-motivated attempted murder. However, the investigation had found no evidence of 30-year-old Salih Khater having any links to terrorist groups, nor any extremist material at his home or on his electronic devices. MI5 did not class the incident as a terror attack, but counter-terror police disagreed, stating publicly: It was our view that this attack was carried out with a terrorist purpose. Sentencing Khater at the Old Bailey, Mrs Justice McGowan accepted the prosecutions case saying that the killers undoubted intention was to kill as many people as possible and by doing so spread fear and terror. A car rampage outside the Houses of Parliament in 2018 divided MI5 and counter-terror police over whether the events were an example of a terrorist attack - Stephen Lock The murky role mental health plays The UK is not the only country seeing security services grapple with the lines between terrorism, personal grievance and mental illness. Australia was struck by two attacks in quick succession in April. But while an assault on worshippers at a Christian church in Sydney was declared terrorism, a mass stabbing targeting women at a shopping mall in the same city two days before was not after the perpetrator was found to be suffering from schizophrenia. Dr Emily Corner, an associate professor at the Australian National University who researches terrorist behaviour, says the attacks sparked a national conversation about how the authorities should define terrorism. For a long time, there was this kind of assumption that attacks were either mental health or terrorism, she says. Although research has debunked that, and its well proven that people can be labelled as a terrorist legally and still have a mental health problem, there is a lack of knowledge and awareness around the role mental health plays in terrorist incidents. Corners research has shown that mental health problems among terrorists in Western countries occur with the same average prevalence as the general population, although lone actors are more likely to have diagnoses such as psychosis. She warns that it is difficult to separate the impact such conditions have from other factors that are common among terror offenders, such as childhood trauma and unstable relationships. A lot of people across the general population suffer with poor mental health, and it doesnt affect their behaviour, Corner says. A 2020 study commissioned by the Home Office came to a similar conclusion, finding the way mental health problems combine with other factors during radicalisation are poorly understood. The report, published by CREST Research (Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats), said that while people with disorders including autism, depression and psychosis were thought to be at increased risk of becoming fixated by extremist ideologies or angered by perceived oppression or mistreatment, more evidential testing was needed. Dr Simon Copeland, an associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) who co-authored the report, says the nuanced interaction between mental health issues and terrorist motivations was making it more difficult for security services to define attacks. Weve seen [from] recent attacks that it has been very difficult, and how long its taken for the security services and police to make that decision, he adds. Corner says in Australia there is increasing talk about the possibility of changing the countrys legal definition of terrorism, which is currently almost identical to the UKs. I think theres far more nuance than the legal system has scope to allow, she warns. As the threat environment is changing and what appears to be ideological is becoming much more fluid, thats only going to increase the confusion and contention more. There has to be more acknowledgement that its harder to put these people into boxes. The case for change There has not yet been an equivalent push for reform of the UKs legal definition of terrorism. Hall, the independent reviewer of terror legislation, believes the definition is already wide enough to adapt to the circumstances and argues that extending it would risk overwhelming the security services resources. I dont think Ive seen a case where Id be going to myself Crikey, that really should have been treated as terrorism, he says. My view is that police just have to level with the public. There will be cases where its not clear and it requires a bit more investigation into electronic devices etc, and at the time of the attack they just dont know. But people ultimately have a right to know that. Travis Frain, a survivor of the 2017 Westminster attack, is concerned that the parameters for declaring what is and isnt a terror attack are not being communicated properly to victims or the wider public. He says that when people are trying to make sense of horrific events, its no solace for police to say Okay, guys, this isnt a terror attack because the impact on them personally is going to be very similar, if not the same. He points to the misinformation and far-Right activism that sparked riots after the Southport attack as an example of what can result from an information vacuum. Following the mass stabbing, Merseyside Police announced that it was not being treated as a terrorist attack, but also that Counter Terrorism Policing North West were supporting the investigation without explaining that such processes were routine for acts of mass violence with unclear motivations. After the Southport attack, authorities were very poor at communicating what had happened and it led to a situation where social media was rampant with rumours that spread very quickly, Frain says. People are confused, they dont know what has happened, and all of a sudden they start giving credence to conspiracy theories and thinking someone is hiding something from us. Frain, who now lectures in criminology at the University of Central Lancashire, says while the legal restrictions around such communications are well understood inside policing, they are unknown to the public and cause distress to victims. People look for an easy answer to a complex issue, which is natural. They want to explain why something has happened, he adds. If there is no real explanation or definition for an attack, it gives a sense of instability and insecurity. Counter-terror police leaders say they will continue making decisions on a case-by-case basis, and deploying specialist resources to investigate attacks regardless of whether a formal declaration is made. Whether they will take Halls advice to level with the public over the complexity of individual cases remains to be seen. 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. Thousands of foster children throughout California will soon be at risk of losing their current homes because of yet another insurance crisis in a state that seems to have more insurance problems than solutions. Nine out of 10 foster family agencies in California are backed by the same insurer the national insurance company Nonprofits Insurance Alliance, also known as NIAC in California a single nonprofit risk pool, where a groups total costs are combined to calculate premiums. In a shocking announcement made in June, NIAC announced it would be forced to non-renew these foster family agencies soon, unless immediate changes are made to the judicial process. Their decision to not renew the agencies mandated insurance has led to a statewide panic, and may result in Californias county welfare agencies picking up the slack. But county welfare agencies are already ill-equipped and underfunded; they cant handle a handful of new cases dropped in their laps, much less thousands. Its a mess. And its unclear whether counties throughout the state and the Newsom administration are going to quickly step into the breach to avoid a real crisis. Whatever California counties can do to fill the gap, there is no way it will be enough to protect the thousands of at-risk foster children who need stability and security, and who could be displaced from their current homes as soon as Sept. 30. Legal and financial chaos Foster family agencies commonly known as FFAs are private non-profit organizations that currently serve approximately 9,700 of the 45,000 children living in Californias foster care system. These non-profit organizations work to recruit foster parents and help them get certified to host foster children, or train them to work with high-risk placements. Many of these agencies specialize in services for medically-fragile children, LGBTQ+ youth, older foster youth and children with unique needs. Foster family agencies are licensed by the Department of Social Services and undergo rigorous licensing processes, as well as a national accreditation process and ongoing oversight by state and county agencies. These organizations provide 24/7 support to foster families, including reunification services, supervised visitation and assistance with transportation, medical care coordination, respite care and much more. These agencies need insurance to protect themselves from any legal liability of their vital activities. If their insurance is not renewed by the insurance alliance, These would not be licensed families that we would be able to work with, said Eileen Cubanski, interim executive director of the County Welfare Directors Association of California. (We would) have to take in these families and re-license them as county-licensed family resource families to maintain those placements. Its not easy to do, to turn on a dime. Cubanski said the Welfare Directors Association has been working with the state to potentially create a high-risk insurance pool that could help foster family agencies maintain their licensure and continue operating. Weve got a looming crisis here, she said. If we cant support FFAs in the short run, weve got to figure out a longer term solution. Crushing foster family agencies A state law enacted in recent years allows former foster youth to file claims against foster family agencies for abuse or neglect without any statute of limitations. The insurer is now claiming its facing a wave of lawsuits and potential settlement costs that it simply cannot handle. The judicial system has changed, NIAC wrote in its announcement. Right now, its crushing foster family agencies across California. Assembly Bill 218, passed in 2019, expanded the definition of childhood sexual assault and increased the time limit for legal action to the age of 40, or within five years of discovering the psychological injury or illness caused by the sexual assault. It also provided for the recovery of up to three times as much against certain defendants. This is very real, NIAC wrote. A blanket nonrenewal would cause a collapse of the California foster family system. The nonprofits decision comes after a series of high-profile, high-payout claims against foster family agencies in California to the tune of several million dollars. Abused, former foster children deserve compensation and justice, but it cannot come at the cost of bankrupting the states foster care system. Yet thats what appears to be happening. Not unlike the insurance companies now pulling out of wildfire-prone areas of California, foster family agencies in California will find it difficult if not impossible to find insurance they are required to have to continue operating. Dr. Tiffany Sickler, executive director of Koinonia Family Services, a foster family agency based in Rancho Cordova, said Koinonia has operated for more than four decades since 1982 but it may have to close its doors if NIAC pulls out of the state. As the cost of living rises in the state, it becomes increasingly costly to care for foster kids. (For) 20 years, weve been cutting corners every year, Sickler said. It just feels like the state is trying to eliminate nonprofit social service agencies like ours. Liable only for themselves Assembly Bill 2496, introduced by assembly members Gail Pellerin, D-Santa Cruz, and Evan Low, D-Campbell, is now off the suspense file and back in the Assembly. The Nonprofits Insurance Alliance is a sponsor. The bill would hold foster family agencies liable for any injury or damage caused by their own negligence, but would modify those non-profits potential liability for harms caused by the county like when a county fails to disclose information that leads the agency to make an unfit placement. The bill would require the agency and the county to each bear the cost of insuring themselves and defend only themselves against such claims. AB 2496 is necessary for the survival of FFAs in California, said Chris Stoner-Mertz, president and CEO of the California Association for Children and Family Services, which represents 165 non-profit organizations serving foster children and families, nearly 70 of which are foster family agencies. Nearly all of which would be at risk of closing if NIAC pulls out. In fact, a quick poll by Stoner-Mertz team found that by the end of October of this year, nearly 2,000 foster children would be displaced across 100 foster family agencies, out of more than 200 agencies statewide. Abuse in foster care a serious violation Children living in foster care have a well-known and documented history of experiencing far greater instances of abuse, neglect and abandonment. Forcing nearly thousands of children to leave their foster families come Sept. 30 would only be further destabilizing. According to the Childrens Law Center of California, nearly half of all kids in foster care have experienced some kind of adverse childhood experience. Foster youth are more likely to be chronically absent from school, and they have a 53% graduation rate, compared to the state average of 83%. Research also indicates foster youth experience rates of homelessness ranging from 11% to 38% disproportionately higher than that of the general population. These are children in our state who most need stable, loving care from adults. But in turn, those adults must have an organization that is willing to provide services, support and training to back them. If foster family agencies in California are forced to close, not only will there be no such support, but counties will be forced to take on a caseload they are unprepared for in every way. Foster children will suffer for it. Cheaper than dragging this through court The law that allows former foster children to sue FFAs for restitution without a statute of limitations while morally sound and necessary has placed the states foster family agencies at risk of paying out huge settlements for incidents that sometimes have little proof. Weve had attorneys contacting us and threatening us, saying, I have a client (whos) saying back in 1986 that they were sexually abused in one of your foster homes, said Dr. Sickler. And theyre like: Youll probably just want to settle with us. Itll be cheaper than dragging this through court. Foster children are already suffering. They are missing their families, may be dealing with trauma from abuse or neglect, are likely struggling at school and are statistically at greater risk of homelessness and drug use. These children need every chance we can give them at a stable, loving home where they can grow up to be productive, happy members of our community. Without foster family agencies providing services and support to families, the very lives of thousands of foster children in California will be at risk, and we will have failed in our social and moral duty to the most vulnerable among us. There is nothing short of an emergency happening in the California foster care system right now, and the legislature must treat it that way before more children are put at risk. Many came to the United States to escape the violence, hunger and lack of freedom, experiencing firsthand the consequences of the asphyxiating rule of Nicolas Maduro, while fearing deep down that the socialist Venezuelan regime had become permanent after being in power for more than 25 years. But on Saturday, standing in Miamis Bayfront Park surrounded by thousands of their compatriots, many of them said they couldnt help but feel hope, believing that finally there is light at the end of the tunnel. For the first time in 25 years we feel that we are close, said Carolina Sandoval, one of the Venezuelan personalities participating in the rally, organized to express support for their countrymen protesting at home against the alleged election fraud committed last month by the regime. This time it is different. Thousands of Venezuelans living in South Florida gathered at the park Saturday afternoon, joining thousands more of their countrymen converging in 300 cities around the planet, all seeking to let the world know that they wont stop protesting until Maduro is removed from power in their homeland. Dressed as a donkey to represent Nicolas Maduro, Jose Jimenez arrives at a rally at Bayfront Park along with Morela Aguerrevere, left, in downtown Miami, Fla. The rally was held in opposition of Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro and what many in the international community believe was a rigged election. The worldwide event, organized by opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, was also held in major Venezuelan cities at significant personal risk, as the Maduro regime continues to hunt down opposition leaders amid what is seen as the greatest challenge to his rule since he ascended to the presidency in 2013. More than 5,000 people were at Bayfront Park as of 4 p.m. , a City of Miami police officer told the Miami Herald, but the event ran late as more people attempted to get in. The number grew as the afternoon progressed. By then the police department issued a warning to those thinking about heading to the event. The Venezuelan rally being held at Bayfront Park is at capacity. Avoid the area, it said through the departments X account. By early evening, the police count had risen to about 8,000. While the air was mostly festive, with people carrying Venezuelan flags and signs asking for freedom, some of the messages carried more serious undertones. Miami, Florida, August 17, 2024 -Carrying a banner bearing her countrys colors with the word Freedom! Written on it, Zarahy Carrera arrives at a rally at Bayfront Park on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, in downtown Miami, Fla. The rally was held in opposition of Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro and what many in the international community believe was a rigged election. What we want is for Maduro to go to prison for genocide, said rally-goer Jose Jimenez, who was wearing a mask in the shape of a donkey and an orange jacket resembling prison overalls. Hanging from his neck was a mugshot type rendering reading N. Maduro, crime: Genocide. We are fed up, Jimenez said, We are not going to tolerate Maduros effort to remain in power perpetually. The opposition, as well as a growing number of countries, believe that Edmundo Gonzalez. a former ambassador to Argentina, was the real winner of the July 28th presidential election, accusing the Venezuelan strongman of attempting to steal the vote. There were calls for the international community to increase its pressure on the regime from such faraway places as Switzerland, Germany, New Zealand and Australia, while massive gatherings were scheduled in major Latin American cities, as well as in the United States. Protests against the regime escalated right after the government-controlled National Electoral Council said Maduro had won with nearly 52% of the vote. Blanca Solorzano weeps after having sung Venezuelas national anthem at a rally at Bayfront Park in downtown Miami, Fla. The rally was held in opposition of Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro and what many in the international community believe was a rigged election. The opposition, which has made a credible case showing that Gonzalez won by publishing the official results of 80% of voting stations, has 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 were organized 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. Speaking on top of a truck at the Caracas rally, Machado said that Venezuelans face the greatest civic feat in the countrys history and celebrated the success the democratic movement managed to achieve while proving to the world that Gonzalez defeated Maduro by a margin of more than 2-1. They thought that, by persecuting our witnesses, we were not going to get our records [of the official election tallies] and in 24 hours we had the records digitized, Machado said during a demonstration in Caracas that also drew thousands of people. Let the world and everyone within Venezuela recognize that the president-elect is Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, she added. In South Florida, thousands gathered at Bayfront Park in an event organized by leaders of the Venezuelan and the Cuban-American community, with the help of city officials. Well known artists performed at the event, mainly songs related to Venezuelas efforts to recover its democracy. Four year-old Noah Ladera gets a Venezuelan flag face painted on her cheek during a rally at Bayfront Park in downtown Miami, Fla. The rally was held in opposition of Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro and what many in the international community believe was a rigged election. Artists who participated in the event included Willy Chirino, Arturo Sandoval, Amaury Gutierrez, Danny Ocean, C4 Trio and Lena Burke, but organizer Maria Teresa Morin said there was 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. Zarahy Carrera, a young Venezuelan who arrived in Miami seven years ago, said she went to the park because she wanted to show her desire to see the restoriation of freedom in her home country. I keep telling all Venezuelans to keep fighting, here and back home, she said because Venezuela belongs to us all. Present at the Bayfront Park rally, Angela Garcia said Venezuelans in and outside the country are fully determined to keep putting on pressure until the countrys democratic system is restored. We want to give worldwide support to the cause. We are claiming that we won the elections. Our sovereignty has been stolen. We are all united for a cause and we will continue until the end, until we regain freedom in Venezuela, until Maduro leaves, she said. After 20 years living in Miami, I have suffered the distance away from my family. Chavismo, Maduroism has destroyed our families in Venezuela and we are now scattered around the world. Venezuelan YouTuber and actress Lele Pons, foreground, shoots selfies with fans in the crowd during the rally Saturday in downtown Miami. More than 7.7 million Venezuelans, amounting to about fifth of the countrys population, have been forced to flee their homeland by the regime, creating social tensions and problems in neighboring countries. The exodus has in recent years extended into the United States, where an estimated 800,000 Venezuelans now live. Andreina went to the Miami rally with her mother, Julieta, and her Cuban husband, Cristofer. With tears in her eyes, Andreina said she was touched by the way the Venezuelan community has united and how many people from many different countries are now showing support for her people. The number of people gathered shows that what happened in Venezuela was a fraud, Andreina, who declined to give her last name said. Everyone united against this dictatorship. Its a message for the international community. It is how we show that we are really a united people that wants to be free. MARTIN COUNTY, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) Three people were killed in a crash into the back of a semi-trailer early Friday morning. Preliminary information from the Department of Public Safety showed that at about 4:40am on Friday, August 16, a 2016 Kenworth truck with trailer was traveling south on State Highway 349, near mile marker 300, when it suffered a blown-out tire. The driver pulled onto the shoulder of the road to get the tire fixed. Due to the shoulder sloping down and the risk of the vehicle rolling over, the driver could not move entirely off the roadway. RELATED: Train runs into semi-trailer, backs up portion of Hwy 80 A 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe was also traveling southbound on SH 349 when it ran into the trailer of the Kenworth truck, also hitting three reflective triangles set out by the other driver. 29-year-old Daniel James Lindsey, 34-year-old Chelsea Sue Clark, and 54-year-old Marcos Campos, all from Lubbock, were pronounced dead at the scene. None of those killed were reported to have been wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash. This crash remains under investigation. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Yourbasin. Three victims in Skagit County house fire identified, gunshots contributed to their deaths Mount Vernon Police are searching for a suspect in connection with a house fire that killed three people near Concrete on August 9. The fire, which occurred around 10:30 a.m. on State Route 530, destroyed a two-story home and left three people dead. Authorities now believe that the victims were shot before the fire was set. The victims have been identified as 52-year-old Erin Birman, her 19-year-old son Taylor Dawson, and Taylors girlfriend, 18-year-old Jillian Whitney Van Boven, all residents of Skagit County. The Skagit County Coroners Office determined that gunshot wounds contributed to their deaths. Investigators are now focusing on finding 49-year-old Jason M. Birman, Erin Birmans husband, who is believed to have been at the residence before the fire. Jason Birman Birman has been unaccounted for since the incident, and a warrant has been issued for his arrest on three counts of second-degree murder. Authorities are also searching for Birmans blue 1994 Chevrolet pickup truck with Washington registration C67636L. Birman, who frequents Skagit and Whatcom counties, is described as an avid four-wheeler and often has facial hair. Neighbors, including Anissa Smith, who lives nearby, recalled seeing smoke and hearing sirens the morning of the fire. Smith expressed concern over the tragic event, noting the heavily wooded nature of the neighborhood and the shock of learning that three people had died. Mount Vernon Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, and local fire marshals have been investigating the scene for evidence over the past several days. Authorities are asking anyone who witnessed the fire or who has information on Birmans whereabouts to contact the 24-hour dispatch number at (360) 428-3211 or the Mount Vernon Police during business hours at (360) 336-6271. Area riders can now traverse along a nearly continuous 120-mile paved loop thanks to a 9-mile extension that opened Saturday linking the High Trestle and Raccoon River Valley trails. The concrete extension begins at the High Trestle trailhead in Woodward and weaves its way through Bouton to Perry, where it meets the Raccoon River Valley Trail, a 72-mile loop through Dallas and Guthrie counties. The larger loop includes existing links via the Clive Greenbelt, Walnut Creek, Bill Riley, Meredith and Gay Lea Wilson trails, along with a segment of trail along Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway. More: Friday's Iowa State Fair attendance brings huge crowds to Day 9 of the event Attendees react after the ribbon is cut to celebrate the opening of the extension linking the High Trestle Trail and Raccoon River Valley Trail on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, in Bouton. A heavenly central Iowa loop The High Trestle Trail starts in Ankeny and travels through Slater and Madrid before crossing the Des Moines River on a nationally known, 130-foot-tall former railroad bridge that features sculptured representations of the coal cribs that supported the ceilings of the region's coal mines. The High Trestle Trail draws 250,000 visitors per year, and a 2019 Ankeny study found that 18%, or about 45,000 people, were from out of state. Iowans from outside the metro make up another 34%, or 85,000, of the annual bridge visitors. The Raccoon River Valley Trail begins in Waukee, gliding through Adel, Perry, Panora, Dallas Center and Jefferson. The RRVT-High Trestle connector was completed thanks to a $1 million grant from the Iowa Economic Development Authority. More: High Trestle connection to Raccoon River Valley Trail set to open Aug. 17 Attendees react after the ribbon is cut to celebrate the opening of the extension linking the High Trestle Trail and Raccoon River Valley Trail on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, in Bouton. A winding road to success Fundraising for the 9-mile connector between the two trails started in December 2014. The ribbon was cut for the first 1.5-mile section in October 2018. Seven phases later and were finally here today in 2024, said Rich Voelker with Snyder and Associates, the engineering firm that designed the extension. (It was a) long time coming, but this is a fantastic extension of the High Trestle Trail. Mike Wallace, the recently retired director of Dallas County Conservation, said rather than being able to purchase miles from a railroad company and building the extension on an existing railroad right of way, the land they needed was privately owned. Officials purchased 104 acres of right of way to finish off the extension. I know that I can speak on behalf of the board that were very happy and proud that we have completed this project, Wallace said. It connects two of the major trails in the state of Iowa, the Raccoon River Valley Trail and the High Trestle Trail. A long-awaited celebration Iowa Bicycle Coalition Executive Director Luke Hoffman led a bike ride Saturday to celebrate the connector's opening. Bicyclists departed from the Raccoon River Valley Trailhead in Perry and rode along the new link to the High Trestle Trail. The brief ride culminated with a ribbon cutting in Bouton. A few hundred riders and area community members gathered for the ceremony that included remarks from representatives of Dallas County Conservation, Iowa Bicycle Coalition, Rails to Trails Conservancy, Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation and more. What I like to say about this trail is it is greater than the sum of its parts. Its more than 8.97 of concrete, its about the people and the places along the way, Hoffman said. Its about the stories youre going to tell for the next century with this trail. And thats what this is all about, a legacy for future generations and quality of life for all Iowans. Dallas County Supervisor Mark Hanson read a proclamation announcing the completion of the extension before the ribbon-cutting ceremony. While much of the multi-million dollar project was funded by federal, state, and local grants, Wallace thanked everyone who contributed over the years. This wasnt done by grants alone. There were a lot of small donations from a lot of people, many of you who are here today, Wallace said. This goes out to you, thank you very much for your support and donations for this project. We really, really appreciate it. More: Favorable weather brings large crowds to Day 10 of the Iowa State Fair, attendance record nears Riders arrive in Bouton to celebrate the extension linking the High Trestle Trail and Raccoon River Valley Trail on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024. Des Moines Register reporter Philip Joens contributed to this article. Allison Ullmann is the editor of the Perry Chief and the Dallas County News. She can be reached at AUllman@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: 9-mile High Trestle, Raccoon River Valley Trail connector is open 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 Dogs wait to be adopted in a cage at the Chesterfield Square Animal Services Center in Los Angeles on June 22, 2022. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) The general manager of the troubled Los Angeles Department of Animal Services is taking a two-month leave of absence and the departments board president is out following a tumultuous board meeting last month. At the same time, a new internal report on conditions at two shelters has found some failures of appropriate care that are deplorable and inexcusable by any reasonable standard. The developments mark the latest drama for Animal Services, which is underfunded and understaffed relative to the increasing number of animals that are passing through its six shelters. Dog euthanizations are up sharply this year, according to department records. In all, 140 dogs were euthanized in June, a 82% percent increase compared to the same time last year. Read more: Animal welfare activists pressure City Council to make changes amid shelter crisis General Manager Staycee Dains didnt respond to a message left for her Thursday. She previously worked for the city of Long Beach. A spokesperson for City Controller Kenneth Mejia told The Times that Dains' leave started on Aug. 13 and that the office had no other information about her absence. A separate internal city document viewed by The Times stated that Dains' leave would last until mid-October. Assistant General Manager Annette Ramirez will serve as acting general manager of the department during Dains' absence, according to a memo she sent to staff Friday. Ramirez previously held the role of general manager on an interim basis before Dains was hired by Mayor Karen Bass last year. Upon taking office in 2022, Bass vowed to turn around the Animal Services department, which has long faced staffing shortages and crowded conditions. The department runs public shelters and relies heavily on volunteers to care for dogs, cats, rabbits and other animals. Read more: Dodger Dog's plight highlights L.A.'s animal shelter crisis Bass appointed James Johnson to the Animal Services Commission in spring 2023. He told The Times on Friday that he left the commission on July 31, and declined to elaborate on his departure. "The bottom line is that when you are a commissioner, you serve at the pleasure of the mayor," Johnson said. "I am no longer a commissioner. " Johnson, a former union worker, chaired his first meeting as commission president last month, but the proceedings quickly turned into a spectacle. First, Johnson angrily chastised a public speaker who criticized Dains, and the meeting was temporarily halted. Then Johnson unsuccessfully tried to convince his fellow commissioners to pass a $25,000 contract for "safety and engagement" services backed by Dains, and offered to raise the funds himself after commissioners expressed concern about the expenditure. Meanwhile, a new assessment provides a stark look at shelter operations. Read more: 'It's inhumane': Dogs at L.A. animal shelters go weeks or months without being walked Best Friends Animal Societys national shelter support team conducted an assessment of the Chesterfield Square/South L.A. and East Valley shelters in July and August at the request of top department staff. The Times reviewed the assessment, which found a failure to incorporate no-kill policies and in some instances a failure to meet minimal humane standards of care." Among other things, the report outlined staff issues and a lack of leadership. Representatives for Bass and Animal Services declined to comment on the report. During our time there, we witnessed a high volume of residents coming in to adopt, volunteer, and/or foster," according to the assessment. "Unfortunately, the staffs distrust of the residents was obvious and that distrust resulted in many people walking away when their offers of support were not accepted. Read more: California wants better animal shelter conditions, stray population curbed The report said that most dogs get out of their kennels only once every 10 to 14 days. Kennels are cleaned with water hoses, but the dogs aren't removed during the cleaning process, according to the assessment. The report found that lack of human interactions, the daily torment of being sprayed with a hose and around-the-clock confinement cause what would be the [dogs] normal behavior to quickly deteriorate. Asked about shelter conditions, Johnson told The Times that Animal Services has "significant challenges" and is "underfunded." "We need as a city to throw our arms around the department and our shelters and do what we can to get these animals adopted," he 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. BASILE, La. (KLFY) Governor Jeff Landry has approved a $250,000 grant for the town of Basile to improve the area by removing blighted structures. The funding was awarded through the Louisiana Community Development Block Grant program. The city will use the grant to remove blighted structures throughout the town. The goal is to restore Basile and make better living conditions for the residents. The application for the grant was processed by La Louisianne Consulting who sees this as a significant investment in the future of Basile. Basile Mayor Mark Denette said he has great appreciation for the support of the people involved in the process. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now KLFY Daily Digest This grant is a vital step forward for our community, Denette said. The removal of blighted structures will help to clean up our town and improve the quality of life for our residents. I want to extend my thanks to the Office of Community Development and La Louisianne Consulting for their dedicated assistance throughout this process. Denette also thanked the Town Hall staff and the Town Council, whose hard work and commitment played a crucial role in securing this funding. 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. A rare sighting of an elusive species on a trail camera in Minnesota brought excitement to nature lovers thanks to a viral video. As reported by the Star Tribune earlier this month, Tom Gable of the Voyageurs Wolf Project in northern Minnesota uncovered footage of a Canada lynx while reviewing thousands of hours of footage. The 40-second video of the beautiful creature garnered over 275,000 views on X, formerly known as Twitter. We captured some really neat footage of lynx this past year on our cameras but this is definitely the coolest. In fact, might be the best video of a lynx we have ever captured, not least because the lynx decided sit right in front of the camera... Thanks to the Minnesota pic.twitter.com/vcrFk0MlNn Voyageurs Wolf Project (@VoyaWolfProject) July 31, 2024 The lynx was seen strolling the area on Kabetogama Peninsula in Voyageurs National Park on an April morning. It sat down just a few feet away from the camera and looked around before leaving the shot. Gable said lynxes have been seen before on trail cameras from Voyageurs Wolf Project, but they've never been captured so clearly during daytime hours. "A lot of fortuitous things have to happen, not only for the lynx to sit there, but for the lighting to be nice, and for there to be that pretty, North Woods background," Gable said, noting that most of the trail cameras that show lynxes only catch them at night or at a distance, per the Star Tribune. "Those are the things that make it really cool." Commenters on social media were blown away by the beauty of the Canada lynx. "What a magnificent creature!" one user wrote in a reply. "Lynx are beautiful animals, majestic even," another commenter wrote. "Their fur is incredibly soft. The width of their legs & their big paws are indicative of just how powerful they are." The Star Tribune noted that as of 2022, there were an estimated 100 to 300 Canada lynx in Minnesota. The rarity of the species caused the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to consider it threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Still, the sighting in Minnesota provides some optimism for those hoping to conserve and protect endangered animals. Similarly, a trail camera in Ujung Kulon National Park in western Indonesia captured a rare female Javan rhinoceros and its calf, providing hope that the rare breed of rhino is expanding its herd. Also, two families of the endangered red wolf were reintroduced into the wild by being released into the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in Eastern North Carolina in a conservation effort. These sightings not only bring hope but also underscore the importance of continued conservation work to protect and restore the habitats of these incredible animals. Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. UPDATE: A fourth person has been arrested in connection to carjackings and robberies that occurred at Overton Park over the summer, police say. On Saturday, officers located Leonardo Corrales, 20, in the 3400 block of Powell Avenue and took him to the Violent Crimes Unit office for further investigation. He confessed to being the driver of the silver Chrysler 200 during both incidents. According to the police report, he robbed both victims in an attempt to pay off a drug debt. Hes been charged with two counts of aggravated robbery. ****** MEMPHIS, Tenn. Three suspects who Memphis Police say were involved in multiple robberies and carjackings were arrested Friday after a high-speed car chase. Luis Robles, 21, Sandy Flores-Alfaro, 19 and Sherlyn Arciniega-Hernandez, 19 are each facing two counts of aggravated robbery for carjacking incidents that took place over the summer. On June 2, Memphis Police responded to a robbery incident at Overton Park. The victim told them that he met two women at El Corral and they asked him to take them to Overton Park. He said that when they got to the park and out of his car, a man armed with a black gun allegedly demanded his wallet and cell phone. The victim said he gave the man his wallet and cell phone and the man fled in a dark-colored vehicle followed by the women in his white 2015 Chevrolet Camaro. ORIGINAL STORY: Two women wanted in armed carjacking of mans truck On July 29, Memphis Police responded to a carjacking incident in the 4000 block of Summer Avenue. The victim told officers that he was at a club in the 5000 block of Summer Avenue when two women asked him for a ride to Overton Park. He said he allowed one of the women to drive his 2004 Chevrolet Silverado to the location. When they arrived at the park, the victim said a dark-colored car parked beside him. A man got out of the car armed with an AK-47-style rifle. While he was standing outside his truck, the victim said the man demanded his wallet and cell phone. The man then allegedly got into the victims Silverado with the two women and fled the scene. During their investigation, investigators retrieved video footage of the women getting inside the victims Silverado. They sent out a media release of the women and identified a dark sedan used in the robbery as a silver 2013 Chrysler 200. On August 16, officers located the Chrysler 200 at N. Graham and Macon Rd. They attempted a traffic stop on the vehicle with lights and sirens, but the driver fled at a high rate of speed disregarding all traffic signs and lights. The driver of the Chrysler drove into a dead end in the parking lot in the 3000 block of Nathan Ave. and came to a stop. The occupants of the vehicle were identified as Luis Robles, Sandy Flores-Alfaro and Sherlyn Arciniega-Hernandez. They were all taken into custody and taken to the Violent Crimes Unit for further investigation. Robles admitted to being involved in both robberies. He said Flores-Alfaro and Ariniega-Hernandez allegedly set the men up and that he was the gunman in each incident. He also said he robbed the men for their Chevrolet Silverado and Camaro. Man hurt in shooting outside Railgarten Robles was also identified as the driver in the police chase on August 16 and was charged with reckless driving and evading arrest. The victim of the June carjacking identified Flores-Alfaro out of a six-person photo lineup as one of the individuals responsible for robbing him of his Camaro. The victim of the July carjacking identified Arciniega-Hernandez out of a six-person lineup as one of the individuals responsible for robbing him for his Silverado. She admitted to investigators that she, Robles and Flores-Alfaro and another man robbed the victim of his Silverado. She said she drove off in the Silverado after the victim was robbed. In her statement, she said she set up the victim of Junes carjacking to be robbed in the park by sending him to the Chrysler 200 to buy drugs. She added that Robles robbed him and Flores-Alfaro fled with her in the Camaro. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Trio of shoplifters with nearly 300 combined arrests evade justice through NYCs revolving door of crime: Are we surprised? A trio of shoplifters have nearly 300 arrests between them, yet they keep getting sprung to steal again, fed-up cops told The Post this week. The worst of the bunch is Ian Mullen, a Queens man with 119 arrests under his belt since 2000, including three since June, police said. Mullen, 49, of Flushing, has been arrested for 15 felonies, 80 misdemeanors and 20 violations. Thief stealing from a New York City business. DCPI Ice cream and other frozen treats are locked up at an Upper East Side Duane Reade. Helayne Seidman He was let loose after his most recent arrest on June 12 after allegedly ripping off $177 worth of merchandise from a Target in Kips Bay because shoplifting isnt a bail-eligible crime, officials said. He has been arrested for shoplifting an eye-popping 35 times since 2020 when bail reform was enacted, police sources said. The other two include: Joel Hardy, 38, who has no known address, has been arrested 103 times with 39 felonies, 50 misdemeanors and 14 violations since 1999. He was last busted for assaulting an officer at the Port Authority Bus Terminal on July 31, cops said. He has been busted for shoplifting ten times since 2020. Muhsin Freeman, 47, of Jackson Heights, has 54 busts, with 14 felonies and 39 misdemeanors on his record, the majority of them since 2020, when bail reform was enacted, cops said. He was busted in June after allegedly stealing from a Target in Elmhurst 17 different times in two months, court records show. Freeman, who has been busted for petty larceny 29 times since 2020, is currently wanted on a bench warrant for not showing up in criminal court. They are the perfect example of whats wrong with the system right now, a disgusted NYPD detective told The Post. This is what police officers are dealing with over and over. Security guard Kenny Julian talks about the shoplifting problem at a Walgreens in Queens. Helayne Seidman When Freeman was hauled into Queens Criminal Court July 18 for the spate of 17 alleged thefts at Target between April 7 and June 10, prosecutors asked for a usually high $25,000 bail. But Queens Criminal Court Judge Edward Daniels, who was appointed by Mayor Adams in April and previously worked for criminal defense group Brooklyn Defender Services, released him. Freeman failed to show up to a July 1 court appearance on the charges, court records show. Ian Mullens is a known shoplifter. Obtained by The New York Post Joel Hardy has been busted for crimes 103 times. Obtained by The New York Post Muhsin Freeman has 54 arrests, many of them for shoplifting, police said. Obtained by The New York Post Are we surprised? a longtime Bronx detective quipped. At some point, the courts have to realize that you cant just keep letting people out. The Queens District Attorneys Office didnt respond to a request for comment on Freemans case. These liberal judges feel like its not affecting their community because they dont live there so this is whats going to continue to happen, the detective added. Equally frustrated are store workers and shoppers some of whom even blamed the businesses for not doing enough to stop the shoplifters. Shopper Nilda Marimol thinks Target and other stores should take more responsibility in solving the problem. If it was my business, I would be collaborating with a police person and collaborating with the a politician in the neighborhood, Marimol said. Since the citys not helping that much, then Target should do something about it. A 15-year-old was arrested for shooting a Brazilian tourist in Times Square while firing at a store security guard after allegedly trying to shoplift at a sports store. Steven Hirsch Target which said retail theft cost it between $700 and $800 million in 2022 recently instructed store staff to halt bandits who try to flee with items totaling $50, down from the previous sum of $100. The retail behemoth announced last year the closure of nine stores across four states, including one in Harlem, due to theft. These particular stores need more loss prevention officers, Walgreens shopper Ray Ocasio said. Its ridiculous. they need to fix this issue. Guards dont always stop people because they dont want to have a physical confrontation. In June, a security guard at a Duane Reade in Midtown was stabbed and seriously injured when he tried to stop a shoplifter, police said. Ray Ocasio,72, who was once a loss prevention officer, speaks about shoplifting at Walgreens on Roosevelt Ave. in Corona. Helayne Seidman They dont want to tangle with these people, said a Turtle Bay CVS shopper. They just stay away from them because they dont want a fight. Retail theft in Gotham rose 2.8% to 37,115 reported incidents so far this year from 36,087 at the same time last year, NYPD data show. The city needs a better way to hold them responsible, said Sunnyside resident Liz Segovia, who has seen a CVS and Rite Aid shutter in recent years. If they just get arrested and released, theyre obviously going to do it again and again and again. Locked toys in Target at the Queens Place Mall on Queens Blvd. in Elmhurst. Helayne Seidman A shopper who identified himself as Glenn, 62, with a knife he carries around in his pocket at the Elmhurst Target, where he says shoplifting is out of control. Helayne Seidman The NYPD blamed bail reform which set many non-violent crimes as non-bail eligible offenses, including most cases of shoplifting and left-leaning judges, for failing New Yorkers and making our communities less safe by allowing repeat offenders back out onto the streets over and over again. For individuals with histories of recidivism, as well as for criminals who commit violent crimes, judges must be allowed to determine the best way of ensuring that offenders do not victimize anyone else, the department said. Paul Guzik, a tourist from California who was picking up sundries this week at a Murray Hill CVS, felt at home on the East Coast. Its the same mess here as it is on the West Coast, said Guzik, who was shopping at a Murray Hill CVS. The same mess, the same problems and the same lack of solutions by Democratic leaders. Trump says Harris easier than Biden to beat as race for Pennsylvania heats up By Nathan Layne and Joseph Ax WILKES-BARRE, Pennsylvania (Reuters) -Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said on Saturday he believed Democrat Kamala Harris will be easier to beat than President Joe Biden even as some polls showed her edging ahead in the race for the Nov. 5 presidential election. Trump, the former president, spoke at a rally in Wilkes-Barre in northeastern Pennsylvania, a state looming large in the campaign. Vice President Harris will conduct a bus tour of western Pennsylvania starting in Pittsburgh on Sunday, ahead of the kickoff of the Democratic National Convention on Monday in Chicago. "I believe she will be easier to beat than him," said Trump, referring to her as "radical" and a "lunatic." Trump has sought to portray Harris as far left on a number of policies. At the rally, he highlighted her previous call for a ban on fracking, an industry important to the state. Harris' campaign has recently indicated she would not support a ban. He also continued to attack Harris on personal terms, even as some political analysts say such comments could hurt Trump with moderate voters. "Have you heard her laugh? That is the laugh of a crazy person," Trump said, adding that he was displeased by the illustration of Harris on the cover of the latest issue of Time magazine. "I'm much better looking than her." In a meandering speech, Trump repeated his false claim that he lost the 2020 election due to fraud, dismissed the threat of climate change and said his plan to impose across-the-board tariffs on foreign goods would not act as a tax on U.S. consumers, an assertion that most economists contest. The Mohegan Sun Arena, where Trump appeared, has a capacity of roughly 8,000 and was nearly full when he started speaking. But the crowd began to thin after the one-hour mark. He spoke for more than 100 minutes in total. Trump said Harris should have done more to tackle inflation and other issues since she and Biden took office. If reelected he said he would sign an executive order directing cabinet secretaries and agency heads to take action to lower prices. "Another rally, same old show," Joseph Costello, a spokesperson for the Harris campaign, said in a statement responding to Trump's rally speech, which he described as filled with "lies, name-calling, and confused rants." Pennsylvania was one of three Rust Belt states, along with Wisconsin and Michigan, that helped power Trump's upset victory in 2016. Biden, who grew up in Scranton, Pennsylvania, flipped the trio back to the Democrats in 2020. With 19 electoral votes out of the 270 needed to secure the White House, compared with 15 in Michigan and 10 in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania may be the biggest prize in this year's election and potentially tip the balance for either candidate. Harris' entry into the race after Biden ended his reelection bid last month has upended the contest, erasing the lead Trump built in the final weeks of Biden's campaign. Harris is leading Trump by more than two percentage points in Pennsylvania, according to the poll tracking website FiveThirtyEight. BLANKETING AIRWAVES WITH ADS Trump won Pennsylvania in 2016 by about 44,000 votes, a margin of less than one percentage point, while Biden prevailed by just over 80,000 votes in 2020, a 1.2-point margin. Both campaigns have made the state a top priority, blanketing the airwaves with advertisements. Of the more than $110 million spent on advertising in seven battleground states since Biden dropped out in late July, roughly $42 million was in Pennsylvania, more than twice any other state, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing data from the tracking site AdImpact. Democratic and Republican groups have already reserved $114 million in ad time in Pennsylvania from late August through the election, more than twice as much as the $55 million reserved in Arizona, the next highest total, according to AdImpact. The Harris campaign said on Saturday it planned to spend at least $370 million on digital and television ads nationwide between the Labor Day holiday on Sept. 2 and Election Day. The battleground states - seen as critical for winning the election - also include Arizona, North Carolina, Nevada and Georgia. New polls published on Saturday by the New York Times found Harris leading Trump among likely voters in Arizona, 50% to 45%, and in North Carolina, 49% to 47%, and narrowing the former president's leads in Nevada, 47% to 49%, and in Georgia, 46% to 50%. A pollster from the Trump campaign said the poll results underestimated the Republican candidate's support. Trump will give remarks on the economy at a campaign event in York, Pennsylvania, on Monday. His running mate, U.S. Senator JD Vance, will hold an event in Philadelphia that day as well. Trump's trip to Wilkes-Barre in Luzerne County was aimed at solidifying support among the white, non-college-educated voters who lifted him to victory in 2016. The blue-collar county voted Democratic for decades before swinging heavily toward Trump in 2016, mirroring other similar regions around the country. Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, will make multiple stops across Allegheny and Beaver counties on Sunday, the campaign said. The tour is the first time Harris, Walz and their spouses have campaigned together since their first rally as a presidential ticket in Philadelphia earlier this month. (Reporting by Nathan Layne in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and Joseph Ax in New York; Additional reporting by Jarrett Renshaw in Philadelphia; Editing by Colleen Jenkins, Alistair Bell, Daniel Wallis, Paul Simao, Cynthia Osterman and Deepa Babington) Presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally on August 17, 2024 in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) WILKES-BARRE For the first time in 2024, former President Donald Trump rallied supporters in Northeast Pennsylvania on Saturday, telling an audience at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza that Vice President Kamala Harris did not choose Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro as her running mate because hes Jewish. Shapiro was under consideration to be Harris vice presidential pick, but she ultimately chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. She turned down your governor, by the way, just so you understand, I know some of you probably like him. I dont think hes a good person. I dont think hes good, I dont think hes good, but they turned him down because hes Jewish, Trump said Saturday. OK, thats why they turned him down. Now we can be politically correct and not say that. I could say, well, they turned him down for various reasons. No, no, they turned him down because hes Jewish. Thats why they turned him down. And Ill tell you this, any Jewish person that votes for her or a Democrat has to go out and have their head examined. Charles Lutvak, a spokesperson for the Harris-Walz campaign flatly rejected Trumps comment in an email to the Capital-Star. Vice President Harris and Gov. Walz have decisively called out antisemitism in any form their entire careers, and our campaign will always be clear: Antisemitism and hate have no place in the Democratic Party or in our country, Lutvak said. Gov. Shapiro is a tireless and extremely effective champion for the people of Pennsylvania, and our campaign strongly rejects the attacks, rooted in his faith, that he has endured. But lets be clear: There is one candidate in this race who consistently denigrates American Jews, elevates Neo-Nazis, and trafficks in antisemitic tropes, and it is Donald Trump. And our campaign is uniting voters who reject his rhetoric of hate and will defeat him at the ballot box in November, he added. The rally marked Trumps seventh visit to Pennsylvania this year. Wilkes-Barre is not far from President Joe Bidens boyhood home of Scranton, in the northeastern region of Pennsylvania that was key to Trumps victory in 2016. Inflation has been devastating under this group of people that have no idea what the hell theyre doing, Trump said at the opening of his remarks. Are you better off with Kamala and Biden than you were under President Donald J. Trump? I dont think so. The annual inflation rate was 2.9% in July, the lowest rate since 2021 although both campaigns are putting the issue front and center as it remains top of mind for voters. Democrats criticized Trump ahead of Saturdays rally, with Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti calling him the most anti-labor President in recent memory. In his usual meandering style, Trump went off teleprompter as he put it, straying from his prepared remarks in a speech that was just over 100 minutes long to make various observations, including: I am much better looking than her. Im a better looking person than Kamala, a reference to a comment he said someone made about Harris having an advantage as an attractive woman. Nobody knows about Casey. Nobody knows about him, even though hes been there for years. His father was there for years. We will build a missile defense shield over the top of our country, an Iron Dome. It will be a great Iron Dome, and much of it will be made right here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, something he said former President Ronald Reagan had wanted but didnt have the technology for. While Trump repeated false claims that the election was stolen during his rally on Saturday, Linda Kerns, a Republican National Committee lawyer, spoke on stage a few hours prior to Trumps speech, encouraging those to vote by mail. I understand that as patriots and conservatives, we may be suspicious of mail ballots, but if we want to change the system, we need to win elections, Kerns said. Part of the game is mail ballots. And we cannot give Democrats the advantage in this election. When the Dallas Cowboys come to town, we do not give them a two touchdown lead, right, she asked the crowd, mentioning being an Eagles fan from Philadelphia. Same goes for this election. Lets not give Democrats the lead. Democrats had a significant mail-in ballot advantage in recent elections. Although Trump railed against mail-in ballots during the 2020 presidential election, his 2024 campaign has pivoted to embracing them as needed to help win back the White House. I know that sometimes people are suspicious of our elections here in Pennsylvania, Kerns said. But the only way your vote will not count is if you do not cast it. Before Trump took the stage, U.S. Senate candidate Dave McCormick, who is challenging U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) made his familiar comment about Casey being Punxsutawney Bob, and told the audience Trump was needed to get the country back on track. We need Trump and a new senator from Pennsylvania to secure our border, McCormick said. We need to unlock our energy sector and make America energy dominant. We need to strengthen our military, because the only way to have peace is through strength, and we dont have it right now. Former Pennsylvania U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum praised McCormick as a dynamic leader, and someone who is the real deal. He then harkened back to some of the rhetoric of his failed 2006 campaign against Casey, claiming the three-term incumbent isnt the real Bob Casey, referring to Caseys late father Bob Casey, Sr., who was governor of Pennsylvania from 1987 to 1995. The real Bob Casey was the guy who was so popular because he stood up to his party because he fought for what he believed was right, not for what the left wing of his party was pushing, Santorum said, arguing the current senator got elected simply because his name was Bob Casey. Bob Casey Jr is not the real Bob Casey. He is the fake Bob Casey. He is a guy that has not only not stood up to his party, hes voted with Harris and Biden 98% at the time, Santorum continued. Casey beat Santorum 59% to 41% in the 2006 election. Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity, who is seeking re-election, delivered jabs at Walz. [GOP vice presidential nomineee] J.D. Vance is a proven leader, a veteran who served this country with honor and distinction while deployed to the Middle East, Garrity, a U.S. Army Reserve veteran who was also deployed to the Middle East, said to applause. The only combat zone that Tim Walz ever saw was on the streets of Minneapolis in 2020. Walz served in the Army National Guard for 24 years. Northeast Pennsylvania key for Trump in past elections Trumps 2016 victory over Hillary Clinton made him the first Republican candidate for president to win Pennsylvania since 1988. He flipped Luzerne County, where Saturdays rally is being held, beating Clinton by 20 points. And even though Clinton eked out a 3.5-point victory in neighboring Lackawanna County that year, that was a much narrower margin than President Barack Obamas 2012 victory over Republican Mitt Romney. Obama won Luzerne County by 5 points and took Lackawanna County by 27 points in 2012. When Biden won Pennsylvania in 2020, the numbers he put up in his native region played a key role, with an 8-point victory in Lackawanna County. Biden made one appearance in Northeast Pennsylvania in April, calling the race between him and Trump Scranton values or Mar-A-Lago values. Biden announced his withdrawal from the presidential race in July following a poor debate performance against Trump in late June. Randy Bloem, Pastor of Revival Baptist Church in Scranton, delivered the opening prayer for the rally at 2 PM. He said that he was praying that Lackawanna County can turn for Donald Trump, and shared an anecdote about how he thinks local voters feel about the race. Our church is in Lackawanna County and I, in 2020, saw signs for Biden and Trump, about even, Bloem said. I cant find a Biden sign or Harris. I think theyre ashamed of him, but were not ashamed of the great opportunity for our country, he added. Norb Dotzel, who runs a nearby family trucking and topsoil company, discussed the economic hardships businesses have faced under the Biden administration and claimed that Trumps business background will benefit the economy. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have put in charge a crew of smug, incompetent, DEI hires who are trying to destroy our country, Dotzel said. America needs a great businessman and leader like Donald Trump who is serious about saving our country and our businesses, both large and small, like my own. Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre is located in the states 8th Congressional District, which has the distinction of being the only U.S. House seat in the state that Trump won that is held by a Democrat, U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-Lackawanna). Republican Rob Bresnahan, Cartwrights challenger, delivered brief remarks on stage on Saturday, linking Cartwright to the Biden-Harris administration, former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). We need an economy that works, we need a border that is secure and we need communities that are safe, Bresnahan said. Im going to fight like the absolute dickens to bring this back to Northeastern Pennsylvania. The densely populated southeast region of the commonwealth has seen a majority of the visits from both presidential campaigns in 2024. Trumps appearance in Pennsylvania on Saturday was the beginning of a hectic swing through the Keystone State for both campaigns. On Sunday, Harris and Walz will embark on a bus tour in western Pennsylvania, ahead of the opening of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Monday. Trump and his running mate, U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), will deliver speeches revolving around the economy in separate appearances in York and Philadelphia on Monday. Before Biden exited the race, polling consistently showed Trump with a narrow advantage in the Keystone State. However, Democrats have experienced a bump since Harris became the candidate at the top of the ticket. An Emerson College poll released on Friday showed Trump and Harris tied at 47% each in the race that includes third party candidates, while other recent polls have shown Harris with a narrow edge in the race. A Franklin and Marshall College Poll released on Thursday, showed Harris leading Trump by 3 points in Pennsylvania, offered some details on how voters perceived the candidates. The main reasons that Harris voters supported her candidacy in that poll included anti-Trumpism (18%), womens rights (17%), character (15%), partisanship (13%) and democracy (13%). The top reasons voters support Trump include economic policy (29%), immigration (20%) and partisanship (19%). Pennsylvania is the biggest prize among battleground states this election, with 19 electoral votes, and both parties are going all-in to court voters. The Cook Political Report rates the presidential race in the state as a toss-up as of August 8. This article was updated throughout the day Aug. 17, 2024, with a final update at 7:45 p.m. Nearing his first debate against Kamala Harris in Philadelphia on September 10 moderated by ABC News anchors David Muir and Linsey Davis Donald Trump has enlisted the help of former Democratic congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard to help him prepare. And although his team has indicated that he's a pro at debates, and doesn't need the help, roping in Gabbard could be viewed as a call to the contrary, as she is said to have "dominated" Harris in a 2019 debate when the two were after a presidential bid, while he has yet to prove himself capable of doing so. Having parted ways with the Democratic Party after her presidential run in 2020 to, in a twist, become embraced by the other team, Tulsi is described by The Daily Beast as Harris nemesis and her current association with the Republican campaign was confirmed by Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt in an email to The New York Times on Friday, in which she wrote that Trump has proven to be one of the best debaters in political history as evidenced by his knockout blow to Joe Biden. 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. On Thursday, Gabbard bashed Harris during an appearance on "America's Newsroom," calling her an "empty suit," saying, "We have to pay attention to her actions, because on every single major issue, you will see that same kind of hypocrisy that I pointed out in 2019 where she'll say one thing, but her record tells a very, very different story." Tulsi Gabbard: Kamala Harris is an empty suit.pic.twitter.com/tvefNQ366A Paul A. Szypula (@Bubblebathgirl) August 15, 2024 Former President Trump took a swing at Vice President Harriss newly debuted economic plan Friday, claiming her proposals will make costs 100 times worse. If you think things are expensive now, they will get 100 times WORSE if Kamala gets four years as President, he wrote on Truth Social. The former president fired off three posts back-to-back slamming Harriss economic agenda, which she revealed Friday while campaigning in North Carolina. The broad set of proposals which range from cutting taxes, expanding tax credits for childcare and first-time homebuyers and a federal ban on grocery price gouging mark priorities on the vice presidents agenda for her first 100 days in office if elected in November, the campaign said. In his posts, Trump compared Harriss plan to a communist agenda. Under her plan, Kamala will implement SOVIET Style Price Controls, he wrote in one post, adding 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! In another post he said, 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. An analysis from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget said that Harriss proposal could cost $1.7 trillion dollars over a decade, with $1.2 trillion of that amount coming from the proposed expansion of the child tax credit. The Hill has reached out to the Harris campaign for comment. In his rant, Trump also alleged that the vice presidents policies could aid undocumented immigrants. 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, he wrote. Harriss announcement did not include direct mention of provisions for undocumented migrants. She did, however, advocate for lowering prescription drug prices and expanding affordable housing with the construction of three million new housing units. The former president has announced his own slate of economic proposals, as the two candidates war over whats regarded as the top issue for voters ahead of the election. Harris seemingly agreed with one of his policies in calling for service and hospitality workers tips to be exempt from taxes a move that blindsided the Democrats. The GOP nominee also hit Harriss running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) in his Friday posts. Kamala and Walz will put Criminals, Terrorists, and Illegal Aliens FIRST, he posted. I will always put law-abiding, hardworking, patriotic AMERICANS First. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Tulsi Gabbard waves to the crowd after speaking during the Conservative Political Action Conference, at the National Harbor, CPAC 2024, in Oxon Hill, Md., Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024. | Jose Luis Magana Former President Donald Trump reportedly invited former Democratic congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard to his residence at Mar-a-Lago as he prepares for the presidential debate with Vice President Kamala Harris. Gabbard, a former combat veteran who served four terms in the House, left the Democratic Party two years ago. Her 2020 presidential campaign allowed her to face off against Harris at two debates. Since suspending her campaign, Gabbard has been a regular on Fox News, criticizing the Biden administration and its policies. Trump is expected to lean on Gabbards policy chops from her four terms in the House, and her experience debating Harris. According to The New York Times, which first broke the news, Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said Trump has proven to be one of the best debaters in political history as evidenced by his knockout blow to Joe Biden. 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, Leavitt added. The Times report noted Trump is putting more effort into preparing for the upcoming ABC debate on Sept. 10 than for any other debate during the last two election cycles. What Tulsi Gabbard said to VP Harris at the debate in 2020 At one of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary debates, Gabbard in a lengthy attack aimed at Harris said that although Harris claimed she would be a prosecutor president, she felt deeply concerned about the former San Francisco district attorneys 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, Gabbard listed out, as the Daily Beast reported. 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 place that impacts poor people in the worst kind of way. Harris dismissed Gabbards criticism, saying she is proud of making a decision to not just give fancy speeches, or be in a legislative body and give speeches on the floor, but actually doing the work. Gabbard told The Associated Press she was surprised to witness Harris unpreparedness and lack of effort to deny or justify her decisions. Gabbard suspended her presidential campaign in 2020 months after Harris dropped out and endorsed President Joe Biden. WASHINGTON (DC News Now) On Friday, D.C. police arrested and charged two 17-year-olds for shooting and killing a man in December of 2023. The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) said that officers responded to the 2900 block of Knox Place, SE around 8:55 p.m. on Dec. 20, 2023, for a reported shooting. Jury finds DC government employee guilty of manslaughter in deadly shooting of 13-year-old Karon Blake Responding officers found 39-year-old Dwayne Barbour of Southeast D.C., who had been shot. First responders took him to the hospital for treatment, but he died on the evening of Dec. 31, 2023. MPD said that Rayon Davis Jr. and Quintin Reed, both 17-year-olds from Southeast D.C., were arrested and charged as adults with first-degree murder while armed felony murder. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) Two Columbus police officers were hospitalized after a crash in North Linden. Officers were dispatched to the scene at 7:52 p.m., police said, and after a car crash at East Weber Road and Dresden Street. Police said the transport was precautionary, and both officers are in stable condition. Police said they have no other information at this time. This embedded content is not available in your region. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Two men charged for armed robbery in Scranton SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) Two men have been charged after an armed robbery occurred Friday in Scranton. In a release, the Scranton Police Department said they responded to an armed robbery on the 1300 block of Lavelle Court in South Scranton. When on-scene, police talked to a female victim who said she had a prearranged meeting with a male known as Polo. Polo, later identified as 34-year-old Tremayne Hampton, and 32-year-old Shakir Johnson entered her car with Hampton in the front passenger seat and Johnson in the back driver-side seat. Officials say Hampton placed a knife to her neck, while Johnson put her in a chokehold from behind. The two demanded she give them her money and marijuana, which they then took and fled into a nearby yard. She sustained some abrasions and a neck injury from the assault, according to authorities The two were quickly located by patrol units after receiving tips from citizens that the suspects ran into a residence on Prospect Avenue. Johnson and Hampton were criminally charged with Felony Robbery, Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, and Theft by Unlawful Taking among other charges. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Two men dead after crash early Friday in rural Woodford County EL PASO, Ill. (WMBD) Two people are dead after an early morning crash Friday, the Woodford County Sheriffs Office said. According to the sheriff, the crash occurred at about 3:45 a.m. on Illinois Route 24 near the intersection of County Road 2500E in rural El Paso. When deputies arrived, they found a 2006 red Dodge Charger in a ditch that struck a utility pole on the passenger side of the vehicle. Woodford Sheriff warning residents of new phishing scam According to the sheriffs office, the vehicle was going at a high rate of speed as it was headed west on Route 24. The two passengers, both men in their early 20s, were found dead inside the vehicle. Open alcohol, the sheriffs office said, was also found inside the car. Both the sheriffs office and the Woodford County Coroners Office are investigating the incident. This story will be updated when more details are 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 CIProud.com. Two teens died and three other people were injured after a single-vehicle collision in Lexington early Saturday. Hasan Mohammad Hasan, 18, of Paloma Hills, Ill., and Omar Shalash, 13, of Lexington, were pronounced dead as a result of multiple blunt force injuries at 1:31 a.m., according to the Fayette County Coroners Office. The crash occurred near the intersection of Tates Creek Road and Turkey Foot Road. Lt. Matt Merker of the Lexington Police Department said police were called to the crash at 12:49 a.m. and found the vehicle fully engulfed in flames. He said the driver and two other passengers were taken to a hospital with injuries that were not thought to be life-threatening. Two of the three were juveniles, he said. Shalash was an eighth-grader at Lexington Universal Academy, the school said in a statement posted on social media Saturday afternoon. We extend our heartfelt condolences and duaas to Omars family during this difficult time, the statement said. Lexington Universal Academy said it will offer emotional support for students and staff. Funeral prayers for Hasan and Shalash were to be held at 4 p.m. Saturday at Masjid Bilal, at 1545 Russell Cave Road, with burial afterward, according to the Islamic Society of Central Kentucky. Hasan is the son of Nisreen Hasan, and Shalash is the son of Adnan and Abla Shalash, the society said in a statement posted on its website. Herald-Leader education writer Valarie Honeycutt Spears contributed to this report. U.S. Marshalls find DeKalb man accused of June shooting in Chicago DEKALB, Ill. (WTVO) The U.S. Marshall Service arrested Nathaniel Robinson, 44, in Chicago on August 1st after being accused of shooting a man in DeKalb. On June 23, DeKalb Police responded to the 800 block of Kimberly Drive for calls that a person was shot. When officers arrived, they saw a male victim who had a gunshot wound to the back. The victim was transported to an area hospital for emergency care. The victim told officials the man who shot him was Robinson. Robinson was on parole at the time in Illinois. On August 1st, the U.S. Marshall Service took the suspect into custody without incident and he is being held in the Illinois Department of Corrections. Robinson is being charged with attempted murder, aggravated battery, unlawful possession of a weapon and aggravated discharge 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 MyStateline | WTVO News, Weather and Sports. The U.S. Supreme Court, pictured, issued an order maintaining a block on new Title IX rules while a challenge is heard in an appeals court. (Photo by Jane Norman/States Newsroom) The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday rejected efforts by the Biden administration to temporarily put on hold a federal courts decision that blocks a central part of new Title IX rules for schools from going into effect. The order by the justices allows a decision made by Chief Judge Danny Reeves of the U.S. District Court in Eastern Kentucky to block the rules to remain in place for now. Reeves had sided with Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman and five other Republican attorneys general in a lawsuit challenging the new Title IX rules, which aim to protect transgender students. A federal appeals court last month also declined to put on hold Reeves decision, and that court is hearing an appeal of Reeves decision in October. The Court expects that the Courts of Appeals will render their decisions with appropriate dispatch, the majority of justices wrote. The order also agreed to leave in place another federal court decision blocking the new Title IX rules brought separately by the Louisiana attorney general and three other Republican attorneys general. Coleman in a statement on the order said the Republican attorneys general were defending equal opportunities for Kentuckys women and young girls at the countrys highest court. The Biden-Harris Administration is threatening to rip away 50 years of Title IX protections. Together with our colleagues in Tennessee and four other states, we are fighting to uphold the promise of Title IX for generations to come, Coleman said. Title IX deals with sex-based discrimination at any school that receives federal funding. U.S. Secretary of Education Miquel Cardona previously said in a statement the new Title IX rules would have built on the legacy of Title IX by clarifying that all our nations students can access schools that are safe, welcoming, and respect their rights. The rules, which would have went into effect Aug. 1, sought to roll back Trump administration changes that narrowly defined sexual harassment and directed schools to conduct live hearings, allowing those who were accused of sexual harassment or assault to cross-examine their accusers. Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia joined Kentucky challenging the administrations order. Reeves opinion said the states represented in the lawsuit argued that the Title IX rules would invalidate scores of States and schools sex-separated sports policies. The Kentucky General Assembly passed such a law in 2022 to require athletes in schools to play on teams associated with their biological sex A sponsor of that law, Sen. Robby Mills, R-Henderson, applauded the U.S. Supreme Court order in a Friday statement, which he said directly condemns the woke ideology promoted by the U.S. Department of Education and the Biden-Harris administration. Henderson thanked Coleman for defending the law. Wokeism and gender ideology must never trump Kentucky values and the U.S. Constitution, Mills said. Editors note: This story was updated Saturday morning with additional comments. Racist riots unfolded across the United Kingdom earlier this month fueled by online disinformation, and experts warn similar events could unfold in the United States, especially given a rollback in social media moderation and ongoing antagonism by X owner Elon Musk. Meanwhile, a judge in Los Angeles rules that UCLA must protect Jewish students from being blocked from their classes, and an appeals court in California is skeptical about a judges decision in a case against a white supremacist. Its the week in extremism. Left: Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump gestures during a campaign rally held with Republican vice presidential nominee Senator JD Vance, in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S., Aug. 3, 2024. Right: Elon Musk, arrives before the start of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senators Rounds, Heinrich And Young hosting the Inaugural Artificial Intelligence Insight Forum With Key AI Stakeholders. Hate, disinformation in U.K. could play out here too Riots and racist attacks swept across the U.K. earlier this month, fueled by online disinformation. USA TODAY examined what the attacks mean, and how they might set a precedent for possible political violence here in the United States. In the U.K., a brutal knife attack against a childrens dance class left three dead. Afterward, far-right influencers spread lies about the identity of the attacker, spurring white supremacists and other protesters to attack mosques, immigration centers and individual migrants over several days. Some of those posts were boosted by X owner Elon Musk, whose platform was also a hotbed for the misinformation fueling the protests. Musk helped boost posts from people including Britains Timmy Robinson, an anti-Islam activist and convicted criminal who had been banned from Twitter until Musk bought it, experts told USA TODAY. Experts on extremism now worry a similar trend could play out in the United States in the months leading up to Novembers election. Social media companies have severely pulled back on their efforts to rein in extremists and spreaders of disinformation. There's no reason why we couldn't see exactly the same pattern here in the U.S., said Heidi Beirich, co-founder of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism. As we get closer to the election here in the United States, and tempers flare, any incident like the incident that happened in England could spark the same fury here. A California Highway Patrol officer shouts at protesters to move back as other CHP officers arrest one of the protesters within the Gaza Solidarity Encampment on UCLAs Dickson Plaza. Pro-Palestinian protesters clash with law enforcement as officials clear demonstrator encampments on UCLA's campus on May 2, 2024 in Los Angeles. Judge orders UCLA to ensure Jewish students access to class As universities prepare to restart the academic year, a judge in Los Angeles granted a preliminary injunction against the University of California, Los Angeles, this week, ordering the school to ensure that Jewish students are not blocked from attending classes by pro-Palestinian protesters. UCLA was home to some of the most tenacious pro-Palestinian protests in the spring. Protesters occupied a quadrangle on campus for more than a week in April and May, before police moved in and dismantled their camp (USA TODAY was there). In June, three Jewish UCLA students sued the university, claiming the protesters had created a Jew Exclusion Zone and had created a hostile environment for Jewish students. On July 30, U.S. District Judge Mark C. Scarsi gave the university a week to create a plan to protect Jewish students. On Tuesday, Judge Scarsi granted the injunction against the university, giving UCLA until Aug. 15 to inform campus personnel they are not to aid or participate in any obstruction of access for Jewish students. Scarsis decision was met with support from Jewish organizations: The idea that a university would allow protesters to block Jewish students from participating in school life and their own education is outrageous, Eric Fingerhut, president and CEO of Jewish Federations of North America said in a statement. This ruling rightly requires UCLA to ensure that Jewish students, like all students, have equal and open access to the schools campus and programming, and we expect other universities to take notice." Appeals court skeptical of ruling that let white supremacist off lightly In April, USA TODAY wrote about a ruling by a federal judge in California to drop a case against a white supremacist who attacked a journalist at a 2017 rally. This week, a panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals appeared skeptical of the judges reasoning, according to a report from the Courthouse News Service. Judge Cormac J. Carney ruled in April that Tyler Laube, a former member of the racist fight club Rise Above Movement, deserved a light sentence because prosecutors had focused disproportionately on the far-right and ignored crimes committed by antifascists. The ruling raised eyebrows, particularly since the countrys largest prosecution of antifascists was taking place at the same time just down the freeway in San Diego. Hes really gone off the deep end, John Donohue, a professor at Stanford Law School told USA TODAY. According to the Courthouse News Service, the three-judge appeals panel appeared unimpressed, and showed concern about the ruling. Its the second time the Ninth Circuit has reviewed one of Carneys rulings in the case. The court already reversed Carneys previous order throwing out the charges on First Amendment grounds. Statistic of the week: One year Thats how long former University of Kentucky student Sophia Rosing faces in prison after pleading guilty to four counts of misdemeanor assault, as well as disorderly conduct and public intoxication this week. The guilty plea was in relation to a drunk and racist tirade Rosing went on in 2022 against another student, who is Black. Video of Rosings racist rant went viral at the time. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Calif. judges take fresh look at campus protests, white supremacist The U.K. government asked the U.S. over a month ago for permission for Ukraine to use British Storm Shadow missiles inside Russia but is yet to receive a positive response, The Times reported on Aug. 16, citing undisclosed government sources. Ukraine has long been asking its Western partners for permission to use long-range missiles, like the Storm Shadow of American ATAMCS, inside Russia. So far, the Western countries have not budged on the issue, even as Kyiv launched a cross-border incursion into Russia. One British government source told The Times that the request has been effectively "stuck in their (U.S.) system," while another called it a "routine U.S. process." A third source said the discussion with allies on using the Storm Shadow is ongoing. According to one of the sources, London does not blame Washington for the delay and considers it an expected part of a policy change process. The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims. The story did not specify why the use of Storm Shadow, a cruise missile co-developed by the U.K. and France with a range of 250 kilometers (150 miles), would be contingent on Washington's approval. Matthew Palmer, a U.S. charge d'affaires to the U.K., denied for Times Radio that his government would have a say in the matter. Earlier media reports indicate, however, that the permission is not solely dependent on London. British official sources told the Telegraph in July that such a step would require an agreement among three countries, including the U.K. Though the sources did not name the other two countries, France is a likely candidate as it produces its own variants of Storm Shadow called SCALP/T, which have also been supplied to Ukraine. The latest news could indicate that the U.S., the leading force in the pro-Kyiv coalition and the most powerful NATO member, may also be one of the three nations. Read also: 10 days of Ukraines Kursk incursion from first shot to dozens of settlements captured The Pentagon said that while Ukraine's Kursk incursion is consistent with its policy on the use of American arms, there was no relaxation on the use of long-range weapons deep inside Russia. The U.S. previously permitted the use of U.S. arms on Russian territory just across the Ukrainian border. Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh reiterated Washington's worries about a possible escalation of the war. Some media reports indicate that the U.S. simply considers the ATACMS missiles more useful, for example, for strikes in occupied Crimea than in Kursk Oblast. Like the U.S., the U.K. also allowed Ukraine to use British-supplied arms during the Kursk incursion, with the exception of long-range missiles. According to Kyiv, the restriction on strikes deep inside Russia was one of the motivations behind the Kursk operation. "If Ukraine could strike the enemy troops on their territory, from where they threaten Ukraine, then Ukraine would be in a much better position to protect itself," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said on Aug. 13. "In particular, it would be less necessary to use the Ukrainian defense forces outside of the Ukrainian borders, including Kursk Oblast." 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. Ukraine appeals to UN, Red Cross over alleged video of beheaded Ukrainian soldier Ukraine's Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said on Aug. 16 he had appealed to the U.N. and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) over a video of Russian troops allegedly displaying the head of a decapitated Ukrainian soldier. The video surfaced on social media earlier this week. It shows a man in Russian military fatigues with a covered face with what appears to be a severed head put upon a spike in the background. The authenticity of the video could not be immediately verified. Ukrainska Pravda's undisclosed source said that Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office is still investigating the footage. The outlet also claimed it had obtained an intercepted audio of a Russian soldier ordering the decapitation of four dead Ukrainian soldiers. Ukrainska Pravda did not publish the recording. "(Russia) uses such videos to intimidate and demoralize Ukrainians. However, this only strengthens our desire to bring everyone who commits such inhuman atrocities to justice!" Lubinets said on his Telegram channel. The ombudsman called it "another violation of international humanitarian law by Russia." DeepState, a Ukrainian crowd-sourced monitoring site, claimed the video was shot at the Kolotilovka border checkpoint in Russia's Belgorod Oblast following an unsuccessful Ukrainian attack on Aug. 12. Ukraine's cross-border incursions have been ongoing since Aug. 6, focusing on Kursk Oblast but with hostilities reported also in neighboring Belgorod Oblast. Kolotilovka lies on the Russian side of the Russia-Ukraine border crossing, roughly 40 kilometers (25 miles) east of Ukraine's Sumy, 80 kilometers (50 miles) west of Russia's Belgorod, and 15 kilometers (9 miles) south of the administrative border with Kursk Oblast. The perpetrators were soldiers of Russia's 155th Naval Infantry Brigade, which has suffered heavy losses in Ukraine and had to restore its ranks with mobilized conscripts, DeepState said. The Kyiv Independent could not immediately verify the claims. Back in June, a similar case surfaced after what appeared to be footage of a severed head of a Ukrainian soldier displayed on an armored vehicle appeared online. Ukraine's Prosecutor General Andrii Kostin said at the time that he had received information that Russian commanders had given orders "not to capture Ukrainian servicemen, but instead to kill them with inhuman cruelty - by beheading." Alleged footage of several beheaded Ukrainian prisoners of war (POW) also appeared in 2023. Read also: Viral videos show pattern of Russian atrocities throughout the war Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukraine Is Getting Ready to Unleash a Swarm of Robot Dogs Rover 2.0 To address its manpower shortage, Ukraine is planning to let loose packs of robot dogs against the invading Russian military, Agence France-Presse reports. The robot dogs will be used to detect land mines, go on reconnaissance missions to scope out the enemy in hostile territory, and carry weapons, ammunition, and medicine to the battlefield. During a recent demonstration to journalists, one of the robot dogs dubbed BAD ONE crouched and ran not unlike its flesh and blood counterpart, showing off its compact size and stealthy agility. "This dog limits the risk for soldiers and increases operational capabilities," a robot dog operator named Yuri, who's working for a British military equipment company, told AFP. "This is the core function of the dog." The robot dog has a battery run time of two hours, an onboard thermal imaging system, and a kill switch that erases all of its data if the robot would fall in the hands of the Russians. It just goes to show how military forces will use and push technology to their limit in order to gain a battlefield advantage, even if the results look like they came out of the "Terminator" movies. Dogs of Ware Besides Ukraine, other countries like the United States and China are also deploying robot dogs on the battlefield. Recently, China unveiled a robot dog with a machine gun strapped to its back, a dystopian glimpse at the future of warfare. Israel is also using robot dogs in its war against Hamas in Gaza. In addition to robot dogs, a variety of different types of drones have been a pivotal part of the war in Ukraine, a hotbed for new and experimental military technologies. Ukraine is using the robot dogs to limit the risks to soldiers on the front lines. "We were concerned about the increasingly frequent reports of casualties at the front due to enemy drones," Kyle Thorburn, head of UK-based military contractor Brit Alliance, told German magazine Bild. "So we discussed the possibilities of a safer solution for reconnaissance missions in high-risk areas." And the bid appears to be paying off. "This not only increases the effectiveness of combat operations, but also strengthens the morale of the army," Thorburn added. More on robot dogs: Boston Dynamics Shows Off Robodog With Fur Ukraine and Guatemala to continue negotiations on free trade Ukraine and Guatemala will continue to work on signing a free trade agreement. Source: press service of Ukraines Ministry of Economy Details: Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo and First Vice Prime Minister of Economy of Ukraine Yuliia Svyrydenko agreed to continue working on signing the Free Trade Agreement during a meeting in the Dominican Republic. Guatemala is one of the biggest supporters of Ukraine in Latin America. Background: 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. Russia and China may switch to barter in their mutual trade in the autumn due to problems with bank payments caused by Western sanctions. Support UP or become our patron! By Justyna Pawlak and Marek Strzelecki WARSAW (Reuters) - Ukraine is reaping "huge political gains" from its military offensive into western Russia but the incursion is not altering the "anti-escalation approach" of the West, Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak said. Ukraine says it has seized more than 80 settlements over 1,150 square km (444 square miles) in Kursk since Aug. 6 in the biggest invasion of Russia since World War Two. Reuters could not independently verify the battlefield developments. "This offensive does not change the anti-escalation attitude of the West," Siemoniak said, asked in an interview with Reuters late on Friday if Kyiv's military gains could change its allies' stance on the use of arms they supply for its war with Russia. Western governments providing military aid to Ukraine after Russia's invasion in February 2022 have so far refused to allow Ukraine to use long-range weapons because of the perceived risk of escalation in the conflict. "I think that for Western countries this is an event in terms of changing the image of Ukraine - Kyiv's political gains are huge after less than two weeks," Siemoniak said. The U.S. so far deems Ukraine's incursion into Kursk region a protective move appropriate for Kyiv to use U.S. equipment, officials in Washington said this week, but they expressed worries about potential complications as Ukrainian troops push further into enemy territory. Warsaw has been one of the staunchest allies of Ukraine and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk struck a similar tone to Washington earlier this week, saying Ukraine had full right to carry out its war response in a way that would effectively paralyse Russia. A Ukrainian presidential adviser said on Friday that Kyiv's cross-border incursion into Russia's Kursk region was required to convince Moscow to start "fair" peace talks. Russia has called Ukraine's incursion a major provocation and vowed to retaliate with a "worthy response." The United States and Western powers, keen to avoid direct military confrontation with Russia, have said Ukraine had not given advance notice and that Washington was not involved. (Reporting by Marek Strzelecki and Justyna Pawlak; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Ana Nicolaci da Costa) FILE PHOTO: Ukraine's President Zelenskiy speaks next to service members next to F-16 fighting aircrafts during marking the Day of the Ukrainian Air Forces in an undisclosed location in Ukraine KYIV (Reuters) -Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday his troops had strengthened positions in Russia's Kursk region nearly two weeks into their incursion, and called for bold decisions by Kyiv's allies to allow long-range strikes. Ukraine says it has seized more than 80 settlements over 1,150 square km (444 square miles) in Kursk since Aug. 6 in the biggest invasion of Russia since World War Two. Zelenskiy said his army chief Oleksander Syrskyi had reported that Ukrainian troops continued their advance and also took more Russian servicemen as prisoners. He said that the operation in the Kursk region was going according to plan and Ukrainian troops continued to advance and strengthen their positions. Zelenskiy renewed his calls for Ukraine's Western allies to allow long-range strikes on Russia. "The long-range capability for our forces is the answer to all most important, most strategic questions of this war," Zelenskiy said in his daily video address to the nation. "We will strengthen our diplomatic work. We will insist that bold steps and bold decisions are needed." Western governments providing military aid to Ukraine after Russia's invasion in February 2022 have so far refused to allow Ukraine to use long-range weapons because of the perceived risk of escalation in the conflict. The Ukrainian military said in its daily report that troops were successfully advancing further in Kursk, without offering more details. It had previously reported 35 km of advances. Reuters could not independently verify the battlefield developments. Russia has called the incursion a major provocation and vowed to retaliate with a "worthy response," more than 2-1/2 years since it launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Moscow says Ukraine has been using Western arms, including probably U.S.-made HIMARS rockets to destroy a bridge and kill volunteers trying to evacuate civilians. Zelenskiy also said that Ukrainian troops had repelled dozens of Russian attacks near Pokrovsk and Toretsk in Ukraine's Donetsk region. The military said 51 Russian attacks were stopped near Pokrovsk, a major logistics hub in the eastern region, and another 13 near the town of Toretsk in the last 24 hours. (Reporting by Olena HarmashEditing by Andrew Cawthorne and Frances Kerry) Heorhii Tykhyi, the spokesperson for Ukraine's Foreign Ministry, has stated that claims that the German government is halting military aid to Ukraine are incorrect and manipulative. Source: Tykhyi in a comment to the Ukrinform news agency, as reported by European Pravda Quote: "Reports about Germany stopping its military assistance to Ukraine are incorrect. This is the same manipulation as the earlier reports about aid for the next year being halved." Details: Tykhyi added that Germany is currently drawing up its budget, a process which is being closely monitored by Ukraine. He said the budget is expected to be approved in November, and the extent of Germanys support for Ukraine in the coming year will not be known until then. "At the moment, as in the previous year, the German government plans to include a certain amount of aid to Ukraine in the draft budget. It is similar to the amount envisaged last year at this stage of the budget process. Last year, this amount increased at the parliamentary stage when the budget was passed in the autumn," Tykhyi stated. The foreign ministry spokesman said Kyiv continues to work with its German partners to maintain and strengthen support for Ukraine. "We emphasise that every euro invested in strengthening the defence capabilities of our country is a contribution to the security of the whole of Europe amid Russian aggression," he stressed. Tykhyi added that Ukraine is grateful to Germany, which remains its leading European supporter. He also noted that German assistance has already saved thousands of lives in Ukraine and is crucial for protecting lives in the future. "We hope that the German government will find a way to provide additional funding for the needs of Ukraine's defence forces this year," Tykhyi said. He also expressed hope for a speedy and non-bureaucratic implementation of the G7 leaders decision to utilise the proceeds of frozen Russian assets for the benefit of Ukraine. "We believe that these funds should not replace but supplement the ongoing European and German assistance," he said. Background: On 17 August, the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung reported that the current budget planning by the German federal government does not include provisions for further funding to support Ukraine. At Chancellor Olaf Scholzs request, no further applications from Germany's Federal Defence Ministry for military assistance to Ukraine will be approved. It was recently reported that the leaders of the German government coalition had reached a final compromise on the 2025 budget. Both the old and the new draft budgets imply that military aid for Ukraine will be cut by about half, from 8 billion to 4 billion. Support UP or become our patron! Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said on Aug. 17 that reports on Germany allegedly halting military aid for Ukraine were a "manipulation." Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) reported earlier on the same day that Germany's Finance Ministry was not planning to approve additional aid to Ukraine as part of budgetary savings this year. The newspaper cited obtained documents and emails, and unnamed sources. According to FAZ, Ukraine will receive previously approved assistance, but additional requests from the German Defense Ministry will not be supported. "The reports that Germany is allegedly stopping military aid to Ukraine are incorrect," Heorhy Tykhyi, a spokesman for Ukraine's Foreign Ministry, told Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform. "This is the same kind of manipulation as the previous reports about (Germany) halving aid for the next year." Tykhyi said that the German budget is expected to be approved in November, and only then the level of support for Ukraine for next year will be known. "We expect that the German government will find an opportunity to provide additional funding for the needs of Ukraine's Defense Forces this year as well," Tykhyi said. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung also reported that the possible freezing of new aid for Ukraine has led to a "tangible dispute" in the German government. Germany's budget for 2024 envisages military aid for Ukraine worth 8 billion euros, while the draft budget for 2025 includes only 4 billion euros in military aid for Kyiv. Read also: Germany likely wont approve additional military aid to Ukraine this year, media reports Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukraine's invasion of Kursk Oblast disrupts secret talks with Russia on stopping attacks on power facilities WP The Washington Post journalists have reported that Ukraine and Russia were to send delegations to Doha, Qatar, this month to negotiate a historic agreement that would end the attacks on power infrastructure on both sides. Source: The Washington Post with reference to diplomats familiar with the talks Details: It is noted in the article that the indirect talks, in which Qatar acted as a mediator and met separately with Ukrainian and Russian delegations, were disrupted by Ukraine's surprise invasion of Russia's western Kursk Oblast last week. This possible agreement and the planned summit were not previously reported. Journalists reiterated that Russia has been targeting Ukraine's power grid for more than a year with plenty of cruise missiles and drones, causing significant damage to power plants and making the entire country introduce rolling power outages. Meanwhile, Ukraine has targeted Russian oil facilities with long-range drone strikes that have set fire to refineries, oil depots and tanks, cutting Moscow's oil refining by about 15% and raising gas prices globally. Quote: "The willingness to engage in the talks signaled something of a shift for both countries, at least for a limited cease-fire. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Kyiv would consider a full cease-fire only if Russia first withdrew all of its troops from Ukrainian land, including the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia invaded and annexed in 2014. Russias Vladimir Putin has demanded that Ukraine first cede four Ukrainian regions including some territory that Russian forces arent occupying that the Kremlin has declared as part of Russia." More details: A diplomat involved in the talks said that Russian officials had postponed a meeting with Qatari officials after Ukraine's invasion of western Russia. He added that Moscow's delegation called this "an escalation" and noted that Ukraine did not warn Qatar "about its cross-border offensive". The diplomat also stressed that Russia had not called off the talks completely; they simply said to give them some time. The source noted that although Ukraine had wanted to send its delegation to Qatar anyway, Qatar refused because it saw no benefit in a unilateral meeting. The diplomat, familiar with the negotiations, said that Qatar had been discussing an agreement with Kyiv and Moscow on a moratorium on energy strikes for the past two months. He added that the parties had agreed to hold a summit in Doha, and only minor details remained to be agreed upon. "After Kursk, the Russians balked," another person familiar with the talks said. A Russian source with close ties to the diplomatic community made it clear that "Putin would not be in the mood to make a deal after the Kursk offensive". "You know our Russian leadership usually does not make any compromises under pressure," the person said. In response to a request from The Washington Post, the Office of the President of Ukraine said that the Doha summit had been postponed "due to the situation in the Middle East" but would take place via video conference on 22 August. After that, Kyiv would consult with its partners on implementing the agreement. The Kremlin did not respond to inquiries from The Washington Post. The White House declined to comment on this topic. The Biden administration has long said that Ukraine should determine the timing and terms of a potential ceasefire with Russia alone. A diplomat said at a briefing about the talks that both Kyiv and Moscow had demonstrated their willingness to accept an agreement ahead of the summit. However, two people familiar with the talks noted that senior officials in Kyiv had mixed expectations about whether the talks could succeed, with some estimating a 20% chance of success and others predicting even worse prospects, even if the Kursk assault had not occurred. "We have one chance to get through this winter, and thats if the Russians wont launch any new attacks on the grid," a Ukrainian official said. Ukrainian and Western officials stressed that Kyiv's step forward to meet with Russia, which occupies about 20% of Ukraine's territory, was partly intended to give Ukraine more leverage in future negotiations. Quote: "Military analysts have expressed skepticism that Ukrainian forces can maintain control of the Russian territory. Moscow has also continued to make gains in eastern Ukraines Donetsk Oblast and has not diverted troops from there to defend the new Ukrainian assault. But while Kyiv might have improved its future negotiating position with the land grab, the likelihood of imminent peace talks appears diminished. Putin publicly vowed this week not to soften his position on negotiations because of the assault on Russian territory." Support UP or become our patron! Ukraine's Office of Prosecutor General and Security Service to investigate beheading of Ukrainian soldier in Russia's Belgorod Oblast Law enforcement officers have launched an investigation into the circulation of a video of the beheading of a Ukrainian soldier. Source: press service of the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine Quote: "A pre-trial investigation has been launched under the procedural guidance of the Office of the Prosecutor General into the violation of the laws and customs of war, combined with premeditated murder." Details: A video was posted on social media on 16 August, showing representatives of the Russian Armed Forces demonstrating the head of an alleged Ukrainian soldier on a stake. The crime scene is the Kolotilovka checkpoint in Russia's Belgorod Oblast, reports Deep State analytical project. It is reported that law enforcement officers are conducting urgent investigative actions to verify this information and related circumstances as part of the investigation. The Office of the Prosecutor General emphasises that dissemination of such a video by Russian representatives once again demonstrates their complete disregard for the norms and principles of international humanitarian law. It is stated that the pre-trial investigation is being carried out by investigators of the Main Investigation Department of the Security Service of Ukraine. Background: Ukrainska Pravda has audio intercepts from sources in the Ukrainian Armed Forces involved in the operation near Kolotilovka. The audio intercepts indicate that a Russian soldier was ordered to cut off the heads of four dead Ukrainian soldiers. Dmytro Lubinets, Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) Commissioner for Human Rights, said that he had appealed to the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross because of the video of another act of violation of international humanitarian law by the Russian side. Dmytro Lubinets also stressed that the Russians use such videos to intimidate and demoralise Ukrainians. Support UP or become our patron! Ukraine's incursion into Russia is disrupting plans for indirect talks in Qatar on mutually halting strikes on energy infrastructure, the Washington Post (WP) wrote on Aug. 17, citing undisclosed official sources. Kyiv previously said it aims to hold the first international conference dedicated to energy security in August in the Middle East as a follow-up to the Switzerland peace summit. Russian nor Ukrainian officials have not confirmed any plans for an alleged "energy ceasefire" deal. Russia has launched a massive campaign with drones and missiles against Ukrainian energy infrastructure over the spring, destroying or disabling power plants and necessitating rolling blackouts across the country. In turn, Ukraine has been targeting Russian oil facilities with long-range drones to undermine Moscow's fossil fuel revenue, one of its key sources of income. Qatar, which has sought to position itself as a mediator in the war, reportedly offered to host the meeting in its capital, Doha. Both Kyiv and Moscow planned to send their delegations for indirect talks mediated by Qatari officials, the WP wrote. An undisclosed diplomatic source reportedly told the outlet that Russian officials postponed their meeting with Qatari officials in the wake of Ukraine's cross-border incursion that began last week. Moscow has not called off the talks completely as of now, the source added. Two sources told the WP that senior Ukrainian officials were skeptical about the deal even before the start of the incursion, putting its chances of success at 20% or lower as they doubted Russia's sincerity. Other officials were hoping that it could be a first step toward a more comprehensive peace deal, the outlet wrote. The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims. Read also: Opinion: Is momentum building for peace talks? Kyiv launched its cross-border push on Aug. 6, reportedly capturing dozens of settlements and over 1,000 square kilometers since then. In the meantime, Russia continues its push in Ukraine's east, inching toward a key logistics hub in Donetsk Oblast, Pokrovsk. This was the first time Ukrainian regular soldiers entered Russian soil since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, occupied large swathes of Ukraine's sovereign territory, and laid waste to its villages, cities, and infrastructure. The Ukrainian leadership has previously indicated that the incursion could strengthen Kyiv's position in any possible future talks with Moscow. Ukraine and Russia have not held direct peace talks since unsuccessful negotiations in early 2022 in Belarus and Turkey. Russia was not invited to the global peace summit held in Switzerland in June, but Kyiv said it wants to invite a Russian representative to a follow-up conference. Ukraine hopes to present Moscow with a peace plan developed jointly by the summit participants. The peace plan is based on President Volodymyr Zelensky's 10-point peace formula, with one of the articles centered around energy security. This topic was to be discussed at the August conference. Ukraine's Presidential Office told the WP that the in-person conference was postponed "due to the situation in the Middle East" but would be held in video format on Aug. 22. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Domestic producers account for over 80% of the total volume of materiel contracts for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the Defense Ministry reported on Aug. 16. Contracts with Ukrainian manufacturers have reportedly increased since the Defense Ministry in December 2023 established the State Logistics Operator (DOT), a new procurement agency responsible for all non-military purchases, such as food, fuel, and clothes. Since its founding, DOT has engaged 28 new Ukrainian companies to provide the military with essential supplies, the ministry said. "Due to the increased competition, we see the quality of goods for the Armed Forces improving and the price decreasing at the same time," said Deputy Defense Minister Dmytro Klimenkov. "This is an important aspect of our strategy, as transparent procurement rules provide a wider choice of suppliers and create conditions for innovation. Our goal is to supply the military with everything they need, using state resources efficiently." Domestic suppliers are now providing the army with chemical hot water bottles, which offer servicemembers an alternative heat source. The hot water bottles were previously produced in China for twice the price. The Defense Ministry reported that the domestic hot water bottle contract saved 12.5 million hryvnias (approximately $304,364). DOT also signed a contract with a Ukrainian company that produces women's summer field uniforms and ponchos. The company has collaborated with European firms and produced uniforms for EU institutions. DOT was founded in part to combat corruption in military procurement. Scandals in procurement of clothing and food supplies for the army led to the dismissal of former Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov in September 2023. Even under DOT, the Defense Ministry has reportedly spent millions on supplies for the army at triple the market rate, according to media investigations. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Ukrainian forces reportedly destroy bridge over Seim River in Kursk Oblast, advance another 1-3 km Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Data gathered and analysed by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) suggest that Ukrainian forces have made further progress in Russia's Kursk Oblast, particularly in areas southeast of the town of Sudzha. Source: ISW Quote: "Ukrainian forces continued to marginally advance southeast of Sudzha on 16 August amid continued Ukrainian operations in Kursk Oblast." Details: ISW notes that Russian military bloggers (milbloggers) claim that Ukrainian forces have advanced east of Mirny and south of Spalnoye, both located southeast of Sudzha. Geolocation imagery released on 15 August suggests Ukrainian forces have recently been active in the village of Borki, also southeast of Sudzha. They also added that fighting continued north of Sudzha near Russkoye Porechnoye, east of Sudzha near Agronom and southeast of Sudzha along the Giri-Kamyshnoye-Krupets-Spalnoye line. Meanwhile, Russia's Defence Ministry claimed that Russian forces thwarted a Ukrainian armoured attack towards Gordeevka, south of Korenevo, as well as Ukrainian offensives west of Anastasyevka and southeast of Kauchuk, both situated northeast of Korenevo and about 27 km from the border. Russian milbloggers also claimed that Russian troops conducted an attack on Ukrainian forces deployed near Otruba, southwest of Korenevo and along the border. Quote: "Geolocated footage published on 15 and 16 August indicates that Ukrainian forces continue to operate throughout the maximalist claimed limit of Ukrainian advances within Kursk Oblast, including near Sudzha." Details: Ukrainian officials reported ongoing advances by Ukrainian forces in Kursk Oblast and suggested that this incursion has increased Russia's willingness to consider a prisoner-of-war exchange. Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, stated on 16 August that Ukrainian forces had advanced one to three kilometres in different areas of Kursk Oblast. To quote the ISWs Key Takeaways on 16 August: Ukrainian forces continued to marginally advance southeast of Sudzha on 16 August amid continued Ukrainian operations in Kursk Oblast. Ukrainian strikes reportedly destroyed two bridges in Glushkovo district, Kursk Oblast. Ukrainian forces reportedly advanced further into western Belgorod Oblast during recent cross-border assaults than previously reported, but available open-source reporting and evidence indicate that Ukrainian forces no longer maintain positions within Belgorod Oblast as of 16 August. Ukrainian officials reported that Ukrainian forces continued to advance in Kursk Oblast and suggested that the incursion has forced Russia to more readily consider prisoner-of-war (POW) exchanges. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Office (UN OHCHR) requested that Russian authorities allow UN representatives to visit Bryansk, Kursk, and Belgorod oblasts as part of a human rights monitoring mission. US officials reiterated that US policy on Ukraine's ability to use US-provided weapons to conduct long-range strikes against Russian military targets has not changed amid the ongoing Ukrainian incursion into Kursk Oblast. The Kremlin reportedly fired former Defence Minister Sergei Shoigus advisor on information policy, Andrei Ilnitsky, possibly as part of an ongoing effort to shift control of Russia's wartime information policy from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to the Russian Presidential Administration. Russian forces recently advanced near Chasiv Yar, Toretsk, and Pokrovsk. Russian milbloggers claimed on 16 August that Russian drone operators are limiting their use of Mavic drones amid claims that Russian commanders are forcing operators to either personally pay to replace drones lost outside of combat or risk being sent to an infantry assault unit as punishment for losing a drone. Support UP or become our patron! Manager Rosso by my feet (Photo by Luis Samayoa) Riding my bike from Yokota Air Base and exploring Hachioji recently gave me good cardio exercise and the opportunity to check out Rosso Cafe. The signboard caught my attention because it had a poodle on it. Turns out Rosso Cafe is an animal-friendly cafe. I enjoy going to animal cafes in Japan since there are not many around back home in Southern California where Im from. The front with the Poodle design (Photo by Luis Samayoa) The first thing I noticed when entering is how clean and fur-less this cafe was. Thats because the store manager, Rosso, an adorable brown poodle, is the only pet resident. The cafe is pet-friendly, so feel free to stop by if youre hungry and have your furry friend with you. Rosso is not as big as other animal cafes, but its very cozy and simply decorated. As I entered, I was greeted by the staff working behind the counter and shortly after, Rosso came over to greet me. Inside the cafe (Photo by Luis Samayoa) Rosso the Manager (Photo by Luis Samayoa) Manager Rosso by my feet (Photo by Luis Samayoa) Their menu is in both Japanese with English and consisted of pasta, seafood, meat dishes and desserts. Their alcohol menu was large but all in Japanese. Most of the food displayed on the menu didnt really appeal to me, so I decided to stick with a dessert item. outdoor food menu (Photo by Luis Samayoa) Pasta menu (Photo by Luis Samayoa) Alcohol menu (Photo by Luis Samayoa) What caught my attention the most was the chocolate cake they had on display. I decided to order it for my quick pitstop snack and watched Rosso browse around my feet as I waited to be served. My cake slice arrived quickly, and first thing I noticed was the small size of the cake slice. Im still adjusting to the size of portions in Japan, but the cake itself was delicious. The dark cocoa and nice sprinkle on top provided a good texture to each bite. The dish came with a small portion of whipped cream which complemented the chocolate and sugar. For 550 yen, it wasnt that bad of a deal for a pet cafe. Chocolate cake (Photo by Luis Samayoa) When eating, Rosso did not jump on my table, so it was peaceful. For payment, they accept yen and credit cards. As I walked out, the staff and manager wished me off on my next adventure. Address: 1F Nishiki Building, 2-9 Oyokocho, Hachioji, Tokyo Hours: Tues., - Sun., 11 a.m. 7 p.m. (Closed Monday) Parking: No parking available Instagram Ukrainian forces have "strengthened" their positions in Russia's Kursk Oblast as their operation in the Russian region continues, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi reported to President Volodymyr Zelensky on Aug. 17. Less than two weeks into Ukraine's cross-border offensive in Russia's Kursk Oblast, Ukrainian troops control about 1,000 square kilometers of Russian territory and over 80 settlements in the region while continuing to advance, according to the Ukrainian military. Ukrainian soldiers have expanded the "stabilized territory," Zelensky said, without elaborating. More Russian soldiers have also been taken prisoner over the past day, he added. "I thank all the soldiers and commanders who capture Russian soldiers and thus bring the release of our soldiers and civilians held by Russia closer," Zelensky said. 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. According to Zelensky, Russian troops have conducted dozens of assaults on Ukraine's positions in these two sectors over the past day. "Our soldiers and units are doing everything to destroy the occupier and repel the attacks. The situation is under control," the president said. 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. An old, lifted, yellow Chevy Malibu bounces down Woodward. A pristine Ford GT rolls in the lane next to it. Somebody in a factory-stock mid-2010s Honda CRV seems lost, frustrated with the traffic crawling at 5 mph. An ice cream truck, seemingly unaware anyone could possibly be upset in this moment, creeps behind it with its trademark music radiating from its rooftop speakers. Kids cheer. Parents groan. It's the Woodward Dream Cruise again. Tom Messer walks past two Ford Mustangs in Mustang Alley during the 2024 Woodward Dream Cruise in Ferndale on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024. The Dream Cruise, celebrating its 28th year of sending hot rods down Woodward on Saturday, brought a constant din of grumbling engines and entertained families, though it wasn't as loud as it has been in previous years. Early on, Woodward was a little less congested than usual, with many owners of vehicles shying away from forecasts of rain over southeast Michigan. More: Prepare for rain: Showers likely through Dream Cruise weekend Regardless, under gray skies, plenty of car fans turned out to soak up the automotive history, either from the curb or from the seat of their car. Jacob Beecher, a 20-year-old from Royal Oak "Just down the street from here," he said was driving his parents' 1968 forest green Ford Bronco in the cruise. Mike Winter polishes his 1978 Mustang Cobra II parked at the Mustang Alley during the 2024 Woodward Dream Cruise in Ferndale on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024. "It's just the coolest, man," he said, his friends laughing in the car while he pumped gas at the Amoco off Woodward in Royal Oak. Beecher wasn't intimidated by the forecast, taking to the streets without the hardtop on the Bronco. "Worst case scenario, we get soaked," he said with a shrug. Again, his friends laughed, before he rumbled out of the service station and back onto the road. A driver puts up a peace sign while driving down Woodward Avenue during the 2024 Woodward Dream Cruise in Ferndale on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024. Not all the cars were rumbling, though. Some didn't make any noise at all. Sanford Szirtes, 73, of Farmington Hills, runs a health care business. He and his brother, Jerry Szirtes, 77, sat on the sidewalk in foldout chairs, taking in the history oozing off of the hot rods and bent chrome cruising in front of them. Szirtes said he grew up cruising Woodward. His first car was a classic: a '71 Buick Skylark. But Szirtes doesn't live for the grumbling engine anymore no way. He drives a Tesla, and he said his family was the first in Michigan to do so. More: Woodward Dream Cruise 2024: 12 restaurants to visit along route In 2009, his son, Joel, said, "Dad, you've got to see this company," and he showed him Tesla. A few months later, his son had put in three reservations for the first batch of the cars for him and his family. "All of a sudden, we get some contracts in the mail to sign," Szirtes said. Soon enough, there were some cars in the driveway, too. "Ironically, our family became a sort of part of history." Szirtes took his first Tesla to about 125,000 miles before trading it in for a 2020 Model S a few years ago, and he's never going back, he said. A young child sits on a blanket near a 1967 Dodge Monoco on Woodward Avenue during the 2024 Woodward Dream Cruise in Ferndale on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024. More: Rubin: Will there still be a Dream Cruise in 20 years? And if so, who'll take the wheel? And while he still gets excited about the classic cars and roaring engines he got particularly revved up about a blue and white Volkswagen Bus that drove by Szirtes noted that electric vehicles are the future. Eighty years from now, he said, it's possible that the Woodward Dream Cruise could be much quieter, propelled by electric motors instead of gas-powered ones. His brother agreed. "If that's the way of the future, it'll be cleaner and quieter," Jerry Szirtes said. "Unless they use artificial noise, then it would sound like the '60s again." News reporter Liam Rappleye can be reached at LRappleye@freepress.com This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Woodward Dream Cruise 2024 thunders along beneath gray skies Unimaginable and so abhorrent, says federal judge about exclusion of Jewish students on UCLA campus Tents sit in an encampment on the UCLA campus after clashes between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian groups, May 1, 2024, in Los Angeles. | Jae C. Hong UCLA cannot allow protesters to block Jewish students from accessing the campus facilities, classes and activities, a federal judge ruled Tuesday. The ruling comes after three Jewish students filed a complaint in federal court, saying the university let activists set up barricades in the center of campus as well as an encampment that blocked access to campus. Religious liberty firm Becket filed the suit on behalf of the students. In the year 2024, in the United States of America, in the State of California, in the City of Los Angeles, Jewish students were excluded from portions of the UCLA campus because they refused to denounce their faith, wrote U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi. This fact is so unimaginable and so abhorrent to our constitutional guarantee of religious freedom that it bears repeating, Jewish students were excluded from portions of the UCLA campus because they refused to denounce their faith. UCLA does not dispute this, wrote Scarsi, adding the school claimed the exclusion was created by protesters and because of that, it has no responsibility to protect the religious freedom of its Jewish students. Lawyers for UCLA attempted to challenge the suit on the basis of standing, arguing the three Jewish students did not have standing to file the suit in the first place. Scarsi rejected this argument. Scarsi issued a preliminary injunction, saying if any part of UCLAs programs or campus become unavailable to certain Jewish students, then UCLA needs to stop providing those services again. How best to make any unavailable programs, activities, and campus areas available again is left to UCLAs discretion, said the suit. The order also said on or before Thursday, the defendants need to tell student affairs mitigators and all campus security teams they cannot help or participate in efforts that lead to Jewish students being obstructed from programs and campus areas. For purposes of this order, all references to the exclusion of Jewish students shall include exclusion of Jewish students based on religious beliefs concerning the Jewish state of Israel, wrote Scarsi. No student should ever have to fear being blocked from their campus because they are Jewish, said Yitzchok Frankel, one of the Jewish students who sued. I am grateful that the court has ordered UCLA to put a stop to this shameful anti-Jewish conduct. Todays ruling says that UCLAs policy of helping antisemitic activists target Jews is not just morally wrong, but a gross constitutional violation, said Becket president Mark Rienzi. UCLA should stop fighting the Constitution and start protecting Jews on campus. Demonstrators walk in an encampment on the UCLA campus after clashes between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian groups, May 1, 2024, in Los Angeles. | Jae C. Hong What the original suit said With the knowledge and acquiescence of UCLA officials, the activists enforced what was effectively a Jew Exclusion Zone, segregating Jewish students and preventing them from accessing the heart of campus, including classroom buildings and the main undergraduate library, said the suit. The suit said to pass through this area, a person would have to make a statement agreeing with the activists views and a person inside the encampment would have to verify that they did. While this may have prevented a pro-Israel Christian from entering the Zone and permitted access for a Jewish person willing to comply with the enforcers demands, given the centrality of Jerusalem to the Jewish faith, the practical effect was to deny the overwhelming majority of Jews access to the heart of the campus, said the suit. This zone remained on campus for a full week, said the filing. Joshua Ghayoum, one of the student plaintiffs, was repeatedly blocked from passing through the encampment to get to class. Another plaintiff, Eden Shemuelian, alleged a security officer shooed her away and called her the problem for attempting to peacefully observe the encampment. And Yitzchok Frankel, a second year-law student, was harassed and blocked from approaching the encampment by antisemitic activists, all with the assistance of UCLA security, the suit alleged. The suit said UCLA violated the Equal Protection Clause, the Free Exercise Clause and freedom of speech by its actions. Before the encampment was set up, the suit said Jewish students and faculty raised concern about their safety on campus due to a number of antisemitic incidents that occurred. On November 8, 2023, hundreds of agitators swarmed the UCLA School of Law, holding signs and chanting from the River to the Sea, theres only one solution, intifada, death to Israel, and death to Jews, said the suit. The suit said antisemitic graffiti was found on campus and an antisemitic statue depicting a several-foot-tall pig holding a bag of money and a birdcage with a keffiyeh, alongside a bucket painted with a star of David was found outside the UCLA Luskin Conference Center. After months of protests, checkpoints were set up as well as an encampment, said the suit. Passing through the checkpoints required a person to condemn Israel as a committer of apartheid and genocide of the Palestinian people, to call for an end to occupation and genocide in Palestine, and to agree that UCLA should (s)ever all UC-wide connections to Israeli universities, including study abroad programs, fellowships, seminars, and research collaborations, and UCLAs Nazarian Center, said the suit. The suit said students were denied passage for wearing Star of David necklaces or for saying they were Zionists. Defendants directed the UCLA PD not to intervene in the disturbances on campus, including with respect to the encampment and the Jew Exclusion Zone, said the suit, later adding, students who disagreed with the encampment faced physical violence. NORTH SIOUX CITY, S.D. (KCAU) After two months of waiting, Union County is now officially eligible for FEMAs individual assistance, and the residents of North Sioux City and McCook Lake are ready to start the next step of recovery. I saw it last night declared, it was just the biggest sigh of relief knowing that were going to get something, North Sioux City resident Darcey Spates said. FEMA is at least going to come here and do something to help us. McCook Lake Izaak Walton League holds hamburger corn feed I dont know why it took so long for them to do this because people need help now, North Sioux City resident Ann Faulk said. Theres people that dont even have a house. Im lucky, I have my house, but theres a lot of them that dont. Now that the wait is over, flood-impacted North Sioux City residents are ready to receive some federal relief. Were just hoping to get funds to start over, to move on, to start a new life. Thats where were at in the situation, Spates said. Im just praying that this can really help my neighbors who are able to rebuild. That they can be compensated to do so, to rebuild their homes and carry on with their lives. Those that have begun reconstruction on their homes are encouraged to apply, as the repairs will not affect what assistance they can receive. We just tell them again to keep all their receipts, document everything, Tony Mayne with FEMA said. We understand that everyones recovery from this flooding disaster will be different. We recommend that the survivors in those counties apply for assistance through FEMA as soon as possible. Officials make preparations for controlled blast of rail bridge over Big Sioux River Now that the disaster declaration wait is over, the next step may require even more patience. Theres no real time frame when people will receive that FEMA assistance, Mayne said. The first step is applying for assistance and getting all that proper information that FEMA will need for their application, because not having proper documentation is one of the big factors that delays a survivors assistance in a timely manner. To apply for FEMA aid, call 800-621-3362 or 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. How a little Tulare County farm is surviving in the Big Ag era. Hint: It involves gin Uniquely is a Fresno Bee series that covers the moments, landmarks and personalities that define what makes living in the Fresno area so special. At 35 acres, Lindcove Ranch in Exeter is tiny. Its barely a speck of the more than 140,340 acres of citrus grown in Tulare County, which in turn produces about 40% of Californias citrus crop. But its the one representing the central San Joaquin Valley in a bottle of gin that will be sold on shelves across the nation. Valley Gin from St. George Spirits is a tribute to our region and its livelihood. Behind it is the story of a family whos been farming for more than a century, hacking out their own path in a sea of massive farms whose fruit dominates grocery store shelves. Its also the story of a couple of Alameda distillers who got infected by the heady scent of orange blossoms one spring evening in Lindcove and were compelled to turn the experience into a gin. Now those delicate orange blossoms on the farm have made their way into a gin thats being sold nationwide. It debuted about two months ago and is available online and at many big liquor stores. A launch party for the gin was hosted last Sunday at The Red Room, the bar inside Pardinis on West Shaw Avenue. Bartenders from The Red Room, Annex Kitchen, Annesso and Michelangelos Pizzeria made cocktails with Valley Gin they invented for the event and may possibly have later at their respective bars. When Ryan Metcalf, bartender and beverage manager at The Red Room, tried the final product, he got psyched about the taste and reached out to the company. His team came up with eight new cocktails for the launch party. Its very mellow in bite. Its very silky and subtle, he said. Its not gonna bite you back. Big farms and small A young John O. Kirkpatrick is pictured in this photo. The image won a Sunkissed photo contest, making the future farmer a literal poster boy for citrus. The Kirkpatrick family with Lindcove Ranch has farming roots that go back to 1905 when they first came to Lindsay. Patriarch John O. Kirkpatrick whose initials are in the upper right-hand corner of the Valley Gin label was literally a poster child for Sunkist oranges, his father snapping a photo of a 2- or 3-year-old Kirkpatrick in ripped coveralls holding an orange. The image won a Sunkist photo contest. Kirkpatrick died in February 2023 and his son, Greg Kirkpatrick, has taken over the family farm. His mom Shirley has retired. The farm is in the foothill community of Lindcove, (northeast of Exeter proper, though technically still within the city). Some may know it for its Main Squeeze Market (which recently closed) on Highway 198, a frequent stop for people headed to Three Rivers. The farmers also sell their fruit at the Visalia Farmers Market (though theyre taking a break from it right now) and two Sacramento-area markets Sunrise Mall Farmers Market and the Sacramento Certified Farmers Market at 8th and W streets. Lindcove Ranch has been selling citrus and its blossoms to be made into alcohol for around 20 years. It used to be the main supplier of oranges for Hangar 1 Vodkas mandarin blossom orange vodka. Selling fruit or other crops used in alcohol, whether spirits or beer, isnt unheard of. Fresnos Tioga-Sequoia Brewing Co. uses stone fruit such as peaches in its beers all the time. Wicked Harvest bourbon is infused with pistachios from the Valley and a vodka is made from sweet potatoes in Atwater. But compared to the citrus industry as a whole? That is quite uncommon. Thats a pretty interesting, but small, niche of our industry sector, said Tricia Stever Blattler, executive director of the Tulare County Farm Bureau. Just shy of 50% of Tulare Countys crop of millions of pounds of oranges, lemons and grapefruit are exported outside the United States, much of it to Korea, Japan and other Asian countries. Some of it is squeezed into juice, but most gets torn apart with fingernails and eaten the old fashioned way. We are really known for being the fresh citrus capital of the world, Stever Blattler said. Giant farm companies do much of that exporting. Wonderful Citrus, for example, owns and manages around 70,000 acres of citrus, including the Halos brand of mandarins (in addition to Wonderful Pistachios, FIJI Water and other well-known brands). But the Valley also has lots of small citrus growers, Stever Blattler said. Its not uncommon to find farmers working 10 or 20 acres while still going to their regular day job, she said. Lindcove Ranch Lindcove Ranch is not your typical farm and certainly not one of the big guys. Most peoples mantra is, Get big or get out, Kirkpatrick said. Were quite the opposite. Our motto is, De-commodify or die. They focus on niche markets instead of big crops. Lindcove Ranchs ultimate specialty is the etrog citron. It looks like a bumpy, pointy lemon. Its used in the Orthodox Jewish holiday of Sukkot, commemorating the 40 years when Jews wandered the desert. Its used in a ritual where it and other plants are waved toward the four points of the compass. The etrog is shipped all over the country for the holiday, including to one of the largest Orthodox Jewish communities in the world, in Lakewood, New Jersey. The farm also once sold the leaves of the knobby green makrut limes for vodka. (Theyre more commonly called kaffir limes, but the word is a racial slur used against Black people, especially in South Africa, so many are calling it by its Thai name instead.) And now, the Valley Gin. I think its a great example of some out-of-the box thinking, said Stever Blattler. It really takes some innovation and entrepreneurship to differentiate yourself when you operates in a really, really big marketplace. Years ago, when the Lindcove Ranch farmers and the St. George distillers met specifically Kirkpatricks father John and St. George founder Jorg Rupf they connected instantly. As soon as we saw how incredibly enthusiastic about everything citrus he was, we knew we had found our sensei, said master distiller Lance Winters. Its been a great and inspiring relationship ever since. When the elder Kirkpatrick died, Winters and head distiller Dave Smith came down for his celebration of life. The trip included a visit to the Lindcove Research and Extension Center, a sort of Willy Wonka-style research facility for citrus, thats coincidentally across the street from the farm. After, the distillers were serving Greg Kirkpatricks favorite cocktail St. George Terroir gin with Star Ruby grapefruit juice from the farm. They were in the orange grove in the spring, the blossoms were in full bloom, and that perfume-worthy scent was rolling over everything. The distillers were hit with inspiration. Its a very beautiful feeling. Its a beautiful time of day, Winters said. Thats exactly the sort of place we like to draw for inspiration for a spirit. They decided to create a gin that would put them back in that moment. Or, as Kirkpatrick tells it: The creative, I guess, juices literally got flowing and they came down and said, Hey, we really gotta do this in a big way. Harvesting blossoms So they did, incorporating not just oranges, but the delicate orange blossoms from Lindcove Ranch to get a light floral taste thats much more nuanced than essential oils pulled from mature orange peels. They also picked bergamot and Seville oranges; the peels used to make extracts used in the gin. Early in the cool morning before the bees woke up, workers and distillers picked 1,000 pounds of Valencia, mandarin and tangelo blossoms. And since the tiny flowers are so delicate, this harvest took extra care. Picture a worker with an old bucket strapped to his body, literally just grabbing bunches of flowers when theyre in full bloom, Kirkpatrick said. It takes about an hour to pick a pound maybe two or three pounds for the old pros if the tree is heavy with blooms. The blossoms are collected in whatever plastic blue barrels or insulated totes they could find. They can start to compost almost immediately, so they spread them out as loosely as they can, and infuse the containers with argon gas to counteract the oxygen that oxidizes them. The Kirkpatricks load the containers into their van and drive them the three hours to Alameda before the day even heats up. Within 15 or 20 minutes of their arrival, alcohol is being poured over the blossoms so they can infuse their flavor into the future gin. Its a lot of work, but its worth it, Winters said. When you smell it and when you taste it, youll realize all the time that goes into those blossoms is totally worthwhile. Farmer Greg Kirkpatrick of Lindcove Ranch, middle, poses with St. George Spirits head distiller Dave Smith, far left, and master distiller Lance Winters, far right. The central San Joaquin Valley is one of the largest citrus-growing regions in the world, with Tulare County producing 40% of the states crop. St. George distillerys Valley Gin is infused with the flavors and smells of orange blossoms from Tulare Countys Lindcove Ranch. Ryan Metcalf, beverage director at The Red Room cocktail bar located inside Pardinis in Fresno, prepares a cocktail made with Valley Gin from St. George Spirits. Ramos Gin Fizz is a drink made with Valley Gin from St. George Spirits at The Red Room cocktail bar located inside Pardinis in Fresno. Orange blossoms picked from a Tulare County farm are scooped into a distilling tank, where they will infuse their flavor into gin. Honeydew This, Honeydew That is a drink made with Valley Gin from St. George Spirits at The Red Room cocktail bar located inside Pardinis in Fresno. The Princess & The Pea is a drink made with Valley Gin from St. George Spirits at The Red Room cocktail bar located inside Pardinis in Fresno. Urbana looks for public input on strategic future plan URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) The city of Urbana is planning for the future and they want the publics feedback on their policy guide. The city released the draft of its Imagine Urbana Plan Thursday night. It includes list of ideas, moves, and potential land usage for the future of Urbana. Urbanas mayor says the guide will serve as a roadmap for infrastructure and provide a framework for innovative growth and development. Which streets to avoid during U of I move-in week: UIPD When finalized, Imagine Urbana will serve as the Citys guide for City policy, infrastructure, and planning decisions in the years ahead, Urbana mayor Diane Wolfe Marlin said in a statement. It provides the framework to promote quality of life for residents through innovative, sustainable, and fiscally responsible growth and development. The full plan can be found on this website. Physical copies can be found at the Urbana Free Library and the City of Urbana Clerks Office. The city is looking for feedback from residents. There are multiple opportunities for the community to weigh in on the plan. First, the Urbana Plan Commission will be holding a Study Session on Aug. 22 at 7 p.m. Then in September, the city is holding six informal neighborhood meetings. The dates and times for the Imagine Urbana information sessions are: Thursday, Sept. 12: 25 O Clock Brewing Co., 208 W. Griggs St. at 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13: Vineyard Church, 1500 N. Lincoln Ave. at 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 18: ILEAS Training Center, 1701 E. Main St at 12 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. (Light lunch will be provided as available) Wednesday, Sept. 18: The Urbana Free Library, 210 W. Green St. at 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 18: USD #116 Tiger Academy, 1106 S. Vine St. at 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19: St. Matthew Lutheran Church, 2200 Philo Road at 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. After gathering public input, the plan will be recommended to the City Council for approval. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. The US has watched closely as Ukrainian forces pushed deeper into Russian territory, powered in part by US-provided arms and equipment that have raised questions about whether Kyiv has abided by the Biden administrations restrictions on the use of American weaponry. Ukraine has used US weaponry and vehicles as part of its offensive, according to officials, even though the Biden administration did put boundaries on the use of US weaponry in Russia, according to two US officials. The officials would not detail the exact boundaries the US drew but said Ukraine had not technically breached the US-imposed limitations. US-made Humvees were seen entering Russias Kursk oblast through the Ukraine-Russia border crossing near Sudzha, Russia, on Tuesday in a Reuters photograph. Ukraine has also used HIMARS rocket launchers as part of the operation, officials said, but the vehicles appear to have remained in Ukrainian territory, using the range of its GMLRS missile to hit Russia. The Russian Ministry of Defense released drone video on Thursday, showing a HIMARS rocket-launching vehicle firing missiles in a wooded area just under five miles from the Russia-Ukraine border. The US restrictions on the use of long-range ATACMS missile has not changed, US officials said. Ukraine has used the missiles to strike Russian air defense systems in Russian-occupied Crimea. On Friday, Russias foreign ministry said Ukraine had likely used HIMARS to destroy a bridge over the Seym river in the Kursk region, adding the strike killed volunteers trying to evacuate civilians. Its unclear to what extent the US vehicles have been used so far in the operation in Kursk. Pro-Russian Telegram channels have circulated images claiming to show a destroyed Ukrainian convoy in the Kursk oblast. CNN is unable to determine the exact location where the photos were taken, but one of the destroyed vehicles is a US-made Cougar MRAP. One US official said Ukraines military has used US-made Stryker combat vehicles capable of moving infantry across a battlefield. Video released by the Russian Ministry of Defense claims to show a military strike hitting a US-made Stryker vehicle in a wooded area, but CNN could not verify the claim. On Friday, Ukrainian army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi ssaid the Ukrainian military, already some 35 kilometers into Russian territory, is still advancing in some areas from 1 to 3 kilometers. The operation has put the Kremlin on the defensive, forcing Russia to bring in troops from the front lines to repel the ongoing Ukrainian raid. Overall, the situation is under control. All activities are being carried out according to plan, Syrskyi said. The US drew a box north of Ukraine from which Russian forces were carrying out attacks and instructed Kyiv to keep their use of American weapons contained to that area, according to two US officials. The officials would not describe the exact location of the geographic box or its size, but they said Ukraines incursion has remained within its borders, and the operation has not violated US policy regarding the use of American weapons on Russia. Because the operation has remained within the agreed upon area, officials say it has not technically breached US-imposed limitations. One official said the Ukrainian offensive follows the letter of the law when it comes to US policy but acknowledged its not what we had in mind. The US has not publicly taken a position on Ukraines maneuver, which officials say has had a surprising amount of success. The Biden administration has not instructed Kyiv to pull back its forces into Ukraine, nor has it thrown its full support behind the operation. Instead, the administration has been careful in stating openly that it will continue to back Ukraines ability to defend itself. Theyre going to continue to have American support for the defense of their territory for defeating Russian aggression, John Kirby, strategic communications coordinator for the National Security Council, told CNN Friday. Equally surprising, officials said, is the Kremlins slow response to the incursion, the first time Russia has lost sovereign territory since invading Ukraine more than two years ago. Russia appears to have diverted at least several thousand troops away from front-line fighting in occupied Ukraine in order to address the territorial loss in the Kursk region. One US official said Russia will likely end up having to send more troops to the area to strengthen its own defenses, as the US watches to see where Russia will find the manpower. Meanwhile, senior US officials have tried to gain a better understanding of Kyivs goal in carrying out the offensive into Russia. Ukraine did not inform the US in advance of the incursion, and the US is still not clear on what the long-term goal is for the operation. On Friday, an aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the cross-border incursion is aimed at creating a fair negotiation process and inflicting significant tactical defeats on Russia. Negative changes in the psychological state of the Russian population will be another argument for the start of negotiations, said Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, on social media. Russias reaction may be delayed, officials said, but there is little doubt that a response is coming. Ukraine says it has seized approximately 400 square miles of territory inside Russia, forcing Russian authorities to declare emergencies and carry out large-scale evacuations. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart, Rustem Umerov, Wednesday and tried to learn more about the objectives of the offensive, launched nearly two weeks ago. Throughout the department, we are engaging with the Ukrainians trying to get a better understanding of their objectives, said deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh. Pressed on whether Austin told Umerov that he supports the operation, Singh demurred. What I can tell you is where we are supportive and that is Ukraine continuing to defend itself, she said. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Utah homeowners, already facing an intense wildfire season, now have to worry about being unable to repair fire damages due to losing insurance. What's happening? CBS affiliate KUTV reported on the trend, which has seen homeowners across Utah abruptly dropped by their insurance companies due to the fire risk. They quoted resident Jon Watkins, who recounted the day he received the news. "Our stomach dropped because we've had the same home insurance since we bought the house," he told KUTV. "They've been really good to us, and we haven't had any fires in the area. There haven't been any big complaints. I didn't understand why it was happening now." But it was true. "In 60 days we're dropping you," he said, remembering their letter. "Good luck." Even when Watkins searched for a new plan, he found something troubling: Many insurers had begun scaling back their coverage in his area, leaving him with few options. "Brokers said they didn't know what to tell me. No one wants to insure that area," he told KUTV. "They were dealing with it for other people in my community too." Utah insurance department commissioner Jon Pike said that the issue quite literally keeps him up at night. "I worry that people will be caught by surprise," he said. Why is this concerning? While this is unfortunate for Utah's residents, it's hardly a unique story. Homeowners and businesses around the country are losing affordable insurance options due to weather-related risks, often leaving them one bad storm away from financial despair. And because these destructive weather patterns have been linked to our changing climate and global heating which are showing no signs of stopping they can be expected to continue. In fact, experts have found extreme weather events such as wildfires have a way of creating a self-perpetuating cycle. And considering that we're already experiencing a record-breaking year of heatwaves and raging wildfires, the likelihood of reversing course anytime soon is slim. Between property damages, lost tourism dollars, lost economic opportunities, and revitalization efforts, even a single wildfire can cause damages in the billions. What's being done? KUTV reported that Pike spoke with Utah's lawmakers, urging them to consider fire safety regulations around building materials, land use, and more. Other groups are working to innovate around building more resilient homes to withstand weather events. The first concrete 3D-printed house was recently unveiled, marking a potential solution for those homes that stand in the face of fires or hurricanes. Another proposal is also being examined to connect international solar grids via underwater cables and create a "super grid," which would serve to prevent power outages even when one area is in a storm. 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. Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Abdulla Nigmatovich Aripov is waiting for German President Steinmeier in front of the Bakan Tex spinning mill. Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa In a significant diplomatic move, Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov arrived in Kabul on Saturday, marking the second highest-level visit by a foreign official since the Taliban returned to power three years ago. The Uzbek premier received a red carpet welcome from the Talibans Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Salam Hanafi at Kabul International Airport. Aripovs visit to Kabul aims to discuss bilateral relations and strengthen trade ties between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, the Afghan Ministry of Commerce and Industries said in a statement. Five trade and investment agreements were signed between the two countries, the ministry added. The Uzbek prime minister is also scheduled to inaugurate an exhibition of Uzbek products. The visit follows a trilateral meeting between Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan, where the economy ministers discussed ways to enhance regional trade. Since the Talibans return to power, Uzbekistan has maintained good political relations with the Taliban government, recognizing the importance of stability in the region. The two nations share a 144-kilometre border. The Taliban government is still not recognized internationally. VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) On Friday, 10 Virginia Beach Sheriffs deputies graduated from the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) America training program. In 2015, the D.A.R.E program was cut from Virginia Beach City Public Schools due to budgetary constraints. However, Sheriff Rocky Holcomb remains committed to reinstating the program. Photo Credit: VBSO Photo Credit: VBSO Photo Credit: VBSO Photo Credit: VBSO We are proud to be a part of this program, said Sheriff Rocky Holcomb. We are ready to go back into the schools to teach and mentor children about the dangers of guns, gang activity, bullying, drug use and so much more. We know it makes a difference. According to the VBSO, Holcomb has asked the Virginia Beach City Council twice this year to fund D.A.R.E. and return it to Beach elementary schools. However, no funding has been set aside for the program at this time. The VBSO is ready to do the heavy lifting to reimplement the program even better than it was. Providing this free training before money has been put back proves our readiness to serve the elementary school children who need this program, Holcomb said. I feel strongly that we need to put D.A.R.E. back into our schools to educate our young people and turn them away from destructive behaviors that kill innocent victims and leave tragedy in their wake. The cost to operate the program was about $780,000 per year before it ended. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Venezuelan Community in Charleston to hold Protest for the Truth Saturday CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) The Venezuelan community in Charleston is set to gather for a demonstration titled Protest for the Truth in response to the recent controversial election results in Venezuela. The event will take place on Saturday, August 17, at James Island County Park, with doors opening at 4 p.m. and the protest beginning at 5 p.m. This gathering is part of a global movement initiated by Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who has called for worldwide protests starting on August 10, 2024. The goal of these protests is to mobilize the Venezuelan diaspora, which numbers around 7.7 million people, as well as supporters worldwide, against the current regime led by Nicolas Maduro. The demonstrations aim to advocate for truth and justice for the Venezuelan people. The protests follow the disputed election held on July 28, 2024, in which Nicolas Maduro was declared the winner with 52% of the vote, securing his third six-year term as president. However, the opposition claims that they have evidence showing a significant victory for their candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, based on copies of more than 80% of the voting records. The announcement of Maduros victory sparked widespread protests across Venezuela, resulting in 25 deaths and over 2,400 arrests in the days following the election. Charleston will join more than 300 cities around the globe in participating in this day of protest, standing in solidarity with the Venezuelan people in their fight for democracy and transparency. Event Details: What: Protest for the Truth Charleston Demonstration When: Saturday, August 17, 2024, at 5:00 PM (doors open at 4:00 PM) Where: Wappoo Shelter, James Island County Park, 871 Riverland Dr., Charleston, SC 29412 For more information, please contact Fernando Soto at 843-732-4202. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. By Deisy Buitrago and Mariela Nava CARACAS/MARACAIBO (Reuters) -Venezuela's political opposition and its supporters gathered in cities around the country on Saturday to demand recognition of what they say is their candidate's resounding victory in a presidential vote nearly three weeks ago. The country's electoral authority, considered by the opposition to be an arm of the ruling party, has said President Nicolas Maduro won his third term in the July 28 contest, with just under 52% of the vote. But the opposition, led by former lawmaker Maria Corina Machado, has published online what it says are 83% of voting machine tallies, which give its candidate Edmundo Gonzalez a hearty 67% support. The disputed vote has thrown the economically beleaguered nation into political crisis, and a government crackdown on protests has led to at least 2,400 arrests. Clashes connected to the protests have also led to at least 23 deaths. The international community has offered a raft of suggestions for overcoming the nearly three-week-old election crisis - including a new vote - but most have been rejected outright by both the ruling party and opposition. In the capital Caracas, thousands gathered in the eastern part of the city along its main thoroughfare. Standing on a truck in the center of the crowd, Machado called for independent, international verification of the election and for her supporters to stay in the streets. "There is nothing above the voice of the people and the people have spoken," she said. Jesus Aguilar, a 21-year-old theology student, said he turned out to support the opposition in hope of a better future: "We know that with this government there are no possibilities for growth. I've even seen myself trying to leave the country." In cities across the country, Venezuelans were in the streets. In Maracaibo, Venezuela's once oil-rich city in the northwest, hundreds had gathered by 9 a.m. (1300 GMT). "We have already been through the worst, we don't have any more fear," Noraima Rodriguez, 52, told Reuters. "My daughter died because there were no medical supplies in the university hospital. I have nothing to lose, but I want a future for my grandchildren." In the cities of Valencia, San Cristobal and Barquisimeto, hundreds demonstrated, many waving Venezuelan flags, protest signs or copies of voting tallies. In Maracay, about 110 km (70 miles) west of Caracas, about a hundred protesters were dispersed with tear gas. From Bogota to Madrid, the Venezuelan diaspora turned out in droves. In downtown Mexico City, nearly 1,000 people gathered at the central Plaza de la Revolucion. "This is the moment for a free Venezuela," said Jesus Mata, 30, a street vendor who arrived in Mexico two years ago. Motivated by economic and political crisis, he was among tens of thousands of Venezuelans to cross the treacherous jungle between Colombia and Panama known as the Darien Gap, notorious for robberies, kidnappings, rapes and other dangers. "I hope for an end to 25 years of darkness, that there is freedom so that the almost 8 million Venezuelans who are outside the country can go back home," he added. Maduro has presided over economic collapse, with a loss of over 73% of Venezuela's gross domestic product since 2013, according to researchers from the Institute of Superior Administration Studies in Caracas. At Miraflores Palace after a march in support of the government, Maduro promised 8% growth this year and railed against international critics and the opposition. "We have won the right to make whatever future we want in Venezuela, however we want, and no one can stick their noses in Venezuela," he told a crowd waving Venezuelan flags. "I do not go around giving advice to anybody in the world about what to do with this country or that country...the door will be slammed on anyone who pokes their nose into Venezuela." The opposition is still pushing for recognition of its victory, but its options are narrowing as international attention moves elsewhere, opposition sources and analysts told Reuters this week. Many Western countries have urged full publication of results, while Russia, China and others have congratulated Maduro on his victory. Washington, 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. Latin American leaders will discuss the crisis this weekend when many are in the Dominican Republic to attend the inauguration of that country's new president, Panama's president has said. (Reporting by Deisy Buitrago in Caracas and Mariela Nava in Maracaibo, additional reporting by Tibisay Romero in Valencia, Mircely Guanipa in Maracay, Tathiana Ortiz in San Cristobal and Keren Torres in Barquisimeto; Writing by Sarah Kinosian and Julia Symmes Cobb; editing by Diane Craft, Cynthia Osterman and Deepa Babington) Demonstrators take part in a rally with Venezuelan flags. The opposition had called for the demonstration to protest against President Maduro after the election. Jeampier Arguinzones/dpa Following the presidential election in Venezuela overshadowed by allegations of fraud, thousands of people around the world have protested against the government of authoritarian President Nicolas Maduro. At demonstrations in Venezuela and abroad, they demanded the recognition of the opposition presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez's victory on July 28. According to government opponents, there were rallies in Australia, South Korea, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Belgium and Switzerland. Due to the severe political and economic crisis, more than 7 million people a quarter of the population have left Venezuela and now live abroad. "We have never been so strong as we are today. The regime has never been so weak. We have to trust in our strength now," opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said in a video message to her supporters. "It is a battle of good versus evil and good will prevail." She called on security forces to switch sides and support the opposition. "You witnessed what happened on July 28 and you know that the people have decided for change," she said. The pro-government electoral authority officially declared the president in office since 2013, Maduro, as the winner after the election. However, it has not yet published the detailed results of individual constituencies. The opposition accuses the government of electoral fraud and claims victory for their candidate Gonzalez. The United States and a number of Latin American countries have already recognized the former diplomat as the election winner. The European Union, the Organization of American States (OAS), and numerous other countries in the region have at least expressed significant doubts about the official election result and called for the publication of the detailed results lists. The equally loyal Supreme Court is currently reviewing the election documents. Demonstrators take part in a rally with Venezuelan flags. The opposition had called for the demonstration to protest against President Maduro after the election. Jeampier Arguinzones/dpa Demonstrators take part in a rally with Venezuelan flags. The opposition had called for the demonstration to protest against President Maduro after the election. Jeampier Arguinzones/dpa Venezuelan nationals protest against the official results that declared President Nicolas Maduro the winner of the July presidential election, in Mexico City, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Aurea Del Rosario) CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) Venezuelans across the world some with flags and other patriotic paraphernalia responded to a call from their countrys political opposition Saturday and took to the streets to defend the factions claim to victory over President Nicolas Maduro in last months disputed presidential election. The demonstrations in Tokyo, Sydney, Mexico City and several other cities were an effort by the main opposition coalition to make visible what they insist is the real outcome of the election. They also called on governments to throw their support behind candidate Edmundo Gonzalez and express support to Venezuelans who are fearful in their home country of speaking against Maduro and his allies during a brutal repression campaign. As thousands of Venezuelans waved the national flag, opposition leader Maria Corina Machado made her way through the streets of Caracas on a truck while shouting brave and freedom. Then, before a crowd, she said it was the moment that every vote is respected. Let the world and everyone in Venezuela recognize that the president-elect is Edmundo Gonzalez, she said while being applauded by thousands of cheering supporters. Earlier, Gonzalez, the opposition candidate wrote on his X account: They will not be able to cover up the reality of July 28: we won resoundingly. He didn't show up at the demonstration in Caracas. In Mexico Citys Monument to the Revolution downtown, hundreds of people young and old alike loudly repeated the chants for Freedom! Freedom! that dominated the oppositions rallies ahead of the election. Maduro out! Maduro out! they then screamed as motorists going by honked their horns. What is happening right now is that Venezuela woke up ... so much so that the government doesnt dare to show the tally sheets, Antonia Imbernon said, referring to the voting results documents that are considered the ultimate proof of results. What are they afraid of? Venezuelas National Electoral Council, whose members are loyal to the ruling party, declared Maduro the winner of the July 28 election hours after polls closed. Unlike previous presidential elections, the electoral body has not released the tally sheets detailed voting data to back up its claim that Maduro earned 6.4 million votes while Gonzalez, who represented the Unitary Platform opposition coalition, garnered 5.3 million. But Gonzalez and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado shocked Venezuelans when they revealed they obtained more than 80% of the vote tally sheets issued by every electronic voting machine after polls closed. The documents, they said, showed Gonzalez winning by a wide margin and were uploaded to a website for anyone to see. Machado urged supporters to print the tally sheet from their voting station and take it to Saturdays demonstrations. In Mexico City, some held signs reproaching the decision by Mexicos government to not participate in a Friday hearing of the Organization of American States focused on Venezuelas election crisis. Mexico, we missed you at the OEA, a sign stated using the acronym in Spanish for the regional body. The opposition has consistently expressed the need for the international communitys help to get Maduro to accept the unfavorable results of the election. The derision is worse this time because there is proof; anyone can see them, said Janett Hurtado, 57, who left Venezuela two years ago, referring to the tally sheets. (The government) took away other elections from us again. Hurtado said she has noticed Venezuelans fear to speak against Maduro following the widespread arrests across the South American country in connection with protests sparked by the election results. She said she has friends who have not sent her a single text message since then. Security forces have rounded up more than 2,000 people for demonstrating against Maduro or casting doubt on his claim he won a third term despite strong evidence he lost the vote by a more than 2-to-1 margin. Another 24 have been killed, according to Venezuela-based human rights group Provea. The spree of detentions urged on by Maduro himself is unprecedented, and puts Venezuela on pace to easily exceed those jailed during three previous crackdowns against Maduros opponents. Those arrested include journalists, political leaders, campaign staffers and an attorney defending protesters. Others have had their Venezuelan passports annulled trying to leave the country. One local activist even livestreamed her arrest by military intelligence officers as they broke into her home with a crowbar. It pains us to see whats happening, said Hurtados daughter, Veronica Guedez, 19. We are here to support us as brothers and sisters. The opposition was dealt a blow Thursday when Brazil and Colombia countries that had been pressuring Maduro to release vote tallies backing his claim to victory began suggesting a repeat of the contest instead. But Machado categorically rejected any plan to redo the election, and she said that it would be an insult to the people. ____ Garcia Cano reported from Mexico City. The Veterans of Foreign Wars criticized flippant comments from GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, who called a civilian award much better than the Medal of Honor, the nations highest military decoration. These asinine comments not only diminish the significance of our nations highest award for valor, but also crassly characterizes the sacrifices of those who have risked their lives above and beyond the call of duty, said Al Lipphardt, the VFWs national commander, in a statement Friday. The statement from one of the nations largest veteran advocacy organizations comes after the former president compared the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nations highest civilian honor, to the military decoration at an event in Bedminster, New Jersey, on Thursday. Thats the highest award you can get as a civilian. Its the equivalent of the congressional Medal of Honor, but civilian version, said Trump as he referred to GOP megadonor Miriam Adelson receiving the civilian award from him in 2018. He continued: 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. She gets it, and shes a healthy, beautiful woman. And theyre rated equal. But she got the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Lipphardt, a U.S. Army veteran, said: When a candidate to serve as our militarys commander-in-chief so brazenly dismisses the valor and reverence symbolized by the Medal of Honor and those who have earned it, I must question whether they would discharge their responsibilities to our men and women in uniform with the seriousness and discernment necessary for such a powerful position. It is even more disappointing when these comments come from a man who already served in this noble office and should frankly already know better. Lipphardt, in a separate statement earlier this month, had praised both major political parties after Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris picked veterans as their running mates. HuffPost reached out to the Trump campaign, which was not immediately available for comment. Scathing statement by @VFWHQ admonishing Trump: These asinine comments not only diminish the significance of our nations highest award for valor, but also crassly characterizes the sacrifices of those who have risked their lives above and beyond the call of duty. pic.twitter.com/IlG3jbwaYS Matt McDermott (@mattmfm) August 17, 2024 Trump has a history of making controversial remarks about soldiers and veterans. He notably deniedclaims that hed referred to U.S. service members who died in World War I as suckers and losers. Hes also gone after John McCain on multiple occasions, both before and after the Arizona Republicans death in 2018. Trump mocked the late senator earlier this year over injuries he sustained during his time in the military. He said in 2015 that McCain was not a war hero, noting that he likes people who werent captured; McCain spent years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), Trumps running mate and a Marine veteran, was asked Friday about what hed tell veterans who think that the former presidents Medal of Honor remarks were demeaning. I dont think him complimenting and saying a nice word about a person who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom is in any way denigrating those who receive military honors, said Vance, who has recently attacked Harris running mate, Tim Walz, over the Minnesota governors military service. Theyre two different awards, and I think the president was saying some nice things about a person that he liked, and thats a totally reasonable thing to do. Related... Victims of former Rep. George Santos (R-NY) have been told that he is expected to plead guilty in federal court on Monday after being charged with multiple counts of fraud related to his campaign operation. Multiple Republican donors who were victims of the alleged scheme, in which Santos and his campaign made unauthorized charges on their credit cards, told TPM they were notified by federal prosecutors about the plea deal on Friday. The donors requested anonymity due to their status as victims of a crime. The docket in the case shows that both sides on Friday asked the judge to schedule an in person hearing for Monday, which the judge then ordered. Other deadlines were extended for after the newly scheduled hearing. They told me that he is pleading guilty on Monday, one of the donors said, adding, He should be held completely accountable and he is, as far as I can tell, guilty of quite a bit. I know for certain that he lied to my face. TPM was first to report on the alleged donor credit card fraud that was at the center of a sprawling 23 count superseding indictment filed against Santos late last year. Santos previously pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. Joe Murray, an attorney representing Santos, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on this story. The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace, who is leading the prosecution of Santos, also did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Santos, who was expelled from Congress in a historic vote last December, was elected in 2022. Soon after his victory, reports emerged that Santos had brazenly lied about aspects of his biography and that he had extensive ties to an alleged ponzi scheme. TPM published a series of stories on Santos unusual finances. Santos trial was previously scheduled to start next month. Any plea deal would have to be approved by the judge in Santos case. If, as expected, Santos pleads guilty and the agreement is accepted, it will mark the end of this unprecedented and strange congressional saga. It will also serve as some measure of justice for his victims. Its very aggravating to be deceived and lied to, one of the donors said. What the VP picks says about what Harris and Trump want for America's kids The contrast between the two presidential candidates is perhaps nowhere as stark as in their different approaches to schooling America's children. And that distinction is perhaps most embodied by their clashing running mates: One is a liberal former high school teacher and coach who struggled to have children and now has a son with special needs and a daughter with his longtime educator wife. The other is a former venture capitalist who overcame a difficult childhood of his own, met his wife when they were both at Yale Law School and now has three children. President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris have fundamentally different interpretations of the purpose and function of the American education system. Their visions are largely aligned with how their parties' value hands-on and hands-off policies. A combination picture shows Republican vice presidential nominee U.S. Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) speaking during his first rally as Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump's running mate, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S. July 20, 2024, and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz speaking inside the Earth Rider Brewery in Superior, Wisconsin, U.S., January 25, 2024. Trump's running mate, JD Vance, wants to mostly erase federal involvement in education policy and bolster the rights of states and parents, while Harris' running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, has long pushed to shore up support for public education and teachers unions. "If you look at the histories and thought forms of Vance and Walz, theyre kind of talking about different things," said Thomas Howell, the founder of a tutoring company that serves New York City families. "Vances position has a lot to do with ideology and whats taught at schools, and Walzs position is on logistics and public education." Access to quality public schools School choice was a staple of Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. At the time, he promised to fund the expansion of access to alternative schooling options to give kids an avenue out of public schools. Vance, his running mate, has echoed Trump's support for the school choice movement. For Diana Reyes, a mom of two in Las Vegas, Nevada, the issue will define how she votes in the upcoming presidential election. After seeing her daughter fall behind in public school years ago, she took on thousands of dollars in credit card debt to enroll her in tutoring programs. Diana Reyes' family attends her son's high school graduation in 2020. When her younger son, Daniel, started experiencing the same issues, Reyes sought a scholarship to help enroll him in private school. Vouchers ultimately helped him stay there, she said, and he's now on track to be the first in their family to graduate college in December. "I see the difference that it made for my son," she said, "and how it turned his life around." People and teachers unions who oppose school vouchers, including Harris and Walz, argue that state funding should be used to pay for and improve public schools. Their arguments are largely rooted in the idea that every student should have access to a quality public education, and that state and federal dollars shouldn't fund alternatives at public schools' expense. Recent research offers limited evidence that school vouchers actually help traditionally disadvantaged kids thrive. As governor of Minnesota, Walz also opposed a state Senate-led effort for education savings accounts, which grant parents public funds to pay for nonpublic schools. Trump's Agenda47 on education Abolish teacher tenure, universal school choice, patriotism For North Carolina mother Renee Sekel, Walz's record displays "a dream of what a candidate should be on public education." Her three teenagers, one of whom is nonbinary, attend or went to public school. She wants to vote for a candidate who's willing to invest in education that's available to everyone, including her own children. "The push toward school vouchers by definition is instructionally meant to destroy public schools," she said. "When you pull kids out of public schools, the costs to run those public schools don't necessarily decrease, and kids who are there lose access to valuable programs." Renee Sekel, a public school advocate, lives with her family in North Carolina. Guns in their classrooms There were at least 144 incidents of gunfire at K-12 schools last school year a 30% increase over the year before, according to an analysis from David Riedman, who oversees a school shooting database, and the gun violence prevention group Everytown for Gun Safety. Rebekah Schuler, 18, was attending Oxford High School in Michigan three years ago when four students were killed and six others were wounded. She heard the gunfire. As a young voter, Schuler said she will only vote for "gun sense" candidates who have the political will to pass laws that protect students from firearms. "School safety is the most important thing on the ballot this year," Schuler said. "Young voters are doing everything we can to make schools safe." Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump campaigns for the first time with his chosen running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, in Grand Rapids, Mich., on July 20, 2024. Both Walz and Vance are supporters of the Second Amendment, which grants Americans the right to bear arms. While Walz has said he supports a complete ban on assault weapons, Vance has said he opposed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, a federal law that expanded background checks for obtaining firearms. Vance has also called red-flag laws which gun-violence prevention advocates argue help decrease school shootings "a slippery slope ... that don't solve the problem of gun violence." Culture wars in the classroom In Minnesota, Walz signed a state bill this year prohibiting schools and libraries from banning books. Many of the bans had been aimed at books tackling racial, social justice or LGBTQ+ issues. Democratic vice-presidential candidate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, speaks during a campaign rally with U.S. Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on August 6, 2024. Walz's support for LGBTQ+ rights dates all the way back to the 1990s, when he helped start Mankato West High Schools first Gay-Straight Alliance. Then a high school educator, Walz went out of his way to create a safe space for queer students, theyve said publicly, at a time when classrooms were less inclusive compared to today. Vance has equated teaching children about gender identity and sexual orientation with grooming during a 2022 Fox News interview when he was running for Senate. He introduced a congressional bill last year that would have banned gender-affirming care for minors nationwide (the legislation hasnt progressed in Congress). He has voiced opposition to increasing diverse viewpoints in the classroom, accusing teachers of radicalizing children for teaching about LGBTQ+ identities and civil rights at premature ages. Bidens new Title IX rules Are all set to take effect. But not in these states. Moms for Liberty, a conservative parent group, has adamantly backed the Trump-Vance ticket. We are excited to see a candidate for Vice President who is a devoted husband and father," group co-founders Tina Descovich and Tiffany Justice said in a statement to USA TODAY. "We look forward to the possibility of an administration that will stand up for kids in our public education system, and who are willing to call out public schools for focusing more on indoctrinating children than teaching them the basic skills of reading and mathematics. We are always fighting to ensure that parental-rights minded candidates are in office at all levels of government, and we are hopeful that JD Vance, as a father, can embody these principles. Heightened focus on universal access to school meals, menstrual products As the coronavirus spread in 2020, the Trump administration made free school meals available to every American student and extended those waivers through the following school year. But when the pandemic-era federal policy ended in 2022, parents like Amber Lightfeather felt deserted. Financial struggles left Lightfeather, a research specialist and mom of five, and her family homeless for about six weeks in 2022. My boys would be like, Mom, I didnt eat today, she said. Id say, No, you eat. Ill figure out a way to pay for it. Lightfeather lives in Duluth, Minnesota, where a bill was signed into law by Walz as governor last year, guaranteeing free school meals across the state. That law made a big difference in Lightfeather's life, freeing up other parts of her familys budget to pay for things like clothes. Last year, Walz also signed a law in Minnesota granting students free menstrual products. Vance hasn't explicitly said what he thinks about making free meals or period products available to students, but the Republican Party platform is generally opposed to increasing federal government spending. In response to an email from USA Today inquiring about Vance's stance on free meals and menstrual products, Trump Campaign National Press Secretary's Karoline Leavitt did not directly answer the question, but wrote: "Tampon Tim put tampons in boys' bathrooms, wants men to play in womens sports, and supports gender transitions for minors." It's not the first time: GOP leaders are calling for religion in public schools. The candidates' VP picks only solidify how different their visions are for U.S. schools, including their views on empowering or weakening the public school system, said Jonathan Collins, an assistant professor of political science and education at Columbia University's Teacher College. "One candidate is looking to expand public education, and one is looking to shrink it," Collins said. "One is looking to education as something as cultural progress and integration, while the other is looking at education as a source of cultural conflict." Contact Kayla Jimenez at kjimenez@usatoday.com. Follow her on X at @kaylajjimenez. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: VP choice reflects on Trump/Harris vision for America's kids WACO, TX (FOX 44) For 25 years, high school students in Waco have served as a vital voice for their peers through the Waco Youth Council. As an advisory board to the city council, the Youth Council offers positions for motivated students to help address and tackle youth-related issues within the community. Open to all high school students residing in Waco and living within one of its five council districts, the Youth Council provides a unique platform for students to engage in city governance and advocacy. Members participate in community service projects, assist city departments, and contribute to annual goal-setting efforts. The mission of the program is for the kids to learn about city government, understand its departments, and give them a voice in the city, said Susan, youth council advisor. In addition to their advisory role, Youth Council members have the opportunity to attend city council meetings and speak on behalf of the citys youth. This hands-on experience equips them with valuable professional skills and networking opportunities. Our main goal is to tackle problems that we see in teenagers. Its really cool because a lot of organizations are run by adults who dont experience the issues that teens face, said Caroline, past chairwoman for the Youth Council. This year, the Waco Youth Council has expanded its outreach by launching a free podcast aimed at educating peers on crucial topics such as financial freedom, testing anxiety, and mental health. The podcast is part of their broader effort to address relevant youth issues and build skills among its members. We work a lot on talking about the things that are important to them, issues they want people to focus on in the city. Every year we set goals and work towards achieving them, Susan added. The Youth Council not only provides a platform for advocacy but also helps students build professionalism and create memorable experiences. I was nervous about meeting new people and tackling projects, but the council was so welcoming and passionate about the community, Caroline noted. Applications for the Waco Youth Council are open until August 30. Interested students can apply by visiting the City of Waco website and searching for Waco Youth Council. For more information on how to apply, 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 KWKT - FOX 44. A star-studded fundraiser for Vice President Kamala Harris campaign hosted by Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) in the Hamptons on Thursday cost some attendees $150,000 just get inalthough they did get to see Mumford & Sons perform. Chris Rock, Joy Behar, Marci Klein and others gathered for the high-dollar event being held in the home of Slack CEO Stuart Butterfield and his wife, CEO of Away, Jen Rubio, according to sources familiar with the event that spoke to Page Six. Walz reportedly carried the show without Harris with one attendee describing the day as having high, positive energy. And what would a fundraiser in the Hamptons be without lobster rolls? A limited number of tickets went for $6,600 with most selling for $150k, according to Page Six. President Joe Biden infamously hosted a fundraiser in the Hamptons following his debate against former President Donald Trump. Everyone going [to the fundraiser] is extremely disappointed. Everyone paid in advance so it could be an opportunity to encourage him to drop out, a long time Biden donor told the New York Post in June. Tickets for the event reportedly ran between $3,300 and $250k. Weeks later, Biden dropped out of the race. Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) is set to host a competing fundraiser in the Hamptons next weekend with tickets starting at $25k, according to a copy of the invitation obtained by ABC News. Vance will host the event alongside two former George W. Bush administration officials: former Ambassador to the Netherlands, Cliff Sobel, and former Under Secretary, Economic, Energy and Agricultural Affairs, Reuben Jeffrey III. Former secretary of commerce during the Trump administration, Wilbur Ross, is also set to host the event. Billionaire Trump donors John Paulson and Omeed Malik will also be in attendance. 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. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) often talks about he and his wife Gwen Walz undergoing years of fertility treatments before becoming parents, allowing him to shine a personal spotlight on a major Republican vulnerability. This gets personal for me and my family, Walz said of reproductive care during his first rally with Harris earlier this month, recalling the pit in his stomach when the couple received updates on their efforts to have a child, and the agony of learning multiple rounds of treatment didnt work. The Harris campaign talked about the would-be second couples fertility challenges in its statement announcing the pick, saying the experience further cement[ed] his commitment to ensuring all Americans have access to this care. IVF was pushed into the reproductive rights conversation this year when the conservative Supreme Court of Alabama ruled that frozen embryos could be considered the same as children in wrongful death lawsuits. This led to clinics in Alabama temporarily halting IVF services, deeming them too risky in terms of potential litigation. While Alabamas Legislature swiftly put together and passed legislation shielding IVF providers, it has remained a vexing issue for conservatives who believe life begins at conception. Now more than ever, voters are mobilizing behind candidates they trust to protect their reproductive freedoms, Jessica Mackler, president of the political action committee EMILYs List, said in a statement to The Hill. And they trust candidates like Tim Walz, who have personal experiences with reproductive health care like IVF, to defend these rights because he knows exactly what Americans have to lose when Republicans interfere with our personal decisions. Though Republican lawmakers spoke up in support of IVF access, the ruling still opened them to attacks by Democrats who tied the ruling to state-level abortion bans. Walz has said he and his wife used fertility treatments like IVF to have children. Neither his office or the Harris campaign provided additional details on those treatments. Gwen and I have two beautiful children because of reproductive health care like IVF. This issue is deeply personal to our family and so many others. Dont let these guys get away with this by telling you they support IVF when their handpicked judges oppose it, Walz said in a Facebook post following the Alabama ruling. The Heritage Foundations Project 2025 vision includes numerous proposals regarding reproductive issues, including banning medication abortions ,declaring abortion to not be health care and recognizing human life from the moment of conception. While many Republicans express support for IVF, they have struggled to square those statements with the belief among many conservatives that fertilized embryos should be treated as children. Disposal of unused frozen embryos is a standard aspect of IVF services, and is why IVF clinics were caught in the legal crosshairs of Alabama judges. The Trump-Vance campaign, like the broader Republican party heading into the 2024 election, has largely sought to sidestep issues related to abortion and reproductive rights, given how unpopular its anti-abortion agenda has proven among voters since Roe v. Wade was overturned two years ago. According to a GOP strategist who spoke with The Hill, the Trump campaign had been doing well in neutralizing concerns over reproductive issues before the addition of Ohio Sen. JD Vance (R) to the ticket. Its the tone overall, they said, noting Vance has made some real missteps in his approach to reproductive issues and women, such as resurfaced comments mocking women who are unable to have children as childless cat ladies. Doubling down in this, you know, bro podcast, alpha culture didnt really help the case with particularly suburban women in places they need to win like Philadelphia and Atlanta and Phoenix, the strategist added. Tim Walz being able to talk about an issue that is so personal to so many women, Republican and Democrat, with, you know, empathy and compassion its not just about the issue itself. Its about the tone. Vice President Harriss campaign has made explicit efforts to paint Vance as being counter to IVF. On World IVF Day last month, the campaign sent out an email titled Happy World IVF Day To Everyone Except JD Vance. Today on this World IVF Day, JD Vance is driving away voters in droves, insulting couples struggling with infertility who are sounding off on his disparaging comments about childless women, the email read. It pointed to Vances vote against a bill to protect IVF access (along with all other Republican senators) and his aim to protect life from the date of conception, which could in practice make IVF services harder to access. When Harris took over the Democratic bid to stay in office, she brought a stronger degree of fluency on abortion and the addition of Walz only strengthened that. Walz provides this opportunity to really expand that conversation beyond just abortion, which is where it ends for a lot of people, said Krishana Davis, executive vice president at the Democratic consulting firm Precision Strategies. The Republican Party, Trump. Vance they cant distance themselves from this very weird agenda of like reproductive oppression that they detailed in Project 2025, she added. Theyve shown that they not only want to, like, limit abortion in states but control all forms of reproductive choice, and thats from everything from like your contraceptive to your fertility treatments. Trump has sought to distance himself from unspecified parts of the conservative vision laid out in Project 2025, though many of his former staffers were central to its drafting. Vance has also sought to moderate his own views on abortion to come into line with Trump, who says he supports exceptions for rape, incest and the life of his mother, and opposed a federal ban. As President Trump has consistently stated, he supports the rights of individuals in their respective states to determine their laws on abortion, Karoline Leavitt, Trump Campaign National Press Secretary, said in a statement to The Hill. President Trump also strongly supports ensuring women have access to the care they need to create healthy families, including widespread access to IVF, birth control, and contraception, and he always will. Updated at 9:35 pm on Aug. 18. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Protesters gather in St. Paul, Minn., after the murder of George Floyd in May 2020. (John Minchillo / Associated Press) In May 2020, as Minneapolis burned and grieved after the police murder of George Floyd, Tim Walz seemed backed into a corner. The Minnesota governor was facing a barrage of criticism for not moving faster to restore order after the torching of a police station and numerous businesses. When Walz mobilized the state National Guard three days after Floyds death, the move garnered praise from the most unlikely of supporters: then-President Trump. In a call with Walz and other leaders about a week after Floyds death, Trump remarked that what they did in Minneapolis was incredible. They went in and dominated, and it happened immediately, Trump said, according to an audio recording of the call obtained by ABC News and other outlets. Those comments and Walzs decision-making in the immediate aftermath of Floyds death have taken on new significance in recent days, since Vice President Kamala Harris named Walz as her running mate. After a whirlwind week on the campaign trail with Harris, the until recently little-known Midwestern governor kicked off his first solo campaign stop as a vice presidential candidate with a speech at a labor convention in Los Angeles this week. Walz was less than two years into his governorship and still grappling with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic when Floyd was killed. His death on May 25, 2020, was captured on a bystanders livestream, which showed him writhing and pleading for air as a white officer knelt on his neck for nearly 9 minutes. The incident forced a reckoning with police brutality and racism, with mass protests spreading around the world. Some turned violent. That is a delicate balance that I think he has managed: where he has supported the police and ... supported community members simultaneously, and many state officials are not able to do that, said Duchess Harris, a professor of American studies at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minn., whose research centers on race, law, politics and gender studies. Among Democrats, Walzs backers have highlighted the chaotic weeks that followed Floyds death to help show his willingness to set aside party differences to work toward a common goal, a trait that dates back to his days in Congress. Republicans, meanwhile, have argued Walzs actions showed he was a feckless leader who stood by, waiting to be summoned, while arson and vandalism spread through his states largest city. Read more: In Minneapolis, center stage for a nation's turmoil and rage, criticism emerges But as president, Trump struck a decidedly different tone on a call with Walz and administration officials on June 1, 2020 a week after Floyds death. Tim, you called up big numbers and the big numbers knocked them out so fast, it was like bowling pins, he said. Trump said he had been planning to send in federal troops to get the job done right, and singled out the citys mayor, Jacob Frey, saying hed shown a total lack of leadership. But he didnt criticize Walz at the time. In the call, Trump described Walz as an excellent guy, and later told him: I dont blame you. I blame the mayor. But that was then. Walzs Republican vice presidential counterpart, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, is now publicly accusing Walz of letting rioters burn down Minneapolis. The sometimes misleading or false claims are being echoed in Republican attack ads and on social media. On the social media platform X, the official account for the Trump campaign, Team Trump, posted: Tim Walz allowed rioters to burn down Minneapolis in 2020 and the few that got caught, Kamala bailed them out of jail in reference to Harris spoken support for a bail fund that was set up to help people who were arrested while protesting. In the days after Floyds death, Walz called the citys response an abject failure, setting off a frenzy of finger-pointing with Frey over who was to blame. A series of follow-up reports pointed to significant breakdowns in communication and coordination that had led to a disjointed response from numerous law enforcement agencies. A report commissioned by the city of Minneapolis suggested that local leaders unfamiliarity with the protocols for requesting National Guard assistance had caused a delay in the approval and deployment of resources. A separate report by the state Senate controlled by Republicans at the time brought a more scathing critique, accusing both Walz and Frey of failing to realize the seriousness of the riots that caused roughly $500million in property damage, and of not acting in a timely manner to confront rioters with necessary force due to an ill-conceived philosophical belief that such an action would exacerbate the rioting. Had Walz acted more decisively, the reports authors said, the riots would have been brought under control much faster. Walzs backers have dismissed such criticism as an attempt to rewrite history. The current president of the Democratic-controlled state Senate, Bobby Joe Champion, said Walz had worked with a cross-section of people to coordinate a response to the unprecedented mass demonstrations that rocked Minneapolis after Floyds death. Despite the criticism leveled at the governor, he did a great job balancing the right to free speech with the need for safety and order, Champion said. Hindsight being 20-20, there are those who are going to say what they coulda, woulda, shoulda done, said Champion, who under the state constitution will become lieutenant governor if Harris and Walz win in November. Any skeptics of Walzs record need look only to the raft of recent legislative victories aimed at addressing historic racial inequities that will have a downstream impact on crime rates, Champion said. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and his wife, Gwen, attend a memorial service for George Floyd in June 2020. (Julio Cortez / Associated Press) Walzs political record is that of a centrist Democrat who happened to be in control of a state where the Democrats had moved to the left, said Michelle Phelps, a sociology professor at the University of Minnesota. Walz has won respect from some in his party for his part in passing progressive legislation to expand free school lunches and protect transgender and abortion rights, she said, but has failed to push through any bills that substantially challenged police powers in Minnesota. He also pushed for hundreds of millions of dollars in state funding for more police when violent crime surged after Floyds murder. If you look at him more holistically, what you get is this more centrist Democrat who is trying to thread this classic needle of how [to] rein in illegitimate police violence, while also promising a sense of security to the states residents, said Phelps, who has written a book on police reform in Minneapolis. And what that means is empowering police while also trying to make some tweaks along the edges. And just as Harris has had to answer for her past as a prosecutor in California, Walzs record on criminal justice will probably come under intense scrutiny. In recent days, some have seized on the several times Walz intervened in high-profile criminal cases. Read more: As a Minnesota 'climate champion', Gov. Tim Walz looked to California for inspiration After Floyds death, the governor made the unusual move of reassigning the prosecution of the fired Minneapolis police officer who killed him to the state attorney general, Keith Ellison. More recently, he publicly questioned the top prosecutor in the county where Minneapolis is located over her handling of several cases, including one in which she charged a state trooper with the murder of a Black motorist. The prosecutor, Mary Moriarty, later dropped murder and manslaughter charges against the trooper amid mounting pressure from law enforcement groups, and accused Walz of treating her differently than her male predecessor because shes a queer woman. Toussaint Morrison, a filmmaker and musician, said that although Walz faced a difficult challenge in responding to the unrest, his decision to deploy the National Guard escalated an already tense situation as numerous troops used force against protesters. The following year, Walz again used the Guard to respond to protests over the killing of a Black motorist in a Minneapolis suburb. What I saw is someone who targeted, brutalized and attempted to intimidate protesters. I understand people want public safety they want to feel safe. On the other hand, people want to be able to access their 1st Amendment rights, said Morrison, a longtime organizer in the Twin Cities who has supported families affected by police brutality. And Im saying this as someone who will likely vote for Harris-Walz. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Walz speaks at a May 29, 2020, news conference about the unrest in the Twin Cities. (Glen Stubbe / Associated Press) 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. GREENVILLE, S.C. (WSPA) An officer on patrol identified an individual operating a vehicle, located in the Nicholtown area, who was know to have active warrants for his arrest, Friday evening. The suspect, identified as Marty Benjamin Miller, escalated the situation and an additional officer arrived to assist, according to officers. Miller refused to comply with the officers commands and attempted to escape. He actively resisted and during the struggle, presented a firearm. Officers managed to successfully disarm Miller. During the encounter, Miller inflicted a severe bite on one of the officers, according to officers. In response, a K9 officer arrived on scene and deployed his K9 partner. The K9 was able to effectively subdue Miller by delivering a bite. Miller was taken into custody and officers and Miller received medical treatment. At the time of Millers arrest, he had 16 active warrants for shoplifting, one failure to stop for police and one texting while driving. Miller is anticipated to face additional charges including resisting arrest with assault on a police officer, resisting arrest with a deadly weapon, possession of a firearm by a violent felon and interfering with law enforcement officers, according to officers. Two officers were taken to the hospital. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. AUSTIN (KXAN) Some viewers had told KXAN that theyve encountered more wasps this summer than in years prior. We asked area Entomologist Wizzie Brown, from Texas A&M Agrilife, about this summers wasp count and which bugs surprised her most this summer. KXAN Chief Meteorologist Nick Bannin: Weve heard anecdotally from some of our viewers that theyve seen an increase in the number of wasps this summer compared to other years. What are you seeing? Wizzie Brown, Entomologist, Texas A&M Agrilife: Im not really seeing an increase, but Im also somebody who regularly goes out and looks for insects. My increase might be a little bit different than everybody elses, but I havent been getting a lot of calls or emails on wasp problems either. So, I guess it depends on the person and where theyre located and what theyre doing. Bannin: What exactly makes a wasp thrive and grow and grow in their numbers during a summer versus other times when their numbers dont grow as much? Brown: Its all going to be tied to environmental conditions. So, when we have good conditions where there is a food resource for them, then theyre going to be able to thrive and, so essentially, theyre going to need the same things as us. They need food, water and a place to live. So the adults are going to be feeding on nectar, but then theyre going to collect insects that they feed to their offspring, and so theyre going to need both of those things available to really build that colony up and thrive. Bannin: Now, wasps arent necessarily the enemy, theyre all part of the Earths ecosystem here, but what do you recommend people do to keep their own wasp interaction to a minimum, so that they dont get stung, or their kids or their animals get stung, right? Brown: Well, they are beneficial as pollinators and predators, so if theyre at flowers, you can watch them. I wouldnt recommend trying to grab them or anything, but theyre tending to be more docile as long as theyre away from their nest. When you are in their nest space, thats kind of like you invading their home and theyre going to defend that. So, if you can stay away from those types of areas, then you should be fine. If you have Paper Wasps in an area where its by the door or by a mailbox or someplace where somebody can get stung, then you would need to take care of that, either yourself or by hiring a pest management professional. Bannin: Now, is there such thing as a wasp season here in Central Texas, and is there a time that we would expect to see their numbers decreasing? Brown: It depends on what type of wasps youre talking about. If you talk about the great big ones, the Cicada Killers, those are typically here July and August, when we have our cicadas. But we can have paper wasps year round here in Texas, depending on the temperatures. If we have warm, mild winters, they can be here year round. But some wasps are going to be seasonal, and we see them building their population up through spring and summer, and then it starts to die back off in the fall and through the winter time. Bannin: So you havent seen a huge increase in wasps this summer. What has struck you about this summer, as far as maybe other bugs go? Brown: Grasshoppers. Ive been getting a lot of grasshopper calls. Grasshoppers eat everything. They eat plants. so its not like theyre really problematic for us, like worrying about them stinging us, but they can demolish plants in your landscape, and so that can be problematic with them. You would really need to target the smaller stages. Usually, people dont call me until theyre adults, and its really difficult to control them then, because they can fly away from whatever you try to do to them. Bannin: And what about this year is making for such an increase in grasshoppers? Brown: I just think we had a lot of rain, and so the vegetation has been really flush, and so its provided a great food source for them and so theyre just out there taking advantage. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. WALLINGFORD, Conn. (WTNH) A man is facing motor vehicle and intoxication charges after he collided with a police cruiser on Interstate 91 in Wallingford last Saturday. On Aug. 10, officers with the Wallingford Police Department assisted in directing traffic while state police investigated a collision on I-91. To alert oncoming drivers, a Wallingford officer positioned his marked police cruiser in the left and middle lanes while flashing his emergency lights to block drivers from entering and instead diverting to an exit. Shortly after, 52-year-old Jesse Benefield of Waterbury drove a red 2005 Sierra pickup truck on the northbound side, going between 65-80 miles per hour. Benefield then struck the passenger side of the parked police cruiser while the officer was seated inside. The officer sustained minor injuries. Benefield was found to be under the influence of alcohol and was charged with violating Connecticut General Statutes, operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, disobeying an officers signal, traveling unreasonably fast, and operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license. Benefield was released from custody after posting a $5,000 bond and will face a judge at G.A. 7 in Meriden next 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 WTNH.com. West failing to take Iran threat seriously out of sheer arrogance, says woman who infiltrated regime The West is failing to take the Iran threat seriously out of sheer arrogance, a woman who infiltrated the Tehran regime has warned. Catherine Perez-Shakdam, a Jewish mother of two who grew up in Paris, concealed her true identity and spent almost a decade posing as an Iran sympathiser, gaining unprecedented access to the heart of the Middle Eastern state and its ruling class. Her operation culminated in several visits to Tehran at the invitation of the ayatollahs and a rare private audience with Irans supreme leader Ali Khamenei. Speaking to the Sunday Telegraph at a hotel in central London, she said her experience led her to realise that Irans infiltration into the West is far deeper than people believe, despite how open the regime is about their ultimate aim to destroy it. There is a network that exists here in the UK, as far as the regime is concerned, Ms Perez-Shakdam, a journalist, political commentator and Middle East expert, explained, with high ranking members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) constantly going back and forth to Iran, under the guise of working for a web of British charities, think-tanks and education centres. All these people are part of an ecosystem that literally directly reports back to Iran and takes orders from Iran. Catherine Perez-Shakdam, executive director of We Believe In Israel - PAUL GROVER FOR THE TELEGRAPH She added: This is to direct and gauge the impact of the campaigns that theyre running, tweak the narrative when they need to, change people around, and make new connections. They basically keep tabs on what is going on in the UK and hope to create a very powerful lobby here, which I believe they have done. This is dangerous because they want to subvert our democracy and hijack our institutions. Youve seen the way that theyve hijacked Lebanon, for example, in Syria, Yemen and Iraq. They want to do this everywhere, and we need to understand those countries as being proof of concept that it works. But she said down to the sheer arrogance of the West, the threat is not taken seriously. She said: We have a sociopath with a gun loaded telling you, Im going to kill you. And were looking him straight in the eyes, convincing the people standing behind us, who we mean to protect, that he doesnt mean what hes saying. Its this belief that we are immune somewhat through geography. And also this belief that, because we defeated Nazism in World War Two, we dont have to reckon with it anymore. But we do, its a different form. This is the thing about evil it doesnt show up twice with the same face. Revolutionary guards carry effigy of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu during Tehran rally - MORTEZA NIKOUBAZI/NUR PHOTO/SHUTTERSTOCK Ms Perez-Shakdam moved to Yemen in 2009, and an opinion piece she wrote for the Yemen Observer, criticising US intervention in Iraq, caught the eye of the ayatollahs. They reached out to me, she said, thinking, Maybe she can come on side. Maybe she could be convinced. Maybe we could use her. And it started really, really slowly. This led to requests to appear as a commentator on Iran-backed media channels where she was asked to speak on topics such as demonising the presence of the West in the Middle East. Ms Perez-Shakdam believes this was how she began to be vetted by Irans network, eventually leading to an invitation to attend a conference in Tehran in 2017. It was the first of several trips to Iran that year during which, she believed, the Tehran regime wanted to turn her into an agent who could be their chief propagandist in the UK, where she was living at the time. Earlier this week, Iran dismissed calls from Sir Keir Starmer and other Western leaders to refrain from attacking Israel. The US, Britain, France, Italy and Germany called on Tehran to stand down in a joint letter, expressing their concern about a regional war if it follows through on its threats to attack Israel directly. Iranian gunboat patrols the Persian Gulf - NURPHOTO But Nasser Kanaani, a spokesman for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said: The declaration by France, Germany and Britain, which raised no objection to international crimes of the Zionist regime, brazenly asks Iran to take no deterrent action against a regime which has violated its sovereignty. In the aftermath of the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last month, the Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran would never give in to pressure, to sanctions and to bullying, and considers it has the right to respond. During one of her trips to Iran, Ms Perez-Shakdam was told about a plot by the regime to map out key individuals and organisations in the Jewish diaspora to mark them out for assassinations and attacks. This intelligence was later confirmed by the then security minister Tom Tugendhat. The number one aim of the regime was to force Jews to leave, to go to Israel, because its easier to hit them there in one place. And secondly to create a narrative against Jews that their very existence is a danger to your [countrys] national security, therefore you should kick them out, she said. At the time, I was thinking, No one is ever going to buy this. And then, you fast forward to 2024 and you hear things like, They dont belong here, they should go home. Ms Perez-Shakdam, who is now the executive director of the campaign group We Believe in Israel, said the Iranian regime is using Israel as a Trojan Horse as it is easier to sell an anti-Israel narrative but really this is the way into its anti-Western message. 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. MACOMB, Ill. (WMBD) With the school year just days away for some colleges, students at Western Illinois University are getting set for their first day, but with some uncertainty. With cuts to several classes, along with 90 faculty and staff being recently laid off, Western Illinois University approved certain students to speak with us about how they are feeling. Western Illinois University students, faculty rally combating layoffs decision Im still excited, Im still having high hopes, said Kylie Snyder, a sophomore majoring in graphic design. I chose Western for a reason and that is their teachers dedication to their students. So I still have high hopes for this year. Im so excited for the year and to meet all my new professors and stuff like that, said Darius White, a sophomore criminal justice major. Get to know the classes and just get to work, get to my major and do everything I came to get done. Students also attended an assembly Friday morning, led by interim university president Kristi Mindrup, who says students are focused on getting checked into their dorm. I met several, probably dozens of parents and students yesterday, she said. Their focus was on move-in. They were packing their bags, they were moving their carts up through the elevator to the 13th floor of Thompson Hall. Mindrup also provided some advice for students who will begin their first year of college. Make the most of your first couple of weeks to really set the tone for the upcoming academic year. By by creating those networks, youll have great support, great memories throughout the year, and really position students for success throughout their entire time at Western Illinois University. Classes for Western Illinois University begin 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 CIProud.com. While the world's eyes are on Gaza, Palestinians see a land grab underway in the West Bank While the world's eyes are on Gaza, Palestinians see a land grab underway in the West Bank Not long after Hamas launched the Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel and sparked the now 10-month war in the Gaza Strip, another killing was reported in the occupied West Bank. A 40-year-old Palestinian street vendor and farmer named Bilal Saleh was harvesting olives on his family's small plot of land when, according to his family, he was fatally shot in the chest by an Israeli who lives in one of the Jewish settlements that ring Al-Sawiya. And 10 months later, the family says, theyre not sure if Israeli officials are even investigating Salehs death. An Israeli soldier was briefly detained after the killing and later released. We cant confirm if it is true or not that they apprehended the man accused of killing Saleh, his mother-in-law, Mona Saleh, told NBC News in July when she ventured into Al-Sawiya, an ancient Palestinian village. I dont think they detained him, even if they arrested him. If they took him, it was for his safety. The wife of Bilal Saleh shows a picture him with family in the West Bank village of Al-Sawiyah. By they, Mona Saleh means the Israeli authorities. The grieving mother-in-law said that its clear to her and other Palestinians in the West Bank that the Israelis are taking advantage of the fact that the world is focused on the Gaza war to redouble their efforts to "colonize" the Palestinian territory. They are taking advantage of the war and the current status quo, she said. Her family also hasnt ventured back onto their farmland since Bilah Saleh was killed for fear of more attacks by settlers. A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces declined to comment on Mona Saleh's allegations and said that it was up to the Israeli police to investigate his death. "When IDF soldiers come across unlawful instances involving Israelis, particularly violent acts towards Palestinians and their belongings, they must intervene to halt the violation," the spokesperson said. "If necessary, they should apprehend or detain the suspects until the police arrive." Many Palestinians and groups monitoring settlement activity reject those claims. They say the IDF and police often stand by or even provide cover for settlers to assault Palestinian West Bank residents. In April, Human Rights Watch issued a report alleging that armed settlers forcibly and violently drove out Palestinian residents from at least five West Bank settlements "with the active participation of army units." When asked about the rise in Palestinian civilians killed in the West Bank since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, in which 1,200 were killed in Israel and some 240 kidnapped, the spokesperson blamed Hamas for violence in the West Bank. There has been a "significant increase in terrorist attacks" in the West Bank, the IDF spokesperson said, with more than "2,000 attempted attacks occurring since the beginning of the war." The spokesperson did not provide details of the attacks they said had been perpetrated since Oct. 7. But there have also been more than 1,000 attacks by Jewish settlers on Palestinians in the West Bank since the Oct. 7 attack ignited the ongoing siege of Gaza, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Human Affairs (OCHA). Those attacks have displaced about 1,390 Palestinians, including 660 children, OCHA reported. They now have a huge excuse to do what theyve already planned, Sayel Kanan, the Palestinian mayor of Burqa, a West Bank town almost completely surrounded by settlements, told NBC News. During the past 10 months, according to the U.N., 553 Palestinians in the West Bank have been killed by the Israeli military and settlers. During the same time period, 15 Israelis have died. (Israeli officials have accused the U.N. of undercounting the number of Israelis killed in the West Bank.) In all of 2023, the U.N. reported that at least 507 Palestinians were killed in the West Bank, including 81 children, making it the deadliest year for Palestinians in the territory since 2008. On Thursday, dozens of Israeli settlers, some wearing masks, attacked a Palestinian village in the West Bank, burning cars and killing at least one person, authorities said. In Gaza, 40,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the war on Oct. 7, according to the enclave's health officials. Saleh was a beloved figure in his community and hundreds of mourners took part in his funeral procession through Ramallah, where he sold the olives, figs and prickly pears that he grew on his land, as well as the sumac, sage and other herbs he collected from the hillsides over which the Israeli settlements loom. Mona Saleh said that, even before her son-in-law was killed, he and other Palestinian farmers had to contend with armed Israeli settlers harassing and threatening them. She said that they stole the farmers ladders and destroyed their crops and that the Israeli army did nothing to stop them. Every day that passes, our yearning for him increases, Mona Saleh said. Israeli settler Yehuda HaKohen speaks with NBC News in Jerusalem. Yehuda HaKohen, a New Yorker and rabbi who moved to the West Bank two decades ago and who posts videos on YouTube of himself discussing the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, said he condemns violence against Palestinians. But in his interview, HaKohen said that planting Jewish settlements in the West Bank is part of the settlers' strategy to "retake possession" of what they consider their ancestral land, which they call Judea. The only method of resistance is to create as many Jewish communities as we can to make removing us logistically impossible, said HaKohen, a father of eight who lives on a settlement called Beit-El. "It is essentially a suburb of Jerusalem," he said. While the international community does not recognize the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and has condemned the seizure of Palestinians' land, HaKohen said Jewish settlers see this land as theirs for the taking. And they will continue taking it. We see ourselves as part of a proud nation, ancient nation that was displaced from this land unjustly by the Romans, he said. We have to retake possession of our land. HaKohen said he, personally, has no problem having Palestinians as neighbors. But the Palestinians also have to accept that we are not going anywhere, he said, adding that he has not witnessed any acts of settler violence himself against Palestinians. Last month, the top court of the United Nations ruled that Israels ongoing occupation of the West Bank was illegal and demanded that it end as rapidly as possible. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed the court ruling as a decision of lies. Fires burn in the West Bank village of Burqa after settler attacks on June 7. On a tour of Kanan's dusty desert town of some 4,000 people, where residents who say their homes were stoned by settlers have installed metal guards on the windows. Kanan said the number of settler attacks have risen significantly since Oct. 7. Burqa is almost completely ringed by illegal Israeli settlements that Kanan said have sprung up in recent years. The main route out of Burqa, he said, has been blocked for years by a concrete barrier the settlers trucked in, forcing the Palestinians to take unpaved roads to get to nearby cities like Ramallah. So what should be a quick seven-minute drive is a nearly hour-long trek, Kanan said. If you try to get around the barrier, they will kill you, Kanan said of the settlers. The Israeli army is enabling the settler takeover of Palestinian land in the West Bank by refusing to rein-in the settlers, the mayor said. Theres no consequences for this, Kanan said as he drove through the main intersection in the village, which has a We (heart) Burqa sign below a tattered Palestinian flag. When the army comes, they come here to protect the settlers, Kanan said, repeating an accusation many Palestinians make about the Israeli military. They actually make things worse, Kanan said. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Floridas "stand your ground law did not spare Susan Lorincz, a white woman, as she was found guilty of killing her Black neighbor. The statute allows citizens to use deadly force as a means of self-defense in regulated circumstances without facing prosecution. Trending On Friday (Aug. 16), the woman was convicted by an all-white jury of first-degree felony manslaughter for fatally wounding Ajike A.J. Owens during a June 2, 2023, dispute. The Ocala residents had allegedly been at odds for three years as the 60-year-old regularly complained about her young neighbors' boisterous play outdoors near her property. On that fateful day last summer, Owens son, who was 10 years old at the time, told her that Lorincz had berated him and friends, thrown a roller skate and struck him, and then swung an umbrella at them. The then-35-year-old went to the womans front door to confront her. As she stood outside with her son beside her, a single shot from a.380-caliber handgun was fired through the door. The mother of four later succumbed to her injuries. Lorincz claimed the shooting was in self-defense. She was arrested and charged with first-degree felony manslaughter with a firearm, plus battery, two counts of assault, and culpable negligence. She entered a written not guilty plea on July 10 while being held on a $154,000 bond. During the trial, prosecutor Rich Buxman defended Owens, saying that the deceased womans actions did not yield lethal force. Its not a crime to bang on somebodys door. Its not a crime to yell, he told jurors. There was no imminent danger whatsoever when she fired that gun. In a 911 call, Lorincz reported two Black and one Latino kid for trespassing as they played in an area near both her and Owens homes. She told the dispatcher, Im just sick of these children, according to the Tampa Bay Times. Officers were en route to her home when she gunned down her neighbor. When she was interviewed by detectives following the fatal shooting, she alleged, 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.'" But Buxman argued that simply was not the case. Instead, he said that Lorincz acted out of anger. He also slammed the notion that she faced an impending threat of violence from the slain mother. Ms. Owens was banging on the door, telling the defendant to come out. 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, he said. Furthermore, in his closing statement, he illustrated that 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." Pamela Dias, Owens mother, told ABC News that the guilty verdict brought a sense of peace. "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," she said after learning the woman's fate. "While this verdict does not bring my daughter AJ back to us, it does bring a sense of peace that we have long sought," added the grieving mother. In a released statement, attorney Ben Crump said, This verdict is a critical step in securing justice for AJ and her family. While nothing can erase the pain they've endured, todays decision sends a clear message that senseless violence will be met with accountability. We will continue to stand by AJs family as they heal and fight for a future where no family has to experience such devastating loss. The judge has not set a sentencing date yet. Lorincz is being held in the Marion County Jail. You Might Also Like Brat. Weird. Megan Thee Stallion. Democrats havent just recast the lead at the top of their electoral ticket; theyre performing an entirely new show. Right wing operatives, desperate to make silly selfies seem like evidence of gasp! socialism, are trying to claim this new politics of joy (and mockery) is proof of nefarious intent. This is either par for the every accusation is an admission MAGA Republican playbook or merely ironic. Creating good vibes isnt just generally effective, its critical especially in what may seem the most counterintuitive cases: confronting existing or would-be authoritarian regimes, in other words, MAGA Republicans. Sami Gharbia once said, humor is the first step to break taboos and fears. Making people laugh about dangerous stuff like dictatorship, repression, censorship is a first weapon against those fears without beating fear you can not make any change. The lure of the authoritarian is that he is the Strongman, as Ruth Ben Ghiat has sagely written. Like his peers, Donald Trump promises to fight the forces of chaos, restoring the rightful place of the real citizens who have been usurped by some undeserving other. Indeed, he promises to elevate the nation as a whole on the world stage, to make it great again. The audition tape of the would-be-dictator is of alpha male vying for the role of making things happen. Bringing dictators down to size, making them seem vincible, has been integral to their defeat across places and time periods. Bugs Bunny and Charlie Chaplin ridiculed Adolf Hitler. Otpor!, a movement started by 15 university students, toppled the tyrannical Slobodan Milosevic in Serbia by making fun of him, at extraordinary peril. Augusto Pinochets regime came to an end in part thanks to rainbows. This was the emblem of the campaign to have Chileans risk reprisal from his regime, known for disappearing detractors, in order to vote to block him from running for another term. With late 80s charm, their anthem declared Chile, happiness is coming. Political Scientist M. Steven Fish sums up liberal leaders challenges in responding to similar present day figures: Rather than exude iron self-assurance and unqualified optimism about their countries futures, liberals fret about the complexities of governing and social problems They treasure norms of civility and distrust provocative, aggressive language. Generally speaking, then, they have adopted what I call a low-dominance political style. Fish goes on to praise high dominance Democrats who break this mold: Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) who has made an artform of eviscerating her MAGA House colleagues; Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer; and House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). Enter into this all-woman pantheon, Kamala Harris. A recent press release now going viral from Team Harris-Walz merits an A plus for trolling the opposition down to conquerable size. Announcing an upcoming Trump campaign stop, it reads, Donald Trump to Ramble Incoherently and Spread Dangerous Lies in Public, but at Different Home. It goes on to remind readers who Trump is: loser of the 2020 election by 7 million votes. Harris seems to relish in equal parts roasting her opponent and line dancing among her supporters. No longer Les Miserables, Harris-Walz have moved us onto Mamma Mia. And Democratic activists, plus previously disaffected base voters, are now loving the dancing queen. This comes just in time because, as her vice presidential nominee, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, rightly declared, I know I am preaching to the choir. A damn big and beautiful choir. But practice is over, people, the choir needs to sing. Malarkey aside, the Biden campaign was a largely serious affair. The stump speech pre-debate was punctuated with policy achievements, second term plans, and reminders that were in a battle for the soul of America. Post debate, the anti-Trump flames burned higher, but still in public appearances, social media content, and surrogate sentiments, Biden ran on gravitas. To be sure, Dark Brandon made occasional appearances. But that, as my high school Spanish teacher would say, is proof that the exceptions confirm the rules. If Bidens primary campaign persona was less staid, partisans would not have needed an alter-ego to bring in the fun. Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, in contrast, are awash in memes from coconut trees to Midwestern dadisms and irony-laced clapbacks. People are lining up in the summer heat to see this new production. Like clockwork, the punditocracy has begun to chide Team Dem for having too good a time vibing with voters. Of course, its not expressed as such. They want her to prioritize holding media interviews and offering policy specifics. The Washington Post declared, Twenty-four days ago, Vice President Kamala Harris pledged to campaign staff to together take our case to the American people. Less than a month, that case remains somewhat murky, at least in terms of policy and that has become the chief knock on the Harris campaign. While its absolutely reasonable to want anyone vying to run our country to tell us a bit more about what they have in store, the notion that staid articulation of policy is integral to electoral success, as claimed recently in The New York Times, merits Harris trademark guffaw. American voters are famously moved by policy proposals; this is why we had such a wildly successful President Elizabeth Warren. Yet, the long held median voter theorem of elections posits voters as rational actors that exist along a single ideological continuum with fixed preferences, impervious to persuasion, in a static electorate where the very same people turn out every time. Under this logic, candidates are best served positioning themselves at the median, thereby closer to the greatest number of voters. This idea has reappeared by many names, triangulation, centrism, and most recently Popularism. Indeed, this latest permutation argues that a winning candidate must tout policy prescriptions that majorities favor and eschew, or at least not bring up others. And sure, that feels like super logical advice support things people like and they will like you! But the notion that voters are studying policy positions to come to their preferences belies what we know of how humans come to judgments and what it takes to get a message to actually reach their ears. Unless the choir wants to sing your tune, the congregation wont hear the joyful noise and get off the couch to vote, let alone spread the word to potential new believers. As I have advised campaigns for over a decade, if you want people to come to your party, throw a better party. People may say that their top electoral issue is the economy or whatever permutation of it you use in your question wording. (Spoiler alert: the plurality always selects that option.) But in reality, people can only tell us what they think that they think. Of course economic concerns are primary for most people; but evidence shows that what voters claim tops their issue list doesnt actually impact their voting behavior. Further, what breaks through to the average voter about elections arent detailed policy platforms. Elections are made out of grand narratives storylines that make clear precisely what harms the antagonists have in store and imbue the protagonists by which I mean the voters with the agency to select the future they would like. And while this does not come up in issue polling, most people would like that future to be a good time. Famous for her unbridled laughter, Harris campaign has embraced the politics of joy. Not in ignorance of the foe she faces, who is hell bent on taking our freedoms, harming our families, and imperiling our futures. But in full awareness of what it takes to defeat him. Anat Shenker-Osorio is a political strategist and communications researcher for progressive campaigns. More from Rolling Stone Best of Rolling Stone The dossier was alleged to have been compiled before Donald Trump selected JD Vance to be his running mate - Drew Angerer/Getty Images Click here to view this content. A 271-page dossier of JD Vances flaws according to Donald Trump is the kind of story media outlets covering the US election only dream of. But, citing concerns about playing into the hands of foreign actors, major newspapers and websites have opted not to publish the material when it was leaked to them. Reporters at The Washington Post, The New York Times and Politico recently received leaked Trump campaign documents from a person known only as Robert. But the outlets declined to run the material amid suspicions about how the documents had been obtained. Asked about the provenance of the files, Robert told Politico: I suggest you dont be curious about where I got them from. Any answer to this question will compromise me and also legally restricts you from publishing them. The material included a lengthy list of Mr Vances potential weaknesses that was collated before Trump selected him as his running mate. JD Vance, the senator for Ohio, won Donald Trump's approval ahead of a number of other potential Republican running mates - Thomas Slusser/The Tribune-Democrat via AP Weeks after Politico first received the trove of documents, Microsoft revealed Iranian hackers had tried to get into the email account of a high-ranking official in a presidential campaign by using a former senior advisers email address. And earlier this week, it was revealed the FBI launched an investigation after the Trump campaign claimed its internal communications were targeted by hackers working for the Iranian government. The hackers also targeted the then Biden-Harris campaign. Trump said Microsoft had informed his campaign that Iran had hacked one of its websites, but that it was only able to get publicly available information. The Iranian government denied the claim. In 2016, sections of the US media were criticised for reporting hacked material from Hillary Clintons campaign. Following the leak of the Trump material, Steven Cheung, a campaign spokesman, urged reporters not to publish the material, claiming that doing so would be doing the bidding of Americas enemies and doing exactly what they want. A spokesman for the Trump-Vance campaign said publishing the material would do the work of the US's enemies - Dustin Chambers/Bloomberg Professor Kathleen Bartzen Culver, director of the Centre of Journalism Ethics at the University of Wisconsin, said such an approach was ironic given Trump openly called on Russia to hack Mrs Clintons emails in 2016. Russia, if youre listening... I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press, Trump said at the time. Prof Culver said the restraint from the press in 2024 shows lessons have been learned from the almost breathless coverage of leaked emails in 2016. I think some reporters are concerned that lessons may have been over-learnt in this case, and that the three outlets are being a bit too conservative, she added. Prof Culver acknowledged that news organisations should be cautious about such hacks given they do not know how the documents were obtained and for what motive. However, she said she believed the leaked material would have been published had it revealed something more newsworthy, such as an email from Thomas Crooks, who was shot dead as he tried to assassinate Trump, to the former presidents campaign. Matt Murray, the executive editor of The Washington Post, told his newspaper the material was ultimately not fresh or new enough to publish. Meanwhile, Politico said: The questions surrounding the origins of the documents and how they came to our attention were more newsworthy than the material that was in those documents. Scott J Shapiro, the professor of law and philosophy at Yale Law School, who has written books about hacking, said not wanting to incentivise and to be complicit in foreign interference in domestic elections was likely to have played a role in the organisations decision. He added there is a sense of not wanting to be attacked by the Right as being a pawn of the Democrats. Prof Shapiro said one issue is that it is inherently difficult to lock down a political campaign, making them easy targets for hackers. The incentive is high and the difficulty is low... campaigns get formed really quickly, and then they disband, and people who join them have lives, and so to lock them down is really, really hard, he 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. Ukraine's audacious Kursk offensive is the first time an 'enemy' has dared to invade and occupy Russian territory since the Second World War - NIKOLETTA STOYANOVA/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Just over 900 days have elapsed since Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine: an unequal struggle in which the pusillanimity of the West has tipped the scales still further against Kyiv. Throughout his countrys heroic resistance, Volodymyr Zelensky has seized the initiative whenever possible. Yet neither friend nor foe foresaw the bold incursion into the heart of Russian territory with which the Ukrainian leader has turned the tables on Putin in the past fortnight. Now that Zelensky has literally parked his tanks on Putins lawn, the Russian public is waking up to the fact that their president is further than ever from winning his war against Ukraine. The swaggering strongman who promised them a swift victory now faces a graver threat to his authority than ever before. For the first few days of the Ukrainian incursion, Putin simply ignored it. His defence ministry played it down as a raid by about 300 saboteurs and pretended that 260 of them had been killed. Not until five days after the attack had begun, when online footage of prisoners of war and local residents revealed that troops of Putins Chechen ally Kadyrov had fled, did the president publicly refer to what was clearly a major incursion, only to dismiss it as a provocation. Russian civilians were left to fend for themselves as Ukrainian forces stormed into the Kursk salient - ROMAN PILIPEY/AFP via Getty Images By then the Russian soldiers had abandoned several towns, leaving hundreds of thousands of civilians to fend for themselves. Within a week, over 1,000 sq km (386 sq miles) and 74 settlements had fallen to the Ukrainians. Putins initial silence resembled Stalins paralysis at news of Hitlers assault on the Soviet Union in 1941. The Soviet dictator eventually pulled himself together and rallied his people, but Putin has so far been reluctant even to name the Ukrainian incursion. Instead he speaks of the situation in the border area or the events that are taking place. His inability to offer a coherent explanation of the almost comical rout of his armed forces speaks volumes. The ultra-nationalist Russian bloggers who normally back Putin to the hilt are blaming military and civilian officialdom for the fiasco, but it hardly needs saying that the buck stops with the autocrat in the Kremlin. When the history of the present war between Russia and Ukraine comes to be written, the audacious Kursk offensive may well be seen as the moment of decision. It is a textbook example of how speed and stealth can enable a numerically inferior army to achieve tactical superiority. We are moving further But the success of General Oleksandr Syrskyi, the Ukrainian commander-in-chief, has already gone far beyond the limited and localised military operation that Western observers initially assumed it to be. As Syrskyi continues to reinforce his forces, deepening and widening the salient created by their advance, it has become clear that his plan is much more ambitious. The Ukrainians have learnt from previous counter offensives, such as the one that recaptured Kherson two years ago and a later one near Kharkiv. This time Syrskyi, a less swashbuckling but more methodical commander than his predecessor Zaluzhny, had prepared meticulously to follow up his initial breakthrough. Launched on Aug 6, the initial attack into Kursk Oblast pushed the Russians some six miles back, using sophisticated electronic technology to blindside Russian defences, exclude drones and achieve air superiority. A powerful Ukrainian armoured force of at least 10,000 men was spearheaded by the elite 82nd Air Assault Brigade, equipped with the most modern Western equipment and manned by veteran troops, many of them trained in the UK. The 82nd Air Assault Brigade has some of the 14 British Challenger 2 main battle tanks given to Ukraine in January 2023. At least one Challenger has been spotted operating in the Kursk salient, marking the first time that British tanks have been deployed inside Russia since 1945. The use of a Challenger 2 during the invasion marked the first time that a British tank had been deployed inside Russia since 1945 - Serhii Mykhalchuk/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images The 82nds inventory also includes US Stryker armoured vehicles, which have proved highly effective in the past year, and German Marders. Within two days something approaching panic had gripped the Russian authorities, especially after Ukrainian Himars rockets annihilated a Russian convoy sent to bolster the fleeing defenders, killing many hundreds of troops. Large-scale civilian evacuations began in Kursk but have now spread to the neighbouring Belgorod region. Up to a quarter of a million people are now on the move, clogging up roads and impeding Russian reinforcements. Within a week of its commencement, the Kursk offensive had captured more territory than the Russians had taken in eight months of campaigning in Ukraine. Far from staging a provocation, the Ukrainians have kept going. Zelensky himself has confirmed that we are moving further, while his interior minister Igor Klymenko spoke of the creation of a buffer zone in the Kursk region to protect our border communities from daily hostile shelling. Despite a news blackout, with minimal information from Kyiv, all the signs are that the Ukrainians have no immediate intention of withdrawing from Russia. Where no enemy has dared invade This humiliation of Putin is unprecedented, not only during his presidency but in postwar Russian experience. No enemy has dared to invade and occupy the sacred Motherland since Hitlers Operation Barbarossa unleashed the seminal event of modern Russian history, the Great Patriotic War, which cost more than 20 million Soviet lives and transformed the map of Europe. Putins war of conquest has already sacrificed half a million young Russian soldiers on the altar of his imperial fantasy, but now hundreds of thousands of civilians are fleeing too. There is no disguising the fact that Putins hubris has brought nemesis upon the Russian people. The psychology of the dictator demands that this hitherto unimaginable defeat should now be reversed, not by the discredited military establishment led by General Gerasimov, but by his own trusted right-hand man. Putin's war of conquest has already sacrificed half a million young Russian soldiers - Alexei Babushkin/via REUTERS That is literally Alexei Dyumins job description. For many years, Dyumin was Putins bodyguard. His only claim to fame is said to be that during a visit to the presidential dacha, he once saved his boss from a bear, using his pistol to drive off the uninvited nocturnal intruder. Like Putin, Dyumin is not a career soldier but a secret policeman. He does, however, have experience as deputy commander of the GRU, the military special operations forces, during the occupation of Crimea in 2014. In this role he was responsible for evacuating the deposed Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych from Kyiv. He was then made deputy to the defence minister General Shoigu. After a spell as governor of Tula Oblast, last May Dyumin was promoted to secretary of the state council. In effect, he has been nominated as Putins successor, with all the potential opportunities and risks attendant on being the heir apparent. On Tuesday, the Kremlin announced that Dyumin had been tasked with leading the counterterrorism operation to expel the Ukrainian intruders from Russian soil. By appointing his closest aide and lieutenant, Putin is investing his own prestige in the battle to regain control of the Kursk region. Failure is not an option and he will be prepared to pay an almost unlimited price in losses on the battlefield. Dyumin will demand a redeployment of Russias best arms and armies north to the Kursk front, at the expense of Russias own offensive operations in the Donbas. It is also likely that Dyumin will pursue a scorched earth policy towards the occupied border region. Russian generals have resorted to this strategy ever since the successful campaign fought against Napoleon in 1812. It was pioneered by Field Marshal Barclay de Tolly, a Baltic German of Scottish descent, whose ruthless trail of destruction in retreat deprived Bonaparte of any means to support his Grande Armee. By evacuating a large part of the civilian population from Kursk, Bryansk and Belgorod Oblasts, Putin has prepared the way for Dyumin to lay waste to the landscape. He will not be squeamish about authorising the use of chemical weapons; even tactical nuclear warheads cannot be ruled out. On the Ukrainian side, General Syrskyi will have anticipated all of this. He is a battle-hardened veteran of the war of attrition that has been waged since February 2022. The Kursk offensive is less than a fortnight old; so far its momentum has not slowed. Zelensky's commander-in-chief, General Syrskyi (centre right), is a battle-hardened veteran of the war of attrition - AFP But Syrskyi is aware that he cannot keep penetrating into Russia indefinitely. By exchanging offensive for defensive warfare, his forces have exposed themselves to the risk of flank attacks and envelopment. Instead of their accustomed interior supply lines, the prerogative of the defender, the Ukrainians must now operate using exterior lines: longer and more vulnerable. Above all, Ukraine no longer enjoys the element of surprise. The importance of this for victory has always been understood by the greatest commanders, from Alexander the Great, Hannibal and Caesar to their successors in the last century. According to Carl von Clausewitz, whose On War remains the most influential of all strategic treatises, surprise lies more or less at the foundation of all undertakings, for without it the preponderance at the decisive point is not properly conceivable. That Ukraine did achieve such a decisive preponderance is shown by the sudden collapse of Russian forces, which took days to regroup and slow down the offensive. Now, however, the situation is different: the fog of war has lifted and any attempt to hold on to the captured territory could leave Zelenskys forces dangerously exposed. Ukraine needs more arms So the strategic question is: how long do Syrskyi and his political masters in Kyiv plan to stay on Russian soil? If the Ukrainians always intended only to conduct a large-scale raid inside enemy territory, aiming to inflict as much damage as possible and just to prove that they could, then the time must be fast approaching when they should leave. Alternatively, the plan may be to hold on to Russian territory as a bargaining chip, giving Zelensky a trump card in any future peace negotiations. This has been the working assumption of many commentators in the West, although it seems unlikely that the Kursk salient will endure for that long. It is even possible that the incursion near Kursk is the first step in a much larger offensive across the board, rolling back the Russian lines in the north, surrounding their occupation forces in the south and ultimately driving them out of Ukraine. XXX MAP XXX To stand a chance of achieving such a strategic goal, Ukraine probably needs much greater quantities of arms and munitions from the West. Even more importantly, it needs permission to deploy the weapons it already has inside Russia permission that has so far been withheld by President Biden, Chancellor Scholz, Sir Keir Starmer and other Nato allies. Ukraines blitzkrieg at Kursk achieved complete surprise partly because Zelensky decided not to warn his allies what was about to happen. This caused consternation in Washington, London and Brussels, but the Ukrainians are wary of Western obstruction and their anxiety about security breaches is well-founded. The German military and civilian bureaucracy, in particular, has been so thoroughly penetrated by Russian agents that Kyiv no longer trusts Berlin with sensitive intelligence. The success of the Kursk operation presents Nato with a dilemma. Ukraine has now erased the memory of last summers failed counteroffensive, which resulted in diminishing Western support. Logically, giving Putin a bloody nose ought to entail a boost in allied assistance. But will it happen? Or will Zelensky once again find himself fobbed off with piecemeal military aid? Shift in US-Ukraine dynamics In the United States, the war has been a crucial dividing line between Kamala Harriss Democrats and Donald Trumps Republicans. News of the Ukrainian incursion into Russia has yet to prompt a rethink on either side of the aisle, but Zelenskys decision to go it alone marks a significant shift in the dynamics of his relationship with Washington, whoever wins in November. Trump has made no secret of his pro-Putin sympathies, his dismissal of Zelensky as a salesman and his bombastic claim that he could end the war immediately. This has generally been understood to mean that he would order an immediate cessation of military or financial support and give Kyiv an ultimatum: either accept Moscows peace terms or face certain defeat. JD Vance, Trumps running mate and putative successor, is even more hostile to the Ukrainian cause. Some believe that Trump would in practice be more conciliatory towards Ukraine, but he has shown no hint of a shift so far. Trump's running mate, JD Vance, has revealed himself to be even more hostile to the Ukrainian cause than the former president - AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster As for Kamala Harris: while it is assumed that she would continue Joe Bidens cautious and conditional support for Ukraine, her personal relationship with Zelensky has been cool ever since a spat at the Munich Security Conference shortly before Putins invasion. The vice-president has yet to visit Kyiv and is unlikely to do so before Novembers election. Meanwhile, the State Department and Pentagon show no sign of lifting the Biden administrations restrictions on the use of US weapons on Russian territory a safety-first policy that applies de facto to equipment donated by other Nato allies too. Whoever becomes president next January, Congress will doubtless continue to tighten the purse strings and rebuff Kyiv. With Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz now effectively lame ducks, Europe is looking ever more leaderless in a war that threatens its own security as well as Ukraines existence. The Ukrainians do not have time on their side and are tired of waiting for Europe to get its act together, only to find that promised deliveries of arms and ammunition do not materialise. No wonder Zelensky, who could scarcely disguise his impatience at last months G7 summit, appears to have decided to go it alone. This should be a golden opportunity for a newly elected British prime minister to steal the limelight and set the West an example of leadership. Sir Keir Starmer could do so by flying to Kyiv, thereby giving implicit approval to Zelenskys audacious incursion into Russia, while explicitly giving him a free hand to deploy British-made Storm Shadow missiles inside Russia. On Friday, Dmytro Lantushenko, a Ukrainian officer involved in the Kursk offensive, told The Times: If we had Storm Shadows we would be able to strike logistics hubs and railways which would disrupt [Russian] supply lines and slow them down, significantly helping Ukrainian troops. For Starmer, such a gesture would signal to Putin that his attempt to divide and rule the Atlantic alliance had failed. In the early days of the war, it was Boris Johnson who took the lead, by flying to Kyiv to show solidarity with Zelensky. It was Britain again that offered tanks and missiles to Ukraine at a time when Biden and Scholz were dithering about such offensive weapons. Now Sir Keir has a chance to steal Boriss clothes. Just as Johnson liked to play a Churchillian role, so Starmer might fancy himself as a latter-day Clement Attlee. It was, after all, the unflashy Labour leader who actually finished the job at the end of the Second World War. Sir Keir Starmer has the chance to lead Europe's support of Ukrainian forces - DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP via Getty Images That war and its memories looms large in the present conflict, not least because of the ghostly resonance of the word Kursk. For Putin, it conjures up the first crisis of his quarter century in the Kremlin: the sinking of the submarine K-141 Kursk in 2000. The new president faced criticism for abandoning 118 submariners to their fate, having yet to establish control of the media. Some Russians will recall this naval tragedy, as the advance of Ukrainian forces on Kursk gives the lie to Putins claim to be Mr Security. In an address to the nation, Zelensky explicitly made this connection: Twenty-four years ago there was the Kursk disaster the symbolic start of his reign. Now it is clear that this is the end of it. And again its Kursk. An even more powerful collective memory in Russia is the Battle of Kursk in 1943. Codenamed Operation Citadel by the Germans, Kursk has gone down in history as the largest battle of all time, involving millions of men and several thousand armoured vehicles, including the Wehrmachts new Panthers, Tigers and Ferdinands. It was thus on an entirely different scale to the much smaller incursion now under way. Recent research has modified the propaganda version of Kursk, particularly the legend of the greatest tank battle in history at Prokhorovka. It is now clear that the price paid by the Red Army for throwing the German offensive into reverse was much higher than previously thought. The ratio of Soviet to German human losses was at least four to one and of materiel up to seven to one. Only the Anglo-American invasion of Sicily, which prompted Hitlers premature decision to call a halt to Citadel, may have saved Stalin from disaster. Nevertheless, the architect of the Panzer divisions, General Guderian, described Kursk as a decisive defeat for the Germans. As such it has been etched into Russian mythology almost as deeply as the Battle of Stalingrad. Putins propaganda machine will play on the appearance of German Panzers on Russian territory to rehash their old lies about how Ukraine under its Jewish President Zelensky is really a Nazi state. Much of the Russian population is taken in by the bots and trolls. But such disinformation rings hollow when Russian forces are in disarray. Putin is visibly incapable of protecting the homeland and his own methods are more totalitarian than the cyber warriors most lurid fantasies. The drama now in progress near Kursk, within sight of the battlefields of eight decades ago, has electrified a conflict that had been written off by many armchair generals as a stalemate. The last time the edifice of Putin's regime visibly tottered was when Yevgeny Prigozhin's Wager Group attempted a coup in June 2023 - AFP via Getty Images The Russian despot cannot afford concessions and is still holding out for final victory. Last Tuesday he asked: What is there even to talk to [the Ukrainians] about? But this is the delusional bunker mentality of a dictator disconnected from reality. Putin can only survive as long as he can bolster national morale. Otherwise he, like Tsar Nicholas II and Mikhail Gorbachev before him, is vulnerable to a coup. In June 2023, the edifice of Putins regime visibly tottered for a day or two when the mercenaries and musicians, conscripts and convicts of the Wagner Group marched on Moscow. Only when their boss, Yevgeny Prigozhin, was persuaded to turn back did the Russian military establishment rally round Putin. Two months later, exactly a year ago, Prigozhin was assassinated, presumably on Putins orders. At that point, August 2023, the Ukrainian counteroffensive was failing. Last winter there was speculation about Zelenskys future. Now the Kursk incursion has highlighted the staggering incompetence of his enemy in the Kremlin. Now it is Putin who looks like a loser, both on the battlefield and on the home front. The 71-year-old, who only last March had himself re-elected effectively as president-for-life, is still clinging to power. But for how much longer? 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. WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) After a long renovation process, a rehab and care facility on Loop 11 is ready to serve the community with refreshed facilities. Two and a half years after renovations began, the Windmill Rehab Unit at the Texhoma Christian Care Center hosted an open house to showcase the revamped facility. Huey Learning Center reopening after 2023 microburst destruction Administrator Austin Cooper was optimistic about the facilitys future, as the Windmill Rehab Unit can take on multiple types of patients under one roof. So, for the last two-and-a-half years, we have been remodeling this building, Cooper explained, adding that the planning stage started long before remodeling began. So, this building is our Windmill Rehab Unit, and its going to be set up for our long-term care patients as well. The renovations gave the 45-year-old building a facelift, expanding living spaces and recreational areas. Due to the wear and tear facilities like Texhoma Christian Care Center take on a year-to-year basis, renovations can quickly go from a want to a need. Once a building is lived in 24 hours a day, seven days a week for that many years, there comes a need to be able to go in, completely demolish, and basically start back over, Cooper said. Really bring the building up to look and feel like what people are expecting in a facility these days. While the living spaces received extensive attention, other rehab facilities, including two gyms, also received upgrades. There is also a brand-new A.D.L bathroom, which can give residents more independence by reducing their need for assistance during activities of daily living, such as bathing or using the toilet. Director of Rehab Meredith Shaw said the renovations can do more than just help recovery. ANNOUNCEMENT: Brooks running for City Council District 2 I think that it just overall helps morale, Shaw said. You know, whenever weve got new things, it may not be a new building, but everything inside is brand new, and it just kind of lets us put a fresh look to things, which I think we can kind of put a fresh look to ourselves too. With morale on the rise, the renovations have the staff in the Windmill Rehab Unit ready to get their patients back to doing what they love most. 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. WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) A Wichita teenager got international attention after facing hate at work last month. Since then, he has been doing what he can to ensure it doesnt happen to other young people. Noah Bierig (KSN News Photo) Noah Bierig is a waiter at Bubbas 33 near Town East Square. He is also gay. Last month, while waiting on some customers, he noticed the glares they were giving him. I knew that these people probably didnt agree with who I was as a person, but I figured that it wasnt going to get to me, that I was going to give them the best service that I possibly can, and hopefully, I might just change their ways through that, he said. That didnt really happen. Faced with hate Every time I walked away, it was hard to ignore the laughing that I would hear from that table, he said. When they were paying, they were being pretty rude about that as well, just a bunch of laughing about who I am as a person even though they dont know me. Receipt with slur and name blurred. (Photo provided to KSN News) When Bierig picked up the receipt, he found a homophobic slur instead of a tip. What I saw on that receipt did hurt me, he said. It was just completely unexpected, out of the blue, not something that I would expect to see on a regular Sunday. He sent a photo of the receipt to his mother, who posted it on social media almost immediately. How do you help your kid who turned 19 last week and is a waiter deal with this? she asked. Her sons response was very mature. I didnt want to be brought down to his level, Bierig said. I wanted to do good in the world of hate that he seems to want to inspire. Others respond Bierig said his mothers Facebook post got thousands of shares. My name has been brought up internationally. Ive been on the Daily Mail UK. An icon such as Andy Cohen has talked about me on his late night show. Its been absolutely insane. Money started coming in. Just out of nowhere, I started having donations come through to me personally, and it was incredible to see. Bierig said Chris Pumpelly with Proud of Wichita Inc., the LGBT Chamber of Commerce, contacted him. We all know that there was an unnecessary hateful slur that was left instead of a tip. We saw that as offensive just because it was ridiculous, it was unnecessary, it was hurtful, Pumpelly said. Wichita is not the community that stands by and says were going to let people do silly stuff like this and let it go unchallenged. He had the amazing idea to set up a donation page specifically, and we put that out there, also on my moms Facebook page, and a ton of people just donated, Bierig said. Giving to others Bierig did not want the money for himself. He wants to help other gay youth who may be fighting discrimination. It was my moms idea. She just told me about this cool charity she had found when she was looking, called GLSEN, and she told me exactly what it was, he said. GLSEN Kansas is a chapter of a national organization that works with K-12 educators and students. It improves the educational environments for LGBTQ youth and educators and works to prevent bullying. I did some research on the help they did at schools. There was a GLSENing club at my own high school, which I didnt even know about, Bierig said. I know that if I did know about that, it would help me incredibly in high school, so if I didnt get that, Ill give others the opportunity. On Friday, Bierig presented GLSEN with a check for $2,200. The memo on the check says Love Wins. Noah Bierig on the right, presents a check to Will Rapp of GLSEN Kansas on Aug. 16, 2024. (KSN News Photo) I really admire Noahs courage to putting the message out there so that people understand the realities of how hateful and how harmful and ignorant people can be, Will Rapp, GLSEN chapter managing director, said. Those instances dont always get reported, and because of this situation where Noah stepped forward, that courage has led to a very positive thing with the funds that were raised and Noahs decision to donate them. He said the restaurant is also donating to GLSEN. They dont support that type of behavior on behalf of their customers, so we do appreciate that additional support as well on behalf of Noah, Rapp said. Bierigs message for others Bierig said he could not be more proud of being part of the LGBTQ community and offered advice for other young people. Keep your head up. Youre never going to be alone. Youre always going to have some sort of support system that you can find. Its important to not let that hate get to you. Thats only going to bring you down further from where you want to be, he said. Find the people that will support you. He is glad that a moment of hate has become something good for the community. I know stuff like this happens everywhere, Bierig said. I feel that being able to spread this message and showing how far something like this can come off of one word that he wrote on a receipt, I think thats just going to do so much better for this country, for the world. I think that getting this out will spread so much positivity, as much positivity as possible, and thats all I wanted. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. ST. LOUIS The widow of retired St. Louis police captain David Dorn, killed during a 2020 protest, calls for tougher penalties around violent protests in wake of a Ferguson officers injury last week. Officer Travis Brown was hurt during a protest on Aug. 9 outside the Ferguson police headquarters while a crowd marked the 10th anniversary of the killing of Michael Brown Jr., whose death became part of a national push to reform policing and helped fuel the Black Lives Matter movement. Four years earlier, Ann Dorn lost her husband while he responded a burglar alarm at a friends business, which followed unrest in St. Louis after the death of George Floyd. Looters broke into the store overnight and David was fatally wounded when he confronted them. Employee selling stolen items from job on Facebook caught at work In a FOX News digital report published Friday, Ann Dorn acknowledged that people have the right to protest, but insisted that violent actions amid protests must be met with serious consequences. It needs to be handled accordingly, that if youre going to destroy property and hurt people, its not going to be just another charge. Theres going to be a higher penalty for that because a protest is your First Amendment right. You can do that. But once you step over the line to violence, its uncalled for, said Dorn via FOX News. Travis Brown is in critical condition with a serious a brain injury he suffered while responding to the protest. The Ferguson Police Department shared videos earlier this week that allegedly show a suspect charging at Officer Brown and forcing him to the ground on the sidewalk. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News Ferguson Police Chief Troy Doyle said that the August 9 protest began peacefully and police blocked off parts of a street in anticipation. Throughout the night, the peaceful protest became agitated as individuals began shaking a police station security gate late Friday evening. Brown and others were dispatched as part of an arrest team to detain protesters who broke the police station security gate. Dorn, also a retired sergeant, condemned the violence from the Aug. 9 protest. The people who start these, a protest is one thing, but when it turns violent, those people need to be looked at as either terrorists or be charged with rioting, not just assault, destruction of property. The suspect accused in Officer Browns injury, 28-year-old Elijah Gantt of East St. Louis, has been charged with first-degree assault and fourth-degree assault amid the investigation. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2. SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) The Mount Vernon School District says it became a victim of wire fraud in June, per a news release. The district says theres no evidence any current or past employee purposefully did anything wrong; instead, it looks like professional scammers are behind the crime. The statement from the district says details were relayed to the Davison County Sheriffs Office and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation is also involved. Jessie Schmidt, vice president of the Better Business Bureaus South Dakota region, and Sioux Falls Police Department spokesperson Sam Clemens shared Friday how wire fraud might take place. New school pathway sparks concern for Harrisburg kids This type of fraud escalates during summer months because people are on vacation, and you have people doing jobs that maybe that, this is not what their full-time job is, Schmidt said. Clemens highlights how a business could fall victim to spoofing. Hey were updating our account, we had this one before, this is the new one, so please use this one,' Clemens said. Then that business or organization thinks thats a legitimate email, so they change it on their end and then unbeknownst to them, theyre sending money right to the scammers. A small detail might indicate a huge difference. If youre talking about a business, a lot of these emails that come through look legitimate, its from somebody that they do business with on a regular basis, there may be some regular billing, regular correspondence, but theyre going to change things just slightly, Clemens said. There may be an extra hyphen or an s added to somebodys name. Maybe theyll add another initial, so it still looks like you are emailing me or I am emailing you, and they say, Hey I know Im out of the office, but I forgot to approve these few invoices before I left, and they need to get paid,' Schmidt said. Schmidt also says its good practice to keep updating anti-virus software. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Pro-Palestinian protesters from Wisconsin will be among the potentially thousands of marchers taking to the streets next week in Chicago as the city hosts the Democratic National Convention. At least two buses, one starting in northeast Wisconsin and another departing from Milwaukee, are planning to take close to 100 people to a massive march Monday in Chicago. The marchers are calling for the U.S. to stop weapons shipments to Israel and to demand a ceasefire in Gaza. In Chicago, home to the country's largest Palestinian community, Wisconsin activists plan to join protesters arriving on charter buses from several nearby states, including Michigan, Minnesota and Indiana. Activist has hope Harris diverges from Biden on Israel Jim Carpenter, an activist with Peace Action of Wisconsin, is coordinating one bus for Milwaukee-area protesters. The 40-seat bus is set to leave Monday morning from Zao MKE Church and drop protesters at Chicago's Union Park for the Coalition to March on the DNC. Another will be transporting students from University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, UW-Milwaukee and Lawrence University, as well as activists from a variety of local progressive or leftist groups such as the Freedom Road Socialist Organization and the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Oppression. More: Kamala Harris plans DNC week rally in Milwaukee at site of Republican National Convention More: Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson hints at possible speaking slot at the DNC in Chicago Carpenter said he was horrified by what he saw as inaction by President Joe Biden, and initially he planned to vote for Jill Stein of the Green Party. Once Harris became the presumptive nominee, however, his opinion changed. "I have some hope that she will be different than Biden," he said. But he hasn't seen Harris take a strong enough stance, yet. So right now, he said he's waiting. He views Israel's punishing bombing campaign in Gaza as morally reprehensible. He knows other progressives don't agree. They aren't willing to risk letting former President Donald Trump win the election. "I can't vote for somebody whos doing this, because its a criminal activity in my opinion," Carpenter said. The demonstration expands on a widespread push for "uninstructed" and "uncommitted" voting this spring. group called Listen to Wisconsin led a grassroots effort to encourage voters to cast ballots as "uninstructed" or "uncommitted" -- effectively sending a message against Joe Biden in the Democratic Primary. The movement sought to demonstrate that large cohorts of the voting population wanted the Biden-Harris administration to call for a permanent ceasefire and end the war in Gaza. In Wisconsin, "uninstructed delegation" took 48,093 votes, more than double the margin President Joe Biden won the state by in 2020. Since then, Wisconsin activists have continued to apply political pressure to Democrats with rebranded programming called "Ceasefire First, Votes Next." Pro-Palestinian activists say they will withhold their votes for Vice President Kamala Harris unless she commits to a ceasefire. Organizer hopes Democrats take note of large protests, change course Ryan Hamann doesn't see any difference between the policies of Harris and Trump on the war and doesn't plan to vote for Republicans or Democrats in November. He is an organizer with the Wisconsin branch of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization and will be in Chicago Monday. "Neither of these candidates represent what I want to see the direction this country go in," Hamann said. He argues that most Americans want the war in Gaza to end, and that U.S. leaders could make that happen by stopping all aid and weapons to Israel. Hamann hopes the Democrats take note of the large protests and adopt a tougher stance on Israel. "My hope is that they hear us marching through the streets of Chicago," he said, "and they recognize that their current course is not acceptable." More: What Tammy Baldwin and Eric Hovde have said about Israel and the war in Gaza Organizers expect tens of thousands of people will take part throughout the week, though exact crowd projections vary widely. The Coalition to March on the DNC has planned marches for Monday and Thursday that will begin at Union Park, located just under a half-mile from the United Center. Other groups have planned rallies at other times. The UWM students who set up tents on their campus this spring are expecting to be actively involved. The Students for a Democratic Society is continuing to push for the UWM Foundation to cut ties with Israeli companies. It is one of five groups the university recently suspended for a social media post the local Jewish community called threatening. Marches planned for weekend in Milwaukee, Madison Wisconsin protesters who are unable to take buses to Chicago for marches on Monday have planned two Saturday demonstrations in Madison and Milwaukee. At 10 a.m. on the steps of the state Capitol building, organizers will display children's shoes to honor the nearly 15,000 children killed in Gaza, and speakers will discuss the goals of the Listen to Wisconsin effort. At 12 p.m., protesters will host a rally in front of Milwaukee Public Market. I am involved in this action because it is just plain wrong that U.S. taxpayer dollars and U.S. bombs are being used to kill thousands of innocent civilians and destroy schools, hospitals, and refugee camps, said Janet Parker, a Madison-based organizer. Sophie Carson is a general assignment reporter who reports on religion and faith, immigrants and refugees and more. Contact her at scarson@gannett.com or 920-323-5758. Tamia Fowlkes is a Public Investigator reporter. Reach Tamia at tfowlkes@gannett.com. Follow her on X at @tamiafowlkes. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin protesters head to DNC pushing for break with Israel on Gaza Wall Drug in Wall, S.D. (Photo by Arielle Zionts of KFF Health News) WALL, S.D. Stacey Schulz parks in a rear lot to avoid the crowded Main Street entrances to her local pharmacy. During the summer, its kind of hectic, she said after greeting the pharmacist and technician by name. Thats because Schulzs pharmacy is tucked inside Wall Drug, a tourist attraction that takes up almost an entire block and draws more than 2 million visitors a year to a community of fewer than 700 residents. The business is named after the town of Wall, which is just off Interstate 90 near Badlands National Park. Colorful, hand-painted billboards dot the roadside for hundreds of miles, telling motorists how far they are from Wall Drugs free ice water, 5-cent coffee, and homemade doughnuts. Visitors can pan for gold, listen to singing animatronic cowboys, try on Western wear, and shop for souvenirs, including plush jackalopes mythical jackrabbits with antelope horns. Despite being part of a booming tourist attraction, Wall Drugs pharmacy faces challenges common to independent rural pharmacies. Its the lone pharmacy in Wall, serving locals year-round. Some, like Schulz, live in town, while others live on ranches as far as 60 miles away. The next-nearest pharmacy is a 30-minute drive northeast. Wall Drug also serves tourists who forget their prescriptions at home, get sick while roaming the country in their RVs, or hurt themselves while hiking through the otherworldly rock formations of the scorching Badlands, said Cindy Dinger, its sole pharmacist. Wall has no hospital, but a clinic is open four days a week. Schulz, a medical assistant there, said she and her co-workers see a lot of summer tourists. They send them to Wall Drug to pick up prescriptions. And then we tell them to get fudge before they leave, Schulz said. Rural pharmacies, especially independent ones, closed at a higher rate from 2003 to 2021 than pharmacies in other areas, according to a study by the Rural Policy Research Institute. By 2021, the institute found, nearly 8% of rural counties were left with no pharmacy. The Wall Drug pharmacy has fewer customers than a typical city pharmacy, which can mean less profit, Dinger said. She said some of its prices are higher because the store cant negotiate discounts as steep as the deals suppliers grant chain pharmacies. Rural drugstores also lack leverage with insurers, and they face increasing competition from mail-order pharmacies. Another challenge is staffing. When Dinger needs time off, she finds a fill-in from Rapid City, nearly an hours drive away. Its a challenge getting relief if I want to go on vacation or if I need a cover so that I can go to a doctors appointment, she said. You take what you can get and try to schedule around it. Dinger said her pharmacy would struggle without the rest of Wall Drug. All this stuff around us the poster and print shop, the boot shop, the fudge shop, the cafe they pay our bills, she said. The pharmacys white facade, with stained-glass signs and windows, is modeled after that of the original drugstore, which was across the street. The window displays and top shelves inside the store are filled with vintage pharmacy supplies, including manuals, glass medicine bottles, and a suppository-making machine. Tourists carrying shopping bags and sporting new cowboy hats stop to look at the displays. Its a real pharmacy, a woman said, sounding surprised. Dinger and Sylvia Smith, the stores only pharmacy tech, ring customers up below a Tiffany-style light fixture and retrieve prescriptions stored behind a wooden desk and wall. Customer Will Lovitt said a friend advised him and his wife to stop at Wall Drug during their drive from Indiana to the Black Hills in western South Dakota. Lovitt developed a rash on the trip and ended up using the visit to get Dingers advice on treating it. He said it can be difficult for tourists to know where to find medical help, especially when driving through rural states like South Dakota. I think its time that America gets back to the grass roots of the small-town doctor and the small-town pharmacist, Lovitt said. Alex Davis and a friend decided to visit Wall Drug on their road trip from Kansas to Yellowstone National Park. Then, when I saw there was a little pharmacy, I thought Id grab something that I needed, she said. Davis bought Dramamine to treat car sickness on the long drive. Dinger said she occasionally sees unusual situations, like the time several years ago when a park ranger needed antibiotics after getting bitten by a prairie dog. You never know what kind of diseases they might be carrying, she said of the animals, which recently were hit with an outbreak of plague. Rick Hustead is the chairman of Wall Drug. The store was opened in 1931 by his grandfather, pharmacist Ted Hustead. Teds wife, Dorothy, had the idea to advertise its soda fountain and free ice water to tourists traveling along unpaved roads during the hot years of the Dust Bowl era. Ricks father, pharmacist Bill Hustead, began expanding the store in the 50s, turning it into the tourist magnet it is today. Rick Hustead didnt follow his father and grandfathers path to pharmacy school, so he had to recruit pharmacists from elsewhere. Hustead found Dinger in 2010 after writing a letter to each pharmacist in the state. Dinger said she was living at the time in Sioux Falls, South Dakotas most populous city. But she and her husband were interested in raising their kids in a small town, the way she grew up. Dinger was also attracted by the stores limited hours: Shed be done working by 5 p.m. on weekdays and have the weekends off. Hustead said his family has never considered closing the pharmacy, even though its not the main attraction for most visitors. We cant be Wall Drug without being a drugstore, he said. KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFFan independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. X says it's ending business operations in Brazil effective immediately, but the service will remain available to users in the country. The company says Alexandre de Moraes, the president of the Superior Electoral Court and a justice of the Supreme Federal Court, threatened one of X's legal representatives with arrest if it did not "comply with his censorship orders." According to Reuters, de Moreas demanded that X remove certain content from its platform. Rather than comply, X has opted to end its local operations "to protect the safety of our staff." According to X, de Moraes made the threat in a "secret order," which it shared publicly. X owner Elon Musk claimed that the demand "would require us to break (in secret) Brazilian, Argentinian, American and international law." He added that, "The decision to close the office in Brazil was difficult, but, if we had agreed to @alexandres (illegal) secret censorship and private information handover demands, there was no way we could explain our actions without being ashamed." Last night, Alexandre de Moraes threatened our legal representative in Brazil with arrest if we do not comply with his censorship orders. He did so in a secret order, which we share here to expose his actions. Despite our numerous appeals to the Supreme Court not being heard, pic.twitter.com/Pm2ovyydhE Global Government Affairs (@GlobalAffairs) August 17, 2024 "Despite our numerous appeals to the Supreme Court not being heard, the Brazilian public not being informed about these orders and our Brazilian staff having no responsibility or control over whether content is blocked on our platform, Moraes has chosen to threaten our staff in Brazil rather than respect the law or due process," X said in a statement on its Global Government Affairs account. "[de Moraes'] actions are incompatible with democratic government. The people of Brazil have a choice to make democracy, or Alexandre de Moraes." Musk has been railing against de Moraes for months. In April, he said he would defy orders from the legislator to block certain accounts in Brazil, claiming that they were unconstitutional. In response, de Moraes opened an obstruction of justice inquiry against Musk. X said later in April it would comply with every order issued by Brazil's top courts. That same month, the House Judiciary Committee released an interim staff report claiming that the Brazilian government was trying to force X (and other social media platforms) to censor more than 300 accounts. It said that the accounts included those belonging to former Brazil president Jair Bolsonaro, a member of the country's federal senate and a journalist. X does not have a public relations team that can be reached for comment. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has once again urgently called on the West to supply longer-range weapons, following the advance of his troops in the Russian region of Kursk. The capability of the Ukrainian armed forces to use such weapons against Russia is the most important strategic issue of this war, Zelensky said in his evening video message released in Kiev on Saturday. At the moment, he asserted, there is a lack of necessary decisions from the Western allies. He cited the example of the United Kingdom, which he claimed has become slower to act. The courage and resilience of the Ukrainian soldiers are currently compensating for the hesitation of the Western partners. "And we could effectively take away every opportunity for the occupier to advance and cause damage if our long-range capabilities were sufficient," Zelensky added. He has repeatedly demanded permission to use rockets and cruise missiles against targets in Russia. Currently, there are restrictions on this. The world has seen how effectively Ukraine defends its independence and it needs further assistance, said Zelensky. Zelensky referenced again a conversation with the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, who informed him about further progress in the Russian region of Kursk. "The operation is unfolding exactly as we expected. The bravery of the Ukrainians is achieving great things. Now we are strengthening our positions," said Zelensky. He also mentioned again that Ukraine is capturing more and more Russian prisoners of war in the Kursk area to replenish the number for the next exchange with Russia. The goal is to bring soldiers and civilians home from Russian captivity. According to the latest information from Kiev, Ukraine controls more than 80 villages and 1,500 square kilometres of area in the Kursk region. These claims from the warring parties cannot be independently verified. Experts estimate about half the figures mentioned by Kiev. Approximately 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers are deployed in the Kursk region. Zelensky intends, with the offensive that began on August 6, to increase the pressure on Moscow to end the fighting through negotiations after almost two and a half years of the full-scale Russian invasion. However, from the Russian perspective, such negotiations seem even more distant due to the Ukrainian offensive. When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central Google Pixel 9 Pro XL official render - Rose Quartz - front and back Google Pixel 9 Pro XL official render - Rose Quartz - front and back The latest Pixel The new Google Pixel has a massive 6.8-inch Super Actua LTPO display with a 1,344 x 2992 resolution that will impress you. Its huge 5,060mAh battery will give you the power you need to get through your day. Galaxy S24 Ultra in Titanium Yellow Galaxy S24 Ultra in Titanium Yellow Impressive camera model The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is excellent to look at and use, with its 6.8-inch LTPO AMOLED display and 1m440 x 3120 resolution. You'll love its cameras and all the fun with Galaxy AI. The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL is the new kid on the block, giving consumers a new large-screen flagship Android phone to buy. This Google Pixel 9 Pro XL vs. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra showdown will compare the necessary specs for the two phones so you can easily decide which is best for you, inside and out. The two flagship phones have much to offer, and the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL will aim to steal the S24 Ultra's thunder with its impressive specs. But does it have what it takes to win a spot on the list of one of the best Android phones? Google Pixel 9 Pro XL vs. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Design All the Google Pixel 9 colors The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL has a new design since it drops the previous camera visor that covers the entire back of previous models, such as the Pixel 8 Pro. Google keeps the new floating camera bar more toward the middle. The latest Pixel has Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which can withstand drops as high as one meter onto concrete surfaces. It also has an excellent IP68 water and dust resistance rating that is entirely dust-proof and lets you submerge the phone in 1.5 meters of water for up to 30 minutes. You can also count on a fingerprint-resistant coating on the 100% recycled aluminum frame. You can choose colors such as Hazel, Obsidian, Porcelain, and Rose Quartz. The phone weighs 221 grams and measures 162.8 x 76.6 x 8.5mm. The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra has its traditional Samsung look and looks as elegant as ever. It also has an IP68 rating and a more scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Amor than its new competitor. The phone has color options such as Titanium, Black, Gray, Violet, Yello, Blue, Green, and Orange. You can see that you get many more color options with the Galaxy option. The slightly heavier Galaxy weighs 232 grams and measures 162.3 x 79 x 8.6mm. Google Pixel 9 Pro XL vs. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Display All four retail colors of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL launches with a 6.8-inch Super Actua display (matching the S24 Ultra) that aims to provide you with very high brightness levels without forgoing clarity or vividness. The display has a 20:9 aspect ratio, an inferior 1344 x 2992 resolution, and 486 ppi compared to its competitor. It also boosts a 120Hz refresh rate, HDR support, and a higher peak brightness of 3,000 nits. The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra also has a 6.8-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED display with a 19.5:9 ratio, a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, and an Always-on display. It has a high 505 ppi and HDR10+ support. However, the phone can only reach a 2,600 peak brightness, falling slightly short of its competitor. You'll also love the anti-glare technology that will remove that annoying glare. You can also count on Smooth Motion, which eliminates blurring and ghosting from fast-moving images. Google Pixel 9 Pro XL vs. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Hardware The back of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra in the Titanium Grey colorway Both phones have a lot to show off regarding hardware. The latest Pixel 9 Pro XL has an impressive 16GB of RAM and different storage options, including 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or a massive 1TB option (matching the S24 Ultra). Google also added its latest Tensor G4 processor to give you even more power when multitasking. There is also a Titan M2 security coprocessor and a substantial 5,060mAh battery with up to 100-hour battery life with Extreme Battery Saver. Thanks to fast charging, the Pixel can get up to 70% of your charge in about 30 minutes. You can use the 45W USB charger, which you must buy the charger separately since it doesn't come in the box. The Pixel 9 Pro XL matches its Galaxy competitor with a primary 50MP Octa PD wide, which is accompanied by a 48MP ultrawide sensor with Macro Focus and a 48MP Quad PD telephoto unit with 5x optical zoom. Google has added a gorgeous 42MP Dual PD selfie camera with autofocus that selfie enthusiasts will love, myself included! Google also threw in a USB Type-C 3.2 matching the S24 Ultra. The Samsung Galaxy S 24 Ultra has impressive features, such as a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor and Adreno 750 GPU. Still, it falls behind in terms of the maximum amount of RAM it can offer, offering a maximum of 12GB. You can choose from storage options such as 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. There is not much difference in the battery size since the S24 Ultra has a 5,000mAh battery that can power all your tasks. There is a tie when it comes to charging since they both share 45W speeds. You also get 15W wireless charging and 4.5W reverse charging. The Galaxy S24 Ultra camera specs are fantastic, with a 200MP primary camera, a 12MP ultrawide sensor, a 10MP 3x telephoto camera f/2.4, and a 50MP 5x periscope telephoto camera. These cameras offer a great dynamic range. Samsung also added a USB type-C 3.2 port for faster transfer times when transferring your files elsewhere. Google Pixel 9 Pro XL vs. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Software Using Google Circle to Search on a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL has a lot to offer regarding software. The new Pixel has Android 14 out of the box, and Google will continue to send OS and security updates for seven more years. You can use Face Unlock, pattern, PIN, and password to keep your Pixel safe. Additionally, Pixel users also use Google VPN for free and have a one-year free Google One AI Premium Plan subscription. Long-press the power button to use Gemini Advanced and get the information you need. The plan also includes 2TB storage to save all the videos and pictures. A helpful feature called Pixel Screenshots lets you save info such as locations and events by taking screenshots. You'll be able to use features Pixel users already use on previous models, such as Magic Editor, Astrophotography, Circle to Search, and more. Thanks to the Add Me feature, no one will be left out of the picture since you can take a picture of the group and then one of you. Your Pixel 9 Pro XL software will merge both pictures to include everyone. If you ever need to call emergency services, the Satellite SOS feature will ensure you get through. The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra also offers seven years of updates and comes with One UI 6.1 on top of Android 14. Samsung also provides users with fun and helpful AI features, such as Generative Wallpaper, Auto Format, Magic Compose Texting, Writing Assist, Summary, Generative Edit, Interpreter, Circle to Search, Live Translate, and more. The enhanced Nightography features allow you to take great pictures in low-light areas, capturing more detailed and brighter pictures. Dynamic Lockscreen updates and shows you a different wallpaper every two weeks, so you don't get bored looking at the same one for too long. Google Pixel 9 Pro XL vs. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: So, who wins? A look at the new quick toggle design in One UI 6.1 for the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra The phone you choose comes down to what's more important to you. Some users want a great camera, while others may care more about a big screen. But if you want a fantastic camera with a powerful processor, the S24 Ultra is the way to go. But that doesn't mean the Pixel 9 Pro XL is a poor choice. The downside to the new Pixel is that it will be more expensive than its predecessor since it's newer, so your budget will also play an essential part in which phone you get, but the S24 Ultra is also not easy on the wallet. Google often releases features on Pixels faster than Galaxy phones, which is something to consider if you can't wait to try out the latest features. So, which phone sounds more tempting to you? Google Pixel 9 Pro XL official render - Porcelain - front and back Google Pixel 9 Pro XL official render - Porcelain - front and back The brighter Pixel The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL lets you enjoy all the AI fun with a one-year free subscription to Google's AI plan. You can enjoy looking at its 6.8-inch screen or take selfies with its 42Mp selfie camera that you can later edit with all the helpful tools. samsung galaxy s24 ultra square render 1 samsung galaxy s24 ultra square render 1 More pixels for your money The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra will keep you busy with its fantastic camera, which includes a 200MP primary camera and Galaxy AI features such as Circle to Search and Live Translator. You can also get the 1TB storage option to save all your selfies and videos. You are the owner of this article. If you are sending a Letter To the Editor, please be sure to follow these rules: Letters have a firm 200-word limit and will be edited for grammar, clarity and accuracy. The person who signs the letter must be the author. Anonymous letters will not be considered. Letters must address the editor, not a third party. We will not print form letters, libelous letters, business promotions or personal disputes, poetry, open letters, letters espousing religious views without reference to a current issue, or letters considered in poor taste. Letters reflect the opinion of the writer. The Yakima Herald-Republic cannot verify the accuracy of all statements made in letters. Writers are limited to one published letter per calendar month. Chinese premier stresses solid work to meet annual development goals Xinhua) 09:09, August 17, 2024 Chinese Premier Li Qiang presides over the fifth plenary meeting of the State Council on Aug. 16, 2024. Li stressed solid work to implement reform measures and accomplish the annual economic and social development goals with impetus from further deepening reform comprehensively. (Xinhua/Yan Yan) BEIJING, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Friday stressed solid work to implement reform measures and accomplish the annual economic and social development goals with impetus from further deepening reform comprehensively. Chairing the fifth plenary meeting of the State Council, Li underscored the need to strengthen the effectiveness of reform with economic structural reform as the spearhead, focusing on key areas like promoting fiscal and tax reform, building a unified national market and advancing new urbanization. Urging great efforts to enhance the economic recovery trend, Li said more should be done to expand domestic demand with a focus on boosting consumption. Service consumption should be improved in terms of both scale and quality, and differentiated support policies should be developed to suit the needs of different groups to fully unleash consumption potential, he said. To boost investment, he said it was essential to effectively leverage the role of government investment and ensure the implementation of policies supporting private investment. The scope, scale and proportion of local government special bonds as capital funds should be increased. The regular communication and exchange mechanism between the government and enterprises must be continuously improved, the premier said, stressing that businesses voices should be heard and considered, and their difficulties truly addressed. New quality productive forces should be developed in accordance with local conditions, and the promotion, application and upgrade of new technologies and new products should be supported, he said. Li also called for active adaption to change and improved high-standard opening up, more effort to attract and utilize foreign investment, support and improvement of people's livelihood, stabilizing employment for key groups, and new measures to increase residents' income. Government work should be more law-based, according to Li, who noted that the fundamental goal of administrative law enforcement should be maintaining the order of the socialist market economy, so as to create a favorable business environment to boost the innovative development of all market entities. (Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Wu Chaolan) Hindenburg Vs Adani Saga: Sebi Chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch continued to earn revenue from a consultancy firm during her seven-year tenure, potentially breaching rules for regulatory officials, according to public documents reviewed by Reuters. Buch's holdings potentially violate a 2008 Sebi policy that prohibits officials from holding an office of profit or receiving salary or professional fees from other professional activities. Allegations by US-Based Short Seller The matter relates to allegations made by US-based short seller Hindenburg Research last week, claiming that Buch and her husband, Dhaval Buch, previously held investments in offshore funds also used by the Adani Group. These charges, suggesting a conflict of interest in her investigations surrounding the conglomerate, were categorically denied by the couple. Buchs' Response to Hindenburg's Allegations Immediate and Detailed Statements Deny Allegations After denying the charges in an immediate response to Hindenburg's report, the Buchs released a second, more detailed statement, categorically denying the allegations and sharing specific details, including their career history, education, and certain investments. They accused Hindenburg of attempting to attack Sebi's credibility and indulging in character assassination. Hindenburg's Reaction to the Buchs Statement In response to the Buchs 15-point statement, Hindenburg took to the microblogging site X (formerly Twitter) to claim that the Buchs' responses included "several important admissions and raised numerous new critical questions." Market Reactions and Expert Opinions Foreign Investors and Experts Express Concerns Several foreign investors have raised concerns regarding the latest Hindenburg report. Eminent market expert Mark Matthews stated he would wait for the Supreme Court's opinion, while veteran investor Marc Faber suggested that those involved should resign if the allegations are proven true. Adani Group's Denial and SEBI's Advisory In its report, Hindenburg alleged that the Buchs held stakes in an offshore fund where substantial investments were made by associates of Vinod Adani. The Adani Group has denied these accusations. Capital market regulator Sebi has advised investors to remain calm and exercise due diligence before reacting to such reports. AMFI Backs SEBI Chairperson The Mutual Fund industry body, AMFI, has voiced support for the Sebi chairperson, stating that the US short-seller is trying to create a trust deficit in the market ecosystem. (Note: This story is sourced from ZeeBiz.com.) With Jammu and Kashmir witnessing a spate of terrorist attacks, the security forces have been on their toes. As the Union Territory is set to undergo assembly elections next month, the Centre has also appointed a new DGP who will assume charge on October 1. On Saturday, Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General M.V. Suchindra Kumar met with Nalin Prabhat, the newly appointed Special Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police, to discuss ways to strengthen coordination and security efforts between the two forces, according to an Army statement. Nalin Prabhat, a highly decorated IPS officer, has recently been named the Special Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police and is set to take over as the head of the force following the retirement of R R Swain on September 30. The Armys Northern Command, based in Udhampur, shared on X (formerly Twitter) that the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief met with the Special Director General and incoming Director General of Police to offer his congratulations on the new appointment and to discuss strategies for enhancing cooperation and security measures between the Army and the police force. The Indian Army, alongside the Jammu and Kashmir Police, reiterated their commitment to ensuring the safety and security of the Union Territory. The Ministry of Home Affairs recently issued an order confirming Prabhat's new role, stating that he will officially assume the position of DGP for Jammu and Kashmir after Swain retires on September 30. Prabhat, a 1992-batch IPS officer from the Andhra Pradesh cadre, was transferred to Jammu and Kashmir with immediate effect. At 55, Prabhat has an impressive career history, marked by several awards, including three Police Gallantry Medals and the Parakram Padak. He has extensive experience in counter-insurgency operations, having previously led the Greyhounds, a specialized anti-Naxal unit in Andhra Pradesh. His career also includes key positions in the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), where he served as Inspector General of Operations and later as Additional Director General in the Kashmir region. In a recent administrative change, Prabhats tenure as Director General of the National Security Guard (NSG) was shortened to facilitate his transfer from the Andhra Pradesh cadre to the Union Territories cadre (AGMUT) for an initial period of three years. (With agency inputs) The Kolkata trainee doctor's rape and murder case has shook the entire nation. In today's DNA, we will delve into the conspiracy theories surrounding the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RGK Hospital in Kolkata, where new revelations continue to emerge daily. Each new piece of information raises a critical question: Is there an attempt to shield the real culprits behind the rape murder of the trainee doctor? Is there a conspiracy within the hospital to destroy crucial evidence? Zee News has obtained an exclusive video from the night of the incident at RGK Hospital, which you can watch on your screen right now. The video captures a violent mob wielding rods and sticks, vandalizing the hospital. In the video, instructions can be heard directing the attackers to move from the emergency room to the seminar hall, which was the scene of the crime. Watch Full DNA Episode Here This 30-second video is a significant piece of evidence suggesting a conspiracy to destroy evidence related to the trainee doctors rape-murder. The attackers' primary target, as heard in the video, was the seminar hall where the horrific crime occurred. The Kolkata High Court has acknowledged that the vandalism at the hospital was premeditated, with multiple pieces of evidence supporting this claim. Key Evidence: * The mob of protesters arrived equipped with sticks and iron rods, indicating a well-planned attack. * Upon entering the hospital, the attackers first destroyed CCTV cameras to prevent their identities from being recorded during the vandalism. These are undeniable facts, leading to strong suspicions that there was a deliberate attempt to obliterate the crime scene within the hospital. The critical question remains: Who orchestrated this conspiracy and ordered the mob to wreak havoc in the hospital? Following the conviction of Sanjay Roy, the CBI has now shifted its focus to the former principal of RGK Hospital, Sandeep Ghosh. On Friday, Ghosh was interrogated by the CBI for 12 hours, and the questioning continues today at the CBI office. The role of Principal Sandeep Ghosh in this entire case has now come under serious scrutiny. An 11-year-old girl was allegedly raped by the son of a man in whose house her family was living as tenants, police said on Saturday. According to police, the incident occurred on Tuesday when the 22-year-old accused lured the girl to his house to watch television. He allegedly forced himself upon her and threatened her of dire consequences if she told anyone about the incident, police said. Following this, the girl complained of uneasiness and bleeding from her private parts on the night of the incident. When her parents rushed her to the hospital, she narrated her ordeal, the officer said. The parents approached the police, and an FIR was lodged. The accused is the son of a man in whose house her family, laundry workers by profession, was living as tenants. Police teams were formed to arrest the accused, who had absconded by then, he said. The accused was arrested on Friday along with his father, who helped him abscond, he said. On Saturday, the victim's family and her relatives staged protests and demanded strict punishment for the accused. They also tried to block a road but later called off the protests after a senior officer assured justice for the girl and her family. The police said the girl had been discharged from the hospital. Further investigation is underway. Healthcare services across West Bengal were severely disrupted on Saturday as doctors joined their junior colleagues in a strike, demanding justice for the rape and murder of a medical professional at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Services in the outpatient departments of both government and private hospitals were impacted. The demonstrations that began eight days ago by the junior doctors, today saw the participation of senior healthcare professionals nationwide after the call from the Indian Medical Association (IMA). The public outrage started after the post graduate trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered in the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital premises. "Our agitation will continue. This is the only way to get our demands fulfilled. How can people get inside the hospital and attack us even when the police are present? We can understand the actual motive of the vandalism," a protesting doctor told PTI. Non-emergency healthcare services at key state-run hospitals, including SSKM Hospital, Sambhunath Pandit Hospital, and Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital, were severely disrupted due to the ongoing agitation. Private healthcare facilities across the state faced similar challenges. Manipal Hospitals announced the suspension of routine OPD services in response to the IMA's call. A 31-year-old trainee doctor was reportedly raped and murdered while on duty at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital last week. During a protest against the brutal incident in the early hours of August 15, a mob vandalized parts of the hospital. In a tragic incident, a Class 10 student died and the driver of the auto in which he was travelling was seriously injured after a speeding truck hit the auto from behind three times in Hyderabad. The accident spot was just 2-km away from his school. The incident occurred on Saturday morning in Tarnaka, where a Class 10 student lost her life, and an auto-rickshaw driver was critically injured after a speeding truck collided with their vehicle. The impact of the collision forced the auto-rickshaw into the back of a bus. The student, identified as 15-year-old Satwika, was immediately taken to the hospital along with the injured driver. Despite medical efforts, Satwika succumbed to her injuries during treatment. Police arrived at the scene and used a crane to rescue the injured from the wreckage. The investigation is ongoing. According to the police, the student, Ranga Satwika, was on her way to school in an auto-rickshaw when the incident occurred near the Habsiguda traffic signal. The auto had stopped behind an RTC bus when a truck struck it from behind multiple times, pushing the auto under the rear of the bus. Both Satwika and the driver, Yellaiah, sustained severe injuries and were rushed to a private hospital in Nacharam. Satwika was pronounced dead upon arrival, while the auto driver remains in critical condition, as per the police report. In a development that could pose challenges for Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Saturday granted permission to prosecute the Chief Minister in connection with the alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam, according to sources from Raj Bhavan. In response, the Karnataka government announced its intention to challenge the governor's decision by filing a petition in the High Court. An order issued by the Karnataka Governor's Secretariat on August 17 stated, "As directed by the Hon'ble Governor, I am enclosing a copy of the decision of the Competent Authority regarding the request for sanction to prosecute Chief Minister Shri Siddaramaiah under Section 17 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and Section 218 of the Bharathiya Nagarika Suraksha Samhitha, 2023, for the alleged offences mentioned in the petitions." Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also reacted to the development saying that the whole Cabinet is with him. "The entire Cabinet, party high command, all MLAs, MLCs, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs are with me...," he said. The Karnataka government has said they will challenge the Governor's action in the High Court. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar today said that the state government will put all their weight behind Siddaramaiah. "We stand with CM Siddaramaiah. The party, the high command the entire state and the Cabinet stand with him. We will fight it legally and we will fight it politically as well... Whatever notice and sanction has been given is against the law. We have made all our preparations to fight it legally, this is nothing but a clear conspiracy against backwards-class CM Siddaramaiah who is running the government for the second time." A complaint was previously filed by social activist Snehamayi Krishna against Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and nine others, alleging that they forged documents to claim compensation from the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA). Responding to these allegations earlier this month, CM Siddaramaiah stated, "In the MUDA case, everything was done according to the law. I have not exerted any influence on the allotment of the plot. My wife was given a replacement plot in 2021 during the BJP governments tenure, in accordance with the law." The complaint accuses Siddaramaiah, his wife Parvathy, and his brother-in-law Malikarjuna Swamy Devaraj, who claimed to be a landowner, of wrongdoing. It further alleges that MUDA created fake documents to obtain plots worth crores of rupees. Snehamayi Krishna's complaint raises several questions regarding these transactions. The BJP has demanded that the land given to the CM's family be returned, accusing Siddaramaiah of seizing lands that belonged to the Dalit community. Kolkata Doctor Rape-Murder Case: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has declared a 24-hour nationwide withdrawal of all non-emergency medical services starting from 6AM on Saturday (August 17) to protest against the brutal rape and murder of the post-graduate trainee lady doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. They are pushing for robust working and living conditions for resident doctors, IMA issued five key demands, including the implementation of a central law to prevent violence against healthcare professionals in the workplace. The IMA stated that all essential services will continue to be provided, and emergency departments will remain staffed. (IMA) Indian Medical Associations Five Demands: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has called for a comprehensive overhaul of the working and living conditions of resident doctors, highlighting the 36-hour duty shift the victim at RG Kar Hospital was subjected to and the absence of safe rest spaces. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has urged the incorporation of the 2023 amendments to the Epidemic Diseases Act of 1897 into the proposed Hospital Protection Bill of 2019. The IMA believes this would strengthen existing legislation in 25 states. Additionally, the association suggested that an ordinance similar to the one enacted during the Covid-19 pandemic would be appropriate in the current circumstances. The IMA has demanded a thorough and professional investigation into the crime within a specific timeframe, along with swift justice. Additionally, the IMA called for identifying those responsible for the vandalism at RG Kar Hospital on the night of August 14 and ensuring they face exemplary punishment. IMA has urged that hospital security protocols be elevated to the same level as airport security. It recommended that hospitals be designated as safe zones with mandatory security measures as the initial step, followed by the installation of CCTV cameras and the deployment of security personnel. The IMA called for appropriate and dignified compensation for the bereaved family, reflecting the severity of the crime. Kolkata Doctor's Rape-murder Case: Latest Updates The Chandigarh unit of the IMA has halted OPD services and plans to hold a protest march starting at 11 am today. Meanwhile, more than 1,000 doctors in Bengaluru are expected to join a demonstration at the IMA office. Junior doctors and students of SMS Medical College and Hospital protested against the rape-murder incident at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. An official told PTI on Saturday that security at AIIMS-Patna has been intensified in response to the recent rape and murder of a doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has declared a nationwide, 24-hour strike by all modern medicine doctors. This action will affect medical services across all sectors and locations throughout the country. Emergency services and care for casualties will remain operational, but outpatient departments (OPDs) and elective surgeries will be suspended during this period. Junior doctors Rumalika Kumar and Riya Bera from RG Kar Medical College and Hospital voiced their dissatisfaction, claiming that their demands for justice remain unmet. They also urged authorities to promptly arrest all culprits based on solid evidence. On Friday, thousands of doctors staged marches in cities nationwide to protest the rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor. They demanded justice and increased security at medical campuses and hospitals. Protests occurred in New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and other Indian cities. The Kolkata police have so far arrested 25 individuals on charges of vandalising the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in the night of August 14. The miscreants damaged the protest site, vehicles, and public property. Meanwhile, the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that the Ram (Bharatiya Janata Party) and CPI (M) is behind the sudden unrest in the state. Under the leadership of national president Vanathi Srinivasan, the Bharatiya Janata Party Mahila Morcha organised a silent candlelight march outside the medical college. (With inputs from agency) New Delhi: After the vandalism at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital protest site on the eve of the 78th Independence Day, August 14, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the Communist Party of India (Marxist) CPI(M) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of being responsible for the incident. While addressing a rally on Friday, CM Banerjee urged the CBI to accelerate its investigation into the incident. She said, "I know the vandalism at RG Kar was orchestrated by CPI(M) and BJP." Banerjee criticised CPI(M) and BJP and said "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," she further added, ANI reported. She further said that the state government is capable of handling any situation in Bengal and called for capital punishment for the accused in this case. On August 14, a mob entered the RG Kar Hospital campus and demanded the protest site, vehicles, and public property, leading security officials to break up the crowd. Amreli: A case has been registered against a doctor in Gujarats Amreli city for allegedly waving his licensed pistol while addressing doctors and medical students assembled to protest the Kolkata rape-murder, police said on Saturday. The incident took place around 9.30 pm Friday when a large number of medical students and doctors had gathered at the citys Rajkamal Chowk for a candle march, said Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) Chirag Desai. During his address before the start of the candle march, Dr GJ Gajera, a private practitioner, brandished his licenced pistol with the intention to create fear among the public, Desai said. The police official said that Dr Gajera also violated a notification issued by the district magistrate concerning licensed weapons. The doctor was booked under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 353 (1), (b) public mischief and 270 (public nuisance), and under the Arms Act and Gujarat Police Act, he said. Doctors associated with the Indian Medical Association (IMA) as well as trainee doctors and staff of the Amreli Civil Hospital had joined the march to protest the rape and murder of a doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, he said. Kerala Lottery Results Saturday 17-08-2024 LIVE: The Kerala Lottery Department, on behalf of the Keralan government, announces the "KARUNYA KR-667" Lucky Draw Result today Karunya Kr-667, August 17 2024. The draw will be held at Gorky Bhavan near Bakery Junction in Thiruvananthapuram. The Kerala Lottery Result 2024 for "Karunya KR-667" 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 Karunya KR-667 results right here to see if youre the first-place winner of 80 Lakhs. Stay tuned to this website for the live update of Kerala Lottery Karunya KR-667 results today. Kerala Lottery Result 17-08-2024 Aug: FULL LIST OF WINNING NUMBERS FOR KARUNYA KR-667 Draw LUCKY NUMBER FOR 1ST PRIZE OF RS 80 LAKHS IS: KP 320720 LUCKY NUMBER FOR 2ND PRIZE OF RS 5 LAKHS IS: KO 837749 LUCKY NUMBERS FOR 3RD PRIZE OF RS 1 Lakh ARE: KN 229687 KO 573793 KP 621210 KR 219219 KS 464087 KT 558978 KU 512086 KV 117977 KW 240086 KX 484512 KY 377566 KZ 460807 LUCKY NUMBERS FOR CONSOLATION PRIZE OF RS 8,000 ARE: KN 320720 KO 320720 KR 320720 KS 320720 KT 320720 KU 320720 KV 320720 KW 320720 KX 320720 KY 320720 KZ 320720 (For The Tickets Ending with The Following Numbers below) LUCKY NUMBERS FOR 4TH PRIZE OF RS 5,000 ARE: 0682 1605 1695 2098 2105 2425 2532 3193 4923 4943 5209 5609 6247 6642 7580 9237 9411 9884 LUCKY NUMBERS FOR 5TH PRIZE OF RS 2,000 ARE: 0078 1310 2040 2410 3044 4515 7601 8965 9480 9722 LUCKY NUMBERS FOR 6TH PRIZE OF RS 1,000 ARE: 0783 2140 3073 3373 4557 4651 5782 6089 6135 6198 6231 7478 9313 9959 LUCKY NUMBERS FOR 7TH PRIZE OF RS 500 ARE: 0211 0315 0543 0966 0971 1042 1083 1119 1287 1324 1588 1617 1636 1816 1920 1988 2053 2291 2430 2559 2600 2849 2868 3052 3251 3283 3344 3522 3720 3988 4039 4077 4195 4418 4501 4533 4678 4851 4892 4933 5075 5097 5142 5156 5361 5389 5399 5443 5934 6060 6167 6209 6303 6521 6582 6831 6847 6993 7126 7147 7445 7481 7497 7626 7677 7725 7919 7953 8063 8296 8750 8894 8977 9062 9329 9674 9712 9759 9984 9996 LUCKY NUMBERS FOR 8TH PRIZE OF RS 100 ARE: 7371 7509 3467 7672 1112 2332 9603 1474 8528 2070 0932 1669 4917 8640 5898 3924 3450 6924 6959 3185 1709 4684 3637 1651 0438 0233 2815 3709 9068 1468 6017 8698 9566 7653 5666 3526 5563 7642 0107 5071 6153 5919 8534 2683 9673 1955 2091 7888 6183 3237 0546 6629 9779 4320 7845 5452 0384 7828 9776 5240 8101 0942 8233 2604 8363 3301 6099 4953 8505 4804 9850 1301 7700 0270 8539 9226 9225 5241 6854 1698 1732 7316 9540 3653 8292 3664 4544 9230 0794 3671 2308 2519 6961 1545 0246 5941 9404 1279 7207 8547 5363 9357 3691 9871 8224 6205 0927 0213 6067 1719 1371 2622 1128 2475 7858 5383 8525 6771 2891 7592 9769 KERALA LOTTERY RESULT 17-08-2024 August TODAY: KARUNYA KR-667 LOTTERY PRIZE DETAILS 1st Prize: Rs 80 Lakhs 2nd Prize: Rs. 5 lakhs 3rd Prize: Rs. 1 Lakh 4th Prize: Rs. 5,000 5th Prize: Rs. 2,000 6th Prize: Rs. 1,000 7th Prize: Rs. 500 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 the lottery in any way.) The Maharashtra government is set to roll out the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana on Saturday that aims to facilitate Rs 1500 per month to over a crore woman in the state. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has confirmed that the scheme will be a permanent initiative, continuing indefinitely without interruption. The yojana derives its origin from the Ladli Behna Yojana functional in Madhya Pradesh. Addressing the media on Friday, Eknath Shinde emphasized that the government won't just provide Rs 1,500 but will also work to empower to become independent and self-reliant. Check Your Eligibility - To qualify for the scheme, women must be permanent residents of Maharashtra, aged between 21 and 65, and belong to households with an annual income of less than Rs 2.5 lakh. - Officials have recommended that applicants link their Aadhar cards to bank accounts to prevent delays in verification and the disbursement of financial aid. - Banks across Maharashtra have been instructed to assist in facilitating this process. How To Register With Ladki Bahin Scheme - The Maharashtra government has introduced the "Nari Shakti Dhoot" app, enabling women eligible for the scheme to submit applications online. - For those facing trouble or unable to apply digitally, local administration officials, including anganwadi workers and gram sevaks, have been assisned to assist in the application process. - The scheme is free of charge. What Are The Benefits Covered The flagship scheme under Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's government is set to officially launch on August 17, with July recognized as the scheme's starting month. - In an early trial phase, over 3 million eligible women have already received Rs 3,000 in their bank accounts. - The scheme, which will provide Rs 1,500 per month to qualifying women in the state, is expected to cost the state exchequer Rs 46,000 crore annually. - As part of the Independence Day celebrations, the Eknath Shinde-led Maha Yuti government has begun distributing benefits under its flagship Mukhya Mantri Ladki Bahin Yojana. BHAGALPUR: The under-construction Sultanganj-Aguwani Ghat bridge in Bihar's Bhagalpur has collapsed for the third time in two years, raising severe concerns about the construction quality and project management. However, no casualty has been reported so far. A local, Sanjeev Kumar Chaudhary sharing the details of the collapse said, "Around 7:00-7:30 in the morning, the bridge collapsed. It has collapsed a lot of times. It shows the failure of the government...This bridge is weak as it has collapsed a lot of times under construction four-lane Sultanganj-Aguwani Ghat in Bihar's Bhagalpur district collapsed into the Ganga river on Saturday." The bridge, which is supposed to connect Sultanganj in Bhagalpur District to Aguwani Ghat in Khagaria District, has been under construction for nine years and has faced repeated setbacks since its construction began. SP Singla Construction Company was tasked with building the Aguwani-Sultanganj bridge on the river Ganga. Already, hundreds of crores have been sunk into constructing the bridge, which has collapsed thrice now. An investigation is underway to determine the exact causes of the collapses and to ensure that corrective measures are implemented. Earlier, the Aguwani-Sultanganj under-construction bridge in Bhagalpur was collapsed on June 4. That time after the bridge collapsed, CM Nitish Kumar ordered a probe and asked the officials to identify those responsible for the incident. "The bridge that collapsed on June 4, had collapsed last year also. I have instructed the authorities concerned to look into the matter seriously. It is not being constructed correctly that's why it is collapsing again and again. The department will look into it, I have instructed officials to visit the site and action will be taken," Kumar said. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday hosted a Global South Summit and flagged concerns over the impact of Global uncertainties on developing countries, particularly regarding health security, food security, and energy security. PM Modi conducted a Global South Summit virtually and said that the participating countries of India's unwavering commitment to extend full support to them in various key areas, including in the domain of digital public infrastructure. The country hosted the summit in a virtual format. "Today we are meeting at a time when there is an atmosphere of uncertainty all around. The world has not yet completely come out of the impact of Covid. On the other hand, the situation of war has created challenges for our development journey," Modi said, PTI reported. "We are not only facing the challenges of climate change, but now there are also concerns about health security, food security, and energy security," he added. PM Modi also referred to the challenges of terrorism, extremism and separatism. "Terrorism, extremism and separatism remain serious threats to our societies," he said. "Technology divide and new economic and social challenges related to technology are also emerging," Modi said, PTI reported. Modi asserted that the voice of the Global South Summit has become a platform to discuss issues relating to development. Prime Minister also added that India took forward G20 in a development-oriented approach. "Voice of Global South Summit is a platform where we are giving voice to the needs and aspirations of those who have been unheard till now," he added. New Delhi: Chiyaan Vikram thrilled his fans with the exciting announcement of 'Thangalaan Part 2' during a thank-you meet in Hyderabad. The first part was released on August 15 and has been widely praised for its performances, especially Vikram's extraordinary portrayal. Directed by Pa. Ranjith the film also stars Malavika Mohanan in a pivotal role. At an event, Vikram announced the sequel, which was met with loud cheers from the audience, highlighting the film's positive reception. While announcing the sequel, Vikram shared, "[Pa] Ranjith asked me to mention here that because you all loved 'Thangalaan' so much, we've already begun discussions for a sequel, and we plan to make it happen very soon. Have A Look At The Post: Thangalaan emerges as yet another cinematic spectacle from the South, captivating audiences with its unique storytelling and compelling concepts. Based on the real story of the Kolar Gold Fields (KGF) during its discovery by the British, who exploited and looted it for their gain. The film's music is composed by G.V. Prakash Kumar. 'Thangalaan' was released worldwide on August 15, 2024, in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam. New Delhi: The caretaker government in Bangladesh is committed to ensuring a transition to inclusive and pluralistic democracy and creating an environment in which "free, fair and participatory elections" can be held, its head Mohammad Yunus assured the international community on Saturday. Yunus, the Chief Advisor of the interim government, said while addressing the third Voice of Global South Summit which was hosted by India in a virtual format. "You all are aware that Bangladesh witnessed a Second Revolution on 5th August 2024, through a mass uprising spearheaded by our valiant students and joined by the masses," the 84-year-old Nobel laureate said, referring to the political turmoil in his country and the resignation of prime minister Sheikh Hasina on August 5. Noting that the current interim government led by him was sworn in on August 8, Yunus said, "Our government is committed to ensuring a transition to inclusive and pluralistic democracy and creating an environment in which free, fair and participatory elections can be held." Yunus assumed charge of the interim government amid ongoing violence and vandalism, including against the minorities. "Our task is now to carry out vital reforms in our electoral system, judiciary, local government, media, economy and education," Yunus said at the summit being attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "I invite you to visit Dhaka soon. Otherwise, you may miss something important. Much of Dhaka has turned into the graffiti capital of the world. Young students and children aged as young as 12-13 have been painting the walls of this 400-year-old city with images of a New Democratic environment- friendly Bangladesh," he said. "There is no central planning or guidance for that. No budget support from anybody. It is just an outpouring of their emotions and commitment to the goals of the Second Revolution," the noted economist, said. Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman Tahawwur Rana, a key figure sought by India in connection with the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has determined that Rana can be extradited to India. This ruling comes under the existing extradition treaty between the United States and India. The (India-US Extradition) Treaty permits Rana's extradition, the court said in its ruling on August 15, reported PTI. Allegations Against Rana's In The 26/11 Attacks Rana is alleged to have provided the blueprint that enabled Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) to execute the Mumbai attacks. He faces charges including criminal conspiracy, waging or attempting to wage war against the Government of India, murder, forgery for cheating, and other offenses under the Indian Penal Code. He is also wanted for plotting attacks on the National Defence College and Chabad House, a Jewish outreach center in Mumbai. Who Is Tahawwur Rana Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a former army doctor from Pakistan, later moved to Canada where he became a businessman specializing in immigration services. He ran First World Immigration Services with offices in Chicago and other cities. At 63, Rana is currently imprisoned in Los Angeles following India's extradition request accepted by the U.S. He faces multiple criminal charges related to the Mumbai terror attacks. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) seeks Rana for his involvement in the November 26, 2008 terror attack. This attack, carried out by 10 Pakistani terrorists, laid siege for over 60 hours to several iconic locations in Mumbai, including Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Taj Mahal Hotel, Nariman House, and Cama and Albless Hospital. The attack resulted in the deaths of 166 people, including six Americans. During the hours long operation, the NSG and other security agencies killed nine terrorists while one, Ajmal Kasab, was captured alive. Rana And David Headley Connection Rana is known for his association with David Coleman Headley, also known as Daood Gilani, a key conspirator of the attacks. Rana assisted Headley and others in Pakistan, aiding the terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in executing the Mumbai attacks. Both Rana and Headley had travelled together from New York to Pakistan and from Dubai to Pakistan in the days preceding the Mumbai terror attack. Rana and Headley, both having connections to Chicago, were school friends. Headley, a U.S. citizen with partial Pakistani descent, is serving a 35-year prison sentence for planning the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Rana is also accused of assisting in planning an attack on a Danish newspaper, with Headley also involved. Karen Finneman Killinger wasnt always supported in her path to become an architect. She still remembers the words of those in her small Minnesota high school, including from a teacher during drafting classes. The drafting teacher was great, Finneman Killinger said. But he basically, when I told him I wanted to be an architect, he said, Oh, you'll design basements and ceiling plans for the rest of your life. You don't want to do that. Her school counselor also encouraged her to become an English teacher, instead of an architect. The Mayo Clinic Health System southwest Wisconsin regional chair of facilities and support services confidently knew, though, that wasnt the path for her. Finneman Killinger eventually headed off to Hamline University in St. Paul and picked the hardest fields of study she could think of math and physics. She also took studio art as a minor, as a form of relief. Two years into her education at Hamline, she still knew she wanted to be an architect. She finished her education at Hamline and then went on to an architecture program. Her career led her to New Mexico and then Milwaukee for architecture work related to health care, sparking a passion that would grow when she returned to her home state to work at Mayo. Two decades later, Finneman Killinger has grown in her career and now leads the way for construction on Mayos new $215 million hospital in La Crosse. While Finneman Killinger hasn't always been a part of the project, as she only started in her current role in 2020, she has helped make the facility a reality after a delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. She said while the project was completely designed and almost ready to be built when she started, reevaluation was necessary after the project came back into focus following several months of delays related to the pandemic. Finneman Killinger said the work factored in the impact of COVID-19 and the constantly changing world of health care technology. She and her team wanted to ensure the building was a flexible space that could adapt as changes are made in the future. We did a little bit of redesign," she said. "We tried to make sure that our infrastructure backbones were really strong so that we could be flexible in the future without redesigning the whole project. The facility is nearing completion and is expected to welcome patients starting in September, a feat that overcame some initial skepticism. "Even in that first year, when I came in 2020, I had my staff saying we're never building it, it's never going to happen, because it just had taken so long to even get to the point they were at and then it got stalled out," Finneman Killinger said. She's ready for those staff members, and the community, to see the facility completed. I'm just excited that people who have spent years planning it are going to see it. They're going to get to see it. They're going to get to live in it and work in it," she said. Finneman Killinger said the building will allow for above standard quality of care, including with increased technology that will directly impact both staff and patients. Sustainability was a large focus during the project. What the community will see when our hospital doors open is the most innovative, efficient and patient-focused facility in Wisconsin," stated Tanner Holst, regional chair of administration for Mayo in southwest Wisconsin. "Karen was our facilitator to assure those lofty expectations were met and exceeded by all stakeholders on the project. Karen formed an incredible partnership with our contractors and regulatory groups to assure all were on the same page to deliver the facility our patients deserve. Holst praised Finneman Killinger's work for the health care organization. "Whats always impressed me about Karens approach to facilities and building design and use is her interest in our patients and our staff. She routinely starts a facilities conversation with the patient in mind and always follows the guideline that the facilities design must follow the practice/patients needs," stated Holst. As we look to be safe, efficient and cost effective in our design, Karen is always willing to ask the tough questions of teams and challenge spaces that may not be value add to patient care. This assures patient safety and patient care is at the forefront, but also keeps efficiency and cost top of mind. Karens breadth and depth of knowledge is second to none, she knows the trades, she knows patient flow, shes an architect by training, shes knows building codes and life/safety requirements. Karen is an amazing part of our team," he stated. Finneman Killinger made it clear that she enjoys being a part of that team. I love my job," she said. She now finds herself encouraging others to become architects, too. As a woman used to being in often male-dominated fields, she also hopes to see the architecture field continue to become more diverse -- including with more women like herself. "We can do whatever we set our minds to," she said. Inside the Mayo Clinic's new La Crosse facilities 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 Not everyone in Middletown, Ohio, is as crude and rough as the family dissected in J.D. Vances childhood memoir, Hillbilly Elegy. I know. I have Middletown roots, too. My parents were born and raised there, and I still have cousins there In case youve been submerged in a submarine in recent months, Vance is the Republican vice presidential candidate running with Donald Trump for President this November. Hillbilly Elegy brought Vance national fame and helped get him elected to the U.S. Senate in 2022. Hillbilly Elegy: a Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis is Vances memoir of growing up in Middletown, a city the size of Grand Island in southwestern Ohio. Vance writes of relatives who spat and fought, who discarded spouses like dirty Kleenex and imbibed liquor and drugs. Vance zeroes in on a group the Appalachian poor who have long hidden under the medias radar. Perhaps thats why the book reigned atop the New York Times nonfiction best-seller list when it was published in 2017. I recoiled when I read Vances book. The Middletown I grew up with is not the Middletown Vance writes about. Every town, every city has poor neighborhoods. To paint the entire city of Middletown with that battered, stained brush is not accurate. It was 250 miles southwest of Cleveland, where I was born and raised. We spent a week there every summer with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. I loved it. I swam at Sunset Pool, picnicked at Armco Park, went to LeSourdsville Lake and caught lightning bugs with my cousins on summer nights. We walked down the alley to the neighborhood grocery for 10-cent popsicles as trains hurried by. The First Presbyterian Church bell tower played hymns at noon and 6 p.m. daily. My late uncle was editor of the Middletown Journal. Another uncle was a bank executive. Yet another uncle was a hard-working electrician. Unlike Vances relatives, my Middletown relatives had good jobs, strong families and went to church every Sunday. Vances sole bright spot is his books conclusion: The most important lesson is not that society failed to provide me with opportunities. The real problem for many of these kids is what happens (or doesnt happen) at home. My paternal grandparents, Joseph and Pearl Day, believed that too. Born and raised near Beattyville, Kentucky, Joseph and Pearl married in 1908. He was 21; she was 17. Joseph worked in a coal mine, but one day, determined to find a better life, they packed up their child, a cow and a sow and took the train to Middletown to start over. They rented a tiny apartment. Eventually, Joseph bought a grocery store. They joined the Methodist church and provided their nine children with a clean house and clean clothes. Soap is cheap, Pearl always said. You can be poor, but you can be clean. If Pearl were alive, she would frown at Vances story of his rocky life with sloppy, slapping, drinking hillbillies whod migrated to Middletown from Kentucky. Vances mother was a drug addict. His father and successive stepfathers ran off. In one chapter, Vance scrambles out of his mothers moving car and flees for his life because shes high on narcotics and has vowed to kill him. His flawed-but-caring grandparents, also Middletonians, were his wobbly safety net. It was the U.S. Marine Corps that turned Vance into a responsible citizen. He later earned degrees from Ohio State University and Yale University Law School, married, and now is a principal in a Silicon Valley investment firm. Too bad Hillbilly Elegy doesnt get into that. Id like to read the details of Vances rags-to-riches story. Thats where the story is. As I read, I grew impatient with Vances repeated assertions that every Middletown family is a crippled mess. My grandparents didnt fight. They focused on opportunity. Eight of their nine children put themselves through college. One earned a doctorate. Uncle Paul became editor of the Middletown Journal. My father became news director at WGAR Radio in Cleveland. My mothers Middletown family, also with Kentucky roots, was just as determined. My grandfather was raised by his widowed mother. With an eighth-grade education, he started a transportation company. My mother was the valedictorian of her Middletown High School class and the first in her family to graduate from college. Yes, Middletown has withered in recent years with the demise of AK Steel, but I fear that readers of Hillbilly Elegy assume that every Middletonian is a cheating, drunken unemployed louse. All of us, Pearl and Josephs descendants, and Mary and Arthurs, too, know where and who we came from. Our laughter, camaraderie, moral values and the iron-tight affection for one another is irreplaceable. It all started in Middletown. Each week Hot off the Wire looks at a variety of stories in business, science, health and more. This week's headlines include: Host Terry Lipshetz is managing editor of the national newsroom for Lee Enterprises. Besides producing the daily Hot off the Wire news podcast, Terry conducts periodic interviews for this Behind the Headlines program, co-hosts the Streamed & Screened movies and television program and is the former producer of Across the Sky, a podcast dedicated to weather and climate. UNION GROVE State ethics officials have started assessing fines against a group that has failed to disclose financial information about its campaign to recall Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos. The Wisconsin Ethics Commission said the first fine of $100 will be followed by additional fines, and possibly litigation. Reports were due July 15 showing who donated to the recall effort and how the group spent its money. After 30 days, the state begins enforcement actions to achieve compliance. Recall organizer Matt Snorek said others in the group are responsible for submitting reports to the state and referred questions to Conrad Reynolds, a Republican from Arkansas who traveled to Wisconsin to help run the recall petition drive, which was based in a storefront office in Union Grove. As of two weeks ago, Snorek said, Reynolds was back in Arkansas and was preparing the finance reports. He said he was working on it, Snorek said. Hes got all the records. Reynolds could not be reached for comment. The recall group sought to remove Vos from his state legislative seat after the Assembly speaker refused calls to decertify President Joe Bidens victory over Donald Trump in Wisconsin in the 2020 presidential election. In two separate efforts, the group fell short of the number of signatures needed on a petition calling for a recall election in Vos legislative district. The group registered with the state ethics commission in January under the name Recall Vos, and again in March under the name Racine Recall Committee. Both committees are required to file campaign finance reports with the state. David Buerger, staff counsel to the ethics commission, said the recall committees will continue to be assessed fines for the next four months, up to $500 total. The ethics commission then will consider filing a civil lawsuit asking a judge to order the recall group to submit the reports. The dispute could be settled through a negotiated agreement without litigation, Buerger said, but officials would not agree to waive the financial disclosure requirement. Our settlements do not allow them to skip out on the reporting, he said. Phil Hands: The best cartoons about Michael Gableman, Wisconsin's most embarrassing public official MY VIEW | PHIL HANDS MY VIEW | PHIL HANDS MY VIEW | PHIL HANDS MY VIEW | PHIL HANDS Gableman MY VIEW | PHIL HANDS Watch now: Phil Hands draws his latest cartoon about Michael Gableman MY VIEW | PHIL HANDS MY VIEW | PHIL HANDS MY VIEW | PHIL HANDS Watch now: Phil Hands draws his latest cartoon about Michael Gableman MY VIEW | PHIL HANDS MY VIEW | PHIL HANDS MY VIEW | PHIL HANDS MY VIEW | PHIL HANDS We present the first of five parts of the short story "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," by Edgar Allen Poe. The story was originally adapted and recorded by VOA Learning English. Paris! It was in Paris during the summer of 1840. There and then, I met a strange and interesting young man named August Dupin. Dupin was the last member of a well-known family, a family which had once been rich and famous. August Dupin, however, was far from rich. He cared little about money. He had enough to buy necessities and a few books. That was all. Just books. With books, he was happy. In fact, we first met in an old bookstore. A few more chance meetings at such stores followed. Soon, we began to talk. I was deeply interested in the family history he told me. I was surprised, too, at how much and how widely he had read; more important, the force of his busy mind was like a bright light in my soul. I felt that the friendship of such a man would be, for me, riches without price. So, I told him how I felt and asked him to come and live with me. He would enjoy using my many fine books. And I would have the pleasure of company, for I was not happy alone. We passed the days reading, writing and talking. But Dupin was a lover of the night. So, often, we walked the streets of Paris after dark. I soon noticed that Dupin had a special way of understanding people. Using it gave him great pleasure. He told me once, with a soft laugh, that he could see through the windows that most men have over their hearts. He could look into their souls. Then, he surprised me by telling what he knew about my own soul. He knew things about me that I had thought only I could possibly know. At these times, he acted cold and emotionally distant. His eyes looked empty and far away. His voice became high and nervous. At such times it seemed to me that I saw not just Dupin, but two Dupins one who coldly put things together, and another who just as coldly took them apart. One night we were walking down one of Pariss long, dirty streets. We were quiet, both busy in our own thoughts. But, suddenly Dupin spoke: Youre right, he said. He is a very little fellow, thats true, and he would be more successful if he acted in lighter, less serious plays. Yes, there can be no doubt of that! I said. At first I saw nothing strange in this. Dupin had agreed with me. This, of course, seemed to me quite natural. A few moments passed. Then it hit me. Dupin had not agreed with something I had said. He had agreed directly with my thoughts. I had not spoken a word! Dupin had read my mind. I stopped walking. Dupin, I said, Dupin, I dont understand. How could you know that I was thinking of? Here, I stopped speaking. If he really had heard my thoughts, he would have to prove it. And he did. He said, How did I know you were thinking of Chantilly? You were thinking that Chantilly is too small for the plays in which he acts. That is indeed what I was thinking. But, tell me, in Heavens name, how did you know? It was the fruit-seller, Dupin answered. Fruit-seller!? I mean the man who bumped into you as we entered this street. Maybe fifteen minutes ago. Oh, yesI remember, now. A fruit-seller, with a large basket of apples, bumped into me. But what does that have to do with you knowing I was thinking of Chantilly? I will explain. Listen closely now. Let us follow your thoughts from the fruit-seller to the stage actor, Chantilly. Those thoughts must have gone like this: fruit-seller to cobblestones, cobblestones to stereotomy, stereotomy to Epicurus, to Orion, and then to Chantilly. He continued: As we turned onto this street the fruit-seller bumped you. You stepped on some uneven cobblestones. I could see that it hurt your foot. You spoke a few angry words to yourself, and continued walking. But you kept looking at the cobblestones in the street, so I knew you were thinking of them. Then we came to a small street where they are putting down new street stones. Here your face became brighter. You were looking at these more even stones. And your lips moved. I was sure they formed the word stereotomy, which is the name for how these new stones are cut. Stereotomy takes a large block and divides it evenly into smaller pieces. You will remember that we read about it in the newspaper only yesterday. I thought that the word stereotomy must make you think of the old Greek writer and thinker Epicurus. His ideas are also about dividing objects into smaller and smaller pieces called atoms. He argued that the world and everything else are made of these atoms. You and I were talking about Epicurus and his ideas, his atoms, recently. We were talking about how much those old ideas are like todays scientific study of the planets and stars. So, I felt sure that, now, as we walked, you would look up to the sky. And you did. I looked also at the sky. I saw that the group of stars we call Orion is very bright and clear tonight. I knew you would notice this and that you would think about the name Orion. Now, keep listening carefully. Only yesterday, in the newspaper, there was a report about the actor Chantilly. The critic did not praise him. And he used a Latin saying that had also been used to describe Orion. So I knew you would put together the two ideas of Orion and Chantilly. I saw you smile, remembering the article and the mean words in it. Then, I saw you straighten up, as tall as you could make yourself. I was sure you were thinking of Chantillys size, and especially his height. He is small; he is short. And so I spoke, saying that he is indeed a very little man, this Chantilly, and he would be more successful if he acted in lighter, less serious plays. I cannot say I was surprised by what Dupin had just reported. My reaction was much bigger than just surprise. I was astonished. Dupin was right, as right as he could be. Those were in fact my thoughts, my unspoken thoughts, as my mind moved from one thought to the next. But if I was astonished by this, I would soon be more than astonished. One morning this strangely interesting man showed me once again his unusual reasoning power. We heard that an old woman had been killed by unknown persons. The killer, or the killers, had cut her head off and escaped into the night. Who was this killer, this murderer? The police had no answer. They had looked everywhere and found nothing that helped them. They did not know what to do next. And so they did nothing. But not Dupin. He knew what to do. ____________________________________________ For Teachers Download activities to help you understand this story here. ___________________________________________ Quiz Quiz: The Murders in the Rue Morgue, Part One Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz Now it's your turn to use the words in this story. Do you or any of your friends or family have strong mental abilities? How are those mental abilities expressed? Let us know in the comments section or on our Facebook page. _________________________________________ Words in This Story soul n. the spiritual part of a person that is believed to give life to the body and in many religions is believed to live forever nervous adj. having or showing feelings of being worried and afraid about what might happen fellow n. (informal) a male person moment(s) n. a very short period of time Heaven n. the place where God lives and where good people go after they die, according to some religions bump(ed) v. to move into or against someone or something in a sudden and forceful way stage actor term. a person who acts in a theater play cobblestone(s) n. a round stone used in paving streets block n. a solid piece of material that has flat sides and is usually square or rectangular in shape astonish(ed) v. to cause a feeling of great wonder or surprise in someone Today we offer you to prepare a delicious appetizer Zucchine alla poverella. This is fried zucchini or zucchini served as an appetizer, added to pasta, pizza, sandwiches. ADVERTISIMENT This is an interesting Italian dish, which will be great to savor and Ukrainians. Food blogger Eduard Nasirov told us how to cook it properly in Instagram. Ingredients Zucchini - 3 pcs. Chili flakes Garlic - a few cloves White wine vinegar - 20-30 ml Olive oil - 30 ml Salt Method of preparation 1. Slice zucchini into thin slices. 2. Chop garlic. 3. Place garlic in an oiled skillet and saute a little. 4. Put the zucchini in the pan and fry until golden, adding salt. ADVERTISIMENT 5. Heat olive oil in a pan, add garlic and chili, and after 30 seconds add vinegar. Mix well to coat the fried zucchini/zucchini. 6. It can be served hot with cheese, mint and bread, or in cold form can be used as an integral part of other dishes. A man shot by a Fitchburg police officer while responding to a disturbance Monday has died, according to the Wisconsin Department of Justice. Officers were dispatched to a residence in the 800 block of Whispering Pines Way for a disturbance at 8 a.m. Monday. A witness said two people inside one of the apartments had gotten into a fight. After knocking on the door for an extended period of time with no answer, police entered the home, where they were approached by a man with a knife, according to a statement from the DOJ, and one officer discharged his weapon. After officers administered lifesaving measures at the scene, the man was taken to a local hospital, where he died Thursday afternoon, the DOJ statement said. All officers involved have been placed on administrative duties amid the DOJ investigation led by the departments Division of Criminal Investigation. All officers were wearing body cameras, and the footage from them is among the evidence being reviewed. Eden Turner Education/Politics Reporter Follow Eden Turner 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 TWIN FALLS Just a few months after Brian Miera began working for Starr Corporation as a project superintendent, he sat down in a conference room, ready to attend his first safety meeting. He looked around the room and realized that he was the only person of color out of the group of 45 employees. Thats when it occurred to me, Miera said. I thought to myself, this company is a good old boy company where they dont hire very many minorities. This, he said, was only one of many discriminatory events that occurred during his three years of employment with the company. In May, Miera filed a complaint against Starr Corporation, alleging national origin and religious discrimination and retaliation through the Idaho Human Rights Commission (IHRC). In March 2020, Miera was a few days shy of completing his first week at the company. As he got ready to leave for the day, he saw a sign placed on the dashboard of his work truck that read, Mexicans park across the street. Immediately, Miera went to his supervisor, Brad Schroeder, regional manager of Starrs Pocatello location, to report the incident. Although the complaint documents say that Schroeder told his employees that any further racist behavior would not be tolerated, Miera argues that this never happened. Miera told the Times-News that Schroeder went to the person who he thought committed the incident and reprimanded him, but Miera never heard what happened next. According to the official complaint, Schroeder insisted this was the only discriminatory incident that he was aware of. But the discrimination persisted, Miera said. Brown hornet Miera, who performs under the alias Hornet in his pastime, became the butt of the joke amongst his coworkers, who called him the The Brown Hornet a nod to the Fat Albert cartoon character. In August 2022, when Miera offered to fill in for a coworker who was a primary supporter of calling Miera his ill-advised nickname, the coworker left Miera a note with a picture of the Brown Hornet printed on it. I kept that note because I was not happy with it, Miera said. When I told (Schroeder) about it at the next safety meeting, he just turned around and walked away basically ignoring me. And he was just that way. He was very rude to me. In early spring of last year, Miera noticed a sticker on the back of his work truck depicting a bee colored with brown skin and a skinny mustache, wearing a sombrero and playing a guitar. To this day, the sticker remains on the truck. His coworkers insisted that this was a joke among friends, but Miera didnt see it that way. He found the jokes to be offensive. When you hear stuff like that, you try to laugh it off, he said, but, after a while, it gets really annoying and aggravating. He said he felt upset with his coworkers when he saw the sticker. He brought up the issue with his project manager who responded, Oh, thats so funny. Mieras coworkers also placed the sticker on his mailbox, which he says was right below Schroeders. Miera asserts that there was no way his supervisor couldnt have seen the sticker. During the investigation, Starr Corporation would continue to say that employees would play lighthearted pranks on each other. As reported, the company believed Miera enjoyed the sticker. They allege that Mieras supervisors were unaware it upset him. In June 2023, while working with another coworker on a construction job at a high school, Miera asked him how employees were supposed to climb down from scaffolding. Youre a Mexican, the coworker replied. You should know. They climb, just like they climbed over the border wall. Miera told his project manager about the racism he experienced, but his project manager told him not to complain, the documents assert. Otherwise, Schroeder will find a reason to let you go, his manager said. Laws, regulations enforced by EEOC According to the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, businesses that have 20 or more employees are covered by laws that prohibit discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability and genetic information, and equal pay. By the numbers The Idaho Human Rights Commission (IHRC) ensures the protection of EEOC employees. In the last four years, the IHRC has seen an average of 300 cases per year, which include formalized complaints of discrimination or legal charges against an entity. On average, 20% of filed IHRC cases relate to national origin, but sometimes, there are overlaps between different issues, said Ben Earwicker, IHRC director and administrator. Ten percent of cases consist of discrimination against religion, and 30% of all claims are related to harassment or intimidation. Under all protected areas enforced by the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 30% of cases also include retaliation. Although the Department of Labor has reporting requirements for businesses for various employment categories, the agency doesn't collect demographic information. Furthermore, companies arent externally required by law to host trainings against age, disability, racial, gender or sexual-based discrimination, Earwicker said, but it can be helpful. IHRC offers around 60 training sessions throughout the year to inform employees and businesses about their rights and the demonstrate the importance of cultivating an inclusive workplace. Obviously, its a good idea, he said, If it prevents discrimination, even better. Employees cant sue against an entity in court on charges of discrimination unless they file a complaint through IHRC, which has an 80% success rate with employee-employer mediations at the help the agencys free mediation services. We do see a lot of resolutions before we ever see anything go to court, Earwick said. Furthermore, EEOC employees or any employee who works full-time, part-time, seasonally or temporarily, undocumented citizens, and those assigned to a business under a work program are protected against retaliation from employers. Consistent with federal laws, acts of retaliation against an employee who engages in protected activity, such as reporting discrimination or harassment or participating in the EEO process, whistleblowing or the exercise of any appeal or grievance right provided by law will not be tolerated at EEOC, the official text says. Miera alleges that he was one of the only full-time employees of color. By the time he was laid off a second time, at the end of 2023, the only other employees of color who worked for the company were temporarily contracted. Miera said some temporary employees told him they struggled to access a full-time contract with the company. During the investigation, the IHRC found that Mieras claims prevailed on the charge of harassment against his national origin, stating most instances of harassing behavior goes unreported. The rest of Mieras charges against Starr Corporation did not prevail. The amount of experience and the type of qualifications we are looking for differs by the position we are hiring for, owner Michael Arrington wrote to the Times-News. Generally speaking, we hire individuals based on experience and qualifications. Arrington said the company employs 78 people at the Twin Falls and Pocatello locations. As far as employees of color, he wrote that it isnt a classification the company actively tracks. The same goes for the amount of temporary workers the company employs. While the numbers vary from day to day, the number of temporary employees of color is not accounted for. We do not keep statistics of the race or ethnicity of the temporary workers that we work with, he said. New team members who join Starr Corporation review the employee handbook as a part of their orientation. Arrington said the handbook contains sections that address equal employment and harassment policies. Each month, the team holds a training meeting where they review sections of the handbook and participate in safety training. These sections are as follows: It is the policy of Starr Corporation to grant equal employment opportunities to all qualified persons without regard to race, creed, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, physical or mental handicap or veterans status, except where there is a bona fide occupational disqualification. It is the intent and desire of Starr Corporation that equal opportunities will be provided in employment, promotions, wages, benefits, and all other privileges, terms and conditions of employment. In keeping with our policy against discrimination, Starr Corporation will not tolerate harassment by or to any of its employees. This includes physical, sexual, verbal or otherwise. Harassment may take the form of slurs or continued offensive remarks, unwelcome personal advances, request for sexual favors, physical conduct of a threatening nature, or other undefined offensive actions or words. Disagreements between employees are handled in different ways, depending on the circumstance, Arrington said. Typically, leadership meets with the employees who have had a disagreement and work through the problem together. We encourage a culture of working together as a team to serve our customers, Arrington said. The good old boys Miera said that although Schroeder gave him the cold shoulder once he tried to discuss his experiences, his supervisor didnt act the same way with all of his employees. He alleges that one of his coworkers, one of his supervisors friends from church, was placed in the same position as him with higher pay. At the time, Miera made $60,000 with 37 years of experience under his belt. His new coworker, although, had no field experience and made $20,000 more than Miera, he claimed. Mieras coworkers also received newer work trucks than Miera. His truck, a white 2014 Ford F-150, was two years older than his coworkers vehicles. The company, according to the investigation, said that Mieras truck was the only one available when he started. In early 2022, Miera completed his project and began completing demo work. According to company policy, as the complaint documents say, superintendents can accept labor jobs until another superintendent position opens. Although Starr Corporation said Miera rejected the offer for labor work, Miera told the Times-News that he didnt. He told his employer, Work is work. Still, the company laid him off until he began work again the next year. Miera said that he was laid off for three-and-a-half months. But his coworkers, who Miera said were all followers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, continued to work on other projects. At the end of his second contract, Miera was recovering from a shoulder injury and couldnt perform physical labor. Starr Corporation told the investigator that because Miera rejected labor positions in the past, they terminated his contract, documents say. Not only did they lay me off, they tried to say that there wasnt enough work for me to keep going, Miera said, but (Schroeder) kept all of his buddies that he hired out of church and from his school going that had way less seniority than me. In the complaint documents, the company stated that Mieras coworkers didnt turn down labor opportunities. Additionally, Miera didnt receive a completion bonus at the end of his last two contracts with the company, as he had previously. Throughout the project, Miera remembered his supervisors telling him he was doing a good job, but when he brought up that he didnt receive a bonus, his supervisors told him that he hadnt done anything to earn one. Miera averaged a work week of 60 hours during his final project, used his own equipment, and completed his coworkers workloads, he said. I ran the job, he said. That alone should qualify me for a bonus. (The owner) was just real ignorant about it because he knew that I was complaining about discrimination. The other superintendents received completion bonuses after the end of their projects. Bonuses are occasionally given to team members that excel at their given tasks, Arrington said in response to a question about the companys bonus policy. Bonuses are given at the discretion of management. The public needs to know After he got laid off from the company last year, Miera said he tried applying to other companies but was black-balled. He alleges that his former supervisor went to other companies and told them that Miera complained about the mistreatment he experienced during his time with Starr Corporation. He decided to start his own business instead. Im sure that they spread it among the other business owners This guy will try to file discrimination against you, Miera said. Well, I wouldnt file discrimination if Im not being discriminated against. It just made me feel very dejected that nothing was being done about it. And their way of dealing with it was laying me off, thinking the problem will just go away, so to speak (but) I did a great job for those guys. As Miera waits for negotiations from Starr Corporation, he says these events continue to be swept under the rug. But they wont go away, not as long as Miera can help it. Starr Corporation offered Miera three months worth of wages for his troubles, but Miera wants three years wages for everything he experienced while working for the company. Miera told the Times-News that he and the company were supposed to have a meeting in July, but he hasnt heard anything since he discussed his next steps with the IHRC investigator. Miera is awaiting final negotiations. If his expectations arent met, the IHRC will file a district court case on Mieras behalf. I told them, If you guys dont up your offer significantly, Im going to the media about this. Because the thing is, the media needs to know about this. The public needs to know. Your news on your smartphone Your story lives in the Magic Valley, and our new mobile app is designed to make sure you dont miss breaking news, the latest scores, the weather forecast and more. From easy navigation with the swipe of a finger to personalized content based on your preferences to customized text sizes, the Times-News app is built for you and your life. Dont have the app? Download it today from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. TWIN FALLS Children chatted excitedly, clutching teddy bears, as they learned about doctors visits at St. Lukes first Teddy Bear Clinic on Thursday. Twenty-seven preschoolers from the Twin Falls Reformed Church traveled in groups around the small room, participating in activities that taught them about surgeries, X-rays, stitches and more, all things they might experience during their trips to the doctor. The idea came from Hallie Chancellor, certified child life specialist, who organized the event. The goal was to help children learn about things they might experience when they come to the hospital, Chancellor said, to normalize the hospital experience and to create that therapeutic and medical play. Chancellor invited a group of colleagues who specialize in various areas of the hospital to teach children and their teddy bears at each station. She said that using language the children can understand is also an important aspect of the event. Its great to have a team of people who do this job on a regular basis and can help facilitate this, she said. Zoey Hicks, 5, told the Times-News she was scared of the doctor before participating in the Teddy Bear Clinic, but now, she isnt as afraid anymore. Zoey enjoyed the event a lot, and one of her favorite things she learned about was surgery. Sam Madrigal, 5, said he learned about love during the clinic. While he wasnt afraid of going to the doctor beforehand, the clinic has given him more confidence because he knows what to expect now. Preschool director Kimberlee Christensen said that she enjoyed watching her students learn and interact during the event. When Christensen heard about the clinic, she asked her group of students if they wanted to go, and they were excited about it, she said. Theyre adorable, assistant nurse manager Dani Nunnally said. Theyre all so cute and fun. Its just funny watching all their little personalities come out. Nunnally worked the surgery station, which seemed to be a fan favorite. Chancellor said that the clinic had a great turnout and drew in more students than she expected would attend. Your news on your smartphone Your story lives in the Magic Valley, and our new mobile app is designed to make sure you dont miss breaking news, the latest scores, the weather forecast and more. From easy navigation with the swipe of a finger to personalized content based on your preferences to customized text sizes, the Times-News app is built for you and your life. Dont have the app? Download it today from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Recent videos show military aged young men from Africa crossing our southern border unimpeded. More than 37,000 Chinese nationals crossed our southern border illegally in 2023 alone. Debit cards of $10,000 apiece are being handed out to illegal immigrants in New York City. This week in San Francisco a foreign national was sworn in as an official on the elections commission. What the hell is going on? This is not merely a frustration, not a minor political problem to worry about, this is an absolute outrage, an existential crisis for our nation! America is in danger like never before. Why is this happening? Who is responsible? We are sick to death of hearing platitudes like secure our border. Our leaders have no intention of securing our border, and its time we ask ourselves why? Its reckless, its dangerous, and its expensive. Yet it gives Washington elites and the Biden administration or whoever is running the White House more power. How? Illegal immigration takes power away from law abiding citizens. It makes a mockery of the rule of law, giving power to those who intentionally break our laws. If you value freedom, law and order, and our cultural heritage, you should be outraged. If you respect our nation, the greatest ever to exist in human history, then its time to ask what the hell is going on?! Illegal immigration takes jobs away from law-abiding Americans. It threatens the safety of our communities. It dilutes our voter base, taking away the sanctity of your vote. You might think the problem is far away from here. Let Texas deal with it, let the federal government worry about enforcing the law. But it affects Idaho too, thats the plain truth of the matter. Millions of illegal immigrants pouring into our country year after year affects all of us. Illegal immigration brings crime, drugs, sex trafficking, terrorism, and more. When we stop enforcing our laws, were telling all the bad actors in the world that we are defenseless, that they can come here and do whatever they want. It doesnt have to be this way. There are enough laws on the books now to take care of this problem, and House Republicans passed a strong border bill last year. National leaders can solve this crisis today if they wanted to, which means they want it to continue. Its time to say enough is enough. Its time for patriotic Americans to stand up and say WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON? Love Singapores hawker stalls? No need to book a flight to experience their authenticity. Kaokee, a new culinary destination, opened its doors at Belamy House on Jupiter St. in Makati City, and at Corner House at P. Guevarra in San Juan City. - Advertisement - Kaokee brings the genuine taste of Singapores cherished culinary traditions to Manila by capturing the authentic flavors and vibrant atmosphere of city states-hawker centers. Its menu features a generational Hainanese Chicken recipe, a culinary treasure passed down through generations of Kaokees partner chef. Beef and tendon claypot rice The restaurant also offers iconic Singaporean dishes Roast Hokkien Chicken, which is another Kaokee specialty dish. It also has fragrant and smoky Claypot Rice, Singaporean meat bone tea or Bak Kut Teh, and the iconic spicy coconut noodle soup, Laksa. Additionally, Kaokee serves a traditional breakfast of Kaya Toast paired with Singapores favorite pick-me-up Kopi, available iced, hot, O, Butter, and Mocha. Kaokee is from Mc Wilson Corp., the group behind Gringo, Tatatito, Honeybon, and Tokyo Bubble Tea. The inspiration came from Mc Wilson President and CEO Reagan Tans visits to Singapore in 2019 where he and his wife discovered a hidden gema humble hawker located at the 9th stall of a hawker center. There, they encountered a delicious Hainanese Chicken recipe that they couldnt forget. Kaya toast with coffee set Determined to bring this unique experience to Manila, Tan teamed up with a Singaporean chef friend who owns the recipe and other Singaporean hawker chefs to offer a diverse menu. (For updates and more information, follow kaokeeph on Facebook and kaokee.ph on Instagram) Lamudi Philippines brings the countrys largest property expo to Cebu! On August 16, 2024, a ribbon-cutting ceremony with representatives from Lamudi, event co-presenter GFiber Prepaid, and platinum sponsor RLC Residences kicked off the Cebu leg of Lamudi Property Fair 2024 at Robinsons Galleria Cebu. Lamudi Property Fair 2024, in partnership with GFiber Prepaid and co-presented by IKEA, officially marked the start of the Cebu leg of the event this Friday, August 16, 2024, at Robinsons Galleria Cebu. Home buyers, investors, real estate professionals, and property developers came together to mark the opening of the three-day property expo, which will run until Sunday, August 18. - Advertisement - Lamudi Property Fair is the place to be whether youre searching for your dream home or looking to grow your portfolio. It has everything, from houses and lots to residential condos, in prime locations including Cebu, remarked Michael Raquiza, Chief Executive Officer of Lamudi Philippines. Were lucky to work with partner developers who present buyers and investors with the best property developments across the country. These partnerships indicate a steady interest in real estate and a particular enthusiasm for property options around the Philippines, Raquiza highlighted the significance of teaming up with top real estate developers to bring the property fair to Cebu. (From left to right) Gretchen Marie Belleza, Cebu Branch Head of RLC Residences; Michael Raquiza, Chief Executive Officer of Lamudi Philippines; and Charlie Maratas, Trade Marketing Manager of Globe Telecommunications officially open the Lamudi Property Fair 2024 at Robinsons Galleria Cebu on August 16, 2024. Gretchen Marie Belleza, Cebu Branch Head of RLC Residences, and Charlie Maratas, Trade Marketing Manager of Globe Telecommunications, joined Lamudis CEO at the ribbon-cutting ceremony on August 16. Radio personality and voiceover talent Claire Codilla hosted the event. Open to All Property Buyers and Investors After a successful run in Metro Manila last May, Lamudi Property Fair 2024 took the property expo to the Queen City of the South. It gathered the countrys top real estate developers to help buyers and investors narrow down their options and find their dream homes. Event sponsors prepared exclusive deals and discounts for live attendees. Registration is free for all, making the event more accessible to everyone. Lamudi is dedicated to helping Filipinos find their dream homes. After five years since our last property fair in Cebu, it feels great to be back here, catering to the rising interest in home buying in the region, shared Carlo Rosales, Associate Director for Brand Marketing of Lamudi Philippines. The event remains free for all who register, and we encourage attendees to browse their options, ask questions, and find the best deals that align with their budget and lifestyle, Rosales continued. Making Smart Real Estate Investment Decisions Lamudi Property Fair 2024 in Cebu is co-presented by GFiber Prepaid and IKEA. The three-day events platinum sponsor is RLC Residences, a long-time developer partner of Lamudi Philippines. We are happy to continue our partnership with Lamudi Philippines in connecting home seekers with the right home investments. Lamudi has supported us over the years, and we look forward to many more years of collaboration, helping more Filipinos make smart real estate investment decisions, shared Karen Cesario, Marketing Head and Chief Integration Officer of RLC Residences. The gold sponsors are Ayala Land, Avida, and Cebu Landmasters. Heres the full list of event sponsors: GFiber Prepaid IKEA RLC Residences Ayala Land Avida Cebu Landmasters Aboitiz Land Vista Land Security Bank Primeworld Land Holdings BPI Buena Mano Pag-IBIG Fund is also participating to share more information about their acquired assets for sale. In addition to informative stage segments and personal interaction with real estate experts, live attendees will have the chance to win an iPhone 15, home appliances, and more exciting daily prizes! The media partners of Lamudi Property Fair 2024 in Cebu are SUNSTAR, Cebu Daily News Digital, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inquirer Property, Manila Bulletin, The Philippine Star, Manila Standard, Business World, The Manila Times, and Malaya Business Insight. The media support includes Real Estate Blog PH, Media Blast Digital, Nego Sentro, Property Finds Asia, Village Connect, Executive Chronicles, Yo Manila, World Executive Digest, and Bravo Filipino. Lamudi Helps Filipinos Everywhere Find Their Dream Homes We have always seen consistently strong demand from Cebu on our online platform, according to Nonie Librella, Associate Director for Corporate Accounts of Lamudi Philippines. All eyes are on Cebu real estate investment, as more home buyers and investors explore houses, houses and lots, condominium developments, commercial properties, and other property options in the region. The return of Lamudi Property Fair to Cebu is proof that Cebuanos are interested in property investment opportunities across the country. We are eager to connect them with Lamudis developer partners and other major real estate players so all Filipinos, regardless of location, can get closer to finding and securing their dream homes, Librella added. Lamudi Property Fair remains true to Lamudis commitment to helping Filipinos find their dream homes. It also connects property investors with assets they can add to their portfolio or use for real estate flipping. With this in mind, Lamudi aims to bring its property fair to key regional areas across the country. Catch lamudi.com.ph/propertyfair/ at Robinsons Galleria Cebu until Sunday, August 18, 2024! Filipino culinary aspirant Chelsea Louise Villanueva has concluded the Canada-ASEAN Scholarship for Educational Exchanges for Development (SEED) granted by The Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE). Funded by the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs Trade and Development, the fellowship provides qualified applicants from ASEAN with short-term exchange opportunities for study, or research in Canadian post-secondary institutions at the college, undergraduate, and graduate levels. - Advertisement - Facilitated through institutional collaborations, the open call for applications was cascaded by the Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) Halifax to its academic partner, the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) Manila, where Villanueva was then pursuing Culinary Arts under the School of Hotel, Restaurant, and Institution Management (SHRIM). A panel composed of Culinary Arts Chairperson Chef Margarita Marty, former International Hospitality Management (IHM) Chairperson Stephen Petranek, Practicum Advisor Jesus Mier Zapanta, and SHRIM Dean Marie Paz Castro deliberated on the selection for Villanueva. Chelsea Louise Villanueva enrolled in a Baking and Pastry Arts course at the NSCC Kingstec Campus in Nova Scotia A Benildean Student Envoy, an Academic and Service Scholar, and a consistent Deans Lister, she was chosen for her exemplary work and class ethics. She was likewise recognized for her outstanding skills and potential as a youth leader from her term as the co-promotions head of Chefs in Progress, the professional culinary organization of Benilde. Villanueva, through SEED, enrolled in an extensive Baking and Pastry Arts course at NSCC Kingstec Campus in Nova Scotia, Canada, with a full scholarship covering all expenses, including airfare and supplies. During the eight-month program, she gained advanced skills in creating a wide range of confectionaries and refined her artistic abilities in designing pastries and chocolate showpieces. She also worked as a part-time cake decorator and tutored local students, applying her newly acquired skills. Despite the challenges of living abroad, Villanueva credited her faith, family, and mentors for her success, ultimately graduating with honors. After her NSCC journey, she completed an internship at the Fogo Island Inn in Newfoundland and returned to Manila to finish her studies at Benilde, graduating Cum Laude. Villanueva is now back in Canada, working towards her goal of becoming a head pastry chef in a five-star hotel in Paris. Rwandas president has once again warned his Congolese counterpart, who last year threatened to invade the neighboring Rwanda, that he and his people were not afraid of death while fighting for our rights and our country. During his address to the parliament in Kigali earlier this week, Rwandas President Paul Kagame told the lawmakers that he is here with others who fought for our rights and our country. He then added, in a thinly wailed warning to the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Felix Tshisekedi, that for us who are not even afraid of death, if you dare us you will not survive. Last year, Tshisekedi threatened to invade Rwanda whom he accuses of supporting the M23 rebels with soldiers and logistics to destabilize eastern DRC, a claim Kigali denies. Those comments that they wanted to attack Rwanda; because Rwanda is a small country and we dont argue with anyone on that, its true, said Kagame, who recently won a fourth term in office. We are a small country but our rights are as huge as those of these big countries, he told the lawmakers. Addressing the issue of the M23 rebellion, Kagame said that his country now has 130,000 people who were persecuted, from eastern Congo, in an indirect reference to the M23s accusations that the DRC authorities have long been discriminating against and persecuting Congolese of Tutsi ancestry. In an interview with Jeune Afrique in March, Kagame admitted that he takes seriously Tshisekedis threats to invade Rwanda. 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: Ulster Hall in 1890second building from the left. Credit: National Library of Ireland on The Commons On 19 August 1874, the Irish physicist John Tyndallnow better known as the co-founder of climate sciencespoke to 2,000 people for nearly two hours in Belfast's Ulster Hall. What he said generated one of the most intense controversies about science and religion in the modern period. The aftermath is still felt today. Tyndall's three core arguments threatened strongly held religious convictions. The first was that science alone was competent to speak about the material world. The second was that the physical universe contained the "promise and potency" of life, consciousness and reason. The third was that religious believers had no grounds for claiming definite knowledge of the unfathomable mystery at the heart of existence. The strain between Tyndall's vision of science and religion and that of many of his Victorian contemporaries had been building for decades. His high-profile lecture was designed to increase the pressure to breaking point. Charles Darwin's theory of evolution provided Tyndall with a powerful resource to pursue that goal. To Tyndall, Darwin offered a compelling natural explanation for the diversity of life on Earth and made the idea of divine interference obsolete. If Darwin held back from making confident assertions about life's beginning, Tyndall exercised no such caution. There was, Tyndall declared, no point in the history of the cosmos when "creative acts" of a "deity" were required. This included the emergence of two remarkable phenomena: human cognition and consciousness. Tyndall fully recognized what has since been termed "the hard problem" of consciousness: how subjective experience is derived from non-conscious matter. But he was convinced that knowledge of the gradual evolution of cognition, a more advanced science of the brain and a redefinition of matter would provide a natural explanation of the human mind. Reactions to Tyndall's explosive lecture appeared immediately and continued long afterwards. While his Belfast audience politely applauded, the physicist Oliver Lodge recalled the atmosphere growing "more and more sulfurous." Editorials in the press the following morning raised the alarm, and, within days, newspapers nationwide ran articles and letters attacking the physicist's misguided materialism (the theory that physical matter is all that exists). The backlash ramped up in the weeks that followed. On the Sunday after the lecture, Belfast's pulpits, as Tyndall put it, "thundered at" him. At the end of October, the Bishops of the Catholic Church in Ireland published a letter half as long as Tyndall's address, condemning his materialist metaphysics. Around the same time, a Belfast-based lecture series to combat Tyndall's philosophy of mind and nature was arranged by prominent Presbyterians. Over the next few years, numerous articles, pamphlets and books dissecting Tyndall's lecture were published. Many, if not most, accused Tyndall of abusing his prominent position to endorse an irresponsible materialism that undermined morality and the Christian religion. Publicly, Tyndall's response to accusations of atheism and crude materialism was to strenuously deny he advocated either. Contrary to what his critics thought, he did not dismiss "the facts of religious feeling." Instead, he regarded them as "certain as the facts of physics." What he objected to was translating subjective religious inclinations into fixed theological beliefs. Dogmatic religion, he argued, was the enemy of science and of a better future. Privately, his reaction was more volatile. As his correspondence from 1874, now published, shows, one attack made him consider legal action. In fact, he only abandoned this approach when he was advised it was unlikely to succeed. Ongoing debate A century and a half later, Tyndall's main claims are more widely accepted in the places where they were once strongly contested. Religion, understood in Tyndall's terms, remains a significant, if more private, part of people's lives. But his allergy to religious certainty is now commonplace. His arguments, however, continue to be contested. If his philosophy of science and his understanding of religion command widespread support, they nevertheless have serious detractors. His account of the development of science, already skewered in 1874 by astute critics such as the religious scholar William Robertson Smith, no longer has the support of professional historians. Beyond its chronological muddles and anachronistic portrayals of various philosophical schools, Tyndall's emphasis on the importance of singular "men of exceptional power" in moving science forward is no longer considered tenable. His narrative of dogmatic religion everywhere impeding scientific advance has also been subject to sustained criticism. The scientific racism that helped prop up Tyndall's explanation of the origins and evolution of the human mind (to buttress claims that the human mind had evolved, Tyndall cited supposed differences in brain size between contemporary "savages" and Europeans) has also been thoroughly discredited, though, worryingly, not entirely extinguished. On other matters, such as the origin of life, scientific research has made significant progress, though questions clearly remain. Tyndall's support of something like "panpsychism"the idea that consciousness is already built into matterhas recently been revived, even if it remains a minority view among consciousness researchers. Whatever its strengths and weaknesses, Tyndall's Belfast address dramatically shifted the fault lines between science and religion in ways that continue to shape how we talk about them today. More particularly, the broadly materialist explanation of mind and consciousness that Tyndall espoused continues to provoke heated debate. If you have a couple of hours to spare, Tyndall's infamous lecture is certainly worth a read. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain A surging mpox outbreak in Africa was declared an emergency by the World Health Organisation this week and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), an EU agency, on Friday said more imported cases to Europe were "highly likely". The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) declared its first-ever Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS) for the deadly disease. It is the second time the WHO has issued its public health emergency warning since the epidemic first spread around the world in 2022. Now the virus has crossed from its epicenter in the Democratic Republic of Congo to other African nations and was detected this week for the first time in Sweden and Pakistan. What is mpox? The disease, formerly known as monkeypox, was first detected in humans in the DRC in 1970. There are two subtypes of the virus: clade 1 and clade 2. The deadlier clade 1 has been endemic in the Congo Basin in central Africa for decades. The less severe clade 2 has become endemic in parts of West Africa. Mpox can spread human-to-human through sexual or close physical contact. Symptoms include fever, muscular aches and large boil-like skin lesions. The virus gained international prominence in May 2022, when a less deadly strain called clade 2b spread around the world, mostly affecting gay and bisexual men. Between January 2022 and June 2024, 208 deaths and more than 99,000 mpox cases were recorded across 116 countries, according to the WHO. What is new? The latest surge has been of the deadlier clade 1and its new mutated variant. The new strain, called clade 1b, was first detected among sex workers in the DRC in September 2023. Sweden this week reported the first case of the variant outside of Africa, and the EU's health body urged countries to increase preparedness. Pakistan reported Asia's first case. "It is not surprising... that travel between continents has brought this case to Europe," said Brian Ferguson, an Associate Professor of Immunology, University of Cambridge. He added that cases were likely to spike in Europe and elsewhere as "there are currently no mechanisms in place to stop imported cases of mpox". Containing the epidemic will require "rapid international co-operation", said Francois Balloux of the University College of London Genetics Instituteadding there was "no evidence of transmission in Europe at this stage". Who is affected? Clade 1 mpox is "known for causing more severe disease in young children, pregnant women, and immunocompromised people", said Jonas Albarnaz, who specializes in pox viruses at the Pirbright Institute in Britain. Clade 1b is driven by sexual transmission and mostly infects young adults, Albarnaz said. It has also been recorded spreading through non-sexual contact between people, including children playing together at school. Clade 1b causes death in around 3.6 percent of cases, though infants and children are more at risk, according to the WHO. Where is affected? More mpox cases were reported in the first half of this year than in all of 2023, according to WHO figures. The majority of recent cases have been in the DRC, where 548 people have died so far this year, the government said. Over the last month, previously unaffected countries such as Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda have reported outbreaks, according to the Africa CDC. None have reported deaths, the WHO said. Nigeria has flagged 39 cases of a milder strain of mpox this year, health officials said Friday. Sweden and Pakistan this week reported the first mpox cases outside of Africa, with the WHO warning more cases of the new strain were likely in Europe. Is there a vaccine? During mpox's global spread in 2022, vaccines were deployed in Europe and North America which helped control the outbreak. But vaccines have not been made widely available in the African countries most affected by mpox. The US Department of Health said Wednesday it would donate 50,000 doses of an mpox vaccine to DRC. On Tuesday, Africa CDC head Jean Kaseya announced an agreement with the European Union and Danish drugmaker Bavarian Nordic to distribute 200,000 doses across the continent. Although that would not be enough, Africa could secure another 10 million vaccines, Kaseya told a media briefing. Bavarian Nordic said Friday it was seeking European approval to use its mpox vaccine in children aged 12 to 17. 2024 AFP 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. By Li Lei | chinadaily.com.cn Ann Derwin (center), Irish ambassador to China, and Sun Qixin (right), president of China Agricultural University share their views on climate change and the transformation of the agricultural food system at the World Agrifood Innovation Conference 2024 Summit Dialogue, which was held in Beijing late July. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] China and Ireland expect to see stronger ties in agricultural research, education and transnational cooperation, according to experts from both countries. A stepped-up partnership can promote global agricultural advancements as the two nations commemorate their 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties this year, said Ann Derwin, Irish ambassador to China. She made the remarks at the World Agrifood Innovation Conference 2024 Summit Dialogue, which was held at China Agricultural University in Beijing late July. Derwin, highlighting bilateral technical exchanges, joint research and development efforts, and the promotion of modern agricultural technologies, said this expansion of cooperation areas signifies robust growth and potential. Sun Qixin, president of China Agricultural University, said at the conference that the university has always been committed to deepening international cooperation and exchanges, and has established close partnerships with top global institutions such as National University of Ireland and University College Dublin to promote global agricultural prosperity and development. At the same time, the university is making efforts to develop the World Agrifood Innovation Conference into an international, regular and high-standard platform for the exchange and cooperation of agricultural science and technology innovation, to contribute to the advancement of global agricultural technology, he said. Drawing on Ireland's historical struggles with famine, Derwin said that food and nutrition security is important for national and global stability and development. She said Ireland has bolstered collaboration with the World Food Program, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and African nations, particularly focusing on supporting underdeveloped countries through targeted food programs. She also expressed her hope for Ireland to play a more substantial role in international agricultural exchanges. China Daily APP Aug. 17, 2024 John Simmons (middle) cuts the ribbon Friday, Aug. 16, at the SIU Simmons Law School. Below: Simmons speaks during the ceremony. SIU Simmons Law School unveils new name, honors donor by Jeff Wilson CARBONDALE, Ill. Southern Illinois University Simmons Law School has a nice ring to it. Now it has a fresh look to match. In February 2024, John and Jayne Simmons announced a $10 million gift to the law school, enhancing and expanding its educational offerings to students and opportunities to faculty. In honor of the donation, the SIU Board of Trustees voted to name the SIU Simmons Law School. At a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, Aug. 16, the new name and signage were unveiled. This mission is aligned with my personal and professional value system, said John Simmons, a member of the SIU Board of Trustees and founder of the Simmons Hanly Conroy law firm. We are proud of this school and what it stands for. I owe a lot of my success to SIU and what it has given to my family. It has sent me on my way to success, expanded my world, my horizons, my view on life and my role in supporting my community. This historic gift the largest SIU Carbondale has ever received further cements Simmons legacy at SIU, which includes a $10.2 million commitment to the Simmons Cancer Institute at the SIU School of Medicine in Springfield. His most recent contribution comes as another major step in the Imagine SIU 2030 fundraising campaign, which has raised more than $340 million toward its $500 million goal. This gift will allow all of our students and faculty to continue to imagine, Chancellor Austin Lane said. You can think about all of the things youre going to get in this building that are going to take you from Southern Illinois into the world. Simmons, a native and resident of Alton, is an SIU Edwardsville graduate and chairperson and founder of Simmons Hanly Conroy law firm. His support will help provide more access, services and opportunities to students seeking educational opportunities at SIU Simmons Law School. The law school is the alma mater of more than 180 local, state and federal judges. It also has alumni practicing law in 48 states and more than 10 countries. It also features legal clinics that serve members of underrepresented communities and offer students real-world experience. Lending ones name, ones reputation to a school is a profound gesture, said SIU Simmons Law School Acting Dean Angela Upchurch. It intertwines their identity with the ongoing story and mission of that institution, and it creates an indelible impact on its faculty, students and staff. Simmons has served two stints on the SIU Board of Trustees, the first from 2004 to 2015, and he was appointed again in 2019 by Gov. J.B. Pritzker. He has previously functioned as the boards secretary and chair. He earned his law degree from Southern Methodist University and previously served in the U.S. Army as a combat engineer. In 1999, he founded Simmons Hanly Conroy, one of the nations largest plaintiffs law firms. The firm has dedicated the past 25 years to representing workers and families impacted by mesothelioma, a fatal and preventable asbestos-related cancer. Under his leadership, the firm expanded to new practice areas and now employs more than 250 people, including more than 80 attorneys, in offices across the country. Most recently, the firm successfully helped lead the national effort to hold manufacturers and distributors of prescription opiates accountable for the opioid epidemic. Firm employees have donated more than $1 million to local charities through the Simmons Employee Foundation and more than $20 million to cancer research nationwide. Simmons Hanly Conroy has long been involved with SIUs law school, providing internships and employing its graduates. John is motivated by his core belief of giving back to the community to help improve and create a better life for others, said SIU Board of Trustees Chair J. Phil Gilbert. The contribution and investment in this law school will change lives by providing educational opportunities to anyone desiring a legal education and will develop future leaders that make this world a better place in which to live. A windfall tax is levied by governments when an industry unexpectedly earns large profits, mainly due to an unprecedented event. On Friday, oil prices fell by about two per cent, with Brent crude standing below USD 80 a barrel. Brent crude futures fell by around 2 per cent to close at USD 78.37 per barrel in the international market. The slowing down of the Chinese economy, as widely reported around the world, has affected the crude market. The Chinese economy lost momentum in July when new home prices fell at the fastest pace in nine years, as reported. Traders around the world are worried about the contraction of demand from top oil importers. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) last week revised the global crude oil demand forecast due to the slow demand from the major oil importer China. The organization expected in its recent assessment that oil demand in 2024 will stand at around 135,000 barrels per day. The windfall tax is typically reviewed every two weeks. The tax, which is revised every fortnight, remains unchanged at zero for diesel, petrol, and aviation turbine fuel. India started the windfall tax on crude oil producers and on exports of gasoline, diesel, and aviation fuel in July 2022 to regulate private refiners who preferred selling fuel overseas instead of locally to gain from firm refining margins. (ANI) VMPL New Delhi [India], August 17: Rromeo's latest album, Let Me Love, was launched on August 7, 2024, featuring four songs brought together in a single musical short film. A new approach was taken by combining all chapters into one continuous video, which has been met with positive feedback from fans and critics alike. The album's lyrics were written by different songwriters, with A.M. Turaz creating the words for "Kyun Hum" and "Pardes," and Sajid Qureshi writing for "Waqt" and "Let Me Love." All four songs were composed and performed by Rromeo, showing his range as a musician. Directed by Faraz Haider and produced by Anjum Qureshi, the project was praised for its storytelling and production quality. The release of Let Me Love was seen as a step forward for Rromeo, who has been recognized for his innovative music and video creations. The track "Kyun Hum" quickly became popular on social media, reflecting the album's immediate success. Excitement was expressed by Rromeo about the album's positive reception, and hints were given about more music to come in September, which has kept fans eager. Rromeo's rise began with the release of Tera Fitoor, a musical short film that gained over 100 million views on YouTube. His following album, Tu Chand Hai, also achieved similar success, leading to the innovative release format used for Let Me Love. Support for the album was shown by Naezy the Baa, a notable figure in the music industry, who attended the promotional event at Silken Velvet. Rromeo's commitment to pushing boundaries in music and film was highlighted by the release of Let Me Love. (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) The Karnataka government has temporarily paused the implementation of a circular that directed the withdrawal of deposits and restricted further deposits in all branches of Punjab National Bank (PNB) and State Bank of India (SBI), the state government said in a statement.The state government has paused the implementation of its circular for the next 15 days. The state government on Saturday said that both the banks have submitted written representations to the government on August 16, seeking additional time to resolve the matter. "After considering the banks' requests, the Honorable Chief Minister has directed officials of the Finance Department to keep the circular in abeyance for 15 days. This will allow the banks sufficient time to address the issues and redress the concerns of the government," the statement issued by the Karnataka government read. The state government conveyed the officials to ensure transparency and accountability in all the dealings, as per the statement. The Karnataka government had directed all of its arms to restrict the deposits in all branches of both the central government-owned lenders. The directive came after the observations made by the Public Accounts Committee on July 2, 2024, and August 6, 2024, which indicated an alleged fraud in branches of these banks. According to the state government, the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) and the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) had made fixed deposits that were not repaid as a result of alleged fraud in the bank branches. This prompted the state government to take action. "Despite prolonged correspondence and meetings, these issues remained unresolved since 2012-13," the Karnataka government said. Going further, the state government added in the statement that ensuring transparency and accountability in all its dealings remains a priority. "We will continue to monitor the situation and take appropriate action to protect the interests of all stakeholders," the statement added. (ANI) NewsVoir Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) [India], August 17: Biggen Aerospace, a subsidiary of Biggen Technologies, a leading name in defense and aerospace innovation, made a significant impression at the Tarang Shakti 2024 exhibition, held at the Sulur Air Force Base in Coimbatore. The three-day event, inaugurated by Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi, brought together key stakeholders from the Army, Air Force, and various defense sectors, along with international participants from the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Spain. Tarang Shakti 2024: A Showcase of Military Excellence Tarang Shakti 2024, an international defense and aviation exhibition, featured an extensive array of military equipment, spare parts, and aviation technology. With 62 halls set up by both public sector and private companies, the event highlighted advancements in aircraft, unmanned air systems, long-range glide bombs, and other critical defense technologies. Biggen Aerospace: A Major Player in High altitude and Heavy Weight logistics UAVs Biggen Aerospace, headquartered in Bangalore and branch office at Coimbatore, stood out at the exhibition for its pioneering work in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). The company, through its subsidiary Biggen Aerospace, has been at the forefront of developing UAVs designed to revolutionize disaster response, logistics, and military operations. During Tarang Shakti 2024, Biggen Aerospace showcased two of its latest helicopter UAV models, capable of carrying payloads of 7kg and 12kg, with a range of 85 kilometers and speeds between 75 and 100 km/h, even at high altitudes. These UAVs have been engineered to perform critical tasks such as combating forest fires by carrying fire retardants or water, delivering essential supplies to areas affected by landslides, and supporting search and rescue operations in challenging terrains. The UAVs' robust design and operational capabilities attracted significant attention from international delegates, including those from France, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Adarsh, Director of Biggen Technologies, highlighted the strategic importance of these UAVs in emergency and wartime scenarios, stating, "Our UAV helicopters have been meticulously designed to assist in various fields, including defense, army operations, and medicine. Their ability to operate effectively in high-altitude environments makes them indispensable for modern military and emergency response missions." Biggen Technologies is also working on a groundbreaking helicopter UAV capable of lifting a 100kg payload. This advanced UAV is expected to play a pivotal role in disaster response, enabling the swift delivery of critical supplies such as medicine and food to areas impacted by natural disasters. The company is actively seeking investments and partnerships with institutional investors to further expand its footprint in defense logistics, commercial sectors, and automation. Collaborating for Innovation Recognizing the importance of collaboration, Biggen Technologies invites students and innovators specializing in drone and UAV development to join their mission. The company is eager to partner with those who share their vision of advancing UAV technology and making a meaningful impact in disaster response. "We are honored to have participated in this prestigious international expo alongside the Indian Air Force," said Adarsh. "Our commitment to innovation drives us to continue developing solutions that address the complex challenges of today and tomorrow." Expanding Horizons: Biggen Technologies' Future Plans In addition to its achievements in UAV development, Biggen Technologies is expanding its portfolio with the introduction of ATOMS "Automation & Sound", a new brand dedicated to delivering innovative automation and audio solutions. ATOMS will offer cutting-edge products and services tailored for both commercial and residential applications, with an exclusive range of international speaker brands. An experience center to showcase these innovations is set to open soon in Bangalore, marking a new chapter in the company's growth. For further inquiries or partnership opportunities, contact Biggen Technologies at business@biggentech.com or visit their website at www.biggentech.com. (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) VMPL Jerusalem [Israel], August 17: G Medical Innovations, a cutting-edge mobile health company, proudly announces the appointment of Akash Biomatrix Pvt. Ltd as the exclusive Master Distributor for their flagship product, PRIZMA, in India. This strategic partnership marks a significant milestone in the advancement of healthcare technology. PRIZMA: Revolutionizing Remote Health Monitoring PRIZMA, an FDA-approved portable device, empowers users with real-time wireless monitoring of critical vital signs, including: 1. ECG (Electrocardiogram): Measures the electrical impulses of the heart, aiding in the diagnosis of abnormal heart rhythms such as Atrial Fibrillation. 2. Blood Pressure: Provides accurate blood pressure readings. 3. Blood Sugar (Glucose): Monitors glucose levels for diabetes management. 4. SPo2 (Oxygen Saturation): Tracks oxygen levels in the blood. Key Features of PRIZMA: * Waterproof AI Patches: These small, waterproof patches adhere to the user's chest, transmitting data 24/7 to the PRIZMA device and remote diagnostic centres. No patient cables are required! * Real-Time Remote Diagnostics: AI-enabled algorithms analyze data, providing early warnings and alerts for impending cardiovascular events. * User-Friendly: PRIZMA is easy to apply, requires no cell phone pairing. * Certified Cardiac Technicians: Continuous monitoring by certified cardiac technicians ensures accurate analysis. * Multi-Channel ECG: PRIZMA's multi-channel extended Holter records every heartbeat, enhancing diagnostic accuracy. * High Patient Compliance: Comfortable and stress-free monitoring encourages patient adherence. Saving Lives, One Alert at a Time By detecting cardiovascular events early, PRIZMA has the potential to save countless lives. The future of remote health monitoring is here, and G Medical Innovations and Akash Biomatrix are at the forefront. Prizma Care - A Revolutionary Ecosystem for Remote Patient Monitoring An innovative ecosystem that can monitor patients' vital signs remotely and reliably,detect and notify any abnormalities in heart rate, ECG, blood pressure, Oxygen saturation, or weight and save lives by enabling timely interventions and prevention. G Medical G Patch FDA approved Pediatrics and Adults G Patch (AECG) is proven to increase patient comfort and compliance. The "snap, peel, and stick" application enables stress- free monitoring. Its Ultra-compact design and comfortable format increase patient compliance. Worn from 72 hours and up to 14 days It continuously records a 2 or 3-channel ECG. Potential Market Size of Personal Portable Medical Diagnostics in India The personal portable medical diagnostics sector in India shows great promise due to health-conscious consumers and technological advancements. 1. Market Size: In 2023, the Indian diagnostics market was valued at $13 billion and is projected to reach $26 billion by 2028. 2. Growth Drivers: Chronic diseases, an aging population, and increased health awareness are driving growth. 3. Forecasts: The Indian diagnostic lab market is predicted to reach $44.92 billion by 2032, with another estimate projecting $20 billion by 2026. Dr. Yacov Geva, CEO of G Medical Innovations, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration: "Our mission is to transform healthcare through innovative solutions. With Akash Biomatrix's expertise and reach in India, PRIZMA will empower patients and healthcare providers alike." Niv Geva said: "We, at G Medical Innovations, are extremely excited to market Prizma in the multi Billion Dollar market in South Asia and particularly India." Dr. Yacov Geva added: "Even if we tap into a small market share in India, It will translate into hundreds of Millions in revenue." About G Medical Innovations: G Medical Innovations is a next-generation mobile health company that develops and markets clinical and consumer medical-grade health monitoring solutions, offering end-to-end support for e health projects. For more information, visit G Medical Innovations or PRIZMACare23. About Akash Biomatrix Pvt. Ltd: Akash Biomatrix Pvt. Ltd, headquartered in Mumbai, India, is a leading healthcare solutions provider committed to improving patient outcomes through cutting-edge technologies. For media inquiries, please contact: Press Relations Email: info@akashbiomatrix.com, info@globaloneindia.com Mob: +91-9137371062, +91-9359781225 Disclaimer: This press release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Note: This press release contains forward-looking statements. Actual results may vary based on market conditions and regulatory approvals. (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 17: 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 , the 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 , the company will conduct a 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 MukhyamantriUjjawal 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, "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) Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar has called for a shift towards economic nationalism, urging the industry, trade, and commerce sectors to prioritize local production and reduce avoidable imports. According to the Vice President's Secretariat, Dhankhar underscored economic nationalism as a key element of the Swadeshi movement and the "Vocal for Local" campaign, pointing out the adverse effects of unnecessary imports on the economy. These include draining foreign exchange and hindering job creation for Indian workers. "Our reliance on imported items like carpets, garments, and toys is not only sending our foreign exchange abroad but also impeding the growth of domestic entrepreneurship," he noted. He urged industries to focus on local production to generate employment and promote entrepreneurial growth within India. At the Swarna Bharat Trust, Venkatachalam, Dhankhar stressed the importance of responsible natural resource use, advocating for consumption based on necessity rather than financial power. He warned that excessive resource use driven by economic strength poses a significant risk to future generations. "If we spend unnecessarily based on the power of money, we are putting the future generation in danger," he said. Dhankhar also expressed concern about the export of raw materials like iron ore without value addition, stating that it not only limits job creation but also weakens the national economy. "It is troubling to see our iron ore being exported without any added value. We must not prioritize quick financial gains over long-term national interests," he emphasized. He called for a unified effort to prioritize the nation's welfare above political, personal, and economic interests, and expressed confidence that this change in mindset is achievable. Quoting a Shloka from the Rig Veda--"sNgcchdhvN sNvddhvN sN vo" (Let us move together, let us speak in one voice)--Dhankhar urged, "Let us move together. Let us speak in one voice, and always for the nation." Emphasizing the importance of national unity, he added, "Let us always keep the nation above everything else." He also highlighted the urgent need for tangible actions that bring real change to the lives of ordinary citizens who have given up hope. Dhankhar also paid tribute to former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, praising his lifelong dedication to the nation and unwavering commitment to public service. "It is easy to emulate his principles and ideals, but difficult to get into his shoes. His is a life dedicated to welfare of the nation, an unflinching commitment to ideals, and his heart is in rural India. Right from the time I stepped into the premises of the Swarna Bharat Trust, I saw civilisation in action!," Dhankhar said, reflecting on Naidu's legacy as he visited the Swarna Bharat Trust. (ANI) Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences emphasized that the advancements are positioning India as a leading force in the private space industry, with Rs. 1,000 crore invested in 2023 alone. The space economy is projected to grow fivefold over the next decade, reaching USD 44 billion. Dr Singh, hailed the Budget 2024-25 announcements related to the space sector as visionary, with the potential to revolutionize India's position in global space exploration and the private space industry. According to Department of Space, Dr Jitendra Singh highlighted that the Modi government has freed the space sector from its past limitations, with the credit going to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He explained that for 60-70 years, the space industry operated under a self-imposed secrecy that limited access to resources and knowledge, despite India's abundance of talent. Dr Singh described the 2023 New Space Policy as a turning point, allowing private companies to engage in ISRO activities for the first time. Prior to this, In-SPACe was established in 2020 as a bridge between the government and private sectors, followed by the creation of New Space India Limited for the production and assembly of launch vehicles. The Minister expressed excitement over the rapid growth of the space sector, noting that while there was only a single-digit number of startups in 2021, that figure has now risen to nearly 300, many of which have achieved global recognition. He pointed to AgniKul Cosmos, which has set up a private launchpad within ISRO's facilities, and Skyroot, which completed the first private sub-orbital launch. These developments have attracted attention from international players like SpaceX. Regarding job opportunities, Dr Singh mentioned that India's talent pool, previously limited to opportunities abroad, now has ample avenues for employment and entrepreneurship within the country. He referenced an institute in Thiruvananthapuram that provides space technology education, with graduates previously seeing 60-70 per cent placement at NASA. Today, there are not only job prospects but also chances to launch startups, opening new pathways for livelihoods. On upcoming ISRO missions, Dr Singh mentioned the highly anticipated Gaganyaan mission, which was delayed by COVID-19 but is now set for next year, with trial flights already in progress. He also shared plans for a female humanoid robot named Vayumitra, scheduled to be launched into space in 2025 to perform astronaut tasks and return to Earth. If successful, India could send a human into space by late 2025. Additionally, an Indian Space Station is planned for 2035, with the goal of landing an Indian astronaut on the moon by 2040. (ANI) The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) 2024 has been celebrating its 15th edition, showcasing a glittering trail of accolades and heartfelt tribute to cinema in its wake. The festival, which runs from August 15 to 25, celebrated the 'creme de la creme' of Indian cinema with a dazzling array of awards. https://www.instagram.com/p/C-ur2hmS-nl/?hl=en Filmmaker Kabir Khan took the spotlight as he claimed the Best Director award for his film 'Chandu Champion'. In a conversation with ANI, Khan emphasized the significance of receiving recognition from an international jury, stating, "To get recognition of your film from them just feels special." He expressed gratitude for the award, underscoring that it validated the heartfelt efforts behind 'Chandu Champion'. Kartik Aaryan, who won the Best Actor award for his role in 'Chandu Champion', also shared his sentiments. "I think this is a big honour," Aaryan said adding, "This is my first award for Chandu Champion and I hope this journey continues." He described the role as the most challenging of his career and was thrilled to be acknowledged for his intense portrayal. The Best Actress award went to 'Parvathy Thiruvothu' for her performance in 'Ullozhukku (Undercurrent)'. Parvathy revealed her plans to celebrate with family, saying, "I'm going to go home to my mom and dad and give them this award." She also reflected on the privilege and luck involved in her journey, adding, "This one has been a rebirth for me because it required me to sort of unlearn every notion of what craft meant to me." 'Imtiaz Ali' was honoured with the Breakout Film of the Year award for 'Amar Singh Chamkila'. He expressed his gratitude, stating, "It's just recognition for what Amar Singh Chamkila stood for and what he went through in his life." In a conversation with ANI, Ali emphasized that true greatness belongs to the artist whose story was being told. Rasika Dugal received the Diversity Champion award, hinting at a future filled with selective script choices. "This is really special because it really makes you feel like the brief choices that you made," Dugal noted, emphasizing the importance of meaningful work over quantity. Adarsh Gourav awarded the Disruptor of the Year for 'Kho Gaye Hum Kahan', shared his excitement, noting, "It's such a special feeling to be awarded for a film that's very, very dear to me." He celebrated the win as a highlight of his career, especially given the personal significance of the project. Arjun Mathur, who won Best Performance in a Series (Male) for 'Made In Heaven S2', expressed his appreciation for the global love the show has received. "It means a lot, " Mathur said, reflecting on the universal acclaim of the series. "I mean Made in Heaven is a show that just has been loved all over the world, and it's actually amazing. I've just finished some travelling in Europe and I cannot begin to tell you how much love, the kind of place where they show people's art. And I don't just mean Indians, and so yeah, it's an amazing honour to be validated for the work that you do anywhere at any point. And I'm just glad it's in this part of the world right now," he said. Director Shoojit Sircar also praised the festival for its role in bridging global audiences with Indian cinema, stating, "It definitely gives us a lot many eyeballs and also the kind of cinema that we are doing." With a host of awards recognizing talent across various categories, the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2024 has underscored the vibrant and evolving landscape of Indian cinema. The list of the winners is given below: Best Performance (Male): Kartik Aaryan for Chandu Champion Best Performance (Female): Parvathy Thiruvothu for Ullozhukku Best Film: 12th Fail Best Director: Kabir Khan for Chandu Champion and Nithilan Swaminathan for Maharaja Best Performer Critics Choice: Vikrant Massey for 12th Fail Ambassador for Indian Art and Culture: Ram Charan Best Film Critics Choice: Laapataa Ladies Best Series: Kohhra Equality in Cinema: Dunki Best Film from the Subcontinent: The Red Suitcase People's Choice: Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani Excellence in Cinema: AR Rahman Breakout Film Of The Year: Amar Singh Chamkila Disruptor of the Year: Adarsh Gourav Diversity Champion: Rasika Dugal Best Performance Female Series: Nimisha Sajayan for Poacher Best Performance Male Series: Arjun Mathur for Made in Heaven Season 2 Best Director Critics Choice: Dominic Sangma for Rapture Short Film Competition: Robbie Fatt for The Vegemite Sandwich (ANI) Fans of Netflix's beloved period drama 'Bridgerton' have reason to celebrate as Jonathan Bailey has confirmed his return for Season 4. The actor will once again step into the shoes of Anthony Bridgerton, the charming Viscount and eldest sibling of the Bridgerton clan, according to Deadline. In a recent interview reported by Deadline, Bailey, who is also making waves for his Emmy-nominated role in Showtime's 'Fellow Travelers', revealed his exciting news. "I have a couple of weeks etched out in my schedule for returning," Bailey shared, adding, "I look forward to reading the scripts." Season 4 promises to continue the drama and romance fans have come to love. As with season 3, which focused on Anthony's younger brother Colin (played by Luke Newton) and his romance with Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan), Anthony will make several key appearances next season. Despite his reduced screen time compared to previous seasons, Bailey's role remains integral. Unlike the first season's Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon (Rege-Jean Page), who did not reappear together in subsequent seasons, Bailey's Anthony and his wife Kate (Simone Ashley) were featured in season 3. Their storyline ended with the couple embarking on a babymoon to Kate's homeland of India. Bailey, who has long expressed his commitment to the series, affirmed his ongoing role. "The thing about Bridgerton, which is so brilliant, is that there's so many different ways you can fall in love as humans and that's what this show will explore," he said. "Obviously being the older brother, I'm going to be there to support the youngsters as we go," he added according to Deadline. As the series shifts its focus to Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) in the upcoming season, the storyline will explore his reluctance to settle down until he meets the enchanting Lady in Silver, Sophie Beckett, portrayed by Yerin Ha. "Benedict's full of wonder and joy. He's the beating heart of the family," Bailey praised adding, "Luke Thompson is going to be stunning." The new season will delve into Benedict's journey while continuing the intertwining stories of the Bridgerton family, with Penelope's secret identity as Lady Whistledown likely to remain a focal point. (ANI) After a successful theatrical run, 'Kalki 2898 AD' is now all set to be released on OTT platforms. Interestingly, the film will be out on both Netflix and Prime Video. 'Kalki 2898 AD' will be released on Prime Video in the Telugu language with dubs in Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam. On the other hand, the film will be available to watch on Netflix in Hindi language. The makers have set August 22 as the OTT release date for the film. Set in a post-apocalyptic world in 2898 AD where nature has vanished and darkness prevails, 'Kalki 2898 AD' marks the first instalment in the Kalki Cinematic Universe. The film follows the journey of Bhairava, a bounty hunter, as he navigates this dystopian future. Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Prabhas, Kamal Haasan and Disha Patani feature in the film. Speaking about the OTT release, director Nag Ashwin shared, "Bringing Kalki 2898 AD (Hindi) to Netflix allows us to share this story with a global audience. It's a film that delves deep into the themes of hope, destiny, and the eternal struggle between good and evil. We're excited for viewers to experience this epic journey." Prabhas added, "Kalki 2898 AD is a film that pushes the boundaries of storytelling, and I'm thrilled for audiences around the world to experience its unique vision on Netflix. He further said, "Working on Kalki 2898 AD with a visionary director like Naga and an exceptional cast has been truly exhilarating. The film not only pushes the boundaries of storytelling with its blend of mythology and futuristic elements but also delves deep into the complexities of human nature. Portraying Bhairava, a character driven by strength and conviction, has been incredibly rewarding. After all the love that Kalki 2898 AD has received from audiences in theaters, I cannot wait for its global premiere on Prime Video. I hope viewers will enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed making it." Actors Vijay Deverakonda, Dulquer Salmaan and Mrunal Thakur have cameos in the film. (ANI) Amid the ongoing protests in Kolkata over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, junior doctors Rumalika Kumar and Riya Bera, from RG Kar, expressed dissatisfaction, stating that their demands for justice have not been met. They also called for the immediate arrest of all culprits with proper evidence. Speaking at a joint press conference on Friday, Kumar said, "Due to non-transparency, the investigation has been transferred from the Kolkata police to the CBI. However, even after 48 hours, our demands for justice have not been fulfilled at all. We have no clarity regarding the ongoing investigation." Addressing the same issue, Bera added, "We demand the immediate arrest of all culprits, backed by proper evidence, along with an official press release from the CBI confirming the same, a written apology, and the resignation of higher authorities, including the former principal." Bera further insisted that the higher authorities "be barred from holding any administrative or authoritative positions in any institution for the remainder of their service period." "We still demand clarification and proper documentation, including official order copies and letters with appropriate memo numbers and dates, regarding the controversial renovation work of the Chest Medicine Department, as reported by various reputable media outlets," she said. Bera also called for a CBI investigation into the culprits responsible for the mob attack and vandalism that occurred on the eve of Independence Day at the protest grounds of the college and hospital campuses. She also demanded a public apology from the Kolkata Police Commissioner for the assault on medical students on August 10. "The CBI should immediately investigate the culprits behind the mob attack on August 14, 2024, the attempts to destroy the crime scene, tamper with evidence, vandalise government property, and issue serious threats to staff on duty... We also demand a public apology from the Commissioner of Police for the brutal assault on medical students and junior doctors on August 10, 2024, and for the lack of action and incompetence displayed by the Kolkata Police on Independence Day," she said. Regarding the nationwide closure of OPD and emergency services, Kumar clarified, "In light of recent reports about the closure of OPD and emergency services, we want to assure everyone that both services are operating efficiently. Our dedicated professors are fully committed to providing medical care, ensuring that the community continues to receive essential medical services. There is no reason to believe that access to medical care has been compromised." On August 9, a postgraduate trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered while on duty at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, leading to nationwide strikes and protests by the medical community. In response, staff and doctors of the Indian Medical Association in Ayodhya held a protest against the incident on Friday. Students of KMC Medical College and Trichy KAPV Government Medical College in Tamil Nadu also held a candlelight protest to show solidarity with the victim. Members of the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) organized a candlelight march in Delhi, demanding justice for the victim. BJP Mahila Morcha in Jaipur and Bhubaneswar also held candlelight marches on Friday to show solidarity with the victim. On August 15, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) announced a 24-hour nationwide withdrawal of services by doctors of modern medicine, starting from 6 am on Saturday, August 17, and ending at 6 am on Sunday, August 18. (ANI) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla lashed out at Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government over the rape and murder of a woman trainee doctor at RG Kar medical college and hopsital in Kolkata, saying that the Kolkata High Court has no faith left in West Bengal government. "The Calcutta High Court has no faith in the West Bengal government and police. That's why the investigation has been handed over to the CBI." the BJP leader said on Friday. Shehzad Poonawalla asked Mamata Banerjee to take responsibility and resign from the post saying "When will Mamata Banerjee take responsibility for the incident? When will she tender her resignation? There is no moral authority, legal authority or constitutional propriety left for Mamata Banerjee to continue as Chief Minister of West Bengal for even a minute" He further accused Mamata Banerjee of failing the citizens of West Bengal He said, "She has failed the citizens of West Bengal. She has failed her constitutional obligations. She said that the violence that took place on 14-15 August was done by 'Bam and Ram". He termed the Trinamool Congress (TMC) as being anti-Hindu, "The anti-Hindu mindset of TMC doesn't even rest in a case as sensitive as this." Another BJP MP Sangeeta Yadav also said that Mamata Banerjee should now take moral responsibility and resign from her position. "What can be a bigger drama than the one who is in power taking out a protest rally... This is a woman's case and the CM (in the state) is a woman. She should take moral responsibility and resign and investigate this case and give the harshest punishment to all the culprits, setting an example not only in West Bengal but in the whole country," Sangeeta Yadav said. Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar said that the BJP would not stop its protest, "She (Mamata Banerjee) herself is the Chief Minister, Home Minister, Health Minister, then against whom was she protesting by taking out a rally?... She is trying to stop the BJP, we assure her that this movement will not stop, and we will continue our protest." A post-graduate trainee doctor was allegedly found raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9, which has led to widespread outrage and protests. Doctors all over the country are protesting and demanding justice over the case and the formation of a committee for the implementation of the Central Protection Act in all hospitals. (ANI) Governor Indrasena Reddy administered the oath to Kilikdar on Friday in the presence of Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha at Raj Bhavan in Agartala. Chief Minister Saha posted on Facebook, "Today attended the oath-taking ceremony of the newly-appointed Lokayukta of Tripura Dr Bivash Kanti Kilikdar at Raj Bhavan, Agartala." Kilikdar was appointed as the Lokayukta on July 9 and will hold office for a term of three years. Tripura Lokayukta is an autonomous body that investigates complaints of corruption in the state. The Tripura Lokayukta Bill was passed in 2008 and gives the Lokayukta the power to investigate into corruption charges and act as ombudsmen. The Tripura Lokayukta Act, 2008 followed by three amendments was enacted in the state on March 22, 2010. The objective of a Lokayukta is to provide free, fair and transparent administration to the people of the state. Retired judge P K Sarkar was appointed as the 1st Lokayukta of Tripura in 2011. In the recent three-tier Panchayat elections, which took place on August 8, the ruling BJP has secured a decisive victory across multiple constituencies in the state. wards. BJP secured a landslide victory in 34 Panchayat Samities. The party secured victory in all 8 Zilla Parishads and won 585 out of 606 Gram Panchayats. (ANI) A two-member inquiry committee constituted by the National Commission for Women (NCW) investigated the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata and submitted its preliminary findings uncovering lapses in security, infrastructure, and investigation. The NCW in a statement said on Friday that the site where the deceased was allegedly raped and murdered is undergoing sudden renovations, potentially leading to tampering with evidence. "The National Commission for Women (NCW) has taken suo moto cognizance of a distressing incident reported by the media involving the alleged rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor at a state-run hospital in Kolkata. The Commission, deeply concerned by the gravity of the situation, has promptly initiated an inquiry into the matter," it said. "On 10 August 2024, the NCW addressed a letter to the Commissioner of Police, Kolkata, seeking immediate action and a thorough investigation into the incident. The Commission's involvement was triggered by a media report captioned "Kolkata rape-murder: Hospital official told doctor's family she died by suicide, say sources," which revealed shocking details surrounding the death of the trainee doctor," it added. The two-member inquiry committee constituted by the NCW included Delina Khondgup, an NCW Member, and Soma Chaudhary, an Advocate appointed by the West Bengal State Legal Services Authority. "The Commission constituted a two-member Inquiry Committee to investigate the case, consisting of Delina Khondgup, NCW Member, and Soma Chaudhary, an Advocate appointed by the West Bengal State Legal Services Authority. The Committee arrived in Kolkata on 12 August 2024 and has been rigorously examining the circumstances surrounding the incident," the statement from NCW said. The Inquiry Committee of the NCW found that no security guards were present during the incident, and there was insufficient security coverage for on-call duty interns, doctors, and nurses during night shifts. "The hospital lacks basic amenities for female doctors and nurses, with washrooms in poor condition, no security measures, and inadequate lighting. The questioning of the former Principal, who resigned after the incident, remains incomplete. The Inquiry Committee urges a thorough and expedited investigation," the statement said. "There is no adequate protection or safety for on-call female duty interns, nurses, and female doctors. The site where the deceased was allegedly raped and murdered is undergoing sudden renovations, potentially leading to tampering with evidence. The crime scene should have been sealed immediately by the police," it added. The NCW is committed to ensuring that justice is served and that those responsible are held accountable. In light of the serious lapses uncovered, the Commission urges immediate corrective measures to prevent such incidents in the future. Meanwhile, 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. Notably, the strike has been called by IMA amid the ongoing protest in Kolkata over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College. 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. 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. (ANI) The Hindu festival was celebrated with joy as school girls tied Rakhi, applied Tilak and offered sweets to the army personnel. Last year on August 30, Raksha Bandhan was celebrated in a similar manner, when schoolgirls tied Rakhi to the army personnel and showed their gratitude for the services. Raksha Bandhan, commonly known as Rakhi, will be celebrated on Monday, August 19 this year. It is a traditional Hindu festival dedicated to the love and bond between brothers and sisters. On this day, sisters tie a rakhi around their brothers' wrists. In return, brothers offer gifts as a symbol of love and care for their sisters. Rakhi symbolizes a sense of protection. On Raksha Bandhan, the brothers promise to protect their sisters from harm of any kind. Raksha Bandhan is a festival deeply rooted in Indian Culture and has been celebrated for centuries. Incidents of sisters tying rakhi around their brother's wrists for protection are mentioned in Hindu religious texts. (ANI) The Allahabad High Court has handed over the responsibility of law and order to the district administration during the Janmashtami festival at Banke Bihari temple in Mathura from August 25 to 29. The court on Friday also ordered the state government to restrict live streaming to the temple premises to control the crowd. The court, in consultation with the Civil Judge, Junior Division, Mathura, has allowed the installation of CCTV cameras through receivers under the temple system in place since 1939. The District Magistrate has been ordered to comply with the directions of the Civil Judge. The court said that arrangements for the Janmashtami festival will be made under the supervision of the temple management along with the government. This order was given by the bench of Justice Siddharth Verma and Justice Ram Manohar Narayan Mishra while hearing the Public Interest Litigation of Anant Sharma and another person from Mathura after a stampede at the temple in August last year. The next hearing of the petition will be on August 28. Earlier, the court issued some instructions to the government on December 8, 2023, regarding crowd management. Which could not be followed. Now the government has filed an application seeking revision of the instructions. People objected to the government's demand and said crowd control cannot be done by a court order. The government has filed an affidavit saying that proper arrangements will be made on the occasion of 'Janmashtami'. The Uttar Pradesh government counsel appraised that there will be barricading done for crowd control and a certain number will enter the temple at a time while the live streaming will happen inside and outside the temple and screens will be placed outside at various places. Advocate Sankalp Goswami opposed the live streaming outside the temple, to which the court allowed live streaming only inside the temple. (ANI) Former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday offered prayers at Kalkaji Temple after he was released on bail by Supreme Court in Delhi Excise Policy case. "After coming out of the jail, I arrived to offer prayers at Kalkaji temple. I thanked God for listening to the prayers of the public of Delhi." Manish Sisodia said. Manish Sisodia remained hopeful about the release of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal who was also arrested in Delhi excise policy case. "I am hopeful that Arvind Kejriwal will also soon walk out of jail," Sisodia said. Sisodia was released from Tihar Jail on August 9 after the Supreme Court granted him bail in connection with the Delhi excise policy case. The order was delivered by a judge bench of BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan. The court also imposed various conditions including surrendering the passport and not influencing witnesses. In February 2023, Sisodia was arrested by the CBI for alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of now-scrapped Delhi's new excise policy. The policy was withdrawn amid allegations of foul play by the opposition. According to the CBI, Sisodia had played the most vital role in the criminal conspiracy and he had been deeply involved in the formulation as well as the implementation of the said policy. (ANI) February 26 last year and was granted bail by the apex court on August 9. Earlier on Friday, Sisodia met Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and discussed about party matters. This was the first time Sisodia met Mann following his release on bail on August 9. Sisodia also extended birthday wishes to CM Arvind Kejriwal, saying, "Delhi CM has been fighting the toughest battle against the dictatorship prevailing in the country." "Wishing the Chief Minister of Delhi, my dearest friend and political guru, @ArvindKejriwal ji a very happy birthday, who is fighting the toughest battle against the dictatorship prevailing in the country. We are proud to be soldiers of a patriot 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 on X. (ANI) Union Minister Kiren Rijiju has said the rape and murder case of a doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9, is a matter of concern for everyone and a security issue. He also termed it as a big issue in society and echoed the concern of the general public. Speaking to reporters in Bhubaneshwar, the Union Minister said, "Because of the incident that happened in West Bengal, the safety of the medical staff is a matter of concern. It is not just about the medical fraternity of the doctors and nurses." He added, "This is a nationwide issue. It is a security and a big issue in the society. It is a matter of concern for everyone... The general public is also agitated..." The Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs arrived at the Bhubaneshwar airport on Saturday morning to attend the inauguration of the Orientation programme for newly elected MLAs of the 17th Odisha Legislative Assembly. Earlier today West Bengal BJP President and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar said CBI is investigating the case and that the probe agency should be trusted to conduct a thorough probe. "The CBI is investigating and we should trust it. The CBI will perform the investigation properly but the condition is that the evidence at the crime scene is not tampered with... The CBI did not have the proof in their hands because it was there where the crime scene was. In murder and rape cases, there are biological remains, and the longevity of the evidence decreases," Majumdar said. Meanwhile, doctors are continuing their protests across the country over the incident, demanding justice for the victim and better security laws for health care professionals. The Central Bureau of Investigation has already taken over the investigation of the case as ordered by the Calcutta High Court. On August 9, a postgraduate trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered on duty at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, sparking nationwide strikes and protests by the medical fraternity. (ANI) Amid nationwide protests condemning the rape and murder of a trainee doctor, RG Kar Medical College former Principal Sandip Ghosh arrived at the Central Bureau of Investigation's office in Kolkata on Saturday and said to stop spreading rumours that he has been arrested by the investigating agency. "Those who are saying that I'm arrested by CBI kindly don't spread fake rumours. I didn't have face-to-face interrogation with the accused Sanjoy Roy," Ghosh said after arriving at the CBI office. A team of CBI including the Joint Director and Additional Director also arrived at the CBI Special Crime Branch at CGO complex in Kolkata. Meanwhile, doctors are continuing their protests across the country against the rape and murder of a second-year trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College. Resident doctors at Rajkot Civil Hospital held a protest against the incident at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Residents and doctors also held a protest in Ahmedabad at the Indian Medical Association (IMA) against the rape-murder incident in Kolkata. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has declared a 24-hour withdrawal of services by all the modern medicine doctors of the country irrespective of the sector and place of work in response to nationwide outrage over the rape and murder of a second-year trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College. While emergencies and casualties will function, the IMA saidthat no OPDs or elective surgeries. will be performed from 6 am on Saturday till 6 am on Sunday, August 18, 2024. Resident Doctors' Association UCMS (University College of Medical Sciences) and GTBH (Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital) in Delhi will continue their strike today. They will have a General body meeting at 9.30 am. As part of the strike, OPD (Outpatient Department), elective services, laboratory and lab services will be shut down. Resident Doctors Associations of Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital and Madras Medical College also organised a boycott protest in Chennai against the incident of rape and murder of a woman doctor in Kolkata. A protesting resident doctor in Chennai said that emergency services will continue during the strike. "In accordance with the IMA notification, we are going for a boycott of all our elective services. Emergency services will continue. All we are asking for is justice for the victim and her family. We are with them... It has been a week but no serious investigation has been done in the case. Some scapegoats have been arrested, but the original culprits are still out there," he said. 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. (ANI) International President of Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) Alok Kumar on Saturday condemned the incident where a class 10 student was allegedly attacked with a knife by his classmate at a government school. "I condemn this incident, this is what kind of mindset provoked school student to keep knives in their bags, who trained them to use knives. To instigate hatred inside the child that him to attack with the knife is not an isolated incident" he said. He further stated "A particular section of the society's mindset is spreading violence all over the world. Civil society should think and ....try to end that" Earlier on Friday the Udaipur district administration imposed section 144 and shut down internet services in Rajasthan's Udaipur for 24 hours after communal violence following the school incident. Udaipur SP Yogesh Goyal said on Friday "After the unfortunate incident that took place during the day, there was outrage on the streets from the public and there were some incidents of vandalism. We immediately took a decision and imposed section 144 in the city...The injured child was given medical aid. The child is stable..." Earlier on FridayUdaipur District Collector Arvind Poswal said, "This incident took place in the early hours today. We received info about a fight between two children, in which one child was attacked on his thighs with a knife. The wound was deep and the child was immediately taken to the hospital...I have met the child; his condition is stable now...Police are investigating the reason behind the incident." "I would like to appeal the public to not to pay attention to any kind of rumours or false information...The person who attacked with a knife has been arrested, his father has also been arrested...We are investigating if any other person or child is involved in this incident. No culprit will be spared...I would appeal that if anyone receives any info or forwards from WhatsApp, please verify it first with the administration, because there might be people who will try to spoil the atmosphere. It is our duty to maintain peace in the city" he added. (ANI) The Karnataka Governor Thawarchand Gehlot's decision to sanction the prosecution of CM Siddaramiah in the alleged MUDA scam has resulted in an all-out political war between the BJP and the Congress. Describing it as a "shameless step", Karnataka Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said that the state government will not be sacred by such tactics. Congress leader Pawan Khera downplayed the Governor's move, believing that "there is nothing in this", alleging that there has been politicisation of Constitutional posts since the BJP came to power. The Karnataka Government said they will challenge the governor's action in the High Court. Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Saturday granted permission to prosecute Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the alleged MUDA scam, according to the Raj Bhavan sources. Siddaramaiah has been maintaining that "everything was done according to the law". Responding to queries, Karnataka Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao told reporters, "This is a shameless step by the Governor. We knew that such a conspiracy would be hatched to punish our Chief Minister. We will face it legally and will not be scared of these tactics." Pawan Khera told ANI, "...The politicisation of constitutional posts has been going on ever since the BJP came to power. There is doubt and a question mark on everything. Whenever the Governor does something, there is a big question mark over it... I am sure that there is nothing in this. It is wrong to politicise unnecessary things..." On the other hand, the BJP is mounting pressure, demanding that the CM must resign to allow an impartial probe. Bharatiya Janata Party National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla alleged that the Siddaramiah government was the most corrupt in the country. "The Congress government in Karnataka is perhaps the most corrupt government in the history of this country and therefore it has made loot and jhoot (lie) as its primary agenda and they have perhaps looted every department of the government," Poonawalla alleged. "MUDA scam pertains to a scam of Rs 5,000 crore where land parcels of prime variety were handed over and given to the wife of the Chief Minister, friends and allies of the Chief Minister and it was not even disclosed by the CM in his affidavit...The CM must resign and allow an impartial probe," he added. Earlier, a complaint was filed by social activist Snehamayi Krishna against Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and nine others for allegedly forging documents to claim compensation from the Mysuru Urban Development Authority. (ANI) The representatives of the Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA), Indian Medical Association (IMA) and Resident Doctors' Associations of Governmental Medical Colleges & Hospitals of Delhi have met the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare at New Delhi in the aftermath of the incident against a resident doctor in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata. The Associations have put forth their demands regarding their concern over the safety and security of healthcare workers at the workplace. The Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has heard the demands of the representatives and assured them of all possible efforts to ensure the security of healthcare professionals. The representatives of all the Associations were informed that the Government is well aware of the situation and is sensitive to their demands. It was observed that 26 States have already passed legislation for the protection of healthcare workers in their respective states. In view of the concerns expressed by the Associations, the Ministry assured them of constituting a Committee to suggest all such possible measures for ensuring the safety of healthcare professionals. Representatives of all stakeholders including the State Governments will be invited to share their suggestions with the Committee. The Ministry also requested the agitating doctors to resume their duties in the larger public interest and in view of the rising cases of Dengue and Malaria. Meanwhile, Indian Medical Association (IMA) National President Dr Asokan on Saturday said that the time is ripe for PM Narendra Modi's intervention into the rape and murder incident of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata adding that they will be writing to the Prime Minister. "Yes, we'll write to PM. We will be writing to the PM. The time is ripe for his intervention... Certainly, that (PM Modi mentioning women's safety in his August 15 speech) is one aspect that shows that he is concerned. It will be very appropriate to write to the prime minister. IMA will be doing that," Asokan told ANI. "We did meet the Health Minister. Now it's for the government to respond. They will have the political will to respond now. Because what we have asked for is not something beyond them. We are asking for a very fundamental right, the right to life," he added. Asokan said that doctors all across the sectors are protesting against the rape and murder case of a trainee doctor in Kolkata. "The response is overwhelming from every corner of the country. Doctors stand united against this injustice. The protest is there, taking care of the emergency services and the casualties. The medical profession has stood united across the country. Across all the sectors whether it's private, government, or corporate doctors are in protest. We are paying international attention to this issue because this involves the issue of the safety of women," he said. "We are expecting a gesture from the government because this is a very basic question of safety, especially the safety of women. Not only of our doctors but of the entire working women class. Public opinion in the country and the momentum that it has created, it has become a movement for safety," IMA President added. Following the announcement of a nationwide strike over the RG Kar Medical College rape and murder incident by the IMA, doctors at All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi staged a protest march inside the campus on Saturday. The doctors were seen holding posters and raising slogans of "We want justice". IMA Secretary General Dr Anil Kumar J Nayak said they are hopeful that the government will bring the law they are demanding. "Our junior and resident doctors carried out a maha rally yesterday. 4000-5000 doctors joined it... Everyone is agitated and they are demanding safety. They are demanding CPA, Central Protection Act... We met Union Minister JP Nadda and we will keep meeting other authorities. They are positive but there is nothing concrete from them yet... We are hopeful that they will bring the law that we are demanding," he said. On August 9, a postgraduate trainee doctor was 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. (ANI) Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Saturday said that the state government will put all their weight behind Chief Minister Siddaramaiah against whom the Karnataka governor has given sanction for prosecution in the alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) 'scam'. He said that they would legally fight the case and have made preparations. Flanked by Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara and senior Minister Krishna Byregowda, Shivakumar told reporters at a joint press conference called swiftly after the governor granted permission to prosecute CM, "On August 1, we held a cabinet meeting and demanded the Governor to withdraw the decision. We also told him that the complaint has no merit and democracy must be saved by dismissing the complaint." He added, "We stand with CM Siddaramaiah. The party, the high command the entire state and the Cabinet stand with him. We will fight it legally and we will fight it politically as well... Whatever notice and sanction has been given is against the law. We have made all our preparations to fight it legally, this is nothing but a clear conspiracy against backwards-class CM Siddaramaiah who is running the government for the second time." The Karnataka Government said they will challenge the governor's action in the High Court. Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Saturday granted permission to prosecute Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the alleged MUDA scam, according to the Raj Bhavan sources. Siddaramaiah has been maintaining that "everything was done according to the law". The Karnataka Deputy CM further alleged that the governor's office is being used to destabilise a strong government led by CM Siddaramaiah. "...This is completely unconstitutional and against the law. There is a strong government led by CM Siddaramaiah. They (BJP) are trying to destabilise the government by using the Governor's office. This is unfortunate...My CM will not come under any pressure. There is no question of him resigning. He will continue in the post. We are all united, the entire party stands with him. He has not done anything wrong in any of his tenure," he said at a press conference in Bengaluru. "This is completely a political issue. The Governor's office has been misused by this BJP government...We will fight it legally. We have full faith in the law of this country and my government will be protected," he added. Speaking to reporters, Minister Krishna Byregowda said the procedure adopted by the Governor was completely illegal. "It is a completely illegal order as the Governor's office is not behaving as a Governor's office. It is a completely illegal order with an illegal procedure which is not permitted in the constitution, it doesn't have any basis. They tried ED to file fake cases against CM and DCM and now they're using the governor's office as their tool. It is an attack on the CM and the people of the state," Byregowda said. Earlier, a complaint was filed by social activist Snehamayi Krishna against Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and nine others for allegedly forging documents to claim compensation from the Mysuru Urban Development Authority. (ANI) The Delhi High Court has directed the Indian High Commission in London to issue a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to the wife of the late Alfi Richard Watts. This NOC is required for transferring the mortal remains of Alfi Richard Watts from the United Kingdom to Hyderabad. This decision facilitates the repatriation process and ensures that the deceased can be laid to rest according to his family's wishes. The father of the deceased, Alfi Richard Watts, recently approached the Delhi High Court regarding the transfer of his son's mortal remains. He highlighted that while the authorities in the United Kingdom, including the local Member of Parliament and County Councillor, have fully supported and facilitated the process, the transfer is hindered by the lack of a Non-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Indian High Commission in London. The NOC was denied on July 29, 2024, due to Watts's status as a British citizen without an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card. The plea sought the court's intervention aims to resolve this issue and enable the repatriation. The bench of Justice Sanjeev Narula in an order on August 16, said "The communication dated July 29, 2024, passed by Consular Section, High Commission of India, London, refusing to grant a No Objection Certificate for the transfer of mortal remains, is set aside". A mandamus is issued directing the Indian High Commission in London to issue a No Objection Certificate to Petitioner's daughter-in-law/ Sharon Alphonso for transfer of mortal remains of late Alfi Richard Watts from the United Kingdom to Hyderabad. Advocates Avinash Mathews and Namrata Caleb appeared for the petitioner/Father of the deceased and submitted that the inconsistency in guidelines applied by various Indian diplomatic posts worldwide leads to arbitrary treatment based on the deceased's location at the time of death. They assert that crucial consular services, which are integral to human dignity and family rights, should not vary depending on the deceased's nationality or specific documentation like a PIO or OCI card. This is especially relevant when there are significant Indian origins or connections involved. The petitioner seeks a more uniform and equitable approach to such services. The petitioner highlights that the differing guidelines applied by the Indian High Commission in the United Kingdom, compared to those in Singapore and the USA, raise significant concerns about the consistency and rationale of consular services. This discrepancy underscores the need for a uniform approach to ensure equitable treatment in handling such sensitive matters globally. The petitioner points out that the Indian High Commission in London requires an OCI card for the repatriation of mortal remains, while other Indian commissions do not impose such stringent requirements. This inconsistency suggests arbitrariness in the application of these rules. The petitioner emphasizes that despite Mr. Watts's change in nationality, he was of Indian origin, as evidenced by his birth and familial ties to Indian citizens, which should be considered in the repatriation process. The court observed that the guidelines for the transfer of mortal remains emphasize that the deceased should be of Indian origin. Since it has been confirmed through documents that Watts was of Indian origin, the court deemed it appropriate to grant the petitioner's request for repatriation. (ANI) Himachal Pradesh Medical Doctors Association (HMOA) on Saturday joined the national call for justice for the rape and murder victim in West Bengal, expressing solidarity with the Indian Medical Association's (IMA) call to shut down services. Dr Vikas Thakur, General Secretary of HMOA, said that the association is supporting the IMA's call for a day-long token protest, with further actions to be decided by the IMA and other associations. "We have called a day-long token protest, the IMA and other associations will decide further. We are demanding the implementation of the safety and security of the doctors. We are demanding justice." Dr Vikas Thakur said. Dr. Thakur emphasized the necessity of implementing a non-bailable offence act with a minimum imprisonment term for any abuse against doctors. "The Act for doctors needs to be implemented soon," he said. He further highlighted that medical associations and people across the country are backing the strike, with the HMOA fully supporting it. Dr. Thakur urged the state government to implement the Doctor's Protection Act, noting the challenging working conditions faced by doctors in Himachal Pradesh. "Doctors are forced to work for 36 hours in Himachal, and they are working overtime. The doctors are not feeling safe in Himachal Pradesh either. Doctors are being transferred in bulk, and there is a shortage of staff," he said Dr. Thakur also pointed out that under the state government's health secretary, the movement and voice of the doctors are being suppressed, and the Chief Minister is being misled. He mentioned that despite previous assurances from the Chief Minister, no progress has been made on the promotion of posts or other demands. "The doctors' norms for Post Graduate have also been amended. We had old demands and the Chief Minister had assured us, but no posts have been promoted. Various promotional schemes for the doctors have been closed. All states are providing such schemes; the NPA amount is also lower than the national level. The powers of the doctors have been snatched in Himachal Pradesh." He also recalled the earlier strike called off on March 13 after 56 days, where the doctors were promised the formation of a committee to address their concerns, but no action has been taken. "On the contrary, our leaders are being transferred, and we are being enforced. They are taking steps to suppress our demands," Dr Thakur said. On August 9, a postgraduate trainee doctor was 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. (ANI) A 22-year-old man died during treatment at a hospital, hours after he was allegedly stabbed by another man in Delhi's Prasad Nagar following a quarrel, police said on Saturday. Four people were arrested two hours following the incident. A case has been registered and 4 people have been arrested in this case. The accused have been identified as Jugnu, Amit, Vicky, and Karan. All of them work in jeans factories, police said. An information regarding the stabbing was received at Prasad Nagar police station during the intervening night of 15-16 August. Subsequently, a 22-year-old male Monu died during treatment in hospital, police said. The accused as well as deceased hail from the same neighbourhood in Bapa Nagar and know each other well. Investigation so far revealed that Karan stabbed the deceased Monu during a quarrel. The knife has been recovered, police said. "The quarrel started when Jugnu's scooty and a vehicle driven by the deceased's friend Neeraj had a minor accident two hours before this stabbing incident. The accident was not reported to police by either party," police said. Deceased Monu had a past criminal involvement in a hurt case, police said. On August 15, an 18-year-old youth was allegedly stabbed to death in the national capital, police said on Wednesday. The victim, identified as Ashu, was stabbed to death in the Dwarka area of the national capital. The accused, a child in conflict with the law (CCL) was apprehended, police said. (ANI) Beginning around 10 am today, teams of police administration, dog squad and civil defence team carried out search operation, Mohit Sharma, Chief Civil Defence Team, Gurugram said. Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh Police this morning conducted a security mock drill at the DLF Mall of India in Noida. DCP Noida Ram Badan Singh said, "A security mock drill was conducted in DLF mall. These kinds of drills are conducted to conduct checks in large areas to make sure that no one is in danger. Fire services, dog squad, and police teams participated in the drill." Earlier on August 9, an unidentified man allegedly made a call to the Government Railway Police control room, claiming that RDX had been planted at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), police said. Following the call, police conducted searches at all CSMT stations but nothing was found. In a statement, Government Railway Police (GRP), in Mumbai said, "An unidentified person made a call claiming that RDX was being placed at CSMT. As soon as the call was received, the GRP police informed the local police and bomb squad. A search was conducted at all CSMT stations, but nothing was found," police said. "The officer mentioned that when an attempt was made to trace the caller's location, it showed up near CSMT. Shortly after, the individual switched off the mobile phone. The number used to make the call was traced to locations in both Mumbai and Bihar," police said. (ANI) Punjab's Faridkot Police have arrested the key accused in a 77-kg heroin recovery case, a senior police official said. The accused have been identified as Gulab Singh, police said. "Amidst the ongoing campaign to make Punjab a drug-free state as per directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Faridkot Police achieved a breakthrough in combating cross-border narco smuggling with the arrest of a big fish drug smuggler identified as Gulab Singh, who is a key accused wanted in the 77kg heroin recovery case, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Saturday," as per a Information and Public Relations Department, Punjab press release. The development came about a year after State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) Fazilka had busted two separate cross-border drug smuggling rackets with the arrest of four drug traffickers after recovering 77.8Kg heroin (41.8Kg+36Kg) and three pistols from their possession. The consignment had come via the riverine route. Two separate cases were registered in this regard and the arrested accused was wanted by the Punjab Police in both the cases. DGP Gaurav Yadav said that the arrested accused had played a pivotal role in in delivery of 36kg of the contraband and in maintaining connections with Pakistan-based smugglers. "His (Gulab Singh) arrest is poised to significantly disrupt the entire smuggling network and prevent future trafficking activities," he said. The DGP said that Gulab Singh's arrest is a result of meticulous and professional investigation and sustained follow-up of Backward linkages. Further financial investigations are underway to trace the money trail and freeze assets acquired through illicit drug proceeds, he added. "Sharing operation details, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Faridkot Dr Pragya Jain, while addressing the press conference, said that following meticulous technical and human-intel based operation, police teams from CIA Faridkot, Special Branch, SHO Sadiq and Technical Cell in a joint operation under the supervision of SP Investigation Jasmeet Singh rounded up accused Gulab Singh from Bus Stand in village Rupyianwali, who was on the run since one year," as per the release. She said that as part of the strategy to pursue backward linkages in heavy recoveries, the police teams have thoroughly investigated this case and have been on the lookout for accused Gulab Singh for the last 10 days. The SSP said that the arrested accused had arranged for divers to retrieve the consignment of heroin and weapons and was in touch with Pakistan-based smugglers via various apps. Accused Gulab Singh, is a seasoned criminal and has been facing several criminal cases in Faridkot and other districts of the state, she added. (ANI) West Bengal Leader of Opposition and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday slammed the state police force over its post on a women constable, who was injured during a midnight march held in protest against the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 14. In a post on X, West Bengal police posted, "Wasn't the night Shampa's too? It was meant to be a night for women, when they reclaimed the streets demanding safety at the workplace, in memory of a young woman who fell victim to a horrifying tragedy at her workplace. Our colleague Constable Shampa Pramanik, of the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate, was in Baguiati on the night of August 14, ensuring the safety of those walking the streets. Suddenly, unprovoked, several bricks came flying from the crowd toward the police, one of which hit Shampa in the face. The accompanying photo was taken in the minutes immediately after she was hit." The police further said that they have arrested five people in the case, and will try to ensure punishment for them. Slamming the police and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari said on X that doctors, nurses, and policewomen were not safe as the police were inefficient. "The night belonged to every woman but unfortunately WB Police and Kolkata Police weren't up to the task of providing security to the ladies. Doctors, nurses, policewomen and the women protesting on the streets had no security because of the inefficient police force who were hand in glove with the TMC Goons and acted as co-conspirators in the pre-planned vandalism," Adhikari said. "I strongly condemn the brutal attack on her (Trainee C no. 702) by the TMC Goons," he added. The BJP leader further questioned CM Mamata if the injured woman constable had completed her training. "Is the training of the injured lady complete? Because my sources say that she is still a trainee and can't be deployed to maintain a law & order situation. If she is a trainee, who is responsible for her illegal deployment on the evening of 14th August? Has the TMC goon been identified who is responsible for such a heinous act?" he added. 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. Kolkata police on Friday said it has arrested 19 miscreants allegedly involved in the mob violence at the hospital premises. 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. 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) RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav on Saturday termed the rape and murder of a doctor in Kolkata as barbaric and said that justice should be served. "Justice should be served to the doctors who are on a strike. What happened with the trainee doctor there was barbaric," the RJD Chief said in a brief reply to a question regarding the incident at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The gruesome murder and rape on August 9 sparked nationwide protests by the medical fraternity. They demanded justice for the victim doctor and highlighted the safety issues of women at workplaces. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has declared a 24-hour withdrawal of services on Saturday by all the modern medicine doctors of the country irrespective of the sector and place of work in response to nationwide outrage over the rape and murder of a second-year trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College. Doctors at All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi staged a protest march inside the campus on Saturday. The doctors were seen holding posters and raising slogans of "We want justice". IMA Secretary General Dr Anil Kumar J Nayak said they are hopeful that the government will bring the law they are demanding. "Our junior and resident doctors carried out a maha rally yesterday. 4000-5000 doctors joined it... Everyone is agitated and they are demanding safety. They are demanding CPA, Central Protection Act... We met Union Minister JP Nadda and we will keep meeting other authorities. They are positive but there is nothing concrete from them yet... We are hopeful that they will bring the law that we are demanding," he said. Meanwhile, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju has said the rape and murder case is a matter of concern for everyone and a security issue. He also termed it as a big issue in society and echoed the concern of the general public. Speaking to reporters in Bhubaneshwar, the Union Minister said, "Because of the incident that happened in West Bengal, the safety of the medical staff is a matter of concern. It is not just about the medical fraternity of the doctors and nurses." He added, "This is a nationwide issue. It is a security and a big issue in the society. It is a matter of concern for everyone... The general public is also agitated...". (ANI) Labelling the MUDA scam as a "politically motivated" issue, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Saturday said that the Congress party and the Karnataka government are standing firm with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The statement of the Congress leader comes following the Karnataka Governor's permission to prosecute CM Siddaramaiah in the alleged MUDA scam. "The entire party and the government stand with my chief minister. He has not done anything wrong. This is a politically motivated issue. So we are going to protest. We are going to court. We will take all legal remedies. Also, the entire state, our party workers will protest against the governor's stance. No illegal activity has been done," Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar told ANI. Demanding Siddaramaiah's resignation, Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje accused that the CM's wife had illegally acquired 14 sets which belonged to the Dalits. "The Governor has permitted the prosecution legally. Siddaramaiah is a culprit in two cases. In the Valmiki Development Corporation, he himself admitted in the Vidhan Sabha that this corruption does not amount to Rs 187 crores but to Rs 89 crores... This money went to Telangana to fund the Congress party's election expenses... Second is the MUDA scam in Mysuru, where his wife illegally occupied 14 sets. Ever since the acquisition in 1992, Siddaramaiah has been in a constitutional post... He should immediately resign and face the case," Shobha Karandlaje said. However, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has been maintaining that "everything was done according to the law". Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who will now face prosecution in the alleged MUDA scam, said on Saturday that the entire State cabinet is standing with him. "The entire Cabinet, party high command, all MLAs, MLCs, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs are with me...," he briefly told reporters today. Congress leader and Senior Advocate Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi stated that the Governor was working at the behest of the BJP by giving such orders. "...This is most unfortunate...This is an elected government, it was elected recently. It was elected after an obscene amount of money was spent by the BJP to get their party elected. Now you want to destabilise it by these means. If anybody comes and complains, how many times have the Governor entertained such complaints? It is not the Governor's fault, it is his master dictating to him...Governors are not supposed to act like this, they have not acted like this earlier...The question is can the Governor act at all?" Singhvi said. The MUDA scam came to light after a complaint was filed by social activist Snehamayi Krishna against Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and nine others for allegedly forging documents to claim compensation from the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA). (ANI) After the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Monkeypox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), a detailed review of the Monkeypox situation and the preparedness was taken by the Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Jagat Prakash Nadda in a meeting with the senior officials of the Ministry on Saturday. There are no reported cases of Monkeypox in India as of date. In the meeting chaired by the Union Health Minister, it was decided that as a matter of abundant caution, certain measures [such as sensitizing the health units at all the airports, seaports, and ground crossings; readying the testing Laboratories (32 in no.); gearing up health facilities for detecting, isolating and managing any case, etc.] are put in place. In the meeting, it was noted that Monkeypox infections are usually self-limiting lasting between 2-4 weeks and patients generally recover with supportive management. The transmission requires prolonged close contact with an infected case and is generally through the sexual route, direct contact with body/lesion fluid, or contaminated clothing/linen of an infected person. WHO had earlier declared Monkeypox as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) in July 2022 and subsequently revoked the same in May 2023. Globally since 2022, WHO has reported 99,176 cases and 208 deaths due to Monkeypox from 116 countries. Since the 2022 declaration by WHO, a total of 30 cases were detected in India with the last case in March 2024. A Joint Monitoring Group Meeting under the Chairmanship of the Director General of Health Services consisting of experts from relevant fields was held on August 16 to review the situation. The meeting was attended by experts from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), World Health Organization (WHO), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), National Centre for Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP), Directorate General of Health Services (Dte.GHS), Central Government Hospitals, All India Institute of Medical Sciences AIIMS etc. Although the possibility of a few imported cases being detected in the coming weeks is not entirely ruled out, it was assessed that the risk of a large outbreak with sustained transmission is presently low for India. The situation is being monitored closely by the Ministry. (ANI) New Delhi, August 17 (ANI) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday charge sheeted four accused belonging to a transnational organ trade racket busted in Kerala's Nedumbassery. While three accused, identified as Sabith Korukulath Nasar, Sajith Shyam and Bellamkonda Ram Prasad have been arrested, the fourth accused Madhu Jayakumar, is absconding. All four have been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). As per the NIA, the accused were involved in inducing gullible youth into donating their organs for money and trafficking the same to foreign nations as part of a major illegal organ trade racket. "They would identify prospective organ donors in India to exploit them by inducing and offering them money through agents and social media," reveals the NIA investigation. The gang also approached Indian patients in need of transplantation, and charged around Rs 50 lakh from them to facilitate their organ transplantation in Iran, said the anti-terror agency. "The donors and recipients were made to believe that organ trade is legal in Iran. Investigations further revealed that the accused had forged documents, including seals and signatures of various offices and officers of the government, to facilitate their illegal organ trading," said the NIA. NIA, which had taken over the case on July 3 this year from Nedumbassery Police, Ernakulam (Kerala), is continuing with its investigation. (ANI) Karnataka BJP president BY Vijayendra has demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah following the Governor's sanction to prosecute him in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land "scam". Vijayendra said that the Chief Minister's resignation is necessary for a transparent and unbiased investigation and for maintaining the dignity of the Chief Minister's office. "The Governor has exercised his constitutional powers to authorize legal action on the MUDA scam complaint against the Chief Minister. Given the substantial evidence and serious allegations of corruption and favouritism within the Congress government, it is crucial that the Chief Minister steps down," Vijayendra said in a post on X. "Resigning would allow for a transparent and unbiased investigation, ensuring that the dignity of the Chief Minister's office is maintained and that justice is served," he added. Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Saturday granted permission to prosecute Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the alleged MUDA scam, according to the Raj Bhavan sources. Siddaramaiah said on Saturday that the entire State cabinet is standing with him. "The entire Cabinet, party high command, all MLAs, MLCs, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs are with me...," he briefly told reporters here today. The Karnataka government has said they will challenge the Governor's action in the High Court. Siddaramaiah has been maintaining that "everything was done according to the law".Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar today said that the state government will put all their weight behind Siddaramaiah. "We stand with CM Siddaramaiah. The party, the high command the entire state and the Cabinet stand with him. We will fight it legally and we will fight it politically as well... Whatever notice and sanction has been given is against the law. We have made all our preparations to fight it legally, this is nothing but a clear conspiracy against backwards-class CM Siddaramaiah who is running the government for the second time." Earlier, a complaint was filed by social activist Snehamayi Krishna against Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and nine others for allegedly forging documents to claim compensation from the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA). (ANI) The situation in Nashik is now under control after violence broke out on Friday during a protest march against the anti-Hindu violence in Bangladesh. Nashik Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone 1, Ravindra Kumar Chauhan said, "FIRs have been registered after Friday's incident. 15 accused have been taken into custody. More people have been identified based on photos and videos. The arrest process is underway. The situation is under control." Several Hindu organisations had called for a "bandh" in Nashik to condemn the atrocities taking place in Bangladesh. Ten people were injured when stones were pelted by the protestors and vehicles were damaged in the clash after shops were found open in the Bhadrakali area during the 'bandh'. On receiving the information of the protest, the police resorted to a mild lathi charge to bring the situation under control. Commenting on the clash, State Minister Girish Mahajan said that tension was still prevalent in the Old Nashik Area and shops that remained open in the 'bandh' led to the verbal altercation. He appealed to the people of Nashik to maintain peace. "The police had to resort to a mild lathi charge to bring the situation under control. There is still tension in the Old Nashik area, but the situation is now under control. While the rally was going on, some shops were open. This led to a verbal altercation. I appeal to everyone to maintain peace." Further, he added that he spoke to the Police Commissioner and the District Collector, who assured him that the situation was under control." (ANI) Doctors in Maharashtra on Saturday protested against the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, demanding justice for the victim. A doctor told ANI, "A law should protect on-duty doctors just as it protects police officers. If female doctors aren't safe at work, where are they safe? Politicians should be ashamed." "There should be a law that, just like no one dares to harm on-duty police officers, no one should touch on-duty doctors. Such a law should be made first, and then we can talk. We work day and night for patients, without celebrating festivals, prioritizing our patients over our families. If a female doctor is not safe at her workplace, where else will she be safe? Politicians and government officials should be ashamed," a protesting doctor said. Another doctor said that all hospitals should provide security. "It's not just one person; there are many suspects. We are all medical students, doctors, and faculty members, and we understand that this is not the work of just one person. The way the pelvic girdle and clavicle were broken, it shows that it was done skilfully by someone who knew what they were doing. All hospitals should provide security, and female doctors should be protected wherever they are," another protesting doctor said. A third doctor said a law should be enacted to ensure the safety of female doctors, especially those working in night shifts. "A law should be created to ensure our safety, especially for female doctors who have to work night shifts. It's already too late, and we have suffered enough," another doctor said. 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) According to the India Meteorological Department, rain will reduce in Delhi from today onwards, with only light rain predicted for today and tomorrow. "Rain will reduce in Delhi from today onwards. There is a possibility of light rain today and tomorrow, the day after tomorrow the rain is likely to end. After that light rain will start again," IMD scientist Soma Sen told ANI. According to the IMD, between August 1 and Thursday, Delhi experienced rainfall every day. The national capital on Friday recorded a maximum temperature of 35.2 degrees Celsius, 1.4 notches above the normal. The humidity level stood at 70 per cent at 5.30 pm Soma Sen said that there is a possibility of heavy rain in Mizoram and Tripura as a low-pressure area has formed in the Bay of Bengal. "A low-pressure area has formed in the Bay of Bengal. Due to this, there is a possibility of heavy rain in Mizoram and Tripura. Tomorrow it will move towards the northwest, then there will be rain in Bengal and Jharkhand. There is a possibility of very heavy rain there tomorrow. Rain is likely to increase in the plains from the day after tomorrow," Sen told ANI. (ANI) The Madhya Pradesh government has issued an order to take strict action against Madrasas imparting religious education to non-Muslim children without the consent of the students or their guardians citing Article 28 (3) of the Indian Constitution. The order issued on Friday read, "If children studying in Madrasas affiliated by the state government or aided by the state funds imparted religious education contrary to their religion without their consent (if they are minors, their guardians) or forced to receive any kind of religious education or attend worship proceedings, then all government grants to such Madrasas should be stopped and action should be taken to cancel their affiliated and other appropriate legal action should be taken against them." Madhya Pradesh School Education Minister Uday Pratap Singh said that upon receiving continuous complaints for the last few months, the state government issued the order to investigate the Madrasas running in the state adding that if any irregularity is found, strict action will be taken. "We were receiving continuous complaints from February and March that Hindu Children were studying in Madrasas. Also, there are some Madrasas that are limited only to papers and taking grants from the government. We investigated and closed 56 Madrasas in the state. During the investigation, we also came to know that thousands of Hindu children study in Madrasa," Singh told ANI. "Citing Article 28 (3) of the Constitution of India, our department has issued clear instructions to investigate the Madrasas. Be it Hindu or Muslim, one can't force a student to impart religious study of any other religion without their consent or will. If it is being done then it is a violation of rules," he said. Under the leadership of CM Mohan Yadav, the education department will not tolerate any irregularities in education. Whether it is aided schools, private institutions or Madrasas, everyone has to follow the New Education Policy (NEP 2020). Every institution has to follow the right to education. In the same series, Madrasas are being investigated and strict action will be taken if irregularities are found, the minister added. Meanwhile, Congress spokesperson Abbas Hafeez took a potshot at the Madhya Pradesh government, saying that the state government was only engaged in disturbing the communal harmony and never thought about raising the level of education in the state. "Today, citizens of Madhya Pradesh are forced to think that the state government is engaged only in disturbing the communal harmony. Everyone can understand the continuous effort of the government to create a communal dispute in the state by hiding their failures. Which children study in Madrasas without the permission of their parents? The syllabus in Madrasas is decided according to the government," Hafeez said. "If you (state government) are unable to provide education to the children and if there is a Madrasa Board school in their region then the children are forced to go there. All the studies in Madrasas are being conducted according to the Madhya Pradesh government," he added. "Earlier, an order was issued by the Madhya Pradesh government that Guru Purnima will be organised in schools and colleges. Did you get permission from the parents of non-Hindu children for that? You did not. This is the tradition of India that children of all religions can study at every place," the Congress leader said. "If there is any Madrasa run by the Madhya Pradesh Board then it is not illegal. They are only engaged in spoiling the communal harmony and their aim has never been to raise the level of education," he concluded. (ANI) The Congress on Saturday claimed that the Centre has finalized plans to privatize the Nagarnar Steel Plant in Chhattisgarh's Bastar district. Congress general secretary-in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh posted on X, a media report that said that the government is likely to invite financial bid for Chhattisgarh's plant. "Kya hua tera waada, Woh kasam woh irada! It appears that NMDC Steel in Bastar will now definitely be privatized before the end of FY25," Jairam said on X. "After failing to heed the words of the state's political leadership, and going back on their own promises, the non-biological PM and his Government are now finalizing plans to sell the Nagarnar Steel Plant. Who may well buy it is another story," he added. He further told ANI that Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the plant in 2023. "Understand the chronology, October 3, 2023, a three million tonne steel plant is inaugurated. The Prime Minister inaugurates it in Bastar. The non-biological Prime Minister does it. And while inaugurating it, he says that this steel plant belongs to the people of Bastar and will not be handed over to anyone else. On 19th October 2023, the self-proclaimed Chanakya said in Jagdalpur that the Nagarnar Steel Plant will not be privatised," he said. The Congress leader also mentioned that in August 2017, Raman Singh ji, the then Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, wrote to the Prime Minister that it should not be privatised. "In August 2020 and 2021, Congress Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel wrote that the Prime Minister should not privatise it. In 2023, the non-biological Prime Minister and the self-proclaimed Chanakya declared that it would not be privatized. Today it is printed in the newspaper that this factory is going to be privatized," Jairam added. Earlier in 2023, the Congress party called for a Bastar district bandh in Chhattisgarh over the privatisation of the plant. (ANI) Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami held a meeting with the priests, officials, hotel associations, tour operators, transports and business boards from the Char Dhams at the Secretariat on Saturday. On this occasion, topics related to the safe conduct of the Char Dham Yatra, safe and smooth travel for the devotees and livelihood of the local people were discussed. The Chief Minister said that lakhs of devotees from the country and abroad come to Uttarakhand for darshan in the Char Dham Yatra. The safe conduct of this journey is the collective responsibility of all of us. Keeping in mind the speed at which the number of devotees is increasing, efforts are being made by the government to develop the infrastructure facilities. On this occasion, stakeholders associated with the Char Dham Yatra made various demands from the Chief Minister in view of the successful conduct of the Yatra and other aspects. The Chief Minister said that from the first week of September till the closure of the doors, the online arrangement for the Char Dham Yatra will continue as before and the pilgrims who will not be able to register online for the darshan of the four Dhams in Uttarakhand, will be provided with registration facility on the spot. There will be no compulsion of any kind of number in this. For this, offline spot registration will be arranged. This arrangement will also be done at the main stops of Haridwar, Rishikesh and Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath. The Chief Minister said that the arrangement of barricading and checking during the Chardham Yatra will be reviewed and it will be minimized and it will be simplified to make the journey easy and smooth. On the demand for the mandatory Green Card / Trip Card on private vehicles coming from other states, he has directed the Transport Department to resolve it. The Chief Minister said that preparations for the next Chardham Yatra will be started immediately after the end of the current Chardham Yatra. The District Officers related to the Yatra of all the districts will hold meetings and consultations with all the stakeholders at their respective levels. After this, after consultation at the high level, a strategy will be prepared in advance for the preparations of the next Chardham Yatra. The Chief Minister said that under the master plan in Yamunotri Dham, the work of ropeway from Kharsali will be expedited. Clearance has been given by the monitoring committee for widening of roads on the Chardham Yatra route from Paligadh to Janakichatti and soon its work will also be completed. At present, the work of the master plan being made for Gangotri and Yamunotri will be expedited. He said that on the lines of Kartikeya Express running from Madurai, a special train will be operated in the name of Ganga-Yamuna Express by making a circuit of Mahasu Devta in Gangotri, Yamunotri, Hanol. Efforts are being made to start heli service in Yamunotri soon. He said that whatever decisions will be taken for the smooth operation of Chardham Yatra in the proposed Yatra Authority, they will be taken on the basis of extensive discussions and consensus with all the stakeholders. On this occasion, various stakeholders associated with Chardham Yatra gave their suggestions. All the stakeholders associated with Chardham Yatra expressed their gratitude to the Chief Minister for this meeting. He said that for the first time since the formation of the state, a Chief Minister has held a meeting with him in such detail on various topics related to Chardham. The Chief Minister said that all the suggestions will be considered and the Yatra will be conducted safely. He directed the Garhwal Commissioner to hold a meeting with the officials related to the Chardham Yatra at an interval of 15 days. (ANI) China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand agree to step up joint efforts to combat cross-border crimes Xinhua) 09:11, August 17, 2024 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. (Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Wu Chaolan) Press Release August 17, 2024 Need for decentralization, industry participation among EDCOM 2-UPPEJA Fellows' findings The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2), in partnership with the University of the Philippines Center for Integrative and Development Studies (UP CIDS), held a conference on Thursday for the final presentation of findings and recommendations from the UP President Edgardo J. Angara (UPPEJA) Fellows. In September 2023, the UPPEJA Fellowship named 23 distinguished researchers to tackle urgent issues that align with EDCOM 2's Priority Areas. Named after the late UP President Edgardo J. Angara, UPPEJA is a grant dedicated to groundbreaking policy research. The fellowship honors Angara's commitment to education reform and has become a key platform for scholars aiming to drive meaningful change in the Philippine education system. In his opening remarks, Department of Education Secretary Sonny Angara, underscored the importance of the fellowship's contributions to helping education reform. "We hope to gain more insights on what reforms can be made so our school administrators and teachers can meaningfully take charge and be accountable for the quality of instruction they offer our students", Angara said. "We look forward to hearing about the innovative ways our schools and our citizens can help with improving education governance across the country; and we anticipate some new learnings about how emerging technologies like artificial intelligence can play in addressing some of our resource gaps", he continued. EDCOM 2 Co-Chair Senator Sherwin Gatchalian acknowledged the contribution of the Fellows to the Commission's mission. "I thank UP CIDS, our fellows and all the partners who opened up their doors for us and helped us come up with very important evidence-based recommendations for our education reform", he said. Decentralization and access to education One of the central themes that emerged from the research was decentralizing the education sector to enhance responsiveness. Dr. Maria Regina Hechanova Alampay articulated this by describing the current system as "like an inverted triangle -- napakaraming tao sa taas o sa central, pero kaunti sa local at on the ground." The researchers recommended increased autonomy for local governments to foster innovation and ensure that education systems on the ground are more adaptive to local contexts. In addition to decentralization, the conference also tackled issues surrounding access to education, both at the basic and tertiary levels. Associate Professor Geoffrey Ducanes called for a socialized tuition scheme as an alternative to the current Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act (UAQTEA). In a socialized tuition scheme, fees would be based on a student's capacity to pay, and stipends would be provided to students from low-income households. "If only the bottom 70% of households in terms of income were exempted from tuition, the government could save about Php 9.13 billion, which could then be redirected to other educational programs," Ducanes said. Industry linkages and lifelong learning National Scientist Carmencita Padilla's research studied the human resource issues within the healthcare sector. Analyzing data from the Department of Health and comparing it with the healthcare professional graduates produced by higher education institutions, Dr. Padilla raised that collaboration opportunities between the academe and industries will be crucial in equipping graduates with the skills and knowledge required in the workforce, particularly in key sectors such as healthcare. TVET and lifelong learning was another focus area the fellows discussed. Research by Carolyn Medel-Anonuevo, former Education Head at the UNESCO Regional Office for South Africa, highlighted the need for the integration of lifelong learning in the national development plan. She called for a comprehensive framework that promotes continuous education and skills development policy that would support the upskilling and reskilling of the workforce, ensuring that individuals can adapt to technological advancements and changing industry requirements. "As we move towards that ultimate objective of lifelong learning, merong mga little steps in order for us to get there. Pero sana, we still do not lose sight of the fact that many of our learners are still struggling. And the most essential and important thing is that we help them get that reading comprehension and basic numeracy skills. May baby steps talaga along the way, pero we will get there." EDCOM 2 Co-Chairperson Rep. Roman Romulo said. All UPPEJA research papers will be published gradually and will be available for download on the EDCOM 2 website - www.edcom2.gov.ph. Congress Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Surjewala on Saturday hit out at the Centre over Karnataka's Governor granting permission to prosecute Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the alleged MUDA scam. In a statement, Surjewala said that the 'puppet Governor of Karnataka' has proceeded to grant prosecution sanction against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah by dancing to the tune of his political masters. "The Governor's decision is an act of shameless unconstitutionality by the Governor, who is hell-bent upon bulldozing the law and the Constitution to carry further BJP's conspiracy. The Congress was blessed by crores of Kannadigas and won a decisive mandate in the 2023 Assembly Elections to serve the people. PM Modi and the BJP are unable to digest their loss in the State and have tried every trick in the book to defame and destabilize the Congress Government. Every single attempt failed miserably, and they are now using their 'Puppet Governor' to hatch a conspiracy of destabilization," Surjewala said. He also alleged that the BJP leaders are trying to steal the vote and the mandate of the people of Karnataka, decisively given in favour of the Congress party, by using the voice of the Governor. "Such fabricated and manufactured conspiracies will get shredded to pieces in the people's court. The Congress party and its Government will never permit the BJP to succeed in its evil design to stop the Congress Guarantees. We shall fight the battle legally as also in the court of the people of Karnataka and the Country. Truth shall prevail," he added. Meanwhile, Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot today granted permission to prosecute Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the alleged MUDA scam, according to the Raj Bhavan sources. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has said that the Governor is acting as a puppet of the Central Government, claiming that the decision to grant permission for his prosecution is a conspiracy to destabilise the elected government. "There is no valid case against me, and this decision by the Governor is politically motivated," he said. Despite the Governor's actions, Siddaramaiah made it clear that he had no intention of resigning. He stated that party leaders, legislators, and cabinet ministers are standing by him, and criticized the BJP for lacking the moral right to demand his resignation. He also accused the Central Government of being against social justice and the welfare schemes introduced by the Congress government, saying, "They cannot tolerate our success." (ANI) Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said on Saturday that party chief Uddhav Thackeray never said that he would become the Chief Minister and if the Congress or NCP (SCP) has any face, then Uddhav is ready to lend support. Talking to the media at the Nagpur airport today, Raut said, "Uddhav Thackeray does not need to come forward, he did not come forward even in 2019, everyone together made him CM. Now talking about 2024, Uddhav Thackeray never said that I would become CM, listen to yesterday's speech. If Congress NCP has any face then bring it forward, Uddhav Thackeray is ready to support that face, but Uddhav Thackeray is in the hearts of the people of Maharashtra." Notably, Uddhav Thackeray on Friday said that he does not support the idea of the party with the maximum MLAs getting the Chief Minister post. "The election commission should announce the elections of Maharashtra today, we are prepared. We will contest elections together as Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi. We will see whom to make Chief Minister, Prithviraj Chavan, and Pawar Saheb is here, and you may announce anyone as a CM candidate. I will support that name," said Uddhav Thackeray. "After our experience with BJP in alliance, we are of the view that we should not follow the policy of the party with the most number of MLAs in the alliance will get the CM post. Because in the last elections, with the BJP in alliance with us, we experienced that to get the maximum number of MLAs, the allies themselves try to put other ally candidates down. So, I will not favour the party with the most number of MLAs getting the CM post," he added further. 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. 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. (ANI) The chargesheet has named four accused, including one absconding. The accused, identified as Sabith Korukulath Nasar, Sajith Shyam and Bellamkonda Ram Prasad have been arrested while a fourth accused, Madhu Jayakumar, is on the run. All four have been charged under various sections of BNS (Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita). The accused were involved in inducing gullible youth into donating their organs for money and trafficking them to foreign nations as part of a major racket. They would identify prospective organ donors in India to exploit them by inducing and offering them money through agents and social media, as per NIA investigations. The gang also approached Indian patients in need of organ transplants and charged around Rs 50 lakh from them to facilitate surgeries in Iran. The donors and recipients were made to believe that organ trade was legal in Iran. Investigations further revealed that the accused forged documents, including seals and signatures of various offices and officers of the government, to facilitate the organ trade, the chargesheet states. NIA, which took over the case on July 3 from the Nedumbassery Police in Kochi is continuing with its investigation. (ANI) In what is seen as a major blow to the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) ahead of the Haryana Assembly Polls scheduled for October 1, Devender Singh Babli, MLA from Tohana, resigned from the party on Saturday. Commenting on his decision, Babli said, "I have sent my resignation to national president Ajay Singh Chautala, requesting to be relieved of all party responsibilities. We worked for five years, but today the situation is different. I contested my first election as an independent candidate and have fulfilled people's expectations through my work. We have consistently encouraged athletes and students, not just because of the upcoming elections. We have moved from self-serving politics to the politics of service." He added that the people of Tohana and his supporters would determine his next course of action. The Haryana Assembly elections will be held in a single phase on October 1, as announced by Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday. The counting of votes for both Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir will take place on October 4. Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) leader and former Deputy Chief Minister of Haryana, Dushyant Chautala, welcomed the announcement of the assembly elections and expressed confidence that the JJP is fully prepared to contest all 90 assembly seats. "We welcome this. Our party is ready for all the 90 seats. All the workers of the party will fight strongly for the development of Haryana. The new CM (Nayab Singh Saini) only made announcements in the last 74 days which has taken the state backwards. The public will take accountability; they have seen it all. People have made up their minds," Chautala said. The last day to file nominations in Haryana will be September 12, with the scrutiny of nominations on September 13. The last date for the withdrawal of candidacies is September 16. The term of the current Haryana government will end on November 3, 2024, and elections will take place in 90 legislative assembly constituencies across the state. After the 2019 elections, the BJP, with 40 seats in the 90-member assembly, formed a coalition government with the JJP, which had won 10 seats, while the Congress secured 31 seats. The BJP-JJP alliance broke earlier this year. In 2024, Haryana is likely to witness a four-way contest between the BJP, Congress, JJP, and AAP. (ANI) Union Minister JP Nadda on Saturday attacked the Congress Party for its alleged involvement in the MUDA scam, saying that the Congress party's legacy of corruption is continuing. Nadda also reminded people of previous scandals committed by Congress, such as the National Herald case, and accused the party of betraying the public's trust. In a post on X, Nadda said, "Congress Party's Legacy of Corruption Continues. From National Herald to MUDA Scam Karnataka, Congress Party's history with corruption is well-documented. Time and again, they have betrayed the trust of the people for personal gain." "Instead of calling the decision as unconstitutional, Congress should reflect on its own actions. While Congress portrays itself as the guardian of Dalits and minorities, one of their own Chief Ministers is involved in grabbing land from a Dalit family. This is yet another instance of Congress' hypocrisy and its family-centric politics," he added in the post. On Saturday, Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot granted permission to prosecute Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in connection with the alleged MUDA scam, according to Raj Bhavan sources. In response, Siddaramaiah asserted that he had the full support of the State cabinet. "The entire Cabinet, party high command, all MLAs, MLCs, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs are with me...," he told reporters on Saturday. The Karnataka government has announced its intention to challenge the Governor's decision in the High Court. Siddaramaiah has maintained that "everything was done according to the law." Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar today said that the state government will put all their weight behind Siddaramaiah. "We stand with CM Siddaramaiah. The party, the high command the entire state and the Cabinet stand with him. We will fight it legally and we will fight it politically as well... Whatever notice and sanction has been given is against the law. We have made all our preparations to fight it legally, this is nothing but a clear conspiracy against backwards-class CM Siddaramaiah who is running the government for the second time," Shivakumar said. Earlier, a complaint was filed by social activist Snehamayi Krishna against Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and nine others for allegedly forging documents to claim compensation from the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA). The complaint alleges wrongdoing by Siddaramaiah, his wife Parvathy, his brother-in-law Malikarjuna Swamy Devaraj, who claimed to be a landowner, and his family. It was further alleged that MUDA created fake documents and obtained plots worth crores of rupees. Snehamayi Krishna has raised several questions in his complaint. (ANI) In a major breakthrough, Punjab Police arrested drug smuggler identified as Gulab Singh, who is a main accused in the 77kg heroin recovery case, said the Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Saturday. The development came about a year after State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) Fazilka had busted two separate cross-border drug smuggling rackets with the arrest of four drug traffickers after recovering 77.8Kg heroin (41.8Kg+36Kg) and three pistols from their possession. The consignment had come via the riverine route. Two separate cases were registered in this regard and the arrested accused was wanted by the Punjab Police in both the cases. DGP Gaurav Yadav said that the arrested accused had played a pivotal role in in delivery of 36kg of the contraband and in maintaining connections with Pakistan-based smugglers. "His (Gulab Singh) arrest is poised to significantly disrupt the entire smuggling network and prevent future trafficking activities," he said. The DGP said that Gulab Singh's arrest is a result of meticulous and professional investigation and sustained follow-up of Backward linkages. Further financial investigations are underway to trace the money trail and freeze assets acquired through illicit drug proceeds, he added. Sharing operation details, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Faridkot Pragya Jain, while addressing the press conference, said that following meticulous technical and human-intel-based operation, police teams from CIA Faridkot, Special Branch, SHO Sadiq and Technical Cell in a joint operation under the supervision of SP Investigation Jasmeet Singh rounded up accused Gulab Singh from Bus Stand in village Rupyianwali, who was on the run since one year. She said that as part of the strategy to pursue backward linkages in heavy recoveries, the police teams have thoroughly investigated this case and have been on the lookout for Gulab Singh for the last 10 days. The SSP said that the arrested accused had arranged for divers to retrieve the consignment of heroin and weapons and was in touch with Pakistan-based smugglers via various apps. Accused Gulab Singh is a seasoned criminal and has been facing several criminal cases in Faridkot and other districts of the state, she added. (ANI) In a blow to Democratic Progressive Azad Party chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad ahead of the assembly polls, former Jammu and Kashmir minister, Taj Mohiuddin has announced his resignation from the party. Mohiuddin told ANI over the phone that he would rejoin the Congress soon. He described his return to Congress as a "homecoming." Taj Mohiuddin also mentioned that he is joining the Congress party with the consent of Ghulam Nabi Azad and it is his wish that Azad should also return to the party. The former J-K Minister also expressed his desire to contest the elections and said that if the Congress party gives him a ticket, he is ready to contest the elections. Meanwhile, the Assembly elections in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir will be held in three phases from September 18 to October 1, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar announced on Friday. As per the announcement, the voters in Jammu and Kashmir will cast their votes on September 18, and September 25, and the third phase will take place on October 1, along with Haryana. The counting of the votes will take place on October 4 for Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir. 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. In December of last year, the Supreme Court directed the Centre to conclude the election process by September 30, 2024. 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) The Corps Commander complimented all ranks for their high standards of professionalism, selfless commitment and high morale. Additionally, taking to X, SpearCorps. IndianArmy said "SpearCorps Indian Army interacted with the Chief Minister of Manipur, N Biren Singh and discussed aspects related to the current security situation and measures being undertaken for maintaining peace and stability in Manipur." Earlier, on August 2, the Chinar Corps Commander reviewed the security situation in Kupwara and Baramulla in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, officials said. Taking to X, Chinar Corps said, "Chinar Corps Commander visited forward posts of Vajr & Dagger Divisions in Kupwara & Baramulla today, to review the security situation and operational preparedness." During interaction with troops, he emphasised on the necessity of being alert and effectively countering any inimical attempts and activities along the LC, they said. The Chinar Corps visit came days after a group of two to three armed personnel coming from the Pakistan side crossed the Line of Control and fired on a forward Army post from close proximity while taking advantage of bad weather and poor visibility in Machhal Sector in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district. One intruder was killed in the exchange of fire while one Indian Army soldier injured in the encounter succumbed to his injuries. The Public Relations Officer (Defence), Srinagar, had said in a statement, "Taking advantage of bad weather and poor visibility along the Line of Control in Machhal Sector, a group of two to three armed personnel crossed the LC and fired on a forward Army post from close proximity. Alert troops responded vigorously and in the ensuing exchange of fire, one Pakistani intruder were killed along with the recovery of weapons, ammunition and war-like stores." (ANI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on Saturday. He asked for Central financial support for various projects in the state. Telugu Desam Party said in a post on X that the Chief Minister sought central financial assistance for various projects including Polavaram and funds for backward districts. He met the Prime Minister along with Union Civil Aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu and Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development Chandrashekhar Pemmasani. The Chief Minister sought Central financial assistance as Andhra Pradesh's public debt has risen from 31.02 per cent of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) in 2019-20 to 33.32 per cent in 2023-24, indicating worsening fiscal health over the last five years. Chandrababu Naidu also met with Union Financial Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. "Smt @nsitharamaninteracts with Shri N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn), Hon'ble Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. Shri @RamMNK, Hon'ble Minister of Civil Aviation, Shri @PemmasaniOnX , Hon'ble Minister of State for Rural Development and Communications, and Shri @SriKrishnaLavu, Hon'ble MP (LS), are also present on the occasion," Nirmala Sitharaman's office posted on X. Earlier in the day Chandrababu Naidu met with Union Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu. They reviewed the civil aviation infrastructure of the state. "Had a productive meeting with Hon'ble CM of Andhra Pradesh, Shri @ncbn garu and officials from the Aviation Department. We reviewed the development of new airports, terminal capacity expansion, and improved air connectivity in the state," Rammohan Naidu said in a post on X. The Civil Aviation Minister said that his ministry is committed to supporting and cooperating with Andhra Pradesh's growth story. "Special thanks to @ncbn garu for his presence at the ministry and for his valuable administrative inputs and suggestions on how to make use of the full potential of Civil Aviation for the growth of our country," Rammohan Naidu said. The minister said that he discussed with the Chief Minister the development of helicopter and seaplane services in the state, as well as, the use of drones in agriculture and commerce. The civil aviation sector plays a crucial role in the development of Andhra Pradesh, and we are committed to providing full support, Rammohan Naidu said. "The advice given by Nara Chandrababu Naidu on how the civil aviation sector can contribute to national development and how to utilize global opportunities in this field will be highly beneficial to us, our officials, and fellow members. Special thanks to him for sharing his administrative experiences with us," he said. (ANI) In a significant political development, a conglomeration of Muslim communities involving Islamic scholars, clerics, intellectuals has asked "secular political parties" to clarify their exact stand vis-a-vis the Waqf (Amendment) Bill which has been referred to the Joint Parliamentary Committee. The development comes in the run up to the Assembly polls in various states like Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana, Maharashtra and Jharkhand - the first set of major elections after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Last week, the Centre introduced the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which once passed would be known as the United Waqf Act Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act or UMEED for short. The Muslim community, however, appreciated the statement of Shiv Sena (UBT) head and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in this regard, who has slammed the Narendra Modi-headed BJP-led NDA government and questioned its intention of bringing it now when earlier they had a clear majority. At a discussion in the Islam Gymkhana hosted by the Tareek-e-Awkaf and All India Ulema Board, the Muslim community raised concerns over the bill as it would significantly strip the power of the Waqf Boards. The meeting was presided over by Shabbir Ansari, President, Tahreek e Awqaf while the Chief Guest was Yusuf Abrahani, Chairman, Islam. The special invitees and other guests included Baba Siddiqui, former Congress minister and now NCP leader, Amin Patel, Congress MLA, Maulana Mahmood Daryabadi, Rukn, All India Muslim Personal Law Board, Advocate Waris Pathan, former MLA and AIMIM leader, Sarfaraz Arzoo, Daily Hindustan, Nizamuddin Rayeen, Advocate Farhana Shah, Senior Lawyer, Maulana Naushad Ahmad Siddiqui, Allama Bunai Hasani, Mahmood Hakimi, Maulana Mirza Abdul Qaum Nadvi, Aurangabad, Suhel Subedar, NCP leader, Maulana Mohd Luqman Nadvi, Fazil Ansari from Bhiwandi. The discussion was moderated by Salim Alware. The meeting was unanimous that the Waqf Bill needs to be opposed tooth and nail, as the government's intention of introducing it is not good. It was pointed out that the Waqf Bill has been introduced as part of well-thought-out politics. "When there is a democratic process for election, why nominate people. No person from outside the community is part of other religious bodies. What is the point of including non-Muslims in Waqf bodies? This amounts to interference in religion and religious activities," the meeting felt. According to the speakers, Article 14 guarantees equality before the law, and Article 15 bars discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, or place of birth. Article 25 gives the right to practice a religion of their choice and, finally, Article 30 gives minorities the right to establish and administer educational institutions for their communities - and hence the Bill is discriminatory in nature. (ANI) Delhi's Saket District Court has granted 56 days of interim bail to Haryana-based mining businessman Ved Pal Tanwar for treatment. Tanwar was arrested by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in a money laundering case in May this year and since then he has been in custody. He sought interim bail on medical grounds. Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Ravindra Kumar Pandey granted interim bail to Ved Pal Tanwar after considering the medical records as well as submissions made by the counsel. The accused had prayed for interim bail on medical grounds to undergo the surgery of umbilical hernia and post-surgery care and treatment. "Considering the report of the Jail Authorities regarding the status of health condition of the accused/applicant alongwith the medical documents of the treatment so far provided to the applicant, the Court is of the view that the applicant/accused is entitled to be admitted on interim bail on medical ground for eight weeks (08 weeks) i.e. 56 days from the date of his release," ASJ Pandey ordered on August 16. He has been granted interim bail subject to certain conditions including that he shall get himself examined/treated/operated at the hospital of his choice within the territory of Delhi NCR. He is directed to surrender before the concerned jail authorities on the expiry of interim bail. Senior advocate Pramod Kumar Dubey alongwith Advocates S S Boparai, Siddhant Saraswat and Aman Sharam appeared for Tanwar Senior Advocate Pramod Kumar Dubey submitted that the case of Tanwar for admitting him on interim bail falls within the purview of a guideline of the Superior Court as immediate treatment and surgery are required to him. It was also submitted that Tanwar falls within the category of sick as well as infirm and no other option is available to manage the illness of the applicant except undergoing the surgery as suggested by the doctors of the DDU Hospital. It was further submitted that accused/applicant may be admitted on interim bail for eight weeks so that he may undergo the surgery and manage the post surgery treatment/care on the terms and conditions as deemed appropriate by the Court and accused/applicant is ready to abide by the terms and conditions if any imposed by the Court. It was also submitted that the accused had a known history of illness umbilical hernia, Gastric ulcer, fatty liver, Gal gallbladder polyps, Herpes Genitalis, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, lower back ache with radiculopathy. His bail was opposed by Advocate Zoheb Hossain, special counsel for ED and Special public prosecutor (SPP) Simon Benjamin. ED had arrested Ved pal Singh Tanwar under the provisions of Prevention of Money-laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 on 30.05.2024 in connection with illegal mining in Dadam area of Haryana. As per ED, it initiated an investigation on the basis of the Prosecution Complaint filed by the Regional Officer, Haryana State Pollution Control Board, Bhiwani before the Special Environment Court, Kurukshetra against the Firm M/s. Govardhan Mines and Minerals for violating the conditions of Environment Clearance under Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and subsequently an FIR was registered by Haryana Police under various section of IPC, 1860. ED said that the investigation revealed that the Firm has been involved in large-scale illegal and unscientific mining in the Dadam area of Haryana. It had led to large-scale damage to the environment and huge loss to the exchequer. It is worth mentioning here that rampant illegal mining in the area led to killing 5 persons due to landslides, ED said in a press note. Earlier, a search and seizure was conducted in the case on 03.08.2023 wherein large scale unaccounted cash documents, jewellery of Rs. 3.7 Crore, cash of Rs. 26.45 Lakh and a Mercedes car worth Rs. 1 Crore were seized. During the search, it was found that Vedpal Singh Tanwar is the key managerial person who not only acquired mining rights illegally but also led to illegal and unscientific mining beyond permissible limits. ED investigation further revealed that Tanwar gained to the tune of Rs. 37 Crore from the said illegal mining. He invested these gains, which are Proceeds of Crime (PoC), in movable and immovable properties. Vedpal Singh Tanwar suppressed the facts and misled the investigation being conducted by the ED. To establish the money trail and other persons involved in the illegal mining activities, Vedpal Singh Tanwar was arrested and was remanded to 7 days ED custody in June, the ED said. (ANI) "Based on specific intelligence, officers of DRI MZU intercepted two passengers travelling from Abu Dhabi to Mumbai on Flight No EY 206 after they had crossed the Customs green channel," DRI said in statement. On personal search, four packets of foreign-origin gold (gold dust in wax form) were found concealed in tailor-made pockets of a jacket worn by one of the passengers which was given to him by another passenger at Abu Dhabi, DRI said. "Recovered 4525 gms of gold dust in wax form valued at Rs 3.33 Cr was seized under provisions of the Customs Act,1962. Both passengers have been arrested and remanded," DRI said. (ANI) The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) on Saturday condemned the horrific rape incident in West Bengal that has shaken the conscience of the entire nation. The Association expressed deep sympathy for the trainee doctor who lost her life at RG Kar Medical College in West Bengal after being raped and murdered. The association called for justice and improved safety measures for healthcare professionals. In a statement, the national spokesperson of the Association, Farhat Riyaz, expressed her profound outrage and emphasized the urgent need for a collective national response. "The West Bengal rape case is not just an isolated incident; it is a reflection of a deeper societal malaise that we must confront with utmost seriousness. Gender-based violence is pervasive, and we need to move beyond just condemnation. Government must address the root causes that perpetuate these horrors," she said. Riyaz urged for a unified effort from all sectors of society to combat violence against women and demanded swift justice for the victim. She emphasised that This barbaric crime is a stain on our collective conscience. The authorities must act with unwavering resolve to ensure that the perpetrators are swiftly brought to justice. There can be no leniency, no delay--justice must be delivered, and it must be seen to be done," she added. She stressed that the accused should be severely punished to meet a strong precedent. Riyaz asserted the need for a transparent and impartial investigation, free from any external influence or political interference. "The credibility of our justice system hinges on how this case is handled. The people of India are watching, and they demand accountability. The government must ensure that the investigation and trial are conducted with the highest standards of integrity and fairness," she added. She criticised the West Bengal Chief Minister, stating that instead of using her authority to act decisively against the culprits, the Chief Minister is holding protests to divert attention and mislead the public. She also questioned the West Bengal government, asking why the local administration allegedly attempted to cover up the crime. The association also called for a nationwide movement to address the broader issues that perpetuate violence against women. "This tragic incident is symptomatic of a larger problem that requires a holistic solution. We must look beyond punitive measures and focus on preventive strategies that address the underlying social and cultural factors. This is not just about one case; it is about creating a safer and more just society for all women," the JKSA stated. Condemning the brutal murder, the national convenor of the association, Nasir Khuehami, said that this act has shaken humanity and brought shame upon us all. He called for the rapists to be hanged and criticized the West Bengal Chief Minister, urging her to "talk a little less and work a little more." He added, "Mere preachings, hollow statements, won't work. Empty rhetoric would not suffice in the face of such a grievous crime. The Chief Minister should act decisively and ensure that those responsible for this heinous crime are brought to justice. He urged Chief Minister to prioritize safety for women and act with unwavering resolve. Khuehami added that the entire country is shocked by the gruesome incident of rape and murder of the junior doctor in Kolkata. (ANI) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sambit Patra on Saturday criticized Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government over the death of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. "I stand in solidarity with my doctor community and friends... The barbarism that occurred in Bengal is being covered up by the Chief Minister herself. Why have 40-50 doctors been transferred in a hurry?" Sambit Patra said while addressing a press conference in Delhi. "What is the CM trying to hide? After holding the portfolios of Chief Minister, Health Minister, and also Home Minister, she had the audacity to come out holding placards and protesting. Who is she seeking justice and protection from?" he added. "Who did Sandip Ghosh (former Principal of RG Kar) work for? The victim's parents were told she had committed suicide. Meanwhile, the police are targeting individuals, sending notices, and threatening people who are posting about the case on social media. I thank the lawyers representing the case at the Calcutta High Court. Pertinent questions have been raised by those lawyers. I have seen the response from the Justice. They were frustrated and devastated, and they reprimanded the WB government. They have upheld the justice of the country," he added. Doctors across the country are protesting and demanding justice in this case, calling for the formation of a committee to implement the Central Protection Act in all hospitals. 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. 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. Meanwhile, West Bengal Leader of Opposition and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday slammed the state police force over its post on a women constable, who was injured during a midnight march held in protest against the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 14. In a post on X, West Bengal police posted, "Wasn't the night Shampa's too? It was meant to be a night for women, when they reclaimed the streets demanding safety at the workplace, in memory of a young woman who fell victim to a horrifying tragedy at her workplace. Our colleague Constable Shampa Pramanik, of the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate, was in Baguiati on the night of August 14, ensuring the safety of those walking the streets. Suddenly, unprovoked, several bricks came flying from the crowd toward the police, one of which hit Shampa in the face. The accompanying photo was taken in the minutes immediately after she was hit." The police further said that they have arrested five people in the case, and will try to ensure punishment for them. Slamming the police and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari said on X that doctors, nurses, and policewomen were not safe as the police were inefficient. "The night belonged to every woman but unfortunately WB Police and Kolkata Police weren't up to the task of providing security to the ladies. Doctors, nurses, policewomen and the women protesting on the streets had no security because of the inefficient police force who were hand in glove with the TMC Goons and acted as co-conspirators in the pre-planned vandalism," Adhikari said. "I strongly condemn the brutal attack on her (Trainee C no. 702) by the TMC Goons," he added. The BJP leader further questioned CM Mamata if the injured woman constable had completed her training. "Is the training of the injured lady complete? Because my sources say that she is still a trainee and can't be deployed to maintain a law & order situation. If she is a trainee, who is responsible for her illegal deployment on the evening of 14th August? Has the TMC goon been identified who is responsible for such a heinous act?" he added. 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. Kolkata police on Friday said it has arrested 19 miscreants allegedly involved in the mob violence at the hospital premises. (ANI) The All India Muslim Personal Law Board has stated that a uniform or secular civil code is not acceptable to Muslims as they will never compromise with Sharia Law (Muslim Personal Law). "The All India Muslim Personal Law Board considers the Prime Minister's call, on the occasion of Independence Day, for a Secular Civil Code and terming religious personal laws as communal ones is highly objectionable," said an All India Muslim Personal Law Board press release. The Board in no uncertain terms makes it clear that it is unacceptable to Muslims as they will never compromise with Sharia Law (Muslim Personal Law). "All India Muslim Personal Law Board's spokesperson, Dr SQR Ilyas, in a press statement expressed shock at the PM's announcement to term Personal Laws based on religion, as communal ones and to further replace them by a Secular Civil Code," they said in the release. He called it a well-thought-out conspiracy that will have grave ramifications. The Board considers it important to mention that the Muslims of India have made it clear many times that their family laws are based on Sharia, which no Muslim can deviate from, at any cost and added that the Legislature of the country itself, has approved the Shariat Application Act, 1937, and the Constitution of India has declared it a fundamental right under Article 25 to profess propagate and practice religion. "He said, the family laws of other communities are also based on their own religious and ancient traditions. So, tampering with them and trying to create secular ones for all is basically a negation of religion and an imitation of the West," as per the release. He further explained that such absolute powers should not be exercised by the elected representatives of the country. "He reminded that the Uniform Civil Code mentioned in the Directive Principles under Chapter IV of the Constitution is a mere direction and all the directives in this chapter are not mandatory nor can they be enforceable by the courts. These Directive Principles cannot supercede the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution under Chapter III," as per the release. He reaffirmed that our Constitution envisages a federalist political structure and a pluralistic society, where religious sects and cultural units have the right to practice their religion and maintain their culture. "The spokesperson of the Board Dr Ilyas forcefully criticised the Prime Minister's use of secular civil code instead of the constitutional word uniform civil code is deliberate and misleading," they said in the release. He added that PM is deliberately misleading the nation and said uniform means it will be applicable to the whole country and to all religious and non-religious people. Obviously, there will be no room in it to exclude any class or caste, even Adivasis. He questioned the intention of PM who is targeting only the Sharia law as he doesn't want to invite the displeasure of other groups. "He pointed out that by calling family laws based on religions as communal, the Prime Minister has not only imitated the West, but has also insulted the majority of the country who practice religion. And this doesn't augur well with religious groups," as per the release. He said the Board also wants to make it clear that for those who want to live their family life free from any religious restrictions there is already Special Marriage Act 1954 and The Indian Succession Act 1925. He said any attempt to bring a secular code by changing the Shariat Application Act and Hindu laws will be condemnable and unacceptable. Dr Ilyas concluded that the government should uphold the observation made by the BJP government's appointed Chairman of Law Commission who had categorically stated in 2018 that, "Uniform Civil Code is neither necessary nor desirable". "Dr Ilyas implored the citizens of the nation on the occasion of August 15, to remember the sacrifices and achievements of our freedom fighters and the dream of a free, prosperous, fair and peaceful India, and not get polarised by the religious hatred and animosity created by PM in the society," as per the release. The Muslim Personal Law Board hopes that peace-loving and just citizens of the country will reject this subversive and anarchic act in complete solidarity. (ANI) Amid the ongoing protests against the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, the Kolkata Police have imposed Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (formerly Section 144 of the CrPC), around the Medical College and Hospital for seven days, effective from Sunday, 18 August. In an order released on Saturday by the Commissioner of Police, Vineet Kumar Goyal, it was stated that rallies, meetings, processions, dharnas, demonstrations, and the unlawful assembly of five or more persons are prohibited in the specified area of Kolkata. "...In exercise of the power conferred by Sub-Section (1) of Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, read with Sub-Section (3) of the said Section, I, Vineet Kumar Goyal, Commissioner of Police, Kolkata, being an Executive Magistrate for the Metropolitan area of Kolkata as well as the district of South 24 Parganas (within the limits of the suburbs of Kolkata falling under Kolkata police jurisdiction), do hereby prohibit, for a period of seven (7) days from 18.08.2024 to 24.08.2024, or until further notice, any unlawful assembly of five (5) or more persons, carrying of lathis, any lethal or other dangerous weapons, or the commission of any act likely to cause a breach of peace and disturbance of public tranquillity within the specified area in the town of Kolkata," the order stated. The imposition was made "in regard to inputs and information received from credible sources, indicating sufficient reasons for violent demonstrations, rallies, and meetings by a section of the public or an organisation, thereby causing a breach of peace, disturbance of public tranquillity, health or safety, danger to human life, and obstruction to doctors, nursing staff, medical staff, and lawfully employed persons in the said area," the order stated. On 9 August, a postgraduate trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered while on duty at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, leading to nationwide strikes and protests by the medical fraternity. On Wednesday, the protest ground and the hospital campus at RG Kar were vandalised by a mob, forcing security personnel to disperse the crowd. (ANI) Former Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Prithviraj Chavan, has called for proactive measures to implement testing and quarantine facilities at Mumbai Airport in response to the global spread of the monkeypox (Mpox) virus. In a letter to the state's Chief Minister, Eknath Shinde, on Friday, Chavan recommended "the immediate implementation of testing and quarantine facilities at Mumbai Airport for passengers arriving from high-incidence countries, a measure that was inadequately enforced during the COVID-19 pandemic." Chavan further stated that "the WHO has recently declared Mpox a 'public health emergency.' The virus, which originated in Africa, is now spreading rapidly and has reached Pakistan. I strongly urge the government to take proactive steps to prevent its entry and transmission within our country." Chavan also emphasised the need for timely action, warning that "any delay could lead to severe consequences if an infected individual is allowed to enter India undetected." On Wednesday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared Mpox a public health emergency of international concern. This decision comes amid a rapid surge in the spread of the disease in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and its detection in neighbouring countries. Mpox has been detected in 10 African nations this year, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reported last week. According to Al Jazeera, over 96 per cent of the cases are located in the DRC. Earlier on Thursday, Pakistan's federal health ministry confirmed the country's first Mpox case. On Friday, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) health department confirmed two more Mpox cases in the province, as reported by the Express Tribune. On Thursday, the Swedish government also confirmed its first case of Mpox, marking the first case of the variant outside Africa, according to Al Jazeera. (ANI) Doctors from the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College of Aligarh Muslim University in Uttar Pradesh held a candle march on Saturday, raising slogans and banners demanding strict action against the culprits. The participating doctors emphasised their demand for justice, condemning the brutal rape and murder of their colleague, and calling for the perpetrators to be apprehended and given the harshest punishment. In Odisha, the Odisha Nursing Employees Association of Sahid Laxman Nayak Medical College and Hospital also organised a candle march on Saturday, where both nurses and doctors strongly protested the crime against the female doctor at RG Kar in Kolkata. Theatre artists from West Bengal joined the protests by taking to the streets at midnight on Saturday, staging a march against the rape and murder of the trainee doctor. Earlier on Saturday, following the Indian Medical Association's (IMA) call for a nationwide strike over the incident, doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi staged a protest march on campus, holding posters and raising slogans such as "We want justice." Doctors in Maharashtra also held protests on Saturday, demanding justice for the postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. At AIIMS Mangalagiri, junior doctors and medical students likewise protested on Saturday against the rape and murder incident at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. On August 9, a postgraduate trainee doctor was found dead in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, sparking nationwide protests by doctors and medical professionals. On August 14, a mob entered the RG Kar Hospital campus, vandalising the protest site, vehicles, and public property, forcing security officials to disperse the crowd. (ANI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu met Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National President JP Nadda in Delhi on Saturday, exchanging views on accelerating ongoing development projects and elevating Andhra Pradesh to new heights under the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government. Taking to social media site X, Nadda said, "Met with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in New Delhi today. We exchanged valuable ideas on accelerating ongoing developmental projects and elevating Andhra Pradesh to new heights of progress under the NDA government's leadership. Our discussions centred on advancing the state towards 'Viksit Andhra,' aligning with PM Modi's vision of 'Viksit Bharat.'" Naidu was on a two-day visit to the national capital, during which he met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development Chandrashekhar Pemmasani and Jal Shakti Minister CR Paatil. During his meeting with PM Modi, Naidu asked for central financial support for various projects in the state. The Telugu Desam Party said in a post on X that the Chief Minister sought central financial assistance for various projects, including Polavaram and funds for backward districts. He met the Prime Minister along with Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu and Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development Chandrashekhar Pemmasani. The Chief Minister sought Central financial assistance as Andhra Pradesh's public debt has risen from 31.02 per cent of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) in 2019-20 to 33.32 per cent in 2023-24, indicating worsening fiscal health over the last five years. Naidu also met with Home Minister Amit Shah and had a detailed discussion on a wide range of subjects related to the all-round development of the state and the nation. "Met Andhra Pradesh CM Shri N Chandrababu Naidu Garu. Had detailed discussion on a wide range of subjects related to the all-round development of the state and the nation," Shah said on X. Earlier in the day, Naidu met with Union Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu to review the civil aviation infrastructure of the state. "Had a productive meeting with Hon'ble CM of Andhra Pradesh, Shri N Chandrababu Naidu garu and officials from the Aviation Department. We reviewed the development of new airports, terminal capacity expansion, and improved air connectivity in the state," Rammohan Naidu said in a post on X. The Civil Aviation Minister said that his ministry is committed to supporting and cooperating with Andhra Pradesh's growth. "Special thanks to N Chandrababu Naidu Garu for his presence at the ministry and for his valuable administrative inputs and suggestions on how to make use of the full potential of civil aviation for the growth of our country," Rammohan Naidu said. The minister said that he discussed with the Chief Minister the development of helicopter and seaplane services in the state, as well as the use of drones in agriculture and commerce. The civil aviation sector plays a crucial role in the development of Andhra Pradesh, and we are committed to providing full support, Rammohan Naidu said. (ANI) The drugs are dispatched from India, keeping in mind the country's commitments to Syria. "India sends humanitarian assistance to Syria. In keeping with its humanitarian commitments, India has despatched anti-cancer drugs to Syria," the official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal wrote on X Friday, sharing a post of the consignment with pictures. "The consignment of approx 1400 kgs will support the Syrian government and its people combat the disease," the post added. https://x.com/MEAIndia/status/1824428035229225478 Syria and India have historically shared cordial relations built on deep-rooted people-to-people ties. The Indian Embassy in Syria has remained open throughout the Syrian conflict. Many people visit India as tourists, businesspeople, and patients. Moreover, India has contributed immensely to the capacity building of the Syrian youth over the years through scholarship schemes and training courses under the flagship ITEC programme, according to an official MEA release. In May this year, Syria's First Lady Asma Assad was diagnosed with leukaemia, according to state news agency SANA which reported the same, citing the President's office. Following a series of medical examinations and tests, the First Lady was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid leukaemia. The Syrian First Lady was born and raised to Syrian parents in London. She had earlier recovered from Breast Cancer in 2019. (ANI) Moscow and Kyiv were supposed to hold talks in Doha this month regarding the cessation of mutual attacks on energy facilities, Azernews reports, citing The Washington Post. According to the information, the talks were disrupted due to escalating tensions in Russia's Kursk region. Qatar was set to act as a mediator in these talks, but the Russian side decided to suspend the process. Sources told the newspaper that the parties had planned to agree not to attack each other's energy facilities for two months, which could have been akin to a partial ceasefire: Russia did not cancel the talks; they asked for more time. It was noted that the Russian and Ukrainian delegations have not met face-to-face since the talks in Istanbul in 2022. The Kremlin and the White House have declined to comment to the newspaper. The other envoys who also presented their credentials to Zelenskyy were Ambassadors of Mexico, Italy, Slovakia, the Netherlands, and Belgium, who along with Shankar, will begin their diplomatic missions in Ukraine. Sharing a post on X Friday, Zelenskyy wrote, "Today, the newly appointed Ambassadors of Mexico, Italy, Slovakia, the Netherlands, India, and Belgium begin their diplomatic missions in Ukraine." "I received their letters of credence and spoke with each of them individually about strengthening bilateral cooperation between our countries. I am grateful for the clear support of our territorial integrity and international law," he added. https://x.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1824499724038160548 Ravi Shankar was appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Ukraine in May this year, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Previously, Shankar served as the Additional Secretary in the ministry. India has an extensive bilateral relationship with Ukraine, spanning all spheres of cooperation. India was one of the first countries to recognise Ukraine. The Government of India recognised the Republic of Ukraine as a sovereign country in December 1991 and established diplomatic relations in January 1992. India is Ukraine's largest export destination in the Asia-Pacific and the fifth-largest overall export destination. In recent meetings that took place between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Italy, PM Modi, during a bilateral meeting with Zelenskyy, reiterated India's commitment to fostering a peaceful resolution to the ongoing hostilities in Ukraine. The leaders engaged in productive discussions aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and addressing the situation in Ukraine. India participated in the Group of Seven (G7) Summit as an outreach country. (ANI) Dubai [UAE], August 17 (ANI/WAM): Egypt, Qatar, and the United States announced Friday in a joint statement that senior officials from the three countries will meet again in Cairo before the end of next week in a new round of talks, hoping to reach a ceasefire agreement in Gaza. "Over the past 48 hours in Doha, senior officials from our governments have engaged in intensive negotiations as mediators aimed at securing a ceasefire agreement in Gaza and the release of captives and detainees, the joint statement said as quoted by Ahram Online. According to the statement, the United States, with the support of Qatar and Egypt, presented on Friday a proposal that narrows the gaps between them and aligns with the principles set out by President Biden on 31st May 2024 and UN Security Council Resolution 2735. "This proposal builds on points of agreement reached over the past week and bridges the remaining gaps in a way that allows for the swift implementation of the agreement," the statement added. Technical teams will continue to work on the implementation details, including arrangements for the comprehensive humanitarian aspects of the agreement and issues related to captives and detainees, the statement revealed. "The time has come to release the captives and detainees, initiate a ceasefire, and implement this agreement. The path is now paved to achieve this outcome, save lives, provide relief to the people of Gaza, and de-escalate regional tensions," the statement read. (ANI/WAM) Gearing up for his debate with US Vice President Kamala Harris, former President Donald Trump, and has brought in the former Democratic congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard to help sharpen his attacks, the New York Times reported citing two people aware with Trump's schedule. She joined Trump's practice session at the latter's private club and home, Mar-a-Lago. Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are set to face off in the ABC News debate on September 10. Gabbard, who left the Democratic Party after her 2020 presidential run and has rebranded herself as a celebrity among Trump's base of support, has long been friendly with Trump and was also speculated to be his running mate for some time. Garbbard's involvement in Trump's debate preparation, was partly because of her own performance in a 2019 Democratic presidential primary debate, when Gabbard eviscerated Harris in a memorable onstage encounter. Karoline Leavitt, a spokeswoman for Trump, confirmed Gabbard's involvement in an email, NYT reported. Leavitt said the former president has "proven to be one of the best debaters in political history as evidenced by his knockout blow to Joe Biden. 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." Though Trump says he "doesn't need to" prepare for debates, the former President has spent more time this year practicing for debates than he did in either 2016 or 2020, the New York Times reported citing advisers who have worked with him. He still doesn't do traditional debate prep. Nobody played Mr. Biden in his sessions ahead of their CNN debate on June 27. Ahead of his CNN debate with Biden in June, Trump sat with advisers for blocks of time or informally on plane trips and discussed potential topics and lines of questioning. In more formal sessions at Mar-a-Lago, aides have sat in chairs opposite him, playing the role of moderators. Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida asked especially combative questions, according to a person who was in the room. Other lawmakers, including his eventual running mate, Senator JD Vance of Ohio, have also spent time with Trump on policy topics. Biden's halting and disjointed performance in his June debate with Trump ultimately led him to him dropping out of the race. Trump's aides are expected to handle preparations similarly for his debate with Harris, scheduled for September 10, NYT reported. Notably, Gabbard brings some key qualities to Trump's role: She's a woman, at a moment when Trump is for a second time facing a woman as his general election rival; she's a former House member, giving her policy experience; and, perhaps most importantly for Trump, she has been on a debate stage with Harris and delivered a stinging attack against her record as a prosecutor, New York Times reported. However, Gabbard's attacks on Harris in the July 2019 debate, all came from the left. She alleged that Harris, when she was a district attorney in San Francisco, "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 also accused Harris of having obstructed evidence that could have let an innocent man leave death row, doing so only when a court "forced her to." Harris, on the other hand, replied that she was "proud of making a decision to not just give fancy speeches, or be in a legislative body and give speeches on the floor, but actually doing the work." Following the debate, Harris mocked Gabbard's low standing in the polls. Eventually, Harris dropped out of that race in December 2019, and Gabbard did the same months later, in March 2020. (ANI) In a major development, the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has ruled that Tahawwur Rana, the Pakistan-origin Canadian businessman involved in the 26/11 attack is "extraditable to India" under the extradition treaty between the two countries. The panel affirmed the district court's denial of Tahawwur Hussain Rana's habeas corpus petition challenging a magistrate judge's certification of Rana as extraditable to India for his alleged participation in terrorist attacks in Mumbai. The panel also held that India provided sufficient competent evidence to support the magistrate judge's finding of probable cause that Rana committed the charged crimes. Mumbai Police in its chargesheet has named Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman Tahawwur Rana in the 405-page chargesheet in connection with the 26/11 attacks. Rana is accused of being an operative of ISI and Lashkar-e-Taiba. In the chargesheet, Rana is accused of supporting the 26/11 attacks' mastermind David Coleman Headley, who conducted the recce of the Mumbai attacks Under the limited scope of habeas review of an extradition order, the US panel held that Rana's alleged offence fell within the terms of the extradition treaty between the United States and India, which included a Non-Bis in Idem (double jeopardy) exception to extraditability "when the person sought has been convicted or acquitted in the Requested State for the offence for which extradition is requested." Relying on the plain text of the treaty, the State Department's technical analysis, and persuasive case law of other circuits, the panel held that the word "offence" refers to a charged crime, rather than underlying acts, and requires an analysis of the elements of each crime. The panel concluded that a co-conspirator's plea agreement did not compel a different result, and further held that the Non Bis in Idem exception did not apply because the Indian charges contained distinct elements from the crimes for which Rana was acquitted in the US. Less than a year after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, the FBI in Chicago arrested Rana. The accused terrorist was operating a travel agency in Chicago 15 years ago, when he and his friend David Coleman Headley, scouted Mumbai locations and landing zones to carry out the attack. According to investigators, Pakistani terrorists who carried out the deadly attack worked off a blueprint that Rana had a hand in producing. Rana and David Headley are charged with aiding the terror plot. Headley cooperated with investigators, while Rana fought it and lost. After serving a 14-year prison sentence, Rana was about to be freed from a US prison when India requested his extradition. (ANI) Tel Aviv [Israel], August 17 (ANI/TPS): Israel's flagship airline, El Al, announced a record profit of USD 147.4 million for the second quarter of 2024 on Thursday, marking the second consecutive quarter the carrier set a record profit. The airline also announced a USD 2.5 billion deal to purchase new aircraft to upgrade its fleet. Many international airlines have suspended their flights to Israel as tensions remain high with Iran. In recent days, several airlines including the Lufthansa Group, Ryanair and Air Europa extended their cancelled flights until August 26. While the cancellations left thousands of Israelis stranded abroad, they also gave El Al a near-monopoly on flights. According to the Israel Airports Authority, 62 per cent of Ben-Gurion Airport traffic during the first quarter of 2024 was with El Al. El Al reported a 92 per cent seat occupancy rate -- a five per cent increase in comparison to the second quarter of 2023. The airline also reported a 24 per cent increase in "revenue per available seat kilometer" (RASK), a key performance metric used by the aviation industry in comparison to the second quarter of 2023. During the period of April-June, El Al generated USD 839 million in revenue, an increase of 33 per cent compared to the same quarter of 2023, shattering what was El Al's record first-quarter profits of USD 80.5 million. Meanwhile, the airline also announced a plan to purchase up to 31 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, for up to USD 2.5 billion, the largest procurement in El Al history. The agreement will see El Al purchase 20 aircraft with an option for 11 more. Delivery of the planes will begin in 2028. "The landmark deal is a major milestone in implementation of the company's strategic plan, which modernizes its fleet of aircraft, integrates the latest technologies and boosts seat capacity," El Al said. The record-setting revenue is a far cry from 2020. Coronavirus travel restrictions put El Al's existence in doubt, forcing El Al to put 80% of its staff on unpaid leave. Although El Al is privately owned, the government holds a "golden share" in the airline, allowing it to influence key decisions. (ANI/TPS) Tel Aviv [Israel], August 17 (ANI/TPS): During the past month, Israeli combat engineers have destroyed approximately 50 Hamas tunnel routes in the area of the Egypt-Gaza border, the Israel Defense Forces said on Thursday. The announcement came as Israeli and Arab leaders were due to resume ceasefire negotiations in Qatar. The tunnels were all in the Philadelphi corridor, a buffer zone that runs the length of the 14-km Gaza-Egypt border. It was created in 2006 to prevent weapons smuggling after Israel disengaged from the Strip. Hamas violently seized control of Gaza from the Palestinian Authority the following year. The military did not specify if any of the tunnels crossed into the Egyptian Sinai. On August 4, soldiers from the IDF's elite Yahalom combat engineering unit destroyed a three-meter tall smuggling tunnel leading into Egypt that was large enough to drive vehicles through. Securing the Philadelphi corridor and destroying smuggling tunnels there is a critical goal to prevent Hamas from rearming and to curtail its leaders from escaping into the Sinai with Israeli hostages. At least 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas's attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 111 remaining hostages, 39 have been declared dead. Hamas has also been holding captive two Israeli civilians since 2014 and 2015, and the bodies of two soldiers killed in 2014. (ANI/TPS) Baloch Human Rights Council (BHRC) and Centre for Gender Justice and Women Empowerment (CGJWE) has highlighted the systematic imposition of religious extremism on the Baloch community by Pakistan in a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres ahead of the 57th session of the UNHRC. The organisations have also outlined the multifaceted strategies employed by Pakistan to suppress Baloch's national aspirations, emphasizing the growing threat of religious radicalization as a tool of state oppression. They have alleged that the Pakistani state has consistently used religious fundamentalism as part of its broader agenda to dilute Baloch resistance, alongside enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, economic exploitation and a media blackout. The statement highlighted how Pakistan has been orchestrating these acts of suppression and religious extremism to erase the individualistic Baloch identity. According to the statement, the Pakistani modus operandi to counter the Baloch national aspirations has been multifaceted. Besides arrests of political workers, the kill and dump policy, and the media blackout of the Baloch conflict, it had persistently implemented a policy of introducing religious fundamentalism, suppression of the Balochi language and socio-cultural traditions, mutilation of history, economic exploitation and strategies for converting the Baloch into a minority. "It constitutes a post-World War II colonial order and sustains itself on an ideology based on religious bigotry. The pillars on which the state nationalism of Pakistan is sustained are the economic exploitation and the brutal and inhuman use of state power to assimilate subjugated national entities," the statement read. While elaborating on Pakistan's acts of manipulating the Baloch history the statement mentioned, "All adventurers, plunderers, and invaders who came from the Middle East or Central Asia, such as Muhammad bin Qasim, Mahmud Ghaznavi, Ghuris, Timurids, Suris, Mongols, and Abdali have been given the status of national heroes of Pakistan." "These barbaric conquerors carried out genocide acts in Balochistan, slaughtering thousands of the Baloch, but Baloch children are now forced to regard them as saviours. School textbooks not only teach a fictitious version of history but Islam is also portrayed in a way that supports the oppression of the minority nationalities in the name of "Allah and Islamic solidarity". The education system aims at creating a population of fanatical adherents to a falsified religious doctrine based on hatred towards the followers of other faiths," it added. The organisations said that in the 1970s, many mosques and religious schools were established throughout Balochista, and with massive state funding, mullahs (priests) are becoming increasingly prominent in Baloch society, both socially and politically. They further said that the "religious fanatics" produced by these Islamic schools are not only threatening the socio-cultural traditions of Baloch society but they are being organized as the army's proxy death squads in their conflict with the Baloch nationalist forces. "We urge the United Nations to pressure Pakistani authorities to stop the acts of 'laterally introducing religious extremism in a secular Baloch society," the statement added. (ANI) Family members of a deceased student from Telangana, Eerukonda Rajesh, who went for higher studies in the US, are seeking assistance from the Central and state government to repatriate his mortal remains. Rajesh's family hailing from Atmakur village in Warangal district sought the assistance because of financial constraints. Rajesh's father had recently passed away. Due to financial issues, he was unable to attend his father's funeral. His mother and sister are requesting the governments to help them bring Rajesh's body back to India for a dignified farewell. Deceased's mother, Lela, told ANI, "My son Rajesh went to America for higher studies in 2016. We took loan to support his education. We are still unaware of the circumstances surrounding his death. He last spoke with me on August 10. We are struggling to figure out how to bring my son Rajesh's body back from America, and I humbly request the Central government and Telangana government to assist in bringing his body as soon as possible." The sister of deceased, Rama Devi, told ANI that Rajesh did not visit India for the past six years because of financial issues. "My brother, Eerukonda Rajesh, completed his B Pharmacy degree here before moving to America in 2016 to pursue his MS. He returned to India after a year but went back to the US after a month. For the past six years, we have been asking him when he would come back to India, but he would say that his financial situation was not good and that he didn't have the money. Even when our father passed away 10 months ago, Rajesh couldn't attend the funeral due to financial constraints, and my husband had to perform the final rites. We received the news of my brother's death on August 15 from his friend. As we are unable to afford the costs of bringing his body, I humbly request the Central government and Telangana state government to assist in bringing my brother's body back to India." Wangala Buchi Reddy, speaking to ANI, also appealed the authorities to help bring back Rajesh's body. Reddy said, "I am a retired police constable from Atmakur village. Eerukonda Rajesh, a young man from our village, went to America for higher studies nine years ago. We were saddened to learn that he passed away four days ago. As he belonged to a poor family, our villagers are requesting that the Central and Telangana governments assist in bringing his body back to India. Tragically, his father passed away recently, and Rajesh was unable to attend the funeral due to financial constraints that prevented him from traveling back home." (ANI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday met US Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Richard Verma in Delhi and spoke about the continuing momentum in the bilateral ties between the two countries. Jaishankar and the former US Ambassador to India also exchanged views on regional and global issues. Richard Verma served as the 25th United States Ambassador to India. He was nominated by President Obama in September 2014. In a post on X, Jaishankar said, "Pleased to meet @DepSecStateMR Richard Verma today in Delhi. Spoke about the continuing momentum in our bilateral ties. And exchanged views on certain regional and global issues." https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1824765065733509351 Earlier, Jaishankar, on Tuesday, speaking at the launch of Indiaspora's Impact report in the national capital, emphasised that India will be able to work with the president of the United States, whoever he or she will be. Talking about the upcoming US presidential elections, Jaishankar said that the American system will throw up its verdict, and India is confident that it will work with whosoever's government it would be. "Generally, we don't comment on other people's elections because we also hope others don't comment on us. But the American system will throw up its verdict. And, I'm not saying this just as a formality, but if you look over the last 20-odd years, maybe a little bit more for us, we have every confidence that we will be able to work with the president of the United States, whoever he or she will be," Jaishankar said. On July 29, Jaishankar met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Tokyo at the Quad Foreign Ministers meeting and stated that they had a wide-ranging discussion on regional and global issues. In a post on X, Jaishankar said, "Great to catch up with @SecBlinken in Tokyo today. Our bilateral agenda progresses steadily. Also had a wide-ranging discussion on regional and global issues. Look forward to attending the Quad FMM tomorrow." (ANI) Residents of North Waziristan's Utmanzai Jigra tribal district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, cut off the gas supply after the Pakistani government failed to meet their demands for establishing peace in the region, Express Tribune reported on Saturday. On Friday, the members of the Jirga in Mir Ali, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, severed the gas pipeline that runs from North Waziristan to other parts of Pakistan as part of their protest, Express Tribune reported. Maulana Baitullah, the spokesperson for the Utmanzai Jirga, addressed the protesters in Mir Ali, explaining that while they could not remove the entire pipeline due to a lack of machinery, they managed to cut a portion of it using shovels and other tools. This latest action follows a recent rally where thousands of tribals protested against the ongoing lawlessness, target killings, and military operations in their region, Express Tribune reported. The Express Tribune further reported that the Pakhtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), Utmanzai Jigra, Aman Pasawon, and various political parties organized a protest in Mir Ali Bazaar. The leaders and thousands of participants, including workers from different political parties, attended the rally. The participants of Aman Pasawon observed a complete shutter down strike in solidarity with the protest. The local leaders emphasized that the people of North Waziristan do not support violence. They warned that if the institutions failed to address their issues and establish government authority, the state would be held responsible for any ensuing losses. They also stated that the protest would continue until their demands were met, Express Tribune reported. The issue of human rights abuses by Pakistan's armed forces in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region has been consistently highlighted on the international stage, Express Tribune reported. Recently, members of the Afghan Cultural Association (AKS), in collaboration with the Austria branch of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), staged a protest outside the Pakistan Embassy in Vienna. Earlier in the end of July 2024, a similar protest was held in the south Waziristan district as people of that district also faced the same problems of targeted attacks and extortion, Express Tribune reported. (ANI) By Farman Aydin, AZERNEWS We would not be wrong if we say that Armenia's violation of the ceasefire on the border with Azerbaijan indicates the next provocations prepared by the dictates of Yerevan's "Western partners". Reiterate full support for Yerevans proposal for a bilateral mechanism to investigate allegations of ceasefire violations. Having said these words, the EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia, Toivo Klaar, once again proved the pro-Armenian stance of the EU in consistent support of Yerevan despite the recent provocation at the border. In a post on his X social account, Klaar says that the European Union supports the bilateral mechanism proposed by Armenia for the elimination of the recent tensions on the border (in fact, tension created artificially by Armenia) between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The European Union is pushing on Armenia's behalf to assume some form of border control, ultimately launching a plan to strengthen its long-desired presence in the South Caucasus. In his post, the EU Special Representative talks about the EUMM Georgias 15 years of experience near the disputed areas of South Ossetia and Abkhazia whereas no results have been gained so far. The European Union talks extensively about fruitless experiments and thereby tries to expand its mission group in the South Caucasus, getting Armenia entrapped in its charm. Of course, the fact that the EU calls the violation of the ceasefire by Armenia an "allegation" aims to further its own goals by turning the issue into a question. If it were not so, the interests of the European Union in the South Caucasus would have arisen not after 2020, but 30 years ago. Continuous arming and provocation of Armenia has already become the main strategy of the West. On August 15-16, 2024, the Armenian military forces fired at the positions of the Azerbaijani army in the direction of Nakhchivan is not a random plan. Now the main goal is to legitimize the introduction of mission groups to the South Caucasus by coming up with various excuses and claims. Neither the West nor Yerevan is happy with the rest of the villages that Armenia is supposed to return to Azerbaijan or the opening of the Zangazur Corridor based on Baku's demands. The main goal is to nullify the results achieved step by step on the way to peace and leave the territories under the control of the mission group, holding Baku guilty, the one that maintains security in the region. For the time being, the West uses the vacuum created by Russia to find an easier language with Armenia and controls every issue. Therefore, Mr. Klaar hears not the official Baku, but rather Yerevan's "proposals" that have passed through the EUs filter. Nawab Brahumdagh Bugti, the President of the Baloch Republican Party (BRP) in a video statement released on Friday condemned the Pakistani army for its tactics aimed at discrediting peaceful Baloch protestors. Bugti accused the Pakistani military of using these tactics to suppress Baloch leaders who are advocating for the constitutional rights of the Baloch community and protesting against state and military abuses in Balochistan. Bugti said, "These actions are part of a deliberate scheme to tarnish the image of peaceful Baloch protestors who are fighting for their constitutional rights, protection against state violence, and the development of Balochistan. This ploy is designed to create a false narrative that these peaceful protestors are supported by anti-Pakistan entities, thereby justifying the violence inflicted by the Pakistani state." "This is not a new tactic; it has been used for decades to suppress the demands of the Baloch people. The Pakistani media's role in perpetuating this false narrative reflects its tendency to align with the powerful," Bugti said. Criticising the Pakistani media, Bugti said, "The media lacks credible sources for the accusations it makes against the Baloch community. Instead of spreading these baseless accusations, the media should focus on highlighting the real issues facing Balochistan, such as the drug trade and illegal liquor trade, which are allegedly supported by the Pakistani army. The proceeds from these trades are purportedly used to fund corrupt practices within the army. Yet, these issues are rarely reported on by the media." Bugti also criticised the practice of corruption in Balochistan's political system, stating, "Leaders who come to power in Balochistan often do so by bribing army authorities. The highest bidders secure the top positions, reflecting the corrupt practices entrenched within the system. The media avoids investigating these realities, fearing exposure of the army's true nature and potential repercussions." Despite these criticisms, Bugti emphasised that there is no harm in peacefully addressing the realities of Balochistan. "We are simply demanding what is rightfully ours - the right to manage our land and resources in Balochistan. We want control over our affairs and make decisions about our territory," he added. Balochistan has recently seen large-scale protests and mass gatherings organized by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (Baloch Unity Committee). The committee advocates for the protection of Baloch people's civil, political, and economic rights and calls for an end to enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings. In response to these peaceful protests, Pakistani security forces have reportedly used force against the demonstrators and have alleged that the protesters are receiving external support. (ANI) Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (TMOFA) criticised Beijing on Friday for pressuring Palau to sever its diplomatic ties with the island nation and for its recent coercive tactics that threaten regional peace, Taiwan Focus reported. TMOFA noted that this is not the first instance that China warned Palau President Surangel Whipps pressuring Pacific nations into breaking ties with Taiwan. Similar concerns have been highlighted in various foreign media reports. "We have a relationship with Taiwan ... China has openly told us (that) it is illegal and we should not recognize Taiwan. We need economic development, but at the same time we have values, we have partnerships, and the relationship we have with Taiwan, we treasure," Whipps told reporters during an official visit by New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters, the same news report claimed. New Zealand's Foreign Minister also claimed that China has explicitly advised against recognising Taiwan as a separate identity from China. The minister emphasised that while economic development is important, New Zealand values its partnership with Taiwan, which it treasures deeply. According to the report by Focus Taiwan, MOFA reaffirmed Taiwan's commitment to "value-based" diplomacy, emphasising that bilateral exchanges in areas such as tourism, medicine, and agriculture remain strong with Palau. The ministry accused China of expanding its influence in the Pacific through intimidation and economic coercion, thereby undermining regional stability. Notably, China has increasingly asserted its claims over Taiwan since September 2020, employing grey zone tactics by ramping up military aircraft and naval vessel activities around the island. This aggression has intensified following former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan in 2022. Taiwan has been self-governed since 1949, but China views the island as part of its territory and insists on eventual reunification, even by force if necessary. On Friday, Taiwan reported detecting 13 Chinese military aircraft and 10 naval vessels operating in its vicinity between 6 a.m. local time on Thursday and 6 a.m. local time on Friday. So far this month, Taiwan has tracked over 300 PLA aircraft and around 200 Chinese ships. Since September 2020, China has increased its use of grey zone tactics by incrementally increasing the number of military aircraft and naval vessels operating around Taiwan. (ANI) Amnesty International on Friday condemned Pakistan for its treatment of religious minorities, particularly after the Jaranwala incident where 26 churches were burnt by a mob. The report released by the human rights watchdog commemorating the completion of one year of Pakistan's Jaranwala incident highlights that over 90 per cent of the suspects are still at large and trials have not started, leaving the Christian community in fear. In a post on 'X' Amnesty International stated, "It has been a year since the arson and attacks on churches and Christian neighbourhoods in #Jaranwala, Pakistan. The victims continue to live in fear as the perpetrators of mob violence continue to evade accountability." https://x.com/amnestysasia/status/1824294668362027053 The report lamented the Pakistani administration for failing to deliver justice for the minority Christian community and prevent further misuse of blasphemy laws. More than 90 per cent of the suspects of the attack in Jaranwala, in Punjab's Faisalabad district, are still at large, said Amnesty International quoting a Right to Information Request filed at the Faisalabad City Police Office. Many are still awaiting government compensation and face continued threats and marginalization. Amnesty International urged the Pakistan government to ensure justice and protect minority groups. The Amnesty International report also stated, that the trials of those arrested in connection with the attacks, triggered by false allegations of blasphemy against two Christian residents, are yet to start and around 40 per cent of the minority Christian families affected by the violence are still awaiting government compensation. "Despite the authorities' assurances of accountability, the grossly inadequate action has allowed a climate of impunity for the perpetrators of the Jaranwala violence. A year on, the minority Christian community is being forced to reconcile with the fact that their aggressors continue to live amongst them without repercussions. Pakistan government must ensure that justice is delivered and minority groups are protected against discrimination and violence," said Babu Ram Pant, Amnesty International's Deputy Regional Director for South Asia. On 3 August 2024, a Right to Information Request filed at the City Police Office Faisalabad, indicates that of the 5,213 accused, 380 were arrested with 4,833 still at large. Of those arrested, 228 are now out on bail granted by the Anti-Terrorism Court in Faisalabad and 77 had the charges against them dropped, the same report claimed. While elaborating on the continued marginalisation of the religious minorities in Pakistan the Amnesty International report mentioned that many have lost their jobs due to heightened tensions that have also affected businesses and public life in the city. Frightened Christian families continue to face threats from perpetrators of the violence who were released over the last year. Some Christian families have even migrated to neighbouring cities, while the religious leaders who incited the mob still roam free and continue to exercise influence in the area. The same report quoted a statement by Khalida Bano, a Christian woman from Jaranwala stating, "We saw our houses in complete shambles, like the building would soon collapse. To date, we have received no support. It has been a year, and my husband is unemployed because no one hired him (due to stigma). Many people received the promised compensation of 2 million rupees or USD 7,200, but we did not receive it," Samuel Payara, the lead petitioner for the Christian community in cases related to the Jaranwala attacks at the Supreme Court, described a culture of impunity for violence against religious minorities. He stated "Despite the police accusing thousands for the mob violence, only about 400 were arrested. Of those, most roam free. Even more alarming is that the individual who incited the mob using a mosque's loudspeaker has also been granted bail, and some groups are harassing victims to prevent them from participating in the cases [as witnesses]." There appears to be a double standard in Pakistan's legal system's response to such incidents. While trials against those accused of the mob violence in Jaranwala have not started, a 27-year-old Christian man was sentenced to death in July 2024 by an anti-terrorism court for causing the riots in Jaranwala through an allegedly blasphemous video on TikTok. He was charged under sections 295-C and 295-A of the Pakistan Penal Code which deals with blasphemy, section 11 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act and Section 7(1)(g) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, the report by Amnesty International claimed. (ANI) US lawmakers introduced the Fighting Illicit Goods, Helping Trustworthy Importers and Netting Gains (FIGHTING) for America Act to scrutinize Chinese goods entering the US through customs loopholes. The bill aims to stop the flow of illicit goods, including fentanyl, counterfeits, and products made with forced labour, by tightening import requirements for low-value packages known as de minimis entry, read a statement from the US Senate Committee on Finance (USSCF). The US senators claim that Chinese companies are manipulating tariff laws designed to protect goods made using Uyghur forced labour from entering the US economy. The bill was introduced by US Senator Ron Wyden, Cynthia Lummis, Sherrod Brown, Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Bob Casey. The de minimis system currently exempts parcel shipments valued at USD 800 or less from duties and taxes, but lawmakers claim Chinese companies are manipulating this to avoid paying tariffs and evade trade penalties. The legislation would improve oversight of the de minimis entry process, increase penalties for bad actors, and level the playing field for US manufacturers and workers. According to the statement report, the de minimis system exempts parcel shipments valued at USD 800 or less from duties and taxes, allowing consumers to receive goods faster and cheaper. As the volume of packages increased, the CBP has struggled to effectively target and separate packages containing questioned goods from violating US law. "Foreign corporate giants are inundating our borders with millions of low-value packages, making it tough for customs agents to stop dangerous goods like fentanyl from falling into Americans' hands. Americans should feel confident that anything arriving on their doorstep is safe, legal, and ethically produced. Our legislation would crack down on foreign companies abusing the law and make sure they play by the rules," US lawmaker Ron Wyden said. Another US lawmaker Lummis stated, "Whether through the southwest border or in packages mailed into the United States, China is using any tool available to get illicit drugs across our border. It is time for CBP to crack down on shipments from China to ensure drugs and products made using slave labour are encountered before making it into our communities." The legislation would ensure that Chinese corporate giants cannot use the de minimis process to avoid paying tariffs on textiles, shoes and apparel or evade trade penalties imposed because of Chinese trade cheating. Additionally, the reduction in the overall volume of low-value packages through de minimis ways would lower carbon emissions, promote enforcement of US trade laws, and level the playing field for US manufacturers and workers. The legislation would also improve oversight of the de minimis entry process by requiring CBP to collect more information about commercial packages, facilitating the targeting and seizure of illicit goods, and increasing penalties for bad actors the statement by the USSCF. Kim Glas the president of the National Council of Textile Organizations said, "We fully support the legislation as a strong step toward addressing this glaring loophole, which facilitates 4 million packages a day that bypass federal scrutiny and enter the US duty-free, and acts as a gateway for products made with forced labour, counterfeits, toxic products and illicit narcotics such as fentanyl." This legislation is supported by the National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), Parents Against Vaping e-Cigs (PAVe), Voices for Awareness, Facing Fentany Now, National Association of Police Organizations, Fraternal Order of Police, United Steelworkers (USW), United States Footwear Manufacturers Association (USFMA), National Treasury Employees Union, and the Outdoor Industries Association. (ANI) Muhammad Yunus, Chief Advisor of the Bangladesh government, on Saturday took part in the third Voice of Global South Summit and spoke about geopolitical challenges, climate change and the situation in Bangladesh. Addressing a press conference after the Third Voice of Global South Summit, which was hosted by India and held virtually, Jaishankar said many other leaders also spoke about their national circumstances, apart from commenting on global issues. Answering a query, Jaishankar said it would not be appropriate for him to either comment on the Bangladesh leader's remarks or to give a fuller description. "But I would say, he began by greeting the Prime Minister and India on (India's) Independence Day. And then in terms of the subject matter, he did refer to geopolitical challenges, to climate change as a very big concern...and then he spoke about this situation in Bangladesh," Jaishankar said. "It wasn't only him, many other leaders also spoke about their national circumstances, apart from commenting on global issues... I think what he [Yunus] said on national circumstances is better something which would come out of his own system rather than for me to talk about," he added. Bangladesh has seen violent protests leading to Sheikh Hasina apparently resignging as Prime Minister and leaving the country. There have been attacks on minorities and the authorities have given assurances about their protection. Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephone conversation with Prof Mohammad Yunus, on Friday. During the call, 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. The Prime Minister also underlined the importance of ensuring the safety and protection of Hindus and all other minority communities in Bangladesh. Prof Yunus, in turn, 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. The Global South Summit initiative began as an extension of PM Modi's vision of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas aur Sabka Prayas', and is underpinned by India's philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. It envisages bringing together countries of the Global South to share their perspectives and priorities on a common platform across a whole range of issues. India hosted the 1st Voice of Global South Summit (VOGSS) on January 12-13 2023, and the second Voice of Global South Summit on November 17, both in virtual format. (ANI) The Speaker of the Mauritius National Assembly, Adrien Charles Duval, called on Vice President and Chairman, Rajya Sabha, Jagdeep Dhankhar at the Vice President's Enclave on Saturday and emphasised the long-standing bilateral relationship between the two countries. Their discussions highlighted the importance of continued Parliamentary exchanges to further deepen ties between the two nations. In a post on X, Dhankar said, "The Speaker of the Mauritius National Assembly, H.E. Adrien Charles Duval, called on the Hon'ble Vice-President of India and Chairman, Rajya Sabha, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar at Vice-President's Enclave today. Both leaders underlined the long-standing bilateral relationship between India and Mauritius, anchored in shared history, culture, language, kinship and values. Discussions highlighted the importance of continued Parliamentary exchanges to further deepen ties between the two nations." https://x.com/VPIndia/status/1824812240165544267 Earlier on Friday, External Affairs Minister welcomed Duval. In a post on X, Jaishankar said, "Pleasure to welcome Mauritius' National Assembly Speaker Adrien Charles Duval. Recalled my recent visit to Mauritius as we discussed further strengthening of India-Mauritius partnership." https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1824398004586975526 Duval called on Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla at the Parliament House Complex on Friday. 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. (ANI) Nepali Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba will embark on an official visit to India for five days starting Sunday at the invitation of her Indian counterpart, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Nepal's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday. As per the statement, Nepali Foreign Minister will be holding meetings with Jaishankar and will "discuss matters of mutual interest for strengthening Nepal-India relations and promoting cooperation." "As part of the regular exchange of high-level visits between Nepal and India, this visit will further consolidate the age-old, deep and multifaceted bilateral relations," the release stated. An official from the secretariat of Arzu Rana Deuba confirmed to ANI that she will also be tying "Rakshabandhan" to Vijay Chauthaiwale on Monday. "The Foreign Minister was set to go India for medical checkup later next week. During the visit of Indian Foreign Secretary earlier this week, invitation for the formal visit of The foreign minister came along. As it coincides with Rakshyabandhan she will also be tying Rakshyabandhan with Dr. Vijay Chauthaiwale," an official from the Foreign Minister's secretariat confirmed ANI. During her stay in Delhi, Deuba will also hold talks about visit of Nepal Prime Minister Oli to India. An official from the Foreign Ministry informed ANI that, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended invitation to his Nepali counterpart, KP Sharma Oli, during the visit of Foreign Secretary. "Nepali Prime Minister got invitation from Indian Prime Minister for visit to India through the Indian Foreign Secretary on the same day Nepali PM extended invitation for visit to Indian PM. Prime Minister Oli will be visiting India within September in case the BIMSTEC Summit in Thailand is cancelled, provided there is development there," the Foreign Ministry official informed ANI. During the visit, Nepali Foreign Minister will also be holding discussion about Oli's subsequent visit to Indian side and also probably will call on the Indian Prime Minister, the official further added. The Foreign Minister will extend formal invitation letter from Nepali Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nepali President Ram Chandra Paudel to Indian President Droupadi Murmu to visit Nepal. (ANI) Between 2014 and 2024, the UAE provided USD 3.5 billion in aid to Sudan. Since the conflict erupted in 2023, the UAE has contributed USD 230 million in assistance, according to a press release from the UAE Embassy in India. More than 159 relief flights have delivered over 10,000 tonnes of food, medical supplies, and other relief materials. Additionally, two field hospitals have been established in Chad to treat Sudanese refugees. The Amdjarass Field Hospital has treated 24,741 patients, while 21,761 individuals received care at the Abeche Field Hospital, the press release stated. In April, the UAE pledged over USD 100 million in aid during the International Humanitarian Conference for Sudan and Neighboring Countries in Paris. The UAE's contributions include USD 70 million to UN humanitarian organizations in Sudan, with a direct donation of USD 30 million for refugees in neighbouring countries. The UAE has also provided USD 25 million to the World Food Programme, USD 20 million to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), USD 8 million to the World Health Organization (WHO), and USD 7 million to the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF). Additionally, the UAE has contributed USD 5 million each to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). "The UAE remains committed to supporting the Sudanese people during these challenging times, providing essential humanitarian aid and medical assistance to those affected by the ongoing crisis," the UAE Embassy in India stated. (ANI) 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 Here's a 12-pack of things you need to know about Indiana's alcohol laws If you're new to living (and drinking) in Indiana, the laws might differ from your last home state. Indiana's alcohol laws have changed a few times over the years most recently this year, when the happy hour ban was lifted. Here's what to know about Indiana's alcohol laws as of 2024. Can you buy alcohol on Sunday in Indiana? Yes, but only during certain hours at stores. Restaurants or bars can serve drinks (beer, wine and cocktails) from 7 a.m. to 3 a.m., but if you are planning to purchase at a liquor, grocery or convenience store on a Sunday, you can only purchase it between noon and 8 p.m. You used to be unable to purchase alcohol in Indiana on Sundays, but a law passed in 2018 changed that. Happy hours are here again: St. Joseph County restaurants, taverns ready to roll out specials and carry-out cocktails Why was it illegal to buy beer on Sunday in Indiana? Banning alcohol sales on Sunday dates back to Prohibition-era blue laws in which religious groups sought to reserve the day for worship. However, Indiana's Sunday ban lingered for years due mostly to economic reasons, with religious objections rarely being part of the debate. The biggest roadblock had been the liquor store industry, which sought to protect its market share from groceries, pharmacies and big box stores. With Sunday the second busiest grocery shopping day of the week, liquor stores were worried they would lose sales if the public stocks up on their regular Sunday trips to Target. Liquor stores have also objected to the added costs of staffing on Sundays. Finally, some anti-alcohol organizations just don't want to give consumers another day to buy alcohol. When did it become legal to buy alcohol on Sunday in Indiana? On March 4, 2018, for the first time, Hoosiers were able to buy beer (and other alcoholic products) from liquor stores, groceries, pharmacies and convenience stores from noon to 8 p.m. What time of day can you purchase alcohol in Indiana? State law permits the sale of alcohol at restaurants and bars from 7 a.m. to 3 a.m. Sunday through Saturday. The only exception is if you are buying alcohol and carrying it out on Sunday; you can do so only from noon to 8 p.m. from all grocery, liquor and convenience stores. More: New beer to honor former Purdue basketball coach Gene Keady Can you buy cold beer for carryout in Indiana? Yes, but only at liquor stores. Grocery stores, convenience stores and pharmacies are not allowed to sell cold beer. This is another rule liquor stores have objected to changing over the years because it sets their business apart from other retailers. What states allow liquor sales in grocery stores? Only four states, Alaska, Delaware, Maryland and Rhode Island, do not permit grocery stores to sell alcohol at all. Most states have their own rules on what types of alcohol can be purchased in grocery stores. Some allow beer and wine, others allow only beer and all hard liquor must be purchased at liquor stores. Indiana is one of only 21 states that allow the sale of hard liquor outside of liquor stores. What is the open container law in Indiana? People in motor vehicles are not permitted to have an open container unless you're paying for a ride in vehicles such as a cab, Uber, etc. or in the living quarters of a recreational vehicle. Indiana has no restrictions on the open carrying of alcohol in public spaces. Patrons are allowed to carry an alcoholic beverage in its original container out of a premise and consume it on the sidewalks, unless it's against a local ordinance. However, the premise may not allow drinks to be carried out as part of its policy. It's important to note that both South Bend and Mishawaka prohibit carrying an open container of alcohol in public. Both cities are considering taking advantage of a new state law allowing designated areas within a city that act as exceptions to open container ordinances. So what about these designated outdoor refreshment areas? A designated outdoor refreshment area (DORA) will soon open up in Ironworks Plaza and Beutter Park, city officials said. A new state law has allowed cities and towns to set up districts to allow people to carry open drinks during select hours and days. DORA: Mishawaka council approves outdoor drinking district for downtown's Ironworks Plaza Mishawaka has designated an area in Ironworks Plaza encompassing Beutter Park and some nearby areas where people can buy drinks in special cups and carry them in the defined space. Under the ordinance, people will be able to buy drinks from approved vendors in the zone and carry them in an area roughly from Main Street on the east, Front Street except for the area south of The Mill to the south, the parking area past the Ironworks Events Center to the west, and Beutter Park but not the Riverwalk sidewalk to the north. The area will be open to the outdoor drink rules only from 4 to 10 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, from noon to 10 p.m. on Saturdays, and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays. Mishawaka's ordinance is set to expire Oct. 31 so the city can adjust based on how well it's working. South Bend is still in the exploratory stages with its DORA. More: City officials explore the possibility of a restricted DORA for downtown South Bend Earlier this year, city officials presented a preliminary proposal to members of the Downtown Dining Association in South Bend that would have limited the DORA to Michigan Street and East Jefferson Boulevard for predetermined times and events such as First Fridays, Art Beat, Wine Walks and other similar events. That early proposal included 23 businesses and would have restricted the hours ending no later than 9 p.m. for most events during which visitors could walk in the DORA with approved cups and beverages from approved vendors. Can you buy alcohol on Election Day? Yes. The law banning alcohol sales while the polls were open was changed in 2010 and was put into practice for the first time during the 2012 election. Can you buy alcohol on Christmas Day? Yes; stores and restaurants that are open on Christmas Day are allowed to sell liquor. The law banning alcohol sales on Christmas Day was changed in 2015 and was first allowed Dec. 25, 2015. The Sunday time period rule does apply if the holiday falls on a Sunday. Eating out in South Bend: 5 reasons to visit Downtown Restaurant Weeks Is happy hour illegal in Indiana? Not anymore. As of July 1, 2024, the happy hour ban was lifted. Gov. Eric Holcomb signed a new law that repealed the 40-year-old ban on discount drinks during specified hours, a measure that arose in the 1980s amid a public push against drunk driving. House Enrolled Act 1086 also gives restaurants the ability to sell in-house cocktails to-go a nod to the post-COVID-19 business world in which they now operate. Reminders about alcohol consumption The legal drinking age in the United States is 21 years old or older. Minors should know that it is illegal to knowingly possess or consume alcohol or transport alcohol on a public highway when not accompanied by at least one of his or her parents or guardians. Indiana law requires permittees and their employees to check identification of any person younger than 40 when conducting carryout sales. Alcohol is a controlled substance. Please drink responsibly and never drink and drive. Isabela Butera and South Bend Tribune staff contributed to this report. Katie Wiseman is a trending news reporter at IndyStar. Contact her at klwiseman@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @itskatiewiseman. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: South Bend and Mishawaka looking at new designated drinking areas Under the chairmanship of Mazahir Panahov, the Central Election Commission (CEC) convened for a meeting on Friday, Azernews reports. The meeting began with the approval of the protocols from the sessions held on August 10 and 12. The commission then reviewed and approved an appeal from the Social Research Center to conduct an exit poll during the Azerbaijani snap parliamentary elections scheduled for September 1. Amendments were also made to the composition of the Surakhani-Khatai Constituency Election Commission No. 36. The meeting, attended by media representatives and members of the international observation mission, involved thorough discussions on various applications and the adoption of related decisions. 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. When will Oklahoma see cooler temps? Here's what you can expect for winter 2024-2025 Oklahoma and August name a hotter duo. As the National Weather Service issues regular heat advisories warning residents about the dangers of intense sun on hot days with the heat index above 100 degrees, it seems like the cool, breezy days of fall can't get here soon enough. So when will "cooler" temperatures arrive in Oklahoma, and what can we expect for the 2024-2025 season? In the short term, Oklahoma is likely to see lower-than-average temperatures and a higher chance for rain as September begins. Beyond that, however, it's hard to say but meteorologists have reason to think it'll be a warm winter. How about some fall weather just in time for football next weekend? And it should last through much of next week! How about some highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s next week? #okwx #okmesonet pic.twitter.com/vGfCmJyp1O Oklahoma Mesonet (@okmesonet) August 25, 2024 Although it's difficult to accurately predict, one strong guidepost for anticipating seasonal weather is the El Nino and La Nina oscillation, the weather system that's triggered when waters of the Pacific Ocean are either warmer or cooler than average. Climate scientists expect La Nina to fully settle in this fall as ocean temps continue to remain below average. In Oklahoma, La Nina usually makes it warmer and drier. No bueno. How does La Nina affect Oklahoma temperatures? A lot has been said about how La Nina conditions this year have raised the chances for a very busy hurricane season. But La Nina has a wider impact than providing ideal conditions for a developing tropical cyclone. It also has a diverse impact on weather across the United States. In Oklahoma, La Nina usually brings dry and warm winters, according to the National Weather Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In the Pacific Northwest, it's wetter and cooler. While the oscillation between climate patterns is usually a short-lived phenomenon, La Nina persisted for three years between 2020 and 2023. In Oklahoma, it created devastating drought conditions with one of the worst wheat harvests the state had seen in years. Here are the early predictions for what the winter months may bring this year. Temperature outlook for Oklahoma Use the slider to compare the outlook for October-December 2024 with January-March 2025. NOAA is predicting Oklahoma will have a higher chance of seeing above-average temperatures this fall and early winter. After the New Year, however, we'll see a roughly equal chances of temps being above or below average. How dry will Oklahoma be this fall and winter? Use the slider to compare the precipitation outlook for October-December 2024 with January-March 2025. NOAA's seasonal precipitation outlook leans toward below average precipitation when it comes to rain or snow this winter. And like the temperature outlook, the start of 2025 will likely be closer to the average. When does it get cold in Oklahoma? In Oklahoma City, the hottest month on average is July, but only slightly above August. The average temperature begins to noticeably dip in September. As an example, here are 30 years of temperature averages for the OKC area according to the Oklahoma Mesonet: January: 40 degrees February: 43 degrees March: 52 degrees April: 60 degrees May: 69 degrees June: 77 degrees July: 82 degrees August: 81 degrees September: 73 degrees October: 62 degrees November: 50 degrees December: 41 degrees As for 2024, it's hard to say when the air will cool down. August temps are very likely to remain above average. And with La Nina keeping things dry and warm for at least a few months, it'll be a while before we feel that comfortable Oklahoma autumn. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma weather this fall will probably be warmer and drier Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Friday got one step closer to appearing on the Nov. 5 Arizona ballot, submitting 110,000 signatures to the Secretary of States Office. Meanwhile, third-party hopeful Cornel Wests campaign is still working out a paperwork snag one day before a Saturday evening ballot deadline. Both third-party candidates brought boxes of signature petitions to the Arizona Secretary of States Office. Kennedy turned in approximately 110,000 signatures, according to a campaign volunteer, while West turned in 100,000. Glenn Rink, a Kennedy campaign volunteer, delivers petition signatures to the Arizona Secretary of State's office Friday in hopes of getting independent presidential candidate RFK Jr. on the state's Nov. 5 ballot. Its an honor, said Paradise Valley resident Glenn Rink, a Kennedy volunteer and elector who delivered the signatures. Bobby Kennedy is a very special human being. He believes in healing the divide from Republicans to Democrats. Independent campaigns must gather 42,303 signatures from registered Arizona voters to get on the statewide presidential ballot. If the West and Kennedy signatures are approved, they will join Republican nominee Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris on the Arizona ballot. Election workers began scanning Kennedys signatures on Friday afternoon, state Elections Director Lisa Marra said, and news about whether the signatures are approved will come as soon as Tuesday or Wednesday. Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., waves to the crowd at a campaign rally at Brazos Hall Monday May 13, 2024. We have a team ready to work through the weekend until the task is complete, said Aaron Thacker, a spokesperson for the Secretary of States Office. Third-party candidates have virtually no chance of winning the presidential race themselves, but their impact on the election in Arizona could be significant. The presidential race is likely to be decided by a razor-thin margin President Joe Biden beat Trump by fewer than 11,000 votes in 2020. For that reason, third-party candidates could tip the balance of the race by pulling votes away from the major parties. Dr. Cornel West speaks onstage during the 'Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise' panel discussion at the PBS portion of the 2016 Television Critics Association Summer Tour at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on July 29, 2016 in Beverly Hills, California. The West campaign hit a roadblock when it came to drop off signatures on Friday morning because it did not bring all of the required paperwork to get on the ballot. The campaign was missing a presidential nomination form, a vice presidential nomination form and an acceptance letter, Marra said. They are not filed as of right now in Arizona, Marra said. The West campaign told Marra it would bring the missing documents before a 5 p.m. deadline on Saturday, she said. A West campaign aide arrived at the office building in Phoenix on Friday morning with 12 white cardboard boxes. The West aide declined to comment, and a West campaign spokesperson did not respond to several inquiries. The West campaign left the boxes in a storage room in the secretary of states office. Cornel West's presidential campaign on Friday delivered boxes of petition signatures to the Arizona Secretary of State's Office. Later in the day, Rink, the Kennedy volunteer, brought six cardboard boxes full of signatures for review. Marra confirmed the campaign had all the required paperwork and gave Rink a conditional receipt for the signatures. West, who has struggled to raise money for his bid, is on the ballot in several states, including Colorado, Oregon, Vermont and South Carolina. A federal judge recently ordered North Carolina to allow West on the ballot after his Justice For All party had been denied access in the state. On Friday, Michigan booted West off the ballot because his campaign filed some paperwork that was not properly notarized. Kennedy is on the ballot in more states than West, including California, Maine, Michigan, New Mexico and North Carolina. Still, he is far from appearing on ballots in all 50 states. Kennedy said that getting on the ballot has been a significant challenge as a third-party operation. Side-by-side promo image of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., left, and Cornell West. We have been able to overcome impossible odds, Kennedy said last week during a Zoom call with reporters. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Kennedy submits signatures for Arizona ballot; West missing paperwork AT&T union workers on strike across Louisville. Could it impact your phone service? Union employees at AT&T Southeast are on strike in Louisville and other major cities after failed labor contract negotiations for workers in the Southeast region. Communications Workers of America filed a charge with the National Labor Relations Board against AT&T Southeast and began striking at 3 p.m. on Friday "to protest unfair labor practices committed by management during negotiations for a new union contract," according to Tim Morris, executive director of the Greater Louisville Central Labor Council. AT&T workers with CWA Local 3310 picketed during a ULP (Unfair labor practice) strike in front of the AT&T office at 9501 Dixie Hwy. in Louisville, Ky. on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. AT&T spokesperson Jim Kimberly stated the company has plans in place to avoid disruption to daily operations and is disappointed in failed negotiations. Were disappointed that union leaders would call for a strike at this point in the negotiations, rather than directing their energies toward constructive discussions at the bargaining table," he said. "This action needlessly jeopardizes the wages and well-being of our employees." Around 17,000 employees in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee are on strike after their contract expired at the start of August. The CWA and AT&T have been in negotiations since June 25. Nationwide, CWA represents more than 150,000 AT&T workers across varying bargaining units. In Kentucky, roughly 600 workers are impacted, Carolyn Cain, the campaign lead for CWA District 3, previously told the Courier Journal. CWA has filed an unfair labor practice charge against AT&T "for not bargaining in good faith, engaging in surface bargaining, and not sending representatives to the bargaining table with the authority to make decisions," according to a news release announcing the strike. AT&T workers with CWA Local 3310 picketed during a ULP (Unfair labor practice) strike in front of the AT&T office at 3719 Bardstown Rd. in Louisville, Ky. on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. Our union entered into negotiations in a good faith effort to reach a fair contract, but we have been met at the table by company representatives who were unable to explain their own bargaining proposals and did not seem to have the actual bargaining authority required by the legal obligation to bargain in good faith, CWA District 3 Vice President Richard Honeycutt said in the release. Earlier this year, Kimberly told The Courier Journal that AT&T "value(s) our union-represented employees and support their total well-being with wages and benefits that are among the best in the nation. As one of the largest employers of union-represented employees in the U.S., we are committed to reaching fair agreements that recognize the work they do every day to serve our customers." He said the company has engaged in "substantive bargaining" since the beginning and reached three agreements in 2024 covering more than 13,000 employees. CWA previously went on strike in 2019 over "unfair labor practices" by management during the negotiations. Morris said workers will strike during typical working hours and the Greater Louisville Central Labor Council is supporting them by delivering water bottles and snacks. AT&T workers with CWA Local 3310 prevented a non-union driver from exiting the AT&T office at 3719 Bardstown Rd. during a ULP (Unfair labor practice) strike in Louisville, Ky. on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. "They will be on the picket line, on strike, until they're called back. Potentially when they get a contract," Morris told the Courier Journal. Here's what else to know: What does the CWA want in its new contract with AT&T? Negotiations surround Southeast AT&T employees in customer service roles, sales consultants, service technicians, wire technicians, and outside plant technicians. Cain previously told The Courier Journal in late June the union's goals include improving healthcare benefits for active employees and retirees, "significant" wage increases with a cost-of-living adjustment along with work-life balance measures, among other items. AT&T strikes AT&T and its union start negotiations for a new contract. What this means for Kentucky The union would also like to see increased job security for members as well as for AT&T to add more positions. Could the AT&T strike impact my phone service? Now that AT&T Southeast customers are on strike, people and businesses who need service technicians, wire technicians, customer service tasks or sales help may experience delays. However, Kimberly, with AT&T said We have various business continuity measures in place to avoid disruptions to operations and will continue to provide our customers with the great service they expect. Business reporter Olivia Evans contributed to this report. Marina Johnson is a breaking and trending news reporter at The Courier Journal. You can reach her at marina.johnson@courier-journal.com. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: AT&T Southeast union strikes over expired contract failed negotiations HOWELL Former President Donald Trump will reportedly visit Howell on Tuesday to talk about crime and safety, his campaign announced Saturday. Trump will speak at the Livingston County Sheriff's Office, his campaign wrote in a news release. The meeting will begin at 3 p.m. Former President Donald Trump speaks in front of thousands during a rally at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Mich., on Saturday, July 20, 2024. The planned visit to Howell is Trump's sixth to Michigan, a key battleground state, this year. Howell made headlines statewide during Trump's visit to Grand Rapids in July his first rally since an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania when white supremacists, some of whom voiced support for the former president, organized demonstrations in the small town. One group chanted "Heil Hitler" during a march that lasted about half an hour, according to city officials. There were about a dozen participants, with faces covered and signs in hand, gathered on the lawn of the Livingston County Historic Courthouse. More: 'We love Hitler. We love Trump.' As Trump rallied in GR, white supremacists chanted in Howell More: Report: Harris campaign, Nessel condemn white supremacist showings in Howell More: Timeline: Livingston County's complicated history with race The demonstrators marched down Grand River Avenue to the lawn of the Howell Carnegie District Library before a library board member confronted them and told them to leave. They proceeded to their cars while being monitored by the Howell Police Department, which confirmed several of the demonstrators came from outside the community, including counties Saginaw and Macomb. Although we recognize their right to free speech, these demonstrators do not reflect the values of the Howell community, the city wrote a statement, adding it joins the Livingston Diversity Council and Howell Area Chamber of Commerce in "(standing) united in condemning the group's racist ideology." A second demonstration, which saw participants waving flags with a swastika, the term "KKK" and other antisemitic messaging, took place on the I-96 and Latson Road overpass, according to photos and video posted in a community Facebook group. It was not immediately clear whether the demonstrators were the same as those who marched downtown. In a video, the demonstrators repeatedly chanted: "We love Hitler. We love Trump." The photos include a person dressed in all-black who appeared to be giving the Nazi salute. According to reporting from The Washington Post, a Trump spokeswoman strongly denied a link between the campaign event Tuesday and the demonstrations, calling the accusation absurd. But the campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris has concerns. The racists and white supremacists who marched in Trumps name last month in Howell have all watched him praise Hitler, defend neo-Nazis in Charlottesville, and tell far-right extremists to stand back and stand by.' Trumps actions have encouraged them, and Michiganders can expect more of the same when he comes to town next week, Harriss Michigan Communications Director Alyssa Bradley said in a statement, according to The Post. Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told The Post "there is no connection between the choice of campaign stop and the history of extremist activity in the city," the publication wrote. She noted President Joe Biden visited Howell in 2021, and said Harris had visited cities where racist protests and marches have occurred in the past. President Trump will travel to Howell to deliver a strong message on law and order, making it clear that crime, violence, and hate of any form will have zero place in our country when he is back in the White House, Leavitt wrote to The Post. Livingston County has long had a complicated history with racism, ever since Robert Miles, once a Grand Dragon of the Michigan Ku Klux Klan, settled on a 70-acre farm in Cohoctah Township, just north of town. Residents were quick to denounce the demonstrations, and many local Trump supporters asserted the participants did not reflect the values of the former president. Cassandra Lybrink is the local editor of The Livingston Daily. Contact her at clybrink@livingstondaily.com. Follow her on Twitter @CassLybrink. This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Trump to visit Howell on Tuesday, one month after controversial demonstrations Ward IV City Council candidate Peter Alexander has withdrawn his lawsuit contesting the outcome of the June 18 Republican primary against incumbent Lynchburg Vice Mayor and Ward IV Councilman Chris Faraldi. In the lawsuit, filed on June 28, Alexander asked for a three-judge panel to hear evidence in the case in the hopes the judges will issue an order invalidating the results of the primary. The lawsuit was scheduled to go to trial this Friday in Lynchburg Circuit Court before the three-judge panel. But in a notice of nonsuit filing with the court on Aug. 2, Alexander asked that the case be dismissed. It has become apparent that all 125 absentee ballots at issue were, in fact, counted (with one possible exception), and that any such irregularities as may remain would not be sufficient to have a probable impact on the outcome of the Primary Election, given the 33-vote margin separating the two candidates, Alexander wrote in the filing. Due to concerns over the 125 absentee ballots, the Alexander campaign wanted the Ward IV Republican primary results thrown out and the winner of the primary determined by the Lynchburg Republican City Committee. William Hurd, Alexanders lawyer, said the decision to withdraw the lawsuit was based on the information that Alexander was able to obtain by contesting the election results through the legal system. Standing up for election integrity means challenging the process when there are legitimate questions, Hurd told The News & Advance. But it also means acknowledging when those questions have been satisfactorily answered. We have done both. Last Wednesday, Steven Troxel, vice chairman of the Lynchburg Electoral Board, was scheduled to give a deposition in the lawsuit brought by Alexander. But Troxel ended up not sitting for a deposition. Hurd said he could not divulge why the Alexander campaign chose not to depose Troxel in the case. On June 24, Lynchburg election officials completed the vote count and certified Faraldi as the winner of the primary by a total of 33 votes over Alexander. As predicted during the first hearing on this matter, this case was resolved before trial. And, as stated after the first hearing on this matter, this lawsuit was a giant waste of time, Zachary Werrell, Faraldis attorney, said in a statement responding to Alexanders withdrawal of the lawsuit. Werrell said the only reason public time and resources were spent on the lawsuit is because the cabal behind Mr. Alexanders campaign simply could not or would not understand some rather basic data entries in the voter database. The lawsuit was less about legitimate concerns over the election, and more a political hit job intended to waste my clients money and time that could have been better spent winning the upcoming general election, he said. Werrell called on Mr. Alexander and the cabal who pushed him to file this suit to apologize to Faraldi and donate to his campaign to make up for his legal bills. Faraldi will not be filing a motion with the court requesting the Alexander campaign cover his legal costs, given that Virginia law makes it hard to recover costs from a plaintiff, Werrell said. We felt that although we could make a strong case on the facts but not necessarily the law for fees given the lack of evidence upon which this case was filed, it was in the interest of justice, judicial economy, the parties, and the voters of Lynchburg to not waste any more time, money, or resources on this lawsuit, Werrell told The News & Advance. Faraldi, who seeks a second term on city council, will face Democrat April Watson, a lifelong Lynchburg resident and veteran social worker, in Novembers general election for Ward IV. Being elected to serve as the council member for Lynchburgs Fourth Ward has been the greatest honor of my life, Faraldi said in a statement in response to Alexander withdrawing his lawsuit. Being re-nominated to continue to serve in that role is the second greatest. KYOTO, Aug 17 (NHK) - Five mountains surrounding Japan's ancient capital Kyoto served as the stage for a spectacular bonfire festival on Friday, attracting tens of thousands of people. Gozan Okuribi is held every August 16 to send off ancestral spirits during the Bon holidays. The fires form shapes such as a boat and the kanji character for "large". The first was lit at 8 p.m., and the others shortly after. Police say the festival attracted a crowd of about 47,000, up more than 20,000 from last year. About 300 people viewed the event from the rooftop of a textile center. One woman in her 40s who came with her family said this was the first Bon festival since her father died, adding that she was glad they were able to give him a good sendoff. Recently Ive had a bit of a fascination with rhythm machines. Not the computerized digital ones like that built into my old Yamaha organ, but fully analog ones. Theres something quite appealing about producing drum-like sounds with just discrete circuits of transistors, capacitors, and resistors. Lets take a glimpse into a realm so analog that even discrete logic isnt discrete enough. Disclaimer: I barely know anything about music. Like, even less than I know about videogames. An Analogue In drum machines, analog seems to usually mean discrete electronic parts, while digital means recordings of instruments that are played back as PCM samples. Of course, today its pretty common to have PCM samples (or even more sophisticated recreations in emulation) of analog drum machines on digital machines in that case I guess analog describes more the kind of sound. The kind of sound that might make the pop the Mockingboard outputs when you turn on the computer make you think, hey that could be a drum. Your browser does not support the audio element. Well, it takes a little bit more than an audio pop to make a drum. But not that much more. My suspicion, not confirmed, is that that pop is caused by resetting the state of the AY-3-8910. So that highly integrated audio circuit probably is actually quite a bit more sophisticated of an audio device than anything else in this post. But ignore that. So for today were going to take a look at one particular analog drum machine: the Panasonic RD-9844. And you might say, why the Panasonic RD-9844 and not something more well-known, like the Roland TR-808, probably the most well-known analog drum machine of all time? I mean, the RD-9844 doesnt even let you create your own patterns outside of the pitiful four built-in. The TR-808 has a microcontroller inside of it that allows for that pattern creation. The TR-808s more sophisticated sounds have more sophisticated circuits. A simpler device is theoretically more easily understood as a didactic device. The RD-9844 has a service manual schematic that fits on a single page. Its fun to see how low-end designs solved complex problems with as few parts as possible. And most importantly, the TR-808 costs thousands of dollars. The RD-9844 does not. (though on eBay people are already trying to get too much for it) The Panasonic RD-9844 is powered by a 9V battery, with no option for a power plug. A hardwired mono 3.5mm minijack plug has the music output on it; mine came with an adapter for 3.5mm to RCA, and Ive seen the same molded plastic adapter in online listings, so I think it must have come with it. Theyre not expecting 6.35mm jacks, which probably says something about the expected users. I'm not sure if there's a difference between a "drum machine" and a "rhythm machine". Argue about it in the comments. Lets take a quick listen first. Heres the rock preset, which is the most complicated of the bunch. Someone at Panasonic really likes those noise drums, but its not just that. Your browser does not support the audio element. Using the RD-9844 So lets break the functionality of this simple machine into two parts. A drum machine, and a rhythm machine. The drum machine On the front of the Panasonic are three drum pads for the three drum sounds its capable of playing. Are they pressure sensitive? Look, Im going to let you just think about that. Of course theyre not. Be lucky you have them at all. Your browser does not support the audio element. Bass: its not all about it The first sound worth looking at is the bass drum. Not only is it furthest to the left, and I read from left to right, but this is also the simplest sound that the machine offers. Its just a decaying wave, triggered by an input pulse. I realized after this session that there's no real point taking an oscilloscope trace here; I might as well just use Audacity because it's an audio waveform. Voltage over time is the same thing in either case. Heres an attempt by me to take the schematic, and reduce it to the part thats only relevant to the bass drum. The audio is input as a pulse generated when you press the button, and the output goes down to the audio frequency amp (AF AMP). This is all transistor logic; the main thing to remember is that on a transistor, if theres current at the gate, current will flow through the other two transistor pins. This is a two transistor oscillator. Im not an expert at analog electronics, but my understanding is that the pulse goes in, and excites the gate of transistor TR 18 , but only insofar as the RC circuit allows. This allows current to flow through that transistor and through R 81 on its way to ground. In turn this current flows through the gate of transistor TR 19 ; this allows current to flow back through R 85 and R 86 into the gate of TR 18 , but the additional filters means less and less current flows each time. For a comparison, heres the service manual for the aforementioned TR-808. The TR-808 uses an entirely different setup, with op-amp feedback forming a bridged-T network, with the same goal of producing a decaying waveform. (thanks to Mickey Delps Anatomy of a Drum Machine article for pointing me in this direction) But this makes sense. The Panasonic circuit is simpler, being built out of discrete transistors rather than an op-amp IC, but doesnt offer as much room for tuning as the TR-808 bass drum does and produces a simpler sound. Im not sure if Roland had patents on the bridged-T technique, but op-amps were still a rapidly developing technology at the time of this machine. Cymbal: Out of order For a cymbal crash, the engineers at Panasonic went pretty straightforward: the trigger pulse is extended out and combined with noise. And thats it; a burst of noise, filtered a bit by an LC circuit. This is a pretty simple way to do it; the TR-808 is much more sophisticated, combining and filtering the sound of six oscillators. But thats why its funny to compare the two. The data sheet specs the noise generator, TR 28 , and two noise amplifiers, TR 24 and TR 25 . All transistors have some noise, and the 2SC945 mentioned for the noise generator is noisier in its datasheet than the 2SC828 in the amplifiers, but its not fatally so; 2SC945s are also specced for the bass drum oscillators above. (The TR-808 is notorious for supposedly using faulty transistors in its noise circuit, giving analog lovers justification to insist it can never be recreated) So now I wanted to crack open the circuit and take a look at the transistor setup in person. Now, unfortunately, it turns out that taking this apart is a bit of a pain. What shouldve been obvious to me: this is a compact box filled with discrete parts sold at a low cost. Multiple hand-routed circuitboards connected by various soldered wires. Despite the existence of the repair manual, repairability was not the priority. Heres more from the service documents, showing the corner of the lower circuit board where we should find the noise circuit. You can see TR 25 , C 121 , and other familiar elements from the schematic. Get your bearings straight; the above diagram is the underside of the circuitboard, while Im about to show you the top. See TR 24 at the left of the variable resistor. You can see what appears to be TR 25 . But that 470F capacitor doesnt match the value for C 121 , and behind it is what looks like a diode, not a transistor TR 28 . TR 28 doesnt seem to be there at all. My guess is that this must be a later revision of the board, which uses a Zener diode to generate white noise rather than the transistor; maybe Panasonic found it difficult to find transistors with suitable noise behavior. (Sorry our transistors are just too good is an interesting problem to have) Just another reminder to never fully trust service manuals, especially if there are multiple models. This is a fairly analog way of generating noise. By comparison, the NES's 2A03 uses a linear feedback shift register; that is to say, it has a digital pseudorandom number generator to create its noise. Before we go, lets take just one more look at that cymbal circuit. From the four-way rhythm selector switch (which turns out to have a ton of contacts), theres one set of contacts that goes over to the gate of the cymbal, controlling a resistor to ground. The gating of the cymbal noise (and thus the length of the noise) varies based off of what rhythm you have selected at any given time, even when youre using manual drum mode. 2-Beat and Waltz are the same, while 4-Beat and Rock have their own versions, both slightly shorter, with 4-Beat shortest of all. Here they are from left to right. Your browser does not support the audio element. Snare: More like snore? After all the excitement with the cymbal and bass, weve actually seen all the tricks this little drum machine has to offer to generate sound. The snare just combines the two. It has its own dual transistor decaying oscillator with separate values, and on top of that, its own unique gating (without any per-rhythm variation) to add some noise from the same noise generating circuits. These two components of the snare sound are entirely separate circuits; in fact, if you hammer on the snare button, sometimes you can trigger one but not the other. Your browser does not support the audio element. These two parts are actually mixed at the same time as everything else; people like to mod vintage drum machines like these to add discrete outputs for each sound, but in this case you could find yourself with four separate outputs. The rhythm machine The TR-808 uses a microcontroller to trigger the beats to a user-defined pattern. So were done talking about the 808. For the most part, pre-microcontroller analog drum machines, even very nice ones like the Roland TR-77, were limited to preset rhythm patterns. (yes yes your Ace Tone FR-15 is very special) Usually more than four, but this is a pretty low-end machine. Fun fact: the Rhythm Ace R-1, the first rhythm machine made by the company (Ace Tone) that somehow managed to become both Roland and Nihon Hammond, was only push-buttons for sounds, and had no rhythms whatsoever. So I guess it was a drum machine and not a rhythm machine. The difficulty of having a number of discrete steps, one after another, shouldnt be understated. This is what computers were (and still are, unless you get too funny with your out-of-order execution) really good at, but in the analog world, everything happens at once. In fact, the earliest drum machines recognizable as such, like the Wurlitzer Sideman, used a mechanical rotating disk to trigger each step in their patterns. (The arrangeball has a similar mechanism inside, I swear I havent forgotten about it) But the Sideman was made for the vacuum tube era we have transistors. A big motor and moving metal-on-metal parts might be preferable to using ten tubes worth of logic, but ten transistors is far preferable. "But Nicole, the Lowrey organ used tube dividers!" Don't talk to me about the Lowrey organ. Thats a lot of logic at first glance, but its all well labeled. The one thing youll need to know is what a flip-flop is; its esssentially a single bit of memory, which can be flipped on or off. TR 1 and TR 2 form an astable multivibrator (or a malti vibrator let she who has never made a typo cast the first stone), which is to say, an oscillator. The variable resistor attached to the tempo dial. and TR form an (or a malti vibrator let she who has never made a typo cast the first stone), which is to say, an oscillator. The variable resistor attached to the tempo dial. TR 3 and TR 4 form a flip flop triggered off of the initial oscillator. This essentially divides the frequency in half. and TR form a triggered off of the initial oscillator. This essentially divides the frequency in half. TR 5 and TR 6 form a flip flop triggered off of the TR 3,4 flip-flops. A flip flop has two outputs; Q and Q' , which is just the inverted version. and TR form a flip flop triggered off of the TR flip-flops. A flip flop has two outputs; and , which is just the inverted version. TR 7 and TR 8 form, you guessed it, another flip-flop, triggered off of the TR 5,6 and TR form, you guessed it, another flip-flop, triggered off of the TR Finally, TR 9 and TR 10 form the last flip-flop. What this makes is essentially a five-bit binary counter (Digital logic! Our analog purity is gone); each cycle has 32 values in succession. You could also see it as 5 oscillators, each with a frequency half of that of the last. On something like the Rhythm Ace FR-2L, these counters would then enter a diode matrix, a grid of diodes where certain signals would be allowed to pass, and thats what I expected to see on the Panasonic. So lets take a look at the schematic again. In reality, what we see is a resistor matrix. I guess the resistors are sized such that any signal would be sufficiently dissipated if it passed through multiple resistors, but this is a pretty big cost-saving move. I wouldnt be surprised if ensuring the resistors cause no issues also played a role in choosing the patterns. There are three wires going out; from top to bottom, these are the triggers for the bass drum, the snare, and the cymbal, respectively. The various switches labeled S 2-x are the rhythm select switch; all of these switches are ganged and move in unison, but arent connected across the switches. Weve already seen S 2-5 above. What do the transistors do? Ill go from bottom to top. TR 15 is easy mode. When current flows at the gate, the cymbal fires. Notice that the two bottom inputs of S 2-4 are connected; 4-Beat and Rock have the same cymbal patterns. is easy mode. When current flows at the gate, the cymbal fires. Notice that the two bottom inputs of S are connected; 4-Beat and Rock have the same cymbal patterns. TR 14 Ill call the control transistor. This transistor doesnt control anything directly, but if its not active, it blocks the path to ground for other transistors. Ill call the control transistor. This transistor doesnt control anything directly, but if its not active, it blocks the path to ground for other transistors. TR 13 is the snare drum transistor. Its path to ground is always blocked by the TR 14 control transistor, so both transistors need to fire for the snare drum to fire. You might notice its gate is actually hardwired, the switch S 2-3 only matters for the Waltz preset. is the snare drum transistor. Its path to ground is always blocked by the TR control transistor, so both transistors need to fire for the snare drum to fire. You might notice its gate is actually hardwired, the switch S only matters for the Waltz preset. TR 12 , the bass drum transistor, is a little more complex. Notice that S 2-1 is grounded for every option except Rock. This means that for the other three patterns, itll act the same way as the cymbal transistor: signal on the gate, bass drum fires. But for Rock, the path to ground passes through TR 14 , so it acts like the snare, needing current to be flowing at the gates of both TR 12 and TR 14 . (I think R 60 is high enough resistance that it doesnt matter here, and is probably just to avoid anything floating) The role of the control transistor is a lot like an AND gate. Both TR 14 AND TR 13 need to have current for a snare drum to fire. For the Rock preset, both TR 14 AND TR 12 need to have current for a bass drum to fire. With this logic in place, you can trace out all the beat patterns. Waltz The waltz mode is the most interesting one. Not because Im a huge fan of the waltz, but because of the time signature. Every other preset has an even number of beats per measure. 2:2 time, 4:4 time, it doesnt really matter what matters is the number of beats fits cleanly into 32. But a waltz practically by definition is 3:4 time three quarter note beats per measure. No total number produced by a binary counter is divisible by three, and that includes 32. Your browser does not support the audio element. So I assumed that logically, there must be some sort of logic to reset the counter early, yet I didnt see any on the schematic. But lets take a look at the times of the Waltz preset in my recording. t (s) t / t total (t / t total ) * 32 Beat 1 0 0 0 Beat 2 0.85 0.35 11 Beat 3 1.69 0.68 22 Next 2.46 1.00 32 And we see that the RD-9844 just sacrifices exact timing instead. Going up to 32 means that its only a little bit off, a single 32nd note. Thatll still add up over time, and it does sound just a little off to me. And yet Im fairly certain this Waltz preset is the only thing that uses the least significant bit; the other three patterns just use the 16-value or fewer counters. Its worth noting that while all these timing systems work, I notice that if you hit the buttons while the presets are playing, it can foul up the timing, or even just switching between presets will sometimes fire a drum. (Especially likely with Waltz, for some reason) So this is clearly built to a price; some reliability is sacrificed in favor of low-cost. I actually have another vintage analog drum machine, the Univox SR-95, the US rebadge (with some tweaks) of the Keio (Korg) Mini Pops 7. (Used by Jean-Michel Jarre in Oxygene, among others) I got this for my organ playing, but if people are interested, it might be worth taking a look how a higher-cost machine solved the same problems. Panasonic RD-9844 Im not actually sure when the Panasonic RD-9844 came out. Mine came with a box and a Panasonic catalog, and I notice that theyre advertising the NV-2110/NV-2120/NV-2125 U-Vision (Panasonics branding for U-Matic) videocassette system, as well as the NV-5110/NV-5120/NV-5125 video recorders, which I believe used a different system. The NV-5130 is presumably not out yet, and Radiomuseum dates that model (with two question marks) to 1976. So at least this one probably dates to the first half of the 1970s. Pretty modern design for then, with the black and silver plastic. (Thats half a decade or more before the TR-808, for those taking notes) The Panasonic catalog in itself is a lot of fun. Panasonic basically sold everything in those days, so if you liked their rhythm machine and now wanted a VCR, a color TV, a refrigerator, a vacuum cleaner, a car stereo, or a washing machine, they were hoping that they could sell it to you. Even a personal massager, if youre worn out after a long day of pushing your Panasonic vacuum cleaner around. By Luminous Jannamike, Abuja The National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, has expelled 54 corps members, including a bread seller, who were illegally mobilized as graduates of the University of Calabar, UNICAL, for national service. The NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General YD Ahmed, disclosed this in Abuja via a statement on Saturday by the Director of Information and Public Relations, Mr. Eddy Megwa. He stated that the affected corps members would be prosecuted accordingly. In addition to the expulsion, 19 other individuals who attempted to register online for mobilization were prevented from doing so. This development came after the NYSC voided 101 certificates of national service earlier, bringing the total number of affected certificates to 178. The NYSC Director-General commended the Vice-Chancellor of UNICAL, Professor Florence Obi, for reporting the illegal mobilization of unqualified graduates from her institution. General Ahmed emphasized that the NYSC would intensify its collaboration with all Heads of Corps Producing Institutions and relevant stakeholders to prevent future occurrences. He also urged employers to verify the authenticity of the certificates of national service presented by job applicants. The statement quoted Ahmed as saying, The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calabar came here to report that she observed some names appeared on the institutions list that ought not to have been there. I give kudos to the Vice-Chancellor. Previously, a bread seller was mobilized on the graduation list from the same institution. There are bad eggs in many places that generate matriculation numbers and courses for their candidates. Those who are responsible for inputting the data of graduates should be people of integrity. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Republic of Indonesia Joko Widodo, Azernews reports. The letter reads: "Dear Mr. President, On the occasion of the national holiday of the Republic of Indonesia, Independence Day, I am pleased to extend my heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to you and, through you, to the friendly people of Indonesia, on behalf of myself and the people of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan places great importance on the comprehensive development of its relations with Indonesia. The strong friendly ties between our countries have opened up favorable opportunities for cooperation in various areas. We are particularly pleased with the successful implementation of the "ASAN khidmet" model in your country and our active collaboration in this field. I am confident that the relationship between Azerbaijan and Indonesia as well as our interaction in bilateral and multilateral platforms, including the cooperation as part of the upcoming COP29 in Baku, will successfully continue in line with the interests of our friendly peoples. On this significant day, I wish you good health, happiness, success in your endeavors, and continued peace and prosperity to the friendly people of Indonesia. Respectfully, Ilham Aliyev President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Baku, 14 August 2024" Moroccan health authorities are making plans in case an Mpox case was detected in the country, after the World Health Organization declared the virus a global emergency. The virus has been spreading rapidly in DRC and other African countries and was detected outside the continent in recent days. Plans are under way to ensure Moroccan healthcare workers are aware of the key signs to look out for and have rapid tests available, health minister Khaled Ait Taleb said following a meeting with the ministrys scientific committee. This meeting is part of the proactive measures and ongoing efforts undertaken by the Kingdom, in accordance with the high royal directives, to monitor and assess the epidemiological situation, he said. The meeting also discussed the treatment protocol for Mpox, emphasizing the need to adhere to prescribed treatments and to provide the necessary medical supplies to ensure the treatment of potential cases according to the highest health safety standards, he said. One of the main reasons the WHO called for global action against mpox is the emergence of a new type of the virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), known as Clade 1b. Currently, there are no cases of Clade 1b mpox confirmed in Morocco, but experts say cases can spread on a global scale if international action is not taken. A French court ordered the seizure of three Nigerian presidential jets in an arbitration case filed by a Chinese company alleging a breach of contract by the West African country, the Financial Times said. The Chinese company, Zhongshan, initiated arbitration proceedings against Nigeria in 2018 accusing the government of failing to uphold its commercial commitments. A three-person arbitration panel in London awarded the company $70mn in damages to be paid by the Nigerian government in 2021. The award has since grown to about $81mn with interest. The arbitration panel wrote that: It is clear that Zhongsan is the effective winner in these arbitral proceedings, in that it has proved its version of events is accurate, it has successfully resisted Nigerias jurisdictional and preliminary objections, it has established that it has a valid claim against Nigeria under the Treaty and it has obtained an award for substantial damages. A spokesperson for Nigerias president said in a statement that Zhongshan had withheld vital information and misled the Paris court and that the jets could not be seized because they were protected by diplomatic immunity, the Financial Times wrote. Relations between Morocco and Tunisia have worsened after a provocative act by Kais Saied regarding Rabats sovereignty over the Sahara territory in summer 2022. But in recent weeks, several indicators point to a possible improvement in bilateral ties. Authoritarian president Saied has ended Tunisias neutrality on the Sahara issue when he offered the leader of the Polisario militia a state reception during a Japan-Africa summit in Tunis. Since then, relations have worsened with Tunisia siding on Algerias stillborn anti-Moroccan schemes, including a regional union that excludes Morocco. However, signs of a Tunisian attempt to mend ties with Morocco with whom it has a trade surplus have recently recurred. Tunisias foreign minister Nabil Ammar met head of the Moroccan government Aziz Akhannouch, on the sidelines of the 80th anniversary of D-Day. Tunisian media, Tuniscope, said the two officials discussed economic cooperation and political ties. Prior to that, on the Throne Day, Tunisian solidarity and family minister gave a speech at the Moroccan embassy auguring well for bilateral ties improvement. She called for the resumption of joint committees in order to promote cooperation between Tunisia and Morocco, which would not only benefit the brotherly ties and mutual interests of the two countries but would also act as a genuine lever for a joint Maghreb action, she said. The Nigerian oil industry has had a roller coaster of a year. In January, Shell announced that it would be exiting the West African nations onshore oil industry after nearly a century of operations as a result of unstable and unsavory operational conditions. British supermajor Shell is just the latest western company to pull out of Nigerias oil industry, which now finds itself in rapid decline. At the same time, however, Nigeria is getting ready to open up one of the worlds largest oil refineries with the potential to be a major player in global oil markets. Nigerias oil sector has been plagued with troubles for years now, pushing major oil interests to pull out of the oil rich nation. According to reporting from the U.S. News & World Report, Shells decision to sell off its Nigerian subsidiary for $2.4 billion was due to the fact that the company has struggled for years with hundreds of onshore oil spills as a result of theft, sabotage and operational issues that led to costly repairs and high-profile lawsuits. Shells decision to pull out of Nigeria comes on the heels of similar decisions from Houston-based Exxon Mobil, Italy's Eni and Norway's Equinor. In the wake of the Wests exodus from the Nigerian oil sector, the industry remains in a state of heightened flux and uncertainty. The countrys energy landscape, which includes the 11th largest proven oil reserves in the world (just behind the United States), has grappled with poor governance, weak institutions, deteriorating security conditions, spiraling economic decline, and uninspired leadership according to an analysis from the Center for Strategic & International Studies. The weakening of Nigerias oil production capacity also comes at a time that the nation is preparing to bring the massive Dangote refinery online. Once the plant is up and running at full capacity, Dangote will be able to process 650,000 barrels of crude oil a day, making it competitive with the United States largest refineries and over 50% bigger than the largest refinery in Europe. This spells trouble for the feedstock of the refinery, as the plants backers had intended for the plant to refine domestically produced crude in order to bolster the heavily oil-dependent local economy, which has been marked by crisis and severe hardship in the recent term. Shells recent exit from the market will make the countrys goals of reversing its declining production rates particularly difficult to achieve. In the meantime, Dangote has looked to foreign markets to buy the crude it needs to fill demand, but sufficient supplies for the massive operation have proven hard to come by. Despite these struggles, the sheer scale of Dangote will nonetheless turn Nigeria into an oil market juggernaut according to a recent Bloomberg headline. While the plant is not yet fully operational, its already making waves in global markets. During the past few weeks, actions by the countrys massive Dangote refinery have moved prices, the Bloomberg report detailed, with purchases of US barrels initially boosting the crude futures curve before a decision to sell them sent oil tumbling. Aliko Dangote, the billionaire Nigerian businessman who has spearheaded the refinerys construction and development, has said that the plant will start producing gasoline this month. Other experts say that September is more likely. In either case, its going to cause a splash in a tight oil market. Once the site starts churning out gasoline, it will transform fuel markets in the region and upend long-established trade flows, particularly in Europe, where Nigeria currently purchases much of its supplies, Bloomberg went on to report. Whats more, Europe will now have to compete with Nigeria to buy crude oil on a very tight global market, indicating significant disruption to come. By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com 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. OGALLALA, Neb. Nebraskans have long known that a Nebraska-built World War II bomber the Enola Gay released the worlds first atomic bomb over Hiroshima 79 years ago today. But even here, history seems to have forgotten Nebraskas other link to that terrible moment that hastened the wars end as it launched the Nuclear Age. It was partly known, soon after the fact, in nearby Sutherland and North Platte. Some of their residents, too, contributed to that moment. But only once, and only at the End of the Texas Trail where it originated, has the story ever been told in full. Then it faded away so completely that later generations in Ogallala never knew it. Bellevues Martin Bomber Plant, now Offutt Air Force Base, built the B-29 Superfortress that carried the Little Boy uranium-235 bomb that wiped an entire Japanese city off the map. But it was a top-secret part, one of millions produced by Good-All Electric Manufacturing Co., that made that first atom bomb go off. A born inventorCuriosity defined Robert Aldrich Goodall, the Edison of the Plains. Born in nearby Grant on Oct. 8, 1891, he graduated in 1913 from Cretes Doane College (now Doane University). He bought an Ogallala jewelry shop and proceeded to revolutionize his trade with machines to clean watches and weld broken rings and other jewelry. Good-All Electric was born in 1923 to produce those machines. They spread across the nation and into Europe. Then Goodall, whose shop sold record players, devised a way to synchronize recorded sounds with then-silent films. His Good-All Orchestrolas led him to develop low-cost movie projectors and equipment for small-town moviehouses. They, too, sold across the U.S. and the world. His factories had spread across four downtown Ogallala buildings by 1940. He opened movie theaters in nearby Sutherland, Paxton and Elsie and bought the former State Theater in North Platte, which he leased out. As many as 200 inventions were attributed to Robert Goodall, who died in 1953 with 500 people working for him in Ogallala and 500 more in Sutherland, Alliance and Scottsbluff. He gave Ogallala a homegrown electronics industry even as the 1933-41 construction of Kingsley Dam was laying the foundation of Nebraskas eventual leading outdoor tourist attraction in the form of Lake McConaughy. He and his wife, Clarice, could have lived anywhere. They chose to stay. I like a small town, he told The Rotarian magazine in 1949. I know almost every family in this part of Nebraska. Most of my employees are my neighbors. They are loyal, and I share my success with them. As they drove around Keith County, author O.K. Armstrong wrote, Goodall looked out toward a far horizon and added: Besides, out here a man has time and room to think! Goodalls inventions, Armstrong added, resulted from his examining how things had usually been done. Never a device invented but can be made to work a little better, the inventor said. The little things Dec. 7, 1941, changed Ogallala as it changed the nation. It gave Bob Goodall, now 50, new reasons to tinker. He formed a war inventions department three days after the Pearl Harbor attack, Armstrong wrote. All Good-All employees were invited to offer ideas: What can we make to help the war effort? Many involved the military. Small-town factories couldnt hope to supply every part for a big-ticket item, because most of the time firms specializing in a few parts can do the job cheaper, faster and better than you can, Goodall would tell the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce Secretaries in North Platte in December 1944. But they could become one of those specialists. Good-All Electric did. Goodall started with radio parts. The armed forces needed reliable two-way radios that wouldnt be plagued by fadeouts breaking up transmissions between units. Working in Good-All Electrics lab, Goodall and his staff learned how to grind quartz crystals to maintain constant sound vibrations at a tolerance of one ten-millionth of an inch. Fadeouts were conquered. And Good-All Electric landed a contract to produce crystals and their holders in bulk. Many of you have expressed a desire to help us manufacture radio crystals for the Army and Navy, a December 1942 Keith County News ad said. Here is your chance to find out whether you are suited to this work. Good-All also built soldering machines for military welders and instrument cleaning machines for the Army Air Forces and the Armys ordnance department. But the small parts dominated Good-Alls production. Rectifiers, which converted alternating current (AC) into direct current (DC), were vital for military planes starting mechanisms. Goodall branched out in 1943 into capacitors, then known as condensers. These tubular parts, still made in Ogallala, are soldered into circuit boards to temporarily store electrical charges and release them when needed. By 1943, Robert Goodall and Good-All Electric were go-to sources for military procurement. Both came to the Navys attention as it sought to make bombs and artillery shells explode at the precise moment they needed to. Armstrongs 1949 Rotarian article described a Navy officials 1943 conversation with an executive of a large Ohio war plant. Find us a man who can make this part of the proximity fuze operate 100%! the officer demanded. I already know the man, the executive replied. Bob Goodall, of Ogallala, can invent anything or fix anything invented. Armstrong continued: The official wanted to know who was Goodall and where in thunder was Ogallala. He found out. Robert Goodall and his company plunged into what military experts later judged to be the Allies second-most secret project. In time, their contribution also became part of the most secret one of all. VT fuzes The Allies had already begun relentless bombardment of Adolf Hitlers Nazi Germany as they worked to liberate occupied Europe. Imperial Japan would be bombed in like manner. Previous bomb and artillery fuzes worked most of the time. But the military told Robert Goodall: We need fuzes that never fail. Goodall and his team figured out how within 90 days. The device they designed became the most critical part of the VT (variable time) proximity fuze, of which just over 22 million had been produced by wars end with parts from multiple military contractors. A portrait of Goodall at Ogallalas 1887 Mansion on the Hill, which maintains a display on his life and inventions, shows him pointing with a pencil toward the general location of Good-All Electrics component in the VT fuze. It utilized an early form of radar. Once the radio waves it emitted reached the intended target, they bounced back and triggered the electrical charges that would explode the bomb or shell where desired, according to a 1950 Navy report on the VT fuzes operation. Robert Goodalls employees in Ogallala made the radar devices. What they were for, they couldnt know. But they required the capacitors Good-All already was building. And Goodalls Ogallala plants couldnt produce the entire large number of condensers needed. He turned to John Galen Townsend Sr., whom he hired out of an Oklahoma moviehouse in 1934 to run his Sutherland and Paxton theaters. Goodall had sent down something that was a part or a mechanism that rewound projectors, said his son, John Jr., now 76 and retired in North Platte. My father actually didnt like it. It didnt work very well. And he said he remodeled it, rebuilt it, and sent it back to Goodall and said, I think we have a better idea. Daughter Galen Britt, who turns 90 on Aug. 28, said John Sr. would spend part of his weeks working with Goodall in Ogallala while her mother, Dorothy, managed the movie theaters. Robert and Clarice Goodall, who had no children, were very kind and very thoughtful when she would tag along with her father, she said. He was very warm and outgoing, Britt said from her home in Katy, Texas. We shared dinner together. Hed say, Do you have everything you need? Is everything all right? He was very warm and considerate. Goodall asked John Sr. in 1944 to open and manage a Good-All Electric condenser factory in Sutherland. But Dad said, Id rather have it be my company with my name and contract with you, John Jr. said. Townsend Manufacturing Co. would occupy three downtown Sutherland buildings. Britt said condensers were produced above the main office in the current Longhorn Bar building; in the former post office one block north; and in the easternmost building on the Longhorns First Street block. Women are especially sought to fill the increasing demands of the Good-All Electric Manufacturing Co. of Ogallala, the Sutherland Courier wrote July 27. The company at the present time is operating under Navy contracts supplying much needed ordnance equipment for our boys at the front. Help-Help-Help, a Good-All ad pleaded in the Couriers Aug. 3 edition. We need 50 girls over 18 immediately. The work is pleasant, it is not hard or heavy. You can have steady employment working with folks your own age. Goodall struck a deal that fall with Ralph McPherson, superintendent of the North Platte School of Commerce, for a similar satellite condenser plant. McPherson Manufacturing opened on Halloween 1944 on the top two floors of the schools three-story building at 721 W. Fifth St. It had been built in 1920 by Dr. J.S. Twinem and operated as a hospital for its first two decades. Pay started around $20 a week and rose to $30 after eight weeks, based on an Oct. 28 Telegraph story and another Courier help-wanted ad Nov. 2 for Townsends plants. The young women, who had to be older than 16, worked while seated. They had to be very careful about the amount of solder that was on the wires so they would put them in (the capacitor tube) properly, said Britt, who later worked at her fathers plants as a postwar teenager. Road to victory Good-Alls business demands and job ads accelerated well into 1945. Millions of U.S. and Allied troops served at the North Platte Canteen rolled by Sutherland and Ogallala on Union Pacific trains, oblivious to what was being built nearby to help them out. The Allies had invaded France on June 6, 1944. A week later, Hitler started pelting London with the Nazis V-1 buzz bombs, the first cruise missiles and predecessor to their V-2 rocket-driven missiles. Neither derailed the path to victory. With Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhowers armies at Germanys doorstep, Hitler threw his last reserves into Belgium in the Battle of the Bulge. That, too, was beaten back as 1944 turned to 1945. Half a world away, American soldiers, sailors, Marines and pilots were closing in on Japans home islands. Resolved to fight to the end, Japan sent its remaining pilots and planes to crash into U.S. vessels on kamikaze suicide missions. Like Hitlers flying bombs, they wreaked havoc but couldnt avert the all-but-certain bloody invasion of Japans home islands. Two things did: the atomic bombs let loose over Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, and Nagasaki on the 9th. Japan gave up on the 14th, 3 months after Hitler killed himself and Germany surrendered. The veil lifted Six days later, Robert Goodall disclosed astonishing news: Good-All Electric, for more than a year, had been making parts for the atomic bomb. Even he hadnt known that, he said. We didnt know we were on the atomic bomb project until press dispatches referred to the atomic bomb project as the Manhattan Project, he said in an Aug. 23 Keith County News story and an Associated Press story that The Telegraph ran in its Aug. 22 issue. Goodall smiled as he continued: Wed been making parts for the Manhattan Project but thought it was something to keep the (Japanese) out of Manhattan and I guess it will for all time to come. With Japans formal Sept. 2 surrender still 10 days away, he didnt disclose what Good-All had built. Our secret was well kept, and we arent talking too much about it. That changed six weeks later. The News wrote on Oct. 4, 1945, that the Navy was awarding Good-All its coveted E pennant as it honored all the U.S. firms involved in devising and building the VT proximity fuze. Goodalls hundreds of direct and indirect Ogallala, Sutherland and North Platte employees learned that some 200,000 VT fuzes had been quickly flown to England in 1944. They helped shoot down some 2,000 V-1s. Later, Eisenhower demanded and got thousands more VT fuzes to beat back the Bulges Nazi offensive in Belgiums frozen, snowy Ardennes Forest. And VT fuzes allowed Navy crews to stop 96 of every 100 Japanese suicide planes from crashing into U.S. ships near the Philippines, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Adm. William F. Halsey, the News wrote, said the VT fuze saved the fleet. But there was more, the News wrote: The VT fuze also was used in the atomic as well as all other bombs dropped on Germany and Japan. The Goodall companys particular contribution to the VT fuze was the manufacture of the mechanism which ignites the TNT in a bomb or shell. Each fuze contained a complete five-tube radar sending and receiving set, so designed that when a missile passed within 70 feet of a target radio waves bounced back and set off the fuzes. Retired Navy Capt. Linwood S. Howeth confirmed the VT fuzes use in the atomic bomb in his 1963 book History of Communications-Electronics in the United States Navy. The VT fuze was one of the major contributions of American scientists, engineers and manufacturers to the winning of the war, he wrote. But within a year of the VT fuzes spectacular 1944 successes, its achievement was dimmed by the development of greater and more damaging concentrated explosive power than the world had ever experienced the atomic bomb. Even this development, Howeth concluded, necessitated the continued use of the proximity fuze in the control of its point of detonation. Obscured by time Everyone, or almost everyone, who built Robert Goodalls radar devices or read those words is gone and cant be asked how much they knew. But Galen Britt, who turned 11 that summer of 1945, said she learned sometime that year what many of those millions of Good-All Electric condensers had gone into. Around the time the Navy disclosed what the VT fuze did, I was there when they were explaining it, she said. And Dad would explain to me that it would go off when it reached what they were aiming at. Some Nebraska newspapers picked up an Associated Press version of the October 1945 Keith County News story. But the APs rewrite didnt say that the VT fuze, let alone Good-Alls secret device, had set off the A-bomb. Robert Goodall kept inventing up until his death. But as Good-All Electric and its successors thrived over the decades, knowledge of its small but decisive role in the atomic bomb faded away. Until now. The Minister of State at the Ministry of Energy, Mr Herbert Krapa, has charged the management of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to deal with recalcitrant staff whose activities negate efforts to provide customers with prompt and quality services. Heads must roll when we find that persistently some people are just making it difficult for us [ECG] to provide quality, affordable and efficient service to our customers and the Ghanaian people, he said and added that however many of the staff who are going the extra mile to provide excellent service must be rewarded for others to emulate. Mr Krapa made the call when he visited the Customer Services Office of ECG in Accra East to as he puts it to echo the frustrations of ECG customers across the country so that together we can work to improve the process. Mr Krapa was accompanied by Deputy Minister, Mr Collins Adomako-Mensah; Mrs Wilhelmina Asamoah Chief Director; Mr Solomon Adjettey, Director of Power and Isaac Nsarko Biney Director of PPBME. During the briefing, it came to light that the ECG management was surprised and could not tell how middlemen, known as goro boys, can get the contact details of customers who apply for meters through the ECG online process and try to dupe such customers. During the interaction, the Minister and his deputy randomly placed a call to the ECG complaint centre and to the hearing of the entire gathering the operator professionally interacted with the deputy Minister. Reacting, Mr Krapa described the response as very positive and that the gentleman deserves a pay rise adding that people should be rewarded for doing the right but recalcitrant ones should be sanctioned. Mr Krapa who until his appointment as the Minister of State was the Deputy Minister of Energy and the Board Chairman of ECG, explained that the sentiments of customers are an indication that the trust they had for the service provider, ECG was fast dissipating. Mr Krapa said customers cannot accept ECG taking forever or too long in resolving the complaints and challenges of customers. He advised that ensuring people have access to ECG promptly and resolving their problems efficiently and timelessly was the only way that the ECG could win back the trust of its customers and Ghanaians in general. Although ECG has several social media platforms for providing services and taking complaints and feedback from customers, the minister encouraged the management to use both traditional and modern media including the Information Services Department, and town hall meetings to engage customers so that those who are not resorting to the use of the social media will be aware of their services. He added that educating the customers would also prevent situations where some people use the services of Goro Boys. Regarding what he referred to as the elephant in the room the Minister said the acquisition of meters continues to attract more complaints with others ready to pay for meters that are for free, aside from paying for the legitimate service charges which are not for sale. He said he was aware of the efforts by the company to clear the backlog of over one million metres which had come about as a result of new customers, faulty metres and overaged ones and encouraged the company to speed up the efforts at providing the metres. Mr Krapa indicated that the process for acquiring the metre must be compressed to avoid duplication, all to make the process simple and accessible to many customers. 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 Former President and Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama has given his pledge to ensure the freedom of journalists in the discharge of their duties should he become the next president. Criticizing this current government for constantly hounding journalists in the discharge of their duties, Mr Mahama underscored the crucial role of journalists in the country. To this, Mr Mahama pledged that "we would work to ensure that the hazards you go through are minimized". Mr Mahama was speaking with journalists in a media encounter when he wrapped up his 4-day campaign in the Volta region. The best thing you can give the media is to give them the freedom to do their work. Unfortunately, that hasnt happened under this government. Media people have been hounded, some have run into exile, some have been threatened, their lives have been threatened and indeed some have paid the ultimate price like Ahmed Suale did, the Former President recalled. You can trust that as a person who is a member of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) myself, I am not the kind of person who would hound the media and so one gift I can gift to you is the freedom to do your work without anybody intimidating and harassing you, Mahama pledged. Source: Salaamat Kuukua Paintsil/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: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain During the solstices, thousands gather at Stonehenge on the Salisbury Plain in England to celebrate the monument's astronomical alignment. The focal point of these festivities is the Altar Stonethe six-ton sandstone slab that lies flat at the center of Stonehenge. The ancient society that built this monument, from 3,100 to 1,600 BCE, left no written record. But Stonehenge's building blocks themselves can help us understand it better. These blocks, or megaliths, are divided into two major categories: sarsen stones and bluestones. The Altar Stone is the largest bluestone. Some bluestones were likely quarried from the Mynydd Preseli in Wales, over 220 km away from Stonehenge, while the sarsen stones were locally sourced from the Salisbury Plain. Meanwhile, the source of the Altar Stone has remained enigmatic. Recent work has raised doubts about the long-held belief that it, too, came from Wales. So, where is the Altar Stone from? How was it transported to southern England? To answer this, we analyzed the Altar Stone's constituent mineral grains. Our results are now published in the journal Natureand it looks like the Altar Stone came from Scotland. The DNA of rocks At midsummer dawn, the Altar Stone is set ablaze with sunlight. On the shortest day, the setting winter sun casts its dying rays on it. We can imagine a similar scene at Stonehenge in ancient times, when prehistoric Britons used it to welcome the promise of longer spring days and harvests ahead. However, other than this in-built celestial calendar, how or why the monument was built remains largely unknown. Humans are made from DNA, which reveals our heritage, ancestors, where our family lived, what we might have eaten, and events we went through. Much like DNA, the Altar Stone contains a vast array of mineral grains that carry information on their birth (crystallization) and subsequent history (transport and metamorphism). In our study, we dated mineral grains called zircon, rutile and apatite in the Altar Stone. As no sampling of the Altar Stone is permitted today, we used thin slices of the stone collected during historical archaeological digs. Like a DNA test can tell us where our ancestors are from, grains within the Altar Stone have specific ages and chemical characteristics that allow us to pinpoint their source rock. We do this by comparing these details to rocks elsewhere. Matching characteristics tell us we have found the source of the grains in the Altar Stone: sedimentary rocks within the Orcadian Basin of northeast Scotland provided the closest match. The Grampian Mountains and the Northern Highlands have shed tiny pieces of rock, or detrital grains, towards the Orcadian Basin since about 400 million years ago. These eroding rocks imparted their unique and traceable "DNA" into the sandstone, which was ultimately selected as the Altar Stone. The Scottish heart of Stonehenge Today, northeast Scotland and the Orkney Islands are sparsely populated but this was different in the past. Archaeological sites such as Skara Brae, Maeshowe, and the Ring of Brodgar atop a ritual landscape on Orkney suggest that northeast Scotland was a center of Neolithic population, culture and trade. A Scottish origin for the Altar Stone raises fascinating questions about prehistoric Britain's connectivity and technological capabilities. A quarried stone tools trade network is found throughout Britain, Ireland and continental Europe. For example, a saddle quern, a large prehistoric stone grinding tool, was discovered in Dorset and determined to be from Normandy, France. How did the Altar Stone get to Stonehenge? Although some believe the Welsh bluestones may have been carried by glaciers towards Stonehenge, this transport seems improbable for the Altar Stone. During past ice ages, vast ice walls moved northwards from the mountains of Scotland towards the Orcadian Basintransporting rock even farther away from the Salisbury Plain. But Neolithic Britons were adept seafarers. They had to be, as prehistoric Britain was heavily forested and formidable mountains, valleys and estuaries would have posed major barriers for southward cargo haulage. Given these obstacles, overland transport would have proved all but impossible to move the Altar Stone from Scotland to Salisbury Plain. We think it's likely the builders of Stonehenge shipped the Altar Stone by boat. It wouldn't be without precedent. The remains of the Hanson Log Boat provide evidence of transporting shaped sandstone blocks by river as far back as 1500 BC. The unanswerable question is, why did people pick the Altar Stone? Why transport a drab greenish-gray six-ton sandstone block over 650 km from Scotland? Humans have long sought the perfect stone for construction. This desire continues today. American socialite Kim Kardashian spent thousands on lavish Calacatta gold marble from Italy for her Los Angeles mansion. For us, this choice is undoubtedly extravagant, perhaps incomprehensible, given that local stone was available. Maybe the average Neolithic Briton felt the same about the Altar Stone. Or maybe there was a more mundane reason. Perhaps the rock was suitably fractured, allowing easy quarrying and transport via nearby marine shipping routes. 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: An aerial view of James Island and James Fort. The Jamestown colony was established in Tsenacomoco, the Algonquian name for the Powhatan chiefdom in the tidewater areas of the Chesapeake Bay and later became the Commonwealth of Virginia. Credit: Jamestown Rediscovery Previous scientific studies have indicated that North American dog lineages were replaced with European ones between 1492 and the present day. To better understand the timing of this replacement, researchers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the University of Iowa sequenced mitochondrial DNA from archaeological dogs. Their findings suggest a complex social history of dogs during the early colonial period. Europeans and Native Americans valued their dogs as companion animals, using them for similar work and as symbols of identity. Consequently, the dogs reflected the tension between European and Indigenous culturesthe settlers described Indigenous dogs as mongrels to emphasize the perception that Indigenous people did not breed or own their dogs. Indigenous peoples identified European dogs as a direct threat to their existence and took measures to limit the use of European dogs. "Previous studies had suggested that there were a lot of Indigenous dogs in the continental United States and that they were eradicated," said Ariane Thomas, a recent Ph.D. graduate of anthropology at the University of Iowa. "We wanted to understand what that entailed: when it happened, were they culled, was it the competition with European dogs, or was it disease?" The researchers focused on the Jamestown colony in Virginia due to the number of canid remains available at the site and the evidence of Indigenous influence. They worked with Jamestown Rediscovery to identify and analyze 181 canid bones that represented at least 16 individual dogs. Of these, the team selected 22 remains that spanned multiple time points of the early settlement at Jamestown, between 1607 and 1619. They extracted the DNA at the ancient DNA lab in the Core Facilities of the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology. The researchers then sequenced the data at the Roy J. Carver Biotechnology Center at Illinois to better understand the ancestry of these dogs. "This project is a great example of the type of team science that we use at IGB, where people from diverse fields come together to answer questions through the use of complementary skill sets," said Alida de Flamingh, a postdoctoral researcher in the Malhi (CIS/GSP/IGOH/GNDP) lab. Based on body size estimates alone, the team discovered that most of the Jamestown dogs weighed between 22-39 lbs, comparable to modern-day beagles or schnauzers. Furthermore, many of the dog bones showed traces of human-inflicted damage, including burning and cut marks. "The cut marks and other butchery marks we found on them show that some of these dogs were eaten. It implies that when the colonists came over, they didn't have enough food and they had to rely on the Indigenous dogs in the area," Thomas said. Additionally, the DNA sequences demonstrated that at least six of the dogs showed evidence of Indigenous North American ancestry. "Our results show that there were Indigenous dogs in the area and they weren't immediately eradicated when the Europeans arrived," Thomas said. Although the identification of dogs with Indigenous ancestry is not surprising, the results suggest that the colonists and Indigenous tribes may have traded dogs and likely had little concern with possible interbreeding. The researchers are interested in expanding to other sites and obtaining more high-quality DNA samples and reconstructions of dog body size to shed light on whether these dogs had full Indigenous ancestry or whether they were the product of mating with European dogs. The study "The Dogs of Tsenacomoco: Ancient DNA Reveals the Presence of Local Dogs at Jamestown Colony in the Early Seventeenth Century" was published in American Antiquity. More information: Ariane E. Thomas et al, The Dogs of Tsenacomoco: Ancient DNA Reveals the Presence of Local Dogs at Jamestown Colony in the Early Seventeenth Century, American Antiquity (2024). DOI: 10.1017/aaq.2024.25 Journal information: American Antiquity 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: Octopus detail from a Roman mosaic in the House of the Dancing Faun, Pompeii (circa 1st century BC). Credit: Wikimedia If we want to research a subject, how do we do it? We could read about it in books or do experiments in a lab. Or another way is to find people who know something about it and ask them. Collecting information from members of the public has long been a method of scientific research. We call it "citizen science". According to National Geographic, this is "the practice of public participation and collaboration in scientific research to increase scientific knowledge." Today, citizen science is a popular practice, with dozens of programs designed by academics to engage the public and leverage power by numbers. Its origins, however, go much farther back than you might thinkall the way to ancient times. Aristotle and animals Most of us know of Aristotle (384322 BCE) for his philosophical works, but he was also a great scientist. Aristotle consulted the general public when undertaking his scientific research projects. He wrote a number of books about animals, the greatest of which was his "History of Animals". He also wrote smaller works, including Parts of Animals and Generation of Animals. Collectively, these are usually referred to as Aristotle's biological writings. The Roman scholar Pliny the Elder (approximately 2479 CE) has told us about some of Aristotle's research methods when writing these texts. According to Pliny, Alexander the Great (356323 BCE)who was Aristotle's studentsupported Aristotle's research on animals by ordering the public to collaborate. Orders were given to some thousands of people throughout the whole of Asia and Greece, all those who made their living by hunting, fowling, and fishing, and those who were in charge of warrens, herds, apiaries, fishponds and aviaries, to obey [Aristotle's] instructions, so that he might not fail to be informed about any creature born anywhere. Modern scholars aren't certain Alexander actually gave this order. Nonetheless, Aristotle's writings about animals often refer to information he received from others who worked directly with animals, such as hunters, beekeepers, fishermen and herdsmen. For example, Aristotle thought worker wasps died off during the winter while mother wasps live through it. He must have relied on the reports of farmers for this information. In the History of Animals, he wrote: "The worker wasps do not live through the year but all die when winter has come on, whereas the leaders which are called mother wasps are seen throughout the winter and hide underground. For while plowing and digging in the winter many people have seen mother wasps but none have seen workers." Aristotle was at times also critical of the eyewitness information he received. For instance, in Generation of Animals, he says some people told him fish don't copulate, because they had not seen fish copulating. But he goes on to say these people are wrongand that he himself knows fish do indeed copulate: "The fish copulate in the same way as dolphins do, by placing themselves alongside of each other [] The fishermen do not notice this [] and so they join the chorus and repeat the same old stupid tale that fish conceive by swallowing the semen." The European conger eel (Conger conger) is one of hundreds of species of birds, mammals and fish identified in Aristotles writings. Credit: Wikimedia Aristotle was right. While most fish don't have sexual intercourse, some do. Clearly, Aristotle had either asked enough people and/or investigated the issue himself to find the truth. Theophrastus and trees Aristotle wasn't the only ancient researcher who got information from members of the public. Another was the philosopher Theophrastus (372287 BCE), whose main area of research was plants. Like Aristotle, Theophrastus weighed up and tested the credibility of the different reports provided to him. In his "Enquiry into Plants," he rejects the opinion of some of his informants, saying: "These informants were guilty of an important piece of ignorance. For they believed that the frankincense and the myrrh were produced by the same tree." Instead, he preferred the report of some sailors. These sailors, who had made a voyage and examined the trees in person, reported that frankincense and myrrh come from different trees. Theophrastus believed themand once again he was right. Frankincense comes from Boswellia trees, whereas myrrh comes from Commiphora trees. Strange tales Collecting information from the public isn't straightforward. People might fabricate information, or report strange and bizarre sights that are difficult to verify. The Roman historian Claudius Aelian (2nd3rd century CE) collected all kinds of (sometimes strange) stories about animals for his work "On Animals." In one passage, Aelian describes a number of animals with rather odd features: "In the time of Atothis, son of Menis, there appeared a crane with two heads [] and in the reign of another king there appeared a bird with four heads [] Nicocreon of Cyprus possessed a deer with four horns [] I myself have seen a sacred ox with five feet which was an offering to Zeus in the great city of Alexandria." Elsewhere, Aelian reports on strange creatures we are more familiar with. Take, for example, his story of a giant octopus: "I learn of an octopus at Dicaearchia in Italy which attained to a monstrous bulk and scorned and despised food from the sea and such pasturage as it provided. And so this creature actually came out on to the land and seized things there." "Now it swam up through a subterranean sewer that discharged the refuse of the aforesaid city into the sea and emerged in a house on the shore where some Iberian merchants had their cargo, that is, pickled fish from that country in immense jars: it threw its tentacles round the earthenware vessels and with its grip broke them and feasted on the pickled fish." Aelian says one of the merchants wanted to fight the octopus to prevent it stealing their food, but was too afraid as the creature "was too big for one man" to fight. We don't know whether Aelian's stranger stories are true or not. Nonetheless, it's clear at least some of these tales were collected from other people during his research. By getting help from the public, ancient researchers were able to make a great deal of progress in studies of subjects such as animals and plants. They had to be careful, though. Much like today, discernment was necessary in the case of strange tales. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Third-party collection of mail-in ballots has helped rural residents and those with disabilities to vote, yet the practice has become contentious and the target of laws aimed at restricting it. Critics claim the process is vulnerable to fraud and manipulation. But new research from the University of Utah's College of Social & Behavioral Science tells a different story. Ballot collection is more accurately characterized as a pathway for legitimate voter participation, according to a study published last month. Authors Daniel McCool, a professor emeritus in the Department of Political Science, and Weston McCool, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Anthropology, debunk misconceptions about ballot collection and document its benefits. "There is considerable controversy regarding the role of third-party ballot collection in elections," said Daniel McCool, who has testified as an expert witness in Native American voting rights lawsuits. "Our results indicate that ballot collection is a valued service on Indian reservations, and there is no evidence that it leads to voter fraud." The research appears in the July edition of the American Indian Culture and Research Journal. Focusing on Indian reservations in Montana and other Western states, the father-son team assessed the costs and benefits of ballot collection through a blend of qualitative and quantitative analyses. Native American communities often rely on ballot collection due to various socioeconomic and logistical challenges associated with casting votes. Sometimes negatively referred to as "ballot harvesting," ballot collection is the practice of someone other than the voter turning in completed ballots to a post office or ballot box. It has become popular with the rise of mail-in voting, which makes it much easier to vote, but not necessarily for Native Americans who often lack home mail service. Supervised by tribal governments and nonprofits such as Western Native Voice, ballot collectors on reservations deliver tribal members' ballots to a post office or polling station that can be miles from their homes. "They collected hundreds of ballots from Native Americans who live in very, very remote places," McCool said. "The reason why these native voters were taking advantage of the ballot collection service was because it's very difficult for them to overcome those long distances and the poor transportation." Legislatures in Utah and three other Western states have tried to ban the practice in recent years in a move that tribes have denounced as a partisan effort to limit Native Americans' ability to vote and has led to lawsuits Many states have adopted restrictions on who can collect another person's ballot or how many one person can collect. Some forbid ballot collectors from accepting payment, which effectively bans third-party collecting on reservations, according to McCool. Nineteen states allowed only the voter, a family member or a caregiver to turn in a ballot during the study's time frame. Of these, four have substantial Native American populations: Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Nevada. Utah has since banned ballot collection by third parties under an election reform law unanimously passed in 2020. By examining trends in vote-by-mail programs, socioeconomic variables, distance to polling stations and mail locations, and U.S. Postal Service delivery efficiency on reservations, the McCools documented how ballot collection improves the voting experience of Native Americans. Their findings illustrate how ballot collection reduces inequality in the cost of voting for Native Americans. On reservations, where access to polling places and reliable mail services can be limited, ballot collection ensures these community members can exercise their right to vote without undue burden. The statistical analysis conducted by the McCools found no evidence to support allegations that ballot collection leads to voter fraud, deflating the argument commonly used to restrict ballot collection practices. "The evidence is actually collected by the conservative think tank, the Heritage Foundation," McCool said. "We use their data to indicate that there's no voter fraud associated with ballot collection. The foundation's database documents 1,850 cases of proven voter fraud, which resulted in convictions, going back to 1980 for all elections surveyed, from president to dogcatcher. "Political scientists calculated the frequency of voter fraud based on the Heritage Foundation data," McCool said. "The frequency is .00006%." Another way to frame that figure is to say there were six cases of proven fraud for every 10 million votes cast in the United States. "The problem is not voter fraud," McCool said. "The problem is the fraud about voter fraud." More information: Daniel McCool et al, Ballot Collection and Native American Voters: An Assessment of Benefits and Costs, American Indian Culture and Research Journal (2024). DOI: 10.17953/A3.19428 Pavel Pautov, Acting Governor of the Astrakhan Region of the Russian Federation, presented the "Caspian Today" information content platform at the Caspian Media Forum, Azernews reports. The media platform is designed to address information shortages and enhance accessibility. "First and foremost, in the context of a global information war, it is crucial to counteract the spread of hostile and clearly fake content and to deliver reliable information to a wide audience. In this regard, we wish to present the 'Caspian Today' international Caspian media platform project and invite journalists from the region's countries to participate in its operation. We believe that this unified content platform, tailored for journalists, business people, and students, will help eliminate information deficits and increase accessibility," Pautov said. He added that the platform will allow access to news in six languages, including Azerbaijani, Kazakh, Turkmen, and English. It should be noted that around 120 foreign guests are participating in the Caspian Media Forum. The delegations include representatives from government agencies as well as media heads from Caspian Sea countries. This year marks the ninth edition of the Caspian Media Forum. The event is held on the theme "Dialogue of Cultures as the Basis for the Development of the Caspian Region." 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 Hundreds of thousands of students have now nervously opened their A-level results. These handfuls of letter grades matter, and not just to the students themselves. They have far-reaching effects on our whole education system and public views on standards in education. The impact of changes to assessment as a result of the pandemic are still being felt. In England, assessment returned to pre-pandemic grade boundaries in 2023, and this year the number of top grades awarded has risen. In Wales and Northern Ireland, however, this was the first year assessment returned to pre-pandemic standards. As a result, the number of top grades has fallen. We are not "back to normal." Those of us working in education still do not really know the impact it has and will have on learners, learning and teaching. Exam results only give us one snapshot in timea sample of what a student knows or can do. They cannot ever consolidate and represent the entirety of educational experiences. We should expect changes in education and its outcomes, such as A-level results; to expect absolute consistency is unrealistic. Addressing disadvantage We should rightly celebrate the news that 27,600 of UK 18-year-olds from the most disadvantaged backgrounds have accepted a degree place. But, despite this good news, a lack of opportunity persists. The county-level data released by Ofqual today shows a persistent geographical difference in attainment. The chances of a student achieving an A* or A is higher if they live in the south-east of England compared to the north-east. While 35.6% of grades received in Surrey were A or A*, only 21.5% of grades awarded in Lincolnshire were at A or above. Other areas, such as the Isle of Wight and Bedfordshire, also showed significantly lower than average proportions of A grades. The full details of these inequalities will be published later in the year. They should form an important piece of evidence for the government's plans to challenge inequity. The secretary of state for education, Bridget Phillipson, recently announced her concern about disadvantage being "baked-in" to the education system in England and promised to address this inheritance. Concern about disadvantage is a public matter. As recent research from the Sutton Trust charity shows, more than 80% of those surveyed believed that a class gap exists in England today. More than 60% felt that young people from richer families had better opportunities at school and university. Students in private schools continue to thrive: this year, they were more than twice as likely to achieve the top grades compared to their peers in state schools. Start change early The "baking-in" of inequality is visible through national exam results like A-levels and GCSEs, but this does not begin in secondary school. Challenging and changing this disadvantage starts in the nursery. Early-years education is the phase that anchors children to a positive educational lifecycle. Research shows that it matters for all aspects of a child's development. My hope is that the new government's commitment to change will include a new recipe for reform. One that sees life-long education as built on a strong early years experience that fosters engagement with education, to achieve (in more ways than just exam results) and to understand that learning is forever. If you're receiving A-level results today, congratulations. This is the start of a new chapter. But don't feel labeled or constrained by your grades: they are just a small part of your educational identity. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. UPPER HUDSON The Environmental Protection Agency released its latest findings regarding the Hudson River PCB cleanup in a draft report in July, which states that the river is cleaner but is not yet clean. The EPA continues to work on multiple fronts to address the contamination throughout the Upper and Lower Hudson River and will ensure General Electric Company (GE) remains accountable for the PCBs that came from their manufacturing plants in Hudson Falls and Fort Edward, New York, EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia said in a statement announcing the release of the report. According to the draft of its latest report, PCB levels in water and fish are continuing to drop overall, but the EPA needs to collect a minimum of eight years worth of data after dredging activity has ceased to start drawing science-based conclusions about the rate of recovery in the fish. Those studies began in 2019. While the agency continues to collect its fish data, it recommends that restrictions of fish consumption remain in place. New York State advises that the general population can eat some types of fish and crab that they catch in the Lower Hudson River, the report states, the length of the river below Albany. However, sensitive populations, including people who can have children and children under 15, should not eat any fish from the Upper and Lower Hudson River, which includes the river from the South Glens Falls Dam in Warren County to the Battery in New York City. In 2019 the agency certified that GE had completed its remedial requirements for removing the bulk of the PCBs it had dumped but concluded that it would need to continue to monitor the site to make sure it was naturally recuperating as planned. This process can take upwards of 50 years, the EPA said. Although the state filed and lost a lawsuit that aimed to get GE to dredge more, the Department of Environmental Conservation said it will continue to review the federal agencys findings and advocate on behalf of the state. New York State is committed to the comprehensive cleanup and restoration of the Hudson River to address contamination resulting from General Electrics (GE) extensive legacy of pollution, a statement provided to the Post-Star reads. DEC is committed to working with the EPA to fully assess and develop further actions to hold GE accountable for fully addressing unacceptable levels of contamination that remain in the river, safeguarding the Hudson River and its surrounding communities and environment for future generations. In a statement from GE accompanying the release of the EPA report, spokesman Mark Behan categorized the project as a success. The Hudson River dredging project removed the vast majority of PCBs from the Upper Hudson, led to broad declines in PCB levels, and is on track to deliver further improvements, Behan wrote. But the EPA and DEC arent the only agencies keeping an eye on the river. The Hudson River Natural Resource Trustees is a coalition of natural resource agencies includes the DEC, Department of Commerce/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the U.S. Department of the Interior Interior/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and National Park Service, which formed to monitor the past, current, and ongoing effects that PCBs as well as the prescribed treatment have had on the environment. In 2020, the HRNR issued a report stating that the dredging project had cause damage to the natural resources in and around the Upper Hudson River. Currently the group is working to update its natural resource damage assessment, measuring the injuries to natural resources caused by PCB contamination and the physical harm to habitat and biota (plants and animals) from the remedy., the groups website reads. The backstory Superfund Sites are federally managed areas throughout the country where man-made, typically industrial, waste has been introduced to the environment through mishandled, or outdated management practices and pose a threat to human health. In 1984, the EPA designated a 200-mile stretch of the Hudson River between Hudson Falls and the Battery in New York City as one of countrys most contaminated hazardous waste sites, making it the largest Superfund Site in America. That dubious distinction came from two General Electric Co., capacitor manufacturing plants located in the villages of Fort Edward and Hudson Falls. Its estimated that more than 1.3 million pounds of Polychlorinated biphenyls, also known as PCBs, were dumped into the Hudson River throughout the facilities manufacturing process from 1947 to 1977. PCBs were used in the manufacturing of electrical equipment such as capacitors due to their resistance to extreme heat. The EPA banned their production, based on a study which found that the man-made chemicals could cause cancer and other health related issues. Following decades of study, the EPA found that PCB buildup in the environment around the Hudson River was not decreasing naturally despite the full-stop in PCB production. Further studies showed that concentrations of the carcinogens were increasing in animals higher up on the food chain. In 2002, the EPA ordered GE to dredge 40 miles of the Upper Hudson River from Hudson Falls to the Federal Dam at Troy. Dredging Timeline <&rule> According to the EPA, dredging removes contaminated sediment from a water body without draining or diverting the water. Dredging also removes a certain amount of water with the sediment. The sediments are usually dewatered on land, and the water is usually treated before discharge back to the water body or public treatment works. The contaminated sediment is then disposed of in a landfill or a confined disposal facility. Highly contaminated sediment may be treated before disposal. Between 2009 and 2015, the company removed about 2.75 million cubic yards of contaminated sediment from the bed of the river at a cost of around $1.7 billion. In 2017, the EPA issued its second, five-year report, which stated that the remedy was working, but acknowledged that it would take years before the area could be declassified as a Superfund Site. As expected, average PCB concentrations in fish in the Upper Hudson are declining but have not yet reached protective levels, the report reads in part. Therefore, EPA recognizes the remedy to be not yet protective of human health and the environment. In the interim, the State of New York has fishing restrictions and advisories in place to control human consumption of contaminated fish. Although human health and ecological remedial goals have not yet been reached, they are expected to be reached in the future, when the remedy including the natural attenuation componentis complete. When the EPA certified that GE had met its initial legal requirement for dredging in 2019, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, along with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and New York Attorney General Letitia James sued the EPA to void the certificate so the company could be compelled to continue to dredge the river. The case was dismissed by Northern Federal District Court Judge David Hurd in 2021. GE is not off the hook, Hurd wrote in his determination. Under the consent decree, the Government reserved the right to compel GE to shoulder still more of the cleanup through what the parties refer to as a reopener clause. In its latest report, the EPA says that while the PCB levels in the Upper Hudson are dropping overall, the results are uneven in certain areas. The agency plans to conduct more targeted follow-up studies on fish and sediment over the course of the next two years. EPA says it will publish those findings along with a determination of any further actions no later than 2027. <&rule> The EPA will host a virtual informational meeting at 6 p.m., Aug. 21, 2024, to discuss the report and collect public input regarding the project, which has remained countrys largest superfund site for 40 years. They will take public comment until Oct. 8, 2024. For more information about the EPAs monitoring of the Hudson River PCB clean up, visit www.epa.gov/hudsonriverpcbs. The agency will also collect public comment regarding the draft report through October 8, comments can be sent by mail to: Gary Klawinski, Director EPA Region 2, Hudson River Office 187 Wolf Road, Suite 303 Albany, NY 12205 Or emailed to: epahrfo@outlook.com. Due to recent storm severity, paired with stricter state regulations, more culverts and bridges throughout Warren County are in need of repair or replacement. The high cost of these replacements have burdened the countys budget, and supervisors are searching for alternatives to pay for the maintenance. Raising the sales tax from 7% to 8% is under consideration. The increased frequency of severe stormsthats had a huge impact on what weve done, said Kevin Hajos, superintendent of public works in Warren County. Those storms have exposed deterioration in culverts that may have lasted a little while longer. A road culvert is a large pipe which carries water under a road or railway while the roadway can run atop. Over the last several years, every year, because of the storms that weve had, weve had to do some type of emergency culvert work or just a replacement of a culvert, Hajos added. An example of emergency culvert work came in mid-December 2023 when a severe storm damaged five culverts that were washed out. To pay for these repairs, the county took $4.1 million from the General Fund Unappropriated Surplus. Those culvert replacements were not budgeted for, Hajos said. Related: Warren County is considering a 1% budget bump: "Regressive" sales tax questioned in Warren County meeting Warren County is still looking at a possible 1% sales tax increase. The public weighed in. County sales tax increase: Is it inevitable? We look at the issue before Wednesday's workshop. The sales tax in Warren County stands at 7% but may rise to 8%. We have some of the ins-and-outs of what this means. To further complicate matters, in 2024, the State Department of Environmental Conservation has put in place stricter guidelines in order to protect streams. Based on the severity of storms in this climate, protection for streams with bridges and culverts has become more imperative. We used to have a general permit that allowed municipalities to file with DEC every year, and then we go do the work on our bridges, culverts, specifically that dealt with regulated streams, Hajos told The Post-Star. Hajos believed that the DEC had some bad experiences with municipalities in the state that werent protecting streams. Therefore, they established a new rule that requires counties to obtain a Protection of Waters Permit and a Water Quality Certificate. With those permits, came other guidelines that they (DEC) just put out this past year, Hajos said. In the new guidelines, the DEC states that the width of the crossing should be 1.25x the normal width of the streambed, measured bank to bank at ordinary high water level or to the edges of terrestrial, rooted vegetation. The reason why thats such a big deal to Warren County is because there may be slightly undersized culverts that now must be turned into bridges to meet the size requirements. Lets say I have an 18-foot culvert. That 18-foot culvert just turned into a 20-foot bridge because thats the threshold, Hajos explained to The Post-Star. With that being said, its an increase in size, certainly an increase in cost, Hajos said. Thus far, Warren County has had two culverts that became bridges in recent memory, including the construction of a bridge on Bay Road after the culverts were washed out in 2022. That bridge crosses over Halfway Brook in Queensbury. Hajos mentioned that these new state regulations arent necessarily the problem, but the problem starts with the funding that is needed to accommodate those regulations. Were fortunate that theres funding out there to do bridge replacements, but its become very competitive. Its the same thing with culverts. Its become very competitive, Hajos said. Since Warren County is largely rural, there are numerous bridges, especially up-county, that dont see the vehicle traffic that other bridges across the state experience. Consequently, those bridges are seen as less of a priority and are not awarded state funding. You might have Blair Road, which we did several years ago up in Horicon, theres six cars a daythat isnt competitive (for grant funding) compared with the rest of the bridges around the state, Hajos said. This year, the County withdrew $7.7 million from the General Fund Unappropriated Surplus to complete projects like road repairs that were the results of storms in 2023, said John Taflan, Warren County administrator. Road project costs have gone up 53% since 2020 due to rising cost of materials and increased federal and state regulations, Taflan added. Based on the climate changes that weve seen and the frequency of these storms, we want to have larger pipes, too, because we dont want to keep replacing pipes, but you have to come up with a funding source so we can do this and they (New York State) havent done that yet, Hajos told The Post-Star. Bridges in poor conditions, comptroller says. Warren and Washington counties have some. The NYS Comptroller's Office has listed hundreds of bridges statewide that are in poor condition. That means they go on priority lists for funding. In Warren County, nine of the 68 local bridges, or 13.2% of its local bridges were considered, to be in poor condition. Based on a 2023 report, repairing the nine local bridges will cost about $4.6 million. Improving all 140 bridges in the county, including state-owned bridges, would reach about $203.3 million. It used to be that Warren County would get a bridge every year that we could replace, Hajos said, meaning that at least one bridge received grant funding from the state. This is the first year in the last several years that we did not get a BRIDGE NY project. The BRIDGE NY program is a reimbursement program. NYSDOT will provide up to 95% of the originally authorized project costs, matched by 5% in local funds, the programs website states. Warren County is undergoing a culvert assessment for over 1,500 culverts across the county. When that assessment is complete, Hajos and his team at DPW will have a clearer vision of how many culverts may need repair, need to be replaced in the future, or need to become bridges. For now, Warren County will need to adapt to the unpredictable weather patterns. Editor's note: The following contains two opinion pieces both looking at New York State's climate action law. They are opposing viewpoints. The opinions are the writers' own and do not reflect the opinion of The Post-Star or its editorial team. Rethink CLCPA A few weeks ago, the North Country was hammered by severe thunderstorms and tens of thousands of New Yorkers in Warren, Washington, Essex and Hamilton Counties were left without power. Local governments and National Grid worked tirelessly to clear downed lines and trees, but communities across our region were without power for up to a week. Were in the middle of a sweltering summer and many residents had no potable water, no refrigeration to preserve food and no air conditioning for an extended period. After one day under these circumstances, thousands were facing severe difficulties and have expressed outrage over a lack of service. This has made it even more important to have a reliable, easy-to-maintain energy grid and infrastructure. That means rethinking the governor and Democrat leaders Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. Under it, 70 percent of energy must be renewably sourced by 2030 and there must be net-zero emissions by 2040. That means electric-only power and an end to the use of gas and gas hook-ups in houses and buildings. If similar events were to happen in the winter, imagine the impact that edict could have during an extended outage. Residents with gas stoves could still provide some heat to their home. At the very least, they would have the option of purchasing a gas stove for their residence. Under the CLCPA, they would no longer have that ability. Im not the only public official expressing concerns about the CLCPA. A recent report from state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli has revealed its been a failure. Reading through it highlights what Ive pointed out as both a legislator and an engineer: the energy goals put forth are simply unrealistic. As I have repeatedly said, this agenda wouldnt work because it couldnt work. The state Public Service Commission has relied on outdated data and wrong calculations in putting forth that goal. The PSC has failed to take into account for new data and laws, such as the recently passed law requiring all new construction below seven stories be electric-only by 2027 and the increase in supply and demand of electric vehicles. Its failed to account for the costs and timelines for project contracts and most damning, the PSC has failed to provide an honest cost-benefit analysis and estimate of these plans. The comptrollers office writes, Auditors identified other factors that could delay achievement of the Climate Act goals, including increasingly severe weather, renewable electricity demands, a delayed Champlain Hudson Power Express line and potential limitations on the hydroelectric power it is expected to provide, and material availability and supply chain issues. The renewably sourced energy being advanced by the PSC and Democrat leaders is simply not capable of meeting the challenges of an emergency like the one our region is currently facing. Instead of lurching ahead with this green strategy, which cant meet consumer demands or be constructed in a reasonable, cost-effective time frame, lets invest in providing a needed boost to our current energy infrastructure. Now is the time to ensure our current existing grid and energy sources are modernized and that our current infrastructure can withstand severe weather events. Its also past time to conduct a full audit and cost-benefit analysis of the CLCPA to reconcile its true costs. At the very least, an investment in our current energy systems ensures a reliable back-up to the currently inconsistent renewable sources. In the best case, it ensures more affordable and reliable power for every New Yorker. Reliability is of paramount importance. Given the volatility of weather, another event like were currently experiencing could once again leave communities without access to heat and hot water. We cannot expect our residents to rely on uncertain methods of power generation during unpredictable crises and weather-related emergencies. Given that, its vital to rethink and change the CLCPAs green plans before proceeding any further. Failure to do so could leave our residents, quite literally, out in the cold. Cant do attitude and the states Green Agenda In his guest viewpoint, state Sen. Dan Stec argues that New Yorks Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) is too demanding and too soon, and risks leaving our residents, quite literally, out in the cold. Stec argues that recent storms require rethinking of the states green agenda. Where does his cant do attitude come from? We are AmericaWe can definitely do this! And we most definitely need to do this. Climate change is putting every development gain at riskhere and now in the North Country, and around the world. Given the similarity of his talking points, Stecs piece reads like it was written by a Big Oil and Gas-funded think tank. He states that the climate leadership and community protection act means electric only power and an end to the use of gas and gas, hook ups and houses and buildings. He further states that during a winter power outage residents with gas stoves could still provide some heat to their homes in the winter and that at the very least, they would have the option of purchasing a gas stove for their residence, but that under the CLCPA, they were no longer have that ability. How exactly are people going to heat their homes with their gas stoves when the power goes out? Doesnt our Senator know that virtually every modern gas stove (and oil furnace) needs electricity to work? Electronic pilots mean people with gas furnaces and stoves are SOL without electricity, and deadly gas leaks become more likely. Gas stoves are also becoming associated with asthma and other health impacts in children, information long suppressed by the industry. Stec also totally misses the resilience of households with rooftop or community solar, with storage on-site or nearby. He makes the mistake that fossil fuels burned in centralized power plants are more reliable in severe weather. Homeowners can still use a woodstove, or keep their oil, propane, kerosene, or even gas furnace as backup when they get electric heat pumps. The Senator is missing the big picture here. His whole article is about the fact that we are getting hammered by severe weather, thunderstorms, flooding and fires. But he wants to slow down our response. Stec is correct when he says that now is the time to modernize our existing grid and energy sources, and to make them more resilient. However our energy grid is designed to accept power from many sources and we are fast running out of time to stop putting carbon into our atmosphere! Stec treats 2040when the CLCPA carbon targets hit zerolike its next year. There are many ways things will change between now and then. Just look at how modern technologies with wind, solar and batteries are advancing and becoming much less expensive than their fossil fuel alternatives. Now give them 15 years. Stec misses how we can use multiple sources of power: electric, gas, wood stoves, solar and wind, hydro, storage. Thats what the electric GRID is for, to balance electricity from diverse sources. We can even keep some of the NY grids oil-fired power plants around for peak times and emergencies, to get us through this transition. They are dirty but affordable, we already have them, and we can store fuel on-site without leaking pipelines. We should keep existing nuclear plants online as long as they are safe. We have 15 years to build grid scale storage, and to get the cable down Lake Champlain from Hydro Quebec. A diverse and decentralized grid is a resilient grid. Senator Stec argues that we need a cost-benefit analysis of the CLCPA to reconcile its true costs. Indeed, the full costs of not acting on climate include asthma, cardio-vascular disease, heat waves, wildfires, and yes, flooding. If New York doesnt act, the U.S. wont. If the U.S. doesnt act, developing countries like China and India certainly wont. We hear nothing about the costs of not acting from Stec. It is sad to see how extreme weather worsened by climate change is being used as a wedge and an excuse to not act on climate. What is Stecs solution? This piece makes that clearhe wants more of the same. Dan is stuck with old and harmful energy technologies while China puts their money into the future. We ask Dan to be one of Americas leaders who really lead. He should not be like many other politicians following the dictates and talking points given to them by fossil fuel lobbyists. We have one planet and we owe todays children something better. GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP Irvin Moreno-Rodriguez has been named the new director of the Sara and Sam Schoffer Holocaust Resource Center at Stockton University, the school said Thursday. Moreno-Rodriguez, 30, of Pleasantville, is the first Latino to head one of the states 30 Holocaust centers. He was officially appointed in July. Its so important that we teach these stories of rescue, resilience and resistance to students because we want them to be upstanders, Moreno-Rodriguez said. We want them to be good and kind to one another, and when that moment comes, to stand up and do the right thing. After graduating from Atlantic City High School and meeting Gail Rosenthal, the previous executive director of the center who died in October, he became an informal tour guide for the center during his time attending Stockton from 2011 to 2015. Oct. 7 Hamas attack hangs over annual Holocaust remembrance Northfield's Congregation Beth Israel on Monday held its first Yom Hashoah Holocaust remembrance service since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel and the deaths of two key local Jewish figures. He officially started working in the center in 2018. In 2021, Moreno-Rodriguez became the centers assistant director and a member of the New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education. Irvin, as a Stockton graduate and assistant to Gail, brings years of experience and great continuity to his position, said Leo Schoffer, a member of the Holocaust Resource Center Executive Committee and son of the Stockton centers namesakes. As a scholar and teacher in the field, Irvin possesses a special understanding of Holocaust and genocide studies that he transmits to his students and the many people who attend the centers programs and seminars. As the new head of Stocktons Holocaust center, Moreno-Rodriguez plans to strengthen partnerships with off-campus organizations, such as the Jewish Federation of Atlantic and Cape May Counties, to create more programming for the center. Irvin is very well-known and respected in his field and will bring his many connections to the center. We are truly excited with the future that Irvin will bring to the center and Stockton University, Schoffer said. TOMS RIVER An Ocean County man has been sentenced to seven years in prison in connection with an arson and antisemitic graffiti last year, authorities said. Prosecutors said Ron Carr, 35, of Manchester Township, was sentenced Friday on guilty pleas to arson, bias intimidation and criminal mischief. The seven-year, five-year and 18-month terms imposed for the convictions are to run concurrently. In a news release, prosecutors said police were called to the Pine Lake Park area in June 2023 and found 14 homes vandalized with spray paint that included some "Nazi symbolism." The next day, emergency responders were called to a fire that destroyed one home and damaged three others. Carr was arrested in both cases and authorities alleged in an affidavit outlining the charges that he made multiple antisemitic statements to investigators while being interviewed. He told police he was "saving the neighborhood" and he thought the house he set on fire would be turned into a school or "prayerland," the affidavit said. Defense attorney Shane Paugh said after Carr was charged that he hoped his client will "get the help he needs," NJ.com reported. The Asbury Park Press reported the crimes came amid "legal battles and zoning disputes over the placement of synagogues and Orthodox Jewish schools in Ocean County, which has rapidly growing Orthodox communities." France has put the countrys health system on "maximum alert level" amid mpox concerns, Azernews reports. Gabriel Attal wrote on X that he held a meeting with Health Minister Catherine Vautrin and Minister Delegate for Health and Prevention, Frederic Valletoux. "Over the recent days, following the emergence of a new variant and the increasing circulation of the virus in Africa, the WHO (World Health Organization) and the ECDC (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control) raised the alert level As a result of this meeting, we place our health system at the maximum alert level," Attal wrote on X. He recalled that France fought against the mpox epidemic since its outbreak in 2022 by "monitoring, rapid diagnosis, and vaccination." The premier noted that 107 cases have been detected in the country since the start of this year. "As per our values of international solidarity and the sanitary priority to contain the epidemic outbreak in Africa, we decided, following the presidents request, to donate vaccines to the most affected countries," Attal added. The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) on Tuesday declared the mpox outbreak a "Public Health Emergency of Continental Security." The next day, the WHO declared the mpox situation a "public health emergency of international concern."? Since the beginning of 2024, over a dozen African countries have reported the disease, which is transmitted through close contact, with the Democratic Republic of Congo accounting for more than 90% of reported cases. A person infected with mpox develops symptoms within 2 to 19 days after exposure, according to health professionals. According to the WHO, mpox causes rashes and flu-like symptoms. Drought conditions in Montana are 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. The tongue twister "She sells seashells by the seashore" is often connected to Mary Anning, a pioneering fossil collector and paleontologist from Lyme Regis in Dorset, England. Born in 1799, Anning made groundbreaking contributions to the scientific community despite facing numerous societal challenges as a woman in the early 19th century. Her remarkable story and achievements have led many to believe that she is the inspiration behind the famous tongue twister. Mary Anning's interest in fossils began at a young age. Growing up in a coastal town known for its rich fossil deposits, she often accompanied her father, Richard Anning, on fossil-hunting expeditions. After his death, Mary and her brother Joseph continued to collect and sell fossils to support their family. Their efforts were not merely a means of survival but also contributed to the burgeoning field of paleontology. At the age of 12, Mary Anning made a discovery that would change her life and the scientific community forever. In 1811, she unearthed the first complete Ichthyosaurus skeleton. This marine reptile, which lived during the Mesozoic Era, was unlike anything scientists had seen before. The discovery attracted widespread attention and established Mary as a skilled and knowledgeable fossil collector. She sold the skeleton for only $1,200, but given her impoverished state, it made a great deal of difference to her. Mary's contributions to paleontology did not end with the Ichthyosaurus. Over the years, she discovered several other significant fossils, including the first complete Plesiosaurus skeleton in 1823 and the first British Pterosaur in 1828. Each of these discoveries provided valuable insights into prehistoric life and helped to advance the scientific understanding of the Earth's history. Her meticulous work in collecting, preparing, and documenting fossils set new standards for the field and earned her the respect of many leading scientists of her time. Despite her achievements, Mary Anning faced considerable obstacles. As a woman in the early 19th century, she was excluded from the scientific societies and institutions that were central to the dissemination of knowledge. Her contributions were often overshadowed by those of her male counterparts, who published her findings under their own names or simply failed to credit her work. The connection between Mary Anning and the tongue twister "She sells seashells by the seashore" is not definitively proven, but the association has grown over time. The phrase is believed to have been popularized in the early 20th century, long after Mary's death in 1847. In 1908, British songwriter Terry Sullivan wrote a music hall song that included the line, which may have been inspired by Mary Anning's life and work. The song contributed to the enduring popularity of the tongue twister and cemented its place in popular culture. While the exact origins of the tongue twister remain uncertain, the connection to Mary Anning highlights the remarkable legacy of a woman whose contributions to science were largely unrecognized during her lifetime. Today, Anning is celebrated as a pioneer in paleontology, and her story serves as an inspiration to many. Her life and work have been the subject of numerous books, articles, and even a recent film, "Ammonite," which fictionalizes aspects of her life. Mary Anning's legacy extends beyond her fossil discoveries. She played a crucial role in shaping the field of paleontology and contributed to the broader scientific understanding of the Earth's history. Her meticulous methods and dedication to her work set new standards for fossil collection and preparation. About this series This story is the latest installment of RVA100, our series that highlights the people, places and objects that define the Richmond region. Were exploring hidden histories and colorful backstories. Some will be familiar. Others you may learn about for the first time. For 100 days, well showcase a different quintessential Richmond icon in the newspaper and at richmond.com. Chris Coates Executive Editor and Lee Enterprises Senior Director-Local News Follow Chris Coates 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 Im very happy to tell you about a new program that will provide free digital subscriptions of The Times-Dispatch to Richmond-area classrooms. News for Students will equip teachers with one year of unlimited access to richmond.com, including videos, podcasts and other multimedia. Theyll also get our e-edition, a digital replica of the newspaper delivered in electronic form. Each student will also get his or her own account. For educators, its a terrific way to infuse current events and local news into the curriculum, while focusing on reading skills and media literacy. Im excited were able to connect a new generation of readers with the work of Times-Dispatch journalists covering our community. Best of all, the service is free thanks to the support of community and corporate donations. We thank our generous donors. Teachers can sign up for News for Students at go.richmond.com/nfs. Subscriptions run from Aug. 31, 2024, to Aug. 30, 2025. Im looking forward to helping tell your story. 2 Mobile Newsroom events planned A very big thanks to visitors who came to our Mobile Newsroom at the Ettrick-Matoaca Library last week. We really appreciate your story suggestions and feedback. I also want to thank branch manager Jackie Downs and Chesterfield County Public Library Director Mike Mabe for hosting us. Coming up in September, were holding two Mobile Newsroom events. Our first will be Monday, Sept. 16, to Friday, Sept. 20, at the Reynolds Community College Parham Road campus at 1651 E. Parham Road. Our journalists will be in the Massey Library Technology Center building from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day to talk with readers. Our staffers also will be setting up shop 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27, to Sunday, Sept. 29, at the State Fair of Virginia in Doswell. The Times-Dispatch will have a booth at the fairgrounds, where an estimated 250,000 will attend the 10-day fair. We hope to see you there. We really appreciate your feedback. Quick programming note Were making a few changes in our features content next week in The Times-Dispatch. Our Friday edition will include a new Dining section focusing on the regions burgeoning restaurant scene. Our Health section will be moving to Wednesdays. We invite you to take a look. Thanks for reading. Chetumal court grants provisional suspension of states new Vest Law for motorcyclists Riviera Maya, Q.R. A Chetumal court has granted the first provisional suspension of what has been named the Vest Law in Quintana Roo. On Thursday, the District Court I in Chetumal granted a provisional suspension against Article 218 Bis of the recently revised Mobility Law. The provisional suspension temporarily nullifies the mandatory use of stickered reflective vests and helmets in the state. The judicial suspension was made after Quintana Roo motorcycle groups continued with protests regarding the mandatory wearing of stickered vests and helmets. In late July, the XVII Legislature quickly reformed the Mobility Law of Quintana Roo, requiring motorcyclists to wear helmets and vests with a visible license plate sticker. Two days later, the revision was published in the Official Gazette of the State making it law within 60 days. Talks have been had with both sides even though the new decree had already been published. However, motorcyclists have continually protested against the revision authorities said was made to reduce motorcycle theft and identify criminals who use motorcycles to commit crimes. The legal representative of the State Committee of Motorcyclists, Juan Carlos Encalada Pech, said there are around 120,000 motorcyclists around Quintana Roo involved in the Amparo which is already more than 1,000 pages long. Encalada Pech says he is confident the court will rule in favor of motorcyclists. We trust that they will rule in our favor because we already have the precedent. We are certain that we will obtain the definitive suspension, he said. Lawyer Marco Javier Nic Cab promoted the Amparo Trial (704/2024-I-) before District Court I in Chetumal. He said they granted the provisional suspension Thursday and as soon as the authorities involved deliver their reports, it will enter into a thorough study regarding a final decision. Motorcyclist around the state have continually protested the revised Mobility Law. Photo: July 24, 2024. He says at the moment, it is not possible to speculate on a timeframe for the final resolution, but for now, at least temporarily, motorcyclists are exempt from the use of the stickered clothing. While upfront the vests will be provided by the state, there is talk of a motorcycle kit being sold by the Quintana Roo Mobility Institute (Imoveqroo) next year for around 2,200 pesos. MARION The man accused of killing 28-year-old Smyth County Deputy Hunter Reedy and injuring Deputy Michael Fedorchuk has died. According to Smyth County Commonwealths Attorney Phillip Bucky Blevins, 65-year-old Timothy Wayne Goodman, who has remained in intensive care since the shooting a week ago, died early Friday at Johnson City Medical Center. Goodman, of Cherryville, North Carolina, was facing one count aggravated murder in Reedys death. He also was charged with four counts of attempted aggravated murder and using a firearm in commission of a felony. The charges stemmed from what started as a routine traffic stop on Virginia 16 in Marion around 5 p.m. Aug. 9. A Marion officer attempted to stop a speeding vehicle in town, but the driver, identified as Goodman, did not pull over or stop until he reached a spot near the state fish hatchery southeast of town. Reedy and Fedorchuk responded to assist Marion officers. After the citation was issued, Marion Police Chief John Clair said, Goodman became agitated and a deputy went to check on him. Goodman, police said, then opened fire at the law enforcement officers, striking both Reedy and Fedorchuk. Officers returned fire, critically wounding Goodman. Reedy died at the scene. Fedorchuck was airlifted to an area hospital where he underwent emergency surgery. He was released the next day. Thursday, Blevins said Fedorchuk is recovering well. On Friday morning, Blevins reflected in a news release, The tragic loss of Deputy Reedy has deeply affected our community and the law enforcement family. 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. In the week since Smyth County was rocked by the tragedy, the community has rallied around their families and local law enforcement. Multiple businesses and organizations have held special fundraisers, children have ensured that blue ribbons are visible, and plans are in the works for special tributes. While those acts wont ease the pain surrounding Saturdays funeral service for Reedy, they are hoped to be lasting reminders of love and support. In the hours after the shooting, Smyth County Sheriff Chip Shuler said Reedys family and the members of his department are devastated and heartbroken. He was a good, decent man. He is going to be missed by all of us, the sheriff said. Its just senseless. No sense whatsoever. Shuler called Reedy an absolute hero. He said it is the first time an officer has been killed in the line of duty during his long tenure with the department. At a prayer vigil Sunday, the Rev. John Graham, who serves as the countys clerk of circuit court, said, There is no blueprint for what we are doing today. To our knowledge to my knowledge this has never happened before in our community. Reedy leaves behind his wife, Bettina, three young children and numerous family members and friends, many of whom described their profound loss and heartbreak on social media. The heartbreaking death of Deputy Reedy is profound, Blevins said last week. We are mourning the loss of a father, husband, son, friend and community hero. I will not rest until the murderer is held accountable for his actions. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Deputy Reedy, Deputy Fedorchuk and the other officers who were targeted in this senseless act of violence, he said. We extend our deepest gratitude to the law enforcement partners who responded to this critical situation and to the community for their support during this difficult time. Friday morning, Blevins reiterated that appreciation. We remain extraordinarily grateful for the law enforcement partners who have assisted Smyth County during this tragedy and to the community for their love and support. Washington, Wythe, Grayson, and Bland County sheriffs deputies were on hand to cover calls and help their peers in Smyth County the night of the incident and did so again Friday and will do again on Saturday so local law enforcement may attend the Friday visitation and Saturday funeral services. The Abingdon Police Department was helping cover the town of Marion. At the request of the Marion Police Department and Smyth County Sheriffs Office, the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigations Wytheville Field Office is investigating the shooting. Friday, Blevins said his office will continue to work with law enforcement to ensure all aspects of this case are addressed appropriately. Ceasefire talks conclude in Doha with "bridging" proposal; Hamas rejects "new conditions" Xinhua) 09:17, August 17, 2024 A child is pictured at Nasser Hospital in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, Aug. 13, 2024. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua) DOHA, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Mediators of the Gaza War ceasefire talks announced on Friday that the two-day discussions in the Qatari capital of Doha have concluded, with plans to reconvene in Cairo next week to finalize a deal aimed at ending the conflict. In a joint statement, the United States, Egypt, and Qatar described the talks as constructive and conducted in a positive environment. The statement said that a "bridging proposal" had been presented by the three mediators to Hamas and Israel, which is consistent with the principles of UN Security Council Resolution No. 2735, calling for an "immediate, comprehensive, and thorough" ceasefire in Gaza to end the conflict. The talks, which began on Thursday, focused on ending the 10-month conflict and securing the release of hostages. A successful agreement is seen as crucial to preventing further regional conflict. A woman mourns for victims at Nasser Hospital in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, Aug. 13, 2024. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua) Hamas, which did not participate directly, accused Israel of adding new conditions to a previously supported proposal. The militant group claimed Israel demanded the retention of troops along Gaza's border with Egypt and imposed restrictions on prisoner exchanges. Hamas seeks a full ceasefire, withdrawal of Israeli troops, the return of displaced persons, and an unrestricted prisoner swap. Hamas senior official Sami Abu Zuhri accused the Biden administration of trying to create a "false positive atmosphere," expressing skepticism about the negotiations' outcome. Hamas argued that the current proposals diverge from earlier plans endorsed by Biden. 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. Netanyahu has been accused of adding new demands, but he maintained these were merely clarifications. People attend a funeral for victims killed in an Israeli airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on Aug. 14, 2024. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) Following the conclusion of the talks in Doha, Biden stated that a ceasefire agreement is "closer than we have ever been." U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who canceled his trip to Israel earlier this week due to the threat of an attack from Iran, will visit Israel this weekend to push the ceasefire deal, the U.S. State Department announced after Biden's optimistic statement. Egypt, which will host the next round of negotiations, also stressed the urgency of a ceasefire to prevent a broader regional conflict. "This is the key to the start of the solution in this region and the start of de-escalation," Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said during his visit to Beirut, amid rising tension along the Lebanon-Israel border. This photo taken on Aug. 11, 2024 shows destroyed buildings in the Gaza Strip, as seen from Israel's southern border with the Gaza Strip. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) UN agencies have called for two seven-day breaks in fighting to allow for polio vaccinations for over 640,000 children in Gaza. Hamas supports this request and also demands the delivery of essential supplies to the region. The World Health Organization plans to launch vaccination campaigns in late August and September, but the efforts require temporary halts in fighting. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized the need for humanitarian pauses to ensure vaccine delivery, adding that "the best vaccine for all children in Gaza is peace." (Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Wu Chaolan) As part of my "light" summer reading, I came across a rather striking quote. "In America . . . the recurring crisis in education that, during the last decade at least, has become a political problem of the first magnitude, reported on almost daily in the newspapers." The statement was made by historian and philosopher Hannah Arendt - in 1961. Fall semester is starting soon in school buildings and campuses. Ensuring quality education is always a valid concern. Some concerns are valid, some are not, and others aren't raised enough. I have biases, being the child of educators while also working in education. I'm also a parent and interact with a rather broad section of the community, so my observations are based on real experience. As the quote for Arendt indicates, the "why can't Johnny read?" trope has been around for generations. It's past time to put it to rest and focus on ensuring more students can read at grade level. Concerns about indoctrination from elementary to collegiate level. Community leaders and national figures talk about political indoctrination. Educators are often seeking to have students in class regularly, pay attention in class, and turn assignments in on time. There is some overlap among those saying "Johnny can't read" while also saying he's indoctrinated into socialism. This would be quite a feat. An area that doesn't get enough attention is the social and economic challenges occurring in education. Between 2003 and 2023, free and reduced lunch eligible students in northwest Iowa has increased from 36 percent to 51 percent. It is increasing in urban and rural districts. The eligibility standards haven't changed. More kids are raised in more economically stressed households. Another area needing attention is the drive to push students to identify a career early. It is important for young people to explore options and interests. It is useful for them to know different paths and of the options that are available nearby. For those who know their aptitude and desires, getting the credentials early in life makes a lot of sense. However, we should not expect children in their mid-teens to know what they want to do with the rest of their lives. Pushing everyone into a skill early may end up limiting their opportunities later. We need to maintain a balance. This drive for early careers increased at the same time as workforce shortages occurred. Iowa has the second-highest percentage of people aged 65 and older in the workforce. It is understandable that there would be an effort to get young people working. The Heritage Foundation's "Project 2025" asserts that current regulations "discourage otherwise interested young workers from trying the more dangerous job." Recent state legislation allows 14- and 15-year-olds to work as late as 9 p.m. on school nights, where the federal law has set it at 7 p.m. It also allows them to work up to six hours per day and 28 hours per week during the school year. The money these 9th- and 10th-graders make may come in handy, but it may cause adverse effects for their education and long-term prospects. Despite some of the rhetoric, this isn't about whether to allow young people to work. It is, or should be, about the impact that it has on the child's education. On one hand, the taxpayers provide significant amounts of money to hire quality teachers and ensure excellent facilities for learning. On the other, policies allow for students to be exhausted and unprepared. With challenges come opportunities. Educators across the country are preparing to create opportunities for our youth this Fall. Hopefully society can minimize the challenges. A Sioux City resident, Steve Warnstadt is government affairs coordinator for Western Iowa Tech Community College. He is a former Democratic state senator and retired Army National Guard brigadier general. He and his wife, Mary, are the parents of one son and one daughter. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240817/attack-by-unidentified-assailants-leaves-100-injured-in-northeast-bangladesh---reports-1119803915.html Attack by Unidentified Assailants Leaves 100 Injured in Northeast Bangladesh - Reports Attack by Unidentified Assailants Leaves 100 Injured in Northeast Bangladesh - Reports Sputnik International More than 100 people were injured and around 20-30 shops were robbed in an attack by unidentified assailants in northeastern Bangladesh's Habiganj district, the United News of Bangladesh reported on Saturday. 2024-08-17T10:30+0000 2024-08-17T10:30+0000 2024-08-17T10:30+0000 world bangladesh us hegemony deep state russia-nato showdown https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/08/0b/1119726041_0:46:3072:1774_1920x0_80_0_0_0cf69f1ea4f85ef35b836ed7f3892701.jpg The Friday afternoon attack, which left two people in critical condition, may have been prompted by the appointment of a new imam at a local mosque, the report added. Authorities called in the army, border guards and police to deal with the situation, the report said. The situation has been stabilized and an investigation has been launched, the report read.Earlier protests erupted in Bangladesh that culminated in the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Commenting on the situation in the country, Russian presidential aide Nikolai Patrushev explained that the US and UK seek to instigate conflicts abroad amid problems at home. bangladesh 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 bangladesh coup, coup in bangladesh, us hegemony, us agression, ouster in bangladesh https://sputnikglobe.com/20240817/biden-escalates-again-threatening-russia-with-long-range-cruise-missiles-1119800144.html Biden Escalates Again, Threatening Russia with Long-Range Cruise Missiles Biden Escalates Again, Threatening Russia with Long-Range Cruise Missiles Sputnik International President Joe Bidens support for Ukraine in its proxy war against the Russian Federation has been marked by careful efforts to manage the narrative accompanying US involvement. 2024-08-17T01:47+0000 2024-08-17T01:47+0000 2024-08-17T01:49+0000 analysis us joe biden caleb maupin ukraine russia joint air-to-surface standoff missile-extended range (jassm) white house proxy war odessa massacre https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/07/17/1119467716_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_647b78b3e69bd11cb42429bdea05ab5c.jpg President Joe Bidens support for Ukraine in its proxy war against the Russian Federation has been marked by careful efforts to manage the narrative accompanying US involvement.Biden has consistently attempted to paint the United States as a cautious and responsible party to the dispute, warning of the potential of a dangerous escalation of the conflict with the nuclear-armed power. To this end the president has often resisted calls to provide Ukraine with certain high-power armaments, only to relent months later as Kievs forces appear to be at the end of their rope.The White House signaled one such escalation Thursday when Western media reported Washington was open to providing Ukraine long-range cruise missiles with a range of over 230 miles. The Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) is reportedly the US Air Forces most powerful and longest-range weapon, but questions remain over whether Ukraine possesses the aircraft and trained pilots necessary to put it to use.I don't think I'm overstating the reality when I say that Russia has been fairly measured in its response to the proxy aggression that Ukraine has been engaged in, said host Wilmer Leon on Sputniks The Critical Hour program Friday, responding to the development. If they are now considering sending missiles further into Russia, that's not going to bode well for Ukraine. It's not going to bode well for NATO. This is not a very good idea.Attempts to distance itself from what Ukraine has done may serve diplomatic purposes for the United States, but at the end of the day Russia knows what's going on, and so does much of the world, the analyst noted. Even though there are not directly American troops involved, this is American weaponry, this is done with American oversight, this is an American operation against Russia, and has been since 2014, when the Ukrainian government was toppled.Host Garland Nixon claimed Russia is on a path to win the conflict, having successfully liberated territory in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. Ukraines nationalist government has targeted ethnic Russians in the country since 2014s Euromaidan coup, attempting to suppress Russian heritage and the use of the Russian language.The Russian military moved to protect citizens in the formerly-Ukrainian territory at the request of local authorities, intervening after several years of the Kiev regimes targeting of the regions inhabitants. The Odessa trade union massacre represented one of the most shocking incidents of the Ukraine regimes war against its own people; dozens perished when neo-Nazi paramilitaries set fire to a union hall after attacking a group of anti-Maidan protesters.Unfortunately, I don't think there was ever any intent for Ukraine to win, said Maupin, acknowledging that the US has merely used Kiev as a battering ram against Moscow.I think it's pretty clear this whole operation has just been about costing Russia in terms of lives, in terms of resources, and in terms of morale, he continued. It's a cynical waste of human life and a waste of resources. And if you look at the details and you see that the US has never really had any intention for Ukraine to win and very much provoked this whole thing from the beginning with that understanding, you're going to have to look on and be very disgusted if you have any basic sense of human decency or morality. https://sputnikglobe.com/20180414/jassm-missile-debut-in-syria-1063569652.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240718/odessa-leads-violent-resistance-to-mobilization-as-poll-shows-ukrainians-sympathy-for-draft-dodgers-1119417961.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20180502/ukraine-odessa-trade-unions-flowers-1064087418.html ukraine russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 John Miles https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/19/1116388787_0:0:1316:1316_100x100_80_0_0_77e70d36afd983012b1c5d38ddb84156.jpg John Miles https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/19/1116388787_0:0:1316:1316_100x100_80_0_0_77e70d36afd983012b1c5d38ddb84156.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 John Miles https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/19/1116388787_0:0:1316:1316_100x100_80_0_0_77e70d36afd983012b1c5d38ddb84156.jpg biden escalate ukraine, biden russia proxy war escalation, biden long-range cruise missiles ukraine, ukrainian crisis, us supports uksraine, us-uraine friendly relations, nuclear attack, long-range missiles https://sputnikglobe.com/20240817/death-toll-from-israeli-strike-on-southern-lebanese-city-of-nabatieh-rises-to-10---reports-1119803787.html Death Toll From Israeli Strike on Southern Lebanese City of Nabatieh Rises to 10 - Reports Death Toll From Israeli Strike on Southern Lebanese City of Nabatieh Rises to 10 - Reports Sputnik International The death toll from an Israeli strike on a house in the southern Lebanese city of Nabatieh has increased to 10 and five people were injured, Lebanese news agency NNA reported on Saturday, adding that the victims were Syrian nationals. 2024-08-17T09:52+0000 2024-08-17T09:52+0000 2024-08-17T10:53+0000 world palestine-israel conflict israeli-palestinian conflict israel-gaza conflict israel defense forces (idf) gaza strip hezbollah middle east lebanon https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/19/1080572056_0:0:2200:1239_1920x0_80_0_0_efd12d9f246712e5525bb0fadb6c905f.jpg Two people have sustained serious injuries, the news agency reported. The Lebanese Health Ministry previously said that the strike killed six people and wounded three others. The situation on the Israeli-Lebanese border escalated after the start of Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip in October 2023. The Israeli army and Lebanese fighters from the Hezbollah movement almost daily fire at each other's positions in areas along the border. According to the Lebanese Foreign Ministry, about 100,000 people were forced to leave their homes in southern Lebanon due to shelling from Israel. Israel said that about 80,000 residents of northern Israel had found themselves in a similar situation. gaza strip lebanon 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 israel-gaza conflict, lebanon strike, lebanese attack, israel-lebanon clash, israel strike on lebanon, israeli attacks https://sputnikglobe.com/20240817/dont-negotiate-against-yourselves-lefties-1119802284.html Dont Negotiate Against Yourselves, Lefties Dont Negotiate Against Yourselves, Lefties Sputnik International Anyone who has experience haggling at a flea market has intuited the basics of negotiating. If a seller offers the item you want at a fire-sale price that youre unlikely to find elsewhere, smile, pay the asking price and walk away before they change their mind. 2024-08-17T05:53+0000 2024-08-17T05:53+0000 2024-08-17T05:53+0000 americas barack obama americans democrats medicare medicine medical care healthcare us 2024 us presidential election https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/08/11/1119802568_0:159:3075:1889_1920x0_80_0_0_2ae71c4f498f68f7fa6f7509d2ee8549.jpg If the requested price is many times higher than youre willing to pay, just walk away. Stratospheric pricing pretty much eliminates the odds that youll be able to come to terms. Your time is better spend haggling with a different vendor. In other cases, offer a low-ball rate and work toward middle ground.In politics, liberals tend to negotiate against themselves. Rather than pushing for radical change, Democrats begin with an incrementalist approach that factors in their conservative opponents counteroffer and begins from there. Since the Right is aggressive, they push back to the point that the resulting change is a smaller improvement that, in many cases, is so tiny as to be a rounding error. Obamas opening gambit in the healthcare reform debate illustrates this phenomenon.We know what we wound up with: Obamacare, originally developed by the right-wing Heritage Foundation, is a free-market scheme that prioritizes insurance-company profits, relies on economies of scale and assumes robust competition will reduce costs. (In practice, the healthcare business is de facto monopolized to the extent that there is little downward pressure on prices. The industry is disincentivized to participate in the public sector to the point that only a small fraction of the health plans available individually and via private employers can be purchased in the ACAs online marketplace.)The point is how the ACA cas we know it came to pass. Obama, wielding considerable political capital at the start of his first term, decided to make healthcare reform his first major legislative priority. The public, long struggling under high costs for medical care and prescription pharmaceuticals, was supportive across party lines.Right out of the gate, Obama negotiated against himself. Though he had promised during this campaign that the ACA would include a public option, i.e. the right to join what Bernie Sanders called Medicare For All, he agreed to drop it from the bill because, Democrats explained, they were short one vote in the Senate. Joe Lieberman, a right-wing independent senator from Connecticut, home to many of the nations major insurers, threatened to scuttle the measure via a filibuster parliamentary maneuver.Rather than force Lieberman and his Republican allies to go on the record as having rejected a popular bill on a major issue, Obama dropped the public option. Obama noted the public option has become a source of ideological contention between the left and right. Anyway, he lied, I didn't campaign on the public option. Good news: the ACA passed. But the lack of a public option was so unpopular (88% of Democrats wanted one) that it was a significant factor behind Bernie Sanders insurgent campaign in 2016. Instead of a towering achievement, Obamacare is widely viewed as a disappointment. The vast majority of Americans say its failure left the problem unsolved.Shortly before he left office, Obama suggested that Congress add a public option to the ACA. This is what happens when you negotiate against yourself.The 38% of Americans who oppose capitalismsocialists, communists, left libertarians and others to the Left of the Democratic Partyshould take careful note of the Democrats repeated refusals to seek big changes and the subsequent failures that have followed as a result. Unlike the Democrats, who negotiate in Congress against Republicans who share their basic political values and assumptions on the relationship between workers and their labor, militarism and social priorities, we on the actual Left are fighting to overturn the system entirely.Our goal is Revolution. But we are completely, for the time being, disorganized. There is no viable leftist political party with a revolutionary orientation, no well-funded highly distributed media outlet to disseminate news and opinion with our point of view. We have, not even in the so-called progressive Squad in the House of Representatives, zero elected representatives who seek to abolish capitalism and prioritize the needs and desires of the people. Absent these basic organizational structures or an as-yet-undeveloped Internet-driven organizational strategy that short circuits traditional grassroots organizing and agitation strategies, emancipation by revolution will continue to elude us.In the meantime, we must lay the groundwork for revolutionary foment. We must, within the constructs and limitations of the current capitalist system, expose the true nature of a government that claims to be by and for the people but is in truth nothing but a Ponzi scheme that extracts wealth upward from the poor and the working class up to the tiny few at the top point of the pyramid. We can and must accomplish this by exposing the systems internal, self-evident contradictions.This begins by asking why the powers that be repeatedly and continuously find billions of dollars for all manner of destructive nonsenseforeign wars, corrupt defense contractors, tax breaks to for-profit corporationsrepeatedly and continuously inform us that there is never enough money to satisfy basic human needs.We know, when we demand that everyone have enough to eat, that the political elites will refuse or ignore us. We expect, when we demand that everyone be housed, that we will be told to stuff it. We understand, when we demand that a day of work should be paid fairly, that we are asking for something that they will never agree toindeed, that they cannot because it would destroy them and their self-perceived identity in the power structure.We make demands, not because we believe they will be achieved under this fake parliamentary-style democracy, but because they will be unreasonably refused, without just cause. We want people to hear us ask, and hear them say no, over and over in order to expose them and the fundamental nature of their system.We are not, therefore, negotiating. We are demanding. Those who demand should appear reasonable. But we must also be ambitious. Our demands should be aggressive enough that we would genuinely be satisfied were we to achieve them and never so modest that there is a chance the ruling classes would ever seriously consider them.Nothing less than a perfect world will do.(Ted Rall (Twitter: @tedrall), the political cartoonist, columnist and graphic novelist) https://sputnikglobe.com/20240816/dont-get-obama-ed-again-1119788702.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240126/the-second-us-civil-war-1116409233.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240502/more-than-40-of-us-voters-believe-second-civil-war-likely-in-next-five-years---poll-1118230412.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 us domestic policy, barack obama, obamacare, healthcare, health care, public health, socialist revolution, us revolution, american revolution, abolish the government, civil war, american system, us system, us structure, us constitution, american people https://sputnikglobe.com/20240817/hamas-does-not-believe-that-us-sincerely-wants-to-stop-gaza-war--1119805558.html Hamas Does Not Believe That US Sincerely Wants to Stop Gaza War Hamas Does Not Believe That US Sincerely Wants to Stop Gaza War Sputnik International The United States efforts to help peacefully resolve the latest escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have been called into question by Hamas. 2024-08-17T14:14+0000 2024-08-17T14:14+0000 2024-08-17T14:14+0000 world sami abu zuhri middle east gaza strip israel hamas https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/08/09/1119689200_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_348e898971f7c09f07268e8bd1475483.jpg The United States efforts to help peacefully resolve the latest escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have been called into question by Hamas.The Hamas official made this remark as the White House boasted alleged progress in the ceasefire talks. One senior US administration official even claimed on Friday that the talks reached an endgame and that the previous two days were the most constructive 48 hours that weve had in this process in many months, the newspaper noted. Meanwhile, Hamas Political Bureau member Osama Hamdan told media that the movement no longer regards the United States as a reliable negotiator who can help achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Hamas also snubbed the ceasefire negotiations that were slated to take place in Qatar this week, though a new round of talks is expected to take place in Egypt on August 21. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240817/violent-israeli-colonization-surges-in-gaza-as-peace-talks-hang-in-balance-1119799188.html gaza strip israel Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International israeli palestinian conflict, gaza war, gaza peace talks, gaza ceasefire https://sputnikglobe.com/20240817/how-africa-is-stopping-the-hegemonic-craziness-of-the-us-and-the-west-1119805904.html How Africa is Stopping the Hegemonic Craziness of the US and the West How Africa is Stopping the Hegemonic Craziness of the US and the West Sputnik International In the last two years, Africa has witnessed some key withdrawals of Western troops, such as in Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, and recently in 2024, Niger. 2024-08-17T16:28+0000 2024-08-17T16:28+0000 2024-08-17T16:28+0000 analysis niger cia us russia larry johnson south africa west africa central africa sahel region https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/0b/0c/1104052325_0:321:3071:2048_1920x0_80_0_0_0d15791eb33aa836e820bae82281df1a.jpg The extraction of resources was mainly linked to the presence of French troops, protected by the Americans. So now that both of them are gone, I think the new governments of the Alliance of Sahel States (ASS) are in a better position to actually dictate the terms of extractions, without, or with less fear, of actually being militarily controlled or invaded, Prof. Alexis Habiyaremye, senior DSI/NRF researcher and a South African research chair in industrial development at the University of Johannesburg, told Sputnik.In 2002, the US Pan-Sahel Initiative started including training and equipment of US forces in Niger, Mali, Chad and Mauritania, due to the US allegedly identifying potential drivers of extremism within these countries. The former CIA Intelligence Officer and State Department Official Larry Johnson pointed out to Sputnik that the presence of US forces was ostensibly to fight ISIS* but he thinks that for the United States has been more important to try to extend its influence."Western forces have apparently taken advantage of the Sahel region's natural resources, uranium comes out of there, Niger has particular yellowcake (powdered uranium concentrate), and maybe some lithium, some other minerals, said Johnson, due to the military control of the area and past governments that allowed this to happen. Africa has been an important source of income for French companies. A clear example is the French mining company Orano, which, according to its website, gets 1.3 billion ($1.4 billion) in revenues from uranium sales and produces 7,524 tons of uranium, consolidating its position in the top 3 of global Uranium sellers.This was echoed by political analyst Nkasiobe Oluikpe and Prof. Haniyaremye who believe that Western troops might have provided support to the terrorist groups in an organized way to continue their military operations in the Sahel region.Western powers have used terrorism as a tool to keep those countries in a state of insecurity, at the same time pretending that they want it to help them fight against terrorism. So it's now an open secret that the so-called terrorism in that region is helped and abetted by Western powers with some of the Gulf countries that are allied to Western powers, Haniyaremye pointed out.The Aftermath of Western Troop WithdrawalsFrom 2021 to 2024, Western troops experienced many withdrawals over inconformity with their presence in Africa. It started with the anti-French sentiment in Francophone countries in the region and it also led to the US being asked to get out of Niger. The US military base was a physical representation of neocolonialism/Western imperialism, Oluikpe said.Since the popular anti-West uprisings in some of these countries, and the overthrow of those leaders who were considered Western stooges, the West, led by the US, has been decapitated temporarily, geostrategically speaking, Oluikpe said.The Biden administration is already looking for closer ties with other African countries. US Air General C.Q. Brown arrived to Botswana on June 22 for talks with regional partners and declared: I do see some opportunities, and there's countries that we're already working with in West Africa. Oluikpe speculated that the US probably contacted Nigeria, Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana to set military operations as their political leaders are considered pro-Western.After Western troops left the region, Africa has turned to Russia for cooperation on regional security and development issues.Johnson believes that Russia has genuine intentions to help, without any interest in resources or extractions: There's no other country in the world that has that kind of natural resources that Russia has. Russia is genuinely interested in developing. In turn, Prof. Haniyaremye understands that Russia, in contrast to the West, genuinely wants to help the Sahel region countries defend themselves, as Russia has been a natural ally of Africa against Western domination.In that attempt to use terrorism, they (Western forces) have denied the governments of those countries access to weapons that they needed to defend themselves against terrorists. So, Russia is more ready to sell weapons for the defense of that region. () The security of those countries is dependent on having access to the necessary military assets to defend themselves against terrorists that are founded that are logistically help and also strategically and tactically supported by the West, said Haniyaremye.In an interview with Dmitry Kiselev, the general director of Sputniks parent media group Rossiya Segodnya on March 13, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that, "The reality is that leaders of certain African nations chose to reach deals with Russian managing companies, opting to work with them instead of the French. This decision was made by our African friends, not us. The president also stressed that one of the priorities of Russian foreign policy is to develop and strengthen mutually beneficial ties with African countries.*ISIS (terrorist organization banned in Russia and many other countries) https://sputnikglobe.com/20240412/what-sahel-russian-troops-replace-french-in-niger-1117896062.html niger russia south africa west africa central africa sahel region 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 africa, us in africa, france in africa, russia-africa cooperation, western withdrawals from africa, sahel region https://sputnikglobe.com/20240817/israel-struggles-to-hide-its-violence-from-worlds-eye-1119800782.html Israel Struggles to Hide Its Violence From World's Eye Israel Struggles to Hide Its Violence From World's Eye Sputnik International Mohamed Gomaa, a journalist and correspondent, joined Sputniks The Final Countdown on Friday. 2024-08-17T05:10+0000 2024-08-17T05:10+0000 2024-08-17T05:10+0000 analysis yoav gallant benjamin netanyahu middle east israel egypt qatar hamas settlers genocide https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/08/11/1119801821_0:209:3072:1937_1920x0_80_0_0_8005cc046374d25ad4e6f576271bcbb2.jpg Officials from the US, Israel, Egypt and Qatar met in Doha for a second day of talks on Friday, a US media reported. The US, Egypt and Qatar revealed that a bridging proposal had been presented to both Hamas and Israel, with the three negotiators expected to reconvene in Cairo before the end of next week.Hamas was not present for the meeting after previously having agreed to a US-presented ceasefire deal that Israel had allegedly sabotaged by presenting new demands. Mohamed Gomaa, a journalist and correspondent, joined Sputniks The Final Countdown on Friday to discuss the recent settler riot in Jit, as well as the ongoing ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas.On Thursday, a settler rampage broke out in the village of Jit which is located near the city of Nablus in the northern West Bank, a US-based news source reported. The riot resulted in the killing of one Palestinian and the serious injuries of others, Palestinian health officials said.Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued rare condemnations of the incident, with the prime minister issuing a call for settlers to stand down, US media said. However, human rights group have said that arrests and prosecution for settler violence is rare.The strong rebuke could be a reflection of the intense scrutiny Israel has fallen under as it conducts its war against Hamas which has reportedly killed over 40,000 people and drawn the ire of human rights groups and even governments. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240817/violent-israeli-colonization-surges-in-gaza-as-peace-talks-hang-in-balance-1119799188.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230227/watch-israeli-settlers-burn-dozens-of-palestinian-homes-cars-in-deadly-nablus-pogrom-1107851965.html israel egypt qatar 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 settler violence, iran-israel war, iranian attack, iran attacks israel, iranian strike, israel-iran war, israeli settlers, 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/20240817/kim-dotcom-to-be-extradited-after-losing-12-year-legal-battle-1119801006.html Kim Dotcom to Be Extradited After Losing 12-Year Legal Battle Kim Dotcom to Be Extradited After Losing 12-Year Legal Battle Sputnik International On Friday, New Zealands Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith said he had decided that Dotcom should be surrendered to the US to face trial. 2024-08-17T05:19+0000 2024-08-17T05:19+0000 2024-08-17T05:19+0000 world kim dotcom new zealand germany megaupload political censorship censorship witch hunt police state tyranny https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/103222/17/1032221755_0:0:3000:1688_1920x0_80_0_0_59be5c6f2e4c994c23c31c91b7afa991.jpg Kim Dotcom, born Kim Schmitz in Germany, has lost a 12-year fight to have his deportation to the US halted on charges of copyright infringement, money laundering and racketeering, a US-based news source reported.On Friday, New Zealands Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith said he had decided that Dotcom should be surrendered to the US to face trial. Although, a date for the extradition has not yet been reported.Dotcom is an internet Mogul who was born in Germany but holds residency in New Zealand. The charges he faces are related to his file-sharing site Megaupload, created in 2005, which was shut down by US authorities in 2012.Shortly after his site was shut down, the mogul was arrested by New Zealand police following a raid on his mansion that the US authorities had requested. The 50-year-old entrepreneur posted bail and thus began his lengthy legal process to avoid extradition.Prosecutors have said that Dotcoms site took in at least $175 million primarily from those who used the site to illegally download songs, televisions shows and movies. Those defending the internet entrepreneur say it was the decision of those who used the site to pirate materials, not its founders.In response to the judges decision, Dotcom wrote on X on Thursday that he loves New Zealand and that he is not leaving. new zealand germany 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 dotcom, kim dotcom, internet, crime, trial, extradition, us, new zealand, political persecution, police state, witch hunt, us tyranny, undemocratic methods, undemocratic state, political censorship, freedom of press, freedom of speech https://sputnikglobe.com/20240817/new-talks-on-gaza-ceasefire-to-be-held-on-august-21-in-cairo-to-finalize-deal---reports-1119805377.html New Talks on Gaza Ceasefire to Be Held on August 21 in Cairo to Finalize Deal - Reports New Talks on Gaza Ceasefire to Be Held on August 21 in Cairo to Finalize Deal - Reports Sputnik International The new Gaza ceasefire talks will take place on August 21 in Cairo to finalize the deal, media reported. 2024-08-17T13:09+0000 2024-08-17T13:09+0000 2024-08-17T13:09+0000 world middle east israeli-palestinian conflict israel-gaza conflict palestine-israel conflict antony blinken benjamin netanyahu un security council (unsc) joe biden https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/04/06/1109184453_0:80:1536:944_1920x0_80_0_0_7aad290e4aea93d2e7b6413520c20663.jpg US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will arrive in Israel on Sunday and meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday to discuss the remaining issues, the report said. On Sunday, Israeli, US and Egyptian experts will reportedly meet in Cairo to try to reach an agreement on the security arrangements along the Philadelphi Corridor on the Gaza-Egypt border and the reopening of the Rafah crossing, which are issues critical to the implementation of the agreement. On Thursday, representatives of the United States, Qatar, Egypt and Israel arrived in Doha to participate in talks to reach an agreement on a ceasefire and the release of hostages in Gaza. Palestinian movement Hamas refused to attend due to the lack of specifics on the terms of the ceasefire. After the talks, the US, Egypt and Qatar said in a joint statement that their mediators had presented to both parties a bridging proposal on a ceasefire and the release of hostages based on the relevant UN Security Council resolution and the principles laid out by US President Joe Biden in May. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240817/israel-struggles-to-hide-its-violence-from-worlds-eye-1119800782.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 israel-gaza conflict, palestine-israel conflict, israeli-arab conflict, gazw ceasefire, gaza violence, gaza genocide https://sputnikglobe.com/20240817/putin-to-pay-2-day-visit-to-azerbaijan-discuss-development-of-bilateral-relations-1119807095.html Putin to Pay 2-Day Visit to Azerbaijan, Discuss Development of Bilateral Relations Putin to Pay 2-Day Visit to Azerbaijan, Discuss Development of Bilateral Relations Sputnik International Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Azerbaijan on Sunday, where he will discuss bilateral relations and current international and regional issues. 2024-08-17T21:43+0000 2024-08-17T21:43+0000 2024-08-17T21:43+0000 world vladimir putin ilham aliyev sergei shoigu russia azerbaijan armenia https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/104406/14/1044061445_0:0:2710:1524_1920x0_80_0_0_889dc2ffd9f5073aa1294d99e5dd5373.jpg During the talks, the Russian and Azerbaijani sides plan to discuss further development of bilateral relations of strategic partnership and alliance, as well as current international and regional problems. It is expected that following the visit, Putin and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will adopt a joint statement, with intergovernmental and other documents to be signed. PROMISING AREAS FOR COOPERATION Meetings between Putin and Aliyev take place "almost once a month," the Azerbaijani president joked during talks with the Russian president on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Astana in July. He then recalled that he had previously met with Putin in Moscow in April when Russia celebrated the 50th anniversary of the start of construction of the Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM). The father of the President of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev, took part in its creation. Putin positively assesses the cooperation between Russia and Azerbaijan. For example, at a meeting in July, the Russian leader positively commented on the trade and economic relations between the countries and noted the prospects for working in the energy sector and industrial cooperation. The Russian president especially focused on plans to expand the infrastructure for the North-South Corridor. Aliyev is also optimistic in his assessments of bilateral trade and economic cooperation. He confirmed that the economies of Russia and Azerbaijan were actively interacting, and mutual settlements in national currencies were also growing. Baku is determined to expand the infrastructure of the North-South Corridor on Azerbaijani territory so that it corresponds to the intentions of its partners and neighbors, he said. THE UKRAINIAN ISSUE Ahead of the state visit of the Russian president, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu visited Baku. On August 6, he met with Aliyev, as well as his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ramil Usubov. Following his trip to Azerbaijan, Shoigu told journalists that he spoke about Russia's position on resolving the situation in Ukraine. The discussion was about the initiatives voiced by Putin on June 14. The Russian president then named a number of conditions necessary for launching the peace process, including the complete withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the territory of the Luhansk and Donetsk republics, the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, a neutral, non-aligned and non-nuclear status for Ukraine, and the lifting of all Western sanctions against Russia. However, after the events in the Kursk region, Putin called negotiations impossible with those who "indiscriminately strike at civilians, at civilian infrastructure, or try to create threats to nuclear power facilities." The Russian president also noted that Kiev was trying to improve its negotiating positions with its actions in the Kursk region, but the enemy will certainly receive a worthy response. PEACE AGREEMENT ON KARABAKH Security issues in the South Caucasus also remain on the agenda. During Shoigu's visit to Baku, the topic of a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia and the West's active attempts to interfere in this process were discussed. Russia supports the process of normalizing relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Earlier, Aliyev said that during the period of hostilities in Karabakh in 2020, he mostly maintained contact with the heads of Turkiye and Russia. Putin pointed out that Russia had made great efforts to prevent the escalation of the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh and end the hostilities. Russian peacekeepers carried out their mission in the conflict zone of Armenia and Azerbaijan. They were deployed there following the trilateral statement signed on November 10, 2020, between the leaders of Azerbaijan, Russia and Armenia. In April, the top leadership of Russia and Azerbaijan agreed on the early withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers from the territory of Karabakh. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240405/armenia-azerbaijan-accuse-each-other-of-shelling-military-positions-on-border-1117770201.html russia azerbaijan armenia 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 azerbaijan, putin visits azerbaijan, putin official visits, russian allies https://sputnikglobe.com/20240817/ukraine-loses-over-2000-soldiers-in-clashes-with-russia-1119804723.html Ukraine Loses Over 2,000 Soldiers in Clashes With Russia Ukraine Loses Over 2,000 Soldiers in Clashes With Russia Sputnik International Russian Armed Forces decimated 2,010 Ukrainian servicemen, while Russian air defenses shot down 10 HIMARS rockets, two Hammer bombs, and 35 Ukrainian drones. 2024-08-17T11:16+0000 2024-08-17T11:16+0000 2024-08-17T11:16+0000 russia's special operation in ukraine russian army russian armed forces ministry of defense ukrainian crisis https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/08/07/1119669247_0:0:3338:1878_1920x0_80_0_0_3bb59a8dbda56327070b0afd080e8a7b.jpg The Russian Armed Forces have eliminated 2,010 Ukrainian troops, while air defenses shot down ten HIMARS rockets, two Hammer bombs, and 35 Ukrainian drones in the last day.Russian forces destroyed a Su-24 frontline bomber and three Ukrainian Air Force helicopters, including two Mi-8s and a Mi-17, at airfields. The Russian Black Sea Fleet also destroyed two unmanned boats of the Ukrainian Navy.Units from the Russian Vostok Battlegroup improved their positions along the front line while the Tsentr Battlegroup repelled an attack by Ukraine's Lyut assault brigade and struck six enemy brigades. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240816/scott-ritter-russia-obliterates-nato-fighters-weaponry-as-ukraine-mounts-desperate-attack-in-kursk-1119786940.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 russia's special military operation, ukrainian crisis, ukraine losses, russian offensive, russian military operation, russian armed forces https://sputnikglobe.com/20240817/ukrainian-military-unit-surrenders-to-russian-armed-forces-in-the-kursk-region-1119802997.html Ukrainian Military Unit Surrenders to Russian Armed Forces in the Kursk Region Ukrainian Military Unit Surrenders to Russian Armed Forces in the Kursk Region Sputnik International A military unit of 24 servicemen from the 22nd separate mechanized brigade of the armed forces of Ukraine surrendered to the Russian Armed Forces in an organized manner near the village of Komarovka in the Kursk Region, using a specially created channel on Telegram, a Russian law enforcement spokesman told Sputnik. 2024-08-17T06:11+0000 2024-08-17T06:11+0000 2024-08-17T06:11+0000 russia's special operation in ukraine russian armed forces russian defense ministry kursk ukrainian crisis https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/08/11/1119803230_0:0:1920:1080_1920x0_80_0_0_1873470ca9b4012561a39ef0830164b8.jpg "Twenty-four servicemen from the 22nd separate mechanized brigade of the armed forces of Ukraine surrendered to the Russian army in an organized manner near the village of Komarovka in the Kursk Direction. Before surrendering, the Ukrainian military contacted us through the FREE_SOLDIER2022 channel," he said. Early on August 6, Ukrainian forces crossed the border into Russia and launched an offensive in the Kursk Region. Commenting on the attack, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Ukraine had carried out another large-scale provocation, firing indiscriminately at civilian targets. The enemy will receive a proper response in the border regions of Russia, Putin added. The Russian Defense Ministry said Friday that Ukrainian troops had lost more than 2,800 servicepeople and 41 tanks during the offensive in the Kursk Region. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240816/kursk-attack-a-gamble-that-could-further-worsen-ukraines-bad-situation--report-1119791634.html kursk 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 Ukrainian soldiers surrendered in an organized manner, using a specially created Telegram channel Sputnik International Ukrainian soldiers surrendered in an organized manner, using a specially created Telegram channel 2024-08-17T06:11+0000 true PT0M23S 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russia's special military operation, russian army, russian ministry of defense, ukraine kurks attack, ukraine attacks kursk, kursk attack https://sputnikglobe.com/20240817/us-not-sharing-intel-data-with-kiev-avoiding-complicity-in-kursk-region-attack---reports-1119807291.html US Not Sharing Intel Data With Kiev, Avoiding Complicity in Kursk Region Attack - Reports US Not Sharing Intel Data With Kiev, Avoiding Complicity in Kursk Region Attack - Reports Sputnik International According to the Wall Street Journal, citing a high-ranking US official, that the US is not sharing intelligence with Kiev about objects inside the internationally recognized borders of Russia. 2024-08-17T22:05+0000 2024-08-17T22:05+0000 2024-08-17T22:05+0000 world joe biden vladimir putin kiev kursk russian defense ministry ukrainian armed forces russia https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/08/11/1119802830_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_db64713775aa51ef78ca99e310449e6a.jpg Earlier, the White House denied US involvement in the preparation and planning of the attack by the Ukrainian forces near Kursk. US State Department also refused to acknowledge the involvement of the United States in the Kursk region attack. At the same time, Bloomberg reported, citing sources, that Ukraine was considering several scenarios for a surprise attack on Russia, having received the "blessing" of the US and EU leadership for the first invasion of Russian territory since World War II. Washington does not share intelligence with Ukraine about targets inside Russia, and the Biden administration does not want to be seen as supporting an attack on Russian territory, the official told the newspaper. The publication emphasized that Ukraine did not have sufficient support from the US and its allies to succeed in an attack on Russian territory. In addition, the source said that the Biden administration "does not believe" that the Ukrainian forces had moved HIMARS systems to Russian territory, and believes that the Ukrainian army "most likely" was using it from Ukrainian border territories. The Russian Defense Ministry reported on Friday that Russian units, repelling attempts by the Ukrainian forces to invade Russian territory in the Kursk region, had destroyed three HIMARS launchers in the Sumy region with high-precision missile strikes. The ministry stated that Kiev's forces had used Western-made missiles and, probably, HIMARS systems to attack civilian targets in the Kursk region for the first time on Friday. At 5:30 a.m. on August 6, Ukrainian Armed Forces units launched an offensive to seize territory in the Kursk region, and their advance was stopped, Russian Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov said. He emphasized that the operation in the Kursk region would be completed by defeating the enemy and reaching the state border. The Russian Defense Ministry reported on August 16 that during the fighting in the Kursk direction, the Ukrainian Armed Forces had lost up to 2,860 soldiers and 41 tanks. Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that the Kiev regime had carried out a provocation and was firing indiscriminately, including at civilian targets. Putin said that the enemy would receive a worthy response, and all of Russia's goals would be achieved. A counter-terrorism operation (CTO) regime is in effect in the Kursk, Belgorod, and Bryansk regions to ensure the safety of citizens. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240817/ukraine-loses-up-to-300-soldiers-31-vehicles-in-kursk-region-over-past-day-1119805200.html kiev kursk 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 kursk incursion, offensive, ukrainian attacks in russia, is the us helping ukraine attack russia https://sputnikglobe.com/20240817/violent-israeli-colonization-surges-in-gaza-as-peace-talks-hang-in-balance-1119799188.html Violent Israeli Colonization Surges in Gaza, as Peace Talks Hang in Balance Violent Israeli Colonization Surges in Gaza, as Peace Talks Hang in Balance Sputnik International Leila Hatoum, a Lebanese-based journalist, economist, and geopolitical analyst joined Sputniks Fault Lines on Friday to discuss the tension in the Middle East as well as the colonization of Israeli settlers on Palestinian land. 2024-08-17T00:39+0000 2024-08-17T00:39+0000 2024-08-17T00:39+0000 analysis palestinians doha israel hamas west bank middle east us military israel-gaza conflict https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/08/10/1119799745_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_d27689bc27291ee65935571f3fa41ffd.jpg On Tuesday, it was reported that a senior Iranian security official had warned that if Israels ceasefire talks with Hamas fell through then Iran would attack Israel. The attack would be in response to the assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh who was visiting Iran at the time of his killing. However, Iran is expected to abstain from its retaliatory strikes on Israel as a way to allow ceasefire talks to continue, officials from Gaza, the US, Iran and Israel reportedly said.Leila Hatoum, a Lebanese-based journalist, economist, and geopolitical analyst joined Sputniks Fault Lines on Friday to discuss the tension in the Middle East as well as the colonization of Israeli settlers on Palestinian land.Hamas had previously agreed to a US-presented ceasefire deal, yet Israel complicated negotiations by creating new demands as a way to sabotage the deal. The two parties have been negotiating on and off for months over the three-phase deal which would allow for the release of hostages held in each country.The group 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.A deadly settler rampage broke out in the Israeli-occupied West Bank late on Thursday, an American news source reported. The riot, which occurred in the village of Jit, resulted in the killing of one Palestinian and the serious injuries of others, Palestinian health officials said. Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued rare condemnations of the incident, with the prime minister issuing a call for settlers to stand down, US media said.Those who fight terrorism are the [Israeli Defense Forces] and the security forces, and no one else, the Israeli prime minister said. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant also condemned the attack and said the settlers did not represent the values of settler communities.According to the report, at least 100 masked settlers entered the village, shot live ammunition at Palestinians, burned homes and cars and damaged water tankers. Flames reportedly engulfed the village which residents said was left to defend itself without the help of the military for two hours.While settler violence in Palestine is nothing new, it has reportedly spiked since the conflict between Israel and Hamas began. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) recorded more than 1,200 Israeli settler attacks against Palesitnians which has resulted in possibly more than 120 deaths and 1,000 instances of property damage since the start of the conflict, a Doha-based news outlet reported.Alright," the analyst said, pointing out the irony of settlement support. "Anybody who was kicked out of the United States basically 300 years ago can come now to the US, start shooting people and killing them and telling them, 'this is my land.'" https://sputnikglobe.com/20240816/actions-speak-louder-than-words-fed-up-with-games-hamas-reportedly-sits-out-talks-1119784915.html doha israel west bank gaza strip 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 settler violence, iran-israel war, iranian attack, iran attacks israel, iranian strike, israel-iran war, israeli settlers, genocide, ethnic cleansing, humanitarian disaster, humanitarian catastrophe, gaza strip crisis, shelling of gaza, gaza devastation, israel-palestine conflict, palestine-israel conflict, israeli-palestinian conflict, palestinian-israeli, zionist regime, zionists, israeli strikes, killings of civilians, civilian infrastructure, civilians dead, civilians die, israel kills civilians, civilian casualties, civilian deaths, indiscriminate shelling, indiscriminate killing, war crimes At odds of 19-1, Paradise Moni was given an aggressive drive by Denis St. Pierre and brought an end to 1-9 race favourite Captain PVs five-race win streak in capturing his $10,000 division of the Breeders Trophy Series on Friday, Aug. 16 at Hippodrome 3R. In the sixth race co-feature for three-year-old trotting colts, Wild Dream Men (Guy Gagnon) shot to the early lead over Captain PV (Marie-Claude Auger) to the first quarter in :29.2. St. Pierre then moved first-over with Paradise Moni and they started to advance towards the leaders and with a bold three-wide brush around Wild Dream Men who made a break, but regrouped to land in third. Paradise Moni fronted the field to the half mile in :59.2. Wild Dream Men and Gagnon then came back first-over entering the backstretch as Paradise Moni was comfortable on the lead to the three-quarters in 1:29.1. From there Paradise Moni and St. Pierre pulled away from Captain PV in the stretch to win by two and three-quarter lengths in 1:58.4. Captain PV was second with Wild Dream Men third. The time of the mile was a lifetime mark for Paradise Moni and just two fifths of a second off of tying the track record for trotting colts. Trained by Jean-Francois Maguire for the Maguire Stable of Sainte-Marie, Que, Paradise Moni (International Moni - Jessies Song) paid $40.20 to win. In the ninth race, the $10,000 division for the trotting fillies, it took the photo finish camera to declare Cleomax Duharas the winner by a head over race favourite Sensi Amnesia with MVPs Daughter third by a neck in the three-horse photo. Cleveland Misska (Guy Gagnon) was first on the lead but before the first quarter she went off-stride, allowing Sensi Amnesia and driver Marie-Claude Auger to take command of the field to the quarter in :29.2 with MVPs Daughter sitting the pocket trip. They raced single file to the half mile in 1:00.1 and then in the backstretch, driver Loic Gueriel came first-over with Cleomax Duharas and started to gain on the race leaders at the three-quarters in 1:29.3. As they raced down the stretch, Cleomax Duharas was finally able to collar Sensi Amnesia and win in 1:59.3. MVPs Daughter was a close third. Trained by Marc-Andre Simoneau, it was a lifetime mark and the second straight win in four lifetime starts for Cleomax Duharas (Muscle Mass - Cleopatre Duharas). She is co-owned by the Desjardins Noreau Stable, Marc-Andre Simoneau, Dany Fontaine and Jean Fontaine. She paid $6.30 to win. Undefeated Kinnder Dangerzone posted his fourth straight win at H3R for driver Marie-Claude Auger in the 5th race trot. The son of Northern Escort covered the mile in 1:59.1 for owner-breeder-trainer Denitza Petrova, paying just $2.10 to win. Track Notes: Stephane Brosseau led the way with a driving triple on Friday and Robert Shepherd had a driving double. Denitza Petrova had a training double. Live harness racing resumes on Sunday when the Quebec Jockey Club hosts the $200,000 Prix dEte for four-year-old pacers. It is the richest horse race of the year in all of Quebec. First post time on Sunday is 12:00 noon. For the results from Friday's card of harness racing in Quebec, click the following link: Friday Results - Hippodrome 3R. (Quebec Jockey Club) In this week's edition of 'Rewind' Robert Smith delves deep into the archives to recall a great race day from 84 years ago. His story is a recap of the 1940 Canadian Pacing Derby held at the small Ontario town of New Hamburg. He also recalls the contributions of the late Mr. W.J. Hyatt, owner of Bob Lee that year's Derby winner, and his influence on the growth of Canadian harness racing. Thanks to a very yellowed copy of the beloved Canadian Sportsman racing journal dated August 19, 1940, I am able to provide some detail of that year's Canadian Pacing Derby. That year the Canadian Pacing Derby entered its second decade of competition with the inaugural held in 1936. This annual race, which carried one of the largest purses of the racing season, had already become Ontario's top race for aged performers. The 1940 edition was just the fifth in its then short history. A win in this race was becoming quite an accomplishment and people were anxious to have a horse good enough to compete. In the earlier days of harness racing reporting the Canadian Sportsman did a great job of delivering the news from all across the country. One thing they did not do too often was include photographs. In the old issue I am citing today there were several. I think it was a further indication of just how big a day the Derby was. A FEW ITEMS GLEANED FROM THE CANADIAN SPORTSMAN ISSUE OF AUGUST 19, 1940 The 1940 Canadian Pacing Derby attracted a crowd of 7- 8,000 people at New Hamburg, Ontario's Fountain Park according to the race coverage. The presentation photo caption stated the crowd at 9,000 Purse for the three-heat event was $1,500 (Converted to 2024 dollars this was approx. $30,600) Three horses each won a heat (see summary below). Based on the best standing of 2-2-1 Bob Lee was declared the winner The fastest mile of the day was 2:08 3/4 recorded by the Derby winner Bob Lee Eleven horses contested the event, two were drawn in the third heat The Futurity Trial for three-year-old pacers was won in three straight heats by Pine Ridge Alex, owned by Pine Ridge Stables London and driven by 41-year-old Bill Herbert. Purse was $500. Fastest heat was 2:14. This horse went on to win the 1943 Derby. Twelve heats of racing were held with purses totalling $2,600. One race was for trotters. Popular and familiar names of the drivers included Lew James, Cyril Morrissey, Harold Wellwood, Barney Hughes, Morrie McDonald, Cliff Chapman Sr., Dick Scott, Harold Berry, Wilmer Hillock, Vic Rowntree, Bill Harvey, Jules Giguere, Billy Lawson, Bill Fraser Canadian Sportsman subscription price was $2.50 per year in advance at this time. Bob Lee Wins 1940 Canadian Pacing Derby At New Hamburg Caption read - W.J. Hyatt of London (left) looks quite pleased as he accepts a handsome trophy from Earl Katzmeier of New Hamburg after his outstanding four-year-old horse, Bob Lee won the fifth annual Canadian Pacing Derby before a crowd of some 9,000 people at New Hamburg. The owner of the previous year's race, if able to attend, usually presented a trophy to the current year's winner. In this instance the owner of Dillon M, the 1939 race Dr. Meldrum a medical doctor from Norwich, Ont. was absent so the race day organizer performed the honour. Bob Lee, winner of the 1940 Canadian Pacing Derby is shown above with driver Barney Hughes. Descendants of this gentleman are still involved in today's racing scene. The great trotter San Pail was trained and co-owned by his grandson and great grandson. Several important races were also held on Derby Day each year. The above photo shows Mr. F.S. Scott of Galt, Ont. who was the President of the C.T.A. making a presentation to owner driver Harry Biggar, owner of the trotting colt Mr. Van. He was a winner of all three heats of his race that day. Mr. Van went on to become a fine race horse and later sired many trotters of note including Van Riddell, the first Canadian-sired and owned horse to race in the famed Hambletonian. Above is the race summary of the 1940 Derby. The entire field of 11 horses all started on the half-mile oval at New Hamburg's Fountain Park racetrack. As a note of interest, one of the entrants Rip Harvester who finished well out of the money, later that season won the first ever race held at the newly opened Batavia Downs. MORE ABOUT MR. W.J. HYATT While time may have all but removed his memory Mr. Hyatt was an influential figure in his day. He owned a number of successful horses during his time in the sport, many were raised by him and often named with the HY suffix. Perhaps his largest contribution to the betterment of racing was his efforts in establishing a very well known and long lasting series of colt races. In 1944 his work in starting the Supertest Stakes Series came into fruition. This series of colt races for both trotters and pacers, colts and fillies, gave horse breeders and those who wished to race two- and three-year-old colts another opportunity. The Supertest Stakes sponsored by a London-based petroleum company, lasted for many years. It was very popular and well run right up to about the time the O.S.S. series came into being. A few years after this in 1948 Mr. Hyatt passed away before he could see how well the sport had progressed thanks in part to his efforts and encouragement. Many years ago I had a lengthy visit with Mr. Hyatt's grandson Thomas Lowther. He joyfully recalled being in attendance at the 1940 Derby day races and how proud he was as an eight-year-old boy to share in seeing his grandfather's horse win this big race. In 2011 Mr. Hyatt was enshrined in the Hall Of Fame in the builder's category. An excerpt from his bio reads as follows: "Soon after watching a pacing colt by the name of Bob Lee set a Canadian record for two-year-olds at the Strathroy Fair, Hyatt offered then owner Nate Neely of Petrolia $1,000 for the horse. Neely accepted the deal and the roan went on to become the centerpiece of Hyatts racing and breeding enterprise. "Following Bob Lees extraordinary racing career, Hyatt retired him to stud at his 700-acre picturesque farm near Thorndale, Ont. named Bob Lee Farm. Hyatts showplace of harness racing featured top mares and an impeccable training facility that he generously opened to the public and to other horsemen for training." Quote For The Week: This week's quote takes on a slightly different dimension as it also includes a quiz aspect. "Most horses are smarter than the people driving them; and that includes me." Who said that? Let us know who you think it is. It's possible that more than one person may have said that but in this instance the correct answer is the person I heard it from. Clue: He is widely known and well known and still very much with us! Who Is It? Can you identify these two chaps? I can only guess that they might be mapping out some strategy for an upcoming race. Just a guess. Who Else Is It? Can you identify this gentleman? Maybe a little bit of photographic work is evident. Blast From The Past Shown above is a photo taken at the Leamington Fair races in 1917 with the old wooden grandstand in the background. This year's harness racing program started last week on this very site. There has been a half-mile track in this southern Ontario town's fairgrounds for a very long time. The track shown above was removed in 1954 to make room for the town's first arena and a new oval was built in its place a short distance away on the same property. It is still in use to this day. 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 from Pexels Donald Trump's recent embrace of cryptocurrency at the Bitcoin 2024 conference in Nashville marks a significant shift from the former U.S. president's earlier skepticism. Once a vocal critic, Trump now positions himself as a champion of digital assets, reflecting the broader convergence of politics and crypto in what is increasingly referred to as "PolitiFi." But even though Trump's pivot garnered significant attention, it's essential to explore how stances on cryptocurrency regulation could influence some voters in the United States leading up to the 2024 presidential election. Biden's evolving crypto stance Historically, President Joe Biden's administration and prominent Democrats, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren, have expressed concerns about cryptocurrencies, focusing on risks related to consumer protection, financial stability and the potential for money laundering. Gary Gensler, chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, has played a key role in this stance. He's advocated for treating many crypto assets as securities, thereby subjecting them to strict regulations similar to those governing stocks and bonds. But the rising influence of cryptocurrencies has led to a shift within the Democratic Party. The passage of the Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century Act (FIT21) in May 2024with considerable support from Democratsindicates a growing recognition of digital assets' importance. Despite the Biden administration's initial opposition to FIT21, there is now a willingness to work with regulators to develop a balanced regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies. Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, has not yet taken a definitive stance on crypto policy. But her campaign has engaged with crypto representatives, and there is increasing pressure from pro-crypto Democrats for her to adopt a more favorable approach. This push is part of a broader effort to ensure that Trump does not dominate the crypto issue, which has become increasingly significant in the election due to its potential impact on campaign financing and voter engagement. Competing Democratic perspectives The Democratic Party is divided on cryptocurrency regulation. While figures like Warren continue to emphasize the dangers of digital assets, others within the party are advocating for a more open approach. Congressman Brad Sherman, for instance, has expressed concerns that FIT21 could create a competitor to the U.S. dollar that might be exploited by criminals. On the other hand, pro-crypto Democrats are urging Harris to recognize the potential of digital assets and engage with the industry in a more constructive manner. This internal debate within the Democratic Party reflects the broader tension between innovation and regulation. As cryptocurrencies gain traction, the challenge for the party is to balance these competing interests while safeguarding consumers and the financial system. Harris's stance on crypto regulation could determine whether wealthy industry leaders contribute to her campaign and could help mobilize younger, tech-savvy voters who are increasingly engaged with digital assets. The establishment of Crypto4Harris, a group dedicated to enhancing Harris's appeal on cryptocurrency issues, underscores the importance of this topic in the upcoming election. The group's efforts, including organizing town hall events with high-profile supporters like billionaire Mark Cuban, aim to counter Trump's influence on the crypto issue and strengthen Harris's ties with the digital asset community. Tim Walz, Harris's running mate, has not yet made a public statement on cryptocurrency, though his past interactions with the industry, including returning donations from FTX executives, suggest a cautious approach. Trump's transactional approach While Trump's embrace of cryptocurrency has been widely publicized, it is important to consider the context of this shift. Trump's newfound enthusiasm for digital assets could be more transactional than ideological, as much of his political activity is driven by opportunism. His pivot to a crypto-friendly stance comes at a time when he is seeking to energize his base and attract campaign contributions from wealthy industry leaders who are heavily invested in the crypto space. This approach highlights the intersection of cryptocurrency regulation and campaign financing, with Trump trying to position himself to capture the financial support of the digital asset community. However, it's worth noting that Trump is facing ongoing legal challenges, and his poll numbers are declining, raising questions about the sustainability of his political strategy. Nonetheless, his focus on cryptocurrency could appeal to younger voters who are engaged with digital assets. Long-term implications The 2024 election is shaping up to be a pivotal moment for the future of cryptocurrency in the U.S. While Trump's embrace of digital assets has brought the issue to the forefront, there are broader political dynamics at play. Biden, Harris and other key figures are all grappling with how to approach this rapidly evolving industry. As the lines between technology and politics continue to blur, the decisions made in the coming months will most likely have far-reaching implications for the future of digital assets and their role in the global economy. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Melbourne City Council voted to break its contracts with operators of shared escooter schemes this week, citing safety concerns. It seems these concerns have usurped the long-term transport and environmental gains from moving towards sustainable transport. A year ago, the city reported emissions had been cut by 400 metric tons since trials of these escooters began. Shared escooters only became available to Melburnians in early 2022. But electric scooters have existed for more than a century. They were very popular on public streets in the United States after motorized scooters first appeared in 1915. However, their use for criminal getaways soon marred their reputation. The opportunity for a lower-emission, more equitable form of transport was lost, until now. It could be lost again because of knee-jerk reactions to concerns about their safety. In fact, shared escooters have safety features that individually owned ones often lack. Shared eescooters cause fewer serious injuries than bicycles or motorcycles, according to New Zealand accident compensation data. In Australia, while there has been a rise in numbers treated in hospitals for escooter injuries, no distinction is made between shared and private escooters. Private e-scooters greatly outnumber shared ones Today, an estimated 15,000 shared escooters are in use across Australia and New Zealand. No official figures are available for private escooters, but there are likely to be many more of them. Segway, a globally dominant maker of escooters, reported it had sold 8.5 million private versus 1.5 million shared escooters by 2022. In the United Kingdom, an estimated 360,000 private escooters were bought in 2020. New Zealand Statistics reports roughly 400,000 escooters were imported from 2018 to 2023. One can assume, then, that private escooters similarly outnumber shared escooters in Australia. And the distinction between rental and private escooters is an important one in the debate about safety. Media reports on shared escooters in Melbourne have concentrated on two key subjects: launching trials and safety. Recent coverage refers to significant incidents and injuries. This creates a perception that escooters are much less safe than other transport modes. Regulated shared e-scooters are safer The first thing to note is these reports don't distinguish between shared and private escooters. This matters because the shared escooter market is highly regulated in Australia. Their operators are required to: provide helmets for riders apply speed limiters so they don't exceed safe speeds geo-fence escooters to limit where they can travel use pedestrian-detection technology. In contrast, private escooters are not registered. They have different quality specifications and can have larger motors, often exceeding regulated engine outputs that vary from state to state. Importantly, private escooters lack the advanced technologies used on shared escooters to monitor rider use. There is little to no regulation or quality control over the private escooters Australians can buy. Some models seen on the streets can exceed the legal speed limit. All that's stopping them speeding is rider responsibility and police oversight. Hospital records of escooter injuries do not distinguish between private or shared escooter riders. That's also true of injury reporting and statistics, due to the way authorities collect crash statistics. Yet reported injury statistics for New Zealand indicate that the rate of serious injury while using a shared escooter is lower than for other modes of transport. Far more people suffered soft tissue injuries from rollerskating and skateboarding (5,344) than from riding escooters (1,119), for instance. Nine times as many bike riders incurred a head injury or concussion (681) compared to escooter riders (76). Better infrastructure is also vital for escooter safety. A 2020 International Transport Federation (ITF) report found 80% of escooter crashes occurred at intersections, and 70% during the day. The findings are not surprising when scant attention has been paid to delivering safe escooter infrastructure. In Melbourne, for example, some lanes available for escooter riding end abruptly. E-scooters cut emissions and congestion The most important issue arising from the City of Melbourne's ban is the role escooters (and ebikes) can play in shrinking cities' huge carbon footprints. In addition, escooters can: reduce traffic congestion improve access to public transport provide more efficient transport for shorter trips remove the need for car parking improve air quality. The City of Melbourne pointed solely at the safety concern to justify its ban. The city instead needs more proactive policies to integrate shared escooters into its mobility mix. This would have delivered all the public good of this transport mode. Governance is a neglected issue Much of the research on escooters in cities focuses on sustainability and safety. Governance (policies, rules and regulations) is largely overlooked. Operating governance structures are established following a traditional operator licensing pathway. This approach is now being questioned. What has been lacking is broad engagement with all stakeholders, including the public. The focus should be on balancing the benefits and burdens of shared escooters. Escooters are a particularly valuable form of transport for young people and those on low incomes or with a disability. The social justice they provide has been neglected. Predictably, then, the focus has been on the burdens, including safety. Another problem is the widely varied approaches around Australia to regulating escooters. There isn't even a consistent definition of escooters. It appears governance decisions, which include ending operator licenses, aren't using reliable evidence to avoid knee-jerk reactions. For widespread sustainable and safe escooter use, there needs to be: better governance and rider safety education more consistent and specific recording of escooter incident and injury data an appreciation that riders are vulnerable road users who deserve safe infrastructure. A comprehensive, inclusive assessment of benefits and burdens is needed. We may then establish more clearly the sustainability and equity benefits, manage the safety concerns and arrive at more consistent policies and definitions across Australia. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. 4J Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (NYSEARCA:IVV Free Report) by 33.9% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 33,382 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 8,454 shares during the quarter. iShares Core S&P 500 ETF comprises about 15.1% of 4J Wealth Management LLCs holdings, making the stock its biggest holding. 4J Wealth Management LLCs holdings in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF were worth $18,268,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. Fiduciary Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF during the second quarter worth about $667,000. Atwater Malick LLC lifted its position in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 683.0% during the second quarter. Atwater Malick LLC now owns 31,032 shares of the companys stock worth $16,981,000 after purchasing an additional 27,069 shares in the last quarter. Home Federal Bank of Tennessee lifted its position in shares of 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 in the last quarter. Clear Harbor Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of 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. Finally, ERn Financial LLC lifted its position in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 3.2% during the second quarter. ERn Financial LLC now owns 3,502 shares of the companys stock worth $1,916,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. Get iShares Core S&P 500 ETF alerts: iShares Core S&P 500 ETF Stock Performance Shares of IVV traded up $1.26 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $557.43. 4,183,278 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,101,250. The company has a market cap of $481.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.23 and a beta of 0.99. 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 stocks 50-day moving average is $547.78 and its 200-day moving average is $526.33. About iShares Core S&P 500 ETF 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. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. increased its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH Free Report) by 102.6% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 760,393 shares of the healthcare conglomerates stock after buying an additional 385,058 shares during the quarter. UnitedHealth Group comprises approximately 0.9% of Assenagon Asset Management S.A.s portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest position. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. owned about 0.08% of UnitedHealth Group worth $387,238,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Valley National Advisers Inc. raised its position in UnitedHealth Group by 8.2% in the second quarter. Valley National Advisers Inc. now owns 1,397 shares of the healthcare conglomerates stock valued at $711,000 after purchasing an additional 106 shares during the period. Silver Lake Advisory LLC purchased a new stake in UnitedHealth Group in the second quarter valued at approximately $540,000. Fiduciary Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in UnitedHealth Group in the second quarter valued at approximately $849,000. Swedbank AB raised its position in UnitedHealth Group by 3.5% in the second quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 2,336,815 shares of the healthcare conglomerates stock valued at $1,190,046,000 after purchasing an additional 77,948 shares during the period. Finally, Clear Harbor Asset Management LLC raised its position in UnitedHealth Group by 0.5% in the second quarter. Clear Harbor Asset Management LLC now owns 8,505 shares of the healthcare conglomerates stock valued at $4,331,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.86% of the companys stock. Get UnitedHealth Group alerts: Insider Activity In other news, CAO Thomas E. Roos sold 2,851 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 17th. The shares were 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 sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In related news, CAO Thomas E. Roos sold 2,851 shares of the 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 completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 29,501 shares of the companys stock, valued at $16,812,029.88. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Erin Mcsweeney sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $579.03, for a total transaction of $868,545.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 7,785 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,507,748.55. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.33% of the companys stock. UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance NYSE UNH traded down $1.93 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $577.68. The company had a trading volume of 2,190,173 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,224,914. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 0.88. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 1-year low of $436.38 and a 1-year high of $591.54. The company has a market cap of $533.44 billion, a PE ratio of 35.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 0.59. The business has a 50 day moving average of $529.38 and a 200-day moving average of $507.42. UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 16th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $6.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.66 by $0.14. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 3.66% and a return on equity of 26.55%. The company 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. UnitedHealth Groups revenue for the quarter was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts expect that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 27.69 EPS for the current year. UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 24th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 16th will be issued a $2.10 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend 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 51.34%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several research firms have commented on UNH. TD Cowen boosted their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $546.00 to $601.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $597.00 to $640.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. Baird R W upgraded shares of UnitedHealth Group to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Thursday, May 30th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $555.00 to $615.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $595.00 to $615.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, nineteen have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Buy and an average price target of $614.17. Check Out Our Latest Analysis on UnitedHealth Group UnitedHealth Group 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. Read More 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. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its position in Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT Free Report) by 493.1% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 2,401,190 shares of the healthcare product makers stock after buying an additional 1,996,320 shares during the quarter. Abbott Laboratories accounts for 0.6% of Assenagon Asset Management S.A.s holdings, making the stock its 26th biggest holding. Assenagon Asset Management S.A.s holdings in Abbott Laboratories were worth $249,508,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of ABT. Signature Resources Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories during the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Transcendent Capital Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories during the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories during the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories during the 1st quarter worth $30,000. Finally, True Wealth Design LLC grew its holdings in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 1,677.8% during the 4th quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 320 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 302 shares in the last quarter. 75.18% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Abbott Laboratories alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets Several analysts recently weighed in on ABT shares. Evercore ISI dropped their price objective on Abbott Laboratories from $125.00 to $120.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, July 2nd. Barclays increased their target price on Abbott Laboratories from $140.00 to $143.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Monday, July 29th. Edward Jones downgraded Abbott Laboratories from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 30th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an outperform rating and issued a $125.00 target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories in a research report on Tuesday, June 4th. Finally, Citigroup dropped their target price on Abbott Laboratories from $128.00 to $119.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 22nd. Two equities research 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 an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $121.00. Abbott Laboratories Trading Up 0.1 % Shares of ABT traded up $0.06 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $111.00. 4,627,433 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,033,353. Abbott Laboratories has a 52 week low of $89.67 and a 52 week high of $121.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.68. The stock has a market capitalization of $193.10 billion, a PE ratio of 34.58, a PEG ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 0.72. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $105.47 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $108.79. Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 18th. The healthcare product maker reported $1.14 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 business had revenue of $10.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $10.37 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.08 earnings per share. The firms revenue was up 4.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that Abbott Laboratories will post 4.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Abbott Laboratories Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 15th. Investors of record on Monday, July 15th were paid a dividend of $0.55 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, July 15th. This represents a $2.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.98%. Abbott Laboratoriess dividend payout ratio is currently 68.54%. 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. Further Reading 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. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its position in Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM Free Report) by 1,540.7% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 639,902 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 600,901 shares during the quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A.s holdings in Philip Morris International were worth $64,841,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Philip Morris International by 0.4% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 136,556,344 shares of the companys stock valued at $12,511,292,000 after purchasing an additional 481,636 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors increased its holdings in shares of Philip Morris International by 1.5% during the first quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 111,247,656 shares of the companys stock worth $10,192,510,000 after buying an additional 1,684,992 shares in the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors increased its holdings in shares of Philip Morris International by 3.1% during the first quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 60,217,039 shares of the companys stock worth $5,517,085,000 after buying an additional 1,800,864 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Philip Morris International by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 13,396,354 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,226,746,000 after acquiring an additional 125,919 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp grew its position in Philip Morris International by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 13,126,737 shares of the companys stock worth $1,234,963,000 after acquiring an additional 77,820 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 78.63% of the companys stock. Get Philip Morris International alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several equities analysts have commented on PM shares. Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on Philip Morris International from $115.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Philip Morris International from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Monday, July 22nd. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Philip Morris International from $110.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price target on shares of Philip Morris International from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Philip Morris International from $110.00 to $125.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, July 25th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $109.80. Philip Morris International Stock Up 0.2 % PM traded up $0.18 during trading on Friday, reaching $118.07. 3,707,377 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,379,225. The stocks 50-day moving average is $107.72 and its 200 day moving average is $98.91. Philip Morris International Inc. has a 12 month low of $87.23 and a 12 month high of $119.06. The stock has a market capitalization of $183.55 billion, a PE ratio of 23.06, a P/E/G ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.58. Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 23rd. The company reported $1.59 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.57 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $9.47 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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 revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.60 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 6.41 EPS for the current year. Philip Morris International Dividend Announcement The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 8th. Investors of record on Friday, June 21st were given a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 21st. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.40%. Philip Morris Internationals payout ratio is presently 101.56%. Insider Buying and Selling In other Philip Morris International news, insider Wilde Frederic De sold 20,000 shares of the 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 in the company, valued at $17,906,095.47. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other Philip Morris International news, insider Wilde Frederic De sold 20,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.01, for a total transaction of $2,260,200.00. Following the completion of 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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Massimo Andolina sold 9,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.35, for a total transaction of $1,038,150.00. Following the transaction, 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 owned by insiders. Philip Morris International Profile (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. Recommended Stories 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. Brinker International (NYSE:EAT Get Free Report) issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The restaurant operator reported $1.61 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.65 by ($0.04), Briefing.com reports. The business had revenue of $1.21 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.17 billion. Brinker International had a negative return on equity of 154.29% and a net margin of 3.55%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 12.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.39 EPS. Brinker International updated its FY 2025 guidance to 4.350-4.750 EPS and its FY25 guidance to $4.35-4.75 EPS. Brinker International Stock Performance NYSE:EAT traded down $1.49 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $65.57. 2,109,463 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,513,615. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.46, a PEG ratio of 0.63 and a beta of 2.52. The company has a fifty day moving average of $67.23 and a 200 day moving average of $57.17. Brinker International has a 12 month low of $28.23 and a 12 month high of $76.02. Get Brinker International alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets Several research firms have recently weighed in on EAT. Wedbush restated a neutral rating and set a $68.00 price objective on shares of Brinker International in a research report on Thursday. BMO Capital Markets lowered their price target on Brinker International from $85.00 to $80.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on Brinker International from $42.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a report on Tuesday, July 16th. Argus upgraded Brinker International from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $72.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 21st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Brinker International from $45.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research report on Thursday. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $60.58. Insiders Place Their Bets In other Brinker International news, SVP Daniel S. Fuller sold 3,611 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $69.04, for a total value of $249,303.44. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 34,764 shares in the company, valued at $2,400,106.56. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In related news, SVP Daniel S. Fuller sold 3,611 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $69.04, for a total value of $249,303.44. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 34,764 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,400,106.56. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, COO Douglas N. Comings sold 2,953 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.97, for a total value of $215,480.41. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 38,164 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,784,827.08. 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 in the last quarter. Insiders own 1.50% of the companys stock. 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. Featured Stories 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. Ceconomy AG (OTCMKTS:MTGGY Get Free Report) shares traded up 1.3% on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $6.00 and last traded at $6.00. 1,500 shares were traded during trading, an increase of 36% from the average session volume of 1,103 shares. The stock had previously closed at $5.92. Ceconomy Trading Up 1.3 % The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $6.00 and a 200 day simple moving average of $6.00. Ceconomy Company Profile (Get Free Report) Ceconomy AG engages in the consumer electronics retail business. The company operates approximately 850 stores in 14 countries under the MediaMarkt brand; and approximately 170 stores in 3 countries under the Saturn brand. It also operates Flip4New for selling used electronic articles online. In addition, the company offers professional assistance for the installation, connection, and troubleshooting of electronic devices at home under the Deutsche Technikberatung brand. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Ceconomy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ceconomy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Fiduciary Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 1,583 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $223,000. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Cravens & Co Advisors LLC increased its stake in Novo Nordisk A/S by 1.0% in the 1st quarter. Cravens & Co Advisors LLC now owns 8,250 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,059,000 after buying an additional 85 shares during the last quarter. AA Financial Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S by 3.2% during the 2nd quarter. AA Financial Advisors LLC now owns 2,805 shares of the companys stock worth $400,000 after purchasing an additional 86 shares during the last quarter. Sage Rhino Capital LLC increased its stake in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S by 0.7% during the 1st quarter. Sage Rhino Capital LLC now owns 12,320 shares of the companys stock worth $1,582,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 15,421 shares of the companys stock worth $1,595,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Essex LLC increased its stake in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S by 2.0% during the 1st quarter. Essex LLC now owns 4,684 shares of the companys stock worth $601,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 11.54% of the companys stock. Get Novo Nordisk A/S alerts: Novo Nordisk A/S Price Performance Shares of NYSE NVO traded down $2.67 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $134.90. 2,110,825 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,498,375. Novo Nordisk A/S has a 52 week low of $86.96 and a 52 week high of $148.15. The company has a quick ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The stock has a market capitalization of $605.37 billion, a PE ratio of 47.44, a PEG ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 0.41. The companys 50 day moving average price is $137.06 and its 200 day moving average price is $130.54. Novo Nordisk A/S Cuts Dividend Analyst Ratings Changes The business also recently disclosed a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 26th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.5126 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 16th. Novo Nordisk A/Ss dividend payout ratio is currently 25.52%. NVO has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Argus raised their price target on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S from $125.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Monday, June 10th. BMO Capital Markets reduced their price objective on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S from $170.00 to $160.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S in a research note on Thursday, May 30th. They issued a buy rating and a $156.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an overweight rating and issued a $160.00 price target on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S in a report on Monday, August 5th. 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 company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus target price of $145.17. Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on NVO 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. First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund (NYSEARCA:EMLP Get Free Report)s stock price reached a new 52-week high on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $32.11 and last traded at $32.07, with a volume of 44331 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $31.83. First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund Trading Up 0.6 % The company has a market capitalization of $2.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.22 and a beta of 0.52. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $31.04 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $29.74. Get First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund alerts: Institutional Investors Weigh In On First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC increased its stake in First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund by 1.3% during the 2nd quarter. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC now owns 29,564 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $901,000 after buying an additional 373 shares during the period. Cherry Creek Investment Advisors Inc. increased its stake in First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund by 1.8% during the 1st quarter. Cherry Creek Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 26,702 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $789,000 after buying an additional 476 shares during the period. Ballew Advisors Inc increased its stake in First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund by 5.6% during the 2nd quarter. Ballew Advisors Inc now owns 11,369 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $353,000 after buying an additional 602 shares during the period. G&S Capital LLC increased its stake in First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund by 3.5% during the 1st quarter. G&S Capital LLC now owns 20,523 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $606,000 after buying an additional 696 shares during the period. Finally, Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. increased its stake in First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund by 9.1% during the 1st quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 8,426 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $249,000 after buying an additional 700 shares during the period. About First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund The First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund (EMLP) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the Alerian MLP index. The fund is an actively managed fund that invests in North American energy infrastructure MLPs and LLCs. EMLP was launched on Jun 21, 2012 and is managed by First Trust. See Also Receive News & Ratings for First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. IntegraFin Holdings plc (OTCMKTS:IHPGF Get Free Report) saw a significant growth in short interest in July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 3,500 shares, a growth of 59.1% from the July 15th total of 2,200 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 0 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently days. IntegraFin Price Performance OTCMKTS:IHPGF remained flat at $2.75 during trading hours on Friday. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $2.75 and its 200-day simple moving average is $2.75. IntegraFin has a fifty-two week low of $2.75 and a fifty-two week high of $5.95. Get IntegraFin alerts: About IntegraFin (Get Free Report) Featured Articles IntegraFin Holdings plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides an investment platform for UK financial advisers and their clients. It operates through Investment administration services, Insurance and life assurance business, and Adviser back-office technology segments. The company operates Transact, a wrap platform that enable advisers to consolidate their clients investments using tax efficient wrappers and provide range of investment choice; and Time4Advice (T4A), an adviser practice management solution. Receive News & Ratings for IntegraFin Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for IntegraFin and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Professional Financial Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT Free Report) by 1.3% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 21,702 shares of the retailers stock after purchasing an additional 284 shares during the period. Professional Financial Advisors LLCs holdings in Walmart were worth $1,469,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Fiduciary Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walmart during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $201,000. Loring Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors LLP MA boosted its position in shares of Walmart by 9.6% during the 2nd quarter. Loring Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors LLP MA now owns 91,038 shares of the retailers stock worth $6,372,000 after acquiring an additional 7,965 shares in the last quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. boosted its position in shares of Walmart by 5.9% during the 2nd quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 11,346 shares of the retailers stock worth $794,000 after acquiring an additional 633 shares in the last quarter. Atwater Malick LLC boosted its position in shares of Walmart by 1.0% during the 2nd quarter. Atwater Malick LLC now owns 163,716 shares of the retailers stock worth $11,085,000 after acquiring an additional 1,554 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Home Federal Bank of Tennessee boosted its position in shares of Walmart by 1.6% during the 2nd quarter. Home Federal Bank of Tennessee now owns 27,199 shares of the retailers stock worth $1,842,000 after acquiring an additional 417 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the companys stock. Get Walmart alerts: Insider Buying and Selling In related news, Director Timothy Patrick Flynn sold 30,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.82, for a total transaction of $1,944,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 144,807 shares of the companys stock, valued at $9,386,389.74. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In other news, Director Timothy Patrick Flynn sold 30,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.82, for a total transaction of $1,944,600.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 144,807 shares in the company, valued at $9,386,389.74. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, SVP David Chojnowski sold 8,791 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $68.00, for a total transaction of $597,788.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 94,415 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,420,220. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 11,000,613 shares of company stock valued at $725,932,010 over the last quarter. Insiders own 45.58% of the companys stock. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. StockNews.com lowered shares of Walmart from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research report on Saturday, July 27th. Robert W. Baird increased their price target on shares of Walmart from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, May 17th. KeyCorp increased their price target on shares of Walmart from $75.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 17th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on shares of Walmart from $74.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Friday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on shares of Walmart from $73.00 to $81.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $77.79. Check Out Our Latest Analysis on WMT Walmart Trading Up 0.7 % Shares of WMT stock traded up $0.48 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $73.45. 19,752,454 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 17,647,650. Walmart Inc. has a 12 month low of $49.85 and a 12 month high of $74.44. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $68.86 and its 200 day simple moving average is $63.32. The stock has a market cap of $590.80 billion, a PE ratio of 31.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.95 and a beta of 0.50. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. Walmart (NYSE:WMT Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 15th. The retailer reported $0.67 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.65 by $0.02. Walmart had a net margin of 2.88% and a return on equity of 21.57%. The business had revenue of $169.30 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $168.56 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.61 earnings per share. Walmarts quarterly revenue was up 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.43 EPS for the current year. Walmart Company Profile (Free Report) Walmart Inc engages in the operation of retail, wholesale, other units, and eCommerce worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Walmart U.S., Walmart International, and Sam's Club. It operates supercenters, supermarkets, hypermarkets, warehouse clubs, cash and carry stores, and discount stores under Walmart and Walmart Neighborhood Market brands; membership-only warehouse clubs; ecommerce websites, such as walmart.com.mx, walmart.ca, flipkart.com, PhonePe and other sites; and mobile commerce applications. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WMT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Walmart Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Walmart and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. RPM International Inc. (NYSE:RPM Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large drop in short interest during the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 2,080,000 shares, a drop of 22.1% from the July 15th total of 2,670,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 664,300 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.1 days. Currently, 1.6% of the companys stock are sold short. Insider Buying and Selling at RPM International In other RPM International news, VP Matthew T. Ratajczak sold 1,452 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, July 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.79, for a total value of $171,031.08. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 24,339 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,866,890.81. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.50% of the companys stock. Get RPM International alerts: Institutional Investors Weigh In On RPM International Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of RPM. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its stake in shares of RPM International by 14.3% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 808 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $96,000 after buying an additional 101 shares during the period. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of RPM International by 3.0% in the first quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC now owns 3,833 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $456,000 after acquiring an additional 110 shares during the period. Summit Financial LLC raised its stake in shares of RPM International by 5.9% during the second quarter. Summit Financial LLC now owns 2,514 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $271,000 after acquiring an additional 141 shares during the last quarter. SVB Wealth LLC grew its stake in shares of RPM International by 3.0% in the first quarter. SVB Wealth LLC now owns 5,491 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $653,000 after purchasing an additional 159 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Motley Fool Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in RPM International by 8.1% during the 1st quarter. Motley Fool Asset Management LLC now owns 2,631 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $313,000 after purchasing an additional 197 shares during the period. 80.95% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. RPM International Price Performance RPM stock traded down $0.86 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $116.45. 476,199 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 630,603. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $112.02 and a 200 day moving average price of $111.96. RPM International has a 12 month low of $88.84 and a 12 month high of $122.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 1.97 and a quick ratio of 1.32. The stock has a market capitalization of $14.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.83, a PEG ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.00. RPM International (NYSE:RPM Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.56 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts consensus estimates of $1.56. The business had revenue of $2.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.01 billion. RPM International had a net margin of 8.02% and a return on equity of 26.80%. The businesss quarterly revenue was down .4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.36 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that RPM International will post 5.51 EPS for the current year. RPM International Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 31st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 17th were paid a dividend of $0.46 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, July 17th. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.58%. RPM Internationals dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 42.40%. Analyst Ratings Changes RPM has been the topic of several research reports. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of RPM International from $110.00 to $125.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Friday, July 26th. BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on RPM International from $123.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. StockNews.com cut RPM International from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Sunday, August 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered shares of RPM International from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and set a $120.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on shares of RPM International from $119.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $122.33. View Our Latest Stock Analysis on RPM International About RPM International (Get Free Report) RPM International Inc manufactures and sells specialty chemicals for the industrial, specialty, and consumer markets worldwide. It offers waterproofing, coating, and traditional roofing systems; sealants, air barriers, tapes, and foams; residential home weatherization systems; roofing and building maintenance services; sealing and bonding, subfloor preparation, flooring, and glazing solutions; resin flooring systems, polyurethane, MMA waterproof, epoxy floor paint and coatings, concrete repair, and protection products; fire stopping and intumescent steel coating, and manufacturing industry solutions; rolled asphalt roofing materials and chemical admixtures; concrete and masonry admixtures, concrete fibers, curing and sealing compounds, structural grouts and mortars, epoxy adhesives, injection resins, polyurethane foams, floor hardeners and toppings, joint fillers, industrial and architectural coatings, decorative color/stains/stamps, and restoration materials; insulated building cladding materials; and concrete form wall systems. See Also Receive News & Ratings for RPM International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for RPM International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Silver Lake Advisory LLC bought a new stake in shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund bought 3,077 shares of the semiconductor companys stock, valued at approximately $535,000. A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Van ECK Associates Corp raised its stake in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing by 53.4% in the 1st quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 17,416,194 shares of the semiconductor companys stock worth $2,369,473,000 after acquiring an additional 6,060,511 shares during the last quarter. Capital International Investors raised its stake in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing by 40.2% in the 1st quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 19,695,714 shares of the semiconductor companys stock worth $2,679,602,000 after acquiring an additional 5,643,949 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors raised its stake in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing by 11.4% in the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 41,356,279 shares of the semiconductor companys stock worth $4,301,178,000 after acquiring an additional 4,240,928 shares during the last quarter. PineStone Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing by 116.3% in the 2nd quarter. PineStone Asset Management Inc. now owns 7,784,316 shares of the semiconductor companys stock worth $1,352,992,000 after acquiring an additional 4,186,133 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Harding Loevner LP raised its stake in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing by 20.9% in the 4th quarter. Harding Loevner LP now owns 11,616,715 shares of the semiconductor companys stock worth $1,222,768,000 after acquiring an additional 2,008,043 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 16.51% of the companys stock. Get Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing alerts: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Price Performance Shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing stock traded up $0.58 on Friday, hitting $174.54. The companys stock had a trading volume of 10,674,309 shares, compared to its average volume of 21,614,538. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 2.13 and a current ratio of 2.39. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited has a 1 year low of $84.01 and a 1 year high of $193.47. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $171.29 and a 200-day moving average price of $150.49. The company has a market capitalization of $905.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.00 and a beta of 1.14. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Increases Dividend Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing ( NYSE:TSM Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 18th. The semiconductor company reported $1.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.37 by $0.11. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing had a return on equity of 25.89% and a net margin of 37.85%. The company had revenue of $20.82 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $20.33 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.14 EPS. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturings revenue was up 34.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited will post 6.44 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 9th. Investors of record on Thursday, December 12th will be issued a $0.4871 dividend. This represents a $1.95 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.12%. This is a boost from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturings previous quarterly dividend of $0.49. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, December 12th. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturings payout ratio is presently 32.57%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Susquehanna reiterated a positive rating and set a $250.00 price objective on shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing in a research note on Wednesday. Needham & Company LLC lifted their price objective on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing from $168.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Monday, July 15th. Barclays lifted their price objective on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing from $150.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 5th. TD Cowen lifted their price objective on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing from $130.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, July 18th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price target on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing from $150.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, June 20th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $200.00. Check Out Our Latest Report on TSM Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Profile (Free Report) Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, packages, tests, and sells integrated circuits and other semiconductor devices in Taiwan, China, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Japan, the United States, and internationally. It provides a range of wafer fabrication processes, including processes to manufacture complementary metal- oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) logic, mixed-signal, radio frequency, embedded memory, bipolar CMOS mixed-signal, and others. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding TSM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Singapore Airlines Limited (OTCMKTS:SINGY Get Free Report) saw a significant growth in short interest in July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 21,800 shares, a growth of 32.1% from the July 15th total of 16,500 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 58,100 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.4 days. Singapore Airlines Stock Performance Shares of SINGY stock remained flat at $9.22 on Friday. The stock had a trading volume of 16,461 shares, compared to its average volume of 33,731. The company has a 50-day moving average of $9.93 and a 200 day moving average of $9.82. Singapore Airlines has a twelve month low of $8.62 and a twelve month high of $10.99. Get Singapore Airlines alerts: Singapore Airlines Increases Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 5th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 2nd will be given a $0.5132 dividend. This is a boost from Singapore Airliness previous dividend of $0.13. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 2nd. Singapore Airliness dividend payout ratio is currently 117.21%. About Singapore Airlines Singapore Airlines Limited, together with subsidiaries, provides passenger and cargo air transportation services under the Singapore Airlines and Scoot brands in East Asia, the Americas, Europe, Southwest Pacific, West Asia, and Africa. It operates through The Full-Service Carrier, The Low-Cost Carrier, and Engineering Services segments. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Singapore Airlines Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Singapore Airlines and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Singapore Exchange Limited (OTCMKTS:SPXCF Get Free Report) was the target of a significant decline in short interest during the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 300,200 shares, a decline of 28.7% from the July 15th total of 421,100 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 13,400 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 22.4 days. Singapore Exchange Price Performance SPXCF stock traded up $0.17 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $7.80. The company had a trading volume of 15,100 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,681. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $7.16 and a 200-day moving average price of $6.98. Singapore Exchange has a 1 year low of $6.50 and a 1 year high of $8.36. Get Singapore Exchange alerts: About Singapore Exchange (Get Free Report) Recommended Stories Singapore Exchange Limited, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an integrated securities and derivatives exchange, and related clearing houses in Singapore. It operates through Fixed Income, Currencies, and Commodities; Equities; and Data, Connectivity, and Indices segments. The Fixed Income, Currencies, and Commodities segment offers fixed income issuer, trading and clearing, and collateral management services. Receive News & Ratings for Singapore Exchange Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Singapore Exchange and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Standard Bank Group Limited (OTCMKTS:SGBLY Get Free Report) saw a significant increase in short interest in the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 31,800 shares, an increase of 29.8% from the July 15th total of 24,500 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 106,400 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.3 days. Standard Bank Group Stock Up 2.2 % Standard Bank Group stock traded up $0.29 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $13.24. 7,198 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 28,640. Standard Bank Group has a 12 month low of $8.69 and a 12 month high of $13.26. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $11.67 and a two-hundred day moving average of $10.64. Get Standard Bank Group alerts: Standard Bank Group Company Profile (Get Free Report) Featured Stories Standard Bank Group Limited provides banking and financial products and services in South Africa and internationally. It offers transactional accounts and digital banking platforms; personal and business lending solutions to enhance cash flow; finance for buying, building, and maintaining home; foreign exchange services; trusts and third-party administration accounts; workplace solutions, such as payroll and HR, financial planning, and employer value banking; merchant solutions, including point-of-sale, ecommerce, digital payments, payment processing, and small business support; and cash management services. Receive News & Ratings for Standard Bank Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Standard Bank Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. STM Group Plc (LON:STM Get Free Report)s share price traded down 1.9% on Wednesday . The company traded as low as GBX 50 ($0.64) and last traded at GBX 51.50 ($0.66). 27,065 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 6% from the average session volume of 28,672 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 52.50 ($0.67). STM Group Stock Performance The firm has a market cap of 30.60 million, a P/E ratio of 5,150.00 and a beta of 0.88. The companys 50 day simple moving average is GBX 53.89 and its 200-day simple moving average is GBX 56.15. The company has a quick ratio of 0.75, a current ratio of 2.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 15.76. About STM Group (Get Free Report) STM Group Plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides various financial services in the United Kingdom, Gibraltar, Malta, Australia, Spain, Jersey, and internationally. It operates in four segments: Pensions, Life Assurance, Corporate Trustee Services, and Other Services. The company offers retirement, estate and succession planning, and wealth structuring services. See Also Receive News & Ratings for STM Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for STM Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Swedbank AB grew its position in Corpay, Inc. (NYSE:CPAY Free Report) by 26.9% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 127,217 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 27,000 shares during the period. Swedbank AB owned 0.18% of Corpay worth $33,892,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in CPAY. Epic Trust Investment Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Corpay by 4.1% during the 2nd quarter. Epic Trust Investment Advisors LLC now owns 998 shares of the companys stock worth $266,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the period. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV lifted its holdings in Corpay by 21.6% during the 2nd quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 242 shares of the companys stock worth $64,000 after buying an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Corpay by 4.3% during the 2nd quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,320 shares of the companys stock worth $352,000 after buying an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Corpay during the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,000. Finally, Simplicity Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in Corpay by 13.3% during the 2nd quarter. Simplicity Wealth LLC now owns 767 shares of the companys stock worth $204,000 after buying an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.84% of the companys stock. Get Corpay alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes CPAY has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of Corpay from $355.00 to $350.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 13th. Wolfe Research lowered shares of Corpay from a peer perform rating to an underperform rating and set a $295.00 price target on the stock. in a research note on Friday, May 17th. Bank of America dropped their price target on shares of Corpay from $331.00 to $310.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Corpay from $326.00 to $327.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Finally, William Blair upgraded shares of Corpay to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating, nine 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 a consensus price target of $330.33. Corpay Price Performance CPAY traded up $0.34 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $293.09. 434,352 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 466,459. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $275.15. The firm has a market cap of $20.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 1.20. Corpay, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $220.39 and a fifty-two week high of $319.94. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.48. Corpay (NYSE:CPAY Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 7th. The company reported $4.55 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $4.51 by $0.04. Corpay had a net margin of 26.29% and a return on equity of 36.97%. The firm had revenue of $975.70 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $973.84 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $3.85 EPS. The firms revenue was up 2.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts predict that Corpay, Inc. will post 17.82 earnings per share for the current year. Corpay Profile (Free Report) Corpay, Inc operates as a payments company that helps businesses and consumers manage vehicle-related expenses, lodging expenses, and corporate payments in the United States, Brazil, the United Kingdom, and internationally. The company offers vehicle payment solutions, which include fuel, tolls, parking, fleet maintenance, and long-haul transportation services, as well as prepaid food and transportation vouchers and cards. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Corpay Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Corpay and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM Get Free Report) dropped 2.4% during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $167.19 and last traded at $168.23. Approximately 4,971,687 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 69% from the average daily volume of 16,182,729 shares. The stock had previously closed at $172.34. Analyst Ratings Changes TSM has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Needham & Company LLC upped their target price on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing from $168.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Monday, July 15th. Barclays increased their target price on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing from $150.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, June 5th. Susquehanna restated a positive rating and set a $250.00 target price on shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing in a report on Wednesday. TD Cowen raised their price target on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing from $130.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a report on Thursday, July 18th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price target on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing from $150.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, June 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $200.00. Get Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing alerts: Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Stock Up 0.3 % The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $171.09 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $150.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 2.39 and a quick ratio of 2.13. The stock has a market cap of $905.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.00 and a beta of 1.14. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE:TSM Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 18th. The semiconductor company reported $1.48 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.37 by $0.11. The company had revenue of $20.82 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.33 billion. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing had a return on equity of 25.89% and a net margin of 37.85%. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturings revenue was up 34.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.14 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited will post 6.44 EPS for the current year. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Increases Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 9th. Investors of record on Thursday, December 12th will be given a $0.4871 dividend. This represents a $1.95 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.12%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, December 12th. This is a positive change from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturings previous quarterly dividend of $0.49. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturings dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 32.57%. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of TSM. Seed Wealth Management Inc. grew its stake in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing by 1.3% in the second quarter. Seed Wealth Management Inc. now owns 4,558 shares of the semiconductor companys stock valued at $792,000 after purchasing an additional 57 shares in the last quarter. Keudell Morrison Wealth Management boosted its stake in shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing by 1.5% during the 2nd quarter. Keudell Morrison Wealth Management now owns 4,027 shares of the semiconductor companys stock worth $700,000 after acquiring an additional 59 shares during the period. Heron Bay Capital Management boosted its stake in shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing by 1.0% during the 2nd quarter. Heron Bay Capital Management now owns 5,710 shares of the semiconductor companys stock worth $992,000 after acquiring an additional 59 shares during the period. Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC boosted its stake in shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing by 1.4% during the 2nd quarter. Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC now owns 4,798 shares of the semiconductor companys stock worth $834,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares during the period. Finally, Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing by 0.4% during the 2nd quarter. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC now owns 17,733 shares of the semiconductor companys stock worth $3,082,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 16.51% of the companys stock. About Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (Get Free Report) Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, packages, tests, and sells integrated circuits and other semiconductor devices in Taiwan, China, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Japan, the United States, and internationally. It provides a range of wafer fabrication processes, including processes to manufacture complementary metal- oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) logic, mixed-signal, radio frequency, embedded memory, bipolar CMOS mixed-signal, and others. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Taylor Wimpey plc (OTCMKTS:TWODY Get Free Report)s share price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $22.60 and last traded at $22.44, with a volume of 316660 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $20.55. Taylor Wimpey Stock Performance The businesss 50-day moving average is $19.72 and its 200-day moving average is $18.57. About Taylor Wimpey (Get Free Report) Taylor Wimpey plc operates as a homebuilder in the United Kingdom and Spain. It builds and delivers various homes and communities. Taylor Wimpey plc was incorporated in 1935 and is based in High Wycombe, the United Kingdom. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Taylor Wimpey Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Taylor Wimpey and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Triad Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Corteva, Inc. (NYSE:CTVA Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 837 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $45,000. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Swedbank AB raised its stake in shares of Corteva by 16.0% during the 2nd quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 388,095 shares of the companys stock valued at $20,934,000 after purchasing an additional 53,430 shares during the period. AlphaMark Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Corteva by 6.7% during the 2nd quarter. AlphaMark Advisors LLC now owns 6,238 shares of the companys stock valued at $336,000 after purchasing an additional 393 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its position in Corteva by 51.4% during the second quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 123,621 shares of the companys stock worth $6,668,000 after buying an additional 41,943 shares in the last quarter. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC grew its position in Corteva by 1.0% during the second quarter. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC now owns 129,138 shares of the companys stock worth $6,966,000 after buying an additional 1,338 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Diversified Trust Co grew its position in Corteva by 2.3% during the second quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 21,365 shares of the companys stock worth $1,152,000 after buying an additional 477 shares in the last quarter. 81.54% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Corteva alerts: Corteva Stock Up 2.0 % Shares of NYSE:CTVA traded up $1.04 during trading on Friday, hitting $53.80. The stock had a trading volume of 2,926,129 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,371,955. Corteva, Inc. has a 12 month low of $43.22 and a 12 month high of $58.76. The company has a market capitalization of $37.50 billion, a PE ratio of 68.10, a PEG ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 0.77. The firms fifty day moving average is $52.89 and its 200 day moving average is $54.31. The company has a quick ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 1.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10. Corteva Increases Dividend Corteva ( NYSE:CTVA Get Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The company reported $1.83 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.74 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $6.11 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.15 billion. Corteva had a return on equity of 7.30% and a net margin of 5.31%. The businesss revenue was up 1.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.60 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Corteva, Inc. will post 2.73 EPS for the current fiscal year. The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 17th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 3rd will be paid a $0.17 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 3rd. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.26%. This is an increase from Cortevas previous quarterly dividend of $0.16. Cortevas dividend payout ratio is presently 86.08%. Analyst Ratings Changes Several equities analysts recently commented on CTVA shares. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on Corteva from $62.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Monday, May 6th. Mizuho reduced their target price on Corteva from $61.00 to $60.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, June 18th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a buy rating and set a $65.00 target price on shares of Corteva in a research report on Wednesday, June 12th. OTR Global restated a negative rating on shares of Corteva in a research report on Friday, June 7th. Finally, Argus cut Corteva from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $62.00. Get Our Latest Stock Report on CTVA About Corteva (Free Report) Corteva, Inc operates in the agriculture business. It operates through two segments, Seed and Crop Protection. The Seed segment develops and supplies advanced germplasm and traits that produce optimum yield for farms. It offers trait technologies that enhance resistance to weather, disease, insects, and herbicides used to control weeds, as well as food and nutritional characteristics. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CTVA? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Corteva, Inc. (NYSE:CTVA Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Corteva Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Corteva and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Triad Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Main Street Capital Co. (NYSE:MAIN Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 745 shares of the financial services providers stock, valued at approximately $38,000. Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Taylor Frigon Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Main Street Capital by 0.6% in the first quarter. Taylor Frigon Capital Management LLC now owns 40,320 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,908,000 after purchasing an additional 232 shares during the period. NBC Securities Inc. lifted its position in shares of Main Street Capital by 6.7% during the 4th quarter. NBC Securities Inc. now owns 3,686 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $159,000 after buying an additional 233 shares in the last quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC grew its stake in Main Street Capital by 4.7% in the 1st quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 5,211 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $247,000 after acquiring an additional 235 shares during the period. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in Main Street Capital by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 40,973 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,771,000 after acquiring an additional 263 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hexagon Capital Partners LLC raised its position in Main Street Capital by 8.4% during the first quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,851 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $182,000 after acquiring an additional 298 shares during the period. 20.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Main Street Capital alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several analysts recently weighed in on MAIN shares. B. Riley lifted their target price on shares of Main Street Capital from $47.00 to $49.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Monday, May 13th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an outperform rating and issued a $52.00 price objective on shares of Main Street Capital in a report on Wednesday. Truist Financial raised their target price on shares of Main Street Capital from $45.00 to $52.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a report on Monday, May 13th. Finally, Oppenheimer boosted their price target on shares of Main Street Capital from $43.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a report on Tuesday. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $48.40. Main Street Capital Stock Up 0.1 % MAIN traded up $0.03 on Friday, reaching $49.28. The companys stock had a trading volume of 280,826 shares, compared to its average volume of 365,489. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 0.10 and a quick ratio of 0.10. Main Street Capital Co. has a 1 year low of $37.70 and a 1 year high of $52.39. The businesss 50 day moving average is $50.14 and its 200 day moving average is $48.22. The stock has a market cap of $4.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.99 and a beta of 1.29. Main Street Capital (NYSE:MAIN Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The financial services provider reported $1.01 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts consensus estimates of $1.01. Main Street Capital had a return on equity of 14.83% and a net margin of 89.11%. The company had revenue of $132.15 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $132.62 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.06 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Main Street Capital Co. will post 4.08 EPS for the current fiscal year. Main Street Capital Announces Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 13th. Investors of record on Friday, December 6th will be paid a dividend of $0.245 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 6th. This represents a $2.94 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.97%. Main Street Capitals dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 53.65%. About Main Street Capital (Free Report) Main Street Capital Corporation is a business development company specializes in equity capital to lower middle market companies. The firm specializing in recapitalizations, management buyouts, refinancing, family estate planning, management buyouts, refinancing, industry consolidation, mature, later stage emerging growth. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Main Street Capital Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Main Street Capital and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Valley National Advisers Inc. boosted its position in iShares Morningstar Mid-Cap Growth ETF (NYSEARCA:IMCG Free Report) by 5.9% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 57,265 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 3,175 shares during the quarter. Valley National Advisers Inc.s holdings in iShares Morningstar Mid-Cap Growth ETF were worth $3,879,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in IMCG. M&R Capital Management Inc. grew its position in iShares Morningstar Mid-Cap Growth ETF by 253.0% in the 1st quarter. M&R Capital Management Inc. now owns 406 shares of the companys stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 291 shares during the period. WASHINGTON TRUST Co bought a new stake in iShares Morningstar Mid-Cap Growth ETF in the 1st quarter valued at $45,000. Concord Wealth Partners bought a new stake in iShares Morningstar Mid-Cap Growth ETF in the 1st quarter valued at $69,000. Sunbelt Securities Inc. increased its holdings in shares of iShares Morningstar Mid-Cap Growth ETF by 300.7% in the 1st quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 1,098 shares of the companys stock worth $78,000 after buying an additional 824 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Beacon Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of iShares Morningstar Mid-Cap Growth ETF in the 1st quarter worth about $109,000. Get iShares Morningstar Mid-Cap Growth ETF alerts: iShares Morningstar Mid-Cap Growth ETF Stock Up 0.2 % NYSEARCA:IMCG traded up $0.16 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $69.40. 49,351 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 136,607. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.60 and a beta of 1.13. iShares Morningstar Mid-Cap Growth ETF has a 52 week low of $53.01 and a 52 week high of $70.85. The firms 50 day moving average is $68.06 and its two-hundred day moving average is $68.04. iShares Morningstar Mid-Cap Growth ETF Profile The iShares Morningstar Mid-Cap Growth ETF (IMCG) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the Morningstar US Mid Cap Broad Growth index. The fund tracks a market cap-weighted index of US mid-cap stocks companies selected based on their growth characteristics. IMCG was launched on Jun 28, 2004 and is managed by BlackRock. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IMCG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares Morningstar Mid-Cap Growth ETF (NYSEARCA:IMCG Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for iShares Morningstar Mid-Cap Growth ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Morningstar Mid-Cap Growth ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (NYSE:AEM Get Free Report) (TSE:AEM) has received a consensus recommendation of Moderate Buy from the six analysts that are covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $81.00. AEM has been the topic of several analyst reports. Scotiabank raised their target price on Agnico Eagle Mines from $71.00 to $81.00 and gave the stock a sector outperform rating in a report on Thursday, May 23rd. TD Securities lifted their target price on shares of Agnico Eagle Mines from $90.00 to $91.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of Agnico Eagle Mines from $65.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, April 30th. CIBC lifted their price objective on shares of Agnico Eagle Mines from $81.00 to $101.00 and gave the company an outperformer rating in a report on Wednesday, July 10th. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of Agnico Eagle Mines from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, June 27th. Get Agnico Eagle Mines alerts: Read Our Latest Report on AEM Agnico Eagle Mines Stock Up 2.5 % NYSE:AEM opened at $80.02 on Monday. 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 companys fifty day moving average price is $71.19 and its 200-day moving average price is $63.13. Agnico Eagle Mines has a 1-year low of $43.22 and a 1-year high of $80.11. The firm has a market capitalization of $40.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 84.23, a PEG ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 1.06. Agnico Eagle Mines (NYSE:AEM Get Free Report) (TSE:AEM) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The mining company reported $1.07 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.93 by $0.14. The company had revenue of $2.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.03 billion. Agnico Eagle Mines had a net margin of 8.44% and a return on equity of 7.16%. The firms revenue was up 20.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.65 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Agnico Eagle Mines will post 3.52 EPS for the current year. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Agnico Eagle Mines A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in AEM. Creative Planning raised its position in shares of Agnico Eagle Mines by 17.4% in the second quarter. Creative Planning now owns 29,420 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $1,924,000 after buying an additional 4,351 shares during the last quarter. Lighthouse Investment Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Agnico Eagle Mines in the 2nd quarter valued at about $247,000. Lloyd Harbor Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Agnico Eagle Mines by 5.1% in the 2nd quarter. Lloyd Harbor Capital Management LLC now owns 206,000 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $13,472,000 after acquiring an additional 10,000 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Agnico Eagle Mines by 23.3% in the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 13,017 shares of the mining companys stock worth $851,000 after purchasing an additional 2,464 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Agnico Eagle Mines during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.34% of the companys stock. Agnico Eagle Mines Company Profile (Get 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. Further Reading 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. Coronation Fund Managers Ltd. lessened its holdings in shares of AvalonBay Communities, Inc. (NYSE:AVB Free Report) by 14.8% during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 7,418 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after selling 1,293 shares during the period. Coronation Fund Managers Ltd.s holdings in AvalonBay Communities were worth $1,535,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AvalonBay Communities during the second quarter worth approximately $32,000. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its stake in shares of AvalonBay Communities by 1,877.8% during the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 178 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 169 shares during the period. Byrne Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of AvalonBay Communities by 270.0% during the 1st quarter. Byrne Asset Management LLC now owns 185 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. BROOKFIELD Corp ON acquired a new position in shares of AvalonBay Communities in the first quarter worth $39,000. Finally, Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. raised its holdings in shares of AvalonBay Communities by 50.0% during the first quarter. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. now owns 225 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.61% of the companys stock. Get AvalonBay Communities alerts: Insider Activity at AvalonBay Communities In other AvalonBay Communities news, CIO Matthew H. Birenbaum sold 5,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $208.90, for a total value of $1,044,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive now owns 65,967 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,780,506.30. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In related news, CIO Matthew H. Birenbaum sold 5,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $208.90, for a total value of $1,044,500.00. Following the sale, the executive now owns 65,967 shares of the companys stock, valued at $13,780,506.30. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Keri A. Shea sold 2,000 shares of AvalonBay Communities stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $207.17, for a total value of $414,340.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 4,383 shares in the company, valued at $908,026.11. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.42% of the companys stock. AvalonBay Communities Stock Performance Shares of AVB traded up $0.53 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $215.21. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,603,170 shares, compared to its average volume of 729,457. The stocks 50-day moving average is $205.57 and its two-hundred day moving average is $192.45. The firm has a market capitalization of $30.60 billion, a PE ratio of 32.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.09 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a current ratio of 1.07. AvalonBay Communities, Inc. has a one year low of $160.45 and a one year high of $218.79. AvalonBay Communities (NYSE:AVB Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The real estate investment trust reported $1.78 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $2.71 by ($0.93). AvalonBay Communities had a net margin of 29.61% and a return on equity of 7.16%. The company had revenue of $726.04 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $718.49 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.66 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that AvalonBay Communities, Inc. will post 10.97 EPS for the current year. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on AvalonBay Communities from $203.00 to $209.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of AvalonBay Communities from $194.00 to $212.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, June 17th. Argus increased their price target on shares of AvalonBay Communities from $188.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 30th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of AvalonBay Communities from $210.00 to $228.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, July 18th. Finally, Truist Financial increased their target price on shares of AvalonBay Communities from $207.00 to $213.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Monday, June 24th. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, AvalonBay Communities has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $211.12. View Our Latest Stock Analysis on AVB AvalonBay Communities Company Profile (Free Report) As of December 31, 2023, the Company owned or held a direct or indirect ownership interest in 299 apartment communities containing 90,669 apartment homes in 12 states and the District of Columbia, of which 18 communities were under development. The Company is an equity REIT in the business of developing, redeveloping, acquiring and managing apartment communities in leading metropolitan areas in New England, the New York/New Jersey Metro area, the Mid-Atlantic, the Pacific Northwest, and Northern and Southern California, as well as in the Company's expansion regions of Raleigh-Durham and Charlotte, North Carolina, Southeast Florida, Dallas and Austin, Texas, and Denver, Colorado. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AVB? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for AvalonBay Communities, Inc. (NYSE:AVB Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for AvalonBay Communities Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for AvalonBay Communities and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Azul S.A. (NYSE:AZUL Free Report) Stock analysts at Seaport Res Ptn increased their FY2024 earnings per share estimates for Azul in a research note issued on Tuesday, August 13th. Seaport Res Ptn analyst D. Mckenzie now expects that the company will post earnings of ($1.87) per share for the year, up from their prior estimate of ($2.12). The consensus estimate for Azuls current full-year earnings is ($1.03) per share. Seaport Res Ptn also issued estimates for Azuls FY2025 earnings at $0.00 EPS and FY2026 earnings at $0.25 EPS. Get Azul alerts: A number of other brokerages have also issued reports on AZUL. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered Azul from an overweight rating to a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price objective on Azul from $8.00 to $6.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday. Barclays dropped their target price on Azul from $12.00 to $10.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 15th. Finally, Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on shares of Azul in a research report on Friday, May 24th. They set an equal weight rating and a $7.40 price target for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $10.39. Azul Trading Down 3.7 % NYSE:AZUL opened at $4.09 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $1.72 billion, a P/E ratio of -1.67 and a beta of 2.00. Azul has a 12 month low of $3.70 and a 12 month high of $11.26. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $4.44 and a 200-day simple moving average of $6.07. Azul (NYSE:AZUL Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, August 12th. The company reported ($1.23) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of ($0.60) by ($0.63). The company had revenue of $800.65 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $791.43 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned ($0.81) EPS. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Azul A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in AZUL. Long Focus Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Azul by 106.3% during the second quarter. Long Focus Capital Management LLC now owns 4,454,000 shares of the companys stock worth $17,816,000 after buying an additional 2,295,000 shares in the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP raised its position in shares of Azul by 2,466.5% in the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 598,670 shares of the companys stock worth $2,395,000 after acquiring an additional 575,344 shares during the period. U S Global Investors Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Azul by 10.4% during the 1st quarter. U S Global Investors Inc. now owns 874,798 shares of the companys stock worth $6,797,000 after acquiring an additional 82,077 shares in the last quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP grew its position in shares of Azul by 310.0% during the 1st quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP now owns 31,813 shares of the companys stock valued at $247,000 after acquiring an additional 24,054 shares during the period. Finally, Aigen Investment Management LP purchased a new position in shares of Azul in the 4th quarter valued at about $214,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 0.82% of the companys stock. About Azul (Get Free Report) Azul SA, together with its subsidiaries, provides air transportation services in Brazil and internationally. As of December 31, 2023, the company operated approximately 1,000 daily departures to 160 destinations through a network of 300 non-stop routes with an operating fleet of 183 aircraft and a passenger contractual fleet of 189 aircraft. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Azul Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Azul and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Baker Tilly Wealth Management LLC reduced its position in shares of Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS Free Report) by 32.8% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 3,636 shares of the companys stock after selling 1,772 shares during the quarter. Baker Tilly Wealth Management LLCs holdings in Novartis were worth $387,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Novartis in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Private Ocean LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Novartis during the first quarter valued at $25,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. bought a new stake in Novartis in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Clearstead Trust LLC raised its position in Novartis by 73.5% in the 1st quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC now owns 269 shares of the companys stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 114 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Lynx Investment Advisory purchased a new position in Novartis in the 2nd quarter worth about $29,000. Institutional investors own 13.12% of the companys stock. Get Novartis alerts: Novartis Stock Performance NVS traded up $1.39 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $114.70. The company had a trading volume of 1,057,253 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,447,379. The business has a 50-day moving average of $108.82 and a two-hundred day moving average of $102.80. The company has a quick ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. Novartis AG has a 1 year low of $92.19 and a 1 year high of $114.91. The company has a market cap of $234.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.48, a P/E/G ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.57. Analyst Ratings Changes Novartis ( NYSE:NVS Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 18th. The company reported $1.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.87 by $0.10. Novartis had a net margin of 33.76% and a return on equity of 34.56%. The company had revenue of $12.87 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.24 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.83 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Novartis AG will post 7.44 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Several research firms have recently weighed in on NVS. Barclays raised shares of Novartis to a strong sell rating in a report on Monday, June 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on Novartis in a report on Thursday, May 30th. They set a buy rating and a $120.00 price target on the stock. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on Novartis from $114.00 to $116.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a report on Wednesday, April 24th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on Novartis from $121.00 to $122.50 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, July 2nd. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a hold rating on shares of Novartis in a research report on Friday, July 19th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $118.13. Read Our Latest Research Report on Novartis Novartis Company Profile (Free Report) Novartis AG engages in the research, development, manufacture, and marketing of healthcare products in Switzerland and internationally. The company offers prescription medicines for patients and physicians. It focuses on therapeutic areas, such as cardiovascular, renal and metabolic, immunology, neuroscience, and oncology, as well as ophthalmology and hematology. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding NVS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Novartis Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Novartis and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Bank of Montreal (NYSE:BMO Get Free Report) (TSE:BMO) have been given a consensus rating of Moderate Buy by the eight research firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $127.50. A number of brokerages recently commented on BMO. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods downgraded shares of Bank of Montreal from an outperform rating to a market perform rating and reduced their price objective for the stock from $137.00 to $124.00 in a research note on Monday, June 3rd. Royal Bank of Canada cut Bank of Montreal from an outperform rating to a sector perform rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 30th. Desjardins lowered Bank of Montreal from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 29th. Finally, UBS Group initiated coverage on Bank of Montreal in a report on Tuesday, July 2nd. They set a neutral rating for the company. Get Bank of Montreal alerts: Read Our Latest Research Report on BMO Bank of Montreal Stock Up 1.0 % NYSE:BMO opened at $85.53 on Monday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $84.38 and a 200-day simple moving average of $90.16. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12. The company has a market cap of $62.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 1.12. Bank of Montreal has a twelve month low of $73.98 and a twelve month high of $100.12. Bank of Montreal (NYSE:BMO Get Free Report) (TSE:BMO) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, May 29th. The bank reported $1.91 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $2.01 by ($0.10). Bank of Montreal had a return on equity of 11.60% and a net margin of 8.25%. The company had revenue of $5.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.96 billion. Analysts anticipate that Bank of Montreal will post 7.91 EPS for the current year. Bank of Montreal Increases Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 27th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, July 30th will be given a $1.125 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, July 30th. This represents a $4.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.26%. This is a boost from Bank of Montreals previous quarterly dividend of $1.12. Bank of Montreals dividend payout ratio is presently 75.25%. Institutional Trading of Bank of Montreal A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Principal Securities Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Bank of Montreal in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Rothschild Investment LLC acquired a new stake in Bank of Montreal in the second quarter valued at $40,000. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. lifted its holdings in Bank of Montreal by 3,375.0% during the 4th quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. now owns 417 shares of the banks stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 405 shares during the last quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new position in shares of Bank of Montreal during the 4th quarter worth about $44,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Bank of Montreal by 39.0% in the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 463 shares of the banks stock valued at $46,000 after acquiring an additional 130 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 45.82% of the companys stock. 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 companys 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. See Also 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. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL Free Report) by 5.2% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 19,495 shares of the transportation companys stock after purchasing an additional 960 shares during the quarter. Blue Trust Inc.s holdings in Delta Air Lines were worth $933,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of DAL. Manchester Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Delta Air Lines by 24.7% during the first quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 983 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 195 shares during the last quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC raised its position in Delta Air Lines by 4.0% in the first quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC now owns 5,772 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $276,000 after purchasing an additional 221 shares during the period. Silverlake Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Delta Air Lines by 2.9% during the first quarter. Silverlake Wealth Management LLC now owns 8,145 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $390,000 after purchasing an additional 229 shares in the last quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC boosted its position in shares of Delta Air Lines by 7.2% during the first quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC now owns 3,472 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $166,000 after buying an additional 233 shares during the period. Finally, Norden Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Delta Air Lines by 1.8% in the first quarter. Norden Group LLC now owns 14,006 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $670,000 after buying an additional 243 shares in the last quarter. 69.93% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Delta Air Lines alerts: Insider Activity In related news, Director Willie Cw Chiang bought 10,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 12th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $43.90 per share, with a total value of $439,000.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 20,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $878,000. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.96% of the companys stock. Delta Air Lines Stock Down 0.1 % DAL stock traded down $0.03 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $40.15. 4,633,837 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 9,686,489. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $44.93 and its 200 day simple moving average is $45.87. Delta Air Lines, Inc. has a 1-year low of $30.60 and a 1-year high of $53.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 0.35 and a current ratio of 0.40. The company has a market cap of $25.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.86 and a beta of 1.35. Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 11th. The transportation company reported $2.36 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $2.37 by ($0.01). Delta Air Lines had a net margin of 7.46% and a return on equity of 36.02%. The company had revenue of $15.41 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $15.45 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.68 earnings per share. Delta Air Liness revenue was up 5.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that Delta Air Lines, Inc. will post 6.26 earnings per share for the current year. Delta Air Lines Increases Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 20th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, July 30th will be paid a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, July 30th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.49%. This is a boost from Delta Air Liness previous quarterly dividend of $0.10. Delta Air Liness payout ratio is currently 8.63%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades DAL has been the topic of several research reports. TD Cowen decreased their target price on Delta Air Lines from $61.00 to $59.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. Sanford C. Bernstein lowered their price objective on shares of Delta Air Lines from $66.00 to $62.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 12th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Delta Air Lines from $55.00 to $65.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, May 29th. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their target price on shares of Delta Air Lines from $58.00 to $56.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Friday, June 28th. Finally, HSBC initiated coverage on shares of Delta Air Lines in a research report on Monday, May 13th. They issued a buy rating and a $72.80 price target for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Delta Air Lines presently has a consensus rating of Buy and an average target price of $60.70. Read Our Latest Research Report on Delta Air Lines Delta Air Lines Company Profile (Free Report) Delta Air Lines, Inc provides scheduled air transportation for passengers and cargo in the United States and internationally. The company operates through two segments, Airline and Refinery. Its domestic network centered on core hubs in Atlanta, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Detroit, and Salt Lake City, as well as coastal hub positions in Boston, Los Angeles, New York-LaGuardia, New York-JFK, and Seattle; and international network centered on hubs and market presence in Amsterdam, Bogota, Lima, Mexico City, London-Heathrow, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Sao Paulo, Seoul-Incheon, and Tokyo. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding DAL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Delta Air Lines Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Delta Air Lines and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Blue Trust Inc. grew its stake in Shinhan Financial Group Co., Ltd. (NYSE:SHG Free Report) by 90.6% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 24,850 shares of the banks stock after purchasing an additional 11,815 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc.s holdings in Shinhan Financial Group were worth $882,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in SHG. V Square Quantitative Management LLC grew its position in Shinhan Financial Group by 44.1% during the second quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 17,973 shares of the banks stock worth $623,000 after buying an additional 5,504 shares in the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Shinhan Financial Group by 4.5% during the 2nd quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 21,991 shares of the banks stock worth $766,000 after purchasing an additional 953 shares in the last quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Shinhan Financial Group by 4.3% during the second quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 15,173 shares of the banks stock valued at $528,000 after purchasing an additional 629 shares during the period. Simplicity Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Shinhan Financial Group in the second quarter valued at $362,000. Finally, Aprio Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Shinhan Financial Group by 10.5% in the second quarter. Aprio Wealth Management LLC now owns 11,076 shares of the banks stock worth $386,000 after purchasing an additional 1,055 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 7.76% of the companys stock. Get Shinhan Financial Group alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Separately, StockNews.com lowered shares of Shinhan Financial Group from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Thursday, June 6th. Shinhan Financial Group Price Performance NYSE:SHG traded up $0.13 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $41.36. The companys stock had a trading volume of 146,223 shares, compared to its average volume of 125,065. The company has a current ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.49. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $37.71 and a 200-day moving average of $35.11. The company has a market capitalization of $21.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.81, a P/E/G ratio of 0.70 and a beta of 0.93. Shinhan Financial Group Co., Ltd. has a fifty-two week low of $25.09 and a fifty-two week high of $43.93. Shinhan Financial Group (NYSE:SHG Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 16th. The bank reported $1.89 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.54 by $0.35. The business had revenue of $3.09 billion during the quarter. Shinhan Financial Group had a return on equity of 7.23% and a net margin of 12.76%. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Shinhan Financial Group Co., Ltd. will post 6.22 EPS for the current fiscal year. Shinhan Financial Group Company Profile (Free Report) Shinhan Financial Group Co, Ltd. provides financial products and services in South Korea and internationally. The company operates through six segments: Banking, Credit Card, Securities, Insurance, Credit, and Others. It offers retail banking services, including demand, savings, and fixed deposit-taking; checking accounts; mortgage and home equity, and retail lending; electronic banking and automatic teller machines (ATM); and bill paying, payroll and check-cashing, currency exchange, and wire fund transfer services. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Shinhan Financial Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Shinhan Financial Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. AutoCanada (TSE:ACQ Free Report) had its price objective cut by CIBC from C$18.00 to C$15.50 in a research note published on Wednesday morning, BayStreet.CA reports. They currently have an underperform rating on the stock. Several other research firms have also commented on ACQ. BMO Capital Markets dropped their target price on AutoCanada from C$23.00 to C$21.00 in a research note on Monday, May 6th. Acumen Capital downgraded shares of AutoCanada from a speculative buy rating to a hold rating and cut their price target for the stock from C$24.50 to C$21.50 in a research note on Friday, May 3rd. Canaccord Genuity Group dropped their price objective on AutoCanada from C$18.00 to C$15.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. Cormark reduced their target price on AutoCanada from C$25.50 to C$21.75 in a report on Wednesday. Finally, National Bankshares dropped their price target on AutoCanada from C$20.00 to C$17.00 and set a sector perform rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of C$19.11. Get AutoCanada alerts: Read Our Latest Analysis on AutoCanada AutoCanada Stock Up 1.5 % Insider Buying and Selling ACQ stock opened at C$14.65 on Wednesday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of C$19.08 and a two-hundred day moving average price of C$21.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 408.35, a quick ratio of 0.25 and a current ratio of 1.05. The stock has a market capitalization of C$343.84 million, a P/E ratio of 8.93, a PEG ratio of 0.30 and a beta of 2.54. AutoCanada has a one year low of C$14.20 and a one year high of C$27.54. In other AutoCanada news, Director Christopher Harris purchased 5,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 15th. The shares were acquired at an average price of C$14.48 per share, for a total transaction of C$72,400.00. Insiders have bought 8,000 shares of company stock valued at $131,300 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 4.79% of the companys stock. AutoCanada Company Profile (Get Free Report) AutoCanada Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates franchised automobile dealerships and related business. The company offers a range of automotive products and services, including new and used vehicles, vehicle leasing, vehicle parts, vehicle maintenance and collision repair services, and extended service contracts; and vehicle protection, after-market products, and auction services. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for AutoCanada Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for AutoCanada and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. CMS Energy Co. (NYSE:CMS Get Free Report) traded down 0.8% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $65.57 and last traded at $65.79. 191,198 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 92% from the average session volume of 2,349,233 shares. The stock had previously closed at $66.32. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of CMS Energy from $66.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Friday, July 26th. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of CMS Energy from $61.00 to $58.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Monday, June 24th. Barclays increased their target price on shares of CMS Energy from $60.00 to $65.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Tuesday. KeyCorp increased their target price on shares of CMS Energy from $66.00 to $68.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Monday, May 20th. Finally, Scotiabank dropped their price objective on shares of CMS Energy from $67.00 to $66.00 and set a sector outperform rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 22nd. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $65.55. Get CMS Energy alerts: Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on CMS Energy CMS Energy Stock Performance The stock has a market cap of $19.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 0.38. The stocks 50-day moving average is $61.78 and its 200-day moving average is $60.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.80, a current ratio of 1.18 and a quick ratio of 0.87. CMS Energy (NYSE:CMS Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The utilities provider reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.63 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $1.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.73 billion. CMS Energy had a net margin of 13.10% and a return on equity of 12.25%. CMS Energys revenue for the quarter was up 3.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.75 EPS. Analysts anticipate that CMS Energy Co. will post 3.33 EPS for the current fiscal year. CMS Energy Cuts Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 2nd will be issued a $0.51 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 2nd. This represents a $2.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.07%. CMS Energys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 62.80%. Insider Activity at CMS Energy In related news, Director Jon E. Barfield sold 2,360 shares of CMS Energy stock in a transaction on Friday, June 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.79, for a total transaction of $143,464.40. Following the transaction, the director now owns 14,556 shares in the company, valued at approximately $884,859.24. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, Director Jon E. Barfield sold 2,360 shares of CMS Energy stock in a transaction on Friday, June 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.79, for a total transaction of $143,464.40. Following the transaction, the director now owns 14,556 shares in the company, valued at approximately $884,859.24. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Brandon J. Hofmeister sold 1,667 shares of CMS Energy stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $59.98, for a total transaction of $99,986.66. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 68,330 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,098,433.40. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.40% of the companys stock. Institutional Investors Weigh In On CMS Energy Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CMS. International Assets Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in CMS Energy during the 4th quarter worth $4,390,000. Cerity Partners LLC boosted its stake in CMS Energy by 86.8% during the 4th quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 8,126 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $472,000 after purchasing an additional 3,775 shares during the period. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System acquired a new stake in shares of CMS Energy in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,022,000. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of CMS Energy by 23.8% in the 4th quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 29,819 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $1,731,000 after acquiring an additional 5,740 shares during the period. Finally, Calamos Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of CMS Energy by 54.9% in the 4th quarter. Calamos Advisors LLC now owns 220,691 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $12,816,000 after acquiring an additional 78,217 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.57% of the companys stock. CMS Energy Company Profile (Get Free Report) CMS Energy Corporation operates as an energy company primarily in Michigan. The company operates through three segments: Electric Utility; Gas Utility; and Enterprises. The Electric Utility segment is involved in the generation, purchase, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity. This segment generates electricity through coal, wind, gas, renewable energy, oil, and nuclear sources. See Also Receive News & Ratings for CMS Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CMS Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. SolarWinds (NYSE:SWI Get Free Report) and Tenet Fintech Group (OTCMKTS:PKKFF Get Free Report) are both computer and technology companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, risk, profitability, earnings and valuation. Insider and Institutional Ownership 94.0% of SolarWinds shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 0.3% of Tenet Fintech Group shares are owned by institutional investors. 2.0% of SolarWinds shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company will outperform the market over the long term. Get SolarWinds alerts: Analyst Recommendations This is a summary of current ratings and recommmendations for SolarWinds and Tenet Fintech Group, as reported by MarketBeat.com. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score SolarWinds 0 4 0 0 2.00 Tenet Fintech Group 0 0 0 0 N/A Profitability SolarWinds presently has a consensus target price of $14.00, suggesting a potential upside of 8.70%. Given SolarWinds higher possible upside, equities research analysts clearly believe SolarWinds is more favorable than Tenet Fintech Group. This table compares SolarWinds and Tenet Fintech Groups net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets SolarWinds 2.96% 7.14% 3.04% Tenet Fintech Group -224.05% -58.95% -39.98% Earnings and Valuation This table compares SolarWinds and Tenet Fintech Groups gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio SolarWinds $774.29 million 2.80 -$9.11 million $0.07 184.00 Tenet Fintech Group $31.17 million 0.34 -$56.92 million ($0.48) -0.15 SolarWinds has higher revenue and earnings than Tenet Fintech Group. Tenet Fintech Group is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than SolarWinds, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Volatility and Risk SolarWinds has a beta of 0.97, indicating that its stock price is 3% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Tenet Fintech Group has a beta of 1.34, indicating that its stock price is 34% more volatile than the S&P 500. Summary SolarWinds beats Tenet Fintech Group on 11 of the 12 factors compared between the two stocks. About SolarWinds (Get Free Report) SolarWinds Corporation provides information technology (IT) management software products in the United States and internationally. It provides a suite of network management software that offers real-time visibility into network utilization and bandwidth, as well as the ability to detect, diagnose, and resolve network performance problems; and a suite of infrastructure management products, which monitors and analyzes the performance of applications and their supporting infrastructure, including servers, physical, virtual and cloud infrastructure, storage, and databases. The company also provides automated network configuration, log and event management, security information and event management, access rights management, identity monitoring, server configuration monitoring and patching, and secure gateway and file transfer products; a suite of application performance management software that enables visibility into log data, cloud infrastructure metrics, applications, tracing, and digital experiences; and service management software that offers ITIL-compliant service desk solutions for various companies. In addition, it offers a suite of database performance management software that monitors, analyzes, diagnoses, and optimizes database performance and operations for the Microsoft data platform, as well as other database management system platforms; traditional, open-source, and cloud-native databases hosted on-premises, in the cloud, and hybrid models. It markets and sells its products directly to network and systems engineers, database administrators, storage administrators, DevOps, SecOps, and service desk professionals. The company was formerly known as SolarWinds Parent, Inc. and changed its name to SolarWinds Corporation in May 2018. SolarWinds Corporation was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Austin, Texas. About Tenet Fintech Group (Get Free Report) Tenet Fintech Group Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides various analytics and AI-based services to small-and-medium businesses and financial institutions. It offers Business Hub, a global ecosystem where analytics and AI are used to create opportunities and facilitate B2B transactions among its members. The company was formerly known as Peak Fintech Group Inc. and changed its name to Tenet Fintech Group Inc. in November 2021. Tenet Fintech Group Inc. was incorporated in 2008 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Receive News & Ratings for SolarWinds Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for SolarWinds and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Digital Realty Trust (NYSE:DLR Free Report) had its price target boosted by Truist Financial from $160.00 to $168.00 in a research note released on Tuesday, Benzinga reports. Truist Financial currently has a buy rating on the real estate investment trusts stock. Several other equities analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. TD Cowen decreased their price objective on shares of Digital Realty Trust from $122.00 to $120.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 26th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price objective on shares of Digital Realty Trust from $143.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a report on Thursday, May 30th. BMO Capital Markets raised shares of Digital Realty Trust from a market perform rating to an outperform rating and increased their price objective for the company from $144.00 to $170.00 in a report on Wednesday, June 26th. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of Digital Realty Trust in a research note on Monday, July 1st. They issued a buy rating and a $175.00 price target on the stock. Finally, HSBC raised their price target on shares of Digital Realty Trust from $115.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock a reduce rating in a research note on Friday, May 3rd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Digital Realty Trust presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $154.00. Get Digital Realty Trust alerts: Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Digital Realty Trust Digital Realty Trust Stock Down 0.2 % DLR stock opened at $149.60 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $46.74 billion, a PE ratio of 41.56, a P/E/G ratio of 10.97 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 1.29 and a current ratio of 1.78. The firms fifty day moving average is $151.00 and its 200 day moving average is $145.52. Digital Realty Trust has a one year low of $113.94 and a one year high of $162.58. Digital Realty Trust (NYSE:DLR Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.20 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.63 by ($1.43). The firm had revenue of $1.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.38 billion. Digital Realty Trust had a net margin of 20.58% and a return on equity of 5.93%. The firms quarterly revenue was down .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.68 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Digital Realty Trust will post 6.67 EPS for the current year. Digital Realty Trust Announces Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 13th will be given a dividend of $1.22 per share. This represents a $4.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.26%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 13th. Digital Realty Trusts dividend payout ratio is presently 135.56%. Insider Activity at Digital Realty Trust In related news, Director Jean F. H. P. Mandeville sold 600 shares of Digital Realty Trust stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.26, for a total value of $90,156.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 9,055 shares in the company, valued at $1,360,604.30. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.17% of the companys stock. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Digital Realty Trust during the 4th quarter worth approximately $2,141,890,000. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA lifted its position in shares of Digital Realty Trust by 543.6% during the 2nd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 1,447,340 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $220,068,000 after buying an additional 1,773,591 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Digital Realty Trust by 2.0% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 48,503,593 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $6,986,458,000 after buying an additional 951,567 shares during the last quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. purchased a new stake in shares of Digital Realty Trust during the 4th quarter worth approximately $107,372,000. Finally, Wulff Hansen & CO. lifted its position in shares of Digital Realty Trust by 15,105.0% during the 2nd quarter. Wulff Hansen & CO. now owns 795,830 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $121,006,000 after buying an additional 790,596 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.71% of the companys stock. About Digital Realty Trust (Get Free Report) Digital Realty brings companies and data together by delivering the full spectrum of data center, colocation, and interconnection solutions. PlatformDIGITAL, the company's global data center platform, provides customers with a secure data meeting place and a proven Pervasive Datacenter Architecture (PDx) solution methodology for powering innovation and efficiently managing Data Gravity challenges. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Digital Realty Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Digital Realty Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Valley National Advisers Inc. raised its position in shares of Edwards Lifesciences Co. (NYSE:EW Free Report) by 40.5% in the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 3,760 shares of the medical research companys stock after purchasing an additional 1,083 shares during the period. Valley National Advisers Inc.s holdings in Edwards Lifesciences were worth $347,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Comprehensive Financial Consultants Institutional Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Edwards Lifesciences by 6.8% in the 2nd quarter. Comprehensive Financial Consultants Institutional Inc. now owns 21,833 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $2,017,000 after acquiring an additional 1,397 shares during the period. AlphaMark Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Edwards Lifesciences in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,730,000. Robbins Farley lifted its stake in shares of Edwards Lifesciences by 5.9% in the 2nd quarter. Robbins Farley now owns 19,769 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $1,826,000 after acquiring an additional 1,110 shares during the period. SteelPeak Wealth LLC lifted its stake in shares of Edwards Lifesciences by 7.3% in the 2nd quarter. SteelPeak Wealth LLC now owns 2,934 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $271,000 after acquiring an additional 199 shares during the period. Finally, Tsfg LLC raised its holdings in shares of Edwards Lifesciences by 8.5% in the 2nd quarter. Tsfg LLC now owns 87,859 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $8,116,000 after purchasing an additional 6,870 shares in the last quarter. 79.46% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Edwards Lifesciences alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of analysts recently commented on EW shares. Wolfe Research upgraded shares of Edwards Lifesciences from an underperform rating to a peer perform rating in a report on Monday, July 29th. Truist Financial downgraded shares of Edwards Lifesciences from a buy rating to a hold rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $110.00 to $82.00 in a report on Thursday, July 25th. Daiwa Capital Markets upgraded shares of Edwards Lifesciences from a neutral rating to an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. TD Cowen downgraded shares of Edwards Lifesciences from a buy rating to a hold rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $100.00 to $70.00 in a report on Thursday, July 25th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada cut their price target on shares of Edwards Lifesciences from $101.00 to $85.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 25th. Fourteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Edwards Lifesciences presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $82.10. Edwards Lifesciences Price Performance Shares of NYSE:EW opened at $68.92 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $41.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.71, a PEG ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 3.71 and a quick ratio of 2.87. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $80.76 and a 200 day simple moving average of $85.76. Edwards Lifesciences Co. has a one year low of $58.93 and a one year high of $96.12. Edwards Lifesciences (NYSE:EW Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 24th. The medical research company reported $0.70 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.69 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $1.63 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.65 billion. Edwards Lifesciences had a net margin of 24.55% and a return on equity of 22.35%. The firms revenue was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.66 EPS. Research analysts predict that Edwards Lifesciences Co. will post 2.71 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Insider Transactions at Edwards Lifesciences In other news, CEO Bernard J. Zovighian sold 8,617 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $87.68, for a total transaction of $755,538.56. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 68,218 shares in the company, valued at $5,981,354.24. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. In other Edwards Lifesciences news, CEO Bernard J. Zovighian sold 8,617 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $87.68, for a total value of $755,538.56. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 68,218 shares of the companys stock, valued at $5,981,354.24. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, VP Donald E. Bobo, Jr. sold 5,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $87.54, for a total transaction of $437,700.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 46,936 shares in the company, valued at $4,108,777.44. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 29,242 shares of company stock worth $2,498,870 over the last three months. 1.29% of the stock is owned by company insiders. About Edwards Lifesciences (Free Report) Edwards Lifesciences Corporation provides products and technologies for structural heart disease and critical care monitoring in the United States, Europe, Japan, and internationally. It offers transcatheter heart valve replacement products for the minimally invasive replacement of aortic heart valves under the Edwards SAPIEN family of valves system; and transcatheter heart valve repair and replacement products to treat mitral and tricuspid valve diseases under the PASCAL PRECISION and Cardioband names. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding EW? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Edwards Lifesciences Co. (NYSE:EW Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Edwards Lifesciences Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Edwards Lifesciences and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Bank of America lowered shares of Estee Lauder Companies (NYSE:EL Free Report) from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a research note released on Friday morning, Marketbeat.com reports. The firm currently has $100.00 price target on the stock, down from their prior price target of $140.00. A number of other equities research analysts have also weighed in on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their target price on shares of Estee Lauder Companies from $132.00 to $108.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 9th. Royal Bank of Canada upgraded Estee Lauder Companies from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating and set a $131.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. Raymond James downgraded shares of Estee Lauder Companies from a strong-buy rating to a market perform rating in a research report on Monday, July 22nd. Citigroup dropped their price target on shares of Estee Lauder Companies from $175.00 to $135.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of Estee Lauder Companies from $145.00 to $129.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 12th. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $140.23. Get Estee Lauder Companies alerts: View Our Latest Report on Estee Lauder Companies Estee Lauder Companies Price Performance Insiders Place Their Bets EL stock traded down $0.17 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $94.97. 3,905,170 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,906,700. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26, a current ratio of 1.58 and a quick ratio of 1.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $34.05 billion, a PE ratio of 53.35, a P/E/G ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 0.99. Estee Lauder Companies has a 52 week low of $86.05 and a 52 week high of $165.76. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $103.19 and a 200 day moving average price of $127.65. In related news, insider Peter Jueptner sold 12,786 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $130.62, for a total transaction of $1,670,107.32. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 5,578 shares in the company, valued at $728,598.36. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, insider Peter Jueptner sold 12,786 shares of Estee Lauder Companies stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $130.62, for a total transaction of $1,670,107.32. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 5,578 shares in the company, valued at approximately $728,598.36. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Jane Lauder sold 14,976 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.26, for a total transaction of $1,815,989.76. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 57,389 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $6,958,990.14. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 12.77% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of Estee Lauder Companies Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in EL. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky grew its stake in Estee Lauder Companies by 113.7% in the 4th quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky now owns 156,583 shares of the companys stock valued at $22,900,000 after buying an additional 83,320 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas bought a new position in Estee Lauder Companies in the 1st quarter worth about $997,000. Transcend Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Estee Lauder Companies during the 2nd quarter valued at about $558,000. Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado grew its holdings in Estee Lauder Companies by 3,477.8% during the 4th quarter. Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado now owns 566,180 shares of the companys stock valued at $82,804,000 after buying an additional 550,355 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its holdings in shares of Estee Lauder Companies by 1.6% in the first quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 367,218 shares of the companys stock worth $56,608,000 after buying an additional 5,915 shares in the last quarter. 55.15% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. About Estee Lauder Companies (Get Free Report) The Estee Lauder Companies Inc manufactures, markets, and sells skin care, makeup, fragrance, and hair care products worldwide. It offers skin care products, including moisturizers, serums, cleansers, toners, body care, exfoliators, acne care and oil correctors, facial masks, and sun care products; and makeup products, such as lipsticks, lip glosses, mascaras, foundations, eyeshadows, nail polishes, and powders, as well as compacts, brushes, and other makeup tools. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Estee Lauder Companies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Estee Lauder Companies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Genpact Limited (NYSE:G Get Free Report) has been assigned an average rating of Hold from the eight brokerages that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $38.25. G has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. TD Cowen raised their price target on Genpact from $35.00 to $36.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Friday, August 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Genpact from an underweight rating to a neutral rating and decreased their target price for the company from $43.00 to $40.00 in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on shares of Genpact from $38.00 to $42.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a research note on Monday, August 12th. Wedbush restated a neutral rating and set a $35.00 price objective on shares of Genpact in a research note on Friday, May 10th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC upped their target price on shares of Genpact from $40.00 to $42.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Friday, August 9th. Get Genpact alerts: Check Out Our Latest Analysis on G Genpact Price Performance Genpact Cuts Dividend NYSE:G opened at $38.28 on Friday. Genpact has a 52-week low of $29.41 and a 52-week high of $38.51. The company has a market cap of $6.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.97, a P/E/G ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 1.54 and a current ratio of 1.54. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $33.05 and its 200 day simple moving average is $33.31. The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 25th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, September 11th will be paid a dividend of $0.1525 per share. This represents a $0.61 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.59%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 11th. Genpacts dividend payout ratio is presently 17.43%. Insider Buying and Selling In other news, Director N. V. Tyagarajan sold 1,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $33.17, for a total value of $33,170.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 7,300 shares of the companys stock, valued at $242,141. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 2.80% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Institutional Trading of Genpact Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in G. EdgeRock Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Genpact during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. CWM LLC grew its position in Genpact by 160.8% during the second quarter. CWM LLC now owns 952 shares of the business services providers stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 587 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in Genpact by 106.3% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 914 shares of the business services providers stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 471 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC acquired a new position in Genpact in the 4th quarter valued at $43,000. Finally, Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV lifted its position in shares of Genpact by 120.0% during the 1st quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 1,813 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $60,000 after acquiring an additional 989 shares during the period. 96.03% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. About Genpact (Get Free Report Genpact Limited provides business process outsourcing and information technology services in India, rest of Asia, North and Latin America, and Europe. It operates through three segments: Financial services; Consumer and Healthcare; and High Tech and Manufacturing. The Financial Services segment offers retail customer onboarding, customer service, collections, card servicing operations, loan and payment operations, commercial loan, equipment and auto loan, mortgage origination, compliance services, reporting and monitoring, and wealth management operations support; financial crime and risk management services; and underwriting support, new business processing, policy administration, claims management, catastrophe modeling and actuarial services, as well as property and casualty claims. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Genpact Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Genpact and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Gradient Investments LLC lessened its stake in BondBloxx Bloomberg Seven Year Target Duration US Treasury ETF (NYSEARCA:XSVN Free Report) by 4.8% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 485,949 shares of the companys stock after selling 24,245 shares during the period. Gradient Investments LLC owned 16.42% of BondBloxx Bloomberg Seven Year Target Duration US Treasury ETF worth $22,840,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Diversified LLC boosted its holdings in shares of BondBloxx Bloomberg Seven Year Target Duration US Treasury ETF by 7.8% in the 1st quarter. Diversified LLC now owns 683,309 shares of the companys stock valued at $32,437,000 after buying an additional 49,331 shares in the last quarter. Astor Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in BondBloxx Bloomberg Seven Year Target Duration US Treasury ETF in the first quarter valued at approximately $8,266,000. WealthPlan Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in BondBloxx Bloomberg Seven Year Target Duration US Treasury ETF by 52.1% in the first quarter. WealthPlan Investment Management LLC now owns 135,855 shares of the companys stock worth $6,449,000 after purchasing an additional 46,528 shares during the last quarter. WealthPLAN Partners LLC increased its position in shares of BondBloxx Bloomberg Seven Year Target Duration US Treasury ETF by 13.9% during the first quarter. WealthPLAN Partners LLC now owns 87,914 shares of the companys stock worth $4,173,000 after purchasing an additional 10,713 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Atria Investments Inc purchased a new stake in shares of BondBloxx Bloomberg Seven Year Target Duration US Treasury ETF during the 1st quarter valued at $2,136,000. Get BondBloxx Bloomberg Seven Year Target Duration US Treasury ETF alerts: BondBloxx Bloomberg Seven Year Target Duration US Treasury ETF Stock Up 0.2 % XSVN stock traded up $0.09 on Friday, hitting $48.61. 11,786 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 23,948. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $47.59 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $47.14. BondBloxx Bloomberg Seven Year Target Duration US Treasury ETF has a 12-month low of $44.79 and a 12-month high of $49.67. BondBloxx Bloomberg Seven Year Target Duration US Treasury ETF Profile The Bondbloxx Bloomberg Seven Year Target Duration US Treasury ETF (XSVN) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in investment grade fixed income. The fund is passively managed to invest in a portfolio of US Treasury securities with a target duration of seven years. XSVN was launched on Sep 13, 2022 and is managed by BondBloxx. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding XSVN? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for BondBloxx Bloomberg Seven Year Target Duration US Treasury ETF (NYSEARCA:XSVN Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for BondBloxx Bloomberg Seven Year Target Duration US Treasury ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BondBloxx Bloomberg Seven Year Target Duration US Treasury ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. GrafTech International Ltd. (NYSE:EAF Get Free Report) has earned an average recommendation of Reduce from the five brokerages that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and four have given a hold rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $1.75. EAF has been the topic of several analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets cut their price objective on shares of GrafTech International from $1.20 to $1.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a report on Monday, July 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded GrafTech International from a neutral rating to an underweight rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 16th. Get GrafTech International alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Report on GrafTech International Institutional Investors Weigh In On GrafTech International GrafTech International Stock Performance Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Algert Global LLC grew its holdings in shares of GrafTech International by 13.3% in the 2nd quarter. Algert Global LLC now owns 164,094 shares of the companys stock valued at $159,000 after buying an additional 19,224 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC grew its stake in GrafTech International by 287.8% in the second quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 5,065,715 shares of the companys stock valued at $4,914,000 after acquiring an additional 3,759,449 shares during the period. XTX Topco Ltd grew its stake in GrafTech International by 179.6% in the second quarter. XTX Topco Ltd now owns 135,485 shares of the companys stock valued at $131,000 after acquiring an additional 87,027 shares during the period. Fore Capital LLC increased its holdings in shares of GrafTech International by 120.0% in the second quarter. Fore Capital LLC now owns 220,000 shares of the companys stock worth $213,000 after acquiring an additional 120,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Choreo LLC bought a new position in shares of GrafTech International during the 2nd quarter valued at about $155,000. Institutional investors own 92.83% of the companys stock. GrafTech International stock opened at $0.68 on Friday. GrafTech International has a 1 year low of $0.52 and a 1 year high of $4.06. The companys 50-day moving average is $0.93 and its two-hundred day moving average is $1.35. The company has a current ratio of 4.22, a quick ratio of 1.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 57.38. The company has a market cap of $174.85 million, a PE ratio of -0.62 and a beta of 0.92. About GrafTech International (Get 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. See Also 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. Gulf Investment Fund (LON:GIF Get Free Report) dropped 0.9% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as GBX 2.14 ($0.03) and last traded at GBX 2.16 ($0.03). Approximately 7,138 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 41% from the average daily volume of 12,110 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 2.18 ($0.03). Gulf Investment Fund Trading Down 0.5 % The companys 50 day simple moving average is GBX 2.27 and its 200 day simple moving average is GBX 2.37. The stock has a market capitalization of 892,250.00 and a PE ratio of 5.38. Get Gulf Investment Fund alerts: Gulf Investment Fund Increases Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 6th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 1st will be given a $0.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 1st. This represents a dividend yield of 2.11%. This is an increase from Gulf Investment Funds previous dividend of $0.04. Gulf Investment Funds payout ratio is currently 2,000.00%. About Gulf Investment Fund Qatar Investment Fund plc is a close-ended equity mutual fund launched and managed by Epicure Managers Qatar Limited. The fund is co-managed by Qatar Insurance Company SAQ. It invests in public equity markets of Qatar. The fund benchmarks the performance of its portfolio against Qatar Exchange Index. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Gulf Investment Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Gulf Investment Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Henderson European Trust plc (LON:HET Get Free Report) insider Melanie Blake bought 2,781 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 13th. The stock was bought at an average price of GBX 180 ($2.30) per share, for a total transaction of 5,005.80 ($6,391.47). Henderson European Trust Stock Down 0.3 % Shares of HET stock opened at GBX 185.50 ($2.37) on Friday. Henderson European Trust plc has a one year low of GBX 173.79 ($2.22) and a one year high of GBX 192 ($2.45). Get Henderson European Trust alerts: About Henderson European Trust (Get Free Report) Recommended Stories Henderson European Focus Trust plc is a closed-ended equity mutual fund launched and managed by Henderson Investment Funds Limited. It is co-managed by Henderson Global Investors Limited. The fund invests in public equity markets of Continental Europe. It seeks to invest in stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors. Receive News & Ratings for Henderson European Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Henderson European Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. (NYSE:HII Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest during the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 714,100 shares, an increase of 31.2% from the July 15th total of 544,400 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 278,100 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.6 days. Currently, 1.8% of the shares of the company are short sold. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on HII shares. Citigroup assumed coverage on shares of Huntington Ingalls Industries in a research report on Monday, May 20th. They set a buy rating and a $310.00 price objective for the company. StockNews.com downgraded Huntington Ingalls Industries from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research note on Friday, May 3rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $278.00. Get Huntington Ingalls Industries alerts: Get Our Latest Analysis on HII Insider Transactions at Huntington Ingalls Industries Institutional Investors Weigh In On Huntington Ingalls Industries In other Huntington Ingalls Industries news, VP Edmond E. Jr. Hughes sold 1,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $256.07, for a total transaction of $384,105.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 8,135 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,083,129.45. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website . Company insiders own 0.72% of the companys stock. Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Riverview Trust Co purchased a new stake in shares of Huntington Ingalls Industries in the first quarter worth about $30,000. American National Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Huntington Ingalls Industries during the 1st quarter worth approximately $30,000. Fidelis Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Huntington Ingalls Industries during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Larson Financial Group LLC boosted its position in shares of Huntington Ingalls Industries by 158.5% during the 1st quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 106 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 65 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Huntington Ingalls Industries in the second quarter valued at $26,000. Institutional investors own 90.46% of the companys stock. Huntington Ingalls Industries Price Performance Shares of HII traded up $0.94 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $270.57. 208,497 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 302,368. The company has a market cap of $10.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 0.53. The company has a current ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The companys 50-day moving average price is $256.14 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $267.46. Huntington Ingalls Industries has a 52-week low of $199.11 and a 52-week high of $299.50. Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE:HII Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The aerospace company reported $4.38 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.61 by $0.77. Huntington Ingalls Industries had a return on equity of 18.55% and a net margin of 6.35%. The business had revenue of $2.98 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.84 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $3.27 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was up 6.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts anticipate that Huntington Ingalls Industries will post 16.32 earnings per share for the current year. Huntington Ingalls Industries Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 30th will be issued a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.92%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 30th. Huntington Ingalls Industriess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.31%. About Huntington Ingalls Industries (Get Free Report) Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc designs, builds, overhauls, and repairs military ships in the United States. It operates through three segments: Ingalls, Newport News, and Mission Technologies. The company is involved in the design and construction of non-nuclear ships comprising amphibious assault ships; expeditionary warfare ships; surface combatants; and national security cutters for the U.S. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Huntington Ingalls Industries Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Huntington Ingalls Industries and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. HNI Co. (NYSE:HNI Get Free Report) CEO Jeffrey D. Lorenger sold 72,102 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.32, for a total transaction of $3,556,070.64. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 296,892 shares of the companys stock, valued at $14,642,713.44. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. HNI Stock Performance Shares of NYSE:HNI opened at $51.17 on Friday. HNI Co. has a 52 week low of $30.37 and a 52 week high of $56.13. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.87, a PEG ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 0.86. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $47.66 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $45.04. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 1.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53. Get HNI alerts: HNI (NYSE:HNI Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 25th. The business services provider reported $0.79 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.61 by $0.18. HNI had a net margin of 4.39% and a return on equity of 19.15%. The business had revenue of $623.70 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $637.74 million. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.55 EPS. The businesss revenue was up 10.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts expect that HNI Co. will post 3.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. HNI Dividend Announcement Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 12th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 23rd will be issued a $0.33 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 23rd. This represents a $1.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.58%. HNIs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 97.78%. Several equities analysts recently weighed in on HNI shares. Benchmark raised their target price on shares of HNI from $57.00 to $63.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. StockNews.com raised shares of HNI from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Thursday. Check Out Our Latest Report on HNI Institutional Investors Weigh In On HNI Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in HNI. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of HNI by 3.7% in the 4th quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 21,056 shares of the business services providers stock worth $881,000 after acquiring an additional 743 shares during the last quarter. Sapient Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of HNI in the 4th quarter worth about $2,515,000. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System bought a new stake in shares of HNI in the 4th quarter worth about $975,000. Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt bought a new stake in shares of HNI in the 4th quarter worth about $1,347,000. Finally, Cornerstone Investment Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of HNI in the 4th quarter worth about $216,000. Institutional investors own 75.26% of the companys stock. About HNI (Get Free Report) HNI Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture, sale, and marketing of workplace furnishings and residential building products primarily in the United States and Canada. The company operates through two segments, Workplace Furnishings and Residential Building Products. The Workplace Furnishings segment offers a range of commercial and home office furniture, including panel-based and freestanding furniture systems, seating, storage, benching, tables, architectural products, and ancillary and hospitality products, as well as social collaborative items under the HON, Allsteel, Beyond, Gunlocke, HBF, HBF Textiles, HNI India, Kimball, National, Etc., Interwoven, David Edward, Kimball Hospitality, and D'style brands. See Also Receive News & Ratings for HNI Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for HNI and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Kennametal (NYSE:KMT Free Report) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report sent to investors on Tuesday. KMT has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Loop Capital reduced their price objective on Kennametal from $24.00 to $22.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a report on Friday, June 21st. Barclays boosted their price target on Kennametal from $24.00 to $25.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Friday, August 9th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Kennametal presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $23.83. Get Kennametal alerts: View Our Latest Research Report on KMT Kennametal Price Performance Shares of NYSE KMT opened at $25.10 on Tuesday. Kennametal has a twelve month low of $22.08 and a twelve month high of $27.05. The company has a market cap of $1.97 billion, a PE ratio of 18.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 1.66. The businesss 50 day moving average price is $24.19 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $24.53. The company has a quick ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 2.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. Kennametal (NYSE:KMT Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The industrial products company reported $0.49 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.44 by $0.05. Kennametal had a return on equity of 9.35% and a net margin of 5.29%. The business had revenue of $543.31 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $532.72 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.51 EPS. The firms revenue was down 1.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts predict that Kennametal will post 1.45 EPS for the current year. Kennametal Announces Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 27th. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 13th will be paid a $0.20 dividend. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.19%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, August 13th. Kennametals dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 59.26%. Insiders Place Their Bets In related news, CEO Sanjay Chowbey purchased 5,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 10th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $24.28 per share, with a total value of $121,400.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer now directly owns 49,270 shares in the company, valued at $1,196,275.60. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.61% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of Kennametal Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Burgundy Asset Management Ltd. lifted its stake in Kennametal by 1.4% during the second quarter. Burgundy Asset Management Ltd. now owns 4,977,697 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $117,175,000 after purchasing an additional 67,327 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in shares of Kennametal by 2.2% during the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 4,683,485 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $110,248,000 after buying an additional 100,905 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its position in shares of Kennametal by 7.8% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 4,240,814 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $109,371,000 after buying an additional 305,542 shares during the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in Kennametal by 1.6% in the second quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 3,298,229 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $77,640,000 after buying an additional 50,622 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC grew its position in Kennametal by 1.0% in the second quarter. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC now owns 2,051,503 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $48,292,000 after acquiring an additional 20,634 shares during the last quarter. About Kennametal (Get Free Report) Kennametal Inc engages in development and application of tungsten carbides, ceramics, and super-hard materials and solutions for use in metal cutting and extreme wear applications to enable customers work against corrosion and high temperatures conditions worldwide. The company operates through two segments, Metal Cutting and Infrastructure. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Kennametal Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Kennametal and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. KeyCorp (NYSE:KEY Free Report) Analysts at Wedbush decreased their Q1 2025 earnings per share estimates for shares of KeyCorp in a research report issued on Monday, August 12th. Wedbush analyst D. Chiaverini now expects that the financial services provider will earn ($0.90) per share for the quarter, down from their previous forecast of $0.36. Wedbush has a Neutral rating and a $17.00 price objective on the stock. The consensus estimate for KeyCorps current full-year earnings is $1.10 per share. Wedbush also issued estimates for KeyCorps Q2 2025 earnings at $0.40 EPS, Q3 2025 earnings at $0.44 EPS, Q4 2025 earnings at $0.44 EPS and FY2025 earnings at $0.38 EPS. Get KeyCorp alerts: A number of other research firms also recently commented on KEY. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an outperform rating and issued a $17.00 price objective on shares of KeyCorp in a report on Tuesday. Evercore ISI dropped their price objective on KeyCorp from $17.50 to $16.50 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, June 25th. DA Davidson increased their price objective on KeyCorp from $16.00 to $18.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Friday, July 19th. Citigroup increased their price objective on KeyCorp from $18.00 to $19.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Tuesday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on KeyCorp from $17.50 to $16.50 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, June 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $16.59. KeyCorp Trading Up 1.2 % KEY opened at $16.39 on Thursday. KeyCorp has a one year low of $9.50 and a one year high of $17.09. The company has a market cap of $15.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.75, a PEG ratio of 0.87 and a beta of 1.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.37, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 0.85. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $14.76 and its 200-day simple moving average is $14.68. KeyCorp (NYSE:KEY Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 18th. The financial services provider reported $0.25 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.24 by $0.01. KeyCorp had a return on equity of 8.64% and a net margin of 7.35%. The company had revenue of $1.53 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.52 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.27 EPS. KeyCorps revenue was down 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. KeyCorp Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 13th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 27th will be given a dividend of $0.205 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 27th. This represents a $0.82 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.00%. KeyCorps payout ratio is 103.80%. Institutional Trading of KeyCorp Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in KeyCorp during the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,000. First United Bank & Trust acquired a new stake in shares of KeyCorp in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Crewe Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of KeyCorp in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in shares of KeyCorp in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Finally, Criterion Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of KeyCorp in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $39,000. 79.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. KeyCorp Company Profile (Get Free Report) KeyCorp operates as the holding company for KeyBank National Association that provides various retail and commercial banking products and services in the United States. It operates in two segments, Consumer Bank and Commercial Bank. The company offers various deposits, investment products and services; commercial leasing, investment management, consumer finance; and personal finance and financial wellness, student loan refinancing, mortgage and home equity, lending, credit card, treasury, business advisory, wealth management, asset management, cash management, portfolio management, and trust and related services to individuals and small and medium-sized businesses. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for KeyCorp Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for KeyCorp and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Lenovo Group Limited (OTCMKTS:LNVGF Get Free Report) fell 9.6% during trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $1.18 and last traded at $1.18. 16,660 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 62% from the average session volume of 44,394 shares. The stock had previously closed at $1.31. Lenovo Group Stock Up 5.4 % The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $1.35 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $1.24. Get Lenovo Group alerts: Lenovo Group Increases Dividend The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 2nd were paid a dividend of $0.30 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, August 1st. This represents a yield of 3.89%. This is a positive change from Lenovo Groups previous dividend of $0.08. Lenovo Groups payout ratio is 36.14%. Lenovo Group Company Profile Lenovo Group Limited, an investment holding company, develops, manufactures, and markets technology products and services. It operates through Intelligent Devices Group, Infrastructure Solutions Group, and Solutions and Services Group segments. The company offers commercial and consumer personal computers, as well as servers and workstations; and a family of mobile Internet devices, including tablets and smartphones. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Lenovo Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Lenovo Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Loar (NYSE:LOAR Free Report) had its target price increased by Morgan Stanley from $55.00 to $70.00 in a research report report published on Wednesday morning, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an equal weight rating on the stock. LOAR has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on Loar in a research report on Monday, June 3rd. They issued a buy rating and a $65.00 target price for the company. Royal Bank of Canada initiated coverage on shares of Loar in a report on Monday, May 20th. They set an outperform rating and a $60.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Citigroup assumed coverage on shares of Loar in a report on Monday, May 20th. They issued a buy rating and a $64.00 target price on the stock. Get Loar alerts: View Our Latest Research Report on LOAR Loar Price Performance Shares of LOAR opened at $75.04 on Wednesday. Loar has a twelve month low of $42.57 and a twelve month high of $76.94. The firms 50 day moving average price is $59.60. The company has a quick ratio of 1.68, a current ratio of 3.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26. Loar (NYSE:LOAR Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, August 13th. The company reported $0.13 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.10 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $97.10 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $91.70 million. Loars revenue for the quarter was up 31.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts predict that Loar will post 0.5 EPS for the current fiscal year. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Loar A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in LOAR. Abrams Capital Management L.P. bought a new stake in shares of Loar during the 2nd quarter valued at $2,052,780,000. Federated Hermes Inc. purchased a new stake in Loar in the second quarter worth about $38,952,000. Fred Alger Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Loar during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $13,085,000. Zweig DiMenna Associates LLC bought a new stake in Loar during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $9,208,000. Finally, TCW Group Inc. purchased a new position in Loar during the second quarter valued at approximately $7,366,000. About Loar (Get Free Report) Loar Holdings Inc is a diversified manufacturer and supplier of niche aerospace and defense components for aircraft and aerospace and defense systems. Loar Holdings Inc is based in WHITE PLAINS, NY. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Loar Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Loar and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Murray Income Trust PLC (LON:MUT Get Free Report) crossed above its 50-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 50-day moving average of GBX 870.21 ($11.11) and traded as high as GBX 880 ($11.24). Murray Income Trust shares last traded at GBX 875 ($11.17), with a volume of 194,834 shares trading hands. Murray Income Trust Price Performance The firm has a 50 day moving average price of GBX 870.31 and a two-hundred day moving average price of GBX 853.43. The company has a market cap of 932.41 million, a P/E ratio of 1,209.72 and a beta of 0.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 11.60, a quick ratio of 3.64 and a current ratio of 2.92. Get Murray Income Trust alerts: Murray Income Trust Increases Dividend The company also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 12th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 15th will be given a dividend of GBX 10 ($0.13) per share. This is a positive change from Murray Income Trusts previous dividend of $9.50. This represents a dividend yield of 1.12%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 15th. Murray Income Trusts payout ratio is 5,694.44%. Insider Activity at Murray Income Trust Murray Income Trust Company Profile In other Murray Income Trust news, insider Angus Franklin acquired 1,838 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 6th. The stock was bought at an average price of GBX 865 ($11.04) per share, with a total value of 15,898.70 ($20,299.67). 0.86% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. (Get Free Report) Murray Income Trust PLC is a closed ended equity mutual fund launched and managed by Aberdeen Fund Managers Limited. It is co-managed by Aberdeen Asset Managers Limited. The fund invests in the public equity markets of the United Kingdom. It seeks to invest in stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Murray Income Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Murray Income Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Outlook Wealth Advisors LLC cut its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Free Report) by 70.4% during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 226 shares of the companys stock after selling 537 shares during the quarter. Outlook Wealth Advisors LLCs holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $205,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 1.6% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 72,745,011 shares of the companys stock worth $56,592,709,000 after purchasing an additional 1,133,810 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors boosted its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 26,949,773 shares of the companys stock worth $15,709,466,000 after purchasing an additional 89,720 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in Eli Lilly and Company in the 4th quarter worth about $5,992,890,000. Capital Research Global Investors boosted its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 6.0% in the 1st quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 8,031,531 shares of the companys stock worth $6,248,210,000 after purchasing an additional 453,939 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital International Investors boosted its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 5.1% in the 1st quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 6,972,393 shares of the companys stock worth $5,424,243,000 after purchasing an additional 335,560 shares in the last quarter. 82.53% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Eli Lilly and Company alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several research firms have issued reports on LLY. Argus upped their target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $770.00 to $840.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 14th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $875.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, August 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $900.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, July 11th. Berenberg Bank upped their target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,000.00 to $1,050.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Eli Lilly and Company from a hold rating to a buy rating and upped their target price for the company from $725.00 to $1,025.00 in a research note on Monday, August 12th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seventeen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Eli Lilly and Company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $956.88. Eli Lilly and Company Price Performance Shares of LLY stock traded down $9.46 on Friday, reaching $922.12. The companys stock had a trading volume of 2,364,894 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,096,824. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $878.93 and its 200-day simple moving average is $804.05. Eli Lilly and Company has a 1 year low of $516.57 and a 1 year high of $966.10. The company has a current ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.90. The company has a market capitalization of $876.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 135.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 0.41. Eli Lilly and Company Dividend Announcement The firm 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 is Thursday, August 15th. Eli Lilly and Companys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 76.58%. Insider Activity at Eli Lilly and Company In related news, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 210,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction 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 completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 96,943,810 shares in the company, valued at $91,109,731,514.20. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In related news, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 210,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction 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 completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 96,943,810 shares in the company, valued at $91,109,731,514.20. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, 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 value of $5,781,545.28. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 25,428 shares of the companys stock, valued at $20,835,194.64. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 1,214,704 shares of company stock valued at $1,066,841,316. 0.13% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. 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. Featured 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. Shares of PT Bank Mandiri (Persero) Tbk (OTCMKTS:PPERY Get Free Report) fell 1.2% on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $17.18 and last traded at $17.75. 22,966 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 69% from the average session volume of 74,810 shares. The stock had previously closed at $17.97. PT Bank Mandiri (Persero) Tbk Stock Up 0.4 % The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $15.64 and a 200-day simple moving average of $16.48. PT Bank Mandiri (Persero) Tbk Company Profile (Get Free Report) PT Bank Mandiri (Persero) Tbk provides various banking products and services to individuals and businesses in Indonesia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Timor Leste, Shanghai, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, and the Cayman Islands. The company operates through Wholesale and Retail segments. It offers savings and current accounts, time deposits, demand deposits, and foreign currency savings and current accounts; motorcycle loans, mortgage loan, and housing loans, as well as loans for various purposes, such as education, home renovation, marriage, health, and other needs for individuals; and working capital loans, investment loans, people's business loans, syndicated loans, and micro business loans for businesses. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for PT Bank Mandiri (Persero) Tbk Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for PT Bank Mandiri (Persero) Tbk and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. EOG Resources, Inc. (NYSE:EOG Free Report) Investment analysts at Capital One Financial lowered their Q3 2024 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for EOG Resources in a note issued to investors on Tuesday, August 13th. Capital One Financial analyst P. Johnston now expects that the energy exploration company will post earnings per share of $3.21 for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of $3.22. The consensus estimate for EOG Resources current full-year earnings is $12.13 per share. Capital One Financial also issued estimates for EOG Resources FY2024 earnings at $12.51 EPS. Get EOG Resources alerts: Other analysts have also issued reports about the company. KeyCorp started coverage on EOG Resources in a research note on Thursday, June 27th. They set an overweight rating and a $157.00 price objective on the stock. Piper Sandler decreased their price target on EOG Resources from $154.00 to $147.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on shares of EOG Resources in a research report on Thursday, July 18th. They set a peer perform rating for the company. TD Cowen raised their target price on shares of EOG Resources from $130.00 to $144.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 30th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein lowered their price target on shares of EOG Resources from $139.00 to $125.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 17th. Fourteen 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 companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, EOG Resources currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $144.10. EOG Resources Stock Down 0.0 % EOG stock opened at $128.06 on Thursday. EOG Resources has a 1-year low of $108.94 and a 1-year high of $139.67. 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 stocks fifty day simple moving average is $125.39 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $124.57. The stock has a market cap of $73.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.12, a P/E/G ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 1.30. 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 return on equity of 25.65% and a net margin of 30.33%. The company had revenue of $6.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $6.07 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.49 earnings per share. EOG Resourcess quarterly revenue was up 8.1% on a year-over-year basis. EOG Resources Dividend Announcement The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 17th will be issued a $0.91 dividend. This represents a $3.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.84%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 17th. EOG Resourcess payout ratio is 28.75%. Insiders Place Their Bets In related news, CEO Ezra Y. Yacob sold 4,729 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.31, for a total value of $611,506.99. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 150,474 shares in the company, valued at $19,457,792.94. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In other EOG Resources news, CEO Ezra Y. Yacob sold 4,729 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.31, for a total transaction of $611,506.99. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 150,474 shares of the companys stock, valued at $19,457,792.94. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, COO Jeffrey R. Leitzell sold 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $126.48, for a total value of $505,920.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 35,058 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,434,135.84. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.30% of the companys stock. Institutional Investors Weigh In On EOG Resources A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of EOG. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of EOG Resources by 0.3% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 54,275,932 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $6,938,635,000 after buying an additional 146,674 shares during the period. Capital Research Global Investors boosted its holdings in shares of EOG Resources by 1.3% in the first quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 28,889,715 shares of the energy exploration companys stock worth $3,693,261,000 after acquiring an additional 373,365 shares during the period. Capital World Investors boosted its stake in EOG Resources by 5.4% during the first quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 26,782,454 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $3,423,869,000 after buying an additional 1,361,538 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its stake in shares of EOG Resources by 2.2% in the 2nd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 12,311,541 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $1,549,098,000 after acquiring an additional 260,727 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Capital International Investors raised its position in EOG Resources by 7.1% during the 1st quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 11,564,463 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $1,478,401,000 after purchasing an additional 766,056 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.91% of the companys stock. EOG Resources Company Profile (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. Element Fleet Management (TSE:EFN Free Report) had its target price hoisted by Raymond James from C$29.00 to C$30.00 in a report issued on Wednesday morning, BayStreet.CA reports. Raymond James currently has a strong-buy rating on the financial services providers stock. Raymond James also issued estimates for Element Fleet Managements Q3 2024 earnings at $0.38 EPS, Q4 2024 earnings at $0.40 EPS, FY2024 earnings at $1.54 EPS, Q2 2025 earnings at $0.43 EPS and FY2025 earnings at $1.72 EPS. EFN has been the subject of several other reports. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on Element Fleet Management from C$33.00 to C$35.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday. National Bankshares upped their target price on Element Fleet Management from C$33.00 to C$34.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday. Scotiabank lifted their price target on shares of Element Fleet Management from C$27.00 to C$28.00 in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. TD Securities upped their price objective on shares of Element Fleet Management from C$28.00 to C$30.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on shares of Element Fleet Management from C$26.00 to C$28.00 in a report on Thursday, May 16th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of C$31.25. Get Element Fleet Management alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Report on Element Fleet Management Element Fleet Management Stock Up 0.5 % Shares of Element Fleet Management stock opened at C$27.29 on Wednesday. The stocks 50-day moving average is C$25.44 and its 200 day moving average is C$23.62. Element Fleet Management has a one year low of C$18.50 and a one year high of C$27.44. The firm has a market cap of C$10.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.37, a PEG ratio of 2.97 and a beta of 0.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 315.13, a current ratio of 8.32 and a quick ratio of 5.70. Element Fleet Management (TSE:EFN Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, May 14th. The financial services provider reported C$0.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of C$0.31 by C$0.05. Element Fleet Management had a net margin of 23.30% and a return on equity of 12.40%. The company had revenue of C$353.83 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of C$333.85 million. Equities research analysts anticipate that Element Fleet Management will post 1.5701107 EPS for the current year. Element Fleet Management Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 15th. Investors of record on Friday, September 27th will be issued a dividend of $0.12 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 27th. This represents a $0.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.76%. Element Fleet Managements dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.34%. Insiders Place Their Bets In related news, Senior Officer William Sutherland purchased 4,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 18th. The stock was bought at an average price of C$24.90 per share, for a total transaction of C$99,594.00. In other news, Senior Officer William Sutherland bought 4,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 18th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of C$24.90 per share, with a total value of C$99,594.00. Also, Director George Keith Graham sold 25,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of C$24.70, for a total value of C$617,500.00. Over the last 90 days, insiders have purchased 5,550 shares of company stock valued at $132,034 and have sold 68,874 shares valued at $1,714,350. Insiders own 0.22% of the companys stock. About Element Fleet Management (Get Free Report) Element Fleet Management Corp. operates as a fleet management company primarily in Canada, Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand. The company offers end-to-end fleet cars, trucks, and material handling support equipment acquisition; and end-to-end electric vehicle fleet including fleet planning, charging infrastructure solutions, acquisition, financing, maintenance, and remarketing. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Element Fleet Management Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Element Fleet Management and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Private Capital Management LLC cut its holdings in Raymond James (NYSE:RJF Free Report) by 0.7% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 65,944 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 475 shares during the period. Raymond James accounts for about 1.5% of Private Capital Management LLCs holdings, making the stock its 28th biggest position. Private Capital Management LLCs holdings in Raymond James were worth $8,469,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. increased its stake in Raymond James by 5.6% in the second quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 4,848 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $599,000 after purchasing an additional 256 shares during the last quarter. Phoenix Wealth Advisors purchased a new stake in Raymond James in the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,623,000. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. increased its stake in shares of Raymond James by 2.0% during the 2nd quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 26,689 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $3,299,000 after acquiring an additional 514 shares during the last quarter. Great Valley Advisor Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Raymond James by 2.9% during the 2nd quarter. Great Valley Advisor Group Inc. now owns 3,972 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $491,000 after acquiring an additional 112 shares during the period. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its position in shares of Raymond James by 105.7% in the second quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 31,021 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $3,834,000 after acquiring an additional 15,940 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.83% of the companys stock. Get Raymond James alerts: Raymond James Stock Up 0.6 % Shares of NYSE:RJF traded up $0.68 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $115.95. 722,002 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,147,734. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $116.24 and its 200 day simple moving average is $119.97. The firm has a market cap of $23.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.02, a PEG ratio of 0.75 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a current ratio of 1.02. Raymond James has a 52-week low of $91.67 and a 52-week high of $131.19. Raymond James Dividend Announcement Raymond James ( NYSE:RJF Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 24th. The financial services provider reported $2.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.31 by $0.08. Raymond James had a net margin of 13.16% and a return on equity of 18.44%. The company had revenue of $3.23 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.24 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.85 earnings per share. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Raymond James will post 9.56 EPS for the current year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 1st were issued a $0.45 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, July 1st. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.55%. Raymond Jamess dividend payout ratio is currently 21.77%. Insider Buying and Selling at Raymond James In other Raymond James news, EVP Bella Loykhter Allaire sold 17,363 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.00, for a total transaction of $1,996,745.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 75,586 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,692,390. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other Raymond James news, EVP Bella Loykhter Allaire sold 17,363 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.00, for a total transaction of $1,996,745.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 75,586 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,692,390. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Tashtego S. Elwyn sold 31,277 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $109.64, for a total transaction of $3,429,210.28. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 35,380 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,879,063.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 9.74% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Analyst Ratings Changes Several brokerages recently commented on RJF. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Raymond James from $137.00 to $135.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Bank of America cut their target price on Raymond James from $145.00 to $141.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 25th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price target on Raymond James from $132.00 to $131.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 25th. TD Cowen raised their price objective on Raymond James from $130.00 to $133.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a report on Monday, July 8th. Finally, UBS Group reduced their price objective on Raymond James from $138.00 to $135.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 9th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $129.89. View Our Latest Stock Analysis on RJF Raymond James Company Profile (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. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding RJF? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Raymond James (NYSE:RJF Free Report). 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. Timber Creek Capital Management LLC lowered its holdings in shares of Rayonier Inc. (NYSE:RYN Free Report) by 76.9% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 13,361 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after selling 44,380 shares during the period. Timber Creek Capital Management LLCs holdings in Rayonier were worth $389,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of RYN. Advisors Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in Rayonier in the 1st quarter valued at about $26,000. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in shares of Rayonier by 53.5% during the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,079 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 376 shares during the period. Covestor Ltd boosted its position in Rayonier by 488.6% during the first quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,554 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $52,000 after acquiring an additional 1,290 shares during the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in Rayonier in the 1st quarter worth approximately $62,000. Finally, Signaturefd LLC raised its holdings in Rayonier by 371.7% in the 4th quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 2,052 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $69,000 after acquiring an additional 1,617 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.12% of the companys stock. Get Rayonier alerts: Rayonier Trading Up 0.3 % Shares of RYN traded up $0.10 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $29.41. The stock had a trading volume of 430,829 shares, compared to its average volume of 604,439. Rayonier Inc. has a 12-month low of $24.84 and a 12-month high of $35.29. The firm has a market cap of $4.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.27 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75, a quick ratio of 1.78 and a current ratio of 1.98. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $29.41 and its 200 day simple moving average is $30.97. Rayonier Announces Dividend Rayonier ( NYSE:RYN Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 7th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.02 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.14 by ($0.12). Rayonier had a return on equity of 3.00% and a net margin of 14.78%. The firm had revenue of $173.60 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $218.86 million. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.05 earnings per share. The businesss revenue for the quarter was down 16.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts forecast that Rayonier Inc. will post 0.42 EPS for the current fiscal year. The firm 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 $0.285 dividend. This represents a $1.14 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.88%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 16th. Rayoniers dividend payout ratio is presently 101.79%. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Royal Bank of Canada restated a sector perform rating and set a $34.00 price objective on shares of Rayonier in a report on Friday, June 14th. Truist Financial lowered their price target on Rayonier from $34.00 to $31.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, July 16th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Rayonier from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Saturday. Get Our Latest Analysis on RYN Rayonier Profile (Free Report) Rayonier is a leading timberland real estate investment trust with assets located in some of the most productive softwood timber growing regions in the United States and New Zealand. As of December 31, 2023, Rayonier owned or leased under long-term agreements approximately 2.7 million acres of timberlands located in the U.S. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding RYN? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Rayonier Inc. (NYSE:RYN Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Rayonier Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Rayonier and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sheffield Resources Limited (ASX:SFX Get Free Report) insider Bruce Griffin acquired 1,635,043 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, August 9th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of A$0.30 ($0.19) per share, for a total transaction of A$482,337.69 ($317,327.42). Sheffield Resources Stock Performance The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53, a current ratio of 101.40 and a quick ratio of 231.24. Get Sheffield Resources alerts: About Sheffield Resources (Get Free Report) Featured Stories Sheffield Resources Limited explores for and develops mineral properties in Australia. The company explores for zircon, rutile, ilmenite, leucoxene, rutile, anatase, and titanium minerals. Its flagship project is the Thunderbird mineral sands property located in the Canning Basin in northern Western Australia. Receive News & Ratings for Sheffield Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sheffield Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Kimberly-Clark de Mexico, S. A. B. de C. V. (OTCMKTS:KCDMF Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large decrease in short interest in the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 1,612,400 shares, a decrease of 24.8% from the July 15th total of 2,143,500 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 0 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently days. Kimberly-Clark de Mexico, S. A. B. de C. V. Stock Performance Shares of OTCMKTS:KCDMF remained flat at $1.80 during mid-day trading on Friday. Kimberly-Clark de Mexico, S. A. B. de C. V. has a one year low of $1.65 and a one year high of $2.34. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $1.71 and a 200 day moving average of $2.03. Get Kimberly-Clark de Mexico S. A. B. de C. V. alerts: Kimberly-Clark de Mexico, S. A. B. de C. V. Company Profile (Get Free Report) Further Reading Kimberly-Clark de Mexico, S. A. B. de C. V., together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, distributes, and markets disposable products in Mexico. The company offers baby diapers, training pants, swim pants, wet wipes, shampoos, creams, bar soaps, and feeding products. It also provides toilet papers, napkins, facial tissues, paper towels, feminine pads, panty liners, tampons, intimate wipes, and menstrual cups. Receive News & Ratings for Kimberly-Clark de Mexico S. A. B. de C. V. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Kimberly-Clark de Mexico S. A. B. de C. V. and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Stanley Laman Group Ltd. cut its stake in shares of Snap-on Incorporated (NYSE:SNA Free Report) by 2.9% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 14,780 shares of the companys stock after selling 444 shares during the period. Stanley Laman Group Ltd.s holdings in Snap-on were worth $3,863,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. International Assets Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in Snap-on by 31,080.3% during the 4th quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 74,521 shares of the companys stock worth $21,525,000 after purchasing an additional 74,282 shares during the last quarter. Cerity Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Snap-on by 275.7% during the 4th quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 7,938 shares of the companys stock worth $2,292,000 after purchasing an additional 5,825 shares during the last quarter. Simplicity Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in Snap-on during the 4th quarter worth approximately $254,000. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System acquired a new stake in Snap-on during the 4th quarter worth approximately $924,000. Finally, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. lifted its holdings in Snap-on by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. now owns 150,003 shares of the companys stock worth $43,327,000 after purchasing an additional 727 shares during the last quarter. 84.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Snap-on alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at Snap-on In other Snap-on news, CEO Nicholas T. Pinchuk sold 24,220 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $266.80, for a total value of $6,461,896.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 750,663 shares in the company, valued at approximately $200,276,888.40. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In other news, CEO Nicholas T. Pinchuk sold 24,220 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $266.80, for a total value of $6,461,896.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 750,663 shares of the companys stock, valued at $200,276,888.40. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Nicholas T. Pinchuk sold 24,145 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $268.95, for a total value of $6,493,797.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 759,019 shares of the companys stock, valued at $204,138,160.05. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 62,777 shares of company stock worth $16,847,207. Insiders own 4.10% of the companys stock. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In SNA has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Roth Mkm reiterated a buy rating and issued a $324.00 price target on shares of Snap-on in a research note on Tuesday, July 16th. Tigress Financial reiterated a buy rating and issued a $336.00 price target on shares of Snap-on in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. Barrington Research reiterated an outperform rating and issued a $325.00 price target on shares of Snap-on in a research note on Tuesday, July 16th. Finally, Robert W. Baird reduced their price objective on Snap-on from $282.00 to $275.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 12th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four 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 $315.00. View Our Latest Research Report on Snap-on Snap-on Price Performance SNA stock traded up $0.06 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $276.19. 242,385 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 279,671. The stock has a market capitalization of $14.55 billion, a PE ratio of 14.49, a P/E/G ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.98. Snap-on Incorporated has a 52 week low of $249.84 and a 52 week high of $298.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 4.06 and a quick ratio of 3.05. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $269.13 and a 200 day moving average price of $276.14. Snap-on (NYSE:SNA Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 18th. The company reported $5.07 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $4.94 by $0.13. Snap-on had a return on equity of 19.90% and a net margin of 21.90%. The business had revenue of $1.18 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.20 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $4.89 EPS. Snap-ons quarterly revenue was down 1.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts expect that Snap-on Incorporated will post 18.95 EPS for the current fiscal year. Snap-on declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, August 8th that permits the company to buyback $500.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to purchase up to 3.5% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are usually an indication that the companys management believes its shares are undervalued. Snap-on Announces Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 19th will be given a $1.86 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 19th. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.69%. Snap-ons dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.03%. Snap-on Company Profile (Free Report) Snap-on Incorporated manufactures and markets tools, equipment, diagnostics, and repair information and systems solutions for professional users worldwide. It operates through Commercial & Industrial Group, Snap-on Tools Group, Repair Systems & Information Group, and Financial Services segments. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SNA? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Snap-on Incorporated (NYSE:SNA Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Snap-on Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Snap-on and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Tourmaline Oil Corp. (TSE:TOU Get Free Report) has been given an average recommendation of Buy by the twelve ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation, ten have issued a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is C$79.04. Several analysts have recently commented on TOU shares. Scotiabank raised their price target on Tourmaline Oil from C$90.00 to C$93.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Tuesday. Desjardins upped their price target on shares of Tourmaline Oil from C$72.00 to C$75.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday. National Bankshares raised their price objective on shares of Tourmaline Oil from C$70.00 to C$72.50 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Tuesday. UBS Group raised shares of Tourmaline Oil to a hold rating in a report on Thursday, June 20th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group boosted their price target on Tourmaline Oil from C$73.50 to C$75.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday. Get Tourmaline Oil alerts: Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Tourmaline Oil Insider Buying and Selling Tourmaline Oil Trading Down 0.4 % In other news, Senior Officer Mike Rose purchased 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 14th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of C$62.88 per share, for a total transaction of C$314,392.00. In other Tourmaline Oil news, Senior Officer Mike Rose purchased 5,000 shares of Tourmaline Oil stock in a transaction on Friday, June 14th. The shares were bought at an average price of C$62.88 per share, with a total value of C$314,392.00. Also, Director Jill Terilee Angevine acquired 1,300 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 13th. The shares were acquired at an average price of C$61.29 per share, for a total transaction of C$79,677.00. In the last quarter, insiders purchased 16,300 shares of company stock worth $1,028,162. 5.41% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Shares of Tourmaline Oil stock opened at C$62.95 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of C$22.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.39. Tourmaline Oil has a 52-week low of C$53.45 and a 52-week high of C$74.21. The companys 50-day simple moving average is C$61.59 and its 200-day simple moving average is C$62.40. The company has a quick ratio of 0.47, a current ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 9.61. Tourmaline Oil Cuts Dividend The business 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 currently 25.65%. 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. Recommended Stories 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. TUI AG (LON:TUI Get Free Report) shares crossed above its fifty day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a fifty day moving average of GBX 568.21 ($7.25) and traded as high as GBX 588.50 ($7.51). TUI shares last traded at GBX 563.50 ($7.19), with a volume of 265,195 shares trading hands. Analysts Set New Price Targets Separately, Citigroup restated a neutral rating on shares of TUI in a report on Wednesday, May 29th. Get TUI alerts: Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on TUI TUI Trading Down 3.5 % TUI Company Profile The company has a 50 day moving average of GBX 567.62 and a 200-day moving average of GBX 574.68. The stock has a market cap of 2.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 318.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of -0.22 and a beta of 2.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 383.92, a quick ratio of 0.29 and a current ratio of 0.47. (Get Free Report) TUI AG, together with its subsidiaries, provides tourism services worldwide. It operates hotels and resorts under the Royalton, Mora, RIU Hotels & Resorts, Robinson, TUI Blue, TUI Magic Life, Atlantica Hotels & Resorts, Grupotel, Iberotel, Akra Hotels, TUI Suneo, and AQI brands. The company is also involved in the tour operation and airlines businesses. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for TUI Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for TUI and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Xinyuan Real Estate (NYSE:XIN Free Report) in a research report report published on Wednesday morning. The brokerage issued a hold rating on the financial services providers stock. Xinyuan Real Estate Stock Performance XIN stock opened at $2.80 on Wednesday. Xinyuan Real Estate has a 52 week low of $1.92 and a 52 week high of $4.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.85, a current ratio of 0.28 and a quick ratio of 0.28. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $2.81 and a 200-day simple moving average of $2.80. Get Xinyuan Real Estate alerts: Xinyuan Real Estate Company Profile (Get Free Report) Featured Stories Xinyuan Real Estate Co, Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, engages in residential real estate development and construction in the People's Republic of China, the United States, Malaysia, and the United Kingdom. The company develops residential projects, such as multi-layer apartment buildings, sub-high-rise apartment buildings, high-rise apartment buildings; auxiliary services and amenities, such as retail outlets, leisure and health facilities, kindergartens, and schools, as well as office, mixed-use, and commercial properties. Receive News & Ratings for Xinyuan Real Estate Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Xinyuan Real Estate and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Alcoholism Note: For a schedule of meetings that address addictions in central Nebraska, call the Central Nebraska Council on Alcoholism and Addictions at 308-385-5520. PRIME FOR LIFE! an eight-hour alcohol education class for adults ages 21 and older and/or youth ages 20 and younger, sponsored by the Central Nebraska Council on Alcohol and Addictions, 3402 College St. (in Main Street Station) (class times vary). The goal of this program is to reduce the incidence of alcohol- and other drug-related problems in adults and youth, and focuses on personal risk-reduction (choices) and self-assessment specifically related to alcohol. Class also offered in Spanish. Fee charged; registration required; 308-385-5520; www.cncaa.net. For a complete schedule of ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS meetings, call 877-226-3632; www.area41.org ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, Back to Basics, noon, Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. and 8:15 p.m. Saturday; 8:30 and 10 a.m. Sunday; Alano Club, 1522 W. Fifth St. FREEDOM GROUP, 10 a.m. and 5:30 and 8:15 p.m. Monday through Friday; and 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 388 N. Broadwell. Monday ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, Alano Group open meeting, 6:45 a.m., and Mens Stag Group, 7 p.m., Alano Club, 1522 W. Fifth St.; Freely Given Womens group, 7 p.m., Blessed Sacrament, 518 W. State St.; Mustard Seed, 7:30 p.m., G.I. Free Church, 2609 S. Blaine; Young Procrastinators, 8:15 p.m., St. Stephens Episcopal Church, 422 W. Second. ALATEEN and AL-ANON, 7:30 p.m., G.I. Free Church, 2609 S. Blaine. Tuesday ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, Afternoon Discussion, 5:30 p.m., St. Leos Catholic Church, 2410 S. Blaine; Better Sober Group, 7 p.m., Blessed Sacrament, 518 W. State (Sacrament Annex); Speakers Workshop, 7 p.m., Alano Club, 1522 W. Fifth St. AL-ANON, 7 p.m., Blessed Sacrament, 518 W. State (use north doors). Wednesday ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, Big Book Study, 10:30 a.m. and Alano Group Womens, 6:30 p.m., Alano Club, 1522 W. Fifth St.; Fellowship Group, 8 p.m., Go Figure, 707 W. First; Young Procrastinators, 8:15 p.m., St. Stephens Episcopal Church, 422 W. Second (Speakers meeting last Wednesday of month). AL-ANON, 9:30 a.m., Alano Club, Fifth and Broadwell Thursday ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, Big Book Study, 7 p.m., Alano Club, 1522 W. Fifth St.; Solutions Group, 7 p.m., United Methodist Church, 202 E. Pine in Alda; Never Too Late Group, 7 p.m., United Congregational Church, 405 E. Bismark. AL-ANON, noon, CHI Health St. Francis Alcohol/Drug Treatment Center, 2116 W. Faidley; 8:15 p.m., Alano Club, 1522 W. Fifth St. Friday ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, Alano Group open meeting, 5:30 p.m., Alano Club, 1522 W. Fifth St.; Young Procrastinators, 8:15 p.m., St. Stephens Episcopal Church, 422 W. Second; Step Study, 8:15 p.m., Alano Club, 1522 W. Fifth St. AL-ANON, 10 a.m., St. Leos Catholic Church, 2410 S. Blaine; 8:15 p.m., Alano Club, 1522 W. Fifth St. Saturday ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, Resurrected Group, 8:30 a.m., Resurrection Catholic Church, 4130 Cannon Road. AL-ANON, 10 a.m., CHI Health St. Francis Medical Plaza treatment center, Conference Room C, 2116 W. Faidley; 10 a.m., Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, 518 W. State (use north doors). Sunday ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, Speakers meeting, 7 p.m., Alano Club, 1522 W. Fifth St. Drug addiction NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS, noon and 8 p.m. daily, Unity Hall, 210 N. Wheeler. Meetings also at 6 p.m. Thursday, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, south door, 2201 N. Broadwell; 9:30 p.m. Friday, St. Pauls Lutheran Church, north door, 1515 S. Harrison; and 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Messiah Lutheran Church, 122 W. Seventh. MARIJUANA EDUCATION CLASS, a four-hour class for youth and adults ages 12 and older sponsored by the Central Nebraska Council on Alcohol and Addictions, 3402 College St. (in Main Street Station). Class aims to help participants understand the dangers of the use and addictive nature of marijuana, legal and health risks associated with the use of marijuana, reduce the incidence of alcohol- and other drug-related problems, and assist them in seeking further help if needed. Fee charged; registration required; 308-385-5520; www.cncaa.net. Other addictions SEX AND LOVE ADDICTS ANONYMOUS, 8 p.m. Tuesday, conference room B (lower level by elevators, enter through southwest entrance), CHI Health St. Francis Medical Plaza, 2116 W. Faidley. Information: John, 402-469-5056. CELEBRATE RECOVERY, a 12-step, faith-based support group, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, New Life Community Church, 301 W. Second, 308-384-5369; and 7 p.m. Thursday, Third City Christian Church, 4100 W. 13th St., free childcare; 308-384-5038. FREEDOM FROM SMOKING, classes offered by the American Lung Association at CHI Health St. Francis, available to anyone interested in quitting tobacco products. The program consists of classes over seven weeks three time a year at no cost; 308-398-5442. YOUTH TOBACCO EDUCATION CLASS, a four-hour class sponsored by the Central Nebraska Council on Alcohol and Addictions, 3204 College St. (class times vary). This class will assist youth ages 18 and younger in learning about the legal and health risks associated with tobacco use, addiction, and offer assistance in helping them move towards quitting. Fee charged; registration required; 308-385-5520; www.cncaa.net. Weight control, eating disorders TOPS NE 7, weigh-in, 5:15 to 6 p.m.; meeting at 6:15 p.m. Monday, First Christian Church, 2400 W. 14th. Information: Eunice Alexander, 308 384-7032. TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) is a support group for people who want to lose weight. TOPS NE 605, 8:30 to 9 a.m. weigh-in, meeting at 9 a.m. Tuesday, St. Pauls Lutheran Church, 1515 Harrison St. Information: Connie, 308-379-0094. Mental health; depression FAMILIES CARE YOUTH GROUPS Kearney Youth Support Group ages 12-15 and ages 16-23; Grand Island Youth Support Group ages 13-23. These groups provide support to youth struggling with emotional, mental or behavioral health challenges. Open to anyone in the community in these age ranges. We will provide food, good conversation, wellness planning and strategies, games and activities. Contact Families CARE, 308-237-1102, or Karla S. Bennetts, 308-991-6099, for time, date and location. Pregnancy, parenting and families WATCH ME GROW, new parent and breastfeeding support, 10 a.m. to noon Monday, and 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Grand Island Regional Medical Center third floor waiting room; free. Information: Tina Vettel, 308-675-4550. BREASTFEEDING BASICS 101, 6:30 to 8 p.m., third Thursday, Grand Island Regional Medical Center, first floor conference room; fee charged. Information/registration: Tina Vettel, 308-675-4550. HYPNOBIRTHING, alternative to traditional childbirth classes; five-week course offered two or three times a year. Information (including class times and fees): Lana McCoy, 308-390-0968 or realmccoy@charter.net PREPARED CHILDBIRTH CLASSES, for expectant parents, four-week sessions offered several times a year; fee charged. Information: Sylvia, 308-850-7005. DOULA LABOR SUPPORT, for more information or to set up an appointment, call Sarah Rose, 308-218-9533, or Jaydon Stuart, 308-850-8956. HYPNOBIRTHING, alternative to traditional childbirth classes; five-week course offered two or three times a year. Information (including class times and fees): Lana McCoy, 308-390-0968 or realmccoy@charter.net BABYCARE BASICS, a one-time class for expectant parents to learn about caring for their newborn, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. third Wednesday of January, March, May, , September and November, CHI Health St. Francis conference room, 2620 W. Faidley. Information/registration: 308-398-5888. PREPARING FOR BREASTFEEDING, a one-time class for mothers-to-be, meets every other month at CHI Health St. Francis, 2620 W. Faidley. Both expectant parents and/or support people are encouraged to attend. EAT AT MOMS (Breastfeeding Support Group), a free open-house breastfeeding support group that meets at CHI Health St. Francis. Receive hands-on breastfeeding assistance from the hospitals lactation nurses and learn from and network with other mothers. Information: 308-398-6595. INFANT MASSAGE CLASS, a one-time class offered one Saturday a month (call for times and dates), R&R Therapeutic Massage Clinic, 2343 N. Webb Road. Designed to benefit a child by increasing circulation, digestion, elimination and enhances sleep. Classes are for parents or any family member of newborns, ideally between 2 and 6 weeks of age. Taught by licensed massage therapists. Fee charged; information: 308-389-9177. CHOICE FAMILY HEALTH CARE, Pap tests, HIV and sexually transmitted infection screening, pregnancy testing and emergency contraception provided, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, and 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, 217 E. Stolley Park Road, Suite E. Information and appointments: 308-384-7625 or www.choicefamilyhealthcare.org. Cancer MULTIPLE MYELOMA SUPPORT GROUP, for those diagnosed with multiple myeloma, 10 a.m., third Wednesday, G.I. Free Church, 2609 S. Blaine. Group provides support, education and caring for those diagnosed and their family members. Information: Arlene Preisendorf, 308-380-8526; or Dave Scharff, 402-649-7545. CANCER SURVIVORSHIP 101, a small, supportive group setting, helps individuals regain their physical, emotional and spiritual health after cancer treatment. Offered yearly by CHI Health St. Francis, starting the second week in March, the free nine-week holistic rehabilitation program is taught by specially trained nurses and mental health practitioners. Cancer Treatment Center, 308-398-5442. Other illnesses STROKE SUPPORT GROUP, meets every other month at CHI Health St. Francis, and provides support, education and networking opportunities. Anyone affected by stroke or brain injury, including family, friends, and caregivers are welcome to attend. Contact Jennifer Niedfelt, jennifer.niedfelt@commonspirit.org, or Jessica Renee McCord, jessica.mccord@commonspirit.org, to be added to the email list and updates about the next meeting. Alzheimers disease ALZHEIMERS SUPPORT GROUP, 6:30 p.m., second Tuesday, the Heritage at Sagewood, 1920 Sagewood Ave. Group is designed to provide emotional, educational and social support for caregivers of people with Alzheimers or another form of dementia; Erica Long, 308-398-8005 or elong@heritage-communities.com ALZHEIMERS AND DEMENTIA CAREGIVERS SUPPORT GROUP, a support group for friends and family members who care for those with Alzheimers disease or dementia, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. first Wednesday, Grand Generation Center, 304 E. Third St. Information: Brenda, 308-384-1080. ALZHEIMERS SUPPORT GROUP, 6:30 p.m., second Tuesday, Faith United Methodist Church, 1623 Central Ave., Kearney; information, Gwen, 308-234-5600. Sponsored by the Nebraska chapter of the Alzheimers Association, the group is designed to provide emotional, educational and social support for caregivers of people with Alzheimers or another form of dementia. Local professionals will lead the sessions. Grief GRIEF SHARE, help and encouragement after the death of a spouse, child, family member or friend, 6:30 p.m. Thursdays, Trinity Lutheran Church, 212 W. 12th St. New 13-week sessions start several times a year. Information: Eunice McCarty, GriefShare facilitator, 308-382-0753 or emccarty1955@gmail.com; griefshare.org PAWS FOR PEACE, a bereavement group for those dealing with the loss of a beloved pet, 1 p.m. Sundays, Meeting Room A, Grand Island Public Library, 1124 W. Second St. Information: Diane Best, 308-390-6598. TABITHA GRIEF GROUP GRAND ISLAND, 3 p.m. third Monday, Tabitha at Prairie Commons, 3490 Ewoldt St. Hosted by Tabithas Bereavement experts to equip participants with the tools and resources needed to reinvest in life following the loss of a loved one. Information: Tabitha bereavement coordinator, 308-389-6002, Bereavement@Tabitha.org; Tabitha.org/Bereavement TABITHA GRIEF GROUP AURORA, 1:30 p.m. last Tuesday, United Methodist Church, 1104 A St., Aurora. Hosted by Tabithas Bereavement experts to equip participants with the tools and resources needed to reinvest in life following the loss of a loved one. Information: Tabitha bereavement coordinator, 308-389-6002, Bereavement@Tabitha.org; Tabitha.org/Bereavement Miscellaneous DOMESTIC VIOLENCE/SEXUAL ASSAULT SUPPORT GROUP, a group for those looking for empowerment and skill-building. This is a confidential and closed group. For meeting times and location, call 308-382-8250. CAREGIVERS SUPPORT GROUP FOR MEMORY CARE, an informal support group for friends and family members of those with dementia, fourth Tuesday, CountryHouse Residences, 833 Alpha St. (next to Regency Retirement). Two times available: 1 to 2 p.m. (in person) or 5 to 6 p.m. (via Zoom). Learn tips and techniques, along with helpful resources, to help your loved one from the team at CountryHouse. Information: Brenda Wiltfong, 308-381-1988 or bwiltfong@countryhouse.net. GRAND ISLAND PFLAG, 7 p.m. second Tuesday, YWCA, 211 E. Fonner Park Road. Group is dedicated to promoting the health and well-being of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, their families and friends, through support, education and advocacy. PFLAG is not affiliated with any ethnic, religious or political group. Information: 308-390-6560. HASTINGS/SOUTH CENTRAL PFLAG, 7:30 p.m. second Monday, First Congregational United Church of Christ, Seventh and Marion Road, Hastings (check the Facebook page for event posting and meeting details); in person and Zoom hybrid. Informal coffee and conversation, 11 a.m. first Saturday, Blue Moon Coffee Co., 635 W. Second St., Hastings. MEN XCEL TOGETHER (MXT), a group of men gathering in a safe and non-judgmental place, mentoring other men to be become they best they can be, 7 p.m. Tuesdays, Resurrection Catholic Church, 4110 Cannon Road. Information: email menxceltogether@gmail.com or check the website at menxceltogether.com Samsung-Apple supplier Goertek to invest $38 mln in central Vietnam By Tri Duc Sat, August 17, 2024 | 3:11 pm GMT+7 Chinas Goertek, a major supplier to Samsung and Apple, will raise its investment in Vietnams central province of Nghe An to $38 million to manufacture microphones, accelerometers, and laser sensors. According to the investment registration certificate granted by Nghe An authorities in late July, also the third adjustment after the first one given in August 2022, Goertek Microelectronics Holdings is the investor, while Goertek Microelectronics Vina Co., Ltd will implement the project. Goertek factory in Bac Ninh province, northern Vietnam. Photo courtesy of Goertek Vina. Goertek is set to pour an additional $17 million into the project by end-October 2024, while $21 million was contributed earlier. The project will cover 2.76 hectares in WHA Industrial Zone 1-Nghe An, an industrial park invested by Thailands top industrial real estate developer WHA. It will lease the land lot given to Goertek Precision Industry Vietnam Co., Ltd, a sister company and an investor of a $500-million project in the province. Goertek Microelectronics Vina aims to construct and install equipment for the microphone and accelerometer production line in July-September, towards official operation in October 2024. It has an annual capacity of 356.8 million microphones and one million accelerometers. For the laser sensor production line, Goertek plans to complete equipment installation in March 2025 and enter official production in April 2025. The annual output is 2.25 million items. Goertek has a demand for 60 workers during construction and 500 during operation. Orangeburg Department of Public Safety A Wingate Street vape and tobacco store was robbed by a man carrying an AR-15 on Thursday evening, according to an incident report. The gunman entered Smoke Tower Vape and Tobacco at 1540 Wingate Street around 8:53 p.m. Thursday. The gunman pointed an AR-15 at the victim's head, demanding money. The gunman demanded the victim take the vapes from a shelf and place them in a bag. The gunman then told the victim to shut off the security cameras. The gunman stole cash, about 20 vapes and 10 Swisher Sweets Irish Cream cigars. The gunman was described as a light-skinned Black male with braids, twist or dreads down the side of his face, the report said. He was wearing a black and red hoodie, a black Nike cap, black pants, white shoes that looked like house shoes, a yellow grip sock on his left hand, a black plastic glove on his right hand, and a black shirt covering his face. He was carrying a black bookbag. Information on this crime can be reported to ODPS at 803-534-2812. Send a tip using Tip411 by texting 847411 on a mobile device, or visit www.orangeburg.sc.us/public-safety/tip411. People providing tips may remain anonymous. In a separate incident, a woman called law enforcement to the Dominos Pizza on Russell Street shortly after midnight Friday after hearing her car alarm going off several times. The woman said she went to check on her car and saw her ex-boyfriend in the trunk. They broke up about three weeks ago. The woman called law enforcement and her ex left the scene, the report said. Hurricane or storm preparedness has become rather routine for T&D Region residents in recent years. The area has been hit with the historic 2015 flooding and 2016's Hurricane Matthew. Other tropical systems have impacted the area, downing trees, power lines and causing sporadic damage in subsequent years. Eight tropical systems, which were downgraded to tropical storms by the time they arrived to The T&D Region, had impact locally in some form or fashion in each of the last nine years. Add Tropical Storm Debby in August to the list. Residents should not be complacent. It is not a matter of if the next hurricane or tropical storm strikes, but when. Orangeburg County Director of Emergency Services Billy Staley says residents should always be ready for a storm. One area of readiness that is particularly important for all storms is dealing with power outages. "People need to be prepared to deal with the daily needs of life without having electricity for a couple of days and they need to make sure they have a plan," Staley said. "That plan needs to include food, water those basic supplies," Staley continued, adding first-aid kits should include medicines, important documents (health care information, property titles, insurance records) flashlights, radios, cell phone with chargers, family and emergency contact information, emergency blankets and maps. Other items that should be available include: baby supplies (bottles, formula, baby food, diapers); games for children; pet supplies; extra set of car and house keys, manual can opener, whistle, N95 or surgical masks, matches, rain gear, towels, work gloves, tools/supplies for securing home; extra clothing, duct tape, scissors, household liquid bleach and sleeping bags. Staley said generally residents prepare according to a storm's projected strength and path. He is confident local residents will take the necessary precautions. "Preparedness is nothing new," Staley said. "A lot of people prepare every day and don't realize they are preparing." "So if we get a tropical storm, not many people are worried about it because they know the power may go out for an hour, two or three," Staley said. "They are prepared for stuff like that, but when you start talking about a Category 3 or Category 4 hurricane, sometimes they look at a certain depth that they need a little bit more preparedness capability." Staley said another thing is preparation for possible intense storms such as the landfalling Category 4 Hurricane Hugo back in 1989. He noted there were individuals who boarded up windows around the lake during that storm. "We can't rule out storms of that intensity here further up in the Orangeburg area," Staley said. In Calhoun County, Calhoun County Director of Emergency Management David Chojnacki suggested individuals sign up for Code Red Alerts from the county to help prepare for hurricane season. Over two dozen counties use the system across the state. "When there is important information that needs to be out in the public, that is how I will notify the public," Chojnacki said. Individuals can sign up by texting calhounema to 99411 or they can also text signmeup to 99411 and somebody from the library will call to assist. Another thing individuals should have is a weather-alert system with a battery backup for localized alerts. "They should build up their two-week food supply," Chojnacki said. "Any government agency is not going to really be able to respond for at least 24 or 72 hours, so people should have a minimum of 72. I would recommend two weeks' worth of food and water for each person and to also include their pets." Chojnacki said people should have an emergency contact set up for family and friends to use outside of the state to swap information if the local phones go down. "Texting is great because I might send the text today with no signal from the tower but as soon as it gets the signal, that text will be sent out to somebody," Chojnacki said. "Texts are smaller in size than a phone call. Lines don't get bogged down with texts as quickly as they do with the cellphone towers." Weather information access is available through many outlets in Calhoun County. The county has nine weather stations throughout the county. The stations are located in the Sandy Run area down toward Midway Fire Department. The county also has implemented the Calhoun County EMA free app that pushes out weather and emergency notifications. The app can be found in the app store at Calhoun Co EMA. "This way residents, and of course our employees and responders, can look at exactly what is happening in the area they are closest too," Chojnacki said. "The stations will calculate rainfall totals, winds, temperature, the current weather and the forecast." Emergency preparedness From the emergency response side, Staley said storm readiness, response and recovery are the norm for each storm. Prior to a storm, Orangeburg County Emergency Services continually monitors the weather and conducts messaging with partners such as the Orangeburg County Department of Social Services and Department of Public Works, the fire departments, the school district, colleges, universities, cities, towns and utilities. For example, schools are kept abreast of severe weather to help facilitate scheduling changes such as school closures and early dismissals. "We push stuff out on our Facebook pages when you see the severe potential stepping up," Staley said. "We make sure we are all planning at the same level. "Sometimes it is a matter of them pushing information back to us about their readiness level and how well they will be able to respond to it and what we think that common operating picture will look like for that event." From the emergency-response side, finding supplies should be less of a challenge than for individuals trying to find items in a store. Staley says the county has contracts with suppliers and FEMA has contracts with federal partners. "We have got suppliers we can reach to get the most cortical things, but it ain't going to be fast," Staley said. "The flip side is we may not be able to get everything on our wish list or as many as we ultimately need, but it will come down to how many can you get by with. It depends on how big the storm is and the availability of everybody's resources." "We encourage the public to have a plan so you don't need us," Staley continued, noting that when the weather gets really bad, emergency personnel such as EMS and fire cannot respond due to the precarious conditions. Chojnacki said the county's emergency department prepares a couple of days before the storm is expected to hit. He will call an emergency services meeting of all first responders, and all groups, departments and agencies that have some form of response before, during or after a storm. "We just make sure we are all on our tiptoes and that everything is ready to move as needed," Chojnacki said. He said the county has tanks for gasoline and diesel for emergency services vehicles and makes sure these are topped off. Prior to a storm, the county's roads and bridges department will ensure flood-prone areas are properly barricaded. Buildings and grounds will go out and put sandbags around buildings to prevent floodwaters from entering. Plans are also put together. "We will usually get together and discuss what preparations need to be done," Chojnacki said. "EMS and fire will not respond if sustained winds are 35 mph or more. That is because their vehicles are so big they can flip over." Chojnacki said during a storm, it is about monitoring and responding to events using technology such as Palmetto EOC which is a tool that allows counties to share information and updates within the county departments and throughout the state agencies. He said Interstate 26 traffic cams are monitored and weather radar is monitored. Chojnacki said following a storm, it is all about damage assessment. "Our roads and bridges guys and building and grounds will go out an inspect buildings," he said. He said the county's damage assessment team, which is annually trained by the state, ranks damages in order to determine if the damages trigger the county receiving federal funding from FEMA to help compensate for county resources used in a storm and individual assistance to handle individual damages. Internally, Chojnacki said the county is closer to building its new Emergency Operations Center at 201 Mill Street in St. Matthews. The plans are for the project to go out to bid in September and break ground in January 2025. He said the county also has added back up power capabilities in operations in emergency management and at the mobile command center trailer. He said there are plans to remodel both the interior and exterior of the mobile command center in the next couple of months. Bamberg County Emergency Services Director Tiffany Kemmerlin said storm preparations are done on a daily basis. "We are constantly ensuring our Emergency Operations Plan is current, coordinating and training with key partners and staff as well as keeping the citizens in the community informed," she said. Kemmerlin encourages residents to prepare for storms. Have a plan, make it personal," Kemmerlin said, quoting the South Carolina Emergency Management Division's advice. "Having a personalized emergency plan is critical for each family. Its always best to be proactive vs. reactive." Tabreed, the UAEs leading international district cooling company, has seen its first-half (H1) net profit after tax at AED269 million ($73.24 million) and EBITDA increase to AED603 million ($164.17 million). Topline group revenue increased to AED1.08 billion for H1 2024, compared to AED1.067 billion during the first half of 2023. Tabreed's H1 2024 EBITDA margin increased year-over-year to 56%, demonstrating the company's ability to generate strong financial results while expanding its business. The results demonstrate exceptional financial health driven by business growth, sustained profitability margins and a commitment to sound financial discipline. Tabreed experienced an 8% year-on-year surge in consumption volumes, reflecting rising cooling demand during the summer and continued strategic expansion over the past 12 months. Strong operating performance As a result of strong operating performance, the company delivered a normalised net profit before tax of AED291 million an increase of 4% compared to the same period last year. The company generated impressive free cash flows of AED978 million over the past 12 months, translating to a healthy yield of more than 10%. Demonstrating responsible management and prudent use of surplus cash, Tabreed further reduced its debt by 12% in the first half of the year by repurchasing an additional $207 million (AED759 million) of its outstanding sukuk due in 2025. Including the $33 million (AED121 million) Sukuk repurchased in 2023, Tabreed has now repurchased a total of $240 million (AED880 million) of the outstanding Sukuk. The buyback is part of Tabreed's active management of its debt portfolio to optimise its funding cost and further strengthen its balance sheet. Simultaneously, the company increased cash returns to shareholders, evidenced by an increase of 15% year-on-year in cash dividends paid for the year 2023. During the annual general assembly held in March 2024, a cash dividend of 15.5 fils per share for 2023 was approved by Tabreed's shareholders, which was subsequently paid in April 2024. New district cooling plant Additionally, during H1 2024, Tabreed completed and commissioned its new district cooling plant on Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi. With an ultimate capacity of 21,000 RT (refrigeration tonnes), the facility supplies sustainable cooling to residential and commercial communities. It is currently supplying 9,000 RT with plans to add 6,000 RT over the next two years. Tabreed also kicked off its previously stated plans to increase the companys international reach by sponsoring the key Big 5 Construct event in Cairo, Egypt. Senior management gave keynote addresses and participated in high-level discussions with planners, developers and government representatives, centred on district cooling being the only viable solution for new, sustainable cities. Changes to Board of Directors Tabreed also announced the appointment of Dr Bakheet Al Katheeri as the new Chairman of its Board of Directors, succeeding Khaled Al Qubaisi, who has served as Tabreeds Chairman since 2017. Dr Al Katheeri, who has been a member of the Board since 2022, is well-positioned to lead Tabreed through its next growth phase, with more than two decades of operational and investment expertise in the energy, infrastructure and industrial sectors. Currently, he serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Mubadalas UAE Investments platform, where he is responsible for guiding the growth and strategic direction of a diverse portfolio of major UAE companies. Also, his previous experience with Adnoc and academic background covering Engineering, Applied Mathematics, and Environmental Science are highly relevant to the business. Tabreed has also welcomed Mansoor Mohamed Al Hamed as a new Board member. For more than 15 years, Mansoor has been instrumental in the strategic growth and development of Mubadala Energy, where he serves as the CEO for almost four years. Prudent capital allocation Commenting on the companys H1 2024 results and his appointment, Dr Al Katheeri, said: In the first half of 2024, Tabreed demonstrated a strong financial performance with increased consumption volumes driving higher profits and improved EBITDA. Our focus on prudent capital allocation has strengthened our financial position, ensuring we are ideally positioned for growth and expansion of our vital role in key infrastructure projects and decarbonisation across the UAE and the broader region. I am honoured to take over as Chairman from Khaled Al Qubaisi. Under his leadership, Tabreed has positioned itself as an agile and efficient company with a proven, resilient business model and commitment to partnerships and sustainable value creation for all its investors, partners and stakeholders. I look forward to working closely with the companys executive leadership team to drive our company forward.--TradeArabia News Service Chinese vice premier urges efforts to advance rural revitalization Xinhua) 09:19, August 17, 2024 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. (Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Wu Chaolan) The prevalence of bullying in our school system has become a critical issue that demands immediate attention. Too many students face harassment and intimidation from their peers, which can have severe emotional and psychological impacts. This toxic environment not only affects the victims but also creates an atmosphere of fear that hinders the overall learning experience for all students. Border Patrol agents in the Tucson sector arrested about half as many people attempting to enter the U.S. between ports of entry in July compared to June, a decrease largely driven by fewer arrivals from Mexico, according to federal data released Friday. Border agents arrested 11,722 people in the Tucson sector last month, a 48% drop from 22,436 in June. In July the Tucson sector recorded about 9,000 fewer Mexican arrivals between ports, including 6,000 fewer Mexicans traveling as part of a family unit, said Ariel Ruiz Soto, senior policy analyst with the Migration Policy Institute. That could be due to word spreading about the Biden administrations June restrictions on access to asylum, Ruiz Soto said. Border-wide, agents encountered 56,408 migrants between ports of entry in July, the lowest number since September 2020, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Officials attributed the decrease to President Joe Bidens June 4 executive order dramatically limiting access to asylum for migrants who enter the U.S. outside ports of entry. Since the proclamation went into effect June 5, arrests between ports of entry dropped by 55%, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has removed or returned more than 92,000 people to their home countries, including through 300 repatriation flights, CBP said. Total removals and returns over the past year exceed removals and returns in any fiscal year since 2010, a Friday CBP news release said. White House spokesman Angelo Fernandez Hernandez told the Associated Press, The Biden-Harris Administration has taken effective action, and the Republicans continue to do nothing. The AP reported that U.S. Rep. Mark Green, Republican chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, countered, This administration is orchestrating a massive shell game, encouraging otherwise-inadmissible aliens to cross at ports of entry instead of between them, thereby creating a facade of improved optics for the administration, but in reality imposing a growing burden on our communities. Despite the slowing migration in 2024, illegal-entry prosecutions in Arizona are up 25% in the second quarter of 2024 the three-month period that ended June 30 compared to the previous quarter. The U.S. Attorneys Office in Arizona brought criminal charges against 2,641 people who entered or re-entered the U.S. illegally in the second quarter. That increase is both due to three additional attorneys lent to the Arizona office by DHS, as well as to a heightened ability for U.S. Border Patrol to focus on prosecutions, U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino said on Friday. It turns out when encounters go down, the Border Patrol has more resources that it can devote to charging the right cases criminally, he said. The U.S. Attorneys Office focuses felony charges on individuals with previous felonies on their U.S. criminal record, and misdemeanor charges for those whose only violation is illegal entry, Restaino said. Most aliens coming across the border are not a danger to us, and are coming over for a better life for them and their families. But we still need accountability, he said. Were never going to prosecute everyone who comes across the border illegally. Its a matter of trying to provide the right accountability, to deter people from doing it. The office also prosecuted 319 individuals for human smuggling, most of whom were U.S. citizens, including four juveniles, who are often recruited over social media, Restaino said. Other factors at play CBPs July data are also a dramatic turnaround compared to December 2023, when agents in the Tucson sector alone arrested more than 80,000 migrants between ports of entry, amid a global surge in migration. Ruiz Soto says other factors are also at play in 2024s reduction in migrant arrivals at the U.S. southern border: Decreases in Venezuelan migration are largely due to Mexicos ongoing migration-enforcement efforts south of the border, and are reflected in drops in arrivals at Texas border sectors, where Venezuelans tend to cross into the U.S., Ruiz Soto said. The question is: How long is Mexico going to be able to financially, and politically, continue to do so? and whether aggressive enforcement will continue under Mexicos incoming president Claudia Sheinbaum, he said. Factors outside the U.S. control could mean arrival volumes ticking back up in the near term, Ruiz Soto said, pointing to Venezuelas recent contested election that could prompt another surge in migration from Venezuela. Bidens June 4 order limiting asylum processing is already facing a legal challenge from human rights advocates, which if successful, could also prompt a reversal in current trends, Ruiz Soto said. Immigrant advocates say the asylum restrictions violate U.S. and international laws, which say its legal to request asylum on U.S. soil, no matter how one entered the country. Under the new order, agents no longer have to ask migrants if they face danger in their home countries; migrants have to know to speak up and make their claim. But the Arizona Daily Star has reported that even some of those who manage to speak up are being ignored, rather than referred to a credible-fear screening with an asylum officer. Thats a violation of protections built in to the Biden administrations own rule, said Pedro Velasco, director of education and advocacy at binational migrant-aid group Kino Border Initiative. On Friday, a newly deported asylum seeker told Velasco that a border agent dismissed her fear claims by saying, Again, with your stories about death, Velasco said. Agents are so accustomed to migrants stories of violence that those expressions of fear have become normalized, he said. Theyre hearing it every day, so theyre disregarding it, he said. But border agents arent supposed to be arbiters of asylum claims, and theyre not trained to be, Velasco said. Their responsibility is to channel (asylum seekers) to an asylum officer, he said. And thats not happening. An Aug. 7 report from Human Rights First, in collaboration with Kino Border Initiative and other aid groups, chronicled testimony from deported asylum seekers who reported widespread violations of refugee protections, family separations and barriers to requesting asylum following Bidens asylum restrictions. The cost of reducing migration volumes through deterrence policies will be counted in lives lost, Velasco said, as those with legitimate asylum claims are returned to their countries of persecution, and as more asylum seekers decide to evade border agents by crossing through remote parts of the desert instead of surrendering. Deterrence policies by themselves are doomed to fail, because they dont take into consideration how desperate a person must be to leave everything they love, everything they own behind, he said. Jon Dudas, the senior vice president, senior associate to the president and chief of staff of the University of Arizona, is the latest member of the senior staff to leave as the university prepares to welcome a new president. He served as the primary liaison with the Arizona Board of Regents, Arizonas other public universities, and shared governance groups at the UA. He also oversaw information technology, university planning and the Office of Institutional Equity. I leave with deep gratitude to President (Robert C.) Robbins for his visionary leadership, which has raised the University of Arizona to new heights including record quality of students, record diversity of students, record research levels and record fundraising, Dudas said in an email Friday to his staff. Working with him and all of you to support this great land-grant institution has been a tremendous honor. Dudas is not the first member of Robbins cabinet to depart since a new UA president was named Aug. 9. On Aug. 13, Provost Joseph Glover, who had been in the position for just over a month, announced he is returning to the University of Florida. Both shifts come soon after ABOR announced the appointment of University of Vermont President Suresh Garimella to serve as the UAs 23rd presidency, after Robbins announced in April that he would step down after a replacement is in place. Garimella is expected to start in the position this fall. Dudas wrote that his decision to leave had nothing to do with the appointment of Garimella. I step away from this role with complete confidence in the future of the University of Arizona under his leadership, he wrote. President Garimellas distinguished record as an educator, researcher, and administrator speaks volumes about his ability to lead us. Similarly, Glover wrote in his announcement: I regret that I will not get to work alongside President Garimella and see his vision for the U of A unfold. Garimella is expected to oversee a nationwide search for the universitys next provost. He is also now expected to search for Dudas replacement, as well as for a senior vice president of research and innovation (Elliott Cheu currently serves in that role at the UA, but in an interim capacity). In his email, Dudas wrote that it is the right time for me to leave, as his youngest child recently graduated from college. Dudas has been at the UA since 2014, and according to public records, his salary last year was $472,570. He is 56. Before that, he served as undersecretary of commerce for intellectual property and director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office under former President George W. Bush. There, Dudas oversaw 9,000 employees and a nearly $2 billion annual budget. The Biden administration is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to spurn requests by Republican legislative leaders and their allies to block anyone who hasnt provided proof of citizenship from voting in the presidential race. In a new filing Friday, Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar told the justices that lower courts got it right when they ruled the National Voter Registration Act overrides a 2022 Arizona law that restricts who can cast a ballot for president. She said while states are free to regulate who can vote in their own elections including what documentation they must provide Congress alone has the authority to decide eligibility for federal elections. She was responding to the latest legal filings by House Speaker Ben Toma and Senate President Warren Petersen along with the Republican National Committee. Strictly speaking, they do not ask for a final ruling on whether the state can restrict who can vote for president. Instead, they ask that the state be allowed to enforce the 2022 law while its legality is litigated. That would have a real and immediate impact. There are more than 41,000 Arizonans who registered to vote using a form authorized by the National Voter Registration Act. That form does not require proof of citizenship but does mandate an avowal, under penalty of perjury, that the individual is qualified to cast a ballot. A ruling in favor of the Republican leaders would bar those Arizonans from voting for president this year. Thats particularly significant because Joe Biden beat Donald Trump four years ago by just 10,457 votes in Arizona. The Republicans suggest the votes of those federal-only voters are unlikely to swing Trumps way. They point out in legal filings that Republicans make up about 34% of the states registered voters. But the latest figures from the Secretary of States Office show 14.3% of these federal-only voters signed up as Republicans. Another 27.4% are Democrats, with 53.6% listed as party not designated and the balance among minor parties. Interplay of laws Central to all this is the interplay between the National Voter Registration Act and the 2022 law. The former allows people to register using the federal form. The Supreme Court itself, in a 2013 ruling involving Arizona, said the state must accept the federal form as a complete and sufficient registration. In 2022 state lawmakers decided that when someone registers using the federal form, county recorders must use certain databases to verify the persons citizenship access. If the recorder cannot verify citizenship, even for a reason like not having access to necessary databases, the person then is told he or she must provide documentary proof of citizenship. More to the point, the law says anyone who fails to provide that proof is ineligible to vote in presidential elections. The state already has conceded it cannot bar these people from casting ballots in congressional elections. Thats because the Constitution allows Congress to dictate the time, place and manner of such races. But Toma, Petersen and the Republican National Committee, in their own filings this past week, argue that doesnt apply to presidential races, allowing lawmakers to impose the restriction. Not true, Prelogar told the justices. This court has repeatedly recognized that Congress has power to regulate presidential elections and primaries, she wrote. Consider, Prelogar said, a federal law that prohibits the use of force and threats in presidential elections, citing an 1884 case. The court also has upheld federal campaign finance laws that apply to presidential elections, she continued, saying the justices ruled constitutional provisions allow Congress to protect the election of the president and vice president from corruption. Partisan dispute And then theres the difference between state and federal elections. The president represents all the voters in the nation, and presidential elections implicate a uniquely important national interest, Prelogar said. Congressional regulation of presidential elections thus in no sense invades any exclusive state power. If nothing else, she said the amendments to the Constitution adopted after the Civil War empowered Congress to enact the National Voter Registration Act to prohibit racial discrimination in voting. That issue came up last year when U.S. District Court Judge Susan Bolton first blocked Arizona from enforcing the 2022law. Congress found that discriminatory and unfair registration laws and procedures can have a direct and damaging effect on voter participation in elections for federal office and disproportionately harm voter participation by various groups, including racial minorities, the judge wrote. It is the duty of federal, state and local governments to promote the exercise of the fundamental right to vote. Multiple other filings Friday with the Supreme Court underline the partisan nature of the legal dispute. The Arizona Republican Party, in its own legal brief, said this is a state issue because, strictly speaking, Arizonans are not voting for president. Instead, they are choosing the electors who, in turn, will vote in the Electoral College for who should be president and vice president. Under settled Supreme Court precedent and a historical record dating back to the Constitutional Convention, a states presidential electors are state officials, wrote an attorney for the state GOP, Harmeet Dhillon. And Dhillon said the Constitution gives states complete power to decide how they will appoint presidential electors. A similar argument was made to the high court by Kris Kobach, the attorney general of Kansas, on behalf of himself and 23 other Republican attorneys general. He told the justices that barring Arizona from enforcing the 2022 law would result in irreparable harms to Arizonas sovereign interests. On the other side of the equation, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, a Democrat, filed her own arguments urging the justices to leave intact the lower court rulings barring the state from enforcing the 2022 law. She argued that changing the system now three months before the general election would be destabilizing. Anyway, she told the justices, it is her office and not Toma and Petersen who represent the states interests in federal court. A separate filing by the state and national Democratic parties says theres no basis for the justices to intercede now. It says those who want the justices to step in have failed to show they would suffer irreparable harm, one of the legal standards to stay the lower court rulings. Voting by mail at issue, too The case before the court is about more than who can cast a ballot for president. A separate provision of the 2022 law says these federal-only registrants must cast a ballot in person and cannot vote by mail even for the congressional races in which they are clearly entitled to vote. Prelogar acknowledged that federal law leaves it to each state to decide whether, and to what extent, to allow mail voting. Having made mail voting generally available, however, Arizona may not discriminatorily withhold that option from voters who submit the federal form without accompanying documentary proof of citizenship, she wrote. There is no date for the justices to decide whether they want to consider the requests by the Republicans and, if so, whether they will allow the state to enforce the 2022 law this year. Democrat Ruben Gallego is all-in on holding a Clean Elections debate with his challenger in the race for an open U.S. Senate seat. Republican Kari Lake, maybe not so much. On Friday, Gallegos campaign told the Arizona Clean Elections Commission, which holds candidate debates that are widely viewed across the state, thats hes prepared to participate under their standard format. But Lakes campaign has been hesitant to agree, although a campaign spokesman said they are in ongoing productive conversations about a Clean Elections debate. The state commission initially asked all candidates to respond by Friday to scheduling requests. That deadline, however, wasnt a hard one. And the commission, at the behest of Lake who has declined to commit so far one way or the other agreed to give her another week to make up her mind. What makes Lakes balking significant is it comes just two years after a dust up when Democrat Katie Hobbs, her foe in the gubernatorial race, refused to face off against her. Arizona PBS, which was hosting the Clean Elections debates at the time, responded by giving Lake what amounted to a half-hour interview. But the situation was exacerbated by the decision of the station to give Hobbs her own half-hour interview despite her refusal to abide by Clean Elections rules. That decision, however, was not made by Clean Elections. And the commission in response quickly ended its long-running partnership with PBS to air its debates. Lake spent much of the remainder of the campaign slamming Hobbs, who eventually pulled out a slim victory, for refusing to debate. For her part, Hobbs campaign said any debate with Lake would be a spectacle. This year, Clean Elections announced a new partnership to produce, air and distribute their debates through the Arizona Media Association. Debates were simulcast on multiple television stations before Julys primary election and general election debates will also air statewide on multiple outlets. Now, however, the shoe is on the other foot for Lake, and shes apparently dragging her feet. Gallego, for his part, is taking full advantage of her failure to decide, saying he is looking forward to participating in the Clean Elections debate in keeping with Arizona tradition. I believe Arizonans deserve to hear firsthand about the choice in this election between a Marine combat veteran with a lifetime of service and someone who is only in this race for herself, he said in a prepared statement. I will spend the next 80 days laser-focused on bringing Arizonans across the political spectrum together to build a better Arizona. In a U.S. Senate race that has already seen millions of dollars in television advertising with much more to come, a debate would be the only chance for voters both undecided and those already committed to a candidate to see them lay out policy and display their personalities in a side-by-side faceoff. And the result of the election could determine which party controls the Senate. Gallegos announcement is not a surprise. Before Friday, he had publicly said hes ready to participate in a Clean Elections debate with Lake. But so far Lakes only public comments since the primary have made it clear shes still upset with the commission, even though the decision to give time to Hobbs was not the panels doing. She told NBC News earlier this month that she wants to find a fair place, a fair platform to do that. Not doing a debate is politically risky for Lake, who is trailing big in fundraising and behind in all non-partisan polls. A poll sponsored by Republicans and released this week showed the race even, while one released early this month by HighGround, an Arizona consulting and polling firm not affiliated with either campaign, showed Gallego up by 11 percentage points. I think it would be a missed opportunity for Kari Lake to not engage Ruben in a debate, said Mike Noble, who runs a different Phoenix-based political polling firm. He has four times the amount of cash on hand, Noble said. He has the better image right now among the electorate, he continued And he has the advantage of polling. Based on these factors, why would she not debate? Noble said it would be a big win for Ruben if Kari doesnt debate. And Stan Barnes, a Republican political consultant and lobbyist, said if Lake refuses to debate, it would be a head-scratcher to me. Barnes noted that Lake was well ahead of her primary challenger, Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, in both money and refused to debate him. Typically, you dont debate if you have the advantage, Barnes said, Now shes in the juxtaposed position, and shes not going to debate? Whether Lake agrees or not, Gallego will get a chance to use that air time under rules adopted by the Citizens Clean Election Commission, a public board that is required by law to oversee pre-election debates. Skipping a Clean Elections debate would have been highly unusual before 2022. The voter-created commission, which funds candidates that agree to forego private campaign funding, oversees many campaign finance rules and does voter outreach, including the debates, has done them for two decades and most major candidates signed on. Tornadoes and floods left 13 dead June 8, 1974, in several state cities and towns, including in Tulsa, where one person was killed and damage was estimated at $29 million. No estimates were available for damage in other areas, but it was extensive. The severe weather first struck Oklahoma City, damaging the National Weather Service building at Will Rogers World Airport. A tornado touched down minutes later in a residential area about four miles from the airport. Two storms tore through Drumright, killing five people, destroying 94 homes and damaging 115 more. The storm also knocked out the city's water system. The Tulsa storm, then called the worst in the city's history, killed one person, damaged more than 1,300 homes and caused at least $29 million in damage, primarily in the city's west, southeast and east. It was the first time in more than 60 years of weather agency records that anyone had been killed by a storm in Tulsa. Oral Roberts University's administration building and a $2 million aerobics center scheduled to open the next month on campus sustained severe damage, as did Riverside Airport, Don Thornton Ford and a Warehouse Market. Between 25,000 and 30,000 Tulsans were still without power 24 hours after the storm. Others storms that day hit Prattville, Sperry, Tahlequah, Chelsea, Olive and Westville. A woman was killed in Chelsea when a flash flood washed her car off the highway into a ditch. Floodwaters killed a 2-year-old boy in Tahlequah. The storm damaged 14 Tulsa school buildings. About 30 people survived by taking refuge in the meat cooler of the Warehouse Market at 4915 S. Union Ave. Ray Myers, the store's off-duty manager, was at home when he heard a radio report about the storm. He called the store, instructing employees to escort shoppers to the cooler. The storm razed the store, leaving only the meat cooler. One customer had wanted to go out to the parking lot to get her husband out of a camper, but a store employee convinced her they didn't have time. The storm flipped the camper, injuring the husband, but not seriously. The funnel at Drumright had touched down about 5 p.m. about two miles southwest of the city and stayed on the ground for 3-1/2 miles. A nursing home was among the damaged buildings, but none of its 100 residents was injured. Staff members at the nursing home had moved the patients into a hall shortly before the tornado blew off the roof, causing the rafters of the dining hall to fall onto the tables. Other storms that day killed five people in Emporia, Kan., and two others drowned in a 12-inch deluge at El Dorado, Ark. An Arkansas State Police trooper said police received a telephone call about a bridge that had washed out, forcing a motorist to turn his car around. The driver came upon another washed-out bridge and then collided with a gravel embankment caused by the heavy rain, killing him. Many people in the El Dorado area had to be rescued from their flooded cars after fleeing their flooded homes. The same storm system caused a small plane to crash near Fort Worth, killing the pilot and five passengers. The 60,000-foot-tall thunderheads flipped the plane upside down, then bashed it into the ground with such force that it was nearly buried. The pilot had told a tower controller that the storm had flipped the plane but that he was trying to bring it upright and find a hole through the storm. Like this column? Read all the columns in the Only in Oklahoma series from the Tulsa World Archive. Randy Krehbiel Tulsa World Staff Writer Follow Randy Krehbiel 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 Oklahoma is a bad place for women needing health and reproductive care, according to a recent Commonwealth Fund report. I wish I could say I was surprised, said Jacqueline Blocker, executive director of Tulsa-based Metriarch, a womens public health data and policy nonprofit organization. Oklahoma is tied with Nevada for 48th, ahead of Texas and Mississippi, in the Commonwealth Fund rankings, which scored the 50 states and the District of Columbia on each of more than 30 measures of womens health care. Oklahoma was 50th for maternity care workforce doctors and nurse midwives practicing in obstetrics and gynecology per 100,000 women and girls ages 15 to 44. It was 47th for outcomes; 45th for coverage, access and affordability; and 47th for quality and prevention. There were some bright or at least less-dim spots. Oklahoma ranks in the middle for low-risk cesarean births, which means women are not being subjected to unnecessary and potentially dangerous surgery. The state ranks 20th for women older than 65 who have received a pneumonia vaccination. And observers are eager to see whether recent expansions in Medicaid coverage, especially for pregnant women and new mothers, will improve outcomes. But there is also this: Blocker said a recent survey found that 70% of Oklahomas licensed OB-GYNs plan to leave the state, have already left or want to leave. The reasons are unclear but seem to involve a combination of factors, including relatively high rates of uninsured women, administrative headaches, working conditions and Oklahomas restrictive abortion laws. To be frank, if doctors dont believe they can fully practice their profession the way theyve been trained, they look somewhere else, Blocker said. For the most part, this does not seem to be a matter of professionals wanting to specialize in abortions. It is about being able to exercise judgment concerning patients whose lives may be in danger. Those who support Oklahomas abortion laws argue that this is not really a problem, but the Commonwealth Fund says its study shows a nationwide trend toward less access to OB-GYNs and related professionals in states with more restrictive abortion laws. What weve found is most of the states that have bans tend to have the lowest number of people working in maternity care per 100,000 women, said Sara Collins, one of the Commonwealth Fund studys authors. Worth noting is that the data for this portion of study is from before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned womens right to abortion, meaning the study does not capture changes in state laws including Oklahomas since then. This is something well be tracking over time, Collins said. All of that said, no one said abortion laws are the only or even biggest reason for Oklahomas low rankings for womens health. Mary Gowin, who as an associate professor of family and preventive medicine in the College of Medicine at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center specializes in primary health care policy and workforce development, says the shortage of womens health professionals is part of a more general shortage. That shortage is more acute, and in some cases connected to, Oklahomas relatively large rural population. About 60% of the counties in Oklahoma do not even have an OB-GYN practicing in them, Gowin said. One of the solutions I hear a lot is, Well, but, but they dont have to get care from an OB-GYN, right? They can go to a family practice doc or a nurse practitioner or a (physicians assistant). And that is actually a very reasonable expectation, she continued. But we also have primary care shortages in the state, as well as geographical challenges. There are counties in Oklahoma that have no health care provider, and so if we dont have a sufficient network to take care of our population, its very difficult to have basic preventive visits, because our physicians and our advanced practice providers are booked way out. For many women, the combination of distance and time is a difficult or impossible obstacle to care, especially for what many consider routine things such as pre-natal checkups, mammograms and screening for cervical cancer. We have about 11,000 patients to every one OB-GYN practicing in our state, Gowin said. And there are a lot of people that think that number is actually underestimated. A lot of OB-GYNs are not taking new patients because they have a full patient (load) already. Gowin and others say one reason for the shortage of medical professionals, including OB-GYNs, is that Oklahoma does not have enough residencies to train all of its medical school graduates. Studies show that doctors ultimately tend to practice near where they complete their residencies. The Oklahoma residencies that are available are mostly in the Oklahoma City and Tulsa metro areas. Ideally, said Gowin, we wouldnt just have them doing residency at academic medical centers or in major metropolitan centers, but we would actually have residency positions in tribal, rural and medically underserved areas so that they can actually learn to practice and discover the joy of practicing in those types of areas. Some of that is happening, most notable in northeastern Oklahoma through the Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences collaboration with the Cherokee Nation. Overall, though, rural hospitals struggles seem to grow, and Blocker said overconfidence in the health care system has been shaken by COVID-19 and other factors. If a hospital disappears, people dont understand the details, she said. They just know its gone. Oklahoma's ratings for women's health care Among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, Oklahoma ranks: Overall: 48 (tie) Maternity care workforce: 50 Lack of care because of cost: 48 Uninsured women: 49 Quality and prevention: 47 Source: The Commonwealth Fund The Tulsa World is where your story lives The DOL English teaching center chain and the Ho Chi Minh City University of Education signed an MoU valued at nearly US$80,000 on Saturday to enhance the foreign language skills of non-English majors, offer practical career training, and introduce English majors to modern corporate culture. The MoU signing ceremony was attended by Prof. Dr. Huynh Van Son, the university's president, and Le Dinh Luc, founder and CEO of DOL English. This deal formalized their partnership in elevating the foreign language skills of students outside the Department of English, provide practical career training, and expose English majors to contemporary corporate culture. Ultimately, this collaboration seeks to enhance the employability of Ho Chi Minh City University of Education graduates in increasingly competitive local and global job markets, given the proliferation of AI. DOL English, which operates 18 centers in Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City, said that it would provide VND2 billion (US$79,808) to fund this partnership. Le Dinh Luc, founder and CEO of DOL English, speaks at a ceremony to sign an MoU with the Ho Chi Minh City University of Education at the university's campus, August 17, 2024. As per the MoU, DOL English will collaborate with three units of the university, namely the Department of English, the Youth Union - Student Association at both the university and departmental levels, and the Student Support and Entrepreneurship Development Center, from now until the end of May 2025. The English teaching center chain will also provide scholarships, including both cash and in-kind support, to top-performing students entering and graduating from the Department of English and other departments, as well as to students facing financial difficulties or those actively participating in extracurricular activities and contributing to societal development. DOL English will support and sponsor various academic and extracurricular activities managed by the university, assist in organizing foreign language proficiency enhancement programs, and create opportunities for university students to participate in internships, practical training, and post-graduation recruitment. Both parties will jointly organize seminars and forums to equip students with the skills and knowledge needed in the era of Industry 4.0. Luc, who has a masters, expressed his admiration for the Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, noting that the university has long been renowned for its quality education and its ability to produce many generations of skilled and dedicated teachers. Through seven years of running DOL English, we've always had great confidence in the abilities, expertise, and knowledge of the young lecturers who graduated from this institution. Thats why we are excited and proud to sign this MoU with the university. We hope that through this partnership, DOL English will continue to welcome the most outstanding students from the English Department and other faculties. We aim to support the university by offering scholarships to talented students, including valedictorians and salutatorians." He added that through the MoU, DOL English will conduct training sessions on Linearthinking, an exclusive English learning method developed by the English center chain itself and recognized by the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam, for students in the English Department and others interested in career opportunities at DOL. Prof. Dr. Huynh Van Son, president of the Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, speaks at a ceremony to sign an MoU with DOL English at the university's campus, August 17, 2024. Speaking at the event, Prof. Dr. Son, underscored the consistently high quality of his university's students, particularly those in the Department of English, which has been widely recognized. He noted that students typically need to achieve an average score above nine out of ten to gain admission to the department, reflecting its reliability and academic excellence. "However, high entrance scores and strong academic performance alone are not enough. Students still need practical experience, Prof. Dr. Son said. Thats why we are grateful to DOL English for their ongoing support in providing recruitment opportunities and updating our students on current job market demands. DOL English and our university share common values, such as promoting lifelong learning and upholding humanistic values. I believe this partnership will grow sustainably and create significant value for society. I highly appreciate and thank DOL English for their collaboration with our university. Like us on Facebook or follow us on X to get the latest news about Vietnam! Ho Chi Minh City plans to pilot the use of English as a second language in teaching at selected public high schools during the 2024-25 school year, marking a significant breakthrough in local education. Nguyen Van Hieu, director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, confirmed the plan at a conference held on Friday to review results of the 2023-24 school year and outline tasks for the upcoming academic year, which will begin at the end of this month. This initiative comes as Ho Chi Minh City students continue to lead the country in English proficiency, with an average score of 6.73 in the 2024 national high school graduation exam. Ho Chi Minh City has implemented various English programs in recent years across public elementary, middle, and high schools, including elective English, advanced English, and integrated English in math and science. The Politburos recent directive to promote international integration in education also emphasizes the improvement of foreign language skills, particularly in English, to enhance the quality of human resources for national development. At Fridays conference, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Pham Ngoc Thuong urged Ho Chi Minh City to use English as a second language for teaching in public schools. Thuong highlighted the city's role as the economic hub of the country and stressed the need for its students to meet regional and global English proficiency standards. He encouraged the city to set a high benchmark for English education. Director Hieu responded that Ho Chi Minh City is well-equipped to implement this plan and will select schools to pilot the program at the start of the coming school year. Experts and leaders from various high schools have thrown their weight behind the initiative. Tran Thi Hong Thuy, principal of Tran Dai Nghia Middle and High School in District 1, expected parents to give support to the policy as their children will have a chance to study in an English-speaking environment. Thuy noted that the citys curriculum already includes English from third grade and has several effective English teaching programs. The high English test scores in the city and national exams reflect its students readiness for this transition. Nguyen Thi Tu, principal of Practical High School under Ho Chi Minh City University of Pedagogy in District 5, also noted that current English enhancement programs at her school have strong parental backing and high student participation. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Binh, dean of the English Department at Ho Chi Minh City University of Pedagogy, mentioned several advantages for using English as a second language in local schools. The city benefits from a highly qualified and experienced team of English teachers, including many foreign professionals, and boasts modern infrastructure and advanced information technology, Binh said. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Check out the latest news in Vietnam today: Politics -- Party General Secretary and State President of Vietnam To Lam will head a Party Central Committee delegation to visit and work in Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday. -- The 13th Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam elected Senior Lieutenant General Luong Tam Quang, member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Central Public Security Party Committee, and Minister of Public Security, to the Politburo at a meeting held in Hanoi on Friday. -- A Vietnamese delegation led by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang attended the 9th Mekong-Lancang Foreign Ministers Meeting held in Chiang Mai, Thailand on Friday, which gathered representatives from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and China. Society -- A massive fire broke out at a bar undergoing renovation in downtown Hanois Ba Dinh District on Friday evening, leaving several injured, including a firefighter. -- The State Securities Commission of Vietnam has imposed an administrative fine of nearly VND400 million (US$15,960) on Cencon Vietnam JSC, a jewelry, electric car, and real estate business in Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam, for violating information disclosure regulations. -- A seven-seater car driver was killed on the spot after being thrown from his car during a severe head-on collision with a trailer truck in Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province, southern Vietnam on Friday afternoon. -- The Coast Guard Region 3 Command confirmed on Friday that they had teamed up with police in Khanh Hoa Province, south-central Vietnam to crack down on a drug trafficking case, detaining one man and one woman, both aged 38, for allegedly transporting more than four kilograms of illicit drugs from southern Vietnam to the provincial city of Nha Trang on August 12. World News -- 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, Reuters reported. -- The number of people killed when a mountain of garbage collapsed in Uganda's capital last week has risen to 35, 12 of whom were young people, Reuters cited police as saying on Friday. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Kunqu Opera performers Wei Chunrong (left), who plays the role of Li Pei, and Yuan Guoliang, who plays the role of Guo Yonghuai, perform an excerpt from the Kunqu Opera production Li Pei in Beijing on Aug 10. [Photo/China Daily] The Northern Kunqu Opera Theatre's latest contemporary production, Li Pei, which is about the famous applied linguist, will premiere at the Tianqiao Performing Arts Center in Beijing on Sept 20. According to Yang Fengyi, president of the theater, the production is a compelling tribute to Li's remarkable life and legacy, and reflects her resilience, groundbreaking achievements as an educator, and her story with her husband, Guo Yonghuai (1909-68), one of the founding fathers of China's atomic and hydrogen bomb, and satellite programs. Born in Jiangsu province in 1917, Li was admitted to Peking University to study economics in 1936. She continued her studies at Cornell University in the United States in 1947, where she married Guo in 1948. The couple returned to China with their only daughter in 1956. Li passed away in 2017. Li began teaching English at the University of Science and Technology of China in 1961, and transferred to its graduate school in 1978. Later renamed the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, she remained at the graduate school until she retired in 1987. Besides being an educator and linguist, Li is also credited with being one of the most important initiators and promoters of the development of Zhongguancun, which later became the high-tech innovation hub that has been dubbed "the Silicon Valley of China". She also set up the Zhongguancun Forum, and invited eminent scholars from many fields to give lectures, arranging more than 600 between 1998 and 2011. "Besides Li's professional life, which established her as a formidable figure in her own right, the production also depicts her family life, from her romance with her husband to her life after his death," says Yang. Guo was the first dean of the chemical physics department at the University of Science and Technology of China. A pioneer of modern Chinese mechanics, he made great contributions to mechanics, applied mathematics and aeronautics and died in a plane crash in 1968, at the age of 59. "Li was not only a pioneer educator but also a wife and mother, who coped with the devastating loss of her husband, and later of her only daughter, who died in 1997," says Gong Yingtian, director and scriptwriter of the opera that follows Li's story over the course of 80 years. More than 600 years old and one of the oldest traditional forms of opera still in vogue in China, Kunqu Opera is performed in the Suzhou dialect, and is known for its graceful movements and dance. It has captured hearts of fans with its seemingly endless variety of gestures used to express specific emotions and in 2008, it was inscribed on UNESCO's list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity. "There are over 90 performers in the production. We also combine elements such as choral singing, narration and symphonic music, with Kunqu Opera," adds Gong. One of the theater's leading performers is Wei Chunrong, who will play the role of Li. "This is the first time for me to play a role in a contemporary Kunqu Opera production, and it's challenging since it is based on a real story. I did a lot of research on Li's life," says Wei, who started to study the ancient art form when she was 10, and has been performing with the Northern Kunqu Opera Theatre since she was 16. As a winner of the Chinese Theatre Plum Blossom Award, the top national performing arts award, Wei is mostly known for her roles as classic Chinese beauties like Du Liniang in The Peony Pavilion and Cui Yingying in The Romance of the West Chamber. "Most of the roles I have played are of beautiful, soft and sentimental women. Many have been portrayed by Kunqu Opera actresses in different generations. For Li Pei, I had to put aside all my experiences with other female roles and start afresh," Wei says. Yang Jia, one of Li's students, is also portrayed in the production. She studied under Li after being admitted to pursue her master's degree at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences at the age of 22. Two years later, she became a teacher at the university, and at 29, lost her sight. With Li's encouragement and a great deal of determination, Yang Jia became the first blind person from outside the US to obtain a master's degree in public administration from Harvard University. "I can still recall the first time I met Li when I was interviewed for entry to the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences some 30 years ago. Her smile was so heartwarming," says Yang. "I was lucky to have been her student. She was a great woman who inspired me." One firefighter was rushed to hospital for smoke inhalation after joining his coworkers to knock down a massive fire at a bar in downtown Hanoi on Friday evening. He is now in stable condition, the municipal police agency confirmed on Saturday morning. The blaze broke out at around 6:30 pm at the Star 3 bar on Pho Duc Chinh Street in Ba Dinh District. Dozens of firefighters and at least 11 fire trucks were sent to the scene where the massive fire rapidly swept through the whole two-story bar and caused the building to collapse. As the bar is temporarily closed for renovation, no one was stuck inside the facility at the time of the blaze. The firefighting operation concluded at 11:00 pm the same day, with no casualties reported. The cause of the bar fire is under investigation. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A Vietnamese man who was once a witness in the case of six compatriots found dead from poisoning at a hotel in Thailands Bangkok last month has been arrested by local tourist police for working as an illegal tour guide, according to Thai media. Phan Ngoc Vu, 35, was detained at a hotel in Soi Rang Nam in Bangkok on Friday while he was leading a tour for Vietnamese tourists in the country. According to Thailands Khaosod newspaper, guide is one of 40 occupations which are completely restricted for foreigners in Thailand. The arrest came as tourist police observed his activities for over a month, during which they concluded that he was an illegal guide leading Vietnamese tourists to various destinations in Thailand. Facing the charges of running a travel business and working as a tour guide without required licenses and a work permit, Vu was sent to the Phaya Thai police station for legal processing, according to Bangkok Post. Phan Ngoc Vu came as a witness on July 17 in the case of six Vietnamese tourists who were found dead in a room at Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel in Bangkok on July 16. Two of the six travelers held U.S. nationality, including Chong Sherine, 56, who was suspected of using a lethal mixture of cyanide and tea to poison five compatriots when they met at the hotel to resolve a debt dispute. After committing the alleged poison, Sherine killed herself by possibly drinking a toxic substance, according to Khaosod. Thai investigators questioned Vu following the shocking discovery of six bodies at the hotel room as he had worked as a guide for this Vietnamese tourist group in Thailand. Tourist police later decided to closely monitor Vus activities since they had observed him on several occasions taking Vietnamese tourists to attractions in Thailand. The monitoring led to the arrest of Vu as an illegal tour guide on Friday. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Many young people in Ho Chi Minh City queued outdoors overnight to buy the trending Labubu, a rabbit-like creature with monsters teeth. Labubu, an art toy designed by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung in 2015, draws inspiration from the sharp-toothed monsters of Norse mythology. Recently, it has been causing a stir online, leading to widespread sell-outs. At a shopping mall in District 7, Ho Chi Minh City, some Labubu toys became available again on Thursday at their original prices, prompting many to arrive early to purchase them. According to observations by a Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper correspondent, nearly 500 people lined up at the venue from dawn on Friday. At 5:00 am on Friday, Le Thi Ngoc Bich from District 7, took her daughter to the said shopping mall, which is just a few kilometers from their home, in hopes of purchasing the trending Labubu toy. Upon their arrival, Bich was overwhelmed by the long line of people already waiting. She explained that her daughter, a fifth grader, was captivated by the monster-toothed rabbit toy that has been creating a buzz online. Determined to get one, Bich decided to spend the entire Friday making the purchase. Labubu toys. Photo: POP MART On online platforms, I saw Labubu prices ranging from VND700,000 [US$28] to over VND1 million [$40], but here its only VND380,000 [$15], said Phuong Anh, Bichs daughter. However, Bich noted that the taxi fares for multiple trips to the shopping mall equaled the cost of buying Labubu elsewhere, but she was happy to make her daughter smile. Bich and her daughter received a queuing number from security and waited until the store opened at 9:00 am on Friday. Each number allowed the purchase of only two random items. Despite obtaining a number, Bich worried about missing out, as many had arrived as early as 2:00 am on Thursday without success. In contrast, the first 20 people in the line were able to buy Labubu without concern. Nguyen Thi Tuyet Huong, 30, from Binh Tan District, felt fortunate to be among this group. She and her nephew had set up a tarpaulin to sleep at the mall since 6:00 pm on Thursday. We were just inside the top 20, she said. Many people had been queuing since 3:00-4:00 pm the day before. Young people camp out for Labubu toys at a shopping mall in District 7, Ho Chi Minh City, August 16, 2024. Photo: Nguyen Hoang Tuan / Tuoi Tre According to Huong, the waiting time was exhausting. She had been well-prepared by bringing food, fans, and plastic tarps to camp out at the shopping mall. Whenever she needed to use the restroom, she asked someone to eye on her spot while she quickly visited nearby convenience stores. Unable to sleep due to the noise and discomfort, she walked around to stretch, chatted with fellow waiters, and played cards. Huong explained that her younger sister is a huge fan of Labubu. She herself found Labubu cute and wanted to join the trend. Once you have one, youll want another, she said. Meanwhile, Le Thi Yen Nhi, 26, from Hoc Mon District, and three relatives took turns searching for food and using the restroom, hoping to buy five to six Labubu toys to justify the hassle of queuing overnight. With so many fakes and inflated prices, we came here hoping to buy a decent number of authentic toys, she said. The family of Nguyen Thi Tuyet Huong, from Binh Tan District, camp out for Labubu toys at a shopping mall in District 7, Ho Chi Minh City, August 16, 2024. Photo: Nguyen Hoang Tuan / Tuoi Tre Nhi noted that despite the fatigue, the atmosphere outside the mall was lively, and her younger brother, a fourth grader, joined the hunt because of his love for Labubu. Mai Duy Minh Khang, 29, from Da Lat City in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong, and his wife arrived early but struggled to sleep due to the noise from passing trucks. We just stayed outdoors, but its acceptable since buying it here is much cheaper than [buying] from resellers, Khang said. I already have eight Labubu toys at home and a few still in their boxes. This time, we hope to find the second version of Labubu in pastel colors or the chrysanthemum version of Labubu. Im willing to endure the discomfort to satisfy my passion, he said. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Three-time Grammy winner Ne-Yo and the talented South Korean rapper B.I are scheduled to perform in Hanoi next month. The organizers announced on Friday the inclusion of the two famed artists in the lineup for the 8WONDER Moon Festival 2024, which will be held at the Ocean City urban complex in Hanoi from September 6-8. World-renowned hitmaker Ne-Yo has solidified his legacy as one of the greatest in the industry, with three Grammy awards, two No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200, and over 23 billion streams across his entire music catalog. Recently, he marked a new chapter in his career by releasing 2 Million Secrets, his first single as a fully independent artist. Adding to the excitement, South Korean rapper B.I is a multi-talented artist known for his songwriting, producing, and performing skills. He was the first Asian artist to participate in the Grammy Academys Global Spin performance series and has been featured multiple times by TIME magazine for his standout albums and songs. He is also set to embark on a grand tour across 14 major cities in Europe. South Korean rapper B.I. Photo: Supplied Joining international stars on the 8WONDER Moon Festival 2024 stage will be some of Vietnams rising artists. The fest promises more than just top-notch music and performances; it will present an unparalleled three-day autumn celebration. Highlights include the Italian Autumn Food Festival, Beer Land Festival, EDM Orchestra Fest, Korean Food Festival, Vietnamese Mid-Autumn Festival, Jinju Lantern Street, Beer Splash Festival, fireworks displays, and a Kite Festival, along with fashion shows and street art performances. Tickets for the 8WONDER Moon Festival are available on the VinWonders website (VinWonders.com) and mobile app. General admission tickets for standing areas are priced between VND900,000 (US$36) and VND2 million ($80), while VIP seating ranges from VND6-8 million ($240-320) per ticket. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! With the planned upgrade of the Broken Hill airport, runway and facilities taking place during production of RFDS, the Seven series will film in South Australia. Pre-production has commenced with action set to take place in Adelaide, the Flinders Ranges, the Port Augusta RFDS Base and regional surrounds doubling for Broken Hill. Produced by Endemol Shine Australia, Seven and the South Australian Film Corporation, the lead cast are all set to return including Emma Hamilton, Stephen Peacocke, Justine Clarke, Ash Ricardo, Emma Harvie, Rodney Afif, Jack Scott, Sofia Nolan, Thomas Weatherall and Rob Collins. Both the series and Rob Collins are also nominated for Logie Awards. Co-Creator, Writer and Executive Producer Ian Meadows said: This series strives to showcase the beauty of regional Australia and the incredible work that the RFDS does to reach and support our most remote communities. We are pleased to have found a new home in South Australia for season three, utilising the Port Augusta RFDS Base and beautiful regional surrounds including Quorn, as well as locations across Adelaide. Executive Producer and Endemol Shine Australias Head of Scripted, Sara Richardson, said: We are thrilled to have our extraordinary cast all returning for season three. The entire cast and crew are privileged to work with the actual RFDS in showcasing their true heroics in some of the most beautiful and rugged terrain in the world, including South Australias stunning Flinders Ranges. Sevens Head of Drama, Julie McGauran, said: What a joy it is to see our stellar cast return to the screens of Seven for a third series of RFDS. With the show now in production, I can confidently say Ian and the team have once again crafted wonderful stories that showcase the importance of the RFDS and all they do for the Australian community. This beautiful series is only possible because of their incredible support. South Australian Film Corporation CEO, Kate Croser, said: We are delighted to welcome this beloved drama series to South Australia, marking Endemol Shines first production in the state. Securing RFDS is a real coup for South Australia. Produced by SAs Lisa Scott with a majority SA crew, not only will it create hundreds of local jobs and significant opportunities for crew upskilling and career advancement, but it will also be the latest major screen production to showcase our states remarkable regional landscapes to a huge national audience. Screen Australia COO, Grainne Brunsdon, said: RFDS has captivated audiences and touched hearts across the country. Not only is it a gripping drama, it also showcases parts of regional Australia not often seen on screen. Most importantly it celebrates the critical work that the Royal Flying Doctor Service does every day, helping our remote communities. Based on the heroic real-life stories of doctors, nurses, pilots and support staff of the Royal Flying Doctor Service, the new season picks up one year later, as the RFDS family is forced to grapple with the fallout of choices and deal with the domino effects of a tragedy. This year the team will face their toughest obstacles yet, forcing them to make big decisions about what they want their lives to be and who they want to share them with. Executive produced by Sara Richardson, Julie McGauran and Ian Meadows, the third season of RFDS is produced by Lisa Scott (Highview Productions). RFDS is produced by Endemol Shine Australia in association with the Seven Network. Major production investment from Screen Australia, Seven Network and the South Australian Film Corporation. Post, digital and visual effects supported by Screen NSW. Banijay Rights handles international distribution for RFDS outside of Australia. New US thriller All Her Fault, starring Sarah Snook, will film in Melbourne. Snook, will star in the lead role of Marissa as well as executive producing the 8 x 1 hour drama series, adapted from the novel of the same name by Andrea Mara. The Peacock series will film at Docklands Studios Melbourne and on location across the city, doubling for Chicago, creating more than 2,000 jobs, including 510 crew and five placements for emerging screen practitioners. The production will also support 435 local businesses and inject over $70 million directly into the Victorian economy. All Her Fault opens on a plausibly terrifying situation that eventually unearths the deep secrets of a community. Marissa Irvine arrives at 14 Arthur Avenue, expecting to pick up her young son, Milo, from his first playdate with a boy at his new school. But the woman who answers the door isnt a mother she recognises. She isnt the nanny. She doesnt have Milo. And so begins every parents worst nightmare. Minkie Spiro will direct the first episode, among others and executive produce. Joining Snook in the cast are Dakota Fanning (Ripley, The Equalizer 3) and Jake Lacy (White Lotus), Abby Elliott (The Bear), Sophie Lillis (It) and Michael Pena (Unstoppable). Megan Gallagher (Wolf, Suspicion) serves as writer, creator, and executive producer alongside executive producers Nigel Marchant, Gareth Neame and Joanna Strevens for Carnival Films (The Day of the Jackal, Lockerbie, Downton Abbey), Jennifer Gabler Rawlings and Christine Sacani, producer Terry Gould and associate producer, Andrea Mara. Sarah Snook said, I feel so excited about being able to work in Melbourne again. The industry we have here, across all departments of cast and crew, is world class. Theres always a can-do attitude, and Im particularly impressed with the sustainability efforts our team on All Her Fault are making; showing we can lower our environmental impact without compromising on quality. Victorian Minister for Creative Industries Colin Brooks said, Victoria is an in-demand destination for screen productions of all genres and sizes and were proud to back this major series which will boost local screen jobs and businesses and inject more than $70 million to our economy. All Her Fault is just one of the productions being filmed in Victoria this year showcasing our incredible creative talent, highly skilled crews, unique locations and world-class screen infrastructure. Minkie Spiro said, It is an absolute honour to be directing All Her Fault starring Sarah Snook, in Melbourne with Carnival Films, and our on the ground team at Matchbox, alongside our studio partners at Universal International Studios. Melbourne is an incredibly film friendly city brimming with amazing locations and immensely talented crew. Executive Vice-President, Production Operations, UCP, Mark Binke said, Were delighted to be working with VicScreen again to further develop Victorian crew skills, particularly in the areas of virtual production and sustainability. The VicScreen attachment and work placement programs are an invaluable training tool. We would also like to acknowledge the Federal Governments support through the new Location Offset, which makes it possible to bring projects like All Her Fault to Australia. An Australian broadcaster is yet to be confirmed. All Her Fault is produced by Carnival Films, which is part of Universal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group, and was attracted to Victoria through the Victorian Governments Victorian Screen Incentive. Sidra Fatima and Syed Taqui Haider, TwoCircles.net Lucknow: Nestled in the heart of Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, the Rumi Darwaza stands as a breathtaking testament to the citys rich architectural legacy and cultural achievements. Often dubbed the Turkish Gate, this magnificent gateway was constructed in 1784 by Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula, a pivotal figure in Awadhs history. Positioned between the Chota Imambara and Bada Imambara, it serves as a structural bridge connecting these historical landmarks while embodying both historical significance and artistic grandeur. Support TwoCircles The Rumi Darwazas creation coincided with a severe famine in Lucknow. Built as a famine relief measure by Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula, it provided employment to thousands during a dire time. Its design drew inspiration from the Sublime Porte in Istanbul, reflecting the profound influence of Mughal and Persian architectural styles in India. Characterized by its elaborate ornamentation, the Rumi Darwaza epitomizes Awadhi architecture through its grand scale and harmonious fusion of various architectural styles. The gateway features an arched doorway adorned with floral motifs, rising to 60 feet in height and crowned by a central lantern that once guided travellers at night. Often described as a window to the Old City of Lucknow, this architectural marvel symbolises the resilience and artistic spirit of the city. Architectural Features The Rumi Darwazas architectural style showcases a distinct Nawabi flavour, diverging from the Mughal preference for red sandstone. Instead, Nawabi structures like the Rumi Darwaza utilize brick-faced construction with lime plaster, allowing for intricate sculpting that is less feasible with stone. The gates detailed floral carvings exemplify the Nawabi penchant for meticulous craftsmanship. Commonly referred to as the Turkish Gate due to its resemblance to Bab-i-Humayun in ancient Constantinople (now Istanbul), the Rumi Darwaza offers a panoramic view of the city from its octagonal chhatri (canopy). The gates ornate engravings blend Persian, Turkish, and Mughal elements, showcasing the craftsmanship of the era. Originally, lights were placed in the niches flanking the entrance, enhancing its allure and symbolizing Lucknows social and cultural diversity. Controversies and Challenges Despite its historical grandeur, the Rumi Darwaza faces significant challenges, including environmental degradation, inadequate maintenance and encroachment. Aftab Hussain, superintendent at the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in Lucknow, detailed the conservation efforts: Identifying and marking the cracks took months, followed by research to find authentic materials for repairs. Conserving such a large structure is a complex task, requiring meticulous attention to each crack with multiple layers of plaster. Pollution, vehicular emissions and vibrations have exacerbated the damage to the gates intricate carvings, raising concerns among conservationists. The vibrations from heavy traffic have caused significant cracks, Hussain noted. Recent refurbishments have included adding parks and an old-style brick road to restore the gates former glory. However, proposals to modernise the area with flyovers and commercial complexes were met with criticism. Ongoing conservation work has left visitors unable to fully appreciate the structure, leading to frustration among locals and calls for re-evaluation of development plans. He clarified the detailed documentation process: The conservation work is time-consuming, and documenting every step, including before and after photos and notes, is essential for future reference. Heritage conservationists argue that modernisation could damage the gates historical ambiance and integrity, fueling a debate between advocates of progress and preservationists. Efforts are underway to address these concerns, including proposals to restrict traffic to foot visitors only, which would reduce wear and tear on the structure. The Rumi Darwaza is more than a gateway; it represents Lucknows architectural brilliance and cultural heritage. Preserving this landmark not only honors the citys artistic legacy but also supports local tourism, said Saurabh Tiwari, a contemporary history professor at the Era University, Lucknow. According to a document from the ASI, The conservation team explored historical records, photographs and previous conservation works. The process focused on using reliable documentary evidence rather than artistic whims, ensuring that conservation efforts align with the original materials and traditional skills. Rajmistri (mason) from a traditional Lucknow family was employed for this work. The Rumi Darwaza remains a symbol of Lucknows enduring historical significance and Nawabi architectural heritage, continuing to inspire awe while navigating the challenges of preservation amidst modern development pressures. M I Khan, TwoCircles.net Saidul Sheikh and Noorul Sheikh, both migrant workers from Murshidabad, West Bengal, have allegedly been forced to return to their homes prematurely. They are the latest victims of hate crimes in Odisha. Labeled as Bangladeshi Muslims, they have been subjected to abuse, humiliation, threats, attacks and beatings allegedly by Hindutva activists and members of organizations linked to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), the Bajrang Dal and the Bharatiya Janata Partys Yuva Morcha. Support TwoCircles They are among hundreds of Bengali-speaking Muslim migrant workers mostly daily wage earners, street hawkers, and vendors who have returned to their native places in Murshidabad and Maldah after facing targeted violence from the right-wing Hindutva forces. They were allegedly branded as Bangladeshi simply for speaking Bengali in nearly half a dozen districts, including Sambalpur, Keonjhar, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara and Bhadrak in Odisha. Saidul, 30, a resident of Momin Tola under Jangipur in Murshidabad, expressed his pain and trauma while talking to TwoCircles.net over phone: I resemble any other young man working in the construction sector in Odishas Sambalpur district but was targeted for being a Bengali-speaking Muslim after violence and a change of government in neighboring Bangladesh. Despite the fact that I have nothing to do with Bangladesh and am an Indian citizen like those who targeted me, my only crime seems to be that I am a Bengali-speaking Muslim. Four days after Saidul, a mason, returned to his native place from Odisha out of fear for his life, he recounted that Bengali-speaking Muslims were made easy targets by individuals carrying saffron flags and loudly chanting Jai Shri Ram. It was like a day of terror for us because our citizenship was questioned, and we were called illegal Bangladeshi Muslims. They used vulgar language against Muslims and our religion, Islam, abused us, threatened us to go back to Bangladesh, and attacked and beat some of us despite us showing our Aadhar and Voter ID cards upon request. With folded hands, we repeatedly told them that we are Indian residents of Murshidabad and not Bangladeshi Muslims, but they refused to accept it. He recalled that the fear was so intense that they silently gathered in groups of 15 or 20, reached the railway station, and boarded a train to Howrah. After being threatened by Sanatani Sena, Hindu Rakshak Dal, and BJP members to leave Odisha or face arrest by the police, we decided to leave our workplace in Sambalpur for our safety. Noorul Sheikh, 27, who had been working as a hawker in rural Sambalpur to support himself for over five years, faced a similar situation earlier this week. The resident of Chunakhali village under Murshidabad Jiaganj was allegedly attacked, beaten and injured by a group of people with saffron flags. It was a typical August morning when I left my rented room to sell steel, aluminum utensils, and toys on a bicycle by visiting different villages. At noon, feeling exhausted due to the heat and humidity, I took a rest under a tree. A group of people surrounded me and accused me of being Bangladeshi. Some of them first abused me, then attacked and beat me. I was injured on my head. I begged them to let me go on the condition that I would leave Odisha as they had threatened me. He alleged their aim was to terrorize Bengali-speaking Muslims working in different parts of Odisha under the pretext of them being Bangladeshi, following reported violence in Bangladesh against Hindus. I failed to convince them that I am from West Bengal, not Bangladesh, despite providing my Aadhar card and other residential documents. They dismissed them as fake and were adamant about targeting us for being Bengali-speaking Muslims. Both Saidul and Noorul stated they will not return to Odisha for work. Odisha nahi jayenge, Delhi, Patna ya kahin aur jayenge, koi chara nahi hai, kamana to padega, Dekhenge kahan jayenge kaam ke liye lekin Odisha nahi. (We wont go to Odisha. Well go to Delhi, Patna or somewhere else theres no other choice. We have to earn a living. Well see where we can go for work, but not to Odisha.) They noted that some Hindutva activists have been uploading fake and misleading video clips on social media, branding Bengali-speaking Muslim migrant workers as Bangladeshi to spread hatred. Their aim is to create suspicion and threat against them in rural areas. Two senior journalists based in Bhubaneswar and Sambalpur reported that recently, some unknown extreme Hindu organisations have targeted Bengali-speaking Muslim migrant workers from West Bengal by branding or terming them as Bangladeshi. There is no doubt that the Hindutva forces attempt has largely failed, as the common people in Odisha did not support their move to attack these workers. They mentioned that some BJP leaders in Sambalpur town had roughed up and handed over 34 Bengali-speaking Muslim migrant workers engaged in the construction sector to the police. However, the police later released them after verifying that they were from West Bengal, not Bangladesh. In Sambalpur and other districts, some isolated incidents occurred, but by and large, people knew that the laborers and hawkers were Bengali-speaking Muslim migrant workers from West Bengal, not Bangladesh, said Priya Ranjan Sahu. According to Saidul and Noorul, hundreds of migrant workers from Murshidabad and Maldah were forced to leave Odisha after Hindutva forces created panic among them through targeted violence. Those who returned home are upset and angry. This hate crime against them in Odisha has led to protests and road blockades by angry youths in Murshidabad on August 14. Official data shows that Malda and Murshidabad are Muslim-majority districts, with Muslim populations constituting 51% and 66%, respectively. For years, the RSS-BJP has been highlighting these areas for rising population due to alleged infiltration from neighboring Bangladesh. Hundreds of angry people blocked National Highway 12 at two locations in Murshidabad for nearly four hours to protest against the hate crimes perpetrated against Bengali-speaking Muslim migrant workers in Odisha. It was reported that some protesters vandalized a truck with an Odisha registration number. The protests disrupted traffic on NH. More protests are likely to follow in the coming days as migrant workers continue to return home from Odisha until August 15. Taking serious note of the hate crimes against Bengali-speaking Muslim migrant workers from West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi last Sunday to seek his intervention and reportedly asked him to stop such violence against migrant workers from the state. Majhi has reportedly assured Mamata that actions will be taken and such incidents will not be repeated. Former Odisha Chief Minister and BJD President Naveen Patnaik also expressed concern, stating that such incidents damage the states image of communal harmony and peaceful coexistence. Patnaik, the longest-serving chief minister of the state, noted that Odishas image as a harmonious state has attracted investors and strengthened the states financial infrastructure. We have lifted more than 60 percent of people out of poverty, he said on X. This is not the first instance of hate crimes against Bengali-speaking Muslim migrant workers in Odisha. In March 2024, nearly 100 Bengali-speaking Muslim migrants, who had been engaged in selling plastic goods and clothes in Bhadrak district, Odisha for 10 to 15 years, were forced to leave after being threatened and assaulted allegedly by local BJP leaders and workers. A BJP leader was arrested by the police following a complaint by the Bengali-speaking Muslim migrants. Reports indicate that BJP leaders demanded documents to prove that these vendors were Indian citizens, not Bangladeshis. When the vendors opposed this, they were attacked, beaten, and threatened to leave. With the BJP-led government coming to power in Odisha in June 2024 marking the first time BJP has formed its own government in the state Hindutva forces have reportedly been targeting minorities, including Muslims and Christians. Earlier, violence and hate crimes against Christians were reported in Odishas tribal areas. In June 2024, some unknown individuals vandalized a Baptist church in Cuttack and assaulted two priests while looting Rs 10 lakh from a Catholic church in Sundergarh district. Foreign participants at an international symposium on Thursday hailed China's achievements in green development and the country's contributions to the energy transition of other developing countries. "China, the economically challenged country I first visited in 1988, is now the world leader in electric vehicles, renewable energy from wind, water and the sun itself. For the first time, wind and solar energy now produce more power than coal," said Harvey Cary Dzodin, chairman of the HCD Earthcare Culture Association. "China is so successful that the United States and the European Union falsely accuse China of needlessly flooding their marketplaces with below market-priced subsidized EVs, solar panels and the like. At a time when the world faces an existential environmental threat to life on this planet as we know it, China's efforts should be celebrated and praised, not condemned and prevented," said Dzodin. He was speaking at a symposium themed "Environment, Development and Human Rights: Green and Low-carbon Development in the Process of Modernization", which was held in Beijing on Thursday. About 70 international experts from countries including the US, Malaysia, Uzbekistan, Cambodia and Thailand, attended the event, which was hosted by the China Foundation for Human Rights Development and China Datang Corp. Speaking of the role of China in sustainable development, Lokita Prasetya, vice-president of PT Dian Swastatika Sentosa Tbk, an energy and infrastructure company in Indonesia, said, "China has taken a leading role in global renewable energy innovation and economic advancement, demonstrated by its ambitious goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2060." Chuop Paris, secretary of state at the Cambodian Ministry of Environment, said that in the process of Cambodia's green and low-carbon development, the active participation and contributions of Chinese enterprises are crucial. By the end of last year, the installed capacity of operational power projects led by Chinese enterprises in Cambodia accounted for about 60 percent of the entire installed capacity in the Southeast Asian country, reflecting Chinese firms' prominent contributions to energy transition and green low-carbon development in his nation, Paris said. He added that projects contracted to be built by Chinese companies in Cambodia, which continuously supply electricity to hundreds of thousands of households, improve the livelihoods of people there. Prior to the symposium, the international experts paid visits to the Inner Mongolia autonomous region and Zhejiang province to gain a greater understanding of various Chinese initiatives, including the high-quality development of new energy, grassroots ecological civilization construction, rural vitalization, as well as ecological restoration. Some experts observed the vibrant practices of Chinese modernization in Ningbo, Zhejiang, with a focus on green, low-carbon and sustainable development. Ding Zhongli, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, said at the symposium that China holding high the great banner of a community with a shared future for mankind and aiming to build a cleaner and more beautiful world is earnestly fulfilling its solemn commitments to its dual carbon goals. Through high-quality platforms such as the Belt and Road Initiative, China actively engages in bilateral and multilateral green cooperation, making significant contributions to global sustainable development, said Ding. "Practicing multilateralism, enhancing cooperation and upholding fairness and justice are the only correct paths in addressing global challenges like climate change. We look forward to the international community deepening mutually beneficial cooperation in key areas such as green infrastructure, green energy, green industries, green trade and green finance," he said. Welcome Guest! You are here: Home Maharashtra NEET UG 2024 Counselling: Registration Starts, Apply Now Online registration for Maharashtra Counselling 2024 for NEET UG (Common Application for MBBS, BDS, BUMS, BHMS, BAMS and other AYUSH courses) started from today i.e. Saturday August 17, 2024 Saturday August 17, 2024 9:58 PM , ummid.com News Network Maharashtra NEET UG MBBS, BDS, AYUSH Counselling 2024: Maharashtra State Common Entrance Test Cell (CET) Cell has started through its official website cetcell.mahacet.org from today i.e. Saturday August 17, 2024 Online Registration for NEET UG 2024 Counselling conducted for Admission in Health Science Courses MBBS / BDS / BAMS / BHMS / BUMS / BPTh / BOTh / BASLP / BP&O. Online registration for Maharashtra NEET UG Counselling 2024 started from Saturday August 17. The last date of registration for Maharashtra Medical Admission Counselling 2024 is fixed as August 23, 2024 up to 08:00 pm. Along with the NEET UG 2024 counselling schedule, the Maharashtra CET Cell has also published the admission notification and detailed Information Brochure guiding the participating candidates about the online counselling for admission in undergraduate medical courses. Candidates are advised to read carefully Information Brochure before starting registration. Candidates should also note that they need to register for MBBS, BDS, BUMS, BHMS, BAMS, and other medical courses before the last date of application. However, counselling, choice and option filling for MBBS and BDS, AYUSH Courses like BUMS, BAMS, BHMS, and other medical courses will be done separately. Registration Steps Maharashtra NEET UG 2024 Counselling Click here to go to the official website: cetcell.net.in . Click on 'New Registration' in Important Dates section of the Home Page. Enter Mobile Number, Email ID, Password and click on register button. Proceed further to complete registration process. "The Candidate should upload all the requisite original scanned documents", the CET Cell said in the admission notice. Maharashtra NEET UG 2024 Counselling Important Dates Release of Notification and Information Brochure: August 16, 2024 Online Registration Start Date: August 17, 2024 Last date of registration / application: August 23, 2024 up to 08:00 PM server time Payment of Registration Fees through Online Payment Gateway: August 17 to 23, 2024 up to 11:59 PM server time Uploading of colored scanned copy of Original Requisite Documents on portal as per the list: August 17 to 23, 2024 up to 11:59 PM server time Publication of Provisional Merit List of registered candidates for MBBS/ BDS/ BAMS/ BHMS/ BUMS/ BPTH/ BOTH/ BASLP/ B(P&O): Will be notified later Publication of Seat Matrix for Group A - MBBS/BDS Only: Will be notified later Online Filling of Preference Form Group A - MBBS/BDS Only: Will be notified later Declaration of CAP Round - 1 Selection List Group A - MBBS/BDS Only: Will be notified later The Schedule for CAP Round(s) for all Health Science courses will be declared in due course, the CET Cell said. Key Points to Remember The Candidates should download and carefully read the NEET UG 2024 Information Brochure of Maharashtra State, including the instructions given herewith below, before filling up the online Registration Form. The Candidate should upload all the requisite original scanned documents. It will be the sole responsibility of the candidate to upload all the necessary documents and also familiarize herself/himself with online preference filling system for admission to Health Science Courses. The Candidate should also ascertain her/his eligibility for admission to the various courses before filling up the registration form. Maharashtra NEET UG 2024 Selection List Maharashtra CET Cell conducts MBBS, BDS, BUMS and counselling for other medical and dental course after the declaration of NEET result (revised). Candidates should note that Merit List is prepared on the basis of the NEET rank, score and marks. The Selection and Seat Allotment List are released later based on the rank of students in the Merit List. "The revised result of the National Entrance Cum Eligibility Test (NEET-UG-2024) , conducted by National Testing Agency, was declared on July 27, 2024. The Candidates are advised to download their Score Card (mentioning their NEET All India Rank) from NTA website", the CET Cell said. "The Admission Process for Health Science Courses in the State of Maharashtra will require NEET All India Rank of the candidate to be filled during the Registration Process. Only NEET All India Rank needs to be filled up during the Online Registration Process. No other Rank should be entered", it added. [AI generated image used here for representation.] Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic. Welcome Guest! You are here: Home Malegaon joins Doctors nationwide strike against Kolkata rape, murder case Doctors in Malegaon joined 24-hour nationwide strike called by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Saturday August 17, 2024 to protest against the brutal rape and murder of their colleague in Kolkata, West Bengal. Saturday August 17, 2024 1:55 PM , ummid.com News Network Malegaon: Doctors in Malegaon joined 24-hour nationwide strike called by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Saturday August 17, 2024 to protest against the brutal rape and murder of their colleague in Kolkata, West Bengal. OPD services at all major and small hospitals in Malegaon are suspended as doctors at Indu Memorial Hospital, Arqam Accident Hospital, Adeeba Hospital, Shifa Hospital, Faran Hospital, Al Ameen Accident Hospital, Ayat Hospital, Dwarkamani Hospital, Arogya Sampada Hospital and AIIMS Malegaon joined the shutdown call given by the IMA. All OPD services will remain close Saturday in support of the IMA Nationwide Strike called against Kolkata rape-murder incident, the doctors said. (But) emergency services will continue, they added. The doctors and medical staff at government hospitals and primary health centres (PHC) are on duty but they too are expressing their anger, and concerns, over the growing assaults on doctors and medicos. Though we have reported today but in order to express our anger all doctors and medical staff at government hospitals in Malegaon rendering their services wearing black armbands, Dr Faizee , Medical Officer at PHC Karanjgavan said while talking to ummid.com. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has given a shutdown call and suspension of all medical services to protest against the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkatas R.G. Kar Medical College last week. Along with demanding justice for the victim, the doctors association is also asking for a central law to protect healthcare workers. [Dr Faizee Medical Officer at PHC Karanjgavan wearing black armband to protest against sexual assaults on doctors and medical staff.] In a statement released ahead of the August 17 nationwide shutdown call, IMA Chief Dr R V Asokan said the decision of the Health Ministry to form a panel for deliberating on a central law to protect healthcare workers is too little and too late. Meanwhile, in the National Capital Delhi, the Faculty Association of AIIMS (FAIMS), Delhi, has announced that routine OPD and operation theatre services will be suspended on Saturday to protest against the rape and murder of a trainee woman doctor at a state-run hospital Kolkata and subsequent vandalism at the facility. Doctors at the Centre-run hospitals Safdarjung and RML have decided to hold a silent protest march, sporting black ribbons, in solidarity with the protesting doctors, according to PTI. The nationwide protests by the doctors are triggered after the 31-year-old trainee doctors dead body, bearing multiple injuries, was found at Kolkatas R.G. Kar Medical College on August 09, 2024. The parents of the victim were initially told by hospital authorities that their daughter had committed suicide, lawyer and womens rights activist Vrinda Grover said. However, an autopsy confirmed that the victim was raped and killed. The case has been handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for further probe. The parents of the trainee doctor told the CBI that several interns and physicians from the hospital may be involved in the crime, an officer said on Friday. The parents also gave the CBI the names of people who they suspect to be involved in their daughter's rape and murder at the state-run hospital. The CBI is investigating the case under an order from the Calcutta High Court. Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic. Welcome Guest! You are here: Home Rajasthan MBBS, BDS Counselling 2024 Begins, Apply before Aug 21 Online registration for Rajasthan NEET UG 2024 (MBBS and BDS) Counselling has started from today. Last date of application and payment of fees is August 21, 2024 Saturday August 17, 2024 9:59 PM , ummid.com News Network Rajasthan NEET UG MBBS, BDS Counselling 2024: NEET UG Medical and Dental Admission/Counseling Board 2024 Jaipur, Rajasthan has started Online Registration for NEET UG 2024 - Medical (MBBS) and Dental (BDS) Counselling through its official website rajugneet2024.org. Candidates should note that the Rajasthan Medical (MBBS) and Dental (BDS) counselling started from Friday August 16, 2024. Candidates should also note that last date and time of application is August 21, 2024 till 11:55 PM server time whereas last date and time of payment of fees is August 21, 2024 till 04:00 PM server time. Rajasthan NEET UG 2024 Counselling - Registration Steps Click here to go to the offficial website: rajugneet2024.org . Click on "Application Part 1" on left side menu bar of the home page. Click on "Application Part 2" after filling Part 1. Follow the instructions and complete Online Application Form. Candidates should note that last date and time of application is till 11:00 PM August 21 whereas last date and time of fee payment is 04:00 PM August 21, 2024 All candidates are required to deposit non-refundable application fee of INR 2500/- (INR 1500/- for SC, ST, ST-STA category candidate of Rajasthan state domicile as well as candidate of Rajasthan state domicile whose family annual income is less than INR 2.5 lacs) + applicable transaction charges. Rajasthan NEET UG 2024 ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA For MBBS Course Higher/Senior Secondary Examination or the Indian School Certificate Examination which is equivalent to 10+2 Higher/Senior Secondary Examination after a period of 12 years study, the last two years of such study comprising of Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Bio-technology (which shall include practical tests in these subjects) and Mathematics or any other elective subject with English at a level not less than the core course for English as prescribed by the National Council of Educational Research and Training after introduction of the 10+2+3 educational structure as recommended by the National Committee on Education. For BDS Course The Senior Secondary examination or the Indian School Certificate Examination, which is equivalent to 10+2 after a period of 12 years study, the last 2 years of study must comprise of Physics, Chemistry, Biology with English as compulsory subject. Rajasthan NEET UG Counselling 2024 - Important Dates Online Registration for Round 1 : From August 16 to 21, 2024 Last date for payment of fees through the website : August 21, 2024 till 04:00 PM server time Document / Eligibility Verification (off-line) of ALL registered candidates (including PwD, Defence/Para Military, and NRI candidates) at one of the Centers selected by the candidate during registration: August 17 to 22, 2024 Publishing of provisional list for verification (PwD, Defence/Para Military, NRI): August 22, 2024 On-line Choice filling (including filling up and saving of the choices / changing the filled choices multiple times): August 24 to 27, 2024 Publishing of First round allotment information on website (on-line): August 29, 2024 Printing of allotment letter, on-line, through website, by the candidates: August 30 to September 05, 2024 The candidates are advised to visit these websites regularly for all relevant information. [AI generated image used here for representation.] Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic. By Vu Hoa Nature-based solutions (NbS) not only help businesses manage risks and achieve economic benefits but also enhance their reputation, brand value, and commitment to social and environmental responsibilitya direction more companies are increasingly pursuing. "NbS leverage ecosystems and natural processes to address social, economic, and environmental challenges. These solutions protect and restore nature while fostering economic and social well-being within communities," said Nguyen Quang Vinh, vice chairman of the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and Chairman of the Viet Nam Business Council for Sustainable Development (VBCSD). According to the World Bank, NbS are expected to contribute to 37 per cent of global greenhouse gas emission reductions by 2030 under the Paris Agreement. They not only mitigate climate change but also enhance resilience and support environmental recovery after natural disasters. Data from ClimateWatch indicates that NbS are a crucial component of many countries' climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies. Fifty-seven nations have integrated NbS into their national climate pledges under the Paris Agreement. NbS also play a key role in the Global Stocktake, a mechanism within the Paris Agreement that oversees implementation and evaluates progress towards climate goals. Speaking at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasised the importance of basing all climate actions on nature, with people at the centre of sustainable development. This principle guides government bodies, businesses and citizens, underscoring Viet Nam's commitment to climate action and ecological restoration. Vinh said: "In this context, it is clear that Nature-based Solutions (NbS) will become a key priority for governments and business communities globally, including in Viet Nam." Nguyen Sy Linh, head of the Department of Climate Change and Global Issues at the Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment (under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment), noted the growing global trend towards sustainable development in harmony with nature. He said that businesses must recognise and capitalise on the benefits of nature in their operations, while ensuring environmental responsibility. "In practice, many businesses, depending on their size and industry, have adopted sustainable development models with significant positive outcomes," Linh said. Pham Hoang Hai, Head of Partnership Relations at the VBCSD Secretariat, outlined three key benefits of NbS for enterprises: Firstly, these solutions enhance businesses' reputation, brand value, and social responsibility, aligning them with international standards and strengthening their position in the global value chain. They also improve transparency and accountability in production and business operations. Secondly, NbS generate holistic value and co-benefits, providing environmental, economic, and social advantages for all stakeholders involved. They ensure equity, integration, and inclusivity within local communities and across the enterprise's value chain. Lastly, NbS improve risk management and financial efficiency, helping businesses adapt to challenges posed by climate change, extreme weather, and natural disasters. These solutions support the development of projects and initiatives that enhance economic efficiency while gradually restoring ecosystems. ao Thuy Ha, deputy general director of Traphaco JSC, highlighted that adopting NbS led to growth and benefits for stakeholders. "Traphaco has embraced sustainable development as our core mission. For the past 15 years, we have led the GreenPlan project, focusing on the sustainable cultivation of medicinal herbs in accordance with GACP-WHO standards," she said. "Traphaco's herb-growing zones operate under a 'four-party' model involving farmers, the company, scientists, and the Government. These zones use advanced cultivation techniques to ensure high quality. Additionally, we support local farmers in planting, nurturing, and harvesting products according to strict procedures, improving their livelihoods and incomes. "Currently, Traphaco has established eight medicinal herb growing zones adhering to these standards. Our commitment to sustainability has enabled us to produce high-quality oriental medicine products, earning consumer trust and improving our operational efficiency." Le Thi Hong Nhi, deputy general director of External Communications and Sustainable Development at Unilever Vietnam, emphasised the increasing consumer demand for sustainable brand development. Surveys indicate that over 80 per cent of Gen Z consumers prefer products from brands that lead in social causes, particularly those focused on environmental objectives and sustainable development. Moreover, companies that adopt sustainable practices not only contribute positively but also attract top talent. A growing trend shows that professionals are increasingly drawn to companies that prioritise sustainability. Nhi pointed out that governments worldwide, including Viet Nam, were committing to sustainable growth, making it a critical necessity for businesses. "Given the rising sea levels and global warming, no enterprise can succeed without balancing profitability and environmental stewardship. At Unilever, we firmly believe that business growth is closely tied to social sustainability. As part of our commitment to fostering sustainable consumption, we are dedicated to embarking on a green transformation," Nhi said. NbS present significant opportunities for businesses. However, Pham Thi Cam Nhung, Climate & Energy Programme coordinator at WWF-Vietnam, has noted that companies face various challenges, particularly financial ones, when adopting this model. Globally, public sector investment dominates annual NbS financial investment, accounting for 86 per cent, or US$133 billion, while the private sector contributes only 14 per cent, or $18 billion. By 2030, the global financial demand for NbS is projected to reach $8 trillion. "The relatively low investment from the private sector could be due to a lack of awareness and an underestimation of the benefits. This may also be linked to the lengthy implementation processes of NbS and unclear criteria and challenges in accessing financial support," Nhung said. To encourage businesses to adopt nature-based strategies, Nhung suggested four solutions: establishing supportive mechanisms, policies, and incentives for NbS; leveraging the potential of the carbon market to create mutual benefits for the environment, society, and business profitability; integrating NbS into business frameworks and demonstrating their economic viability; and offering preferential policies to incentivize investment in NbS. Experts recommend a structured five-step approach for businesses to successfully implement NbS: assessing business needs and available resources; building strategies and plans that integrate NbS into business operations; developing and implementing projects; monitoring and evaluating progress; and raising awareness through training. VNS The conference will feature Jeff Dean, Googles Chief Scientist and co-founder of Google Brain, Google Translate, Gemini, and many other technology products that have helped Google dominate the global technology industry. AI Summit is an annual event organised by New Turing Institute since 2018, aimed at connecting the domestic AI community with experts from around the world. After many years of successful organisation, the AI Summit has become a significant science and technology event with a prominent position in Southeast Asia. The Generative AI Summit 2024, will be held for the first time in Vietnam by New Turing Institute (NTI) and Rethink Healthcare Foundation (RHF), is an international event with over 1,000 attendees, including top leading AI experts and pioneering AI researchers around the world. The Generative AI Summit 2024 will focus on three main topics: Foundational Models of GenAI, Practical Applications of GenAI, and Opportunities for Vietnam. In the Foundational Models of GenAI segment, professors, researchers, and scientists will delve into advanced technologies driving the development of Large Language Models (LLMs). The Practical Applications of GenAI segment will feature senior business leaders discussing the transformative potential and applications of GenAI in healthcare, education, and social life. The conference will conclude with the topic Opportunities for Vietnam where domestic and international investors and leaders of AI corporations will discuss the impact of GenAI on Vietnams technological and economic growth, as well as Vietnam's opportunities and challenges in becoming a leading country in AI. The list of speakers includes Dr. Jeff Dean Chief Scientist at Google, Dr. Luong Minh Thang Senior Researcher and Senior Manager at Google DeepMind, Co-founder of the New Turing Institute, and leader of Alpha Geometry, which won silver medal at the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) 2024, and many other top global AI experts will share insights and guide attendees exploring the latest advancements, prominent trends, and the boundless potential of Generative AI technology. Dr. Luong Minh Thang co-organiser stated: This will be the most exciting GenAI conference ever, not only in Viet Nam but in the region. This is also the first time Jeff Dean, the Chief Scientist and 'The God of Engineering' of Google, visits the Southeast Asian country along with other world-renowned experts and entrepreneurs from Silicon Valley. I am thrilled that it will be held right here in Viet Nam. Tech enthusiasts should not miss this opportunity. Master Nguyen Uyen Wendy co-organizer shared: I am eagerly looking forward to this historic moment of the conference, bringing Jeff Dean and top global scientists to Viet Nam. This moment will not come again. Its also a starting point to nurture talent among young people in Viet Nam, not just in AI but also in thinking, problem-solving, leadership skills, and relentless enthusiasm to drive creativity and innovation for humanity. VNS BEIJING There remains ample room for Viet Nam and China to cooperate in trade and investment, according to Chinese experts. Shi Zhongjun, Secretary General of the ASEAN-China Centre, said that in recent years, under the strategic directions of the leaders of the two countries, the China-Viet Nam relationship has achieved rapid developments in various fields. In 2023, China and Viet Nam set up a community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, which outlines a roadmap for the development of future bilateral relations. Shi said that the two countries cooperation in recent years has been developing comprehensively, intensively and extensively. Especially in the economic and trade fields, Viet Nam is China's largest trading partner among ASEAN countries. Currently, many Chinese enterprises have plans to invest in Viet Nam. The two countries people-to-people exchanges in education, youth and tourism are all on the track of recovery and strong development. Xu Ningning, Chairman of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Industry Cooperation Committee, Executive President of the China-ASEAN Business Council, and Chief Expert on China-ASEAN Trade Cooperation, held that under the leadership of the two Parties, economic and trade cooperation between China and Viet Nam is bringing practical benefits to the people of the two countries. The two sides are effectively implementing the agreements reached by the two countries high-ranking leaders and governments, aiming to further deepen their cooperation in all fields. Both Viet Nam and China committed to strengthening economic cooperation and development, thereby contributing to effectively exploiting the potential and strengths of the two sides as well as the region, helping them make full use of the benefits brought by free trade agreements. Xu said he believes that there is still much room to promote two-way investment and trade, adding Chinese enterprises are very optimistic about Viet Nam's economic development with new business opportunities. He said he has recently led a Chinese business delegation of about 150 members, with about half being chairpersons and general directors of enterprises, to visit Viet Nam. During the talks, enterprises of both countries expressed their desire to strengthen cooperation and conduct specific connection and negotiation activities, which affirms investment and business opportunities in Viet Nam. Xu said that Chinese enterprises are willing to invest, develop and start businesses in Viet Nam. The Southeast Asian nation has also attracted Chinese companies with a series of preferential policies and favourable investment and business conditions. The building of a strategic and comprehensive business community between China and Viet Nam continues to add new momentum to bilateral economic and trade cooperation, he said, elaborating that the two nations' investment cooperation has developed rapidly in recent years, with Chinese enterprises' investments in Viet Nam in 2023 soaring more than 77 per cent year-on-year. He believed that in the coming time, economic and trade cooperation between China and Viet Nam will continue to develop effectively, intensively and substantially. Hu Suojin, former Commercial Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Viet Nam, assessed that China-Viet Nam relations have made great strides, especially in the economic and trade fields. Hu, who has involved in Viet Nam-relating issues for 40 years and worked in Viet Nam for 23 years, said that Viet Nam-China economic, trade and investment cooperation has witnessed strong growth. Viet Nam continues to be China's largest trading partner in ASEAN and fifth in the world. Meanwhile, China is Viet Nam's largest trading partner, largest import market and second largest export market. Total bilateral trade turnover reached US$171.9 billion in 2023 and $112.6 billion in the first seven months of 2024. China's direct investment in Viet Nam hit $4.47 billion and $1.52 billion USD, respectively. VNS Pauline Tamesis, UN Resident Coordinator in Viet Nam and Jonathan Baker, UNESCO Representative in Viet Nam, underscored the need to forge an equitable, inclusive digital future driven by young people in an Op-Ed on the occasion of the International Youth Day (August 12). Digital technologies are transforming Viet Nam and the world. Young people today are growing in tandem with digital technologies. As digital natives, they are the main drivers of this change. Viet Nam is fortunate - it recorded the highest proportion of young people in the countrys history with 21 per cent or 20.4 million young people aged 10 24 (GSO, 2019). Therefore, now is a perfect time to catalyse the change towards a digital future for all, with youth and by youth. Today, the global community celebrates International Youth Day with a focus on 'From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development'. We recognise and celebrate the key role of young people in shaping our digital future, the courage they have to address old and new challenges and the creativity they show in finding solutions. As we strive for a digital society that is open, secure and human-centred, we need to listen to youth perspectives on our digital future. With this in mind, the United Nations (UN) in Viet Nam hosted Youth Dialogues for an Inclusive Digital Future in Viet Nam in preparation for the upcoming Summit of the Future. We gathered young tech entrepreneurs together with youth hailing from minority communities at workshops in HCM City to brainstorm how an inclusive digital future in Viet Nam can be achieved. Using foresight techniques, the participants envisioned future digital government services, which can be used by everyone, everywhere. While exploring the opportunities generated by digitalisation, the participants were mindful of risks such as accessibility, internet security, confidentiality and online violence. Minority communities, often less informed, are most at risk from online harm. Encouragingly, we witnessed the aspiration of youth to mobilise communities in their entirety for a digital transformation that is for everyone. Youth participants were particularly focused on the needs of those most at risk of being left behind in the digital future such as the elderly, LGBTQI+ individuals, and ethnic minorities. Such intergenerational and inclusive approaches are particularly important to achieve our common goal an inclusive digital future in Viet Nam. Some examples of digitalised government services that the Vietnamese youth participating in our Youth Dialogues identified as important in digital society: Apps that simplify access to e-government services including language interpretation for diverse groups Apps that integrate health records from all hospitals to better assist people in seeking medical care in Viet Nam Systems that use AI and continuous data collection to regulate irrigation of agricultural fields and improve farming practices. To make an inclusive digital future happen, the workshop participants also formulated key principles for designing a digitally transformed government. They envision a human behind every digital service and all services being simple but constantly improving. Additionally, they want people to use data responsibly and for 'data dignity' to flourish. We see young people as our allies in digital transformation. We draw from their innovative approaches and will work with them to ensure they have the necessary future skills through various online and offline interactive projects and initiatives. With a significant youth population adapted to digitalisation and mastering future skills, Viet Nam can unleash tremendous potential for the benefit of its society and the world. We see the boundless passion young people have for helping those around them. One youth participant in the HCM City workshops put it succinctly: I hope to continue improving my ability to support people effectively. I want to help people access and utilise technology to improve their lives and work. We share this commitment. Together, we will forge an inclusive and resilient digital future for all. HCM CITY Party General Secretary and President To Lam on August 17 presented the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Public Security. On this occasion, the municipal Party Committee and the Central Public Security Party Committee reviewed the 55 years of implementing President Ho Chi Minhs Testament (1969-2024). Addressing the event, Lam noted that the testament sheds light on key issues in Party building and the relationship between the Party and the people, and gave comprehensive orientations for the cause of national liberation and reunification, as well as post-war national construction. It helped consolidate the will and determination of the Vietnamese Party, army and people, and led the Vietnamese revolution to complete victory, the leader continued. He lauded the performance of the public security force, Party members, officials and people in HCM City in implementing the testament and continuing the great revolutionary cause to which the President devoted his lifetime. The top leader said the public security force, including that in HCM City, has always taken the lead in implementing the Partys resolutions, directives and conclusions on Party building; resolutely and persistently fought against corruption and other negative phenomena; and strived to build a truly pure, powerful, regular, elite and modern force as the late President wished. Lam asked the municipal Party Committee and the Party Committee of the Department of Public Security to maintain their good performance in Party building and rectification and work harder in the corruption combat and administrative reform. It is a must to safeguard the Fatherland early and from afar, he said, noting the targets of reducing crimes sustainably, and building communes, districts and provinces free from crimes. He urged HCM City to promote the All people safeguarding security movement and the engagement of the entire political system and all people in protecting security and order to build a civilised, modern, innovative and creative city, while taking breakthrough solutions to grow more strongly, becoming an economic, financial and service centre of Asia, and an attractive destination of the world, with its development on par with major urban areas globally. Lam stressed the need to pay more heed to building a contingent of officials and Party members who always put national interests as well as peoples legitimate interests at first and foremost. Earlier, the Party and State leader and a delegation of HCM City and the Central Public Security Party Committee paid floral tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at his monument in the southern metropolis. VNS Flash 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 said. 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. HA NOI This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Viet Nam-China land border treaty and 15 years since the signing of three legal documents on the land border between the two countries. The three legal documents are the protocol on border demarcation and marker planting, the agreement on border management regulations, and the other on border gates and regulations on the management of border gates. This historic achievements have laid the legal and political foundation for the two countries to maintain a peaceful and stable environment for economic development, ensuring security and defence, and meeting the aspirations of their people. With the aim of establishing a clear border between the two countries, from 1974 to 1979, they conducted negotiations on border and territorial issues three times, yet failed to achieve results due to differences in their stances and opinions. After normalising their relations, since October 1992, the two sides had negotiated for the fourth time. In October 1993, they reached the agreement on the basic principles on the settlement of border and territorial issues, and agreed to take the 1887 and 1895 Franco-Qing Conventions and other documents and maps on border demarcation and marker planting as a basis for redefining the Viet Nam-China border. On December 30, 1999 in Ha Noi, the Viet Nam-China land border treaty (the 1999 treaty) was signed, laying an important foundation for building a border of peace, friendship and long-term stability between the two countries. However, the treaty only defined the border in writing and on maps. In order to clearly define the border, the two sides need to demarcate and plant markers, translating the border in the treaty and on maps into the one on the ground. By the end of 2008, the border demarcation and marker planting work had been basically completed, with the exact border length of 1,449.566 km, with 1,970 markers installed, including 1,548 main and 422 auxiliary ones. The two countries share a border line running through the seven provinces of ien Bien, Lai Chau, Lao Cai, Ha Giang, Cao Bang, Lang Son and Quang Ninh of Viet Nam, and Yunnan province and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China. After completing border demarcation and marker planting, in order to cooperate in protecting and managing the border, representatives of the two governments signed the three legal documents in Beijing (China) in 2009. On July 14, 2010, the documents began to take effect, and the two countries have officially managed the land border in line with them since then. Tran Cong Truc, former head of the Government Border Committee, who once directly participated in the border negotiations, said Viet Nam and China have resolved border and territorial issues through peaceful negotiations and in accordance with the principles of international law, and international treaties or practices, for the legitimate rights and interests of each side, to jointly handle disagreements and disputes in line with the reached legal principles. "It can be said that this achievement is a valuable contribution to international practice, and an inseparable part of the Public International Law, to resolve national border and territorial disputes", Truc said. Nguyen Hong Thao, former Vice Chairman of the National Border Committee under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the completion of the land border demarcation and marker planting vividly demonstrates the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between Viet Nam and China, positively contributing to peace, stability and development in the region. Over the past 25 years, the two countries have made tireless efforts to maintain a peaceful and stable border, contributing to promoting cooperation and maintaining the positive development momentum of the bilateral relations. They have also proven that the 1999 Treaty, the completion of the border demarcation and marker planting, and the implementation of the three legal documents were a success of great historical significance, opening up a new page in the relationship between the two countries. In an interview granted to the press on August 15, Chinese Ambassador to Viet Nam Xiong Bo said 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 Party General Secretary 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 countries can truly be proud of. According to a report of the National Border Committee, over the past years, the peaceful and stable border has contributed to promoting cooperation and development in the border area, as well as border trade. Friendly exchange activities between border management forces of the two countries have been carried out actively. Defence, border guard and people-to-people diplomacy have been enhanced with diverse forms and rich contents. Since 2010, there have been eight border defence friendship exchanges, and three friendship border exchanges. At the local level, 67 pairs of border residential areas have set up twinning relationships, while local cooperation mechanisms have been organised periodically and flexibly. Le Hoai Trung, Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Central Committee and head of its Commission for External Relations said he believes that with such achievements, the two countries will work together to create major directions and changes, turning the peaceful and stable border into the one of cooperation and solid development, taking into account current trends in the region and the world today. We will continue to actively coordinate with the Chinese side to make greater efforts, contributing to building the Viet Nam - China land border into the one of peace, stability and friendship, cooperation and development, spurring socio-economic development, for peace, prosperity and happiness of the two countries people, especially border residents, he said. VNS Experts have highlighted the need for greater efforts from both the State and businesses to achieve the sustainable development of Viet Nams pharmaceutical industry. Viet Nam is currently among the countries with the highest pharmaceutical market value and growth rate globally. In 2023, the countrys pharmaceutical market was valued at approximately US$7 billion, with average consumption reaching US$70 per capita 10 times higher than in 2000. Over the past decade, the domestic pharmaceutical industry has enjoyed significant growth, with a compound annual rate of 7.3 per cent. According to the World Health Organisations classification, Viet Nams pharmaceutical industry is at level 3, indicating its capability to produce generic drugs and export certain pharmaceutical products. Under the national strategy for developing Viet Nams pharmaceutical industry until 2030, with a vision to 2045, the country aims to become a key hub for the manufacturing, processing, and technology transfer of brand-name drugs, particularly in Southeast Asia. Additionally, the strategy seeks to elevate the domestic pharmaceutical industry to WHO level 4, with a goal of contributing over $20 billion to the countrys GDP by 2045. The strategy also targets domestic medicine production to meet about 80 per cent of the countrys demand for medicines, representing 70 per cent of the market value, and to produce 20 per cent of the raw materials required for domestic drug production. By 2045, Viet Nam envisions that domestically produced drugs will not only meet local demand but also significantly increase for export. The nation is committed to deep integration into the global pharmaceutical supply chain as outlined in the strategy. Alongside the strategy, the Government has submitted a draft law to amend the 2016 Pharmacy Law. Expected to be approved later this year, the law will introduce various policies and guidelines aimed at advancing the pharmaceutical industry. Le Van Truyen, associate professor, PhD, former Deputy Minister of Health, said that the strategy and the amended law presented significant opportunities for the development of Viet Nams pharmaceutical industry in both the short and long term. Challenges remain Truyen, however, noted that Viet Nams pharmaceutical industry was facing numerous challenges, especially as the country integrates with the global economy. Among these challenges are the industry's low material-technical-technology base and the absence of concentrated pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industrial parks, according to Truyen. Such parks, complete with ecosystems that include research and development centres, bioequivalence and bioavailability testing facilities, clinical trials, and pharmaceutical and packaging factories, are essential for sustainable growth. Meanwhile, most domestic pharmaceutical companies remain small in scale with limited sales, and there are no national-scale pharmaceutical corporations. Digital transformation also poses a significant challenge for many drug businesses. He predicted that the shift in the pharmaceutical market structure from chemical drugs to biological and biosimilar drugs would accelerate rapidly in the coming years. Truyen emphasised the need for Viet Nam to enhance its research capacity and technology application in drug production, aiming to become a centre for manufacturing, processing, and technology transfer. He urged businesses to proactively produce specialised drugs, new treatments, vaccines, and medical biological products. Truyen also suggested that each business should reconsider, adjust, and adapt its medium- and long-term development strategy in line with the State's guidelines and the evolving international and domestic business environment to improve the competitiveness of Viet Nams pharmaceutical industry. According to Tran Thi Thu, vice president of the Vietnam Pharmaceutical Business Association, domestic businesses should leverage internal resources to thrive. She recommended that small firms focus on key products, avoiding duplication with larger enterprises with more advanced production lines. Thu said that newly established or EU-GMP-certified businesses could target the ETC market segment (drugs distributed to hospitals), specialising in products such as vaccines, biological products, and medicinal ingredients. She also suggested that businesses should capitalise on free trade agreements (FTAs) to collaborate with foreign investors, thereby producing pharmaceuticals with high technical content. Meanwhile, Vo Thi Tuan Anh, president of Newtechco Group, underscored the importance of building an ecosystem that encompasses product research, the application of new technologies in pharmaceutical production, and the development of widespread distribution channels, particularly as most drug enterprises have limited financial resources and scattered operations. Anh highlighted her group's efforts to attract financial resources, international investors, and technology experts for the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industrial park project in Thai Binh Province. This would be the first project of its kind in Viet Nam, dedicated to the development of the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industry. It aims to be a hub for experts in biotechnology and pharmaceutical chemistry, fostering production investment, technology transfer, training, and startup incubation in the industry. Experts agree that collaborative ventures with foreign partners will be crucial in enhancing domestic capabilities, fostering innovation, and increasing the competitiveness of Vietnamese pharmaceutical products, especially as Viet Nam encourages domestic companies to integrate into the global pharmaceutical supply chain. VNS ----------------- Pharmaceutical sector sees gloomy performance in Q2/2024 Most pharmaceutical companies struggled to improve their business performance in the second quarter of this year, with some even reporting losses due to high operating costs. In Q2, DHG Pharmaceutical JSC (DHG) reported a 4 per cent year-on-year decline in net revenue to over VN1.1 trillion, attributed to decreased purchasing power. The companys after-tax profit also dropped 27 per cent year-on-year to VN192.4 billion, according to thuonggiaonline.vn. For the first half of this year, DHGs pre-tax and after-tax profits reached VN463 billion and VN415 billion, respectively, down by 32 per cent and 33 per cent compared to the same period last year, the companys financial statement shows. Similarly, Vidipha Central Pharmaceutical JSC saw its accumulated profit decline by 30 per cent year-on-year to over VN33 billion in H1, mainly due to a sharp decrease in sales and service revenue in Q2 compared to the previous year. Another firm, Traphaco, reported an after-tax profit of over VN132 billion in H1, down 16 per cent year-on-year, partly due to skyrocketing production costs. VNS WASHINGTON DC A seminar has been held in the US to connect businesses of Viet Nam and the US, as well as seek cooperation opportunities in the fields of energy, manufacturing, insurance and finance. The event was co-organised by a delegation of the Commission for the Management of State Capital at Enterprises (CMSC), the Viet Nam Trade Office in the US, and the Asian American Chamber of Commerce (AACC). At the seminar, CMSC Vice Chairman o Huu Huy said that by the end of 2023, Viet Nam had 676 state-owned enterprises (SOEs), of which 478 are 100 per cent state-owned, with total assets of about US$150 billion. SOEs hold large capital and assets, technology, and high-quality human resources and contribute significantly to the state budget. They play a dominant and leading role in many important sectors and fields of the Vietnamese economy. Operating since 2018, the CMSC represents the State ownership in 19 corporations and companies in 16 economic and technical sectors and fields, he said, noting the commission has actively coordinated with State management agencies and policy-making agencies to detect obstacles and facilitate production and business activities. The Vietnamese representative also told US businesses about investment cooperation opportunities between the two countries. Dr. Gergana D. Yordanova of the School of Policy and Government at George Mason University said that after the two countries upgraded their relationship last year, their educational cooperation has seen many new directions, with training majors expanded. Currently, the university has provided training to a large number of Vietnamese students. It has plans to cooperate with universities in Viet Nam. Meanwhile, many US businesses said they have planned to come to Viet Nam as soon as possible to continue implementing steps in their investment cooperation agreements that have been reached at this seminar. The seminar was held within the framework of the CMSC delegations working visit to the North American region. VNS Current clinical practices that evaluate sperm morphology require human analysis and chemical staining of the sperm cells, which can cause damage. But this new method, from Monash Universitys Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in collaboration with Monash IVF, works on live, unstained sperm, preserving their viability. The new study was published in Advanced Intelligent Systems and found the AI model could analyse sperm imaging with over 93 per cent accuracy in just a few seconds. By precisely choosing the highest quality sperm without affecting its viability, the technology could pave the way for standardised sperm selection through automation in IVF clinical settings. Lead researcher Dr. Reza Nosrati said the speed and precision meant doctors could make better-informed decisions faster than ever before. "The consistency and reliability of our AI model provide unprecedented accuracy in live sperm morphology classification. By providing a clear and precise analysis of sperm quality, it offers promising opportunities for enhancing clinical sperm selection practices and reducing day-to-day variability in clinics. With this tool, we hope to improve the outcomes of fertility treatments and offer new hope to couples struggling to conceive," Dr. Nosrati said. Sahar Shahali, lead-author of the work and the PhD candidate, added that the technologys adaptability made it a versatile tool for clinics worldwide. "The technology has been tested and proven to work effectively with images of various resolutions. This means it can be easily integrated into different clinical environments, providing reliable results regardless of the equipment used," Shahali said. According to Monash IVF chief scientific officer, Prof. Deirdre Zander-Fox, the technology has great potential to make the sperm selection process faster and improve outcomes. "Sometimes in IVF, embryologists need to inject a single sperm directly into an egg to increase the chances of fertilisation. While they are experts at finding the best sperm for this process sperm thats the right shape and size and moves around freely - it can sometimes take hours to sift through a sample to find the best sperm for injection. We believe AI can make the process much faster and give patients improved outcomes, while still allowing our highly trained embryologists to have oversight of the process," said Zander-Fox. "Following on from this research, Monash IVF hopes to create an AI algorithm that could be used to power a sperm selection device to guide embryologists on which sperm to choose at the time of microinjection to help improve IVF outcomes," she added. How businesses are embracing AI The rising tide of AI redefines how businesses operate and make decisions. Nguyen Hoang Nhan, director of Technical & Digital Innovation and IT Advisory at KPMG in Vietnam, explores vital AI trends that businesses can apply to enhance performance, save costs, and elevate the customer experience. Vietnam eyes comprehensive ecosystem for AI technology Tech companies are facing huge opportunities to develop AI and semiconductors with the support of the government and authorities. Influence of AI technology can reshape labour market The employment market is anticipated to experience disruptions as AI technology becomes increasingly adopted by businesses for intelligent, sustainable management and operations. According to Nguyen Nguyet Van Khanh, marketing director of leading tour operator Vietravel, the company will welcome 4,500 guests, divided into small groups, from August 27 to September 7. The guests are employees of the largest pharmaceuticals company in India, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited, and are mainly Indians. Shanghvi, the groups billionaire founder, who is one of the wealthiest men in India, will also join the tour. According to Khanh, arrangements for this trip were made three months in advance, and it is the first time that the travel agency has received such a large group. Previously, Indian groups typically consisted of around 100-200 people. The group will visit famous tourist attractions in Hanoi before heading to Ninh Binh and Halong Bay. Bui Van Manh, director of Ninh Binh Department of Tourism, stated that they had received the booking information and were arranging staff to serve, welcome, and allocate separate areas at the Trang An scenic complex. The reception work is not difficult for us because we have experience of welcoming large numbers of guests, Manh said. He believed that the visit will set a precedent and attract other large groups in the future. The guests from this pharmaceutical company will be staying in 4-star and 5-star accommodation when they arrive in Vietnam, with specific requests for food to align with their beliefs and religions. In addition, they also want a minimum of three tour guides for each group of 30-35 guests to ensure the best experience. The tour guides selected must be fluent in Hindi, and information available at the tourist sites, usually in English and Vietnamese, will be translated into Hindi. Vietnam is currently experiencing a strong wave of Indian travellers. According to the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, received 392,000 Indian visitors in 2023, a 231 per cent increase compared to 2019. In the first half of this year, Vietnam has welcomed over 231,000 Indian visitors, a 164 per cent increase compared to the same period last year. Vietnam has many advantages to attract Indian guests, such as convenient connectivity, with only a 4-5 hour direct flight. At the Vietnam Aviation Investment Programme held in Ho Chi Minh City on August 15, the disparity in the country's aviation sector was attributed to the lack of core technology within the industry, according to experts. The aviation supporting industry, which includes the research, design, manufacturing, maintenance, and repair of aircraft and ground aviation equipment, has the potential to create numerous jobs and help balance the current uneven development in the sector. According to an executive from a domestic airline, the underdevelopment of Vietnam's aviation support industry is primarily due to a lack of incentive mechanisms, leading to a heavy reliance on foreign technology. He stated, "Vietnam needs to study and implement mechanisms that encourage businesses to participate in the development of the aviation support industry. This would help reduce the industry's dependence on imported technology." "Vietnam is currently subcontracting, as we have to import everything from aircraft and engines to components like brakes and tyres. This complete dependence on external sources drives up costs for airlines. In fact, leasing aircraft and engine maintenance account for nearly half of the cost structure for domestic airlines. We are unable to intervene in these costs and must accept global price standards," he added. Apart from Vietnam Airlines Engineering Company, currently only one private company, Aircraft Engineering Services Company, is involved in aircraft maintenance and repair. Ground aviation support industries are also limited, with only a few products from ATTECH, an air traffic management company, serving air traffic management and navigation electronics. To build a strong aviation support industry, human resources cannot be overlooked, making workforce training, especially for engineers, a critical factor in the sector's development. Tran Thi Thai Binh, head of the Air Transport Economics Department of the Vietnam Aviation Academy, said, "There is a significant gap between the demand for and the ability to supply internationally qualified aviation engineers in Vietnam, leading to a reliance on foreign personnel for key technical and managerial positions." Binh recommended that airlines increase collaboration by bringing in foreign experts to teach and apply international practices. This would allow future local experts to access advanced techniques and technologies. "The demand for high-quality human resources presents both a challenge and an opportunity to ensure Vietnam maintains a key role in global aviation. However, to seize this opportunity, we must act now," Binh emphasised. According to statistics from the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, as of March 15, Vietnam had 222 registered aircraft, including 203 commercial planes operated by domestic airlines. However, this number does not fully reflect the fleet's size, as airlines can lease aircraft on a short-term basis when necessary. Additionally, several airlines have placed orders for more planes. In February, VietjetAir and Airbus signed a contract for over 100 aircraft, with the first deliveries expected this year. Vietnam currently has 22 airports, serving 100 million passengers annually. According to the master plan, the number of airports will increase to 30 by 2030 and 33 by 2050. Over the next decade, passenger numbers are projected to reach nearly 300 million. New planes and routes as aviation picks up With a promising outlook in the post-pandemic era, international aircraft manufacturers are seeking to expand their partnerships in Vietnams burgeoning aviation market to tap into its growing demand for aircraft and related tech, as well as to expand their supply chain. Reforming the aviation sector The proximity of connecting airports is not a decisive determinant of the performance of an operation, and private-public partnership (PPP) in the reshaping of national aviation infrastructure should be encouraging, a workshop has heard. At a conference on the law on the special consumption tax (SCT) held on August 14, Le Minh Trang, deputy director of the Retail Research Department at NielsenIQ (NIQ), said that the beer sector saw robust double-digit growth in 2022. However, last year, this sector faced a downturn due to the effects of stricter alcohol concentration regulations under Decree 100, along with economic pressures and a prolonged decrease in consumption demand. "Over the past 12 months, the beer sector has decreased by 6 per cent compared to the same period last year, especially in the six major cities of Hanoi, Haiphong, Danang, Nha Trang, Can Tho, and Ho Chi Minh City," said Trang, adding that the decline in revenue is also partly due to shifting consumer habits. According to NIQ's second-quarter research report, half of consumers in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have cut back on discretionary expenses, such as dining out, and are instead economising by cooking at home. "This shift has led to continuous revenue declines for many restaurant chains since the beginning of last year," Trang added. Chu Thi Van Anh, vice president and general secretary of the Vietnam Beer - Alcohol - Beverage Association (VBA), also highlighted revenue trends. Many businesses in the beer sector have faced revenue and profit declines ranging from single to double digits in recent years. "Average profit across the industry has decreased, around 6-12 per cent per year in 2021-2022, and last year was 10-12 per cent compared to before," said Anh. "Furthermore, the difficulties faced by beer companies and reductions in the workforce have led to a 10 per cent average annual decline in industry revenue over the past three years." Based on draft amendments to the SCT law, the tax rate on alcoholic beverages, including beer, is set to increase gradually towards the end of the decade. Specifically, the tax on beer is expected to rise from the current 65 per cent to 90 per cent or 100 per cent by 2030. With the impact of increased excise tax, the VBA contends that higher taxes will place additional strain on the beer industry. Furthermore, there is a risk that consumers may shift towards cheaper, lower-quality, and potentially illicit products. The conference on the SCT law, hosted by VIR Speaking at the conference, Nguyen Thi Cuc, chairwoman of the Vietnam Tax Advisory Association and former deputy director general of the General Department of Taxation, pointed out that a significant and continuous increase in excise tax is unlikely to achieve the intended goals. "Excessive tax hikes could see an increase in smuggling, with wealthy consumers opting for smuggled beer, while low-income rural consumers might turn to home brewing, which avoids excise tax but compromises quality and public health," said Cuc. Cuc proposed enhancing measures to manage smuggled beer and, in particular, homemade and illegally produced beer, which poses health risks to the community. "Carefully planning the rate and timing of excise tax hikes will stabilise the market and allow businesses and consumers to adapt to gradual increases through 2030, preventing the shock of abrupt changes," she added. Le Tuan Anh, director-general of the Department of Industrial Economics under the Ministry of Planning and Investment, noted that a comprehensive evaluation of the timing, scope, and phased implementation is essential to ensure sustainable growth for both the service sector and the broader Vietnamese economy. "Some sectors, like the food and beverage industry, continue to face difficulties," said Anh. "Despite various initiatives, production and consumption in the beverage industry have not met expectations, with some companies experiencing substantial losses. It is crucial to balance the tax increase to prevent bankruptcies; we must find a rate that generates revenue without adversely affecting these businesses." Anh also emphasised the importance of implementing effective administrative measures to shape behaviour, and echoed Cuc's concerns that raising taxes could result in increased smuggling. Changing trends in alcoholic beverage consumption in Vietnam Vietnamese consumers are increasingly favouring drinks brands that prioritise health and environmental sustainability. Legitimate businesses must not be disadvantaged with alcohol tax The draft Law on Special Consumption Tax, including a high raise in the tax for alcohol, will have great and direct impacts on not only enterprises in the production and trading of alcohol and soft drinks, but also product chains, labour, and social security. WATERLOO A second person has been arrested in connection with a Aug. 10 shooting that sent a man to the hospital. Deshawn Jumil Wilson, 17, of Waterloo, was arrested Thursday for intimidation with a weapon and willful injury causing serious injury. Wilson is charged as an adult. Authorities said the 21-year-old victim was shot in the knee in the West Mullan and Sunnyside avenues area around noon on Aug. 10. Witnesses identified Wilson as the shooter and, when he was interviewed by police, he allegedly admitted firing about six times because the victim had put his hand in his pocket and smiled at him, according to court records. Earlier, police arrested 19-year-old Daquavion Deshaun Williams of Marion on similar charges. Court records allege Williams owned the gun used in the shooting and brought it to Waterloo on the day of the incident. Police recovered a 9 mm handgun at Williams home. One city's surprising tactic to reduce gun violence: Solving more nonfatal shootings One city's surprising tactic to reduce gun violence: Solving more nonfatal shootings Other cities have woken up to Denver's example You are here: World Flash 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. Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation (10-16 August 2024) From 10 to 16 August 2024, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation delivered 17 group strikes by precision weaponry and attack unmanned aerial vehicles at Ukrainian military industry enterprises, airfield infrastructure as well as storages and workshops of attack UAVs. Moreover, strikes were delivered at POL bases, AFU reserves concentration areas, temporary deployment areas of nationalist formations and foreign mercenaries. Units of the Sever Group of Forces continue to repel attempts of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to invade the territory of the Russian Federation in Kursk direction. Army Aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, and artillery strikes inflicted fire damage at the located enemy manpower and hardware clusters of two AFU mechanised brigades, one assault brigade, and one national guard brigade. The enemys attempts to deploy reserves were thwarted. In Volchansk and Liptsy directions, losses were inflicted on manpower and hardware of two AFU mechanised brigades, two assault brigades, one marine brigade, and two territorial defence brigades. Four counter-attacks of AFU assault detachments were repelled. Over the past week, the AFU losses in the areas of the Sever Group of Forces responsibility amounted to 2,765 Ukrainian troops, 33 tanks, 221 armoured fighting vehicles, including 13 U.S.-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and eight U.S.-made Stryker armoured personnel carriers as well as 117 motor vehicles. In the course of counter-battery warfare, seven MLRS launchers and 34 field artillery guns were destroyed. Three U.S.-made Patriot SAM systems and one Buk-M1 SAM system as well as four electronic warfare stations were destroyed. Over the past week, units of the Zapad Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and positions as well as inflicted losses on formations of five AFU mechanised brigades, one airmobile brigade, one assault brigade, and two territorial defence brigades. 12 counter-attacks launched by AFU units were repelled. The AFU losses amounted to up to 3,450 Ukrainian troops, six tanks, 18 armoured fighting vehicles, including nine U.S.-made M113 armoured personnel carriers, and 34 motor vehicles. Moreover, in the course of counter-battery warfare, 36 field artillery guns, including 15 U.S.-made, German-made, and Polish-made 155-mm howitzers and self-propelled artillery systems were destroyed. Four electronic and counter-battery warfare stations as well as 23 field artillery guns were destroyed. Units of the Yug Group of Forces improved the tactical situation along the front lines and inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of four AFU mechanised brigades, one motorised infantry brigade, three assault brigades, two airmobile brigades, and one territorial defence brigade. Four counter-attacks launched by the enemys assault detachments were repelled. The AFU losses amounted to up to 3,825 Ukrainian troops, nine armoured fighting vehicles, 29 motor vehicles, and 50 field artillery guns. Three AFU field ammunition depots were destroyed. As a result of active actions, units of the Tsentr Group of Forces liberated Lisnichnoye, Ivanovka, and Sergeyevka (Donetsk Peoples Republic). Losses were inflicted on formations of four AFU mechanised brigades, one infantry brigade, two assault brigades, and one territorial defence brigade. Twenty counter-attacks launched by AFU units were repelled. Over the week in this direction, the AFU losses amounted to up to 3,195 Ukrainian troops, four tanks, including two U.S.-made M1A1 Abrams tanks, 15 armoured fighting vehicles, 23 motor vehicles, and 29 field artillery guns. Units of the Vostok Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of two AFU mechanised brigades, one motorised infantry brigade, and two territorial defence brigades. Eight counter-attacks launched by AFU assault detachments were repelled. The AFU losses amounted to up to 770 Ukrainian troops, 34 motor vehicles, and 19 field artillery guns. Eight AFU ammunition depots were destroyed. Units of the Dnepr Group of Forces inflicted losses on formations of one AFU mechanised brigade, one infantry brigade, one mountain assault brigade, one marine brigade, and one territorial defence brigade. The AFU losses amounted to up to 555 Ukrainian troops, two infantry fighting vehicles, 48 motor vehicles, 14 field artillery guns, including six U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzers. Three electronic warfare stations and eight ammunition depots were destroyed. Operational-Tactical Aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, and Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces destroyed one Su-27 fighter jet of the Ukrainian Air Force at the base airfield as well as three U.S.-made HIMARS launchers. Tonight, air defence units repelled a group strike by 12 U.S.-made ATACMS operational-tactical missiles launched at the Crimean Bridge. All missiles were destroyed. Over the past week, one Mi-8 helicopter of the Ukrainian Air Force, eight Tochka-U tactical missiles, 11 French-made Hammer guided aerial bombs, one U.S.-made JDAM guided aerial bomb, four U.S.-made HIMARS and one BUK SAM systems missiles, 70 U.S.-made HIMARS and Czech-made Vampire MLRS projectiles, and 543 unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed. Units of the Black Sea Fleet and Russian Aerospace Forces destroyed three uncrewed surface vehicles and damaged one uncrewed surface vehicle of the Ukrainian Navy. Over the past week, 57 Ukrainian servicemen surrendered on the line of contact. In total, 638 airplanes and 279 helicopters, 30,050 unmanned aerial vehicles, 569 air defence missile systems, 17,307 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,406 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 13,295 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 24,833 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation. Tags: WtR The Baraboo Police Department is investigating three officers for alleged affiliations with a drug dealer. According to the Police Department: The Sauk County Sheriffs Office, along with the Wisconsin Department of Justices Division of Criminal Investigation and other law enforcement entities, executed multiple search warrants at various properties in the Baraboo area on Tuesday. As a result of the investigation, Sauk County deputies arrested a 37-year-old Baraboo man on Tuesday. Baraboo Police Chief Rob Sinden was notified on Tuesday that three Baraboo police officers were alleged to have affiliations with the target of the investigation. Additional information was provided to Sinden on Wednesday, and he notified the three officers of the departments investigation regarding the alleged misconduct. One Baraboo officer has been placed on leave. The Baraboo Police Department will continue to work collaboratively with the states Division of Criminal Investigation and Sheriffs Office until the states criminal investigation is complete. Flash People attend a funeral for victims killed in an Israeli airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on Aug. 14, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] Mediators of the Gaza War ceasefire talks announced on Friday that the two-day discussions in the Qatari capital of Doha have concluded, with plans to reconvene in Cairo next week to finalize a deal aimed at ending the conflict. In a joint statement, the United States, Egypt, and Qatar described the talks as constructive and conducted in a positive environment. The statement said that a "bridging proposal" had been presented by the three mediators to Hamas and Israel, which is consistent with the principles of UN Security Council Resolution No. 2735, calling for an "immediate, comprehensive, and thorough" ceasefire in Gaza to end the conflict. The talks, which began on Thursday, focused on ending the 10-month conflict and securing the release of hostages. A successful agreement is seen as crucial to preventing further regional conflict. Hamas, which did not participate directly, accused Israel of adding new conditions to a previously supported proposal. The militant group claimed Israel demanded the retention of troops along Gaza's border with Egypt and imposed restrictions on prisoner exchanges. Hamas seeks a full ceasefire, withdrawal of Israeli troops, the return of displaced persons, and an unrestricted prisoner swap. Hamas senior official Sami Abu Zuhri accused the Biden administration of trying to create a "false positive atmosphere," expressing skepticism about the negotiations' outcome. Hamas argued that the current proposals diverge from earlier plans endorsed by Biden. 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. Netanyahu has been accused of adding new demands, but he maintained these were merely clarifications. Following the conclusion of the talks in Doha, Biden stated that a ceasefire agreement is "closer than we have ever been." U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who canceled his trip to Israel earlier this week due to the threat of an attack from Iran, will visit Israel this weekend to push the ceasefire deal, the U.S. State Department announced after Biden's optimistic statement. Egypt, which will host the next round of negotiations, also stressed the urgency of a ceasefire to prevent a broader regional conflict. "This is the key to the start of the solution in this region and the start of de-escalation," Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said during his visit to Beirut, amid rising tension along the Lebanon-Israel border. UN agencies have called for two seven-day breaks in fighting to allow for polio vaccinations for over 640,000 children in Gaza. Hamas supports this request and also demands the delivery of essential supplies to the region. The World Health Organization plans to launch vaccination campaigns in late August and September, but the efforts require temporary halts in fighting. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized the need for humanitarian pauses to ensure vaccine delivery, adding that "the best vaccine for all children in Gaza is peace." Flash Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi addresses the ninth Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on Aug. 16, 2024. [Photo/Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs] 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 ninth Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Foreign Ministers' Meeting is held in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on Aug. 16, 2024. [Photo/Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs] 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. (MUSIC INTRO) [00:00:01] Bob: This week on The Perfect Scam. [00:00:05] Eva Velasquez: These scammers, they love to take something that has a kernel of truth or some tidbit of reality and then they spin their yarn around that. So yes, it is true that if you don't pay a toll in a timely manner, they will issue fees. People do feel that sense of urgency, but that's why they're doing it. They're, they're testing the waters and unfortunately, they're finding that the water is very warm. (MUSIC SEGUE) [00:00:37] Bob: Welcome back to The Perfect Scam. I'm your host, Bob Sullivan. Summer is practically synonymous with road trip and you know what's often synonymous with road trip, toll roads. We've all gotten used to putting a little gadget in our car so we can pay a toll electronically. On the East Coast they call it an Easy Pass. In Washington State they call it Good-to-Go, but have you ever been driving through a state on a road trip and you end up on a toll road and you don't quite know how to pay the toll? You drive through figuring you'll get a bill in the mail or whatnot, fingers crossed that you don't end up with some kind of outrageous fine which you get anyway. Maybe I'm being a bit too autobiographical here, but anyway, that kind of anxiety opens the door to one of the newest scams, and we wanted to tell you about it right away. So today is a special bonus episode. Electronic tolling, like so many other modern electronic conveniences, is being abused by criminals. Anyone who took a road trip this summer, really anyone who drives a car needs to hear today's story. Fortunately, we have Eva Velasquez from the Identity Theft Resource Center to explain how criminals are making money off, well let's call it unpaid toll anxiety. For those of you who don't know the ITRC... [00:02:08] Eva Velasquez: ITRC's been around for 25 years, we're a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and we provide free services to victims and concerned consumers regarding identity crimes, data breaches, scams and fraud. I mean anything that really touches the misuse or an encumbrance on an identity, we have recovery plans and risk minimization plans and that we provide to the public at no cost. [00:02:39] Bob: And you do a lot, and I will give you time to talk a little bit more about what listeners might be able to do with you. Um, but right now I have to get right into an important question I have. I think you know that I used to live in Seattle. I still have a Seattle phone number, and I got a text message on July 7th at 6:23 pm that stopped me in my tracks, and I'm going to read it to you, okay? [00:03:00] Eva Velasquez: I'm ready. [00:03:02] Bob: "Washington, My Good to Go Toll Services, our records indicate that your vehicle has an unpaid toll invoice. To avoid additional charges of $66.70, please settle your balance of $6.67 at mygoodtogotoll.com." Now, of course, I stopped immediately and thought, how could I have an unpaid toll? I haven't driven in Washington State in several years, but maybe there is an oh no, a $6 toll is going to cost me $60 now? I'd better click on this. But fortunately, I didn't click on it because I thought of a warning that you guys issued back in May. So what is this text message, Eva? First of all, it, it's a scam, this message isn't real, right? [00:03:43] Eva Velasquez: Absolutely. This is a scam. Unfortunately, we're seeing these toll road scams really proliferating all across the country. These text messages, they are a scam, and it's not just the toll roads. We're seeing more and more segmented by area code types of text scams that, from toll roads to fishing and game licensing, to other types of government services, even to law enforcement. So they're using that geography, your area code on your, with your phone number. I think what's interesting about this scam is that the way that you are able to kind of call it out, uh immediately was I don't, I don't live in Seattle anymore. So the folks who are taking their cellphone number with their area code kind of with them as they move across the country are a little bit less likely because they think, oh, I haven't driven on a toll road since I lived there, but it's very, very uh enticing and it works for, for many people because they still do live in that area. [00:04:47] Bob: Or it's summer as in maybe they drove through the area because of a road trip, right? [00:04:50] Eva Velasquez: Right, vacation, vacationers, we got a lot of those from Florida, folks who were like, well I was in Florida, but I don't think I was on a toll road. And, and we're seeing this across numerous states. I mean weve had victims from Virginia, North Carolina, Colorado, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, they're, Texas, California. The list goes, goes on and on and it, and it's ever-growing. [00:05:16] Bob: That's a, a long list and I see back in May and I did, I do remember that you issued a warning about this back in May, that you had gotten 2000 or the FBI I think, had received 2000 complaints about this. That sounds like a lot of complaints in a short span of time. [00:05:29] Eva Velasquez: I'm sure that that has multiplied monumentally, because we know that this is going out. Think about the cost. It doesn't cost anything to send these messages out, and so if these bad actors get even one one-thousandth of a percent rate of return, it's very lucrative to them. The toll fee is usually a very small amount. For you, you said it was $6, but there, there could be a late fee. That's the fear of consequences that we're seeing. That's the hook. Oh, it's a small toll; 5, 6, 12 dollars, we've been trying to reach you, if you don't pay it today there's going to be a late fee of 50, 60 dollars and that's another thing that entices people to react and click on the link and, and say oh, I've got to get this taken care of, or else it's going to be a lot more than $6. [00:06:20] Bob: Well I don't know about you, but this has actually happened to me where I had a toll at a, from another state that I didn't know about that should have been, you know, a couple of bucks, but because I didn't get the letter in time and respond within 15 days or whatever they gave me, it turned out to be 50 or 75 dollars which made me furious, but so this is also you know realistic. I mean people are, are ready to be unnerved by messages like this, so I think they're tapping into some you know anger with that's, that's realistic about toll roads. [00:06:50] Eva Velasquez: Well and think about it. If you kind of go up to the high level like the 30,000-foot view, this has all of the attributes of a successful scam. Because you're right. That feeling of I must react, but there's something real here. These scammers, they love to take something that has a kernel of truth or some tidbit of reality and then they spin their yarn around that. So yes, it is true that if you don't pay a toll in a timely manner, they will issue fees. And yes, Bob, I hate to admit it, but there is a toll road a little bit north of me when I go to visit my husband's parents that we drive, and I, one time, didn't load up my account, and I had to pay a late fee. And it is infuriating. So it is real. People do feel that sense of urgency, but that's why they're doing it. They're, they're testing the waters and unfortunately, they're finding that the water is very warm. [00:07:48] Bob: Okay, so if I did click on that link, what happens? What are they really trying to ultimately do to me? [00:07:53] Eva Velasquez: They're trying to get your financial information and other identity credentials. They're either going to try to get you to enter payment information, log-in credentials. They'll take as much as they can but the end goal is to try to get your debit card, credit card, bank account, financial information. If you have an account with the toll road, they may be trying to get your username and password. It's about getting your data and your money. [00:08:19] Bob: Hmm. Okay, so now I do, I'm a big fan of the Identity Theft Resource Center, always have been. And thank goodness you've issued this alert back in May. But I would like to just raise this point; since you issued an alert in May and you read off the list of a dozen or so states back in then that had been reporting this, it's now the end of July for me. Why is this still happening? [00:08:41] Eva Velasquez: Well I think the challenge is, and I've heard this too; why isn't the government doing anything about this? And it's more complicated than that. The phone companies will have to intercede and block some of these numbers, and there are apps that do that, and there are some services, things that you can purchase. There's some that are already imbedded depending on your service provider, but the scammers know that if they change the number where it's coming from, the sending account, quickly, it's not that expensive to do that, and they just rotate accounts and use new accounts. So it's sort of like playing a game of whack-a-mole. [00:09:20] Bob: So it's hard for the cell carriers to stop all these messages, although it does strike me that the messages really do sound kind of similar and I'm, I'm surprised that there's not a little bit more they can do. But also, in the case of my message, the domain name that they suggested that I click on was very realistic. The, the Washington State version of Easy Pass is called Good to Go. And that the URL that they sent to me was mygoodtogotoll.com. That's a domain that, that sounds like it could really be a legitimate uh domain for that toll collection agency. So why, why isn't it that the scam stopped at that level maybe, at the domain level? [00:09:55] Eva Velasquez: That is a good question, and part of it is we, we are able to secure domains. You just make up one and, and you easily go and register it, and it is up to the organizations that own the legitimate domain name to police their own domain. So a lot of this isn't centralized, and I agree with you; this is one of the aspects of this scam as well. Most of the, the names and the domains look very, very believable. Gone are the days of it being some off the wall, doesn't match, you don't even believe, you know, it's like so unbelievable looking. Now they look very, very similar sometimes with only a letter or two difference from the legitimate domain name, and so from a prevention standpoint, we always tell people go to the source. And the great news about that advice is that it really applies across the board. If you didn't initiate the communication whether it's coming by email, text, the phone call, you don't have to engage with that message. You can go to the source. So we encourage people if they get one of these tolls and they think there's a chance that it's legitimate, that if they have an account, go ahead and go to their legitimate account, however they communicate with their toll road service provider. And if they don't, make sure, don't go to the domain that's listed on the text message. Make sure that you are doing your research and looking up what is the legitimate domain name for the entity in my area. And if you have trouble with that, you can always call the ITRC and we can walk you through how you verify the legitimacy of any incoming communication. [00:11:43] Bob: You know, just to complete the story from my text message, again it had been many years since I paid a Good to Go toll; the correct website is mygoodtogo.com. They were sending me to mygoodtogotoll.com. And if you go to the right one, mygoodtogo.com, there's a big warning at the top of it that says, "SCAM ALERT" and it's specifically asking for $6.67. So they know I got this scam message. But boy, that URL, first of all, that URL sounds really legitimate. Second of all, you know what, Eva, I could not remember that I was supposed to go to mygoodtogo.com. How would I remember that? [00:12:20] Eva Velasquez: Right. If you haven't gone in a while, I can understand how that would be hard to have that memorized. So you're not engaging with this company anymore because you've moved away. It's a challenge because when you do an internet search, you do have to be really careful about making sure that you're finding the legitimate one. And that's why I then say, if it's not easily discoverable, if you're like, no, I cannot figure out what is legitimate and what isn't; that's when you can go to a trusted third party like the ITRC, like the Better Business Bureau is also a great resource, like AARP. I mean we all have call centers where you can reach out to us and say, I need help finding the legitimate website for this company, this entity. And we can walk you through that. [00:13:07] Bob: I, I think that's really important. Um, but a quick Google search may or may not give you the right answer, so get it from somebody else too. Let me confess a character flaw that I have. I'm the kind of person that when I get a, a parking ticket or something like this, I mean I get, I go to 11 right away, and I got to, I've got to fix this immediately. So I'm going to just pay this toll because I feel like now Im a criminal. I have to exonerate myself or, or dispute it or whatnot. So I, my urge is to just act immediately, which really would have worked against me in this case. In this case this is one of those times when take 10 minutes and do it the right way. Don't, don't act just because you're upset you got a parking ticket or a fine, right? [00:13:45] Eva Velasquez: Absolutely. I think the mantra that I want you and everybody else to remember is react, don't panic. Look, I appreciate your honor, that's an honorable way to live your life. If I made a mistake, I am going to resolve it and take care of it. And I actually think that's a good way to live. But it doesn't mean that you have to engage immediately. That is something that the bad actors rely on. You can take 5, 10 minutes, think through what your next move is, and I always go back to that, reach out to a friend. Call someone that you trust and run the scenario past them, whether it's the, the toll road scam or any other incoming communication and, and hopefully they can help you talk you out of, oh, I need to take care of this right away. There's time. You are still an honorable person. You can vet whatever is coming in, and then you can take care of it appropriately. [00:14:39] Bob: So what are you supposed to do if you get one of these messages? [00:14:43] Eva Velasquez: Well, again, I tell people, react, don't panic. The, in the, the very, very likely scenario is that it's a scam, and now how these toll companies communicate with their customers is going to vary from company to company. But if you want to be proactive about it, and you are one of those people that has a toll account and um, engages and drives the toll roads, go now before you get one of these text messages and ask the question. Find out. Do you communicate with your users over text, or do you only communicate via email or phone call? How do you communicate with us? Most of them are going to say they write a letter. That seems to be the standard, but I don't want to say that as an absolute because I can't say that I know with certainty that's how it is in every state. But if you do get one and you're not sure, have a legitimate company communicate with their customers, you can do, again, a little sleuthing, check around, phone a friend, go to the source and if you still are confused about who you're talking to, go to a trusted third party that can give you direction. [00:15:52] Bob: And if I get it and I decide it's a scam, do I need to tell someone? Can I report it somehow? [00:15:57] Eva Velasquez: You can report it to IC3.gov. And it's helpful when you report these scams because then we know the scope and the scale of the crime. It only takes a few minutes to do that online. But I do want to give people um, I want to manage their expectations. If you did not click on the link and you haven't shared your data or your, your financial information, you're most likely not going to hear anything back. It's not necessarily going to be investigated. Now if you did click on the link, and you did share your information, then we need to walk you through the recovery process, and it's going to differ, we need to know what exact information you shared, because that's where we need to shore up the defenses. If you shared your credit card information, I'm going to encourage you to, you know, contact your bank, let them know, and then follow their advice on whether they close that account or they flag it and put a fraud warning on it. It's going to vary from institution to institution. If you shared other data, I don't want to go into all the details for every type, we don't have, you know, three days for this podcast, but if you shared other information, reach out to the ITRC, we'll be happy to give you a free recovery plan that will minimize your risk of that particular information now being out there in the wild. [00:17:17] Bob: Well that brings us to an important question. If somebody is worried that something has happened to their identity, like they've answered a text like this and supplied personal information, how do they get in touch with the organization? [00:17:27] Eva Velasquez: Oh you can reach us in, in a variety of ways. You can call our toll-free number, that's 888-400-5530. You can live chat with us online and our website is IDtheftcenter.org. You can send us an email and our email accounts are listed on the website. You can message us, social media direct messaging. I'm trying to get carrier pigeon and smoke signal, but we're working on that communication method. [00:17:56] Bob: One thing at a time. [00:17:57] Eva Velasquez: Right? [00:17:58] Bob: You know I would very remiss to have you on this podcast and not ask you, are there other scams or crimes that you're starting to hear about now that our listeners should know about? Something new perhaps? [00:18:09] Eva Velasquez: Well I think my big concern is these geographically segmented text scams that are relying on your area code. And it, it's really running the gamut, and I'm going to encourage people that anything that feels very personal about where you live, these government departments, like I said we're, we're seeing them for Fish & Game, you've got to renew your, your license. Just anything that is about your specific region that's unsolicited text message that is compelling you with a sense of urgency; either you owe money or something's going to expire or you must act now. I just really want people to take a breath and not react to that. And I think we're going to continue to see this escalate and increase significantly because look, the bad actors, they are masters of AB testing. They try one thing, it doesn't work, they try another, they try another and then when they find something that works, they just go full force, and they put a lot of resources into it. So I don't think this is going to die down anytime soon. It eventually will, but we'll have this elevated baseline. I think these are here to stay, so I just want people to be really vigilant. [00:19:29] Bob: And, and I just keep hearing about them from different states. So it must be working because these things certainly are out there, right? [00:19:35] Eva Velasquez: They haven't slowed down. So I, the list of states where these are happening is growing, and it's not slowing down yet, so I think this is going to be around for quite a while. [00:19:45] Bob: A really, really important reminder during summer road trips, especially because the odds are higher, I think than normal that you might really have to pay a toll from a state you don't normally pay to, and so you might get an unexpected communication, probably a letter from a toll authority. So just take an extra moment. [00:20:05] Bob: Also I want you to know that these scams are ever evolving. Right after I had this conversation with Eva, a friend sent me a text message that he'd received that had the logo for New Jersey's Easy Pass system in it. And in the background image was a picture of a bridge, could be the George Washington Bridge, and that it said, "Your recent journey on a New Jersey Easy Pass toll road resulted in the charge of $4.15. Settle your balance promptly to prevent any late fees." Then there's a link to EZ Pass NJ dot net; it's not quite the right URL, but it's very believable. Just ignore these messages, and if you just want to double-check that everything is okay, go to a web browser. Type the domain of your toll collection authority manually and check your account. And if you've answered a message like this, or you're just worried about it, you can always call the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 877-908-3360 from 8 am to 8 pm Monday through Friday. Happy motoring! [00:21:15] Bob: For The Perfect Scam, I'm Bob Sullivan. (MUSIC SEGUE) [00:21:23] Bob: If you have been targeted by a scam or fraud, you are not alone. Call the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 877-908-3360. Their trained fraud specialists can provide you with free support and guidance on what to do next. Our email address at The Perfect Scam is: theperfectscampodcast@aarp.org, and we want to hear from you. If you've been the victim of a scam or you know someone who has, and you'd like us to tell their story, write to us. That address again is: theperfectscampodcast@aarp.org. Thank you to our team of scambusters; Associate Producer, Annalea Embree; Researcher, Becky Dodson; Executive Producer, Julie Getz; and our Audio Engineer and Sound Designer, Julio Gonzalez. Be sure to find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. For AARP's The Perfect Scam, I'm Bob Sullivan. (MUSIC OUTRO) END OF TRANSCRIPT Flash China has asked the Philippines to stop its infringement activities and withdraw its coast guard vessel in the lagoon of the Xianbin Jiao at once, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Friday. The spokesperson made the remarks when asked to comment that a Philippine coast guard vessel has recently been anchoring in the lagoon of Xianbin Jiao. Xianbin Jiao is part of China's Nansha Qundao, the spokesperson said. The Philippine vessel entered the lagoon of the Xianbin Jiao without permission and has been there for a long time, which seriously infringes on China's sovereignty, violates the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), and threatens the peace and stability in the South China Sea. China has lodged solemn representations with the Philippines through diplomatic channels and asked the Philippines to stop its infringement activities and withdraw the vessel at once, said the spokesperson. China is closely monitoring the developments and will take resolute measures to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests and uphold the sanctity of the DOC, said the spokesperson. Flash 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 July 29, 2024. [Photo/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. Authored by Abhijeet Sonar, Head of Marketing, hansgrohe India In today's corporate landscape, sustainability has become a buzzword, often highlighted in the mission and vision statements of many companies. While there is an urgent need to reduce emissions by 40-60% by 2030 to meet international goals, 47% of companies are still guilty of greenwashing. To truly embed sustainability into a brand's DNA requires more than just surface-level commitment - it demands a deep, strategic integration that aligns with the brand's core values and operations. Brands looking to imbibe sustainability into their ethos can use the following strategies - Identify and Define Sustainability for Your Brand The first step is to clearly define what sustainability means for your organisation, tailoring them to the specific context of your business and industry. It involves asking critical questions: What are the sustainable practices that align with our business model? How do these practices impact our consumers, communities, and the environment? What can we learn about sustainability measures from our peers and international experts in the industry? Are we able to align our sustainability goals with global targets like the Paris Agreement? By answering these questions, brands can establish a clear and focused sustainability agenda, which ultimately leads to emissions reductions. Studies have shown that adopting sustainability initiatives can also help improve financial performance and garner public support. Set Measurable Goals and Targets To be truly sustainable, brands must set clear, measurable goals with a detailed roadmap of how to achieve them. This process includes identifying emission hotspots across every aspect of the company - from sourcing raw materials to end-of-life management - and identifying how to make them less resource-intensive. Setting such targets ensures that emission reduction efforts are aligned with broader business and industry objectives. Global platforms like the Science Backed Targets initiative (SBTi) provide sector-wise guidance that can help brands make actionable progress in the fight against climate change while positioning themselves as frontrunners in the global shift towards sustainable practices. Ensure Transparency in Reporting Data Transparency is key to building trust with consumers, stakeholders, and the industry at large. Brands must prioritise disclosing their progress in annual or quarterly sustainability reports with accurate information about their sustainability practices, progress, and challenges. This information should be supported by comprehensive data, showing the impact of sustainability initiatives. For example, if a brand claims to reduce its carbon footprint by sourcing raw materials locally, it should provide data to showcase the percentage reductions in emissions. Brands that align their sustainability reporting with global frameworks like the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) stand to gain a competitive advantage in today's environmentally conscious market. These advantages include the ability to meet growing regulatory requirements, improved investor confidence and access to sustainable financing options, and insightful data that can drive better decision-making and long-term growth. Foster a Culture of Sustainability For sustainability to be truly embedded in a brand's DNA, it must become a part of the company culture. Every employee, from the CEO to the frontline staff, should understand the importance of sustainability and how it relates to their role. These values need to be imparted from the onboarding process itself, and applied to every facet of the company, from product innovation to distribution. This can be achieved through regular training, clear communication, and by celebrating sustainability successes within the organisation. When sustainability becomes a shared value, it drives collective action and ensures that the brand's sustainability goals are met. Leverage Innovation and Technology Innovation and technology play a crucial role in helping brands integrate sustainability into their DNA. To truly exude environmental stewardship, brands should invest in research and development to find new ways to reduce their environmental impact, whether it's through developing more sustainable products, improving energy efficiency, or reducing waste. Technology can provide the tools needed to drive sustainability solutions that help brands achieve their sustainability targets. In conclusion, integrating sustainability into a brand's DNA requires a strategic, long-term commitment. It involves defining clear goals, prioritising climate disclosure, fostering a culture of sustainability, and leveraging technology and innovation. Most importantly, it requires transparency, accountability, and a genuine desire to make a positive impact. By following these strategies, brands can ensure that sustainability is not just a buzzword but a core part of who they are and what they do. DISCLAIMER: The views expressed are solely of the author and Adgully.com does not necessarily subscribe to it. The iconic Bollywood actress Raveena Tandon graces the latest episode of In the Ring with Filmfare with her infectious energy. Hosted by Jitesh Pillai, Editor-in-Chief, Filmfare, this unfiltered and insightful talk show goes beyond the glitz and glamour to explore the personal lives and professional journeys of the film industry and OTT worlds biggest stars, all in front of a live audience that amplifies the experience. In an engaging conversation with the host, Raveena Tandon gets candid about hailing from a diverse background, her journey before venturing into acting, and her early years in the industry. She also reminisces about signing Patthar Ke Phool because of her college friends and shooting for the film while simultaneously appearing for her FYJC exam. In addition, Raveena reveals the reason behind turning down Karan Johars blockbuster film Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and another film with Shah Rukh Khan. The conversation further takes an emotional turn as she discusses embracing motherhood through adoption at the young age of 21. Lastly, Raveena even addresses the recent viral video of a mob accusing her driver of assaulting two women. Talking about being raised in a diverse background, Raveena reveals, Although I come from a film family, as my father was in the movies, we were not a filmy family. My grandfather was a High Court judge, my aunt was a doctor, and my uncles were attorneys and prosecutors, whereas my maternal grandfather was in the army. We hosted a lot of film stars at our home, but my father never let us get influenced by the glitz and glamour of showbiz." Raveena also reveals she was in FYJC when she starred in Patthar Ke Phool (1991), saying, I gave my FYJC exam while shooting for Patthar Ke Phool. She jokingly shares, In fact, I signed Patthar Ke Phool because my friends wanted to meet Salman Khan. Back then, I had already said no to 5 to 6 films because I was not sure if I wanted to be a part of movies. Id never dreamt of becoming an actress. It all just happened; it was destiny. While Patthar Ke Phool was in production, I signed a couple of other films, and then there was no looking back. Raveena further reveals why she rejected Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), saying, To this day, Karan (Johar) still teases me for not signing his first film. Back then, I couldnt give it a nod because I was trying to re-establish my career, and I couldnt have played second lead to Kajol. I had given up my career for personal reasons, and then I realised I had to get back into the fray. I couldnt have gone back with someone whom Id started off with on an equal footing, and then do a second lead (to her). Spilling the beans on catfights between actresses in the 90s, Raveena mentions, There were never really any catfights per se. Addressing her rumoured catfight with Karisma Kapoor during the shoot of Aatish (1994), she states, It was never a catfight. There might be a discussion about Why are you doing this?, What is the need to do this and Lets bridge this gap. Thats all it was. But of course, it was all hyped. She even recalls embracing motherhood through adoption at the age of 21, expressing, My mom has always worked towards the empowerment of girls, and I followed suit. And when the opportunity came for me to do the right thing, I think I just stepped up. I didnt think about its repercussions. Vinesh Phogat Receives Emotional Homecoming After Paris Olympics Heartbreak 2 Wrestler Vinesh Phogat returned home on Saturday to a heartwarming welcome at Indira Gandhi International Airport, following her campaign at the Paris Olympics, ending in a heartbreak. As Vinesh exited the airport, loud cheers from her fans, family, and friends, who had gathered in large numbers despite the early hours, greeted her. The overwhelming support and affection from them moved the wrestling icon to tears. Outside the airport, emotions ran high as people celebrated. Sakshi Malik, who retired from wrestling last year, and Bajrang Punia were among the first to welcome Vinesh home. In a poignant moment, Vinesh and Sakshi, both of whom have faced immense challenges in their careers, embraced each other and broke down in tears, sharing the weight of their struggles. Later, Sakshi, the 2016 Rio Olympics bronze medallist, wrote on X, Welcome back champion @vineshphogat. Boxer Vijender Singh, who clinched a bronze medal in 2008 Beijing Olympics, was also at the airport to receive Vinesh. Once a champion always a champion #Vineshphogat, Vijender posted on X. On Friday, Vinesh had expressed her deep sorrow over missing out on the Olympic podium, linking her personal disappointment to the broader struggle for womens rights in India, which she had championed in her protests against the former wrestling federation chief. In a three-page letter posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on Friday night, Vinesh hinted at a return to the sport in the future, leaving the door slightly ajar despite her earlier decision to retire post being disqualified from womens freestyle 50kg gold medal game earlier this month. Despite the teams efforts, Vinesh could not make weight in time for the weigh-in, leading to her disqualification from the gold medal game. Later, Vineshs appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) for a joint silver medal was dismissed on Wednesday. Country star Keith Urban will make an appearance Friday, Aug. 16, in the parking lot of an Alabama Buc-ees. Many details of the event, such as its expected duration, remain unknown. However, Urban posted on his Facebook page that what ever hes planning will happen at 8 p.m. Well see ya outside in the parking lot, said his brief post. Its gonna be a blast. The flier he posted said How I Got Here and Live @ Buc-ees. [Country star Keith Urbans surprise concert at Alabama Buc-ees draws huge crowd] Urban has a new album due for September release thats titled High. Earlier this year, when he announced a tour of clubs and dive bars to coincide with the release of the single Go Home W U, he said he wanted to play the song in a setting that felt familiar to HOW I GOT HERE which spells out h.i.g.h. This is how I got to do what Im doing, Urban told www.audacity.com. So its like second nature to me to be in a tiny little club. I mean, the benefit is that people hopefully are coming to listen. Im used to playing in these clubs when nobody cares that youre up on stage. A giant gas station-convenience store isnt exactly a small club, but maybe the same stripped-down spirit applies. There is nowhere to hide when people are standing right in front of you, Urban told www.audacity.com. Theres no trickery and theres no net. The Buc-ees in question is at 2328 Lindsay Lane S. in Athens, near the Huntsville Brownsferry Road exit on I-65. It opened in late 2022. A graduate of the University of Alabama is taking on a new role in Vice President Kamala Harris presidential campaign. Ian Sams, who earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at UA, is becoming senior national spokesperson and senior adviser for rapid response, the Washington Post reported. Sams posted about his new role on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday morning. So proud to be joining the amazing and talented team at @KamalaHQ for the home stretch of this campaign, Sams post read. Getting to reunite with my old boss @KamalaHarris as a spokesman is a privilege, and in 80 days we will make history and elect her President of the United States. So proud to be joining the amazing and talented team at @KamalaHQ for the home stretch of this campaign. Getting to reunite with my old boss @KamalaHarris as a spokesman is a privilege, and in 80 days we will make history and elect her President of the United States. pic.twitter.com/OM6AMuoidm Ian Sams (@IanSams) August 17, 2024 Previously, Sams was a spokesman for oversight and investigations under the Biden administration. During Harris 2020 presidential campaign, Sams was her national press secretary. At his new role, Sams will be tasked with appearing on TV, helping the Harris campaign channel her voice and responding to attacks on the VPs record. Sams is not the only Alabama grad entangled in politics in D.C. Kaitlan Collins, a Prattville-native and 2014 graduate of Alabama became CNNs at age 29. Collins currently hosts a show on CNN called The Source, where she interviews U.S. presidential candidates and other high-profile political figures. A man from Autaugaville died in a head-on crash with a commercial fuel truck late Friday night, troopers said. Karlos D. Golson Jr., 33, died at the scene of the crash on Alabama 14 about five miles west of Prattville, according to a press release from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Golson was driving a 2000 Ford Ranger pickup that collided head-on with a 2022 Peterbilt commercial fuel truck. As a result of the collision, the Peterbilt caught on fire and became totally engulfed in flames, said Lieutenant Jeremy J. Burkett, a trooper spokesman. The Montgomery man driving the fuel truck made it out without injury, Burkett said in the release. Golson wasnt wearing a seat belt and died at the scene, according to troopers. A teen is in jail after police say he fired shots at a girl in a Dothan park because she didnt give him her phone number. Officers responded about 7:30 p.m. Friday to Solomon Park on Choctaw Street on a report of shots fired. Dothan police Lt. Scott Owens said officers saw a vehicle leaving with several juveniles inside. They stopped the vehicle and found guns inside. They also recovered fresh spent shell casings in the park. Fortunately, Owens said, no one was injured. A 17-year-old boy was taken into custody for questioning. Witnesses and the suspect told police he was angry at the target of the shooting because she had not given him her phone number at school earlier that day. At Solomon Park, he saw the victim with her boyfriend and opened fire with a 9mm handgun. The teen is being charged as an adult with two counts of first-degree attempted assault. He is being held in the Houston County Jail. The Dothan Police Department takes this type of conduct very seriously and will hold any person engaging in this type of conduct accountable according to the law, Owens said. It is a miracle that no one was injured or killed by the actions of this suspect. Cinnamon rolls, Christmastime, and celebrity encounters all come to mind for many when picturing Hoovers Riverchase Galleria. Following a recent announcement that the Gallerias Macys location - the last one in Alabama has been listed for sale, we asked residents What are your favorite memories of the Riverchase Galleria? Trips to Cindys Cinnamon Rolls was one of the most popular answers. See also: What does the future hold for the Galleria? Donna Stack Wiggins fondly recalled weekend shopping trips with her mother and sister that culminated in buying one of the beloved treats for the ride home. Going there was like a mini day trip, she wrote. Hoovers store is the only Cindys Cinnamon Rolls that remains in operation in the entire United States. For others, a favorite memory involved the carousel in the center of the food court or the fountain there before it. The mall -- once called Alabamas largest shopping attraction -- has been a popular site for Christmas shopping since its opening in 1986. We drove down to Riverchase from Huntsville during the Christmas season that first year it opened, wrote Rodney Gaskin. Such a wonderful sight to see! One former mall worker jumped in to share his memories of holiday cheer at the Galleria. I worked there for 5 years at a call center, and I remember the wonderful Christmas music during the holiday season, wrote Darryl Weatherspoon. The Alabama Symphony Orchestra and chorus did a wonderful concert at the Riverchase Galleria. The mall has also seen a few celebrities over the last forty years, according to commentors. Chris Moore said his favorite memory was waiting on a popcorn order and running into the guitarist of my favorite band. Kinda freaked me out, he wrote. He was killing time while waiting on their gear to be shipped across the pond. Stefanie Elliot Bamberg recalled working at Mori Classics in high school and getting to meet a few celebrities that would come in. China doubles subsidies to boost auto trade-ins Xinhua) 09:34, August 17, 2024 BEIJING, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- China has increased a financial stimulus to encourage consumers to scrap their old vehicles and buy new ones, according to a circular issued on Friday. Subsidies for trade-ins of new energy passenger vehicles have doubled from 10,000 yuan (1,399 U.S. dollars) -- a figure stipulated in an April document -- to 20,000 yuan, per the circular, which was released by the Ministry of Commerce and six other government departments. Subsidies for trade-ins of fuel passenger vehicles have been raised from 7,000 yuan to 15,000 yuan. The new policy applies to all subsidy applications submitted between April 24 this year and Jan. 10, 2025. Nearly 5 million new energy passenger vehicles and 6.57 million fuel passenger vehicles were sold to individual consumers in China from January to July, with those figures respectively surging 33.7 percent and dipping 15 percent year on year, industry data shows. A lack of effective demand is one of the challenges facing the Chinese economy, and policymakers are moving to promote stable growth in consumer spending. The 2024 government work report pledged to encourage consumer goods trade-in programs among other measures to boost domestic demand. (Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Wu Chaolan) Flash 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. [Photo/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." Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has submitted signatures to gain ballot access in Alabama for the presidential election in November, according to his campaign. Kennedy, who is running as an independent, submitted over 15,000 signatures in Montgomery on Thursday, according to Stefanie Spear, press representative for the campaign. Thats more than three times the required number of 5,000, the campaign said. We are providing Alabama voters a chance to change the trajectory of our country from a negative to positive future, said Oluchi Onwuvuche, the campaigns Alabama state director, in the release. Kennedy also submitted signatures in Arizona and Montana, his campaign said today. Kennedy and his running mate, Nicole Shanahan, a California lawyer and philanthropist, are currently on the ballot in 22 states, including neighboring Tennessee, according to CBS. This is just the latest in Kennedys push to get on the ballot in all 50 states, an endeavor he has previously said would cost at least $15 million and require more than 1 million signatures. Kennedy has had a few legal challenges regarding ballot access, including in the state of New York, according to PBS. In New York, hes alleged to have falsely listed the same New York address that was the subject of litigation in that state. Kennedy made a campaign stop at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa back in January. The National Weather Service issued an updated severe thunderstorm warning at 6:54 p.m. on Friday in effect until 7:30 p.m. for Cherokee and Etowah counties. Residents should be prepared for wind gusts of up to 60 mph. "At 6:54 p.m., severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from near Gaylesville to Leesburg to near Sardis City, moving southeast at 30 mph," says the weather service. "Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees." Locations impacted by the warning include Centre, Cedar Bluff, Little River Canyon National Preserve, Forney, Centre Municipal Airport, Leesburg, Reece City, Sand Rock, Gaylesville, Tennala, Tabor Road, Cherokee Rock Village, Cornwall Furnace Park, Eastern Weiss Lake, Ballplay, Slackland, Western Weiss Lake, Moshat, Weiss Dam and Yellow Creek Falls. According to the weather service, "For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building." Staying safe as lightning approaches: Expert advice Lightning strikes the United States approximately 25 million times each year, with the bulk of these electrical discharges occurring during the summer months. Tragically, lightning claims the lives of about 20 individuals annually, as reported by the weather service. The risk of lightning-related incidents escalates as thunderstorms draw near, reaching its peak when the storm directly looms overhead. However, it gradually recedes as the tempest moves away. To ensure your safety during a thunderstorm, keep these recommendations in mind: Lightning safety plan: When venturing outdoors, it's vital to establish a clear plan for seeking shelter in case of lightning. Monitor the sky for threatening signs and listen for the sound of thunder. If thunder is audible, it's an indication that lightning is nearby. Seek a safe place to shelter, preferably indoors. Indoors safety measures: Once you've found shelter indoors, abstain from using corded phones, electrical appliances, or plumbing fixtures, and refrain from approaching windows and doors. Lightning can follow conductive pathways, and these precautions reduce the risk of electrical surges. Wait for the all-clear: After the last lightning strike or thunderclap, wait at least 30 minutes before resuming outdoor activities. It's important to remember that lightning can strike even when a storm seems to have passed, so exercise caution. When indoor shelter isn't available: If you find yourself outdoors with no access to indoor shelter during a thunderstorm, take these steps to maximize your safety: Avoid open fields, hilltops, or ridge crests, which expose you to greater lightning risk. Steer clear of tall, isolated trees and other prominent objects. In forested areas, stay close to lower stands of trees. If you're with a group, ensure individuals are spread out to prevent lightning current from transferring between people. Camping in an open setting during a thunderstorm is strongly discouraged. If no alternative exists, set up camp in a valley, ravine, or other low-lying areas. Remember that a tent offers no protection against lightning. Do not approach water bodies, wet objects, or metal items. Although water and metal do not attract lightning, they conduct electricity effectively and can pose significant risks. In summary, when facing the threat of lightning, vigilance and preparedness are your best allies. By following these guidelines, you can significantly reduce the chances of lightning-related accidents and prioritize your safety. Navigating heavy rain: Essential safety measures for wet roads Heavy rainfall may lead to flooding if prolonged or if there is excessive runoff. Excessive runoff can be a result of saturated ground and/or rainfall intensity. Follow these recommendations from the weather service to stay safe in heavy rain: Beware of rapid water flow: During heavy rain, avoid parking or walking near culverts or drainage ditches, where swift-moving water can pose a serious risk. Maintain safe driving distances: Adhere to the two-second rule for maintaining a safe following distance behind the vehicle in front of you. In heavy rain, allow an additional two seconds of distance to compensate for reduced traction and braking effectiveness. Slow down and stay cautious: If it is raining and the roads are wet, slow down. Take your foot off the accelerator and let your speed drop gradually. Never use the brakes suddenly because this may cause the car to skid. Choose your lane wisely: Stay toward the middle lanes - water tends to pool in the outside lanes. Visibility matters: Enhance your visibility in heavy rain by turning on your headlights. Watch out for vehicles in blind spots, as rain-smeared windows can obscure them. Watch out for slippery roads: The initial half-hour of rain is when roads are slickest due to a mixture of rain, grime, and oil. Exercise heightened caution during this period. Keep a safe distance from large vehicles: Don't follow large trucks or buses too closely. The spray created by their large tires reduces your vision. Take care when passing them as well; if you must pass, do so quickly and safely. Mind your windshield wipers: Overloaded wiper blades can hinder visibility. If rain severely limits your sight, pull over and wait for conditions to improve. Seek refuge at rest areas or protected spots. If the roadside is your only option, pull off as far as possible, preferably past the end of a guard rail, and wait until the storm passes. Keep your headlights on and turn on emergency flashers to alert other drivers of your position. By following these safety measures, you can significantly reduce risks and ensure your well-being when heavy rain pours down. Stay informed about weather conditions and heed advice from local authorities to make your journey safe and sound. Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service. Imagine, if you will, a contemporary Man on the street interview:* Guy with a mike and recorder: You, Sir, have you ever heard of Richard Nixon? Random young pedestrian: Uhum, uh, like, yeah, I think I heard about him in school... I think it was in Science Class .... wait, no, wait, um, like, it was in a History Class, I think... but, uh, I have trouble remembering. Okay, but what do you recall about him? Hmmmmm ... oh, like, he was, um, like, you know, like one of the founding fathers, I think, and he was a great inventor yeah, that was it! He, like, invented some gadget called the water gate... its used for flood control. Or something. Yeah, its in Washington, next to that river that flows through the Capital. Okay, thank you! No, thats not an actual, literal, conversation (of which I am aware), but it might not be too far afield. Lets imagine another: Hi, there! Do remember anything about Richard Nixon? Nixon? Oh, you mean Tricky Dicky? Oh, yeah, I remember that so-and-so... as dishonest as they come! He was that crafty guy who ordered that invasion of the peaceful Democrat headquarters to steal blackmail material for his kooky reelection campaign, then hid all the evidence on his office recorder. Yeah, that guy. But those noble knights at the Washington Post, Wordswood and Berksteinoh, whateverthose reporters got with the House and Senate and the prosecutors, and they all went scorched earth on that rotten presidency Drove him and his evil minions from officeGood riddance! (Whew!) ... Thank you... (I think). Now, one more: Hi, there, Maam! Might I ask what you remember about Richard Nixon and his presidency? Ohhhhh! I remember those days. He was a great president! He beat those Democrat leftists in 68 ... even harder, again, in 72. That second one was a huge landslide! He did so much for this country. It had been a time of turbulence. Unrest. Anti-war protests, but he did a lot to calm the waters. He ended the military draft. And brought our boys home from Vietnam and switched to an all-volunteer army. He helped lower the voting age to 18. Worked with the Soviets on a nuclear arms treaty... Then those goofball staffers who burgled the Watergate, the DNC office, darn them! And Nixon found out about it afterward. He tried to fix that mess they created... he wanted to do it in a noble and honest way, but the Democrats controlling House and Senate and that dishonest federal judge, and those conniving prosecutors found this episode to be just the handle they needed and they grabbed and they pulled until they tore it all apart. Those media sorts just kept on spewing the lies that came out. Thats all anybody ever heard, and its, like, all anybody ever believes anymore! And now every scandal is some kind of a --GATE! Do you think theres a more truthful, a kinder narrative to be told about Nixon? Oh, yes, I do! But people are careful about what they say; its too easy to get canceled for something said. Say that to the wrong people and get your car keyednot wise here in this city full of Trump haters! Oh, I think I understandeven more than you know! Thank you so much! Oh, yes, attitudes fifty years ago were varied. It would not be surprising to find this true today. Richard Milhous Nixon, 37th president of the United States, one of the most popular presidents in the past centuryevidenced by his spectacular 1972 reelection winis a historic figure whose name is intimately entwined with the word Watergate, and the disastrous conclusion to his presidency just fifty years ago. A California native, Nixon attended Whittier College there, then Duke University School of Law. After doing legal practice, he served in World War II as a Naval officer. He then entered politics, winning a U.S. House seat in 1946 and then a Senate seat in 1950. In both positions, he took prominent roles in opposing communism and, at one point, was instrumental in breaking the Alger Hiss spy case. In 1952, Nixon was Dwight Eisenhowers VP running mate. They handily won, then won again in 1956. Nixon ran for president in 1960 and lost, but made his dramatic comeback, winning handily in 1968. Concluding a first term marked by numerous beneficial governing successes, Nixon ran for reelection in 1972, winning every electoral district except Massachusetts and the District of Columbia. It seemed a sure bet that his second term would be even more illustrious than his first. But the campaign ran over a nail in the road, which eventually wrecked that presidency. That nail was the June 17, 1972, illegal break-in of the DNC offices in the Watergate complex, which campaign staffers ordered without Nixons knowledge or permission. Despite Nixons and his staffers efforts to exert damage control, the situation resolutely grew into a mounting imbroglio of scandal, distrust, prosecutorial, judicial, and congressional actions, and an eventual inevitability of impeachment, conviction, and removal. This was the Watergate scandal. President Richard M. Nixon, therefore declared that an honorable resignation was wiser and more curative for the Presidency and for the nation than an agonizing Senate trial for high Crimes and Misdemeanors. He tendered his resignation effective August 9, 1974. And so it was, half a century ago, that Richard Nixon, Washingtons political bad boy communism fighter, a West Coast outsider, not of the genteel Ivy League aristocracy, not welcomed by the establishment elite, and a man who trounced Democrats in every state but one in his reelection, was finally branded the evil conspirator by that establishment. He would wear the Watergate albatross as his enduring legacy. So thrived the narrative; Watergate would be the enduring code word for government corruption. But cracks are now forming in that escutcheon. Consider this opening from PJ Medias Victoria Taft: Imagine a scenario in which the intelligence community, political actors, the FBI, and the media all worked together to bring down a president. You dont have to wonder, as it happened 50 years ago in the United States of America when Richard Nixon was forced to resign his office after winning the election as the most popular president since FDR. The same article introduces Watergate expert and author Geoff Shepard, who was a young attorney on the Nixon Defense team and who, since then, has spent decades deeply researching administrative, political, and prosecutorial Watergate archives obtained through FOIA requests. The results of his investigations are damning to those who conducted their immoral, unethical, and illegal abuse of power to purge Nixon from the presidency. Shepard has written three books on this subject. His most recent is The Nixon Conspiracy: Watergate and the Plot to Remove the President, a detailed and easily read analysis of the whole Watergate debacle. Heres John Dale Dunns handy review. Tucker Carlson interviewed Shephard for over two hours. The book has now been made into a documentary motion picture, Watergate Secrets, with live discussions with Shepard and other notables, and with dramatic reenactments of Watergate events of the time. My advice: watch the movie, then read the book, then watch the movie again. Image: Richard Nixon 1972 campaign button by Gary Denham. CC BY 2.0. _____________________ *Inspiration for these interviews comes from a similar scenario near the opening of the documentary itself. "Kamaga" Harris is 2024s latest MAGA convert. If you cant beat Trump, steal his issues. Her latest positions include strong borders, no tax on tips, tough on crime, pro-fracking, child tax credits, and support for Israel. At least for this week. Lacking viable policies, Kamala plagiarizes Trump's act. Plagiarism runs deep in her party. Her running mate stole actual warriors valor. Bidens covert 1987 plagiarism doomed his first presidential run. He was the first to withdraw from that elections primaries. Harris withdrew first from the presidential primaries in 2019 and now openly plagiarizes Trumps policies. Immigration is Kamalas greatest vulnerability. Once she clinched the nomination, border czar denial became essential. Democrats urban base is gutted by the criminality and costs caused by open borders. No other issue so effectively herds fleeing Democrats into Trumplands guest quarters. Harris will never eschew Democrats sacramental issues: abortion, antisemitism, and genital mutilation. Unless they can kill or maim it, they are uninterested. Everything else is on the table. Kamalas fake toward the center doesnt attract new voters while simultaneously repelling existing supporters. She should register Republican, run to Trumps right, endorse Project 2025, and be done with it. A campaign ad claims: As president, she will hire thousands more border agents and crack down on fentanyl and human trafficking. Fixing the border is tough. So is Kamala Harris. Sure. Such messaging unsuccessfully targets the Right and repels the Left. This self-defeating strategy underscores her partys governing bankruptcy. Biden destroyed the brand, ensuring his successors defeat. Harris has no choice but to fake Right, toward a distant center. Harris also destroys any final vestiges of legitimacy retained by legacy media busy self-destructing in its coverage of Kamala 2.0. Jimmy Kimmel is right: late night TV is toast. Fake candidates require fake news. When Trump floated exempting tips from taxation, CBS declared: Former President Donald Trumps vow to stop taxing tips would cost the federal government up to $250 billion over 10 years, according to a nonpartisan watchdog group... Trump's proposal, which doesn't address how it would be paid for, is bad tax policy because it would create an incentive to push more income into tipping. CBS two months later: Vice President Kamala Harris is rolling out a new policy position, saying shell fight to end taxes on tips for service and hospitality workers. Most media outlets are hopeless. Washington Post schizophrenic headlines (more so than normal), track the medias angst: August 11: Opinion -- Questions we'd love to ask Kamala Harris. Why has she changed so many positions since 2020? How would she govern differently than Joe Biden? August 12: Kamala Harris the senator: A bold statement but a thin record. August 12: Opinion -- As Harris learned from Biden, avoiding interviews is good strategy. Kamala Harris is paying no price for ducking reporters and not holding news conferences. Time Magazines fawning cover story (for which Harris declined to be interviewed): The Reintroduction of Kamala Harris. The Vice President's star turn atop the new Democratic ticket has reshaped the presidential race. Harris has pulled off the swiftest vibe shift in modern political history... Over the span of a few weeks in late July and early August, Harris became a political phenomenon. Press accounts of her campaigns vibe rapidly make the Babylon Bee irrelevant. Reporters are reduced to transcribing rally events and parroting press releases, enablers of Kamalas mendacity. Investigative journalism is obsolete. Todays job description requires concealing facts. Kamalas dual messaging strategy -- one version for existing supporters, another for those requiring conversion, is doomed. 2020 saw Biden physically hide. Harris virtually sequesters behind aides and messaging to block press scrutiny. An added benefit of this approach is so no policy proclamation can be directly tied to her. A pronoun-declared aide can be used to provide plausible deniability. The insurmountable issue is the contradiction of a radical marxist feigning moderation. Wishful thinking predicates Kamala 2.0. The Left must believe her move toward the center is a head fake. The Right must suspend discernment. Neither will occur. A strategy dependent on gullibility and ignorance is suicidal, especially with voters increasingly gaslighting resistant. Trapped between the candidate and the public, the press grows increasingly frustrated by its assigned role in this charade: abandon norms, including press conferences or interviews, ignore obvious fraud. Some journalists are awakening and heading for the exits. They began pushing back even before the campaign got caught fraudulently editing headlines to appear supportive of their candidate. CNN is demanding press conferences: Would it kill you guys to have a press conference? ...A campaign rally is not a press conference... One interview before the end of the month is not a lot. If Jim Acosta is lost, so is the election. Even the NY Times is frustrated by the candidates silent treatment, noting she has granted a total of 70 seconds of press access: Kamala Harris Isnt Giving Interviews. Any Questions? CNN: Kevin Munoz, a spokesman for Ms. Harris, said... the campaign was being strategic, creative and expeditious in using TV ads, rallies, local organizers, and of course interviews that reach our target voters. Except there are no interviews. Even in friendly interviews, fielding pre-arranged questions, Harris would bomb. She is too insecure to exploit even friendly venues such as The View or Colbert. Her campaign rollout failed to motivate undecided voters. During the debate Trump will fact check Kamala 2.0 when she plagiarizes his act. One and done. Trump intends to turn the two debates Kamala appears likely to skip into town halls. Walzs stolen valor albatross precludes his press availabilities. Appeasement of both sides ensures both are antagonized. Opposition ads write themselves. Kamalas rebranding is 2024s New Coke, a waste of time and money. Republicans might consider donating to amplify her self-destruction. Shoplifting Trumps no taxes on tips proposal was done by the person who proudly cast the deciding Senate vote to hire tens of thousands of IRS agents. The Biden/Harris administrations hypocrisy is transparent: February 2023: Biden's IRS plans to crack down on waiters' tips. They're coming after waitresses' tips now, tax expert Mike Palicz says. August 2024: Q: Thanks, Karine. Over the weekend, the vice president said she would -- she followed former president Donald Trump in saying she would support proposals that would not tax tipped wages. If such a similar bill made its way to the president... would he sign that? MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, absolutely. Look, this is something that the president supports. He supports eliminating taxes on tips for service and hospitality workers while also raising minimum wage and preventing the wealthy from gaming the system. Nobody expects Biden to push through a bill. Consumers of the campaigns messaging risk permanent brain damage. The NY Times could recycle its November 2019 epitaph: How Kamala Harriss Campaign Unraveled. She has proved to be an uneven campaigner who changes her message and tactics to little effect and has a staff torn into factions. Douglas Schwartz blogs on history, politics, economics, and gaslighting at The Great Class War. Image: AT via Magic Studio Every now and then, politicians allow the truth to seep into their carefully crafted talking points. Thats exactly what happened when Nancy Pelosi went on the record to confirm that Kamala Harris was not the Democrats original choice to be their presidential nominee in 2024 when Joe Biden was ousted in an orchestrated coup back in July. This is what Pelosi told Ezra Klein of The New York Times, as it appears in the interview transcript: Yeah, well, I think heres the thing. The thought was that if this were to happen, but it happened fast, we ... none of us had any idea he would do it that Sunday. Well, I didnt have any idea. Most people didnt. So when he did that and endorsed [Kamala Harris], then the thought was everybody wanted an open process. Lets see the talent, lets see the bench of the Democrats and let them come. And see what they can attract. But when he endorsed her, then it was, Are you with me or not? And she moved quickly. This was a bombshell confession. On the one hand, we all know that Pelosi had been conspiring with Chuck Schumer and Barack Obama to get rid of Joe Biden on the ticket after recognizing the polling damage that his obvious senility and terrible performance as president had caused. On the other hand, she admits to being blindsided by the timing of Bidens withdrawal and also admits to have been blindsided by his simultaneous endorsement of Kamala Harris, suggesting that everybody wanted an open process to identify the partys candidate. ...everybody, that is, except Joe Biden. Bidens endorsement of Harris effectively bound the DNCs hands, as the exhilarating prospect of having an ethnically diverse female president quickly spread through the party ranks and social media on that Sunday afternoon. There was simply no time to consider the entirely practical idea to initiate an open and democratic process to identify the Democrats best and most electable candidate. As I observed immediately after the announcement, the Kamala Harris endorsement was Biden pulling the pin of a political grenade inside the party tent. He knew that conspirators were pushing him to resign, and the promise of a cackling and communist-adjacent Kamala Harris candidacy was his parting gift to the conspirators. Although its arguable that Harris had some success with voters in deep blue San Francisco and California, she has always been extremely unpopular at the national level. In 2019, she was eviscerated in the Democrat primary, withdrawing before a single state primary vote was cast. The bulk of the credit for this incredible failure must go to the almost incomprehensibly dislikable and phony Kamala Harris, but a certain modicum must be given to Tulsi Gabbard, who landed one of the most devastating debate moments against any candidate in my lifetime. This might have ended any potential for Harris to get near the presidency in any other sensible moment in American history. But we dont live in sensible times. Kamala Harris is a woman, you see, and though many Democrats cant readily define what that word means, theyre steadfastly sure that its a good thing and worthy of their votes for some reason. Shes also not white, and that confers additional merit somehow. Therefore, her incredible unlikableness was ignored when Joe Biden faced tremendous pressure from Democrats to pick a woman of color for his running mate in 2020. Harris did have a bit of a honeymoon with Americans in early 2021. Though shes never had more than 50% approval, there were fewer people who disapproved of her at that time. But her disapproval rate ramped up quickly that summer, when Joe Biden set her up for failure by assigning her the daunting task of addressing the illegal immigration crisis at the border and she had an embarrassing interview with Lester Holt where she appeared entirely inept at her job. She never recovered. Kamala Harris had largely maintained a double-digit negative net approval rating since that time. But Democrats are emboldened by the pronouncement that she is now their preferred candidate, absent any sort of voter input. Today, she is suffering only a high-single-digit approval deficit of 7.1%, with roughly 49% of Americans disapproving of her and 42% approving. That gives a reason for the optimism among Democrats. Their representative president is a walking corpse, and Donald Trump has been plagued by high disapproval ratings that have also been consistently in double-digits. Pelosi, who never wanted Kamala Harris as the nominee because Pelosi still has a few brain cells to rub together that arent infected by DIE-think, might actually see some path to a presidential victory here. The problem for Democrats, however, is that Kamala Harris is still Kamala Harris. Harris humiliatingly resigned from a presidential campaign in 2019 because she was extremely unlikable and was too much of a radical leftist for the party. The party had room for only so many outright socialist candidates, and Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren were stealing all the oxygen in that lane. The Democrat party then conspired to anoint Joe Biden on Super Tuesday in 2020 by orchestrating withdrawals by Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar. Democrats sabotaged that primary for the simple reason that radical socialist policies, like a federal wealth tax and rent and price controls, were considered a bridge too far for Democrat voters in the swing states. Here we are in 2024. Kamala Harris is running on the platform of government price controls in the form of a nationalized price-fixing campaign. Shes openly suggesting that American taxpayers should subsidize the first $25K of a first-time homebuyers purchase, for example, and somehow imagining that this would result in something different from home prices climbing due to increased demand in a market with limited supply. And by capping rents, we can expect that supply to dwindle further, as there will be far fewer people building homes and apartments when the potential profits for having done so disappear via government price controls. And what could go wrong with letting politicians in Washington set the prices of food at your local grocery store? These are the stupid ideas that only an expensive college degree and zero experience in the private sector can buy. Kamala Harris has both of those things in spades. Shes not our best and brightest, to say the least. And the party is so infected by rabid anti-Semitism that Josh Shapiro, who could have been positioned as a moderate to balance the ticket and potentially deliver must-win Pennsylvania, was passed over as the V.P. nominee. Instead, the party tapped Minnesota governor Tim Walz, who has lied about his military service record, who equates socialism with neighborliness, and whose most notable accomplishment is promoting race riots in his state and ensuring that Minnesotan boys in the fourth grade have taxpayer-funded tampons in their school bathrooms. Democrats have a real problem with this Harris/Walz ticket, though Nancy Pelosi and the old DNC guard may cast unconvincing smiles about the current situation. Perhaps first and foremost among those problems is Kamalas unavoidable proximity to Joe Biden. Joe Biden is so unpopular with Americans that his own party orchestrated a coup against him, and in large part, this is due to his tremendous failures regarding the economy and illegal immigration. As a key figure in his administration, and particularly as Bidens border czar, Harris shoulders that blame along with him. Sure, there is ample poll-bombing to suggest that theres been huge movement in Kamalas favor. Much of this is bunk, as head pollster for Rasmussen Mark Mitchell handily explains here, and we should all be used to this by now. But there are other massive cracks in that facade. On July 1, according to Nate Silvers 538, Kamalas approval rating was 39.4%. As of August 11, her approval rating was 41.9%. And as Ben Shapiro observes, here is the big stat for Kamala Harris: On June 27, only 25% of Americans thought America was moving in the right direction. Today, 25% of Americans still think America is moving in the right direction. That is the number that should be dispositive for the election. Those lackluster results are all that was purchased by the Democrats fanfare about her historic candidacy and the orchestrated onslaught of positive media gushing. Add a chaotic convention and more face time with the American people, and we should expect that Americans will become every bit as disapproving of Kamala Harris as Democrats did in 2019 when they sent her packing in the primary. Image: Mobilus In Mobili via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped). The press has bandied about claims that Kamala Harris has a sizable fan base among Catholic voters. That's not supported by recent trends suggesting that Catholic voters who go to church are moving away from Democrats, but that's not stopping them. Now there's news of this, from the often-leftist National Catholic Register: A virtual campaign event focused on organizing Catholic support for Vice President Kamala Harris 2024 presidential campaign was canceled at the last minute Thursday but may be rescheduled for a later date. The event, dubbed Catholics for Harris-Walz National Organizing Call was originally scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 15, from 8 to 9 p.m. but was canceled earlier that morning. A website advertising the event called Catholics4Kamala also went offline on Thursday. Visitors to the site are met with a message that the website is undergoing maintenance. John White, who serves on the leadership committee for one of the event organizers Catholics Vote Common Good told CNA that he believes the event will be rescheduled for some time after the Democratic National Convention, which takes place from Aug. 19 through Aug. 22. Catholic comedian Stephen Colbert, the host of The Late Show on CBS, was originally listed as one of the speakers for the event. CNA reached out to a media contact for the show but did not receive a response by the time of publication. Organizers did not publicly state why the event was canceled. CNA reached out to a person in the Harris campaign who is focused on Catholic outreach but did not receive a response by the time of publication. That's pretty miserable organizing, particularly because with the celebrity draw of Colbert on the roster. And maybe that's because Harris is so openly hostile to Catholics. Was it low registrations? That's one good guess. Harris offers absolutely nothing of value to faithful Catholics, let alone more leftish pick-and-choose Catholics, who are less interested in the tenets of their own religion and more interested in progressive politics and social justice warriorship. There are plenty of reasons to see why Catholics would stay away from her. As California's attorney-general, in 2016: ... Harris office launched a raid on pro-life activist David Daleidens home. The raid was in response to Daleidens undercover investigation of Planned Parenthood, which showed organization officials discussing costs for fetal tissue and body parts. It is illegal to sell fetal tissue and body parts. Harris claimed that Daleiden broke several laws when obtaining videos of Planned Parenthood officials. He was charged with 15 felonies related to allegations of falsification of identity and invasion of privacy. He pleaded not guilty, but the case is still ongoing. As attorney general, she never launched an investigation into the allegations against Planned Parenthood. She received thousands of dollars in campaign funds from Planned Parenthood. That should disgust anyone, certainly Catholics among them. Harris has also stated that anyone who belongs to a Catholic service organization like the Knights of Columbus, should never be allowed to serve as a federal judge, based on the group's opposition to abortion. That's a violation of Article VI of the Constitution prohibiting 'religion tests,' as well as about as bigoted as anything the "Know-Nothings" would have endorsed. As a practical matter, the Knights of Columbus is mainly a men's club that in most parishes serves church suppers to support their parishes. She later tried to gaslight that she wasn't Catholic-hostile, but it's pretty clear she isn't tolerant of other religious views. She even attempted to micromanage how Catholics were allowed to interpret their faith for them, playing pope: In 2022, the vice president claimed that religious Americans can support abortion without abandoning their faith. She's also gone after pro-life organizations, which many Catholics belong, to compell their speech as well: As Californias attorney general, Harris co-sponsored and promoted the Reproductive FACT Act, which required pro-life pregnancy centers to post notices that provided information on where to obtain abortions. Pro-life pregnancy centers sued the attorney generals office, arguing that the law violated their First Amendment rights. In 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the law violated the right to free speech because it compelled speech. She likes Catholics all right, but only when they do as she says. Like the Soviets of old, she likes the churches still around, but only as hollowed out husks with the priests dead, and no community of believers to speak of. In addition, on the Biden-Harris administration's watch, Catholic Latin Mass goers were illegally placed under surveillance as terrorists by the FBI. When the operation was made public by a whistleblower and very negative publicity followed, the FBI disavowed it, though nobody knows if they have stopped it. We also know that nobody's been punished for it, let alone criticized by the White House. That gives the flavor of attractions to come under a Harris White House. As President Trump said last month: Former president Donald Trump has accused Democrats of [going] after Catholics and sharply criticized his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, for her aggressive questioning of judicial nominees who are members of the Knights of Columbus. In a July 26 speech at Turning Point Actions Believers Summit, Trump alleged that somebody doesnt like Catholics in that administration, adding that I dont think its [President Joe] Biden because I dont think he has any idea what the hell hes doing. I dont know how a Catholic can vote for the Democrats because theyre after the Catholics almost as much as theyre after me, the former president said. ... How does a Catholic person vote for a Democrat with what theyre doing to Catholics? I just dont get it. There must be Catholics out there who are saying the same thing. And fortunately for the country, they're a pretty large voting bloc. The Kamunists now say they will re-schedule the event, but it won't be the same, given that they can gaslight that whoever signs on next time is Catholic and nobody will be the wiser. I think we have heard them the first time, and one can only hope that President Trump, who has been a very Catholic-friendly president, as well as friendly to people of all faiths, runs with it. Image: Pixabay / Pixabay License Victor Davis Hanson once noted that illegal immigrants would stop coming into the U.S. illegally once conditions here became so like conditions they left back at home that emigrating illegally would make no difference. Based on this news, looks like that time may be coming now. According to KTLA: A gunman remains at large after a man was found fatally shot at a Glendale strip mall Thursday. Glendale police responded to reports of a man down at a parking lot near Pacific and Arden Avenues at around 8:45 a.m. Arriving officers found the male victim lying on the ground with a gunshot wound. The suspect had fled the scene. Witnesses said the shooter was sitting on a motorcycle and waiting for the victim outside the strip mall before opening fire. Police have not confirmed the victims identity, but loved ones said the man is a local music promoter in his 50s. He is also the father of two young children and is reportedly well-known in the community. Looks like an ordinary crime based on the reporting, except that Jennifer Van Laar at Redstate got the lowdown from law enforcement sources as to what was really going on: Law enforcement sources tell me that the victim owned a marijuana dispensary and the gunman rode up on a motorcycle and shot him in the face. It is believed that it was a hit by Jalisco New Generation and indicates that they're moving into Glendale, normally not a place they are Jennifer Van Laar (@jenvanlaar) August 17, 2024 Apparently the victim stopped paying protection $ and then this happened. Jennifer Van Laar (@jenvanlaar) August 17, 2024 That is chilling as it gets. This is a classic cartel hit like one finds in Mexico where every business is shaken down by these inhuman criminals and those who resist are met with hit squads. Van Laar also points out that cartel internecine warfare is likely as Glendale already has Armenian gangs which are usually associated with things like fraud, Medicare fraud, COVID fund thievery, and phone scams. But obviously, they can move to violence, too, if their turf is threatened. This is clearly an incursion, so now the city faces cartel warfare, with blocked roads, burning cars, machine gun fire, civilians gunned down, restaurants full of patrons raided and robbed, and other hellish conditions associated with cartel activity in Mexico. Cartels will duke it out over control of the 'plazas,' mayors will flee to military bases, (as happened in Tijuana), refugees will flow, as happened in Sasabe, Sonora, Mexico, Narcoballads and gang-moll beauty queens will replace the culture, and gunfire, with bullet-pocked cars and walls, will become a way of life. Now it's come here with the Harris-Biden open borders, allowing all comers in under catch and release as well as phony asylum claims, and with a district attorney in Los Angeles county who refuses to prosecute crime, it's pretty much the same as Mexico where bribery ensures that crime does not get pursued and prosecuted, either. For cartels, it's the same thing. This is what allows this kind of crime to flourish, and with the entry of actual Mexican cartels, based on Harris-Biden open borders, it's expanding into new cities and bringing its criminal ways with it, as if on steroids. Glendale, California, is a sylvan classic American community of midcentury modern houses and middle class values. It's the kind of place Tom Petty might have sung about. It's not a place with a lot of gang crime, like, say Compton. It's not Sun Valley, where, last time I got lost there, I could see on every billboard a message about serving illegals. It's a place people flee to. I have a close friend of longtime Mexican-American background who told me his family fled South Pasadena to Glendale several years ago to get away from all the illegals ruining South Pasadena -- with crime, and with that run-down look of remittance communities where residents' money goes to other countries. Glendale, California doesn't even show up in a DEA document from 2010 about all the cities in the states infested with Mexican cartel activity. Well, it's there now if they would be allowed to update the document, which under Harris-Biden, they probably aren't. Who is this Jalisco New Generation Cartel that has brazenly, openly, appeared in Glendale, now with motorcycle hitmen to take out those who don't pay the protection money? According to Wikipedia: ... and ... JNG is considered by the Mexican government to be one of the most dangerous criminal organizations in Mexico[28] and second most powerful drug cartel after the Sinaloa Cartel.[58] CJNG is heavily militarized and more violent than other criminal organizations. It has a special operations group for specific types of warfare.[59] Its hitman training program is strict and professional.[60][61] The cartel is best known for its fights against the Zetas and Templarios, it has fought La Resistencia for control of Aguililla, Michoacan and its surrounding territories.[35][29][62] That means it could get very bad here if these brutes are permitted by lax laws and pro-criminal district attorneys to operate. Bodies danging from bridges. Narcobanners. Avocado growers (many here) shaken down. Drone warfare, rocket-propelled grenades. Sound like the place you'd like to live in? Seems a new bottom is dropping out, and a new normal is emerging out of the Harris-Biden open borders, that is, if voters don't move with seriousness against it on Nov. 5. Image: Pixabay / Pixabay License Before George Soros came along, most people assumed that elected prosecutors were committed to law and order and deviated from that principle only through either incompetence or graft (think: Chicago). The rise of the Soros prosecutors, however, introduced a whole new element to local prosecutors: Ideologically driven racist Democrat prosecutors who dont want to follow laws with which they disagree. The last time America saw this was in the post-Reconstruction South when racist Democrat prosecutors also refused to apply laws with which they disagreed. It turns out, though, that the situation with ideologically corrupt prosecutors is even worse than we realize. Its not just that these prosecutors get into office with the help of George Soross (and now his son, Alexs) millions; its that they are signing pledges and taking orders from the Soros duo long after the votes have been counted. The Soros familys toxic mix of leftism and anarchy literally dictates what these prosecutors do daily. Image made using AI and a photo by Niccolo Caranti. This information comes thanks to a year-long investigation that the Media Research Center conducted after reviewing almost 8,000 pages of documents they obtained through public record requests relating to just one Soros entity: The Fair and Just Prosecution (FJP) group. Luke Rosiak has written a summary of the findings, which Ill try to summarize even more: First, thanks to all this Soros money, 30% of Americas prosecutors are beholden to the Soros family. Second, FJP had the Soros-backed attorneys sign 33 pledges to not enforce certain laws including election integrity measures and immigration laws and attend more than 50 meetings or convenings, some of which were mandatory. These pledges and convenings require the prosecutors to promise to go lightly on black criminals, and to reduc[e] racial disparities in case outcomes by at least 20%. Third, the FJP provides constant guidance to its prosecutors, including providing department propaganda: Being a Soros prosecutor means extensive, free access to expert political consulting firms, complete with detailed polling and field-tested messaging strategies. FJP remains in the driver seat, though, even going so far as to draft social media posts for its prosecutors so they can better coordinate their messaging. This guidance includes consultants telling the prosecutors how to market to the public plans that ordinary citizens would normally find repugnant. Thus, ideas that destroy the criminal justice system and rip apart society are repackaged through euphemisms and experts so that they sound kind and reasonable to naive, credulous voters. Fourth, newbie prosecutors are given mentors in the form of more senior Soros prosecutors. The latter group tells the newbies how to handle cases and the public. Indeed, public relations is a huge deal, with FJP expending a lot of time and energy to convince people that radical communists are good people. For example, Rachel Rollins, who was a US Attorney in Massachusetts before quitting during an ethics investigation, worked with PBS (a taxpayer-funded organization) to rehabilitate Larry Krasner, Phillys radical prosecutor. Another Soros group also did a glowing profile of San Franciscos Chesa Boudin, a man so radical that even San Franciscans couldnt tolerate him. And speaking of high-profile Soros prosecutors, one of the best known is Alvin Bragg, the man who elevated a time-barred misdemeanor charge on a bookkeeping matter into 37 felony convictions against Donald Trump. George and Alex Soros really got bang for their buck with that one. I highly recommend that you read Rosiaks entire essay or, if youre in the mood for a deep (and depressing) dive, read the MRC report itself. I want to suggest a way to fight back against these Soros prosecutors, but I really dont have any good ideas. The good news is that, as San Franciscos ouster of Chesa Boudin showed, if the prosecutors are radical enough, even their leftist voting base may push them out. However, as the execrable George Gascon of Los Angeles shows (hes another Soros guy), voters may be so brainwashed that theyre incapable of saving themselves. Imagine youre a police officer. You see a vehicle committing a minor traffic violation, or maybe you dont, but you just want to pull them over anyway. You approach the driver, who tells you he has a concealed carry permit, hands you the permit, which appears to be valid, and tells you he is carrying a handgun. Feature: youre a police officer in Connecticut, which is anything but a Second Amendment friendly state. What do you do next? Graphic: Constitution of the United States, page 1. Wikimedia Commons.org. Public Domain. Waterbury, Connecticut Officer Nicholas Andrzejewski conducted a traffic stop on Basel Soukaneh. Andrzejewski then . . . unlawfully and violently handcuffed and detained Soukaneh in the back of a police vehicle for over half an hour and conducted a warrantless search of Soukanehs vehicle after Soukaneh presented a facially valid firearms permit and disclosed that he possessed a firearm pursuant to the permit. In Connecticut, drivers stopped by the police are not required to inform them they have a concealed carry permit, or they are armed. When an officer runs a records check, that information will come up, but the fact a citizen has a permit, or is carrying a concealed handgun, is not grounds, by itself, for a search of their person or vehicle. It certainly isnt grounds for handcuffing and detaining anyone. In this case, Andrzejewski apparently did not believe he needed reasonable suspicion or probable cause, nor did he apparently list any in his report. He apparently believed, because hes a police officer, he can do whatever he wants to do. Maybe Soukaneh just looked funny. Soukaneh subsequently sued Andrzejewski in district court. The cop asked that the case be dismissed on summary judgement because of his qualified immunity. But the district court denied summary judgement and ruled that Andrzejewski wasnt entitled to qualified immunity based on his conduct during the detainment and illegal search. Andrzejewski then appealed to the Second Circuit. Not only did he claim he should be entitled to qualified immunity, but that Soukaneh, in effect, forfeited his Fourth Amendment rights barring unreasonable search and seizure because he chose to exercise his right to carry a firearm. He said that, the presence of the lawfully owned firearm in the vehicle gave him the requisite probable cause to detain Soukaneh, search the interior of his car, and search his trunk. The Second Circuit is not known for Second Amendment sympathies. Amazingly, Andrzejewski tried to claim because the stop was made in the dark in a known high crime area, that alone justified the stop and search. The article doesnt make clear whether the District Court or Second Circuit questioned the legitimacy of the initial stop, though it seems to imply one or both courts did. Obviously if the stop wasnt legitimate, anything that occurred thereafter would be excluded under the exclusionary rule. Again, that does not appear to have explicitly come up. Absent something indicating to the officer that the permit might not have been facially valid, or some other evidence of criminality or danger to the officer, we agree with Soukaneh. Accordingly, we conclude that Andrzejewski did not have the requisite probable cause to justify Soukanehs detention simply because he was notified of the presence of a gun and presented with the accompanying permit. Which is an entirely sane, constitutional interpretation of the law in general and the Fourth Amendment prohibition against unreasonable searches and seizures in particular. The Court concluded: Andrzejewski is not entitled to qualified immunity for this alleged conduct and, accordingly, the district court properly denied his motion for summary judgment. The case was remanded back to the District Court. Andrzejewski can ask for an en banc hearing with the entire Second Circuitit was a three-judge panel that heard the casebut should he lose, he, and his agency, could be on the hook for considerable civil damages, as well they should be. Most people dont know the police apply the Fourth Amendment every day. Its a significant part of every police academy curriculum, and many agencies require regular refresher training. What seems clear in this case is Andrzejewski, either through a lack of training and supervision, or because he was badge heavyhad an arrogantly expansive view of his own importance and authorityignored the Fourth Amendments prohibition on unreasonable, warrantless searches and seizures, and in so doing, lost his qualified immunity in this case. Considering courts rarely revoke that immunity, and the Second Circuit is not remotely a gun rights friendly court, their decision in this case speaks volumes. Mike McDaniel is a USAF veteran, classically trained musician, Japanese and European fencer, life-long athlete, firearm instructor, retired police officer and high school and college English teacher. He is a published author and blogger. His home blog is Stately McDaniel Manor. In A Secret Service agents breastfeeding emergency took her away from guarding Trump, my colleague Andrea Widburg brilliantly exposed yet another case of Secret Service (SS) incompetence so egregious it leaves the SS wide open to the accusation theyre purposely creating vulnerabilities that will inevitably lead to Donald Trumps assassination. She also wrote about a female SS agent having a psychotic break while guarding Kamala Harrisperhaps understandable--requiring other agents subdue, handcuff and disarm her. Apparently, that wasnt the first time that woman had behaved in an alarming manner, but equally apparently, nothing was done. Widburg also wrote about a female SS agent who taped over a security camera at a beauty salon near a Harris event, the better to hide the SSs breaking and entering of the salon. An internal camera they missed recorded multiple SS agents and others using the bathroom. After several hours, they left the business unsecured. The SS lied about the incident, but later admitted they apologized to the salon owner. Graphic: Screenshot of FAA Hiring Website, Public Domain The federal government under the Harris/Biden Administration has gone full DEI-Marxist. Never go full DEI-Marxist. The Federal Aviation Administration is actively DEI recruiting to a lunatic extent. Theyre actually trying to hire Air Traffic Controllers with targeted disabilities which include people with hearing and vision problems, partial and complete paralysis, epilepsy, severe intellectual disability and psychiatric disability. It should go without saying theyre also trying to hire LGBTQ+- people and others from the usual grab bag of favored victim groups. Its vital to the FAA they hire diverse people, even if they are prima facie unable to do the job, even if their diversity could easily cause airliners to fall from the sky. The FBI is no less DEI-berserk. A group of active-duty and retired agents and analysts delivered a report to the House Judiciary Committee that reveals the FBI have criteria for special agent employment that go far below mere competence: The report cites cases of new agents who are so fat and unfit, they cant even pass the new relaxed standards for fitness; who are illiterate and need remedial English lessons; who dont want to work weekends or after hours; have serious disabilities or mental-health issues, and create drama. The FBI is accepting diverse candidates who have criminal backgrounds, backgrounds of drug use, and all manner of character flaws that would disqualify them for employment in virtually any professional, local law enforcement agency, like this woefully unqualified DEI hire: Graphic: Screenshot from House Judiciary Committee Report: Public Domain. It now appears, where Donald Trump is concerned, the SS has been creating vulnerabilities long before the PA assassination attempt: Graphic: X Screenshot To make matters worse, RealClearPolitics Susan Crabtree has a story about the internal issues within Trumps Secret Service detail. It's a lengthy article, but this 60-person team has devolved into a den of reported unprofessionalism and dysfunction. Agents were reportedly caught sleeping on the job at Mar-a-Lago. One member of the team was lost to suicide. The SS is a paramilitary organization, as is every local and state law enforcement agency. Sleeping on duty is, for such organizations, a firing offense, though that punishment is not usually imposed for a first offense. However, when ones reason for being is preserving the lives of others, sleeping on duty damned well ought to be a firing offense, first time, every time. On May 15, the top two leaders of Trumps detail sternly dressed down the entire 60-member staff in a virtual meeting, announcing formal investigations into what they argued were serious misconduct violations, several sources in the Secret Service with direct knowledge of the online meeting tell RealClearPolitics. Sean Curran, the detail leader and top boss of Trumps regular 60-member protective team, and his deputy, Matthew Piant, complained of rumors, innuendo and toxicity among the detail, as well as selfishness and immaturity. As one might expect in a DEI-centric organization, some members of the detail took offense and accused Curran and Piant of all manner of DEI offenses. Apparently, nothing was done to correct the problems about which they spoke. And its worse: Graphic: X Screenshot We can be certain the incidents of DEI lunacy actually costing lives, and lesser vulnerabilities that have been made public, are only the tip of the iceberg. The Harris/Biden Administration has enforced policies that are costing American lives on a massive scale, not only due to drugs and crime, but to hiring gross incompetents for essential, sensitive positions requiring the highest levels of skill and personal integrity. SS agents alone are apparently routinely doing things the least experienced local law enforcement rookie knows are firing offenses. God was with Donald Trump in PA. Hell need to remain by Trumps side if hes to make it to November 5. The SS wont. Mike McDaniel is a USAF veteran, classically trained musician, Japanese and European fencer, life-long athlete, firearm instructor, retired police officer and high school and college English teacher. He is a published author and blogger. His home blog is Stately McDaniel Manor. One of the things most associated with Great Britain is the pub culture. Seemingly, every novel has a scene in a pub or tavern where the locals gather, not to carouse or drink themselves into a silent, depressed stupor, but, instead, to come together as a community. It is a watering hole offering beer and whiskeyor, as some might say, the very water of life itself. But the UKs new Labour government is not on board with this ancient culture. And importantly, its not waging a war to fight alcohol abuse; rather, it wants to keep Muslims happy. For centuries, the British have enjoyed their taverns and pubs, and their poets and writers have celebrated them: I would give all my fame for a pot of ale and safety. William Shakespeare There is nothing which has yet been contrived by man, by which so much happiness is produced as by a good tavern. Samuel Johnson A good local pub has much in common with a church, except that a pub is warmer, and there's more conversation. William Blake Image by AI. Before getting to the meat of this post, its important to make a point about gatherings where people can and do drink versus actually drinking. Im a teetotaler, not out of principle, but because, having tried alcohol, I find the taste repugnant and the feeling unpleasant. Even though I dont drink, though, Ive spent many happy hours socializing with people in pubs, bars, and at parties where others imbibe. Its entirely possible not to drink around people who are drinking. That, of course, is not Islams way. Muslims have no concept of a free, pluralist society. If Muslims cant drink, nobody drinks. Recall the Minnesota taxi drivers in 2007 who refused to drive people carrying closed bottles of alcohol. Back then, the city cracked down on those drivers. Im pretty sure that if the Muslims in Minnesota were to try the same tactic in 2024, theyd be met with a more accommodating response. London, like Minnesota, is a very Muslim city. Roughly 15% of the population in 2021 identified as Muslim, and I bet that its a lot higher now, given that the Muslim influx hasnt stopped or even slowed. Dr. Peter Hammond has pointed out that, by the time the Muslim population is over 10%, its proselytized, demanded halal food in markets and public accommodations (they get their halal, but you dont get your alcohol), pushed the government to implement Sharia laws, and increasingly used violence to force these demands to be metall while Muslims are actually a very small proportion of the population. That demand for accommodation seems to be falling on fertile soil when it comes to the UKs new Labour government, which is headquartered in London. So far, the government hasnt passed any laws but it is forcing its employees to change their social habits so that Muslims are more comfortableand that includes changing Britains pub culture: Staff at Britains Home Office, roughly equivalent to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, have been instructed to make every other social event alcohol-free amid concerns over inclusivity. Sources say senior bureaucrats want to make sure every other social isnt the pub at a time when Muslimswho are forbidden to drink alcoholare becoming an increasingly large share of the population, particularly in London and other urban centers. [snip] Other departments, including the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS), have similarly been encouraging staff to limit drinking during social events. A DCMS insider mentioned that during all-staff meetings, senior leadership consistently advises against heavy drinking at large social gatherings. Theres nothing wrong with an employer encouraging employees not to get drunk on the job or at job-related social functions. People dont make good decisions when theyre drunk. Its another thing entirely, though, for a government to force a cultural change to accommodate an influx of migrants who object to their new countrys ancient habits. Ive long said that the UK is a dead country walking. These new edicts only reinforce my belief that the England of King Arthur, Chaucer, Queen Elizabeth I, Shakespeare, Dickens, and Churchill will soon be goneand much sooner, I think, than any of us expect. Just yesterday, Google started rolling out its controversial AI Overviews feature for search results in more countries. Following the expansion, Google has also started testing AI Overviews to appear for users who are not signed in to their accounts. The company originally announced the artificial intelligence-powered search results feature back in May this year. AI Overviews now show for users who are not signed in to their Google accounts A few hours ago, a user on Linkedin posted a screenshot on the platform. It shows that Google has started showing AI Overviews in search results of users who are not signed in to their accounts. Soon after, the search titan confirmed the change in the search results to Search Engine Roundtable. The company said that it is showing AI Overviews to the signed-out users in the US. CNETs Jon Henshaw posted on LinkedIn, So, that whole thing about how AI Overviews do not appear in Incognito results. Well He also shared a screenshot of Google showing AI Overviews in Incognito mode. One thing we know for sure is Google doesnt show the AI Overviews in Search Labs. At least without users opting in for it and signing in to their account. As of now, the AI Overviews are showing up for the signed-out users in the United States. However, the company may soon roll it out to more countries in the coming weeks. Its worth mentioning that many users dont see AI Overviews when searching logged in to their Google Workspace account. However, Search Engine Land reports that Workspace accounts can see AI Overviews as well. Googles AI Overviews are now expanding to six more countries Google has also started rolling out AI Overviews in search results in more countries across the globe. The controversial feature is now available in regions including Japan, the UK, India, Indonesia, Mexico, and Brazil. Alongside the expansion, the company is also changing how it displays links to the publishers. The new AI Overviews UI will have the links embedded into the results themselves. In addition, Google will let you store the queries you searched for in the coming days. The Detroit Zoo recently welcomed a new baby gorilla to its family, and new mom Bandia is doing a great job taking care of it! 26-year-old first time mom Bandia gave birth on the morning of Thursday, August 8. The infant, who hasn't been named yet because they haven't been able to determine the sex, and mom are now exploring their outdoor habitat at the Zoo in Royal Oak Michigan, giving all of us our first peek at the baby. The Zoo posted a video of the mom and her infant on Thursday, August 15th and it's warming hearts. Bandia is holding the baby closely, rocking it back and forth, and patting the baby's back, just like us humans do. It's adorable to watch! She's such a good mama already! @Lisa pizza agreed, "So like human babies! Even the burping!" Detroit Zoo said in their caption that they're giving Bandia the choice of where she wants to spend her time, so if you visit, there's no guarantee that that the two will be outside to see. But lucky for us, the Zoo posts lots of videos to their social media! Related: Fort Worth Zoo Shares Most Precious Moment Between Gorilla Mom and Baby More About Bandia and Her New Baby Michigan Live reported that this new baby is a first of its kind; the baby is the first gorilla to be born at the Zoo in its 96-year history! The baby's father is 36-year-old Mshindi, and all of them are doing well. The baby is the 5th gorilla to join the gorilla tribe, along with mom, dad, 20-year-old Tulivu, and 11-year-old Nayembi. Tami Brightrall, associate curator of mammals for the Detroit Zoological Society shared more about the care, "Bandia had a very smooth pregnancy, which is so important for a first-time mom. Throughout her eight-and-a-half-month pregnancy, she continued to participate in routine ultrasounds using positive reinforcement training methods, which allowed our team to check on the baby along the way and ensure everything was going well. CBC reported that zoo staff worked for months to prepare the troop. Preparation included carrying a stuffed gorilla around the habitat to demonstrate how to carry the baby, Brightrall said. "Our teams also taught the gorillas how to gently touch the stuffed animal, pick it up off the ground and bring it to a member of the team over at the mesh barrier." Pretty amazing! Zoo officials will be closely monitoring Bandia and her mother instincts, ensuring she's properly feeding and caring for the baby. The rest of the troop will be monitored when interacting with the little one. I can't wait for more updates as the little one continues to grow. I'll be waiting to hear if it's a boy or a girl, and what they decide to name the little one. Congrats to Bandia and Mshindi! 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. Ed Pownall says his egg escapade has been a lot of fun - Ed Pownall/X A man who spent 150 buying a rare spherical egg at an auction after a few drinks at his local pub said it was money well spent. Ed Pownall, a public relations consultant and comedian from Lambourn, Berkshire, received the egg on Saturday after purchasing it from auction house Thomson Roddick Callan. The egg has been discovered by a woman who found it in a 1.99 pack of 15 eggs from her local supermarket in Ayr. The egg displayed in the box of 15 bought from an Asda store in Ayr - Thomson Roddick Callan/SWNS Mr Pownall said he spotted the spherical egg for sale while he was down at his local. I had a glass down here in Lambourn and I thought Id pop in a bid, he told the BBC. Its been quite fun I think for 150 its been money well spent. But Mr Pownall hadnt really thought about what he was going to do with his new round egg until it turned up on Saturday in a cardboard box filled with bubble wrap and polystyrene chips. I believe theres a thing called egg blowing, where you put a little hole in the bottom and get the yolk out, he told the BBC. But I dont know how to do that and obviously I dont want to mess it up. He also told his local paper he might try to sell it on eBay or raise money for charity. Spherical eggs are rare, but with 11 billion eggs laid in the UK each year, occur more regularly than you think. Previous spherical eggs have sold at auction for between 80 and 100. But in 2015, a perfectly spherical egg fetched 480 with the money donated to Cystic Fibrosis Trust. Miriam Margolyes spoke during Edinburgh Fringe where she is performing her one-woman show Margolyes & Dickens: The Best Bits - RICH DYSON/ALAMY LIVE NEWS The BBC has pulled a comment made on air by Miriam Margolyes after the actress described Charles Dickens villain Fagin as Jewish and vile. The Harry Potter actor made the remarks when she was asked about a Dickens character that stuck in her head as a child, while appearing on BBC Radio 4s Front Row programme. Responding to presenter Kirsty Warks question, Margolyes, 83, said: Oh, Fagin. Without question. Jewish and vile, before adding: I didnt know Jews like that then sadly, I do now. Margolyes, who is Jewish herself, spoke during her Edinburgh Fringe run of her one-woman show Margolyes & Dickens: The Best Bits. The BBC has since pulled the comment from the programme with the broadcaster noting it should have been challenged at the time. Fagin, one of the Victorian authors most notorious villains, is described as receiver of stolen goods and is at the helm of a group of child pickpockets. Ron Moody as Fagin in the 1968 musical adaptation of Oliver! - PICTORIAL PRESS LTD/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO He is introduced for the first time in Oliver Twist as a very old shrivelled Jew and is referred to as the Jew more than 250 times in the books first 38 chapters. Following the programme airing, the Campaign Against Antisemitism wrote on X: It's a sad reflection of this era when both the host and audience of a @BBC programme simply laugh along with a guest's comments about "vile" Jews. Yes, the guest happens to be Jewish. No, that does not give her free reign to spew her repugnant sentiments in the guise of pic.twitter.com/56xn30aecl Campaign Against Antisemitism (@antisemitism) August 14, 2024 It continues: Yes, the guest happens to be Jewish. No, that does not give her free reign to spew her repugnant sentiments in the guise of comedy. We will be writing to the BBC about this. Confirming Margolyess comment had since been pulled, a BBC spokesman said: This was an unexpected comment made during a live broadcast, which should have been challenged at the time. We have taken swift action to remove it from the programme and it is no longer available. When asked if she thought Charles Dickens was anti-Semitic Miriam Margolyes replied: 'Everyone is' - JOHN & CHARLES WATKINS/HULTON ARCHIVE Previously quizzed on the 1893 novel by The List, Margolyes said last month: Charles Dickens: Its very filmic. I came across this chap, Fagin the Jew, and that sparked my interest. It was clear that he was not only extremely funny but horrible, evil, a complete arse. I thought how can that be Jewish? Ive never met anybody like that. Pressed on whether she thought the author was anti-Semitic, she continued: Everybody is anti-Semitic, darling. He was a chronicler, a journalist, and Jews couldnt earn a living. Maybe they couldnt speak the language. Margolyes has previously spoken of how her views and criticism of the Israeli Government have prompted clashes between friends. The actor told Saga: Jewish people regard me with loathing, as someone who betrayed my nation and aligned myself with the Devil. That is also the opinion of my erstwhile friend Dame Maureen Lipman, who is horrified by my attitude. The Telegraph has contacted representatives of Margolyes for a response. Conservative Party logo rosette After 1997, it took 13 painful years to regain the trust of the public. During that time, Tony Blair transformed our institutions, politics and country. This time, we must rebuild far more quickly. And yet the challenge we face is greater. Our parliamentary party is smaller; our intellectual movement is divided; our brand is tainted. We rightly face a deep well of anger. If we do not listen and change, political wilderness awaits. To rebuild, we must first collectively understand why we lost. I think the immediate answers are clear. We failed to deliver what we promised in 2019 on the economy, the NHS and immigration. We indulged in internal drama and lost our hard-won reputation for good governance. Underpinning these errors was a more profound crisis of identity. The party failed to unite around the core conservative beliefs required to tackle our nations challenges. We were a broad church, as we must always be. But we lacked a common creed. When we knocked on doors, too many voters didnt know what we stood for. That blue rosette had lost its meaning. Our party has time-honoured principles that have been endorsed at the ballot box for almost three centuries. In opposition, we must rediscover this identity. Manifestos detailing our policy proposals must respond to specific circumstances. But our foundational values must endure. It is these principles that will stop us from getting blown off course or failing to deliver. We must state afresh the shared values around which our entire party can unite, updated for the modern world. Our country faces a truly stark set of challenges: the shift of power from West to East, technology such as AI upending old industries, and mass migration, to name but a few. We need pragmatic principles to guide us, not wishful thinking, and a positive vision of the future we seek to build. This cant be done overnight. No one person or part of our party has a monopoly on wisdom. It must be a collective endeavour between our MPs, councillors and members. And it must extend beyond our voters too, including those who collectively rejected us, like the younger Britons whom I am determined to win back. But we must start somewhere. The following 10 principles are a first attempt to outline what our common creed should be. 1. The nation-state is fundamental The nation-state is the most successful vehicle for peace and prosperity ever created. Nations, not supranational bodies, are what naturally command loyalty. It is the duty of the government to advance the interests of the citizens that constitute this national community over those outside it. 2. Our people and Parliament are sovereign Sovereign authority is vested in our democratic Parliament. The protections and freedoms British citizens have enjoyed for centuries do not derive from international human rights treaties, but from statute and the common law. Contested interpretations of international law should never prevent us acting in the national interest. Government can and should deepen co-operation to tackle shared challenges via international agreements, but must never cede control. Public agencies and quangos must be clearly responsible to Ministers, who themselves should be accountable to Parliament. 3. Market economics drive growth Prosperity is not the creation of the state, but of people acting freely in collaboration and competition with each other. Government is there to create the conditions for entrepreneurs and investors to succeed, dismantle monopolies and crony capitalists, and promote property ownership as a moral good. Like many developed countries, we are trapped in a low-growth cycle. Boosting our GDP per person is a moral imperative. Growth alleviates poverty, increases opportunity, and enables strong public services. To improve our productivity, we must densify our cities and build infrastructure faster. We need reliably cheap energy built on nuclear power not expensive, intermittent energy sources with no plan for when the sun doesnt shine and wind doesnt blow. We must pragmatically balance net zero against economic growth and energy security, generating enough energy at prices we can afford. Energy costs have trebled in the last 20 years we will reindustrialise only if they fall. And we need to equip the next generation with real skills, not low value qualifications. One in five graduates now end up earning less than they would if they had never gone to university. This must change. 4. The NHS is a public service. We must make it deliver Government should ensure that all, regardless of means, have support in sickness, infirmity and old age. The pandemic caused NHS waiting times to surge. But our performance was not good enough. Our failure was not resources but productivity: the NHS has a fifth more money, doctors and nurses than it did in 2019, but hospitals are barely treating any more patients. Too often, the NHS story is that of heroic frontline staff being let down by poor management. We cannot allow fear of our opponents distorting our arguments to deter us from advancing bold solutions. Nor can we allow the NHS to be hijacked by unions at the expense of patients. 5. Mass migration must end Illegal migration is a national security emergency. People we know nothing about have entered the country with scant prospect of removal. Without secure borders, we dont have a country. Over the last 25 years, legal migration has been nearly 100 times higher than the quarter-century preceding it fuelling the housing crisis, suppressing wages, causing public service waiting lists and destroying trust in politics. The only test for immigration policies is whether they benefit the British people. We must become the Grammar school of the Western world, admitting those who contribute more than they receive in benefits and services. 6. We need a small state that works, not a big state that fails Government isnt working as it should. The state costs more than ever, but public sector productivity is lower now than it was 25 years ago. As the pace of global change increases, the importance of state capacity increases. To seize future opportunities like AI and life sciences the UK must move faster than our competitors. We need an entrepreneurial state that employs the brightest, harnesses technology, obsesses over performance, and can take advantage of the regulatory opportunities afforded by Brexit. A state that has the self-awareness to recognise some decisions are best taken at a local level, closer to local people. The state should believe in itself. It should champion our history and institutions, and deploy its full powers to defend our Union. 7. We are a national party, serving the whole country Disraeli called it One Nation; Boris, Levelling Up. Different words, but the same point: the Conservative Party is a national party or it is nothing. Its a party of and for everyone in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, working to spread opportunity and tackle social injustice. Our base is too narrow. We won just 11 seats across the North, London and Wales. Amongst non-homeowners, we won just 13 per cent of the vote. The Greens won more votes than us amongst people under 40. Becoming a national party again means standing for forgotten Britain: the 30-somethings stuck in their childhood bedroom; the deprived towns Westminster neglects; the parents struggling with bills; the white working-class boys falling behind; the communities across the four nations whose patriotic unionism isnt reciprocated. In short, we must become the trade union for the entire country. 8. Prison works We have witnessed a breakdown of law and order. Crime is an offence against both its victims and society itself, which depends on the trust prevailing amongst law-abiding citizens. The purpose of prison is to punish people and keep the public safe from dangerous criminals. Yet criminals with 50 or more previous convictions have been spared jail in more than 50,000 cases since 2007. Fifty per cent of crime is committed by 10 per cent of offenders. Too much anti-social behaviour goes unpunished. We urgently need more prisons so we can jail repeat offenders for longer and cut crime. We believe in rehabilitation and second chances, but we cant be taken for fools. 9. Promote national unity A nation is not just a people, but compatriots bound together by shared values, traditions, stories and experiences. These bonds are weakening as family breakdown accelerates, mass migration triggers unprecedented change, and communal rituals fade. And our culture is under attack from extremists that threaten many of our public institutions. They oppose free speech, subjugate individuals to group identities, denigrate our past, and side with our enemies. In the face of such an assault, our aim cannot be meek, liberal neutrality. We must promote a unifying national identity and robustly defend it from those who oppose the very ideals upon which our way of life depends. We must nourish civil society, and robustly defend our values against those who despise us. 10. Peace comes through strength The UK is a great nation with a great history. We believe the Western democratic model is the best means of achieving security, prosperity and freedom. The purpose of British foreign, defence and development policy is to protect the British people. Our commitment to other countries stems from that. We must stand up to our enemies and stand alongside our allies that share our values and interests. As our adversaries rise, we must defend our beliefs in the marketplace of ideas and the arena of geopolitical reality by investing substantially more in our defences and protecting our critical industrial capabilities. Robert Jenrick is Conservative MP for Newark and a candidate for the party leadership The Workers Family marketing video promising summer jobs abroad in party resorts. Photograph: Screenshot The experience is sold as the summer of a lifetime: a chance to party in the sun while getting paid. And each year, thousands of Brits take up seasonal jobs abroad, tempted by beaches, nightclubs, boats and booze. But young people booking working holidays in the Mediterranean are being misled into working illegally and sometimes living in squalor after being given false promises by unregulated agents, an investigation has found. The Observer has uncovered allegations of exploitative practices by middlemen offering summer jobs in European party destinations such as Ayia Napa, Zante, Ibiza and Magaluf. The main agencies have offices in the UK and advertise heavily on TikTok and Instagram. They claim to provide a complete package including jobs, event entry and accommodation, typically costing 500-800 for a month. On a website with women in bikinis and men on quad bikes, one firm says it is recruiting now and has jobs available in various resorts. Another offers the chance to book your dream working holiday package, which it says includes jobs and recruitment in your chosen resort. What the marketing doesnt mention is that the agencies dont arrange or guarantee jobs and those signing up are required to find work themselves. Nor does it make clear that post-Brexit, it is illegal for Britons to work in EU countries without a visa or work permit, which can be difficult to obtain. People who paid for packages with Workers Family, which claims to be Europes #1 Working Holiday Provider, told the Observer they were promised meet-and-greets with employers, job trials and other help on arrival but that this did not materialise. In welcome emails, they were told they had been accepted to work and that the company had everything arranged for you to make your summer of a lifetime as simple as possible. But when they arrived, they say they got little support from reps on the ground and were left to try to find work themselves. In some cases, people were forced to return home because they could not find jobs so couldnt afford to stay. Others worked for exploitative employers who withheld their wages or churned through new recruits getting them to do unpaid job trials before letting them go. Ex-workers, often in their late teens, said it was normal across the resorts for young Brits to end up working illegally as PRs, ticket-sellers or servers because they could not find employers willing to help them secure visas leaving them at risk of fines, imprisonment and without legal protections. One British student found cash-in-hand work at a beach club on a Greek island after paying for a package with Workers Family. She said: We didnt have visas or anything. If the police showed up, wed all have to just fit into the crowd. They said: If the music goes off, just blend in. All the jobs are like that. She said that when she signed up, Workers Family did not make it clear that she would need to arrange her own visa, and she didnt question it. The websites terms and conditions place the onus for securing legal documents on the worker, but there is little mention of visas elsewhere. I thought the jobs would be linked to their company. I just assumed theyd own the places wed be getting jobs, or theyd have deals with the people, the woman said. She added that she had been lucky to find the job at all. When I signed up, they said: Yeah, come work abroad, theres loads of jobs going. But there wasnt. The reps didnt help at all. In official Facebook groups for workers, people speak openly about working without paperwork and advise others not to worry about visas. Ive done 3 seasons in ayia napa now and never had any issues! one person wrote. Another said: Cash in hand lol. In one case, a staff member at Workers Family advised a young person that they did not need a visa for their first 90 days in Zante but did not mention that, to work legally, a non-EU passport holder would need a visa and employment contract. Its very dodgy. All workers are actually illegally working none of us get a visa or anything, a person claiming to be a customer wrote on Trustpilot. Brenna Cunningham, 19, who paid for a package with Workers Family this summer, said she was promised a full recruitment consultation, organised job trials and meet-and-greet with employers before she flew to Zante, but didnt get any of that. Many of the jobs were looks-based, she said. There was this bar with a sign outside saying they wanted promoters. One of the girls went in and said, I saw your sign saying you need workers, Im interested. They looked her up and down and said no, then sent her off. We also got told that no one wanted to hire us because of our accent, she said. Cunningham, who has an Irish passport so could work legally, eventually found a job as a cash-in-hand club promoter making 20 a night, working 9pm to 3am but left early after struggling to make ends meet. I tried to make the most out of it. But I know that, for other people, they were so alone and absolutely hated it. There was nothing they could do because they couldnt get a job. They were just stuck on their own in another country, she said. She knew of others who sold drugs or nitrous oxide balloons because they couldnt get other jobs, she said. I thought it would be completely different. When we signed up, they told us, Its our job to get you a job. The whole thing was just a nightmare. Some ex-workers also claim they were housed in poor accommodation far removed from the glossy marketing photos. Three people who went with Workers Family told the Observer that, despite being sent emails promising their accommodation would include a pool area, kitchenette and air-con, they were housed in a hot room above a takeaway, without a pool or cooking facilities and with air-con charged as extra. They supplied pictures to support claims that the accommodation was extremely dirty, infested with insects and had broken locks, which left them feeling unsafe. One worker claimed that, when she looked online at the prices of similar rooms, she found they had been charged roughly double the going rate. Another Workers Family customer, Shona Keddie, 19, who signed up after being approached by a rep on TikTok and paid 700 for a one-month package, plus flights, said she wasnt expecting five-star luxury but the accommodation was really bad for what we were promised, including ant infestations, disgusting toilets covered with stains, and broken bunk beds, as well as lax security. Random drunk people from the strip would just come into our corridor, said the teenager, from Arbroath. Online, the photos show really clean rooms, nice single beds with a fully equipped kitchen and everything. The allegations have led to warnings of scams and exploitation of young people seeking seasonal work abroad, and prompted questions over an apparent lack of regulation of working holiday agencies. Last month, the Home Office issued a warning to people heading for the Balearics about the risks of labour exploitation, including being forced to work long hours for low wages particularly in bars and as club reps and working illegally due to a lack of knowledge about EU employment regulations. There are reports of similar issues at other resorts across the Mediterranean, particularly the Greek islands and the Cypriot resort of Ayia Napa. Another company, Summer Takeover, has faced allegations that customers with UK passports were not able to find work, even though its website promises to provide jobs and recruitment in your chosen resort. It did not respond to a request for comment. Andrew Wallis, from the modern slavery charity Unseen UK, which supports victims in the UK as well as Britons trapped in exploitation abroad, said it hadnt received any formal reports to the helpline, but that scams are ongoing in terms of people being lured and promised everything. The charity is working with Border Force and the Foreign Office on a campaign called Operation Karetu to approach young people at UK airports heading for the Balearics, and warn them of the risks. Its one of those rites of passage. So its getting to them at that point before they get on a plane to say: look, just be aware of this, he said. Graeme Buck, a director at Abta, which represents travel agents and tour providers, said there had been a big decrease in the official number of Britons doing travel jobs in the EU since Brexit, but that it could still be a great opportunity for young people if they went with a reputable provider. He said that those working illegally faced poor pay and conditions. If working illegally without a visa, they face prosecution, deportation and may experience difficulties if they try to enter the EU in the future. Trading standards teams in the UK are understood to be considering complaints about working holiday firms. The Advertising Standards Authority is examining evidence about marketing. Its rules say ads targeting UK consumers for recruitment opportunities need to be accurate and not misleading and shouldmention any qualifying factors for employment, such as right to work or visas. Descriptions and images need to accurately reflect products or services offered, a spokesperson said. Besides advertising regulations, the agencies appear to fall into a regulatory grey area between travel agencies and recruitment businesses, meaning they are not covered by schemes to protect travel customers nor regulations governing employment agencies. Dr Esther Bott, an expert in tourism and migration at the University of Nottingham, who previously researched young Brits working in Tenerife, said there was a long history of exploitation in sunny resorts, but that the agencies had sprung up relatively recently and need looking into. People think: itll be fine Ill be on the beach. jumping off this yacht with all these bikini babes. What could go wrong? But the reality is often very far removed from the dream, she said. Prof Michaela Benson, an expert in lifestyle migration at the university of Lancaster, said: Theyre selling a service which is: Well find you some accommodation and potentially give you advice on finding a job. But unless they had legal expertise, they wouldnt be able to advise on visas. So its probably a loophole that means they can get away without doing that. This doesnt seem to be a full service it doesnt tell you all the different things youd need to do, she added. Theres a real risk that youll be breaking the law Strictly speaking, if the authorities wanted to crack down on it, they could do. Workers Family did not respond to requests for comment. Companies House records show it was first registered in the UK in 2017, and its website lists a UK phone number to which calls went unanswered last week. In its terms and conditions, it says it now operates under a company registered in Cyprus, called A&A Workers Family, which has two British directors and was incorporated in January.Its terms go on to explain that it is an accommodation service rather than a relocation or recruitment agency and that the onus for securing employment and visas is on workers. Workers Family will not be liable for any shortcoming in your official arrangements, it says, It also wont be liable for incorrect advice given or advice that you feel should have been given but which was not. The firm has previously rejected allegations of poor conditions and false advertising, accusing those leaving negative reviews online of telling porkies. A government spokesperson said: We urge anyone who feels vulnerable or exploited to seek help through the British Consulate and the UK Modern Slavery helpline. David Lammy and Stephane Sejourne, left, were not wearing their hostage solidarity badges when they met Mohammed Mustafa in the West Bank city of Ramallah - Shadi Hatem/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock David Lammy has been criticised for removing a yellow pin badge expressing solidarity with Israeli hostages when meeting the Palestinian prime minister. The Foreign Secretary and Stephane Sejourne, his French counterpart, wore the symbols on their suits as they met with Israel Katz, the foreign minister of Israel, on Friday. But both men had removed their badges by the time they sat down for a separate meeting with Mohammed Mustafa, the Palestinian prime minister, later in the day, Mr Lammy had vowed to use every diplomatic lever to achieve a ceasefire in Israels ongoing war with Hamas ahead of his trip to the region. But critics lamented the decision by the Foreign Secretary and Mr Sejourne not to wear their yellow badges in solidarity with the hostages as they met with Mr Mustafa. Elyon Levy, a former spokesman for the Israeli government, said: They wore the hostage pin for the Israeli meeting. They took it off for the Palestinian [meeting]. Just imagine if the UK and French foreign ministers had made the tiny, effortless gesture of keeping the hostage pin for their meeting with the Palestinian prime minister. It would have sent a message stop making excuses for Hamas. Tell it to free the hostages, now! Arsen Ostrovsky, the chief executive of the International Legal Forum (ILF) an Israel-based coalition of lawyers added: Imagine the powerful message it would have shown had they kept it on. But instead, it was just for show. Mr Lammy has said both publicly and privately that Hamas must return Israeli hostages immediately, saying in the Commons this year he deplores the actions of the group. Call for ceasefire As part of his calls for an immediate ceasefire in the conflict, he has repeatedly stressed the need for the safe return of all hostages. He has also met with the families of the hostages held by Hamas on several occasions, most recently during a visit to Israel on July 14. Labour has held a number of positions on the conflict, initially insisting in the wake of Oct 7 that Israel had a right to defend itself, before calling for a conditional ceasefire. The conditions of an end to hostilities included the release of all hostages by Hamas. Earlier this year, Sir Keir Starmer shifted the partys position on the conflict to take a fifth stance and call for an immediate ceasefire. Mr Lammy has said the Middle East is currently facing a dangerous moment in the wake of Iranian threats of a major assault on Israeli territory. Urging Hamas and Israel to seriously engage in ceasefire talks, he said: 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. After talks in Doha wrapped up on Friday, Mr Lammy said he was hopeful that Israel and Hamas were on the cusp of a deal following a statement in which Qatar, Egypt and the US lauded serious and constructive negotiations. SNP MSP loses whip over Gaza statements Meanwhile, John Mason, an SNP member of the Scottish Parliament, was stripped of the party whip for completely unacceptable posts about the Gaza conflict. Mr Mason had written on X: There is no genocide. If Israel wanted to commit genocide, they would have killed many, many more. A spokesman for the SNP chief whip said: To flippantly dismiss the deaths of more than 40,000 Palestinians is completely unacceptable. There can be no room in the SNP for this kind of intolerance. Mr Mason, the MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, used a Facebook post after his suspension to say too many lives had been lost in the region and to call for peace. But he added: I personally do not believe that Israel has tried to commit, has committed, or is committing genocide. They certainly have the ability to kill many more Palestinians than they have done. That is not to say that the loss of life already is not too many. Click here to view this content. JB Pritzker in November 2023. The Illinois governor is widely expected to get a prime speaking slot at the convention, which is in his home state. Photograph: Evan Vucci/AP Democrats will gather in Chicago on Monday to kick off their convention, where Kamala Harris will formally accept the partys presidential nomination. Party members have indicated that the theme of the week will be passing the torch to a new generation of leaders, after Joe Biden cleared the way for Harris by abandoning his re-election campaign. Related: Rising stars have the chance to shine at Democratic convention Conventions provide a unique opportunity for up-and-coming lawmakers to speak to a national audience and boost their name recognition as they prepare for their own possible presidential campaigns in the future. Although the Democratic National Committee has not yet released the list of convention speakers, here are some of the big names expected to take the stage: The former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, surprised the country in 2020 when he launched a seemingly long-shot presidential bid, but the charismatic Buttigieg turned in strong performances in the early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire. After dropping out of the presidential race and endorsing Biden, Buttigieg, 42, joined the administration as transportation secretary. Like other expected speakers at the convention, Buttigieg was named as a potential running mate for Harris before that post went to the Minnesota governor, Tim Walz. The convention will give Buttigieg another chance to build his national profile, as he is widely expected to launch another White House bid in the years to come. Wes Moore Moore, 45, made history in 2022 when he was elected as the first Black governor of Maryland. A former businessman, Moore has proven himself to be an effective surrogate for Biden and now Harris, and his effectiveness on the campaign trail has sparked speculation about his future plans. While introducing the president and vice-president at an event in Maryland on Thursday, Moore said: In a few minutes, youre going to hear not just from the 46th president of the United States, Joe Biden. Youre also going to hear from the 47th president. The crowd then broke out in chants of 48! 48! in an apparent reference to Moores future campaign to become the 48th president. The California governor, 56, has built a reputation as one of the Democratic partys loudest attack dogs, as he often went toe to toe with Donald Trump during his presidency. His gubernatorial tenure has not been without controversy, as he faced and overcame a recall effort in 2021. But Newsoms ability to punch back against Republicans could be a boon for Democratss efforts to draw a clear contrast between Harris and Trump, while also helping to build the governors political brand. Ocasio-Cortez, 34, attracted national headlines in 2018, when she pulled off a huge upset to defeat a 10-term incumbent in her Democratic primary. The New York congresswoman has quickly become known as one of progressives most engaging communicators on issues like healthcare costs and student loan debt. In a year when Democrats are counting on young voters to turn out at the polls to help them win up and down the ballot, Ocasio-Cortezs presence on the convention stage could help the party motivate a new generation of Americans. JB Pritzker The 59-year-old governor of Illinois is widely expected to get a prime speaking slot at the convention, as it will be held in his home state. The speech would give Pritzker a chance to flourish his credentials of having codified the right to abortion in Illinois and declaring it a sanctuary state for women seeking abortions. He has also been strong on gun control, and legalised recreational marijuana. Harris reportedly considered Pritzker to be her running mate before choosing Walz, as the Illinois governor was similarly viewed as a potential asset in the midwestern battleground states like Michigan and Wisconsin. With a reported net worth of $3.5bn, Pritzker would also be the wealthiest lawmaker to address the convention. Josh Shapiro Shapiro, 51, has been a rising political star in a crucial swing state for years but shot to national prominence in fall 2022 when, as state attorney general, he won the gubernatorial race over an extreme Trumpist Republican. He was one of the two finalists in Harriss search for a running mate, but progressives raised concerns about his support for Israel and record on private school vouchers. When Walz was announced as the pick, Shapiro said in a statement: Pennsylvanians elected me to a four-year term as their governor, and my work here is far from finished there is a lot more stuff I want to get done for the good people of this commonwealth. Known as a compelling orator who models himself off Barack Obama, a convention speech would give Shapiro the opportunity to push back against some of the criticisms leveled against him during the veepstakes. Gretchen Whitmer The Michigan governor, 52, was on Bidens running mate shortlist in 2020, and her partys strong showing in the midterms was in part attributed to her governership. She has been in favor of stricter gun laws, repealing abortion bans and backing universal preschool. Viewed as one of the partys most promising leaders, Whitmer was also named as a potential running mate for Harris, but the governor withdrew from consideration early. I have communicated with everyone, including the people of Michigan, that Im going to stay as governor until the end of my term at the end of 2026, Whitmer said of her decision. Depending on the outcome in November, Whitmer may have an opportunity to run for the White House in 2028 or she may wait until 2032 if Harris can pull off a victory. Abimbola Duyile holds a picture of her daughter, Hannah Jacobs, as she leaves the East London coroner's court at the end of the inquest into her death. Photograph: Yui Mok/PA Food allergy campaigners have requested an urgent meeting with the UK health secretary after a teenager with a severe dairy allergy died following an anaphylactic reaction to drinking a Costa Coffee hot chocolate. The inquest into the death of Hannah Jacobs, 13, who had been severely allergic to dairy products, fish and eggs since she was a toddler, found there had been a failure to follow the processes at Costa Coffee, which led to her drink being prepared with cows milk instead of soya milk. The case was a tragic reminder for the parents of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who died in 2016 after eating a baguette from a Pret a Manger store at Heathrow airport which did not disclose on the packaging that it contained sesame seeds. In the years since her death, Natashas parents, Tanya and Nadim, have established the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, campaigning for legislation around food preparation and advocating for families affected by food allergies. They helped bring about the introduction of Natashas Law in 2021, which requires businesses to label prepackaged food with a full ingredients list. On Saturday, they called for a better cultural and societal understanding of food allergies and the introduction of an allergy tsar who could consider a range of issues across health, education and business. Nadim said on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: The understanding and appreciation of food allergies by society in general, including businesses that are involved in food and drink, really needs to up the ante. Only through that and through behavioural change can people be kept much more safe. Asked what he would like in terms of government support, Nadim said he wanted to be able to talk directly to the health secretary about their concerns. If Wes [Streeting] was listening wed say: Look, youve been given a mandate with a fresh sheet of paper to lead this country around issues of health. Please just meet with us, dont tell us youre too busy as some of your colleagues have when we wrote to them previously. Heres what we have to say which is entirely common sense we know that if you follow through with some of the things we have to suggest we can make vast improvements and start to dial back this crisis thats happening, this allergy epidemic. Tanya said extreme food allergies appeared to be on the rise, with 2.4 million adults in the UK living with a diagnosed food allergy. Although deaths from food allergies remain rare, at fewer than 10 a year in the UK, Tanya said living with a food allergy or raising a child with one was very, very frightening, especially given how food is such an integral part of life and society. Every day can be fraught with anxiety, she said. Hannahs mother, Abimbola Duyile, has accused Costa Coffee of treating allergy training as a tick-box exercise. At the time of Hannahs death allergen training for new Costa staff involved a series of online modules that could be done at home, and a quiz that trainees had to pass. The Ednan-Laperouses, who are working with Duyile, said the training was far too basic and issues arose for staff who were not fluent in English. People were using Google Translate just to understand the questions, and repeating the exercise multiple times before they could pass, Tanya said. Audrey Tang: Civic hacking was about creating possibilities. Photograph: Suki Dhanda/The Guardian Audrey Tang didnt have the easiest of starts in life. The Taiwanese hacker turned government minister was told at the age of four that she had a 50-50 chance of dying unless she had a major operation to fix a hole in her heart. Her doctor told her she could drop down dead at any moment if she got overexcited and she had to wait eight more years for the op. This kind of news might bring out someones selfish side if your life is going to be so truncated, live for yourself. Not Tang, though. She was a tiny child with a whopping IQ and a precocious capacity to think. She decided she wanted to learn everything she could and share it with the world. At five, living with her family in Taipei, she started reading prodigiously mainly classical Chinese literature. Huge tomes. Then shed recount her own version of the stories to her classmates. I liked storytelling. When I was seven Id speak to the entire school about stories Id learned from a book and retell them in a way I found more interesting. Did she realise she was super bright back then? She shakes her head. No, I realised I was super ill. By six Tang was studying advanced mathematics; at eight she started writing code for video games, using pencil and paper because she didnt yet own a computer. And whatever she learned, it was with the intention of sharing her knowledge. Before long it became apparent she was a digital genius. Tang, 43, is roughly the same age as the internet (1 January 1983 is considered its birthday). She grew up alongside the world wide web; it was her playmate. In her teens, Tang believed the internet was there to bring her vision to fruition: to democratise knowledge, to make everything accessible, to make the world a better place. But then she saw it changing, being used to spread falsehoods and generate all-powerful companies that made digital capitalisms founding fathers unfeasibly rich while creating unimagined levels of inequality. You saw lots of spontaneous self-expression on the early web, expressions of community, she tells me when we meet on her brief trip to London. Now the web has been centralised, with a few dominant places where you go to feed your addiction. Tang is talking of the likes of X (formerly Twitter) and how so many of us live in social media bubbles that reinforce our own prejudices. Social media, she says, has become antisocial media and she isnt having any of it. She is determined that digital technology will once again become a force for good a supreme listening tool for humanity, bringing us together by celebrating difference and uniting over what we have in common. There are different ways we can have pro-social social media, not antisocial social media, allowing people to be heard and understood, instead of just driving anger and resentment. Tang spent eight years in Taiwans government (the last two as the worlds first minister of digital affairs), putting her theory into practice and it has worked, from a fantastically efficient response to Covid to countering misinformation about electoral fraud. All of it has been achieved online with the support of citizens eager to share information and ideas. Now the rest of the world is beginning to listen to Audrey Tang. The evening before we meet, she has been talking to Labour bigwigs about how to boost participatory democracy in Britain. Could her philosophy of openness and collaboration be a means of seeing off the populists doing their best to sow global discord? My first language is Java Script! My second and third are LOCO and Basic Tang is on a world tour with her new book, Plurality: The Future of Collaborative Technology and Democracy. Collaboration is not just a word for her; its a way of being. The book, written primarily with American economist E Glen Weyl, is also co-authored by dozens of writers. And behind that, she says, there are hundreds of contributors. Plurality is open-source, meaning anyone can take the ideas in the book and inspect, modify or enhance them (as with Wikipedia). The concept of plurality in technology is collaborating to bridge cultural and social divides. Tang has spent much of her life devising digital tools, with others, to improve access to data in the public domain and to enable us to chat more easily online. This is known as civic hacking. For all the seriousness and complexity of her work, Tang is quietly playful. When she and her community of software programmers first began to organise and agitate for more open government in 2012, they did so by creating parallel, or forked, websites to present information more clearly. They said their aim was to fork the government a deliberate play on words. Tang is a whiz at branding her ideas and has an astonishing vocabulary: she learned English only after German (her family lived in Germany for a while when she was a child), French and Swedish. What is her first language? JavaScript! She giggles. My second and third languages are LOCO and Basic. Her strategy to counter the Covid pandemic in Taiwan by using digital tools to call on the collective wisdom of its people was based on three principles: Fast, fair, fun. To counter fake news, she created a strategy called humour over rumour. When it was suggested all the masks made for the pandemic meant Taiwan was running out of toilet paper, a cartoon of premier Lai Ching-te wiping his bottom was produced, captioned We only have one butt alongside an explanation of the different sources of toilet paper and masks to reassure people there was enough for everyone. Today, she hands me a copy of Plurality. Inside, she has written Share and enjoy!!! Its very Tang. Sharing and enjoying are central planks of her philosophy. After eight years in government, she has just left politics. Did you achieve what you wanted to? If thats a plural you, yes, certainly. You all. The trust level feels very different now. Ten years ago it was at 9%. At the height of counter-pandemic measures, there was 91% of trust in the government. We cherish the 9% [who mistrusted during Covid] because they point out the vulnerabilities, the issues weve missed. Its important to talk to the 9%. Tangs priority had always been to make the people more trusted by the government what true participatory democracy is all about. She believes she has helped achieve this and, in doing so, the government has become more trusted. She says it all goes back to philosopher Laozis maxim to give no trust is to get no trust. * * * Tang was born into a Taiwan under martial law, to journalist parents. Her mother, Lee Ya-ching, helped develop Taiwans first consumer cooperative. In 1987, when Tang was six, Taiwan began its transformation into a democracy. She spent much of her early life visiting hospitals; often when she got upset or excited her heart would beat too fast and shed faint and wake up in intensive care. How did she feel about her odds of surviving? I still feel the same way. Every time I go to sleep I think I may not wake up. It felt like a coin flick. Tang was nevertheless a happy child, until she was put in a class for gifted children. Back then she was a he. I didnt behave very boyish, Tang says. She was the brightest child in a horrifically competitive class, and was bullied from the off, particularly by the second smartest boy who was desperate to usurp Tang. The idea in his head was that if I died, he would become the first in the class, and his parents would be pleased. Do you really think they wanted you to die, I ask, shocked. They expressed that intention, she says calmly. Things came to a head when she refused to cheat by sharing answers in an exam one of the few times she hasnt wanted to share her knowledge, because her fellow pupils were trying to force it out of her. I was beat really hard. My mum saw a wound and she said maybe its best not to go to school for a while. Tang never went back. Instead she went to a remote non-academic school in the mountains twice a week, studying with tea farmers children, and spent the other days attending philosophy clubs. She was never bullied again. Tang read psychology textbooks to try to make sense of the bullying. I started reading Piaget and Winnicott, who were into child psychology. I wanted to know why my classmates behaved in such a way. My understanding was that they were under tremendous anxiety because the value their parents placed on them was based on relative status. If you build your self-esteem on that, it tends to be shaky and you tend to project outwards the violence, so I was the target of them acting it out. During adolescence, another difference emerged. I never developed fully like other boys do. When I was 20 I got a testosterone test and it was that of a 70-year-old man. Tang had never felt right male. In her 20s, she transitioned. When I was 24 I had a second puberty after taking oestrogen. She describes it in a matter-of-fact way, and says she is relaxed about how people refer to her. My pronouns are any, all, whatever! Were her parents supportive of her transition? Yeah, sure! she says, as if to say: why on earth wouldnt they be? Tang explains that transitioning is not a big issue in Taiwan, partly, she believes, because the language is not so gender-specific as English. Mandarin is more flexible. There is no sound difference when you say the three main pronouns. She doesnt understand why trans people have become such a source of rage in Britains culture wars. Theres a lack of chill! She smiles, with consummate chill. Tang is regarded as a trans icon by some, cited as the worlds first non-binary government minister, but again its no big deal to her. Tang is proud of the manner in which Taiwan has evolved, and says its the perfect place to practise broad listening. Taiwan actually means the place where the sea and mountains converge. We have 20 different languages and 16 indigenous nations. So many cultures intersect and we dont have a dominant religion. She left school at 14 with no qualifications. Her head teacher encouraged her to go to university so she could later do research at Harvard in America. But university seemed pointless to Tang. She was already collaborating online informally with academics from Harvard and Stanford on research, which was all of a piece with her later work. I was interested in swift trust why we trust strangers we meet online more readily than face to face and why its easier to break such relationships online. Her understanding of swift trust led to her search for a more profound version of trust online where we can build places that seem more safe to face uncertainty together. She went on to work with startups in San Jose in her late teens before returning to Taiwan to work as a free software developer her software was always distributed under terms that allow users to run it for any purpose and adapt it how they wish. Related: A polarisation engine: how social media has created a perfect storm for UKs far-right riots The longer she and her fellow civic hackers worked on free software, the more aware she became of the shortcomings of government digital technology. Tang stresses the difference between civic hacking and cybersecurity hacking, which exposes state secrets. Civic hacking was never about finding security vulnerabilities; it was always about thinking out of the box to present information or to listen in a way that the traditional way of politics would not. Its about creating more possibilities. So she did nothing illegal? Noooo! Tang pauses. But I was somewhat OK in terms of cybersecurity knowledge, she says with a twinkle. In 2012, she was part of the digital community that created g0v, pronounced Gov Zero. The project ran in parallel with the official government and was there to support it, even if ministers didnt initially think so. Through g0v, government websites were examined and rewritten to make them more comprehensible and reachable. We created a parallel web around which citizens could have a normal conversation. For example, when we did the ministry of education dictionary project, we copied everything from the official website, but turned it into something more accessible to people on phones, and integrated other Chinese languages. The thinking is simple, she says: the more clearly information is displayed, the more people will know, and the easier it becomes to have a conversation about what is and isnt working in a democracy. Was the government suspicious of what they were doing? Of course. Because if youre the ministry, you say all rights reserved, then somebody comes along and takes a copy, flagrantly violating the copyright. What do you do? What did they do? Well, they cant sue all of us. So we were invited to have a conversation and we said were just converting official dictionaries which are in the public domain, trying to make it friendlier for kids with mobile phones, and we didnt derive any commercial benefit from the parallel version of the dictionary we set up. Through talking, they convinced the government that it was a good thing. After g0v came vTaiwan, an online forum allowing people to discuss and petition on issues of public interest. Once there were 5,000 signatures, the petition was taken to the government to be addressed. What kind of changes has vTaiwan led to? Tang mentions Uber and her face lights up. All sorts of people took part and lots of different views were heard: people who felt the taxi association union must be respected, people who thought the efficiency and convenience of Uber is very good, people who felt rural areas were underserved. The one thing most people agreed on is they disliked Ubers pricing structure. Uber had this algorithm that said when demand is high you pay drivers more but when its low, you pay less. Both passengers and drivers felt this was bad. The online discussion lasted three weeks. Then you could see people who strongly disagreed starting to meet in the middle. And see the feelings that bring people together across those differences. And we changed the law. In October 2016 a number of new laws came into effect, including one stating Uber could not charge less than the standard taxi fare. vTaiwan, using a real-time platform called Polis, has been embraced worldwide as a model for participatory democracy. Earlier this year, Grimsbys local authority used it for a mass online conversation about what the Lincolnshire port town should look like 10 years from now. In 2014, the Sunflower protest movement was started by students who felt democracy was under threat because the then ruling KMT party was trying to fast-track a major trade deal with China. (Taiwans relationship with China is complex Taiwan is officially known as the Republic of China, China claims it is a province of the Peoples Republic of China, whereas the Taiwanese government says it is an independent country.) The students occupied parliament; g0v gave them the tools to livestream the occupation and debates about the deal. We provided screens so people outside on the street could see what was happening inside and set up websites so people knew what deliberations were going on. The whole country could pay attention to it. Many people arrived at the parliament counter-surrounding the police to ensure the students were not evacuated because we had proof there was no violence involved; that it was peaceful. After three weeks, the government caved in. The speaker simply said, Youve got a point. We agree. And that was it; the trade deal went nowhere. Broad listening, which Tang likes to contrast with broad casting, means listening to those you disagree with. Not surprisingly, it doesnt always provide results she would favour. In 2017, 26,771 netizens signed a petition calling on the government to impose caning as an additional punishment for drunk driving, sex offences and violence against children. What happened next is enlightening. The more people talked, the more the conversation moved away from corporal punishment to how to prevent such crimes in the first place. Participants concluded To cane or not to cane? had been the wrong question, something that wouldnt have emerged from a traditional online petition with a yes/no voting option. After the Sunflower movement, Tang was asked to mentor a government minister. She calls this reverse mentoring and says its becoming commonplace. There is now much more appetite for young people to advise senior leadership on digital or environmental issues. In 2016, she was made a full-time minister without portfolio, and in 2022 minister of digital affairs. Was it strange when she was invited to become part of the establishment? No, its very logical, she says. She had always seen herself as helping the government reach the right solutions (even when supporting the Sunflower protest); now she was just doing it in an official capacity. * * * When Covid hit, Taiwans remarkable response set it apart from other countries and Tang was at its heart. Information was crowdsourced rapidly and efficiently. While the World Health Organization was still a month away from declaring a global pandemic, Taiwan had already implemented its mask-making programme. There was pressure on the government to respond effectively to the pandemic after a chaotic response to the 2003 Sars epidemic. From March to May 2020, mask supply was ramped up, from 2m to 20m items a day, but masks had to be rationed in the short term. It led to huge queues outside stores, which posed a risk of contagion. This is when Tang and her civic hacking community came to the rescue. They built a series of real-time mask maps, showing stores where they were available and where they had run out. The maps were open-source, so anybody could contribute and they were constantly updated. This transformed the publics response to the outbreak. By June 2020 more than 10 million people out of a population of 23.5 million had used the mask maps. At this point there had already been more than seven years of information sharing between the government and the public. Trust was high which meant an efficient mass contact tracing programme could be introduced using QR codes. Tang ensured privacy was protected as much as possible by decentralising data, deleting it after 28 days and keeping it out of prosecutors hands. Taiwan never went into a full lockdown and, despite its proximity to China, there were only seven deaths from Covid-19 in 2020. This figure rose dramatically after a breakout among airline staff, but by April 2024, it still compared favourably with Britain 19,005 deaths in Taiwan, 232,112 in the UK, which has a population only three times bigger. * * * Tangs techniques are also a powerful tool to fight misinformation. When earlier this year Taiwan was accused of rigging elections assumed by many to be spread on social media by agents of China she was ready. We prebunked the attacks by inviting people to film the counting its paper ballot only so we could show what happened. When the public effectively become citizen journalists, you dont automatically say people are rigging the election. You instead ask who do I trust? I ask Tang what the Chinese government thinks of her. Well, Im not under sanction. Many people in China pay attention to the work weve been doing because they are trying out this kind of deliberative conversational democracy. But she says its safer for her to make digital rather than physical visits to China, not least because she has been involved in national security conversations during her time in government. Does she think AI poses a threat to world stability? If you mean authoritarian intelligence, of course its something to be worried about. AI is intelligence, but not in the same way as our brain is. Its intelligence that can produce coherent language with no lived experience. The important thing to remember, she says, is that AI is there to serve us, not vice versa. Tang distinguishes between artificial general intelligence (creating a machine smarter than humans) and augmented collective intelligence (using these technologies to enhance human decision-making). If AI is used in an authoritarian way, we have to demand it is steered into something more assisting. We need to recognise our power as people to say no or yes to technology. Tang calls herself a conservative anarchist. Anarchism to me means voluntary cooperation rather than resorting to coercion. And conservative means respecting the traditions of the 20 languages and 16 nations of Taiwan, but more generally respecting the institutional norms, no matter where you are, and innovating within them instead of destroying them. Now, her work in politics is done for the time being. In June, she resigned from government peacefully and collaboratively, of course to focus on taking her vision to a wider audience. She wants us all to start listening, talking, bearing witness to truths, exposing non-truths and changing the world for the better. Her dream is an open-source world without physical borders where we all share data and information for the common good. Taiwan has adopted her philosophy so wholeheartedly that it now offers residency to anybody who has made open-source contributions on the internet for eight years. As Tang talks, the song Imagine starts playing in my head: You may say Im a dreamer / But Im not the only one / I hope someday youll join us / And the world will be as one. I tell her I think shes got a touch of the John Lennons about her. She smiles and nods. Its easy if you try, she says. Plurality by Audrey Tang, E Glen Weyl and others is available to download at plurality.net Las Vegas Review-Journal investigative reporter Jeff German on the Las Vegas Strip on 2 June 2021. Photograph: Las Vegas Review-Journal/TNS Jeff German was a doggedly old-school investigative reporter in Las Vegas who didnt care what mobsters or tainted politicians he offended. After more than 40 years on the job, he had received so many threats and angry phone messages he stopped paying attention to them. I get that stuff all the time. Its not a big deal, he told his editor at the Las Vegas Review Journal. It was the summer of 2022, and the editor, Rhonda Prast, had seen threatening texts and social media messages from a local politician who German had been writing about and considered reporting them to upper management. German saw no particular reason to fear the politician, a short, bullet-headed lawyer named Robert Telles who headed an office that settles the estates of county residents who die without a will. At the time, he had two much more chilling messages on his voicemail from hard, angry men calling him every name in the book and threatening to come after him. Even those didnt bother him. Earlier in his career, German had stared down Tony Spilotro, a notorious, cold-eyed mafioso who was memorably portrayed by Joe Pesci in the Martin Scorsese movie Casino, and came away unscathed. Prast, too, did not think Telles meant her reporter physical harm. I thought he was going to sue us, she said. Related: Jury hears case against ex-politician accused of killing Las Vegas reporter Yet, as a murder trial now underway in Las Vegas has revealed, there may have been more to Telles than met the eye. According to the prosecution, Telles became so exasperated with the stories German was writing about him stories depicting him as a nightmare boss who harassed and bullied his staff and conducted an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate that he drove to Germans house on 2 September 2022, and stabbed him to death in broad daylight after learning that his electronic communications with the subordinate were about to be made public. German, who was 69, was left to die in a row of bushes along the side of his house. It was 24 hours before neighbours, alarmed by the fact that hed left his garage door open and was not responding to messages, walked around his house and discovered the body. Once police arrived, however, it took just four days to gather enough evidence to arrest Telles. Security video footage gathered between Telless house and Germans showed a maroon GMC Yukon Denali travelling between the two and a man dressed improbably in a wide-brimmed straw hat and a reflective orange jacket walking to and from Germans house with a grey bag slung over his shoulder. In their opening statement, prosecutors invited jurors to linger, twice, over footage showing German walking over to the side of the house where his assailant lay in wait, tussling with someone in the greenery and the orange-jacketed assailant re-emerging and walking away with an eerie calm. The day after the murder, Telles was found washing an identical Yukon Denali in his driveway. When police searched his house, they found a wide-brimmed straw hat matching the one in video footage that had been cut into pieces and stuffed into a shopping bag. They also found a pair of shoes matching the killers shoved under a sofa. One of the shoes had been cut up, much like the hat, and the pieces stuffed into a baggie. Telles had a nasty cut on one of his fingers, and when police took a sample of his DNA they found it was a match for tissue found beneath one of Germans fingernails, prosecutors said. When investigators examined Telless phone, they found he had searched for Germans house on Google Maps shortly before the murder. There were other puzzling details suggesting this was hardly a professional hit job. The man in the hat and orange jacket walked aimlessly up and down the streets around Germans house before the crime, perhaps in the mistaken belief that this might confuse eyewitnesses. After the murder, he returned to his car on a neighbouring street, only to return to the scene of the crime shortly afterwards to check that German was dead, perhaps, or to retrieve something he might have dropped. Committing the crime during daylight hours made it almost ridiculously easy to track his movements via home video security systems. The district attorneys office has described the evidence against Telles as overwhelming, a characterisation Telles and his legal team hotly dispute. Indeed, Telless lawyer, Robert Draskovich, waved away much of the evidence against his client in his own opening statement, saying Telles was the victim of a political witch- hunt and that the only rational explanation for cutting up the hat and shoes was that this made it easier for the police to conceal and plant them in Telless house. Draskovich portrayed his client as an anti-corruption crusader determined to push back against the old guard at the public administrators office, which he said cut sweetheart deals with a local real estate agency to make money off the houses it handled. He described Telles as blowing the whistle, even though Telles was the elected leader of the office whereas whistleblowers are typically subordinates who witness wrongdoing by their superiors. But it was precisely such whistleblowers who became Germans sources inside the office. Four of the women he interviewed later went public and filed a lawsuit against Telles and the county in which they described a workplace where employees were forbidden to talk to each other, the boss made sexual advances to several women and imposed punitive restrictions on those who resisted. One plaintiff, Jessica Coleman, alleged that Telles told her she would die alone, and no one would find her for a long time. She became so frightened, she said, that she contemplated hanging herself in the office to force the county to mount an investigation. Telles has moved to have the suit dismissed, saying it is full of lies. Two months after Germans death, his colleagues at the Review Journal retrieved his notes and contacted his sources and fleshed out a long story about Telles, tracing allegations of anger and sexual misconduct back to his days as a law student in Las Vegas. One notable episode that came to light was an arrest for domestic violence in 2020, after his wife made an emergency call complaining that he had drunk too much and was going crazy. Part of the investigative teams goal was to pay homage to their fallen colleague in the language he understood best: old-fashioned, muck-raking journalism. All we did after Jeff was killed was work on the investigation and deal with our trauma and grief, Prast said. In a precarious news business, however, in which investigations are expensive and newsroom budgets strapped, the Review-Journal has gone through two years of upheaval, leaving only one of Germans colleagues still at the paper. Prast has moved the furthest afield, to a newspaper in Bellingham, Washington. She said she was following the trial carefully and planned to fly back to Las Vegas to attend in person. We still feel his absence two years later, she said of German. I still dream about him at night. I have his picture on his desk. I hope that what people remember is not Robert Telles and what a terrible person he is, but Jeff the first-class human being and journalist, working to change peoples lives for the better. London School of Economics report challenged - MARK PHILLIPS/ALAMY The London School of Economics (LSE) was verging on irresponsible to suggest that the capitals low emission zone (LEZ) had boosted students exam results, academics have warned. Last week, the LSE published a working paper that said researchers had found a meaningful improvement in key stage 2 (KS2) test results for 10 and 11 year-olds in Greater London, compared with pupils in 20 other cities in England. The team concluded that the upswing was caused by falling emission levels, brought about by the LEZ that charges polluting vehicles. Researchers from the Grantham Institute at the LSE said the effect was similar to reducing class size by 10 students or paying teachers large financial bonuses, and almost equivalent to significantly increasing average teacher quality. However the findings have been criticised by some academics who said there was no evidence of a causal link and that other factors could be responsible for the disparities between pupils in different parts of the country. Prof Kevin McConway, the emeritus professor of applied statistics at the Open University, said: What I do think is verging on the irresponsible is press releasing it, with a release that uses language of cause and effect without expressing any doubt that the change in KS2 test scores was caused by the LEZ. The article itself is also strongly causal in its wording, and the authors claim that their methods establish that the association is indeed one of cause and effect. Obviously its possible that it is cause and effect. But I dont believe that the analysis in the paper establishes this anywhere near firmly enough to make the claims that are made in the paper and the press release. The Grantham Institute paper was peer reviewed internally and has been submitted for publication. Dr Sefi Roth, associate professor of Environmental Economics In a commentary, Sefi Roth, associate professor of Environmental Economics and the studys author, said the team was able to go further than identifying a simple correlation to describe compelling evidence for a causal effect. He said: We did this by using state of the art econometrics techniques to deal with possible confounding factors, such as the fact that London is inherently different to other cities. However, experts said they were unconvinced the data was strong enough to come to such a definitive conclusion. Dr Gavin Stewart, a reader in interdisciplinary evidence at Newcastle University, said: Theyre making very bold claims off limited data. Im not as convinced by the analysis as the authors are. It seems unlikely that the effect magnitude associated with air pollution would be larger than other drivers, notably socio-economics and educational funding. To believe these results Id want a whole set of school level covariates about staff student ratios, funding per pupil etc and a whole set around pupil socio-economics. The conclusion should be much more circumspect without robust evidence that the primary drivers of educational attainment arent operating. The result could easily be spurious association or driven by regression to the mean. He added: Irrespective of whether it has been through peer review this work does not present sufficient evidence on uncertainty to be reliable in terms of strength of evidence in my judgment. A number of academic papers about the capitals controversial road policies have been criticised amid claims they have been subject to political interference, and used to push unpopular agendas. Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London - MARK KERRISON/ALAMY Last year, The Telegraph revealed how the office of Sadiq Khan, the London Mayor, tried to discredit and silence scientists who found that his ultra-low emissions zone (Ulez) policy had little impact on pollution. Some experts said the link between educational achievement and pollution was plausible, but warned that other factors could also be causing the effect. Commenting on the LSE paper, Dr Stephen Burgess, the group leader at the MRC Biostatistics Unit, at the University of Cambridge, said: Is this plausible? Yes. But there could be other explanations as to why the changes would be sharper in London than in other cities. If the difference were sharply focused on a narrow time window, then it can be hard to find an alternative explanation. But here, the excess difference could occur for a number of reasons. A plausible example is immigration. If patterns of immigration were different in London from non-London cities across the time period, this could account for the difference in differences. I dont want to nail a mast to immigration here there are surely a dozen plausible factors you could think of by which London differs from the other cities. The authors have accounted for some of these in their analysis. But its tough to account for every possible alternative explanation. The LSE paper notes that the Greater London LEZ was introduced in 2008 and has evolved into one of the largest and most rigorous traffic regulation policies. A Grantham Institute spokesman said: The paper was reviewed by two senior researchers at LSE who were not involved in the work and we are in the process of submitting it for publication in a leading economics journal. The new research was welcomed by the London Mayors office. A spokesman for the Mayor of London, said: We know that air pollution is extremely dangerous for children due to the long-lasting impact it can have on their health and life chances. Thats why the Mayor has taken bold action to clean up the air across London. Everyone has a right to breathe clean air and this new academic report provides another clear example of the positive impact low emission zones can have. Tulip Siddiq was elected as an MP in 2015 - Nicola Tree/Getty A Labour minister has been accused of failing to help a British-trained barrister detained for nearly a decade in brutal conditions under her aunts authoritarian regime in Bangladesh. Lawyers representing 40-year-old Mir Ahmad Bin Quasem Arman, who vanished in 2016, said that Tulip Siddiq could have used her personal connections to free him earlier from eight years of secret imprisonment. He was one of hundreds of people who disappeared under the regime of Ms Saddiqs aunt, Sheikh Hasina, the former prime minister of Bangladesh. She fled the country earlier this month as her government collapsed. Sheikh Hasina, 76, the longest-serving prime minister of Bangladesh, is now in India, having been ousted after 15 years in power. During her tenure, opponents were attacked, arrested and secretly imprisoned as the regime carried out extrajudicial killings. The criticism of Ms Siddiq comes after it emerged she was renting a 2 million house owned by a businessman said to be political ally of her aunt. A year before Mr Arman disappeared, Ms Siddiq told journalists after she was elected as an MP for Hampstead in 2015 that her aunt had taught me the most. I learned everything about politics from her social justice, how to campaign and how to reach out to the people, she said. Hasina was also present in the House of Commons gallery as her niece made her maiden speech, and on social media later hailed her aunt as a strong female role model for her own daughter. Mr Arman, who was called to the Bar of England and Wales and studied at the University of London, was finally freed this month after the army ordered his release from a notorious detention centre following the collapse of Hasinas government. Mir Ahmad Bin Quasem Arman, who vanished in Bangladesh in 2016 Lawyers said that Mr Arman was snatched from his family by the countrys Rapid Action Battalion, blamed for killing more than 1,000 people and hundreds of forced disappearances. Michael Polak, a lawyer who fought to free Mr Arman, said he was interned in a secret internal detention facility called Aynaghar, where he was kept blindfolded and not allowed to speak with anyone and feared he would be executed. The detention centres name translates to House of Mirrors because a detainee in the Aynaghar cannot see anyone other than himself. When the father-of-two was finally freed, he believed he was about to be murdered, but he was dumped in a muddy field outside Dhaka. Mr Polak, the director of Justice Abroad, said that his detention was a direct result of the policies of Sheikh Hasina. It is clear that there was an official policy of enforced disappearances and arbitrary detention under Sheikh Hasinas regime, and it is telling that Arman was released immediately upon her fleeing to India. He said that both he and Mr Armans family pleaded with Ms Siddiq to lobby her aunt directly to release him, but they did not receive any assistance. We made respectful requests to Tulip Siddiq to intervene with her aunt, who she described as a great role model, even after being informed about enforced disappearances in Bangladesh, he said. These came from me as well as from Armans mother, who asked for Tulip to intervene to return her son to his family including his two young daughters. Unfortunately, Tulip decided not to assist. He said that following a Channel 4 News report in November 2017 where Ms Siddiq was asked about the case, Bangladeshi police attended the family property in Dhaka where Armans elderly mother, sister, wife, and two young daughters were residing in an attempt to intimidate them into stopping the broadcast. This shows that what was happening in London was influencing actions on the ground in Dhaka, Mr Polak said. Letter to Foreign Secretary It is understood that Ms Siddiq wrote to then Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson over the case in December 2017, after it was raised by constituents, believing this was the correct protocol. While Shabana Mahmood, now Justice Secretary, asked parliamentary questions about the case in January 2017, Ms Siddiq has not raised it in the House of Commons. The City Minister has been criticised for not using her personal connections to try to free the barrister. The familial connections between Tulip and the regime, her aunt being the then Prime Minister Hasina and an uncle being Hasinas feared security adviser Tarique Siddique, who himself has been accused of being involved in enforced disappearances should have been enough for her to get involved and for her to disassociate herself from this regime, Mr Polak said. Ms Siddiq once said on a blog that she worked for her aunts Awami League Party. She has attended official Bangladeshi government events such as a meeting between Hasina and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Mr Polak added: Despite all of this, Tulip decided not to intervene to bring Arman back to his family. Had she done so, he could have spent the last 8 years with his wife and two daughters watching them grow up rather than in a secret cell without any access to sunlight, hearing the cries of those tortured in the same facility, thinking that the regime might end his life at any time. I still do not understand why Tulip made this choice and described Hasina as a strong role model for her children, despite the huge amount of evidence, including from organisations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, in relation to the hundreds of disappeared ripped away from their loved ones, some never to return. Last week, it emerged she was renting a 2 million house owned by a businessman said to be political ally of her aunt. Labour said this is paid at market levels and relevant disclosures had been made to the Treasury, but did not provide an on-the-record statement on the case of Mr Arman. However, sources said she was unable to raise the issue as a constituency MP and only able to do so when it was raised by her constituents Labour's plans would allow travellers to set up in green belt areas where councils cannot guarantee a long-term supply of available land - Matt Cardy/Getty Images Europe Permanent traveller sites are set to be allowed on green belt land under Angela Rayners shake-up of planning laws. Ms Rayner, the Housing Secretary, is exploring plans to allow travellers to set up in green belt areas where councils cannot guarantee a long-term supply of available land, The Telegraph can reveal. The Conservatives said the changes would create a two-tier planning system and will allow unauthorised encampments, although the Government insisted that this was inaccurate. A consultation published by Ms Rayners department to the National Planning Policy Framework means councils will have to meet binding top-down targets for traveller camps. The current policy on the sites states that either temporary or permanent settlements on the green belt are not permitted because they do not count as very special circumstances. Angela Rayner says about 10 per cent of the country is currently built on - Christopher Furlong/Pool via REUTERS But these protections would not apply under Ms Rayners blueprint in cases where councils are unable to prove that they have a five-year supply of land for travelling communities. The consultation states: We intend our proposals to support the release of green belt land to address unmet needs for traveller sites. We are therefore seeking views on how the proposals under the National Planning Policy Framework would apply to traveller sites, particularly concerning the sequential test to guide release, the definition of grey belt and previously developed land, and proposals that are considered not to be inappropriate development. It goes on to ask respondents whether they have a view on whether the release of green belt land should apply to the sites, and how the broader issue should be approached. Kemi Badenoch, the shadow housing secretary, said: The public want to see fair play in planning. Angela Rayner intends to bring back the flawed planning diktats of John Prescott, where a blind eye was turned to unauthorised traveller encampments. Labour risks inserting major loopholes in Green Belt planning protection that will allow a small minority to exploit and break the rules. This is two-tier planning prioritising traveller sites over family homes and protection of green spaces. Labours top-down rules will be counterproductive and threaten to undermine good community relations. Kemi Badenoch says Ms Rayner's proposal is 'two-tier planning prioritising traveller sites over family homes and protection of green spaces' - Geoff Pugh for the Telegraph Mr Prescott, a former Labour deputy prime minister, made councils assign land for travellers to ensure there was always an official site to avoid protests from local people. In its subsequent crackdown on unauthorised camps, the coalition government argued Labour gave the entire community a bad name by not clamping down on law-breaking sites. Mr Prescotts guidance which encouraged building on green belt land when needed was blamed for a fourfold rise in unlawful developments by travelling communities between 2000 and 2012. The Telegraph understands the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is consulting on the changes as part of its aim to ensure it takes a consistent approach to meeting community needs. Sources in the department stressed Ms Rayners proposals would not change how police respond to the presence of unauthorised traveller encampments. The Government estimates there are about 300,000 Gypsy, Roma and traveller people in Britain, although the number may be higher as many do not participate in the census. There are an estimated 300,000 Gypsy, Roma and traveller people in Britain - Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images Europe Wider reforms announced by Ms Rayner last month mean councils will have to build on the grey belt low-quality green belt land in order to meet mandatory housing targets. She has insisted the housing crisis facing Britain is so severe she has had to adopt radical policies rather than finding some middle ground. Ms Rayner noted about 10 per cent of the country is currently built on, and said the vast majority of England will remain very green under her proposals. A spokesman for the MHCLG said the Conservatives claims about unauthorised traveller encampments were inaccurate. There is nothing within the proposed planning reforms that would change the way that illegal encampments are enforced or the existing responsibility on local authorities to assess the need for gypsy and traveller sites, they said. Brecon Beacons National Park Visitors to a Welsh beauty spot have been urged not to come at weekends as it is overrun with influencers. Bannau Brycheiniog, formerly known as the Brecon Beacons, has reportedly become a magnet for social media creators who make content on the peaks of Pen Y Fan or by the waterfalls in Ystradfellte, Powys. Bannau Brycheiniog National Park, about 30 miles north of Cardiff, attracts about 4 million visitors each year. The New York Times added it to its list of the best places to visit in 2024. National Park authorities said they did not want to deter visitors but had been forced to put on extra buses and guides to deal with the influx of visitors, especially during the summer months and on weekends. Its just about balance. There is plenty of room at the park but its just during peak holiday season its really busy, Helen Roderick, the park sustainable development officer, said. People can come at other times - like early in the morning or in September and October - and have the place to themselves. Social media users, who want to use the parks scenery as backdrops for their selfies, have also made a pilgrimage to the region in recent years. Pen Y Fan, the highest peak in south Wales, is a favourite for influencers who want to post pictures from the mountain top, while others have stripped down to bikinis to shoot content and take pictures posing in the regions waterfalls. Ms Roderick said they have had to put on extra meet and greet staff to deal with influencers turning up in their flip-flops and swimming costumes for a picture, not realising its a 40 minute hike. There has been an influx post-Covid and different people have discovered our park, through Instagram, and come ill-prepared for what theyre facing, she said. Countryside morals She said park authorities wanted the new visitors to adhere to what she described as countryside morals. They might want the Instragram shot but we want them to be a bit more sensible and treat the place with respect. We would discourage swimming - its not a beach. Its just not the right place to do that. Ms Roderick said. Park authorities have also had to deal with an influx of day hikers, especially those lured by social media posts, who have been unprepared for the rapidly changing weather conditions. Ms Roderick said locals enjoyed the extra business that tourists brought to the areas, but some were getting frustrated by the congestion. In 2020, Bannau Brycheiniog National Park was overrun with visitors after lockdown restrictions were lifted, with car parks and footpaths busy with visitors. Bannau Brycheiniog National Park is developing a new tourism strategy to look at new ways to ease the environmental impacts on the park. There is now a bus taking tourists to the peak of Pen Y Fan for 1, but further restrictions on cars in the park were also being considered. We are looking at our tourism strategy and everything is on the table. But we would consider that [car ban] as a last resort, Ms Roderick said. Last month, UK National Parks committed to halving their carbon emissions by 2030 and be net zero by 2050. Haitham al-Haddad is a British Muslim television presenter and Islamic scholar of Palestinian origin The BBC interviewed a radical Islamic preacher who has been condemned by the Governments counter-extremism commission and blamed the riots on those with a Zionist agenda. Haitham al-Haddad was invited to speak on BBC Radio London about the recent spate of rioting, and was introduced by the presenter as a highly respected imam. Earlier this month, al-Haddad discussed the motives of rioters at a sermon at Greenwich Islamic Centre in south London. He told worshippers: Some of them [rioters] have an agenda and some of them have - maybe that agenda is connected to Zionism at large. Yes, we know this. And we know that some of them may want to divert the attention of the Government from condemning what the Zionist-state Israel is doing and they want to stop arming Israel, so they want to attract the attention or divert the attention of the Government. On Oct 7 2023 - the day that Hamas terrorists infiltrated southern Israel, massacring 1,200 Israelis and taking about 250 as hostages - al-Haddad appeared to pray for a victory over Israel. In a post on Facebook on Oct 7, he wrote: O Allah, support the people of truth in Gaza, Al-Qudus and Palestine - they have managed to cause confusion to the enemys calculations with a new tactic. Grant them victory and aid them against their oppressors in their struggle for Justice and Truth. Al-Haddad has long been a controversial figure, with the Governments Commission for Countering Extremism describing him in 2018 as having misogynistic, racist and homophobic views. The BBC said it should have been clearer about the views al-Haddad has expressed in the past - but said they stood by their decision to invite him on to speak. Nick Timothy, a Tory MP, said it is baffling that the BBC should justify its decision to platform and praise the notorious Haitham Al-Haddad by saying he was talking about conciliation. Nick Timothy, a Tory MP, said it is 'baffling' that the BBC should 'justify its decision to platform and praise the notorious Haitham Al-Haddad by saying he was talking about conciliation' - Dominic Lipinski/PA He added: There is nothing conciliatory about the beliefs he expresses - about women, gay people and, it seems, Jewish people. The BBC should accept its error and apologise. Our national institutions need to stop treating the likes of Haddad as anything but the spokesmen they are for their divisive and hateful ideology. A spokesman for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: The BBC feted Haitham al-Haddad, praising him as a highly-respected imam, but one wonders who can respect a man who reportedly prayed to Allah on Oct 7 to grant victory to the Hamas terrorists who invaded Israel and slaughtered some 1,200 people. He was interviewed about the riots because he wanted to correct false narratives, but given that he has supposedly traced the riots to the Zionist agenda, it beggars belief that the BBC should be amplifying his views. We will be writing to the BBC. Al-Haddad told The Telegraph that he stood by his remarks at the Greenwich Islamic Centre about the rioters, saying: It is imperative that we critically examine how [the riots] were instigated and fuelled. The rhetoric employed and the emotions of the rioters were evident for all to see. In this context, it is clear to me that some of the rioters were driven by an agenda that, regrettably, did not align with British values and instead promoted violence and destruction in Palestine. Regarding his social media post on Oct 7, he said he prays every day that God Almighty grants victory to the people of truth around the world. Al-Haddad said the remarks by the Commission for Countering Extremism were totally baseless and unsubstantiated, adding: I have always advocated for the peaceful coexistence of all communities and the promotion of justice and equality for everyone. A BBC spokesman said of Al-Haddad: We invited Haitham al-Haddad onto the programme to talk about conciliation following disorder in parts of the country. We accept we should have been clearer about the views he has expressed in the past and challenged him on them more robustly. However, we are committed to hearing from a range of contributors and experts to offer a variety of views and perspectives on these complex issues. It comes as the BBC was criticised for airing an interview with a Palestinian doctor with a history of making allegedly anti-Semitic remarks. On last Mondays show, Mishal Hussain used roughly two minutes of a pre-recorded interview with Dr Khamis Elessi as part of a segment discussing an Israeli airstrike on a school in Gaza. Dr Khamis Elessi reportedly witnessed casualties of an Israeli attack on Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City Dr Elessi, a neurorehabilitation and pain medicine specialist, reportedly witnessed casualties of the attack as they streamed into Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City. He told the BBC that the hospital received between 70 and 90 people with injuries within three hours, many of whom were elderly because the airstrike took place during dawn prayer. He said many of the casualties had suffered amputated limbs and that most of the victims suffered from severe burns, adding that the morgue had received up to 100 bodies from the attack. Dr Elessis professional credibility and his account of the number of casualties were criticised in an interview which followed immediately after with David Mencer, a spokesman for the Israeli government. In April last year he wrote on Facebook that: Envy is a despicable trait and is one of the traits of the cursed Jews. He also shared a video with a description that alleged that it was a goal of both Jews and Zionist Christianity to build a third structure in place of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, a significant Muslim holy site. Click here to view this content. Mathew Pham is as keen angler who is among those who have caught mulloway in the Yarra River. Photograph: Ellen Smith/The Guardian On Saturday nights, groups of anglers regularly meet in different places around Melbournes largest rivers. They can be found sitting on the banks of the Yarra including under the bridges near the casino, with their rods at the ready or on the Maribyrnong River. With hungry eyes, they come to try to catch a giant, a fish so elusive that some claim its the hardest to catch. The mulloway is their target. A large white fish that can grow over a metre long, and is so difficult to hook that it is known the silver ghost. And they are part of what other anglers call a secret club. Its the mafia, one angler says, and hardly anyone in on it wants to chat about it. Ian Whiteside has been fishing for almost 50 years and has spent a lifetime on the water. The only mulloway he ever caught was by accident. I was snapper fishing one night in the Black Rock area, and I got it close to the boat before I realised what it was, and then I saw it, and it was gone in a second, Whiteside says. The mulloway are a really elusive species. Its almost secretive society stuff. Theyre revered. The special thing about it is the size Mathew Pham Most people that I know have never caught one. Ive never actually landed one. Most people dont have the patience to go and target them. Whiteside says there are Facebook groups, and even private anglers people can hire to help them find one. There are also a small few who dedicate their lives to catching them. If youve seen photos of these beautiful, big silver fish theyre holding, they are their trophy fish, he says. While the fishing spots are kept secret, anglers looking for a big catch will usually head out in the early morning or late evening, around the Patterson River Bridge, under the West Gate Bridge, in the Yarra near the CBD, or close to the eateries around Port Phillip. Theyre very big and strong and predatory Mathew Pham started chasing mulloway last year. He has fished all his life, and known about the fish which some call the Yarra-mundi for a long time, but had never seen one. In November he was fishing by the river when he hooked something huge, that got away. He told his friend, who said it must have been a mulloway, and together they started going out for them. We tried for pretty much almost two months straight, and we got nothing, Pham says. And then there was one night we were just sitting there, with the lines in the water, and all of a sudden, they started going crazy. He says he had never seen a fish that big, it fought so hard. Afterwards, they were out trying to catch one every second day. He said from January to March, it was him and his friend alone on the river and with no competition they managed to reel in 15. Typically, people do not catch 15 or even 10 or even five. Its unheard of, he says. This year, for some reason, I dont know what happened, we started a bit earlier than everyone so we were the only ones going for them. He says the people walking or running around Melbournes rivers have no idea there are giant fish swimming in them. And those that know about them dont often talk about it. I think the special thing about it is the size, he says. Its like most guys that go fishing, they go for fish that are 20cm, 30cm. But with the mulloway they go up to a metre or more from five kilos to 20 kilos. Pham, who has a day job in IT, runs a fishing TikTok, but he wont share his technique as the secret is passed from one angler to another. Typically this is a very small community where one guy teaches another, and almost all will avoid publicly telling anyone how to do it. But Pham says there is tension among Mulloway anglers. There are purists like him who fish from the banks. Theyll jump fences or find rocky areas where its good to cast a rod. But others will go out in boats with radars, using a technological advantage. A lot of guys, they want to increase their odds, he says. A lot of times, theyre pretty successful, but if you have a sounder, its like cheating youre using technology to improve your odds. There is another big divide in the community, says Pham. Some eat their catch from the Yarra River, and others release them back into the water. Pham says he wont eat anything that comes out of the Yarra, but will take them home for his parents. They have to be over a certain size, otherwise he says they taste soapy. They dont care. They just wash it. And then theyre like, Oh, its fine. For them, mulloway is good eating. Victorias health department tells those fishing in the lower Yarra and Maribyrnong rivers that they need to be careful about eating their catch, due to pollutants found in some fish, including eel and black bream. The risks of eating your catch can be reduced if you make sensible choices about the type and amount of fish you eat, it says. Related: With Paris Olympians set to dive into the Seine, could urban swimming come to Melbournes Yarra? Philip Weigall is a fly-fishing guide and instructor, and says the mulloway can swim between states. One study in 2011 showed a tagged mulloway swam 800km from the Glenelg River estuary in Victoria to the Murrays mouth in South Australia and back again to find a mate. Another study using tagging showed the fish can swim up to 50km up and down the Glenelg River estuary in four days. They migrate great distances, Weigall says. Theyre found all the way up the east coast and all the way through to the Murray River in South Australia. Last week, Weigall was back along the Glenelg River on a fishing trip, the only place he has ever caught one. In the back of his mind, hell be hoping to catch another. Theyre very big and strong and predatory, got some mean teeth. Whats not to like? Tory leadership hopeful Robert Jenrick - DAVID ROSE FOR THE TELEGRAPH Robert Jenrick has laid out 10 principles for the future of the Conservatives as he seeks to outline a common creed for the party. The Tory leadership hopeful set out his stall with a warning that the Tories must rebuild far more quickly than after their previous landslide election defeat in 1997. In an essay for the Sunday Telegraph, the former immigration minister said political oblivion awaits the Conservatives unless they show the public that they have changed. Mr Jenrick said although his party had failed to deliver in 2019, the Tory brand had also lost its meaning as an identity crisis took hold. He argued the nation state is fundamental, the UK and its Parliament are sovereign, market economics drive growth, the NHS has to be made to deliver and mass migration must end. Mr Jenrick went on to say Britain needs a small state that works, not a big state that fails, emphasise the importance of levelling up, make the case for a tough and effective justice system, promise to promote national unity and insist that peace comes through strength. He said: Our country faces a truly stark set of challenges the shift of power from west to east, technology like AI upending old industries and mass migration, to name but a few. We need pragmatic principles to guide us, not wishful thinking, and a positive vision of the future we seek to build. On Saturday night, Mel Stride, the shadow work and pensions secretary and the outsider in the race, pledged a major tax cut to help young people get on the housing ladder. Under his proposals, the first 5,000 of National Insurance paid by young people in their working lives would be diverted into a Lifetime Isa or similar savings pot. Employees would then be given a choice of drawing on the funds as part of a house deposit, or investing and accessing the cash aged 60 once approaching retirement. He said: My vision for the Conservative Party is about opportunity and fairness, and a huge part of that needs to be our offer to younger voters. All hopefuls except Kemi Badenoch, the shadow housing secretary, spoke at a hustings in North Yorkshire on Saturday, with Ms Badenoch away on a long-booked family holiday. In a statement read out on her behalf, she said: Inevitably, over such a long period of time, there will be times when all six of us cannot attend every single event. I am so sorry that I cannot be with you today in Yarm, but I know that there will be more opportunities for us to meet in the coming weeks and months. Ms Badenoch said the merits of the region were on show when she visited Middlesbrough earlier this month to meet party activists and Lord Houchen, the Tory Mayor of Tees Valley. Tom Tugendhat, the shadow security minister, used the event to praise Lord Houchen, who bucked the trend at Mays local and mayoral elections as he was re-elected for a third term. Mr Tugendhat said: The North demonstrates something that many Conservatives forget, and thats that we as conservatives believe in the state. What Ben demonstrates is by taking peoples money and not raising their taxes, by making sure that you use the power of the state to fix what the state can fix, you can leverage private money and you can do something remarkable. James Cleverly, the shadow home secretary, said he wanted to nick all of Ben Houchens good ideas and deploy them more widely, such as cutting red tape to boost investment. Calling on the party to get our act together, he added: This isnt about us. This isnt about the party. This is about the country. Dame Priti Patel, the former home secretary, said the Tories should begin selecting candidates for the next general election right away to take the fight to Labour. The altar stone lies flat and buried under two fallen sarsen stones and is barely visible to visitors. Photograph: Aberystwyth University Even by modern standards, John oGroats to Wiltshire is a bit of a trek: nearly 500 miles, 13 hours by car or a 10-day walk and that is without having a six-tonne block of stone in tow. So the revelation this week that Stonehenges altar stone came from the north-east of Scotland prompts the question of how on earth this feat was achieved more than 4,000 years ago. When youre trying to move something weighing six tonnes in excess of 750km, it is an enormous undertaking, said Prof Nick Pearce, a geologist at Aberystwyth University and the co-author of the research. Even from its previously assumed origin of Wales, moving the megalith seemed such an arduous task that some academics proposed that it arrived in Wiltshire through a natural glaciation process. Pearce said: Theres been a lobby that argues that the stones were transported by ice to the area near Stonehenge and then picked up and used. But this scenario excludes the revelation that the stone had a Scottish origin since the ice flow from the region was in a northerly direction. From Orkney, I cant see a way that the stone hikes a ride on half a dozen glaciers in the right order to end up on Salisbury plain. There is also evidence that the rocks were gouged out of the landscape rather than being serendipitous finds. Based on our fieldwork in south-west Wales it is likely that the stone was extracted, rather than just lying loose on the surface, said Prof Richard Bevins, also of Aberystwyth. Archaeologists have previously found stone wedges and hammerstones in the Preseli area of Wales that appear designed for such a task. Bevins said: The altar stone, which is a sandstone, has a natural plane of parting, which could be exploited in exactly the same way with rock wedges and hammerstones, enabling extraction of a large slab-like rock piece. The next job would have been hoisting the stone off the ground, which is less difficult than it sounds, according to Julian Richards, an archaeologist and TV presenter. This is based on his own experience of raising a 12-tonne cap stone off a neolithic tomb during a visit to Cornwall a few years ago. I had underestimated the weight of it, but we just got that off the ground with a series of wooden levers, he said. Lifting it is not a problem, but moving it is. From there, Richards speculates, the stone may have been lashed on to a wooden sledge and pulled along logs arranged like railway sleepers using ropes made from plant fibres. You can make good ropes out of things like lime bark, he said. It produces very strong, long fibres that can be woven into ropes that would be capable of moving something of this sort of scale. Related: Stonehenge megalith came from Scotland, not Wales, jaw-dropping study finds Experts are divided on whether land or sea is a more likely option for the stones onward journey. My gut feeling is that it came over land and it possibly took a long time and was not necessarily in one fell swoop, said Heather Sebire, a senior curator at English Heritage. Getting places as quickly as possible is a modern concept were always in a hurry. Their mindset was probably very different. You can think of it as a pilgrimage. The terrain would have been challenging, Sebire said, but the idea the entire British Isles were covered in dense forest is a myth. Near Stonehenge it would have been open scrub with clusters of trees, she said. If they literally went from A to B it could have been months or it could have taken years. Sebire is also swayed by a lack of archaeological evidence for advanced neolithic boats. Experiments have been done trying to bring the equivalent of the bluestones on rafts across the Severn, she said. Im afraid none of them have been successful. They sank. Richards is more enthusiastic about the possibility of a sea voyage, based in part on a re-enactment experiment of his own in which 140 people attempted to move a 40-tonne block of concrete. We didnt move it very far. Actually getting a team of people together and coordinating them is quite difficult. This may have played to the strengths of neolithic communities, for whom teamwork would have been an inherent part of day-to-day survival. These people were used to moving big stones, said Richards. When you see people who are used to moving stuff they make it look easy. We underestimate their inherent skill and experience. He estimates that 40 to 50 people might have been required to lug the altar stone, but questions whether even a strong, cohesive team would have been able to carry it over hills and around mountains. And although no sophisticated vessels have been discovered, there is evidence for a trade in stone axes between the Alps and the Lake District, pottery in the south of England that had origins in Orkney and of herds of cattle being transported across the Channel. This idea that everyone lived in little isolated groups is not right, said Richards. Conclusive evidence about the altar stones route may remain out of reach, but experts agree that the journey is further evidence of the neolithic builders ingenuity. Those people were just the same as us, said Sebire. They were just as clever and as enterprising and they had the brain power. Pro-Palestinian students from the University of Oxford take part in an encampment outside the Pitt Rivers Museum - Muhammed Yaylali/Anadolu/Getty Images Contributor Universities should work with the police to stamp out anti-Semitism on campuses, Bridget Phillipson has said. Pro-Palestinian encampments have spread across UK campuses in recent months amid the ongoing Gaza conflict, while a wider surge in anti-Semitism has been recorded since Oct 7. The Education Secretary said she was sickened by the findings of a survey by the UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) pressure group, which found students had been left scared to be visibly Jewish. Ms Phillipson told The Telegraph: Anti-Jewish hatred is abhorrent no Jewish student should feel unsafe at university because of their identity and beliefs. I am sickened to see that this survey has found it to be so widespread on our university campuses. Universities urgently need to act, working with the police where necessary to see that unlawful anti-Semitic abuse is stamped out. Last month, we announced a refocused role for the Office for Students, taking the lead in eradicating all forms of discrimination and harassment in higher education. Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, says she was 'sickened' by survey findings - Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Europe Ms Phillipson added that the Government was working closely with the University Jewish Chaplaincy and the Union of Jewish Students to protect Jews from hatred on campus. The survey by UKLFI found three-quarters of Jewish staff and students (55 out of 72) had felt intimidated by anti-Israel demonstrations. The report said: Most students and staff described feeling scared to appear visibly Jewish when on campus More than one student described protesters unconditionally supporting or justifying Palestinian resistance by any means. Both staff and students, including prospective students, described feeling unsafe or no longer safe, with some stating that they do not feel that it is safe for them to attend any British university and were seeking university options elsewhere. A member of university staff said she found certain signs 'anxiety-triggering and intimidating' - Penelope Barritt/Shutterstock One member of university staff said she found signs reading from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free to be anxiety-triggering and intimidating. The slogan has been chanted on pro-Palestinian demonstrations since the Hamas terror attacks on Oct 7 and is interpreted by some as a call for the destruction of the state of Israel. In a letter to Ms Phillipson, UKLFI said: We urge you to investigate the events that have taken place at universities across the United Kingdom and to address the inaction by universities to respond to the concerns raised by their students and staff. This would include, at the very minimum, ensuring that anti-Israel demonstrations do not result in discrimination against, or intimidation or harassment of, Jewish, Israeli or Zionist staff and students. UKLFI has also written to a number of universities that have allowed encampments to warn them that they are likely to be in breach of the Equality Act. They have caused discrimination against and harassment of Israeli, Jewish and Zionist staff and students by treating them unfavourably as compared to other students and staff at the university, the group said. 'The survey shows the terrible harm that the encampments are doing to students and lecturers,' says Caroline Turner, a director at UKLFI - Asadour Guzelian Caroline Turner, a director at UKLFI, said: We hope that this survey, showing the terrible harm that the encampments are doing to students and lecturers, will encourage those universities who have not already done so, to shut them down. The Secretary of State should look at these issues very seriously and take steps to protect students who are being harassed and intimidated, and whose studies are being affected by these protests. Click here to view this content. Police arrest a young man for wearing shorts in Iran - @navidmohebbi/X Click here to view this content. Men wearing shorts have been arrested in Iran amid a fresh crackdown by the morality police. A new bill making its way through Irans parliament is set to harden the rules governing how men can dress in public but authorities have started enforcing it before its formal approval. Videos posted online showed Iranian security forces violently beating men for baring their legs. In the capital, Tehran, several police officers were recorded insulting and beating a man inside a metro station. One officer said: You cow, you donkey. Do you think with a few woman, life, freedom slogans, you can do whatever the f**k you want? At the same time other officers slapped the man in the face. The police officer was referring to the months-long, women-led protests that erupted after the September 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, who died in custody after being arrested for allegedly wearing an improper hijab. Click here to view this content. Amid temperatures of up to 45C and regular power outages, many Iranians have been struggling to cope with extreme heat. Irans police, the Basij paramilitary force and the headquarters for the propagation of virtue and prevention of vice, have been tasked with overseeing the crackdown on male attire. Article 49 of the bill specifies what constitutes improper clothing for men. It says: Improper clothing for men means wearing clothing that is against public modesty, such as clothing that does not cover a part of the body lower than the chest or higher than the ankle. Article 50 of the bill mandates that anyone found naked, semi-naked, or wearing clothing deemed improper in public will be immediately arrested and handed over to judicial authorities. The bill also implements gender segregation across a wide range of settings, including universities, hospitals, educational and administrative centres, parks and tourist sites. Those found in breach of the new rules also face a ban on leaving the country and on using social media for a period of six months to two years. They grabbed me by the neck Meysam, a Tehran resident was apprehended by the notorious morality police while taking a walk in shorts during a hot day early this month. I told my wife that I need to go for a walk, I could not breathe and the air condition was off due to a power outage, Meysam told Telegraph. Twenty minutes into my walk, a white van suddenly stopped near me, he recalled. At first, I thought they might have noticed a woman without a headscarf and stopped for her. But then, three men jumped out of the van and asked, Where do you think youre living? I was confused and was trying to understand what was happening. They grabbed me by the neck and forced me into the back of the van. They said they were taking me to the social security police. Inside the van, there was another man and three girls, all of whom had been arrested for their clothing. The girls were crying, but the men were just in shock, Meysam said. We never imagined they would be so harsh with us simply for wearing shorts. The 35-year-old software engineer recounted that the officers told them humiliating things inside the van before they arrived at the station. There were a few more men in the station, all in shorts and so many girls, he said. The cases of Meysam and other men at the station were not referred to the prosecutors office. The officials at the station told them that once they signed a document to commit that they would not wear shorts in public again, they could leave without further action. In contrast, some of the women present were given a document indicating that a case would be filed and sent to the prosecutors office. Meanwhile, a station for the propagation of virtue and prevention of vice in the city of Mashhad has imposed stricter regulations on mens public appearance. According to this stations guidelines, men are prohibited from wearing ties, bow ties, and other Western symbols, as well as tight or short shirts and gold jewellery. The items are deemed inappropriate for mens hijab and attire. Ramzan Kadyrov, leader of Chechnya, atop what is said to be a Tesla Cybertruck equipped with a machine gun in Grozny, Russia - Reuters Click here to view this content. Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of Russias Chechnya region, has published a video of himself driving a Tesla Cybertruck with what looked like a machine gun mounted on top, saying he would send it to the Ukraine conflict zone. Kadyrov, known for extravagant publicity stunts, heaped praise on both the vehicle and Elon Musk, owner of Tesla, on the Telegram messaging app, calling him the strongest genius of modern times and inviting him to Chechnya. We... await your future products that will help us finish the special military operation, Kadyrov wrote, using the official term by which Russia describes its war in Ukraine. The phrase is abbreviated as SWO in Russian. Based on such excellent characteristics, the cyber truck will soon be sent to the SWO area, where it will be reclaimed in the appropriate conditions. I am sure this beast will be of great use to our fighters. Mr Kadyrov went on to invite Mr Musk to Russia, writing: I literally fell in love with this car. Elon, thank you! Come to Grozny, Ill receive you as my dearest guest! I dont think our Russian Foreign Ministry would object to such a trip. And, of course, we are waiting for your new developments that will contribute to the completion of the SWO. Click here to view this content. BBC Broadcasting House I had a moving conversation on Friday with my friend Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, a political analyst from Gaza who had lost 31 members of his family in the war. This was for the Jewish Chronicle podcast, so there was a certain formality, but at the end I found myself blurting out that I wanted to give him a hug. Ahmed and I have some differences, but we agree profoundly on the fundamentals. All human lives are precious, all death is tragic and peace is the only goal worth pursuing. This dovetails with the desire not to allow the jihadis of Hamas to manipulate public opinion in the West. This week, it was reported that 40,000 people have been killed in Gaza. The coverage was filled with the sleight-of-hand with which we have become familiar, insinuating that the Israelis are the liars and butchers, not Hamas. Yolande Knell, the BBCs Middle East correspondent, opened her story by attributing the 40,000 figure to the Hamas-run health ministry. Fine. But she didnt report the reason this mattered: these figures are deeply unreliable. There was some discussion of this buried further down, but how hard would it have been to write at the start, some analysts have doubted the veracity of figures produced by Hamas? The atmosphere of any story is created by what reporters omit or relegate, as well as what they include. Take these two lines from the BBC: The ministrys figures for the number of people killed do not differentiate between civilians and fighters. However, its breakdown of identified reported fatalities say a majority are children, women or elderly people. For one thing, analysis of the Hamas women and children statistics by the data scientist Professor Abraham Wyner and multidisciplinary academics Tom Simpson, Lewi Stone and Gregory Rose exposed them as laughably implausible. Their findings received much coverage at the time. This would have been relevant, no? Moreover, did it not occur to the BBC to wonder how a majority of the dead could be children, women or elderly people? Where were all the men? Or was the Mossad singling out the frail and infirm for assassination? There is an obvious answer. Most of the male casualties were Hamas terrorists because they are who Israel has been targeting. Which brings me to a further point. The BBC built the story around Hamass figures while ignoring Israels announcement that at least 17,000 jihadis have been killed in Gaza. Even taking the most cynical estimate of Israels figures and the most generous approach to Hamas, the two combine to produce a combatant-to-civilian casualty ratio of 1:2. The true figure is likely to be closer to 1:1. Remarkably, this was achieved on a battlefield that was designed to provoke civilian deaths for propaganda purposes. Or have we forgotten that one side in this war tries to protect innocent life, while the other side sacrifices it? When the RAF joined the Americans, Kurds and Iraqis to destroy Islamic State in Mosul, 2.5 civilians were killed for every combatant. The UNs global average is nine civilian deaths to every fighter. Israel, therefore, is protecting the innocent better than any other country. Even a single death is a matter of anguish. My friend Ahmed knows this better than most. Yet this is war and it flows from the depravity of Hamas. So much of the reporting paints a picture that avoids overt lies but allows a cloud of bloodthirstiness to settle over the democracy while the terrorists are portrayed as the victims. This is why many people are turning away from mainstream media. That is dangerous. Planned Parenthood members march in New York City on 7 July 2021. Photograph: Ron Adar/Sopa Images/Rex/Shutterstock In the coming weeks, Planned Parenthoods Manhattan health center will stop offering core reproductive health services, including abortions after 20 weeks and deep sedation for procedures like abortion or IUD insertion. The Manhattan clinic currently offers abortion through 24 weeks and is the only Planned Parenthood location in the state that does so. The group has been beset by financial challenges, and plans to close a number of New York clinics in the near future. Planned Parenthood of Greater New York (PPGNY), which operates the Manhattan clinic, announced the changes which the group said were temporary and would take effect on 3 September earlier this month, blaming them on financial problems. The organization said it would refer patients in need of those services to independent providers. Any reduction of access is really devastating, one staff member said. People who are seeking abortion later in their pregnancy are a really vulnerable and highly stigmatized group of people. Staffers said that the clinic already quietly stopped providing some services, more than three weeks before the 3 September date. In a release, PPGNY cited budget shortfalls due in part to state lawmakers failing to increase Medicaid reimbursement rates for medication abortion. More than half of the organizations patients have Medicaid, a state-run health insurance program for low-income people. The affiliate says the financial strain makes it unable to afford a third-party anaesthesia provider, and that deep sedation is its standard of care for abortions after 20 weeks. The New York affiliate said it has instituted other cost-cutting measures such as executive pay cuts and consolidated job functions, but PPGNY also plans to close four health centers pending state approval including its only clinic in Staten Island, which currently only offers medication abortion. More than 115 workers at the Manhattan clinic signed a petition to PPGNY leadership on 2 August urging them to renew the contract with the anaesthesia provider. Deep sedation one level below general anaesthesia is an important option for minors, sexual assault survivors and people with PTSD and other mental health diagnoses, the staffers wrote. They added that, of the clinics abortion patients who dont use pills, about 80% opt for deep sedation. The affiliate has quietly cut back on services weeks ahead of the scheduled change, clinic staff say. One employee said deep sedation was now only available for abortion patients over 19 weeks and six days of pregnancy, for people allergic to the drugs used for moderate sedation, and for those with substance use disorder. (The drugs are an opioid and a benzodiazepine.) There are no other exceptions, they said. Some patients who booked abortions with deep sedation for August made the necessary and often expensive preparations, only to learn upon arrival that their only options were moderate sedation and local anaesthesia, a second staffer said. Some chose not to have an abortion as a result, while others felt they had to proceed as they had already taken time off work or arranged childcare. Both staffers asked to remain anonymous for fear of professional retribution. The anaesthesia contractors are still working on-site for the permitted cases until 31 August, even though they are not providing services for patients before 20 weeks. We had a minor flying in from another state devastated and inconsolable because she was now having to be referred out for deep sedation, an anonymous worker said in a statement issued by 115 anonymous staff members protesting against the change. Weve had to tell a patient who tried to go through with the procedure without deep sedation but couldnt tolerate it, to get dressed and we wouldnt be able to complete the procedure here, even though our anesthesia provider was sitting 10 feet away, reads another staff account. Related: Tracking abortion laws across the United States Planned Parenthood of Greater New Yorks CEO, Wendy Stark, acknowledged in a statement that the clinic had reserved deep sedation resources in the last month of our contract for select patients. Stark said the operational changes were heartbreaking to make and cited unprecedented challenges facing the affiliate, including budget deficits of well over $10 million. She urged state officials to increase Medicaid reimbursement rates for abortions done with pills. A lot of people do really well with moderate sedation, the first worker said. We just want people to still have this option. The other added: We have a lot of patients who prefer to be asleep, for whatever reasons that they choose. Planned Parenthood leadership said at a June meeting that the new gestational limit would affect a small number of people as only 282 patients had abortions after 20 weeks in 2023. The staffers wrote in the petition: As healthcare workers, we consider this intolerable collateral damage. The workers call on the PPGNY, New York state and donors to find a way to prevent the service cuts. A personal trainer who raped an 18-year-old client after grooming her with his partner while masquerading as a friendly couple has been jailed. James Owen, 55, and Ellen Rae, 52, plied the 18-year-old woman with drinks at their home in Salisbury on February 6 2021 before Owen raped and Rae sexually assaulted her in their hot tub. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said it followed weeks of planning by the couple whose text messages revealed vile discussions about sexual assaults committed against the victim prior to the rape, and their plans for further abuse. A senior crown prosecutor said Owen and Rae had worked together to systematically plan and execute the rape of a young woman who trusted them while masquerading as a friendly couple with noble intentions. At Salisbury Crown Court on Friday, Owen was sentenced to eight years imprisonment after being found guilty of rape, two counts of sexual assault and conspiracy to commit sexual assault. Rae was jailed for two years after being found guilty of sexual assault and conspiracy to commit sexual assault. During a nine-day trial at Winchester Crown Court, it was heard how Owen first sexually assaulted the woman by groping her during physical training sessions at his home between January and February 2021. He claimed his touching of her was necessary as part of specific exercises. However, the CPS said text messages between Owen and Rae revealed far more sinister intentions. It said Owen revelled in his groping of the victim and made comments such as Ill be very respectable tomorrow to lull her into a false sense of security prior to a session. Rae also made comments about the victims body and encouraged her partners sexual intentions. David Osborne, defending Rae, said the couple had a somewhat alternative swinging lifestyle and her behaviour was driven by a desire to satisfy and please Mr Owen, the Salisbury Journal reported. Following the grooming, the pair invited the 18-year-old to their home for a dinner which Rae gave a Valentines theme. Shortly after her arrival, Owen presented the victim with a heart-shaped nipple piercing which the pair insisted she try on. Feeling more uncomfortable as the night went on, the victim tearfully called her friend from a bathroom and expressed concern about the pairs conduct, the CPS said. Before she could be picked up, the defendants told the teenager to get into their hot tub, where she was raped by Owen and sexually assaulted by Rae. Lisa Garcia, a senior crown prosecutor with CPS Wessex, said the actions of Owen and Rae were utterly abhorrent. Ms Garcia added: While masquerading as a friendly couple with noble intentions, they worked together to systematically plan and execute the rape of a young woman who trusted them. This abuse of trust has caused indescribable damage and we worked rigorously with detectives to ensure they were not just convicted for the physical abuse, but for their sick planning and coercion. We hope their convictions send a clear message that the CPS is committed to prosecuting rape cases and that we will always strive to deliver justice for victims. An SNP MSP has had the whip removed following utterly abhorrent comments about the Israel-Hamas conflict. The party confirmed it has taken action following social media comments from Glasgow Shettleston MSP John Mason. The whip has been removed with immediate effect, officials said. It comes after Mr Mason reacted to criticism over Scottish External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertsons meeting with Israels deputy ambassador Daniela Grudsky. Mr Mason had also met with the Israeli ambassador and attracted fury from members of his own party after he posted on social media: If Israel wanted to commit genocide, they would have killed ten times as many. Forty thousand plus dead in Gaza and you tweet this. You are not fit for public office. You are an embarrassment and not fit to represent anyone. You glorify killing and murder with your obtuse comment. Just go and do it now. https://t.co/7sjWhAsIcV Ian Blackford (@blackfordian1) August 16, 2024 It was in response to former SNP MSP Sandra White, who said: We know what Israelis hope to achieve they are already committing genocide in Gaza, adding that innocent children are being massacred. Removing the whip from Mr Mason, a party spokesperson said: To flippantly dismiss the death of more than 40,000 Palestinians is completely unacceptable. There can be no room in the SNP for this kind of intolerance. The chief whip has today withdrawn the whip from John Mason MSP with immediate effect, pending internal Parliamentary group due process. The SNP group will now meet to discuss the matter, with a recommendation that the whip be suspended from John Mason for a fixed period of time because of this utterly abhorrent comment. Mr Mason said he is disappointed at his suspension and that it will work its way through the party process in the usual way. Writing in a post on Facebook after the move was announced, Mr Mason said that his primary desire in relation to Israel and Gaza is that there should be peace talks, negotiations, and eventually peace. He said: Too many lives have already been lost in Israel, Gaza, and beyond and, as I said when I spoke in Parliament, many people feel that Israel has moved from a position of self-defence to seeking revenge. However, I personally do not believe that Israel has tried to commit, has committed, or is committing genocide. They certainly have the ability to kill many more Palestinians than they have done. That is not to say that the loss of life already is not too many. Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie said it was right that the SNP removed the whip from Mr Mason (PA) Commenting on Mr Masons earlier social media post which led to the MSP being stripped of the whip, former SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford criticised him, saying on X: Forty thousand plus dead in Gaza and you tweet this. You are not fit for public office. You are an embarrassment and not fit to represent anyone. You glorify killing and murder with your obtuse comment. Just go and do it now. Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie said it was right that the SNP removed the whip from Mr Mason. However, he said action must be taken to address the decision for a senior minister to meet with an Israeli representative. This cannot be the end of the issue, he said. Both the Secretary of State for External Affairs and the First Minister have very serious questions to answer about when the decision was made, who made it and why. We hope this will be resolved long before the end of recess, but if not we will be demanding an urgent statement while we consider next steps. Scottish First Minister John Swinney said Mr Robertsons meeting with Ms Grudsky was necessary and allowed the Scottish Government to put across the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. His intervention came after Scottish Green MSP Ross Greer accused the Scottish Government of taking a two-faced approach by publicly condemning the actions of Israel while conducting secret meetings. Sir Keir Starmers register of interests shows he is no longer intending to write a book which was set to be published by Harper Collins. The Prime Ministers love of football was also confirmed by the list as he was gifted tickets to 12 games in the past year, the majority of which involved Arsenal. Four Taylor Swift hospitality tickets, 16,200 worth of clothes from Lord Waheed Ali and tickets to the Jingle Bell Ball are also included in his registered interests. Sir Keir Starmer in the stands during a Premier League match at Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton, in April (Mike Egerton/PA) The full list, which was published on Friday, states that Sir Keir returned an advance payment of 18,450 to publisher Harper Collins because he was no longer writing the book for which the advance was received. In May 2022, it was revealed Sir Keir was writing a book on his vision for Britain. At the time, publishing director Arabella Pike said: In his book Keir Starmer will go back to his early life to trace the origins of his politics and the influences that have shaped him as a leader. It will make a fierce argument for the vital role of respect and integrity in political life as he sets out his vision for Britains future. We are delighted and excited to be publishing. Elsewhere in his registered interests, it shows Sir Keir was gifted accommodation for four people in the Gower Peninsula in August last year, which cost 4,500. Sir Keir also received four tickets to see the National Theatre production of Nye, which focused on the end of former health secretary Aneurin Bevans life. The UK should be proud of British weapons being used by Ukraine, despite the countrys incursion into Russia, Defence Secretary John Healey has said. Mr Healey said Ukraines right to self-defence includes carrying out operations inside Russia, as long as they are compliant with international law. Ukrainian troops have been in the Kursk border region of Russia since August 6 in a bid to divert the Kremlins military focus away from the front line in Ukraine. On Thursday, Ukrainian forces said they had seized the town of Sudzha, six miles from the border. A Ukrainian soldier in Sudzha (AP) With a pre-war population of roughly 5,000, it is the biggest town to fall to Ukraines troops since the incursion began. Writing in the Sunday Express Mr Healey said: The bold incursion by Ukrainian troops into Russia in recent days to defend against further Russian strikes on Ukrainian towns and cities has exposed vulnerabilities in Russias military and put (President Vladimir) Putin under pressure. Let me be very clear: under Article 51 of the UN Charter, Ukraine has a clear right of self-defence against Russias illegal attacks. Providing international law is followed, that does not rule out operations inside Russia. He added: We should be proud of Britains support for Ukraines struggle. We should be proud that British-donated equipment, in the hands of brave Ukrainians on the front line, is helping them to defend their country and push back Putin. The UK is one of the leading donors to Ukraine, providing lethal and non-lethal weaponry, including tanks, air defence systems and long-range precision strike missiles. Referring also to the conflict in the Middle East, Mr Healey said global uncertainty has ratcheted up. He said: With these conflicts at a crossroads, the stakes are higher than ever. And it is a reminder, here in Britain, of the importance of being secure at home and strong abroad. After just six weeks as Britains Defence Secretary, I am more certain than ever that the defence of the UK and of Europe starts in Ukraine. Because if Putin succeeds in Ukraine, he will not stop there, and others like him will be emboldened. So we will stand by our brave Ukrainian friends for as long as it takes. Britain is united for Ukraine. We will not step back at this critical moment. As a new Government, we will play a renewed role on the world stage alongside our Nato allies. To stand up to autocrats like Putin and stand for stability and rules-based international order. The UK has pledged around 12.5 billion in support to Ukraine since February 2022, of which 7.6 billion was for military assistance, including 3 billion for 2024/25. New Voters team members during a voter registration event in August. Every year, Jessie Cai would shadow her mom on take your kid to work day. At the Maryland Social Security office, where her mom was a systems analyst, she was struck by the lack of Asian American faces in the room. I walked around and got the distinct impression that not many people in public service looked like me or my mom, said Cai, a 17-year-old rising senior. That experience set her on a mission to understand Asian American civic engagement. In 2023, she joined New Voters, an organization that helps high schoolers host voter registration drives. A consequential Maryland primary election was on the horizon, and she wanted to make sure young people including the Asian Americans in her community made their voices heard. In Maryland, you can pre-register to vote at age 16, so I knew we could cast a wider net to register younger students, she said. Collin Wang, right, hosted five voter registration drives at his high school in Pennsylvania. New Voters paired Cai with a mentor, who gave her step-by-step guidance for hosting a registration drive. Cai set up meetings with school administrators, convinced her statistics teacher to sponsor her club and partnered with the National Social Studies Honor Society to set up the weeklong initiative in April. She and her friends tabled outside of the cafeteria, where they handed out doughnuts to students who dropped by to learn more about voting. In the end, she managed to register 186 students. We drove home the point that voting is the best way to hold people in power accountable, she said. We reminded them that we take our right to vote for granted. Its a privilege that other teens around the world sometimes dont get. This is how New Voters, a nonpartisan nonprofit, operates by connecting high school students passionate about civic engagement to the resources they need to galvanize their peers. Founder Jahnavi Rao, 24, registered 85% of eligible voters at her high school as a senior in 2017. Soon after, high schoolers across the country were reaching out to her to ask how they can do the same. Since 2018, the organization has registered over 80,000 high schoolers to vote across 400 high schools in 39 states. Each election, the organization builds on itself New Voters has worked with over 2,000 high school student drive leaders and volunteers, who then go on to mentor new recruits. Were a youth-led, issues-first organization, Rao said. When we talk to students, we always lead with, What do you care about? Thats the best practice for canvassing across the board, because young people care so much. Its just a matter of tying that care to voting. Amplifying high school voices in politics In the 2022 midterm elections, 12% of ballots were cast by young adults ages 18-29, even though they make up approximately 18% of the electorate. However, these numbers have been trending upward in recent years. According to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts University, Gen Z voters turned out at higher rates than previous generations during their first midterm elections in 2022. Fifty-one percent of voters ages 18-24 are expected to vote this November. One way to engage the 8 million youth who are newly eligible to vote this year is to appeal to the issues they are more likely to care about: the climate crisis, gun violence and racism, said Rao. Jessie Cai, left, during the first registration drive she organized at her high school in April. Another key factor in youth voter turnout is ease of access to the ballot box. States that lowered barriers to voting by allowing same-day voter registration and student IDs as documentation had much higher rates of voting in 2022. Michael Hanmer, a professor of government and politics and the director of the Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement at the University of Maryland, noted that about 39% of high school graduates dont go on to attend college. He emphasized the benefits of registering students during high school as soon as they turn voting age. After high school, disruptions in life can make it more difficult to register, he said. If you build habits of civic engagement earlier while students are in their home communities, voting is much more likely to stick. Hanmer believes that voting is culture-based, and that school administrations, teachers and students can all take part in building a voting-positive culture. Schools as an institution can play a large role in encouraging civic engagement by working with organizations like New Voters that train students to build cultural roots and transfer their skills to incoming students, he said. Cais mentor, Collin Wang, hosted five drives to register more than 300 students at his high school in Wexford, Pennsylvania, before becoming a New Voters mentor. He says one of the greatest challenges his mentees have faced is convincing school administrators to get on board with the drives. Some principals werent keen on supplying lists of eligible voters; others were hesitant about being accused of partisanship. In these instances, Wang and New Voters provided message templates that explained the nonpartisan nature of their work and the state laws that mandated high schools host voter registration drives. In the end, administrators came around. While Wang offers guidance to his mentees, he also lets students tailor their own approaches to registering their peers. We want to give the students their independence because each school is different, Wang said. The students know what strategies will work best at their schools. Building a coalition around high school civic engagement Over the past year, the work of New Voters has expanded beyond school drives. In early 2022, the organization launched the New Voters Research Network, which matches high school students with university and nonprofit researchers and trains them to develop a study on civic engagement. When students present their projects to professors, theyre blown away at the impact and quality of the research that high school students can produce, said Sydney Fahn, the director of the initiative. Currently, the network is running around a dozen research projects. Sydney Fahn presents her New Voters Research Network results to the Maryland Civic Education and Engagement Leadership Summit in April. For his project, Wang reached out to all 600 Pennsylvania public high school principals to analyze which messages received the most engagement. While his team is still waiting on the results, Wang is confident the research network will fill an important knowledge gap. Theres really no reported information on the potential of high school civic engagement, he said. I hope all these findings could lead to change-making policies in the future. After establishing the research network, Rao shifted her attention to the November election. In February 2023, she organized a virtual listening tour of 40 organizations in the high school space from other voter-focused initiatives likeMy School Votes to general youth nonprofits like the YMCA and Scouting America to ask them about whether they were involved in voter registration efforts. She found two common sentiments among the groups: One, there wasnt enough data available on how to increase voter registration, and two, there wasnt enough collaboration among high school-serving organizations. I had an idea what if we could bring together everybody whos working with high schoolers to the table, whether theyre state-based, county-based, national or issue-based, to share best practices and build trust? Rao said. This led to the groups latest project, the New Voters Collaborative, which brings 30 high school-serving organizations together for monthly meetings to discuss issues like how to encourage voting in high school civics classes and write op-eds for local papers. Were building out a map of where each organization works, where the gaps are and supplementing the schools that need resources, she said. The ultimate goal of the collaborative is to support voter registration at every high school in the country. With the general election approaching, New Voters is targeting 400 drives and 40,000 new registrations across the swing states of Pennsylvania and Arizona. Katie Walters, a high school government teacher in Pennsylvania and a New Voters faculty adviser, said her students began strategizing as early as this spring, tabling during graduation rehearsals and planning homeroom class visits in the fall. We have students go into every classroom and explain how to register, Walters said. A grassroots, student-to-student interaction is key. 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. Two brothers critically injured after their car was struck by a Los Angeles Police Department patrol car in June have filed a negligence lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles and the LAPD, alleging the officer who was driving was needlessly speeding at 80 mph just before the impact. Stephen and Richard Paper, 74 and 76, were in a Toyota Camry that was broadsided by the LAPD cruiser traveling southbound on Balboa Boulevard in Encino, a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, as the brothers made a left turn to go west on Burbank Boulevard. What makes this crash so ironic and stupid is that this officer at the time was assigned to patrol this area for street racing. He was part of the street racing task force, said attorney Robert S. Glassman, who represents the Paper brothers in their suit. More from NBC Los Angeles Orange County sues Viet American Society for misuse of millions in federal funding Three 7-Eleven stores hit by large group of thieves on bicycles in Hollywood 2 retired LA County deputies among 4 indicted in fake immigration raid in Irvine An LAPD traffic collision investigation report blamed the officer, Jason C. Stevenson, for causing the crash that happened just before 8 p.m. on June 4. The primary cause of the his crash is Party 1 (Jason Stevenson) in violation of 22350 of the California Vehicle Code, unsafe speed, wrote the LAPD collision investigator. Glassman said data extracted from the police cars event recorder showed the patrol car was traveling at 80 mph just before the crash and recorded the speed at the moment of the impact at 55 mph. The LAPD collision report noted that had the officer been driving at the posted speed limit, which was 45 mph, this crash would not have occurred, as there would have been enough time for the brothers to have turned through the intersection. The LAPD said in a statement issued a day after the wreck before the investigation was completed that the officer was trying to catch another speeding car when the crash happened. A street racing task force unit assigned to Valley Traffic Division heard a vehicle with loud exhaust and then observed the vehicle speeding southbound on Balboa Boulevard, the statement said. The department declined to comment on the specific allegations in the lawsuit Friday, citing its policy of not discussing pending civil litigation. Glassman said the brothers led active lives before they suffered catastrophic physical injuries in the wreck, adding the men are still undergoing in-patient care. He said he believed this collision was emblematic of the danger caused by police officers exceeding the speed limit. He doesnt have his lights and sirens on. I cant think of a scenario where this is going to be appropriate, Glassman said. The I-Team reported last year that in recent years nearly a quarter of LAPD car chases led to collisions, and the people most often injured were third parties, meaning members of the public unrelated to the police action. OpenAI deactivated several ChatGPT accounts using the artificial intelligence chatbot to spread disinformation as part of an Iranian influence operation, the company reported Friday. The covert operation called Storm-2035, generated content on a variety of topics including the U.S. presidential election, the American AI company announced Friday. However, the accounts were banned before the content garnered a large audience. The operation also generated misleading content on "the conflict in Gaza, Israels presence at the Olympic Games" as well as "politics in Venezuela, the rights of Latinx communities in the U.S. (both in Spanish and English), and Scottish independence." The scheme also included some fashion and beauty content possibly in an attempt to seem authentic or build a following, OpenAI added. "We take seriously any efforts to use our services in foreign influence operations. Accordingly, as part of our work to support the wider community in disrupting this activity after removing the accounts from our services, we have shared threat intelligence with government, campaign, and industry stakeholders," the company said. No real people interacted with or widely shared disinformation The company said it found no evidence that real people interacted or widely shared the content generated by the operation. Most of the identified social posts received little to no likes, shares or comments, the news release said. Company officials also found no evidence of the web articles being shared on social media. The disinformation campaign was on the low end of The Breakout Scale, which measures the impact of influence operations from a scale of 1 to 6. The Iranian operation scored a Category 2. The company said it condemns attempts to "manipulate public opinion or influence political outcomes while hiding the true identity or intentions of the actors behind them." The company will use its AI technology to better detect and understand abuse. "OpenAI remains dedicated to uncovering and mitigating this type of abuse at scale by partnering with industry, civil society, and government, and by harnessing the power of generative AI to be a force multiplier in our work. We will continue to publish findings like these to promote information-sharing and best practices," the company said. Earlier this year, the company reported similar foreign influence efforts using its AI tools based in Russia, China, Iran and Israel but those attempts also failed to reach a significant audience. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: ChatGPT used by Iran to spread false news, info, before OpenAI ban By Kanishka Singh (Reuters) - A carnival float featuring a Hindu temple that is planned for an upcoming India Day Parade in New York City has sparked controversy, with a number of groups calling it anti-Muslim and saying it should be removed from the event. The float depicts a temple to the Hindu god Lord Ram, which was consecrated earlier this year on a site in Ayodhya, India, believed to be his birthplace. But the temple site has long been bitterly contested between Hindus and Muslims, and in the early 1990s a mosque that stood there was razed by a Hindu fundamentalist mob. Some U.S.-based organizations have written a letter to New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York Governor Kathy Hochul, calling the float anti-Muslim and saying it glorified the mosque's takedown. Among groups who signed the letter were the Council on American Islamic Relations, the Indian American Muslim Council and Hindus for Human Rights. "This float's presence represents these groups' desire to conflate Hindu nationalist ideology with Indian identity, but India is a secular country," the letter said. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America, which is organizing the float, says it represents a Hindu place of worship and aims to glorify a deity seen as an important part of Indian and Hindu identity. The Hindu American Foundation said it was an exercise of free speech. The Federation of Indian Associations, which runs Sunday's event, said the parade represents India's cultural diversity and will feature floats from a range of communities. "There's no room for hate," Adams said at a press conference earlier this week. "If there is a float or a person in the parade that's promoting hate, they should not." Adams' office later told the Associated Press that the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment right to free speech prevents the city from denying a permit or requiring that a float or parade's message be changed simply because it does not agree with the content. Hindus say the site in Ayodhya was holy to them long before Muslim Mughals razed a temple there to build the 1528 Babri mosque, destroyed in 1992. The mosque's destruction was followed by nationwide riots that killed some 2,000 people, mainly Muslims. In 2019, the Indian Supreme Court handed over the land to Hindus. Human rights experts say India has seen a rise in attacks, including violence and discrimination, on minorities in recent years under Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusations that Modi denies. The annual New York City parade takes place three days after India's Independence Day. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien) Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, co-chairs the ninth Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Foreign Ministers' Meeting with Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Thailand Eksiri Pintaruchi in Chiang Mai, Thailand, Aug. 16, 2024. Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sok Chenda Sophea, Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith, Myanmar's Deputy Prime Minister and Union Minister for Foreign Affairs U Than Swe and Vietnam's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang also attended the meeting. (Xinhua/Sun Weitong) BANGKOK, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- The ninth Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Foreign Ministers' Meeting was held Friday in Thailand's northern city of Chiang Mai, with participants agreeing to further strengthen connectivity and cooperation in various fields. The LMC mechanism comprises the six countries of China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who co-chaired the meeting Friday, noted that the LMC countries have made efforts to push for fruitful results in building a community with a shared future among the Lancang-Mekong countries, bringing tangible benefits to the people of the six countries and making significant contributions to regional stability and prosperity. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, pointed out that China's efforts to comprehensively deepen its reform and advance Chinese-style modernization will bring new opportunities to the modernization drives around the world. On the modernization path, China is willing, together with LMC countries, to take the lead in creating demonstration zones of high-quality Belt and Road Initiative cooperation as well as pilot zones of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, for a Lancang-Mekong community with a shared future to take root and bear fruit, according to Wang. On Lancang-Mekong cooperation in the next stage, Wang put forward a four-point proposal: focus on maintaining peace and stability and uphold a common vision; focus on innovation-driven development and bridge the digital divide; focus on interconnected development and enhance growth momentum; focus on people-to-people exchanges and cultivate Lancang-Mekong culture. During the LMC foreign ministers' meeting on Friday, participants spoke highly of the fast growth of the LMC, which they regard as the most fruitful and dynamic mechanism in the region, as well as the role China has played through the LMC Special Fund in supporting a wide array of practical cooperation projects, which they said have effectively narrowed development gaps in the region, facilitated the process of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) integration and benefited the people of LMC countries. The parties pledged efforts to enhance practical cooperation in fields including interconnectivity, investment, innovation, food security, energy, water resources, climate change, cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and jointly combating cross-border crime. They reaffirmed commitment to a continued momentum of Lancang-Mekong cooperation and to joint efforts in the face of challenges, in order to promote subregional sustainable development, people's well-being and regional peace and stability. The meeting issued a joint press release and statements on deepening LMC cooperation on water resources, on clean air and on combating cross-border crime. In addition, the meeting released a report to review the progress made in 2023 in implementing the LMC five-year action plan (2023-27), the 2024 list of the LMC Special Fund-supported projects, a list of implemented items of the Lancang-Mekong agricultural cooperation action plan, as well as a think tank report on common aspirations and implementation paths for building a community with a shared future among the LMC countries. The foreign ministers visited an exhibition showcasing the achievements in projects supported by the LMC Special Fund, before attending the meeting. On the sidelines of the LMC foreign ministers' meeting, Wang had met separately with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sok Chenda Sophea, and Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith. The ninth Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Foreign Ministers' Meeting is held in Thailand's northern city of Chiang Mai, Aug. 16, 2024. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, co-chaired the meeting with Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Thailand Eksiri Pintaruchi. Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sok Chenda Sophea, Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith, Myanmar's Deputy Prime Minister and Union Minister for Foreign Affairs U Than Swe and Vietnam's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang also attended the meeting. (Xinhua/Sun Weitong) Brian Atwater, a U.S. Geological Survey scientist emeritus, shows off tsunami-deposited mud. COPALIS BEACH, WASH. When Japan issued its first-ever megaquake warning last week, Harold Tobin, Washington states seismologist, was watching carefully. The advisory came after a 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck the southern island of Kyushu. Although that shaking caused little major damage the biggest tsunami wave it produced would have risen up to your knee it wasnt the main worry. Rather, seismologists were concerned that the quake would create stress that could trigger a bomb ticking offshore: Japans Nankai trough, likely the countrys most dangerous fault. The subduction zone has the potential to generate 100-foot-tall tsunami waves and kill nearly a third of a million people, according to Japanese government estimates. Did the smaller quake mean that the big one was on the doorstep? No one could say for sure, but the odds were suddenly higher if only by a few percentage points. Exactly what might keep me up at night, Tobin said, if it were happening on the U.S. West Coast. In Japan, the advisory prompted officials to close beaches, cancel fireworks celebrations and slow trains. People rushed to stock up on emergency supplies. Police stand outside a damaged building following an earthquake in Miyazaki, western Japan, on Aug. 8. In the U.S., Tobin said, we dont have such a protocol. We do, however, have a similarly dangerous fault: the Cascadia subduction zone. A magnitude-9.0 earthquake on the Cascadia fault and the resulting tsunami would kill an estimated 14,000 people in Oregon and Washington, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. But if a smaller quake like the one Japan just saw happened near Cascadia, seismologists would have to decide on the fly whether and how to alert the public. Its the scenario Tobin has been thinking about for years: If he finds clues that a devastating earthquake is more likely, even just slightly, what warrants sounding the alarm? If the odds say you would be crying wolf should you? You dont want a mass evacuation panic thats not warranted, but you want people not to go on their merry ways, Tobin said. His quandary is, in part, the product of this strange time in Tobins field: Researchers think they are homing in on the triggers or precursors of earthquakes in the worlds most dangerous seismic regions, but the science is far from settled. And even when the likelihood of an earthquake could be higher, the chances remain small. That leaves high-stakes questions about when to issue a warning. A cedar ghost forest near the Copalis River helped researchers pinpoint the date of a tsunami off of what is now the U.S. West Coast in 1700. These cedar trees likely died 324 years ago, after a tsunami dropped the land level and submerged this field. On a chilly summer day in Washington state, Tobin and a dozen other scientists canoed up the Copalis River to a graveyard of cedar trees killed 324 years ago. A kingfisher chittered and the wind sent shivers through tall, golden grass. Its a peaceful place about a mile from the Pacific shore that tells the story of a violent day. On Jan. 26, 1700, an earthquake on the Cascadia fault caused the forest to lurch downward by more than 3 feet. Soon after, a tsunami perhaps 100 feet high barreled through at 20 or 30 mph. The scientists were visiting the forest to view the geologic evidence of the Cascadia quake in person. Occasionally, theyd hop out of their canoes, dig through the muck and pull out a 300-year-old pine cone as evidence. Experts know the earthquake was at least a magnitude-8.7, because thats how powerful it had to be to send the wave across the world that was documented in Japan. Some of the very best written records of our tsunami in 1700 come from Nankai, said Brian Atwater, a USGS geologist emeritus who led the canoe flotilla. Atwater has used those Japanese records, along with plants buried in tsunami-deposited sand and dates from the rings of the Washington cedar trees, to piece together that tsunamis story. Brian Atwater, a USGS scientist emeritus, points to a layer of sediment that was deposited by a tsunami in 1700. Research by USGS geophysicist Danny Brothers indicates there have likely been at least 30 large earthquakes over the last 14,200 years in sections of the Cascadia subduction zone, which runs along the U.S. West Coast from Northern California to northern Vancouver Island. A large earthquake there can be expected at least once every 450-500 years, on average. But for years, Cascadia has remained quiet; some scientists say thats because much of it is locked and building stress. When it rips, a chunk of the seafloor will lurch forward perhaps by dozens of feet or more. The vertical displacement of the seafloor will send a tsunami toward shore. Its going to be the worst natural disaster in our countrys history, said Robert Ezelle, the director of Washington states emergency management division. For seismologists, the key question now is how to forecast this future violence. Fast-developing research is hinting that faults like Cascadia and Nankai might send out warning signals: a smaller quake as a foreshock, or a subtle groan only detectable by sensors, which scientists call a slow-slip event. In Tobins nightmare scenario, the Cascadia fault suddenly issues that type of groan. Then what to do? If a major Cascadia quake were to hit, more than 100,000 people would be injured, projections say assuming the quake hits when few people are at the beach. The shaking would last five minutes. Tsunami waves would batter the coast for 10 hours. Inland hillsides would liquify, taking out roads and bridges. Some 620,000 buildings would be critically damaged or collapse, including an estimated 100 hospitals and 2,000 schools. Were unprepared, Ezelle said frankly. Washington state advises residents that they would likely have to fend for themselves and against the elements for two weeks. Its going to be neighbors taking care of neighbors, Ezelle said. A map of the Pacific Ring of Fire where tectonic plates converge to form subduction zones and volcanoes leaves Ezelle particularly uneasy. Over the last 50 to 60 years, and you will see that every subduction zone fault has had a major rupture with the exception of Cascadia, he said. An analysis of tree rings helped determine the date of the tsunami. Japan ended its megaquake advisory on Thursday, after no unusual activity was detected on the Nankai trough. In a similar situation in New Zealand in 2016, things played out a little differently. That November, the magnitude-7.8 Kaikoura earthquake rumbled off the east side of New Zealands South Island, killing two and causing more than a billion dollars in damage. A day later, scientists noticed a few centimeters of movement near the shore of the North Island via satellite monitoring. Subtle vibrations were emanating from the Hikurangi Margin, a subduction zone and the countrys largest fault, which is directly under the capital city of Wellington. It was a slow-slip earthquake, the sloth of the seismic world, kicked off by the Kaikoura shaking. Such quakes release their energy slowly over weeks or months and dont cause perceptible shaking. Scientists first recognized their existence about two decades ago, thanks to advances in GPS technology. Some scientists, like Tobin and geophysicist Laura Wallace, think these slow-slip events might sometimes precede big subduction zone quakes. Scientists recorded a slow-slip event in 2011 before the magnitude-9 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan, which killed more than 18,000 people and touched off the Fukushima nuclear disaster. A similar pattern played out in 2014, before a magnitude-8.1 earthquake in Chile. Wallace, who was working for the New Zealand research institute GNS Science at the time of the 2016 quake, spent her waking hours scrambling to track the quakes every movement, model risk and answer questions from the government. I dont think Ive ever felt such an immense load of responsibility, Wallace said. I was taking my dog with me to the office because if we had a big earthquake, I didnt want to be separated from my dog. Wallace and her colleagues determined that the probability of a major earthquake was elevated as much as 18 times, and that the risk within a year was 0.6% to 7%. But the big one never materialized. Which of these slow-slip events are going to essentially trigger the next big one? Wallace said. Its one of the most important problems were trying to understand. For the Cascadia subduction zone, gaining a better understanding of the warning signs requires more data on slow-slip events, improved mapping of the fault zone and an enhanced capability of monitoring faults on the seafloor. Harold Tobin is Washingtons state seismologist, the director of the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network and a professor at the University of Washington. Tobin was part of a team that recently mapped the Cascadia subduction zone in the greatest detail yet. They found the fault is separated into four sections, which could rupture all at once or individually in succession. The individual segments are capable of producing a magnitude-8 earthquake or higher. Meanwhile, researchers are trying to bolster the offshore monitoring network for Cascadia. Japan has a sophisticated array of seafloor sensors, but its one of the few places that have those instruments, said David Schmidt, a geophysicist at the University of Washington. The U.S. lags on seafloor monitoring, but Schmidt and Tobin are part of a group that received $10.6 million in federal funding to add seismic sensors and seafloor pressure gauges to a fiber optic cable off the Oregon coast. The devices will help keep tabs on Cascadia. If the data can help researchers learn about whats normal for the fault, they might also be able to determine when its time to worry. A poster of Vice President Kamala Harris in her Indian ancestral village of Thulasendrapuram refers to her as a daughter of this land. If they could vote for her, they would. The people of Thulasendrapuram, a village in southern India that calls Kamala Harris its own, knew little about her until she became the U.S. vice president. Now they display banners of Harris, whose maternal grandparents were born in the village, and are planning celebrations for if and when the Democratic nominee wins the presidential election. We are very proud of her, said Kadir Kathiravan, who owns a printing press in the village of several hundred people, where a billboard shows a smiling Harris and refers to her as a daughter of this land. The village in Tamil Nadu state had already celebrated in 2021 when Harris became the first woman, first Black American and first Asian American to be sworn in as Americas second in command. But her run for the top job is stirring even more excitement in the village and among Indian Americans a reflection of the pride that India, as well as its vast diaspora, is feeling over its burgeoning economic and geopolitical clout. This is really a moment where in just about every sector of American life, we have found success, said Chintan Patel, executive director of the voter engagement organization Indian American Impact. Now we are waking up to this idea that when it comes to the governmental space, our values are important too, he said. And that theyre American values. Harris mother, Shyamala Gopalan, was born and raised in what was then known as Madras (now Chennai), the capital of Tamil Nadu. When she was 19 years old, she was accepted to a masters program at the University of California, Berkeley, where she met Harris Jamaican father, Donald Harris. The two foreign graduate students married in 1963, the year before Harris was born, and divorced in 1971. Though Harris, 59, grew up in the United States, her family maintained its ties with India and she has not shied away from bringing them up. India is a very important part of my life, she said during a state visit to Washington last year by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Harris campaign did not respond to a request for comment. Harris said during the Modi visit that when she and her younger sister Maya were growing up, her mother would take them to India pretty much every other year to visit their grandfather, P.V. Gopalan, a retired public service officer whom Harris credits with inspiring her own journey in politics. She wanted us to understand where she had come from and where we had ancestry, Harris said in 2020 of her mother, a breast cancer researcher who died in 2009. Her mothers embrace of family history was also behind a story that has inspired one of the most popular memes about Harris. In a speech last year, Harris said her mother would give us a hard time sometimes and she would say to us, I dont know whats wrong with you young people. You think you just fell out of a coconut tree? You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you. The expression is instantly recognizable in southern India, where coconuts are a leading export. After her mothers death, Harris scattered her ashes on the beach in Chennai where she used to stroll with her grandfather. Young boys playing cricket in Thulasendrapuram on Sunday. Though Harris has not made any official visits to India as vice president, the villagers in Thulasendrapuram said it was only natural for them to support her. They did so during and after the 2020 election as well, holding up portraits of her and setting off fireworks when she was sworn in as vice president. We are very grateful because this small dot nobody knew about has now become worldwide famous, said N. Krishnamurthy, 79. Krishnamurthy, a retired bank manager, said he has been regularly fielding interview requests since Harris was elected vice president, and has become somewhat of a local expert on all matters Harris. Though Harris family home is no longer standing, Krishnamurthy said, her name is etched on a stone tablet at the villages 300-year-old main temple, recording a 2014 donation a relative made in her name for 5,000 rupees ($60). While Harris is the first Indian American to appear on a major presidential ticket, Patel said a seismic shift is underway at every level of American politics. In 2013, Rep. Ami Bera, D-Calif., was the only Indian American member Congress now there are now five members of the self-described samosa caucus, named after the popular north Indian snack: Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif.; Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash.; Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill.; Shri Thanedar, D-Mich.; and Bera. Besides Harris, other Indian Americans have also run for president, including Vivek Ramaswamy and Nikki Haley in this years Republican primary. Usha Chilukuri Vance, the wife of Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance, is also of Indian heritage. Were seeing more and more Indian Americans stepping up and running for school board races, city council races, state legislature races, statewide races, Patel said. The Indian diaspora in the U.S. numbers almost 5 million, or more than 1% of the U.S. population, and tends to vote Democratic, according to the Pew Research Center. Many South Asian voters have already mobilized in support of Harris, whose first name means lotus in the classical South Asian language Sanskrit and has inspired the slogan Lotus for POTUS. That could make a difference for Harris in battleground states as she looks to beat former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee. For example, the number of Indian Americans in Georgia, Arizona and Pennsylvania is bigger than President Joe Bidens margin of victory in each of those states in 2020. Trump has already sought to raise questions about Harris racial identity. Last month, he falsely claimed that Harris had previously promoted only her Indian heritage but more recently happened to turn Black, in an attack that mixed-race voters say is painfully familiar. Noting that Harris is both Indian American and Black, Krishnamurthy, the villager, said, We dont expect anything from her. What we want is full support for India. Samir Puri, a former British diplomat and the author of Westlessness: The Great Global Rebalancing, said hed like to see Harris using her South Asian heritage in a way that understands the nuances of India. But having a heritage is no automatic reason to give you insights, he added. The poster of Harris in Thulasendrapuram on July 23. Indeed, there is little to suggest that Harris, who has had little involvement in India policy, would make meaningful changes to the U.S.-India relationship as president. She just doesnt have a foreign policy pedigree, Puri said. Most of her ability has been demonstrated in domestic, judicial and in the party political arena. Meanwhile, the villagers in Thulasendrapuram are anxiously awaiting the results of the November election. We are offering our prayers and if she is elected we will celebrate by setting off firecrackers and giving away sweets, Krishnamurthy said. If she comes, we will welcome her here. CORRECTION (Aug. 19, 2024, 5:45 a.m. ET): A previous version of this article incorrectly described Rep. Ami Bera. He was the only Indian American member of Congress when he took office in 2013, not the first one ever. It also misattributed a quote about Harris using her South Asian heritage in a way that understands the nuances of India. That was said by Samir Puri, not Chintan Patel. By Subrata Nag Choudhary and Jatindra Dash KOLKATA/BHUBANESWAR, India (Reuters) -Hospitals and clinics across India turned away patients except for emergency cases on Saturday as medical professionals staged a 24-hour shutdown in protest over the rape and murder of a doctor this month in the eastern city of Kolkata. More than one million doctors were expected to join the strike, paralysing medical services across the world's most populous nation. Hospitals said faculty staff from medical colleges had been pressed into service for emergency cases. The government, in a statement issued on Saturday after a meeting with representatives of medical associations, urged doctors to return to duties in the public interest. The government would set up a committee to suggest measures to improve protection for healthcare professionals, it said. In response, the Indian Medical Association said it was studying the government offer, but it did not call off the strike, which was due to end at 6 a.m.(0030 GMT) on Sunday. The walk-out was the latest action in response to the killing of a 31-year old trainee doctor last week inside the medical college in Kolkata where she worked. The crime has triggered nationwide protests among medical workers and a public outpouring of anger over violence against women reminiscent of what followed the notorious gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old student on a bus in New Delhi in 2012. The strike halted access to elective medical procedures and out-patient consultations, according to the Indian Medical Association (IMA). There was a heavy police presence outside Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College where the woman was killed, while the hospital premises were deserted, according to the ANI news agency. Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal, which includes Kolkata, has backed the protests across the state. Her government announced on Saturday evening measures to improve security for women working night shifts, including designated rest rooms and safe zones monitored by cameras. It also asked private institutions to consider measures such as night patrols to make the working environment more secure for women. India's Central Bureau of Investigation has so far detained one suspect in the case. The CBI summoned a number of medical students from the college as part of its investigation, according to a police source in Kolkata, who said the agency also questioned the principal of the hospital on Friday. There were protests throughout the day in Kolkata, led by doctors, civil society members and political leaders. A large number of private clinics and diagnostic centres were closed. Dr Sandip Saha, a private paediatrician in the city, told Reuters he would not attend to patients except in emergencies. Hospitals and clinics in Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh, Ahmedabad in Gujarat, Guwahati in Assam and Chennai in Tamil Nadu and other cities joined the strike, set to be one of the largest shutdowns of hospital services in recent memory. PATIENTS QUEUE AT HOSPITALS Patients queued up at hospitals, some unaware that they would not get medical attention. I have spent 500 rupees ($6) on travel to come here. I have paralysis and a burning sensation in my feet, head and other parts of my body," an unidentified patient at SCB Medical College Hospital in the city of Cuttack in Odisha told local television. "We were not aware of the strike. What can we do? We have to return home." Raghunath Sahu, 45, who had lined up at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, told Reuters a daily quota set by the doctors to see patients had ended before noon. "I have brought my ailing grandmother. They did not see her today. I will have to wait for another day and try again," Sahu said. India's government introduced sweeping changes to the criminal justice system, including tougher sentences, after the 2012 Delhi gang-rape, but campaigners say little has changed and not enough has been done to deter violence against women. "Women form the majority of our profession in this country. Time and again, we have asked for safety for them," IMA President R. V. Asokan told Reuters on Friday. The IMA has called for further legal measures to better protect healthcare workers from violence. ($1 = 83.8800 Indian rupees) (Reporting by Subrata Nag Choudhary in Kolkata and Jatindra Dash in Bhubaneswar; Additional reporting by Rishika Sadam in Hyderabad; Saurabh Sharma in Lucknow, Sumit Khanna in Ahmedabad, Tora Agarwala in Guwahati and Phyllis Xu in Singapore; Writing by Ira Dugal; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan and William Mallard) Court documents are shedding light on the death of "Friends" actor Matthew Perry, including his final days alive. The documents detail the final chapter in the beloved actor's highly publicized struggle with addiction, including an eventual 2023 relapse that resulted in his death from "the acute effects of ketamine" in October of last year. Earlier this week, California prosecutors announced five people had been charged in connection to Perry's death during a news conference on Thursday for "distributing ketamine to Perry during the final weeks of the actors life." Among the five charged was Perry's personal live-in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, who referred to himself as "Batman's butler," according to court docs. Iwamasa, 59, pleaded guilty on Aug. 7 to one count of "conspiracy to distribute ketamine resulting in death and serious bodily injury" and he faces up to 15 years in prison. Matthew Perry, pictured in January 2017, was found dead at his Los Angeles home on Oct. 28 of last year by his live-in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, who investigators say conspired to inject and obtain the anesthetic drug ketamine without proper media licensure. Investigators allege Iwamasa conspired alongside others to purchase at least $55,000 worth of ketamine on behalf of Perry to inject the actor with the drug without proper medical licensure. Ketamine is an anesthetic drug, and a party drug, that has psychedelic contents. At the time of his death, Perry was receiving ketamine infusion therapy for depression and anxiety. The medication has hallucinogenic effects that alter the perception of sight and sound and cause users to feel devoid from pain and out of control of their surroundings. As an FDA-approved anesthetic, ketamine has been recognized as a fast-acting antidepressant drug for decades. Physician Salvador Plasencia, 42, and Jasveen Sangha, 41, whom the DOJ's press release referred to as the "The Ketamine Queen" of North Hollywood, were charged with 18 counts for their role in Perry's death. Three other co-conspirators were also charged: Dr. Mark Chavez and Erik Fleming, both 54, as well as Iwamasa. But it's Iwamasa's plea agreement that illustrates Perry's final days and his private battle with ketamine addiction, leading up to the moment he was found face down by Iwamasa in a hot tub at his Pacific Palisades home in Los Angeles. 5 people charged in Matthew Perry's death, including 'Friends' actor's doctor, assistant Matthew Perry froze up from 'a large dose of ketamine' two weeks before death A network of doctors, an alleged drug supplier and live-in assistant are among the people charged in Matthew Perry's overdose. On Sept. 30, Iwamasa learned how to inject ketamine after Dr. Plasencia, who was nicknamed "Dr. P," administered two shots of ketamine" to Perry and then taught the personal assistant how to make injections and left behind a vial for him. For days, Iwamasa also used coded language to communicate with co-conspirators to obtain more ketamine. But two weeks before his death, on Oct. 12, investigators say Plasencia administered "a large dose of ketamine" to Perry, which caused "an adverse medical reaction" that led to a blood pressure spike which caused Perry to "freeze up" where he "could not speak or move." According to the plea agreement, Plasencia allegedly told Iwamasa "let's not do that again." The court documents also appear to suggest that Iwamasa and Perry planned to take a break from ketamine use as Plasencia, who is listed as "co-conspirator 1" in court documents, texted Iwamasa: Hi. I know you mentioned taking a break.I have been stocking up on the meanwhile. I am not sure when you guys plan to resume but in case its when im out of town this weekend I have left supplies with a nurse of mine." But investigators say Iwamasa never should've injected Perry in the first place. 'Shoot me up with a big one': Investigators say Matthew Perry died after fatal third dose of ketamine in five hours On October 28, 2023, the day that Perry died, Iwamasa allegedly injected him with a shot of ketamine at 8:30 a.m. and again in the afternoon at 12:45 p.m. as Perry watched a movie. Then, about 40 minutes later, Perry asked his personal assistant to prepare his hot tub and shoot me up with a big one," in reference to another injection of ketamine. Iwamasa later injected Perry with a third syringe of ketamine and gave it to him "in or near the jacuzzi." According to the authorities' timetable, Perry had received three ketamine shots in a five-hour period. 'Acute effects of ketamine' linked to Matthew Perry's death: What to know about drug According to the plea agreement, Iwamasa left Perry's home with the actor unattended to run errands and returned to find Perry dead, face down in the pool. The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to Perry's Pacific Palisades home at 4:07 p.m. and found "an adult male unconscious in a stand-alone jacuzzi." Responding officers pronounced him dead at 4:17 p.m. "A rapid medical assessment, sadly, revealed the man was deceased prior to first responder arrival," Nicholas Prange, an LAFD spokesperson, told USA TODAY in a statement on Oct. 30 last year. In December, more than a month after Perry's death, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's office released Perry's autopsy report, which was obtained by USA TODAY. His death was ruled an accident, with the cause being "the acute effects of ketamine." Just days before Perry's final day alive, he posted a photo of himself on Instagram in a jacuzzi with oversized headphones on. He captioned the photo, "Oh, so warm water swirling around makes you feel good? I'm Mattman." Perry detailed addiction struggles in book: 'I never gave up' The final chapter "Batman" of Perry's New York Times-bestselling book, "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing" is a culmination of his decades long struggle with sobriety, alcoholism and drug addiction. The last pages of the memoir discuss the peace he's found at home, sober, high above the ocean with a view at his home of the California coast. "Addiction the big, terrible thing is far too powerful for anyone to defeat alone. But together, one day at a time, we can beat it down," Perry wrote. "The one thing I got right was that I never gave up." Then, the book's last words: "Someday, you, too, might be called upon to do something important. So, be ready for it and when whatever happens, just think 'What would Batman do?' and do that." Contributing: KiMi Robinson, Taijuan Moorman, Anthony Robledo, Jenna Ryu This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Matthew Perry death: Actor spent $55K on ketamine habit, court docs say 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. More than 20,000 protesters are expected to cram into a 1.4 mile-long court-approved protest route near Democratic National Convention in Chicago next week, creating a potential standoff between demonstrators and a police department with a history of excessive force. The 264 protest groups that have said they will participate are primarily focused on Palestinian rights, ending the war in Gaza and reducing U.S. aid to Israel. Others represent a patchwork of left-leaning causes: climate activists, socialists, anti-racist organizations, queer and trans rights groups. Arab American groups in the Chicago area, home to the countrys largest Palestinian American community, said local police and federal agents have targeted their community for years racially profiling residents, raiding homes and surveilling them. The tactics have resulted in few convictions. Muhammad Sankari, a lead organizer with the Arab American Action Network, a Chicago nonprofit advocacy group that is part of the protest coalition, said the limited protest area adds to an atmosphere which has grown increasingly fraught amid pro-Palestinian demonstrations across the U.S. We believe this is to provide them the room to be heavy-handed with people, said Sankari. These are signals of deep-seated bias and an undertone of surveillance, racial profiling and oppression that were sensitive to. The Chicago Police Department, which famously clashed with protesters during the 1968 Democratic Convention in the city, has been under a consent decree since 2019. The agency has long struggled with racial bias complaints, excessive use of force cases and a spate of high-profile fatal shootings. Chicago paid nearly $379 million in police misconduct cases from 2019 to 2023, including more than $62 million in use of force cases alone, according to city data. Community advocacy groups have complained that compliance with the court oversight has been sluggish as the police force grapples with staffing shortage, neighborhood gun violence and corruption scandals. Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling told NBC News that the police will be peaceful as long as protesters are peaceful. If people come here to protest peacefully, exercise their First Amendment rights, our officers are going to not only allow them to do it, but to protect them while theyre doing it, Snelling said in an interview. But what our officers are not going to allow, were not going to allow someone to come to our city and destroy it. So acts of violence, acts of vandalism, will not be tolerated in this city. Law enforcement experts say a handful of the pro-Palestinian groups in the coalition currently are, or have been, under investigation by either state, federal or international authorities for suspected ties to terror organizations, and could fuel tensions. Which groups emerge as the center of gravity could determine the extent to which this remains a calm affair, or whether it becomes more chaotic, said Jonathan Schanzer, a former Bush administration counterterrorism analyst who has called for increased investigations into pro-Palestinian groups and any potential ties they have to U.S. designated terror organizations. Demonstrators gather on the UCLA campus in Los Angeles, on May 1. Contentious planning Since March, Chicago protest leaders and city officials have engaged in a legal battle over how much space demonstrators will have to meet and protest. The city of Chicago only approved 1.4 miles, nearly a mile short of what the route organizers asked for. Hatem Abudayyeh, a spokesperson from the Coalition to March on the DNC, said organizers are concerned that the large numbers of demonstrators expected wont be able to fit into such a condensed space. We know its going to be tens of thousands. We know its going to be too big for the mile route, Abudayyeh said. Nobody wants mass arrests. The Chicago Police Department, which is leading security, posted a webpage detailing how it wants to avoid making arrests. Police have said that they will give protesters the chance to comply with officers orders but they also plan to isolate the bad actors. Police have said obstructing traffic, for example, is not protected under the First Amendment and said that activities that can lead to arrests include assault, throwing objects and destroying property. The U.S. Secret Service has spent the last year developing security plans and protocols with Chicago police and other federal and state law enforcement agencies. The planning included thousands of hours of analyzing, training and working with the public to develop, said Derek Meyer, deputy special agent in charge with the Secret Service, during a security briefing earlier this week. City officials also posted online maps depicting where people can go in and around the conventions two main sites, the United Center and McCormick Place, which only people with tickets or credentials for the DNC will be allowed to enter. Officers from across Illinois and from the Milwaukee Police Department will assist in securing the DNC events. Chicago police said the out-of-town officers wont be assigned to work patrol or answer 911 calls within the city. Protest leaders said they want the demonstrations to remain peaceful and expect people to bring their children to the three scheduled marches on Sunday, Monday and Thursday. Arielle Rebekah, spokesperson for Jewish Voice for Peace in Chicago, an organization whose branches have had members arrested in cities across the country for blocking traffic, said the DNC protesters are trying to avoid ending up in handcuffs. We can only control what we can control, which is our aligning ourselves with the coalitions messaging that we are meant to comply with the police, Rebekah said. I cant really say what the police are going to do. I can just say that the police are unpredictable. A Chicago police officer sprays mace at anti-Vietnam War demonstrators during the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, on Aug. 29, 1968. History of law enforcement scrutiny While the clashes that took place during the 1968 Democratic convention in Chicago are often invoked by observers, police actions since the 9/11 attacks are a major concern the area's Arab American community. The Chicago-based U.S. Palestinian Community Network is one of the leading members of the coalition and it has been under law enforcement scrutiny for more than a decade. Abudayyeh, USPCNs national chair and the spokesperson of the coalition organizing the DNC protests, said he and other USPCN members attracted the attention of law enforcement after they protested at the 2008 Republican National Convention in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Over the next several years, federal officials ordered Abudayyeh and his colleagues to testify before a grand jury, which they refused to do, Abudayyeh said. His wifes bank account was frozen, USPCN says, and FBI agents raided their home. A spokesperson for the FBIs Chicago office declined to comment on Abudayyehs allegations, or whether any probes into USPCN had occurred. In 2013, one of USPCNs co-founders, Rasmea Odeh, was indicted for lying on her immigration forms and application for U.S. citizenship. According to federal court papers, she failed to disclose that she was convicted of terrorism in Israel. Odeh had spent 10 years in an Israeli prison, accused of being a member of Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which is a U.S. designated terror group. Israeli authorities said she helped to bomb a supermarket in Jerusalem and the citys British consulate. The United States stripped Odeh of her U.S. citizenship and deported her back to Jordan, her home country, in 2017. USPCN said that Odeh, who still lives in Jordan, is no longer affiliated with the group. Odehs supporters contend she was forced by the Israeli military to confess to crimes she didnt commit and didnt intentionally lie on her U.S. immigration forms. After they had gone after us and recognized that they had nothing, and knew that they were gonna lose this famously, they continued investigating and searching and they found my colleague, Rasmea, and they came up with this immigration application technicality, Abudayyeh said. It was just a continuation of the attacks, political attacks, on us as a community. Samidoun, a pro-Palestinian organization in the coalition, is banned in two countries for allegedly supporting terror groups. An NBC News investigation in March found that Israel designated Samidoun as a terror organization in 2021, arguing its leadership were also PFLP members. Then, last November, Germany banned Samidoun saying its members openly endorse Hamas. Charlotte Kates, Samidouns international coordinator, appeared in a February webinar with Dr. Basem Naim, a Hamas official, and praised the Oct. 7 attacks as a heroic operation. Earlier this month, Kates was photographed in Iran as she received a human rights award. Kates did not respond to a request for comment. The attorney general in Virginia is investigating the national office of another coalition member, American Muslims for Palestine Chicago. The group's parent organization, American Muslims for Palestine, is headquartered in Virginia. Investigators say the parent group potentially violated Virginia charity laws and that they are investigating allegations that the group may have provided support to terrorist organizations. In its announcement late last October, the Virginia attorney generals office cited a federal lawsuit filed by the family of David Boim, an American killed during a 1996 Hamas attack. Boims family won a $156 million judgment against Islamic Association of Palestine, or IAP, in 2004, arguing that the U.S.-based organization helped to support Hamas. IAP shut down, but the Boim family argues it has rebranded itself as American Muslims for Palestine. The family is now suing AMP. A spokesperson for AMP did not respond to a request for comment. Chicago police officers patrol downtown on Oct. 19, 2021. Underlying tensions After years of anecdotal claims of bias from law enforcement, the Arab American Action Network and its partners sued city and state police to obtain more than 230 suspicious activity reports filed by residents to police. A 2022 analysis of the data found that more than half of cases that police filed with a federal law enforcement database involved people described as Arab American, Muslim, Middle Eastern or olive skinned. The organization said the reports were being used to racially profile and reinforce stereotypes that treat Arab and Muslim Americans as terrorists. Sankari, the lead organizer with the Arab American Action Network, said the pro-Palestinian actions across Chicago that will continue after next weeks convention involve a community that has long felt disappointed by policing interactions. The community, he said, will watch officers closely to see how they respond during the DNC protests. Chicago police did not immediately respond to a request for comment about ongoing relations with the citys Arab American community. But the distrust of law enforcement extends to other organizations that are part of the DNC protest coalition. Meredith Aby of the Minnesota Anti-War Committee was among several members whose homes and addresses in Minneapolis and Chicago were raided by the FBI in 2010. Law enforcement had sought to find a connection between the anti-war activists and designated terrorist groups in the Middle East and Colombia, but ultimately, members refused to cooperate and none were ever charged. The experience did not deter Aby, and the Anti-War Committee plans to send two busloads of supporters from Minneapolis to organize and protest Monday outside of the convention in Chicago. They also traveled to the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee last month. Aby said government surveillance can be expected, but it shouldnt infringe on free speech and civil rights. Still, there is a degree of surveillance in this country, Aby added, and its important for people to be thoughtful about what they say and how it can be used against them. Khaleesi Sherbrooke, 3, was elected Mayor of Cormorant Village in a landslide getting 103,000 votes. When a small town in Minnesota set out elect a mayor a little less than 10 years ago, no one would have thought that it would be the beginning of a new tradition. "We've never had a mayor before," Tammy Odegaard, Chairperson of Cormorant Daze, an annual summer festival, told USA TODAY this week. "In 2015 we decided, hey, let's get a mayor." Cormorant's governing board then rolled out a plan where people could vote for $1, which would help raise funds for the town's summertime festival Cormorant Daze. "But then out of the blue, they all elected a dog, a neighborhood dog that everybody loved so much," Odegaard said, adding that the event marked the start of a new tradition for the town. Duke, a Great Pyrenees, was elected as Mayor of Cormorant in 2015 and remained mayor, getting re-elected every time, until he retired in June 2018. He later passed away in February 2019. After his death, the tradition fizzled out and then COVID hit so the event was never held, Odegaard said. Then came 2024. Election year. Politics at top of people's minds "This year, with the national election going on, everybody has politics at the top of their mind, Odegaard said. "So, we decided let's try it again." Nominations for the Cormorant Animal Mayor Election 2024 were accepted from Memorial Day to the Fourth of July and the top three candidates were announced by the Cormorant Daze Committee on July 8, according to a flyer posted on Cormorant Township's website. Candidates included: Khaleesi Sherbrooke, a Great Pyrenees Ollie Einerson, an 8-month-old Golden Retriever and English Cream Golden Retriever mix Theodore H. Rosten, a 3-year-old Bassett Hound Ken Mathees, a 29-year-old local entrepreneur and integral member of YouTube channel "CboysTV." Voting was conducted between July 15 and Aug. 5. Khaleesi Sherbrooke, named after Queen Khaleesi in Game of Thrones, is about three years old, said Odegaard and weighs 140 pounds. Khaleesi, whose human family extensively campaigned for her, Odegaard said, won by a landslide securing 103,000 votes. The "election" took place on social media and was open for everyone who wanted to cast their vote, which explains how Khaleesi was able to get so many votes, considering Cormorant Township, part of Becker County, has a population of only 1,407, as per World Population Review. Khaleesi, named after one of the main characters in the Emmy-award winning "Game of Thrones," is about 3 years old, said Odegaard and weighs 140 pounds. She's a fairly new resident of the township and moved in spring of this year, Odegaard said, after her owners David and Julie Sherbrooke brought her to Minnesota from a wind farm in Idaho. Odegaard said Khaleesi's popularity and friendliness, after spending a lot of time with workers at an Idaho construction site, played a crucial role in helping her sweep the election. Khaleesi Sherbrooke, Mayor of Cormorant Village in Minnesota. Khaleesi, who will be the town's second mayor and the first ever female mayor, will be sworn in as mayor on Saturday during the 13th Annual Cormorant Daze Festival. Her main responsibilities would include representing the town at event and participating in events such as parades. Like Duke, Khaleesi, will also participate in a lot of fundraising events for the local humane society. Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cormorant, Minnesota dog mayor returns with Khaleesi's election U.S. Air Force security guards exchanged gunfire with someone who twice opened fire on an entrance to Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland early Saturday, according to a spokesperson for the base. It was an off-base shooting from a passing vehicle that fired shots towards the gate, prompting our security forces to respond, base spokesperson Stefanie Antosh said in a statement. There is no threat to the installation. We had no injuries, no fatalities. Antosh said the shooting was being investigated by San Antonio police, who said in a release that the first shooting occurred about 2:15 a.m. The security personnel stated they heard several shots fired as well as the fired rounds go past them, Sgt. Washington Moscoso said in the release. After this incident, the security personnel added more armed guards as a precaution. A vehicle later stopped near the same entrance shortly after 4:30 a.m., Moscoso said. For a second time, shots were fired at the Air Force security personnel, however, with the additional security personnel present, multiple Air Force personnel returned fire toward the suspect vehicle, Moscoso said. The vehicle then fled. No injuries were reported and the shootings remained under investigation, Moscoso said. It was not known how many rounds were fired, how many shooters there were, or what their motive was, according to Antosh. The entrance was closed for several hours after the shooting before reopening about 9:30 a.m., but the base was not locked down, according to Antosh. In addition to Lackland, Joint Base San Antonio includes Randolph Air Force Base and the Army's Fort Sam Houston and the Camp Bulllis training camp. Lackland is home to more than 24,000 active duty members and 10,000 Department of Defense civilians, according to the base website. It includes the 37th Training Wing; 149th Fighter Wing; 59th Medical Wing; the Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency; 24th Air Force Wing, 67th Network Warfare Wing; the Cryptologic Systems Group; the National Security Agency; and 70 associated units. NAIROBI, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- The number of people who are food insecure and in need of humanitarian assistance in Kenya stands at 1 million, Kenya's National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) said Friday. The NDMA noted that this is a drop from 1.5 million in February, with the agency attributing the decline to the recent rains that boosted food production, including in arid areas. Out of the 22 arid areas in the East African nation, only one was reported to be in distress with the situation in the rest having improved. "The number of children aged 6 to 59 months requiring treatment for acute malnutrition has reduced to 760,488 from 847,932 in February," the NDMA said in the July report released in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi. The institution added that the situation is expected to improve further after the onset of the October-December rainy season. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the regional bloc, the number of food-insecure people in the Horn of Africa stood at 67 million in July, a decline from 74.9 million in May. Of the number, 39 million are in IGAD member states, including Djibouti, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Sudan, and Uganda. Russia is scrambling to shore up its defenses more than a week into Ukraines shock, lightning attack across the border on the southern Kursk region. US officials told CNN that Russia has diverted thousands of troops from occupied territory inside Ukraine to counter the threat. Russias President Vladimir Putin has had to bring in conscripts, backpeddling on a promise he made not to use them on the frontline. A sizeable trench has been dug across countryside near the town of Selektsionnyi, around 45 kilometers (about 28 miles) from the border, in Kursk, satellite imagery showed. Online job adverts for trench diggers have emerged. Payment every week, promised one. Experts told CNN that Ukraines bold gambit to breach Russias border, planned in complete secrecy, had stunned even Kyivs closest allies, including the United States, shifting the playing field of a more than two-year-old war. But after months on the backfoot, losing ground in grinding battles in their own territory, just how were the Ukrainians able to catch Moscow by surprise and penetrate the Russian homeland? First: superb operational security. Nothing about the operation leaked. Based on videos from the ground and satellite imagery of their advance, the troop movements almost seemed like an exercise or a defensive reinforcement. [Ukraine has] demonstrated that they can pull off such a secretive and significant operation successfully, they can penetrate Russian territory so this is no longer the red line, and they are still very much committed to fight for their country, that there is no such thing as war fatigue, and theyre willing to take these, in a way, extreme measures for the sake of defending their country, Natia Seskuria, an associate fellow at the UKs Royal United Services Institute for Defense and Security Studies (RUSI), told CNN. The force was built up under cover of thick summer foliage along the rural roads of Sumy region, in northeast Ukraine. Experienced, battle-hardened units were brought up or diverted from other areas. Units such as the 82nd Air Assault Brigade, which had until recently been fighting in nearby Kharkiv region, were pulled into the mission to breach the border, according to multiple videos and social media accounts. Among the detailed preparations was precise intelligence on the readiness and ability of Russian units on the border, and the number of obstacles that lay ahead, from minefields to tank traps. There werent many. Ukrainian forces also used detailed knowledge of the geography to launch the attack, using forest belts for cover and roads for speed. It was only in the last days before the incursion began that commanders were briefed on the mission. The key, in terms of Ukraines success, [was that] they managed to penetrate Russian territory quite easily with little to no resistance. It was a complete surprise for the Russians, and it demonstrates that Russian intelligence services really failed to foresee any sort of Ukrainian incursion into the region, said Seskuria. Having established weak points in Russian defenses, the first Ukrainian units stormed into Kursk on the afternoon of August 6. Videos on social media, which were geolocated by CNN, appear to show dozens of Russian soldiers immediately surrendering at the heavily damaged border crossing south-west of the town of Sudzha, located 105 kilometers (65 miles) southwest of the city of Kursk. Dozens of Russian soldiers appear to surrender in videos geolocated by CNN to a border crossing south-west of Sudzha, Russia. - Social media Serhii Sternenko, a Ukrainian vlogger who shared the video on his Twitter and Telegram channels, said it showed at least 22 Russian soldiers surrender in the Kursk region. CNN was unable to confirm the identity of those shown in the footage. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday that Ukrainian forces had taken control of Sudzha the first official confirmation that the troops, which have been in the town since last Wednesday, had captured it. The town is an important transit point for gas supples from Russia to Europe via Ukraine. Satellite images showed a gas terminal at a nearby border point in ruins. In their charge across the border, Ukrainians have used fast, resilient western-made armored vehicles: Strykers and Marders. Small mobile groups of special forces swiftly fanned out to dozens of locations as the Russian military scrambled to assess the strength of the assault. Key to their success: air defenses and supporting artillery, as well as jamming to prevent the Russian military from communicating. Thermal protection for their body armor also helped soldiers evade heat-detecting drones. Within hours of crossing the border, the Ukrainians were close to Sudzha. Many of its residents were sent scrambling on hair-raising escapes, some cursing the Russian military for abandoning them. As the operation unfolded, Ukrainian soldiers posted video of themselves in front of village signs before vanishing, part of a parallel campaign of psychological warfare. CNN geolocated numerous videos showing Ukrainian forces posing in front of road signs and taking down Russian flags at village halls across the Kursk region, including in Porozovsky, Plekhovo, Sverdlikovo, Guyevo and Sudzha. I think that has a great value in terms of information warfare because these images, videos that we see that is a really good morale boost for Ukrainians, said RUSIs Seskuria. Rather than confront Russian units head-on, advanced Ukrainian units bypassed them, cutting them off. The Russian military command struggled to keep up with where the threat was emanating from. At the same time, the Ukrainians trained their attention on Russian reinforcements, wiping out one convoy of 14 Russian military vehicles near Rylsk with a missile attack. Video shared on social media, which CNN geolocated to the village of Oktyabrskoe in the Kursk region, showed the dead bodies of Russian soldiers in destroyed and burned-out trucks along a section of road. The head of Ukraines armed forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said Thursday that Ukrainian forces had captured 1,150 square kilometers (about 444 square miles) of territory and 82 settlements since the start of the surprise incursion. More than a week after the incursion began, the Ukrainians were still probing for weaknesses, consolidating their hold on a band of territory 35 kilometers (about 22 miles) deep even providing Russian civilians with emergency food aid. Seskuria told CNN that Ukraines incursion is partly a self-defense measure because Kursk region, due to its location, has been used many times to launch missiles on Ukrainian territory. [Ukraines] strategic aim would be to divert Russian forces from offensive operations in the Donetsk oblast, where Russians have been making some advances in the recent months that would be an obvious intention, to ease the military pressure in Ukraine. Seskuria added that Ukraines recent activity might provide Ukraine with a better negotiating position when it comes to any sort of peace talks in the future. Indeed Mykhailo Podolyak, an aide to Zelensky, said the incursion was aimed at persuading Russia to enter a fair negotiation process. Russian military bloggers are apoplectic about the lack of readiness and the slow response to the incursion. The Russian Defense Ministry insisted this week it was repelling Ukrainian advances and taking prisoners, but Russias reinforcements were struggling to retake ground, outmaneuvered and hit with missiles and artillery. Can Kasapoglu, a defense analyst at the Hudson Institute, a think tank based in Washington, DC, told CNN he did not foresee a Ukrainian withdrawal anytime soon. The offensive is culminating, and the battleground is stabilizing. Nonetheless, the Ukrainian military has already secured operational depth. If they can set robust defensive positions they can stay inside Russian territory for a long time, he said. Kursk would be Ukraines crown jewel when negotiating an end to the conflict, Kasapoglu added, if Kyiv manages to hold on to the seized territory. Lizzy Yee, Paul Murphy, Avery Schmitz and Isaac Yee contributed reporting. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Express your opinion! Fill out this form to submit a Letter to the Editor. Submit VIETNAM The Communist Party added police officer Luong Tam Quang to the Politburo, two months after he was appointed minister of public security. Vietnam does not have a supreme leader, but is led by four pillars: the party chief, president, prime minister, and parliament speaker. Three of the four positions are now held by former senior police officers. USA - MYANMAR The United States pledged continued support for Myanmar's democratic opposition after China earlier this week met with representatives of the military junta. In an online meeting, U.S. officials reiterated that the United States will continue to expand direct support and assistance to pro-democracy actors, including to develop concrete steps toward a full transition to a civilian government that respects the will of the people of Myanmar. INDIA The Election Commission of India has announced that elections will be held on September 18 in the disputed region of Kashmir, five years after the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi revoked its autonomy. Voting, for which nine million people are registered, for the 90-member local assembly will be held in three phases until Oct. 1, the commission announced. NEPAL The Himalayan village of Thame, located at 3,800 meters above sea level, was submerged by icy waters. No deaths or injuries were reported, but about 10 buildings, including a school and a clinic, were destroyed. Experts say climate change is causing Himalayan glaciers to melt, creating glacial lakes prone to overflow. SOUTH KOREA. Earlier this month, a group of 100 Filipino women arrived in South Korea to work as domestic workers, paid at the minimum rate of 9,860 won (6.60 euros) per hour. A monthly wage that is almost half the average income in South Korea, but the highest in all of Asia. The Philippine Department of Migrant Workers has stipulated that the minimum wage for female workers abroad must be at least 0, the amount more or less paid by Singapore and Malaysia to Filipino women, while Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan offer somewhat higher salaries. RUSSIA - UKRAINE In an effort to rally resistance troops to the Ukrainian offensive in the Kursk region, 500 conscripts who had refused to fight and were stationed in the Kamenka military district were forced to go from St. Petersburg, loading them onto trucks and then onto planes, and several other conscripts who had refused to fight are being picked up from other regions. GEORGIA As Georgia's Ministry of Infrastructure reported, the country's longest automotive tunnel, the 1,800-meter Rikoti Tunnel, has finally been opened, replacing the older one to connect the eastern and western parts of the country in a particularly difficult 36-kilometer pass that has been in the works for years, with Chinese funding. Hamas on Friday rejected the new conditions of a proposed US truce in the Gaza Strip after two days of talks in Qatar in which the Palestinian Islamist movement did not participate. US President Joe Biden, who after presenting the proposal said it was closer than ever to an agreement, warned that no actor in the region should take action to undermine this process. After more than ten months of war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, the mediating countries in the conflict (Qatar, Egypt and the United States) organised new negotiations in Doha to reach an agreement that would also avert the possibility of an escalation of the conflict with Iran and its regional allies. But Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007, rejected what it saw as Israel's new conditions in the proposal, said two leaders of the group who requested anonymity. We will not accept anything less than a complete ceasefire, a full withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Strip, the return of displaced persons and an agreement to exchange Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, said one of the sources. The Palestinian movement is demanding implementation of the original three-phase plan announced by Biden in late May. The first phase calls for a six-week truce and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from densely populated areas of Gaza, as well as a swap of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners. The compromise proposal, which the White House said was presented by the United States and endorsed by Qatar and Egypt, however, envisages keeping Israeli troops in the Gaza Strip along the border with Egypt, said one of the two Hamas leaders. A source privy to the talks told AFP that Hamas also opposes giving Israel the right to veto the release of certain Palestinian prisoners and prevent them from returning to Gaza. International pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the mediators to put pressure on Hamas to accept the principles of the plan presented by Biden. The talks, which also seek to avoid a military escalation in the Middle East, will resume next week in Cairo, the White House said. US Chief of Mission Antony Blinken will travel to Israel at the weekend to support efforts to reach a truce in Gaza. The international community has stepped up pressure in recent weeks, believing that a truce in Gaza could de-escalate tensions in the rest of the region. Iran and its allies vowed to avenge the death of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in a 31 July attack in Tehran blamed on Israel. The day before, the military chief of the powerful Lebanese Hezbollah movement was also killed in an Israeli bombing near Beirut. Tehran will suffer catastrophic consequences should it launch an attack on Israel, said a senior US official who requested anonymity, warning against any military action that could derail negotiations. They kill us Netanyahu insists he will continue the war in Gaza until Hamas, considered by Israel, the United States and the European Union to be a terrorist organisation, is destroyed. The conflict erupted on 7 October, when Islamist militiamen killed 1,198 people and kidnapped 251 in southern Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP count based on official data. Of the 251 people abducted, 111 remain in Gaza, although 39 have been declared dead by the Israeli army. Israel's retaliatory offensive in Gaza has left at least 40,005 people dead, according to the Hamas government's health ministry, which does not detail how many are civilians and fighters. Israel said on Thursday that its offensive allowed it to eliminate more than 17,000 terrorists. Why did Netanyahu send a delegation to the negotiations while we are being killed here? asked Mohammed al-Balwi amid rubble in Jabalia in northern Gaza. In addition to leaving a territory in ruins, the conflict triggered a humanitarian crisis in the territory, where almost all of its 2.4 million inhabitants have been displaced. The Palestinian Authority health ministry reported the first case of polio in 25 years in Gaza on Friday, shortly after the UN called for humanitarian pauses in the fighting to vaccinate children. Witnesses on Friday reported Israeli shelling in the centre of the territory and near Khan Younis in the far south of the enclave. The war in Gaza also intensified violence in the occupied West Bank, where dozens of Israeli Jewish settlers stormed the Palestinian village of Jid on Thursday night. During the attack, they set fire to buildings and vehicles and threw stones and Molotov cocktails, according to the Israeli army. According to the Palestinian Authority, which partly administers the territory, one 23-year-old man was shot dead and another injured. SINGAPORE, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- Singaporean travel agencies have launched winter routes to China at the ongoing NATAS Travel Fair so that customers from the tropical island state can enjoy ice and snow. Over 70 exhibitors, including travel agents, airlines, cruise operators, and hotels, attended the travel fair held by the National Association of Travel Agents Singapore (NATAS). "Many people hope to plan for their holiday at the end of this year. We are promoting a nine-day exclusive route to north China's Heilongjiang Province to enjoy the unique scenery in winter," said Sherwin Seow, director of marketing for ASA Holidays. "After visiting the Ice and Snow World in Harbin, luxury train Lindu No.2 will carry the passengers to the renowned Snow Village, Jingpo Lake, snowy forests, and other attractions in the crystal world," he said. In-depth tours to China have been increasingly popular as a mutual visa-exemption arrangement in February enables Singaporeans to stay in China for up to 30 days, Seow noted. Travels to China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Changbai Mountain in Jilin Province, or Mohe, China's northernmost city, are also well-received options at the travel fair. Participating travel agencies are offering deals to promote these routes. "Some packages to the northeastern part of China are quite cost-effective, and it should be a unique experience to travel there in winter," said resident Lim. The fair will run through the weekend. 17 August 2024 08:30 (UTC+04:00) By Farman Aydin, AZERNEWS We would not be wrong if we say that Armenia's violation of the ceasefire on the border with Azerbaijan indicates the next provocations prepared by the dictates of Yerevan's "Western partners". Reiterate full support for Yerevans proposal for a bilateral mechanism to investigate allegations of ceasefire violations. Having said these words, the EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia, Toivo Klaar, once again proved the pro-Armenian stance of the EU in consistent support of Yerevan despite the recent provocation at the border. In a post on his X social account, Klaar says that the European Union supports the bilateral mechanism proposed by Armenia for the elimination of the recent tensions on the border (in fact, tension created artificially by Armenia) between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The European Union is pushing on Armenia's behalf to assume some form of border control, ultimately launching a plan to strengthen its long-desired presence in the South Caucasus. The proposal of to establish a bilateral mechanism to address alleged ceasefire violations on the -border to reduce tensions is to be welcomed. The has for 15 years through @EUMMGeorgia helped organise similar meetings in and is ready to share its experiences. Toivo Klaar (@ToivoKlaar) June 23, 2024 In his post, the EU Special Representative talks about the EUMM Georgias 15 years of experience near the disputed areas of South Ossetia and Abkhazia whereas no results have been gained so far. The European Union talks extensively about fruitless experiments and thereby tries to expand its mission group in the South Caucasus, getting Armenia entrapped in its charm. Of course, the fact that the EU calls the violation of the ceasefire by Armenia an "allegation" aims to further its own goals by turning the issue into a question. If it were not so, the interests of the European Union in the South Caucasus would have arisen not after 2020, but 30 years ago. Continuous arming and provocation of Armenia has already become the main strategy of the West. On August 15-16, 2024, the Armenian military forces fired at the positions of the Azerbaijani army in the direction of Nakhchivan is not a random plan. Now the main goal is to legitimize the introduction of mission groups to the South Caucasus by coming up with various excuses and claims. Neither the West nor Yerevan is happy with the rest of the villages that Armenia is supposed to return to Azerbaijan or the opening of the Zangazur Corridor based on Baku's demands. The main goal is to nullify the results achieved step by step on the way to peace and leave the territories under the control of the mission group, holding Baku guilty, the one that maintains security in the region. For the time being, the West uses the vacuum created by Russia to find an easier language with Armenia and controls every issue. Therefore, Mr. Klaar hears not the official Baku, but rather Yerevan's "proposals" that have passed through the EUs filter. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 17 August 2024 12:22 (UTC+04:00) 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, Azernews 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 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 12-13. 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 26-27 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 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 the 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. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 17 August 2024 16:56 (UTC+04:00) The United States is ready to work with both Azerbaijan and Armenia in any format that the parties can agree upon and make progress, Azernews reports, citing the American statement in response to an inquiry about the future format of the OSCE Minsk Group and the U.S. position on the matter. "The U.S. government supports efforts to achieve a long-term and dignified peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan. We are prepared to work with both sides in any format in which they can reach an agreement and make progress," the statement said. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 17 August 2024 18:00 (UTC+04:00) By Akber Gasanov, Day.az French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Armenia on September 21. According to the Armenian newspaper "Zhoghovurd," which cites the Armenian community in France, it seems that the French president is informing the Armenian community in France about his planned foreign trips. This, of course, seems absurd. But this is exactly what the Armenian publication implies. Additionally, it is claimed that the visit will be timed to coincide with Armenia's Independence Day. We will have to wait for Macron's arrival in Yerevan to see what kind of socks Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will wear for the French president's visit. I recall that during the Francophonie Forum in Yerevan, Nikol Vovaevich flaunted socks in the colors of the Armenian flag. Macron himself wore them and also gifted them to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. This was a rather peculiar display of "patriotism" in Pashinyan's style. However, the mere mention that he and Macron will celebrate the anniversary of something that doesnt actually exist is amusing. In reality, with Armenias borders with Turkey controlled by the Russians, speaking of "independence" for this country is only plausible after consuming a lot of mulberry vodka. Nonetheless, Pashinyan wants to show that the President of France is visiting him. Nikol invited Emmanuel to visit Yerevan back in February. A lot has happened since then. Most notably, Macron has suffered numerous defeats everywhere possible. He has firmly established himself as a "lame duck" political loser. Even those who were once closely aligned with Monsieur Emmanuel now acknowledge this. In particular, the outgoing French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who once enjoyed strong support from Macron, has now become his "ruthless opponent" and represents the "greatest threat" to the French presidents political career. The European press notes that amidst Macrons low ratings and the weakening of the ruling coalition during parliamentary elections, Attal has managed to "successfully fill the power vacuum" in the country. However, the issue is not just about Attal. Even the Paris Olympics, which Macron planned to use for self-promotion, turned out to be a failure. There has been unprecedented criticism of the host country of the Olympics. Additionally, it remains to be seen how much of the funds allocated for Olympic preparations were embezzled. Thus, the "lame duck" of French politics is heading to Yerevan in a significantly diminished state. Meanwhile, Pashinyans situation is not much better. For instance, the revanchist archbishop Bagrat Srbazan-Galstanyan, whom many, including those in Armenia itself, had started to forget, decided to embark on a pedestrian journey through Armenian towns and villages. During a meeting with residents of Nubarashen, he stated that "many people in government circles have sobered up and joined the sacred struggle." In other words, even among the current Prime Minister of Armenia's entourage, there are potential traitors ready to switch sides to the revanchists' candidate in clerical attire. In this context, the message from the newspaper "Graparak" is intriguing. According to their information, Pashinyan had a stern conversation with his entourage. Nikol Vovaevich declared that he would not tolerate those who are incapable of working. Thus, Pashinyan senses that something is amiss around him and fears conspiracies with unpredictable consequences. Against this backdrop, Macrons visit to Yerevan will be quite timely for him. The main beneficiary of the "shashlik revolution" can now show his entourage and opponents that a friend from Paris has come to visit him. And it wasnt Ashot from the Armenian community in Marseille, but the President of France. However, the sign here does not match the content. In reality, it will be the visit of one political loser to another, regardless of what their socks look like during the current rendezvous. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 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. 17 August 2024 11:46 (UTC+04:00) President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Republic of Indonesia Joko Widodo, Azernews reports. The letter reads: "Dear Mr. President, On the occasion of the national holiday of the Republic of Indonesia, Independence Day, I am pleased to extend my heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to you and, through you, to the friendly people of Indonesia, on behalf of myself and the people of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan places great importance on the comprehensive development of its relations with Indonesia. The strong friendly ties between our countries have opened up favorable opportunities for cooperation in various areas. We are particularly pleased with the successful implementation of the "ASAN khidmet" model in your country and our active collaboration in this field. I am confident that the relationship between Azerbaijan and Indonesia as well as our interaction in bilateral and multilateral platforms, including the cooperation as part of the upcoming COP29 in Baku, will successfully continue in line with the interests of our friendly peoples. On this significant day, I wish you good health, happiness, success in your endeavors, and continued peace and prosperity to the friendly people of Indonesia. Respectfully, Ilham Aliyev President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Baku, 14 August 2024" --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 17 August 2024 22:22 (UTC+04:00) On August 17, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of the Republic of Turkiye, made a phone call to Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Azernews reports. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his high appreciation for Azerbaijan's readiness to provide the necessary support in preventing the wildfires that occurred in Turkiye. He emphasized the need for the BE-200CS amphibious aircraft to extinguish the fires and expressed his gratitude for the decision to send this aircraft from Azerbaijan to Turkiye. The President of Turkiye described this as another manifestation of the brotherhood and strategic alliance between the two countries. Stating that the BE-200CS amphibious aircraft would be dispatched to Turkiye shortly, President Ilham Aliyev expressed Azerbaijans readiness to provide any additional support needed to address the fires in the brotherly country. The heads of state noted that Azerbaijan and Turkiye have always stood by each other and continuously supported one another. During the phone conversation, they exchanged views on the prospects for the friendly, brotherly, and allied relations between Azerbaijan and Turkiye. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 17 August 2024 09:00 (UTC+04:00) One of Chinas most prominent chip gear makers is suing the Pentagon for linking it to the Peoples Liberation Army, seeking to get off a blacklist that bars business with American firms, Azernews reports, citing Bloomberg. Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment Inc. alleged that the defense agency harmed the companys business and reputation by adding the Shanghainese entity to the so-called Section 1260H list of firms linked to Chinas military. Pentagon officials took months to respond to a request for additional information, then justified their decision with evidence of an award from Chinas Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, AMEC said in its lawsuit. AMEC becomes the latest Chinese firm to try and overturn their addition to a blacklist intended to guard the US against national security threats. The company is considered one of the countrys foremost suppliers of equipment critical to semiconductor production, a key component of Beijings ambitions to ascend the geopolitical and technology ladder. The US government has in past years grown increasingly concerned about what it calls Chinas military-civil fusion strategy, describing that concept as regular civilian companies aiding the Peoples Liberation Army in some fashion. That concern centers in particular on the countrys technology champions. AMEC competes with top US firms including Applied Materials Inc. and Lam Research Corp. In its latest annual report, the Chinese company said some of its machines are now being used to make chips as advanced as 5 nanometers, or technology only one generation behind the most cutting-edge. The Chinese company supplies to Huawei Technologies Co.s production partner Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp., Shanghai-based chipmaker Hua Hong Semiconductor Ltd., and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., according to Bloomberg supply chain data. AMEC said in its complaint that its leadership is predominantly American. Its founder and chairman Gerald Yin, born in 1944, has a doctorate from UCLA and previously worked for Intel Corp., Applied Materials, and Lam, according to the annual report. Yin was identified as a US national in the companys annual report for 2021. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 17 August 2024 18:35 (UTC+04:00) The UK military is about to launch its first ever dedicated Earth-imaging satellite, Azernews reports, citing BBC. Called Tyche, the washing machine-sized spacecraft will have sufficient resolution to identify battlefield troop positions and vehicles. It's a demonstrator that should be followed by a network of satellites this decade using a variety of sensors. Some of these future spacecraft will be able to see through cloud and even eavesdrop on radio transmissions. Tyche's ride to orbit is booked on a SpaceX Falcon rocket flying out of California. Lift-off is scheduled for 11:20 local time (19:20 BST). The British mission will be ejected at an altitude of roughly 500km to begin what's expected to be a minimum of five years of operations. UK forces have long benefited from the use of their own, state-of-the-art satellite communications system, called Skynet, but getting access to surveillance and reconnaissance imagery from space has largely required a friendly request to allies, particularly the United States. And while the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has contributed funds in the past to projects in the UK commercial sector, Tyche will be its first wholly owned imaging capability. Commissioned by UK Space Command and built by Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) in Guildford, the 160kg satellite will collect its imagery at optical wavelengths - in the same light we sense with our eyes. It's designed to capture 5km-wide spot scenes on the ground and have a best resolution of 90cm. This is by no means the best performance possible (some classified US satellites are reported to see features as small as 10cm across), but it fits with the British military's generalised needs. Tyche was born out of a 2021 Space Command Paper and a 2022 Space Defence Strategy, which committed the last government to spend 970m over 10 years on a programme called Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance, or ISTARI. This set out a number of initial R&D efforts with the eventual goal of launching a sovereign constellation of military and national security satellites to orbit. These spacecraft are intended to carry a range of technologies, among them radar sensors that can see the Earth's surface in all weathers and at night - a capability Ukraine has found invaluable in tracking invading Russian forces. "This is the start of a journey," said Maj Gen Paul Tedman, commander of UK Space Command. "The space defence strategy lays out how we're going to become a meaningful space power by 2030. "We're hoping to see many more launches of satellites in the coming months and years. Tyche is absolutely the beginning of that. SSTL has been working closely with UK Space Command on ISTARI and hopes to win further defence contracts, at home and abroad. "Many other countries are setting up space commands," said Darren Jones, the manufacturer's head of defence business. "There's lots of appetite around the world for space capabilities for defence purposes. What this Tyche contract shows for us is that we've got confidence from the MoD to deliver these types of missions, which can only help us in future with other nations around the globe." Tyche is based on the company's Carbonite model, which can be assembled rapidly and at relatively low cost (the Tyche contract is worth 22m). One interesting feature is its propulsion system which manoeuvres the satellite using water. "The water goes through a thruster that heats it up to make superheated steam. That's how we get thrust and do station-keeping," explained chief technology officer Andrew Haslehurst. "Tyche carries 10 litres. It's enough to get five-to seven years of in-orbit life." --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 17 August 2024 20:55 (UTC+04:00) The Turkish government has evacuated nearly 4,000 residents from four provinces affected by forest fires within a week, Azernews reports, citing Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD). According to the report, 131 agricultural and forest fires have occurred across the country over the past week: AFAD has implemented immediate measures from the air and on the ground under the Disaster Response Plan. Damage assessment and related measures are being carried out in areas where the fire is under control. It was noted that to prevent possible loss of life, residents living in settlements near the fires have been evacuated to safe areas by AFAD, police, and gendarmerie forces. In this context, 1,430 people have been evacuated in Izmir, 1,475 in Manisa, 516 in Bolu, and 550 in Aydn. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 17 August 2024 23:23 (UTC+04:00) Moscow and Kyiv were supposed to hold talks in Doha this month regarding the cessation of mutual attacks on energy facilities, Azernews reports, citing The Washington Post. According to the information, the talks were disrupted due to escalating tensions in Russia's Kursk region. Qatar was set to act as a mediator in these talks, but the Russian side decided to suspend the process. Sources told the newspaper that the parties had planned to agree not to attack each other's energy facilities for two months, which could have been akin to a partial ceasefire: Russia did not cancel the talks; they asked for more time. It was noted that the Russian and Ukrainian delegations have not met face-to-face since the talks in Istanbul in 2022. The Kremlin and the White House have declined to comment to the newspaper. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz When Emmanuel Chongwan was 16, he sensed God leading him to do something life changing for prisoners who he felt were being treated as slaves. Later in life, that nudge led him to serve as a full time pastor in his home country, Cameroon. My father served as a prison guard for 33 years and we used to have some inmates who would come work in our house and I developed compassion for them, recalled Chongwan, who serves with Bread for Life International (BFL) as the Prison Pastor. But since embracing his call 32 years ago, Chongwan has had to deal with a huge task restoring prisoners lost dignity and speaking for them in a very hostile context. Cameroon has about 26,300 prisoners incarcerated in some 84 prisons across the central Africa country, according to a 2023 study on Cameroons health services. Out of the 8,115 prisoners in 10 jails sampled in the study, 6,091 were on pre-trial detention. Like elsewhere in Africa, prison predicaments go beyond just the long pre-detention period, to horrible prison conditions. The incarcerated in Africa are treated very poorly - more like slaves, Chongwan told Christian Daily International in an interview. Stay informed with The Christian Daily Newsletter Sign up They only have a right to a single meal a day and the quality of the meal is horrible, their cells are terribly overcrowded, as well as the prison environment itself, the prison minister adds. The Kondengui neighborhood in Yaounde is known for one thing it hosts one of the most densely populated prisons, the Kondegui Principal Prison (KPP). Built to contain just about 1,000 inmates, Jurden Noeskes study found that it had 3059 people incarcerated in 2021, including 111 women and 57 minors. The total number of inmates can often reach 4,000. On paper, Cameroon has good prison laws that advocate for the better treatment of inmates, but unfortunately, they are not put into practice. Almost all of Cameroons major prisons were built during the colonial era, presenting signs of poor maintenance officials say they lack funds for their upkeep. They undergo torture in many forms, and have limited access to basic social services like electricity, water, and medication, said Pastor Chongwan. The prison minister adds that this is further compounded by a very slow judicial process that keeps people in pre-trial detention for more than three years. To assuage their plight, prison ministers in Africa have been lobbying the government and development partners to improve the living conditions of prisoners. We are calling on organisations to help our prisons build rehabilitation centres where prisoners can learn skills that will help them reintegrate into the community after prison Chongwan said. Despite the treatment given to prisoners, Jesus hand remains extended to them and those working to bring this news through evangelism and discipleship. My joy is complete each time I see prisoners surrender their lives to Jesus Christ. I feel privileged that God called me to serve in this unique ministry, said Chongwan. Over three decades, they have preached to 30,000 inmates in 52 prisons, where they have planted 17 churches. Chongwans team has been reinforced by three pastors, all of whom came to believe in Jesus Christ while in prison, and through the same ministry. Remarkable among them is Pastor Baring Rodrigue of the Full Gospel Mission in Cameroon. He was charged and imprisoned for robbery with violence before he met Chongwan who preached to him. For Rev Baba Andre, his life in crime and in prison ended when Jesus redeemed him through pastor Chongwans prison ministry. Pastor Chongwans ministry offers a holistic sermon, as they provide basic needs of prisoners like food, soap, clothing, medication, sanitary towels, toothbrushes, toothpastes, underwears and Bibles. We also provide school requirements to reformed parents in prison who invite their children and hand these items to them at the start of the school year, said Chongwan. The team organises and hosts several weekly activities at the Kondengui prison including Sunday worship service, Bible study as well as meeting the physical needs of the inmates. The prison ministry also organizes outreach and mission programmes in other prisons in Cameroon such as the Douala Central Prison, Ebolowa Central Prison, Kribi, Akonolinga and Mbalmayo prisons. To attain their objective of reaching the 84 prisons of Cameroon with the gospel of Jesus Christ, Pastor Chongwan urges the church to pray, give and to get involved in prison ministry. He also prays that the church and the community may love and accept ex-inmates, without stigmatizing them. American star Chappell Roan has just performed in front of 110,000 fans and is now heading to Dublin. Heres why she is the next global superstar 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. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 01: Chappell Roan performs during Lollapalooza at Grant Park on August 01, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Josh Brasted/FilmMagic) 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. Chappell Roan will perform at the Olympia on September 17 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 A-level entries in French and Spanish declined by 15% and 9% respectively this year (stock image) Irish is now the second most popular language studied at school, with more pupils receiving an A-level in the subject than in French. Spanish remains the top language to study, with German in fourth place. But A-level entries in French and Spanish declined by 15% and 9% respectively this year compared to 2023. The numbers studying modern languages also took a hit during the pandemic, with pupils finding learning much more difficult due to the online nature of their education. Dr Ian Collen of the Centre for Language Education Research at Queens University said: Education is devolved, and in truth the Department (of Education) doesnt seem to see languages as important. In fact, there has been dismantling of support for languages over a number of years. Its not hard to see why fewer students are taking on languages when the encouragement and incentive is not there. We are the only part of the UK where there is no entitlement for primary school children to learn a language. What we have seen in the last five years has been a concerted effort in England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland to encourage students to enter courses in modern languages, added Dr Collen. There has been investment and initiatives, and though it has taken a few years, we are seeing the trend starting to reverse elsewhere. At the same time, we have been removing those initiatives in Northern Ireland, so there can be no surprise that the number of students with language qualifications is shrinking. Thats something that has to change if Northern Ireland wishes to truly consider itself a play on the world economic stage. What we have seen in the last few years is the dismantling of support for modern languages, and the result is in the lower than ever number of qualifications from our students. The fall in popularity of languages was highlighted by the British Councils Language trends survey in 2023, which said responses from teachers demonstrated the demands of language exams continued to dissuade pupils from pursuing them as a subject at GCSE or A-level. It added there was an unchallenged perception languages were harder to achieve a top grade in. Jonathan Stewart of the British Council Northern Ireland said: We are committed to continue working with schools and educators to prioritise international language learning in Northern Ireland. As stated in our most recent Language Trends 2023 report, the advantages of language skills and inter-cultural understanding are more important than ever. Languages open doors for young people to connect with new people, places and cultures, enable us to collaborate internationally on global challenges, and are vital for supporting our economic ambitions and relationships across the world. Stormonts Department of Education was approached for a comment. News Catch Up: Wednesday 14 August The satellite was launched on Friday night from a base in California on a SpaceX Falcon rocket (Ministry of Defence/SpaceX Livestream/PA) Images gathered by the UK militarys first satellite will be shared with allies, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said. The department said the war in Ukraine had shown that the use of space is crucial to military operations. The satellite, named Tyche, was launched on Friday from a rocket owned by SpaceX, the company co-founded by technology entrepreneur and billionaire Elon Musk. Along with military information, it is intended that data from the satellite will be accessible by other UK Government departments for uses including environmental disaster monitoring, mapping information development and tracking the impact of climate change globally, according to the MoD The satellite is around the size of a washing machine and weighs 150 kg (Ministry of Defence/SpaceX Livestream/PA) Tyche, which is comparable in size to a washing machine, was designed and built in the UK through a 22 million contract awarded to Surrey Satellites Technology Limited (SSTL) and is the first satellite to be fully owned by the MoD. SSTL received the first signals from Tyche a few hours after lift-off that confirmed the successful launch from Vandenberg space force base, California, on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as part of the Transporter 11 mission. Over a five-year life span, the 150kg satellite will provide imagery to support the UK armed forces and is the first to be launched by the MoD out of a constellation of satellites under its space-based Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) programme. Maria Eagle, minister for defence procurement and industry, said: Tyche will provide essential intelligence for military operations as well as supporting wider tasks across government. Tyche also shows the UKs commitment to support innovation in science and technology, stimulating growth across the sector and supporting highly-skilled jobs in the UK. Personnel from UK Space Command and Defence Equipment and Support being briefed about the processes of the UK Space Command satellite launch (AS1 Palmer/MOD/Crown Copyright2024/PA) The MoD said the design and build of Tyche had supported about 100 high-skilled roles at SSTL since 2022. UK Space Commander Major General Paul Tedman said: This is a fabulous day for UK space. The successful launch of Tyche has shown that UK Space Command, and its essential partners across defence and industry, can rapidly take a concept through to the delivery of a satellite capability on orbit. Tyche represents the first of a future constellation of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance satellites that well launch over the coming years. Id like to take this opportunity to congratulate everybody involved with Tyche and thank them for their support. Defence equipment and support space team leader Paul Russell described the project as an exciting journey. He said: To see Tyche the first of a new generation of UK military capabilities delivered into orbit is an incredibly proud moment and a tribute to everyones commitment to this key project. The Duchess of Sussex wore a big smile as she and the Duke of Sussex visited a music school during their tour of Colombia. Harry and Meghan were greeted by the sound of booming drums as they arrived at the Escuela Tambores de Cabildo in Cartagena, the second largest city in the Caribbean coastal region, on the third day of their official tour of the country. During the visit on Saturday, they participated in a drum lesson led by students alongside Colombias vice president Francia Marquez and her husband. The couple applauded a performance by local drummers and listened to community members, including children, teenagers and parents, speak about the importance of preserving Cartagenas culture particularly its Afro-Colombian roots. The schools founder, Rafael Ramos, said in Spanish: I love seeing Meghans big, big smile I can tell shes excited. Ms Marquez gave a speech about the importance of tradition and preserving Colombian heritage, saying towns such as Cartagena represent the heart of the South American country. In particular, she said, the art of drumming symbolises freedom for black communities across the world. Ms Marquez said part of her decision to invite the duke and duchess to Colombia was that she views them as a symbol of resistance and voices against injustice. The duke and duchess arrive at San Basilio de Palenque (Ivan Valencia/AP) She said: The duke and duchess came to Colombia this is Colombia. This is where the roots of our ancestors and our forefathers are from. A community like this cannot be displaced. Cartagena is the fifth largest city in Colombia and is being impacted by gentrification and a booming tourism industry. The couple were given a small handcrafted wooden boat by a student, a tribute to the scenic coastal town and its beaches. Prince Harry and Meghan visit San Basilio de Palenque, Colombia (Ivan Valencia/AP) Harry and Meghan later joined the vice president for a tour of nearby San Basilio de Palenque, established as the first free African town in the Americas in 1619. After speeches and performances from community leaders, the couple greeted their hosts in the indigenous language of Palenquero before finishing in Spanish. Meghan said she was so honoured to visit the town. Harry described the visit as an incredibly moving experience before they explored the street market and watched a concert featuring local musicians. Ms Marquez said the visit was crucial in combatting the negative global perception of the country. I wanted them to come here and discover the essence of who we are our spirituality, our music, our culture and our ancestral heritage that is still very much alive today, she said. In the midst of adversity, this is what has helped us continue to be resilient. Palestinian women weep on a truck as they evacuates a school that had been a shelter, in eastern Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip on Friday (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP) US President Joe Biden said talks about a ceasefire deal in Gaza have got a shot at succeeding. A US official said on Friday that negotiators are working out logistics for the potential release of hostages and distribution of aid as part of any agreement to end the Israel-Hamas war. The official, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity in keeping with rules set by the White House, said the proposal on the table bridges every gap between Israel and Hamas and mediators were making preparations before a final deal is approved. As he left the White House for Camp David on Friday night Mr Biden said: We are closer than weve ever been. Its far from over. Just a couple more issues, I think we got a shot. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was due to travel to Israel over the weekend to continue intensive diplomatic efforts toward a ceasefire and to underscore the need for all parties in the region to avoid escalation, State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said. Mr Blinken was expected to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday to discuss the new deal, said an Israeli official who spoke on the condition of anonymity in line with official requirements. Mediators expressed hope that a deal was within reach after two days of talks wrapped up in Qatar and that they plan to reconvene in Cairo next week to seal an agreement to stop the fighting. Both sides agreed in principle to the 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 a deal. The US official said the latest proposal is the same as Mr Bidens with some clarifications based on ongoing talks. Palestinians evacuate a school in eastern Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP) 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. 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 ministers office issued a statement saying it appreciates the efforts of the US and the mediators to dissuade Hamas from its refusal to a hostage release deal. 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, whose counts do not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Fears were still high that Iran and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon would attack Israel in retaliation for the killings of top militant leaders. International diplomacy to prevent the war from spreading intensified Friday, with the British and French foreign ministers making a joint trip to Israel. Israeli foreign minister Israel 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. Palestinian women grieve at the funeral for more than 15 people, including several children and women, killed in an Israeli strike (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana) An Israeli air strike has killed at least 18 people from the same family in the Gaza Strip. The attack came days after the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza announced the death toll surpassed 40,000 in the 10-month-old Israel-Hamas war, and just hours after officials from the United States, Egypt and Qatar wrapped up two days of ceasefire talks with a message of hope that a deal could be reached. A joint statement from the three mediators said a proposal to bridge the gaps between Israel and Hamas was presented and they expected to work out the details of how to implement the possible deal next week in Cairo. The mediation efforts were aimed not just at securing the release of scores of Israeli hostages and stopping the fighting that has devastated Gaza, where aid and health workers fear a possible polio outbreak. It is also aimed at tamping down regional tensions that have threatened to explode into a broader war amid fears that Iran and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon would attack Israel in retaliation for the killings of top militant leaders. The air strike in Gaza early on Saturday morning hit a house and an adjacent warehouse sheltering displaced people at the entrance of the town of Zawaida, according to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, where the casualties were taken. An Associated Press reporter at the hospital counted the deaths as they were brought in. Among those killed was a wholesaler identified as Sami Jawad al-Ejlah, who co-ordinated with the Israeli military to bring meat and fish to Gaza. The dead also included his two wives, 11 of their children aged two to 22, the childrens grandmother, and three other relatives, according to a death list provided by the hospital. He was a peaceful man, said Abu Ahmed, a neighbour who was slightly wounded in the attack. More than 40 civilians were sheltering in the house and warehouse at the time of the strike, he said. The Israeli military, which rarely comments on individual strikes, said it struck terrorist infrastructure in central Gaza where rockets had been fired toward Israel in recent weeks. It said it was continuing attacks on militants in central Gaza. Palestinians grieve at the funeral for more than 15 people killed in an Israeli strike, at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana) Associated Press footage showed bulldozers removing rubble from the heavily damaged warehouse, and trucks that Abu Ahmed said were used to bring meat and fish to Gaza from Israel. The Israeli military, which rarely comments on individual strikes, said it was checking on the report. It said on Saturday that it was continuing attacks on militants in central Gaza, including one seen launching rockets at troops. Meanwhile, another mass evacuation was ordered for areas in central Gaza. In a post on X, Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said Palestinians in areas in and around the urban Maghazi refugee camp should leave. He said Israeli forces will operate in these areas in response to Palestinian rocket fire. The vast majority of Gazas population has been displaced by the fighting, often multiple times, and around 84% of Gazas territory has been placed under evacuation orders by the Israeli military, according to the United Nations. Palestinians evacuate a school in eastern Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP) The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed across the border on October 7, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 250 to Gaza. More than 100 were released in a November cease-fire, and around 110 are believed to still be inside Gaza, though Israeli authorities believe around a third of them are dead. Israel says it has killed more than 17,000 Hamas militants in the war, without providing evidence. Mediators have spent months trying to hammer out a three-phase plan in which Hamas would release the hostages in exchange for a lasting ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. But efforts took on new urgency in recent weeks as diplomats hoped a deal would persuade Iran and Lebanons Hezbollah to hold off on retaliating for the killing of a top Hezbollah commander in an Israeli air strike in Beirut and of Hamass top political leader in an explosion in Tehran that was widely blamed on Israel. An American official said on Friday that the ceasefire deal currently presented to the two sides bridges all the gaps between Israel and Hamas. In what appeared to be a sign of confidence, mediators were preparing to implement the proposed agreement even before it was approved, said the official. The official said an implementation cell was being established in Cairo to focus on logistics including freeing hostages, providing humanitarian aid for Gaza and ensuring that the terms of the pact are met. But Hamas cast doubt on whether an agreement was near. In a statement, the militant group said the latest proposal diverged significantly from a previous iteration they had agreed to in principle, implying they were not inclined to accept it. The Israeli prime ministers office issued a statement saying it appreciates the efforts of the US and the mediators to dissuade Hamas from its refusal to a hostage release deal. Both sides agreed in principle to a plan announced on May 31 by US President Joe Biden. But Hamas has proposed amendments, and Israel has suggested clarifications, leading each side to accuse the other of trying to tank a deal. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content The US official said the latest proposal is the same as Mr Bidens, with some clarifications based on ongoing talks. The way it is structured poses no risk to Israels security but enhances it, the official added. 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. But Israel showed flexibility during the talks on retreating from the border corridor, and a meeting between Egyptian and Israeli military officials was scheduled for the following week to agree on a withdrawal mechanism, according to two Egyptian officials. Israel insisted on keeping control of the road bisecting Gaza, but American mediators vowed to return to the talks next week with a compromise on that demand, the officials said. As part of an increased wave of diplomacy aimed at securing the deal, French foreign minister Stephane Sejourne met with Egyptian foreign minister Badr Abdelatty in Cairo on Saturday. Sejourne and UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy met with officials in Israel on Friday. US secretary of state Antony Blinken planned to travel to Israel over the weekend and was expected to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday. Chinese company BYD's first carrier vessel docks in Spain Xinhua) 09:34, August 17, 2024 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. (Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Wu Chaolan) While Hindus publicly confront mob violence against their community, Christians are apprehensive about speaking out. Syed Mahamudur Rahman / AP Images Bangladeshs religious minorities have reported looting, arson, and vandalization following Sheikh Hasinas abrupt resignation as prime minister last month. Thousands of young people first took to the streets in June to protest a court ruling that reinstated a civil service quota system many found discriminatory and exclusive. But after Hasina insulted protesters, demonstrations escalated into violence. Since then, rioters have attacked the parliamentary building, the residences of the prime minister and other political leaders, and numerous other establishments, including ones belonging to certain religious minorities. The Catholic charity Caritas Bangladesh stated: 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. According to different local, national, and international news media, as well as reports from local communities, more than one hundred houses, religious institutions, and commercial centers belonging to Awami League leaders and religious minorities have been attacked. The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council [BHBCUC] reported that hundreds of families have been attacked, faced sabotage activities, and received death threats from miscreants. Caritas also stated its own regional office in southwestern Bangladesh was attacked by more than 100 rioters on August 4, noting that one of the mobs leaders told the group after about 15 minutes that this was not the intended target. On social media, many unverified reports went viral of mobs destroying a church in the Nilphamari district in northern Bangladesh and some Christian homes in Khulna, the countrys third-largest city. BHBCUC president Neem Chandra Bhowmik said that his organization had received reports over the phone of vandalism, intimidation and threats from 52 of the 64 districts. In response, the BHBCUC has organized efforts to demand peace, justice, and the arrests of those initiating violence against the minority communities in Bangladesh. While Christian organizations in Bangladesh affirm that they have recorded data on the churches and Christian establishments targeted, they have refused to publish it, fearing backlash, one leader told CT. Few Christian groups have officially expressed their solidarity for peace, said Asa Kain, general superintendent of the Bangladesh Assemblies of God (AG), who added that the AG had conducted peace rallies and prayed for the nation in public and that some Christian nonprofits, such as HEED, are providing medical help to those wounded in the attacks. When asked whether Christian students also participated in the protests, Kain explained that many might have joined with their own groups but that he did not know whether they were on the streets or active only on social media. Christians make up less than 0.5 percent (under a million) of Bangladeshs 174 million people, according to the 2022 census. Hindus, which comprise 8 percent, have suffered even greater losses. One leader said that up to 300 Hindu homes and 20 temples had been vandalized. Another said that attacks on his community had killed five people. Minority communities across the country suffered after the police went on strike following a mob attack against them that left nearly four dozen officers dead and 500 injured. Acknowledging stray incidents against the Christian community, though clarifying that no AG churches have been affected, Kain said, These incidents were expected because there was no police force at work [to protect the minority community] for six days. An August 5 statement from the Church of Bangladesh did not mention any violence against Christians but asked for the safety and protection of all citizens, especially those who are most vulnerable and for prayer for those who had lost loved ones. It also noted the challenges of limited internet access and said that the curfew and limited access to resources have made daily life extremely difficult for many. The president of the Bangladesh Baptist Church Sangha, Christopher Adhikari also expressed concerns about the effects of the long-term blockades and curfews on the countrys day laborers. John Karmakar, general secretary of the Bangladesh Baptist Church Sangha, urged people to continue praying for peace and justice in the country. In a statement, the National Council of Churches in Bangladesh pointed to instances of vandalism targeting churches and minority offices and called for continued prayers for the protection of minority groups. Muhammad Yunus, who was sworn in as head of Bangladeshs interim government after Hasina fled to India, met with distressed Hindu community members on August 13. He subsequently promised to set up a hotline for Bangladeshi minorities to report any attack and receive swift action. On Friday, Yunus assured Indias prime minister Narendra Modi that the government would ensure the protection and safety of Hindus and other minority groups. Martha Das, the general secretary of the National Christian Fellowship of Bangladesh, asked the church to pray for those who had lost loved ones and for a return to law-and-order. Pray that this interim government will govern with integrity and equality, she said. All the advisers in the government should stay healthy and work to build a real new Bangladesh. Despite being a small minority, Christians in Bangladesh have been an active community, with missionary activities dating back to the late 18th century that established churches, schools, and hospitals. While generally coexisting peacefully with the Muslim majority and the Hindu minority, Christians have faced periods of tension and occasional violence, including church bombings in the early 2000s. The community has experienced significant growth at times, particularly among tribal and Hindu groups. Christian organizations have also been heavily involved in relief and development work, contributing to Bangladeshs social services and national development. Although their relationship with the government has varied, Christians have often been welcomed for their contributions in health care, education, and agriculture. Christian leaders have worked to integrate more fully into Bangladeshi society while maintaining their religious identity. Despite this, Bangladesh is ranked number 26 on Open Doors 2024 World Watch List, largely due to backlash that Christian converts face from their former Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, or tribal communities. In April 2023, insurgents killed eight tribal Christians in Chittagong. The protests in Bangladesh stem from the economic discontent of many of the countrys young people. (Nearly 50 million Bangladeshis are between the ages of 10 and 24.) Despite the countrys economic growth, many young Bangladeshis have found it challenging to find work, and university graduates face higher unemployment rates than their less-educated peers. On July 1, the High Court reinstated a quota (abolished in 2018) that guaranteed 30 percent of civil service jobs would go to descendants of those who had fought for the countrys independence. The students demanded an end to the quota that favored the allies of the ruling Awami League party, a group originally composed of those who had led the independence movement. Despite having led the government that had overturned the quota, Hasina defended its existence. Why is there so much resentment towards freedom fighters? If the grandchildren of freedom fighters dont get quota benefits, should the grandchildren of Razakars? Hasina said. (Razakar is a slur for those who colluded with the East Pakistani volunteer force during the war for independence and participated in its atrocities, including murder, rape, and property destruction, and are thus seen as traitors.) Following the prime ministers remarks, the protesters took to the streets, and soon security forces and members of the Chhatra League (the student wing of Hasinas Awami League) opened fire, killing hundreds of students. The government harshly cracked down, shutting down internet and phone access and authorizing the military to shoot on sight. As of August 10, a total of 300 people had died and thousands had been injured since the protests began. Russia kept up its assault on Ukraine on Saturday even as Ukrainian forces pushed into Russias Kursk border region. A Russian missile sparked a blaze in the city of Sumy that injured two people and also damaged cars and nearby buildings, said Ukraines State Emergency Service. It said that the hit had involved an Iskander-K cruise missile and an aerial bomb. Ukraines air force also said it had shot down 14 Russian drones overnight, including over the Kyiv region. Meanwhile, fighting continued in Russias Kursk region, where Ukrainian troops have been deployed since August 6 in a bid to divert the Kremlins military focus away from the front line in Ukraine. On Thursday, Ukrainian forces said they had seized the town of Sudzha, six miles from the border. With a pre-war population of roughly 5,000, it is the biggest town to fall to Ukraines troops since the incursion began. Artillery fire had blown chunks out of a statue of Soviet founder Vladimir Lenin in the towns central square, while the bright yellow facade of a local administration building was scorched and pockmarked with bullet holes. A damaged monument to Soviet founder Vladimir Lenin stands in a central square in Russias Kursk region (AP Photo) Alexander Kots, military correspondent with the pro-Kremlin newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda, said that Ukrainian pressure in Kursk is not weakening yet. In the main sections of the ragged front, the situation has stabilised. But there are areas where the enemy continues to try to expand its bridgehead, he wrote on his Telegram channel. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday that Ukraine had destroyed a bridge across the Seim River in the Glushkovsky district with US-made HIMARS rockets, marking their first use in the Kursk region. A strategically important bridge over the river Seim has been destroyed by Ukrainian troops (Ukrainian Defence Ministry Press Office via AP) Ms Zakharovas statement could not be independently confirmed, although the Washington-based think tank the Institute for the Study of War said that geo-located footage published on August 16 showed that the bridge had collapsed following the strike. Russian military bloggers said that the destruction of bridges would impede deliveries of supplies to Russian forces, but not cut them off completely. No one has cancelled the pontoons, said Mr Kots, stressing that the Seim River is smaller than Ukrainian waterways such as the Dnieper River. And there are still smaller bridges. Russia has seen previous raids on its territory in the war, but the Kursk incursion is notable for its size, speed, the reported involvement of battle-hardened Ukrainian brigades and the length of time they have stayed inside Russia. As many as 10,000 Ukrainian troops are involved, according to Western military analysts. The incursion, which Russian authorities say has led to the evacuation of more than 120,000 civilians, came as a shock to many, Yan Furtsev, an activist and member of local opposition party Yabloko, told the AP. Destroyed Russian tanks lie on a roadside near Sudzha, in the Kursk region (AP Photo) No one expected that this kind of conflict was even possible in the Kursk region. That is why there is such confusion and panic, because citizens are arriving (from frontline areas) and theyre scared, very scared, he said. Ukrainian forces have also captured a number of Russian troops as they have moved across the region. On Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked soldiers and commanders for capturing Russian military personnel and said the countrys exchange fund that it would use to bargain for the return of Ukrainian prisoners of war was being replenished. I thank all our soldiers and commanders who are capturing Russian military personnel, thereby advancing the release of our warriors and civilians held by Russia, Mr Zelensky said in a post on X. Adobe Stock The Devil is a liar who wants people to remain in darkness and confusion. One of the ways he has been doing this since the ministry of Jesus Christ began is by lying about Jesus identity. Whether it is leading people to believe the Messiah would come as a conqueror who would overthrow Rome, inspiring people to lie about the resurrection, or some other misleading idea that has caused people to doubt Jesus claims about Himself. One of the pervasive lies and confusions that has arisen since Jesus resurrection is that He is not Jewish. The Bible is clear the Messiah would be a descendent of David, from the tribe of Judah, as a part of the sign and assurance of Gods promise of redemption for mankind. If Jesus was not Jewish, then He would not fulfill the prophecies about the Messiah, and Gods promises have yet to be kept. People would use that as an excuse to reject the Bible, or to look elsewhere for salvation. Jesus earthly heritage and identity was Jewish, but He came to save all people from eternal damnation. A Jewish man walking down the street Is the Jewish Identity a Race, a Religion, or Both? When considering the race of an individual, it is important to define our terms. Race is defined by Merriam-Webster as, a category of humankind that shares certain distinctive physical traits. Ethnicity is defined by the same dictionary as a particular ethnic affiliation or group, which can generally include language and culture. Jewish people fall under a category known as the Semitic people, of, relating to, or constituting a subfamily of the Afro-Asiatic language family that includes Hebrew, Aramaic, Arabic, and Amharic. The racial characteristics of the Semitic people varies depending on the region they are from, and their historical lineage. It is generally believed that Jews living in Israel during the Roman occupation would have looked like the Barber people of Egypt today, but there would have been a relative degree of diversity depending on which area of Israel the individual lived in. For example, in northern Israel, there were many Greek people living there, and there was a higher number of inter-faith and inter-racial marriages, leading to more diversity of physical characteristics. In southern Israel, people tended to live closer to the Law, avoiding marrying outside their faith and their people group. Among the Semitic people, the Jews are an ethno-cultural identity that are identified with specific religious practices based on the Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) and the Tanakh (books of the law, the prophets, and other collected writings). Being Jewish is both an ethnic identity and a religion, though some people who are born with that ethnic identity do not practice the religion, and some people convert to the religion even though they are not born into the ethnicity. Was Jesus Jewish? People who are Jewish trace their lineage back to the three patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The last of these three men had twelve sons, each of which gave their names to a tribe, except Joseph whose two sons constituted two half-tribes. These tribes were: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Ephraim and Mannasseh, and Benjamin. Tribal identity became crucial to the nation of Israel, as each tribe received a heritage and blessings from Jacob as recorded in Genesis 49, land allotments from God in the promised land in Numbers 34, and even specific roles for certain tribes, such as the Levites becoming the priestly tribe. Tracking tribal affiliation was a crucial part of the culture of the Hebrew people, even through the exile up until the destruction of Jerusalem and the dissolution of the state of Israel by the Roman Empire around 70 AD. In the Bible, the Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Matthew and the Greek believer Luke to record the lineage of Jesus Christ. Both writers recorded two different lineages. Matthew has the record of Jesus earthly step-father, Joseph. The focus of this genealogy is highlighting the line going back to the start of the nation at Abraham, emphasizing membership in the tribe of Judah, and tracing it through Davids son Solomon and beyond. Key individuals in the lineage include: Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers (Matthew 1:2) and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar (Matthew 1:3a) and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king (Matthew 1:5-6a) And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, and Solomon the father of Rehoboam (Matthew 1:6b-7a) ...and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah (Matthew 1:9b) and Eliud was the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ (Matthew 1:15016). Lukes Gospel looks different, as it works backward from Mary and Joseph. It follows Marys lineage and goes all the way back to Adam, emphasizing that Jesus is for all people, though He is of the nation of Israel. It also does not feature any women. Key individuals in the lineage include: The son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David (Luke 3:31) the son of Amminadav, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of JudahLuke 3:33 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah (Luke 3:34) the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God (Luke 3:36b-38). These two lineages demonstrate that in both his biological mothers family and his adopted fathers family, Jesus lineage is Jewish, a Hebrew of the tribe of Judah from the line of David from both his earthly parents. Does Jesus Race Matter? We can ask the question of whether or not Jesus racial identity matters. Isnt He a savior for everyone? The Bible affirms that Jesus came to save everyone, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). Jesus identity as a Jew, specifically from the line of David and the tribe of Judah, is critical to verifying the identity of the Savior. God made several promises and prophecies about the person who would be able to redeem humanity from their sins. Key verses about the identity of the Messiah are: The Lord God said to the serpentI will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel (Genesis 3:14a-15). The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples (Genesis 49:10). When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever (2 Samuel 7:12-16). There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit (Isaiah 11:1). Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: The Lord is our righteousness (Jeremiah 23:5-6). In order for Jesus claim to be the Messiah to be true and believable, He had to fulfill these requirements, among others. Jesus identity as a Jewish man, specifically from the line of David - through two different sons - and the tribe of Judah were signs to the people during His earthly ministry that this man was the one for whom they were searching. It is also a sign to those who study the Scriptures today that Jesus really is who He said He was before His resurrection and ascension. The difference between true faith and blind faith is support and evidence. While people can be saved through the blood of Jesus Christ without understanding the lineage of Jesus Christ, their faith can be strengthened and fortified by understanding the identity of Jesus and how it fulfills prophecy given thousands of years before He was born. He existed before, one with the Father and the Holy Spirit, but came into the world so that everyone who followed Him could have eternal life. Jesus came into the world as a Jewish man, and He used this identity in part as proof that He was the one who would crush the head of the serpent, and bring hope to a lost world. Sources Bernstein, Aaron. Some Jewish Witnesses for Christ. eBook, 2022. Edersheim, Alfred. The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah. Vol.1. London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1883. Walvoord, John F. and Roy B. Zuck. The Bible Knowledge Commentary An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Old Testament and New Testament. United States of America: Victor Books, 1987. Bennington, VT (05201) Today Partly cloudy early followed by increasing clouds with showers developing later in the day. High 58F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Showers in the evening, then cloudy overnight. Low around 40F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%. This Story in History is selected from the archives by Jeannie Maschino, The Berkshire Eagle. Ryan Salame, who was the head of FTX's subsidiary in the Bahamas, leaves federal court in September after pleading guilty to a campaign finance law violation and a charge of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. The Eagle has removed a reference to a tweet attributed to Salame that was generated by an imposter account. Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the interpretation of facts and data. The Swiss plane came to grief. X A Swiss flight from Tokyo to Zurich had to make an unscheduled stopover in Kazakhstan on Saturday. The plane then ended up in the grass. Sven Ziegler No time? blue News summarizes for you A Swiss flight from Tokyo to Zurich had to make an emergency landing on Saturday. The plane made an unscheduled landing in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. The plane then ran into the grass. Show more A Swiss airline plane on its way from Tokyo to Zurich had to make a stopover in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Saturday due to a medical emergency. During a turning maneuver on the runway, the front wheel of the plane got caught in a meadow. The pilot had to make a 180-degree turn of the aircraft on the runway after landing, as the taxiway was closed at the time, a spokeswoman told the Keystone-SDA news agency on request. The front wheel came off the runway and landed lightly in a meadow. Aircraft is back on the runway The aircraft was then brought back onto the runway. The passenger affected by the medical emergency was handed over to medical personnel, the spokeswoman continued. All other passengers are safe and well, it added. The passengers will now be brought to Zurich as quickly as possible. The incident is being investigated. The incident involved a Boeing 777 aircraft. In the evening, Swiss announced that its sister company Austrian Airlines would provide support following the unscheduled landing in Astana: The Austrian airline was sending an aircraft to the Kazakh capital to transport Swiss passengers to Vienna. The arrival in Vienna is scheduled for 10.15 a.m. Swiss time on Sunday morning. 10,000 Swiss francs for connecting flight The passengers would then be taken to Zurich or their final destination. This option is the best solution for passengers on the original flight from Tokyo to Zurich, so that they can be transported onwards as quickly as possible. At the same time, it would have the least impact on Swiss's overall flight operations. Passengers and crew will be accommodated in hotels until departure from Astana to Vienna. However, as "20 Minuten" writes, the Austrian aircraft has less space than the Swiss plane. Therefore, not all stranded passengers could be brought to Vienna. Many passengers were stranded without a connection. "We were told that it could take up to three days before we were picked up," said the passenger. But because she had to go to Zurich for work, she had now booked a flight on her own. This had cost her 10,000 francs. Swiss rejects this accusation. "Our flight captain informed all passengers at Astana Airport on Saturday evening that an Austrian Airlines aircraft would be available for the repatriation. We also organized a hotel for the passengers and informed them of the pick-up time for the return flight. We offered this option to all passengers who wanted to travel back on the Austrian Airlines flight," writes spokeswoman Karin Montani. A convicted murderer has gone missing from custody in Belfast. Police are working to locate 54-year-old David McCord, who is currently unlawfully at large. Advertisement McCord, who is serving a life sentence for murder, was in the custody of prison staff at a property in the Crumlin Road area of north Belfast on Friday, August 16th. He was last seen on the Castlereagh Road at around 4.30pm and was wearing a green jacket and black tracksuit bottoms. He was carrying a red carrier bag. Police are appealing to anyone who has seen him or who knows of his whereabouts not to approach him, but to contact 101, and quote reference number 607 of August 16th. Officers are appealing directly to McCord to hand himself in. Advertisement A PSNI spokeswoman said: Alternatively, information can also be provided to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 which is 100% anonymous. The teenager arrested in connection with the stabbing of an army chaplain in Galway has been charged. The victim, Fr Paul Murphy, was stabbed a number of times and is being treated for injuries that are serious but not life-threatening. Advertisement The army chaplain was attacked outside Renmore Barracks on Thursday night. Defence Forces members fired warning shots and restrained a teenager at the scene, who was then arrested by Gardai. He is expected to appear before Galway District Court on Saturday afternoon. An Garda Siochana reminds any member of the public reporting or commenting on this incident of the provisions of section 93 Children Act 2001, which imposes restrictions on the publication of any particulars, including any picture, which is likely to lead to the identification of any child concerned in any criminal proceedings. Gardai say investigations are ongoing. Two men and a woman have been arrested after drugs worth 260,000 were seized in Cork. During the search of a residential premises in the Carrigtwohill area, suspected cannabis with an estimated street value of 140,000 and suspected cocaine with a street value of 120,000 was recovered. Advertisement A woman in her 40s and two men, aged in their 50s and teens, were arrested in connection with this seizure and all are currently detained in a Garda station in Cork. All drugs seized will be sent for forensic analysis Gardai say investigations are ongoing. An Israeli air strike has killed at least 18 people from the same family in the Gaza Strip. The attack came days after the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza announced the death toll surpassed 40,000 in the 10-month-old Israel-Hamas war, and just hours after officials from the United States, Egypt and Qatar wrapped up two days of ceasefire talks with a message of hope that a deal could be reached. Advertisement A joint statement from the three mediators said a proposal to bridge the gaps between Israel and Hamas was presented and they expected to work out the details of how to implement the possible deal next week in Cairo. Advertisement The mediation efforts were aimed not just at securing the release of scores of Israeli hostages and stopping the fighting that has devastated Gaza, where aid and health workers fear a possible polio outbreak. It is also aimed at tamping down regional tensions that have threatened to explode into a broader war amid fears that Iran and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon would attack Israel in retaliation for the killings of top militant leaders. The air strike in Gaza early on Saturday morning hit a house and an adjacent warehouse sheltering displaced people at the entrance of the town of Zawaida, according to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, where the casualties were taken. An Associated Press reporter at the hospital counted the deaths as they were brought in. Among those killed was a wholesaler identified as Sami Jawad al-Ejlah, who co-ordinated with the Israeli military to bring meat and fish to Gaza. The dead also included his two wives, 11 of their children aged two to 22, the childrens grandmother, and three other relatives, according to a death list provided by the hospital. Advertisement He was a peaceful man, said Abu Ahmed, a neighbour who was slightly wounded in the attack. More than 40 civilians were sheltering in the house and warehouse at the time of the strike, he said. The Israeli military, which rarely comments on individual strikes, said it struck terrorist infrastructure in central Gaza where rockets had been fired toward Israel in recent weeks. It said it was continuing attacks on militants in central Gaza. Palestinians grieve at the funeral for more than 15 people killed in an Israeli strike, at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana) Advertisement Associated Press footage showed bulldozers removing rubble from the heavily damaged warehouse, and trucks that Abu Ahmed said were used to bring meat and fish to Gaza from Israel. The Israeli military, which rarely comments on individual strikes, said it was checking on the report. It said on Saturday that it was continuing attacks on militants in central Gaza, including one seen launching rockets at troops. Meanwhile, another mass evacuation was ordered for areas in central Gaza. In a post on X, Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said Palestinians in areas in and around the urban Maghazi refugee camp should leave. He said Israeli forces will operate in these areas in response to Palestinian rocket fire. Advertisement The vast majority of Gazas population has been displaced by the fighting, often multiple times, and around 84% of Gazas territory has been placed under evacuation orders by the Israeli military, according to the United Nations. Palestinians evacuate a school in eastern Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP) The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed across the border on October 7, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 250 to Gaza. More than 100 were released in a November cease-fire, and around 110 are believed to still be inside Gaza, though Israeli authorities believe around a third of them are dead. Israel says it has killed more than 17,000 Hamas militants in the war, without providing evidence. Mediators have spent months trying to hammer out a three-phase plan in which Hamas would release the hostages in exchange for a lasting ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. But efforts took on new urgency in recent weeks as diplomats hoped a deal would persuade Iran and Lebanons Hezbollah to hold off on retaliating for the killing of a top Hezbollah commander in an Israeli air strike in Beirut and of Hamass top political leader in an explosion in Tehran that was widely blamed on Israel. An American official said on Friday that the ceasefire deal currently presented to the two sides bridges all the gaps between Israel and Hamas. In what appeared to be a sign of confidence, mediators were preparing to implement the proposed agreement even before it was approved, said the official. The official said an implementation cell was being established in Cairo to focus on logistics including freeing hostages, providing humanitarian aid for Gaza and ensuring that the terms of the pact are met. But Hamas cast doubt on whether an agreement was near. In a statement, the militant group said the latest proposal diverged significantly from a previous iteration they had agreed to in principle, implying they were not inclined to accept it. The Israeli prime ministers office issued a statement saying it appreciates the efforts of the US and the mediators to dissuade Hamas from its refusal to a hostage release deal. Both sides agreed in principle to a plan announced on May 31 by US President Joe Biden. But Hamas has proposed amendments, and Israel has suggested clarifications, leading each side to accuse the other of trying to tank a deal. Only with diplomacy can we end the current cycle of violence in the Middle East and bring lasting peace.@Steph_Sejourne and I met Israeli Foreign Minister @Israel_Katz and Palestinian Authority PM Mustafa, in the first joint UK-France Ministerial visit in over 10 years. pic.twitter.com/ckRZWAaomy David Lammy (@DavidLammy) August 16, 2024 The US official said the latest proposal is the same as Mr Bidens, with some clarifications based on ongoing talks. The way it is structured poses no risk to Israels security but enhances it, the official added. 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. But Israel showed flexibility during the talks on retreating from the border corridor, and a meeting between Egyptian and Israeli military officials was scheduled for the following week to agree on a withdrawal mechanism, according to two Egyptian officials. Israel insisted on keeping control of the road bisecting Gaza, but American mediators vowed to return to the talks next week with a compromise on that demand, the officials said. As part of an increased wave of diplomacy aimed at securing the deal, French foreign minister Stephane Sejourne met with Egyptian foreign minister Badr Abdelatty in Cairo on Saturday. Sejourne and UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy met with officials in Israel on Friday. US secretary of state Antony Blinken planned to travel to Israel over the weekend and was expected to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday. Whether youve been on a summer trip already, are looking forward to one, or are just chilling out at home, food is always the best way to channel holiday energy onto your doorstep. While wed like to be eating arancini in Sicily all the time, its not always possible but that doesnt mean you cant recreate some of your favourite southern European dishes at home even after the last of the summer sun. Advertisement And Mediterranean food is having a moment right now, judging by the amount of brilliant new cookbooks being released shining a spotlight on the cuisine. Whats particularly exciting about these books is how they showcase the sheer range within Mediterranean food. While theres lots of pastas, grilled seafood and dishes youll likely be more familiar with, theres also plenty more demonstrating the diversity of food in the countries along the Med. Looking for some culinary inspiration this summer? Let these new cookbooks lend a helping hand 1. Mediterra by Ben Tish Chef Ben Tish has worked under the Michelin-starred likes of Marcus Wareing and Jason Atherton, so he certainly knows his stuff. Advertisement Mediterra is his fifth cookbook, and its handily divided up by geography. First, we head to the Northern Shores, which spans Spain, France, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, and Greece. Highlights include salmon baked in fig leaves from Provence, the only spaghetti al pomodoro (spaghetti with tomatoes) recipe youll ever need, BBQd scallops from Croatia and a classic Greek salad. Advertisement View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ben Tish (@ben.tish) Advertisement Then its on to the Eastern Shores Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Egypt. While the dishes differ from the first chapter think seven-spice falafel, lamb and pistachio meatballs, and labneh cheesecake theres a similar emphasis on simple, seasonal ingredients. Finally, Tish stops off at the Southern Shores, which represent Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. Recipes range from honey and harissa chicken wings to a Medjool date and cardamom loaf. The variety in this book is truly impressive theres something for everyone, and plenty of recipes to get you trying something new and expand your impression of what Mediterranean food is. 2. Crazy Water, Pickled Lemons by Diana Henry Were slightly cheating with this one, because Crazy Water, Pickled Lemons is actually a brand-new reprint of an older book. But its still well worth looking at, particularly as none other than Yotam Ottolenghi refers to it as an all-time classic and the book Im happy to return to, over and over again. This was Co Derry food writer Diana Henrys first book, first published back in 2002. Back then, some of the ingredients she spoke about pomegranates, figs, saffron and more were relatively hard to come by, but not so now. Now, the book is more accessible than ever. Packed with familiar Mediterranean recipes, like simple Greek lamb or lemon and basil ice cream, Henry also ventures further into the Middle East and Africa, with dishes like Turkish pizza with pomegranates, spinach and feta, and rose ice cream. Henry is greatly skilled as a storyteller, whether its talking about discovering set natural yoghurt as an au pair in France, or explaining the meaning behind the titular crazy water. FYI, its actually the name of a poached fish dish from the Amalfi Coast. No one knows exactly why it earned this title it could be a reference to the seawater the fisherman used to cook the catch at sea, or it could be a reference to the chilli in the recipe. 3. Moroseta Kitchen by Giorgia Eugenia Goggi (Maureen Evans/PA) Moroseta Kitchen is the most laser-focused of all three books on this list, zeroing in on recipes from Puglia, a southern region of Italy. It comes from Giorgia Eugenia Goggi, the resident chef of Ostuni-based hotel Masseria Moroseta, whose focus is seasonal and modern Italian cuisine. If you havent quite managed to navigate the waitlist to dine at the hotels restaurant which has over 300 people clamouring a night in peak season this is the next best thing. Its divided up into seasons, giving you a taste of Puglia all year round spring brings fresh grilled asparagus dishes; summer has tomato raviolo; autumn features an apple, spelt and coriander cake; and winter stars a lot of artichoke, like a recipe for an artichoke, chestnut and almond emulsion. Its definitely the most complex of all the cookbooks featuring less mainstream ingredients like rabbit and experimental dishes like potato skin gelato, so is perhaps for cooks looking to take their food to the next level. The pictures in the book are particularly stunning all shot on film, they transport you to a farmhouse in Puglia. And while you might not have on-site hens to give you eggs for breakfast or your own herbs to add into a spritz, you can still soak up a bit of Italian flair at home with Goggis recipes. Support Us Your Support will ensure EPWs financial viability and sustainability. The EPW produces independent and public-spirited scholarship and analyses of contemporary affairs every week. EPW is one of the few publications that keep alive the spirit of intellectual inquiry in the Indian media. Often described as a publication with a social conscience, EPW has never shied away from taking strong editorial positions. Our publication is free from political pressure, or commercial interests. Our editorial independence is our pride. We rely on your support to continue the endeavour of highlighting the challenges faced by the disadvantaged, writings from the margins, and scholarship on the most pertinent issues that concern contemporary Indian society. Every contribution is valuable for our future. In the hours before Ukrainian soldiers stormed across Russia's western border, there was no sign from Moscow that anything was amiss. At midnight at the start of August 6th, the Russian defence ministry posted good news: more than 2,500 members of the regiment responsible for the capture of a town in eastern Ukraine would receive state awards for heroism. Advertisement Later that morning, as Ukraine began the biggest invasion of Russia since World War Two, the ministry published video showing General Valery Gerasimov, commander of the Russian war effort, visiting a different combat zone, also in Ukraine. He heard reports from commanders and set "tasks for further actions", it said. The footage did not specify the exact time of the visit, but revealed no concerns, or knowledge, of the events unfolding in Russia's western Kursk region that threatened to upset Gerasimov's plans and shift the course of the two-and-a-half-year war. Panic spread quickly among local Russian residents in the early hours of the assault, despite repeated attempts by authorities to assure them that everything was under control, according to a timeline by Reuters of the first two days of the incursion, based on public statements, social media posts and analysis of video footage. The idea that Ukraine could turn the tables on Russia and burst onto the territory of its much bigger neighbour seemed unthinkable to most observers before last week. The shock operation has raised questions about the effectiveness of Russia's surveillance, as well as the calibre of its border fortifications and the forces guarding them. Advertisement "The Russians had a complete intelligence failure here," French military expert Yohann Michel, research fellow at the IESD institute in Lyon, said in an interview. With Ukraine's forces retreating in eastern Ukraine, one of the most strategic sectors of the front line, Moscow may well have assumed Kyiv would not make a high-stakes gamble that even now it is far from clear will pay off, Michel said. "I would understand if it was difficult for the Russians to think something that big could happen," he said. Ukrainian goals in Kursk include distracting Russian forces from the front line in the eastern region of Donetsk. Instead, fighting has intensified in that region in recent days, and the risks for Ukraine are rising as it tries to hold ground in Kursk. Advertisement A Russian member of parliament and former military officer, Andrei Gurulyov, said in a television interview two days after the incursion that Russian military leaders had been warned in a report about a month beforehand that there were signs of preparations for a Ukrainian attack, but it was not heeded. The Russian defence ministry did not reply to requests for comment. Ukraine's armed forces declined to comment about the ongoing operations, and the US State Department, Pentagon and White House did not immediately respond to questions. It was not until the afternoon of the following day, August 7th, that president Vladimir Putin and Gerasimov, his armed forces chief of staff, made their first public remarks on the Kursk events, which the Kremlin leader called "another major provocation" by Ukraine. Gerasimov, fresh from his ill-timed trip, told Putin in the televised comments that Russian forces had "stopped" a force of up to 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers from thrusting deep inside Kursk region. Advertisement Michel, the military analyst, said it was unclear whether Gerasimov was misinformed by his own subordinates, or whether he felt compelled to deliver good news to Putin in front of the TV cameras. Russian officials in such staged settings "say what they think the boss wants to hear or to see in public at that specific moment", Michel said. A damaged road sign with directions to Ukraine and Russia at a destroyed border crossing point near the Ukrainian-controlled Russian town of Sudzha, Kursk. Photo: AFP via Getty It took nearly 12 hours from the time of the incursion, which Gerasimov stated as 5.30am on August 6th, for the defence ministry to publicly acknowledge Ukraine had attacked the border, let alone broken through it. Advertisement It was left to Kursk's acting regional governor Alexei Smirnov, only months into the job, to fill the communications vacuum and try to coordinate with the multiple defence and security agencies responsible for protecting the border. In the first of many Telegram posts on August 6th, Smirnov issued missile warnings at 1.51am and 3.11am local time, urging residents to take cover. At 3.15am, he said air defences had knocked out three incoming Ukrainian drones. At 6.16am, 11 more. Regions either side of the border have long grown used to tit-for-tat missile and drone attacks. But strikes against the Kursk region, recorded by Smirnov in Telegram posts, had been more than usually persistent for the previous 10 days. Among the targets hit were oil depots, power substations and, according to the Ukrainian military, a storage facility for weapons and military equipment. From about 5am, alarm began to spread on social media. Locals posted that shelling in Sudzha, a Russian town on the border, had been going on for three hours. "What's going on with the lights? I've got no light or water," said a woman posting as "Ekaterina Picasa". A user called Denis reported nine explosions in Korenevo, about 26km from the border. Reuters made multiple attempts to contact residents via social media, but these were ignored or blocked. A stream of posts appeared in "Native Sudzha", a community channel on the social network VKontakte, but it was not clear whether the information was from official sources. "We advise people to leave the town," said one such message at 7.34am. People were warned to beware of drones and watch out for unexploded shells By 8.15am Native Sudzha was reporting "active fighting on the border itself". But a widely read Russian war blog was dismissive. The "Two Majors" Telegram channel, followed by more than a million people, said a small group of "the enemy" had managed to get only as far as 300 metres inside Russia and was "being destroyed". It suggested the operation was being staged by Ukrainian "TikTok units" as a media exercise. Ukraine's government has said little about the planning of the incursion. In May, shortly after Russian troops crossed the border and seized territory in the nearby Kharkiv region, Ukraine's military intelligence chief publicly warned of small groups of Russian forces gathering around the Sudzha area and said Moscow had planned an operation into Ukraine's Sumy region from there. Reuters could not independently verify whether Russia had been preparing an offensive into Sumy. On Friday, Ukraine's paratrooper corps said its fighters spent the first hours of the operation demining, breaching the border and destroying defensive lines, using aviation and artillery. "Careful preparation, planning, surprise, fighting spirit and informational silence became decisive in the initial stage of the operation," the Airborne Assault Troops said in an online post. A Ukrainian soldier called Dmytro (36) said he initially thought the Ukrainian army's build-up was to prevent a Russian cross-border raid. Instead, he found himself supporting the advance toward the border crossing near Sudzha after the assault units moved in, he said in an interview, giving his only first name in line with military protocol. "We worked to pre-empt them and they did not see this coming at all," he said. A military truck with the Z letter, a tactical insignia of Russian troops in Ukraine, drives past a sign that says 'Kursk, the city of military glory'. Photo: AFP via Getty Just after 10am governor Smirnov confirmed for the first time that Ukraine had attempted an incursion but said Russian soldiers and border guards of the FSB security service had "prevented" the border from being breached. It was the first of numerous statements that were to be quickly disproved by events. Just before noon, the defence ministry published its video of Gerasimov visiting Russian forward positions in Ukraine. On events in Kursk, it was silent. So too was the Kremlin, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov on a summer break and reporters left without his usual daily briefing. As of August 16th, 10 days later, he had not returned to work. "Tell me please, is it true that Ukrainian tanks have broken through to Sudzha and Darino?", a user, "Nestik", posted on Telegram. Smirnov posted that help was being provided to residents of areas that had been struck overnight by missiles and drones. "The situation is under control," he wrote at 12.46pm. About an hour later, Russian news agencies published the first word from the central authorities about the situation. It was from the FSB, saying Russia had "repelled an armed provocation." By now, however, an exodus was under way. Sudzha residents were "leaving en masse", a woman called Anna said on Telegram. "Of course. Everyone wants to live," someone replied. In the chaos, some were left behind. A search network, Liza Alert, said it has posted over 100 "missing" notices for people who have disappeared since August 6th, including many pensioners in their 70s and 80s. Russian president Vladimir Putin holding a meeting on the situation in Kursk on August 7th. Photo: Sputnik/AFP via Getty Smirnov's predecessor as governor, Roman Starovoit, had repeatedly told the public that Russia had boosted its border fortifications in Kursk region. In December 2022, he posed in a snowy field beside pyramid-shaped "dragon's teeth" anti-tank defences. The following month, he wrote: "Right now the risk of an armed invasion of the territory of Kursk region from Ukraine is not high. However, we are constantly working to strengthen the regions defence capabilities." Yet last fall Ukraine's National Resistance Center, created by the special operations forces, said in an online post that reconnaissance showed "almost all the strongholds are deserted of personnel and equipment" along the border with Kursk, and said corruption was a factor. The video published by Ukraine's paratroopers showed columns of armored vehicles pouring in through rows of dragons teeth, part of fortifications in Kursk that Russia media outlets have said cost 15 billion roubles ($168 million). Pasi Paroinen, an analyst with Finland's Black Bird Group, said the video appeared to show mine-clearing line charges blowing paths through minefields, dozer blades on armoured vehicles used to clear paths through the dragon's teeth and bridging vehicles to cross ditches and small rivers. It's clear that substantial amounts of different engineer equipment were prepared and used," said Paroinen, who studies publicly available footage from the Russia-Ukraine war. Brady Africk, a US analyst mapping Russias defences, said those in Kursk region had fewer anti-vehicle ditches, obstacles and fighting positions when compared to Russian positions in occupied southern Ukraine, where a Ukrainian counteroffensive stalled last summer. "It was likely easier for Ukrainian forces to progress around and through Russia's fortifications in the region, especially if they were manned by fewer or poorly trained personnel," he said. A Ukrainian road sign showing the distance to Kursk next to the destroyed border crossing point with Russia. Photo: AFP via Getty Responsibility for defending the Russian border is shared between regular troops, FSB border forces and the national guard. Governor Smirnov was apparently referring to these various agencies when he said on mid-afternoon of the first day that he had met with "representatives of the security structures". Already, he was backtracking from his initial line that they had prevented the border from being pierced. "The situation in the border area remains difficult, but our defenders are successfully working to destroy the enemy," Smirnov said. At 5.05pm, the defence ministry mentioned the incursion for the first time and said Russia had transferred reserves to the area. "Troops covering the state border, together with units of the border troops of the FSB of Russia, are repelling the attacks and inflicting fire on the enemy in the area of the state border and on its reserves in the Sumy region [of Ukraine]," it said. At the briefing on August 7th, Gerasimov told Putin: "The operation will end with the smashing of the enemy, and [Russian forces] reaching the state border." Ten days later, with more than 100,000 Russians displaced and Ukraine claiming control of more than 1,000sq km of Kursk region, Moscow's forces are still far from achieving that goal. US President Joe Biden said talks about a ceasefire deal in Gaza have got a shot at succeeding. A US official said on Friday that negotiators are working out logistics for the potential release of hostages and distribution of aid as part of any agreement to end the Israel-Hamas war. Advertisement The official, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity in keeping with rules set by the White House, said the proposal on the table bridges every gap between Israel and Hamas and mediators were making preparations before a final deal is approved. As he left the White House for Camp David on Friday night Mr Biden said: We are closer than weve ever been. President Joe Biden speaks to reporters en route to Camp David (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP) Advertisement Its far from over. Just a couple more issues, I think we got a shot. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was due to travel to Israel over the weekend to continue intensive diplomatic efforts toward a ceasefire and to underscore the need for all parties in the region to avoid escalation, State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said. Mr Blinken was expected to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday to discuss the new deal, said an Israeli official who spoke on the condition of anonymity in line with official requirements. Mediators expressed hope that a deal was within reach after two days of talks wrapped up in Qatar and that they plan to reconvene in Cairo next week to seal an agreement to stop the fighting. Advertisement Both sides agreed in principle to the 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 a deal. The US official said the latest proposal is the same as Mr Bidens with some clarifications based on ongoing talks. Palestinians evacuate a school in eastern Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP) Advertisement 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. 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 ministers office issued a statement saying it appreciates the efforts of the US and the mediators to dissuade Hamas from its refusal to a hostage release deal. Advertisement 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, whose counts do not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Fears were still high that Iran and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon would attack Israel in retaliation for the killings of top militant leaders. International diplomacy to prevent the war from spreading intensified Friday, with the British and French foreign ministers making a joint trip to Israel. Israeli foreign minister Israel 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. Residents of a Menorcan village dubbed the Spanish Mykonos have rejected a feared tourist ban. Although around 30 per cent of picture-postcard Binibeca Vells 195 homeowners wanted a total prohibition on outside visitors 24/7, a modification of visiting restriction times ended up being agreed at a meeting on Friday night. Advertisement The holidaymaker veto was said to be on the cards ahead of the vote after locals chained off the 22 entrances to their community at nighttime earlier this year. Residents voted to put restrictions in place after visitors flocked back to Menorca following the end of the Covid pandemic. Some selfie-hunting holidaymakers ended up trampling through private properties in tourist attraction Benibeca Vell, a privately-owned community, although it is widely described as a village, and interrupting their rest times. Since May 1st, visitors were only allowed to access its streets between 11am and 8pm and a tightening of restrictions had been talked about. Advertisement Confirming the result of the vote at an annual general meeting, Oscar Monge, president of the Community of Property Owners in Binibeca Vell on Menorcas southern coast, said: The result by unanimity is for a visiting timetable of 10am to 10pm with no entry charge. As well as certifying the tourist mecca would remain open during the daytime for the estimated 800,000 tourists a year who visit, Mr Monges announcement also put any possibility holidaymakers could be charged for touring Binibeca Vell on the back burner. He added in comments early on Saturday morning: The new visiting times will be brought in immediately. Although he described the vote as unanimous on Friday night after the end of the meeting, he said on Saturday: Around 30 per cent of the owners wanted to close permanently to tourists but the civic behaviour of visitors helped persuade people that the current partial closure is sufficient. Advertisement More than 800,000 tourists a year visit the small village of Binibeca. Photo: AFP via Getty Mr Monge, a 51-year-old restaurant owner, described the decision to close off the area at night-time earlier this year as common sense. He complained a 15,000 subsidy the island council used to give them which they put towards removing the rubbish tourists left in high season had been taken away following elections and a change of government. Referring to some of the problems caused by badly-behaving holidaymakers, he said: Weve had situations where at 9pm tourists were going onto homeowners private terraces to take selfies and were saying simply this cant carry on. Advertisement Some of the guides use a wireless device and give tourists headphones but others just speak unaided and three guides at a time in a narrow street with the echo that produces when people are having their siestas or having dinner with their family or friends leads to residents getting annoyed. Insisting holidaymakers would still be welcome within the allowed visiting times, he added: We received 800,000 visitors last year and if people stop visiting us because of what theyre reading then so be it. Its not going to make any difference to us. Next year were anticipating a million visitors and the year after that its probably going to be around 1.1 million. Those that dont come are losing out on the biggest tourist attraction in Menorca. Advertisement We have a lot of beautiful beaches but apart from Mahon and Ciutadella theres not a lot more. This is a place the tourist cant miss out on, but for his or her sake. The sunsets here are excellent. Fridays vote took place following a summer of discontent in the Balearic Islands which have seen thousands of people take to the streets in two major demos in the Majorcan capital Palma to protest at some of the problems caused by mass tourism including overcrowding and difficulties accessing affordable housing. Other smaller protests have taken place in other parts of Majorca, as well as Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera. On July 27th around 250 protestors impeded tourist access to a picture-postcard Menorcan beach in a surprise action. Activists boasted of filling a car park by Cala Turqueta, a beautiful cove on the islands southern coast, with residents cars. They then used towels and their own bodies to shape the message SOS Menorca on the sand by the waterline. The unannounced protest, by environmental non-profit organisation GOB Menorca, resulted in the car park being blocked to holidaymakers for around six hours from early morning according to local reports. Act of Congress | Rick Hoganson Genre-bending acoustic quartet Act of Congress releases Welcome To The Heart of God at digital and streaming outlets everywhere via https://linktr.ee/actofcongress and through Centricity Musics distribution arm, Residence Music. Co-written by Act of Congress members and Michael Farren (Reba McEntire, Walker Hayes, Lauren Daigle) and produced and mixed by Thomas Dulin (Drew and Ellie Holcomb), Welcome To The Heart of God is the first in a cascade of new original singles coming from Act of Congress this year. The single shares the gospel's open invitation to everyone in the world. Much of Jesus' ministry recorded in scripture takes place around a shared meal, at a table, muses Act of Congress members Connie Skellie (violin, vocals), Adam Wright (mandolin, vocals), Chris Griffin (guitars) and Tim Carroll (bass) collectively while referencing Luke 14:15-23, Matthew 11:28-30, Mark 2:13-17 and other scriptures. He was constantly being chastised by the religious elite for sharing meals with sinners. It seems like showing mercy to those who felt like they didn't belong was a core tenet of the ministry of Jesus, a pillar of the kingdom of God." Through the years, the gospel has rung true, especially during those aha moments through parenting kids with their failures and triumphs and through my own despair and joyful highs, shares Skellie whose sons were born with an incurable eye disease. I now realize theres never been a time when Christ wasnt pursuing me. I think about the simplicity of a hymn like Amazing Grace, and hope that this song communicates those same truths, adds Wright. We have to see our need, that weve not measured up, that were the wretch in the story, and that we must find help. But we also have to see how God has met that need beautifully and perfectly in the gospel, in the sending of his perfect Son, Jesus, who has laid down his own life for those who acknowledge they cant save themselves. God is a safe place, and he loves us, confirms Griffin, who knew the song was special after looking up and seeing the rest of the band with tears in their eyes during the writing session for the song. It was a very emotional moment for me as the lyrics were being crafted about how I am accepted regardless, reflects Carroll, awed by the realization that the same gift is true for everyone. Its such a great message that I need to hear every day. CHORUS: What if I told you I know a place where We sit at one table, we all belong What if I told you everyones welcome You can come as you are Welcome to the heart of God The new single follows the Act of Congress release The Hymns That Made Us, a full-length album that reimagines timeless classics, inviting listeners to worship with thanksgiving, confession, prayer, lament and praise. With at least three new songs to be revealed before the end of this year and more new music slated for early 2025, all the latest Act of Congress tour, music, news and more information can be found at https://actofcongressmusic.com/ and https://linktr.ee/actofcongress. Husband and wife duo Alabaster Grace, comprised of Brad Perry, a highly decorated former NASA rocket scientist, and Joanie Perry a long-time educator, have released their latest single, "Friendship," produced by Corey Pavlosky of Pipe Dream Studios | Alabaster Grace NASHVILLE, Tenn. (August 16, 2024) - Husband and wife duo Alabaster Grace releases their new single, "Friendship," today, Friday, August 16, 2024. Brad Perry, a highly decorated former NASA rocket scientist, and his wife, Joanie Perry, a long-time educatortogether known as Alabaster Gracewrote the upbeat song with a country/pop style and a catchy chorus especially for their littlest listeners. The duo was tapped by international speaker and childrens book author Jeff Patnaude to write and perform the theme song for his upcoming online childrens show, KiDS, in development with the Wingspan Foundation. The song, Friendship, created by Joanie and Brad Perry, does what friends do for each other it makes your insides GLOW. Thank you for your brilliant work and the love that comes from being friends with you. says Patnaude. Created for children ages 4-11, KiDS teaches spiritual values and biblical parables through storytelling, puppets, animation, and original music. The show emphasizes the importance of kindness, sharing, learning and loving thy neighbor as thy self. "We were asked to write a song for the show, which emphasizes the importance of friendship," says Brad Perry, Alabaster Grace's guitarist and arranger. "In writing 'Friendship,' we recalled the special friendships of our youth and how these friendships blessed us growing up and as adults. "This song feels like a 'full-circle moment' for me," says Joanie Perry, Alabaster Grace's lead vocalist and primary songwriter. "I was a public school music teacher and librarian for most of my career, and seeing children excel in their God-given gifts and talents has always been a passion of mine." Alabaster Grace's new single follows on the heels of their recent performances as the featured guest artist at the 103rd Virginia State Gideons Convention in Harrisonburg, Virginia, where they shared songs from their new four-song EP, Our God is Faithful. To stream Alabaster Graces new single, "Friendship," on Spotify, click here. To watch the "Friendship" video on YouTube, click here. To stream their new EP, Our God is Faithful, click here. For more information about Alabaster Grace, visit alabastergraceministries.org. Follow Alabaster Grace on Facebook and Instagram. About Alabaster Grace: Brad Perry, a highly decorated former NASA rocket scientist, and his wife, Joanie Perry, a long-time educator, are known professionally as Alabaster Grace. Joanie, Alabaster Grace's primary songwriter, served for many years in the Virginia school system as a teacher and librarian. Brad, now the associate pastor of Historic White Marsh Church in Lancaster, Virginia, has spent much of his career at NASA, where he was the Director of NASA's Science Support Office, a member of the design team of the International Space Station, and served as an astronaut instructor for the Space Shuttle. His exceptional work earned him two of NASA's highest honorthe Exceptional Service Medal and the Outstanding Leadership Medal. Long before this pair of licensed ministers met in 2012 and started their musical ministry as Alabaster Grace, Brad and Joanie each learned to cling to Gods promises. Especially dear to them is Romans 8:28 We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28 NRSV). Their unique backgrounds have contributed to a diverse and eclectic approach to their music. Regardless of the style or topic of each individual song, Alabaster Grace hopes to be a beacon of light to music lovers, pointing them to Jesus. Based in Irvington, Virginia, Alabaster Grace is dedicated to presenting the message of Christ through music, as well as the spoken and written word, to a world that is need of hope and encouragement. Brad and Joanie Perry continue to lead worship, perform at concerts, and share inspirational messages at church retreats, coffee houses, and conferences, ministering to thousands across the globe. For more on Alabaster Grace, visit alabastergraceministries.org. 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 When people find out Gayle Lee has solar panels on her land, they often bring up their worries about renewable energy destroying good farming country. But at her property in Glenrowan in northern Victoria, the sheep run happily amid the rows of solar panels. Its not only possible, its beneficial. People quite often say to us, Its OK to have solar panels, but what are we going to eat? Lee says. They are quite surprised when we talk about the sheep running under the panel. The family leases out their land to a sheep farmer, including the 40 per cent of the property with solar panels. Sheep under solar panels at Gayle Lees farm in Glenrowan, Victoria. Credit: Chris Grose / Beyond Zero Emissions Lee says there is no noticeable difference in productivity between the paddocks with solar panels and those without. In fact, she says, its beneficial for the sheep because they have shade in summer and shelter from the rain, and the grass is greener from the moisture running off the panels. A solar grazing set-up like the one at the Lee farm has been commonplace in Europe and North America for about a decade, and the model is starting to take off in Australia. Emerging research supports Lees claim of agricultural benefits, including that the sheep are cooler in summer and warmer in winter, more protected from predators, and better fed. Advertisement Farmers are being offered up to $1500 per hectare per year great money, and they can still graze sheep under the panels. Natalie Collard, CEO, Farmers for Climate Action Yet opposition is also growing. Nationals leader David Littleproud has declared that regional Australia is at saturation point for renewable energy projects of industrial scale, while fellow National Barnaby Joyce has described wind turbines and solar panels as filth thats all over our countryside. While there were a few objections when the developer started the process for her land back in 2018, Lee says it was nothing like the divisive battles now raging in nearby communities such as King Valley and Mount Beauty. Its getting really nasty in terms of communities and families against each other, Lee says. The campaigns against them are more sophisticated its not just local any more, people are taking it up nationally. Crop grower David Jochinke hosts 11 wind turbines on his property as part of the Murra Warra wind farm, and understands the financial and potential community benefits. As National Farmers Federation president, he also hears about the downside. National Farmers Federation president David Jochinke hosts wind turbines on his property alongside crops. Credit: Emma Cross When the companies are prospecting in rural areas, theyre not always being good corporate citizens, Jochinke says. He says developers need to give options for routes and layouts, take farmers concerns seriously during discussions, and mitigate off-site impacts such as traffic. Advertisement While farmers have a right to approve or reject wind turbines or solar panels on their land, Jochinke says it has caused angst that people dont have the right to refuse transmission lines. An improved compensation scheme may alleviate some concerns. The former NSW government introduced a payment of $200,000 per kilometre over 20 years for landholders hosting transmission lines, up from about a tenth of that, and other states are introducing similar schemes, including payments for neighbours whose views are affected. Great money Natalie Collard, chief executive of Farmers for Climate Action, says the opportunity is enormous. Farmers are now being offered more than $40,000 per turbine per year and up to $1500 per hectare per year great money, and they can still graze sheep under the panels and both cattle and sheep around wind turbines, Collard says. Renewable energy helps make farms more financially secure because it pays the farmer drought-proof income without compromising agricultural productivity. Collard says polls consistently show renewable energy enjoys majority support in regional areas, but that is being tested. While hosting renewables is voluntary for landowners, the surrounding communities have no choice yet are still disrupted, especially during construction. We need to ensure they benefit, and a small donation to the local footy and netball clubs doesnt cut it, she says. Advertisement Given the dual use, the land needed for renewables is much less than often assumed. Professor Andrew Blakers, a specialist in renewable energy engineering at the Australian National University, says in the case of a wind farm, the land taken up by the base of the turbine and the access roads is about 1 per cent, and agriculture is unaffected on the rest. With solar, its just the space taken up by the panel itself, with the space between still productive. Solar panels typically have spacing either the same size or up to twice as big as the panel. A more dense array of solar panels could rule out agriculture, but it would span less land. Blakers says it adds up to 1200 square kilometres across Australia. That is less than 0.2 per cent of the 7.74 million square kilometres of the Australian land mass. Simon Barton says his Angus beef cattle are not affected by his wind turbines. Credit: Rhett Wyman His calculations assume that energy demand will triple because of the electrification of transport, heating, industrial heat, and the chemical industry, and that all electricity will come from onshore wind and solar. If the offshore wind industry takes off, or the proportion of solar from household rooftops grows more than expected, the land requirement will reduce. People can quibble with my assumptions it could be twice as big or half as big but it doesnt change at all the conclusion that the area is very small, Blakers says. Advertisement The livestock are not affected The consensus so far is that wind turbines do not affect agriculture. The National Farmers Federations David Jochinke grows crops such as lentils and grains in the Wimmera region of Victoria, and he says he can do that to the base of the towers. The maintenance access tracks to the turbines have gone through Jochinkes paddocks, and he uses them during wet periods. He negotiated for the tracks to be parallel with his sowing lines and says, it was not 100 per cent, and [hed] be stricter about that next time. Similarly, at Simon Bartons farm in Spicers Creek in the central west of NSW, there are Angus beef cattle, merino wool sheep and horses underneath the wind turbines. The livestock are certainly not affected by them, Barton says. In fact, 2020 and 2021 were quite wet years, and the sheep certainly dont like having wet feet, but they did appreciate the roads and the pads around the turbine because it was literally the only place that they could stand and keep their feet dry for a little bit. Since 2019, the property has hosted 10 turbines and a substation as part of the Bodangora wind farm, and Barton says the guaranteed income has helped the farm weather droughts and financial crises. Combining solar and agriculture takes more planning and effort. The American Solar Grazing Association recommends sheep as the best-suited livestock for co-existence with solar power plants and does not recommend goats, cows, pigs or horses for the safety of the traditional low-mount solar arrays. Advertisement Other highlights in the area include a trip to the gorgeous Oboke Canyon where, depending on your appetite for adrenaline, you can catch a pleasure boat and cruise gently down the emerald river, or go whitewater rafting on a wilder stretch of water. Also worth a visit is tiny Nagoro, now known as the village of the dolls. Like many other remote Japanese villages, Nagoros population is dwindling these days it has fewer than 20 residents. One villager, tired of seeing more and more familiar faces disappear, started creating huge dolls which she positioned around the village simulating everyday activities, from relaxing on a front porch to waiting for a bus. The dolls have helped life return to the village in the form of curious tourists coming from all over to see for themselves. Getting steamy in Kinosaki Onsen Kinosaki Onsen, two and a half hours from Kyoto, has seven hot springs, all within walking distance. Credit: Getty Images You can pack light when you visit Kinosaki Onsen and not just because you will probably be spending much of your time steaming it up in an onsen, the name given both to Japans natural hot springs and the bathing facilities that surround them. In this town, the dress code is as relaxed as they come. People take tradition seriously here. You can see it in the ateliers where artisans practise not to mention the restaurants, where menus are built around local ingredients. You see, Kinosaki Onsen, 2 hours from Kyoto, has seven hot springs, all within walking distance of one another. The first was discovered 1300 years ago, giving the locals plenty of time to perfect the experience for their guests. When you check in to a Kinosaki ryokan (a traditional guesthouse), you will be issued with a yukata robe and wooden geta sandals, which are traditionally worn when you emerge from an onsen. Here, they are also approved streetwear. No need to choose an outfit before you head to the baths of your choice: just follow the lead of the yukata-clad couples strolling beneath the willows and cherry blossom trees lining the tranquil Otani River as it flows through the centre of town. That is part of the charm of Kinosaki Onsen: they take traditions seriously here. You can see it in the ateliers where artisans practise the colourful and fast-disappearing art of straw craft, and in the restaurants where menus are built around the best local ingredients, from the melt-in-your-mouth tajima beef (known for its rich marbling) and richly flavoured matsutake mushrooms, only found growing under pine trees, to the matsuba crab, a local species of snow crab that comes into season when the temperatures drop. One must-try is konotori, or stork rice, remarkable not just for its mild, slightly sweet flavour but for the story behind it. Kinosaki had long been home to a population of oriental white storks, elegant birds with a two-metre wingspan. However, after chemical-heavy industrial farming was introduced in the 1950s, the birds were soon on the brink of extinction. A captive breeding program finally bore fruit in 2005 when five birds were released. Local rice farmers supported the birds by making their paddy fields stork-friendly, introducing organic growing techniques that helped boost the population of frogs, a key food source for the birds. The storks are now flourishing, and every serve of konotori rice helps ensure their future. Spirited away on the Kii Peninsula Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route, Kii Peninsula. Credit: Getty Images If you are looking for the path less trodden, the Kii Peninsula is not the place to go. You may well be the only person following your chosen trail through sun-dappled woods beneath towering cedar trees, but over the centuries many, many feet have followed the same route. The pilgrim paths of Honshus Kii Peninsula have a long history. Collectively known as the Kumano Kodo, this World Heritage-listed pilgrim network has drawn spiritual seekers for over a thousand years. Perhaps you can chalk it up to the Kii Peninsulas spectacular scenery, where ancient forests meet the tranquil sea, but this area has long been Japans spiritual centre, sacred to both Buddhist and Shinto believers. Japanese emperors would ritually walk some of these routes, as would the followers of the ascetic Shugendo sect, who chose a particularly arduous path along high-altitude mountain ridges exposed to the elements. Loading No need to follow their example: there are plenty of more appealing ways to immerse yourself in ancient traditions. The atmospheric Okuno-in mausoleum studded with thousands of moss-covered tombstones, memorial towers and statues is believed to be the resting place of Kobo Daishi, or Kukai, the founder of Shingon Buddhism, who lies in eternal meditation in a cave on the site. Okuno-in is at its atmospheric best during a night tour, when lanterns cast a soft glow across the area. If you love a good festival, the Oto Festival, held every February at Kamikura shrine, is electrifying. Thousands of participants compete to run down the vertiginous stone steps from the summit of Mount Kamikura holding torches lit by a sacred fire. The first thing I noticed about moving to Asia is just how much your world opens up. Weekends escaping Sydney up and down the coast have been replaced with visits to Vietnam or the Philippines, and youre hanging out with expats from every corner of the globe who are full of new stories, new customs and so much fun. Hong Kong is also almost entirely signed in both English and Chinese, so day-to-day life is easy and the career opportunities plentiful; I now work for a bespoke luxury jeweller, which I love. Are there any downsides? Its an incredibly expensive city, and the constant humidity means I go through a can of hairspray a week. When people think of Hong Kong, they tend to think of these bright and shiny skyscrapers, but the things I love most are away from the city. I always recommend heading out to the islands for a hike and then enjoying the beaches, which are dotted with plenty of great restaurants specialising in local cuisine. I always refer to it as the South China Riviera, with Deep Water Bay and Tai Long Wan coming in strong as my favourites. Will we eventually leave Hong Kong? Maybe, but were not in any rush. Nothing can really prepare you Elizabeth Benn, 55, tour operator Elizabeth Benn: I can still remember someone asking, Where in Africa is Mongolia, exactly? If youd have asked me where Mongolia was, even just a few years before my husband and I packed up our kids [then aged 11 to four] and moved there, I wouldnt have been able to tell you. Until that point, we were living a typical suburban life. My husband Murray owned an IT business and I worked part-time as a social worker/counsellor at a university. We believed we would go and live overseas at some stage, and when we heard about the plight of the countryside people in Mongolia, with massive unemployment and resulting pressure to move to the capital city to try to find work, we thought we might be able to make a difference. After a couple of reconnaissance visits, we packed up everything in 2010 and moved to Tsetserleg, a provincial town seven hours west of the capital, Ulaanbaatar. People thought we were crazy; our childrens teachers were concerned, and we got our fair share of funny comments. I can still remember someone asking me, Where in Africa is Mongolia, exactly? Nothing can really prepare you for life here. In the lead-up to the move, we watched movies and documentaries to get a feel for the country and its people, but the first few months if not years were quite challenging. We took over a guest house and bakery, but not being able to speak the local language in a place where English is almost non-existent was tough, as was home-schooling all four children. As there were no international schools in the countryside. On the flipside, our children thrived in the wide open spaces and over time, weve all mastered to varying degrees Mongolian, which is one of the most difficult languages to learn. Loading Watching local tourism change and develop over the years has been interesting. When we first took over our business, wed only ever see really mad adventurers keen to explore places way off the beaten track, or groups of doctors doing field work for the likes of Doctors Without Borders. Now were seeing every kind of traveller, from tour groups and solo travellers preferring a softer style of tourism to those travelling around the world on motorbikes. The change in our town to meet the demand has been enormous, with many cafes, hotels and guest houses popping up all over the place. Our business, Fairfield, is also growing in line with demand, now offering a range of activities led by locals, from horse tours to home stays with nomadic families and Gobi Desert adventures. In doing so, were offering stable employment to those whove welcomed us so warmly. Our children all had to move back to Australia for university and work as they turned 18, and its tough being here without them. One day, I see myself owning a house overlooking the water the ocean is what I miss the most about life in Australia but we dont know when that will happen. Weve been here for 14 years but sometimes it still feels as though were only just getting started. The local hospitality is above and beyond Nikola Errington, 42, Senior Protection Officer Nikola Errington: We have a beautiful house near the hills where the monkeys visit every day. I moved to Asia as soon as I graduated from uni to work in a law firm in Japan a fun destination, but the work was intense and incredibly corporate. Even though I put in three years, my lifelong interest in social justice was calling me and after a little travel throughout the continent, I found work with the Jesuit Refugee Service, an amazing NGO in Cambodia, where I provided legal assistance for many Rohingya who were living there at the time and processing asylum cases. A career with UNHCR followed. My first placement with them in 2012 was in Somalia, which at the time was battling the after-effects of drought, such as internal displacement across the country, and was still receiving asylum-seekers from Ethiopia. I then did placements in Myanmar and Thailand, and in 2018 took some time off to have my baby, Sam. In 2021, I was reassigned to Pakistan, where Sam and I now live. Pakistan has long been a generous host country for Afghan refugees, supporting some three million despite the countrys own challenges, and while the operation here has been relatively stable for 40 years, I couldnt have predicted what was about to unfold not long after I made the move. Suddenly, we were seeing people being airlifted out of Kabul and arriving traumatised by what theyd experienced. Loading Its difficult for these people women in particular to get by in Pakistan, but we do our best to ensure they are protected, and that the Pakistani communities are also supported. I think the issues facing refugees, asylum seekers and stateless people are complex and not well understood; most people want to be able to live in their own countries and have somewhere to belong to, but sometimes it becomes impossible. My job with UNHCR has been hugely rewarding. Although there have been challenges living and working in Pakistan, I have found the local hospitality to be above and beyond anything Ive experienced before. Life here is colourful and loud, and its people warm and welcoming. We have a beautiful house near the hills where the monkeys come and visit every day, a nanny who helps us out, school and friends nearby. Im lost. Ive wandered into a part of Jodhpur just below the citys hilltop fort, and now Im drifting through a tangled maze of narrow corridors winding between houses joined wall-to-wall, all painted blue to echo the cloudless sky above this Indian desert city. For the second time Im passing the same tiny square where a man is pressing laundry using a heavy iron filled with hot coals. He nods in the direction of a downward alleyway, I follow and in five minutes Im back on the citys chaotic ground floor. Subtitled Indias Blue City for this dense, cubist quarter where the citys high-caste Brahmins have painted their houses with indigo wash since time immemorial, Jodhpur is the seat of the Rathore royal family and one of Indias most likeable and manageable cities. Dominating the city from its flat-topped hill, Mehrangarh Fort is among the most impressive in India, its ochre walls radiating military might and majesty. Contrasting with the cliff-like exterior, the interior is a jewel box, a succession of palaces overlooking cloistered courtyards from where the women of the former harem observed the world from behind honeycombed windows. Jodhpur or Indias Blue City where the citys high-caste Brahmins have painted their houses with indigo wash . Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto Mehrangarh is one of the few forts in Rajasthan still in the hands of the ancestral royal family, and it shows. While most of these palace fortresses have been stripped by bureaucrats and politicians, here the royal suites are still furnished in opulent style, as if their owners just stepped out to inspect the household cavalry. Today, centuries after it ceased to have any military function, Mehrangarhs fairytale architecture and walled gardens have become the venue for a lively festival calendar, hosting such events as Jodhpur RIFF, the Rajasthan International Folk Festival and the Sacred Spirit Festival. Below the fort the old city is a sprawl of bazaars, cafes, boutiques, fabric shops and tailors who will whip you up a pair of the baggy riding trousers that take their name from the city. Jodhpur is famous for its sweets and on the main street leading to Clock Tower Bazaar, Janta Sweet Home is packed with oozing baklavas, walnut pastries, halwas and laddus, made from cardamom, cashews, lemon juice and sugar, moulded into a ball and encased in rose petals. Under the arched gateway of the Clock Tower, the Mishrilal lassi shop is a city institution. Brave the crowd inside, plonk yourself down and without a word, a glass of the legendary lassi will appear before you, cream on top. We tried every style of Japanese cuisine and restaurant teppanyaki, yakitori, amazing izakaya and then drank whisky highballs while we sang karaoke at Karaoke Rainbow Kawaramachi in Kyoto. In Kyoto we also ate a kyo-baum - a matcha and soy milk cake that blew my mind. I can still taste it. We also experienced the little food joys of Japan along the way, like a bento box on the bullet train and cold and hot cans of coffee from vending machines. The in-house food halls of fancy department stores are also a must. Theyre called depachika and are full of food wonders some of the most artfully made chocolate, cakes and sweets I have ever seen, boxed exquisitely. Theres also a range of fancy and quaint galleries dotted around Naoshima Island which we cycled around for a couple of days - you can visit the amazing Naoshima Island and I Love Yu, which is both a public bath house and an artwork. Sarah Blaskos album I Just Need to Conquer This Mountain is out in November. Sharon Johal, Actor Johal recommend shopping at Papa Dont Preach and Pernias Pop-Up Shop in I love Mumbai and Delhi in India they are vastly different cities, but theres an Eat, Pray, Love mood you can find among the chaos in both. Shopping in Delhi is magical. I highly recommend Papa Dont Preach for designer pieces at mid-range prices, while Pernias Pop-Up Shop is another pit stop. You can get couture Bollywood star looks at Sabyasachi, and visiting their studio is an experience in itself. Its very regal with a nod to colonial Britain and Raj influences. For something more frenetic head to Chandni Chowk, a huge bazaar and the oldest market in India. I love the alleys full of spices, jewellery, saris and silks. I always eat street food. Try the vodka pani puri/golgappa a very thin, crisp fried potato ball filled with vodka thats dangerously good. Delhi bars I visited on my last trip include Taksim and the Piano Man Jazz Club, a great spot for live music. For a nightclub experience, head to SoHo-Delhi. When all the nightlife gets too much, I recommend visiting Sikh temples Gurdwara Bangla Sahib is the best in Delhi. I also recommend the coastal suburb of Bandra in Mumbai. Its the equivalent to the Melbourne inner-city suburb of Fitzroy, with lots of local fashion labels and fusion fashion. Sharon Johal stars in The Twelve on Foxtel. Diana Chan, Cook and author Chan says anyone visiting Singapore should order a cocktail at Atlas Bar. I grew up in Malaysia and spent most childhood weekends visiting Singapore. I still keep going back from Australia and love the food scene. One spot I head for is Imperial Treasure for great Peking duck. Suckling pig is another Singapore favourite and the best place to order it is Min Jiang. They have two outlets, in Goodwood Park and Dempsey Hill. The former is more touristy, while the latter is where the locals hang out. The city is also famous for its chilli crab, and I recommend De Golden Spoon. For wonderful restaurant experiences, head to barbecue spot Burnt Ends and Sushi Sato, which offers top-notch omakase, with sushi and sashimi as good as youll get in Tokyo. Marcys Restaurant on Duxton Road is a new spot I stumbled on in the last year. It serves European-style seafood dishes, all purposefully small so you can try a lot of them. Anyone who visits Singapore should order a cocktail at Atlas Bar and go to the Long Bar at Raffles Hotel. A historical landmark, its super casual; and dont be alarmed by the peanut shells everywhere theyre part of the atmosphere. For shopping, Bugis Street Market is a good spot for casual clothing, jewellery and shoes while Haji Lane is very gentrified and caters for a younger age group. The Golden Wok (Hardie Grant) by Diana Chan is out October 29. Jessi Singh, Chef and restaurateur Singh recommends visiting Mother Teresa House in Kolkata. Kolkata, the cultural capital of India, seamlessly blends the old with the new, offering a rich tapestry of experiences. Park Street is one of its most iconic streets, lined with charming cafes, eclectic shops and landmarks that transport you to an era when British architectural grandeur met Indian cultural vibrancy. Its a paradise for shoppers, with an array of boutiques offering everything from traditional Indian attire to the latest trends. New Market, officially known as Sir Stuart Hogg Market, is the citys ultimate destination for shoppers, a labyrinth of stalls and shops offering everything from clothing and accessories to electronics and household items. While roaming the market, try mouth-watering treats like puchka (pani puri), kathi rolls and jhalmuri from vibrant street food stalls. There are numerous restaurants serving a diverse range of cuisines in Kolkata, while pubs and clubs keep it buzzing well into the night. Especially recommended is Mocambo, Kolkatas most iconic restaurant, renowned for fusing European and Indian cuisines try its take on dishes such as chicken a la Kiev, devilled crab and chateaubriand. Established in 1956, it has retained its vintage decor and elegant ambience. Birla Mandir temple is a stunning example of modern Hindu architecture. Located in Ballygunge, its dedicated to Lord Krishna and his consort, Radha. The temples intricate marble carvings, towering spires, and serene ambience make it a must-visit - allowing visitors to find solace and spiritual rejuvenation. I also recommend a visit to Mother Teresa House, which was once her humble residence and now serves as the saints final resting place. The house includes a small museum showcasing her personal belongings, letters and photographs, providing insight into her extraordinary life. Tim Lai, Gogglebox star Avoid the tourist traps and go to the place locals love, Ah Tai Chicken Rice. Credit: Narelle Portanier Singapore is an easy gateway for those who havent visited Asia before. Its a clean city, the people are friendly, everyone speaks English, and the food is delicious. My first stop for breakfast is an amazing stall in the Chinatown Food Court, Jia Ji Mei Shi, which makes delicious glutinous steamed rice dumplings stuffed with shrimp, pork and Chinese sausage that you dip in chili sauce. Its a nostalgia dish for me. Loading Singapore is known for its Hainanese chicken rice. Avoid the tourist traps and go to the place locals love, Ah Tai Chicken Rice. Its a few stores down from the famous, Michelin-starred Tian Tian and started by a former Tian Tian head chef who branched out on his own. In my opinion, the chicken is tastier, the rice is more flavourful and you dont have Tian Tians queues. Also visit Anthony the Spice Maker in the Peoples Park Food Centre. Mum and I bought chicken curry spice, laksa spice blend and satay rub and as long as you declare it, you wont end up on Border Security! And dont forget to try the durian classified as the worlds smelliest fruit washed down with a beautiful Tiger beer. This series looks at which skills will be in demand in the workforce of the future. Students paying some of the highest university fees are among the lowest-paid graduates in the country, exacerbating fears that young people are being left with unsustainable HECS debts. Data reveals communications and arts students who are charged up to $50,000 for a three-year degree are paid well below the median graduate salary and have low rates of full-time employment. In contrast, engineering and construction graduates, for whom degree costs have come down since 2020, have some of the best prospects both at graduation and three years into their jobs. The wage data comes as the federal government faces increased pressure to reverse the Morrison governments changes to the fee structure of Australian degrees, which caused the cost of arts degrees to skyrocket. The Liberal Party is considering filing a court case against the Electoral Commission as soon as Sunday after the acting commissioner refused its last-ditch request for a one-week extension to nominate candidates in next months council elections. NSW Liberal Party president Don Harwin sought the seven-day reprieve on Friday, after the party failed to submit nomination forms for 140 candidates by Wednesdays deadline, and demanded a response by 4pm on Saturday. Last-ditch effort: Liberal Party president Don Harwin has sought a seven-day extension from the NSW Electoral Commission, but it was rejected. Credit: Rhett Wyman Acting commissioner Matthew Phillips considered the partys request but determined not to grant an extension. He did not provide reasons in a public statement issued Saturday evening. The commissions response to the Liberals was more detailed. Harwin told the Herald the party and its lawyers were considering their position overnight and will respond further to the commissioner [Sunday] morning. He would not comment further. Every Sunday, hundreds of Christians turn out to worship at a heritage-listed church on Nudgee Road in the working-class north Brisbane suburb of Northgate. This thriving congregation of Indian migrants and their families belongs to the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church and call their place of worship St Alphonsa though many older Catholics who grew up in the area would know the church as St Johns. Hundreds of worshippers from the St Alphonsa Syro-Malabar Church celebrate a feast day in late July. Credit: Facebook But as the Syro-Malabar community is thriving, another congregation meeting in the same building has been told its Sunday Mass will be cancelled come September. Behind the changes at the Northgate church is a demographic shift mirrored around the country as migrants flock to the affordable suburbs of cities like Brisbane. Construction of thousands of new homes in Melbournes fastest-growing suburbs is being held up for months and in some cases years due to Melbourne Waters failure to approve stormwater drainage plans, putting the states housing targets at risk. Developers and local councillors are pleading with the Allan government to intervene, warning that the backlog in planning approvals is jeopardising projects that are essential to unlocking affordable housing on Melbournes fringe. Property developer AJ Batra has a number of estates in the City of Melton delayed. Credit: Simon Schluter Correspondence between developers, councils and Melbourne Water, seen by this masthead, shows that several large residential projects in the outer suburbs have been delayed by between nine months and two years over drainage issues. The correspondence reveals Melbourne Water has a nine- to 12-month backlog of plans awaiting approval, and lacks the resources to promptly tackle the queue of housing projects. Drainage plans are critical to dealing with stormwater and sewage, and to avoid flooding, and must be approved by water authorities before construction of new housing estates can begin. We dont believe hes apologised, Kheir said. If you were genuinely sincerely apologetic, you would at least make an attempt to personally apologise to the community youve offended. Kheir, who came to Australia from Lebanon as a toddler in the 1970s, said he believed Duttons 2016 remarks were racist and they had personally pained him. [To say] it was a mistake bringing us here as if were not Australians, that were somehow tolerated, is a stain, is an insult, Kheir said. Calling on Dutton to publicly apologise for the Lebanese Muslim comments, Kheir said they were now being repeated but in a different form in Duttons comments about Palestinian migration. Dutton said on Wednesday that allowing people leaving the Gaza war zone into Australia puts our national security at risk and the Coalition has since called for an investigation into the granting of visas. Muslim Women Australia chief executive Maha Abdo, who came to Australia from Tripoli in Lebanons north as a child, said Duttons 2016 comments hurt every heart in the community. The NSW Australian of the Year nominee said she could not recall him making the apology he told Kitchen Cabinet he had made, adding that public remarks required a public apology. Muslim Women Australia chief executive Maha Abdo says she cannot recall the opposition leader apologising. Credit: Nikki Short Australia is such a beautiful mosaic society that he should really be taking pride in, Abdo said, calling on Dutton to chart a way for citizens to live together, rather than take every opportunity to defame a culture or faith. Dutton in 2016 said that former Liberal prime minister Malcolm Fraser did make mistakes in bringing some people in, in the 1970s, and were seeing that today. His specific comment about second and third-generation Lebanese Muslims came in response to a question from then-opposition leader Bill Shorten, who asked Which people, from which country, does the minister believe should not have been allowed into Australia when Mr Fraser was prime minister? Loading Days later, Dutton said on 2GB radio: The point that I was making is that we should call out the small number within the community, within the Lebanese community, who are doing the wrong thing. In his full response to Crabb last year, he sought to further explain why he had made the comments. I have apologised for that. But again when youre in the thrust of it and in the thick of it, we were dealing with people who had been radicalised and many of them shared a background and thats sort of the factual reality of what we were dealing with, he said. Samier Dandan, who was the leader of the Lebanese Muslim Association in 2016, condemned Duttons comments at the time as baseless, unfounded and uninformed and said this week I cant recall him ever apologising. He said Dutton had not accepted his invitation to sit down and talk after the original comments and he did not consider Duttons comments to the ABC to be an apology in themselves. If he wants to be a leader of a society that remains cohesive, he needs to reflect that in his statements and positions throughout his political career, Dandan said. Sheikh Youssef Nabha, the imam of Arrahman mosque in Kingsgrove, Sydney, and Dr Jamal Rifi, a GP and long-time leader in Sydneys Lebanese Muslim community, also said they were unaware of any apology. Rifi said the hurtful comments had made social cohesion more difficult. North Korea acknowledged an "explosive" outbreak of COVID-19 for the first time. (Photo: KCNA via REUTERS) North Korea is poised to partially reopen its borders to foreign tourists after nearly five years of strict isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This move marks a significant development for the reclusive nation, which has been largely sealed off from the world since early 2020. According to Chinese-based tour operators, including Koryo Tours and KTG Tours, the northern city of Samjiyon will be the first destination to welcome visitors starting in December 2024. The reopening, however, comes with limitations. While Samjiyon will be accessible to foreign tourists, other parts of the country, including the capital Pyongyang, remain off-limits for now. "So far just Samjiyon has been officially confirmed, but we think that Pyongyang and other places will open too," wrote KTG Tours in a Facebook post. The exact dates for the reopening are yet to be finalized, and details remain sparse, leaving some experts skeptical about the timeline. Chad O'Carroll, CEO of Korea Risk Group, expressed caution regarding the announcement. "I will believe it when I see it," he told the BBC, highlighting the uncertainty surrounding North Korea's reopening plans. Despite this skepticism, tour operators are gearing up for the potential influx of visitors, eager to resume operations after an unprecedented hiatus. Samjiyon, a mountainous city near the Chinese border, has been undergoing significant development in recent years. North Korean authorities have touted the city as a "socialist utopia" and a model of a highly civilized mountain city. The area is rich in historical and cultural significance, particularly due to its proximity to Mount Paektu, a volcanic mountain revered as the birthplace of the Korean revolution and the reputed birthplace of Kim Jong Il. The city has been equipped with new apartments, hotels, a ski resort, and various commercial, cultural, and medical facilities, making it an attractive winter destination. The reopening of Samjiyon is seen as a strategic move by North Korea to slowly reengage with the world while maintaining strict control over who enters the country and where they can go. Koryo Tours noted that while Samjiyon is currently the only confirmed destination, they hope other locations will gradually open to tourists. "We have never before come across such a long closure of the borders," the company stated, emphasizing the significance of this development. The reopening of Samjiyon also reflects broader efforts by North Korea to recover from the economic impact of the pandemic and reassert itself on the global stage. International flights to and from North Korea resumed last year, and there have been signs of warming relations with countries like Russia. Earlier this year, a group of Russian tourists was allowed to visit North Korea, and in June, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, signaling closer ties between the two nations. However, the reopening announcement comes with a caveat: tourists from South Korea will not be allowed to join these tours. This restriction is consistent with North Korea's longstanding policy of limiting interactions with its southern neighbor. Additionally, U.S. citizens remain banned from traveling to North Korea due to safety concerns. For those eager to visit North Korea, the upcoming reopening of Samjiyon presents a rare opportunity. However, potential visitors are advised to approach with caution, given the unpredictable nature of North Korea's policies. As Koryo Tours cautioned, "things may be a little more chaotic than usual," with the reopening process still in its early stages. The decision to reopen Samjiyon, even partially, could be a test case for how North Korea manages tourism in a post-pandemic world. It remains to be seen whether this move will pave the way for a broader reopening of the country or if it will be limited to select destinations under tight government control. U.S. Faces Largest Summer COVID Surge in Two Years: Health Experts Urge Caution as Cases Climb (Photo: David Perez/Wikimedia COmmons/CC-BY 4.0 ) As summer draws to a close, the United States is experiencing its largest surge in COVID-19 cases in at least two years, signaling the need for renewed vigilance and precaution. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show a significant rise in viral activity, with levels in wastewater reaching the highest point for a summer surge since July 2022. This uptick, driven by new variants and waning immunity, has caught health experts and officials by surprise, prompting concerns about the months ahead. The CDC's national COVID-19 wastewater dashboard reported a viral activity level of 8.82 on August 10, just shy of the 9.56 peak recorded in July 2022. "This year's COVID-19 wave is coming earlier than last year," noted Dr. Jonathan Yoder, deputy director of the CDC's Wastewater Surveillance Program. The rise in viral levels, which began in May, has been steady, with the Western U.S. region showing the highest concentrations. The increase in wastewater viral activity is being echoed in emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and deaths, although these metrics have not surged as dramatically as infections. According to the CDC, about four people per 100,000 are currently being hospitalized for COVID-19, up from a low of one per 100,000 in May. Despite the rise, these numbers remain below the winter peaks seen in previous years. The WastewaterSCAN network, a nationwide surveillance program, confirms these findings. "This is a very significant surge," said Dr. Marlene Wolfe, an assistant professor of environmental health and public health at Emory University. "We're detecting SARS-CoV-2 in 100 percent of our samples across the country right now." While the precise correlation between wastewater virus levels and actual case numbers remains complex, the trend is unmistakable. The surge is attributed to a combination of factors, including the emergence of new variants that evade existing immunity and the return of children to classrooms, which creates additional opportunities for the virus to spread. The rise in cases is occurring ahead of the availability of an updated COVID-19 vaccine designed to better protect against these new variants. Dr. Peter Hotez, an infectious disease expert at Texas Children's Hospital, expressed disappointment that the new vaccine isn't yet available. "It's a bit disappointing that these are not available now, as COVID is surging," he said. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expected to approve the updated vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax in the coming weeks, with distribution anticipated by the end of September. In the meantime, health officials are advising the public to take familiar precautions to protect themselves. Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University, recommended that people get the new vaccine as soon as it becomes available. He also emphasized the importance of using high-quality masks, such as N95 or KN95, in crowded indoor spaces, and keeping COVID-19 tests on hand to quickly identify any infections. The surge in COVID-19 cases has renewed questions about the duration of isolation periods and the effectiveness of current guidelines. The CDC has adjusted its recommendations over the years, most recently advising that people isolate until they have been fever-free for at least 24 hours and their symptoms have improved. Dr. Neil Fishman, chief medical officer at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, noted that while the risk of transmission decreases significantly after five days, there remains some risk until day 10. Fishman also addressed concerns about the new variants, known as FLiRT variants, which are currently dominating the U.S. landscape. Although these variants may evade some immunity, they do not appear to be more severe or contagious than previous strains. "They appear to cause the same type of disease as other strains," Fishman said. However, he warned that the risk remains significant for those who are unvaccinated or have underlying health conditions. As the U.S. navigates this latest surge, experts continue to stress the importance of public health measures. "Stay home if you're sick, clean your hands, cover your cough," advised Fishman. He also suggested considering masks in crowded environments, particularly on public transportation, where the risk of transmission is higher. Sara DiNatale covers energy, the Texas grid, ERCOT, CPS Energy, and labor for the San Antonio Express-News. She can be reached at (210) 446-3358, sara.dinatale@express-news.net, or @sara_dinatale. Sara joined the staff in 2023. She spent six years in Florida at the Tampa Bay Times, where she covered breaking news before settling into business reporting. She also covered labor, the economy, and health care at Mississippi Today, where her reporting was recognized by the Green Eyeshade Awards and the Mississippi Press Association. Shes a graduate of the University at Buffalo (2015) and a native of Western New York. Ace Patton Ashford, 18, died on Monday after being dragged into an open field by a horse near Waco. Douglas Sacha/Getty Images A recent Texas High School graduate was killed when he was accidentally dragged by a horse across an open field, according to a KWTX report. Ace Patton Ashford, a Rosebud-Lott High School graduate, was tending to a sick calf when the accident occurred last Sunday. KWTX reported that first responders were called just after 8 a.m. to a location about a mile west of Highway 7 in Chilton, south of Waco. Advertisement Article continues below this ad ALSO READ: San Antonio grand jury indicts two Texas men accused of illegally dealing firearms According to the Lott Volunteer Fire Department, Ashford was working on a sick calf when a horse near him got spooked. His leg got tangled and the horse dragged him across an open field. Responding paramedics found Ashford suffering from head injuries, but he was breathing and had a pulse. He was airlifted to a nearby hospital, the report states. Ashford was described as being in bad shape before dying from his injuries. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The 18-year-old was an accomplished roper who was set to rodeo for Hill College in Hillsboro in the fall. The Arvind Kejriwal government will start a cashless medical facility for over 20,000 retired employees of the Delhi Vidyut Board, Power Minister Atishi said on Saturday. The file for the cashless medical facility was signed on Friday and notification for it will be issued next week after which the scheme will come into effect, the Delhi minister said at a press conference. The Delhi Transco Limited (DTL) will handle the cashless medical facility for employees of Delhi Vidyut Board (DVB) who retired before April 2002. The DVB was unbundled into separate generation, transmission and distribution companies in 2002. A postgraduate trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered while on duty at the RG Kar MCH last week (Photo: PTI) Healthcare services took a hit across West Bengal on Saturday as doctors joined their junior colleagues in the cease work, demanding justice for the rape and murder of a medic at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Junior doctors began the stir eight days ago, and with the seniors joining in following a call by the Indian Medical Association (IMA), services at the outpatient departments of both government and private hospitals were affected. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp "Our agitation will continue. This is the only way to get our demands fulfilled. How can people get inside the hospital and attack us even when the police are present? We can understand the actual motive of the vandalism," a protesting doctor said. Non-essential healthcare services at the state-run SSKM Hospital, Sambhunath Pandit Hospital, and Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital, among others, were crippled because of the agitation. Similar was the scene at the private healthcare facilities in the state. Manipal Hospitals said routine OPD services have been closed in line with IMA's call. "All emergency and essential services will continue and prior appointments will be rescheduled," an official of Manipal Hospitals said. ILS Hospitals senior vice president Debashis Dhar said, "In solidarity with the IMA strike, we have suspended OPD services and elective surgeries across all our units today. ILS Hospitals fully support this cause, and while routine services are suspended, our emergency services will continue to function as usual, ensuring patients in need of urgent care receive immediate attention." A postgraduate trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered while on duty at the RG Kar MCH last week. When a demonstration was underway against the gruesome incident in the early hours of August 15, a mob ransacked parts of the hospital. VIA Metropolitan Transit wants to build a rapid bus route that would serve as the backbone for a new and faster mass transit system. On Tuesday, the Bexar County Commissioners Court is scheduled to consider whether it will provide $102 million in local matching funds that VIA needs to secure another $146.7 million from the Federal Transit Administration. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News The Bexar County Commissioners Court is scheduled Tuesday to consider whether it will provide a crucial $102 million so VIA Metropolitan Transit can build a rapid bus route that would serve as the backbone for a new and faster mass transit system. The funding would go toward the construction of the Silver Line, a proposed 7.3-mile route that would run east-west from Loop 410 and East Houston Street through downtown to the area around Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. The funds would serve as the local match VIA needs to access $146.7 million it is seeking from the Federal Transit Administration. VIA is expected to chip in another $42 million. About a year ago, Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai and San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg co-signed a letter to the federal Transit Administration saying they would work together to help fill the funding gap, VIAs president and CEO Jeffrey Arndt said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The Silver Line would run cross-wise with another rapid bus route, the $446.3 million Green Line. VIA is working with the Federal Transit Administration to lock down a $269.2 million grant for that proposed route. The 10.4-mile Green Line would run north-south from Stone Oak through downtown to the Brooks master-planned community on the South Side. If the county approves the $102 million match, VIAs board will vote to accept it on Aug. 27, Arndt told the Express-News on Friday before VIAs annual State of Transit luncheon downtown. The Silver and Green lines together known as VIAs Advanced Rapid Transit, or ART, system would then have all the local funding they need. But VIA would still have work to do to secure the federal funds. The Silver Line would have to go through a federal approval process requiring public input and several types of analysis looking at the projects impact on the environment, real estate and local utilities, Arndt said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad There are a lot of moving pieces to that, that we are wrapping up right now on the Green Line toward looking at a full funding grant agreement thats what they call Yes, you got it money by the end of the year, he said. Well have to run that same process on the Silver Line. Arndt who announced Friday that he plans to retire at the end of the year said he expects that by 2028, the Green Line will be running and the Silver Line will be well underway. READER POLL: Tell us which San Antonio highway you hate the most Nirenberg, Sakai and other local leaders are pinning their hopes on the Advanced Rapid Transit plan to give the Alamo City the kind of speedy, omnipresent mass transit system that has eluded it since VIA was established in 1977. The plan comes after at least two failed efforts to build light rail in San Antonio in past decades. The ART system does operate much like a light rail system, Arndt told the audience at Fridays luncheon. I sometimes get the question, When is San Antonio going to get light rail? I say, Well, hopefully never. Because light rail costs twice as much and it does not operate nearly as flexibly. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Speaking at the luncheon, Nirenberg voiced support for the project. We have a vision that this community could finally break through the barrier of mass transit, and thats exactly what were doing, he said. By the time were here next year, we will be breaking on mass transit in San Antonio for the first time in our history. Buses on the Green and Silver lines would depart every 10 minutes on weekdays and every 15 minutes on weekends, reducing wait times for riders. They would have their own designated lanes for most of the routes, and traffic lights would be programmed to keep them moving. Riders would pay their fares before getting on board, and the buses would have doors on both sides so they could get in more efficiently. I need you to repeat after me: frequency, frequency, frequency, Arndt said at the luncheon. Frequency is the hallmark of service, and we never forget that. VIAs share of the funding for both lines it is contributing $89.3 million for the Green Line will come from revenue it makes from local sales taxes. In 2020, San Antonio voters approved a ballot measure to rededicate a 1/8-cent share of existing sales taxes for improvements to the transit network. The agency will start receiving that revenue in 2026. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The Green Line will require the construction of 26 bus stations and the purchase of 17 low-emission buses, according to a presentation VIA made to the San Antonio City Councils transportation and infrastructure committee in October. For the Silver Line, 18 stations would be built. The Advanced Rapid Transit routes have been in the works since 2015 or 2016, Arndt said shortly after VIAs effort to build a streetcar system failed. Bexar County Commissioner Tommy Calvert said Friday that he will support the county funding for the Silver Line, which if built would pass through parts of his precinct on the East Side. He said he hopes VIA will build even more rapid-transit routes. Its a different way from the car culture we have here in Texas, but people enjoy it when we do it, he said of mass transit. Its a welcome change. Noel Fidencio Villarreal, convicted of murder in June in the fatal shooting of Ruben Martinez, leaves the stand after testifying at his sentencing on Friday. He was sentenced to 60 years for murder. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News Noel Fidencio Villarreal was sentenced to 60 years in prison for killing a man he said was about to carjack him. In June, a Bexar County jury convicted Villarreal, 44, of murder for the slaying of Ruben Martinez, 32, on Dec. 22, 2022, at the Oyo Hotel San Antonio Lackland, which is near Sea World on SW Loop 410. Instead of allowing the jury to impose his punishment, Villarreal chose to be sentenced by state District Judge Catherine Torres-Stahl, who heard the guilt-innocence phase of the trial. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Villarreal, the only witness called by his lawyer, Paul J. Smith, struggled to apologize to Martinezs relatives, who trembled, cried and couldnt make eye contact. Noel Fidencio Villarreal, convicted of murder in June in the fatal shooting of Ruben Martinez, was sentenced to 60 years for murder on Friday. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News To Rubens family, theres so much to say, but yall arent even looking at me, Villarreal said. Villarreal first spoke about his troubled life and how he was abandoned by his mother. Testimony at his trial established that the men got into an argument. Villarreal said Martinez stole from him. He maintained that Martinez had a gun and he shot him in self defense. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Ruben put a gun in my face and carjacked me, Villarreal told the court, telling the judge that the state didnt let all the evidence in. The killing was caught on surveillance video at the motel. San Antonio police crime scene investigators collected 20 shell casings at the motel, and police said Martinez did have a gun, but it was still in his waistband when authorities arrived. In total, nine bullets hit Martinez, who fell to the ground. In an unusual closing argument at Villarreals trial, Smith took the handgun collected into evidence and pointed it at the jury panel as he asked them how they would react if someone had done that to them. Noel Fidencio Villarreal, convicted of murder in June for the fatal shooting of Ruben Martinez, waits for for his sentence alongside his attorney Paul J. Smith on Friday. He was sentenced to 60 years for murder. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News As Smith approached the last panelist on the first row of the jury box, a man yelled, Dont point that at me! Advertisement Article continues below this ad Torres-Stahl scolded Smith and told him to cut it out, dont do that again. In his opening statement on Friday, Villarreals attorney, Paul J. Smith, told the court his client has had a tough life filled with challenges, such as poverty, abandonment, trying to fit in, gang activity, substance abuse since he was 11 years old, and the violent death of his father when he was a child. Smith said combined all led Villarreal to a life of crime that has spanned 30 years. Smiths only witness was Villarreal, who began to apologize to Martinezs family, but then his testimony devolved into blaming the man he killed. I feel in my heart it was self-defense, Villarreal continued, as one of the women put her hands over her ears and cried. I was there, God was there, I know he knows the truth. He knows that that man put a gun in my face. Smith asked Villarreal to tell the judge what sentence he felt he deserved. He asked for mercy, adding: What about my justice? Advertisement Article continues below this ad Prosecutor Madeline Flossi asked Villarreal to consider his faith and asked him if he accepted the verdict. You talk about God and the Bible, and Jesus Christ. And a jury found you guilty of murder. Are you familiar with the 10 Commandments? she asked. I defended myself, Villarreal said. Self-defense. In her closing argument, Flossi asked Torres-Stahl to sentence Villarreal to life in prison, while Smith asked the judge to consider 30 years. Torres-Stahl sentenced Villarreal to 60 years on the murder charge. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Its concerning that you continue to break the law, Torres-Stahl told Villarreal before she imposed her sentence. Every time you were punished, but you never changed behavior. Several other cases involving Villarreal were taken into consideration. Villarreal had previously been convicted of felony offenses, including possession of a controlled substance and aggravated robbery, which enhanced his punishment range. Villarreal also was sentenced to 20 years on a charge of felon in possession of a firearm. All of the prison terms will be served at the same time. He will have to serve at least 30 years before he would become eligible for parole. The World Health Organization appealed for support this week by declaring the latest mpox outbreak in Africa an international health emergency. Trouble is, there are scant funds currently available to tackle the potentially lethal virus. Curbing the spread of mpox in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring countries will require campaigns of surveillance, public health education and vaccination that will be expensive, particularly for the impoverished nation at the center of the crisis. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp So far, the WHO has released $1.45 million from its contingency fund for emergencies, while the African Union has approved $10.4 million from its existing Covid funds for the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. The largest sum could come from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which has said it could tap into its new $500 million emergency fund for vaccinations. Thats far short of the $4 billion the Africa CDCs director general, Jean Kaseya, estimated the continent will need to combat mpox. The big gap I can clearly see here where we will repeat the mistakes of the past is not having a surge financing mechanism, said Javier Guzman, director of global health policy at the Center for Global Development, an NGO that focuses on public health, in an interview. The only substantial option at the moment is the funding from Gavi, which could be used for vaccinations, but it is far from adequate, he said. The surge of cases is centered in Congo, a country roughly the size of Western Europe thats been wracked by a decades-long conflict, severe poverty and malnutrition. Add to that the presence of some 4.2 million internally displaced people, many staying in crowded camps, and the challenge of halting the spread becomes even more challenging. Already this year, there have been about 15,700 suspected cases, resulting in around 550 deaths, according to the Congolese government. While many of those are due to an older, less contagious mpox variant, theres concern that infections from the newer variety will rise rapidly. Congo alone has said it requires 3.5 million vaccine doses, and its public health minister, Roger Kamba, put the cost at hundreds of millions of dollars. The price of the shots has been estimated at $100 a dose, unaffordable for many countries. In a briefing Thursday, Kamba urged the international community to provide assistance. The challenge in securing money to fight the mpox outbreak is playing out against a backdrop of very limited funding for a range of deadly diseases, said Peter Sands, executive director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. There are massive gaps in financing diseases that are already killing a lot more people, Sands said in an interview. While more funds might be needed, he cautioned against forgetting the wider context of a shortage of funding for diseases like malaria in Congo. In the case of mpox, one of the quickest ways to get financing where it needs to go is to re-purpose funding from mechanisms that already exist, such as work on disease prevention, said Sands, who was previously chief executive officer of Standard Chartered Plc. In Congo, large gaps remain in knowledge about the epidemiology of the disease. The declaration of a global health emergency better focuses attention on understanding the infection and how it is spreading in Congo. We dont really have a grip on it terms of the epidemiological dynamics and this will focus attention on that quite effectively, he said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)